It all started when you wanted to play pokmon. Too far back? Okay.

It all started when you were having sex with your girlfrie-. Still too much? Okay, It all happened when you and the guys decided to go to a party. For some weird reason, you wanted to smash a little kid's face in. So you end up killing him, but he turned out to be Amy's cousin. You're stunned by your own actions, but you don't have time to worry, seeing as the Swat Team arrive. You barely escape their squadron with the help of your Guardian Dave. He drives you to his safe house on the coast. Unfortunately, the Police still find you there, and you escape them by a hair. You drive around (From the Dave Cave, to Amy's house, to The hospital and back to Amy's.) and finally, both you and Amy try to make a run for it to Mexico. Stopped by a police blockade, you're knocked out, and taken away to the room you're lying in now. You have no idea what happened, where you are, or even why they would save your little murdering ass. Main Ranks: Narrator, Arch-Speaker, Demagogue, Orator, Voice, Lecturer, Presenter, Spokesperson, Mouth, Reciter, Acolyte ****** ...Dee...

.....Dee..... ........Dee........ "DEE ROGERS PITT!" you hear someone bellow. You look up to see a hooded figure. His face is shadowed and speaks in a low. grumbling voice. The only light in the dark room is from a single light bulb suspended from the ceiling. "....where am I....?" you whisper, rolling over in your cot. "That's not important. I'm Sean Johnassen." "I don't give a damn about who you are.... Where's Amy?" "In prison." You instantly wake up. She's in prison, yet you're not? It's your fault this happened to her

anyhow. This isn't right. "How is she in prison, but not me?" "When you were rescued, two boats came and picked you two up. One boat got intercepted by police patrol boats. The other one made it here. " he explains. "Any other questions?" ****** D) Where is Amy being kept? ****** You shake your head, and a dull throbbing makes itself known. Your hand wanders to the back of your head. Gauze meets your touch. "Careful," Sean mutters, floating silently from table to table. "You took a little flight. I've never seen a kid fly, but I suppose ramming a cop car and going through a windshield prompts such." Your eyes follow the cloaked "Sean", as he glides from one table to the next. You see books piled on one of the tables. The other is strewn with assorted glass work, strange liquids pulsating through tubes and beakers. A car full of memories slams headlong into your skull. "Amy!" Sean looks back at you, hands busily turning pages. "I already told you. Prison. Los Palos, most likely." You try to sit up. It takes a little more effort than you're accustomed to. A look down at your body reveals the cause. Your arms are covered in white gauze, spotted in places with crimson. You glance down at the rest of your body. More white. You realize that your whole body is covered in gauze. Either it's a little early for Halloween, or you're trying to cosplay that one guy from that Japanese cartoon...what was it, Detergent? A glance at your left hand reveals a small tube slithering into the gauze, feeding a strange green liquid into your hand. A grunt escapes your lips as you try to sit up. "Easy!" Sean comments, gliding from the tables to you. He flicks a switch, and the bed moves upward, allowing you to sit up somewhat awkwardly. "You're in no shape to be trying anything. Let the Medi-gel take its course."

"Huh?" you mutter. Sean points to the tube in your hand. "Medi-gel." He goes back to the tables, moving silently from one to the other. You muster up your voice. "Where am I?" Sean continues his work. "Right now, you're in my quarters. A small nuisance, but at least you've been quiet enough for me to work. That is, until now." His reply washes over you. "You woke me up!" you assert. "...and I'm not supposed to ask questions?" you add sharply. A clink of glass work. "A bit much to ask, isn't it?" Sean mutters. "Fine. Be quick about your queries; I'm not an encyclopedia, so I'm not going to answer everything." You think for a moment. "What are you, exactly?" Sean continues his work, unfazed by your question. "A doctor. I had the fun of reassembling you." You shake your head. "No, no...I mean, what are you? Some sort of Satanist? Wizard?" Sean glances back at you with disapproving eyes. "What Satanist would save you?" You roll your eyes. "Fine, I guess I get it. You still didn't answer my question." A small sigh escapes from Sean. "I'm a part of a cult..." "A cult!?" you interrupt. "What, are you gonna sacrifice me or something?" Sean sighs again. "Right. We save you so we can have the fun of killing you. Don't be daft." "Who is 'we'?" you finally ask, exasperated with the effort. "We..." Sean continues, turning his back towards you, "are the Cult of Personality." You muffle a small chuckle. "What, like that song?" Sean's frustration is made apparent by the slamming of a book. "Yes, like that damned song. There's much more to it than that. We have been the underlying society of everything you might know. Elections, celebrities...your music. You name it, we have a mouth in it." You think. "So, the election of Bush..."

Sean's hand meets his face. "A rare misstep. As for how it happened twice...let's just leave it at that, shall we?" Sean floats next to you, and lifts a small glass of purple liquid. "Drink this." Your slight reluctance is apparent. "It'll put you to sleep for a spell, but you'll be better when you rise," Sean assures. You think about it, and with a little nod, take the drink into your mouth. Its tasteless form works its way down your throat. It only seems like a minute when your eyes finally close. A darkness comes over you....when finally, it lifts. Your eyes open to the dim light bulb in the room. You quickly scan the room to find it vacant. Sean seems to have left. You look over to one of the tables...where a white cloak, white shirt, white pants, and white shoes lie waiting. A note sits next to the pristine attire. You look down at your body to find the gauze still there, but the tube missing from your hand. You get up. Wait, what? A quick shake of your arms and legs reveal that everything works. The pain you felt earlier is gone. You swing your legs off of the bed and make your way over to the table. You pick up the note and read. "Don this attire and make your way down the hall. Someone will meet you there." Odd. You take off the gauze to reveal your body...looking pretty normal for someone who just flew from a car. You put on the glaringly white attire. It's strangely comfortable...though white was never your color. What now? ****** E. Try and find a way out. Where exactly are we? ****** The flickering light bulb illuminates your white apparel, reflecting the rouge beams of light into nothingness. You don't know what drove you to put it on, this pristine cloth, or why you're still standing around. The cloak feels like a shroud of irony draped across your shoulders. You've been the complete opposite of the pure, clean white surrounding you. Amy's in prison, and the life you once knew is in shambles. And to think, this was the second life you've had. You got your chance to push RESET. Continue without saving. In any case, you have to find a way out of here. This place was good enough for a quick patch job on your body, and that's good enough. What the heck is a Cult of Personality anyway? Besides, that song kind of blew. You squint into the darkness, looking for any sign of exit. A small glint of silver catches your eye in the bleak shadows. A doorknob? You make your way across the darkness, reaching into the black. A couple steps further and your hand meets cold steel. Bingo. A

quick turn of the wrist, and the door gives way to a blaringly white light. The rays catch your eyes off guard, and you stumble back. Why is it so bright? A quick blink of the eyes and you brace yourself against the light. You step out. Those few steps lead you into a hallway, though it's starkly different from what you've seen in Sean's room. This hallway is white. Disturbingly white. Music video white. You blend perfectly into everything. Incredulously, you look both ways, hoping to see something resembling an exit...an EXIT sign would be nice. The quick look shows that you're in the middle, with white doors on either side. Seriously, you'd really expect some black curtains in here. Your choice of door falls into the classic choice-making process of the ancients, passed down from male to male, surviving ages of cultural cleansing and revival... Eenie, meenie, minie, moe.... Using the art of the ancients (including the 'My momma told me...' variant of 1902), you pick the left door. Seems logical enough, since 'the process' is never wrong. A quick turn and you plunge into the white, making your way to the door. It only takes a small walk until you arrive at the door. You turn the knob and enter, confident that you've found the way out. A voice rings out as soon as you enter. "Ah, the Acolyte has arrived." Well, you've really escaped. Should have added the "NOT" at the end of 'the process'. You gaze into the room you've just stumbled into. This room is uniquely uniform in its palate of color as well, as purple meets your eyes. Further examination reveals that there is no haze. A table sits in the room, and the chairs accompanying it are filled with other cloaked figures. Their cloaks vary in degrees of tint, from the white sitting nearly in front of you, to the gray reaching into the middle, and finally, figures cloaked in pure shadow at the end. The shadow at the end of the table extends an open hand to the empty chair at your end. "Please, Acolyte...do have a seat." The thoughts of escape vanish. As if Chris Hansen himself had told you to "have a seat over there" for talking to a 14 year old 'loligirl69', you find yourself compelled to sit. Soon after making this realization, you find yourself seated at the table. You try to count the number of cloaks at the table, but lose count after 20 or so. "Welcome Acolyte...to the Cult of Personality." The shadow's voice is clear and powerful, even with the distance set between you and him. "I am Arch-Speaker Fargoth, the presiding leader of the Cult. Do not be daunted by the word 'cult', as it carries a much broader meaning than what you might be accustomed to."

You shift nervously. The Arch-Speaker's words are piercing...yet soothing. You feel almost welcome. "We are a secret society," the Arch-Speaker continues. "Our society serves as the underlying voice of everything you know...we are influence incarnate." Sean's explanation resurfaces in your head. Your interest peaks. "I understand there was someone else with you...a girl." You peer into the shadows at the end of the table. "Yes...Arch-Speaker...Amy. My girlfriend." The Arch-Speaker raises his hand to stop you. "Yes. I'm assuming you have the intention of freeing her." Your voice fills with strength. "Yes, Arch-Speaker. I will free her." Mumbles and whispers fill the room. Cloaks turn to each other to exchange muffled noise. The Arch-Speaker raises his hand again, and whispers give way to dead silence. "Tenacious. A useful trait...if honed to a fine point. Perhaps...we may be able to help you achieve your goal." The Arch-Speaker's words strike you. It sounds almost too good to be true...but you believe him. You raise your voice. "How?" The Arch-Speaker raises his arms. "We, as the Cult of Personality, are masters of the spoken word. We use the voice as a lock pick...a delicate tool into the locks of minds. Persuasion and influence are among the many talents in our repertoire." Your eyes reach into the darkness. "With all due respect, Arch-Speaker...you're saying I could talk my way into freeing Amy?" The Arch-Speaker folds his hands together. "What I am offering to you, Acolyte...is the opportunity to learn how use your voice as a tool. Perhaps, within your studies...you could find a way to free Amy. The Cult Of Personality is secret, yet very expansive. What you see before you is but a minuscule representation of our society. Proving yourself to be an able member may sway other members to help you achieve your goal." You glance around the table. It seems too good to be true...but you don't notice anything weird about this cult. The Arch-Speaker's words seem truthful enough. Besides...the more help you can get, the better.

"I accept the offer, Arch-Speaker." "Excellent, Acolyte. Since you have already been acquainted with Sean the Voice, you shall serve under him. Ask of him what you inquire, and he will do his best to guide you." A dark gray cloak rises from the table. "I thank you for the opportunity, Arch-Speaker. I shall do my best to guide the Acolyte." The Arch-Speaker raises his hand. "Then it is so. Adjourned." The cloaks rise from the table and begin a somewhat orderly dispersal through different doors. A dark gray cloak appears next to you in the slight confusion. "Follow me." Your eyes turn to meet Sean's, and you follow him back through the door into the white hallway, and back into his quarters. The dim lighting meets you as you walk in, your eyes attempting to adjust back to the dull glare of the bare bulb. "So," Sean mutters, turning to meet your stare, "I'm sure you have questions. Since I'm your ward, go ahead. What's on your mind?" You think for a moment. "What's with the colors?" "The colors of our clothes represent our experience within the Cult. The darker it is, the more experience. Your clothing naturally darkens according to your experience. Old enchantment. As you can see...(Sean points to his cloak and to yours)...my cloak is quite darker than yours. This tells you that I have been involved in the art of words for some time. Your pure white cloak and clothing represent the purity of your words. You've yet to learn how to alter your speech...but in due time, Acolyte." "Acolyte?" "Your rank. Newest members are Acolytes. I'm a Voice. There's tons of other ranks and such...but that's only for addressing other members. It's usually apparent by color who you're talking to." You try your best to absorb the information given to you. It seems like you have the bare basics of the Cult. Time to get to business. Sean's stare is inquisitive. "Anything else, Acolyte?" ****** B. "So...where do I begin my studies?" ****** With all the information you've absorbed, you feel ready to begin. Amy isn't going to save

herself. "So," you begin, clapping your hands together, "Where do I begin in my studies?" Sean turns and retrieves a book from one of the tables. A quick dust-off with his hand reveals a leathery tome. A quick inspection, and he hands it to you. "The Acolytes assemble for basics every day after lunch. It's not required of you to attend, but it is recommended if you're looking for a start." You glance about the room. "What time is it?" Sean produces a small pocket watch from his interior cloak pocket. A glance. "Actually...it is almost lunchtime. Come with me...I'll try and show you around the complex." You nod, and Sean leads you from the darkened chamber back into the glaring white chamber. Your eyes spend time again adjusting to the sharp contrast. This prompts you to ask, "What's with the white hallway?" Sean answers while leading you to the right, past other white doors you didn't notice on your first journey. "These are the Acolyte's quarters. This is where the Acolytes who choose to reside in the complex keep quarters. I, as a ranking member, keep my quarters here, so as to serve as a mentor and mediator to Acolytes in need." You follow Sean to the end of the hallway, towards the door you didn't choose. He suddenly turns right, revealing more hallway. "The color of the hallway also serves as something of a benchmark. As your experience grows, the darker your clothes will become. You'll soon realize your progress when you see the difference between your clothing and the hall," Sean continues. "Does that mean that I have a room here?" "Yes," Sean comments, leading you further down the hallway to a white door at the end. "As to where it is, that has yet to be determined. That will probably be decided when you meet with the Acolytes later." Sean opens the door and allows you to enter first. You step through the door and find yourself in an expansive, gray room. There are tables spread throughout, with several other bookshelves and other amenities spread throughout the room. A TV and couch sit in a corner. Gray-cloaked figures fill the room, seemingly busy amongst themselves. Sean spreads his arms. "This is the common room for members ranging from Mouths to Voices. Each 'division', so to speak, has their own common room. You can find almost anything you need in these rooms." You follow Sean through the room, noticing cloaks turning to notice the only white being in the room. A light gray figure approaches Sean.

"Sean? Sean the Voice?" the light gray figure inquires. "Yes. How does it feel to be a Mouth, Jacob?" Sean acknowledges the gray figure with a handshake. "It's something else, Sean." Jacob replies. His eyes turn to you. "You must be the new Acolyte...Pitt?" You nod. "Yeah, I'm Pitt. Dee Pitt." "Ah," Jacob responds. "I've heard things about you. Promising things. Anyway, welcome to the Cult." "Thanks." you reply. Sean exchanges a few words with Jacob, and after a farewell, you continue following Sean through the room and through another door. This door leads you into a large, neutral light brown room. Long aisles of tables protrude from the walls, cutting a large middle aisle into the room. A glance to the far side of the room makes it apparent that this is the cafeteria. A typical buffet-style apparatus sits at the far end, trays awaiting hungry members. A few members of varying shades are already seated at the bench-like tables, consuming various meals. "Cafeteria." Sean turns to look at you. "So, would you like to eat, or would you like to tour the facilities a little more?" ****** B. Lets get to know this place a little more ****** A check of your stomach shows no real need for food. "Actually, could you show me around some more?" you ask Sean. "Sure. We'll come back and eat a little later. Lunch is from 12:30 to around 2." Sean motions for you to follow him, and he leads you down the main aisle of the cafeteria, and through a door on the left at the end. You emerge into a large, musty room. The feeling of age seeps from the worn, wooden walls. Shelves upon shelves of literature adorn the walls, spreading high into the ceiling. "The library." Sean whispers. His voice echoes softly from the rafters. A few cloaks are absorbed into the atmosphere, reading from large tomes, chanting softly. Sean leads you towards the back of the library and opens another door. You enter to the soft sound of humming. Various computers meet you as you enter the fluorescent room. There's a mix of machines, from Mac G4s to higher-end, custom-designed PCs. You notice a few Acolytes seated at some of the computers, typing away. "This is the computer room. You can, of course, do various things here. Games, full Internet access." Sean leads you back through the library, and through a door next to the

one you came from. This door takes you to a black room, with a layout similar to the Gray Common room. "Lemme guess...Black Common room?" Sean looks at you. "Close enough. This is the common room for members ranking from Orator up to the Arch-Speaker himself. This represents the higher echelon of our society." You look around the room, and notice the shadows moving around. Most look older, with a few young faces here and there. Sean prompts you to follow him, and you go through the opposing door into a black hallway. A small walk down the hall, and another door. You emerge into a red hallway. This one has no door at the end; only doors at each side. "These are the rooms used for meetings. The Acolyte's meeting is in the room on your first right." Sean points to the door, and you take note. You backtrack down the black hall, make a left, and go through a door at the end. You emerge into a room filled with various recreational equipment. There's some gym equipment, alongside a ping-pong table, foosball... "This is the rec room." Sean explains, leading you through the various items. "This is where you can go to unwind." He leads you to the right, and through another door. You find yourself in the cafeteria. "Well, that's the basic tour. Let's eat, shall we?" Sean makes his way towards the buffet, and after a little thought, you do the same. Growing boy has gotta eat! After a meal of barbecue chicken and coleslaw (the first decent meal you've had in some time), you follow the various Acolytes filing towards the meeting rooms. You remember the directions Sean gave you, and finally, find yourself in a white room, made up much like a classroom. You find a seat at a rather cushioned chair behind a desk, and make small talk with the other Acolytes in your vicinity. The Acolyte seated next to you is a guy named Felix. He looks about your age, with an olive complexion and piercing black eyes. His clothing is faintly gray, telling you of his experience. The Acolyte on the other side is a girl. She's a small, skinny girl with strands of black hair emerging from her hood. Her pale skin matches her cloak; as white as yours. The one redeeming quality of her appearance are strikingly blue eyes. She seems rather quiet, and you barely caught her name as 'Faith.' After a minute or so making small talk with Felix, a shadow enters the room. This shadow is slightly different from the somewhat indiscernible black cloaks you've seen. Her cloak is trimmed along its edges with white. She stands at the front of the assembled class, and the room falls to a hush. Everyone pushes back their hoods, revealing their heads. You do the same.

"Welcome, Acolytes. Before we begin our wordcraft for today, we have a new member. Mr. Pitt, do stand, please." You stand up and glance around the room. The eyes of the Acolytes take note of you, and you feel the gazes of examination burning into your skin. "Welcome, Mr. Pitt. I am Orator Paula. As you might see by my trimmed cloak, I help teach Acolytes and lesser members the art of speech. I hope that you are an open mind, and are willing to do a little work. It will be worth it in the end, I assure you." You nod. "I'll do my best, Orator." Orator Paula clasps her hands together. "Excellent, Acolyte. That attitude will take you far. Now, as far as your quarters are concerned...there is a vacant room, so you will not have a roommate, as is our usual custom. Don't get too comfortable, however...you could have a roommate at any time." You nod again, trying to hide any sign of excitement. "I understand, Orator. Thank you." Orator Paula motions her hand to the door. "You may be excused then, Acolyte, to tend to your quarters. Number 11." You make your way out of the classroom. Trying to retrace your steps, and remembering Sean's tour, you meander your way back through the varying hallways and rooms to find yourself in the Acolyte hallway. You move numerically past doors to find Number 11. Finally, you open your door and enter the room. It's a surprising space, large enough to live in comfortably. A bunk bed rests in one corner of the room. A desk, chair, and lamp sit against one of the walls opposing the beds. In another corner, a 30" TV sits on top of a TV stand. Two doors on the wall next to the beds reveal the modest bathroom with shower, and closets. The walls are white, with a white ceiling. The carpet is a sandy brown, and appears comfortable enough. The strangest addition to the room is an oddly large box, sitting in the middle of the room. You open it, and a surprise reaches your eyes. My stuff! You reach in and retrieve pieces of your second life. Band T-shirts, worn jeans, your Converse. It seems so different than the white wardrobe you've been wearing recently. You pull everything out and find something else within. With a smile, you reach in and find that Midnight Blue Fender Strat. It still gleams from your customization...and you have no idea how it got back into your hands. The odds seem insurmountable...but these thoughts soon wash away with a couple strums of the guitar. Still keeps tune. You busy yourself with organization, putting clothes away and organizing your room. A

knock on the door knocks you out of your work, and you answer to find Felix, standing at your door. "Hey, man. Me and a couple of the other A-lites are gonna go topside and hit the town to chill. You down?" Huh? "Wait, there's a town?" Felix squints his eyes. "Yeah...there's a town. What, you think you're captive here all day? We're right beneath Albuquerque." "Beneath?" "Man," Felix says, "You are new. The complex is underground. There's a stairway from the main room up to a back door, underneath a Quiznos in downtown Albuquerque. We go through that door, through a couple more in the basement, and out into an alleyway. Oh, I was supposed to give this to you. Just an alias. You can get it adjusted later on." Felix reaches into his back pocket and produces what looks like an I.D. card. and tosses it to you. It's a New Mexico I.D. card, with your picture and the name "Andrew Pittson" on it. You look back at Felix when you notice that he has normal clothes on. "Come on man, let's go." Interesting. ****** A. Change clothes and hit the streets with Felix and crew. ****** "Alright guys, Just let me grab some clothes" You rummage through your closet and grab some viable street wear. A Zeppelin shirt and a pair of jeans. No socks though, Better take that into consideration when we get up there. You grab your wallet and head out with the group. Felix, Faith and "Jeremy" who you met as you left your room. He had green eyes and was tall and lanky in stature. You strolled down the white hallway and whistled a tune, Felix caught on and joined in. You stepped into the main hallway and through a door. A long dark corridor engulfed you. You shutter at the sudden light change. Felix, Faith and Jeremy all walked through it with no problem but you felt like you were being watched. Five Grueling Minutes later you approached the door that "Supposedly" led to Albuquerque, "Well this is it" Whispered Felix, He pushed open the door and the blinding light sent you into a stir. Had it really been that long? You stepped out and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on your skin.

****** B. Head to the mall (you need new socks) ****** As you eyes adjust, you take a look at your newfound friends clothing. They are all wearing normal type clothes- no signs of the cult out here. Faith and Jeremy are dressed in a style similar to you: dark clothing, band t-shirts; you note Jeremys Pearl Jam tee. Felix is donning a more streetwise looking attire- white trainers and the like. Looking back at the door that you emerged from you see that it just looks like a normal door complete with secure entry communication system. Nothing out of the ordinary would be conceived until you took a closer look- the building behind the door couldnt have been more than a couple of meters wide, anyone entering the building descending instantly to the world of the cult. Felix began to speak. So where you up for going then? Is there some kind of mall around here? Well we could head down to the town centre- loads of shops there. So you head off towards the shops, about a 5-minute walk, accompanied by the view of the mountains beyond. Constantly taking in your surroundings, and attempting to memorize the route back, you note the building is on South Street. You step into the plaza and see an expanse of shops to choose from. Skate shops, a guitar shop, clothes, music, everything you can think of needing seems to be here. Amy springs to mind, but you flush thoughts of her out, with the aid of Jeremy speaking. What were you after then? Wellum socks really. You go to a shop youd never heard of before and bought a pack of ten pairs- white socks in fact! You say bought- Felix insisted on paying; as he brought out his wallet you were surprised to see a thick wad of high value notes. You feel like asking about this but it seems a bit rude, but this does get you thinking about these peoples past- how they got here. What shall you ask? ****** F. Phone first. Youve got a text message! ****** As the blazes of the sun continues to force your eyelids to resemble the icwutudidthur you feel a vibration in your pocket. Now I know I didnt bring a vibrator with me. Must be my phone. You scour for your phone, pocket by pocket. As you flip it open you read:

From: 956-867-5309 Subject: Fwd: FWD: fwd: fWD: Do NOT dilete! Message: ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ You have been chosen to receive this message by teh boogie man. Teh boogie man requests that you send this message to 20 different people (not including me!) Failure to comply will result in bad luck for 13 blue moons. Mwuahahahaha!!!!!!!!1!!one!!! ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ Rodney deleted this message and he was killed while playing golf! ~ Suzie forwarded this message and got married! ~ Charles deleted this message and was in a car accident, leaving his SUV in flames. ~ Bobby forwarded this message to 19 people and won the lottohe died shortly after. And the list goes on. Well? ****** B. DELETE! ****** "Damn it, those pesky messages" "What messages?" Felix inquires. "You know those that they ask you to forward to 20 people, or if not you die? Anyways bunch of nonsense" "Ohh." You see Felix cant avoid hiding a tiny smile. You ignore this anyways, he probably thinks its just funny. "Thanks for the socks"

"No problem." "So where do we go now?" "Where ever you want. You may wanna check out the guitar store, theyve got a pretty tight deal with the MIM strats." "No thanks, Ive got one already its on my room. By the way, I have this doubt, you of course know Im new to the cult, I really dont know how all of my stuff got here, I was pretty much screwed up, I became a National Threat.." You are interrupted by Felix. "I know, we know all your background. They told us everything before you came in. The Cult is a very large organization, You have no Idea what they can do." You are a bit irritated by the fact that everybody knows about you, but you on the contrary know nothing about them. Felix seems inpatient, he is starting to look at his watch very often. "Okay so how did you enter the cult?" "You'll Know everything when the time is right, but know we should head back, light is fading out." You have become too absorbed in your conversation with Felix you did not notice, that Jeremy and Faith had slipped outside. They were hugging while sharing a cig. You remember Amy melancholically, and your eyes get wet. You quickly pretend to scratch your face while wiping your eyes. You try to forget Amy at the moment, there is nothing you can do, and remembering is only doing you wrong.

"Can you at least tell me how old you are?" "15. We should really start heading back now." ****** D. fap Wait I need to get new strings for my Strat. ****** Hold on a bit. I need to get some new strings, you say as you point your thumb out towards the guitar shop. Felix looks at his watch. Scratching his head he says Fine. You go alone, but hurry up. Its almost dark out. I trust you know the way back.
Yea

You rush out walking briskly to the guitar shop.

****** You head to the local guitar shop. Mainly Squires and Epiphones, but not bad for a small business, you figure. They don't have any D'addarios, so you get Ernie Balls instead. As you walk out of the shop, your phone vibrates again. You check, and it's another chain message. "j00 have been cursed!!! Send this to 20 of your contacts or you'll be eaten by some fungus from France! a7xownz got demoted when he deleted this message! Vincent745 made a fool out himself in front of everyone when he ignored this message! Aidy Damage got bird flu when he asked his friends about what to do with this message! You're about to delete it until you see the last line. Amy died because her idiot boyfriend asked his Cult friends to figure out what to do and didn't send this message!" Ho-ly-shit. Whoever sent that knows that: 1.) You care about Amy 2.) You got the original chain message 3.) You're now part of a weird cult What the hell do you do? ****** B. Talk to Sean about it ****** On your way back to Quiznos you cant help but think about Amy. You have no idea where she is. You dont know if shes okay. You dont even know if she is alive anymore! Its about five more minutes until the sun goes completely under the horizon when you receive another text message. From: Sean Subject: Run Message: DO IT NOW! You stand there for a second trying to contemplate what is happening. Then
your legs

run.

You still dont know what is happening, but you know something bad will happen if you dont get to Sean fast. 2 minutes till sundown Your about half a block away. Youve bumped into so many people youve stopped saying sorry. Your feet begin to grow tired but that doesnt stop you, either. Finally youre inside, gasping for breath. What is going on?
Acolyte!

Its Sean.

Wh- wha- yes? Your breath

is short. His fingers tips are touching each other as if hes thinking of an evil plan. His eyes show it.
Follow me, he commands. You follow him.

He leads you to the red hallway he showed you before; where all the meeting rooms are for each rank. You follow him all the way down the hall, past the last two doors. You take a look back. The red hallway is now green. Sean puts his hand on your shoulder. Its an illusion. Not very many Acolytes know about this. He turns you around. Step through the end of the hallway. We shall speak privately in there. You do as he says. Cautiously you hover your foot around the wall. This isnt a portal or anythi- *Sean pushes you* You find yourself in front of a familiar playground. Yellow slide. Wooden see-saw. Graffiti. Youre amazed as to where you are. Kris-?
I believe you needed

to tell me something, Sean interrupts. Your memories start to come

back. Yes, you start. Its about my cell phone. Im receiving text messages from Teh Boogie Man. Seans eyes grow wide. He pushes you, again, under the slide and you find yourself back in the red/green hallway.
I will have none of it, he says as he walks away. Take it to the Arch-Speaker.

You stand there in confusion. Lost. ****** Back in your quarters you lay on your bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about what is happening. Slowly, your eyes drift off and you fall asleep.

* Youre eyes open up. Its 8:15 a.m. Saturday. What to do? ****** C. Talk to Sean; Why am I here? How can I get to Amy? etc. ******post below written by Ragin87; edited by americablanco****** 10:15 a.m. What the hell happened? You toss on your robe and head out towards Sean's Room. You're stopped in the hall by Jeremy, "Where have you been? Everyones been scared to hell for you!" "What do you mean where have I been? I got texted by Sean last night before the sun went down. He told me to Run and I did." "Dee, we haven't seen you for three days. You left in the middle of the night a few days ago and didn't come back. We've been out looking for you constantly. You're the key... What's that on your neck, Dee?" Jeremy reached for your neck and agony coursed through your veins, blood pulsated and boiled, your head imploded and you screamed in pure distress, then numbness and then nothing.... You awoke a few hours later with every vein in your body black and blue. Sean stood by your side. "What the hell Acolyte?" "Acolyte? What are you talking about? Where am I? Who are you? Footsteps echoed through the corridor and a man in a jet black robe strolled in. The two men exchanged shaken glances and muttered words. You caught "His minds been wiped of the near past." The man in the jet black robe sighed. "We'll have to try and trigger his Memory: bring up all his recent history and bring in all those who has recently met. This is going to be a long night ****** A) Ask who they are and whats wrong with you. ****** "Who..." Deep breath... "are..." A slap across your face erases your attempt at a sentence. Your vision becomes cloudy, nerves screaming from the blunt force of the blow. After letting the burn subside from your face, you attempt to visualize your attacker. Two shadows stand in front of you...moving slowly from side to side...blurs.

"Bah, he's useless. Wiped clean like a slate." "Typical. Common defense. Toss 'em....HEY, WHAT TH...?" Shadows can talk? An attempt at movement proves futile. Your body is either uncooperative, or secured to something. It's hard to make heads or tails of anything. What's going on? Wha....why....I.... You blink, and everything becomes crystal clear. You're standing, looking down at a kid, piled up on the floor and sobbing. Someone's screaming. Blind rage urges you to punch the kid, and you oblige by releasing blow after furious blow on the whimpering mess. A blow to the kid's face shatters his glasses. After wearing your fists down, you proceed to stomp, aiming directly for his skull. Stomp after stomp smashes his face into nothing but red. Capone! Another blink, and a gun is found resting in your hand. The surroundings warp drastically around you. What was once a house is now a shambled wreck of what once was. A woman lies on the ground before you, hands pressed together, eyes gazing up at you. What is she doing? Is this a plea? Without hesitation, you bring the gun up to her head, aiming directly for the eye. A voice tells you to pull. You oblige, sending a .357 slug directly into her eye socket, relieving the contents of her head onto the wall behind her. Jackson Pollack would be pleased. Mother! You blink again, and turn around. The shambled house falls to reveal an empty road, stretching for miles in front of you. The scenery around the road is desolate, with sparse shrubbery and sand covering everything within eyesight. Your gaze turns to meet the road again, where several cop cars stand. Officers spring from their vehicles and immediately begin sprinting at you. Several officers draw batons from their belts, while others fumble for their 9mms. They're closing fast on you. Within seconds, you've greeted the closest officer with a well-placed .357 slug to the kneecap. He drops almost instantly to the ground, and you finish him with a reality check to the back of the head. The next officer is humiliated similarly, with a bullet effectively relieving him of his manhood. The next two are severed from life by the ever-classic HEADSHOT. You can't resist the urge to yell. "BOOM!"

! Darkness. The world is a shadow. "Dee? Dee!" How does the darkness know my name? "Give me.....quickly! He's......fast. Ma...another.....check....now!" Who's talking? Hello? Is there anybody in there? A girl's voice rings out from the black. "Is there anyone at all?" A...Amy.... "Open your eyes." All of a sudden....you finally open your eyes...only to find a dim lightbulb. "Se....Sean...." A rustling sound. "He's come to!" Sean soon appears over you, eyes scanning your face. "Dee, are you alright?" You look into Sean's eyes. "I...I don't know. What happened to me?" Sean's eyes close, and he moves to the foot of the bed. "It's complicated, Acolyte. I'm not sure you'll understand." You blink, assuring yourself that this is real. "I think I can take it." Sean stares pensively at you, and a sigh escapes his mouth. "You were abducted." That explains the mystery shadows and a sore jaw. "By who?" Sean looks off into the dimly lit room. "I'm not sure. It could be any number of people, considering your past...but it's unlikely, since you did have an alternate I.D., and you're unknown in these parts." It feels like there's something Sean's leaving out. "Who else could it have been?"

Sean turns back to meet your stare. "It could have been...nevermind. That's not your concern." It feels as if it is your concern, since you were the one abducted. Still, you don't feel like pressing Sean on the matter...at least, not right now. "Why can't I remember anything?" Sean reaches into his cloak and pulls out a small patch, circular in design and almost resembling a nicotine patch. "Memory blank. Felix slapped it on you when you guys were ambushed." "Ambushed!?" "Yes," Sean responds, hand reaching up to wipe his face. "It was a sneak attack, while you were out with the other Acolytes. They managed to get a hold of you, even with the other Acolytes' best efforts to save you. This Memory Blank is standard procedure upon possible capture of a member." Your thoughts turn to Felix, Jeremy and Faith. "Are they alright?" "Yes, they're fine. They alerted me to your capture." The question still lingers within your head. If you're not known in these parts...who would care to abduct you? Better yet, how did you end up back here? "How did I end up here?" you ask. Sean turns to one of his tables and picks up a glass. "Methods. It doesn't matter. You're here, aren't you?" You can't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, you're back in the complex...but there's obviously more to the story. Sean's holding something back. Sean turns back to you and hands you a glass with a pink liquid inside. "This'll help heal up any injuries you've sustained." You take the glass, and down the tasteless drought. "Now," Sean mutters, relieving you of the empty glass. "Go get some rest in your quarters. I'll check on you later." You nod to Sean, and make your way through the dimly lit room into the white hallway. A short walk, and you're inside your room. A sigh escapes your lips as you trade your clothes for something more comfortable. A knock on your door. You shuffle over to the door, exhaustion setting in from the recent events.

A movement of the wrist and the door opens to Felix. Concern is plainly visible on his face. "Hey man, you alright?" "Yeah, I think so. Just tired." Felix nods. "Yeah, yeah...I understand. Sorry for what happened, man. I tried my best to keep you from those guys. I was lucky to get the Memory Blank on you when I could." You shake your head. "It's cool. Thanks for trying." You try to remember your last conversation with Felix before the whole blank spot. "Dude, why were you being kinda hostile?" Felix's eyes widen. "Hostile? Dude, I bought you socks." "Yeah, I know that, but the whole secretive thing...I asked you why you were in the Cult." Felix tilts his head in bewilderment. "I don't remember you asking me that, man." You stare at Felix. "Yeah, I asked you. Then I asked you how old you were, and you said 15." Felix shakes his head. "Nah man, that's probably the Memory Blank talking. I'm not even 15. I'm 16." "Oh...I dunno man, the whole thing's confusing me." Felix pats you on the shoulder. "No worries, man. It was a pretty bad scene...I mean, how everything went down. Tell you what, hit me up after you get some rest, and I'll explain to you how it all happened, cool?" You nod. "Cool. I'll catch you later then." Felix nods, and you pound fists with him. "Good to see you're alright, man. Later." "Later." You close the door and make your way over to the bed. A flick of the light, and you're asleep within minutes. ... You open your eyes. A glance at your cell phone reveals that it's 9:34 AM. You slide lazily out of bed and stretch out all the kinks. You're feeling pretty good, considering all the events of yesterday. Yesterday. It's time to figure out some things. ****** B. I wonder where Felix is. He can help me piece together what happened yesterday.

****** Rummaging through the closet, you find your Cult apparel. A quick costume change, and you're once again covered in the purity of the Acolyte. A haze still hangs within the depths of your mind. What really happened yesterday? You have to know. Remembering Felix's offer to piece together the past, you exit into the white hallway. A turn and a short walk leads you to the Acolyte Common Room. You enter and look around. The room is much like the other common rooms you've seen, except white. Several Acolytes are spread throughout the room, sitting at various tables and conversing. Several are crashed out on the couches, staring at the TV in the corner. A random football game is on. You scan the room for Felix, and find him staring intently at the game on TV. You make your way across the room and sit next to him. "Oh, hey dude," Felix says as you take a seat on the couch. "Feeling any better? "Yeah..." you say, releasing a sigh. "...still confused about yesterday." "Oh yeah, that's right. I was gonna tell you what happened." Felix turns his attention from the game to you. "Alright, I just bought your socks, and we were walking down to the guitar shop, since you said you wanted to check out the guitars." "Alright, I remember something like that." "So yeah, we were walking, and we took a shortcut through an alleyway. That's when they attacked. You did your best to try and fight them off, but there was too many. Jeremy and I jumped into it, but it was getting bad. That's when I slapped the Memory Blank on you and escaped with Jeremy back here. They didn't notice Faith with us, so she hid and followed them. That's how they rescued you." "They?" Felix runs his hand through his hair. "A couple members here are military in the real world. They saved you." It seems odd enough, but you believe Felix. His explanation doesn't answer all your questions, but it does make yesterday a little less fuzzy. "Dude," you begin. "Do you know who was trying to abduct me?" Felix's eyes grow wide. His eyes dart around the room, looking for something out of the ordinary. "You mean...you haven't heard?" You squint your eyes and stare at Felix. "Heard what?"

Felix's voice falls to a whisper, eyes still scanning the room for anyone trying to listen in. "They're saying it was the Knights." You drop the volume on your voice. "Knights?" Felix continues in a hushed voice. "Yeah, the Knights of Reason. It's just a rumor, but...there's talk going around that they're back. That's all I know about them." That solves a mystery and only opens another. You scratch your head, trying to put things together. Knights of Reason? What would they want with me? "Alright," you finally say. "Thanks for helping me out, dude." "No problem, dude." Felix turns his eyes back to the game. "Hey, I might go back out into town. Go chill at the Del Taco. You down?" ****** A. Let's go chill with Felix. Del Taco sounds good right about now. ****** Del Taco does sound delicious right about now. "Sure I'll go Felix," you reply. You grab your Pink Floyd shirt and a pair of sweats and head out into the luminescent hallway. "So...these Knights of Reason, Are they...dangerous?" you whisper. "Of course they are Dee, Why do you think they kidnapped and bludgeoned you into eternity? They've been at us for hundreds of years, Every decision ever made we've been on opposite sides of. They want Bush, we want Gore that was one of the few they had won...laziness struck us and they took advantage of it. That was until well...around 8 months ago. An underground war had Erupted and we struck with full force, we managed to take there leader John Hrischuk under captive. We found the only way to end this once and for all was to execute their leader. I won't go into detail, but they seemed to die out, but around a month ago rumors started surfacing that his son Neqo was taking up the reigns. They seem to be up and fully running once again and what we feared for the last few months is happening. They're finally striking attempting to execute us, put an end to ourrace. You step out into the light behind the Quizno's with a dumbstruck look on your face and asked, "So are we in danger right now?"
I fear we may be. We'll just have to head back in early

and hope to God they don't start

setting Curfews for us. You feel a familiar pulse on your leg, Your phone of course. You flip it open and look at the text awestruck at the possibility. Sender: Unknown

Subject: No Subject Message: I have Amy, if you ever want to see her again you will comply to my demands. Leave your friend and come into the 28th Street Esso bathroom. Bring no one." Attached was a photo of Amy strapped to a chair brutally beaten with blood dripping from her eye and mascara bleeding down her face. Her mouth was taped with a sock inside and her eyes raped of all sanity. ****** A. Sprint away towards the Esso, leaving Felix behind ****** "Whats up man?" inquired Felix. You turn the cell phone over to Felix and he replies with a snort. "Its just the Knights of Reason trying lure you again." "I thought that toountil I saw this." You open the sent picture, and Felix shudders. "Is that really her? Are you absolutely sure?" questioned Felix. "Yes I'm absolutely sure" you said with no lack of reassurance. "I'm coming along, Dee they're dangerous." said Felix. "No. Go back to the bunker, if I'm not back in an hour send help" And with that you broke into a full out Sprint southward towards 28th street, Pushing your legs harder with every step. Adrenaline rushing you reach the intersection near the Esso, It looked deserted with only a few people loitering the parking lot. You walked silently towards the door, but thought to yourself... No, they'll be expecting that. ****** A) Walk in the front door, acting as if you're going to buy something. ****** You stop just short of the gas station and try to compose yourself from the exhausting sprint. You hunch over, hands on your knees, breathing in and out deeply. You can't remember the last time you ran so far. You try to look into the gas station window, looking for anything out of the ordinary. It appears to be 'business as usual'; cars are parked in front of gas pumps, receiving liquid gold into their tanks. People filter in and out of the sliding doors, carrying Snickers bars and cups full of soft drink. Is this some sort of front? You try to move inconspicuously towards the gas station. A short walk takes you through the small parking lot. Keeping the same innocent look, you maneuver to the side of the store and kneel behind a dumpster.

Breathing in and out, you try to slow your thoughts. Processes fly through your mind at breakneck speed, giving you a headache. What do I do? What can I do? You're unarmed, and you doubt a FALCON PUNCH will really get you through another mess. You peer around the corner of the dumpster to see a group of guys walking towards the gas station. You squint and try to recognize....Felix! You forgot about the backup! A whistle and wave of your hand draws the group in your direction. They move through the parking lot and assemble behind the dumpster where you're standing. "Alright dude, I got your backup," Felix says, wiping a little sweat from his brow. "You remember Jeremy. This is Damien, Zach, and Peter...Acolytes." You nod and shake each guy's hand. "Thanks for backing me up, you guys. I think they have my girlfriend in there." "We understand," Damien mutters, his voice deep and booming. "We'll do our best to help you." "Yeah," Zach chimes in. "It's been a while since I've punched something." "What's the plan?" says Peter. "We just barging in?" You look at each of the guys and try to formulate something. "Alright..." you begin, still piecing the moves together in your head. "...I'll walk in casually, and ask for the bathroom key. You guys wait here. When I get the key, we go around the back of the store to the other side, where the bathroom door is. I unlock it, we go in fast and hard." "Sounds solid enough." Felix says. The other guys nod their approval. "Whenever you're ready." he adds. You run your hands through your hair and try to control your breathing. Your heart is still running a marathon. Variables pop in and out of your head. What if they're armed? What if there's more of them than us? What if she's dead? No. You steel your nerve with that last thought. She's not dying because of me. With one last breath, you make your way around the front of the store and enter through the sliding door. A couple steps puts you in front of the counter. "Can I get the bathroom key, please?" The clerk looks at you. "Sorry, kid. It's occupied right now. Whoever it was...they're taking forever. I'd try knocking if it was....an emergency."

An emergency. Something didn't quite sit with how he said those specific words... Shrugging, you make your way back through the squeaky sliding door and back around to the dumpster. The guys stand waiting. "You ready?" Felix says, cracking his knuckles. "The clerk said it's occupied. Let's move." you say. The guys nod, and you move quickly around the back of the building and emerge around the other side. The bathroom door sits solitary, a sign pointing out that it is a "Unisex restroom." Someone's scrawled the words 'TRANNY CAN' below it. You can feel blind rage building up inside you. Adrenaline begins flowing solidly through your veins. It's time to save Amy. "GET SOME!" you yell, enticing yells from the other guys. You sprint straight into the door, cocking your right fist back. The fire begins to burn again. Sheer rage fuels the flame within your palm, making it stronger....it thirsts for a jaw to destroy. Amy...I'm coming...I'll save you! With one swift motion, you leap into the air and send your left foot straight into the door. It splinters the frame and sends the knob straight through, swinging the door wide open. "FAAAAALLLLLCCCCOOOOOONNNNN........." A deer in headlights. "OH SH*T!" "PUUUUUNNNNNNNCCCCCHHHH!!!!" Your fist flies into the first unfortunate soul you see, dressed entirely in black. It makes a sickening connection with his jaw, releasing the flame of rage. You can feel the jaw separating from the skull, cartilage tearing and separating, teeth loosening and leaving their sockets. His body flies into the mirror, shattering it upon impact. Felix is the next to enter, and he throws a left hook into the guy standing next to him. The punch lands cleanly into the man's gut, and he buckles, falling to the ground, gasping for air. Jeremy finishes the attack with a knee, connecting it solidly. The man's body goes limp, flopping to the floor. After realizing the attack, the shadow leaning against the corner moves forward, fist raised, aiming straight for your head. Damien cuts the attack short with a solid kick, sending it parallel through the attacker's knee. You can hear the cartilage dislocating. The shadow screams in agony and kneels, clutching his knee. Damien raises his leg high into the air, up over his head and brings it down. The axe kick finds the back of the attacker's head, and he collapses.

A quick look around reveals that there's no one else in the bathroom. Suddenly, the sound of a car's brakes are apparent outside. Zach and Peter, the last to enter the bathroom, poke their heads out of the doorframe. "We got company!" Zach yells. "Good thing...I haven't had my chance to break someone's face." he adds. Car doors slam and voices can be heard. "Get the kid!" "Rush in!" "For glory!" Zach presses himself against the wall, moving out of sight from the broken doorframe. Peter takes the other side. The first shadow enters, right arm raised and wielding a baton. Zach juts his foot out as soon as the shadow enters. He staggers and almost falls forward. Zach takes advantage of the attacker's misstep and grabs his head with both hands. In one fluid motion, he drives it straight into the tiled bathroom wall. Tiles and bones crack in one confusing crunch. The body slumps, and Zach relieves him of his baton. "Free toy." Zach mutters. The second attacker enters, shoulder dropped for a tackle. Peter jumps on top of the attacker, sending him sliding into the floor. Taking a page from Zach, Peter grabs the shadow's head and slams it straight into the floor. He repeats the motion, drawing blood. One more sickening collision of bone and tile. Blood seeps from the unfortunate soul, crawling its way into the floor drain. Two more shadows enter, wielding baseball bats. One of the shadows takes a lucky swing and catches Zach in the gut, sending him backwards into the wall. The second takes a swing for the fences and narrowly misses Peter's head. Felix and Damien swing into action. Damien expertly dodges a swing from Zach's assailant and sends a fist deep into his gut. The shadow doubles over, and Damien cocks his right palm straight back. A moment of focus, and Damien sends his palm straight into the shadow's collarbone. A bone snaps, and the assailant screams in agony. Damien ends the scream with a left hook into the jaw. The shadow drops the bat and folds, falling to the floor. The other shadow swings his bat into Felix. In a moment of what you would call "sheer bad-assery," Felix catches the swing with his left hand, completely stopping the attack. The shadow freezes. Felix takes full advantage, sending a deep right uppercut straight into his jaw. The assailant flies backward, leaving the bat in Felix's hand and falling to the floor with a thud. Peter moves and checks on Zach. "Dude, you alright?" Zach coughs and rubs his stomach. "Yeah...just got the wind knocked out of me."

The assault seems to have paused. You stare at the rest of the guys. "Is that it?" "Far from it!" yells a shadow, running full blast into the bathroom. He draws dangerously close to you before slipping on the fresh blood of one of his friends. He stumbles right into you. You step aside, catching his head and slamming it into the wall you were leaning against. You quickly catch one of his arms and pull him up, locking him into a Full Nelson. It's time to get things straight. "WHERE'S THE GIRL!?" you yell, wrenching the lock ever tighter. "Hehe, she ain't here. Can't you see that?" the shadow answers. Filled with anger, you slam the shadow's head into the wall. "WHERE IS SHE!?" you yell again. "And just why would I tell you that?" the shadow mutters, lip obviously swollen from involuntarily kissing the wall. "You wanna find out why? I'll show you why!" You prompt Felix over to you, and tell him to extend the shadow's left arm. "You gonna talk, or suffer?" you taunt the shadow. "What are you kids gonna do? Pants me?" The shadow chuckles, sending drops of blood to the floor. "Worse." You call Damien over, and Felix positions the shadow's arm, facing the elbow towards Damien. "You ready to find out?" "Oh, I'm shaking." The shadow responds, words thick with blood and sarcasm. "Go," you tell Damien. He cocks his right palm back, focusing some innate energy into his hand. Within seconds, he sends his palm straight through the shadow's elbow, forcing it to bend completely opposite. The shadow screams in horror. Blood from his mouth paints the wall. "So," you prompt the shadow, whose scream has lowered to a whimper. "Feeling talkative yet?" "F*CK, KID! MY ARM!" "Hey, your choice. You could also earn a funeral, if you aren't willing to be a little more cooperative." The shadow's breathing becomes labored, exhaling more blood. "Alright....alright...." First things first. "Who are you?" The shadow coughs. "A Knight."

Peter and Zach's eyes go wide. Damien releases a sigh. Felix squints. "I knew it," he mutters. You tighten your lock. "What do you want with me?" The shadow hesitates. You grab his broken arm and shake it. The shadow screams. "TELL ME!" you yell, rage present in your voice. A cough. "You shouldn't be alive." This only angers you more. You grab the shadow's broken arm and twist it, sending the shadow into hysterical screams. He shakes and tries to break your lock, but you have him secured. "WHERE'S THE GIRL!?" "WE....AAUGGGHH...WE DON'T HAVE...AAAHH...HER!" "Then this conversation is a waste of time." With one move, you lower the shadow's broken arm and send your foot through his shattered elbow again, effectively tearing it from the rest of his arm. The shadow screams one more time and falls silent. You drop the body to the floor. "I knew it," Felix mutters again. "The Knights are coming back." "This wasn't supposed to happen," Damien adds. You pull out your cell phone and pull up the picture of 'Amy'. "How did I get this, then?" You show the picture to the guys. A shrug in unison. Peter comes forward and takes a look at the picture. "It's shopped." You look at the picture again, trying to examine it. "Wha...how?" Peter points to the bottom of the screen, where the lined tile seemingly doesn't line up. "I can tell from the pixels, and from having seen a few shops in my time." Great. It was a trap. Good thing you had backup. "Thanks for backing me up, guys." you finally say, taking a few deep breaths. "Don't mention it." Felix says. "A-lites have to stick together." "For sure," says Zach, seemingly recovered from the attack.

"It was fun, to say the least." Peter quips, washing his hands in the sink. "I'm sorry they didn't have your girlfriend." Damien says, wiping some sweat from his forehead. After realizing the collection of bodies on the floor, you and the guys decide to make like fetuses and head out. A haphazard placing of the door against the broken frame makes things look somewhat normal. A car sits in front of the bathroom, still running. "Hey, free wheels." Zach exclaims. "No," Felix says, waving Zach away from the car. "They'll be here for it." Zach expresses his dismay with a grunt, and you walk away from the gas station and down the street. "So," Felix finally says, breaking the block-long silence. "What do you guys feel like doing?" ****** B. We'd better get back to the complex. We have to alert everyone about the Knights. ****** What kind of stupid question is that? Damien exclaims. He seems to be the mature one of the group. You know what we have to do! You couldnt say anything. Your mind is nothing but haywire with all your thoughts. How did I not realize that the picture was shopped? What if I had not gone in with backup? What do these Knights want with me? WHERE THE HELL IS AMY!? You kept your head down all the way to the complex. You dont speak much but you hear the guys exchanging rumors about the Knights of Reason and that you should NOT be the one to tell the others about them. * At the entrance of the complex you all exchange looks and then nod heads. Felix opens the door. Just head up to your room, Dee. Damien will go get you if we need you.
Alright.

Youre still thinking about Amy. Is she okay? Where is she!? Ill kill that sonavabich! On the way down to your room you feeldifferent. Your muscles are tense and your fists are clenched tightly. People in the hall begin to stare at you. You sense a fury in yourself. As you turn into the hallway of your quarters feel drained of breath but almost relieved to have gotten there. At the door you pause and think. Why me?

At that very moment somebody places their hand on your shoulder from behind.
You were the bottom of the bucket, its the Arch-Speaker.

You turn your head back to see him. Come with me. You feel relieved by his voice, like everything is going to be alright. * Youre back at the red hallway. The Arch-Speaker leads you to the last door on the left and says Please take a seat. We will be with you shortly. We? You walk in and see a two seats and a podium and microphone in the middle of the room surrounded by a circle of judge-like benches going from tallest and darkest in the center to the lowest and lightest near the back by the entrance. You take a seat in one of the center seats. A couple of minutes later the Arch-Speaker walks in with eleven other high-ranking CoP members. They take their seats as arranged by color.
Please stand,

Acolyte, one of them says. You heard the voice but you are not sure who it Again, you cannot tell who that voice came from.

came from.
Do you understand why you are here?

Uhmcan you be more specific with the question? You try not to panic and not make a

fool of yourself. One of the members face-palms. Do you know why you have been summoned to this court? You lean towards the microphone and give a clear ****** B. No ****** No, Im not quite sure what Im doing here. You respond. We know about your fight at the gas station. And we will not tolerate this type of behavior from you again. Says one of the voices. I thought they had Amy. You tell them firmly. This Amy you speak of is currently in a juvenile detention center. There is no way anyone could have kidnapped her. You must learn to think before you act. Yet another voice chimes in.

Im sorry, it wont happen again. You reply. It better not, or else you will be forever banished from the Cult of Personality. You still find it impossible to take that name seriously. Do you have any questions? The Arch-Speaker asks you. Yeah, why are these Knights after me? Didnt you mention something about being the bottom of the bucket before? There after you for two reasons, firstly because youre a wanted fugitive. The media frenzy surrounding you has died down and most of the public have forgotten about you, but the police are still after you. Theyve have put up a $100,000 reward for your capture. And whats the second reason there after me, is it just to f*ck with you guys? The Arch Speaker stands there silently for a few seconds, then says Yes, if you want to put it that way. The meeting is adjourned and you leave the room. Felix is waiting for you outside. What happened? Nothing really, I just got told no more fighting. "Cool." Felix looks at his watch Hey, its 3:30. Come with me, were going bird watching. Bird watching? * Youre sitting on a bench with Felix on the side of a footpath, and you still have no idea whats going on. Although something tells you your not here to watch birds. OK, here they come. Felix says, pointing at building that looks like a church.

A group of young attractive females walk out of the building. There all dressed school uniform. Its St Marys, an upper class all girl school. Some of the best looking chicks in the state go to this school. He tells you. A group of attractive blonds with shorts skirts and tanned legs walk past you. You brought me here to perv on girls?! You know I have a girlfriend in jail. You're about to get up and leave, when another girl walks out of the school. She looks to be a bit older than you, maybe 16 or 17. She has dark hair with blue and pink stripes through it. She's wearing lots of dark mascara, a collection of punk badges on shirt, fishnet stockings under her dress and her school uniform has been deliberately cut to look jagged around the edges. She looks totally punk, yet really hot at the same time. You stare at her as she seems to walk in slow-motion across the street. She notices you staring, walks up to you and says What the f*ck are you looking at, creep? You're almost shocked speechless, but you manage to talk Thats quite some attitude you have there young lady, do you talk to your mother with that mouth? Yeah, so what? Whats your name sweetheart? You ask, then instantly regret using the term sweetheart. Im Lola. She tells you, while lighting up a cigarette. Cool, like the Kinks song? Uh, yeah I guess. There is a long awkward silence, she turns around and starts walking off. Bye you say. She doesnt respond. Smooth says Felix. What now? ******

B. Practice more guitar ****** "You wanna go home now? This feels kind of weird..." You mutter "Whatever you say man." he responds. The two of you walk back slowly to the Quizno's. He says something to the dude at the cash register and he let's the two of you in. After arriving in your room, you pick up your Strat and strum the strings. Still in tune... You plug into a Roland Cube and open up with scales and exercises. Before long, your fingers start into a jam. Sounds good, and you write the riff. A little pentatonic riff in E minor, but it sounds cool. Then you grab your iPod and plug it into the auxiliary input on the amp. You scroll down and reach the "M" section. Megadeth wouldn't hurt.... After playing through Hangar 18, Tornado of Souls and Peace Sells, you shut the amp off and lie down on your bed, rubbing your eyes. "What are you doing?" Jeremy asks. "I'm lying down...." you say, looking to the side of the room. "But I heard a guitar, and Megadeth..." he reasons. "Oh yeah, I play some." "Some? That was awesome. Never heard anyone play it like. You ripped through Hangar 18 like it was nothing!" "I guess I'm alright..." "You were great man! We should jam sometime!" "You play?" "Nah, I play bass and keys." "Cool. Just hit me up on my cell ph-" "We're not allowed to use phones within the complex. Arch-Speaker doesn't like outside communication, says he's afraid of spies." he explains. "Oh. I see. How about Tuesday in the common room?" you ask

"Sure. Ill catch ya later." he says, waving bye. Cool. Another musician in the Cult. Maybe we could play the song Cult of Personality. I wonder if he likes Living Colour too... What now? ****** A. Grab some Grub. Chicken for dinner tonight ****** You decide to make your way over to the cafeteria. Its a bit early for dinner, but you figure its better to get there early before it gets to crowded. You head down the hallway, still pumped up from your guitar playing session. You hadnt practiced for so long that you were worried that your playing had become sloppy, but you still got it. Plus theres a possibility of a starting a new band with Jeremy. New band I wonder what my old band is doing? You think to yourself. Its been so long since youve seen Mark, Jimmy or Tyran. Maybe you should give them a call. Although thats probably not a good idea. You killed a bunch of people, caused Amy to get arrested and bailed out of town without saying goodbye to them. They probably dont want to talk to you. You enter the cafeteria, its surprisingly crowded for 5:15 in the afternoon. You stand in que for a while then order some roast chicken with chips, peas and gravy. You start looking around the room trying to find a spare place to sit. Theres a fat kid sitting by himself up the back of the room, you figure youll go join him. You start making your way over to his table, when you notice something so shocking it causes you to drop your meal tray on the floor. Felix and Faith sitting together, making out. Wait a minute, that cant be right Faith is dating Jeremy. Neither Felix or Faith have noticed you. So you make your way over to the fat kids table, sit down and continue spying on them. Faith is sitting on Felixs lap and hes running his hand under her top. They make out for a bit longer when Felix whispers something in Faiths ear. She giggles hen they leave the room together. What to do? ****** C. Ignore the situation! ******

You decide, fvck it, I've got enough shit to worry about, and Felix had my back when those Knight sons of bitches wanted to wear my balls as earrings. You start to focus on your meal. You devour the chicken with ravenous hunger, the rest of your meal follows in suit. You exit the cafeteria after finishing your meal, very satisfied with the way you are feeling now. You decide to go into the Acolyte's common room to go hang with your fellow "Alites". You see Jeremy and Zach watching a music video on the TV. "Dude, I love Job For a Cowboy" you say as you approach the couch. Jeremy nods his head in agreement. "Yeah dude, Altered From Catechization is fvcking sick." You sit down next to Zach and you guys watch the rest of the video in relative silence. You turn the TV off after they start to play "Soulja Boy" for the 888343th time that day. ****** D. Confront Faith about what you have seen. ****** "Hey guys, I'm gonna go back to my room, I gotta learn Altered from Catechization." "Alright man, remember, here, Tuesday, Jam.... Bitch" "Ha-ha, you got it Jeremy." You then head back into the hallway. You follow the hall back to the Acolyte quarters. You search around until you see Faith return from a friend's room across the hall, apparently retrieving a hair straightener she lent to the individual. You then knock on the door Faith just entered. After a few seconds, Faith opens the door standing face to face to you. "Oh, hello. Are you lost? Because if you are, this is a good place to get lost." You are dumb struck by her comment, you just barely muster the capacity to utter, "Well.. It's crowded out here, may I get lost inside?" "Sure, be careful though, I just cleaned up, try not to make a mess." "Thats kind of hard for me.." "Me too." After the awkward exchange, you enter her room. You take a quick look around. The room is painted in a very vibrant cyan. You see various Posters of Steven Tyler and Girard Way. Oh, god you think to yourself upon seeing the Gerard Way poster.

"So, what brings you here?" You get very uncomfortable as she sits right next to you on the couch. "Uhh... I saw you and Felix fooling around in the cafeteria... and uhh... you shouldn't do that, I mean Felix is my boy, but so is Jeremy.. that's not right." Faith gives you the puppy face and begins to rub your left thigh. "Come on now, Dee, we don't need make a roll in the hey of this." She then begins to kiss your neck.. ****** A. Push her off ****** Faith, no, you say as you push her off. Im not that kind of guy. Not only do I still have a girlfriend, but Felix and Jeremy are too nice to be playing like that.
But they both know she gives you the puppy face again.

You stand up. What do you mean they both know?

Geez,

Dee, she lays back, I didnt know you were that much of an idiot.

You put your hands in your pockets. Is she playing me or just pimpin? Faith stretches out and gives a rather pleasant moan. Faith you cant find any words.
I do almost anything. Shes

looking at you now in a seductive way.

First explain to me what it is exactly you do. You. No, not that. WhatWhyHow did it all start? You pull up a seat,

sit and listen

inventively.
Well

she thinks and looks up, trying to remember. Jeremy and I had known each other since we were four years old, or so. We were really good friends. She gives off a sigh and lays back again, hands behind her head. On my tenth birthday heleft. He just left without a trace You see that Faiths eyes are watery. and I was told to forget about him by some shadow people. She turns over on the bed, facing away from you. She sighs again. Anywayslast year my parents were killed in a car accident. It was really hard for me to live with my aunt. She just played favorites with her kids and forgot about me. You get up. Faith quickly turns around to see you. You sit next to her and she continues

I ran away after

about three months or so. That b*tch probably doesnt even know that Im gone yet Faith sits up. Sorry. Im boring you with my life story arent I? You realize how sensitive she is feeling right now. You cant hurt her. No, not at all.
Well,

I ended up here, with the Cult of Personality. Dont ask how, not even I know that.and on my first day of class I see Jeremy
Thats

good, right? I mean, your friend who you were told to forget about is with you now, you say, placing your hand on her shoulder.
Jeremy

was holding hands with Felix, Faith says bluntly. You lean back in shock. Faith continues I mean, I wasnt disgusted by it or anythingbut I was really glad to see him. Faith gets up and walks up to a picture on one of the walls. Maybe a little too glad. You certainly werent expecting this. Jeremy gay? What!? Faith takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out. You remain silent and she continues.
Well on the night of that day he confessed that since he left on my tenth

birthday, I was the only girl he would think aboutthe only girl he would dream aboutthe only girl we would confess his love to. You have your palm to your face, trying to take in all this information. Apparently he also had feelings for Felix, whichdidnt fall into the girl category he was talking about. And youve seen Felix, right? Hes really cute. Faith lets out a light giggle. He even thinks he can get with some of those girls from St. Marys.
Bird watching? you say. Yup, Faith

says smiling. Anywaysthe three of us had come to be really close and you say, knowing its the only logical choice.

became
A group couple? Yes. But why did you come on to me? I thought Jeremy Well, Yea,

you ask.

hadyou know!

he didnt. And Im notyou know

I figured

You look at your watch. 6:30 p.m. Well I better ****** C. catch up on my studies. ****** catch up on my studies. you say.

You head back to your room and still have plenty of time to study. 6:30 Open up your text book and begin reading chapter one. 6:35 This is getting boring already, your mind starts to wander. 6:40 You figure some music will help you stay focused, so you turn on your I-pod. 6:41 Scroll through some songs, you cant decide what will make good studying music, so you select the random song setting. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) starts playing. Cool, great riff, great song. 6:45 Voodoo Child finishes and Lola by The Kinks starts playing. 6:46 You think about that Lola chick you met today, man she was hot. You begin to wonder what sex with her would be like, you wonder if she has any tattoos or pricings under that school uniform of her's. 6:47 You think about Amy, you feel somewhat guilty that you were having sexual fantasies about another chick while she still sits in jail. Sitting in jail, with all those other women, sleeping together, showering together. Hmmmm. Amy is a bi-sexual, maybe found somebody else in jail that she can cuddle up with at night. 6:50 - The thought of Amy getting it on with another girl wont leave your mind, you feel a boner coming on. You figure youll fap now, so that you can be distraction free for the rest of your studying. 6:51 Fap 7:01 You finish your fap, it's the first fap youve taken in a long time (a long time by your standards) and it felt good. 7:02 Where are the tissues? Better find some quick. 7:09 You cant find any tissues. So you quickly sneak into the showers across the hall. You clean yourself off using somebodys towel. You put the towel back on the rack afterwards so nobody will notice. 7:11 Turn your I -pod back on and continue study. 7:12 London Calling by The Clash starts playing. You start nodding your head along. 7:14 You figure you could play this song on guitar, it sounds easy enough. You walk over to your guitar, plug it into the amp, and begin playing. 7:15 You start messing around on your guitar, trying to figure this song out. 7:20 You give up on London Calling and decide to play Iron Man instead. 7:25 Still playing Iron Man. You try and sing the verses, but you can't sing for sh*t. 7:29 You break a guitar string, sh*t you dont have any replacements. You have to by some more strings tomorrow. 7:30 You check your watch Hey cool, it 7:30. I just did an hour worth of homework. You proudly exclaim. What now? ****** C. Go to the malldespite it being a little late. ****** You figure youll go hangout at the mall. Its starting to get dark, so most of the shops would be closed by now, but you can still catch a movie or something. You change out of your robe into your normal clothes, jeans and a black Motorhead T-shirt. You then make

your way over to the mall. Outside the mall theres a guy who looks to be about your age, he looks like a total Sid Vicious clone. Hes got short black spiky hair, a lip ring, a Misfits T-shirt, a chain belt, ripped jeans and his arms are covered with bracelets. As your walking past him, he whispers at you Hey you. Me? Yeah you, come over here man. You walk up to him. Do you wanna smoke a joint? You think about it, youre not really much of a drug user. But what the hell, you deserve a little reward after all that homework you did. Yeah, sure. Ill have one. You reply. Alright, follow me. Cool, Im Dee by the way. You say putting your hand out. Im Ryan. He replies while shaking your hand. You follow Ryan, away from the mall and down the street. You walk for what feels like forever, until he finally leads you into a dark ally. There are three other teenage Sid Vicious clones waiting in the ally. Who are these guys? You ask him. He turns around and punches you in the stomach. You fall to your knees. Give us you wallet and your phone. One of the punks tells you. Fighting large groups of people has become second nature to you by now. So you reply with. Get f*cked queer. The punk punches you in the face and you fall onto your back. They gather around you and start kicking you body. Youre not going take this. As one of the punks tries to kick you, you grab his leg and trip him over, he smacks his head on the ground and he get knocked out cold.

You then jump straight up and punch that Ryan guy in his mouth. He falls over. One of the other punks punches you in the back. You stumble a bit, and then spin around so youre facing him. FAAAAALLLCCOOONNNNN PUUUUNNNCCCHHHHH!!!!! You punch him in the throat and he falls to the ground, clutching his throat gasping for air. Theres only one other punk standing. He pulls a knife out of his boot and charges straight for you. He tries to stab you in the chest, but you hold your arms up and block his attack. You then grab his eyebrow ring and rip it straight out of his face. ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!! He screams in agony. Blood is pouring out of his head as he drops his knife and falls to his knees in pain. You knock him out cold with a hard kick to the head. Youre feeling pretty good about yourself, you just beat the s*it out of these punks. If this were an action movie, youd say something really clever right now. You try and think of something to say, but you cant. Youve been hit in the head too many times. SMACK Something hits you in the face, hard. Its Ryan. Hes gotten back up, and hes swinging his chain belt around over his head. You pick up that punks knife. This is serious now, somebodys going die. Just then you hear. Stop it Ryan! Or Ill tell mom! Its Lola! She must be Ryans older sister. Oh come on, were just having a bit of fun. He replies. Im being serious. Dont touch him. She tells him. Ryan gives you a menacing stare for a while. But then drops his chain. F*ck this, Im going to the arcade. He says and walks off. Lola walks up to you, shes wearing a white Ramones top and a pair of really tight jeans. She looks hot. Look at you your bleeding. She says.

Come over to my place, Ill fix you up and make you feel better. She says to you in a very nurturing tone. Why is she being nice to you now, when she was such a bitch to you before? Maybe she respects the fact that you beat up her brother. What about those guys? You ask her. Who, Ryans friends? There used to getting beat-up. She laughs. Yeah, I can imagine. They cant fight for s*it. So are you coming over to my place or not? ****** A. Go to her place! ****** You think about the question Lola asks you for a second. I need to get laidhmm Sure! you say with a horny smile on your face and sun setting in the background. On the way over to Lolas place the two of you talk about your favorite bands, food, color, etc. and its really going good. You feel an immediate connection to her, until
So, are there any crazy ex-girlfriends that I should know about? Lola asks.

You stand still for a while remembering Amy and everything she came with
Just one, you say,

but shes gone now. Her name was Kri- tell

I dont want to know her name, Lola interrupts. Thats the last thing you should ever

your girlfriend. Ever. Girlfriend? Youre not my you think. You think just because you think you saved my life means that youre my girlfriend? Who the f- do you think you are? Lola takes a deep breath in. You look at her with >.> eyes.
Well?

she says. you think.

Well what? you reply. What do you want? Are you gonna ask me if I have any, creep? Okay then. Thinking about Amy you ask,

Do you have any ex-girlfriends that I should

know about? Lola giggles. No, f- tard. What kind of question is that?

You told me to ask, you say. You notice the sun set. Its about half-way down and you

remember what Felix had told you about what happens after dark
wait,

he didnt tell you anything.

Lola begins to slow down walking and stops in front of a PALE YELLOW (ftw!) house.
When we walk in you better

say hi to my mom, she says. She doesnt like people who

are rude to sleep with me. You scratch your head a bit. Doesnt like rude people to sleep with her you think. Okay, sure, but thats a little rude, dont you think?
What do you mean? Lola asks. I mean, Yea,

do you even know my name?

its Andrew. Andrew Pittson. Right? Youre fifteen.

Urr she mustve seen

your fake I.D. Yea, Andrew, you say with a smirk on your face because you know the age was wrong.
Now, do you know my name? Lola asks inventively No, Lola. Well,

waiting for an answer.

I dont know your name.

Im Lo- Hey! Wait a minute! She shoves your shoulder lightly. Youre good, you know that?
Smooth,

actually.

Up at the front door to the house the two of you stand now. Lola slowly creeps the door open.
Mo0o0o0om? Are you still here? she bellows. IM IN THE BATHROOM,

SWEETIE! you hear. Lolas mom sure does sound hot. Maybe even M.I.L.F. worthy hot.
I brought a friend over, SURE THING,

is that alright?

HONEY! Lolas mom screams out the bathroom door.

In a low voice Lola says to you, Come on in, and remember to say hi. You take two steps in the house and let out HI MISSES LOLAS MOM, MAAM!
HI THERE,

ANDREW! she screams back.

How does she know my name!? How does everybody know my f-ing name!? You let it slide, not asking Lola how her mom knows your New Mexican name. Oh well.
Cmon up stairs, Lola whispers seductively.

You follow her up to her room knowing that if worst comes to worst, youd be doing her AND her mom. You take a look around her room. You see a black acoustic guitar, punk rock band posters, pink bed, mirror, pictures of friends, the works.
Uhm, Lola

you say, getting her attention as she prepares her bed.

What is it, Andrew?

****** C. Ask her if her mom is going to join us. ****** So is your mom going to join us? Without missing a beat, Lola yells out the door. Mom, come in here. A very attractive brunette in her early 40s enters them room. Shes dressed like a business women. She looks very smart and sophisticated, yet hot at the same time. Like a retired supermodel or something. You wonder how somebody like her could raise two rebellious punk children like Lola and Ryan. Dee wants to know if you want to have a threesome. No thanks, Im late for work. Lolas mom laughs. You kids have fun now, and be sure to wear a condom. Yes mom. Lola sighs. Ahh, so thats how she raised such f*cked-up children, she lets them do whatever they want. Grab one of the condoms out of my draw, and then have a seat. Ive got something for you. Lola says after her mom leaves the room. You grab a condom, then sit down on the bed as Lola goes over to her stereo. She fiddles with the settings for a minute and then presses play. The Stooges Now I wanna be your dog starts to play. She turns around and begins dancing in a very seductive manner. You sit back and enjoy as she takes her top off, reviling her black bra. You watch as she dances around some more and unhooks her bra. She is a bit older than you, shes maybe 16 or 17 and it shows. Her body is more mature than that of Amys or Krissys. She slowly unbuckles her belt and takes of her pants. She then bends over onto her bed, and slaps her

ass. Come and get it. She says. You walk up to her, pull her underpants down, and go for it. You f*ck her for a good 10 or 15 minutes. Your about to finish up when you hear somebody entering the front door. Any home? A voice yells. Oh shit, thats my brother. Get off me now. You pull out of her, and start putting your pants back on when Ryan enters the bedroom. WHAT THE F*CK!? He yells. Run Dee!!! Lola screams. Although running not going to do any good. Hes blocking the doorway. He takes of his chain belt again, although this time his chain has a padlock attached to the end of it. He starts swinging it around over his head, just like before. Look man, I wasnt doing anything. I swear. You plead to him. BOOM. The padlock on the end of the chain makes contact with the side of your head. You fall to the ground in pain. You lay on the floor while the room seems to be spinning. You try to stand up, but you loose your balance and fall back over. You can hear Ryan laughing like a maniac and Lola screaming at him. You can feel blood dripping down the side of your head. Ryan leans over you and says Dont ever let me see you with my sister again, bitch. He then leaves the room. Lola helps you up. Dont worry, you not cut that badly. How are you feeling? Like a chain hit me in the head You stutter. I think you better go home now, Ill see you around. Yeah, OK. You reply. She kisses you on the lips, then you walk out the front door and begin heading home.

