Chapter 5-15: Queen's Gambit - The Gift of Anonymity

Paul- United Human Faction- Day 50

            The mask on the bottom of the safe was nearly identical to Julian’s, with the notable exception of its color. It was nearly pitch black, a dark, empty shell waiting for an occupant. Where Julian had succumbed to his mask’s influence, this mask would succumb to Paul’s.

            The mask was not perfect, though. It was scarred on its left cheek by the Faction insignia, and scratched on the chin, where Karen had forced it into the safe.

            Paul turned the mask around, intending to put it on immediately, but noticed white writing just above the eyes. “Appearances are everything,” it read. Karen had always said that, and even Julian had begun quoting the phrase. Paul lowered the mask, not sure if he was ready to take such an unfamiliar form, but as he looked at the ground through its eyes, he felt a wave of calm come over him. He was ready to accept his fate. Karen had died because of the corruption among her friends. They had lost the way, and it was his job to spread her word one last time.

            Paul rolled up his sleeves, revealing the cuts running up his wrist. He had hidden them since Karen’s death, fearing others would make assumptions regarding their origins. The image of Karen’s taxi detonating was stuck in his mind. He could see the flaming debris flying toward his arm. He could feel the metal slice and burn every inch of skin on his left torso. But none of it hurt. He felt no regret, no sorrow, no self-pity. His heart pumped quicker and his blood grew warm with the certainty of the righteous. She would not die in vain as long as he had his new identity.

            Paul covered his face with the mask and took in a deep breath of air. He was calm. He was focused. If appearances were everything, Paul was the jackal, waiting in the lonely shadows for his time. He would be the cold, calculating villain, but he would not abandon his morality. Anonymity had given Julian the chance to abandon his ethics and empathy, but Paul would use his mask for another reason. He would not become an animal, and he would not become a machine.