Hey, what is up you guys? This is Flower1815 here, bringing you a new chapter of My little test subject! Something cool that I forgot to mention last chapter is that the mountains where the Red Army base is located in is actually based on a real life location, I've been there myself and it's great, and I thought it was a perfect place for a hidden organization to reside in. Coordinates are: 61.5536° N, 8.4842° E

This chapter is the first part in the little trilogy that I personally like to call "The breaking point", and a bit of forewarning here guys, but you might want to have some tissues on standby. Not for this chapter in specific, but I mean for these three chapters as a whole, cuz I had a hard time writing these without getting emotional myself. So have fun with that!

I think that's all the announcements I have. So yeah, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Thank you all so much for your support, I really appreciate it. Shout out to RednoLeader on Eddsworld Amino for the lovely comic adaptation; go check them out it's awesome! Leave a comment telling me your thoughts, I love to read them! See ya'll in two weeks! ;)

In his apartment, Eduardo paced back and forth while continuously mumbling under his breath as he skimmed through the evidence files he'd gathered during his investigation on the loser's new BFF. Over the past week since he started this new investigation, he'd been deeply invested in looking into everything there was to know about the enigmatic troublesome Irishman that's been lurking around Edd over the past few months. Eduardo went through a h#ll lot of trouble to acquire so much as a full name, and he had to break some big work policy rules here and there to get anything done at all; and although it wasn't much, what he found in the end should be more than enough reason for Edd to steer clear of that shady as f#ck guy.

"Edu!"

The file in his hands was tossed high in the air as Matt appeared unexpectedly right next to him, startling him. Eduardo caught the file mid-air as he quickly composed himself, and shot the ginger a hard stare.

"S-sorry!" Matt squeaked and backed away sheepishly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Eduardo narrowed his eyes and scoffed. "I didn't get scared! You just… you surprised me, that's all." He insisted. "Anyways, what are you doing here? Don't you have to be stupid somewhere else?" Good thing he made sure to clear away all evidence of his hobby from his living room earlier that day.

"Not until six!" Matt lifted his chin proudly. "Mark and I are going to watch a bunch of chick flick movies. You want to join us?"

"Can't. We have a plan going here, and I need to stay here to talk with Edd, remember?" Eduardo highly doubted Edd would hear him out if he simply approach him, so they devised a plan to get them in the same space by themselves long enough for him to show the evidence, and convince him of keeping his distance from the Irish menace. "Besides, I'm not a big fan of chick flick movies."

"How do you know, you big grumpy pants?" Matt challenged slyly. "Have you ever tried watching it to find out?"

"I used to watch them with Jon whenever he insisted on it."

Matt tensed. He didn't mean to bring up Jon! No doubt his late friend was still a sore subject for Eduardo to talk about, and the last thing Matt wanted was to make the burly brunet upset, or worse, evoke his wrath. He instantly opened his mouth to apologize but Eduardo continued.

"Jon didn't like that I was only into violent action movies, so he'd try to get me into other genres of movies. Mostly chick flicks and animated films." His voice was soft and grave; a faint smile on his face. "Didn't really enjoy most of them, but Jon was happy with the arrangement so I put up with it. Jon liked the more light-hearted films, especially those with bouncy musical numbers."

Matt stared at him in surprise. Talking about Jon seemed to have made him happy, even though he was dead. Was that how it was when you lost someone you loved? His thoughts drifted to Tom. Even thinking of his friend made Matt's chest tighten with grief. I could never talk about Tom happily. Not after what happened. And even then, he had no one to talk to. Edd barely even looks at him, nowadays.

After today, hopefully that'll change…

"Don't you find it hard to talk about him?" Matt couldn't help but ask.

"I like to remember him." Eduardo answered. "And it's easier now that some time has passed." He bowed his head. "He was the kindest, sweetest person I've ever known, and I miss him every day. But missing him doesn't have to feel so sad anymore because... I try to call on his memory with fondness, you know?"

Matt held his gaze, saying nothing. The grief in his heart seemed to melt into warmth.

"Is everything going according to plan?" Eduardo asked, putting the evidence file on the kitchen counter.

"Yes! I invited Edd over, and told him we're gonna chill together – all four of us!" Matt told him, shifting his feet. "He… surprisingly agreed to it." It's been three days since his friend returned from the camping trip with Reagan, and the brunet has been acting strangely quiet since then. Well… more so than usual anyway. "You sure I can't take a peek on the evidence file? I think it would bring me some relief if I knew what we're dealing with here."

Eduardo shook his head. "I'll handle this, doofus. Just know that you were right to be suspicious." And that's all he was willing to share on the matter.

"If you say so…" Matt chuckled, rubbing his shoulder. "You know, it will be nice to have Edd back once this whole ordeal is finally over. Things can finally go back to the way they were…" He trailed off; realizing things could never be the same as it was before. Tom is still gone.

For a brief moment, Matt entertained the possibility of Tom still being alive somewhere and coming back to them. He knew it would never happen. He's dead and buried in Winchester Park. But he couldn't help but think of a scenario where Tom returned, intimidated Reagan from ever coming close to them again, and the three of them would be happy once again to go on more crazy adventures. If only...

Mark joined them a few minutes later, and they took their time while Edd has yet to arrive to discuss the details of their plan. "Okay, so let's recap. The loser will come in through that door at any minute now, and we're all gonna act natural. Then once the loser has been lured into a false sense of security, you two find an excuse to leave us alone, and I'll talk to him. Is everyone clear on what you're doing?"

Matt and Mark nodded in unison.

Just then, the apartment doorknob jiggled. Everyone tensed.

"He's here." Eduardo narrowed his eyes. "Remember, act natural!"

They settled themselves around the kitchen counter, appearing as if they were chatting. Eduardo made sure to keep the evidence file out of sight as the door flipped open, and Edd strolled in with a can of cola in his hands. Although there was an easy-going smile on his face, his expression was unreadable and his eyes were dark.

"Hey." Edd greeted, his gaze sweeping around the place.

Eduardo grunted. "Sup, loser."

"So, uhh... what- what are we doing?" Edd questioned. "Matt only said we'd be hanging out, but I didn't really understand what this entails. By the way, I won't be able to stick around for very long. I have somewhere to be later on."

Eduardo narrowed his eyes. Meeting with Reagan, no doubt. He opened his mouth to reply, thinking of something casual to say, when Matt beat him to the punch.

