Chapter 4

Hii! Fourth chapter finally out. I spent quite some time on this chapter, as it was a bit longer than the previous ones. This chapter was written in Theodore Avery's point of view, so I tried very hard to make him 'in character'. Although he never showed much compassion for Daren in the original novels, I believed that deep inside, he really cared for the young boy. The same for Devon. I wrote Devon the way I believed he would have felt and acted if the plot became this way.

Note: I was reminded of Haruhi Fujioka when I was writing Theodore's part. Both of them were stuck in a very similar situation, being surrounded by filthy rich people. So I made a couple of connections to Ouran High in here, *coffee*, *Haruhi's catchprase* cough cough. I was actually thinking of writing a one-shot where Theodore actually went to Ouran, (on scholarship of course), and met Haruhi. It'll probably be a comedy, so there won't be much romance. What do you guys think? Reviews? They'll help encourage me! :)

After Daren fainted in the underground lab, and after numerous murdering attempts from Daren's older brother, who I finally recognized as THE Solaris Emperor, we finally reached Devon's luxurious castle-like mansion where we could talk freely. This wasn't easy, because Devon, as important and influential as he was, forgot the location of the secret door he came from. I resisted the urge to laugh, although quite badly, because I was sure I got a few chuckles out before his handgun swiftly warned me of another murderous attempt, when he told me he couldn't recall where the door was. It's quite rare for anyone to see the Solaris Emperor himself make a mistake, although for that matter, I'm sure Devon has made sure that none lived to tell the tale. So I quickly closed my mouth and began using my phenomenal memory of the laboratory to trace the path where Devon entered from.

Although I was sure of how to get to the door, transporting Daren there would be another matter. His entire body shut down automatically, meaning the microchip must've overheated for some reason. It'll have to take at least another 24 hours before his microchip deemed his memory good enough to get going again. Especially when Daren's physical body was fortified with metal, and weighed 3 times the weight of both his brother and me. The only way would be to drag Daren along, and even then, it took both of our combined strength to just barely move Daren a few inches. Don't think I'm exaggerating when I say our little trip to the door was the most physically exhausting event that's happened to me since high school P.E. Hey, I'm a scientist alright? I was never good at athletics, and after taking so many hits to the face with a ball, I decided that I would never do sports again, or any physical exercise for that matter. It wasn't very encouraging either when Daren's older brother kept shouting obscenities at me, like "You're grabbing Daren's arm too forcefully!" or "I'm going to kill you if you step on Daren's hair one more time!"

Once we reached the door and entered a small tunnel leading to the inside of a washroom, I looked around, jaw hanging open in shock at the sight before me. This washroom was no ordinary washroom. Oh no. It had to be the most expensive, extravagant, epic, (I could keep on listing more 'e' adjectives, but I'll stop there), loo I've seen in my life. The bathtub we just came out of had to be the size of a king sized bed! The bathrobes I see hung in the corner had to be made of silk, and if my eyes weren't playing tricks on me, I would say that the toilet seat was made of solid gold. I could only begin to wonder at the price of having to renovate a washroom like this. But then again, I'm surrounded by filthy rich billionaires who could create a hole in the world's economy if they wanted to.

'Rich bastards,' I thought to myself, 'Why can't they just settle for some coffee? Coffee would make everything better, since coffee always made me feel better whenever I felt like dropping to the ground and never wake up again from exhaustion. Why can't they just have some coffee and calm down a bit before making the decision to renovate a million-dollar washroom? The money could be put to better use, like ending world hunger, giving me a raise, stopping Kony in Uganda, giving me a raise, being donated to orphanages, but most importantly, GIVING ME A RAISE. I think from all of the death threats Devon's put me through, I should definitely get paid more. The job description never involved selling both your heart AND body to the devil.'

While my mind was processing through all that, I noticed from the corner of my eye that Devon looked at this washroom with pure disgust and contempt. It figures, since this was the place where my boss, or rather Devon's father hid Daren all these years. No wonder Devon hated this place so much. A split second later, Devon took out his cellphone, and quickly dialed a number. He then started giving the other person on the line immediate orders.

"Get me a car, now. You know where I am, so I expect a ride in the next minute as I walk down the stairs to the front gate. Then order this building and the laboratory underneath it to be demolished and annihilated. Make sure I never see this mansion again, ever in my life."

