The email arrived at 10:28 AM, from Victoria. Mike read it twice before pumping the air in victory.
"Mike – Print approval confirmed from the executive committee. Issue One goes to press Friday. Distribution begins in three weeks. For what it's worth, this is the strongest debut issue I've edited in six years at Major Comics. Don't let it go to your head. —VC"
He sat his phone down and then looked towards his shared creative room. None of them looked up, and the morning continued in the same rhythm it had been for the last two weeks. Mike felt something rise in his chest.
Pride. He didn't say anything and just returned to his script for issue three, though his eyes wandered to his phone screen.
"You're smiling weird," Rosa noticed.
"I'm not smiling."
"You definitely are. I'd recommend not playing poker if you're this easy to read," Rosa replied, setting down her stylus. "What happened?"
"Issue one got final approval and will be publicly released in three weeks," Mike answered.
The room paused.
"Wait, seriously?" Danny said, looking up from his tablet. "Full approval? No more revision notes?"
"Full approval."
"Victoria approved it already?" James said, disbelief in his voice. "That's basically a miracle. This is a new record. Even our massive hit The Incredible Bulk had been sent back at least five times."
"She even said it was the strongest debut she's edited in six years," Mike replied.
Rosa stood and walked over to Mike, holding out her hand. "Congrats, boss."
Mike shook her hand. It felt strange being called 'boss' again, especially by someone who hated him not too long ago.
"Hey, this is all your work too. I couldn't make something this amazing without you," Mike told them.
"Sure, credit where due," Danny replied, grinning. "But it's your name on the cover as the writer and creator. You should definitely be more than 'smiling weird' about this."
It had been a while since Mike had felt so happy. Instead of using his mind to create death traps, he could finally allow it to do what it was always meant to do. Create wonderful stories. Mike pulled his phone out and sent a message to Willow.
"Issue one just got approved. Releases in three weeks."
Her response came within a minute.
"HOLY SHIT. Send me an advance copy the second you have one. I need to read this before anyone else does."
"Only if you get the next round."
"Cheeky, but I'll allow it."
Mike smiled at his phone. Rosa noticed but said nothing. Mike also noticed her little smile, though she tried to hide it.
ONE WEEK LATER
Willow had the advance copy in her hand. She read it with a warm glass of wine beside her. Mike waited and was sat opposite her. Willow placed the copy down on the table.
"...So?"
"Just give me a second. I need to compose myself... I'm not much of a comic girl, but that might have just made me one. It was amazing, Mike," she told Mike.
"Thank you... It feels nice to have my work published. I just hope it turns out to matter to someone," Mike replied.
"It will matter to a lot of people, Mike. Trust me. It already matters to two people at least. Me and you," Willow replied, smiling at Mike.
"I'll try to not let that go to my head."
"You can, only a little bit, though. You earned at least that much," she replied.
"I should be heading back. I'm still super busy," Mike said.
"Of course."
The two got up, and Willow opened the door. Mike stood outside her door and looked at Willow. Willow looked back. Mike took a small step towards her.
"Until next time."
"Until next time, Mike."
Mike then walked down the hallway, waving goodbye to Willow. Mike started to walk back to his apartment in silence.
"Something's wrong, Mike," a voice called out to him.
Mike looked towards the alley next time, and he saw Bette. Her form was collapsing, the shape of the young women was now just a writhing mass of shifting matter.
"Bette?" Mike said, moving towards her.
"Stay back!" she yelled at him. Her voice was a mixture of different tones and pitches, overlapping over each other. "I can't control it. I don't know what's happening to me."
"Talk to me. What triggered this?"
"I don't know. I was fine. I was reading... the book you suggested, and then I thought about what they did to me... about what would happen if they found me. Then something just...broke."
Mike stayed where he was. He didn't run and he didn't go further.
"The instability isn't just tied to your physical... it's tied directly to your emotional state..." Mike said.
"I KNOW THAT!" Bette yelled, the words coming out distorted. "I know that. I just didn't know it would be this bad."
Mike sat down on the floor, several feet away from her, and crossed his legs.
"I'm scared. Mike. Not just of hurting someone, but that is just what I am. That i'm going to exist like this forever. Alone and formless," Bette said.
"That sounds terrifying."
"That's it? No plan or what to do next?"
"I don't have a plan, and I don't know if you'll get better, but I won't leave you. I'll be here until whatever this is passes, no matter how long it takes. That way you won't be alone," Mike replied.
"Why?"
"Because you're scared and alone and nobody should have to suffer through that," answered Mike.
"Most people would be running."
"I'm not most people. Not anymore. I won't just watch someone I care about go through this," replied Mike.
"You care about me?"
"Yes, I care about you. That doesn't require you to be stable or controlled, but to just be you," answered Mike.
"I don't know how to stop this."
"Then let it happen. I'll stay right beside you."
"You could get hurt."
"That wouldn't change my answer.
Bette's form continued to shift and writhe for another twenty minutes. Mike stayed on the ground the entire time, not even checking his phone. Slowly and gradually things began to still.
"It passed," she said quietly.
"Yeah."
"You didn't do anything."
"I stayed. That's what I did."
They sat together for almost three hours.
"The fear doesn't go away, just so you know. It's still there," Bette said.
"I know. It doesn't have to go away tonight."
"Is that enough?"
"Sometimes enough is all that's available."