Big Deal

Several hours had passed around Felix while he slept. Only when his pain started to be relieved did he wake again.

Still exhausted, he chose not to get up for a few minutes. When he opened his eyes, nothing seemed to have changed. His fingers were still black, his fur was still mostly white and his tail was still bushy. He sat up.

It became obvious that everything was not exactly right.

The room was smaller. Was it shrinking around him? He stood up and pressed his hand on the ceiling. It didn't seem to be moving. Felix blew the long tuft of fur in the space between his ears, out of his face.

He thought for a bit. It didn't make any sense for his room to shrink so he must've grown. Well that explains it.

Felix had grown three and a half feet taller while he had slept, but he was also proportionally bigger overall.

He blew the long fur tuft out of his eyes again. His fur had grown disproportionally longer too.

Now he was just standing shirtless in his room with blood on his face. His massive hands were on his massive hips like a real dork. Look at him he's so dumb he thought the room got bigger and he didn't somehow, anyway.

His cast was barely clinging on his leg now. He crouched down, put his fingers in one of the cast's cracks, and pulled it off. Felix stood up again and placed his foot down. It was hard to tell, but maybe this mild transformation had also healed his leg.

How was he going to go back into the ADC looking like that? The kids were literally going to kill him weren't they? They had the knives to do it.

Maybe he just wouldn't leave. Even adult gwenens weren't this big. He was considered average in adult male heights before, but now he was a giant.

He began to tear up, his eyes heavy.

Why was he upset? This was a problem to think about, not something to cry over. He didn't understand his tears. It was as if he was sitting next to this weeping giant watching it happen without much of a say.

Felix sighed and put his arms out. He needed to stay focused if he wanted to solve this.

There didn't seem to be anything he could do about his size in here, except take his medication. He looked at it.

Felix doubted this larger form was the only thing his collar prevented. If he took his medication and reverted now he would risk going through all that pain just to skim the surface. He wanted to know the full truth, but he also needed to get out of his room at some point. What if he got too big to fit through the door? He needed to face what was to come, but first he needed to clean up his face.

In the same wall as his bed were cubbies for anything he decided to put in them. They were made of a dense plastic and had built-in handles. Felix passed a cubby with a collection of cool rocks and snail shells to a cubby with soaps and brushes. He pulled out a tube of 'StainAwayForPlay'. It looked a lot like a toothpaste tube but was larger, and had 'NOT FOR CONSUMPTION' all over the bottle.

Felix pulled the dried blood out of his face hairs until it was soft again, but his face was still stained. He grabbed a handheld mirror from the bin, and looked to see what was stained.

He didn't get to see himself very often. A mirror wasn't hung up in his room, and the little amount of glass in the ADC only showed him a foggy image if he ever thought to look. He could still tell that this face was fuzzier than before with its longer fur.

He aimed the mirror at his back so he could see it. Black spots were always hidden there, and he almost never saw them without trying to. Most gwenens probably thought he didn't even have them. He supposed it was his own secret, well Una knew he had spots. She knew everything.

Felix aimed the mirror back to his face. He squeezed the stain away onto his finger and dabbed it on the stains. His nose twitched. The smell was sharp and citrusy. After he rubbed it around his face enough the stains were near invisible, so he gave himself a smile. It was a giant smile, with giant teeth. He hoped it wouldn't scare someone. His face lost its joy.

He put the stain away and the mirror back in the bin and tapped it snug in its cubby.

He walked up to the door and placed his hand on it. The door slid open, but he was too tall to fit.

Outside the door Una was sitting, waiting. From her perspective she couldn't even see Felix's eyes, just his chin and mouth. The rest of his head was too tall to be seen through the door.

Felix ducked down and walked out of the door.

"Hey Una," He said. He looked to the sides of the balcony for reactions. He found that he was more surprised than the gwenens that saw him. Artifexes were climbing around the balcony railings, chirping and grooming one another. He forgot they had started to live here. It also seemed the gwenens didn't mind them anymore. A kid passed an artifex on the balcony but didn't care that they were arm's length from a foreign creature.

"Shock. Felix you are much taller than you were yesterday. Are you ok? Do you need my assistance?" Una asked.

"Um.. maybe, but not yet. I stopped taking my gummies," Felix said.

"I did not expect this to happen as a result. Are there any other side effects not visible that I should know about?" Una asked. She got up and began to circle him like a scanner. He stood still.

"Uh er.. Like what?" Felix rubbed the back of his head.

"Anything that was not present before, such as chronic pain, mental lapses, etcetera," Una said. She got back to where she was at the beginning of the scan.

"Uhhh.. No," Felix lied. Why was he lying? He bawled before even though he wasn't really sad. He snapped into the cry and he hadn't felt that way before: delicate. Maybe it wasn't something to mention. Maybe it was just a symptom of terror. Maybe-

"We might have to watch you for the day in order to see the full effects of being off your medication," Una said, "Did you go and visit Error?"

"Yeah.." Felix mumbled. Now a resistance of anger stirred up in him, but it seemed nonsensical. Una's ears twitched.

"Say that again. I did not hear you," She said.

"Yes! I did.. I saw him," Felix crossed his arms.

"Did Error tell you anything that might help us protect ourselves from the monsters?" Una asked.

"Not really.." Felix felt his eyes begin to water, so he closed them, "Can we just, not talk about it right now?"

"Ok. Felix you seem distressed. Are you alright?" Una asked.

"...Yeah, I'm good," He hesitated, and chose to lie. Why?

"For your information two more gwenens were murdered in the same fashion as the others yesterday. They were also killed during the night. The lack of murders compared to yesterday might be telling of something, but I am unsure of what," Una said.

"Alright..You know what, I'm not really ready to tackle all that.. today. Let's just take it slow, ok?"

"I suppose we can, although I predict tonight will also have murderers and more gwenens will die. For the safety of-"

"No, no, I meant just for now. For now we can just chill. We'll do all that detective stuff later. Er, let's do some friend stuff now. My leg's healed, so we can go wherever," Felix said while gesturing with his arms.

"... Felix are you sure this is wise? You have already been gone most of the day," Una said.

"It's fine, we're fine. We're gonna investigate, but not yet. We'll get to it ok? Is that cool?" Felix asked.

"Where would you like to go?" Una asked.

