Rated: T or PG-13

Genre: Romance/Drama

Summary: Superhero AU. By night, he is the villainous Goblin and she is the heroic Violet Wings. By day, he is the ruthless CEO of Dark Forest, Inc. and she is the newly appointed CEO of Light Fields Co. What could possibly go wrong with this picture?

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my Strange Magic soundtrack and movie, and everything else belongs to George Lucas and Disney. I'm borrowing these characters for my own twisted purpose.

A/N: This idea has been plaguing me ever since I first saw the movie back in January. Now, I'm finally getting around to writing it! I hope you all like!

Masks, Wings, and Lofe

By: Erik'sTrueAngel

Chapter 1

The night was young and the moon was barely peeking through the hazy mist of clouds, but deep in the heart of Midsummer City, there was a fierce battle taking place.

"Had enough?" taunted Violet Wings, the city's protector and hero. Her hazel eyes narrowed sharply through her eye mask, which was a deep purple to match the color of her immense butterfly wings. Her hand clutched the hilt of her sword as she aimed the blade at the chest of her sworn enemy… her arch-nemesis The Goblin.

Of course during her patrol she would have a run-in with him. Every blasted time too and she was itching to bring justice to the slimy cockroach bastard. And he certainly was a cockroach… a very large one.

Tall and gangly, he possessed the limbs that would make any basketball player envious. However, he wasn't using his height for good and his outfit left little to be desired, especially with a name like his. Rough, hard-like scales in a grayish-brown hue covered his shoulders while the rest of his armor continued to have that scaly appearance in a mixture of an earthy muddy brown and black. His hands had nails that were long and razor-sharp, claws to be exact, and his wings were insect-like… transparent and buzzed like a dragonfly's. The Goblin's mask covered his eyes, nose, and the top of his head with layered ridges that stuck up like jagged pieces of glass.

However, Violet Wings was not afraid of him or his scepter which was almost as long as he was tall and it contained a stone of amber in the center. For years he has terrorized her city and she was getting to the point in their acquaintance that she was growing sick with the chasing and fighting.

No… strike that. They always had good fights, but right now, Violet was in the mood to dish out law and order and throw the book at him for good. And if he happened to be arrested while sporting the black and blue bruising on that smarmy face of his… So be it. It would ensure she would get a good night's sleep.

Yet he was nonplussed with her sword directed at his heart, letting out a slow smirk before knocking the sword with his specter.

"I could do this all day and night," he gloated, his voice guttural and raspy.

Gritting her teeth, Violet Wings let out a snarl as she raised her weapon and charged him once more. He deflected her first blow easily, but then she continued coming at him with a flurry of thrusts and parries that were near lightning speed.

He flew back, reaching out with his staff to continue blocking and get a few hits in himself. However, Violet was right there in his face and he lifted his weapon with both hands to keep her sword from embedding itself into his skull. Sparks flew as the metal of her blade and that of his specter met in the center, and he was surprised at how much force this petite woman was throwing at him.

They never fought like this before… Hell, she never fought like this!

The Goblin, putting his back and arms into it, shoved her back as she flew backwards in a somersault and righted herself in another battle stance. While this wasn't how the game was usually played, he found himself enjoying it all the more. Violet wanted to spill his blood and he was all the more willing to return the favor.

No longer holding back, the Goblin flew at her and waved his staff until it came down above her head.

Grunting, she blocked the blow as she gripped her sword's handle with both hands.

"What's the matter Tough Girl?" he sneered. "Did you have a bad day?"

Her lip curled up as her nostrils flared in indignation.

Before he could gloat some more at her expense, something snapped in her eyes and his self-righteous chuckle instantly became a choked sound as her foot connected to his sternum. His hand went right to his throat as he coughed and sputtered, trying to regain his breath, but it was enough of a distraction for Violet's right fist to collide with his lower jaw.

The blow knocked him a dozen feet from the sky and his staff fell to the ground below. His black eyes widened as Violet let out an ear-splitting battle cry as she stretched her legs from under and her wings folded into themselves as she went into a swan dive.

Without wasting a second, he charged headfirst towards the pavement where his weapon was and managed to swipe it. He turned around so he was facing her and met her attack with a one and two, spinning the staff around his fingers every time he blocked her.

