-Ze-

I wonder how Leo and Chilled are doing. Leo was the one to basically sacrifice me to the wolves and betrayed me and yet I still feel as though he helped me by bringing me here, not only can I look more into certain research but I can actually experiment with things the Hidden didn't have. Thankfully IRIS has been leaving me alone lately, only keeping me prisoner although it doesn't feel like I'm a prisoner rather than a permanent visitor with how friendly everyone is. It's like I'm making friends left and right when I just got here, completely unlike the Hidden base where they would completely be silent without any chance of making any friends. It's a refreshing feeling always seeing people around who also look at me in return with smiles and always talk nicely, just about the most random things. And most of all, Gassy hasn't pressured me about remembering anything ever since that day, it's lifted off a load off my shoulders by having him also slightly avoid me and when not, acting completely ordinary around me.

"Ze, can you help me out with these?" Mark suddenly asks grabbing my attention towards the man with a pile of boxes in front of him on the lab table. I quickly nod and head over to him, holding my arms out as he places two boxes on my hands and grabbing the large pile of four which were left.

"Let me take another, that's too much," I complain but he quickly shakes his head.

"No, I'm fine. I'm taller and stronger anyways," Mark says with a friendly smile causing me to frown, unable to say anything to refuse and follow him outside the lab door. The researchers have returned, and because of that I constantly have supervisors making sure I don't make any more trouble or else. When they first came back they had trouble trying to tell me not to do things but when they figured out more and more about me, they became unafraid and started lecturing me loudly. They're all just no fun and solely stick to what they were assigned to research, never looking around at other side projects like Chilled and I constantly looked into. I guess we mainly did that in the beginning before things got too serious, I wonder if Chilled would ever want to go back to those days. Mark is pretty nice, he is always excited to start the day and talks to me about all sorts of old projects I used to do, it's a bit strange to think that he's just like a fanboy of mine.

"Hey, Mark, need a hand?" Peeking around the boxes I find Gassy in front of us smiling and taking the top two boxes off of Mark's pile. He doesn't even look towards me, thankfully, avoiding me and seeming perfectly normal. It's really a lot more relieving for me to know that he isn't actively trying to get me to remember anymore, it's just like he's a sergeant here in this place I just happen to be staying at, like all of the other sergeants I don't talk to too often. "Have you figured anything out about what I asked you to look into a while ago?"

"Yeah, I still can't really figure it out though. I need a little more time," Mark explains, seeming a bit disappointed in himself.

"What is it? Can I help?" I ask, always willing to look into anything. Immediately after my offer, Mark makes a strange expression completely unlike him who always ask me for help no matter what the project was.

"Uh, sorry, it's a bit classified, Ze. But we can definitely work on something else later," he says with a bright smile but it doesn't stop me from feeling left out. I should feel left out, this isn't my base or anything. They're just keeping me prisoner here. Yet it still feels like my friends are leaving me out of a secret and an empty feeling settles in my chest. Mark looks away from me and towards Gassy with a glad and friendly expression, one he doesn't look to me at often with. I shouldn't feel jealous, it's not like Mark is my friend, he's just a researcher who likes to talk to me about the research from the past. "Oh yeah, did you ever talk to Diction about what you wanted?"

"Yeah, it's going through. Because of it I'll be missing for a couple of days next week. Actually I wanted to talk to you about that later," Gassy notes and when we reach the storage room I set down the two boxes and turn back to the other two but they're talking about something I have no information on. I am disconnected from the entire base, I don't belong with them nor do I have the right to ask about any of the things they're talking about. Frowning I grab onto my arm and feel a bit cold. I miss Leo and Chilled, they are my family basically and yet they're the ones who sent me here. I don't get it, what's so good about this place that is just like all of the Hidden bases I've been to? The only difference is that they actually talk to each other, but it doesn't change the fact this is an enemy base I've been actively searching an escape out of. There hasn't been a way to get out, at least not that I've managed to find in the system I'm beginning to grow impatient.

"You think you'll be going home today?" Mark asks and I blink, never even knowing that Gassy had an actual home to go to. He... stayed at the base, right? Right, I remember that time when Diction had to help him to his room from my room because his drunk ass was passed out. Suddenly my head begins throbbing with pain causing me to flinch and hold onto my head, angry at myself for remembering that without even trying. I have to stop being curious, just stop caring about or even thinking about this guy or else I'll start to remember things I don't want to remember.

"Yeah, probably. We're still not very busy right now. You okay, Ze?" I flinch at the sudden voice directed towards me and I look to Gassy who seems worried. "Does your head hurt? Don't push yourself too much." Shocked by the sudden friendly conversation I push through the pain in my head and smile reassuringly and wave it off.

