Longest Novel: Fall of The Republic

by morgan kingsley

In 2020, a middle-aged author, living too deeply in the past, decides to write the story of what really happened to him and his friends when he was younger, and as it unfolds, a giant conspiracy starts to show itself. An AU of seasons 1-4 that take place in the United States. Crossover with several other series for one overall universe.

15. The Waking of the Pessimistic Warrior

Chapter 1 Episode 15 - The Waking of the Pessimistic Warrior (T.K.'s POV)

Scene 1: The New Factory (Gumball)

I was sitting down, and I was ready to be hanging out with Gumball, and he seemed to be rather excited at this moment. And I knew exactly why he was feeling this way. "I just hope that Nicole really can capitalize on this new fame that she is going to be getting by building this factory." Gumball said, and then I was shrugging, not thinking too much about it.

"Are you going to be seeing her, to congratulate her for the work that she has been doing?" I asked, and then after I asked him this, Gumball was slowly nodding, as if feeling that doing this would have been for the best. "If you want to watch that opening ceremony, then I would be able to help you out."

"Honestly, I feel like if she wants me to be going there, and see her opening it up, then I will be more than willing to do this. But I have to make sure that this is something that she would have actually wanted from me." Gumball said, and then he was shrugging as he had said that, seeming to not have much to say to this.

"What do you want to do if she turns out to reject that idea?" I asked him, and then he was shrugging, not seeming to be thinking about that too much. Probably thinking that there was no reason to even think about what it would be like if she was to reject the idea at all. Probably thinking it would be insane to consider.

"Well, I doubt that she would be turning me down. But if she does, then I guess that the two of us could just hang out for a bit. Besides, we have a lot of things that we can still do with our friends, so things will be more than fine." After he had said that to me, I was slowly nodding, feeling that I would leave the subject alone at this rate.

"Yeah, it seems like you and Tobias are starting to get things done better with each other. I was wondering how long it would take before you guys realized that being at each others throats was a fucking terrible idea." I said, and then after I had said that to him, I was seeing Gumball looking like he was kind of annoyed at the way that I had treated the subject, and that I needed to see where he had been coming from more.

"Well, I mean, once I started to hang out with him, I started to realize that I don't really think he is a bad guy. Sure, we might have had our differences before, but that is something that I am willing to fucking over look, and not be a total fucking bitch about." Gumball said, and then with that, Gumball was starting to laugh a little bit more, having nothing else to say.

"I am still planning on accomplishing everything that I had been starting before. I know that it might be hard to look at, but I believe that I have a fucking job to go through with. I just feel like every time I want to pretend like nothing is fucking happening, my mind goes crazy, and I feel like that lie is only making things much worse for me." I said, and then I was just feeling really over this unsure feeling.

"I guess that this is a fair enough reason to feel like you need to be doing this. But I just want you to know that if you are going to be doing this, then I will help you as much as I fucking can. I hope that you never start to doubt anything like that." Gumball was saying, and the way that he was saying this so relatively firmly, I decided that I would just leave things alone for the time being.

"I just feel like the main issue that I am having at the time being is trying to get ready to talk to Yolei. She just seems like she is totally fucking lost, and I am scared for her. I feel like she is starting to think that she is going to fucking die, and every time I see the look on her face, I just feel like I need to do whatever I could to console her." I said, and then I was shrugging, not sure what I was going to be doing.

"If she feels like something is going on, then there is a good chance that maybe she found something that she is too worried about revealing to others. And I think that the best thing you can do is finally just see what is going on there." After Gumball was saying this to me, I was really having nothing else that we could have been able to discuss now.

"I fucking don't know dude. This whole thing is a really confusing to me. I just want to see if there is something that she needs to tell me. I mean, it's not like I love her or anything like that. But I heard that she probably likes me, and that is something that I am willing to take into consideration, even if something like this might be a bit hard. I just hope that she doesn't let her thoughts on me cloud everything else that is happening." I said, and then with that, I was shrugging, and I was feeling like there was nothing else to be saying now.

"Well, I guess that talking about this is not going to be making any difference. Just do what you think she will like, and if she doesn't agree, then you can just go on and change how things are, and make them all work out differently." Gumball was saying, and then with that, I was feeling like there was nothing else to be saying. Probably feeling that he was just slightly let down by the fact that he liked Penny, and that she was not giving him much attention, and he was always going to hate that.

"I know that you really like Penny, and that you probably want to just do everything with her more. Sorry that you feel like you are not going to be able to get anything like that. It just feels like you are really fucking hurt by those facts." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was not wanting to talk about that for the time being. Probably just annoyed with the fact that I was bringing that up.

"I mean, I just want to ask her out. Simple as that. But every time that I try and think about what I would ask her, I feel like I am just going to be making myself a fucking idiot, and I decide that I am not going to do it. And then I just think about how much easier it would be to just hang out with my family, since I know that things are much easier with that.

"But thank you T.K. We should probably be heading out soon, and not be worrying about anything else for tonight. I mean, I want to love my summer. I don't want to deal with this bullshit anymore. Everything that we are talking about is just making me feel totally lost here." After Gumball was saying this, he was sighing, and then I was feeling like it would be best to just let him have his moment.

"If she does want me to watch the opening, please come along, and I think that having you at my side would be making things so much better. I Just have a feeling that her job is probably going to start being more important than whatever are feeling." After Gumball was telling me this, I was having nothing else to be saying here. And in all honesty, I just really could not figure anything else out.

"I will do that. Hopefully we can just have some fun with this, and not be so fucking worried about anything like that." I said, and then I was shrugging, and I was thinking that I would just leave it alone here. I was thinking that Gumball and I were going to have a long way to go if we were going to be talking like this in such a downer tone.

"It make me feel so much better to know that you are willing to do that for me. If you had said no, then I would be feeling so fucking bad right now. It would honestly feel like this was just the worst thing that I could ever be able to fucking hear." After Gumball was telling me this, I was then wondering why this factory was such a big deal in the first place. There were already so many of them, and we needed to fucking focus on those before we did anything else here. But for now, I would just do what my friend wanted right now.

"Either way, despite everything else that is going on, and despite the fact that I had never really had much hopes in this before, I feel like this is probably the best summer that I have ever had in my entire life. I feel like I am finally doing something that is good for me." After Gumball said that to me, I was shocked at his positive feeling.

"I feel like this is a lot better than the one that I had last year." I said, feeling like I needed to admit that at least, since this whole thing was at least a team effort. Last summer was fucking crazy, and if it were not for Ness and his couple of friends, I feel like I would have probably gone insane over what was going on here.

"I mean, I just feel like the biggest issue about this summer is that I honestly do not know how in the world I am going to be making Tobias feel better about what happened with him. I think that if I tried to talk to him or anything, he would probably tell me to stop being so fucking insensitive here." Gumball said, laughing at this one for a bit.

"I think that just having a friend is enough. No need to be thinking so fucking deeply about it. If you feel like you are not doing good enough, then talk with him about it, and I think that he will be more than willing to talk with you." After I said that to him, I was seeing Gumball looking like he was at least considering what I had been saying at this rate.

"I mean, I guess that there is nothing wrong with seeing how he feels. Perhaps if I just talk with him for a while, then we could be able to sort these things out a bit better." Gumball said, and as we were talking, I was feeling that I just needed to tell him something to make him feel slightly better here.

"Honestly, if you think that things are starting to work out with Tobias, and you feel like the friendship is making progress, then just go on and talk with Penny. Take the fucking leap, and who knows, you will probably be finding yourself pleasantly surprised that you are making things work." I said and then after I had said that to him, I was seeing Gumball calming down a little bit.

"Yeah, I know that it is as simple as just talking to her. I mean, I think that the worst that can happen is that she says no. And then I can always have somebody else that I could be able to talk to." Gumball said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was just trying to see what he was saying. I was feeling like I would let him have this moment now.

"I mean, what do you think she would be having against you anyways? There is no real reason to be feeling like she would not like you. I think that you are just looking too deeply into something like this." I said, and then I was seeing Gumball considering what I said.

"Probably be thinking that my chaotic family is a bit much to handle. Probably would tell me to just shut the fucking hell up. So I feel like I just need to stay away from her, in order to have her avoid seeing what my family can be like." Gumball said, and then I sighed, feeling that I would just leave it alone here, since he was just always trying to think too over head here.

Scene 2: Feelings About A Sister (Tobias)

I was hanging out with Tobias, and I was shocked at how much progress he had made with his grieving over what had happened with Andrea in the last few days. Knowing that he was willing to accept the fact that for better or for worse, the situation was done, and that it was best to just try and move on, was something that he was shocked Tobias was willing to display.

"Tobias, do you think that there is anything else that you want to do? Or do you think that you are probably done with this investigation?" I asked, and then I was seeing Tobias looking like he was relatively indifferent about this whole thing. Probably just not caring anymore what was happening.

"I think that it would be best to just leave the investigation alone. I mean, I can see how much it has affected those around me, and I can be able to see that it is really starting to have a adverse affect on the rest of my family. As I see that, I feel like it would be horrible for me to continue doing this." After Tobias said that to me, I was seeing him looking really unsure of what he was going to say to my comments here.

"Yeah, I mean, if you believe that for the sake of your family, that it would be best to just leave it alone, then you should have probably done that a while ago. But do you think that it would be best for yourself?" I asked, feeling that he might as well just see what he was wanting to feel first. I was seeing Tobias looking like he was hardly caring about anything like that anymore.

"I have no idea what would be best for me. If I was talking about myself, I feel like I should try and go on and talk with Rachel, and just see if we could be able to get along better. After all, there is only so much time that can pass before it feels like we are just avoiding each other on purpose, and I am sure that Rachel would not really want to be doing this." As Tobias was telling me this, that was when I was seeing Shaun standing on a podium, and he was giving some form of a speech, and I was wondering what the speech was going to be about. As I was considering listening in on it, that was when I was hearing Tobia's voice calling out to me.

"Don't give that man more attention than he deserves. You know that he is just planning on using the situation with Andrea and all the other girls as a an excuse to gain a profit." Tobias was saying, and to be honest, as he was saying this, I was feeling that I might need to give him a better chance.

"But there might be something that we are missing if we don't watch it." After I had said that to him, I was seeing Tobias looking like he was really not wanting to argue with me as I was saying this. "But if you feel like it would be best to just not be doing this, then I will do what you want, regardless of my own personal feelings." I said, feeling that there was no real reason to be arguing with him about this at this point.

"I don't really care what type of bullshit evidence he is going to try and come up with. I think we both know that he is lying anyways, so you are just wasting your time by even pretending to give him the benefit of a doubt here." After Tobias said that to me, I was sighing, and I decided to not say anything at all. As we were walking, I was then thinking of another thing to say before he cut me off.

"I want to speak to Rob, and I want to tell him that I really appreciate everything that he has been doing for Rachel, and that I feel like I was wrong for ever judging him the way that I had been." After Tobias was telling me this, I was shocked to be hearing him willing to talk about something like this in the first place.

"Are you trying to give him his blessing to date her? I mean, I think that he would not particularly care about having anything like that." I said, and I was feeling that if he wanted to date Rachel, he would have just gone through with it anyways, and not worried about what everybody else was telling him.

"I know that he would probably not be too worried about that. But I just feel like I still need to talk with him. I feel like if I brush him off, and just leave him alone, then things would already be getting much worse." Tobias said, and then I was just feeling like this was his way of feeling like he was actually gaining a level of responsibility to this whole situation.

"Alright, sorry for trying to argue with you about this. It is not my place to try and fight with you about this. And in all honesty, I am believing that we have a solid chance to actually pull this whole thing off. Tobias, I know that you are probably wanting to just act like you can handle this all on your own. But I doubt that you really care about what everybody else is saying about you or anything else.' I was saying, and then as I was saying this, I was just wondering what I was accomplishing by telling him this.

"T.K., do you promise me something?" He asked, and then I was looking right at him, wondering what he was going to try and pull on me right now. "Promise me that when the time comes, and you actually are planning on finding out what that fucking company is doing, that you are going to be letting me join along. I would love to see what I could be able to do to help out." Tobias was saying, and I was wondering what he would have done now.

"They are either involved, or very aware of everything that is going on right now, and I don't give a shit what anybody says. They are just making those lies to hide their own asses." After Tobias said that, I was still looking at Shaun, as he was presenting his speech, to address the entire city about what happened with the deaths.

"I understand the panic that you are all facing after hearing these deaths. I understand that it is nothing that anybody wants to deal with. And I understand if you have reached a point where you have lost most hope in people being able to find out the truth. But I assure you that my desire has never gotten stronger." Shaun said, and then he was just doing more of his over dramatic mannerisms to get people to listen to him.

"I wonder how long it is going to take people to believe that he is a fucking liar. Whatever, it is not like I am much better." Tobias said, and then we were walking along, just not saying anything else. "Just wanting to talk to Rachel about what I feel about her." Tobias said, and I was feeling that there was nothing hard with telling her that he cared about her as a sister, and that he was making this harder than it had needed to be.

"Just tell her that you care a lot about her. It is really not that hard to just tell your sister that. I don't know what is getting you so fucking worried about anything like that. But just fucking relax a bit." I said, and then I was looking at him, wondering what else he would have been saying now.

"I guess that I can do that. But there is more to it than that, and I have no idea how I could be able to really tell her that." Then with that, we were at Mezmer's. "Let's just try and forget about it. Sorry for even bringing it up in the first place. My fucking fault." After Tobias said that, we went inside of Mezmers.

In all honesty, it was still kind of hard to believe how much had changed just soon after that. It was like everywhere little thing that had been keeping a good feeling about this town, and that there was still hope, was being thrown down the drain, and it had seemed very clear that nobody fucking cared about it. Nobody could have seen how bad it was going to get here.

Scene 3: The Corrupt Parents (Yolei)

I was out with Yolei that night, and I was just feeling that whatever she needed to talk to me about, I just needed to see what was going on in her mind. "Hey, I know that you were needing to talk for a bit. Was there something that was on your mind right now?" I asked, feeling that I just needed to see what he was feeling.

"Yeah, I just have been thinking about my parents for a bit. The stuff that they have been getting involved with, and in all honesty, I feel like I am just scared. I have a feeling that they are probably going do something that they will really regret. I just keep going back to that sale that we had heard them doing with Kenta earlier. I am convinced that they are a part of the company in their own way." Yolei said, and I was slowly nodding, feeling like I could see what she was meaning.

"Are you going to try and talk with them about it one day? I mean, you might be needing that if you are going to be getting yourself to feel better about what is happening." I said, and then I was looking right at her, wondering what she would have been saying to this.

"I think that they would never have the courage to be telling me the truth. And I tried to get Joe to tell me what he knows, since he clearly found something out, and he is just brushing me off, as if feeling like I am not ready to be able to take it. I can handle it, if he would be willing to just give me a fucking chance." She said, clearly just trying to hide her fear of what was happening.

"I mean, you probably just relied on Joe for something that he doesn't really know. I mean, you got to admit that something like that is actually fucking realistic." I said, and I was hoping that by telling her this, she would actually listen to me right now. "I mean, there is only so much that he would be able to do on his own.

"He is doing the best that he can. I am sure that he will have something to give us if he looks around a bit more. Just give him some damn time T.K. What would be so fucking hard about that?" She asked and then the way that she had said that was just kind of hurting her to say. I wished that she would not be acting like this.

As we were talking for a bit, that was when her parents were coming home that day, and I was already seeing that Yolei was not looking nearly as excited to see them as she normally would be. "Hanging out with him? Hope he hasn't been telling you any crazy stories." Her father said, and he was seeming like he was just trying to be funny about it, but there was clearly a level of sincerity to what he was saying, from what I seen.

"No, he just showed up, and he was mainly thanking me for helping him with his injuries lately." She said, referring to the new wrapping that she had given me earlier. I was glad that she was much better at lying on the fly than I had been, since I would have probably tried to declare a fight or something like that if I was the only one having this discussion right now. So having her cover me was all that I had fucking needed.

"We haven't seen you come by as much this summer. Did something happen lately?" Her mother asked, and I was not wanting to give her the ammunition. I knew that she was probably just trying to get me to say something about my mother, and admit that I might have felt like I was responsible for what happened. And I was not going to be letting her have this fucking moment.

"Yeah, just helping out Tobias Wilson with some issues that he is having. I figured that I would try and help him out as much as possible. I mean, with a family tragedy, it takes a while to really get through it all." After I said that to them, I was feeling that I really was not in the mood to be hearing what they were planning to say, and I was not going to give them the chance to act like they were fucking dumb on what was going on.

"We were going to be heading out soon. I will be back later tonight." Yolei said, and she was looking at me, as if hoping that I would not argue with her on the fact that she was simply just needing to get out of the house for a bit. Probably wanting nothing to do with her parents for the time being.

"Alright, just don't stay out too late. We don't want to spend half the night looking for you again." Her mother said, and then she was shrugging, as if feeling that something like that was just a issue that she would be willing to go with again. After all, she was clearly scared of them for a bit, and while I could not be able to say that I got it myself, I wanted to do whatever I could keep her totally safe.

We were out of the house, and I was seeing her looking like she was just trying her best to be calming down for a second, and I was wondering if I was going to be able to make her feel better about the fact that's he was so worried about this in the first place. "Yolei, I know that you are scared, and that you think that they are involved with something. And I have a feeling that I am not going to change your mind. But I think that it would be best if you were to just calm down, and look at what is going on. I am sure that if you were able to take a breath, everything would be fine."

"I just know it. If you don't fucking believe me, then would you be willing help me look through their office eventually, and I can find something that shows what I am talking about?" She asked me, and then after I was looking at her agape at what she was suggesting, I was almost finding myself thinking that this idea was fucking insane. But that I just needed to let her have her moment here.

"I mean, I think that this idea could really turn out badly if you are not careful enough. But I have a feeling that I am not going to convince you out of this. So let's just make sure that we can pull something out of this." I said, and then I was looking at her, wondering if we could just work this out. I just needed to work this out.

"Thank you. I mean, I know that it might be hard to believe, and I know you are scared of the truth, but I know what I am saying. I know that there is something that my parents are fucking hiding, and I will do whatever it takes to show people that I am not fucking lying." After she said that to me, I was then sighing, feeling that I needed to just accept the fact that I was losing this argument one way or another.

"How about we just go out to your favorite place tonight, and you can just simply tell me about everything you are feeling, and I can see if I could be able to help you out then." I said, and then after I had said that to her, I was seeing her looking like she was really hating the way that I was talking right now. As if thinking that I was being a fucking condescending freak or whatever. But I was just feeling like we needed to be smart here.

"Yeah, I guess that just simply talking for a bit would be best for me. I mean, maybe when I would calm down for a bit, I can see what I am truly thinking right now." She said, and then with that, she was calming down, and I was seeing that as we were talking more, there was a bit of a serenity coming through now.

So with that, we were heading to her favorite place, and I was just feeling that perhaps with us just talking for a while, and just finally calming things down, we would be able to see why she was feeling like there was something against her. After all, there have to have been a reason, beyond a suspicious conversation with Kenta, as damning as that can be.

Scene 4: Clearing Things Up (Davis)

I was seeing Davis again, and I was honestly just wondering what in the world I was going to be asking him about. I just needed to know what the hell was going on, and what that vision like thing he had seen had been. I was fucking convinced that he probably knew something that he was refusing to say, and it was killing me mentally.

"Davis, I was wanting to ask you a couple of things. Related to what had happened a few days ago, when I was hanging out with you, and you had said that you had a similar dream about the whole monster thing." I said, and I Was sure that he probably did not know what I was talking about, and I did not really care. I was just needing to know the truth, no matter what.

"Oh god, I was sure that you were never going to understand what I had seen. I know that it is probably hard to really understand, considering the fact that I really did not explain anything about what exactly you had seen. Just don't be too worried about it." Davis said, and I was not really wiling to let it go so fucking easily, and I needed him to just cut the crap.

"Davis, I know that you probably do not think that it is that big of a deal, but I mean, you were telling me about these things that you saw, and I feel like I have the right to know what these things actually are." I said, and then after I had said that to him, I was seeing that Davis was just looking like he was finding my insistence on this subject mildly annoying.

"I mean, yeah, I have seen a bunch of weird dreams in the past. It is dumb to admit, but in all honesty, I feel like when you were telling me about what you had found, I had started to feel like I was able to relate a little bit. Such as one that I had seen about something like like Veemon." Davis said, and shrugged, as if thinking that he was needing to just leave it alone here.

"I think that the thing that I encountered had a similar name. Something like MagnaAngemon. Do you feel like there is a chance that these things would be connected in some way." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I saw Davis looking like he was not really much in the mood to be making things here.

"But again, it is all just a dream. There is no reason to be putting so much fucking focus on something like this, when we both know that it is something really fucking dumb that we saw. Seriously, you just need to relax a bit." After Davis was saying this, I felt like I wanted to buy what he was saying, but I just could not.

"Do you think that I will have something like it again? I mean, if I see something like it again, then perhaps I could be able to tell you more about it?" I asked, and then after I said that to him, I saw him looking like he was willing to at least consider what I had been saying. Probably thinking that we could find something if we just talked a bit more for a second.

"I mean, if you do, then I believe that perhaps we will have to take the idea of talking about it a bit more seriously then." Davis said, and he was placing his hand on his chin. "But for now, I am curious to know what the hell your main plan is. I heard that you were planning on hanging out with Gumball to watch the his mom give the opening speech of the new factory." After Davis said that, I was slowly nodding, feeling like I could admit to something like this.

"Yeah, I think that I am going to be doing just that, for his sake. He seems like he really needs to know what his mother is wanting to talk about, and I feel like there is no real reason to be a total bitch and not go on and help him out." I said, and then after I had said that to him, I was seeing that Davis was looking like he was just trying to consider what I had been saying at this rate.

"I think that if you are going to join him in that opening, that I might as well go along and see what will happen as well. I mean, I would be lying if I said that I was not interested in what Nicole plans on saying. And besides, I feel like she probably is going to be innocent enough." After Davis was saying this, I was feeling glad to be knowing that he was willing to see where I was coming from at this.

"Davis, I am sorry that I am just kind of ruining your entire summer. I thought that I was doing something good, and I thought that if I worked hard enough, then we could finally work something out here. But it seems like something like that was just not meant to be. And I feel like I have only made things much worse than it would have been if I had left things alone." I said, and I was feeling that this confession could be able to get him to feel slightly better now.

"You are not ruining my entire summer. The people who are ruining my summer are those who decided to be getting involved in this shit to begin with. I feel like if there is any score that I need to settle, it will be with every single one of them." Davis said, putting his fist on his hand, excited to be getting some form of his own justice when he had the time.

"How about this, when all of this is settled down, and we have more time to talk about things, we can talk about my dreams, and we can see if they have anything going for them. But for now, I think that it would be best if we just drop the subject, and stop focusing on this stuff." After he had said that to me, I was slowly nodding, feeling like that was fair.

"I guess that I can live with that, and maybe when we have more time to think about how insane this is, I might be able to see why I don't need to be taking this whole thing so fucking seriously." I said, and I was not too sure if something like that was actually going to be enough to get him to feel better here. But I was feeling like I just needed to try and say something to keep him from feeling like I was just trying to make things worse.

"And besides, I feel like we both know that with everything else going on, talking about random dreams that really seem like they have no chance of being true is the least of our fucking issues." After Davis said that to me, I was slowly nodding, feeling like he might have been telling the truth, but I decided to just not be talking for a bit.

"Yeah, I guess that maybe I am just taking things a bit to literally. I mean, who is actually going to believe me when I say that a bunch of random monster dreams are a prediction of the fucking future? Even to me, I am feeling like such a statement is borderline insane." I said, and then with that, I was feeling like I might as well leave it alone.

"I am going to just work on finding out if there is any truth to what Yolei was telling me about what her parents are doing. I feel like if I go through with what her idea is, and I really see if this fear is true or not, then I might be able to help her out much more than I would have if I just kept fighting with her all the damn time." I said, and then I was shrugging, having nothing else to be saying.

"I might not be able to help out, since there are some things that I want to check out for a bit. When I feel like I found what I need, I will be more than willing to fucking help you out for a while." Davis said, and I was not in the mood to let him just be leaving me alone. But I was feeling like I might as well just leave it be for now.

"I am looking into something that I was told about by Tai. Something relating to the falls. I just want to see if what he was saying is true." With that being said, I was feeling like he was probably not going to be taking the discussion any further, so with that, I decided to just not say anything else.

