I step over the dead security guard disguised as a doorman lying in a pool of his own blood. A victim of the battle outside, but not the most important. The boutique is a mess, and that's a damn shame. I liked the place; I have quite a few Eclissi pieces in my collection. It's always the uninvolved who truly suffer in war. I make my way through the destroyed store. Passing by a broken jewelry case, I see him. I understand immediately what Vivienne was talking about earlier. From the way he stands, to the calculating look in his eyes, to the way he clutches the pistol in his hand, it's Nobody. He's different from what I imagined. The whole point of Nobody is that it could be anyone, but still, he doesn't look like I thought he would. He's young, handsome, and with a cold indifference to him. The kind of person who could blend into any crowd or be the center of attention, captivating everyone. Still, the feeling I get from him is unmistakable. The larger-than-life mastermind who can do anything. He stares at me, and it feels like every secret I have is laid bare. He's honestly more intense without the helmet.

"You made good time. Put your mask on, we have a lot to do; I want as many of the Cowls' powers as possible, and I want to deal a blow against the Heroes' Union. I know it's short notice, but have you decided on what your Cowl name will be?" Nobody said.

The casualness in his voice as he talks about his plans sends a shiver down my spine. All of this is a game for him. Nobody isn't even a secret identity for him.

"I have. Who do you want to go after first? We won't be able to take too many before more Capes arrive, but in the commotion, I should be able to abduct a few of them," I asked, exhaling dark smoke out of my nostrils that forms into my gold hockey mask.

"Start with Null. Bring him to me. And feel free to go all out, this is your debut. Show them what you got," Nobody ordered.

I nod and transform, dashing out the front. Snare and Revenant are back to harassing Havok, while Virtue still hasn't landed a hit against Reverso. Echochamber is talking to the group's viewers, prattling on endlessly about their dark, evil mission to take back Villainy or some other simple drivel. Null is heckling Virtue, mocking her inability to land a hit. If she gets mad and loses her temper, she could paste these guys. I sneak up on the suit-wearing psycho. Rotshot is preoccupied with collecting her arrows, and none of the others' cameras are pointing toward me or Null, so no one can see me approaching. I reach for his collar to pull him away, and he bends backwards, swinging his foot down into a kick on my arm. It doesn't hurt, but I've missed my chance to take him quietly. Loud way it is then.

"And who do we have here? Has Big Tobacco finally sent an assassin in retaliation for me quitting cigarettes? I'm going to have to decline politely. My body is a temple, free from your poison," Null said.

I don't respond, letting him blather on.

"Or are you some do-gooder here to fight off the villains? Well, brave Hero, come on, let's have at it," Null said, jabbing at me with his cane like a fencer.

I have a good amount of smoke around me to further conceal myself, so the jab misses my actual body. He goes for another jab, and I reach for his weapon, only for him to react instantly and yank it back. He's got quick reflexes, but Nobody said to go all out, so I will. The plan was to try and grab Null without alerting anyone to my presence, but that's not because I'm afraid of conflict. You made quite the entrance, Vivienne. It's only right that I do the same. I explode into a smoke, expanding from just the street to encompass the entire shopping district. An orb of dark smog cuts off everything inside from the BNA perimeter on the outside. I leave the inside of the boutique untouched by smoke, so I don't bother him. The original power that Nobody gifted me has continued paying dividends; everything about me is multiplicative, including the other powers he gave me. The real hunt starts now. Everyone's vision is reduced inside this cloud except mine.

"Neat trick. You trying to hide from me, Smoky?" Null asked.

He doesn't realize he's already lost. Null begins to cough as I slowly direct the smoke down his throat, filling his lungs. The cloth mask he wears will only make breathing even more difficult. Visibility is at zero; he can't see me, which means he can't see the knives materializing all around him. Imbued with my energy, they aren't just stronger and capable of becoming smoke; I can move them telekinetically. Seven knives zip through the cloud, stabbing Null in the shoulders, his legs, and one in his lower back. He screams, choking on the acrid air he's trapped in. I appear right behind him, grabbing the knife in his back and forcefully jerking it around to sever his spinal cord.

"No more talking, Null," I said, covering his mouth with my hand.

His screams are muffled by my gloved hand. None of the other Villains' Syndicate members have noticed what I've done. The smoke is too dense for anyone but me to see. I leave all the knives stuck inside him so he doesn't bleed out before I bring him to Nobody. Null's camera is pinned onto the front of his suit, but I leave it unbroken. I'm going to use their love of cameras and theatrics to make sure I outshine Vivienne. I transform again, leaving my arm corporeal and dragging Null back toward Nobody. Null falls to the ground on his back when I let go of him. The knives dig deeper into his body, eliciting pained choking gasps, wet with blood. His camera is pointing right at me, and I wave goodbye to the viewers as I crush it. I grab him by the leg and drag him into the boutique. One down. Nobody is sitting on a chair; he must've grabbed it after I left.

"Special delivery. I was able to confirm all of the Villains' Syndicate members except for Looking Glass. Her power shouldn't be able to reach in here without a large enough piece of glass for her to exit from," I said.

"I had the same thought, which is why I broke all the mirrors remaining in here after I called you."

I lift Null by the throat and pull his mask off, revealing a regular ass white guy. He looks like a middle manager with his short brown hair, stubble, and unremarkable looks. This is a background character, a useless extra in Nobody's story. How boring. Null's eyes look scared; it's like he's a completely different person without the mask. Don't switch up now, bitch. Nobody gets up and comes over to me, placing a finger against the Cowl's neck.

