Sorry if it seemed rush and/or there are grammar mistakes. I planned on doing this last minute.

Zoé

I hadn't realized until now, after studying psychology and how humans feel, that I had a way of finding the truth in people. It wasn't exactly a power, but a observation. Surely, it would've been useful in some way, right? And that is correct, for now I use it to bring just to this world.

To be honest, I didn't expect to become something like a flashy hero from a comic book, but it seems I have. Fighting for what's right has been a benefit though; I get to understand people more. I don't need trophies or awards, but the truth.

My observations come natural to me, and those nervous twitches people have are quite noticeable. I'd take my college dorm mate Trinette as an example. Whenever I mention something that makes her upset, her breathing usually gets heavier. And when she's furious, her eye twitches uncontrollably. Her twitches were one of a kind. To the naked eye, these habits are barely seen. People are used to being deceived by others who are hiding their true emotions, anyways.

Truly, this is nothing to brag about. It's just mindless observations I have. I don't believe it applies to everyone though, especially Tenma. Perceived like a criminal on the news, I've seen Tenma before. She's like a spider, terrifying and cold inside; emotionless. That woman may be a criminal, but she's an interesting person.

It wasn't until today that I unmasked the spider of its eight eyes. On a snowy night had Trinette gone out to run some errands at the town nearby. I sat alone; the frigid air and blaring noises of the old television filled the dorm room. Work for college had to be done, but lately I had been procrastinating.

It wasn't until a couple of hours later that I'd notice Trinette hadn't been back yet. Isn't it freezing out there? I peered out the window in hopes to find her, but to no avail. Maybe she got lost on her way back?

Patiently, I'd wait, still staring at the television and crying over dramas. It was late now, almost midnight. Worried about Trinette's well being, I decided to quit the television and go find her. I pulled on a warm jacket and settled the hood atop my head, almost covering my face.

I didn't know exactly where she was, but I assumed she had gone to her favorite places; the bakery downtown, the square, or maybe even the clothing store. Still, she was lost. That was until I heard the crunching sounds of snow by the bank.

A woman, about the same height as me and the slender body of a model, appeared from behind the side of the building. Cloaked with a white shawl and a blue dress, she held a parasol in one hand and dawned a satchel, which was heavily loaded. Then it came to me. It was Tenma. How is she not cold?

Her expression changed from pleasant to disgusted. "A witness is here to see my escape?" Tenma gripped the satchel. "Well, I'd have to get rid of you quick and clean. I don't want those policemen on my tail again. Especially after what happened with Eirya." She muttered the last part. Supposedly she didn't notice my face, after all it was hard to distinguish it in the heavy snowfall.

Tenma pointed her parasol at me, her face now covered. She'd drop it, and like a magic trick she'd disappear as it fell. I'd look around in desperation. Where would she appear now?

Then a foot from behind pushed me to the ground with great force. Turning around, it was the criminal. She took me by my neck and started to squeeze it with such fierceness.

In gasps of air I cried, "Let me go, dangit!" I tried to pull her hands away.

"In your dreams!" She squeezed harder. "Don't you know sparing lives creates risks? You can't trust anybody is this world! Not even friends!"

Something about her seemed strange. Her face was a storm of emotions. "Friends?" I repeated. It was there that I realized the heavy breathing and the twitching of the eye emerging from Tenma, no, Trinette.

Trinette

"Being born in the slums is not an excuse. Our status does not define our effort" is what my parents used to say. Are they correct? Are they wrong? I'm not sure, but I think I've found something that I'm passionate about, something I'll put a lot of effort in.

It may be a felony to steal, but I believe this way I'll be able to support my fellow comrades in poverty. Nobody cares for the poor, so who else are they to turn to? That's why criminal activity is high in these parts of the town.

Tenma is someone who is confident in her abilities, someone who doesn't need to rely on anybody else. She's my only getaway from reality, where in real life I'm only a small person living in a cruel world. It feels right, but I admit, I question every action and every step I make as her.

And when I'm face to face with Eirya, a famous hero, I feel like I've done something wrong. She sees through you like a glass vase. There's nothing to hide from her. The woman observes every part of you, both physically and mentally. Maybe that's why I don't hate her, but fear her.

Eirya reminds me of Zoé. That girl knows everything, like she's some psychic.

I had gone out to run some "errands", leaving Zoé alone. It was then that I had gone out to commit my daily duties for the poor. And just when I thought I would escape clean, a girl comes running into my way.

I don't need any witnesses crying to the police, so I thought it would be best to knock her out and hide her somewhere. But when I was strangling her, with her crying out with desperation, I noted her voice as familiar. Though I just brushed it off; that was trivial.

But then she dared to remind of me of my dependence on Zoé, how much I relied on her to relieve my feelings. How could she? How could a single word break me down? I never cried over "friends", but somehow she knew. Perhaps it was then that I realized the girl I was choking was Zoé.

Here's a bonus picture of Zoé.