I'm hoping everyone's actions in this chapter still seem in-character. There are a few intense situations, so it was a bit harder to tell in certain bits.

Here's chapter 54 of "Welcome Home".

There was darkness. Nothing but darkness in the shut eyes of Deep Chris. He wondered how and why, but could not come up with a reason. Everything was dark, his mind blank. For a moment he couldn't remember where he was, or what he was doing. He didn't even remember what had happened last. The only thing he could sense was an object just like a rope that was wrapped around him, his back up against a rough plank-like object. Was he back in the woods, perhaps? It was possible that what he had done (Or, what he had thought he had done,) had just been a dream. For a moment he considered it possible that he was still in the woods in Bratsman's clutches.

It wasn't until he felt the warmth of what seemed to be a hand on his shoulder that he gained a bit more consciousness. Did the human touch signal to him that he was awake? Or was this just another one of those possible dreams he had faced?

"Wake up." A deep, slightly grumbly voice commanded. The voice seemed familiar but... from where? It certainly wasn't Bratsman. Chris was sure he had heard that particular voice somewhere before, though it had never seemed to be in such a dominant tone. Chris mumbled what seemed to be an attempt at a word before hanging his head. The other man in the room furrowed his brows.

"Wake up." The man demanded again. Chris could feel another hand going to his other shoulder. He cringed when the person shook his shoulders with very little intentions of being gentle. His eyes lazily fluttered open, looking around half-lidded. When his gaze landed on the man speaking to him, his eyes were quick to widen. The room was still the same from what it had been moments ago, though he was now tied to some sort of upright plank. How long had he been here for, exactly?

Stanford folded his arms, his eyes narrowing. "I have some questions for you, and I expect that you'll answer them truthfully." He began with a cold stare.

Chris frowned. He knew exactly what this was about. He knew, but of course he wished that the other didn't. He had slipped up earlier, from what he could now remember, as his memory all came flooding back. This older man was clearly looking for that 'bell' man. That was his name, right?

Nonetheless, Chris looked up at the scientist and tilted his head. "Well, what if I don't?" He dared to ask.

Ford's brows furrowed further. He reached behind him and pulled out a space-looking handgun from his back pocket (How long had that been there?) And took a step towards Chris. Ford placed a hand on the man's shoulder, pushing him back against the tall leg of the bed he was tied to, placing the gun up under the blondes chin. Chris bit his lip and tilted his head up slightly, the gun only following along.

"You're going to answer my questions," Ford began through gritted teeth. "Or things won't be pretty."

Chris gulped and looked at the man. "I-I'm not afraid of you." He lied, clenching his fists slightly.

Ford narrowed his eyes at Chris. "Don't test me." He warned, cocking the gun. Chris flinched at the sound and gave a slight whimper. He didn't want to answer the scientists questions. Even though it was wrong to keep them from him, he just couldn't.

"B-But I-I'm t-the only source o-of information y-you've got," Chris defended. "Y-You can't kill me."

Ford scowled for what had to be the fourth time and grumbled. "Well, I don't plan on it." He admitted. He took the gun away from the others face and instead pressed it slightly into the blondes thigh. "But if you choose not to cooperate, that doesn't mean I'll be gentle." He clarified, looking into the others eyes with a serious glance. "Do you understand?"

Chris gave a look of unease, his gaze leaving the other. He felt threatened, which he was sure the scientist was going for. He could understand that, especially the circumstances. But that didn't exactly mean it would help the situation Chris was in. He needed away to get himself of out of it. He wanted nothing but to be free from that dreaded place, and having Bill there in replace of him was what seemed to be his only chance at that.

"Yeah, I-I understand." Chris confirmed, giving a faint nod of his head.

"Good," Ford began. He took a step back and placed his hands behind his back. "Now tell me, where is Bill?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chris opened his mouth, though no words came out. He wasn't sure how he was to respond, being that he hadn't really planned in advance. It's not like he had expected this to happen. Perhaps he could lie? If he were to lie, he could throw the scientist off early enough to where he would be less likely to be caught up in the lie. Then again though, he wasn't the best at lying, being that he hadn't had to do it often at all. Chris then looked back at the old man, a slight tilt of his head. The man's question was very straight forward. Ford noticed the blank look on the others face and decided to address it.

"What?" Ford began. "Why are you giving me that look?"

Chris would have shrugged, had he not been tied up. "W-Well, aren't you gonna ask m-my name first?" He asked.