Sweat was pouring down his face and getting caught in his mask, but the adrenaline pumping through him was exhilarating that he didn't pay any attention when one drop got in his eye. There was no time to call for a break not when good and evil were engaged in the battle of the century. And he wasn't ready to concede just yet.

Like the Goblin, Violet was also experiencing the same rush of feelings. Her blood was pumping like never before and her arms weren't tiring in this epic duel. Even with the perspiration covering along her hairline, Violet was giving her best to make sure this fiend was squashed like the bug that he was.

At some point they landed on their feet on the ground and continued the fight from there. The only noises that could be heard were their heavy breathing and grunts as they tried to overpower the other. Yet, there was no mistaken they were quickly reaching an impasse as their once confident strikes and thrusts were slowing down to half-hearted jabs.

However, neither was ready to give concession to the other.

The minutes stretched on with their laboring breathing and short gasps and cries, but the sudden shift in the air came when suddenly Violet dropped her sword with a resounding clash, dipped low to avoid the amber stone from hitting her upside the head, and spun her leg out.

The Goblin only had time to let out a shout as her leg collided with his… and losing his balance… he fell down hard, knocking the wind out of his lungs. His staff, his only weapon and protection, skidded out of his reach and he laid there knowing the game was finally over.

There had been a few close calls where he was almost taken into custody, but he would always find a way to outsmart her or the police before they could officially charge him. Usually one of his minions would be nearby to release him and he could continue his plotting. Of course his minions fled the scene after their latest excursion that was going to be part of his master plan to destroy Midsummer City once and for all.

But he hadn't counted on this…

Violet had him pinned, her tiny hands holding his arms down as she straddled him to keep him from escaping. He could see her pale skin glistening in the moonlight, her lips parting with each intake of breath, and her almond-colored irises simply sparkling with the invigorating victory that was in her grasp. Those ridiculous wings of her lifted in the air, the purplish-blue catching the light, making them glow.

"Go on," he whispered, daringly. "You know you want to do it."

Her hands were reaching around his neck and then her mouth came crashing down on his.

xxXXxx

What the bloody Hell just happened?

The Goblin's mind was still full of confusion as he arrived back at his lair in one piece.

What the bloody Hell happened back there?

One minute they were fighting and she knocked him to the ground, her lithe body trapping him rather effectively, and…

Subconsciously, his finger brushed against his lip, imagining the sweet pressure from those soft petal lips…

No! his mind roared at him. It was a trick! That's all it was!

Unwillingly though, his memories jumped right back to that moment with Violet Wings on top of him. He decided to goad her one last time, the "it" implying to hurt him some more or arrest him or something! And the way she entangled her hands around his throat as if she was going to strangle him (and it would have been better if she had), then the sudden jerk of his face moving up and colliding with her lips and…

In the distance, the blaring sirens echoed and he knew it was a diversion. She could have knocked him out, but instead chosen to use the element of surprise to keep him where he was so the police could arrest him. It was downright devious of her to use such crude tactics, yet for a moment, it did work and The Goblin had been temporarily distracted.

Although, he couldn't shake off the strange feeling of disappointment over the ruse she created. It was clever of her and he had to admire the deception, but why couldn't he get rid of that disgusting taste in his mouth or the phantom caress of those fiery lips? She was the hero! He was the villain!

And yet…

He replayed the events from beginning to end: he and his minions were in the middle of kidnapping world-renowned chemist Dr. Sugar Plum when he caught sight of Violet. He ordered his minions to quickly get out of the vicinity with their victim before the goody-two-shoes caught them in the act. Thankfully, they managed to get away with the good doctor just when he began his battle with Violet. They fought, and it was a glorious fight all right, and then he was on his back waiting to get his face pummeled and the thing happened and the sirens and she jolted…

He used that to his advantage—pushing her so he could roll away from her and took flight before the police cars came to a stop. Using what energy he had left, The Goblin flew out of the city limits where he could retreat safely underground to his lair.

So what the Hell happened?

First, their fight was different… much different in fact from past ones.

