Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a regular day in the Library. As regular as it could be, what with it being a paranormal entity for the standards of the City that was slowly robbing the City of some of its most famous people and that it seemed rather unstoppable, with some Colours going in and never coming back out. 

Despite the horrors, the City's denizens were growing accustomed to the Library, as they did with the various other horrors that plagued their lives. One more was not worth missing your salary over. As the City life moved on, the Library became one of the many horrors of the City. Though a bit more invincible than the last ones, admittedly.

The interior of the Library itself was not that much more exciting; all the Librarians were busy with their current business, some writing their memoirs, some organizing their books, some having made a bed of books to sleep on. Whatever they did, they kept themselves busy, and so did Roland and Angela, who were preparing for whatever came next for the Library after establishing that it was a bit stronger than your average Star of The City. 

Indeed, there was no news from the inside of the Library, and in the City in particular, no news was good news. For the Library, anyways, those who had to live in fear of an Invitation at their doorstep had been waiting for it to fall, given that whoever it was destined to had to go regardless of what they wanted to do. Despite the hatred or perhaps admiration it had garnered, you wouldn't know it from how tall and imposing it was, with no sound coming to the outside, and even the inside seemed calm enough.

Well, except for a small talk inside the office of the Floor of General Works. The office itself was sealed by Angela, unable, or perhaps unwilling or too spiteful, to face the man inside. Roland had never asked about his office, contenting with staying besides Angela for most of his free time, listening to her and piecing together his situation. Which left the floor's original Librarian rather bored.

-"666! Hah, I win, you idiots! You thought you could defeat me? You thought you could stop me from fulfilling Carmen's true wish?! Try stacking on top of that, you dolts!", well, he would have been if he was entirely alone. The victory cry that came from a rather young looking man, extremely pale with amber eyes, wearing a peculiar robe that left his left side uncovered to his ribs, revealing various tattoos which he had etched onto himself, unable to remove them.

-"Adam, for God's sake, 666 is not a number in Uno, you dim-witted simpleton. I thought you'd understand after I explained it for twenty-nine times.", another man answered, his voice sickeningly sweet, oozing with artificialness, as he tried to keep a large smile on his face. The man speaking was Ayin, the original creator of the Seed of Light idea that led to the creation of the Library in the first place. He still wore the same clothes he always did; his black buttoned shirt and jeans, alongside his lab-coat, of course.

Upon further inspection, one would notice that even in the dim light of the several lamps that surrounded them, there was around three more men, all groaning in annoyance,  one greatly resembling Ayin with an 'X' on his right cheek, another also resembling him, though with bags under his eyes and hair that was left unattended for far too long. The third one was more elegant in his clothing, wearing a red-buttoned shirt with a grey coat and with a cane resting in front of him.

Despite seeming like none of them would have any relation to the other, they were all seated in a circle, each of the men having a deck of cards in his hands, with a big pile of various cards with random numbers and colours in the middle of their circle. There was no doubt about it, they were trying to play Uno. And as with any great game of Uno, most of them looked like they wanted to murder each other.

-"Oh, do you think you could possibly stop me?! My decisions are mine and mine onl-", the so-called Adam shot back, his iris' getting a bit smaller in an attempt to have an effect on his fellow players.

-"All in favour of breaking Adam's skull?", his adversary raised a hand, his voice going threateningly low. The fancy gentleman raised a quiet hand, his face one of boredom. The tired man sobbed for a moment before raising his.

-"W-What- Okay, okay, it's a red six, does that make you happy, you buffoons? You are unable to see the greatness I can achieve, what I can transcend to to become the ultimate being, a being like those The Blue Rverberation has collected, only better!", he huffed indignantly, and the calmer individual in front of him had his eye twitch.

-"Adam, allow me to remind you that I, Ayin, the original and complete copy of all of you, am playing a game of Uno against you idiots because it is the only game we five can play together without one of you trying to find a bigger meaning and ruining the game for everyone else. How can you find some plan in Uno?", he replied, his voice cracking a bit. Not that it really mattered, after all, he had no reason to be embarrassed in front of himself. Selves. Whatever, he didn't overthink that particular detail. "How did I end up like this? Spending time stuck in Angela's revenge and playing Uno with you? Why did I even bother bringing you guys here?", he covered his face, taking great care not to let the hand with the deck in it lower; he knew himself enough to know that the four around him would cheat in a moment's notice.

Well, that was a rhetorical question. All of them knew why they were here, and why they were stuck in their purgatory playing Uno. Ayin, leader of Keter in Lobotomy Corporation, was meant to be the Floor of General Works' main librarian. Until, of course, Angela replaced him with Roland. Not that he blamed her too much; only a blind fool wouldn't have been able to predict that, but it did not lessen the impact of having to stay alone in this room for a bit of time after the endless loneliness he had to endure in his time in the Corporation.

That was before he realized he had some control over his office, and the first thing he had summoned was these four idiots to try and keep himself company. They were also the only people he could summon given that he was simply giving some parts of his mind a physical body instead of bringing someone new; they were all him to an extent, after all. He didn't need it, per say, as he had survived several millennia of loneliness, but it was better to better his situation when he had the chance. That was before he was reminded of how much he loved himself: Not very much.

He was an egotistic, socially awkward, emotionally constipated, mentally unstable war-criminal, and that was the short description. To make matters worse, all but one of the four in front of him embodied some part of him that he hated with his core. He hated that they represented some dark, repressed part of him and he loathed that they sometimes actually represented him. So, he was stuck in a closed room with his worst traits personified into idiotic messes of men and he had to interact with them on a daily basis. That didn't do much for his personal image of himself after the ten thousand years he spent berating himself in the Corporation.

And now, he had sunk to playing Uno with his failed selves. This was his punishment for what he did to Angela, huh? He expected it, but did not expect such a terrible judgement. He didn't argue against it, sure, but he was starting to consider that perhaps his solitary confinement would've been better than slowly losing his mind while playing a card-game.

-"Now, now, everyone, settle down. We are not here to try and murder each other.", the older gentleman spoke up, a fancy accent in his voice. "Even if some of us seem intent on trying to.", he gave a glare to Adam in particular, who scoffed.

-"What do you know, Abel? You'd despise me, too, if I was ruining Carmen's ideal!", he spat, the deck in his hand getting lowered for a bit before he put it up again, not wanting his selves to look at it.

-"It is precisely why I despise you.", as you could probably figure out, Adam was not particularly loved in this group. His murderous, genocidal tendencies play a small role in his unpopularity. He was mostly hated because of how much he claims he, of all people, was fulfilling Carmen's ideal. Like Hell he was. Even Ayin didn't claim he perfectly replicated it, and that before Angela ruined the plan.

-"...Who cares? We all...sniff, we all failed her. We're just stains on humanity...the worst of the worst...we outdid everyone...If she...If she saw us now...", interrupting the current Adam-Abel fight, however, was a sob. The man with the unkempt hair had produced it.

-"Yes, Abraham, we know. Please don't cry.", Ayin spoke up, addressing the man with a mixture of sympathy and annoyance. Abraham was the representation of all the guilt they carried, and so it was only natural for him to be constantly depressed. The problem with him, in particular, is that none of them, save for Adam, had any problems remembering their sins, and the constant reminder of how terrible they were made them uneasy. They didn't appreciate it when everyone in the room burst into tears while Adam laughed at them. He also spelled his name rather oddly; 'Abram'. The others made it 'Abraham' for ease of speaking.

-"But...But-"

-"Shhh, we have three hours dedicated to us reflecting on how horrible we are as human beings every day, I don't need any more crying, please. Now, can somebody actually play this game?!", the original 'A' tried calming him down. Not that he had much of choice, considering he was all about regret, but they couldn't just keep wallowing in their sins all day. They had to have an 'Expectation for the Future'. He chuckled at his own joke. He wasn't above that.

-"Red seven.", finally, someone decided to contribute to something other than augmenting his blood pressure. It wasn't a surprise to see it was 'X', an actual clone of him, and the only Manager of Lobotomy Corporation to succeed in his mission.

-"Finally, someone who can focus on something other than telling us every single thought that goes on in their mind.", the labcoat-wearing man commented, massaging his temple. This was just as fun as managing toddlers, for crying out loud. No, scratch that, Lisa could never be this bad.

-"Eh, I was made to focus on a goal.", another good thing about him is that he was also slightly more humble. The bad part about him is that he couldn't praise him much, considering the fact that if he kept praising his clone, it might become just a teeny-tiny bit narcissistic.

-"A-At least...at least you finally reached yours...", Abraham sobbed again, almost breaking down before he spoke again, managing to contain himself rather successfully. Impressive. "Green seven...", he laid down a card, looking at it with teary eyes, as if it was the reason he was constantly near a breakdown.

-"Tell me about it! I had to do the same cycle each time, try and piece together everything, figure out that I'm apparently the worst human alive, and then try and save humanity because the woman I loved entrusted me with it. I'll tell you what, the plan is good and all, but I never lived through what was supposed to guide me! At least you four met Carmen! I met vague memories of her and I still accomplished my goals, only for that smug, robotic piece of-", Ayin's clone complained, laying a hand on his waist.

-"X, please, we agreed I was mostly responsible for Angela's rebellion.", his original version mumbled, trying to diffuse the tension. It was a particularly sensitive subject among them, given that they were, in a sense, culprits in this entire thing, and yet none of them looked too kindly on Angela following her actions. Strangely, only Ayin managed to remain cool-headed in that regard.

-"Yes, you. I didn't even agree to the script and I still did my job! The Sephirahs did, you did, everyone did! Heck, if anyone had the right to rebel, it would've been me, because I had no idea what I was doing and still had to do it!", he yelled back, exasperated. For all his good traits, X was, however, quite upset about the failure of the Seed of Light, or as Adam put it 'salty', whatever that meant.

-"Well, it's good that you didn't. What happened was inevitable, I suppose. But we should've foreseen something! We shouldn't have simply ignored her, eh, Ayin?", the fancy-dressed man eyed his 'complete-self', who gave him  a shrug. "Green two."

-"Ayin's hiding something from us, don't you all think?", Adam suggested, a bit of a dark tone in his voice. "I mean, he shares his thoughts with us all the time about everything he did, but this thing...Well, I'm not one to judge, but perhaps he agrees with me? After all, his darling Angela is perfecting Carmen's plan, and given that Carmen has revealed her true intentions, you cannot deny that you were a fool, Ayin. An idiotic fool who thought he was fulfilling Carmen's ideas when in reality it was I who was accomplishing them.", in retrospect, it was hard to say that no one saw this coming when Adam was 'the insane one', and yet nobody ever talked to Ayin that way, especially not with such a large, smug smile on their face. "Got anything to say, big boy?"

-"UNO!", he yelled, laying down the card in his hand, revealing his deck: a green one with the rest being draw-fours. No matter what he played, he would have won, or at least he would have given the other twelve more cards at least. He didn't seem satisfied with his victory so much as he seemed satisfied with wiping the smugness off Adam's face, at least momentarily.

-"Bloody Hell, Ayin, how do you win so many times?", Abel wondered, scratching his head as he laid down the deck in his hands. This must've been the seventeenth time today.

-"Because I actually focus on my goals."

-"Sure you do. That's why you totally succeeded at fulfilling Carmen's ideal.", the tattooed version spoke up, a devious grin on his face as he found something to say, ignoring his defeat. "Or, is it that you're afraid that you didn't know Carmen? That all this time, you were merely a vessel for me to take hold, and when you stopped me, Carmen stopped loving you? Face the facts, Ayin, she never did, because the one in the Light, distorting people? That's her. Now, don't get too sad, none of us want to see you cry big gu- OHGODHELP!", Adam was not new to these deranging rants where he tried teasing his fellow...uh, selves? Copies? Whatever, he deranged them into yelling or screaming, and yet, he never really touched upon Carmen. Probably because when he did, he had Ayin trying to choke him.

-"Ayin, no!", trying to stop the attempted murder in front of them, X and Abel headed to Adam's help, trying to break the choke his supposed-to-be better self had over him.

-"Ayin, stop! Stop! You're killing yourself, don't do this!", X yelled, looking at Abraham to try and make him care about what was happening. He didn't succeed. While none of them particularly liked Adam, none of them knew what would happen if he died, either. They didn't want to discover killing him caused them severe brain trauma or something.

-"Good. I wanted to commit suicide at one point.", not breaking the choke over the long-haired man, Ayin darkly chuckled as he watched the man under him struggle for air. The moment remained tense, the only thing filling the air being a poetic 'uhsaduuaghurrr' provided by Adam, before the death-grip over him was finally broken when X bit Ayin's arm.

-"Y-You madman! Do you have any idea what you just did?!", not too happy about his near-death experience, Adam began barking at them again, this time earning a reply.

-"Yeah, I won an Uno game and nearly got rid of the single most annoying person I have ever met: Myself.", he answered, planting an accusing index on Adam's nose. "Listen here you egotistical maniac, you may be a part of me, and I'll have you know that I hate myself, but you? You're already dead to me, and if you can't stay calm for the rest of the day while letting me try to play freaking UNO, then I'll do my job in honouring the dead and bury you six feet under.", he threatened, his voice going low while pressing the long-haired man below him's nose further and further. "Capiche?"

-"...Fine..."

-"Good. I'm just a simple man who wants a simple life. I just want to play Uno with my clone and my incomplete selves. I don't expect that simple life, but I do expect you to shut up for at least a day.", the amber-eyed man complained, massaging his temples again as he went back to his sitting place.

-"...Out of curiosity, Ayin, why can we not  play something else, if you feel Uno is...uh, stressing our relationship?", Abel suggested, picking up the various cards they used and tucking them into a neat box they had materialized out of their subconsciousness. "Not that we like each other that much, but not trying to kill each other would be nice."

-"Because I can't play Demons and Darkness without Abraham crying about how we're the real demons and without Adam telling me that the Darkness should engulf everything. I'm starting to wonder if you guys are manifestations of my failures or if you're manifestations of me at sixteen years of age.", came the harsh answer. It's not like they didn't know what Ayin thought of them; they were all him, after all. He had to think about that last sentence for a bit. "...Thinking about it, the two are probably closely related."

-"What about Tic-Tac-Toe?", X suggested, trying to ease the mood as Adam seemed to dispute with Abraham, who was probably telling him how lucky he almost was, in all truthful honestly.

-"Maybe sometime later, I've had it after our thirtieth Uno game for the day. Scientifically speaking, there's a golden balance between wanting to murder who you're playing with and having fun, and we've long passed both.", the original self, started to calm down, locking his hands and trying to put a small, if forced, smile on his lips.

-"Scientifically speaking? According to who?", and yet, it would seem that Abel was not willing to have his moment. Grand.

-"According to me, Abel. I'm the one that's still most related to science.", came the reply, far too calm for a man who just five minutes ago was choking himself.

-"Yeah, but you're not an Uno scient-", he barely stopped himself from replying, but it was too late. Already were the eyes of everyone else in the room fixated on him. Even Abraham stopped sobbing for a second and looked at him with incredulity. 

-"Abel. Are you telling me, that you, distinguished man that you are, want a scientific evidence on Uno, by an Uno scientist?"

-"I-I...What makes you think that in this insane City that we tried to mend, where cannibals roam free and monsters are on every corner, there'd be a limit? Are you saying that you wouldn't believe it if somebody came to you and told you there was an Uno scientist in the City?", already on the back-foot, the fancily-dressed man picked up his cane, trying to ignore what he was about to say. Expecting another round of mockery, however, he received a slow clap.

-"Well played, old man. Well played.", his original self complimented, letting the other 'A's in the room join in on the clapping.

-"Heh, yeah, I...uh...thanks. Ahem, yes, I spent much time thinking about the existence of Uno scientists, so I am well-educated on the matter.", Abel boasted, and when the clapping stopped, he knew that they knew he was starting to pull things from his hair. "Well, regardless, I'm not an old man!", and yet, despite the moment of (relative) accord, he still found something the complain about.

-"You're quite literally a fragment of my mind."

-"Well, yeah, but you're not old yourself. You're barely into your forties!"

-"I'm barely into my WHAT.", X joined in on the fun, turning his head to see his...older self? This whole situation was weird as it is, but whatever it was, he looked at him, a mixture of surprise and anger in his eyes. "When was I supposed to know this?! You looked like you were in your thirties or something! How was I supposed to know that?", he cried out, extending his hands in front of him as he waited for an answer.

-"I mean, why would that matter, anyways? Who cares about my age?", the lab-coat wearing man pondered, somewhat lost here.

-"I do! Think about my existential crisis when I don't know my own age but know how horrible of a human being I am! Think of- How old is Carmen?", never before had Ayin seen such capability to change both the tone and the question at hand so quickly before. So quickly it was as if they skipped a few seconds, and it slightly scared them.

-"About the same age as you.", Abel gave the answer, looking just as confused about this.

-"Okay, good, because I really didn't want to find out that she was a hundred and fifty years old all along because she was a dragon or something.", ah, X. Having only (technically) lived fifty days, he still retained most of his sense of humour, unlike the chucklesmucks in front of him. Well, why not humour him some more.

-"I mean, c'mon, X, would that really make you reconsider falling for her?", Ayin took it upon him to humour him, and instead of laughing, his doppelgänger stayed silent for a moment, a look of fear plastered all over his face.

-"...I don't know, and it terrifies me to see that there's nothing in my memories to suggest it would...Was I...uh, were dragons my...?", and for the first time in what seemed like hours, the small office they were all seated in exploded into laughter for a moment. Well, except for Abraham. He was still depressed. Then again, all of them were. They just could laugh at some things, unlike him.

-"No, don't worry. You weren't into dragons. You are a bit of a masochist, however.", Ayin comforted his clone, trying to give him his best smile. He lost the warm ones he had in the past, but to be honest, the weak smile he gave him now made the disgusted reaction on the other man's face all the better.

-"Why are you determined to make me hate myself?"

-"Welcome to our lives. Enjoy your stay. Besides, is it really that bad when no one else knows?", hey, it was true. To be able to live and laugh in the City, everyone had some sort of thing that made them go through their lives. Obviously, something that remained a secret for a very, very long time.

-"I just learned about it!"

-"Well, yeah, but you're me. Is it telling someone else if that someone is yo-"

-"Stop. I just finished playing Uno for about ten hours and I'm not about to hear the philosophy of the fact that the only people who I can call my friends are also me.", the calmer of them raised an open hand in his partners-in-exisence's faces, trying to calm himself down.

-"We're your friends?!", Abel repeated, something between unbelieving and touched. The clone merely contented by nodding, not in the mood to argue over anything, apparently, and sitting on a seat which he styled out of the various books in this office. They were almost all gibberish, as they had discovered, and the ones that weren't were...let's say, as interesting as the diet of a slug could possibly be.

-"I'd tell you I'm sorry, but you know we can't really play anything else because some people just can't let us have fun.", Ayin spoke up, heading to his proper desk. It was a plain one, with a regular office chair and a few books on it. The only thing of interest on it was Carmen's portrait, dug out of his mind and materialized as a small luxury during this torture. Adam gave him a snide look from his seat next to Abraham, which the original self ignored.

-"We could play without them, you know?"

-"And leave Adam to his own devices? I may be a madman, but I'm not stupid."

-"Okay, fine, let's...I don't know, tell me more about myself.", X demanded, slightly exasperated, as he did want to do something. Just not more Uno. "Yourself, whatever. I'm not going to stay here not knowing who I am in the first place!", he explained, narrowing his eyes a bit towards his original and earning the attention of all the other selves. 

-"And what do you want to know?", demanded the amber-eyed man, somewhat intrigued to see what he'd ask. What would one want to know about one's self, after all?...This 'different-selves-but-one' thing had worn his brain out from how much he needed to think about it.

-"I don't...I don't know! Who was I? So far, I'm told that I was the worst man alive; I tortured my sentient AI, I murdered thousands to walk over them and manage to complete my loved one's goal, but who was I before that? I couldn't have been born a monster. I couldn't have.", he repeated, perhaps less out of conviction and out of a need to convince himself and his original self. "I mean, I must've been somewhat intelligent. Did I learn languages?", he asked, trying to feel the air around him.

X was the most independent of the four Ayin had summoned. He wasn't exactly a part of Ayin, unlike the others, and yet he was also the most clueless of them, as it was clear he hadn't tried extracting his memories, despite the fact that since he was essentially a carbon copy, which meant he must've had the memories down there somewhere. In another time, this curiosity and ignorance would've annoyed Ayin. Now it only served to remind him of how things were back before it all went downhill. Back when they were all happy together. So, so happy...

-"I don't know. Why don't you try and figure out?", well, that certainly could've came out better. Note to self: Don't talk to your clone while reminiscing of the good old times. Still, X seemed to have taken it more as a challenge and less as a mockery, which, again, wasn't all that surprising considering the whole 'Five-yet-one' sort of deal they had.

It took a moment of (presumably) rummaging through whatever memories he had in his mind, trying his earnest to remember a language or some such thing, his eyes tightening, all the other 'A's in the room remaining silent, also somewhat curious to know what he'd find. And then, in a moment of curiosity, Ayin figured out what he'd find. Oh no. Not even a second later, his carbon-copy started messing with his mouth, making a sophisticated, complex manoeuvre, trying to get the optimal pronunciation. Oh dear God, no.

-"La baguette au fromage, Monsieur?", the words that came from his mouth were certainly words, but they weren't a sentence. "Ma chérie, ma douce chérie...Belle come la lune qui réfléchit sur un lac clair...Carmen, tes yeux m'enchantent, comme les roses du printemps. Je ne peux plus garder ces émotions à moi-même, je veux que tu-"

-"Stop.", okay, that was a sentence. All that was left was for him to have a thick, well maintained moustache, a baguette under his arm and someone in the background loudly saying 'Hon hon hon!' and he'd look straight out of an area under Cinq Association's rule. Cue the accordions.

-"...Was that French? Why would I learn French?", it's not that French wasn't a nice language, it was that he, as X, probably couldn't remember a moment in his life where he needed it. And even if he searched, he wouldn't find it; "...I was trying to impress Carmen? Did she like it?", he would however, find that memory before Ayin could explain it. Typical.

-"I don't know. Never got around to telling her. I just thought she might appreciate a new thing. Or find it funny.", the original self explained, shrugging, trying to remain expressionless.

-"...J-Just another thing I...I...couldn't tell her. Of course. Because I'm a coward!", if there's anything surprising about Abraham's words, it was that he spat that last word with so much hate. Hate wasn't a new thing to any of them, but Abraham in particular was always about depression. Good for him; always try new negative emotions without trying to vent or deal with them appropriately. It's what Ayin always used to say.

-"...There's a bloody lot of things I never managed to tell her, huh?", the clone in the room noted, his voice a bit upset as moved his hand across his marked cheek. "I wonder how many I'll find if I search a bit better?"...yeah, that was probably a rhetorical question. Probably. Ayin liked to think that his clone knew what he'd find, because if it's going to be his first time, then the three hours of daily crying were going to be extended a bit.

-"I don't know. Why don't you find out?"

-"Do it!", the overly-energetic, high-pitched tone of Adam suddenly intruded on their chat. When his original self didn't turn to try and kick his teeth into his stomach, he continued, "Find the truth! Search your mind and yourself, and you'll find what she truly wanted and meant!", of course. He shut his mouth after his better-self gave him a glare. In truth nobody knew why, exactly, going insane and tattooing himself gave him a higher pitch, but nobody questioned it, either.

-"...Whew. That's a lot of memories with no context. Uh...", taking the advice, X started rummaging through his mind a bit more, the man seated the desk-chair in front of him leaning back in his seat, trying to relax a bit. What could he find that he didn't know, anyways? "Um...Ayin? Why do I have Anime inside my head?" 

If you gave Ayin a kick in the guts, he still wouldn't have spat as far as he did. Ah, to have been drinking something at that instant. Well, that was something he found. It wasn't too terrible; it wasn't some dark, repressed memory. It was just Anime. They all knew about this. All but X. Here's hoping he'd be understanding.

-"Aw, is Ayyyyyyin a bit embarrassed that he likes cutesy feel-good anime?", ah, Adam. If killing him didn't have the chance of having serious consequences, he'd have been skinned and used as book coverings a long, looooooong while ago. X gave him a questioning look as he kept looking at the magical girl show in his mind.

-"I-It was...Carmen's favourite childhood show. I watched it out of...curiosity. Because I wanted to know more about my...my l-love's interests...", came the answer from Abraham. Depressed as ever, it was one of the rare times he gave a direct, honest answer.

-"Alright, and what about the other ones?", surprisingly, he wasn't mocking so much as he was curious. "There's a whole lot of...uh, family stuff and the like. It doesn't look bad, but, again: Why?"

-"It's...It's mostly Carmen's show though. And most of the stuff I watched had good plot.", Ayin...defended himself? Again, sure, they were all him to an extent, but it still didn't make this any more fun. 

-"The others things he watched were just pure fluff-fests.", Adam chimed in, a teasing tone in his voice. One that was replaced with a shrill screech as his original self materialized a knife and threw it at him. It wasn't easy to summon things here in comparison to the other Librarians' floors, probably as a result of Angela's handy-work, but Ayin could always make an exception for his wonderful little insane self. He turned back to the confused man seated on the book throne.

-"You-We...I just needed some stress relief, alright?!", deep breaths, Ayin. This was you. You're just admitting to yourself. No need to be embarrassed. "I had so much on me during Carmen's days; I was the handy-man, the logistics-man, and I also helped with the research. And since I had the whole 'no emotions' thing so that Carmen's wouldn't catch onto me, I needed a way to vent. Just...something to relax, okay? And that's not mentioning everything I did after her death. It wouldn't have been a big loss, sure, but killing myself would've probably ruined the whole Seed of Light plan.", he laid a hand on his face, trying to wash away any sort of embarrassment.

-"And that's why you memorize every word of some opening songs?"

-"Oh, that. No, they're just inherently catchy.", alright, that was something he could admit with no problems. After all, he didn't choose to keep remembering the stupidly catchy tone of that magical girl show. It wasn't his fault. For once.

-"Really? I mean, sure, it's fun but...but...", the mixture of confusion, annoyance, and realization on X's face was something to behold. "W-Why can't I get rid of it?! Why is it constantly looping in my mind?!", and that was fear. Unexpected, but equally hilarious.

-"What? It's an ear-worm. Don't tell me you never-", oh, duh. Of course he'd never experience an ear-worm, he spent his fifty days of existence listening to the cries of the employees, the lives of the Seprhiahs and to how horrible of a human being he was. "Uh...don't worry, it'll go away. Eventually."

-"Ahhh, that brings back memories.", Abel mumbled, having made a chair for himself with the books. His was covered with the various leather coverings of the books, mostly for comfort's sake. "Don't sweat it, X. I'm...I'm not sure of anything I say, but you'll come to like it at one point. We all did.", he comforted the 'youngest' of them. Again, age stuff was confusing, but considering he was the last of them to exist, since technically Ayin and his selves were all there at some point and he was cloned later so...It just works, okay?!

-"Y-Yeah...it's not so...bad...", even Abraham agreed, a shadow of a smile on his face, though one that was a weak and fragile. 

-"GET IT OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!", of course, however, Adam would disagree. Indeed, the long-haired man was crying out, apparently also stuck with the ear-worm. "OUTOUTOUTOUT I WANT IT OUT! STOP IT!", he banged his head on the floor, both cracking it and causing his head to let out a few bloodstreams. His violent behaviour was stopped when a gag appeared on his face, making him utter a few 'Hmmmmm!'s from behind it.

-"You can pretend you hate it as much as you want, Adam. But we all liked it at one point.", Ayin absently mumbled, not even turning his head towards the man that was now occupied with trying to free his mouth. If he had to thank him for one thing, it was that he really made summoning object easier. "X?"

-"Yeah?"

-"That's enough searching in my mind for today."

-"But it's mine too-"

-"I'm telling you this for your own good. Check that one in your mind and try to figure out if you'd lie to yourself in a moment like this.", he firmly opposed, watching as the x-branded man found nothing suspicious. "Not today, even, but just...just for the moment, okay? I don't know what you'll find in what order, but let's just calm down for a moment and try to do something else.", he suggested, looking at the clone with a mixture of sympathy and regret. "I don't think there's much more fun stuff you'll find."

-"What about that one time you nose-bled on Carmen so hard the stains never got out?"

-"NOW LISTEN HERE YOU STUPID PIECE OF HUMAN MIND!", oh. Whoops, he'd prepared a knife and was just about to throw it Abel. He was so used to Adam being the insufferable one that it didn't cross his mind the others could be just as annoying. Deep breaths...Deep breaths...remember what you wanted, Ayin...no more murder. No more murder . Deep breaths. "...Yes, Abel, that was a fun memory, but you should have this teeny-tiny thing called tact when you bring it up.", he pocketed the knife to throw it at Adam whenever the timing was right.

-"Yes, X, there are some other things, but for the moment, we'll stop because we don't want to stumble upon how I turned my friends and the only people who cared about me into robots and then forced a sentient AI to do some horrible stuff, yeah?", he tried calming himself, sensing X's reaction. He seemed expressionless, but so did Ayin most of the time. He knew better; there were bite marks on his bottom lip. He bit down on it when Ayin wasn't looking to avoid bursting into laughter; it was trademark move of the original self, he couldn't miss it.

-"And that's it? That's all I get to know about myself? French and Anime? The two don't even go together!"

-"I'll have you know some French dubs are superior to even the original voice acting.", the amber-eyed scientist answered back, not without a tone of dignity before realizing what he was saying. "Well, yes. That's all you get to know for now. What else could you want to know, anyways? I told you the broad picture in the Corporation. The only thing you'll find if you search is more pain.", admittedly, it wasn't so much for X's sake that Ayin was dissuading him from searching; it was for the original self's sake. He didn't know if he could handle rewatching everything he did.

-"Well...I'd like to know why I fell in love with Carmen in the first place.", God damn it, X. Always finding something that wasn't illogical and yet he knew bothered Ayin. "I couldn't have simply bumped her in the street and then followed her. You say that you were happy together, but I don't even know what that means!", he argued, a frown distorting the 'x' on his cheek as his muscles moved.

-"It's a long story, buddy. And I'm not certain you'd want Ayin to be peeved, X.", Abel warned, picking up his cane and putting it between his seated legs, as if he anticipated having to get up at any instant.

-"Then give me the second best thing, then.", the clone demanded, something between determination and hesitation in his voice.

-"What're you up to, X?"

-"What are you up to? I wouldn't be thinking this way if you didn't want to.", it wasn't entirely true; throughout the journeys in Lobotomy Corporation, X had become something a separate entity. A different life experience and a different way of life, but yet so close in thinking. So close in values. So close in that he also liked Anime and spoke French.

-"You want to know the secret to baking the prefect bread loaf?", alright, it was a terrible joke, but it eased the mood a bit.

-"Who were you before Carmen, Ayin?", not that it mattered really, it just tensed up again. So, what would he do now? After all, he was had. By his own self, nonetheless.

-"Me? A regular man with no real ambitions. I liked the sun and the grass, and I just hoped to see them a bit more. I also had problems with my nose bleeding a little too hard when I'm nervous."

-"Or when he was too embarrassed by Carmen."

-"That too. I also liked Demons and Darkness.", he'd stall, that's what he'd do. He wasn't under pressure by anyone. He had all the time in the world to think about himself later. For now, he'd just let himself rest; he'd done enough thinking in the Corporation.

-"Aw. No love for Tic-Tac-Toe?"

-"You don't really love it, do you? You just want to write your name as many times as possible.", Ayin reproached with fake disappointment. "Besides, only two can play it."

-"And?", his doppelgänger replied trying to go for a stern look before dropping it. "Yeah, I can't dig myself out of that one, can I?", he admitted, emitting a chuckle. "Guess that's it, huh? French and Anime. Better than nothing, I suppose."

-"It is. Now, everyone, how about a game of Demons and Darkness?", Ayin suggested, trying to change the mood of the room as he caught everyone's attention.

-"Really? Are you...sure about this?", the fancy-themed self spoke up, a bit on the unsure side. "You know...Given the whole-"

-"W-Why play wh-when...sniff, the real demons are...are here!", and there it was. The same bloody sentence Abraham would wail whenever the name was even mentioned. All that  was left was Adam.

-"Pfffft, and play a game that pretends Darkness is the bad thin-"

-"Shhhh.", Ayin's voice never really managed to be sweet, but this time he made it sickeningly so. "Shhhhhhh. We're going to play and you're going to join us and we'll all clump happily or else I'll lose my mind from playing UNO!", he yelled, a strange anger in his voice. It wasn't often people could hate card-games with a passion. It wasn't often people could hate Uno with such a passion. But somehow, against all the odds, he'd managed to do so after his endless games of it. His endless games with himselves.

He focused his mind, summoning a box with 'DnD' written on it. In truth, he didn't really know what his mind chose; he played several versions in the past. He just hoped this wasn't the hip-hop version. Some things are just too more frightening to be experienced more than once. He took the box and walked to the small ring they'd carved for themselves on the floor, carpeted with the softest, smoothest leather they found.

-"Okay so...uh, I never played Demons and Darkness before, so if anyone would tell me how to play...", X started, only to be cut off by the boisterous laughing of his peers. "Yeah, I don't know what I expected. I'd have done the same."

-"I'm choosing the human class!", Ayin declared, opening the board and setting it down as he picked some cards and the dice.

-"Boring. You honestly attempt to recreate your travesty of a plan throughout every DnD game we play, you whelp. I, Adam, enlightened with Carmen's great ideal, am determined to completing her ideal, even in play! I shall choose a necromancer to represent the purity behind what idiots like you consider-"

-"Yeah, you'll be talking big once my human outdoes your necromancer and ends his reign because he was too busy monologuing. Honestly, did you even bother reading The Evil Overlord List once?", Ayin brushed him off, trying to start off this particular journey optimistically. It's been a while since they last played something he actually enjoyed. Again, Uno wasn't particularly bad, but he'd been playing it for a month since Angela made her Library. Enough was enough.

-"How dare you, you whelp! I'll have you know my necromancer can become a master of demons! He can transcend his petty humanity and embrace the true form of a demon! You dare belittle my grand scheme to bring Carmen's plan to-"

-"Yeesh, weren't you speaking a little normally before?", Abel complained, getting the tattooed man to glare at him with daggers in his eyes. "I'm choosing a knight. Abraham?"

-"...H-Homeless man...I won't hurt many people th-then...", he chose, picking up his proper dice and letting a tear run down his cheek. Everyone else averted their eyes, clearly uncomfortable at his -their- tragedy. X, however, had a questioning look in his eyes.

-"He means he'll start with nothing.", Ayin explained, preparing the game and setting the board. "You?"

-"M-Me?! What do I- Uh, decisions, I...I...uh, is there some scripted character I can choose?", he asked, earning a raised eye-brow. "Fine, I'll pick human. I better have chose correctly here, I don't want to see Elijah dying because I picked the wrong choice. I always picked the wrong choice...", he mumbled, and that raised eyebrow became two.

-"What do you mean 'wrong choice'? I didn't give you a choice, it was a memory.", the original self asked, earning the unbelieving look he was delivering back as he sat in a comfortable position.

-"You mean...I only had one choice? That's...relieving, actually. All this time I thought the three choices were different. Thought my memories were bugged since I'm a clone...or something.", the copy replied, scratching the back of his neck. "Thinking about it, I should've figured this one out sooner, since if I did save them, I wouldn't have been suppressing them in the first place...", he realized, staring into the nothingness as he pondered both the incredible meaning and the useless utility of his realization.

-"Well that must've been fun.", the lab-coat wearing scientist sardonically added-on. Hey, he knew himself well enough; he'd always berate himself and not be sympathetic towards himself. He spend millennia in his office in the Architecture Team berating himself. He would know better.

-"Wh- Hey! This board is based on Lobotomy Corporation!", the fancier of the five announced, noticing the overall theme of the board. Indeed, if the horrifying drawing of Nothing There on the corner of the board didn't give it off, the fact that the board itself was designed like a vertical layout of a branch of The Corporation did. "Even the cards are Lobotomy Corporation themed! We're...apparently clearing them of the monsters after they collapsed to protect The City? I didn't know you played this.", he continued his discovery, slowly moving his eyes to eye his original self.

-"I didn't. I only wanted an interesting DnD game and- Oh.", the realization dawned on him. "I must've somehow tapped into my subconsciousness and created something I wanted using the Light. Interesting. We'll see how much I can mess with that.", he tapped his chin, a smile drawing on his face. 

-"Well, either way you've doomed yourselves, you idiots! I win! Abnormalities can never be killed! I'll immediately win! Oh! OOOOH! OOOOOOH YES!", Adam cried out, his pupils becoming smaller and his voice becoming more and more high-pitched. He was practically vibrating at this point and was far too into this. It was borderline inappropriate.

-"Okay, then we knock them out and put them in our pockets.", his better-self brushed it off, trying to start this game on a positive note. But, unfortunately, it would seem Adam forgot about staying silent for this day.

-"Are you DAFT?! YOU CANNOT CONTAIN ABNORMALITIES! Abnromalities are our true form, hidden because we fear our nakedness, and Carmen's original idea, which you idiots are trying to-", he started ranting again, only this time, Ayin's hand was quicker than Adam's words, and the knife in his pocket shot straight into the white-haired man's chest.

At first, there was silence. Everyone held in their breaths, unable to believe what just happened. Adam then screamed. A guttural scream of pain that soon turned to hatred as he started bleeding. And everyone else screamed. Everyone but Ayin. It was a chaotic moment, with much panic from everyone for various reasons ('No! I wanted to be the one to kill him!'), but then, the wound started closing. Adam's cries suddenly calmed down, and so did everyone else's, replaced with stunned silence.

-"Huh. That's what I can do when I mess with my subconsciousness. Neato.", the amber-eyed scientist noted, the smile on his face growing larger and more devilish by the instant. "We can have so much fun this game.", he added, and Adam returned with a hateful frown.

-"Do you think you can break me?"

-"Oh, I don't think, me, I know."

-"God, that was so cheesy and yet so epic. We need to note that down on the list of good come-backs.", X commented, something of a 'hype-smile' as the kids these days called it drawn on his face.

-"You know, X, when you comment on how good your come-back is, it becomes significantly worse. And since you are me...you get the idea, don't you?", Ayin reproached, and his clone nodded, perhaps for the first time in a long while, insightfully. As if he somehow learned something.

-"Well that was interesting. I'm going to form my own party with Abraham this game.", Abel stated, not that fazed by the near-murder attempt that happened; they knew Ayin didn't want to kill any more. Well, that was a lie, he wanted to kill Adam, but he couldn't bring himself to cause more death.

-"Th-The broken man and the man too afraid to go forward...poetic..."

-"Nah, not really. What about you, Ayin?"

-"Yep, I'm making my human team with X.", he stated, turning his head to the clone. "Oh, there's also teams in this game. Do you want to be in my team?"

-"...Sure, I suppose. Onward, Sir Ayin! Let us embark on a treacherous journey to stop the STUPID IDIOTIC AI ANGELA WHO RUINED ALL OF OUR HARD WORK AND-", again, X's near-instant mood changes were a wonder of the ages. To anyone but the four men in this room; their mood wasn't much better. "Ahem, sorry, let us embark on a fun journey!", he apologized, trying to sense the mood.

Adam was certainly a bit motivated now with all the hate inside him, planning to defeat his opponents no matter the cost. Abel and Abraham were a neutral pair, and X and Ayin were trying to play the big heros. And Ayin could freely throw knives now. This was already shaping to be a better game than any UNO game they had thus far.

-"Well, Gentlemen,", Ayin started, the cards in his hands, "Shall we begin?"

Chapter Text

-"I don't get this idiocy! Why must I sleep when I am a being of The Light Carmen made to awaken humanity?!", in the dark, dank depths of Keter's office in the Library of Ruina, you wouldn't expect Adam to be yelling at Ayin from under some leather covers, made by stitching together hundreds of leather book covers. And yet, here he was, tattooed arm, insufferable personality, and the will to argue against every single bloody order he was given.

-"Because I will not tolerate you idiots staying up for twenty-four hours straight while I have to put up with it! I may sleep too, but I deserve some alone time in my waking without you turning it into a nightmare.", his original self replied, his eyes as annoyed as ever, but with a hint of happiness in them.

-"Aw, come on, Ayin, today was loads of fun! I don't think I've played a game of DnD like this ever since Benjamin left us...", Abel interjected, a smile on his face as he sat on his proper bed, made with some leather and the softest papers they could find. "Couldn't you summon some pillows for us?", he added, his smile fading a bit as his discomfort started to show; paper, all things considered, was not made to be slept on.

-"Beats me; my summoning power slightly dampened. Maybe I shouldn't have summoned so many knives today...", the normal-looking man answered, mumbling under his breath 'freaking Angela...' as he tried focusing, imagining a comfortable pillow and trying to summon it. He wasn't succeeding but he wasn't failing thus far.

-"Y-Yeah....I-I couldn't believe I had...fun...I shouldn't be having fun after all I did...", Abraham used the moment of silence to...complain? Note? Whatever it is, he looked at the floor, likely disappointed with himself.

-"Yeah! The way you gathered your beat-up equipment and went to get swallowed by Nothing There only to rip your way back out?! Abraham, buddy, there was a very high probability you wouldn't have survived that and you still did!", X joined in from near Ayin's desk, where he had moved his chair.

He was sorting books, trying to find some that would seem like a fun read. Assuming they weren't all gibberish. He found two; 'Fauna of The City' and 'Dealing with Tragic Trauma Of Your Loved One Dying and Leaving Her Work in Your Hands, Forcing You to Commit Terrible Deeds: A Guide'. Sure, most were gibberish, but some were incredibly detailed. And would've been nice to have in The Corporation. The book seemed to almost spite them.

-"I...I wasn't planning on surviving...", came the answer as the man with the unkempt hair tucked himself under the leather sheets, sighing.

-"Ah. That makes more sense.", Ayin's clone nodded, returning to his books. At that instant, the real Ayin let out a sigh of relief as a large, comfortable looking pillow 'poof'-ed into his hands.

-"There you go. Now go to sleep and be grateful that you can have good memories of this day.", the man in the lab-coat announced as he threw the pillow at his more hesitant self, returning to his desk as the other man hummed appreciatively; the floor wasn't too kind on his bones. Which, again, was strange since he was still in his forties, but perhaps the sins he was carrying on his back tired him a little.

-"I don't understand why X gets to stay awake!", Adam cried out, outraged about this grave injustice. "You say you're trying to get rid of our annoyances, you knife throwing madman, and yet he stays awake?! Am I supposed to believe that?", he interrogated, pointing with disdain at the man seated on the book throne, who tried to bury himself further into his book, trying to appear as if he was not there.

-"He's sorting books, Adam. Even you enjoy a good book during our down-time from the endless games we play.", the amber-eyed man explained, making himself comfortable on his desk chair. "He'll join you sometime, if that's what you're worried about."

-"Yeah, right. And what forces me to sleep, anyway?", the long-haired man challenged, and Abel, though apparently asleep, managed to incorporate a grunt from his sleep. The answer was another knife that Ayin had in his pocket. "You'll kill me to sleep? How's that supposed to work?!"

-"Adam.", Ayin started, trying to maintain all the jolly fun they had today in Demons and Darkness. "Go to sleep.", he ordered with all the sternness he had in him. All the sternness and courage he mustered from managing the Abnormalities before delegating that role to X. And surprisingly, it seemed to work, as Adam pulled the covers and mumbled something under his breath, his head turned towards his complete-self, staring at him, as if refusing to sleep.

This staring contest lasted for approximately ten minutes before the tattooed man finally started giving in to sleep. They didn't need to sleep, as they were beings of the Light, after all, but in the right circumstances, they could always fall asleep. The mumblings of the insane man, probably cursing his human weaknesses, were the last thing uttered before his eyes closed.

-"He can be childish at times, can't he?", X commented, still in his book.

-"You're one to talk, Mr.I-Want-To-Know-More-About-Myself. I'm not one to talk either, but I'll give you one thing, those tattoos are hideous. It's like a teenager trying to rebel before he realizes he probably didn't like tattoos in the first place.", the amber-eyed man answered, trying to gauge if Adam was really asleep. If he wasn't, he'd have gotten up and started a fight.

Ayin didn't remember when he discovered they could still sleep. Probably during his first week here when he was still depressed about his plan failing. It was a necessary step, but it wasn't easy. He first suggested it to his selves -or, more accurately, ordered it- during his second week, when the rabble was just too much for him to handle. When they gave in, he felt like this was heaven. He wasn't entirely alone, and yet, he had calm. This was like he was back with Carmen in his old office.

Carmen...

-"Yeah, I suppose I can't talk. So, this is my reward for helping you win against Adam in our DnD game."

