010

I was in my room when I opened my eyes. Unable to move any of my body parts, perhaps out of exhaustion, out of strain. I looked down and I was still wearing the clothes I passed out on. "Haya? Are you there?"

"Pfft, you're finally awake. Though I lost you for a moment, luckily I managed to keep your heart pumping."

"How?"

"Manually." Her voice had hints of disdain, though I don't really know why.

"How long was I out then?"

"About a day." I heard three knocks coming from my door, which promptly opened as the Commander and a nurse came in. The nurse was carrying a tray with her, which she put down on the table beside me.

"Good evening, agent." The commander said as she sat down on a chair in front of me, "I'm glad to see you awake, can you muster your voice?"

"Yes ma'am." I struggled to say, "Yes ma'am I can."

"Don't force yourself. Frankly, I'm glad you managed to defeat that behemoth." Her voice and face looked thankful

"I'm glad you're safe ma'am. How did you survive?"

"The other agents dropped down in time. Didn't you notice them?"

"No, ma'am. I only see the entire crew under the debris."

She has an annoyed look on her face, I hear my door lock shut as the nurse left, "Please. You can drop the formalities and call me Cecil."

"Alright ma-, Cecil." Sweat trickles down my facial pores.

"You alright, partner?" I hear Haya say, "Your readings are off the charts, like you're way too nervous for this." I'm alright? Of course I'm alright, I don't know.

Cecil chuckles and stands up, "I'll be taking care of you today." She says,her voice echoing among the quiet room as she takes off her coat and puts it by a hanger.

"Why not the nurse? I don't wanna burden you." I told her, 'Haya, can you check what's wrong with the commander?'

"On it." Haya responds. Cecil then went to the kitchen, opening a cupboard as she looked for ingredients. "Ah shit," I heard Haya say.

Cecil stopped, closed the cupboard and stared right at me, into my eyes, "Agent Kinthos." Shit. She found out, "It seems you're inhabiting his brain again." Again?

"Again?" I asked her, she looked back into the cupboard and grabbed something. She turned around and grabbed a pan and started cooking it.

"That's not important," Cecil replied, she focused on making the food, aromatic. "What's important is, what's Agent Kinthos doing in your head, Marcus. Don't you remember the punishment for brain hopping?"

"She's…" I don't think I should tell her, no, really. There's no possible reason she knows, this has to be a bluff, "Not in my head, Com-... Cecil." And what punishment?

"I think it'd be best if I minimize my presence here, partner." I heard her say as I felt something go in the back of my brain.

"Mhm," Silence filled the room, the only sound was the sizzling of the food she's making. I couldn't tell what they were.

I still couldn't move my body, I don't think it's out of exhaustion this time. 'Haya, if you're there, can you check? Thank you.'

"The punishment for brain-hopping is complete erasure of memories for the parasite, and the host." She belts out, still cooking. It smelled burned now and there's a disappointed look on her face. I see her throwing the food off the pan into the trash, grabbing another can and trying again, "So I sure hope she's not there."

"Not here, I would've reported if she was." I tried to piece together a reply, hopefully, she won't know.

"Partner, you're paralyzed. Dosed. I'm trying to repair it but I'm not good at this stuff." Paralyzed, paralyzed… and dosed even. But who… who could've done this?

I saw the commander smile, "Bon Appetit!" She took a plate and put the food there, carefully. As if styling it. She then took it over to me, I couldn't tell what it was, I saw it being styled neatly, but I couldn't tell what the food was, "Here you go."

She took a piece of the food and slowly fed it to me.

"Good. I sure hope you remember the taste." She smiles, she takes something out… from my pockets, and presents it to my face. Haya's memory chip.

I tried to reach for it, though I couldn't move my body, I tried all that I could to grab it to no avail as she crushes it in her fingertips. Gone. "NO!" I yelled aloud, "STOP!"

"Agent Kinthos, Haya, won't bother us now. Hopefully. I know you don't remember me Marcus. But I'll make sure you'll never remember her ever again." She stood up, leaving the food in front of me, she walked towards the coat hanger, putting it on and arriving at the door, "Enjoy your last days. Agent."

The door swung open, and closed forcefully. Locking itself.