Chapter 29 - Finale

Barlow's blood went cold as he felt a burning sensation in his right leg. A sudden flash of pain caused him to fall to his knees as Atrox pulled his fangs out, leaving bloody punctures where he bit down. As he fell, his halo flickered slightly and started to dim.

"A-Atrox… What the hell did you…" Barlow choked on his words as he spoke.

"Venom," the power user replied, still struggling to breathe. "S-something I've had my whole life that's deadlier than my power could ever be. I, I'm sorry, I never wanted it to come to this…"

Barlow froze hearing Atrox's words. He reached up to strike him, but his strength failed him as another surge of pain radiated from his leg.

"Deadlier? W-what about your little 'show?' Killing me isn't going to…"

"It's not going to kill you. A-at least I think it won't… From what I've been told, it's only lethal if left untreated…"

Atrox pulled himself upright, then stared Barlow directly in the eyes.

"I'm t-trying to prove a point here. Powers haven't killed anyone tonight, but if you don't leave and get medical attention…"

"And the empty springers? Were they part of some plan to bite me and prove that point?"

"Spirits, no! Biting you wasn't part of any plan, the finale's much different! Then again, you using your power wasn't something we expected either…"

"You… You really just wanted to talk, didn't you?"

Atrox nodded. "Yeah. I'm really sorry things had to turn out the way they did…"

Barlow paused, then laughed ruefully. "What a turn of events… A power user managed to take me down without his power, while me using my power forced him to do it… Guess I'll be the only one getting exiled, while you walk away…"

"You know, no one has to know that you used your power tonight… Just focus on canceling it, and it should go away."

"You… wait, what? You're telling me how to cancel my power? I thought you'd be happy to see me exiled."

Atrox gave Barlow a blank stare. "Barlow. I've been arguing against that very law this whole time. Exile for something that awakened in self-defense? You have to leave your home, your friends, your wife, all because of something you couldn't control? Even with everything that happened between us, how could I be happy with that happening to anyone?"

Barlow stared back at Atrox, shuddering as the venom continued to assault his body. After a moment, he spoke again.

"I… I never considered that… But my power's been active far longer than just tonight. Pretty sure it's been the source of my flashbacks. Do you… No, you probably wouldn't even want to tell me…"

"How to keep it from activating again? Let me think… it's a power that connects to other powers, so maybe try to avoid thinking about them all the time? Not sure if that would work, but it's my best guess…"

"I. Wait, really? Hard to believe it could really be that simple…"

Atrox pulled himself to his feet. "Well, that's the thing. Powers react to your state of mind. How often do you tend to think about powers, anyway?"

"Ever since I was a boy, since that day twenty years ago… They've been impossible to not think about…"

"I… I guess that would do it… You know, Barlow, you were right about one thing."

Barlow blinked. "I was?"

"Powers never really took anything from me. My power's always been something I used to express myself. I honestly can't imagine what it's like for you, but it could be that your thoughts have been stuck in the past, and your power reacts to that and keeps taking you back there. Kind of like a feedback loop. Maybe if you just let go…"

"Let go? How could that even…"

"I know it doesn't seem right, but maybe just try? Just try and cancel your power, and if you feel like powers are on your mind, focus on drowning that out and moving on."

Barlow stared at Atrox for what seemed like an eternity, occasionally shuddering from the effects of the venom in his system.

"I… I guess it could be worth trying…"

With a sigh, he closed his eyes and focused on canceling his power out. When he opened his eyes, the glow of his halo had nearly disappeared.

Atrox smiled and reached a hand out to Barlow. "Thanks. Thanks for listening. I'm not sure if anything I said will help, but I'm just glad we could talk. Now, we should probably get you out of here."

"R-right, probably been letting the venom run its course a bit too long now…"

Barlow reached his hand out to Atrox, who accepted it and started pulling him to his feet. As he did, Barlow suddenly went limp and collapsed.

"Barlow? Barlow! Shit, spirits, what do I do!?"

Atrox's tail started rattling loudly as Barlow fell into another state of consciousness. In the briefest moment of clarity, his mind raced as he knew exactly what was about to happen.

