Power Thief's Revenge [BL]-Chapter 159: Outed

Chapter 159: Outed
Hermes didn’t even realize he’d stood up until his chair clattered back against the wall. The TV glow painted his face, Raphael’s calm golden eyes staring down like judgment.
"That..." Hermes’ voice cracked. He clenched his fists, shaking. "That son of a—"
"Calm down," Ymir cut in, his tone sharp, controlled.
"Calm down?" Hermes spun toward him. His chest heaved like it might tear open. "He just... he just outed me to the entire world! He—he—"
Ymir’s eyes narrowed. "You knew this was coming."
Hermes froze. "What?"
"You thought you could hide forever?" Ymir’s voice was flat, like steel dragged across ice. "From someone in a rival guild, no less? Raphael had leverage. It was only a matter of time before he used it."
Hermes wanted to scream, to punch something, to claw at the walls until they cracked. But Ymir’s words dug deeper than any blow. His legs felt weak. He collapsed back onto the couch.
The TV droned on, Raphael’s voice cutting like a knife.
"Copy Cat’s abilities aren’t limited to food. He can mimic the powers of other heroes. I couldn’t claim the Night Cyclops victory alone. The truth is, Copy Cat was essential. He’s a good man with a gift that should be celebrated, not shamed. He should be proud of his powers."
Magni scratched the back of his head, eyes flicking between Hermes and the screen. "I mean... he sounds sincere."
"Sincere?" Hermes barked a bitter laugh. "He put me on blast in front of everyone!"
"Maybe he did not want to steal your credit." Magni shrugged. "Perhaps he believed it would be dishonorable to get all the praise and flowers for something he did not accomplish alone. That means he respected you, Brother Modi."
Hermes shook his head, gripping his hair. His chest felt tight, like he couldn’t breathe.
Aphrodite’s soft voice cut through. "Or it could be a ploy."
Everyone turned. He sat quietly on the armrest, untouched pastry bag still in his lap. His pink hair caught the TV glow, eyes downcast.
"Frame it like he’s complimenting you. Meanwhile, the ridicule doubles. People will think you’re dangerous. A thief." He looked up, finally meeting Hermes’ gaze. "He’s not dumb. He knows what he’s doing."
Hermes swallowed hard. His mouth tasted like metal.
"So what?" he rasped. "What do I do? Just... let him own my story? Let him decide who I am?"
Silence stretched. The TV replayed Raphael’s clip, looping those golden eyes like a brand.
Finally, Somner sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "We’re cornered. Doesn’t matter what Raphael’s angle is. The secret’s out. People are gonna ask questions, and if we stay quiet, the narrative belongs to him."
He gestured with his half-empty beer. "You need to go public, Master. Own it."
Hermes’s stomach twisted. "Public? You want me to just... stand in front of everyone and admit I steal powers?"
"You don’t steal," Magni said quickly.
"You borrow," Somner added.
"Semantics," Aphrodite murmured.
Ymir crossed his arms. "Either way, Somner’s right. You can’t hide anymore. Better to step forward than be dragged."
Hermes pressed his palms into his eyes. "Gods. This is a nightmare."
"We’ll schedule a press conference." Somner sat forward, more serious now. "Next Friday. Gives us time to prep, spin it right. Maybe even make it heroic. But until then..." His voice dropped. "Don’t go back to the Golden Apple."
Hermes froze. "What? Why?"
"Because they’ll eat you alive," Somner said bluntly. "Internal investigations, legal disputes. HR will bury you in paperwork, ethics hearings, contracts you didn’t read. And the guild lawyers? They’ll tear you apart just to protect their image."
Hermes opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat.
"I’ll talk to Eris and the rest of Cloud Nine," Somner continued. "They deserve to hear it from us, not the news. Maybe smooth things over before they freak out."
Ymir spoke next, quiet but firm. "I can help, too. As head of the Sixth Department, I have leverage. I can redirect the worst of the inquiries. At least buy you breathing room."
Hermes stared at him. "You’d... do that?"
Ymir frowned. "You think I’d sit back and let you sink?"
Hermes’s throat tightened. He didn’t know if it was relief or shame clawing at his chest.
Magni clapped him on the back, almost knocking him forward. "See? We’ve got you, Brother Modi. Relax."
"Relax?" Hermes laughed bitterly. "The whole city thinks I’m some freak parasite, and you want me to relax?"
"No," Magni corrected. "The whole city’s curious. What you do next decides what they think."
The room fell into uneasy silence. The TV droned on. Hermes finally reached forward, switched it off. The darkness pressed in.
He didn’t sleep that night. He sat by the window, staring at the Haven skyline until the sun bled gold over the glass towers. His chest still ached. His mind replayed Raphael’s words again and again.
"Proud of his powers."
Hermes felt conflicted because of those words. Be proud of his powers? It’s easy for Raphael to say because his powers were all great and flashy. Nobody would consider him a Threat.
But Hermes was different.
His powers were something that will make people fear and distrust him. And the source of those powers even more so.
Still...
A part of him does wish that someday, he can just show the world who he really was without any judgements.
What a wonderful world that would be.
***
The next morning, Hermes stumbled out of his room, hair messy, shirt wrinkled. The others were already half-awake—Magni making coffee too strong, Ymir scrolling grimly through his tablet, Aphrodite feeding crumbs to the pups.
A knock sounded at the door.
Hermes frowned, shuffled over. When he opened it, no one was there. Just a bouquet.
Sunflowers.
Bright, tall, their yellow faces like miniature suns. A ribbon tied neatly around the stems.
And a letter.
Hermes’s stomach dropped as he unfolded it. The handwriting was elegant, deliberate.
Come see me. 99th floor of Fiery Cross.
-R
Hermes’s hands shook.
Ymir looked up from his tablet. "What is it?"
Hermes didn’t answer. He just stared at the flowers, the golden petals blazing like Raphael’s eyes on the screen.