"Oh NO!" Matt exclaimed dramatically, hand flying to his forehead as if he were a damsel. Beside him, Mark jumped in surprise. Even Edd looked startled. "It seems I have FORGOTTEN SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT back in my APARTMENT!"

Eduardo's composure wavered, and he had to will himself not to face palm. Perhaps he should've clarified to have Mark make up an excuse to leave instead – the doofus was far from subtle. He caught a gleam of amusement in Mark's eyes as the ginger continued.

"Oh, the HUMANITY!"

"What thing?" Edd asked, his eyes narrowed and an annoyed edge to his voice. "Matt, whatever it is, do you really need it right now?"

"YES!" Matt said, louder than before. "This is ABSOLUTELY TOO IMPORTANT!"

"Well, perhaps-" Edd started.

"MARK, would you be so kind as to ACCOMPANY ME back to MY PLACE and HELP ME LOOK FOR IT?" Matt practically bellowed. "I'm afraid I WON'T find it by MYSELF."

Hiding his laughter, Mark answered as curtly as he could. "Of course."

With a hand on the ginger's shoulder, the two of them made their way around the counter and passed by Edd, who stared at them incredulously as they exited the apartment. "What… what just happened?"

Eduardo shrugged and rolled his eyes innocently. "H#ll if I know." That… could've gone better, but they did their job. He thought, fixing his gaze on the brunet standing across from him. Now comes the hard part… No matter what way he goes about this, once he mentions Reagan the loser will undoubtedly lose his temper and become defensive. He just needs him to listen long enough to supply him with the information he found. Now whether this ruins whatever respect they have for one another, Eduardo couldn't honestly care. He might as well just spill it and get it over and done with.

He took a deep breath, his hand gripping the file on the counter. He has to choose his next words carefully.

"Last week, when you were leaving for your trip, I saw you with a strange blond guy." He began. Edd's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he listened silently as Eduardo continued. "I couldn't help but notice some strange looks he was giving you. Have you known that guy for very long?"

He immediately noticed Edd's posture go rigid, though his facial expression remained partially indifferent. After several long moments, Edd spoke. "Who I spend my time with is none of your business." He sipped his cola.

Eduardo glared at him. He could feel tension cackling in the air between them. He wanted to avoid a possible fight from breaking out, but if Edd decides to make things difficult he won't hesitate to go for the hard way instead. Eduardo took a pace forward, towering over the loser who glared back at him indignantly. He will try to keep things peaceful until there's no other choice. "Your friend is worried about you." He growled. "And after everything I found out about your supposedly "new friend", I agree with him."

"Matt…" Edd hissed through gritted teeth, crushing the empty cola can with one hand. "Of course he would involve you in this mess. What a great friend he is. Telling everyone about my personal life! Ha! I swear to god, I'm gonna kill him-" He trailed off as he abruptly stood up and made a move the leave.

"Oh no, you don't!"

Eduardo surged forward and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him back hard and shoving him back down on the couch in one fluid motion. Edd blinked wide eyed, wondering what just happened. "You're gonna sit the f#ck down and hear me out, you understand?"

Edd sat up, his eyes narrowed to furious slits. "Keep your big fat-ass nose out of my life, will you?"

"Just listen to what I have to say." Eduardo insisted, trying hard to keep his anger in check and not let a fight break out. "If you don't want me in your life anymore after this, then fine. I'll leave you well enough alone. But at least listen to what I have to say first before you come to a decision."

Edd scoffed, but begrudgingly remained where he was. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Eduardo the entire time.

Eduardo sighed. "I've been investigating this Reagan fellow closely over the past week after doofus told me what was going on."

"Pretty sure that's an invasion of privacy." Edd muttered crossly.

"Not in my line of work, it isn't." Eduardo replied steadily.

"Oh, great!" Growled Edd. "So Matt paid you to spy on my life, huh? That suddenly makes it all better then!"

"I wasn't spying on you, I was spying on Reagan!" Eduardo shook his head. "But that's beside the point; thing is, you shouldn't trust that guy. He's clearly up to something, and for whatever reason you seem to be the only one naively blindsided to notice."

"Excuse me?"

Eduardo pulled out the evidence file and flickered through it. "Your so called friend used to be part of a criminal organization from around these parts." He revealed. "He worked for them for several years by mugging, kidnapping, and killing people-"

"Yeah, I already know all that."

Eduardo stiffened with shock. His eyes widened as he stared at Edd. "Wait… you already know this? And… you deliberately continue to hang out with him? Are you mad?!"

Edd shrugged and rolled his eyes. "What's the big deal? He told me all of this himself, and he said he doesn't do this kind of stuff anymore." He lifted his chin confidently as he said this. "He's changed! And I believe him."

"Are you telling me you trust him purely because of that?" Eduardo exclaimed, hardly believing what he was hearing. "Haven't you considered he might've lied to your face about that? You hardly know him!"

"Neither do you. But you think you know him well enough to say he can't be trusted." Edd countered.

Is he for real? Eduardo stared at him completely dumbfounded. "Don't think I haven't noticed your wounds! I've seen you limping ever since you returned from your so called "camping trip"." He pointed out. "He's been making you do stupid sh#t, hasn't he? Probably picking fights with some thugs or something."

"It's not his fault we kept bumping into trouble." Edd admitted, knowing that wasn't completely true. "The thugs… just happened to be there."

Eduardo snorted disbelievingly. "Oh, that's rich! Sure. And he just so happened to have been one of them, too. Maybe still is." His stare hardened. "Even if what he told you was true, hasn't it crossed your mind he might be using you as a means of getting revenge on them? How are you totally okay with this?"

Edd shook his head profusely. "He wouldn't do that." He insisted. "He's my friend!"

For a few moments Eduardo was kinda speechless by the loser's bind faith. Okay… so he knows about the criminal organization stuff. There goes that useful little bit of trivia on the Irishman. Then he flipped over the next page on the file and his eyes darkened.

"You don't know who you are dealing with." He murmured coolly. "You think you know him based on your experiences, but you couldn't be more wrong. Reagan is not who you think he is."

Edd stared at him evenly. "I know enough."

"Oh, really?" Eduardo challenged. "Then I suppose you also know that your little friend has been legally dead for the past five years?"

Stunned, Edd stared with disbelief at the man standing over him. His eyes widened. "What?" He gasped, refusing to believe what he had just heard.

"Reagan has been dead for five years." Eduardo repeated more firmly, trying not to show satisfaction of finally having caught the loser off guard this time. "So this guy you've been hanging around has obviously lied to you about who he truly is. Face it, Edd. This guy is too dangerous to be trusted, so give it a rest and stop seeing him!"

