"You want me to do what, exactly?" A tall and burly man asked me with his arms crossed, analyzing me under a scrutinizing gaze. "Monsters, evil clowns, blood-thirsty villagers? I know everyone had that same dream, but I didn't expect any of you to fold so soon."

My teeth grit, gnashing against one another as another one of my explanations was thrown aside as if it had meant nothing. Breathing in a deep breath, I reined in my emotions and prepared to speak my case once more.

"But it's true, I saw them with my very own eyes." His brows furrowed; his gaze still unimpressed as he shook his head away from me.

"And how could you have seen them if you haven't left the train?" His words struck me like a hammer, my fists balling up, as my argument fell short. For a moment, the older man's eyes drifted over me, his face contorting into a grimace before falling. "Take it with someone else, kid. Might have a better time convincing them than me."

His jacket fluttered in the wind as his figure turned away from me, moving to walk away. The beat of my heart rose, and my arms moved to reach out to him, but it would be fruitless, grasping at nothing but the air. "I lived here when I was little."

It sounded desperate, lacking in conviction. Had I been on the other end, I would think it a lie quickly made up to stop me at any cost. "Those things… They were everywhere, stalking the streets like they were straight out of some old wives' tale. But they're real, and who knows what happened in the time that I was gone."

I tried to come up with more on the fly, my brain trying to wring itself for anything I had gathered during the loops. "But-But with someone like you… You could help me. Marcoh, right? I've seen a number of your matches in the ring. Hell, you made the news after you killed that man. You could train me. Build me to become better-"

"Despite telling you off. Despite knowing who I am, and what I have done… You're still so insistent on me training you. You just don't quit, do ya, huh?" His voice turned dark, his steps turning about as they thundered against the wooden floor.

"Here's a life lesson, kid. It isn't my job to train you, no amount of money will change that. You aren't my responsibility, and you've already lost my respect with that stunt. What makes you think I'm going to help you when you can't even help yourself?"

The man's body, with his chest out and his head high, stood a step before me, his expression stern as he drew in a sigh for his troubles. "I'm no teacher, I'm just a sad old thug. Too disgusted to abuse his power one more damn time. So unless you've got any more to say, then I'll be taking my leave." His voice held naught a single bit of hesitation, heading straight for the point.

Again, I tried to come up with something, however, unlike last time, I wasn't able to come up with a distraction that would keep his attention for long enough, my hand out stretched as it became hard to breathe. I had failed. My few chances at fighting that clown bastard… and he refused to teach me anything….

My knuckles turned bone white, frustration mounting as everything tensed up. Was it my fault? The shitty explanation, the lack of planning, and the sheer hubris certainly didn't help, But there had to be something deep, right? A good answer as to why he didn't choose to help me!

He helped Olivia, he helped Tanaka. Fuck, he even helped me on more than one occasion in the city. So what was the hold up now? Why the hell did he deny me when evidence pointed directly to the opposite? It didn't make any fucking sense, none of this made any sense. Why did he change now? What difference did it make when I asked within or outside the train?

My brain attempted to rationalize, but came up with nothing, the beat of my heart reaching its apex as my foot stomped the ground. Soon my knees felt like gelatin, falling to the ground without a fight.

I was a failure, once a failure always a failure. The difference between the two sides of the man... it didn't make any sense. Everything I'd done, everything I would've done was a mistake. A lie I told myself to find allies that could help me. I was nothing more than a damn cheap "hack!"

Shouting the last part, my fists bashed against the floorboards, slamming it again and again as my actions caught up with me. I was being a child, throwing a temper tantrum because I thought the world was unfair, lashing out because I didn't get what I wanted. But I deserved it, didn't I?

The thought passed, and my body froze. I did deserve it, didn't I? After having died more than once already, I deserved to catch a break sometimes, right? My vision became blurred, a numbing haze clouding my mind. As the sound of teeth clacking entered my ears, I could do nothing but sit still, as though something had rooted me in place.

I hated it. The feeling made me look like a scared defenseless child. I hated the way it wormed under my skin. So trifling, so damn itchy. My fingers clawed away at my own flesh, the beat of my heart rising by the second as blood spurred from the now bleeding wound. I needed to let it out. I needed to-

"Oh wow, you really don't handle rejection well, do you?" My thoughts were cut off as an unfamiliar voice made itself known. Turning my head about, I was met with the figure of a pale woman, her hair raven black, wearing a white blouse and a long black skirt. She looked like a cheap doll, her attire plain. "Must suck for all the girls you've confessed to."

My brows furrowed, biting at my lip in frustration. "Yeah, and wouldn't you like to know." I sneered, trying to blow off my emotions. "Shit, it feels like I should be disappointed, and now all I feel is angry. Aren't I just a fucking cry baby. What about you? What's your story? Any reason why you're listening in on my conversation?"

Pressing the topic, I stood from my spot, eyeing her up and down, as I approached. "Well, you aren't the only person in the world." She blew off, a click sounding from her mouth as her eyes rolled. "How could I not listen, I was practically forced to with how loud you were shouting. And frankly, it wasn't even that bad. At best, you're crying over spilled milk."

It was hard to suppress my emotions, but at the same time, I couldn't find any rebuttal to her points. Points I had already acknowledged. "Get to it already!" I demanded, letting loose the cinders of anger that still remained. "You wouldn't have struck a conversation with me if there wasn't good reason for it, otherwise you would've just stayed quiet."

