AN: I finally managed to post a new (although short) chapter. I wish there was a good and easy-to-use forum I could post updates on here, but I don't feel like using a third-party website. A lot happened in the past few months, but I'll try to do as much as possible to make up for lost time. For now, enjoy!

Lincoln opened the office door, taking a step inside.

It smelt like the rest of the hospital, clean and fresh, possibly from a janitor. A slight buzz of a desk fan filled the room, along with the tapping of a keyboard.

There, at the desk, was Dr. Barker's first assistant, Lenora, the kind old lady he'd only glanced at before. He remembered the time she healed that woman who lost her arm at the tournament. A professional healing for sure.

Lenora looked bored at her computer, typing away without a hint of passion in her fingers. She probably thought someone else had entered the doorway at first, but when Lincoln didn't say a word, her curiosity peaked. She leaned around her monitor, quirking an eyebrow and smiling when she saw him.

"If it isn't the kid himself! What did I do to deserve your visit?"

Lincoln gave a small smile back and shrugged. "Came to look around, I guess."

He closed the door, shutting out the sounds of the hospital behind him.

"Well—" She turned back to her computer, putting back on a look of slight irritation. "—maybe you can help an old woman out with this computer? Our entire building was updated with the most recent technology lately."

"Uh, sure," Lincoln said, walking over to the desk and standing beside her.

Less than half his attention was on the monitor while his thoughts trailed off. Technology was updating all the time, yet Lenora was confused. Surely, a small jump in tech couldn't be all that confusing. Or perhaps Lenora was never good with tech. Then, a thought occurred to him.

"What kind of computer did you have last time?" he asked, making her pause work.

She hummed to herself. "A fairly old one," she said. "It wasn't nearly as fast, didn't have a touch-screen, and looked completely different. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," he said with a smile, returning his eyes to the monitor. "Don't you have a smart device that works like this?"

Lenora shook her head. "No. Well, not until Atlas became the only Big Boss, anyway. I've only recently acquired a new phone." She turned her gaze to him, her expression flat. "Odd, isn't it?"

Lincoln locked gazes with her momentarily, both of them coming to the same conclusion at that moment before nodding.

It seemed Atlas didn't approve of others having the same powerful tech that he did until now.

After a few minutes of showing Lenora some stuff that was common knowledge to him, she got the hang of it pretty quickly. Lincoln was glad she was a quick learner. He didn't have plans of becoming a teacher today.

"Thanks, sweetie," Lenora said with a warm smile. Her expression turned to a frown following a sigh. "I have a lot of work on my plate, though."

"Is there a lot?" Lincoln asked, stuffing his hands into his navy blue sweater pockets.

"The hospital is rarely busy, but crime has risen quite a bit since Edward left." She scoffed. "It looks like people aren't okay with Atlas being in power. What a shock!"

Lincoln hummed as a response. "Do you need any help with criminals?"

Lenora said with a wave and kind smile, "We have too many officers to spare. We'll be fine. Besides, it's mostly petty vandalism or theft. They may be angry at Atlas but don't want to be kicked out of the city."

He nodded, took a green pen off the desk, and fidgeted. He half expected Lenora to chide him for it. "And what do you think about Atlas?"

Her smile didn't leave, turning more gentle. "If you're asking if I think he's a bad person, not necessarily. But that doesn't mean he can't do the wrong things."

"So you think he's good but making mistakes?"

She hummed, tapping the table. "I don't know him well enough to say for certain. But what do you think as someone who's worked with him?"

Lincoln sighed, his fidgeting coming to a pause. "I wish I knew for sure. I want to believe he's doing all this for the greater good."

"I'm sure there are others close to him you could ask. Like Shade, for instance."

"I should," Lincoln said, thinking why he didn't do something like that earlier. Well, he knew why. He's scared to upset Shade with a question she found offensive.

Just then, the office door opened. A suited, petite woman peeked into the room and called Lenora, saying she was needed somewhere.

"Well, I better get going," Lenora said, getting up from her computer chair. "It was nice chatting with you, Lincoln. Thanks for the help."

Lincoln smiled. "It's nothing," he said, and two left the room.

"I'll see you later," he said.

Lenora gave a friendly wave as she walked off with the other woman. "Perhaps some brew would be nice for our next chat."

When she turned the corner, she left Lincoln to his thoughts.

The noise of the casino was rampant as smooth jazz played on the speakers and playful dings rang out. People all around focused on their games, hoping for great wins.

Terry, Stacey, and Tristen were in a competitive game of "Crackers" in one corner. All of them were locked in, caring more about winning the game against each other than the money.

