By epilogue, I mean this chapter and those following are part of the epilogue :) I hope you enjoy it!

For the first time in days, Joshua awoke from a deep slumber with dreams of mere nothingness. He stretched out his arms, a yawn escaping from his throat. Sleeping on a mattress with blankets was much more favorable to cement floors, and only really sleeping when having been unconscious. The familiar site of his room, strewn with comic books and his beloved swivel chair were like rainbows to his eyes. Suddenly, slamming the door open, Sarah bursted into the room.

"WAKE UP, JOSHUA! IT'S MORNING!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, and halted when she realised he was already awake. "Mum wants you to take out the trash once you get up."

"Will do," he replied, grinning.

"Why are you smiling like some mental bloke who had just escaped from the hospital?" she inquired, arching her eyebrow.

"Because, Sarah Peddlestone, there are worse things than an annoying sister and trash." Clearly vexed by the unanticipated reaction, she left out of the room - lazy enough not to closed the door behind her. It was difficult getting used to the fact that his parents had not cared about his two-day absence. Well, they had cared apparently and called the school whom had replied that he was at a friend's house. However, he did receive a rather harsh scolding as to why he didn't call his parents, but he would've chosen that excuse any day than his family finding out what really transpired in that mess of events. He slid off of his bed and took a comic book lying on the couch, turning it over in his hands. Crisis on Infinite Earths stood out in italicised, bolded letters. It was the one where Flash had unfortunately retired his red suit to Wally West and died. But life wasn't a comic book. Nobody has this yellow costume of spandex and immediately everyone recognises him as the antagonist. And the protagonist isn't always the one with a deceased guardian (or guardians) and wished to avenge their deaths in some way, which can only be inexplicably achieved by becoming a superhero - Batman being a perfect example of that. No, the only way of being a good character in one's life is to just live life to the fullest. Noticing a waste basket near by, he tossed the comic book inside. A life of saving damsels in distress was just imagination in reality, and sometimes the damsels save the seemingly perfect imitation of a heroes who are in distress. People never seemed to realise that.

***

English was highly engaging for Joshua, for the class was provided with the privilege to read their Romeo and Juliet novels the entire period. He was so enveloped in the atmosphere of it all that he almost believed that Juliet was really his true love, but of course, his heart lied elsewhere... Perhaps somewhere in America.

"Joshua, this is for you!" whispered a hushed voice behind him. He whirled his head around, and took the object that was handed to him. It was a folded post-it note. Holding the book open, he opened up the note, which revealed neat and tall handwriting. It read: "Hey, Josh. It's Alexa. I hope you have forgiven me, and I know that you claimed that you did in that cell, but what I did to you is inexcusable even if my personal life kind of stinks. You may not forget, I get that, but will you forgive me?" Of course - only a popular would see nothing better to do than send notes back and forth during class, he thought, smiling. He glanced quickly around him, scanning his surroundings. The teacher was seated at the desk, her head down, and the remainder of the class were either texting or reading. All clear. He flipped the note over, and hastily pulled out a pencil from his pencil case. He wrote in a somewhat neat manner: "You're right. I will probably never forget those times you shoved me into the lockers, but I will admit, I am kind of prejudice, so some of the fault is kind of on my own behalf. To consider this official, shall we perform a truce?" He folded the paper where the crease remained and passed it back to the person behind him, who seemed slightly shocked at first that Joshua Peddlestone, a straight A student, would even consider passing notes in class. The note was passed back in mere seconds, and Alexa also seemed sort of stunned to receive it. Hastily, she opened it, holding an ink pen, and feverishly began writing down before handing it back to the person in front of her. Joshua gazed down at his book as to look less conspicuous. In a matter of seconds, the note returned, more writing filling the front side. It read: "Alright. Truce." It didn't take long for Josh to write down his response, and he handed the note back to the person behind him, who now seemed irritated than anything else.

"Wait! Let me see that note!" yelled Mrs. Franks, standing up, pointing her finger accusingly at the person behind him. Fretfully, he rushed up to her and handed her the note, rushing back to his seat. Mrs. Franks gazed into the note, her eyes furrowing. After a minute or so, she glanced up. "Ms. Johnson and Mr. Peddlestone will be having detention with me after school - remind me to provide the both of you a note," she announced, directing her gaze to Joshua. Quickly, he stole a glimpse at Alexa, whom appeared unbothered by the punishment. Well, there's a first time for everything, I suppose.

***

"Hey, Josh. Why were you late today?" inquired her mother, not looking up from her computer in the living room.

"I - er - had detention." Suddenly the constant tapping of keys ceased, and his mother looked up from her device.

"Detention?" she asked incredulous. Joshua nodded abashed. "What for? I wouldn't imagine you doing anything worth getting detention."

"I - Alexa and I were passing notes back and forth in class." His mother's brown eyes immediately became vacant as if looking out to the streets beyond the walls surrounding their small living room.

"Alexa... Johnson?" she said after having been in what appeared to be a trance.

"Yeah... How did you know?"

"Well, you always told me how you had a crush on her in third grade," Joshua blushed slightly, "but I also recall you telling me how she became someone you didn't particularly like eventually."

"Yes, but we set aside our differences because all we really needed to... understand each other's views I suppose you could say," he replied. For once, in a long while, his mother smiled a genuine motherly smile.

