A/N Hello! I hope the short chapters aren't too much of a problem, because they will get longer!

TW:

•Paranoia and fainting

•As well as a small panic/anxiety attack (?)

Bracing himself for another Lesson, Manny sat up. A nurse slowly approached the bed and started talking.

"Hey sweetie. How are you feeling?" Manny hesitated before speaking.

"O-okay," The word stuck in his throat.

"Good. I'm going to ask you a few questions to see what you remember, is that okay?" Manny simply nodded his head, waiting for this to go south.

"Great. So, what is your full name?"

"Manny Gribleston." The name felt sour on his tongue.

"Alright, I'm Ray Stacey. I use they/them pronouns, what about you?"

"He and him."

"Okay. How old are you?"

"Twelve."

"What year is it?"

"2013."

"Alright. You seem to be in good shape memory wise, at least with the basics. I'm going to call the doctor in, okay Manny?" A stiff nod was all he could give her. The doctor was probably the main Teacher for today. Everyone was waiting for the Lesson to start.

He steeled himself for the rug to be ripped from beneath him, for the songs to begin, but it didn't happen. Paige didn't jump out and start singing a bout creativity and why clay were right. Tony didn't grab him. Despite all the machines around him, Colin was nowhere to be seen. It was... surreal. Ray eventually came back with the doctor, but there was someone else accompanying them. They were a fairly average looking person compared to Ray's neon purple hair and the doctors extravagant pin collection, but it was their badge that stood out.

A badge reading FBI.

Maybe this wasn't a Lesson.

The doctor sat down next to Manny's bed and started to try and talk before being interrupted by Ray.

"Before we begin with all the heavy stuff introductions might be a good idea." The doctor sighed in response.

"I suppose Ray is correct. Hello Manny, I'm Doctor Jacobs and this is Ms. Jennifer Lawman. I use he/him pronouns whilst Ms. Lawson uses she/her." Doctor Jacobs held his hand out for a handshake before retracting it, seeing Manny recoil from the gesture.

"Well, I suppose we should begin. As you probably know, you've been off the grid for quite sometime, a year in fact. It's 2014 now, and I believe that means you are thirteen. Today is November eleventh." It took Manny a moment to realize what weight those words held. A year. An entire year, he had been stuck in that house. A full year since they had packed up the car and tried to drive away, only to be pulled back into his clutches.

"We'll do a medical examination in a bit. For now, I'm going to let Ms. Lawson explain your situation to you." The Doctor and Ms. Lawson swapped places and Ray started walking the Doctor out of the room.

This was it. This was when they would tell him it's all a joke and the Teachers would jump out at him.

"Manny, there isn't an easy way to lead up to this, so I'm just going to explain it to you. What you just went through was a simulation." His blood ran cold." You and your friends," We're a family Manny, we stick with each other. "were hooked up to a very advanced virtual reality machine." Time stood still. What did she mean. "Apparently in his spare time Roy was an engineer because this was completely original technology. We found and arrested him a few days ago and are currently working on finding a way to get everyone out of the simulation safely." Fresh tears made their way down his face. "A few other people have woken up already, but the majority are still comatose."

The room was spinning.

His friends were alive-

They were okay-

They were-

Manny fainted.