Youve got a pounding headache, but at least youve regained your balance. After an hour of walking, you arrive at the complex. What now? ****** A. Sleep. You need it after that beating. ****** As you open the door to your room you feel the pain of the chained belt on your head get even worse. Step by step the ground pushes up on your legs, through your body and into your injured head. Aaargh you cry as you finally get to the foot of your bed. You fall on it and sleep. * You open your eyes up to the sound of Sunshine of Your Love, yet you dont know where the music is coming from. Theres a *knock, knock, knock* at your door. You get up like youre not even injured, or for that matter, sore, from last night. Who is it? you ask the person on the other side as you walk up to the door. Your new roomie! says the voice. Its femaleand very familiar, too. You reach for the door handle and turn it. Roomie? The door will not open. Yes! You know youve heard that girls voice before, but from where? The door doesnt seem to open. Do you have a key? you ask trying your best to open the door. Yea, let me try it, the girl says. You hear the key insert the key hole and turn. *door opens* You cant believe your eyes. You stand stricken by Medusa herself. That hair. Those eyes. Those lips. That face Its Krissy Wha-What are you do- doing here? you stammer. Howwha-WHAT!? Shh, she says as she puts a finger on your lips to hush you. I have something She turns around and reaches down for something. Coming back up, shes holding a baby. Its

yours, she says. The DNA didnt match as much with James as it did with yours. Youre CRAZY! you yell. You were already pregnant before I sexed you! I was pregnant, Krissy replies. I lost that one before you- NO! you scream. Thats not possible! Is it, Dee? she questions back. Is it not possible? Yes! So it is possible? NO! IT IS NOT POSSIBLE! Your legs begin to shake in weakness. Well here, she says as she hands you the baby. I dont want it if you say it doesnt exist. You take the baby, holding it awkwardly on its side. Bye. Krissy leaves and shuts the door. What now? I dont know how to take care of a baby! I dont even know how to make my own bed! Has it even been nine months? Question upon question race through your head. You try to find a solution buy all you can think of is elimination Then, you see a window you never noticed before I thought I was underground You approach the open window, getting the baby into position You look out and down You find yourself four stories up from the ground You hold the baby out the window I must You release and watch the infant freefall from your hands You laugh maniacally at the sight, then you hear Amys voice in your head

What are you doing? I dont know You must save it. At that very moment you jump out the window to try and catch the little one. By the time your feet release from the window sill the baby has already hit the floor. You know it is too late to save the child ...and its too late to save yourself. Youve already jumped. You look back up as you fall towards the ground and see an unfamiliar face. Father? Yes, it is your father. The face you never knew. Hes in the Arch-Speakers wardrobe attire reaching one hand out to you. FATHEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!! You hit the ground and hear a thud followed by Cream's Ive been waiting so long Your body, crippled. Your soul, destroyed. A *knock, knock, knock* at your door. * Wake up, Dee! Felix's voice echoes in your mind. Upon opening your eyes again, you get up cautiously, looking around your room perplexed by what just happened. WAKE UP, DEE! Youre going to be late! Its Jeremy this time. You open the door to find Felix, Jeremy and Faith at your door. All of them surprised by the unsightly look of you. Are you alright, man? Felix asks as he holds your face to get a good look into your eyes. Yea, justa bad dream Well you better hurry up and ready for class, Jeremy says. Orator Paula may be nice,

but she doesnt tolerate tardiness. ****** A. Alright. Let me throw my cloak on. ****** You quickly change out of your not much, into the white robes that fill one side of your wardrobe. Running back out of the door, you manage to catch up with Felix, Jeremy and Faith. They take a turn down a purple corridor then line up outside a room with no window on the door. This is the classroom where we learn about Cult history, said Felix. Ok, that might clear a few things up The door slowly opens and a woman you can only presume is Orator Paula. She is wearing a fairly dark grey cloak, and looks to be in her thirties. In silence the class file in, take a seat, and then all at once burst into a hobble of talking. Quickly looking around, you expect to see Orator Paula looking angry, but she is acting as if all is normal. She notices your perplexed complexion and walks over. You must be our new Acolyte. Welcome to Acolyte cult history. You look around you and sure enough, all the students in the room have fairly light grey robes. Before you begin to learn, know this. The powers you will learn under these roofs are not to be underestimated. Our powers are of fickle nature, at first they seem manipulative, but you will learn to understand the subtle nature of our teachings. No one knows for sure our history, but it does not go back only in time. In the ancient times, teams of Arch Speakers accomplished more than is comprehensible to most of our members. The limit of their influence was not of human or animal, but in the very fabrication of the universe. No one knows for sure, but some believe that somewhere, some time, 19 of our most skilled members are deciding our fates as we speak- or as some would, say as they speak. She finishes her little speech but you still look confused about all the chatter. Oh that, we encourage talking to develop our skills, any speaking is valuable training. She walks back up to her desk and clicks her fingers. The chatter quickly fades, and the back wall of the room begins to spin, taking her with it. The entire front desk, blank front wall and the floor around it disappear out of site. On the reverse of the wall, very strange

things appear. The first thing you notice is a small army of naked young women- hot ones at that. Closer inspection shows you that amongst the porn-star-esque girls there are some you know. Krissy, Amy, and Lola. The wall is covered in guitars and amps, and the floor is tiled in the shape of the packet of strings you need to buy. Another look at the people spinning into view reveals several many Amys but before you speak to them, prison bars shut in front of them. This all gets too much, and you bury your head in your arms. Looking up a few minutes later, the wall has completed its turn and Orator is back in view, this time the wall covered in teaching resources- interactive whiteboards and posters. Remembering the very strange event, you look around the room. Every person in it is looking at you, taking in the look of surprise and confusion on your face. Orator speaks again. BEHOLD ACOLYTE, THE WALL OF INNER PEACE. This only adds to your troubles. She clears it up. The wall reveals your inner thoughts. To exploit the best of your potential, you must learn to control your thoughts and clear your mind. From your reaction it seems you have a lot to learn. Shall we begin? ****** A. Yes. ****** Orator Paula walks up to the front of the room, which now has her desk and various interactive whiteboards and projectors aiming at it. You are in some ways surprised that a cult with some really traditional values is right on top of modern technology. Todays lesson is about the headquarters we are in as we speak. Our great establishment has not always taken refuge here, for a long while we traveled- our camp never staying in one place for a long time. But in recent times, it has been more important than ever to blend in with our surroundings. Modern travel means the boundaries between traditions and styles of countries are no more- we would stick out like a saw thumb. More information is on the worksheet on you desks You didnt see anyone hand stuff out? Looking down at the desk you realize why: touch screen alert! Closer inspection shows that in fact in front of you is a fully functional pc with a touch screen monitor. The application worksheet0014 has opened itself up. Clicking on it, you receive a message. You must login to access these features.

Putting your hand up like a good boy, orator comes over and hands you a slip of paper. USERNAME: COP\ACLY\PITT PASSWORD: HO26N7I4 You type in your details and change your password. Apparently this is the login you can use for any workstation in the complex. Now working on the sheet, you learn more of the cults retreat into hiding, to escape the ever-growing danger of muggles being discovered. You finish the sheet a bit early surprisingly and browse the PC network a bit. They seem to trust you, no websites you try are blocked and you have a whole host of programs at your disposal. More learning and reading follows, and your understanding of the cult is now much better. But you are now closer to Amy, and have not yet made any progress on your skills. The lesson ends and you file out. According to Felix, who kept quiet during the lesson, you now have individual tutor time and must go and find your respective mentors. ****** A. Find/talk to Sean ****** Upon leaving the room, you say goodbye to Felix and head towards Sean's quarters. You knock on the door that you first woke up in inside this complex. After a few seconds, the door opens and Sean is standing in front of you. "Hello, Seth. Are you ready for your private lessons?" "Yeah.. sure." "Then let us begin." You sit down with Sean as you both pour over a book, with Sean directing your lesson. The stuff you are learning is a continuation of the lesson you were receiving in the classroom. You listen to Sean intently and for once, you actually completely comprehend your work. After 20 more minutes of the lesson, you break the academic strain and get to business with Sean. "Sean, when will I be ready to find Amy..?" "*Sigh* Acolyte, when the time will come, you will know." Great, more cryptic bullshit. You are really getting tired of this. You leave the room and thank Sean for his tutelage. You return towards the commons, then you hear something ringing out in the room. You remember that it is now Tuesday, Jeremy is waiting in the room. You stroll into the

commons room and you see Jeremy with a nice Ibanez SBD 5 String bass plugged into an Ampeg Bass Amp. You see a guitar sitting there, yet it isn't yours. It's a Jackson Warrior MG, with EMG 81s and 85s and it is plugged into a Peavey 6505+. You pick up the guitar and begin to play Crystal Mountain by Death. Jeremy doesn't know the song, but he picks it up very fast. Once you get to the solo, tons of Acolytes and even higher ups enter the room and enjoy your music. After playing Crystal Mountain, you break into Perennial Quest, and then you and Jeremy turn off your amps and accept congratulations from your fellow Cultists. ****** A. Go up to the surface with Jeremy, get some food and celebrate ****** You and Jeremy accept all of your newfound fans in a very pompous way- how couldnt you! Leading to the doorway to the surface, and after having stopped by your various rooms to change, you see the trail of fans reducing to only the most hardcore: Felix and Faith. Walking towards the town center, you discuss where to go for your pretentious celebrations. You suggest Pizza, and Felix and Faith agree. Jeremy has other ideas. Theres this tight little pad over on top of that hill. He gestures back beyond where you came from, and you see the silhouette of a steep hill against the midday sun. Kids like us hang out there, I dont mean the cult, just regular alternative guys You seem to think it sounds cool but Faith disagrees. You can see in her eyes that she is deeply worried about it. ****** C. Ask Faith whats up ****** "Hey Faith, Whats wrong? Why do you look worried?" you say She blushes and answers "It may sound silly, Im a little afraid of heights." Come on, thats only like 20 feet!" Jeremy says "Well, I dont want to go up there" "Well Faith you can go back you know!" Felix says in an aggravating way You are surprised by the rudeness of Felix, and you feel pity for Faith. "You know what; you and Felix go up, Ill stay here with Faith" you say. You look at Faith

and she smiles at you, a very cute smile indeed. As you wish * You watch Felix and Jeremy go alone to the hill, and you think to yourself They are gay, no wonder they didnt have a problem going alone You turn yourself to Faith, she smiles again, and you cant avoid smiling yourself. Lets go grab some pizza Yeah, lets go You go to some pizza hut and order a regular pizza, Faiths favorite. After a lot of talking and chatting you are finished eating. Youve learned a lot bout her likes and dislikes and you cant deny the fact that you are starting to feel something for her. She gets up and she sits beside you. You know you want to but then, you remember Amy. Storming after the thought of Amy being in prison the image of Amy being a bisexual. You feel much better. ****** A. Kiss Faith!!! ****** You push all thoughts of Amy out of your mind as you lean down to kiss Faith, you close your eyes as your lips meet. As the kiss starts to become more and more intense thoughts of Amy flood your brain and guilt sets in but then you remember how she cheated on you with Rose and that other girls whose name you don't remember. Faith suddenly brakes the kiss and whispers in your ear "do you want to come back to my room" "what about Felix and Jeremy" you ask "i wont tell if you wont tell" she whisper back seductively she then gets up and starts walking for the door. "hay wait up" you yell as you get up and run after her. As the two of you start walking towards HQ you notice Ryan and remember how he interrupted you and Lola. What do you do? ****** B. Continue with Faith ****** Was thatRyan? you think with a puzzled look as you walk around the back of Quiznos with Faith.
What is it? Faith asks. She looks confused by your confusion. Oh, uhmnothing. It didnt matter

now, you are already in the complex and nothing bad

can happen in the complex. Up at Faiths room you see the Girard Way poster again. Ugh Faith walks up to her

stereo and starts searching through some CDs. It seems that she wants music, just like Lola. You sit on her bed and notice the time. 6:15. You take off your shirt and look at yourself in disgust. UghIm so fat! Ive got to remember to [s]fap[/s] work out a little bit more often Faith turns around and The Stooges Now I Wanna Be Your Dog begins to play. You smile wide. What is it with this song and sex around here? Either way, you know this is going to be great. Sex twice two days in a row! Faith approaches you slowly and whispers in your ear You do have a condom, right?
Yup. I stole one from Lo-

I meanYes. I have one.

* Surprisingly, sex with Faith lasted a lot longer than sex with Lola and Amy combined. A whole three hours! After a couple minutes of cuddle time Faith jumps up and gets dressed rather quickly. Hurry up, she says. My roommate is going to be here any minute. You take a long stretch. Maybe she could join us. I dont think youll see any ha-
You dont get it, Faith interrupts. Shes ranked

Reciter. The only way to jump form

Acolyte to Reciter is to follow every rule.

Oh It hit you. Underage sex isnt allowed.

****** B. Get dressed and chill with Faith until her roommate gets there ****** You get dressed and lay down on the bed next to Faith. She starts talking about the typical sh*t teenage girls talk about. You quickly loose interest in what shes saying and you zone out. Although you dont regret sleeping with Faith, and you will probably do it again in the near future, you begin to worry. This could potentially f*ck up your friendship with Felix and Jeremy. I mean you are sleeping with there girlfriend. Images of Ryan whipping you with his chain flash back into your head. You better cover your tracks and make sure you dick doesnt get you in anymore trouble Hey Faith You say, irrupting her from whatever it was she was talking about. Yeah? Your not going to tell anyone about us right? Because I dont want things to get weird with Jeremy and Felix.

Of course Im not going to tell them silly. She assures you, and then continues her monologue. You make yourself comfortable lying on Faiths bed and you can feel your eyes getting droopy. You let out a yawn, when all of a sudden the door swings open. It's Faiths roommate. Faith! what are you doing with a boy in your room? Her roommate asks. (Like it's not completely obvious). Its cool, were just hanging out. You say. I wasnt talking to you. Faiths roommate snaps at you. She's got some attitude. You wish this was the 50's so you could give this bitch a taste of the back of your hand. Listen Erin, Faith starts to say. But gets interrupted. You know there are no boys aloud in the female dorms. Give me one reason I shouldn't tell everyone about this? Faiths roommate Erin looks about 15 years old and she's a very plain looking chick. On the outside Erin seems like a very uptight person, yet for some reason youre getting this naughty girl wanting to break free vibe when you look at her. Its like shes a bitch, but a good f*ck might loosen her up. But on the other hand, if you say or do something to offend her, she might rat you in. How are you going to play your cards? ****** B. Apologize and leave the room ****** You open your eyes and look around. Youre sitting in the passenger seat of a car. A middle-aged man who youve never met before is driving. What happened? The last thing you remember is apologizing to Faiths roommate, and then heading outside for some fresh air. What going on? You ask him. You were hit by a car outside the compound. The man responds. What? Who ran me over? Were not sure. Whoever it was didnt pull over to stop and help, they just drove off.

You wonder what kind of horrible person wouldnt pull over if they hit someone with there car. Maybe it was someone who holds a grudge against you. It could be Ryan, or maybe those Knights you brawled with outside the gas station. Who knows? Where are you taking me? You ask. The hospital, were else? No, you cant take me to the hospital! Why not? Because last time I was at a hospital my girlfriend beat up a nurse. We stole an ambulance and got arrested. Then I had to give a blowjob to a male police officer just to get us out of the situation. You inform him. The driver blankly stares at you for a while. Then he finally says. Its pretty unlikely thats going to happen again. I dont care, I dont want to go to the hospital. Sorry kid, the cult gave me orders. Let me out of the car! You demand. No, now go to sleep, your tired. And with that you feel extremely tired. Your eyes get very heavy and you let out a yawn. What, the f*ck did you do? He doesnt respond. Curse your stupid cult mind tricks. You manage to say You then fall asleep.

You wake up inside a hospital room, you look around and you see a women lying in a bed across the room from you. She has all these tubes and machines attached to her. She must be in a coma.

Suddenly theres a knock on the door. Come in. An attractive girl walks into the room. Its Amy! Amy walks up to you, you have so many things you want to say to her. You want to tell her you love her and you missed her and you want to ask her how she escaped from jail. But before you can talk she puts her finger on you lips, as if to tell you to be quiet. You start making out with her on the hospital bed. It feels so good, yet for some reason a little bit different form what you remember. You run your hand up under her top and feel her breast. Her breasts feel different too, they feel a little large to be Amys. You make out for a bit longer, and then whisper in her ear. God I missed you Amy. Amy? Who the f*ck is Amy?! She replies. What? Youre Amy. No Im not! Youre confused, whats going on? You rub you your eyes, and sure enough its not Amy lying on top of you, its Lola. The medication the hospital put you on must have caused you to hallucinate. What are you doing here? You ask a clearly offended Lola. My mom works in this hospital, she called me and told me youve been hit by car. I ran straight out of class and all the way over here. She explains. Ohhhhhh You reply. So whos this Amy girl? Are you cheating on me with her? No, technically Im cheating on her with you. And Faith. You inform her. Oh sh*t, why did you just tell her that? It's gotta be this medication youve been put on, its also causing you to blurt out stupid things. Lolas face looks twisted with rage. I thought you loved me.

Love you? Ive only just met you. Oh, so Im not good enough for you now? No, I didnt say that. Its because Im fat, right? Lola appears to be losing it. No youre not fat. Yes I am, its why you dont love me! And with that Lola sticks her finger down her throat. Um, Lola. What are you doing? BLLAAAAGGGGHHHH Lola forces herself to vomit. Her vomit sprays all over on the floor, walls and on her school uniform. THERE AM I SEXY NOW!? She screams in your face. Jesus Christ, shes a psychopath. Or do you want some girl on girl action, is that it? Lola then walks over to the woman in the coma Lola, whats wrong with you!? She doesnt respond, instead she the lays on top of the coma victim and starts making out with her. YEAH ANDREW, SOME GIRL ON GIRL ACTION! DO YOU FIND ME SEXY NOW? She yells at you, whilst rubbing her body up against the body of the other woman. Somebody get in here and help! You scream out the door. Lolas mom comes running into the room. Help, shes gone crazy. S*it, she must be using drugs again. Lolas mom says.

Shut-up bitch, your not my real mother! Lola screams at her mom. Lola then picks up a metal meal tray that was sitting on the floor next to your bed, and she smacks her mom in the face with it. Take that, and that, and that. He cries while belting her mother over the head. You watch in horror as she knocks her mom unconscious, Lola then turns her attention to you. You dont get it Andrew, were soul mates. Were meant to be together. Oh sh*t. Uh, youre scaring me Lola. Im going to leave now. You tell her and start walking backwards toward the door. No! If you dont want to love me, then we both must die! She screams at you. Lola then walks over to her school bag and pulls out a knife. A big mother-f*cking Crocodile Dundee style knife. We must die together so our souls can unite. She says as she walks towards you, with a crazed stare on her face. Damn, this chick is turning out to be crazier than you mother. What are you going to do? ****** B. Tell her you love her, so she wont kill you ****** "WHOA! LOLA, it's ok I love you." You stand with your back to the wall, sweating bullets as you stare down the business end of the blade. "YOUR LYING!" Shouts Lola. She then pulls back her arm, ready to stab you. You dodge the blow, and run like hell out of the hospital. People give you strange looks as you run through the streets in a medical smock. You pay them no heed and continue to book shit towards where you think the compound is. After running for about 25 minutes, you finally find the Quizno's. You finally reach the door, but it's locked. ****** C. Call Felix ****** You call Felix on a local pay phone, using some change you found by a dumpster. You also put some old, disgusting pants on under your hospital gown. Luckily, he picks up after the first two rings. Hey man, whats up? he asks calmly.

Dude, I just got chased all around town by a crazy, drugged up chick with a knife!!! Im at the door that leads into the HQ. Why wont it open? You didnt hear? All the higher ranks are holding a private meeting. They didnt want to risk us listening in, so all the Alytes and a few other higher ranking members got sent out and locked out. They said they would have the doors unlocked by 5:00 You look at your watch. 3:45. An hour and 15 minutes till you can get back in. Where are you at? you ask Felix Im just outside the Pizza Hut closest to the Cult Sanctuary. Could you wait there for me? Id like someone at my back if that crazy chick finds me. Sure, man. No problem Thanks. You slide the phone back into its place and start heading for Pizza Hut. As you walk, a thousand questions flood your head.
What meeting would be so important that only the higher ranks could hear? Is it

something about the Knights? What the hell is with Lola? She must have been really high or just really crazy to try to kill inside a hospital.? You finally arrive at the Pizza Hut and you see Felix standing just outside. He waves you over. Do you have any idea why they would kick us out like that? you ask. Your guess is as good as mine. Faith said it had something to do with the Knights and you being run over.
Have they ever

done this before?

Not as far as I know

You look at your watch again. 4:00. Hey, lets get something to eat Felix says. Im really not that hungry. Right now, the thought of food sickens you even more than the weird thing you feel in these hobo pants. Come on, itd give us something to do while we wait for the doors to open Yeah, I guess. Its just past five when you get done eating. You get back to the Quiznos in no time, and youre relieved to find the door opens smoothly. After changing, you head into the cafeteria, and every conversation you hear on your way to meet with Faith, Felix, and Jeremy involves the mysterious lock-out. You wake up bright and early the next morning and head to your classes. You pay very close attention as Orator Paula describes how to unlock the rest of your mind, the 90% that humans dont use.

It takes incredible concentration, but eventually you will learn to use the inter-telepathic areas of the mind. If you combine this with spoken word, which is the only way to directly communicate with other human beings, you will soon learn to control your enemys actions, speech, and even thoughts if you know how. These arent the droids youre looking for, you hear the kid next to you whisper to his friend. They share a chuckle. A while later into the lesson, you slowly begin to understand how this works. You feel your head, no not your head, your very brain, begin to tingle. However, a wave of excitement rushes over you, and all of a sudden its gone. remember, its only okay to let your emotions flow when youre not attempting telepathy, Orator Paula says with a grin. Oh dear, look at the time, class dismissed ****** B. Practice your inter-telepathy ****** You leave class and you head to your room. You turn the doorknob and enter, to find your room exactly as it was before. Its good to be here, Im really tired. Anyways Im going to practice a little mind developing You sit in your bed, and you repeat all the procedures Orator Paula spoke about. You feel lots of new sensations. As you concentrate more and more into putting your mind in blank, you can actually notice your brain working rhythmically, probably sending all those messages to your body in order to maintain its status (homeostasis). Earlier in class you were taught that with enough motivation and hard practice you could even tell your brain to stop working, even stop those involuntary things your body did such as your heart pumping. You focus all your concentration to your heart, you want it to stop. One minute passes by, nothing yet. You focus harder. You can feel now the latent muscle, and you know you can control it. Your heart starts beating slower and slower, slower and slower, its stop. Your head becomes heavy, you open your eyes but your vision is reduced. You are fading out when you are suddenly wakened up by your new ringtone, Mr. Crowleys guitar solo. You quickly jump up, still a little stunned due to the lack of oxygenated blood your body just experienced, and you begin you search. Luckily it was easy to find, you check whos calling, Dave. What the Fck? What does David Want? Last time I spoke to him he behaved like an ass. You pick up: Yeah Hey Dee, how are you? Not too good, what do you want?. Why are you calling me, I thought you did not give a damn bout me!

What are ye talking about? Lets meet Ill explain everything What you dont even know where I am! How the hell are you gonna meet me!? Im outside Quiznos. Get out, Im waiting for you. Wait Too late he hung up. You are mesmerized. How the Hell does he know your there? ****** A. Meet him ****** When you are just about to leave the compound, you think to yourself that this maybe a trap. You decide to call David just to make sure its not one of the many people who want you dead. Ring Ring Ring Hello David, its Dee, are you outside? Yeah, Ive been waiting for a long time now, it didnt took me so long to exit the Cults facility when I was your age What?? You know about the Cult of Personality? Come out and Ill tell you everything He hung up. You exit the facility to find Dave outside; he is leaned against what seems a brand new Honda Civic. He was an asshole but you cannot resist. You ran up to him and you hug him. Long Time no see! I missed you pal Dave its good to see you! Get in You get in the Civic, and Dave makes a wave with his hand pointing the drivers door. You get inside the car, behind the wheel, and Dave starts talking. When I was sixteen, I faced lots of Family Issues, just like you did. Luckily I was

abducted by the CoP, and there I met your father. I spent one year studying, and I quickly gained experienced, I soon was a high rank; but I decided to leave with your Dad. We wanted to finish with a high school degree. We went to this regular school and thats where your Dad met your Mom. They were very much in love and they moved in together. I instead left and went to New York where I was making the police training while having a part Job at GC. Years later I get informed about the wedding, and that they had had a kid; it was you Dee. Your father Seth, he asked me to be your Godfather which, flattered I accepted. From there I returned to NYC, became a cop, and you know all that sht, and mistakes that I did later on. One year later your Dad dies. Your mother quickly gets married again, and I did not see you again until last year, when your step dad died. So yes, I knew about the CoP, how do you think they got your things? I sent them So thats why you wanted to meet, to tell me all this? Yes and No; Im sorry I was uninterested in your fate, that day that you called me and I was with a girl. I realized you are all Ive got, and like ways. We should not be mad at each other. I brought you a gift. He throws you a brown envelope, you open it and find a very well falsified drivers license. Andrew Pittson. Age 18. You also find car keys. Here, keep this car. Behind Quiznos there is a garage gate, open it with this electric switch, and you will find an underground parking lot. I thought that you would like a car, I did not get you a Lambo because I was afraid you could get too excited with speed, and just like you did with my Countach, wreck it. Wow Dave I do not know what to say Just forget it, I owed you. His phone rings. He checks it. Got to go, if you need anything, and I mean anything, or you need to just talk, give me a call. I moved nearby. He winks at you and exits the car. A silver VW Polo parks besides the car, and he gets in to it, and they drive away. You are really amazed all this turned out well. He gave you a freakin car, Nice. ****** C. Tell Faith about the V-DUB ****** You park the car and run to get Faith. you find her alone, heading to her room.

"Faith, I have to show you something. you take her hand and lead her to the garage. "What, did you just find out about the garage?" she giggles. "Yep... I mean no, well I just did, but its not what I have to show you." you stammer. Faith laughs. You walk into the garage and find your new car. "Holy sh*t. Is this yours?" "Yep. Wanna go try it out?" Faith grins "Sounds fun!" You cruise around Albuquerque for nearly an hour before coming to a stop near a big public fountain. Its getting near dark, and you couldn't feel better about yourself than you do right now. Instinctively, you and Faith lean towards each other and slowly remove your clothes. The interior of the car is nice and soft, and you lay her down across the back seat. It feels great, the soft touch of her breast, her warm breath across your face and neck, the gentle squeeze of her legs. It lasts for what seems like forever, but eventually you are both back in the front seat with your clothes on. As you look at faith, lying there sleeping, your suddenly reminded of Krissy and that great first time on the slide of the abandoned playground. Suddenly, you also remember how much of a hell your life became. Your mother went insane, you had tons of trouble with the law and lots of time in court. you remember all the fights you had before you were even a teen. All the thoughts of your old life are flooding your brain. What the hell is happening??? Your life is now seeming to literally flash before your eyes. you want to stop thinking of all this, but the memories keep coming. you remember your new life after you left with Dave, pulling the trigger on your own mother and watching her die. Oh god, stop... You remember killing, killing, and killing. Cops... Knights... Amy's cousin. oh god, AMY! suddenly your brain floods with memories of Amy. Her beauty, her voice, her eyes. You remember your last moments with her almost perfectly, almost as if you were living them again. how fearful her voice was as she screamed your name, how you saw her body laying on the pavement after the crash, how you gazed into her eyes and thought how innocent she was and how she deserved nothing of what she was getting. suddenly, you really want to see Amy again, to just see her one more time... you lean your head against the wheel and sob. Faith, now awake, leans over to you. "Whats wrong, baby?" ****** C. Tell her everything about you and your past ****** Dont call me that! you rebel. Faith jumps back in astonishment; speechless. I need to

tell you about

What is it? About me.

Faith giggles. Silly. I know about you already. The entire Cult of Personality does! You feel like an idiot not remembering that. You face-palm yourself and ask, What do you know?
As far back as those lawyers in the gol- Stop.

you interrupt. There is a dead awkward silence for a while. Okay, but Faith removes your hand from your face and kisses you
or at least tries

to. getting watery as you push her back. Lets get back to the

No, Faith. You see her eyes

complex. Innocently Faith replies, Okay, and then there was nothing but silence. * Back in the garage its way past sunset. As you approach the back door to the complex Faith grabs on to you and weeps. Help she sobs out. Please, help me. You lead her towards the wall next to the door and lean her against it to see her face. You think she might be boomeranging you with what you did earlier in the V-dub, but nevertheless you cant help but to ask her, What is it?
Theyll hurt me if I tell you, Faith says, still crying a river. They? Whos they?

You place your hand on her cheek to comfort her.

She lets out a big sob. You know who (Writer Comment: I did not purposely use You know who to parallel the You know who in Harry Potter. I just couldnt think of any other way.)
WHO? you scream out; and just at that moment you hear the door click and lock. You

reach for your phone to get ready to call Felix or Jeremy to open up the door when youre through trying to figure Faith out.
You know whojust get me out of here Who is it Faith!? You begin

to think of who might be hurting her. Is it Felix and Jeremy? She nods a no. Your roommate? Another nod no. Well who is it? Anybody from the CoP? Faith remains still for a while

She nods no again. You take a step back. You know cult members dont have a life outside the complex unless it is with other members; and its not like people outside the CoP have connections with cult members either. You realize only answer would have to be *SLAM* Something hits the door on the other side of it. You hear masculine-girly giggles from the other side of it. It must be Felix and Jeremy. It sounds like they had a [u]f[/u]un time.
Well talk about this later,

Faith, you say to reassure her and yourself. For now, Ill see what I could do, you say with Dave in mind. The door opens and Felix and Jeremy walk out of it hand-in-hand. They dont seem to notice you and Faith and continue to walk towards a minivan in the back.
HEY (insert derogatory

term for homosexual here)! Faith yells. Felix and Jeremy both turn around with a surprised look on their face and release hands. Its now confirmed in your mind that Felix and Jeremy wereyou know.
Faith! Jeremy yells

out as he waves his hand towards you and Faith. Well be over here,

alright? Sure! Faith replies, screaming halfway across the garage. Ill be in my room! The two of you enter the complex and go your separate ways to your dorms. You know Faith has been cheered up a bit from the sight of Jeremy. * Youre back in your room once again. After preparing all your work, mental notes actually, for class tomorrow morning you find yourself boredagain. And it is barely 9:30! ****** A. Guitar then sleep ****** You get your Strat out. Blue, heavily modded by you. Though its mexican, you think no other guitar in the world is better than this one. Looking at the guitar, you remember your band, how you won that epic battle. Mark, Jimmy, Tyran, Amy You warm up playing sultans of swing, with your iPod Backing you up. You then put shuffle, and Mr. Crowley comes up. You start nailing it until the solo, you always ****ed up on that awesomely fast riff, damn Randy Rhoads was a real guitar hero. Enter Sandman comes along, piece of cake compared to Mr. Crowley, then Somebody get me a doctor. After playing EVH, you decide to study a little bit of theory with the computer, you revise Dorian and Mixolydian Scales. You play through them and you create some simple yet tasty licks.

You are tired you through your guitar onto the extra bed, and you crash on yours. You fall asleep. Its 7:00am, you just woke up. Whats up next? ****** D. Find Sean and practice telepathy. Try to steal some thoughts about the lockout. ****** "Sean, Sean, where are you?" you reach out with your mind. "Over here... In the library" he answers back. What the hell? Telepathic communication? Awesome. You walk down the hall and to your left. You open the door to see the back of Sean's head. He's in a little cubicle, reading a book. "Over here, Pitt." he says, without turning. You sit down and talk to him, with your brand new power. "So uhh... Hey..." you start, in your mind. "Hey yourself. When'd you learn telepathy?" "Orator Paula taught it to us yesterday." "Picking up quickly for an acolyte." he responds, still not turning away from his book. "I wonder if he knows about the lock-up?" you wonder "No use getting any info about the lock-up from me. I'm not as weak in mind as you." he responds. "Dammit." you think "Yup." he says. You can't hear it in your mind, but you can see him smiling. ****** E) Shower ****** After all this shits been going down, you realize you haven't showered in an extremely long time. You quickly strip off your clothes and immerse yourself under the cascade of water pouring from the showerhead. After standing there letting the warm water hit you, you clean yourself off and emerge from a steam filled bathroom. You sit back down on your bed and start looking over your lessons, at this point, you are looking at telepathy, the ability to be able to sense the same emotion as others. You shift

your attention to the room next to you, it's just a kid sitting on his bed watching Pokem4nZ, yet he has seen the episode before, so you feel a large surge of boredom. You begin probing more and more Acolytes, feeling just normal content, to boredom, to fapping urges (you can't blame them, you ARE the Fapmaster). After you've thought you probed everyone, you remember Faith. You probe her mind and find a large surge of pure affection. You increase your influence, and you actually begin to see what she is seeing. You see your Facebook page on her computer.... ****** A. Stop and relax ****** After mastering the ability you were using, you quickly decide to chill after what you just experienced. Instead of dwelling upon the fact that Faith has alot of feelings for you, you decide to sit down and watch some TV. You lazily shift through the channels until you see Man vs Wild. You know it's kinda gay that Bear Grylls has a full TV crew with him at all times, but it's still a good show. You watch for a few minutes and then turn it off after Bear shows you how he can just simply walk into Mordor. You leave your room and head back to the commons. Strangely, no one is there, and there is a piece of paper laying on the table in front of the couch. You pick it up and read it, and it is strangely meant for you... The letter reads: Dee, meet me at the Pizza Hut at 5:30. It is 5:10 at the moment and it takes about 15 minutes to drive there. ****** C. Fap ****** After watching Bear Grilles walk into Mordor, you get bored. Then suddenly, after the whole Faith experience, it gets you thinking about the girls that you have been with in your life. You lay back in your bed and begin to think of Krissy, Amy, Lola, AND Faith all doing stuff to each other naked. After 15 minutes of fapping.... You feel extremely re-energized, you haven't done that for a little while, you really ARE the fapmaster. You begin to pace your room in boredom, and you still remember that note, you are apparently late. You decide your kind of hungry so you go to the Pizza Hut, ignoring Admiral Ackbar's warning once again in your life. You get in your car and start down Gay St, and you know your coming close to the Pizza Hut when you see AmericaBlanco's Adult Book Store. You pull into the Pizza Hut. Strange, no one is here, and not a car is in sight...

A voice inside yourself repeatedly loops "IT'S A TRAP, IT'S A TRAP!!!!" ****** C. Do donuts in your Honda ****** You decide to eat donuts in your car. Your listening to Walk by Pantera while savoring the fattening, sugarcoated flavor of a Chocolate covered pastry. "Mmmmm, fatty, circles of pure sugar." *Homer Simpson-esque drooling*. Your still reveling in chocolaty delight when all of a sudden your window explodes beside you. With a quick glance, you see Ryan standing by your car door, his chained padlock in hand. Reacting with incredible speed, you throw your door open, hitting Ryan full-on and sending him to the pavement. As you step out, you see 2 of his friends approaching you from your left and right. the one on the right attacks first, charging you at full speed. With ease, you step out of his way and hold out your foot, tripping him up neatly and sending him to the ground with a satisfying crunch. "Walk" is still playing, and as you start trading fists with the other attacker, you cant help but think of how suiting this music is. You quickly find your opposers weakness, and put a massive fist into his stomach. He wheezes, and falls to the ground. All of a sudden, you feel a had on your shoulder. Ryan. Your sick of this kid, and you decide to teach him a lesson once and for all. You reach around and grab his wrist. You then twist his arm in an almost full circle bfore he can react, and as he cries with agony, you take a kick at the side of his exposed knees. You hear an incredibly loud crack as his knee literally shatters. With on final motion, you bring the palm of your hand into his nose, and immediately blood begins to flow. He falls to the ground, in complete pain. You decide to leave him there, and you head back to your car. Just as you near the vehicle, you hear a great war cry and look up to see a third attacker leaping off the top of your Honda with a knife, aimed straight for your face. ****** C. Falcon Punch! ****** Time seems to slow down to a crawl as the knife heads for your face. FAAAALLCOOOOOOON... PUUNCH!!!!!! Your fist collides with the attackers face, sending him in a barrel roll, backwards over the car. He bounces across the roof and you hear him smack on the pavement on the other side. In an instant you're there too, standing over him. His knife is laying a distance away from his hands, near the curb. "Alright, you tell anyone else that knows Ryan to just fu-" you cut yourself off as you get a good look at the attacker for the first time. It's Franco. This was the man that helped your mother escape from prison, then find and kidnap you. "Glad to see me again, kid?" he says in a rough, taunting voice. You suddenly feel an even greater wave of anger rush over you. without a second thought, you kick Franco in the jaw. He lets out a grunt of agony. "Whadaya gonna do kid, kill me? Kill me like you killed your mother, you sick little bastard?' "she was the sick one. she was the one that started everything."

"No kid, your mom wasn't crazy. she was a brilliant woman, and you were just a distraction that she rightfully needed to get rid of. But, she couldn't, and I'm here to finish her work." "Keep talking. every word you say just gets you a slower and more painful death." you say, getting angrier by the second. "come on, kid threats aren't going to get you anywhere!" His voice suddenly becomes sharp, and with amazing speed he kicks your legs out from under you. damnit, you just had to put your guard down, you think as you start to pick yourself up from the pavement. Its little use, as he throws his foot into your chest and sends you back down. "Whadaya gonna do now, you punk little bastard?" He's picked up the knife, and is holding it in throwing position. He's standing just a little too far away for you to do anything without getting a knife in your gut. maybe I can get him talking and he'll make the same mistake as me, you think to yourself. "So, how'd you find me?" "Ha-ha, you don't want to know. It'd be too much for you to take" what does he mean? "I can take a lot. tell me." "Fine, my pleasure" he says with a sickening grin. "After you'd killed your mother, I decided to make it my personal mission to hunt you down and take revenge. Of course, I couldn't do this right away because of issues with the law, but eventually a good friend of mine managed to wipe my face from every police database in LA." The thought of this guy having no criminal history makes you sick. "So, after I was able to show my face in public without being arrested, I started searching for you. the first people I went to were your close friends. they weren't hard to find at all. Nobody knew a thing about you or your whereabouts, even when I threatened to kill them. Even after I killed all but one, nobody said a thing. So I put the last one to death in an abandoned apartment and..." he never got to finish. A gunshot rang out and Franco fell to the ground, bleeding profusely from his throat. You look up to see Dave standing by his car, holding a smoking pistol. "Dave!" you scream, and run towards him. "god, I'm glad to see you alive, Dee" Your mood immediately changes. "why didn't you tell me about them?" "You mean your friends?" Daves expression grows morbid. "I'm sorry, Dee. I guess I didn't think it was the right time. Don't worry though, as weird as that sounds. Mark, Jimmy, and Tyran are all resting in peace." ****** B. Drive back to the HQ and put your thoughts together ****** "Sh*t. Jimmy, Mark and Tyran?! Dead?!" you ask.

"Well..." he starts. "Well What?! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" You yell at him. "SHUT UP AND LISTEN!" He yells. You step back and rub your temples. A splitting headache starts to form, eating away at you thoughts. "Look. Not all of them are dead. Two are left. One of them-" he starts "Which ones are alive?!" you ask. "Will you please shut up and wait for me to finish?" "Sorry." "One of them is with me." he says, unlocking his trunk. A skinny, tall figure with red, wiry hair crawls out of the trunk and falls onto the ground. "MIKE!" You run towards him and embrace him. You haven't seen him since... Since... Last time! "Hey man. Ugh, man that dude drives like my grandmother. I need some herbal remedies," he says, pulling out a joint, lighting it. "No you don't." you say, swatting it out of his mouth. "What the f*ck man! I just bought a whole-" "Shut up and get in the car. You can smoke, as long as you roll down the windows. "Sweet." he says with a smile on his face. He limps towards your car. Despite being a running back in middle school, he's completely lost all sense of balance. He trips over his feet. Once. Twice. He gets up and stumbles into the car. "Your welcome." Dave says. "Your the man Dave. I gotta get going, Cult rules and all. See yeah later." "I'm staying with my brother, James. He's got a place on 13th St." "Cool. I'll drop by sometime."

You jump into the car and drive off. You look back and see Mike snoring in the back seat. Once you arrive at the complex, you sneak Mike into your room and lay him down carefully. You lie down on your mattress. Rubbing your back, you realize how much weight Mike out on. He sure was heavy.... "Dee. Dee. DEE!" You open your eyes, and look around. The alarm clock reads 5:42. "What?" you manage to mutter. "What is this place?" Mike says with wonder. "It's my dorm." "Dorm? Like in college? You're only 16..." "I'll explain later." What now? ****** A. Show Mike around ****** "Dorm? Like in college? You're only 16..." "I'll explain later..." You trail off as you realize you have no other choice but to explain. You doubt the Archspeakers would be happy. The revealing would have to wait, though. "Mike, the band-" "I know..." interrupts Mike. An awkward silence follows, both of you not meeting each other's eyes. Suddenly, you hear footsteps outside the door. Both of your heads turn in unison towards it. You hear a knock. "Shit! Mike, get in there!" you whisper, pointing towards the bathroom door. Stumbling twice, Mike rushes into the door, and then slams it with a deafening bang. You facepalm. "Uhhhhhhh..." you start, "Who is it?" Who the hell would go knocking around on people's doors at 6:00 in the morning? If it was

Faith, Jeremy, or Felix, they could have just sent you a text. "Sean." the man on the other side of the door replies, "I'm here for Mike." Your heart rises into your throat, and your legs turn to lead. How the hell could they know? Surely the punishment for bringing in a nonmember isn't too harsh... You know you're just trying to convince yourself. Of COURSE the punishment was harsh. They're a CULT, secretive and covert... No regular person could know about them... "I know he's in there, Dee." You give up. Sean was probably reading your mind right there. "Mike, come out." You get up and open the door. Sean, in dark gray cloak and Mike, in jeans and white t-shirt, walk into your room at the same moment from opposite sides. You notice he's holding some Acolyte's bright white attire under one arm. Guilt is painted over both yours and Mike's face. You manage to meet Sean's eyes, though. "How well do you two know each other?" he asks. He didn't seem angry. Surely he would have been at least somewhat angry if he had to drag Acolyte to the Arch-speakers... Perhaps he just hid it well. "We're pretty much best friends," you answer hesitantly. "Hmmm." Sean seemed to be thinking, weighing both of them with his dark eyes, which matched his shadowy cloak. "I know I shouldn't have brought him here, but I had no choice! He had nowhere else to go,-" Sean suddenly bursts into laughter. You and Mike stare incredulously, first at Sean, then each other, then Sean again. Now you were truly confused. "What are you laughing at?..." you ask warily. After his fit of laughter ended, Sean asked another seemingly irrelevant question. "Do you have a roommate, Dee?" 'No, why?..." What the hell was Mike doing in Dave's car, anyway?... Before Sean answers, the answer hits you like a ton of bricks.

"Dee, say hello to your new roommate and fellow Acolyte. Show him around, as well." He tosses you the white clothes he was holding under his arm. "Tell him to put it on. We'll take him to the Arch-speakers in due time, but I think you guys want some time to reacquaint yourselves." You stare even more wide-eyed than before at Sean's back as he turns to leave. After a moment, you say, "Mike... What the hell did you do to end up here?" He's still confused, you realize. "Where are we, even!?" "I'll explain. Put these clothes on, and I'll show you around." You leave your room, entering the strikingly white Acolyte's quarters, explaining the essentials of the Cult of Personality. He asked questions, and you answered as best you could, but you decided to leave the complicated stuff to the Arch-speakers. At the end of the hall, you show him the common room for those who ranked between Mouths and Voices. Only a few people were in the room, though that was no surprise considering it was still around 6:00. You wonder where the common room for Acolytes is. You show Mike the cafeteria next, which also had only a dozen or so people in it, all the while explaining to him about the COP. He asked where exactly this cult was located, and seemed surprised by the answer. "Under a Quizno's?!? We're in a cult in New Mexico, under a QUIZNO'S?!?!?!" Startled people turned their heads towards the direction where the outburst came from, to find two Acolyte's rushing out the door. What do you do next? ****** B. Go hang with the Cult Crew ****** "So uhh... Why'd you send me a Bass?" "Oh shit... It was for my friend Mark, but he's dead so uh...Yeah." "Well I kind of still have it with me. It's still in Dave's car." "Why'd you bring it with you?" you ask, quizzically. "I've been learning how to play. It's pretty fun, and it's keeping me off the herb. Kind of like a stress relief." "That's cool."

The two of you walk for a while until you get to the Acolyte Commons room. "Hey dude." Mike Says, poking your arm "What?" "Who are those guys?" he asks, pointing at a group of people in robes. You look to where hes pointing, and see Faith, Jeremy and Felix all sitting on a bench. Oddly enough, Jeremy's arm is around faith, yet Felix is holding her hand. "Uhh... Hang tight dude." He nods and you run over to greet them. "Hai guise!" "Oh hai." they all respond. "That's my cousin over there. He's new. He's also addicted to weed." "Lol wut?" Faith asks curiously "Hold on. Let me bring him over." you say. You look back to see him listening to his iPod, but he's still paying attention. You beckon him over, and he walks clumsily over. "Sup." he says shortly. "Hey man." Felix replies. "Faith, Jeremy, Felix, this is Mike. He's my cou-" Mike shoots you a look. "Friend from the old town." you finish. "Cou...?" "Fellow Cougar. Our high school mascot was the cougar." you lie. They nod and they all get up. "So uhh... Where to?" Mike asks, scratching his head.

****** B. Guitar Center ****** Wait a second, Faith interrupts. Didnt you say he was your cousin? she asks.
Uhmyou seehesurr

Stammering away you think of the only thing a girl shuts up to. Make me a sammich. And it works. "So uhh... Where to?" Mike asks again, still scratching his head.
Guitar

Center, you say. says, but dont we have class in-

Awesome, Jeremy Class?

Mike questions. Dont tell me I have to go to class, too!

You can see the horror in his eyes and try to calm him down. Its not really a class, Mike. More likea group circle.
OhO0o0o0o0o0o0oh!

Mike smiles. I think Im going to like these group session he says using the air-quotes at group session.
I had a feeling you would.

Wait to you see the wall, you say with an evil grin.

Felix jumps in-between you and Mike. So are we going to Guitar Center or not?
Yea,

lets take my ride, you say holding your keys up in front of everyone.

* At GC you find yourself standing in front of a wall of the best of the best of the best guitars ever crafted and manufactured.
Now what? Mike asks.

****** D. Jam, then talk to Mike alone and get some info ****** "Dude... How did you end up here? In the cult, I mean?" you ask. "What do you mean?" You realize you forgot to tell Mike what kind of people are inducted into the cult, the hopeless, the forsaken... Funny how it doesn't seem that way once you were inside. You explain this to Mike, and he replies slowly.

"Uh... Can we talk about this when we get back? It's kind of a long story..." You nod, and suddenly Jeremy yells, "HEY. Let's get back. It's already 9:00 (AM)." Which was odd, considering it felt like the middle of the afternoon. As you're driving back, you notice Mike doesn't talk a lot. You've never known him to be a shy person. Felix and Faith are talking quietly (for some reason), while Jeremy's mumbling something about being late. He was never late. Class actually starts at around 10:00, which would leave you more than enough time to get ready. And to figure out why Mike's here. After returning, you and Mike head up to the Acolyte's hall. He seemed anxious. Why wouldn't he be? I'd be damn ashamed of myself if I had to tell someone everything that went on in my life... But you luckily didn't have to once you got in the COP, because most of the people already knew. Why had they known?... "So..." you start, after entering your room. "Yeah. I don't know... I think it started that one day I was caught smoking in school... Or maybe it was that other time... I was expelled, anyway." An epic tale ensues. That one night you and Amy almost died in a car accident, while you had been pleading to Dave for help on his cell phone, a stoned Mike was sitting on the couch watching TV, because he had no school the next day. He could care less, but Dave was already planning to get him into another one. Mike could have sworn that he heard Dave having sex in the other room... From Mike's POV: The door suddenly burst open in a spray of wooden splinters, and at least a dozen cops ran into the room, bellowing for submission, guns raised. "OH SHIT!" you (Mike) yelle, terrified and confused. Your hands shot up, though you weren't sure what you did. You weren't going to try to resist against this many. As you were being cuffed, two questions when through your mind. Why? and WTF? The police searched the rest of the house, but found no one except a nude, unconscious woman in Dave's room. What the hell... You still had no clue why, or what. You were lead outside, and placed in a cop car. The front and back seats were closed off from each other by a solid wall, with only a hole for talking back and forth. The windows were blackened, so you couldn't see outside. A chill passes through your body. Almost pure darkness. Police sirens suddenly sounded. You decided that closing your eyes was better than having them open. You almost drifted off to sleep, when you hear mumbling coming from your right... You opened your eyes to a strangely familiar sight. A man in his early 30s or so, with reddish-brown hair and cold, blue eyes. You doesn't look at you, but you know what his

eyes are like. Why hadn't you noticed him before? Whatever. You close your eyes again, not caring whether or not he was some murderer... You drifted off to a restless sleep, broken somewhat by the occasional conversation by the two police officers sitting in the front. You had gotten used to the sirens. Without warning, one of the officers yelled, "WHAT THE HELL?!," completely snapping you out of your sleep. The man beside you shot up quickly as well. You still don't know where you've seen him before... Your mind is fogged. The officer hurriedly closed the sound hole, but not well. Muffles of sound could still be heard of what was being said on the radio. "Jim... unconscious... hospital... suspects..." Well, that was completely useless. The car suddenly takes a sharp turn. Now you have no idea where you're going. The sound of police sirens became quieter and quieter. Your mind is disoriented, and sense of time completely hazed. Man, I should stop smoking... Suddenly, the car comes to a screeching halt. What the hell was going on? You hear a gunshot fired. Oh God... A door clicks open. And then shuts again. What... The door on the other man's side opens, revealing a short man in a gray cloak. A key shone gold in his hand. "I was wondering when you would get here. Let's go," the cuffed man who had sat beside you said. A Scottish accent. You knew that accent. So familiar... The man in the gray cloak just nodded as he opened the cuffs. They fell with a clank of steel hitting pavement, and the man with the accent walked quickly away. The short man seemed to notice you for the first time. Staring at you with beady, almost black eyes, he smiled. Not a friendly smile. Fear crept into your body, almost literally. Your legs seemed to be paralyzed, but you so desperately wanted to run. He just stared at you, yet your entire body was shivering, as if you were freezing to death. Your breathing slowed, your heartbeat slowed, and you started to lose consciousness. There was no pain. Why?... Your vision began to black... A gunshot rang through the air. Your vision started to return, to find the gray cloaked man in a heap by the car door. Your breathing and heartbeat returned to normal. The door to your right suddenly shut, but you don't know how. Your hear another open. And then close. And then open again. You haven't a clue what is going on. Salvation seemed to ring out from the voice that you heard. It was familiar, but not in the

way that chilling Scottish accent was. It was friendly. "It's Dave," the voice said. The car started. A sigh of relief escaped your mouth. You thought you heard him say, "The Knights will fall just as easily as regular humans if you put a bullet through their head..." Still confused and dazed, you drift back off to sleep. /Mike's point of view. You (Dee) stare in amazement as Mike retells his story. It turns out that the police had searched for everything they could on Seth Dee Pitt, and the clues had lead them to Dave's apartment. After the incident with the police, they had been running and avoiding cops, all the while trying to get here, to the cult. They had done their own share of killing as well. Even Mike. A few killed people were no big deal (to the cult), but Mike was a suspect, and needed to get away from the public eye. The only choice was to bring him to the COP. It suddenly strikes you that there might be A LOT of murderers in the COP. Deranged, insane, murderers. Maybe you were one of them. You cut off that train of thought. "Yes, I realize it was Franco..." Mike says. "And he was a Knight of Reason..." you reply slowly. After a silence, Mike asks, "Why are you here?" "Uh... it started when I falcon punched Amy's cousin..." You begin your own story. (I'm not writing that shit out) After you tell him your story, you say, "Yeah... We should probably get going to class now." Well? ****** A. Go to class ****** You look at the clock. 9:51? Sh*t, you better get going. "Cmon dude, we're gonna be late." you tell Mike, slinging on your backpack. The two of you rush to class. Two floors down, first door on the left.

"Hello Gentlemen. You're late." Orator Paula says, looking through her glasses. "Sorry miss. It won't happen again." you say, looking at your shoes. "I see we have a new student. Your name?" she asks. "Mike. Mike Vidda." he mutters. "Michael, we have an initiation test, before anyone joins this class. Please stand right here. Mr. Pitt, please have a seat" she says curtly. Mike walks over blankly to the circle. Orator Paula pulls a curtain back, revealing the wall. Wow. You thought your wall was bad. On the wall, there were two things eminent on it. One of them was the large amounts of the hemp plant. There were posters, joints, ropes, and actual pots of the plant growing. The other one was the large amounts of girls on it. Oddly enough, they were all wearing black bathing suits, and even more oddly, were Asian. "Wow." you say, pushing the desk away from you. "Please have a seat Mr. Vidda." Mike sits down on a desk two seats behind you. "Today, we will be beginning on reading one's actions, most particularly by..."

After what seemed like seven hours, you get out of class. "Dude, is class always that boring?" "I heard that Michael." comes a voice from behind.

You look back to see Orator Paula staring at Mike. "Sorry Mrs. Gladtula." he says, looking at the floor. "Dude, you got owned." Felix says, walking out of the room. "Shut up." Mike says, throwing Felix a look. Felix throws his hands in the air and rolls his eyes. "What now?" Jeremy asks, walking out whilst holding Faith's hand. ****** A. Go pick up Mikes bass ****** "Uhh, we need to pick something up." You say quickly. "Alright. Catch you later." Jeremy says, putting his arm around Faith's waist. Oddly enough, Felix grabs her hand. What a *****. You and Mike walk over to the garage, then hop into your Honda. Slowly and carefully, you back out of the garage, and onto 42nd St. You drive a couple of blocks in silence and pull up on 13th and Grove St. You phone Dave. Ring... Ring... "Hello?" you hear him answer. "Dave. I'm on Grove and 13th. Which house is James'?" you ask "The one with my car parked outside. Duh." he retorts. "Oh. Right." you say quickly. "I'll meet you outside. Is there something you need?" he asks. "We're picking up Mike's bass. Is it in the car?" "Nah. You see, your Uncle James is a musician. He was the singer and rhythm guitarist for a metal band. I was the lead guitarist until he kicked me out. I started out my own metal band after that." he explains. "Okay. What does that have to do with the bass?" you ask skeptically

"He wanted to try it out. I'm coming out right now." he says, hanging up. You park beside his Volkswagen and open the door. "Cmon Mike, Let's get you-" you say, turning around. Mike's fallen fast asleep. "Ugh, what a Mike thing to do." you say, picking up an old Taco bell cup with water in it. Thinking quickly, you dump it on his face. "Ugh. What the f*ck?" he sputters. "Get up sleeping beauty, we're here" you say, laughing. The two of you get up and see Dave. You slap his hand in a most gangster-esque manner, and he gives Mike a pat on the back. You walk inside and your jaw drops. You thought the Dave Cave was cool. There was a whole wall of guitars. Gibson, ESP, Fender, Ibanez, you name it. It looked like he bought some of Guitar Center. On the wall parallel to it, there were 3 half stacks, and 2 fulls. Two of the halves were Mesas, and the third was a Soldano. One of his Full stacks was a Marshall, with a Zoso symbol on it. Obviously a gift from Mr. Page. The other one was a Plexi. Then there were his drums. Not as big as Dave's, but still, pretty damn big. DW shells with gold hardware. Sabian and Zildjian Cymbals. Roland V-drums in the back. "Twas a gift from Neil." he says, smiling. "Like Neil? Neil Pert?" you ask incredulously. "Yeah" he says, laughing. "We went to High School together." "Awesome..." you say, out of breath. "Oh yes. Dave tells me your a guitarist. Strap up." he says, walking over to his wall. He pulls out a ladder out from behind his bookshelf, and climbs up. He picks up a Gibson Les Paul Custom (black, gold hardware) and looks at it for a second. "Yo dude. Catch" he says, throwing you the Les Paul. Dude, who throws a Les Paul 20 feet through the air? Anyway, you plug into the Soldano, and he picks and ESP truckster and plus it into the Dual rectifier. Mike picks up the bass. It's gorgeous. just like you envisioned it. Black. Maple neck, with Mirrored pick guard. He plugs into an Ampeg on the side.

"Hey bro. Get on the drums." James says, throwing Dave a pair of drumsticks. He smiles and plays Enter Sandman. He looks at Dave, and he starts the Heavy Tom riffs. He then looks at you and you start the Chugging riff. After a while of chugging the infamous metal riff, he starts singing. "Say your prayers..." An hour and several songs later, you say goodbye and jump into the Honda. "He seems cool." Mike says, jumping into the backseat. "Dude, he's awesome. I wonder if all of Dave's family is that cool..." "Well, what now?" Mike asks. ****** C. Go bird watching with Mike ****** "Dude, Mike, I gotta show you something." you say as you're driving away. "What is it? It better not be as boring as that class" "No, it won't be. we're going bird watching." "How is that even remotely interesting?" "you'll see" You say with a grin. A short while later you pull into a parking lot and get out of the car. You and Mike sit down on the same bench that you were sitting on when you first met Lola. god, I hope she's not here, you think to yourself. You hear a school bell ring, and the girls come walking out, ready to back to wherever they live. You see Mike's jaw drop a good 2 feet as he catches sight of the "birds". "Goddamn, this is awesome..." he stutters. An attractive blonde walks by where your sitting, and Mike instantly starts hitting on her. "hey, what's your name?" he says, trying to look as manly as possible. "Trinity" she replies quickly. "That's an awesome name. what's your number?" She gives him a weird look and walks away. As soon as she's out of ear shot, mike lets out a string of cusswords. "That always works with the girls I hang out with" He says with a hint of frustration. "Yeah, but the girls you hang out with are always either drunk or stoned." You say calmly. "Shut up, Dee." he says, annoyed. Most of the girls have gone away by now, leaving only a few creepy emo chicks. "Dude, lets leave" says Mike, standing up. "okay. Nothing left to see here, anyway." You walk away, get in the Honda, and drive off to the CoP. You hang around and make small talk for the rest of the evening, and Mike starts getting more acquainted with the other Acolytes. At about 9:00, you decide its time to hit the sack. You are sleeping peacefully for about three hours when all of a sudden you hear a voice.

"Dee, wake up." it says, almost singing. You sit up slowly and look around. It's dark, and you can't quite tell where the voice is coming from. "Who's there?" you ask, squinting into the dark. "You should know, Dee" The voice sounds so familiar. You look harder, and slowly your eyes make out a figure in the dark. Amy is standing near the door of your room. "Dee, its me. I escaped" You almost get out of bed so you can get her, but something doesn't seem right. "Dee, come with me. I have a car, and we can drive straight to Mexico, where nothing will bother us again." "Hold on. how do I know that you're Amy?" "you don't trust me?" she says, and you hear something strange in her voice this time. "I trust you. I just don't know if that is you." "Dee, your freaking out. Just come with me" She says, her voice now soothing as ever. You want to go, but something is telling you not too. "If you're Amy, then where was it that we first had sex?" "It was at the beach, remember?" she says, ad again you hear that strange undertone in her voice. You know now that whatever this thing is, its not Amy. "Get out, whatever you are. I'm not going with you." The voice suddenly changes to that of a grown man. "You have a strong mind Dee Pitt. See you later..." It trails off with a slight cackle of laughter. Almost immediately you fall asleep again. when you wake up in the morning, a thousand thoughts rush through your head. what the hell was that? seems to be the most prominent one. You need to tell somebody. ****** A. Go tell Sean. He probably knows more than anyone else you can talk to immediately. ****** You get up staring at the open doorway, trying to contact Sean telepathically. You know youve got to tell Sean, but in your state of panic it doesnt seem that you can do that. Too afraid to go out of your room at the moment you try to find Mikes bed in the darkness. For reassurance you make sure that he is there before you go for Sean. Hes there andOh, Godyou just got a glimpse of his sack. Now completely terrorized you storm out of your room with your cloak and head towards the Voice Lobby. Hopefully somebody is still awake and will allow you to go to Seans door. You keep trying telepathy. *

After following countless signs and arrows in the dark (@RedDeath: this is how we found our way around before) you find yourself at the Voice Lobby and, for some strange reason, you feel exhausted, yet, not tired. A quick look around the dimly lit room you see a familiar somebody in Mouth attire. Jacob? Jacob is a Mouth and a former apprentice of Sean. The figure stumbles down and awkwardly get up grunting something.
Uhmyes?

he replies.

That voice He continues, Who is there?

Me? Im Dee Pitt mother****er. Ah, Mr.

Pitt. I remember you. Yes, I remember you quite well. What are you doing here?

You think to yourself, What are you doing here?

Im here to see Sean, Jacob says, and you?

He must have read you like a book. It seems that he didnt even try to read your mind. Im here to see Sean, too. You try to block him off and begin to count in your head. 1, 2, 3, 4... Jacob lets out a slight laugh and claps the lights on to see you. The room is lit to a glow of pale yellow. It must be very important if you want to see him after midnight. 8, 9, 10, 11... Yes, it is. 14, 15, 16... Well Im off to bed then, Jacob says, until next time Mr. Pitt. He starts for the door and continues briskly. Before he leaves he turns around, I assume you know how to use The Clapper.
Clap-on, clap-off, The CLAPPER!

He leaves.
Strange how he was going to see Sean and didnt.

With the lights now on in the Voice Lobby you head towards the door leading to the hallway containing Seans room. As soon as you touch the door handle your mind is bombarded with information
33 35' N 7 39' W seems

to be the only figures that stand out. The rest is just a blur, for

now. ****** A. Open the door and get to Sean NOW! ****** You burst through the door and into Sean's room. He is sitting at his desk, writing something. "Yes, Acolyte?" he says, not seeming surprised at all that you're up this late. He must know I'm too panicked to read his mind, you think. "Yes, I do know that. What happened?" he asks. you immediately recount the sequence of events that took place in the last hour. After you are done, Sean leans his head into his hands. "this is very bad." sean begins. "They not only know your weakness, but they know where the CoP operates from." "Who? the Knights of Reason?" you ask. "Nah, the Pharoahs of Kindness!!!! yes, the Knights of Reason, boy!!!" he says, his voice dripping with frustration. Wow, I really can't think straight, you think after you realise just how stupid the question sounded. Sean pauses for a few seconds, then speaks again. "I'm sorry, Dee. This is very aggravating news." he says, calming down. "So, explain to me the whole situation here." you say, hoping to gain just a little knowledge of whats happening. "I'll tell you what I'm permitted" He says, now fully regained of his calm. "You just had a Knight enter your mind. They know that what you desire most of everything in the world is Amy, so they exploited that. Your subconscious mind, no matter what your real mind was thinking, wanted to see her. So, they convinced it that she was there" he explains. "Do you understand?" You nod your head. "good. Now then, try to explain to me how they knew your weakness." You think for a few seconds. "Because they have a man inside the CoP." you say. "very good. you're a smart boy, Dee. we should both get rest now, its late, and we'll think better with a fully awake mind." He sends you out, and shuts his door. Great, there goes the last safe place., you think to yourself. ****** C. Think things over ****** You walk silently back to the Acolyte quarters. The quiet was enough to drive anyone crazy, but your mind was too busy racing to ever consider that. After taking a few steps, you hear something whoosh behind you. All of a sudden, your head feels like someone stabbed your skull and rubbed the knife around. You are about to emit a yell, yet something holds you back. You open your mouth to scream, but nothing but

silence. By now, the pain has spread from the back of your head to the neck, all the way across your body. By now, it feels like white hot knives are being dragged across your skin. "You are paralyzed, so afraid to die. Caught off guard. Warning signs, didn't show. Tension strikes, worries grow. Why do you feel so numb? Is it something to do where you come from?" you hear a voice calling out from beyond the darkness. Beyond the borders of consciousness, you hear someone's voice. It's eerily crawling in between your ears, tickling your brain with its pitch. The sound of it makes your spine crawl. It's like a knife being dragged across a plate of steel. Cold, raspy and threatening, you hear it again. "Dee Pitt. Be on your guard. There are forces beyond out explanation wandering about. Consider yourself warned." You wake to cold sweat, panting heavily. Rapid heartbeat, pounding against your chest, agitative body in distress. You reach out with your mind. Nobody there. Before you could say anything, you feel it strike again. No, not again. Instead of succumbing to the pain, you push back. With all your mental energy, you push back against the nothingness. You feel relief for a second, but it's too strong. -You give out to the pain..."Pitt. Dee. HEY!" You open your eyes. In bed, with life support attached to you. The next thing you notice are the people around you. ****** A. What happened? ****** What happened? You ask while sitting up in your bed. Hes awake. Says one of the people standing around you. You try and make out who said that but you cant, your vision is very blurry. What happened? You ask again, hoping to get a proper answer this time. We were hoping you could tell us. Says another person, whom you still cant seem to make out. You were found lying unconscious on the ground.

You try to remember what happened, but you unable too. It looks like youve lost your memory. My head hurts. You say. Yeah, you must have cracked your skull open when you fell to the ground. Says another blurry figure. We had to put 20 staples in your head. So can you remember what happened or not? Another person asks. No, I cant remember anything. You tell them. Short term memory loss. Thats common with head injuries like yours, I bet your eyesight is pretty messed up too. Yeah it is. Right, were going to have an expert come in tomorrow and test you for brain damage, so youre spending the night here. Just call out if you need help, well send one of the nurses in. Wait what? I dont have brain damage, and I defiantly dont want to spend the night here. Sorry kid, but you dont have an option. The blurry group of people then leave the room. You still have so many questions. Who were those people? And where am I being held? But it doesnt seem like those guys wanted to give you any answers. F*ck this, Im leaving. You say out loud to yourself. Your about to jump out of you bed when you realize you have theses tubes attached to you. There are three tubes attached to your arms. (Two in you right arm, one in your left). You also notice a pain come from your groin. You take a look under your bed sheets and under the blue hospital gown youre wearing. And you see another tube. This tube is coming straight out of the end of your penis. You have no idea what these tubes are, they could be keeping you alive for all you know. Common sense is telling you not to pull them out. (Especially the penis tube, because that might hurt). But at the same time youre also freaking out about spending the night here. Your not sure why but you have a really bad feeling about this place, like something weird

is going on. And your gut instincts are usually right. What to do? ****** A. Pull the tubes out and leave ****** Ive gotta get out of here. Theres something not right about this place. You think to yourself. You grab the tubes that are attached to your forearms and yank them out without any hesitation. OK, good youre still alive. It looks like these tubes arent that important. Now time for the hard part, the only thing standing in you way of your freedom is this tube thats stuck up your penis. You take grab the tube with both your hands and take a few deep breaths. 1...2...3 AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! You scream in agony as you jerk the tube out of your dick. The pain is beyond description. Tears roll out of your eyes as you grab you rub your penis. It feels like the inside of you dick is on fire, it hurts so bad that your probably never going to be able to fap again. Although at least you can make you getaway now. You jump out of bed and leave the small room you were being held in. You walk into a hallway. There are four doors on the left and four doors on the right. The doors all have writing on them, but because of your poor eyesight you cant read whats on them. Just then a woman walks out of the first door on the left. What are you doing up? You should be in bed." she tells you. F*ck you, Im leaving! You bark back at her. Leaving, really? Cause I was just about to give you a sponge bath. Although your vision is still blurry you manage to get a glimpse of this woman. She looks to be in her early 20s, she has blond hair and a very pretty face. Shes dressed in a light blue nurses uniform and she looks hot in it. Although a couple of minutes ago you said youll never be able to fap again, you can already feel yourself getting aroused at the thought of this woman washing your joystick.

What to do? ****** No, Im leaving. ****** No, Im leaving. You tell her. What if you gave me a sponge bath? She suggestively whispers in you ear, while rubbing the inside of your leg. OK, now something is defiantly wrong. You try and escape and a hot nurse appears out of nowhere and tries to seduce you? This isnt a porno, these things dont just happen. This has got to be a trap, somebody is trying to keep you here. Maybe youve been kidnapped by mad scientists and there planning on doing experiments on you. It would explain the penis tube, they were trying to harvest you sperm so they can clone you and make a super army! It all makes sense now. I will not be your guinea pig you sick freaks! You scream in the nurses face. Then storm down the hallway. Somebody help, hes making a getaway! The nurse screams. All of a sudden a doctor seems to appear out of nowhere and he grabs your shoulder. You punch him in the face and he stumbles into the wall. You grab him by the throat. How do I get out of here?! You roar at him. The second door on the right leads you into the main hall. Youll see the exit from there. He stutters in fear. You give him a knee into the balls and he falls to the ground. Thats what you get from stealing my sperm motherf*ker. You tell him. You run out into the main hall but theres a bunch of guards blocking the exit. So you pull a fire extinguisher of the wall and smash one of the guards in the head with it. Anyone else wanna f*ck with me!? You shout. They all move out of you way looking terrified. You can really be a badass when you want too. You run out side and you see Dave hoping out of his car thats parked in the street. Dave what are you doing here? Did you come to rescue me?

Rescue you? No I came to visit. Visit you? Why would he be visiting you if youre being held captive by a team of mad scientists? Something starts to tell you that you werent kidnapped. Where are we? you ask Dave. Were outside a hospital. You were found lying unconscious on the ground by the COP. They healed your wounds and stapled your head back together, but they were worried you might have gotten brain damage. So they drove you over to the hospital were you could get an evaluation. He explains. The realization of you mistake falls on you. They werent doing any experiments on you, and those people in the main hall werent guards. Weve got to get out here now. You tell Dave. Why? I went crazy and beat up a few people. Yeah the COP was worried that your head injury combined with all the strong painkillers they gave you would cause to go a little bit mental. So what do you want to do? Dave asks you. ****** A. Go back inside and apologize ****** "I wanna go back inside and apologize for what I've done." "Okay, I'll go with you." You and Dave go back into the hospital, and people begin to slowly back away from you. Soon enough, security guards surround you and Dave. "Hey guys, I'm sorry about the whole beating the shit out of everyone thing, I had a bad reaction to the drugs and my headwoud." The lead guard looks at you as if you had three dicks. "Alright, fine kid, get back in bed... You'll understand if we post a guard outside of your door." Actually, this works out for you, that way no harm will come to you if there is someone guarding your door. You go back into your room with Dave and shooting the crap for a little while.

Three hours later Dave leaves and you lay back down and drift towards sleep, all the ownage made you tired. You begin to dream about your Pre-Teen life, yet it is alot more than real. Not only that, events don't play out as they did in the past. You toss and turn as you see the vision of Krissy saying that the baby really WAS yours, a vision of the group of kids behind McDonalds killing James, and Amy slapping you in the face on the roof of your apartment complex. You wake up to see the security guard standing in the doorway. "Are you ok, kid?" ****** E. Nod and go back to sleep ****** You nod and close your eyes, laying your head back on your pillow. The dreams that come are no better than the last. Chuck, Franco, your mom and the countless unknown faces that have tried to do you harm haunt your dreams, hunting you. You're always in retreat. Looking over your shoulder, you expect to find someone right on your tail. Only, there is no one. There is nothing but darkness. Forwards and back, only darkness, yet you know they're after you, so you keep running. You recognize faces in the blackness, some you can put a name to and some you can't. Dave, Mike, your mom, the old band, Faith, Krissy, Amy... Amy... You relive the hopeless race for Mexico. Choppers flying overhead, bullets firing, and always the constant sound of police sirens. The border comes into view. You can see the exits, but they're all blocked by cars. A bullet speeds between you and Amy, leaving a hole in the front and rear windshield. The middle right lane has only one car in it, so you speed up and go for it. Insanity, and you know it, but you don't care. It's your only hope. Amy is crying now, trying desperately to stop you. You won't listen though, you've had enough of everything. This is your only hope. Amy realizes that she can't budge you now, and she tries to jump out of the car. The door slams close as soon as she opens it. Tears are streaming down her cheeks. 25 feet... "What am I doing?" You slam the brakes as hard as you can. You wake in a cold sweat, sitting up quickly. The guard jumps too. "Are you OK?" he asks tensely. You don't reply. The thoughts racing in your head and the feeling of pure guilt take over

you. It's my fault. Amy was into this because of you. Your old friends were dead because of you. If you could talk to them, you don't know what you would say. You died because I killed eight innocent people at a golf course. What madness had come over you that day? Now Amy was in prison. How many innocent people had suffered indirectly by your hands? Anger boils up inside of you. Anger for what, you can't say. You want revenge, but there was no one to take it upon but yourself. I have to save Amy. Everything else is in the past now. The Cult is your new home. But Amy needs to be saved. The next two days go by slowly. There were no sponge baths from hot nurses, and nothing to do but read and sleep. You didn't feel like doing the latter. There was no penis tube, at least. At the end of the second day, you're sitting in the waiting room when Dave and Faith come to pick you up. Dave is wearing a serious expression, and Faith a worried one. She smiles when she sees you though. Guilt washes over you, but you smile back. "Hey Andrew," she says. Good thing you hadn't given your real name to the staff. "Hey..." "Let's go," Dave says briskly. No time for greetings, apparently. The drive back to the COP is a silent one. Faith is smiling, but you can sense anxiousness coming from her without even reading her mind. Dave still wore the serious look. "So what exactly happened back at the cult?" you ask. Faith opens her mouth to speak, but Dave interrupts. "I'll explain when we get back." No time for explanations either. When you get back to the COP, you ask once again. This time you receive an answer. "You were attacked. By a cult member, although whoever it was is most likely a spy from the Knights." Memories of the night you were attacked suddenly rush into your head. 33 35' N 7 39' W, Jacob, the voice, the pain... His explanation only confirms your suspicions, but it doesn't answer why everyone looks so worried. "Why are you guys so tense?..."

"There have been too many attacks lately. The Arch-speakers are... changing things." When you enter the COP, the signs of urgency are everywhere. People in cloaks colored all the way from white to dark gray are walking the halls briskly. Faith suddenly seems to remember something, and says, "I gotta go. I'll talk to you later." The smile was gone. Dave says, "I have to go talk to the Arch-speakers. Don't get in any trouble." and turns to leave. What now? ****** B. Tell Dave about your suspicions about Jacob ****** As soon as Dave leaves to speak with the Arch-Speakers the idea of Jacob acting suspicious comes into your mind.
Dave! Wait up! you scream.

You realize that either Dave heard you and what he has to speak to the Arch-Speakers about is very important or he didnt hear you amidst all the others shuffling about. You know better than to defy Dave or barge into the Arch-Speaker administrative center, so for now, you do as Dave says and wait You begin pacing and wait You lean on a wall, arms crossed and wait You tap your foot impatiently. Finally you see Dave and wave at him, acknowledging him that you have something to talk to him about.
Dave, Well,

Ive got to tell you something. you say. what is it? he asks. important, you continue. it, boy! may have coveted

Its really

Get on with

I have reason to believe that Jacob, one of Seans previous apprentices,

with the Knights of Re- *SMACK*

Dave smacks you across the face. Dont you EVER say that about my son! As Lieutenant Demagogue of the Cult of Personality I can vouch that Jacob Justis LeRoth has been under very close supervision ever since your arrival in the CoP. You stand there with your hand across your face in shock. His son!? Jacob is Daves son? I am sure of it that he has not even left the premises since the time he first walked in through those doors, Dave says as he points to the CoP entrance. You start second guessing yourself. Then why was he in the Voice Lobby? Why did he have to see Sean? Why did he just get up and leave? Then you realize it. What do you mean hes been under close supervision ever since Ive got here? Dave remains motionless. It is not your time to know that yet, he looks away from you shamefully. But it might be soon. ****** C. What do you mean soon? ****** "okay. and what do you mean by 'soon'?" you ask. "I mean just that. Soon." David says, and walks off. Its impossible to get a straight answer from anybody around here, you think. It can be frustrating as hell You head back into your room and lay down on your bed. you find it almost impossible to think straight as your head is swirling with thousands of thoughts. You look around your room, and spy your guitar sitting in the corner. You reach over, pick it up, and start playing without even bothering to plug in. The guitar feels so natural, cradled in your lap, and everything that you play sounds incredibly good. You lay back on your bed, still strumming the guitar. It hums against your chest, and reminds you of Amy. The thought of her brings you back to your old lives again. Wow, somethings definitely changed in me. A year ago I would've fapped in those peoples faces without a second thought. Your thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a loud knock on your door. You walk up to open it, and you see Sean standing in the hallway. "I suppose you'd like a little explanation of what happened to you here a few nights ago." he thinks to you. Without waiting for a confirmation he thinks "You were physically assaulted by a member of the CoP who was obviously a double crosser." obviously you think, remembering that Sean can hear only a second too late. "I know that's obvious, boy. Now, what you probably don't know is that he's dead." Sean begins to explain. "We found him standing over your unconscious body Right where you were attacked. We chased him down until we had him cornered, and were about to capture him for questioning when he did something that I have never seen before." You now sense disgust in Sean's mind. "He used some mind trick and literally blew his own head open." Your eyes grow wide.

"We have no idea who he was, because we never saw his face, and the same mind trick scorched his entire body to a crisp." "so can we breathe easy now?" you ask. "I'm afraid we can't. The Knights are still at large, and we don't even know if there's another traitor in the cult." Sean says gravely. "Anyway, I have to return to my room. I would suggest that you rest for a while." Sean glides back down the corridor. ****** C. Speak with Faith ****** You use your mind fucks tricks to locate faith, she is in her room. You knock on her door. As you enter Top of the Pops by The Kinks can be heard from the computer speakers. You kiss her cheek and greet her, she seems very happy you are there. Something is different from the room, there are no more posters, it seems very tidy, the only thing on the wall is a painting, similar to Petruccis guitars, must be a Picasso you think as you smile remembering Dream Theater. Hey, you dig The Kinks? Yes, great band You like it?. Yeppers. What happened to your posters? Oh they just grew old. They were ****ty anyways Well the room is a thousand times neater Thats nice you noticed! Sayhow are you, I mean, are you ok? Do you feel any pain in your body? You endured hard hits; Ive never seen someone as brave as you! No, I guess Im alright, thanks. Why do you ask? I thought we could have some fun She giggles You feel electricity on your pants. Yep youre good to go. ****** B. Do her, but before doing so, check 2 minimized Facebook IE6 tabs ****** A quick glimpse at your penis and another her breasts confirms that you are ready to do the deed. But first, to the computer and those Facebook IE6 windows you see minimized.
Havent you ever Get over here,

heard of tabbed browsing, Faith? you ask.

