Anne was, yet again, refusing to come out from under her bed. No matter how often she screamed at you to leave, you always came back. She couldn’t tell if she wanted to bite you again or cry in your arms. The doctors had given up on her. They said she wasn’t appealing enough to become a hero. Heroes were meant to be sweet, they had to have good listening ears, and Anne was bad.

Before she tried to run away, she’d been about to debut as a hero for Sweet Entertainment. James had even helped her come up with her own hero name: Mime. But James had been the one to become a hero instead. He had fans, he was loved, he had his handler. No, not handler. The doctors told her she was supposed to call them managers. Handler was a mean name, manager sounded much nicer. But managers were never meant to be your parent. And Anne was not supposed to answer any questions about hers. She wasn’t supposed to say she didn’t know who her parents were. They taught her to smile and thank Sweet Entertainment for giving her the best childhood instead.

Anne still remembered what she was supposed to do. She’d tried so hard to please Lucy. Lucy. Anne stifled a sob behind her hands, clutching the stuffed platypus tighter. Lucy—her manger, not her handler or mama—had given it to her for her fifth birthday. Anne should’ve been good. She should’ve listened better. Lucy always told her about the world outside of Deus Lab. Lucy talked about the way non-Enhanced children lived. That they had houses and dogs and parents and went to school with other children. Anne had only wanted to see. She wouldn’t have caused any trouble! If she could see how they got to live, she could imagine it for herself better. Anne wanted to be pushed on swings and given candy and sit in class. Lucy was a teacher before.

Lucy was.

Lucy wasn’t coming back.

After they’d caught her, Lucy had talked them down from sending Anne to the isolation chamber and putting the collar on her. Lucy knew Anne hated the collar. Not being able to make her duplicates, having her abilities completely locked away, hurt. She used to cry in Lucy’s arms when that happened.

They took Lucy instead. Anne had waited for her to come back so she could apologize. She’d never be bad again. She’d listen from now on and be a good hero. She’d be sweet and she’d make sure her listening ears were on.

Lucy didn’t come back. Anne waited and waited. Eventually you were introduced as her new manager. The doctors wanted Anne to debut as James’ sidekick. She just wanted to be left alone. She wanted Lucy and someone to tell her it wasn’t her fault.

Anne could hear you in the room, but she kept herself cowered beneath the bed. “I hate you!” she said, even though she didn’t. She didn’t have the words to tell you how she felt—how she’d been feeling. “I want space. I want to be alone.” Anne took a few deep breaths. Lucy used to tell her to count to ten when she got upset.