-Ze-

There's absolutely no hole. I've looked everywhere, there are either guards or some sort of technological defense in every single corner of the base completely trapping me in here. When I was with the Hidden I always managed to find some little hole a human could sneak up to but now that I actually need to know I can't find a single flaw in the system they have developed here. I've always heard that this base is indestructible but I never actually took it that seriously to be looking around desperately for some sort of small hole. Taking a deep breath I decide to look for some sort of blueprint showing the system which somebody amazing must have developed. If there would be such a thing it would be... either in the lab or Diction's office. While I'm alone and left without someone looking over my shoulder constantly I should take advantage of their recklessness letting me just wander without even questioning it. Since Diction's office is obviously impossible to break into for now, I sneak into the lab and slowly walk inside, struggling to open the large and heavy door before shutting it slowly behind me.

Scoping the wall for a light switch I finally find the small bump illuminating the large white room that is completely clean, unlike the vision of this lab in any of my memories. Suddenly I flinch as my head aches and my vision becomes blurry once again and I gasp, falling back onto the door and holding my head in my hands. Fucking really, Chilled? I shake my head, wiping the strange thought away as if I was experiencing a memory and felt that way about Chilled. Taking long and deep breaths I calm my mind down and look up to the white room and around before finding the big shelves and hurry to them. When I try to open them they stay locked closed. Weird, before we never had any sort of lock or anything of the sort. As if it's magically vanish I try again but it continues to stay shut closed in it's position. Sighing in defeat I fall back down onto the floor and stare at my own useless hands. I can't find a single way to escape, I'm going to be stuck here surrounded by constant memories just attacking me left and right. Suddenly I hear the door to the lab open and freeze still.

"Ze? You in here buddy?" At the familiar voice I peek my head up over the counter and find Nanners entering and looking around with his arms crossed. "C'mon, even if he doesn't admit it, Gassy's worried about ya." I stare at him stepping around and looking around before sighing and standing up. It's not like I can avoid them forever, and I'm not finding a method to escape anytime soon so I'll have to save that for another time.

"More questioning?" I ask and he immediately jumps, surprised at the sudden appearance of my voice before turning towards the source.

"Oh shit you are here. No, no more questioning. But you've been missing since you got here, I got worried," Nanners explains and I raise an eyebrow but he just looks around blankly. No one here can see me, it feels weird. Before when Chilled and Leo were all I hung out with they always were able to see me but now nobody around me can see me and if they did they'd freak out and try to shoot me before realizing it's me. Now that I think about it, I remember working on a visibility solution, for Nanners actually. I almost completely forgot about that, but it'll be a lot more convenient than everyone never seeing me and constantly bumping into me all of the time.

"Hey, Nanners, I made a visibility solution for you, right?" I ask and he blinks, seeming shocked as I mention it.

"You remember? Yeah, yeah you did. There are more sampled the other researchers made because of research purposes. Hold on, it was over here somewhere," Nanners says quickly, rushing over to the side room and I follow after him as he sits down and searches the lower cabinets for the solution. "And you remember my name as well? Diction was right, you are a liar, right?" I hesitate, feeling like I've been exposed now after having put up the cover and kept with it for so long. "I won't tell, don't worry. Here it is, should take a few hours or so," Nanners says, pulling out a small bottle which I take from him and swish around in my hand.

"Probably less," I comment as I snap the top off and gulp down, flinching at the taste.

"Bad, isn't it? I used to take that stuff every week," Nanners comments, laughing at the look of disgust on my face. I set the bottle down, wiping my mouth in disgust as the liquid goes down into my system and cough at the disgusting taste. The door to the lab opens again and I look in the direction of the main room of the lab with watery eyes as I try to shake the taste away. Now I could use something to eat to take this disgusting taste away.

"Nanners? You fucking around in here?" Gassy's voice comes from the main room and Nanner just laughs in return. "Diction said to forget about Ze, come one there's a meeting we need to go to!" Gassy shouts in annoyance when he hears the giggles coming from Nanners. I watch the door as it suddenly bursts open and Gassy walks in with an extremely irritated expression before immediately freezing when he looks to me. But he doesn't actually look at me, his eyes just looking right through me to where he thinks I am.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Nanners says, stepping around me, patting my shoulder on the way. "What're we discussing?"