Faith demands. Ignore the computer and DO ME!

Just as she says that you open up the two minimized windows and see your Facebook account profile, which you are not surprised about and Jacobs Facebook? Yes, what about it? Faith asks. You turn around with a puzzled look. With a content face on her, she was clearly talking to you. FaithII didnt say anything. She quickly looks away from you, avoiding eye contact. Leave, she says dully. Please, Erin might be here soon. Funny how Erin, Faiths roommate, never came into mind. On your way out you see Faiths robe. Whitepureinexperienced * At about halfway to your room it hits you. She clearly read my mind. How is her robe still as white as snow? You decide to act upon this by ****** D. Trying to get further into Faiths mind ****** You turn around and look at her in the eyes. You focus intently on what's buzzing around inside her mind. "You know, it's rude to read someone's mind without permission" she thinks, not changing facial expression. She then smiles at you and turns back to the computer. You keep trying, but all you hear are repeated harmonics in a familiar pattern. Red Barchetta. "It's no use Dee. You're just not strong enough." she thinks, while turning to you, and rolling her eyes. "Erin just IMed me. She won't be back till 1 am. Her mom's hospitalized." she thinks. "That sucks." you send back. No response. You turn away. "Dee. Don't go. Please, I'm going to be all lonely." she whispers into your ear. You turn around, and Faith is standing there, with her white, long-sleeved shirt unbuttoned. No pants, lacy underwear. "Please Dee. I just wanted to have a little fun. Just for one hour?"

she whispers sexily, running her finger down your chest. "Uhh..." you stutter. She starts unbuttoning your shirt and continues to take it off. "Faith. I don't think that this is a good id-" you mumble, but she continues to unzip your jeans and she pulls them off. She rips off her shirt, and jumps onto you. The next thing you know, the two of you are butt naked, at it again. Then after about what felt like an hour, she finally stops. "Oh Dee... " she moans. She moves over onto you and starts kissing you. Can't think of how good sex has felt this good... ***The morning after "Dee. Get dressed. Erin's on her way!" you hear someone say, alarmingly. "Huh...?" you say, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. "Last night was amazing." She whispers, kissing you on the cheek. She then winks and pulls her robes on. You get up, realizing you're still in the nude. You quickly grab your boxers and clothes, and pull them on. Nonchalantly, you casually walk out of her room, and back to yours. You open the door, and find Mike waiting there for you. "Hey man. Where've ya been?" he asks. "Out." you say quickly. "Okay then. Today's Saturday if you haven't noticed. You have anything planned?" he asks, looking up. ****** A. "Nope. Wanna go to the mall?" ****** You change out of your robe and into your best clothes. Dirty old jeans and a black Motorhead shirt. Mikes waiting for you outside the compound and the pair of you start walking towards the mall. The two of you make small talk the whole way, you tell him about your suspicions of Jacob and you tell him about your morphine addled escapades down at the hospital. When suddenly Holy sh*t!

What? You ask Mike. Its her. Who? Her. He says pointing inside the window of a restaurant. Hes pointing at an attractive woman in her late twenties sitting alone at a table. Shes a brunette with tanned skin and dark brown eyes, she looks like a Native American Indian. You also notice how well dressed she is. This must be a fancy restaurant. Whos that? You ask. What do you mean whos that? Thats Choke-a-hauntus. Shes the biggest porn star in the world right now. Mike explains to you. I wouldnt know, I dont have time for porn. With all the sex Im having and what not. Yeah, well Ive been watching a lot of porn lately, Im kinda going through a dry spell. Poor Mike. There was a time when you where jealous of him because he could get any chick he wanted. Now hes jacking off to porn all day. Im going to go in and talk to her. He says. Before you can say anything Mike enters the restaurant. You follow him. He walks right up to Choke-a-hauntus and says. Excuse me mam? Hi, my names Mike. She looks up, gets one glimpse of you teenage boys and sighs. Im not doing photos or autographs today. She says. No, I just wanted to say Im a really big fan of you work. Mike say, in a sweet, innocent, child like manner. Her face softens up. Ohhh, thats sweet. Thank you. "WHAT THE F*CK?! A males voice bellows. You turn around to see a very large, muscular man standing behind you. His face looks twisted with rage.

You trying to hit on my girlfriend punk?" He yells at Mike. Calm down Scott, there just fans. Says Choke-a-hauntus. Bullsh*t! He screams. Then punched Mike in the stomach. SCOTT, CUT IT OUT!!! Choke-a-hauntus screams at him. He doesnt listen. Instead he picks Mike up above his head like hes King Kong on steroids, and tosses him across the room. Mike flies through the air, getting a lot of hang time before crashing through a table. People in the restaurant start screaming and running out the door. This Scott guy then runs up to Mike and start kicking him while hes on the floor. Jesus Christ, he must have roid rage, or be on PCP or something. You think to yourself. Do something, stop him! Choke-a-hauntus pleas to you, with tears rolling out of her eyes. Do something? Hes built like a f*cking Norse God! You point out to her. Grab a weapon then. Hell kill you friend otherwise. She replies. You look down at the table youre standing next to. You get a few ideas. ****** B. Grab a chair and go WWE on his ass ****** Thinking quickly, you turn around and grab the nearest chair by the back. It's a somewhat heavy chunk of wood, but you have little tourble lifting it. With a mighty yell you bring the chair down over Scott's massive head. It shatters into little pieces as it collides with his skull. Scott stops his attack on Mike and slowly turns around. Sweet Jesus, he didn't even flinch... Scott, whose face is red with fury and is breathing like a bull after a 20 mile run, is now staring at you straight in the face. "OH SHI-" you manage to say before his massive hand collides with your jaw, sending you spinning through the air. You land on your back on a table. the world spins as you gaze at the ceiling of the Pizza Hut. Still somewhat dizzy, you get up from the table and stand on your feet. Scott is grinning. "Oh, so you think your tough now, doncha?" He starts walking towards you when all of a sudden Mike leaps on him from behind, wrapping his arms around Scott's neck and attmempting to choke him. You barely have time to react before Scott throws him

off, sending him rolling on the floor. He stops at the main counter of the now vacant restaraunt, fully unconscious. "Now its your turn, punk!!!" Scott bellows, and charges you with amazing speed. You immediately evade with a quick step to the right, but Scott still barely catches your side, and you go twirling into a wall. "Oh, you're a tricky one, aren't you?" He says with an evil grin. "Don't waste your time, you're gonna end up dead anyway." He then lifts a table that could easily seat 4 people into the air and hurls it at you with one hand. You try to dodge, but it catches you full on before you've barely even moved. You're sent through the air again, this time hitting the wall and slumping into a booth seat. You slowly slide out onto the floor. Scott walks over to you, and what already seemed like a towering behemoth now looks like a Titan straight out of Greek myth. "BAHAHAHA-HA!!! You didn't really think you could beat me, did you?" your whole body hurts like crazy. You can barely even move. You try your mind tricks, but you can't focus nearly enough because the pain is so overwhelming. "I'm not dead yet" you squeak" More obnoxious laughing. "Not dead yet? Thats the dumbest thing I've ever heard! Just who do you think you are?" you suddenly spy a fork lying just within your reach. You grin. "I'm Dee Pitt, Motherfucker" You grab the fork, and hurl it with all your strength right at Scott's face. It hits exactly where you intended, driving itself into Scott's eye. "AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHH!!! SON OF A BITCH!!!!!!!!" Scott screams with agony. he kneels, then falls over onto the floor, screaming with pain. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT YOU LITTLE BASTARD!!! AAAARGGH!!!" Choke-a-hauntus, who went over to help Mike as soon as scott shifted his attention to you, walks over and helps you up. "Thank you so much!" she says, her voice filled with glee. Mike, who looks pretty bruised up, walks over to you as well. "Nice job, dude." he says, looking down at the crumpled Scott. what do you do now? ****** A. stay and talk with Choke-a-hauntus ****** After Scott runs out of the restaurant and drives himself of to the hospital. Mike starts making small talk with Choke-a-hauntus. Although your not really listening to what there saying because your still in shock. You take a look around at the restaurant, its completely empty, there are tables and chairs flipped over everywhere and theres blood stains all over the floor. It looks like it was the set of a bar fight in a western movie. And while you feel like a total badass, you cant help but to worry about Scott. And what he will do next time he sees you. So do you and Scott live around here? You ask Choke-a-hauntus. No, we live in LA, we just flew into town today. Were shooting a film here.

Why, are you scared were going to run into Scott again? Mike asks. Arent you? Nope, let him try. Well just kick his ass again. Mike says confidently. Choke-a-hauntus laughs. Tell you what, because I like you boys, and as a token of apology for my boyfriend beating you up. How would you like to come and visit me on the set of my new film? Visit the set of a porno? You dont even have to wait for the thinking music to come on. Yeah, sure. You and Mike say together. Cool. Were shooting in a house thats just down the end of the street. Filming starts in 20 minutes. She gives you the address and then leaves the restaurant. You and Mike stare at each other blankly for a couple of seconds. You can believe what she just said. 20 Minutes later and you arrive at a double story house. You look inside though a window in the front yard. You can see some camera crews setting up and a pair of attractive women talking to a fat middle-aged man. Youre about to go and enter from the front door when Mike grabs you by the arm. Wait man, what are we going to do once were inside? He says. ****** D. Ask the director to be extras ****** Mike stares at you, waiting for an answer. "I don't know about you," you say. "but I'm gonna see if they need any help. If you know what I mean." "Dude, that is the best idea you have ever had!" he says. "Just follow my lead." You tell him. You walk up and open the door. You walk through it confidently, with mike close behind. Trying not to trip over his own feet. You walk right up to the director, who is sipping on a latte. As you approach him, he looks at you questioningly.

"Aren't you guys a little young to be in here?" he says. "We're friends of choke-a-hauntus." You explain to him. "Oh I see." He says. "And what can I do for you?" "We're here in case you need any extras." You tell him. "Right mike?" "Huh!? Uhm... yeah. We're extras." He stammers. The director starts to laugh. "Yeah right! Do think I want to go to jail? Kiddy porn is illegal. Why don't you two run along and play now? I have work to do." Just then, choke-a-hauntus walks up in nothing but a robe. It doesn't do a very good job of covering her full figure either. "Wow." you think to yourself. You can feel a stirring in your pants. "Relax Jim, they're my guests." She tells the director. "Whatever." He says. "As long as I don't get in trouble for anything, they can stay and watch." "Thanks Jim, you're a doll." She says. "Why don't you two have a seat? The shows about to begin." She says to you and mike. You both go find a place out of the way where you will still have a good view. You see choke-a-hauntus, along with a very attractive blonde who looked to be in her early twenties. The only other person in the room wearing a robe was a man who looked to be in his late thirties. You didn't really pay any attention to him. Suddenly you hear the director call out "Action!" Two ours later, you and mike both leave the place with raging boners. "Oh. My. God." Mike says. "That was amazing! I can't believe we actually got to watch a porno being made!!!" You, however aren't quite as enthusiastic. You don't feel quite right. You have this nagging feeling that something is wrong. "Hey guys, are you leaving so soon?" You take your hand off the doorknob and turn to see choke-a-hauntus standing there. Fully clothed, to mikes disappointment. "Yeah." You reply. "We need to get home soon." You look out the window, and realize it's

almost dark. "What's the matter?" she asks. "Your mommy won't let you stay out after dark?" there's something about the way she laughed after she said that that makes you feel uneasy. "Why don't you two stay and have some fun?" she says. Mike looks like he's about faint. He looks at you expectantly. Pleading with his eyes. "Look, we'd love to, but we have somewhere we have to be. Let's go Mike." You say as you open the door. "Alright then, Seth. Maybe some other time then." She says. You stop in your tracks. When did you tell her about your other name? You turn around to see her smiling at you. It's giving you the creeps. What do you do? ****** A. How did you know my other name? ****** You make a quick decision. "Go back to the cult, and get someone. Anyone. I don't know what's going on, but we might need help." You tell mike. "Dude, what's going on?" mike asks. "I don't know." You answer honestly. "Just hurry." Mike gets in the car and starts it up. He backs out like a pro. Only hitting one mailbox, and running over a cat on the way out. You look back to the doorway to see that it's still open, but there's no one standing there now. Something in the back of your mind tells you not to meddle. But you push that thought aside, and re-enter the house. The lights are still blazing, and the cameras are still set up. 'Shouldn't they have packed this stuff up by now?' you hear that voice in the back of your mind say. But, once again, you ignore it. "Why, hello Dee. Did you change your mind?" you hear someone say behind you. You turn to see choke-a-hauntus standing there. "Where did everyone else go?" you ask.

"Oh they won't be bothering us." She says. "Tonight, it's just you, and me." "Tell me one thing." "Anything for you, Dee." "When I was leaving, you called me Seth. Why?" If she was surprised by this, she didn't show it. She was still just as calm as before, as she said, "I thought you liked that name. It's the one a girl named Amy used to cry out. Before we tortured her to death, that is." Your brain goes numb. You can't believe what you just heard. "No." You say. "No. I....I don't believe you." "Oh, it's true, Dee. Once we realized you weren't coming for her, we decided the best way to get to you, would be to kill her. I did the deed myself." She steps forward, and you can feel her mind touch yours. Suddenly, your mind is filled with all these images of Amy being tortured. You see her strapped to a chair. A man in a black ski mask brings out a sandblaster. He then pulls up her pant leg and starts sandblasting her foot, then her leg. She screams out in pain. Then you see countless people raping her. You see her face, almost unrecognizable, with tears streaming down her face. You see her sitting alone in that chair. Tied up again. Crying, as she calls out your name. Then you see choke-a-hauntus enter the room with her. She's holding a hammer. "Well girlie, it looks like your boyfriend doesn't care about you anymore. We have no use for you anymore." She swings the hammer down on Amys knee. You hear a sickening 'crack' as Amy screams in pain once again. You see her face. Her lips move but there is no sound. She moves them a second time, and this time, you can read them. "I love you Seth." She says. Not even loud enough to be audible. Just then, you see the hammer being swung again. This time, it's heading straight for her skull. Before you can see the horrific deed take place, you're brought back to the present.

You're in shock. With tears rolling down your face. One word keeps echoing in your mind. "No." You look up to see choke-a-hauntus there. Smiling. Smiling! You feel a deep hatred come over you. Deeper than any you've ever felt before. You feel it start to consume you. "That's it Dee. Feel your hate. Let it take you over." You don't even register that she spoke. All you can concentrate on is this immense hatred. 'She killed Amy' you think to yourself. As you think this, your vision starts to darken. If you were paying attention to anything else, you would notice the sound of breaking glass as the lightbulbs in the house all shatter. One by one. As you stare at her, consumed by the hate you feel, the last light shatters. Leaving you in the dark. But this isn't just dark. This darkness is denser than the blackest night. Somehow, in this darkness, you can still see the object of your hatred. She begins to laugh. "Hahaha, perfect. You want to kill me, don't you Dee? Well go on then. Kill me!" You stand there. With your fists balled up and your whole body shaking. Suddenly, the darkness moves. Any normal person would have **** themselves at that sight. But you are concentrating on choke-a-hauntus. The darkness starts to converge on her. You hear her gasp as the air is sucked from her lungs. "Die bitch." You say, as the darknes compresses her body. Leaving nothing. Suddenly, you fall to your knees. The heavy darkness lifts away. As your vision starts to blur, you see people run in through the door. You recognize one of the voices. "Oh my god, is he okay!?" you hear Jeremy ask. "I don't know. Lets hurry." Felix? That's the last thing you remember before you blacked out. * You sit straight up, gasping for air. "Whoa there. Calm down. You're okay now."

Sean puts a hand on your chest to try and calm you down. You look around to see Mike, Dave, Felix, and Jeremy all crowded in your small room. "Amy..." her name escapes your dry lips. "Amy is fine." Dave says. "She is still in prison. Nothing has happened to her." "But..." you start to protest. "I saw her being tortured to death!" you almost scream at them. "A KoR mind trick." Says Sean. "Distorting the truth." "So... she's alive?" you ask. "Yes." Says Sean. "Ok, so... ****** A. wtf happened? ****** "What the f*ck happened?" Sean answers, "You tell us. Your friends here just found you lying there unconscious." Jeremy, Faith and Felix all have somewhat worried looks on their faces, while Mike wears a slight grin. Dave's expression was unreadable. "Tell us, Dee." Dave says. Demands. "Uh..." you start. Mike is still wearing that barely noticeable grin. Anyone else would think it just a face of contentment, but you know Mike better. He's amused, apparently. "Me and Mike were going to the mall..." Your memory's still a bit fuzzy. "We were just talking when..." You hesitate as you start recollecting more, and suddenly realize why Mike's grinning. "Choke-a-hauntus," says Mike, getting confused looks from the rest of the people in the room. Dave actually had looked a bit startled. You explain about Choke-a-hauntus, and your fight with Scott, the Norse-God. You suddenly realize the irony of that situation. The fact that Scott thought Mike was hitting on his girlfriend- which he probably was going to, sooner or later -, as if THAT was somehow worse than her getting ****ed by middle aged men in pornos. You pause again before telling the part about the set of the porno, and Mike just grins. Reluctantly, you tell about the set of the porno.

"Just before we were about to leave... She called me Seth. I sent Mike to get some help..." You stop. Not because you don't want to go on, but because you can't remember what happened. It seemed that there was a hole in your memory, something that you couldn't recollect no matter how hard you tried. You know that she tried to convince you that Amy was dead... You know that you killed Choke-a-hauntus... Or that she was gone... But you can't remember how you did it. You explain, "I... Don't remember what happened after that. But she's dead. I know it." A few seconds of silence follow your explanation. Sean and Dave simply nod. Dave says, "Seth, why is it that you're always getting into some kind of trouble?" You simply shrug and say,"You tell me." Sean nods again, and says, "Well, in any case, for the rest of the day, all members of this CoP site have to stay here. Unless of course, they're on an assignment somewhere... The Arch-speakers are going to make an announcement later." He then adds, "Well, you don't seem to have any serious injury done to you, so I suppose you can do whatever you like, as long as you stay in this building." Sean and Dave leave the room, leaving you with Mike, Jeremy, Felix and Faith. Thoughts of that night with Faith rush into your mind. Why did she have Jacob's Facebook open? Felix interrupts your thoughts as he says, "Are you sure you're alright?" "Yeah. So, what are we doing today?..." You notice the clock reads 4:00PM. It seemed way later. And that hole in your memory still bugged you. What happened? What now? ****** B. Talk to Sean about Jacob (since the talk with Dave failed) ****** Before anybody can answer your question you answer it yourself. Actually, now that I think of it, Id like to talk to Sean alone. Dave gives you a quick glare and turns away.
Alright, Felix

says. You really need to catch up on your studies anyways.

As everybody leaves the room, Dave being the first one to leave and Faith being the last, Sean walks up to you and says This doesnt have to do with your studies, does it Acolyte?
No, Sean, you confess. Its about Jacob. Acolyte,

I can assure you that Jacobs intentions are well suited and for the better of the

Cult of Personality. Sean sits, crosses his arms, and continues, You just need to have a little faith. FaithThat word sends a quick signal through your brain.
Yes.

Faith. Have you not heard of faith? Sean seems to be giving hints, but you cant really tell. Maybe you should read up on some of the Cult of Personality prophecies. Itll do you some good in class and most importantly with your life.
I think I understand

****** A. No, no I dont understand. ****** Sean, you lie back on your bed and look up to the ceiling, what the F**K are you talking about?
Acolyte,

you listen intently and turn your head to face Sean. He continues with his arms still crossed, The smartest questions are those that cannot be answered.
Well what are you trying to tell me?

Your temper begins to rise as you flay your arms in

response.
You must ask the right questions, Acolyte. You seem to be putting an emphasis on the word faith.

What is it that I should know?

Sean remains silent You let out a sigh of impatience and begin to think What is Sean trying to tell me? Obviously he isnt allowed to directly tell me what I want to know, but why? Youre on the right track, Acolyte, Sean says. He must be reading your thoughts like a book, but at least you know youre getting somewhere. It must be something Im not allowed to know. Conspiracy? But with every conspiracy comes a purpose. Purpose A light bulb clicks in your head. Sean!
Yes,

Acolyte?

What is the purpose of the Cult of Personality? you ask. Why was it formed? That,

Acolyte Sean gets up, arms relaxed at his side now, is the right question. He steps towards the door and leaves. You never really paid any attention to that Cult of Personality song, but its about time

you do some digging; and you know exactly where to goWikipedia. After you get dressed and opted out of your medical room of course. *you get dressed and opted out of your medical room* After researching Wikipedia you realize that that was pointless
then you hear a voice. The library, Acolyte,

It was Sean.

****** A. To the library! ****** You rush out of your room, and head for the library. You haven't been there before. You leave the Acolyte's quarters and head into the main hall. Well, if you could even call it that. The "hall" is about 10 meters wide and 10 meters long. The walls and ceiling are made of gray stone, giving it a grim atmosphere. It's bare of any kind of decorations. The only thing inside is a staircase that leads to a door higher up, into the Quizno's. The fluorescent lights above give off of a dim glow, sometimes flickering on and off, only adding to the bleakness. On each wall, there were two doors. Finally, you see the sign giving directions to the library. Through the left door on the wall opposite of you. On your way through the next hall, which is like the Acolyte's quarters but gray, you spot more signs. Apparently this is the Hall of Knowledge. Kind of a clich name... There are only doors to the left, and they all lead to several... knowledge related things. The door all the way on the other side, though, leads to the library. You walk up to it and open it. You see possibly the largest library, maybe even the largest ROOM, you have ever seen in your life. The walls seem to stretch on forever. The roof is at least at a moderate height. As you walk forward, you notice the the black floor is made of marble. The walls are painted oddly, black at the bottom eventually fading to white at the top. The ceiling was bright white. The bookshelves are also white. What an eerie room... You wonder how ****ed the rooms at the KOR bases are. Suddenly, you remember why you're here. The purpose of the COP. You find a large, weathered book called "The Chronicles of the Cult" quite easily. Sitting down on a chair, you begin reading. The more you read, the more interested you become. Apparently, the Knights of Reason formed before the COP. It's rumored that the KOR formed around 400-300 BC in Ancient Greece, as a secret cult of some sort. The reason it was formed still remains unclear. The COP thinks it was started by a man that had somehow learned to use some part of his mind that allowed him to use "mind tricks." What happened after is still under speculation, but the COP believe that he was exiled from Athens.

As time went by though, his "cult" gathered more and more people. By 10 BC, it was rumored to have over 200 members. During the chaos that was the persecution of Jews and Christians in Ancient Rome, it became clear what the KOR were trying to do. They were trying to take advantage of the chaos and bring themselves into power, but subtly so they wouldn't be quickly shot down. It later became apparent that the KOR were directing the chaos, controlling the leaders, to help their cause. It was around this time that the COP formed. Surprisingly, even less information was known about their own formation than the KOR's. They were more secretive, more subtle, in their directing, but they directed. Against the KOR. The citizens thought the Emperor had caused the pandemonium beginning to erupt through the empire, but another war was being fought underneath the turmoil. For years the war went on, while the Empire eventually declined and dissipated. By now, the members had reached over 400 on each side. After the fall of the Roman Empire, a meeting between the leaders of the COP and KOR was held. At this meeting, they agreed to forbid mind control (which eventually became one of the three "Forbidden Arts.") You keep reading, and realize how many of the events you had learned about in school were actually influenced by the ongoing war between the COP and the KOR. The Napoleonic Wars, The American Revolution, World Wars I and II. The only reason for the constant war seemed that the KOR were trying to get in power, and stay there, while the COP tried to keep them out. But even the COP tried to have influence on leaders. Faith. What the hell was that about? You hadn't read anything to do with this faith yet. But as you continue reading, it becomes clearer. Betrayals were not uncommon among the cults. The KOR sent spies to the COP, and the COP sent spies back. Eventually, the Cult of Personality set up a system, where they would "bind" people to the organization. It is done so that any thought, any action that is somehow anti-COP, will be met with severe discomfort, pain, and nausea that was made impossible to get around using mind tricks. It was found that often, people who were not strong in the mind died due to the binding. Eventually, it was decided that only people ranked Mouths and higher will be bound, to ensure their safety (and loyalty). This eventually became called "Binding Faith." It is thought that the KOR have a system similar to this. There it is. Jacob can't be a member of the KOR, because he's already bound to the COP. If he was a KOR member the day the bound him, he would have blacked out, probably. It suddenly comes to your mind that Reciters and Acolytes aren't bound, and that they could betray the Cult whenever. You feel a bit less suspicious of him, but not very. That night at the COP still stands out in your mind. 33 35' N 7 39' W. What the hell is that? Somehow you still knew the exact numbers that had popped into your head that day.

What now? ****** A. Talk to about 33 35' N 7 39' W ****** You look at your watch- five o clock. Time to get to this arch speaker meeting. You use your mind tricks to visualize the corridor outside the arch speakers hall. People are already waiting outside. You make your way to that location, a short walk around the headquarters. Quickly, you turn the corner and are greeted by Seans crossed arms. I dont think so Acolyte. I assume you did your reading this afternoon. Therefore, it is safe to assume (yeah- like he doesnt know for sure) that you know how big a deal this could be. Only Spokespersons and above may attend the announcement, and if our predictions are correct, then only Voices and higher may attend the meetings that follow. Expect me to be gone for several hours- even days. The doors to the outside have been unlocked to those not under COP binding only. Just as you are about to speak, the door to the Hall of the Arch speakers begins to slowly rise into the ceiling, at the same time the door from the corridor to the rest of the COP drops down. You need to leave before you get into more trouble. Sean shares your urgency. You are about to ask Sean about 33 35' N 7 39' W but hes one step ahead. Think Acolyte- what is this code... And one more thing He tosses a small booklet towards the lowering door, and you go all Indiana Jones on his ass, sliding under the door and grabbing the red document. You examine the cover. Its a passport. What does this mean? In fact not just a passport, one for mike as well. They look like a normal passport but you notice subtle differences, such as the cult logo stamped in the visa section. Thats odd. You walk past Jeremy. He reads your confusion. Got your passport then, we all get them he mutters as you walk past. Walking back to your room, you think back to those geography lessons all those months ago. THATS IT! You almost sprint back to your room, and grab your laptop. Google maps couldnt open any faster. You type the characters and you are about to submit when Mike walks in. Mike

Yea, Dee? Were going to Morocco." ****** A. Round up some guys for the trip. ****** Russell WTF replies mike. He really has been bored. You fill him in on the details about the meeting and its length, and when a KoR controlled your mind. You tell him about the grid reference and show him the Google Maps. Zooming in, it seems that the grid reference is roughly at a multi story car park near a stadium. The City of Casablanca, north facing beaches, shallow sands for miles out to sea, bordering the Sahara. It looks lush. You brief Mike to bring back some punters with their passports and some of their everready cash, ready for an investigation- maybe a fight. He will tell them about the meeting as well. Meanwhile, you pack your bag and do a quick search on Dar-el-Beida, or Casablanca. Apparently they speak Arabic but who knows what mind tricks might come in handyhopefully mike will acquire some more experienced Mouths and Reciters. Mike returns with a list of names and a credit card- you book some tickets. The name on the card doesnt even seem pronounceable, but somehow you instinctively ignore it- another trick? Scanning through the list, you have a group of about 8 people. You, Mike, Felix, Jeremy, Zach, Erin, and a couple of Mouths named Alex and Tim. You notice a couple of names not on the list that you want to chase up. You send mike back out, to say that the flight is booked for midnight and to pack for an unknown amount of days. Meanwhile, you decide to phone ****** A. Faith ****** You pull out your phone and call Faith up. Maybe she would want in on this since you, Felix, AND Jeremy are going. One ring Two
What is it, Dee?

Faith asks bluntly letting out a sigh before asking.

Faith, the guys and I- I know,

Dee. Erin told me everything, she interrupts.

Do you want to- No. Again, she interrupts. Well,

why not? You finally complete a sentence.

There is a long pause at the other end of the line. She must be thinking about something.
Are you asking me this because I know how to get the Mouths in the group out past the

doors and you dont? You had completely forgot about the binding door lock on the Mouths Being reasonable, you say Ill give you sex if you tell me how we can get them out. Faith lets out a giggle. Silly, how bout you just do me a favor when you get back. Look behind you. You turn around and see Felix and Jeremy glaring at you. Sure they were gay, but they could kick your ass at just about anytime they wanted and you just intruded on the girlin front of them!
Ill meet you guys at the garage doors at nine, Faith

says before hanging up.

You put your phone away and stammer the words Sohave you guys finished packing up?
Sure have, Felix

says unsettlingly. responds.

We just came in to ask a few questions, Jeremy

You feel the tension rising between the two of them and you. H- ho-how can I help you? Felix clenches his fists.
How are we going to get Alex and Tim out? Jeremy

asks. Arent they bound?

Faith said shell be able to get them out. Im not sure how though, you say as you tense

your grip on your seat.

Okay then, Felix

says. Just one more question. You sit up higher on your computer chair, anticipating an attack. Is there anything that you want to tell us? ****** D. I amthe Fapmaster! ****** "yeah, there is one thing" you say calmly.

Felix and Jeremy continue glaring you down "I am... THE FAPMASTER!!!!" you yell in your most br00tal voice. You leap up on the chair and unzip your pants. "DUDE!" Felix yells, smacking you across the face and knocking you too the ground. You get up slowly, rubbing your cheekbone. "have you been sleeping with Faith behind our backs?" He asks, very seriously. "what, I was just kidding when I said I'd offer her sex!" you say, hoping your face looks truthful. "It was just a joke, a bad one, I'll admit, but still a joke." Jeremy and Felix, though still very serious, calm down just a little. "It'd better be..." Jeremy says, giving you a look so harsh that you think it kills off a little bit of your soul. "anyway" you start, a little uneasy, "lets... go find Faith" "yeah, lets go" mutters Felix, turning and walking down the corridor. whew, crisis averted... for now, you think. you meet with Faith outside the garage doors, just as planned. "alright, I know how to lift this binding door lock. just quiet, it takes concentration and time." you hear Faith start muttering something as the two mouths stand in front of her. An hour later, and Faith has stopped. "wait, how did you know about that?" Tim asks. "Special permission from a higher rank" Faith answers calmly. "I see..." Mike speaks up. "guys, Its ten o'clock right now, and It should take about 20 minutes to get to the airport. that means we have about an hour and 40 minutes 'till we leave." "cool, until then... ****** B. lets hang out for a while. ****** "I dunno. Lets just chill for a while." you suggest.

"Kay. How about some Starbucks? They just opened a vendor in the Cafeteria." Alex suggests. "Sounds kool. I wouldn't mind a caramel Frap or two." Mike says nonchalantly. You and the cult crew walk over and grab a few iced coffees and fraps. Whle waiting for your orders, you find a booth and lead them to the table. "So tell me about yourself, Tim." you ask. He sips his mocha frap. "Well, I'm Tim. My real name is Timothy Nevada, but my friends call me Tim. I lived in Cali and Hawaii for a while, but after I got fired from my job at an ice cream store, I moved in with my uncle. After he uhh..." he says. He gropes for a word and then continues. "passed away, the cult sort of adopted me." he explains. He talks about it as if it were nothing special, but there was something in his voice that bothers you. "That's cool. What about you Alex?" Mike says quickly. "Well, I lived in Hawaii too. Actually, Me and Tim went to High school together. I lived there for about 3 years, and then we moved to North Carolina. After that, things were good for a while." he says, nodding his head. "What happened?" Felix asks. "That's what bothers me the most." he says, frowning. "Go on..." you say. "After my junior year, things just kind of downhill. My parents were fighting a lot about debt and one day, things got out of hand. My father came home drunk and was angry at my mom. They got into a fight, and he ended up hospitalizing her. After a long trial, it was decided I would live with my dad's brother. I didn't know he was part of the cult, but that's how i got here." he finishes. "That's some story." you say quietly. "Yup." he says, taking a sip of his drink. What now?" ****** A/B. Head to the airport

****** Tim looks at his watch. "alright guys, we should probably get going." You say your goodbyes to Faith and a few others before heading to the garage. "So, how are we going to get there?" Mike asks. "I've got a van that we should all be able to fit in. It'll be easier than if all of us went in separate cars." Alex states simply. Mike nods. "alright." You walk in to the garage, and your eyes fall on Alexs van. "We're riding in that?" Erin says, with a disgusted look on her face. You can't blame her. Alex's van looks like crawled out of a junk heap 20 years ago. "it looks like ****, but it'll run just fine." Alex says. "but when you get in, be careful not to put too much weight on the center of the floor." He opens the back doors, and you realize why. The whole van is a mess. there are tools, crushed tin cans, and a variety of peeling stickers all over the inside. There are two rows of seats along the sides of the van, facing each other, and two separate seats in the front. "Me and Tim will ride up front. You guys can go ahead and move the junk off the seats, I hardly use any of it anyway." You all climb in the back, shoving old metal things everywhere to make room. When your all comfortable, Zach slams the doors shut and Alex starts it up, backs out of the garage, and drives towards the airport. about halfway through the trip, Tim hands a small metal box back to where you guys are sitting. "I recommend you use your mind, but if all else fails, its nice to have one of these." he says, opening the box. Inside, you see 6 Beretta 9mm pistols. "everybody take one." "Cool.... wait, how are we gonna get these past security?" Jeremy asks, a little confused. Tim taps puts a finger on his head. "Security can't fight mind tricks." he says mischievously. Even though its 12:00 at night, the airport is still semi-crowded. You all put your bags onto the conveyor belts, after "convincing" the security that the pistol shaped things in your bags were just oddly shaped chew toys. It takes a while but eventually you leave the terminal and board a United Airlines 747. "Alright, first class seats" Mike says, right before laying back and falling asleep. alright, your way to morocco! do you ****** C. think up of a plan through mind speak with Tim and Alex. ****** So do you guys have a plan? You ask both Tim and Alex through your thoughts. Yeah, were going to go there and start investigating. Shoot some bad guys if we have to. Alex replies in his mind. Its not that easy, we need a hotel to stay in first. We should also get to know the locals. We

might be able to use their help somehow. Whatever you say, youre the boss. Tim says in is head, almost as if hes giving you attitude. He then sticks on his headphones and starts watching the episode of Friends being screened on the airplanes TV. You fall asleep bored. After arriving and collecting your bags in the luggage pick-up area you head out to the airports entrance. Theres a pair of almost identical looking men standing just to your left. They both have olive skin, shoulder length black hair, leather jackets and leather pants. One of them is holding a sign above his head that says Andrew Pittson. What the f*cks going on? You think to yourself. Relax, these are our taxi drivers. Says Erin, who obviously read your mind. Taxi drivers? Who booked them? You ask Erin. Faith, I was talking to her on my cell just before take off. She said she was going to take care of us. Funny, last time you spoke to Faith she was in a sh*tty mood, now shes trying to help us? Must be on her period on something. You and your gang walk up to the to identical looking taxi drivers. You speak English? Yes. Good, take us to a cheap hotel. Yes. You have a feeling yes is all the English they know. You guys split up into two groups, You, Felix, Erin and Tim in the one taxi, Mike, Jeremy, Zach and Alex in the other one. You chuck your bags in the taxis and head off. You take in some of the beautiful scenery while driving through the streets of Morocco. Although the four of you are very cramped up in the back seat. Erin squashed right against you and your squashed right up against Felix. You can hear Felix listen to Jeff Beck through his I-pod headphones. You drive for about 10 minutes, driving directly behind the other taxi when something odd happens. You approach an intersection the taxi in front of you turns left, but your taxi turns right, onto

the highway. Why didnt we turn left? You ask the driver. Shortcut. He replies. You get onto the highway and start absolutely flying. Overtaking cars at 145 kilometers an hour. (90 miles an hour to all you Americans who arent on the metric system, yet). Slowdown man! Your going to get us killed You yell at the taxi driver. He turns around at you and gives you a creepy, evil smile. With that he un-clips his seatbelt and starts to open his door. What the f*cks going on? You bark at the driver. You shouldnt have come here. He tells you, before leaping out of the speeding car. You see him in the review mirror rolling down the road. The car then starts turning onto the wrong side of the highway, straight into oncoming traffic. AAGGGGHHHHHHHH!!! Erin and Felix start scream in your ears. You act quickly, leaning over the back seat and reaching the steering wheel. You turn hard to the left, narrowly avoiding a head on collision with a truck. Somebody hit the breaks! You command. Tim climbs over the back seat, onto the passenger seat. He then leans over and presses down on the break pedal with his hand. The car comes to a screeching halt. You pull over to the side a bit more and then start comforting Felix and Erin in the backseat. There both very shaken up. You look over at Tim who looks equally as frightened. What the f*ck just happened? He asks you. You dont reply straight away. You take a minute to catch your breath, its pretty obvious what happened. Somebody told the KoR that we were coming. What now? ****** B. Call Mike

****** Everybody OK? you ask Yes Ill call Mike, we must warn them Yes, we dont want anything to happen to them. I hope Jeremy is fine says Felix, obviously scared You call Mikes Phone Beep. Beep. Beep. This is mike cough Leave your message Shat What? I got his voicemail "Ok, NO time to lose. We are going back." Quickly you start the engine, you do a risky maneuver as you U-Turn in the middle of the highway, lots of cars could have collided with you but luckily theyve avoided you. You field scan the Highway, theres no trace of the taxi driver, mustve been a stunt pro. As you speed your way back, you are shocked by a frightening scene; you see a cab crashed into the concrete barriers of the freeway, it is totaled, smashed, completely wrecked. People are gathering around, no trace of any public service, no police, and no ambulances, strange You quickly jump off the cab, and in your desperation you run as fast as you can, They have to be fine They have to be fine They have to be fine You reach the cab to find a horrific scene. Blood is splattered into the windshield, you find in front seat, Jeremy, eyes open head resting on the wheel, with blood dripping from his chin, obviously dead. In the backseat Mike, and Alex, you check their vitals, they are

unconscious but alive, they do not seem hurt, the front seats must have cushioned the crash, and luckily they had their seat belts. You tell the guys to take them out, and they quickly obey rescuing Mike and Alex and taking them onto your cab. Weirdly Zach is not in the car. You take a second look at the front seat only to find a gigantic whole on the companions windshield part. Inertia. You run around the car and you lean over the concrete barrier that limits the freeway end. You lean over, 20 meters below, Zachs body leaped in a pool of blood. You drive away the scene. You speed away, and exit the freeway. You pull over. This is too much, you have to digest this. One minute of silence passes by. Your thoughts are interrupted by Mikes voice that has just woken up. What the Hell just happened????? ****** A. "they're dead, Zach and Jeremy, the KOR just pwned us" ****** What the Hell just happened????? You hesitate a bit before answering. "Jeremy and Zach are dead. The drivers were Knights. We're finding a hotel." Your voice might have been cold, but you don't care. Tim, still in the passenger seat, looks petrified. You turn around to see Mike with his eyes closed, Alex with his face buried in his hands. Felix looks on the verge of weeping, and Erin is sobbing quietly. You start the cab again, and continue driving. About an hour later, the silent drive ends in front of a modest looking hotel. That was Alex's suggestion. A crowded, expensive hotel could hold suspicious people... And right now, nobody seemed in the mood for another surprise KOR attack. You book three rooms, each with two beds, a bath and a computer with high-speed Internet. You and Mike were in one room, Alex and Tim in another, and Felix and Erin in another. Our mission's barely started, and we already have two casualties. Why the hell were they here, anyway? Something to do with a multi-story car park near a stadium... Why would the COP send a few inexperienced members to do... Whatever they were here to do? After unpacking, Mike lays down on the bed and falls asleep. Reminding you that you're feeling pretty tired too. What now? ******

F. Practice mind**** ****** Laying down on your bed, you try to remember everything you've learned since coming to the COP. Let's see... Telepathy. It's become quite easy to read people's minds at will. You've felt their emotions, like that one time you went into Faith's mind. Empathy? They've already become pretty easy. It seems that they hadn't taught you much yet. You don't even know how to kill with your mind yet. You have a feeling that you could do it, though. Acolytes just weren't allowed. You also remember that time not too long ago, where you had "traveled" outside your body, to watch what was going on in front of the Archspeaker's Hall. Maybe if I combined the two... You reach out with your mind, to see what's going on in the main lobby. You don't have to go back down the stairs you came up. It seems that one moment you're in your bed with your eyes closed, and the next you're downstairs, in the lobby. Your "vision" is blurry outside of the thing you are focused on, the receptionist, a dark middle aged man. You reach out again, but it seems... odd. You weren't reaching out from where your vision was, but back from your room. For a moment, it seems as if you're in two places at once. Laying on your bed, yet standing in the lobby. You quickly concentrate on the receptionist, and penetrate into his mind. You must not have done it too well, because he jumped when you did it, and looked around in confusion. You're now inside his mind. You feel confusion, a bit of uneasiness, then boredom. His mind seems to be blank, but sometimes thoughts of his family pop up, which he quickly forces back down with a feeling of guilt. Odd. He seems focused on keeping his mind blank... Could he know I'm in there? You quickly pull back, and open your eyes. Just in case. You didn't need any more COP or KOR members here. Wondering if there's a limit to the distance you can use the mind tricks, you reach out again. Back into the lobby. You "walk" out the door, into the large parking lot. You make out people walking outside the boundaries of your clear vision. As you walk farther and farther away though, things get more and more fuzzy. Eventually, your vision blacks out, and you're back in your bed. You estimate the distance at around... 60 meters? You were never good at estimating. 5075 meters is good enough.

You try the same thing, but this time you enter the mind of someone walking away from the hotel. At around the same distance as last time, your mind goes back to your body. Only about 45 minutes have passed. What now? ****** C. Investigate the car parking lot/stadium on a computer ****** You leave your room and head down to the hotels main lobby, where the computers are. The room is empty and one of the computers has been left switched on. Thats convenient. You jump onto Google and start researching this stadium. Its difficult to find any decent information about the stadium thats in English, just some basic facts for tourists. And even after 20 minutes of searching youre unable to find any information about the car park thats near it. Although you do manage to find a detailed map of the area. It shows you the location of all the police stations, hospitals, train stations and tourist attractions in the area. This will defiantly come in handy. You think to yourself. You print a bunch of copies so everyone in the group can have one each. ***DING*** An MSN messenger box appears in the bottom right corner of your computer screen. You can see the words Dee Pitt on it. Freaking out you click the box and open up a chat screen. A person going by the name of Chocolate_Thunder3 has sent you a message saying, Chocolate_Thunder3: Dee Pitt, are you there? You decide to type back. User001: Yes Im here. Whos this? Chocolate_Thunder3: Im somebody who can help you. User001: How did you find me? Chocolate_Thunder3: Thats not important right now, I dont have much time. Chocolate_Thunder3: In 10 minutes, meet me in KFC parking lot down the road from your hotel. Ill be sitting in a silver Mitsubishi Magna. Chocolate_Thunder3: Come alone.

You still have so many questions to ask this person, but he/she signs off. Your head is flooded with confused thoughts. Who is this person? How do they know so much about me? Can I trust them? Why did they say come alone? You look out your window and you can just see the KFC down the other end of the street. It seems to be closed. You look at the time on your computer screen; 11:20 pm. Now you know what to do G, bust a move. ****** A. Meet this person ****** You grab your pistol, stick it down the back of your pants and then head off. You walk down the street to the KFC alone, just as instructed. You approach the car park and sure enough you see a silver Mitsubishi Magna parked in the far corner. You approach the car to see a thin, lanky, red-haired guy his late teens. His arm is hanging out the window holding a cigarette and you can hear The loser in the end from Queen II blasting out of his car speakers. He notices you standing next to his car. Hello Dee. He says, and then takes a drag of his cigarette. Who are you? You ask in a serious tone. He flicks out his smoke and jumps out of his car. My name is Pythagoras. He says holding out his hand to shake yours. Pythagoras, you mean like the theorem? You ask while shaking his hand. Yeah, like the theorem. How do you know me? You ask him. Simple, I used to be a Knight. Really? You ask, starting to get worried. Yes, although I went AWOL. Yeah? Yes. I hated being a Knight. They dont let you be normal or do anything. He explains. So how do you know me. You ask hoping to get a better answer this time.

All the Knights are aware of you and your little gang. They know why your here, and theyll do everything they can to make sure it doesnt happen. How did they find out we were coming here? We have a rat deep inside the CoP. Who? I dont know, its like The Departed, only the high ranks know whos undercover. OK, so how did you contact me on the hotel computer? Full of questions arent you? He says while smiling. "Im a hacker, one of the best in the world. He points at a laptop computer and some other gizmos on the back seat of his car. Just then he gets a worried look on his face. Sh*t, weve gotta go man. He tells you. Go? Where? The Knights must know were here. I can sense them coming. Just then a black SUV pulls into the car park. The window unwinds and a man starts shooting a pistol at you. You quickly jump into Pythagoras car and the pair of you take off, exiting through the other end of the car park. Are you OK? He asks. Yeah, Im fine. I recognized that guy who was shooting at us, he was the taxi driver who tried to kill me today. How the f*ck did he survive? Pythagoras doesnt answer instead he puts his foot down on the accelerator causing the engine to let out a mighty roar. You go speeding down the empty road, but its no good, the SUV pulls out of the KFC car park and before you know it its right behind you. Theyre too fast, shoot them with your pistol! He shouts. How did he know I had a pistol? You think as you pull your gun out of your pants.

You pop your body out the window. With a piece of shooting that would make even Lee Harvey Oswells jaw drop you hit the driver in the center of the chest with one shot. The black SUV starts swerving all over the road, and then collides into a lamp post at high speed. You pull over, you and Pythagoras jump out of the car and go examine the wreck. Sure enough the passenger (your taxi driver) is dead. His skull has been completely smashed open on the dash board and blood is pouring out of him like a fountain. You then recognize the driver, he's that taxi driver who was driving the other taxi. The taxi that killed Jeremy and Zach! Hes clutching his chest while blood pours out of him. He looks to be in a world of pain, hes shaking and struggling to breathe. Pythagoras looks at you. What should we do with this guy? ****** A. Question him about the CoP rat(s) ****** You walk up to the drivers side window, which has been shattered. You grab the dying driver by his shirt and shake him around. Hes too weak to stop you. Whos the rat!? You scream in his face. He doesnt answer. So you slap him across the face, like a pimp dissatisfied the quality of one of his girls. I said whos the rat motherf*cker! He looks you in the eye and smiles. Its a close friend of yours. Who? He doesnt respond again. Instead he then reaches over and picks up the gun sitting his dead passengers lap. ***BOOM*** Before you have time to react hes already put the pistol to the side of his head and pulled the trigger, blowing his brains right out the broken window and all over your good Pink Floyd shirt.

You kick the side of the smashed SUV in anger. F*ck, I need to find out who this rat is. Dude, we should probably get out of here theres a police station just one block away, maybe they heard ***WOOOOOAAAAHHHHWWWOOOOOOAAAAAAAAHHH*** Pythagoras is interrupted by the sound of police sirens. Two small police cars come to a sliding halt a few meters away from you. Four police officers jump out of the cars and draw there guns at you and Pythagoras. The head police officer screams some foreign sounding gibberish at you. But you have no doubt it means hands up. Pythagoras sticks his hands in the air, he turns his head and looks at you. They want us to put our hands up dude. Yeah thanks, I gathered that. Then why arent you sticking your hands up? There could be a way I can get out of this. How? ****** E. Challenge to a dance off ****** You stare straight in the eyes of the head cop, issuing a challenge. Instead of sticking your hands up you take a few steps toward the police officers. They scream some more gibberish at you, you dont take notice. Instead you crack your neck and stretch your arms. Then without warning, you jump to the ground at lightning speed and start doing the worm. You worm like youve never wormed before, you cant see the look on police officers faces, but you imagine they must be mind blown by your remarkable abilities. After 30 seconds of worming, you push yourself up into the air from the worm position and land on one knee. You cross you arms like a gangsta and tilt your head diagonally upwards. "Yeah bitches!" You tell them. The police have a look of complete disbelief and confusion on the faces, as does Pythagoras. They still must be in shook from your crazy skills. Yeah, that just happened. You say to the head police officer. This isnt a dream. You add. The police officers stand still for another 30 seconds tiring to come to grasp with your

actions. The head police officer finally snaps out of his state of confusion, runs up to you and pistol whips you in the side of the head. You fall onto you back. OWWW, that hurt man. You say while rubbing your head. The police officer starts kicking your body and another one runs up to you and joins in. In the side of your vision you can see Pythagoras being arrested by the other two police officers and being driven away. You barely know this Pythagoras guy, but he seems to know a lot about you. You worry that he might rat you out for a lighter sentence. Your worries are cut short when one of the police officers picks you up off the ground and grips you in a full nelson lock. The other police officer starts punching you in the face. You can see a lot of blood dripping off his fist and down you shirt. He the kicks you in the balls so hard you feel like your going to faint. Unable to put up anymore of a fight, they drag you into the back of the police car. They jump into the front of the police car, protected by a thick glass screen and start driving off. You really dont wont to go to jail, youve heard stories about prisons in Africa. This is a problem you cant talk, fight, fap or worm your way out of. You have no choice but to use mind powers. F*cking with these guys minds while there driving could be dangerous. But waiting till they take you down to the police station will be a very tricky situation to get out of. What's the plan? ****** A. Escape NAO! ****** "I have an idea." you whisper to Pythagoras. "What?" he responds quickly. "You will see." you say with a smile. You think hard and tap into the brain of the passenger cop. "These aren't the guys were looking for man." he says, looking at the driver. You look at the driver and tap into his mind. He pulls the car over. He unlocks both doors and lets the two of you out. "We aren't the guys you're looking for." You say to one of them. "You aren't the guys we're looking for. Move Along." he says dazedly. "What?" Pythagoras asks.

"Come on man. Let's go." you say, beckoning him. "Wanna grab some donuts?" you make one of them say. "The only thing I want to grab is your girlfriend's titties." the other says. "I want your penis. Give it to me. The other says, pulling the first's pants down. Sleepily, he starts sucking on the other's ****. You put them out of the trance. "Dude run." you say, as you bolt down the street, suppressing laughter. "DUDE! WTF MAN!" you hear as you pause to catch your breath. "Oh man. Don't stop, It's alm- Yes....." one says, with a sigh of relief. "MY EYES!" the other yells. You almost burst out in laughter, until suddenly, you see something pointed at your face. You look down the barrel of what seems to be a revolver. "How did you do that. I demand to know." Pythagoras says, really coolly. ****** B. Tell the truth ****** And what does that make you? Im Switzerland, neutral. Im not going to fight, Im just making sure you guys have a fair chance. You look at your watch, its 6:00 am. My friends will wake up soon and start worrying about me. Relax, my ex lives really close to here. Itll take maybe 10 minutes tops for you to make her fall in love with me. And then the barrack were going to steal the weapons from is BARRACK? YOU MEAN LIKE AN ARMY BARRACK?!!! You shout. No, like Barack Obama. He says sarcastically. Of course I mean an army barrack. Theres one in this area, we can use you mind control abilities and my hacking abilities to steal whatever we want. Rocket launches, machine guns, hand grenades. Thats insane!

Look, Im trying to help you. The KoR outnumber your team by a lot. And these guys are serious. Those little pistols you have wont do much, you need some real firepower if you want to survive. Pythagoras explains. You dont answer. I mean theyve already killed two of your friends. "Now are you going to help me, or not?" ****** A. Help him out. ****** Youre staring down the barrel of a revolver. A few seconds ago you were having a great laugh, and now your sh*tting your pants. Best thing to do in this situation is to tell the truth. Calm down dude. I have mind controlling abilities. You explain to Pythagoras. Mind controlling abilities? He asks, without lowering his gun. Yeah, the CoP teach us how to control the minds of other people. Really? Yeah, how else do you think I got those to cops to do all that crazy sh*t? Pythagoras puts his gun away. Whoa, thats cool. Yeah, Im surprised the KoR didnt tell you about that. Pythagoras stands still for a minute, like hes thinking up an idea. Come, follow me. Pythagoras says, then starts walking down the street. You follow him down two blocks, back to where you left his car. He jumps in his side, and then opens up the passenger door. Jump in. Where are we going? I need to do me a favor.

Whats the favor? You ask while you get inside his car. My ex-girlfriend lives around here. I want you use those physic powers to make her fall in love with me again. I cant do that. You object. Oh come-on. Ill tell you what, you help me with this. And Ill take you to a place where you can get weapons. We already have weapons. You remind him. Im talking about good weapons. This has now become a war between you guys and the KoR. Its like youre America and there Vietnam. Youve invaded there territory, and there pissed off. He explains.
Take me to the army barrack first, well steal the weapons then go win your girlfriend

back. You tell him. "No, win my girlfriend back, then steal the weapons." Sorry man, but Ive only just met you. How do I know I can trust you? You ask. OK, thats fair. Well go steal the weapons first. Pythagoras says. 20 minutes of driving later and youve arrived outside a small army base. Theres large walls and wire fencing traveling all around the perimeter. You spot an entrance with an intimidating looking army officer standing in front of it. You and Pythagoras jump out the car and casually stroll right up to the guard. Weve come to inspect the weapons. You tell the guard, while applying your CoP mind tricks. Certainly, follow me. You follow the guard towards a small military hanger. He opens the door to reveal a room stocked full of weapons. Your jaw drops by the sheer amount of firepower these guys have. AK-47s, desert eagles, combat shotguns, land mines, M16s, sniper rifles, RPGs, body armor, C-4, creates labeled ammunition. You feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Go grab us a jeep to carry all these weapons in. You tell the military officer. Yes sir. He says, and then runs out of the hanger. Lets see the KoR try and f*ck with us again. You boast.

10 minutes pass while you admire all the weapons. You start spinning a pair of pistols around your fingers, like a cowboy in a western film. The army officer returns. Sir, I couldnt find a jeep. Will a truck do? He asks. You step outside the hanger to see a massive camouflage painted military truck. The truck is big enough to store every single weapon inside that hanger. Yes, will be acceptable. You tell the army officer. Now go take a nap, your feeling very tired. He yawns then walks off. You cant believe how good youre getting with these mind tricks. You and Pythagoras load the truck up with weaponry. You load the truck up until its completely full. You probably wont need this many weapons, but you've grown attached to them and you don't want to leave any behind. You mind if I drive? You ask. Sure why not. Pythagoras says while tossing the keys at you. Why not? Because Im a kid who can barley drive and the truck has f*cking explosives inside it. You think to yourself. You jump into the trucks drivers seat and start the engine. Now I guess were off to Pythagoras girlfriend place. You think inside your head. You look at you watch, its 8:15am. Youve been up all night and youre sleepy. The last thing you feel like doing is driving around town helping Poindexter win his girlfriend back. You look out your rear view mirror and see Pythagoras kneeling over on the ground outside, tying his shoelaces. ****** B. Live up to your end of the deal ****** You have an urge to ditch Pythagoras and drive off. But you decide not to be an asshole. Instead you wait for him to jump inside the truck. How far away is your girlfriends place? Im tired and I wanna go home and sleep. Relax, its 10 minutes away from here.

You start driving, you can feel your eyes getting heavy whilst you drive down the street. Youve been up all night and driving when youre this sleepy is dangerous. Plus this truck has a lot of explosives inside it, maybe you should let Pythagoras drive Nah, f*ck it! Whats the worst that could happen? You think to yourself. Dee... Wake up. You open your eyes to see Pythagoras face. Youre lying in a bed. Although its not a hospital bed, it looks like youre in the bedroom of a teenage girl. What happened? You ask. You feel asleep at the wheel and drove a truck filled with explosives straight into a primary school. Pythagoras casually explains. WHAT!? Yeah you hit your head and got knocked out cold when we crashed through the wall. I dragged you out of the truck just before it exploded, I had to carry you all the way over here before the cops came. Where are we? This is my girlfriends place. You mean ex-girlfriend. Nope, I brought you over here to hide you and we started talking. We patched things up, it turns out I didnt even need your help winning her back. You feel very disappointed that you lost all those weapons. You had grown so attached to them. You also feel some remorse for blowing up a school and possibly killing a bunch of kids. Take me back my hotel. You tell Pythagoras. 15 minutes later Pythagoras drops you off at the hotel. Ill be in touch man. He says and then speeds off. No doubt off to have make-up sex with his girlfriend. You walk into the hotel, walk up two flights of stairs and enter you room. Mike is sitting on the couch watching TV.

Where have you been? Weve been worried. He says. I met a guy named Pythagoras, then killed some Knights, I made some police officers give each other blowjobs, I stole some weapons from the army then blew up a school. Mike stares at you like your on drugs. Uh, OK. So what do you want to do know? ****** B. Sleep! ****** You go to sleep. You wake up. ****** C. Investigate the car park and stadium AND introduce Pythagoras to the gang ****** You get up, and see that Mike is still watching TV. It's been almost three hours, and it's 12:00 PM right now. You take a quick shower and throw on some clothes, and ask, "Hey, wanna meet Pythagoras?" "Uh, sure... Who is he anyway?" You retell your story starting from the MSN convo, all the way through waking up in Pythagoras' girlfriend's place. After you finish, Mike asks urgently, "So this guy is an ex-KOR? Are you sure we can trust him?" Shrugging, you reply, "Well, he didn't try to kill me, and that's good enough I suppose." But really, you're still a bit suspicious of him. You decide to call him up. Ring Ring Ring Finally, someone picks up. "Hello?" 'Hey, this is Dee."

"Oh... hey man... Uh, listen, mind if we talk later? I'm kinda busy right now..." He trails off. "Yeah sure... Uh... I was just thinking that I could introduce you to my friends and all that stuff." "Oh yeah... Are they COP members too?" "Yeah." "Hm, then I guess we can meet up later... How about today at 4:00, at the KFC?" "Sounds good. Alright man, see ya." "Yep." You both hang up, and tell Mike the plan. Speaking of plans... You take out your map and place it on a table, and tell Mike to get the others. Mike walks out of the room casually, and you begin studying the map. Let's see... Wherever this car park was, it was near a stadium. After a few minutes of looking, you see one... Stade Mohamed V (wiki ftw). No car park is mentioned, but it's one of the most popular stadiums here, apparently. And it was only about half an hour away. Suddenly, Mike, Erin, Alex, and Tim walk into the room. They're all looking better than before, but without a doubt this meeting was going to be solemn. "Where's Felix?" You ask. Erin replies, "He's still not feeling too well..." You nod. After you all take a seat around the table, you tell them of your findings. And of Pythagoras, and the Knights. Tim just explodes, "ARE YOU CRAZY?! Do you realize what you've done? If he isn't an ex-KOR, every single goddamn Knight in this city will know we're here!" His face was red with anger. "You could kill us all, damnit!" After his outburst, you simply say, "Don't worry." Tim opens his mouth to speak, but you interrupt him. "We're meeting him at the KFC down the street at 4 today. You can decide if he's worth

trusting then." Alex looks indifferent, while rage still paints Tim's face. Erin, looking at you with disapproval, says sternly, "Listen Dee. You can't go around making decisions without our approval." 'Our' didn't seem to include Mike. "But I suppose we can go see this Pythagoras character." You simply nod and keep your mind blank. Quickly you say, "Well, I think I found the car park. Well, stadium at least. It's just a half an hour drive from here. I think we should check it out." Alex finally speaks up and asks, "What exactly are we looking for, anyway?" "I don't kn-" Before you can finish, Erin cuts you off. "I'm guessing it's a KOR hideout of some sort. But whatever it is, we'll have to be stealthy going in." "Then wouldn't it be better if we went during the night?" you suggest. "Yes.... Yes, it would be better," she agrees. After about an hour of planning, everyone goes back to their rooms. It's decided that the raid on the car park will take place at 7:00PM tonight. It's still 1:00 PM. What now? ****** A. Call Sean and ask more about the mission ****** Ring. Ring. "Hello?" "Sean. Did they tell you specifically what the car park had to do with KoR?" "Didn't I tell you to ask the right questions?" he retorts. "Uhh..." He hangs up. What was that all about? "Well, I've been doing some research on this Stade Mohamed V place. It's basically a soccer stadium, and it's popular on the concert circuit. It ain't no Wembley stadium, but apparently, Megadeth is on tour, and their headed here." Mike says, from the laptop.

"Seriously?" You can't remember the last time you went to a concert. Ever since missing the Rush concert, you've been craving loud, shredtacular music. MegaDeth fit the bill perfectly. "Yeah man. They're gonna be here in... 3 days! Dude, that's awesome!" Mike shouts back. "We should totally go! If we're still in town of course." "Dude, we could buy some tix now! We have two hours before we meet Panthagoras or whatever his name is." "Uhh, I don't know if the rest would approve." ****** A. Excuse yourself out to get some tickets ****** "Hey... Uhh, guys?" you say, reaching for your jacket and keys. "What? Where you going now?" Tim scowls. "We're gonna grab a bite to eat, we'll be back in an hour." Mike explains. You give him an approving look and he smiles. "Alright, don't take too long" Alex says from the laptop. You and Mike walk out of the hotel room and down to the bus stop. You catch the hotel shuttle to the stadium and walk up to the ticket stand. "Hey. How much are tickets for Megadeth?" you ask the ticket guy. "One hundred fifty bucks. Each."he says through what smells like a chili-cheese hot-dog. "What?! one-fifty bones each?" Mike asks incredulously. "Yeah. Dave Mustaine ain't cheap kid. One-fifty, or no Megadeth for you, kiddo." he says, glaring at you. "Man, these tickets will sell, but who the hell's buying?" you say, walking away from the stand to thing things over. Mike just looks at you and smiles. "No. I'm not gonna do that." you say, catching on. "C'mon. Please?" he says, putting his hands together. ******

A. Mind****s! ****** You walk up to him. "I'm a friend of Dave. Remember me?" you say, concentrating. "Yes. Here you go master" he says sleepily. "Thanks. Go kiss Mike. And, while you're at it, get us some backstage passes." You say, looking at the tickets. "Yes Marty." he says, climbing over the desk. "Wha-" he says, backing up. You watch happily as the ticket dude slobbers chili over Mike's astonished face. "I hate you." he says, wiping cheese off his nose. "Your welcome." you say, holding up the tickets. "Yeah, whatever." he says while buckling up. What now? ****** B. Go to the hotel ****** You and Mike make your way back to the hotel. Its a nice sunny day and you figure you could use the exercise, so you decide to walk. You walk for about 45 minutes through the streets of Morocco taking in all the scenery. You and Mike chatter about Megadeth for the whole walk. What songs do you hope theyll play? Do you think well meet Mustaine backstage? You arrive at the hotel. Mike, hide the tickets. We dont want the others to find out what were up to. Mike hides the tickets in his back pocket. You feel somewhat guilty, since the taxi attacks you and the team have been in a state of nervousness and constant worry. It feels good to have something to help take your mind off the recent events. You wish the others could have something to help entertain them too. You open you hotel room door and you cant believe what see. Erin lying naked on the kitchen table with Tim lying naked on top of her and Alex standing half naked next to them. They havent noticed you yet so they continue with there actions. You look at Mike who seems equally shocked and speechless. You and Mike quickly take a few steps back and

exit the room. Erins moaning quite loudly, so they dont hear you closing the front door. Looks like they found a way to entertain themselves. You think to yourself. Whoa! I can believe we walked in on a threesome. Mike joyfully exclaims. Yeah I know, we were only gone for an hour. That doesnt seem like the Erin I know. You say. I wonder where Felix is? Who knows, maybe he went out to grab lunch or something. So what do you want to do? Mike asks. ****** D. Join! ****** How would you feel about joining the action? You ask Mike. Awesome, I havent gotten laid in a long time. Mike replies. Do you think shell be OK with us joining in? He adds. Let see, the Erin I meet in Faiths room a few weeks ago was an uptight bitch. But now shes getting banged on a kitchen table by two dudes she hardly knows. Either she has multiple personalities or shes drunk. Either way thats good for us. After discussing your plan, you and Mike quietly sneak back into the hotel room. Tim is now off Erin and nowhere to be seen, Alex is having a turn with her instead. You approach the kitchen table where the pair of them are fornicating. Alex spots you and looks alarmed. You put your finger over your lips, signaling him to be quiet. Alex smiles, he knows you must be up to something. You wait until Alex finishes and pulls out of Erin. As discussed in your plan, you and Mike slide onto the table. You slide onto Erins left side and Mike slides onto her right. Erin doesnt object, she gives you a smile and then starts kissing you. The three of you fool around for a bit before deciding on a position. Erin bends over on the kitchen table while Mike takes her from behind. At the same time she starts giving you a handjob. Ten minutes of awkward pleasure pass. It feels good getting jacked off, but you feel uncomfortable watching Mike banging a chick, and having him watch you. You feel yourself about to cum, so tilt you head back and let out a small moan. God that feels good. You moan as you shoot out a large quaintly of semen.

ARRGGGHHHHHHH!!!! Erin screams. The realization of what just happened dawns on you. Youve given Erin a cum-shot in the eye. IT BURNS! IT BURNS! She shrieks. She then runs towards the kitchen tap to wash her eye. But unable to see where shes going, she trips over a rolling pin (who leaves a rolling pin lying on the floor?). She then falls and cracks her skull open on the edge of the kitchen counter. Blood splatters all over the walls and starts leaking out of her head at an alarming rate. Tim and Alex run into the room to see what the commotion is. Oh, ****! Alex yells. I call an ambulance. Tim says. You check Erins vitals Its too late, shes already dead. You announce.

How did she die so quickly? Mike asks you. She must have drunk a lot of alcohol. It would have thinned her blood. That would explain why she slept with all of us, she was wasted. Do you think its a good idea ringing the ambulance? Alex asks. What do mean? Of course its a good idea, she just f*cking died! You scream at him. Well Me, Tim and Mike all slept with her. It might look like something funny happened. Tim hangs up the phone. Hes right, its going to look like we got her drunk, raped her and then killed her. I mean tripping on a rolling pin, whos going to believe that?

The room turns silent. Mike eventually turns to you and asks What should we do? ****** B. Dispose of the body ****** You decide to get rid of Erins body, in order to protect your friends. Although youre not quite sure how youre going to do it one thing is certain, you need a car. You cant drag a corpse through streets. You pick up the phone and decide to give Pythagoras a ring. Ring Ring Ring Hello? Dude its me, Dee. Hows it going man? Not great, I accidentally killed one of my team. Serious? Yeah, I need your help. OK, stay calm. Ill be there in 15 minutes. You wait for 15 minutes, although it seems more like 15 years. Alex, Tim and Mike are all starting to panic. Stay calm, Pythagoras is coming. You keep assuring them. Theres a knock on the hotel door. Come in. You yell from across the room. Pythagoras walks into the room with his girlfriend. Whoa, whats she doing here!? You ask. She wanted to come along, we do everything together now that were a couple again. He explains. Hi, Im Sammie. She says. Nice to meet you. You reply.

Pythagoras walks over and investigates Erins body. Whats the plan? You ask him. Well chop the body up into little pieces and stick them in garbage bags. Well put the bags in my car. Then you, me and Mike will drive down to the harbor, chuck the bags into my dads boat, drive the boat out to the middle of the bay and then dump the bags. Pythagoras says. Meanwhile Sammie, Alex and Tim will clean this room up so theres no forensic evidence. He adds. Sounds like a plan, lets get to work team. You command. Two hours pass as you chop Erins body up, and place the severed pieces into garbage bags. You and Mike chuck all the bags into the boot of Pythagoras Mitsubishi, while Pythagoras goes inside to hug and kiss Sammie goodbye. Man those two really are close. You think to yourself while you wait in his car. Before to long youre driving to the harbor. You and Mike fill Pythagoras in on the full details of how Erin died during the trip. You hardly know this Pythagoras guy, yet you feel you can trust him. Not many people would help you the way he has. You arrive at the harbor and jump out of the car. Theres a big line of boats floating on a wooden pier. What the f*ck!? Pythagoras yells while observing the boats. What? My dads boat, its not here! It must be in the shop getting repaired or something. He explains. Oh s*it. Without a boat you cant dump Erins dismembered corpse. This isnt looking good. What should we do? Mike asks you. ****** A. Steal a boat...? ****** You say the first thing that comes to your head. "Let's steal one!" you say all of a sudden. "I like your style, man!" Pythagoras says approvingly. "I've been eyeing that one since we

got here". He gestures towards a large white yacht. You can see two men guarding the gangway onto the ship. "I can take care of those guys." you say. "Alright. I say we go ahead into the thing and improvise as we go." Pythagoras says, still looking at the boat. You walk up to the two men. "Hello, kind sirs. I believe we're passengers on this vessel." you say, smoothly applying your mental abilites. Immediately, one speaks up. "Why yes, of course you are. step aboard." "Thank you. Now please jump ship." "Yes sir, jumping ship." the other one says, and then they both sprint to the other side and dive off, splashing into the water. "So far, so good." you say, happy about how well the mindtricks worked. Pythagoras nods. "Alright, me and Dee will head up to the cabin. the rest of you stay here, hide the bags" he commands. You both sprint up into the cabin. You arrive to see a latino looking man gazing out the front window. He turns quickly as soon as he realises you're there. "what are you doing in my ship?" he asks demandingly. mind trick time, you think. You have trouble trying to connect with his mind, and even when you do, its difficult to keep up and your not sure if it will even work. you decide to go for it anyway. "Give us your ship." you say sternly. "HAHA, fat chance of that!" he says. "Do you take me for an idiot? get off my boat!" dammit "Why yes, I do take you for an idiot. Now give us your ship, or we'll kill you." you say, hoping that a threat works. he turns back to the window. "Go ahead and try" he says, suddenly whirling around with a pistol in his hands. Everything slows down. You have no time to react, and his pistol is aimed directly at your chest at point blank range. He grins. A gunshot rings out. You brace for pain, but there's nothing. you look around and see the man lying on the floor, dead. You turn to see Pythagoras holding a smoking pistol. "check him for armor." he says. you get down on your knees and rip the mans shirt open. There is nothing but a bullet sized wound above his heart.

Mike, Tim, Felix, and Alex all come running up. "what happe--- oh" Felix says, noticing the body in the middle of the floor. "we can dump him with Erin. Lets see if we can start this thing." Tim says. "I think I can... awww, crap, the ignition is busted." Alex observes. "Anybody here know how to hotwire?" "I do." Pythagoras says. "But it'll take time." Suddenly you hear shouts and the hum of a motor outside. "Soldiers? what the hell are they doing here?" Felix shouts, looking outside. "looking for this." Pythagoras, who had opened a part of the dash, holds up a bag filled with white powder. "these guys were drug traffickers! way to choose a boat, dude." Felix says. "Uh oh, theyre getting onto the ship" Tim says. "Hold them off till I get this thing hotwired." Pythagoras yells, holding a small electrical wire in his hand. "I think there are some guns in those cabinets!" What do you do? ****** B. Mind****s (again)! ****** "Wait in here." you say to the others. You nod at Mike and Pythagoras, and they understand. You walk up to the deck and put your hands up. "What seems to be the problem?" you say, looking at the leading officer. "You're under arrest for drug trafficking. We've been looking for you a long time Barbados." he says, approaching you. "Barbados? I'm Dee Pitt muthaf*cka!" you say, smiling. "Watch your tongue boy. Come with me." he says, handcuffing you. Time to use your mind tricks. You target what looks like the next in command. "Hey Mark. This isn't the droid we're looking for." he reasons. "You sure? They said a protocol droid and a repair droid." The guy handcuffing you says. The other officers look completely bewildered. You struggle not to laugh. "Well, damn. Let's go boys. I guess they're using a different boat." the lead officer says. The other officers follow him skeptically into their Jeep. You make sure they drive off before you get back inside.

"Where are the cops?" Mike asks. "Taken care of. Let's get boat started." you say, twisting the keys. You drive out to the middle of the bay and drop anchor. "In honor of Erin, Who died honorably." Mike says, dumping the body pieces into the bay. "Honorably?" you ask. "Anyone who dies sucking my chode is considered honorable in my book." he explains while dropping in bodies into that water/ "Whatever you say man." you say, chuckling. Pythagoras takes the boat back to the harbor. The six of you get into Pythagoras's truck. You jump into the front seat with Pythagoras. Mike, Alex and Tim jump into the truck bed and Sammie hops into the backseat. Pythagoras starts the truck and asks: "Where to?" "Well, we need to look at this Stade Mohammed V place and investigate around for a car park." You explain. "Alright." he says, stomping on the gas. In a few minutes, you arrive at the stadium parking lot. As you're passing the front, the ticket guy waves at Mike. He pretends not to see him. "So, uh, what do we do now?" Pythagoras asks. ****** C. Call Sean ****** "I think I'll call the HQ. You guys hang out or look around or whatever". You pull out your cell phone and call the Cult's specialized number: 3-1337-PWN *ring* *ring* "Hello?" You hear Sean's voice on the oher end. "Hey Sean.... Something bad happened." "What? What happened?" "Well, y'know Erin.. We were in the kitchen fu-" you see Tim staring at you, shaking his head rapidly back and forth. "errr, she was in the kitchen of our apartment, when she kinda had... an accident.... and um.... well... the point being, she's dead."

"WHAT???" Sean screams. "HOW CAN YOU FIGHT THE KOR WHEN YOU CAN BARELY SURVIVE YOURSELVES???" "sorry..." You hear Sean sigh. "Well, its a good thing you told me right away. I was about to call you anyways. We've sent supplies to your apartment, They should be arriving right about now. Where are you?" You suddenly remember all the questions you were oging to ask him. "alright, what is with the parking lot? and don't give me any of that IRobot 'ask the right questions' bull**** either." "I'm sorry, acolyte, but thats pretty much all that I'm permitted to tell you. goodbye." Sean says, hanging up. "sounds like he took it well." Mike says with obvious sarcasm. "I say we look around this place now." ****** B. "Actually, lets head back to the apartment and get whatever it is they sent us" ****** "Actually... How about we go back to the apartment to see what they sent? It's gonna get dark soon, anyway." The rest of the team agrees, and Mike just shrugs and says, "OK." "Alright, well, if you don't need me, I'll just drop you guys off and head home," Pythagoras says. "I need to get going, anyway." After piling up into his truck, he starts the car. You've taken the back seat this time, and Sammie's sitting in the front with Pythagoras. Is that even his real name? Felix, Tim, Alex and Mike are sitting in the truck bed. Throughout the drive, Sammie and Pythagoras make small talk. You don't listen in on their conversation too well. Your mind is on what the COP could have sent, and what lay hidden in the car park. Too many deaths. Why would they send inexperienced Acolytes to fight the "dreaded" Knights of Reason? Nothing good could come of it. By the time you reach the hotel, it's already getting dark out. After you've all jumped out of Pythagoras' truck, he drives off slowly out of the parking lot. Not waiting to wave him good-bye, you rush into the hotel. When you all burst through the hotel doors, the startled receptionist jumps, then let's out a sigh after recovering. The same guy who you used your mind tricks on. "Um, Andrew Pittson?" He had an American accent, which was surprising.

