-Ze-

The world is blurry. Fuck. Everything around me is just blackness and fuzzy warm feelings overcrowding my mind and overflowing any thought process before I can focus on anything. I feel that my eyes are open but I still can't see, and I have a feeling it's not dark in the room from the feeling on my skin. Any attempts to move my fingers fails without any feeling available where my fingers should be. Although I feel like they're twitching and moving, I don't actually feel it. Maybe I'm bullshitting myself to believe that I'm moving and junk but I'm actually just dead. Is this the afterlife? That'd be interesting, for a guy who has always believed and cursed at the universe rather than any sort of "place beyond" life. Why am I thinking about these complicated things? Why can't I think about other things besides the fact I feel dead? Focusing on my mind and trying to recollect what has happened last suddenly I feel Chilled's face flash in my mind. Right, Chilled, Gassy, everyone. I have to focus or I'll forget them again.

As the faces and memories steady in my mind I feel my image is becoming brighter and brighter until I feel something on my arm and look down. My arm, my hand, it's moving and I can actually feel it although it's aching right now. Clenching and unclenching my hand I look up and around the room only to have my hands be pinned to the table I'm lying on, very uncomfortable, and cold. Struggling with the energy I can muster, which isn't much or nearly enough, I sigh in defeat and narrow my eyes to the Hidden towering above me and looks away from me.

"He still remembers. You can tell. Put more of it in him," the stranger orders and suddenly I feel a pain in my side and glance down, noticing the syringe deep in my stomach which causes pain to spiral through my body causing me to cry out and wriggle, trying to get it out of me but I feel like my skin is ripping itself apart. They're pumping me with the Hidden solution... and it hurts like hell. All of me feels... well doesn't feel halfway. And the numbing sensation that is all over my body aches every time I try to move or even just think about moving. Taking deep breaths I realize my mind is also becoming fuzzy and cold and immediately think about the people I know, trying to keep a grip on them. I can't forget again, I can't. I can't afford to lose another two years, everyone will... everyone will be done with me by then. I can't... I don't want to lose Gassy to someone else. Just keep a grip on them, it's hurting my mind to the point that it feels like it's going to burst but I need it.

Gasping when I feel something else injected inside I flinch at the pain and try to move again only feeling pain all around and suddenly feel very shaky. I'm more conscious all of the sudden but I'm feeling panicky and jittery. Fuck, no, focus Ze. Focus on remembering them, remembering your loved ones. Last time I didn't know what was going on, this time I do and I can provide resistance. Taking deep breaths trying to calm myself I focus on the familiar faces. I don't want to forget again. I don't want to see that expression on Chilled's face when he saw me again. I don't want to see that stranger's expression on Gassy's face. I don't want to make Elaine look like that because she thought I was dead.

"He still remembers. Inject more," I hear another voice followed by more pain. Fuck, if they do this enough they're going to kill me with the stuff. Suddenly I feel a wave of cold wave through my system and I shiver. I'm dying, I'm literally dying right now through this unless they get the cure to me in time. Gasping for the aid I can't seem to find I grip onto whatever nearby only my own hands clenching my fists tightly. "Don't yet... wait for him to stop moving... now." Warmth and pain flows through me and I gasp again feeling my heart thump extremely fast. It hurts-... remember, Ze. Stop focusing on the pain, focus on your mind. I have to... pretend I forgot again but somehow maintain my memories. It's difficult to focus both on remembering and not remembering at the same time and the pain and putty feeling to my every limb is distracting as well.

"Steven..." I ignore the voice, the pain filling me in and I keep my eyes closed, exhausted and feeling completely like mush. They did something to my body by doing this, I'm hurting hell of a lot more and I don't think they've ever put this much Hidden solution into anybody. If I go near technology it'd probably just self-destruct. "Steven, can you hear me?" I focus on my breathing rather than the voice. Act like you don't remember Ze. Remember, Ze. "...Alright, move him to his new room. I think he's broken." The chains holding my arms and legs down are suddenly lifted and hands replace them, grabbing at my body as I allow them to carry me out of the room without a single attempt of rebellion. It's over... good. I still feel the slight pain rolling through all of my body, as if my funny bone has been hit but my entire body is consisting of funny bones.

The hands are replaced by bed sheets and I'm left to myself as the door shuts. The moment the door shuts I open my eyes and slowly move my hand to my stomach. I'm hurting everywhere, but I managed to stay alive and still have my memories... sort of. My mind hurts, I wouldn't be able to tell if I forgot anything, and I shouldn't go off guard just because I'm not in immediate danger. My body still feels dead, and I might be dead if something doesn't happen soon. Taking deep breaths I move my hand to my arm and feel the scratches and holes in my arm from where they injected me. Assholes, I won't be able to recover even a bit of my health even if I wanted to. Gassy, Chilled, everyone... I'm still alive, barely but definitely alive and still the same old Ze, thankfully. Closing my eyes I continually play clips in my mind of the people I know just in attempts to keep them alive in my mind before they fade out and I fall asleep after the painful day.