Another flashback? Even after I canceled my power out? No, spirits no! Not again…

Never again…

Azel paled as he saw Barlow lying on the ground. Pushing past his exhaustion, he grabbed the police lieutenant's body and dragged him to lie sitting against the pile of springers. Between his gasps for breath and his tail rattling, he barely heard the sound of a voice from the chamber's entrance.

"Azel? Spirits, what happened here?"

Azel turned around as Niccolo's voice registered in his mind. His gaze briefly rested on Mead and Lucia, the former of whom was slowly pulling herself into a sitting position, before turning to look at the entrance. There, Niccolo stood supporting Felicia, while Fen was already rushing to Lucia's side, with Nico hanging on to his back.

The Rossis made their way into the middle of the room at the same time as Azel. The group spoke with each other as Azel helped Mead to her feet.

"Azel! Thank the spirits you're alright." Niccolo said. "You didn't have too much trouble with Barlow, did you?"

Mead groaned as she leaned on Azel for support. "Ugh, we had plenty of trouble. Spirits, that guy hits like a runaway groundcar…"

"I was able to have a talk with him at least," Azel said, "after injecting him with my venom…"

"Your venom… Is that why he's sitting there by the rifles?" Felicia asked.

"I- I don't think so… It might be one of his flashbacks… Whatever it is, if he doesn't get medical attention soon…"

"Right, no time to waste then. Fen?"

Felicia looked over at Fen, who was helping Lucia into a sitting position. At the sound of his name, he turned his head over to the group.

"Yeah? Kinda busy here! Yer okay, right Lucia?"

Lucia gasped for a breath before responding. "I… I should be fine… Just had the wind knocked out of me… Don't worry…"

"Ah, r-right. I'll trust ya, just hang in there fer now."

Fen gave Lucia a gentle hug, then turned to the group.

"So, whatta ya need?"

Azel nodded toward Barlow. "Barlow needs to get medical attention. Can you help carry him?"

"Shit, man, I mean… I'm strong an' all, but he's a pretty fuckin' big guy! Might need more than just us, an' everyone's pretty much outta it…"

"Well, it's a good thing our powers are back then, love." A familiar voice from the chamber's entrance said.

"Nadine! I was wondering about you!" Nico said. "Wait, our powers are active again?"

At the entrance of the room, Nadine calmly walked forward, turning her head to look at Barlow as her golden halo appeared over her head. In a mere moment, a ribbon wrapped itself around Barlow's chest and hoisted him off the ground.

"I'd been trying to use it ever since it deactivated," she said, hovering Barlow over to the center of the room as she joined the group. "And what exact kind of treatment does Barlow need?"

"Treatment for venom poisoning. I had to bite him to get him to listen to me…"

"That, and he might be having a flashback, right?" Mead asked, prompting Azel to nod.

"Not to mention the knife and claw wounds on his back…" Lucia spoke up.

"Spirits, loves! You must have had quite the fight! I can't even imagine… Well, I'll get him in the hands of someone who can help. Detective Banks should still be somewhere in the mine…"

Azel turned and gave Nadine a smile. "Thanks, I'll be counting on you. I don't think I could live with myself if I ended up killing him…"

Nadine simply nodded and turned to leave, carrying Barlow alongside her with her power.

"Well," Niccolo said as Nadine departed, "now that that's taken care of, and now that our powers are back, I think we should start getting the finale in order. Despite this whole situation, the show must go on, right? It is the most important part of the plan, after all."

Azel nodded. "Yeah. The show must go on."

With that said, Azel and Niccolo started heading toward the back of the room, both of them activating their powers as they did.

The finale… Azel thought as he approached the pile of confiscated springers. One big, last display… Let's see the CCA try to ignore this…

Detective Banks walked slowly down one of the mine's many tunnels. With Nadine's words weighing on his mind, he hardly noticed as a familiar voice started speaking to him.

"Detective? Is that you?"

Banks pulled himself out of his own thoughts, turning his head upward to see Officer Holt giving him a caring smile.

"Ciella? Sorry, I didn't notice you there… Had a lot on my mind, you know?"

