“Can I see him?” Remington asked cautiously.

  “I’m not sure that is a good idea.” Zexich said as he examined the raw wound after removing the bandage.

  “I just really miss him.” Remington said sadly.

  “It is to be expected. You’re in love with him. From the extent of the damage he caused on you physically I'd say your relationship was rather traumatic. You could possibly be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.” Zexich said mildly.

  “Is that the thing where you love your abuser?” Remington asked, looking unhappy.

  “To simplify it, yes, you develop positive feelings for someone who has caused you trauma or abuse. I feel given your past history with being abused, you are somewhat vulnerable towards these types of people.” Zexich said mildly. Remington was quiet as Zexich finished cleaning the wound.

  “Does it look very bad?” Remington asked meekly.

  “You are going to have a very large scar.” Zexich said very factually.

  “Will I be able to see out of my eye again?” Remington asked.

  “No. I wasn't able to save your eye.” Zexich said bluntly. Remington was quiet now and growing emotional very quickly. Zexich began to apply fresh bandages. There was a whooshing sound and footsteps on his left blind side. Remington didn't bother to look. Eventually Lucius came into view with someone very obviously hiding behind him. Soon a pair of golden honey colored eyes peeked around Lucius.

  “Remi?” His meek soprano voice piped up. Zexich was finished and cleaned up his things and left them to give them more privacy. Remington did not acknowledge Ava at all. He only sunk into the pillow to rest. “Remi, I want to talk to you.” He said with a bit more confidence.

  “I'm listening.” Remington said mildly.

  “I just want to know…..why did you kill me?” Ava asked, stepping out from behind Lucius more now and with determination.

  “Because Vezaias told me to kill you.” Remington said simply. He already wanted the conversation to be over.

  “Why did you do what he wanted? Did you want me to be dead too?” Ava asked.

  “Of course not. I did it because he told me too and I couldn't say no to him. He would have hurt me if I didn't do what he told me to do. You knew what he was doing to me. You saw the bruises. You tried to warn me.” Remington said softly, growing very emotional.

  “Why didn't you listen to me?” Ava asked, getting emotional too.

  “By the time you warned me it was already too late. He already had full control over me.” Remington said.

  “Then why did he want me dead?” Ava asked.

  “He never told me his plan, but if I had to assume, it would be because he had something to gain over you being dead and then recreated.” Remington said solemnly. “…..but I wouldn't know exactly what that something is.” Remington added.

  “Hmm……guess we'll never know.” It sounded cold hearted. Remington cringed and shifted away from Ava as much as he could.

  “Could you just leave me alone? I would like to spend my last day alive without any unnecessary conversation.” Remington said softly.

  “Remi…” Ava began to soften. “……I am angry at you.” He said firmly. “I am very angry that you killed me.” He said shakily. “……but I don't want you to die.” Ava said. “……I will make sure everyone knows that I don't want you to be put to death over this.” Ava continued.

  “It doesn't matter Ava. It won't be just your choice. If I can't recover Maxwell, Demetri will make sure that I am dead. Even if I can get him back, Ziona will want me dead……even if she somehow changes her mind, I want to die, and I will take care of it myself.” Remington said, getting angry.

  “Remi you don't have to do that…” Ava pleaded.

  “Yes I do! You don't fucking understand! I'm not going to stay here! I'm not going to live like this! I cannot live without him! I don't give a fuck how abusive he was! I deserved it! I love him Ava! I love him, and I do not want to be alive without him! Without him I HAVE nothing! Without him I AM nothing! I want them to vote me dead! I want them to kill me so I do not have to do it myself! I REFUSE TO LIVE WITHOUT HIM! I CAN'T! I WON'T!” He was now struggling and thrashing at the restraints that pinned his wrists to the bedrails. Ava was frightened and turned to hide into Lucius’s strong arms and chest. “If anyone votes to keep me alive, they are stupid! They're so fuckin stupid! Why would you keep me alive after this?! Why would you make such a stupid choice?!” Remington thrashed harder. “You tell them Ava! Tell them you hate me and you want me dead! Don't make me live like this!!!” Remington shouted angrily. Lucius began to pull Ava away from the hospital bed leading him through a portal. Remington was now sobbing and continuing to pull at the restraints.

