October is halfway done. And midterms are coming. But I'm stubborn and I'm not giving up.


IV

Friend


Dirk makes sure he acts good around English. Who knows what English would do if Dirk takes a wrong step…

"You know… you shouldn't be near those toxic scoundrels, Dirk…" English speaks. "They call themselves "therapists." As if they want to believe that they want to help…"

Dirk hums. In a way, he agrees with English. Therapy doesn't seem to work for Dirk. But it's something that he feels like he has to go. Dirk is pretty much fucked up in the head, which he pretty much needs some therapy –no matter how fucked up.

"Do you think they will show a nice movie in the break room, Dirk? I liked what was showing before though…"

Dirk keeps his mouth shut and be quiet. He can't believe he was so damn stupid into thinking he could easily get a subordinate that he could easily use and throw away. English isn't like that at all…

A few days with staying in a cell with English is all he needs…

It turns out English has these… fits that happen time from time… And even though Dirk can get curious and interested in those fits of his, he can't get anywhere near the top bunk as English said on the first day. Dirk was a fool and was choked and then pushed down to the ground as his punishment. Dirk learned quickly that he can't get anywhere on the top bunk without English's permission…

"Dirk…? Are you alright?" English asks. "Do you need to get rid of that toxic scoundrel you have?"

Dirk doesn't say anything.

"Strider! Your appointment is almost there." The guard says. Dirk recognizes the guard. He's the one with the file. Now he has a clipboard with him.

Dirk walks near the guard, waiting for him to unlock the doors.

"An appointment?" English questions. "Why don't you tell me more…"

The guard goes stiff. "That's confidential, English. Perhaps you can get the information by your new therapist who is going to come here soon."

English chuckles. "Or I could talk to my old one…"

The guard doesn't say anything. He unlocks the door and motions for Dirk. Dirk just follows his plea.

"…Let's go."

The guard shuts the door quick and goes. Dirk follows the guard and doesn't look back.

"Dirk…"

… Scheiße.

"Dirk…" English chants out. "Dirk… Well…? May I? May I do it, Dirk…?"

Dirk stops. He doesn't know what to say. So instead, Dirk responds by shrugging his shoulders. And then he follows the guard again. He has to think some way to make sure he gets an advantage from English…

"Hey Strider," The guard says out loud. They're far enough from Dirk's cell. "So… how's living with English? I'm surprised you didn't get pummeled like the last one."

"Pummeled?"

"Yeah, it turns out this convict was English's cellmate for a while. He acted confident at first but then English had–…Yeah, let's just say, he isn't in here for a good reason…"

Dirk wonders if that means English is the real one in charge of prison. English does have power but Dirk really wonders if it's the same power as any warden. If English is, Dirk then has two options.

One is being English's servant and/or bitch, making sure Dirk is favorable to English that his requests and favors can be done through English.

Or two, get English to share his power with either force or skilled manipulation…

Knock! Knock!

"Mister Terry, I got your patient here."

Click!

"I see… Let him in. Come, mister Strider, we have much more to talk about."

Dirk doesn't reply and walks in the room. He sits on the uncomfortable chair and waits for his therapist. He can hear the small talk between the therapist and the shitty guard. It's useless. They're talking about stupid American football… Dirk doesn't care.

Dirk thinks about English. There has to be some explanation for English acting like this to Dirk but not to this other cellmate that English had. Sure, Dirk was pushed of and hit the floor after trying to go up on the top bunk –but he wasn't pummeled… What did the other cellmate do that got him in a different prison in the first place?

"Well mister Strider, you were a little late coming here." The therapist says as he sits down on his chair.

"I have a new cellmate." Dirk answers, still not looking at the therapist. "I'm getting used to him."

The therapist hums. "I see… Having a new cellmate can be something that people need time to get used to. Hopefully you will get used to him and that there will be no trouble…"

Dirk hums in agreement. He sure doesn't want to get pummeled by English.

"So, Dirk, I know that you don't like to talk much but how about some inkblot pictures? You'll just answer what you see in the inkblots. Is that alright?"

Dirk nods.

The therapist gets up and searches around his desk. He gets out several papers and goes back sitting on his chair. He looks way too excited for this…

He takes out the first one. "Alright, what do you see, Strider?"