Edd was still struggling to deal with what Eduardo had just told him. But the more he really thought about it… it kind of adds up. He recalled the night on the alleyway when they fought the thugs, and how one of them had not only referred to Reagan by a different name but they had also thought of him as dead, too. Add up with everything the Irishman told him of the organization he currently works for – the Red Army – things started to piece themselves together like a puzzle.

Perhaps Reagan faked his death to get away from the criminal life on the streets to join this Red Army? This theory certainly fits with everything else Reagan had told him about his life.

Relief washed over him, but he held back a sigh. He can't really explain all of that to Eduardo; even if he wanted to. Reagan said no outside parties must know about his deal or the Red Army. Besides, it's none of Eduardo's business, anyway.

An icy calm flooded through him as he faced his former rival, lifting his chin and raising his gaze to meet his. "This means nothing to me." He growled solemnly. "I know who Reagan truly is. I am the one who actually went out and got to know him; not you, nor Matt! Neither of you should get to decide who I'd rather spend my time with. And after this bullcr#p both of you pulled on me… I think I want nothing to do with any of you anymore!"

A long pause followed. Eduardo tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. "What are you saying?"

Anger swelled up inside Edd, but he forced himself to stay calm and think carefully about his next words. "Reagan is offering me a chance to get my life sorted out." He admitted, while not going into much detail over what exactly this offer entails. His words hung heavy in the air. "A chance for me to leave everything that's been dragging me down behind, and move on with my life."

Eduardo was silent, his gaze locked with Edd's. "Loser," he said in a tight voice. "If I thought for one minute that you'd actually consider this —"

"You and Matt should probably stop trying to intervene with my life," Edd cut in scathingly. "When you know what's on the line. But don't worry. I haven't decided yet. I just want you to know exactly what's on the table, so you can think about that the next time you guys tell me who to be friends with."

Eduardo stared at him flabbergasted. "Are you sh#tting me right now, loser? How can you still insist there's nothing wrong in this picture? No. Better yet! – How can you choose some shady f#ck you've known only for a couple of months over your own best friend?" He glared at him in complete disbelief. "What would Tom think about this?"

Too little too late, Eduardo realized the fatal mistake he made.

Edd bristled, his eyes furious slits. He barged past him roughly. Eduardo didn't bother trying to stop him from leaving this time, knowing it would be a lost cause. This conversation was getting nowhere. Shooting one last furious glare at him, Edd slammed the door shut behind him; nearly causing the whole building to tremble.

"Sheesh!" Breathing out an exasperated sigh, Eduardo ran a hand through his hair and retreated into the kitchen. His attempts of helping Edd see to reason has ended catastrophically bad, and their argument took a lot out of him. "That could've gone better." He mutters under his breath, opening the fridge to take out a can of diet cola.

Soft knocking on the door roused him out of his tired musings. Eduardo knew better than to hope it would be Edd, coming back so soon after his angry outburst. "Come in."

The door slowly creaked open revealing Mark, standing in the apartment's entrance holding a cup of tea in one hand. "Everything okay?" He asked softly, his eyes shifting around the place. "I heard the commotion-"

"I'll be surprised if you didn't." Eduardo mumbled, taking a sip of his drink.

"-So I decided to check up on you." Mark finished, unfazed by Eduardo's moody comment. "Edd didn't take your suggestion well, I presume?"

Eduardo glanced at him briefly as he walked right past and into the living room. "What was your first clue, smart-ass?" He plopped down on the sofa, coke in hand and switched the TV on. "How's doofus? Did he hear us?"

Already used to this kind of behaviour from his companion, Mark did not take it personally. "Oh, he's fine! He actually dozed off five minutes into the film we were watching; so he didn't hear anything." He sat down neatly next to Eduardo, taking a sip of his tea as he waited for the anticipated frustrated rant that was about to ensue.

"That damn loser thinks he's got it all figured out."

Yup! There it is.

"I just don't get it! I gave him every possible and conceivable reason not to hang around that shady character – warned him about his friend's worries over the subject, and he still won't listen!" The words seem to stumble out of Eduardo's mouth. "He is so goddamn stubborn, I just want to bury my fist in his face repeatedly until he finally gets some semblance of sense!"

Enjoying his tea, Mark patiently waited for him to cool down and finish his mad ravings. After a particularly long sip, he gazed down at his drink pensively and gave a low hum of understanding. "Hmm, sounds like a handful." He observed, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Reminds me of a certain someone who went through a similar issue in the past."

At that, Eduardo scoffed. "As if! You didn't see me hanging around obvious charlatans." He protested defensively. However, after a few moments of silence between them, only replaced with the sounds coming from the television, did Eduardo really reflect on his own behaviour. "Was I really this difficult to deal with?" He mumbled uncomfortably, as if he didn't want to admit the possibility out loud.

"I would argue you were worse, but then again, I don't know much about the current situation to make a clear judgement yet." Mark shrugged with a tiny grin.

Eduardo shot him an annoyed glare. "I hate when you're right."

Running a hand exasperatedly through his messy locks, Eduardo emitted a long drawled out groan of annoyance as he stood up. Mark watched him with amusement and curiosity. "Where you heading off to?"

Eduardo put on a jacket as he replied. "I'm gonna stop the loser from making the biggest mistake of his life."

(Meanwhile…)

Cold. So cold. Everything was darkness and cold. The bitter frost deep inside of him, freezing his guts, burned fiercely; driving him forward to seek a way of making this agonizing sensation stop. He could see shadowy blurry shapes all around him. Impulsively, almost as if it were instinct, he pounced and sank his teeth into one of them. He paid no mind to the loud noises they made, or the struggle they put on, as he felt the wet gush of warmth seeping into his mouth. He barely chewed, just swallowed the whole chunk and felt it travel down his throat all the way to his stomach where the warmth spread throughout the rest of his body. He nearly shivered with delight when the freezing sensation subsided at long last.

For about a few seconds.

Before long, the warmth evaporated like mist and he was left feeling as if icicles were stabbing through his abdomen. The cold had taken over again. He took a few more famished bites in a desperate attempt at igniting the warmth back into his body; but as the movements of the figure he clung to weakened, so did the warmth, and soon, he was gnawing at a lukewarm chunk at best. He abandoned the motionless figure in favour of one of the more lively ones.

