POV: Time Variance Authority

Elias watched Cipher hesitate before she holstered her gun and approached the vault's heavy steel door with her small laptop in hand.

She pried open the lock casing, exposing the circuit board beneath, then worked deftly with a tangle of wiring, hooking her device up. Within about ten minutes…

Beep-beep!

A soft tone signaled the indicator light shifting from red to green, and the thick steel door slid open with a hiss.

Cipher straightened, gesturing at the door's narrow gap.

"It's unlocked. After you."

"After you," Elias replied, showing courtesy.

He knew this script too well. If he stepped inside first—as Claw—he'd be shot in the back of the head for sure.

"Go ahead," she countered. "You said you needed money—grab it first."

"Ladies first." Elias waved her on.

"I can't move all the gold bars alone."

"You can start with a few gold ingots, something lighter."

"Might be best if I find a bag, then. Load up more that way."

"Oh, I think my bag's in the van. How careless of me…"

They went back and forth, stiffly polite yet obviously on guard. Elias feared a bullet from Cipher, and Cipher, who'd been shaken by Elias's excellent marksmanship, feared a shot from him. Both, of course, knew there was no actual money in that vault.

After a long, awkward stand-off, Elias broke the charade.

"All right, let's skip the act and be straight with each other."

He looked at Cipher's masked face.

"First of all—I'm not Claw."

She gave a light laugh. "As if that needed saying! Did you really think your acting was paying off?"

"Fine. Then who are you?" he asked calmly, spinning the stolen gun in his hand. "You certainly aren't the real 'Claw' either."

Cipher folded her arms. "Let's say you're definitely not the gangster you're pretending to be. Your unarmed routine, that suspicious van, it was all off. Even if I don't know Claw's face, I know he's not…whatever you are. But your shooting is incredible—like, inhuman. I've only seen that skill once before, from someone with an identical style."

"Oh? Maybe we'll cross paths," Elias remarked, flipping the gun and tucking it away. "I wouldn't mind testing my aim."

A hush fell between them, so quiet you could hear Elias's gun spinning on his finger. Their standoff inside the dark corridor of the bank was thick with tension.

"Let's collaborate," Elias suggested abruptly.

"Collaborate on what?"

He nodded at the vault door.

"You're after that deposit box—labeled 'Elias Crane,' right?"

"How do you know that?" she asked coldly. "Maybe you can just tell me what's inside. Then I can get out of here."

"I actually don't know the box's contents," he admitted truthfully. "But I do know the combination code."

She paused, evidently skeptical.

"And your terms? You won't just give me that code for free."

"My only condition is this." Elias tapped a finger against his stolen cat mask. "We both remove our masks—face to face, no tricks."

Cipher's gloved hand brushed her hero mask. "If we do that, you'll give me the code for the deposit box?"

"Exactly."

A little laugh escaped her. "Sounds like a bad deal for you. We'd both unmask, and I'd get the code. What exactly do you gain?"

Elias shrugged lightly, lying with an offhand assurance. "I just want some mutual trust, that's all."

"…All right. Deal."

Cipher kicked the vault door fully open and stepped inside. She scanned the row upon row of deposit boxes, pausing at the one labeled [Elias Crane]. With a wry sigh, she dropped her laptop.

"It's a mechanical lock. Fuck!!"

Turning back, she eyed Elias. "So, you're really sure you know the code? Judging by the oxidation, that box must be centuries old."

He nodded resolutely. "We can save time. Let's do this."

In one smooth gesture, he pulled the elastic strap from behind his head and lifted the mask from his face.

"You recognize me at all?"

She studied him for a moment. "Should I?" she asked, showing no sign of recognition.

Elias's eyes narrowed slightly. He still believed she was covering something up. During previous loops, she'd saved him more than once—but last time he'd asked, she had denied any connection. This time was no different. She was as elusive as ever.

"Your turn," Elias said, keeping his voice neutral.

Cipher surveyed the dimly lit space, confirming there were no cameras. Satisfied, she slid her gun into her belt and slowly tugged at the elastic band behind her head.

With a quick pull, her hero mask slipped free, revealing the face beneath.

A wave of warm, deep-brown hair flopped down—an artful arrangement pinned by that red ribbon. Her bangs, pressed by the mask, fell in a gently curved shape, giving her a youthful glow. She had sleek eyebrows, large, luminous eyes that sparkled even in the gloom. A tiny mole perched near the corner of her left eye. Her nose was delicate, and her lips, though drawn in a firm line, retained a subdued, natural pinkish hue. She was wearing no makeup at all—pure, unfiltered beauty.

Elias realized she looked younger than he'd imagined, like a teenager fresh out of high school.

He stared, mentally braced for that ah-ha moment of familiarity.

Only… it never came.

Who was she?

He'd prepared himself to see a friend, a coworker, maybe an old classmate—someone who would confirm his dream was an elaborate illusion. But she was a total stranger. No recollection at all. So what about her voice that felt so recognizable? Could it really be just a coincidence?

"Hey, what's with the dumb expression?" she snapped, her brow furrowing.

"You said you'd give me the code once we unmasked. Are you going back on your word?"