"I don't care about that right now." Ford answered, hands behind his back once more. "I have one main question, and we'll go from there when you answer it." He stated.

"I..," Chris began. He knew that if he began making some form of lies, he would just stumble over his words. He looked at the man to see his expression, quickly understanding that there wasn't much way out of the situation, if any. Chris hung his head. "I can't." He mumbled, sighing.

Ford looked at the man, narrowing his eyes in slight confusion. "What do you mean, you can't?" He questioned. "I don't see anything here stopping you."

"N-No, it's not that." Chris said. He looked up again and made eye contact with the scientist. "It's... that place," He revealed. "I-It's terrible. I've been there before, a-and there's really nothing good about it. Last time I was there, I was told that if I slipped up again, I'd be killed and replaced by another clone of myself. B-But we can't be replaced anymore, and I don't wanna have to go back to that terrible life." He said, giving the other a pleading expression.

Ford frowned. He did feel some sympathy for the blonde, but then again, he had replaced himself with Bill, meaning that Bill was now the one having to be wherever in the world Chris had mentioned. He felt his fists begin to tighten, his heart rate fastening and his facial features glaring towards the tied up blonde.

"Are you telling me that you sent Bill to a place dangerous enough to where his life is on thin ice?" Ford asked in a harsher tone, putting his hands into Chris' hair, fuming.

Chris frowned. "I-I'm sorry-"

"Do you realize what you've done?" Ford demanded, his glare hardening. Chris cringed as the grip the man had on his hair began to tighten. He couldn't tell whether or not it was intentional, but Chris was sure the older man wouldn't care regardless. Especially not now.

"A-As long as he doesn't slip up, he'll be okay." Chris tried to reassure.

"And if he does?" Ford shot back, looking back at the other and expecting an answer, only to see Chris only with his mouth open, no words coming out. Ford's hands moved to the sides of the pop star's face as he growled, shaking his head. "Okay, this is how things are going to work; You're going to tell me where he is is, where he's being kept, and how to get him back here!" He snapped.

Chris looked at the other with wide eyes once more. "B-But what about me? A-And more importantly, my brothers?"

"Your brothers?" Ford questioned, raising an eyebrow. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "What brothers?"

Chris frowned. "My brothers are all biologically created clones, just like me." He informed. "They... mean a lot to me, and now they're trapped at that awful place because of me. B-Because I couldn't keep them safe." He said.

Ford gave the other a blank look for a moment, processing the information. He closed his eyes and sighed, hanging his head. Chris looked at the other, only for their gazes to meet once more. Ford gave a tired expression and said, "If you cooperate, I will assist in getting you and your brothers roaming free again." He reasoned.

Chis gasped. "You promise?" He asked, looking at the other with a small, relieved smile.

"If we find Bill." Ford repeated in a more bitter tone.

Chris gave a slow nod at this. He had no reason to keep Bill prisoned there if his brothers were going to be escaping as well. That would jut be cruel. He agreed to Ford's terms and felt a small wave of relief wash over him.

"Good," Ford then said. He took a step back and folded his arms. "Now start talking."


Bill sat on his knees inside of the cage, looking around for anything that would help him to get out. He didn't see any tools, save a small meat bone on the floor. The locks weren't able to be picked however, so it was of practically no use. Bill looked at the side of the cage and up, seeing what seemed to be a dent in top of the cage that made the bars spread further apart in that one specific area. Bill hummed and walked over to the side of the cage, placing his hands on it, as well as his feet. Perhaps he could climb his way out through the top? He decided to test his theory and gripped tightly to the cage, putting one foot up, then the other. A strained groan escaped him as he pulled himself up, placing his hands higher one by one, then his feet, and pulling himself up all over again. His struggling was being made audible as he attempted to ascend the cage wall. His hand gripped wrong to the cage, causing him to lose balance and fall down. He fell to the ground with an oomph.

Leggy P heard the sounds of struggle and raised an eyebrow, turning around from where he sat to see Bill laying on his side on the floor, arms shaking slightly as he got himself to get back up again, heading over to the cage wall for a second time. Leggy tilted his head at this. He stood up and walked over towards the blonde.

"Hey man, what'cha doing?" Leggy P asked, looking up at the other.

"Escaping." Bill answered simply.

Leggy hummed and gave a hesitant nod. He saw that Bill was halfway up the cage and looked down at the ground the man was no longer on. He bit his lip and asked. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"I don't care about a little danger," Bill replied. "In fact I welcome it." He added. Glancing over his shoulder to see the person talking to him, he said, "Dangerous or not, I'm finding a way outta here."

