"ive dabbled in it all, you see. ive been an actor, a singer, a comedian, a dancer, a clown, a showman... worn every mask, stepped into every spotlight. who wouldnt crave it? all those eyes fixed on you, dissecting your every gesture, scrutinizing every step... i bet you know the feeling all too well."

"it hasnt work out, not at all. showbiz! its a hollow realm, so artificial, and oh-so-easily replaceable. i mean, you get it, dont you? i sure hope so. ive been observing you closely. perhaps more than i should. the brilliant Bruce Wayne... and the ever so enigmatic Batman - everyone clamoring to figure you out. to understand. unravel the mysteries on that mind of yours. its always about you, you, you, doo-dah! but for me? never even a glimpse of a spotlight..."

"call it a thirst for attention, or maybe just a dire lack of impulse control. but wha's a few lives in exchange for a taste of fame in this day and age? leave an indelible impression, etched into peoples memories like the grooves of their fingerprints. to be unforgettable. memorable... and so, ill take center stage. with witty quips, magnetic charm, and a few corpses to keep the audience mesmerized for eternity."

"you know my desires. ive spelled it out for you. fame, adoration, or heck, even a bit of scrutiny would suffice. but what do I find in my grasp? zilch. absolutely nothing. instead... i linger here, in the shadows, utterly forgettable. nothing. and you... you, Bruce, youre adored by all. seen by everyone. and Batman, the necessary dread of this city, he commands respect effortlessly."

"ive worked endlessly. ive pushed myself to the brink, crushed every obstacle in my path, ticked off every box on the checklist. and yet, im met with silence. no gaze turns my way. i remain here, decaying in the depths like a rat, destined for obscurity. and when my time comes to an end, will anyone even remember I existed? Because if a tree falls in the forest and nobody's around to hear it, did it truly fall?"

"...but lets face it, none of that matters, right? gotta keep that chin up, find the silver lining, they say! its fate, after all. and come hell or high water, i always claim my grand prize. even if it means others suffer in the process. objectively speaking, its too late for me. ive sunk too deep, no chance of redemption. no crawling back."

"So... so, what the hell does this mean, Coal?" He backed up a few steps, shocked at what he had just discovered. "You... all this time? You've been lying to me? Why?"

"No... Come on, Clint! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please listen to me." Coal kept trying to get closer to Clint, but Clint kept putting distance between them.

"You think I'll take 'sorry'? Really? You're a cult leader! All this time! I mean...I can barely talk right now." Clint leans against the wall, scratching his arms like a nervous tic. "I mean...I thought...after Amelea's kidnapping, and everything that happened with Adam.... I thought... you were acting weird..."

"Clint, I..." Coal tried to approach, with soft body language, but Clint just glared at him. He just stood there.

"I was worried about you. I thought you might be in danger or something. I thought I'd look into it, save you, you know. I hate you." Clint slowly slid down the wall, sitting down on the dirt floor of the alley.

Doug walked through the hallway, looking into each dark room before stopping at the only one with the lights on. In it, David laid on top of the messy bed in an awkward pose. Naturally, Doug assumed he had fallen asleep and shut off the light before hearing a quiet "noooo..."

"I thought you were asleep." Doug leaned against the door frame, quickly flicking the lights back on.

"I might as well be. I'm exhausted." David didn't bother to move at all, his voice muffled by the bedsheets. "You know... it's 11- you can sleep." Doug walked closer to sit beside him on the bed.

"No, I can't. I have stuff I wanna do. I wanna sit down and draw, and watch YouTube, and talk to stupid character AI." David moved to look back up at Doug's face. "It's Thursday, and guess what, I got no classes tommorrow. I need to live life! I'm still young!"

Doug stared for a few seconds silently. "You can do all that tommorrow if you just wake up early." He tilted his head. "And why do you want to talk to an AI when I'm right here?"

"It's not the same. I can't stab you in the chest like I do Bruce Wayne." David sat back up, resting his head on Doug's shoulder.

"...You could. Technically." Doug smiled, but David seemed unamused. "Yeah, and I won't. Because you'd die. And you're no use dead."

Doug chuckled. "Yeah, dying would ruin my plans for tomorrow. I'd totally get fired." He wrapped an arm around David's shoulder, pulling him closer. David let out a tired laugh, burying his face in Doug's chest. "Right. And then who do I annoy once you're dead?"

"Well, I guess you'd just have to find another poor soul to bother." Doug replied, running his fingers through David's hair soothingly. "I don't think they'd tolerate you as much as me though."

David let out a contented sigh, snuggling closer. "Liaaarrr! The people love me." Doug put his hands on David's cheeks, making him look at him. "Whatever helps you sleep at night. Speaking of... you need to get into bed properly."

David groaned in protest but didn't resist as Doug gently guided him under the covers. As Doug pulled the covers over him, David muttered, "You're too nice to me."

Doug smiled, leaning down to press a kiss against David's cheek. "Shut up. Now I'm gonna do stupid paperwork and you sleep."

David closed his eyes as Doug shut off the light and left the room, falling asleep quickly and having a really messed up dream.

beep, message begins.

"hey, Clint. i know its been a long time since we last talked... and i know we arent really friends."

"i mean, i assume that. hopefully i didnt just crush your heart."

"im sure by now you heard of what happened. what i did."

"id be surprised if you didnt. its been long enough for people to have found out."

"i dont really know. i dont have my phone anymore."

"if you did, i know youd.. youre mad. youve always been like that.." sad chuckle.

"but... i dont know what to do. i need help."

"s-so... please, w-when you hear this."

"call me back."

"this.. this is Coal. Coal Westwood, by the way."