Back at home, Erin was growing bored with the speculation on the single forum she could still see, so she began playing around with old code projects from college, looking at how she'd redo them with seven years’ experience. She needed to find new hobbies. There just wasn’t as much Protagonist news available to her anymore.

Out of habit, however, she did wake up early to see the first Plot night since her night out with Tyson and Janey. She was glad she did when something happened right as she sat down with coffee at two-thirty AM.

The Cavalry finally caught up with the supervillain haunting Meridian City for the past month. The short showdown was caught on a live feed at an industrial plant that created a variety of household cleaning supplies.

The villain introduced themselves, dry and atonal, pausing in odd moments. "I was... wondering when the Cavalry would... catch up to me. I’m Doppelganger. Can’t say... I am impressed by your response times... heroes."

With such an ambiguous tone, it was hard to guess the gender of the ten foot tall behemoth with a ridge covered face and an extremely large trench coat. No fancy outfit, they didn’t seem interested in a fight, exchanging only a few blows with Pyrocles - the Cavalry's own hulking bruiser with a perchance for controlling and throwing fire - before leading the Cavalry on a merry chase through the factory district.

The fight was barely visible, only showing a few blows, revealing that Doppelganger could take a couple direct blows from Pyrocles, a serious feat, before they moved out of frame. Thirty seconds later, they could hear Silverknight shouting for Alleyshadow to cut Doppelganger off ahead.

It was an odd first introduction of a new villain. Usually there was more fanfare, more pizzazz. And more cameras. The Plot may be cruel and unusual to the backdrop people like Erin, but it generally knew how to put on a show for everyone. Multiple cameras, clean shots, and an easy feed of information. The Protagonists probably liked to watch themselves as much as some of the helpless backdrop.

The next hour and a half was so choppy with information that some people lost interest, even when the Cavalry tended to be the main show when they were performing. Bizarre, everyone agreed. Instead, most people watched Beast Hunter fight a pair of angry tiger ghosts at the City Hall Park framed by the three different viewing angles, all in color.

Erin followed the Cavalry; she had a bit of a vested interest, after all.

Eventually, around 5 AM, the Cavalry found Doppelganger's nude, hollow body near where one of the city storm drains emptied out. 

Apparently the outer, ten foot tall body was more of a fleshy shell, and the person inside escaped, Plot knows where. Lots of people were speculating on what it all meant, but the usual crowd was hung up on how the body was apparently genderless. Others who noticed more details wondered what happened to the overcoat.

Erin, feeling more isolated than usual, decided to post under her username RideTheShell:‘Do you have any idea how much a good looking duster for someone 10ft tall costs? 0_0  I don’t. I'd have taken it with me too. ‘

She got a few laughs, and felt human again. No one but the site admins knew what her real identity was. She could be among other backdrop. She could be normal. As long as she ignored the throbbing in her ribs, or the way it hurt to lean over her keyboard, she was just like everyone else.

Oh, and Circus_Maximus had a new post up that Tuesday morning, which she forced herself to read. Titled “Erin Razor’s Farewell to All”

"Greetings, fellow backdrop. I am here again to report on the ongoing coverage of Tyson Templeton, also known as Silverknight, leader of the most powerful group of Protagonists in Meridian City, the Cavalry. I bring you up-to-date, live coverage of the everyday goings-on of the most famous hero in our little town on the sea.

Normally, at least. Nowadays, my job is really to report on the eventual death of Erin Razor, a backdrop slowly becoming yet another Pawn. If I am honest, my original claim to fame was my original reporting on the slow death of Janette Grayford. You can read that saga here. If you want to see how far Erin Razor’s slow downfall has come, I have an archive of links here. 

Well, Erin noticed the busy work her manager had given her, to isolate her from others. Quarantining her is our best bet at safety, though it isn’t the kindest thing in the world. Erin should have known better than to cozy up to Protagonists for dinner.

But that’s not as interesting as *how* Erin had taken the news. She didn’t complain or talk to anyone, but my sources (coworkers) say she spent all morning trying to best divulge all her old work to her coworkers. Sterile and cold but trying to do one last good deed maybe?

I visited her, and she seemed lucid enough, but like I said, she was quiet and not pleased about being isolated. I didn’t get a chance to ask her what happened, but she’s still a backdrop. who would have guessed?At least she isn’t being set up to be a Protagonist’s arm decoration? Yet, anyway. I’ll try to remember to ask her what happened to that Rex/Spectacular Protag, cause yeah, looks like he’s up and vanished. 

As ever, a reminder to all not yet like Erin… The Protagonists are here, and they are watching you, so stay in character… or you lose it.”

Erin was really, really tempted to reply to this one. If Erin had been at the office right then, she’d have confronted him. As it was, she got up and stormed about the kitchen, cleaning up, more irritated than truly angry.

Erin was only trying to be nice. Erin was doing everything she could to make it easier on all the other backdrop, to spare them. Max didn’t represent the entirety of the city, but all she could think of was that damned stupid note written in block letters, without even a name, from Isabel. All she could see were the faces that would avert when she was walking down the hallways, how no one in the entire office spoke one word to her, after everything, except Max, to get his little blog scoop. 

She refused to even glance at the comments, she knew better. She should have known better than to look here.

Was she ever this callous? Was she like this, even with Janette? 

She didn’t think so, but maybe. She hoped not. Max, Detective Grant, Isabel. None of them really cared about her once she was ‘marked for death,’ as it were. Not that she blamed them. This was how the world worked now.

Erin stopped herself from angrily jamming the last fork into the drying rack next to her sink. Her anger left her in a sudden wash. 

Sometimes there was nothing that could be done. If Erin wanted to live, she needed to make the best of it. 

Erin went to get coffee that morning, her usual Tuesday excursion. The coffee shop was almost as busy as it was usually, which warmed Erin’s heart, and the coffee was served, no questions asked, by the same tired college student.

After lunch, Erin decided to message Tyson before she got any more subtle pressure from Janey or Misty. They hadn’t said anything yet, but Janey had sent messages through work throughout the weekend, and Misty had asked if the cops had followed up with anything that morning. They didn’t say anything, but the implication was still there. Tyson hadn’t responded to her text on the weekend.

Erin R: Yo, Tyson, how are you doing?

Tyson T: Hy.

Tyson T: Srry about diner

Erin R: Nothing you did personally. Like I said, you couldn’t have known.

Tyson T: i just can’t beleieve I put you in danger

Tyson T: hey, mind if we talk in person? I don’t wan to be a bother

Erin R: Yeah sure, want me to meet you somewhere? Everything okay?

Tyson T: Yeah no wrories. Elevator, for 1th floor coffee shp?