Scene 5: Feeling Free (Darwin)

I was talking with Darwin, and unlike Gumball, he was feeling virtually no fucking discomfort with what their mother had been doing. If anything, he was actually seeming to be nothing but completely proud of her, and he was more than willing to show something like that. "I wonder when I am going to be able to see Rachel again. That would be making my day so much better." He said, smiling as I was talking with him here.

"DO you feel like you will be needing any help on getting Rachel to like you?" I asked, and I knew that we were probably both aware that he was probably not going to convince her. But I was feeling that I might as well pretend like something like this could actually happen. As I asked Darwin this, I saw him looking happy to hear me asking him this.

"Well, it really should be as simple as trying to strike a conversation with her." After Tobias told me this, I was sighing, and while I did not have the heart to tell him that it was probably going to take more than that, I was feeling that I just needed to at the same time.

"Honestly, I think that if you are really just trying to get her to be super impressed, you are going to have to see that she will be wanting more than just a simple conversation. I mean, you are several years younger than her, so that alone will probably be putting her off for a bit." I said, and then Darwin looked as if he was not wanting to hear anything like that.

"But I am mature for my age." Darwin said, and I was seeing that he was probably just sounding like that to really make him feel like he was actually thinking this way. As I looked at him, I was clearly seeing from the look on his face that he was not as such of what he was saying, and I was feeling bad for that, even if I saw it coming.

"But I guess that maybe my love life isn't that important to you. You are probably more interested in helping Gumball out for a bit. Can you tell me what is happening with Gumball?" Darwin asked, and I was shocked to be hearing him take on a more serious tone of voice. As if he was finally calming down, and not giving off a load of shit here.

"Yeah, I guess that I can do that." I said, and I was feeling like there was a fair amount to really let him in on, so I was probably going to have to go super deep for him, and not be giving off any bullcrap, since he didn't deserve any lies.

"Well, the thing is that Gumball has been hanging out with Tobias a lot, because he is trying to help Tobias along with the process of what had happened with his cousin. There is nothing more to it than that. They were not really ever friends before, and at this rate, he feels like it is time for them to start getting along for a bit." I said, and I was feeling that saying this was going to be adding even more questions for him to ask, which would make my night even less exciting.

"Do you think that Gumball is wanting to be best friends with Tobias?" He asked, and then with that, I was shrugging a agreement, as if thinking that what he was saying was super fucking obvious, and that he really did not need to be saying something that everybody would figure out.

"I don't know about bets friends, since it seems like Gumball is making decent progress on getting other people to like him. But there is nothing wrong with him wanting to be friends with other people honestly. I mean, I think that when it seems like it will settle down with Tobias for a bit, I might introduce him to Rob, and they might start to get along that way." I said, and then I was shrugging as I had said that to him.

"Do you think that Gumball doesn't like me anymore?" Darwin asked, and I was feeling like what he was saying was really damn stupid. I mean, for gods sake, there was literally nothing about what I was saying that was to indicate that I felt like Gumball did not want to be friends with him.

"I have no idea what Gumball thinks. But there is no way that this is what he is thinking. If it were, then I think that he would need to be talking with you about that. There is no way in hell that I am going to be able to fucking help you here." After I was saying that to Darwin, I was feeling like there was nothing else to be saying at this rate.

"Besides, I think that you need other things to focus on. After all, you were just going on and telling me about trying to get Rachel to like you. I think that you need to be focusing on that for the time being." I said, and then after I was saying that to him, I was feeling that even saying all of this stuff was just going to be a waste of time. I was not going to make a damn difference.

"Look at you already changing your mind on this situation, even when you were just saying that there was no way that I was going to be getting Rachel to like me." After Darwin was saying this to me, we were walking out of the room, and Darwin was looking like he was just trying to find something else to be saying now. But as we were getting ready to leave, that was when Nicole was calling out to us.

"Hey Darwin, the opening ceremony is in a couple of days. Were there any friends who you feel like would want to watch it as well?" After she asked Darwin this, I was looking at him, and I was wondering what Darwin was going to say to her mother. I was wondering if he was going to try and throw me under the bus.

I figured that I would tell her what I was planning on doing. "Hey, I guess that I could be going along. I was planning on coming along anyways. Gumball and I have been talking about this for a while." I said, and then after that, I was seeing Nicole looking like she was actually kind of impressed at the fact that I had said that to him.

"Wow, I never thought that Gumball would be going around and telling people to go on and watch the opening. All he has been doing has been fighting me on this the whole time, and I have a feeling that for some reason, he despises the idea of me actually having my factory being opened." Nicole was saying, and then I was feeling like I needed to throw a jab, and then I would leave her alone before she would try and fight me here.

"It is not because of you, but because of the people that you are working with. Maybe if you actually had a good job that people can actually respect, then he would be more willing to support the shit that you are doing." I said, and then I was shrugging, and I was seeing that Nicole was looking like she was about to set up in fumes, as I was leaving the house.

Darwin followed me a few seconds later, and he was having something to say this time. "Are you sure that you should be telling my mother that type of stuff? She could be making your life a living fucking nightmare if you start to act that way." Darwin said, and then I was shrugging, not giving a single shit what she was probably feeling here. If she cared, then she would have banned me from seeing them, but she hadn't yet, so either she actually did not care, or she knew that I was right in what I was saying.

"Honestly, if this whole thing was false, then she would have shown me the proof that she needed to throw off everything that I had said. But since she has not yet, that shows that she knows that what I am saying is the fucking truth." I said, and then with that, I was shrugging, hoping that I could be able to just drop the subject at this point. I was proud of being able to actually say the truth for once.

Scene 6: Told the Truth (Anais)

One day when I was hanging out with Gumball again, Anais was in the same room as me, and I was wondering what she was wanting to say. Clearly she was having something that she was planning on saying, and I was feeling worried about what she was planning on telling me. I had no idea why I was so worried about something like this, something so fucking simple, but I was feeling that she was clearly having something she wanted to tell me, and I was not really ready for it at all.

"I am going to have to go grab something something real quick, don't do anything too stupid." After Gumball said that to me, I was feeling like whatever Anais needed to tell me, I wanted to just get this over with, so we could be able to just sort of move along by this.

"I can see that you clearly want to have something tell me. So go on and just tell me what you need to say." I said, feeling that whatever she was wanting to say, it would be best to just get this over with. But before I could try to say anything else, she was shaking her head, as if ready for this debate.

"I was wanting to talk to you about this investigation that you are doing." After Anais said that to me, I was looking at her, and I was really having no idea what I was going to be telling her at this point. I was not really ready for her to try and wreck out for me.

"I will fix these issues. I know that there are a lot of bad things going on right now, and I am aware that I have been making some mistakes, but I am going to do whatever I can to finally make it better." I said, and then after I had said that to her, I was seeing that Anais was shaking her head. As if refusing to believe what I had been saying for some reason.

"No you won't. We both know that you are not going to fix the issue, and that this is a bullshit promise." After Anais said that to me, I was wanting to argue with her so fucking badly, and I wanted to tell her off. But I was just having a hard time really having anything to say.

"Please give me a chance. I know that you don't fucking believe in me, and that is fine enough. But seriously, I just feel like I am making some progress, and that I just need some more time." I said, and then I was shaking my head, and I had no real what I was wanting to say now.

"If you were actually going to be making a difference, then you would have found something at this point. You would have actually gotten the answers. But since you haven't done that, despite the insistence that you will find all the answers, then I am sure that you are making things much worse." After she had said that to me, I was wanting to argue for a while. I was wanting to tell her so many things, but I was feeling that she was probably never going to listen to me.

"Most other people actually seem to believe in me, and you are just making a giant fucking issue out of this for no fucking reason. Just understand that I need a chance to turn this whole thing around, and that you fighting with me is not going to be helping anybody out at all." I said, and I was not even caring if she was going to be upset with the way that I was speaking to her. If she wanted to treat me like garbage, then I was having no reason to fall for it.

"Every girl at Wayside is at stake because of this, and you are making a fun investigation out of this. You do not care about the truth at all, and you are only doing this for the fame that it could be bringing you. I know that I might sound harsh, but we both know that I am telling the truth." After Anais was telling me this, I was wanting to fight with her so badly. I wanted her to understand that I should have been treated with respect. But I was feeling that I would never convince her of anything.

"I know that you probably want there to be a plan that you can relay on. But I think that having a plan that we can relay on is just simply never going to fucking happen. And all in all honesty, I know that you probably don't really have a whole lot of hope here. But if there is no hope, and there is nothing that is going to make you feel good, then at that point, we will have virtually already lost at this point." I said, and then I was looking at her, hoping that me saying that could get her to calm down at this point.

"But you know for a fucking fact that we have already lost. There is no fucking reason to be pretending that we have not. Trying to act like there is a chance that you can turn this whole thing around is going to just make things worse. And then you have the fact that you are trying to say that my mother is the one responsible for everything that is happening. How do you expect me to be taking this?" After she asked me this, I was slowly nodding, feeling that would be able to see her point here.

"Seriously, that is the whole thing that is starting this conversation? I knew that you were never going to understand where I was coming from. I know that everybody always starts to defend their family when things happen. But you have to admit, that I am making a good point when talking about what I said. I mentioned the fact that she is working for a bad company, and you are acting like that is the worst thing that I could have said." I said, and then I was shrugging, and I was wondering if she would have actually said to me here.

"But my mother has been working so hard to be making everything work out for this family, and this controversy is not going to be helping anybody feel better. You are starting to cast doubts on my brother, and he never had issues with this before." She said to me, and then I was wondering if that was true. That Gumball had never had a issue before with his mother. I had a hard time believing in that.

"Gumball used to believe in her? Why has he never said anything about that? He should have told me this." I said, and then I was shrugging, wondering what I was going to be saying at this point in time. Before I started to talk again, and Anais could try to say something else to me, that was when Gumball had walked back into the room again.

I was feeling that Anais and I could be able to agree on one thing, and that was to just drop the subject for the time being. "If you really feel like you are going to somehow find the answers, then just don't do anything too crazy. Just make sure that you at least know what you are doing." She was saying, and then I was seeing Gumball looking relatively confused at the wording of what she was saying.

"Are you trying to give your blessing to let him continue this investigation?" After Gumball asked that, I was seeing Anais giving a fucking fake ass smile, as if she was feeling like this was what she was willing to pretend like was happening, for our sake here.

"Yeah, I guess that you could be saying that in a matter of speaking. I just wanted to see what he was willing to tell me." After she had said that, I was smiling, and I was feeling like I would be able to pretend like this was indeed what she was saying. There was no reason to be letting Gumball getting involved in this whole thing.

"Yeah, she was just wanting to make sure that I was wanting to actually do something like this. She was just saying that she was really concerned about you and everything." I said, and then after I was telling Gumball that, I was feeling that this lie was only going to be making things much worse for everybody else. And then with that, I was letting the truth of what Anais say sink in. The fact that I would not be able to fix things, and the fact that I was getting myself too fucking hyped up for something that would never happen. And that if I failed, then she was going to be at stake. As I was having fun with Gumball, I knew that I would fail, and she was right with what she had been saying.

Scene 7: Desire of Hate (Rob)

I was hanging out with Rob the next day, and I was just seeing that the more that we had been talking, the more upset that he was. Not just upset in today, but in the last several weeks, I felt like there was something that had been bothering him, and I was feeling like I just needed to see what the issue was here. "Rob, is there something that is bothering you? Like more than what we have talked about?" I asked, hoping that Rob would actually talk with me here.

"I just feel like when I see everybody in this town almost act like the Andrea incident never happened, and just brush it all off, makes me sick. Nobody actually taking this shit seriously, and nobody really opening their eyes, and admitting that they do not care nearly as much about this town as they are saying that they have." Rob said, and then after I was hearing him tell me this, I was seeing that he was not in the mood to be hearing any form of arguments, and I was able to see his expressions.

"I mean, you guys all seem like you are trying something much more than really focusing on the main issues on what is happening. And you guys are planning on doing some fucking big blow out where you are going to the tower, makes me realize that nobody actually fucking cares at all." After he was telling me this, I was just feeling that there was nothing else to be saying at this.

"I mean, I know that you are upset with what is happening. But surely you see that she is gone, and that there is nothing that you can fucking do about it. I think that we just need to accept the fact that if you want to avenge Andrea, we are going to have to infiltrate this place eventually." I said, and I was wondering when I would be doing this, if I was actually ever going to be doing something like this.

"I never thought that I would see the day when what happened with my eye was not the biggest issue of what I was going through. I thought that nothing would be worse than that, but when I found out what happened to Andrea, and I found out that there was nothing that I was going to be able to do to change it, I realized that what happened with my eye was not the biggest worry at all." After he had said that to me, I was then feeling like there was nothing else to be saying now.

"Are you saying that we do not care what happened with her? Because that simply is not fucking true. There is nothing that supports this theory, and I hope that you fucking know this." I said, and I was looking at him desperately, and I wondered if he was actually considering what I said. "I mean, I know that you probably do not believe me, and that is fine. But I feel like by the end of this summer, we will be able to finally know the truth of what is going on." I was saying, and I was wondering if he would believe what I was saying, since I was trying to give a indirect promise.

"I wonder if something like that will actually be true. One way or another, I do know that I just think that the biggest thing to worry about is making sure that we do not get our minds set up, and then everything is thrown away." Rob said, and then we were watching as Candice was walking by us, and she was probably heading on towards the forest.

"Where are you heading right now?" I asked, and then I was seeing her turn towards us. I was seeing that she was looking relatively neutral to be seeing me, but with Rob she was probably not nearly as happy, and I was able to see sort of where Rob was coming from when he was calling her a fucking bitch or whatever.

"To the forest. I want to check something out. I am not going to be fucking around, and wasting my time here. I don't know why you are hanging out with him." Candice said, and then Rob was wanting to lash out his anger at Candice, but I was holding him down by putting my hand forward, hoping that by doing this, he would calm down, and see that this was not going to be helping out his cause at all.

"If you want to help, then you should be heading out, and seeing what you can find by following me." Then with that, she was leaving, and then just left me alone. I was then looking at Rob, wondering what in the world he was even going to be saying. I was feeling that whatever was going on with Rob and Candice was simply going to not be doing us any favors at all.

"That woman is a fucking bitch. All she does is fucking come along, and she just yells at me, and just treats me like utter fucking shit. I feel like she just wants to see me suffer." After Rob was saying that to me, I was seeing him just looking like he was fucking pissed about this whole thing.

"Rob, I think that you need to just fucking find something else to be focusing on. I mean, she has not been very nice with you. I can see that, and I am going to not fight that. But the thing is that if everybody who is rude with each other ruins this whole thing, then I would be going fucking insane." I said, and I was feeling that there was really nothing else to be saying at this point.

"Well, I mean, if I just knew what she had against me, then I feel like I could forgive her. But the fact that she seems like she just hates me, and she just wants nothing to do with me, and she gives me no reason, is the worst thing that I can be dealing with. It makes me just feel like I am being fucking worthless." After Rob was telling me this, I was feeling that I would just let him have his moment. I was not really wanting to deal with this.

"I think that if you need somebody to talk with to be making things better for you, then you can go on and see Sheldon. He seems like the perfect person to talk with if you are unsure about how to be tackling your feelings, and how to get through this. I am sure that he would be more than willing to help you out." I said, and then I was seeing Rob looking like he was at least considering what I had been saying.

"Sheldon Lee. I mean, I was wondering how long it was going to take for that man to be coming along once again. I guess that maybe I do see where you are coming from, and I feel like maybe I could talk with him for a bit. I got nothing to fucking lose here." After he was saying that to me, I was nodding, and I was glad to be seeing that he was more willing to open up with this.

"I know that he is a hard guy to talk with, I will give you that much. But I think that talking with him will really be helping you feel better. And I think that next time you have a chance, I think that you need to give Candice a chance. Maybe if you do that, you might be finding yourself thinking that she will not be all that bad." I said, and then I was just trying to do anything to make him feel better.

"There are so many things about this town that I have grown to hate. And this town investigation is just a fucking small piece of these issues. I mean, I feel like the idea of hate is just really taking me over. And who knows, maybe at the end of the day, as much as it is sad to admit, that might be the one thing that truly drives me forward." He said, and then I was feeling that the idea of having your entire personality being driven by the idea of hate was really not a good fucking idea, but I was choosing that it would be best to perhaps just drop it.

Scene 8: Paranoid Envelopes Reason (Rachel)

When I was talking with Rachel later that day, I was feeling that the argument that Rob had was bets to be left out. I was feeling that if Rob was wanting to talk to her about the shit that he was going through, I just need to be letting him make that own fucking choice. I was feeling that whatever Rachel was going through, I just needed to fucking really open up with her.

"Honestly, I feel like I am probably being scared for no fucking reason. But what if something is indeed happening, and that it is only a matter of time before all my fears are coming to light? If that happens, and it turns out that nobody fucking supports my fears, or thinks that I am being dumb, then I feel like that would be a sign that nobody truly cares for what I believe." After Rachel was telling me this, I was seeing that her main fear was nobody actually listening to her at all.

"Rachel, I think that if you ever are starting to worry about what you are doing, then you just need to talk with Tobias. He cares about you a lot. He admitted that to me. I know that he will probably try and deny it, to try and keep his cool persona, but that is something that you do not need to worry about." I said, and then I was feeling that if she had known that Tobias cared about her, then she would be feeling a lot better about what was going on.

"Tobias seems worried to talk to me. Probably thinks that I would judge him if he started to open up about his emotions with me. I mean, I don't really get the emotions that guys have, and I have sort of given up on even fucking trying to understand it. Guys just have a different way of thinking is all that I can say." Rachel said, and then she was looking at me, hoping that I would not argue with her.

"If you are convinced that you are going to be the next one who goes missing, then why have you not tried to talk with your parents about it? I am sure that if you talk with your parents about it, that they would be willing to hear what you say. You are probably just over thinking things quite a bit." I said, and then I was wondering if this was her probably thinking that I was brushing her feelings as invalid.

"I don't think that I will be the next one, as much as somebody who will be soon. And I have tried to talk to my parents about it, but they all seem like I am just too worried about something. Just thinking that I am over thinking things, because of what happened with Andrea. Nobody actually listens to me, and nobody actually really sees that I am just trying to give a honest perspective here." After Rachel was telling me this, I was seeing her looking like he was almost considering the idea of giving up on what she was feeling, and that there was no reason to try and change it at all.

"Sorry for even bringing it up. I just thought that maybe there was something that you knew. And I feel like there is a small chance that something like that could be happening. Even if you are not having the best time explaining what you are feeling, I think that there is a chance that it could be exactly as you fear. I want you to know that most of the stuff that I am doing is all with the intention on finding out the truth of this town, and I plan on going into that company building. Most people think that it is a bad idea. But I believe that it is the only idea that we have." I said, and then I was seeing her looking like she was just trying to see things from where I was coming from.

"Yeah, Tobias was telling me about your plan. I think that it is both suicide, and a good move at the same time." After Rachel was saying that, we were seeing both her parents talking with some of the men in black, and I was feeling rather uncomfortable to be in the same area as these guys. I was waiting for one of them to try and come and talk with me.

"Are they helping you guys with the whole town incidents, or are they coming along for something new this time?" I asked, and then she was looking at me, and I was seeing her looking like she was unable to really explain what was going on, because it was sounding strange even to herself for some reason.

"I have no idea what they are doing. I think that I was hearing my parents talking about a protection plan for me and Tobias. Dad is a rather rich guy, and I think that he is just trying to ensure that we are going to be safe or whatever the heck he is thinking." After Rachel was telling me this, I was feeling like I needed to know where to be going from this point.

"Besides, I feel like if there was something else explaining this, I feel like they would have told us at this point. And to be honest, I am more interested in the opening ceremony that is happening with that factory tomorrow. I hear a lot about it, and I wonder what is going to happen with that." She said, and then I was feeling that if everybody was talking about this, then I just needed to pretend like I was actually interested in this discussion.

"I was telling Gumball that I was going to be checking it out. I should probably try to stay away from his family though, due to the fact that I had made them rather angry, and I think that the only one who sees where I am coming from is Tobias." I said, and then I was smiling, feeling that this was making a lot of sense.

"Damn dude, I wonder how much you would have to keep talking if you managed to piss them all off. That is actually kind of impressive. But I doubt that you really need to be hearing anything like that. After all, you were the one that actually managed to pull it off in the first place." After Rachel was telling me this, I was then feeling like this was not very impressive at all.

"If you do go to the opening, please hang out with Darwin. He is obsessed with you, and he has talked about you a few times. Even just saying hello to him a couple of times would be good for him." I said, and then I was seeing that the mention of Darwin was making her face turn slightly red.

"If he was two or three years older, I would consider giving him a chance. I mean, eleven is just too young. But I would have nothing against being friends with him. I will try and see if he would be willing to do something like that." After Rachel was telling me that, I was really having no idea what in the fucking world I was going to be saying there. I was wondering if I should be telling Darwin that at some point in time.

"Yeah, I will see what he wants to talk about. After all, he probably just wants to hang out with a friend, and that is something that I will be willing to do for him." After she had said that to us, that was when one of the men in black were walking up to us, and I was starting to feel scared to have him in the same area once again.

"Hello, we were given strict orders from your parents to keep an eye on you at all costs, and that we would be your personal body guards. Tobias will have one of his own." He said, without even so much as paying me any mind. I was starting to stand up, his mere presence getting me scared.

As I was starting to walk off, I was seeing Rachel looking at me, and I was seeing that she was actually looking scared to be seeing me leave. I was shrugging, since there was nothing else that I was going to be able to do besides just leave, and try to save my own skin.

And besides, I was sure that I would see her tomorrow, so there was nothing to be worrying about for the time being, and I was sure that Rachel would probably tell me that she got out of having them be around them at every single moment. I was sure she would do it.

Scene 9: The Grand Opening Ceremony

I was at the opening ceremony with Gumball, and I was wondering what he was wanting to say here. I was feeling that either he had calmed down, and started to warm up to the stuff that his mother was doing, or he was going to be even more against it than before. From the look on his face, I honestly could not tell what he was feeling here.

"I feel like I should be proud of my mother. And in a strange way, I suppose that I am. But with everything going on, I am having a hard time really getting attached to it." After Gumball was telling me this, I was sighing, and I was feeling like that could have given me a answer here.

With that, Nicole was getting on the podium, and I was seeing that she was trying to put on a excited presentation, as if aware that if she was going to be getting people to like her, than she needed to try and act like this was something that could be a town uniting event. "Hello, it is with great honor to be seeing you all here, while I open up the new factory that I have been commissioned to be taking over."

"I do not know if this is something that I deserve, but it is something that I humbly accept in an attempt to be bringing this town forward into the future. And I hope that with all of your blessings, that we could be able to put behind the pain and misery that this town has dealt with due to the girls going missing." After she said that, I was looking at Gumball, curious what he was thinking of what she had been saying to him.

"Gumball, do you think that she is meaning everything that she is saying, or that she is just saying this to get reputation among her peers?" I asked, and I was feeling that I had no choice but to make him uncomfortable with that question. As I said that to Gumball, I was seeing him looking like he was unsure of what to be responding to this.

"I have no idea if I believe her or not. That is the thing that scares me the most. I think she could be telling the truth, but she also could be lying." After Gumball said that to me, he was shrugging, and he was sounding like he was clearly having nothing else to say here. I felt like I would just leave it at that, since I supposed that I could see where he was coming from.

We were looking at Nicole once again, and she was speaking. "I know that many people will question my qualifications to handle this type of responsibility, and this project. But I assure you that Shaun Reichenbach would not have given me this task if he was not one hundred percent sure that I was going to be the best person for the job." After she had said that, she was trying to make it seem like what she was saying made sense.

"I assure you that by the end of the summer, the unemployment issue will be much better. There will be no more pain and suffering among Wayside, and I will make sure that everybody will have a chance to survive through this crisis." She said, and then with that, it was seeming like her speech was over, as the factory was then unveiled.

"I am probably over thinking it. There is nothing wrong with what mom is fucking doing. I think that I just need to give her a chance. I guess that sometimes I just get too fucking over complicated here. I will probably tell mom that I was sorry for the way that I had been acting earlier. And maybe she will be willing to let it go and forgive me." Gumball said, and then I was shrugging, not really caring what he was doing with his mother.

People were already starting to move on, as if they had hardly cared about what was going on. I was feeling that people just wanted to pretend like they actually cared about what was happening here. I laughed when I was seeing this. I wondered how many of them were going to forget that they were here in the first place when this was all said and done.

