***

"We can't just drop in on the CooL church without more evidence," Eugene says as he's driving me in the direction I now realize is home. "There wasn't enough of that paper left to make a case with. The fact that you guys can look like anyone means the man in white could have been impersonating the guy your neighbor saw. If he regularly went to the protests then any number of people would've had the chance to see him."

"I don't get why the cops never asked me to shift to Basic last night," I say. "I thought they'd want as much information as possible but they didn't even ask me for my I.D. Are you sure they'd even want actual evidence in this case?"

Eugene rolls his eyes. "A lot of the force tow the CooL's line that they're angels while CoLs are demons. Probably thought you'd sprout horns or some shit. That or you were a CooL saving the day."

"I honestly don't know what I am sometimes but the CooLs would be some pretty fucked up angels. Kidnapping kids and killing people? Shit. Even with all this, you think it's a dead end, right?" I ask. "That's why you're taking me to my apartment?"

He glances over at me with extremely tired eyes. "I don't think it's a dead end at all. Just a tight spot. But, unlike you I don't have any super powers. I need sleep, and soon."

"But you do. You have super powers," I say. "Not like mine, but still they're yours. You've got a three for one deal on minds and they protect you. That's pretty freakin' rad."

"Maybe," he replies wistfully. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"No," I say.

"You should," he says before pulling over next to the curb. "This is as far as I can go. You'll have to walk the rest of the way home."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to go crash," he says.

"I can drive you home," I offer.

"No thanks," he replies. He looks at me. "I've only known you a few days but I can tell you're going to go in there and scope out the CooL church. Just be careful. Don't make any waves or let them know who you are, alright? If you find anything don't do any foolish shit. Just give me a call immediately."

"You know me pretty well already," I say with a smirk. "Go get some rest, Eugene."

"I doubt I'll get much sleep while the kid's still missing, but I will try," he says. "I'll be at the hotel. It's closer."

I don't push it and instead get out of the car and watch him pull a u-turn in the middle of the street. I'd like to get some rest myself even if I don't currently feel tired since I cleared out my fatigue this morning.

Like Eugene, I doubt I'll be able to sleep without knowing what happened to the real Patrick. I don't like the idea of going to the CooL church right away. I head home, instead, to use the restroom before shifting my clothing into some more relaxed street clothes. Just a cream colored t-shirt, light black denim jacket, and dark blue jeans.

I didn't see Eterna on my way up, or Neoni, thankfully. I hope I don't see them on my way out either but those hopes are dashed when I open my door and Eterna meets me in the hallway, a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies in hand. She's still in Basic form but has changed out of the pajamas in favor of a baggy set of gray and pink sweats with flip flops.

"Sorry I freaked out about your box thing," she says offering me the cookies. "I'm just...still new to all this."

I take the plate and show her into my place. She follows with her head hung low and shuts the door behind her.

"You absolutely do not have to apologize," I say while eating a cookie. "It was a bit of improv and admittedly not my best work. I should apologize to you for springing that."

"I saw some photos of what you did at Stick Shifter's," she says weakly. "Online. Some people who were at the club posted them, not the police or anything. There's video too of some of it. That was you? That..." she pauses and tries not to emphasize the next word which only makes it more pronounced. "Thing holding the building up?"

I nod.

"How?"

"I'm a Class S."

"That's not what I meant," she says. "How could you even think of changing into that?"

"I just acted," I say. "I had to do something."

"But...it's so..."

"Fucking weird?" I ask.

She nods silently.

"You wanna know the weirdest thing about it?" I ask while I start on another cookie. I don't wait for her to answer, I just continue between bites of food. "This week has been one of the first times I haven't felt completely lost, and that form felt...normal. But then pretty much everything feels normal to me."

"I don't get it," Eterna begins. "You can literally be whatever and whoever you want. You're a Class S CoL. How could you ever feel 'lost?'"

"That. That's exactly why! Everything feels right to me. I could be a fucking lamp post and it would feel like I've always been one. Why would being skin scaffolding or a soundproof meatbox be any different? How am I suppose to find who I am when every godsdamn thing I try fits the bill? Except..." I catch myself. "Yesterday I copied this guy who tried to kill me and it felt...just plain wrong."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean, it felt, bad," I say. "Like a damp sock on the wrong foot. I don't quite get it but it's the first time I've ever felt like that in ten years of using my powers. You may not believe this but I have used my powers quite a bit before, just not out in public like this." I take in a deep breath before continuing, "And now, I'm thinking about sneaking into the CooL church and my stomach is in knots. How many cookies have I eaten?"

The plate is empty.

"All of them," she says. "About a dozen. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah," I say. "My stomach can handle it. That's not why it's in knots."

"No, the sneaking into the CooL church thing. Are you seriously going to do that?" Eterna asks. Her hands are bunched up in the sleeves of her sweatshirt.

"I have to," I say. "I need to find the kid. But just the thought of going there makes me feel like that damp sock again. My skin isn't actually crawling is it?"

She shakes her head to tell me it's not. Then she lets out a tired laugh, "'Everything feels right' is bullshit or you wouldn't think pretending to be a CooL was a bad idea. You know more about yourself than you realize."

"Really? Why haven't I found something to do with my life?"

"I thought you, a first gen who knew this world before our powers existed, of all people would realize that everyone's trying to do that. It's not because you're a CoL. It's because you're human," Eterna says. "We're all trying to find who we are."

She's right.

"Thank you Eterna." I hand her the empty plate. "And thank you for the cookies, sorry I plowed through them all. They were great."