Atlas collapsed to his knees. His whole body was racked with silent sobs.
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I knelt beside him and wrapped my arms around him. I gently patted him on the back. "There, there. Don't cry, you'll mess up your concealer." I don't know how to comfort him. Hell, I don't even know why he's crying!
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Atlas returned my embrace. "I lied." He said through our cerebral link.
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I tentatively wiped his tears with my sleeve. "What did you lie about?"
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"I do know him, or at least I think I do." He confessed.
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He didn't specify who he was talking about. He didn't need to. "How long have you known who Vindicator was?" I kept my tone calm and even, but I felt betrayed. How could Atlas keep this secret from me?
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"I didn't know! I still don't know for certain, it's just a feeling."
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I gave a pensive nod, trying to understand. "You think you know him, but you're not sure"
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For the first time in this conversation, Atlas met my gaze. "I think he's the one who ripped me apart."
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"Oh my God!" No wonder he was so worked up. I subconsciously fingered the scarf that covered the scars on his neck.
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Tears poured from his soft brown eyes. "I'm scared, Chase."
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I patted his shoulders. "Do you want me to kill that guy for you? Because I'll totally kill him for you."
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Atlas let out a silent chuckle. Then he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure you could kill him. You almost had him in your last brawl."
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At least he's still being sarcastic, that's a good sign. "Our first fight was a warm-up. You haven't seen me when my power is at its fullest," I joked.
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Atlas smirked at me. "You've changed."
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"I have?" I don't feel that different.
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Atlas nodded wisely. "You're not nearly as much of an asshole."
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"The past couple of days have humbled me."
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"I kind of like you when you're not being a total douchebag."
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"You know what? I kind of like me, too."
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"Thank you for being my friend."
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"No, thank you for standing by me." I ran my fingers down my scarred cheek. I'd still be wallowing in my room if it wasn't for you." Honestly, I didn’t know if I was ready for everyone at the party to see my new appearance, but if Atlas wasn't by my side, I wouldn't have even considered coming here.
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Atlas seemed to sense nervousness. He tried to reassure me. "They'll most likely be too distracted by your jacket to notice your face."
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"I hope you're right." I rose to my feet and offered Atlas my hand.
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Atlas accepted my hand and I helped him stand.
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"The party is going to start soon. Are you ready to go?"
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Atlas nodded reluctantly. He shut off our cybernetic link, then we walked to the room where the girls were getting ready.
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When we entered the room, we caught sight of the girls with their ears pressed against the wall.
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I loudly cleared my throat. If they're going to eavesdrop, they could at least try to be subtle about it.
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Katrina let out a startled squeak when she noticed us.
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"Were you eavesdropping on us?" Atlas signed furiously.
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"Umm, no," Marisa stammered. "We were just checking to see if you needed backup. Things sounded intense in there."
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"That conversation was private, you had no right to listen in!"
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"I wanted to make sure you were okay. Talking about Vindicator must be hard for you."
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Atlas froze. "What do you know about Vindicator?"
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A look of guilt flashed across her face. "Umm, not much. You fought against him in the Cybrawl, right?"
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Atlas shot her a cold, prying, glare. "There's something you're not telling me."
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Marisa stared down at the floor. "What do you mean?" Her voice trembled with every word.
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"You know something about Vindicator, don't you?"
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She lowered her head. "I don't know what you're talking about.
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Atlas forced her to meet his gaze. "You knew who Vindicator was, didn't you?"
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"How could I have possibly known that?"
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"Answer the question: Did you, or did you not, know who Vindicator was?"
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Marisa gave a reluctant nod.
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Atlas appeared calm on the outside, but I could sense the hurt and anger beneath his poised exterior.
"How long have you known?"
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"I've known for less than a day, I was as surprised as you."
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"How could you keep this from me?"
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"I wanted to protect you."
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"I am not a child in need of coddling! Stop treating me like one."
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Marisa flinched at the outburst.
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"We don't know his identity for certain, right? It's just a hunch." I said in an attempt to mediate the situation.