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"What are you doing? Who's behind me?" Null asked.

"Nobody," I laughed.

Null isn't even struggling or trying to escape my grip. He has no idea what's being done to him. Or what I'm going to do when Nobody's done. It isn't until the five minutes have passed that the Cowl's eyes change from scared to petrified to enraged.

"What? What have you done? You took them. How? GIVE THEM BACK!" Null screamed.

I put his cloth mask back on his head as Nobody steps away from us. The knives disappear, returning to smoke. His white suit isn't white anymore; blood has soaked into it. Null's fate is sealed; he's going to die. But before that, he can be used for something else. The angry de-powered man continues to threaten and curse at me until I grab his face with my hand and slightly squeeze. It's laughable that I would be scared of anything this impotent weakling could do. With my tamed little captive, I leave the boutique and run back to where Echochamber is. Looking around, it seems like Revanant and Havok are still facing off despite the smoke. Obviously the fucking dragon and the haunted armor aren't affected by smoke. Virtue isn't moving; she seems wary of what's happening. Does she have some lingering trauma from Ciggs? The rest of the Cowls are wandering around trying to get their bearings. I dissipate the smoke around Echochamber, creating an area within it that is clean air. The ringmaster whips his head around, trying to figure out what is going on.

"Helloooooo? Are you friend or foe? Don't make me search for you, it'll get quite tiring. The Villains' Syndicate is always hiring," Echochamber said, grinning like a madman.

Why the fuck is he rhyming? I don't answer him, slowly emerging from the smoke as it pools and swirls around me. Gripping Null by the shoulder, I hold him up like a puppet. A few shakes jostle Null enough to get him to speak. The longer I stay quiet, the more the fear will grow. Nobody once called me his man in the dark. I don't mind being the boogieman.

"RUN! They took my fucking-" Null's reveal is cut short as I grab his head with my other hand and rip it off. I've never tried it before, even when I was the snake man. My assumption about it being a popping sound is wrong; it's more of a wet slosh as the spine comes with it. Kinda like cracking open crab legs at a seafood boil. The headless body crumples as it hits the cement. I toss Null's head and spine to Echochamber. He catches it, his grin only getting wider.

"Ah. You're one of those anti-hero types. 'The only justice for villains is death' types. So, what are your gripes? Who did we hurt that started this feud? Parental murder, rape your girlfriend, eat your dog, what did our fun include? You know the fun in all this comes from the jabs and the jests, and uh, you aren't really participating. Fine, stay upset, sad, melancholic, and depressed; I'll punch your teeth in, I know that'll be exhilarating," he said.

Open mic night is getting cut short. Echochamber drops Null's remains, charging at me. He swings his gauntleted fist at me, and it passes through me harmlessly. Everything I do in view of their cameras is designed to grow my reputation. He punches at my knee, but again it does nothing. The small penguin man doesn't give up, continuously attacking me to no avail. He's not fast enough for his choreographed attacks to actually hit me. I'm just transforming whatever body part he aims at. The only thing he's succeeding in is tiring himself out. I'm so much taller than him that I'm looking down at the top of his stupid hat. The Villains' Syndicate isn't a bad group of Cowls, all things considered, but 50% of their success is attributed to their reputation. By not engaging in their stupid show and outclassing them, I'm doing more harm than if I just killed them. By dismantling them, we can replace them as the fifth Cowl group.

"FIGHT ME!" Echochamber shouted, panting heavily.

I slowly walk toward him, and he takes a step back. Are you scared? I finally figure out where his camera is hidden, it's in the front of his hat. He retreats further away from me, stepping into a pothole. The man trips, falling backward onto the ground. The goth circus freak is so blatantly pathetic. His tophat is on the street; it fell off his head when he tripped. I kneel down and turn it around so that the camera is looking at both of us. My body fully transforms, and smoke rushes into the man's mouth and nose. Ciggs killed the man, Lincoln Locke, with this trick. It almost worked on Virtue as well. Echochamber grabs his throat, hacking and coughing as more and more smoke fills his lungs. I'm forcing the air out of him, depriving his body of oxygen. His eyes are bulging, becoming bloodshot as the blood vessels in his face pop from suffocation. Based on his weight, size, and overall health, two minutes is enough to make him pass out. His eyes roll into the back of his head, and his arms drop to his sides. I extract all the smoke out of his body, reforming next to the unconscious carnie. I pick him up over my shoulder like a pig, stomp his hat to crush the camera, and then start to make my way back to Nobody. That's two.

"I'm going to get out of here. I have a feeling that things are going to heat up very soon," Nobody said.

Did I fail him? Was I not fast enough?

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't be. This was a very spontaneous idea, and we were able to claim two powers and weaken an opposing Cowl group. Have you announced yourself yet?" Nobody asked me.

His face barely moves when he talks. It's like everything is so routine and boring for him. Detached.

"No, not yet," I answered.

"Before you leave, make sure they know your name and that you're coming to finish the job soon."

We're on the same page. I have a selfish request I want to ask. Might as well ask.

"You mind if I engage Virtue? I'm stronger than I was, and I want my get back."

Nobody smiles, and despite how happy he looks, it has an undercurrent of cruelty to it.

"Not only do I not mind, I want you to. Do me a favor, after you give your name to her, tell her the man in the mask says 'hello'," he said.

"You got it, boss. I'll make sure she gets the message," I said happily. "And thank you so much, it means a lot to meet you."

"Don't worry about it. I'll talk to you again soon. Give them hell, Isaiah," Nobody said, heading toward the back of the store.

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