As soon as Thirteen finished talking to Roland, Erica opened her eyes and looked at the grumpy teenager whose sleep had been interrupted.
"He's just feeling anxious, you know?" Erica said softly before wrapping her hands behind Thirteen's head and pulling him close to her chest.
"I know," Thirteen sighed as he felt the familiar warmth and softness that calmed him down every night.
He was the one who rigged the match, making Roland and Clark face against each other.
But he didn't feel guilty about it.
Heroes have their own trials, and he simply considered this as one of them.
"Go to sleep," Erica said, lightly patting Thirteen's head and humming a lullaby to make him fall asleep.
Soon, Thirteen felt drowsy, and a few minutes later, he fell into sleep's embrace once again.
Erica held the sleeping teenage boy in his arms before closing her eyes.