He recalled their initial encounter back when he was a robbing a bank for the fun of it. This girl… this tiny warrior with her huge butterfly wings, black leggings with golden branches, and a tunic of pink and green shaped like a flower petal with that violet eye mask waited for him on the street after he waltzed out, confident no one would stop him. He had chased out a couple so-called heroes who were no match for him, and after catching a glimpse of this overgrown butterfly, he couldn't hold back the laughter.

She was going to confront him?! Yeah, right.

With his self-assured smirk, The Goblin started walking past her until a sword materialized right below his chin. Afterwards, how could he resist the alluring call to arms?

Oh, she had been green that first time. Yet, armed with her sword and agile moves both on land and in flight—she showed promise. There was a fire, a spark, within her and even when she looked like she was going to lose… she didn't give up. In fact, she knew how to stand her ground, and despite his attempts to rattle her, she didn't bat an eye. Instead, she met his wits with insults of her own and gave it as good as he did.

At some point, both realized the other was merely toying with the other. He was holding back mainly because she amused and intrigued him. He didn't know what her story was but once it occurred to her his ploy… then there was no stopping her. He got a swift right hook to his jaw and he knew this one meant business. Of course, the police were beginning to arrive, interrupting the tête-à-tête. It was a pity this had to end so soon so he grabbed a smoke bomb concealed cleverly at his waist and slammed it on the ground. It was enough of a distraction to disorient her and the officers so he could escape.

From that moment onward, it became one of his sworn duties to defeat Violet Wings once and for all.

Yes… it was truly hate at first sight.

However, defeating her proven to be as trickier as it was for her to bring him to justice. Neither one was successful over the years despite the many "close-calls." She would find a way to sabotage his greatest evil genius plans, or he would lure her into a trap where she shouldn't have been able to escape yet did. Over and over again these arch-nemeses fought in their mutual loathing for the other, but in the end, they would retreat to their respective corners until the next battle would arrive.

Of course, he would never admit he enjoyed their battles and their verbal bantering. He would call her "Butterfly Girl" to mock her and later it was a sardonic "Tough Girl," which quickly became his nickname for her. That one got more of arise out of her than "Butterfly Girl" and he always made sure to use it as much as possible.

To her, he was "Cockroach" and sometimes "Gobby-Wobby." Unfortunately, her lack of clever nicknames left little to be desired, yet it was her ability to take what he said and turn it into a pun was her forte. There was one instance where Violet had been trapped and he had (sadly he had to admit) was monologuing and mentioned how this was the last time she was going to stop him as he would at last eradicate her. She freed herself from her bonds and shouted, "Well, eradicate this!" Before he knew it… she was hurling these tiny daggers she kept in her boots and managed to nick him as he flew to avoid them actually embedding in him.

Then one day, about nine months ago, her fighting style changed. She was still the same Tough Girl but something was oddly different. Her punches didn't sting as much and her sword would barely make a dent out of his staff. No amount of insults could persuade her to fight harder or make it hurt. In fact, the number of times she would go on patrol had decreased, and despite the crime rate being low, he couldn't fathom why she wasn't making more of an attempt to bring him to justice.

Truthfully, he could have gone on a crime spree. But it wasn't the same when Violet Wings wasn't around as often.

Until now.

Today… there was a look for blood in her eyes and she wasn't holding back her attacks. Even when he brought it up, he saw the folds in her mask creased as her brow furrowed together, and she was letting out that banshee scream as she whipped her sword at him.

That was the Violet Wings he longed to fight. He knew she existed beneath the surface and finally she unleashed it after this hiatus of passive fighting.

God… part of him was already gearing up for the next fight. He couldn't believe he was this starved for a spar. But he refused to accept otherwise that it had nothing to do with that kiss. Oh no. Not at all. It was only the fight he wanted again. With her. Not her lips. God no… not her lips.

"There you are!" announced a shrill voice that immediately had him cringing. If there was one creature in the world that could set this fiend on edge it was the stout and petite woman behind him. To a stranger, she looked completely harmless with her wide and welcoming grin and warm brown eyes; she typically wore long dresses varying in numerous earthy color tones from a mossy green to a sandy brown with a band of shells nestled on top of her short reddish brown hair that was straggly and unkempt. If anything, she appeared to be the rejected poster child of the Flower Power era, which she was. In addition, it was her boisterous and highly-opinionated attitude that could be trying on one's sanity when she got into one of her scheming and meddling kicks.