***

Up on a giant snowy ramp Una waited while wearing a puffy jacket and pants. In her right hand was a snowboard. Other gwenens slipped past her on skis and snowboards and sleds. No matter how close they got she always stood stiff.

Felix approached up the slope from a wooden lodge like building at the bottom. He wore the same things Una did but his midriff was showing due to his size.

"They didn't have my size, and instead of a snowboard they gave me this door with its corners sawed off and some velcro," Felix said as he walked up the ramp. He showed her the door before couching down and wrapping the velcro around his feet.

"Humorous," Una said. Coming up the ramp now was Kid with Nick the artifex on his shoulder.

"Hey!" Felix shouted to them when they got into earshot.

"Hey!" Kid replied. He ran over, stopping next to Felix.

"Wow Felix you're a lot larger than usual..." He mumbled.

"Yeah, I know, thanks for the reminder," Felix sneered.

"Felix.." Una hissed.

"Everyone is big to me dingus!" Kid put his arms out.

"Oh.. no.. I'm a little on edge, sorry.. ... Well you are only eight inches tall," Felix said.

Kid smiled.

Felix stood up and put his velcro feet onto the snowboard. He held his arms out for balance. Felix never actually snowboarded before, but Una had always asked him to try it. Somehow only now it seemed appealing. He assumed it was because there wasn't anything else in the ADC that did.

He started to slide down the slope.

"Oh? Una... Una!" He began to accelerate.

"Goodbye Felix," Una said as she stood stiff and watched him. Kid looked at Una next to him.

"Ever watch a flea ski???" Kid asked in a zany voice. He then put his skis together and leaned forward to accelerate. Nick waved goodbye as they left.

Felix slammed into the lodge wall, followed by Kid who flew straight into the lodge doors. Una watched Kid trip off his feet just before the door closed behind him. Nick flapped up for the spit second she could still see them.

"Lol," She said in an emotionless laugh.

"Not funny!" Felix pried his face off the wall and took one of his velcro feet off the door.

"Something's funny?" Kid asked, sticking his head through the doors he just fell into. He took a step out back onto the slope.

"Yeah, you," Felix smiled. He took the other velcro foot off and crouched down to pick the door up.

Kid looked down at himself.

"Well I am pretty short..." Kid said.

The boys chuckled while Nick leapt back onto Kid's shoulder. Felix was hit in the side of his face with a snowball. He looked at Una but she was as stiff and still as ever, although she was looking at him.

"Oh yeah?" Felix dropped his 'board' and crouched down to dig at the snow.

"What is it Felix?" Una asked.

"You know what it's about. You threw a snowball at me so you're going to get it," Felix said.

"I have done no such thing" Una perfectly shrugged her shoulders.

"Huh.." Felix picked up his snowball and walked up to Una, "I guess I won't have to- YAH!" He threw it six feet from her, but Una caught the snowball before it could hit her. She held the ball for a little bit before crushing it into pieces.

"YOOO!" Kid gasped. Nick's eyebrows went up.

"No way..! Kid you try. Make a snowball," Felix said. The boys, including Nick, began to kneel on the ground and dig more potholes into the otherwise flat slope.

Felix was hit with another snowball.

"Hey!" He looked up but Una was still still.

"Yes Felix?" She asked.

"I know what you're doing!" Felix shouted.

"What would that be Felix?" Una asked.

Felix made a silly grin while his brows went up.

"You know!" He squeaked, "Actually. You know what?" He stood, walked up to Una and picked her up. She was still stiff like a board so Felix held her at his side like she was one. He jogged up the mountain several yards and placed Una there. He then stomped back down while skiers narrowly avoided him on their way down.

"You have a snowball?" Felix asked Kid.

"It may be just a pebble but I do have one," Kid said, holding a normal sized snowball.

Nick pulled a giant snowball from behind his back.

Felix was hit with a snowball again. He closed his eyes, turned around, and saw Una right next to him.

"HOW!?" He put his arms out at her.

"Laugh," Una said. Nick's giant snowball hit Una, causing her to fall over. Now on the ground, covered in snow, Kid slam dunked his snowball onto the defenseless Una. She wiped the snow off her face, "Ow, laugh," She said.

Felix stood up and bellowed a laugh while Kid and Nick followed by chuckling. His laugh faded and Felix noticed Tito looking at them just a little aways. It struck him in a shock as the gwenen approached them.

"You're..gigantic..!" Tito gasped while looking up at Felix.

"Yes, that's me. Felix Gigantic O One," Felix hissed.

"Ha!.. Haha!" Tito stuttered a laugh. Una sat up and looked to Kid, Nick and Felix.

"What?" Felix grunted.

"You can't hide it anymore! You're the murderer for sure now!" Tito smiled.

"What?! No I'm not!" Felix said.

"Don't play dumb Felix. The monster could be anybody right? They can look like anyone, turn anyone, and... you have secrets you aren't telling us right? About how you sneak around the wilderness?" Tito tapped his pointer finger to his wrist. Felix gasped, and then hardened his face to a scowl.

"Shut up!!" He barked. He took a step forward. Tito's ears flattened against his head as he realized the new threat, but Una stopped Felix before he got any closer to him.

"Maybe it is wise to have fun elsewhere.." Una said to him. Felix looked down to her, and his scowl melted away to shame.

***

At the top of the first ramp was a flat square platform with artificial pine trees.

Connected to the right of the flat square platform, was the second highest ramp. At the top of the second ramp was another platform, and to the right of that square was the steepest, highest ramp, with the highest platform at the top. The whole thing was a spiral staircase of ramps and platforms, and Felix and Una were sitting in a pine tree on the first platform, out of the three. It was just above the ramp they were playing on earlier.

Felix had his head in his hands, and his tail was holding onto a branch above him. Una sat on a branch across from him with her tail clinging to a branch next to her.

"That was so unlike me.." Felix pouted. He was trying not to tear up.

"May I take your blood?" Una asked.

"Huh?" Felix looked out from his palms, "How would you do that?"

Una took a knife in a scabbard out of her puffy jacket pocket, and then took the knife out of the scabbard. It was a surprising five inches long.

"You've been carrying around a knife?" Felix asked.

"Yes Felix. It is for protection, as I would not want a monster to get any closer to me than my arm and this knife's length combined. For now I want to use it to prick your finger," Una explained. She hopped from her branch to Felix's and shuffled next to him.