"S-Something about the base Ze was at until yesterday. What were you guys doing in here?" Gassy seems disturbed by the fact Nanners and I were together in this room, which is understandable because Nanners is never up to anything good. I look away from them and look over to the reflective mirror to look at my own reflection finding the small ring of white around my eyes slowly fading. Because of the cure already in my system it should actually be a lot less than the time for a normal Hidden to become temporarily visible. It shouldn't take too long before everyone is able to see me walking around as if I never turned into a Hidden to begin with. I think if I take the cure again when I don't need it I'll become temporarily visible but it wouldn't last because it's a different method than the temporary visibility solution.

"We were just looking for the visibility stuff so we can see him. Anyways, let's go. You can be able to see his beautiful face after the meeting," Nanners teases and Gassy immediately coughs nervously while his face seems to turn to a darker shade of red making me giggle. The two of them look to me, seeming surprised I actually managed to laugh after all of this time I've been acting like an emotionless doll. At least, trying to act like an emotionless doll but it's hard to do when I feel like these guys are so familiar and like old friends I haven't seen in ages. This is dangerous, I need to quickly find some sort of way to escape from this situation I've gotten myself into.

"Yeah, let's... get going," Gassy says, seeming nervous before him and Nanners leave me to myself in the small room. I stare after them, confused at my own strange feelings sourcing from my stomach before shaking my head and looking around. This is where all of the materials are, I have the materials all to myself since all of the researchers are all out on their little field trip that Diction told me about. All mine to use, I suddenly start snatching random bottles of chemicals and place them onto the counter, then continue to grab at them feeling increasingly excited. There are chemicals here they wouldn't even allow me and Chilled to use, and yet they're allowing these guys to use it? I call bullshit on that. Chilled would be furious too, I should find some way to talk to Chilled. He'd be excited to know I have all of these things at my disposal. This is....

I freeze, suddenly feeling scared and take a step back. I'm... having fun being here and having all of these things. I feel like I haven't had fun for a long time and it's a strange feeling to suddenly feel it, it's like a foreign sensation I've never felt before besides that time when- I take more steps back and fall to the floor, holding a hand at my head feeling sudden pain as another image is appearing into my mind back to laughing and talking with Chilled. Shaking my head repeatedly I try to get it out of my head but it's still there as Chilled and me continue to travel and experiment several different things until... fucking Chilled got us in deep trouble and we had to be saved, by Tom. Gasping at the sudden pain I grasp onto my hair tightly as the memories rush through me until they suddenly stop, leaving me at just panting. I remembered... Chilled and I, we were researchers for a long time by ourselves before coming here. I... forgot about that.... Shit, I recovered some memories by being back here and playing around with the different things. I should... stop doing things so familiar to me or else I'll start remembering more.

But... I already remembered nearly everything to do with science... it wouldn't be so bad to play around a little bit right? Carrying the bottles all with my arms and letting them all down on the large counter in the middle of the large lab I begin to bring out the small tools, mixtures, measuring devices, other beakers and tubes. Quickly moving all of the chemicals I recall s familiar formula Chilled used to fuck with our boss from back then, but I don't think I should make a mess or Diction may just ban those particular chemicals again... Without a second thought I mix the two chemicals and blink as the previously completely still liquid rushes back out in a multiplied amount and I drop down as the liquids that jump into the sky begins to fall with all of the other chemicals I had out on the table and begin to also react causing me to smile and laugh loudly. Shit, I forgot how fun this was when I actually have everything, and I also forgot how fun the shouts afterwards were.

"Fucking Ze!" Diction shouts followed by the slam of the lab door. "Why did we even bring you back? Huh, Gassy? Why is he here again. Fucking seriously," he shouts and I hold my hands over my mouth to prevent myself from laughing out loudly at his increasing anger with the more he steps into the room. "Where the fuck are you, Ze?"

"I've never seen one like this," Nanners notes followed by more footsteps in the colorful floor covered with a foamy substance of all sorts of different colors all sizzling down into black colors from the original range of colors.

"It's because he had access for the other chemicals," Diction complains as he begins to step around the counter and looks directly at me. "The ones I specifically did not allow him and Chilled to use. Do I have to go over the rules again with you, Ze?" Diction shouts and I flinch but get up from the ground, wiping off the black liquid off of me and shake my head. "So you're saying you remember? Good. It's good you're remembering things at least. Clean this all up by yourself," Diction orders before stomping out of the room as I just watch him leave with a smirk. That was fun, it's been a while since I angered anybody that much with a harmless prank. Even though I'll have to spend the rest of the day cleaning up it was still worth it.

"Hey, you're already visible. Good thing you took till the meeting was over to mess around or else he'd of been a lot angrier," Nanners comments, taking a small cloth out of his pocket and wiping at my face which I close my eyes at. Looking behind him I find Gassy staring at me with the usual blank and lost eyes, like he doesn't know what to do. Ignoring him and turning back to Nanners I nod as he moves my head and tries to wipe my face clean of the safe chemicals.

