It's not easy being a bad guy. Sometimes it takes a while to realize that.

Whether you're a boy or a girl, human or not, life in Miracle City is the same everyday for villains: Break into a bank, steal priceless artifacts, try not to get caught. Wash, rinse, repeat. Nothing unusual; in fact, those activities have proven themselves to be enjoyable.

But every once in a while, you have to sit back for a bit and focus on your own life, on what really matters.

And sometimes you have to question yourself and your motives.

Why am I doing this? Do I find it fun, or am I doing this to impress my family? Do I have another reason altogether?

You may ignore these questions as much as you want, but they will always come back when you least expect it.

It's even harder when you're growing up, trying to find out how you fit in.

Balancing being a villain with a teen life isn't easy, with homework, crushes, family issues... shall I go on?

Perhaps Black Cuervo, or should I say, Zoe Aves, would like to explain it to you.

Revenge will come, and it will be glorious.

As the bell rang, mass hysteria arose as students ran out of their classes and into the hallway. It was the end of the school day, on a Friday no less. Groups of friends met at their lockers, discussing what their plans for the weekend were. Whether it be dates or friendly get-togethers, everyone seemed to have an idea of what to do.

Except for one girl.

Scowling from the shadows, Zoe Aves was not in the mood for socializing. She had more important things to worry about this weekend.

This important thing was revenge.

Her eyes focused on a pair of two students by the lockers.

Manny Rivera and Frida Suarez. The worst two people she had ever met.

Zoe had hated Frida since Kindergarden. She always had this annoying, overly cheerful demeanor, and this only got worse as she grew up. Always showing off, always taking away everything good in her life...

Like Manny Rivera.

She hated Manny, too. But at the same time, she had a weird attachment to the boy. Their relationship in middle school started off as a trick to gain his trust, only so she could humiliate Frida. But after he had defeated her in a fight and cut off any friendly relations with her, she started to question her thoughts on him. Maybe there was something special about him after all.

What was she saying? Manny Rivera was scum. He had played with her emotions and broke her heart. No, he hadn't broken it. He shattered it, chewed it up, and spit it out.

Did the time they spent together really mean nothing to him? He said he was sorry, but what if that was a trick too?

Zoe had had enough. Thinking about this for too long made her feel sick. Pushing aside these thoughts, she grabbed her backpack out of her locker and dragged her feet out of the school.

"Zoe, you've barely touched your food."

Back at home, Zoe was in her Black Cuervo attire, eating dinner with her mother and grandmother. Noticing her daughter hadn't eaten anything in 5 minutes, Voltura had spoken up.

Briefly glancing up from her plate, Cuervo sighed. "I'm fine, mom."

Voltura was not convinced. "Mija, I can tell when you're upset. Can you tell your grandmami and I what the problem is?"

Cuervo didn't respond, and continued staring at her dinner.

"Don't tell me it has anything to do with El Tigre."

She flinched.

Cuervo was soon startled by Voltura slamming her fist down on the table. Daring to look up, she saw an enraged scowl on her mother's face.

"I should have known! It IS about that boy! I told you to stop thinking about him like that, but of course you don't listen to me!"

Trembling with seething anger, Cuervo held her breath. Voltura continued her rant.

"Those Rivera men are despicable! Why else do you think I broke up with Rodolfo in high school? If you can't listen to your supervillain mother, what kind of villain are you?"

Cuervo couldn't take it anymore. Dragging her nails across the table, she spoke through clenched teeth.

"Don't you EVER say that to me again."

Voltura's eyes widened. "What did you say to me?!"

Shooting a nasty look at her mother, she stood up from the table. "Do I need to repeat myself, mom? I'm not something you can just control! Just because I'm your daughter doesn't mean you can just tell me what to do all the time! I'm not a child, you can't tell me who I should like!"

"I know what's best for you!" Voltura screeched. "El Tigre already broke your heart once, do you want him to hurt you again?"

Cuervo didn't have a response. Hot tears of frustration ran down her face, her red eyes staring up at her mother.

Voltura closed her eyes in concentration. "Go to your room, young lady."

"But mom-"

"Right now!" She pointed to the direction of Cuervo's room, her expression tense.

Averting her gaze away from her mother, Cuervo activated her launchers and flew away from the table, to her room upstairs.

Lady Gobbler, having been silent the whole time, felt the need to say something now. "Mija, don't you think you were being a little hard on her?"

Voltura opened her eyes, gazing downwards. "It's for her own good."

In her room, Zoe had changed out of her Black Cuervo outfit, wearing the black dress and boots she often wore to school. She had stopped crying, and instead held a blank expression towards the ceiling, laying on her back on the covers of her bed.

Her room was mostly black, to the surprise of no one, and was filled to the brim with weapons and equipment. Her room had two different forms, activated by a concealed switch on the dresser next to her bed.

Even though she hadn't talked about it with her mother, Zoe had been feeling lonely these past few days. After her and El Tigre's sham of a relationship had fallen through, she realized just how lonely she was. Everyone at school was scared of her, and El Tigre was the closest friend she had before the reveal at the docks.

And, now that she thought of it, her only friend.

Zoe started to feel sick again, a headache forming. That was enough of that. With a sigh, she leaped down from her bed and was ready to go back downstairs, ready to face her mother's wrath.

But, all of a sudden, she had another idea.

Making a run for her Cuervo equipment, she put them on as fast as she could. Expanding her wings, she opened the window, her wings jet propelling her outside into the night sky.

Her mother had asked what kind of villain she thought she was. Tonight, she was going prove to her how evil she could be.