Holt nodded. "Yeah, I think I get what you're saying… I've been thinking a lot about these power users, and…"

The sound of someone coming down the tunnel distracted them, and they turned to see the source of the noise. Nadine slowly appeared from behind a bend in the tunnel. Barlow followed close by, hanging limp and being carried by one of her ribbons. Occasionally, he would shudder involuntarily.

"Mercier? What are you doing with…"

"The Lieutenant needs medical attention," Nadine said, interrupting Banks. "Venom poisoning from Azel, some slashing on his back, and he's possibly suffering a flashback as we speak."

"Atrox… You…" Banks said, clenching his fist.

"Spirits…" Holt muttered. "I didn't think Atrox would go that far…"

"From what I hear, love, he had little choice getting Barlow to listen to him. And right now, he has no intention of letting your friend die. None of us do. But he'll need your help."

"To get past the troopers, right?"

Nadine nodded. "I doubt the shock troopers will let me past them, even to save a dying man."

"Well, we've had to carry the Lieutenant before, so it shouldn't be too much trouble. And if we can get him to the troopers, maybe we could convince them to help!"

"Ciella, you really trust what she's saying? Her power's active, which means Atrox's could be too, for all we know! If she's lying, this could be a trap!"

"And if she's not, the Lieutenant's life really could be in danger! I… I think we can trust her. I don't think the power users want to see any death come from this any more than we do!"

"Ciella…"

Banks took a moment to look between Barlow, Holt, and Nadine.

"Ugh, I don't like this… Having to blindly trust power users… Spirits, if Jay could speak right now… But I guess that's half the problem here, isn't it…"

"I assure you, Detective Banks. I only want to get him into the hands of those who can be trusted with his health. Into his friends' hands. Your hands."

"I… Jay…" Banks paused for a moment. "Alright Mercier, you win. I'll trust you. For now."

Nadine nodded, and used her power to move Barlow over into Banks's and Holt's waiting arms.

"Thank you. Now, you'll want to get moving quickly. The sooner he receives medical attention, the better."

Nadine turned to leave, as Banks and Holt started carrying Barlow out of the tunnel.

"And besides that," she added just as she fell out of earshot, "I feel like you won't want to miss out on the show's finale…"

Finale? What does she mean by that? Banks thought with a frown. He turned his head to look at Holt, who had a serious look on her face as the two of them carried Barlow through the tunnel.

Ciella seems to trust the power users… What did she hear from them that I didn't? I guess it doesn't matter right now…

Jay… Trap or not, we'll get you to safety…

Very few words were spoken between Banks and Holt as they eventually came across a group of shock troopers who were still patrolling the mine. With a little bit of convincing, one of the troopers joined them in bringing Barlow out of the mine, through the Dry Vein, and back to the base camp. When the group finally arrived, they could hardly believe what they were seeing.

A massive pile of springers had appeared in the middle of the street. As Banks looked at the pile, he noticed the ground around it was a mix of the stone pavement and the ground from back in the mine. As he pondered the reason behind it, a familiar voice echoed from the center of the pile.

"People of Ruskol! Tonight, the CCA attempted a raid to capture a power user and his associates! We had no desire to use our powers for violence, and only fought back only by rendering our aggressors unconscious! But our methods of self-defense were not met equally!"

"That voice… Atrox…"

The pile started glowing brightly, and each of the rifles in the pile oozed with illusory blood, which seemed to carry the glow farther.

"This is the firepower they brought to bear against us! Each of these springers was confiscated from a trooper who was ordered to kill any power users on sight, regardless of the threat they posed!

"We took these weapons only to return them to the warmongers that brought them here! Each one has had any ammunition in it removed! To the shock troopers, and to all of the CCA, we only have this to say!

"You can have your weapons of death back, but we refuse to return the means by which they kill! We refuse to stoop to your level! Your propaganda disgustingly distorts the truth! Powers don't kill, the CCA does! Powers don't kill, the CCA does! Powers don't kill, the CCA does!"

Banks and Holt could only stare on in silence as the pile of guns continued to echo Atrox's slogan. After a while, Barlow stirred in their arms, bringing them back to reality.

