"Your name?" Judge Abbot, the judge, asked Josanne. They were small and wiry, but Eniola guessed dealing with people's legal stuff did that to you.

Eniola looked over to Josanne, who stood before the judge. She traded a glance with Kain.

The judge looked down at her with steely eyes in the vast international LA courtroom. Security droids guarded the exits and the stands where people watched. Camera-droids clicked with every breath, and hungry journalists itched for the moment she opened her mouth.

Meanwhile, Eniola sat on a stand and was sandwiched between Iris and Jay. Lucia, Zaira, and Theo sat in the row in front of them. Everyone's parents and family sat at a separate stand.

Eniola had already given her statement a couple of days ago in these long-ass proceedings. She said what she had said for the past few months when everyone asked her what happened. She explained Paradox and then how the PSEUDO finessed them. Judge Abbot poked and prodded, but they had said nothing. She was only terrified based on anticipation. Eniola hoped she would never have to say it again.

Everyone else had said the same thing. Theo and Lucia talked about Howie getting murdered. Zaira explained her journeys around the world. Jay explained what had happened but conveniently forgot to mention their run-in with Bee. Iris also forgot to mention her cyborg hacking.

The good news was that no one thought to penalize them for being in cahoots with criminals and Eniola was just glad that they didn't bring it up. The only thing that they got in trouble for was illegally driving an auto car. Eniola almost burst into laughter when she'd first heard. Out of all the illegal things they could've been convicted for, driving took the lead. It was blissful madness.

Eniola took another glance back at Kain, who was in a crisp suit and raised an eyebrow. He sat across the other room, flanked by a public defendant. He looked different from the last time he saw her, which was a few months ago. During that time, Eniola's life had spiralled into a hectic mess, and she thought SCOPE had been the brunt of it. Hectic was a generous word in this case.

Enigma, Zaira's return, and the PSEUDO were all anyone could talk about for months. Every news station and every internet forum had turned into curiosity. And being one subject, Eniola just about had it with publicity. It had become a sport to dodge and swat away camera droids and journalists who were killing themselves just to know what had happened. She had gone tired every time they'd asked what had happened, and she had to give a statement. Some were even talking about a movie deal, which Eniola prayed wouldn't happen. It was so bad that Eniola turned into a house hermit.

But Eniola sighed. Perhaps this would be the last time it happened and this could blow over into social oblivion. Of course, the world almost ending wouldn't just be gotten over with.

"Josanne," the translator on the stand said when Josanne signed to her.

"Do you have a surname?" they asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "It's just Josanne."

"And how old are you?" Judge Abbot asked.

"I'm nineteen," Josanne replied. "I just turned nineteen years old."

"And do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" Judge Abbot asked.

"Yes," Josanne replied. "I do."

Eniola sighed and peered closer. Josanne wasn't innocent either, so maybe she could plead her case, but it might not work.

Josanne took in a deep breath and sighed at the translator as they spoke. "My name is Josanne, and this is how I became part of the PSEUDO."

"Did you have a choice?" the judge asked.

"I don't think so," she replied. Eniola jumped as the room went into shock.

Josanne explained they kidnapped her as a child from her parents and forced her to work in a sweatshop. When she was nine, a group from Britain rescued her and put her up for adoption. However, she didn't want to be adopted and instead wanted to go back to her parents. She escaped the orphanage and was found by Kain who took her in. He promised he would take her back to Trinidad if she worked for him.

"Is this true?" they asked.

"Yes," Josanne replied.

She explained more of her story and all her time in the PSEUDO, and everyone listened in with ease.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

This entire time Josanne was this tough-ass girl who could kill you and only be concerned about not getting blood on her shoes. But she felt humane at this moment, like someone who had been deprived of being normal.

"Who is in the PSEUDO?" Judge Abbot asked.

Jay gasped next to her. Kain hadn't talked at all when they'd asked him. This time, his gaze connected with Josanne like he tried to tell her something. Josanne looked away.

"I will tell you them all," she replied. Eniola gasped, and it became infectious around the room. It was so fast and abrupt. Kain's eyes widened.

"Sasha Zhou, Britan," she stated first. Then she went on and on.

She listed every member and what country they were from, all in one calm breath. Eniola thought she wouldn't do it, but here she was, telling them all with ease. Kain pressed his lips into a thin line. At this moment, authorities all over would probably rush to make more handcuffs for all the arrests they were about to make.

Josanne didn't flinch when she finished, and Kain glared at her. She only stood taller through it all. For a moment, Eniola admired her.

◣

Eniola stopped her bike near the boardwalk that led down to the beach she'd never thought she'd return to. The last time that she'd been here was a year ago when Rogue had been driving to LA for the SCOPE championships. She didn't realize how close it was. Eniola only came back here because Theo texted her randomly after the trial to meet her.

Eniola hopped off her bike and pulled off her helmet, to see all of her friends sitting in between the bright licks of flames from a bonfire on the back. She darted down the boardwalk and the steps as her feet hit the sand.

"Eniola!" Lucia called with a smile before they all looked at her. Eniola ran further before they wrapped her into a comforting hug with all her friends. Euphoria rushed through her. It'd been a while since they did one of their signature hugs. It felt good.

"You made it!" Iris exclaimed.

"Of course," Eniola said. "I'll always come."

"Sit," Theo replied.

"Next to me," Jay finished. He didn't have to tell him twice. He wrapped an arm around her.

"What are we here for?" Eniola.

