You Left Me With the No-Name

The devil wolf carrying Felix trotted far out of the Statue Chambers and wandered into the living Zoic Chambers. Vines lined the walls now grew large glowing fruits illuminating like lanterns. Bugs and birds chirped in an active ambiance. The wolf slowed down and placed Felix on the ground. They panted as a dog should. Felix looked up at them.

What first stuck him was this wolf's left eye. It was cybernetic. Una's implant. What struck him second was that her right eye was blue instead of red like almost all devil wolves he had seen. Felix sat up.

"Una..?" He said.

Her ears twitched at him but she continued to pant.

"Do you remember anything?" Felix asked her. She looked at him as if she was listening but she didn't say anything, "Una.." Felix said again. Her ears twitched and she faced him fully, "Una!" He shouted. Una walked up to him and barked, "Oh no.." Felix sighed. He rubbed her big head, but in relaxing she let her head go limp in his lap. Her whiskers tickled his face.

"Una I'm so sorry.. I couldn't save anyone.." He put his forehead to hers, "I don't think we're ever going to get out of here. It's all temporary. Error's been running from Dog for thousands of years and now the same guy wants me!" He sobbed, "Why is this happening? Only last year we were looking for what stuff we could ride on in the water slide. Now I'm public enemy number three and you keep getting further and further away from me..." Felix lifted his face up to look at her, "You don't even know who you are anymore... Well I guess that's true for both of us!" He broke into some sobbs and held his head.

Una grunted with concern and licked away his tears.

"Thank you..." Felix sniffed, "Can you even understand me? I don't know what language I'm speaking..."

Una looked away briefly in thought, and then faced him in a nod. Felix's face lit up in a grin.

"At least you still have that. Maybe we can get you to remember. We can even get you to talk. Devil wolves can talk so you can too... You just have to try," Felix held her head. Una thought about it, and opened her mouth.

"...Woof!" She barked.

"It's a work in progress," Felix smiled. He wiped away his tears.

Una's ears twitched to listen down a hall. She lifted her head up to face it, but then concluded that there wasn't anything there. She stood up and began to sniff the ground in search of something interesting to follow.

"Where are you going?" Felix asked. He stood up to follow her, covered in broken plastic armor, a dented bike helmet, spotted with blood stains and unnatural black hair growths, slightly disfigured by burns on his face, ears, shirt and back, and his hands only six inches apart still locked in handcuffs with a chain in between them.

Una walked off quicker than he expected.

"Wait!" he gasped.

Una looked back to him, her nose still twitching on a trail. Felix hobbled over.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so tired.." Felix sighed.

Una stood up on her hind legs and walked up to him. Now she was a lot taller than he was. For a moment she was one of the wolves in the Statue Chambers who jumped out of the shadows to ambush him. Those flashing teeth and booming barks. He held his hands out in front of him to try and stop her, but she ignored it and held his wrists. In a single motion of controlled strength she snapped Felix's hands away from one another, breaking the chain in between Felix's handcuffs. She then picked him up and placed him on her shoulder. While he was there she got back onto her fours so that Felix was now on her back. Una's nose faced the floor again and she continued to follow a trail. Felix rolled over on his stomach, trying to stay on Una's back.

"Where are we going?" Felix asked her. Una didn't respond. She just sniffed and trotted.

For a while that was what it all was. It seemed to be going nowhere, but there was nobody around. Felix folded his arms up around his chin like a pillow and dropped it there. He stretched out his legs and loosened his tail. He sighed and closed his eyes until the tap of Una's claws on the solid floor was the only thing on his mind.

***

Felix opened his eyes but his sight didn't change. Una's claws were still tapping against the solid ground, although it was softer now, like Una was passing through paper.

"...Una," Felix grunted.

Una grunted back, surprised that he was awake. Felix could feel her breaths quicken. Looking up and around little light sources began to appear. They moved slowly in the air like lazy stars. They reminded Felix of the bugs in the abandoned town when it was filled with grass. His eyes adjusted. A bug was sitting on a wall, but the wall didn't go up to the ceiling. It was a wall in space. It was a building, they were in the abandoned town after all. Una had been gliding past short grass. It was good for the grass to grow back. Felix had only avoided Dog the first time by the grass' cover. For now it was only up to Una's ankles.

The she-wolf was still sniffing and trotting. Occasionally she would stop to sniff the air or stay still to listen for other footsteps. Felix continued to rest his chin on her back. He assumed he had been out for at least two hours. He remembered one instance where he awoke briefly to find Una motionless, but was too tired to care. She could have fallen asleep then but Felix's memory was too foggy to tell. All he knew was that for once he felt all right. Big bright bugs hovered without pain or purpose. Maybe it was ok to live in this moment before he was thrown back into another microwave. The bugs didn't have to worry, why did he?

