Vivienne and Tuesday should be on their way up to the White Knight Militia Group today. Those two will handle things correctly. And there is still so much to do to prepare for my apartment in Quinstin. Damn it, I forgot to pick my classes. I roll out of bed and boot up the computer at my desk. I log into the student portal for QUTD and check to see what classes are left. I get Calculus, Engineering Design, Physics, English, and Ethics. Five to start until I figure out what the Cowl/college balance looks like. I press submit and go about starting my day. I do my workout, shower, and do some online shopping for my apartment. I should reach out to Aubrey to see if I can’t get some information about her team. I send Aubrey a text, asking if she’s around to meet up. I also add that Maria and I broke up. My phone rings immediately; it’s Aubrey calling.

“Oh my god, Eryk. Are you okay? I can’t believe you guys broke up. You were like New Farford’s OTP,” Aubrey said.

I force my voice to quiver. “It’s been hard these past few weeks. I don’t how to feel about what happened or who I am after it. Things have been so strained since getting out of the hospital, and it all came to a head.”

“Listen, I’m on my way back from Quinstin right now. I’ll come over, and we can talk. Do you want me to grab Jean-Luc?”

“Did you two make up?”

“Um, not exactly, but for something this important, we can get along,” she said.

“I’d prefer if it was just the two of us, honestly.”

“No problem, I’ll be there in about an hour.”

“Thanks, see you then. And thank you, by the way.”

Our call ends, and I’m left with a bit of time before she gets here. I’m unsure if talking with her when I have all the personality pieces inside me. Once the experiment was over, I took all the powers back. Diminish’s detached depression is like a sedative for all the other’s pieces. It seems like only big emotional spikes can get through. The only upside as of late is that Maria hasn’t tried contacting me since our last text exchange. I don’t know how I never noticed how disturbed she was—my plan to use her as a smokescreen worked too well and made her obsessed with me. If I need another girlfriend in Quinstin, I have to be more careful.

My room is a bit messy, so I start to clean it up. I’m barely here anymore except to sleep. It actually looks like a normal teenager’s bedroom. Clothes on the floor, the trash can is full, and some of my Nobody items are out. I’m getting careless. I turn my Cowl phone off and throw it into my duffel bag. Already inside the bag are my mask, my gun, and some of the black clothes I tend to wear as Nobody. I empty the trash, throw my clothes into the laundry chute on the wall, and clean off all the surfaces. Zoning out, I continue wiping everything down and start vacuuming. The cleaning spree eats up time, and before I know it, an hour is gone by. A light knock breaks my concentration. Damn it. Who the hell is interrupting me? Aubrey comes in, rushing me with a hug.

“I’m here, buddy,” she said.

“I never doubted you,” I said, hugging Aubrey back.

We separate, and she takes a seat in my chair. I fall back, sitting on the end of my bed.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Aubrey asked me.

“We can, it might help. Truthfully, things with me and Maria have been really rocky. I haven’t been honest with anyone, really. Marcus’ death, the party, and Davis killing everyone; it fucked me up. Badly. I didn’t really know how to talk about it, but my sense of time was so messed up. It still is. I went from seeing everyone I grew up with getting slaughtered in droves to waking up in a pod in some BNA lab a month and a half later. It’s like someone snapped their fingers, and I timetravelled. I didn’t get any time to process what I’d seen. The BNA agents woke me up, gave me some clothes, and brought me back home,” I said, pausing for tension.

“Jesus, Eryk, I didn’t know. I might be the only person who can kinda relate. Granted, I still can’t remember the party, but the loss of time? I can definitely understand that. It feels like I’ve been frozen, and the whole world left me behind. It’s so scary and isolating to have a chunk of time missing.”

She still doesn’t remember. Good.

“You’re right. Isolating is the exact word I was thinking of. It’s like I’m on an island away from everyone else, surrounded by an endless ocean. It’s almost poetic how I lost time, and then all I’ve wanted since was more of it. Time to myself, to sit and think and grieve by myself. Maria, she didn’t like that. We’d never been apart for that long, and she could not comprehend the idea that I didn’t want to spend every waking minute with her. I needed space, and she needed company. I pulled away as she kept getting closer. After a bit, she started accusing me of cheating and hiding shit from her,” I said.

“Are you fucking serious? You would never cheat; you’re not that type of guy. God, she is such a stupid bitch,” Aubrey shouted. “Sorry. Just after everything you guys have been through, two friggin’ years, and she accuses you of that?”

There’s Davis’ rage rearing its head. This is working in my favor, wonderfully.

“It hurt. A lot. I’ve never been unfaithful. But no matter what I said or did, she wouldn’t believe me. We started fighting every single time we were together. I started resenting her, and then I was avoiding her even more. If I didn’t respond quickly enough to her texts, she would show up unannounced at my house.”

“What a crazy bitch.”