"Ah man... I don't wanna cut my finger.." Felix whimpered. Una looked at him, emotionless, "Fine," He held his arm out and looked away, "Tell me before you do it ok. Count down from three."

"Felix I have already finished," Una said.

Felix turned his head back to face Una. She had his blood on her fingertip that she then put into her mouth as if it was a sauce.

Felix grimaced.

"I don't mean to accuse you of anything Una, but drinking my blood's kind of weird. Especially since you only do things for very particular reasons, and now it's up to me to figure out why you just did that," Felix sighed.

"You could ask me Felix. I have nanobots in my bloodstream that analyze all of my body's functions if I ever need to understand them. This also includes an analysis of what I consume, like your blood. The program is called unaphysical.py," Una explained.

"Oh, well what does my blood say?" Felix folded his arms up on his knees.

"You also have nanobots in your blood, but they are dying. You also have an overflow of hormones in your blood. Since taking only a little of your blood, my body has spiked in testosterone, thyroid hormones, but especially in a hormone not identified by my databases," Una said. Felix wondered if she had blinked this entire time.

"What does that mean though? I don't even know what hormone is," Felix rolled his wrist.

"Hormones are chemicals that send information to your brain, causing it to react and change things in your body. For now, I'd assume these chemicals want you to grow, but the side effects for these can be irritable behavior. This is true even for young gwenens transitioning into adults," Una said.

"So I'm just growing up?" Felix asked.

"No Felix, I am merely making a comparison. What you are going through is not a process every gwenen goes through. Only yourself has these foreign hormones, and I predict these dying nanobots are what used to counteract your current hormonal imbalance," Una said.

"So I'm an alien then, because I have alien...chemicals?" Felix pouted.

"Not necessarily. These hormones might be a side effect to a disease or genetic disorder you developed at a young age. You have unknown hormones, but that does not mean you are vastly different than the rest of us. You may only be a gwenen with a genetic disorder and only that," Una said.

"Then why wouldn't my dad just tell me that?" Felix asked.

"People's motivations are not always logical Felix," Una suggested.

"But I want them to be..." Felix pouted.

"Felix, we have had a good time at the ski resort. Why don't we continue to investigate the murders," Una said, "There was a lack of murders last night, as well as talk about mysterious claw marks nearby Law Lake. Perhaps we should investigate."

"Mnn.. Not yet.." Felix looked down to the children running in between the trees of the square platform. Kid was one of them.

"Then when should we start Felix? The night is only around five hours from now. If we do not start now we will not have enough-"

"I don't know! Just- not now," Felix crossed his arms and tucked his legs in closer.

"You are irritable because of your hormones Felix. Try to think logically. I will be there to help you if-"

Felix put his legs out and slipped out of the tree.

He landed next to Kid who was hiding behind the plastic trunk. He had a snowball in his hand.

"What's up Kid? What are we playing?" Felix crouched over to him and whispered.

"We're playing capture the flag," Kid whispered back, "I thought I'd be small enough to sneak past their defenses but it looks like it's gonna be harder than we first thought."

Kid looked past the tree to the corner of the square platform. In the corner was a little snow fort wall with a flag sticking out of the top. Kids in colorful puffy jackets were trying to steal the orange flag, while others in orange jackets peeked out from the wall to toss snowballs at them.

Nick hobbled up to the fort in an awkward dash before getting clocked with a snowball thrown by the defense. He turned back from the fort and honked on his way back to the trees.

"Denny is the start," Kid pointed behind them to a sleeping gwenen in a snow divot. Nick passed the gwenen and turned back to face the fort.

"Got it," Felix began to dig out a snowball in the ground, "You go left, I'll go right."

Kid nodded.

The two of them ran through the trees, and then stopped in the clearing by the fort. The three orange jacketed defenses twitched around hoping to fake out the two attackers.

Felix did the same trying to figure out how to grab the flag when three defenders were looking to tag him out as soon as he stepped close enough.

Kid made a mad charge at the wall and dodged a snowball by leaping to the left of it. Once on his feet again, he sped up until he slammed into the wall, cracking it just a little. The remaining defenders threw snowballs at Kid's back, tagging him.

Felix looked to the crack in the wall.

As Kid ran past him to retreat to the start, Felix stood still and waited for him to tag Denny. The gwenen made it back to Felix, along with another attacker furred in black and white.

"Kid, I have an idea," Felix said.

"What's your idea, big guy?" The new girl asked.

"Are you playing too?" Felix asked.

"Yeah Felix, she's Madeline," Kid said.

"Duh. Why are you so big, big guy?" the girl asked.

"Just.. shut up about that ok? We need to focus on the game," Felix rolled his eyes.

"It's just a game dude, don't let it become a big problem," Madeline sneered.

"Har har," Felix sighed. He looked over to Kid, "I got an idea but it's only fun if you trust me."

"Mmm. Ok partner. Do with me what you will," Kid raised his arms.

Felix picked Kid up by his armpits and then held him like he was a long football. Raising him up, he took a step forward and threw Kid straight into the wall. The defenders ducked but the entire structure collapsed into a pile of snow on impact. Kid popped out of it laughing and with with the flag in his hand.

The defenders popped out of the snow to chase him as he made a mad dash to the start. Felix followed, each stride much more powerful than running was before. He didn't have a snowball with him, but wouldn't tagging them just send the defenders to the start??

They needed to update the rules, but he still could make a difference.

"Don't act like it's too late already..." A female voice hissed so close to Felix he mistook it for a fly at first. He stopped in his tracks, sliding in the snow. He twitched his ears around looking for the source.

Far off in the trees Una sat, watching the game.

"What!?" Felix shouted to her.

Una slid down the tree and walked up to him.

"Repeat what you said previously Felix," Una said. She looked up at him.

"Oh, nevermind," Felix looked back to the tree she was sitting in earlier. She had been too far away to make a sound so close to his ear.

"Would you like to start investigating now Felix?" Una asked.

"Uhh," Felix stuttered.

Kid, Nick, the defenders, and Madeline rushed back over to Felix. Madeline grabbed Felix's hand and dragged him back to the collapsed fort. Felix shrugged at Una and followed them.

Back at the clearing the kids stopped pulling Felix and began to gather more snow for the fort. Instead of building it up this time, they gathered it and piled it on.