Una stopped and took many quick sniffs at one spot. It seemed to really catch her attention, so Felix pulled himself up to Una's head so he could catch a glimpse. He could barely make out the shape. The grass casted a shadow that blocked most of the form, but a bug was drifting over so he waited for the shape to become clear. Upon the bug's arrival the shape was illuminated and became clear. It was Nick, the artifex, but he was lying there motionless and so much larger. This had happened before. Felix thought of the picture device the last artifex had. Hopefully Nick wasn't dead. Felix hadn't been super close to the creature, but they were a team, and helping one another was their sport.

Felix slid off Una's back and crouched down to Nick. The mask of feathers on the creature's face had vanished and so had his feather antennae. Before he was only about three feet tall but now he was as tall as a gwenen, even taller than Felix. He also wore different clothes. Some sort of worn black hoodie with a colorful design on the front. He had grey jeans and sneakers that had holes in them as if he intended to wear them till they fell off his feet.

"You remember Nick, Una?" Felix mumbled to her.

Una sniffed his face, but Nick didn't flinch or even breathe.

"He saved us earlier. I think he knew this would happen... He died so we could escape but he knew.." Felix looked away, "Imagine knowing your own death.. And going for it anyway.."

Una made a small squeak of a dog cry.

"Yeah..." Felix sighed. He stood up and climbed onto Una's back, "Come on... We should probably head for the ADC. Dog's still looking for me, and we aren't so far from the restaurant where we are."

Una gave Nick one last sniff before continuing through the grass.

"You understand?" Felix asked her.

Una nodded.

Behind them a loud cough echoed. Felix and Una snapped their heads around.

Nick had sat forward and held his chest. Una's ears perked up and she bounded back to him. Nick heard this. He turned around, eyes growing wide at her. His entire body scrambled up into a run. He tripped and rolled over. Una stopped in front of him, sniffing him. Petrified, Nick faced Una and stayed down, mouth agape in terror.

"Nick? Nick it's ok.." Felix slid off of Una's back and pushed Una's curious snout away from the man.

"Is it? It isn't going to eat me?? You sure??" Nick said. His voice quivering, hands up.

"She's not going to eat you. Nick you're talking?" Felix beamed.

"Yeah?! So what? What do you want to know? Where am I?" Nick asked.

"Are you ok?" Felix asked.

"Hell no! What the heck's goin' on here? Where the hell am I? I don't know you rabbit guy!" Nick cried. His eyes kept darting around.

"Calm down. You're ok. You're ok! You're just confused. I'm not going to hurt you I swear," Felix said. Una panted beside him.

"Where.. Am I?" Nick looked to the starless sky.

"We're in the Highway Chambers," Felix said.

"The hell is that??" Nick gasped breaths.

"It's a place in the tower," Felix said.

"What tower?? You're not making any sense!" Nick said.

"Candle Tower. It's like a really big structure. Impossibly tall, incredibly wide kind of thing.." Felix said, making the outline of a tower with his hands.

"Like a skyscraper? Are we in a city?" Nick asked.

"It's.. just the one tower," Felix shrugged a little.

"Well how do I get out?" Nick asked.

"Umm. I'm not really sure," He rubbed the back of his neck.

Nick noticed Felix's broken handcuffs.

"You a criminal or something?" He asked.

"Hmm? Oh, not really. Why?" Felix asked, surprised by the question.

"Forget it.." Nick said. He propped himself up standing six inches taller than Felix, "You said there's no way out?"

"I'm sure there's a way out, but I've never seen it," Felix explained.

"So you've never left the tower? The candle? We're in a giant candle? You've never left it.." Nick took a step, trying to understand his surroundings.

"It's not really a candle. It's called that because the giant antenna on the top that looks like a wick, but yeah I've never left the tower," Felix followed the man as he took steps around, getting familiar.

"... Man.. This place isn't right..." He lost himself looking at the void ceiling.

"Man... Human! That's what you are!" Felix gasped.

"What about it..?" Nick stopped his mild wander to face Felix again.

"Artifexes and humans are connected, so you must be Nick's human," Felix put his hands together to illustrate 'connected'.

"Well I'm definitely not Nick. That's not my name," The man said.

"Oh, well then what is your name?" Felix asked.

"Er... I don't really got one," The man showed his teeth in an awkward frown, "That is funny though. Like Nick, like it's a nickname cause I don't got a name."

"Huh.. I thought humans had names," Felix mumbled.

"They do!" The man raised his arms, "Just... not me."

"But there has to be something people call you right?" Felix asked.

"Mnn. Yeah...." the man trailed off, "I guess you can call me Nick though... Better than what I had."

"Alright! Nick it is," Felix put his hands together.

"...Is this place where you live? Or are we going somewhere?" 'Nick' asked.

"We're going to the ADC. That's where I live," Felix said.

"Are we in danger...?" Nick asked softly. His eyes met Felix's.

"I'm sorry to admit it, but we're in terrible terrible danger," Felix sighed.