"yes." "A package arrived for you about an hour ago. It has been placed in your room." Nodding, you all run upstairs to your room. When you enter, you see a large cardboard box sitting on the floor in front of the bed. You remove the tape anxiously as everyone watches. You're surprised to see what's inside. It wasn't what you had expected, but then again, you can never be too certain with the COP. Most of the space is taken by your clothes. Your Cult robes, specifically. You hadn't brought them here because there would be no need... And wearing them would be a dead give-away to the Knights. Why send them now? Under the clothes lie some books, most likely taken from the Cult library. Why would we need books? The title on one of them reads "Questioning." Another reads "Persuasion." After looking at every title, they all seem to be about taking prisoners, interrogating, and persuasion. No weapons are inside the box. Then again, it would have been hard getting them through security. That's all there was. It seemed that there should be more. Sean probably packed everything himself, you think wryly. "That's it?" Felix asks with a frown. "Apparently..." says Tim. What now? ****** E. Read the books ****** Alex flips through one of the books. Whoa, this is some pretty advanced sh*t. He says. I dont think its aimed for people at our level. Who cares? Sean thinks were ready for these books, so lets start reading! You say enthusiastically. The five of you sit in a circle on the floor reading a different book each. Your book is entitled An introduction to mental torture. Its a book on interrogating hostages by using horrible mind tricks on them. It presents information on subjects like making them think there burning alive or making them thing the falling out of a plane. When really there in no

harm, youre just projecting images into there head. The others go to sleep after a few hours of reading. But you stay up and continue reading this book, its like youve found the holy grail of mind tricks. This stuff is going to be very useful once we start investigating this KoR car park. You think to yourself. A few more hours pass and you finish reading the last chapter. How to trick a man into think youre cutting his genitals off. You finish the book and let out a sigh. You feel so much more powerful now that you know all these insane mind tricks. You check you watch, its 3:30 am. What do you want to do? ****** Ohhh man, I gotta try these. The first thing that comes to your mind is the bum you saw in an alley just a few blocks down. You get up quickly, your joints cracking from the sudden movement, and head out the door, down the hall, and into the streets. It doesn't take long before you find the alley, and sure enough, the old homeless bum is sitting there against a wall, fast asleep. You first probe his mind, which opens up as easy as a soda can. You see his name is Jeff Spraker, and take a quick galnce at his life, looking through all of his fears and sorrows. You nudge him awake. "Heh? who's there?" he says, suddenly coming to. You project an image into his mind. "Stella??? is that really you?" he says, his eyes wide. "Yes Jeff. I miss you, and I'm sorry for what I did. Come with me. Let's go home." The bum rises, easilty fooled by your trick. He reaches out his hand to where he thinks that girl is. Stella vanishes. "What?" the bum says, you can sense the sadness and hear it in his voice. You see a few tears roll down his chin. "No..." Suddenly a jungle rises around the alleyway. Before the bum has a chance to look around, a commanding voice comes from behind him. "Spraker." The bum turns to see a familiar man, clad in a green infantry uniform and holding a thompson gun. He looks down to see an M-17 rifle in his hand and his old, rotten clothes also replaced with a dirty green. This whole setting seems unbelievably familiar. "Come on, the convoys leaving right now." The bum follows the man into the forest, trying to remember who he is. They board a military transport truck, which joins with several other vehicles driving down a small dirt road.

After five minutes of driving, the bum recognizes the man. "You're Roland... Gregg Roland." He says aloud. The man gives him a funny look. "What, you suffering from short term memory loss now? You're not getting out of the army by faking sickness, buddy." "Wait, you died at Chyang Ja bridge....." the bum gasps silently, suddenly recognizing everything. "Stop this truck." he says. "What? Are you crazy, Spraker? we can't stop the truck! The general himself ordered this delivery." "But we'll all be dead if we don't!" "Spraker, you're in the fricking military! its a risk that ya gotta take! We've been in this place 5 moths and never seen a single enemy, and I doubt all hell's gonna break loose over one fricking delivery route!" The convoy comes to a wooden bridge crossing a narrow river. No.... A machine gun cracks somewhere in the forest. Bullets whizz through the air, and one punctures the throat of the man sitting next to Spraker, leaving him gasping for air on the floor of the vehicle. "We're under fire!!!" a miscellaneous voice screams. "Out of the truck!!!" The bum and Roland immediately Jump out and hit the wooden planks of the bridge. A truck closer to the end of the convoy explodes, sending shrapnel everywhere. A large piece of metal flies through the air, severing a mans leg as he sprints for cover. Bullets come screaming throught the air from the depths of the jungle, plinking against the sides of vehicles and leaving dead bodies all about the bridge. Roland raises his voice above the shouts and screams of dying men. "Spraker, I'm gonna make a run for that MG!" He shouts, gesturing towards a machine gun in the back of an empty jeep. the bum has no time to even think before Roland rises up and sprints for the jeep. No..... no..... "NO!" The bum yells as Roland's gut explodes, sending blood and tissue splattering acorss the bridge. everything vanishes. The bum is curled up in a ball on the cold dirt, crying and holding his face in his hands. Why? why? WHY!?!? echoes throughout his mind. You feel a gross satisfaction with yourself. A familiar dark feeling creeps into your mind, that unkown force, that being that posesses you to end lives and cause misery and suffering. A grin spreads across your face. You feel like you could do this all day. you can make anything suffer and die at your will. immediatley, you begin working another trick into his mind, but something inside of you tells you to stop. Suddenly you remember Amy.

Oh god, she doesn't want me to do any of this.... ****** A. Help the guy out ****** Any thoughts you have of amusement and indulgence disappear from your mind, replaced with sorrow and confusion. Why did I do that? Why Your thoughts seem to echo those of the bum's. He's still weeping, curled up on the ground. I have to help him. How, though? Words wouldn't do any good, now. There was no doubt that he didn't want to see anybody, especially after that experience. What about Stella? No... There was obviously sadness attached to her memories. You search through his mind for something... happy. Encouraging. But there seem to be holes or voids in parts of his mind. Memory loss? As hard as you search, you can't find anything. Every memory was linked to some other negative feeling... Regret, sadness, fear, anger... Pity overwhelms you as you desperately search his mind for something that would help him. What have I done? Vivid recollections like that could drive a man insane, especially if they had been stifled for years then suddenly set free in a wild hallucination. The man is still lying there, sobbing quietly. There are ways to make him feel positive emotions by activating certain parts in the brain, but once it's over, it's like crashing from a high. It won't do any good. Running out of ideas, you reach into your pocket for your wallet. You're sorry that you can't do anything more for the man. You walk slowly over to him, and remove all of your bills from your wallet. He'll probably spend it all on booze, but you don't care. The others will understand, if you ever tell them. You probably won't, though. Placing the bills beside the man, you back away slowly. Now what? ****** A. Go to the hotel and sleep ****** You decide it would be best to get back to the hotel so you can sleep. You turn, walk out of the alley, and down the street to the hotel. You wake up the next morning after a peaceful sleep. "It's about time your awake, dude." you hear Mike say as he stands in the bedroom doorway. "Huh?" You glance at your clock. 11:30 AM. "wow... I actually outslept you for once..." you say. Your used to sleeping in, but this is a new record.

"Yeah, I was wondering if you were going to sleep all day and leave me at the concert all alone." Mike says, grinning. You suddenly remember what day it is, and you almost fly out of bed. "MEGADETH!!!!!!!!" you scream at the top of your lungs. "What?" you hear Tim say from the kitchen. "Nothing!" you and Mike say, simultaneously. "alright. I need you two to come here for a minute." he says. You both walk into the kitchen, and you see Alex and Felix there as well. Tim speaks. "This moring, I got a phone call from Sean, who was in the cult headquarters in London. He gave me a quick debriefing of what we can expect next." Everybody listens in. "First off, we're heading into the car park tomorrow. He and I both feel that we should get this done as soon as possible, before we lose anyone else. Then, if we succeed with that, Sean told me that he wants us all to board a plane to Egypt. But we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. the car park is the primary objective right now." A short silence goes through the group. Wow, that came fast, ypu think upon hearing the news Mike opens his mouth to speak. "Don't worry, nothings goin to interrupt your concert." Tim says, surprising both of you. "You knew?" you ask, a bit confused. "Did you really think I wouldn't? Don't worry, I'm not mad. Just ask us before you do anything like that again." You can't help but be surprised at how chill Tim is. You thought he'd punish you for sure. Felix begins to talk, which he's rarely done since Jeremy's death. "So, just what are we gonna do in Egypt?" he asks curiously. Alex answers. "There are some old ruins out in the desert that we're going to be investigating. I think it was an old city or something all those thousands of years ago, and we believe it to have valuable knowledge of the KoR." Felix pipes up again. "If its been around for thousands of years, how come we haven't done this sooner?" "Good thinking. It has been around for thousands of years, but it has been buried in the sands for almost as long." Tim says. "It hasn't even been a month since we found it." "And the KoR?" "we don't know. we're pretty sure they have yet to discover it, but we might want to bring your friend along just in case." "Why would we bring Pythagoras?" you ask. "You don't know?" Alex says. You shake your head "In a nutshell, Pythagoras isn't, or wasn't, like most of the other Kights. He was part of a seperate division of the KoR, one that has been in existence almost since its founding. They are a group of people trained in all types of combat and taught to be the most efficient infiltrators in the world. However, the powers of the mind have never been a part of their training, and that's why Pythagoras needs us as much as we need him." "So that's why Franco didn't just kill me with mind powers... he was part of that group." you say, suddenly solving another little mystery of your life.

"exactly. Though he wasn't a very good one, I'll admit." Alex says. "Why did Pythagoras quit?" you ask. "I have no idea. you would have to ask him that." What now? ****** B. Call Pythagoras ****** "I think I'll call him and tell him we're going to Egypt in a couple of days." you say, grabbing the hotel phone. You pick up the phone and dial in his number. ring. ring. ring. ring. "Sup. Who's this?" he answers. "It's me, Dee. I have a few questions and some news." "Questions?"he asks. "Why did you leave the Knights of Reason?" you ask. "I left for a number of reasons. A couple of years ago, I was enlisted in the KoR infiltration unit. I was tutored in the art of of mixed martial arts and stealth combat." he starts. "Interesting." "Indeed." he responds. "Go on." He continues. "Well, we were a stealth unit, and we're usually assigned to steal things and kill people. I was second in command at the time I left." "Why'd you leave?" you ask. "We were given a mission to kill a girl. We had no idea who it was until..."

"Until?" "Until I found out it was my wife." "Dude... I'm so sorry." "Well, it's too late for her now. I tried to protect her by killing my captain. She was protected by man named Dave, so I wasn't alone. She ended up-" "Wait, Dave?! Like, Scottish guy with Red Hair? Was he wearing a red robe at the time?" you interrupt. "Yeah. How did you know?" he asks quickly. "He's my godfather..." you explain. "Damn. No way, I still owe him for saving my neck. Anyway, she died, but I escaped with the help of Dave. We escaped on a boat with our lives. Never went back to the knights since." he finishes. "Wow." you exclaim. "Yup. What's the news?" he asks. "We're going to Egypt in four days. We need your help for this investigation." you say briskly. "Well, what's in it for me?" "C'mon man, think of it as repaying Dave." "Well, okay, He did save my life. I'll call you tomorrow, I've got a Megadeth concert to go to." he says. "Wait, you're going too? Me and Mike got tickets. Think you can give us a ride?" you ask. "Uh.. sure, I'll pick you up in 30 minutes. I gotta pick up Sam too." "Thrash Metal concert. How romantic." you say, laughing. "Shut up." "Sorry." "Meet you at the hotel front door in half an hour."

"Kay, see ya then." you say, hanging up. You explain Pythagoras's story to the rest and they talk while you pull Mike over to the side. "He's picking us up to go to the concert in half an hour." "Cool. Anything you wanna do before that?" ****** B. Yeah, I've gotta call Dave. ****** "Yeah, lemme call Dave." you say. You dial Dave's number, and he picks up after only one ring. "Hello?" "Hey Dave, its Dee." "Dee! how've ya been?" He asks cheerfully. "Pretty good." you reply, and then continue before Dave can talk again. "Hey, did you ever know anyone by the name of Pythagoras?" "Yeah..." Dave says. "why?" "well, I met somebody named Pythagoras here in Morocco. He said that you saved him or something." "Really? Its been years since I've talked to him!" "really? maybe you can meet up again when we finish the mission." you say. "which reminds me... can you tell me anything about this parking garage?" Dave pauses. "well, I can't tell you too much. Sean, Alex, and Tim know more than me. As far as I know, there could be a small KoR station or base under the place that just got up and running a short time ago. We're not certain, but recent events have given us undeniable proof that there is KoR activity in Morocco. Like I said, ask Alex and Tim about it." "Alright, thanks." you say, happy that you finally know a little about why you came here in the first place. "and one more thing.-" you start, but Dave cuts you off. "Sorry, Dee, but I gotta go right now. I'll talk to you later." He hangs up. "alright, Megadeth time." Mike says, just as you hear a car pull up outside. You leave the hotel to see a sleek red sports car idling in the parking lot, with Pythagoras and Sammy outside leaning against a door. "Hey, you're right on time!" he says. "Hop in!" You and Mike get in. "whoa, when did you get this?" you ask, marveling at the beautiful interior. "Its hers" Pythagoras says, pointing to Sammy.

Its a short drive to the stadium, and even though you're getting there a good hour and a half early, there are already some big lines starting to form. "wow, I didn't know that there were so many Megadeth fans in Morocco.." Mike says, eying the crowd. "I smell pot." Sammy states. "How am I not surprised?" Pythagoras says with obvious sarcasm. Even though the lines were sizable when you got there, it doesn't take long to get to the front, and by 6:30, your into the stadium "who's opening?" Mike asks. "I think its the Sword and then Down" Pythagoras says. "Should start any minute now." Almost on cue, the lights dim, and you see four long haired guys take the stage. The Sword plays for about 20 minutes before being yanked off for Down, who play for about an hour and a half before finally leaving the stage. Wow, I didn't think it was possible to say f*ck that many times in one show..., you think after hearing Phil Anselmo's final 'F*ck you'. After that comes the unbearable waiting period, which seems to last for years. Finally, the lights darken again, and the opening lines to 'Blackmail the Universe' ring throughout the stadium. You headbang your way through "Set the world Afire", "Wake up dead", "In my Darkest Hour", and "Hangar 18" before finally taking a rest when "A Toute Le Monde" starts. You glance to your left to see Pythagoras and Sammy cuddling, which bitterly reminds you of Amy. The sweetness and sorrow doesn't last long, as "Trust" tears through the speakers as soon as its over. The epic thrash continues, you headbang like crazy for every song. The noise is deafening.Paranoid *headbang*. Liar *headbang* Peace Sells *headbang* SYMPHONY OF DESTRUCTION! *headbang*. you do this all the way until the final "COWARDS!" of Holy Wars, and Megadeth leaves the stage. You can harldy hear anything above the cheering and your own recovering ears. You finally leave the seats, and buy a buy a 'deth hoodie on your way out. your neck feels like it was stuck under a pile of bricks for a few days. ouch, epic bangover after finding the car, Pythagoras speaks up. "hey, I heard that all the bands were having an after show party at the Hyatt Hotel. I bet your mind powers could get us in" everybody looks at you hopefully ****** B. "Sure! Life is short, right?" ****** After a quick drive the four of you arrive at the Hyatt Hotel. You exit Pythagoras car walk towards the hotel door. Sure enough youre stopped by a bouncer on the way in, and sure enough you use your mind tricks to convince him youre on the guest list.

Make your way to the bar down the hall. The bouncer says. You enter the hotel and start walking down a long hallway, expecting to walk into a crazy party. A party full of strippers, booze, midgets, cocaine addled orgies and blasting metal. Youre disappointed when you arrive at the bar. There are no stripers, drugs or groupies. Just a small group of people sitting at tables, chatting and playing pool. The Beatles are playing on a jukebox in the corner and theres a soccer match being aired on a TV. This is a Megadeth after show party? Mike asks. Its so lame. Sammie adds. What do you expect, this isnt the 80s. There all clean and sober now. Pythagoras explains. The four of you sit down at a table and order some food and drinks. While you wait for your food you look around the room. You can spot three of the members of Megadeth sitting at the table on the other side of the room. There chatting with some guys in suits, although theres no sign of Mustaine anywhere. 40 minutes later your food arrives and you start eating. This is so boring. Mike whines. All of a sudden Dave Mustaine enters the room. Your entire group fall silent and stare in disbelieve when the metal god himself walks past your table. Just then you get an idea, an evil idea. The same dark feeling you had when you tortured that homeless guy consumes you again. You want some fun? Ill show you fun. You tell Mike. You stand up and walk over to Mustaines table. Using your newly developed mind powers you project an image into Dave Mustaines mind. Its 1982 and youre in Metallica. Youre set to be the biggest band in the world You get sadistic pleasure out of making Dave Mustaine relive this event in his head. You let out an evil laugh as he bursts into tears. YOU CANT FIRE ME YOU C*NTS!!! Dave Mustaine screams at the people on his table. Whoa, calm down. Nobodys firing you. One of his friends reply.

Dave starts pulling his hair and his crying gets louder and louder. Its not fair, its not fair. He keeps repeating. Whats going on? Somebody asks. I dont know, he must be using drugs again. Somebody else says. Just like the homeless guy Dave Mustaine curls up into a ball on the floor. Why, why? He sobs. Nobody else in the room knows what just happened. But Mike, Pythagoras and Sammie all know that you had something to do with it. Dude, what the hell did you just do? Mike asks. I though Dave Mustaine was your idol. What the hell did I just do? You ask yourself. You look at Dave Mustaine crying on the floor like a child and you feel terrible. You feel like you also want to cry for what you did. Lets get out of here. You tell Pythagoras. The four of you leave the hotel and jump into Pythagoras car. He turns on the ignition and begins driving you and Mike back to your hotel. I think Im turning evil. You announce. Thats what happens when you cant control your powers, the start controlling you. Sammie says. How do you know that? You ask her. Because like Pythagoras, I too used to be a knight. She replies. What now? ****** C. Play I-Spy ****** Everybody seems to be pissed-off at you after what you did to Dave Mustaine. You figure this car could use some fun and games to help lighten up the situation. OK everyone, I spy with my little eye something beginning with E.

No, Im not playing I-spy. Pythagoras says firmly. Oh come on, this could be fun. Sammie says to him. Is it an ear? She asks. No. Is it an elephant? Mike asks. Do you see a f*cking elephant in this car? You ask him. So its in this car then? Yes. Pythagoras sighs. Is it an eye? he asks. No. Its not a body part. The game continues for the whole trip, everybody is having fun. Pythagoras sticks his best of Albert King CD into the car stereo, Laundromat Blues starts playing. Is it equipment? Pythagoras asks, referring to his computer hacking equipment on the seat next to you. No. You arrive at the hotel so you and Mike jump out of the car. Before I take off, what was the answer? Pythagoras asks you. It was everything, I spied everything. What! You cant do that! Pythagoras yells at you. Yes I can, it starts with E. THATS CHEATING!!! Pythagoras punches the dashboard in anger, hes getting red in the face. Whoa, calm down man. You tell him.

Its just a game. Mike adds. Not for me its not I won the I spy junior world championship three years in a row when I was a kid. He explains. Theres a world championship? Yeah, I would have won the fourth, but the kid I was competing against cheated. He cheated? Yeah and that cause a riot to break out. 17 I spy competitors were killed. I vowed I would never play I spy again after that. You and Mike are silent for a while. Neither of you know what to say. Umm, Im sorry? You finally tell him. Good, Ill see you tomorrow then. He says, and then drives off, still clearly upset. You and Mike walk into the hotel and enter your room. Felix, Alex and Tim are still all awake. How was the concert? Yeah pretty good. I may have cause Dave Mustaine to start drinking again, or commit suicide. But other than that it was awesome. What now? Mike asks you. ****** A. Discuss the plans for tomorrow ****** So whats our plan for tomorrow? You ask the gang. We were actually just talking about that before you guys got here. Says Felix. We figure nobody is 100% sure what this car park is, but we do know the KoR dont want us finding out. Felix says. So its probably safer we all split up into groups, incase we get ambushed. Right, so how about me, Mike and Pythagoras go inside the car park and investigate. You say.

You, Tim and Alex wait outside the car park and act as guards. Warn us if you see any Knights, or anything suspicious. OK. Felix replies. And Sammie can be our getaway driver. Cool, sounds like a plan. Mike says. An hour passes and everyone is getting ready for bed. Just then the hotels phone rings. Mike answers it. Its Faith. She wants to speak to you. Why would she want to speak to me? You think while taking the phone of Mike. Hi Faith. You say. How did Erin die? She says straight away. Because Sean told me to ask you about it. She adds. Uh, yeah. Funny story. You talk to Faith on the phone for more that 2 hours. Everybody else has gone to sleep, and youd like to do the same. But Faith keeps asking you all these questions. Questions about the KoR car park. What our plan is, what time well be leaving tomorrow, whos going to be helping us. She seems very interested for some reason. Maybe shes just worried about your safety. After finally getting the phone with Faith, you go to your bed and sleep.

Dude wake up. What.? You open your eyes and see Mike standing over you, You overslept, Pythagoras and Sammie are coming to pick us up in 5 minutes. Mike says.

You get out of bed and change into some fresh clothes. You then quickly make a peanut butter sandwich as breakfast. After that You, Mike, Felix, Alex and Tim grab your pistols, and then all go and wait outside the hotel. Theres a nervous feeling amongst the group, you have no idea whats going to happen today. Two cars pull up in front of you. Pythagoras silver Mitsubishi Magna and a small white VW Golf that must belong to Sammie. Pythagoras and Sammie hop out of there cars. All right, lets go investigate a car park! Pythagoras says enthusiastically. Tim, Alex and Felix, go jump in Sammies car. We'll need to stop and fill up gas. Sammie says to the guys as they get into her car. You and Mike come with me. Pythagoras says to you. You jump in Pythagoras' car and head off. At the first roundabout Sammies car turns left to stop at the gas station. You guys turn right instead and start heading towards the car park. Pythagoras puts on his Black Stone Cherry CD to help pump him up. You drive for a good 20 minutes. Hmm, thats weird. Pythagoras says. What? This black SUV behind us. Its been following us for the entire trip." You think it might be a Knight? You ask Pythagoras. Hard to say. What do you want to do? ****** C Pull out your gun and start shooting it. Better to be safe then sorry. ****** Im going to shoot this guy. You say. Whoa, calm down man. How can we be certain that hes a knight? BANG The black SUV rams right into the back your car.

That motherf*cker just scratched my ride. Pythagoras says. Ill take care of him. You announce. You unwind your window and pull out your pistol. You position yourself so your sitting on the cars window ledge and the top half of your body is hanging out the window. You point your gun directly at the SUV. This is what happens when you f*ck with Dee Pitt. You pronounce. You fire a bullet at the SUV, it hits one of the front headlights. You unload the rest of your clip at the car, but most of your shots miss and the few shots that hit dont do any serious damage. The SUV driver retaliates by opening his window and pulling out an AK-47. Oh sh*t, duck! You yell. You and Mike duck for cover the SUV driver opens fire. A swarm of bullets come whizzing past your head. You can hear the sound of glass shattering and metal being penetrated. The firing stops. Are you OK? You ask Mike. Yeah Im fine. He replies. Pythagoras starts gasping for air. You turn around and realize whats happened. A bullet has hit the back of his car seat, gone right through the seat, right into his back and come out the front of chest. Blood pours out of Pythagoras as he lets go of the steering wheel and clutches his chest. Sure enough the SUV rams you again, causing the car to steer of the road, through a barrier and straight towards the edge of a small cliff. AGGHHHHHHH!!! You and Mike scream as you car drives over the cliff edge. You fall for maybe 4 or 5 seconds then BOOM Your car starts filling up with water. You must have landed in the ocean. You grab Pythagoras and swim out of the car while it begins to sink. You and Mike grab one of his arms each and drag him to land. Pythagoras is shivering and coughing. He starts turning pale. Theres a road not far from here. Go get help. You tell Mike.

Mike nods his head a runs towards the road. Hang in there. You tell Pythagoras. Tears roll out of Pythagoras eyes as he lies on the ground, hes unable to talk but you can see clearly distressed. He cant die like this. You think to yourself. You decide to let him die in peace. You use that new mind trick you learnt to project and image into his mind. He and Sammie holding hands on a beautiful tropical island. A smile creeps over his face as his eyes close. He then stops breathing. Theres a car coming now! Mike shouts at you from the side of the road. Dont worry dude. Its too late. You shout back. Mike runs into the middle of the road and stops the car anyway. He pulls out his gun and high-jacks it. Jump in. He shouts. Your about to go get into the car when Pythagoras pocket starts buzzing. Its his cell phone. You pick it up and answer. Hello? Hi its Sammie. We're at the car park. Where are you guys? Youre not sure how to answer the question. Did you hear me? I said where are you guys? You remain silent, your not sure if you have the heart to tell her that her boyfriend is dead. Wheres Pythagoras? Put him on. She says. Listen Sammie, there something you need to know You fill Sammie in on the details as you jump into Mikes car. He begins driving back onto ocean side the road where you originally came off. Sammie starts crying uncontrollably when you tell her the news. You try and comfort her. Im really sorry. You say.

She keeps crying. Shes muttering something about how she and Pythagoras were going to get married. What do want to do now? Mike asks you. ****** B Continue the mission, drive to the car park. ****** "Come on Mike, we need to continue our mission, get us to the car park." "Alright" You and Mike ride for 20 minutes to the car park in your stolen vehicle. Strangely, there was no resistance towards your approach, however you are now riding in a car that had no ties towards Pythagoras or Sammie. After the 20 minutes is over, you and Mike pull into the Parking Garage, yet something strange has happened. You don't see Felix or Sammie or anyone else outside keeping watch. You instantly pull out your pistol and creep along the walls as if you were Solid Snake himself. You ascend up through the car park until you come to where Sammie's car is parked. Nobody is around still. You decide to call Felix. *ring* *ring* "Yo dude! What's up!" "Uhh, are you at the car park bro...." "Hey man I need to tell you something really important..." "WHAT?!?! WHAT IS IT" "I'm not here right now, so please leave a message and I'll get back to you. LOL *beep*" "FVCK" You shout as you kick the wall. "What the hell is wrong with you bro?"

"I hate it when people do that **** on their voicemail!" "Oh..., OH ****!" Mike's exclamation is met when you see a stairway seem to formulate from the ground below you. Naturally, you and Mike just head right on in. After descending the stairs, you find yourselves in a dank hallway, barely lit by the EXIT signs posted at either end of the passage. Suddenly, a door opens to the left of you. You instantly turn your gun towards the direction when you see Felix staring down your barrel. ****** C. Slap the crap out of Felix for having a gay voicemail. ****** You slap Felix across the face. UGHH! What was that for? He moans. Having a gay voice mail. Felix looks at you in rage, he obviously isnt in the mood to take your crap. BAM Felix punches you right in the mouth, hard. You fall to the ground. Dont do that again, or Ill send you to the hospital next time. As you lay on you back and look up at your team. Tim, Alex, Sammie and Mike are all staring at you, wondering if youre going to retaliate. Youre the leader of this mission and Felix has just challenged you, hes made you look like a bitch. Like a wild dog you need to regain dominance of your pack. You jump up onto your feet and charge at Felix. You tackle him and send him flat on his back, he hits his head pretty hard against the solid cement floor. But you dont stop there, you start punching him in the face. Punch after punch connects with Felix. Sammie is screaming at you to stop. On the other hand Mike, Tim and Alex look amused, those guys love a good fight. After you land a good 10 or 15 punches on Felix, you stop. He hasnt been knocked unconscious, but is face is a bloody mess. He slowly stands up and gives you an evil stare. He then reaches behind his back and pulls out his pistol. Whoa dude, calm down. Felix points the gun directly at you and pulls the trigger.

***Click***Click***Click*** His gun must be jammed. F*ck you! Im going home to America!!! He screams. He turns around and storms off. Yeah, well Ive been f*cking Faith! You shout back at him. He doesnt respond. He just keeps walking off. You turn around and face the rest of the group, they all look a little bit intimidated by you. OK, team we need some organization. You say. Sammie, you go outside and sit in your car. We need you as a getaway driver. Sammie nods and walks towards the same exit that Felix left from. This is a big parking lot, how many floors are there? Five, were on the first right now. Tim replies. OK, well all split up and cover one floor each. You and the remainder of your team enter the dirty old elevator in the corner of the room. Mike gets off the at 2nd floor, Tim gets off at the 3rd, Alex takes the 4th and you ride up to the top floor. The elevator door opens, you pull out your gun and start creeping around. Nothing, not a person a car or any out of the ordinary on this floor. I wonder if the others have found anything? You think to yourself. Just then something catches you attention. A small ladder that leads out onto the roof. You climb up the ladder, onto the roof and look down. Thats a big fall. You say as you stare down the five story edge. Hello Dee, Ive been expecting you. You quickly turn around and pull out you gun. You cant believe what youre seeing. A middle aged man in a white suit, sitting at a desk, on top of a five story roof. Have a seat. The main says.

Who the f*ck are you? You say while pointing the gun at his head. My name is Poseidon, Im a Knight. OK Poseidon, youre about to die Wait I have an offer to make you. I dont want to hear it. Your about to pull the trigger and blast this guys brains into the air. It involves Amy. He says calmly. Amy! Its been so long since youve seen her. You dicide to hear this old guy out. All right Im listening. My job with the KoR is to essentially be a talent scout. Weve been watching you Dee. Weve tried to kill you numerous times, but failed. Youve got balls, you can fight, you can think under pressure and youre a stone cold killer. He explains. We could use you in the KoR infiltration unit. The infiltration unit? Wasnt that the same thing Pythagoras was in? You ask. Yes, Pythagoras was my son. Um, you know hes dead right? Of course I know, who do you think gave out the orders to kill him? What does this have to do with Amy? You ask, trying to get the conversation back on track. Simple, join us and well reunite you with her. I dont need your help doing that. The CoP already said theyd help me rescue her. The CoP doesnt want to rescue Amy. If they did they would have done so by now. You dont respond. Join us, youll get Amy back and get paid good money to work in the infiltration unit. Youre a natural born killer Dee, its what your good at.

Yeah I am a killer, whats stopping me from killing you? Poseidon opens his jacket to reveal a bomb strapped to his body. Its a powerful explosive, with a heart-rate monitor attached. You shoot me, and it explodes. Killing you. You only have two options Dee. You can walk away now. Or you can join us. He says ****** A. Walk away. ****** You turn your back on the old man and walk back towards the ladder. You fool, youre really turning down this offer? You dont reply, you just keep walking when suddenly something hits you in the hard in the back causing you to fall onto your knees. You get up, turn around and you see the old man crouching in a martial arts stance. You had your chance to join us. You turned your back on us, so now you will die. Just like Pythagoras. He says. Before you can respond the old geezer runs up to you and gives you a roundhouse kick to the ribs. You fall back onto your knees again. He gives you another kick. Kicking you with such force it causes you to toss your gun over the edge of the roof. You slowly get up and stare your attacker in the eyes. He may know martial arts, but you bet he hasnt played Super Smash Bros. FAALLLCCCCOOOOONNNNN PUUNNCCCCHHHHHH!!! You let an awesome punch fly right at his face. But hes to quick, he steps out of the way, grabs your arm and flips you onto your back. He then unleashes a series of quick kicks to your face. You manage to block one of his kicks and stand back up. The insanity of this situation sinks in, youre fighting a guy who has a bomb strapped to him on top of a five story building. The fight continues for a couple more minutes. Although its not really a fight as much as it is a one-sided ass kicking. Your opponent to powerful, every move you try and do he blocks and counters with a better move. You feel helpless. He grabs you by the throat and starts choking you. You will now die you for ignorance Dee Pitt. He says. Put him down!

Who said that? You turn your head and you cant believe whos come to save you, its Felix! I said put him down. Felix says and then draws his gun. Go ahead, shoot me. Poseidon says. You want to warn Felix about the bomb, you want to tell him not to shoot. But your unable to get any words out, the old fart has to tight of a grip on your neck. Felix fires of a shot, hitting Poseidon right in the center of his head. He lets go of you and drops dead on the ground. Are you OK? Felix asks. Poseidons dead body starts beeping. RUN!!! You scream. Run, why? Theres no time to climb down the ladder, and theres defiantly no time to explain this situation to Felix. Without thinking you run straight to the edge of the roof and jump off. BOOM You can hear a loud explosion behind you as you fly through the air. Flaming pieces of concrete and tiles whiz past you and you can feel the heat explosion on your back. You fall for what seems like forever down the five stories. Until you finally come to a landing, in a tree. You may still be alive but falling so fast and landing in a tree hurts like a f*cker. You fall out of the tree and land on the ground. You turn around to find that the entire car park is now just a pile of smoking rubble. Mike, Sammie, Tim and Alex run up to you. Youre flooded with a swarm of questions at once. Are you OK? What was that explosion? What happened up there? Everybody shut-up and get in the cars! We need to get out of here before the cops come. You command your team. Tim, Alex and Sammie up into Sammies white VW golf. You and Mike jump into Mikes stolen car. Both cars take of in a hurry just as a crowd of curious people start forming

around the now destroyed car park. Felix is dead. You tell Mike. No hes not, he went back home, remember? I was about to get killed by this Knight up on the roof back there, Felix came back and saved my life. I was a dick to him, but he came back and saved me anyway. And because of that he was killed in that explosion. Well maybe he survived. Mike says trying to make you feel better. That explosion was so big it destroyed the entire car park. Theres no way he survived. Yeah I know. I was just trying to be positive. You and Mike turn silent for a while, neither of you are sure what to say. We should organize some kind of memorial for him now that were going back home to America. Mike finally says. Uh dude, were not going back home yet. You remind Mike. Well our mission is over, we were ambushed and theres no car park left to investigate. We failed. Mike adds. Yeah, but now were going to Egypt. To investigate some ancient ruins. Are you kidding? We just lost Felix, Zach and Jeremy are dead and Pythagoras, the only guy who could have helped us also got killed! Not to mention Erin. Were on a mission and were going to continue, no matter how many casualties there are. You firmly state. You sound like George Bush. Come on Mike, this could be fun. I hear Egyptian chicks are supposed to be hot. Havent you ever heard of Cleopatra? No, too bad. You can play Indiana Jones and run around some ruins all you want. When we get to the airport, Im going back home. He states.

An hour later and you arrive at the airport. Sammie says goodbye to you guys and then leaves. Shes going home to organize Pythagoras funeral. You wish you could attend, but you have more important priorities. You chat with Tim and Alex, they say that theyd rather go home but if you decide to go to Egypt theyll come with you. What do you want to do? ****** C Use mind tricks on Mike to convince him to come to Egypt too. ****** Focus, Focus, Focus, Focus. Mike, you dont want to return, you want to come with us. You will not leave your friends behind. You put these thoughts inside Mikes head FAck Home, I wont abandon my friends Yeah!! Thanks Mike! Tim and Alex scream at the same time while they hug him. Okay so lets go You say. You go to information center and you ask for 4 tickets to Egypt. The earliest flight is tomorrow at 4pm. quite a lot of time with nothing to do in Morocco. As you head for the door, talking with the guys about what to do in the free time you have left you see a guy, blond hair, sun glasses, pretty tall, and with an unshaved beard, he is walking straight towards you in a fast manner. You decide youll move out of his way since you dont want to start a fight. But he moves also. You stop, and he approaches you. That facker, he killed my brother. Ill help you he says Who the hell are you? you say The names Thales, I am Pythagoras brother, and son of the bastard that killed him. I was a KOR member and I know all about you. Ill help you. How do we know its true? And whats with the Math names? My sick father named us like that; I have sister thats called Algebra. But you got to trust me on this one just like you did with my brother ****** A. Shoot him! ******

You begin to reach for your gun, sick and tired of hearing background stories that are meaningless to you. You thought your family were Super Heroes In Training by telling you to do your homework, damn, this other ones got some serious problems. Must be about money. You think as your fingers grip around the guns handle and trigger. Yes, it is, Thales says, and I wouldnt pull that gun out in the middle of an airport; especially one in Africa. Reading me like a book. You must be in a different branch in the KoR than your brother then, you assume. What can you tell me about their different divisions? You try to block off your mind from Thales but you are having difficulty concentrating. Something is telling you to shoot him now, but it is not youAlex? You look at Alex, then Tim, and finally, Mike. They all seem to still be willing to help as you had tricked them but Maybe if I release them And you do, but you put them to sleep in individual chairs first in a terminal. Now blocking off Thales seems easier, plus the other voice is gone. You learn quick, Dee, Thales remarks. You certainly are what my father thought you would be. And what exactly would that be? Your hand is still firmly on the gun in your confusion. His dad thought highly of me and yet he killed himself? Dont tell me Im the one; gah, that would suck! Thales right side twitches before he speaks and your grip on the gun in its unbuttoned holster becomes tighter. You are Oh, God. No the onl- BAM! A single bullet goes through Thales head in-between his eyes. As he falls you see in the background, amidst all the chaos, a shadow-cloaked figure running away. And it is a familiar cloak. Not one you have seen before in the CoP since you got there, but a familiar one nonetheless. Dj V. ****** A. Go after it. ******

You chase the mysterious cloaked figure down the road. Hey you, come back! The cloaked figure runs into an alleyway. You follow him to discover a dead end in at the end of the alley. Hes trapped. You approach the cloaked figure whos cowering in the shadows of the alley corner. Who are you? You ask him. Dee, its me. He says in a disgusting gravely voice. A voice youve never heard before. You pull off the hood thats covering most of his head. Youre completely shocked at what you discover A zombie! He has brown rotted skin, hes missing and eye and he has thin black hair. Almost like Eddie of the Iron Maiden album covers. Dee it's me. It growls. I dont know any zombies. You remind him. Although its time to put you back in your grave. You pull out your pistol and point it straight at his head. Its me. Felix! Felix? It cant be! Felix is that you? Have you really come back from the grave as a zombie? NO YOU IDOT! Ive been in hospital since the explosion. He explains. The doctors couldnt believe I survived. I got badly burnt from head to toe. Yeah, I can tell. They wanted to keep me in the hospital for all these operations and skin grafts. But I broke free, I figured I had to find you guys or else youd leave the country without me. And Id be stuck here. I cant believe youre alive. You tell Zombie Felix.

I cant believe youre alive either, you fell like five stories. He replies. Felix steps out of the shadows. You realize that his familiar cloak is nothing more that his black Rolling Stones hoodie. You give Felix a hug. Thanks for saving my ass up on that roof. You tell him. The pair of you leave the ally and head back towards the airport. "Hey, why did you shoot that guy before?" You ask. "We can't afford to trust anyone." Felix says firmly. "The Knights are everywhere. For now on if somebody talks to you, shoot him." He adds. You arrive at the airport, although there's no sign of Mike, Tim or Alex. 20 minutes pass as you stand in line at the ticket que and by another plane ticket for Felix. "Still no sign of Mike and the others, where are those guys?" You ask. "Maybe they went back to the hotel?" Felix says. What do you want to do? ****** A Keep searching the airport for Mike and the others. ****** You and Felix decide to look for the rest of the crew. Heading to the nearest McDonald's (in the airport), you sit down at a table and begin to concentrate. Walking around the entire place would take a long time. Maybe this method would take less. Your mind leaves your skull, and you're suddenly standing beside the table. Everything outside the focus of your vision is slightly blurry, as if you're dreaming. You can see Felix with his hood up and head down, staring intently at your body on the other side of the table, with your eyes closed. Weird. You set off on your search. It turns out that you can move at speeds much higher than you could before. It was like flying... As you're searching, you see the spot where you had shot the ex-KOR member. Order seems to have returned quickly, because there was no body, and no one was panicking like they were when you had shot him. However, that seems to be the only advantage. You can't hear or feel anything, and your vision was severely impaired. But the search still goes faster. Every time your maximum distance is reached, you move to another location. You had already moved five times and are on your way to another restaurant, when your cell phone

suddenly rings. You pick up, and say, "Hello?" "Hi Dee. It's Faith." You suddenly feel sick, remembering what you had said to Felix while he was storming out of the car park... "Oh hey, what's up?" you say. "Ahhh, not much. So you guys are going to Egypt?" she asks. She sounds odd, as if she has a cold or something. "Yeah, tomorrow. Hey, you sound a bit weird. You have a cold or something?" It was getting close to winter. "Um... yeah. Kind of have a headache too, I guess." "Ah, ****ty... So, what have you guys been doing at the COP?" you ask. You still don't know what all that commotion was about the day you left. "They're making changes, Dee. The rules are more strict, and they're teaching us way more than before. They actually give us HOMEWORK." "Wow. Have there been any attacks?" "No... " After a pause, she adds, "Well, actually, one of the members committed suicide. No one was allowed out that day." She said it as if it were just another insignificant fact. "What?! Who was it?" "Just some guy named Phil... Not really important. He was a Presenter." "Oh..." You say. You thought that Presenters would have more sense than that... Then she asks, "So how is everybody else there? Besides Erin, of course..." She seems to have gotten over Erin's death quick enough. But she was just her roommate. How would she react if you told her that Jeremy was dead? And for that matter, Felix burned and looking like a zombie? You realize that she has no idea about the casualties you had suffered here, besides Erin. Not even Sean knew of them. "They're alright, I guess." You would tell her about Jeremy later. Or maybe Felix would.

Why didn't she call Felix? Or try calling Jeremy? Why did she call you? Then again, you werethe leader of this expedition. You call the shots, and you decide where the crew goes next. Suddenly Felix says, "Hey dude, look!" He points over in the distance, to a desk, where three people are standing. You recognize them at once. "Hey, Faith, I gotta go. See ya." "K, bye. And good luck." She hangs up. Felix is looking at you coldly for some reason. Then you realize what you just said. I said Faith's name! Damnit! You had tried so hard to keep him from knowing who you were conversing with. "Alright, well, let's go." You say innocently to Felix. Would Mike and the others know that you had mind****ed them? You get up and walk towards the desk where Mike and the others are standing. "Hey!" you yell. They turn instantly, with looks of surprise on their faces. Mike speaks first, "Dude! We were looking everywhere for you. We were afraid the Knights got you. Where did you go?" He hadn't noticed Felix yet, who was standing with his hood up and head down still. You realize you would have to lie, if you don't want them to know what happened. "There was a Knight. Thales. He knocked you guys out using some mind power, so I had to kill him. You guys were still out cold, and I had to run so the cops wouldn't catch me there. I ran outside, and hid in a few places. Then I found Felix." Mike, Tim and Alex all look confused for a moment. Felix raises his head, and they gasp. "Holy ****!" "How?" "W-T-F?" You answer their inquires, "He survived the explosion. They took him to the hospital, but he escaped so we wouldn't leave him behind."

Tim says, "Jesus Christ... You should still be there. Look at yourself! We're trying to avoidnotice!" He scratches his head, obviously exasperated. Alex just says, "Doesn't it hurt?..." Felix shrugs. "I learned a mind trick while I was there. It lessens pain. Dulls the nerves." Mike is still gaping. What now? ****** C. Get something to eat at one of the restaurants. AND D. Discuss plans for Egypt. ****** You still have the best part of 2 hours before your flight. Taking lead, with the others following, you spot an Indian restaurant and head into it. Mmmm You are greeted and take the last remaining table in the otherwise packed curry house. The waiter returns and hands out menus. After giving Felix a strange look, he takes your order for some popudoms and leaves. So you sigh. Ive been thinking. We really fell right into that trap at the car park. What evidence did we have to go there? A grid reference that a KOR member projected into my mind. Not a great idea in hindsight. And it was my fault guys. Sorry. The others stare at the floor and shuffle awkwardly. We need to be much more careful not to be so stupid again. I think we need to phone Sean and ask exactly where this newly discovered city is, and what we are doing there- we need to be prepared Yeah- I agree, and we need to try and fit in a bit more so that the KOR dont eat us for breakfast again if, they do have members out there says the surprisingly normal sounding Felix. Ill phone him after the meal you agree. You set your attention to the menu, and so do the others. You look down the hot section and smile. Mike catches your eye. You smile sadistically. Bring it He taunts. Its on.

The waiter returns and any discussions about COP immediately cease. Mike pipes up. Whats the hottest thing you do? He gives you the evils whilst the waiter replies. Well, we have the Dansak, the Madras, penultimately the Vindalu, and the- You interrupt. Ill take that please. Time for some fun. You look into the waiters mind. And our most spicy main course - the Super hot Crazy mofo of a tongue burning Dish. Mike whimpers, and then says. Ok, Ill have that please. The others look confused but seem to know what youre doing. After five minutes you close your eyes and transport you mind into the kitchen. You need to control several people at once here, you need all your concentration. You vaguely hear the order for the Crazy mofo, and feel the chefs confusion. You begin to control him. He nods and gets to work. What shall we put in Mikes curry? ****** A- Loads of curry powder AND B- Loads of chillies AND C- All the hot sauce the chef can find ****** You almost feel sorry for the chef as you take control of him. Hes probably going to lose his job for what hes about to do. I mean sh*t, theres gotta be laws against putting all these ingredients into a curry. Curry powders, chilli, hot sauce. This should be fun The restaurant is very crowded, its going to take a while until the meals arrive. You decide to have a conversation with Felix. So, you like the Rolling Stones? You ask him, referring to his hoodie. Not really, there not heavy enough for me. This hoodie belongs to my cousin. Ill make sure to return it to him when were staying at his place. Felix adds. What do you mean? My cousin lives in Egypt. Hes a student studying over there, he lives in a dorm. I bet if we asked him hed let us stay in his room or something. Cool. Is it an all boys dorm, or are there going to be chicks there too? You ask.

Jesus Dee, you have a girlfriend in jail. Have you ever had a non-sexual thought? I just really want to bang an Egyptian chick. I tell you what would be a fun game. Mike joins in. Putting your penis on a globe and then spinning it. Whatever country you penis lands on, you have to go there and bone a chick. Youre sick. Felix tells him. The waiter arrives with your meal. Instead of being polite and waiting for the other meals to arrive, you chow down on yours. The waiter then arrives with Felixs, Tims and Alexs meals. They ordered tandoori chicken. Whats it like? You ask Tim as he takes a bite. This chickens so good, it makes me wanna slap my mother. He replies. * Finally Mikes bowl of curry arrives. Mike removes the plastic lid on the bowl and takes a sip WHAT THE HELL?!!! He screams while jumping out of his seat in shock. Hows it taste? You ask. It tastes like pain! Felix, Alex and Tim are laughing uncontrollably, but you keep a straight face. Are you going to finish the rest, or are you a pussy? You bait him. Off course Ill finish, my mouth just wasnt prepared for all of the flavor, thats all. He takes another sip OH MY GOD, IT GETS EVEN WORSE!!!" He cries. Mike then runs over to the couple sitting at the table next to you. He grabs a bottle of coke of there table and starts drinking it. Dude, whats in that curry? Napalm? Felix asks you.

Mike returns to his seat, his face is red and sweat is pouring of his forehead. Like a child unable to learn a lesson. He takes another sip WATER, WATER, WATER!!! He yells and goes running towards the bathroom. Everybody in the restaurant is laughing at Mikes antics. You, Felix, Alex and Tim get up and go to the bathroom to check on Mike. You expect to find him drinking water out of a tap. Instead you walk into the bathroom and discover Mike kneeling on the floor in front of a toilet, drinking the water out of the bowl. Dude, whats wrong with you!? You ask in disgust. The taps arent working. He replies, then submerges his head back into the toilet bowl. Come on. Were running late for out flight. Felix says. An hour later and youve been through customs and boarded your flight. The plane takes off. Youre sitting next to Mike, who still looks to be in pain. Whats wrong? You ask. I need to take a dump, but Im afraid too after that curry. The in-flight movie starts, Die Hard 2. You cant think of a less appropriate movie for an airplane to be screening. How long till we arrive in Egypt? You ask a flight stewardess. Two hours. She replies. Two hours, what are you going to do? ****** B Find someone to try and join the mile high club with ****** Time to let it begin. You announce. Let what begin? Mike asks. The Dee Pitt sex tour of Egypt. What? Since I was young Ive dreamed about banging an Egyptian chick. It all started when I watched a documentary on Cleopatra.

It must be there brown skin or something, I get horny every time I imagine an Egyptian chick. Im always having these dreams where Im a pharaoh and I have all these beautiful Egyptian women as my slaves. Thats cool. Mike interrupts you. I might have a tour of my own. He says. A sex tour? No, a drug tour. They have opium dens here in Egypt. I wanna smoke ALOT of opium. They also have all these awesome drugs you cant get in the states. He explains. Youre disappointed to hear Mikes going to be doing drugs. But what the hell, youre on vacation after all. Just go easy on the drugs, I dont want to bring you home in a coffin. You tell Mike. Just then an attractive stewardess walks past. She has a beautiful brown completion and a nice little body on her. OK, watch me nail my first Egyptian. You tell Mike. You get up out of your seat and follow here into the stewardess area right in front of the cockpit. Hi Im Dee. You tell her, hoping she speaks English. Youre not allowed to be back here. She says in a thick accent. Hmmm, this is going to be tough. You dont like the idea of using your mind tricks just to score some poon. But maybe just this one time, just to help open the tour. You apply some basic mind tricks and sure enough she grabs you by the hand and leads you into the airplane bathroom. Mind tricks are awesome. I went deep inside her mind, now its time to go deep inside her naughty bits. You think to yourself. She locks the bathroom door while you sit on the toilet. She comes and sits on your lap, and you start making out with her. Nearly an hour passes while you have sex with her on the bathroom floor. (classy). You pull out of this chick just as youre about to cum. You spray your semen all over her stewardess outfit.

You idiot! Thats my uniform! She yells at you. "If my boss notices this, I'm fired!" Trust me it could have been worse. My cum has been lethal in the past. You clean yourself up, leave the bathroom and return to your seat with a big smile on your face. The tour has begun. You tell Mike. He high fives you and you fill in on the details. The plane lands not long after. You guys get off the plane and claim your luggage. Felix disappears for a while to find a public phone where he can call his cousin. He reappears 10 minutes later. My cousin says we can stay with him. But hes in class right now so he cant pick us up for another hour." You have one hour until your lift comes, what shall you do? ****** A Continue the sex tour. ****** Im going to go look for some drugs. Mike tells you. You spot a group of schoolgirls standing at the opposite side of the room. They must be on a field trip. OK, you go ahead Mike. Im going to continue the tour. You walk up to the group of 9 or 10 girls. They all look to be about 14 years old. So, on a field trip are we? You ask them. They all give you blank stares. Then one of them mutters some foreign gibberish. Sh*t they dont speak English. Oh well, I suppose Ill have to use mind tricks. You think to yourself. Its difficult to control the mind of every girl in the group at once, but you somehow manage. And just like the Pied Piper of Hamelin you lead these chicks into the bathroom with you. You walk into the bathroom to find Mike hanging around with an older man.

Mike, what are you doing here? I found a guy with some opium. What are you doing? He asks back. Ive got an army of schoolgirls under mind control. What do you think Im about to do? The old man thats with Mike produces a long pipe and lights it up. He passes the pipe to Mike who in return gives the man a wad of cash. The man nods his head as if to say Thank you then leaves the bathroom. Mike inhales from the pipe. Man this is some good sh*t. He says while blowing out a cloud of white smoke. "You want some?" He offers you. What follows next is an opium addled orgy. You and Mike start banging these school girls, smoking opium, making these schoolgirls go down on each other and trying to get these girls high by blowing smoke up their vaginas and anuses. A man walks in to use the bathroom and sees whats going on. Get lost! You tell him. He gives you an offended look then leaves the bathroom. The orgy continues for another ten minutes until suddenly BOOM A pair of cops kick open the bathroom door. It gives you such a fright that you accidentally release the girls from mind control. The girls then all start freaking out, screaming and running around in circles. One of cops pulls out a taser and shoots it at one of the panicking girls. Two metal clips with wires attached to them come flying out of the taser gun and land in this chicks breasts. A powerful electric shock passes through the wires and enters her body. She falls to the ground and start convulsing due to the electric shock. ****, the cops are brutal over here. You think to yourself. The other girls panic even more. Despite being complete naked the schoolgirls run out of the bathroom and back into the main airport area. You and Mike decide to do the same before you also get tasered. Even though youre both also completly naked.

You quickly run out of the bathroom and You almost sh*t yourself when you see whats waiting for you outside. A small army of police officers. There all dressed in SWAT style uniforms and their pointing there guns directly at you. F*ck. They must take drug use pretty seriously over here. Put your hands up. One of the cops shouts in a thick accent. You look at Mike. He looks like hes starting to hallucinate because of all the opium. There looks to be almost 20 cops pointing guns at you. There no way you can mind control all these cops at once. What are you going to do? ****** A Put your hands up, let them arrest you. ****** You decide to give in. There's no way you could get past all these police officers, maybe not even using Mike as a human shield. You put your hands up slowly, and Mike just stares at the chaotic scene. A force from behind suddenly knocks you forward onto your face, and you feel cold steel snap around your wrists. One of the police officers pulls you up and pushes you towards the airport exit. You can barely tell what's going on, because of all that opium. You think you spot a few of the naked girls as you're walking. After leaving the airport, you're pushed into one of many black police trucks waiting outside. After some dialogue between the officers, they decide to put Mike in the back of the same truck as you. Two officers also enter the back with you. You and Mike sit on metal benches facing each other, which felt as if they were made to make you feel uncomfortable. You're both still naked, which makes it even worse. One officer sits by you, and the other by Mike. Both were wearing black sunglasses to keep the sun out of their eyes. Or maybe to look cool. Who knows. Their faces wear no expression, except for what seemed like a permanent frown. Mike still has an incredulous look on his face. He probably has no idea what's going on. Suddenly, a radio crackles. The voice coming from it speaks a series of numbers. The officer by you simply picks it up and says "Affirmative." He had an American accent. Your heart sinks as you realize that they might not have arrested you for the reasons that you think. What if they know I'm Seth Dee Pitt? A murderer of... many. Escaped the US, ran for Egypt. And now they had you. Not if you could help it. You reach out with your mind, made only a bit more difficult by the opium. But gasp in shock as you realize that you can't. You can utilize the parts of your

mind, feel them, but you can't reach out. It's like your mind is trapped inside itself, like a shield has been built around it. You try pushing against it. The invisible shield seems to bend. Maybe if I push harder... The officer beside you speaks, "You can't escape. You'll pay for what you've done." Abruptly you realize he's a Knight. Nothing in his words confirmed it, but you know. That's the only way your mind can be blocked like this. But was the other a Knight as well? The officer hadn't said anything about mind tricks, about the COP, KOR, or about what you and Mike had done. He might be keeping information from the other officer. You try pushing again with your mind, even harder this time, while watching the face of the Knight beside you. His expression doesn't change a lot, but you think his frown deepens a little. You try pushing as hard as you can this time, straining yourself, and suddenly a sharp pain shoots through your entire body. You recoil, but make sure to spot the reaction of the officer beside Mike. He looks startled, only for a second, but it's there. He occasionally casts a glance between you and the officer beside you, looking a bit confused. He's not a Knight. He would have known what had passed between you and the officer if he was. But how do I use that to my advantage? It might mean that Mike wasn't blocked from his mind, but he still looked spaced out. "MIKE!" you yell. Both Mike and the officer beside him jump at the sudden noise. Mike seems to just realize where he is, taking a look around. You have no idea how good he is with mind****s. You just have to hope he's good. "USE A GODDAMN MIND TRICK!" That's risky. He looks at you wide-eyed, and the officer beside him just stares with confusion. You hope he gets the message. The Knight beside you curses, and picks up his radio hastily. "The other one is a COP member too," he says quickly. And astonishingly, pulls a pistol out of his holster and shoots the other officer in the head, splattering blood all over the wall behind him. For a terrifying moment, you had thought he was going to shoot Mike. "We're going to have to go, now," he says again into the radio.

The car suddenly makes a sharp turn. But in the moment of confusion, you had managed to find a weakness in the barrier that held you from leaving your mind. The Knight didn't seem to notice. Mike looks at you helplessly. He's blocked too. You slip through the tiny hole in the barrier. And then, without warning, shatter it to oblivion. The Knight doubles over in pain, eyes wide and terrified. You enter his mind easily. You're now in control. The Knight, still in pain, picks up the radio and says, "Stop the truck. We have a problem." As an afterthought, you take his pistol out of it's holster. You would need it. The truck stops, and the Knight opens the back doors, letting you out. You signal for Mike to stay inside. The Knight is still standing inside with him, still under your control. Suddenly you hear the front door open, and a voice call out, "Hey! What happened? I heard a gun-" You don't give him time to finish. Jumping out from behind the truck, you fire three shots at his head, each of them connecting with perfect precision. Your aim had definitely gotten better. Deciding to finish the other one as well, you shoot him square between the eyes. Mike climbs out of the truck and looks around. "Shiiiiiittt." You're on a deserted road, away from the rest of the police trucks, which are probably long gone by now. The air is uncomfortably warm. You realize you're still naked, and your cell phone is still back at the airport . Damn. If they got a hold of that, who knows what kind of information they'd find. You'd have to somehow tell Sean to deactivate it, erase everything from it. You had a feeling the COP knows how to do that. What now? ****** C) Put on the officers' clothes. THEN B) Steal the truck, drive back to the airport and try looking for the team there. ****** "Now what?" asks Mike, still observing his surroundings. "Well, we should probably get back to the airport. See if Felix and them are still there," you

answer. And then realizing something else, add, "They could have been taken by the Knights too." Mike nods, and you start stripping the dead Knight by the front door. "What are you doing?" asks Mike, confused. "Well, we're not going back to the airport naked." "Oh." After putting on the clothes, you begin driving back the way you had come, leaving the Knights lying in the sand. The clothes are a little too big, but they'll do. As you're driving back, your thoughts drift along from subject to subject. Why would the COP send Acolytes on a mission out of the country, against Knights? When you first arrived at the COP, the members talked of Knights like ghosts, as if they were just some legend. Then they sent Acolytes to hunt them down. It didn't make any sense. If Felix, Alex, and Tim were caught by the police, the Knights, whoever, then what? There would be no way of telling where they had been taken. The mission would truly collapse, then. You suddenly regret tricking Mike into coming here. "Well, at least our sex tour is turning out alright," he says with a grin. It seems that Mike doesn't know that he was tricked, or maybe he doesn't remember after he was "knocked out." The last thing you need is your team angry at you. Tim is usually the one to burst out in anger, but after that he's fine. Felix, on the other hand, seems to hold it in until somebody pisses him off. He would have killed me back at the car park. When you arrive at the airport, no sign of the ordeal that had passed remained. It had been cleared up rather quickly, you think. Most of the girls have probably left, but you'd have to be careful, just in case. And you were wearing police clothes, so maybe that would help. You and Mike look around for a while, and suddenly hear a yell. "ANDREW PITTSON!" Your heads turn to find the team, standing in front of the bathroom. That same bathroom. Could they have chosen a better meeting place? You walk towards them, relieved, but are met with a vehement greeting. "Are you guys ****ing insane? Do you know how much trouble we could be in?" Tim whispers violently. Mike responds, "Hey man, calm down, we were just-"

"You're going to ruin the whole mission! We're not having another car park," Tim says. Alex stops the argument, and asks, "So, what happened with you guys?" You tell about what had happened in the truck, about the Knights, the mind barrier. "I think they were taking me somewhere else, not prison. When the Knight found out Mike was a Cult member, he shot the other officer and told the driver to go somewhere." Alex nods, and says, "There was a Knight here too, investigating the bathroom. We managed to mind trick him and the other officers from going inside." Feeling more relieved, you enter the bathroom. It is still clouded with smoke, and clothes still litter the floor. Mike was right, the sex tour was turning out alright. You dig inside the pockets of your clothes lying on the floor, and eventually find your cell phone. You aren't about to put the clothes on, because the scent of opium is still strong on them. You walk out, and find the team still waiting there. I'm the leader here, and they won't go anywhere without me, you think with pride. Alex and Tim will follow you wherever you go. They had said as much back at the airport in Morocco. Mike can easily be fooled into following you, but Felix... Felix will be a problem. He has already challenged your authority, betrayed you, tried to kill you... Suddenly Felix says, "The ride will be here in 15 minutes." Then you remember that you'll all be staying in his cousin's dorm. what now? ****** C) Continue the sex tour ****** "Hey guys, I need to go to the bathroom" As you walk towards the bathroom, you speak directly into Mike's mind. Follow me He seems to get the message, as he comes with you to the bathroom. "What's so important, man?" You look at him seriously and say "Dude... let's get laid"

"Yeah, o-... Wait, wut?" "I'm serious. I'm in need of some lovin, man! Let's find some hot chicks and bang the f*ck out of them" "Well, I dunno... Don't we have a mission?" "Come on, one night isn't going to hurt!" You eventually agree to continue your sex tour. With the help of a couple of mind tricks, you get the other guys to find a hotel and book you 2 rooms. You head out into the town to find some hot chicks. It doesn't take too long. You find one at a local club. "I got the last one, so you try and chat this one up" you say to Mike. Mike walks up to her and starts smooth-talking her. You smile. You'd forgotten how good he is at this sort of thing. After a couple of minutes, they both start walking towards you. It's only when she's right next to you, you see how hot she really is. She's just under 6 foot and dark brown hair. She's fairly skinny, but she's still got curves going on. (You guesstimate her bra size to be 36 D) Wait... are you going to let Mike have her all to himself? ****** B. Suggest a three-sum ****** Mike says, "Well, where's yours?" "Who said I needed one?" you reply with a devilish grin. Mike doesn't have the quickest mind in the world, but anything sexually suggestive never gets past him. He glances at the innocent-eyed brunette, and grins even more devilishly. He seems to have a grin for every situation. As you're walking back to your room, Mike says something to the girl, and she laughs softly. Mike has always been better with the ladies than you, and it doesn't help that he has great looks. Out of nowhere, a pre-teen memory forms in your head. Dave had just landed the helicopter in front of Mike's house, so you could talk him into going with you, wherever you were going. He was stoned out of his mind, as usual, but his dad had opened the door. You don't know why, but Dave shot Mr. Vidda then, saying it was his form of "negotiation." You'd think a COP member would have better negotiated skills. While on the helicopter with Mike, you came to a realization that you found him

attractive... in a David-Bowie-in-the-70s kind of way? In any case, you'd totally do him if you were a chick. After reaching your room, you fumble for your keys in your pocket. Honestly, renting a room wasn't even necessary for what they were doing, but Mike had insisted. Actually, you rented two, but that was before you decided on a threesome. You left the rest of the team in the parking lot, asleep with the use of mind tricks. You could hardly just leave them at the airport. You all step inside the room, and by that time the brunette is already rushing to get undressed. So much for naivet. After fooling around a bit, you and Mike decide on a position. Coincidentally enough, it turns out to be the same as that time with Erin, with Mike behind and you in front. Let's just hope it doesn't turn out the same way. With Mike already thrusting in and out, the brunette smiles up at you as she begins giving you a handjob, all wide-eyed innocence. She turns out to be quite good anyway. Would she be good in porn? you think absentmindedly. Porn... Porn-star... Why does that ring a bell? She takes your dick into her mouth, and starts sucking. She might be better than Amy... Oh God, Amy... Guilt overwhelms you suddenly, just as you orgasm, spraying cum into her mouth. It's a sickening feeling. Mike is still relentlessly thrusting in and out of the innocent-eyed girl. She looks up at you with an innocuous smile. A convincing facade. After you both finish and check out of the hotel, you head back outside towards your car. You enter the driver's seat, and Mike sits in the passenger side. Felix, Tim, and Alex are all seated in the back, sound asleep. You start the car and start driving back towards the airport. Either you missed your ride with Felix's cousin or he was waiting at the airport right now. Once you arrive there, you open the doors and begin dragging the team out one by one. Getting them into the airport proved no harder than getting them out, with the use of mindtricks to ward off suspicious people. Once they're seated where they were when you put them to sleep, you wake them slowly, while shaking their arms to make it seem as if you're waking them by moving them, not letting go of their minds. They open their eyes groggily. Felix is the first to speak. "What... Oh ****!" 'Did we fall asleep?" asks Tim.

You reply, "Yeah-" "OH ****, our ride was supposed to be here half an hour ago!" Felix interrupts. Tim gets up and looks at you angrily, and asks, "Why didn't you wake us up?" "We were busy. And we didn't know when the ride was coming," you say blandly. Alex shrugs. "Maybe he's still here." Suddenly, someone shouts from somewhere close by. "FELIX!" Startled, you all turn towards the voice, to see a short, sun-darkened man with dark hair. Actually, he was probably only a few years older than you, maybe in his early twenties. He seemed to be searching the airport. "Over here," Felix says, somewhat carefully. Why would he need to be wary around his cousin? The man begins walking towards Felix, obviously relieved at finding him. In a deep voice he says, "Yeah, I'm giving you a ride to the dorm, I'm a friend of John's." Felix nods, but he still seems to be wary. For that matter, so are you. These days it seems you can hardly talk to anyone without them being a Knight. Felix asks, "Where's John?" "He was pretty busy with homework and ****, you know how he is," the man replies. "By the way, my name is Scot." After introductions, he says, "Well, let's go." What now? ****** B. Go with him ****** After very little debate, you decide to go with him. There isn't any reason to be suspicious of him, and if he tries something anyway, the numbers would be on your side. "Well, Scot, lead on," you say, nodding. As Scot turns, Felix quickens his step to get beside him, and then starts talking quietly with him. Damnit. You should be the one talking to him, if anyone's going to keep seeing you as the leader. But you stay behind with Tim, Alex and Mike.

Be careful, Tim sends. Yeah, yeah... you send back. After loading your suitcases into the trunk of the large red van which Scot brought, you all jump in. Felix manages to get in the passenger seat before you, so you sit in the back with the rest once again. During the trip, Felix and Scot talk quite a bit, allowing you learn some things about the dorm at which you're staying. It's in the American University in Cairo, which has around 5,000 people enrolled, both men and women. Mike hears that and grins slightly. Tim is a bit skeptical though. "Why would they let us stay there? Don't they care whether or not strangers are staying at their school?" Scot just shrugs and says, "I'm sure you'll find a way," which earns just a slight glance from Felix, but a little more from Tim. 'What do you mean, 'you,'? Aren't you helping us?" Tim asks suspiciously. "Well, I will, but if it doesn't work you'll have to rent a hotel or something," Scot replies. Tim begins to open his mouth, but then shuts it quickly with a surprised look on his face. It didn't last long, for now it was just a plain expression regarding the sights outside the van. But it was there, for only a second. You decide that it's not worth looking into. Most of the remaining drive passes in silence. Once you enter Cairo, you notice that it looks kind of similar to Casablanca. Then again, you probably can't tell different cities in Africa apart on your first time seeing them. After passing an incredible amount of buildings though, you realize that it's much larger than Casablanca. How are we going to find any KOR activity here? Then you remember that it's some ancient ruins you're supposed to be investigating. Finally you arrive at the University, and you decide that before taking your suitcases inside the dorm, you would go inside to see whether or not the "headmaster" would let you stay. As you're walking towards the main entrance, you notice people walking around with a sense of direction. Lots of them looked Egyptian, but just as many were white. And of the women, a good many of them looked quite bangable. Mike is obviously brimming with excitement. You enter a visibly prestigious building, with Scot in the lead, and after a few minutes you enter the main office. Inside, behind a large polished wooden desk, sits an old, wiselooking man with graying hair. He may have looked self-possessed, if not for the bewilderment plain on his face when you all enter.

In a deep, self-assured voice he demands, "Who are these people, Scot?" "They are friends. I was hoping you would let them stay with John and I, while they find a temporary place to stay." "Why don't they find a hotel?" the headmaster asks, still calm. "They are actually staying for around 6 months, so they're looking for apartments," Scot lies. "No, they may not stay," the headmaster orders, saying it as if it was final. "This is a private institution, and we don't just let strangers walk in and stay at their own will." What now? ****** A. Mind****! ****** "These are not the droids you are looking for," you say to the headmaster, waving your hand in the air. "Uhh..." the headmaster utters as he sits in his chair with the most confused look of all. Is it working? "No, they won't-a. What? You think you're some kind of Jedi, waving your hand around like that? I'm a Toydarian, mind tricks don't work on me. Only money. No money, no rooms, no deal!" Oh, WHAT THE ****! you think. The headmaster laughs. "Silly Seth, you think you can fool me with those mind tricks of yours?" he says with a blank face; not even facing towards you. Something's fishy... You probe around the headmaster's mind. All you find is weed, dancing girls, and leprechauns. Mike. You slam your fists on the headmaster's desk and glare into his eyes, Mike's eyes. Felix puts a burned (YES, HE IS STILL BURNED!) hand on your shoulder and you snap out of it. Mike and Felix fall to the floor and the room goes black. *** You jump up from the bed from under four layers of sheets and blankets.

Its cold... Its dark... Its damp... Its Cairo...? You look around the room you're in and see Mike, Felix, his cousin, and everybody else. You missed out on something, but you don't know what. You look at the red LED lit clock. 3:15. It would be about 6:15pm back in New Mexico right now. You don't feel like sleeping but you... ****** E. Take a piss and stay awake ****** ...desperately need to take a piss. "Now where the hell can I find a bathroom/WC/pisser?" You look around the room you are in and try to adjust your eyes by blinking hard. After some time you see Felix and his burns, Mike's flipped hair, and a single star outside in the still of the night. You finally see a door in the darkness and head towards it, only tripping on Mike's legs on the way over there. The door's handle is cold and somewhat damp. It's slipperiness prevents you from opening the door for a few tries. Now, in a dimly lit hallway you find doorways and only one other door from the one you came out from. What a strange place Cairo is. You figure that the only other door in the hallway had to be a bathroom/WC/pisser, for privacy, of course, right? Right. *** Back in the room you manage not to trip over Mike this time and find the four sheets you were under before you awoke quite easily. Your eyes really adjusted well to the lack of light. Light. Your eyes go to the window and gaze at the star.

"It's red..." A red giant. A star nearing it's death. A star giving way to newly formed denser matter about to spew it across the vacuum of space. Of course, you don't know this; you're only a teenager. Then something strange happens. The star moves across the window, closer to your side of the room. You realize that that light is not a star, but a... LAZER! A laser sight from some kind of firearm, probably a long range rifle judging from the stillness of the beam. ****** B. Scream like a little girl ****** With your hands in that "Home Alone" movie position, you let out the most girly scream ever known to man...err, girls. Everybody in the room, and a few from the rooms next door are startled by your wail. Mike wakes up from a dream screaming the opening lyrics to MC5's "Kick Out the Jams" but the others just ask you what is going on and if you're okay. Apparently when you let out that scream your face went with it, too. You point to the window and you still see the red laser sight but when the others turn to see it, its gone. Amiss all the confusion you caused in yourself with the girliest scream ever you manage to complete a sentence with your right hand still pointing to the window: "I saw a laser sight on that window." "Are you sure?" Felix asks bluntly, as if you weren't that trustworthy. You nod your head in approval. You have many questions of where you are right now and about that blackout you had just yesterday but you know that you won't get answers this early in the morning when something else that probably saved everybody's lives just happened. You let your questions go and eventually all returns to normal, or at least your perception of normal; Mike still seems a little jumpy. ***

The next morning... ****** You wake up around 8:45 the following morning. You're not sure if last night was dream or if it was real. You slowly recollect the past day. Lets see... The headmaster being controlled by Mike... that had to be a dream... the sniper and the dude screaming like a chick... I'm not sure you think to yourself as you crawl out of bed. Or was that me screaming like a chick? You finally get a daytime view of your surroundings. The room looks like it might have been nice at one point, but it looks totally trashed at the moment. There are beer cans all around the floor, there appears to be puke stains on the couch, and there are heaps of old clothes everywhere. You see that Tim and Alex are both up, and that Felix is just getting out of bed as well. Despite last night, Mike is still fast asleep, sprawled out on a matress on the floor. Felix's cousin is on the top bunk of a bed with half of his body hanging over. He looks like he must have got back here at about 5:00 a.m., and he looks totally hung-over. Wow, college is almost exactly the same here as it is in America... Tim walks into the bathroom, careful to step over Mike, and Alex turns to talk to you. "Good morning, Dee." You nod your head, still a bit too sleepy for further response. "Breakfast is ready, its on the table." you see a platter of bacon and eggs resting on the trashy piece of furniture, which is'nt even in a different room, but crammed in right by the sofa. You stumble out of bed and grab a piece of bacon, savoring the delicious falvor. "So, did you really scream like a girl last night, or was-" He's interrupted by a yell from the bathroom. "WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!" You hear Tim scream. The door opens. "WHO PISSED IN THE FUCKING SINK!?!?!" The room goes quiet. Mike is now awake, but he's still on the mattress. You, Felix, and Alex exchange glances. Nobody moves. You recall your nighttime whiz, and you gasp a little. Tim slams the door shut again. "Never mind..." he mutters. "Wait, wat?" Mike asks, now coming to his senses. he slowly rolls off of the mattress and stands up. You shrug. "Anyway...." Alex starts, trying to break the silence. "Was I dreaming about a sniper and Dee screaming last night?" "Nope, I had that 'dream' too." Felix says, pulling air quotes with his burnt fingers. "Okay, look. I swear I saw a laser last night." You say in defense of yourself.

"If that's true, then we probably need to get moving right away." Alex says, already getting dressed. Felix's cousin wakes up, rubbing his eyes as he clambers out of bed. "Where you guys going?" He asks groggily. "Just doing a bit of... tourism" Alex answers. "Your sleepy, you should get a bit more rest." Felix's cousin lais back down and falls asleep. Alex grins a devilish grin at you. Tim coms out of the bathroom, now shaven and clean. "So, about the ruins..." you start ****** A. "... Tell me everything you can about them. We don't need another parking garage incident." ****** What can you tell me about these ruins? You ask Felix. Well from what Sean told me, were going to investigate the ruins of what was once a massive, massive, massive temple. Felix says, putting an emphasis on the last massive. "The temple belonged to this pharaoh dude, who ruled Egypt through mind controlling powers Thats pretty cool I guess. You reply. Yeah, he was the first person in history to ever use mind tricks. He pretty much invented them. Anyway apparently theres some important hieroglyphics inside these ruins. Sean wants us to take photos of these hieroglyphics and then Email him the pics. That seams pretty easy. I wouldnt be so cocky if I were you. What do you mean? Sean wouldnt tell me why we need to take photos of these hieroglyphics. But whatever the hieroglyphics are, they must be important to the KOR. Thats probably why KOR sent the sniper last night. It was a warning. Mike says. Like stay away or else. Hmmm, how far away are the ruins? You ask. Too far to walk, but we could be there in two hours time if we drove.

What now? ****** B. Steal the car ****** You grab the car keys that are sitting on the small kitchen bench. You press your finger up against your lips and let out a whisper SSHHHHHHH You dont want to wake up John while hes asleep. You head out to the street where Johns car is parked. A lime green VW Golf thats been done up with a spoiler, tinted windows, shinny rims and a big-ass exhaust pipe. You, Mike, Alex and Tim get into the car. Wheres Felix? Mike asks. Hes coming in a minute, hes just talking to Faith on his cell phone right now. Tim answers. Faith, why is calling her? You ask. Well they are still technically boyfriend and girlfriend. Oh yeah, I forgot. You wait 5 minutes for Felix as he finishes talking to Faith. He fills her in on everything thats happened since the last time she was in contact with the group. The parking garage incident, his burns, the death of Pythagoras and the current mission that your about to undertake. He ends the phone call he jumps into the car. Ancient ruins here we come! He says enthusiastically. You begin your two hour drive. Two hours cramped in a tiny car with 4 other dudes in the hot Egyptian sun. You turn on Johns car stereo. YEAH, IM SUCH A PIMP, I OWN A YAUGHT AND A BLIMP, I EATS LOTS OF SHRIMP, G-UNIT!!! You turn off the stereo. Youre not going to listen for rap the entire trip. Two hours pass and you arrive at the ruins. You grab your cameras and your guns. Alex pulls a first aid kit out from under the car seat. Whats that for? Incase somebody gets hurt, theses ruins could be unsafe. You accuse him of being a pussy and then enter the ruins. 20 minutes pass while your

looking around and yet you still havent found any hieroglyphics, when suddenly youre here a voice Bob, Tony, Peter, follow me. Oh shi*t. Other people are inside these ruins. You peek your head around the corner and see four men dressed in all black attire. There all carrying AK-47s. You have no doubt in your mind that there KOR. ****, these guys have machine guns! You whisper to the rest of the group. What should we do? I say we run. Felix says. I say we hide. Alex says I say we fight them, weve got guns too. Tim says. I say we get the bandages out of the first aid kit and wrap Felix up with them. Mike says. What? Well with his horribly burned skin hed look like a mummy with bandages all over him. Wed scare these guys off! :facepalm: Well thats all of our votes. So I guess whatever you vote, well do. Alex says to you. ****** D. Mummy idea ****** What?..... Where am I? You look around. You appear to be inside a small dark room and youre lying on the floor. You try and stand up but you cant. Your hands and feet are tied up with rope. You look over to your left and you can see Mike, Tim and Alex, who are also tied up and lying on the floor. Whats going on? You ask. You were knocked out, remember? Mike says. You think back to the last thing you can remember before waking up in here. You were wrapping Felix up in bandages. So he could scare off those KOR dudes with guns. And

then. What happened next? Oh yeah thats right, he went around the corner. There was silence for a minute and then. A GUNSHOT!!! They killed Felix! You shout out loud. No they didnt, they shot him in the ass, remember? Mike says. Actually now that you mention it, that does sound familiar. Sh*t, why did you think that mummy idea was going to work? Youve been watching too many Brendan Frasier movies. Then they found us, tied us up, knocked you out because you wouldnt stop screaming and then chucked us into the back of their SUV. Tim adds. What about Felix? Who knows, maybe they killed him, maybe they left him there to die, maybe they took him to the hospital. Took him to the hospital? Well I dont know. So where are we now? Inside an abandon train carriage in the middle of a field somewhere. How could have this happened? There were no other cars parked outside the ruins when you arrived. The KOR must have arrived after you did. Meaning they knew that you were going to be in the ruins at that exact time, but how? Your mind flashes back to the night you met Pythagoras. Youre standing next to a car thats crashed into a pole. You remember the KOR driver telling you that theres a rat inside the COP. Right before he shot himself. Your mind keeps flashing back, the taxi incident, Pythagoras death, the parking garage explosion. The KOR have always been one step ahead of you, which means Somebody on your team is working for the KOR!!! Mike, Felix, Tim or Alex? Well it cant be Mike, I mean youve known the guy forever. He just cant be the rat.