"No, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little headache. I'll take something and get back to work," I reassure him although it doesn't seem to make him feel much better with the frown he gives me. Mark says something and he becomes distracted from me luckily while I turn around and rearrange the boxes in the storage room just so I don't show him my pained expression. That hurts, but why was he drunk that day? Shit, stop being curious, Ze. Taking a dele breath, I calm my head down and push back the memories before turning towards the two who are talking about something involving their work while also blocking my way out. It's like they're forcing me to stand here and listen to their conversation I can't even understand with the strange code words for projects or about people I don't remember at all, or maybe they're new people I never did know like Mark. Maybe that's why I feel more comfortable around Mark, on top of both being researchers, I never knew him so I don't have to worry about remembering shit since I know well I never knew him before I lost my memories anyways.

"Ze?" Mark suddenly asks and I blink, showing them I was obviously not listening at all making Mark laugh and shake his head. "I asked if you remember Alice and Elaine?" I blink again, those names popping up for the first time to me compared to all of the other people I'm asked about. Was I friendly with some girls here? This base is full of so many dudes I don't remember any girls besides Minx who has talked to me already and made friends with me again. My blank expression gives them my answer and Mark just sighs and shrugs. "Well I guess if you don't remember Gassy you won't remember Elaine, but no Alice?" I stare at him blankly, the name being mentioned for the first time to me when suddenly I feel my head throb again and a fuzzy image in the back of my head slowly inching our as much as I try to pass it by.

"Wait! Alice was a reporter, right? We saw Nanners and Gassy talk about being-" Gassy immediately cuts me off, grabbing a hold of me and covering my mouth causing me to just stare with wide eyes, too much in shock with the sudden memory popping up. Alice, how the hell did I forget about her? She was annoying, but also one of my best friends besides Chilled and we constantly talked, not always with me being willing but she definitely talked to me. Mark seems confused while Gassy keeps his hand over my mouth with a nervous smile and nervous chuckles.

"Yeah, yeah, me and Nanners talk about a lot of things. Go back to the lab, Mark, I'll talk with Ze," Gassy orders and although he's hesitant he nods and leaves the storage room, leaving Gassy and me alone in the room. When the door behind him shuts closed Gassy lets go of me and groans in annoyance before grabbing a hold of my shoulders and looking into my eyes. "Don't tell Mark about any of that shit, or anybody for that matter."

"They never figured out you were a traitor? Wait, are you still a traitor?" I ask, finding more and more curiosity about the entire situation when suddenly my head throbs even more and I stop myself from asking any other questions. I feel like my head is just about to explode from the sudden wave of memories that managed to surface today all because they made me curious and I keep letting my guard down here. It's because they don't treat me like a prisoner, this feels like a vacation rather than becoming imprisoned by the enemy base. Plus, everyone here acts like they know me well and they're all friendly I always let my guard down, especially around Mark since I always feel like there's nothing to be on guard about around him. So when him and Gassy are together I always manage to let my guard down at the worst times.

"...No, let's just say no. Are you okay? Is this why your head is hurting, you're remembering things?" Gassy asks, seeming more worried about me than him even if I supposedly have knowledge about his past that people on base don't know. I nod and flinch when he approaches me and rests his hand on my forehead as if it's a fever beyond just the headache I know I have because of the damn memories all coming up. "Damn, you're burning up. This isn't just a headache, can't you tell when you're sick, idiot?" He lectures, shocking me as well and I quickly raise my hand but instead of touching my forehead, with his hand there I accidentally let my hand lay on top of his. A lot more nervous and embarrassed than I probably should be I pull back quickly and turn around, feeling a little uneasy with the butterflies that were just released in my stomach from just touching this guy's hand. Now I feel my forehead and so find myself burning up.

"I felt perfectly fine yesterday. I don't think I've ever been sick before." Feeling the heat move from my forehead to my hand I let my hand down and for the first time notice that slight lightheaded feeling in my head. I had been mistaking it for being memories resurfacing all day today, and while I have been getting memories back for a lot of today it isn't the sole reason for this major headache and sluggish feeling in my body. "W-...What do I do?" I ask honestly forgetting what to do when you're sick for an entire minute.