"I was askin' cause your face looks all beat up. You're in handcuffs..." Nick mumbled.

"We just escaped a cannibal restaurant. You.. saved us actually," Felix explained.

"Wait for real? I saved you?" Nick pointed.

"Yeah! There was a really big monster throwing this chain whip at us, and you jumped up and took the hit for Una so she could carry me away. I tried to catch you, but you fell under a stampede of devil wolves..."

"Devil wolves... Ok so this definitely isn't a dream because it's wayy too vivid, am I dead? Is this hell?" Nick asked.

"Uhm no, we just saw you almost die. You're alive, really, but I think you're just misplaced. The race of man doesn't live on this planet. Something must have happened to you to make you turn back into a man instead of an artifex. Artifexes only go back to being men when they go home the same time they left.. but then they don't remember... It's like you went home, but you're not home. You're still here! You're a man but you're not home!" Felix thought aloud.

"Bruh, what?? You're not making any sense..." Nick said.

"The original artifex was a man who wanted to take a break from his life. He was blessed by the dinosaur guy, no, spirit... He was blessed by the Dinosaur Spirit to go out and time travel, but he had to promise to come back the same time he left so it would be like he never left.

The first artifex went to the golden age of man and found that everyone was still sad, so he used his powers to make more humans artifexes as long as they promised to come back the same time they left and face their responsibilities.

They become humans again when they come home, and forget being an artifex too. You're a human and you've forgotten being an artifex, but you're not home," Felix explained.

"What? Do I gotta go home then? I would gladly, K. So far this place is giving me all the bad vibes, like heebie-jeebie type stuff. Something bad's gonna happen I swear," Nick said.

"I wish I could bring you home, but I really don't have any idea where your planet is, and what time you're from. I can't time travel besides going forward at the same pace as everyone else," Felix shrugged, "And even if I knew those things I wouldn't be able to help you anyway... As of right now everyone in the tower is about to be consumed by a horror," Felix sniffed.

"So that includes me right? The horror wants me?" Nick pointed a thumb to his chest while watching Felix, wide-eyed.

"Yeah... It wants everybody," Felix said.

"What does it want with us? What even is 'it'?" Nick asked.

"It's alien monsters, and they want us to be monsters too. It almost happened to me, but, my friend.." Felix turned to face Una.

"She's one of the things??" Nick stood back.

"I don't think she'll hurt us. She's scary, but I think she still knows we're friends despite everything.." Felix sighed and patted her head.

"What's different about her?" Nick asked.

"Ah..She used to look a lot more like me," Felix frowned, "-but she was brown with short circle ears, a round head, and her tail wasn't as puffy as mine. She was a gwenen before..." Felix gestured to each of his body parts in reference to Una. Una listened and looked at each body part that Felix mentioned on her own body. She was dark like a shadow instead of brown like oak. Her ears sat flat against her head long and triangular. Her head was more like a flattened cone than a sphere, and her tail had three ends, and was long, thick and bushy. He was talking about what she used to be, but it was hard to picture. What was this strange her she never met?

"What'd they do? Is she a werewolf?" Nick asked.

"Um, I don't know anything about werewolves.. but.. I.. I don't mmn.." Felix mumbled. He avoided his gaze.

"You cool fam?" Nick asked, standing up straight.

"Let's just go to the ADC..." Felix climbed up onto Una's back. Understanding, Una began to walk, although she didn't exactly know where. Nick followed beside them.

"Is that place safe? Is it away from the tower?" Nick asked.

"No.. It's in the tower. It's a little safer, but not for long... I thought I told you already, I've never been outside the tower. I don't know how to get out," Felix sighed, "Oh, Una.. We're going up there," He pointed to the stair tower going up to the Statue Chambers. Una stopped and looked up to it before heading toward the structure.

"What am I supposed to do then?" Nick asked.

"Just.. follow me alright? Nobody else knows more about this than I do, at least anyone you can trust or get a chance to talk to. It doesn't mean you'll get out alive or the same person you were, but maybe I can buy you some time," Felix faced him, but he didn't smile.

"... We're in a really bad spot huh.." Nick mumbled with hesitation. Felix looked away and nodded.

***

At the top of the stairs Una stopped and sat while Nick lagged behind. Felix nearly slid off Una while she sat.

"Oh my gosh! Why would anyone build this? It just.. It jus keep goin," Nick gasped. He looked up the spiral to see the end that lead into the statue chambers. He fell to his knees, seemingly unable to make it the short distance further, "Mmgfph!" He cried face down on the stair.

Felix rolled his eyes.

"... You know, Una can probably carry you if you're tired. I can even get off if both of us are too heavy," Felix said.

"Nah aw, I ain't touching her. She's gonna bite me and then I'm gonna be stuck here forever howling at the full moon," Nick said, picking himself up.

"That's.. Not how devil wolves work," Felix said. He turned his head to face the statute chambers. Devil wolves and Remcamen were eating out of plastic bins while leaning on the walls. They didn't seem to care about Felix.