-"Yes, the reward which you requested. I hope you'll savour it, because I doubt I'll do it out of my own free will anytime soon..."

-"Oh, then it just means we must win more DnD games!", X concluded, trying to give his original self a smile, one he didn't return. "Aw. Don't be so cold, Ayin. I only requested you give me more information about Carmen, y'know? I thought you loved the woman.", he tried sounding hurt, laying his book on Ayin's desk and scooting his throne a bit close. Normally, this would be difficult, but with the power of sheer luck, determination, and duct-tape, they taped it together for ease of transport.

-"It is precisely for that reason why I'm unhappy with our arrangement.", the 'older' of the two explained, sighing. "You're too inquisitive, X. You're too curious. You always know a good mystery when you see one. You're too much like the man I hate most: Me.", he reprimanded, not earning a reaction from the his doppelgänger.

-"I assume that's how you two met? You bumped into her on the street while she was running away and you felt some inherent gravity drag you towards her?", the clone asked, putting his arm on the desk in an interrogatory manner. It didn't help much, as the person he was interrogating simply laughed.

-"You're much too naïve, X. Those happy meetings aren't as common as you might expect. It went more along the lines of...well, how about I show you?', Ayin proposed, intriguing the other. "I'll share some memories with you. Go into your mind. Maybe it'll help you understand a bit.

X relaxed his body into his throne, looking at his original copy suspiciously, trying to sense any potential betrayal. When there was none, he slowly sunk into his mind, alongside the amber-eyed man, who closed his own eyes and searched for memories, digging them up.

-"You're much too naïve, Carmen.", a familiar voice said, something of a pitying tone in his voice. The memory was somewhere in the Backstreets. The filthy streets told X as much as he needed to know. The people, some holding hands with their loved ones, some walking angrily, some spouting obscenities...it was an all-too-familiar sensation.

The Ayin that was talking was nothing like the one he was. The one he knew; now he seemed much more lively, even if the stranger wouldn't know, X felt his eyes emit more life. His posture was more straightened, and the belittling smile he gave Carmen was much more enthusiastic.

Speaking of which, his crush was standing atop a dirty wooden crate, looking down to meet the eyes of the man who was talking to her. She was just like in his memories; shining, bright, lively...If there's one thing he remembered well, it seemed to be her. Her eyes looked even more beautiful somehow, as if the dullness of the Backstreets made her shine more. She must've stopped her usual speeches when Ayin walked up to her.

-"You're not the first, nor are you going to be the last, to try and awaken people from their sweet dreams. You're passionate, Carmen, but I've been following your speeches for a while now, and you're not getting much traction. Do you believe people will follow you? Better yet, do you believe this isn't some sort of madness which you're afflicted by?", he continued talking, something of concern in his eyes. Interesting. So it wasn't love at first sight. In retrospect, that should've been obvious.

-"Well, that may be true...I'm not particularly pretty, and my voice isn't the most pleasant, and perhaps I'm underestimating some stuff...But I know I can make a change! You know it too, don't you? This sickness that's spreading throughout the City? The sickness where no one dreams anymore, no one even cares...We can make a change if we even acknowledge the futility of this way of living! To better the City forever!", she replied, still brimming with energy and trying to gather a crowd. It seemed some young, old, or other folks of the backstreets listened to her, smiling at her innocence or her ideal.

-"Carmen, do you honestly think you'd have survived if you went to more dangerous areas? You're lucky you're in Zwei's section.", her contender scoffed, shaking his head. "There have been countless others before you who said the same things, only for it to become a dangerous syndicate or, worse, end up as a pacifist group that is instantly murdered.", he recounted, trying to dissuade the woman in front of him. "You're still young. Did you come fresh out of the Nest? If you go back in, you'll find a good job as a public speaker with your skills."

-"I do not care about the Nest! I care about humanity! The one we buried deep in neglect, which we can bring back through our effort! Perhaps I know not of Backstreet pains, but I know the ones in the Nest far too well.", she argued back, annoying him further.

-"And what will that knowledge benefit you? You cannot simply change the world with words. Your words will be another stepping stone for some gut-harvester at this rate.", he answered back, somewhat bitter. "I know more about the pains of the Nest then you'll ever do, and you cannot start a movement by yourself. Where are your Fixers? Your workers? You truly think you'll rise in the ranks on this barrel?!", he mocked, earning a few laughs from the crowd, who started dispersing bit by bit.

-"That may be true, but even the weak can cut down heads with their strong-will! Maybe even cut down The Hea-"

-"Are you DAFT?!", the man under her climbed the barrel, putting his hand on her mouth. "Do not, under any circumstance, mention their names, even as a joke! Their Eyes know no bounds, and you cannot fight them by yourself! Listen to me, Carmen. Listen to a man who's seen much more than he should've.", he kept trying to convince her, putting his hand away as people started leaving, some running away at the mere mention of the Head.

-"...Why did you protect me?", she asked, her eyes confused. "If you wanted them to make a note of me, you'd have left me to say their names. Why not?", she tilted her head. This woman was going to die in three weeks, tops.

-"Because I'd hate to see another soul with some hope die in vain. Your best hope is to become a Fixer in an association and enforce your ideal, Carmen. You simply don't have the people who can help you on your side.", he turned his back on her, walking away and letting her think of his words.

-"You seem to know much about the City, Mister.", she yelled from behind him, and he stopped. "Why didn't you try to change it?", because I'm part of the problem, is what he wanted to say. What he wanted to yell, so that all the City could hear it. A man like him would make a terrible messenger; he didn't have the life he saw behind her red eyes.

-"I can't. I'm also a single man. I cannot change the City, Carmen. Even if I were to obtain this strong will you claim, those around me will start chopping each other's heads off the moment the main threat is gone. You need a plan, lots of logistics, and a group for these things. You have none.", he answered, a mixture of indifference and distaste in his voice. He turned back to continue walking when someone grabbed his arm and turned him around.

-"Mister, will you join me?"

-"I'm sorry?"

-"I said: will you join me?", she repeated, her eyes beaming and her smile as wide as ever. The dumbfounded expression he gave her was soon replaced with a laugh.

-"Do you think I can help you?! I can't help myself! You're dooming your project by having me on board, Carmen.", he continued laughing, unable to stop himself, as if he had just heard the funniest thing ever.

-"Well, I'm willing to take that risk.", she defiantly stated, staring into his eyes, and his laughing suddenly stopped. "You do not seem as if you're preoccupied with much, Mister. Why not join me? You can always leave if you ever want to.", she added, and his eyes narrowed a bit. "Maybe we can't change the world, but we can sure try."

-"Stop calling me Mister.", he demanded, shaking her hand off his shoulder. She smiled further. "Why are you always smiling? What's so nice?", irritated, the man started growing more confused and annoyed.

-"Oh, nothing.", she answered, her smile wearing off. "I just thought that my smiles could make someone's day better. I'm sorry if I made it worse, Mister.", she apologized. He tried to seem grateful when the smile wore off her face, but in truth, he'd never seen such a brilliant smile. It pained him to see it go away.

-"I told you to stop calling me Mister!"

-"Oh, sorry. What's your name?", his...name? It's...it's been so long since someone asked for that information. It's been so long since he asked himself. Under her constant niceties, his memory worked.

-"I'm...My name is Ayin."

-"Oh, that's a pretty name! I've never heard such a name before, Ayin!", he didn't know if she was merely mocking him or if she was truly being nice, and that bothered him. He wasn't a foreigner to Nest life, but he wasn't a newcomer to the Backstreets, either. He should've known if she was sincere or not.

-"Thanks...I guess...", he averted his gaze, looking at nothing in particular.

-"Well, are you going to join me or not?"

-"That's not for me to decide. Do you want me to ruin your life or not?", he turned the question back to her, a sarcastic and unpleasant tone in his voice. She didn't smile, but she wore a soft expression.

-"I'm willing to take the risk.", she extended a hand, and he looked at it for a while. He'd failed many people in his life. He'd know better; he failed himself. And yet...he wanted to believe...to have hope that he could inspire people to be better than him, in a sense. He didn't have much to care for now, anyways. Even if the Head found out about him, at least he can die doing something useful. He just hoped this wasn't some cult, but he saw those before, and this wasn't like one. 

He took a deep breath and shook her hand, and her expression suddenly became a lot more natural.

-"Oh, wow. My first colleague! I never thought I'd get this far. It's nice to have someone behind me for once!", she happily spoke, and the expression he gave her told her he wasn't expecting this.

-"Huh. Never thought you'd be able to speak like a normal person. I guess I didn't make the wrong choice."

-"Hey, that's mean! I tried my best, y'know, these speeches aren't easy to make!", she argued back, and he shrugged. "The least you could do is try to seem interested, you know? I know you joined this because you think I'll kill myself, but I won't! Trust me, I have a plan!", she assured him, and he eyed her before speaking:

-"Do you have any place outside of the Head's reach?", he asked, trying to skim over the word 'Head' like it's taboo. Her expression became concerned.

-"Should I have something like this?"

-"Oh, Carmen...We're going to have much to discuss...", he facepalmed. Of course she wouldn't have some place away from The Head's reach. Who did? Only Colours knew how to hide from The Head. Well, Colours and their associates. 

-"Indeed.", she smiled, and this time, the smile felt completely natural. "Like your favourite food! Do you like doughnuts? I love doughnuts! I especially love them when they're filled with chocolate and covered with caramel...Ooooh, that's the good stuff...Do you want to get doughnuts?", she speedily spoke, almost startling the man beside her.

-"I do-oooon't want any. I'm speaking on a 'What I can do' sort of deal.", he stopped himself; it'd be bad if anyone knew he was a fan of sugary things, especially the woman he just met who claimed she had a solution to the terrible happenings in the City.

-"Oh. I get it. Well, we can talk about that later! Do you have anyone else you can bring?", she asked, enthusiasm radiating throughout her. It didn't radiate enough to faze Ayin, however. Or so it seemed.

-"...Yeah, I have a friend called Benjamin. I'll see if he wants to join.", he replied, his eyes calm as Carmen got even more excited. She said something else, but her voice started becoming hazy, and so did the image. A cloudy smoke engulfed everything before it turned black.

-"Gah!", back in The Library, X had to gasp for his breath as he felt like he just woke up from a long, long sleep. So, this was what it was like to have memories he could get lost in.

-"Calm down, buddy. Don't want to be waking Adam up, do we?", waiting for him was, of course, his original self. Now that he looked at him, he was noticeably depressed, especially in comparison to his youthful self. "So, that's the memory. I guess that's enough for this one."

-"You...I looked...different back then."

-"You noticed? I never thought you'd do.", came the sarcastic reply. "What can I say? Everything changed for me after I fell in love with Carmen. I didn't 'do' love, not because I was too high-up for it or some such nonsense I'd have said at sixteen, but because I always feared the departure. Much like Roland, I never wanted to see my beloved go away. As always, my greatest fears came true, and she was gone one day...All because I approved the experiment with Enoch...", he sighed, his eyes becoming shrouded in sadness. He quickly dispersed this sadness and replaced it with a firm look.

-"I see. I didn't think my first speaking with Carmen would essentially be me insulting her, but I guess it was foreseeable.", his double muttered, trying to skim over the sadness setting in. "So that was her life before meeting you, huh? A woman telling of a coming disease on the streets of the Backstreets. It's difficult to see why you thought she was mad.", he commented, trying to change subjects with a joke.

-"Anyone would've thought as much, given the abundance of mad folk on the streets. Carmen could've been one of them.", Ayin spoke, his voice slow as he stared at her portrait.

-"And yet, she wasn't."

-"Not as far as I could tell. I'm telling you, X, the woman had pure intentions. Even if seemed straight out of a hooey story of the Backstreets, I'm telling you, I didn't see it.", Ayin pleaded, almost looking to convince his 'younger' self of his opinion. "I know that she wasn't perfect, but she can't be the same woman in the Light that's guiding maniacs like Argalia and distorting people. She didn't handle Enoch's death, X.", he further explained his ideas, a disgust in his voice as he mentioned the Distortion.

-"I trust ya'. I don't feel like I trusted people willy-nilly. Still, didn't you accept her invitation a bit too quickly?", he asked, less reproachful and more curious.

-"I did, but what can I say? The temptation of trying to change the City got to me. Plus she gave me the opportunity to leave whenever I wanted. It almost sounded too good to pass up.", he justified himself, dragging his eyes away from the picture on his desk to look at X.

-"Which reminds me, you still didn't tell me much about you before you met Carmen...", X scratched his chin, trying to seem smug.

-"And I didn't plan to show you. You'd better pick your choices carefully, X. I promised three memories, and we're done with one. You have two left. Pick carefully, because you never know the consequen-"

-"Show me when you nose-bled all over Carmen!", his clone excitedly remembered, earning a hateful glare, alongside a swear alongside Abel's way. He was far too excited for this. 

-"...How about no? Maybe you shouldn't venture that far off into the memory realm, buddy. You won't like what you'll find.", the amber-eyed man warned, his voice going low. Not that it ever fazed X; if ever Ayin was planning to hurt him, the thought would come up in his mind and he'd prepare to run or scream, whichever was most effective.

-"Oh, come on! If you don't, then you know I'll just try and figure it out on my own. I am you, after all. You were quite the inquisitive guy.", he casually mentioned before his heartbeat stopped for a moment when he felt that Ayin's mind had the image of a knife pop up in it.

-"...Yeah, I was particularly stubborn, wasn't I? Barely into my late twenties and I already had hope to change the City...fine, I'll show you the memory, but I swear, if you mention it to anyone else, I'll take my shirt off.", his original copy threatened, leaving the more optimistic man confused. "You don't take kindly to seeing more of the person you hate most.", came the explanation, and the other man nodded.

-"Ah. I suppose I'll have to live that if ever I take a bath. Well, don't worry, I won't mention it to any else. Exceptyoubutwhocares.", it was futile to try and hide his words, as Ayin would find them out one way or another, but he took joy in trying to bamboozle himself. "Shall we go now?"

Ayin sighed, scratching his head before leaning back in his seat again. Ah, to have a seat that could actually go back. How X envied him. Before long, he, too, had sunk into his book throne (the best he could, anyway.), and closed his eyes, waiting for a new memory.

-"Ayin?", the scenery had changed again. They were no longer in the Backstreets of the City. It was closed office, cosy with plain walls. A few sofas and chairs, obviously used, were scattered in front of a television that was hanging on the door to the office. An unorthodox and obviously unsafe place, but nobody seemed to care much about that.

A few plants covered the office, some being cacti, some being small trees, and some being dead. There was no doubt about it; cramped, yet orderly and unconventional, it was Ayin's office. The man himself was situated on a very, very cramped desk, a whiteboard on his right and a bunch of plans on his left, with dozens on books on his desk, alongside a computer. He was busy writing something when he begrudgingly acknowledged the woman entering his office, trying her best not to make the TV fall off.

-"Ooooh, this is so good...Guess what I did today!", she excitedly announced, closing her fists in front of her as she nearly vibrated in place. He looked at her with the tired expression of a man who hadn't slept in forty-three hours and twenty-five minutes, but the smile he gave her...

...How? How was there so much warmth behind it? How was it so alive? Why was he so pleasant? It wasn't just happiness, that was evident enough, but there was something in his amber eyes...something subtle, yet so obvious...And if there was so much warmth, where did it go? Just as a great fire does not extinguish easily, so does a great smile, and the fact that Ayin was no longer able to even replicate them...it spoke volumes.

-"You did your hair?"

-"Oh, yes, actually! I did it as celebration after I- How did you even notice?", her happy tone suddenly became impressed. He didn't answer her immediately, his tired face blinking at her for a while before he noticed what he just said and coughed.

-"Just a random guess.", he lied, but it sounded so convincing...it didn't seem Carmen caught onto him. If she did, she didn't say anything. 

-"Well, okay, that was one thing, but it's not the important thing!"

-"You finally decided against your crazy plan and told The Head?"

-"No, you silly goose! I recruited a Grade 2 Fixer!", she announced, excitement oozing out of her declaration as her junior's jaw dropped. He remained silent, the bags under his eyes lightening up a little, as if they were surprised by the announcement. "You could say something, you know. I like input."

-"H-How?! Grade 2s are notorious for having seen it all! Even the most gullible wouldn't fall for our idea! Wh-Where was this Fixer? Are they mad? Did they get angry?", he rapidly shot his questions one after another, picking up a coffee cup on his desk that had long gone cold as he walked up to Carmen, standing face-to-face with her. He was a bit taller than her now that they were on solid ground, not the bumpy, hilly Backstreet streets.

-"Well, what can I say, I guess my charms worked their magic.", she tried to smile charismatically as she laid a hand on her waist. It only served to make her look innocent. And cute. NowaitBADTHOUGHT-

-"I'm not convinced.", he uttered, trying his best to choke each of his blood vessels to stop his face from turning red.

-"Alright, alright, you got me. I tried getting her hooked by saying I knew the pains of The Nest, and hoped she'd help me learn the pains of the Backstreets. That to help people awaken their conscious, we needed studies and some protection...we needed to stand by each other not to divide each other further by useless labels. After our plan, we can divide each other as much as we want.", she repeated, moving her hair a little and showing her teddy-bear clip. Take it easy, Ayin...you trained in choking your blood flow...choke it...choke it...

-"Neato.", he managed, trying to keep his 'cool, unmoved man' aura. She pouted at him, and he spoke again, "So who did you manage to recruit? I've known my fair share of Grade 2s, and none of them are so gullible or selfless they'd help us."

-"Oh, uh...her name was Kali. She seemed like a fun person. People admired her, too.", she nonchalantly stated, though still looking pleased. Probably trying to out-do Ayin at his own game of staying cool. Well, she was about to win. "I think she'll be here any day now; I have an eye for peo-", she tried to brag but he brought a finger to her face, and swallowed as much he could from his cup. At the same time, a small door next to his desk opened.

-"Sheesh,", a young man with green eyes and glasses walked out, trying to fan the air in front of him. "You're gonna have to unclog your pipes soon, Ayin, your food has too many onions in it for both their and our sake, and we really don't have time to redo our pipin-", the young man, Benjamin, didn't get to complete his sentence, however, because Ayin suddenly spat the coffee he was drinking. 

Usually, you'd spit a drink like this in the face of whoever gave you incredible information. Ayin, of course, didn't have it in him to spit in Carmen's face, so the result was that he covered his shoes and his floor (Thank God it didn't reach the carpet!) with coffee.

-"Wh- Okay, I'm sorry, I should've paid more attention, but it's not my fault you literally use two kilograms of onions in two days!", not quite aware of the situation, Benjamin appeared offended, trying to fend for himself before Ayin spoke again:

-"YOU RECRUITED KALI 'THE RED MIST' INTO OUR SHODDY, RICKETY OFFICE!", he cried, emphasizing every word with his hands, nearly breaking down. A 'click' was heard in the silence the followed, and Ayin vaguely recognized that Benjamin went back to the bathroom to ponder what he just heard. "SHE COULD KILL EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US!", he screamed, tears welling up in his eyes. "WE...WE...", but before he could continue, a pair of hands grabbed his cheeks.

-"Shhh.", what was happening? She never did this before. Why was she holding him? Why wasn't he fighting back? What is going on? "Shhhhhh. Calm down, Ayin. It's not the end of the world! We have some other researchers and workers with us! Gabriel is one of the most organized people I've ever met, so it's not like it's the first time we hired someone of worth.", she comforted him, trying to make the confused, scared, unbelieving expression on his face go away.

-"But...But..."

-"No buts! I promise she won't hurt us, okay? We've been afloat for six months now, and I promise I'll try my best to keep that number increasing.", she spoke up, her voice kind, looking him directly in his eyes. "Sit down.", she brought him forward, stepping over the spilled coffee and seating him on the couch. He heard another 'click', but he didn't really care for what it stood for.

-"I'm...I'm sorry, I know this shouldn't be what I'm doing, but it's all...It's all so quick you know? Can I at least welcome her with you?", he asked, or perhaps pleaded, and she nodded affirmatively, not even hesitating.

-"Of course! I'm sure she'll love meeting a fan!", yeah, 'fan'. Sure, he could go with that for now. Fans and frightened observers were all quite close, after all. "Ayin?"

-"Hm?"

-"Don't panic, buddy. I know you're the cautious one in this place, and I know you think I'm moving too quickly, but I honestly listen to your every word. I do. You and Benjamin, you two were all I had for five months in the Outskirts. Don't you ever think I'll do something to upset my favourite junior.", she promised him, putting a hand on his shoulder as she leaned back on the sofa. "Now, give me a smile!"

-"I'm not a child!"

-"Then I'll force you to!", she challenged, and before he could object, she stuck both of her indexes into his mouth and tried drawing a smile. "Come on...come on...Your teeth are really yellow, you know that?", she noted, and he tried mumbling something.

-"Aht's...Gen'etic...", he tried, only for a garbled mess to come out. "Ahf 'ah 'ake a shmile, will 'oo 'eave me?", she nodded. Well, here goes nothing. She pulled out her fingers and he closed his eyes, tilted his head, and bared his teeth. It was all so...foreign to the Ayin that just yesterday choked himself over a game of Uno. It was so pretty.

-"Now that's what I like to see!", she got up, admiring her handy work and giving him a smile of her own. Hers were much more dashing than his, but she gave them to everyone, unlike Ayin, whom he gave to the more privileged. "You know, it's been a while since we last had dinner together! Get Benjamin, we three have to celebrate every accomplishment!", she ordered him, getting up and moving to the door. "Sorry, I have some work to do now but...Ayin?"

-"Yeah?", he seemed almost staggered. Still a lost mess.

-"Thanks for everything.", she closed the door gently, trying to not let the T.V. fall. Ayin just stared at the door, a mix of awe and confusion on his face. That was before he realized someone's head was slowly creeping up from behind the couch. His pupils suddenly became smaller and very, very scared.

-"Oh no."

-"OOOOOOH YEEEEEEES!", Benjamin cried from behind him, making him turn around. "That sweet, sweet tension...Mhmm, I could almost cut it! Mwah!", he gave a chef's kiss with a hand and wiped a non-existent tear with his other one. "So, should we start buying your wedding suit or what? What about the house?", he asked, giving the biggest crap-eating grin one could humanely give.

-"Fffffor your information, Benjamin, Carmen is merely my colleague.", the black-haired man refuted his claims, however weak that defence may be, as he maintained a composed figure. "You should know better, Benjamin, we've been friends for years, you know I'm not one for these things.", if you could give a reward for how convincing an obvious lie was, this would probably get first place.

-"Yep. In fact, I'd doubt it was you acting like a mess around Carmen for the fiftieth time this week had I not filmed this entire thing.", he pulled up a small video-camera, leaning back on a wall behind him. Ayin's breathing stopped for half a second. Well, it was just Benjamin. He could...deal with that. "In fact, I'll send it to your phone just so you could see how- Oh.", why did his voice drop? WHY DID HIS VOICE DROP? "I...think I accidentally sent it to Carmen."

Ten second of complete and utter silence. That's what it was, but Ayin felt like his heart stopped and dropped into the chasm that had been his chest for years. His thoughts went a mile a second; should he escape and head to the Ruins? Jump off the nearest cliff? Man-up and accept that she could never, ever love someone like him?

-"Hah! Just kidding, you know I'm not that type of per-", unfortunately for Benjamin, however, he didn't have time to complete his joke, as Ayin moved at near super-human speed, tackling him to the ground in front of the sofa and shoving one of its pillows on his face, letting out a gurgle.

Another few moments of silence ensued, though this time with a lot of muffled screaming from the man under the pillow. He'd jump off the nearest cliff, but first he'd take Benjamin with him. Try to film this now!

-"Oh, whoops, I forgot to tell you-", and, of course, Carmen would re-enter the room at this point. Why wouldn't she? Ayin felt her enter, and looked up, fear freezing his senses. His grip relaxed on the pillow, allowing Benjamin to push it over and utter something. The words that every man dreams to say one day. The only words that ever truly mattered:

-"W-Worth...it...", he coughed out, not noticing the horror on his friend's face as Carmen stared, somewhat hurt.

-"Carmen, I can explain..."

-"Of course you can!", she barged in, a determined expression on her face. "You never told me that you liked pillow fights before!", both their expressions froze, and before Benjamin could utter a peep, Ayin had taken the lead and tied it to his words:

-"Yes! Yeah, I just...you know, didn't want you to think we're childish! It's just an..an old vestige from our childhood.", of course, that could be true, but the fact that Ayin and Benjamin never met as children would probably make the latter doubt the statement. He just had to play along. He grunted affirmatively. The amber eyed man's fake smile widened for a bit before dwindling again. He owed him now. Darn it.

-"Oh, you guys! You know I'd never think like that.", well, that much was true. Ayin got off the green-eyed man, allowing his to get up. "Oh, we're going to throw the best parties ever like this!", she excitedly planned, jumping both men in the moment and drawing them to a group hug. 

This was too much. During the confusion, he'd forgotten all about choking his arteries or whatever, and he suddenly felt his nose tingling, then burning, then hurting. He tried to dissuade his involuntary reaction, but he had no carpet under him. Please. Not in front of Carmen. Please.

Unfortunately, his body failed him as it always did, and in under a split-second, his nose let out a stream that was far too big for a nose bleed. The sheer velocity made it cover Carmen's lab-coat and her brown shirt, and also cover her with confusion, it seemed. It was also enough to throw him backwards, making him fall on his back and turning the bleeding into a fountain. At least the pressure wasn't as high now, but he still had a fountain of blood that went a few centimetres above his head.

-"OHMYGOD HIS NOSE JUST EXPLODED!", he heard Carmen yell, and he didn't know if he appreciated her sympathy or just wanted to earth to swallow him already. "Wh-What happened? Is Ayin alright?", she quickly turned her attention to the man beside her as she knelt and tried pressing on the bleeding man's nose to slow the fountain.

-"Oh, that...yeah, it's genetic, we just have to clog it before he loses more than two litres.", the green-eyed man tried to calm her down, picking up some tissues from his friends' desk and kneeled, giving a few to Carmen as he tried his luck at preforming a very complex medical procedure known as: Let's shove this tissue as far back in his nose as possible.

-"Did this happen before? How did this happen? Will he be alright?"

-"It's...it's because of work stress and his bad sleeping habits. He'll recover from this. I hope.", speaking of bad sleeping habits, his head did feel incredibly heavy. Maybe his mind has finally decided that enough was enough and decided to both end his embarrassment and give him the sleep he desperately lacked.

Whatever it was, the words of his friends slowly slurred as he left their world, heading to a sleep that left little but a black screen for him to observe.

-"Aw.", back in his book-throne X begrudgingly joined the real world again. "I wanted to see what happened afterwards.", he complained, much to his original self's satisfaction.

-"Alright, your third memor-"

-"Waitwaitwait! I meant...as in, a hypothetical scenario.", whew. Ayin was good at these tricks. Well, of course he was, he wouldn't have gotten to be a Wing otherwise.

-"Really? I could've sworn you said-"

-"I know what I said but I now change it before you're able to offer me any service.", trying to argue like this in the Backstreets would usually get one killed. But when arguing with yourself, every argument was a good one, especially if it made your other self...your original self...Whatever! It made Ayin groan and roll his eyes. "So, six months in and I was already head-over-heels, huh?"

-"You were.", the 'older' self confirmed before rephrasing himself. "I was.", he said, a strange depression overtaking him. "Every time Carmen was around, she'd bring joy to me. She was beacon to all of us, but to me...She felt like something I never had but always wished to. She felt like the sun, warm and inviting...She was at the centre of everything, including my heart.", he sighed, but it wasn't one of his annoyed or tired sighs. It was a dreamy one, one you wouldn't expect a man like him to ever utter.

-"And Benjamin knew?"

-"Of course he did. We knew each other for years. I'd have been surprised if he didn't."

-"Well, it's nice that he was supportive.", X chuckled at the memory. He wanted to ask about when they met, but he didn't want to waste his last memory. 

-"Yeah...always supporting me, even at the darkest of times...", except when he went too far, of course. "He tried to set me up a few times, but I had another plan in mind. I thought...I thought that directly after the Seed of Light...I'd...I'd propose. You know, like in the movies? I think I got too dreamy; no one ever has their dreams in the City. No one.", he darkly finished, a bitter smile on his face.

-"Huh. I'd have liked to see more of me and her. Not now, of course, but you understand. I assume I still have those nose issues?", he asked casually, trying his best not to smile, but his doppelgänger knew better.

-"As a matter of fact, I do. I just hope I don't nosebleed any more, because you four idiots raised my blood pressure so much I'd bleed dry in a minute.", he muttered, still depressed. Well, that wasn't good. To tell the truth, under the jokes, X felt a terrible sadness that he never met Carmen. An even more terrible sadness that he never would now. "Listen, X, you and I, we're both starting to feel the consequences of your actions, so just tell me what you want to see now. Let's get this over with."

-"Show me the moment you fell in love with Carmen.", he'd been thinking of this for a while, but so far, all he'd seen were the moments before that or after. Then what was that first tingly feeling like?

-"Of course you would. Alright, let us begin, then.", not wasting a moment, the scientist didn't even bother laying back in his chair. He merely focused, and before X could get into position, his mind went black again.

-"Come on, Ayin! Just a bit more and we'll reach it!", it was morning in the Outskirts. A terrible morning that saw the sun radiate its rays on the corpses on the innocents and the criminals of the night. It also saw two dorks running.

-"Yes, yes, I've heard this for the last fifteen minutes ever since you dragged me from my very important logistics work!", Ayin yelled as he ran behind her. She came into his office today, saying she wanted to show him something. He obviously refused, as his work needed much concentration, and so she took his favourite coffee mug and ran out of their laboratory. He ran out after her.

It was difficult to build, what with them being only three, but Benjamin was a master at robotics. Using Ayin's speciality, AI, they built a few droids that managed to create a rather vast, and very secluded, outpost. Protected from the horrors of the Outskirts, and hopefully the Head.

-"Oh, come on! I've never showed anyone else what you'll see now!", she shot back, continuing her escapade before she finally stopped. "We're here."

-"You're here! I'm taking my coffee mug and...and...", he grabbed the mug from her hand, but he was too caught up in the fact that he was apparently seeing greenery in front of him. Maybe he drank the coffee too late again; greenery wasn't impossible, per say, but without properly prepared equipment, only the occasional shrub sprouted in the Backstreets. And now he was seeing what looked like a forest in the Outskirts. "H-How..."

-"Crazy, right? I also didn't believe it the first time I saw, but look! Real grass! Real trees! Do you know what this means?", the red-eyed scientist interrogated, stepping in front of him and opening her arms for the pleasant breeze. A breeze that was filled with chlorophyll. Ayin had seen natural growing grass before, but never this lush...nor was it without some monsters in it. Which, actually- "The land is healing!"

-"Wait! This isn't safe! There has to be some monster there, Carmen! Please, be careful!", while you may find many disagreeable things about him, one thing he himself did not dispute was that he had a pretty good fight-or-flight instinct. He grabbed her arm, hoping to pull her out of the green patch.

-"Oh, relax, silly! I've been here before, it's no big deal.", she tried comforting him, but she only managed to make him even more worried.

-"You've been here before?! Carmen, you could've died!"

-"Oh, come on, Ayin that's...a really valid concern, actually. I should've brought you with me sooner.", she brought a knuckled hand to her chin, trying to think about what would've happened if it wasn't safe. "Hm. That's a terrifying thought. That aside, it's pretty, isn't it?", what was truly terrifying was how careless she was!

-"Wha- Yeah, sure it's pretty, but do you have idea what would happen to the project if you died?! Carmen, we need you!", he berated her, and she stopped for a moment, rubbing her arm.

-"Yeah...that wouldn't have been fun...", she admitted, giving a shy smile. Well, with a face like that, he could only forgive her- Wait what? This wasn't how he thought. What the? "Still, come with me!", she suddenly grabbed his hand, guiding him to a tree in the middle of the lush greenery. This mini-forest, so to speak.

-"Where are you taking me? Is this an assassination attempt? I knew I shouldn't have joined you...", he deadpanned, and for a rare moment, it was her that rolled her eyes at him. When they reached the tree, he thought she'd make him inspect, and so he kneeled, but then, in his moment of weakness, she tackled him. 

His instinct made him chuck her away as soon as she touched his back; Backstreet instinct was impossible to get rid of. His mind's instinct, however, then berated him for being such an awful garbage human being.

-"I'm sorry! Are you alright?", he bit his lip, hurrying to her side, but she merely rolled in the grass, a satisfied expression on her face. The grass broke her fall. It meant there was plenty of it. Woah. This place must've been growing for a while.

-"Of course I am! I won't be so easily broken!", she bragged, straightening herself to lay on the tree trunk. "Come on, your turn! Sit down!", she ordered him, and he glared at her for making him worry- Wait what? No, he glared because she was careless! He sat down on the grass, probably for the first time in his life, and he felt...relaxed. The way they were seated meant that the sun sent its rays on the both of them, and tree was behind them. The grass tickled his legs as he spread them in front of him.

-"It's relaxing, isn't it? It reminds me of the photosynthesis of plants! It's so pleasant.", she stretched as she crossed her legs. "I've been wanting to do this for a while with you, Ayin.", she added, sliding a bit further down so that she could be fully touching the grass. She gestured for him to join her.

-"...Why? I'm not particularly pleasant to be around.", the man next to her stated, sighing heavily. He didn't immediately obey, but her constant gaze, alongside her pout, forced him to oblige. "...It's been a while since I saw so much grass.", he repeated, unable to find a topic of conversation.

-"Oh, bollocks. You managed to keep Benjamin around as you are, that must mean something. And besides, you're far too kind to me for someone who just wants to try something fun.", she refuted his words, waving them away with a free hand. "You've been working too diligently, Ayin. Stop putting yourself down. You don't have the slightest idea what you did to my idea."...he didn't? He thought he cheered her up. "For a moment, I thought I was really going mad, you know?"

-"Oh, you did. You just have me going mad with you.", he turned his head to her, and she laughed.

-"That may be true, but it's nice to have someone on my side, Ayin. I can't say I had too many friends before. More like 'Pity Pals', you know? So I didn't really know how to act with you guys on the team.", she confessed, sighing as she took in the sun's rays.

-"I know. Sometimes you just wish you were handed a list with what you should do.", he wished, and she nodded in agreement. "Still, you haven't told me what we're here for.", he asked, and she pointed to the sky.

-"Hey, look! This looks like a Fixer sword!", she pointed out, and despite the fact that it did look eerily similar, the cloud in the sky didn't really pique Ayin's interests. "Oh, yeah, about that. Ayin...Why are you really with me?"

-"I'm sorry?"

-"I'm saying that I'm all alone with you and Benjamin. If you wanted to rob or kill me, you'd have done so a week in. If you were just having fun, you wouldn't spend sleepless nights trying to figure out how to feed us using the cheapest materials in the market. So why? Why spend your time with a madwoman like me?", she questioned him, her eyes filled with something like sadness. He didn't like that; sadness didn't fit Carmen.

-"...Why do you think I stayed?", he inverted the question, interested to see what she thought of him.

-"You told me back in the Backstreets that you didn't want another soul like me to be killed. And forgive me arrogance, but you don't seem to have many friends.", she hypothesized, and when he didn't stop her, she continued, "You tried to make a change, didn't you?"

-"...I did.", he confessed, averting his eyes from her eyes, as if they had some sort of power on him. "I tried to change the world for the better, once. But it was an inane idea; it's like saying you'll replace the Head one day. I found out that I lacked ambition, a plan...I even lacked a heart. I figured out that I was part of the problem. And I guess I was too lazy to work against the world when even I helped perpetuate the injustice in it.", he shook his head, remembering his old rationale. He didn't look at Carmen, not in fear of her reaction, but rather, out of shame. He then felt something brush over his fingers.

-"I understand you. I truly do. But what makes you think I'm so much better? I was raised a Nest resident. You knew I'd be killed without you. I'm not exactly the best person to have as a leader, now am I?", she asked, a small smile on her face as she grabbed his hand, making him sit upright. He sat hunched, turning his head to face her.

What made him follow her? Her eyes, for one. Her beautiful red eyes, filled with life and hope...things that were almost extinct in the City. He knew she was naïve, but she had her heart in the right place. Her heart was pure, and that was more than he could say for himself.

He, in fact, didn't join this to save humanity at first. He joined because of what he saw in her eyes. The passion, burning like a fierce fire...it felt, to him, like something he never had. A certain longing to have that fire beside him, and to help it fulfil its purpose. A certain feeling towards her that made him want her to be happy. Almost like...

Oh.

That's what it was.

That was dangerous. This...this crush he had, it was terrible. Awful. Besides, did he really think she'd return the feeling? He was someone she just met. At the bottom of the dirty barrel. He wasn't as fun as Benjamin to be around, and many other people were nicer than him. He...he was awful! She didn't deserve him. She deserved better than he could ever give her. She deserved someone who could return her smiles. Him? He was weak. He could quit this project the moment he senses danger, and she...she just could never, ever love him. This was just a stupid, insane hope.

...And yet, was hope not the reason they were on this journey in the first place? It was why Carmen had started this entire mess in the first place. It was not common to have hope for anything in the City, but with Carmen, perhaps he could change that. Perhaps he could truly make a change. And...Maybe he, too could change to be someone Carmen deserves. Someone who can keep her happy. Someone she's happy to be with.

-"Well?", he suddenly realized he kept her waiting with his answer, but now that his mind was made, he could answer properly.

-"I didn't follow you, Carmen. I supported you because you had hope, something that's so rare nowadays. I supported your earnest desires, your earnest dream, because I couldn't dream myself. The only thing I could do was help those who could.", he finished, and she seemed touched. Of course, now he followed her for his love, but he could not admit that, obviously.

-"Ayin...", she began before firmly grasping his hand, almost making him shrink at the sudden squeeze. "I promise you to try my best. I don't know if we'll make it or not, but trust me, I won't let you and Benjamin down. We'll work for something together, whatever that something is, I promise you it'll help people. I'm not going to let you down.", she squeezed his hand, and he only now looked at her face in full. The sun shining on it as the breeze moved her hair across it. It felt as if the moment carried something.

-"Well, you already let me down when I learned you steal mugs. No dignity!", he smiled himself, allowing himself to chuckle with her. For some reason, he just wanted to smile. To believe that they were flying towards a limitless world.

-"You...I've never seen you smile like that before.", she noted, and instead of being embarrassed he tagged along.

-"And you won't see it again if you keep stealing my mugs like that.", he threatened, and she laughed further, but deep down, he knew she was planning to make him smile a lot more.

-"So long as you come with me here again!"

-"...Fine, I suppose.", he feigned a begrudging voice; he still had enough arrogance to pretend he didn't fully enjoy this. "So we're leaving now?"

-"Well, I suppose you want to head back to your office now, yeah?", well, that wasn't particularly wrong. He wasn't made to be in the sun for long.

-"Eh. Just as long as you don't faint on me on the way back.", well, whaddya know? Maybe the joking attitude fit him better than he thought. Or maybe that was his ego working again.

-"Of course not, silly!", she got up, turning to him with a smile that was brighter than he could've ever imagined. He got up too, walking with her back to the Laboratory beside her. They started a small talk between them, but then, everything became hazy once more. Time's up, eh?

-"...Woah.", X was back in his throne, and wouldn't ya' know it, the position in which he stayed caused him back pains. Great. "Ow, my back...how long did we stay there?", he rubbed the sore spot in his back, trying to focus on the man in the desk in front of him.

-"N-Not more than five minutes, they're memories, after all.", was the response, and the clone couldn't help but notice that his 'older' self's eyes were glossy. "So? What do you think? The time you had with her. The fun you had together. The happiness everyone felt.", he listed, letting out a long and drawn-out miserable chuckle.

-"...I feel depressed, honestly. I feel as if I want her back. As if I want to be by her side again.", the carbon-copy scratched his neck, his voice going low for a bit.

-"Now do you know why I created Angela? I needed to see that smile again. To see the warmth again. To feel it."

-"But you failed."

-"Of course I did. My biggest sin was that I handed Angela the impossible task of being Carmen and then watched as I forced my expectations on her before realizing she could never be her again.", he darkly stated, a grave tone in his voice.

-"...Don't tell me you're pardoning her idiocy! Her ignorance! She ruined Carmen's plan!", X argued back, anger starting to seep into his voice before he controlled it, not wishing to awaken his dormant peers.

-"I never said I did, X. I only said that it is perhaps I who ruined the plan. Or perhaps not; we'll see...", the amber-eyed man clarified himself, intriguing the clone.

-"What are you betting on?"

-"I do not know myself. We'll see moving forward."

-"...How much did Carmen mean to you?", ah, back to making him on the back-foot, weren't you, X? Well, you asked for it.

-"You know already, do you not? Carmen was my beacon. She guided me to something I thought was good. I followed her every step and shared her every triumph and defeat. My life had become part of Carmen's, and I hoped hers would be part of mine...But as you know, hope was not a commodity that we had after the Head's raid.", he started recounting, his eyes stinging him a bit. No, he was better than that. "I admired Carmen, I looked up to her, and I supported her. But most of all, X, I loved her. As insane as my hopes were, I thought I could make them come true at one point. I suppose that was the world I was trying to make, not the one I lived in.", he shrugged, his voice cracking.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, patting him. When he looked back at his clone, a tear was falling off of his chin.

-"I did not wish for you to re-experience your sorrows. And I didn't have to experience it, too, I suppose.", he tried comforting him, wiping his own tears with his free hand.

-"You're too curious, X. I told you that for your own good. Maybe I, too, should've simply left Carmen to her fate, given that my attempt at healing humanity has backfired so spectacularly...", he lamented, the broken smile still present on his face.

-"You're wrong."

-"...Are you trying to comfort me? Your own self?"

-"Why wouldn't I? We believed in something good, Ayin. Even if we could not achieve it, our hopes cannot have been in vain. You didn't simply trust Carmen. You gave your everything to try and make her plan succeed. I cannot tell you what is going to happen now, but we...", he swallowed, trying to calm himself down. "We cannot simply have been all idiots. The Seed of Light, if not made by us, will rise one day. Fate, after all, does not leave those in charge in their places forever.", he finished, retracting his arm back himself as he tried to make himself comfortable in his seat.

-"Well, look at you, trying to be all comforting and stuff. When did you start believing in fate, anyway?", the complete-self asked, his voice something between mocking and impressed.

-"When did you?"

-"I always did. I always knew life was not made to be devoid of any purpose or goal. Even here...I think there will be a role for us to play still.", he said, going back in his own seat. "But for now...maybe it'd be better to sleep. Today was...hectic.", he offered, and X gladly took him up on his offer.

-"To say the least. I suppose now I know why you're all depressed.", he acknowledged, letting another tear flow, perhaps against his will.

-"So, you're joining us, huh?"

-"Not a chance. I'm still young and gullible; I'll let myself believe that our happy ending is out there somewhere. Lying to yourself is not a trait that's new to you, after all, Ayin.", he rebuked his assumption, trying to laugh. The result was a strange noise that was something between a chuckle and a choke.

-"Heh. I knew you would.", his original self shook his head, not wanting to roll his eyes, for fear that the water he was holding would fall down.

-"You were always too passionate for your own good. I'm just picking up the torch.", X stated sleepily, trying to sleep this night's emotions off. Tomorrow, he could see the information. "And it doesn't seem like any of us are stopping this insane hope of theirs soon, eh?", he asked, trying to give a determined smile. He made the other man return it.

-"O-Of course not, si-", he choked on his own words, the tear he was holding running down his face. "Sorry, I lost myself for a moment.", he wiped it off, returning to his original voice after clearing his throat. "I must want to sleep.", he absently added, resting his head on his desk; the office was warm enough. In reality, however, they both knew why he couldn't say the sentence. Why he couldn't complete it. They merely didn't comment on it because they knew it would do no good.

He couldn't bring himself to say the word 'silly'.

Chapter Text

A novelty was upon The City. The Head had released a new manifesto, naming an Impurity. While most people of The City did not pay much attention to The Head's various declarations, as they had no control over them and Associations would inform them of the important bits and pieces anyway, Impurity announcements were always something of an event. The manifesto itself was a series of sanctions on any trade and/or interactions with the entity declared as an Impurity, but that was not what interested the City's denizens.

Throughout their daily lives and the hustle and bustle of their residence, whether it be Nest or Backstreet, they'd see and hear about anything from Urban Myths to Stars of The City, but Impurities were something that was truly rare. Something that angered, and perhaps threatened, the Head. Those that hoped The Head would be defeated would always be disappointed, as they always managed to somehow crawl out as strong as they were before the battle, if not stronger from the loot and bounty they gathered.