It's a shock waking up. For a second I wake up and slowly open my eyes feeling like usual and completely blank before my mind wakes up and I realize I nearly forgot who I was. Grasping onto my chest I feel the pain still resonate around my bones, it would all be gone if I were to forget everything and become the brainwashed bet I had been before as I've discovered. Shaking my head I stand up, my feet aching as I stand and making me stumble a bit and fall to the ground, noticing how weak I am right now. Shit, I can't be useless like this, they made me like this for a reason and it's not to be a useless piece of shit. Taking a deep breath I focus on trying to recollect myself together but when I do so I become numb and my mind becomes far off. Shit, the only way to feel better is to forget about everything. Quickly resurrecting the memories into my mind returning the pain, I get up and look around the room. The same room I had been staying in when I was with Leo. The memory of Leo causes me to flinch at the memory and turn away from my bed. That fucker, didn't even give me a chance of even thinking about a plan. I can just hope Smarty and all of them are completely fine. What about the Hidden? How did they react when they found out?

"Steven, you awake?" At the sudden voice I immediately drop any personality I have and turn towards the door where a different Hidden I've never seen before enters. Another old man I can assume to be an elder but not an elder I've seen before. Is this... my new Leo? The thought of that sickens me, replacing anybody should sicken me. The man looks me thoroughly as I push down any personality down while playing the memories repeatedly through my head. "You are. Anybody in there?" he asks waving his hand in front of my face and when he receives no response he lays his hands on his hips and seems pleased. "Well, Steven, your name is Steven. And call me Luke, alright?" I don't respond but just stare at him, a bit similar to what happened when I first met Leo and he just awkwardly kept trying to get me to speak. At my silence the old man just smiles fairly before turning around.

"Why did they get me to babysit the damn kid?" I hear him mutter under his breath as if I couldn't hear him. Immediately after saying that he turns around towards me with the same huge smile from before. "Well come along with me, I'll show you the ropes here." He's a lot kinder than Leo first was. His tactics were to "scare the kid and maybe he'll listen" kind of way, and it did work to some extent although I hated him for the first year. Then I became accustomed to him and started to see through him, his fake intimidation methods. I already miss Leo, this is bad. I follow Luke through the building going through the same introduction I went through with Leo trying not to yawn in the meantime. And keeping the pain under check along with replaying memories constantly. The effort I'm putting every second is starting to make me feel lightheaded on focusing too much on too many things but thankfully he ends the tour early and let's me return to by room where I just sit at the small desk in there and stare at the wall. I used to do this back then, just stare at the wall completely blank like this. Damn, I'm really glad I'm not actually like this anymore.

Them doing this experiment thing has really put its toll on me though. I feel death incoming at a much faster rate than before and they've probably just shortened my already short life span by a lot. I need to get to America and to Ohm or I might just die right here and now. The moment they let me have any type of piece of technology, I need to convince them to set up Internet and send a message or something. Even just figuring out how to escape, how the hell else am I going to get out of here though? The best I can do is hope they send me to America but even then, the first time it took them two years before trusting me to get to America. I no longer have that kind of time, and I'm a bit worried about Gassy, well all of IRIS really. Smarty has escaped, well I think. I'm honestly not sure, they could have recaptured them and why would they tell me shit? Well, assuming he escaped IRIS has him now and a whole lot more of data on the Hidden considering Smarty was the old leader of the Hidden from what I've heard and researched. Before he betrayed them. How the hell did he betray them anyways? I have a feeling... it has something to do with the Derp Crew. But even then, I'm a part of that. Shouldn't I know? Shouldn't Chilled? Why do I feel like Chilled and I are the only ones left out of a huge secret that I'm not sure about at all?

Whatever, I can't do anything about that right now. I need to... I need to find a way out of here. Somehow. But how? Closing my eyes I conjure up the entire map of the place in my mind but they have maximum security, probably increased with the recent escape. If I escape, it won't be by brute force, considering I don't have that brute force to begin with. It'll have to be some kind of analytical way, or using distractions. I need to... get into a computer room somehow. They don't know I remember shit so they will question if I ask to. Once I get into one though, I'll find a way out. Set off an alarm on one edge and shut down any systems they still have active and try to make my escape right then. It's simple, but impossible in my current state. I need to leave though, I've left Gassy and Elaine long enough, I promised I'd be back anyways. Security is tightest during night, ironically, and the times it has the least amount is midday or times they're having a meeting and everyone is in the meeting room with few guards. That would be the best time to escape and sneak into a room with technology. While they're in meetings they expect the other Hidden to handle things outside so it won't be much trouble at all.

