Chapter 17: The Gambler

"I'm your friend."

"I don't recall any friend like you," Cipher said coolly.

Thud.

Elias Crane kicked over the corpse lying on the floor.

Blood trickled out from under the Rhine Cat mask, dripping onto the concrete. Elias stepped aside so Cipher could see it more clearly.

"An enemy of your enemy is your friend."

"…"

Cipher said nothing. She stared at the cat mask on the corpse's face, clearly realizing what had happened.

"You tricked Claw into believing this vault was full of money—piles of gold bars," Elias continued, stepping around to the other side of the corpse, making sure Cipher could hear him.

"But once he came down here, found it empty, there was no chance you two could avoid a deadly shootout. Who lived or died would be anyone's guess."

He gestured to the corpse. "Well, I've saved you the trouble of dealing with him. Doesn't that make me your friend?"

Cipher kept her pistol raised, showing no relaxation in her stance. "Why should I believe you?"

Elias gave a faint smile and slowly raised his own gun, flipping it so the muzzle faced downward. Then—

Whoosh!

He flung it far across the vault, where it clattered out of reach.

"Is that enough sincerity for you? Now it's your turn to show some good faith."

"You and I both want the same thing," he went on. "To crack open Elias Crane's deposit box. You can take whatever's inside—I just want to know what it is."

A quick glance at his watch. "We don't have much time. Once the main power flips back on, the alarm will sound, and we're out of luck."

Cipher hesitated, but then she, too, raised her pistol. In one fluid motion, she hurled it away.

The gun traced a neat arc through the air—

Thud!

It struck a deposit box with a dull clang, then rolled across the floor.

Click!

Suddenly, a muzzle pressed to the back of Cipher's head. Claw stepped out from behind the boxes, gun in hand.

"Liar," Cipher muttered. Through her hero mask, she shot Elias a look of obvious disappointment.

"You're the liar!!" Claw spat. "If not for him here exposing your filthy tricks, I'd have died like a dog! If he hadn't stopped me, I'd have blasted you to kingdom come by now!"

Claw's fingers tightened around the pistol grip, trembling with anger. "I swear, if I had my way, you'd already be on the ground!"

Elias motioned for Claw to calm down, then turned back to Cipher, speaking seriously:

"Let's recap. First, I don't mean you any harm. I'm not here to kill you—I just want to ask you a question. One question is all I need. After I get my answer, Claw and I are leaving. Whatever you do—opening the deposit box, rummaging around—I won't interfere."

He nodded toward Claw. "Also, I promise to help him get the money he needs, which means your grudge ends here. We all came for our own reasons; once we're done, we split ways. Nobody has to keep fighting."

It was a generous offer. Elias held the upper hand, yet he promised not to harm Cipher, nor hinder her goal, and even to settle Claw's grudge. All he wanted was one simple answer.

Cipher was a pragmatic person. "What's your question?" she asked quietly.

Elias reached behind his head, slipping off the elastic band. Then he slowly peeled away his hero mask…

He inhaled, lifting his gaze to look Cipher in the eye. "Do you know me?"

"I don't," she replied, shaking her head.

"Have you ever seen me before, heard anything about me… anything?" he pressed.

"No," she repeated.

Frowning, Elias rubbed his temple. "Another angle, then. When you hear my voice, or look at me… do you get any sense of recognition? Like, does something about me stand out enough that you can't kill me, even though you'd casually kill Claw?"

"Pff—!"

Even Claw—who was half-blinded by rage—found it almost comical. The conversation was drifting into melodrama territory, reminiscent of a sappy TV show.

But Cipher's reaction stunned them both.

She didn't laugh, didn't scowl, didn't flinch. She gave no reaction at all. No wry smile, no shake of the head. Just… silence.

Staring from behind her mask, she watched Elias in utter stillness.

Bingo, Elias thought, narrowing his eyes. So this was it—the question that struck a nerve. Her prior acts of sparing him, time and again, made sense if something about him was familiar. She'd recognized him at some level she refused to admit.

He'd guessed right.

"Talk, damn you!" Claw roared, frustration boiling over.

But Cipher remained locked in place, lips pressed shut. She refused to speak.

"You…!" Claw ground his teeth, patience snapping. Elias sighed, turning back to Cipher:

"Is that answer so precious it's worth risking your life for?"

"Hehehe…" Cipher scoffed dismissively, a sharp little laugh. "That depends—can you actually take my life?"

"You—!" Claw's voice went raw with anger. His gun pressed tighter to her skull. "You underestimate me, huh? One pull and you're gone!"

In a sudden burst of motion, Claw wrenched his arm, digging the barrel into Cipher's temple. She slowly raised her hands in surrender, resting them on the back of her head.

"Claw," she said softly, "listen."

"Grr!" He was beyond reason.

"You're right: the vault is empty," she continued. "But I never only promised you money. That deposit box holds something far more valuable to you."

"W-what?" Claw gasped, eyes darting from Cipher to the deposit box.

"Something… more valuable than money?"

Cipher's gaze glimmered with intrigue from behind her mask. "Think carefully—if I hadn't needed you, I wouldn't have come to you in the first place. That deposit box is important for me, but it also matters for you."

In that moment, it clicked for Claw. His eyes widened.

"An… invitation letter!" he burst out. "You mean the deposit box contains a way to find the TVA—some kind of notice or lead!"

Cipher smirked but said nothing.

"Don't believe her, Claw!" Elias shouted. "She has no idea what's inside that box. She's making it up!"

Cipher locked eyes with Claw. "You willing to gamble? This is your only shot."

Claw's face went wild with color. Sweat poured down his neck. He stared from Cipher to Elias, then back at the deposit boxes. He had no clue whom to trust.

Bang!!!

A deafening shot reverberated in the vault.

Claw's head exploded like a smashed watermelon, his body collapsing instantly.

Elias recoiled, horrified.

He saw Cipher's hair tumble loose. The red ribbon that had pinned it up fluttered to the ground. In her hand—a concealed backup gun. She'd hidden it in her hair the whole time.

Thud!

Claw's corpse hit the floor with a heavy smack.

Cipher lifted the smoking gun, striding toward Elias one step at a time. Her eyes, bright with adrenaline, bored into him.

"Care to guess," she asked quietly, "whether or not I'm going to kill you next?"