"Get back to your room, I'll send Mark to help you out. If I'm around I'll just make your headache worse, right?" I hesitate and turn around to look at him, finding him staring a this own hand also seeming embarrassed from the actions from just a little earlier. His eyes move up to meet with mine and I immediately look away, embarrassed I had been staying as I nod. He sighs in response and opens the door to the storage room but stops at the doorway. "Get better soon. Don't push yourself like always, I know you've been sneaking around the base at night looking for some escape but knock it off for a night and rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

The door to the storage room closes and I feel the breath I had been holding in drop and I pull my hand into a fist trying to collect myself after what felt like a mini heart attack. I'm too nervous and tense around that guy when he acts like nothing has ever happened between us, which I know is incorrect. And yet I still feel nervous, like at the last second he'll do something to make me remember everything when I least expect it. It worries me and he knows it, that's why he's this thoughtful and it only makes me feel worse about continually avoiding him and going on high guard when I'm with him. I lay my hand on the door to the storage room before taking a deep breath and opening the door. I can't believe I actually got sick, but now that I think about it, it makes sense to get sick now of all times now that I'm stressing a lot over trying to escape and avoid dying from either human or Hidden hands constantly. Looking around outside the room I find Gassy has completely vanished, which makes sense since he left a while ago.

Gassy is... pretty busy compared to other soldiers and sergeants who seem to have nothing to do. The entire base seems pretty free of work right now, it's like they're just waiting. From my wandering around and observing I've gathered as much that they're taking in lots of new recruits, there are a few training to become sergeants, and they're mainly just powering up and staying still. Recalling my time with the Hidden, they're also waiting and gathering up on power after an entire bade was destroyed they're planning to reconstruct a different one in place of it and are attempting to look into creating new elders. From the rumors I heard as a Hidden they were talking about making Leo an owner of a base, but I always dismissed it as rumors. If Leo was to ever on a base I'd be the first one he'd tell... but that's not possible now that we're separated. I'm worried, not only about Leo and his position within the Hidden but also for Chilled who is obviously in a hot zone with the Hidden, a traitor who must always risk his life. There are too many things I'm stressing about, it's making my headache worse.

"Ze, Gassy told me you weren't feeling well. What have you been doing fucking around?" I turn towards the voice and find Minx walking to me with her hands on her hips. Smiling at the friendly woman who has been kind to me, to some extent, since I've come to this base. And like always Ohm is following behind, the two being together pretty often mainly because they are assigned partners, like Chilled and I were assigned partners.

"I dunno, just really stressed," I explain truthfully but she frowns, unsatisfied with the answer.

"Stop thinking about any of that bullshit and rest. Come on, I'll take you to your room."

"I don't really need-" Before I can finish my sentence, Minx grabs my arm and pulls me towards her with a fierce expression in her eyes.

"We're avoiding Nanners because he's been fucking around with us since our sergeant training has started. I'm going to use you as an excuse for not showing up. Later Ohm, Ze only needs one caretaker!" Minx calls out suddenly and drags me away with Ohm shouting and complaining at us. I stare at the woman holding onto my arm strongly and can't help but smile. They have a nice relationship, her and Ohm, as much as it seems they fight a lot they can't deny they're actually pretty good friends. I guess these two are the type of people I would have liked to be at my base, two who get along well while working hard towards their goals. Minx drags me into my own room and I sigh in relief when I enter the room and slip out of the lab coat I never got a chance to return to the lab, folding it nicely before placing it gently onto my bed. Turning towards the woman who dragged me inside I suddenly notice her standing on top of my counter and messing with the security camera in the corner of the room.

"M-Minx? What're you doing?" I ask hesitantly before the red light on the camera blinks and she jumps off of the counter and turns to me. Suddenly the eyes I met with a smile are now darker and a whole lot more intimidating than I remember. Clenching my fist I take a step back, scared for my life now that the camera is not working to record my death.

"Listen up, Steven," Minx orders suddenly with a frown and serious expression I've never seen on her before, and never expected to see. "You're not supposed to be here. I don't know how you got caught, or how they managed to get you here and completely surrounded, but you need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible. You're smart, have you figured out a way out?" I shake my head, feeling a bit shaken at the completely transformed woman who snickers in annoyance at my answer. "Fine, we'll have to do things the hard way then. I'll tell you when we're ready to get you to escape out of here, I'll have some Hidden scope this place out and try to find a weakness. In the meanwhile you also try looking from the inside. Also, have you retrieved any of your memories? And before you say a fucking word if you lie to me I will have you killed the moment we get our hands back on you."

"I remember a few things," I say quickly and truthfully with this threatening woman now at my neck. "I remember my experiences with Chilled as researchers before this base and a few events that happened between Gassy and me." Minx frowns, seeming especially upset at the last part before sighing and turning away from me and climbs on top of the dresser once again, reaching up to the camera.