Nick panted next to Felix and Una, now caught up. Una stood up on her hind legs. Making sure Felix didn't fall off with one arm, she used the other to pick Nick up. Nick kicked her but Una ignored it and placed the man on her shoulder. She then fell back down on her hind legs. Nick nearly slid off but Felix caught him before the lad slipped down the infinite staircase.

"What did I just say about touching the Una?!" Nick hissed, behind Felix, "I'm gonna fall off! This ain't a motorcycle!"

The monsters eating against the wall turned and looked at Nick.

"Would you shh!" Felix put a finger to his mouth. Nick followed Felix's gaze to the strange creatures illuminated by flame torches on the walls. Their eyes were on him. Nick gasped and leaned closer to Una's back to try and appear small, but he couldn't vanish.

"Una.. we're going to go down the hall to the left. Act cool. Don't run unless we're being chased," Felix explained. Una nodded. She walked out into the room and past the onlooking monsters. Felix watched them, waiting for them to follow, but they seemed too occupied with eating to care. When they were out of the room Felix sighed. He choked on the sigh. The next large chamber had a long line. It was the restaurant. He knew this, but had forgotten briefly while worrying about the eating monsters. He held his breath. A blue eyed bouncer was watching them. Felix assumed it was the same that had delivered him to Dynamo.

"Hey! It's you again!" She barked.

"Keep going.." Felix pulled Una's ear open so he could whisper into it. They were almost past her.

"Stop!" The blue eyed bouncer took a step into their path. Una stuttered a step around her. The wolf's eyebrows went up, "Oh hey! blue!" She pointed to her own eyes, "Mnn," The blue eyed wolf turned away as if she never saw them.

Una looked back before trotting out of the room and into the more narrow parts of the Statue Chambers. The lights from the restaurant faded to a complete void.

"...I would tell you the way Una but I can't see.. It's up to you... What do you think was up with that bouncer?" Felix asked.

Una grunted.

"She said something about blue. Maybe about their blue eyes I dunno.." Nick contributed.

"You might be right. Most devil wolves have red eyes. Maybe blue eyed wolves have a club where they help one another, like a class thing," Felix said.

"I'd believe it," Nick said.

After a bit of trotting around in complete darkness light echoed back into the chambers from the city. Una walked out from the Statue Chambers, past the new devil wolf greeter, and into the City Chambers.

"Hey!" The greeter roared as Una sped fast. Felix looked back at him. The wolf's eyes had gone white with black spikes.

"Go! Go!! Down this street!" Felix gasped. Una picked up her pace. Felix could feel it all coming back. Dog had caught them in his sights. They rode past the vendors but Felix could see them start to change. Their faces broke to lock onto him. They pushed past their booths and lines and got up after them. Shuffling, shoving, clawing each other to make way for their dash.

Una made it to the end of the road where the hole in the wall was.

"Stop! There..Oh no.." Felix had Una stop at the hole, but then realized she would never fit into the vent into his room. He sighed, and slid off Una's back. She would at least be able to fit through the wall, "Go ahead!" Felix gestured for the man and wolf to head into the wall.

From behind his arm was held back.

A remcamen had snagged it with a multitude of little black sticky tongues. Una jumped up on her hind legs and swatted the remcamen with a claw. The creature fell over. As it was getting up Una scooped Felix up and carried him through the hole in the wall.

The inside of the lost chamber was without much light besides the overgrown mushrooms.

Una placed him back down. Felix looked to her one blue eye and waited for it to change. He couldn't fight her. She'd cut him with those blades for teeth. Push him over before he could get up. Take him back to that bug eyed nightmare. He'd burn him, shout at him-

"You cool??" Nick snapped his fingers at him. Felix realized that he was still staring at Una, but she hadn't changed

"Oh! uh, Una, you're going to have to find a way for us to all get into the ADC. We can't all fit in the vent that leads to the ADC from here, and I can't see in here," Felix explained. Una's ears turned to face the hole in the wall. She trotted off and stuck her head into an empty apartment. From out of one she dragged out a rusty table. She lifted it above her head and wedged it in the wall they had walked in from. A remcamen walked up to the wedged table and tried pushing it. A devil wolf joined it, but the inside of a wall didn't give a lot of elbow room to attempt to move the table with. More piled in, getting stuck in the wall like they had before. A remcamen made a portal to the other side. Pipe hopped out of it, accompanied by the head of a raptor. The portal closed, cutting the poor native's head off. Pipe stepped over the raptor head. She dashed for Nick's ankles.

"Oh shoot!" Nick ran around Felix to try and psyche out the tiny mammal. Felix threw his body out at Pipe to tackle and catch her. He got her in his hands, but she continued to squirm. Felix stood up. Pipe stretched out and bit his hand. Felix took the bitten hand back and held her out with the other one.

