(Hikari POV)

I had quickly changed out of my superhero clothes and found myself rapidly approaching Jason's apartment. I quickly ran to his room, knocking on the door.

No answer.

Of course.

I continued to knock, only to still receive no answer. If he was even in there, then he was ignoring me.

It's more likely that he's already gone.

I ran away from the apartment, making a break towards the hospital. I dashed past tons of people, getting a lot of odd looks but I didn't care. There was too much chaos in my mind to even care.

I panted as I slowed down, walking into the hospital and approaching the receptionist. "Hello, I was hoping I could see a Gabriel James?"

"Gabriel James...?" The receptionist typed something on the keyboard, her eyes lazily staring at the screen. "We don't have a record for that person."

"Are...are you sure?" I slowly asked.

"Yes, nothing is here." The receptionist stated. "Did you get the right hospital?"

"Yeah..." I turned away with a frown. "...nevermind."

I walked back out of the hospital, clutching at my head. He had already moved. Not only himself, but his brother too. Was he planning in case he got found out? Had he done it that quickly? No, that wasn't possible. Stellar was hunting him down, even though he escaped he couldn't have gotten away quick enough to do this.

I numbly walked back to Stellar's apartment, thoughts raging through my mind. I opened the door with the key she gave me, entering the empty apartment.

I sat down onto the couch, holding my head in my hands. I needed a moment to process everything.

I had just seen the villain known as The Maid up close when she wasn't wearing a mask for the first time. And the revelation shook me to the core. That white hair. Those mismatched eyes.

It was Sophie. The same one that I had taught how to use makeup. The same one that was always around my crush. The robot.

The Maid was a robot.

And if that was Sophie, then her master...?

I stood across from the man in the ski mask, sweat rolling down my forehead. My hands were clammy, the anticipation was killing me.

"...if it isn't my favorite browser!" The man in the ski mask nervously chuckled. It was the first time I had heard his voice in person.

That was all I needed to confirm my worst fears.

"It is you." I couldn't believe it. "That was Sophie, and that voice is definitely yours Jason..."

He was silent for a moment, simply staring at me with red eyes. And then the realization hit him. "Hikari." He gasped.

"Why??" I growled, the initial shock and confusion that flooded my veins turning into anger. "What is your goal here?!"

"Money." He simply shrugged in response. "What, expecting some sob backstory?"

Of course it was money, Hikari! Damn it! You knew about his brother! He had shown you himself!

"Damn it Jason!" I unsheathed my sword.

"Back off, hero. I don't know how you know him..." The girl in the fedora wrapped her arm around the masked Jason as she pointed her pistol at me. "But Jason is mine."

She pulled the trigger and I quickly sliced the bullet out of the air. I ripped my glove off of my hand, placing it onto the handle of my katana and letting the azure flames engulf the sword.

I swung my sword, sending a wave of blue fire crashing past and blocking the front exit.

"You aren't escaping..." I growled.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." She grinned.

Suddenly an armored car burst through the wall, catching all attention as it drove next to us. The girl opened the door as Jason was thrown inside, before tipping her hat and jumping in after him.

That girl...she was the famous Alexis Cromwell, wasn't she? How does she know Jason? What is their connection? Why and where did she take him?

For the first time it really sunk in how little I knew about Jason. He was just a flirty customer around my age that I happened to take a fancy too. I want expecting anything to happen. Then we had that little mini-date and I thought maybe something was possible.

And this whole time, he was a criminal.

And I'm a hero.

"Happy to see my favorite customer again. The usual?" I smiled at him, fighting to keep a blush off of my face.

"Please, as always." He gave me an attractive smirked. "Surprised?"

"Not really." I giggled. "Been a short while though. How are you?"

"Not bad, not the best." He shrugged. "You know how it is."

"Mhm, freelance." I nodded. "Can't imagine it's an easy field."

"Not at all." He chuckled.