Bright flashes of light faded in and out of his vision. In between them, he caught glimpses of figures moving around him. Blood splattering the walls. Screams of terror. Frightened faces. A warm bluish glow in the palm of a hand; the sight of it made him flinch in pain for some reason. It made his skin burn, but he could still feel ice running through his veins.

As he slowly regained consciousness, Tom became more and more aware of how stiff and sore his entire body felt. His chest in particular was aching a lot, and his stomach felt weird. These sensations feel familiar, though he couldn't exactly tell why that is. He struggled to blink open his eyes. The light above him was harsh and nearly blinded him. Groaning, he lifted a hand over his face to shield his eyes.

"Tom."

At the sound of his name, Tom blinked rapidly. His vision progressively cleared; his surroundings coming into focus. He was back in his room… his room in the lab level of the Red Army base. But why? Wasn't Tord experimenting on him? Shouldn't he be in the laboratory? He lifted his head, noticing a figure standing at the foot of his bed watching him. Tom blinked a couple of times until the blue and red blur melded together to reveal none other than the Red Leader himself. His gaze dark, and his expression unreadable.

"Commie?" Tom slurred, feeling as if the whole room were spinning. He tried to sit up in bed, only for a headache to force him back down. "What… what's going on? What is this? Why are we here?"

Tord didn't answer him right away. He tipped his head to one side and continued his silent observation of the eyeless man. Tom felt uneasy. Just what about him intrigued the Norsk so much?

"How much do you remember?" Tord asked, his one eye narrowing.

Tom blinked. "Of what?"

"This last week. What can you remember?"

Licking his lips, Tom suddenly realized just how dry his mouth and throat were. He squinted his eyes, eyebrows furrowing as he tried to think. "Uhh… we were… in the lab. You were running tests on me."

Tord nodded. "What else?"

Tom clenched his eyes shut as a splitting headache momentarily took hold of him. "I don't…" He rasped. "I don't know. I don't understand! What is this? I'm not in the mood to play your little games, Commie."

"You really don't remember any of it?" Tord inquired, worry darkening his gaze. "Think hard, Tom. What is your most recent memory?"

"I don't-"

All of a sudden, it came all flooding back. He sat up so fast it nearly gave him whiplash. Recollections of waking up in this exact same state, only with no clothes on, dead bodies gruesomely piled around him, and a horrible sinking realization of what had previously occurred. But even then he knew – in his heart he knew – that he must've done something similar to those previous incidents. Oh, please no…

"Did-" He choked, struggling to get the dreadful words out. "Did I shift?"

Tord held him motionless for several heartbeats with his penetrating gray gaze, his face giving nothing away. "You did." He revealed at last. "You've been in your monster form for approximately a week."

Tom hardly heard him. A week?! I've never been gone for that long! Blood pounded in his ears and he started to hyperventilate. Oh no. What have I done? He half expected the voice to barge in his head with an ear-splitting screech of fury, knowing that he failed to fulfil his promise. But the voice was silent. It felt like static crackling in his head. Just eerie white noise while it waited for its opportunity to strike. Tom knew it was active. It was there, and even with all the pain it induced he'd rather have it talking and hurting him then silently biding its time. If it intends to get rid of him, just get it over and done with already!

"Do you remember what happened?" Tord asked.

Tom lowered his head. "I… we fought in the lab. Was that when-?"

"Yes."

Processing all of this, Tom tried to look on the bright side of things. Sure, he failed to live up to his end of the bargain and the voice won; but he shifted in a heavily fortified military base secluded from the rest of society! Surely no one must've gotten hurt by him this time around?

Then his gaze flickered over to Tord, and he noticed little puncture marks on his chest with small blood stains.

"I'm guessing I tried to kill you, huh?" He swallowed nervously and chuckled lightly, trying to hide his growing inner dread. "If you know me, then you must've realized that isn't much different from how I usually act around you-"

"Tom."

Tom hesitated. The Commie didn't seem to be in the mood for teasing, either. God, what did he do this time? He tried to search the Norsk's gaze for clues, but could not find any hints of anger in his expression. That's a good sign, right? Although, there were glimpses of something that Tom could mistake for concern in his one eye. Could Tord suspect something is out of place with him? Surely not. There's no reason for him to think that!

"Do you have any memory of what happened while in your monster form?" Tord demanded.

Clenching his eyes shut, Tom tried to call forth his latest memories in a vain hope of remembering. He usually only gets out-of-order glimpses through brief flashes. He only gets to see the full extent of his actions after several nights of disturbing nightmares.

Giving up, he shook his head, looking up at Tord for a detailed explanation with a troubled gaze.

Tord sighed. "The monster managed to escape the base. It was heading for the city, but it crossed paths with one of my border patrols instead… I- I managed to detain it, but by then it had already killed several members of the patrol." Tom's mind whirled with horror. He wanted to ask how many were killed in total, but Tord wasn't finished. "You'd been reduced back to normal… or so we thought. On the way back to the base you woke up and shifted again; and massacred what was left of the survivors."

Bewildered and horror-stricken at Tord's words, Tom gagged. "How many did I-?" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"Twenty four." Tord replied calmly. "The only survivor is in the infirmary in critical condition as we speak."

Tom reared back, horror twisting his belly. Bile rising in his throat. The mere notion that he had attacked and most likely eaten more innocent people made him physically retch. Huge eyed and trembling, he pushed himself out of bed and stumbled over to the bathroom on the opposite side of the room. Tord watched his every step.

"Tom, it's no use." He said, as Tom bent over the toilet; gasping and gulping. "We had your stomach pumped while you were unconscious. There's nothing left in you."

Too horror-struck and disgusted with himself, he barely acknowledged the implication of Tord's words. That helpful little piece of information didn't stop Tom from throwing up regardless; his body releasing nothing but bile and saliva. Still shaking, his body heaved whatever contents he had left in him, which wasn't much, into the toilet. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes from far more than just the mere strain of puking.

Feeling there was nothing else left to empty, Tom flushed the toilet and backed away into the bedroom where Tord remained motionless. He turned to face him. His legs trembled beneath him. All the secrets he'd been carrying suddenly felt like stones in his belly. If he were dropped into the ocean now, they'd drag him straight down to the bottom, never to see the light of day again.

Tom leaned forward. "Wh- what- so what are you going to do?" He whispered; a challenge edged in his voice, the challenge of someone who's on the brink of desperation. "What's going to happen to me now?"

"Nothing."

Tom blinked.

"We're going to proceed with the experiments as usual." Tord went on. "What happened was an unfortunate accident, but we mustn't let that get in the way of our plans."

