Cleared, Not Cleared

Time seemed to bend in the brightly illuminated, tumultuous aftermath in Vance's server room. After losing their ability to fight their captors, Vance and Thorne were legally processed and taken away. Under the careful supervision of Captain Rostova, forensics teams descended upon the site and began painstakingly recording it. With the backup disk that contained Vance's downfall now secured as key evidence by IA, Anya stood numbly amid the chaos. Only the ozone odor from Jax's digital meddling and the indisputable evidence of his innocence in relation to the bombing remained after Rhys had disappeared as thoroughly as if he had never been there.

At last, Rostova gave Anya her whole attention. "Officer Petrova," she said in a deliberately calm tone, "you will stay in custody." We require a thorough debriefing on everything that has happened since the OmniCorp incident, including your involvement with Rhys and the acquisition of this material." Her tone had changed to one of procedure, not affection nor animosity.

Two IA officers moved to escort Anya, and Marcus came up. His face was a battleground of opposing feelings, including relief, rage, perplexity, and perhaps even a glimmer of admiration. He began, "Anya… I…" but was unable to finish.

"It's okay, Marcus," Anya replied softly as she looked him in the eye. There, she perceived the hurt and the feeling of betrayal. "I took the action I believed to be correct. I apologize if that put you in a challenging situation.

He murmured, "Difficult doesn't cover it," and turned his head away. "Just… be careful." It seemed as though there was an insurmountable gap between them. Anya felt her partnership, like her career, was probably just another piece of collateral damage as she was being brought away.

The city was awakened with shocking news. Ben Carter's stunning investigative report, which included verified evidence from "confidential sources," and the carefully worded official comments from the DA's office and IA, which made use of the verified backup drive, were the catalysts for coordinated releases that completely changed the narrative. Accused of planning the OmniCorp blast to frame the elusive 'Ghost' thief and maybe silence him, philanthropic giant Harrison Vance was taken into custody. Important aspects of the conspiracy were confirmed by his Chief of Security, Martin Thorne, and the wounded guard, Michael Bellweather, who is now conscious and collaborating after proof of his compulsion came to light. Silas, the fixer who was recognized from the hangar tape, disappeared and was hunted down in a different way.

The public gasped. Vance was brutally and quickly brought down. The stock of OmniCorp crashed. The corruption at the core of the city's aristocracy was discussed in editorials. And all of a sudden, Rhys's image changed. He was categorically exonerated of the bombing and changed from terrorist to... something more vague. Despite being innocent of the bombing, Rhys was still wanted for a number of high-profile robberies, including the first Thorne Tower breach, according to the press reports. However, the hideous picture had broken. Some reluctantly believed that he was the driving force for Vance's exposure when the system broke. Regardless of the frame-up, others still perceived a dangerous criminal. Although his legend was altered, it remained intact.

Rhys kept an eye on the developing drama from a new, makeshift burrow—a bare room above a cacophonous all-night laundromat, funded with untraceable cash. With a bitter satisfaction that provided little warmth, he watched Vance's perp walk on a flickering screen. His own name was exonerated of the bombing, and the media's portrayal changed. A kind of vindication. But it felt like a huge price.

Anya was on his mind. According to news sources, one officer who is currently at the center of the IA probe against Vance was placed on leave. He knew, but they didn't give her a name. In his memory, he saw her face and recalled her risk-taking, her great resolve, and her tormented heart. He felt a deep, strange gnawing guilt. She was now suffering the price inside her own world after he had drawn her into his. Would she be charged? Lose all of her hard-earned money? He was now unable to assist her without further exposing them both, and he had no way of knowing.

Jax, his skepticism, and the essential lies Rhys had told came to mind. Could we regain that trust? Operating on the periphery where treachery would spell disaster, his small, close-knit company depended on complete faith in one another. Had that foundation been damaged by his association with Anya? He had to get back in touch with Jax and assess the situation, but even that felt dangerous right now. His strategies, his trade secrets, and his vulnerabilities had been revealed to both his supporters and his adversaries.

What were his prospects? It felt weird to go back to the shadows now. Even if they were only aware of his innocence in one particular incident, the city knew more about him. There may still be vengeful adherents in Vance's network. And Anya, given what she had given up, could he just leave? The human bond he had unpredictably formed felt like a surrender to the life of the Ghost, the aloof defender of equilibrium. He was at a fork in the road, the way ahead blocked by fog.

Captain Rostova gave Anya a thorough debriefing. Fueled by lukewarm coffee, Anya spent twelve hours outlining the events that led up to Rhys's initial cryptic email regarding Henderson. She described their discussions, the information that was shared, the frame-up's gradual realization, the infiltration of the hangar, and the ultimate plan. By portraying their relationship as a necessary, transactional alliance based on mutual need and a shared desire to expose Vance, she avoided revealing the depth of her emotional feelings for Rhys. She emphasized Rhys's code, which contrasts the bombing with his specific targeting and reluctance to violence. He had saved her life, she added.

Rostova took careful notes while listening without showing any emotion. She checked the information against Anya's own seized gadgets and the proof Rhys had given. Rostova leaned back when Anya eventually went silent, tired.

"Officer Petrova," she said in a controlled tone. "Harris Vance's arrest and the revelation of a conspiracy that reached unsettling heights were directly caused by your activities. When official channels were blinded or contaminated, you sought the truth. The city indirectly owes you money for it.

A glimmer of optimism came to Anya.

"However," Rostova added, her eyes narrowing a little, "you accomplished this by deliberately misleading your partner and superiors, committing systematic violations of departmental policies, hanging around with a known fugitive, hiding important information, and gaining unauthorized access to restricted files." You completely disregarded the line of command and the legislation that you vowed to enforce.

She took a moment to process what she had just said. "There is no denying the proof you helped obtain. The District Attorney has stated that he is reluctant to press criminal charges against you at this time because to the exceptional circumstances, preferring to concentrate on the Vance prosecution."

Unaware that she was holding a breath, Anya let it out.

Rostova firmly asserted, "But there must be professional consequences," Following the law and protocol is essential to maintaining trust both inside the department and with the general public. Regardless of how well-meaning or successful your tactics were in this particular case, they essentially betrayed that trust." A final form was passed over the table by her. "Your employment is terminated effective immediately. You've been fired from the force.

dismissed. At last, the word hit hard. Anya glanced at Rostova, then down at the paperwork. Beneath the anguish and the deep sense of loss for the identity she was losing, there was an odd calm. This was what she had known would happen. On that roof, in the library, in the tomb, she had made her decision.

Anya responded softly, "I understand, Captain," in a firm voice. She took the pen in her hand.

Somewhere in the city she no longer patrolled, she thought about Rhys as she signed off on her career. He was still being pursued even after his name had been somewhat cleared. For the time being, she was not in danger of legal action, but she was lost and her future was uncertain. The time had come for the reckoning.