Vicious

At the hotel, Serena tells Eli he needs to send Victor a message in return by gathering in public with the Merit police. Unable to resist her compulsion, Eli agrees, though he dislikes the idea. Serena tells him “You’re the hero now” (245), and Eli calls Detective Stell.

In Serena’s dorm room a year before, Serena shoots Eli and watches, amazed, as the wound heals. Afterwards, they make love. Eli isn’t sure if it’s his own feelings or the result of her compulsion, but being with Serena makes Eli feel “human again.” The next morning, Eli wakes to find Serena gone. Serena returns with two police officers, one of whom is Detective Stell, who works in Merit now. Serena explains that the officers will share their tracking matrix to find EOs. Eli is thrown by their new partnership but can’t undo it. Serena informs the officers that Eli is going to be Merit’s new hero, and under her compulsion, they agree.

Back in the abandoned building, Victor gets the database access codes from the officer, as well as additional information on Detective Stell. Victor asks the officer about Eli. The officer says simply “Eli Ever...is...a hero” and that Serena told him as much (253).