"Jay! Are you…"

Banks trailed off as he saw Barlow had still not come back to his senses.

"It's the venom," Holt said quietly. "We need to get him to a hospital, quick!"

Banks nodded in response as he, Holt, and the shock trooper headed to find a place for Barlow to be treated. The illusion of Atrox's voice began repeating its message from the beginning as Banks returned to his thoughts.

Atrox… This is your finale? Gotta be honest, it's a hell of a ballsy move, calling the CCA out like that…

More importantly, if we don't get Jay to safety, you being proven wrong about who's been killing people might be the worst thing that happens here tonight…

Just hang on, Jay… Hopefully, everything's going to be okay…

The buzzer sounded, marking the end of the fallguard championship game between Norvondire and Kojiki. Cheers echoed throughout the stadium. Among the crowd of fans, a family of three from Ruskol - a wolf father, a lioness mother, and a leopard son - stood up to join in the cheering.

The son, a young James Barlow, added his voice to the crowd along with both of his parents. Excitement filled his heart as the Norvondire team took the win.

"Mom, dad! Did you see that?"

His mother turned and gave him a warm smile. "Yes, James, we saw. It was quite the game, wasn't it?"

"Igrath looked so cool out there! Do you think I could be like him some day?"

"Well, son, with enough training, I'm sure you could…"

Barlow's father paused, staring down into the stadium. As the ten year old boy turned his gaze from his father's face to where he was staring, the reason quickly became evident.

Creeping black shadows lined surfaces reaching up from within the fall-pits on the rim of the field. As the shadows rose into the field and stands, anyone who touched them was quickly stripped of layers of clothing and flesh. A number of unfortunate dreamkeepers were swiftly consumed by decay and left dead as their remains were eaten up by the effect of the power that had been unleashed.

Cheering turned to screaming as audience members started running for their lives. All the while, the shadows kept creeping up over the field and through the stands, devouring the flesh of any who were unfortunate enough to be caught in them.

Barlow's blood ran cold as the screams assailed his ears. Instinct and terror triumphed over reason and logic in him, and he quickly crawled under the seat he had been sitting in earlier.

"James!" His mother shouted, as the shadows started crawling into the stands around them.

"Son, don't hide, we need to get out of here!"

Barlow's father ducked down to reach him as the shadows crept ever closer.

"Dad, don't!" Barlow cried as the shadows slipped under his father's feet.

"A-agh!"

Barlow's father fell further to the ground, pulling his rotted legs out of the shadows and closer to his chest. A longing look filled his eyes as he stared at Barlow.

"Dad!"

"Dear! James! Hold on!"

Barlow's mother knelt down and reached for her husband and son. As the shadows ate away at her exposed arms while she reached, Barlow could see her holding back tears of pain.

"Mom!"

Terror knotted Barlow's stomach, freezing him in place. As the shadows continued licking at his parents' exposed limbs, they also slowly advanced on Barlow himself.

This power… it's eating them alive! All because of me!

I saw the power, why did I think I could hide from it?

Why? Why did I do that?

I should have known better! I should have known!

I should have known…

Suddenly, Barlow noticed a faint glow above his head. A white halo hung over him, illuminating the area under the seat. As it began to glow brighter, the shadows creeping closer seemed to react by approaching him even faster. Barlow closed his eyes, fearing for his very life.

No! Don't come closer! Stop! Just stop!

Moments passed agonizingly slowly as Barlow awaited the end. After what seemed like hours of waiting, he opened his eyes to a sight he couldn't believe.

As if responding to Barlow's internal pleading, his halo's color had inverted to black. All around him and his parents, the shadows seemed to be cut off in a radius surrounding him.

"S-son…"

"James, i-is that…"

Barlow stared at his mutilated parents and attempted to hold back tears. When he was at his limit, he broke down, bawling as he crawled out from his hiding place.

"M-mom… D-dad… I-I'm so sorry…"

Both of his parents used what little energy they had to get closer and embrace Barlow.