“The final straw was finding her going through my phone looking for imaginary girls I’m hooking up with. I freaked out, and we fought. She kept calling me a cheater, and I called her a psycho. She’s crying and screaming; I’m yelling back at her. It was messy and loud, and then I finally said it. I just couldn’t deal with all the bullshit anymore. I was so tired of arguing,” I said, sighing. It's not technically a lie.

“Yeah, I don’t blame you. I know I’m not her biggest fan, but I’m sorry that you guys broke up. I know how much you care about her.”

“It sucks. I love her, Aubrey. Ending it felt like cutting off a piece of my soul. I hate how much I miss her, but we can’t be together if she doesn’t trust me.”

“You can’t help your feelings, Eryk. Our hearts have a way of overriding our brains. People are complex, emotional creatures. You can love her while also realizing a relationship is a bad idea,” she said.

I need to steer us away from Maria and onto her new team.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Wow. How can you be so insightful when you’ve been single your whole life?” I joked.

“You’re a jerk, you know that?” She smiled. Her smile fades quickly. “I know a little about love and doomed relationships.”

Marcus? I never noticed before. Granted, I had my hands full with Maria. I wonder what would happen if I told her I killed him. I laugh, flashing Aubrey a huge smile. “Thanks for coming over. I really needed this. This might be the first time I’ve laughed since we broke up.”

“Of course, that’s what friends are for. I always got your back.”

“Still, thank you. It means so much that you came all the way from Quinstin here. But why were you in Quinstin? I asked.

“Uh. No particular reason. I wanted to check out a restaurant over there,” she lied.

“Oh, what was the name of it? I’m going to QUTD, so I’d love a recommendation. And how’d you hear about it?”

I pull out my phone and open the web browser. Aubrey stares at me, fidgeting and squirming under my stare. The first rule of lying is to keep it close to the truth and never lie about something that can be fact-checked. So there probably is a restaurant, and she met with her team there.

“It was called Dom’s Taste of Italy. This tiny little Italian place. They have the best garlic bread. My friend told me about it,” she answered.

“What friend do you have that lives in Quinstin?”

“You don't know them,” she said, shifting in place.

“Aubrey, are you okay? Is someone threatening you? You can tell me,” I pleaded.

“No, it's nothing like that. I'm not in any danger. Well, any danger from them.”

“What have you gotten into now?”

“Promise me you won't get mad.”

“I promise,” I said.

“I'm training to be a Heroes' Union member,” she whispered.

“WHAT? AUBREY. ARE YOU CRAZY?”

“You said you wouldn't get mad.”

I take a second, pretending to force myself to calm down.

“I'm not mad. I'm just worried, especially after whatever happened to you last time.”

“That's part of why I agreed. Whatever I got into was clearly too big for me to handle. I'm lucky to be alive.” She pulls her shirt up slightly, showing thin scars on her stomach. “When Phoenix came to visit me in the hospital, I realized there was a way to fulfill my dream of being a hero and make sure I wouldn't get in over my head again. Oh, sorry, Phoenix is the person you ran into outside my hospital room. They're my team’s manager slash trainer. You're looking at Quinstin’s newest Heroes’ Union Probationary member.”

She looks relieved not to be hiding it anymore. She's had no one to talk to about this. I can certainly be a confidant for her.

“I'm happy for you. That's a great opportunity. So, was it Phoenix who showed you the restaurant? I'll have to check it out once classes start.”

“It was actually one of my teammates who knew about the place. She's lived in Quinstin her whole life, so she knows just about everything there is to see or do in the city.”

“She sounds interesting. Wait, if you’re based in Quinstin, what are you going to do about college?”

“Yeah, about that. I'm actually going to QUTD with you and my teammates. So you'll have at least one friend in Quinstin,” she said excitedly. “And I'll have a familiar face, too.”

Fuck, I didn't even consider that. Transforming Eryk is going to be a lot harder to do with a ghost from my past. Damn it. My face feels hot, and I clamp down on the urge to lash out. Keep calm. I bite down on my tongue, focusing on the physical sensation. This does not completely derail my plans. I can still use her to get close to the Heroes' Union. Aubrey will be my way in. I force a smile out.

“That's great news. It'll be good to have a friend so close by. I'm glad you're getting along with your teammates. You said they're all going to QUTD with us? It'll be weird to know I might be rubbing elbows with Capes.”

“I have powers too, you know,” she pouted.

“Yeah, but you'll always just be Aubrey to me. Kinda crazy the odds that so many freshmen have powers.”

“It's not that many. Only two of my teammates are freshmen; the other two are already sophomores. God, Eryk, you have no idea how good it feels to be part of a team. They're all so cool.”

“Are they? You'll have to introduce me to them at some point,” I said.

“Maybe that can be arranged. My teammate was complaining about not being able to find a nice guy, and I happen to know a freshly single bachelor I can vouch for,” Aubrey said.

