Carter Blake opened his eyes to find that he was floating in darkness. "Am I dead? FUCK."
Well, Shaun Mars was fucked; who was going to snap Norman Jayden out of it to get Shaun's location now?
'Whatever. He's not my problem. I don't care. ... Goddammit, I can't believe Norman fucking shot me...!'
Suddenly, in the darkness, the glowing silhouette of none other than Ethan Mars formed.
"WHAT THE FUCK." Blake shouted.
"Hey, it's you. The one that killed me. Good to know Norman outlived you." Ethan remarked.
"Fuck you. Where am I?"
"If I explained, people might think this is a ripoff of Harry Potter."
"... Huh?"
"Ssssshhhhhhhhh." Ethan pressed his glowing hand against Blake's lips. "Now that you're here, the four of us will get to retry."
"What?"
"... Actually, it was supposed to be Norman that died, not you. Whatever, four is four."
"I'm lost."
"Yeah, so am I. I'm just reading what that teleprompter says."
Blake looked behind him. The teleprompter now read 'ETHAN YOU MOTHERFUCKER YOU STILL HAVE BRAIN CANCER SO SUCK IT'.
"Who else is here?" Blake asked.
"Madison Paige and that Shelby guy."
"So you're telling me that all four of us are going to get to 'try again'? What the hell does that mean?"
"Well, we obviously fucked up somewhere to get such a shitty ending."
"Yeah, tell me about it. Jayden's the Awrigami Killer now."
"What?!"
"Yeah, he kidnapped Shaun. Something about me having you and that bitch killed made him snap, I guess."
"Well shit. I certainly hope that can be avoided."
"He just shot me in the fucking face, that's why I'm here."
"Well," Ethan put a glowing hand on Blake's shoulder. "I hope that happens again. I'll give him his gun back after I shoot Scott this time."
Blake rolled his eyes.
A light appeared in front of them.
"Looks like it's time to go." Ethan started walking toward the light.
"Hey, uh... How far back is this going to take us, exactly?"
"Well, if everything's revolving around Norman... Probably back to the exact time that he got to Philadelphia? I don't know, it might even take us back to childhood." With that, Ethan cartwheeled through the light. Blake shrugged and front-flipped into the light.


Carter Blake somehow retained the right to be main character. His eyes opened and, to his shock, he was back on the crime scene where he'd met Norman Jayden for the first time.
'So it does revolve around him? Nice.'
Looking to the entrance into the crime scene, Blake saw Jayden standing there. The agent pulled out his ARI and put it on before tugging on the glove that corresponded with the glasses. He started talking to himself, but Blake was used to that already.
'Maybe I'll change things up a little. I wonder what will happen to Norman if I do this...'
Jayden happened to look in his direction and seemed to be made uneasy. Blake walked over to him and held out a hand. "Agent Norman Jayden, FBI, I assume?"
Looking awkward, Jayden took off his ARI with his gloveless hand and used the same hand to shake Blake's gloved hand. "Lieutenant Cahtah Blake? I stopped by yer office this mornin'..."
"Did you? Sorry, I've been here all morning."
"It's alright..."
"... Something wrong, Jayden? You seem awkward."
Jayden quickly shook his head. "If y'don't mind, I'd like to get right down t'business." He clasped his hands idly under his nose as if testing the waters; seeing how Blake would respond to certain things. He didn't know yet that Blake knew almost everything about him.
Blake got really close to Jayden, who froze up, but seemed to appreciate the warmth.
"I like that about you, Norman." He whispered.
"Uh... O-... O-... -kay...?" Jayden looked genuinely confused.
"I like a lot about you, Norman."
Jayden cleared his throat and backed away. "Um... Mind if I have a look around?"
"Be my guest."
Jayden walked away as fast as he could.
'Maybe that wasn't such a good idea? Oh well, too late now.' Blake followed Jayden from a bit of a distance, and when Jayden started to climb up to the highway, Blake rushed over.
Jayden slipped like before, but this time Blake caught him dramatically, sweeping him off of his feet. Jayden looked scared.
"I got you, Norman."
"Put me down, please." He pleaded.
"You're pretty light, Norman. How long do you think I could carry you for?"
"Not fer very long, 'cause I'll scream if y'don't put me down."
"Fine." Blake gently put Jayden back onto his feet.
Before he started to go back up again, Jayden slowly looked over at Blake. He smiled sheepishly. "These shoes a'en't great fer climbin' slipp'ry surfaces like this. Could ya... uh, help me...?"
'Huh, so I really am changing things.' Blake smiled. "I can try, somehow."
The two of them climbed up onto the highway together, both helping the other, and Jayden managed to get up without ruining his suit. Somehow.
Once up there, Jayden stood to Blake right and put his ARI back on. Seeing a truck and a large puddle, Blake stepped in front of Jayden and stood to Jayden's right.
"What was that about?" The agent asked.
Blake didn't have time to respond before he got splashed from behind with cold water as the truck went by. Jayden pushed past Blake and flipped the truck off.
'Maybe he does like me more now. This is weird, but I think I'm liking it.' Blake pondered.
Jayden gazed back at Blake with this strange frown that Blake couldn't read very well.
"... What?"
Jayden made a gesture with his hand said said "nothing", and then he started looking around for evidence with his ARI.
"Car tracks... Probably the killah's."
"You think so?"
"No doubt. The'e a'e footprints too."
"Are they the killer's too?"
"Most likely. I think I've seen all the'e is t'see he'e."
"You sure?"
Jayden fell silent, seeming to doubt himself.
"Nah, you know what? I'm pretty sure you've found everything there is to find, right? What else could there be?"
"... Yes... Yes, what else could the'e be." Jayden took his ARI off and sneezed.
"Not one for chilly weather, are you, Jayden?"
"Heh... To be honest, no."
"Let's get back down to the crime scene and go back to the station."
"Okay."
The two of them walked back to the incline and helped each other down, Blake attempting to feel Jayden a little more perversely; Jayden either didn't click to this conclusion or strangely didn't mind. Blake took Jayden into his arms as he spun almost gracefully down the rest of the muddy incline, and when they fell to an anti-climatic stop at the bottom, Blake leaned closer to kiss Jayden, but then remembered that they were surrounded by other cops. Luckily, Jayden pushed him away with a wide grin.
"Yer a strange one, Blake. I'll give ya that much." Jayden said mockingly as he turned to walk away. Blake could have sworn that Jayden was giving him bedroom eyes.


