Suzu sat on the bed, head hanging off it at an uncomfortable angle. She made a game of trying to get her feet on the wall to straighten her back out, but to no avail. She sighed, turning around so she could rest her back. Her feet lay uncomfortably on the floor, not sure exactly where they should sit. A small bug swerved around her feet, but she didn't bother recoiling from it.

She squeezed her temple slightly. This room was going to make her go insane. The small light fixture that hung precariously from the cracked ceiling faintly flickered, her eyes screamed in protest to the constant changes in lighting. All she wanted to do was to close her eyes.

The bags under her eyes were heavier. Of course, this of all times she would get her insomnia symptoms. Suzu rubbed her eyes, trying to persuade them to fall under a blanket of unconsciousness, to no avail. She never really had thought of it before, but she missed the pills on her nightstand. The ones that made it so that she didn't sleep every 4 hours. Sure, she still had attacks while on them, but she could at least delude herself for 12 hours of her waking life that she was normal.

She put her head in her hands, not in sorrow, however. Suzu didn't cry anymore. That was… old Suzu. Was this new Suzu? The questions kept swimming in her head. How much had she changed since this happened? The small, rational portion of her brain tried to explain it as "The same would happen to anyone else in this situation."

Suzu wasn't now, or ever a rational person. Her affinity for the works of Shakespeare proved that. She looked around inside her memories for a quote from him that would apply to this situation, but to no avail.

She guessed he'd never bothered to write about a narcoleptic chick who has been kidnapped by criminals to use as an information mule. It's a pretty niche subject.

Her brain was wandering, a result of her current state of absolutely skull-fucking boredom. She'd made a game of counting the countless cracks on the ceiling… 3 hours ago. Now she was simply sitting on the bed, staring off into space as she looked for something to interest her.

The door?

No, they would've never have left it unlocked. She had clearly heard the click of the lock shut as Thom led her into here.

Thom. Suzu would never mention it, even if her life was at risk, but to be perfectly honest, a part of her missed the man. His constant lessons on dream-sharing interested her to no end, helped by Thom's child-like wonder of the subject. He had spent most of his time here, it felt like he was a captive along with her, rather than the kidnapper. As she thought this, a bolt of lightning shot through her head, a part of her brain that was immune to her current state.

Getting Stockholm Syndrome, are we?

No, no, no. She had heard that voice before, the same voice that had presided over her dreams since Yamaku. She hadn't heard that voice in 8 years, but it felt as clear as ever. Her hand subconsciously wandered to her battleship, but it held the same irregular weight.

She wasn't sympathizing with Thom at all. She still held the will to escape.

Then what did you feel when you saw Thom and Saki, Suzu?

No, no NO! That was just… empathy? They had both lost the ones they had loved right?

And Thom caused that Suzu. He's caused all of this, your pain and suffering.

All Suzu wanted right now was to get this voice out of her head, to end the conflict with an entity she had once known so well. She stood up on unsteady legs, as if shuddering while holding her mental burden. She walked, almost ran to the door and tried the doorknob.

To her great surprise, the door opened with a loud squeak. What? But Thom had locked her in here. She tried to remember that moment, he had carefully led her to the center of the room, before closing the door behind her. She had clearly heard that 'click'.

But as she remembered the sound, she realized it wasn't a lock being shut. It was one of a gun being cocked. A sound she had remembered so many times with their efforts fighting against their projections. Why did Thom leave the door open for her?

The main steel door held no such luck, it was based on a time lock, so he couldn't have opened it for her. So, she wandered down the hallway, curious as to what Thom had left her besides an opened door. Suzu turned the corner to a room they had entered so many times.

Again, shock flashed through her mind. The PASIV device was still there, closed on the table. But something was different, a note lay on top. As she approached it, she recognized the sophisticated handwriting instantly. Of course it was his.

-Suzu

When I said I was going to be gone for awhile, I wasn't kidding. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you beforehand, but the job's going ahead next morning. Without me.

I just wanted you to know that I'm helping instead of hurting. For too long I've tried to justify my actions by saying that they were out of my hands, when they were really in my control the entire time. It's over. I can never give my apologies to the people I've hurt, especially not her, and I also suppose that this redemption is still a little hollow.

I'll do my best to make sure that's not the case. When that prison comes down, if I'm not with them, just remember that I did my best to get them there.

Maybe then I'll have finally have helped someone.

Suzu's hands trembled as she put down the note.

Just what the hell was Thom doing?