Maybe Felix, but would the KOR shoot there own rat in the ass? Well they didn't kill him, thats a sign. But most likely it's Tim and/or Alex. The two guys you had never meet before this adventure. Just then the trains door slides open. A big man dressed in black leather walks into the room. Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Some pretty new girlfriends for me. Oh sh*t Hmmm, whos going to be my girlfriend first? He walks up to you and checks you out. Oh yeah, you first. You look kind of like Edward Norton. He grabs you by the arm and drags you out of the train carriage. Outside the abandon train cart theres nothing but long grass. Its just a big empty field. The leather clad man tosses you to the ground and pulls down your pants. He then starts playing with his belt. You natural instincts are telling you fight or flight. But thats going to be hard when your hands and feet are tied up. What now? ****** D Lie to him and say you have AIDS ****** Stand back I have AIDS. You lie to him. Nice. He says while licking his lips. What?! Why does that turn you on? I want to get AIDS. Its a good way to loose weight. You realize that this man has some serious mental issues. He pulls down his pants unveiling his massive moby-dick. You almost sh*t yourself just looking at the thing. His dick is biblical in size and it has a spiky metal piercing at the end. This is going to give you nightmares for the rest of your life. The big-dicked, leather clad man then pins you down on the ground. You struggle with all your might but its no use.

AGHHHHHHHHHH!!! You scream in agony as you get penetrated by the dong of Godzilla. YEAH, TAKE IT EDWARD NORTON, TAKE IT! He bellows. WHY? WHY? WHY!? You scream in tears. He continues to deflower your anus for what feels like an eternity. He finally finishes with you, pulls out of you and pull his pants back up. Now to slit your pretty little neck! He says while reaching into his back pocket. Hey where did my Knife go? BOOM The rapist falls to the ground, knocked out cold. Standing behind him is Mike with a metal pipe. You dropped your knife in the train carriage, bitch. Mike says. Mike walks up to you, pulls your pants up for you and unties you. Are you OK? He asks. He raped me. You sob. Yeah I know, Im sorry I couldnt help you sooner. You dont respond you feel scared, violated and humiliated. Your ass is still aching, you probably need to go to the hospital and get stitches and a shot. But on top of everything else you feel anger Pure rage, pure hatred. Felix, Alex or Tim. One of them is a f*cking KOR. Whoever it is, its their fault you got ass raped. Your entire body starts shaking, you can feel an overwhelming desire to kill. You dont care about this mission anymore, s*it you dont even care about Amy. All you care about is finding the rat and making him suffer. Ill rip his f*cking c*ck off and shove it down his throat, then Ill peel all of the skin off his body. Ill snap his f*cking neck with my bare hands and eat his f*cking eyeballs. I'll then find all of his family members and burn them alive. You think to yourself. I WILL GET MY VENGANCE! You shout out loud. Umm, OK? Mike says.

Hmm, better play it cool right now until I find out who the rat actually is. Then unleash fury. You and Mike go and untie Tim and Alex. What now? Tim asks. I say we tie up this KOR dude. Wait for him to wake up and then we question him. Find out where Felix is being held. Mike says. F*ck that. The KOR know we're here, they could send more people. I say we find the closest airport and get the hell out of this country. Get back to the safety of America. Alex says. What about Felix? Tim says. What about the mission? Mike adds. F*ck the mission and f*ck Felix, hes probably dead anyway. I know it sounds harsh but we need to be thinking about our own safety. The KOR did take all of our guns. If they come back we're completely defenseless. Alex reminds everyone. What do you think? ****** A Mikes idea, tie the rapist up, wait until he wakes up, then question him about where Felix is being held. ****** You try to control your anger as the others look at you expectantly. One of them. Smothering your cold rage, you manage to put on a straight face and think rationally. Somewhat. The pain is still there, and you can feel your ass pulsing in time with your heartbeat. You wish you know where Felix is, so he can tell you that secret about lessening pain. "We'll question him," you say with a surprisingly steady voice. You want to scream at the top of your lungs. Right away, the others just nod and get to tying up the Knight, who is still lying unconscious in the long, dry grass. Questioning's not all you mean to do to this Knight. He's the only one who can take the suffering that you mean to unleash, soon. The others return to the train cart, and drop him to the dark metal. He's still passed out. "I learned something back at the COP," Alex says, still standing over the body. Nothing

visible happens, but the man begins to stir. Where did he really learn that? Suddenly, the Knight reaches a hand to his head and grunts in pain. He gives a start when he realizes where he is. Back in Morocco, you learned more of questioning than just torturing homeless men. When questioning someone who knows mindtricks, a team is always necessary. Someone to block their mind, someone to paralyze them, and one to do the questioning. In this case though, it seems that paralyzing the person isn't necessary considering they're already tied up. And you never learned how to block someone's mind. You take a step forward and kick the mans head, still bleeding from the previous hit he took from Mike. He lets out another grunt of pain. "Block his mind," you order. Mike says, "Dee, we don't know how to do tha-" "Figure it out." Mike looks at you, obviously confused, but Alex says, "We learned how to do that too." Alex nods when he believes the Knights mind is secured. He's still lying on the ground, though no longer still unconscious. He's breathing quickly, and wriggling around trying to get into a comfortable position. He won't be feeling any comfort though. "Where's Felix?" you ask coldly. He looks up at you and grins. "You think you can get that out me?" He mutters something and laughs. "Yes." You don't intend to bring back any repressed memories like you did with the hobo. You intend to make him speak using pain. You reach out with your mind, and enter the Knight's. It doesn't seem any different from other human's brains, except that... something was wrong. Everything is in the same place. You try to feel his emotions. A disturbing flood of feeling rushes through your mind, almost causing you to lose control, almost causing you to forget about your rage. The flood is a jumble of chaotic emotions, unruly, disarrayed... You pick up fear, hate, fury... So many others, impossible to name in that tumult. He's still a bit foggy from the hit he took to the head... He also feels... amused.

"You can't get anything out of me, kid. I'm a Kni-" He cuts off as you send a stab of pain to his fingers. "I don't even know where the kid went, they didn't tell me." A tinge of panic enters his mind now. You increase the amount of pain slowly, and spread it throughout his hands. It's just regular muscle pain right now, but you intend to change it around once in a while. You're feeling... creative. The Knight grins again, not as lively as last time. You've been keeping an emotionless face up until now, but you grin back at him. Fear surges through his mind like electricity. "I don't know where he is!" he pleads. You just keep smiling, and spread the pain up his arms, making it sharper. It should feel as if his arms are being crushed by a semi truck, at this level. You suddenly stumble, and are caught by Mike before you can fall over. Your mind feels hazed. Your ass is still throbbing with pain. Alex is concentrating on the Knight with all of his attention, and Tim is watching reluctantly. You manage to keep a hold on the Knight's mind, though. Now you start on his legs, while keeping the illusion for the arms in place. Instead of constant agony, you decide to make the stabs of pain in his legs random, to keep him on his toes. It's hard work trying to keep track of his arms and legs. The Knight sobs suddenly. "Please..." He looks on the verge of tears. An odd Knight. You thought they trained them better than this, but he's already breaking. You let go of everything, but stay in his mind. He gives an immense sigh of relief, now trembling and crying openly. His emotions are still jumbled, but despair, fear, and relief are at the forefront now. You grin again, and begin flaying him. A look of stark terror crosses his face. He tried to scream, but no sound escapes from his mouth. ****** "WHERE IS SHE!?" you bellow to the Knight. (BATMAN! Duhnuh nuhnuh nuhnuh nuhnuh) "She? I don't know about any she!" "WHERE IS THE BOY, THEN!?" you hollar back.

"He..." the knight screams in pain as you give a stab to his shin, "he's far enough away from YOU!" From me? ****** A. What do you mean!? ****** "What do you mean!?" you bellow at the man, still trying to concentrate on flaying his skin little by little. He shudders when you reach his arms. And for that matter, so do you. "You can't get that out of me," he says, strangely calm. "Too much is at stake." Pain flows through his mind like a river, but he's calm. Alex seems to totter for a moment, but you can't tell why. His eyes are still fixed on the man. "You will tell me," you reply, starting on his legs. More agony and contempt flows through his mind, but he suddenly seems to be unaffected by it.Why isn't it working? Suddenly, you feel a slight burning sensation in your arms. And your legs, for that matter. Alex stumbles again, more visibly than last time. What's going on? The Knight suddenly laughs. It's a bone-chilling sound, coming from someone who's being tortured. "How many spies are there in the Cult?" you ask, emotionless. At least on the outside. The Knight laughs harder this time and asks incredulously, "How many spies?" Another fit of laughter. The burning sensation grows sharper and sharper in your arms and legs, but you continue flaying him. You start with his body now. Both Mike and Tim are staring at the three of you. Nothing would be visible to them right now except two people staring at a bleeding man sprawled on the ground. Your limbs feel like they're being stretched, crushed, stabbed, scorched, but you somehow manage to stay upright. The burning sensation seems all over your body... The Knight's head explodes suddenly, scattering brains and blood all over the inside of the train cart. You double over and vomit at the sudden pain and nausea overtaking you, leaving a reddish-orange mess over the floor. Most of the pain is gone, but you stay kneeling over with dizziness. Most of the pain; your anus still has a raging inferno inside of it.

Alex is also doubled over in pain, clutching his head. Tim rushes to his aid, and Mike rushes to yours. You wave him off with a gesture, and get up. I still don't know anything. It would have been good to at least get some information out of him, but... he's far enough away from you. What did he mean? You leave the cart, not waiting for Alex to get up. The long grass surrounding the cart is blowing slightly in a warm breeze. Your rage has subsided a bit, but that doesn't change the fact that someone on your team is a Knight. What if it is Mike? You'll have to get some information from Sean, soon. After about 5 minutes, Tim, Alex, and Mike emerge from the cart. Alex doesn't seem to be stumbling any longer. Mike walks up to you and says, "What now?" His voice carries a tinge of worry. Well? ****** C wins, Call Sean then search for the ruins ****** After recovering from your haze of vomiting and anal infernus, you pull out your cell phone and call Sean. "Yes, Dee"? "Sean, I'm catching on to this whole spy thing, and I believe I have the right questions this time." "Indeed? Go ahead then, Acolyte." "Could the spy be someone on my team?" "Now that, Acolyte, is the right question. End transmission" S*&^, you HATE IT when Sean does that crap. You and your crew exit the car and survey the rest of your surroundings. The box car is connected to a large freight train that seems to go on forever. You decide to head North and try to get a fix on where the train was bound for. You then find a car with "RedDeath's w00t sauce" on the side, with El Alamein on the side. You get very excited at this due to the fact the old El Alamein battle site is within walking distance of the ruins. AND YOUR NEAR AN ENTIRE CAR OF WOOT SAUCE.

Suddenly, the train blows it's whistle and it begins to move. All four of you run and grab on to the side of the car. You open it and you all hunker inside the dark car. You find some hey and place some corn chips you had in your pocket on it, and light the mass, illuminating the car. You've hit the MOTHERLOAD, WOOT SAUCE EVERYWHERE. The entire crew ravenously rip open crates upon crates of woot sauce, you guys are going ****ing nuts. Five hours later, the woot sauce wears off and everyone is just sitting there chilling. Suddenly your phone rings.... You can't believe what the contact is.. "Amy <3" ****** D wins - Pick it up, but don't answer it. ****** You all stare at the phone for a few seconds, while it keeps ringing. Tim asks, "Who is it?" "It says Amy..." "WTF?!" exclaims Mike. Tim looks at you questioningly. "Who's Amy?" "... my girlfriend. She was in prison..." you explain, shock keeping you from explaining any more. The phone rings again. Before Tim can say anything, you press the talk button, and you all go silent. The quiet is only broken by the sound of the train's wheels grinding on the tracks. Suddenly, the speaker-phone turns on automatically. A voice comes from the phone. A whisper. "Dee..." In a flash, the phone is at your ear. "Amy? AMY?!" The whisper was barely audible, yet you knew it was Amy. It had to be. Louder this time, in a sob, "Dee, help me!"

"Amy, where are you?!" you ask desperately. Suddenly you hear a scream on the other end. And then, another voice. "Ah, Dee Pitt," the bland, dry voice says. "I've never been a man for words, so I'll get straight to the point. We're keeping her at an abandoned military grounds, 5 miles east of the airport. Well, I suppose you wouldn't call it abandoned anymore..." the man trails off. Panic and desperation well up into your heart. You shut off the phone and look at the others. "Amy's here. That's what they told me. At a military place a few miles east of the airport." You're too excited to put thought into what you're saying. "Who's they?" Tim asks suspiciously. "How do you know they're not lying?" Alex asks quietly, eyes cast down. Mike remains quiet, and looks at you expectantly. "I don't know. The Knights," you answer them. "She has to be there. I-" Tim cuts you off. "What about Felix? And the ruins?" What now? ****** C. Call Sean ****** As you slip your phone into your pocket and digest the news it brought, the floor beneath your feet shuddered. Suddenly you look around you. Were still on the train. The ruins are not far from where you got on the train, and the airport on the south side of the city, but youre heading north fast. Quickly running to the small hatch of a window, the yellow blur of sand is all that greets you on the horizon. Huh, soft landing at least. Guys we need to ditch so we can reserve our options, Seans advice wont count for **** when were somewhere in the Middle East. Nods of agreement come from Mike and Tim, but Alex is less concurring. No way am I jumping out there. He begins to frantically search the cabin for well who knows what, but its all just boxes

of the w00t sauce. What use are they. You step away from your nervous door position and walk over to an empty box and start to smash it into separate planks. Do you recon we can shove these in the wheels? Seems more risky than jumping out Tim replies, but Alex is already smashing up his own planks, meanwhile has found the hatch to the next cargo cabin. A nervous glance at your phone reveals limited battery, and the train is going faster than you remember. You need a quick decision. ****** C. Call Sean NAO! ****** "Sean!! I have a dilemma" "I could sense your trouble all the way from America, what has happened?" "I got a call..... from Amy, she's being held at a Military Base here, yet we're heading towards the ruins.." "Get on with your mission, Acolyte, we will find Amy in due time." You begin to think, of all the great times you had with Amy, sitting with her in your music class, saving her from Zach the God of Death, and jumping out of her bathroom window into a rose bush. Good Times. "Sean, I'm going to save Amy, I'll finish the mission later, bye." You instantly hang up the phone. The rest of the team stares at you in awe after you spoke to Sean that way. Mike breaks the silence, "Don't worry, Dee, I'm with you all the way." "Me too" "Me too" "*Screwed up voice*" Me.. too. You all turn around to a corner of the car to see Eddie from the Iron Mai... Felix.

"FELIX! YOUR ALIVE?!??! But... how??!" "After the Knights captured me, they stuck me in this cart, dumb idea, I drank a bunch of this woot sauce." You and the guys all share a power jump(like in Anchorman) and then proceed to jump from the train. It hurts like a bitch, but at least it was sand. You find yourself next to an open country road. A highway points the way south, and a car is headed your way. ****** B. Carjack ****** The southbound people carrier is not travelling at great speed, so you just waltz out into the road-youre a man on a mission. The car slows to a halt, as Felix whips out a gun. They let him keep that? The car engine cuts and the balding middle-aged driver opens the door- wearing an expression of fear that doesnt give away whether its the gun or Felix hes most scared ofand walks out into the desert. His forehead wrinkled with worry, he does not look back. Nothing was said. You ask Felix about the firearm. They took the ammo. Oh well, might still come in handy. Getting into the battered, silver seven seater, Tim assumes the driving position. You were on the train for a while, so head south, figuring that the city and ruins must be that way. As the monotonous yellow sands drag past you, you pick up your dying phone and make one final call- Amy. Ring Ring Hello she sniffs. Its her. Amy! I cant talk temple dont base

Shes breaking up Trap. You dont know whether its your phone dying or the signal going- or worse, but thats your lot. You need a decision- the temple or the military base. You dont consult the guys on this one, its personal. So many times youve fallen into traps, endangered yourself and others. So many times even as far back as Krissy and chuck. Youve made up your mind Amys word> some dodgy knight. Were going to the temple I think I can get a fix on that, Alex says. With him and Tim in the front you make good progress, and Mike and Felix are deep in conversation. You have all the food for thought you need. You think back to Seans words when you first entered the cult. "When you were rescued, two boats came and picked you two up. Police patrol boats intercepted one boat. The other one made it here. " She was meant for the cult. Maybe you can be together there. You awake from your daydream as Tim pulls on the handbrake. Looking out the window, you see the ruins. A few archaeology type marquees are all that suggests people have been here, but there are no signs of knights. There was no sign before Bearing no weapons, you, Mike, Felix and Alex agree to enter the temple, with Tim staying as backup. Any sign of KOR, and youre out. You return to the arched tunnel you entered before. Parts of the ruins are, well, ruined, but this tunnel seems ok. You cautiously walk, noticing another strange element, that the sandstone walls of the chambers are eerily illuminated, but you see no lights, only strange runes depicting ancient style men going to war, but there are no weapons. The fighters are using their minds. Before you get a chance to point this out a load bang makes you all turn back. You whip your head around to see down the corridor twenty metres or so, then a wall. How many turns have we done so far? you whisper.

Mike replies with a shockingly stern answer. None. Alex runs back the way you came, banging his fists on the now blocked corridor. Its no use, only one way to go now. Turning back, the passage you are in continues for a short distance before you reach the junction where you encountered the knights. Calling for silence, you listen, and hear just that. The left turn goes towards a staircase, spiralling up. Straight on leads downwards, in a disturbingly coloured tunnel painted with red runes. Right seems to have been filled in, the concrete does not fit its ancient surroundings. I think we should go left, says Ales, now submitted to the idea of no easy escape, "The obvious centre of the temple is the highest point." Mike disagrees, That downwards passage feels right to me." Youre still not sure about the blocked off alcove. ****** A- Left and up ****** "I think I'm gonna check out this alcove here." you say, walking over. You touch it, and the limestone is cool to the touch. It doesn't fit the passage way snugly, maybe it moves or something. There's no buttons, or notches to open it, so you think for a minute. "Wait, is that Limestone?" Mike asks. "Yeah, looks like it." you respond. He smiles back, and reaches into Felix's backpack. He pulls out a bottle of water. "What's that for?" Felix asks. Without responding, Mike splashes the water onto the limestone. After a minute of watching the wet stone, you begin to see something underneath it's rocky exterior. "Hey, was that there before?" Alex says, leaning in closer. "No, the Water dissolved the limestone, it's covering the wall." Mike explains. He begins to pour the rest of the water onto it. It unveils half a wall of pictures depicting a ruler using an item whilst controlling an army of minions.

"The prophecies... they're true!" Alex says, pulling out his phone to take a picture. He tells you guys he's sending it to Sean. "What prophecies?" Mike asks, looking closely at the pictures. "Well, whatever this wall is, the Pharaoh must've covered it after he was buried, so that people wouldn't use it for evil in the future." Felix concludes. "That makes sense, but what proph-" you start. You're interrupted by a phone ringing. You pull out your phone and see "1 New Message from Tim." You read it out loud. "Get out." ****** B- Go back the way you came. ****** Without allowing yourselves a chance to consider, you all instinctively run back the way you came in, although you know in your heart what you will find. This time with you leading, you reach the now blocked entrance you came in. Quickly feeling and looking around, it becomes clear that there is no chance you will get out this way. You are just about to give up and turn around when you hear something. A voice. With an English accent. Do you think this looks like a good place to start? you catch, and hear a reply from another person, as you signal for the guys to shut up. Im not sure, this place gives me the creeps, are you sure the boss said this was it? Yes. Quit moaning and lets look for another way in- if there is one. As you hear the footsteps die away, you turn back and gesture to turn back. This time you take the left path at the junction, and start climbing the stairs. Still illuminated from a source you cannot see, the walls and steps seem to have been carved into rather than painted here. You see detailed runes and scriptures in a language you dont understand. Again Alex sends a picture to Sean of one particularly long paragraph. After having climbed several floors worth of stairs, the spiral staircase straightens out, but you still keep climbing. Eager to keep moving, you rush forward, and with Mike, Felix and Alex struggle to keep up. As the stairs finally level, you find yourselves at a fork in the tunnel. The roof is lower here, and the lightings less bright. Before you even get a chance to ask which way people think we should go you here a slow grinding sound. You turn to see Alex back down the tunnel, next to a small panel of wall.

Run! you yell but its too late for him. You, Felix and Mike are safe, but a bulky rock face is sliding into the passage, sliding down and across, blocking the way. Hes trapped. Alex, can you here me? Felix calls. Yes- you go on. Just try and find me on your way out. You hear his reply surprisingly clearly. Reluctantly, you move on and reach the fork again. No one touch anything, you sternly instruct. They must have learned their lesson Mike steps forward, looking down the right path. As he steps into the long, narrowing tunnel his foot does not meet the floor but breaks through. He tries to balance but cant his weight fall towards the weakened floor. Grabbing his hand, you leap into action, holding his weight as his body smashes through the trap. You hoist him back up, and both slowly retreat. SH*T You look back at the right path-no-more, and see a clear edge to where the trap is. You cautiously move to the edge and peer into the hole. What you see scares you. You see it very clearly, with enough light to be sure. You retreat and slowly put weight onto the left path without saying a word. It holds, and you take the path at a very slow speed. Mike asks what was down there and you profoundly reply with a riddle- the cult stuff must really be getting into your head. You make slow and steady progress, as the other two follow, nagging you about the answer, but you do not give in. You notice in this tunnel circular slits in the wall at regular intervals, but dont think anything of it. Turning, you ask what they think the answer is. No idea I got nothing You reply. Nothing. Exactly. When I looked down the hole I could see no bottom, no sides. I could feel the emptiness as if it was rubbing off on me. There was nothing. I dont think this place is as it seems.

Mike looks worried. He curses, leaning back on the wall with all his weight in shock. Sliding sound. Hissing. Gas. You run forward, but the slits continue. Warning the others to take their final breath for a while, you reach another junction. You need a lightning decision. ****** A- Go left. The slits continue but you can see light at the end of the tunnel. ****** Holding your breath, you gesture towards the left pathway, and start sprinting. In the back of your mind, you know that its a bad idea to run like crazy after Mike almost died like that, but you cast that thought out. Your head feels lighter and lighter as you sprint down the long hallway, but the light gets nearer and nearer. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, you reach the light. Without noticing your surroundings, you double over and let out the air that was in your lungs for way too long, and slowly inhale. The rest of the group come out of the tunnel a half second later, and they all do the same. Finally, you catch your breath and look around. What you see takes your breath away, even though you just got it back. You're standing on a cliff, in what appears to be a dome made of rock with a large skylight, overlooking a tiny jungle. From what you can see, there's a clearing exactly under the skylight, though you can't see anything besides a gap in the trees. To your left is an old stone staircase leading into the small area of concentrated vegetation. Mike is next to recover from the run, and he seems about as surprised as you are. "whoa..." he states in awe. "This place... is fucked up..." he says in between breaths. he turns to you. "never make me run like that again" "I say we head down these stairs, and do some looking around," Felix croaks. Everyone agrees. After a short walk on a narrow path through the miniature jungle, you come upon the clearing. Directly in the center, there is a small pond. All around the pond are torches and some odd statues. Directly above you is the skylight in the otherwise solid rock dome. the sun is shining through, and it looks like it might line up perfectly with the skylight in a few more minutes. "actually, nevermind. This place is really fucked up" Mike says from your left. He's examining one of the statues. "what makes you say that?" "I think you should look at this" he says, a hint of disgust in his voice. The statue isn't actually a statue at all. "A human skeleton... with a dog mask?" you ask in shock.

"No.. its not a mask...." Mike says slowly. You lean in closer, and you slearly see a dogs head connected to the top of a human spine. "Oh god..." You look around, and now clearly see all the others are the same. They all have spears in their hands, as well as a gold and blue egyptian headdress and a man skirt of the same color. Suddenly, you hear the voices again, ths time from behind you. "Hold it right there" it commands. You turn around to see two mid-thirties men, each aiming a pistol at you. They slowly walk towards you with their guns raised. what now? ****** B. These thing's spears still look pretty sharp AND C. (the pits fave) FALCON PUNCH! ****** In the final few seconds you have to act before the pair of men reach you, you finally match up a picture to the voices you heard those times. The man who spoke is a weedy man, walking behind a more well-built bloke, both with pistols aimed. Somehow all in the space of a second or so, you hatch and put into effect a plan. Quickly, you drop down and pick up the one of the spears. Holding it like a javelin, you dodge a couple of bullets with a sidestep. This also has the result of lining you up perfectly. Seemingly in slow motion, you feel the blood rushing to your head, and open your mouth wide for your signature war cry. Only Mike knows what is about to follow, so Felix and the two men just stop in awe and confusion- that or they dont have time to react. FFFFFAAAAALLLLLLCCCCCOOOONNNNN PPPPPPPPUUUUUUNNNNNNNCCCCCCCCHHHHHHH You burst forwards, impaling the two men on the spear like a kebab, before connecting the same fist that holds the spear to the front mans stomach. You release, allowing the two men to fly back through the clearing the path creates, towards the cliff. When they reach the cliff, the tip of the spear sticks into the cliff, leaving the men pinned halfway up the blank rock face. You notice this is granite, none of the weak sandstone or limestone. Theyre not going anywhere. Before they have a chance to act, you probe the back man with your mind- hes definitely neither KOR or COP, the ease it took to infiltrate his mind makes this clear. You turn and back away to avoid the dribble of blood and stomach juices, and are just in time to see Felixs reaction.

How the- When the three of you have calmed down you set to work probing the minds of the men. They are archaeologists gone bad, now only interested in treasure. The man closest to the cliff is the boss you heard about yesterday. With one other man here, that leaves the man with the English accent still in the vicinity. You decide to leave them alive, and have a look around you. Around the clearing- apart from the path you came down- is 360 of thick jungle. Fighting your way through, you notice no animals, but a variety of flora. When you reach the edge of the dome, you find it is similar rock to the kind in the main temple, but with no carvings or runes. You return to the cliff face, and see the men still hanging by their stomachs, it looks painful, so you take pity and calm the part of their brains that controls pain. You look down and run your finger across the rock. You wonder what this is all about, then return up the stairs to the top of the cliffs with your questions unanswered. Looking out over the dome again, you cant help but notice how the jungle creates the shape of a pokeball. You keep your little joke to yourself and try to return to the door you came through. But in your trepidation you looked only forwards to the cliff. There are in fact many openings in the rock, each leading to tunnels. A quick look reveals all of them lead directly downhill apart from the one you came down which must be the level one and one that goes uphill, which is decorated a pale blue colour. You take this tunnel after testing the floor (with Felix and mike), then hear the opening behind you slide shut. Lucky no one was left behind that time After having walked upwards for another hundred metres or so in your usual order, you find out the hard way that you spoke to soon. A sharp cracking sound makes you stop in your tracks, and you feel the ground shaking under you. Turning, you see a deep abyss has opened up separating you and Mike from Felix. Peering into the crack, you see no sides or bottom again. What about the other paths? It is much too wide to cross. Felix is stuck and you are separated from him. ****** C/A+A-B ???????? ****** You instruct Felix to look around where he is for a secret switch or something, and you do the same. No luck. You guys go on, its fine, he says. Ill try the blocked doorway behind. Ill be safe with my mindf*cks, there was no sign of the KOR.

Ok you respond, If we make it out meet at the car. If youre not there well bring in support to rescue you and Alex. We dont know this path leads, or any other, but I can remember the way we came Yeah so can I- if theres any way past the fissure or blocked way. Well be back, you say, and start down the tunnel with nothing more said. Just you and Mike now, just like the old days. That starts you thinking about the old days. Mike, James, Pokemon, Krissy, your brother. You wonder if he ever got of runescape. All these thoughts of the outside world make you feel claustrophobic, so you swiftly move on your train of thought. Continuing along the monotonous passage, you wonder whether the crack was a trap or not. There certainly are a large amount of traps here, but after all you are in the ruins. You question how safe the whole place is. When you finally reach the end of the passage, you again find yourselves out in the open. Woah exclaims mike as you walk outside. The passage continues, but turns to the right and starts to spiral upwards, with only some chest level barriers in place of the wall. The view is spectacular- well as spectacular as desert can be- you didnt realise how high up you had come. With mike in the lead this time, you spiral upwards. After doing about three and a half perimeters of the ruins, the path cuts inwards into a building. The room is the most intricately decorated you have seen, and all the decoration and colour is highlighting and pointing to the far corners of the room, where there are dark red coloured squares and what seems to be an ancient form of hand scanner of sorts in each corner. Other than this the small room is completely bare. Mike walks up the back right corner and cautiously places his foot on the slightly raised square. BANG. Another door appears from nowhere and seals your exit. Shaken but not stirred, he continues to experiment, placing his hands over the spaces cut into the wall in the shape of them. Nothing happens. Go on then he says. Guessing what he means, you walk over to the left hand corner and slowly transfer you weight onto it. Nothing. Closing your eyes, you slowly place one hand on the pads, then another. You close your eyes. Feeling an energy transfer between the pads, you keep your eyes shut. Suddenly, you feel a burning sensation on your skin and pull away your hands. Grinding sounds, a change of temperature, you feel dust on your face. When all has died down you open your eyes.

On first glance nothing in the room has changed, however a brick cage has descended over Mike, and a doorway opened next to you. You try and go over to talk to him, but he seems to be in some sort of trance. When you probe his mind, you are free to explore his memories but there is no conscious part active at the moment. You walk over to the new opening and for the first time see a dark tunnel. You also smell a familiar fragrance. No? It cant be? ****** C- Try and light up the passage (then A : Try and free Mike) ****** Desperately, you try to close the passage again by putting your hands on the pads, but nothing happens. What if it's not gas? You try looking for some sort of switch that will illuminate the corridor, but after searching hopelessly around the room for more pads or switches, you find nothing. You can smell the fragrance more clearly now, and you have no doubt as to what it is. Your only exit, blocked by poisonous gas, and it's spreading into the room. I didn't come all this way to die. You run towards Mike, still zombified and trapped with his eyes glazed over, and try shouting at him and shaking the cage. "MIKE!" No response, but you didn't except any. You can all but feel the gas filling the room, suffocating you... WHAT NOW?! ****** A. Run around like a madman ****** You begin to panic. A loud scream exits your mouth and you run around... ... ... like a madman (writer sighs). You end up bumping into each and every wall in the room, letting out a slight grunt every time you hit one. The gas is filling your lungs now, and you can feel it; although, it doesn't hurt as you expected it to. It actually feels kind of...relaxing? Soon you fall to the floor and your eyes land on Mike. You can't move, no matter how hard you try. Even the mind****s you try on yourself are to no avail.

Eventually, you lose consciousness and the poison sinks in. *** You find yourself at the playground you and...Krissy...had sex (and it was great!). AC/DC's "Inject the Venom" is playing in the background and everything seems foggy, like a mist or heavy due (dew?) is in the air. You look around and see nobody. "This has definitely got to be a dream." "Is it a dream, Dee Rodgers Pitt?" a deep voice calls out from nowhere. You look around in surprise. <.< >.> "Who was that?" "That is not the right question," the voice replies. "Oh, God. Sean! Is that you!?" you say wittingly. "Damn, the one time I'm allowed to have fun with you and of all the people in the world, YOU ruin it!" Sean remarks and lets out a disappointed sigh. "Oh, haha. You've gotta stop watching I-Robot, man. I think that movie has really gotten to you." "Well... ... ... yes." It seems that you have taken control of the conversation. What now? ****** D. What's going on? ****** "What's going on?" "It will take much time to explain, and many days to comprehend fully." "Just tell me!" "Very well. Just let me get out into the open." Suddenly, you hear gravel crunching behind you, and as you spin around Sean walks into

view from behind the slide. You repeat yourself, "What's going on?" "I said I would answer you," he says, sounding vexed. But instead, he takes more time to observe his surroundings. I have to be dreaming. You stay quiet though. Finally, Sean starts, "I've been studying the Forbidden Arts for quite a while. They... intrigue me." He's still taking in his surroundings, as if surprised to be here. "Alex sent me the pictures. Our initial suspicions have been confirmed. This area was once ruled by someone who could use mind-tricks. Amazing, that someone learned them before the Knights... But I suppose there have always been some-" You interrupt, "Dude, where are we?! What do the Forbidden Arts have to do with this?" Sean appears startled, as if he has forgotten you're there. "Ah, yes. The hieroglyphics showed a great deal of things, many of them philosophical. But they also showed war. That led me to wonder, 'How would a war be fought using mind-tricks?' It would be very hard, no doubt, and only those with a quick mind could survive." Sean shakes his head abruptly. "Do you know where we are, Dee?" You want to facepalm. "No." "We are on the Astral Plane." The what? Noticing the look of confusion on your face, he continues, "As I said before, it would take a lot of time to explain, and even more to comprehend. We are at a place beyond reality. Not exactly dreaming, you see." "Only people who can use their minds fully can come here. It is possible for regular people, using meditation and such, but not as strongly as we are here." "So, is this real, or?..." you trail off. "It is real, to an extent. Your mind is here, not your body. Your body that you see is just an illusion." He smiles suddenly, and says, "This is incredible, even if everything is a bit hazy. I had read about it, but..." Then you remember something Sean said. "Sean, is this a Forbidden Art?" Sean just nods and says, "I wanted to see what it was like..." Sean, breaking the rules. It should have surprised you. "How did I get here?" you ask. "As for that, Acolyte, I haven't a clue. Perhaps something in the temple triggered it." Could it be the gas? Maybe it wasn't poison, after all. And how could Sean have known

you would end up here? As if reading your thoughts... No, actually reading your thoughts, he answers, "I didn't know. I just happened to be strolling by, and you popped in." He grins. What now? ****** C) Tell Sean about what's happening in the temple (he can't know EVERYTHING.) ****** "Sean..." you start. "The gang-" "I know, Acolyte." You take a second's pause in respect. "How?" "I don't know..." Well, at least Sean doesn't know EVERYTHING. "But I do know that Mike is almost gone." "WHAT!?" 0.0 "How do I get back!?" you demand. "I have to save him!" Sean walks up closer to you and puts his hand on your shoulder. "Dee..." You begin to tear up; you know something is coming up. "The circumstances have changed for us." "In what way? Why?" "Dee..." Sean looks deep into your eyes. Somehow, you know he isn't probing around in your mind and you do the same in respect (even if you could, you couldn't, though). "I'm sorry. There is nothing we can do to help Mike." "Bullsh*t!" you scream as you push Sean away. "I am sorry, Dee," Sean says hesitantly. "If we can't help him, then who can!?" Your emotions continue their rage. Your (un)homosexual love for Mike is too deep for you to be concerned about your actions right now. "ACOLYTE!" You jump back in surprise. Sean must be back into Voice mode. "You must calm down! Too much emotion and you will pass on!" You pause and stare at Sean a little confused. ****** C. "Answer my question!" ****** Rage replaces confusion. "Answer my question!"

Sean looks a little taken aback. He hesitates before speaking. "We don't know what's wrong with Mike right now. He could be dead, alive, somewhere in between... Any attempt to rescue him from that trap will most likely result in disaster," he says. Your surroundings suddenly seem more hazy than before. Sometimes, the slide all but disappears from behind Sean, and the rest of the playground blurs. The houses in the horizon twist and spiral, and you fight to control a sudden feeling of vertigo. "Dee, control your emotions. You're fading," Sean says calmly. Sean's words help a bit, and soon enough everything is back in place. "I have to help Mike. I have to." "The only one who can possibly help him is himself. Only he can know where he is now." A sudden sadness overwhelms you. Mike is gone. Not gone, but... Somewhere in between. "Sean. Tell me more about this place." Startled by your sudden shift of topic, Sean stares at you for a moment. Then starts, "As I said before, only your mind comes here. Your real body is left behind in the real world. Do you know what lucid dreaming is?" You shake your head, and he continues, "It is like that. In a lucid dream, it is possible to control every aspect of it. You can twist the dream however you like, to your own will, if you're good enough at it. This is almost exactly like that. So I've read." "You can control every aspect of it?" "Yes, Dee. Every aspect. I've been studying this for many years now, and I think I may have some proficiency at manipulating it, but reading is very different from doing. Let me try something. Close your eyes." You close your eyes. After about fifteen seconds, with a touch of excitement in his voice, Sean says, "Open your eyes, Dee." You open them, and are shocked. You're in the room that you first met Sean in, a dark room barely lit by a single light bulb. After the accident, you were nursed back to health here. "Changing the setting is a skill of moderate difficulty, but when there's someone else you wish to take with you, it's a bit harder... Much harder than I expected, really." You nod. This makes your plan much easier.

"What plan, Dee?" Shit. "I intend to save Mike." You try to keep your mind blank, but your thoughts must be bubbling. Thoughts of Egypt, the ruins, Knights, the room in which Mike is imprisoned. Sean obviously notices them. "Ah... It may work. It's very far-fetched though. But just in case, you better tell me what you're planning." Defeated, you start telling him, "If Mike is 'somewhere in between,' then the most likely place will be here in the Astral Plane. And the most likely place for him to be is in the ruins." You sound more hopeful than you really are. Sean ponders the idea for a moment, then nods. "It makes sense. That is, if Mike is just asleep. The hieroglyphics that Alex sent me showed that the people living in the ruins were very interested in the metaphysical. Those depictions of war must take place in the Astral Plane, because I can't see any COP or KOR members fighting in the open... If Mike is anywhere, it must be in the ruins, here in the Astral Plane. But what do you expect to do once you're there?" "I haven't planned ahead that far yet." What now? ****** B) Go to the ruins in the Astral Plane ****** Sean thinks it over for only a second, and then says, "I suppose I'd better go with you. You don't know half the things you can do here." After a pause, he adds, "If you want better focus, stare at one thing for a few seconds. Just concentrate on it." You concentrate on the bed that you recovered on, what seemed like a thousand years ago. Almost instantaneously, everything is clearer, as if a veil is removed from your surroundings. You nod and say, "Take us to the ruins." "Well, I've never been there. It'll be hard imagining something I've never seen before." "So I have to do it?" "Yes. First, enter my mind." "Just enter it?" "Barely. Just go inside and be aware that my mind is there. Don't go searching for emotions or anything." You do as he says, and eventually you're just aware of his mind, like an invisible presence inside your own.

"Good. Now, close your eyes. Then, imagine yourself inside the ruins." Again, you do as he says. You try to imagine yourself in the room that you and Mike were trapped inside... "Open your eyes, Dee." You open them and see Sean shaking his head, and you're still in the dark room. "You have to believe that you're there. Have no doubt in your mind. Remember, this isn't like reality. Anything is possible." You close your eyes again, and try to imagine the ruins around you. No, I have to believe they're around me. Anything is possible. You try to imagine the decorations of the room, all pointing towards the dark red corners, towards the hand scanners. "Oh, no..." Sean says. Your eyes shoot open, and to your surprise, you're in the room that you imagined. Some decorations that you forgot about are in their places, and it looks exactly like it does in real life. "What do you mean, 'Oh, no?'" you ask Sean. "We're here." Suddenly you notice Mike, crouching in one of the corners with his head in his knees, and you run over to him. He seems to be bleeding from a dozen places, and a bloodied scimitar is lying in front of him. Mike looks up at the sound of footsteps, and he smiles. Oh, thank you. But just like that, his smile slips, and it's replaced by fear. "Get away from me!" he shouts vehemently. You stop in your tracks, shocked. "Mike..." "You're not real!" he says. "Nothing is..." he trails off and looks back downwards. "Mike. We're in the Astral Plane. Not the real world, but we can get back." You know that YOU can get back, but can Mike? Mike looks up, but doesn't say anything. Sean comes up from behind you and stands beside you. "Mike," he says, "This isn't real, but you aren't dreaming either. It's... halfway."

Suddenly you realize the cage is gone. Mike is able to walk wherever he wants in this room. And Sean still hasn't answered your question. Oh no? Sean is still going on about the Astral Plane, but Mike seems only to be paying half attention. He's looking around the room in a daze. Mike suddenly interrupts, "There were... things... here. They came from nowhere. I killed them. With this." He glances at the scimitar in front of him. Where did he learn to use that? "They just disappeared." Sean stares at Mike for a moment, then says, "Like I said, this isn't real. Things will disappear sometimes. Those wounds won't be there when you wake up." Mike suddenly jumps up and rushes towards you, scimitar in hand. You don't have time to react before he throws it at you. It whips past your face, barely missing your ear. You hear a crunch behind you as you turn around, and your stomach turns to ice. Standing 9 feet tall in front of you is a giant... monster is the only word that comes close to describing it. Atop of it's giant, muscled body is a neckless head, covered in an immeasurable amount of human eyes. Just below the eyes is a mouth full of teeth sharpened to points. Multiple arms jut from it's sides, uneven and disproportional. And planted in the middle of it's skull is the scimitar, probably stuck a full foot inside. Blood is spurting from the eyes which it managed to slice. The monster falls to the ground twitching. You look back at Mike, who is now standing five feet away from you. His eyes are glazed over with... delirium is the only word to describe it. His bleeding is much worse than you thought it was, at first. You say, "We have to get out of here, Mike." For some reason, you're feeling afraid of him. "It's not so simple, Dee," says Sean, looking worried. "With the hieroglyphics that I'm seeing in this room, plus the ones that Alex sent me..." He shakes his head ruefully. "You've really done it this time." You're the one who sent us on this goddamn mission. Your vision becomes hazy for a moment, but you refocus it quickly. "What do you mean? Give me a straight goddamn answer." Sean sighs. "This is the Succession room. The rulers used it to decide their... successor. In each of the corners, are the hand scanners. The heir would stand in the middle of the room, and four chosen people would put their hands on the scanners, to start the succession. You've just chosen Mike to be the next king. Obviously though, he doesn't have any real power, but the consequences of this ritual..."

All you can do is gape. Mike is kneeling beside the fallen monster, pulling the scimitar from it's head. "You need to complete the ritual. You need to go back to the real world, and find the others. So they can use the other hand scanners. Otherwise, Mike is stuck here. Of course, if he doesn't pass the tests here-" Suddenly, five of the same monsters appear beyond the one that Mike killed. Before you can blink in surprise, Mike is already killing one, dancing, spinning, slicing... What now? (Anything is possible) ****** F. I AM THE FAPMASTER! ****** You decide the only way to save Mike is to use the inherent powers within you that many of your former enemies have faced in the past, with horrid results. You cut Mike off, and face towards the monsters, still charging at you. You lower your belt, unveiling the "FAPMASTER" etching in your boxers. You then begin work, thinking of the first time you and Amy ever went past the kissing part of your relationship. Anyways, after all that gay **** and stuff, you finally peak, "I R CHARGIN MAAZ LAAZER!!!!!!!!!!" Sean stares at you mouth gaping open as he watches a blue maelstrom of energy surrounding your netherregion. "BYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAh" The monsters are suddenly struck with the "lazer" and are vanquished from sight and existence. Mike then seems to return to normalcy, the lazer seemed to have done it. "Dude, did you just ****ing fap on people trying to kill you again?" Yet, still in your fapmaster mood, you reply "SILENCE FOOL, DO NOT QUESTION THE WAYS OF THE FAPMASTER. With a quick slap, you are snapped out of your fapmaster mood, and return to just Dee Pitt.

Sean stares incredulously at you. "What in the hell just happened." "Don't worry about it, now can we the **** out of this dream world?"

"Yes now that the ritual is complete, but it is going to take all 3 of our concentrative minds to get back. You all stand in the center of the room hand to hand, you feel the presence of Mike and Sean's mind within yours. You feel the world around you spiraling taking on alot of different colors. After what seems a nauseating eternity, you, Sean and Mike are back in the chamber, yet things are different. And most different of all, you see Amy sitting in the middle of the room. "Dee..!!" ****** D. It's a trap! ****** Amy's voice calls out to you from the middle of the room, but you've grown too wary to rush to her blindly. But it hurts to stay here... Sean says, "No, I didn't think that would work," shaking his head. Mike looks forlorn as he pleads, "What do you mean? It's not over? We're still dreaming?" "We can't get you out. You're stuck here for the moment, but by what force, I don't know..." Mike seems to go back to brooding again, staring silently at nothing. The rituals must have taken a toll on him already, and there's no telling how much longer he can take it. Suddenly you realize that Amy is gone. You tell this to the others. Sean just stares at you blankly, and asks, "What are you talking about?" "Amy was in the middle of the room... She called to me..." Sean shakes his head again, "Anything is possible here. Good thing you didn't try to-" He gets cut off as the unexplainable lights suddenly dim, and a black mound rises from the

middle of the room. The shape grows and grows, and finally resolves into a shape of a human. The light seems like it's being sucked out from around the man, and everything about him radiates twilight. Mike readies his scimitar, prepared to fight. His wounds are still there. Sean looks worried, but stays where he is. As the man begins walking towards you, you notice that his head is not of a human, but a jackal... Anubis? Mike falls to his knees, possibly in awe, but his eyes are glazed over again.What the hell is wrong with him? Sean's eyes widen in surprise. The man stops maybe two feet away from you, and seems to weigh the three of you with his nonexistent eyes. You notice flames are writhing from his ominous figure. "Where are the rest?" he asks in a deep voice. You just stare at him, not knowing what to say. Mike isn't killing him. After a pause, he asks, "How did you get in?" Sean starts weakly, "We... used the Astral Plane. Dee... He used one of the hand scanners... He didn't know..." he trails off. The figure seems to be judging you again. Then he says, "I have slept a long time. A new Pharaoh hasn't been chosen in over 3000 years. And now you bring me this?" he gestures towards Mike. "The rituals shall continue. Do not try escaping again. But this one must leave," he says, pointing to Sean. "We can continue with only one accomplice, rather than the ceremonial four." Sean looks at you and Mike, then says, "I must go." As if he has a choice. He fades away. "You do not know what you're doing." Your heads spin back towards the figure. "Two children. But we must continue. You can only leave if you pass the rituals. Failure means eternal imprisonment." You look at Mike, still kneeling in awe. Had Amy really been a hallucination? She seemed so real. What now? ****** B. Continue with the rituals ****** You do nothing but wait for Anubis to speak again. Your thoughts fall back to the dogheaded skeletons in the jungle as you observe the Ancient god standing before you. were those actually... Anubites? you think to yourself as you recall the jackal-headed creatures that you learned about in another boring history lesson in school. Wow... school seems so

alien right now... You quickly focus again when the room starts to shift and morph around you. Before you can say anything, you find yourself standing atop a great building of stone, overlooking a vast, ancient city in the desert. The building is actually a solid pyramid of sandstone with a flat platform at the top, shaded by a canopy that is held up with large pillars. A single, massive stairway leads down from the building and into the city. Standing all around the base of the pyramid are huge amounts of people , dressed in cloth and sandals. All of them are shouting wildly at the top of their lungs. Mike is standing in front of you, and on either side of him are two Anubites, except this time they're not skeletons but living, breathing creatures with ash black fur. Anubis stands just beyond them, at the top of the staircase. He speaks out to the mass of people in a great booming voice, but in egyptian. At first you can't understand a word, but then, as he speaks, the words start to morph in your ears. They become half english, half egyptian, then almost entirely english, then full and totally understandable english. You manage to make out the last of his speech. "...prisoner for grand treason! Now, he will pay the consequences!" You and Mike -who appears to be back to normal for the time being- look at each other, and you can tell he is just as confused as you. Suddenly two hands clamp down on your shoulders, lifting you up and carrying you across the platform. They throw you down on a rough stone seat, most definetely carved as a whole piece from a single stone. Before you can react, iron shackles come from under your arms and behind your legs, clamping down over your forearms and shins. The grip is tight, and no matter how much you try you can't get loose. The two anubites that carried you to the seat are now bringing two large, mitten shaped wicker hand pieces. They slam them down over your hands, and a locking mechanism keeps them there. At first, you feel nothing, and slowly let loose a sigh of relief. Then, you feel something crawling across your hand, it feels like an ant. Another one joins in, then another, then another, and before you realise it both of your hands are overrun with ants. A drop of sweat rolls down your forehead. You try to keep your hands perfectly still. You look up to see Anubis talking to Mike, who is looking at the handpieces in horror. An anubite walks forward, and grabs the wicker hand pieces firmly. He looks at you and appears to grin, before vigorously shaking on both wicker pieces that are over your hand. "NO!" you scream just as the biting starts. In the same manner as the ants crawling onto your hands, the bites start off slowly, with just one or two on a hand, but in under ten seconds your hands are bathed with biting ants. The pain is unbearable, it feels like your hands are being dipped in molten lava. You clench your teeth as you receive bite after bite after bite to your hands. Eventually, you give in to the pain and let out a bloodcurtling scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHH!!!!!!!" you scream at the top of your lungs. A massive cheer erupts ferom the crowd. Your hands feel like they could explode. In fact, that sounds like a relief right now. Your face is bright red and covered in sweat, and your starting to feel a little nauseous. You look up at Mike, who is holding his head in his hands. Anubis nods slowly, and everything goes black. "Your friend is smarter than he looks, he made the right decision" Anubis's voice rings out. Suddenly, you find yourself in another hallway, this one doesn't look Egyptian, as its wall are made of a dark grey stone that seems tinted blue in the mysterious lighting. Your hands feel normal again, like they were never swarmed with ants. To your left is Mike, who appears to be fully conscious. Down near the end of the hallway is a small room, where a mysterious figure stands. As you approach the figure, it turns around slowly. The person is Faith. What now? ****** C. It's a trap (again!) ****** She's not real. As you wait for her to fade away, or for the strange, black-cloaked Anubis dude to talk, she begins crying. Tears are streaming down her cheeks, and she seems to be reaching out towards you. You remember that day Dave gave you a new car, and you and Faith decided to celebrate. Help she sobs out. Please, help me. What is it? Theyll hurt me if I tell you, Faith says, still crying a river. You still don't know what she was talking about. Suddenly, three burly, dark men appear out of nowhere. Faith doesn't seem to notice them, but begins stripping. Oh God, what are you doing? She bends over, and one by one they take her from behind. She doesn't fight at all, just accepts it. It takes all of your willpower to stay where you are, and even more to watch it all. Eventually they fade away. "A king's allies must be as strong as the king," Anubis says, black flames jumping from his black-cloaked figure. He walks down the blue-tinted stone hallway, and you have no choice but to follow. Eventually, the walls get darker. Soon enough, you're walking straight ahead through pitch black. Far ahead, you can see torches glaring, giving off little light.

Once you reach the torches, you notice you're in a murky prison. Cells surround you, but only a quarter of them seem to be occupied. Some of the prisoners are lying completely still under blankets. The thought occurs to you that they might be dead. One of the cells is almost completely filled with people though, all looking ragged and tired. Most of them are sitting on the ground, looking forlorn, and some others are leaning against the wall, staring straight ahead. You recognize the faces. Most of them. Your mom, Mike's dad, Franco, Nehemiah, Tyran, Jimmy, Mark, Zach, Erin, Pythagoras, Jeremy, the lawyers... The faces of the dead. They all look up at you at the same time, and instantly, they all rush towards the bars, begging for you to let them out. They're trying to claw through their cage, trying uselessly to tear through the barricade. You notice some of them are begging to Mike, as well. Suddenly you realize that the cell door is unlocked, and slightly ajar. No one is trying to open it. They want you to. You exchange glances with Mike. It seems that he doesn't know what to do either. ****** B. Don't do anything ****** "Is this some kind of joke?" You say as you look at the faces of the dead in the cell. "Oh this is no joke Dee." You jump and turn around to see Anubis standing behind you. "These are all the people that have died because of you. These are the people YOU killed!" Suddenly, you feel a wave of guilt wash over you. All of these people are dead because of you. All because of one incident back when you were a pre-teen. One choice. All because you didn't do your homework. "I didn't mean to." You say as you start to cry. "It was like I couldn't control it! It was like someone was possessing me!" "Then you must learn to block out that entity." Anubis says. "If you are to help your friend become king, you must learn to take control of your life. Once he is king, you shall become his knight. You shall be granted power, but first you must learn to control what is already inside you." You close your eyes. Taking in what you were just told. When you open them, both Mike and Anubis are nowhere to be seen, and your surroundings have once again changes. As you look around, you appear to be in a colissium. You are standing by one of two gates. The rest of the area is surrounded by walls easily fifty feet high.

'Oh great, what now?' You think to yourself. 'Now you learn to control your mind. Or you die.' You hear Anubis say in your mind. At that moment, you hear a loud creaking as the gate across from you starts to slowly open. As it opens, you see a huge man standing there. He's about 12 feet tall and all muscle. He has a club bigger than your body. And he's walking toward you! What do you do? ****** B. Enter your own mind ****** "Hmm... control my mind? How the f*ck do I do that?" You think as the giant slowly makes his way towards you. Not knowing what else to do, you reach out with your mind. As you do so, you feel the giants mind. You try to enter it, but its like a brick wall. "Sh*t!" As your mind lingers there in the open, you sense that it is, in itself, a living entity. You feel like somehow, it is not a part of you. You decide to enter your own mind. As you do so, you feel rush of emotions hit you all at once. Fear, anger, sadness, and... excitement? Yes... there's something about being in dangerous situations that excites you. You decide to probe deeper. As you pass by your emotions, you find yourself in your past. You see Krissy and Chuck. You see your mom. You see Dave, and all of your band mates. You remember how it felt playing on stage with them. How excited you were when you got those rush tickets. You remember fapping in front of Mike in Amy's garden. Amy. You remember the first time you met Amy. She was singing on the roof of your old apartment. You remember the first time you two were "together". You remember everything about her. Her voice, her face, her smell, her taste. "I have to save her." You think. "I don't care what happens to me. I have to save Amy. What have I been doing all this time? All this time I could have been trying to find her! I don't care about the f*cking CoP or the KOR. I want Amy!!!" "Is that really what you want Dee Rogers Pitt?" You hear a strangely familiar voice say. You turn to see... you.

"Why would you want this one girl? You can have many girls. Whoever you want. All you have to do is use your mind. Does this one pathetic human really mean this much to you? You could have anything you want. Fame, fortune, girls, anything you could dream of." What do you say? ****** D. Lol wut? THEN A. F*CK YOU! I WANT AMY! ****** You look at this person that looks like you, standing before you, telling you to make a choice. It's just too much for you. "Lol Wut?" You say as you stare blankly at him. "I do not find you amusing Dee." He says. "Make your decision. What do you truely want?" You think of all the stuff you could do with your mind now. Anything could be yours. You could be a world famous guitar player. F*ck that. I would give anything to see Amy one more time. "I don't care about all that other stuff. I just want to be with Amy." "And how do you plan to find her?" He says. "I don't know." You reply. "But I will. No matter what it takes." "Very well foolish human. If this one girl is more important to you than life itself, then so be it. I shall grant you my power. But it will only be there when you truely need it." With that, you feel a great peace wash over you. You feel calm and cool. And you feel... invincible. You exit your mind to see that the giant is only about halfway across the colissium. You feel something different. You're not opening your mind, yet it's already open. You can feel the mind of the giant without even trying. And what's more, as you look at it this time, you see little cracks in the wall he's put up. "Wait!" You think. "I feel... different." You feel a new power inside you. Just then, it starts raining. You look up at the sky. Wtf? As the rain crashes down, you start to feel cold. Very, very cold. As you imagine how cold you are, you look at the rain. Something odd happens. The rain is turning to hail. But not all of the rain is freezing. Just the rain you look at.

Realizing that you're doing that, you decide to do a little experiment. You imagine the rain gathering into a ball in mid air. And as you look up, you see it happening. As you look back down, the giant is almost on you. ****! You need to think fast, so you bring your ball of water down in front of you. The giant looks at it curiously. You break the ball of water into smaller strips of water. Then you freeze the strips, and give the tips nice sharp points. Next, you imagine the ice-daggers all flying at the giant. You can hear a sickening "shloop" as they pierce his hard skin. Burying themselves deep inside of him. He screams out in agony before falling to the ground dead. As his body hits the ground, the world around you dissolves. You are left in a black abyss of nothingness. "Well done Dee." You turn to see Anubis. "You've passed your tests." He says. "Now we must wait for your friend, and hope he has the same luck." "Can I help him?" You ask. "I'm afraid not. His test, like yours, must be done alone." He says. "OK. Then can I ask you something?" You ask. "I will answer any question to the best of my abilities." He replies. "OK.... ****** C. What was that power I just used? ****** "What was that power I just used?" "It was Dreaming." You suddenly feel annoyed. "I already knew how to dream." 'Anubis' shakes his head. "You knew nothing of Dreaming. It takes decades of training, and more than a lifetime to master. You have mastered it." "So it only works in the Astral Plane?" "Yes. You can truly manipulate this world to your will now. All that you wish to happen, will happen instantaneously. What, did you think you would be able to do this in reality?

Don't be foolish." How can this new power help you, when 'Dreaming' is forbidden? Well, if Sean can break the rules, so can I. "You have learned another thing as well. By probing your own mind, you can find memories that have been stored away for decades. In perfect detail." "Who was that that I was talking to? Myself?" "Somewhat." You realize it doesn't really matter. You just want Amy. You can forget about the Cult, and the Knights, and just run for the rest of your life, with Amy. You imagine green grass under your feet, and there it is. You sit down, weary. The sky turns from black to a cloudless deep blue. The sun is at it's peak. For miles, the grass stretches on, and all around you is a blue sky. A warm breeze blows across the plains, stirring the blades of grass. We can stay here. It'll be perfect. To live in a dream for the rest of your life, in peace... Anubis suddenly says, "You must know your life will never be peaceful again. You have a great duty. To your king." Shut up. I don't care. "For thousands of years, we have had one wish. Perhaps you two will be the ones to fulfill it." ****, now we're the goddamn chosen ones? "You were chosen when you placed your hands on the scanner. It can't be undone." Mike suddenly appears behind Anubis. His wounds are gone, his clothes aren't ragged and torn, and he isn't holding that scimitar anymore. He looks normal. Just regular Mike. As Anubis turns around to say something to him, Mike asks wearily, "What now? I'm the new Pharaoh. What can I do with a title?" Fury begins to taint his voice, "You've put me through hell. For what?" Anubis begins to speak, but Mike runs over him, "I don't want anything to do with your mission!" He grunts and raises his fingers to his temples. Anxiety and fear fills you as you watch Mike. He must have gone through something far more intense than you. Those monsters... But you don't want anything to do with the mission anymore either.

Anubis speaks once Mike has calmed down. "You will not be aware of the mission. If you don't know your destiny, you can't try to escape it." Mike just shakes his head, looking resigned. "Can we go now?" you ask. Anubis nods, and you think of waking up. You open your eyes to find Mike still standing there in the middle of the Succession room, but the cage is gone. You sit up and look at your surroundings. The room seems to be the same way you left it, but the smell of gas is gone. In each of the corners are the hand scanners. There is still only one exit, leading into darkness. What if it was all a dream? Mike's eyes are open and glazed over. Mike suddenly falls to his knees and closes his eyes, and groans loudly. "I thought they would be gone." Who would be gone? After Mike recovers, he sits down and begins staring at nothing. But his eyes aren't quite so empty anymore. "Was it real?" you ask. Mike just nods. Whatever he went through in there, it must have been scarring. You look at the open door leading into darkness. If only the Knights hadn't taken your cell phone, you could call Alex and ask him where he is. He's the only one with a cell phone left on your team. And Felix is the only one left with a gun, with an empty clip. You need to get out of these ruins, now. Sean must have gotten what he needs from here by now. If he hasn't gotten what he needs, I don't care. You just want to leave. It must be dark outside by now. What now? ****** C. Figure out who that spy is...somehow ****** Suddenly you remember that there is a spy on your team. Alex, Tim, or Felix. It can't be Mike. You hope it isn't. Trying to remember all of the incidents that happened since you met them, you realize you have a new found ability at your disposal. You enter your own mind, and are surprised to find your mind completely blank of emotions, except for one. Rage. You hadn't noticed it before. You begin probing your mind. Oddly enough, as you're shifting back through events, they

seem to be in chronological order. Eventually, you reach the moment when you were on the phone with Faith, trying to persuade her to get the Mouths, Tim and Alex, past the binding. The fact that Tim and Alex are Mouths does nothing to smother your suspicion. Your suspicions about Jacob still aren't smothered. Maybe they're all in on it together. You remember Jacob's facebook page on Faith's computer. Maybe even Faith. After you somewhat successfully managed to get Jeremy and Felix off your case, you all met Faith outside the doors. She got the binding lock off the door... After that, you begin talking to Tim and Alex to get to know them better. Nothing too helpful in that bit... Except... Something about Tim's story about his uncle was a bit off. Something tells you that his uncle didn't really pass away. Alex also ended up with his uncle, after his dad hospitalized his mom... They both ended up living with their uncle. How convenient. During the drive, Tim hands you all guns. How did he manage to get those? And on the plane, Alex and Tim didn't really care at all for planning. That was when it all went to ****. You, Felix, Erin and Tim in the one taxi, Mike, Jeremy, Zach and Alex in the other one. The taxi driver sped up to over 145 km/h, then jumped. You and Tim managed to stop the car... But it was the first time you realized there must be a KOR spy among you. You rushed to the other car as quickly as you could, to the terrifying scene of a car crash. They hadn't been so lucky... Zach and Jeremy, the first two casualties of the trip. Felix seemed genuinely worried about Jeremy, but then again, Knights can seem genuinely anything. On the drive to the hotel, everyone's shock seemed real. Except that Alex's hands were covering his face. Who knew what was going on beneath? After arriving at the hotel, you decided to practice mind-tricks. Then, you were researching the car park on the internet when you received a message on MSN. That was the first time you met Pythagoras. I met a guy named Pythagoras, then killed some Knights, I made some police officers give each other blowjobs, I stole some weapons from the army then blew up a school. Your exact line you said to Mike. After planning some more (most of the plans didn't happen the way you wanted them to), you found out that Megadeth were playing at a place near the car park. You bought your tickets, and returned to... Well, let's just say it resulted in the third casualty.

You start shifting more quickly through the memories. Package from COP... Robes and books... Homeless man... Tim telling you all about Sean's new mission... Everyone knew the plan at that point, so it was possible that any of them could have warned the Knights. But Alex knew who Pythagoras really was. Did Sean tell him that, or had he known all along? Megadeth... torturing Dave Mustaine... Playing I-Spy... When you got back to the hotel, Faith seemed very interested in your mission. Worried about my safety? Tomorrow morning was the day of the mission. Pythagoras died that day, after a surprise attack by the KOR. You remember projecting images of him and Sammie into his brain as he died, so he could die peacefully. How nice of me, you think wryly. You decided to continue the mission. After you and Mike arrived at the car park, Felix and the others were nowhere to be seen. You descended some stairs, and eventually found Felix... and slapped him. Stupid voicemail. A fight broke out, and it ended with Felix pulling out his gun. He would have killed you. Felix points the gun directly at you and pulls the trigger. ***Click***Click***Click*** His gun must be jammed. F*ck you! Im going home to America!!! He screams. He turns around and storms off. Yeah, well Ive been f*cking Faith! You shout back at him. Maybe that was a bad idea. White-suited guy on roof... Poseidon... bomb... Felix's return... Why would he save me after trying to kill me?... Giant Explosion... mind****ing Mike to get him to come with you to Egypt... Maybe that was a bad idea, after all. Tim and Alex said they would follow you... To keep the KoR informed? Thales... sister thats called Algebra... killing Thales... zombie Felix... Shifting through... Starting sex tour... opium addled orgy... SWAT team arriving... Truck with two Knights... Suddenly you realize something. After the police truck took a detour, you were traveling east. "Ah, Dee Pitt," the bland, dry voice says. "I've never been a man for words, so I'll get straight to the point. We're keeping her at an abandoned military grounds, 5 miles east of

the airport. Well, I suppose you wouldn't call it abandoned anymore..." the man trails off. What could possibly be there, and why would they want you there? Shifting... Threesome... Scot... Mind****ing the headmaster... Something to do with Mike being in his mind... You still don't know exactly what happened there. "Mike." "Yeah?" "You know when we were at the dorm, and we were trying to get him to let us stay?" "Yeah." "Were you inside his mind?" "Yeah. Sorry." "What happened after?" "No idea. You woke up screaming like a chick in the middle of the night. Something to do with a laser." You nod, and continue shifting through memories. Some more dorm things... Stealing whatshisface's car... Felix was talking to Faith. Filling her in on your plans. The Knights were everywhere. Everywhere you turned... Arriving at the ruins... Hearing voices... Mummy idea... Train cart... Rape. You don't skip over that memory, however uncomfortable it is. I'll kill them, whoever is the Knight. No. Torture would be better. Much better. Questioning the Knight... Exploding head... Alex seemed to know a lot about questioning. Calling Sean... Rage suddenly overwhelms you as you remember your phone calls to Sean. He knew there was a spy on the team. And he still sent you on the mission. Phone call from Amy... Military base... Felix reappearing again. Why would the Knights leave him alive? Car jack... Calling Amy... You remember something that she said. I cant talk temple dont base... Trap Could she be here, in the ruins? Anything after that is pretty much useless. But it feels somehow... exhilarating to be inside your own mind, free to probe whatever you like. You go deeper, and deeper...

A voice suddenly speaks, You know, they could all be Knights. You look around, but you can't see anyone. You realize the voice came from inside your head. Fear creeps into you, but you stay deep inside your mind. Why not? They could all be leading you into the Knight's hands... Absolutely terrified now, you leave your mind, and enter your normal state. Those weren't your thoughts, but it sounded like them. If someone was projecting thoughts into your mind, you would have known... But the thoughts are gone now. Who's most suspicious right now? ****** S - Faith + Tim + Alex + Felix ****** You realize that right now, you will have to be wary of all four of them. If the need arises, you'll have to kill them, but for now you're just going to have to keep them in the dark about your plans. You can trust no one but Mike. You decide to tell Mike. "You know we can't trust the others." Mike shakes his head, "Not anymore." "There could be a spy on our team. Could be any one of them. Even Faith." Mike nods, then after a moment says, "What about Tim and Alex? Aren't they bound?" "Yeah, but I think they can get around it somehow." After another moment without talking, you ask, "What do you think our mission is?" He knows you're not talking about the one Sean sent you on. "I don't know. We might have to ask Sean." "My cellphone is out of batteries. We're going to have to leave this place first. Do you think we should take the rest with us, when we leave Egypt?" Mike thinks it over, then nods and says, "Once you uncover a spy, he only hears what you want him to." Where did he get that saying? "They could try to kill us." "They would have already. Easily. They want us alive. But we don't know which ones are Knights." The voice that spoke in your head earlier seems to repeat it's ominous phrase, They could

all be Knights. What now? ****** B wins - Find the rest of the team. ****** "Let's go find the others," you say, getting up. Mike nods and gets up after you. You start towards the door, towards the pitch-black corridor with a tinge of worry. Even when you get closer, it retains it's absolute darkness. You stumble as you step inside, and quickly reach out for something to grab. Your hand finds a railing on the right side, and you realize there are stairs ahead of you. Through the darkness, you descend slowly, and Mike follows after you. The only sound is the sound of footsteps, and even those sound far away. You go down for what seems like an eternity. The air gets cooler as you go deeper and deeper into the abyss, yet sweat starts beading on your forehead. You breathing gets quicker, and your heart starts pounding with more urgency. You start descending more rapidly, still keeping your holding your hand fast on the railing. Suddenly, you see a dim flickering light at the end of the stairs, through an opening. You rush towards it desperately. You fling yourself through the opening, and sigh heavily with relief when you see the huge, cavernous room around you. Mike walks through more calmly, with a resigned look on his face. A torch is lit above the opening, and more of them line the side walls, but they don't do much to light the shadowy room. The walls are all but covered in carvings of men with jackal's heads, and below each one of the carvings is a coffin. Dead kings. Somehow, you know. These are the crypts. Mike begins walking slowly ahead of you, and you follow him. That's when you notice the wooden throne far ahead of you, so dark it seems almost black. Fine gilt lines the arms and back of the otherwise stark chair. Sitting on the seat of the throne is a golden band, a crown. And on either side of throne are two scimitars. "Take one," Mike says, gesturing towards one of them. "After all, you're my guardian." Amazingly, he sounds as if he means it. You kneel to lift one, and it shimmers even in the dim light of the torches as you bring it up. The hilt is covered with plain black cloth. 3000 years of sitting here, yet neither dust nor rust (LOL) blemished the smooth surface. "I don't know how to use it."

"Doesn't matter," he says as he lifts the shining golden band from the throne. The wall behind the throne suddenly collapses, causing dust and dirt to fly about, obscuring the view beyond. When the dust finally clears, the night sky meets you, accompanied with a pleasant coolness that washed away the feelings from the stairs. As you step outside, you notice the ruined buildings around you, a slight breeze stirring dust here and there. Turning around, you're stunned by the true size of the tower. It only seems about 15 meters high, the height of a 6-story building. It had to be higher. "Well, maybe we should go around, see if Tim is still by the car," Mike says. The crown is still in his hand. You nod, and you begin trekking around the ruins. They're larger than you first remember them. You pass through huge, hollow tunnels, little ruined houses, and around huge columns of stone as you walk around the ruins. Finally, you recognize the area at which you entered. And there, just ten meters away from the entrance, is the car that you managed to steal. But there's no sign of Tim. You and Mike run towards the car, and are met by a gruesome sight when you finally reach it. Nothing outside the car gives any hint as to what is inside. Every single seat is smeared with blood, and dismembered limbs are strewn all around the car. A pale hand is resting on the dashboard, while a leg is shoved awkwardly through the steering wheel. You notice sometimes individual fingers are lying on the floor. Yet amazingly, no blood stained the windows. As if whoever did it wants it to be seen. Mike turns away from the graphic scene, taking to regarding the ruins. However, you continue analyzing it. Surprisingly, it doesn't nauseate you as much as it should. Finally, you turn towards the ruins and say, "We'll wait for them here. No use going in and getting trapped again." Mike spares the car one more glance, and says, "Yeah." 5 minutes. 10 minutes. 20 minutes. 30 minutes pass, and you and Mike finally sit down. "We could leave now," you say. "How? I'm not getting in that thing," he responds, glancing towards the car. "And we don't know if whoever did it left the car intact." "We could wait for another car." "It's probably close to midnight. I doubt many cars are passing by right now."

Well? ****** F - Attempt to find Tim's cell and Call Sean. (and Alex while you're at it) ****** You think for a moment, then say, "We could try calling Alex. And maybe Sean." "With what?" he asks, "Your cell phone is dead." "We could use Tim's." There's a pause before Mike speaks again, and he glances at the car. "If you're willing to go in there in find it, go ahead." You put your scimitar down as you get up, and take another look at the carnage inside of the car. Calmly, you open the door, and the stench of death overtakes the cool, crisp night air. The stink fills your nostrils as you stick your head inside, and you feel a bit sick, but you stay inside. There's more blood than you first thought, pooled on the floor and even spattered on the ceiling. But calmly, coldly, you sift through the gore to find Tim's cell phone. A light suddenly blinks from under the front seat. You reach your hand under, and sure enough, it's the cell phone. You pull it out and leave the car, closing the door as you start towards Mike. There's a message from Alex. At the sound of the door shutting, Mike turns his head and regards you up and down. "Wow," he says, "You'll have a hard time leaving the country looking like that, even with mindtricks." You look down to find yourself almost covered in blood. "Ah, well. I found his cell. And there's a message from Alex." You sit down beside Mike, and begin reading Alex's message. It says, "Knights here. Big room on highest tower, hand scanners, cage. They look... unconscious." You can only send back, "It's Dee. Get out. Tim is dead." As you wait for Alex, you begin thinking. If Tim was a Knight, then everything's good. If he wasn't... It doesn't matter anyway. Just another casualty. Suddenly feeling depressed, you enter your own mind, seeking comfort. However, nothing is to be found. Everything is just a reminder about how you can't go back to the way things were, how you screwed everything up... You go deeper. Sadness is the only emotion present right now.

Amy. You can't let her die. However many casualties you take, you can't let that happen. You would die attempting to save her from that fate. She's safe without you. A voice. The voice. She's not here. You bring pain and suffering to everyone you meet. She'll be happy without you. What? Who are you? you ask the voice. Get out of my head. (Charles) You could kill yourself right now! Forget it all! Live in the dream! You snap out of your mind swiftly. That sounded like your voice, but those definitely aren't your thoughts. If it's some Knight mind trick... possibly... If there's a Knight here, you need to get out quickly. Finally, you see Alex walk around the same corner that you did. He notices you and begins running awkwardly. He's limping, you realize. He slows as he comes towards you, and regards you both with a bland stare, except for two confused looks at the scimitar and crown. "He's dead?" You and Mike nod gravely. Alex begins walking towards the car, and neither of you stop him. As soon as he sees what's inside, he turns away and leans against it, taking a deep breath. "We're sorry. We got here too late." Alex shakes his head. "Whatever. Now what?" "I need to phone Sean," you explain, "Ask about Amy, and other things." Mike suddenly asks, "The people inside. You're sure they were Knights?" Alex nods, "Definitely. Robes and everything. You guys just stole those?" he asks, looking at the scimitar in your left hand and the crown in Mike's. "Yeah," Mike says. "You get attacked, or fall down a hole?" "Fell," replies Alex, looking down at his injured leg. Why would the Knights be interested in that room? And how did they know exactly what to do there? Well, they're probably better informed than us. Would the caged one be the Pharaoh too? What'll happen to them if there's already a king? You begin punching in Sean's number on the phone.

*ring* *ring* "Hello, Acolyte." the voice on the other end says. "Sean. Is Amy here? I need to know. Screw the ambiguous ****." "You would do well to respect your superiors." "I doubt they would like that you used a Forbidden Art." After a pause, Sean says, "I do not know if Amy is in the temple. In any case, you all have another mission-" "NO! We're not doing any more missions. We're done. We're heading back as soon as we find Amy." "Refusing a mission? The Cult will not be pleased." "I don't care." **** your Cult, and your ****ing Knights. "You know, most of the team is dead. Me, Mike, Alex and Felix are the only ones left. I don't even know about Felix." Silence from the other end. Then, "You can't be sure Amy is there. Until we receive more information-" "SHE'S HERE! I know she is." "We can get her. We can look for her, and you can come home safely to the Cult. You should have told me you had more casualties..." he trails off, "Whatever it is, it's most likely a trap." Well? ****** B) Get Felix and go home. ****** You announce your plan to the others. You sure its not just cos you think Amys in there? says Alex cynically. You feel angry but cant help think he might be right. It would be a big bonus to find her though... You agree, he has his own phone and you have Tims. Evaluating the situation, you cant help but feel even more suspicious of him now. Falling down a hole? He got trapped in the corridor after the first junction. He didnt see those holes. There is no way you could fall

down there and see the light of day again. Escape he might have done, but... You snap out of your suspicions, for the moment anyway. This is about rescuing, the member you trust second to Mike. Slowly walking back towards the way you first entered the ruins, you think back to when Felix was left behind, it was after the dome, down one of the many passages. You hope he was able to get out; there were so many tunnels, even though the one you took was differently painted. It had blocked as you went along, then an abyss opened up. You hope there was another way. With Mike at the lead, you retrace your steps to the entrance you went through all those days? hours? ago. As expected a little down the tunnel there is a blockage. You must be standing where you first heard the voices. You can see the blockage more clearly now, a piece of sandstone with the space of a hand left. What should you do? ****** B-Mike does it ****** You reason that because Mike is the Ruler now, and the temple is made for the Pharaoh. He puts his hand up to the imprint and in his words, a whole piss all happens. This strikes you as very odd, but you brush the thought aside, raising your hand to the scanner. Seeing the back of your hand, you realise how tired, hungry, cut up you are. You deserve a break. Home time soon You leave your hand on the rough stone for a few seconds, and then the contact is broken, not by you removing your hand, but the door dropping down into the floor. This reveals a second door, some 10m down the passage. The paintings and carvings are the same as you remember, but the next door has carvings that set it apart from its surroundings. Quickly moving forward to take a closer look, you instinctively in from of mike. Maybe this guardian business is more than just a title You see this time two holes for your hands, but the door is far more than that. Below is a paragraph of runes, then images depicting a coffins, funerals and other ceremonies you do not recognise. Below this is a dagger shape carved into the rock, with the blade pointing downwards. At its tip, the unmistakable stain of blood. Not by any means fresh, but layered over years of use and preserved until recently. Several things now strike you as odd. The fact that the door opened for you, the blood, the pictures of death, the rooms where the next ruler is selected. Then it hits you, all adds up. The only time you should come here is if Mike is dead, this is the Pharaohs burial ground. The blood: of the dead pharaohs. You have just started some kind of funeral ritual.