"I-it's okay… son…" his father said, gasping for breath. "Y-you're still young, you c-couldn't help yourself…"

"James, my sweet little boy," his mother said, holding him close with arms that were closer to bone than flesh, "don't worry. Everything's going to be okay…"

Barlow gasped for breath as his mind returned to the present. As soon as they noticed, Eira, Banks, and Holt quickly surrounded him before he could tell where he was.

"Darling! You're back! Spirits, I was so worried…"

"Jay, holy shit man, are you alright?"

"Lieutenant! Thank the spirits you're back!"

"I…"

Barlow paused, taking in his surroundings. The fact that he was in a hospital room was not very surprising. As he continued to look, he noticed the day-moon was peeking over the horizon just outside the floor-to-ceiling window, and guessed that it was early in the morning in the Sabbaton Towers based on that.

He was lying in a bed propped up slightly to elevate his upper body. As he moved around, he noticed bandages wrapped around his chest. Under the sheets, he saw an IV tube reaching from his right leg up to a drip bag suspended just over his head. The name "Atrox" on the bag quickly caught his attention.

"Atrox… That's right, he bit me. That's antivenom, then?"

"Yeah, we're lucky the guy was apparently a big venom donor for years before all this, so they had plenty of the stuff already made. Still can't believe he did that to you…"

"I… honestly may have had it coming, Mar. Atrox just wanted to talk, and I ended up forcing his hand…"

"Still, to cut you up and bite you on top of all of that… I don't think I could ever forgive him…"

"Wasn't the cutting actually kind of a good thing though?" Eira asked. "I-I mean not that I would have ever wanted it to happen…"

"What Eira's trying to say is, the doctors said it probably let some of the venom out before it could reach your heart," Holt said, earning a grateful look from Eira.

Barlow turned his head to look at his wife. "Eira, my love, I'm so sorry. I just threw myself in there, I didn't care what would happen so long as I could catch him… I…"

Eira gave Barlow a quick kiss on the cheek. "It's okay, darling. I'm just glad you're all right now."

"Well, mostly all right…" Banks muttered. "That bastard's venom was in there for a while, and the doctors say your leg might never move quite the same again…"

"I… I think I can live with that. Whatever the case, I'm honestly kind of glad it's over. Ah, by the way, what ended up happening with the raid?"

"Well, the power users pulled their big finale off before getting away. It was a demonstration, all those guns they took from the troopers piled up in the middle of Ruskol's main street, with a message that turned the 'powers kill' slogan on the CCA."

"Yeah, 'powers don't kill, the CCA does.' Still can't get that out of my head…"

"Indeed. It was quite an unfortunate situation."

The door to the room, which had been left slightly open, opened fully, and a large, horned owl man leaned under the frame and stepped through. Barlow's blood ran cold as he saw one of the few figures who made even him feel small.

"G-guard Captain Antioch…"

"Lieutenant Barlow. I've been meaning to speak with you as soon as you were able."

Antioch looked around the room, coldly analyzing everyone else in it.

"If the rest of you would kindly leave, the Lieutenant and I have some business to discuss."

"Wait, we-" Holt started to speak, before being quietly shushed by Banks.

"Ah, y-yes sir, we'll get right out of your way! Don't worry, Jay, we can talk some more after this!"

Banks quickly ushered Holt and Eira out of the room. Eira gave Barlow a faint smile just before leaving, which he naturally returned.

"So, Lieutenant," Antioch began, causing Barlow's smile to quickly fade. "Do you know why I'm here speaking with you?"

"I-I would guess that it has to do with the raid…"

"Correct. The raid on the Dry Vein, or the 'Atrox Incident' as other CCA officers have been calling it. Do you know what I call it? An absolute disaster. Azel Atrox made fools of the CCA's Safety Troopers last night. Did you know that you were the only one to even see the man after his first appearance during the raid?"

"I… No, sir, I didn't."

"This despite the fact that you are merely a member of the police instead of a proper Safety Trooper. Despite the fact that even entering the mine during that raid was a breach of protocol that could cost you your very existence within the CCA's power structure."

Barlow lowered his head. "I, I'm sorry, sir. Atrox called me out personally, and pride got the better of me… I'm ready for whatever punishment you have for me…"

"At ease, Lieutenant. I did not come here to punish you."