Freelance my ass. I doubt those stories about his uncle are true either. That was a made up story for Sophie. Twice. That's twice that he had blatantly lied to my face and I had no idea.

What else has he lied about? How much about him do I even truly know?

Did I even know his real name? Did I even know his real personality? What has he been doing after every time we interact? Going off to rob banks? Fight Stellar?

Why did he even help me, back when the cafe got attacked by that villain of the week? I don't understand. I don't understand it at all!

Who really is Jason? Because clearly I didn't know when I thought I did. I thought he was a good person.

But he's a villain. One that my best friend is hellbent on capturing.

I stood off of the couch, feeling myself overheat. My breath was quickening and my body was sweating. I stumbled over to the bathroom, looking myself in the room and staring at myself in the mirror.

I looked like a mess. You could tell I was barely holding tears back. My hair was messy and tussled, and sweat was just pouring down my skin.

Overwhelmed. Too many emotions were raging through my body at the moment. I stared at my gloved hands, my breath quickening as flashbacks of blue flames passed my eyes.

"Calm down, calm down Hikari..." I nervously chuckled, staring at myself in the mirror. "...it'll be fine, it was just a crush, just a crush..."

But for some reason I couldn't let go of it.

I clutched at my chest, a deep pain rooted within. My heart was pounding at the surface as if it was trying to escape my body. My mouth was dry and my hands were heating up.

Calm down Hikari, or even the gloves won't be able to stop the flames. Calm it down, calm it down.

I forcibly splashed water onto my face, not caring that I was getting my gloves wet in the process. I forcibly took deep breaths, forcing the air into my lungs as I calmed myself down.

My breathing slowly started to slow down as I looked at myself in the mirror. And then I started to strip my hoodie and shirt, taking them off and staring at my scarred upper body with just a bra on.

From my right shoulder down to my chest was a nasty burn scar, one which I didn't let anyone see. Not even my closest friend, Sarah, The Hero of Hope, knew.

The azure flames reflected in my memory. I remember it so vividly. That day, years ago, when my S-Genome first awakened. When I lost the ability to touch anything normally for the rest of my life.

My damn power. Anything I touch bursts into extremely hot azure flames. I was unprepared back when the S-Genome kicked in and my powers started. The whole house was burned down.

And I was set up for adoption. If it wasn't for Corey and his wife, I don't know where I would be now.

I wanted to make up for the past. I wanted to be like the heroes I admired. Even with this incredibly dangerous power, I wanted to be someone that others could look up to.

And look at me.

Falling for a criminal. Unable to control my own powers.

I stared down at my gloved hands, the gloves that were specially made to counteract my power. The fingertips had been burned through. I need to go grab my spare pair without touching anything with my fingertips.

I'm pathetic.

What am I even supposed to tell Sarah? That the villain she's been obsessing over defeating is my crush? How do I even tell her that Jason is Ski Mask?

Do I even tell her?

If Jason gets captured, then his brother will...

"Hah...hahahaha..." I lowly chuckled, tears rolling down my eyes as I stared at myself in the mirror.

I leaned back on the wall, slowly sinking down until I was sat down. I brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them with closed fists as I tried to keep in my sobs.

I'm so pathetic.

Wanting to be a great hero, like Stellar, Miracle, and The Champions.

What a joke.

Me?

Blue flames tickled at the ends of the gloves as tears continued to roll down my cheeks. I tried to smile and laugh, but only broken sobs came out.

I'm not sure how long I was sitting there for. How long I was crying for. But eventually the tears stopped and my gloves mostly survived.

Because I knew what I was going to do next.

I wiped my tears with the back of my gloves, slowly standing back up and looking at myself in the mirror with a fiery determination.

I only understand part of Jason's situation. Maybe his brother is fake. Maybe it really is his motivation for the crime.

Either way, I can't tell Stellar. Not yet.

I'll capture Jason first.

And once I do, I'll be getting all the answers I want out of him.

He's mine.