Her head tilted to the side, held by hand on her chin. And as the woman's posture leaned down, her eye never left sight of me. "You seem to know more than you let on." She said, however, it seemed like there was more to her statement, something most damning. "At the same time, it's almost like you know nothing at all, do you?"

I took a back foot, caught up in an attack I wasn't prepared for, not that any of them could prepare me for this. "What do you mean by that? I've lived in Prehevil for the majority of my early life. How can you say I'm wrong, exactly?"

Like a predator who found its prey, she pounced, a gleam in her eyes as she popped up in front of me, her face far too close to mine. "It's simple, really, and something you would also know if you lived in the city."

I felt my breathing still, time slowing as the realization of how much shit I was in came to me. "There aren't any monsters in the city, though, there are some people who use ghouls to do their bidding, can't exactly protest or unionize when you have no free will, right?"

The joke caught me off guard, an unexpected snicker breaking through the façade I built. "Despite that, it still begs the question. Why did you lie about being from Prehevil?" She shot me a pointed look. Eyes narrowing as I took another step back. "Though I suppose the better question would be, why would anyone lie about being from there."

"Don't know. Even better question is, why should I tell you?"

The woman's head nodded, her foot tapping the floor. "Would you believe me if I said I found you interesting?"

My lips formed into a line, a finger rising before going back down. "Nope."

"Worth a shot." She shrugged, blowing out a sigh before recomposing herself. "I would like to give you a once in a lifetime opportunity, if you would. To help me bury the sins of my past." Her voice held the same tone as one of those ad people on the radio, right down to the subtle inflexions. "I don't care about any of this contestant dream stuff, that can burn in a ditch for all I care. No, instead I', going to find my father, and I'm getting some damn answers…"

Her speech swiftly became passionate, puffing out her chest, and placing a hand where her heart should have been. So caught up in her own words. "So… where do I fit in this… equation of yours. Because from my understanding, the math isn't mathing."

She quickly became irritated, raising a fist as it shook. "If you'd give me a minute, then maybe, I might have the time to tell you." My eyes rolled, eliciting yet another spike in irritation from the unnamed woman. "While it is unfortunate that you're a damn manchild, you'll prove very useful in the future,"

"Oh, you need me for my info-"

"As a meat shield, and test subject for something I picked up in the Vatican."

Pins and needles poked at my skin, my right arm shaking up a storm as the corner of my eye was tinged red. Every single one of my instincts told me to run, run as far away as I could. But… she wouldn't have, right? If she really wanted to kill me, then she would've done so while I was distracted…. Unless she wanted to experiment on me. Shit.

I took yet another step back, a feeling of unease settling into the air. "What ex-periments, exactly?" I let out with a slight stutter, trying to delay the inevitable. "Nothing too dangerous, right?"

"Dangerous? I wouldn't say it's anything like that. A bit painful, yes, but not life threatening." A hand slipped into the pockets of her skirt, pulling out a knife. "Luckily, I was able to get my hands on a skin bible during my tenure in the holy walls of the city, and if my theory's correct, I might just be able to give you the power you o' so desperately desire. Say, stranger, care to take a leap of faith with me?"

It felt like a monkey's paw, a ruse to get me to accept. But at the same time, I couldn't deny that I was interested, the edges of my lips straining as I sucked in a heavy breath. With all being said, the deal wasn't that bad, however, it was all just short term benefits, I needed something I could take into any future loop, like a skill, or most importantly, knowledge, how to fight, where to be, anything to at least kill that clown bastard.

"Then I suppose this is going to be my last question." The pale faced woman let out a squeal, just the picture of excitement. "What is your name?"

In an instant, her expression broke, jaw gaping as sparks passed between her eyes. "Well, I certainly didn't expect that…" She paused, cracking her knuckles in an effort to do… something. "Very well, but not after you say yours."

"Eh? And why's that? So you can curse my name for all eternity? For shame, for shame."

A blush quickly dusted her cheeks, her words coming out stammered as she tried -and failed- to keep a straight face, falling for my provocations. "I'll have you know that those harmful stereotypes are utterly false! And hold zero basis in reality. The next time I hear those words from you, it will be off with you head!" She declared, her voice almost seemingly joking, but I wouldn't be too sure.

"But you know what? Fine, I'll play your game. If only you play mine~." Wordlessly, I nodded, the woman reciprocating in return as she composed herself. "My name is Marina. You know what I want, and what I'm going to do. The ball's in your court, stranger. Your move."

To use my real name, or not to use my real name. It was a hard decision. One would reveal my cards a little too early, while the other would lay seeds of doubt, just waiting to sprout…. Then again, like last time, there was no harm in it. The only thing stopping me was entering yet another loop.

"Dominique Catalan, at your service, my liege." I performed a faux bow, letting a giggle flutter from my lips as Marina sighed, resigning herself to what she had done. What I had done. I was in it for the long ride, best to make the most out of it.

A/N: Edited chapter at 3 am, so if you find anything wrong, something you like, something you dislike, please share, I'll be sure to improve the chapter any way I can. How do you guys like my use of Marina? A bit different from how she was portrayed in the games, but I tried to base her personality off rin's from the ubw abridged web series, so I hope it isn't too jarring. Toodles now!