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Marisa shook her head. "No, I do know. He called me. I saw him remove his mask. I saw his face."
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Atlas wrapped his arms around himself for some semblance of comfort.
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I shot Marisa a dubious glare. "Why were you talking to Vindicator?"
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"Hey, he was the one who contacted me! He was the one who told me Patch was in danger."
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"Can we believe anything he says?" Atlas singed.
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"I don't know, but he claims he wants to help Patch," Marisa said.
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"He ripped me apart, Marisa. He can't be trusted."
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"I know that."
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"Never speak to him again, Marisa," Atlas commanded, then he stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind him.
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"Should I after him?" I stared at the closed door. It felt wrong to desert my friend in his moment of crisis. He listened to me cry for three days, the least I can do is be there for him now.
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Katrina shook her head. "Atlas is experiencing some big feelings right now. You should give him some space.
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I lowered my head. "Maybe your right." It felt wrong, but maybe it was for the best.
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I scanned the girls up and down, analyzing their outfits. Marisa wore a satin yellow gown with a sweetheart neckline. The sunny yellow fabric complemented her magenta hair perfectly. Katrina wore a slinky black dress with a large slit up the side. "I love your dresses!" I said.
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Katrina twirled around, "Thanks, I picked one with a slit in case I need to kick someone's ass during the party." She did a high kick to illustrate her point. She looked like she could kill a man if she put her mind to it.
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Marisa stroked the skirt with a concerned expression on her face. "Whose clothes are these? I feel kind of weird wearing someone else's clothes without their permission."
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"I have no idea," I confessed."I think the party is starting. We should head downstairs."
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"Oh, I'm not going to the party. I'm staying right here." Marisa sat down on the bed. "My anxiety has reached its limit. I'm not going on any more adventures today. You can message me when you get the map."
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"Why'd you get dressed up if you're not going to party?"
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She shrugged."Because it's fun."
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I stared at the bedroom door. "I'm going to go find Atlas. I need to make sure he's okay, and not about to do something reckless.
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Katrina rolled her eyes. "Go ahead, ignore my advice, that's fine. What do I know?"
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I would have responded, but I was already out the door. I spotted Atlas at the end of the hall, heading towards the stairs. It was almost like he waited for me. "Atlas, buddy! Wait up!"
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He hesitated for just a moment as I caught up.
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Atlas trudged down the spiral staircase with a determined expression. From the outside, he looked like a steadfast man on a mission, but anyone who knew him would sense that he seemed detached. Like his body was going through the motions, but his mind was in a far-off place where no one could reach him.
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I tried to lighten the mood. "You'll love this party, Aunt Marjorie is almost as good at event planning as she is at being a terrible person."
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I'm not interested in partying, I'm here to swipe the map and get the hell out of here."
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I raised my hands in surrender. "Okay, you want to focus on the mission. I can respect that."
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We silently continued our walk down the stairs, through the corridor, and into the
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The ballroom looked like a dream of shimmering silver and sparkling chandeliers. I hated to admit it, but Aunt Marjorie sure does know how to decorate.
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Atlas wasn't impressed by the decor. "Do you have any idea where your Aunt would keep the map?"
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I shook my head. "I try to stay out of her way as much as possible."
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"Let's split up and try to cover as much ground as possible."
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Before I had time to comment, he'd already marched away. Okay, I guess we're going our separate ways. I wish he'd ask my opinion every once in a while. I aimlessly wandered around the ballroom. I tilted my head at an angle that obstructed my scars. I know it was silly, everyone's seen the Cybrawl, but I wasn't ready for everyone to get a close up of the new me. I thought back to what Atlas said earlier. You're not ugly, Chase. He was probably lying to spare my feelings. I have to be at least a little ugly, right? If scars aren't ugly, then why have I never seen a model with them? Why do people that look like me hide their faces if there isn't something unsightly about them? Maybe we're not the problem, maybe it's the people who made us feel less than for things we can't control.
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I was so deep in contemplation I walked directly into someone, causing her to spill champagne all over the ballroom floor.
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"Hey! Watch where you're going!" The girl shouted at me.
