Getting our statements taken didn't take as long as I originally believed it would. My suspicions of ulterior motives never came to light. Despite the fact that the room we were in felt like an interrogation room from a police procedural, it was a completely normal conversation. The man interviewing us wasn't antagonistic, aggressive, or accusatory. He just took notes as we talked about what happened. He didn't even ask that many questions, only occasionally asking a clarifying question.

No one suspects that there was foul play or that Violet didn't murder Jean-Luc. No one knows I killed him, not even my allies. She's really going to go down for this, and there's not a single piece of evidence that points toward me. All because I had the foresight to hide the third aspect of my power since the very beginning. A trump card is only a trump card if absolutely no one else knows. I did it. I want to smile as we're escorted out of the headquarters, but that wouldn't fit the situation. In a single night, I framed Violet for murder, exploded a friend group, and weakened the Heroes' Union. And all it cost was a single life. The ROI on Jean-Luc's life is incredible.

"I am tired," I said, and I mean it; my body aches.

"Tired doesn't even begin to cover it. I'm absolutely exhausted, physically and mentally," Anika responded.

"Yeah, I feel you, babe," Vivienne said, squeezing her girlfriend.

"That was a hell of a night. It's eight am already," Emma whined.

"I'm running on a second wind, so I'm not too tired, but I'll probably crash as soon as I get into my room," Sy admitted.

Everyone looks rough, I'm sure I do as well. The lack of sleep, excessive alcohol consumption, and a constant state of heightened emotions aren't great for appearances. The girls' makeup is smearing, Sy has deep bags under his eyes, and everyone's outfits are just sloppier than they were at the start of the night. I can feel the sweat and grime all over my body, and the others are likely the same. I've been wearing the same clothes for the last twenty-four hours.

"We could grab breakfast somewhere," Vivienne suggested.

"I'm not too hungry, but I could go for some coffee," Anika said.

"Thank you for the invite, but I'm going back to my apartment to sleep for a day," I said.

"I'm with Eryk on just going to bed. I'll be taking a shower before joining you. I need a long shower after last night," Emma replied.

"I'm about the same as Anika. I could eat, but I'm also cool with just going home and passing the fuck out," Sy laughed.

"How the hell are you all so relaxed? We came this close to dying. How are none of you shaken up from all that shit? That was the worst night of my life, and you're all acting like it's all no big deal. Talking about going to breakfast like we didn't see someone die less than ten hours ago. There's something fucked up with all of you," Shanice exclaimed before turning in the opposite direction and walking away.

The remaining five of us stand there as other people walking and talking mumble complaints about us standing in the middle of the sidewalk. The hiss of city buses, car horns, and the ambient noise that comes from so many people in close proximity come in so clearly after Shanice's accosting us. Maybe she's right, at least about Emma and me, but the rest of them are pretty normal people when it comes to societal norms and standards. Are Anika and Sy acting oddly? Or are they just processing grief differently than Shanice expected?

"That was kind of rude," Emma joked.

"I know, right?" Anika agreed.

"She's shaken up, hard to blame her for reacting the way she did," Vivienne said sagely. "On second thought, I'm probably just going to take a nap."

"Sounds like we're splitting up, so let me just say it was a pleasure meeting you wonderful ladies," Sy said.

"Likewise, despite meeting under such unfortunate circumstances, I'm happy I got to meet Eryk's friends," Emma said, oozing sincerity.

"Before the scary shit went down, that was one of the more pleasant holiday parties I've been to. And Eryk, I was completely wrong about you and was unnecessarily bitchy during our first interaction. You're pretty okay for a guy," Anika said sarcastically, smiling at me.

"High praise coming from you. I will do my best not to ruin your current impression of me," I laughed.

"We'll see," she responded.

"It was nice meeting you guys. I like you two a lot more than I like the others, if I'm being honest. We should go on a double date sometime," Vivienne suggested.

"I'd love that," Emma squealed happily.

"Hey, before we all go our separate ways, I just wanted to apologize to all of you for exposing you all to danger. None of you would have been there last night if not for me, and I'm sorry. Even though none of you got hurt, I am to blame for getting you all involved," I apologized.

All four of them assure me that it wasn't my fault and to not apologize for last night. None of them knows that I caused last night's fiasco. Vivienne and Emma might suspect it, but they can't prove it. Vivienne knows better than to act without proof after our Tuesday conversation, and Emma's intelligent enough to know that if I wanted her to know, I'd tell her. Sy begins walking away toward the bus stop nearby, and Anika and Vivienne split off to go to wherever Vivienne parked her SUV. That leaves just me and my girlfriend alone for the first time since yesterday morning.

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"So how'd I do? I think my debut was pretty successful. Sure, there was a casualty, but I didn't cause it. That should count for something," Emma said as we got into her car.

I let out a sigh, grasping the bridge of my nose between my index and thumb. Taking the beanie she gave me off my head, I let my hair fall over my face. The car pulls out of the space, heading back to my apartment, and I let the mask fall. I know I decided to tell her the truth, but part of me is hesitant to put my fate in someone else's hands. This kind of hesitation is unbecoming of Nobody and unlike me.

