I shot open my eyes, gasping as I saw the chip enter my neck again. I just clenched my eyes trying to clear my vision, hoping it was just the stupid simulation again. The surgeons cut me up and then stitched me again. I felt the buzzing and pressure of the chip coming to life as it connected to my brain, again. My head hurt and I could feel myself fall back into slumber.

I awoke again in that same goddamn bed. There was this nurse. Sticking me, touching me, saying unintelligible things that I really didn't care about until he slipped those glasses over my eyes. I could hear Lambert's cocky voice in my head again.

"Do you remember the first time you thought there was something greater than yourself?" He asked. "Some people never experience this state of grace." It continued as lights and images flashed across my eyes. "Not everyone is meant to, but you merely have to ask, and we can show you the face of a god, or we can wipe your slate clean. Which one will it be, Sameen? The choice is yours." The same nurse took off the glasses and Lambert was standing at the foot of my bed. "He then began, shoving his hands into his pockets, "We'll start by asking you a few questions. Do you remember your name, your mission?"

'Yeah, to kick your ass and destroy your god,' I thought.

"What about the names of your Machine's acolytes?"

'I have to protect them.'

"They've compressed the Machine to its core code-"

'Those cheeky bastards. Gotta love them. But why is this dick telling me that?'

"-hiding it somewhere. Where would they go?

"Nothing," The nurse shrugged. "I think that chip fried her brain."

"There was a park you played in as a girl on the base in Qatar-"

'Boring.' I thought, tuning him out.

"-let's play a game."

'Games, fun.'

"Joseph Kent, firefighter. He pulled you out of the twisted wreckage that claimed your father's life. Tell me is Kent dead or alive?"

'Dead, but now I'm a little hungry.'

"Dead…" He trailed off telling a story before pulling up the next picture. "Dead or alive. Come on take a look, your old partner, dead…"

'He saved me, and killed me.'

"Dead. Or. Alive?" He asked cycling through Root Harold and John.

I just looked at him with a smirk, and he smirked back, "Did you come up with this game all by yourself, or did it tell you to bore me to death?"

"Well, if it were up to me, I'd have abandoned you long ago like your so-called friends."

"First thing I'm gonna do when I get out of these straps is make you bleed."

"Promises promises." he sighed before the nurse injected a sedative.

