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It had been a couple days since Chosen had been locked away in the box, or at least he thought it had been a couple days.
It was hard to tell when everyone was either too bright or plunged into darkness.
Chosen had talked to Orange, but he seemed a bit rattled at the revelation of his powers. Orange was rarely in his cell anymore, he was constantly brought away for testing or memory scans, which Chosen concluded has been going poorly due to Vic's frustrated yelling.
Chosen was sitting in his cell, he had been untied, but his powers stripped from him. Vic was pissed, nothing was working. Orange claimed he couldn't use his powers, but Vic thought he was lying. Chosen did too, but he was proud of Orange for standing his ground.
Vic threw the memory scanner at Chosen
Vic: Put it on.
Chosen: Why
Vic: Do I need to restrain you.
Chosen: Fine.. Fine.. whatever...
Chosen reluctantly put on the scanner. Chosen was used to this by now, Vic had done this multiple times, sifting through Chosens memories, but the farthest he went was.. that day. Chosen's biggest regret.
Chosen though for sure Vic was going to just leave that memory replaying, trying to get Chosen to crack, to tell him anything about Alan. But Chosen wouldn't, he didn't know why. Alan had been so cruel. He had locked him in a box for half of his life!? So why was Chosen protecting him?
It didn't matter right now. Victim signaled for Smith, or how Chosen called him, Tall lanky guy. To turn on the Projector.
Vic: I've actually given this thing an upgrade since the last time you've used it.
Chosen didn't care, he just wanted to get this over with.
Vic: Fine. Stay silent. Smith. All the way to the start.
What? The start? Did Vic really have that upgrade? It did make sense, but still. Wait- if they were going to the start then they would see-
Chosen: N- No
Vic: Aww, scared I'm finally going to find where that fucking cursor is? Too dam bad.
Chosen: Wait- please-
Vic: Shut up. You had your chance to talk.
No. If they went to the start they would see Chosen at his weakest. They would see him, useless, pathetic. A simple ball and chain reducing him from a god, to nothing. Forced to be a stupid add blocker.
Chosen: Wait-
Vic: I said shut up. Or do you want to be tied to a chair again?
Smith jumped to the start of Chosen's memories. Just as he was about to hit play Chosen ripped the headset off.
Vic: You REALLY don't want to do that. I am not in a good mood.
Chosen: T- Too bad! I- I ain't letting you watch my memories like it's a f- fucking movie!
Vic gestured for Smith to give him the rope.
Vic: You have 2 seconds to put that headset back on.
Vic. 1..
Chosen didn't move
Vic: Alright. This was your choice.
Vic and Chosen fought. Even without Chosen's powers, he was still able to hold his ground. At least until Vic got buffed by Smith.
Vic swiftly tied Chosen to a chair and put the headset back on him.
Vic: Now. Where were we.
Smith hit play.
Vic watched the screen. He watched as Chosen had looked around, but he wasn't in his body yet. It was like an out of body experience.Chosen spotted the word "Weapons" before being brought to life.
Chosen didn't know what was happening, he just knew he wasn't safe.
Vic stared up at the screen as he watched Chosen fight the cursor. The room was silent. Dead silent.
Vic watched more, he saw Chosen fight against the cursor, he watched as Chosen fought the apps that Vic didn't even knew existed. Vic was silently routing for Chosen, but he was captured.
Chosen: Turn it off..
Smith looked at Vic, who shook his head no.
Vic watched as Chosen was plunged into darkness. Until he fell onto a document, forced to be an addblocker.
Vic: Fast forward.
Smith started to skip until Chosen was plunged into darkness again. Smith kept skipping until they heard a blood curdling scream come from the projector.
Smith put it on normal speed and Vic watched as Chosen screamed and cried uselessly in the black void
Vic: Turn it off.
Smith quickly turned it off.
Vic remove the headset from Chosen's face, which was now stained with silent tears.
Chosen: Happy!?
Vic: I'm sorry.
Chosen: Fuck off.
Vic untied the ropes and left the room, but he left the lights on instead of turning them off like usual.
Chosen went to the corner closest to Orange's cell.
It was silent for a long while, until Orange spoke up.
Orange: Chosen?
Chosen: What..
Orange: W- was that-
Chosen: Yes.
Orange: Why- that- Alan- why would he-
Chosen: I don't know..
Orange:... I'm sorry...
Chosen: It's fine.
They sat silently for a while. Chosen still had the occasional tear run down his face. Orange was contemplating. That- that wasn't Alan, or at least wasn't the Alan he knew. But, Alan did kill his friends and tried to kill him. But that was in the past? Was Alan going to do something similar to him? Why did Alan do that? Was Chosen sure that was ACTUALLY Alan? He had so many questions.
Orange: Why are you protecting him?
Chosen: What?
Orange: Like, Alan- he- he did all that stuff to you.. right? Why didn't you just tell the guy where Alan was?
Chosen: Idk.. I- I really don't.
Silence. The silence was unbearable. Chosen was trying to push down anything from his past and trying to come up with a reason he was protecting Alan. Orange was stuck on how the person he lived with all those years. The person he considered to be a parental like figure, could do something so awful.
Meanwhile Vic was in his office, thinking.
Smith: Sir.. are you- are you okay?
Vic:
Smith: Sir?
Vic: I'm a fucking monster..
Smith: No- you're n-
Vic: Yes. I am. I've been fucking tormenting him. I've fucking made him suffer day in day out.
Smith: I- isn't that what you wanted?
Vic: Yes- but- I thought HE was working with HIM! FUCK! He's already- god- Did you not look at the dam screen!? Did you not hear the pain in his voice!?
Smith: Sir..
Vic: He just wanted to be free! He just wanted it to stop! He just wanted a god dam life!
Vic was starting to cry at this point
Smith: Sir..?
Vic: I'M JUST LIKE HIM! I'VE BEEN TORTURING HIM FOR DAYS!! IVE LEFT HIM IN THAT BOX ALONE IN THE DARK!!!!
Smith moved closer to Vic.
Vic: I'm a monster...
Smith hugged Vic as he sobbed into his arms.
Vic: i'm horrible...
Smith: shh...
Vic: i- i-
Smith: shhh.... it's okay...
Vic: it's not...
Smith: Vic..
Vic: what..
Smith: Yes, he's been through a lot.. but- that doesn't excuse his actions..
Vic: ...
Smith: Too soon?
Vic: I miss her so fucking much..
Smith: I know... I know..