Norman Jayden drove along, taking a detour to the police station. He had, for once, managed to overcome the urge to indulge in Triptocaine, but only because his mind had been more focused on Carter Blake.
'How strange... It almost seemed like he knew me befo'e we evehn met, and that he liked me a little too much...' Still, he figured that he liked the guy too; he seemed nice enough.
His mind was so lost that he nearly ran over a man who ran into the street and outstretched his arms to signal Jayden to stop the car, which he managed to do... just barely.
"Holy Christ!" Jayden got out of his car hesitantly, and was forced to back up by the man, who threw an origami goose at him and started to run.
Jayden looked at it in shock, picked it up, and then started to chase after the man. He chased him all the way into the nearby park, where the man suddenly fell to his knees and bawled in front of a backpack.
Jayden stopped near him. The bag was soaked and appeared to belong to a boy. He walked a little closer to the man.
"Whe'e did y'get this?" He asked as he held out the origami goose.
"I don't know.." The man responded.
"... Is... Is that yer son's backpack?"
"Yes..."
"Whe'e is he?"
"I don't know...!"
Jayden's heart sank a little, much like he himself did as he sunk to his knees next to the man. After a moment, he sighed and revealed his ID card to him. "I'm Agent Nahman Jayden of the FBI. I can take y'to the local police station if ya'd like, so y'can talk about it t'them."
"Sure..." Ethan was trying his best to make this meeting as much like it had been before, but he was already noticing some minor differences.
'Fuck! At this rate, everything might change!' He worried as he got into Jayden's car.
Jayden gasped as the man grabbed his tie and pulled him close, their eyes locked.
"Please... I know how this must seem... with the origami goose and all..." He pleaded.
Jayden could only give the man a look of sympathy. He held onto the origami goose as he gently pulled himself free and went to the driver's seat. Meanwhile, Ethan panicked, as Jayden had smirked at him before.
'What did I do differently...?!'
Jayden drove back to the police station and pulled Ethan inside. "Blake?" He called out.
Blake hurried over, only somewhat pleased to see that Jayden had returned with Ethan Mars again. "What is it?"
"This man needs help."
"Sit him down over there and I'll talk to him." Blake said as Ethan glared at him.
Jayden did as he was told, but Blake was surprised when Jayden walked over to him and held his hand for a second. His face turned red and stayed that way even when Jayden let go and walked away. It took him a second to realize that it hadn't been as much a gesture of affection as it had been a way to slip something into his hand.
He looked at what Jayden had given him and saw an origami goose, and he looked at Ethan.
"Everything's changing." Ethan said with his head in his hands.
"I'll say..." Blake said with a wide, lovestruck grin; it seemed like Jayden's crush on Ethan had been avoided.


Carter Blake and Ethan Mars didn't say much of anything to each other, nor did Blake get Ash, as there wasn't a need; they'd both been in this situation with each other before. So instead, both of them watched Norman Jayden. Whenever Jayden looked at them, they pretended to be talking about something.
When Jayden eventually went into his office, Blake followed him, remembering that Jayden would soon be needing to take Triptocaine.
He, again, caught Jayden off guard, but this time he wasn't armed or even intimidating.
"Holy Christ, Blake. You scared me. Evah heard of knockin' first?"
"What do you think of that Mars guy? The guy you brought in?"
"Uh.. I guess I think he's a little suspicious. Why?"
"I just wanted to know if you and I were thinking about him the same way, is all?"
"A'e we?"
"Seems so." Blake smiled. "But I think he's really suspicious, not just a little."
Jayden shrugged and seemed to wobble a little.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-.. Yeah. Yeah, I'm... I'm fine... Could... Could I be alone...?"
Blake took Jayden into his arms, startling the agent. "No chance, Norman."
"I... I need to... w-..." Jayden's legs fell slack and he leaned heavily against Blake, panting. This situation made Blake feel a little hot under the collar, but he didn't take advantage of Jayden this time. He helped Jayden to the bathroom, but found that Jayden pushed away from him to go to the sink instead. There, he shakily turned the faucet on and splashed his face with cool water a few times until he seemed to get better.
"Are you okay, Jayden?"
Jayden nodded a little. "Yeah, I think I'll be okay for now... Would y'mind if I went to talk to Ethan myself?"
Blake felt a bit threatened by that question. "I would mind."
Jayden frowned, seeming disappointed that Blake was refusing to allow him to ask his own questions.
'You're mine now, Jayden. I'll keep you away from Mars, and you'll be mine.' Blake thought with a smirk as he narrowed his eyes on his love, determined to keep him all to himself this time.