Now, how I'll figure out the next time they're going to have one of those meetings will be a problem. I doubt they'll tell me anything right now with the extremely low amount of trust they have in me now. The door opens behind me and I open my eyes but don't bother turning around and remind myself to just push down any sort of self-consciousness. The memories, act like you don't have them. Just act. Hearing whoever it is behind me walk closer I stay staring at the wall, my mind wandering off and I have to catch it back several times before I forget everything. It's the equivalent of when you're so exhausted you feel your consciousness very close to slipping away but then you have to wake yourself back up before you fall asleep where you are, only it's with my memories and personality. A hand lays on my shoulder and I slightly turn towards the source but don't bother to see and take in who it actually is.

"Are you truly empty again? After all of that work Leo put in?" hearing the mention of Leo's name I turn towards the stranger. A woman, with long and red hair and glasses riding low on her nose. She's pretty, older than me but still seems to be extremely youthful for her age. I didn't even know Hidden can need glasses, at least from what I've needed. She suddenly leans close to me until her lips aren't all that far from my ear. "If you're not, tomorrow at 6 in the morning. They're going to have a meeting deciding what to do next. Don't you dare tell anyone I told you this or you'll lose your only chance and failed Leo." I stay silent and watch blankly as the woman walks away. She's... she saved my ass. Glancing back down at the table, I take a deep breath as I formulate the plan in my head. That must have been a friend of Leo's... or it can be another trap.... What the hell, the last time I've fallen for a trap I ended up back at IRIS with all of my friends. I'll take a chance.

-Gassy-

"I'm innocent." Glancing up at Ohm and back down at the table I feel mentally exhausted as I stare at the files on the table with a small bottle of the drugs on top of the file. I don't want to do this, especially to a traitor when I was a traitor and deserve this as well, but it's a bit too late. I've already gotten instructions from officers, and Mark already submitted the information to the board so everyone is calling Ohm a guilty fuck. Nothing I can do about it, as much as I'd like to hear his entire story I can't do anything about it. In the end, Diction and I are powerless when it comes to things like this. Although concerning Mark submitting it he should have talked to me first he usually submits it first anyways to get feedback on his work so it's not his entire fault either. And Ohm acts guilty as fuck, we all think he does including Diction.

"Sorry Ohm, we got this a few days ago and held it off for a bit but you'll have to get to prison now before you can make any more damage-"

"But I'm not a fucking Hidden! I mean, I am, but I'm not with them!" Ohm shouts, seeming to be growing agitated and slams his hands on the desk causing me to flinch. This fighting back, I wonder if that would have been me if everything happened the way it should have. Nevertheless, Ohm is a traitor and we have evidence against him including files showing him exchanging money from the base to the Hidden and footage of him acting suspiciously in the lab. Either he's being framed, which is highly unlikely, or he's guilty as fuck just like he acts.

"Ohm, I understand. You'll get a chance to plead your case and all but-"

"But you guys won't listen to shit. Fuck! I should have listened to Ze," Ohm shouts, slamming his hand one more time before turning around and digging his hands through his hair seeming distressed. I watch silently as he seems to be panicking greatly but only bringing confusion in me.

"Ze? Did he know you were a Hidden? You know that doesn't do much for your case?" I mention and he just rolls his eyes and looks to me.

"He found out, told me he's known since he found out the cure. That's when he asked me for the favor, he wanted some of what was making me visible in large amounts too. That's why I wanted you to tell me if he was with you because it seemed important," Ohm explains and suddenly something hits me. Ze... Ohm... he's... he's innocent, isn't he? He seems honest about the favor, and Ze never acted awkward around him if he was the traitor that Ze was talking about. Nothing changed between him and Ohm, I've witnessed them talking normally. But if not Ohm... who? I know Minx is on that list but I don't think Ze acted strangely around her. Then again I didn't see them together that often after a certain point, but they still hung out. Ohm notices the change in my expression and walks back towards the desk seeming hopeful. "You know! Right? Don't do this, I didn't ask to be a Hidden, and I need to help Ze."

"I... I'm sorry Ohm, regardless of my feelings I can't do shit. Orders are orders," I explain and immediately his hope dies and he seems like I just took his life away from him. Staring at him I sigh and look down at the file and pick up the drugs, rolling around the small contents and pop the cap off. "I'll look into it, and I'll ask Mark to look into the possibility someone really is framing you. It's happened before, I'll make sure to find something to get you out of there," I say, rolling one of the pills into my palm and inspecting the small clear capsule.