"Pipe! There's nothing you can do to try and capture us, so stop!" Felix squeaked. Her tail wrapped around the hand he held her with. His other hand bled a little.

"Hand yourselves over to Dog! We're tired of chasing! I need all three of the Felixes! We must have them! Please please let me have them! I need them! Please please!" Pipe's corrupted white eyes teared up. Her face contorted as if the muscles were fighting against the words she said.

"Pipe it's ok! I see you. You're going to be ok. I know you didn't mean it. I'm not going to hurt you.." Felix shook his head.

"Y-you idiot!" She barked, "Let me be you! I need you!"

"You know this thing?" Nick cocked his head and lifted an arm. Una looked at him and copied the emote.

"She's Pipe. She's a monster I trust, I think she's hurting.." Felix mumbled. He looked at her. She continued to flail and growl. Felix sighed.

"Help me try to find a way out," Felix said. He walked through a decaying apartment on the first floor. Una entered a door adjacent to it. Felix had explored this place dozens of times, but the wall was the only way he had ever exited this chamber. Una looked under a dusty bed in an apartment and sneezed.

"How am I supposed to look for anything? I can't see for nothing," Nick said. He was still standing in the corridor instead of searching through any of the rooms the hall connected to.

"Just feel around..." Felix mumbled. He held Pipe away from him with his tail and felt the walls with his good hand.

"I would but I'm bou'ta put my hand on one of those things, and I am gonna scream if I do," Nick said. He folded his arms.

"If you find a monster then just let Una know," Felix said. He pulled a drawer out. Within was a flashlight, to which he took out and tested. The device flickered on until a bright, white, steady beam filled the room's corners with light, "Aha!" Felix smiled.

"Can I have that.." Nick mumbled. Felix turned to face him.

"Only if you help look for a way out," Felix growled.

"If I can see then sure," Nick said. Felix walked up to Nick and placed the flashlight in his hands.

Una barked.

The boys turned and walked up to the apartment Una was in. Inside Una was pushing a dresser over. Behind it was a doorway in the wall, big enough for all of them.

"Good find Una!" Felix said. Una nodded. The now devil wolf turned the handle of the door and sunk her head low to make it through, as these apartments were gwenen sized. The human and gwenen followed. Deeper into the forgotten chambers the walls were lined with pipes and valves. The narrow pipe bit didn't last long, as a short hall led them into what looked like a part of the ADC's first floor. Wide halls, tall ceilings and with varying doorways leading to separate unique rooms. Unlike the ADC, this place was in decay just like the rest of the tower. The real ADC was at risk of joining it.

"Well? Where to?" Nick asked. The flashlight awkwardly bobbed.

"I don't think I've ever been in here.." Felix said. He looked down the hall in the same direction of his vent. An unnatural wall had cut into the corridor, and the other side was the real ADC. He knew where his room was from here. It wasn't too far from Law Lake, and there was a hole in the wall there.

"Ok, We're just going to follow that wall down there," Felix pointed to the wall cutting through the fake ADC, "Beyond that is the ADC. We're on the right floor, we just need to find an opening and then we can relax for a while."

"What do you mean 'for a while'? Where else we going?" Nick asked. Felix began to go around while keeping the ADC's wall in sight. The wolf and man followed along.

"We aren't going to be safe in the ADC for very long. Once the monsters invade then we'll be done for. It's already started too. We don't stand much of a chance," Felix explained.

"So what? You're giving up?" Nick asked.

"Not yet, but I'm so tired of all this..." Felix shivered and crossed his arms to warm them, "I don't think there's any good things left in the world for me.."

"Same," Nick said.

Felix stayed silent, confused.

"...What was the last thing you remember before you got here?" Felix changed the subject.

"Why do you want to know?" Nick asked.

"I'm curious. You come from another world. I've only ever been in this tower. Tell me about something far from here.. Please. I need the peace," Felix said.

"Mnn..." Nick grunted, "The last thing I was doing was looking out a window at home... I had just like, finished up on another really invasive surgery, so I had slept for a while... When I woke up I was still really high on the painkillers, but the pain was finally fadn'. Basil and Bandit, my dogs, they were sitting on the couch with me looking out the window too. I live in a small city so out my window you can see all of the skyscrapers and people on bikes and whatnot. They always had it so much better than me, the people out there. I just started to think about how much I was jealous of them and now I'm here," Nick explained.

"That's when you became an artifex... You wanted a break and it was given," Felix sighed.

"And I'm supposed to be back at that moment..." Nick closed his eyes, "But now I'm trapped here, being stuck just a man?"

"As far as I can tell yeah," Felix said.

"What year is it?" Nick asked.

"Three hundred seventy two," Felix said.

"....Um. Yeah I don't even know what that means," Nick shrugged and chuckled. Felix did the same.

"Why were you getting surgery?" Felix asked.