"But what if you get caught?" Leggy asked. "We're clueless without ya' dawg." He said.

Bill narrowed his eyes in confusion and stopped climbing, staying in place. "What are you talking about?" He asked. "Are you saying you all depend on me?"

Everyone in the cage overheard the question and looked around at each other, each giving jumbled sentences of agreement to the question. Bill heard them, and his confusion quickly formed into a smile. "Interesting! I can use this power..." He muttered to himself, nodding slowly with a mischievous grin. He looked at one of the members and pointed. "You there! Get over here and-" He began, only for the five to all turn their heads with wide eyes at the sound of a door being slammed open.

Bill flinched and lost his grip on the cage, exclaiming in alarm as he fell back onto the floor, the fall hurting more that time. He groaned and gave a short chuckle. He got on his knees and looked over at the door, seeing an angry Bratsman standing there.

"I came to see what all the commotion was about," Ergman began, walking towards the cage with his hands behind his back. He looked to the left and narrowed his eyes at Bill. "But the reason is clear now." He said. Bill looked back at the man with a blank expression. Surely the man had seen him fall and therefore caught onto his plan.

"So," Bratsman continued, speaking aloud. "Was anyone else involved?" He questioned. The others quickly looked at each other before looking back at Bratsman, all giving quick replies of deny to the question. Getting in trouble with Bratsman on the first day back was the last thing any of the four wanted.

"N-No sir!" One member claimed, the others quickly agreeing. Bratsman hummed, his eyes narrowing over at Bill once more before his glance turned to a glare.

"You!" Bratsman shouted suddenly. "Apparently you've already forgotten what I told you." He spat.

Bill shrugged. "Maybe you're just a forgettable person." He replied with a mocking smile.

The snarky comment left the man fuming, fists clenching. He walked over to the cage and unlocked the door, opening it up and pointing towards the door outside of the cage. "Out!" He commanded, glaring at the demon. The four Sev'ral Timez boys all gasped and rushed towards the opened cage, only for Bratsman to point his cane in front of all of them, the pointy tip threatening them to stay back. He glared back at Bill and nodded his head towards the door.

Bill furrowed his brows. "I'm not leaving." He protested, folding his arms and sitting down on the cold floor, crossing his head and looking away. Ergman narrowed his eyes and looked at the other boys, all frowning as they walked towards the blonde. Bill raised an eyebrow when he felt himself being lifted up. His eyes widened as he looked down, seeing his arms and legs being grabbed to keep him steady.

"Wh- hey!" Bill snapped. He squirmed and writhed, glaring at the traitors. The four remorsefully tossed Bill out of the cage, all looking guiltily as Bratsman slammed the cage door close, locking it back up. Bill shot death glares at the others and said, "I thought you said you all looked up to me!" He stated.

"We do," Leggy P assured. "But this is for your own good. To keep you as safe as you can stay." He said.

Bill narrowed his eyes. "That's ridiculous." He grumbled. He looked at the guy beside him and folded his arms. "Take me away, fishbreath." He said with a roll of his eyes. Bill willingly left the room. Maybe this would be good for him. The closer he was to the exits, the better.


Ford didn't understand- he had made a fair deal with Chris saying that he would help him to free his brothers if he told him where Bill was and how to free him as well. So why was the blonde running? How did he get free in the first place? Chris had managed to close himself in the elevator just before Ford could catch up to him and enter with him. The elevator doors were shut, Ford inside his laboratory as he tried to open them back up using both the buttons and his hands. Whichever got him to the man faster.

"Open the door!" Ford shouted, repeatedly slamming his finger onto the button.

Chris was on the other side, locked in the elevator, hammering down on the button that would take him up. With both men pressing the buttons, neither of them would end up getting anywhere. The demanding voice sent a shiver down Chris's spine, but at the same time he could understand why the scientist had a short temper with him, especially after making a run for it.

"Don't fight it," Ford continued. "It won't solve anything!"

Chris didn't respond. He hadn't managed to stay at the Mystery Shack for more than two hours, and his cover had already been blown. Well, to Ford, anyway. The others must still assume he was Bill. If Chris could get upstairs in time...

What am I doing? Chris asked himself. There was no down side about the deal he had made with the scientist on the other side of the elevator. He had no huge reason to run, save the smaller things. Chris assumed that it was just the paranoia of having to face Bratsman again some day now that he could no longer convincingly pose as Bill in this household, assuming that Ford would inform the others quickly to prevent them being fooled like he had been by the act Chris was playing.

