Every step Noah took felt heavier than the last. Guilt weighed his head down, his eyes refusing to lift—afraid of the police, and even more afraid of his own past. His gaze remained fixed on the lifeless concrete beneath his feet, broken only by the occasional glimpse of polished, expensive shoes passing by.
He still wore the same hoodie and jeans—clothes he had taken with hands once soaked in a drug dealer's blood. The filth had been washed away, but the story clinging to the fabric remained. No amount of water could ever clean that.
"They really had to choose these clothes,"
Noah muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Alice walked calmly, dressed in a gray suit and tie, her posture straight and her expression unreadable. She glanced briefly at the time on her watch before turning slightly toward him.
"You know your friend, Emma?" she asked.
Noah's head snapped up instantly at the sound of her name. Alice continued without waiting for a response.
"She was going to her parents' house. Richmond."
Noah exhaled slowly, his eyes drifting back to the pavement.
"She shouldn't be part of this mess," he said flatly. "It's better this way. Now she's gone."
Alice didn't respond. She kept walking. Noah noticed—and didn't care. His mind had already drifted elsewhere, tangled in regret and a quiet, uncomfortable sense of relief.
Some time later, Noah and Alice found themselves in East Harlem.
Before them stretched a crowded road, towering buildings packed tightly together, businesses stacked atop one another in narrow, aging structures. It looked like a typical New York street—at least at first glance.
"East Harlem," Noah said dryly. "One of the highest crime-rated areas in the city. Perfect for your kind of work."
Alice didn't slow her pace.
A frown crept across Noah's face, irritation tightening his eyes like a child being ignored by a careless parent.
"We need to go deeper into the neighborhood," Alice said calmly. "That's where we'll find the Crow Superior."
They moved farther in.
Less than ten minutes later, the street changed completely. Well-dressed pedestrians disappeared, replaced by homeless men slumped against walls, their bodies limp from drugs. Gang members lingered in the shadows, watching them closely—hands resting near the hidden weight of guns tucked into their pants.
"This place gives me the creeps," Noah said anxiously.
"Stop," Alice commanded.
They halted as the shadow of a thin, orange-painted building engulfed them both. A rusted fence enclosed the house, newspapers jammed tightly into the mailbox, pressed against one another as if struggling for space. The second floor had two grimy windows, clouded with filth and neglect.
Alice approached the door. Noah cautiously stayed behind her.
The door was already open.
They went inside.
The interior was a disaster. Dust coated every surface. Cockroaches crawled freely across the floor, and mice nibbled at leftover food scattered in corners. Mold hung thick in the air, its stench heavy and suffocating.
Noah nearly vomited. A strange nausea rippled through his body, his instincts screaming at him to get the hell out.
Alice, meanwhile, appeared unaffected. The cold expression on her face didn't change. Still, she didn't take the risk of moving farther inside. She froze like a statue.
Noah raised an eyebrow at her behavior. Then he took the first step forward.
"Boo!!"
The Crow Superior jumped out of nowhere.
Noah stumbled backward, one of his feet landing squarely on a rotting slice of pizza. He slipped and violently crashed to the ground.
The Crow Superior laughed uncontrollably behind his mask. A small smile formed on Alice's face as well.
"Hey—cut the crap!" Noah shouted, mortified.
—————
Outside the house, Noah stood in his normal suit, reading a crumpled newspaper he had taken from the mailbox.
"President's speech on December twelfth… one month after the terrorist attack," he murmured.
"Let's go," Alice growled from behind him.
She gripped a suitcase tightly, while the Crow Superior carried two. He handed one to Noah.
"Now directly to the base—"
"Boom!! "
The sudden explosion sent a shock through Noah's chest. Goosebumps erupted across his skin. For a second, he froze—then spun around in horror as the second floor of the building collapsed in flames. Fire devoured the structure, spreading rapidly.
Debris scattered across the road, some chunks crashing into neighboring buildings. The glass on the second floor melted under the heat.
"What the—"
Before Noah could process what had happened, police sirens began to wail nearby.
He turned around again.
Alice and the Crow Superior were already gone.
Without thinking, instinct took over.
He ran.
—————
In a dark alley, Noah's lungs burned. Sweat soaked his legs, which trembled on the verge of collapse. He fell to the ground, breathing heavily, the suitcase still clenched in his hand.
"I have to get out of this," he muttered.
Sitting on his heels, he stared at the suitcase. After a few seconds, curiosity overcame caution. He opened it.
Inside, a bundle of files lay stacked neatly, bound together under a blue folder.
Noah pulled one out. He was about to read it when—
"Don't you dare move."
The voice echoed through the alley.
Noah flinched so hard he nearly choked on his saliva. From the darkness, a figure emerged like a phantom.
He raised his hands instinctively. He wanted to fight, but the injuries left by the Rabbit Superior made it impossible.
The dark figure advanced slowly, gun raised, finger ready to pull the trigger.
"Shoot!! "
Nothing happened.
"Leave him alone."
The voice was familiar.
Noah sighed in relief and turned toward it. Alice stood there, still wearing her suit. A truck waited behind her.
The dark figure vanished into the shadows without a sound.
Noah climbed into the truck beside Alice. The Crow Superior was already seated silently. Inside, the truck was clean, equipped with wall-mounted folding seats.
The vehicle drove away.
"We weren't the ones who caused that explosion," the Crow Superior said seriously.
Noah's eyes widened, his mouth falling open.
"What?" he asked.
"Well then," the Crow Superior whispered.
Alice and Noah looked at him sharply.
The Crow Superior continued, pulling a box from beneath his seat.
"Let's eat those burgers together!"
Noah's face nearly hit the floor.
Alice sighed irritably.
"How did you even become a Superior?" she scoffed.
Still, she regained her composure, her thoughts already drifting back to the explosion.
"Who's really behind this?" she murmured.
After the truck drove away, the dark figure returned to the alley.
He picked up the file Noah had opened—and forgotten to take.
A wide grin spread across his mysterious face.