"Hmm. The guys were using me for a project... Some sort of moon base thing. I don't wanna go on the moon or nothin, but it's not like I have a say in any of this. According to the government I don't even exist. I'm not owned by the government but I'm sure they'd screw me over just the same so It's not important. The poor starve and the rich get fatter. It's the way it'll always be, so I'm starving, and they're doin this-" Nick pulled the back of his shirt up, "-to me."

Felix stopped following the wall to look at Nick's back. Metal pieces sunk in and stuck out of his flesh but mostly his spine. The metalworking even went up his head and around his arms like some sort of electrical current.

"Oh wow. Are they making you a cyborg?" Felix asked.

"I already am a cyborg. They put this metal nonsense all up in my back. It's uncomfortable as hell. They literally could care less though. I'm less than human to them. All they care about is how fat they can get," Nick pulled his shirt down, " I wish I could... I.. Nevermind." The man looked away.

"It's alright. What were you going to say?" Felix asked, his ears perky.

"... It's stupid, I just, wish I could get em," Nick flexed his hands, "Every time I try to stop them or tell somebody they hit me, they stop me. One day.. I'm gonna make them sorry. I'm gonna get a gun or something and kill every single one of those sick bastards. I'm not joking either. I'ma gonna shoot 'em so much that their eyes explode and all their teeth fall out. Shoot them so much their wives can't recognize them. Just a pink goo..."

"...Oh.." Felix gulped. Nick looked him in the eye.

"What you scared? It's got nothing to do with you so relax. Doubt I'll ever get back. I think I'm gonna be here a long time.." Nick sighed. He put his hands in his hoodie pocket.

They walked in silence for a brief time. Felix looked down a hall and saw light emanating from the door.

"Wait, stop, look," Felix faced the doorway and turned his flashlight off. Una and Nick saw the light from the door. They headed over. Inside the chamber looked like some sort of abandoned coffee shop, but more importantly was the far wall that had fallen out. The other side was Law Lake. The Island in the center was crowded with artifexes.

"Haha! We found it!" Felix grinned.

"How do we get in?" Nick asked. He walked up to the edge and looked down into the water.

"Jump!" Felix raised Pipe up into his good hand and tossed himself into the water. Una followed in a cannonball move.

"I don't wanna get... whatever, here goes.." Nick jumped in after them.

The group swam up to the shore, with Nick lagging behind. Una shook the water off from snout to tail.

"Good idea," Felix shook out too.

"Hey hey!" Pipe shouted.

"Pipe! You're back," Felix stopped shaking to greet her.

"I was always back! You didn't have to nearly drop me in water or shake me!" Pipe barked.

"But you're back to being you," Felix cooed.

"Aw you're so sweet Felix, just makes me wanna vomit," Pipe stuck her tongue out but it was barely visible inside her pipe. Felix rolled his eyes.

On the Island was a large crowd of artifexes trotting about. They all began to take out string instruments and play. It was eerie and low so that it bounced around the walls, and some instruments were behind by a measure causing a ghostly echo. The song ended with the fading echoes. Water from the lake lapping at the surface was now the only sound. They flapped around again, out of their trance.

"What was that?" Nick asked.

"I'm not sure," Felix commented, "Artifexes know the future, I think. Maybe it was a sign..? or maybe they just wanted to play us something."

"These are artifexes?" Nick backed up while a couple of them looked at him. He backed up into a fake tree which had more climbing in the branches. He squeaked and walked off from both groups.

"It's what you used to be," Felix bent down and patted an approaching artifex on her head.

"They're stupid, that's all I know. Dog hates them," Pipe mumbled. Three artifexes in a tree shook and turned their heads into Pipe's head. They mumbled nonsense in her tone of voice.

"I heard that!" Pipe barked. The artifexes covered their mouths and giggled little dove laughs before jumping off into the air.

"Who hates artifexes??" Nick asked.

"Dog does. He says that if you capture one you can be rewarded in multiple ways. I'm not that dumb so I don't bother," Pipe said.

"Why does Dog hate artifexes?" Felix asked. He put Pipe down to better pet an artifex's feathered hair. The artifex laid on her back and pushed herself into Felix's lap like a cat.

"I don't know. I'm not that into politics. If I were to guess I'd say that they messed with his stuff or plans and he doesn't want to look dumb," Pipe said. She hopped onto Felix's knee.

"Maybe it's because they can time travel. If you're powerful then you don't want a time traveling species to mess with your power," Felix faced the artifexes, "Is any of that correct?"

A large chorus of bird giggles.

"They're laughing at you," Nick said. He was standing cross armed, away from the crowd. Una was sitting next to him, panting for fun.

"I guess I'm way off..." Felix mumbled. The artifex in his lap made a so-so gesture with a claw. She then grabbed his palm and dropped it on her face to be pet more. Pipe hopped from Felix's knee to the artifex's belly.

"This seems wrong. A giant rabbit pettin' a human bird. She was a human before so that's basically like a woman gettin pet by a dog. That's nasty," Nick said. Artifexes tried approaching him but he flailed his arms to scare them off.

