Deadly Silence ||Black Noir x Reader||

Chapter 10

The next evening, Y/N left the office earlier than usual. Her mind was buzzing with everything she had gathered so far, bits and pieces of information that were slowly starting to form a bigger picture. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for yet, but she knew she was onto something.

When she got back to her penthouse, the usual unease crept in. It had become almost routine to have an eerie feeling of being watched. But tonight, the apartment felt strangely empty. No sense of eyes on her, no sudden prickle of fear. Just silence. Deadly silence.

Part of her was relieved. The other part felt almost disappointed, like she had been bracing for something that never came. Shaking off the feeling, she focused on the task at hand.

She spread out all the evidence she had collected—photos, notes, snippets of conversations she'd recorded. The corkboard on her wall was already littered with connections, and she spent the next few hours adding more, trying to make sense of it all. Every piece felt significant, but the puzzle was far from complete.

Her eyes flicked to the clock—2 AM, then 3. The hours ticked by as she pushed herself to keep going, driven by the need to find something solid, something that could bring Vought down. She knew she was getting closer, but the frustration of not having the full picture gnawed at her.

By the time the first light of dawn, Y/N was exhausted but determined. She had a few more leads to follow up on, more questions that needed answers. But for now, she had done all she could. She finally stepped back from the board, all she could think of was sleeping.

The next morning, Y/N dragged herself out of bed, feeling the effects of her late-night work. She was exhausted but knew she had to push through. Vought wouldn't stop, so neither could she.

When she got to the office, the usual hustle and bustle greeted her. Nobody seemed to care that she was a bit late. People were too caught up in their own shit to notice. She slipped into her office, dumped her bag on the chair, and took a deep breath. Another day of playing the diligent journalist team leader.

Her desk was a mess of documents and emails, but her mind was still on the evidence she'd pieced together the night before. She had to keep up appearances, though, so she started sorting through the papers, skimming over PR memos and interview schedules that seemed pointless compared to the bigger picture.

A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. It was Ashley, clipboard in hand, looking as stressed as ever.

"Morning," Ashley said, stepping inside without waiting for a response. "I need you to get that interview with A-Train about his new show posted today. We're pushing it hard, so it's gotta go up ASAP."

Y/N forced a smile. "Sure, I'll take care of it."

Ashley's eyes darted around Y/N's cluttered desk, but she didn't say anything about it. "Great. And Homelander wants to see some drafts of the PR material for the next mission by the end of the day."

"Got it," Y/N replied, keeping her tone even. Inside, she was already thinking about how she could use this new task to her advantage.

Ashley didn't stick around long, leaving Y/N to her thoughts. The A-Train interview was the least of her worries, but she knew she had to keep up the act. She pulled up the video file, made a few quick edits, and scheduled it for release.

The rest of the day was a blur. Meetings, emails, small talk with her team—it all felt like going through the motions. Her mind was elsewhere, always returning to the evidence she'd gathered. Every now and then, she found herself glancing over her shoulder, half-expecting to see Black Noir lurking nearby.

Y/N was exiting the restroom, lost in her thoughts, when she almost bumped into Starlight. She was just stepping out of Homelander's room, something clutched in her hand. Starlight quickly hid it behind her back when she saw Y/N. There was a flicker of panic in her eyes, like she was caught doing something she shouldn't.

Y/N glanced into Homelander's office, noticing it was empty. She looked back at Starlight, clearly worried that Y/N would snitch.

With a smirk, Y/N raised her hands, covering her eyes dramatically. "I didn't see anything," she said, moving backward a step, her tone light and joking. Then she dropped her hands, giving Starlight a reassuring nod.

Starlight's tense expression softened into a smile. "Thanks," she whispered, before hurrying off in the opposite direction.

Y/N watched her go. But before she could process it, she turned and nearly ran into Black Noir. He appeared out of nowhere, as usual, his imposing figure blocking her path.

Shit, she thought, her mind racing. If Noir went further down the corridor, he'd definitely spot Starlight, and whatever she had hidden behind her back. Without thinking, Y/N acted on impulse. She quickly slipped her arm through his, catching him off guard.

Noir stopped, staring down at her, his confusion obvious despite the mask. What the fuck, he thought, completely taken aback by her sudden move. He felt an urge to shove her away, to break the awkward contact, but for some reason, he didn't.

Y/N started babbling about something— about the latest PR strategy for the upcoming mission. She didn't even know what she was saying, just trying to keep his attention on her and away from Starlight. She steered him in the opposite direction, away from where Starlight had gone.

Noir wasn't really listening to a word she said. His mind was focused on the odd sensation of her arm looped around his bicep. It was unexpected, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. But instead of pulling away, he let her lead him, following her without protest. His thoughts were all over the place, still trying to process the weird situation.

As they walked, Y/N could feel his tension, but she kept up the chatter, hoping to keep him distracted just long enough. Finally, when they were far enough away, she let go of his arm, acting like nothing strange had happened.

"Thanks for the walk, Noir," she said with a casual smile, as if she hadn't just pulled a stunt to save Starlight's ass.

Noir just stared at her for a moment, then gave a small nod before turning and walking away, still processing the strange encounter. As he left, he couldn't help but replay the moment in his head, focusing on the odd feeling of her arm around his, wondering what the hell had just happened.