In Marvel with the Force?

The park was quiet, the late afternoon sunlight casting a golden glow over the trees and paths. Tyr sat on the bench where he and Elizabeth had met before, his shoulders slightly hunched and his gaze distant.

Elizabeth arrived a few minutes later, her bright smile softening as she noticed his demeanor.

"Hey, broody," she called out, taking her usual spot beside him. "You look like you're carrying the weight of the world again."

Tyr glanced at her, offering a faint smile. "Hey, Elizabeth."

"Okay, that's concerning," she said, crossing her arms and leaning back. "No snarky comeback? No sarcastic remark? Who are you, and what have you done with Tyr?"

Tyr chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I guess I'm just... tired."

Elizabeth tilted her head, studying him closely. "Tired? Or something else?"

Tyr hesitated, his fingers drumming lightly on his knee. "It's complicated."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Everything's complicated with you. Come on, Tyr. Talk to me. You keep showing up to these little meetings, but half the time, it feels like your mind's somewhere else."

Tyr opened his mouth to respond but closed it again, unsure of what to say.

Elizabeth softened, her voice gentler now. "I'm serious, Tyr. You're carrying something heavy, and I can see it. Let me help, even if it's just by listening."

For a moment, the silence between them stretched, the sounds of the park fading into the background. Tyr stared at the ground, his thoughts a tangled mess.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low. "Do you ever feel like... no matter what you do, it's never enough? Like the world's just too broken to fix?"

Elizabeth blinked, caught off guard by the vulnerability in his tone. "Yeah," she said after a pause. "I think everyone feels that way sometimes. But the thing is, it's not about fixing the whole world. It's about making your little corner of it better."

Tyr let out a bitter laugh. "Easier said than done."

"No kidding," Elizabeth said, nudging him lightly with her elbow. "But you don't have to do it alone. And you don't have to carry the weight of it all by yourself."

Tyr turned to look at her, his brow furrowing. "Why do you care?"

Elizabeth tilted her head, her expression sincere. "Because I've been where you are. Lost. Angry. Feeling like the whole world's against me. But someone pulled me out of it, reminded me that there's still good out there—even if it's hard to see sometimes."

Tyr's gaze softened, the walls he had built around himself cracking ever so slightly.

"You're not as alone as you think, Tyr," Elizabeth said, her voice steady. "You just have to let people in."

The two sat in silence for a moment before Elizabeth changed the subject, sensing that Tyr needed a shift in focus.

"Hey, have you been following the news about this Violet Wolf guy?" she asked, her tone casual.

Tyr stiffened slightly but kept his expression neutral. "Yeah, I've heard about him."

"What do you think?" she asked, leaning forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Tyr hesitated. "I think... he's trying to do the right thing. But people like him... they walk a fine line."

Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess that's true. But honestly, I think it's kind of cool—someone out there taking on the bad guys. Makes me feel like maybe the world's not completely hopeless, you know?"

Tyr's lips twitched into a faint smile. "You're optimistic. I'll give you that."

"Someone has to be," Elizabeth said with a grin. "Anyway, if you ever meet this Violet guy, tell him I said thanks."

Tyr chuckled softly, the tension in his shoulders easing just a bit. "I'll keep that in mind."

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Elizabeth stood, brushing off her jeans.

"Well, I better get going," she said. "Same time next week?"

Tyr nodded. "Yeah. Same time."

Elizabeth smiled, leaning down slightly. "And Tyr? Don't forget—no matter how dark things get, there's always a little bit of light. You just have to look for it."

Tyr watched her walk away, her words echoing in his mind.

Back at the workshop, Tyr sat in his chair, staring at the monitors without really seeing them. Argos's emblem pulsed softly.

"You seem... less tense," the AI observed.

Tyr leaned back, exhaling slowly. "Maybe."

"She has a positive influence on you," Argos noted.

Tyr smirked faintly. "Don't get any ideas."

As he stared at the screens, his mind drifted back to Elizabeth's words. For the first time in what felt like forever, a tiny spark of hope flickered within him.