  “Do you need help calming down?” Sigil was suddenly in his blind spot. Remington jolted and jerked away from him in fear.

  “No! Leave me alone! Just go away!” Remington cried.

  “I only want to help you.” Sigil said calmly.

  “Why?! Why the fuck would you want to help me now?!” Remington snapped.

  “Everyone deserves compassion.” Sigil said simply.

  “No, not everyone! Or at least I do not! Just go away!” Remington sobbed.

  “Fine if you will not let me give you compassion for your own sake then I will help you, without your consent, because you are overwhelming me with your mood.” Sigil said firmly then he quickly swiped the intense emotions away from Remington leaving him drained of emotion and completely blank. Remington took a deep breath as the blank state was welcomed.

  “Thank you….” Remington said softly.

  “I only want to help you, as I have told you several times before. I do not want you to give up on yourself or assume that you are condemned by our group, and will be put to death.” Sigil said. “You need to fight for your life, and choose to make yourself better. Redemption isn't entirely impossible for you. We have to see some effort or else all the time and effort we have put into helping you, for Skyler to save you, Rocks to train you, everyone who was accepting of you into our group, it would all be for nothing. Don't give up on yourself.” Sigil said seriously.

  “Anyone who votes to keep me alive is stupid.” Remington repeated firmly. He then rolled as much as he could trying to get comfortable. “Please just leave me alone.” He could hear Sigil take a deep breath and then walk away. It was about another hour before anyone came to see him again. This time it was Skyler. He stood on Remington's right side and was quiet for a few moments. Remington assumed he was collecting his memories from the last time he had collected.

  “I am going with you to look for Maxwell. How exactly can you do this?” Skyler asked.

  “You will have to go with me to the control terminal.” Remington said softly.

  “Fine. Let's go.” Skyler said then he approached unlocking the restraints. Remington quickly began to rub his wrists and got out of the bed. He was very unsteady at first. Only having one eye was difficult to get used to, disorienting, while the pain pulsed in his face making him cup his cheek gingerly.

  “Zex, can give you pain medication.” Skyler said softly.

  “No, I just want to go and find him now. I need permission to make one stop before we go. A convenience store in Reality.” Remington said mildly.

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  “Why?” Skyler asked seriously.

  “I need to purchase and bring something with me.” Remington said. “It could help me figure out how to find him.” Remington added.

  “Alright, let's go. I have your keycard and your debit card. I cannot give them to you so tell me which destination to choose.” Skyler said.

  “Number 12.” Remington said. Skyler opened the portal and then exited, finding themselves in an alley in Reality.

  “I need my debit card.” Remington said. Skyler pulled it out and handed it to Remington. He followed Remington into the nearby store and went directly to buy some prepackaged food in a variety of different types then a few bottles of tea and water, then he went to the counter and asked for the most important thing that he needed.

  “Can I get four packs of Newport 100s please.” Remington said then he quickly paid for everything and put it in a bag then left as fast as he could. Skyler watched him in puzzlement not really understanding why he purchased all of these things. Remington went to the alley where they opened a portal to the base and ended up at the portal door. Skyler followed Remington as they quickly made it deep into the void and the light where the terminal was. Remington looked at the buttons. They all seemed the same as the last time he was here. He pressed the ‘telescope’ button and was quickly rushed through space until he arrived with Skyler in the bedroom where Lux was. Skyler was fairly astonished but on guard as he saw Lux sitting at the desk scribbling something very frantically.

  “Lux…” Remington said mildly. Lux wasn't paying attention at all. Remington waited.

