The previous day, Brendan had hardly slept. It was a Sunday morning now and he lay in his bed, his gaze fixed to the ceiling. Just when he had thought that he had come close to getting rid of his stress issues, he finds out that this was just the tip of the iceberg. He did not know what to guess anymore. He knew he had to act but the question was; would Marauder help him with the Finch? He knew one thing for certain; that he and the Finch were going to fight and only one would walk out of the fight with his or her heart still beating. He grouchily got up and went to take a shower. The sun was already high up in the sky. When he was done taking his shower, he went downstairs.
'Good morning, sir,' Miriam greeted him as she passed by him, carrying his breakfast into the living room.
'Good morning,' he responded with a weak voice. He walked over to the couch she had placed the tray with his breakfast.
He sat down and began to eat.
When he was half finished, he decided to switch on the TV and flip to a news channel. A debate was on:
'What do mean he's scared?'
Miss Putin was on the debate with another man in a suit. They were both sitting on opposite ends of the table and the audience was behind the man in the suit while Miss Putin's back was turned to the wall on the stage. She was dressed in a black floral dress, her hair in a pigtail. The man she was opposing was bald and had light brown eyes and was in a grey suit.
'I mean..,' the man responded, 'he's scared that if he fights the Finch then she will kill him. Look at the evidence. She has broken almost every prophecy and you think she can't break this one?'
Miss Putin replied, 'The Finch combine two Supremes, experts say, to try destroy Anonymous. No witch or wizard has ever been able to do that and this bizarre phenomenon is not mentioned in prophecy but…the purpose of creation of Bradwield Terror was to kill Anonymous, but failed, and it is obvious that she made it stronger than her in order to have it destroy Anonymous.'
'Do you really think that the Finch would create a creature stronger than her? Woman, the Finch always has a motive for her actions but she would never make the mistake of creating a Supreme Race stronger than her.'
'Anonymous is a hero and pardon me for saying this but he also the law of this city. The Finch and Bradwield Terror have committed highest number of homicides ever committed in this city but where were police to stop them? Anonymous was only one who stood up for us and stopped the B.T and if we keep regarding him with such hate and malice do you think he would save us from the Finch when she has even offered him opportunity to join the Dawn?'
The opposing man rubbed his bald head slowly with his hand back and forth. He was grinning. 'Latoya…you were saved by this Anonymous, is this correct?' he asked her.
'Yes, that is true,' she answered him, nodding meekly.
'You told the authorities that he probably wanted to have you as his victim rather than Black Ice's?'
She nodded again.
'So why switch sides now? Or maybe he has brainwash as one of his powers?'
The audience immediately laughed.
She sat still for a moment, then she raised her eyes to the man. 'To tell you truth, I was scared stiff even after Black Ice had flee but Anonymous leave me alone. He could stopped me and done away with me right there and then.'
The man's smile broadened, 'This sounds more like a contradiction, doesn't it, Latoya? Now you're saying…'
'I know what I tell police but I think about it long. Fear had held back my memory and judgment. Most of us are not believers of prophecy but prophecy describes the boy of legend as a good person…a good man, and I think it high time we start believing in that too…'
Brendan switched off the TV. Miss Putin's words of encouragement had made him feel a little braver and welcome. He fell back into the couch and sighed. All students were obviously not going to school because of the craziness happening in the city. Brendan thought of his friends in that moment: Owen, Simon, Samantha and Miss Putin and all the other people who believed he wasn't evil. What if he let them down? He rubbed his forehead vigorously in frustration and got up and walked over to the window. Not too many people could be seen walking outside because of fear. The Finch was a Versatile and so was he but the calmness he had seen on her face on TV was as if the fight with Jack Price had not been a struggle.
'Why me?' he mumbled to himself as he stood by the window. He remembered Howard's words in the suicide note: "From the moment you were born, I knew you were special." It was as if he could hear him whisper these words into his ear. He felt a flow of hope rising inside him. He carved a smile, 'I'll make you proud, Howard,' he whispered. 'This fight is for you.' Just as soon as he said this he heard the Finch's voice in his head.
'Come to me, Brendan.' It was her telepathy.
He did not tremble but he slowly walked up the stairs and into his room. He pulled his costume from under the bed and placed it on top of it. He sat down on the bed and grabbed his mask and gave it a long hard stare. The Finch's voice kept calling him in his head.
He began putting on the gear. 'It's time for this story to come to an end.'