While the stunt had let him talk to the population, the matter remained that simply spreading word wouldn't change this place. How he was supposed to do this without an army was beyond him. When they had so few people in the inner circle, and Eddy gone after the King took him... Edd sighed, falling on the bed Xavier had put down in the bunker, a knock at the frame had him sitting up.

"Kevin? What is it?" He sighed, laying back down.

"You just looked upset, I figured I'd see if you were okay." He replied, leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"I'll be fine... I'm just stressed."

He sat down on the edge of the bed. "What for? You completely scored with yesterday..."

"Because words don't change an entire government system. They just make him angry. We're going to need to actually do something if we want to see change."

"You're talking about gathering an army..." Kevin's eyes went wide.

"We're going to need one... but the problem is, how are we supposed to get everyone together?" He sighed.

"You? You are condoning violence?"

"We can't do this without it, as mad as that makes me..."

"Well... what if we created a code? We have a following already, so if we got a code passed around, then we could easily rally people up." He offered.

"That's not a bad idea." Edd grinned. "What kind of code, though?"

"Let's change some words to other words. Like instead of King, we use Pig or something."

"That's rude... and it sends the wrong message."

"Mule? He's stubborn..."

"I still think that's too horrible."

"Beast."

"... That could work..."

"How is that better?!"

"It has a certain elegance to it I suppose... but if we're calling people names then I suppose it's the best you can do without using a derogatory term."

"And you?"

"Why don't you come up with it?"

"Dove."

"... Why dove?"

"Peace and shit."

Edd shrugged. "Good as any. You can be a monkey."

"Hey!"

Edd laughed. "I'm kidding. What do you want to be?"

"Bear."

"Alright then."

Working on their code, chatting along and laughing at things they'd call other things... it occurred to Edd that they'd never been so friendly before. Even though they were stuck together like this he didn't think that it'd be so nice. Kevin had always been cruel, especially in the days before the explosion. He remembered playing with everyone... he remembered being loathed by most people he knew, aside from Ed and Eddy. When the explosion hit everyone was scattered and Ed, bless the poor soul, had been damaged so much that he hadn't spoken since. Eden... that's what this place was called, but... Edd wasn't too sure how this place came about. This was all humanity had left, right? The only place people were alive because outside the wooden walls they'd built stood monsters, warped by the radiation. They were constantly repairing the thing too... Edd remembered their entire group wandering together, having lost their families in the heat or to monsters, until they came across people in wagons. They invited the children to go with them... wait...

Was Eddy's brother always the King? He seemed to be when they got there... or maybe not? He tried to remember, but there was a fuzz in his mind that took it out of him. He couldn't grasp the memory...

"Was... was Eddy's brother always the king?"

"Huh?"

"Was Eugene always the King?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I remember coming here... but I don't remember who... started this place..."

"Why does it matter?"

"I suppose it doesn't, but I can't seem to remember..."

"How did you get here anyway?"

"Huh?" Edd was confused. "I rode with you guys on the wagon, remember?"

"... Edd you weren't in the cul-de-sac when the explosion reached us."

"What are you talking about?! I remember-"

"You were on a trip with your parents."

This was getting weird. Why did they remember two different things? He tried to think harder, but for the life of him he couldn't remember being gone.

"And I don't think Eugene was the King when I got here but... ah... I don't remember who it was, hell I don't think we ever got to know. They weren't in power long, and they gave it up to him I believe." Kevin scratched his head. "Yeah, that's about it. I think someone else would be better to ask."

"Xavier?"

"No... I don't think anyone was allowed inside the palace."

That was incredibly strange. Who'd give up power to Eugene? The man didn't exactly come across as a good candidate for leadership. Edd could remember just standing around the guy used to give him chills. Eugene wouldn't have been good at coordinating a kingdom either. It'd have to be someone who had enough acquaintances to gather up people and spread the word about a new haven for humanity; and an amusement employee with antisocial tendencies was not that person. So who created Eden? And Why give power to Eugene?

~.~.~

The dungeons were dank and dark and cold. Light rarely visited this stone prison beneath the dirt, riddled with rats and festering with fecal matter. Chains rubbed his wrists raw, Eugene had made sure that his precious little brother wouldn't be escaping any time soon. Nor would he have visitors.

Suddenly the flame from a torch entered Eddy's vision and he blinked, it was bright, but then everything was down there. Eugene walked along. He came down every so often to give him food and chat about how he'd handle his friend when he finally got him.

"He's disappeared again, I can't imagine where... we've checked the sewers any friends he had have had their homes ransacked..."

"He's going to remember." Eddy spoke up.

"Hm?"

"Remember? You had me keep him from remembering. But if he remembers it's on you and he might fight harder."

"Please... fight with what? You said he wouldn't dream of hurting anyone."

"If he finds out you're the one that killed his parents..."

Eugene snickered. "Let him come to me then, I'll kill him and his little friends."

"C'mon Bro, he's being an idiot, just let it go."

"I would but he's attracted so much attention... if people think they can rise up, then my power is threatened."

"Like you threatened his?"

"Please, he wouldn't have been a good King either, the boy's too wishy washy."

"At least he wouldn't treat family like crap."

"Shut up, pipsqueak, I'm being nice by feeding you. Besides, the former Prince won't know what hit him when production is done... soon no one will be able to question me."

He stood and left his poor little brother down in the cold darkness.