"An accident?" Tom echoed, still shaking. "No. An accident is when you hit someone with your car unintentionally. What I did… was just plain massacre." He finished quietly, turning his head away.

Silence followed his heavy words. As it dragged on, Tord raised his head again. "Something else happened out there." He began calmly. "When the monster set itself free on the chopper, it… it stopped and started crying. I think seeing one of the soldiers kill himself might've set it off somehow. And I think… I think you snapped out of it."

"Did I?" Tom's whisper was barely audible.

"You spoke to me then." Tord went on, staring evenly into the eyeless man's empty sockets. "You begged to die."

There was a suspenseful pause. Numbness crept beneath Tom's skin, deadening his heart, slowing his thoughts. Then, "Don't be ridiculous!" He snapped, feeling dizzy with horror. "You must be mistaken. I would never-"

"I heard you loud and clear as you clung to me." Tord retorted, his stare hardened. "You plead to me, more than once, to kill you. And I want to know why that is!"

Tom felt sick. The room was spinning out of control, and the following silence was drowned out by the frantic pounding of his heart inside his chest. Tom wrapped his arms around himself. He wanted to run away, hide where no one can ever find him, and stay there forever with his arms over his head.

"N-no -"His voice cracked; a shrill of disbelief. "No! You're wrong!" He shook his head stubbornly. "You must've made a mistake. I wouldn't have said that – I couldn't have said that!"

"Why not?" Tord inquired.

The question made Tom freeze in place. A sudden pressure started to increase in his head, and his jaw clenched shut; refusing to answer the questions that hit too close to home. The voice had trained him well. "Because," He licked his lips nervously. He swallowed and started again. "I just couldn't!" He blurted insistently; much like a child would.

"Why are you so distressed?"

Trembling and on the brink of tears, Tom realized just how "out of character" he was behaving at the moment. Very suspicious, indeed. The voice didn't punish him for it, though. It was silently drumming its sharp nails in the very back of his mind, patiently waiting for its turn to confront him.

When Tom failed to come up with some sort of believable response, Tord continued. "All those bruises on your arms… your severe weight loss, the lack of self-care, continuous reckless behaviour, and exaggerated alcohol consumption…" He spoke slowly, thinking about every word as though piecing the pieces of a puzzle together. "It's no coincidence, Thomas. You… you've been on the path of self-destruction this entire time, haven't you?"

The accusation thickened the air around them. Tom didn't answer. He couldn't. He stood there, visibly shaking as darkness rushed into his vision and sucked all the breath out of him. All his secrets were gushing out like water breaking through a dam, and there was nothing Tom could do to avoid this. One way or another; his lies will unveil here and now, and he will finally be exposed for the murderous burden that he is.

The voice has truly won.

Once again he failed to reply. Tord stalked closer and shook him by the shoulders. "Speak! I want answers!"

"And I want to feel safe in my own skin. Looks like we're both keeping each other from getting what we want." Tom blurted out in a deadpanned voice, his eyes wide and empty; conveying nothing.

Shocked, Tord stepped back and let go of him.

Tom stared back at him numbly. He could not bring himself to care for the impact his words might have on the Norsk anymore. Anger rose within him like bubbling lava in an active volcano. If Tord wants him to speak… oh, then he will speak.

Tord stared at him in disbelief. "W-what happened to you? You were always the strongest out of all of us, and now you're… you're…"

"Broken? Yeah, you can only pull a rubber band so hard before it snaps." Tom spat.

"How did this even happen?" Tord asked, his voice hollow.

"Honestly, there's no point in lying to you to spare your feelings anymore, so I'm just going to come out and say it. Everything that's happened – all the deaths, the pain, the hurt… It's all your fault." For a heartbeat, Tom sounded dazed. Then rage welled up inside of him as he met Tord's wide stare. "You gave me the serum. You made me this way." He snarled, taking a threatening pace closer to the Norwegian man.

Tord stiffened with shock. "I never meant to give you the serum!"

"But you did!" Tom spat in return. "You dropped the damn thing on my coffee mug, and stood by and watch me drink it; all to keep your precious new project a secret from the rest of us. Because that's what's most important, wasn't it? Even after you lost your first test subject and knew what could happen to me, you still didn't do anything about it. You simply didn't give a damn if I died then if it meant your plans were never discovered." He drew himself up, fists clenched. "I used to look up to you, you know? I might have even respected you at one point." He froze suddenly, leaning forward. "For a time, all I ever wanted was to come even remotely close to being anything like you. Just someone who can do something relevant without f#cking up every time." He shook his head, his posture softening. "But that's just it – I'm nothing like you. I'm not an inventor, nor a genius, neither a leader – I'm a failure! And then when I needed you the most, you turned your back on me! So how dare you – how f#cking dare you keep on referring to me as a friend, when you've proven time and time again that I mean so little to you?"

With every word Tom said, a new wound opened in Tord's heart. He stared at the eyeless man in dismay. Tom made a noise of despair and pressed his forehead, gritting his teeth, as though he were trying to keep his head from splitting open. Tord stepped closer, reaching a hand out for him.

"Tom, I-"

His hand was batted away.

"You need to fix this!" Tom lifted his voice in a wail, jabbing a finger into Tord's chest. "My plan would've worked fine if you hadn't kidnapped and brought me here for your sick experiments! I should've died long before any of this happened."

As he listened, Tord had felt like a child struggling to stay afloat in a rushing river, with nothing solid to hold on to. Now it was as if his feet had slammed against the bottom, leaving him stunned.

Tom… was going to kill himself? What?

"You know what you have to do." Tom continued, chuckling darkly. "C'mon. I slaughtered your soldiers! Just like a dog that shows signs of aggression, you need to put me down. It's only fair."

A gleam of some emotion that Tom couldn't identify woke in Tord's gaze. "Absolutely not!" He protested, shocked that Tom would even suggest such a thing. "You don't have any control over what your monster form does."

"Exactly. It's only a matter of time before I act out again and kill you next. You cannot hope to control it." Tom argued smoothly. "If you really meant every word you said about making this world a better place, then here's your chance to prove it. Kill the burden!"

There was only one answer to that challenge. Tord met his gaze evenly and didn't hesitate. "No." He stepped back. "You are my test subject, and my secret weapon to win this war. You're too important to throw away."

Tom stared at him incredulously; a flame of anger flaring in his eyes. "You have my blood, don't you? You can use it to recreate the serum and give it to some other fool – I don't care! Have someone else be your secret weapon, because I'm done!"

