CHAPTER 144: INTERVIEW WITH THE COPY CAT

The stage lights hit Hermes harder than any villain he fought for the past few months. Cameras flashed, screens glowed, and the hum of the audience felt like static crawling on his skin.

Charlotte Freeman adjusted her round glasses, her crown-tipped green pen scratching across her notepad even as she smiled wide at the crowd. Her frizzy hair had a sporadic energy to them, matching the journalistic gleam in her eyes.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and everything in between!" She announced, her voice sharp but playful, "Tonight on Hero Hour, we welcome a rising star. A man of many talents... or should I say, many powers. Please welcome: Copy Cat!"

There was a round of applause and a couple of cheers and whistles from the audience. Hermes’ throat tightened.

He forced a smile, remembering Somner’s advice backstage.

Relax your shoulders. Don’t fidget. And when you don’t know what to say? Just keep it short and vague, and flash those pearly whites.

He stepped into the chair opposite Charlotte. It was softer than expected. So soft that he would have sank if he had not caught himself.

He sat straighter.

"Welcome, Copy Cat." Charlotte said warmly, pen poised. "Or do you prefer we use your legal name?"

Hermes channelled Apple’s nonchalant energy. "Copy Cat is fine."

"Alright, CC." She teased, jotting something down. "So. Let’s start simple. You’ve been spotted with Cloud Nine in several high-risk engagements. How does it feel fighting alongside such... let’s call them, ’colorful’ colleagues?"

Hermes had been prepped by Somner before the interview for the most common questions they would ask.

"They’re the best at what they do. I just do my part to keep up."

Charlotte grinned. "What a humble response for a hero with such a flashy performance. One moment you’re freezing a swarm, the next you’re torching tunnels. Doesn’t that step on some toes? Cryoshift might have thoughts about you sliding in on his ice act."

The audience chuckled.

Hermes’ jaw twitched, but maintained his composure. "I don’t copy anyone’s act. I will fight the way the situation needs. And Cryoshift is not the only hero with ice powers, right?"

Her pen danced, scribbling furiously. "But tell me... Do you ever worry you’ll be seen as unoriginal? A patchwork of better heroes?"

The crowd murmured. Hermes’ chest tightened, but Somner’s voice rang in his head. Be conversational, not confrontational.

He forced a calm smile. "I worry more about civilians dying than I do about being original. I’m not here to write a song or produce a movie. There are no copyrights when it comes to powers, we all have unique ones even when they sometimes overlap. I’m just here to fight evil and save lives."

The audience clapped, some even whistled.

Charlotte tilted her head, lips curling. "Well played, Copy Cat. You truly perform well not just in the battle but under the spotlight too, it seems."

She flipped a card. "Now, speaking of performances... You’ve been trending not only for your battles, but also your... shall we say, stage presence."

Hermes blinked. "Stage presence?"

"You’re handsome, charming, mysterious... The public’s asking questions. The most common one, in fact, is simple. Is the Copy Cat still single?"

The audience erupted with laughter and cheers.

He remembered Somner’s warning: They’ll move on to the ’gossip’ questions. Always deflect those.

"I’m married to the work." Hermes said, leaning back slightly. "And the work doesn’t like sharing."

The crowd made some ’Ohhs’ and ’Ahhs’.

Charlotte clapped, delighted. "Ah, a workaholic! At least your spouse pays well in recognition."

She tapped her pen against her lips. "But are you sure you’re not having any affairs outside of your work?"

Hermes kept his smile steady. "I don’t have the time to."

She shuffled her cards dramatically, then looked back at him. "Well. I hope you have the time for a segment we like to call: Caught on Camera! We show our guests a few... candid moments, and you give us the story. Simple as that."

Hermes stiffened. "What kind of moments?"

Charlotte only gestured. A screen lit up behind them.

The first image: Copy Cat with Cloud Nine mid-battle, ice and fire blazing.

"Classic hero shot." Charlotte said. "Looks like the poster of a summer blockbuster."

Hermes shrugged. "That one’s real. No editing."

The crowd chuckled.

Another photo appeared: him high-fiving a group of school kids after a patrol.

Hermes softened. "That day was... good. They reminded me why I started this job."

The crowd "awwed." Charlotte scribbled again, smiling wide.

Then the screen flickered.

Hermes’ blood went cold.

A photo of Somner clinging to him at karaoke, mic in hand, the two of them singing a duet and laughing.

The crowd roared with laughter. Charlotte raised her brows. "Well, well. Was Mr. Sirentone in tune when he’s singing, I wonder."

Hermes gritted his teeth. "That was private."

"Oh, but the cat’s out of the bag now." Charlotte said sweetly.

Before Hermes could respond, the screen changed again.

Him and Cryoshift in the Ferris Wheel. The frozen skyline glittering outside the glass. Hermes’ chest seized.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Charlotte’s pen scribbled like mad. "Romantic, isn’t it? The cool touch of Cryoshift, the fiery gaze of Copy Cat. And in a public setting, no less... Was it steamy?"

Hermes’ hands curled into fists. "That’s none of your concern."

The audience murmured, the tension thick. Charlotte leaned forward, glasses catching the light.

"They say opposites attract. But you’ve attracted not just one or two, right? Let’s see the next bachelor."

The final image appeared.

Him and Aphrodite, hanging clothes on their balcony. The pups asleep nearby. The most ordinary, intimate moment of his life... put on display for the public.

Hermes shot to his feet, ice spikes growing on his body and lava flowing down his veins. "How did you get that?"

Charlotte’s pen stilled. Her smile sharpened. "Now, now. Don’t hiss, kitty cat. We’re just curious, you know? And curiosity may kill the cat, but satisfaction will bring it back. So can you give us some satisfactory answers?"

His voice rose, ragged. "This is an invasion of privacy!"

She tilted her head. "Privacy is a fragile thing, especially for heroes. And it seems you’re not just a Copy Cat... you’re a Tom Cat as well. Meow!"

The crowd was divided between hushed whispers and uproarious laughter.

Hermes’ vision blurred red at the edges. His breath came sharp, his skin rippling with unstable heat and frost.

Charlotte only watched, fascinated, jotting one last note.

And then...

A voice cut clean through the noise. From backstage.

"Excuse me. Is it not time for my interview yet?"