Lincoln didn't know the rules of Crackers, and he didn't know much about card games back on Earth to find any comparisons. He didn't feel the rush of playing the game, so he stood on the sidelines and watched. It was enjoyable seeing their enthusiasm and trash-talking when one of them won.

That was until Melina appeared on a balcony at the other end of the large room, and he promptly excused himself.

"What do I think of Atlas?" Melina asked, repeating Lincoln's question a second ago as they stood on a balcony.

Melina turned around to face him, leaning against the railing. Rapping her fingers against the railing, she said, "I think he's insane." Her eyes pointed down at Lincoln, seemingly trying to pierce through him.

Lincoln felt his throat turn dry, and he gulped down to clear it, though he didn't make it noticeable.

"Trying to run this city alone, kicking Evan out of Fortune, and threatening my parents so one, I couldn't try to stop him, and two, so I have no choice but to operate most of the entertainment industry. If it's shocking that I loathe him, you need a reality check."

Lincoln frowned, looking away. It was a lot she just poured onto him. "No, I get it."

"Do you?" Melina raised a brow. "You helped him after all."

"I just wanted to do the right thing!" Lincoln said with outstretched arms and pleading eyes.

Melina scoffed and turned back to the play area, scanning around. "Maybe you had your heart in the right place, but not all people are like you, Lincoln."

She stared at all of the players as they gambled their money away. This casino wasn't the same one she and Lincoln fought in. While their main building was the biggest, this one wasn't too far off. It used to be more lively here, but it was much less packed with people for whatever reason.

"Evan designed a protection program for his casinos," she said, igniting Lincoln's curiosity.

Lincoln remembered yelling at her, saying that casinos were money traps and Evan was greedy. She must have remembered that as well. He didn't interrupt.

She kept staring at the players. "You played a few games here. We have it in our records. So you should know about it."

Lincoln looked down and indented his brows, trying to remember such a thing. "I signed something," he said before relaxing his eyebrows and putting on a sheepish smile. "But I sorta skimmed over the words."

Melina chuckled a little. The young were always impatient, and Lincoln seemed no different. Perhaps that's how he created this mess.

"Evan only allowed people to gamble 100 valley a week. All his casinos use a check-in system with identification, and he owned every single one in the city. His workers were trained to watch for anyone financially struggling, and if so, would be banned.

"On the contrary, if someone had enough money, they would be an exception to the 100 valley rule. The Big Bosses all collectively signed a law years ago forbidding all casinos or gambling to exist without such rules enforced. They either fell into Evan's hands or failed without his support. It wasn't for Evan to completely control the industry, but to protect those who couldn't handle themselves."

Lincoln stared at her with wide eyes, letting in everything she said. Maybe everything he heard about gambling on Earth were lies to scare children away? Or perhaps Evan was just that heroic and selfless.

She sighed, continuing, "Maybe Atlas does want what's best, but that doesn't mean he isn't in the wrong. Evan was innocent, and now he's off living rock bottom somewhere else."

Lincoln stood beside her, looking down at the play area. He was too short to lean above the railing, but the glass panels underneath allowed him to peer through.

"I'm sorry for attacking you. And everything else, I guess."

Melina turned her head to him, staring at him briefly. Then, with both a shrug and a chuckle, she pushed herself off the railing and said, "For the amount of power you have, you're really sweet and humble."

Lincoln looked back at her with both brows raised before returning a grin.

They heard a couple of steps getting closer, and both turned to the source of them. There was a man in a black suit and tie with a white undershirt. His slick black hair, combed to the side, caused Lincoln to remember he was Devin, the announcer from the tournament.

"Evan was the most important Big Boss in Fortune," Devin said, his eyes fixed on Lincoln. He stopped in front of them, one hand holding a suitcase and the other in his pocket.

Although his tone was calm, and he spoke regularly, his voice was distinct and high-pitched, holding mere hints of the energy that erupted when he was casting fights.

"Long before, only three Big Bosses looked after the city. They were the Big Bosses of Goods, Construction, and Emergency Services."

"So Evan and Atlas never replaced anyone?" Lincoln asked.

"Before Evan, the city was a void lacking energy and excitement. Living here was the equivalence of turning into stale bread. When my nephew, Evan, was young, he dreamed of 'filling Fortune with a bucket of smiles.' He started small, doing comedy shows, creating bands, and visiting schools. He was a true entertainer. It took hard effort and long days, but eventually, he claimed his status as Big Boss."

"When was that?"

Melina answered for him. "Around eight years ago."

