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The Syntax ship was loud, but you could hear heavy breathing inside the supply room. You were a new villain on the ship. You knew the villains were scary. Miss Information was mean, and Warrick was dangerous. But Fold was different. Right now, the paper origami man was hiding and crying.
You opened the door. Fold was sitting on a box. He was shaking and looked very frightened.
"Fold? Are you okay?" you asked softly.
"I can't do it!" He put his paper hands on his head. "The Boss wants me to destroy the next planet. Miss Information is going to yell at me again. And worst of all, if I make a mistake, Warrick is going to delete me!"
You stepped inside and closed the door. "hey, take a deep breath, You're very smart."
"I'm just a piece of paper with... bad anxiety!" Fold said, covering his mouth. He looked at you, waiting for you to laugh at him.
Instead, you sat down next to him on the box. "You've beaten big heroes before, Fold. You tricked them by acting like a helpful guide. You're very good at your job."
Fold stopped shaking. He stood up a little taller. "I guess... But my existence wasnt on the line back then... Well I guess it always kinda is but it just feels different you know?"
"Yeah but," you smiled. You slowly put your hand on his shoulder. "You just need to relax. You can do this."
Fold looked at your hand. He did not bite you or run away. He leaned into your touch and let out a big sigh. His fear started to go away.
"You're very nice for a villain." Fold whispered. His voice became smooth and calm again. He looked at you with a small smile.
Suddenly, he folded his paper hand and arm into a flat, sharp paper blade. He looked at his sharp arm proudly before snapping it back to normal.
"You're with me now," Fold said happily. "If anyone is mean to you, tell them you work for me."
You smiled. "Does this mean I get to go on missions with you?"
Fold's eye grew soft. "We will see. But... I think I would like to have you as my partner for this one."