The balcony’s view, while ultimately lackluster, managed to provide a small amount of comfort to a conflicted man. The endless fog and trees reminded him of home.

“So, this is where you went. Can’t say I’m surprised,” Loki said as they approached him. “You’ve been smoking a lot lately, too.”

“What do you want, Loki?” he spat from behind a cloud of smoke.

“I don’t ‘want’ anything, really. It’s not my job to want much. I’m just curious about something, really.”

“And what could that be?”

“You’ve been acting quite odd lately, at least when you’re by yourself, that is. You still put up that stupid, grinning and cackling ‘madman’ persona around them.”

“I’ve got a lot on my mind. That’s it.”

“You’ve been like this since I caught you looking at that photo.”

“That has nothing to do with this.”

“You’re thinking about her. Abby, right? How long has it been since you last saw her?”

“I don’t know. Does it matter?” he sighed.

“You already know that it does. What are you trying to prove?”

“Does that matter either?”

“You directly killed a woman and indirectly murdered six other people, including someone famed and well-liked. I’d say it matters more than a little bit.”

“What am I trying to prove?”

“That’s what I asked, yes.”

“I don’t have an answer.”

“After all this time?”

Silence.

“Surely you must have some kind of an answer. Nobody does this sort of thing on a whim.”

Nothing.

“Or, maybe you do have an answer, but you finally realized how stupid it is, and how it doesn’t at all justify-”

“When I last saw her, she didn’t believe in me. She thought I was going nowhere, constantly getting told ‘no’ by every suit in the business.”

“So, it is about her.”

“It was. At first, it was. When I first got involved with Lucky 7 and planned out the show for Hugh, it was about her. I was ready to do something great and not just prove her wrong, but everyone who ever told me I wasn’t going to make it.”

“Like a child who wants to get back at the bullies on the playground. Cute.”

“Call it whatever you like. I don’t care. But like I said, at first it was about that. The show, the theatrics, the games… it was all just a spectacle to get everyone’s attention. But you know something? It’s not about that anymore.”

“Then why are you still doing this?”

“Because, for once in my life, I feel accomplished and important. And I did it all by myself. All the plotting, scheming… all me. I took control of the Twilight Strip, I created the first televised killing game, and I am the reason Hugh Stakes is dead!”

Loki applauded him. “Amazing! ...but why are you so melancholy, then?”

“It disturbs me inside to know that the only way I was ever going to feel this good about myself was to hold people hostage and watch them kill each other. What does that say about me? About society?”

“Alright, alright, let’s not go there,” Loki said with an eye-roll. “Look, you’re in this hole now, yeah? Let’s keep embracing the chaos! Don’t lose sight of the goal here. We want to show not just the people who told you ‘no’, but the whole world that the future of entertainment lies with killing games. This is the future! Someday, the title of ‘Ultimate’ may be more than just a line on a survey form.”

He gripped the railing of the balcony tight. “Of course… I spent so much time gazing at my own navel that I failed to realize what it all means… all the power I have right now!”

“Yes, yes! You have millions of viewers worldwide completely fooled! You have the attention of the United States government! You are center-stage, for all to see!”

“And if those infernal agents think they have a shot at me, then they’re in for a nasty surprise!”

“Of course, there remains one minor issue, sir.”

“What’s that?”

“When the game ends, what are you going to do? Surely then everyone will realize that this is real, then there’s no way out of the woods.”

“I will go underground. I’ll have already left my mark on the world. That’s… all I truly desire, in the end. Someone will pick up where I left off.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“If I am able to exist, then that must mean there are others like me. The system doesn’t create just one disgruntled nobody,” he reasoned.

Loki shrugged. “I suppose that is a valid claim.”

He flicked the butt of his cigarette onto the ground and stomped on it. “Loki, you keep an eye on everyone. I’m going to unplug for a bit and take care of some things…”

They bowed. “Of course. Everything will be under control, sir.”

“Perfect…” he said. “I must thank you for this talk. You… actually helped get me out of that slump before it got too out of control.”

“It’s what I’m here for, sir.”

“Right. Well, I’ll be seeing you,” he said before he vanished into thin air. Lingering particles sparkled in the moonlight.

Loki smirked as they turned and left the balcony. They chuckled quietly.

“Mason Freeman... Ha! It’s all so easy… what a miserable species."

Adel had been laid down on one of the guest beds on the second floor. Standing over him were Wands and Cups, with Jack sitting in the corner of the room reading Sewing for Dummies: Vol. 12. The explorer boy appeared to still be unconscious.

“Doctor, we’re losing him!” Wands shouted.

“You idiot, you are the doctor!” Cups loudly buzzed back.

“Don’t yell at me, you sexist! Now hand me the needle and thread!”

Cups handed her the requested items. “It is not sexist if you are incompetent!”

“That is true,” Jack said from afar. “He is not attacking your feminine nature as the cause for your foolishness--”

“JACK, SHUT THE FUCK UP!” the other two yelled at him. Wands unwrapped Adel’s bandages and assessed the wound.

“How dreadful… he’s gone and sliced up his whole arm!”

“Really? Is that your professional medical opinion?”

“Cups, do you have anything worthwhile to say? If not, I suggest you zip it…”

Adel began to stir. “Hm… wha-?”

*BONK*

Cups punched a nearby wall after Wands tossed her anesthetic tool aside. “Really? A hammer? Was that necessary?”

“I do not want the patient to have to deal with the emotional trauma of seeing his own open wounds,” she said. “It could damage the boy!”

“CAN YOU FUCKING SEW HIM SHUT ALREADY?!”

“Typical men,” she said as she began to seal off the cuts. “Always yelling to solve the problem. You’re just like my third ex-husband.”

“He sounds like a nice fellow.”

With some more bickering, Wands managed to sew Adel’s wounds shut and stop the bleeding, though his arm was very heavily bruised, so Cups re-wrapped it with fresh, clean bandages and put his arm in a sling.

“You know, we actually make a good team,” Wands said, admiring their work. “Do you think that, you know, maybe when all of this is done, we could…?”

“No. Absolutely not. Now give him a lolly,” he buzzed, pointing at the unconscious Adel.

“Fine…” she muttered, putting a lollipop in Adel’s sling. “Looks like he can join the others as soon as he wakes up.”