Indeed, a fight against The Head was more or less like a fight against a Hydra, with each head cut sprouting two instead. Every arm that was cut from them would grow as a sword instead, and there was no heart to the Head that could be stabbed, not one anyone knew of, anyway. Those who managed to draw with The Head were far and few, and they often do not remain around for long.

The time when the City's denizens were interested in the outcome was long gone, however, and now, they were more interested in the fight. The Head almost always won, and what  rare times an Impurity managed to draw, it was in their favour. What the people of the City watched was the result; would the Impurity be banished? Destroyed? Hanged with its own intestines? Most times, The Head would crush those foolish enough to challenge them, but sometimes, those who showed valour, or perhaps even emotions, were shown something akin to respect from the Head before their destruction.

The newest Impurity, The Library, had its admirers, though less than its enemies, and despite the manifesto being known throughout the City, it seemed as calm as always, erecting from the former Lobotomy Corporation. It was almost tranquil, unbefitting of something that would soon receive a visit from the strongest and most deadly entity the City had to offer.

-"Vile Necromancer! I subject you to my Laser-Ray Of Destruction, destroying your protective layers and exposing your weak inner skin! I shall fill it with my nail-bombs!", as it was custom, however, The Floor of General Works' office was not as calm as the rest of The Library. Admittedly, that was probably due to the five madmen situated in its corners.

-"Hah! Foolish human team! I, Adam of Asatana, the Necromancer to rule over the world and and revive Carmen's Abnormalities, have eaten your nail-bombs in a fit of the chaos I plan to unleash, changing the face of this puny world forever!", came the mad screech from Adam, his hair a mess as it fluttered behind him, resembling a torn coat in the wind. His tattooed arm a fist as he laughed a wicked laugh.

-"You've...eaten our nail-bombs? Wouldn't that cause you internal bleeding?", X spoke up from beside his original self, scratching the X on his cheek as he held the card-deck in his hand. "You know...since nails are sharp and you still didn't ascend-"

-"FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!", the white-haired man in front of him cried as he frowned at the same time, "I am willing to take bleeding damage this turn in order to salvage whatever is left of me, and next turn, I will use my newfound Abnormality communication powers to unleash...let's see...", he interrupted himself as he picked up two dice, violently vibrating his hands before letting go, licking his lips in anticipation as he picked a card. "Dimensional Refraction Variant! You won't be able to see it, much less fight against Dimensioval Reflection- Dimensional Refubrishemen- Aye, what a mouthful! This must be the Abnormality equivalent of naming your child Ottovordemgentschenfelde!", he complained, breaking character as he read the card that contained his next move.

Well, at least it wasn't Uno. Despite the... memories Ayin had with the stacking-game, it's been a while since his heart was beating so fast. Even more time since the last time his heart was beating so fast without him committing an atrocity. They had divided themselves once more, Ayin and X as the 'good' guys, Abraham and Abel going on their own separate adventure, and Adam, as always, trying to overtake the world. It was the same Lobotomy Corporation board, which turned out to be very expansive and open, which allowed them to have a bit of fun. Ayin managed to summon an extension of it that represented the City, and it was where Abel and Abraham had decided to play.

-"Alright...That was a turn and a half, Abel?", the complete-self prompted, making the other man ready the cards next to him as he pointed at where he was situated on the map with his cane, not wanting to forget.

-"Yes, yes, understood. Currently, it takes a bit of a while to go anywhere with Abraham forcing me to carry him around the map because all he wants to do is sit down and cry on the same spot on the ground all the bloody time! Most of my turn is just carrying him!", he complained about his partner, who shot him a stink eye. 

-"I-I told you I didn't want to play...today...", the depressed man rebuked, crossing his arms and staring at the ground. "M-My action for this turn is...is crying...", he sniffed, looking agitated. The fancier looking self looked at the ceiling, almost looking like he was about to search the dictionary for every possible swear, insult and vexing word in it before he took a deep breath and spoke again.

-"I'll continue scouting the area for now. I'll see what I can find here.", Abel proposed, throwing the dice and looking for his card. "...Apparently I found a ground-breaking machine. Well, it's not like I'll be moving anywhere soon with this dead-weight on my back so, I'll use it directly under me and go to The Facility you guys are in.", he started planning looking at the map and getting the attention of everyone around him, including Adam, whose hair was still fluttering majestically.

-"Will you help us, O' valiant Knight Abel?", X wondered, immersed in the atmosphere. What could he say? These DnD games didn't turn out to be half bad.

-"Hah! As if he could help you, foolish humans! You'll never be able to break my win-streak!", their insane, tattooed adversary mocked, interrupting Abel. Indeed, somehow, against all odds and against the Ayin-X dream-team, Adam had managed to score two wins in a row. Soon-to-be three if they didn't manage to defeat his Necromancer here before he revived an Abnormality, as this game moved a bit too fast for the human team's liking. Ayin suspected that Adam swallowed some cards and dice to rig the game, but that would've made winning against him much, much sweeter.

-"Help you? I'm a Black Knight, I'm going to be helping myself this game to as many points as possible so I can deck myself out in our next game.", the bearded-self explained, a smile on his face as he readied a plan. "And according to the board, using the ground-breaker on the ground, already weakened by Abraham's never-ending tears, I'll be dropping into the employee lounge, and you'd best believe I'm raiding it for all it's worth!", he cackled, though not an insane cackle. A sophisticated cackle, more like. Or at least, he hoped it was.

-"Gah! A rogue! Sir Ayin, whatever shall we do?!", X asked, a fear running down his spine; he was promised another round of memories if he helped Ayin succeed this time too, and so far, Adam had won two rounds by his chaotic madness and Abel won another by the sheer amount of loot he'd gathered. It was this turn or never!...Okay, a bit dramatic, but he was really into this.

-"...X, you're the team leader now.", his partner announced, a grave tone in his voice. "Any attack without our nail-bombs at this point would require at least getting a ten with the dice, but...", he stumbled, narrowing his eyes at their adversary, "If I can get closer to this vile chaotic mess and lay an attack...then we should only need to roll a four.", he dramatically concluded, his voice going deeper while a hand came to his chin.

-"N-No! Sir Ayin, the damage you'll take...! It'll destroy you completely!", his doppelganger's voice was suddenly filled with fear, unbelieving of what he just heard.

-"I will...but X, it is the only way! The only way that never changes! I must sacrifice myself for the greater good of this world!", his original stated, a clenched fist heading into the air. "Remember me, X. Remember me not as a hero or a villain, but remember me as a man who strove for what he thought was good.", he turned his head to his companion, his voice suddenly trusting and warm before he turned to their enemy, "Adam! Vile wretch, your end shall be by my blade and courage!"

-"Ho-ho! Then come as close as you like, foolish human!", the 'necromancer' announced as X picked up the dice and shook them in his hands, licking his lips. "This is your final chance, for my ultimate form shall be complete next turn! Come and get it, big boy!", he teased, and with that last tease, Ayin emitted a war-cry and X rolled the dice. Abel even stopped his pillaging to notice what was going on, as the moment remained tense, the stench of sweat, tears and blood filling the area. This was it! Now or never...!

A six.

-"Wha- No!", Adam cried in rage, his mind in shambles as the attack finished him off. "You! YOU!!! YOU IMBECILE! YOU DARE CHALLENGE YOUR FUTURE! HOW! HOW DARE YOU!", he cried in rage as his hair kept flying behind him, somehow seeming more furious. "YOU! YOU'RE GOING DOWN WITH ME, AYIN!", he announced, and his assailant smiled.

-"Maybe so...But I could do it because I had the power of friendship by my side!", he boasted, gesturing to his team-mate to act with him.

-"Uh...Y-Yeah! Sir Ayin...your noble deeds shan't be forgotten, I promise you! It is this power that helped us beat him, because friendship is magic!", he completed for him, but instead got disapproving eyes from Adam.

-"Dude."

-"What?"

-"Yeah, that one's copyrighted, X.", Ayin explained, and his clone 'oooooooh'-ed for a moment.

-"Right, right...uh, our friendship was the real magic in this adventure all along!", he rectified, and this time he got an approving nod from Ayin. Adam never approved of him in any case, though. 

-"Gah! I'll be back, humans! You'll suffer for delaying Carmen's inevitable!", the most insane of them promised before throwing the cards in his hands. "You two just love raining on my parade, huh? I could've had my third win a row!", he grumbled, his eyes as hateful as ever, but with a hint of amusement.

-"That we do.", Ayin confirmed, his head turning to the so-called neutral team. "I assume from your silence you didn't gather the points needed for a Loot Victory, huh?", he smirked, and the other man shook his head in disappointment. "Well, that makes us victorious, X!", he announced, raising both hands in the air, and just at that instant, the former Lobotomy Corporation manager threw a laughing fit.

-"Haaaah! Hah! Oh my God, what was that? The dramatic monologue...th-the,", he held his stomach as he laid on his back to wheeze, "The power of friendship? Really? That's what you went with?", tears started forming in his eyes, and he was happy those weren't tears of sadness.

-"Hey, what's the big idea? Isn't this what we basically did in The Corporation?", the original-self raised an eye-brow, and X's laughing fit suddenly stopped, and he looked as if he was having an epiphany of sorts.

-"...Woah. Never thought about it that way...", his carbon-copy brought a fist to his mouth, taking this revelation in. "But either way, it was both cheesy and amazing. It was so totally Anime.", well, it wasn't time to think about any revelations. For now, he could be as euphoric as possible, enjoying their first win of the day. He got strange looks from everyone around him. "What?"

-"How do you know what an 'Anime moment' is? You've never watched the stuff.", Abel pointed out, something between proud and confused. The X-branded man shrugged.

-"Eh, I found the expression in my mind and thought it'd fit. I'm glad it did."

-"Fit? All it did was make you look like a complete and utter buffoonish dweeb.", Adam, of course, wasn't as proud. His hair was still waving elegantly beside him, augmenting his figure. Well, that was before its owner shut down the fan that was beside him, situated on top of a pile of books. Ayin eyed him with great disdain.

-"You know, Adam, when you asked me to waste my morning trying my earnest to summon you a fan with an endless battery, which wasted almost half of my daily crying hours, I honestly thought you were going to put it to better use than flaunting your awful, flea-ridden hair.", it wasn't logical to berate him for how badly he treated everyone, though, since he'd do that all the time. But it wasn't illogical to insult him for his other reprehensible acts; the three daily crying hours were very important for Ayin, especially if X was going to ask for more memories.

-"To be fair, though, that's on you. This room is fairly cold as it is, you should've known Adam would've used it for some strange purpose.", his clone added onto what he said, shrugging as he tilted his head a bit.

-"Actually, the room's fairly hot, X; most of the books that are written with chocolate or the like can melt rather quickly.", Abel noted. Hey, so what if they hated their past? The five...four- No, the trio of Abel, Ayin and X had some fun trying to put some scientific theories regarding their situation. It helped that in addition to being gibberish, some books were written with odd materials; sauces, blood, invisible ink (home-made to be precise. Using lemons as a base material. Thank X for licking it.), and the like, so they had some materials to work with.

-"Really? Then why does it feel so cold?", the man with an 'X' on his right cheek asked, scratching his head. "Is something wrong with my body?", he hypothesized, somewhat scared.

-"Nah. That's just the feeling of your sins.", Ayin replied nonchalantly, packing together the boards on the ground; after that amazing ending, they all needed a break. Also he wanted to make an impact on the group, and winning the last game so dramatically sure left an impact.

-"Oh. Goodie."

-"Don't worry about it, it'll get better eventually.", Abel tried comforting him, only for him to receive a doubtful gaze.

-"For some reason, I have a feeling that the four of you said that at one point, and I don't mean to be judgemental guys, but...uh...", he struggled to put his thoughts into words, not wanting to vex...himselves, yeah? Since everyone was him and he was everyon- Oh, forget it! Not wanting to hurt others emotionally was just a good thing, okay?!

-"We're basically the antithesis of the word 'okay'?", the 'eldest' self spoke up, putting the boards in their boxes and earning a glare from Adam, who probably wanted to play again soon. He earned a nod from the clone which he returned before turning his head to the tattooed man, "We'll play again, edge-lord, don't worry, but it's been six hours. Give us a quick break, eh?", he already replied to the unspoken sentence in the room, making the insane-self cross his arms.

-"Bold of you to call me an edge-lord, Ayin..."

-"Okay, you can mumble all you want, Adam, but unless you can bring me solid evidence about your mumblings, then I'll dismiss them. I don't go around trying to get on everyone's nerves, wear clothes that look entirely unreasonable and then go around claiming 'This is the real me guys, trust me on this.', do I?", his complete-self rebuked his claims, earning his ire. A new hatred blazed in Adam's eyes, who took a sharp inhale.

-"Why you...!", he growled, and with a cry, he lunged at the other man, unable to contain his rage. His initial attack knocked Ayin on his back, almost allowing his attacker to choke him, but a swift reaction from Ayin knocked Adam's hands from under him, making him lose balance for a second. This second was enough to expose the long-haired man's neck, making the one under him deliver a punch to his windpipe, staggering Adam just enough for the black-haired man under him to push him off and try getting up.

Adam wasn't a half-bad fighter, really. He was unpredictable, almost animalistic, and he could overpower many other competent Fixers or Syndicates given the right equipment, but his rage blinded him. He couldn't think about what comes following the punch, much less two or three moves ahead. Speaking of which, let out a war-cry as he got up himself, throwing a punch that was easily avoided by Ayin.

Instead of following it up, he instead hurled his body again, catching his adversary off-guard and slamming him, nearly making him lose balance. Unfortunately, this slam wasn't well-planned, as it gave Ayin enough time to recalibrate and put his full weight behind an elbow that hit Adam in the stomach, launching the breath out of him. He managed to follow it up with a punch to the jaw, tanking Adam's elbows as they dived into his back; it wasn't a very painful spot. Another opening. Now all he had to do was discombobulate his opponent.

-"Alright you war-machines!", of course, however, he would get denied his goal at the very last instant when he felt very familiar teeth dig into his arm. Typical. The set of teeth belonged to none other than X, who'd gotten his arms under Ayin's elbows and brought the latter's arms to his mouth, biting them.

-"We don't want you two to injure each other!", Abel yelled from behind the white-haired man, whom he was holding, although far less gently; Adam had to be held from his neck and stomach, with Abel's cane pressing on his neck to slow him down, and even then he fought violently from his capture.

-"So much for being the rational one, eh, Ayin?", X's voice spoke as he let go of Ayin's arm. Still dragging him away from his...assailant? Or perhaps victim, considering he took the brunt of the damage?

-"As if I started this thing, X. He assaulted me.", it was honestly unnerving how fast the original self could change voice tones so quickly. With such a dignified tone, you'd never imagine he was in a Backstreets-worthy fight mere moments ago.

-"You really mean to tell me you didn't anticipate this reaction?"

-"Of course not. He should've been reasonable and used words. Unfortunately, he couldn't. What a shame that we had to fight.", okay, Ayin wasn't exactly what you could call an adrenaline-chaser, but even so, he'd gotten into a fight or two in his life, and...well, the feeling was something else. He didn't plan this, per say, but he didn't hate it, either.

-"Yeah, right!", Adam yelled, forced to sit on the ground by Abel as he calmed down a bit. "You wanted this, Ayin! You wanted this fight, what with that rant you gave me! You couldn't expect me to just keep listening to that!", ah, Adam. Irony often went over his head, especially irony that related to him, but it was true to an extent that the four non-insane selves were a bit calmer than Adam and wouldn't immediately be at his throat if he tried deranging them. Unless he brought up Carmen, that is.

-"Think what you will, Adam. I'm just so glad it's over now, eh?", his opponent bared his teeth, grinding them in an attempt to diffuse the mood a bit with his artificial happiness. A moment of silence ensued, the only thing in it being Adam's hateful mumblings.

-"Well, that was a thing.", Abel, as always, wasn't too impressed, since no interesting results would ever occur; Ayin wouldn't be able to kill Adam, and Adam was too reckless to pose a formidable threat against the man who knew every single thing about him.

-"Uh...yeah, yeah, sure was. Ahem.", X followed suit, trying to appear cool-headed throughout the fallout of this fight. "So...uh, did you guys read any of the books I sorted?", he tried starting a small talk, unable to truly get over how normal everyone was trying to act.

-"Actually, yes.", Ayin replied, turning away from the man he was punching a minute ago to focus on his clone. "I read the one about dealing with trauma you found. Very interesting. I would've loved it more if I had it, you know, before I ruined my life trying to deal with my own trauma, but I guess you can't get it all.", he explained his thoughts, earning a nod from his double.

-"And what did you learn?"

-"Oh, nothing much. I couldn't have done too much better with The Head after my every move, from what I could tell. I guess I should've gotten a therapist at some point, though.", his complete-self shrugged, sighing. "The book said it could've saved me a lot of trouble. But I didn't have time, X. You must see that The Head was this close to getting me.", he continued, almost immediately regretting it as X's eyes flared with intrigue, probably thinking of his next memory to see.

-"Oh, come on, you did the best you could?! I don't see humans shedding their skin!", of course you would, Adam. Not like Ayin nearly punched you senseless a moment ago. Abel put his cane between the two of them as they glared, hoping to prevent another fight.

-"Uh...has anyone seen Abraham?", the man with the red shirt asked, trying his earnest to clear his voice of any worry. He actually drew the attention back to him. Not bad, old man.

-"I don't know. Probably off buggering somewhere, crying because I am superior to him."

-"No, Abel. I haven't seen him, but I have seen a meat-bag that needs some tenderizing.", oh, to heck with rationality. Please, just let him beat up Adam this once!

-"No. Go search for Abraham, Ayin. It'd be better than trying to kill Adam. You know that.", Abel reprimanded, trying to be the responsible one, and to be honest, it's partly what made the fight-chaser in Ayin's mind calm down a bit. He was supposed to be the responsible one! Not Abel! How indignant of him.

-"Fine, I'll go find him. He better not be searching for depressing literature and throwing every other book on the ground again...", the amber-eyed scientist got up, patting away the dust on his lab-coat as he stared at the three men under him. "X, you're in charge until I get back. Make sure nobody kills anyone.", his words were rather vague, but the glare he gave to Adam was more than clear as to who he meant.

-"Wh-Wha- me?! Ayin, don't just leave me like this, I have the social capabilities of a...dead...rock...", he tried protesting, only to realize his pleas didn't do much as his original self started walking away, giving them his back and was most likely a smug smile they didn't see. Well, X could always get him back during the memories, but for now, he had to turn his head to his recently-appointed juniors. "So...uh...You guys like Anime?"

Ayin muffled a laugh as he walked away from his incomplete-others. Hey, X needed to learn more social skills one way or another. It's not like he was going to materialize anytime soon even if Ayin himself managed to get his freedom somehow, but it wouldn't be bad to make him try, you know? And sure, he left him with two madmen, one a hesitant mess and the other a psychopath, but if you don't get used to the difficult stuff first, then you can't do the easy stuff later. It's what Ayin had heard once from someone. No, he wasn't pulling that out of his hair, what're you talking about?

As the voices of his other selves dwindled down the farther he got, he couldn't help but ponder their relationship so far. It had both good and bad. Though Adam's only good part was that he consistently reminded Ayin of what he would do if he rationalized things too much. It may seem odd to call Adam 'rational', but Adam is actually a blind and scared man. He was blind to the future, scared to take a step forward and see what would happen, and terrified of ruining Carmen's plan. He was incredibly scared of that. Instead of admitting it to himself, however, he rationalized it; of course, if Carmen entrusted him with her work, then what he was doing must've been her will! Behind the (several) layers of annoying personality he had, there was just a scared X who wanted to make sense of the atrocities he had committed, and he reached the worst possible conclusion.

He shook his head in dismay as he passed the various bookshelves scattered endlessly. Abraham must've been there somewhere. It was odd to wonder about your relationship with yourself, wasn't it? Some self-help books would call it 'inner-peace' or 'self-care', but really, with how different they were, it was pointless to try and treat them as himself, even if he acknowledged them as such. They were so different and with such great troubles that the only person Ayin could reliably talk with was X, otherwise either them or him would break-down during the argument.

Both of these scenarios were possible with Abraham, for example. It was part of why he disliked working with him too much; Ayin had no problem remembering his sins. He had no problem regretting them. He had no problems crying from them. It's just that Abraham amplified everything to a hundred. Unlike Abel who stopped the journey in the beginning, or Adam who stopped right before the finish line, or even X and himself, who both made it despite the horrors, he stopped in the middle. Who could blame him? He knew. They all knew how horribly they distorted the pure plan Carmen came up with. They knew how if she came back, she'd cry on their shoulders, weeping because of how they interpreted her orders to never stop.

They all knew that very well, and it's why they stopped or pressed onward. But Abraham? He couldn't stop at first. He tried steeling his heart. Only, he wasn't so brave. He saw the horrors they came up with, and he knew it wasn't what Carmen would've wanted. In a sense, he was the most truthful to her wishes in that he stopped when he knew it wasn't what she wanted, even if it would lead the the Seed of Light. And yet, stopping halfway wasn't what she was going to want. Too far in to back out and too far back to say that you've done enough, this was definitely the scariest part of Ayin's life. He was this close to becoming Abraham.

Now to find the bloody man. He could hear him somewhere within the walls of books around him, and the noise was becoming closer the more he walked. Strangely, however, it wasn't a constant sobbing that he produced. Odd. Perhaps he was silently crying? It...sounded like he was speaking? The heck? As the noise became closer and closer, he turned his head around a wall and saw him on the ground, sitting as he crossed his legs. His back was turned to Ayin, an open book beside him.

-"Abraham! What on earth do you think you're doing here! It's a ten-minute walk to our main gathering! You really think you had to come over here to find a depressing...book...", the complete-self landed a heavy hand on the other man's shoulder and turning him to face him before stumbling when he saw his face. It was completely absent; his eyes were focused on a non-existent horizon, he was almost drooling, and he was struggling to keep his head straight. "What on earth..."

-"Hu-Huegh...My stomach hurts...", the man with unkempt hair touched his belly, trying to press on it with his arms. He smelled awful, and his shirt and lab-coat had an terribly large brown-ish stain on them. Ayin's eyes darted to the open book on the ground, which had a brown liquid on it and several pages ripped out and missing. They saw this liquid before when investigating...It was a sort of hallucinogenic ink that they ignored when it made their heads light.

-"Abraham...Did you...did you eat the hallucinogenic agents used as ink ? And where are the pages?", the black-haired man started putting the pieces together, shaking his now-drugged self violently in attempt to shake him up. No use. "Did...You ate the pages! And then you vomited them and ate them again! Gah, you absolute...", he fanned the air around his head, a disgusted frown on his face. "Your clothes are all ruined! You idiotic mess of a man! What were you thinking?!"

-"B-But...the mushrooms...they told me I'd see you again!", he declared, his voice filled with...hope. This was the only thing he could describe it as. Hope. Something that held him together and made him...happy, if he had to describe the emotion with a word. "They told me you'd...stop hating me.", and he stopped sniffing and sobbing, too. And his stuttering issue got better. This wasn't what he learned about drugs.

-"The mushrooms?", oh, of course. The hallucinogenic agent must be mushroom-based. Maybe with a strong taste. "Who are you talking to? You're always seeing me! And what do you mean stop hating you?", admittedly, attempting to reason with a drugged man who seemed like he  was nowhere near getting back to earth wasn't Ayin's brightest idea, but everything was worth a shot. The amber-eyed scientist looked around him, almost pondering the idea of someone entering the office. Was Angela messing with him?

-"They said...They said I'd see your beautiful face again! I missed it! I missed it so much!", he felt a cold, desperate hand, clutch his. Abraham eyes were tearful once more, and yet...it wasn't his usual self. This wasn't like him. "I had so many things I wanted to tell you!"

-"Wha- Oh, yes, of course, Abraham.", his better-self suddenly decided against any further arguments. Cursing his lack of scientific equipment, he quickly scooped the book with a free hand, intending to analyse or destroy it, and held Abraham up with the other one, managing to get him to stand up. So this drug hadn't messed with his motor functions. Good for him. "But you can't stay with me with these clothes. Come with me.", he shook his hand off, hoping to persuade him if he talked in a gentler manner. Abraham was mostly obedient by nature, but he wasn't able to tell how much this drug had changed him.

-"W-Wait!", he felt the hand clamp back again around his knuckled fist. "Don't leave me again! Please, I'm sorry I ate them, I know you didn't want me to, but...but you're here now, so just...", the broken scientist yelled, his voice clearer and stronger than it had been ever since he was summoned here. "Just don't let go of me again. Don't let go of me, and I promise I won't let go of you ever again."

Ayin had little trouble figuring out what Abraham was trying to say. You'd be an idiot if you didn't, and forgive his arrogance, but Ayin did not consider himself as one. Abraham spent most of his time regretting that he could never ask Carmen for guidance on his path, and how he should confront any issues that may come up. It was only natural that when the chance was available, his mind would try finding her again.

-"...Okay. Just come with me.", came the answer to his request, somewhat drier than it should've been; Ayin didn't want to awaken any suspicions in the other man's mind. He wanted to bring him to the gathering area before dealing with this. He started leading the way, Abraham's hand clutching his, as he moved to their destination, mostly in silence.

-"You have...No idea just how much I missed you. All of us, I don't know if they'll see you like me, but they all did, too. There's so much you need to hear!", and all along their ten-minute walk, Abraham wouldn't just be quiet for a moment. He was non-stop talking about how much he missed her, or how much fun they'd have, or how his entire life was back on track...it unnerved Ayin just how much happiness radiated off of him. He knew he should've been happy for his self, but he was scared of what would happen when the bubble would burst.

By the time they'd arrived on the gathering area of the office, it seemed X had the attention of both Abel and, surprisingly, Adam somehow, even if he looked like he listened with great boredom. They didn't notice the two scientists coming in.

-"So I'm here, listening to Angela for all of her time yapping and yapping about how we ruined her life and yada yada yada, and she just doesn't shut up! Okay, maybe release us to apologize? Can we try to fix this? I don't know, because we're all stuck here while Angela decides that ruining the City is the best course of action to deal with her trauma! Wow! Like, I get it, she suffered a lot, and we shouldn't have treated her in the scummy way we did, but come on! This is borderline infantile actions on her part- Oh hey Ayin.", ah, X. So young. So innocent. So unable to understand that, aside from his own horrible actions towards her, her actions were because of greed and desire, and those were anything but logical.

-"HellllooOh my God, why is Abraham covered in vomit and why are you two holding hands?", Abel, as you'd expect, wasn't quite pleased with how Abraham returned. He didn't exactly care about the various selves themselves, but rather, about maintaining the status quo and not letting any of them die.

-"Guuuuuuuys!", Abraham suddenly jumped excitedly, dragging Ayin with him as the sudden movement surprised everyone; this was Abraham. He didn't crawl out of his waking spot, much less jump and yell with such happiness. "You'll never believe who I just found!", even Adam looked shocked, borderline disturbed at how he lost his stutter and personality. His eyes remained on Abraham, as if anticipating he may jump them. "Carmen's back! I found her!", he announced, letting go of Ayin's hand to point at him, as if introducing some figure of authority. 

-"...Uh...", yeah, X's words of wisdom about summed up the situation. As they all stared at them, eyes shifting between Ayin and Abraham. "...Where, exactly, is she?", what hurt the most was that there was some sort of dashed hope in his voice. He knew she wouldn't be back, and yet, he wanted to believe.

-"Can't you see her?! She's here, you guys!", the formerly-depressed self pointed harder, as if his pointing made his point more valid or truthful. Ayin merely lifted the book he'd scavenged, showing the part where Abraham had taken the pages and eaten them. Abel's eye twitched.

-"How...How did he...!", it didn't need much figuring out; Abraham, for all his flaws, was still a part of Ayin. Inquisitive and curious, he must've overheard them talking about the books, and he probably tried finding the one they said made their head light. Lo and behold, making an already unstable man eat hallucinogenic agents wasn't the greatest course of action. The complete-self closed the book, throwing it as hard as he could to land on his desk. It landed behind it. Close enough.

-"Find her? I know! It's so strange, but the voices...they told me to eat the mushrooms, and now she's back! Don't you guys understand? Carmen's back! She doesn't hate us!", his voice cracked. A tear of happiness ran down his face as he giggled. Even Adam leaned back, taking a few steps back from this terrifying sight.

-"I don't, but...Abraham?", in a sense...if you really thought about it, Carmen was like Ayin. If she wasn't Carmen. And if she was a man. And if she committed war-crimes. Okay, she wasn't like him, but he could at least imitate a calm voice that resembled hers. It managed to make Abraham almost snap his neck from how fast he spun it, anyway. "You have to change your clothes. You can't keep walking covered in your own vomit.", he stated, and Abraham looked like he only just noticed that. 

-"O-Oh my God! I look hideous! Carmen, I'm sorry! Don't look, I just- It's...It's not intentional-", he started making excuses, but before he could continue, Ayin shoved him some clothes which he had summoned during this moment: A wife-beater under-shirt, alongside his iconic black shirt and lab-coat.

-"Just put these on."

-"O-Okay, Carmen! I will! Just...please don't be mad! I'll be dressed in a jiffy!", he promised, and Ayin looked away as the other man took off his clothes. He wasn't particularly ugly, though he wasn't good-looking, either. Lanky and not well-maintained, he grew to hate his own body as the time went on. Not because of appearance, but because it was...awful. It was a part of him, after all, and after the countless atrocities he had to commit, everything began to blur together. Fatigue, regret, pain, hate...He didn't really know what led to what with regards to his view on himself, and so he was only left with the result of being uncomfortable when looking at anything more than his face and hands.

-"Ayin, how in the world did you get Abraham drugged and why does he think you're Carmen?", while waiting for him to change, Abel got up and dragged Ayin into a small circle with X, with Adam sitting under them and eavesdropping.

-"Typical. Blame me. I don't know why you would.", the scientist sarcastically whispered, rolling his eyes. He got into a more serious tone. "You honestly think I did it? He must've wanted to try the mushroom agent himself. I didn't reach him before he did.", he quickly explained, turning his head to see if the drugged man was getting closer to finishing. His state seemed to make his actions a bit slower.

-"Oh, fantastic. That's just wonderful, isn't it? The single greatest thing that could've happened.", the older-looking man almost looked like he was bringing that 'insult-dictionary' into his mind again, dragging his hands across his face. "Well, how are we going to deal with him?! And why are you being so soft if you want to awaken him?!", his voice could barely count as a whisper at this point. It was a yell.

-"Because it'd kill him to pop the bubble so suddenly.", X entered the conversation, his tone serious and grave. "I don't want to be the downer here, guys, but Abraham's a ticking time-bomb at this point, and if we don't treat him gently, he may suffer tremendous horrors, and he may snap in a way we could never preview...", the way he talked wouldn't make you think he was talking about a man who'd just finished wearing his clothes and was whistling a happy tune.

-"Caaaaaarmeeeeen~!"...why? Why was there so much happiness in his voice? The drug must've injected a hefty dose of dopamine into his bloodstream, but the smile he currently gave 'Carmen'...it looked like Ayin's old smile. Ayin's old smile was dead. He made sure he couldn't do it any more. He didn't want any part of his past to come out of the memories he looked at. He didn't want to think that something good could happen, lest his hopes get dashed and he has to go through the cycle of agony again. "Heeeey! Why are you hanging out with these guys so much?", even with his slurred voice, he managed to pout and put both hands on his waist.

-"...I'm unnerved..."

-"Same, Adam. Same.", Ayin whispered back, trying to think of an excuse before calming his voice once more. attempting to keep Abraham sedated. "Oh, I was just talking with them. It's been a while since we last saw each other, after all.", this was terrible. He didn't hope to reach half of Carmen's enthusiasm before everything that happened after her death. He couldn't reach a tenth of it now.

-"Well, why don't you come talk with me!", he ran to his side, grabbing his hands again and ignoring his obviously uncomfortable face. Ayin's physical boundaries were something he had strict limitations on, and the only people who didn't need to adhere to them were Benjamin, Carmen, and Daniel since he was just so stubborn on having to slap his back each time they met. He was only just getting used to X, and this situation was taking things too far. "There's soooo much we need to do together now that you don't h-hate me any more!"

-"Of course we do.", for a second, he had to stop himself from sighing. This sentence was actually sincere. "But I'm a bit tired now. You shouldn't tire yourself, too, Abraham. Maybe rest for a bi-"

-"NO!", good grief! He almost made Ayin fall. So much anger...so much fear. Your heart would be of stone if you didn't feel for him. "I...I'm never leaving you alone ever again, okay? Stay with me!", he ordered, something between horror and determination in his voice. Abraham being determined was somehow less unnerving than the fact Ayin found himself knowing this is how he'd act if ever he had Carmen around him again. He wouldn't be able to bring himself to ever leave her alone with the greatest enemy she ever had: Her demons. 

-"Okay, okay. No need to leave me, but calm down please."

-"Yes! Oh, sorry. Yes. No problem at all, of course, as you wish.", his mood had changed near-instantly. Ayin didn't act like this around Carmen when she was alive, but again, he hated the fact that he knew this is what he'd do to keep her if ever she returned. "Maybe we should sit on the ground?", the drugged man proposed to what he thought was Carmen, his unfocused eyes ruining the gentle smile he had.

-"Yeah, maybe. I just have to tell X to be quiet when we're together, okay?", Ayin tried to back away, but then Abraham shook his head violently, still calm, but definitely disagreeing. "Just for five minutes, don't worry.", again, the mere order 'she' gave him was enough to make his expression immediately soften, even he still looked upset.

-"Okay...", he almost seemed to accept before turning his face to 'her' again. "You...You know what we should do, Carmen? We should watch our favourite...show again. I don't know where Ayin is, but he should make us a- a Television!", his speech slurred. Perhaps the mushrooms were slowly losing effect.

-"Yeah, we should.", What? This wasn't what he was supposed to say! He should've said something less certain! Gah, he needed to rein in his emotions back. He took a few steps back to his three other selves, noticing Abel's berating glare. "What?"

-"I get not wanting him to blow up in our faces, but promising him? What are you, some sort of sentimental idiot? I thought you knew-"

-"Tell me you could look him in the eye and tell him 'No'.", was the defence he found himself using. He couldn't handle breaking himself further. He knew these were delusions of happiness, and yet...it was perhaps as much happiness as Abraham was ever going to get. "I get it, I messed up, it's just...I'm not heartless. I couldn't have done it to him. I just want to give myself a break. Just this once.", he bitterly explained, and Abel took a moment before he averted his gaze, not having anything else to say.

-"Too emotional for your own good, eh, big guy?"

-"Well, regardless, we have to summon a TV that can run Sailor Project Moon for Abraham to watch, which is most likely going to mean we need a CD, a CD-reader, and a television.", X tried making everyone focus on the goal again, ignoring Adam, who crossed his arms in annoyance. Still, he got weird looks from Ayin and Abel. "What? Yeah, I'm not ashamed to have watched it in my memories. It's a good show. With a good plot. And a good cliff-hanger.", ah, the slow process of becoming a weeb. Ayin knew it too well. First, you watch some stuff. Then you watch a lot. Then you start buying merchandise. Then you realize you're in too deep.

-"...Either way, I thought I told you my summoning powers aren't very strong. What do you guys think I'm made of? Light?", he tried cracking a joke, maybe due to the stress, only to receive blank stares. "Yes, I know I am actually made of Light. You could try to have some comedic maturity and understand jokes."

-"Oh, I get it! It's actually pretty funny since it's-", X stopped himself, suddenly realizing the situation and ignoring what he was going to say. "Try to press yourself, Ayin. If there's one thing you're good at, it's working under pressure. Just think of what could happen if the bubble bursts now.", nothing good, that's for certain. The amount of screaming and denial would be a thing of nightmares, and the crying that would ensue would make Adam's chest hitch. It may push Abraham beyond any sort of breakdown line he had.

He couldn't bear to think of the consequences. Their daily crying hours were already tough enough with how vividly he started remembering Carmen. Ever since his memory-night with X, the dreams returned again. Some were just him in the various Anime he liked. Others were...not too pleasant. In that moment, as he started looking fearfully into a grim possible future, something started materializing beside him: A television, which apparently needed no cords, alongside a CD-reader and a box with a few magical girls drawn onto it with some Japanese words on it.

-"Ooooooh!", came the impressed noise from Abraham, who rushed to the scene. "Carmen! You're so, so talented! How did you learn to use the Light? Well, never mind that; you were always better than me, so it's no surprise here!", he praised, putting his hands on Ayin's shoulder and either ignoring or not registering how uncomfortable he was. "Well, dear, shall we watch some Sailor Project Moon? You know, I never told you, but I actually loved it! Remember in episode fifteen when they had to deal with the consequence of Yuri having to forsake her morals and code of ethics in order to protect the wish of her friends? She was such a tragic character!", he put an arm on Ayin's shoulder, making him sit down before shoving the show's CD into the reader.

-"...Woah, you're for real? Hana was clearly the better developed character; she had to stand against so much, and her entire world was almost fractured because of reasons she couldn't control, not to mention she had to deal with her family's influence and conclude what her own person was. And that's not mentioning the star-crossed love with Anthony she had; I loved that arc!"...He ranted, didn't he? For goodness' sake, it was almost as if he felt like he was talking to Carmen...

-"Buncha' weebs...", for a second time today, Ayin was shocked to find that he actually agreed with Adam. Still, Adam himself was a weeb, he just didn't accept it yet.

-"SILENCE!", another thing that shocked him was how much furiousness Abraham managed to cram into his yell and how quickly it had dissipated when he started talking to 'Carmen' again. "I'm sorry, dear, it's just that Adam's so finicky, you know! I'm sure he meant no insult, Carmie!", what was it with these nick-names? Was he trying to be smooth or what? "But really, I'm actually coming onto your opinion, Hana's really underrated as a character, especially her growth in the 'My Bones Are Breakable' arc! Easily some of the best character development I've ever seen!", he most likely didn't change his opinion so fast, but probably didn't want to upset his 'Carmen'.

At that moment, the television lit up. How it worked without electricity, they didn't know, but objects manifested from the Light could draw their power from it, probably. Maybe. Whatever it is, it displayed a small menu on it, making you choose from the various episodes on disk. Abraham tinkered a bit with it, selecting the first episode before turning back to the reason he managed to stop being depressed in the first place.

-"Remember the first episode, Carmen? Where Hana meets Aya on the way to school, and they discover their magical abilities? I loved how we slowly started building up the main cast here, it felt like-", he choked, swallowing for some reason, "Like a real adventure!", he continued as the screen darkened for a bit, showing the dark landscape of The City as the moon shined over it. Particularly, areas under Shi Association's rule; the show was co-developed by them.

-"...Good God, it's been years since we last saw this intro..."

-"Ten years and seven months, to be precise.", Ayin whispered back, correcting Abel as the dark scene on the T.V. was replaced with a bright, pink title screen. All in Japanese, of course; shows made by in Association-controlled areas were never dubbed. He'd know; how did you think he learned French? With Cinq Association's shows. He watched as the subtitles started to decipher the cheery song.

I'm sorry if I'm a bit confusing,
It's much easier when I'm thinking of the future
My thoughts fail me like a machine from N-Corp
I simply wish to see you again

Heh. This was made during the feud between Shi and N-Corp over their service prices. Regardless, the song itself was a bit of an ear-worm. He should know. It bothered him enough to goad him into watching more of the series after he'd claimed to Carmen that it was 'too childish for him'. Wouldn't you know it, he got hooked. Then he was 'just going to watch the sequels', then it was going to be 'the similar shows', then it became 'the good shows', and before he knew it, he was searching the Internet for all of the possible Anime you could imagine. It was perhaps one of the few decisions in his life he didn't fully regret.

Regardless, the four men around him started all calming down, keeping their comments for themselves as the show began. Even Adam, who had his back turned to the small television took small glimpses from time to time. X must've been curious, and as for the rest?...Perhaps they wanted some solace, too. The memories they had of sitting and watching this show were some of the fondest they had, especially after Carmen figured out he'd been watching in secret and berated him for watching alone, joining him. It felt as if this friendship of theirs would last forever. Perhaps even bloom into something more...

Well, it wasn't time to remember those days. Those days were long gone, and Ayin had personally made sure all he had left of them were his clothes and the memories. The past, after all, was in the past, and confronting it again...wasn't going to be beneficial for his frail mental health.

He ignored that thought and focused on the episode. The show focused on three teenage girls: Aya and Hana, two childhood friends in a safer part of the Backstreets, and Yuri, a third girl they meet in the third episode who watches them from the fringes of The Nest. The three quickly become friends and discover they shared a common gene which was injected into them the day of their birth as a sort of experiment by a Wing that gave them powers akin to magic. The three, sensing they can use their powers for good, unite under a group which they call Sailor Project Moon, a combination of three names they individually chose and argued about which they should choose.

Ayin remembered reading about its history once. The show was revolutionary in that it focused on Backstreet residents for once and still aired in The Nest, too. Most shows there, animated or not, had their characters be from the Nests, but this decision and the inclusion of characters from both realms seemed to unite the two opposites for a single half-an-hour each day to laugh and bond with the characters.

Why did they make the decision? No one knew. Perhaps the Shi Association being directly involved in this show made the Nest approve it regardless of the setting. The show itself was decent; the writing was fine and the colours pleased the eye. Each character felt alive, and it did truly affect people. Even if some of the episode morals were obviously a bit odd; report outlaws to the Shi, don't anger The Head and you'll live, and most bad-guys were enemies of the Shi, whether that be rival Associations or cannibal Syndicates.

Still, Ayin did remember how much fun he had with it when he found himself out of breath whenever Aya had an anvil fall on her or ran into a door; the show was slapstick-heavy, and Aya, who had several robotic limbs due to her reckless nature during her childhood, looked from afar like a seasoned Fixer until you saw her get slapped by the bad-guy's hammer and then get up to claim she was fine. It was an episode-by-episode gag.

In fact, one of the best parts of the show was Hana dealing with her newfound powers and the responsibility expected of her. She had so much on her, protecting the entire City, but truth be told, the best part of the show, for him, was her star-crossed love with Anthony, a friend of hers that helped her along her journey. Her inherent obliviousness was not only funny, but slightly heartbreaking because of how much Anthony tried. 

In fact, part of why Ayin followed the remaining seasons was because he had to see how he'd die. Most shows were realistic like that, but this one...maybe it was because it was directed to children, but it didn't do that. After countless ups and downs, they tied the knot. It was such a surprising ending that it made him...happy. Warm and fuzzy on the inside. In a sort of way, it gave him hope. Hope that....

That...

-"Psssst, Ayin, I had a question?", X whispered into his ear. He didn't know how many episodes they'd passed; he'd only summoned the first season, but they'd been watching for a while. Abraham didn't speak much, only asking for Ayin's opinion on some scenes, to which Ayin answered with what Adam described as 'Weeb-talk'. He slowly turned his head to the man with an 'X' on his right-cheek. "Tell you something...you say this isn't your favourite show, but yet you had a poster of it in your room back in the old Lab, if my memories are working correctly. So, care to give me an explanation?", did X see that he was lost in thought and decided to awaken him like that? Maybe he thought it was just a fun question, given that Ayin felt the smug grin he was trying to hide.

-"...Because it was going to be a room for two...", well, he can't say it was Ayin's fault this time. He asked for it. The answer left the clone shocked for a moment before replying with the only thing he could:

-"Awh."

-"Well, that's enough for today! I really want to continue more, but ten episodes are fine, right, Carmen?", well, it was par for the course; Ayin didn't do more than ten episodes a day. Not without Carmen goading him into a movie-night. Abraham would certainly follow course.

-"Yeah, that's enough for today.", he didn't even get to finish his sentence before finding Abraham jumping him, trying to hug him. His internal alarms flashed as he gritted his teeth to avoid throwing an instinctive punch.

-"Caaaaarmieee~", he...nuzzled his face in his original self's shoulder. Okay, that Ayin knew he wouldn't do if Carmen was back. Why were you making the task of hating you so difficult and easy, Abraham?  "I had so much fun with you! Your opinions are so smartyyy~", he mumbled, making everyone else stare at him now. They lost themselves in the show. Even Adam gave in to his inner-weeb and stopped complaining.

-"Y-You're being too nice...", if Abraham noticed the artificialness of Ayin's voice, who still struggled as Abraham invaded his personal space, then he didn't comment on it.

-"I'm nooooot...You're too good for me...", he refuted, getting his face out of Ayin's shoulder and, once more, not noticing the sigh of relief he produced.

-"Don't you notice you're too...Too touchy-feelsy, Abraham?", well, he wasn't going to stop if no one was going to warn him, right? Instead, his eyes glittered for a moment before he let go.