Dirk looks at it. It looks like a shitty butterfly. But he'll be polite.

"Butterfly." Dirk answers.

"And this one?"

"…Two guys."

"This one?"

"Two corpses…"

"Uh-huh… What about this one?"

Dirk twitches but he keeps his face neutral. "…Death…"

"I see, and what about this one…?"

Dirk then answers as much as he can with much monotone and one-word answer as he can. He really isn't taking it serious yet the therapist seems so excited and concentrated about it. This therapist isn't toxic. He's not like anything English said. The therapist is harmless and won't hinder the brothers' escape plan. Why would English want to hurt this guy?

"Alright, I got your results." The therapist says with a smile. "Let's see… I–"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Immediately, the excitement and happiness on the therapist disappears. He is shivering –shaking even.

"O-Oh god… That's English…"

Dirk feels his eyes widen. "Wait, you know English?"

"W-Who hasn't?! I was only an intern and English almost …he a-almost…"

Knock! Knock!

Click!

"…Hello Dirk…" English coos out. Then he glares at the therapist. "Hello… Phillip…"

In a second, English starts smiling again. He giggles a bit as he walks up to Dirk and then sits next to him.

"It's been some time since I last saw you. You were in a corner the last time I saw you."

"Oh… T-That's true… Um–"

"I say, that was clever of you… All those pictures and all those… notes…" English interrupts. "Unlike that vermin you were interning…"

English chuckles and sniffs the air. He puts his pinkie in his mouth.

"But you don't seem to learn, Phillip. You're doing something way too similar to that vermin… And you have something I dislike, Phillip… You know that I don't like it… You have seconds, Phillip. Now."

Whatever the therapist thinks, he just took his notes and inkblots and runs. English moves to the side and watches as the therapist runs away.

"…Was zum Teufel, English," Dirk spits out. "Why did you do that?"

English slowly turns his head and smiles at Dirk. But English doesn't stop there. He gets off the chair and gets a forgotten paper.

"Here Dirk," English says and gives the paper to Dirk. "This is something from the scoundrel…"

Dirk raises an eyebrow but he takes the paper. He looks at it. Dirk reads it and… Was zum Teufel?!

"That scoundrel he was interning… he was doing the same despicable technique to me…" English giggles out. "Try to act "friendly" and "defenseless" to the victims and let them reveal through their body language… Fortunately we have his needed results…"

Dirk can't believe he didn't see this. He's supposed to be a professional manipulator! And he was being manipulated by some amateur therapist!

English giggles. "When he was all excited like that… I thought it was the right time to intervene. I'm surprised you didn't attack him."

Dirk stares at English. He should have suspected and analyzed the therapist. He let his guard down. And English… English helped him. For some reason, this prisoner with power and metal instability had protected him from one smart manipulative bastard…

But Dirk doesn't think. He goes up, walks near English, and he punches him.

Dirk knows that he shouldn't have done that. He knows he should act like some servant to English. But no matter how much he denies… Dirk has fucking feelings!

Dirk was an assassin! He was an assassin that was infamous and famous for being a manipulative son of a bitch! How can he do this? How did he mentally weaken like this!

"Don't fucking look down at me!" Dirk yells. "I was at the top of my game and –and… fuck! I-Ich verlor Onkel und fast…"

"…Dirk…" Scheiße, Dirk has done it. He fucked it up. And now English is going to– "I'm sorry…"

…Was?

"I didn't mean to baby you, Dirk… I just wanted to show you that I'm worthy of your help…" English seems to explain. "But instead, I was smothering you… But I couldn't lose again –don't you see, I want to… I want to help you…"

…This can't be right –but Dirk examines and analyzes English, English is actually being honest!

"…Why would you do this?" Dirk can't help but ask.

English laughs and… Huh, that smile looks… sane…

"That's easy, Dirk." English says. "I always want to help my friends in any way possible…"

…Friends…?

"Uh… Thanks, English, I–"

"Jake. It's Jake, Dirk…"

Dirk blinks at English who has that sane smile still. For some reason, Dirk feels… positive…

"…Alright, Jake," Dirk answers. "So what's this about a movie?"


Thanks for reading you guys! I am glad that people like this.

If I can't finish this fanfiction at October, I will still try my best to finish it at November then.

Again thanks for reading. And please review. Bye!