"You didn't? Then what are we talking about?"

Antioch turned and faced the window, looking down on the city below. "This whole incident could have dealt a massive blow to the peoples' faith in the Safety Troopers. Fortunately, the CCA was quick to take control of the media coverage, so outside of Central Ruskol, the truth of what happened is relatively unheard of. As it turns out, that places you in a comfortable position."

"What do you mean by that, Captain?"

"You are the one person who got close to Atrox. Your fellow officers were seen carrying you out of the Dry Vein, and many people, including a number of the troopers present in the raid, have begun to see you as a sort of hero for daring to face the power user on your own."

"A hero? Me?"

"Yes, and the press, to the degree that it can, has decided to run with it. I am not here to punish a hero. I am here to tell that hero about his duties going forward."

Barlow was completely silent as Antioch turned to face him.

"Rather than lose your position, you will be advanced to a special role in the CCA's main office as a Power Abuse Case Consultant. With your history dealing with Atrox, the people of Anduruna will see this as a great honor. But make no mistake, with your new title, you will be scrutinized much more carefully. Are we clear, Consultant Barlow?"

"Ah, y-yes, sir. Thank you."

"Good. Now, after I leave this room, the press will be coming to ask you for a statement."

Antioch produced a data-scroll from his pocket, and placed it on Barlow's lap.

"That data-scroll contains a draft of the truth behind the Atrox Incident as the press knows it. As your first task in your new station, you are to read that draft, commit it to memory, and give the press a statement based on that knowledge. Are we clear?"

"O-of course, Captain, sir."

"Very good."

Antioch nodded to Barlow, then turned to leave. With the Guard Captain's presence no longer dominating the room, Barlow breathed a sigh of relief. Finally left alone, he opened the data-scroll and skimmed its contents while he thought.

Power Abuse Case Consultant? I couldn't think of a more made-up position if I tried! Antioch probably just wants to protect the CCA's pride by "promoting" me like that…

More importantly, that last flashback… It was so much more vivid than the others… I could remember my parents clearly… I know my power wasn't active when it happened, I felt it fading away after I did what Atrox said…

My power… It saved me…? Gave my parents a little more time? Spirits… If I remembered, what could my life have been like…?

Well, I guess there's no point focusing on the past now… On to the future then…

Let's see just what Antioch expects the public to believe…

Last night, the CCA's Safety Troopers conducted a raid on the establishment known as the Dry Vein, a modest pub and brewery in the Ruskol District which hid a terrible secret. In truth, the pub was a front for the criminal activities of Scinter's Mark and a number of power users, including a dreamkeeper known as Azel Atrox.

Atrox was the primary subject of an investigation by the brave forces of the Central Ruskol Police Department (CRPD). According to their investigation, over the past month Atrox was staging shows protesting Anduruna's city-wide ban of powers in a secret venue known as the Mirage Bar, located within the mine network beneath the Dry Vein. The mine was also used by Scinter's Mark to run smuggling operations out of.

Before the raid, Petru Laurent, owner and proprietor of the Dry Vein, was taken into the CCA's custody as an informant who had previously been under duress to hide the crimes of Atrox and the Marks, and was given amnesty by the CCA in exchange for his cooperation and intelligence during the raid.

During the raid, many Safety Troopers boldly risked their lives to apprehend Atrox and his associates in the Marks. The troopers were also to find and secure Lucia Santoro and Mead Luxmyn (pronounced "lumen"), two other dreamkeepers of interest in the CRPD's investigation.

Both young women had been seen in public with Atrox prior to the raid. The CRPD investigation also confirmed them to have severed ties with their respective families and workplaces to join Atrox in his criminal endeavors.

To the regrets of the Safety Troopers, both Santoro and Luxmyn were complicit in Atrox's crimes, having apparently been instructed by the power user in how to use their own powers. The actions of Santoro and Luxmyn during the raid resulted in a number of casualties among the Safety Troopers, the exact number of which the CCA has withheld from public knowledge, and have placed them next to Atrox himself as dangerous power users.