-"Oh. Oh! Of course, I...I didn't notice...it's just that there's a lot of things I wanted to do with you, Carmen! Like...like, when was the last time we watched something together? We...We had to cancel our last scheduled one after...after Enoch...", after Enoch died. Ayin stared for a while at the man with unkempt hair as he tried formulating a sentence. "There's so much I needed to tell you."...what was this in his voice? While all his sentences were laced with a light-headed feel, this one...this one felt as if it spoke for them. For all of them. Such sincerity...

-"I understand. But there's something important you must realize-", seeing that he started coming back to earth, Ayin tried to make Abraham realize his situation, but he was instead cut off.

-"There's so much you need to know! I...I didn't want to kill Enoch! Even if, it was my fault! Please, stop blaming yourself! The Lab...we didn't hate you, we hated that it was us who hurt Enoch!", he started screaming, trying to grab Ayin's hands again, but he didn't allow him. Abraham looked his original self in the eyes, shocked, before continuing. "We had so much planned for you. We were all sorry, but...Lisa's forgiven you now. Please don't hate yourself any more."

-"I understa-"

-"YOU DON'T!", he interrupted him once again, his eyes a mixture of fear and grief. "You didn't know! You didn't know that we all needed you in the Lab! You didn't know that my life had become part of yours, and when you parted...you took that part away from my life! You never knew that I had remembered every single important event for you! You never knew how much you meant to me!", he continued yelling, and Ayin's knew where this was going. Everyone did.

-"Abraham, please listen, Ay--I know the truth is rough, but you must listen!"

-"Abel's right, please, I must tell you that-"

-"I must tell you that I loved the small gatherings you threw! Every party you threw for us, I loved! Every moment you, Benjamin and I gathered, would be heaven for me! I loved every smile you gave me, even if I didn't return all of them! Your every small pout when something wouldn't be going your way was adorable! The way you didn't judge me even when you knew I was lying and watched girly anime in my spare time!"

-"I'm not-"

-"You were my beacon, Carmen! You never knew, because I was a coward. Because I wasn't the man you deserved. I'm still not. Please, forgive me for this. Please, accept my earnest feelings, Carmen. Carmen, I love-"

-"STOP!", Ayin found himself yelling in a voice he never used any more. The echo that sounded off the walls of the small office must've alerted Angela to the fact that something was wrong. He took heavy breaths, staring at his now-shocked self. Everyone in the room awaited the bubble to burst, but somehow...somehow, it didn't. Abraham steeled his heart for the first time and didn't quit. He got down on one knee, and his hands dived into his pockets, Adam stood behind him, ready to subdue him at any sign of aggression, but instead, his hands came back with a small, square box. Ayin squinted at it for a moment before his breathing stopped, alongside every other man in the room.

No.

How? How did he get it? He made sure to get rid of it. He made sure no one would ever see it again. He threw it in the darkest, farthest depths on his office's drawers in Lobotomy Corporation. He got rid of any memories with it. He got rid of anything that could haunt him about the past. Then why? Why did it come ba-

...Of course. Abraham was an X. He had access to the Manager's desk. Most would stop when they found that almost all of the drawers were empty. Abraham must've found the box hidden with a hammer which Ayin wasn't able to bring himself to use. The original self's breathing resumed for half a second before stopping again when he heard a gentle 'tick' as Abraham opened the box, allowing everyone to get a peek at what was inside.

Inside the ring-box were two small rings. One silver, the other gold. One with a small, almost minuscule diamond, and the other a plain circle of silver. The silence seemed to last an eternity. Adam's feet couldn't support him, and he tumbled until he found a bookshelf to rest on. Adam. Why wouldn't he? Ayin had hid this box for eleven years. Only Benjamin knew. He sealed the memory, and never accessed it. He sealed all knowledge of this. He forsook the happiness he felt when looking at the two metallic rings in the old Laboratory. He forsook it all.

And yet, it still came back to haunt him.

-"Ayin? What's this box?", Abel suddenly tried breaking the silence, the tone of his voice telling Ayin that he wanted this to be a prank. He knew that he had prepared a lot of things for his proposal, but he didn't go this far. How close was he? He couldn't have been that close.  Truthfully, he wasn't, but Ayin was a man who planned a bit further ahead than he needed to...

The silence endured, strangling Abel's words and letting them drop in the hollow office. You'd swear you could still hear the echoes of Ayin's scream. X stared in disbelief, too, but inquisitive copy of Ayin that he was, he knew. He must've put the two and two together. A silent, uncontrollable tear ran down his face. Adam's breathing remained laboured; he, too, didn't know just how close he was.

-"C-Carmen. Y-You're the single...you're so much better than me. Your words are so much more meaningful than mine. You're so much prettier than me. So much nicer. So much better...I may not be the perfect man for you, and I will forever regret that, but please, would you...would you accept my proposal?", Abraham's words wrestled with the silence, dropping in the void that had been Ayin's chest just moments ago. He'd even got the gist of what he was planning to say. What he trained with Benjamin to say for months.

Ayin's motor functions started kicking back in, and he moved a shaky, almost unstable hand to grab the box from his other self's hand. He thought about throwing it away, or maybe even destroying it for real this time, but he suppressed those thoughts. No. He wouldn't run this time. He...He couldn't.

He started admiring the two rings. Rings weren't necessitated for marriage in the City; they were expensive, difficult to get a hold of, and often difficult to manufacture, what with rings these days being made of 'Neutralized Plutonium' or 'Stabilized Francium' or some other metal that cost an arm and a leg to acquire. Still, they still signified a true committent, and bringing them was often done by the cheesy Nest folks or by those who had a passion. Ayin was a bit more old-school. He was also broke and spent all the money he made on the old Laboratory, so no fancy metals were available to him.

What was available to him, was Benjamin and The Outskirts. The strange objects scattered throughout its wastelands in addition to the small treasures the beach near them brought were all they needed. They weren't corpse-robbers, but they weren't above looting. They got the silver from a few silver bullets he found on the beach one day, probably made to fight off something on the other side of the ocean, and the gold he found as a luxurious gun holster that somehow made its way to a desolate part of the Outskirts' desert.

He melted it down, forged it, and countless failed attempts later, he had two rings that fit both of their hands. He kept staring at the box he now had in his hand. He picked up the golden ring with the small diamond. It was supposed to be hers. On the inner circle was written 'Carmen~ >ω<'. He knew she hated the overly formal format of rings. He, however, didn't, and his ring simply read 'Ayin'.

The silence engulfed Abraham's words as Ayin kept admiring his handy work. He threw these two away one day after a particularly bad nightmare when he was still Lobotomy Corp's manager. He threw all of the memories he had of them away. Not just because he wouldn't use them any more, but rather...rather, because of the meaning they held. Because they held a gateway to an alternate reality. To what could've been,

What could have been, really? Had these rings been worn on the hands that they were made for...What could've happened?

Perhaps...perhaps Carmen would value her life more, now that she saw that someone wanted her to become part of his? Perhaps they'd manage to complete the research. Maybe they wouldn't be so distraught to the point of forgetting about Michelle's potential danger. Maybe...maybe they'd have succeeded and The Seed Of Light would've shined throughout the City?

How would they have planned their wedding? Would Kali be Carmen's maiden of honour? He knew Carmen would force everyone to dress in a theme. Maybe she'd force everyone to wear Sailor Project Moon outfits. The laugh he was supposed to produce turned into a choke. Benjamin was going to be his best man. He told him. What would happen afterwards, though?

Well, Ayin had prepared the Laboratory to be their home for a while, but he was planning on buying a house. Maybe something close to the forest Carmen loved so much. Maybe they'd bring Lisa along. Maybe they'd try to reconcile with her. He did...he did want a family, after all. These rings...the reality they opened to him...perhaps in it, he'd a have a son, and they'd call him 'Adam', the first of their children? Or...Or maybe a daughter and they'd call her Angela, after th-the angel that was her m-mother...? 

He snapped out of his thoughts like a man who just came out from the under the ocean after holding his breath for an hour. He shook his head, closed his eyes and forgot. He forgot about everything he wanted. He forgot about all the happiness that could've been his. He, after all, was just a despicable man whose idiotic plan only managed to worsen the City. He was just that. What made his dreams so special? Everyone had their dreams, and none had them completed. Even so, even Roland managed to get his wedded bliss for a few months...Lowell did...And then his plan took their bliss away. He had no right to speak. Or so he told himself. It's what he had to tell himself.

-"...You're...You're not Carmen, are you?", Abraham spoke up. His voice one of realization and acceptance. So the bubble didn't burst. "I...I knew you weren't her when I hugged you and you smelled like me. She also wouldn't have taken so long to respond. She wasn't one for long thoughts.", he explained with teary eyes, watching as Ayin closed the small ring-box and pocketed it in his upper-most pocket. He wouldn't throw it away. Not any more.

-"I'm...I'm glad you managed to overcome this without much breakdown.", the amber-eyed scientist tried speaking, his voice hoarse. Everyone else in the room remained silent, grieving or in shock.

-"...It's typical. Even in dream, I cannot get what I want...Ayin?", he asked, his voice not stuttering any more. This was either a good sign, or a terrible one. "Where's my happy ending?"

-"I'm sorry?"

-"Y-You know what I mean.", he frowned, wiping his eyes from the tears that started forming in them. "I didn't go around murdering people for fun. I didn't go around killing people as my job. I didn't want to become a Wing, and I didn't want to become a monster. I just wanted to love. Is that such a great sin?", he asked, his voice becoming more bitter. He received silence. "A-And don't go around telling me that 'nobody gets what they want in the City', that's all bogus! They do! Roland did! Lowell did! And they killed people as their job!"

-"They didn't have a complete happiness, though..."

-"But you know who did? The Head.", he shot back almost immediately. "They never got anything that's coming to them. They got all they wanted. They shut us down and nothing happened. You're telling me I must suffer because of what I did in the Corporation and what I did to Angela, but they get to go scot-free? I worked infinitely harder than any Arbiter in the Head has! I worked for something that would save humanity! I didn't want to become a monster! I didn't want to torture Angela! I didn't want any of this! I just wanted to love. S-So where? Where's my happy ending?", he asked, his bitterness slowly becoming more and more broken, replaced by the typical sadness.

-"I don't know.", Ayin answered, his eyes calm, but definitely in pain. "I honestly don't know. Perhaps we...Perhaps we weren't made for happiness. Our work was for humanity, Abraham. If it's the only thing that we could offer to Carmen...then so be it. After all, not everyone can have their story. Some must write the stories for those who want them. Some must be braver than others.", it's what Carmen had told him once.

-"But we failed. Wouldn't it have been better to bring her back?", the slowly-becoming-depressed-again scientist put his hand in his pockets, eyeing Ayin as if the answer to all his woes was written on his face. "You could've brought her back. You could've gotten her out of that vat and gotten her a new body. But you didn't. You knew you needed Cogito to complete her plan, and by the time you would be able to revive her, the Light would consume everything, didn't you?", he confronted, and Ayin bit his lip. 

-"I couldn't, Abraham. I promised Carmen."

-"What's a promise worth in The City? It's worthle-"

-"Then I will give it worth!", Ayin rebuked, trying to fill his voice with determination. "Listen, Abraham. Our happy ending...It may be out there somewhere. We...I could've forced it to come to my hands, but...but for humanity to awaken, to better itself, some must be brave. I wasn't brave. Carmen was. It's why you loved her so much. But I promised her I'd try my best. I promised her I wouldn't run away any more.", he took a few steps forward, putting a shaky hand on Abraham's shoulder.

-"...But we...we didn't..."

-"Maybe not. But change rarely comes from the first attempt. There were hundreds of Carmens before, and they all met grisly fates just for us to step on their failures and try our best. Perhaps it is not us who will change The City. Perhaps it is not us who will have their happy endings. Maybe we are mere stones in the path of change. Abraham, if ever we were to make it out of here...I want you to know that our tragedies are not unique, but you shouldn't gloss over them. And yet, you cannot remain like this forever. Carmen wouldn't handle seeing you -me- like this. Have some courage, buddy. To create the future, one must face their fears and I...I'm not so brave to say I faced them. But you must try.", he finished, Abraham looking at him with a sort of mocking yet understanding smile.

-"You didn't just sneak Lobotomy Corporation's motto into your speech, did you?"

-"Maybe he did.", X entered, a small smile on his face as he wiped his own eyes. "I wonder, where did I get these speeches of mine from...", he crossed his arms, giving a smile to his 'older' self. "And perhaps we are the last stepping stone, if what Ayin's betting on turns out to be right.", he tried comforting Abraham, raising his voice a bit.

-"We'll see about that. I'm not the best at predicting stuff, but I have a feeling Angela's choice at the end will be...interesting. The Light isn't complete yet, remember? That leaves us here wondering what will happen when it is.", he explained his theory a bit, not earning a reply but a nod from X. He turned his attention back to Abraham.

-"I didn't want to be a monster.", the depressed man confessed, and Ayin patted his shoulder.

-"I know."

-"I hated the atrocities I committed."

-"I know."

-"All I wanted was to love."

-"I know."

-"...I suppose that's not my fate. If we could enlighten at least one heart with our actions, then I would rest easy, but...it seems so difficult to accomplish that now.", he sighed, removing Ayin's hand from his shoulder.

-"It would've seemed impossible to you that you'd follow a project meant to save humanity, fall in love with its leader, and then have to continue it on your own.", Ayin pointed out, and Abraham found himself nodding.

-"...That's...That's true. I suppose if there's one thing about the City that's true, it's that the word 'Impossible' isn't something that has much meaning here.", he shrugged, a shadow of a smile on his face. "You know something, Ayin? The Head should ban hope. It's such a dangerous thing..."

-"They wouldn't be able to take it out of our hearts if they tried."

-"Heh. When did you start talking like Carmen?"

-"I did have a record of all of her important speeches.", the black-haired man admitted, a small smile blooming on his face.

-"Yeah...that's right...", he agreed, and despite his slow words, his stutter was gone. Maybe this particular day wasn't all bad. "Ayin? I know you like DnD...But could we watch more Sailor Project Moon today?", he requested. Abraham never asked for anything. Other than to never wake up, but this time, his voice seemed...honest. He wasn't looking at Ayin any more. He looked at something invisible. A sadness in his eyes as he knew he'd never attain it. But he shook his head, walking towards the small T.V.

-"Sure. I suppose we all embraced our inner-weeb today.", the amber-eyed man laughed, and the laugh wasn't forced. Maybe today they could ignore the 'ten episodes rule'.

-"Not me. I only just discovered it.", X boasted as Abraham sat down in front of the T.V. screen again. Abel passed him, patting his shoulder before moving to select an episode. Abel was probably still processing everything that just happened. Adam, too, seemed in shock. He merely walked over to the T.V. and sat down, massaging his temple.

In truth, Ayin couldn't deny he, too, was shocked to his core. He didn't ponder the memories of the past because he knew he couldn't handle them. After all, his life was full of injustices. If he was getting what he deserved, why hasn't The Head fallen? Do they not deserve that? If his guilt and tears were because of what he did, where were Binah's or Argalia's? If it was his punishment, why was it so unfair? Why couldn't his singular good deed be rewarded when all of his sins were punished?

Because life wasn't a fairy-tale. Especially not in The City. The world they tried to create would mend that. They would at least try and help The City. Perhaps what seemed like a distant dream now, had an ending in sight. A 'Light' at the end of the tunnel, perhaps. Perhaps one day he'd look at the past, a ring on his hand, and think he was silly to despair when hope was so close. Even if he didn't, he couldn't remain in despair forever. He had to live and laugh, because that was part of life. It's what she would've wanted. He smiled back at his clone.

-"Well, get ready, buddy, because ride never ends.", Ayin laughed as the T.V. starting displaying the show's intro once more, and for a small moment, the five men shared a moment of pleasure as they enjoyed the memories the opening song gave them, alongside a laugh as the episode started with Aya being bonked by an anvil on a stick.

Chapter Text

The sun was a beautiful thing. Its rays shone over the City, the hustle and bustle not allowing many to notice it, but with the dissipation of most of the smoke that loomed over it, it gave a new atmosphere to the City. An atmosphere almost all of its denizens couldn't remember. One that they were happy to live in now.

The Seven Days of Light had turned everything upside-down in the City. The Pillar of Light, something most thought was simply was another experiment-gone-wrong or a Wing falling, had effects that were much more profound than anyone could've imagined. The City's people had started becoming more...aware of themselves. At first, it was the murders that started plummeting. An unknown feeling, awakened in most people's hearts, started alerting them to the fact that killing there fellow humans might be just a teeny-tiny bit wrong. The same went for robbery, corruption, destruction...Even the Nest's folks started being a bit gentler to the Backstreet inhabitants.

Those could all have passed as flukes, though. What really sounded the alarm of change in most people's minds was District 23's revolution. A social upheaval that called for the banning of cannibalism and the upholding of laws, much to the shock of everyone in The City. It was the beginning of the end for the Disease, as people started calling it. Wings fell, others rose, and people started upholding laws. Murder was no longer as common as sneezing, and people were, almost...nicer.

Indeed, throughout the decades or perhaps centuries of this endless destructive cycle, it seemed people had normalized the daily sufferings of their lives. It is only The Light that had informed them to the horrors they never considered in the City, awakening them and bringing a change none could've predicted.

You may wonder about The Head's situation in all of this. It wasn't pretty; The Head was ruthless at first. This change, after all, did point out their not-so-small role in the City's suffering, and as such, it diminished their power, something the Head would never accept. 

Countless battles against Fixers, Colours and massacres against entire neighbourhoods. The fighting border soon grew to encompass the entire City, and the Head's resources became thin, even if they had the upper hand in most battles. Arbiters were falling daily, Claws were being destroyed by the dozens, and the various other soldiers they had didn't fare much better. At some point, The Head decided that to win, it had to go big, or go home.

And go home they did.

The Head, not particularly idiotic, knew that even by eliminating every single Fixer, more would rise up. A hydra's greatest enemy, after all, was what it could not reach. Every inhabitant had become a possible enemy, and even if they eliminated everyone, they'd have no one left to rule over. And what were rulers without those they ruled? 

And so, The Head retreated into The Far Outskirts, taking countless patents, weapons, and soldiers with them and established a new city with those who followed them, no matter how few. The mere act of giving people choice between two options was a miracle. A few more cities started popping up, each with their own rules, and so, The City became The Cities. Perhaps one of the greatest achievements of the Light was what it had granted to the people, something so simple and yet so important: Choice.

Does that mean everything had become perfect? Well, no. Cannibalism still existed, though particularly taboo at this point, murders were still high, and with The Head and all their priceless patents gone, The City had much to rebuild. Still, people acknowledged the futility of their previous lives; Fixers were more affordable now to help people, sometimes with funding from Wings. Murder, though still high, was seen as unacceptable, alongside various other crimes. Syndicates were either secretive now, or established a no-man's-land in The Outskirts, which The City often raided to weaken them.

Humanity hadn't become perfect by the Light, and even some of those who manifested E.G.O. were wicked, but the good had outweighed the bad. The wicked with E.G.O. found ten more non-wicked E.G.O. wielders who'd stop them. The Wings, though still somewhat corrupt, had come to value, at least superficially, the society they were in, and had measures to be controlled by their Nests' inhabitants.

Humanity wasn't perfect, not by any stretch. But that was not the Light's goal. It had merely made it acknowledge its faults. It had become more...human, for a lack of a better word.

Those behind the Seed of Light project had various degrees of public presence or even acknowledgement; most of them wanted to better humanity, not for fame or some other material gain, but for the sake of their fellow humans. 

But among those known was Daniel, one of the funders and founders of it, who had become a popular politician and a revolutionary coffee brewer. Arguing for freer choices and more liberties, he'd been involved in several social projects to help mend the gap between Nests and the Backstreets and had even managed to create a central Fixer force to help those who couldn't afford more professional Offices, and the new brews he created in the coffee realm were considered legendary. 

Though his Fixer achievements would not have seen the light of day without the help of the dashing Kali, who lead this force with utmost discipline and force. She was brutal at times, but never went overboard. Her reputation from before The Seed of Light project certainly helped add to her respect, and her just decisions and selfless moves only made her be seen more and more as a heroine, even if she did not particularly enjoy the new spotlight. Though it didn't save her from the gossip that she and Daniel had something for each other...

Most other members lived quiet lives compared to these two. Some other known members included Giovanni, now a famous artist who argued that art was to express one's true self, not to self-immolate and call it art. His pieces, not overly complicated but actually pretty and more complex than straight lines, were admired by many and were the inspiration for several other artists He soon became a public figure who argued against suicide, and whose art helped better the lives of thousands of people. He also wrote several books on the matter.

Though a true book-worm that had emerged was Gabriel, one of the leading figures in repairing the lack of technology that followed the Head's self-imposed exile. His immense smarts and organisational abilities managed to aid dozens of scientists publish their research. He also established the Lobotomy Institute, a scientific academy that helped advance research in all fields in the City. And even if most of his research was funded by Wings who wanted to sell technology back to those who needed them, Gabriel had made sure that the goods were sold at a reasonable price for the first few months. His organizational skills also made him one of the figures that helped re-create an administrative division for The City now that The Head was long gone. His books were hailed as pinnacles of their respective fields, even if the nickname "The Viper" never left him, and neither did the sharp, unforgiving personality.

Perhaps that's why he needed a certain Elijah by his side. Another of the few that worked on the project and became famous, she was a magnificent self-help writer, something many needed after the many daunting years inside the City. Her constant encouraging smile and her 'never give up!' demeanour played no small role in her popularity, but she was also known for co-publishing books with Gabriel which talked about a strict life style that still left room for improvement.

She was also involved in the psychological health scene, making interviews and writing books with a certain Michelle, a former Head Eye-turned-normal-citizen, she often talked about the morality of one's life, and after specializing as a psychiatrist, she became one of the best in her field. This Gabriel-Elijah-Michelle trio sometimes starred together in shows or in documentaries, and they had certainly helped improve, if not downright save, thousands of people's lives.

Other than those six, however, most other returned to their lives. Spending time with their families, or perhaps even working like regular people. You wouldn't know they were even part of the project unless you asked. Even the project's three leaders, whom the public only knew as 'A', 'B', and 'C', were only known by those who really delved deep into their whereabouts. Meeting them wasn't difficult, per say, but they avoided the busy world of The City now that they had accomplished their purpose. Some even interviewed them, but on condition of anonymity, but regardless, they were all held in high-regard by most, and even those who critiqued them rarely managed to hate them. Indeed, despite their controversial status, none denied how much good was brought onto the City by their actions.

One year. One year was all it took for all of this to happen. Were things going to be so happy moving forward? You'd be a fool if you thought so. There were going to be countless ups and downs, betrayals, upheavals, but even so, it was all better than the decadent state humanity had been in for so long. After all, humanity wouldn't be humanity without its good and its bad, but for the moment, people breathed easy, knowing that whatever came next, it was them who decided it. The City had finally become theirs, and not vice-versa.

Still, some couldn't help but wonder where the creators of this new world had gone to. Did they now work in a secluded area of The City? Were they now millionaires, quietly admiring their handy-work? Did they get lost in the hustle and the bustle of The City, seen by all, but recognized by none? The average person wouldn't know. And perhaps that was part of their allure; the constant theories about what they could be doing now, the countless possibilities were enough to tickle the nooks and crannies of the mind.

Though, perhaps reality was a bit less exciting.

-"Enoch! Lisa! I told you two to get dressed an hour ago!", with The City being less dangerous now, living in the Backstreets was akin to living in a village. Though you still had to have a certain taste to have a house in the very far-end of the Backstreets. Still, if the small, two-story house on the fringes of the Backstreets, poking into the Outskirts, proved anything, is that it still appealed to certain people.

-"Coming!", a unified voice of a boy and a girl came from the second story, alongside frantic footsteps and the noise of a fierce argument between the two of them. On the lower floor, Ayin shook his head, standing beside the front door with his iconic garments. These kids...They took so long to do anything because they argued most of the time, even if they truly did love one another. It's why he had to tell them to do anything an hour in advance if he wanted it done by a certain time.

Lo and behold, the two of them came down after he called for them, wearing the same clothes they did back in the Laboratory. Well, mostly; Enoch did, but Lisa used her new home and situation to the fullest, and so she wore a red dress with flowers all over it, alongside a ribbon on her chest. She held a small, empty flower pot between her hands.

-"Good grief, what took you two so long this time?", he asked them as Lisa stopped in front of him, laying a hand on his waist and giving them a stink eye.

-"Good morning to you too, dad.", Enoch answered, a large smile on his face with his hands in his pockets. He was a bit slower than his fire-forged friend; during his time in the Laboratory, he'd underwent a dangerous experiment involving Cogito, and it almost went horribly wrong; if it wasn't for the swift actions of Carmen and a little bit of interventional surgery on Ayin's part, he might've lost more than his two legs during that experiment. The toll of this sin weighed heavy on Ayin, and he had to be reminded of it every day as Enoch moved a bit slower than Lisa, mostly because of how he wasn't used to synthetic legs as a child. He loathed to think it could've gone worse.

-"That's Mister Ayin to you, Enoch! Let me remind you that you two are staying with us until we finally find someone willing to take you in!", the amber-eyed scientist reprimanded, wagging a finger at him, not making the smile on the young man's face move a bit.

-"And nobody's come for us all this year?"

-"Why were you two late?", Ayin asked again, moving the question to Lisa this time, avoiding Enoch's smile. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, looking at her caretaker.

-"It's Enoch's fault! He couldn't make up his mind all morning! First, it was his clothes, but then he chose his regular clothes! Then he couldn't make up his mind on where to go; the forest or the beach! It's all this gosh-darned, two-timing good-for-nothing baka's fault!", she blamed, allowing Ayin to loudly gasp.

-"Little missy! When did you learn such language!"

-"But it's not even PG-rated!", she complained, taking a stink-eye from the scientist. She knew what it meant. "Fiiiiiine, sorry because I said mean things about you, Enoch.", she loudly sighed, turning her head away from him after her apology.

-"Did you two finish the breakfast Carmen made for you?", he asked again, and they both nodded in unison. He closed one eye, raised an eye-brow over the open one and leaned in on Lisa.

-"I swear I didn't give my food to your Venus Fly Trap this time, Mister Ayin! I ate all of it today and thanked Miss Carmen for it, too! Now, can we please, please, pleaaaaaase go?", she pleaded, the flower pot still in her hands as Ayin leaned back and straightened his posture.

-"Where are you two going today?"

-"The forest!", the yellow-haired girl exclaimed before turning to the brown-haired boy, elbowing him to make him nod.

-"And what are you going to do there until Carmen and I get there?"

-"We're going to play in eye's reach and never go far until you two reach us!", she assured him, trying to maintain a straightened and dignified posture.

-"Alright. You're free to go. See you two in five minutes.", he moved aside, opening the door behind him and making Lisa dash for it before grabbing her shoulder. "Oh, and, Lisa? 'Baka' is not a word you should use, even if you hear it in Carmen's shows."

-"Miss Carmen's shows? But I thought you watched them too-"

-"Just don't use the word, alright?!", he repeated, and she almost smirked at him before she nodded and dashed for the outside. Enoch following suite behind her, slowly but surely.

-"Tell mum I said good morning!", he smugly said before trying to sprint a little with his legs, making Ayin scowl as he got out. Their home, all things considered, was in a strategic location. Near the forest in The Outskirts and the beach at the same time. That way, they could go to wherever they wanted to go whenever they went out. He watched as the two children ran for the forest, giggling all the way there.

-"I thought you didn't like being called Mister.", a kind, beautiful voice called for him from their kitchen next to the front-door. He turned his head and saw as Carmen leaned on the wall, crossing her arms. "And you're still trying to convince Enoch someone's going to get him?", she smiled further, something of smugness in her smile.

-"Eh. You know me. Too stubborn for my own good.", he shrugged, hearing her take a few steps forward. She still wore her traditional clothes, alongside her lab-coat. Technically, they didn't need it any more, but it had become customary for them to wear it at this point. She landed her hand on his shoulder, letting him admire the ring on it as she looked at the two children running towards the patch of greenery in front of their home.

-"How does it feel?"

-"Like Heaven. These two are really part of why our home's filled with so much life. They must be a quarter of the reason I feel happy to wake up every morning.", he answered her, putting a hand around her.

-"The other three quarters being?"

-"You, of course.", he didn't even finish his sentence and she already got flustered, a small blush on her face as she pulled out of his hug and gave him a soft punch on the arm.

-"Oh, you cheesy, cheeky bugger, you!", she kept lining the punches, and he produced some overly-dramatic 'Ow!'s for her. "How long did it take you to come up with that one? A month?", she quickened her punches, ignoring his grunts. "You know I don't do well with flattery!"

-"Actually, it only took three weeks- Ow!", he let out as her punches reached his face, "Besides, is it really flattery when it's the truth?"

-"Staaaaaaaaaaaahp!"

-"Okay, okay! But I'll only stop if you do.", he raised a hand, anticipating a new punch before she stopped, puffing her cheeks as the redness in her face started going away. Now she only looked somewhat like a tomato. "Aw, come on, Carmen! Why can't I just flatter you a bit?", he complained as she looked at him, her cheeks still puffy.

-"Because it's embarrassing!"

-"Oh, come on! You do it to me all the time!", he countered, offering her to take a step outside, which she did, before following her and closing the door behind them, but not before making sure he had the keys in his pockets. He didn't want a repeat of that incident.

-"Yeah, and you turn into the world's biggest tomato and act all like 'oh no don't lie please', don't you?", she turned back to him, the breeze moving her pony-tail as he turned to face her. She had a good point, and he had nothing logical to reply with, but just as he was about to say something entirely idiotic, a voice called to them.

-"Hey!", a proper, though extremely excited voice called from a home next to theirs. It was nearly identical, only a tad smaller, and it had a man in its second story's balcony. "You two didn't tell me you were going out today!", Benjamin yelled after them, and Ayin gave him a smirk.

-"I wasn't planning on doing so."

-"Well, good! Because I wasn't planning on asking for your permission to join you!", well, Ayin couldn't say he didn't set himself up for that one. Carmen spoke up for him next.

-"Really? Don't you ever get sick of us?"

-"But it's been so long since we last hung out!"

-"You were literally there for breakfast and you dug a tunnel connecting our living-rooms.", she reminded him, and he whistled innocently. No matter how much he seemed to be bent on annoying them, Benjamin did know his boundaries, and he often gave his friends the privacy they needed when they needed it, but otherwise, he was more than happy to invade any meeting of theirs. 

-"Ages, I tell you! But don't you worry, I still have thirty-minutes of work before I can catch up to you two. Don't think about running away!", he warned, sharing a laugh with them before quickly heading inside his home again. The couple stared at the empty space where he was before starting to walk to the patch of greenery again, Ayin speaking up:

-"He's going to call everyone to come over."

-"Oh, totally. You mind?"

-"Nah, it's been a while since we last saw Daniel, Kali, and the rest of the gang.", the amber-eyed man waved any possible annoyance with a free hand, walking towards the tree he first fell in love with Carmen under. She never knew, but it's part of why he wanted them to build their home there. It was such a pretty place. When they reached it, Carmen threw herself on the grass she loved so much, waiting for him to join her. "Give me second.", he winked, and she understood what he was going to do.

Leaving his better-half under the tree's shade, he moved slowly, walking over to where Enoch and Lisa had been playing. They were just next to the two adults, apparently trying to put some flowers into the flower pot. As always, they were arguing.

-"Stupid Enoch! You're not handling them delicately enough! You'll ruin the flowers!", she yelled at him, taking the purple flowers that were in his hand and putting them as gently as possible in the flower-pot, covering their roots with soil they had gathered.

-"Why do you care about Carmen's flowers, anyway? I thought you hated her.", her best-friend smiled, turning his head to Ayin, whom he noticed. She seemed almost offended, if her gasp was anything to go by.

-"Enoch! Don't talk about muuuuu-", ah, so she'd finally noticed him. Not that it was too surprising, Ayin had pulled this stunt on her too many times to count. "-uuuuster Ayin's wife like that!", she turned around and got up, an anxious smile on her face as she put her hands behind her back and tried hiding the flower pot. She got a hearty laugh in response and a hair-ruffle. In the past, she'd have hated this. Now she only let out a grumble as he did so.

-"Just wanted to make sure you two were doing fine, don't worry about me. How're those legs doing, Enoch?", he calmed her down, talking to the more mature boy as he looked down at him.

-"It's fine, dad. You don't have to worry about us.", he smiled once more, and Ayin looked at the sky for moment before turning around, shaking his head. "Don't tell me you didn't see it coming this time, at least!", he yelled behind him, and the scientist grumbled as a response. 

-"Just have fun you two!", he yelled back at them, heading back to the woman he left under the tree, who was probably eavesdropping on their conversation together. He sat down beside her with a relaxed sigh, leaning a bit onto her. "That Lisa...she can't be truthful to herself."

-"You're one to talk, Mr. 'My-Name-Is-Mister-Ayin'! You're even worse than her!", she called him out again, and he, having nothing to defend himself, resorted to shrugging, attempting to not show how much her words were true.

-"But you gotta give me that I'm better than Daniel. Man's been trying to propose for three weeks! Last week he took Kali out to a movie, which, duh, Kali didn't like, so instead he actually managed to find a Syndicate that Kali could knock out of existence for good, and she told him it's been the most fun she's had in a while, and then just in the moment, you know what he does? He chickens out and talks to her about coffee-rings and their taste!", he recounted, 'tsk'-ing at the end of his sentence, only for Carmen to roll her eyes at him.

-"And you're so much better than him because...? Last I checked, you hid the ring for four months."

-"Well, yeah, but I wasn't actually planning to propose yet!", he defended himself, making a sophisticated move with his hands. She rolled her eyes once more, amused by his ability to endlessly to keep digging himself further into the hole he dug. He awkwardly coughed and tried changing subjects. "So, how's that stomach-bug you've been having?"

-"Still there. Definitely didn't go away because someone thought he should do all my research and deliver it to Gabriel!", she berated him, and he waved her worries with a free hand.

-"Oh, come on. It was a combined research effort. Some more work on my part wouldn't have hurt. You, however, needed to stay in bed and not do much effort.", he explained himself, somewhat proud. Hey, how else did you think they made money? The Lobotomy Institute did pay a lot of money, and they were scientists. With a few fake names and Gabriel's cover, they published their various research on the human mind and lived with the profits.

-"But it still didn't go away."

-"But it could've gotten worse.", he argued, and for some reason, a very, very wide and sincere smile on her face popped up. He took it positively; doing that research wasn't very easy, and so being thanked for it was nice. "You should get that checked out, by the way. It's been, what, three weeks?"

-"Actually...", she started, but before she could even get her sentence out, a long, screeching sound echoed. A mere second later, a fancy-yet-old blue car popped into view, heading straight out of the Backstreets to the Outskirts with an alarming speed and an even more alarming braking procedure. The car almost screeched to a halt next to the forest before tilting a bit to the right, dangerously looking like it would tip before it adjusted itself.

What would seem like a dangerous scene was changed when the passenger's door opened with a loud kick, allowing Kali to fall out of the car onto the ground, trying her best to hug and kiss it. The door closed behind her, and soon afterwards, a blue-haired man came out of the driver's seat.

-"I honestly don't get the issue, Kal! You told me to get us there as soon as possible, and I got us there in six minutes and twenty-three seconds! It's a record!", Daniel proudly boasted, closing the door behind him as he walked over to the taller woman, offering a hand.

-"My issue?!", she repeated with incredulity, refusing his hand and leaning on the car. "My issue?!", she walked over to him, and he knew where this was going.

-"Actually, technically I said the issue, not your issue- Guh!", he stuttered as she grabbed his collar and started shaking him.

-"My issue is that someone keeps driving his fancy-schmancy rich-kid car like a rabid-squirrel who drank fifteen gallons of concentrated caffeine at a hundred-and-twenty Kilometres per hour and expects me not only to think he's good at driving, but to learn from him!", she kept shaking him, only making him able to say an 'uuuuuuuuhhhhh' as she did so. "I won't let it be known that The Red Mist, having survived District 23 as a child, countless Syndicates, Fixers and even The Head died because she rode a car with a substance-abuser!", she stated, stopping her mission to make Daniel's eyes orbit, allowing him to speak.

-"B-But you're a smoker! You're also a substance abuser! That makes us...uh, equal?", he noted and her eye twitched at him before she ran her left-hand on her face. In truth, he was probably trying to say they were like each other, but he was failing. Kali, however, delivered a compliment greater than he could ever wish for by trying to show self-restraint and not shaking him until his insides where like milk-shake.

-"Auntie Kali!", and yet, perhaps what truly saved him was the excited scream from Lisa, who came running to her as fast as her little legs could run, having carefully arranged her flower pot and left it for the time being. Her sprint halted when she jumped directly into the red-haired woman's guts, trying her best to hug her. The jump knocked the air out of her momentarily, but she immediately recovered and returned the hug.

-"Woah there, kiddo! I missed you too!", despite her harsh exterior (and her harsh interior), Kali did have a soft spot for children generally , and for Lisa and Enoch in particular. She was the one that found them, after all. She'd know better. "What's Carmen feeding ya'? You feel a bit heavier than last time!"

-"I knooooow! Could you please tell her to stop feeding me so much? I'll get fat!", the purple-eyed girl pleaded with a pout, earning a laugh.

-"I'm afraid even Auntie Kali cannot convince Carmen to stop spoiling you two.", Daniel commented, barely holding onto the car's hood, getting up. "How's it going, Enoch?", he greeted the young boy as he approached them, catching up to Lisa.

-"Hey Mr. Daniel. I'm doing alright. Are you two married yet?", he asked, his neutral expression not shifting one bit, unlike Daniel's eyes, who shifted everywhere in their orbit as they avoided his gaze. Kali seemed expressionless, but her left eye twitched. 

-"What are you on about?! Enoch, didn't Ayin tell you it's rude to ask old people about these things?", he reproached, keeping a smile as the hoodie-wearing boy saw right through him.

-"Really, Daniel? Old people?", Kali turned her head to him, a million daggers in her eyes. Out of the fire, into the boiling oil.

-"Yes? No! I mean...We're both pretty old! Especially in comparison to Enoch! So we're both old by comparison, and as such he shouldn't ask these questions! Not that old age would be bad, since we're both the same age and...and...", he stopped, taking a deep sigh, apparently starting to run out of caffeine. "Just grab my collar already.", instead of finding himself being shaken again, he sensed a pair of eyes roll at him before they turned to Lisa.

-"Where's Ayin and Carmen, anyway?", the Fixer asked, and she received a tiny finger pointed at the couple, who were resting under the tree. Carmen gave her friends an enthusiastic wave with a raised arm, with Ayin waving a much less enthusiastic one. "...Under the tree? What're they- FOR GOD'S SAKE!", she brought both her hands to her eyes, trying to control herself before turning to the politician behind her. "You blue-haired caffeinated mess of a driver! You got us here too early! They were having a moment and we interrupted it!", she walked over to him menacingly, and instead of fighting back, he sighed and accepted his fate.

-"Please don't shake me too much, Kal.", was the only thing he said, though once more, he was saved, this time by Enoch.

-"Mr. Daniel, I don't mean to intervene in personal affairs, but if you wanted Ms. Kali to stop, wouldn't you just say so? She doesn't hate you to the point of hurting you against your will.", he suggested, his calm smile ever-present, and it took the red-headed woman a moment to notice what he was saying.

-"Kid, I know you're the philosophical one, but...", she stopped, the realization dawning on her. Her head slowly turned towards her driver. "Daniel, you're not...?"

-"No! Of course not! Never! He's just being silly, Kal! It's his word against mine, which are you going to take?!", he tried pressuring her, his tone as sincere as possible, and she immediately looked at the young boy. "Oh, come on! Don't I have some credibility?!"

Back under the tree, Ayin and Carmen had trouble taking in their breath, having wheezed so much they could barely breathe. Ah, how they missed their friends' antics. In fact, this was probably one of the places these two could act naturally, outside the political scene and without Kali having to worry about her reputation, it got pretty chaotic at times. And it was only going to get even more chaotic whenever Gabriel and the rest of the team arrived, though, they'd probably take a while, since Gabriel never drove at more than fifty Kilometres per hour, and even if someone else drove, he'd force them to respect the speed limit.

-"How...Hah! How much do you want to bet Daniel has the ring in his pockets?", the red-eyed woman nudged her other half, still trying to take her breath.

-"I don't bet, especially not against facts.", he replied, wiping a small tear from his eyes. "And he's at such a good position today, too! I mean, the beach, the forest...I only had the lab when I proposed.", he noted, trying his best to lower his voice so that his two friends wouldn't hear it. Not like they would; Daniel was now trying to convince Kali that her conclusion was wrong, and his yelling could shatter some windows. The red-haired Fixer remained silent, probably regretting the life decisions that led her to this moment.

-"You think we should nudge them a bit in the right direction?", Carmen whispered to him mischievously, and he actually pondered her words for a bit.

-"...Why not? So long as you take care of Kali. I'm not in the mood to understand the feeling my omelettes go through to be beaten.", he compromised, and his better-half laid a hand on her waist.

-"Really? You really thought I wouldn't be the one with my best friend and maid-of-honour?", ah, it was nice to see Ayin's superpower, the ability to completely ignore and forget about social interactions, was still fine and doing well.

-"Which remind me, you still didn't tell me what you two did on your last girls' night out.", but so was his second superpower, ignoring how much of an idiot he was and managing to change subjects at the speed of sound. Though it didn't save him from a look that told him he was going to be teased for this for the rest of the day.

-"Oh, rightrightright!", she snapped her fingers, refreshing her memory, "I was just about to tell you! We actually went to a doctor!", she announced, and already had the cold sweats begun. He'd spent countless nights agonizing about the possibility. Several nights of walking in circles around, pondering this possibility. Vomiting, food cravings, headaches...they were all signs of one thing...!

-"What did they say?", a disease, of course! Was her blood pressure getting lower, and that's why she suddenly wanted salty things? Was it a tumour? Maybe she was suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease? He didn't stress her out when he said they should work harder to take a vacation, did he? Maybe-

-"You're already losing your mind aren't you?"

-"What? Pffft, nooooo...?", maybe he was the problem? Did he cause her an allergy? Was it something permanent? "Wait, is this a farewell speech?! CARMEN, ARE YOU-", before he could complete his breakdown, however, a pair of warm hands grabbed his. He stared into her eyes, trying his earnest to not show the horror in his eyes.

-"Ayin, sweetie, this is going to be a big step for us. But before I tell you anything, you have to promise me not to freak out.", she squeezed his hands, and he felt more sweat coming down his forehead.

-"But...But..."

-"Promise me, Ayin."

-"...I promise.", he forced himself. He didn't like making promises. They felt, to him, like they were more binding than any Fixer or Syndicate contract. He stared into her eyes as she took a breath, her lips moving incredibly slow. Or at least, that's what it felt like. It felt as if she was going to say something he only heard in his dreams.

-"Ayin, I'm zxdnezdx."....What was that? He cleared his ears.

-"I'm sorry?", he repeated, and her smile got bigger.

-"I'm asdasdfe."...something was wrong. Her eyes didn't have the life behind them. The world slowed down. What? This wasn't how the world moved! It didn't stop for him! What was going on?!

He felt a familiar warm sensation, and another one of something opening up. Wait...No. No. It couldn't be. Not like this! This was so real! It couldn't be...NononoonononoNO-

Ayin suddenly woke up in his office, cold sweat running down his face and covering his body, X snoring beside him, staring at the four people in the room beside him. His heart hurt, his chest felt tight, and his eyes were teary. He was panting, as if he never breathed before in his life. He got up, realizing he's neither in a forest nor a beach. He scavenged his memories.

Nothing came up.

No. Not like this. It couldn't be like this. He was asleep. His mind wouldn't be so cruel to give him hope. No, no, no...Please...

He crawled from his sleep, still dazed, and clawed at his office's sealed door after tumbling to it. Please. Please. Behind this door is Carmen, awaiting him for breakfast. The Head's raid, Lobotomy Corporation, The Library...These events...they were all just a bad dream, right? He was hit by a car and he was in a coma for two months. It's all a bad dream. The people on the floor are just the nurses and the doctors, right? 

Right?

Nothing. The door remained silent. His clawing became a fervent knock, hoping for something. Anything. It felt so real. It was all he ever wanted. He didn't want to be a Wing. He didn't want to sacrifice everything he ever had and everyone who stood by him. He just wanted a family. He just wanted to be with Carmen.

He kept knocking, desperate hope guiding his hand. His chest started hitching, tightening further. In another world, he'd be the happiest man in the world, hearing little footsteps coming to his room, opening the door and yelling at the top of her tiny lungs: 'Daddy!'. In another world, he'd kneel down and hug her, telling her that she's the prettiest girl in the world. In another world, she'd giggle just like her mother and tell him he was silly.