Tord drew himself up, head high; his voice clear and cold as he answered. "No. We don't know if that will work. We can't take any risks."

A heavy silence dragged on for eternity after that. His words sunk in. Tom met his gaze as his fury ebbed away and he bowed his head in resignation.

"Figures." He tsked. "I always knew you were full of sh#t, Commie." Balling his hands into fists, his limbs trembled at his sides. He leaned forward, head lowered; jaws clenched, and stared hopelessly at the floor as numbness spread throughout his body. Tom could feel something uncomfortable scratching away at his insides, making his eyes prick, and in that moment of weakness he kept his head bowed. "I'm supposed to be dead…" He hissed, desperate to hold on to any form of emotion he could reach – the closest being anger; for being denied the end to his suffering, and at the man that is to blame for it. "Had I only fulfilled my promise, none of this would've happened!"

Tord towered over him. "Promise? What promise?" He stepped closer and rested one hand on Tom's shoulder, and for a moment the eyeless man didn't move away. "What are you talking about? What did you promise?"

Tom shook him away. "I don't know why I even bother with tears or anger at this point. It's not like I am actually capable of feeling anything at all!" He shouted; knuckles clenched. "Ten… years… of dealing with this. Do you have any idea what I've been through? Having to put up an act and pretend that everything is absolutely fine and dandy so as to not worry anyone; incapable of feeling emotions… I see people laugh or cry, and I just stand there… unable to feel anything. I'm just stone cold inside, and it hurts! It's so painful!" His voice broke. Something wet trickled down his face. "There's not a day that goes by where I don't wish you hadn't missed that missile that fateful day."

Tord opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing. What could he say? Tom may carry a deep seated resentment for him, but he seems to carry an even bigger one for himself. Besides, it's not his place to comfort him. He's the Red Leader, after all; and Tom's just a test subject…

With a heavy heart, Tord distanced himself from Tom and turned away. Tom drooped his head and slowly dragged himself back to his bed. Tord shuddered. "I must go now. There are other business that I need to attend to-"

"Don't come back unless it is to put a bullet between my eyes, you hear me?" He heard Tom call out to him as he headed for the door. He winced, hesitating briefly at the doorway, but ultimately hurried away without answering.

Tom heard the door hiss closed behind him; he didn't turn around to check if Tord was gone. There was no need. With a shaky, wavering breath the light in the room dimmed and he was cast in shadows. The unmistakable sound of nails scratching on metal rang agonizingly in his ears.

"You… failed… ~" The voice announced with barely suppressed giddiness. The hairs on the back of Tom's neck stood on end. "Not only have you failed in killing yourself and resist transforming, but you also killed even more innocent people, and to top it all off, you proceeded to confess your secret – to your arch enemy, no less! ~" Tom sat motionless, his eyes closed. "Have you anything to say in your defence, worm? ~"

Tom wanted to laugh – nothing he says will change what's about to happen – but he wouldn't dare. There's a slim chance the voice could go easy on him if he just submit without a fight. But knowing that he broke its rules and failed so spectacularly, toppled with the voice's sadistic nature… highly unlikely.

"N-no…"

At once, a thin and sharp tendril snapped around his left arm, and looped tight just below his shoulder. Tom hissed as it tugged hard and began to cut deep into his skin, drawing blood. The more he pulled against it, the deeper the rope would cut. Panicking, Tom tried following the direction of where the rope was being pulled to, hoping to avoid further pain. He was stopped short when another tendril coiled around his right ankle and started pulling him in the opposite direction. He was going to be torn apart!

His scream of terror cut off with a strangled gasp as more tendrils appeared and tightened themselves around his throat, slicing into him.

"Shhh… we'll have none of that now. ~" The voice sneered. "This is nothing compared to the pain you've inflicted upon others. It's only fair you receive the same treatment in return. ~"

While Tom was forced to play tug of war with the voice inside his head, back in reality, Tom was digging his fingers into the bed sheets. He sat hunched over in his bed, facing the wall, his back turned toward the door. With every cry of pain he uttered in his head and felt it sear all over his body, he would only let out the occasional soft grunt or whine. No one can know how much pain he's in. He can't burden people more.

At some point, as the mental torture went on, his eyes started to light up with an eerie pinkish glow.

(Meanwhile…)

Edd's head spun with weariness. After his camping trip with Reagan and the others a few nights ago, he constantly felt short of sleep and restless whenever thinking about the chance he's been offered. During the day he had to pretend to Matt and the others that he was as fine as ever, that there was nothing going on in his life at all.

You can't go on like this. A small voice warned him.

Reagan had said the exact same thing, too.

But how could he give up his life, give up his aspirations, his home, his friend? Yeah, Matt and Eduardo were driving him up the wall from how nosy they are, and he may have threatened to leave, but he knew deep down that was only his rage talking back then. He didn't really mean it. Maybe. But Reagan had brought a new level of thrill he'd never felt before, and it served as a great distraction for his troubles. Whatever decision he made, he was afraid he would not survive the loss.

Close to the meeting point, he scanned the area for any signs of Reagan; every hair on the back of his neck prickled with excitement as he spotted the familiar figure standing in the distance, and a heartbeat later he made out the lean blond Irishman waiting for him in the shadow of an alley.

"Reagan!" He called, bounding forward.

"Eddie!" Reagan waved him over.

Edd quickly scampered over to him.

"I'm so glad you could come." Reagan greeted. "Did you have any trouble getting away from your neighbours?"

"Uhm… maybe a little bit." They hugged briefly. "Did we really have to meet here? This place kinda gives me the creeps."

Reagan pulled away, fishing his pockets for a cigarette. "Well, I figured since this should be a quick meeting we wouldn't waste our time in some fancy place." He reasoned, popping a cigar to his mouth and quickly lighting it. "Anyways." He drawled out a long inhale before breathing out a puff of smoke. "The others have already given me their answer, and they've all agreed to join. Now it all comes down to you. What's it gonna be, Eddie?"

Edd took a deep breath. He was about to reply when they suddenly heard the distinct sound of a can getting crushed coming from behind him. He spun around. I swear to God…his temper ignited.

"All right, Matt, come out!" He snapped. "We know you're there."

There was a brief silence. Then a figure turned the corner and out stepped not Matt, but Eduardo.

"Whoa, my goodness! You never told me you had a hot brawny twin, Eddie!" Reagan commented slyly, his gaze raking over the newcomer with interest.