Ford gave a huff of frustration. He stopped pressing the button on the elevator and instead moved his hands to the door itself. He tried to push the right side of the door open to very little avail that a part of him regretted making the mechanics of it so durable. He glared and pushed on it with more force.

Chris proceeded to press the button on the inside that would take him up, relieved to see that the button flashed a mellow golden color. He gave a relieved smile as the ground under him shook slightly. He held onto the railing as the gravity seemed as though it was behaving unnaturally. The lever indicator at the top of the door showed that he was at the top. When Chris noticed this, he gave a jolt of surprise when the elevator floor stopped. He looked around the elevator as the doors opened, fidgeting with his hands as he walked out. He turned his head to see the doors closing, and made a run for it. He bolted up the stairs, nearly tripping over his ankle in the process.

Ford had seen the button flashing while the man had used the elevator and since then made quick work of following. When the elevator reached his level, he rushed inside and hit the button to follow the blonde upstairs.

Before he knew it, Chris slammed the vending machine door open, running out and into the middle of the living room. Stan was at the Tv and looked at the blonde, seeing him look back and fourth with his hands out by his sides in paranoia. Stan noticed the fearful look on his face and tilted his head. It certainly wasn't normal for someone like Bill, where he was normally the one who would be causing the paranoia.

"What's up with you?" Stan asked, taking a sip of Pitt Cola before raising an eyebrow. Chris looked at the man and bit his lip, a response not coming to him. He heard rushed footsteps on the wood in the gift shop and gasped as Ford rushed out.

"He is!" Chris responded before frantically running away.

Ford saw the man running away from him and furrowed his eyebrows, following behind the blonde to not lose him. Stan watched on with the upmost confusion. Ford was right behind Chris, making a jump for it and tackling him to the carpeted flooring.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Ford chided, holding Chris down by his shoulders so that he couldn't stand up.

"The hell's goin' on?" Stan asked from the couch.

"Well?" Ford pressed when the blonde didn't answer his question, ignoring Stan for the time being.

"I..." Chris began. He shut his eyes and willingly planted his forehead into the carpet. "I don't know." He admitted in a muttered tone.

Ford narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Well quit acting ridiculously." He commanded. "It won't get anyone anywhere." He said.

"Hey!" Stan cried, putting his hands out in front of him and towards the others. "What'cha boneheads doin'?" He asked.

Ford looked at his brother this time, turning back to Chris and grasping the sides of his shoulders. He lifted the blonde up and placed a hand on his shoulder, walking over to Stan with Chris with him. The scientist faced the other towards Stanley with an unamused expression.

"Do you happen to notice anything off about him?" Ford asked.

Stan shrugged. "He's usually too unpredictable to tell." He replied.

Ford gave his brother a deadpan expression for a moment before pointing at him. "Just look." He requested.

Stan narrowed his eyes at Chris, examining him and trying to figure out what was up. He gave a monotone hum before before looking at Ford. "What's the problem?" He asked.

Ford sighed. "The eyes, Stanley! The eyes, the voice, the lack of oddly perfect jawline, don't you see?" He asked in a more frantic manner.

Stan raised an eyebrow. "What was that last one?"

"It's not him!" Ford blurted out, looking back at the stranger and ignoring Stan's question again. "If this isn't him, that means Bill could be anywhere." He pointed out.

"And that's..." Stan began in a slow manner, "...Bad?"

Ford narrowed his eyes. "Yes!" He cried out, giving his brother a bewildered expression and putting a hand in his hair.

"Alright, alright," Stan said. "So whaddya' want me to do about it?" He asked.

"I'm not sure what we're going to do for the time being," Ford admitted. He glanced at Chris. "Not until I get some answers out of this stranger." He said.

"Well now that you know I'm not him, do you have any bread?" Chris questioned, completely out of the blue.

Stan and Ford looked at each other for a moment before looking back at Chris. The silence felt awkward. "...Yes?" Ford answered in confusion, giving a slow nod and a look of skepticism.

"Can I have some?" Chris continued.

Ford looked at the man in complete confusion. His question was very random, especially given the circumstances. He pinched the bridge of his nose and asked, "If I get you some bread, will you answer my questions?"

"Yeah, man!" Chris answered with a grin.

