Jonathan had never hated snow so much before. It made him sick to see the snowflakes falling to the muddy streets covered in rubble and blood. He found it hard to think about much else, so weighed down with grief.
He had laid in his cot, unable to move since Brock, Lui and Tyler dragged him away from Luke's body. He had screamed and cried the whole way back to the apartment, tears falling down his cold cheeks. He had struggled against them, wanting to run back to Luke. He had believed that he was still alive, that he was going to wake up and wonder where Jonathan had gone. He would wonder why he had left him alone in such a horrible place. They didn't listen to him, only pulled him through the snow, and tried not to get angry when he hit or screamed at them.
Now, all he could do was lay on his cot and watch the snowfall outside the window, anger and grief making him feel numb. He couldn't stop thinking about Luke's hand slipping from his and the scream that had echoed around the street and in his ears before it was silenced abruptly with a splatter of blood and the cracking of bone.
At first, he wanted to blame himself. He blamed himself for not being strong enough to hold onto Luke. He couldn't pull him over the edge of the rotting, wet wood as it cracked under his feet. He couldn't even keep himself up on the bridge, having to be pulled back by Brock. He blamed himself for not listening to Evan when he said that he didn't want to go back to Old Town. He could have stopped all of this, be safe in his own room with his tiny robots walking back and forth on his desk. Luke would be alive, never having fallen to his death as bombs went off.
Yet as his tears turned from ones of sadness to anger, he started to blame New Town. He blamed his father for being so inconsiderate of human lives, to allow the Vanoss Project to happen and for Evan to become a machine. It all went back to New Town. Every death, every disappearance. It all went back to the glowing towers with their white rooms and the people who lived in those white rooms, seeming to be programmed themselves to be perfect just like their machines.
Jonathan hated it. He hated that he had been a part of it and how ignorant it had made him. Now all he wanted was to make them fall the same way that they had made Luke fall.
Yet the pain, both physical and emotional, was too much to try to move from his warm bed. A few candles filled the old dirty room with light that flickered as cold drafts of air came in, bringing with it the smell of smoke from outside.
The sound of footsteps caught his attention, his gaze turning to Brock who walked into the room quietly. He glanced at Jonathan who turned his eyes away quickly, not wanting to talk to him or anyone else. Brock sighed, crossing the room to the bookshelf where he took the box with Evan's name written on it, sitting down on the floor beside Jonathan's bed. He watched as Brock took the toy soldiers out of the box, placing them on the pillow beside Jonathan's head.
"What are you doing?" Jonathan asked, his throat still hoarse, hurting with every breath.
"Protecting you from the bad thoughts." Brock gave him a small smile. "It's what Evan would do if he could." Brock said, playing with one of the soldiers. Jonathan knew he was trying to make him feel better, almost making him feel bad that he just wanted to be alone.
"I'm fine." Jonathan lied, Brock seeing right through it. He was expecting Brock to get up and leave, but he stayed still, holding the toy soldier tightly.
"You sound like Evan did." He finally said. Jonathan's brow furrowed in confusion, not sure what he meant. "When we bailed Evan outta jail when he got arrested for killing that machine...He cried the whole way home and for days afterwards. We thought he was just delirious or something you know...He had been through so much in a short span of time. He kept saying he was fine when he clearly wasn't." Brock held one of the soldiers in his hand, not saying anything for a few moments. He only stared at it, as if seeing something that Jonathan could not. "He also kept repeating over and over that he had failed. That he was a failure. He didn't say why when we tried to ask, just kept repeating it." He said, setting the toy soldier back down. "Finally, when I asked him again a few weeks after he started to get better...He told me that he that there had been so many people in that prison, young and old. Some were in pain, he said. He thought he was a failure because he couldn't save them." Jonathan looked down at the toy soldier, thinking of a young Evan, playing with the soldiers and hating the world that had cursed him to such a sad existence.