When this was done, I was seeing Gumball walking to his mother, and I was then looking over at Rob and Rachel. I decided to head on to Rachel and Rob, since I was having a feeling that Nicole probably fucking hated me, and I did not want to be taking the fucking risk, to be seeing what she would have said behind my back. "Hey, what do you think of that opening just now? I am having a hard time believing that she is truly meaning it." I said, and then I was shrugging, not caring what they thought of this.

"I believe that she is probably just doing the best that she can. I know that she is probably feeling like she has to take care of everything with her family by herself. Especially since Richard hardly seems to be doing anything at all." After Rob said that to me, I was feeling like the way that this whole speech seemed to change everybody's mind was kind of similar to me in a strange way.

As Gumball and Nicole were talking with each other, I was seeing him rubbing the back of his head, and I was seeing him looking like he was trying to be relaxing about this. I turned to them, and then I was shrugging at this. "It seems like Gumball and her are starting to kind of make up a bit. I think that Gumball just doesn't really want to be having any bad feelings with her."

"I mean, I know that he was a bit worried here. And I would be too if my parents were involved with a company that had a horrible reputation. But I think that this whole thing is just kind of getting at him. I know that if I was him, I would not want to be completely fucking bitter here." Rob said, and then I was looking right at Rachel, wondering what to tell her now.

"So, how was the whole thing with the body guard going? I know that you were just getting kind of annoyed with that last night. I know that you were also upset with me leaving, but consider the fact that I was honestly just worried that they would try and fucking investigate me, and accuse me of having involvement in things that are not my business." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was just relatively unsure of what to be saying.

"I told him that I need to have some space. He agreed that if I was hanging out with friends or whatever, that he would be leaving us alone." Rachel said, and she was feeling like she was totally fucking lost at what she was saying. "Honestly, I just wanted to have an excuse to not be around him. Those type of people are really starting to fucking bother me." Rachel said, and then with that, she was looking like there was nothing else to say now.

Gumball was walking back to me, and I was seeing that he was looking like he was just feeling slightly glad at the moment. I wondered what was going on, and when he explained what was happening, I was able to see what he was saying. "Honestly, I just told her that you were scared about something, since you were trying to help your friends. I explained that you just have a hard time trusting people who work with the company. She seemed willing to drop it." Gumball said, and then after he had said that, I was feeling glad to hear this. I honestly did not want to be making this issue any worse for him.

"I honestly did not want to be fighting a war with your mother. I was feeling that if this was getting any worse, she might have really tried to ruin my life or whatever." I was shrugging, and then I was laughing as I was saying this. Nicole was starting to head towards her other employees, and hardly seemed to be thinking about us at all.

"What are you planning on doing now? Do you want to go inside of the factory?" I asked, and then Gumball was asking, as if hardly having any thoughts on what to be doing now. He looked like he was just not wanting to be dealing with this too much.

"Probably not tonight. Even if I wanted to, I don't think she would allow it. But maybe tomorrow, when I feel like enough will have calmed down, and that I can fucking do this." Gumball said, and then I was seeing him looking super happy as he was saying this. Almost a complete fucking reversal from what I would have been expecting her to say.

"Guys, I think that we should probably go home soon. Stay out any longer, and I think people will probably be accusing us of loitering, or something." Rob said, and then I was looking at him, as if thinking that his statement was rather odd. I don't know why he would be so fucking worried about this at the current moment. There was nothing to be worried about here.

"Why are you suddenly so worried about that right now of all times?" I asked, and I was seeing Rob looking like he was just having a hard time really having a being able to answer something like this. "I mean, I doubt that Nicole would be caring about something like this right now." I said, and then after I had said that to him, I was seeing Rob looking at Rachel, hoping that she would have been willing to go along with what he was saying, and not be making a fucking fight out of it.

"He might be right. Would you be willing to walk home with me though? That way I do not have to be dealing with that body guard. Just anything to not have to handle him." She said, and I was clearly able to tell that this was something that was greatly bothering her. I did not get it, but I was not wanting to argue with her at all.

"Yeah, I can do that. Don't worry about it." After he had said that to her, he was looking at us, as if thinking that he was just hoping that we would be listening to reason like Rachel had been as well. I looked at Gumball, and I was wondering what he would have been saying here. There was no response, so I decided to not to be saying at all. Rob and Rachel started to be heading off, and I was just having no idea what in the world I was going to be saying now.

Scene 10: Looking Around the Falls (Davis)

I was hanging out with Davis, and I was feeling like we needed to make a plan here. "So, you were telling me about the falls? I think that it would probably be wise for us to just go along there, and see what we can find." I said, and then I was seeing Davis slowly nod, as if feeling that there was no reason to be fighting with that argument.

"Yeah, let's go there. I mean, there must be a reason why Tai mentioned that in the first place." Davis said, and I was seeing that he was not too sure of what he was saying. But I decided that I would not really argue with him, so with that, we were walking along, and heading towards the falls.

As we were walking to the forest, I was just wondering what in the world we were even going to be doing ta this rate. "Honestly, I wonder why Tai was so scared of what he had found in the falls in the first place? He just told me that he saw something of me in there, and that was all that he had said." Davis was saying, and he was sounding relatively worried about what we were discussing, and I was shrugging as he was saying this, since I had no idea at all.

"Honestly, I have no idea what he was doing. But I want to do everything that I can to make sure that all the pieces all add up." I said, and then we were at the forest, and then I was wondering why I was even going to be giving Davis the offer to help him, when I was not sure if I was going to be making any actual difference.

Once in the forest, I was wondering what I was going to be asking him now. "So Davis, do you feel like you will ever be in this forest again without feeling like there is something else watching over you? I know that it is probably going to be rough, but I think that sooner or later, everybody has to be heading out in their own way." I said, and then I was really having no idea what I was doing.

"I don't know. I mean, if I try to go in there again, I feel like I will remember what people were telling me about the grinder. But I feel like over all, I will start to just let it go soon enough." After Davis said that to me, I was feeling like there was more that he needed to say. But I was just shrugging, feeling like there was no need to try to talk any further.

"I just feel like I have gone in here enough times where I hardly even think about what is going on anymore. I just feel like I have a job that I need to do, and that is all that is on my mind." After I said that to him, I was seeing Davis looking like he was relatively unsure of what he was wanting to say to that.

We were getting closer to the falls, and I was wondering what in the world Davis and I were going to find here. As we were looking along, I was seeing a pair of clothing that was placed on top of a tree super carelessly. I looked at Davis, and this time, I was relatively confused on what I would even be finding now.

Davis clearly did not look like he was too happy about what he was seeing. He was walking to the tree, and I was seeing him looking like he was just a bit scared now. "Do you know who that belongs to?" I asked, feeling that if he was going to try and lie to me, and act like he wasn't aware, then I would not fucking take it at all.

"Yeah, I do know what that is. That is the jacket of the girl that I was hanging out at the falls with one time. She loved this jacket, and always had it on. But if she left it here, that means that perhaps something happened to her." Davis said, and then he was looking at me, and I was wondering what else I was even going to be telling him now.

"Shit, do you think that something is going to happen to her?" I asked, hoping that there was not anything. I was seeing Davis looking like he was just trying to be thinking things out for a bit, but had no real idea what he was going to be saying now. He was placing the jacket on his back, and I was confused why he was putting it on.

"Just in case something happens, I would rather give it to her parents, and then they could have time to be able to process what is happening." Davis said, and then after he was saying that to me, I was slowly nodding. I hardly got it, but I decided that I was not going to be arguing with him at all. So with that, I was walking up the hill, wondering what Davis and I were going to be doing now.

"I did not know that you were going on a date with somebody. Were you doing that just to make Yolei jealous? I mean, I know how much you like her, and I know that this is something that you would probably do." I said, and then I was seeing Davis looking like he was kind of giving me a "shut the fuck up" face, and I decided that I would be leaving it alone, for the time being.

"I mean, I might have done it that way. But she was a nice girl, and I was almost questioning why I was even going after Yolei in the first place after that happened." After Davis said that to me, he was shrugging, and looked like he was not really wanting to have much more discussion now. With that, I decided that I would just let it go, and we were walking up to the top of the hill.

As we were looking along, I was seeing that there was a drawing on the ground. It was a drawing of a young girl and a guy sitting down on a bench, and staring at the sun set. I was then looking at Davis, and I was seeing him looking like he was just as interested in seeing what this was than he was in anything else.

"What are you thinking? I mean, is there something bothering you?" I asked, and I was seeing that Davis was just clearly looking like he had no idea what he was wanting to say here. He just looked at me, and I was seeing that he was just kind of lost.

"I think that this is what Larry was telling me one time of his date with a girl named Karen. They were in a deep relationship, and they would always be looking at the sun sets. I mean, I know that Larry has a lot of information related to what is happening. I think that we really have no choice but to talk to him about any further clues." After he had said that to me, I was seeing him looking like he was just trying to plan out this discussion.

"Larry will not talking to me at all. I tried to talk with him about it, but he fucking just brushes it off every single fucking time." I said, and then I was shrugging, and I was feeling like there was nothing else to be saying about it. I was then looking around, and then Davis was calling out to me as I checked for other smaller things.

"Do you think that maybe you have been trying to talk to Larry the wrong way? I think that you need to fucking think about how he likes to talk with people. He probably needs to know that you are actually committed to this." Davis was saying, and then I was laughing, not thinking about how to be going through with this.

"I mean, I have barely even gotten a chance to be speaking with him, so I do not know anything that he is willing to say. Once I have a decent idea, then I could have spoken with him more. But I guess that maybe I failed on that." I said, and then I was shrugging, and I was having nothing else to say at this rate. And I was not wanting to deal with Davis trying to be having me look at things any different.

"Never mind I said anything. I was trying to help. I guess that I should just not even try to say anything anymore." After Davis said that, he was sounding like he was actually kind of mad when he was saying this. I was feeling like I should have said something else, and then I was feeling like a simple apology was all that I needed to be telling him now.

"Sorry. I just hardly think about what I am saying half the time. It is just really fucking hard to be taking things easy." I said, and then I was having nothing else that I was going to be saying. And in all honesty, I was just feeling that whatever Davis wanted to do, we needed to discuss things a bit better more.

Scene 11: Confessions of a Killer (Brad)

I was at the company building again, and since I did not know that Matt had already gone there once, I did not have any idea on how much he had already pissed Brad and Shaun off. So I was not going to be ready to be seeing Brad looking over at me, and I was already seeing that he was clearly not in the mood to be having a discussion with me at all.

"Did your older brother send you here?" Brad asked me, and then when he asked that, I was looking ta him, totally confused, and not having even the slightest clue what in the fucking world he was talking about, and I was feeling like he was needing to just explain to me what was going on, before I lost my temper.

"No, I came here because I felt like I wanted to just talk with you, and just see what you know about what was happening here. I figured that you would probably be the most likely person to open up to me about this stuff." I said, and I was unsure if that was true, but in all honesty, I was just hoping that my assumption was not going to be too fucking off here.

"I don't know what you would be able to get out of talking to me. I am probably the person that you guys enjoy talking to the least. After all, you barely even seem willing to give me a chance most of the time." After Brad said that to me, I was shrugging, feeling that what he was saying was probably true in its own form. But I did not want to be saying anything else.

"Look, I have no idea what the others were saying to you, and quite frankly, I do not really care what they think. If they don't like you, then that is fine. But I just need to know some things, and I want you to be totally honest with me." I said, and then I was seeing Brad looking at me, as if he was really dreading the fact that I had just said that to him.

"So Yolei was telling me about the time that you were at the church, and that you were praying for something. I feel like you probably will have at least known who Olive was, and that you probably talked with her many times. Do you have anything to say about that?" After I asked him this, I was seeing that he was just trying to get out of this one for some reason.

"If you want people to work with you, and believe that you truly are doing what you feel like is right for Wayside, then you need to talk with people more, and see what they know. I mean, I can tell from the way that you are looking at me, that you know what I am talking about." I said, and then I was wondering if I was going at this the wrong way.

"Honestly, I had talked with her a few times, and I remember when she was speaking to me, that she was worrying that it was only a matter of time before somebody came after her. She seemed like she had hardly cared though. Almost as if after a while, she was growing to welcome such a thing. I tried to get to know more about her." Brad said, and then he was shrugging, as if thinking that was all that he needed to say here.

"And when she was announced to have died, I was sent to check the area around, to see if there was anything that she still had there, that might be useful for Shaun. I was basically just sent to clean out the area before it got torched up. It did feel wrong to go in there, and be looking through her main things. But Shaun just wanted to make sure that her legacy was having a chance of being preserved." After Brad was saying that to me, I was then feeling like I just needed to try and talk more.

"Do you feel like she was prepared the day that she had died? I mean, if you had talked with her, I am sure that she probably was more willing to talk about it with you than other people." I said, and I was just having some thoughts in my mind, but I was not wanting to say them, on the chance that I could have been wrong, and that he would turn on me here.

"I barely knew her. She probably just saw me as somebody who was troubled, and needed somebody to talk with. Sure, her husband was more of a priest than she was, but I think that she saw herself as a more morally bright person to look after, and that maybe I would feel more comfortable being around her. I don't know what she thought. But when I found out she was gone, I was wondering what the future for myself would have been like honestly." After Brad said that, he shook his head, as is ashamed to have admitted that.

"Was she the only one of the victims that you knew anything about?" I asked, and then I was looking at his belt, and I was seeing what looked like something I had seen before. I could have swore that I saw that orange lightsaber hilt with her at one point, and I was seeing him with it. As I saw that, I looked up at him, feeling like I wanted to ask, but felt like I would just leave him alone about it.

"Did you ever meet Mildred for instance? I know that she was also having a connection with Justin Ryder, so in that sense, it would make sense why she was taken out." I said, and then when I was saying this to Brad, I was clearly seeing him looking like he was just trying to keep himself calm. I was wondering what the issue was, and for a bit, I was finding myself genuinely unsure of what I was doing that was getting him like this, but I was feeling that I might be onto something here.

"How do you even know about Justin Ryder anyways? He is not a common name that gets discussed all the time. I feel like you need to be better about not talking about these things in public." Brad said, and as soon as he had said that, I was seeing him looking like he was adopting a far more serious face, and one that was making me feel slightly uncomfortable.

"I was told that when looking at various things that are happening around me, the biggest mistake to be making is to not understand the truth, and to not pursue knowledge. I want to just follow through with that, and make sure that everything that goes on around me is something I know." I said, and then I was seeing Brad just looking like he was calming down for a split second, as if his presentation was coming back once again.

"As for Mildred, I don't think I ever saw her. Shaun did tell me that she was somebody who claimed to have known the exact date and time of her death. As if she was just counting down to it this whole time. I mean, I have no idea how she would be able to know something like that, but Shaun insists that it was a possession of hers that gave her this insight on her life." After Brad said this, I was now rather interested in knowing what she had that could give her this information.

"So basically, if what you are saying is true, then she was insane, and was saying bullshit that made everything just seem like a lie." I said, and I was seeing Brad just keeping a different mind on things. Probably thinking that whatever I would say was going to be making him seem like a bad guy, no matter what was happening.

"I mean, it was probably true in her eyes, and that is what matters. If you sincerely believe that something is going to happen, then that is more than enough to keep you going, and make you feel like you need to hide yourself." After Brad said that, he was shrugging for a second.

"I mean, I just always find myself interested in learning how Shaun even got to know all these people, and how he was able to not feel like these people were a danger before. Especially since he insists that they are now. Are you sure that you have no idea what is involved with that? Could he possibly just be doing something to hide himself on his goals?" I asked, and then I was seeing Brad looking like he was wanting to argue this idea, but then he had just decided that he would be leaving things alone for the time being.

"Look T.K., I know that you are eager to learn and know more about this town, and the fact that you seem to be having a open mind on the matter, and not judging people as much as others might, is something that most people your age need to be trying to follow through. But the reality is that I do not know enough about these cases beyond what I was told, and what I am investigating." Brad said, and I was seeing that he was clearly hoping I would drop it there.

"What have you been able to find out in your investigation?" I asked, feeling that with the fact that he had mentioned that, I might as well just get him in a corner. As I was saying this, I was seeing from the look on his face, that he was aware that I was tying him to a fucking corner this whole time, and that he was slowly looking like he was giving up here.

"Not much. I mean, I learned that Mildred was part of a group of people who were being trained in a old Ninja fortress, an all female team trained to be able to fight in case something happened to them. But they were will killed, and it was just her who remained, and that with her death, every single one of that training group died." Brad said, and then I was feeling that I could try and get more from him here.

"So did those people who were training with her know anything about Justin Ryder, or does there seem to be no fucking connection?" I asked, and then as I was saying this, I was seeing that Brad was just looking like his patience on the matter was clearly running out, but I was hardly caring what he was thinking right now.

"I mean, I never looked into all the others. I probably should have, and I could probably find something if I looked hard enough, but I never found anything. Besides, I feel like it would not even have any ties to the rest of the town. I mean, who would believe the stories about a group of girls being trained to become ninjas, who were all murdered in a matter of hours one night decades ago?" After Brad said that to me, he was taking out another cigar.

"If you want to learn more about it, then when the library is rebuilt, I am sure that you will be able to find something there." Brad said, and then I was feeling like I might be able to ask him something there. I mean, surely he knew something about that library, and I needed to catch him on the act.

"Do you know anything about that libraries reconstruction? I mean, that was one of the biggest controversies that this town had gone through in a while, and I am sure that there has to be something on the line for that. Or else people are really going to have a hard time believing in the sincerity of this town." I said, and then I was seeing Brad looking like he had nothing to really say on the matter, as if he was hardly caring at all.

"I think that the project has started, but it didn't get the funding until the factory that just opened got completed. Shaun wants to just focus on one project at a time. Make sure that the company can actually make sure that something is done right. He is worried that if he does not give anything the proper attention it deserves, then it will have a hard time really being brought to its full potential." After Brad said that to me, I was slowly nodding, feeling that maybe this guy was having reason after all.

"So I see that he is trying to take the company in a responsible direction? Maybe I am judging this company too harshly, Just having all the stuff that I hear take over my thoughts on the debate. I can sometimes really just have a hard time looking at the fact that everybody has their own job." I said, and I was feeling that saying that to him would be able to gather some respect from him, because I was no longer hiding any bullshit at all. As I was saying this, I saw Brad looking like he was able to respect my attitude here.

"You know, I just think that he sees the controversy that has come from Wayside, and he wants to make sure that it does not get any worse. That is something that does demand a level of respect, even if most people have a hard time understanding that. I can drive you to the library, if you want to check around, but that is the most that I can do." Brad offered, and I knew that he was just trying to be nice, so I figured that I would accept his offer for now.

As I got in his car, we were driving along, and I knew I had to ask this right now or else I was going to be losing my chance to do so. "So Brad, I am pretty sure that the hilt that you are holding was used by Olive at one point. Was that something that you grabbed when you were at the garden?" I asked, and I was feeling that if he was actually being honest, he would tell me the truth.

"Yeah, that is what happened. I mean, I was looking through everything, and I gave all that I found to Shaun, and he decided that he would let me have one of those items, something that I felt like would not be very important to the research. So I took that, thinking that I could use it in case if something were to come up." After Brad said this, he was looking at the window, and I was seeing him gripping the steering wheel tightly, as if scared of what we were doing now.

Eventually, he parked the car at the ruins of the library, and I was seeing that there was one guy there who was sitting down and having a smoking break. "Please understand that I am just trying to do my best here. Even if you do not like what everybody else does here, understand that I am not a bad guy. I do not want to hurt anybody any more than I already have, and I am certainly not trying to make a fucking stint out of the missing girls." After he said that, I nodded, and got out of the car, only half sure that I might have been able to buy something like that. So with that, I looked around the library, feeling that I needed to just get right to work on this project.

I was looking at all of the areas on the ground, and then I was hearing the man on his cigarette break calling out to me. "Are you trying to make some big break in the case? I would just tell you that there is nothing left here. There are so many pieces of history that is just completely gone now, and it is hard to admit something like that, regardless of your beliefs on the town." After the man said that to me, I was shaking my head, walking to the rubble.

"I heard that some people died in that freak fire. Imagine being so passionate about books, and reading that you go down with them." As he was saying this, I was looking right at him, and I was just hoping that he would be leaving me alone. I was just trying to hide the fact that this was kind of annoying me, and he needed to see that he was working with people who were possibly responsible for this.

"Look, I understand that there are a lot of things that suck about this, but I had some people who would always come here, and check things out, and they loved this place. I feel like if they knew that this place was destroyed, they would probably be thinking that everything else was a fucking shame." I said, and then I was shrugging, not sure what else I was going to say now.

"And when I see how many people actually get bothered over something like this, I often times wonder if the idea of hope is even possible in this town. I feel like there is nothing left for this place, and I have come around to just admit this." I said, and then with that, I was shrugging, feeling that saying something like this was just really horrible to say.

"I heard a guy named Izzy would come here all the time, and that he would be reading these things every day. It was his favorite place in the world, and I feel like it is a shame that he would lose out on something like this over nothing." I said, and then after I had said that, I was wondering if it was right to say that at all.

"I mean, everything that could possibly be used as actual information about this town, everything that was a history is a gone. And I have no idea how to be feeling about that. I mean, I wonder if there is any point in trying to find any feelings here." I said, and then I was feeling that there was no need to be worrying about what I was thinking here.

"Well, don't stay here too long. My break only lasts for a certain period of time, and I feel like if people knew that I was taking too long on it, that they will be angry at me. It is not easy working at a place where everything has to be kept on top of." After he had said that to me, I was looking at him, wondering why in the world he was even still trying to talk to me. This whole thing was fucking stupid, and I wanted him to just shut up and leave me alone for now.

I was looking around the area, and I was just trying to find at least one thing in the area that looks like I might be able to use it. But despite the fact that I had been looking around for a while, I was hardly finding anything, and when I was seeing that I was hardly really getting anything, my frustration was growing, and I was feeling that there was no point in checking this place out.

I mean, I was just annoyed at the fact that these things were all going on around Wayside, and these things were falling apart all around us, and nobody was giving a shit. Nobody was wanting to talk about it. It was like literally nobody fucking cared at all about the fact that this place was just fucked up, and that it was all a falling fucking shit show.

I was also wondering if those people who often came here were involved in that fire. If something like this was happening, then I don't know if I would have been able to sleep well. If Bill was here, and then he died as a result of this fire, and nobody gave a shit, then I would just be disgusted at the complete lack of attention the town had. If a ten year old boy died.

As I was letting my anger get caught up with me once again, I was sighing, and I was feeling that I just needed to calm down, and remember the fact that there was no statements about his death either, so that there was a chance that perhaps he was fine, and that perhaps I just needed to calm down, and that I was needing to remember what else was happening here.

And I was wondering what it would be like if it was revealed that Bill had died in that fire. If something like that had happened, then I would always be wondering what he would have been able to accomplish when he was growing up, and then to have everything like that taken away.

And in all honesty, I would feel that if he was having his chance taken away, and I was still allowed to keep pursuing this goal, I would both be happy to have a chance to continue going, while also feeling like maybe the world really was a bad place, and that maybe Gumball and the others were right about everything that they had said, and that this place had truly been beyond repair. But I felt that pondering that further would just drive me insane.

As I was thinking longer, I was thinking that even if Bill was still alive, there was still that female librarian who lost her chance, and that I needed to remember her in the future. As I was laughing at the insanity of this, I nodded, and then I was heading off, feeling that perhaps I would just try and talk with Gumball about what I was feeling, and then perhaps we could see what to be doing from here. After all, there was nothing else to be doing here, and that I just needed to run with this.

Scene 12: Gaming Shop (Gumball)

Gumball and I met up the next day, at his house, and as we were getting ready to leave, that was when his mom saw me here, and I was sighing, feeling that I just needed to try and explain myself, and maybe by doing so, we would be able to work something out, since I in no way wanted to make her feel like I was just brushing her off here.

"Look, I know that I was a bit rude earlier, and I am sorry for that. I will try to not get in the way anymore. I want to just make sure that no matter what happens, you guys get along, and that nothing else gets in the way." I said, feeling that the honesty might be able to be something that she can respect. As I was saying this, I was seeing Nicole looking like she wanted to buy what I had said here.

"Look, I want to believe what you are saying. But after everything that is happening, and after everything that are being spread around, I will have to hold my doubts on this discussion. But if you mean it, I will try and let it go." Nicole said, and I was seeing her looking like she was just glad to be saying this, since she probably did not want to be upset with me either.

