Chapter Text
I finally got over two hours of sleep in one sitting.
Player kept his eyes closed, unwilling yet to open them to face the day. He was so tired, but he just didn’t have much time to spend on himself anymore.
Oh, to live in the days where his biggest worries were whether or not his mom would discover his nightly activities on the screen…
I’m traveling, just like I always wanted to.
Well. Not exactly like he wanted to. Player always supposed he would be perusing the globe with someone by his side, his friends, his family- not alone. Never alone.
8.
The laptop is up and running at last.
Repairs had never been his forte, but lately he seemed to be taking crash courses in several subjects; electronical restoration was hardly the strangest. Still, he wished that Ivy could-
Player’s eyes flew open, and he shoved that train of thought away, swallowing the automatic lump in his throat. He was supposed to be thinking positive thoughts, only positive thoughts. Seven more to go.
I have a roof over my head.
A precious commodity now. Player had never really considered how lucky he was, to live in such a home as he had, until it was gone. Never imagined how hard it would be, once he had been cast out on his own (much, much too early-) to survive on his own wits and hacking skills.
Sometimes he daydreamed about his old bedroom. If he ever got to go back, the first thing he was going to do was flop on his bed and take a nap. It certainly deserved more appreciation than he had ever given it, constantly refusing to take a break and instead choosing to sit with his best friends chattering in his ear.
Not that he would ever regret his (short, far too short, why-) time with them. Some days, the memories of that time in his life were all that kept him going, all that inspired him to get up and face whatever decided to smash his life to pieces that morning-
Positivity! Only positivity!
6.
Today I can find out if the hard drive is salvageable.
Player huffed out a breath and instantly regretted it as his ribs screamed at him. He hissed in pain, attempting to curl in on himself before remembering that it would only make it worse to move them. Still, it was progress from what it had been before, which reminded him-
5.
My ribs are starting to get better.
The part that really made him mad, honestly, was that they hadn’t even meant to break his ribs- it was just a casualty of war. Means to an end.
It was his own fault, really, for keeping the hard drive on his person. For hoping that they would show mercy, that they wouldn’t have the guts to hurt a scrawny sixteen-year-old boy with nothing to defend himself. For thinking that they would hesitate to be brutal because it was him.
VILE never had shown mercy. Never would.
4.
VILE doesn’t know where I am.
Okay, that was more of a hope than a fact, but he’d done his best to lose them this time. Of course, that was hard to do when they could practically guess his every move.
If-when everything worked out, soon enough VILE could go back to being ridiculously incompetent.
Player had to believe that.
If he didn’t, he wasn’t sure what he would do.
3.
ACME is still going strong.
Much to the chagrin of VILE, despite their many attempts to take out the leadership or root their schemes in the organization. Say what you will about ACME, but they were loyal to the end when it came down to it.
Either that, or Julia Argent had finally taken control. That was a good possibility. Player frowned in thought.
“Jules would understand!”
Now there was an idea.
2.
They’re all still alive.
Player had been terrified for a while that VILE would just kill them and be done with it. Now, though… sometimes he wasn’t sure which was worse.
Knowing what VILE would do to him if he got caught… At least we’ll all be together again. Player mused, before slapping the thought away.
Thinking that way… it was starting to happen more and more, and he knew Carmen and the others would be horrified to hear it.
I’m so tired, Red. So, so tired. When can I be done? When will it be over? Player slapped that wish away too. He signed up for this. He would finish this. He would.
1.
I’m still alive.
For now.
Player got up, minding his ribs, and went to start his day.