Flug and 505 walked down the hallway.

Once they were far away enough, Flug stopped in his tracks and asked, "You let them out. Didn't you?"

505 paused for a moment fearfully. He felt like crying, but instead he took a deep breath and nodded his head.

Flug sighed and said, "You can't keep breaking the rules, 505. I know you feel bad for Melanie and Sadie, but this could get you in a lot of trouble."

505 wanted to reach for the phone, but he knew that Flug wouldn't let him. So, he just shook his head and looked away.

"Those girls are being restrained and confined for a reason, 505," Flug said. "We're villains, proud villains, and we have jobs to do. The girls are important to our mission. They could have escaped and hurt you."

505 shook his head more vigorously to show his disagreement.

"Well, listen, buddy, you can't do that anymore," Flug said. "I know you think those girls are your friends but helping them is dangerous. Can't you see that? Besides that, they're pushing you to do things you're not allowed to do. Don't you know how much trouble you could get in?"

505 scowled angrily and looked away.

"Buddy, from now on, you need to listen to me," Flug said. "I don't want Black Hat to hurt you. Okay?"

505 wouldn't look back at Flug, so Flug kept walking forward and said, "Alright, buddy. How about you help me move some boxes?"

505 looked at Flug, spotted his phone in his pocket, and nodded.

"Okay then," Flug said, turning away to head down the hall. "Let's go move some…HEY! What are you doing?"

505 snatched the phone from Flug's coat pocket. Flug tried to snatch it back, but 505 held his phone high so that he couldn't reach it and started typing.

"Is Melanie right?" 505 typed. "Do you care about Black Hat being happy more than you care about me being happy?"

A heavy pause passed between them.

Flug couldn't find the words to speak. 505 wouldn't like what he had to hear. How couldn't he understand? His little bear knew how Black Hat was. How could he not understand what Flug had to do just to keep the peace and survive another day?

"Buddy, I love you," said Flug. "I love you so much. You are my son, and nothing will ever change that. But Black Hat is my master. I sold my soul to serve him. I have to do whatever he says even if it means I can't have everything I want for myself or for you. I want you to have a voice, but I can't risk him hurting me or you. Even if you can't die, there are things he can do to you, 505. I have to protect you from that even if it means you can't do everything you want."

505's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Flug said. "I really am. It's just that to keep you safe I need you to stay quiet. We can find other ways for you to express yourself. You just can't make any noise…"

"Why?" 505 typed.

Flug paused and tried to explain again, "505, I just explained why. Black Hat will take any reason hurt you. It's up to me to protect you. You have to understand that what I'm doing really is for…"

505 typed furiously for a few moments until he interrupted Flug and played his message, "No! Why can't I talk?! Everyone else can! You can talk! Demencia can talk! Black Hat can talk! I'm the only one who can't talk and it's not fair! I just want to talk like you can! Sadie and Melanie helped me talk, but you said no! Why can't I?!"

"505, I keep trying to explain to you that Black Hat is my master, and he is the god of ALL evil," Flug said, growing a bit impatient. "If he says you can't talk, then you can't talk. That's just the way it has to be."

"So, making Black Hat happy matters more than making me happy?" 505 typed, turning to walk away. "You do love him more than me. Melanie and Sadie are right."

"No, they aren't!" Flug snapped, stomping in his way. "They're dumb kids! They don't know what they're talking about! You don't either!"

"Why are you yelling? Why are you being mean to them and me?" 505 typed.

"I'm not trying to be mean, but you and those girls are acting dangerously out of line," Flug pleaded. "We live to serve Black Hat and those girls are in trouble because they disobey him. I just don't want you to get in trouble too."

"But they have a point, dad. Melanie doesn't want to serve Black Hat because he's mean to her and makes her unhappy," 505 typed. "Black Hat's always mean to me and you, too. My shows say you don't need to play with people who are mean to you. Why do we need to listen to him since he's so mean to us? We could all just go far away from Black Hat like Melanie said and be happy."

"Because I'm mean too!" Flug finally snapped. "Don't you understand that, 505?! I'm like one of the villains in your cartoon shows except I'm a real villain! And so are you! That's what you were made for! That's what Melanie's family was supposed to raise her for! That's what we're all supposed to be! Don't you get that?! Melanie is in trouble because she turned into a hero, an enemy of Black Hat and of us! Her friend Sadie is in trouble because she broke in and tried to save her! Serving Black Hat is the purpose we all have! How hard is that for you to understand?!"

"But he makes us unhappy!" 505 typed.

"That doesn't matter!" Flug retorted. "It's not about us being happy! It's about him being happy! When the world is under our feet, we'll all be happy! When Black Hat's happy, I will be too!"

505 typed, "But I still won't talk. Black Hat will still be mean to me and you and Melanie and Sadie and everyone. Other people won't be happy either. That world will suck."

"Well, we're serving Black Hat whether you like or not!" Flug argued. "We're his servants! We live how he wants us to and that's never going to change!"

"But I still want a voice," 505 protested.

"You can't have one! Your voice makes Black Hat and me unhappy, so you're not talking!" Flug said, trying to snatch 505's phone. "You're not babysitting those girls anymore either!"

"No!" 505 typed, holding his phone out of Flug's reach. "I don't care what you think! I want to talk! It makes me happy! There's nothing wrong with it! You're being a jerk!"

"Hand it over now or you're grounded," Flug demanded.

"I don't know what that means, but I won't do it!" 505 typed. "I don't want to be bad! Melanie and Sadie are right! You just want the phone so you can make me quiet and make me be bad! I don't like it!"

"THAT'S IT!" Flug shrieked jumping on 505 so he could snatch the phone from him.

The bear and man wrestled on the ground over the phone for a few seconds until 505 threw the phone out of his reach, kicked Flug aside, ran over, and held up the phone, backing away fearfully while Flug approached.

"Give it to me now," Flug said.

"I said no," 505 typed. "This is mine. You can't have it."

"I bought it and I can take it away whenever I want!" Flug screamed. "Now, hand it over before I shock you like I do to Melanie!"

Then, for the first time in his life, 505 roared at Flug. It was a loud deep roar that rang out across the labs and made Flug shiver where he stood.

When he was done roaring, 505 typed, "Melanie and Sadie are right. You are a monster just like Black Hat. You just want to make us evil and you don't care about making us happy. I don't like you anymore!"

With that, 505 ran away across the lab and back down the hall to where Melanie and Sadie were.

Flug stood there in shock at what he said and what 505 had done. He walked over to a chair, sat down, and let tears fill his goggles.