"But I understand at the end of the day, I need to let Gumball pick his own friends, and that I am being incredibly selfish by not letting him do that. So in that sense, I do need to improve as a mother. It should not matter what people think about me, since that is something that everybody should be allowed to be feeling on their own." After she said that to me, I was slowly nodding, feeling that if she was going to be like this, and treat it openly, then I was truly wrong here.

"I will do everything that I can to make sure that Gumball will have a good rest of his time in school. I know that it might be hard to divorce what is going on with the missing cases from everything else, and I feel like I have to take blame for that, and I am incredibly sorry for any issues that I have caused here." I said, feeling that I just needed to own up to what I was saying, and not be talking shit anymore.

With that, we were out of the house, and I was feeling that given everything, that was probably the best way that this entire conversation was going to resolve itself, and I was having a feeling that there was more to it than she was letting on. I was having a feeling that she wanted to tell me more, but decided to just leave it alone for some reason.

"Were you being honest when you were saying that to her?" Gumball asked, and I was sure that if I had not been sincere, either she would have called me out on it right away, or when she would eventually find out, she was going to be making my life a fucking nightmare, and I did not want to be making things any worse for him here.

"Look, I feel like if I was lying here, then I would only be making things worse for you guys, and everything else has already gone bad enough as it is. So I am just not going to be saying anything at all." After I had said that to him, I was seeing that Gumball was looking like he was just trying to decide what else to be saying now.

"Yeah, where do you think we should be going?" Gumball asked, and I was not feeling right with taking the lead right now. But I decided that I would take it, since he probably did not trust himself enough. So I was taking a long and deep breath, and decided to do something fun for once, and not pressure us to anything else.

"I think that perhaps we should just go to the gaming store. I am sure that we will find something there." I said, and then after I said that to Gumball, I was seeing him nod, and I was seeing that he was looking like he was actually happy with this idea, so with that, we were heading on towards the store, and I was feeling that whatever we were doing, we just needed to fucking relax here.

"So Gumball, how do you think you will be getting Penny to like you? I mean, I know that we have been talking about it for a bit, but there was never any real answers here." I said, and then after I was saying that to him, I saw Gumball looking like he was just trying to hide his embarrassment.

"I have no idea how in the world that is going to happen. If I knew how in the world I was going to get Penny to like me, I would have already done it by now. There is no reason to believe that I am going to suddenly have all the answers in front of me. But I have taken what you said into consideration. You know, about just talking to her, and not be thinking anything else at all." Gumball said, and I was nodding, able to appreciate his statement.

"Good, and just talk with her. It is really that simple. There is no reason to be dragging things as long as you guys have been. And I mean, I know that she likes you as a friend. She has already told me this, and now that I know that, I feel like it is only a matter of time before everything else works out perfectly." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was seeing Gumball just taking a long and deep breath, having nothing else to say now.

We were eventually at the gaming store, and I knew that neither one of us had the money to make something like this work, but I honestly did not care. I just wanted to roam the options, and just see what we could be able to find. As I was heading in, I saw Gumball looking like he was having a new level of joy in his face.

"I mean, I just feel like when I talk with Penny, she just makes everything else seem to go away. As if the world doesn't have any bad things. I don't know, but when I talk with her, the idea of the missing girls, and the grinding noise, just seems to fucking go away." Gumball said, and I was wondering if that was something he was just saying, or if he bought it truthfully.

"What would things be like for you if she was one of the victims? I mean, as with everybody else, that is a idea that needs to be discussed." I said, hoping that he would actually listen to me, and not be fighting with me at all. As I was saying this, I was seeing Gumball looking like he was not wanting me to even bring up such a idea in the first place.

"If she was, then I would be in pain. I have nothing else to say about that. I would really just have a hard time really looking at things anymore, and I would just want to move along, and forget everything else." After Gumball said that to me, I was feeling like I would just leave it at that. Perhaps if the two of us had something better to say, then this could have been slightly better, but I had no idea.

"And I know that realistically, with each day and week, the pain would go away a bit more at a time. I know that as time goes on, I would slowly forget about how deep my feels would be. But that is something that I would not really want to talk about with others. I do not want them to be laughing at me, and thinking that I was a idiot." Gumball said, and I was feeling that I would just leave it alone with that for the time being.

"I mean, surely there is a girl that you like that you want to protect against all costs?" Gumball asked, and then I looked at him, laughing at that statement. I had nobody that liked me like that, and there was no reason to think that there would be anybody that would have those same feelings as I do, since I was barely making a impression.

"The closest thing to that is Teri, to be honest. She was one of the first people to just actually see how I was really doing this summer, and not think about the investigation at all. That made me feel so much fucking better about it." I said, and then I felt the need to mention Yolei now.

"To be honest though, I want to make sure that Yolei can have a good time in Wayside. I do not want anything to happen to her, at any costs. If something were to take her away, I feel like that would be the biggest thing that would make me feel like I failed her and everybody else. Maybe if I actually just forget everything else, and not worry about the rest of the life outside of this place, then things would be better now. But that is not fucking happening.

Before long, that was when I was seeing those guys in black come on in again, and I was looking at them, wondering what they were planning on doing now. "Hello, good to see you here." One of them said to me, and I was gulping, and I was feeling like I just needed to find a way out of this talk now.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked, hoping beyond god that they were not going to suspect me of being involved with anything at all. I was looking at Davis, and I was seeing that he was just looking as scared as I did. I was then looking at the two men, feeling that I just needed to take it.

"I was wanting to talk to you about your friendship with Tobias and Rachel. You seem to be getting along with them well, and they seem to appreciate your company, so we are not going to try and get in the way there. That being said, we also need to stress that any unwanted fear and pain that they might be feeling as a result of your investigation will not be tolerated. We have to do one thing, and that is make sure that they are safe no matter what." The man with the black jacket said, and then looked at Gumball for a second, as if thinking about if they should mention him too.

"Tobias and Rachel trust me a lot. I would never do anything that would hurt them. I am sure that they would be the first people to confirm that with you." I said, hoping that by saying this, I would get them to be getting all the way off of my fucking back.

"We know that you mean well, and we are sorry if we are giving you unwanted stress. What we do ask though is that if something happens, and you feel like you will not be able to handle it on your own, to please contact us, and we will work something out. But we understand that if you are just trying to enjoy your time with them, then we want to just not interfere." The man said, and then this time, he did say something to Gumball.

"And this also applies to you. If you are friends with Tobias or Rachel, and you see something that you believe will affect their safety, then you need to come to us, and tell us everything that you find. I don't care if it is something that you promised to not be speaking about." He said, and then with that, he was gone, and I was looking at Gumball, and my annoyance was barely being contained right now as I was thinking about how they had just acted right around us.

"If they knew what they were doing to affect the impressions of everybody else around this town, they would realize that they are the main issue here. But no, they are just trying to take the fucking high road. They sometimes just make me fucking sick." I said, and then after I had said that to him, I was shrugging, having nothing else to tell the man, and I was just having no idea where to go here.

"I wonder if we will ever get to the point where we will trust anybody. I feel like at this rate, that might never be happening. Especially with you, and your growing paranoia. You seem to be in a position where you are having a hard time trusting anybody at all." Gumball told me, and I was slightly annoyed with that statement, even if he was right.

"Look, I understand where you're coming from. But I feel like trust is something that has to be earned, and not given to people. I trust my friends, because I have known you guys enough to know that you have earned it." I said, and then I was shrugging, hoping that saying that to him would be making him feel slightly better about what I was thinking.

With that, we were just looking at the items of the store, and I was seeing that most people in the store were looking right around us, wondering what the hell was happening, and why we were acting like the way that we had been. As if we had been going monster hunting or something like that. Probably because it was true to some extent.

"But even beyond the whole company secrets, and that controversy, there is something else that is bothering me. And that is all the stories about monsters. Call me paranoid if you want, but I have a feeling that monsters are actually real, and that maybe we need to be taking those stories to heart as well." I said, and then I was looking at Gumball, wondering how he would react to that now.

"Honestly, I feel like that is probably pushing it a bit too far. If you were wanting to talk about other things here, then I suppose that I can see what you are meaning. But fucking monsters is something that I still have to really see in order to believe. The company, and their potential secrets, are something that I know is real, so I want to focus on that shit." After Gumball said that to me, I was sighing, feeling that I just needed to let it go for now.

"I would not brush it off completely. I mean, I understand how fucking crazy the whole thing sounds. But I think that perhaps we just need to see what could be real. Just take my word for it that if there is a chance that this could happen, we need to be more careful. I mean, as fucking insane as it is, pigs could be flying and I wouldn't even be batting an eye anymore." I said, feeling that the point, while silly and stupid, was still indeed rather true.

"Alright, I guess that I could see where you are coming from, even if I am not too sure what I am supposed to believe. After all, this whole thing is just a little hard to really wrap my mind around, and with all the grinding noises, and theories, I do have to at least consider what you say." Gumball conceded, and I was glad to be hearing him at least admitting to the fact that it could potentially be true.

We spent roughly an hour walking around the store, trying to just pretend like we were shopping, and that we were not thinking of anything else. I was not sure if anybody was buying our fucking lie for a damn second, but I was feeling good about the fact that for the time being, people were not coming around to us, and screaming about everything that we were discussing.

Once we had found the things that we would have wanted once we had money, and everything was seeming like it was back to normal for some extent, we decided that it was probably time for us to be heading back home, and I was seeing that Gumball was looking like he was just able to enjoy things once more, with no reason issue here.

"Thanks for taking the time to just hang out and not worry about anything else. It makes me feel better to know that people are able to just relax, and not be worried about random various things. And I feel like I just needed some time away from the house, where I was able to be looking at things from a more unbiased eye." After Gumball said that to me, I was feeling better about what I was able to do for him.

"Just looking around various places makes me feel so much better about everything else. Makes me feel like I can just go back to being a kid again for a bit." I said, not caring about the fact that most people would still consider me a kid. The point was still the same here.

"We should play some games when we are at my place again. Since mom is saying that she will not interfere with our friendship anymore, we can just have some fun, and not be too worried about anything." Gumball said, and then with that, I was slowly nodding, feeling that I might be able to roll with this, and that there was nothing else to be worried about at all.

"Yeah, I guess a couple of hours of not talking about monsters or shit could be nice." I said, and then with that, we were heading back to Gumball's place, where I was not even going to be thinking about the fight that Anais and I had. After all, there was no reason to be thinking about the opinions of a child.

As we went inside the house, I was feeling like coming to the Watterson place was something that I could be rather used to as well. And in all honesty, I was feeling that whatever else was happening around us was going to just be a challenge one day at a time. And that for now, trying to beat the games was going to be the challenge of the fucking night.

"Darwin and I would play this every day. And now I am starting to think that we should pick that shit up again, since in all honesty, it makes me feel so much better to just relax, and take things back, and not worry about other shit." After Gumball said that to me, he was handing me a controller, wondering if I would be taking it. I did, and then smiled for a few seconds at what was happening.

"Do you think that Darwin enjoyed playing with you? Or do you think that he was just doing it because he did not want to be making you feel any worse?" I asked, and I was seeing Gumball shrugging, not caring what Darwin did it for, since in all honesty, he was enjoying it, and didn't want to make a giant debate out of it.

"I think that he did, and I know that I did. I just think that he might not have enjoyed the fact that I often won in the games. Can't blame him though, since I was often just as salty about it when I lost shit." Gumball said, and then we were playing as we kept talking about Darwin, and I was feeling that the two of us were just finally really getting to know each other a bit better.

"And to be one hundred percent honest, I just think that one of these days, Darwin will realize that losing in games is not that big of a deal. It's a video game. It is meant to be fun, and something that people can fucking enjoy, and I think he will see that as he grows older." After Gumball told me this, I was feeling like I would let him continue his discussion.

"And besides, these were bought as a way for us to bond with each other. Anais showed no interest in something like that, and to be honest, I have a feeling that she might hate me. It sucks though, to just look at the person who I saw growing up for several years, and over time, she just shows no interest in me. My eight year old sister thinks that I am nothing but a failure." Gumball said, as he was playing, and I could see with the way that he was playing, that he was getting slightly more aggressive here.

I was looking over, for a second, and when I was seeing Anais walking by after she heard Gumball said that, and I was seeing that for a split second, she was looking to regret what she was probably saying to him before. Probably thinking earlier that he would not have remembered what she told him, and then when he did, she realized that she had made a massive fucking mistake.

After another hour and a half or so, we ended up wrapping up for the day for real, and then I was thanking Gumball for inviting me, and then with that, I was walking home, wondering what in the world I was going to be telling my family when they had seen me gone for so long. Dad was probably going to be in hysterics, thinking I was doing something dangerous, and Matt wouldn't even process it at all.

Scene 13: Brothers Unite (Matt)

I was home that night, late, and when I was getting ready to be going to bed, that was when Matt was calling to me. I looked over at him, and I was still not really in the mood to be dealing with something like this. I just had a feeling that whatever he wanted to say, he just needed to get it over with right now.

"Hey T.K., I just wanted to tell you that after everything that had happened, I am so fucking sorry for doubting what you were saying about this town. I now believe that there is really no fucking choice but to believe that something is happening here, and that if we are going to just brush it off, then that would be a massive mistake." After Matt said that to me, I was shrugging, not having any idea what to tell him at all.

"I mean, I would rather have you not be looking into this all on your own, that part still stands. But I have grown to understand that there is nothing that I can do about it, and I know that this is your way of just helping out the town." He was continuing, but then decided to just remain silent after that one.

"I mean, there would be no reason for her to hide this stuff, and I am glad to see that you are finally willing to see what I am saying. I get that it might be hard to see the bigger picture, but I am glad to see that you are finally coming around to this." I said, and then I was just taking a moment to consider what the heck I was going to say now.

"I just wonder why she would have done that, and not talked with anybody. I mean, if she had told us what was going on, then we might have been able to make this whole thing work out. And now there is always going to be that level of uncertainty that we have." After Matt said that to me, I was just not too sure what I was going to be saying at this point.

"I know that this might sound like a terrible idea, but I think that we are going to have to go and grab that letter, and just see what she had written in it." After I had said that to him, I was seeing Matt looking like this was where he was feeling that he had needed to draw the fucking line. And when I saw that face, I felt so bad.

"Are you worried about how dad would react if we knew what we were doing? I mean, we have a perfect chance here, and this whole thing is right in front of us." I said, and then I was just hoping beyond everything that this was going to get him to just not be a coward anymore.

"I am not worried as much as about what dad would say if he knew, as much as what we would do if we knew." Matt said, and then I was looking at him, as if feeling that this statement was fucking insane, and I just wished that he would have actually taken this more seriously. But this reaction showed that he really didn't fucking care at all.

"I mean, for all we know, we wouldn't even be able to find something in there in the first place. So this whole debate could be a waste of time. But if we go and check, then we would know for sure." I said, and I was seeing Matt looking like he was wanting to fight more, but I think he knew that I was not going to be letting this drag me down at all.

With that, I was just walking to the bedroom, and then I was seeing Matt just considering what he was wanting to do before he decided to just go along with it, and see what he might be able to find. As he was following me, I was feeling that maybe I was just trying a bit too hard to convince him of my plans, but I was thinking that this was my best chance.

Once in our dad's room, I was seeing that the room was rather clean for once. Something that he would never do, and I was wondering if he was doing this as a way to hide his stuff for a while longer. I was looking at Matt, and I saw that from the look on his face, he was noticing this change as well, and found it odd as well.

I sat down on the table, and then I was looking at his materials, and I was wondering what I was going to be finding. I was trying to open up one of the drawers, and it was locked. Which was another strange sight, since I never once saw him locking his shit under any cases. I was feeling like this was a sign more than anything else that this letter was really damning.

"Okay, well, since the letter is being hidden, and there is no way that we can open it up, I think that it is time for us to admit that he is really hiding something. When are you going to fucking admit to this?" I asked, as Matt was looking at me, and I was seeing that he was clearly looking shocked at what I had been saying to him here.

"I never tried to deny that he was hiding something. All that I said was that we needed to eb more careful, since we do not know what we would find in there. But yeah, I have to agree that him locking all this shit up is something that he would never do normally." Matt said, and then with that, he was thinking for a second too.

"I wonder if she was in on this, and knew that she was going to get caught, and that was why she did what she did." I said, and I was hating the words as soon as they had come out of my mouth. But I looked at Matt, and I was seeing him looking like he was reluctantly considering what I had been saying for once, and I was seeing that this was something that he had considered for a bit himself.

"God, I feel like this whole thing is a mess. And I have been so blinded by everything else that I hardly really took the time to see how you were doing. I never really took the time to see where you were feeling with this extra responsibility. I hardly showed any compassion earlier." After Matt said that to me, I was wondering where this was coming from, and I was not sure if I was wanting to fucking hear it at all.

"Matt, I never asked you to help me out. That's the truth. I mean, if I felt like I needed it, I would have told you. Although I think that most of the time it was more out of embarrassment than anything else. Embarrassed to be seeing how you were feeling, and embarrassed to have you realize that I failed at everything that I have been doing." I said, and then I was shrugging, thinking that leaving it at that would be enough for the time being.

"Even though you never asked me, I should have as a part of my responsibility of your brother. I mean, even you can't really deny that." After he was telling me this, I was sighing, and I was really just thinking that nothing that I could tell him would make him feel any different.

"I mean, you were a busy guy with Sora, and trying to be a good boyfriend. I get it. I really do. But there is nothing for you to worry about at all." I said, and then I was shrugging, and I was thinking that I could leave it at that. "I would rather have you focus on your love life with Sora than to be focused on anything else here. She deserves better than you looking around, and probing me all the time." I said, and then I was shrugging, not having any idea what else I was going to be telling him now.

"I appreciate the fact that you try to understand what is happening. That makes me feel better when I know that you are willing to see where I am coming from right now." After Matt said that to me, I was wondering if this whole conversation was going to actually be helping us out at all.

"I mean, I guess that everything that has happened has forced me to look at this in a more mature light, where I am forced to see what everybody is saying now. I don't know. I just feel like I can see where a lot of my faults on this have been, and I feel bad for people who feel like they were forced to deal with the stuff that I have been doing, and feel like they need to try and work around it." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was shrugging, feeling like I just needed to leave it at that.

"And despite everything, I do wish you luck. Especially now that I feel the need to be doing my own personal investigation, to see what in the world is going on here. I mainly am in it for mom and dad, but it is still something I feel like I need to do." After Matt was telling me this, I was wondering if we were going to be able to work together, and make this shit storm possibly work out.

"Maybe we can team up, and just pull aside everything else so far." I said, and then I was looking at him, hoping that he would at least consider my proposal. As I was saying this, I was seeing Matt looking like he was considering what I had said, and I was seeing that he was almost thinking it would be better this way.

"Yeah, I guess that we can do that. And who knows, I think that both of us might be feeling better if we do that." Matt was saying, and he was looking at me, as if wishfully hoping that I would agree to such a claim. But I decided to just not say anything, feeling that there was no need to be saying anything one way or another.

"I made some deals with my friends that they will help me with certain pieces of the investigation, that way they only need to be looking at the stuff that they are interested in. If you feel the need to do that with the stuff related to mom for instance, I would be fine with that." I said, and then with that, I was seeing Matt actually looking like he was considering what I had been saying.

"Yeah, I guess that something like that can work. And for all that we know, I feel like maybe if I am just focused on one or two things, then my information will be a lot easier to come by. But what do you think you will be doing once you get the information. Handing it to Joe's attic, where it will collect dust for the rest of time?" After he had said that to me, I was slowly nodding, feeling that this was a fair enough way to be doing it.

"I mean, I feel like it is not a terrible place to put it, since that place is away from everywhere else that could be suspect. So I think that you might have to be giving the idea more merit than you are." I said, shrugging, and wondering if he would at least consider what I had been saying. I was seeing Matt just looking like he was really not too sure still, but did not want to fight.

"I don't know. I mean, I am not going to be wasting my time fighting you on this though. I feel like doing that is always going to just be making things much worse for us, and I do not want that." After Matt was saying this, we just shrugged, and then after he was done saying this, I was feeling like we needed to find something else to do now.

I got up, feeling like there was no point in even trying to find out what was in that desk anymore, and feeling that in all honesty, doing so was only going to be making a bigger deal out of something that I was probably going to find the answer for anyways, if I just checked out different places in Wayside.

Scene 14: The Feelings (Teri)

As I was leaving, feeling like I just needed to do an investigation on my own, I was just trying to decide how in the world I was going to be handling this all. And to be honest, after everything that was going on, I decided that I just wanted to be alone, and not have anybody else getting in my fucking way. I did not care how harsh that was sounding, or how much people were feeling like I might have been rude to those around me.

As I was ready to be starting my own investigation, I was feeling that when I would be away from the others, I would actually prefer that. And there was one fucking reason. I wanted to keep them safe, and if I was alone, and not dealing with other people at my side, then there was nothing that I needed to worry about.

When I was about to make it to the forest, I was hearing a womans voice call out to me, and when I heard her, I was starting to smile. Because I knew who it was, and I remember what it was like to know that she had cared about hanging out with me. I turned around and saw Teri.

"What are you doing, going back in there?" She asked me, and then I was sighing, since in all honesty, I had no idea if I was wanting to tell her the truth or not. But I figured that there was no reason for me to be lying about what I was doing. Especially since we had talked about it all the time before anyways.

"I am going monster hunting. See if I can find anything cool in there that I would love to talk about." I said, pretending like this was going to be some fun investigation, when in all honesty, it was the furthest thing away from one that I could find.

"Are you sure that you are going to be safe when you go in there?" After she had asked me this, I was feeling that this was going to be something that had to find myself out of. I was not going to let her try and get involved in my own personal investigation, even if I personally liked her enough to where I could not mind it.

"Well, I don't really think safe is the thing that I should be discussing when I am going around and doing all this shit. But I appreciate the offer. Sometimes, I need to remind myself to slow down, and take a fucking breath." I said, and then I looked at Teri, and I was seeing her coming up to me regardless. And as I was seeing her coming to me, I decided to just give up fighting this, since I knew how girls were.

"I heard about what happened with your mom, and I just wanted to tell you that it sucks to hear that. I know that I am not going to be much of a help to get you through this, but I figured that if there was ever a time when you just need to talk about it, I can help you out." After she had said that to me, I was sighing, and I was feeling that hearing her say that was both assuring, and still feeling slightly fake here.

"Yeah, I mean, I just don't know if anybody is going to be making this situation any better for me, but talking to people about it is something that could really fucking help me out." I said, feeling that I would just roll with it, and not fight with what was going on here.

"I mean, I know that you are trying to act like you have to take care of this on your own, and that you need to be taking the world without any help. But that is not the truth, and I think that the faster that you accept that, the happier that you will be." After she had said that to me, I was thinking about what she was telling me, and I Was trying to see her perspective.

"It is nothing like that. I just do not want to do something that is going to be getting you guys in danger, because I don't know if I would ever be able to fully forgive myself for such a thing happening." I said, and then I was shrugging, and I was feeling at that the end of the day, nothing I would say would be making her feel any different to what I was telling her.

"And I know that I am having a hard time making people feel like I am actually appreciating the help that they give me. I do appreciate it. But I feel like if I make my feelings too obvious, then people might be willing to take advantage of that, or feel like I am just becoming weak and vulnerable." I said, and I was feeling that such a thing would not even be all that bad of a thing to begin with.

Eventually, as we were walking along, Teri was then asking another question that I wanted to consider. "But T.K., if you are wanting to do all of this, then surely you know the answers to the issues by now. So why are you going so far out of your way to actually talk to people about this?" She asked, and then I was shrugging, simply not having any idea what I was going to be able to say.

"I mean, I just like to tell people, and make them believe that I am organized, and that I know what I am doing. But the reality is that I don't really have a damn idea here, and that always just makes me feel lost in thought. I don't know where most of the clues I need are." I said, thinking that if I was a detective, I would be the worst one in the entire world.

"Well, I am sure that you know of some things by this point, so I think that you just need to be looking at them, and then just actually putting them all in a line up of events." Teri said, and then I was slowly nodding, but as she said that, something else was making me think for a fucking second.

"In all honesty, I feel like I am just never really going to be the answer to this. And talking about it just makes me feel worse and worse the more that I talk about it." I said, and then Teri was coming up with a response that I probably should have expected, but for some reason, I really did not.

