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“Hey, Graf. I want to talk about something with you.” Graf heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned around and saw Multi.
“Oh, sure, what’s the matter?”
“Can we go to the reactor? I’ll tell you there, okay?”
“Alright, I guess.” Graf wondered what his friend wished to discuss.
The two walked to the reactor. Despite Graf’s attempts at asking Multi about what he wanted to talk about, the scientist gave no response. Graf grew a bit nervous because Multi wasn’t answering his questions.
They stepped out of the decontamination chamber, and only then did Multi speak up.
“You’re a really smart guy, you know?”
“Thank you...?” Graf was surprised at the sudden praise.
“So I don’t get why someone like you would reject my help.”
“What do you mean?” Graf was slightly confused.
Multi was now standing behind him. He placed a hand on his neck, took a look at it and saw it was covered in scratches.
“I’m talking about the chip, Graf.” Chills ran down Graf’s spine. “I know you’ve realized you have it. I see you’ve been scratching at your neck. You’ve really been trying to get rid of it, haven’t you?” Multi spoke low, his voice devoid of emotion. “I even heard you’ve told other people about it. I heard you’ve told Juan about it.”
Graf turned around to face Multi. “...How did you know? I thought that, in the Nether-”
“Oh, I’ve got my ways. Anyway, I don’t understand why you’d refuse my help”
“Help?”
“Yes, help. I implanted the chip in you hoping it’d help you become your old self again. The old version of you who didn’t prioritize some people from the North over his friends. I saved you from becoming a traitor.”
“Multi, you didn’t “save” me from anything. You took control of me against my will.”
“Control?” Multi laughed. “No, I didn’t “take control” of you. You’re still free to do whatever you want. I just made you more obedient.”
“Really? Did you really have to do this?”
“YES,” Multi responded angrily. He grabbed the other man’s arm and stared into his eyes. “What did you not understand? This was for your own good. I saved you, so be grateful for that.” Graf tried to get away, but Multi’s grip was too tight.
“Let me go, Multi!” Graf demanded.
“I don’t understand why you’d do this to yourself. Trying to resist won’t get you anywhere.” Multi let go. Graf took a step back.
“I won’t let you control me.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not up to you to decide.” Multi then paused for a moment.
“You know that I only did this because I care about you, right? I wanted to fix you because you mean so much to me.” His voice became softer.
“If you truly cared about me, you wouldn’t have done this.” Graf, on the other hand, was more firm now.
“You’re lying. I bet your friends from the North told you I’m the bad guy and you believed them. But they’re wrong. I know what’s best for you, so you better start listening to me.” He once again got angry at Graf.
“And what if I won’t?”
Multi let out another laugh. “You really think you can do this to me? That you can just betray me like this? I did so much just for you, and what do you do in return? You go around telling people how I’ve “taken control” of you while we both know that's not true. It really hurts.” He sounded desperate.
“Don’t try to make yourself the victim here. You chipped me and now you’re pretending like I’m in the wrong for not being fine with it.”
“Oh, Graf, but you are in the wrong. You’re so, so wrong. The truth is that everything I do, I do because you’re just so dear to me. I really love you.”
He got uncomfortably close to Graf and caressed his cheek.
“And I want to make sure you know that only I can give you happiness. Not Juan, not anyone else, nobody will love you like I do. So, be a good boy and stop resisting.” Multi was trying to sound kind, but it wasn’t working.
“Get away from me.”
“Come on, stop it!” His nails now dug into Graf’s skin.
“No, Multi, it’s not okay. None of this is okay.”
“Don’t do this to me, Graf, please. It really hurts,” Multi begged. “You don’t realize how special you are to me. I did this for you, and only for you.”
Graf began to think his friend had completely lost his mind.
Multi stepped away, put his hands behind his back and thought. “I think I finally know what’s wrong,” he said after a moment.
“Huh?”
“The chip isn’t working properly. That’s why you’re disobeying me. Hold on, I’ve got an idea how to fix it.” He then walked out the door and left Graf standing there, trying to process what happened.
After a few minutes, a thought appeared in Graf’s mind. “Maybe... Multi is right... Maybe I should listen to him...”
“Okay, I’m back, the signal was distorted because you’ve been going to the Nether so much, but now it should work,” Multi said upon entering, in an unusually enthusiastic tone.
“That’s... good.”
“Now, tell me, Graf, who cares the most about you?”
“You.”
“And who do you belong to?”
“You.”
“And who should you only listen to?”
“You.”
Multi hugged Graf and kissed him on the forehead.
“I love you. And I’m glad I could fix you.”