Just like him, he had been so full of anger at how unfair it was. New Town and the machines had taken everything from Evan and now they had taken everything from Jonathan. He had lost his only friend, now living in a world with strangers who pretended that they knew him. He figured that that must be how Evan felt now, trapped in a machine carried around by people who think that what they are doing is the right thing.
"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" Jonathan asked a bit more sharply than he intended.
"I asked Evan how he could have saved those people. He couldn't think of anything to say other than going after New Town. He said that if he had been stronger, if he had been more brave, he would have fought more for them. What I'm trying to say is that you aren't alone. Luke might be gone and I know he was your best friend, but you aren't alone. You will never be. You can't blame yourself for something that you can't control, for something that you aren't able to do on your own. This isn't your fault." Brock explained. Jonathan stared at him, unable to stop the tears that fell from his eyes.
"How can you be so okay with this? You...You saw Luke fall and his body...All of the blood." Jonathan's shoulders shook with a sob, his voice catching in his throat.
"This isn't the first time I've seen someone fall from one of those bridges." He answered, leaning against the bed. Jonathan didn't want to pry, seeing the sad look in Brock's eyes. "My friend...He uh...Got pushed off one of the bridges. It was his birthday. We went out to celebrate. My idea. We got drunk and he started running his mouth to the wrong people. Then this guy threw a punch...I still remember hearing my friend's jaw crack. I couldn't stop it." He stopped, taking a shaky breath. "He got thrown over the rail of a fifth story bridge as if he was nothing, the guy who did it having no regrets about it. He even threatened me with throwing me over. I don't know how long I stood at the rail, staring down...We've all lost people. That's what life is in Old Town. We fight and wait for our time to be up. For the longest time, Tyler didn't get close to anyone because he was...no... he still is so scared of losing them. It's a part of our lives that until New Town is destroyed, is just gonna keep on happening." The room descended in silence, the candles casting their shadows onto the wood walls.
He remembered what Lui had said, about how life in New Town was so great because there was the guarantee that people can live their lives safely. He and Luke never should have taken that for granted, so ignorant of how horrible things were just on the other side of the checkpoint.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to stop the tears the continued to flow. It didn't help to hear Brock's stories despite his good intentions. Finally, Brock got up, giving him another small smile before leaving him alone with his thoughts and his anger.
Days passed, the pain becoming number and number. Jonathan slept most of the time, the only way to keep his mind from thinking about Luke's death and the future. When he was awake, he would lay in his cot with the Vanoss-III on, the red glow filling the candle lit room though he was hardly able to say anything to Evan.
"Is it still snowing?" Evan had asked once, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't upset Jonathan.
"Yeah…" Jonathan nodded, glancing up at the window with disgust. It was still snowing only slightly, the cold air that came through the drafts make him shiver under the scratchy blanket.
He didn't have it in him to tell Evan how he really felt about the snow now, fearing that it would only upset him. Evan still loved the snow, finding it to be one of the most beautiful things the world had to offer.
"Jonathan...I'm sorry." Evan had said quietly. Jonathan looked away from the window to the glowing red owl on the screen, unable to stop the annoyed sigh. He was sick of pitying apologies for his loss.
"Don't-"
"No. Don't tell me not to say it! I'm sorry! I have a part in this too! This isn't your fault! You did what you could!" Evan cried, the screen glitching as he spoke.
"I watched him die, Evan! I watched my best friend die when I could have saved him! Don't you dare tell me that this your fault. And don't you fucking dare say that you are sorry again. I fucked up. Not you." Jonathan snapped, resisting the urge to throw the device across the room in anger.
"I understand how that feels, Jonathan! I am not a machine!" Evan yelled. "If you want to sit there and hate everyone who is just trying to be there for you, then fuck you!" The Vanoss-III glitched aggressively as his voice raised, the red glow darkening as he spoke.