A defender and Madeline looked to the progress before abandoning it to the others and running up to Felix. They put their arms up and jumped at him.

"Throw me!" Madeline pleaded.

"Nah aw! I should go first. I worked on the fort!" The defender debated.

Felix's ears stuck up. It was rare for people other than Una to actually want something from him.

"She asked first," Felix pointed to Madeline.

"Fine," The orange jacketed defender crossed his arms as his friend was picked up by the giant.

Felix took a few steps back before taking one forward into throwing the girl. She plopped into the pile of snow and laughed. At the sight of this the snow collectors stopped and ran up to Felix for their turns. They all held their arms up, including Nick who was still in a cast.

"Guys, I can only take one at a time!" Felix put his arms up before picking up the defender lad and stepping back to throw him. The lad smashed into the new pile of snow. He laughed, staying put for a little while.

"Noice," Madeline said after he landed next to her.

The other kids watched him fly and then turned back to put their arms up for Felix to pick them next.

"Ok, nuh uh, you guys can't just beg all at the same time. How am I supposed to decide?" Felix asked them.

"Mm," Kid mumbled, "Maybe a line for ol' times sake? Yeah?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright!" Felix pointed to the sky, "Make a line or nobody gets to be thrown," He crossed his arms as the whole lot of them scrambled for their place in line.

He spotted the defender and Madeline ahead of the others.

"Back of the line you two. You guys already went," Felix said.

"Aw what!" Madeline put her arms out.

"Just goooo!" The others hissed. The girl obeyed their pleas as well as the defender kid, and went to the back of the line.

Felix unfolded his arms and took to throwing each kid a few times, but after a while it began to tire him.

"I don't think I can do this for much longer..." He huffed, putting his hands on his knees.

"Just a little more," another defender said, who was next in line.

"We can play another game..." Kid suggested. He was sitting in the snow pile with Nick and some of the others.

"What would you want to play?" Felix asked.

"Maybe we can go sledding," Kid continued.

The others nodded.

"Whatever you say," Felix shrugged.

The group turned from the snow pile and walked on into the trees. As they passed Una Felix spoke to her.

"You wanna come? We're going sledding," Felix asked her.

"If you are asking my opinion Felix, I believe we should be investigating the nightly murders before it is too late," Una said.

Felix scowled.

"I'm not! Doing that right now..!" He held firm.

"Why do you refuse to investigate?" Una asked.

Felix sighed.

"I don't know. I mean.. what are we really going to find out huh? That we're battling impossible odds? I'm really just sick of all of it. I need a break. Is that too much to ask?" Felix ranted.

"Psychological health is important Felix, but in times like these it is up for you to decide if it is worth more than the lives of your fellow gwenens," Una said.

"So what? If more people die tonight are you gonna blame me? It's my fault just because I can't do this on my own? It's my fault because I can't stop something that's unstoppable?" Felix gestured with his hands in a pointed way.

"I never said any of those things Felix-" Una said.

"Then WHAT are you saying!?!?!?" Felix leapt up in the air in a pressured pop off.

"I am saying you do not have to do this alone," Una said.

The statement rang in his head.

Felix stood up straight and put one of his hands over his eyes.

"I'm sorry.. I just can't investigate. Not now," Felix walked off to the edge of the square platform. Waiting at the top of the lowest ramp was Kid, the three defenders, Madeline, and Nick the artifex.

"You ok partner?" Kid asked Felix. He had been watching the defense drag a sled over to the edge until now.

"Yeah.. it's nothing..." Felix said, wiping his face.

A sound. A voice.

"I can't even begin! to understand what they'll do if they catch us! We need to go!" It was a male voice, and familiar. Like the last voice it seemed to be coming from directly beside his head, if not, from within.

Felix tried to hold onto the voice's sound. It was so familiar. Could he match it with someone he knew? He thought of Tito's voice, the King Arch-Arnie, someone from Una's sports? No... It simply didn't match.

"Hey big guy!" Madeline tapped Felix's leg, "You can go on the first trip since you tossed us all around before."

"Oh? Thank you," Felix said.

"Huh? Haha! Say that again?" She smiled.

"I said thank you," Felix said.

"No you didn't! Say what you said before! The grrah grgurgle stuff," Madeline said. Felix shrugged at her.

"I.. don't know what you want me to say??" He smiled.

She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah alright. Just get in the sled big guy." Madeline said. Felix walked up to the sled, but stopped when deciding what part of it he wanted to sit at.

"He should go in the front because he's heavy so it'll make us go faster," a defender considered to the group.

"Then the nose of the sled would just dip dummy!" Kid put his arms out. Nick mocked him.

"Wah!"

"He should go in the back!" Madeline said, "If you guys wait here he can run up into the sled and you guys can get extra speed."

"Yeah ok."

"That sounds about right," the defense said amongst themselves.

There was enough room for three people in one sled, so the defender got in first, followed by Madeline. The sled began to slip down without Felix.

"Guys... guys!!" the girl shouted as the sled began to slip.

"Fall over!" Felix shouted, shaping his hands like a megaphone around his mouth.

The two stuck their legs out of the sled and planted them into the snow. This caused the sled to awkwardly curve around in a semi circular back up the slope. It was really pathetic, especially because they were far enough to have to yell.

Felix covered his mouth but couldn't keep from smiling. The kids trudged up the slope with the sled flapping in the defender's left hand. The two put the sled further from the edge this time.

"Oh shut it!" Madeline barked at Felix's smile, but she was smiling too. She got in the front, followed by the defender. They then looked back as Felix backed up step by step. He charged and tucked his legs in, hitting the back of the defender into a boost off the platform and down the ramp.

The entire craft tilted to the right. Snow was flying up from the front flicking itself into Felix's face. Through the debris he noticed that on the path they were on now would slam them into the wall before they made it to the bottom.

"Left!" Felix shouted. He leaned left while the others took a bit to figure out what was going on. They leaned to the left. The sled began to change its direction, but they were still heading for the wall. Felix held his breath as the sled flew closer to the right wall.

The male voice spoke up again.

"We can't escape and save them too. We will all perish under your ignorant belief that both those things can happen!"

"You're just afraid, and selfish," The female voice said, firm.

"And you're just foolish!" The male voice boomed.

The sled turned just inches away from the wall. Looking to his left he saw Una snowboarding past them down the slope. Where did she think she was going? His mood shifted awkwardly just as the sled made it down the rest of the slope.