"Then stop doing it. No need to be talking about something if it makes you feel horrible to discuss it in the first place. Some times you have to look at yourself, and realize what you need to be doing for yourself." After she had said that to me, I was then looking at her, wondering why she was even telling me this anyways.

"I just have a feeling that every time I try to talk or think about something else, that I am doing something horrible, and that the people who live in Wayside would not forgive me. I know that saying that is fucking stupid, and you have every right to tell me that. But it is still what is in my mind." After I said that, I shrugged, thinking to say nothing else.

"Well, I can tell you that if you hang out with me, and you ever feel like you need to talk about something else, then you do not need to feel bad about it. In fact, I would rather have you do that than to push yourself into doing something that you do not want." Teri said, and then as she was saying this, I was looking at her, considering what she had been telling me.

"Thank you. Sometimes I need to remind myself that taking a break is the best thing that I can do, and that if I do not do something like that every once in a while, then I am only going to be making things worse for everybody." I said, and then I was wondering what in the world we were going to be talking about next.

Teri was placing her arms on my shoulders, and I was wondering what she was planning on doing. I wanted to do something like this, but at the same time, the whole thing was just feeling rather forced, and I was feeling like this could really change how things would go.

"I know that you might not be ready for all the troubles that this town presents. I know that I am not, and I know that if I even pretend to be, then I would be going insane. So stop trying to be forcing yourself into something that you do not want to do, and just focus on the things that you want." Teri finished, and then with that, I was feeling like this was her way of wanting to have a embrace with me, so I was feeling that I would be a idiot to not take it.

As we were together, I kissed her for a bit, and I was wondering if she was actually going to enjoy it. I felt like if she did not like it, she would have told me, and then I would apologize to her, and then everybody would be happy. I mean, it would be a moment of weakness after all, and I think she got that.

When I was done, I was looking at her, and I was just trying to see what she was thinking at that moment. I was just trying to really figure out if I had made a mistake or not with what I did. But when I had done it, I was not regretting a moment, and I was hoping that she knew that.

"Thank you." Teri said, and then she was starting to pull away, and as she did that, I was seeing that her focus was dropping once again, as if thinking that she had made a horrible mistake. I was holding my hands out, and I was wanting to try and find a way to be making her feel better for what was going on.

"I didn't mean to do anything. You seem to be unsettled on what is happening, and I feel bad." I said, and I was feeling like there was no need to be making this apology. I was just doing this as a misguided way of making it seem like I was still at least sort of like a gentleman.

"No, it's fine. I enjoyed it. You don't need to be making a big deal out of it. Let's just not go around and tell people about it. I feel like if people knew, they might be laughing at us, and acting like we are the perfect duo or whatever." She said, and I was seeing that her embarrassment was something that she had thought about a lot lately, and I was feeling there was no way to change that.

"Don't worry what other people think about you. If people judge you, that is their way of showing that they are too weak to be seeing the bigger picture, and they wish that they were like you. I learned that a lot of time when people do that stuff, the best thing to do is just remain silent." I said, thinking nothing else of what I had been saying.

"T.K., do you feel like you need to be doing this investigation, or is it something that you are wanting to do? I mean, I know that you are friends with Tobias, but that doesn't mean that you have to do this." After she had said that, I was feeling that once the kiss was starting to settle down, I could give her a more honest response.

"I mean, it is both a want and need. I want to do it, and feel the need to be doing it at the same time. And the worst part is that I don't know which one speaks to me louder." I said, and I left it at that. I wanted to leave it at that, because I was now starting to be unsure of myself, and that was something that I was worried about here.

"Alright, I just felt like I needed to see what your perspective on the matter was, and I was just hoping that maybe over time, I would be able to see where you were coming from. Perhaps in time, I will be able to." She said, and then with that, I was feeling that there was nothing else to be saying at this point in time, and that all these talks with a waste.

"If we ever hang out again, I will tell you a bit more on that perspective, and we can work something out." I said, and then with that, I was just thinking that there was nothing else to promise them, and that I might as well just try to leave this whole thing alone for the time being.

"Good luck in your investigation, regardless of how it turns out." After she said that to me, I was then shrugging, and I was feeling that I might as well just try and let it all go. But then I was starting to walk further into the forest, feeling I had no fucking choice on the matter.

Scene 15: The Factories' Destruction

I was with Gumball, Davis, Yolei, and Tobias as we were thinking about giving the factory a visit. Gumball was just wanting to see his mother again. Although I was wondering if he was just wanting to talk to her about random things, or if he was just willing to see if his fears had been proven true or whatever. I was really having no idea what in the world I was going to be doing at this rate.

Once we were at the factory, I was feeling like I just needed to try and give him some bullshit to try and make him feel better. "If you do not want to do this, then nobody is going to judge you. Just make sure that you are only doing something that you are sure you are going to be ready for." After I was telling Gumball this, I saw him looking like he was just not caring at all.

"I know what I am doing. I know that it might be a bit obnoxious to be dealing with this, but I really don't care at all." Gumball said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was just so set on this, that any attempt to change his mind would be seen as a fucking insult to him. So I decided that I would just leave him alone, and not say anything at all.

Eventually, we were there, and as we were staring at it, we were hearing a bunch of loud noises, and there was smoke coming from the side. I was looking at Gumball, and I was seeing that he was looking just as confused as I was, and I was feeling like we had to just go on and fucking see what in the world was going on here. So with that, Tobias was just yelling at us to get our fucking attention.

"What the fucking hell guys? Somebody could be dying in here, and you guys are debating shit? We need to go in there immediately." After he had said that to us, I was slowly nodding, feeling that he was right on this, and that it was our fault that we were not figuring something out. I was just really blown away at this.

We were inside of the factory, and we had seen a dead police officer down on the ground, and I was just wondering what the hell was going on. I was just looking at Davis and Yolei, and I was wondering what I was going to be telling them. "If you do not want to be here anymore, then you can just leave." I said, hoping that saying that would make them feel better.

"No, I want to know what is happening." After Yolei said that, I was sighing, feeling that there was no point in fighting with them anymore, so with that, we were walking along, and there was banging noises, which I was able to figure out instantly was a bunch of gun shots. The feeling in my stomach sank as soon as I heard those.

As we were running along, I was seeing a bunch of employees laying around dead, and I think Gumball and I were both wondering the same thing: Was his mother alive anyways, or did something happen to her as well? I looked at him, and I was seeing him looking like he was already fearing the worst. But we kept going before we could think about it any longer.

Eventually, we saw a hallway where we were seeing a man with what looked like a Cyan lightsaber, and he was just looking like he was trying his best to be keeping his composure. I did not realize at the time, since I was looking at the fires burning around the area, but that was Ocho. And he was fighting somebody with a shot gun.

"You seemed to be in way over your head when you decided to be fighting me here. I Hope that you start to see the graveness of your mistake." After the man was saying that to Ocho, he was firing the gun again, and Ocho deflected it.

"I heard about what was going to happen here, and I figured that there was no choice but to come forward and see what I could be able to do to stop it." After Ocho said that, he was calming down, and then I was looking around, and I was seeing a couple of the men that destroyed the garden, with a flamethrower, starting to burn the entire area down.

"Gumball, does this mean that your mother really does have nothing to do with this?" I asked, and I was seeing Gumball running off in his own direction, clearly heading to his mothers office. I was blown away at the fact that he was doing this. We needed to make sure we would survive in the first place, and he was throwing everything away like this.

"Follow him T.K.! You know him better than any of us! You need to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid!" Davis asked, and then after he had said that to me, I was slowly nodding, as if finally coming down to reality once again, and I was wondering what I was going to do now.

"Yeah! I will be back in a bit." I said, and then I started to run towards the area that Gumball was heading, and then I was just feeling that if him doing this was going to be getting the other three killed, then I would have a hard time forgiving Gumball, since while he was a great guy, only having two out of five make it would be a heart break.

Before long, I was at Gumball's office, and we did not see Nicole there. "Maybe she wasn't working today?" I suggested, as if feeling like I just needed to say anything at all to be making him feel better. But before I could say anything else, he was looking at a blue crystal on the table.

He grabbed the crystal, and then with that, he was shaking his head. "Mom would have never forgiven herself if she had realized that this was still here. She probably would have had a fucking fit here." After Gumball said that to me, he was shaking his head, having nothing else to be saying to the matter.

"Gumball, do you think that we need to go right back home, and see if your mother is safe still?" I asked, hoping beyond god that this man was going to fucking have some form of a coherent response. Gumball looked like his mind was running at a million miles per hour. I placed my hand on his shoulder, to calm down and bring him back down to earth for a second.

"Yeah, you're right. If I sulk here any longer, this place is going to burn down on us. I wonder what mom did to deserve this. She loved her fucking job." Gumball said, and then with that, we were running along, and then as we were going, that was when I was seeing Davis and Yolei noticing us as well. "Guys, we need to get out of this fucking hell."

"No shit! This place is going to go under in a few minutes if we are not careful here. What the fucking hell is happening anyways?" Yolei said, and then we eventually caught up to them, and then I was seeing that Tobias was still catching up with us. Mainly because he was still watching over what was happening.

The man who was fighting Ocho let his gun down, and then there was a car that drove through the wall for him to go in. Ocho was running towards the man, and he tried to swing down at the man, but it failed when the man got in the car, so the slice just ended up cutting the door in half.

As the car was driving back, Ocho looked at his options to escape, and then with that, he was jumping out of the window, and then I was sighing, not having any idea what in the fucking world I was going to be getting myself into.

Before long, I was sighing, and then with that, we ended up getting out of the fucking factory, and just in time. As we were leaving, that was when the factory literally fucking blew up, and then all the pieces of the building fell down on the ground. I was rubbing my eyes, wondering what was happening. And Gumball was holding the blue crystal in his hand.

When the fire was starting to calm down, I was seeing Ocho for a second, as he turned his blade off. He looked at us, and I was seeing that he was just feeling so fucking bad for what was happening, and then with that, he was leaving, as if having nothing else to be saying to us. Probably regretting what he had done, failing to save us.

"Gumball, are you doing alright?" Yolei asked him, and then Gumball was looking at her, as if blown away at the shit that she was asking him. I was wondering if she was fucking insane to even ask him something like this.

"I think that it would be best for all of us to just take a moment to rest, and just contemplate what we are planning to do now. If we just go around like a bunch of idiots, then we are only going to be making things much worse for us all." After Tobias said that, I was then seeing Gumball placing the crystal in his pocket.

"Mom. Will you be able to get through this?" He asked, and he was mainly talking to himself, as if having nothing else to say. He looked at us, and I was seeing him looking like he was really just unsure of what to say. I was feeling really bad for what he was saying, and I was wondering if I just needed to try and talk to him, to calm him down for a second.

For once, I was feeling like we were hopelessly lost. Up until this point, I was feeling like we had a small chance. But now, it was feeling like we were just fucking failing, and that we just needed to accept the fact that this was a lost battle. With that, I was feeling like no amount of apologizes would be making Gumball feel better at all.

Scene 16: The Aftermath

We were at the park about an hour later, and I was just feeling like I needed to try and find something to say in order to make Gumball feel better about what was happening. "Gumball, I am so sorry that this happened." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he had hardly given a single shit about what was happening.

"I don't think that I am going to be getting over this for a very long time. This whole thing is too much too much to fucking take." Gumball was saying, and I was feeling like for the first time, I was seeing Gumball take things a bit too seriously. Almost as if any happiness that he was willing to show was thrown out the fucking window.

"I want to just make sure that mom is doing well. I know that she probably will be okay. But knowing that this place is destroyed, and all the work that she had been doing, just makes me feel disgusted." After Gumball was saying this to me, I was seeing him looking like he had nothing else to be saying at this rate.

"I mean, I knew that there was a lot of stuff that Shaun and his employees like to hide. But to destroy that place so fast after it had opened up, and started to make people feel like there was a chance, is beyond the pail." After Tobias said that to me, I was feeling like while I understood what he was saying, that deep down inside, I think we all knew that they had done stuff like this before, and that this was nothing new for them.

"I think we all knew that something like this was going to happen eventually. I am just more surprised that I never saw something like this coming. I wonder if there is anything that we can do about it now. We are far too young to be able to do this project on our own, and people take us seriously." I said, and then after I was saying this, I was hating the fact that people always just brushed off what we were feeling just because we we're at least in high school yet.

"I don't care what they fucking think. We saw what happened, and we saw what they are truly are able to do. And until they see something like this themselves, they have no right to try and judge us." Tobias said, and then after that, Davis was looking like he was having something else to say here.

"What in the fucking world was Ocho doing there? That is what I am more curious about." After Davis said that, I was looking right at him, wondering what to be saying here. I really had no idea what in the world I was going to be telling him. There was no reason to be looking at something like that, since Ocho would never tell us what he was doing.

"I don't know. I think it would be a waste of time to even try and get him to talk. All he does is try to do things on his own, and he probably would be finding us getting in the way if we tried to talk to him." After I said that, I was slightly annoyed with what was happening at this rate.

"Well, I guess that I know what the darkest day of my life is." Gumball said, and I would normally be shocked at the way that he was saying that so casually. But he was probably just trying to not think too much about the fact that everything in his entire life had been thrown away, and he was just trying to be looking at something to slightly distract him.

"I wonder what the death toll is. I have a feeling that there was more than just the ones we saw. And that is the thing that makes me sick. The fact that people were just so casually killed, and nobody gave a shit. It was all like this was a fucking plan." I said, and then I was just shrugging, having no idea what to even be saying at all.

"It is moments like this that make me realize that Matt was right about everything that he had been saying. That he was not brushing things off at all. I feel like it was all a giant mistake to even think that we could have pulled this whole thing off at all." After I was saying this, Tobias was then looking like his attitude was clearly changing, and I was not sure if this was for the best or not.

"I now feel like there is no reason not to go through with everything else that had been happening. Screw the initial reason that I had been looking into this. I need to make sure that not only is Rachel safe, but that this injustice does not spread any further." After Tobias was telling me this, I was seeing him looking at the others, wondering what they were going to be saying now.

"Yeah, I suppose that is fair. But that being said, I think that I would be wanting to look at other things than inside the building. The library got destroyed, and now this. I want to know those details, since I feel like if we knew this, then we could be able to work through this." After Davis said this, he was looking right at Yolei, as if hoping that she would agree.

"Yeah, I mean, I am curious to know what Joe was so scared to be telling me. I mean, I know that he had a good fucking reason to be looking into this all. I just feel like he needs to tell me why he is hiding this, and then we could be able to work something out." After Yolei was saying this to me, I was seeing her looking like she was starting to become more devoted to this as well.

"So yeah, we all different reasons why we want to do this, but we all agree that this needs to be done. So now that we are finding ourselves in unanimous agreement, we just need to make a fucking plan on how to handle this." I said, and then I was slowly feeling like the plan was going to be coming together for a while now.

"So Gumball, what will you do?" I asked, hoping that even if he was planning on something fucking crazy, that he would not be doing something without our help first. If he was going to do that, then that was something that I just needed to be at his side on, I figured.

"I will talk to mom. Try to console her for the project that she lost. Hopefully she will see that I am being sincere enough. And when that is all done, I am going to fucking focus on more of this work. Come to me when you feel like you have something of a plan. Even if I can't be there with you in person, I can help by distracting others." Gumball said, and then after he was telling me this, I slowly nodded, feeling that I would let him have this.

"I will tell you everything when the plan is done. So Tobias, if I come up with something, do you want to come with me in person?" I asked, and then he was looking as if I did not even need to be asking him that question, and that I might as well have been just wasting time by even questioning that. "I will try to talk to Matt, and see if he will be willing to work with me on this one hurrah."

"Are you sure that infiltrating the fucking building is going to be a good idea? I mean, we all agree that they are behind this, and we all agree that they need to be taken care of. But I think that we need to be smart about how we are going to be going through this as well." After Yolei was telling me this, I was feeling that this was just her trying to hide once again.

"I mean, it is that, or just wait for something better that might come up. Every day that we waste just talking about it is another day that they can do whatever they want. I mean, I know that once summer is over, and school starts, we can only do this during the weekends. But until then, we need to be fighting as much as possible, every day possible." I said, and then I was seeing her looking like she was kind of considering what I had been saying here.

"Yeah that is true. I mean, I guess that I understand. I have been borderline obsessed with knowing what Kenta has planned for me, so if I ever end up like this, then I feel like you guys have every right to deal with this obsession on your own. Frankly, I am just glad that the five of us are even alive to be talking right now, after what is happening." After Yolei said that to me, I was slowly nodding at the fact, as if feeling like that made some form of sense.

"Yeah, I mean, if they knew that we were there, they probably would have killed us or something. After all, we have been a giant fucking hassle to them, so there is no reason to not do anything like that." I said, and then I was shrugging, having nothing else to be doing anymore.

"I will be heading home right now. I am going to talk to mom, if she is even alive anymore, and we are going to just talk about everything. I just hope that she is wiling to not get angry at me for everything that happened. If she knew what I was feeling, then she would probably give me some shit about why I was not getting any better here." Gumball said, and then I was seeing that he was looking incredibly lost, as if there was nothing else he was able to say here.

"I can come with you. I mean, you might want to have somebody at your side to talk with. I mean, I know that we have not getting along the best before, but none of that shit even fucking matters anymore." Tobias was saying, and I was seeing him looking like he was trying to just put this whole thing behind him, as if having nothing else to be saying here.

"Don't worry about it. I mean, none of that stuff even fucking matters at all. That stuff is fucking stupid to even fucking worry about right now. I mean, how can I think about random disputes that we had when people are fucking dying." After Gumball was saying this to Tobias, he was sighing, and I was really having nothing else to say here.

"Yeah, I think that if you two are heading home, then we might as well all head home as well. No reason to be talking about this stuff so fucking close to the fucking factory. I just hope that nobody is going to be blaming us about what happened here." After I said this, I was getting up as well, and by this point, Gumball and Tobias were already leaving, and they hardly seemed to be focusing on us at this point.

"T.K., can we talk for a bit on your way home?" Davis asked, and I was shocked at him saying this. I was having no idea what in the world I was going to be saying anymore. "Honestly, I am just having a few things that I want to process, and I feel like talking with you is going to be the only thing that will be helping me out."

"Yeah, sure, I am not surprised in the slightest that you need to be having some time to talk as well." After I was saying that to him, I was having no idea what the fucking hell I was even going to be doing now. As we were saying this, I was seeing Yolei looking like she was still hopeless, as she was heading off, and she was leaving us alone.

"You don't have to walk home on your own if you do not want to." Davis said, and then after he was saying that to Yolei, she was looking at him, and she was hardly looking like she was caring at all. I was feeling that if she wanted to be alone, that there was nothing we were going to fucking do about it.

She was gone, and I was looking right at Davis again, and I was now just feeling like there was nothing else to be doing now. "Alright, if you want to talk, then I feel like we just need to be doing this." I said, and then we were walking along, and I was feeling like there was nothing else to be doing. Davis and I were just trying to find something else to say.

"So I was wanting to talk about Ocho. I know that you were just brushing it off earlier, as if it was no big deal. But for fucks sake, I mean, that guy was there, and he was clearly trying to do something. I think that we need to see what the heck he was doing here. Even if he doesn't want to tell us, we need to force him to." Davis said, and then I was feeling that this idea was going to be a epic failure.

"I mean, I just have a feeling that he will try and pretend like he was never there. As if what we had seen was all one big lie. I know this guy enough to know that he is one of those types of people." I said, and then I was shrugging, wondering why I was even telling him this in the first place.

"I think that what people are saying is true. That he is the best hope that we have to turn this whole thing around, and that if he is going to be doing this all, then we just need to be helping him out." Davis said, and then I was shrugging, and I was wondering why we were even debating this at all.

"I just hope that he doesn't think of what you are trying to do as being really fucking clingy. After all, it is true that he doesn't really fucking know us at all." I said, and then after I said that to him, I was seeing him looking like he hardly even cared about anything like that at all.

"I don't really care what he fucking thinks. We need to be working together, and I think that if we do not come together as a team, and him helping you with that fucking infiltration, then we might as well have already been lost." Davis said, and I was thinking about what he was saying. I considered that it might be true here.

"Do you think that your parents are going to want you to be doing this in the first place? I mean, they might be upset with what you are doing. They might be thinking that you are just getting yourself into something really fucking irresponsible." I said, and then after I said that to him, I was seeing him looking like he really could not have cared what I was saying now.

"I have not told them anything. I think that if I tried to talk to them, they would probably have a mental melt down. Especially considering what happened today. I mean, I don't blame them for feeling this way, but I feel like I would not want to be telling them anything." Davis said, and I was seeing that this was something that he was not wanting to debate at all.

"Let's just hope that they do not get upset over the lies." I said, and then with that, I was feeling like there was nothing else to say. And I was wondering what the fucking hell we were even going to be doing, so I figured that the sooner we got this over with, the better that it would be.

Scene 17: Probing Interview (Ocho)

The next day, I found myself way too fucking focused on the fact that Ocho was there, and I was feeling that what Davis was saying had gotten in my mind too much, so I figured that I would talk to Ocho, and just see what the hell he knew, and then with that, we could be able to talk something out for a while, and see what we could work through.

So with that, before long, I eventually reached on to where Ocho's house was, and I was hoping that he was not going to just totally fucking reject everything that we had been doing. I knocked on the door, and about forty seconds, Ocho answered the door, and I was seeing him looking like he was just way too tired to be dealing with any of this right now.

"Alright, what do you want?" Ocho asked, and I was seeing that he was really not in the mood to be having this discussion at all. Not that I could blame him, but I was just not going to be letting myself down at all. I needed to know what was going on in his mind, no matter the fucking cost.

"I was wanting to talk to you about the factory last night." As I said that, I was seeing Ocho instantly change his expression. He was clearly not ready for something like that, and I was able to see that I was getting him in a corner. "I don't think you had anything to blame for with that. But I need to know why you were there in the first place." I said, and then I was seeing Ocho looking like he was just trying to make whatever excuse he could now.

"Shit, I knew that nobody was going to understand. So the truth is that I heard a threat of what was going on, and I wanted to make sure I knew what was happening. And I felt that if I wanted to say that I was doing the best for people here, that I needed to try and give a fight." Ocho said, and then with that, I was feeling like I was sort of seeing where he was coming from, even if I really did not fully get it at all.

"Well, help me fucking understand. I mean, something horrible happened, and we are all in this together. We need to just come together, and not be messing around at all. I know that you are having a hard time trusting people, and I probably would as well if I were you, but that is not something that we can really pick and choose now, right?" I asked, and then I was seeing Ocho looking like he was hating every second of this conversation, and that he was wanting out of this.

"Yeah, you're fucking right. I mean, I guess that I might be a bit too hard on you guys for what you are doing. I will not argue with that at all, but I just want to make sure that things are done right. But T.K., when I make that infiltration, I need to make sure that you are actually going to help out." Ocho said, and I was shocked at this. Not in the fact that he was asking for help, but in that he was already so set on the idea of doing this.

"I am planning on doing the same thing myself. Tobias and I have been making a plan on how to work with her." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was really having no idea what he was saying here. "If you want to work with me on that, then perhaps the three of us could be able to pull somethings together." I said, and then I was holding my hand out, as if trying to do that as a peace offering here.

As I was saying this, I was seeing Ocho looking like he was seriously considering what I was saying for one. I saw that there was a moment of weakness, where he was starting to feel like his plans were kind of starting to get vulnerable about what was happening.

"I would love to do that, but I need to make sure that I remember what Justin Ryder said about making connections, and he seems to be right. I mean, he was telling me about that, and at first I refused to believe him. But look at all his friends who have died. If I am completely independent, I could be able to pull something off here." After Ocho was saying that to me, I was seeing him looking like he had hoped that I would understand where he was coming from.

"That is the most stubborn thing ever." I said, and then after I had said that, this was when I was finally seeing his mom coming out of the living room. The look on her face was nothing besides just pure death threats, and pure fury. As I was seeing this, I was feeling like I might have been taking things way too far. I was scared on what was going to happen.

"You are not going in that fucking building. I don't care if your fifteen year old girlfriend died a couple of weeks ago because of it! You're my son, and I have let you put yourself in danger for far too long." After she said that to Ocho, he was looking down, and I was seeing that there was genuine shame in his face as he was doing so, And I knew that he really did love his mother, even if she was rough.

"Mom, you said that if something happened to other people, that I should do whatever I could to help them out? That I should never hold back at all. I don't want to do this, but I also remember another thing that dad told me before." Ocho was saying, and then he was looking at his mother, and he was hoping that she would at least consider what he had been telling her.

