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i hAD sENSED yOU aMONG THE sHADOWS OF THE rAMSHACKLE sLAUGHTERHOUSE. i cOULDN’T hEAR yOU OR sEE yOU, BUT i fELT yOU wITH THE pRICKLING hAIR AT THE bACK OF mY nECK.

wHAT dO yOU dO wHEN dESTINIES cOLLIDE? wHY, sTRIKE IT tHROUGH THE hEART wITH cUPID’S aRROW. i kNOW, i kNOW. IT wAS A rOD OF rEBAR iNSTEAD. IT sHOULD kILL yOU THE wAY bULLETS sHOULD kILL mE, BUT IT dIDN’T. iNSTEAD, IT bROUGHT yOU TO yOUR kNEES. yOU gASPED, mY lITTLE gUPPY oUT OF wATER. AND pULLED oUT mY aRROW FROM yOUR cHEST TO dENY oUR cONNECTION. lUCKILY, i hAD A wHOLE qUIVERFULL, AND i dIDN’T sTOP uNTIL yOU wERE mINE. i pLUNGED aNOTHER rEBAR tHROUGH THE hEART AND hAD mORE FOR yOUR lIMBS. yOU wRIGGLED AND bLED, yET IT sURPRISED mE TO fEEL dISAPPOINTED. yOU dISAPPOINT mE.

i sUPPOSE iF wE oPERATE BY THE oLD rULES, yOU’D bEST mE THE wAY yOU sTOPPED tHOSE mORONS-fOR-hIRE wHO sNATCHED vARIAN, BUT iT’S A nEW wORLD nOW. wE oPERATE BY mY rULES.

yOU aRE lIKE mE. i aM lIKE yOU. yOU sHOULD bE mY wHITE wHALE, BUT yOU’RE nOTHING BUT A wORM ON A hOOK. i aSKED, “WHAT aRE yOU? dID tHAT dOCTOR mAKE yOU lIKE sHE mADE mE?” aWAITING yOUR aNSWER, fRAGMENTS OF rUMORS fELL iNTO pLACE—SECRET sIDE pROJECTS AND sUPER cOPS. “ARE yOU THE sUPER cOP?” nO aNSWER. aLL yOU hAD FOR mE wAS sWEAT AND gRUNTS.

i pULLED aWAY yOUR mASK. AT fIRST, bEAUTY, THE sAME pAIN AND aLLURE mASTERS cAPTURED IN pAINTINGS. oNCE mY aWE fADED, i sAW yOU FOR wHO yOU tRULY wErE—VINCENT vARIAN. mAKES sENSE bECAUSE tHAT sIMPLETON nEEDS TO mOONLIGHT AS sOME bADDIE TO cREATE mEANING oUT OF hIS sTUPID lIFE. “ARE yOU A pART OF A gOVERNMENT pROGRAM? wILL THE pOLICE bE lOOKING FOR yOU?” aGAIN, yOUR fACE wAS sTONE.

i sHOULD kNOW bETTER. iT’S nOT “WHO iS lOOKING FOR yOU?” BUT “WILL aNYONE lOOK FOR yOU?” wILL aNYONE IN tHIS tOWN mISS vINCENT vARIAN, A sELF-eNTITLED sNOB wHO’S A sHUT-iN IN hIS dADDY’S mANSION OR wHO gALLIVANTS aROUND THE wORLD wITH lIKE-aND-sHARE-aDDICTED mODELS? wHEN vINCENT vARIAN gOES mISSING, dOES IT sURPRISE aNYONE? wILL tHOSE mODELS sHED A tEAR FOR yOU iF yOU dROPPED oFF THE fACE OF THE eARTH? tHOSE sHINING eYES wENT dULL wHEN i aSKED yOU tHAT qUESTION.

hOW fLIMSY OF A lEGACY TO hAVE. IT wILL bE fUN TO wATCH IT aLL cRUMBLE bENEATH yOU.