It was a miracle The Goblin didn't have any dental problems with the constant grinding he often has to do in her presence. Even now, he was gritting his teeth.

"-I was wondering what happened when Stuff and Thang returned with the doctor and—" The disturber of his silent musings ceased speaking while getting a good look at him before a huge grin broke across her lips. "You had a run-in with Violet Wings, didn't you?"

Groaning, The Goblin rubbed his forehead while shaking his head. "Not now Mother. Besides, I thought I told you—"

"No more coming to your secret evil lair? Pish-posh. Since you rarely come home, the only time I can see my son is here." Crossing her arms, she pouted. "Anyways, I'm all alone in that fancy penthouse. What with your father busy serving those hundred life sentences… what else can a poor woman do?"

Oh yes… his father. He had been the first Goblin to terrorize Midsummer City until some big shot hero captured him. And what a glorious reign his father had too… All the criminals bowed before him like he was some kind of king and the younger Goblin supposed he was in a strange way. His father commanded respect from the lowlifes and as long as they served him… then they would be protected from the law. He built an empire from the shady parts of the city, but it wasn't until Mr. High and Mighty Green Leaf swooped in and ended the elder's Goblin rule.

His father kept his true identity a secret to protect his wife and young son (who was fifteen at the time) and remained locked up in a security maximum prison. Since no one knew who The Goblin was, the son and wife couldn't visit him especially since the son decided to take up his father's villainy and continue where the old man left off.

As a result, the current Goblin wished his father had so his mother would stop lamenting over the fact she would never see her husband again. That and she would stop other pursuits when it came to interfering with his evil plotting. Knowing she was here in the lair meant she wasn't just seeking out her son's company… she had another insidious motive for being there.

"Listen, Mother, I don't have—"

"Now, don't go saying you don't have time. Your prisoner is still knocked out cold and will be for the rest of the evening. You have plenty of free time to pass until she wakes up and then you can continue your master plan or whatever it is you're doing."

Whirling on her, he looked at her with horror. "Oh no. You didn't…"

"I did," she replied triumphantly. "Your date is meeting you at seven o'clock at the Rainbow Bistro. So you better quickly take off that grimy suit of yours and put something snazzy on. I hear her favorite color is tangerine…"

With one hand gripping his specter tightly, the other was covering his face as he let out a moan. "How many times have I told you Mother? You have to stop setting me up—"

Throwing her arms up in the air, she made a disagreeing sound. "Bah! If you are so intent on parading around as The Goblin… how in the world will you ever meet a nice girl and settle down? I'm not getting any younger, and if you haven't noticed, I would like to have some grandbabies to keep me company before you wind up in jail just like your father. Now, you wouldn't want to do that to your loving mother would ya?"

The Goblin muffled his next word, an unintelligible curse, before he removed his hand and sighed wearily. "I told you. I'm a villain. There will never be a nice girl for me."

"Well, I don't believe that not for a second," his mother argued. "Look at your father and me. He was a villain when we met and oh boy what a bad boy he was! Such a terrible influence that corrupted this innocent girl… I wouldn't change a moment of it." Her voice became all dreamy-like that the fearless Goblin had to fight back the urge to roll his eyes at the sappy way his mother would gush over his father. Sometimes he wondered if they were even talking about the same person. "He was such a romantic, I tell ya! Charmed me on the first date, he did. First it was the bouquet of flowers and the ski mask then a ride through the city on his bike where we held up a bank. Those were the good old days."

Unlike his mother, The Goblin's memories of his father weren't as fond. Since he was a wee lad, his father taught him everything he knew about his Underground kingdom and how to fight and how to inspire fear and respect in those of lesser means. It was all about the power and how to maintain it to avoid any anarchy or mutiny if someone from the street decided to challenge him. His lessons were harsh and punishing and downright cruel in some regard, but it toughened the younger Goblin and prepared him for the life he was going to inherit eventually.