"How can you fucking help me when you are like this? You are a damn machine." Jonathan snarled. He had regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Evan didn't say anything, not seeming to know how to respond to the harsh words. "I didn't mean…"
"Turn me off. Turn off this damn machine." Evan snapped, mimicking what Jonathan had just said. He could do nothing but listen to him, the red light fading as he turned it off. He set the Vanoss-III down on the floor quickly, fearing that he was going to throw it or anything else in anger. He couldn't risk breaking the Vanoss-III. He couldn't lose Evan too.
As time went on, Jonathan's anger towards New Town only got worse the longer he thought about it. It hurt, growing with the numb, heavy feeling in his chest that made it hard to breathe sometimes, so weighed down with pain and grief.
He couldn't bring himself to talk to Evan about it, scared that he would only end up in a fight with him again. He didn't want to hear him yell at him again, and he didn't want to hear him say that he was sorry again. He had to find someone else to talk to who would understand his anger. Someone who would be just as angry, if not more.
So once he finally found himself able to get the courage, he pushed himself out of his bed, walking quietly down the cold, dark hallway to Tyler's room. The door had been left open a little, allowing Jonathan to push it open. He winced when it creaked, the dim light coming from the living room and the street lamps outside illuminating the room. He was able to make out the things thar Tyler had in the dim light, such as the shelf full of books that had been worn, their spines cracked and tearing. Above them on the top was a row of old photos, not taken with the cameras that Jonathan knew. Evan was in most of the pictures, smiling with his arms around Tyler and Brock in one of the pictures or quiet and peaceful as he walked through the snow in another.
"T-Tyler?" Jonathan whispered, his eyes moving away from the pictures to the bed where Tyler was asleep, the faded scratchy blankets pulled over his head. "Tyler? I need to talk to you." Jonathan reached nervously towards him only to jump back when Tyler rolled over, yawning as he sat up.
"What is it?" He yawned, squinting at Jonathan in the dim light.
"Before...Before Luke died, I made you a promise that we...I, would help you take down New Town." Jonathan sat down on the bed, noticing the small teddy bear that sat on the bedside table, arms outstretched for a hug.
"Don't tell me you wanna back out of it." Tyler warned.
"No. I'm so angry, Tyler. The only way it's gonna stop is if I do something about it." Jonathan explained, his hands curling into fists. "New Town killed Luke and they took Evan."
"What do you want to do then?" Tyler asked, lighting the candle on the bedside table by the teddy bear. Tyler's sleepy face was illuminated by the warm light, his eyes looking red and dry from crying. Jonathan was shocked to see it, the thought occurring to him that Tyler must keep so much bottled up, only able to let it out when alone. Tyler rubbed his eyes, both of them pretending they hadn't noticed.
"I wanna join your cause. I wanna fight back." Jonathan cried.
"Kid, just cause you lost someone close to you doesn't mean you can go throw yourself at a police machine and think you're getting revenge. That is how you end up dead." Tyler sighed. Jonathan felt bad for waking him up. He looked so tired. Tired with dealing with all of this. He needed to rest.
"I don't wanna fight a police machine. I can't do what Evan did, but I can bring New Town down. I know how." Jonathan rephrased himself. Tyler seemed to wake up at his words, sitting up straighter and stared at him with wide eyes.
"How?" Tyler demanded. "Is there a kill switch for all machines or something?"
"No. Not really. My father is paranoid. He'd never do that. However, at the head office in New Town, there is a room with this very advanced computer, like a database for almost every machine but it's impossible to get to if you aren't supposed to be there. If it's destroyed, the machines start going a bit...haywire. There are other computers like this one in other offices all over New Town and possibly Old Town and if the big one goes down then those ones are gonna be heavily guarded. It'll be difficult but if it works...It's gonna be hard for New Town to fight back if their police machines aren't functioning." Jonathan smiled.
"How come you never mentioned this before?" Tyler asked, crossing his arms. He didn't seem to believe Jonathan.