Edd couldn't bring himself to correct his companion, or even be disgusted with his pathetic attempt of flirting with Eduardo of all people. He was too shaken with dread to answer properly.

"What . . . what are you doing here?" He stammered, casting an anguished glance over his shoulder at Reagan.

Eduardo stepped forward and faced him calmly. "You know what I'm doing, Edd. I warned you before, but you wouldn't listen. So I'm here to tell you that this has to stop."

Edd stiffened. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't play dumb with me, Edd. Not with that f#cker standing right behind you."

There was anger in his brown eyes, but mostly concern. His steady gaze pinned Edd like a nail, until the younger man had to look away. "I suppose Matt told you to follow me, too." He muttered.

"Matt? No. All he wanted was for me to reason with you." Eduardo admitted bluntly. "But when that didn't work, I decided to take a more direct approach and I came to see what was going on."

"Look hot stuff, this here is none of your business." Reagan began, throwing his cigarette aside and stepping forward to Edd's side with a wide sleazy grin on his face. "This is between me and Eddie. He owes nothing to you, so don't start thinking he's betraying anyone here."

Eduardo fixed him with an angry glare. Reagan tensed and clenched his jaw, his grin never fading. Edd's belly lurched, terrified that the aggressive Irishman might attempt to fight off the larger man.

"It's okay, Reagan." He reassured. "I can handle this." Reluctantly he added. "You'd better go."

"And leave you alone to get beat up?"

"Eduardo won't do that." At least I hope so. "Please." Edd begged.

Reagan hesitated a moment longer. Then he swung around and stalked away; Edd's gaze following him until he vanished around the corner. Turning back to his former rival, Edd shifted his feet in discomfort with the situation. "We aren't doing any harm." He started.

"Edd!" Eduardo's tone hardened. "You can't trust that guy. You don't know for sure if he really is who he claims he is. Whatever he promised you, it's too good to be true if he needed you to do so many shady things first."

"I wouldn't be mad if you guys trusted me to be by myself!" Edd snapped defensively. "Everyone treats me like I'm made of glass; that I am about to break at any given minute. Do you have any idea what it's like to have people constantly edge around you, afraid of saying what's on their mind so as to not risk upsetting me? I'll tell you – it doesn't help the situation at all!" He continued. "Hanging out with Reagan for these past few months felt like a breath of fresh air compared to living with the three of you!"

"Perhaps." Eduardo agreed quietly. "But can't you see how dangerous he is?"

Memories of the times when Reagan and he confronted the thugs instantly came to mind. He recalled catching a glimpse of the unbridled rage gleaming in the Irishman's eyes as he dealt with the gang members. The terror he felt as he watched him nearly beat a man to death before he stopped him; or the reckless determination to stay till the end no matter what. But then Edd remembered the moments of vulnerability Reagan had displayed to him, and even entrusting him with details of his past.

"You don't know anything about him."

"Neither do you!" Feeling he was reaching the limits of his patience, Eduardo quickly took a deep breath to recompose himself. "How can you even think of leaving your life-long friend for that fake bastard? He's clearly using you, and you are the only one who's too blind to see it!"

"It's not fair!" Edd hissed. "It's not your decision to make! I shouldn't have to keep feeling like cr#p just because Matt will be too upset otherwise."

"Of course you don't; that's not what this is about. Emotions can be overwhelming, but that doesn't mean you should start doing whatever you want for the sake of ignoring them. You have to acknowledge them if you want to get better, not dismiss them. That f#cker knows this and is exploiting that fact to get what he wants. Getting an adrenaline rush in life-threatening situations can only get you so far before it proves too much for you."

Every word he spoke tore into Edd like a knife. You don't get it. He wailed inwardly. No one does. Fury surged inside him. "You can't possibly understand!" He spat. "You've never loved anyone!"

Eduardo's gaze rested on him, unspoken thoughts flickering in his eyes.

"It's easy for you to say." Edd went on bitterly. "Because you've never actually cared for anyone other than yourself."

A long and deadly silence followed his words. Only the howling wind and the distant sound of cars driving past could be heard.

Eduardo clenched his fists, his expression turning into a scowl. "What do you know about me?" There was the hint of a snarl in his voice. "You have no idea how I feel or think every single day since one of your friends took away one of mine!"

Edd flinched. He had never seen Eduardo this angry; not even when they used to be rivals.

"Jon shouldn't have died the way he did! I treated him like sh#t every day of his life, and he died believing that he meant nothing to me… I- I never got to…" Eduardo's words died away and his eyes clenched shut. "You'll come back with me—now!" He growled. "And stop this nonsense for good. It's for your own sake, Edd. Meeting Reagan can't be right if you keep only getting worse. Matt needs you!"

"No! I won't come!" A wave of guilt and anger swept through Edd. "I'll go on seeing Reagan whenever I want to, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Eduardo's eyes flashed and he launched himself at Edd, reaching out to grab him. Edd turned away and ran. As he fled, all he knew was that he must escape from that accusing stare. He could vaguely hear Eduardo shouting at him as he gave chase, but at some point Edd managed to lose him.

But he still kept on running, and never turned back.

The city whirled past him as if he were caught up in the wind, and when exhaustion finally forced him to stop he wasn't sure where he was. His legs were trembling. He was standing in the middle of a street covered in fog, with only light posts faintly illuminating the surroundings. The space farther ahead opened to reveal a wooden bridge-like structure stretching beyond. The sound of waves, and the smell of salt-water reach Edd's senses.

Suddenly relief flooded his heart. The docks!

He could be completely alone there, without Reagan pleading with him to leave, or the fear that Eduardo would somehow find him.

He padded on, more slowly now, until he reached the starlit sea that lapped at the port's shores. By the time he reached the edge of the dock he was staggering from weariness, but the sight of the glimmering water below gave him strength.

Edd sat down, dangling his legs off the edge as he peered at his reflection swaying in the waves deep in thought. What should I do? He thought helplessly. I feel like there's nothing left for me here. Matt doesn't need me; he has Mark and Eduardo now.

He continued to stare at the rippling waters below, his vision blurring slightly from fatigue as the adrenaline rush he had from the chase finally subsided. Edd rubbed his eyes in an attempt of brushing the tiredness out of them, when his gaze fell on the waves and caught sight of a figure next to him. Edd peered into the reflection with a puzzled expression. It was hard to see it clearly through the constantly shifting waves and the darkness of the night, but once he could finally make out the shape beside him, Edd felt his breath hitch in his throat.

