Chapter 10: Summons, Schemes, and Legal Debacles
The Special Investigation Bureau conference room at dawn smelled of stale coffee, panic, and over-priced suits. Thirty agents sat around a gleaming table, and at its head stood Commissioner Gorran Holt, gray-bearded and wide-eyed.
"Everyone," he rasped, slamming a file stamped "TOP SECRET: MR. NOBODY" onto the table, "meet Ms. Lilith Valemire—counsel for Mr. Nobody."
A tall woman in tailored black strode forward. Her expression was polite but icy. "Commissioner," she said, voice smooth as silk, "I'm sure there's been a misunderstanding. My client is a college actor named Lucas Cain—"
Holt's eyes bulged. "We know what you're about to say, Ms. Valemire. We have surveillance footage of—" He flicked open a monitor to show a grainy clip of Lucas picking up a puddle-soaked umbrella. Agents gasped. "—him wiping out three assassins with a look."
Lilith raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "He's… an actor. That was an accident."
Before the room could burst into argument, the doors flew open. Elric Vance, impeccably dressed, swept in with two burly bodyguards. "Commissioner, sorry I'm late," he announced, voice calm but laced with authority. "I hear our 'guest of honor' has returned. I demand confirmation."
The agents exchanged nervous glances. Holt's jaw dropped. "Mr. Vance, this is highly irregular—"
Elric flashed a thin smile. "I'm not just any creditor, Holt. I was once… close to the original Mr. Nobody." He unfolded a dossier brimming with ledgers, scars, and an old family photo. "I need to know if Alexander Cain truly walks among us again."
Lilith stepped between them. "Elric, please. The Bureau invited me—not your loan shark theatrics."
Elric bowed. "Apologies. But until we're certain, I can't risk my assets—or my life."
Holt swallowed. "Ms. Valemire, Commissioner Holt—Mr. Vance. Please confer." He backed out, exasperated.
---
In Elric's Penthouse—Strategic Debrief
A quarter-mile away, in a dimly lit study lined with gunmetal shelves, Elric, Sebastian Mohram, and Lilith huddled around a polished oak desk.
Sebastian's gaze was rapt, almost reverent. "He's back. He must be." He tapped his phone. "I already informed The Hand. They're mobilizing 'Erase Past' protocol."
Lilith rubbed her temples. "So: the Bureau is clueless, the Underblack Circle is on high alert—and I'm supposed to defend a man who doesn't even know he's… him."
Elric let out a chortle. "Clueless is his brand. But we know better." He leaned forward. "Sebastian—why no meeting with me first? I want to thank him in person."
Sebastian's lip quivered. "Lucas has no need of… loan sharks." He stiffened. "Besides, our 'client' has more… pressing orders—about forgetting the past."
Elric's eyes flickered. "Ah, yes: 'Erase the past.' He said that?"
Sebastian nodded. "Right before the assassins fell. He… whispered it."
Lilith sighed. "You two sound like teenagers fighting over the last slice of cheesecake."
Elric grinned. "Well, it worked once—"
Sebastian shot him a look. "Focus. This isn't a game."
They bickered like old warlords:
> Elric: "I funded your expansion in Jakarta—doesn't that count for something?"
Sebastian: "I saved your hide that night in the Drought Crows warehouse. I—"
Lilith (interrupting): "Enough!"
A long silence fell as each considered the stakes.
> Elric (softly): "If he truly is Mr. Nobody… he'll seek us out. That's his style."
Sebastian: "And when he does, we must be the ones standing by his side."
Lilith: "Or the ones covering for his—unintentional—massacres in court."
Meanwhile,
Lucas, being just a clueless actor that he is. Happened to have just recieved a message from Sebastian that said something about how 'Alexander Cain's arrival is eminent sir', which, to Nobody's surprise. Was thought of as a new acting role for Lucas by him.
Moving to the trio...
They all stared at the scattered dossiers: Underblack memos, SIB intel, Lucas's college schedule.
---
Meanwhile… Back at the Bureau
Holt paced in front of Lilith's empty chair. "She's… legal counsel?" he muttered. "Well. I've erased all personal data on Lucas Cain. We have zero records. It's as if he never existed."
An agent gulped. "Sir… we can't confirm identity, motive, or even death."
Holt's shoulders slumped. "Open a city-wide alert. Notify every precinct: any sighting of 'Mr. Nobody'—live or otherwise—must be reported immediately. And find Ms. Valemire. I want answers."
Outside the glass doors, city alarms wove into the morning traffic—a new symphony of dread.
---
End of Chapter 10
To the underworld: The legend is back reactivated.
To the police: The legends footprints are gone.
To Lucas Cain: He still thinks he's just late for rehearsal.
And Sebastian and Elric? They're already making bets on who'll be the first to hear his laughter in the shadows.