"Humans can't get pets?" Felix asked.

"No!" Nick put his arms out.

"Huh..." He stopped for a moment, "Good thing she's an artifex," He continued. Pipe hopped up to Felix's hand, she then went limp like an object. Felix snickered and put his finger through her artificial shell and up to her little mammal face. Scratching her chin, her entire head extended out in a satisfied grin. Pipe's little brown and white head was only about as big as a rat's so Felix went around her ears with just his pointer finger, "Thank you for helping me Pipe..." Felix cooed.

"Yeah.. mnn.. Shut up..." She sighed. Her grin didn't fade.

"Aren't we supposed to be doing something?" Nick asked. Felix sighed. His smile faded.

"There just might be..." He said. He gave Pipe one last scratch and stood up. Pipe made a disappointed squeak. He walked for the water toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Nick asked.

"I need to find someone.." He hissed. Felix jumped back into the water and was heading for the main hall. Everything was sharpening in his mind. He got out of the water on the other side and continued to march.

"Dude! Dude wait!" Nick jumped into the water after him. Una picked Pipe up and followed.

Out in the main hall of the first floor Nick ran up to Felix's side followed by Una who had Pipe standing on her head. There were gwenens here walking and playing in the hall. They stopped and ran when they saw Una, but if they stayed, their eyes followed Felix. A broken leg was explainable. He had come back marked with scars only Death could carve.

"Where are you going?" Nick asked again.

"...Ditto," Felix said.

"But who are you trying to find?" Nick put his hands out, "Are we safe!?"

"Yes and no. This is important. I don't have to explain everything to you," Felix snapped. He kept his eyes on his path.

"... I'm scared. He looks angry and that's not very like him," Pipe whispered to Nick.

"Do you know what's up with him?" Nick whispered back.

"No. But dumb babies shouldn't look that angry," Pipe said.

Felix slowed down at the sight of Kid. The gwenen nearly fell over backward at the sight of Una, Nick, and Pipe.

"Felix!" Kid said, picking himself up. He shifted his gaze to the others, "Nick?... Una?!?"

"It's ok Kid, don't be afraid," Felix put his arms out to try and calm him.

"What happened to you?! Where are all the other guys?" Kid gasped. Felix couldn't look his way. He crouched down to the kid's level.

"They... They're not coming back..." Felix sniffed, trying not to break.

"Oh no.." Kid put his hands over his mouth.

"...Any idea about what he's sayin?" Nick asked Pipe.

"Crazytalk," Pipe said.

"Woof!" Una barked.

"Kid, do you have any idea where Tito is?" Felix asked.

"Last I saw him was the Brawl Bar," Kid said, "Why?"

"I'll worry about that ok? Just stay here and I'll let you know when it's safe," Felix said.

Kid shifted his gaze to face Nick. Nick avoided the Kid's glare.

"Yo, uh, bro the smaller rabbit's lookin at me," Nick raised his brows.

"He recognizes you. When you were an artifex you both used to play together," Felix explained bluntly.

"But what does he want? Is he gonna bite me or like what?" Nick asked.

"Kid's not an animal. He wants to understand what's happened to you," Felix explained.

"Tell him to quit it..." Nick said.

"How about instead I tell you to shut up," Felix stood up from his crouch.

"...I don't like your tone," Nick hissed.

"I'm sorry, alright, but the last thing he deserves is to feel alone right now. Stay with him, and Pipe can stay too since you both speak the same language," Felix picked Pipe off of Una's head and placed her on Nick's shoulder.

"You better be back. I swear if something happens I'm gonn' be pissed," Nick crossed his arms.

"Yeah, alright, I'll see you later!" Felix turned, waved and headed for the stairs. Una followed him.

***

Up on the sixth floor Felix pushed open the door of the Brawl Bar. He stood for a moment, scanning the area. Behind him the shadowy shape of Una stopped all to stare. Felix caught the shape of Tito and Sam sitting. They had their mouth's open.

"Felix..?" Tito barely took a breath.

Felix crossed the threshold into the bar, followed by Una. He didn't speed up to get to him quickly. Nothing could stop him from getting close, so there wasn't any urgency.

"Now Felix.. Haha!" Tito got up from his chair and put his hands out, "I know what you saw, and I understand how you feel, but.." He backed up but Felix kept on following him, "I don't know what you wanted me to do!" Tito backed up into a wall.

Felix threw his entire arm into punching Tito as hard as he could.

"Felix knock it off!" Sam got up from her table.

Una barked. Sam stood still, afraid.

Felix grabbed Tito's shoulders and threw him to the side, but the gwenen didn't fall. Tito turned back and kicked Felix in the stomach. Felix leaned on the wall. Tito held his arm back, but then stopped.

Una barked and snarled. Tito hesitated.

Felix swung a fist at Tito but the monster grabbed his arm. Tito had a grip on him so he held Felix in place and kicked him down.