At the bottom next to the lodge Felix hopped out and walked up to Una even before the sled stopped.

"Where are you going??" He pointed to her.

"I am going to retrieve your medication. You are in distress. I must help you return to homeostasis," Una explained.

"Ha! What?! Una the experiment isn't over yet. I'm not going back till I see this through. You just want me to investigate with you but you need to forget about all that! There's nothing we can do. Besides it's not like you can get my medicine. It's in my room and locked," Felix crossed his arms.

"I do not need to go to your room. I can email your father and get the medicine in the mail from him," Una explained.

"Fine, whatever! Do that. I'm not going to change my mind just because I take my meds. I'm having fun being big and hanging out with these guys," Felix gestured to the kids in the sled behind him, "You should be too."

"Who will protect them so that they live till morning? You are big but are you strong?" Una looked at them briefly.

Felix heaved a steamy sigh.

"..Stop acting like any of this is my fault!! We're not going to discover anything! They're getting closer! Heck, they're already here and they're multiplying! There's nothing I can do! We're all going to die! We're all going to die!!" Felix threw his arms around. Taking a breath, he noticed others looking in concern, but he stood firm.

"You must stay hopeful Felix. If we are dead we cannot be friends, and I would not be able to perform my purpose," Una said.

"Well get used to being unproductive. We don't have a lot of time left at this rate. Do you want to spend it with me, or doing something you only think is going to help me?" Felix crossed his arms.

Una stood silent.

"Well I'm not waiting," Felix took a step in the direction of the slope and then looked to the kids on the sled, "Come on! Let's continue our fun. Besides, it's all we have."

"Uh, ok," Madeline said. She shrugged at the defender and began to drag the sled back up the slope. Felix followed them.

Una watched. From behind her Tito approached.

"What a jerk. And not wanting to investigate? Doesn't that sound suspicious?" Tito said. Una snapped to turn and face him.

"I trust Felix, I do not think I can say the same for you Tito," Una said.

"Are you kidding me? Why wouldn't you trust me? I'm trying to protect us much more than bigfoot over there," Tito pointed up the slope.

"You were afraid of me until now Tito. I find that suspicious," Una said.

"There are worse things to be afraid of then you now, Una. Just, let me help you investigate. You know more about this than I do. I'm a strategist remember? A professional planner. With your information and my teams, I'm sure we can find a way to stop the beast, but if the beast is Felix you know what we'll have to kill him right?" Tito said.

"The monster is not Felix Tito," Una said.

"Uh huh, but look at him," Tito held her shoulder and moved her to face Felix up the slope, "He's huge, unstable, gun wielding, and getting worse. He might as well be a monster. As soon as someone pisses him off enough that gun'll come out and bam! Someone's dead."

Una pushed his arm off her shoulder.

"I already plan to get Felix's medication from the mail in a few minutes," She said.

"A little help never hurt Una. He isn't going to take his medication easily, and you can't stop a monster on your own either. Tell me what you know about him, and I'll help you protect gwenen kind, and that includes your friendship. Isn't that your purpose?" Tito said.

"If you kill Felix I cannot be friends with him Tito" Una said.

"Well then, eh, if he's the monster then we'll just lock him up alright?" Tito shrugged. He put his hand out for a shake.

"...Agreed," Una shook his hand.

***

Hours later Felix kicked open the door to the lodge, and ducked to hobble in. His entire being caked with snow. Kid jumped up in front of him and held his hand, dragging the laughing giant to a table in the lodge cafeteria. The others plus many more laughed with him.

"You should have seen that guy when I whipped past! I nearly hit him!" Felix laughed.

"I did hit him!" A little boy said, putting his hands in the air.

"He did..." another little boy said holding a cloth over his bloody nose.

Felix sat down into a chair.

"Oh gosh," He leaned his head back, "I'm dying for something to eat!"

"I can get you something!" Madeline said.

"No! I got it! What do you want?" The defender said.

"Just get me anything! I'm starving," Felix sighed.

The others filled in the rest of the tables and talked amongst themselves.

Felix leaned forward and put his head in his hands.

"Don't give me false hope..." The male voice said in his head.

"Mnn.. shut up.." Felix mumbled to it so nobody else would hear.

"Bam!" Kid put a cup of hot chocolate in front of Felix, "I know you didn't ask for it but I know I'm personally ready for some old fashioned chocolate joe myself."

"Thanks Kid," Felix put his hand on Kid's head and patted it. Kid stuck his tongue out in a silly manner. It made Felix smile.

Felix looked down the cafeteria. The lights flickered on that empty end.

A creature was sitting at the table there now. A devil wolf with a broken neck and ripped off lips, exposing its hideous teeth. It's head kept sinking down and bouncing as its neck was broken, but it kept trying to look at him anyway.

Felix stared at it in horror.

"Felix! I have pizza!" Madeline put the two square slices in front of him.

"I just ordered a lot of bacon..." the defender said with a plate full of bacon.

"Uh.. uh.." Felix glanced at the slices, and then looked back to the devil wolf. The creature raised a claw and beckoned with one of them.

Felix stayed still.

The creature waited, then, narrowing its eyes, it slipped out of its chair and began shuffling over. It's head was being dragged against the floor, clicking its broken neck.

Felix got out of his seat and stood up. He didn't take his eyes off the monster.

"Felix are you ok?" Kid looked at him. Nick hopped up next to Kid and looked at Felix as well.

"There's a-! Can't you see??" Felix pointed to the monster.

"...Uh what did you say?" Kid scratched his head.

"There's a monster! It's the monster!" Felix pointed to it again.

"Hey big guy. I can't understand what you're saying. You having a stroke??" Madeline asked.

"What are you talking about?!?" Felix yelped, "I'm speaking normal! Don't you understand??"

"...Just sit down and eat your bacon," The defender said.

The shuffling devil wolf made it to Felix's table and rested its hideous head there.

"Please..." It groaned.

"I'm sorry my friend," The female voice spoke up.

"Why," It gasped.

"We are not strong enough to break your bounds. Not yet," The female voice said.

"Cowards..." The monster hissed.

"Rest beast!" suddenly a claw struck the monster, slapping it from off the table and onto the ground.

The monster's head finally fell off, but from within the spine of the creature worms spilled and wriggled out.