There was one point, however, when the young Goblin decided he didn't want this responsibility. He wanted to make something of himself in the right and legit way. He was intelligent, going to the best schools, and he was planning on going to college. After his father was imprisoned, he took it as a sign that a life of crime wasn't worth the risk. He graduated high school and was accepted at a prestigious university. There he studied business and looked into starting his own company. Thanks to the savings his father had generously stored… he was able to build from the ground up a name for himself until the Incident.

He never liked talking about that fateful day when he decided to stop running from his destiny and accept he was meant to be a criminal after all. That day onward, he never looked back and wished his mother would obey his wishes and stop the incessant, foolish dream of hers. It was never going to be in the cards for him to have the kind of happy ending she wanted him to have. The sooner she realized that, the sooner he was going to have peace on this matter.

Yet…

"Now, listen to me, Bog Misery King," she reprimanded. "You will go on this date even if it kills you. And it just so happens she is a doctor."

Of course she was. And hearing his full name only made him more irritated. Not only was his father a ruthless villain, but also he was a big Elvis Presley fan and loved the song "Trouble." Naturally, he had to name his son with the lyric—"My middle name is Misery…"

Furthermore, his first name was a courtesy by his mother who had a fascination with bog plants for some reason.

It was inevitable he would grow into his role as a villain with all these nuances.

Removing his mask, The Goblin was instantly transformed into his alter ego.

Bog smoothed down his dark hair and continued moving behind his changing screen where his mother already left a clean suit for him to change (and was that a tangerine tie?!). It didn't take long for him to shed the rest of his guise and emerged as Bog King, one of the wealthiest men in Midsummer City and CEO to Dark Forest, Inc. His company specialized in many things most notably in the advancement of biochemistry and technology to study various forms of biological warfare and search for vaccines to counteract from potential attacks. It was important to maintain appearances by having his company do something "good" so no one would suspect his true nature was a sinister one. As it was, no one knew or put two-and-two together that he and The Goblin were one in the same!

In addition to the achievements in biochemistry, recently, Dark Forest was starting to look into alternative energy as a way to compete against another company that was gaining ground in that field—the Light Fields Company.

His lip snarled in thought of that prissy and arrogant CEO of theirs. If there was one other person in the universe he hated more than Violet Wings it was her.

"Now, don't ya look handsome?" Griselda said, interlacing her fingers.

Bog took one look at the mirror she had installed and grimaced. Handsome he was certainly not. If it weren't for his riches, there were a few women who would be able to stomach his presence. There was nothing in his appearance that would suggest he had an ounce of warmth or friendliness about him. Sharp, angular, and hostile were the best adjectives to describe him on a good day. With his slick back black hair, Bog wore a permanent scowl on his countenance that matched his pointy chin and even pointier nose. His jawline did have a few coarse black hairs as stubble that couldn't decide if it wanted to be a beard or not. As for his eyes…

The final step to complete his transition: remove his contacts.

Taking out each black lens, a crystal blue iris blinked back. They were startlingly bright and frigid in its glare and only made Bog all the more intimidating in the business and science worlds.

"Much better," his mother continued. Then she inhaled. "Maybe you should take a shower first."

xxXXxx

Why he always went along with this charade was something he couldn't figure out.

He was The Goblin for Pete's sake and no one could boss him around. But Griselda was his mother and he was raised to respect his parents and do what they ask of him. Begrudgingly too.

It was that or put up with her nagging for a whole night if he were to stand up this lovely girl who was anxious to meet him. It was certainly better than to have Griselda talk about Violet Wings and how maybe he should consider going on a date with her. So desperate she was for those grandchildren that she was willing to play matchmaker with his nemesis and that would be a cold day in Hell for that to ever happen with him.

Reluctantly, here he was on another of his mother's blind dates and this one was no different than the others.

Like the ones before her, she was pretty and she spent most of the time chatting away while he silently brood over the day's earlier events. Even though his kidnapping plot was successful, he couldn't stop thinking about Violet and how she effectively got him off-guard.

That could never happen again. If he wanted to destroy her for good, then he would have to make sure he didn't fall for her vile and diverting ways. She might have fooled him once… but next time it won't work.

TBC…