Shades of Gray

Dan

The chair was chilling, even through Dan's clothes. He had not even been with Echo for two days, but he had already started to contemplate the choices that got him there in the first place. Going as far back as to when he met Henry. How could he blindly follow someone without looking for future problems? He had gotten himself and Dan kidnapped! That was not what boyfriends were supposed to do. How does Echo treat his employees? He shook his head. Don't think like that. That's how he wants you to start thinking. His internal chastising was getting old and he was pretty sure his cheeks were stained with permanent tear trails. Echo was ruthless. He had Kadence in the room with him clearly whenever she wasn't at school. She was never very gentle with her flames. Dan carefully examined his blistered hands. He had tears in his eyes from just how painful they were. A girl he didn't recognize came in and out with medical supplies. The drugs she gave him never lasted that long, though. He didn't know why she would even bother. He knew he meant more when he was alive, but why let him live? It clearly hadn't done him any good. All he did, every choice he made, got him to where he was. To where he was probably going to die, but he wouldn't get to say goodbye to his friends or his family or anyone he cared about, remotely! He just sat in the dark, alone, mostly, until Echo entered and a new wave of torture began. He didn't know if they had treated Henry like that or if he was just lucky, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to endure much more. He heard the telltale sound of Echo's footsteps descending down the ramp, the seemingly only way out, besides the shadow-walker he had employed. Echo appeared and pulled their chair out to sit in front of Dan. 
"Good morning, how did you sleep? If you did at all." He chuckled.
Dan smiled. "Just wonderful. I love having the choice between the floor or the chair. But, what wonders do you have planned for me today?" Echo clucked his tongue but a smile tugged at his mouth.
"So impatient. One would think you'd begun to enjoy the pain. Imagine! You aren't a masochist are you?" Echo's tone was light, but Dan could tell there was a level of actual worry underneath it. 
"I'm not. No need to worry." Echo let out a mock sigh of relief and slumped back in his chair. 
"That's good. I didn't want to have to change our methods. But, since you are so eager, are you ready or do I need to come back later? Or, are you ready to talk?" Dan let out a large sigh and sank in his chair .
"What do you want to know? I don't know what I could possibly know that you don't already." Echo smiled but sank back in thought. 
"When did you start influencing Exodus's plans?" Dan was ruffled by the question. He wasn't expecting that.
"That assumes that I did any of the planning. What would make you suggest that?" Echo's laugh wasn't full of humor the next time.
"I know because I was you! I did all of the planning. I planned all of the strategy. It was all me. But Captain Night got all of the credit, and for what? To get thrown in jail? Ha! I don't think so." Dan was shocked. How did he never realize that Captain Night's plans had gotten more and more elaborate. How she had never gotten caught until she revealed herself. It all suddenly clicked in his mind. 
"Why did you get her back then?" Echo suddenly stood up and Dan flinched when he raised his hand. Echo shook his head before resting his hand back at his side and settling back into his chair. 
"I will ask the questions. Plus, you never answered mine." Dan shook his head.
"I started helping when I started dating him." Echo nodded. And Dan smiled. "So you know when that was?" Echo stiffened, shortly, but long enough that Dan noticed. 
"Of course I do. I needed to know everything about my enemy. I knew longer than Captain Night did. I just never told her because she would have used it all wrong, but no. I knew what to do." Echo seemed to grow in his seat and Dan suddenly felt the size of an ant. "Did you mean for it to come this far?" Dan's eyes shot to where Echo's should be. 
"What do you mean?" 
"Did you mean for the whole superhero thing to come this far? Did you mean to start questioning why you're fighting for him? Did you mean to start wondering what is would be like....to be allied to me?" Dan's heart stopped beating. How had he known Dan's train of thoughts not even fifteen minutes earlier? Echo's ever present smile returned with vigor. "Strike a nerve did I? I know everything. You'd do good not to forget that." Dan's heart beat was spiking and his eyes darted everywhere. 
"G-get out of my h-he-head." Echo's laughter rang through the room. Echoing off the walls and pounding into Dan's skull. 
"Oh darling. You're too cute." Dan felt something prodding around inside his head. He gasped and grabbed his head, squeezing his eyes shut. It felt like someone was shifting through his very thoughts and memories. Like in a photo album. He could feel the tears worming their way out and he didn't even try to fight it. It didn't hurt, exactly, but he could feel it like a bug running across his skin. Unwanted and untraceable. He could feel Echo staring at him with an intent close to murder. Dan realized right then that it was Echo in his brain. 
"please." His voice was barely a whisper. He couldn't believe how pathetic he sounded. "Get out of my head. I can't take it." He fell to the floor writhing. The invisible force rifled through his brain with a new force, now almost hurting. Dan panted and dug his nails into his head. He knew that no matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to get Echo out unless he wanted to himself. Dan felt Echo hesitate on a memory before, figuratively, clicking on it. Dan's vision exploded with the memory. He looked around and realized that he was no longer in the dark room; he was on the beach. Dan whipped around desperately searching for his parents. 
"Momma, Papa! Elsie! Where are you guys? I can't find you!" He called and called, but no one would answer. He yelled until his throat was raw and he could no longer make any sound at all. The fog that was all around him seemed to get thicker as he moved through it. He was panicking. He couldn't find his parents and he was lost. He sat down and started sobbing into his legs. He cried until he thought he could fill the sea he was sitting next to. Then, almost as if the gods themselves had sent him, Henry came running through the fog. Two stolen bagels in hand. He had the store manager chasing him, so he grabbed Dan's hand and dragged him through the fog into a small cave hole. Dan was sniveling but Henry handed him a bagel and sat down next to him. They had eaten in silence, the whole time Dan wondering if he would ever see his family again.
"Hi, I'm Henry. Sorry about grabbing you, but you seemed sad. So I got us bagels, but the big red man got angry and started chasing me." Dan smiled slightly. 
"I'm Dan. And thank you for the bagel." 
"No problem. It was fun too! I like you. Can I keep you?" Dan nodded and Henry took hold of Dan's hand. "I think we'll be really good friends!" 

Dan jolted out of the memory and accidentally kicked the chair. 
"So that's how you guys met. I always thought you met in highschool when Henry broke up with that one cheerleader." Dan shook his head. He had never wanted to relive that memory. As good as it was. He hated how it had come to be. His parents had abandoned him on a beach when he was six. He had lived with Henry until they both got kicked out when Henry had come out to his parents, so they had rented an apartment together. 
"Why did you choose 'Echo'?"
He thought about it for a moment before answering, "It reminds me of how a memory's echo remains even after everyone thinks it faded. How trauma and fear remain above all else. Like an echo." He smiled. "I think that's enough for one day." He got up and walked back up the ramp and out into the area Dan wondered the most about. Why was it that everything Echo said resounded in his mind like a gong? Why did his words hit Dan the way they did and how can he stop himself from becoming the monster he always feared he would be?

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!