Rob paced nervously behind Leona as she sat in front of his computer, her fingers flying expertly over the keys.
"And why am I editing this found footage film again?" She had been hesitant at first, assuming Rob was trying to get her to help him cheat on a school project.
"I told you my cousin Jodie is an amateur filmmaker, she just wanted me to make sure that everything in her film looked realistic. She doesn''t want even the tiniest detail overlooked." Rob explained. "Since I have no idea how to look for the details, I thought I would get the best person I know to help... which is you obviously."
Leona bit her lip, still unsure if Rob was telling her the truth. Suddenly the bathroom door flew open and Ethel stepped out in a towel. Leona stared up at the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, she could feel the blood rushing to her face.
"You''re out of soap," Ethel said casually, her eyes meeting Leona''s. "Who''s this?"
"This is Leona, she is enhancing the video for us," Rob explained.
Leona was struck with confusion. "Wait this is your cousin?" she tried to clarify since Ethel was Korean and Rob clearly was not.
"He was adopted," Ethel said without skipping a beat. " I''m Mia, thank you for looking over my movie." She flashed Leona a warm smile.
"Oh, it... is not a pro...blem, I a....m happy to help," Leona stammered, blushing even harder. Embarrassed, she quickly returned to the video, going over it frame by frame.
"Look at this," Rob said, pointing to one particular scene as they scrubbed through the footage. Together, they watched as Gluttony tossed something into a dumpster before entering the building.
"Wow, impressive costume," Leona remarked, admiring the attention to detail. "Must have taken days to make."
"Can you zoom in on what they threw in the dumpster?" Rob asked. As the image came into focus, it became apparent that the discarded item was a shirt with numbers written along the sleeve.
"Can you zoom in on those numbers?" Rob requested, leaning in closer to the screen.
"Sorry," Leona replied. "If I go any further, it''ll just turn into a pixelated mess. Why does it matter if you can see the numbers anyway?"
"Uh oh shit I forgot I have a night class I need to get ready for. Thanks for your help, Leona," Rob said hastily, leading her to the door. "I''m sure my cousin will win that film contest now." Once she was gone, he turned to Ethel. "Did you catch those numbers?"
"09876," Ethel recited, squinting at the screen. Rob''s eyes widened as he realized the significance.
"Those are from a prison uniform," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "If Gluttony is currently in prison, then their file will be in the prison database."
"Great," Ethel sighed. "But how do we access that?"
"Leave that to me," Rob replied, feeling a pang of guilt. "I''ll have to use Lindsey."
---
Deb wandered through the remains of a burned-out house, her heart heavy with sadness. She had been on a walk when she spotted the home, its skeleton a reminder of a great loss. Abby appeared behind her, a somber expression on her face.
"I wonder what happened here?" Deb asked, looking around at the charred wood and crumbling walls.
"Two families were destroyed by dark secrets," Abby replied, a smile unnoticeable smile playing on her lips. "They took their own lives, along with those of another family."
Deb''s eyes filled with determination, she could feel the sorrow and anguish seeping from the singed walls. "I want to be stronger so I can protect the people I care about."
"Be patient, Deb," Abby said gently. "Keep training with me and I''ll show you how to do that."
Deb nodded, she wanted to prevent another tragedy like this, and she couldn''t help but feel like the secret Zack was keeping from her could get him hurt.
--
That night the deafening roar of the basketball game drowned out everything else as Boon and Zack sat on the bench, their eyes locked in a tense conversation. The stadium lights cast a harsh glow over their faces, highlighting the newfound intensity in Boon''s gaze.
"Zack," Boon leaned in closer, his voice barely audible above the crowd, "Are you sure you have never heard of vessels? I am giving you one last chance to fess up."
Zack shifted uncomfortably, his fingers tightening around the basketball in his lap. "I have no clue what you are talking about, Boon. Even if what you believe was true, it would be better for you if you just stayed out of it."
"The claw marks in the shower, you hanging out around Ethel with her glowing eyes, and your sudden ability to be an expert at everything you do. I want in, I want to be better than anyone else," Boon insisted, his earlier smugness replaced with a fierce determination.
"Boon, that''s dangerous," Zack warned, scanning the stands for any sign of trouble. He knew they were being watched by more than just their fellow students. "There would be other vessels, the powers would be like Russian roulette. And why doesn''t everyone know they exist, imagine what is so powerful it scares vessels into hiding."
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Following Zack''s gaze, Boon saw Jessica and Abby sitting in the crowd next to Deb, their eyes trained on the game but their minds clearly elsewhere. The reality of the situation weighed heavily on him, and he realized that Zack was genuinely scared of these women and he felt a chill run through his entire being.
"They don''t look so scary," Boon said quietly, his voice shaking slightly. "What are they?"
"The last thing you will ever see if you keep asking questions," Zack responded, his eyes dark.
Before Boon could say another word, he was subbed into the game, Leaving Zack to think about the problem Boon was becoming.
---
Rob, strolled right into the police station, heading right for Lindsey''s office near the back of the building. He breathed a sigh of relief when he discovered she wasn''t there, cracking her password was easy, it was her brother''s birthday. Rob watched the screen come to life, her background showed a younger version of himself with Ryan trying to catch frogs in the marsh. A wave of guilt washed over him but he couldn''t let it stop him, not when they were this close to finding out who Gluttony was.
He searched for the prisoner number from the security footage, only to discover that it was too long. Frustrated, he slumped back in Lindsey''s chair, racking his brain for another place that used numbers to identify people until a disturbing thought crept into his mind.