Sitting next to his own reflection, wreathed in mist, was his dear friend that he'd longed so much to see again; looking exactly the same as last time. Deadpan expression, hollow black eyes, dishevelled spiky hair, messy blue hoodie, and laid back posture as it appeared as if he were staring back at him through the mirroring image.

"What a night, eh?" Tom pulled out his signature silver flask from his pocket, unclasping the cap before taking a sip of what could most definitely be Smirnoff.

Edd smiled faintly. "What a night." He echoed.

"Guess it could've gone better." Tom glanced at him with a knowing look. "So what now?"

Edd felt a lump rise in his throat and he held back tears from shedding. "I don't know." He admitted, on the brink of breaking down and spilling all his problems onto the illusion of his long gone friend. "I don't know what to do. I can't stay here anymore!"

Tom's distorted reflection appeared to shuffle closer to him. "I know what it's like to be lost. To feel as if you are alone and everyone is against you, or that no one could ever understand what you are going through."

"Please tell me what to do!" Edd begged, his eyes brimming with tears. "I can't bear this! I don't know if I can stand living in this town anymore. Matt doesn't want me; he has other friends to help him now."

"Don't take it so personally. Matt can be gullible and dense; but understand that, like you, he is merely coping with the losses in his own way, too." Tom reasoned. "If Matt found happiness in Mark and Eduardo, and they give him the strength to move on, it's not right to judge him for it. Be more generous to him."

"But they are always there." Edd muttered stubbornly. He knew he was being unreasonable. "I'll try to understand." He promised with a sigh. "But Matt isn't the only reason why I'm considering leaving. It's hard to move on from everything that's happened when the whole town has so many memories attached. We grew up here! The four of us, together, since we met back in kindergarten – going on all sorts of dumb adventures along the way." His voice, that once held frustration, was now replaced with a wistful tone. "It's difficult not to think about those moments, or connect them to the worst situations. It's painful to remember those days, but they are everywhere! No matter where I am in this city, I am constantly reminded of what it once was and what we've lost."

Tom stared at him, and nodded solemnly. "You don't want to remember anymore."

For a couple of heartbeats, Edd stared at the reflection with guilt searing right through him. "Yeah."

"And this Reagan fellow, he promised you a chance to forget?" Tom took another sip of his flask.

"It's not like that." Edd was quick to correct. "He is giving me an opportunity for a change of pace. To get away from all these reminders, and properly move on from grief. It's just what I need." He paused, his tone softening. "But on the other hand; if I go, I feel I'll be giving up something vitally important. The last remnants of our friendship— it will be gone forever. I don't know if I can stand that either."

He sighed, his breath wavering from confessing his turmoil out into the open.

"We miss you so much, Tom." Edd continued. "Things were so much easier back when there were four of us. You never should have died the way you did. It's not fair!"

The eyeless man did not reply directly. His reflection rippling on the surface of the water merely stared back at him with a pondering look. "No one can make that choice for you." He murmurs at last. "However, that doesn't mean things can't go back to the way they were. Not in the exact same way, of course; but perhaps in the change of pace you're searching for."

Edd stared at the reflection of his friend, wide-eyed and rigid with shock. When did he get so wise?

Tom smiled at him. "There can be four again, if given the right chance."

Edd sat up straight, feeling as if a bright light had shone straight into his mind. "You mean, you won't mind if I choose to leave?"

Tom shrugged. "There's no point in staying if you're going to be unhappy." He looks away, his face unreadable. "Friendships aren't meant to drag you down."

Confused by his friend's words, Edd was about to ask what he meant when his eyes caught a glimpse of another figure rippling in the reflection of the waves. Edd found his eyes glistening as he recognised the figure clad in red and the iconic horns for hair sitting on the other side.

His throat seemed to clog, and words were stuck in his tongue as he simply kept staring at the reflection.

"Is- is that the- is that how you felt when you left?" Edd finally mustered the strength to ask, trying to keep his voice levelled and calm so as to not betray the array of emotions he was feeling. However, the accusing tone in his voice was unmistakable. "That we were holding you back?"

The blurry figure did not respond. His eyes were blank, and his expression lacked any emotion; giving nothing away.

"Eddie!"

At the sound of his name he spun around, surprised to see Reagan walk down the pier in his direction. Jumping to his feet, Edd immediately forgot about the images of his friends and turned to greet the Irishman.

"Reagan! What are you doing here?"

"Well, you told me to go, but didn't specify where to, so I just stuck around the neighbourhood." Reagan explained, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Considering the shouts I heard and the fact that you're standing out here on your own, I'm guessing the talk with that guy didn't go over well?"

"It could've gone better." Edd admitted uncomfortably. "Listen; I thought about what you said – about joining the organisation."

Reagan's eyes sparked with interest. "And?"

"I've been so scared, Reagan—scared about leaving my home and friends for good. I don't have much left." He began. His heart thumped as he realized that Reagan thought he was about to reject his offer. "But I've come to realize that, yeah, I hardly have anything left. Matt has new friends, so he won't be alone when I'm gone. My aspiration as an artist isn't getting anywhere. And this town is too filled with bad reminders. Honestly, I would do great with some change right about now."

Reagan drew in a sharp breath. "When you're gone? Does that mean . . . ?"

"Yes. I'll join."

Edd could hardly bear to look at the blaze of happiness in Reagan's eyes. His belly twisted with nervousness. He couldn't let him down now. He had to go through with this.

"Thank you, Eddie. I promise I'll do everything I can to make sure you won't regret this." Reagan clapped him on the back, nearly toppling the brunet over in his grip.

"When do we leave?"

"Five to ten days, at most. Should be enough time to pack your things, say your goodbyes, and tie up any loose ends." Reagan replied, looking down at his watch. "I'll be taking the flight back to home base in a couple of hours. There, I'll sign the five of you up and hand off your files to the system for them to enlist you. You should get a confirmation then."

Edd gulped. "Is there a possibility we can be rejected?"

"Relax! You got nothing to worry about." The blond man laughed. "Heck- if I got in, so will all of you!"

Edd tried to smile at his reassurance; however, he was only filled with dread at the idea of what the next days to come will mean to him. On one hand, he is glad he'll have the chance to say goodbye to Matt and explain the situation. But he also suspects that it will cause nothing but anger and pain and confusion, and after tonight there's no doubt the others will try to change his mind.

"You're right." Edd tried to sound brave and optimistic. Reagan and the others are my friends; and I'll make many more! He recalled what Tom's reflection told him, and felt a speck of hope surge within him. There can be four again!

"That's the spirit!"