They let me out again, finally. I just seethed and sat up, the pounding in her head growing worse as I stood up. I leant against the wall, shaking my head and stumbled to the mirror. I glared at the reflection of the shallow-faced, dark-eyed woman who stared back at me. That couldn't be me. Never. I can't be that far gone. I knew it was a simulation now. I growled and quickly punched the mirror. It shattered and I quickly grabbed a shard as the door busted open and three nurses ran into the room. The two men pinned me against the ground and the woman stabbed the needle into my neck. I lost consciousness again.

~~~~~~~~~~.

"What a mess, I thought she was a killer?" The nurse sighed.

As they talked, the glass shard in my hand was just itching for some blood to be spilt. It began to cut into my hand, so I knew I had to be quick before Lambert noticed.

"Perhaps you over-sedated her," Lambert replied. "Doesn't matter. Even if Shaw becomes a team player after her next visit to the O.R., her bladder issues will be the least of her problems. Surgery waits for no man."

Once the elevator doors opened, I quickly sawed through my strap and grabbed the nurses arm, flipping her around and breaking her wrist. I pulled her in front as Lambert drew his gun, shooting her in the ribs. I dropped her and grabbed her gun, shooting him as he tried to hide. I dragged him into the elevator.

"Have a seat," I commanded as he held his hand over the wound. I shot the camera and began to question him.

"My men will be waiting as soon as the doors open."

"I'm counting on it." I pulled out a vial labelled, benzodiazepine and opened it, continuing, "The average person swallows 2, 000 times a day." I smirked and pulled his head back and forced the medication into his mouth. "Now, it's a good thing you're not average, 'cause this much BZD could stop your heart." I sighed and taped his mouth shut. "Now let's play a game. Dead or alive?"

I pushed him out as his men began preemptively firing. While they ran out, I hid behind Lambert and shot them too.

"Alive. Well, what do you know?" I laughed grabbing his ID. "Now that's what I call being a team player," I smirked running out of the building.

An officer came out, and I quickly dealt with him, kneeing him in the diaphragm and tossing him to the ground. Fluidity, I thought running and hopping the fence to find that I was stuck on an island… with a boat! Hell yeah! I quickly made my way to the main island to find out where everyone was, or at least draw them in. I just cranked the boat on and escaped that prison to the docks. Quickly turning myself around, I walked through the busy streets, grabbing cash out of wherever I could before hailing a taxi to drive me to a covered place. I found a department store, and climbed to the rooftop, cutting off the cameras before entering. Had to play it safe. I quickly grabbed a few items before the clerk, a little kid really, approached me.

"Can I help you with anything?" He kindly asked.

No time, or at least not enough to play this game, "Move along Milhouse." He nodded and meandered away. I quickly went to the bathroom, looking at my scar and heated up the pair of scissors to sterilize them, joking, "Patient is ready for you, Doctor."

I cut open the stitches and pulled them out before blacking out with blood all over my hands. I shrugged it off and walked to the desk again. It was empty, no one except for 'Milhouse' was there.

"Oh my god. Are you okay?" He panicked.

"Dandy, thanks for asking. I just need to use your phone." I asked, he hesitated and dropped everything, stuttering his movements. "Oh, come on, man, today." I wiped my hands on his shirt and dialled up anyone. "Bobby, Bobby what?"

"Jackson."

"Bobby Jackson, Yeah. Okay, Bobby Jackson, you'll do." I muttered waiting to get connected to a customer service line. "Uh, yeah, hi, I'm calling because there's been a homicide. I'm about to kill Bobby Jackson. Looks like your number's up." I shrugged. I tied him up, anything to make it look convincing. As he squirmed, I sighed, "Okay Bobby, stop that. Don't be such a wimp. Bobby. Hey, hey." I whispered, finishing with the hand restraints. He blabbered on about something. "Stop. Stop wetting yourself, all right? I'm not really gonna kill you. I just needed to make it look good, send up a flare for some friends. They tend to show up at imminent murders. But some other people might show up before my friends do. Now, you guys got a sporting goods section?" I asked getting up. He didn't say anything at first, so I just glared down before he answered, making my way there.

I waited, a bat in my hands before knocking out the first guy and getting his gun, shooting the others quickly, but another agent found my gun and kicked it away. I smirked and sighed. A single shot took him out and a familiar voice broke the silence.

"Whoever's back there, kick over your weapon, and I'll let you keep full mobility."

I kicked it to them, and a single boot stopped it as she came into view. This absolutely amazing woman I thought was dead, or at least in the real world, was standing before me in all of her beautiful glory. She looked up at me shock on her face. I smirked and let her near me before I pulled her into a kiss. I grabbed her lapel and pulled her closer, taking in everything I'd longed for. I pulled away, loosening my grip on her lapel before blacking out.

I could hear tracks and I shook around on what must have been in the subway.

"I've gotta stop doing that," I muttered.

Root leant over into my sight and smiled. "Welcome back."

I could see John and Finch in the background, talking about something before nearing me.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Away from Samaritan," John explained.

"On an old train."

"Where are we going then?"

"To my place, sweetie." She smirked.

"Always wanted to check out your flat." I shrugged.

"Now you can find out-"

'Yeah, simulation,' I thought, 'Definitely a simulation.'

"-but first we have to get this chip out of your head. This is going to hurt like hell." Root smiled, brushing my hair out of the way. She took her switchblade out before cutting into my neck.

I just wanted to scream as she cut open my stitches. I really wanted to pull away, but the searing pain took over my mind and body, paralyzing me. I just blacked out again.

I shot up, eyes wide as I woke up again. "Come on, I really need to stay awake." I huffed. Looking around I saw Root on the edge of the bed with a cup of something in her hands and Harold and John just staring at me. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No." Root smiled, sliding next to me. She handed me the cup of coffee and watched as I drank out of it. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like I have a really bad headache. So this is your place?"

"Yeah."

"Nice digs, can I move in?" I joked sipping more of the coffee.

"Ms. Groves removed the chip," Harold informed with a nod.

Root held up a baggie. "Removed and disabled."

"Really?" I smiled, grabbing it and looking at the tiny computer. "Thanks."

"We also brought over an old friend."

"Fusco?" I asked as John opened the door. Bear came bounding in, vaulting over to the bed and licking me. "Bear!"

"He really missed you." Root smiled petting him.

"Af, Bear," Harold commanded. Bear hopped off and sat next to his owner, looking up at the bespectacled man. "We should get going. Ms. Groves, Ms. Shaw." He nodded, leaving with Bear and John close behind.

"So now it's just us."

"Usually I would hate it, but John and Harold are gone, so…" I shrugged crawling a bit closer to Root.

"Now you don't have to pretend to be annoyed by me?"

"Hmmm…" I smirked with a chuckled.

I crawled a bit closer, kneeling next to her and kissed her gently. When she leant in, I pressed back, becoming a bit more aggressive as I pulled away, her lip clenched between my teeth until I could taste the warm iron trickle on my tongue. I let go and looked at the specks of blood on her bottom lip.

Root just rolled her eyes and dove for my stomach, holding my shirt up as she placed kisses from my hip to my ribs. She suddenly stopped and looked up at me.

"What?" I asked.

Root glanced down and crawled up, swinging her leg over to sit on my lap. I closed my eyes and buried my face in her chest, holding her close. I know she's just a simulation, but I still missed Root so much. More than I missed Bear more than I missed my sanity. I just needed to hold her. I sighed and continued what I started.

"You okay?" She asked.

I nodded and Root bent down and placed soft kisses on my cheek and jaw.

She really wasn't like the real Root. My Root was always quick with a rebuttal from whatever I said, but quiet during. She really knew everything that got me.

Now I was stuck with a simulation on my lap while Lambert and Greer watched. I wonder if they knew that I knew?

By the time I focused back on my situation, fake Root was already naked, on her back, hips grinding on my fingers, slipping and sliding against them.

She pulled me in by the back of my neck, placing softer kisses and nips on my top lip.

She rolled against my fingers, hoping I might slip up and slide in.

I let out a soft huff and pushed two fingers in.

Root let out soft grunts and groans, threading her hands through my hair and pressing my head against her chest.

I looked up at her features. The curves and creases on her forehead and the slight twist of her mouth as she tried to muffle herself.

I continued to curve and push my fingers into her, feeling her muscles flex and pulse.

Root slid her hands to my shoulders and gripped them tightly. She crossed her legs and constricted my fingers as she came.

She let out a struggled moan before relaxing.

I pulled away from her, just wanting to end this simulation as quickly as I could now that the fun was over.