"It's getting worse," The male voice said, "They're using worms. We should leave before it gets in our salmon."

Felix took a step back still looking at the vision.

Nick hopped onto Felix's table and then to his shoulder.

The artifex grabbed Felix's head and moved it to face him. He petted the gwenen's head and cooed in an effort to calm him. Felix heaved breaths of panic as he focused on the artifex.

"Nick... What's going on? You can still understand me right?" Felix breathed.

Nick nodded.

"What's going on??" Felix broke into a squeak as he shed tears.

"Oh shoot guys.. It's almost night," A defender said.

They all looked at the clock and some to their watches.

All together they began to get up, including Kid.

"Oh! Kid! Don't go," Felix said. Kid headed for the door.

"It. is. almost. NIGHT. Fe-lix," Kid said loud and clear. He pointed to his wrist as if he had a watch, "SEE. You SOON!" He stepped out the door.

The room was empty all but Felix and Nick. Felix looked at the devil wolf but it was gone.

"Was that real before?" He asked, pointing to it.

Nick shrugged.

"I keep hearing voices. Like there's two people in my head arguing all the time! And now I think I'm seeing things too, and nobody can understand me. I, I stopped taking my medicine. It was supposed to keep this from happening, but I only did this because I wanted to know what I really was! You're magical right? Your kind can travel back in time and stuff. Can't you travel back into my past and tell me who I am?" Felix asked.

Nick shook his head and pointed to the little watch thingy that was suffocating his wrist.

"It's not time? I don't understand.." Felix sighed.

The artifex shook his head and attempted to pull the device off. He then shrugged, illustrating that it couldn't be done.

"It's stopping you..." Felix breathed.

The artifex nodded.

"But if you can time travel then why didn't your future you warn you that this would happen?" Felix asked.

Nick covered his mouth and smiled.

"Puf! Pufpufpufpuf!" He chuckled.

Felix lowered his eyelids halfway.

"I don't know what that means but I guess there's no use in wondering about what ifs since we can't time travel," Felix said, "What do we do now?"

The lights flickered.

"It's night..." Felix whispered.

Nick pointed out the door.

"I get it," Felix said.

He stepped out of the lodge to the second floor corridor. The entire space was now dim and yellow, but in some places entirely black.

The space was void of gwenens, and so very quiet. Felix tried his best to echo the silence but his footsteps disturbed it anyhow.

He took a step back toward the apartments, which were on the first floor. He was just about at the opposite end of the ADC, but at least he wasn't at the sixth floor.

The lights flickered, and suddenly he was in another space, a tight flickering hall. It reminded him of the wilderness with its abandoned maze-like nature. These walls were lined with rusty pipes spraying, and the floor was a narrow metal grate with more pipes underneath.

"Uh!! Nick?!" Felix backed up into the wall. The pipes burned so he jumped forward off of them.

"Caw caw caw!" Nick crowed. It sounded distant. At least it meant this wasn't really happening.

"I'll, I'll try and come to you ok!?"

"Caw caw caw!" The artifex crowed just the same.

Felix began to follow the maze in the direction of the artifex's calls. He walked down a tight hall, and inched his way through a narrow gap, just keeping himself from burning his skin against the boiling walls. In the space afterward was a wide rectangular hall that was filled with what looked to be on and off valves as well as an abandoned computer station. At the end of the room was a large steel door.

Una was sitting on a bucket in front of this door.

"I thought you had a ship to catch," She said, crossing her arms and flicking her tail.

"We need to leave," Felix walked up to her, stern, "You're being ridiculous," He tried to grab her arm.

"You get off me! I'm staying here!" She snapped while pushing Felix's arm off her.

"We are all doomed if we stay here!! You're so stupid if you think you have a chance of keeping an entire army away from this place! Get a grip! We need to find another way," Felix boomed.

"I'm tired of trying to find another way! Every single time we go somewhere the monsters just destroy it. Don't you see!? All we ever do is mess everything up for everyone! Maybe for once I can make it right! Even if I die at least I would know that my footprints would never again attract the worst thing that can ever happen to a person!" Una yelled.

"We can't die! Not like this, not until we can find the cure. They need us to stay alive, everyone needs us to stay alive. It might never happen but we just have to keep trying ok!" Felix said.

"Oh please! You're just too afraid to die," Una crossed her arms.

"And what if I am?" Felix stood up straight. Una looked at him and paused.

"... WE'VE BEEN RUNNING AND HAVING EVERYTHING IN OUR WAKE DESTROYED BECAUSE YOU WERE NEVER BRAVE ENOUGH TO FIGHT BACK. I'M TRYING TO PROTECT SOMETHING FOR ONCE AND YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT YOU'RE JUST RUNNING BECAUSE YOU'RE AFRAID??? UNBELIEVABLE!!! ABSOLUTELY UNTHINKABLE!!!" Una screamed.

"We need to stay alive-" Felix stood stiff.

"Why? So you can hide away the very necessary genes to stop this? You'll NEVER take a chance to stop this. You said it yourself, this might never end. You don't really care about all those poor little aliens, you just want to be rid of the monsters so you don't have to hear it anymore. NEWSFLASH! The monsters are our responsibility, and the planets they follow us to are our responsibility as well. I say we kill every last monster. Then you can go into your little grave and die!" Una bellowed.

"That won't stop them. That just makes it worse. That wouldn't fix anything. The dead will just become more," Felix mumbled.

"Maybe It won't make a difference at first, but by directly facing the monsters I will finally learn how to defeat them. We discover NOTHING about the monsters if we hide away from them," Una said.

"You know fighting them is impossible," Felix said.

"You know nothing but your own personal needs.." Una hissed.

"Sorry then.." Felix crossed his arms and began to stutter, "Sorry for not living up to being a savior!" he began to tear up, "I guess I'm just so foolish for waiting to save the very miniscule amount of sanity I have left!" He gasped as tears started streaming down, "I guess now it's my fault that all those aliens are worse than dead now huh!?" He shrugged his shoulders, "It's not like you were doing anything grand before now right?? Finally decided this was the right time to change your mind and die so that you don't have to worry about this anymore either. Very heroic. All the monsters that you killed did so much to dent the eternal war we're fighting. Oh no, you're dead and you didn't change a DAMN THING!"

"You don't know that!" Una barked.