You urgently turn to Mike, whilst saying Mike, please tell me you dont have any cut- You are cut off by Mikes cry. ***t he yells, his scream covering the escape of his assailant. Almost as in slow motion, the knife impaled in his hand hits an artery, causing a spray of blood in the cramped corridor. NOOOOO you yell, diving between Mike and the door, but you are too late, and you hear before you see, Mikes scream as his blood hits the dagger carving. Dropping to his knees, he vomits and coughs up even more blood. Its not meant to be this way, only the blood of a dead pharaoh should be spilled here... ****** A. Get him out, FAST! ****** Quickly you turn around. To your surprise and relief, no doors are blocking the way out, and the way that you came in is your way out. Finally, some luck. Not wasting any time, you run to help Mike who is still on his knees. The dagger is still impaled in his left hand, blood pumping from the wound with every heartbeat. Suddenly he takes the dagger hilt with his right hand, and slides out the entire bloody thing a grunt. How he found the strength to do that, you have no idea. He gets up and gestures towards you to wrap the wound, eyes glazed and face pale, blood dripping from his mouth and chin. Oh God, don't tell me he's gone zombie again. You take your scimitar and slash your sleeve off of your shirt hastily, and wrap it up snugly around Mike's left hand. He doesn't flinch. He seems calm for someone about to die. No, he's not going to die, you think to yourself. Suddenly he begins walking briskly back towards the way you came, as if he's in no danger at all of dying, and you follow him. No words. Blood drips from his hand steadily, leaving a trail behind him. "Mike," you say abruptly. No answer. "MIKE!" He continues on, inexorable. Not even a look back. You rush quickly to get beside him, but he doesn't take notice of you. His seemingly unseeing eyes are fixed straight ahead, towards the first turn. Nothing has blocked your way yet, no traps have been sprung, but something tells you that not everything can go right forever. Wherever you go, bad luck always seems to be around the next corner. Not bad luck. Knights. As if confirming your thoughts, just as you round the next turn, an devastating earthquake

shakes the entire ruins, accompanied by an earth-shattering explosion, like thunder spread across the entire sky. Dirt and rock cascade from the ceiling in front of you, and you almost fall over. You begin running faster. Mike is still walking. Another violent explosion, even louder than the last, causes the ceiling behind you to collapse, and as you look back, you realize it almost crushed Mike. The gaping hole reveals several tendrils of smoke rising in the night sky. Another explosion rocks the temple, accompanied by another huge earthquake, causing you to stumble. More dirt and rocks fall from the ceiling like a storm. You can almost see the entire ruins crumbling around you. You're almost at the exit now, and thankfully, it hasn't been blocked by rubble. Mike is still walking behind you calmly, eyes glazed, face bloodied. Another deafening explosion shakes the ruins, and this time, you can see it through one of the holes in the ceiling. You realize that there are bombs being dropped from the sky. "MIKE!" is all you can scream, with the exit in view in front of you. You can see Alex in the distance by the car. Mike doesn't respond though. He just keeps walking implacably. Suddenly he gives a start, and looks around him. Then starts running. Just as you both escape, a final, monolithic blast sounds behind you. The earth shakes with thunderous force. The sheer power of it sends you and Mike flying through the air. But the earthquake doesn't stop. The rumbling continues, like an unrelenting, adamant thunderstorm. As you look behind you, you see the ruined Succession tower collapsing. Charred remains and vast chasms cover what used to be the temple. What used to be tendrils of smoke are now billowing clouds. If this was ruined before, it's eradicated now. You walk numbly back to the car where Alex is standing, dumbfounded. Mike just strides over, face pale, eyes half-closed, though not glazed anymore. Blood is still dripping from his left hand, and you notice... His right hand still holds the bloodied dagger. Alex looks on towards the truly ruined ruins, and says, "I thought you guys were dead." "So did we," you say. Looking back there, you're surprised that you made it out unharmed. Suddenly you remember. "Mike! Your hand!" Mike raises his hand nonchalantly, and looks at the wound still dripping blood. "Shit." "HOLY SHIT!" exclaims Alex. "That looks like an arterial wound. Hold on, let me get my..." he trails off as you opens the trunk of the car. He turns around with a first-aid kit in his hand. He tells Mike to sit by him, and Mike listens, though he grips tightly to the dagger in his right hand.

"Dee, apply pressure with your fingers here," he gestures with his hand towards Mike's wrist. You comply, and ask, "Another first-aid kit?" "Yes," says Alex, stripping the makeshift bandage. He examines the pulsing wound with scrutiny. "This looks bad. Very bad." He takes a tube out of the first aid kit, and squeezes some of the stuff out onto his hand and rubs onto the wound. Mike doesn't flinch. He hardly seems to know what's going on. Taking two bandages out of the first aid kit, Alex wraps them both around Mike's hand tightly. "Keep his hand up here," he tells you, raising Mike's hand above his chest. You realize Mike doesn't have enough strength to do it alone. "I think we might have to go to a hospital." What now? ****** D. Call someone ****** "We'll need a ride. Give me your phone," you say. Alex pulls the phone from out of his pocket, and hands it to you. You let Alex put pressure on Mike's wrist now. Despite his semi-consciousness, his right hand still grips the dagger tightly. "Who are you calling?" Alex asks. You drop the scimitar and begin dialing the number, and answer, "John. Or Scot. I don't remember." "Felix's cousin?" You nod quickly as you wait for someone to answer. Ring. Ring. Ring. A voice answers finally, "Who is this?"

"This is Dee. Felix's friend." "****! Where are you?! Did you ****ers steal my car?!" "It's a long story, but we're in a lot of trouble right now. Someone's already died. We need you to pick us up, fast, and take us to the hospital," you say briskly. Silence, then, "Are you joking?" Rage suddenly boils inside you. "NO, I'M NOT ****ING JOKING! Get here, right now." "OK, ok... Wait. Where are you guys?" "SHUT UP! We're at some ruins." You tell him the directions hurriedly. You hang up after you finish talking to him, not waiting for any good-byes. Alex glances at you, still holding Mike's wrist to stop blood flow, and asks, "Well?" "He's coming." Alex looks at Mike's hand again. The bleeding seems to have slowed a little, but not much. His eyes are closed wearily, but his other hand still clutches the plain dagger. "Maybe we should take that away from him," suggests Alex. "Do it." Alex pries Mike's right hand's fingers open, and takes the dagger. As soon as it leaves Mike's hand, he starts shaking his head and muttering something. He stops abruptly. "... Is he alive?" you ask. Alex looks at you blandly. "He's still breathing." He puts the dagger in the first-aid kit, still by his side, and closes it. The night gets cooler as you wait for John to arrive. Silence fills the area, and the billowing smoke clouds eventually disperse from the ruins. You lay down beside the scimitar on the sand as a strange depression suddenly fills you. First I lose Amy, now I'm losing Mike. I'm killing them both. Even stranger, is the odd urge to enter your own mind. It was calming and exhilarating somehow, to feel that sensation... But just as you leave your mind, you remember something. You get up again and begin dialing on Alex's cell. "Who are you calling now?" he asks.

"Sean." Ring Ring Ring A voice says, "Hello?" but it's not Sean's. "Who is this?" you ask warily. "Dave." You breath a sigh of relief. "Oh. Where's Sean?" "Being questioned." Stunned, you ask, "Why?..." You severely hope it isn't for using a Forbidden Art. He saved your life with that knowledge. "Can't tell you," he replies curtly. "Why did you call?" He may as well be Sean. "You know about the mission, right?..." "To Egypt? I know you're on a mission, but I don't know what it is." "... Are you serious?" "Sean didn't tell us. He did tell us you were coming home soon." You take a moment to think it over. "So... You don't know anything about what's happened on the mission to Egypt?" "I barely know anything about what happened in Morocco, besides you guys meeting Pythagoras. Sean doesn't keep us updated on these things." He pauses, then asks, "Why, is there something I should know?" "Well..." you begin. But just as you do, you see headlights in the distance. "****, I gotta go. See ya man." Before he can say bye, you hang up. The headlights come closer, and you realize something. How are you going to explain about Felix? You thought explaining his burns was going to be hard... The red Honda pulls up quickly, blowing sand and dust behind it. The car remains on as the

two front doors open, and two men step out. You stand up. As they come closer, one resolves in Scot. The other looks almost exactly like Felix, except taller and darker. You take that one for John. "Was there a fire here or something?" Scot asks. Can fire rip through 3000 year old, three-feet thick wall? "Sort of." John suddenly asks, "OK, tell me, where the **** did you put my car?" "I told you, it's a long story. I'll tell you on the way back." With a look of impatience, he then asks, "Where's Felix?" Scot and Alex start half-carrying Mike into the car, and you reply, "He's still in the ruins." John looks at you incredulously. "Still... ****. OK, I'll go in there and look for him. Scot can pick me up later." You shrug and say, "K, whatever." After picking up your scimitar and Mike's crown, you start striding towards the car, and John starts walking towards the ruins. He's ****ed. Oh well. You get into the car, where Alex, Mike and Scot are already waiting. Alex is tending to Mike in the back seat, so you take the front passenger seat. When you enter the car with the scimitar and crown, Scot stares at you suspiciously. "Why do you have those?..." "Long story. Drive." After the dull, endless sands of the desert, the still brightly lit streets of Cairo are overwhelming. But all you can think about it going home. But without Amy... No, Sean said the COP would rescue her. But he's being questioned now. For using a Forbidden Art, or?... No, he can't be a Knight. He's bound... But Jacob... Remorsefully, you think about leaving Amy behind in the ruins, at the military base, wherever she is. How many times have you betrayed her? You can't leave her in the Cult's responsibility... Well, it's certainly better than your responsibility. People seem to have a thing for dying under yours. Your thoughts become scattered as you drift off to sleep... But just as you begin to fall asleep, the car stops, and the rest of the passengers are getting out. Now jerked fully awake, you realize you're at the hospital, in front of the emergency ward. Alex and Scot are already carrying Mike inside.

You leave the scimitar and crown inside as you step out of the car. You notice the first-aid kit containing the dagger still in the back seat. Also, there seem to be blood-stains on the seat. ****** You decide to leave the car as it is, the blood stains were obviously from Mike's profusely bleeding hand. You enter the hospital and sit in one of the chairs as Mike is taken back into the ER ward. You lay back against the wall and read a magazine. You finally decide to step outside as you lose your last nerve reading Cosmopolitan and listening to the Dawsons Creek theme song over and over again. Upon going outside, you are met with a strange sight. Three guys are playing hacky-sack in the middle of the ambulance lane. Upon more precise inspection, you see Jimmy, Mark and Tyran. You walk up to them, but upon getting within 3 meters of them, they disappear. You instantly walk back inside and figure Dawson's Creek is a more bearable a mind**** than seeing your former friends playing hacky-sack and then disappearing out of nowhere. You sit back down, and Mike hasn't been discharged yet. You figure that this is a great time to ponder and plot out your next course of action. However, you decide to learn a technique you read about in the book that the COP sent you. It is called "Seeker", a type of almost heat-seeking mind GPS where if you can master it, you can pinpoint the location of any individual anywhere on Earth. You sit there with your eyes closed, focusing very sharply on the aura and feelings of Amy's physche. You begin probing with simple images such as her dad, house, and school. No hits. You decide to expand deeper, with thoughts of Zack God of Death, and people calling her freak. A slight flicker of emotion is felt. You must probe further. You make her think of the first time you and her had sex. Even more emotion stems.. Her trail is beginning to formulate. You probe the thoughts of the kids named Darth Vader, and the fake fapmaster getting pwned by your lazer. You pick up a large mental signal that she is in Egypt. One last probe, and you'll know her exact location. You project that fateful meeting on the rooftop of your house, where she was singing, and

the first time either of you experienced love.

You then get the location, and you nearly **** bricks. It's the boiler room underground, UNDER JOHN'S COLLEGE. ****** B. Wait for Mike, THEN C. Find a motel and gather supplies. THEN A. Go NOW ****** You get up, deciding to ask when Mike is going to get out of here. You're tied to him more than ever now, and it'll be wrong if you just leave him here. Alex suddenly turns in from the end of the hallway, and takes a seat beside you. "How's Mike doing? And where's Scot?" you ask. "No idea," he says, picking up a magazine. Suddenly the door to the room in which they took Mike opens, and a surgeon walks out looking disgruntled. He's about to go down the hall which Alex came from. "Hey!" you yell to him. He turns quickly, face going blank. "How's my friend doing?" He looks at you, expressionless, then says, "We've done what we can," and walks away. We've done what we can. What's that supposed to mean? You get up and begin walking towards the door that they took Mike into. Someone behind you yells, "Hey, you can't go in there!" but you change their mind without even trying. You push the door open, where several doctors are standing around a bed casually. They don't seem to be operating. Upon your entry, some of them look at you. One of them, a tall, gray-haired man turns and says gruffly, "Who are you? You're not allowed in here." You walk towards them, swiftly compelling them to move out of your way, to regard you as a person of authority and command. Mike's figure is lying on the bed, eyes closed. His hand is wrapped up in more bandages than before. Mike's eyes open when you come to his bedside. They don't seem weary like they were

back at the ruins. "You alright?" you ask. Mike smiles, though not as lively as some of his grins. "Meh, could be better." "Do you have any idea when you're being released?" "No, but I could get out right now. As long as we're just going home." "What do you mean?" "It hurts, but as long as I don't strain it... The wound could open again." You nod. Time to get to the point. "I know where Amy is." Mike looks astonished. "How?..." "Mind-trick that I remembered." Wait. Was that technique really in the book?... For some reason, you're starting to doubt yourself. But where else could you have learned it? You continue, "She's under John's college. Boiler room." Mike thinks for a moment. "John's college..." He suddenly gives a start. "Did you ever figure out what happened to us that day? When we blacked out?" You suddenly remember as well. "The headmaster... You were in his mind, weren't you?" "Yeah. I don't think a Knight would let that happen." "There are probably Knights there, anyway..." Probably? "Well, do you wanna come or not?" "Pft, of course I do!" Mike jumps out of the bed and stumbles for a moment, then catches himself quickly. "As long as I don't have to use my left hand." You keep the hold on the doctors' minds on as you both walk out of the room. Some people look up, visibly not interested. The only person who looks surprised is Alex. "You're out already?" he asks, getting up slowly. He shoots a glance at Mike's left bandaged hand. "Yep," says Mike, grinning weakly. Alex then says blandly, "Well, we should probably find a hotel or something. Unless you guys want to leave tonight."

You shake your head, and casually say, "We're going to get Amy." Dropping his voice to a whisper, he says, "You don't know where she is. Let the Cult get her." "I know where she is," you say calmly. I'm coming Amy... "The college." Alex doesn't look surprised at the news. Instead, he frowns and begins thinking. Then he whispers, "We'll need to arm ourselves." You take a look around the room. Nobody seems interested in your conversation. "I don't think we'll find guns anywhere here," you say. Mike suddenly laughs softly. "Guns? We have our minds." "Guns would still be useful," you say. Mike suddenly looks serious. "We have the dagger and scimitar. We're fine." Confused, you think, How are they going to keep us safe from bullets? "Whatever," you say. "They shouldn't know we're coming. If we're quiet, we can get Amy and our ****, then leave." Scot suddenly walks in from the hallway, and looks at Mike, gaping. "Already?" He shakes his head. "Well, anyway, I was just gonna say, I'm heading back to the dorm to get some ****. Then I'm gonna head back to the ruins, pick up John." Grinning inside, you welcome the sudden good luck. "We'll go with you. Maybe we can stay another night." Scot just sighs and says, "Whatever. Come if you want." You follow Scot outside towards the car. Alex takes the front seat this time, so you and Mike are forced to sit in the backseat. Where does Alex rank on your suspicions now? He saved Mike's life, but... Maybe he's just trying to get on your good side. Look at me, you think self-loathingly, Can't even stop suspecting somebody who saved my friend's life. Mike is toying with the plain golden crown with his right hand, but his eyes remain on the first aid kit containing the dagger most of the time. Your hand grips the scimitar tightly. I'm coming, Amy.A strange mix of emotions begins to rise in you, but above them all is rage. Pure, cold, writhing rage. You grip the scimitar even more tightly.

Finally, you arrive at the dorm. Many of the statues aren't recognizable in the dark, but you can tell it's the same place. You all leave the car, scimitar in your hand, dagger in Mike's. Alex leaves the first aid kit and crown inside the car, deciding that you could come back for it later. You tell Scot you have to talk outside with the other two for a while, so he goes inside. "What's our plan?" asks Alex. Well? ****** B. Sneak (ninja style) ****** You decide that the element of surprise is your friend as you slowly walk along the building. You look for a separate entrance that may lead under the dorm, to the boiler room. As you walk along the east wall, you see a door marked "Authorized personnel only, Boiler Room" ... ... This seems too easy... you think. You try the door, only to find it locked from the inside. Quickly, you create a plan in your head. "Hey mike, lemme see that dagger." You tell him. He hands you the dagger, and you shove the tip into the lock. You push in at every angle you can think of. Twisting it in every direction, but it just won't give. "Hey Dee..." Alex starts to say, but you cut him off. "Be quiet, I'm concentrating." You tell him. Frustration starts to overcome you. Forgetting about stealth, you pick up the first thing you see. A huge rock. You walk back to the door, and wail on the door handle repeatedly until finally, it just falls off. You reach your hand into the now empty hole in the door, and pull it open. Mike and Alex just stand there shaking their heads.

"What?" You ask. Alex opens his hand, and you see a little key gleaming in the palm of his hand. "Sean gave me this skeleton key before we left. I was trying to tell you about it, but you were ignoring me." He tells you. ...Oh ... "Well... it doesn't matter now! The doors open! Let's go." You say. The three of you begin your descent into the unknown. You heart and mind are racing. I'm coming Amy. I'm here for you. I'll leave here with you, or I'll die trying. As you reach the bottom of the stairs, a putrid odor fills your nostrils. "What is that?" You ask with your fingers covering your nose. "That is the smell of death." You hear Alex say quietly. You look at your surroundings, and you see that you have found the boiler room. You reach out with your mind to try to locate amy. You sense three people besides you, Mike and Alex. And one of them... "Amy!" You say excitedly. "Where?" Says Mike looking around questioningly. "She's through that door." You tell him, pointing to a door across the room. However, before you even take a step, two men walk out of the door. One of them is average looking. Upon feeling his mind, you can tell he's KoR. The other one though... his mind is completely closed. He looks to be in his early twenties. His skin is somewhat pale, and his hair is bright white. He doesn't look surprised to see you at all. "Hello Dee. We've been expecting you." Says the white haired man. "Who are you?" You say as you raise your scimitar threateningly. "Ah, forgive me. My name is Serge. I am one of the four generals." "Four generals?" You say questioningly. "Yes. Four leaders of the KoR. I was informed you were in the area, and I knew sooner or later, you would come for her. I have orders to bring you back alive, but... accidents

happen." He says glaring at you. "Personally, I would just kill you and solve the KoR's little problem right now. I could say you resisted." As he says this, he begins to draw a sword. It looks to be a katana about five feet long. "Tell me Dee, does this girl mean enough to sacrifice your life?" What do you say. ****** A. **** yes! (Charge at him with your sword) ****** Serege's question echoes in your mind. Is this girl worth sacrificing my life? What is my life? Everyone I ever care about ends up dead. What would I live for if Amy died? Nothing. She is everything to me. "Fuck yes!" You shout as you run at him with your sword held to the side, dragging on the cement floor creating sparks. You can't explain it, but somehow, you know how to use it. As you swing your sword up, he quickly steps to the side. Followed by a quick slash down. You throw your blade up just in time to catch his. Fuck! You think. He's good. What the hell am I doing? He continues to slash at you, but you sense somethings wrong. It's like he's not hitting you on purpose. "Is that all you've got Dee?" He mocks as he dodges yet another of your futile blows. As you struggle to block his sword, an idea comes into your mind. You glance over quickly to see the other man, who you suspect is a guard, just standing there watching. He has a gun! You think to yourself. You reach out with your mind, and enter his. He was so pre-occupied with the fight, that he didn't even know you were there until it was too late. You make him raise his gun and aim at Serge. Serge must have noticed you look over at the guard, because he stops hacking at you long enough to see the gun pointed at him. Before you have a chance to make him pull the trigger, Serge quickly runs over and effortlessly removes the guards head.

"Nice try Dee, but it's just you and me. No one else is allowed to interfere." He runs at you and does a quick attack from the left. You block it just in time, but just as you hear the resounding note of steel meeting steel, he redirects his blow, and cuts a deep gash in your left thigh. You drop your scimitar. "Aaagh!" You scream as the searing pain rips through your mind. "Pathetic." Serge says. "This is what the KoR are so afraid of? Hah! I shall end your meaningless existance." As he raises his blade to end your life, so many thoughts run through your head. Is this how it ends? Maybe this is what I deserve. Will they let Amy go if I die? No. They'll probably just kill her too. As you begin to accept your fate, you see movement out of the corner of your eye. Just then, mike stabs serge in the back with his dagger. Serge cries out in pain. Then quickly turns and runs his blade all the way through mike's stomach. All the way up to the hilt. He then twists the blade before pulling it out. You watch as mike falls to the floor. You don't know if he could survive that. No. Not again. Not another casualty. Not Mike. This can't happen. Can't I save anyone? You are frozen with shock. The only thought you have now is that if you're going to die, you want it to be as painless as possible. So you enter your own mind. Seeking the comfort of your memories. As you enter your mind, you see Mike there. He's unharmed and happy in your memories. You also see Amy. You see Dave, Jimmy, Tyran, Mark, Sketch, Even Krissy. Your old life. Before everything went to hell. I just wish I could go back. Wait... no. If I went back maybe I wouldn't have met Amy. But then she wouldn't have been put in danger. Maybe she would have been better off not knowing me. "Pathetic." You hear a voice say. You turn to see the shadow of yourself standing before you. "Go away." You tell it. "These are my memories, this is my mind. I want to die peacefully."

"So you've given up? You just don't care anymore, is that it? What good were the sacrifices everyone has made if you just give up and die?" "But what can I do?" You ask desperately. "Simple. If Sean can enter the dream world, then so can you. You have been given power there Dee. Unimaginable power. You can shape it as you see fit." "But I don't know how." You tell him. "I told you Dee, I will give you power. But only when you truely need it. I think now qualifies. When you exit your mind, I will take control of your body long enough to transport both you, and Serge, to the dream world." You realise that you don't really have a choice. It's this or die. So you agree. You retreat from the memories you were viewing, stopping momentarily to look at a picture of Amy in your mind. I won't give up Amy. I'll save you. As you feel yourself leave your mind, you see through your eyes again. Serge is still standing by mikes lifeless body. His eyes are on you now. As he begins to walk toward you, you feel your arms move by themselves. Your hands begin drawing unknown glyphs in the air, while your lips silently speak words you don't know. Almost instantaniously, the world around you goes pitch black. Everything and everyone but you and Serge fade away into nothing. Shocked, Serge looks around. "What is this!?" He demands. "What sort of trick is this?" While he rambles on, you realise that your leg is fine in this realm. You slowly rise to your feet, scimiar in hand. Serge looks at you as if he had forgotten you existed. "What sort of trick have you played on me? My mind is impenetrable. There is no way this should be able to happen." "This isn't a trick." You tell him with hatred laced in your voice. "This is where you die." "Ha! Foolish child. Do you honestly believe you stand a better chance of killing me just because you moved us somewhere else?" "Yes. I do." Is your simple reply.

And with that, you raise your scimitar, and you feel the anger inside you. Mike might be dead because of him Your anger burns inside you. It feels as if it has life of it's own. As you feel the intense hatred boiling inside you, flames start to dance along your blade. White hot flames. Serges eyes grow wide, and he opens his mouth in astonishment. Before he can even speak, you close the distance between the two of you, and swing your blade directly upwards. He attempts to block, but your sword cuts directly through his before cleaving him completely in two. As his body is rent asunder, the world fades back to normal, only Serge is nowhere to be seen. You regain your thoughts, and you see Alex crouching by Mike, who is bleeding profusely from his midsection. What do you do? ****** B. Have Alex take Mike to the hospital, and you go get Amy ****** "Alex!" you scream. "Get Mike to a hospital, NAO!" Alex rushes as he takes his shirt off and wraps it around Mike. You stand there with suspicions about Alex. Seriously? A skeleton key for the entire building?But you put them aside... for now. Amy>Mike Gleaming at the door you sense Amy in, the smell of death invades your nostrils harder than before. Mike and Alex are now gone and your hand is on the pullable door handle: |[| Slowly you creak the door open a couple of inches to get a feel of what's inside the room before barging in (mazing how much more aware you are now than you were before the fight) but as soon as you open it you don't sense Amy anymore. "What? I know she was right in this room," you think, swinging the door wide open. Nothing but a dark room full of mirrors... ...your frustration increases and hope is almost lost when you see Amy's cell phone at the corner. You run towards it and slide to your knees to pick it up, immediately flipping it open.

*pic of you and Amy kissing* Two tears run down your face. You know what you need to do: ****** B. Look around the room for anything else ****** Putting Amy's cellphone in your pocket, you take a look around the dark, mirrored room. A small table covered in several reports is at one side of the room, with just a stool in front of it. Your reflection comes nearer as you walk towards the table. Hastily, you shift through the reports. Most of them are maps, but none of them... Wait. You shift back one paper. It's a crudely drawn outline of the ruins. None of the inside is shown, but a line travels from the entrance, to a large circle shaped figure... The dome? Then back inside, towards the Succession tower. You shake your head. Obviously, the Knights knew about the ruins before you did, and knew what to do once they were there. Again, shifting through the reports, you pick out one that stands out. It seems to be a map of sorts, but it's so complex that you can't make out any words at first glance. Then, slowly, you pick out some words... Silo, bunker, barracks... Gradually, the map begins to make sense. It's the military base, the one east of the airport. Apparently, it's armed, with missiles, ammunition, artillery... What the hell are they planning? Shuffling through the papers, an eventual stack of useless papers grows on the ground, while some that look important end up being folded and put in your pocket. There isn't any more on the ruins, or the military baseNo. What was that? You pick up the report that you just threw away, and read it carefully. It takes time to make out the messy scribbling, especially with the ink smudges. If they fail, destroy the tower. You will know if they fail. Do not question this message. Use the missiles if necessary. Do not question this message. It comes from his hand. It is not signed, but somehow you know that this message is important. You shove it into your pocket with the rest. Finally, the pile of reports comes to an end. The rest of the eerie room seems empty, but your eyes could play tricks on you in here. You walk around the perimeter, just to make sure, but nothing else is in the room. All for nothing. Mike dying again, and for what? A cellphone? Maybe I can track... Wait... How did you manage to come here? How could you have been so sure Amy was here?

Some mindtrick that you learned somewhere?... Whatever. She's not here. Another failure to add to a long list. Weary and bitter, you sit on the cold stone floor. Alex and Mike are on their way to the hospital, probably in Scot's car. If Mike dies, you don't know if you can live with yourself, even if you do find Amy. Somehow, you know that if Mike dies, you'll know it right away, and be impulsed to kill yourself right there and then. You close your eyes and seek your own mind for comfort. Upon entry, the prevailing emotion is self-loathing. You're not surprised by this. You go deeper into the realm of your mind, and eventually memories begin forming. They do not interest you. They do not help. Finally, you reach a place where all emotion seems to numb, and you're left feeling dead and frozen. This must be as deep as you can go. There can be no greater unfeeling than this, no greater salvation. That dreadful voice, your own, suddenly whispers, Deeper Dee, you can go deeper... Who is this? Anubis? The voice cackles. Anubis? Yes, I am Anubis. More cackling. Fear. You're not Anubis. Get out. NO U! You're thrust out of your mind by some intrinsic force, by the voice, by yourself, you're not sure. Your eyes shoot open. Fear is prevalent in your mind, but your body still seems calm, as if the effects of the numbing were still there. That voice. It had to be a Knight; there's no other explanation. What else could enter your mind like that? After sitting for a while, getting yourself under control, you suddenly remember Mike and Alex. I should probably get going. You lift your scimitar to examine it quickly. No nicks are in the blade from the fight. It still shimmers faintly, in the barely existent light of the room. How did you know it to use it? Whatever, you can answer that later. What now? ****** A) Get to the hospital somehow ****** You realise that its best to get to the hospital with Mike and Alex. Trying to forget the

voice and ignore the pain, you head back up the stairs and into broad daylight. You start heading through the campus, ignoring the gasps and shocked looks that people have when they see the scimitar in your right hand and then a mssive cut on your leg. There has to be a usable vehicle somewhere... you think to yourself. You feel the touch of liquid against your skin. Blood. The cut is getting worse. You quicken your pace, even though the pain is forcing you to limp. You look down to see a large area of your pants has turned red as the crimson liquid soaks the denim. Gritting your teeth, you stagger on. Suddenly, you hear several shouts from across the campus. You turn to see a white ferrari speeding across sidewalks, around park benches, and through grass. Your hand tightens around the hilt of the scimitar, and you prepare yourself for a fight. The ferrari turns and squeals to a stop right in front of you and the passenger door opens half a second later. Inside sits Dave. Even when everything goes to hell, Dave still does stuff with style You think in disbelief "Get in," he commands. Your so glad to see him that you have to pause for a second before you process exactly what he just told you. You nod your head and leap in, slamming the door behind you. He squeals the tires and takes off. "Dave, we need to get to..." "The hospital, I know." He says, pressing even harder on the gas. "I've got some of the cult's medi-gel in the back. Its basically the only thing that can help Mike." A sudden swerve forces you to lean into the car door. "And it probably couldn't hurt on that nasty leg wound". Even though your speeding through the city at about 85 or 90 miles an hour, you still feel a sense of safety. Dave has always pulled through for you, no matter what. Maybe some day you can repay him. The car suddenly skids to a stop. Both you and Dave immediately throw open the doors, and he reaches around and yanks a big box from the back seat. Slamming the doors shut again, you rush/stagger into the hospital. "Mike and Alex are here, Room 18H." Dave says as soon as you get through the doors. You easily find the room, and open the door to find Mike on a bed, unconscious, accompanied by at least 5 doctors and Alex. "The patient is fine, you all want to leave." Dave says, and the medical people all exit the room in a quiet manner. Wow, he can really mindf*ck you think to yourself. Dave replaces some of the medical bags with bags of the strange cult medi-gel, and the liquid begins to seep through his body. A little later, after a few minutes of silence and after you make sure there's nothing more you can do for Mike, Alex speaks. "So Dave, what's been happening in the CoP since we've been gone? And why'd you come all the way down here?" Dave sighs, and leans his head into his palm. "I'll tell you what I can. First of all, I think everybody should know that things have gotten out of hand back in the states as well as over here, and basically all around the globe." He pauses for a brief moment. "I'll say it in a nutshell. The battle between the Knights and the Cult of Personality is escalating to a total war. And what you and Mike found in that ancient egyptian temple could very well be the key to our victory."

OH, god no... "Dee, I probed around your mind a bit while we were driving to the hospital. There are things there that shouldn't be there. You have unbelievable amounts of power, possibly greater than the power of an Arch speaker, contained within your mind, and how you got it is beyond me." Dave says, a look of pure disbelief on his face. "We need to get you and Mike back to the CoP headquarters as soon as possible." There is a pause as you and Alex take the news. "an all out war...." Alex mutters quietly. "the last time that happened was thousands of years ago, according to the history books" What now? ****** C. Try to come up with a plan to get back to the CoP. ****** Dave, how are we going to do that? Alex questions after the thoughts of an all out war settle firmly in his mind. We'll need to take a plane at one point, but that can't be safe at all; the Knights are everywhere! Dave puts his hand over his forehead and closes his eyes. You figure he must be concentrating. You sense that something seems a little fishy.Dave... you start, where's Amy? There is a pause then Dave's hand moves down to his eyes. Dave? Are you alright? Alex asks. Another pause. Dave's hand is now over his mouth as he stares at you in somewhat disbelief. DAVE! What is it!? you scream. His silence terrifies you to pieces. You begin to tear up, again. The silence...Dave's silence... could not be any colder. Dave eventually turns around and puts his hand to his side, gripping the air. Dave, *sniffle* please tell me you know where she is... We'll be back for her. Don't you worry. What!? How do you expect me to just run away when I'm so close? Your rage seems to be taking over once again. You're not as close as you think you are! Dave snaps back, turning his head just enough to get one eye on you.

Now confusion settles in. Didn't he just say we'll be back for her? What does he mean I'm not as close as I think I am? Alex has now exited from the conversation and puts his attention on Mike. You probe him a bit just to get a view on his thoughts. I wonder how he'll handle the penis tube... You turn your attention back to Dave... Listen, Dee, Dave demands as he turns around, hands on waist, there's nothing we can do right now. But I can assure you that now that the Knights know who you are, and your powers that they won't stop coming after you. They are only going to use Amy as leverage; nothingshould happen to her. Dave's voice rings through your head as thoughts of Amy seem to be more clear. As for Mike, Dave pauses (again!@!??) Well, let's just say that he shouldn't be messed with right now. Fine. You give in to Dave's reasoning and bring back Alex's original question: How are we going to get back to HQ? Easy, Dave says. I've got a yellow submarine. Okay, you start, now all we need is... ****** A. to put that tube up Mike's you-know-what. ****** Okay, you start, now all we need is to put that tube up Mike's you-know-what. Uhm...yea, about that, Dave says. Well... NOT IT! Alex, NOT IT! You, Not it! Oh...damn. You hang your head in disappointment. Wheere do I staaart? you say slowly, trying to delay the moment. Here you go. Just don't force anything. Alex says as he hands you the tubing, dripping bits of the medi-jel. Better hope he's circumcised! Ugh...trust me, he isn't... you say out loud. Dave gives you a confused look. And how the hell do you know that?

Uhm... You and Alex quickly exchange looks, remembering about Erin. I... uh... well... You know how Mike likes to sleep in the nude, right? Dave gives you a look. Oh...yea. Don't tell me. He was sleepwalking that time? Uhm...SURE! you agree hesitantly while trying to figure out if Dave is reading you or not. Luckily, he's not; you don't think he wants a mental image of Mike walking around in the nude. ***A few moments later*** Dave, you say as you, Dave, and Alex escort the unconscious Mike on his hospital bed to the Ferrari, I understand that we'll be back for Amy later... but what about the others? What others? Practically everybody's dead. Don't worry, Dee. They'll all be taken care of. They don't call them Arch-Speakers for nothing. Hmph, you give, feeling somewhat unsure of how highly Dave treats the Arch-Speakers. What? Dave asks. Nothing... you say, lifting Mike with Alex's help from the hospital bed to the Ferrari's trunk. (Well he's not going to sit in the front!) In the Ferrari you manage to squeeze yourself in the middle between Dave and Alex. ***About a couple hundred yards from the pier*** I know about the reports you found, Dee. Dave says. You remain silent. And the voice... A cold shiver runs down your spine. Then you must know about Amy's phone, too.
Indeed,

Dave replies calmly. If I recall correctly, you noticed that the battery was still full. Is that so?
Uhm...yea it is. Why? Look at the date on the phone,

Dee.

You lean to one side to reach for Amy's phone. It says... [i]This can't be right...[/i] October 5th...
Do you remember

that date, Dee? Dave asks.

You look at Alex and without a struggle, mind**** him to go to sleep.

It's the day I first found myself Yes.

in the Cult of Personality, right?

Yes, it is. ****** A. What does this mean? ****** You can't process this information. How can the phone be out of sync? "Dave, what does this mean?" "I'm not quite sure, yet. We'll be certain once we get back to HQ." "What?..." Dave looks at you seriously before stopping at the docks. "That phone hasn't been used since then. Amy hasn't called you. The Knights will try anything to get you, and I don't know why. We need to keep you safe at the Cult." You undo the mind**** on Alex, and lift Mike out of the car. Amy never called me. And how safe are you at the Cult, where there could be KoR spies? Looking into the water, you notice with amusement that Dave wasn't kidding. Just barely visible above the surface of the water is a yellow submarine. It's not quite as big as you thought it would be. Carefully you and Alex lift Mike inside. You're amazed at the advanced-looking technology in the submarine. Hows does Dave manage to get this stuff? After Dave messes around with the controls and radars, he walks up to you and Alex, still carrying Mike. "Unfortunately, there's not much room on this sub. You'll find small rooms back there for sleeping, " he says, pointing at the back of the submarine. Dave goes silent, then you and Alex leave for one of the small rooms quickly, to get Mike a place to rest. Indeed, they are small rooms, barely enough room for a bed and table stand. After carefully lowering Mike onto the bed, Alex says, "I need some sleep." He walks into one of the other bedrooms as you exit. Suddenly Dave says, "Dee, sit down. Tell me everything that's happened since you got into Egypt. Everything." You take a seat cautiously. How do you tell Dave that you were raped, or how Erin died, or about the Forbidden Art, or... You stop as you realize Dave could be reading your mind

right now. "Sean told us some things. Not everything," he says curtly. You don't bother to enter your own mind, recollecting memories. You could leave out some things, surely. You start from arriving at the dorm, and taking John's car to the ruins. When you reached there, nothing bad happened. No mummy idea, no rape, no questioning. Instead, you continue the voyage through the ruins at that point. Dave nods as you tell him about the hieroglyphics, which Sean apparently told him about. You tell him about the archaeologists. Then, you reach the Succession tower part. Dave seems to listen more intently when you reach this part, but it's probably just your imagination. You tell him about the Astral Plane, and how and Sean went to Mike's aid in the temple. Now completely caught up in telling the story, you reveal everything about the rituals, to the very last detail. You tell him about the ants, Faith, controlling your mind... You reach the talk with Anubis that you had after you finished the rituals, and finally waking up to find Mike uncaged. Dave asks, "Do you know what the mission is?" You shake your head, "Anubis didn't tell me." In a bag by the radars and controls at the head of the sub, are the crown, scimitar, and dagger. Suddenly you feel tired, but you continue the story, at leaving the ruins to find Tim dead. After Alex came out, you and Mike went back in to find Felix... And Mike almost ended up getting killed. Bombs dropping on the ruins, calling John, going to the hospital... Finding out where Amy is? You stumble a bit at this part, because you don't have any memory at all about how you found her. You continue your story cautiously, looking for any other sudden lapses in memory. When you tell Dave about Serge, one of the four leaders of the KoR, he says, "I've never heard of him." Another sudden blank part in your mind. How did you kill Serge? You try to think, but nothing forms. You just know that he's dead. I need some sleep. The messages and cell phone in the room beyond... "That's enough," says Dave suddenly. "Give me the reports." You take the reports from your pocket and hand them to Dave, who then puts them into his coat pocket.

"Now," Dave says, "We have to talk." "About what?" Ignoring your question, Dave says, "I haven't looked into the prophecies at all, but some of them do allude to Egyptian culture. Sean probably knows better than me." You think this over. "So, the mission probably has something to do with the Cult and KoR?" "Probably. But we can talk about that with Sean later." You want to ask about why they're questioning Sean, but you remain quiet. "The Forbidden Arts," Dave says suddenly. "There are three. I'm guessing you don't know what they are." You shake your head. "One of them is Dreaming. You know that already. Another is mind control, although that is a misnomer. It should be called body control. It's when you enter someone else's mind so deeply, that you eventually take control of their entire body. The other person's mind takes a 'back-seat.'" You take this in calmly. Are you going to be punished? Dave goes on, "The third is called Reflection. What you call entering your own mind. For some reason, I don't think it's a coincidence that the Forbidden Arts were used by the first people to use mindtricks." Quietly, you ask, "Am I going to be punished?" After a pause, Dave says, "Why do you think we forbade these techniques?" "I don't know," you answer. Dave sighs, and says, "Dreaming causes lapses in memory, as you noticed. Not when you go to sleep regularly, but when you switch from reality to dream too fast. Eventually the lapses get worse. And, we don't know what happens to the person's body when you kill them in a dream." Something in your mind suddenly clicks. Is that I how killed Serge? Dreaming? "Body control is just plain scary," Dave continues. "Your body eventually decomposes. Your brain eventually decomposes. The conscious never does. So if you could keep switching bodies, you could live forever. Some of the logic of it still doesn't make sense."

You nod, and he goes on. "The third is Reflection. We know almost nothing about it, but we know that it can drive you insane. The urge to enter your own mind can be strong, but you have to fight it. The voices that people hear while they're in there, can eventually break out and start talking even when you're not in your own mind. Strange things happen to people who use this technique. Not even the Knights would use it." Fear enters you as you remember that voice. If it came up right now, and started raving madly, you're not sure if you could stand it. "So you see, there is a reason why we forbade these things. And I suggest that you stop using them." You nod, but you're doubtful that you can resist the urge to enter your own mind. Even thinking about it gives you a slight longing to be there. "Well, anyway, you should probably get some rest. It'll take a while to get back, and you look tired as hell." What now? ****** A. Go to sleep. ****** Alright, Dave. I guess it's been a while since I've last slept.
Oh, and Dee... Yeah...? Chuck the cell phones. We can't risk the KoR following us to HQ. I understand. Only,

Dave gives you another look.

you don't really understand. How can Dave expect you just to get rid of your only link to Amy? She means so much to you, and now that you have something of hers... ****** A. Toss it (its only a cell phone) ****** With great difficulty, you chuck the phone through the submarines nearby disposal chute, and hear a loud "PLOP" come from somewhere deep within the submarine. Memories of Amy start to flash into your head, the first time you two met, the first time you held hands, kissed, made love, and the situation that you're both in now. Your panged with grief, and perhaps sleep would do you some good, you haven't had any sleep since staying at Felix's cousin's dorm.

Oh ****, how/where exactly is Felix anyways? Maybe doing something on solid ground would be easier, you quickly decide in your head, and head to the bedrooms to catch some sleep. "Well Dave, I'm really going to sleep now, anything else?" you ask, without turning back, you have no idea if the memories of Amy plus the sudden grief would give you red eyes and make you look like a puss. "Nope" Dave replies without looking back, he's too focused on working the Sonar. You walk into the bedrooms at the back, and lay down on the bed, but, all that's happened in Egypt has cause you to not be able to fall asleep straight away, what do you do? ****** B. Fap ****** As you lay there, you begin to feel a sudden pressure around your testicles. When was the last time I fapped? You can't remember. So you decide to let the little guy breathe and slap the monkey for a bit. Just as you pull it out, you see a box next to your bed. It's marked 'Dave's stuff. Don't ****ing touch.' So of course you open it. And to your surprise you see... the biggest porn collection ever. :eek: You grab a few magazines, and begin to fap. It feels oh so good. And just when you start to feel like you might erupt, the whole sub begins to shake. Quickly stuffing your p3n0r back in your pants, you rush out to find Alex already there questioning Dave. "What the **** was that!?" Alex demands. "We're under attack." Dave says calmly. "It's a KoR sub at 3 o'clock." You walk over and peer out the window to see a blue submarine preparing to fire again. "Dave! What the **** do we do!?" You scream at him.

"Nothing we can do Dee. We don't have any torpedoes. The sub isn't big enough to carry them." As you hear him speak, you see two torpedoes being fired from the enemy sub. You hear Alex scream, but it doesn't register in your mind. As the torpedoes hit your sub, you hear a deafening explosion. The world around you goes black.

You slowly open your eyes. At first, you think you've entered the astral plain. But as your eyes focus, you can see stars in the sky, and you realize its just dark out. Every part of your body aches, but most of all your lungs hurt. You roll over to your stomach and begin coughing up water. Once you catch your breath, you begin to take in your surroundings. You're on a beach on what looks to be a good sized island. You don't see anyone else around. What you do see, is lots of palm trees, and tropical plant life. You also notice pieces of yellow wreckage washed up on the shore. Must be from the sub. Did it get destroyed? How am I alive? Where is everyone? Are they okay? Your mind races with questions. What do you do? ****** A. Look for the others, they might have washed up here too. ****** You do a complete turnaround, taking in your surroundings. As the world spins around you, you see a deep, transparent blue sea, rich soft sands at your feet and a thick jungle behind you. From the segment you can see, the island is a perfect circle, with a crust of open beach at the edges, and forest in the middle. What is it with these pokeball shapes? To your left is a stream, carving an opening from the forest and carving its way through the sands and into the ocean. You walk over to the stream and taste the water. You breathe a sigh of relief and savor the unsalted taste. Looking up at the opening in the forest, the stream soon wiggles out of sight. Walking over to the scraps of yellow metal- and sadly thats all they are- and see a page from a magazine. You pick up the page and curse loudly. Articles! Why.... Nothing else can you find in the wreckage, so you turn your back on the wreckage and look

back at the island. The trees are a mixture of thicknesses, some thin enough for you to snap off to make shelter. Your preteen instincts to make a cool base kick in. You also see in the distance a hill with a distinct peak towering above the rest of the island deep in the jungle, you could get a good view from there. Where do you want to look? ****** A. Look around the perimeter of the island ****** You start to walk anticlockwise around the outside of the island. Your clothes have dried by now in the scorching heat, however the crispy stain of salt is here to stay. You take a look at the bits of your body you can see, you seem to have ended up OK from the shipwreck, just a bit scratched. As the circular island monotonously winds around, you look out to the sea with a sense of foreboding. Where are they?.Are they OK? You keep walking, you don't know how far you've come. You can't have done a full circle- you would have come across the stream. The peak to your left still carries an aura of curiosity, but you continue your lap of the island. No landmarks have you come across yet, nothing of note, just the sand, sea and circular jungle, inviting yet repelling. You long for some signs of life, and walk over to the edge of the jungle for the first time. You cannot see anything, however your ears tell you that the forest is thriving with life, the buzzes of insects and songs of birds filling your ears intermittently when the waves subside. More shades of rich greens and browns than you imagined existed fill your view and although the vegetation is thick, you can see for a long way. Finally, you see the familiar sight of the stream, and although you are filled with relief that the walk is over, you know in your heart that it is bad news; you haven't found anyone. Turning, you orientate yourself to the hill top and start walking. As the greenery engulfs you the overwhelming sensation is calm. You might have expected it to be calm or scary, but you fell relaxed, your primitive side having a field day. When was the last time you played guitar? You think back to normal life, and do something you haven't done in a long long time. You sing. Walking faster now towards the center of the island, climbing and ducking through the thickening vegetation, you sing some familiar melodies. First quietly, then louder, you realize there is no one here to hear you, and soon reach an uphill slope. You quicken your pace and trip over. You are not hurt, back stay on the forest floor, lying on your back looking up at the canopy. You can see some fauna now, all that wildlife in the canopy, you can now fully appreciate the diversity of this planet, on this small island, the tiniest caterpillar to the tallest tree. You start to stand up but stop when you feel a weight on your chest. Looking forward you are greeted by the cheeky face of a monkey. Allowing it to explore you, the curiosity between you is mutual. As it stands to the side, you also stand. You must be twice it's height but you

are not scared. It catches your eye, smiles and runs off. You stand startled, then set off. The climb gets steeper now and the plant life is thinning, revealing rich grass and flowers. You reach the top of the hill, take a guitar pick from your pocket and plant it in the ground, like a make-shift flag, a token of your discovery. Not naming the island, you turn and see the most magnificent view of your life. All of what you have just seen, but a hundred times over, the force of nature overwhelms you. You lie down on the grass and fall asleep, the image of the jungle in the back of your mind as you drift away..... * Dark... cold... this is not what you expected. On the horizon is no lights, you cannot see a thing apart from the half moon high in the sky. You reach out in your mind, entertaining yourself with the magical but simple memories of the bugs and birds, the amount they have seen. * Morning comes, and it's time to decide what to do. ****** B. Build a shelter ****** All those episodes of [i]Man vs. Wild[/i] and [i]Survivor Man[/i] have finally paid off. First things first: build a shelter. You decide that the best place to build a shelter would be at the edge of the forest near the stream. It seems logical: high-tide shouldn't reach that far up the coast and the monkeys [i]should[/i] stay further inland. *** After about three-quarters of an hour of snapping [i]some[/i] trees and gathering big leaves you figure that you have enough supplies. Plus, your leg started to hurt again from that gash the [s]Rocket Brother[/s] KoR General had given you. You head back to where the forest rim meets the stream and see a suitable spot to start building. [i]Now if only I had a dolly to help me move all this crap.[/i] ...[i]or even a red wagon[/i]... Memories of you and your brother (before he became addicted to RuneScape and before you became addicted to Pokmon) playing happily with your red wagon around the lawn. Your brother cheering you on in the wagon and you pulling the handle, nearly tipping him over with every sharp turn you make... Oh, the sweet bliss of innocence... Actually building the shelter proves to be more difficult than seen on T.V. The sticks you have gathered can't stay in the ground for long and the leaves are pretty much useless until you get some kind of frame up. Luckily, you keep your cool. You don't get angry, frustration doesn't settle in, and you

seem to have a lot more patience than any previous time before. *** Its almost high noon when you feel satisfied with your... creation. The scrap metal on the shore from the sub really helped, too. Its dimensions seem to suit your size, though: 2yards long x 1yard wide x 1.5yards tall. [i]Not too shabby.[/i] A quick drink from the stream and not soon after, your stomach grumbles in rage. ****** D. Hunt down that monkey. ****** You feel your primitive side take over as you think of possible ways to get food. Immediately, the thought of eating mere vegetation is out of your mind. You want meat. You want to kill and eat meat. That monkey... A devilish grin spreads across your face. A thousand thoughts are going through your head, but one stands out among the rest. I'm gonna need a weapon... You head down into the trees, being as careful as possible on the steep slope, and start scouring the forest floor, looking for anything you can use to take down a little monkey. A large, club-like stick catches your eye. You bend over and pick it up. It feels nice and balanced in your grip, and you twirl it around in the same way that you did with the scimitar. You bring the stick down on the soft ground, and it puts a little dent in the earth below your feet. Grinning again, you set off. Where did I see that monkey in the first place? you think to yourself before remembering that you were just ascending the hill when it hopped on your chest. You head back around to the place where you originally saw it, and are pleased to find a few tracks in the soft, moist dirt that are most definitely those of a monkey. Slowly and carefully, in an almost Elmer Fudd-like manner, you follow the tracks, you stick held at the ready above your right shoulder. You come upon a small rise, and just over it you see the monkey. It appears to be eating a fruit of some type, and its back is toward you. Creeping up slowly, your fingers tense around the club. You raise it high, and bring it down in a sweeping blow. You let out a bloodcurdling scream right as the wood connects with the monkey. DIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!

The club slams into the monkeys back, sending it flying for several yards before it hits the dirt, unmoving. Haha, take that you little bastard... Your smile slowly turns into a look of surprise, as the monkey's hand, and then its hole body, begins to move. It slowly regains itself, and starts looking all around for its attacker. Its eyes land on you. It appears to grind its teeth in anger, and then starts circling you on all fours. "You want some more, huh?" you say cockily, slowly spinning the club in your right hand. You rush at it with another noisy war cry. "HIIIII-YA!" You yell as you swing the club downwards towards the monkey. In a split second, its out of the way and standing at least three feet to the left. what the? Never discouraged, you swing at it again, this time trying to hit its side. In a single, swift motion, it ducks and moves to the right, completely unscathed. Now obviously frustrated, you start circling the monkey. You raise the stick a third time. "Alright, you're going do-" The monkey leaps into the air, grabbing a low hanging branch. Before you know what's happening, it sends itself flying through the air, landing a monkey kung-fu kick straight on you're chest. The air leaves your lungs in a sudden, forced, rush, and you fall backwards onto the ground, the monkey still on top of you. It starts maniacally slapping you across the face, screeching and hollering like crazy. "FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-" You yell, before finally shoving the monkey off. It screeches mockingly before sprinting off down a narrow, natural pathway in the woods. Motherf*cker... you think to yourself, and immediately start sprinting after it, leaving your makeshift club behind. It barely stays in sight as you follow it over and under logs and fallen trees, around bends, and across tiny ravines. It disappears around a large bend, and without even thinking, you follow right in suit, still running at top speed. You come around the corner at a full sprint, and run right into a head-level tree branch. Your feet fly out form under you, and you hit the dirt head-first. You phase into unconsciousness for what seems like the hundredth time in recent memory. When you wake up, your first sight is the ceiling of your little self-made shelter. The smell of cooking meat permeates your nose. Slowly, you crawl out of the little building. Its still light out, but you can tell that its been a few hours since you were knocked out.

You see that somebody else is on the rise, as there is a canvas tent and a fire cooking meat. A rustling noise comes from inside the tent, and to your relief, you see Dave come out. "Wow, you can take on a KoR general but you can't handle a simple monkey?" He says jokingly. "I guess that all teenagers have a natural stupidity about them, no matter how smart they really are." mental facepalm... "Well... it was a... fast monkey" is all you can say. "Not fast enough to get away from me" he says, pointing to the meat on the fire. Suddenly, you realize something. I searched the whole island, how did he get here? You think, somewhat confused. "I washed up on shore in the middle of the night, Dee" He says, obviously reading your thoughts. "Dammit" you say quietly as you remember this little trick. "Watch your f*cking mouth," he jokes. "What do you want to do after we're done eating?" ****** A. Let's see if Mike and Alex have gotten here. ****** How about we go around and see if Mike and Alex got washed up here? That sounds like a plan, as simple as it is. The two of you agree, and sit down to eat the monkey meat, you get to eat the tail part, and its rather chewy, with a slight bitter taste to it, you and Dave strike up on a conversation. So, how was your uhh Journey here? you ask Dave, eyebrows raised. Dont really remember, I just woke up as I was close to the island, and let it wash me ashore. Dave replies, with a sigh. The two of you continue to eat after the small talk, the silence is almost deafening. Halfway through, the urge for a coke and a cookie is getting into you, meals were always the best with a coke and a cookie afterwards, topped off with maybe something sweeter like chocolate ice cream or mint. Mmmm, mint. If you ever get off this island, and overpower KoR, youve set to the first thing that youd do with Amy is grab some ice cream. Dave finishes his part of the monkey, and stands up, brushes himself and sets out the cave hole, looks behind and asks

You coming? You hasten your speed, munch down whats left of the monkey and scramble and run up to him, and the two of you set out to find Mike and Alex. 40 Minutes later, you do find Mike, and hes lying there on the beach, with Alex pulling him, you see the two of them reach the beach, and Alex falls. You and Dave run over to the pair of them, and Alex slightly mutters The medicine gel.. it washed off and Alex faints. ******
Well,

Mike seems to be in an okay condition, Dave says, but he should rest up, anyways.
Right, you say as you struggle with Alex's body back to camp. [i]How could I have ever

doubted Alex's loyalty?[/i]

You got paranoid, Dave replies.

Believe me, I wasn't too fond of that Faith girl either.

But now that she's a Mouth-

What!? you interrupt. I don't believe it either,

Faith? A Mouth!?

Dee, Dave says uncharacteristically, but she's proved who she is. You stand there in a trance of confusion. [i]How does one get promoted up anyway? [/i]Now hurry up and get Alex over by the fire, Dave demands, making a makeshift bed for Mike out of the leaves you didn't use for [i][b]your[/i][/b] shelter and lumps of sand. *** About twenty minutes later, and you can only guess it was twenty minutes because you played Master of Puppets in your head three times straight, Alex wakes up slowly. ****** Before Alex can wake up fully, you tell Dave, "Don't tell anyone. About the voice." Dave looks at you, confused, then says, "Alright." You can't explain it, but that place in your mind is yours, and only yours. Somehow, it belongs to you. It's your own box, free of the self-disgust, shame, and desolation.

The urge to enter it becomes stronger every time you think of it. Alex wakes up, and takes a look around. Without a word, he takes a chunk off the monkey and begins gorging it ravenously. Mike still lays asleep. ****** Dave lets out a sigh, probably to relieve some stress, and walks about 30 yards away. He looks into the sunset at the horizon opposite from the sea and points a hand directly to the right.
What's he doing? Alex

asks.

I'm not quite sure, you reply. Trying to find north? How can one [i]find[/i] north when one can only [i]look[/i] north? Good point. You boys are lucky, Dave calls

out from the distance. It doesn't look like there's a storm coming. Dave continues talking, but it eventually fades away to you... ***Flashback to last night*** [quote]Dark... cold... this is not what you expected. On the horizon is no lights, you cannot see a thing apart from the half moon high in the sky.[/quote] The rain begins to fall; drip by drip, patter by patter you begin to lose yourself. The thought of you never getting out of this island begins to sink in slowly. [i]If only Amy was here...[/i][quote]You reach out in your mind, entertaining yourself with the magical but simple memories of the bees and birds, the amount they have seen.[/quote] ***Return to present***
Now all we need Yeah...

is an ark. Dave finishes.

you reply softly in a monotone.

We'll get out of here,

Dee, Dave says assuringly. I just need to find our latitude and I won't be able to do that until it gets dark, when the stars are visible.
And how would you figure that out?

Alex asks as-a-matter-of-fact-ly.

I owned a yellow submarine; I HAVE to know this, Dave answers,

returning to Mike's side to check further on his condition. Depending on where we are will determine how long we'll be here. Rebuilding the submarine won't be easy with the limited tools we have.
LOL WUT? you and Alex respond. I've rebuilt that baby fif-TEEN times,

and not once has it been succumbed to the pressures

of the deep. You and Alex roll your eyes.

And out of those fifteen

times you never thought of expanding your defense system?

Well...no. There was no need to.

...and the small talk continued. Mike eventually woke up from his unconsciousness and ate the monkey's liver, as recommended by Dave. *** Later that night, Mike and Alex are resting peacefully while you and Dave watch the fire.
How has the voice been Okay I guess.

treating you, Dee? Dave asks.

All its given me are false threats. It hasn't even told me that it's going to rape me with a rake yet.
But it has used other memes? Hmm... you think back to when you first heard the voice.

Just one. 'NO U!' you tell

Dave. Dave chuckles a little, and you chuckle back. The chuckling soon turns into laughter, and laughter into loud lols and AHAHAs. Soon enough, after filling the night with laughter, Dave goes back to the spot where he first marked the direction north. He faces north, you assume, and points both hands straight to the horizon. He then, lifts his right arm until its about 30 degrees up. Dave gets on his knees and starts drawing on the sand. First, a big circle, about a yard in diameter, and then a bunch of arrows. You study what he is doing, trying to figure it out yourself until Dave says Its okay, go ahead and enter it. Two heads are better than one. You are a little shocked by Dave letting you enter his mind, but you do anyways, trying to find a sense of direction.
[i]How long have you been

on the island?[/i] Dave asks.

[i]A little over twenty-four hours.[/i] you respond.

Dave draws a vertical line a little off of the right of the center of the circle.[i]How many torpedoes hit us?[/i] he asks again.
[i]Uhm... I remember

us being hit by one, but after that I saw two of them out the looking glass and then... that's it.[/i]

Dave draws another vertical line on the circle, this time, closer to the center, and finishes with two horizontal lines creating a tic-tac-toe pattern: [IMG]http://i43.tinypic.com/x52ps0.jpg[/IMG]
It doesn't look like we ventured too far off course. We might not even

have to rebuild the

sub; it looks like a simple raft will do.

Is that good? you ask. You bet your ass it is! Do you have any idea how long it takes

to weld using only sunlight

and a [i]somewhat[/i] transparent looking glass?

Wow... Get some rest,

Dave says, nodding his head into the direction of the shelter you built. I'll put the fire out. First thing tomorrow morning we'll gather some fruits to avoid getting scurvy and then we'll see what we can find on this island for a raft.
Got it, you say,

letting out a big yawn and a large stretch.

****** You walk over to the shelter. Mike and Alex side by side take up most of the space, but you find a corner and lay down. You close your eyes, but Daves map is firmly planted on the back of your eyelids. You dont know what it meant, what the scale was, but based on the fact you were traveling from Egypt to America, you must be somewhere in the Mediterranean, north Atlantic or Caribbean. There are loads of volcanic islands and stuff there. You get confused in your own thoughts, and eventually resign yourself to bemusement for the night, drifting. You awaken, the light of the sky filling your horizon. Wheres the shelter? Where am I You quickly jump up and see Mike and Alex next to you, and turn to see Dave smugly standing next to a half built raft. He had taken the wood for the boat. Walking closer, he explains. Were using medium sized branches that are easier to deal with, bundling them together with vines to form stronger and more buoyant poles, then lashing them together in a grid. You see that he has about half the raft done. Can get me some more vines he says. Sure and you set off, following the stream this time, into the forest. For some reason you have always had a thing for natural, running water, and it is fascinating to follow the fast flowing stream. Up ahead, the stream disappears into a thick, vined area, so you rush ahead. Pushing

through the vines, you reveal a perfectly transparent splash pool, and waterfall falling about 7m into it, a perfectly round pond and clearing, it looks like something in a herbal essences advert. Forgetting all about the job at hand, you... ****** B. Tarzan swing from the vines into the water. ****** You haven't had a bath for quite a while, and the water looks so refreshing. Suddenly forgetting about gathering the vines and without even taking off your clothes, you grab one and swing out towards the pool, letting go right as you're over the center and gracefully cannon-balling into the water. You fully submerge yourself in the cool liquid, and break the surface again a few seconds later. You swim around the water in a dream state for a few more minutes before a voice brings you back into the real world. "Dave's not gonna like that you're slacking like that" Mike says, standing just beside the top of the waterfall. "But then again, he said that you probably weren't doing exactly what he said. Come on and grab a few vines, the rafts almost done." You slowly crawl out of the water, soaking wet, and make your way up to the top. You manage to yank a few long vines off of a branch as you leave for the shore. You see Alex now working alone on the boat, and a moment later Dave emerges from the trees with some makeshift paddles. Alex takes the vines and puts some final branches on and ties down what little cargo you have. You see the box containing the scimitar is on the raft as well. "Where'd you find it?" You ask, gesturing towards the box. "I found it lying in a creek bed while I was looking for supplies" Dave responds calmly. "Good thing, too. You never know when you'll need an old sword." You nod in agreement. Alex calls out. "Alright, this baby's finished! I say we head out now" ****** A. "Sounds good. Let's go!" ****** "Yeah, let's go," you agree. "First," Dave says, "We need food. Alex, get some fruit, whatever you can find. Take that sack." You and Dave carry the makeshift raft out to the coast of the island. Mike walks casually beside you, complaining about his hand. You drop the raft onto the water, and Dave begins examining it for the last time before

heading out. Despite it's rickety appearance, it's actually quite sturdy. "So, where are we going?" asks Alex, walking back with a sack full of fruit. "I doubt we'll be able to get to America on this thing." "We're heading to a COP base in Athens, Greece. There, we'll be able to resupply, and hopefully get back safely to America. But really, there are no safe places anymore." Dave continues at a confused glance from you and the others. "When the sub was shot down, I was receiving a report. I only got to read a few sentences, but Obama's been assassinated. That's one of the reasons the US is in chaos." Dave stops and looks at the raft. "Well, better get going." You all get onto the raft, and Mike pushes off from the coast. The raft is actually spacious, and there's enough room for everyone to be comfortable, along with the sack of fruit, the scimitar, and a little box containing a few extra clothes. The thought of how well you're going to sleep doesn't occur to you. Dave starts paddling first, and you agree on a cycle system. Alex goes next, then you, then Mike, if his hand feels better. As the island finally disappears behind you, the sun reaches it's peak. All around you, water stretches on infinitely. You've never been afraid of the sea before, but for some reason, it's making you uncomfortable now. And somewhere below it all, or washed up on some island, are the crown and dagger. Alex suddenly says, "I don't understand why it should hurt. The medi-gel should have taken care of it." Mike shrugs. "Ah, whatever. It's not too bad." You take a banana out of the sack and begin eating it, throwing the skin out onto the sea. "Athens," you say. "Wasn't that where the Cult started out?" "And the KoR," explains Dave while rowing. "The political strain is very strong there, considering both main bases are in the same spot." "Main bases?" asks Mike. "Well, since they both started out there..." "Ah." Dave continues, "It's also pretty big compared to the one in the States. And much more... grandiose. More interested in history and whatever."

"By the way, we can get new robes and stuff from the base there, considering yours got left behind in Cairo. Maybe you guys will be promoted." Dave laughs. "Ah, but I wish I could have saved Betsy..." "Betsy?" you inquire. "The sub," Dave answers. "Just took too much this time, I guess..." He continues rowing. What now? ****** A) Talk about the COP base in America (the KoR spies, new rules, new classes, etc.) ****** After a few moments of silence, you ask Dave, "How exactly is the Cult? Back in the States, I mean?" Dave grins. "Well, let's just say, we aren't going to be so lax anymore. We need every member to be trained quickly for the war that's coming. There's an earlier curfew and everything." Then Alex, mouth half-full with food, says, "You sound as if the war is inevitable." "It is," Dave says. "But the damage can be minimal, if you're ready." "What exactly will we have to do?" "Well, for starters, you're going to learn more about psychology. We've been teaching you mind-tricks too early, so you kids become dependent on them. You can manipulate people without them." You all nod impatiently. "What else?" you ask. "More politics, government structure and whatever. Yeah, sounds boring, but it's necessary. You're also ALL going to be learning martial arts, and simple weapon usage. Not all kids come in with gun experience." You smile at the mention of martial arts and weapons. There's something you have some interest in. Dave continues, "There's more, but it'd take forever to name it all." Suddenly remembering Faith, you ask, "What about spies? Knights, I mean, in the Cult?" Dave looks back without expression. "I doubt that's any of your business." You grimace, but he goes on, "Oh well. There was a kid named Phillip. I can't remember his rank, but it

was definitely above Mouth... After he died, we looked through his room. Turns out he was a low-ranking Knight." "Above a Mouth?" Alex asks, stunned. For that matter, you're stunned too. Faith told you about a guy named Phillip who committed suicide, way back when you were in... Casablanca? "We were surprised too. Looks like they can get past the binding, somehow. Ah, I saw it coming..." This all but confirms your suspicions about Jacob. Well, really, it's still just a suspicion, but it seems to have gotten much stronger with the new revelation. Maybe it's almost worth bringing to his father's attention again... Dave continues on about the Knights, "I believe we're making a new system, but I have no idea what it is. Only the Arch-speakers know. But the whole place is pretty much in chaos, because of one Knight. It's ridiculous." "So they haven't found anyone else?" you ask. "Nope." After another hour of rowing, Dave tells Alex to continue for him. He crawls out of the way and lays down, taking a banana out of the sack, and Alex takes up the paddles. Mike is also resting on the broad raft, shirtless. His left hand's scar still looks fresh, and in much worse condition than his stomach wound. You wonder if he feels any regret over the loss of the crown or dagger. Why would he? They don't mean anything. Just some symbols, for a stupid mission that some crazy Egyptians want you to go on. The plain scimitar lays shining in the sun, not rusting, not damaged in any way. How did you know how to use it? Oh God, Amy... The silence makes you uneasy, and the perpetual sea seems to be closing in all around, threatening to drown you. Your mind calls stronger than ever, but you fight the urge. Why you feel fear now, you have no idea. You just have to make conversation. What now? ****** A) Talk about CoP/KoR history. ****** "So, when did the CoP start?" you ask Dave.

Dave pauses for a moment. "I'll put it in a nutshell. The actual CoP started in Athens thousands of years ago, but its roots go back much longer, and what you found in the tomb only proves that. Those hieroglyphs were from around 4000 B.C., and the Cult only dates back to 1500 B.C. Back then, the CoP was publicly accepted, and we didn't have to work in the shadows like we do now. However, that all changed when a young and hotheaded group of people in the CoP decided that the Cult and its ways were weak and foolish, so they split off in a bloody civil war that cost countless Greek lives. Afterwards, both the Cult and the newly founded Knights of Reason dissapeared form the public eye, and vanished from history altogether." Alex chimes in. "You know about werewolves, right? How they originated from Greek 'myths'?" "Oh, don't tell me..." Mike starts. "Yep. Werewolves are -or were- a creation of the Knights. We don't know if they exist anymore, the Cult hunted them all down in the middle-ages." You sit quietly, recalling all the horror stories you heard as a boy. After a brief pause, you talk again. "So, anything else about the creepy night stuff?" you ask. Alex grins. This is obviously a subject that he's interested in. "You know about the Salem witch trials? Twenty-some people being burned for heresy?" You nod. "The 'witches' were actually Knights who were discovered using mindtricks and other weird things on villagers." He says with an evil grin. "You could go on for a while with all the dark and creepy stuff about the KoR" Dave says. "But there are a few more things you should know about history." You sit silently as the waves rock the little raft. The conversation helps you take your mind off the sea. "Most major wars have been started by the CoP or the KoR. WWII, the American Revolution, the Napoleanic wars, the Crusades... Basically everything besides the American Civil War, nobody in the KoR or CoP wanted that one to happen." He starts. "And for the most part, the wars ended the way we wanted them to, and only on a few occasions did the KoR achieve victory. In fact, Pearl Harbor was set in motion by the CoP just so America would become involved in WWII. If it didn't, the world today would be very different and obviously more like the KoR would want it." "So the World Trade Center?"

"That... that was the KoR. The CoP had no reason to do something as horrible as that." Alex chimes in again. "We knew that the KoR had some great and terrible plot in mind after they managed to put Bush in office and attack the Twin Towers." The conversation seems to end after that, but Dave brings up something new. "Guys, we're close to Athens. One of the CoP members there just contacted me. He used Mind-seek to find our position, and a boat should soon be arriving to pick us up. Apparently, all of the city is in utter chaos." Almost as if on cue, you see tendrils of smoke on the horizon. and that must be Athens... ****** A. Try to come up with a plan ****** "While we're waiting for the boat, why don't we try to come up with a plan?" you ask. "Good idea" Alex agrees. Dave appears to be concentrating very hard on something. You open your mouth to ask him what he's doing, but Alex stops you. "Another CoP member is giving him information about the city, don't interrupt" he says. After a short while, Dave finally speaks up. "Alright, from what I can tell, there are two ports in the city. One is controlled by Knights, and the other by Cultists. We'll get off the boat there, and try to make our way inwards towards the CoP base. I've also been told that somebody will be meeting us at the port, but I have no idea who." "Wait, why are we going to Athens if the whole place has gone to hell?" Mike asks. "We need to get to the Arch speakers there, and right now its probably the best place within our reachable vicinity. We wouldn't do any good wandering the Greek countryside, especially since a large group of knights could easily kill or capture the four of us when we're all alone." "Isn't there anywhere else in the Mediterranean?" You ask. "There could be, but right now we need to get you two to the Arch speakers." There is a brief pause, and then Dave speaks again with a somber tone in his voice. "Listen. What you're going to see in Athens and around the world isn't going to be pretty. Its not going to be a walk in the park, either. I need you two to be on your toes and as focused as possible, there are going to be guns and mind attacks all around. Mike, if the KoR knows

anything about what happened to you at the temple, you're going to be a major target." You remember what Anubis told you about being the pharoah's guard. Just then, you hear the sound of a motor. Off in the distance you see the tiny outline of a large motorboat. Before long, its pulled up right beside the raft. A man leans over the edge, extending his hand. You grab onto it, and he pulls you over the side and onto the white boat. Mike, Dave, Alex, and your equipment follow. Immediately observing the surroundings, you see that there is a cabin, and a large, open, passenger area in the back. There seem to be four men already on the boat. You see a turret-mounted heavy machine gun on either side of the passenger area, as well as several footlockers labeled "Weapons". "Coool..." Mike says, eyeing the guns. "Dave?" A voice asks from behind you. you turn around to see Dave bro-hug one of the men on the boat. "Steve!" Dave says. "Nice to see you again" You go through all the normal introductions, and find that the other three are called Bruce, Janick, and Adrian. Steve and Bruce walk into the cabin, and the motor starts again, sendig the boat into a U-turn towards Athens. "Alright, everybody here needs equipment." Adrian says commandingly over the roar of the motor. He opens one of the footlockers and pulls out two heavy, semi-automatic pistols and hands one to you and one to Mike. He then proceeds to give you both stainless steel army knives and two magazines of ammunition. He hands an Ak-47 styled assault rifle to Dave and a submachine-gun to Alex. You now see the smoke on the horizon is becoming more prominent, and before long it takes up a good portion of the skyline. You can make out the sound of gunfire in the distance, and a minute late you come upon Athens, and aren't surprised to see fires coming from nearly every building and smoke clogging the sky. As you draw nearer, a bullet plinks on the floor of the passenger area. "Jesus!" adrian shouts. Suddenly Janick jerks, and you see a bit of blood fly out from behind his neck. He goes limp and falls into the see. "Sh*t! Everybody down!" Dave screams. Adrian, Dave, Alex, and Mike all drop to take cover. What do you do? ****** B. Yeah, ducking for cover is a good idea right now... ****** Instantly you drop to the floor of the boat, and bullets ring off the metal of the ledge where you were just standing. Steve and Bruce, on your left, take their AK-47s and point them carefully over the ledge, and begin spraying bullets out into the port, suppressing the attackers for a moment.

While loading his AK on your right, Dave urgently whispers, "You guys stay down. Let us handle this." You exchange glances with Mike, on the other side of Dave. Unable to do anything, you wait as the rain of bullets continues. Dave finishes loading his AK, and carefully takes aim over the ledge. Unlike Steve and Bruce, his aim seems coldly calculated, every shot marked for the heart of a man. Suddenly you notice Adrian crawling slowly towards the cabin of the boat. What the hell is he doing? He should be helping Dave and the others, notSomething wet splashes onto your cheek from your left. You turn and see the lifeless body of Bruce limped against the wall of the boat, blood rushing from his head. Your hand rises to your face and comes away red. I should be doing something. Adrian has gotten closer to the cabin, but his pace is sluggish. You notice that his leg has taken a bullet. How could he be injured, if the attackers were below the boat?... "The rebels are giving us more trouble than the goddamn Knights," Dave whispers vehemently, reloading his AK. Sweat beads both his and Steve's head, while Bruce bleeds from his. You take a peek from over the ledge, and notice the windowed warehouse. Out of several of them, men with rifles and pistols are taking aim towards the boat. Beyond the warehouse is a forest, and beyond the forest is the chaos of Athens. You duck back down as more bullets rain upon the boat. Your quick look at the small, beached port showed that the attackers aren't organized. In fact, most of them looked like beggars in their clothes. So these aren't Knights. Well, I'm guessing they would have taken us out by now if they were. You, Alex, and Mike are lying uselessly, watching the battle. Why aren't you allowed to do anything? In a fit of disobedience and anger, you leave your mind and reach for the coast. Instantly, your vision becomes impaired, and the rest of your senses nonexistent. As you glide towards the port/beach/coast, you notice that more than half the rebels are lying dead or injured. Only about 20 remain, including those in the warehouse. You fly towards one of the men, a ragged man looking in his late thirties holding a pistol. You enter his mind. Danger flows through his mind as soon as you enter, and excitement, and vitality... Surely more than he's felt for the last few years of his life.