"A patient number at an asylum," he whispered, his heart racing as he quickly looked up patient files. When Kyle''s face appeared on the screen, supposedly catatonic, Rob''s blood ran cold. He hastily deleted his search history and made for a hasty exit from the station, narrowly avoiding the officers along the way.
Rob stumbled out of the station, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to process what he had just discovered. The crisp night air did little to calm his nerves, and he barely had time to collect himself before he collided with a passerby.
"Careful," said Kyle, gripping Rob''s arm tightly. "Why is there always a curious one, who doesn''t know when they are out of their depth."
"Kyle, I know what you are," Rob gasped, struggling to keep his voice steady. "You can''t kill me here. There are too many people around."
"Is that so?" Kyle smirked, his eyes flicking over the bustling crowd. "I could wipe out every officer in that building without breaking a sweat. You''re the only one who seems to care about human life in this conversation."
"Wha—what do you want from me?" Rob stammered, feeling the blood drain from his face.
"A smart man never just explains his motives. Come with me, I have been watching you for a long time. That Lindsey friend of yours is quite stunning, isn''t she? A shame what happened to her brother though, I would hate for her family to experience another loss like that." The threat hung in the air like a noose, and Rob knew he had no other choice but to follow Kyle.
Once they arrived at a barren lot, Kyle wasted no time transforming into Gluttony, his frightening form looming over Rob as he prepared to strike. Just as Rob braced for the inevitable impact, Ethel burst onto the scene, her eyes glowing dim green as she launched herself at Gluttony.
"Stay back, Rob!" she shouted, her voice strained as she fought to overpower the monstrous sin. Gluttony seemed to predict her every move, easily besting her at every turn. Despite her fierce determination and time-freezing abilities, Ethel soon grew exhausted, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as she realized she couldn''t win.
"You know this is a waste of our time Ethel. A vessel could never hope to kill a sin, we made you. Why put it off any longer, join my covenant and feel power like you have never known," Gluttony hissed, a wicked grin spreading across his grotesque features. "And I''ll even spare the boy''s life."
Ethel hesitated, her eyes locked on Rob''s terrified expression. She couldn''t fight Gluttony on her own, and she knew if this continued they would both end up dead. Her future sight showed her no matter what she did, they would lose.
"Tick, tock, this offer isn''t going to last much longer," Gluttony warned, looking almost bored by the whole ordeal. With no other choice, she finally agreed to Gluttony''s terms with a nod, and the two of them left Rob in the abandoned lot, his heart aching for her sacrifice.
---
Back at the basketball game, Zack''s anxiety grew as Rob still hadn''t shown up. Distracted by his concern, he couldn''t help but overhear Jessica and Abby discussing Boon''s report of Gluttony''s attack at the movie theater.
"That''s the one," Jessica motioned towards Boon on the court. "According to the police report, he claimed that the creature pinned him to the ground. Odd that Gluttony wouldn''t just kill him."
"Can a sin''s curse be transferred with only a few seconds of contact?" Abby asked, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Only if the sin is powerful enough," Jessica replied, her tone cautious. "It would need a strong covenant."
Zack sat on the bench, the weight of his secret growing heavier with each passing moment. His thoughts raced with questions about where Rob was, he could use a reassuring friend right now.
"Zack!" the coach''s voice boomed, cutting through his racing thoughts. "You''re up!"
With a start, Zack tore his gaze away from Jessica and Abby and nodded, taking a deep breath as he stepped onto the court. The game''s energy surged around him like an electric current, but all he could think about was Boon, Rob, and how dangerous his life had become.
"You can do this," he muttered under his breath, positioning himself at center court. He felt the weight of the basketball in his hands, its familiar texture grounding him despite the chaos.
"Stay sharp, Zack," Kristian warned, his voice tense as they lined up for the play. "We need this."
"Got it," Zack replied, swallowing hard. As the referee blew his whistle, Zack sprang into action, his muscles moving with practiced precision. But even as his body responded to the demands of the game, his mind was consumed with the realization that Boon''s life was very much at risk—and he was the only one with the power to protect him.
Boon darted across the court, weaving between opponents with an intensity that belied his earlier smugness. Zack knew that, beneath the surface, Boon''s desire for power had obscured his views, causing him to ignore the real danger.
"Stay close to Boon, we are going to run our new play," Zack whispered to Eric as they regrouped for the next play, his eyes flicking nervously toward the stands where the exorcists sat, watching. "I''ve got your back."
"Thanks," Boon returned, his jaw set. "But I don''t need it—I can do this without your help."
As the game progressed, Zack''s focus shifted erratically between the ball and the looming threat beyond the court. He fought to suppress the urge to let loose and use his powers to aid his team, and as a result, they were falling farther and farther behind.
"Zack, pass!" Boon shouted, snapping him back to reality. With a surge of adrenaline, Zack launched the ball toward him just in time to secure a three-pointer.
"Nice one," Boon grinned, slapping Zack on the back. "Imagine how far ahead we could be if we were on the same level."
"Just focus on the game," Zack said, his thoughts swirled with how complicated it would be to hide Boon if he had these powers too. He knew that Rob had gone to find out Gluttony''s identity at the police station, he glanced over to the bench but there was still no sign of him, something must have gone wrong.
As the final quarter buzzer sounded and the crowd erupted into cheers, Zack was left heading to center court, his heart pounding with more than just physical exertion. Ethel and Abby were targeting Boon, and Rob was nowhere to be found.