"And you don't know when an opportunity might come if we keep running! But I guess my argument is completely stupid if I also happen to be afraid to die!" Felix hissed. He turned to an exit hallway and began to walk out.

"Where do you think you're going!" Una boomed.

"I'm going to save the flubbin universe alone! I'm going to do it all alone!" Felix choked on his sobbs.

"You are a coward!" Una screeched.

"Yeah I know!" Felix gasped.

He heard some strange footsteps behind him. Turning around, the entire scene broke away into the black ADC halls again.

"Err! Come out! Call me a coward, but if you wanna jump me then save it for the hoard!" Felix hissed. He looked deep into the void for movement, then began to sniff the air, "This isn't funny! I can't believe you would do this! Forget it, I'm not looking for you!" Felix turned around but as he did so he saw the end of a tail dash past a more illuminated sliver of hall. He grunted. This wasn't who he thought it was. His ears swiveled, searching, his nose sniffing as he slowly stepped back, "Don't come any closer.." He hissed.

The dark suddenly reflected back red eyes. The creature flung itself at Felix and landed on his hip to attempt to pull Felix's gun out of his holster. Felix screamed and tried to pull it off. Tito looked to him and hissed, his torso extending into coils. The monster bit into the belt the holster was a part of while Felix stepped back and tugged at him. Felix finally picked his leg up and kicked Tito to the floor. With haste he dashed right back up to Tito and grabbed him, slamming him into the wall.

"Speak or die!" Felix boomed.

Tito wrapped his tail around Felix and stung his back. Feeling the attack, Felix pulled one hand off the creature and used it to pull a full force punch straight into his face. He wound back up again and hit another time, but in winding up again he suddenly felt faint. His arm dropped and he fumbled on his own legs down onto the ground. Felix gasped and tried crawling away, but his arms ran cold and unresponsive.

Tito picked himself up and held his face. His nose, although small and flat, was broken and bleeding. He was all wet and in danger of running low if he didn't clog it up, but Felix was so much more deadly than a bloody nose.

The monster limped up to Felix's face and crouched down. Out of his pocket he pulled out a syringe needle filled with a familiar teal substance. The label on it read 'Felix 01. NOT FOR THE USE OF CHILDREN'. Tito pressed the stopper in, letting the air out of the needle. Just as he was about to stick Felix with it, Felix's arm snapped to his neck like the strike of a snake. Tito tried to pry Felix's arm off him. Both of their eyes met, waiting for Felix to lose his strength or gain it. Felix's fingers curled deeper into Tito's skin. He got onto his feet, shivering. Tito's ears stuck to the side of his head in fright. How was it possible? How was he up again so fast?

Felix held Tito out away from him until even his tail was moving again. Tito's torso extended, trying to wrap around Felix's arm. Felix pulled Tito close to his open mouth and bit down on the monster's shoulder. Tito gasped. Desperate, he used the extra length from his torso to push himself just a little looser. With an arm free, Tito stabbed Felix in the shoulder with the syringe and pushed down the stopper until it had flushed itself down completely into Felix's bloodstream. Felix opened his mouth, letting Tito go, and pulled the syringe out.

Tito darted off into the dark as Felix looked to the syringe's label.

"What the?" a rush of realization came up his spine. He covered his mouth. He had bitten someone. It wasn't a really deep cut, but there were still hairs in between his teeth. He took a step into the brighter slice of the hall.

Long orange hairs had started to awkwardly protrude on his arms in spots. He pulled some of the hairs through his fingers. They were definitely his, and hurt when being tugged. Felix put a hand up to his face. Feeling it he realized the structure has shifted it slightly longer, like he was growing a snout. He put his palm on his forehead and rubbed it back. He winced as his hand passed more of those long orange hairs. Looking to the syringe again he sighed. At least it wasn't going to get any worse.

It had his name and that warning. This was meant for this exact scenario wasn't it?

The device was huge, and sharp. He wondered if it could fit in some type of cannon, as if the syringe was meant to be shot at him. Maybe that wasn't true. It just looked sharp and with a purpose enough to remind him of a weapon. A weapon to control him, to keep him small and sweet. Was this right? Was he better being small and sweet? Were these long hairs so terrible?

He wasn't a gwenen, no, he was something else entirely. Now he knew he didn't belong here. The walls of the ADC were not made to keep him safe. He was a fake gwenen being protected by creatures who thought he was just like them, or maybe they all knew. What did they want with him if they knew? How many knew? The walls seemed so tight around him, air pressing down on him from above.

"Caw caw caw!" Nick hopped out of the dark and pulled at Felix's leg.

"Will you take me back to my room Nick? Please?" Felix gasped, holding his head, "I'm all messed up..."

Nick nodded and hopped out in front of Felix. The semi-gwenen stepped forward to follow the creature.

Finally at his door, Felix put his hand to it and the door slid open. He ducked under the frame followed by Nick. The door shut behind him as he took a drawer out of a cubby to search for the hand mirror. When he found it he took a look at his elongated face and grimaced.

"I look like an animal..." Felix said, disturbed. His ears drooped, "And what's with these things!" He pulled at the oddly long orange patches. He whimpered and put the syringe and mirror back in the bin. He then stepped into his bed and sat tight in the corner, his tail wrapping around his ankles. Nick watched from the floor. The creature took out his necklace and his accordion appeared.

Soft, he pushed such a sad sound that shifted perfectly to another chord, and when that chord was done it became a melody of comfort and all things warm and good. It sounded like pastries and hot chocolate. It sounded like roller skates and pogo sticks. It sounded like carpet and warm palms.

Felix held his own palms together. His fingertips were harder than before, and them holding one another still couldn't replicate how it was like to hold hands with someone else. It was hard to tell, but he had probably pissed Una off today. She'd probably forgive him, as she wasn't allowed to distance herself too much from him, or so it seemed.

He'd have to work on that tomorrow. He needed to set her free from her obsessive programming, but she would still be angry with him until he investigated the murders. He was a witness to the monster himself, but he could only make out a blur of who this gwenen monster was. He had been so focused on his vision and protecting himself that he had forgoten all about the mystery. Heck, he even forgot he had a gun. His mind had been so split then, it was like he had been possessed by another.

Who was that creature who took over his mind? Was he someone to be trusted or someone who would cause him more pain to know?