"He told me that if I had the ability to do something, and that I was able to contribute to the better of the world, that I had a moral obligation to do it. It is not a matter of choice, it is a matter of responsibility." After Ocho said that to her, I was seeing that both him and her were looking at each other, as if hoping that the other would see where they were coming from.

"I don't care what your dad said. Look at what that led to. You did everything that you could. You gave them your entire summer. You are done with this. I don't care if you don't like it!" She said to him, and then Ocho was looking like he was about to cry at the mention of his father. "I know that it's been a few years, so you probably don't remember, but do you remember what you said when we got the news of his death?"

Ocho looked at her, and I was seeing him wiping the tears away from his eyes. "I asked you why did it have to be him? Why couldn't he have been spared?" Ocho said, and he was looking like he was really not in the mood to be having this discussion with her. As he was saying this, I saw her calming down, as if glad to know that he did remember this.

"I can't afford to lose you too. I don't think that I would be able to last anymore if something happened to you too. You're seventeen, and haven't even graduated. If you're going to do this shit, can you at least wait until you get your fucking diploma?" She asked, and I was seeing Ocho just having nothing else that he was able to say to what she was saying. He was clearly able to tell that his actions were starting to break her in a matter of speaking.

I figured that I could try and say something that would save his ass for the time being. "Look, his friends and him have already made a plan. It's way too fucking important for him to quit. The plan literally can't succeed without him. It's in a couple of days. After we're done, then if you feel like you really need him to stop, he can." I said, and I was seeing the look on his face. As if not appreciating the fact that I was taking over the conversation for him.

But I figured he already knew that he would be screwed without something to save his ass. "Yeah, I promise, when this is done, I will drop it forever, and I will not be coming through this again. Just let me be having this one, and it will be over." Ocho said, and then after he was done saying that, I saw her looking like she was kind of trying to be looking slightly different here.

"Fine, you guys can have your fucking moment. Do whatever you fucking need, but after that, we're fucking done. I don't fucking care anymore. You guys need to find a way to make plans without my son going forward. If I hear anything about this again, I will not let it go." She said, and then she was sitting down, and she was holding something that was in Ocho's room, as if thinking that the funeral might as well just be planned right now.

With that, Ocho closed the door, and then he was taking a long and deep breath, trying to think about what he was saying now. "I know that I am making a big mistake with her by doing things like this. I know that I am hurting her with everything that I am doing. But I hardly care anymore. I just feel like this is the only choice that I fucking have." After Ocho said that to me, I was seeing him looking like he had wanted to say something else now.

"Are you sure that it is the only choice that you have? I mean, if we really have to, we can just drop this whole thing, and you can just be with her." I said, and then I was seeing Ocho looking like he was not really in the mood to be dealing with this at all. I was feeling that since this was how he was reacting to that suggestion, that I just needed to leave it alone from now on.

"I meant everything that I was saying, and I think that she knows deep down inside that I was right, and that was why she was starting to give up the fight as well. I mean, I do not like the way that I was talking with her, and she deserved better, but I felt like I was having no choice but to tell her that." Ocho was telling me, and then with that, I saw him looking like he was just tired.

"Do you want to talk to me about your father?" I asked, and then he was shaking his head, as if angry at the fact that I was even bringing this idea up in the first place. I was seeing that he was never wanting the subject of his father to even be brought up anymore, as it was a horrible idea.

"I will tell you one bit, and that is it… He died when I was thirteen years old, and he had been trying to do the exact thing that I am doing right now. Looking into the truth of Wayside, and figuring out what we could fucking do to change it. He never wanted anything to let me get involved. And I decided that I would try and respect his wishes here." After he had said that to me, I was slowly nodding, feeling that I would probably just leave it at that for his sake.

"Sorry for asking. I just figured that I would know a bit more about what was going on. But perhaps that is something that I need to fucking stop trying to be taking a place." After I was telling Ocho this, I was then starting to take a few steps away, and then with that, Ocho was calling out to me, and I was wondering if I even wanted to be dealing with this in the first place.

"So when you go inside of the company building, how exactly are you going to be getting what you need? I mean, you need to have a plan if you are going to have any remote chance in figuring this out? If you need me to, I can at least buy you some fucking time." After he had said that to me, I was then looking at him, glad to be seeing that he was at least wiling to talk to me for the time being. But I just figured that I would need to pretend that I was on top of things.

"I am planning on going with Tobias, and that is about all that I know. I don't really have much of a plan, to be totally honest." I said, and then I was looking right at him, and I was hoping that he was not going to be too upset at what I said. As if thinking that I was some kid letting down his father or anything like that.

"God, this is going to fucking fail, isn't it? I mean, I appreciate your intentions, but I think that you have to realize that something like this is a terrible idea." Ocho said, and I was really not in the mood to be hearing him tell me this shit. I was already making my mind up, and having him talk to me like this was just a insult to the fact that I was wanting to work with him here.

"Do you have anything better in mind, that can help us out?" I asked, feeling that I might as well throw the question back at him. As I was seeing the look on his face, I was seeing him looking like he was just kind of feeling like maybe he had that one coming a little bit, but did not want to admit it.

"Well, I think that the best thing that you should do if you are really trying to go undercover is to go up the stairs. I know that something like that might not sound like the greatest idea in the world. But I think that you would see where I am coming from soon enough." After Ocho said that to me, I was finding the comment off, but I was choosing not to argue with him here.

"Are there no guards at the stairs? I mean, surely there would be something at like each door or something." I said, and then I was seeing him shake his head, as if finding the whole thing just as shocking to himself, but he decided to not say anything himself. As if he was just feeling that there was no need to be dragging this conversation further.

"I think that the most that there is might be a guard every five floors or so. But the one time that I went in there, most of the guards are always asleep. And it is the only area in the entire building that does not have any security cameras, so you are able to just avoid any detection for quite a while." After he had said that, I was shocked that there would not be any cameras.

"Why the fucking hell would they not have cameras here? I mean, that sounds like something that could be common fucking sense." I said, and then I was seeing Davis shaking his head, as if having nothing to say on the matter, and that I was probably just trying to get to know too much from him by asking him that. With that, I just sighed, and decided to drop it.

"I just figured that I would give you that least. I don't like what you are doing, but I am not going to be making a war with you about it. And besides, you are doing something that I should have been doing this whole time. But I never really got the courage to do so." After he said that to me, he looked like he was slightly ashamed to admit something like this.

"Thank you. I will make sure to keep it in mind, and I will try to suggest it to Tobias when I see him." I said, feeling that I would just leave it at that, and not press the conversation further, for both of our sakes, and because I didn't want to alienate him.

Scene 18: A Unusual Agreement (Candice)

I was out to meet up with Candice, since for some reason, she said that she wanted to meet up with me. I did not get it, and I was feeling that she was probably up to something. But I was also feeling that if I was going to be finding something, then I would have to try and talk to her, and just see what she was truly feeling, and then with that, we could work something out here.

I was at the park, where she requested to meet me, and to be honest, this entire time, I was really feeling like being here was going to be kind of keeping me on edge. I really had no idea what in the world I was going to expect, and I was wondering if I had made a fucking mistake by trying to meet up with her in the first place.

As I saw her, I was seeing that she was having a fucking literally no nonsense attitude in her face, and I was figuring that it would be best to just let her to say what she needed to say, and that it would be best to just remain silent for now.

"So T.K., I know that you have been looking around this town so far, and I know that you want to know the answers. We are in agreement on that sense, and that is why I feel like I need your help on something that nobody is willing to talk to me about." Candice said, and I figured that I would let her have the floor for the time being.

"So Candice, what were you thinking?" I asked, feeling that I might as well let her have this moment, and to be honest, I was feeling glad that somebody was willing to actually talk with me, and not brush me off or whatever. Even if this whole thing was kind of making me uncomfortable.

"Well, I believe what you are saying about the monsters. I am probably the only one in Wayside who actually does. And for that reason, if you want to have a chance to have people hear you out, I feel like we need to work together, and you need to start to focus your attention on that going forward." Candice said, and I was nodding at this statement.

"Alright, you got my attention. I just thought that most people would never be willing to listen to me." I said, and then I was seeing her nod, and then she was sitting down, as if thinking about how she was going to be going from here.

"In all honesty, as much as I despise admitting it, I have a feeling that we need to be focusing more on these monsters than anything else. I think that something is that in forest. I know that you know this. And I think that the first thing you need to do to have any chance to pull this off is to buy some weapons." After she said that to me, I was feeling that what she was saying was fucking ludicrious.

"Wait a damn second, are you seriously thinking that I should be going in there with guns and shit? I would not be able to last more than ten minutes without being pulled over by the cops. If I was seventeen maybe, but I'm thirteen." I said, and then I was seeing her shake her head, as if understanding why I didn't get what she meant, even if it was going to make things a bit hard to talk here.

"Look, I might not have started that statement very well. But I think that stuff like baseball bats and what not could work. And I know that your dad has a gun, if you really want to use that." She said, and then that reminder really fucking hurt to hear. I was thinking that with how she was casually throwing that shit around, that Rob had every right to call her a cunt now.

"Please don't bring that up. It is a soft memory, and I am having a hard time really getting through it." After I said that to her, I was seeing her looking at me, and I was seeing from the look on her face that she was really not all that worried about what I had just told her, like she didn't fucking care in the slightest what my personal feelings were.

"But it is true, and that is what you know. And I think that if you want to actually do something about the town that we are in, then you need to be pushing yourself, and making yourself uncomfortable, because doing so would actually give us a chance." After she had said that to me, I was sighing, and I felt like she was slowly having me in a fucking corner here.

"Yeah, and I feel like people are often just brushing it off way too much when I say that something like this could be happening. And I feel like that level of carelessness that people show is something that is going to get us all killed if we are not careful enough." After I said that to her, I was feeling like my anger was slowly fading away a little bit.

"I was thinking that maybe we can go and have a look right now. There is no reason to be holding up any longer, and I feel like the more that we wait, the more that something could be going around and affecting this place." After she had said that to me, I was slowly nodding, and I figured that I might as well just let this go, and not try and fight her about it here.

"Candice, while we are walking, I feel like we need to talk about a few things, since I feel like these could really affect your mission if we do not work this out." I told her, and then she sighed, as if feeling that she would just let me say what I wanted to say. Knowing I had her attention at least was a start.

"What's on your mind?" She asked, and I was seeing her seeming like she was actually willing to kind of keep a open mind to this. As I was seeing this, I was feeling like I really needed to clear some things up with the Rob issue, and maybe when she heard my view, everything would be fine.

"Well, I was feeling like we needed to talk about Rob. I am not asking you to start liking him, but he and I have been working together for a while, and I think that it is very important for you to understand that if we are going to be finding the answers to this town, we need to be working together." I said, and then I was looking at her, hoping that she would get what I was saying.

"Are you sure that I this is the best way to be doing this? I mean, if you insist that this needs to be done, then I will try to let it go, and not be letting my feelings get in the way of what is happening. But I need to know that you are one hundred percent sure that there is no way." Candice said, and then I was looking right at her, getting in front of her, so she would get it.

"Candice, I am not messing around, this is how it is going to be. I understand that you do not like him, and I understand that for whatever reason, he rubs you the wrong way, but this needs to be done. If you want me to help you with your projects, I need you to at least pretend like you are willing to work with him." After I said that to her, I was seeing her looking like she was slowly letting it go.

"Yeah, you're right. I mean, I always just let things be taken into such over dramatic proportions. And for all I know, I might have been looking at him the wrong way." Candice said, and I was seeing her looking like she was hating to admit that. And when I was seeing her say this, I was just calming down, feeling so much better that she was finally letting it go now.

"And I mean, he wants to help out with Rachel. If you ever saw him, and saw the way he has been carrying that situation, you know that there is no evil in that guy." I said, and I was feeling like that last bit might be a bit of a lie, but I hardly cared anymore.

"I guess that I should just leave it alone for now, and maybe I will let it go over time." After she had said that to me, I was sighing, and I was feeling like the fact that she had finally started to see where I was coming from was making this whole thing so much better, and I felt like we were now having a chance.

"So when you find these monsters, do you feel like you are actually going to try and fight them, or do you feel like you will just try to capture proof of them, and then leave it at that?" Candice asked me, and when I was considering what she was saying, I honestly had no idea what to be telling her now.

"I have no idea what I believe right now. I think that first getting proof of them will be enough. But if one attacks me, then I really have no choice but to fight them off, and I will just hope that I will live to see the end of the day." I said, trying to keep a neutral stance, and I was hoping she would feel better about what I was doing.

"Alright, I was just kind of curious what the fucking plan was. Although I feel like at this rate, there is really no point in making one. Since it is going to find some way to change around all the damn time anyways." Candice said, and then we were getting to the forest, and I was seeing her looking like she was wanting to say something else.

"Sorry for bringing up your mother like that. I should have known that this was probably in poor taste. I just felt like there was a point that I needed to make here." After she had said that to me, I was slowly nodding, although I was not sure if I was ready to forgive her so easily.

"That is something that you should not be doing with anybody. I mean, I get why you did it, and I guess that makes it slightly less bad. But it hurts to know what people are saying about that event." I said, and I was wondering if she would get what I was saying, or if she was thinking I was dumb.

"And in all honesty, as Matt says, I think that any doubts about her knowing what was going on, and any doubts of there being something in this town was totally thrown away when she did that. I know that this town is fucking messed up man. But in all honesty, I have a feeling I can't stop it." I said, and I was wondering why I was even going on this huge tangent with her.

"How about we wait for this for a couple of days? Take a moment to breath. I mean, I should be happy with getting that agreement in the first place anyways. And that is what I really wanted to know to continue my search here." After she had said that to me, I was slowly nodding, and I figured that I would let it go for the time being.

"I will look into some weapons that I feel like I could be able to use for this. If I find anything, I will come back, and we can actually start this fucking search." I said, and then after I was saying that to her, I was really having no idea if I could do this all on my own.

"And make sure that your dad doesn't know what you are doing. If he found out you were going into this forest for monster hunting, either he will be convinced you're insane, or that you are going out of the realm of reason here." She said, and I nodded in understanding at that as I left for the night home.

Scene 19: Confessing to a Sibling (Darwin)

I was talking with Darwin, who had requested that I would tell him what was going on with Gumball. But at the same time, I was feeling that trying to talk to him about Gumball was going to just make him resentful at the fact that I was hanging out with him more than he had bene hanging out with Darwin as well, and I did not want to be making the two of them upset.

"So Gumball was telling me that you guys were there when the factory got destroyed? Was that actually true?" Darwin asked, and I was feeling that lying to him was only going to be making things worse, and I also felt that if I was going to get any form of improved reputation among their parents, I was feeling that for better or for worse, just pure honesty was the only thing that was going to get me any points.

"Yeah, we were there, and the entire time that it was happening, I was feeling like I was going to have something fall on me and burn me alive. But I guess that this really hurt you guys, due to the fact that your mother lost what she was working so hard on?" I asked, and then I was looking at him, wondering what he was going to say now.

"Can you tell me why you think that something like this happened?" Darwin asked me, and I was having no idea what in the world I was even going to tell him. There was nothing that I could say to him. The whole thing was just insane to even picture. That everything around us had been utterly destroyed.

"Honestly, I originally thought that it was because of the fact that your mother might have known something about this town. But the fact that this was destroyed proved that she was far more out of this than I thought that she was. I mean, who would destroy the factory that she was given permission to make? It would make no sense, and proves me wrong." I said, feeling that I might as well own up to the fact that I made a mistake.

"Do you think that mom would be willing to tell us what happened, or that she is going to just lie to us about it?" After Darwin asked me this, I was shrugging, since in all honesty, I had nothing to tell him. I was just thinking that the fact that Darwin wanted me to give him all this information was just horribly misguided. But I was looking ahead, and I was feeling that I just needed to come up with something to take his mind off of things.

"I don't know what is going on, and I think that I am just going to start to focus on the job from now on. I mean, I was telling people that I was planning on going up to the main tower, and I was going to see what I can find in those data logs. Not a great or smart idea, but I hardly care." After I said that to him, I was seeing Darwin looking like he was seeing that this really was a terrible idea.

"Gumball was also telling me that you were planning on going monster hunting or something? He kept telling me that you were wanting to try to look into that, but that he was thinking that what you were saying was kind of insane." Darwin told me, and I was not really in the mood to hear him saying the same thing Gumball already said.

"Darwin, I don't really want to be thinking about what Gumball says. I mean, I get it, the whole thing seems unlikely, but I have seen many people agreeing with me that this actually is going to be a good idea. I entered a agreement with Candice on how to do this investigation." I said, and then I was seeing Darwin looking confused, as if not knowing who Candice was, which was fair enough.

"Who is Candice? I never met her." Darwin said, and then I was feeling like I just needed to be straight forward with him, due to the stuff that she had told me, and the stuff that I was feeling like could have been able to work this whole thing out.

"The only person who actually fucking believes me most of the time. I mean, she is kind of a unpleasant person to be around, but at the same time, when she expresses her beliefs in what I am doing, I can't help but feel like she is onto something." After I said that to Darwin, I was seeing him looking like that statement was something that he was kind of regretting, as if thinking some of this was his fault as well.

"Do you think that I ever made any problems with this before?" Darwin asked me, and then I was sighing, not really too sure what I was going to say. I was walking to the door, and I was seeing him looking much more eager to start following me around, which I will admit was something that was kind of annoying to me.

"You barely seem to give me anything. I mean, all that I hear is your interest in talking to Rachel and getting her to like you. I mean, I haven't heard of anything new." I said, and then I was walking along, and as we were heading to the convivence store, I was seeing Darwin looking confused at what I was doing by heading on my way there.

"I am heading to the store so I can buy a baseball bat. I mean, if the monsters are real, I need to have something that I can use to fight." I said, and then Darwin laughed at this, as if thinking that me buying a bat was silly. But then I was seeing that he was starting to look like he was taking this just a tad bit more seriously, when he saw my face.

"Do you want me to be helping? Gumball was telling me that he wants to know everything that happened, that made them target moms work place. If you guys are going to be doing something dangerous, I feel like I should help." Darwin said, and then I was looking right at him, and I was really having no idea what in the world I was going to be telling him to be totally honest.

"Honestly, I think that if you want to help Gumball, you just need to be like a companion to him. Just stay at his side, and make sure that he doesn't do anything too fucking stupid. If you can do that, then that would be amazing." I said, and then I was looking at him, and I was seeing Darwin looking like he was willing to accept something like that. Probably thinking that it was relatively simple at least.

"Yeah, and besides, I want to be hanging out with Gumball more anyways, so that is something that I can be fine with." Darwin said, and I was sighing in relief, feeling like I was finally starting to see something at least sort of resembling a plan coming forward. Once we were at the store, I was just wondered if I should get something for him as well.

"So this will be a great way for you guys to get to know each other. I mean, I do not want to be dealing with you guys at each others throats all the time anyways. Bad for everybody who is involved." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was sighing, and I went right to the sporting session, and picked up a baseball bat that I felt like would at least be better than nothing at all.

"Wow, I mean, I know you were talking about it, but for some reason, seeing it actually all come through is still something that can be rather exciting." After Darwin said that to me, I was laughing, since there was nothing meant to be exciting about this. Nothing exciting about doing a job.

"Do you think that will be enough to actually defend yourself though?" He asked me, and then I was shrugging, since in all honesty, I was feeling like there was no reason to be thinking about anything else. There was no way that I was going to get that gun, and even if I did, I would be super suspicious the entire time.

"It is better than nothing, and I feel like that is something that I have to accept." I said, and then I was feeling like there was nothing else to be saying. "And I mean, I doubt that I will really be finding anything new there to begin with, so I do not need to be too worried about it.

As Darwin and I were heading out of the store, I was then holding the bat the entire way home, and Darwin clearly looked like he was wanting to ask another question. "So T.K., do you feel like you will be able to help us move on from what happened to the factory?" He asked, and then I was sighing, since in all honesty, I had no idea what I was going to be able to tell him.

"Honestly, I have no idea how I will be able to do that. I mean, I think that there is probably already a reconstruction plan going. Since all people like to do when they live at this fucking place is just bury over the accidents that happened, and pretend like nothing was a big deal by just making a similar version of what we had earlier." I said, and then I was looking at Darwin, wondering if he would see what I was saying at this point.

"I mean, I think that if you were able to figure out what happened, and you were able to bring justice, then mom would be much happier around you again. I feel like this is probably the best way for you to really earn her approval once and for all." After Darwin was telling me this, I was sighing, feeling that perhaps something like this was true, and I was wondering how I would go through with that.

"I don't care what she thinks of me. She is entitled to her own personal opinion, and trying to change that would make me no fucking better than anybody else. So I am not going to be doing anything like that." I said, and then I was looking at Darwin, and I was hoping that saying something like that would make it clear to him that I was not going to be bitter over various dumb things that happened in the past. It was not good for me to be bitter.

"I mean, if you didn't care what she thought of you, then that wouldn't explain why you are trying so hard to be making things work out with her and the family. That whole thing just makes no fucking sense to me." Darwin said, and I was thinking that maybe him saying that was just showing that at the end of the day, he was still eleven years old, and still having a hard time really looking at all that was around him, so the bigger picture was just hard for him to truly see.

"I am just trying to do what is right. And besides, I feel like if things were to get any worse, it would be best to have somebody who I feel like could at least trust me again. That is all that I am shooting for her, to get somebody to trust me, and see that at the end of the day, even if we do not agree on everything, that I have no bitter intentions." I said, and then with that, we were getting closer to the park again, where I was seeing Darwin looking like he wanted to ask more questions.

"So T.K., when you guys were here, after the fire, and Gumball was holding something in his pocket, do you want to tell me what that was?" He asked me, and then I was wondering what in the world he was even trying to do at this point. These questions were just making no sense, and I was feeling that he was just trying to force out more information than he really needed to know. But I sighed, feeling that he would know soon enough anyways.

"Yeah, he found one of his mom's blue crystals that she kept in that glad jar. He wanted to make sure that at least that was saved, since he believed that this was what she would have wanted. I am not sure if I get it myself. But I am not going to fight with him, and for all I know, there was more to it than that." I said, and then after I was saying that, I was shrugging, and at that rate, I had nothing else to say at all.

"I wonder how she even got something like that in the first place. I thought that it was like super rare shit to have one. Maybe she was just really lucky, and found one in the forest." Darwin said, and then I was shrugging, and I was honestly having no idea what in the world I was going to tell him. Since in all honesty, something like that was not my business really.

"I don't know how she found something like that, and trying to find the answer would probably not be my fucking business. I mean, for all that I know, that is like the one major thing that she feels like needs to be super secret." I said, and I was not really sure why I was even saying that. But I was feeling like I just needed to be keeping a open mind on what was going on.

"And I think that Gumball probably was just thinking to himself that if he got it for her, and let her have it again, that maybe that would be his way of showing her that he was not wanting to let there be a giant divide with them anymore. He was probably purely doing it as a peace making offer." I said, and then I was shrugging, wondering if he was willing to buy something like that. But then after I kept going, I was wondering how much of this I was actually buying myself.

"Makes sense. Sorry for asking. I just thought that the whole situation was rather strange." After he had said that to me, I was sighing, and I figured that I would let him keep talking, and I would let him have his moment. There was no much else to be doing, and in all honesty, I was wondering if maybe Darwin was probably just trying to do his own strange version of information probing, to get some answers on what was going on here.

"I don't know what in the world to say. I just think that all of my ideas are just what makes the most sense to me. Nothing else to it. I just want to make sure that when I do something, or when I say something, that these statements are actually fucking true." I said, and then after I said that to him, I was feeling that I would let it go now.

And with that, we were eventually starting to head on back to his house, and I was feeling that since we were kind of starting to get back into a relatively normal discussion, that his fears and questions were not going to be constantly jumping around, and making me feel like I was having nothing to say to him.

Scene 21: Preparations (Rachel)

I was at the Wilson house, and I was really having no idea what in the world I was going to be doing now that I was here. I mean, I knew that talking to Tobias was probably going to be better, but in all honesty, talking with him would almost certainly lead to the idea that we needed to just get this infiltration going, and I was not quite in the mood for something like that.

And in all honesty, I had some stuff that I wanted to clear up with Rachel, and I had a terrible feeling that this might be one of the last times that we talked. Thankfully it did not need to be that much of a issue when she answered the door, and she was looking at me, as if just willing to go with the flow, and see what the problem was.