In addition to Atrox, Santoro, and Luxmyn, at least five other unknown power users were reported and confirmed to be in the mine. These power users also took the lives of a withheld number of Safety Troopers. Despite the troopers' best efforts, these power users all currently remain at large, and they are considered highly dangerous.

Atrox himself had only appeared in person once during the raid before disappearing into the mine. Throughout the mine, his power to create illusions deceived a number of Safety Troopers into taking each others' lives, as each trooper had been made to believe their fellow troopers had been replaced with enemy power users and smugglers in far greater numbers than were actually present.

In time, Atrox taunted CRPD Lieutenant James Barlow into coming down into the mine to face him, as he believed the Lieutenant responsible for bringing the Safety Troopers' attention to the Dry Vein. Barlow, righteously incensed by Atrox, made his way into the mine along with fellow CRPD members Marlon Banks and Ciella Holt.

Displaying great courage, Barlow nearly apprehended the rogue power user before being deceived and poisoned by him. Witnesses claim to have seen Banks and Holt in the company of one of the Safety Troopers, carrying a barely conscious Barlow out of the Dry Vein for medical treatment. In honor of his bravery facing Atrox, Barlow has been awarded a promotion within the CCA to the newly established position of Power Abuse Case Consultant.

"Barlow himself had this to say about his encounter with Atrox," Azel read aloud. "Ah, hold on…"

He, Mead, and Lucia were sitting in the kitchen of the house the Rossis used for their show the week before. It currently served as a safehouse until a more permanent arrangement could be figured out for them. Azel cleared his throat before continuing to read.

"'Azel Atrox fought hard for something he believed in. My main regret from facing him is that a proper channel of communication couldn't be established with him. It's truly a shame that a young man with such passion in his heart chose the path of a criminal. I underestimated Atrox and made a number of mistakes trying to apprehend him, and I can only hope that they won't be repeated by anyone who tries to do the same going forward.'"

Mead stared blankly at the data-scroll, which lay flat on the table. "Spirits, what a total load of shit! Does the CCA really think anyone's gonna believe this?"

"Well, that's just the kind of thing they do," Lucia said with a shrug. "Still, a withheld number of casualties? I guess zero was too low for them to report on…"

"And not a single mention of the finale… I mean, I get why they wouldn't say anything, but Niccolo and I put our all into that…"

"Not to mention what they got Barlow to say! It's like the guy had a springer to his back when they made him say that!"

"I don't know, it kind of feels like he's talking to me with his statement…"

Mead took a closer look at the data-scroll, and tilted her head. "You mean he's…"

"I can only hope so. Right before his flashback, I felt like I was finally able to connect with him."

"Well, regardless of what's happening with him, I guess that's it." Lucia said with a nod. "All we have to do now is wait for the Rossis to figure out where we go from here."

"You know, despite everything, I think that last show went pretty well. And to be honest, I can't wait to see where my next shows could go!"

Mead got out of her chair and gave Azel a hug.

"Wherever they go, you know I'll be right there with you, Azel!"

Azel returned the hug. "Mead… Thanks. I love you so much, you know."

"Aw, Azel!"

Lucia smiled as her friends embraced and kissed each other. "Okay, you two, maybe save some of that for the bedroom! Unless you want me to watch!"

Azel's tail rattled slightly and Mead blushed. Lucia chuckled as they got flustered.

"I, well…"

"Ah, come on, Lucia! You know we wouldn't go that far! You and Fen on the other hand…"

Lucia blushed before giving Mead a playful smile. "Oh no, don't you turn my joke back on me!"

"Hey, I'm not even joking! You know you're just as bad with Fen as I am with Azel!"

Azel smiled and gave a faint laugh. "Okay, I think that's enough. Any farther and someone might actually say something we'll all regret! Now, let me tell you who's really bad with it…"

As the three of them continued to talk and joke, Azel felt a calm settle in his heart. As he went along with Mead and Lucia, his mind settled into a comfortable state of thinking.

Everything's been so crazy over the past week… I'm so glad we can just joke around like this…

And as for the future? I think we're all going to do just fine…

Whatever happens going forward?

It'll all be just another act…