The Mirror City

twenty-four

just like Willow

I never knew that Theo would have the same case as Willow. Being immune to the gas, but also keeping its benefit. He's like the male counterpart of her. But a more familiar face than I could remember. I wanted this to be our family reunion, but Theo just led me to a room filled with monitors and stuff. Along with a bunch of people he killed.

He kept repeating he has no time, the Office would come for him and they'll take him. I don't understand any of this, but I want him to stop for a moment. This isn't him at all. He's frantic like he's losing his mind. The kid I once knew, all gone, reduced to atoms. His innocent smile completely desecrated of its former glory. All I could do is watch him in vain. His hands trembling from the extreme force he used to maul his victims. The blood on his hands painted the keyboards and all the surfaces he laid his fingers. I heard him hide a whimper, perpetually trying to stop his tears. I can't blame him, it's been weeks since he's up here. I wonder how many horrors he'd witnessed. He's been hacked for fuck's sense. And since I know Mason's former job was for the Metrocity, they might've used him just like he did with Willow. Nothing more than test subjects.

“Are you listening to me?!" Theo called me out.

My eyes blinked rapidly as I refocus my attention to him. “What?"

He disappointingly sighed. “Use this key," he placed an oddly-shapen key on my palm that looks like one of the cards that Kane had, “it's your only way out of this shithole. I'll distract them, you find that tube and get out of here!"

“Theo, stop, what's the meaning of this? What's going on?"

“We have no time, Troy. The Office will send their best machines. We'll be wiped-out in a manner of seconds. You have to get out of here before that even happen."

He's running away from me again, frantically searching for some stuff that are somewhere along the trash. I couldn't help but look at him painfully, my little brother has been through so much. I hate it. I hate it very much. They stripped him his sanity, his innocence, and his humanity. He's now a former shell of the Theodore I knew. Part of me wanted to be glad because he's no longer the helpless little kid I associated him with, he acts like an adult now, threading along the responsibility he's supposed to carry. But I don't like this him at all. It's so unfair. How could they do this to you?

He wanted to lead me into some sort of another passage. I let go of his hand and it wasn't long for him to take notice. He quickly turned to me and started dragging me again but I stopped him quickly. He looked at me, his eyes asking for an answer. I wonder what I would give him. I answered him with my eyes, telling him exactly how I used to ask him when he was hiding something. He walked to a nearby wall and sat on the floor. He finally regained his composure and was able to properly breathe again. I followed him and sat nearby, brushing his messed-up hair, wiping some blood off of it.

“I'm dying, Troy. Don't know how long this gas would last." He sighed.

I nodded. “How's your reunion with your father?"

He looked at me as if I dug a painful secret. “He's the one who hacked me. I pleaded for him to stop. But the Office pushed him too far. It's not him, at all. I don't recognize him."

“Binded to a chair? Saying erratic things that only him can understand?"

“More like he's brainwashed. The Office fucked him up real good. He's no longer my father anymore. But I'm glad you found yours."