"Hey, what are you doing with that baseball bat?" She asked, and then she had looked at the skateboard, which I managed to place behind my back pack, and then she was looking at me once again, and seeing how tired I had looked. "Were you out all night playing around or some shit?" She asked, and I think she knew that wasn't true, but I was willing to let her have the joke for now.

"I was just out doing some dangerous shit, and I was feeling like I just needed to be ready for whatever happened." I said, but still feeling that maybe skating while holding a baseball bat was a dumb ass move, so I placed it in the back pack, and then zipped it up. "But regardless, I was just wanting to talk with you for a bit."

"Look, I was thinking the same thing. I was hearing what you and Tobias were going to be doing, and to be honest, I know better than to try and fight with you guys. You already made your mind, and I Just hope that you guys remain safe. But I do want to talk to you about some other things." Rachel said, and then I sighed, not really wanting to hear this at all.

"Oh god, I already have Matt getting in my case about everything here. There is nothing more that I can tell people." I said, and then I was seeing her holding her hand up, as if expressing no interest at all in hearing what I had wanted to say. I was looking down, feeling a bit bad as she had done that, and I was feeling that I just needed to try and leave things alone, and let her talk for the time being.

"I was just wanting to make sure that you were well prepared. I mean, I don't feel like you should be going around and doing all this stuff if you do not have stuff that you can defend yourself with. I think that something like that is fair enough." After she had said that to me, I was then seeing the look on her face, and I was wondering what her evil plan was.

"Alright, well what were you planning?" I asked, and then Rachel was leading me in inside of the house, and the entire time that we were walking along, I was interested in knowing what she was going to offer me. But despite the interest, I was wondering if she was going to basically force herself in the operation, and act like she was going to be the great savior and what not.

"Well, those body guards are off duty for the time being, on lunch break, and I feel like you might be able to find something in there if you look around for a bit." She pointed to a small room, which up until this investigation started, had been completely empty. I had realized that it was a small office that guy was having during his hours.

"I am ninety nine percent sure that if something was missing, he would instantly know that it was me. I would rather not be taking the risk." I said, and then after I had said that, I was seeing Rachel looking like she could not have cared less, and that this was something that I needed to do no matter what.

"Alright fine, if you insist, I guess that I might be able to find something in there." I said, and then after I was telling her this, I was shaking my head, and then I went inside of the office, as Rachel was saying something that did make me feel like maybe I really was doing the right thing after all.

"Look, the other reason why I am not stopping you or anything is because deep down inside, I have a feeling that something is going on in this town, and I want you to be able to figure out what the fucking hell people are hiding here. I believe that you are probably the best hope that I have to get this sorted out. I don't believe a fucking word that most people have about this place, and I am getting to the point where I hardly even fucking care to pretend to hide it anymore." After she said that to me, I was nodding, glad to hear her perspective now.

"Honestly, that makes me feel so much better to hear. Knowing that deep down inside, you actually do believe in these things. I was scared that I was doing something that you were thinking you wanted nothing to do with." I said, and then Rachel was thinking about what else she was wanting to say from this point forward.

"Even if I did not believe in half the shit that you guys were getting yourself into, which would be a dumb ass move, I do think that because of how much you have improved his social attitude, that my thoughts on the matter do not fucking matter. And I need to just let you guys do whatever you want." Rachel said, and then I was looking around the drawer, and I was finding a handgun, that had been fully loaded.

"I really should not be taking this. But I feel like maybe I might need it, or somebody I could hang out with might need it." I said, and then I was looking at her, and I was wondering if she was be willing to cover for me if I was to take something like this. She was slowly nodding, as if instantly understanding what I was trying to convey with her.

"Well, I mean, your brother Matt might know how to use it, so I think that maybe you can let him have it." Rachel said, and I was thinking that the idea of Matt getting this was absolutely insane. She was probably right, and that was the thing that was bothering me. But for some reason, I was thinking about what would happen with him if he was caught with it.

But then I was sighing. "Yeah, Matt having this would probably be easier to explain to people than me. And besides, I already have something." I said, and then I was grabbing the extra box of ammo, and placed it in my pocket, hoping beyond all form of chance that I was never going to get caught with this.

I was seeing the look on her face, and I was wondering if there was something that I needed to talk to her about. She clearly looked like there was something unsettling her, and I was wondering what I was going to be able to tell her anyways. "Was there something on your mind? I would be willing to talk to you any time you need it, even if I can't really be that good of a emotional guy for you." I said, and I was feeling dumb with what I was saying, but I hardly cared.

"I am just glad to know that there are people in this town who are caring enough to finally get this shit sorted out. They are no longer hiding behind what is comfortable with him, and they are not pretending like nothing is happening. When these people go around, and just act like there is nothing to be scared over, it makes me sick." After Rachel said that, I was slowly nodding, feeling like I understood her well enough when she was saying this.

"Yeah, I don't think I would have ever been that person that you are referring to if it weren't for what happened with Tobias. That sort of helped me along my way to becoming a better person." I said, and then I was shrugging, not sure if what I was saying would be making any impact with her at all

"And that is fine. Everybody has their own cues in different ways. That is perfectly okay. I mean, I don't think that I would really be somebody who cared either if it were not for Andrea. She is the main reason why I have grown to care about these things so much." After she said that to me, I was wondering what in the world we were going to be doing now.

"But in all honesty, I guess that the main thing that interests me is what you are planning on doing when this infiltration is finished? Do you think you will look further into it, or do you think that you will finally just let it go? This interests me far more than it really should." After she had said that to me, I was sighing, and I was really having no idea what I was going to say in response to this.

"I don't know what I am going to do. I am just going to take this one step at a time. I think that is the only way that I can be able to do it. I don't really think that I am going to be too worried about what the others are doing though. After all, that is purely their fucking choice." I was done telling her this, and then I was seeing her considering something else for me.

"I am considering asking Rob on a date too. I mean, after everything that is happening here, I feel like I deserve a chance with love, and I feel like I have been hiding this stuff for too long. Do you think that he would actually say yes?" After she asked me this, while I was slightly shocked at the change in subject, I was more than willing to talk with her here.

"Yeah, go ahead. I am sure that things will be perfect between you two. I was honestly already kind of wondering when one of you were going to be asking the other anyways. So knowing that you have been considering it is something that makes me feel a lot better." I said, and I was not caring how dumb it was sounding, and I was feeling that if they were going to have even a minute chance of being happy, I needed to let them have it, and support them here.

"I mean, I have only really started to realize how deeply I felt about him in the last week or so. I always felt like I kind of had an idea, but I never really thought too much about it until then." After Rachel was saying that to me, I was then feeling like I needed to let her have her moment.

"Is that why you felt like you were never going to get something to work with Izzy? I mean, he seemed like he was relatively down when he realized that you did not feel the same way as him." I said, and then after I was telling her this, I was seeing that she instantly looked like she did not want to really be talking about something like that.

"Honestly, I just felt like talking with him was going to make things worse for everybody him. He seems wildly conflicted, and I see the improvements he has been making. He is making a lot of progress, and I feel like I need to be letting him have his moment where he can really sort his shit out." After Rachel had told me this, I was shrugging, and I was feeling like there could have been more to this. But I decided that I would be leaving it alone at this rate.

"And I will admit, for a while, his former connection with that company soured what I was feeling of him. Made me feel like I could not trust him. I have grown around that, and I have started to see how selfish I was being. But I have a feeling that I can't ever divorce how I treated him from the reality." After Rachel was telling me this, I was then feeling that I was not going to get much more out of her here.

"And I feel like if Izzy was knowing what I was thinking, then he would probably be thinking that I was a bitch or something. Somebody who just judges him for no real good reason, and I do not want that to be creating a giant issue here." After she was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, and I was feeling that there was no real reason to try and debate with this at all anymore.

"Well, I think that one of these days, it would be better for you two to clear the air, and not really be having any doubts any more. I am sure that if you told him everything, he would appreciate the forthrightness of it if for nothing else. I feel like the honest is really going to be the best thing that you can do here." I was telling her, and I was having nothing else to be telling her now.

"What would I even say to him? That I rejected him for somebody that I felt like would not be obsessed with something that happened in the past, and tell him that I feel like I just was never able to fully get over the fact that he was working with potentially evil people?" She asked, and I was just walking away, and we were out of the office, and I was feeling that I needed to be away from there, just in case if that guy in the black suit came back from his lunch while I was still here, which was relatively likely in all honesty.

"Look, I do not feel comfortable being here knowing that this guy could be coming back. I think that I should be heading out. But thanks for showing your support with this. Knowing that at least one person who isn't involved in this operation actually supports it is something that makes me feel so much better." I said, and then after I had said that to her, I was seeing Rachel looking like she was glad to be seeing me looking more willing to be happy here.

"Just don't forget that if you ever feel like you need some help, then come along to this place, and we can talk for a while. It might not be the best thing in the world, but I feel like I Would much rather talk with you about all of these random things than nothing else." After she had said that to me, we were walking along, and then I was just wondering how this whole situation was going to really be processed in my mind.

"And don't worry about the gun. I am sure that he has more. And if he does make a deal out of it, I will just tell him that I feel like I needed to take it just in case if something happens to me." She said, and then I was sighing, feeling that if something happened to her, because of this, then I would probably have a lot of stuff to explain to Tobias. But then with that, I was heading to the door.

"I will find the answer to these issues, and I will make sure that you will live to see another summer here." I said, and I was feeling that this promise might have been dangerous to make. But I hardly cared. I needed to tell her that, and I needed her to see that there was no way in hell that I was going to be making things any harder for her, no matter what.

"I hope that you are right. Mostly for Tobia's sake. If it turns out that neither one of you are able to fix this issue, then I will have no idea how in the world either one of you two will be able to actually make it through the next months." After she said that to me, I was really having no idea what in the world I was going to be able to do.

"And I really do wish you luck with Rob. If you guys can actually pull this off, and be happy with each other, then that would really be the best news that I would have heard in a long time." I said, wondering if that was all that high of a bar. But I decided that I was just not going to be saying anything else at the moment, feeling that her feelings were not to be tampered with.

"I will need it. And I feel like if he accepts, then this will finally be the turn for the best in my life. I feel like I need to stop worrying about everything so much, and that I just need to see the important pieces of life for now." After she had said that to me, I really did leave the house, and I was not going to be letting anything else get in the way. Hopefully she would not be getting too involved with what I was doing, since I needed her to try and keep safe from what Tobias and I were doing. The fact that she had to relent that we wouldn't stop was already hard enough.

Scene 22: Mild Apology (Anais)

When I was hanging out with Gumball the next day, Anais came up to us, and to be honest, when I was seeing her walking by, clearly wanting to have a conversation, I was already fearing the worst, and I was wondering what in the world she was wanting to talk to us about. But I saw on the look on Davis's face that I just needed to let this happen, and that I needed to see what she needed to say.

"Hey T.K., I was just wanting to apologize for a while ago. I should not have said the stuff that I did, and you deserve better than that. I mean, I still feel like what I said is partially true, and I feel like I need to know if this is actually going to work out. But I feel like I need to let you do your thing, and not be getting in the way of that." After she was telling me this, I was sighing, and I was feeling that this was probably going be the best that I would get from her.

"I just don't really know if there is a whole lot of hope to be having in Wayside right now. But that is not really your fault either. I just hope that whatever happens, you guys make it out without to much damage." Anais said, and then I was looking at Gumball, and I was wondering what he had to do with this, since I was feeling like he was directly involved in this apology.

"Did he force you into saying this?" I asked, since in all honesty, I did not really want to have it if she was just doing this out of being forced to. I wanted to have the apology be a real one, if she was going to be giving it to me. As I said that, I was seeing her looking unsure of what to tell me.

"No, I heard the conversation that you guys were having, about how he feels like he is a failure. And when I heard that, I felt really bad, and I did not want to be giving that impression. So I felt that I just needed to let you know that real quick." After she had told me this, I was sighing, and I figured that I would let her have her moment, and not be saying anything else.

"I mean, I still have doubts, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't just reject you entirely, and not give you a chance. I need to give you a chance, and show if you can pull this off." After she said that to me, I was sighing, and I decided that I was going to just leave it alone now.

As I was thinking about what she had said, I was just feeling like the whole thing was just kind of hard to really wrap my mind around. There was something that I wanted to say, and something that I felt like needed to be said, but then I decided to just drop the subject for the time being.

"Well, sorry for taking a lot of your time." After she had said that, this was when Richard was coming into the living room, and I was just taking a moment to think about how this might have very well been the first time that I had not seen him in here when I was here. "Just make sure that you do not retract whatever you are doing. I would not want to be forced to take back my promise." After she said that to me, I was seeing that there was a very menacing look on her face.

I slowly nodded, feeling that if I did that, then I would only be making things worse. With that, she was gone, and then I was standing up, and I was just having nothing else I was going to be able to tell him. "Gumball, do you think that I am actually going to pull this whole thing off?" I asked, and then he was looking at me, and I was seeing that he was looking like he was not too sure what to be telling me right now.

"Honestly, I think that the chances are rather low. And I am not just saying that about you. That is just the truth. If there was something to be found, I am more than sure that they have that information tied away. But that being said, I feel like I want you to still give it your all. After all, if we do not get the answers here, then everything is going to be thrown away." After he had said that to me, I was sighing, and I just felt like him telling me this was only going to make things worse.

"What are you guys talking about?" Richard said, sneaking his way into the conversation, and I was feeling that this was exactly the thing that I was scared of. I sighed, and I was really having no idea what in the world I was going to tell him.

"Not much. Just some plans to what we are wanting to do for the rest of summer." Gumball said, and then I was smiling, and nodded, and pretended like I was playing along. I had really fucking hoped that Richard was not going to try and look into it too much.

"Cool, make sure that you have a lot of fun, and that your friends come along too. When you grow up, you start to realize how important keeping nice memories are, and how much you got to just hold onto what you have." After he had said that to me, I was sighing, and I was feeling that him saying that was the worst thing to tell us now.

"Don't worry. I am sure that Gumball will make sure that we never do anything dumb or bad." I said, and then I was feeling like that was literally the only thing Gumball ever did, was do dumb and bad shit. But I really was just not in the mood to be having these arguments, and I was thinking that the faster I got him off our back, the better that things were going to be for everybody involved. Gumball was finally dropping his fake smile, no longer needing to have it.

Gumball and I were heading to his room, and I was feeling that he was just mainly doing this to get away from his dad. I was wondering what his main issue with Richard was, or if it was just something that he was wanting to do in order to avoid his parents getting in the way of what we were doing. I was thinking that either way, I would just leave things alone, and not be getting too in his face on what he was feeling here.

So as we were in his room, I was seeing that Gumball was just trying to decide what to say now. "I feel like whatever we do now, Anais needs to stay away from it. I mean, you know her. She's just eight, and I feel like if she tries to go out there, and do something, then she will be the first target that people reach out for. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her." Gumball said, and then I was not too terribly sure what I could do now.

"I know that you guys are having a hard time getting along, and I know that you are probably just wanting to help her out. Whatever you need, and whatever you think is possible, I will do whatever I can to work this out with you." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was seeing that Gumball was just having a blank look on his face, for whatever reason.

"This has nothing to do with it. I don't fucking care that she doesn't like me. Trying to force that is only going to be making things worse for everybody, and I am not going to force her into a friendship that is just not meant to be. But this goes beyond everything else. She is my younger sister, and that is really the only thing that should matter." He said, and I was sighing, and I felt like I would just drop the subject, and not say anything further.

"And besides, I think that if I was trying to force her to like me when I am not that great of a older brother anyways, then what good would that do me? I want to actually earn her respect, and feel like she can actually look at a person that she can trust." After Gumball said that to me, I was wondering what else there was to say. This entire sibling bond was clearly broken. Even worse than mine.

"This is a damn shame. I mean, when she is older, do you feel like you would want her to be getting involved?" I asked, and as I asked that, Gumball shook his head, clearly not wanting to even think about what that idea was going to be like. I was feeling that with the way that he was treating the situation, that there was nothing that I would be able to say that would change what was in his fucking mind.

"When she is twelve, if she really wants to look into this with us, then that is her choice. But until then, I am not going to let her around this at all. And even then, I might still be questioning her capabilities." Gumball said, and I was feeling that I was going to just let that comment go, since I was feeling that something like that was indeed relatively fair.

"Okay, I guess that I can see where you are coming from with that. And if you are planning on doing some looking into with your moms information, do you feel like you are going to let Darwin come along? I mean, he has already gotten well involved with this." I said, and then after I said that to him, I was seeing Gumball looking like he was relatively neutral on this question, and I was wondering what he was leaning towards.

"I have no idea what Darwin wants to do. I mean, I feel like I try to debate with him, I will eventually find myself giving up for some random reason. So with that, I feel like I just need to let him be making his own choices on the matter." Gumball said, and then I was feeling that there was no other discussion about where to go now.

"So Gumball, sorry to change topics completely again, but do you have any plans with Penny? I know that it has been a few days since we talked about that, and I am just curious to see if you are moving forward with that at all." I said, and then after I had said that to him, I was seeing Gumball looking like he was just kind of wondering why I would be coming back to that once again.

"Yeah, we talked once, and she was telling me about a play that she was going to be having a part of in October, and she was telling me that she feels like I would be a good actor to play the prince." After Gumball said that to me, I was feeling that was literally the perfect way in for him to swoop in and take her by her legs. I was wondering if Gumball would feel the same way.

"I mean, I think that this is a clear sign that she does have a minor interest in you. I think that you would be dumb to not go on and use it." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was seeing Gumball nodding at this statement, as if letting me know that he had been thinking the same thing in all honesty.

"Yeah, I hope that I can have the courage to actually pull through with it. At this point, going to a play would be scaring me more about stage freight than to be scared about something stupid like what Penny thinks of me." He said, and then I was laughing at the fact that he was calling that stupid, when we both knew for a fact that he did not really think this way.

After we were saying this, I was sighing, and I was feeling that there was nothing else to be saying. I was feeling that the entire point with Penny had been made. But there was something else in mind. At this point, Anais was back in the room again, and then he looked at me, as if telling me that this was fine.

"So I hung out with Teri a couple of days ago, and we were in the forest. She was telling me that I needed to stop worrying about things that I am not going to change. I mean, I don't think that she is right, but I see that she is just trying to help me feel better here." I said, and then I was shrugging, having no idea what I was going to be saying at this point.

"And then while we were talking, she kissed me." After I said that, I was leaving out the fact that I was the one who kissed her. For some reason, saying that she was the one that kissed me made me feel so much better, and made me feel like I was some player or some shit like that. Not that he would have cared what I was doing with her.

"Wow, you are really lucky. I mean, I never really considered Teri as a option, I will be honest, but if you like her, then there is no reason to be making fun of you." After he had said that to me, I was sighing, having no idea what I was going to tell him here. I was thinking that if he knew the fact that I actually kind of liked her, that would have been a huge deal to him. Because that would break more into him.

Gumball looked at Anais, who was trying to draw, and then he called out her name. I was wondering what his fucking plan was. "Do you have anybody at school that you like?" He asked her, and then she looked at him, as if giving him death glares or something like that. I was wondering what the main issue was. It was a harmless question for god sake.

"Not really. Everybody else there is too dumb, or always into somebody else. There is no interest in me." She said, and then after she had said that to me, I was then sighing, and I was feeling that I might as well just leave the subject alone. I was thinking that if we asked her further, she would be snapping at us for whatever reason.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you when I asked that." Gumball said, and then with that, he was looking at me, and then he was shrugging, as if having nothing else to say on the matter. And I was wondering if there was something that happened with her that really hurt her in a negative way.

"Yeah, to be fair, we never really talked that much about it, so you probably couldn't really ever have the chance to know. Sorry if I was being a bit harsh." Anais said, and then with that, I was sighing, and I felt like there was nothing else to be saying here. I was just thinking that I might as well just let this whole thing go for now. And then with that, Anais was heading out slightly down, and I knew for a fact that I really did say something that bothered her.

"Alright, remind me to never bring anything like that up around her again. Shit, I was not expecting that." Gumball said, and then I was slowly nodding, feeling like if that was ever to be a issue again, then we were going to be fucking screwed.

"Wow, literally minutes after it had seemed like we were kind of starting to make nice with her, that happens. I mean, I guess that something like that can't fucking be avoided." I said, and then with that, I was feeling that the best way to leave it alone was to just simply never talk about it. I was feeling like I needed to just probably leave, before I made things any worse.

"Maybe I should be heading out soon. That conversation took a really bad fucking turn, and I feel like everything that I do here is only going to be making things worse." I said, and then after I was saying that to him, I was seeing that Gumball was looking like he was actually kind of bummed with the idea of me heading out, and wanted to say something.

"I mean, we just don't need to worry about talking to her. I think that if we just don't try and force anything else onto her, then everything will be fine. She probably just had something that happened to her at school, and it has been bothering her since. I will try and see if she wants to talk to me about it." After Gumball said that to me, I was seeing him looking like he was just letting the idea run through his head a little bit.

"I know that you are just trying to make me feel better, and I appreciate the attempt, but this whole thing just seems a bit much for me to really deal with. I will try and talk to you later about it. I mean, I feel like your family does not like me that much. Darwin seems to like me enough. But he seems to really not appreciate how I keep reminding him of the fact that he doesn't really have a realistic chance with Rachel." I said, and then he was kind of tilting his face when I mentioned that one.

"To be fair, with that one, if he is giving you a hard time about it, then you might deserve that. Everybody when they are that age has a crush on somebody way older than them." After he had said that, I was sighing, and then he was shrugging. "I mean, I don't want to talk about mind though, since it is really fucking silly to talk about."

After he had said that to me, I was feeling that when we talked about it later, we could potentially get closer to revealing that one. But I was still feeling like it was time to leave. So with that, I was standing up, and I was starting to head to the door, feeling that there was nothing else to be getting out of this discussion at all.

"I know that you probably do not mind if I stay around. But I just feel like when I am here, I am doing nothing besides just getting in the way, and that is something that I do not want to be doing." I said, and then when I was saying that, I was then feeling like I was just not going to really get him to fully see my perspective. And that was fine.

"Alright, if you feel like that is for the best, then I will drop it." After Gumball said that, I was starting to walk off, and I was hoping that nobody was going to be trying to stop me, or act like I am somebody that they suddenly wanted to hang out of nowhere. I was not really in the mood to be hearing anything like this, but I did not want to boggle them down.

And the entire time that I was skating back home, I was wondering if there was going to be a day where I was feeling fully good about myself. Where I was feeling like what I was doing was actually going to be for the better of this town. And I was wondering what I was going to do to get myself out of this issue, if it was fucking possible.

Scene 23: Final Blessing (Sheldon)

That night, I was feeling that there was one more person that I needed to see, and then I would feel like I did the best that I could. And that was Sheldon, and I was feeling that whatever he was aware of, he just needed to tell me the fucking truth. One way or another. As I was skating down there, going as fast as possible, I was hardly even thinking about the fact that I was still having a broken arm that could get worse at any moment that I slipped up.

When I was at the gas station, I got off of my board, and then I was grabbing it again, and then I walked inside, seeing that like usual, Sheldon was smoking his cigarette, and just minding his own business. Honestly, I was starting to think that this general attitude was so deeply enrooted to a part of his appearance that if I saw him without one, I would just be wondering what happened with him.

"Hey Sheldon, I know that you are not really big on seeing me coming in here all the time, and I am just trying to get better about that. But I feel like we need to talk one more time." I said, and then after I had said that to him, I was seeing that Sheldon was looking like he was dreading what I would ask. And I was wondering if there was ever any chance that I would get him to not be feeling like there was a load of utter dread in what was going on.

"Look, I mean, I don't know what you are thinking you are going to get out of this. I am not a very helpful person, and I am not one hundred percent sure if I approve of what you are doing." Sheldon said, and then after he had said that to me, I was sighing, not really in the mood to hear this.

"I have already made my choice, and there is nothing to fucking do about that. What matters now is just making sure that this actually goes through relatively well." I said, and then I was seeing Sheldon just look like he was aware that I was probably going to say that, but that he had just wanted to try at least. But with that, he remained silent for a while.

"Alright, I kind of knew that was going to be your response. If you are insisting on this, then I want you to know that even if you feel like you are in on this alone, you do have your allies you help you out. They will be there to help you out, and I think that the faster that you decide to work with them, the better that it will be for you." Sheldon said, and then I was seeing him looking like he wanted to ask something else.

