They parted ways at the elevator, Tyson’s office on the next floor. Max was waiting, though he didn’t show himself until after Erin settled at her desk, . “What the hell was that? You getting coffee with Protagonists now?”

Erin continued to make her way to her desk, not turning to face him, as he followed her. “When they invite me, Max. What would you have me do?”

“You are mad, Razor. I better stay away. You are crazy.”

“Oh yeah, I’m raving, but I have a coffee, and I am still me for a day. Don’t you have any work? Want to trade?” She raised an eyebrow as she stepped behind her desk, eyebrow raised at him.

Not completely oblivious, Max shook his head and answered, “Ha ha. No, I don’t want any more drone work. See you Erin. Or should I start calling you ‘Eri’ soon? Ha.” He walked off, seeming pleased at his parting shot, but Erin rolled her eyes and logged back into her computer. 

Circus_Maximus wrote another that day: “Erin Razor, The Cavalry’s Next Puppet, speaks!” It wasn’t anything new from the others, but it had her picture and some exaggerated quotes. She got called ‘a real jerk’ once, but it was kind of par for the course in his writing. Maybe even tamer than what she expected. He seemed as incredulous at her bravery as he did in real life.

Erin scoffed, but didn’t bother with reading the comments either, knowing that her morbid curiosity would just leave her depressed, if indulged.

Erin was ready to let the day end peacefully, but she got a text right before two PM, when she usually packed up to head out. It was from Mistel Mason.

‘Hey erin, got time to talk? Gots some updates for ya.’

Erin rubbed her forehead, instantly regretted when it pulled on the cut on her scalp. It was one of those days, wasn’t it? As disconcerting as being a Puppet for the Rave thing was, it wasn’t terrible. Mistel wasn’t terrible either, and at least the conversation wasn’t in person.

Erin texted her back that she would call in a moment and began to pack up her things. Time to head out anyway, and no one was waiting on her work, after all.

Using her headphones, she dialed Mistel, shoved her phone in her pocket, and began walking out of the building. Normally, she wouldn’t bother with headphones, but Protagonists had notoriously good cellphone reception, as if the Plot didn’t like to waste their time with a series of ‘what was that, what did you say?’ responses. 

“Hey, Erin-girl, how are you?” Mistel’s tone was somewhere high on the “airhead” scale.

“Alright. Still sore, but mostly good. How are you? What’s up?” She didn’t want to use Mistel’s name, or nickname ‘Misty’. No need to attract attention. Like from Max, if he was bored of stalking Tyson.

“Oh, I’ve been good, nearly tripped into an open storm drain yesterday. I’m such a klutz.”

It was a joke. Or it was supposed to be a joke. Erin couldn’t have known that the Ferret had spent time in the city storm drains, or that Mistel Mason was the Ferret. Oh what dramatic irony, it would need a laugh track if this were on television.

“Oh really? That sounds awfully dangerous. You probably ought to report that to the city. Where was this? They didn’t mark the hole at all?” Erin played her role as the straight man hard, mostly trying to push Mistel out of her airhead mode. She probably ought not needle the Protagonist, but Erin wasn’t stopped by the Plot, and she didn’t like to be played for a fool. Her coffee break already used up her quota.

“Ha, Erin don’t worry. I got saved by a handsome stranger.” One of the other members of the Cavalry. Misty was known to be flirty, but there’d been absolutely no hint that any of the Cavalry were dating each other. Another joke.

“Even so, you really should report it to the city. Where was this at again?”

“No really, don’t worry. That won’t be needed. They had a few markings, it was my fault for not paying attention.” Misty started to act a little more seriously, apparently done playing for dumb jokes. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about a few things.”

Erin found out that even as she started waiting for the elevator, the two others were already there were also waiting, both from the systems engineering team. When they saw Erin, they suddenly found reason to leave the elevator lobby. She ignored them. “Uh huh. What about?”

“Well, for one, you’re off any sort of lingering suspicion by the police. They found more corroborative evidence. Apparently, Rex Magnum,” the name still made Erin wince, not just from how dumb that name was, “-was already suspected of wrongdoing on the West Coast, but they couldn’t pin anything on him. He’s gone into deep hiding. Erin... I don’t think you will ever see him again.”

Erin heard Misty slip into her serious, authoritative voice, and Erin wasn’t relieved, not really. 

It made sense. Protagonists could not be villains, and Rex probably broke an unspoken rule. If that was true, Erin couldn’t deny that what happened to her was real, and that these Protagonists really were using her world for their fun. It made her stomach lurch worse than when the building’s ‘slow’ elevator started making groaning noises.

Erin wondered if there were other Protagonists who got the same treatment, but couldn’t think of anything obvious offhand. The Plot was covering for them as well. 

“Erin, you still there?”

Erin realized she’d stood there, not responding. “Sorry. I was just thinking. I suppose I’d have to take your word for it, won’t I? About Rex?” She didn’t let that sarcasm linger long, and continued, “Anyway, thanks for your help. If you need me to pay for anything, just send me the bill. I know you said this was supposed to be on you and Tyson, but I am still willing to pay.”

