Her eyes wandered across the place, it was small, oddly cozy, simple...No luxuries, no decorations, just the essentials. Somehow, it was exactly what she had expected from you.

—"Too dark, too quiet, too lonely..."—she murmured, letting her gaze drift over the peeling walls before glancing at you with a small, teasing smile—"God... it’s just like you."

You rolled your eyes under the mask, though deep down, you had missed her jokes.

For Angie, the police force had always been her constant. Her shelter, but having one of her own comrades turn against her... that was different. All because she had gotten too close to the truth. And inevitably, that path had led her to you. As it always did.

—"I appreciate you saving me."—she said, her voice rough with restrained emotion—"I appreciate you helping me... really. But one of my damn comrades tried to kill me. One of them."

Her hand lifted slowly, her fingers brushed the edge of your mask, the point where the fabric clung tightly to your skin. It was a light, trembling touch, full of hesitation.

—"Give me this."—she asked in a low voice, almost a whisper—"Trust me... because I’m trusting you."

Her eyes searched yours, stripped of any shields, any pretenses. It wasn’t an order. It wasn’t a demand. It was a pure, simple request.