"I am curious what happened to you with the factories destruction? I heard people talking about how they saw you near the site when it was happening. What exactly were you doing?" Sheldon asked, and I was feeling that he was not going to be giving me much choice but to try and open up with him, and explain to him why I was there anyways.

"My friend Gumball wanted to go there, to talk with his mom, and just see how she was doing. He thought that by talking with her for a while, the two of them could make up with each other. But when we were there, we were seeing that there was a bunch of smoke in the area. At first we thought that maybe they were in production of something. It was only once we were inside that we realized what was happening." I said, and I was shrugging, as if still unable to really buy it.

"I still have no idea why the place was burned down. I don't think that I will ever get the answer. I just thought that maybe by going there, I could help Gumball feel better. If I had known what was going to happen, and if I had known how much Wayside would change afterwards, then I would have had a totally different strategy going forward here." I said, and then after I had said that to him, I felt like there was no real need to talk more about it now.

"Yeah, I just feel like if I tried to go out there one more time, then my age would really start to dawn up on me. I know that forties doesn't sound old, but trust me when you are going around and fighting people, and just trying to survive another day with such intensity, every year really fucking creeps up on you, and you really start to feel old." After he had said that to me, I was having no real idea on what I was going to be telling him here. I was feeling I had no choice but to buy what he just said, for now.

Sheldon was then standing up, and he was going to the back room. I was feeling that he was probably trying to just get away from talking with me, and I was not going to be very happy if he did that, so I was calling out to him, to get him to continue talking.

"What are you trying to hide? I need to fucking know." I said, and then after I was saying that to him, I was seeing Sheldon, and I was seeing that he had looked like there was nothing to be upset about, as if probably thinking that I just needed to cut that shit out right now, if I was going to continue working with him here.

"I am not hiding anything. I am just trying to grab something. Calm the fucking hell down. Give me a chance." After he was saying that to me, I was sighing, and I was wondering if I had just made a big mistake by saying that, and if he was going to be kind of barley keeping his cool from this point forward.

I was sitting down, and I was just taking a deep breath. I did not want to admit it, but this entire thing was just really starting to get on my nerves. He didn't do anything wrong, so it wasn't his fault. But I think that I was just making things a way bigger issue than it was, and I was feeling that it was only a matter of time before I would say something that nobody would ever forgive me over.

Eventually, Sheldon handed me a brief case after about three minutes. When he was back, he was looking like there was something about it that was making him sad. "Sucks to part ways with this, since in all honesty, it made me feel like I was being useful for once when I had this all with me. But when you are ready for the truth, and when you are ready to truly fight, that is what you are going to need." After he had said that to me, I was slowly nodding, having nothing else to say.

"Is this a full confession?" I asked, and then after I asked that, he was slowly nodding, and then I was putting it in my back pack. I was thinking that if I was going to ever find out the truth, then I just needed to accept these sources that I had. And maybe Sheldon was just trying to find an excuse to get out of this stuff as well, and that he was glad to see me come along.

"For the most part, it is the best that you are going to get with confessing. Just a personal account of what happened. A basic summary, and not everything, but it is better than nothing, and I hope that it will suit you enough as it is." After Sheldon said that to me, I was then feeling that whatever he was wanting to do, I just needed to roll with it. And I was happy now.

"Thank you. I know that when this is all said and done, this will be the best thing that I will get. So I will just have to take it." I said, and then with that, I was thinking that I would let it go. And I was staring at the coolers ahead, thinking that life was finally now going to be turning around, and that this was the event that I needed.

Scene 24: Moral Uncertainty (Larry)

I went to Joyful Burger again, and this was something that I felt like I needed to do. I needed to talk with Larry once again, and know what the hell he had been hiding, and I was feeling that if he was going to try and fight me every step of the way, then I was going to have no choice but to figure out the information myself.

When I was inside, as I was expecting from a place that was closing in fifteen minutes, it was empty, and when Larry was looking up, and he was seeing me, I was seeing that he was not very excited to be seeing me at all. Probably aware of what I was planning on doing, and he was just having all the worst ideas run through his head. I was sighing, feeling like there was no real way that I would change his mind here.

"What do you want to talk about this time?" Larry asked, and I was kind of taken back by the tone of voice that he was using. I was just trying to find a way to get out of this, and in a way that was going to be making it clear to him that we were going to be allies from this point forward.

"Look, I do not want to be bothering you, and I know that you close in a few minutes, but my friends and I are planning on doing something that I am sure we are all going to regret. And I want to see if there is anything you know at all." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was mildly interested in what I was pestering him over.

"Are you guys seriously going to be doing it? Ocho was telling me some of the things that you were thinking about doing, but I decided that it was almost certainly not going to happen, so I decided to not be worried about it." Larry said, and then I was nodding, as if to just confirm that this was the case.

"Well, I mean, I can't ever take away from the fact that you are determined. Well, if that is the case, if you are doing this, I might as well just help out, and see what I can do, rather than just trying to fight it along, and act like you have no right to do this." Larry said, and then I was sighing, having no real clue on what to be telling him.

"Look, I will tell you since you are seeming to be really set on this, that I have been working with one of your friends anyways. His name is Izzy, and he has been helping me out a lot since he has those previous connections with Lazarus, so I figured that he would be willing to listen to me without too much bias." Larry said, and then I was tilting my head sideways, wondering what he was meaning when he said without bias.

"Are you hiding something?" I asked, and then Larry was shaking his head, as he was heading to the back room for a bit, and I was getting a moment of thinking that he was almost encouraging me to follow. So I did, at least until the door, where I then stopped just in case if I mis understood where he was coming from.

"No exactly. But I am just trying to make sure that I do my part in making sure that these people don't get to expand what they already have. I have a fear that if we let them have everything that they want, then it will only be a matter of time before this place is completely taken over." Larry was saying, and then I was having another question that I was having in my head.

"So Larry, I was having a question in my mind? I hear people refer to a lot of legends of something called Labyrinth? Do you know why they call these things labyrinth or not?" I asked, and then I was seeing Larry looking like he was just not enjoying that reminder of something.

"Well, it was related to the mines destructions several decades ago, and it has just stuck around since. Just a random label. So what happened was that I think one of them exploded, and it started to leak into the water. The minerals I mean. And the mines were all one big connected thing, and people started to call it a labyrinth to describe how hard it was to navigate this area." After Larry was telling me this, the way he was saying it was just so careless, as if thinking that I should have already known this.

"So the biggest mystery in this town all started because of some random nickname that people came up with several decades ago? That seems to be a bit of a anti climatic ending. I mean, if I am correct, you were there when it happened?" I asked, and then Larry was shrugging at this.

"I mean, I was alive, and I was starting to work. But that doesn't mean that I was actually doing anything too impressive. I hardly knew anybody who was working there. All that I remember was that I think the Carbunkles had some form of issue wit their family." He said, and I was just trying to decide if I was buying this lack of knowledge attitude, or if he was just doing that to throw me off.

"Do you think that I would find out more if I went to Brad, and asked him what had happened? I mean, he seems like he is starting to be slightly more open with people about these things, so I feel like that it might be a good idea to talk to us." I said, and then Larry was shrugging, as if thinking that what Brad did was none of his business anyways.

"And in all honesty, I feel like all the chances that I ever had of being able to really help out are done. I actually tried to fight once, but then I was already weak and unable to hold my own, even then. And in all honesty, I feel like if I tried to do anything else, I would have probably gotten myself killed." After Larry said that to me, I was really having nothing that I would be able to say to him. He was not giving me much room to try and say anything.

"Sheldon was saying much of the same thing. Basically that once somebody hits their thirties, they are already probably getting on the too old side of this stuff, and that they should probably not be getting involved in this anymore." I said, and then Larry was just remaining silent as I was saying this.

"Well, in all honesty, there also comes a point in time when if you keep this stuff up for too much longer, then everybody starts to realize what you are doing, and every single chance you are taking is putting not just yourself at risk, but those that you love and care about. Sheldon probably just realized that he cared too much about his family to really take any extra risks." Larry was saying, and I seemed unsure of myself.

"Well, Brad is only four or five years younger than Sheldon, and he is doing just fine, going out there and getting himself involved. So in all honesty, I doubt that age has as much to do with it as you guys are trying to make it out to be." After I said that to him, I was seeing that Larry was just looking like me always bringing everything back to Brad was not what he had wanted when we were meeting up here.

"Not everything has to constantly come back to that guy. It seems like you respect and trust him more than anybody else here, and that you want literally everybody to be following in his foot steps." After Larry was saying that to me, I was feeling like such a thing would not have been the worst thing in the world to be thinking.

"I am just stating what I have seen. Nothing more than that, honestly." I said, and then I was looking right at him, and I was wondering what he would have been saying to this. Larry remained silent for a few seconds, before looking at the time, and saw that we had closed six minutes ago.

"Shit, I should have put the closed sign up already. Give me a second, and we can continue talking after that." After he had said that to me, I was sighing, and I figured that there was no real reason to be arguing about this any more. And I was just feeling that I needed to be more careful about what I was doing from now on.

After a few minutes of closing down, that was when Larry was looking at me again, and I was seeing that he was looking slightly less worried about the idea of talking to me right now. "So T.K., it seems like you really just want to talk further on this. And I am not going to try and stop this either. But I feel like maybe we can take a drive, and I can explain some things better.

"Where would you be taking me?" I asked, and I was letting some amount of fear kick in much more than I was wanting to admit. I was feeling that if he had something he needed to show me, he just needed to be honest with me about it, and not be leading me around this this. As strange as it was, this was the first time I was kind of worried about something.

"Nothing much. I just feel like if we do it in this car, and away from everything else, then perhaps we would be able think things out a bit better. Just seems like decent strategy." Brad said, and then with that, I was still having a had time buying the stuff he was saying, but I figured that I still believed in him more than I was believing anybody else, so I decided to just leave it alone for now.

Once I was in Larry's car, he took out a cigarette, and I never really took him to be much of a cigarette smoker, but then again, everybody in this world and their mother was, so I figured that there was no reason to be thinking that he wasn't. As we were driving along, I was seeing a picture with him and a young woman.

"Is that your daughter?" I asked, feeling that I might as well just strike some small talk. When Larry was starting to drive, I saw him looking like he was slightly embarrassed to be seeing that I had seen the picture. Almost as if he did not want people to know that he had been happy at any point outside of the job.

"My fiancé. Got engaged about a month and a half ago. Really is helping me feel much better about what I had been doing with my own time. I always got scared that she was going to say no, and that I would be left heart broken at the date scene. But that didn't turn out to be the case." Larry said, and then I was just deciding to leave things alone, and not judge.

"What is her name?" I asked, feeling that if this was something that we were going to talk about, I might as well just try and strike a nice conversation. Larry finished his cigarette, and then we were just driving along, not really thinking about anything else.

"Karen. Have been seeing her for about three years now. Never thought that I would have much of a chance of being able to be in love. But I figured that I needed to try at least." Larry said, and then I was feeling that I might as well leave it at that, for his own sake, and not pester any further on it.

"But T.K., I know that you are going to be doing whatever it is that you feel like you need to do. I am not going to fight that. I feel like if anybody needs to fight that, it should be your parents or whatever. But what I was wanting to tell you was that if you go into this, this will be your life from now on. There is nothing that you are going to do to change that." Larry said, and then I was slowly nodding, as if feeling like I did understand what he meant.

"And in all honesty, I feel like there are a lot of things that you are going to have to do if you want to actually pull this off. I think that the one part of what you need that you have gotten mostly down is having a fucking crew. You need one, no matter what." Larry was saying, and then I was nodding, feeling that I did sort of understand what he was saying.

"And I think you need to have something that you can use to show everything that you are trying to find is absolutely irrefutable. As I said before, that was the real issue that Sheldon had back in the day. He didn't go out of his way to find information that was irrefutable, and therefore when the time came, and he had to show everybody what was happening, he couldn't do it. I saw the look on his face. The desperate, pleading look, that showed that he had only then just realized how much he had messed up, and how much he was going to regret his actions.

"And look at Todd, I think we both know that he did nothing, but everybody is now looking at him as this horrible human being, because the way that the information had been presented had been done so well that everybody who was looking at the information casually would have thought that there was no reason to be thinking otherwise. Having a system of trust is vital." Larry said, and I was wondering if these were mistakes he made as well.

"So you are just wanting to make sure that no matter what is happening, I just know what I am doing? I suppose that makes some sense." I said, and then after I had said that to him, I saw Larry just looking like there was something else that he was kind of considering saying, but did not know what he would have done to make it different.

"I mean, I remember when I was in my twenties, and I was thinking that I was the one who was going to turn things around, and really make Wayside a better place than it is today. I thought that I was literally going to be the one who would make things turn around. I see that I was absolutely crazy for ever thinking that, but it was something that I was convinced of, and something that I thought other people would be able to appreciate." Larry said, and then I was sighing, just feeling that I needed to let him say what he needed to say.

"Larry, I am sorry that I am trying so hard on this, and if I am making you feel uncomfortable for whatever reason, then I really regret that. I do not want you to be feeling like you have to play along with anything. But I made a lot of promises to my friends, and I feel like if I fail to uphold on those, then I would be the worst person possible." I said, and I did not care how dramatic I sounded to him.

"You are being way too strict for somebody who is in seventh grade. You need to just sit back, and relax, and realize that you are in way over your head. I mean, I have nothing against you wanting to do something that you feel like will be for the best of your friends. But I think that you have to at least be realistic when you are checking things out." After Larry was telling me this, I decided to not say anything at all.

"If I am not strict, then how can anything be done? I think that you have consider what you are telling me before anything else. I mean, every time that somebody goes missing, it is all like everybody gives a shit for a week, and then they drop it and move on." I said, and then I was staring out the window, having nothing else to say now.

"It just seems like when everybody acts like that then immediately turns around, it just shows that deep down inside, nobody really actually cares, and that there is no point in even hiding that fact anymore. Even trying to pretend like it isn't at least partially true is only going to be making things worse for everybody." I was finishing up, and then when I was done, I was just taking a deep breath, and I was feeling that I needed to think what I was saying out more.

"I have nothing that I can say to that. I mean, I guess that it is true to a extent, and I can't really pretend like it isn't. But at the same time, not everybody is like that, and not everybody is just trying to give off a careless expression, and I am sorry that you feel that way. I am sure that if other people knew what you were thinking, they would be willing to just talk with you, and everything can be talked about then." After Larry was saying this, I was seeing him looking like he was slightly over whelmed.

"If you care, then I need you to show it. Show me that you are not just saying this to be making me feel better about what is happening." I said, and then I was looking right at him, and I was wondering what in the world he would have told me this. Although I was seeing that Larry was looking like he had no idea what he was going to be saying now.

"I feel like literally nothing I can say will make you get it. I guess that sometimes people are telling the truth when they say that actions are louder than words. I just wish that I could be able to really change what everybody says about me. It would make all of our lives much easier." Larry sighed, and I was thinking that I would try for more, but then I decided to shut up, for his own sake. Although I was quickly realizing that there was no hope to be had at all, no matter what I wanted to say.

Scene 25: Final Contract (Brad third person)

Brad was meeting Shaun again, and when he was in the office, for the first time, Brad was seeing that Shaun was truly looking unsettled, and Brad was just trying to decide what in the world he was going to be saying. He figured that the best bet would be to just remain silent.

"What did you need?" Brad asked, and then Shaun was sitting down, and taking out a cigar, and started to smoke it, as Brad was sighing, and just sat down, and decided that he was not going to be saying anything at all, for fear that acting out would get Shaun upset.

"Everything is taking a turn for the worst. I need you to have one more contract. Even I never thought this one was needed. I had some suspicions, so I demanded a test, and it turns out that my feelings were true." Shaun said, and then Brad looked at him, and with each moment, his actual fear at the moment was growing. Not sure what Shaun was going on about.

"It turns out that several years ago, when I was less worried about my work, and more worried about just making sure that I ended my twenties on a high note, I ended up getting one of the women I slept with 18 years ago pregnant." Shaun said, and then Brad was instantly starting to see where this was going now.

"But it doesn't stop there. Two years after that, I ended up getting another one pregnant as well. Which means that if I were to die at any moment, I would have two illegitimate heirs to the company." Shaun said, and then Brad was wondering why something like this was so bad, when he figured that would be cause to celebrate.

"I need you to take out the older one. Her name is Candice, and as you might expect, if a female takes over for the company, and is able to see all the information that we have in store, then she will reveal everything to the public. We could probably hold off her being required to take over until she is eighteen. But that is only about a year away. A year to hide everything isn't nearly enough."

"Is the younger one a daughter as well? Would you want me to kill her as well, and just get it over with?" Brad asked, feeling that if this was the whole concept behind the contract, he might as well just do them both at once, so that way he did not have to worry about this several years from now.

"No, his name is Rob. You know, the guy with the fucked up and destroyed left eye? Yeah him. I mean, don't know if I would be happy with him taking over, but he is sure as hell better than nothing, and he is even more than anything better than any woman taking over." Shaun said, and then with that, Brad was nodding, as if understanding, in a disturbing away.

"So, what will you want me to do if something happens, and he has to take over the company?" Brad asked, and Shaun looked as if he was actually considering what he was going to be setting himself up for, and he was wondering if Shaun would even want to be involved with this at all.

"If he is under eighteen at the time, then just take over a interim president until his birthday. But regardless of his age, once he fully takes over, then stay at his side those first few years. Try to help him down a different path from what we all went through. Even though I have no intention of ever getting caught, if somebody takes over, there is a chance that things will finally be different." After he had said that to Brad, Brad slowly nodded.

"It will be done. I will try to do it in the next couple of days. But first I will have to find her, and make sure she is in a quiet location." Brad said, and then with that, he was standing up, and he was walking off, not really wanting to talk about such a thing any further.

"Brad, before you go, I just wanted to thank you for everything that you have done. I know that it is not what you wanted to do when you started to work with me. But there really is no other fucking way. I have to do it this way." Shaun said, and then Brad was still not sure if he was buying that. But he was not really in the mood to argue with him.

"Next time you see Kenta, tell him that I will do what he wants. But he better make it quick, and let him know that this is not my way of saying that he is smarter than me. I just see that there is nothing for me to be losing anymore." Brad, not wanting to admit that this was something that he had been forced to accept this whole time.

As Brad was leaving, he was hardly paying any mind to Kenta, and felt that whatever Kenta wanted to say, would have to wait. It was something that he was sure would be an attempt to just really rub in the fact that he was now fully going over to the side that Shaun wanted him to be on this whole time.

And he was just really hoping that if he did have to take over for a few years, he would be able to set things up just enough to where Rob would not be forced to feel like he would have to do things the way that this company had been done before, and to not be making things even worse than they already have been at this point in time.

Brad went to his car, and felt like there was one final thing that he had needed to do in order to fully put himself away from his past, and make himself fully devoted to the company. So he started to drive on over to Sheldon's house, hoping that when this was done, he would be able to fully focus on the idea of making the justice of this town come through.

With each passing minute, despite the fact that he was clearly unsure of what he was doing, and the fact that he was not really wanting to do this, he had felt like there was really no choice on the matter, and that once this was done, then he would just move on.

Once he was at the house, he took another minute to consider what he was doing, but then he shook his head, as he told himself that the doubts were never going to be helping him out at all. He grabbed his two black gloves, and then placed them on. Then he grabbed a extremely large pocket knife, that he had bought and only used one before, so the sharpness was still very much intact.

He got out of the car, placing the knife in his pocket, and then he walked on over to the door, where he knocked on it for a few moments. He took out a cigarette, and after a moment, the door answered, and he saw Jenny. He took a deep breath, not sure what he was feeling anymore.

Then he brought out one of his cigarettes, and hoped that she would accept it. She was so happy to be seeing one of her best friends, and had just wanted to catch up with him. She took the cigarette, and then took a few puffs as well.

"What brings you here?" She asked him, and Brad felt like he would lie about it, and then the two of them could just talk for a while, and just enjoy the moment. She let him inside when she was seeing that Brad was just gazing around, giving off the impression of looking very lost, and unsure of himself.

"On break for the time being, and I decided that I wanted to just drop by and see how you were since it's been almost two years at this point." Brad said, and then Jenny was sitting down in the living room, and Brad was looking around, and he saw that there was a new crib in her and Sheldon's bedroom. What Brad did not see was Cody standing behind his door, ever so slightly open, to see what the noise had been.

"Sheldon was telling me that you were doing rather well with the company. He said that while he did not always agree with everything that you have been doing, that he can respect the work that you have been doing." She said, and then Brad was slowly nodding, feeling that Sheldon would not be saying anything like that at all if he had knew what he had been doing. And knew of the fact that he had no intention of ever going back to the way that he had once been.

"How have you and Sheldon been doing lately?" Brad asked, feeling that he would enjoy the conversation as much as he could, and see what he would be able to get out of this. Jenny looked at him, ecstatic at what he had said.

"We just had a second child about three weeks ago. A daughter. Per my request, I didn't want him to be talking about it super openly, unlike with Cody, which everybody knew about within a month." After she had said that to Brad, he nodded, feeling that as long as her existence was kept relatively hidden, then she might have a chance of being safe.

"What is her name?" Brad asked, feeling that with every minute that he was talking with her, the more that he would be able to learn about her one final time, and the more that maybe he might find himself realizing how insane his idea was, and then find himself quitting it soon enough, to go back to where he once was.

"I named her Victoria. I mean, after everything with my younger sister, and after how much of a impact she had on everybody, I figured that it would be nice to give that name a second chance." After she had said that, Brad found it ironic, when he was able to get over his anger over the tossing aside of her name, that Sheldon had to deal with the first Victoria having a massive crush on him before she dated Brad, and then how he was raising one himself.

"I am still doing everything that I can to make sure that she comes home. That is the main thing that I can promise you more than anything else. I will not settle down and rest until I know that she is either dead, or brought here again." Brad said, hoping that saying this promise once again would really make her feel much better. Give her one more flicker of hope.

"I believe that you can do it. But I am scared of that company. If you find her, and then bring her home, what will happen to you, or Sheldon, or anybody else? I just have no idea what in the world I can prepare myself for." Jenny said, and then Brad sighed, having no idea where to go now.

"I will work something out with him. I know that they know better than to be messing with me for whatever reason. And I feel like they will probably realize that I am just trying to keep everything together." Brad said, and then with that, he was just remaining silent, thinking that he would leave things alone with that for the time being.

After another thirty minutes or so of talking, Brad stands up, and then he looks at Jenny. "I really do need to be heading out. Thanks for letting me come in." He said, and Jenny was looking over for a second as she was seeing him walk off, trying to think of something to say to him.

"Don't forget to come by again, I am sure that Sheldon would really enjoy catching up with you." She said, and then she turned back to the television. Brad pulled the knife out of his pocket when he was right behind her, with her unable to see what he was going to do, and he considered retracting one final time, before he shook his head, and told himself there was no other way.

Before she was able to turn around and ask him what was wrong, she felt the knife at her throat, and started to try and say some words, as he kept going and going, and after the first ten seconds or so, when she had grown to realize that he was not going to stop, she was finding herself wondering why he was doing this, and wondering how Sheldon would react when he found out. The entire time Brad kept slicing through cartilage and arteries, she had also found herself wondering how Cody and her new born daughter were going to be going forward. She was also scared that Brad would come for them after he was done. And then before long, as she was wondering if Brad was ever going to become the man she once knew again, Brad used both his hands to grab the head.

Brad looked at her for a few seconds, as there was a tear coming down her face, and as Brad was starting to instantly regret what he had done. When he saw the look on her eyes, he was seeing a pleading look, although he did not know of what. Then he saw her eyes going slack, and the body no longer spasming, as he saw that there was nothing left.

When he was done, he knew that there was no way to turn back now, and Brad started to realize that any chance of him coming back to the way he was before was now gone, and that at this point, he just hoped that Cody and Sheldon would never become like him, so lost and so wrong.

He placed the head in a box, and then walked out of the house, and placed it in his car trunk as he started to drive off, ready for his investigation with Candice, and ready to present it to Shaun when he was done, showing that he was done hiding.

After Brad was gone for about five minutes, Cody noticed the eerie silence, and was confused why Brad had taken a box out of nowhere. So wondering what happened, he left the room, and then went into the living room, and what he saw would scar him forever, and he would then understand right then and there why his father had become the way that he was. When he saw his mother there, Cody was then just starting to question what Sheldon was going to do in revenge, and if not Sheldon, what he would do in revenge when he was older.