The elevator door dinged, Erin stepped in. The Plot wouldn’t waste Misty’s time with spotty signal coverage.

“No, no. That won’t be necessary. I am barely doing anything at all, in the end.” Misty paused, as if in regret or some other emotion, before continuing, “I also wanted to thank you for talking to Tyson. It means a lot to us.”

Erin still had no idea why they were treating Tyson like Erin could actually hurt him. He didn’t have to invade their world if his feelings might get hurt. This didn’t merit the Plot censoring Erin, she’d do it herself.

“No problem. Shit happens, you know?” Erin wanted this topic over with. “How’s work? Does a full partner like yourself have to file the affidavits, request for government appeal, or review contracts yourself, or do you get interns to do that sort of thing?”

“Oh, contract reviews are on us, but most of the piddly work I have a few paralegals for. You sound like you are familiar with law work. You ever have an interest?”

Erin gave a strangled cough. “Ah, no. Can’t say I have. My mom just loved those law procedural shows when I was growing up. I just assumed it was far more paperwork in real life, given my experience with how real world programming worked. Bureaucracy is the status quo.”

Mistel Mason worked for ‘Howard, Dahlenberg, and Mason’, one of those impossible law firms that worked all sorts of cases from criminal cases to patent law. The other two full partners were Pawns, but most of the junior lawyers and paralegals were not.

“You wouldn’t believe. Anyway, that’s why I partially wanted to call you. You are officially off the hook and free of suspicion. You don’t need to worry about the police bothering you anymore. In fact, if they do, call me as soon as possible. Especially if it’s that Detective Grant.”

Erin nodded for no reason but for her own edification in the empty elevator. “Thanks. Good to know.” Erin would not be calling any Protagonists even if Detective Grant came straight to her home door.

“Yeah, it was pretty cut and dry. I can’t believe they even arrested you. Makes me wonder…” Misty trailed off, and Erin bit her lip, heart speeding up a bit as she noticed the lingering threats of a Plot thread. She needed to snip it if she could.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. They didn’t know what happened, and didn’t the witness say they saw Rex looked injured? It was just a bad call, I am sure.” Her words weren’t in his defense, but for the police.The last thing the police needed was a snooping Ferret in their business, even if they hated Erin. Backdrop should look out for each other.

The elevator suddenly stopped on one floor. Erin watched her blurred reflection in the steel doors slide away.

One person, an older man, stepped onto the elevator, staring at his phone, but a couple others saw Erin immediately, and stopped after a single step. She winced apologetically, and the doors started to close.

The older man, realizing that something was up, looked up and around. When he spotted Erin, he seemed dumbstruck, just a quick, “Huh?” escaping his mouth. Panic filled his eyes.

Erin said nothing as she pressed the “Door Open” button, pausing the elevator before it moved on. The older man blinked and realized what she was doing, even as Erin motioned weakly with her head, eyebrow raised in a question.

He jumped off, the whole exchange wordless. All three of the people stared at Erin as she realized she missed Misty’s response. Speaking into her headphone mic, she asked, “Sorry, what was that? I missed what you said.” The three people who’d been about to board exchanged glances as her reflection, distorted, showed up again in the closing steel doors.

“Oh, I was just saying you are probably right. Say!” Her voice brightened, as if a new idea just came to her. “Are you busy this Saturday? I think Janey and I are going to go out to lunch and then go shopping for a bit. You think you’d be interested? Just the three of us girls.”

The elevator door opened again, and a couple of women looked in.

Both of them seemed to recognize Erin, but hesitated only a moment, before one of them just said quietly, “Come on. I just want to go home.” Erin was thankful for them not treating her a leper, though they did stick to the other side of the elevator.

“Um… I’m not sure…” Erin tried to ask the next question as docile as possible. “...Will anyone else be coming?”

There was a pause, not only as the other two women in the elevator were quiet, trying to be discrete as they watched Erin out of the corner of their eyes.

“Erin. I know you probably don’t think well of us.” Erin’s heart stopped, not understanding at first. “I mean, Tyson kind of got you into that situation, and I’m his friend, but we aren’t intentionally stupid or cruel. We really do want to do right by you. I heard from him. I am really glad you let him apologize in person.” Erin’s heart started again, albeit, painfully hard. She leaned against the far wall as the elevator stopped on the next floor, and more people got in.

“I like you, you’re honest, and I appreciate it when people don’t just buy into my… well, my act. It’s useful as a lawyer for people to underestimate me, but it can put up a lot of barriers. There aren’t many I can trust, and I’d like to have you be one of them.”

Erin couldn’t help but wonder if the Plot was offering her a choice here. Would she be able to leave the Plot, just by refusing here? Fat chance.

Erin restrained a sigh, answering, “I’ll think about it. Text me with the details when you get them. Mind if I let you go? I’m on an elevator, and I don’t want to be that person on the phone, you know?”

Erin didn’t look at anyone else. They didn’t look at her. Misty answered brightly, “Alright! Will do! And yeah, don’t want you to be that person either. Text you in a bit!”

Erin hung up with a short goodbye, and started wrapping her headphones to stick in her backpack. Just another day out with Protagonists. Two weeks in a row.