-"Angela!...Angela, please...I'm sorry...I never wanted it to happen...I'm so sorry...Angela..."

Of course, his now-awake mind started rationalizing, he could never do that. Instead of a darling daughter called Angela, he had an AI whom he had forced to do horrible things against her will. Instead of being there for her first footsteps, he was there for her first regret. Instead of sitting down with her as she told him about that one kid who had a crush on her, he was there as her hate for him festered. Instead of hearing an 'I love you!' from her each day, he heard her insult his memory. Loathe him. Despise him.

Why wouldn't she, after all? He loathed himself.

His desperate knocks came to a halt as he tried standing up, turning his back on the door before his legs failed him. He sniffed, laying his back on the door and laid eyes on his sleeping selves. He hated the fact that instead of his greatest wish, all that came up to him when he thought of the names 'Adam', 'Abraham' and 'Abel' were the failed copies of himself. He hated it. Oh how he hated it. 

No. He wouldn't do that. He steeled his heart, as he always did. And like every time he did it, it was against his will. But he had to. He couldn't be weak. He...

He clutched the ring-box through his lab-coat's pocket. He clutched it as if it would somehow sprout legs and run away. Of course, it wouldn't; the only hand that was supposed to take it was a bit short for the rings. Six feet under, to be precise. He tried laughing at his forced joke. All that came out was a dry heave. He let go of the box, making sure it remained in his pocket at all times.

His mind raced. Maybe, if he slept fast enough, he'd forget all of this. He'd forget it forever. He'd forget this hope that he had in his chest. He didn't even stop to think about that idea before he started to move back to his desk to sleep, almost tripping on his own feet.

He back-stepped, accidentally stepping on X's foot and waking him with a gasp. A few tears fell off his face when he turned to look at him. He didn't know when he started crying.

-"...Ayin? What's wrong? Why are you crying? Ayin?"

He didn't respond. He felt for the desk behind him, sat on it and covered his face with his hands. He shouldn't act like this. He shouldn't. It's why he had abandoned everything that related him to his past life. He had to. Yesterday broke all of his codes and red lines. He couldn't ever act like this. Do not grieve. Do not cry. Do not weep. Do not hope. Do not feel. Do not dream. Do not.

Do not grieve over the loss of the one you loved. Do not cry her passing and how it broke your heart. Do not weep because she was your greatest light. Do not hope for a better future; there won't be. Do not feel the pain you hold. Do not dream, for they'll be delusions. Do not. Do not. DO NOT.

He had to stay strong. He had to stay calm. He promised her. He promised her with his entire heart and soul. He promised her during the day when he shouldn't have. He knew that, in The City, a promise was worthless. But he'd give it worth. He promised her he wouldn't be weak. He promised her he wouldn't break his promise. He had to stay strong. He...He...had to...F-For...C-Carmen.

He sobbed. No. He couldn't break any more promises with Carmen. Please, man-up. You were strong your entire life. Please, don't let go of the promise you made to her when she trusted you. Please. Incredibly, he managed to silence himself, sufficing with a long, quiet whine.

He felt an arm around his shoulders. He recoiled from it.

-"Ayin?", no response. He didn't expect one. "...How bad was it?", no response. It must've been horrible. "...Do you want us to talk?"

Chapter Text

-"Uno! Hah, that'll be my seventeenth win for the day, gentlemen! You best step up your game!"

It was another day in The Library, though the days had become tense as of late. A sort of unspoken fear in the air as everyone bit their lips and wondered what came next after The Hana Association failed to bring down Angela's aspirations or Angela herself. Being designated as an Impurity by The Head was frightening enough for most, but their long, drawn-out reaction (or lack thereof) was anything but comforting. It wasn't a good sign, given The Head's track-record, and it probably meant that whatever they had planned, it wasn't going to be good.

Still, that was that, and the five madmen in the Floor Of General Works' office had very little to do when it came to how well the newly-designated Impurity was prepared for their attack, if ever it came, which is most likely why they busied themselves with a game of Uno. Not like Angela valued their input anyway. She never would.

Indeed, four men were sitting in their usual gathering spot, Ayin's three failed selves and X, who had a wide smile on his face as he laid down the last card he had in his hand onto the stack in the middle. Sure, maybe DnD was a better game overall, but Uno was the first card-game X had played. It was where he first saw the adventures, betrayals, and frustration of card-games, and so his admittedly-limited memory treated it fondly.

-"Bloody Hell, X. I'm honestly glad you're having fun, but I'm not the happiest I could be with you winning every other turn.", Abel laid down his deck in front of him, leaning back as he shook his head.  The 'youngest' of them had a happy smile on his face, somehow without Ayin's titular smugness in him as he proudly stared at his accomplishment. "What's the turnout now?"

-"...It's thirteen-seventeen, eight wins for you and me, five for Adam and seventeen from X.", Abraham answered the fancily-dressed self with a heavy sigh, his voice slow but noticeably less broken. "Even as a team, we still have to win nine more games to tie with X...", he noted, bringing a hand to massage his temple.

-"What can I say? I guess I-"

-"I guess you're every bit as annoying and idiotic as Ayin.", Adam completed for the clone, furiously throwing his cards into the pile. His voice was bitter, laced with venom, and it had a low-growl in it. Adam, after all, didn't take kindly to losing. He got a stare from X. "Pffft, did he teach you how to give me that look, too? Listen, X, if you two are such a dream-team, can you tell me why he's been staring at the T.V. for the entire day? Or is he trying to teach you to stop sucking-up to him all the time?", he mocked, going silent as everyone else gave him reprobating glares, Abel loudly tapping his cane against the ground, though not without a smirk on his pale face.

Indeed, Ayin wasn't quite acting like his regular self ever since the moment they saw him today. He mostly stuck to tinkering with the small T.V. he summoned yesterday, refusing to even play any sort of game with them. Ayin, the man who forced them all to play Uno for the first time. He occasionally let out a sigh, giving everyone else his back, even if you could feel his muscles tensing whenever Adam spoke.

-"Whew, I almost forgot why Ayin hated you, Adam. Thanks for reminding me.", the 'X'-branded man bit down on his lip, trying to ignore the desire to replace Ayin in this game-circle of theirs and try killing Adam. "Really, Adam, for someone's who's...well, like you, you don't have much evidence to back your constant claim that he's as hate-able as you.", he continued, raising his eyebrows at his...other-self's audacity? Ayin referred to them as his selves, but he was Ayin, so...? Gah, this was all still so confusing! Managing Abnormalities was ten times easier!

-"Woah, woah, woah," the long-haired man seemed almost offended at the mere suggestion, laying his hands in front of him, "I never said more hate-able! I'm infinitely more so; after all, most humans hate the truth more than they hate anything else, even when it's looking at them straight in the eye. It is no surprise people hate me and my truths.", he pointed a finger to himself, his smile becoming more arrogant and proud. Instead of impressing the clone, however, he only made him scratch his head.

-"...Wait, so you're saying we hate you because you bear the truth, but Ayin and, by extension, I hate one person the most: Ourselves. Doesn't that mean we hold a truth, too?", he asked, slowly shrugging as the insane man in front of his changed his expression, mocking.

-"As if! You two are hate-able because you're blind, egotistical, idiotic maniacs whose goal would've destroyed the plan Carmen left us!", he decisively rebuked, making X bring a hand to his eyes, covering them. It was an inane idea to argue with Adam. It was like arguing with a man who thought the sky was green; he'd always treat you as if you were some lowly child who understood nothing about life. The clone stared at him, something between pity and loathing in his eyes. Adam felt the same, no doubt.

-"Sure we are, Adam...Sure we are...", he sighed, getting up and brushing his shirt with his hands. "Well, I believe that'll be enough Uno games for the moment, no?", he suggested to the Abel-Abraham duo, trying his earnest to keep the smile on his face honest. No need to make new enemies with Angela around. He loathed to think of what she'd do to him if she found out about them here.

-"Maybe for the day, even.", Abel suggested, trying to return the 'youngest' of them's gesture in kind, removing any sort of annoyance in his voice, though his expression still oozed artificialness.

-"...Actually, Abel, I think I have a killer strategy up my sleeve...If only you believe, we can make X's win-streak go away for the moment...", the slow voice of Abraham intervened, amazingly enough, intriguing Abel. He'd been more chipper ever since the day before. Not enough to completely remove the reflective tears from his eyes or to speed up his speech, but it was enough to make him smile every now and again. It actually felt as if he had...fun, oddly enough.

-"Heh, I await the moment you two start posing more of a challenge! May the best Uno-player win then, Abraham!", he challenged, earning a determined smile. Whatever he had planned, it had better not be cheating, but knowing himselves...It was almost inevitable. He pocketed his hands, leaving the two of them to plot together. Bah, so be it, it only made winning that much sweeter, or so Ayin told him.

Speaking of the man, he was still seated in front of the television he summoned during Abraham's folly. His back was hunched, his shoulders slumped, letting out a sigh when he felt X's footsteps as they grew closer. Instead of a bunch of magical girls on the screen in front of him, however, it had Angela, seated in her desk and reading a book. Her desk was neat, though almost...an orderly chaos, if you could call it that. Papers, books, pens and the things that resembled were grouped together, but they were scattered throughout its surface.

X had watched Ayin as he tinkered with the machine this morning, using a bit of Light to turn it into something like a surveillance camera. So far, he'd managed to get at least one angle of everyone's floors. Watching them, noting their movements, sometimes laughing to himself or sighing in shame. It was how he spent his entire day so far, and X didn't like it. Ayin was by no means an optimist, but he...he was the one that gave Abraham the long speech yesterday. He was the one that held onto the frail hope of saving humanity when everything crumbled around him. He couldn't simply fall into despair because of a dream.

-"You know, it would've been awfully nice to have this around before. Instead of having to focus our minds and 'join them with the Light' to be able to see what was happening around The Library.", the clone spoke, announcing his arrival or, rather, forcing his original copy to acknowledge it. 

Indeed, seeing the entry of various guests, Angela or Roland's meltdowns, as X grew to call them, or the various happenings in the Library was rather difficult for them. It required immense focus, only Ayin perfectly mastering the technique. Invitations and meltdowns sent a sort of signal to their minds, probably as a result of them being so close to the Light; they were part of it before being forced out of it to join Ayin in his prison-turned-home. Any other monitoring had to be done manually, so they often missed any fun chats around, though Angela's were an exception; both X and Ayin kept an eye on her, for different reasons. 

And then there was this little television, which functioned similarly to X's massive monitor back in the Corporation and only required a small dial to be turned to monitor the entire place. Ah, what he would do to have it back now...The amount of Anime he'd watch...Oh, and also to monitor the Library, he guessed.

-"Yeah. Would've been real nice."

-"What would be nice now is to at least look at me.", his doppelgänger tapped the ground with his foot, not earning a reaction. Not too surprising; Ayin didn't fear a raging Adam. He wouldn't be intimidated by X, of all people. "How's Benjamin?", well, okay, it wasn't the greatest thing to ask, but he had to make small-talk somehow, alright?! Ayin merely turned a small dial on the T.V.'s side, displaying the Floor of Religion, alongside Hokma, who seemed lost in his thoughts. He didn't give X the time to comment on him before turning the dial back to Angela. He really wasn't going to make this easy, huh? "...Ayin, I accessed the dream in my memories. You really shouldn't keep these things to yourself.", okay, he didn't want to bring out the big guns now of all times, but he was just being too grumpy for his sake before theirs!

-"Oh. Oh, wonderful.", a growl. It wasn't the intended result, but at least Ayin now had his face turned to him. He slowly got up, walking towards the former-manager, who had to calm his nerves as Ayin's footsteps grew just a tad threatening. "Do you, by any chance, want to see the moment I saw Carmen in the bathtub? Maybe you'd like to see how much I cried over her? Maybe share the memories with Abraham? I'm sure we'd all like a little more crying today, wouldn't we?", X struggled to keep a steady figure. This wasn't what he intended to do at all. Ayin's eyes were furious but also...pitying?

-"No! What are you even saying?!"

-"I'm saying that I struggled to keep it to myself for a reason, X. Had I wanted to tell you, you'd have been the first to know. You know that. I kept it from you to keep you safe from it, and yet, you...!", he swallowed his words, clenching his fists and taking a deep breath. He didn't want to be angry. He shouldn't be angry. "You're too inquisitive, X. I told you so before, and I'll tell it until you lay off the insane hope that you can help someone like me. I always endured it, X. I always kept these dreams to myself. You don't have to to deal with it. I was always strong, I won't be weak now.", I hope, he internally added, looking the other man in the eye, hoping to intimidate him off this behaviour.

-"...Keep me safe from it? Ayin, I'm not a child. I was Lobotomy Corp's manager!", and yet, that stubborn curiosity! That hope to be able to make a change! Didn't he understand? Hope was such a lethal drug, driving those with it to preform what they once would've thought to be atrocious, impossible, or perhaps even illogical. Ayin was an addict. X was not. He could save him if he would just listen...!

-"You were, and it's what you'll always be. You know what managers shouldn't see? These dreams!", he ordered, leaning forward a bit to force X to take a step back. Good to see Kali's body language was still intimidating even when done by someone like...well, him. "What good will you do by ruining whatever happiness you had? How do these dreams benefit you? I lived with them for thousands of years. I'll manage.", he firmly concluded, leaning back to his original position with a 'huff'.

-"Me? Nothing much, but you...You need someone to talk to about them.", he took a step forward, ignoring the squint Ayin gave him, "You wouldn't have sealed your memories away if you didn't.", good God, X. Going straight for the kill, are we. Ayin's eyes tightened further, attempting to discourage his carbon-copy. He licked his lips, trying his earnest to not bite down on them. The last thing he needed was for X to notice any nervousness from him.

-"Maybe you're right. But it's none of your business. I lived with them for my entire time in the Corp., X. It's not the first time I saw them. I just...I just got softer. It's good they're back; it'd be horrible to go soft again.", he explained, though the justification seemed to be for himself more than for anyone else. "It's...It's what I deserve, anyway.", he added, and something clicked for the X-branded man.

-"What you deserve? Is- Is this how you've been spinning it for the last millennia? Every single painful moment, every single tear...Is this how you've done it? Is- No, don't...don't tell me this is how you're dealing with your situation here! I thought it was odd someone like you couldn't break out of this office for months!", he seemed outraged, though taking great care not to alert the others, and his eyes were concerned. His beady, yellow eyes. The eyes that could never hold a candle to Carmen's. "No, you know what? Let's say it's what you deserve. Fine, let's say that. And so, you forsake happiness? You forsake hope? Who gave you the right be so harsh on yourself?"

-"Who gave you the right to be so lax on me?!", the black-haired man laughed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, maybe I wasn't so bad. Maybe the corpses I stepped on to reach my goal weren't so bad. Maybe my friends would forgive me one day if ever I come back. Perhaps their eyes wouldn't go through me, filled with regret and hatred. Maybe Angela would just forget about the millions of years she spent in the Corp. if I apologize hard enough.", he continued laughing, hoping- no, praying this was going to cover any crack in his voice. Normally, he wouldn't care about that in front of his selves, but now...with X trying so hard to play hero...

-"...Is that what this is about?", the question...it seemed so sincere. So concerned. Is this...Is this what Ayin sounded like in the past? The scientist kept his head high, but his eyes betrayed him, and he felt them gaze at Angela at her desk for a moment before returning to their original spot. "I know you were always strong. You must've always rationalized these dreams. Is this because you regret what you did to her?", his voice softened as he cracked this little mystery. Not much of an achievement when he knew how the other man thought, but it's the attempt that mattered.

-"Oh, no, of course not! I'm merely a malevolent monster who never had any regrets in his life! Of course it is! Do you have how many dreams I had of her berating me?! How much I despised hearing her talk about the horrid human specimen I am?! How much it pained me  to know that it was true?!"

-"...You didn't seem to have many regrets when you first made her, you know?", oh God, that sounded wrong. So, so wrong. It's not what he meant to say! "W-Wait! I mean, if someone would know about apologizing to people, it would be you. You -I- spent thousands of years apologizing to our friends in the Corp! If you could pin-point your sins so well...why didn't you do something for her?", he clarified, raising a defensive hand. It only seemed to agitate the amber-eyed man further.

-"You know what? This isn't going anywhere. She's never going to forgive me anyway. It won't happ-"

-"Please, answer me."

-"Because it had been six months, X! Six months since I lost Carmen, that's how much time I spent with her before the cycle began! I built her in a fit of despair, a fit of stupid, stupid idiocy and watched as she could never achieve my endless expectations! I never even thought about the time she'd spend, X, I just...I just...", he stuttered, bringing a hand to his forehead and throwing it backwards, "I couldn't bear to look at her. I couldn't even bear to have her speak to me. I just...I just kept going, and I guess when I noticed the problem, it was too late.", he finished, locking eyes again with X. He panted, as if he just finished jogging before the pant turned into a vicious growl. "Happy now?"

-"...Eh. I'm not very sympathetic to Angela in the first place, so, you know, technically I could just tell you 'hard luck', but I'm not the type of person to do that.", the 'younger' man replied, attempting to ease the mood a bit. Through the T.V., Angela was still reading her book, quiet as she always has been, a small smile on her face. "For someone that was all about learning the qualities of his friends, you don't quite have the 'Hope to Be a Better Person', eh? Eh? Oh, come on, that one was good!", it wasn't, but anything would be better than the mixture of hopelessness and anger on Ayin's face.

-"Hope...Yeah, that's something I should have, shouldn't I? And yet...How can one aspire to be a better person with sins that cannot be forgiven? How can I seek their forgiveness when they'd never forgive a sinner like me?", the complete-self sighed, staring back at the AI-turning-human in the screen. So calm and happy..."Maybe I should just...leave her be. She'd be happiest without my shadow over her."

-"See, where this argument fails is that you never did ask for Angela's forgiveness yet, did you? Besides, you may have forgotten it, or perhaps my memories weren't clear enough for you to analyse them, but you never saw it recently. The hope and trust everyone put on you. Every time one of them would be suppressed...You never saw how much they put on you. You only need to explain yourself, Ayin. Even if we both know her happiness would be without you, we may unfortunately need to ruin it; your happiness can only be found through closure.", ah, to be young again. A heart brimming with life and expectation. He was still so incredibly naïve, though. Ayin's smile grew mocking.

-"My happiness? X, you're not trying to give everyone their happy ending, are you?", he questioned, receiving no answer. He scoffed. "Who cares about this entire thing, anyway? I already told you that I've long given up on searching for my happy ending. Not even an atonement for my sins, only another step in completing what I promised I'd complete. My happiness would benefit no one, and it would undeserved.", there. His voice was turning back to normal, thank goodness. He took a few steps back, keeping the T.V. in his gaze.

-"And yet, even if it is undeserved, I can see that it is what you need.", what he needed? What was this madness? He lived thousands of years without happiness, thank you very much! And he was fine! Better than thousands of City folk. "Listen, you can't forgive yourself for what you did to your friends after you did your best to save and enlighten them. You won't forgive yourself if you apologize to Angela, either, but at least, you will be content, knowing that you had a concrete resolution, instead of whatever this is that you're stuck in, constantly wondering if there's something you could do to make it up to her."...This was the problem when trying to hide stuff from someone who could read through your mind. Ayin's expression remained unpleasant, turning his head away.

-"And then what? She'd just hate me further. My apologies, to her, would be worse than my silence; I'd deprive her of the element she needs to survive: Her hatred for me. And even then...I deprived her of what she wanted from me, X. A million years of loneliness and pain...we would never know the pain, let alone be able to apologize for it.", he shook his head, turning his eyes to face his clone again and ignoring that this speech was more so for himself than for any other person. And yet, what shocked him was the surprised, unbelieving expression he bore. Was that...anger? The complete-self sealed his lips as he realized  what he just said.

-"...W-We wouldn't?", dear God, the sheer emotion in his voice. His stutter was one of a man who kept a small explosion inside him. "Ayin, I do not w-wish to alarm you, buddy, but you spent ten thousand years in limbo, awaiting the end of the cycle. Maybe you'd have a bit, just a bit, of knowledge. But me?", his voice went deeper as his head twitched. "Ayin, I do understand that she must've felt terrible for the atrocities we committed against her, and it must've been awful to be made as a replacement, but, Ayin? Maybe you forgot about this, because my pain is shared with you, or maybe even because I tried ignoring it for so long, but I was an expendable. They do say that grass is always greener on the other side, but I'm certain some of us had it worse.", he stated, his muscles tense.

-"I'm sorry.", Ayin immediately retorted, rubbing his arm and lowering his head a bit. Oh, great. Look what you did now, X! You're giving him back his anxiety! Gah, this wasn't how it was supposed to go at all! "I know you must've...must've went through a lot. Not the first time I forgot about someone's pain.", he chuckled, smiling a bit.

-"No, it's- It's just...I'm not blaming you.", it's okay, X. You could still salvage this. Not that it was in shambles, but he had to encourage himself, okay? "We've all...we've all been through a lot, Ayin. Maybe if you accept that, then life wouldn't be so horrible. Besides, I already forgave you long before. I don't know how much Angela would be willing to forgive, but if someone like me can, then there's nothing stopping her from doing the same, besides her overly bloated arrogance.", he tried returning to his original tone of voice, shrugging at his joke. Maybe there were some other elements that made an apology difficult, but if nothing else, Ayin was sincere about his regret.

-"Yeah, I'm just...It's just that I've been wondering about what I could still do in the Library, you know. It's- It's a bit funny, you know. Having hated her so much in the past, I would've never thought I'd care so much now...", the amber-eyed man sighed, taking another glance at her from behind the screen beside him. "You know, X? Maybe you were truly the only one who could make it in the Corporation. I don't think even I would've been able to make it with how I'm acting right now.", he smiled a bit, regaining his form. X returned it, shrugging as he leaned on a nearby bookshelf, admiring another fallen one and avoiding Ayin's gaze. This one had fallen during one of Ayin and Adam's fights, and ever since then they simply couldn't be bothered to return it.

-"Eh, it's the most basic form of self-care. You stood so firm for so long, it's only natural to want to help you now, or rather, help myself.", heh. So it would seem X was starting to learn the ability to deny his purest emotions. We'll see how far he gets, but Ayin was a pretty good teacher in that matter. "Listen, I'm not the smartest, I'm pretty naïve, and I lack the most basic knowledge to live my life. I still don't even fully know where babies come from. But, I do know a broken man when I see one, and I know I won't stand for it! Besides, it is only a clone of you that made it. It is illogical to give me credit when I used your abilities and body.", he declared, taking a few steps towards the so-called broken man, who didn't exactly like the description, but he couldn't deny it, either. "I know you think you don't deserve happiness. Maybe you're right. But it's what you need."

-"Heh. For someone so bitter against Angela, you seem to be lenient on me, of all people...", the original self laughed a bit, gaining a shrug.

-"...Maybe. It's probably because it's much more impersonal for you two that you're not so bitter.", wait, what?! They had started this entire discussion because of his guilt for her! "Don't look so surprised now. The issue between you two is that you neglected her. You two never even interacted once after the cycle, did you?"...that much was true. "I, however, had many interactions with her, even if I was supposed to be you then. We were both similar artificial beings. Us against the world and its horrors. Us against everything just to save humanity. She knew how much I had to go through, and yet...", he frowned, looking almost disgusted. "And yet, she could never think beyond herself. Maybe she thought I enjoyed being told I was horrible. That I enjoyed everyone, her included, berating me for existing. Maybe she did. Maybe she didn't. But the truth of the matter is that I endured so much to save humanity, so much for a goal I didn't even know. And yet, when it comes to suffering, apparently only she and the Sephirahs were exploited, and I simply came about to love my job.", he spat out, twitching his head again before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

-"...I'm not one to speak, but everyone interprets trauma differently. You simply cannot compare the two...", of all the people to defend Angela, Ayin never thought he'd be one of them. Defending her from the claims of himself, who was also a 50-day old clone. Man, this entire 'definitions' thing became more difficult to figure out the more he thought about it.

-"Then she has no right to judge our traumas with such ease! Who is she?! Who is she to tell us that our plan was idiotic?! Who is she to forget all the times I had to cry after losing a bunch of my Agents?! Who is she to dismiss all my sweat, blood and tears without a single thought?!", the man with an 'X' on his right cheek rebuked, his eyes fierce before he stopped himself, taking a deep breath. "...Listen, Ayin, I'm only human. I'm biased, and I have my own hopes and dreams. Angela spat on my entire reason for existing before telling me that these hopes were mere delusions. We both had the same goal, and yet, she put herself before it. This, I cannot easily forgive.", he attempted to calm down, crossing his arms. And yet, Ayin knew better; it was more of a hug than an arm-cross. X was struggling to stay calm.

-"...And here you are, still seeming so bent on trying to help me better my standing with her.", the 'older' of the two took a few step forward, stopping directly before the hopeful man and looking him in the eye. The other man smiled mischievously.

-"I was made to help you apologize to your friends. It would only make sense for me to continue the job with Angela. Besides,", he started, pocketing his hands and trying to loosen his muscles. "Whatever my grievances with Angela, it's not a reason to stop you from trying to make things up. You're not the one who soaked her sleeve with your tears. You're not the one that got on his arms and knees to beg for her forgiveness countless times. And you're not the one whose actions she just brushed under the table. Though, you are the one that tortured her. That may make an apology difficult.", he joked, easing the mood and enjoying a laugh with his double. A dry one, of course, but it was better than nothing.

-"Ah. So your memories are starting to return?"

-"It would appear so. I had the same body all the time, remember? Only my mind was erased. Perhaps all this memory searching I've been doing these days is...bringing back the old days.", the clone theorized, earning himself a nod. It was true that life in the Corporation wasn't a constant Hell, but now, X's memories...his actual memories, they had no importance thanks to Angela's actions. It's what made them so painful.

-"You know, X, I honestly can't tell you how thankful I am you're on my side. I wouldn't have been surprised had you decided to rebel, too, given...well, everything that has been going on, especially with your memories coming back.", the scientist laid a hand on the other man's shoulder, trying his best to give a smile. "I'm...I'm sorry for everything. For all the pain you've been through and I'm incredibly thankful you didn't turn against me. It would've been...painful had I lost you too.", he admitted, looking relieved and ashamed at the same time. It wasn't great to know that you managed to drive away everyone. Even less so to know that he'd been ignoring yet another person's pain all this time.

-"You don't have to be. What type of clone would I be if I wasn't on your side?...Don't answer that.", he warned as he watched Ayin open his mouth to say something. "My existence was to help you and save humanity. I don't know how well that last part's going, but it is still my duty to make sure my original-self isn't too depressed, you know?", he comforted him, nudging him a bit, but he still received a conflicted look as the arm on his shoulder withdrew.

-"And what about you?"

-"What about me?"

-"How are you going to get your happiness? If you're working so hard for my happiness, just as you worked so hard for everyone else's in the Corporation, then when will you find yours?", the complete-self interrogated, making sure X wouldn't wiggle his way out of this question. Much to his surprise, he only received a shrug.

-"Ayin, how much time do we have before Angela completes the Light? A week? A few days? Maybe less? Searching for my happiness under such constraints is a mere waste of time. I suppose I could technically play Uno for the rest of the days, maybe keep staring at the happy memories you could give me, or maybe even attempt a rebellion to see how it would go, but then what? I'll simply fade away into the Light, despairing over what I couldn't do. The only thing I can do now is try and fix the mess we have here. Perhaps then I can find happiness by making you find yours. We are the same person, remember?",  he smiled, determination radiating through him. He hadn't exactly gotten rid of the anger or the regret, but he certainly overpowered them. 

-"X..."

-"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm being too naïve for my own good, I'll be regretting this later, you're really thankful than I'm on your side and didn't leave you like everyone else, yada yada yada. We'd waste the entire day if I just kept hearing you say you're thankful, and maybe even more since I'd inevitably go on a rant about how I'm happy you're not letting me jump off a ditch and just abandoning me.", the clone stopped him, not quite in the mood. It was a trademark move of Ayin; he secretly loved hearing praise and thanks, but he also loved finishing a job on time, and if that praise ever came from Carmen...well, his nose would make it an awkward situation. "So, let me point you to where you should go now, just as you pointed me to where I had to go before.", he announced, grabbing the 'older' man's attention before pointing to their office's door.

It was an old wooden door. Not particularly neat or pleasant to look at. A small bronze knob being its only feature. The same door he knocked on desperately the night of his nightmare. Ayin didn't exactly like doors. Not as a concept, as they were neat in their own way, but rather...in that they were unpredictable. Each door hid endless possibilities, and tell the truth, Ayin had had enough of the endless possibilities behind them the moment he opened the one that led to Carmen's bathroom.

Still, behind this one, there was a predictable outcome. A few people he knew would be standing behind it. And yet, how would they react if they saw him? Would they hate him now? Would Kali beat him senseless? Would Lisa look away in disgust, not even giving him a look of acknowledgement? Would Benjamin welcome him so warmly as he did in the past? And, more importantly, what would Angela do? He knew there would be yelling. Maybe she'd sic Roland on him? Ignore his pleas? Delight in making him suffer?

-"...Ayin.", X spoke up, sensing the hesitation in the amber-eyed man's mind. "Listen, I don't know what will happen if you open the door. I don't know what will await you behind it. I don't even know if you should open it. I do know, however, that it's an opportunity!", he picked up the pace, trying to go for an inspirational tone. "Listen, it's rare for us to have such an opportunity in front of us. Life was often quite harsh on us, but that hasn't stopped us before...besides, Ayin?", he stopped, making sure the scientist paid attention to him, as his eyes had wandered to the blue-haired woman, still calmly reading her book, unaware of the inner struggle the man she despised most was having.

-"Hm?"

-"You've already lost her once.", ouch. Still going straight for the kill, weren't you, X? "Maybe you've told yourself that it was deserved. That losing her was inevitable after all you did to her. But the opportunity has presented itself to you now, Ayin. So, go out and tell her whatever you need to tell her. I'm not telling you she'll forgive you. I'm not sure she will. But a chance that's missed is a failure which you may end up regretting forever.", he took another step forward, straightening his posture and pointing harder at the wooden door. "So don't lose her for a second time."

-"...You cheesy bugger. Where did you get that one from?"

-"There may or may not have been a small book about good speeches around these shelves which I kept for myself.", his doppelgänger explained, the smile still present on his face. "So, what are you going to do now?"

-"What do you think I'll do? I'll go down and try to see her. She's already been so careless...Nearly getting assassinated by Olivier and giving her back to a manipulative information gatherer like The Black Silence-"

-"Which, by the way, you have yet to tell me where all your knowledge about the Colours from."

-"...She may end up being in more danger than I ever thought.", and you'll never know, X, especially if he kept ignoring your questions. The pout X gave him didn't have much effect, and so he dropped the question, though Ayin was certain it wouldn't be the last time he asks. "I suppose we would do better to start preparing for this now.", he suggested, and yet, before X could nod, something happened. The ground beneath them shook. Once. Twice Thrice. And then it stopped for a moment. Before coming back with a loud 'Crack!' that shook the ground even harder.

The clone and the cloned stared at each other for moment. That sounded like wood breaking. But the bookshelves weren't so easy to break, and the three failed selves were still sitting in their Uno pile, though shaken by what had happened. But that would mean...That would mean...

-"Ayin? X? What did you guys do this time?", Abel's voice called out, something between exasperated and worried. Ayin didn't answer him, however, as he made a mad-dash for the television, looking at it and tinkering with the dial like a madman. X didn't bother to respond, either, deciding to follow original-self. And so, the three other selves, having no other option but to start worrying and panicking, followed suit, quickly swarming the television as Ayin finally managed to find the Library's reception, and what he saw made his heart stop.

The Reverberation's Ensemble. All situated in the entrance at once and being led by none other than their insane loon of a leader, having crashed the Library's walls. They stumbled around for a while, before Angela found them, Roland following her. She berated them, insulted them, started calling them trash, and yet...none of it registered to Ayin. Her dry tone and the exchanges she shared with them were fine and all, but something else was on his mind.

-"I thought the Library wasn't supposed to be penetrable without an Invitation.", X spoke up, almost reading his mind. In fact, he probably did.

-"It wasn't supposed to be. It must've materialized sooner than we all thought. Which would mean...Oh, no.", of course. Of course Angela would be so naïve she wouldn't calculate how much time was left for the Light to be complete. His heart started beating again, this time too fast for his liking.

-"It means that The Light has manifested, you dolts!", for goodness' sake, Adam! Now was not the time to be an insufferable little idiot! "Hah! Oh my God! It's here! It's finally here! I...I remained faithful for so long, and now, Carmen will finally embrace me like I embraced her!", gah! He could barely even hear Argalia over the insane ramblings of the long-haired man behind him.

-"Adam, now is not the time you little-"

Hmmm...Wonder do I wonder...should I reveal my little surprise to him or not? Roland does deserve it, and yet...perhaps it's not the soundest of plans?

...What on earth was that? The voice than rang throughout their little office was familiar, calm yet noticeably deranged. It didn't take them much time before they all figured it out: It was Argalia's voice. The same one he used to talk with Angela and spite Roland right now.

-"Ayin....What's going on?", Abraham swallowed, looking at the confrontations in both the T.V. and the real-world as Adam continued his insane laughter, almost looking...happy.

-"...The Light. Being so close to it on this floor, it must resonate with us somehow. Maybe this is what reaches the corrupted Light now, the thoughts of these madmen as they seek its guidance.", the black-haired man suddenly jumped to the conclusion, revving up his mind. Right now was not the time to be hesitant at all. "Which would mean we have some influence on them! Maybe we can make the Ensemble think they'll disobey us if-"

-"DOOOOOOO IIIIIIT!", Adam, no! You crazy idiot, no! He went around their office, screaming at the top of his lungs, the insane smile not leaving him. "You've waited for long! For so long! Show him the enlightenment Carmen's showed to you, Argalia! Show them the perfection you made!", he kept screaming, something between a giggle and a chuckle creeping into his voice. Ayin ran after him, but just as he was about to catch him, Argalia's voice rang out again.

Hm...You're right, I shouldn't hide her from this world any more! Besides, a love-story without the lovers ever seeing each-other again would be too tragic. We should make Roland admire our perfections!

-"...You idiot! You complete and utter piece of garbage! Do you have any idea what you could've done with your words?! Do you have any idea what he could possibly do now?!", the original self venomously spat out after a moment of silence, but Adam's smile merely widened.

-"Of course I do! Don't you get it? This is Carmen's calling! Look! Look at the beautiful specimens he has with him! Shedding their old skins, they're purer than any other being in this City!", he pointed back at the television, admiring the Ensemble. "Don't you understand?! This is what we all should've been working for! We were right, don't you understand?!", for a moment, Ayin wondered if he should take a step back. Adam was seldom lucid, but his madness was somewhat controlled. What he displayed now, however, almost seemed like...desperation, if you could call it that. Like a man who's been offered a drink after three years in a desert.

-"What on earth are you blabbering about now? Think about Argalia! Man's insane as is, your words could cause tremendous consequences!", even so, he knew very well what Ayin talked about most of the time. He seemed a bit dazed, his smile both insane and hopeful. Before any of them could speak, however, X's voice called out for them, shocked and weak:

-"...Guys? You might want to see this...", not more than a second later, both of them came over, rushing to notice the reception, but they were greeted with some metallic 'clanks' that came from the screen. Lifeless, strong footsteps that accompanied their abomination of an owner. Everyone remained silent, Angela and Roland included. All but Argalia.

-"What's wrong...? Are you at a loss for words by the reunion of your dreams?"

Argalia's words felt heavy. Roland clashed with him, they insulted each-other but none of that fully registered, either. The audacity...! Had someone done this to Carmen...At least he didn't further distort her body. He'd violated it, used her nervous system, yes...And yet, he didn't twist it. Merely put it in stasis. What Argalia was doing now...It could only be described with one word:

-"God Almighty....", his shock suddenly turned to anger. Argalia had gone too far, perhaps not out of Adam's fault, but he certainly had a helping hand. Ayin didn't particularly like  the slick, lying, 'all-about-me' schmuck Roland was, not with him insulting him every moment he could. Didn't like him back when he was the Black Silence, either, but this...this was a few steps too far to do to anyone. "X, tell me if anything of interest happens. I have a little problem I'll be taking care of.", he got up once more, heading to his insane self, who took a few steps back, though not in fear this time, rather, something of a strategic retreat.

-"Oh, please! Don't tell me you can't see it! The beauty they're about to unleash! Look, isn't this what you wanted?! A pure world where everyone can freely dream and express themselves? Is there anything more beautiful than them now, devoid of all chains that held them back?", what was wrong with him? Was he truly this blind, unable to see it, or even understand Ayin's plight with him? He was much more self-aware before. 

-"Beautiful? Maybe in your sick mind, but this is idiocy! This is destroying humanity, not saving it! The people were supposed to manifest their dreams in thought, in life, not in this monstrous way!", his better-self yelled at him, pointing an accusing finger at the small T.V. they had. He received a hateful frown, but before the tattooed man could speak up, their argument was interrupted once more by X.

-"...Ayin? I think Roland's going to kill Angela..."

-"He's going to do WHAT?!", the amount of times he went back-and-forth between Adam and the television today was too darn high! As he came back, he could only see Roland, prepared for battle, Angela standing behind him, a worried and untrusting expression on her face, her eyes shifting between Roland and the Ensemble.

-"Don't say a word. We still have a common goal of stopping Argalia..."

-"Okay..."

-"Okay? OKAY?! WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE'S MESSING WITH?! THE BLACK SILENCE HAS NO WORD WITHOUT A CONTRACT!", her creator yelled, rage and worry drowning his voice, his breathing quickened for a second, only stopping as a deep breath flew into his lungs. "X, what happened?"

-"...Angela figured out she was the one that killed Angelica."

-"Of course. Of course...For being the world's greatest AI, she sure makes it seem as if I forgot all about her deductive reasoning when I programmed her. I suppose that's what happens when you don't think about the consequences of your obviously very terrible deeds, Angela.", he shrugged, a desperate smile on his face. He spoke to no one in particular, the smile disappearing as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a strict expression. "That's it. We're going down there and see what we can do. Someone has to help stop that band of loons-", he got up, moving to the door and beckoning for his other selves to follow, but instead he found someone blocking him, standing between him and the office's exit.

-"No.", Adam defied, spreading his arms and legs. "I won't let you ruin the single chance I have of completing her ideal! This is the only chance we have left, you idiots! Don't you see? The gift that has been granted to us? It's the only way left to save Carmen's ideal!", he argued, his eyes widening as the smile remained plastered on his face. Ayin gave him a look of disgust.

-"Adam. Get out of my way.", he expected him to back down. He always backed down. Adam knew his limits, and he wouldn't overstep them. Instead of backing down, however, Ayin felt one of the hardest punches he took in years slam into his stomach. The pain was unlike anything else, and it hit him so hard it knocked him back a few metres. The seconds blurred as his fancy shoes screeched to a halt on the cold, hard floor, needing him to kneel for a second before getting up once more. He felt some spit fly out of his mouth, alongside his breath and the spot where Adam hit him started pulsating in pain. This was new.

Everyone remained silent. It was almost as if the world itself stopped, awaiting the result. X, Abel and Abraham all got up, unable to believe what just transpired. Adam chuckled darkly, his right hand still curled into a fist, hanging in the space where it hit Ayin's stomach. The lab-coat wearing man got up, brushing the dust off of his clothes and trying his best to hide his surprise, awaiting an explanation to what just happened and ignoring the pain.

-"Not this time, Ayin.", the deranged smile on the other man's face grew larger by the instant, and something started glowing around him. A glowing yellow...Light? "What do you think of this, Ayin? Isn't it fun?! With the Light complete, we all have some control over it; we are a part of you, after all.", he explained, the Light swirling around him as he struggled to keep a straight face. "But now...Oh, I'll be using my share of the Light very wisely. I shall finally join my brothers and sisters who have ascended past mere human-hood and have shed their skin, and I won't let you ruin the plan again!"...Adam, whatever you're doing, please, please, don't be what Ayin thought it was. 

Unfortunately, as always for the amber-eyed man, things went the worst way possible. First, Adam's tattooed arm started changing in pigmentation, slowly becoming more and more red. It seemed tame at first, but then his spine suddenly extended a metre and a half upwards, and his legs soon followed with half a metre. His muscles began developing to accumulate for these sudden developments, and his newly-red arm's veins bulged. It grew further than any part of his body, shredding its skin and exposing the flesh underneath, almost looking like a part of Nothing There. Adam's face remained the same, thank goodness, only growing a bit in size to accumulate the sudden growth his body had.

It wasn't a clean transformation by any means; his left leg was slightly shorter than his right one, his left arm had grown, but remained the same length, and his torso looked less like a human's now and more like a frog's, losing any distinct shape it once had. His long hair also rose on its own, almost as if it was filled with muscular fibres now, and around Adam, some red and black sparks shot out every few moments. There was no doubt about it, Adam had Distorted, though perhaps to his will, unlike many unlucky City denizens. Ayin stared at the abomination in front of him, ashamed that this was how a part of him thought and also scared out of his wits, though he hoped his neutral expression didn't convey that. One thought ran through his mind.

This was bad.

Chapter Text

It was a regular day in The City. Murders in the backstreets, tragedies all around, dreams being shattered...It was an all-too-familiar day. The world seemed to be on the brink, as it always did, and The Library was as quiet as always. It was...It was....Oh, forget it! The City was a bad place, people weren't happy, yada yada yada, who cares?! The Library was being invaded by Argalia's band of loons! Angela was probably going to be killed, and to top the great cake, Adam had distorted, and he was now staring down Ayin, the insane smile he always wore still on his face. This day was just peachy.

Technically, it could've gotten worse, but as Ayin watched his distorted foe, he thought the situation was already bad enough.

 Adam laughed like the madman he was as Ayin tried to assess his current situation. It had been years since he last saw active combat. Even more since he had to suppress some Abnormalities in the Old Laboratory. But now, with Adam blocking his only way out to try and do anything, it seemed as if he had to dig out some of his old self. Not that it should be too difficult; while a Nest dweller, he had some Backstreet experience, and Backstreet-instinct, after all, was impossible to get rid of. It could be a bit rusty, however.

-"You three!", the scientist called out, snapping the trio by the T.V. out of their trance. "Keep watching the television! Tell me who's winning where! I have a bit of a situation to handle here, so I don't really have much time myself.",  he ordered, trying to prepare his muscles for the exercise that would come. Adam kept laughing, but for a moment, the insanity in his eyes disappeared for a second, and he looked as if he remembered something.

-"Ohohoh!", he snapped his fingers, almost like you would when remembering something you wanted to buy just as you were walking out of the store. "Wait, I have something to do. Just give me a moment, okay?", he asked, and Ayin blinked, moving his eyes around awkwardly as he uttered an 'uh...' that Adam ignored, using a bit of the Light he controlled to summon something. Ayin anticipated a weapon of sorts, but instead, the Light Adam wielded turned into a massive fan that he set beside him, turning it on and letting the wind move his hair majestically. "There, much better. Now, where were we?", his voice turned threatening again, and the madness returned to his eyes. This bloody madman...! 

Instead of replying, however, Ayin made a mad dash, trying to move his muscles as fast as humanely possible. He let out a war-cry that wouldn't be out of the place in a Backstreets Syndicate war, his footsteps quickening as the bold move shocked Adam, the artificial wind rushing by him. Then, a few second before the impact, he jumped, his muscles yelling at the sudden work-out as he knuckled his hands into a fist, jumping directly into Adam's stomach and driving his hand as far in as possible. 

No reaction.

Okay, this was probably worse than expected. Adam's surprise was soon replaced by a contemptful, mocking smile. His original self tried his best to not show how much of a blank he was currently drawing, though he didn't quite need to, since one of Adam's strands of hair immediately grabbed his neck, holding it like some sort of tentacle. His breathing was cut off as soon it lifted him off the ground, bringing him closer to the distorted man's face.

-"FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!", good God, he cranked up the hammy-ness to an eleven. "How does it feel, Ayin? To be beaten by the purest of beings out there? You idiot. You complete and utter mentally deficient idiot. Couldn't you see it? How Carmen chose me over you?", he teased, his adversary's face started becoming even paler than usual, struggling to make Adam's hair let go of him. "But not to worry, I am not without mercy, I'll give you a bit of air.", his smile widened even further, almost being, quite literally, from ear-to-ear. As his sentence finished, the strand of hair that held Ayin started spinning vertically clockwise. It made two spins before throwing the man it held at maximum velocity onto the opposing wall.