"I...I didn't think it was relevant. I thought we were just going to bring Evan back and then me and Luke were gonna go home. He kept our school uniforms in his bag because that is where he thought we would go after we got back from here. He thought we would only be one night here." Jonathan's voice broke, looking down at the faded purple blanket. "So did I." The silence that followed his words was long and heavy.
"So we're going to New Town then." Tyler finally said. "You're gonna have to get me a pair of polished shoes."
Planning took a lot longer than Jonathan had thought it would. He was ready to storm across the checkpoint and do this himself, but Tyler refused. This had to be something that Old Town did. Evan had thought the same when Jonathan told him about their plan.
"Who are you doing this for? For you because you want revenge? Or Old Town who has been oppressed for nearly a hundred years because of those machines?" Evan had wondered.
"This is for Old Town." Jonathan had answered without pausing to think. "Why would you ask that?"
"Everyone has their reasons. I'm wondering what your's are. Like you said before, you have to do what is right." Evan's question, like most of his questions had, stayed with him long after the conversation was over. He told himself that it was for Old Town and it's people, but he couldn't deny how angry he was, how much he wanted to get revenge for Luke and Evan. He wondered why Evan couldn't understand that.
Just when he was starting to forget about the question due to being so wrapped up in planning for the attack on New Town, Evan's question was brought to his attention again when Tyler took him to meet with a group of Replaced who would be helping them. The meeting was in one of their small, old apartments, close to where Luke had died. Jonathan had teared up at the sight of the street when they passed it, his eyes on the spot where it had happened. The snow had covered the blood, but the bridge was still broken, a gaping hole in the middle, the edges jagged and frosted over.
"Don't look at it." Brock had said quietly, pulling Jonathan away from the street. The apartment had been cold, making Jonathan keep his worn coat on. He had been given the coat from Lui, who said it was just an extra but Jonathan wondered if it had been Evan's since it seemed to be too big for Lui and too small for Tyler and Brock.
"Who is this?" A blonde woman had demanded when they arrived, pointing to Jonathan who stayed close to Brock.
"Jonathan. I told you about him. He can help us, Sydney." Tyler said, taking off his jacket as he sat down on a creaky wooden chair.
"He don't look like one of us." A man with a thick accent said from across the room. "He looks like a New Towner. What has he got in that bag? Some kind of device that's spyin on us? Or is it some kind of weapon?" Jonathan's hand curled around the strap of his bag, the Vanoss-III inside.
"That isn't important." Lui warned. "What is is that we need to get this plan into action. Jonathan is the one who came up with it. We need to know that you will be there to help us with it."
"How can we trust someone from New Town to help us?" Sydney cried. "You took Evan! You killed him!"
"Evan is not dead! I just want to fucking help!" Jonathan yelled back, not meaning to raise his voice in the way that he did. The group stared at him with wide eyes, Jonathan muttering a quiet apology when Tyler narrowed his eyes slightly for talking to Sydney like that.
"Remind us. What is this plan?" The man with an accent who Jonathan later found out was named Daithi, asked.
"It must be something special if it was created by someone from New Town." Another man said, his name Craig. As he spoke, he moved across the room to sit on the table by Tyler who looked up at him with a smile before glancing at Jonathan.
"There is a computer in the main office that if destroyed, will cause the machines to malfunction. Not destroy them, but it will cause some damage. This computer controls most if not all commands for the machines. It tells them what to do. If there isn't any control or command, they can't function. If we get into the office and destroy the computer, New Town will be defenseless. It's ours." Jonathan explained, minding his town.
"Not yours. Old Town's." Sydney snapped.
"It's a good plan. Though how do you plan to get through the checkpoint and New Town? It ain't defenseless till that computer is destroyed." Craig asked, glancing at Tyler who had already talked with Jonathan about this.
