Thanks For Understanding

"…and that's what happened," Ray finished his story lamely. "I'm really sorry I couldn't save Alex for you."

Claire looked down at her hands and tried to blink back her tears. There was a lot of information to process but the worst of it was that Alex was really gone. They got him. They were going to brainwash him after all.

The second hardest thing to grasp was that Ray had been One once upon a time. That was completely insane! He seemed totally normal. Well, she supposed someone would after more than twenty years in the real world.

That was what finally pushed her over the edge and made the tears slip over her cheeks. Knowing that Alex had a real chance to be normal but he threw it away to save her.

"Do you know where headquarters is?" she sniffled. "I have to do something. I can't let them brainwash him."

Ray frowned. "Brainwashing? Like actual comic-book-style brainwashing? Because they didn't do that when I was there."