“I don't know if I'm ready for that just yet. Before I leave for Quinstin, I'd like to talk to her one more time for closure.”

“Sorry. I’m not trying to make light of the situation; I'm just trying to make you laugh.”

“I know, and thank you. Maybe when we’re both situated and I’ve gotten over Maria, you can introduce me to her,” I smiled.

“Hooray. Tell the papers, call the news stations, and sound the alarm. He’s willing to date,” she shouted jokingly.

My phone rings before I can respond. I don’t recognize the caller ID. I stand up and walk into the hallway. Who the fuck is calling me?

“Hello. Who is this?” I asked.

“Eryk, I fucked up. I fucked up really badly,” Maria said, weeping into the phone. “I need your help. I made a mistake and, and, and I don’t know what to do.”

I hear some odd noises and maybe someone else's voice in the background. Is she with someone else? What did she get herself into?

“Are you there? Please, baby, I messed up. I need you, Eryk,” she begged.

“What happened?” Did she tell someone about me? This could be bad. Did someone discover Nobody’s identity and they’re trying to get to her through me? “Actually, don’t tell me. Where are you? I’ll come to you.”

“I’m at Cabbit’s Elementary in the old gym,” she said through choked tears.

“I’ll be there soon,” I said, hanging up.

Cabbit’s Elementary is where everyone in New Farford goes, or it used to until they closed it down due to asbestos and mold. They ended up building a new elementary a couple of blocks down from the old one, and it’s been abandoned ever since. It’s where everyone goes to smoke and drink if they don’t have anywhere else. Cabbit’s is on the other side of town. I can be there in ten. What did you do, Maria? I want to head right there, but I have to deal with Aubrey first.

“Hey, who was that? You rushed out of here pretty quickly,” Aubrey said.

The urge to lie evaporates, replaced by an overwhelming impulse to tell the truth. “It was Maria; she asked if we could meet up.” It is not a lie, technically the truth.

“Oh, you should go. This could be your chance at closure. You don’t want me to go with you, right? I mean, I will if you want support,” Aubrey said.

“Thank you, Aubrey, but this is something I want to do alone. This will probably be the last time me and her talk. I’m going to change and then head out. I love you,” I said, hugging Aubrey.

“I love you too, buddy,” she said, leaving my room.

As soon as I hear Aubrey’s vehicle pull away, I’m up and changing. Black hoodie, a t-shirt, black pants, and black boots. I grab my gun but leave my helmet. It isn’t Nobody that’s going to Maria, it’s Eryk. My hands grip the steering wheel like a vice grip, and I barely stop myself from just going through red lights. I trace the roads in my mind toward Cabbit’s, and before I know it, I’m parked there. I’m in a trance, autopiloting as I rush toward the gym. The chains around the doors are cut and lying on the dirt. My gun is in reach, ready for whatever awaits me. I slowly push the door open, entering the building. The linoleum floors are covered in dust and stained so deeply that my boots don’t even squeak. All the bleachers are pushed against the wall, and trash is everywhere. I process all of that in an instant, but the thing that causes my brain to stutter is Maria standing in the middle of the gym next to a woman tied to a chair and covered in bleeding wounds. She’s holding a bloody kitchen knife. My head feels like it’s going to explode; the pressure keeps building, and I finally understand the phrase seeing red. This stupid fucking bitch.

“What did you do?” I asked through gritted teeth.

Her face brightens up at seeing me. She wipes her tears on her sleeve quickly, smiling at me. She looks like a puppy begging for attention. Sickening. The woman is middle-aged, brunette, and dresses like a secretary or office worker. I’ve never seen her before, and I never forget a face. Who is this woman?

“I’ve been trying to reach you to apologize for everything. I want you back. I need you back. I’m sorry,” she said.

“ENOUGH! What have you done?”

“I just didn’t know what to do to win you back. So I thought I’d bring you a present to try and patch things up. Eryk, I love you,” she said.

“What do you mean a present?”

“We’ve been fighting, arguing, and not seeing eye to eye. There’s this wall between us, keeping us apart. I couldn’t figure out how things had gone so badly. But I realized it wasn’t anything I had done. Eryk, you’ve been keeping a part of you caged up for so long. And then you finally let it out, only to try and put it back. But you can’t just put it back and pretend like it was never let out. So I got you this woman as a present. You can finally release the monster. You can kill her, and everything will be alright again. I can do this for you,” Maria said.

The tied-up woman freaks out and starts struggling against the gag and her restraints. It’s agitating her wounds, making them open and bleed. She kidnapped a stranger for me to kill. Pretending to be a psychopath is biting me in the ass. God, she is so stupid. Every second she breathes, she is sabotaging me. Every single negative piece inside of me is a cocktail of impulsiveness.

“Why?” I asked, walking up to the two of them.

“Why?” Maria repeated shakily.

“Why do you fuck everything up?” I shouted, my voice echoing in the gymnasium. This is the last straw.