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"I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there."
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She scanned me with a scrutinizing stare, then smirked. "Chase Huxley, is that you?"
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"Yeah, I'm Chase Huxley. Who the hell are you?"
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She shot me an irked expression. "It's me, Becka Helinski."
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I racked my brain for any trace of that name but came up empty. It must have shown on my face because Becka said, "Seriously? We've known each other for years."
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"Not ringing any bells."
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She rolled her eyes. "We talked a month ago, right before you disappeared. I was at Jaxon Wan's Tax Day Extravaganza, remember?"
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Oh, yeah! That was the last party I went to before the crash. "Sorry, I didn't remember, I had other things on my mind," I admitted. "Can you believe Jaxon Wan threw a party for Tax Day?"
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"Of course I can, he throws a party for every holiday. You missed his International Penguin Day Jubilee. He flooded the mansion with live penguins. It was truly a sight to behold."
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"Do you ever think maybe it's a little excessive?" I asked.
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"What are you talking about, Chase? You're obsessed with Jackson Wan's parties. You attended every single one last year. You skipped your mother's birthday party, so you could go to Jaxon Wan's Labor Day Bash."
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I let out a remorseful sigh. "I did do all of those things, but I'm starting to wonder what's the point of all this?"
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"The point is to have fun." Becka laughed. "What's gotten into you? You've been so weird since they replaced your brains with circuits."
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I self-consciously fiddled with my cybernetic arm. "Don't talk like that. My brain hasn't changed. I'm still me, I just got a few upgrades, that's all."
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"It was a joke. There's no need to be so sensitive," Becka huffed.
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"I guess I overreacted," I said halfheartedly. I peered over Becka's head and scanned the ballroom for any sign of Atlas. I hope he's not getting himself caught. I don't know if I can rescue him by myself if he's captured.
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Becka turned around to see what I was seeing. "What are doing?"
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"I was just looking for something." I shrugged. "It's not important." That was a lie. He was important, but I wasn't going to say anything that could alert Becka or anyone else to our plans.
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She scanned my expression, then her lips curled upward in a wicked grin. "You're looking for that cyborg, aren't you?"
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"What cyborg?" I played dumb, something I happened to be an expert at.
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"The cyborg from the Cybrawl."
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"I don't know what you're talking about."
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"The cyborg with the white hair. I think his name is Axel."
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"It's Atlas," I corrected.
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She gave a triumphant smirk. "So you admit you know him?"
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Damn, I walked right into her trap! "Um, maybe."
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She snickered. "It's okay, I'd be embarrassed if I came here with a cyborg too."
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I clenched my trembling fists, trying to contain my fury. "Have you forgotten that I'm a cyborg too?"
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She remained unfazed. "Yeah, but you're not like him."
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"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
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She gestured towards my cybernetic parts. "Look at you. You're just a person who got into an accident and got a few robot parts. He's something else entirely, he's barely human."
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I clenched my teeth and took a step towards her. "Don't you dare talk about him like that!" I spat.
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"Jeez, I don't know why you care so much," She said.
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I stormed away without another word. I can't believe I used to talk like her! I glanced back and noticed Becka was still staring at me. I ducked behind a nearby pillar to escape her gaze. During my grand escape, I smacked into someone. I gazed down to see Atlas leaned up against the pillar.
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"Did you hear any of that?” I asked.
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A somber look crossed Atlas's face, and he nodded.
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"I'm sorry about Becka. She’s a real bitch."
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"Thank you for standing up for me."
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Of course, no cyborg deserves to be talked about that way. Except for Vindicator and Oblivion, and probably a bunch of others, but my point still stands. She had no right to say those things."
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Atlas smirked at me. "Let's get out of here. I don't think this party is for us."
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"Yes, please! Let's get the hell out of here." I never thought I live to see the day I longed to leave a party, but a lot can change. I went from being the life of the party to someone who wasn't even welcome in a month.
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"Do you know your way around the mansion?" Atlas asked.
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I nodded.