"Th-... Thank you, I guess," Ohm mutters, seeming displeased about it as he looks to the side. The door opens and some ordered soldiers come in to escort him away and I just stare after him a bit worried. I hope he doesn't do something stupid just because of these false accusations. He better not, if he does anything near suspicious in the jail or tries to escape or something like that he'll be even more damn suspicious. Replacing the pill I stash the bottle into my pocket, finding it would be helpful to keep in the house just in case Ohm was telling the truth and Ze really did need them for some reason. I mean... he is supposed to come back. But I haven't heard shit from him and I'm starting to get really worried because that "Chilled" spot has been empty everyday. For a while that Leonardo guy left some lookouts in there but his notes are missing now as well. I'm extremely worried about Ze. I just hope he isn't in trouble. But I'm also really afraid the next time I see him he'll be attacking me again without a single memory about me again.

"Gassy, I'm home," the door suddenly opens and Diction comes in with a smile and I just glare causing him to chuckle. "I know we haven't noticed you about anything but we were a bit busy. Turned out to be quite the rescue mission," Diction explains as I get up from his chair and he takes his rightful place. I stare at him, curious about his story and he's glad to explain it to me. "Quite the crowd of captured humans was there with Smarty, we needed to get some people to get them back safely and offer them some health help because a lot of them were extremely starving and just ready to collapse at any moment. Anyways, Smarty, Tom, and Chilled met up and had a bit of a discussion without me, 'Derp Crew' business is what they called it. They would only tell me that it was actually Ze who saved Smarty and the group, so I guess Ze really was involved." I feel myself become cold at the announcement and immediately press forward.

"Ze? Did you see him there? Was he with the group?" Diction stays silent for a long time and his silence provides all the answer I need. He shakes his head and turns to me with a truly sorry expression that makes me feel irritated and warm at the same time.

"He was supposed to meet up with them in the woods, never did so they had to move on with their plan. Tom's best guess is that they probably captured him and... well... anything could be happening to him now that he's been revealed a traitor to the Hidden," Diction explains, the last thing I wanted to hear. That fucker forgot, didn't he? He forgot all about us again for the sake of others because he's a fuck who puts others first and above themselves. That damn... it's the reason I hate him sometimes, but also the reason I love him.

"Well... we'll see what happens I guess," I mutter and Diction doesn't seem too happy with my response, but he couldn't have expected anything different considering this news would make no one close with Ze happy. Sighing, I curse at the little Canadian in my head for being such a good person and close my eyes, feeling irritated and proud at the same time. Next time I see that little fuck he'll probably be jumping at me with a knife, I'm honestly feeling a bit tired of this running around. But I made the resolve to just trust him, because who knows, he said he wouldn't give up. He said he'd be trying his best. I shouldn't make assumptions until I see him but I have a feeling my hopes won't be answered. "While you were gone some evidence was brought up against Ohm," I mention, moving on from personal things and heading on to the events that has happened in his absence. "We were right I guess, but I have a feeling he's actually innocent. He mentioned Ze asking him for a favor, and I have a feeling he was telling the truth."

"Were you ordered to capture him though?" My silence answers his question and he sighs, rolling his eyes as he logs into his computer to see exactly what has gone down. "This is probably the same shit as what happened to Ze back then. We'll try to look into it. Tom, Smarty, and Chilled are all taking the day off to chat some more so don't expect to see any of them today. Anyways, you should go talk to Mark about it too about looking into it. I'll be here if you need me." I nod and get up from the seat and exit the office with little hesitation. Ze... got into trouble... again. I'm distracted, he always manages to put himself in danger without even doing it intentionally and it pisses me off.

"Gassy? Where you going?" I glance back at the guy I was just thinking about looking for and watch him as he steps up closer. He notices me staring and turns away seeming uncomfortable with my stare. "What's up? Why're you looking at me like that?"

"You're a researcher, but you play it safe unlike Ze," I comment seeming to shock him. "You don't do any risky things in that lab or anything and yet you are getting a decent amount of work done. Why do you think Ze is always such a troublemaker?" Mark stays silent for a long time before sighing and looks away from me, seeming thoughtful.

"Well I'm no where near the position you're in to be able to judge Ze, but, if I had to put a reason to it... it's because he doesn't give a shit. Don't look at me like that he doesn't give a shit about his job. If anything, he only gives a shit about two things, his friends and science. I'd say he doesn't care about the formal titles or anything, just the fun of science and the ability to keep his friends. It's why I admired him, and when I witnessed the weak sides of him I guess I got a bit too irritated and worked up because of it. I would apologize if I had another conversation with him, from one scientist to another I still respect him," Mark explains and I nod slowly, completely agreeing with his statements. I guess that's true, Ze never liked being restrained here as a scientist but it made me feel safer with him restrained here. Sometimes I wonder... if he even likes being with me like this, when he could be happier back to travelling and exploring science like he did in the past. That is my insecurities talking though.

"Get more news about Ze?" Mark asks curiously and I simply nod. We all knew from the beginning it'd be best for me to forget about Ze but we also all knew that it wouldn't be happening. I can just hope he didn't forget about me right now.

"Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about Ohm."