"Thanks. It was an old Chilled trick, we got fired this way once," I explain and immediately Nanners' hand freezes from cleaning me off and I immediately recall seeing him and Chilled hugging that day. That day that... Chilled was extremely injured and nearly dead thanks to Leo. "He's... Chilled is alright, by the way. I saved him before he suffocated in the smoke, he's still healing up but he's acting like his usual self. You don't have to worry," I assure Nanners and he immediately widens his eyes before pulling me into a sudden and unexpected hug. I hesitate and spot Gassy over Nanners shoulder, looking at me with a troubled expression before looking away when our eyes actually meet.

"Thanks, Ze. I owe ya. I need to go finish some work, then I'll come to play, like old times, remember? When I was a Hidden and only you could see me?" When I blink with a blank expression he just sighs and smiles sadly, for the first time showing he misses the old Ze, compared to Gassy who constantly looks to me like he's searching for the old Ze in me. "Guess not. Well, gotta go." He pats my head quickly before turning and leaving the room behind Gassy who watches me carefully.

"You shouldn't get Diction mad like that. You know he has control over your life right now," Gassy lectures and I immediately sigh and shake my head, searching the table for the tubes and beakers before flinching at the stab in my fingers. "Damn it Ze, be more careful. You really think the glass would have survived after a reaction like that?" Gassy snaps and hurries over to me, attempting to grab my hand but I quickly step away before he has a chance.

"I got it, I was just blanking out I guess. I'll go wash this off. I'm sure you have something to do other than watch after me," I say quickly and he narrows his eyes at me with a hurt expression I turn away from and hurry to the side room. I'm afraid of Gassy the most. I already remembered a lot about Chilled so I'm not afraid of him, and Nanners is directly related to Chilled so I doubt there's too much to learn there, but it's Gassy I'm extremely afraid of learning from. Sensing Gassy walking behind me I feel more nervous before washing my bleeding hand with the large sink we have in here. "I'm seriously fine, you can go back to doing whatever."

"Why are you being friendly with everyone but me? Do you really remember nothing?" I hesitate and glance over towards him and immediately turn back to the sink when I find him right beside me, so close. "If you really remembered me, you would have no reason to avoid only me and no one else. Ze, just how much do you remember?" Gassy is finally beginning to suspect me and actively accuse me and I'm starting to feel really guilty for purposely avoiding him.

"How am I being friendly with everyone? I know Chilled and Chilled likes Nanners, that's why I trust him over you," I lie and he just stares at me, completely not taking my bullshit. But it is slightly true, but at the same time I'm not completely avoiding Diction or afraid of Diction at all like I am of Gassy. I have to come up with another lie to convince him, but when I think about coming up with a lie I feel even more stressed.

"Nothing? Really?" Gassy's tone becomes disappointed and hurt and I suddenly feel guilty and peek over to him and regret looking at him. He's looking to me with some sort of lost expression with deep sadness and hurt rooted deeply inside I suddenly get he urge to admit I do remember a few things about us. Holding my breath I turn back to the sink and pull out my hand, the blood no longer masking the wound I need to treat. Holding my hand in a position that leaves the wound closed the most, I turn around and look through the shelves finding the normal materials to sew it back up. Shit, this will be difficult to do by myself. Maybe when the other guys come back I'll have them do a neater sewing for me.

"I... Gassy, it's not like I can control my memories," I mutter, trying to explain myself while holding the other end of the strings with my mouth as I attempt to do my best for myself.

"But if you had the choice you wouldn't remember," Gassy suddenly says, so spot on I nearly drop the needle in my hand, literally. He sees this and sighs me turning away from me and leaning on the counter beside me. "Fine, I get it. No, no, I get it, you don't want to remember me. I'll just stay away from you then so you won't have to look at my face anymore. Goodbye, Ze," Gassy says bitterly and leaves my side, heading towards the door as I watch him. He's salty, I didn't know Gassy gets grumpy when he gets mad, he's the type to give the silent treatment when he gets really mad probably. Sighing, I finish up and wrap my hand in the nearby bandages, unable to shake that guilty feeling in my chest. I feel terrible for causing that expression on his face and I literally feel hurt by seeing that expression, like I've hurt someone I really care about. Why him, though? Why that man who gets grumpy easily and always seems serious rather than wanting to have fun?

I don't understand old Ze.