As the chords changed again Felix let it wash over his thoughts. Pastries, hot chocolate, roller skates, pogo sticks, carpet, Una's palms... With his mind light he drifted away into sleep, only to wake hours later rolling around in pain.

***

The next morning he found himself on the floor curled up around the artifex. He sat up to see the room had grown in size, or no, he had shrunk back down. He looked to his arms, the orange hairs were gone, well actually they were on the floor. He felt his face. It was smaller for sure, just the way it ought to.

He leapt up and headed to the bin, his clothes sagging.

"Oh.." He sighed. He had to get dressed.

Nick sat up and opened his eyes.

"Oh, Nick, turn around I'm getting dressed!" Felix said.

Nick's head feathers went on end as he covered his eyes and turned to face the wall. After slipping into a clean soft shirt, underwear, and pants, and cleaning off the blood from yesterday's fight, he was ready to return to the world outside his room.

Felix put his hand up to the door and it slid open.

The gwenens below looked frantic, and cries could be heard.

It sounded like searching. Searching for people. Names were ringing out from their voices.

Felix turned to face in the direction of Una's door. Normally she'd be up by now sitting outside his apartment, but she wasn't there. What if something happened? Felix went across the balcony to Una's apartment and knocked on the door. He put his ear to it. There was no response. The boy's heart began to sink.

He ran down the balcony stairs and through the crowds of similarly panicked people. Someone grabbed his tail. Felix turned around to find Kid holding it.

"Kid, what's going on?" Felix stopped and faced him.

"Somebody took a bunch of people!" he cried.

"Where did they take them? Have you seen Una?? Where did they take them??" Felix asked. He covered his face.

"I was there! They took them to Law Lake! It captured all the sledders and the other guys from the lodge. Felix! We stayed out too late! I can't find Nick! I can't find him!" Kid sobbed.

"Calm down Kid, Nick's just over there," Felix turned around and pointed to the balcony above. Nick was sitting on the railing with his eyes half open, "I think he's still waking up actually... Er, did you see if Una was there too?"

"Oh.. oh.. I.. I didn't see her. But that doesn't mean she wasn't taken. So many people were taken Felix.." Kid said as he calmed, knowing Nick was ok.

"Then we have to find her in the ADC right? She wouldn't stay out too long right?" Felix asked.

"I don't know... I don't know.." Kid sniffed. He inched close to Felix and found his hand and held it, "It doesn't like this.." Kid took out his pretend wooden pistol, "It had me and all the others wrapped up in its long tummy. It fell out and when I picked it up the critter got spooked and left me behind."

Felix went to his holster and pulled out his revolver.

"Wait..Is that real?" Kid asked.

"Uh huh.." Felix checked the chambers and then put the gun back into his holster.

"Follow me ok?" Felix walked out of the crowd with Kid holding his hand. In a vacant hall Felix turned a corner and crouched down to Kid, "Kid, I'm going to be honest with you ok?"

"Alright.." Kid said.

"Monsters are coming our way. Beasts from outer space that want to hurt us," Felix said.

"For reallys? Not pretend?" Kid frowned.

"For reallys. I saw them out just outside the ADC's walls. They almost ate me, and they almost ate you too. We should've gone home so much earlier last night and it's all my fault for letting that happen to you and the sledders. They're probably all dead.. and I should have known better than to keep them out so late.." Felix avoided Kid's gaze and looked to the floor. He grimaced to keep from crying.

"Well then we gotta go shoot them varmints right?" Kid took his wooden pistol out. Felix looked up at him again, face exhausted.

"I.. I don't know. Kid, I don't wanna die.." Felix said, soft.

"Mnn, who says you will? You could also shoot the whole gang up and save the town right?... Right?" Kid asked. Felix sighed.

"There's another thing too. How I look right now, isn't how I really look. It's a trick, a lie. I don't know if I'm a monster like the one that attacked you last night, or if I'm just some animal, but I'm really mixed up right now because I'm figuring this all out all at once," Felix said.

"You look sad but that sounds really cool," Kid raised his brows, "What if you were an artifex like Nick!? I wish I was like Nick."

"I just wanna be me.." Felix smiled briefly.

"But what if you is an artifex?" Kid grinned.

"I guess that wouldn't be so bad, but I don't think I am one. I was big yesterday, so my real self is probably big too. Artifexes are really small," Felix put his hand close to the floor to illustrate 'small'.

"Mnn," Kid mumbled, "What if the sledders aren't dead?"

"Oh well..." Felix stopped.

"We have to see so we can save them!" Kid said.

"I don't know if we can do that.." Felix said.

"But what about Una? I looked everywhere and she wasn't anywhere. She has to have been kidnapped by the monster gang. You have to save her right?" Kid said.

"...I guess.. I guess I do," Felix sighed.

"Why aren't you excited? Felix you're going to be a hero! Nobody's a hero in the ADC. It's just pretend mostly, I mean, they're still gangs in the ADC and people still beat them up, but they never beat up no aliens before so you'll be the first," Kid said.

"But I don't want to fight aliens," Felix said.

"But you seem to know so much about them Felix! You're practically one yourself too. If you don't then who else will? I never met a guy with a real gun, and it seems to be the only thing the gang is afraid of," Kid said.

Felix thought about what would happen if he sent anybody else out to fight for him. If he sent Kid out there on his own with the gun, the child and the weapon would both be lost. If Felix decided to go out with multiple knights as protection, the best they would contribute would be their bats and arrows. He couldn't see it making much of an impact. The knights weren't really a threat to anyone but gang bullies, and all they had were bats. The knights would be eaten alive, or run off scared. They were just children after all.

He was a child too though, but he had already lived the horror and was semi-wise to it. He could tell his rescue party about the monsters and the wilderness, but he couldn't guarantee that they would listen. It was rather likely that they would become doomed as soon as they left the ADC. Not to say that Felix wasn't also doomed. He had a gun, but they outnumbered Felix more than any amount of bullets he could carry.

Still, was it really better to sit there and wait for it to be too late? It wasn't like Felix had anywhere to run. Error couldn't even run, and he could fly. Maybe it would be better to die doing something brave than to rot in the ADC even before he would be killed by what he feared most. He would still need bodyguards though, a team of who he trusted most for the job. They wouldn't be much but at least he'd be given a chance at all.

"Kid.. You're right, but I'm gonna need some help," Felix said.