From the other party on the line, all I could hear was a swift, "Yes sir," before the click of the line represented that Devon had already hung up. Despite being mortally afraid of Devon's handgun, I still couldn't help feeling that this was all such a waste. His father must have put tons and tons of money into this bathroom, and then more money into building the lab underneath it. The lab still contained the latest state-of-the-art technology, not to mention several other things made during Dark Sun's surgeries. It would certainly be the most shameful event if Devon really demolished both the mansion and the lab. He should have as well gave them all to me! I would have made good use of them both. Just when I was going to put my life on the line and suggest this, Devon gave me a stern look and said, "Stop gawking around like a goldfish and hurry up! We need to get Daren to the front gate now, and don't you dare step on him again." He put his hand on his handgun, which was tucked inside his coat pocket, so I immediately concluded that now would not be good time to talk, no less to negotiate. So I 'gently' grabbed one of Daren's arms and continued the first gruesome physical exercise I've had in years.

Everything else was a blur. The only thing I remember was the glare of the morning sun that blinded my eyes until I was ready to dig a hole and bury myself in it. I haven't been outside for a long time okay? Just don't ask me how long. Oh, and I also recalled a shiny black Ferrari and an ice-cream shop down by the street. When I finally came to my senses, I found myself in a room equally luxurious as the washroom I came out of, but this one was quite modern. The wine-dark curtains were drawn, giving the room a dim, comfortable feel. The contemporary purple couch I was sitting on was made of velvet, as smooth as a baby's face. I could also see a humongous canvas painting hung on one side of the wall. It looked surprisingly like Claude Monet's work, and knowing the Solaris Emperor and his power, I would've bet that that really was Monet's work.

Meanwhile, I found Devon wearing a simple white dress shirt and matching black pants sitting on a red, hourglass shaped chair. He definitely didn't seem to comb his long, sun-blonde hair today, as it was quite unkempt and I could see strands popping up all over the place. Even with his casual look however, his air of sophistication and dignity could not be lost. I could still tell that he was one of the most influential people in the world, but the weary and anxious look on his face made me realize that something had to be unimaginably wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if the world ended by a gigantic tsunami, and Devon would still not spare anyone a glance. I followed his line of sight, and finally saw a huge scarlet canopy-like bed that held a sleeping boy inside. If I didn't know better, I would've thought the boy dead until I concluded that the silver haired teen had to be Daren. There was no way Daren could die; he's the invincible bodyguard I created. Unless, his microchip still has not recovered yet?

Now that I think about it, how long have I been out? From the drawn curtains, I couldn't really tell whether the sun was up or down, and there wasn't a single damn clock in this entire room. Just as I was about to say something, Devon stopped me by saying, "So tell me, what exactly happened in the 7 years that Daren was out of my reach?"

I swear, this man had to be psychic. Why is it that every time I was going to mention something, he cuts me off? How did he even know that I was awake in this gigantic room when his back was turned away from me and he was looking at Daren the whole time? I began to suspect that the Solaris Emperor really had eyes on the back of his head, or he was somehow modified like Daren. There was no way a human can sense these things, unless Devon had some sort of special instinct or intuition.

But my mind kept on going off track, so I decided to shake my doubts and answer his questions. Knowing the look on his face, my instincts told me that I was standing on thin ice here. I relayed all that I knew and observed about Daren in those 7 years. I told him about how I first met Daren, and his experiences in the lab. Finally, I reached the part when Daren's personality changed, all of a sudden. He even told me that he didn't remember he had a brother! Devon's faced paled, the instant he heard this. To say the truth, even I felt like shedding a tear of two. My voice faltered a few times as I told the story. The life of these star-crossed brothers just seemed to be so cruel. One waiting and one searching, until one of them finally lost hope. That, was Daren.

"Wh-what are you talking about? Don't joke around with me doctor, I can still end your life right here, right now. Daren... he, couldn't have forgotten me. I was his older brother!" shouted the now crying Devon.

I could clearly see two streams of tears running down his face. I expected him to sob, to wipe his tears away, but he did neither. All he did was look at me with his watery crimson eyes, searching for a hint that I was lying to him. But I wasn't, I wasn't lying. This was something that I would never lie about, because Daren meant a lot to me as well. I mean, I wasn't his personal doctor for nothing over these 7 years right? I knew everything about Daren, his past, his memories, and his personality. As I thought about the possibility of Daren forgetting me someday, the prospect definitely wasn't something I'd like to consider. I didn't even realize when I started to crack up and started sniffling. The tears that appeared in my eyes seemed foreign to me, and I wondered how long it had been since I cried for someone.

Devon seemed to think the same. He looked at me weirdly, and pointed with his finger, "You're crying."