"I know a way to get over it. A small group goes with me to get over it. We attack the checkpoint from the New Town side because there are only three guards stationed there. We get it open and the main group can go through. I know the way to the office. I lived there so I know it inside and out. I just want to help you, that's all. My friend has been killed by those bombs sent by New Town." Jonathan explained.
"So are you doing this because your friend died or are you doing this for us?" Sydney asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "Thousands of us have been killed by New Town."
"I know that!" Jonathan cried, reminded of Evan's question. The argument had continued, Lui and Brock trying to vouch for him. It was Tyler who convinced the group to join them and the hundreds of others who had already joined their cause. On the way back home, Jonathan had wondered about Sydney and who she was to Evan. "Does Sydney know Evan?" Jonathan asked Lui as they walked across a wobbly bridge that made him nervous.
"She was pretty close to him." Lui answered as they reached the end of the bridge. "I'd say she loves him."
"Do you think that she would still love him now...as a machine?" Jonathan wondered. "What if he can't remember her? I'm sure that he felt the same way about her."
"She's always been so passionate about hating New Town. I don't know...Thinking about this makes me sad." Lui said quietly. Jonathan didn't bring it up again, feeling the same heavy sadness that Lui must be feeling as well. Sydney loved the old Evan, the one who could hold her close, kiss her forehead and make her smile with a single look. It made him wonder if she could love the new Evan who was now just a voice in the same way that he did.
The night of attack arrived faster than Jonathan had expected it too. He had one last conversation with Evan, the cold wind nipping at his cheeks above his scarf, his hands trembling more from nervousness than with cold. He had wanted to tell him about Sydney and about how he felt for Evan but he decided it would be best to keep it to himself. His conversation ended when Tyler said it was time to go.
They armed themselves with batons and the guns that they had stolen from the guards. Jonathan dressed in his blue school uniform though refused to change into his polished shoes. He gave Luke's uniform to Tyler who looked uncomfortable in the expensive blue suit. He had no other choice since he was to go with Jonathan into the office and needed to blend in.
"How can you wear this?" Tyler asked as they walked through the snow towards the meeting place. "It's so uncomfortable."
"You get used to it." Jonathan said though his thoughts were elsewhere. He didn't want to go back to New Town and face his father after everything that he had been through. He knew it was something that had to be done, but his anxiety only continued to rise as they got closer, his thoughts loud and uncontrollable. He wanted to go back to his warm cot and talk to Evan about the snow and the beauty of the world. For such a long time, it had been hard for Jonathan to see the beauty that Evan did. Evan allowed him to see it, as if he had been blind all his life and a miracle gave him the gift of sight. Yet as much as he would rather stay ignorant, Evan deserved the truth. Luke deserved the truth. "Tyler...are you scared?" Jonathan asked, wanting to know that he wasn't alone.
"I'd be stupid if I wasn't." Tyler said though he still smiled. Jonathan was glad he smiled. "We're here." The street opened onto a large square, bridges crisscrossing above them. People, young and old, had gathered, prepared to fight with all they had. They were armed with only the basic weapons, nothing like the guns that Tyler and Lui had. Jonathan's fear rose, knowing that it would be almost impossible to fight against the police machines like this.
Yet Tyler and the others were still confident, leading them towards the checkpoint. Jonathan saw Sydney through the crowd, who glanced at him and Tyler in their blue New Town suits and gave them a look of disgust. He wanted to go to her and give her the Vanoss-III. She just wanted to hear Evan's voice again and he could give her that. He started to walk towards, her, only to be caught by Tyler, pulling him back. "Not now, Jon." He warned, glancing through the crowd to the blonde, sad girl.
Once everyone was ready, the small group of ten, including Jonathan, Tyler, Lui and Brock and the group of people that Jonathan had met not long before, headed to the same place where Jonathan and Luke had crossed over from New Town. Jonathan lead the way, pulling himself up to the roof of the building. The others had to stop, staring with wide eyes at the glowing, beautiful towers of New Town and the big snowflakes that fell from the sky to the perfect streets. They had never seen anything like it before, the same way that Jonathan had never seen anything like Old Town before.