  “Ugh, I know, you don't have to tell me that.” Lux said, seeming to be talking to someone who wasn't there. “Probably……but what the hell am I supposed to do about it? The fuck I look like a fucking shrink? I look like I have a college education? For fuck sake!” He continued sounding very annoyed. Lux went back to scribbling words on the paper.

  “What is going on?” Skyler asked quietly.

  “He is having a conversation with the voices. We have to be patient.” Remington said.

  “Does he know we are here?” Skyler asked, looking confused.

  “Yeah he knows we are here. Just give him a minute.”

  “Help him?? The fuck am I gonna do?” Lux sounded annoyed. “Don't trust him, now help him, make up your fucking mind already!” Lux was quiet again and scribbling more.

  “I brought you some stuff Lux.” Remington said nonchalantly.

  “I'm on draft number 47. None of them are fucking perfect.” Lux said quickly.

  “That's alright. I will be patient. Besides, I still don't know how to prove that they are lying this time.” Remington said.

  “I think you are missing the fucking point Remington. You don't have to prove they are lying, just don't prove to me that they are telling the truth. Fuck! Why do I have to explain everything to you? Vezaias sure knows how to pick the smart ones doesn't he?” Lux seemed to be playfully teasing Remington now.

  “Thanks Lux.” Remington rolled his eyes in amusement. “Do you want this stuff or not?”

  “Just set it on the desk, I'm almost done.” He said falling back into concentration. Remington approached the desk and unpacked the bag full of food, drinks, and cigarettes.

  “I didn't know what you liked so I got you a bunch of things, and your cigarettes. I hope that's alright.” Remington said.

  “Sure. You don't have to worry about what I like. As long as it isn't poisonous and anything is better than jail food.” Lux said, sounding amused by Remington's concern.

  “Well I just wish I could help you more than this.” Remington said.

  “Ugh shut up.” Lux snapped. Remington looked serious. “Not you….sorry.” Lux clarified.

  “I know.” Remington said. Skyler seemed completely lost by this whole interaction. “What did the voices tell you when we got here?” Remington asked.

  “You need my help, which is probably true. They said I should help you. I don't know what you need help with or how to help you.” Lux said.

  “I am trying to find somebody else that Vezaias trapped in a delusion. My 'telescope' talent is the only way to find the people he traps. Well I knew that if I used my talent it would just bring me here to you. I don't know how to change directions. If I don't find him, they are going to kill me. They had me strapped to a bed and they aren't very happy with me. I don't blame them, I don't think I want to live anymore after this anyways.” Remington explained. “So I am going to find Maxwell and then hopefully end my life.”

  “Hmm, that's rough Remington.” Lux said, leaning back in his chair. He took out a cigarette and lit it. “Why would you find him for them if they are just going to kill you? You’re not even the one who trapped him there.” Lux said.

  “He is their leader….” Remington said. Lux lifted an eyebrow.

  “Ohh, the dumbass one who thought I made sense? Hmmm.” Lux said very amused.

  “Yeah, and Demetri is…..” Remington paused and sighed unhappily. “…..or was…….my friend. I really admire how they love each other. I want to help recover him before I die.”

  “Mmmmm, that's very noble of you.” Lux said. He tapped some ashes into the ashtray. “What makes you think that I can help?”

  “You seem to know how things work more than I do. You are very observant.” Remington said meekly. “You seem much smarter than I am.”

  “Hey I'm just a guy with a brain. I am the one who is neurodivergent, remember? This is your talent isn't it? Why the hell would I know how to use it? More importantly, why the hell don't you know how to use it?” Lux sounded amused. He took another long drag off his cigarette.

  “Ugh, neurodivergence must work to your advantage, Lux. I'm a dumbass, remember?” Remington scoffed playfully.

  “Heh, your ass is rather of below average intelligence. Hmmm let me think.” Lux said. He turned to the paper and began to scribble again. “By the way, there is some guy standing in the room with us. You can see him right?” Lux asked.

