Liv was already at a loss physically; but now, she was mentally at a loss too. Anthony as in the Anthony she knew? She didn’t know how popular a name Anthony was, but she certainly hadn't met another Anthony. Granted, she didn't know a lot of people, but still! She hadn't asked about his occupation in the weeks leading up to this… But wouldn’t she have seen him? She, at least, wouldn't have seen him when everyone left because he would've gone with. She groans, rubbing her temples with her fingers, a vein popping from her forehead. How had he managed to hide this for damn near a month? She should have seen him at least once somewhere! How the hell had she not seen him?

  “-Liv Liv Liv Liv Liv Liv Liv-.” Her boss prattles on, it’s voice cutting through her thoughts. She shakes her head, running a hand through her hair, wincing as it tears through a few of the tight curls.

  “Yeah, yeah. Im ‘ere.” Liv mutters mentally, pushing herself forward. Despite the late hour, she found her exhaustion depleted, replaced by a new wave of emotions: confusion at his name being present, disappointment with his apparent unwillingness to tell her about this part of his life, and this feeling she can't quite name, a chimera of annoyance, anger, and sadness that seems to engulf her. It's dizzying. She’s never felt it to this degree, the feeling gnawing at her soul as she pushes herself forward one step after another.

  “You froze in the hall. Have you grown disappointed in your score?” Her boss questions, it’s voice almost… Soothing? An imitation of the sensation, at least. “If so, we did the best we could given the conditions– perhaps a bit better given our circumstances. Or are you concerned you won't be able to get who you wish for? If so, your species is social at heart, so I'm sure-.”

  “Nothin’ wrong with the score., and I ain't worried 'bout that” Liv responds, her voice a bit harsher than intended. She takes a few steadying breaths, calming her internal voice. “It’s just… There’s an Anthony on this list, and he ain't never told me 'bout this-.”

  "There are hundreds of people with identical names. To assume this is the same person is irrational.” Her boss interjects, causing Liv’s brow to furrow..

  "But," Liv starts, biting her lip as she thinks. It was a bit irrational now that she's thinking about it. She just has this hunch, her voice quiet as she continues with, "ain't he know a lot 'bout the Initiative? Seems suspicious."

  “He lives in a city surrounding what I'm led to believe is one of the largest bases for this ‘Hellfire Initiative’. I would hope he knows something about the organization he seems to live near and under.” Her boss says, it’s voice slowing down as it seems to think itself. “And if it was him, I do not see how that is something to be dismayed over. Is a shared work environment not entirely supplemental to your friendship? A shared experience, you could call it.”

  “I… I guess yer right.” Liv admits, pulling the papers back up, her eyes scanning over the name. It wasn’t 100% him. If it was, who cared? A friend he was, sure, but she wasn’t entitled to every part of his life. She didn’t know anything about Charlotte, she didn’t know anything about Alexis and his crew, she was only starting to learn about Kara– hell, she didn't even know her bosses name after a decade of shared life.

  She didn’t know anything about anyone.

  She continues her trek down the halls, her hands still clutching the papers as she reads the names off one by one. Every time she read it, it floated in her mind for a moment until she got to the next, the memory fading to nothing. That chimera of emotion still sat heavy in her body, still gnawing at the recesses of her mind like a parasite. Distracting herself with reading helped, even if just a bit.

  Eventually, Liv finds the entrance to the stairwell– her room a short walk away. Her body feels like jelly as she walks in, limping her way to the bed before flopping down, pulling the gauntlets off one finger at a time. The night is spent tossing and turning, sleep unable to claim her mind; instead, she looks up at the ceiling, her mind running at its usual breakneck pace, desperately wanting sleep without the exhaustion to do so.

  Before she knows it, the sun is rising once more over the city. She turns her head to look at it, golden rays brushing against her skin. It gives her seldom comfort as she slowly pushes herself back up, her mind protesting as a nasty wave of vertigo crashes against her. Gripping her head, she forces herself to a standing position, slipping her gauntlets on as she reassesses her room. The sink was full of dishes, clothes festooning the floor, her bed an unmade mess. Even by the lax standards she had, her old home a far cry from clean, this place was a dump.

  “Smells like a hoover..” Liv mutters, pinching her nose as the stench finally hits her.

  “You mean a sewer?” Her boss asks, not as sure of the correction. She can almost hear the incredulity in it's voice.

  "Sewer, whatever.” She corrects, popping her neck as she leaves. She could take care of it later. For now, she knew sleep wouldn’t find her, and staying in her room wasn’t helping anyway. She wanted to talk to someone, and the old man had said Charlotte would return today. Either she would enter through the lobby, Kara would walk through, or she would see Anthony if the Anthony on the list turned out to be him. Either way, she would distract herself from this insidious gnawing at the edge of her consciousness.

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

  The stairwell is empty as per usual, a dull hum the only noise to greet her, cascading off the concrete walls. She makes her way down the daunting steps, though the trek feels a ways easier than it did the first time around. Perhaps she's grown accustom to them at long last, though an elevator is certainly preferred. Lord knows walking is still a pain, especially in her current state.

