Infected

Switched

The world seems to fade in around you. Your hearing kicks in first, then you're finally able to open your heavy eyelids. Two thick leather straps bind you to the hard, metal table. You don't have a headache, which seems unusual, but you don't have the energy to move around. You close your eyes as exhaustion takes over.

A little while later, the door opens and footsteps approach. You open your eyes again, expecting Anti, Dark, or maybe even Dr. Schneeplestein. But it's none of them. Your tired eyes widen. It's Void.

"What are you doing here?" You ask, trying to sit up. The straps don't allow that, so you lay back down again.

"Shh, relax. I'm not supposed to be here," Void says as she approaches near your head.

"Then why are you here?" You question. "I thought you were wrapped around their fingers."

"What?"

You glared at her. "I also thought you were supposed to be smarter."

Void sighs and pulls up a stool. "The only reason I even listen to them is because--well, they're the reason that I'm even alive."

"I'm pretty sure I had something to do with that," you snap and twisted to look at her properly. "Though sometimes I wish it weren't the case."

You glance over at the door and see a security camera above it. "If you're not supposed to be here, then what do you propose to about that?"

Void stands and makes her way across the room, so that you can see her without having to strain your neck. She puts one hand on her hip and snaps her fingers on the other hand. A screen appears as if from nowhere. The feed shows you, still sleeping. You stare.

"I've got it playing on a loop," she says. "Nobody can see that you're awake, no one knows I'm here. And it's going to stay that way until I'm done talking to you."

"How did you do that?" You ask. Even though you hate to admit it, you're kind of amazed.

"I'm part of the computer. I can manipulate physics to do what I want," Void explains. "The only thing I have to do manually, is coding. Although sometimes I purposely don't use my abilities. That way, they don't realize I'm the one changing stuff. They can track that, you know."

You try to shift, though the task is difficult underneath the tight straps. "How much secret work do you do?"

"I have to keep myself occupied," Void says. "They treat me like DannyDarko, or PewDIEpie, but they still expect me to know just as much as they do. Which is why I'm here."

You watched her carefully, then said, "Continue."

"Listen to me," she said, almost earnestly. "You don't know what they're like. They're so--violent. All the time!"

"You think I didn't know that?" You ask.  "Who do you think they've been after for so long? Are you really this--"

"Don't you think that they would be nicer to their own kind?" Void cut you off. "They treat me exactly the same way they've been treating you. Doesn't that say something?"

"Yeah, it says you're horrible at your job," you snark.

"I haven't done anything wrong!" Void protests. "The one thing I've done is let Nate get away, and that wasn't even my fault! You know what they did to me then?"

You heistate, then say, "Well, judging by the fact that you're not nearly as beaten up as badly as you were before, I would assume that they're not doing as much physical harm as last time."

Void locks her eyes with yours. She doesn't break eye contact as she lowers the left sleeve of her dress. You take in a breath when you see the deep red gash on her shoulder.

"And that's what they did when I left someone alone, for what was supposed to be five minutes," she states.

"What's your point?" You ask. "They've done a lot more to me, just because I'm still alive. So I don't see what you're trying to say." You want to go back to why Void was even there in the first place. And, surprisingly, you almost immediately got your answer.

"Switch roles with me."

Your eyes widen. "What?"

"You heard me," Void says. She makes her way back over to near your head. "This way, you know what it's like to be in my shoes. Plus, you'll get away from whatever punishment they're planning to give you for sneaking into their 'sacred' Code Room."

You sensed a bit more hostility in her voice. Still, you ask her, "And what do you get out of this?"

"I get out of dealing with them all the time," Void states. "I don't have to worry about doing everything the right way all the time. And...I get to see how hard you guys have had it."

"Why would you want to learn that?" You question. "How do I know you're not just trying to manipulate me or, subsequently, my friends?"

Void watches you now, before answering with her own questions, "Why would I go as much as I have? If I was trying to manipulate you, why would I have looped the video? Why would I have bothered to show you?"

You heistate and take a big breath, almost like you're trying to stall. "Okay. You've made your point. Let's go for it."

You know you're probably going to regret it, but once Void releases you from the table, you realize just how much you've missed being able to walk around. Your bones give a satisfying crack as you stretch them. You tilt your neck and hear a bone pop back into place.

You and Void switch clothes, though she gives you permission to raid her closet for new ones. She tells you where it is, while the two of you do your makeup. Void has to do her makeup the way you would, and she has to remove a lot of her eyeshadow. She also has to imitate some of the scars, bruises and scrapes you had previously obtained.

You have to put on a thick amount of makeup, most of which is dark purple. While Void has to recreate your injuries, you have to cover them up. You also have to do your hair like Void's, and she has to let hers down. After a few minutes, you both examine yourselves in the mirror that Void materializes. You suddenly realize how terrifying it is to look like one of your worst enemies.

After gazing at yourselves for a little bit, you bind Void the way you were previously. As you head to the door, you turn back for one more quick question.

"Are you gonna fix the video?"

"I'll wait until you leave, and get a bit of a head start," Void answers. Then she adds, "And good luck."

"Thanks." You smile softly. "You too."

You leave the room and make sure no one is around before hurrying down the hall. After the door had been closed for a few minutes, Void snaps her fingers again, and the security feed goes back to normal.