-Gassy-

I'm pissed. I'm pissed at Ze, I'm pissed at myself, I'm basically just pissed for no reason in particular. I know it's not his goddamn fault, but if it's not his and it's not mine then whose is it? The bastard who killed him to begin with, but how the hell am I supposed to find out out of all of the Hidden who it was who did that? I'm getting mad for no reason, I need to calm down and stop getting so easy to get angry. I'm always like this when it comes to Ze, it's why we always got in so many goddamn fights when we were together, but even when we fought we somehow always made up and were always stronger than before. Taking a deep breath I try to cool myself down, forgetting the words Ze said and his complete lack of knowledge in any of our past that has been haunting me for years now. Entering my office I shut the door behind me and lean back on the door, closing my eyes and trying to think things through. Ze is back... and the same as always judging from already making a mess of the lab.

And he's... he's forgotten everything. It's like starting over except this time he's extremely cautious around me, and only me it seems, while I feel completely confused and like a high school kid with a crush on someone who'd never look at them. Like that one unreachable person who seems like they're from an entirely different world, and it really seems that way considering Ze is from a Hidden base, the other world. Maybe... should I give up on him? Just... give up on all of the memories and possibly even becoming friends? Somehow... as sensible as it sounds I highly dislike the thought of giving up on Ze entirely, Hidden or not, avoiding me or not, angry or not, I don't like it. Taking a deep breath I shake my head and push myself off my own office door and sit back at my desk, looking at the screen. There still isn't much work to do because we are recovering, and it's Hutch's and Sark's turn to watch over the new recruits and try to train them. I should be able to come home today, but I feel like I'd be guilty for not telling Elaine about Ze being back.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if Ze remembers Elaine at all, or Alice. The girls who were outside of the base whom he felt for strongly, does he remember them if he doesn't even remember me? After Chilled, Leo, and many people were all hinting at Ze gaining his memories back it raised my hopes and it's really disappointing now that Ze is here without a clue who I am or anything about my past with him at all. I miss Ze, and I guess I was expecting a lot more from the moment I saw him again but instead he had no clue who I was, according to him at least. There's always that little piece in me that hopes he's just pulling the biggest prank ever and he just returns to be the old Ze at any moment. Shutting down my PC after everything is done I lock all of the important stuff up, a new procedure now before leaving the base. I'll have to think about what I'm going to do about the whole Ze situation later, tomorrow, maybe. Or maybe I'll just spend it like today and completely worry over it all day long. Opening the door to my office I close it behind me and lock it carefully, staring at the door know when the deed is done.

"Gassy." I turn towards the source of the voice and find Nanners was towards me, whom I have pretty bitter feelings towards right now. Not particularly bitter towards him but I do admit that I grew jealous from seeing Ze act a lot friendlier with Nanners than he would with me. "Have you talked to Ze yet? About your things you have going on?" I frown and turn away, feeling a bit strange.

"Well, unlike you, he doesn't talk to me at all. He doesn't want to remember anything about us," I complain, feeling jealous after seeing Nanners and Ze talking normally and even reminiscing in front of me. Nanners stares at me for a while, seeming to suspect my jealousy before sighing and turning away.

"Well, makes sense. I mean, all of the sudden he sees you, and I doubt he doesn't remember anything about you as much as he says it. If he really didn't, he wouldn't be avoiding you in particular so much. Just give him time, he must be confused right now," Nanners explains, showing an awful lot more wisdom than I last remember when we talked years ago about things like this. Noticing my shocked expression he laughs and shakes his head. "I had to learn a lot with Chilled. Quite the complicated guy. Anyways, don't worry too much about it. The fact he is getting along with me means he's improving, right? So stop being jealous and go home, Elaine should be excited you're going home tonight."

I frown as he just giggles with a smirk as he leaves me and heads down the hallway leaving me to myself. I hate thinking that Nanners is actually seeming smarter than me for once and wiser when it comes to dealing with this sort of junk. Sighing, I turn away from the hallway and nearly walk right into the one that has been taking up my mind all day.

"Shit, sorry, wasn't looking," Ze says, holding a dirty towel in his arms as he looks at me. When he notices it's me he tenses up and avoids my eyes like he's been constantly doing. Although it irritates me I remind myself of what Nanners told me. I must have scared him earlier by asking all of those questions and putting him on the spot, that's probably why he's tensing up so much around me like this.

"It's fine. Watch where you're going," I warn, patting his head as I walk by him. That's right, just act cool like this and be patient to see what'll come. Act like... act like we're starting over again. None of the awkward past stuff, just act normal.