"Alright then." Josh returned the smile, and jogged upstairs into his room, not surprised to see no sign of Sarah. He slumped into his swivel chair and logged into his email, the familiar picture of himself at a comic book store for the very first time as the background. His thirteen year-old self was wearing a dorky smile with his black hair swept to the side, revealing his sparkling green eyes. He was holding up a DC comic, though he wasn't quite sure which. Suddenly an email appeared - from Alexa Johnson. He hovered his cursor over the email for a second before relenting and clicking open the email.

"Sorry, about detention. It wasn't my intention to get you in trouble," it read.

"It's fine. Besides, it's my own fault, considering I was fully aware of the consequences," he replied. A smiley face popped up in reply to his response. Out of the blue, a thought merged its way into his mind.

"Hey, do you think that maybe you would wish to go to that Chinese restaurant for tea? It's not a date, though, haha. I wouldn't want to intrude upon your relationship with Shijie." It was only but a mere moment before another email popped up in response, reading: "Sure! At six - hope to see you there! :)" Joshua couldn't help but smile. It was like the faint reminder of the nine year-old Alexa, whom would cheer anyone up with a warm smile and a tight hug. He glanced at the time. Seven-fifty. He frowned. The Chinese restaurant was quite a while worth of walking, so of course, the only reasonable mode of transportation was by car, but his dad-

"Hello, family! Oh, hello, my little pumpkin!" announced an elated voice from below. He jumped up from his chair, and scrambled down the stairs, almost falling forward. His dad wore a wide smile, his black hair tousled, yet his green eyes were bright with jubilance.

"Ah, 'ello, Josh! Anything new today-"

"Dad, could you please drive me to that Chinese restaurant we were at two days ago?" he interjected. Baffled by the sudden energy, his father's eyebrows quirked upward.

"Why so?"

"Well... I... have a date," he lied. His father's face broke into a wider smile than before.

"Well, of course! Is she pretty?"

"Yeah, yeah, but we have to go now. The date is in ten minutes!" he exasperated.

"Get into the car then! We haven't a moment to waste!" And with that, his father dashed out the front door - running as if someone had spilled a gallon of gas onto his attire and was now chasing him with a lit torch. If it wasn't for the anxious circumstance, Joshua thought he might've even started cracking up right then and there. However, instead, he ran after him like he was also doused in a gasoline and was also being chased with a lit torch. He slid into the unoccupied front seat beside his father, whom was digging out his keys in the depths of his pocket, and jamming the right one into the small keyhole beside the wheel, the ignition blossoming to life.

***

It was only a mere five minutes before they pulled up to a familiar Chinese Restaurant: Bing Wa.

"Do you need a phone?" his father asked. Vigorously, Joshua shook his head. "Well, best of look to you." Joshua, in a graceful fashion, stretched out his long legs, and ambled out of the car. He faced the car now and detected a hint of a smile on his father's face as if he genuinely did care, and it was not just something of the sort that fathers did when their child went on their first date. But whether it was really there or not, Josh did not get a chance to confirm because he backed out of the parking space. Josh faced the restaurant, "Bing Wa" illuminating in a harsh light with blue and green colors, and windows lined the outer walls of the establishment. Unlike the day he went to that restaurant, it seemed to be almost uninhabited save for a lone girl with brown straight hair looking out the window, meeting his gaze. Though the clouds covered the black canvas and the enigmatic smiling crescent, Josh felt as if it was the sunniest day of the year. Jogging up the restaurant, he swung open the door with little force, and sat opposite Alexa in a booth. The red leather-like seat felt sticky due to the humidity, and he couldn't help but frown.

"To be completely honest, I suspected you wouldn't come," Alexa said as Josh pestered as to how he should sit. Giving up, he sat closest to the window where drops of an indicated rainfall slid down against the glass, sometimes conjoining with another.

"I honestly didn't think twice about the decision." An awkward silence then settled into the atmosphere until Alexa raked her hand through her perfect hair.

"I... really am sorry about you getting detention. It was not my intention," she said. Joshua smiled at the unintended rhyme.

"And yet I got detention without your intention and I have a feeling you wish there was internet connection." Alexa playfully air-swatted him, smiling.

"You, Joshua Peddlestone definitely know how to sweep a girl off her feet," she chuckled. However, as soon as the small light of happiness creeped between them, it dissipated like the very energy they had felt at this restaurant.

"Alexa - about what happened at Frenchmen's cell-"

"It was only a nightmare," she replied quickly.

"A nightmare of a man, whom took his childhood dream all too seriously."

"At the expense of his wife's death..." Both Alexa and Joshua gazed out of the window, looking out to the vast beyond of the world.

"But nightmares end. We wake up, our hearts slamming against our chests, and realize that that dream was nothing but a figment derived from our imaginations. And though The Man in the Cream-colored Trench Coat is not a figment, he is a nightmare that ceases to exist, rotting away in some American prison," Joshua added, his eyes not leaving the window. Alexa, however, glanced back toward him, smiling.

"For once in my life, I will have to agree with you Josh. I just hope Louise and Shijie have ridded themselves of the traces from the nightmare to go on with their lives..." She looked back out the window, her green eyes searching for some sort of sign to answer her worry.