"It's beautiful…" Craig said from where he stood beside Tyler. He held his hand out, catching the snowflakes in his gloved hand. "It's so perfect."
"Everything in New Town is like that. Ignorant of the beauty of human life but the city itself must always be beautiful to New Towners." Jonathan explained, heading towards the fire escape.
"Not anymore." Tyler said darkly. Jonathan glanced back at him through the falling snow, admiring his bravery. They made their way down the metal fire escape that seemed so similar to the bridges of Old Town.
As they headed down, Jonathan wondered if he would have passed his test that he had the day after they left for Old Town, wondering if he could have lived with himself if he didn't go searching for the truth about Evan. Something told him that he wouldn't have been able to.
Once they got close to the checkpoint, Jonathan stopped, glancing nervously at Tyler who loaded his gun, his eyes on the three guards who were by the large metal door, oblivious to the massive crowd of revolutionary Replaced on the other side.
"Only three?" Lui asked.
"Only three." Jonathan nodded. The gunshots that echoed through the quiet street made him jump, Tyler and Lui stepping forward with their guns raised. Jonathan turned away, sick at the sight of blood.
"Jon! Come on!" Tyler called as they ran towards the now unguarded checkpoint. Jonathan followed, keeping his eyes off the splatters of blood. The computer on the side of the thick cement wall required a key card, Jonathan sending Lui to go get one. He returned with the cards that the guards had on them, one swipe with one opening the door. With the groan of gears and locks opening, the heavy door opened, much to the amazement of the guards on the other side. Bullets flew through the air, gunshots sounding like cracks of thunder as the crowds of Old Towners ran towards the checkpoint, overwhelming the guards who were taken down with batons just like Evan had once before. Jonathan could imagine him here, his red and white jacket fluttering around him as he ran through the crowd, demanding his freedom.
"Take their guns! Take their weapons!" Daithi yelled over the roar of the crowd. As much as Jonathan wanted to stay with the massive crowd, he and Tyler had to get to the office to destroy the computer.
"Tyler! We have to go!" Jonathan yelled, grabbing onto his arm. Tyler nodded, following Jonathan as he ran down the street through the crowd of Old Towners that now brought their anger and their riots to New Town. Some had stopped in awe to look up at the glowing towers, most just wanting to destroy it no matter how beautiful it was.
Windows were smashed, molotovs thrown, and police machines arriving as quickly as the Old Towners had to try to push them back. Jonathan turned a corner on to the narrow street to the blue tarp that hid Luke's motorbike. It was now covered in snow which was shaken off as Jonathan pulled the tarp back.
"What is that?" Tyler asked, staring at the bike with wide eyes.
"Just get on." Jonathan ordered as he got onto the bike, starting it up. The engine was slow to start, but soon it roared to life. Tyler hesitated before getting onto the bike, holding onto Jonathan. The bike sped through the streets lined with towers that reached to the sky as if trying to escape the hell that was now on their streets. In front of them, the office where Jonathan had once called home rose up in front of them, the tallest tower in all of New Town. Tyler's eyes widened at the sight of it, trying to comprehend how tall it was.
"People can build that high? Are they trying to reach space?" Tyler called out over the sound of the engine.
"Wouldn't surprise me!" Jonathan called back. They got closer to the tower, driving past fleets of police machines on their way to fight the rioting Old Towners. Seeing the riot shields, guns and batons they were armed with reminded Jonathan to hurry.
The bike skidded to a stop in the snow out front the office, the few guards at the door glancing at them but let them pass when they recognized the blue suits. "Whatever you do, don't look like you've never seen anything like this before. Pretend this is nothing new." Jonathan warned as they headed inside, his hand on the strap of his bag. Lui, Brock and the others would be heading this way soon, leading the crowds through the streets. He could only hope that they would make it.
