Inside, Trish stood over the patient Elio, her hands deftly checking his pulse and administering a dose of medicine. She didn’t look up as they entered, her focus entirely on her work. Her white shirt was splattered with drops of blood, but her movements were calm and precise.

"Trish," Damian greeted, his voice low and smooth. "I see you're keeping busy."

Trish finally looked up, her eyes narrowing as she saw Damian and Sasha standing in the doorway. "Damian. Sasha," she said curtly, her tone cold but professional. "What do you want?"

Sasha folded her arms, leaning against the doorframe, her eyes fixed on Trish. "We’re here to discuss your next steps with Cole," she said, cutting to the point. "Time’s running out, and we need to know if you’re fully on board with what’s coming."

Trish’s face grew colder when she heard Sasha’s words, but she remained composed as she finished tending to her patient. "I know what’s at stake," she replied, her voice clipped. "But I’m not as you say fully on board. Cole will do what he can to help this city. I know this is something he’ll have to handle without me for the most part but I can’t help wondering if our interference will change things and he could maybe lose his life."

Damian smiled, stepping forward with that unsettling calmness he always carried. "Trish, we all have a role to play. Cole included. Although I understand your concerns; he needs to be prepared for what’s coming. The Beast is on the horizon, and if Cole doesn’t step up, this city is doomed. You care about the people, right?"

Trish’s jaw tightened. "Of course, I care. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’ll devote myself to helping you save them. However, I want some form of safeguards for Cole. Just in case things don’t turn out as we expected."

Damian’s smile didn’t falter, though a hint of intrigue flickered in his eyes. "Safeguards?" he repeated, his voice smooth as ever. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

Trish set down the medical tools and turned to fully face them, wiping her hands on a nearby cloth. "Cole’s walking into a fight that he doesn’t fully understand," she said, her voice firm. "If things go wrong, if the pressure you’re putting on him breaks him, I want a way out for him—a contingency. You claim to have this grand plan for Empire City’s survival, but I need to know you’ve thought about his survival, too. If he dies I at least want the comfort of knowing we did everything possible to keep him alive."

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Sasha exchanged a glance with Damian, her posture still relaxed against the doorframe but her eyes sharp. "Kessler’s the one who’ll be pushing him to the brink. All we’ll be doing is observing from afar," Sasha said, her voice colder than before. "If he can’t handle what’s coming, then he’s not the hero we think he is. No amount of safeguards will change that. I don’t see why we need to make such adjustments."

Trish’s gaze didn’t waver. "None of us here can hope to stop the Beast. So, if Cole falls, the city falls with him. Besides, I know you care for him too in some twisted way."

Damian's smile faded slightly, his expression turning serious. "I understand your attachment to Cole, Trish, we share memories so you know I do. However, none of us have time to look after him or try to protect him."

Trish took a deep breath, crossing her arms as she met Damian’s gaze. "I’m not asking you to coddle him. I’m asking for contingency. You want Cole to save the city? Fine. But you need to give him a lifeline, something to keep him from losing everything in the process."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly do you propose?"

"Amanda, let’s give him Amanda." Trish’s voice softened slightly. "Her powers aren’t too useful to us but if she learns to use it well she can maybe help Cole escape dangerous situations. Right now her powers are weak but if we can get her some RFE-charged debris which she’ll absorb then I believe she’ll be what Cole needs. We’ve been working on her light powers and right now she can shoot out light, create flash bombs, and project any image she wants."

Sasha smirked with a condescending look, “Oh, so you’ll be sending the love of your life into the arms of another woman. My will this be before or after you’re supposed to abandon him?”

Trish looked at Sasha with such a cold look, “Look bitch, if you have a problem just say it.”Damian felt the room actually got colder as the two women glared at each other. Since this was getting them nowhere he could only say, “Enough.”

The tension in the room was palpable as Damian’s voice cut through the icy silence. Both Trish and Sasha reluctantly broke their glares, turning their attention to him.

“Enough with the posturing,” Damian continued, his tone calm but authoritative. “We’re all here for the same reason—survival. Amanda is an interesting suggestion, Trish, but we need to evaluate her further before we can decide whether she can really help Cole. If she’s as underdeveloped as you say, she might end up being more of a liability.”

Trish’s expression softened, though her passion remained. "She just needs a chance, Damian. I’ve been working with her, and her abilities have the potential to evolve rapidly. With the right support, she could become a powerhouse."

Sasha, still leaning against the doorframe, sighed dramatically. “Fine, fine. If Amanda turns into some sort of shining hero, I’ll eat my words. But she’s not ready yet, and this isn’t the time for babysitting.”

Damian gave a slight nod. “Let’s proceed like this then. Trish, you can keep working with Amanda, but I expect results within two days. Take her out and Sasha will have some Reapers attack you both. If she can’t keep up under stress, you’ll have to accept that Cole may be on his own when things get dire. Now let’s sync up and get on the same page.”

With that, Damian extended his hands toward each woman to which they grabbed it. Their hands shifted into biomass and with seconds all their memories were shared with one another. Damian now knew everything that happened with Cole and Dallas. Trish and Sasha now knew how Damian wanted to proceed.