  Eventually, she reaches the lobby of the Initiative, the sun not quite reaching above the towering spires shooting around the initiative. From here, she would usually leave out the doors to explore… But she didn’t. Instead, she pressed her back against the wall, slowly sliding down, her knees coming up as her arms wrap around them, hugging them up against her chest. Every so often, someone would give her a strange stare as she waited, the sun rising further in the sky; yet, she didn’t move, as still as a statue. With every passing minute, the gnawing at her mind grows, her head resting on her knees as she waits for someone to come through the door. Who? She didn't really know. She knew she wanted to see one of her friends, but smaller piece of her didn't want to see them– not here, at least.

  An hour passes, then another, and another. Every time the door opens, Liv’s head shoots toward it like a watch dog; and every time, she feels a mix of disappointment and relief as she sees someone who isn’t Anthony. The conflicting emotion is more of an annoyance now, one that makes her feel a bit sick in the stomach. Even as a board is installed near her, that emblem she’s seen plastered around the city, the Initiatives emblem with the scored from the first to the twenty fifth. Still, she waits, her eyes glued to the doors, watching as a swath of buses putter into the road in front of the building, their doors sliding open as hundreds of people pour out.

  Her eyes scan the crowd like a hawk, looking for one singular person. It doesn't take long to spot them jutting above the crowd. She stands slowly, walking over to the familiar figure, the sick feeling slowly ebbing as she catches sight of the glinting armor, of the blade at their side, their head poking over the crowd as they seem to talk to someone Liv can’t quite see from her vantage.

  “Hey.” Liv says, tapping Charlotte on the shoulder, the metal on metal sound sending small tinks bouncing off the charged, loud room. Charlotte turns quickly, a controlled smile on her face; yet, her eyes sparkle like diamonds as she reaches her hand out, clasping Liv’s as tight as she can, her voice straining a squeal as she speaks.

  “It is wondrous to see you again, Ms. Boss!” Charlotte says, actively trying to keep her smile lower than it already is. Liv can see the sparkle in her eye, the warm smile on her face, and the way she regards her– wanting to say more, but bound by something beyond Liv. It all makes a small part of her mind go silent as a warm smile of her own. Her warm smile falters as a figure pokes their head from beside Charlotte, one all too familiar.

  "Hey... Yer the guy from the test!" Liv says, pointing to Donovan with an incredulous finger. What was he doing here? Was he going to chew her out again? She hoped not.

  “Uh, yeah. That'd be me!” He says sheepishly, his hand extending for a shake. Liv looks down at his hand, her body moving before her mind can as her hand clasps, Donovan continuing to speak. “I, uh… I’m sorry, I guess? I shouldn't have made a big scene when you really didn't mean anything by it, especially when I didn't know all the details. That wasn’t… Cool of me.” He says, an awkward quality to his voice, to his manner of speech, and to his body language that made Liv feel awkward in return. She clears her throat, trying to sound as confident as she could.

  “It’s aight. Past is in the past, yeah? I reckon I need to get better at this talkin' stuff too.” She says. The two quickly let go of each other, Donovan clearing his throat as he turns to Charlotte, trying to clear the awkward tension that had entered the conversation.

  "Ahem... Bet still on?" He asks, his competitive glint entering his eye as the two begin to approach the board, Liv following out of obligation to her friend. She also didn't exactly have anything better to do.

  “The victor chooses the losers outfit for the upcoming Gala?” Charlotte questions, a small glint entering her own eye. "That it is." She conforms, the three gliding through the crowd with varying success. Even now, Liv can hear the murmurings of the crowd about the mysterious and unknown "fifth place taker". It made her swell with pride knowing she did good. The three eventually get into reading distance, Charlotte and Donovan skimming from the bottom to try and find their name.

  Donovan groans in defeat as Charlotte smiles wider, turning her face to look at Donovan. "Well, If my math tutor didn't fail me, I assume thirteenth beats thirty-fifth." Her smile grows, a small chuckle petering from her lips. "I'll have to come up with something good for you."

  "Don't make it stupid." Donovan mutters, his arms crossing as his eyes turn down, a small chuckle peeling from Charlotte's lips at the reaction. Liv simply observes the conversation as the murmurs grow to a crescendo, turning to full on open discussion, eyes turning to look at Liv. Some seemed to know, and more would know soon. Still, the look on Charlotte and Donovan's face as their conversation halts, their confusion turning to awe and horror as they look up to the board, seeing her name etched into the fifth spot is engraved in her memory, something to cherish later.

  Their eyes slowly turn to her, more and more people looking to her as her name is passed around.

  "Holy shit." Donovan mutters. "You're fifth- GAHK!"

  Charlotte's hand suddenly shoots out to grab Donovan and Liv, dragging them both away as fast as she could. Liv hadn't known how fast her tall companion could be, nor how strong she could be as crowd disappeared behind the bend of the stairwells door, Charlotte rushing up the stairs at full speed. The wind billows around them, a boom sounding as it accumulates behind them, unable to reach their person. Still... Only one question rang in Liv's mind.

  Did she get to choose the outfits now?