Now it was Tyler who stayed close to Jonathan. He was clearly nervous, looking around at the white walls, clear staircases, and bright lights with big eyes. It was all so clean and new, nothing like Old Town. It was so perfect, that it put both of them on edge. They reached the elevator, avoiding the glances of some of the employees as they walked quickly towards it.
"It's on the thirtieth floor. We might need more than a key card to get to the computer but it's manageable." Jonathan reassured Tyler as they got in. The elevator suddenly stopped on the fifth floor, one that Jonathan had rarely went to since it was just offices.
At least that was what he had thought but the doors slide open to reveal a hallway that looked almost exactly like the one that had been in the building they had found in New Town. A woman in a white lab coat stepped into the elevator, waiting for the doors to close behind her. "What is this floor used for again?" Jonathan asked her curiously. She glanced at him, recognizing who he was and smiled. That's what all employees did when they saw him, fearing his father the same way he did.
"For the Vanoss Project. I heard that you're father gave you one of our devices. Have you been enjoying it?" The woman asked with her forced smile as the doors started to close. Jonathan didn't answer, only stepping forward to stop the doors from closing. Tyler followed him as they left the elevator, the doors closing behind them.
"Jonathan? What are we doing? We can look here after we destroy the computer!" Tyler whispered.
"No...Evan is here." Jonathan walked down the hall, his dirty combat boots making the smallest of noises. The rooms lining the hall were cells just like the ones that had been in the other building but smaller. Some of them didn't even have the small windows in them, meaning they must be solitary cells. At the end of the hall was not a interview room, but a room with a metal chair in the center with what looked like a large glowing helmet hanging from the ceiling above it, advanced computers with glowing blue chips just like the one in the Vanoss-III were to the side, a heavy locked door on the other side of the room. By the computers were other versions of the Vanoss-III, some labeled Vanoss-II or the Vanoss-I. "Copies…" Jonathan breathed as he stared down at the machines. "They copied their consciousness." He forced himself to move away from them, his eyes landing on the door.
While Tyler was staring at the chair and the helmet, Jonathan made his way to the door, lifting up the manual metal barrier that kept the door closed. He pushed it open, hit with a blast of cold air as if he has just stepped into a freezer. What he had stepped into was far worse.
"T-Tyler!" Jonathan called out weakly. In front of him, the room was lined bodies laid out on cold metal tables, white sheets drawn over them. Some of them he recognized from the interview videos he had seen before.
"Oh my god…" Tyler breathed as he entered the room. "They're all dead." On their foreheads were small wounds, as if a nail had been driven in their skull. There was still dried blood still on their pale skin. As Jonathan stared at their wounds, his eyes caught a glimpse of black hair, a choked sob escaping his lips as he stumbled towards the body.
"No...No…" Jonathan breathed, staring down at Evan's cold body. In the middle of his forehead like all the others was the same small wound, the blood dried where it had trickled down his face. A loud sob caught Jonathan's attention, a pained, ugly sound that was filled with grief and anger. Tyler struggled to stay calm, sobs shaking his shoulders as he moved to the other side of the cold table.
"What did they do you…?" Tyler sobbed, reaching for Evan's cold hand. Jonathan rubbed the blood on Evan's forehead away, so many thoughts running through his mind. "They didn't even bother to clean the blood off...They slaughtered them all like animals. And for what? A-A brain scan?" Tyler's voice rose with anger, staring down at his closest friend.
"This means...This means that Evan in the Vanoss-III...is just a copy. They killed him once they copied his brain. They had no use for him anymore…" Jonathan's voice broke. Tyler stood up, staring down at Evan.
"We don't have use for New Towners anymore." Tyler said, angrier than Jonathan had ever heard him before. Tyler let go of Evan's hand, leaving the room quickly as he wiped tears from his eyes. Jonathan looked down at Evan, gently pressing a kiss to his cold forehead.
"I'll end this, Evan. I'll make them pay for this. I promise."