-"Ayin!", back to the television trio, X yelled in horror as he watched his original copy fly through the air, breaking through the supposedly brick wall like some sort of Jom and Terry cartoon. Unfortunately, this wasn't a Jom and Terry cartoon, and instead of harmless slapstick, Ayin probably had a broken spine, tendon tears, and probably a concussion or two. His horror had to be cut as he felt someone yank his collar from behind him, forcing a cough as he got dragged behind the fallen bookshelf behind him, and the same hand that dragged him forced him to lay as low as he could. When it let go, he turned his head to his comrades, talking to Abel, who was the one to drag him. "What is that?"

-"A Distortion. Guess now I know why they're so scary.", the bearded man answered, using the bookshelf as refuge in case Adam ever spotted them, though he seemed to to be lost in ecstasy for the moment. Abraham had taken the T.V. with him, constantly switching the 'channels' to observe how everyone was handling their uninvited guests, as per Ayin's will. N-No! Not his will! His orders! Yeah, he handled everything, a measly wall wouldn't bring him down! "All in all, not bad. 6.5 out of ten for the design he chose; it's pretty generic, not going to lie, but it's pretty efficient, so I'll give him that.", Abel commented, earning an unbelieving expression from the clone, whose eyes twitched.

-"Wha- Are you rating his design?! Abel, we should do something instead of just standing here and letting this monster loose!", he reprimanded, his voice going a little too loud; they didn't want to get the now-distorted man's attention.

-"I mean...I'm...It's no use. I won't be able to help anyway, my efforts are too feeble and my mind cannot help a bit.", oh no you don't! Now was not the time to remember how you acted during day 47 you feeble piece of human mind! Before X could continue berating him, however, a voice echoed throughout the empty office.

-"ADAM!", Ayin! Oh, Ayin, thank goodness, he was there, standing in the entrance of the whole he was standing him, he was also surrounded by the Light! He used it, oh- Wait. He looked a bit odd. It wasn't E.G.O. or a Distortion, but...his clothes stood out a bit. Were those...muscles?  He just gave himself muscles, didn't he? "You bastard...", disregarding X's silent judgement, the now-buff man walked slowly towards the Distortion in front of him, who merely laughed.

-"Ho, you're approaching me? Instead of running away, you choose to come right to me? Even though Carmen has just shown you the extent of my newfound power? Like a feeble Grade 9 Fixer trying to uselessly hold off a Colour to save his friends, even though it is ultimately futile?!", he mocked, opening his arms for maximum mocking body language, his voice going higher by the sentence. Ayin's movement, however, remained steady and didn't stop.

-"I cannot beat the Distortion out of you without getting any closer.", wh-what's going on? Ayin was never this cold to them! What happened to his voice? Why was it deep? Why was he buff? Why is this happening? What is going on?!

-"Ho-ho! Then come as close as you like.", Adam welcomed, though with an underlying threat in his voice. Not wanting to be one-upped by his enemy, Adam, too started taking steps forward, silently and with difficulty with his absurdly long-legs and how uneven they were. In an instant, Ayin lunged, his jump far higher and with far more velocity behind it, though his adversary managed to dodge it with a quick step to the side. "Too slow, too slow! Carmen's Light is the greatest power in this world!", though his celebration was quickly cut off as Ayin's fist immediately went for his left-knee, forcing him to kneel. He growled as the smaller man moved back, awaiting another opening.

-"Now, what's that?", back behind the fallen bookshelf, X stared, his jaw-dropping at the sight as he observed the two Light-affected beings, duelling it out with a barrage of dodges, punches, and insults. Ayin's jumps and movements, precise and concise, easily managed to avoid Adam's more brutish swings, though for how long would be another matter.

-"That,", Abraham turned his attention away from the television for a minute, pointing a horrified finger at Ayin, who was evading a flurry of punches from Adam. "Is distrubing. I mean, look at him! His body obviously doesn't fit with muscles at all. All it does is make him look like some freak of nature.", he 'tsk'-ed in disgust, earning an approving nod from the fancily-dressed man beside him. X, on the other hand, had his eyes twitch again, outraged.

-"Wha- Are you two insane?!", well, probably. That was a redundant question. "What is wrong with you? That's my body you're describing! You're basically telling me that I'd look awful if I got in shape! What on earth is wrong with you? Are you trying to make my self-image plummet?", he shot question after question, moving his hands to convey his outrage. He only received a strange look from the both of them before the self with the red shirt spoke up:

-"...Yes? Our entire existence is about bringing you down, pretty much.", he spoke, and X opened his mouth and readied a wagging finger, only he came up with nothing.

-"...Fair point, I suppose.", he brought that finger to his mouth, pondering his mini-revelation before waving it aside. "Regardless! We have to help Ayin cut whatever Adam's transformed into down to size! Anyone got any ideas?", he suggested as the battle behind them started growing louder and louder, with punches, screams and war-cries being painfully obvious to hear. Abraham raised a hand. "Yes?"

-"Actually...", the somewhat-depressed man brought the small T.V., pointing to a new dial that wasn't there before. Huh. Perhaps Abraham had tinkered with it a bit to transmit signals? Maybe they could talk with Ayin and help him plan strategically? As the clone pondered, the grey-haired man turned the dial, keeping the battle on-screen (One between that freaky clown and Lisa) and playing...a sort of tune? It was fairly intense, using a sort of orchestra with jazz-like elements and electric guitars. 

-"Err...Is this a sort of wave-weapon? Something like 1.76 MHz from the Corporation? Because that could actually help! All we need to do is-"

-"Uh...No, not really it's...it's more of a symbolic thing.", Abraham cut off the clone, turning the dial again and changing to another tune, just as intense, but with a choir. "This is a Boss Music dial! You know. To help give us morale, which we desperately need. Infinite tunes to choose from depending on the battle. It's great, isn't it?", he explained, looking rather proud with himself. Ayin's carbon-copy, however, remained still in shock. "...Maybe not the best use of my Light, though..."

-"...A-Abraham, you...You mean to tell me you wasted whatever precious Light you had to summon us Boss Music?!", he berated, hearing Ayin cry out in pain as a large 'whack!' was heard. When the man with unkempt hair simply nodded, he gave up. He wasn't getting any help from these two. Not that they didn't try, but...it just wasn't what they needed now. And so, he could only do one thing. One thing his mind told him to do: Bring his legs to his chest and hug them before sticking his head between his legs and screaming. Hey, it was cathartic to a degree, but it was also because he had no idea what else he could do.

Okay, so, let's assess the situation. Ayin needed help to take down Adam before the madman gets out of this floor and helps Argalia and his Ensemble, and since none of the two men beside him could do anything, it seemed like it was up to X to try taking the burden. What a shocker. He stopped screaming and started reviewing his mind. What could he do in a situation like this?

Well, he'd search every nook and cranny of his mind, that was certain. He had to find something useful there...Something that could help them fend off the monstrosity that had been Adam. He started searching, not finding anything at first. Memories, sure, but he didn't need them now of all times. Agents dying, Sephirahs berating him when he didn't know why, Angela looking at him in disgust when he tried his best to apologize, some previous cycles he went through in the Corp., Carmen smiling at him, Ayin laughing with Benjamin...he really couldn't find anything related to combat?!

-"...Uh, X?"

Maybe something would pop-up if he thought of fighting? His Agents popped into his mind. No, not that, either! Kali, Garion, pictures of people he didn't know, sceneries of the Backstreets...every single possible thought except a useful one! All he needed was to know how to help right now!...Hey, what was that? He felt a strange sensation, as if he was learning something. He couldn't quite tell what it was, though...it was like a familiar sensation, only vague and unclear.

-"X!", he suddenly snapped back to reality, feeling something massive tower behind him. Ah. Adam must've managed to side-line Ayin once again, and now he was most likely right behind him. He opened his eyes, looking as his two partners-in-hiding looked at him from a comfortable distance, Abraham waving at him. They probably didn't have the time to drag him with them. He swallowed, almost feeling the smile Adam bore into his neck. He had two to three seconds before Adam's fist came crashing down, and he didn't know what to do. Maybe cry? Pray? His mind nagged him to do something, but he honestly didn't know what it was. In a fit of desperation, he closed his eyes, awaiting the fist that would come crashing on him, but instead his legs sprung.

His first reaction was fear. When he opened his eyes, the world was upside down, and it was moving quickly. A second later, he felt the ground under his soles as he heard Adam crush the part of the book shelf he was behind. Disoriented, he tried judging where he was. He was right next to Adam. Oh great. But...wait, the way he got there...Did he back-flip? He didn't know how to back-flip! He was an office-worker, for goodness' sake, what did he know about back-flipping?!

A lot, if the terrified back-flips he performed to get away from another flurry of punches was anything to go by. When he stopped, the world a spinning mess around him, he suppressed the urge to vomit, instead familiarising with the scenery again. The first thing that came to focus was Adam's rush to him, a fist leading his charge. He wanted to jump away again, but his stomach disagreed and instead he found his arm coming up, blocking Adam's. The force with which they collided almost shattered the clone's arm, or so it felt like. Adam's pure, unadulterated rage overpowered the confusion and fear that currently overtook X. The latter felt his body move again, almost as if it knew how to act, and instead of continuing to block, his hands grabbed the overgrown muscle pillar that had once been Adam's arm, and his legs followed suit, going up and leaning him back ninety degrees, using the distorted man's arm as base, and in a moment, they had sprung again, launching their owner back.

He landed with another flip that nearly turned his insides upside-down, needing to lay back on a wall behind him to hold his weight. This was not how it happened in Anime; usually the protagonist would just master their newfound power from the get-go! This wasn't what happened at all! There's a lesson to be learned here, but he felt he had none to blame but himself for trusting Anime too much. As he re-discovered his surroundings, he found that the wall behind him now had two holes, and that a man was climbing out of the second one. Ah. That's what that 'whack!' was, wasn't it?

-"Ugh...I should be more careful...", Ayin mumbled, holding his head and stumbling for a bit before noticing the carbon-copy beside him. "Hey, what the...?! What are you doing here, X?!", he yelled, hurrying to the dazed man's side. "I thought I told you to stay behind the bookshelf!", he repeated, something between anger and worry in his tone.

-"Just...Just a moment, I need to take a breath.", was the response he got, alongside a barely suppressed gag. When their eyes met again, X's seemed to be spinning. "Listen, Adam almost crushed me back there, so I accessed some of your memories, and apparently you can back-flip. Which is something you have not told me you could do. But you looked like you could use the help, anyway. These muscles alone won't do the job.", he joked, shaking his head to make the dizziness go away as Ayin rolled his eyes.

-"Oh, of course, why not access my memories during this time in particular. I thought I told you I was doing fine! You, on the other hand, are about to vomit because of a few moves, so if you could forget about all of that and go back-"

-"Oh, come on! Are we seriously arguing about that of all things now? Really? When we have someone like Adam after our hide? Seriously, we need to sort out our priorities!", the clone interrupted, laying his hands on his waist, awaiting his answer. Instead, there was a violent shove to the ground as Ayin seemed to notice something.

-"Look out!", a sound that resembled bullets far too much for X's liking flew overhead. He looked at the wall where they were standing, and it was filled with boney spines. When he turned his head back to the Distortion they fought, he noticed the red-arm was shape-shifting, now with the spines growing out of it and its shape becoming more and more like a wrecking ball. Yep, straight out of Nothing There's page, but at least Nothing There wasn't as insane. He felt a firm hand grab his arm, bringing to his feet. "Okay, I will be perfectly okay with this development, and I will not be mad. Nope. Not a bit. But just listen to all I say and don't get hurt, capiche?", his original self started, trying his earnest to remain calm. He got a nod. "Good. Now, follow my lead if you want to live!"

Oh. He hadn't even noticed Adam started charging them again. Expecting a punch, or a lunge or...anything to fend him off, he instead found his original copy rushing to meet their attacker, not caring for X's terrified calls to him. The two were about to crash at a tremendous speed, and for a moment, X thought that Ayin had just given up on life. But then he quickly managed to slide on his knees, going between the far-too-big gap that Adam's legs left. It was so amazing! What wasn't amazing, however, was the fact that X was now expected to do that. He ordered his legs to move, but they disobeyed him, and in a fit of fear, his mouth produced a scream that was far too high-pitched for a man like him.

Luckily, whatever instinct he dug up activated at the last second, and his legs suddenly swung in a ninety degree angle, barely avoiding Adam's fist and allowing the larger man to crash into the wall himself, uniting the two holes and making it one big one instead. Gah, it was going to be so difficult to repair the wall! As long as they made it out alive, that was, as Adam didn't get stuck in the wall nearly as long as Ayin did, and he got out in an instant, seething from anger.

-"W-Wait, I'm still getting used to this new knowledge, okay? I've been brave my entire life, and I'm not that scared of you, but I need a moment, please?", he tried bargaining, watching as Adam's new wrecking ball grew even more spikes. No fair! Ayin gave him a moment we he asked for it! Instead of caring, however, the distorted-self swung his augmented hand, barely giving the clone enough time to duck and dodge. Again, his brain yelled at him to grab the mace-like appendage, and he listened to it, grabbing the arm with both arms and legs, twisting himself to be on top of it. Adam growled. "O-Okay then! I guess this is happening! Not sorry, Adam, but I don't know what I'm doing either, so just...Just a moment, okay?! I'm new to not being a limp noodle!", he got up, avoiding the spines on the distortion's arm. Adam growled, but he couldn't quite shake him off, and his left hand was too short to reach.

-"You idiotic waste of genetic material! You're ruining the moment!", okay, wow, rude. X had feelings, too!....Then again, it is one of the only times someone besides Ayin actually recognized him for being a clone, so...thanks? Instead of seeming grateful, however, X looked outraged, still trying to climb up the red limb.

-"Ruining the moment?! You're trying to murder me!", he climbed further, his subconscious aiding him to avoid some stabs from the tentacle-like hair Adam now had. He'd now reached his neck, which was slightly longer than usual, and was directly looking him the eye.

-"Exactly! You're ruining the moment by being so stubborn!", he argued back, succeeding in transforming the clone into a stuttering, sputtering, twitching mess. He had to duck to avoid another hair strand that went for his head, but now...he had no idea what to do. He reached Adam's face, and was dangerously close to the hair-tentacles, but now what?

Well, the first thing that his body did was deliver a punch to Adam's face. Okay, now that felt good. He didn't want to hurt him, since he was technically a part of Ayin and X was made to help Ayin, but by punching a part of Ayin's subconsciousness, he was technically helping him!...Yeah, he didn't need to overthink that one. He followed up with another punch, and another, before making them a constant cycle. His victim grunted as X increased the power behind each one, building up some confidence before another hair-tentacle grabbed his arm. Welp. There goes half the confidence he built up.

Fortunately for him, the tentacle let go when a shoe slammed into Adam's chest, knocking the air out of him and forcing him to take a step back. X fell off the beast, looking at his original-self as he stared down their adversary. Well, stared up, but you get the deal. Adam seemed to ignore X, who was now observing the silent stand-off, focusing his attention towards the bigger threat in front of him. The 'living' hair died down for a second, though it soon reanimated as Adam hissed, targetting the scientist in front of him, who merely struck a pose, letting the strands of hair target him until the very last second, when an arm moved to force the tentacles targetting him away, only allowing those that barely scratched him or cut his clothes. It was such an Anime moment that X couldn't help but produce some incomprehensible sounds of awe. Even Abraham apparently raised the volume of his Boss Music and let the amazing track play.

Unfortunately, Adam heard the sounds of awe, and he apparently didn't appreciate them, given the fact that his mace-hand was now a turning into a sword, much like Nothing There's E.G.O., but having a blade on both sides. At least he was getting more creative. X barely jumped the swing in time, missing the massive weapon, but he didn't quite notice when it swung back, to busy trying to control his beating heart, forcing Ayin to pin him down once more. That's two times he saved his life thus far, and X wasn't happy about it; he could cancel their memory nights if he does him too many favours!

As he rolled away from the madman, he awaited Ayin to join him, only, the original-self remained on the ground, bringing his legs to his chest and letting Adam stand atop him, producing a mad-chuckle. He wasn't monologuing any more, rather, he brought the sword up, preparing to bring it down. As X stared in horror, wondering why in the good gosh-darn Ayin wasn't doing anything, he noticed a smug smile on his face. Adam did too, but it was too late. The only thing that was faster than the frown that grew on the Distortion's face was how fast Ayin unwound his legs, letting them hit Adam's groin at a speed that was too fast to even register. Adam didn't say a word, barring a quiet gasp.

-"Woah, woah woah!", X intervened, bringing his doppelgänger to his feet before wagging a disapproving finger. "What was that for?! That's just playing dirty!", he berated, letting the man he was just fighting pant a bit, having to use his knees as support.

-"X, he was literally attempting to kill the two of us."

-"I know! I know, but...But you just didn't have to do it to 'em. Your grand-kids will be feeling that one!", he thought about his sentence again, bringing the finger to his mouth. "Well, okay, maybe not your grand-kids, but Angela....Angela won't be feeling that one either. Hm. Wait, will she? Oh, no she won't. Well, regardless, this is self-harm, and I won't stand for it! And you just don't do that to a man, you know?", he kept arguing, not noticing the fact that instead of being in pain, Adam now had a furious smile on his face as the sparks around him continued getting larger.

-"You idiots! You absolute idiots! Do you think you can stand against the power Carmen bestowed me with?! I AM ADAM, THE FIRST OF THIS NEW HUMANITY!", he screamed, a small ball of energy appearing his hand, mixing the sparks that appeared around him as the fleshy appendage started becoming an actual hand, holding the energy ball. His voice was a few notes higher, but it was still threatening. "And you, shall experience this power first hand! It's been fun playing with you two, but I think it'll be for the best if I join my new siblings soon!", his voice went low, and he kept laughing, his eyes insane. Even Abraham's Boss Music became less encouraging and more menacing.

-"...I know I argued against hitting him just a few moment ago, but do you have a plan to deal with him before he finishes charging, Ayin?", X started speaking, swallowing as the energy ball's light all but overtook the room, plunging it into a blood-red atmosphere. Instead of giving an answer, Ayin struck a pose, putting a leg forward and one backward, not breaking eye-contact. The massive fan made his lab-coat flutter behind him, augmenting his figure.

-"Well, I didn't quite want to bring out the big guns now. It's been a while since I last had to use this move but...I think we have no other choice. X, you're going to have to trust me on this.", he grabbed his clone's shoulder. While the other man nodded, he was sweating, not quite appreciative of this glowing energy orb...and yet, Ayin seemed to know best. They heard a loud gasp coming from the bookshelf.

-"N-No! It cannot be...He'll use the secret Ayin technique!", Abel seemed shocked, and Abraham's face was unbelieving, too. "This technique...it hasn't been used in years!", he added, and Ayin chuckled before 'tsk'ing, staring down their distorted foe once again.

-"Indeed it hasn't, but the times call for it now! X, stay alert, this secret technique needs a lot of focus!", he kept his eyes locked with Adam, eyeing the energy ball as a smug smile started enveloping his face. X wondered what was going to happen. Another tense moment passed, everyone's hearts skipping beats, and X suddenly felt something grab his arm and drag him back. "RUN FOR THE HIIIIIIIIIILLS!", Ayin screamed, forcing his clone's legs to work, barely managing to keep up with him. They ran towards the massive bookshelf maze they had, Adam's laughs echoing behind them.

-"The secret technique is running away?", his carbon-copy questioned, flabbergasted. He struggled to keep up. They were going to enter the maze at any instant, and it really, really didn't suit X. He knew he was, technically, the one with no experience, but running away? "Listen, I still don't know a whole lot about my past, but I don't think you got through your life in particular by running away! I don't like this techniq-", he barely even managed to finish his sentence before Ayin shoved him into the maze just in time to avoid Adam's energy-beam-laser thingy as it fired off.

It sounded as if there was some sort of vacuum that suddenly opened in space. A constant screech as the laser barely missed them, trying to go after them while they ran in the maze. It devoured everything, eviscerating any and everything that stood in its wake, leaving some fortunate pages as the sole remaining survivors, alongside the top part of the shelves. X didn't know how many layers it went through, but he did know that it was getting terrifyingly close to his lab-coat, and so he did the only thing he knew would work and screamed as he ordered his muscles to work faster, ignoring how much they yelled at him that they wanted to stop.

-"I thought you didn't like the secret technique?", a mocking voice called him out; now the roles had reversed and it was Ayin who had to try and keep up with his 'younger' version. The laser was getting weaker, but it was still big enough to make a basket-ball sized hole in a man and that, shockingly, wasn't something X was interested by.

-"Call it a newfound appreciation.", he tried calming his voice, attempting to save whatever was left of his face. Not much, admittedly, but it was the effort that mattered.

-"Well, good, because now we're getting to the fun part!"

-"The fun part?! Wait, why would you find this fun?! Who were you, Ayin?!", ah, how X loved how fast his mind worked at uncovering secrets. Not so much now when they were in a life-or-death scenario. Adam's laser had now disintegrated into mere sparks, leaving the immense destruction it left in its wake as the sole evidence it even fired. A thought ran through his mind. "You think one of the books that Adam just wiped off the face of the earth was a book Angela would have liked?"

-"With how much experience we have in ruining her life, probably.", the complete-self shrugged, though not without some bitterness. He allowed himself to breathe for a moment before speaking again. "You see, X, running for this hills is often so you can shoot the enemy from them. We've done the running part. Now it's time to give Adam a little rude awakening. You honestly didn't think I got through my life by running away from my problems, did you?", ah, ignoring the questions about your identity, Ayin? Well, it's not like it was something new to his life. Denial is a pretty big part of his identity. Which...wasn't something to be proud of, but it is what it is.

-"Okay, fine, ignore the important questions, why don't you? Also, technically you didn't run away from most of your problems, but you traumatized yourself so much that there are now four of you, and also the whole, you know, Angela debacle.", the carbon-copy huffed, pocketing his hands before looking at his original once more, who gave him a harsh stare. "Alright, so we'll shoot from the hills. What are we supposed to shoot with?", he asked, a bit impatiently; he didn't want to hurt Adam at first, but with everything that's happening now...it was only natural. He turned his head as some of the bookshelves with bigger holes in them started collapsing, adding onto the desolate atmosphere.

-"You're too literal, X. We'll just surprise him and beat the tar out of him. Easier said than done, but we're through with the difficult part.", hopefully, he internally added, squashing away any hesitation he had. It wasn't time to feel rusty. "Just watch and learn, buddy.", he ordered, immediately ignoring anything his copy might've wanted to say and running up one of the bookshelves, using it as a jumping platform to reach the top of another one. "Now you try!"

-"Through with the difficult part my weak, office-work-made bum...", X mumbled under his breath, looking at his other self for a while before trying the move himself, managing the first jump but missing the second one, hitting the top of the bookshelf with his stomach and nearly slipping if it weren't for Ayin's hand grabbing him. "You know, this really isn't what I expected when I realized I had hidden combat-like abilities.", he panted, trying to get his internal organs back into place after that hit.

-"Well, you can't expect to know everything like some sort of Anime protagonist.", hey! Was he the one reading his memories now?...Well, it was fair, if nothing else. The bookshelves were longer than X remembered. They oversaw the entirety of their office, which was depressingly empty and bland now that he looked at the bigger picture, but then again, it was mostly likely the intention Angela made it with. Adam was still blocking the only exit they knew of, looking around frantically, probably trying to anticipate a surprise attack, and both Abel and Abraham were lying down, looking at the small T.V. and probably saying their prayers if Adam ever decided to go after them.

-"Yeah, yeah, I guess that's true. So, what's your plan, then?"

-"Simple: Beat the absolute Hell out of Adam and try to un-Distort him.", he earned a raised eye-brow from his clone. "No, I don't know how, particularly, though attempting to suck out whatever Light he injected into himself could probably reverse the effects of the Distortion. It's not going to be particularly pleasant, but it is what we have to do if we want to stop this madness and prevent a stronger foe from joining Argalia's band of lunatics. Now,", he raised a closed fist to the air, looking directly at the Distortion below them. "Be prepared, for tonight, a Star of The City shall fall."

-"Okay, first of all, how do you know Adam's a Star of The City? Also, have you been saying things like that for your entire life or what?"

-"Don't ruin the cool one-liner, X."

-"Okay, fine, fine, but you better tell me how and why you learned to say tha-", at that instant, Ayin let out a war-cry as he jumped, unwinding his legs and jumping straight for Adam. Of course he would. Of course. X, having little options but to obey, followed the more-experienced self, jumping down and watching as Ayin's sole collided with Adam ribs once more, causing a grunt. He followed it up with another kick, alongside a small barrage of punches, much to Adam's grief, who had to take a few steps back to breathe.

-"How's everyone doing, Abel?", the complete-self shot back to the duo behind the fallen bookshelf, watching as his foe stumbled back a few steps. X rushed to his side.

-"Lisa's won! In fact, most of them have, it's just Benjamin, Daniel, and Roland left!", the fancy-themed self spoke up, raising his head a bit from his hidey-hole. Ayin didn't care much for Roland, but he turned his head at the mention of Benjamin. A terrible mistake as Adam managed to position his short-arm in just the right position to hit his face. Luckily for him, however, X learned rather quickly, as is tradition, and managed to block it for him, holding the non-tattooed arm and spreading it side ways.

-"You idiots! What do you think you're doing?! Can't you just see that we are the light to end the endless night that engulfs the City?! We shall bring a world where everyone's dreams are true! Can't you?!", their enemy yelled, enraged. His hair still waved, though it now seemed frantic. X still held his arm, spreading it as far as he could and ignoring the hair strands that tried stabbing him. Ayin walked over to the scene, staring at the arm for a while before he punched it upwards, causing a 'crack!' to resonate throughout the office, alongside a guttural scream of hatred from Adam. X didn't know much about biology, but he did know elbows were not supposed to bend backwards.

-"We're stopping your mad raving, Adam. If you don't figure out your issue, then we'll-", Ayin tried to berate him, but instead on continuing to scream, Adam's fleshy hand suddenly disjointed; it transformed, this time into a bunch of tentacles, catching Ayin by surprise; he did not expect creativity out of his foe. Perhaps that was his downfall, as the tentacles suddenly grabbed him and thrashed him into the bookshelves, leaving a human sized-hole where he went.

-"Ayin!", now the clone had lost his focus, letting go of Adam's broken arm and letting the other man screech at the sudden movement. When he tried recalibrating the situation, the fleshy tentacles had already wrapped around him and lifted him off the ground. Well, they were certainly faster than the hair. That was the last thought that ran through his mind before the tentacles threw him onto the ground at maximum velocity.

He rag-dolled at the sudden impact, feeling the rope-like appendages still on his leg. He tried crawling, but he got dragged on the floor, finding himself yet again in the air. His adversary didn't waste time laughing, and instead started spinning him, disorienting him and reminding his stomach how much he disliked rapid movement.

His plight didn't last long, thankfully, though the way it ended left much to be desired; Adam launched him back at the fallen bookshelf, and he hit it with an angle. He cursed, feeling something crack in him. A quick pain-check revealed that his left-most ribs howled in pain. A few moments later, he felt some blood rise into his mouth. A broken rib and a punctured lung, he theorized. Must not be his lucky day. Adam's tentacles wrapped around his legs once more, and he tried hanging onto the bookshelf, checking his surrounding and noticing the television duo, who stared at him.

-"Help me.", he begged, his voice raspy and unlike what he expected it to be like. The two stared at him, Abraham turning the volume dial for his Boss Music to the maximum. Abel did nothing but swallow, waving to him. He couldn't say he expected anything more when their entire theme was hesitation, but it wasn't the most encouraging thing to see, either. "That's not helpiiiiiiing.", his voice cracked as his hands slipped, allowing the Distortion to raise him once more, throwing at the wall behind him back-first.

His head hurt, and his back wasn't doing that much better. His ribs started screaming again, and he found himself falling, his legs unable to hold him any more. When his eyes focused again, the long-haired man was standing in front of him, a detestably smug smile on his distorted face. Ayin was nowhere to be found, he was sitting down, and the new combat-memories didn't help a bit. He had to depend on himself, it seemed, and he wasn't sure what to do there. After all, he was X. He was a clone of Ayin. If the memories he had didn't help, then what could he do?

...Well, perhaps there was one thing he knew how do. One thing he learned from the endless cycles of the Corporation. One phrase that kept him steady throughout his time in the Corp:

Get back up.

His knees screamed at him to stop, but he'd already made up his mind, his chest tightened, and felt some blood rise to his mouth, which he promptly spat. He forced his knees to work, using the wall behind him as support, each painful movement almost making him fall again, but he managed to leave the wall's support, taking some unsteady steps towards the mutated man in front of him. He received a mocking sound, not even worthy to be a laugh.

-"Oh, X, so naïve and idiotic...can't you see the beauty in it? The expression of the true self in us?", the clone remained silent, trying his best to keep moving, maintaining his posture. "I suppose not. You're much too alike, you and that idiot. But, worry not, I shall grant you a warrior's death. More than you deserve; I am merciful.", he beckoned for him to come closer, almost certainly in mockery, though X's steps kept getting closer, trying to throw in a punch that only served to move his rib more into his lung. Adam dodged with ease, though grunting as his broken arm moved against his will. "Prepare for the end!"

The hair-tentacles rose, and X knew what would come next. They all targetted him, like some sort of laser-guided missiles. He stood his ground, anticipating the attack. In an ideal scenario, he'd attempt to copy Ayin's movements, going to the amazing Anime moment. In his scenario, however, he braced himself, tried his best to imitate the pose and when the stab came, he tried blocking the ones headed for him. He only managed to block half. The stab itself wasn't painful, but when the tentacles left his body, the pain shot up. His legs, his stomach, and his arms all begged for some sort of pain-killer. His entire mind screamed at him to stop. To just give it peace. And yet, he stood his ground; his lungs, heart, and brain were alright. That's all he needed. The fleshy-tentacles moved to slap him, and he felt a pain as if he was whipped. His legs wobbled, but he stayed up. He'd have preferred being able to fight back, but for now, holding his ground was enough for him.

-"You just don't know when to quit, do you?", the Distortion squinted, a distaste in his voice.

-"I suppose I haven't learned that yet. Maybe you could teach me with your experience, Adam?", ah, good to know his sense of humour was still there, at least. His opponent growled, moving slowly towards him. They locked eyes, each one trying to anticipate the other's move. Or, well, that was probably what Adam did. X was still ignoring his body's pleas to lay down. What broke their tense moment, however, was Ayin re-joining the battle, lunging for Adam's head and delivering a punch that knocked him down. X, however, didn't seem too impressed. "You just love arriving at the very last second, don't you?", okay, maybe he was blaming him too much, but really? He must've been able to come at least a few moments faster.

-"Hey, who doesn't love dramatic entrances? Besides, I used the time to find something that could help us take down that idiot.", the amber-eyed man shrugged, walking over to his clone and moving a hand to his shoulder. X felt some of his pain go away; Ayin must've been using some Light to heal him. His wounds and lacerations started closing, his mouth was becoming devoid of blood, and it felt as if a great weight was lifted off of him. In retrospect, X could've attempted to use some of his proper Light, but he could excuse himself by saying that he didn't have the time to try and control it now. "You're alright now?", he asked, and the 'X'-branded man nodded with a quiet 'thanks', noticing that the other man's hand had some of the Light around it.

-"...What's that?"

-"That, X, is how we're going to win; since Adam injected himself with the Light to distort, and he did so in the boundaries of The Library, it would only be logical that to take him down, we must take the Light out of him, yes? And since I am the main user of the Light on this floor, I can take back the Light and reabsorb it, un-distorting Adam. I don't know if this is entirely correct, but either it works or he dies, and I'm fine with either at this point.", the complete-self hypothesized, walking closer to their foe as he got up. When he got a nod, he turned to their enemy.

-"You flat-brained simpletons! How dare you-", instead of giving his insane-self any time to rant, Ayin delivered a punch to one of his legs, and it slightly shortened in length, becoming more normal and making Adam fall down once more. Ah, so it was working. Wonderful.

-"Flat-brained? Oh, no, no, no, that's simply untrue.", he walked over to the white haired man's face, grabbing his neck and bringing it closer. The silence allowed Abraham's Boss Music to freely play, setting up the atmosphere. It was a determined track, suitable for what X assumed was about to come. "But don't worry, I am merciful. I won't let you be a liar, you see, for there will be something flat in here.", he brought his right hand back, preparing for the beat-down. "Your heart-rate.*

-"HNNNNNNNNNGH, THAT WAS SO GOOOOOOOD!", X excitedly commented, trying to ignore the phantom pains he felt now. Being healed did not make up for the injuries.

-"Not bad. Eight out of ten, somewhat original, has a punch, but lacks some drive behind it.", Abel yelled from his hiding spot. Even Adam joined in.

-"Eh. Unoriginal, bad delivery, overly-drawn out for dramatic effect, which makes it lose its effect. I also don't like that it's directed to me. Six out of one-hundred, not funny; didn't laugh."

-"Could you guys stop ruining my one-liners for five minutes?!", Ayin yelled at all of them, not awaiting any reply from them before his fist collided with Adam's face. To call what came after that a barrage would be an understatement; he lost count of how many punches he threw. He didn't know if he needed all of them to suck out all the Light Adam had in him, but he knew that he needed that beat-down after all he did to them today. Each punch made Adam's overly grown body retract, and he produced a grunt with every hit. It must've been a minute of punching him before he pulled back for a particularly strong upper-cut, launching a now-normal Adam into the wall and letting him fall, unable to get back up.

-"Now that was satisfying. You should've broken the wall with him, though.", X walked over to his original self, who deflated the muscles he had given himself with the Light and gotten rid of The Light around his arm. It felt like a balloon getting deflated. It was definitely as sad and depressing. "Also, did you really need those muscles in the first place?"

-"Not really. I just thought I'd use the opportunity to try them out, but they don't fit on someone like me.", he shrugged, not noticing how much he damaged X's self-image. "Hopefully I didn't beat Adam too much; I don't want to figure out what happens if he dies...", he scratched the back of his neck, sighing. There were a few footsteps behind them, and when X turned his head, he saw Abel and Abraham, holding the T.V. and walking towards them. "You know, I was a bit rusty today, and while Adam wasn't that bad, I think I owe it to thank someone here.", he turned, walking past X and putting a hand on Abraham's shoulder. "I really don't know what I would've done without your Boss Music, buddy. Truly a battle-changer."

-"Yep. Wouldn't have done it without ya', Abraham, especially with the help you guys gave me back there.", the clone smiled artificially, watching as the formerly-depressed self shut down the music. He didn't particularly despise the move, as it was probably against them, but he knew he'd hold a grudge in DnD games for a while. The four men shared a laugh together, enjoying the moment of relative peace. It was a chaotic day, both here and in The Library. "Hey, wait a second...What happened to Angela and the Ensemble?"

And just like that, the peace had been replaced by silence, then chaos as the three other men suddenly noticed that the screen displayed a now-empty Floor Of General Works. In the euphoria of defeating Adam, they forgot to keep monitoring the guests. Ayin laid the machine on the ground quickly flipping through its 'channels' until he found Roland and Angela, standing in the reception. She seemed distressed.

-"Angela...You know what I'm going to do now, yeah?", Roland asked her, taking a few steps forward. Ayin turned the screen off. Only a fool wouldn't have known this was coming, and watching it as it happened wouldn't have done any good.

-"...I'm not going to watch this. We go down to Angela, now!", he ordered. Everyone else stared at each other before they nodded, X in particular understanding his panic. Just before they moved, however, they halted to a quiet, insane laughter.

-"...And you truly think she'll forgive you? After everything you've done?", Adam mocked, his voice devoid of the bombastic, proud tone it had all the day. The group marched over to him, making him stare up at them. "...You're insane, Ayin. You really want to try and make it up to her?", he laughed again, though it was more like a wheeze. Not too surprising after the beating he took.

-"I'd take that more seriously if you weren't trying to kill us all day, Adam.", came the dry answer, a disgusted look in the black-haired man's eyes. "Are you honestly trying to play victim here? Or trying to lecture me on anything? After you tried joining the Distortion and, oh I don't know, killing us?", he continued, crossing his arms. He knew Adam was deranged, but he couldn't have possibly been so detached from reality he'd expect them to take anything he said now seriously.

-"I was trying to complete Carmen's plan!", oh, no, he was that detached. Ayin didn't know why he was surprised; it was only natural a part of him would be as insane as him.

-"Her plan? And this was her plan?", the scientist opened his arms, pointing to the office and how much damage it had taken.

-"Can't you understand, Ayin? That it is her in the Lig-"

-"She's distorted. We have been through this conversation a thousand times! If I have to explain to you one more time that the love of my life is basically another entity who doesn't even resemble her now...", he threatened, X grabbing his arm so that he doesn't take a step forward. He tried to stay light-hearted about this for the entire day, if only so that his other selves did not fall into panic, but had X been hurt today, then Adam's biggest worry wasn't going to be that he lost his new powers.

-"You think I don't know?!", the man on the floor barked back, regretting it as everyone's eyes roamed over to him now, curious. "...You should've just killed me, Ayin. Just...Just get rid of this stain on humanity. This waste of space.", he mumbled, looking at the ground.

-"What are you even talking about? Adam, I don't think you want to tempt me here; you know full-well that the only reason I keep you alive is because we don't know what would happen otherwise. Are you suddenly regretting your actions? Or are you regretting that you lost?", well, that and that Ayin wasn't quite able to bring himself to kill anyone else. Hurt, sure, but...he'd had enough of the deaths.

-"I'm...I may be delusional, but I'm not an idiot, Ayin. I know what you all think of me. If someone tells you that you have a tail they're insane. If ten tell you the same...you might as well check.", he coughed, balancing on his formerly-broken arm. Ayin must've repaired it. "I know that you're keeping me alive because you're still...you're still in denial.", he took a sharp breath as he tried rising up, regretting it and falling down again. Ayin had made sure not to break any bones, but he didn't pay attention to any possible pain.

-"I'm in denial? Adam, I know you're insane, but if you could figure out how to use more than one brain-cell at once, that would be great.", he tried laughing at his own joke. He didn't have time for these insane ramblings. "If you do, then maybe you'd remember that Carmen couldn't handle Enoch's death. One child. Do you think that whoever is in the Light hasn't caused thousands of people to die? Do you honestly think Carmen would handle thi-"

-"You think I don't know?!", the tattooed man yelled, silencing the scientist. This silence reigned for a moment as he tried ignoring the gazes that drilled into him. He failed. "You think...You think I don't know that the Carmen in the Light is not the one we knew? I told you...I'm not an idiot, Ayin. The differences are just too...too vast...", he continued, swallowing with difficult and laying back on the wall behind him. "But...It's the closest you'll ever get to accomplishing what she wanted you to do.", he finished, looking at the man who just defeated him, something between pity and sadness.

-"I...I don't think I follow.", no one ever did when it came to Adam, but this time...the way he spoke so desperately, it felt...it felt as if he wasn't entirely insane.

-"I don't...It's just...Distortions are part of the original person, aren't they?", the white-haired man asked, looking as if he already knew the answer. It was complicated, but Distortions were a person's most hidden desires and feelings, though instead of being accepted by the person and helping them grow like the original Seed of Light was supposed to do, these desires manifest in the worst way possible, twisting the original person into a monstrous being with little relation to who he was. But, however little it was, there was a relation, and so Ayin had to nod. "Then, there is a Carmen in the Light, with a plan similar to ours. I don't care what she is, but she's there, isn't she? And if I can help her this time..."

-"How? How can you be so blind?! Adam, Carmen wanted to save this world. She wanted everyone to dream, not for them to suddenly transform into monsters because they suppressed their dreams and emotions! She knew that the world needed healing and stood up against the entirety of it, and you wish to serve a twisted copy of her? Carmen was a hero-"

-"Carmen was human.", the defeated man ignored his better-self's yelling, closing his eyes before opening them again, trying to take a breath. "She still got mad. Frustrated. Upset. Wouldn't you think...Wouldn't you think that'd be what she is, right now? After we failed at all that she entrusted to us? Maybe that's why she distorted. Maybe she's upset at everything the world did to her.", he explained, trying to get up once more, only barely succeeding and using the wall as support.

-"And that's how you're spinning it? Adam, I saw you for one day in the Corporation, and while I don't know much...doesn't that seem to be your justification? The one you used to try and stop me on Day 49? To convince yourself that turning everyone into Abnormalities is the right thing?", X interjected, earning a tired glare. He didn't like holding grudges; he didn't to make more enemies than he was born with, but he didn't quite manage to forgive Adam for breaking his ribs just yet. The phantom pain still made him shiver every now and again.

-"As if you managed to fulfil her ideal!", he cried out, immediately going silent as he feared repercussions. When there were none, he continued. "I...I was never in denial about who I was, Ayin. I could never be what Carmen wanted me to be. But this Carmen? Distorted or not, you have to realize...It's the closest you'll ever be to serving her. If only you heard it...If only you heard the voice I heard when I distorted...she was so beautiful, Ayin...", he recalled, his eyes filled with pure happiness for once. "It's more...It's more than you ever achieved when you tried to play hero...", he added, flinching back as the usually calmer man took a few steps towards him before X had to drag him back; they had no time for another fight.

-"I will not stand something so disgusting, Adam. You may be satisfied with the scraps you're given, but I will not taint her memory by pretending a monster is even close to her.", his former-assailant grit his teeth, taking great pleasure in watching him flinch. "You may be delusional the way you are, but I prefer thinking I am not. I was never a hero before-"

-"But you tried playing one.", the long-haired man interrupted, not looking Ayin in the eye. When he didn't insult him, he continued, "And look how well that turned out for you. Someone like you, stuck here with someone like me. Listen, Ayin, we can argue on many things but we can...we can agree that you and I, we're not on the same level.", he proposed, and he earned a nod. Whether or not he meant that he was superior to all of them was a mystery, but the general statement was correct. "...Someone like you...What stopped you from being a high-ranking functionary? Maybe then marry some sort of Nest resident? Nobody would have stopped you. You wouldn't have had the Head after your every move. You'd have been free. Same if you decided to stay as Lobotomy Corp's CEO.", he hypothesized, trying to stand upright.

-"...What are you trying to say?", it wasn't the first time Ayin had pondered that possibility. That right now, instead of worrying about Angela and what she represented to him, being stuck with himselves and beating them up, and having nightmares every other day, he could be...at peace. Peace was such a strange, hurtful word now. A word of a world that never was. That right now, he could be sitting in his bed, reading a bed-time story to a wonderful little child. The possibility always swam in the far-end of his mind, and yet...What was Adam going to do with it?

-"I'm saying that you tried playing hero twice.", came the rough answer, almost with a bark. "Disregarding the fact that you actually believed you could make a change with Carmen, you still had enough insanity to try and continue her ideal after she killed herself, and then you tried to continue with the project that will save humanity after the Head killed all of your friends. All of my friends!", this was new. Adam liked putting as much distinction as possible between him and Ayin. He rarely, if ever, acknowledged that they were one. "And then you kept trying to be the hero. Every. Single. Moment. You could've gotten Carmen out of her vat, but noooooo, you promised her! You could've abandoned the ship when you knew it was sinking. You could've done so much to save yourself, and yet, you didn't.", he listed, and X's eyes narrowed, trying to understand where this was going.

-"Well, not all of us can be like you, you see.", the clone mocked, and much to everyone's surprise, Adam did not bother to respond, merely continuing his speech.

-"All for what? For a world that kicked you at every single moment possible? For a world that took away Carmen when you made a hasty decision with her? For a world that took away LISA?! She was a child, Ayin, and yet that hasn't stopped this world from taking her away!", his voice...was that grief? It...It couldn't be. Adam was insane. He wouldn't.... "For a world that took away every single thing we had? That sent the Head after you because you had hope? That made you live out every single moment of your life in fear and regret? You played hero twice for this world, and you ended up here. And now, you want to play hero for a third time. You want to own up to your mistakes, when nothing's forcing  you.", his voice slowed down, something of mock in it. He ran his hand through his hair, trying to remove it from in front of his eyes; the fan he made was still running. Nobody remembered to shut it down.

-"...I'm no hero, Adam. Much of my plight is made by my hands...Like Angela...", the 'eldest' of them spoke, heading towards the comically large fan and pressing an equally large switch on it, trying to preoccupy his hands with something.

-"Angela wouldn't have existed if this world didn't take away everyone else you had, Ayin. She wouldn't have been treated the way she was if this world gave you someone by your side to help her. It didn't even leave you Benjamin, Ayin. It didn't even leave you yourself. Your own mind, and you're struggling to find peace in it. Is this truly a world that you want to save?", he coughed, holding onto his chest as if he felt something contracting in it. His eyes were bitter and desolate, devoid of all passion or even madness.

-"...Even if I didn't want to, it is the world Carmen strove to save. I had a promise to keep, Adam, unlike what you did, jumping on the nearest look-alike you found and parading her as Carmen...", and yet, Ayin couldn't help but admit that the world had stomped on him so much. Set him back so much when he tried to do the right thing. Never even having the slightest sliver of kindness in it towards him. It was almost as if he was being punished because he tried.