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"Good. Let's split up and cover as much ground as possible. I'll search the left-wing, you'll search the right, and Katrina will search upstairs. You can contact me using our cerebral link if you find something."
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Before I had time to respond, he was already walking away. He needs to stop doing that!
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I followed Atlas's instructions and slipped out of the ballroom when no one was looking. I slunk down the corridor and searched every room. I didn't find the map, but I did find a wine cellar, a basketball court, an indoor pool, a sauna, a conservatory, and three recreation rooms. The only other person that has three recreation rooms is Jaxon Wan. Quite frankly, I think it's excessive. What does my miserable old aunt need three recreation rooms for? It's certainly suspicious. After scouring most of the mansion’s right-wing to no avail, I was losing hope. "Where is it?" I muttered.
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"Chase? What are you doing?"
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Dammit! I've been discovered! I hesitantly turned around to see who caught me red-handed. "Mason?"
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"Wait up!"
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I didn't move as Mason jogged towards me. What was he doing here?
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He patted me on the shoulder. "You didn't tell me you were going to be here tonight."
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I let out a nervous chuckle. "It was a last-minute decision."
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He narrowed his gaze and studied my cybernetic parts for so long I began to feel uncomfortable. I asked a question in an attempt to redirect his attention. "How'd you get invited to this party? Are you someone's plus one?"
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"Oh, your Aunt Marjorie invited me."
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I quirked an eyebrow. "Since when do you know my aunt, Marjorie?"
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"You've introduced us."
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I stroked my chin. "I don't remember you two meeting."
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Mason scoffed. "Well, your memory isn't anything to write home about."
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"Rude."
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"You still haven't told me what you're looking for?"
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"I am looking for..." I said the first thing that came to mind. "Drugs."
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"Drugs?"
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It's too late to take it back, so I'm going to have to roll with it. "Yeah, I've been feeling pretty uptight, so I'm going to take something to help me chill out. Aunt Marjorie keeps a stash around here somewhere. Don't ask her about it, she'll just deny it. It's her dirty little secret."
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Mason's expression fell. "I thought you were better than this, Chase. I knew you were going through a hard time, but I never thought you'd start doing drugs and fighting in Cybrawls. Who got you into this mess?"
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As much as I dreaded it, I had to keep lying. "I learned it by watching you!"
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He recoiled. "What?"
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"I don't know, I made that up."
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Mason let out an exasperated sigh. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
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I stared down at the ground. A lump formed in my throat. "So much is wrong with me. I have no idea how anyone puts up with me."
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Mason didn't object, and I'm not going to lie, it kind of hurt.
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I changed the subject. "What are doing down here in the right-wing?"
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He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I had to go to the bathroom."
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"Well, you're in the wrong place, the bathrooms are in the left-wing."
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He let out an awkward chuckle. "I'm a little lost."
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"You should hurry, the bathrooms are pretty far from here."
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He nodded but didn't move for a long time. Eventually, he said, "I'll see you around, Chase." Then vanished down the corridor.
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That was the one of the most uncomfortable conversations I've ever had. That's saying something considering I've chatted with Vindicator and Oblivion. What the hell is up with Mason? He's acting so strange. It's like I don't know my best friend anymore, maybe I never did. I shook my head and opened the next door. It led to what appeared to be a large, square office. The room was almost pitch black except for a small glowing lava lamp on the desk. What kind of billionaire CEO has a lava lamp. She needs to hire an interior decorator because she clearly has no taste.
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I stumbled through the shadows, searching for a light switch. Why is it so freaking dark in here? Then I remembered I had cybernetics. I adjusted my optics to the point a could see out of my cybernetic eye. Thank you, cyborg night vision! I scanned the room for anywhere she might have stashed the map when I noticed something in the corner of the room. I screamed. Oblivion! I waited for them to attack, or speak or do anything, but they remained completely still. I took a step towards Oblivion. It was a stupid move, I know. They remained completely still, like a statue. Then I realized it was because they were a statue. This wasn't Oblivion, it was a mannequin wearing the costume. I let out a breath of relief. What was it doing here? I reactivated the cerebral link. "Atlas, we have a problem."
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