Without even thinking about it, I snapped back, "You are too, dumbass. Don't think that those tears on your face are fake just because you're the Solaris Emperor."

I immediately regretted what I said, and I was already thinking of a good position to die when I get a bullet through the head. But Devon instead wiped his face, and finding that his sleeve was wet, looked more surprised than me when I realized he wasn't going to kill me. It was as if the idea of crying seemed odd to him, and I also wondered how long it had been since he felt this painful. Perhaps I should've already considered my life fulfilled now that I've seen the Solaris Emperor cry.

But the two of us getting teary-eyed about this wasn't going to solve anything. So I decided to continue the conversation before Devon realized my previous outburst. "My guess is," I said, "that Daren may not have realized that he's forgotten you. Right now, I doubt he remembers anything of his past. From a scientist and doctor's perspective, it seems like Daren has repressed all of his memories as a self-preserving instinct."

"Self-preserving instinct?" quoted the confused Devon, "What are you blabbering about?"

"What I'm trying to say is, think about it from Daren's perspective! He's been waiting for a brother, an older brother that he loves and adores, an older brother that would come save him from the madness that he's been living in. All he had left of that older brother were his memories. All he wanted was for that older brother to come and protect him. But after so many years of torturous surgeries and trials, his older brother has still yet to come. Was his older brother even real? Or was it just a part of his dreams? Daren began to question himself, and I believe that was when his body decided that it would be best to suppress those happy childhood memories with you, his older brother. Because those happy memories have now turned to painful ones, and Daren probably couldn't take living with an empty dream. He most likely knew that if he kept on going, kept on waiting, with this hope that even he didn't fully believe in, he would someday go mad."

At this, the Solaris Emperor became completely silent, and I paused as well. We both looked into each other's eyes as we tried to absorb all that I said. Personally, I was shocked at myself for coming up with this deduction. It just sort of happened in the spur of the moment. I was quite mad myself before, because the ignorant older brother didn't seem to understand his little brother's inner thoughts at all. When Daren left, he was only 7! This was the age when children were most likely to be influenced, so how could you expect him to hold on to you for another 7 years? It's already a miracle that Daren survived through this, still healthy and sane.

I continued, "Did you know though, that after his memories were repressed, Daren's surgeries weren't going as well? It was like as if his only hope for living was gone. Could it be then, I thought, that Daren's mind and body were somehow battling each other? Daren's consciousness, that still remembers you but was banished and locked somewhere in his brain, was taking its toll on the rest of his body. I've never seen anything like it! Eventually, Daren's entire personality changed, and he was drifting further and further away from me. He was no longer the sweet, innocent boy that I met 7 years ago, but became more like a cyborg, only talking when asked to, and only obeying orders. He even became thinner and thinner, and I was scared he'll get malnutrition! The other scientists didn't care, but they loved Daren's new personality, and decided to ensue the final surgery, the implanting of the microchip. With this microchip, Daren, in both mind and body, would become a robot, capable of only listening to your commands. But I argued with my other co-workers, and I finally got to modify the microchip so that it had the 'emotion' switch. Ironically, it was only after the microchip surgery, that Daren got better. Sure, he didn't talk like he used to, but at least he was eating and healthy. It seemed that the microchip might have turned out to be good, because I think it gave Daren another reason to live. He lived to protect you."

Devon's eyes were watery with tears, and this time he realized it. Wiping it away, he surveyed my eyes with an intensity that seemed to corner me, rendering me unable to move. It was like a lion looking into the eyes of a mouse. I suppose that this was the glare that made his enemies bow before him. But, did he really think that intimidating me would work? Everything I said was the truth, at least, from my perspective.

Afterwards, seeing my defiance, Devon returned to his chair near Daren's bed, and sat down. He stroked the side of Daren's face and moved away some strands of hair that was covering Daren's forehead. Truthfully, this scene looked so beautiful, and the only part that could be improved was if the silver haired boy actually woke up and smiled at his brother. But Daren just laid there, motionless, and I could barely tell that he was even breathing.

Suddenly, Devon's fist banged on the bedside drawer with so much force, the sound echoed throughout the room. The resulting clash hurt my ears and made me flinch. Devon turned around, stood up again, and declared, "Damn it, I'm not going to sit here feeling sorry about the past. I've pitied myself for way too long. I'm the Solaris Emperor for God's sake, and I will do whatever it takes to help Daren retrieve his memories. So enlighten me doctor, there must be some way to help him."