Eight years was plenty, Lincoln thought. It covered most of his life, in fact. Evan was in the business for a long time, but by what Devin said, Evan wouldn't call it strict work. He was truly talented.

"And what about Atlas?" he had to ask. "When did he become a Big Boss?"

"Atlas arrived in the city and quickly came to power only recently, around a month and a half ago," Devin answered.

Lincoln's stomach felt as if it had dropped to the floor.

One month and a half?! In that timeframe…

Devin sighed and shook his head. "But without Evan, the city might be heading into a state of depression once again. Or, maybe a new age—" He looked to Lincoln again with hard eyes. "—of conflict."

Lincoln felt the intensity radiating from the man. It wasn't rage. It felt more like displeasure.

"I take it you're leaving then, Devin?" Melina asked, crossing her arms and leaning against the railing.

"Just grabbing a few things before I do."

"Leaving?" Lincoln scrunched his eyebrows. "Like leaving Fortune?"

Devin's expression softened a bit. "A dull city doesn't desire a spokesman."

That sentence slapped Lincoln in the face. Of course, a city without smiles and laughter did not need an announcer. Was he to tell them what they already knew?

Melina walked over until she stood in front of him. "I'll be seeing you, then, Devin."

Devin chuckled once and said, "Perhaps," then extended his arms.

They met in an embrace, hugging tight for a few moments before letting go.

Devin then took one glance at Lincoln before turning tail and walking off. "If you'll excuse me." Once he descended the nearby staircase, he was never seen again by either of the two.

Terry shouted out in victory, pulling them back into the casino.

The next day, Lincoln got a text from Shade asking him to go swimming. Accepting the invite, he accompanied Shade and Ray to an indoor pool. While the cool swimming water would have helped him think, Shade and Ray kept his mind distracted, especially when Ray accidentally used his energy to punt a ball through the ceiling. However, in the silent sauna he and Ray tried after, he contemplated everything that swirled in his head.

His opinions on Atlas were mangled, and no matter how much he tried to have a clear head, he couldn't come up with a concrete answer to his questions.

Is Atlas a viable leader? Is Fortune going to be okay? Did Atlas become a leader for greedy, selfish reasons?

Recently acquired information prompted another question. Is he one of The Other?

While Lincoln had his suspicions, he had a feeling that deep down, Atlas was a very caring person. He had good morals. Shade certainly believed so. But his beliefs failed him long ago when he thought those he loved would always return the care and devotion he had for them.

He wished Atlas wasn't the same as they were.

As they left the sauna, he decided to take Lenora's advice. He would talk to the person closest to Atlas.

That evening, he called and invited Shade to his hotel room. When she asked the expected question as to why, he told her it was important.

Although, in the time it took for her to get to his room, another friendly face arrived at his door before she did.

Lincoln raised his brows before smiling. "Hey, Kenner! What's up?"

But then his muscles tensed up when he remembered their last encounter. Kenner wasn't all too pleased at what he did to Tamesha.

To Lincoln's relief, Kenner smiled back and leaned against the doorframe. "Just chilling at the moment. Wanted to see if you wanted to chat."

Lincoln hadn't realized it until now, but there was another perspective he wanted to know. Kenner was an outsider like him, so his input could bring some things to light.

Lincoln grinned. "Sure! Come on in! I invited Shade over as well and want to ask both of you something."

"Alright, cool," Kenner said, putting a hand into his jacket pocket and stepping in. He raised his other arm, showing off a pack of cans. "I brought drinks."

Lincoln blinked and took a gander at the alcoholic cans. "Oh, I don't drink," he said with a sheepish smile.

"Hm?" Kenner tilted his head a tad. "Why not?"

"Never liked the taste."

"You just got to get used to it."

"Maybe another time." Lincoln smiled. "On a special occasion."

Kenner gave off a toothy grin. "I'll take you up on that."

As the young man went over to the couch, he asked, "Also, who in the world is Shade?"

The two chatted, asking each other how they were faring in this "New Fortune."

Kenner went around the city, finding games and media to entertain himself. Overall, he found the new state of the city pretty boring. It was fine, at the very least. One thing he did enjoy, however, was the food. He found a lot of places he wanted to visit in the future.

Lincoln didn't have a solid opinion on the matter. His mind was too preoccupied in the past week. Hanging around with Shade and Ray was great, but he felt as if there was a certain bias centered toward them. He would say he was having a good time, but nothing spectacular.

Not too long into their chat, Shade arrived at Lincoln's door, which he let her through.