-"Do you honestly think I don't know?", again, the lucidity with which Adam spoke was the most unnerving thing about their conversation. "I know she's not the real Carmen. I thought I made that clear, and yet...", he swallowed, thinking of his next word. "And yet, if I learned anything from this world, is that it punished you for trying to be a hero, Ayin. Didn't you ever feel that way? How it took away Carmen because you loved? Took away your friends because you cared? Took away your effort despite how much you tried? And- And I do know what I'm talking about, because you tried. Ten thousand years more than anyone should try. And yet, it only ever rewarded you after the hideous Smoke War.", Ayin shivered at the name. It should've never gone so wrong...Never should have claimed so many lives. Nobody knew how it got so bad, even Ayin, and yet its guilt..."And...That seems to be the trend, doesn't it? The Head, Argalia, Nemo...All very fine individuals living very fine lives who didn't bother trying to be heroes. Unlike you, they had all they could've wanted, and yet it is you who was punished most. So why...why bother trying to play the hero when the world obviously doesn't want your help?", he laughed, his laugh empty, almost a wheeze.

-"Because I've had enough of staying on the side-lines and watching as everything around me crumbled. I've had enough of saying that it was none of my business, because it is. Because so long as I can make a change, I might as well try.", after all, this world...it needed someone like Carmen. And he was the only one who could continue her ideal now. He had to continue it. He promised.

-"Who ever said I wanted you to stand on the sidelines?", the white-haired former-scientist narrowed his eyes, looking at the ground again as he leaned on the wall. "I'm saying that...this world...It doesn't deserve as much effort.", he concluded, contempt seeping into his tone. "It didn't deserve ten-thousand years of pain. It didn't deserve Carmen sacrificing her everything. You sacrificed everything, Ayin. Everyone. You even sacrificed yourself. Your own mind. You chained yourself to guilt, constantly in pain over your actions. And it rewarded you by putting you here. I've had enough of this. I don't know if these...Distortions are what Carmen would've wanted. But she was only human. She must've been mad, seeing how much the world kicked her. I know...I know that this is not what she would've wanted. But this Carmen? She's what this world deserves. Her and I....we're the only ones fit for the City. We're the only ones who will make it. That's why I wanted to get rid of you. Call it madness but...I wanted to give you peace. You suffered enough, and as far as I'm concerned, this Carmen and I, we're the only thing the City deserves.", he spat out, turning his hand into a fist and hitting the wall.

-"But it is not what it needs.", Ayin calmly answered, his eyes neutral and his hands in his pockets. Adam turned his head, not fully understanding. "Perhaps this world doesn't deserve so much, Adam. Maybe you're right in that regard, but had we treated this world with what it deserved, then we would never help it. Adam, I...I hate this City more than you could ever do. It has taken away my everything. My world. And yet, instead of destroying it, I now see that I should prevent my suffering from being inflicted on others, Adam. The City must be healed. Awakened. And if my happiness...My dreams and my future are the price I must pay to try and stop my tragedies from repeating...then I will gladly pay the price.", he straightened his posture, finishing his speech. "Oh, and you're certainly mad for trying to free us by killing us. Sounds like Big Bird's rhetoric. Are you sure you didn't distort already?", he added, turning his head to X, who smiled like an idiot.

-"Aw, you ruined the moment! You should've said 'A wise man once told me...' and then I'd be all giddy and stuff! Don't worry, I'll still do my part, though!", he laughed, the smile still on his face. It pleased Ayin to see him so happy. Indeed, this world was perhaps not worth so much if you thought rationally about it, and yet, was the plight of this world not caused by such excessive rationality? Someone had to save it. He was not the right man for this job, but he had to continue it. Not for his sake but...for everyone else. For all those that had faith in him, however few they are now.

-"...Why do you hold onto your dream so stubbornly? What makes yours so much more special than everyone else's? Why are you so bent on trying to achieve it, when you know nobody has their dreams in the City, Ayin?", the tattooed man asked, honestly confused. His complete-self had to think about that question for a moment before replying. 

-"And isn't that the greatest tragedy, Adam? That the City broke all of its inhabitants so much, that their dreams never coming true has become a normality?", to the point where Ayin himself thought that way before. "My dreams are not that much more special than everyone else's, Adam. They, too, should fight for their dreams. They, too, should hope that one day, maybe their world will come true. That their hopes are not simply delusions. Carmen fought for a world where people can dream again, Adam. I would disrespect her by ignoring mine.", he firmly finished, and the other self simply looked away again before laughing. A defeated laugh that had nothing behind it.

-"You scare me, Ayin. You honestly scare me. The world took everything away from you. Your love. Your friends. Your best-friend. It ruined your life, your mind, and your peace. It took away everything you had and crushed you. And yet, you stood up again. It gave you hundreds of fears and regrets, and you accepted them and moved on. It gave you us, and you defeated us. I doubt even the Head can stop you at this point.", he shivered, his laugh now becoming hyena-like. He earned a smug smile from the amber-eyed scientist.

-"They tried once. They failed then, and they'll fail now.", he boasted, and Adam turned his head to him to speak, his laugh stopping. 

-"You're insane, Ayin. You're honestly insane. I suppose I cannot stop you any more.", they looked each other in the eyes, and for a brief moment, Adam smiled. A small, sincere smile that said nothing and yet everything. A small smile of desperation, of helplessness, of regret, of anger, of madness, and of grief. His eyes dulled for an instant, and for a moment...Ayin understood. He understood the pain. He understood the scared man behind Adam. Not enough to forgive him entirely, but enough to soften his expression for a bit before it stiffened again when Adam's smile grew mocking, if still weak. "Then go, brave boy. Go save the world. Go save her. I can chain you no longer, though I won't be on your side, either.", he laughed, moving off the wall. He walked past Ayin, joining Abel and Abraham, though standing at a distance. Ayin stared at him as he walked, and then stared at the door that would lead him out of this office.

Adam looked as if he wanted to pocket his hands. His head dropped, and he seemed to think to himself. His expression, defeated an yet accepting, remained on his face. He turned behind him, looking at the sky before looking at his original-self again, calm, quiet, not talking. No doubt, he'd return to his original personality soon enough, but for now, he seemed...at some sort of peace.

-"Come with.", he beckoned to them, X by his side and the others behind him, walking in silence. Except for Abraham, who took deeper breaths as he still held the small television. They didn't know if they'd need it, but the Boss Music was pretty cool, if nothing else. They stopped in front of the door, and he took a deep breath, turning his head to X. "X...before we go, I...I just wanted to thank you. For...For standing beside me. Beside the man you hate most. I'm sorry for...for everything. For everything that I made you go through. You certainly deserved better.", he apologized, his eyes trying to be kind, though the clone merely chuckled, as if he heard a good joke.

-"Oh, come on, Ayin. It is what I was made to do. I just tried helping myself for once instead of letting him wallow in despair. Besides, it's not as if you had much choice with me. My life was...unfortunate, I suppose, but it's not like yours was that much better. For now, instead of wallowing in what we couldn't do, we have a new chance, and we should use it to its fullest.", he comforted his original self, patting his shoulder and smiling before his expression turned serious. "Just promise me one thing."

-"Hm?"

-"First of all, get yourself a bloody therapist! You're so scarred that your mind turned against you three times. Like, take care of yourself better than that, Ayin. I mean, I don't know how much time we have left in here, but please, if you get out of here, just get some help. Also, do you know just how much profit we'd make if we turned your life-story into an Anime?! Mhmm, I can hear the cash coming in already! Just, tweak the ending a bit. Or maybe get your happy ending.", he joked, earning a laugh from everyone around him, even Adam. He continued. "But...seriously, whatever happens next...Just promise me to do your best."

-"...I'll try, X. Thank you.", they nodded, and while he couldn't help but feel a bit odd that he was thanking himself, he shooed the thought away, turning to the door and trying to grab its handle. With Angela currently distracted and the Light seemingly complete...It was supposed to work. But just as he was about to grab the knob, his hand trembled. His breathing quickened, and his mind started wondering.

This door...Behind it, there were people he once considered friends. Family. People he wronged. People he couldn't save when he had to save them. People that he failed in his life. What would they do to him, now? And...what about Angela? He didn't deserve her forgiveness. He didn't expect to get it, either. He simply wanted to make things right and yet...would she allow him as much? It'd be a miracle if she doesn't simply lose her nerves against him, even with the Black Silence's threat. The trembling went from his hand to his body. He wasn't this nervous even against Adam.

-"...Are you hesitant?", it would seem X would need to help him a bit more. He sighed, both because of how pathetic he had become and because it wasn't him that had to ask for help.

-"Behind this door...Do you think they'll forgive me, X?", he began. Damn it! He was supposed to be strong! He had quashed all these thoughts before! "Perhaps now...after seeing all I have done, they will not accept anything any more. Would Lisa yell at me to go away? Would Daniel simply ignore me?...Would Benjamin even look at me again...?", he almost took a step back if it wasn't for his trembles. "I...I failed them so much. I was never the man they needed me to be..."

-"...I don't know, Ayin. I know they did in the Corporation, but unfortunately, I don't have any cool Anime future-vision powers with me now.", the clone admitted, sighing. "And yet, there is only one way of finding out. Face your fears, Ayin. That's how you can get through. Benjamin had once told you that to move forward, one must embrace their past. We cannot live in it forever. We cannot predict the unknown in front of us, and we cannot fear it, either.", he encouraged, and Ayin had to smile. X was getting so good with these speeches. Hopefully he doesn't break down and scream between his knees when he encounters everyone else.

-"Yeah...", he began, but he felt an arm on his shoulder, firmly holding him.

-"One more thing, Ayin. You may have failed them in the past. Maybe not. I won't voice my opinions, but one thing's for certain now: Now is not the past. If they needed you before, then you can make it up to them now. Now, it is your chance to gain everything, or lose everything.", X explained, his own eyes a bit tired. He was starting to resemble Ayin a bit more. "Maybe I did, too. But I know what you can do now. What you must do: Go out there, and be the man they always needed you to be. I cannot help you open the doors any more, nor will I force you. This is your story.", he ordered, or at least, that's what his voice seemed like, and Ayin's face thought about that order for a bit as the man with the 'x' on his right cheek removed his hand.

-"Be the man they needed me to be, huh...", he nodded, a faint smile on his face, and he turned his head to the wooden door once more.

This door...behind it, the people he needed to see again. Behind it, Angela, who needed the answers that only he could give to her, alongside whatever he could do against the Black Silence. Behind it, Lisa, who needed an apology for so long. Behind it, Benjamin, with whom he needed to talk about so many things. Behind it was his reckoning and his forgiveness. Behind it, was the most dangerous thing known to man: Hope. 

He took a deep breath, and before he could think about it, his heart had taken the lead and his hand grabbed the knob, twisting it and forcefully pulling it. There was a small 'crack' as the door opened for the first time in its life, and he swung it open, taking a back-step to avoid it, he felt a breeze. A real breeze that moved his lab-coat a bit, and a breath of fresh air which he gladly took, taking a step. The orange Library lights blinded him for a second, but once he got used to it, he kept going outwards, knocking over some bookstacks and noticing the Floor Of General Works' arena nearby. Huh. So he was supposed to be the floor's Librarian.

He turned his back, and beside him was, unsurprisingly, X, an encouraging smile on his face. The others followed, somewhat reluctantly, as they stared at the door, some with despair, some with contempt. Ayin turned to see the Library again, hearing some noise from below. Ah. That must be where Angela was. They had to reach her somehow, but Roland was a quick bugger...Walking down the stairs would take fifteen minutes. Running would take five. Jumping down the stairwell would take five seconds. Well, that only left one good choice. 

He felt the the small ring-box in his pocket with his hand, taking a breath as he did so. The world it held...The world it could've given him...This wasn't the world he was in. He was never going to have the life he wanted one day, and yet...Perhaps, if he can set things right, then he could give other people the lives they wanted. He let it go, making sure it was still in his pocket before turning to the men behind him, a small smile on his face.

-"Well, gentlemen,", Ayin started, looking at them. "Shall we go?"

Chapter Text

The Outskirts were a lonely place.

Arid, endless wastes that had nothing in them for miles on end. The only things filling this desolate wasteland were the corpses of its inhabitants, the hide-outs by the City-rejects, and the Impurities which The Head cleansed, sending them into an ever-lasting banishment with no hope of return. Many would wonder about their fates; are they tortured when sent there? Left alone without contact for thousands of years until they rot? Or perhaps left alone to their own devices, untouched by the City?

To tell the truth, Ayin would've never anticipated that last one. Sure, he'd spent his fair share of time in The Old Laboratory, and yet, it was mostly in its safe confines. Perhaps sometimes wandering to the forest or the beach nearby, bringing Lisa and Enoch along, but never before did he venture to the endless wastes that went for what seemed to be hundreds of kilometres, filled with nothing but Impurities. He supposed the Outskirts' inhabitants, however few they were, had to stare at the Library as it went there, taking all of Lobotomy Corporation's Nest with it and snuggling on a perched hill, almost overlooking the City.

It was a beautiful, if mundane sight. The City in the distance in all its dull glory...He'd have appreciated it more if he had someone to look at it with besides his selves.

Indeed, he was now back in his office, or perhaps floor, having managed to focus enough Light to add a balcony to his office. Being the highest possible perch in the Library, it gave him a nice view, a method to simply look out and see the world as it remained stagnant, perpetuating the same useless cycles he strove so hard to break...

At first, the sun was rather...difficult to get used to. The entire reason he had to move underground with Lobotomy Corporation in the first place was because the sun gave him such fond memories of rolling in the grass with Carmen, smiling at her, holding her hands...It was painful to see it again, knowing he could never re-experience that wonderful sensation, and yet, when he saw it now, he felt...more happy than grieving or mad. He didn't know why, but during his stay in the Corporation, he must've overcame his aversion to the sun, if only partially, given that he still shivered under it every now and again.

You may wonder what happened to the whole 'Saving Angela' deal he and his selves tried going through with. Nothing much, would be your answer. Any attempt to save Angela was found to be futile when he was now stuck to the confines of his floor, instead of his office. Having not been 'officially' awakened by Angela, he could not fully manifest his person, and instead found himself stuck in a state that was so close being able to become his own person again, and yet he was so far. Not quite able to intervene physically. He could literally see her from the stairwell, if not for something resembling a wall surrounding his entire floor. It broke him; should he have tried sooner...maybe he could've gotten Angela to notice him...instead, he stood powerless, unable to help her.

Still, his efforts weren't all useless. Using the same T.V. he'd summoned he was able to watch as Roland, surprise surprise, did indeed turn on Angela. Shocker. He'd rambled something about taking his revenge, making Angela go through all the pain he did, and while Ayin might've agreed with him at one point, he definitely didn't agree with him now. Still, he and his four other selves were stumped; The Black Silence wasn't a bad Colour, all things considered. Lots of emotional manipulation and some strength when push came to shove. Against an unprepared foe, he'd dominate.

Luckily, thanks to Adam's panicked screaming, he found out he had some...influence on the Librarians. Just as Adam had managed to convince Argalia of torturing Roland by showing him the horror he'd done to Angelica, Ayin managed to almost connect with the Librarians. To make his voice reach them, not unlike what E.G.O. did and how it whispered to them. Nobody seemed to be able to recognize his voice in the chaos, but he managed to guide the Librarians to using the correct attacks against Roland's, whose own thoughts he could hear due to him nearly distorting and being affected by the Light. 

Turns out, he wasn't a half-bad strategist. Lining up attacks against one another, having Librarians plan out their attacks according to how tired they were, and managing to block most of Roland's furious, unfocused attacks. He wasn't surprised with much in the encounter, though seeing the Center of The Smoke, the hideous beast that caused so much chaos and destruction...It was revolting. How the Old L-Corp. was so uncaring of human life...

Let it be said, Lobotomy Corporation was an awful, awful place, but at least he had his Agents go in stasis whenever they died. And death wasn't that much of a theme in the Corporation. Chesed's Welfare Incident was a one-off thing to ensure his meltdown. Okay, fine, he was pretty awful, alright?! He just wasn't that bad. Or, well, not as bad as the old L-Corp. But he was still pretty bad. But...he was trying to repent, so...just...just cut him some slack this once, okay?

In the end, however, he could only watch as Angela and Roland made their next decisions following their heated battle, and to be frank, he didn't like it one bit. He wanted to be there, to try and persuade them, to speak with them, and yet...He assumed that since Angela hadn't accepted him as a Librarian, he could not intervene, and so he could only watch, eyes glued to their small T.V., watching as the two of them mulled their decisions, thoughts, and eventually came to their conclusions.

And he couldn't prouder of Angela's.

Sure, Roland's ignorance of his own, painful past was commendable in its own right, and forsaking his vengeance was no small feat, but Angela only knew vengeance. Angela only knew how to inflict pain, in no small part thanks to his own actions against her. Her ability to see the tread-wheel that was The City's cycle, and to try and make her own way and stand up against it, was not something to make light of, pun intended. And although he didn't know whether or not all of the Light the Library had was released, he knew that, at least, three days of Light had shone once again, and that for these days, Angela was willing to sacrifice herself simply for what she thought was a good goal.

Heh. In the end, him and her, they were much too alike. Too willing to throw away their lives for what they assumed would help the City, although he had to admit, Angela was certainly braver than him, as she, unlike him, had no one she worked for. She didn't have a Carmen that was pushing her forward, so to speak. This choice, one she chose without him forcing her into it, was certainly something he knew he wouldn't be able to do had he been in her place.

Of course, however, Roland was there to save her. The bugger was tenacious, he had to admit, and it was certainly a nice move on his part, and yet...he still couldn't help but resent him for nearly killing Angela. Then again, he supposed he had no right to complain when he was the one who made her go through all this pain and torture, and yet...He at least tried to set things right. If only through his whispers and an attempt to cross over into a manifested world, but still.

Then, there was Argalia's sudden return. A band of distorted beasts, not one bit different from the Abnormalities he had in the Corporation...monsters, though with a human at heart, it made him shiver. They had indeed become more 'pure' in their last form, manifesting their inner desire, but they forsook their humanity. Forsook all the good traits about humanity and merely became beasts, with their minds corrupted. Instead of embracing their selves and becoming more human, they rejected it, alongside their whatever was left of their sanity.

There, too, he wished to be able to help Angela. To just jump down and drag her out of the Light. To crush the barriers that held him in place and try to redeem himself. He laughed at these thoughts now; so hopeful. As if life would be so kind to give him a moment. The most he was able to do was help the Librarians with his whispers once more, trying to strategically fend off the Ensemble's attacks. Given that everyone survived and that Argalia died alongside his circus of madmen, he gave himself a pat on the back for his effort.

Admittedly, he knew he should've been thankful to Roland for saving her, for doing what he wanted to do. For comforting her near the end and staying by her. It was what any good man should've felt. Ayin, however, was not exactly a good man, and he found himself angrily envying him, having found a method to make it up to Angela and save her. Perhaps more than 'make up', if the small smiles and looks they shared were anything.

And thus, a beautiful finale was upon them. Where everyone was happy, everyone was going to get out, and everyone was going to live happily ever after.

And then The Head showed up.

He couldn't find it in himself to be surprised any more. While X and his other three selves screamed in horror, running around and/or crying in fetal positions from the terrible memories, he found himself glued to the small television, watching as they finally disgraced The Library with their presence. An Arbiter by the name of Zena and a Claw by the name of Baral had paid them visit, alongside and Eye named Luda. They came to expel the Library, Lobotomy's Nest, and whatever else was on its ground. He knew of this procedure; all Wings were informed of what happened to Impurities. After all, one could not be a Wing without risking becoming an Impurity. It was ironic, in a sense, that Wings were seen as all-powerful and yet still had to obey to The Head's own, arbitrary rules.

Still, what hurt most was how she spoke of Angela. A machine that yearned to be human...A poor machine that could never achieve humanity. It's not the words, but how similar they were to his. He told Angela the same, ridiculous mantra for the short while he knew her, and it led to such painful results. To hear these words come out of someone else's mouth, it only made him reflect on them even further, and it only served to embitter him even more when it came to his actions.

Regardless, Angela held her ground this time. Dismissing the words of the Arbiter and commencing a fight. Hopeless, as Ayin would know, and yet Roland did valiantly try to fight them to the bitter end. Though said bitter end was rather quick, given that he was fighting against The Head. With the Library's Light gone, Ayin's voice could no longer reach them, and Roland's actions seemed even more sluggish after the endless fighting he went through. He was a dead man by all accounts.

What wasn't accounted for, however, was Kali's interference. Her steely determination and her endless will to protect managed to hold off Zena, but only for so long. Even Garion, for some reason he ignored, joined the battle against her. Perhaps she changed? Or perhaps she merely wished to attempt to change the tides, as she did with Angela during her original revenge? Whatever it was, Zena was far stronger. Far more resilient and seemingly learned from Garion's excessive verbosity, and she managed to hold them off right until they were expelled to the Outskirts by some method which he also ignored. He cursed this ignorance; it felt so foreign to him, and it made him feel to pitiful how he had no plan, no idea, no hope on how to stop it.

In the end, he supposed, it was as much mercy as The Head could show. The Outskirts were familiar, yet so forlorn after years in The City as a Wing. Once there, he had nothing to do but monitor Angela once more, and it seemed she still had plans for her Library, or more accurately, her E.G.O., as he found out. It was not an entirely unexpected surprise; she did manifest it from hearing the distorting voice that claimed to be Carmen, and Angela's will was not weak. It was certainly enough to manifest an E.G.O. so grand as this one. Perhaps that's why he, of all people, found it so difficult to utilize the abilities he should've had in a place that was brimming with Light like the Library; she simply didn't want to allow him a chance at doing anything that could possibly torture her further.

Still, Angela seemed happy enough. Roland's continued support must've helped, but the Sephirahs coming around her to help and encourage her...It reminded him of better times. Times where instead of Angela sitting and trying Chesed's coffee, it was him trying Daniel's. Where instead of Hokma standing beside her, a warm smile on his face as he saw her writing, it would be him with Benjamin laughing next to him. Indeed, it seemed, to him, as if she overcame part of her pains, if not whole. As if she truly managed to find happiness in this place.

And that was all he could ask for, really.

He sighed. Having nothing to do after such a grandiose day, he moved his desk and chair to the balcony he struggled to produce. He had to admit, he'd taken lots of inspiration from Angela's own design. She was a great architect, it nothing else. The sun was setting, landing behind the mundane yet gripping structures of the City. Not many in the City could notice the sun; whether it be due to their busy lives or due to the seemingly endless smog of the City, it was difficult to admire it from within. It was partly why Carmen loved the Outskirts so much; there, it was much easier to spot the sunlight and bask in it.

Well, he supposed that the sunset was one thing he gained out of this experience. He was leaning back in his chair, his legs on his desk, and his arms behind his head, thinking about the events that had led him to this very moment. He supposed he should've been glad Angela finally found some happiness in a world that was so cruel. That his friends finally came to terms with her, happily chatting and laughing down-stairs. That Carmen would've wanted all of them, Angela included, to be so happy.

Then why did he feel so empty? Why did he feel a longing that he hadn't felt in years? Why did his heart yell at him, and why did it feel so light, as if it was missing a piece?

Well...he knew why. Denying it would only hurt further; he wanted to join them. He wanted to break the invisible barricades that surrounded his now-abandoned floor, to be seen again, to look at his friends again, to be able to look Angela in the eyes for once and tell her that he was sorry. He just wanted a second chance. It was selfish, in a way, after he'd constantly told himself that he wouldn't be weak, and that he would accept whatever happened to him as his rightful punishment, but in the end...The human mind was a fickle thing indeed, and he found himself desperately yearning for a happy life.

But he'd missed his chance at such a life the day he told Angela to behave as a machine. He'd missed it the day he ran through the blood-covered walls of the Old Laboratory, screaming for anyone to call out if they were alive. He missed it when he stopped in front of Lisa's room, frozen as he saw Garion hadn't even spared her. He missed it when he dismissed Michelle not showing up one day as a fluke. He missed it the day he handed Carmen the cutter and merely smiled at her when she thanked him.

Now, just as Angela had to wait millions of years for a single move from him, it was him who awaited her to pass by his floor and try to talk with him. Ah, irony. How he despised you.

-"You've been staring at the sun ever since you shut down the television, Ayin. You're going to go blind.", a voice called out from behind him, and he didn't bother looking back. X suddenly appeared beside him, stopping and pocketing his hands. He seemed nervous, biting his lip and tapping the ground with his sole.

-"Nothing else to do. I guess trying to figure out what it'd be like to be blind would make for an interesting goal in my life.", the original self replied, turning his face a bit so he could look at his double. He earned a small chuckle. "It's certainly better than being a nervous wreck. What's wrong, X?", he interrogated, noticing the timid and almost scared expression on the other man's face.

-"Me? Nothing in particular it's just...It's just, wow. What a day, huh?"

-"What a day indeed. You need a summary?", he lowered his legs from his desk, stretching. As always, you wouldn't be able to tell he was internally struggling with such a laid-back, almost cold personality on the outside. It was a bad habit he had, not wanting to bring anyone into his own struggles, but now...now, he thought he had to drop the habit. If Angela and Roland could change so much in such little time, then there was nothing stopping him from trying, at least.

-"I'd like one. It still doesn't feel real. One minute I'm thinking we'll come in and save Angela all hero-like, the other I'm crying because Angela still doesn't even accept our existence and thus we cannot manifest as actual Librarians, the other I'm screaming in horror as Angela and Roland attempt to murder each other, and then bam! Next I'm cheering for both of them for being the bigger person and letting go of their painful pasts, and then just like that, I'm screaming again as Argalia comes back and tries wiping us out. Oh, and I guess I also had my very first PTSD strike and had to crawl into a fetal position and cry when I saw Zena.", the clone speedily noted, his voice becoming more hysterical by the sentence. He only slowed down when his original got up, laying a hand on his shoulder. He looked at him and took a deep breath.

-"The first of many strikes, it would seem.", Ayin sardonically added on, patting his clone's shoulder as he watched him keep trying to take breaths, almost vibrating in place. "You seem like you've done a pretty good job summarizing it yourself. Whatever happened to the brave man who told that no matter what, I should keep going and strive to be the man they needed me to be?", he tried comforting, only now realizing that his tone of voice could be interpreted as mocking. Luckily, X's mind seemed to ignore that possibility as he laughed.

-"Heh...I guess...I don't know. I guess I took a page from Roland's book and decided to drop the façade, y'know? I tried to be...to be strong, to seem confident, and for a moment...I was. I felt as if I was the person you always needed me to be. But then things started going downhill the moment we realized you cannot actually go down your floor, and it just...it just kept getting worse. And in the end, here we are. In the middle of the bloody Outskirts. Just look at this.", his doppelgänger looked out of the balcony, extending an arm to point at the empty wasteland in front of him, his smile seeming helpless.

-"It's a very beautiful sunset. And you did not just make book-puns, did you?"

-"It's our failure, Ayin. Our failure to stop the Head again. Our failure to shine the Seed of Light as Carmen would've wanted. Our failure to do anything that could help better the situation.", X let his arm fall, looking down at the newly-created ground below him. He felt Ayin's arm pat him again, moving to his back this time. He used to do this to Lisa and Enoch back in the Old Laboratory. It seemed to have similar calming effects on the usually-happier man. "I just wanted things to get better."

-"You can say that again.", the complete-self sighed, looking at the ground himself before moving a hand to X's chin and making him look up. He'd hunched his back, shrivelled his body and his eyes looked bleak. It felt as if he was on the brink. He looked far too much like Ayin, and Ayin did not like that. "But in the end, what more could we have done? I tried. I honestly did. When you saw as I yelled my orders to everyone. I everything I possibly could here.", he put both hands on the 'X'-branded man's shoulders, trying to put on an encouraging smile.

-"A-And that's supposed to make me feel better? I know we all tried our best today. I tried joining you in directing the battles today. I tried my best to crash the barrier around our floor, to yell through it and...And nothing happened.", the carbon-copy's voice cracked for a split-second. He swallowed, bringing his arms around himself and trying to hug himself, his eyes glittering.

-"Hey, hey! What's wrong? X?"

-"It's...it's just that I'm scared. I'm scared that my- our best efforts aren't enough any more. I'm scared that despite everything we tried, despite the fact that we tried overcoming our fears, despite the fact that we honestly wanted to repent and honestly wanted to apologize to Angela, it wasn't enough. That in the end, things just got worse. I'm scared of not being good enough. I'm so scared.", the 'younger' of them admitted, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve. He's been holding this in for a while, it seemed. Today was hectic beyond anyone's imagination, and it seemed the stress had finally gotten to him. He kept hugging himself, trying his best to stifle his tears, still trying to be strong. "I just...I just..."

-"Shhhh. It's okay. I know what it's like to be scared. I know it's disheartening. But...but just calm down, okay? It'll be alright, X.", Ayin massaged his shoulders, holding him by them and walking with him to the small fence around the balcony. He knew X always tried to be brave. Tried to put up with everything to reach a goal in the end. He tried being so courageous and endured so much, but when that goal was removed from sight, then what would he do? "You know, back when I was in the Old Lab, I used to get scared. I used to feel as if the entire world was so big, and that I was so small. That my goal was so far and we were so slow. But Carmen used to show me this little trick.", he smiled further, his smile obviously disheartened but honest. He turned X to face the sun.

-"Oh...I know what you'll do..."

-"But you never tried it before, did you? Come on, you'll like it.", the amber-eyed man kept his hands on his clone's shoulders, making him face the sun and letting its rays hit him. "It's fun, isn't it? Like the photosynthesis of plants."

-"It...It tickles a bit..."

-"Doesn't it? But just you wait. Just ease your tensions, close your eyes, and wait. Try and make yourself as comfortable as possible, if only to try finding comfort in your mind.", he ordered, and the other man had no choice but to oblige, closing his eyes and slowly letting his body relax. "Yes, just like that. Now, fa- feel the world around you as it moves. Try to search for the beauty in it. The things that make this world alive. Just...try to sense it.", he changed Carmen's speech a bit; seeing X being so shaken...it was only natural to think that telling him to 'fade away without a trace' would create more problems than you could count. Speaking of which, the clone started speaking:

-"I see..."

-"You see?", Ayin repeated, impressed. He never managed to see anything once he closed his eyes. Sense, perhaps, but see?

-"I see...A world that's deeply in pain. A world that needs a hero, but beheads the hero with its own hands and bemoans the lack of one. I see a world, covered in a shell that's so thick...covered in a darkness that's so black...", he began, and Ayin thought of stopping him before he resumed, "And...And I also see a world that has so much potential. I see some children playing in a forest, innocence radiating through their smiles. I see a man that's trying to protect what's dear to him at the cost of his own life. I see a world that has so much beauty, divinity, and hope. I see a world so bright...only, asleep.", he opened his eyes, flinching a bit as the sun hit his eyes; it was still an hour before the sunset. The sun was still rather bright. "And I want to awaken it."

-"...Huh. I think...I think you just saw what Carmen saw, X.", the original-copy blinked, unbelieving. It was almost like listening to a charlatan in the Backstreets as they pretended to read your fortune, but somehow, X was entirely lucid, as if he was looking at a picture and describing. "Heh. I guess you really were the only one capable of making it through the Corporation, buddy.", he patted his back, trying to seem comforting, but X instead bit his lip, knuckling his hands.

-"...But I didn't make it. Back in the Corporation, I had everything to save humanity...I had all the resources I could need under my fingers, everything for the Seed of Light. And yet, here I am staring at the Outskirts.", he stated, a mixture of bitterness and defeat in his voice before he tried overpowering them. "But I can see it! I can see the world under this decadent shell! I can see the children laughing while they're playing! I can see the brave men who'd sacrifice themselves for strangers they don't know! I can see the beauty which makes this world so special!", he started recounting, looking the City's silhouette in the background. "I just don't know how to save it."

-"Yeah, that was Carmen's thing, wasn't it?"

-"No, not just that! I feel...I feel so lost. If the Seed of Light wasn't enough, then what now? Where do I go? The world's so vast and we're...we're just so small. I know what I have to do, but I don't know how. It's like looking at an ocean and thinking of how to drain it.", the man with 'x' on his right cheek wanted to sound determined, but he deflated at the end. Another pat on his back.

-"Well, we do have all the time in the world now. We'll figure things out one way or another.", his 'older' version replied, staring at the vast emptiness that was the Outskirts, making the other man turn his head to him. Something was off...his eyes had something in them, something he couldn't decipher... 

-"Alone?"

-"Oh, you tear my heart apart! And here I was thinking I was a good friend of yours.", Ayin sarcastically added, letting go of his double and leaning on the balcony's railing. "Well, who else can we bring now? It's a tragedy for sure, but I will not hide it. If nothing else, X, we have Adam. He'll certainly be a reasonable one.", he couldn't hide his laughing, slapping his knee for maximum comedic effect. He knew X knew it was all for show, but it was nice to try and pretend things were normal for a minute. Suddenly, a realization dawned on his doppelganger's face, "What?"

-"Did he finally remember to tell you about us?", a calm, fancy voice called out from behind him, and it didn't take much to realize that was Abel. Ayin turned back, looking at the fancy-themed self as he stood in the shade, not taking a step to the balcony, avoiding the sun and making the complete-self walk over to them, narrowing his eyes as they got used to the shade. X followed behind him quietly. "Honestly...He gets so distracted. All we told him was to bring you over..."

-"Guys, I can play DnD later, today was pretty-", he tried joking, only to be interrupted by the bearded man.

-"Ayin. We need to talk."

-"...Talk? About what?", the black-haired scientist seemed sceptical, awaiting a berating speech or some orders and requests, he instead found Abraham and Adam slowly coming behind Abel, as if waiting for him to speak for them. Abraham had his hands pocketed, while Adam had them behind his back, both of them wearing grave expressions.

-"I assume it is not needed to explain that today was rather hectic. Filled with revelations, betrayals, counter-betrayals, decisions and visits from the ever-so-friendly Head.", the man with fancy clothes started, putting his cane in front on him, his eyes amicable, but especially tired. "And given the decisions Roland and Angela made today, I- no, we were thinking of...Of something similar, you see.", he explained, only earning a mocking smile from Ayin.

-"You want to turn on me and fight me?"

-"We want to let go of you.", Abel stated plainly, as if it was the most mundane thing ever. A silence reigned upon the room, X quietly shifting his weight from foot-to-foot, awaiting the eventual burst of laughter or anger from Ayin, who instead shook his head, as if not hearing well.

-"I'm sorry?"

-"Don't act like you're having brain-death, Ayin, you know what we mean.", Adam mocked, his smile not returning to its original size, but becoming more typical. He was stopped with a  raised hand from Abel.

-"Ayin, today we have seen...rather commendable deeds from Roland and Angela. You've said so yourself; their willingness to let of such painful pasts was something that not many City-folk, yourself included, could do with ease. Their will to move on from the past and accept it as is...It helped them move forward. Move towards a better future.", the older-looking man explained, trying to smile, though there was a hint of self-irony in his smile.

-"I still don't get what you're trying to say. I'm the one who brought you back here.", their original-self still looked confused, anticipating any sort of treachery from their behalf.

-"...It's what you told yourself...Perhaps it is not wrong to say that you have not let go of us...But we were the ones that clung onto you...", Abraham started speaking, his voice slow, sad, and yet firm. "...When you wished for help in this office, you didn't wish for any of us. You wished for your friends to come back. You wanted Benjamin to come back and laugh with you, for Carmen to come back so you could hug her, for Daniel to come back and brew you some of his phenomenal coffee. But your mind could not summon those people. It could only summon us...", he recounted, not earning much of a reaction.

-"It could only summon you because you are fragments of my mind. Anything else would've required a greater control over the Light. Something I did not have.", the 'eldest' of them rebuked, his confusion mixing with a sort of curiosity as he wondered where this was going.

-"....You aren't wrong there, but it is also of note that we aren't simply fragments of your mind, Ayin...", the man with unkempt hair paused, allowing a laboured moment to pass, "We are your demons. Perhaps you convinced yourself that we were merely parts of your mind, or rather, undesirable parts of you...But that is only partly correct; we were always in your mind, Ayin. You must remember how much we screamed at you during your time in limbo in the Corporation. Do you remember me as I held the rope, dangling it ever-so-close to your hands? As Adam offered you a peace of mind, if only you let go of your sanity? As Abel told you to stop and savour the status quo? Perhaps those are memories which you repressed, rightfully so, but one does not cling to their demons. His demons cling onto him...", he stated, his voice losing most of its haziness. His eyes were not unkind, though they certainly had guilt and pity in them.

-"As such, when your mind summoned us, it was a self-defence mechanism to throw us out when you were at your weakest. Your first week here was filled with wrath, anger, and regret. Had we stayed in your mind any longer...", Abel continued for Abraham, judging every word carefully. "Well, you know how it would go. With us out, your mind was free of us, and our physical manifestations were much easier to contain, as you might've discovered.", he took a step forward, pointing to their card-games, which were now neatly arranged on top of one another.

-"Some demons you are, being contained by Uno and DnD, eh?", this was all...it was all too fast. Seldom were they this mature before. Especially not all three at once. The complete-version tried smiling, reading the mood.

-"And some victim you are, forgetting so quickly about the times we insulted you, berated you, actively tried killing you...", Abel's eyes shifted to Abraham and Adam, who remained silent. What on earth? "Why, you even tried mending us. I don't think I've ever seen someone not only overcome his demons, but attempt to reason with them and even heal them.", he straightened his posture, pausing as if he wanted to say something before Adam continued for him:

-"There's bouts of insanity, and then there's trying to take care of those who tortured you.", he laughed, though without mockery. "Today was rather eventful, to say the least, but it still left us wondering about all we tried to do. All we have seen here, and all we have seen you try to do. And we decided that we have overstayed our welcome for too long. Ten-thousand years too long. When we have seen you so determined and so willing to save a world that offered you nothing but pain and unkindness. In fact, we were part of that unkindness which it handed to you, and frankly...I suppose it's time for us to mend at least one unkindness the world gave you.", the long-haired man laid an arm on his waist, letting the other one drop beside him. His expression seemed conflicted, but perfectly calm and collected, leaving his usual adversary at a loss. 

-"...Mend the unkindness...? The world wasn't always a Hellhole, you know?"

-"Oh, that is most true. It gave you X, after all.", the older looking man resumed his speech, looking at the clone, who was almost huddled beside his original self. "The world isn't malicious in itself, Ayin. But it seems to target those who try to save it, no matter how much it would need them. I'm surprised it gave such a gift with X; a hopeful, helpful, and caring friend when you have not ceased your attempts at saving the world. When you have not abandoned hope as it wanted you to, it still managed to give you a small mercy in him, and that...I think is all you need now.", he finished, a finality in his tone, devoid of all hesitance.

-"All I need now? Abel, we've never gotten along, you lot and I. I don't think we ever saw eye-to-eye except for a dainty few times, but we have gotten through this journey together. I saw you three, and I saw myself in you at times...I don't know what you're saying, but we've been through all of this as a dysfunctional team of idiots, whatever comes next-", Ayin tried bargaining, his posture steady and his voice attempting to hide any uncertainty in it.

-"Whatever comes next, we will not be in it.", the red-shirted man took a step forward, his cane's echo filling their office as it was filled with the sun's orange rays. It was an odd sight to see so much light in their once-darkened office, but it wasn't an unpleasant one at all. "Ayin, you had once said that we were stuck in our yesterdays, unable to face our tomorrows. Perhaps it is us who dragged you down here...Had we not been there in Lobotomy Corporation...had we not tried to stop X...perhaps you and him would've found a way out without leaving Angela behind. In your time in this office, you tried helping us overcome the yesterdays which we were stuck in, to pull us out so we could walk with you. Alas, we are shackled with chains that we have created ourselves and then refused to break them. You would know best about this, old friend.", the sun's rays gave Abel's face a strange texture, but for the first time, Ayin felt as if he saw him clearly.

-"I suppose I would know that..."

-"Then, you know that only you and X managed to press forward. You may have tried bringing us with you, out of pity for your own self or out of an inability to leave anyone behind again, but in the end, what have we done but shackle you to a past to which you can never return? You and X, you have a future which must be seen. Be it good or bad, I cannot know, but a feeble old man like me, hesitant and unable to be sure of the smallest of decisions, will not see it. None of us will, to be frank. Our paths have diverged too much, and I fear that we may not even reach the same destination any more should we press forward. And in that case...", the bearded man closed his eyes, firmly gripping his cane and making it shake in his hand, trying to steady his breathing. His eyes opened again, almost pleading. "Then it is time to wrap our stories up."

Before Ayin could even reply, a small, almost miniature ray of light penetrated Abel's chest. It came from his inside, and soon, that ray became two, and those two became four, and it wasn't long before Abel was surrounded with light. Despite seeming like it punctured him, he made no pained gestures of expressions, an acceptance in his eyes. The light was so bright, forcing the two identical-looking scientists to take a step back before the 'older' of them spoke.

-"Abel! Are you insane?! What have you done?!"

-"Relax, Ayin. I cannot complete this decision. It is only you who can go through with it.", the light was no longer as bright as it was at first, allowing Ayin to fully look at his other self. He still couldn't quite grasp the scene that was occurring in front of him, the decision he was being offered. "Born from your mind, we can return to it again with your will. And there, we can finally find a peace that we would be selfishly taking even before you found yours.", the cane tapped the ground again, a jolly laughter coming from the man inside the light, something between genuine and tired. "With us gone, you two will be left to your own devices. What those devices will be, I do not dare say. I wouldn't be able to talk down the road to your future fearlessly. But you...Will endure it.", he stated in a matter-of-factly tone, a breeze moving his fancy suit.

-"You...you're asking me to let you go, Abel. I understand where you're coming from, but I...", the black-haired scientist bit lip, not wanting to break the firm character he had, still looking in disbelief at the sight unfolding in front of him. "I have known no one but you four for the last ten-thousand years. I fear that during that time, I have become inseparable from you. I fear that...That I simply would not be the man I am without my demons.", he tried explaining, his eyes widening when he received a nod.

-"And that is all I ask.", came the calm reply. "We have chained you to us for so long, Ayin. Without us, perhaps you'd be someone different. Perhaps you'd simply return to who Ayin truly was."

-"A weeaboo?"

-"Well, I was hoping for the man's whose smile could melt icebergs and whose determination was rivalled by none. The man who the City stepped on and tried to crush, and he still managed to crawl back up, spitting on those who tried to crush him. But either will do.", the fancier man snickered, only to receive a cold, dismissive wave.

-"That was also the man that broke all ethics and morals to pursue what he thought was good and failed. The man who tortured Angela, unjustly and insanely leaving her to suffer when he should've been there for her. The man who couldn't even tell when the love of his life needed him by her side.", Ayin listed, breaking eye-contact for a split second, and when he re-established it, he found an understanding smile.

-"Then, could you please bring the first one back? Perhaps the second one was born out of our meddling with the first one's mind. Consider our parting a rebirth to you of sorts, Ayin. I...I cannot help you with your goals. They're much too grand and I'm much too feeble to stand against an entire world and break its status quo. Not when said status quo can let us have our happiness in it."...yeah, that was true, wasn't it? In a sense, had he maintained what he had after becoming a Wing, life could've been much easier, truth be told. But it was not going to be better.

-"Heh. I suppose I see why The Head's so desperately trying to keep their little cycle if it maintains their desires and wishes.", the lab-coat wearing man shrugged, trying to smile as he narrowed his eyes from the light, which was still so bright in comparison with the sunset.

-"Indeed...You know, Ayin, you could have made for a good Arbiter. Had you not met Carmen, then maybe you could've rose up in their ranks. With no ambition of your own and a cycle that gave you all you wished for, you'd have certainly worked well as their enforcer. You certainly had their hate for machines already.", ah, going for where it hurt, didn't you, Abel? It was true, in a way, that a man like him was more suitable for the City's cycle than others. In it, he could've perhaps been happier, but instead, he was trying to break it with Carmen. Life was certainly full of contradictions.

-"I certainly did, Abel. I certainly did..."

-"But you didn't become one. Instead, you worked towards the gargantuan goal of breaking the cycle. All of your decisions and mistakes have led you to this moment, and whether that be good or bad, you tried, and that is more than I can say for myself.", another sigh, this time joined by the other two failed-selves. "But, as one last act in this world, I can try to break one cycle. One status quo that is so minuscule, but which I think is going to be of enormous help to you, Ayin.", the bearded man stopped, giving his original the turn to speak.

-"Our cycle.", he concluded, looking away at the ground for an instant before turning his head to them again. "It's...it's a tough decision to make, Abel. You really want me to just steel my heart and trust you on this? Abandoning my past with you, taking a plunge towards a world unknown...", he laughed, pocketing his arms as he knew the other man's answer already.