"We need to hurry to get you out of here and wipe your memories after we get what we need. I'll be watching you, Steven, and I won't be afraid to take care of you myself, even if it means blowing my cover." I hold onto my other arm tightly, feeling very nervous right now in front of this obviously traitorous woman. The camera's light blinks again and Minx jumps back down, glancing back at me with the same kind smile that now terrifies me. "I should get going then. I'll see you tomorrow, Ze. Feel better by then," Minx says with a sweet voice before disappearing behind the door to my room and shuts the door behind her roughly, leaving me standing here, terrified. I... should have expected there to be a spy here but for some reason after the time I've been here I didn't think they're reveal themselves to me. This... isn't doing well for my stress. Sitting down at my bed I stare at the floor with wide eyes for a while before forcing myself to fall back onto the bed and shut my eyes.

I feel terrible.

-Gassy-

"He was asleep when I got there," Mark says to me, seeming distracted by something as he stares at my desk with his cheek leaning on his hand. "But he definitely had a high fever. I'll take care of him overnight so you don't have to worry about him... but Gassy, there's something that's bugging me."

"What is that?" I question him when we stays silent for a while without saying what's actually bugging him. Mark stays silent afterwards before finally meeting my eyes with an honestly worried expression.

"The camera in Ze's room froze for a few moments earlier when he returned when you told him too. He was with sergeant-to-be Minx. But now that I think about it, a longer exposure to a Hidden nearby the camera should have malfunctioned a while ago with Ze constantly in that room, a Hidden. While you can argue that it's because he's visible, when he was a Hidden he has mentioned to me before research he did at the Hidden base. I know he could have been taking visibility things over there to use technology but if it was that easy, and the Hidden know about the temporary visibility, why wouldn't they have just done that before? I think that... Ze can use technology even in his invisible form, at least to some extent when considering the very temporary malfunction of the camera. But... I don't know how that would be possible when looking a the protein that makes a Hidden a Hidden... I need to do more research on this but I don't know... how...." I stare at the confused researcher for a long time, waiting for him to add on to his rambling but when he doesn't I sigh and nod, leaning back in my seat.

"I don't know what to tell you, Mark. Just... look into it more? Ask him? I doubt he'd tell you but it's worth a shot, right?" Mark stays silent at my useless suggestions but I have nothing else I can offer him but take his worries and understand them. Everything about Ze is a bit of mystery right now, like why he's even alive to begin with. But, I have a feeling that even if we ask Ze and he's willing to explain I don't think he'd even be able to explain to us. He was just a puppet under the Hidden, at least that's what I can guess from my observations and after understanding Ze for so long. While he's not directly avoiding me anymore, he's more afraid of me then mad at me. It must be rooting at his previous role for the Hidden.

"I'll... look into it more then. On top of everything else that I'm looking into about Ze.... This would be easier if I got a sample of his blood now," Mark complains but I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"You already asked and were rejected by Ze. Diction said to listen to Ze because he is technically not a prisoner but a 'guest' while he is not guilty of anything. It's a good thing the petition went through before he got here but you can't just take his blood without permission." Mark sighs and nods, waving it off as he slowly gets up from the chair across from my desk.

"I know, I know, and I respect Ze's wishes. Just complaining for the sake of complaining. Anyways, I should let you finish up work to get home quicker. I'll take care of Ze for you," Mark reassures me but before he makes it to the door he stops and glances back at me. "I've... been meaning to ask you this and I was too afraid to before when we were hardly considered as friends but... were you and Ze just friends like you tell everyone? I mean, you care an awful lot for him and always perk up when I bring up the topic. And whenever you come to me requesting a project for you, every single time the project would be related to Ze in some way." I stay silent, judging in my head whether or not to tell this guy but he's already seemed to figure it all out on his own. He's more observant than I first thought he was, always assuming he's just taking things as they are without looking into it more but he is a researcher, just like Ze. And I know well how much Ze looked into every little action I made and I got in trouble for that quite often.

"Yeah... I mean no, you're right. Him and I were together together before all of that shit went down," I explain to the oblivious man who widens his eyes as if expecting to be wrong.

"What? Seriously? So... you're... I'm sorry, Gassy." I blink, not expecting that kind of response out of this, out of all things an apology? "It must be tough, knowing he can't remember you. I know I'd be really upset if anybody I loved were to suddenly forget me. Don't worry, I'll take care of him, and hopefully get his memories back. When it comes to it, I'll support you," Mark says with a friendly smile before seeming embarrassed and leaves in a flash, closing the door behind him just leaving me sitting shocked at the closed door. I sigh and chuckle, shaking my head. He's silly, just like Ze. I hope Ze isn't stressing too much about remembering as much as I want him to. That expression he made earlier when his head hurt... he needs to be more careful with himself. His body is in a sensitive state, something I didn't understand when I first saw him back in the base.

He needs to be patient and careful to not remember too much at once or it may just break him.