Pain. Left arm. Steve? This isn't going to work, you realize. You need full control of his body to get out of danger, to do anything. You dig deeper into his mind, and suddenly, a numbness comes over your mind. You, the man, drop your arms in awe. What's going on? a voice says in panic. I don't know, you answer. You see blood spray from your left leg, but feel nothing. WHO ARE YOU?! MY LEG! the voice shouts feverishly. You penetrate deeper, although you don't think it's possible. Why are you doing it if you think it's impossible? It doesn't matter. You pierce through the barrier. Life flows through your mind. Pure vitality, unleashed by some force inside you, unrestrained by the shackles of reality and reason. Your senses seem sharpened beyond possibility. Your eyesight is honed, so every grain of sand on the rocky beach is perfectly remarkable. The smell of death and seawater is so overpowering that it should be nauseating you. The sound of gunfire pierces your ears. Suddenly, a bullet punctures your left leg, but it doesn't hurt. Jolted out of your state of amazement, you run for cover behind the warehouse. Somehow, you're aware of everything going on behind you. 4 of the 18 on the beach men are following you, and the other 14 remain where they are. You turn around once you're behind the warehouse, and take a look at the four who followed you. Their dirty clothes and unwashed faces are the only things that set them apart. Useless. In a flash, you raise your right arm and plant a bullet in each of their heads, with perfect precision. They crumple in a heap. An explosion suddenly sounds from the beach, and you instantly recognize the sound of a grenade going off. So that's what Adrian was getting. You turn towards the stairs leading up to the top floor of the warehouse, where a door is slightly ajar. As you're going up, you marvel at your heightened senses, and how much you're... aware of things. You can't actually see anything, but you know that only about 5 men remain on the beach, and they're about to run. Another explosion. 4 men. As you reach the door, you stumble. You look down and see your leg bloody and still pumping blood out profusely. I'll be done soon. You can have your body back soon. Abruptly, you know that inside there are only two men, each so engrossed in their job they'd never notice you, if you're quiet.

You kick the door open with your good right leg, and it slams loudly on the other side of the wall. You laugh silently as the two ragged men, on the other side of the warehouse looking out the windows, turn in surprise, only to be shot multiple times in the head before falling over. Your super-vision begins fading slowly. I must be dying, you think, amused. Dazed, you climb slowly down the stairs. The sound of gunfire and explosions has ceased. The battle must be over. You trip several times going down. Reluctantly, you leave the mind of the Greek fellow. You're jolted back into your own, and you hear voices. "... let him go." "Yeah... too clever... fool..." You open your eyes, and say, "Hey." The voices stop, and suddenly all the others turn on you silently. Even Mike looks serious. You grin weakly. "What?" Dave speaks first, calmly, "You're an idiot. I told you not to do anything." Your grin fades, "I couldn't just sit here and do nothing. Bruce and Janick died!" "If you really wanted to do something, couldn't you just have used your gun?" His voice is still cold and calm. "Well, it's safer using mind-tricks..." "Not here." His voice suddenly becomes more angry. "I just told you about the Forbidden Arts on the sub, and now?..." Forbidden Arts? What do those have to do with anything? "Don't play stupid, kid," Steve says rebukingly. You give him an angry look, but Dave shouts, "You used mind control, you idiot!" Mike and Alex have broken off from the conversation, and are looking silently out towards the sea. "Whatever. We'll talk about this later," Dave says, looking to the coast. "Our ride is here."

You get up quickly and look in the direction of the battleground. Without your supersenses, this seems almost bland. Bodies litter the beach in pools of blood, but the smell of death isn't as strong as it was in your... previous state. What was that anyway? For some reason, the urge to enter your own mind is even stronger than before. Beyond the bodies, a black SUV is driving towards you. "You sure it's a Cultist?" "Yeah," answers Steve. What now? ****** A. Wait silently ****** You hear a click behind you as you're watching the black SUV come nearer, and turn around. Adrian is coming out of the cabin, with several dark cloaks under his arm. "We'll need to conceal the weapons." Still watching the approaching SUV, Dave says, "Come on, it's like a 15 minute drive." "Can't hurt to be careful." Adrian hands you all cloaks that are all exactly the same dark brown color. The insides have several pockets and belt-type things to hold weapons. You place your pistol in a pocket on your left side. After you're all ready, Adrian jumps off the side of the boat into the water. "What about the bodies?" asks Alex. "Leave them," answers Steve, jumping over. Dave picks up your scarce baggage and throws it down to Steve, who begins walking towards the SUV. You all jump off the boat into the shallow water by the coast. The bodies of the rebels lay there, already collecting flies. You start walking towards the SUV which has stopped beyond the bodies. Mike asks, "So, how long are we staying here?" Dave answers, "Maybe a day or two. Really, we'll leave as soon as possible." The door of the black SUV clicks open, and a thin wiry looking man steps out. His black hair is matted and messy, but his dark gray cloak adds some look of tidiness. He wears a small smile now, but the rest of his face is void of any emotion.

"Did they give you trouble?" he asks quietly. "Shut up," Steve retorts, carrying the baggage behind the SUV. "Let's go," Dave says before the other man can respond. He walks to the passenger side and gets in. No introductions, I guess. Well, chances are that the man already knows your names. Without a word, you enter the SUV, and the others follow. Space isn't a problem, as it's a big vehicle. Dave and the other man are in the front; You, Alex and Mike are forced into the back by Steve and Adrian, who take the middle. The baggage, containing the scimitar and other necessities is safely in the trunk. You fidget with your pistol as the man starts the car, and begins driving away from the carnage. You look out your window at the warehouse to your right, where you took wounds that didn't hurt, despite your senses being heightened to levels unknown to you before. The man who's body you took control of had probably bled to death by now. "Things are getting worse," Adrian says, making grim conversation. "Well, they're not getting better any time soon," replies Dave. After a pause, he adds, "But I didn't know the rebels would get this bad." Steve laughs quietly. "They always get bad." "I thought they would stick to rioting." "The rioting got worse. Violence got worse." You eventually lose interest in the conversation as you take in the scenery around you. White rock formations jut from the ground in the middle of forests of pines and firs and other trees that you really have no idea about. Clouds cover the sky and sun, but that does nothing to douse your amazement at these rock formations... They just look so cool. Around you, the conversation continues. "We need to get control of this army soon, or else..." "It's already out of our hands. We can't save this place." "Well, what about the armies on the border? If something can be done about them, then maybe Greece can stabilize itself." "You think you can just move 100,000 Turkish soldiers away from the border? For all we

know, the Knights have control of them." "What, Asia Minor all over again?" "Could be, if the Knights have control." The scenery around you changes suddenly, and in front of you are several classical Greek looking buildings, some ruined, some in good condition. All of them have that air of ancient age. "Where are we?" you ask. Alex answers, surprisingly. "The Acropolis. I recognize it." Steve murmurs something, but Dave says, "Our base is under the Parthenon." The SUV suddenly stops. Looks like you don't need your guns after all. The man driving, who hasn't said a word the entire trip, just gets out of the car and begins walking. You pick up your baggage from the trunk, and follow the man. Soon you're walking past huge white arches and ruins of gigantic temples. The area seems to stretch on for miles, and it seems almost ethereal beneath the blanket of clouds. Steve, Dave, and Adrian make conversation far ahead of you, Mike and Alex. The man who gave you the ride gazes around at the architecture. Not in wonderment, or admiration. His eyes seem to judge and weigh each individual building, as if speculating each and every one's fate. Alex looks around as well, though his eyes visibly show amazement. Mike grins, not as lively as some of his others, and says, "Maybe we can continue the sex tour here." You grin back. "Maybe." Ehhhh, What now? ****** D) Talk to this new guy for some reason ****** "Hey," you say with a grin to Mike, "Maybe we should introduce ourselves to that new guy." Mike looks at you, amused, then at the gray-cloaked man far ahead of the rest of you walking at a brisk pace. Alex doesn't say anything, as he's too busy examining his surroundings.

"Whatever. You can. He scares me." You laugh quietly, and say, "Alright." You rush past Dave and the others, who give you confused looks. Someone mutters, "What the hell..." while another person chuckles. You sure you wanna do that, Dee?, someone sends to your mind. After some thought, you realize it's Dave. You send back, Why not? Ah, never mind... Finally, you catch up with the gray-cloaked man. He doesn't look at you when you reach his side, just continues towards his apparent destination, a large, ruined temple of huge columns of stone, just 500 meters away from you now. You decide to start the conversation, in casual tones. "So. This Acropolis. Pretty nice place. When did you guys build the base?" The messy-haired man looks at you sideways. "We built the base when the Parthenon was built. A bit after." Silence follows, and you realize that this really isn't a talkative person. You ask him, "Have the Knights ever attacked it?" "Many times. Never directly though." "What do you mean?" He looks at you sideways again, and answers, "Knights haven't attacked it. Their armies have." No emotion spills through his voice, as though it's set to permanent monotone. You look back at the others. Dave and his party all wear grins. Even Alex has broken his wonderment with the buildings to observe you and this new guy. What the hell's so funny? "So, uh..." For some reason, it just comes to your mind that this man is far above you in the COP, and you should be showing some respect to him. ****, who cares? "I'm Dee. Dee Pitt. I don't know what they've told you about me so far, but I figure I should still be polite." The man grins suddenly, but continues walking towards the ruins. You guess it's the Parthenon.

"I am Davos. A pleasure to meet you, Dee. Indeed, I have heard much about you and your exploits. And really, you should show us a bit more respect." You're caught off guard by the sudden flurry of words, delivered in lively tones of friendly conversation; not in the cold tones of apathy. Davos continues briskly, "Maybe you can attend one of my classes, while you're here." "You're a teacher?" "Yes." He pauses and giggles. Is this man mad? "I teach emotional control, and some other branches of psychology. It really is an exciting class." He giggles again. Wtf? "Alright, well, see ya..." You fall back towards Mike and Alex. Dave and the others are still grinning, and Davos still leads you. You enter the ruins finally. The main part of the building is surrounded by large bulging columns. Some of them are toppled over and destroyed. As you walk inside, you see a large block of stone in the middle of the ground, which possibly could have been used as some sort of... talking stand. More columns surround the inside of the building. Davos walks up to the platform, and seems to concentrate on it. The rest of you wait in silence. A wind blows, cutting through the chasms in the temple. Mike suddenly whispers, "Dude, what was going on with him? I mean, why were they laughing?" You shake your head. "I don't know. Some inside joke, maybe. But you were right. He's pretty weird." The slab of stone in the middle of the room suddenly shifts, and then a strident grinding sound grates your ears as the stone shifts to the left. A dark hole appears under it, and soon, a chamber large enough to let three people walk down side by side is there. Davos signals for you all to follow, back into silent mode. The stairs are dimly lit by some unexplainable light, but the bottom of the stairs are much more bright. The walls going down are carved with complex and disorienting patterns. You can't really make out anything but odd shapes and lines. Alex examines these as well, going down.

When you reach the bottom, you're surprised to see that it is cave-like, yet with fluorescent lights above that brightly light the entire area. There are several wooden doors around the large room, with signs and maps beside each. With a sigh, Adrian says, "Are we done? I need some rest." Davos nods, and Adrian enters one of the doors and disappears. Dave turns to you, and explains, "You three don't need to see the Arch-maesters yet, so you can get some rest, or food, if you want. I've already reserved rooms for you." Mike, always eager for rest and food, says, "Where're our rooms, and where's the cafeteria?" Dave points to a door, below a sign depicting a fork and knife. "That's the cafeteria. Your rooms are in the Acolyte's quarters, down that hall, rooms 501 and 502." Dave signals towards a door below a bright-white sign. You realize you're feeling very tired. "What should I do with this?" you ask Dave, looking down at your baggage. Dave sighs heavily, and says, "I'll take it for now. Oh right, there are extra clothes for you in your rooms. No CoP robes yet though." You hand Dave the bag. What now? ****** C - Go to the cafeteria. Make some new friends that hopefully won't die. ****** Your stomach growls. Monkey, fruit, and water are the only things you've had since this morning, which seems like ages ago. "Well, you guys are on your own," Dave says, turning. "I have things to do. I'll call you when I need you." He begins walking, but then stops. Without turning back, he says, "And don't get into any trouble." He leaves with Steve and Davos on his heels. Finally, you, Alex and Mike are alone in the bright cave. "Well, what now?" asks Alex. "I'm kinda hungry." "Good," you reply, "So am I."

Mike's admission is not necessary, for he's been known to be eager for food most of the time. You head towards the cafeteria, still wearing those matching brown cloaks, with pistols hidden beneath them. Sure, outside maybe they looked cool, but in here you would look like some sort of... clique. The fluorescent-light-lit cafeteria is much larger than the one back in Albuquerque, in both size and population. Surprisingly, the ceiling and walls seem modern, unlike the caveentrance. Many of the tables are full, telling you that it must be about noon. Several people turn their heads when you enter. Most of them are wearing their CoP robes, and most of them are wearing something below dark gray. Alex doesn't stop to look around, just whispers, "Follow me." Wary and confused, you do as he says, and stride towards the food table casually. There are no chefs, or anything of the sort; just a large table of food, for anyone to grab. As you walk towards the tempting table, some people turn their heads curiously to examine you. Most of them, though, carry on with their conversations. Some of the topics catch your interests. A group of white-robed guys, while chowing down on chicken and pasta and several other delicacies that you've missed, are talking about music. From what you hear, it sounds like it's about metal and rock in general, random arguments about influential guitarists and whatnot... Maybe they're UGers. Another group of white-robed people talk jokingly about fapping techniques, while making other references to internet memes. Maybe they're UGers. As you walk down the aisle, more conversations catch your interest. Something about prophecies, about a new mind-technique, about the KoR, about current events in the world... Finally you reach the seductive table of food, and almost instantly you reach for a plate. Suddenly Alex says, "So. What did you hear?" You stop, and look at Alex, who's regarding the cafeteria. Mike just asks, "We were supposed to be listening?" while grabbing food seemingly at random from the table. "Well, I heard stuff about prophecies, the Knights... Some other stuff," you answer. "Yeah, some new mind-trick, and the war outside. Which table are we going to? I personally want to find out about the prophecies, but I'll go wherever you guys go."

Where?! (Yes, you're still hungry.) ****** C) Prophecies ****** The memories of the Egyptian ruins come back to you. Sean and Alex's talk of prophecies, the hieroglyphics, the scimitar, the crown, the dagger, Anubis... Like a flood, it all comes rushing back to you, unwanted. But despite that, you still want to know what Sean and Alex have been going on about these last few weeks. "Prophecies," you say. "Let me grab some food, first." Alex, apparently not hungry, waits patiently while you and Mike fill your plates. After you finish, you walk over to the table which held the conversation about prophecies. Most of the people there are dressed in an average gray color. A few of the heads turn when you sit down beside them; they're obviously confused about your attire. However, most of the men, and a few women, keep on talking. "Listen, I'm telling you, this is what they're talking about; this departure is what's mentioned-" "Yes, we know that, but what else are they mentioning here? A halo, a martyr, it doesn't make-" "Should have studied bloody English-" You take a bite of your chicken, suddenly uninterested in the tumultuous conversation. Mike, too, is gorging ravenously. The food is just too good. Suddenly, a young man turns to Alex and whispers, "Are the guys that Sean sent? On that mission?" Your attention shifts to Alex's pending response. The conversation dies down abruptly, before Alex can answer. All the heads at the table turn to you and Mike and Alex. No whispers are exchanged, but you know they're having some sort of mind talk, creating wild rumors. You know about that sort of thing. "What?" Mike asks, lifting his head momentarily. Juice runs down his chin from the chicken. A pause, then, "Nah, can't be them. Can't have survived going off like that." The conversation starts up again, and you lose interest, focusing on your food. Suddenly, Alex sends a message, Don't let them know we went on the mission. And pay

attention. You shift your attention half to the conversation. "This martyr. If he's dying for something, and sealed by fate, does that not mean fate exists?" "Maybe it's only him. Maybe he's like, the chosen one, or something..." "Maybe. Who is the mourner, though? Why would someone mourn?" "Well, the departure, we figured out long ago, means the end of the world. Why wouldn't someone mourn?" "It's mentioned in the same line as the martyr. It might be connected to him." A young attractive woman shifts a pile of papers in front of her, and says, "Enough with this one. Let's move on." A man sighs, "We'll get nowhere, again..." Alex suddenly says, "Excuse me, may I see that paper? That one-... Yes... That." The woman hands a paper over to Alex who begins examining it. The topic at the table shifts to another prophecy. Alex slides the paper beside you. "Look at this," he says. You read. The halo of death beckons the departure, A mourner's lament and a fate-sealed martyr "So?" you ask. "Just thought you might be interested." He hands the paper back to the woman. Really, you are interested, but how can you believe in stuff like this? Prophecies? Fate? It doesn't make sense. And why would the prophecies only be relevant now? Surely, the end of the world isn't now. They probably thought the same thing during WWII. "Ah, yes, I like this one. Reminds me of Robert Frost. Great poet." The woman begins reading the prophecy. To end in fire or to mend in ice

Above ethereality, beneath nihility Balanced on the antipodes A destination ambivalent "Makes no sense to me," the gruff man says. You're suddenly feeling full. Your complete concentration is now on the conversation; at least as much as you can force it to be. You make yourself look at every face; there are a few people your age, and a few bangable looking chicks, but most of the people at the table are much older. A pretty blonde girl wearing Acolyte-white takes notice of your staring, and smiles. You look away quickly, feigning innocence. These robes leave too much to the imagination. "You see, it doesn't have to end. I don't know what mend means, but..." a blonde-haired boy says. "If the world has to be mended, there must be something wrong with it," an older man says with an air of finality. A bland-looking man wearing the darkest robes of the group, a steady gray, says, "Of course there's something wrong. There's always been something wrong. There's always war. I don't know why ice would come into it, though. Nuclear winter?" "I'd say that's ending in fire." "I think ice is more symbolic." A man sighs, and says, "Let's move on. This is getting boring." "Next line?" "Whatever. We've been over this so many times..." "Ethereality. I think this has to do with Dreaming, the Forbidden Art. Dreaming has always been associated with the ethereal," a white robed guy says. His eyes, half-concealed by brown hair, seem to be strained, but you can't put your finger on it. A red haired guy, wearing white robes, about your age suddenly says, in tones of arrogance and disgust, "Of course it has to do with dreaming. Say something useful." The brown haired guy shoots the red haired one a glance, but stays quiet. "Shut up, you Acolytes. Nihility, anyone? As far as I know, this means nothingness, but-" "How do you get below nothingness? Beyond nothingness?"

Something clicks in your mind, but you ignore it. "Somethingness," someone says in joking tones. "Funny," the red haired guy says sarcastically, rolling his eyes. You take an instant dislike to the red haired guy, and a liking to anyone who opposes him. So far, no one has had the guts to talk back to him directly. Another girl who you took notice of earlier, a brunette with pretty blue eyes says, "This really isn't getting anywhere. Antipodes, things completely opposite from each other. The world seems to be balanced on them." Several voices speak together, but the bland, dark-robed man's voice comes out on top. His voice seems to carry an authority, and it should with those robes. "The antipodes are the CoP and KoR. I am sure of it." "... And a destination ambivalent?" asks someone else. "Ambivalent means conflicting, as in, liking and hating something at the same time. So, some think that the 'fire and ice' of before come into this, or perhaps the CoP and KoR." At this point, the conversation palls, but you still manage to catch the prophecies. Knowledge locked in a tower, Barons will hold the key, But if knowledge is power, Know this is tyranny. Alex never takes part in the discussion, but examines each one of the papers with the prophecies written on it. Mike and you talk amongst yourselves casually while the other conversation still goes on. The discussion comes to an end abruptly. There were a few more moments that caught your ear, when the red haired guy spoke. Your chest clenched with fury, and the desire to get up and hit him swallowed everything else. You managed to hold onto your anger, though. Several people get up from the table, and Alex does too. You and Mike follow him. "So, what now?" asks Alex. "I hope you guys were listening." "Don't worry," you reply. Well, what now?

****** B) Punch that red haired guy in the face. ****** Mike sighs heavily and stretches, saying, "Well, I'm tired. I'm going to bed." Indeed, Mike, and probably both you and Alex, are visibly tired. "You guys can stay here if you want." You turns towards the door and walks out. The prophecy table is now emptying quickly, as are most of the other tables. Most of the people are heading towards the doors as well. There are evidently groups of people, or groups of friends among the people leaving; the Acolyte's seem split into a myriad of groups, each with maybe 4 or 5 people together. Most of the higher ranked members walk alone, or with one or two companions. However, one Acolyte group is bigger than all the rest. There are possibly ten people in the group, and the leader, much to your distaste, seems to be the red haired guy. So, he has a posse. Well, if you do end up fighting him one day... Laughter suddenly roars from the group as they begin walking towards the door. As they walk forward, another group beside them becomes apparent. They've stopped, and are helping someone up from the ground. The group is much smaller than the red haired guy's group; they number perhaps 4 or 5. The guy on the ground is the same brown haired one who was attacked by the red haired one before. "What an asshole," says Alex. "They shouldn't..." Alex's words become a haze as your rage envelops you. Your stomach feels sick with it. Fuck. You haven't even been here for an hour, and already you've formed a vivid hate for this red haired fool. Your fist clench with fury. The group edges closer towards the door, still amused with their antics. Motherfucker. Someone behind you calls your name; you pay no heed. You're already bolting for the group in an uncontrollable rage. Your eyes are set on your target. People stare at you, confused, but you don't care. You rush past the smaller group. So close... Finally, you reach the group and start pushing past them to reach the red haired guy. Shouts and confused yells follow you as you push forward. "WOAH CRACKA!" "What the hell?" "Holy ****, wtf?" Just as you reach the red haired guy, he turns around. Shouts behind you die down as he signals them to stop.

"Who the hell are you?" he says disdainfully. "Look like a bloody beggar." The raving anger inside you finally explodes. You don't even say your catch-phrase. You cock back your fist; and before anyone can react, it flies forward with cruel and lethal force. Fist meets face, and the red haired guy is flung back with the weight of the punch. All around you, chaos erupts. You're knocked down from behind, and your head smashes into the floor painfully. Your body takes several kicks from people. You can only try uselessly to defend your face; your head is spinning with dizziness. Among the tumult, people are shouting and yelling clamorously. A riot seems to have broken loose, but you can't reorient yourself to make sense of anything. Your body is still taking blows from your attackers. After a while, the blows eventually stop, and you open up your eyes. All around you, people are dragging and pulling other people off of their combatants. The battle seems to have calmed down now; there is only cursing back and forth between parties. Suddenly you realize something. Why are they fighting? The reasonable thing would have been to just pull the attackers from off of you, not to start fighting them. However, wounds show on several other people around you, which means that they started fighting as well. You get up, dizzied and in pain, and examine the battlefield. It seems that your allies were Acolytes as well. And a few people from that small group are also looking ragged. It's impossible to say how many groups fought in the melee. But, it seems in the middle of it, higher ranked members came to break it up. Dark gray cloaks scatter the area, taking people away through the doors. More people, spectators, are also leaving. Some, however, are looking at you. You notice that blond chick that you saw before, and a few other people staring at you, like some half-wild animal. Alex suddenly turns up beside you, with blood dripping from his lip. "You idiot," is all he says. He starts examining the chaos with you. "Where is he?" you ask. He knows who you're talking about. "They took him away. You got him pretty bad, you know." "Yeah. ****er deserved it." And if he ever ****ed with you again... "You look pretty bad too. At least you managed to save your head," Alex laughs.

"Whate-" A man appears in front of you, wearing a dark gray cloak. "So, you're the one who started this? Get to your room, now." He turns to Alex. "You too. You'll be talked to later." What do you do? ****** C. Punch him in the face ****** Before obeying the man, you turn your back to him. "Hey, dude." "What is it, Acolyte..." "FAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL..." Mike turns around instantly, "DEE, WTF NO." "CCCCCCCCCCCCCOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN..." At this point both Alex and Mike are both running towards you, yet this is in vain. "PUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCHHHHH". WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMY. Your punch connects with the mans jaw, and he is instantly thrown back into a wall, turning his dmg to 140%(XD), and knocking him out. At this point, everyone is silent, watching you very intently. You turn to face everyone in the cafeteria. "TELL ANYONE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE, AND I'LL END YOU. AS FAR AS YOUR ALL CONCERNED, THE RED HAIRED FGGT DID TIHS.1!12one!!." Everyone somberly nods and begin to file out of the room. Suddenly, you are approached by that blond girl you saw. "Hey, are you ok?" "Yeah I'm alright, my hand kinda hurts from that epic win." "Hehe, your funny, my name is Destiny."

"Dee." As you become aquainted with Destiny, you both walk through the halls just talking about random bull such as music, clothes, their respective COP strongholds. Apparently, she is from the Albequerque stronghold as well, yet it is strange since you have never seen her before. Eventually you reach her room, and she says goodbye and exits into her room. You make your way back to your room, you haven't seen it yet. You reach the last door on the left in the Acolyte's hall and you enter the room. There are two beds spread out on each side of the room, one of them had Mike sleeping there. There were also two desks at the foot of each bed with a computer. You decide to go on the computer and peruse imeem and facebook. Upon reaching the 6 minute mark in "Informal Gluttony" (BETWEEN THE ****IN BURIED AND ME), you notice that Faith has sent you a facebook instant message. ****** B. Respond casually ****** Taking a deep breath, you read the message. Where are you?! Well, at least it's to the point. Warily, you respond back. In Greece. The suspicions start coming back again. Not about Alex, but Faith and Jacob. It's amusing how almost everyone you thought was a Knight back on the mission is now dead. Even more amusing is the thought of how you'll destroy anyone you find to be a Knight. A message appears: What are you doing there? I tried calling your cell, but it wouldn't go through. Trying to keep as much information to yourself as possible, you answer: We're coming back, the mission's over. I had to get rid of the cell, so knights couldn't find us. makes sense. Hey, I got raised to a Mouth!

Yeah, Dave told me. Congratulations you're still confused... Faith... A Knight... Bound... omg I can't wait till you get back... I miss you...

. You grin at your deceptions. But

Suddenly you realize the game. You're both deceiving each other, only Faith thinks you don't know anything. I can play your game, too. I miss you too... I gotta go. Classes... And say hi to Jeremy and Felix for me! She doesn't know? Looks like she's not as informed as you first thought... I will, you respond. After Faith logs off, you do too. Sun of Nothing begins playing, but you skip it. You're in the mood for something more... Something that'll get you pumped. You put on Bleed by Meshuggah. Mike, on the other computer, says, "That ****'s heavy." "Yes. Were you listening to the prophecies?" "Sort of. I didn't get it though." "Me neither. Nothing about Egypt, or Pharaohs, or anything..." "Ugh..." Mike mutters something, then says, "Yeah. Ah well, forget the Egypt thing. I don't want anything to do with it." The conversation ends there. You decide to surf UG, something you haven't done for a while. You open up Mozilla, and type in the address... You click forums, type in your username and password, and click "The Pit." Instantly, you notice some new stickies. UG Top 100 - Results, UG's Bud Light Presents Real Men of Genius Competition, Round 1, Picture Thread ... You take a look in the UG Top 100 thread. Kensai's overrated, Carmel's trigger-happy, and a woman, delirium is a Dr. Phil wannabe and his name is poo, and I have no idea who ZeGutiarist is. The only one who deserves to be in the top 5 is metaldud. His pokemon knowledge is ultimate.

I should be in there. Nobody would be able to compare their stories to mine; not even grundy, if that was even real. The urge to make a thread is overwhelming, but you can't tell your story to anyone outside the CoP. A sudden knocking at the door takes your attention away from UG. The door opens, and a familiar figure steps through. Dave looks at you with disapproval, which is odd for him; he usually keeps his emotions well hidden. The look unsettles you. "You're an idiot. Can't you go a day, or an hour without doing something stupid?" Guilt and Dave's look make you nervous, but you try to defend yourself. "That guy was being an idiot. I couldn't help it. He had it coming." "What about the Voice?" You turn your head away and stay silent. "Try to control yourself sometimes, Dee. I can't say I care much for Jack either, but he's one of the most gifted students here," he says. "Anyways, I have some news. It's too dangerous to go back to the States, at least on a plane. Terrorists everywhere. We'll have to stay here way longer than planned. Maybe a few months." You think this news over. You're unhappy not to be going back home, but really, could you even call it home? What are you going back to? Almost everyone you knew came with you, and almost everyone who came with you died. Mike too, seems to simply take the news in stride. "Also," Dave continues, "The Arch-speakers will want to talk to you tonight. And believe me. They're not happy about what's happened." As Dave turns to go, he suddenly stops. He mutters something about his memory, then turns around again. "I forgot something." He pulls two papers out from his pocket. "These are your timetables. You're officially enrolled in this school. Don't expect it to be lax." He hands you and Mike the papers, and you're dumbfounded. School? You thought you were done with that kind of stuff. Not only that, but the whole day lasts from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with a slight recess at 10:00, an hour lunch break at 12:00, and another recess at 3:00 PM. "I can't do this," you say hoarsely. Dave laughs. "We'll see." He turns and leaves.

Mike stares at his paper desolately. "This is insane." You nod numbly. Funny how news of terrorists taking over the world didn't phase you, yet the thought of school terrifies you. "Have you seen these classes?" You look down again at the paper, forcing yourself to read. 8:00 AM - Reading Emotions and Emotional Control - Davos Glover, room 215 9:00 AM - Ninjutsu - Herman Ri, room 101 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM - Recess 10:15 AM - History - Mark Frey, room 304 11:15 - 12:00 - Firearms Training - Paul Smallwood - "Gymnasium" 12:00 - 1:00 PM - Lunch 1:00 PM - Neuroscience and Psychology - Brandon Greyjoy - room 432 3:00 - 3:15 - 2nd Recess 3:15 - 5:00 PM - CoP and KoR history - Karl Sanders - Room 305 "Jesus," Mike suddenly exclaims. "This is confusing. And the COP AND KOR History teacher is Karl Sanders, apparently. ****, it's almost 1 PM!" You look at the time; indeed, it is almost 1 PM, which means Neuroscience and Psychology. HOW THE HELL DO THEY EXPECT YOU TO LEARN ALL THIS?! Ah well, maybe you can meet new people. Well? ****** A. Go to class ****** You and Mike grab your CoP robes out of a bag that was left in-between the two beds and head out the door. ***brief time skip*** You and Mike open the double doors to the classroom.
Ah, Mr.

Andrew Pittson and Mr. Mike Vidda! Demagogue Greyjoy exclaims. Please,

have a seat wherever you like. You and Mike do as you're told. Funny how Mike hasn't gotten a name change. Demagogue Brandon Greyjoy: He looks like a smart man; very old, but could probably easily corrupt with power. You notice that you and Mike are the only ones with light gray cloaks (A-lites); everybody else is at a flat or dark gray (Mouths and Reciters). You also notice a couple of familiar faces: up in front, Jack, that red head; in the back, Destiny, who gives you a wink; and next to her... [i]NO WAI![/i] Jacob! He signals the two of you to have a seat next to him and Destiny.
You guys ready?

Jacob asks. This class is pretty advanced for Acolytes.

I'm sure we'll be fine.

Demagogue Greyjoy continues his lecture. ...and so the axon terminal is the only part of the neuron that you CAN'T control. Jack raises is hand from up in front. And also the myelin sheath, he says as-a-matter-offact-ly.
Yes,

Jack. That is correct.

[i]Smart-ass...[/i] you think, even though you have no idea what the hell the class is talking about...
Why? you ask. The rest of the class looks back at you questionably. Why [i]what[/i]? Greyjoy taunts back. Why can't we control the axon? The speed of the signal coming from the nucleus

through the axon is far too fast for any one person to catch, encode, process, manipulate, and redirect before the other can realize what is going on, Jack responds.
Any [i]one[/i] person...? you question. Well there isn't going to be [i]two[/i] people in a room that are going to be willing to

practice a Forbidden Art, is there? Then it hits you square on the forehead. [i]Mind control is a Forbidden Art! Why are we

talking about this?[/i] And then... [i]Sean and I were both willing...[i] ****** Before Greyjoy can continue his lesson, you interrupt again. "Why are we talking about this? Mind control, or body control, or whatever? And why can two people control the axon?" Greyjoy peers at you through his glasses, obviously irritated. "I see you are a curious one. Very well. The Forbidden Arts are still taught to you; you have the right to know what they are. You'll know why they were forbidden in your Cult History class." He pauses, and looks around the classroom. "Two people are required to control a Knight or CoP body, because ours are far more advanced. However, with GREAT effort, it is possible to control a normal person's body." You nod, and Greyjoy starts his lesson again. You find your mind wandering, not concentrating on the lesson at all. In about half-an-hour Greyjoy stops talking and hands a huge stack of papers to everyone in the front row. The papers are passed down all the way to the back, until everyone has a large package. "These are several notes and worksheets that cover EVERYTHING we will learn this term. We can't operate like regular schools, so obviously our teaching methods will be different. Just study these notes as we go along, and you'll be fine." "Now, do page 1 and 2 of the worksheets until the end of class." He turns and has a seat, and begins reading something. You sigh. Really, you weren't expecting anything like this. Yet really, it was the only thing you should have expected. Mike, very uncharacteristically, gets right down to work. "So Dee," says Jacob while writing down some answers, "What brings you here?" "Long story. Too long." Your suspicions of Jacob still haven't faltered, and you're not about to tell him more than you told Faith. "I was actually going to go back to the US, but I can't really do that right now." You look down at the first page of the giant package of papers. Name the basic parts of a neuron, and their functions... You start writing some of the things that you remember from the lesson; it doesn't amount to much. You eventually get bored

halfway through, and start day-dreaming. Next class is... CoP and KoR history? You've never been a fan of history, no matter what type. But you really can't wait for ninjitsu and firearms training; they seem more your style. You're interested in that Emotions class as well, but not for the substance... You need to know more about Davos. What the hell was that inside joke? That's something you need to figure out... Wait. Jacob is sitting right beside you. A Knight. Well, maybe a Knight, but still. Why? Why do the Knights want you? It doesn't even matter anymore. I'll kill them all. For what they're doing to you, and Amy, and everyone else... What are they doing? The reports that Dave had... Does he still have them, or did they get lost in the sea? They might contain some information... The maps, the ruins, the military base, the missiles... The Knights in the tower... You look sideways at Jack. ****ing prick... That wink that Destiny gave me. It was quite inviting; Maybe you can score with her. Amy, I'm sorry, but I have needs. You laugh silently. It really is quite funny. "What's so funny?" asks Jacob. "Nothing." You check the time; still half an hour left. The level of noise in the class has gotten louder, with the teacher doing nothing, But drift back to your daydreaming... Jacob whispers, "You know they don't know who you are." Confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?" you say loudly. More urgently this time, "Keep your voice down. They don't know that you were the ones on the mission..." You don't keep your voice down. "So?" Exasperated, he keeps whispering, "I don't know. They're interested in you guys for some reason. You know Sean's being questioned?" "Yeah." Jacob nods and goes back to his work.

What do you do? ****** A. Talk to Destiny ****** You decide that Mike would be too high to speak to, so you head over to the obvious choice, the hot blonde. You wait until Jacob excuses himself from her presence, and you move on in. You do the slickest opposite shoulder tap and end up in front of her, causing her to lapse into a momentary state of 0.o? "Hehe, hey Dee.. or is it Andrew??" "Uh, well there is a long story behind that..." "K, whatever, so whats up?" "Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you, I want to get to know you a little better." "Well.. what do you want to know?" After a normal teenage bull**** session, you and Destiny walk towards the center of the compound. In the middle is a grand courtyard with a natural reservior with a water fall, and majestic gardens that stretch for what seems miles. "Where are we?" "We're in the courtyard, this is where we go to relax." "Oh okay then." You both sit on a bench near the waterfall. Destiny turns towards you "So..." "So." ****** A. Initiate make-out session ****** The sound of rushing water drowns your sense, apparently, for you suddenly look in Destiny's blue eyes and feel some sort of... attraction. It doesn't make sense, really; except for the fact that you were attracted to her before. Only now it's different. It's some sort of

other feeling... Love? No. I'm crazy. That's crazy. She smiles deeply, and meaningfully. It must be your imagination. But despite your logical reasoning, you close your eyes and move your face forward, ready for the sorely missed feeling of making out... How long has it been? You suddenly feel fingers on your lips. You open your eyes. Destiny is wearing a grin, blue eyes playful and mischievous. Her fingers are up to your lips. "Naughty boy," she says, grinning. You just sit there, stunned. She turns back to watching the waterfall. "This is such a peaceful place." Of course. In your deep haste and urgency, you have forgotten to make the proper calculations when trying to score with a chick. This is her playing field. The waterfall, the garden... Sure, you're kind of vexed at what just happened, but you grin despite that. Next time, you'll make sure to have the upper-hand... "What's so funny?" she asks you. "Everything." Everything is just so funny. It's hard not to laugh, really. After waiting there a bit longer, she turns to you and asks, "So, you going to your next class?" Well? ****** B. YES! ****** "Uh, yeah. The Cult is already pissed at me, don't want it to get worse." Destiny nods, and gets up. "It's already 10 after..." She sighs heavily, and says, "I have politics. What about you?" "Cult and KoR history." Destiny grins and says, "Well, I'd go if I were you. Mr. Sanders doesn't it like it when you're late."

You get up and grin back at her, trying to seem mysterious; you have no idea if it works. The waterfall continues rushing in the background, and for a moment all you can do is stare longingly at Destiny's perfect, beautiful face. Her white robes conceal what you're trying to gain, and that thought only makes the lust intensify. "Yeah, let's go." You walk out of the large underground courtyard, until eventually you split up your own ways. On the isolated walk to the CoP History class, you don't meet Mike or anyone else, just strangers wearing several shades of gray. You enter the class. It's filled with white and light-gray robes, and Mike and Alex are sitting right up front, talking quietly. You recognize a few other people from the Prophecy Table, but none of them are Jack. The teacher's desk sits empty. You take a seat in the desk beside Alex. "Hey," you greet him. "I've been hearing some stuff," whispers Alex, not even turning to you fully. "About Jack and his friends. Apparently, they're gonna get you back." "Let him try," you respond confidently. "I think we'll need to stick together after class." "Yeah, whatever." You're casual on the outside, but really, you're excited for any encounter with Jack. A door suddenly opens behind the teacher's desk. The figure that steps out shocks you. It's ACTUALLY Karl Sanders, wearing a dress shirt and tie. His blond hair is surprisingly neat, but his face is all seriousness. Not only you and Mike are shocked by this. Alex apparently isn't; he doesn't know what you're so worked up about. It's Karl Sanders, for god's sake! Some other people in the back of class start whispering too. "My name is Mr. Sanders. I'm your Cult History teacher." You're still amazed that he's one of you. The lesson continues normally, except for the occasional disruption. Most of what he's teaching now, you learned back in Albuquerque. At the end of class, Karl hands you a stack of papers like the one... your last teacher gave you, which is somehow now resting back at your room. (It just is, ok.)

"Do pages 1 and 2." Just like the last class. Instead of getting to work, like Alex, you start talking to Mike about your teacher. "Dude, it's ****ing Karl Sanders!" "I know!" "HOLY SHI-" "ANOINT MY PHALLUS!" you yell. The entire class looks at you in confusion, but you hear a few laughs in the back. Mr. Sanders looks up from his markbook and smiles, then gets back to work. Looks like he still remembers being in Nile. What now? ****** B. Talk to Mike and Alex while working... ****** Well, nothing to do now but wait for dismissal. 5:00 PM. All day wasted. It's 4:30 right now, and the class is beyond a doubt getting anxious for the class to end. Some students walk by you to the teacher's desk, where they ask Karl Sanders some questions; He waves them away, and orders them back to their seats. The students go back with a dull resignation. After all, who's gonna try to argue with Karl Sanders? Alex puts down his pencil, and sighs, relieved. "Took a while, but it's pretty easy stuff. You should do it. I hear they make you do your homework here." "Really..." you say doubtfully. The package in front of you does not look inviting, but you read a few of the questions anyway. 1. What was the true name of the creator of the KoR? Before the creation of it, who was he in the community? "What's the answer to number one?" you ask Alex. "Kyros, he was some sort of cynical philosopher. He was well-known in the community, but not as big as Diogenes of Sinope." I'm not writing that all down. You write, Kyros, philosopher, and read the next question. "'After he discovered mindtricks, what did he do? What were the consequences?'"

"Apparently tried to start some sort of religion. They don't know much else, but he was exiled. Here, I'll just give you my paper..." Alex tears the paper from the package and hands it to you. You copy the answers down, barely paying attention to what you're writing. Called himself Balathos... Exiled from Athens in 297 BC... Cult continued growing, even after exile... Penetrated Roman Empire during rule of Nero... Chaos, chaos, more chaos... Creation of the Cult, by unknown man... Kept KoR out of power after Nero's death... You get bored again half way through, and pass the paper back to Alex. Different thoughts are on your mind now, thoughts of Jack, Destiny, the Arch-speakers... And Sean. The reason for his questioning still hasn't been revealed. "So," you start, "What else have you heard about Jack?" Alex seems to think for a second. "Well, apparently no one really likes him and his group. But they're the smart ones, so no one does anything to them. They can't do anything to them, usually. I don't know how you managed to." He laughs. Mike, bored and tired, says, "I can't believe we're still Acolytes." "Hey, I'm a Mouth," Alex says absently. "Why?" you ask. Mike responds, "Whatever. You'd think, after that... after what we did..." Alex shushes him. The noise level in the class has risen, but apparently Alex doesn't want anybody hearing... Carefully, he whispers, "There's something wrong. They don't know about the mission. I think that's why they're questioning... You know... Just don't talk about it." Another disturbing thought to add to your list. Why would Sean be hiding the mission from this CoP base? Whatever. It's not your problem anymore. Sean is somewhere in the world, being questioned for whatever rules he's broken, but you have another new start in this base. Sean doesn't concern you anymore. Karl finally dismisses you from class, so you, Mike, and Alex rise. What now? (Classes are over for the day, btw) ****** A. Talk to Karl Sanders ******

After class ends, you see Karl Sanders on his computer on the Dean website. "Uh.., Mr. Sanders??" "Please, class is dismissed, call me Karl." Upon saying this he removes his dress shirt to reveal a Cannibal Corpse shirt. "Karl... how did you end up joining the CoP?" "Well, it all happened at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia. Nile was playing a show with Suicide Silence, The Faceless, and Warbringer. After our set ended, all the bands went over to Dave and Busters for some drinks and arcade games. However, when we got there it was just us, so we ****ing raged hard. Yet, there seemed to be this one guy just standing there. I walked up to him and asked him wtf he wanted. He then began asking me about Egyptian mythology, and of course I poured all of my knowledge into him. Then he attacked me, and I was knocked unconscious. I woke up here in this classroom. I was attacked by a Knight, then Sean himself saved me and brought me to Greece." "What about Nile? Do you still tour with them?" "Of course, actually Dallas Toler-Wade and George Kollias are Mouths here." "NO WAI!" "Yes wai1!!" ****** B. Look for Destiny ****** You exult at the thought of meeting Dallas and George, but you'll find them later. A sudden urge for teh sex overwhelms you, and you think of Destiny. "Alright, well, I gotta go. Maybe we can jam sometime." "Maybe." You just remember to pick up the package of papers, then you leave the room quickly, with Mike and Alex on your heels. Walking through the crowded hallways, they struggle to keep pace with you. Your eyes scour the halls for Destiny. "Christ, slow down man. Where are going?" "I dunno. Our rooms." After failing to find her, you drop off the package at your room, then try to think. Alex,

probably afraid you're going to get into more trouble, shuts himself up in his room after warning you about Jack again. Jack. If he comes for you again, you'll finish him for good. Screw the Cult and their punishments, whatever they are. His friends can't take me. But Destiny. That's what's important right now. Suddenly you remember your previous thought, of playing the game... I need the upper-hand. "Maybe she's in the cafeteria," Mike says. At a confused look from you, he says, "You've been following her around a lot." "Yes. Yes, I have," you say with a grin. You head briskly towards the cafeteria. The halls are still filled with people, wearing mostly white. For some reason, the faces seem familiar now, like people you always see walking down the hall at your old school, but never talk to. It seems impossible. Someone suddenly shouts from behind you. "Pittson!" You turn around instantly. There, just a few meters ahead of you, stands Jack and his white-robed group. Their leader wears a wide mocking grin. The halls seem to turn into a stadium, a coliseum; People line the walls, warily watching this confrontation. They know what happened before. Everyone knows. And everyone wants entertainment. I'll give them entertainment. You put on a smirk, and act nonchalant. You don't have to fake it, or force it. It just happens naturally. Jack begins taking strides towards you, but you keep your casual grin on. Be careful, Mike sends. yeah, whatever. He stops a foot in front of your face. The grin is wiped off his face, replaced with a deep frown. His eyes are filled with hate and derision. In a low, rabid voice, he says, "Don't touch Destiny. She's mine." The hate in his eyes would have made any man stagger, but you don't take notice. Your grin is gone as well. "How the hell is she yours?" you ask quietly.

The students against the walls are engrossed. Entertainment. Screw entertainment. In your fit of generosity to the people, you've forgotten about your distaste for Jack. No; distaste is too light a word. "Just stay away from her." "What if I don't?" Jack takes a step back and laughs uproariously. With a grin, he intones to everyone in ear shot, "Listen. You might have gotten a cheap shot on me, but I'm more honorable than that. We'll settle this right now." With a look of superiority in his eyes, he says, "Unless you're afraid. I can understand if you are." Mike sends a warning signal with his mind. WHAT NOW?! ****** E. I AM THE FAPMASTER!!!!1!! **"You know who I am?" you ask, putting on a challenging tone. "A dumbass?" Jack retorts. "NO YOU" you yell back twice as loud. Silence from the crowd that surrounds you. You turn to face all of them. "Do anyone know who I am?" you ask, almost maniacally. Silence again. You turn to face Jack. "I AM THE FAPMAS-" WHAM! Jack punches you square in the nose. You feel it break, and now, hot sticky blood is running from it like a faucet. Your eyesight begins to blur... "Andrew. Wake up. Are you alright?" a female's voice says. "...wuzgoinon? where's shzack...?" you mumble, slurring the J in jack, so it sounds french. You open your eyes to face a pretty girl with shoulder length black hair. She's also wearing a knitted hat, and a worried expression. "You're in the health room. I saw what Jack did to you in the cafeteria. Are you alright?" she asks quickly.

"I'm fine. I think my nose is broken though." you say, sitting up. "Oh! Your nose is fine, The Cult nurse accelerated your white blood cell's healing capabilities." She explains. You reach up to feel your nose gingerly and feel it's back to normal. "That's cool. I'm D- Andrew. Andrew Pittson." you say, holding out a hand. She smiles, revealing her straight white teeth. "I'm Skyler. Nice to meet you." she says, shaking your hand. "Skyler. That's a pretty name," you compliment, smiling. "You're sweet. I hear you're from the Albuquerque headquarters. How'd you end up in Greece?" she questions. "Long story. Very Long story." you say, looking at a painting of a tree. All the events that happened in the temple are still clear in your head, like a raw cut. The Trials, Anubis, the Astral Plane. "Well, since you're better, wanna go grab a coffee?" "Uhm...." ****** A. Go with her; she's pretty cute ****** "Yeah, that sounds nice. Where's Mike?" you ask. "Oh, don't worry, Mike's back in his room, I'd told him you'd be fine with me." Skyler explains, getting up. You get up and find she's about 2 inches shorter than you, has puppy dog eyes and... she's pretty cute "Well? Let's go!" she says, beckoning toward the door. You lead the way and she catches up to you and walks next to you. "So, uhm, where are you from?" you ask awkwardly. "Oh, I'm from Hawaii." she explains casually. "Really? That's awesome. I my friend Tim was from..." you start. Sh*t, you think. Tim is dead.

"From...?" "Hawaii too." you finish uncomfortably. "Oh that's cool." she says casually. The two of you are going at a very slow pace, taking your time. "What kind of music are you into?" you ask, attempting at small talk. "Well, I'm into The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day. You know lot of Alt. Rock and sometimes I'll listen to old stuff. My parents loved classic rock, so naturally, I like old stuff. Journey! I loved Journey." she says, counting each band with a finger. "Oh that's awesome! You know, I play guitar. I used to play in a band, with my frie-" you stop dead midsentence. Jimmy, Tyran and Mark are dead too. You shake the thought off. "With my friends from my old town." you swallow hard. "That's sooooo cool! I was supposed to learn how, but I never got around to it..." she says. The two of you find the Corner Cafe, and buy two coffee's. "Hey! I know, you could teach me how to play guitar!" she says excitedly. "Oh yeah, that sounds like fun," you say. The two of you alone in a room? Sweet.... "Well?" she asks, smiling. "I don't know if Mike would be cool with that..." you lie. "Please...?" she pouts. Your stomach drops two inches as you look into her amber-shaded eyes... ****** A. DO IT! ****** "Sure, let's do it." "YAY!!!!!" You get very interested as she does a quick jump up and down. It is the most adorable thing you've seen since you were last with Amy. Then the realization hits you very hard... Amy... Then you remember how she was doing stuff with OTHER GIRLS while going out with you, so you listen to your second brain on this one.

After finishing your coffees, you both head back to your room. Upon opening the door, you see a weird ****ing sight. Mike is bent over himself on the bed, naked, trying to suck his own dick. "DUUDE, WTF MAN GTFO." "DUDE, WTF ARE YOU DOING ROFL!" Embarrassed, Mike pulls on his robe and runs out of the room. You'll have to speak with him about this later.. For now, it's "guitar lessons" time. You sit down and plug your Stratocaster into your Roland Micro-Cube. You then give her the guitar Dave let you play at the Battle of the Bands so long ago. "OOooooooOooo!! This guitar is nice!: D!" "Uh, thanks, anyway want to get started?" "Hehe, okay." You begin telling her what each string is, and then you hit the hardest brick wall you've ever musically experienced when you tried to teach her basic power chords. After the 57th time playing the E5 chord, she says "What can you play?" "Idk, what do you want me to play?" "Something cool!!" "Okay." After your last statement you attempt to play the intro to Alaska... and nail it.. "0.0 OMG that was sooo good!" "Lol, thanks." "Can you play something slow?" You grin on the inside as you play "The Ground Folds" by Senses Fail, you know this song totally kills girls when it is played to them.

"Oh my gawd.. that was soo pretty." ****** B. BREAKDOWN!!!!!!!11!!!1!!!1 ****** Taking advantage of your new found impressing skills, you continue to rip. In your best Anselmo voice, you yell. This is called Domination! You skip straight into the build up at the end of the solo, before dropping into the breakdown which you chug through, full body head banging at about 60bpm. When you reach the end of the song, you feel suddenly self conscious, maybe you took it too far, but a glance at Skyler s giggling face tells you she loved it. ****** "What's so funny?" you ask. "Well," Skyler says. "It's just that... well..." And at that she begins to play a simple open low E chugga chugga chugga on the guitar. "Wait a sec..." you say as you tune down the low E to a D. "Okay, now try it." *** After another hour or two of "practice" Skyler manages to get down the intro for SOAD's Aerials almost perfectly. You also find out that she was in her middle school's band at flute, second chair, which is why she could keep a tempo. *** Another hour passes and it's reaching curfew (yes, we have a curfew, too). Skyler eventually leaves and You realize through the evening that Skyler is... different from the other girls (Faith, Destiny, and Lola). Skyler is... more like Amy. A replacement...? you think. They are both somewhat similar... Your thoughts continue. Both seem to make me happy to some reasonable extent, AND both are just so darn cute.

Soon your confusion comes to a halt as Mike walks in the door, avoiding eye contact. He lays on his bed without saying a word and covers himself with his sheets, almost shamefully. "Mike..." "Shut-up. I wanted to know if it was true..." "Oh... okay then." You've got to admit, you had been wondering about THAT, too. "G'night, Mike." "G'night, Dee," Mike says back. "Hey, Mike...?" you say. "Yeah, Dee?" "How close were you, really?" "Dude," he says, now sitting up on his bed. "This close." And he makes a measurement with his index finger and thumb to this: |--------------------------------| *** Morning soon comes for a new day. It's Saturday. Just about ready to [verb] with [proper noun] and the [adjective] [noun]. ****** You are awoken to the sound of fabric moving. "Mike...?" "Oh ****." Mike whispers. "What are you doing?" "Uh... Well, I was fapping but since you're up, this is kinda awkward." he says uncomfortably. You laugh and shake your head. You get up, change into your robes and go down to the hall with Mike for some breakfast. After scrambled eggs and bacon, you turn to the door to leave. On the way, you see Skyler sitting at a table, with friends.

"Oh Dee!" she says, noticing you. "Hey, Skyler. Can I call you Sky?" you ask. "Yeah sure. Come sit, bring your friend over too. Meet my friends!" she says. "Hello ladies, how are we this morning?" "Oh yeah, this is my friend Mike. Sky, you might remember him from... uh, yesterday." you say quietly. She laughs and Mike blushes. "Well, that's Makkie (points at a smiling Asian girl, who waves.). That's Tiffany (looks like a Filipino) and that's Angela (Another Asian.)." Skyler says, pointing at each one. "Nice to meet you. I'll be off." you say, waving goodbye. "Not so fast! Come with us. We're going to meet a few friends at the swimming pool." Makkie suggests. "I'm not sure if they would let us go outside." Mike adds. "There's an indoor pool here silly!" Tiffany laughs. You exchange looks with Mike. His expression shows his old fashioned two-for-you-twofor-me look that he gets whenever he's with a group of girls. "Okay. I'm gonna stop by my room to pick up my swimming shorts." you say. "Okay, we'll go with you!" Tiffany says, getting up. "Nah, we're okay. I'll just meet you guys here." you say leaving. After a quick trip to your room to get shorts and a towel, you meet the girls at the hall. Then the six of you walk down to the indoor pool. Inside, it's incredible. The whole room is about 70 feet long, 50 feet wide, 30 feet tall. There are paintings on the roof that would compare to that of the Sistine chapel. The bottom of the pool is like a reflection of the roof, with tiling as magnificent. "Nice. Where are your friends?" you ask Skyler. "Over there, in the jacuzzi." she says, taking her shirt off. Her body is incredible, athletic and slim. Not to mention, her ass is nice too... "You play any sports?" you ask wondering, how she got so fit.

"I played basketball in middle and high school. I liked surfing too." she adds, taking her shorts off. The six of you join two more girls that are already in the huge octagon jacuzzi. Clockwise from the stairs, it's Tiffany, Skyler, You, Makkie, Mike, the two other girls and Angela. "Andrew, this is Courtney and Chivanna." Angela says, making the introduction. Later, you're joined by two dudes. "Hey dude, whats up." Mike says, holding out his hand. One of the guys slaps it, and the other guy soon follows. "Oh yeah, De- Andrew. That's Kai, and that's Parker." Mike says, pointing at each. Kai is Asian, short and built. Parker is white, tall and skinny. All of you lounge in the jacuzzi, even play a few games of volleyball in the pool. You're having fun, when suddenly, Jack walks in with 4 of his guys following suit. "Hey, Dee, look who just walked in." Mike whispers in your ear. "Hey Pittson, I've got something for you!" Jack taunts, walking around the pool. "Andrew, don't start anything okay? I'm having so much fun, and I don't want you to get hurt again!" Skyler worries, seeing Jack walk in. "I'm not starting anything. I'm finishing it." you say, tempers flaring. "Andrew! No!" Skyler says, holding you back. Jack approaches you and eyes you up and down. "Got a chick to do your talking now Andrew?" Jack teases. He and his friends laugh, and your fists clench into balls. "Andrew! Please! Don't!" Skyler begs. "Come Andrew, you a chicken?" ****** C. Talk it out ****** "Hey, Jack. Why don't you just f*ck off, I'm tired of seeing you around here. If you got nothing important to say, save it." you retaliate. "Shut up Pittson, before I come over there and b*tch slap you!" he threatens.

"Look, I don't want a fight. Just go away man, I don't want to deal with you anymore." you say. He glares back at you, and you can feel the fury in his eyes. "Let's get out of here, nothing but a bunch of pussies anyway." Jack says to his crew. They walk out slowly, but before leaveing, Jack turns around. "Let's keep it that way- ever cross my path, I'll kick your ass!" he yells, leaving. "Oh my god Andrew! You scared me!" Skyler says hugging you. She stops for a second and looks into your eyes. Those dark-brown eyes... "Hey, Romeo, If you haven't noticed, I'm turning into a raisin. When the hell are we leaving?!" Mike yells from the hottub, with Tiffany in one arm, and Courtney in the other. Mike always did have a thing for the ladies. "Going so soon?" Skyler says, pouting. "Uhm, I can stay for a while. Mike doesn't seem too happy though." you say nervously. "Well how about we go to my friend's room, I need to pick something up for her..." she says, looking at the floor. "Uhh... Okay... Well I stil-" "What is it?" she says innocently. "Nothing." "Then Let's go!" The two of you walk down the hallway, then up a staircase. Then she gets to a green door. She puts a key into the keyhole and turns it. Opening the door, you see what looks like a girl's room. "You can wait here, I'll be right back..." she says, pushing you onto a chair. You look around and see the wallpapers are green and white, painted in floral patterns. The your eye catches the doorway to the bathroom. It's partway open, revealing the bathroom mirror. Suddenly, a figure pops into the reflection. It's Skyler, and she's brushing her hair. Then, to your surprise... ...takes her top off. She's facing the other way, so you can't see the front, but it still makes your pants a wee bit tighter. She turns her head around to catch you staring, wide-eyed.

"Hey! No Peeking!" she says playfully. She closes the door. You take a deep breath and look around the room again. There's a bureau with a mirror against the wall, but not much else. A few moments later, Skyler comes out of the bathroom. It looks like she showered, since her hair is fairly wet, she has a new tanktop and pair of shorts on, and is now brushing her hair. "So uhm... Do all guys usually look at girls undress like that?" she asks casually. "Uhm... Uh...." "Hmm? You stupid or what?" she asks, laughing. You struggle for words. Even though you've had your fair share of women, this one leaves you speechless. "Well I guess it's normal, for guys to look at girls that way. I mean, it's the way it's meant to be right?" she continues casually. "Yeah I guess." "Well? Anything you need to do now?" she asks, hands on her hips. ****** D, take a shower, then A, score. ****** "Yeah, I think I need to take a shower. This chlorine is really..." "The pool is a saline pool," she says smartly, walking over to the bureau. "Oh, yeah that too." She throws you a towel, and you inside the bathroom. You go inside and turn the hot water on. You strip and step in and it feels refreshing. When was the last time you took a shower? After you're done, you dry yourself off and put on your boxers and a pair of shorts. You only have tank top, but you put it on and step outside. Your jaw drops, she's lying on the bed with only a tank top and underwear. She turns over and lies one her stomach. "Done so soon?" she says, twirling her hair. You walk over to the bed and sit down, and she turns over on her back and sits up.

"Well? You gonna kiss me or what?" she says, leaning in closer. Your stomach drops. This girl is really something. You smile and peck her on the lips. You look into her eyes, and you can tell she wants more. You lean in and connect lips. Feeling brave, you use start to use your tongue... "Slow down there big boy" she says quietly. "Sorry Sky. How about this?" you say as you kiss her on the neck. She makes a moaning sound, and you go back to kissing her. When was the last time you made out with a chick this hot? By now you're lying down. She's on top of you, kissing you. You reach around and put your hands in her back pockets. She stops and looks at you. She then smiles and then goes back to kissing you. It feels great... "Ayyy!" you hear a voice say. Skyler quickly gets off you, and you see Mike standing in the doorway. "Sorry..." he says awkwardly. "Cmon Mike, don't bother them, they're probably having sex!" you hear Courtney say. "I heard that! Sorry Andrew, I can't be caught with you..." she says, awkwardly getting off. Courtney comes in the doorway and says hi to both of you and asks Skyler something. Skyler looks at you and says "No" to Courtney. Suddenly, you feel like you've done something wrong. Courtney then pulls Skyler out of the room. Before leaving, she mouths "I'm sorry". "Dude, sorry. Didn't mean to lie... You know." Mike starts. "Just don't talk to me. I need to think." you say angrily. You don't know what's pissing you off, but it really does. ****** A (then D). Run after Skyler, then unleash t3h br00talz ****** You suddenly spring from your seat, determined to catch up with Skyler. You sprint out the doorway, and into the hall. You look left, then right, and finally you see Skyler walking alone close to the end of the corridor. "Sky!" You call. She turns at your voice, then smiles and starts walking toward you. You meet in the middle. "Andrew, I'm so sorry about that" She says quickly You grin just a little "Its alright, we sho-"

She cuts you off "We should meet again sometime" she says, still feeling a bit awkward. "But I have to go right now, I'll see you later!" She says quickly before turning and heading back down the hallway. You can't help but watch her ass as she walks away. Daaaa-yum, dat one fine ass... you think, letting your inner black man come out for just a little. You turn and head back into your room as soon as she rounds the corner. Mike is on his computer, but he springs from his chair as soon as you walk in. "Sorry, dude, gotta go!" he says before running out the door. Shrugging off his sudden leave, you sit down on your bed. Your blue strat sits in the corner, still looking great as the day you got it. You lean down, grab it by its neck, and hoist it up, letting it lay in your lap as you turn the amp on and grab a pick. Before you know it, your fingers are moving. To your surprise, your usual fast picking shred style is replaced by a bluesier, more ZZ Top-ish solo. Your fingers are moving all over the fretboard, forgetting more complicated scales and chords and instead going back to the basic, pentatonic shape. You slowly lean forward and hunch over the instrument, and almost subconsciously you start rocking back and forth to the beat. You switch from soloing to open arpeggiated chords, which evolve into strummed chords, and finally you find youself strumming the lowest three strings of the E chord. Speeding up, you start in with a thrash metal power chord riff. After a few minutes more of playing the same general riff, you slow down to a stop back at the E chord, letting the final notes sustain for as long as possible before finally switching the amp back off. You glance at the clock, 1:15. You've been playing for around twenty minutes. Your thoughts quickly return to Skyler, but they're interrupted by a deep male voice. "Dude... that was amazing..." You turn quickly to see a tall kid standing in your doorway. He's wearing beat up Chuck Taylors, some old blue jeans, and a Rancid band tee. His skin is a light tan, and he looks to be around 16 years old. "Thanks..." You say, somewhat annoyed by his unannounced entry. "Sorry" He says quickly, possibly reading your emotions. "Hey, you're that new guy that keeps getting into it with Jack... Andrew, was it?" You nod. "And you are?" "Sampson, or Sam" he replies. "Anyway, about Jack. Me and him have been enemies about as long as we've been in this school, so if you want to get him back, I'm on your side." He glances at your clock. "How about we get some lunch?" ****** B. Go see Karl Sanders

****** You recall that Karl was chilling in his classroom after the lesson, so you decide to go and look for him there. As you get up and grab your guitar, you remember Sampson, still standing in your doorway awaiting an answer. You simply reply, Im not hungry, stare him in the eyes, and walk out the room without looking back. Approaching the door to Karls classroom, you think to yourself. I was such a dick to that guy... You shrug off the thought and knock on the door. Come in You open the door and see Mr Sanders standing at the front desk, packing a modded strat into a gig bag. After some time, he looks up. Ah, Mr Pittson, how can I help you? He gestures towards your guitar, you play? You nod, in awe of his Cannibal corpse shirt and Rig which is now behind him. Before he was your teacher. This is the real Karl sanders He walks back over to his guitar, and plugs in. You walk over to him and before you can ask nicely for lessons hes handing you a lead into a Marshall JCM combo. Thanks, Im a huge fan by the way Yeah, are you good? he says, provocatively. Nothing on you, but I could probably keep up you say, without a hint of modesty. With all thoughts of lessons abandoned, you start playing a riff. Within seconds, he is ripping over the top, and it all goes from there. A ten minutes or so later, you reach a finish to your little song, and Karl speaks. You should come along, me and some of the other cult members have a little Jam sometimes That sounds great, you say, wondering how to word your request for lessons. Before you open your mouth, he replies. Motherf- Mind tricks.... Well see, not now, he says, packing up his guitar. ****** A- OK, see you later, go and get some lunch. ****** Uhm...sure... you say hesitantly. Later Karl.
Until Monday, Andrew.

*** At the cafeteria you end up serving yourself some spaghetti, iced tea, and mashed potatoes.

You find a table for your lonesome self and dig in. On the table is a paper and you begin to read it while slurping up spaghetti strings. Its a menu showing the regular eating schedule and foods. Meat Monday, Tuesday's Gone Fishing, Mexican Wednesday, Thurrrsty, and Freedom Friday.
[i]Thurrsty?[/i] you think. [i]Must be spicy. Mike should LOVE this[/i]

At the bottom in writing is Dee: read back Not thinking that there's a chance the piece of paper will explode, you do. [s]AND IT EXPLODES! HAHAHA![/s] On the back you find a note and a phone number. [quote]It is very important that you read the following carefully. Do not act suspicious; make it seem that you are just reading the menu. You are new here and nobody picks these damn papers up.[/quote][i]Dave?[/i] [quote]The submarine was attacked by two subs according to what you've told me. I've been thinking about the attack and it wouldn't make sense to have two submarines so close to each other. After some digging around I have come to the conclusion that [b]only[/b] one of the attacking subs was from the KoR.[/quote][i]Then what was the other one?[/i] [quote]The other sub I'm not so sure about. The CoP has my sub in their records and I was sure to make sure that our ping beacon was working properly before we left. It also could not have been from any military or foreign government agency because of current international laws in the Mediterranean.[/quote][i]Then!? GET TO THE POINT![/i] [quote]The only possible explanation that I can think of for that second sub was that it would be from the PoK.[/quote][i]The Pharaohs of Kindness?[/i] That rings a bell...? [quote]I've been in secret contact with Sean. He has been set for termination sometime on Wednesday. Sean's understudy, Jacob, has been improving his skills rather quickly and should be able to take Sean's place as your mentor sometime before that.[quote][i]WHAT!? [/i] [quote] Call me from your [b]computer[/b] as soon as you get back to your room. I haven't been able to recover your phone. Be sure that Mike is there, too. He still has some unfinished business. My number is 710-208-3746 P.S. We have confirmed that Amy is being held in Los Palos, CA.[/quote]You finish reading and you glance up. Jack has just walked in the cafeteria looking for a fight. You slide yourself out the opposite door and make a dash to your room. [i]Hopefully Mike isn't alone...[/i] ***

At your door you stop yourself from barging in and knock.

Its open! Mike calls

out from inside.

[i]Oh, good,[/i] you think as you let yourself in and on your computer.
Mike, you say with

some urgency. It gets his attention. Dave needs to speak with us. He gets up from his bed and looms over your shoulder. You set up the mic and open a dialing program and enter the number Dave wrote down. ****** A. Let Dave start the conversation ****** After about a minute of waiting in front of the computer with Mike looking anxiously over your shoulder, Dave finally speaks from the other end. "Dee?" "Yeah." "Is Mike with you?" "Yeah." Only will power keeps you from spouting all your questions at once. After some crackling on Dave's end, he starts, "Well, I'm assuming you got the message. So you know about Amy. Don't worry about her, she'll be fine." You nod your head to yourself. Of course she's going to be okay... In the CoP's hands... "Also, about Sean..." he continues. "He hasn't released any information about the mission. I don't know why he's keeping it a secret, but they can't get anything out of him." Notions of some sort of conspiracy form in your head, but you don't voice them. "I'm guessing it's because he put Acolyte's in so much danger, but he couldn't even tell me... You guys still there?" You nod your head, and Mike says, "Yeah." Suddenly you notice the uselessness of nodding your head. "Alright. Well, he's getting terminated on Wednesday, so you probably won't see him the same way again. I don't think we'll get any info out of him, either." More mysteries never to be uncovered. But it's not Wednesday yet. Maybe you can talk to him later. Find him.

"Where is he?" you ask. "He's in this base. I'll tell you that much." "Alright." Somehow, you need to figure out where Sean is. You have to talk to him again, try to understand the reasons behind... everything. Won't see him the same way again. What's that supposed to mean? "And, you know that Jacob will be your mentor after Sean is terminated." Ugggggggggghhh. Even after the class yesterday (or the day before?), your suspicions about Jacob haven't faltered. His niceness could have been just a facade, his willingness to give information... "He's being raised to a Presenter." You'd think Dave would sound proud, but nothing changes in his voice. "I hope your idiotic idea about him being a Knight is out of your head, Dee." "It is," you lie. "Of course. Final thing, is the PoK." You know you've heard that somewhere before, but you can't put your finger on it. "The Pharaohs of Kindness. They started after the KoR and CoP, and had less influence on events. Nobody knew who their leader was. They were delusional. Believed in fate, and all that crap... They died out rather quickly. I still can't believe they're back..." "How do you know it was them? In the sub?" "Well, at first it was just a guess, but after meeting with some people and doing some research, we figured it out. It was them." So, a new cult to add to your already too-big list. Two cults is enough for someone. Mike asks, "Why are they important? The PoK, I mean?" Dave responds, "They're not, really. They just had crazy ideas. They needed to be put down as soon as possible, so it was done." "What kind of crazy ideas?" you ask. "They thought that the world should be completely peaceful, or totally destroyed. There were only two options."

"... Well, it doesn't sound too bad," Mike replies. "Their ideas of peace weren't exactly... typical. They wanted to use mind tricks to numb every human's mind, to make them polite, submissive, uninteresting zombies. While the higher ranked members remained in power." "Oh... Well, that won't happen, right?" "Probably not. They'll be put down as easily as last time, if not more easily." After a silence, Dave says, "Well, I think that's it..." As you're about to shut off the thing, when suddenly Dave speaks urgently. "Wait!" "What?" "I think they're all about to figure out who you actually are... But it doesn't really matter anymore. Just expect a lot of questions about Sean from the higher ranked members." "What do we tell them?!" you ask. "Depends. I wouldn't tell them about the ruins, or the Forbidden Arts, but everything else is fine, I suppose... Just be careful." The line is cut from the other end. Too many people are telling you to be careful these days. Can't you just be unconcerned for a moment? People are too uptight. "I don't see why he told us about the PoK," Mike says. "Doesn't seem like something we'd care about." You shake your head. "It isn't." Mike suddenly laughs, "Sucks for you, though. Jacob as a mentor?" "There has to be a way to convince Dave that Jacob's a Knight." Shocked, Mike says, "WTF? He's a Knight?" "Didn't I tell you that before?" "I don't know... Well, ****, that sucks. It might be hard though, cause Jacob is Dave's son." "I know."

What now? ****** D. Look for Sampson AND E. Look for Sean ******
"I need to find someone. Then we're looking for Sean." You get up from the computer, and without looking back to see if Mike is following, you leave. Mike catches up with you, and asks, "Who is it we're looking for?" "Eh, some guy named Mat, or Sam, or something... he's pretty tall." First, you decide to check the cafeteria. It turns out to be a good choice; it seems to be the general hangout place for the lower-ranking members, and you have no problem finding a tall kid in a Rancid tee-shirt sitting with some friends at a table, chowing down on some food. He notices you walking towards them, and smiles slightly. "Hey, Andrew, what's up? Have a seat." "Ah, I'm good. This is Mike," you say, gesturing towards him. Mike nods in greeting. "Oh, uh..." Sam starts hesitantly. "This is Tom," he says. Tom is wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, and a head full of matted brown hair. He then gestures towards the guy with shoulder-length dirty-blond hair, wearing an PtH tee shirt. "And this is Russell." You almost break out into laughter right there, but you manage to twist your mouth into a grin, and say, "Hey." At the same time, Mike bursts out laughing. The three of them look confused, and Sam says, "What?" Mike regains control of himself, and says, "Nothing." You decide to get straight to the point; no time for small-talk. Lowering your voice, you ask, "Do you guys happen to know where they keep people who're being questioned?" The three regard each other for a second, then Sam says, "Why?" "I need to see a friend," you respond casually. "Uhhh..." Tom starts, "I don't think they let a lot of people in there. Especially not Acolytes." Suddenly annoyed, you say, "I don't care. Do you know where it is?" Sam replies, "Yeah... But you're already in trouble, from what I've heard." You sigh with vexation. "I don't care. Are you gonna show me where it is, or not?" "Yeah, yeah..." Sam gets up, and the other two get up at the same time. "Follow me." On the way to the questioning place, you and Sam are completely quiet. Mike, however, makes small-talk with Tom and Russell, the usual music stuff. The trip takes you through the main "hall," the same room that

you first entered the base in. You're not really paying attention to where you have to go; your mind is just drifting randomly from topic to topic. If Dave couldn't even see Sean... Whatever. I can get through, somehow. Sean, being terminated. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Won't see him the same way again. If the members here start questioning you about the mission, could you keep the secrets of the rituals? Of the deaths? Suddenly, Sam stops at a three-way turn; here the hall goes either left or right. While thinking, you missed more than you thought. The walls seem darker here, and the floor is now bare, hard, concrete. Whispering, Sam says, "Go right from here. It's room 101." "You're not coming? What about you guys?" you ask Tom and Russell. They shake their heads. Pussies. "Whatever. What about you, Mike?" Steadily, Mike answers, "Yeah. I'll go." Before leaving, Mike asks Sam, "Is he just in there? Or are there more rooms inside?" Sam nods and says, "There are more rooms. It's like some sort of... prison, I guess. There's a clerk with all the prisoners' names written down." You start walking, but Mike says, "We should make a plan. Or something." Even more annoyed than before, you turn around hastily. "Yeah... A plan." Well? ******

D) Tell him you have to see Sean (and just improvise from there) ******
Continuing down the right hand corridor, now in silence you and Mike walk past room 100 on your left before seeing the door of room 101 on your right. The plain looking door gives you no hint of what it leads to, but with no keyhole you have no choice but to open it. You find yourself in a clinical looking reception room, small, containing some normal office furniture including a desk with an opening behind it, and a waiting room style chair. This room sticks out a lot from the corridor it was in, however a glance at the door reveals that the room it leads into has similar styling to the crude, dark tunnel you came from. With no sign of the Clerk, you signal for Mike to follow you into the room. Quickly, you walk over to the desk and try to have a nose at the computer, but its not switched on, so you move on, expecting there to be a password. This frustrates you, as you are used to hacking peoples heads, but now a simple machine is concealing information from you. Mike begins to walk towards the back opening, and you follow. The transition between the cream white, carpeted room and the primitive corridor beyond acts somewhat of an obstacle in your mind, and you send mike a mind message. You sure you want to go through with this? Sure, whatever Advancing slowly, you look around the corner, and see a corridor similar to the other one like you thought, but darker, and with visible light sources this time, lamps on the wall. The rough concrete floor is blood

stained in places, and it looks like there has been no attempt to clear it up. Im almost forgetting this is OUR base Your thought is interrupted by a deliberate throat clearing ahem from behind you. You instantly turn around and see a man in dark grey robes. His expression is not one of anger, more inquisition, indicating that this place may not be as sinister as you had first presumed. As you and Mike walk around the desk back towards where you came from, he goes the opposite way, towards the computer. How can I help you? We need to see someone we believe is here, Sean Johansson The smile fades from the Clerks face, replaced by a frown for a moment. Ill just do a search for you, he says with a forced smile. He types a few keys, before saying, Computer says no, no one here of that name. You turn to mike, and notice behind him that the plug that the computer is plugged into isnt even switched on. You respond to the Clerk. What exactly goes on down here, we heard he was being questioned? Any hint of a forced smile disappears. Acolytes are not permitted to be down here. Please leave, or I will be forced to take your names. You continue to probe however. Why is this place so different to the rest of the quarters? That is the last straw; Im taking down and reporting your names. Who are you? Mike Vidda, he says surprisingly confirmatively

****** E. I AM TEH FAPMASTER! ****** Upon being asked such a foolish question, you pull your jeans down a bit to unveil your glorious elastic band of your underwear. The clerk looks down and sees FAPMASTER! emblazoned upon your waistband. "Uh... what does your underwear say??" "IT SAYS, I.... AM............ THE..." Mike then turns towards you, eyes wide. "DUDE, WTF NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo1!!!!!!111!onee1 e1eleven1!" "FAPPMASTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" You then undo your trousers (i'm not english, just thought id be classy) and begin fapping insanely fast. "OH MY LAWDS! I'M REPORTING YOU NOW. SECURI,,,

AAAAAAAAAAAAUHHGh" You quickly dispense of this man's attempt to call security on you by hitting him square in the face with your lazer. You walk over to the phone and mimick his voice, saying it was "just a mouse". You proceed down the blood stained corridor with Mike looking at you very uncomfortably. After walking for about 10 minutes in complete darkness, you end up in a liar that looks very horrifying. You are on an improvised wooden cat-walk overlooking a room completely immolated in human skeletons. SUDDENLY FROM OUT OF THE SHADOWS JUMPS SCORPION. (sorry.. had to.) You and Mike give Scorpion high fives and proceed onwards. There is a clearing in the middle of the skulls and there is a figure chained to a stone obelisk in the center surrounded by three men in black robes. Upon further inspection, you see that the figure chained to the pillar is Sean and the three men are all holding some strange nunchucks that seem to be luminescent. ****** C. Falcon PUNCH! ******
The black-cloaked men have their eyes closed, with those luminescent sticks glowing dimly in their hands. Despite having their eyes closed, it's evident that Sean, chained to that dark spire, is their subject of examination. Possibly even more shocking than the room itself, is Sean. His usual air of mystery and wisdom is completely destroyed, replaced by a sickly air of famine and fatigue. His closed eyes are surrounded by lines of worry and dark circles of sleep deprivation. What now? Mike asks, using his mind. Even there, it sounds tinged with uneasiness. The skulls seem to drill into your own, with those empty, dead eyes. The spire no longer seems simply dark; now it resonates a feeling of baleful augur, seeping hate and death into the air around it. You grin, despite the eyes and death. Mike glances at you, and sends a warning signal. He knows that grin. We're already in enough trouble, he sends. You're starting to sound like... Erin. The mention of Erin stuns him into silence. He probably still feels bad over that. Well, it was pretty ****ed

up... Now, it's time. The men must have no idea you're here. With their eyes closed, focused on Sean, they probably won't even realize something is wrong even when you yell... No one's supposed to be here. You get up, and step quietly towards the men and their luminescent rods. Mike stays behind. First, you have to get just into the right position... A few more steps... The skulls seem to read your every thought. Silently, they protest against your interference. Now. "FAAALLLCOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNN..." "FUUUCCCCKKKKK!" Mike yells. At the same time, the men turn, shocked out of concentration. Without any words, the man closest to you throws himself towards you. Fool. "PUUUUUUUNCHHHHHHHHHH!" You fling yourself forward. The breakneck speed, the abominable force of the punch causes a sickening crunch when it connects with the man's head. The room seems to freeze for that one moment. The blood on your fist almost steams in the glacial atmosphere. Yet, the blood inside you seems to get hotter, so hot that you begin sweating profusely. Confusion and panic settle in. You can't even see anymore. Your thoughts scramble for some answer, but the only response is the searing heat inside you and the cruel cold outside. Then, the room suddenly turns back to normal. The fires die, and the cold leaves. Only the memories of the pain remain. What just happened? A man's limp body lays on the ground in front of you, face bloodied. A glowing rod lays beside him. Suddenly, reality comes back to you in a flood. The other men. Mike. Sean. A look around the room reveals the impossible. The other two men are incapacitated as well, but evidently not by Mike. The other man standing there, face blank, like nothing just happened, is Davos. The one who drove you here, the teacher... If you expected anyone to come to your aid, it was Dave. Mike is sitting down with a forlorn look on his face. Another realization. "How long?... How long did it take?" you ask. "What do you mean?" Davos asks inquisitively. "I... Never mind. How did you?... Why?" Davos looks amused. Amused! "You ask a great deal of questions. I could ask you the same." Suddenly, he becomes serious. "You know how dangerous this is?" You and Mike stay silent, trying to look shameful. It looks like Mike actually is. "You idiots. I'm not talking about what just happened. I'm talking about now. And after." With every word, Davos seems increasingly angry. But suddenly, he laughs, almost maniacally. "You've disrupted the entire flow of time." More maniacal laughter.