Una barked and snapped closer. Tito backed into the wall as Felix got up beside him. Felix hobbled to a table and snatched an empty glass. Tito ran around the edges of the bar but Felix ran after him and threw the glass at his head. The monster ducked and covered his face but the shards still rained down on him. Felix picked up a chair and threw it at the monster too. This object hit, knocking Tito over.

"Enough Felix!" Sam shouted from her petrified spot.

"WHY!" Felix's head snapped to face her, "HE LEFT US TO DIE!" He stomped, and sobbed. He stepped over to the chair Tito was under before the monster could crawl out. He heeled Tito's head and then swung his leg back to kick him in the face. Felix leaned down to Tito and picked the monster's head up by the ears. He slammed Tito's face back into the ground. Felix let go of Tito's ears and put his hands around his face to cry.

"....Felix... Felix I'm sorry. They were going to eat me... if I..." Tito said. He spat out blood.

"Shut Up!" Felix sobbed, "They're going to eat everyone! But sure, it's fine if I die instead of you! That's what you said! I was in the microwave and you left me! You left me! You left me!" Felix cried.

Tito couldn't look at him.

"Look what you've done to what used to be your favorite athlete!" Felix pointed to Una behind him. Tito didn't look, "LOOK!!" Felix screamed. Tito's eyes lifted to face Una, "Una, Pumpkin, Zapps, Kevin, Janet, Olive, and Brian and so many others are dead, tortured.. Don't you care about them anymore!?" Felix asked.

"... I'm not a gwenen anymore," Tito gasped. His eyes teared up too.

"That never stopped me..." Felix shook his head, his eyes locked on Tito's, "Leave the ADC."

"They'll kill me..." Tito cried.

"I know," Felix said, "And if I ever see you again then I'll kill you."

Tito crawled out from the chair that was thrown at him and dashed out the door.

The room's eyes fell onto Felix.

"...What happened?" An athlete asked.

"Felix?" Another beckoned. Felix ignored them and went out of the Brawl Bar for some air. Just outside on the narrow sixth floor he put his back to the wall and rubbed his eyes. Una followed him, standing against the wall the same way.

"...Was I too harsh?" He mumbled. He held his elbows.

"Mnn..?" Una grunted.

"He's just scared... but I can still see him, outside the door, outside the horror I was in. I thought that he would save me. He was working for them. He had power and he used it to ignore us... Shouldn't that be punished?" He asked Una.

She whined.

"He had to leave.. He has bloodlust. He.. he would do it again.. He's the reason you don't remember anything you know..." Felix paused, "You don't know this, but you used to give really good advice. You can't talk now, and that's ok. I do miss you though, and your advice was something I always loved about you," He sighed, "You were right there. I take one step forward and the whole world comes in and takes you away from me. I'm standing right here but I'm the furthest I've ever been with the only person who would've noticed if I never left my room again. Now you don't even know yourself, and you're still obsessed with me because of that stupid cybernetic on your face!"

Una touched it with a paw, discovering it.

"If you're going to protect me and make me feel better then I hope it's because you choose to and not because your programming did. You're so far away now that I can't tell the difference. You can't even attempt to explain it. It's exhausting to try and make sense of it all. I just want to understand you, and be understood. Without that we're strangers. I don't want to be another stranger to you. I'm a stranger to everyone, and I don't want to be your purpose either. I just want to be your friend again.."

Una thought about it and then nodded.

"But you're doing this because you want to, right? Not just programming?" Felix crossed his arms and sniffed up snot from his last cry.

Una shrugged at him and put a claw to her head. She then threw her hand up away from her head as if something was leaving it.

"You don't remember..?" Felix asked.

Una angled her paw side to side in a so-so gesture. Felix took a moment to think.

"...You remember some things!?" He gasped.

She nodded.

"Hmm.. Do you remember the ADC?" Felix asked.

She shook her head.

"So what do you remember?" Felix asked.

Una poked his chest with a claw.

"Oo!.. Well of course. Being my friend is a part of your programming I'm assuming," Felix said.

Una nodded. Felix sighed.

"Out of everything your cybernetic still persists," He grumbled, "How am I supposed to understand the meaning of anything that you do? You can't control it..."

Una shook her head.

"...But you can't disable the cybernetic. It limits your actions. Doesn't it?" Felix asked.

Una shrugged.

"I wish I could understand..." Felix sighed.

Una made an odd expression as if she had caught something in her teeth.

"....Jth.. Just, trust," She stumbled on her words but luckily 'just' and 'trust' were very similar sounding.

Felix smiled at her.

"I, I will. Trust that you do things because you want to do them right?" Felix asked.

She nodded again.

"Well er. It's nice to talk with you again," He put his hand out to shake, "I'm Felix, that strange boy from before you were conscious.."

She shook his hand in a perfect calculated manner.

"Mroo..." She grumbled as if she was also introducing herself.