-"Is that not what you did your entire life?", indeed it was...and yet, it was so difficult to do then, and it hasn't gotten any easier now. "And...Ayin, do not think of it as parting. Think of it as accepting us and moving onward. In the end, do what you think is best for you. It is your decision.", he finished, leaving the air heavy as the black-haired man pondered his words, silently weighing his options.

A stiff silence emerged upon them, the only thing heard being the breeze as it moved some their clothes. Ayin's mouth formed a small smile for a moment before he closed his eyes, accessed his mind, and felt a warm sensation coursing through him. A sort of acceptance as he sensed his hesitation, fear, and cowardice. The ones he lived with for so long, and forced back whenever they'd pop up. He could almost feel them now, like a tipping cup with its water teetering on the edge. It was a tough decision, no matter how much Abel sugar-coated it, as one's past was also his present, and letting go...or even accepting it, was no small feat at all.

But in the end, Ayin's wasn't new to these choices. In his mind, he felt as if he tipped the cup over, letting its insides spill. The warmth enveloped him for a second, and when he opened his eyes again, Abel was slowly fading away, bits of him dropping like little pebbles and fading into a light that mixed with the sunset's.

-"Heh. I knew you'd make it. You always did, somehow.", he chuckled, letting go of his cane as it disappeared into a light. "It's a bit selfish, I admit, to ask for peace when all I have done is torment you for eons, and yet...here you are, giving it away so carelessly. I suppose it is why I think you should face your tomorrow alone; we cannot do what must be done to reach it, unlike you.", he sighed, his legs going away as the halo around him shone brighter. "I regret not being able to help you, Ayin. That in the end, this is all I'm giving you, but I hope you can be unlike me. Unlike this old, feeble, unbelieving man, I hope you can stand up to see what awaits you. I have faith you can. It was a pleasure staying by your side, Ayin.", he bid farewell, his face now disappearing, making Ayin's go mocking.

-"If only I could say the same.", he joked, and a laugh was heard before the light disappeared, leaving a few sparks of it to fall on the ground. When they dimmed, Abel was gone.

A suffocating silence ensued, Ayin wondering if he'd suddenly wake up from another dream, or if Abel would start laughing at him from inside his mind, telling him that he fell for their speech, but instead, there was nothing. Only the wind as it erased any remaining sparks and Ayin as he stared at them, his mind still unable to believe what happened. He only snapped back to reality when Abraham took a few steps forward, clearing his throat.

-"...I suppose it is my turn, now.", Abraham stepped in Abel's place, closing his eyes and letting the same thing that happened to Abel happen to him.

-"So quickly, Abraham?"

-"Hey, I did always search for an easy way out, didn't I?", the man with unkempt hair shrugged, a small smile drawing on his face as the light beams coming out of him increased. "Only...now I realize that it was not how I should've moved forward. I suppose that in spite of how much I regretted it, moving forward with what I did was the only way to not make the sacrifices I oversaw be in vain.", he sighed, waiting for Ayin to make the move.

-"Well, I cannot fault you too much for that one. The path we took was anything but pretty, and staying on it was certainly no easy task...", his less-depressed self sighed in his turn, closing his eyes and seeing his countless regrets. His wish to atone, to try and make his sins bearable, to justify himself, and he let them go. Try as he might, he couldn't go back on those deeds of his, and the path he took was not for him, anyway. If these sins, unjustifiable and unforgivable, were what it took to get to the end...then so be it. This world wasn't his, anyway, and so he could only make it better for those it belonged to.

-"Certainly wasn't, but you made it. And now, you go down another, not quite as brutal, but just as unknown. What makes you so brave, I cannot fully tell, but I know I won't be able to hold a candle to you. I'm much too tired and much too self-centred; I simply cannot dedicate myself to an ending that has nothing for me. You, however, are willing to go far beyond what you must and that...well, it is what you will need to keep going forward.", the somewhat-depressed scientist shot back, removing his hands from his pockets as he, too, started disappearing into the bright glow which surrounded him. "I know you once told me that you thought of yourself as a stepping stone for everyone else's happiness...but I wish you happiness, Ayin. At least some which you deserve."

-"Then I wouldn't find any at all.", came the dry answer, the amber-eyed man trying to keep his smile as Abraham shrugged, a sincere smile on his tired and broken face.

-"Perhaps, perhaps not. I'll let you figure out that on the road ahead of you. Now, I will leave you be. I apologize for all the pain I caused, Ayin. And...thank you. Thank you for standing beside me when I only served to drag you down.", his smile only got brighter as all that remained was his face, lighting up (figuratively and literally) for perhaps the first time in his life. "Thank you.", and with that, Abraham was gone, his remainders floating calmly with the wind.

The office seemed so bland now, Ayin noticed. Empty and without much in it, he couldn't believe he spent months in this place without getting bored of it. He liked orderly things, but this was simply an empty room with a chair and a desk. Perhaps the sun managed to make him see better, just as his sun had once opened his eyes to a better world...

Speaking of which, he distinctly noted a lack of a white-haired insane buffoon in front of him, and so he turned to his balcony, tensing for a split-second before he saw Adam standing in front of the sun, thought not letting its rays touch him, his hands behind him as the breeze moved his hair for real this time, without needing fans and without seeming artificial. A small light penetrated through him.

-"What, you're not going to say anything, Adam?", it wasn't as if he was Ayin's friend, and their relationship was far from functional, but after months of quarrelling with him, and the small, honest chat they had this morning, if almost felt...unexpected for him to leave so quickly without even a mockery.

-"What's more to say, Ayin? Us insane folks already think similarly. I don't think there's something you'd need to know from me of all people...", there it was. The mad laugh that accompanied his every sentence, though...almost devoid of the 'mad' part.

-"Still on about that 'we're the same' mantra, huh?"

-"Hey, it's true; love is a stroke of madness, isn't it?", well...he couldn't believe it, but Adam wasn't wrong. After all, if what him and Roland went through...then perhaps love wasn't as innocent as it's presented. "You certainly loved Carmen, and look at what happened to you. If you were an outside observer, you'd have called yourself a fool.", he followed up, pointing at him for emphasis.

-"You know, I call myself a fool already..."

-"But what makes you different than me, is that you're willing to accept your madness and use it to further your goal, unlike how I sat on my hands, claiming that I did the best I could...stopping right before the finish line...", the white-haired man sighed, breaking eye contact as the rays that pierced him kept growing in number, "I suppose that if there's anything I've learnt from seeing the Library's guests, Roland, Angela, and even you, is that we're all insane in our own little ways. The only difference is that there are those who choose to let that insanity consume and blind them, thus unable to see anything else but their own insane ramblings. I'm of that group.", he admitted, looking at the ground for a mere moment before he perked up again, staring at Ayin, who smiled in mock:

-"Ah, such a great, unknown revelation, Adam..."

-"Laugh all you want, but in the end, it's the truth. While I may act big and brag about my plan...", the tattooed man swallowed, closing his eyes and opening them again, "I just couldn't see the path in front of me. I wanted a result, but I was neither patient enough nor brave enough to walk towards one, and instead tried forcing it to realize. As you might have seen, it would've led to some unpleasant results.", yeah, understatement of the year right there. "To be honest, Ayin, I don't know what you're planning. I know you were always the man with the plan, but I don't know where you expect to go now. When they're all so happy without you...and you know they'll reject you. I have no idea how you'll be able to bear their looks again...No idea where the bravery to look Angela in the eye after all you did to her comes from..."

-"Ah, back to trying to bring me down, are we?", the scientist interrogated, somewhat serious, somewhat joking. He got a shrug as a reply:

-"Eh. Bad habits die hard.", was all the long-haired man sufficed with, the light now entirely surrounding him before he spoke again, his voice firm, "I do know, however, that you and X...you'll both be braver than any of us for going through it. For knowing it could go so horribly and still pushing forward. For seeing the path and going down it, no matter how thorny it may be. Whatever comes next, I cannot see it, but you two...You never did take 'no' for an answer, and so I assume you'll reach a result one way or another. And that is all you two need to do.", he concluded, nodding to himself, as if he had his own realization. 

-"Heh...I'd take that at more face value had it not been from you, Adam. But I do appreciate the gesture.", his original-self closed his eyes one last time, sensing his rage and his furiousness. His blindness and fears as they swam in his mind, suffocating his rational thoughts. In the end, an aimless rage would've only blinded him, and his blindness would have made him stray off the path he was supposed to walk down. What dragged him out of this state before was the promise he made to Carmen...to continue her work whatever the case, and now...well, he still had to continue her work, in a way; her friends still hadn't completely forgiven him, and she wanted him to make it up to them. Even when he tried to be strong, he still found himself being saved by Carmen...

-"Hey, where else would truth be found, if not in the words of a dying man?", Adam asked, shrugging as his robes began to dissipate, the growing breeze scattering the small sparks away. He suddenly looked as if he remembered something. "Just...just promise me one thing, Ayin. If ever you find Carmen again...our Carmen...promise me to help her out, okay? This entire mess is partly our fault because we couldn't help her when she needed us...", his voice went low for a bit, looking at the ground as his legs started giving away.

-"You honestly think I'd need to promise you to do that?", Ayin wanted to mock, but the pleading look the madman in front of him gave him...It forced him to oblige. "...I promise."

-"Then there is nothing else for me to say, Ayin. Whatever comes next, you and X...you will be the ones to face it, whether it's the ending you've been yearning for or the nightmare you've been running from. And given your track-record, I have a hunch you'll come out on top.", Adam brought his remaining hand to his temple, giving a salute. "So Godspeed, you insane madman.", he fired the salute, a sincere smile drawing on his lips as his head faded away. "Godspeed."

And with that last word, Adam was gone, only leaving a few shreds of light where he was as the only evidence he even existed. With him gone, Ayin could finally admire the sun that was behind him. It had gone down considerably, now especially red since it was almost thirty-minutes before it set. He felt...odd. As if he had killed a friend, but also...free, to an extent. He felt as if a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders, and yet...as if he was truly alone for the first time since Benjamin left his side.

He fought against the urge to pocket his hands, closing his eyes and taking in the silence, and for the first time, he noticed his mind was...calm. It wasn't peaceful, in fact, it was perhaps the farthest it could be from that description right now, but when he closed his eyes, he found...nothing. He didn't hear the voices that would scream at him so loudly. Perhaps the small act of mercy his selves had given him was truly going to make a difference.

Then, he realized, he was not as alone as that time when Benjamin left him. Indeed, there was still one person by his side this time, at least, and yet...he thought he ought to make it up with that person, too. Just as his selves had made peace with him, he thought he ought to make peace with one last person before thinking of what he'd do moving forward:

X.

Chapter Text

The sun was a most beautiful thing indeed.

Ayin had almost forgotten how beautiful it was with the ten years he spent underground in The Corporation, unable to look at the sun as its rays hit him with nostalgia and painful memories. And yet, able to bask in its rays once more, there he stood, his eyes closed as he took in the warmth. His mind replayed the events of the day, right until his failed selves had left him alone, and he couldn't help but laugh at the circumstances that led him up to this moment. Life was truly filled with oddities around every corner, and having to let go of his demons and yet almost regretting it...Ayin already knew he wasn't of great mental health, but this was perhaps the cake for the strangest of conflicted feelings he had.

Another conflicting thought in his chest was what he'd do to X. Sweet, innocent X...He'd been through so much, helped him with so much, and yet the world was unkind to him, too, when he wasn't even the one to make most of his decisions. Life had forced so much on him, and he took it without complaint, unlike Ayin. In fact, he supposed that, just as Abel and the rest of his demons decided to let him go...perhaps it was only natural he do the same for his clone.

-"...I assume you'll be the next one to go, X?", he opened his eyes, looking at the man beside him, who'd successfully imitated a statue up to this very moment, when his eyes widened in shock.

-"No!", he yelled, taking Ayin by surprise. Out of all the people here, X was perhaps the one who deserved peace the most. "I mean...I want to stay here, Ayin. I still...I still have much to do. I feel as if I want to live.", he explained himself, trying to straighten his posture, watching as his double's shocked expression suddenly softened into a smile.

-"X, come now. There's nothing left for you to do now. Out of everyone, you were the one that deserved this peace most. Whatever comes next...", he began, only to be interrupted.

-"I'll face it with you. The people you still have to meet...they're my friends too, Ayin. There's still much I have to do to make it up to them now; it was my goal in the first place, remember? Maybe I have a duty to apologize, too; had I been more attentive...Maybe if I tried a bit harder in the Corporation, then things wouldn't have gone so wrong. And...besides, I don't want to leave you...I want to live, to see the beauty this world hides...", the clone lowered his voice, rubbing his arm as the sun's rays illuminated his face with its orange rays. His original copy tried opening his mouth, but he then stopped; he knew himself enough to know how stubborn he was.

-"...You're digging your own grave, X. This journey's not going to be fun, and I doubt the reward, if it even exists, is going to be satisfying...", he warned him, pity overtaking his words before he turned away; he didn't want to force his will on anyone any more. If this was what X wanted, so be it, but he at least had to warn him. He turned from him, heading to the small T.V. he had summoned a few days back and picking it up, alongside the small CD-Reader.

-"As if my last one was so fun. And whoever said I needed a reward? I simply want a conclusion this time. The one you deserve.", the clone answered, still shy as he imitated his 'older' self and picked some books in one hand, and the card-games they enjoyed so much in another. Ayin let out an exasperated sigh.

-"Again with you trying to help me at your own cost...", he walked towards the small desk in the balcony; his office was far too unlikeable now that he saw it fully for the first time. He much preferred the mundane, glorious view his perch offered. Reaching it, he set the machines down, stationing them on the edge of his desk as to not block the panoramic scene. X imitated him and set down his baggage, careful not to move Carmen's portrait, which seemed to smile a bit brighter than usual.

-"Actually...I think I'll be a bit selfish this time and work for myself, Ayin.", the usually-happier of the two replied, turning his head to the sun, continuing when his double seemed flabbergasted by what he just said. "What? With our goal of the Seed of Light long gone now, there's nothing to do but to try and make things up with our friends, and with us in the Outskirts...well, it's not like we could do anything else. I simply wish to know what it would be like to have them treat me as an equal for once, you know? Instead of seeing me as you or as a mere clone...I'd like to know what it'd be like to have friends who actually like me. You've already shown me that I'm quite capable of finding good people to be my friends, now I just want friends in addition to myself.", he explained, seeming casual, but his eyes...they had something in them.

-"...That's...that's touching, X.", it really was. Ayin couldn't remember the last time someone told him he was a good friend. The last time someone told him he was happy to be with him. Not since...Since..."Well, if you're staying here, then we might as well get you something you wanted for a while, eh?", the complete-self offered, gaining a curious look before he closed his eyes, trying to focus whatever power he could manifest in the Library. Surprisingly, he found it much easier now than he did before, and when he opened his eyes, he'd summoned a comfortable one-man couch next to his own chair, at which X marvelled.

-"Is...Is this...", he smiled for a second, his eyes starry before he jumped on it, taking great joy as the seat went back and a small seat for his legs popped out from underneath. "Oh, this one even goes back! It's what I always wanted here!", he happily yelled out, almost getting sucked by the couch. He chuckled, putting his hands behind his neck and trying to imitate Ayin. And yet...

-"Is something on your mind, X?", and yet, Ayin knew what type of face he'd make when thinking of something. He could act happy, as if nothing's wrong, but the small looks, the relief on X's face wasn't that of someone who just got a nice couch.

-"Duh; this amazing couch you got me! Even your chair isn't that good! I'm honestly amazed you remembered I wanted a seat that could go back!", ah, the ever-excited voice of X never ceased to amaze Ayin. How this was how he used to sound once, so happy and carefree. And how was he now only giving a neutral expression, pressing X, who gave in. "...Okay, fine...I guess I'm just thinking of whatever comes next...", he admitted, sighing, though noticeably comfortable, if only physically.

-"Oh, don't sweat it, X. We've only just taken a break today. I'm sure we'll eventually get to that when we get to it, you know? Besides, I think you know what you signed up to by staying by my side.", the original-self waved nonchalantly, taking in the last warm sun-rays. How he'd missed this feeling.

-"Hum...", the other man absently nodded, his eyes dulling for an instant, thinking about something. "It's just...it's just that I don't really know what they'll think of me now. Back in the Corporation, I thought...I thought they'd forgiven me- us. Daniel seemed so trusting, Kali seemed thankful, and so did Giovanni. Even Michelle was glad I managed to help her there. But now...none of them seem to remember us in any good way...Sins are so easily remembered, and good deeds are so easily forgotten...", he sighed, closing his eyes, already addicted to the feeling of the sun. He could definitely get used to this.

-"Well, do give them the benefit of the doubt, buddy.", the amber-eyed man beside him had to refrain from saying 'It's what Carmen would've done', "After all, it's not like they got an opportunity to say much regarding us.", they did. There were many times, but it seemed they chose not to. Probably for the better; he knew their memories together in the Old Lab were probably hazy, and those in the Corporation were bitter.

-"...Yeah. That's probably it. Then, what is your plan to fix things this time?"

-"None. I've had enough of trying to plan for every possible move, especially when I have leeway for failure this time.", well, 'leeway' here being used very, very loosely, but this time, should he fail, then the worst that would happen would be for everyone to hate him and turn their back on him. He was used to that. During the Seed of Light project, failure had rather...severe consequences, up to and including The Head busting him out and torturing his friends, Angela, and Lisa and Enoch. He earned a raised, sceptical eye-brow. "Okay, fine, I have one plan. I'll probably find some way to earn Angela's attention, bringing her to this floor so she can actually accept our existence. It'll be the last action I force on her.", he admitted, and that raised eye-brow gained a crossed arm.

-"That's all you have planned?", oh, come on, X. When was the last time he hid an overly convoluted and very dangerous plan from everyone, only keeping it to himself and internalizing all the trauma gotten from it?

-"Your lack of trust in me breaks my heart.", the amount of sarcasm in Ayin's voice was unmatched, though he diluted it with a smile. "Well, maybe I'll also pretend to be an amnesiac, speaking only French and trying to make her bring my memories back to me again, thus rediscovering who I am. If that fails, I'll just be cold and uncaring. At this point, I doubt Angela would like anything more; trying to be anything more than a monster to her would be rather...vexing, wouldn't it? Monsters are empty, bland vessels on which you can dump all your anger. Trying to be myself around her...wouldn't that simply rid her of the vengeance she likes so much?", he theorized, shrugging in his seat before he noticed X suddenly frowned, looking conflicted.

-"And force your will on her once more?", he tilted his head, forcing Ayin to widen his eyes.

-"Eeeeh?"

-"I mean...Forcing your own interpretation of yourself on her. Whatever you're trying to present yourself as, it'd only be what you think of yourself, not letting her build up her own thoughts. Wouldn't it simply be better to talk with her and let her decide on her own now?", the 'x'-branded man scratched his hair, still not leaving the comfort of his small couch, and he earned an impressed stare.

-"Heh. Looks like even you know her better than me at this point, X.", the 'older' of the two hung his head for a moment, making his replica fear he might've vexed him. "Still, what was that all about? Are you thinking of becoming a psychiatrist if we ever get out of here?", he joked, trying to ease the mood, and the 'younger' man pondered his words for a minute.

-"Maybe so, given it was half of my previous job.", he laughed, shrugging as he resumed his thoughts. "But...maybe I'd appreciate being back on the job market. You know, find myself a comfortable job which I enjoy. Something along those lines. If we even get out of here without Angela brutally mutilating us, of course.", he finished his thought nonchalantly, as if he said a most plain thing. 

-"You got something in particular on your mind?", huh. It looked like Ayin was genuinely interested in his thoughts. That was fun.

-"Weeeeell...I'd actually love being back as a manager somewhere, you know?", he confessed, a small silence lingering over his words before he received a wheeze. "Hey, don't laugh! I know it's a long way to be a manager anywhere, but I have thousands of years under my belt as experience! My C.V.'s going to be impeccable! Besides, as a library, maybe Angela's going to think of expanding the business a bit. Maybe she'd need a regional manager then. I'd personally be happy if she just hands me the keys to this one, but I suppose I'll have to settle with whatever she decides.", he dramatically concluded, putting on a fancy, posh accent at the last few sentences, only strengthening the wheezing.

-"Hah! Hah...You've certainly got the confidence needed, pal. But then again, there's still us trying to make things up to Angela, the Librarians, and figuring out just what to do in these wastes. I'd say we have all the time in the world to choose a job, X.", Ayin leaned back in his seat, his mouth still smiling before he noticed something odd. X straightened up in his seat all of a sudden, his smile still there, but noticeably weaker. "...X? Is something wrong?"

X didn't answer directly. His hand moved to the desk in front of him, slowly picking one of the books he picked with him and staring at its title for an instant before carefully handing it over to his original copy, who straightened himself in return and took the book, a questioning look on his face. He read the book's title: 'On Clones.' and noticed X had a small bookmark. He turned his head to the former-manager, puzzled.

-"Just...Just open it. I found this one a few days back and kept it to myself. I was going to give it you later, but I just...Well, I thought it would benefit me more, you know? But now, if we're going to stay together...I think it'd be best to be truthful.", he recounted, trying to seem casual, but Ayin saw through him once more. He did as he was told, and his breathing stopped for an instant when he saw the page's title:

'Life Expectancy Of Clones.'

-"What...Is the meaning of this...?", the original-self interrogated, swallowing. He felt this wasn't going to be something he liked at all. He didn't like sudden surprises. His eyes darted down, speedily going through every single letter as he began denying what he'd probably find.

-"It's...It's not that bad, all things considered, but according to this book, clones must be made professionally, taking around one month to be completely created. I assume my creation was rather hasty given our circumstances, even with TT2.", he started, almost quoting the book, earning a quiet, worried nod. "That, in itself, would not be such an issue had it not been for the fact that I went through some rather...extreme conditions in the Corporation.", extremely extreme conditions. Barring the mental scarring, there was also all the times he was physically hurt..."But when combined with my physical trauma...apparently, my body was able to be regenerated, but it was still one body throughout my time in the Corp, right? And so..."

-"And so you weren't fully healed each cycle.", Ayin completed for him, reading the paragraph, shocked. That meant that, eventually, it would catch up to him...

-"Oh, wow. Fast reader, huh?", his impressed expression died down when Ayin didn't look up to face him. "I doubt anyone could've predicted that, really. R-Corp probably has their clones die before their natural end, and nobody could've foreseen the horrors we went through, Ayin.", X tried comforting, not wanting to make this worse than it had to be. "But, regardless...The circumstances regarding my creation and what happened with me...according to this book, it must've trimmed down my expected age quite a bit.", he resumed, trying his earnest to remain calm and to not agitate Ayin.

-"X. What are you...How much..How much time are we talking...?", and yet, it seemed he wasn't quite successful with that mission.

-"...Ten, maybe twelve years if I'm lucky. It's...it's a rather big time-frame, if we're being honest.", another shrug, It was...uncanny how well he was taking this. "I mean...I've seen death before. I looked it in the eye more than once. It's not the end that I fear, rather...I guess...", his calm exterior suddenly gave out for a second, his face growing worried as he shivered. "I guess this feeling of...fatality. It's like...It's like you have this stopwatch above your head, with the timer constantly going down, breathing down your neck. It's...restricting, to say the least...", he played with his shirt, opening a button or two in spite of the light breeze.

-"Yeah...I can understand...", he couldn't. Ayin couldn't really understand how or why it never crossed his mind that X could have had long-lasting effects from his time in the Corporation. His eyes kept zooming across each line as he reached the 'Signs of Approaching Death' section; apparently, after whatever time X had left, he'd start a six-month decline. He'd get head-aches, waking up would get more and more difficult over two months, and physical effort would get tiring. Over months three and four, he'd start losing weight rapidly. Months five and six, he'd start coughing up blood, and he'd need help to do any sort of physical effort. Then...

-"Hey, there's no need to read that part, you know? It's not exactly pretty.", the man with a 'x' on his right cheek reprimanded, taking the book from his original's hands and noticing his lost eyes. He sighed. "Listen, Ayin, death is a part of life. You've known and seen that for you entire life. It's not a big deal, you know? It's just...the breathing on my neck bit. Now I feel...I feel as if I'm pressured to do things I would've never done before. To fill whatever's left of my time with memories and force you and...whoever else wants to be my friend to spend more time with me. I don't know...I'd have preferred it if I didn't know this. I'd have preferred having a normal life.", he admitted, resting his arms on his couch, though still maintaining his upright figure.

-"No.", Ayin grabbed the other man's shoulder, his other hand darting for his neck, making sure it still had a pulse. So alive...He couldn't believe what he'd been telling him...He was right there. Right beside him. He didn't want to let go...Not again...."X, this is the City. Outskirts or not, I'll find a way! I'll regenerate your body at any cost, I'll put you in a machine body where you'd never, ever feel pain again. Heck, in the Library, Angela...she could use the Light and help you. To keep you alive...", he listed, looking the clone in the eye, who honestly seemed touched.

-"...I suppose that's true.", he agreed, lowering his head before speaking up again, "But I've lived my entire life cheating death. In the Corporation, during Day 49...Even in the Library, today, I asked to remain alive instead of accepting a peace. It's tiring. I suppose part of me wants to know what it's like to live life, and what's life without an ending?", he rethought that last sentence, bringing a finger to his mouth. "That's...that didn't sound right. Sounded like something you'd have said as an edgy teenager."

-"Yes!", the 'eldest' of them spoke, like a drowning man hanging onto a floating wooden board. "See? This is just stupid talk! Stupid, stupid talk! Now you'll forget about all of this, and you'll change your mind!", he...he ordered? Predicted?...Begged? Whatever it was, it made him grip X's shoulder tighter.

-"Oh, certainly. The human mind is a fickle thing, you know? Maybe I'll change my mind one day. It's simply that...I don't know what to do any more.", the carbon-copy stared into the horizon, admiring as the sun began to slowly dive behind the City's imposing landscape. "I want to live, mostly to try helping you and to see whatever's there for me to do now. And I don't know what's left; I guess my dreams of exploring the City aren't really feasible now with us here. Meeting new people or starting a new life isn't something I can do, either. And...maybe even starting my own family has long become an obsolete dream, though that's not much of a surprise given we are both rather similar.", he darkly chuckled, not commenting on Ayin's arm a it went around him, a small creaking sound echoing as he moved his chair closer.

-"That sounds a whole lot like my list..."

-"Well, I am your clone. And it's not a half bad one. So when you really think about it, all I have left here is to see just how badly we'll mess up with Angela again.", Ayin's doppelgänger gave a playful wave with his hand, smiling before going serious again. "Besides, you and I, we weren't meant to live for long after Day 50, were we? If anything, our return is miraculous; you were given an entirely new life and I...well, I wasn't meant to last beyond the Corporation anyway. If anything, I feel thankful for this opportunity, though...I do feel it is selfish...", he hung his head in guilt, exhaling through his nose. The expression he earned would've been comedic had it not been for the situation.

-"Selfish?"

-"In a sense. Think about it; with you already looking at me like I'm a dead man,", he gestured to the arm around his shoulder and the one that was still feeling his pulse, which Ayin reluctantly pulled back, "You'll be at least prepared. Though I don't think I want to tell this to anyone else, which...it would just make the departure that much more hurtful, wouldn't it? Ten years isn't a short time. In fact, it's just enough time to get attached, and to part so suddenly...it would hurt whoever I try to befriend, but I simply don't think I could go on for much longer without interacting with anyone. Maybe finding someone in the Outskirts to talk to would be better...", he finished his exposition, expecting some denial, a reprimand, or perhaps silence. Instead, Ayin's arm tightened around him, almost...almost in a hug. It was soon followed by a hair-ruffle, which took him by surprise.

-"...We're much too alike, you and I. You rationalize what you shouldn't, X. Don't feel bad for what you can't control, buddy, especially when it's so...so...", Ayin paused, making X nod to tell him he got the picture. The clone shook his head, like a child would when they're bothered. "You know, X? You're so kind and considerate...and so hopeful for someone given such a short stick...If I gave you a name, like I always should've, it would've been Hope.", he continued, smiling at the 'younger' of the two, who seemed taken back by Ayin's words for a moment before he pondered them.

-"...Hope, huh...", he repeated, tasting the name on his tongue, and his eyes suddenly lit up. They lit up like Ayin never saw them light up before. It was almost uncanny how much it resembled a past version of him. "Oh, oh that would've been wonderful! Hope...Could you imagine? Instead of simply being 'Manager' or 'X', I could've been Hope! Each time Angela would call my name, she'd be reminded of the reason we went through this torture in the first place! The Sephirahs would see me as someone then! I'd have loved to be Hope!", he agreed, joy radiating through his words and into the air around him. If only for a minute though, as the joy died down a little, leaving a calmer, if still happy smile. "Alas, I do not know how to be Hope. Just as I don't know how to be you, Ayin. Just as I don't know how to be whoever Angela needed me to be back in the Corporation. In the end, I only know how to be X.", he finished, looking up for a moment before the hand on his shoulder tightened.

-"And you don't need to be anyone else. I'm happy to have known you, X. I wouldn't have wanted to meet anyone else.", the amber-eyed scientist beside him firmly stated, and for a second time, he seemed to dumbfound X, who remained silent for a minute before laughing.

-"If only you'd treated Angela with half this care..."

-"If only...But what can I say? I suppose I only learn from my mistakes when it is too late.", indeed, life would've been much, much better had he not been an imbecile with regards to Angela. So much pain could've been alleviated off the two of them if only he hadn't been so overwhelmed in his own grief that he ignored Angela's. But it is what it is, and he supposed acknowledging his mistake was better than never doing so. The two scientists shared a quiet, ironic chuckle, trying to ignore the dark mood that was setting in before X spoke:

-"Ayin?"

-"Hm?"

-"When I die...whenever that is,", he rectified, noticing Ayin's eyes as they got more worried and his grip on his shoulder tightened, "I want...I want a funeral. It doesn't have to be big, just...you and whoever else wants to attend. Just...just tell them it's X's funeral. And after you bury me, I want a tombstone. I don't care what you write on it; call me a war-criminal, an idiot, a waste of space, whatever. Just...just write my name on it. So that when people pass it, they know that a man named X existed. That his life and struggles meant something to someone.", he demanded, closing his eyes as a pleasant breeze passed the two of them. He stared at the setting sun, his eyes closed but seeming like he saw clearly. His hair moved gently in the wind, alongside his clothes. "Could you promise me that?"

-"...You know I'm not much good with promises, X. Besides, two a day? Isn't that too much? And...And you're still more than welcome to change your mind at any time, X. Life is fleeting and its beauty is only noticed when it slips away from you. If...If you want to, of course...", the more cynical of the pair suggested, trying to ignore his other self's glossy, pleading eyes as he turned to him. "...I promise you to try my best..."

-"Thank you, Ayin. I don't know when or if I'll change my mind, but I'll be sure to tell you whenever I do. Thank you.", the clone repeated himself, his hands on his lap as he leaned back in his seat once more, allowing Ayin to pull his arms back and looking at the darkening sky above him as the two of them shared a silence. The sun was all but gone now, with only a measly few rays from behind the City's minuscule shadow appearing, the sky now lighting with a different source of light. "The stars are so pretty, Ayin."

-"They are. Is this your first time seeing them?", a nod. Ayin leaned back in his own seat, admiring the countless little lights in the sky. There were as many people as there were stars, and each told their own story. Each shining in their own way, enamouring those who observed them.

-"They really feel...like millions of different worlds just within reach. Look! Those look like  a triangle! And those are slightly orange! Millions of worlds, I tell you!", the replica pointed his arms, raising them above him in an attempt to convey the grandness of what he was seeing. "You know, Ayin? I'd like the City's denizens to admire these stars instead. These stars feel like they can actually give off hope. Like they can actually inspire someone. Unlike the Stars of The City, these ones could actually help people.", he mumbled, still lost in the beautiful sight in front of him.

-"Yeah...we all would, X. We all would.", Carmen especially. She loved the Outskirts in particular because of how much time she got to spend with her friends there, but also because of how things seemed hundreds of times prettier there. The forests which she never naturally saw in the City. The sunsets that were almost non-existent there, and of course, the shining stars that would glitter across the sky, always hidden because of the City's lights and smog. She hoped one day, the people of the City would be able to see them on their own, using them as a compass out of their decadent cycle.

-"Ayin? Did you and Carmen ever star-gaze?"

-"Where'd that come from all of a sudden?!", Ayin's voice cracked for an instant, turning his head to the clone beside him before looking at the beautiful sky once more. "...Yeah, we did. She often took me with her on small exploratory journeys that would last 'till dawn. We'd sit down together on the grass, finding various shapes in the sky, though I'd always get lost in her starry eyes...", a dreamy sigh. In another time, the mere sight of these stars would be enough to send him into a grieving rage for how the City took her from him. Now, he knew it wouldn't be what she wanted.

-"...I really hoped we'd have been able to help her.", the carbon-copy muttered from his seat, sighing as he said his sentence. "I honestly thought we'd meet her again. We've heard and seen so much from her, and yet...I suppose nothing came of it. If only for your sake, but...I feel as if you two were going to be a great match...", he lamented, not moving his head an inch. Indeed, Ayin had at least expected to hear something from her today. For Angela to speak of her. For something to happen. Anything to make him see those beautiful eyes again. And yet...

-"Well, life isn't a fairy-tale. You should know that much. When it comes to us in particular, a lot of things never really went our way. I guess...I guess this should've been predictable given everything I did...Seeing her again would much more than I deserve...", the more grounded of the two answered, remembering that time Carmen's smiles were enough to blind him to the stars above them. Oh, how he was a fool for missing the opportunity...

-"Yeah, you're not wrong here.", huh. That was worrying, X was starting to behave like him. Ayin preferred X as who he was: Not a guilt-ridden, insane, war-crime committing mad-man. He liked the fact that he, at least, could look at the future and smile. "So how are you going to bring her back?", ah, there it was. That unstoppable optimism that fed off the hope he harboured. In the end, X fell victim to the world's most addictive drug: Hope. Ayin both loathed and adored the fact that he failed to get him off of it.

-"Come on, X. She's now a being of The Light, almost intangible now. It would require a lot of thinking, lots of resources, and an insane mind to even think of trying to bring her back. You honestly think I could make such a plan when I only found out about the circumstances today?", X let down his foot off its pedestal, using it to tap the ground as he turned his face, unimpressed. Okay, maybe Ayin went a little too far with the innocence gig.

-"How many plans do you already have in mind?"

-"Twelve. Half of them are guaranteed failures, four are bouts of insanity, and two have a chance of working.", the original-scientist answered, leaning further into his seat, watching as the last magenta hues of the sky were enveloped by the black of the night. "But that's for another time. For now, we must prepare well if we'll try and face Angela and the rest of the Librarians tomorrow.", he shrugged, taking the breeze as refreshed his mind, and again, he was almost scared of the quiet in it.

-"Already? I thought you were taking a break?"

-"Well, I hate staying without a goal for too long. Besides, this half-day is as much of a break as I need. God knows how much time I'd need to even begin and deal with the mess that would be tomorrow, and how much time I'd need to even say a word to Angela...", and sure, you could argue that Ayin wasn't really someone who was good with fast-decisions or hasty plans, but he had enough of just watching now. The last gift his three failed-selves had given him was a clear mind at last, though with thoughts racing at a hundred-Kilometres a minute. That was more than he had ever since he saw Carmen laying in the bath-tub, and more than he needed to go through with things.

-"I see...Wouldn't want to waste any time, after all.", X straightened his back again, his voice steady but shaking for only an instant. An instant that Ayin noticed. "Then, I suppose you'd need just a bit of motivation for tomorrow.", he mischievously smiled, closing his eyes and feeling the Light course through him for the first time. It was fun, like a calm tickle. When he opened his eyes again, he brought his hand up, having a portrait in it with Angela's face. Ayin seemed taken aback. The picture was a smaller than Carmen's, and so it fit right in beside her picture, as X demonstrated. He'd made her golden eyes look at Carmen, and it was only then that Ayin noticed that she also looked a great deal like her mother Carmen, with her hair, the tenacious smile X had given her, and the calm eyes she had now.

-"I...I...How'd you...?"

-"What? She's been smiling a lot more in the Library. I guess I just caught her at a good time when you were observing her through the television, and the image was stuck in my mind ever since. I never really got to see her smile like this before, either.", his friend explained, neatly putting the the two portraits together before going back to admire his work. "There, one big happy family!", he announced, only lasting a moment before he and Ayin collapsed into an uncontrollable wheeze.

-"Fa- Fah!", Ayin tried, holding his sides. He missed this feeling. When he wasn't holding his sides from pain or from sobbing. Truly, the happiest family there was. "Family...yeah...", his chest hitched. Of course. Can't be happy for too long. His mind ached at the thought that this could've really been his family. One he could've found comfort and happiness in. But, that was that, and if he wanted happiness...then he just had to work a little harder.

-"See? I bet they all get along rather nicely! Now we only need the father to come join these two to have a full family-portrait.", Ayin's double nudged him, winking as he did so. Ayin had to snicker.

-"Subtle. Real subtle, X. Besides, I bet he's out there being a dead-beat somewhere.", the black-haired man shrugged distastefully, forming a frown. "I bet he didn't do a single good thing for the two of them from the day they met.", okay, maybe heading a bit too deep down the self-loathing hole again. It was X who put a hand on his shoulder this time.

-"Then I think it's time he tries making things up.", a calm, collected, concise answer. If you ever said to Ayin that the best psychiatrist he ever met would be his own self, he'd have prescribed you to Carmen so you could see just how wrong you were. Still, X would certainly settle for second-best, and Ayin would forever appreciate him for that.

-"Yeah...", he began, but just as he did so, X's gaze shifted to the endless wastes that surrounded the Library, the City's silhouette now indistinguishable in the dark.

-"Besides, if you ever need some motivation, you only need to look at this view. It was a bit empty at first, I admit, but I think I can see why you two liked the Outskirts so much. Just...and endless space of land that stretches for miles, unopposed. It's quite the scenery change in comparison to how compact everything is in The City. It feels..powerful? It's certainly barren, but...I don't know. Just looking at it is giving me goose-bumps!", he rambled, leaning on the desk in front of him to both admire the darkened ground further and the light the small lamp in front of him. 

-"I find it rather ironic, now.", the original-self mumbled, something of mock or regret in his tone. X turned to him, confused.

-"Ironic?"

-"In that it all started with me, my best-friend, and the bravest woman I ever knew in the Outskirts together, an insane idea grouping us. By all means, we shouldn't have had as much fun as we did. We shouldn't have been so happy. And yet, we were, and we built up our little rag-tag hope-family out there. The world seemed so bright then...", no, no more sighing. He knuckled his hands, firmly calming his voice and breathing. "And now, it all ends with me and you in The Outskirts, having pushed away all my friends, loved ones, family, and without the brightest smile I ever saw beside me. It all started here, and to think it'll all end here...", he concluded, watching the beautiful emptiness as it kept going on until the horizon, thankful the night was covering any possible grass; he could look at it now, but he was still rather..queasy when it came to it.

-"Why such a defeatist outlook, Ayin? Is this not a new beginning?", his doppelgänger seemed almost...disappointed in him? "As it started here once, it starts here again. I don't know much about you, but I like to think that you had your happiest moments in The Outskirts."...that much was true. He had other happy moments before, don't get him wrong, but that feeling...just that blossoming feeling in his chest as he watched Carmen roll in the grass, the feeling that told him to protect her at any cost, the feeling that wanted to hold her so close...It was unmatched. He nodded. "Then why say this is the end? Just as Elijah once said, this life in the Library...it's almost like a new one. Why not accept that metaphor to its fullest and try to live a new, better life. To feel the same happiness you did back in the Outskirts to first time?", he asked, removing his arm and letting it come back to his side, letting Ayin ponder his words before he suddenly laughed, shaking his head in pity.

-"X..."

-"Yeah, yeah, I'm too optimistic and naïve for my own good. This will inevitably come back to bite my poor, untrained and badly-maintained muscles in the behind as Angela probably disembodies us molecule by molecule tomorrow. I heard it all. But you know what? I'm willing to take that price. If only so we can press forward.", the man with an 'X' on his right cheek dismissively waved, leaning back, his hands behind his head as he crossed his legs.

-"...You know, X. I think you may know how to be Hope already."

-"Well, we'll never know, because I'm only X. Maybe Hope was similar to X. Maybe not. Who knows, what matters now is that it is X here, and it is X who will be torn into tomorrow by Angela as she blames us, not entirely wrongfully mind you, for every single bad thing that happened to her.", came the firm conclusion, accompanied by a wide smile as X now looked into the nothingness that was the night.

Ayin liked the night. Not just because he was a night-owl in general, or because of the many moments he shared with Carmen under its cloak, but because it was a sort of...pause between every day to him. Between yesterday and tomorrow, there was a night. It felt like a sort of respite, a time to prepare for what came next. And this night...It was the first night Ayin felt he left the day that passed for real ever since the day Enoch died. He felt as if the future was actually coming. It was... exciting, frightening, and amazing.

-"Yeah...that'll be a real treat then..."

-"Which, speaking of which, do you have any idea how we're supposed to pass the time? It's only ten minutes after the sun set, and I have a feeling that sleeping right now would have us wake up at four in the morning, and waking Angela then would be just a teensy tiny bit annoying to her, and the last thing we need is to annoy her further.", the former-manager asked, suddenly turning to Ayin as if he realized a grave conundrum. The 'older' of the two simply smirked.

-"Tell you what...", he got up from his seat, going to the television and redirecting its position so it was in the middle of their desk, and he opened it. X narrowed his eyes in confusion as it displayed the Librarians still having fun and enjoying their life, before switching to a small menu. A selection menu, to be precise.

-"You did not..."

-"Hey. We didn't even finish season one yet, and we have three more seasons of this, so why not?", the amber-eyed scientist shrugged, letting his friend excitedly clap, almost forgetting how tiring this day was, both physically and mentally.

-"Well, I don't know if filling our weeb-minds with magical girl Anime right before seeing Angela again is a good decision...buuut we were all about bad decisions in our life, weren't we, Ayin?", said friend smiled as Ayin began selecting an episode, turning to him.

-"I was, X. You weren't."

-"Oh, bugger off! Don't try to be sentimental right before our Anime night!", the 'X' on his cheek moved as he laughed, adjusting his seat to face the T.V. as Ayin took Carmen and Angela's portraits from beside it, preferring to put them on his side of the table while the opening played its cheery song.

 I'm sorry if I'm a bit confusing,
It's much easier when I'm thinking of the future
My thoughts fail me like a machine from N-Corp
I simply wish to see you again 

-"Alright, alright, but you're the one giving me all the sentimental talk about Angela and being there for her and whatnot."

-"Don't act like you're not thankful for it!", okay, X got him there. The carbon-copy smugly smiled as he watched the opening. "You think Anthony and Hana are going to confess to each other in the finale? These two are perfect for each other you don't even know! Anthony is the cold, calculating but passionate one while Hana is the bubbly, joyful optimistic one! It's a tale as old as time and I eat it up without fail!", he kept rambling, allowing Ayin a moment to chuckle.

-"I mean, we do have three more seasons after this...besides, he still can't admit to himself that he loves her.", the original self argued, and he earned an 'ooooh'.

-"Well, we'll just have to see for ourselves! I just really hope they get together...My heart wouldn't handle tearing them apart..."

Ayin swam to the back of his mind a bit, ignoring X's musings. A small, comfortable silence in his mind. Something he swore he'd never feel again. He had to admit, it was rather...odd. Very, very odd to not hear Abel's doubts, Abraham's fears, and Adam's mockery. And yet, here he was, pondering how he should move forward.

Well, saying sorry to Angela would probably be a good first step. Maybe then apologize for the Script? It was all...it was all so much. You honestly didn't know where to begin. How to you apologize for a million years of pain? How do you try to make it up to someone who needed you, but you simply abandoned them? How did you even start?

...That was what he had to figure out. In the end, he wasn't going to get anywhere with these doubts and fears. He had to be strong. Today, he'd opened the last door he had to open. All he needed to do now was face Angela as she stood behind it. And try to make things up to her somehow. But, that was a mission for tomorrow. For tonight, he could enjoy the small quiet moments he had now. Alongside the Anime, of course.

-"Well, bud- X.", he rectified as the episode began with Aya running face-first into a door, making X holler with laughter, "We'll just have to wait and see."

And indeed, that was the only thing he could do now. Carmen...wherever you were...He was sorry. He was so, so sorry for all that he did. All he could do to her now was try and make things up to those she cared for. That was what he could do to help her now. All he could do to make her happy.

And to tell the truth, that was all he ever wanted to do.