"This is our quasi-celebration for not dropping dead due to sheer exhaustion over the past few months!” Theo announced.

"Amen," Eniola mumbled. Everyone else hummed in agreement.

"And Kain got put away!" Iris hooted.

Yesterday, Kain finally got convicted of crimes against humanity after Josanne had single-handedly exposed every single member. It was kind of legendary, to be honest. Eniola finally got the rest. Knowing Kain gave her different stress.

Somewhere, she kind of felt uneasy. It was like the feeling that nipped at her stomach. Kain wasn't completely bad. Right? Despite his unorthodox methods, he still wanted equality for all people, even if it was distorted. He did lots of good things for people. But in his case, the bad completely overshadowed the good in obvious darkness.

But Eniola wouldn't waste time feeling bad for him.

"It was about time," Lucia said. "I'm just about tired of everything he caused."

"I agree," Jay huffed. "At least now we can have some peace."

"Maybe," Eniola said. "Unless they make that movie, then we're never seeing privacy again."

"Still think you were born for that life, huh?" Lucia prodded Jay. He turned away with a smile and chuckles filled the air.

"I wonder what life's going to look like now," Iris said. "Now that I don't have to be scared for my life."

"Unless I have to dodge camera drones," Lucia mentioned. "Shit's scary."

After the trial, things had died down a bit, and people of the world finally learned how to talk about other things besides Enigma. It was a bit of relief. Despite it all, Eniola knew things might never be normal again. They were too crazy.

Zaira had returned to Canada with her new girlfriend, Fatima. Stanford wouldn't allow her back because she stole their money those years ago, but some other university in Canada gave her a free degree or something. She seemed happy.

There was still one person.

"Keone."

Eniola didn't realize she said it out loud until everyone turned to look at her in silent awkwardness. She recoiled.

"Weirdly, he's gone now," Theo started.

It was a month, and no one had talked about it. Only small snippets and held back words to avoid speaking his name. Eniola found out from Dr. Chopra, that Keone had died the moment they got out of Enigma and were found all on the road. They couldn't revive him. He had a funeral back in Hawaii and none of them went.

"What do you we do?" Lucia asked. "Should we miss him?"

"Should we?" Jay asked back.

Eniola guessed he felt indifferent because the two weren't on the best terms. Scratch that, there was mutual hatred. She didn't want to feel bad for him dying, but guilt crept onto her every time she felt the relief of some sense of normalcy in her life.

"Is it weird that I feel relieved?" Eniola said. "It's not like I wanted him to die or anything, but it's all dealt with."

"Me too," Iris spoke. "It was just so abrupt. I never thought that he could die."

"He made us think he was invincible," Lucia said. "I didn't even think that he'd sacrifice himself like that."

Eniola remembered the way the blue light cased an ethereal glow around him and suspended him in the air. It was a vivid memory now, appearing in her vacant thoughts and her dreams. It was so unlike him.

"Damn," Theo sighed. "What do we do?"

"Take turns sharing words of sadness," Lucia suggested. Then she smiled. "It's not like we liked him before he died. He was a bad person, pre-Paradox. But I won't go dancing on its grave."

Eniola snorted out a little laugh. "Then what?"

"How about we don't celebrate his death?" Theo suggested. "But we also celebrate Paradox being gone and being out of our lives."

"I agree," Iris said. "I love that loophole."

"That felt wrong," Jay said.

"By the way," Iris said, as she looked at Eniola. "So now that he's gone, do you still have those little electric powers?"

"Little electric powers?" Eniola said with a wry laugh.

That was one of the few times they brought it up. She'd first told Jay in Sydney and everyone on the plane back to America. She thought they'd treat her like some lightning freak, but everyone was shocked for a little while and calm the rest of the way through.

"I don't know," Eniola sighed. "I haven't tried."

I can still feel the tingling. I can see the glow. Eniola didn't say any of that out loud.

"Are you going to?" Jay asked.

"I'd rather not," Eniola mumbled. "It's too much of a risk and it reminds me of him."

Theo hummed in agreement. "And I think that's bound to get you to put on the government's watch list for suspicious activity."

Eniola choked back an infectious laugh that spread to everyone.

And then they just stopped talking about it. Just like it had been before. Snippets of conversation too afraid to probe deeper. It was weird how everyone brushed off Keone. What were they supposed to say? He was such a good person. That was a lie. He almost destroyed the world and ruined 3 years of Eniola's life. She almost wanted to say he deserved all of it.

What could've become if he hadn't died? Eniola guessed she would never find the answer to that question. She would not torture herself over it.

"Do you want to see if that water is cold or not?" Lucia asked towards the water rippling out onto the shore. She slowly slipped off her shoes.

"Why?" Jay asked.

"Because I want to," she said. Lucia got up and walked towards the shore before she ran into the water, swishing at her ankles and then to her knees. "It's warm!"

Theo was the first to stand up. Of course, he was. He stepped into the water and turned back. "It's pretty warm!"

It wasn't long before the rest of them ran into the water in excitement like there was something there waiting for her. Instead, the water and sand swirled beneath her toes.

Then water splashed on her, and faint giggles erupted. Eniola bent down and scooped up water before she launched it at Lucia, who dodged away. It hit Jay instead, who yelped back with a splash. Eniola burst out into laughter as she ran away from Jay, who chased her back with more water.

It was infectious. Suddenly, all of it didn't matter anymore. It was only the 5 of them, laughing and splashing water on each other like giddy children.

It was Rogue.