They went to the living room, and Kenner smiled at her, flicking two fingers from his short hair. "Yo!"

Shade smiled back at him. "Kenner Cox. I heard you were working for Kean Standing."

"That's me," he said. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Shade."

She nodded once before flinching into embarrassment. With a glowing blush, she said, "Just Shade is fine, thank you."

After their short but nice introduction, the three continued the conversation. They flipped on the television, swapping to a reality show. The show was mere background noise as their talks were the focus of their evening.

They ordered food at Lincoln's door and, through laughs and smiles, enjoyed each other's company. Shade and Lincoln loved Kenner's hilarious stories from his hometown, like when he accidentally destroyed a wall of his childhood home with a punch, making his parents furious.

Shade told some tales of her own. She once walked into a room where Ray was playing with Atlas's wheelchair while the irked man slumped on the ground in his office. It got a laugh out of the two guys.

An hour into it, Lincoln finally asked the question that scratched the back of his mind.

"What do you think about Fortune?"

Kenner raised a brow.

Shade, however, had the slightest hint of a frown.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Lincoln's throat dried up a bit at the change of tone. Just a minute ago, the atmosphere was as bright as a wonderful day on the beach.

He coughed. "Do you think it's going to be okay?"

She narrowed her brows. "Of course it is. Why do you ask?"

Her tone was stern, and her words alone almost made Lincoln scoot away from her on the couch. However, he held firm. "Atlas seemed stressed this week."

"Atlas knows what's needed. So you don't need to question him," she said. It was more of a demand.

He frowned, not entirely believing her.

Looking between the two, Kenner sucked in his teeth and took a sip of his drink. "Someone's defensive," he said into the glass.

Shade snapped her head at Kenner, delivering a glare. "Fortune is going to be fine. People just need time to adjust." She looked back at Lincoln. "Maybe the pressure of everyone staring you down on the streets is too much for you to handle?"

"I can handle people." Lincoln reached over for another serving of food on the table. "Sorry for asking."

Shade huffed and picked up her half-empty drink, tilting it side to side to make the ice cubes dance before gulping it down.

Kenner noticed the tension started to die down, so he cut in. "My guts tell me you aren't a bad person," he said, looking at Shade. "I can tell you care a whole lot about that Atlas guy, but that doesn't mean you should turn oblivious."

He leaned back, resting his arm on the armrest and staring at the television. "I can't say much about him, but good people can do bad things. A parent would kill the world for their child, and some wouldn't see that as a problem." He turned to them again, leaning his head forward so they were both in his vision. "There's a saying I grew up with. 'Morality is in the why.'"

Shade stared at Kenner momentarily before turning back to her empty glass. The glass seemed interesting enough to gaze at, now lost in her thoughts.

Lincoln relaxed his shoulders, fidgeting with the crust of his food as he awaited Shade's response.

"Atlas is a good person," she said, blowing the silence away. "He cares about me, and he cares about Ray. He's barely rested since he took over, and he's doing everything he can to make this city a paradise."

"I know he is," Lincoln said, leaning forward a bit and putting on a soft expression. "But don't you ever question him? What if he's wrong?"

"Our lives are full of questions, but I can't question him. I owe him everything."

Lincoln opened his mouth, milliseconds away from telling her that even those you knew your entire life could wrong you. Kenner was only half-right. Good people could do bad things, but they could do them for both selfless and selfish reasons, whether intentional or not.

He stopped himself, not wanting to be that open about himself. He didn't like to think about his past, and he'd much rather move on. It was the better decision to make.

He gritted his teeth, feeling a headache return to his head.

"Well—" Kenner slammed his drink on the table. "—I'mma head out."

He stood up, and Lincoln followed suit to lead him out the door. Turning around, Kenner lifted a fist, aiming it at Lincoln.

"I hope we meet again," he said.

Lincoln raised his brows as he gave him a fist bump. "You're leaving?"

He shrugged. "There's nothing left to do here now that all the Big Bosses are gone. I don't have any debts to pay or jobs to do. It's boring now. Gonna go see if there's stuff happening elsewhere."

It was a sad thing to hear, Lincoln thought. Despite that, he smiled. "Well, in that case, I hope we see each other again too. You're a cool guy, Kenner."

Kenner gave a toothy grin. "You too." He leaned to the side to look at Shade while waving a hand. "I'll see you later, Shade!"

Shade put on a small smile and waved back timidly. "Likewise."

With a bright smile, Kenner left through the front door. "Later!"

Lincoln kept watch as Kenner disappeared down the hallway. Casting one last glance, he closed the door.