  “Yeah, that's Skyler. He is here to make sure I don't run away or anything, you know, because I'm a murderer.” Remington said nonchalantly. Skyler seemed to grimace at this remark.

  “Sure, whatever.” Lux said then he returned to not paying attention to Remington. He continued to scribble and smoke his cigarette but soon smashed the butt into the ashtray.

  “I wish I could help you escape from here.” Remington said with a sigh. Lux continued to ignore him. Soon Lux was finished working on the letter. He stopped scribbling then began to read it carefully to himself. After he was finished he laid it back on the desk.

  “Hmmm.” Lux mused to himself, then he picked up the paper and crumpled it and threw it in the garage can. “Ugh, I guess the 48th time's a charm right?”

  “Not perfect enough?” Remington asked.

  “I am going to need more paper.” Lux now turned to the food that Remington brought then picked something and ripped it open and began to eat it.

  “Why do you want to help me get out of here?” Lux asked.

  “Well because you are trapped here. If I could figure out how to get you out then maybe I could figure out how to get Maxwell out of wherever he is. Plus when I use my telescope it automatically brings me to you. I don't know how to change its direction, so if you weren't trapped here then maybe it would take me somewhere else, like to find Maxwell.” Remington explained.

  “This food isn't poisoned is it?” Lux asked quickly, stopping in the middle of chewing the food. He spit the mouthful into his hand.

  “No, I made sure to get the kind that definitely wasn't poisonous.” Remington said very seriously.

  “Okay, I believe you.” Lux said. He dumped the handful into the garbage along with the rest of the package then grabbed something else, ripped it open and began to eat it.

  “I think you need to think about what his talent was capable of, and what your talent is capable of and go from there. Do you remember what I told you about why you wouldn't need me as a friend anymore?” Lux said as he chewed his food.

  “Uh, well yeah.” Remington said.

  “So he left you a puzzle to figure out. Maybe it was intentional, maybe it wasn't. I'm sure you can figure out that much. Anyways, he can make people see what he wants them to see, but, he can also make them see what else?” Lux asked Remington.

  “He made you see what you wanted to see….” Remington said.

  “Right, this room, everything I have been doing…..I am comfortable with it because I am used to being in a small 5 by 8 foot jail cell. I don't even want to leave here. So he built me this delusion where I would be most content. You can find me because you already know where to look, or the signal to get here. That's what a telescope does, it magnifies whatever you point it at. So you need to figure out where Vezaias thought this guy would be most subordinate and then find the location of this delusional broadcast, and lock on to it. Then you will find him.” Lux explained. Remington was now deeply considering this.

  “Well I only have until tomorrow.” Remington said seriously.

  “Shit well you'd better hurry up then.” Lux said. He sounded concerned. Lux paused as if listening to someone that nobody else could hear. He suddenly looked unhappy. “I know, at least this time it's not because of how insane I am….” Lux said, looking away to the floor. He paused again. “You're right. It's like the universe is laughing at me.” Lux sighed.

  “What are the voices saying?” Remington asked.

  “Eh, nothing important.” He pulled out another piece of paper and began to scribble. “Remington?” He said softly as he scribbled.

  “Yeah?” Remington asked.

  “I wish you wouldn't die. I'm really not good at making friends.” Lux said seriously.

  “Well…..I can't live like this. I don't want to be alive anymore.” Remington said seriously. Lux sighed deeply.

  “Right, cool. Number 48 will be perfect. I will let you read it. Then we can both die together.” Lux said softly. He turned to look at Remington with a sad smile. “Deal?”

  “Deal…..but does that mean they were lying?” Remington asked meekly

  “I'm starting to believe you. Too bad it's not going to last very long.” Lux said, sounding sad but still smiling.

  “Yeah. Too bad.” Remington sounded unhappy now too. Remington turned to Skyler who was looking very serious at him. “Let's go back.” Remington said solemnly. Skyler nodded.