Ford adjusted his glasses. "Fine, then." He complied. He gestured for the blonde to follow before the two walked out of the living room. Ford headed towards the kitchen counter as Chris waited patiently by the doorframe, his hands in his pockets as the awkward silence proceeded, save for the minor crinkling of the bread loaf's bag. Chris's eyes were drawn to the door as he heard it open. McGucket walked in and shut the door, giving a satisfied sigh.

"The moon sure issa beauty tonight, inn'it?" McGucket asked, seeing that there were others nearby.

"I'm not sure, I haven't gotten much of a chance to see it." Ford replied, placing the bread slice Chris requested on a plate.

"Ye'd better," Fiddleford replied. "I've never seen it that bright." He said with a small smile.

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Is he talkin' about that white sun in the sky?" He asked Ford, pointing behind him.

McGucket stopped in his tracks at the voice. His eyes widened before he slowly turned his head, looking in the direction of the others by the kitchen. Had he just heard who he thought he had? Because that particular voice was practically unmistakable to him. His curiosity got the best of him, and he walked towards the blonde with a bit of hesitance in his steps.

Chris noticed the presence and looked at the old man who approached him. There was no point in hiding his identity now, anyway. Especially not when Ford was nearby.

"Hey there, stone ager." Chris said with a light wave and a faint smile.

Fiddleford's eyes widened more than the first time. His heart beat increased, breathing getting heavier. He took a step back and put a hand in his hair. Chris looked at the man with a raised eyebrow, taken aback. Was he having a heart attack? McGucket gave a deep inhale before a long, high pitched squeal escaped him, his feet moving as if there were hot ashes under them.

Chris squinted his eyes in confusion. "Is he alright?" He asked, looking over at Ford who didn't seem to respond.

"I love you!" Fiddleford exclaimed, squishing his cheeks with his hands and grinning.

Ford furrowed his eyebrows in confusion of the sudden exclamation. "Fiddleford, I thought we were past this-" He said with a slight roll of his eyes.

Chris looked at the man with a blank expression. "Wait a minute, I think I recall seeing you before." He said. He gave a smile and pointed a finger gun at Fiddleford, winking. McGucket gave a sharp gasp and looked over in Ford's direction to see that the scientist was looking at the exchange in the upmost confusion.

"He recognizes me!" Fiddleford breathed in a hushed tone, hands over his heart before his legs gave out and he fell, passed out unconscious on the floor.

Ford took the plate and rushed over to the others, looking down at the man with wide eyes. He turned to Chris, handed him his bread, and asked, "Did you do this?" With an expression of question.

"Not on purpose..." Chris muttered, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"He seems to recognize you." Ford observed. "That may be helpful." He added.

Stan got up from the couch and walked out of the living room. "I heard an ear-bursting girly squeal that made my hearing aid ring." He said. "Who died?"

Chris pointed down at Fiddleford, unsure of if he was actually dead or not, though he still took precautions. Ford put a hand out on his Chris's wrist and shook his head at the blonde.

"No one, Stan." Ford assured. "It seems as though Fiddleford knows the stranger." He said.

"I'm sure he knows tons of strangers after his old life a few years back." Stan replied. "What's the catch?"

"The catch is that, according to his intense reaction towards this man, he will be very likely to have some good, truthful information on him." Ford responded. "The faster we get these answers, the faster we find Bill." He stated.

Stan hummed and looked down at McGucket. "Well it doesn't look like he'll be doin' any talkin' anytime soon." He muttered.


"Your first day back." Bratsman started with a cold glare. He was standing up, behind his desk with his hands behind his back. The office wasn't large. It was a bit smaller, with mustard yellow wallpaper and shiny, wooden flooring. An odd mix, Bill had thought when laying eyes upon the room, but that wasn't his main focus at the moment.

"Your first day back," Bratsman said again. "And you're already gettin' into mischief." He scolded. He looked over at Bill, who stood by the shut door and narrowed his eyes. "What do you have to say for yourself?" He asked.

Bill looked sideways before looking back at the man, saying, "It was a good plan!" With a grin. His smile faded shortly after, and he then frowned, forming a scowl. "Until you came along and had to intervene." He added in a bitter manner, fists clenched.

Bratsman looked at the other, taken aback slightly. Had all the twigs in the forest messed with his head? Had Chris forgotten just who he was dealing with? His comment was rather shocking, compared to how Chris had used to act. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to temporarily lose a member of Sev'ral Timez, after all.