"You did well, Emma. Truly, you performed your role perfectly. Once I understood your plan of attack against Violet, I couldn't help but be pleased at your decision. By not reacting negatively, by making everyone love you, and by being so positive and friendly, you endeared everyone to you. It sent Violet into a self-destructive spiral, and she made herself look awful to the point that she got way too drunk and lashed out," I stated.

"I'm sorry she killed one of your childhood friends as a result of my actions. Well, I'm actually only sorry if you cared about him," Emma said cheerfully.

"She didn't kill Jean-Luc, I did," I corrected her.

We're at a red light, and Emma takes her eyes off the road to stare at me. Just because I'm committed to giving our relationship a chance doesn't mean I have to tell her all my secrets. She can know I killed him without knowing how I did it.

"How the fuck did you do that? I watched the entire scene go down, and even with my enhanced senses, I didn't notice you do anything. Seriously, Eryk, how did you kill him?"

"That's one thing you do not need to know. Just remember that I'm not as harmless as I may appear," I warned.

"Oh, Eryk, from the moment we had that talk in the blizzard, I have never thought you were harmless," she purred. "I think I might be completely addicted to you. Every tidbit you share leaves me wanting more. You're far too good at keeping me at the edge of my seat with secrets you won't share. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you do it on purpose."

"Unfortunately, I lack the flair for the dramatic that your theory requires. I prefer to remain anonymous; I don't need anyone to know what I've done," I responded.

"Very few Cowls are like that. Most love the limelight, but I'm guessing that makes sense given your personality. Your own people don't even know who you are, do they?" Emma asked.

"They don't. There's only one person who knows the different sides of me. It shouldn't surprise you, I told you I like to keep things separate," I answered.

"It's Vivienne, right? Before you try to lie or obfuscate the truth, there are too many signs that she is. I saw Dappur's face, and her knuckles had small dots of blood on them. Then there's the way she looked to you as if she was waiting for orders from you. She gives off a dangerous vibe to my senses; something about her makes me wary around her. Plus, her heartbeat was completely normal when Violet attacked Jean-Luc. She was surprised, but she wasn't scared at all. All of that points to her being both a Cowl and a confidant of yours. It also means she's strong enough that she believes she could handle Violet without any trouble. Miles, Tuesday, and Vivienne are so completely different, it really makes me curious what other oddballs you have on your roster," Emma remarked.

"Who knows? It's a real mystery," I said, deadpanned. "But genuinely, you were a model girlfriend. Our bet may have been rendered null by last night's fiasco, but I'll honor it. I owe you a real date, and you're welcome to stay in my apartment for the next six months."

"Wow, thank you. Are you sure? I would understand if you wanted to say I lost," she said.

"I'm sure," I said.

"You're kind of a softie, aren't you?"

"Not even a little bit," I responded.

"Oh, before I forget. Last night confirmed it; someone is watching you. It can't be Violet because I got the feeling while we were at her house, and she was in front of me. I know you don't want to share, but do you have any idea who it might be?" Emma asked me.

That's not good. The only reason someone would be spying on me is if they either know I have something to hide or suspect that I do. My brain races through the possibilities of who could be snooping around. Technologica has no need to do it, but that pinstripe fuck would do it just to mess with me. My list of enemies is long, but none of them know that I am Nobody. The Heroes' Union can't be on to me, or they would've captured me when I was there.

"No, and that's not me trying to avoid answering. When I say that I keep my life separated, I mean it. There shouldn't be anyone who knows who I am. I'll have to look into this and figure it out," I said.

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

"Just continue to let me know when we're being watched. If I need more, I'll ask," I said as Emma pulls into my apartment building's garage.

Emma and I don't talk much on the way up to my floor. Walking down the hallway, I'm glad that I can finally retreat into myself. Last night was exhausting, having to play a role for so long without a single moment to stop is hell. The coming weeks are going to be aggravatingly busy. Jean-Luc's funeral services, having to support Aubrey through this difficult time, the implosion of the friend group, whatever court case that might follow, and dealing with the ripples of the fallout of last night. What the hell is on my door? A white envelope is taped onto my door. There aren't any words written on it, and it's only basic scotch tape, so there aren't many clues to go off of it. It can't be management, because they'd send an email. Who would send me a letter? I take it off as I punch in my code and wait for the retina scan to finish. It swings open, and we both head inside.

"What's inside there?"

"I don't know and I don't care. I'm taking a shower before I open it," I said, starting to take my clothes off.

"I can't believe you aren't curious; it could be anything," she said.

"I am not a curious person. Do you want to join me?"

"Ooh. An invitation for grimey shower sex? Count me in," Emma said, clapping.

"It's just more efficient than taking two separate showers," I countered.

"Don't play coy now," she said, taking her top off and shimmying out of her pants.

She stops in front of me, bending over as she pretends to pick up something. This might be able to work. I will try. I throw the unopened letter onto the kitchen island and Emma springs up to run over to it. She uses her index nail to cut open the envelope. If she wants to open it she's free to do so. I start emptying my pockets: wallet, keys, and then I reach into my backpocket for the Nobody drawing Aubrey made. Wait. Where the fuck is it? Unbuttoning my jeans, I scramble out of them and try to find the folded up picture. But it's gone, I lost it at some point. That is not good.

"Hey, Eryk," Emma said, trying to get my attention.

"What?" I asked quickly.

"The letter is addressed to you. It says is I know what you did and you won't get away with it," Emma answered.

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