(We find ourselves downtown, in front of the city’s biggest bank. Unsurprisingly, it’s in the process of being robbed!)

Baron von Boom (pulling on the vault door): Urrghhh… what the hell is this?!

Omen: Looks like they reinforced it again.

Baron von Boom: Obviously. What I mean is, (he pulls again) Why the hell can’t I pull it off?

Lady Ira: We can look for the switch, if you want.

Baron von Boom: No! There is no door that cannot be destroyed by Baron von Boom!

(He steps back, stretches a bit, cracks his knuckles, then makes another go at it.)

Lady Ira: It’s not so surprising they’ve figured out how to make super-proof doors, I mean, there’s stronger villains than you around.

Baron von Boom (straining): There… are… not…!

Lady Ira (mildly amused): Oh—oh yeah, sorry baby, you’re the strongest around.

Baron von Boom: Damn… straight!!

(The Baron pulls for a bit longer. Omen looks over the door, trying to figure out how the latch works. His eyes glow and he snaps a finger—the door falls off its hinges, the Baron falling along with it.)

Baron von Boom (getting up): See that? The Baron will not be defeated by mere engineering!

Omen: Of course. Now let’s go, we’ve wasted enough time.

(They load up on loot and run out of the bank. Once they get outside, they run into not Apogee, but the great and sparkly Adamo! Our villains groan.)

Baron von Boom: What do you want, sparklyman?

Adamo: I came to bid you farewell.

Lady Ira: Farewell?

Adamo: That’s right. Lamentable as it is, it’s time for me to move on from this place.

Baron von Boom: About time.

Adamo (trying to ignore the Baron): After all, I’m like the wind. I can’t stay in one place for long.

Lady Ira: Cliché.

Adamo: Trying to do so would be like caging a wild bird, longing to be free…

Lady Ira: Oh good, now it’s a mixed metaphor.

Adamo (dropping the suave voice): Do you mind?

Lady Ira: Sorry, you’re just not that good with poetic stuff!

Adamo: I’ll keep that in mind.

Omen: But you’re really leaving? For good?

Adamo (back to using the voice): Oh, who knows if fate will bring me here again… but if I return, it will be for my own ends, not to see any of you.

Baron von Boom: Then what’re you hanging around here for? Go and leave, already!

Adamo: I just wanted to say my final goodbyes to Miss Ira, here. (He walks up, takes her hand and kisses it.)

(She punches him)

Lady Ira: Er, sorry. Reflex. You know not to do that!

Adamo: Hahaha… it’s alright. I expected as much. (He steps back and bows) Farewell, my love. We may never meet again.

Baron von Boom: Pfft. I wish.

Adamo: And you. (Drops the voice) Die in a fire.

(And with that he turns, his cape billowing behind him, and walks away. Apogee shows up and starts fighting with our villains as Adamo walks into an alley, looking for a place to change into a new disguise. He’s surprised to run into Annick.)

Annick: Dwayne.

Adamo: Z-Zitomira! What’re you doing here?

Annick: I need your help.

Adamo: What?

Annick: If you’re leaving, you don’t have to keep Dalix’s secrets for him anymore.

Adamo: Meaning…?

Annick: You need to tell me what his plans are. Him and Angela both.

Adamo: Er…

Annick: Please. (He pulls at his hair, frustrated) Dwayne, I… I know they’re using me, I’m sure of it. I need to know what they want. I need to get out of it.

Adamo: Well, I couldn’t tell you details if he’s figured them out…

Annick: But the big picture?

Adamo (leaning against a wall and crossing his arms): As for Angela… she’s just looking for a way to take over that dead guru’s cult. Simple as that. It doesn’t have to involve you, it’s just that Omen wouldn’t join her willingly so she wants to kill him.

Annick: She tried to ally herself with Omen?

Adamo (nodding): Once you kill him she’s going to swoop in and try to claim some of the credit. And Dalix, well…

Annick: Yes?

Adamo: At first it was just that he wanted to keep you happy so that you won’t turn on him. Apparently you backstabbed him before you lost your memory or something, I don’t know. He was trying to ensure some security with you was all. But now…

Annick: I heard him offering you seats on that new world order I don’t want to create.

Adamo (nodding): I guess he’s getting ahead of himself. He thinks that as long as you’re around, he can just bluff his way to the top… maybe he even wants to be your man behind the man. I don’t know.

Annick: I see.

Adamo: And that doesn’t even mean he’ll stay loyal to your goals. I mean, he tried to help Angela get Omen on her side, even knowing that he was potentially helping your enemy. He doesn’t give two shits about your best interests.

Annick (looking increasingly angry): That’s… troubling.

Adamo: Now look, I gotta—

Annick: Thank you so much, Dwayne. You’re really the only person I can trust.

Adamo: What? I don’t—

Annick: I know you don’t want anything to do with me, but you’re the only person who hasn’t just thought of me as a means to an end.

Adamo: Uh… no problem.

Annick: Just one more thing. Do you know anything about Omen? Anything I can use, anything would be helpful.

Adamo: Er… (He doesn’t really want to give Annick Omen’s identity, even though he certainly knows it)

Annick (catching the look on Adamo’s face): You do know something! (He looks relieved) Please, Dwayne.

(Adamo freezes. He tries to think of something he can tell Annick to appease him without betraying Ira. He thinks back to a few days ago…)

(He was in the occult goods store Xeno works in. He wandered in randomly, and he didn’t know Xeno worked there, nor was Xeno even there that day. Instead, Arco was working at the register. One of her otaku friends is there too, chatting to her about Omen.)

Friend: I’m so jealous you’ve met Omen, though. He even visited you at your house!

Arco: Yeah… only to reject me, though.

Friend: Still, that’s a pretty big deal. I mean, why would he show up at all? You know what I’ve been thinking?

Arco: What?

Friend: Maybe you already know Omen. His secret identity, though. Maybe he wanted to let you down properly because he already cares about you.

Arco: What? No. Do you think?

Friend: Totally! Do you know anyone that looks like Omen?

Arco: Well I… nah, that’s silly. (She laughs)

(Flash back to the present. Adamo coughs. He figures maybe he can let this one piece of information slip. After all, he trusts Ira and her friends to be able to take out the currently-weakened Reza, and even if they don’t get involved, Apogee could probably intervene.)

Adamo: There’s this girl.

Annick: Yes?

Adamo: She works at that occult goods store on Eighth. Goth girl, brown hair. Apparently she’s got some connection with Omen. That’s all I know.

Annick: Thank you so much. (he hugs Adamo) Take care of yourself.

(Annick teleports away. Adamo sighs, running a hand through his hair)

Adamo: Dammit Dwayne… what’ve you done now…

—End: Episode one hundred ninety-six