"Tell me, Chris," Bratsman began, turning sideways and slowly pacing behind his desk. "Did all that time on your own mess with your head? Have you forgotten how you and your brothers are supposed to behave around here?" He questioned. "It seems as though you and your behavior have both gotten out of line compared to how you should be acting. Like a gadget that doesn't work like it used to." He continued.

"Well then you might as well let me go." Bill suggested, putting a hand in his coat pocket, shrugging with the other. "If I'm no good like this and don't meet your expectations like how ya' want, wouldn't it be better if I was out of the picture in your little music group?" He proposed.

"Deep Chris is a fan-favorite out of the five members of my group," Bratsman revealed, stopping his pacing and turning to look at the blonde. "When those tubes in your boys's cage room get workin', you could easily be replaced on the spot." He added.

Bill grinned. "Great!" He said. "No need to show me the front door, I'm sure I'll find my way." He chirped, grabbing hold of the doorknob.

Bratsman glared. "You're not leavin' this building." He said in a firm manner. Bill pursed his lips and looked at the human in confusion.

"Come again?" Bill asked.

"You think I'm lettin' you off the hook that easily, after the behavior you've displayed today?" Ergman asked, glaring.

Bill took a pause for a moment. He looked at the door, then back at the man. "Yes." He replied.

"Your fantasy of freedom is foggin' up your sense of reality." Bratsman stated. "You'll be moving locations, but lucky for you, you've never seen it since you'd never tried anything quite like what you did today." He said.

Bill scoffed. "Oh, good luck moving me somewhere without expecting me to put up a fight," He said. Bill gave an almost mocking grin at the man. "But just for the fun of things, where would I be staying?" He asked, folding his arms with a slightly tilted head.

"You'll be in the lockup downstairs," Bratsman answered. Bill's grin switched to a confused frown. "Where all the bad versions of you boys go to rot away."

Bill stood there in silence for a moment. A few seconds went by with nothing happening. After a moment, he gave a light chuckle. "Really?" He asked, amused by the pathetic little threat. "I don't think you know who you're talking to." He shot back with a scowl.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Bratsman barked.

"I'll set this place to flames before you get the chance to take me anywhere." Bill stated with narrowed eyes. For extra effect, he put a hand out beside his shoulder and gave a snap of his fingers. Bratsman looked on at the blonde, gullibly seeing if anything would happen. A moment passed, and nothing changed or happened. Bill too noticed this and raised an eyebrow. He turned to look at his hand and snapped his fingers together again. Still nothing. A sudden rush of worry hit him as he held his hands out, looking down at them and trying to summon his usual flame.

"Wh- Why isn't this working?" Bill asked, looking down at his hands in horror. He looked up to meet the other's gaze with the same expression. "What's happening to me? Why can't I use my magic?" He questioned.

Bratsman gave a smirk. "Seems like you've gotten yourself into a pickle here, eh?" He asked. Grabbing hold of his cane that was laying against the side of his desk, he lifted it up and behind him, tapping on the small, iron bar-looking window behind him. "Have you forgotten about these?"

Bill looked at him with his mouth hung open. "No- Yes- I-I don't understand." He sputtered, words jumbled and his mind running a mile.

"The bars, Chris!" Bratsman barked. "They prevent your malfunctions from actin' up." He informed. "You might've been able to use em' in the forest, but you're back here now and you're gonna have to deal with the limitations." He said.

Bill was confused. Malfunctions? Limitations to them? Could the others he had been around also contain some sort of power that had to be sealed away? This was a lot to take in. How was he supposed to use his magic if there was something preventing him from doing so? He had to fix this, had to do something against it. Without his powers, it would be harder for him to defend himself.

"Don't worry," Bratsman said, his voice suspiciously gentle for all but a few seconds before it grew cold once more. "You won't live too much longer to dwell on the loss."

Bill, despite the shocked expression, tried to gain the upper hand. "Y-You can't control that." He tried.

Bratsman furrowed his brows for a moment, staring at the blonde. He sighed somewhat sympathetically before speaking. "You've always been my favorite, Chris." He admitted. "Because of that, I'll give ya' one more shot." He said. Bill's eyes lit up slightly at this. Bratsman glared once more. "But one more screw up, and you'll be left alone to suffer." He spat. "Get back to your cage."

Was this a ticket out of the conversation? Bill assumed so. He gave a slow nod and turned towards the door once more, twisting the doorknob and opening said door. He took a step forward before he heard 'Chris' being called. He raised an eyebrow and turned his head.

"Don't try anything funny." Bratsman warned with a glare.