After the door clicked shut, it was silent.

He looked over to Shade, who still sat on the couch, fiddling with her empty glass.

Walking over to her, he stood before the TV as she sighed and left her glass on the table between them.

She stood up, looking at him after what felt like forever, finally making eye contact.

"I should get going as well. Night's about to begin, which means so does work," she said with a low chuckle at the end.

She walked to the front door, Lincoln opening it for her.

Lincoln wanted to ask more but couldn't bring himself to offend Shade more than he already did. She cared about Atlas, and that feeling seemed mutual. He shouldn't stand in the way of that and make her question her beliefs. But what if he hurt her?

The question hung in his mind. He didn't want to imagine something like that happening. He felt that it would be his fault if it did. Deciding whether to push for more information or leave it at that was tough. But maybe Shade wasn't the one he should be talking to. Her opinions were clear, and there was nothing else he could learn from her.

Just as Shade was about to pass through the doorway, she paused.

Memories of Atlas caved in. Their first meeting, how he provided the funds to help Ray recover, all the hard work he put in, and the promises he made. He wanted them to be happy for the rest of their lives.

But was she content with this? Sure, she and Ray were in a very stable situation now. The city was in the beginning stage of changing forever, and soon, no one else had to suffer. But there were still some, no, many who were affected negatively. She didn't know what to do, but she was certain that Atlas was a good person. Her heart and soul told her so.

Looking at Lincoln, she opened her mouth twice as if the words couldn't escape her lips, and her eyes darted around.

Lincoln stood patiently. He offered a gentle look to encourage her.

But Atlas was capable of making mistakes. Nobody was exempt from that.

She looked him in the eyes. "Atlas was the one who started the domino effect." As soon as she said that, she looked away, missing Lincoln's shocked expression. "I developed technology with help from the money Atlas provided. It all started with computers and smart devices, targeting the adults. Then, we aimed for the younger kids and created systems capable of running video games at a level never seen before. We offered those systems to Evan Medy, and when he asked about the high prices, we gave him every excuse we could find. Before I knew it, we had our hands wrapped around the tech industry."

She passed Lincoln, who stood still in shock after hearing her words. Before she went down the hallway to the elevator, she turned to him one last time.

"I just thought you deserved to know that, and… I needed to get that off my chest."

Lincoln furrowed his brows, nodding. "Thanks for letting me know."

Without another word, she left for the elevator in a quick strut.

He watched her go, wanting to ask more questions but stopping himself. She seemed to have exposed more than she thought she could.

As the next hour passed and it turned dark in the sky, he found himself pacing the room left and right.

The news played on the television. All the news channels covered the same topic: Atlas as the sole Big Boss. More specifically, questioning his reliability.

He thought about the most recent events. Everyone he spoke to said the same thing: that good people could make mistakes. Everyone except Shade and Ray.

Ray…

He could also get his input. As another person close to Atlas and someone so young, his thoughts were invaluable.

No, Lincoln thought with a shake of his head, he couldn't prolong this any longer.

Growing tired of sinking into his thoughts, Lincoln finally began to grasp the entirety of a decision.

He grabbed everything he owned: his bathroom supplies, clothes, and unopened drinks or food. He packed it all into his Inventory. There was a good feeling in his chest that it would be the last time he would be sleeping here, one way or another.

Minutes later, he was on the roof of his hotel building, with a poster in one hand flapping due to the wind.

He stared at the people on it. They would have sided with Evan. They shared the same ideals and values, after all. As far as he knew, he might be in the same situation with Atlas, but he couldn't let his acquaintance with Atlas blind him.

It was time to speak with the man himself.

Tapping on his smart band, he called Atlas.

He waited a few seconds, legs kicking a few times as he sat at the edge of the building. The line rang several times before someone picked up.

"Lincoln!" Atlas said, his smile practically being heard. "How are you doing this fine night?"

"I'm good," Lincoln replied. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well myself." He chuckled. "What can I do for you?"

Lincoln looked at the poster he held before turning his gaze to the glowing city below him. "I need to talk to you. It's urgent."

"Ah, well, I should be available in five hours at least."

Lincoln clicked his teeth, although Atlas couldn't have heard him. He was willing to wait the short amount of time but thought about how much could change in that timeframe. A family being kicked out, a protest going too far, or more people moving out of their own accord.

"No," Lincoln said, his tone firm but calm enough not to be labeled as irritation. "I need to talk now."

There was a pause on the other end, then a sigh. Atlas still seemed pleased as he spoke. "Alright. I'll make time for you. Come to my office."