Flaky's eyes snapped open, startled awake by the feeling of someone watching her. Her fears were correct as she turned her head and saw the yellow eyes of the solider watching her from his cot, though Fliqpy said nothing at seeing her awake. Not even a taunt or threat. She noticed that for the first time she wasn't utterly terrified of his presence. It was like she could feel something inside him that she never thought was possible.

Fear. Fliqpy was afraid.

But of what?

Flaky shifted in her seat and opened her mouth to speak when the war vet spoke. Fliqpy's gravely voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. He sounded defeated, unlike the normally arrogant and cocky tone he had when speaking to someone else.

"It was my fault, ya know."

Flaky gave the soldier a puzzled look, "W-What was your fault?"

"The deaths of my comrades. My friends. They're dead because of me."

Without even being asked, Fliqpy started to tell her a story. A story of blood and violence, of loss and hatred. A story of his past.

". . .Through the rage and the despair he felt after getting his friends killed, through hiding from his killers by burrowing into the corpse of his best friend I was born.

"I'm sorry, Fliqpy. That sounds h-horrible."

"He was pushed to his limits and something broke, that fractured part of his mind had only one goal: Protect Flippy."

"What happened a-after? W-why are you so. . .", Flaky stopped, still nervous about accidentally angering Fliqpy even if he seemed docile at the moment. She knew better than anyone that could change in a second.

"So murderous. So blood-thirsty?" Fliqpy gave a grim smile and he chuckled before his smile went away and he only sighed, "As I mentioned to Hawthorne, I was chained to a bed surrounded by familiar strangers, after watching my friends die and murdering dozens of the enemy in a rage-fueled massacre."

"What did you d-do?"

Fliqpy narrowed his eyes, not taking his gaze off of the girl as his body trembled, "What did I do, Red? What did I fucking do? I SLAUGHTERED THEM. I RIPPED THROUGH THOSE CHAINS LIKE PAPER AND HUNTED DOWN THOSE PEOPLE LIKE ANIMALS! SO TELL ME, WHAT DID I FUCKING DO?"

Fliqpy's voice cracked, and Flaky saw tears start flowing from his eyes as his voice dropped down to a terrified whisper, "God, maybe you're all right. I am a monster."

"Fliqpy," Flaky reached out with a shaky hand and put it on the man's shoulder. He eyed it but did nothing to remove it like he normally would have, "L-Let me help you."

"Help me?" Fliqpy sneered, a bit of his arrogance coming back even if his face was stained with tears, "How are you going to help me?"

"I d-don't know. But I wanna t-try." Flaky frowned, completely stumped.

Fliqpy's eyes lit up and he looked at Flaky, an idea coming to him, "Wait what about nerd boy's serum? Isn't that what caused this in the first place? What if he tried it on me while I'm in control? Would it reverse the effects and bring Flippy back?"

"He's has been w-working on since he first tested it on you. B-But. . ."

"But what, Red?"

"But what happens to y-you?"

Fliqpy shrugged, a frown on his face, "I disappear I guess."

"But you can't j-just go! You're a part of Flippy, even if you aren't a good part. You're still what makes Flippy himself, you were a protector. A guardian."

"Not anymore, Flaky. Flippy doesn't need me anymore, he can protect himself like he protects you and everyone else. It is like ya said, the war's over."

Now Flaky was on the verge of tears, "Fliqpy p-please!"

Fliqpy shook his head, a sad smile on his face, "It's time, Red."

Flaky frowned, shaking her head, "T-time for what?"

"Time to stop fighting."