Mike looks up at you. Confused. For that matter, so are you. Davos seems to come back to normal. "Ah, you would know if you've been to one of my classes..." A silent pause, then, "Do you realize how dangerous this man is?" Incredulously, you ask, "Sean?!" "Yes, Dee, Sean." "He's not dangerous!" Well, he did send you on a practically suicidal mission, but that's different. "Maybe he wasn't before. But he is now. He's been using Reflection. He's become a Psychonaut. He's so deep into insanity, the only way to get him out is to blank his mind. That is what termination is, Dee." His words numb you. Sean using Reflection. You thought maybe it had ended with Dreaming... Insane. Sean, insane? It doesn't seem possible... He knows my name. Dave warned you about this, but so soon? "Why are you telling me this? Why aren't you... punishing me?" You almost grin at the absurdity of the situation. You're worried about punishment. It seems too light a word to describe what you deserve. Davos regards you, once again amused. "I don't think I can tell you that. But, I'll let you continue with whatever you were about to do. Or you can leave." This is insane. This is idiotic. You start chuckling at the insanity of the situation. Why the hell would Davos help you? Why doesn't he stop you? Sean is insane. You probably just killed a CoP member. It's too funny. Well?

****** D. Fap... (sigh) ******

The pure insanity of the situation... there's something about it.... is it.... arousal? yes! something about this whole ordeal really turns you on. man, i need teh faps Without hesitation or regard to anybody, your hands fall to your belt, unclapsing it with the greatest of ease and sending your pants to the floor. You place one hand firmly but lightly on your dick, and begin moving it slowly back and forth. An image of Skyler pops into your head. She has you up against a wall, and is slowly undressing... Meanwhile, Mike has turned his back and now has his iPod out, politely waiting for you to finish. Davos seems to be doing... nothing. He just stands there, not looking at or reacting to anything in particular, almost in a dream like state. ....Skyler is down to her underwear, and her bra is coming off. oh yes!! yes!! Amy walks in, clothed in a little dress, but instead of scorning you like you think, she rips the dress off, revealing her completely nude body. You, her and Skyler all stat getting into it on the floor in some of the craziest sex you've ever had. your hand moves faster and faster...

grggh.... threesome... gah... oh yeah... it finally comes. you close your eyes and discharge your payload... AND GIVE DAVOS A CUMSHOT DEATH!!! ...all over the floor of the place. oh that felt good... Mike turns around as soon as you return your pants to their regular place. "done yet?" "yeah..." You say, a bit embarrassed. Davos is still in the dreamlike state. "come on, lets go" Mike urges ******

A. Try to bring back Davos by asking him questions ****** You regard Mike, puzzled. "You want to leave?" Mike looks back at you. "Well... Yeah. This place scares the **** out of me. And there's no point talking to Sean now..." Davos still stares at nothing, seeming completely unaware of the situation. "I need to ask Davos a few questions," you tell Mike. "HEY!" Davos doesn't react. Without thinking, you walk up to him and push him. "H-" Without warning, Davos breaks out of his dream state and grabs your arm, twisting. You're now facing the other way, with your arm painfully twisted behind you. You try to writhe free, but every way you turn brings more pain. "Don't try that again," he says calmly. "How did you know we were here?" you ask, irritated. Davos still grips your arm painfully. Suddenly, he lets go. You pull away hastily, and make an effort not to rub your arm where he was grabbing you. Davos regards you lightly, then examines the room casually. "I was security today." If he takes any notice to the eyes of the skulls, or the general grisly atmosphere in the room, he doesn't show it. The bodies of Sean's guards lay unconscious around him. Mike regards Davos suspiciously. "Why did you help us? Knock out the guards?" Davos looks back with an astonishingly sad smile, and his eyes hold sorrow. "Sean was a

friend. A good friend. I... I don't agree with what they're doing. They can help him. Somehow... I don't know. I don't like seeing him like this." There are so many questions that are in your head right now, and Davos's answers only seem to create more. Suddenly, you realize something. "The binding. You're bound. How could you hurt these people without?... bypassing the binding?" The faint smile stays on his lips. "The binding does not get bypassed. It pained me very much to do what I just did." Suspicion forms together in your mind about Davos. Something about his words just seems wrong. Not exactly the innocence that would go with lying, but the directness that went with truth. But if he meant you harm, wouldn't he have done it by now? He wants something... Sean is his friend? Well, that can be disproved easily enough, butSomething stirs behind you, and the faint rustle of iron shackles makes you turn around swiftly. Sean is coming back to consciousness. He opens his dull eyes, and looks around slowly. He barely takes notice of the iron chains attached to the obelisk, as if he's used to them being there. However, he takes full notice of the luminescent rods. Then, he sees you. A smile creeps across his face, and his eyes open wide. They no longer seem dull, but frantic and feverish with what could only be called madness. "Dee," he says, hushed. "Mike." When he notices Davos, he gets a stubborn look on his face, yet backs against the spire. "Not you. Get out. GET OUT!" The vehemency of the last words tears at your ears. You look back at Davos suspiciously. Friend? Doesn't look like it. However, the faint smile on Davos's lips turns into a frown. "He doesn't recognize me..." he mutters. Then, loudly, he says, "I'm not here to question you." Sean eyes him skeptically as well, and he almost seems to snarl at him. He looks like a chained animal, ready to be loosed on already-terrorized people. Fear sends chills down your spine. This definitely isn't the Sean you remember. "Alright... Yes..." he whispers. Then, out of nowhere, "SHUT UP! Oh God , shut up.." Incredulity stains your face, and a terrible anxiety gnaws at your insides. The voice. He's talking to the voice.

"I'm sorry," he says with a twisted smile; you think it's meant as apologetic. "Dee... I have to tell you something... Something I realized while... Psychonautizing." Well? ****** A. Let him continue ******
When you glance back at Davos, he gives you a questioning look, as if daring you to do something about his presence. It's the first type of any hostility he's shown you so far. As you turn back to face Sean, Mike walks up beside you, eager to hear what he has to say. Sean's breathing has grown ragged, you notice. With quick, short breaths, he begins, "I used Reflection. Every memory was there. I figured things out... Important things. The Pharaohs. The Pharaohs of Kindness. We don't know who their leader is. But the Knights. Their first leader was..." he trails off. You're about to tell him in impatience, but then he says, "Balathos," loudly. Then stops again. His face shows considerable concentration, as if trying to remember something. "Right," he begins again. "The first people to use their mind were the Egyptians. The ruins. I know the prophecies..." He trails off again, much to your annoyance. You let out an exasperated sigh. You can't tell where Sean is going with this; and if this keeps up, it's probably not going to make any sense once he's finDavos suddenly rushes past you. In his hand is one of the glowing rods. "GET ON WITH IT!" he yells, heading for Sean. Sean lets out horrified wail, and gets up against the spire again in pure terror. His breathing becomes more ragged. Davos stops right in front of him, and looks him in the face. "Davos," Mike warns, "Don't do anything." Davos gives a warning look back, but doesn't say anything. Through ragged breaths, Sean starts explaining again, with a tremulous voice, "The hieroglyphics. They showed someone controlling people using an object. Millions of people under one ruler." Vaguely, you remember that. You remember that the wall with that certain hieroglyphic had been covered in limestone. Sean has stopped again, and his eyes dart back and forth around the room, sometimes casting quick glances at the rod in Davos's hand. In an angry grunt, Davos shoves the rod towards Sean's face. "NO!" He screams. "... Oh... Uh... The prophecies. Our prophecies. The Cult's. And the Knights'. They all come from the Pharaohs of Kindness. They were the ones who believed in prophecy. Not us. We were logical. We were- SHUT UP!" Sean draws a crude breath. The tension in the air heightens the fear inside you. On the edge of your mind, you feel a strange gnawing, like something's not right. Like you should be doing something else.

"It makes sense. Fire or ice. The Pharaoh's mission. Destroy, or rule... Rule. The antipodes. The CoP and KoR." Abruptly, Sean chuckles. "We think we have power." Davos suddenly yells, "MAKE SOME SENSE. You're not doing us any good." In a sudden flame of defiance, Sean looks Davos in the eye angrily. Sean's shackles do nothing to subtract from the terrifying look. With the tattered and torn look of his clothes, and the madness in his eyes, he looked like a rabid animal. "Sean," you say. "The mission. What about the mission? What does this have to do with Egypt?" Davos glances at you suddenly, like you said something of interest. Sean doesn't seem to take notice of you. Instead, now he seems to be staring at nothing. "So, we have Balathos, and an unknown creator of the CoP. And we have the Pharaohs. Not the Egyptians... The Pharaohs..." Sean sounds like he's trying to get himself to understand more than anything. Davos regards him in irritation. Again, Sean jumps from the subject. "They were right. The knowledge is locked in a tower. The Succession tower. That's where it all starts, Dee." He chuckles again, but it's cut off as his face becomes serious again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." You're confused by the sudden apology, but you let him continue. "The last pharaoh... Not Kindness, but Egyptian. The last Egyptian Pharaoh of mind tricks. He was good. He destroyed the revolution. He was illegitimate, but he rose to the top, and destroyed it all." At this point, fear isn't an issue anymore. The constant chills caused by the skulls and Sean's madness have become dull, and now you're simply numb. Except for the gnawing on your mind... You recognize it as the urge to enter your own mind. "What do you mean?" you ask warily. "The revolution. Their mission was to rule the world. Using mindtricks. That was it. The Pharaohs of today are simply a weak reincarnation of what used to be. I'm sorry," he says again. After a silence, a shocked Mike says, "So..." "Shut up. Yes, you. I'm not finished. There was someone who went to the Tower after. After the last king." Sean looks angrily at nothing. "Will you shut up?" You all remain silent. Even Davos looks puzzled. Sean sighs and grins. "Anyway. Fools, can't be quiet, even in class... Anyway. Someone went after, and became a pharaoh. Around 2000 BC. He was Balathos." He becomes silent again, with a foolish grin on his face, and a feverish look in his eyes. Slowly, you ask, "How could he-?" "I'm not done yet, fools. He used mind control. Whenever he was about to die, he departed from his body. The Forbidden Art. The Prophecy. Halo of death... Whatever. He did this until 400 BC, where-" Davos looks at him, suddenly amused. "I believe I know where you're going with this. And I must say,

you're more insane than I first thought. How could you know this?" "I have my ways, Acolyte. It is not for you to question me." No. The fear is back, but this time it's more disturbed than anything. Sean almost sounds sane now, but his... word choice; Is he hallucinating? Or making a show of being insane? It's like a subtle mockery of everything that is reason. "Sean," you start. "I can't tell where you're going with this." In all honesty, you're more confused than you were when you walked in. Sean regards you in awe. Tears glisten in his eyes. The disturbed feeling becomes stronger. "Dee? Is that you? I thought you were dead. I'm sorry." Suddenly, he screams, with more agony and pain you've ever heard out of anything in your whole life, except maybe that one time when you got raped. The wails continue, and you notice Davos is shoving the luminescent rod in his ribs. He takes it away, and says, "Get a hold of yourself, Sean." Racked sobs and coughs plague Sean, but eventually he comes back to normal. At least, as normal as he's going to get. "Don't you fools see? Mike is the pharaoh! And Dee! You're his guard! You're the ones who have to rule the world, or destroy it!" He cackles suddenly, somehow mixed with his sobs of before. "I'm sorry. We have to kill you. Davos... Kill them. We can't let them live. We have to let the CoP and KoR do their job. The Pharaohs can't interrupt. I'm sorry." The strength of the shock that stuns you turns your legs to water. Mike is wearing the same startled expression. But, instead of turning to kill you, Davos begins laughing even louder than Sean. Sean returns his laughs. If you were disturbed before... The skulls even seem to be laughing at you. Your mind beckons you towards it's numbing pleasure. "Sean, my friend. As far as Anubis is concerned, Mike is dead. But the new king lives." The door to the outer world smashes open suddenly, and several figures run through. Help. Oh God, help. Help get me out of this manic-infested ****hole. No thoughts of punishment cross your mind, nothing of the consequences, just hope of rescue from this place. The figures, after bursting through the door, have slowed to a walk. You only recognize one person who runs through the door. Jacob. About seven more people are with him. You feel your entire body go numb. Your skin prickles everywhere. Your mind becomes blocked off from the outside. The urge to enter your own mind grows stronger. Something is wrong. The force of eight people approaches you slowly. They're all wearing white robes. Even Jacob. Two of the people grab Mike and throw him aside effortlessly. With a thud, Mike hits the ground and grunts. "Mike!" you yell. "What's going on!?" Sean begins sobbing loudly. The white-cloaked people surround you, and Davos, holding the rod, enters the circle. "Ah. Dee," Davos intones, with a new found flourish. "Our leader will be pleased. The Pharaohs have you now. Not the Knights." He laughs suddenly, and a few others laugh with him as well. Jacob stays silent. Paralyzed, from fear as much as from the effects of their mindtricks, you regard Davos defiantly. Before

you can speak though, he interrupts. "You will guard him. You were meant to, after all." After a pause, he grins and continues, "We will need to ensure your loyalty, though. Don't worry; it shan't hurt." In the desperate situation, you find yourself completely helpless. Paralyzed, your mind is all you have, and it's blocked. You feel something... moving. It's not physical, barely capable of being called imagination, but something in your mind is writhing, twisting around. Not only writhing, but new connections are made... Like wires being ripped apart and being reattached elsewhere. You can't feel it, but you know it's happening. You know you're being bound. "Stop. Mike!" You can't do anything now, as you feel your mind being twisted. The faces around you have their eyes closed, but you make a note to memorize every face. They'll pay. Later. "Don't worry Dee. You'll be fine." But the urge to enter your mind grows stronger, still. It's not gnawing anymore; it's festering throughout your mind, all while it's being twisted and reformed. Well?

****** A. Let them continue ******

You fall to the floor, almost in shame. There's nothing you can do. At least not yet, but being completely bound is inevitable... "Do you know why we bind higher ranked members, Dee?" You nudge a bit, and manage to let out a sentence. "To keep them from betraying the cult..." "HA!" Davos laughs. "There is another far greater reason, Dee." Davos is now holding the rod up above his head, parallel to the floor. You look at Jacob. He seems almost.... trustworthy. The look in his eyes shows that he is hiding something. Funny why he's wearing a white robe; you'd think that after his promotion to Lecturer he'd be wearing something darker. "Now, acolytes!" Davos demands, "Bring me the pharaoh!" Acolytes? you think. But... Jacob... ? Your mind begins to blur and your eyes soon forget. *** ...Dee...

.....Dee.....

........Dee........

"DEE ROGERS PITT!" you hear someone bellow. You look up to see a black hooded figure. His face is shadowed and speaks in a low, grumbling voice. The only light in the dark room is from a single lightbulb suspended from the ceiling. You lift your head up and search around the room. Dusty tables with stacked books, mysterious glass work, and a door. Just a door. "Where am I?" you ask. "Do you not remember?" The figure turns around and heads out the door. From the silhouette you make out a familiar black Arch-Speaker robe and nothing else. You get up slowly and try to adjust your eyes to the dim light. Albuquerque? You try to reach your mind out of the room, but you can't even get it out of yourself. Something is wrong. You sit there in bed, trying to remember what happened. Dave's note... the submarines... the PoK... Davos... Jacob... Amy? "I must save Amy." You get up bravely from the bed and head out the door. You find yourself in a familiar hallway. Doors all the way down on both sides except for the very end. You remember Sean taking you down this hallway, just, not from the side that you're standing.

****** E. Random door!!! ******

You open the first door on your right. Lights come on to illuminate a dusty room, which doesn't seem to be used much. There's a table with a coffeemaker on the middle of it with a couple chairs, lockers lined up against the wall on your left. Someone is sitting on what looks like a very comfortable chair at the far side of the room. You can barelymake out blonde strands of hair cascading across the leather of the chair.

Suddenly a maniacal laugh fills the air, sounding a bit like you when you're demonstrating your awe-fapsomeness. the person in the chair turns, revealing ... Faith !?!?!? ''What are you doing here !'' you ask panickly. ''That's not the question, my dear. The right question is, why are YOU here ?'' Quickly regaining your wits, you say that you have no clue. Realizing she's looking pretty ... pretty in that white robe, you ask her if there's still something between you guys. She gets up, sexily stretching (man, what a nice silhouette...) and go close the door. ''Well I don't know, Dee. Do you have something for someone else ? Something you'd like to talk me about ?'' You wonder if she knows about that crazy bitch you met while ''bird'' watching. Or about Erin. Or about Skyler. ''No ... I don't think there's anything I'd like to SAY to you.'' ''Good. I didn't think so. So, whre's the rest of the group ? I haven't heard of Jay (Jeremy) or Felix in a while'' ******

A. Tell her that they're all dead and they asked you to take care of her ******
"Faith... You need to know now.... erm...." You struggle to let the words out. "They're dead" You stare at her face intently, waiting to see how she'll react. At first it stays blank, betraying no emotion whatsoever. However, after a few moments, she starts chuckling. The chuckling grows to light laughter, and then into an all out, bellowing laugh. Laugh? No, this is a joyfully cruel cackle, filled with contempt and spite. It sends a chill up and down your spine. And then, something slightly familiar happens. You hear a low-pitched, gargled undertone that mimicks her voice exactlly, except it seems to be coming from all around instead of from Faith. Its exactly like when some... thing posing as Amy entered your room all those nights ago in Albuquerque. "Faith, wha-" You begin, but before you can speak anymore, Faith vanishes. You look around as shock adorns your face. You stare at the floor where Faith once stood, and the look of shock is replaced by one of near-total confusion. There are tendrils of pure black smoke spreading out from where she was standing and dissolving in the air. On the floor are spots of a crimson colored liquid... blood. what the hell...? You retreat out of the room and into the hallway, heading for the door just across the hall. You open the door to see a sight that you never thought you would see again... the band's garage. Tyran, Mark and Jimmy are all at their old places, playing a simple jam. Only Amy is absent. "Hey Seth, come jam!" Jimmy calls out. You stand still, frozen by some internal force. What's going on??? "You... You're all dead..." You barely manage to utter.

"What are you talking about Seth? I think somebody's been dancin' with Mr. Brownstone!" Mark cracks. "C'mon let-" The rest of his words fade out, and the room starts spinning. Everything becomes blurry, so much that you can't make out your own hand in front of your face. And then, slowly, everything goes back to normal. Except you're no longer in the garage. Your standing in a muddy field at night, overlooking a long, deep trench. Rain is pouring like crazy, and thunder and lightning boom and flash across the sky. Gazing across the trench, you see men wearing rubber ponchos and carrying rifles in small groups on the other side. Instinctively, you recognize them as knights. They don't talk much, and instead merely stand and stare. Somebody calls out in a loud, militaristic voice, and the men all organize into lines. Curious, you peer into the trench, and you slowly make out shapes and colors. Leaning in, you make out a single dead body, garbed in civilian clothing, laying on top of a mound of dirt. Looking even closer, you see a foot, and then a hand sticking out of the mound. Its then that you realise that this isn't a mound of dirt at all... its a stack of bodies. Some are dressed like normal people while some wear cult robes. They all seem very familiar. Looking up and down the trench, you see even more bodies, piled up on one another in no particular order. "FIRE!" The voice interrupts your investigation. Looking up, you see a line of people standing at the edge of the trench. A moment later, their is a volley of rifle fire, and they all fall into the mass of dead, looks of pain, horror, and anguish forever emblazoned on their faces. Suddenly, everything fades, and your back in the hallway. There are two doors left. oh God... ******

B. Door on the left ******

Something tells you that there isn't an easy way out of this, and you turn and enter the door to your left. You enter into a strange terrain. Massive gray stone spires and craggy rocks are all around. You look into the sky. No sun, no clouds, no stars. Just black. Even so, the area is still illuminated like a cloudy winter evening. You turn behind you, and see the door is gone, replaced by a massive gorge that appears to go down for hundreds of miles. A strong wind suddenly picks up, but dies just as soon as it arose. Turning away from the gorge, you start walking along the cliff. Eventually, you turn and walk into the massive, jagged rocks. A strange, fluorescent green permeates from small cracks in the surface, only adding to the strangeness of this place. You take several more turns, following natural pathways throug the terrain. Though you're sure you've never been here before, something seems to be guiding you. An inhuman roar breaks the eerie silence, but the immediate area shows nothing but desolate, cracked rocks. You continue on, and begin a slow descent down a steep decline, until you finally arrive at another cliff. Looking out over the edge, you see a strange building. Its architecture resembles curved shark's teeth, except hundreds of feet tall. From your place on the cliff, you can see that the rows of "teeth" spiral inward, making about three circular rows. A short while later, you make it to the base of the monument. Several smaller constructs, also built like shark's teeth, mark a path to the entrance. After going through a seemingly ancient doorway, you find yourself overlooking a long stone bridge that spans a deep abyss to get to a small circular area that seems to be in the center of the building. After crossing it at a normal walking pace, you arrive at the heart of the building, which is in the form of a classroom-sized circular platform. At the center of the platform is a large, glowing, ruby-colored diamond. Suddenly, the diamond transforms, revealing a tall, dark skinned man wearing simple robes. "What is this place?" you ask in awe. The man doesn't speak, but instead turns and walks across another

bridge behind him, exactly the same length as the one you crossed to get into the center. He turns his head and beckons you to follow him. Once across the bridge, you find yourself at a door. With a simple wave of his hand the man opens it, and you find yourself out upon another cliff. The man walks to the edge, and bids for you to look. At first, all you see is more rocks, but then your eyes settle on an unwelcome sight. The Eiffel Tower lays propped against a stone, corroded and bent. That couldn't be there unless this is... The realization of where you stand hits you like a fist in the stomach. "How?" You ask, whirling around. The tall man has disappeared. In a flash, you're back in the corridor. You fall to your knees, sweating with nervousness, anxiety, and a plethora of other things. After regaining your composition, you head for the final door. Dread slows your feet as you walk. Almost cringing, you grab the latch and turn. Instead of the fires of hell that you expected, you find yourself in a peaceful meadow. A girl sits on a blanket on the grass, her back turned to you as she watches the sunset. Slowly, she turns around. You see a face that you had started to think you'd never see again. "Dee?" Amy asks. "Is it really you?" You begin to think that this is another trick. "Oh my god.." Amy says, tears forming in her eyes. no... this is no trick Somehow, you know that this isn't another sick view of the world. "Amy..." You say. You both run to each other, meeting with a warm embrace. "Oh god, Dee... I must be dreaming...." "You are" You say, feeling the tears start to form in your eyes. "And so am I" Leaning in and closing your eyes, you start to kiss her. As soon as your lips touch, you see Amy, laying peacefully in a CoP bed, smiling. You kiss for what seems like an eternity, before she draws away. "Dee, what's happening to you outside of here?" You pause. "What do you mean?" "I just saw this image of you being dragged aboard a boat by some masked guys. There was a city on fire in the background." Davos... Athens you think as soon as she finishes. "Its nothing" You say, kissing her again. Suddenly, everything vanishes. You awake to find yourself being dragged onboard a ship by some masked men, just like Amy said. Athens burns in the background. I guess both KoR and CoP are still here...

****** C. Let them continue

******
You're being dragged by your tied feet and you back feels every out of place rock on the road. You fight the urge to cancel the pain with mind****s. The city continues to burn as night time looms around. The fire, almost becoming the new sun, makes your eyes squint. Where are they taking me? you think. You lift your head to see piles of bodies on every other street corner. You know that this has to be the work of the Knights. Why would they do such a thing? Is this why Pythagoras left them? WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL OF THIS!?!? More questions run through your mind like an endless freeway of speeding cars. "SHUT UP!" on of the masked men (men?) screams at you. "THAT'S WHAT IS WRONG WITH CHILDREN THESE DAYS; THEY ASK TOO MANY QUESTIONS!" You take his advice and try to conceal your thoughts, only taking in your surroundings. Apparently, Jacob is being dragged right next to you. He's out cold after probably trying to save you. A sign catches your eye: - 1/2 km Hephaisteion The Hephaisteion? "I SAID SHUT - UP!" the same man exclaims. "Ugh..." a grunt comes from Jacob. "Ahhh!" he screams in pain. You can tell he's fighting the urge to use mind****s, too, by his clenched fists, tightly shut eyes, and him saying "No... no... I cannot... " over and over again. You realize that the pain he is in must be much greater than that of your own: he's being dragged shirtless. *** Soon you're at a fenced off perimeter. The guard takes a quick look at the masked men and then a hard one at Jacob. The guard spits on his face and Jacob flinches with disgust. "Traitor..." the guard says deeply as he lets you in. You're then dragged another 100 meters or so to a Greek temple of some sort. Probably the Hephaisteion, according to that sign you saw earlier. "Get up," another masked man demands. "Both of you." You struggle to your feet; they're still tied up, but you manage. Jacob is having a little more difficulty but when he does he hunches his back over from the pain.

The city continues to blaze about the horizon in the night. One of the men cuts your feet loose and another, Jacob's. They both push the two of you towards the building, prompting you to enter it. "Davos is waiting," one of them says.

****** D. Signal Jacob to collapse, then kick some serious A$$ ******
You discreetly attract Jacobs attention. Using hand and toe signals, you make him understand that he must collapse to the ground, pretending he just fouled his leg. He nods, looking a bit afraid. After all, hes the one wholl be defenseless on the ground You see a small ditch coming up. Since this is the only feature in the terrain you can see before stepping into the temple, youll have to spring your ambush there. The twinkle in Jacobs eye let you know that he figured the same thing. When his captors make him go over the ditch, he stumbles into it, letting out a brief yell of pain as he falls to the bottom. You feel the grip of the guy holding you going harder instantly. Hearing your companion being beaten, you kneel and use an aikido move which rolls the guy holding you across your back and to the ground in front of you. But since he was holding tight, you kinda fall too, landing on him. Lightning-fast reflexes makes both your elbows dive through his chest. You feel the ribs shatter. Jumping back on your feet, you dash toward the ditch to help out poor Jacob. Performing an aerial front flip, you land on some dudes head, causing him to fall down. When his face touch earth, a miraculously well placed rock impales his left eye. He starts yelling out in pain while you roundhouse kick the other guys. While theyre all down, you grab Jacob and quickly climb out of the ditch, ready to run to the hills. A loud click! from behind makes you turn your head, only to face six shady persons wearing black robes and hoods. Theyre standing in a neat row. What instantly grab your attention is the huge barrels of the assault rifles theyre pointing right at your face. Ok kid, enough is enough. Maybe you can flip around, but not fast enough to dodge this. says one bad guys as he shoots Jacob in the knee. Your pal collapses, crying out loud in real pain this time. Now you stfu and come with us gently. The 2 men in the middle run back to the temples entrance, making a hole in their ranks for you to pass through. Doesnt seem like you have much of a choice. With your hands behind and across your head, you go around the ditch supporting Jacob and start walking into the Hephaisteion. This place doesnt look so ancient. The marble under your feet looks very shiny. Torches at regular intervals provide soft light. The hooded men make you advance, until you reach a stairway leading down. Something hits you hard behind the neck, and you fall to your knees, gasping for air. From the corner of your eye, you see Jacob being carried away by two of the hooded men. Someone roughly handcuffs you from behind, and you get another blow on the head. ****** A. Fight through the pain

******
Blackness creeps in from the outside of your vision, and the pain blurs and strangles your mind as you slip into unconsciousness. No. I can't. I have to stay... "Stop you fools! He wants him awake!" someone yells.

On the edge of awareness, you feel something trespass into your mind. All of a sudden, your eyes shoot open, and a new vigor flows through your head. Every bruise, every cut on your body burns with agonizing pain. But the most noticeable thing is that the darkness is gone. You're fully conscious again. The men begin guiding you down the dark steps, wide enough for two men abreast. Even the staircase is made of dark marble. Torches line the walls, yet the darkness does not secede. Jacob is being half-carried, though his leg still seems to be bleeding freely. Along with the new vitality, the incessant nagging in your mind becomes clearer. You can almost hear the voice beckoning you towards it; it only becomes stronger when you think of the pain. Even the longforgotten ass-wounds throbs dully with affliction. To enter your mind now would be bliss. Maybe you could forget everything that happened, just erase all the memories you regret. You wouldn't have many memories left if you did that. Oddly, you notice that even with this new energy, you haven't tried anything to get away from them. You haven't even thought any anti-PoK thoughts. Is the binding closing in on you? Are you going to be unable to think for yourself, going to be a slave to the leader of the PoK for the rest of your life? The thought brings a little defiance. No. I'll never serve the Pharaohs. But with the defiance comes a new sort of aching. Uncomfortable chills run down your spine, and your skin prickles from an unfelt chill. Somehow, the pain became magnified for that one moment. Now fully underground, the only light is that of the torches. At the bottom are large plain wooden doors, barely visible in the dim light. One of the masked man tries to shove one of the doors open, but it doesn't budge. "He hasn't done that in a while," another says. The man who tried to open the door is now standing soundlessly with his eyes closed, with obvious concentration painting his face. "Must be having one of his fits. You know how he is." The man tries to open the door again, and this time it opens easily. You're pushed inside after him, and lead through a huge, dark, cavernous room. Again, the floor is dark marble, and the only lighting is the line of torches stretching down each wall. Doors also line the walls, and the largest is right down the middle of the hall. Another chill passes through you, but this time it's not from anti-PoK thoughts. You want nothing else at that moment but to be out of this room. Instead of being led through the largest doors, you're pushed through one of the side doors, and led down a few more hallways. This base is as big as the CoP bases, if not bigger. You take a look around the dark hallway you're now in. Instead of torches here, there are fluorescent lights. It seems that the entry hall was created simply for ceremonial purposes, for this hallway looks nothing like it. Clear, white, linoleum covers the floor instead of dark marble. It almost looks like a hospital. You notice that Jacob is gone. They took him to another room, you decide. Only two of your captors are left. You're shoved in front of one of the blue doors, numberless and unclassifiable. It looks exactly like every other door. "Davos is waiting," one of your escorts says. The grip on your mind loosens, then disappears completely. Although the pain is duller, everything around you seems to be duller as well. You feel empty, though that seems impossible. You thought you were empty before. It feels as if your mind is begging you, now, and you're almost obliged to surrender to it. So empty.

What now?

****** A. Enter the room ******

With a feeling of resignation, you push open the blue door and walk inside. You're not under any control, but at this point, you're too drained to try anything risky. Maybe later. The inside is just as void as the hallway. The only furnishing is a metallic desk, behind which Davos sits in a white robe, looking thoughtful. An empty seat is placed in front of the desk. "Sit, Dee," he says gently. You take a seat without resistance, without wariness. The pain in your head is receding somewhat, but the voice is still there, on the edge of your consciousness. "You know you have been bound," he starts. "And without a doubt, you resent it. You resent the fact that you're forced to do something which you don't want to do." You stare at him passively. He stops and stares back with just as much apathy. "Think, Dee; think. What would you rather have? Peace, or war?" Without thinking, you say, "Peace, but not that way. Not like how you want it." A shiver creeps up your spine. A sharp pain stabs at your temples, then recedes quickly. "That is the only way. Think. How long do you think humanity can last? With the Cult and the Knights fighting for control, how long? A war is going to break out soon. Worse than anything we've ever seen, because of them. The world is in danger of being destroyed. Think. What is worse, peace, or death?" You stay silent. "But slowly, the Pharaohs will come into power. We will bring peace. The world won't be destroyed. For thousands of years, we have waited for the right moment. Under Balathos' rightful rule, the revolution will finally be complete." A touch of fervor enters his voice at the end. Anger rises inside you, but general apathy and indifference doesn't allow it to show on your face. "We can survive," you say halfheartedly. "We always have." Davos laughs softly, and puts on a sympathetic smile. "Dee, look at the world. Stop being a fool. You know this is the only way out." This can't be the only way out. It isn't. Another shiver crawls through your spine, and the pain sharpens. ****** "Am I being the fool, or are you?" you ask, trying to sound calm and ignore the pain. "How could I be the fool? I know the only way to world peace!" He exclaims. "No, you know the only way to complete zombification." you reply. "Complete zombification, as you say, is the only way!" He says. His voice is showing hints of excitement. "And then what? You crush the human soul and destroy love, happiness, and creativity, the original reasons that anybody would want peace." Even in this tortured state, you can't help but think how hippyish you sound right now. Davos bursts "NO! Peace is to end suffering!" He exclaims. "By turning the human race into a machine?" You ask quietly.

"Do you know any other way?" You stop for a moment, trying to think up an answer. "Maybe there isn't one..." You say, your voice now morbid. "You're an utter fool, Dee." He turns to the guards. "Take Mr. Bond him to the holding cells." With that, your forced from your seat by the guards and begin the long walk to the cells. After several long hallways, you finally arrive at a little room that has obviously seen better days. Instead of the jail cells you expected, there are three strange cylinder-looking things. The walls of the cylinders appear to be made of some sort of energy that looks like electricity. A guard walks to a small thing that looks like a control panel and pulls a few levers. The energy field surrounding one of the cylinders disappears, and the guards force you to stand inside. In a moment, the shields are back up. Exhausted, you collapse to the floor of the strange cylinder. "Like something straight outta Star Wars, aren't they?" Mike's voice brings you back to full consciousness. You look in the cell next to your's and sure enough, there sits Mike. "Don't try to escape. You'll end up looking like deep-fried chicken." You feel a strange weight take hold of your mind. "These are also built to keep a barrier around your brain. They interrupt telekinetic fields or something like that. Plus with that binding of yours..." "Mike, how do you-" "Know so much? I have no idea. Ever since that goddamned temple, nothing's been the same." "Are you bound?" You ask quickly. "Nope." he replies. "Apparently they want to execute me instead." WHAT? Mike's voice is strangely calm for a man who could very well have seen his last day. "Dee, I know something. The bonding isn't permanent. There are certain rituals that the upper classes of the CoP and KoR know about that can break bonds." Your face brightens a little. If I could only get to them... "Mike, we have to find a way out of here. Where's Jacob?" Mike indicates the third cell. Jacob lays inside, sleeping. Some gauze covers his knee. What now? ****** C. Sleep; regain your strength

******
With a yawn, you stretch out your aching muscles. You never noticed how tight and stiff you were, until now. However, the fact that your head feels stuffed with wool is always palpable, and the voice nags at you incessantly as you close your eyes. Even with the voice there, sleep overtakes you instantly. After asking Jame's to get you condoms for your 13th birthday, you head over to Mike's house, making sure to hide your homework so that your mother won't find it. You pass a familiar playground, in the middle of a familiar city. Why should you think of that? Of course it's familiar; you've lived here your whole life, or so far as you can remember. The sky is a clear black, a beautiful day to go and do something outside. On the way to Mike's house, you see Krissy, pretty much the hottest chick in school, with a bunch of her friends walking down the sidewalk. Instantly distracted, you jump off your bike and rush to greet her. Maybe you can use those condoms that James is going to get you, tonight. But suddenly, a boy much bigger than you appears, and puts his hand on Krissy's shoulder. In a fit of anger, you rush up to him and kick him in the balls.

He drops to the ground with a screech. Under the shiny dark sky, you spit on his face, victorious. As you raise your head with a grin to regard Krissy and the others, you realize they're gone. You frown, puzzled. Where did they go? Ah, no matter. Although it does annoy you that no one is there to see your victory. You hop back onto your bike, which is conveniently right beside you. You begin riding to Mike's house, unconcerned. When you finally reach the house, the sky is still a perfect black, as though no time passed at all. The trip felt long. Why should the sky change color? You enter Mike's house without knocking, and head downstairs into the smoky basement. Mike is sitting on a beanbag chair, his red hair a mess. He seems to be staring at nothing. "Hey," you say. Mike turns to you. "Hey." You stand there for a moment, and examine your surroundings. This place seems so nostalgic, yet that's impossible. You've been here a lot of times recently. Mike suddenly speaks, "Sorry about your dad." My dad? Oh. He's dead. Should that make you sad? No, of course it should. But there's no time for being sad, you need to be doing something right now. You don't know what, but there's something that you're forgetting. Forgetting about Mike for the moment, you try to concentrate on what you should be doing. Your homework? No, who cares about that... Pokemon?... Chuck?... Krissy? Yes, Krissy. Something to do with Krissy. The room suddenly flickers, and Mike's smoke-filled basement changes to Krissy's living room. You find yourself holding a knife to Krissy's sister's pretty neck. She shaking and crying with fear as her mother gives her father CPR. "Do what I tell you," you command her. "Or I'll kill you. You and your family." The doorbell rings. The police are here. Instead of putting your faith into Krissy's sister, you run out the back door, underneath a black sky. It's impossible to tell whether it's night or day, but you keep your legs moving with the sound of sirens behind you. You see a McDonald's. That should be a safe place, for now. The police are somehow farther behind you than they started out. The sirens are barely audible. You suddenly feel danger. The sirens are far behind; it can't be the police. Then you notice James, trapped in an alleyway by several teenagers. In a fit of rage and grandiosity, you stride towards them arrogantly. You pull a pistol from your coat, and fire warning shots into the air. It is not fake. You have the power once again. The teens look around at you, and scatter out of the alleyway. You let them go; they're not worth your time. You forget about James, and stand there and think. You said something earlier. To Mike. Thought it. That wasn't your real dad who died. Your real dad was a CoP member. CoP? What the hell does my father have to do with the police? But something clicks in your mind. Star Wars. Something about Star Wars.

Your mother lunges at you with a knife, and it grazes your left arm just as you turn away. In a second, the pistol in your hand is replaced by a large carving knife. In a crazed frenzy, you pounce on top of her and begin stabbing the knife into her face repeatedly. Blood squirts out in bursts, splashing you in the face and chest and hands. After the butchery, you leave the house in a mess of red. The sky is now a decrepit white. Still, no time frame is distinguishable. Covered in blood, you make your way down the street. With no end in sight, the street stretches on infinitely. In your hand now is a golf club. Golf? I golf? In the street. Then you realize it's not meant to be used as a golf club. It's a tool of defense. You start weeping as a swarm of lawyers and golfers approach you, with their arms stretched out as if to give you comfort. Their faces are painted with sympathy under the murky white sky. Still weeping, you take a swing at one of their heads. It makes a crunching sound, and the man falls to the ground, writhing and twitching. One after one, the golfers and lawyers fall. They don't resist at all, and by the end of the slaughter your golf club gleams red in the perpetual light. Alone, you walk past them. For what seems like an eternity, men come at you, but you kill them all. Dave is now at your side. You're no longer walking, but running. Running from the police again. You thought they were gone, but apparently not. You try to escape, but it's useless. All they have to do is follow the trail of the dead to find you. But finally, you outrun them. You have a new life now. A new school. A band. And Amy. AMY! The enormity of the situation smashes into you like a train. You're dreaming. Dreaming? The world fades... ... Now you're surrounded by blackness. No background, no familiar city, just perpetual darkness. With a queer sort of understanding, you realize you're Dreaming. The pain from the real world is gone. You feel perfectly normal here... If a bit... bad, is the only way to describe it. In the real world, you know you're trapped inside one of those cells, by the PoK. Something Davos said had clicked in your mind, but at the time, your mind was too confused to analyze anything. You try to recall your dream, but it's all fuzzy. Only small parts of handfuls remain. Only you know, some things didn't happen exactly the way they did in the dream. You killed your mother later... And you weren't a monster. You know that much. Uselessly, you look at your surroundings. It's still black, though that seems to bright to describe it. This isn't just your everyday darkness. This is advanced darkness. Not only that, but fear creeps into you faster than before. This blackness either stretches on forever, or it goes nowhere. The Astral Plane. Is it a world by itself, or just a figment of your imagination? It's a world, obviously. How else could Sean have communicated with you? Paranoia and terror grow inside you. You have no idea why. What now? ****** D. Manipulate your surroundings

******
With the sense of dream inside you, and the infinite blackness around you, a weird sense of familiarity enters you. You've never stayed this long in the Astral Plane before; As far as you remember, you've only

done it twice, and they were both quick entries and exits. You decide to try out this whole Dreaming thing. First thing is first. You need to get out of this endless plane of darkness. Unbidden, a choice between real world and illusions presents itself to you. You have no idea why or how, but you know that it's possible to either see things the way they are in the real world, or create entirely new surroundings. To create new surroundings would be fun, but right now you're eager to be away from this place. Creating a new area takes more time than visiting a reflection of the real world. You close your eyes, not only to help concentrate, but to take your mind off the stretching darkness. Trying to think of what place to visit, you eventually settle on James' house, where you stayed after your mother tried to attack you. With your eyes closed, you feel the blackness shift, and instantaneously, you know you're in the living room of James' house. You're surprised when you open your eyes. It's the same room, without a doubt. A large window opens into the yard, and you can see the kitchen where you ate your breakfast before going to court. However, the room is completely void of any furniture. It's been stripped bare, and you know that no one is living here anymore. Nostalgia hits you forcibly in the stomach. Although the fear of before is gone, it's replaced by an overwhelming sadness. Who knows what happened to James, and your uncle, and your brother? Maybe they moved away, maybe they're all dead. And without a doubt, it's your fault. With a start you realize that the voice nagging at you is gone. Your mind is completely empty of another entity. You stand there in the middle of the room, trying to think of another place to visit. You can't really think of one; either that or you don't feel like going anywhere. Everywhere you've been, things have been screwed up. With a sigh, you decide to create something new. It's not exactly trail and error, because you know exactly what you're doing. When you realize why you know everything, you're not exactly startled. Anubis, and the Pharaohs gave you this power. You know everything there is to know about Dreaming. You don't "erase" anything to get out of the room. That's only possible while working with illusions. Instead, you teleport back to the blackness, then quickly start building before the terror inside you grows too much to bear. Anything wide and open puts fear into your belly, such as the beautiful plain that you created after the rituals. You thought you and Amy could spend the rest of your lives there, in a dream, but that's impossible now. You can't be there. Something about the infinite space terrifies you. So, instead, you create a thick forest around you. The ground is scattered with leaves of red, orange, and yellow. Bars of sunshine slash through the huge trees, oak, fir, pine, every type imaginable. Meters away to the right of you, a cliff rises, sheering into the sky. A small waterfall splashes down into a stream, crossing through the trees, and stretching on to horizons that you didn't bother to create. Even though the trees mostly cover the sky, you know it's clear and blue, like it should be. Like it always should be. Quite satisfied with your work, you begin walking on the lush ground and inspecting the trees casually. They look real. They feel real. There's nothing to say that this is an illusion, except for the knowledge. You take a drink of the water, and find it pure and quenching. Maybe that's a little unrealistic, but hey, good water is water.

But you know you'll still be thirsty when you wake, so you get up from the stream. Now this is a place where you and Amy could stay... With a pang of guilt, you realize you'd completely forgotten about her since the dream. And you remember, that you had communicated before with her, in a dream. Maybe you can do it from here, somehow? Maybe you can reach her, in her dreams... You hesitate, held down by anxiety and guilt. What happens if I tell her about Faith and all the rest? Will she forgive you?... Of course she will. You've always loved each other. But you still can't get rid of that guilt and self-loathing. A take a seat by the flowing water, and berate yourself while staring through the forest. How many people have I killed? For what reason did I kill them? How many times have I cheated on Amy? Why? How many idiotic mistakes have I made in the past few years of my life? Among the large trees, with their autumnal leaves on the verge of falling to the green-brown grass, you feel increasingly guilty and isolated. What now? ****** D. Try to communicate with somebody else

******
The thought of telling Amy about your unFaithfulness seems too painful to you and you can't even imagine the pain it would cause on Amy. But you've got to talk to somebody... ... Sean! What does he know? He must be hiding something... but what? You hear a scruffle in the leaves behind you. Speak of the devil... "SEAN!" you exclaim. "Dee? Is that you?" Sean asks. "What are you doing here?" "I needed to get away, so I created... this." "Created? No no no. You can't create unless you're a..." "Unless I'm a what?" Sean's realization is shown on his facial expression of FPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT="

. "A... a Royal."

"A Royal?" Something about that word rings a bell. Maybe when you were in Orator Paula's history class; a high Knight ranking, possibly. "Dee, have you been bound to the Knights!?" Sean asks as he shakes your shoulders to get the answer out of you. "I.. I..." "Answer me boy!" he demands as he continues to shake you. "I guess... I mean, felt like I was being re-wired when Jacob had barged in the room with Davos." Then you realize something. Davos was working for the PoK; why would he bind you to the Knights? "Dee," Sean says softly, "I think Jacob saved you." "You mean, he tried to save me," you say. "He failed horribly and is in a holding cell by mine." "No, Dee. He succeeded. He saved you from being bound to the Pharaohs and bound you to the Knights." You listen intentively. "Jacob was our spy," Sean says. "Not even his father knew about this. But you, Dee. YOU picked up on it quickly. Your suspicions were spot on had the Cult not been able to reverse most of his binding to the Knights." "Partial binding?" you ask. "Yes. It is only possible with some sort of severe head trauma." Sean continues. "Now I bet you're wondering about the people of your past, aren't you?" Sean says with a sigh. Something doesn't seem right. "James!" Your cousin. You're suprised you hadn't asked about him when you first entered the CoP. "How is he? And my uncle?" "Your uncle took care of James just fine. The Knights that had raided their home disguised as law enforcement looking for you didn't stand a chance to the Demagogue." "Wait... You're telling me that I was part of this... this CULT before I even knew about it?" "Do you not remember your father, Dee?" Sean asks. "My... father?" "You were only a year old when he was promoted to Arch-Speaker." "Dave told me he died a year after my birth," you recall. "Not entirely." Sean says pacing the ground. You begin to remember further back. You remember your uncle, James' father, telling you that your dad disappeared the day you were born. "What do you mean?" you ask. Confusion could not be any greater. "The inconsistancies are a pain, aren't they?" Sean finds a spot, turns his head to you and asks "Who do you think Davos is working for?" "WHAT!?!?1?" "Why do you think YOU are the Pharaoh's protector?" "Well..." You stop and think, but Sean still continues.

"Who do you think will become Pharaoh after the current one's reign?" "No... I don't want to be a part of this any more!" "Do you not understand the prophecies!?||" Sean beckons. "Dee... there is no choice." "There is always a choice." And with that final sentence you obliterate Sean from your world. Maybe Sean was the wrong person to call up. ****** G. Try to communicate with your dad ?

******
Maybe Sean was the wrong person to call up. You weren't thinking when you called him; You completely forgot that he was supposedly insane. He didn't seem so insane here. With confusion gnawing at you, you think on what he said. Davos is working for your father? Maybe Sean was insane, after all. That's impossible. Your father was one of the best CoP members ever; He was an Arch-Speaker. Loyal, honest, integrable, honorable... There's no way he could be a Pharaoh, or a Knight, or whatever. Why not? you think with self-loathing. Those are the kind of disguises people hide behind. Despite Sean's feeble revelation, you're not that affected by it. Not as much as you thought you would be. After all, you barely know the man; he died as pretty much as soon as you were born. But then again, he is still your father. You have that connection. Maybe I can communicate with him. You still haven't tried it, because Sean just happened to be exactly where you were. There are many questions that arise at that thought; How could Sean visit your world? How did he know where to find you? But you answer them as soon as they appear. You take one last longing look at the forest around you, and erase it. You're back in the void now, enveloped by an infinitely deep black. The terror seizes you again, almost uncontrollable, but somehow you manage to stay calm. However, unexplainable, terrifying possibilities show themselves to you in your head, and you grow increasingly anxious... With a start, you realize you don't even know what your father looks like. That's one of the main things about trying to communicate with them. It's possible without a description, but much harder. You close your eyes, again not just for concentration, but to keep your mind off the darkness. You know how dangerous this is, suddenly. You didn't realize it before, but now that you're reminded... You leave your mind. For a moment there, you could feel the voice, but it disappears as soon as you leave. You open your eyes, and realize how much of a fail this plan is. You're inside the cell. Your vision is blurred, and every other sense is nonexistent. Even with your blurry vision, you see your body sprawled on the ground, sleeping. The energy "cages" are still around the cylinder, which means your mind can't leave it. You enter your mind again, and quickly rush down, down into the depths of consciousness. Without the voice getting a chance to speak, you're in the Astral Plane again. You leave quickly, and you rush to create the forest again. Soon, you're sitting among the autumn trees, with a stream rushing in front of you. To your

side, the sheer cliff reaches for the sky. So that's how Dreaming is done. You had the knowledge before, but you didn't understand it. Going to the Astral Plane requires one to enter their own mind, which means giving in to the voice... That's why the voice isn't nagging at you here. It sends shivers down your spine, knowing that you've given into the voice's demands. Deeper, it once said. It's not possible to get outside the energy field. How Sean got in, you're not sure. Maybe the barrier only works one way, and from the other side it's penetrable. So, it's not possible to get outside the energy field, which means that you can't search for anyone, even if you know what they look like. Unless... Unless you could lure them here, somehow. If Sean could come here, anyone can... Anyone who's not imprisoned. What now? ****** A. Wake up

******
After a time of great reflection and insight, you awaken back in your force cage. Jacob is now on his knees, staring at you blankly. "Dee... I'm.." "Don't, no time Jacob." "So, wtfux we do now." "I don't know." You decide to just sit there, conjuring mind ****s on yourself of Pokemon Red.. ooh Pokemon red. After a few hours of make believe Pokemon, three armed men come into the room. They are weilding G36Cs with grenade and scope attachments and are strapped with Grenades. The first guy in puts a walkie-talkie down and addresses the group. "We've been ordered to hold this room and make sure the prisoners don't get out" ".. Why do you guys need to hold the room?" After asking the question, all of the soldiers look at you, and they aren't happy about your question. All of them shoot a 3 shot burst at your cage, at first you can't ****ing believe that you've just been shot at. Then you realize that the cage made the bullets instantly disintegrate. "Stfu kid." You sadly obey the man as you close your eyes and begin to play Pokemon again. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM. The lead man's walkie talkie beeps once again and he picks it up. You can hear the dispatcher on the other end screaming his head off.

"THEY'VE MADE IT PAST THE TEMPLE WALL *sSSSSSSSSSSSSSSCRRRRRRRRRRCH* -NIS. HOLD THE LINE AT ALL COSTS." "What about Confirmation B?" "NEGATIVE ON THAT, ONLY IF THE KING AND HIS SERVANT ARE KILLED DO WE INITIATE CONFIRMATION B." "Affirmative, Fireteam Alpha out." "Stay put you little ****s, we got business to attend to. Don't you even think of... GLARGH!!!1" The lead man's head then explodes after his sentence as 8 men rush into the room with FAMAS rifles, all of them shooting 5.56 of death. The last man with the FAMAS then aims at a console on the wall and unloads his 30 round clip into it. Both force cages are then disarmed. You step forward, demanding: "WHO ARE YOU GUYS!?!?!" After this question is asked, they are unmasked, revealing, Dave, Karl Sanders, Mike, JAMES, James's uncle, two unidentified man, and a man who seems familiar, but you just can't place who it is. "OMG!!11 JAMES, MIKE, KARL .. WUT!?!" Karl steps forth, "DEE, THERE IS NO TIME FOR REMINISCENCE, WE MUST GET OUT OF HERE." Dave then throws you your own FAMAS and pulls out a combat suit for you. After equipping yourself, you follow the 8 men out of the compound. The temple grounds look like pure armaggedon. The fields are on fire, with men shooting out of foxholes, tanks moving over hills, and artillery constantly raining down on both positions. Your small group heads on the outskirts of the main battle, getting caught in crossfires and sticking out like a sore thumb in the quieter areas. Your group stops upon reaching a small outcrop along a ridge, where you see KOR troops holding the position. Atop the ridge lays 4 .50 cal Crew mounted Vulcan cannons and the entire ridgeline is sandbagged to about 4 feet. Dave then turns to everyone. "We have to take that hill guys, it's our evac point, somehow the KOR have found out thats where we were to be extracted." You and several others within the group tense up. "GO!" On Dave's mark, all 10 of you sprint for cover closest to your objective. You and Mike slide behind a downed APC 30 meters from the objective.

"DEE. YOU AND MIKE GIVE ME AND KARL COVERING FIRE, WE'RE MOVING IN." "ARE YOU CRAZY, YOU CAN'T SCALE THAT." "DAMNIT, IM GOING TO AND YOUR NOT GOING TO STOP ME." "COVERING FIRE!!" You and Mike instantly begin to line the sandbags with saturated fire from your rifles. Only half of the defensive line has been kept pacified, the entire right flank continues firing. You then see Dave and Karl reach halfway over the ridge. Then you feel yourself practically **** out your stomach. Dave falls down, his entire chest covered in blood. ****** B. Stay put

******
Breaking your eyes away from Dave, you slump back against the tipped-over vehicle. The image of Dave lying dead still burns in your head, almost as strongly as the urge to enter your own mind. What now? The constant clank of bullets hitting the other side of the APC is deafening. Mike is still looking out from cover, firing at the sandbags, but it's useless now, isn't it? With a start you remember Karl. He's not dead yet. Without anymore thought, you stick your head out from under the cover and begin firing madly at the sandbags. Karl is ducked low now, in order to avoid the fire of the enemy. The enemy's fire is still continuous, however. James' dad suddenly rushes to your side, from seemingly out of nowhere. "Dee! Fire towards the left of the sandbags!" "I know!" you scream, still firing at the sandbags themselves. "To the left of them! Get on the other side!" he screams back. What the hell is the point? You take his orders, however confused you are. This isn't a time to fool around. You move to the left of the APC, where Mike is, and begin firing towards nothing, just to the left of the sandbags. A steep hill descends right where the sandbags end; at the bottom of the hill is thick forest. Mike apparently gets the same orders, for he's firing at the same place. "When I yell "Go," rush the sandbags," James' father says, just loudly enough to be heard. It's quieter than his last orders. Your stomach seizes. You can't rush the sandbags... But you keep firing, keeping ready for the signal to rush, and die. If years of being on edge hadn't trained you for this moment, you'd be ****ting your pants right now. More men carrying a large machine gun approach the APC from behind, though it's no one you recognize. Desperate fear seizes you, and you stop firing in order to get rid of the threat approaching from behind. They're on our side, sends James' dad. A CoP member. A ****ing CoP member. Who isn't a CoP member

these days? Even James, damnit... Maybe it's my fault. You return to firing at the left of the sandbags. Karl is still crouched low, apparently waiting for something. He isn't advancing forward, or looking back. Just lying there, waiting, just ahead of Dave's body. The men behind you are setting up the machine gun. A yell from behind you makes you jump suddenly, but you're shocked when you see James' dad rushing towards the sandbags. No. Not you too. The signal. The fire from the enemy behind the sandbags seems to get more intense. He throws something over the sandbags, and at that moment Karl leaps up and bolts for the sandbags, ignoring all danger. James' father throws something else over right after, and then takes a bullet to the leg, falling over in pain, just ahead of Dave's body. "GO!" You leap from the cover of the APC, and rush straight towards the sandbags; An explosion rocks the ground, throwing dust and smoke into the air behind the sandbags. At that same moment, a sharp sound slashes through your ears, and everything goes silent. Despite the deafening silence, and the smoke rising behind the sandbags, and the constant fire, you keep running. Suddenly, a group of men run out from behind the sandbags. Out from the left. Before they can even reach the hill going down to the forest, many of them fall, wounded by some unknown force. You can't hear anything, but you see blood gushing from wounds all over them. The machine gun. Some of the men still manage to make it, though. Dave's body thankfully passes out of sight behind you.

****** Still deaf from the explosion, you keep running. Dave's body thankfully passes out of sight behind you. James' dad is still laying on the ground in pain. Karl has overtaken the sandbags, and a few more men pour out from the left side of them. Some of them fall, injured, while others make it down the hill. Your hearing returns slowly as you make it to the sandbags. The machine gun fire from behind you has stopped, but other sounds of war still go on around you. Karl steps out from behind the sandbags and puts the injured soldiers out of their misery. You and Mike walk up to him, hearts pounding. Karl Sanders, death metaller, CoP member, soldier, looks at you not as a friend, but as a commander to his underlings. Nothing on his face revealed what he thought of Dave's death, or James' dad's injury... Guilt surges inside you. "We have to get out of here," he says simply. "They've changed the goddamn extraction point. Follow me. Quickly." He starts walking, but you shout at him, "What about Dave?!" Without looking back, he says, "The others will take care of him. Come on!"

You and Mike follow him as he begins running. The fighting has stopped around you, but the constant sound of bullets and explosions keeps you on edge. You can take in things that you didn't notice before, in the deceptive calm. Behind you in the horizon, the Hephaestion rises. In front of you, there's a huge field dotted by trees, and surrounded by temples and buildings facing inward. Far, far ahead, a road stretches from one side of the field to the other. Your sense of north and south isn't exactly the best, but the best way to describe the road is that... The right side stretches up and right, towards a huge mountain, topped by more temples. It seems familiar, somehow. The road going left simply leads to more ruins. Beyond the road is a court surrounded by columns. The three of you take cover behind some ruins, just ahead of some stairs. With your back against the tumbled rocks and rubble, you're looking at the Hephaestion again, looking new compared to the other ruins here. Karl pulls out a map of the place, and he crouches to the ground. "Look," he commands, gesturing for you and Mike to sit. You begin studying the map. It's of the Agora of Athens. (map of athens: http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/6735/agora.gif)
Karl points to the Temple of Apollo Patroos, just ahead of stairs. "That's where we are." To the west, you see now, is the Hephaestion. You also make out the road crossing the field. It's called the Panathenaic Way. "And this," he says, pointing to a square to the right of the road, "is our extraction point." "We're going to have to go around," Mike says. "The field's too open." Karl nods, and traces a line around the Stoa of Zeus, and then between a narrow pass between the Zeus and the Royal. "These aren't buildings. They're ruins, or empty spaces. They'll still provide some protection, though." Karl then points to the Altar of the Twelve Gods. "This isn't a building either. Just empty space. But the Turks hold it. We'll have to take that before we can get safely to the Court. When we get there, hopefully the Cult will have something waiting for us. Then we'll head back to the Parthenon, into friendly territory." He has to yell just to get his voice above the sound of artillery shells and machine gun fire. The Parthenon? Surely that's too far away, but Karl is talking as if it's... Then you see. The road, going southeast, leads up a mountain, right to the Acropolis. They were so close. The whole time, the Pharaohs were right there. And something else in his words puzzles you. The Turks? The Cult is fighting the Turks? Confusion piles upon fear. Suddenly, two armed people run towards you from the stairs. One of them is James. The other is the somewhat familiar one who you can't put a name to. James instantly falls to his knees in front of Karl, and asks, "Where's my dad?!" He doesn't seem to notice the map. "Injured, but he'll be fine," Karl says absently. "Good thing you came now. We'll need all of you." He goes

over the plan with James and the other guy. Going around the Temple, through the Stoas, take the Altar, then to the Court, where they'll be taken to safety. The familiar guy asks, "How are we doing?" Karl answers, putting the map back into his pocket, "If you mean the Cult by we, we're doing fine, if a few casualties here and there. The Greeks, on the other hand... Well, that's why the Cult is retreating." "So, who is this war between?" you ask. "The Turks and Greeks. The Turks are the Knight's puppets. The Cult wasn't originally going to take part, but we decided we could rescue you and Mike in the confusion." Look where that's gotten us. Dave's dead. Karl gets up, getting ready to go, and as he tells you all to follow, the familiar guy says, "Wait. Mike?" Mike answers warily, "Yeah..." "Holy ****. Dee? Dee Pitt?" he asks. You'd think this would be a friendly reunion or something, but Karl seems to tense up. "Yeah?... Do I know you?" He frowns deeply. "It's Chuck." Holy ****. Chuck Ranger. What now? ****** A. Greet him respectfully

******
Shocked, you start, "Dude..." This isn't exactly a time for getting reacquainted. "It's been a while." Chuck nods slightly, still frowning. "Yeah." You and James exchange glances, but that's all that passes between you. Karl snaps out of his tension, and reminds you all of where you are. "Let's go," he says, turning around, "We have to get out of here." He takes a radio from his side, and speaks something quietly into it. "Follow me," he commands. He crouches slightly and begins crawling from the cover of the ruined stones of temple. You all follow him, reminded of the destruction and war all around you. Despite not being able to see the battlefield, you can imagine what it's like just from the sound. During the pause, though, you saw tanks and other armored vehicles, statues and ruins, but most of the soldiers seemed to be on the outskirts of the agora, in semi-safe places. Some of them also could have hid in a thicket of trees right in the middle of the field. On the far eastern side, you saw a temple that looked almost as new as the Hephaestion, but it wasn't marked on the map. The ground where the ruins had stood was all hard-packed dirt, just like what you're crawling on now. The scary part, was that somehow, you knew that Athens was close. Very close. The war had almost spread right into the heart of the city. No. The war was there before, you remember suddenly. The fire, the smoke, the destruction... The rebels? Or the same battle?

As you and the rest of the team crawls on your arms and knees behind Karl, a slight hill rises to your left, perhaps 5 feet high. To your right is the ruined temple wall, perhaps only 2 feet high. Somehow, in this narrow pass, you feel safe and secure, even though a mortar shell could drop in and burst anytime. However, every burst of shell outside racks your nerves. Soon, your throat is dry again, and fear replaces whatever calm you gained during the plan-making. BANG. You stop dead in your tracks as a shell explodes seemingly right above you. Shock turns your legs to water, and fear grips your stomach, but you manage to start crawling again. How much longer? You're afraid to look up now, only looking at the dirt on the ground under you. Every pebble stands out perfectly against the dirt. They dig into your elbows painfully. And suddenly, you begin smelling a familiar stench, one that you hoped you would never smell again. You make yourself look up, to see that Karl has stopped. The ruined wall stops right ahead of him, but the hill on the left side continues, dotted with trees. He turns his head slightly towards you, Mike, Chuck, and James. With an air of authority, he commands, "Chuck, Mike, get ahead of the rest. Get over here!" With the constant thunder of gunfire and artillery shell explosions, he has to yell. You don't think you'd be able to yell at all; even speak; that's how parched your throat feels. You thought you were ready for this? Awkwardly, Mike and Chuck climb over you and James, careful not to get too high above the ruined wall to their right. It's their only safety from the war outside. "When I say go, we'll run over to that side!" Karl yells, pointing beyond the end of the wall. With some inspection, you see that the other side has a low wall as well. This is the pass between the Stoa of Zeus and the Royal Stoa. Karl takes the radio from his side again, and says something into it. You think you hear something about the Twelve Gods. He puts it back, and looks back again. "When we reach that side, fire everything you've got at the statues! They've got machine-gunners, so watch out." Then, he becomes quiet. The silence in the wait becomes unbearable. Although the constant din of machine gunfire and explosions rapes your ears, the quiet wait for the dash to the other wall is oppressive. "GO!" Karl shouts, and he scrambles quickly over to the other side along with Mike and Chuck. Your heart literally stops beating, as machine gun fire pelts the ground beyond them. Once they're safe on the other side, you wonder why you're not feeling relieved. Though really, seeing other people safe should be the least of your worries. Dave. How can you still be alive, after everything? Just as they reach the other side, an explosion rocks the ground. Dust and pebbles fall from the low wall onto the dirt beneath you. Without hesitation, only fear for your life, you raise your FAMAS above the wall and begin firing. Way beyond these ruins, is a low dip in the ground decorated with statues. And machine gunners, and other soldiers, all trying to fend off an attack from a tank, rushing quickly towards them leaving a trail of billowing dust behind it. The soldiers are all too busy trying to attack the tank. Your famas, from this range, does little damage, though you do see some of their soldiers fall. However, they seem to keep regaining men somehow. One of the dying soldiers throws a grenade at the tank, and right where it hits the tank, it sticks and explodes with a bang. The tank suddenly stops moving, and soon you see why. The grenade stuck right onto one of the tracks, destroyed the running gear of the tank, rendering it immobile.

Every now and then, you have to duck and reload, but with the tank now immobilized, the machine gunners take more notice of you. Every time you put your head above the wall, there's the risk that you could get your head blown off. There's no way you'd be able to talk now; your throat is on fire. Every time gunfire hits the wall in front of you, or the hill behind you, you convulse with fear. You're not even sure you'd be able to get up and walk; your legs are leaden, and only fear keeps you going. You're not even sure why you're here anymore, you're just killing for the fun of it. Every time you stick your head above the wall now, more and more dead lay on the ground at the Twelve Gods. The dirt is stained with blood, as are the statues. Although the tank is immobilized, it doesn't stop it from using it's weapons. Machine gun fire pelts the Turkish soldiers' blood and guts all over the statues at the ruins. The sight makes you sick to your stomach. You've taken the Twelve Gods. You smile queasily, though you're not sure why. The Turkish soldiers try to retreat frantically, towards the trees. The tank, immobilized, can only watch them get away. Your FAMAS skills aren't nearly good enough to hit the running soldiers, but apparently, Karl's are. You're amazed to see that you're all alive, not even injured. Karl gets up, and walks calmly towards the Altar. "Things are changing. I don't know how, or why, but the Turks are retreating." Even more amazed now, you notice that the sound of artillery shells and gunfire has slowed and almost stopped. Only the sound of a gunshot here and there interrupt the calm silence in this bloodbath. You, Mike, James, and Chuck are all swallowed up by grim silence. Not one of you tries to say anything. You try to work moisture back into your throat. At the Altar, some of the Turkish bodies still writhe and moan, dying in agony, you see from this distance. Men are getting out of the tank, seeing to the tank treads and other damages it took. Some of them notice you, and nod as you pass, but for the most part, nobody says much. Karl seems completely in another world, as he steps casually over the dying and the dead. Some of them have lost limbs, and where arms and legs should have been, there are bloody stumps. Some men have had holes torn clean through their stomachs, somehow. You see a man, moving his arm ever so slightly, yet his face has been blown almost half off. Even more disturbing, is that some of them are still screaming, alive and feeling. One man screams something in a language you don't understand, but it sends chills down your spine. You wonder why no one is putting them out of their agony. "The others will take care of them," Karl says unemotionally. You pass the Altar, and begin walking towards the Court, where you'll be extracted. With a deep sadness, you remember Dave's body, lying there motionless... What about James' dad? He was injured too, but you're not even thinking of him, or all of the other people who died here. What was it all for? What was the point? Why couldn't I have died instead of Dave? The last thought comes awkwardly, as though it had been there for a long time, festering and growing until now. As though you had been trying to deny it, and only now made a decision. The voice, although not actually there, seems to laugh at you. Even you seem to laugh at yourself. Eventually, you reach that court. From far away, it seemed grand, but at this distance you realize that it's not even finished. Still, it's impressive. Several APCs are waiting there. Karl simply says, "Follow me," as he gets into one of the APCs. You all follow him quietly. Once you're inside, you realize you're the only people there. Only CoP members. Or... Is Chuck actually a CoP member? Well, he has to be, if he's doing this. No one would do this voluntarily. And James too. You probably dragged him into this somehow. And where is Jacob? You remember him being with you at the start. Where is he now? Dead?

Well, just another person who's died for me. The voice's nonexistent laughter grows more amused. The urge is still there. Festering. You're not even sure if you can fight it any longer... After that butchery "Where are we going?" you ask Karl. "Back to the Parthenon." Guilt turns your stomach over. You can't go back now, after what you did... After what happened. People would talk about you if they knew... You've had enough people talking about you. You feel the vehicle start moving. After 5 minutes, the uncomfortable silence grows almost unbearable again, and you almost expect to hear shells exploding above you. What now? ****** C. Ask Karl what happened at Athens/CoP base after you were... bound.

******
"Karl, what happened while I was captured." "After you disappeared, the CoP base went into Chaos as Athenian troops stormed the Temple grounds. The original wave was cut to pieces by our defenses, yet they just kept pouring in with reckless abandon, most likely due to KoR mind control. After that attack was quelled by mortars and snipers, the CoP organized strike teams to retrieve any other CoP members that were outside the grounds and in potential danger." "So, what do we do now?" "When we get back to the Parthenon, we are going to debrief everyone, then evacuate." "Where are we going?" "Me and the outer Arch-Speakers are organizing strike teams to take out the KoR back at the ruins in Egypt. You and your friends and your other companions are going back to New Mexico. However, you and Mike are going to be parachuting into the Rio Grande river basin 1000 yards away from an abandoned military base, we need you guys to retrieve something.." "..... Amy?" "Yes, Dee. You must get her back, you have been searching for her since you've been in the hands of the CoP, and I believe your loyalties and the rest of your life lie with her, not us." "Wow.. Thanks Karl." Karl gives you a sympathetic hug.(THE MOST METAL HUG EVER, DUH.) After about 20 minutes of the most sluggish ride of your life, you and the others pile out of the APC back to the Parthenon. "All right men, go to your rooms and retrieve your belongings, we will begin the evacuation in 15 minutes, await your instructions there." You and Mike quickly head back to your room. Luckily, your guitar and amp have been packed away into a plane, as marked on a checklist in your room. You get all of your clothes back together and sit on the bed,

waiting for your call. 5 Minutes later, an intercom sounds, with a voice louder than Billy May's(BUY OXYCLEAN!) "ALL COP MEMBERS TO THE UNDERGROUND HANGAR, THE PATH WILL BE LIT BY BIOLUMINESCENT RED STREAKS ALONG THE CORRIDORS." You and Mike recheck your FAMAS rifles, for no reason at all. You and Mike follow the red trails down a few corridors until you come to a dead end. "What the **** is this ****?!?" "I don't know." After your concession, you mind call Karl, sending him a distress signal of sorts. You get an affirmative reply as he begins to head towards your position. "Hi Dee." You instantly turn around pointing your FAMAS rifle towards the familiar voice. You and Mike turn around, pointing your rifles right in Faith's face. "Oh, Faith.... what are you doing here?" "Oh, you know, making sure the operation goes as planned." "The evacuation?" Upon Mike's inquiry, Faith begins to laugh almost hysterically. At this point you're in no mood for this. You smack the bottom of your buttstock clip and slide the locking mechanism. "WHAT IS SO FUNNY FAITH." "That 1 minute from the evac time, I'm going to release a toxin that will kill everyone within these walls." "YOU MEAN..." "Yes, I am the Knights of Reason spy." ****** A. Unload your clip into her skull

******
With your gun aimed right towards Faith's face, this is hardly a calm situation. Anger begins to bubble inside you, like so many times before. Your finger tenses on the trigger. "You bitch. What about Jeremy, and Tim, and the others? Were they Knights too?" It's not like it matters now; but you still wonder. "Calm down, Dee. Killing me won't change the past. Nor will it change the future." "ANSWER ME!" you bellow. Your grip goes from tense, to white-knuckled strain. Your arms almost

shake with the pressure. Faith regards you coldly, no longer mocking, but deadly serious. Her striking blue eyes shine brightly, beautifully in that face framed by dark hair. "No. They were all Cult members," she says. **** this. Your finger pulls the trigger, finally releasing the strain. From this range, the bullets have no problem connecting with exactly where you want them to go. Four bullets, perfectly placed, end up in Faith's head, disfiguring and despoiling. As she crumples to the ground, her eyes remain open. Those striking, bright blue eyes could fool anyone. A deceptive facade. As blood pours from her head onto the stone ground below, a dark puddle forms. You can't tear your eyes away from her's, no matter how hard you try. The hallway, still illuminated by the red lights, remains empty, except for you, Mike, and the dead body of Faith. "Dee! Let's ****ing go!" Mike grabs you by the arm, and starts running, dragging you with him. As you're running back down the corridors, Mike is constantly muttering something under his breath. You catch stuff about mind-tricks, and information, but right now your mind is on somehow getting the attention of every CoP member here. But, with a morbid sense of hopelessness, you see that every corridor is empty. No one is going to the underground hangar. No one is heeding the message that went out, or no one else heard it. It was meant for only me. What do you do? ****** B. Go to the Arch-Speakers' hall and tell them what happened

****** Leaving Faith's maimed corpse behind, you and Mike then bolt down the corridors towards the Arch-Speaker's hall. Once you reach it, only a few people are standing there. They are all dressed in combat gear. Karl is among them. "KARL!" "Dee, what happened?" "Faith came here, she then admitted that she was the KoR spy the whole time." "Did you kill her?" "Of course I did, the doctors won't be able to recognize her ****ing face."(SUICIDE SILENCE) "Well, good thing were evacuating, no one will want to touch the corpse of a traitor." "So where do we go?" "You and Mike can follow us, we're about to board our transports for Egypt, but I'll get you

on a plane to the military installation in New Mexico." You follow Karl and the group of people into a large hangar. You see 3 C-130 transports and a few Osprey 22s. Karl and the group headed towards the C-130 already out of it's berth, engines starting up. "Dee and Mike, head towards that Osprey, our pilot will take you there." "Thanks for everything Karl, stay brutal." Karl gives you the metal horns and disappears behind the massive plane. You and Mike then dash for your plane. You see that the pilot is James's dad and James is in the passenger seat. "Hey Seth!.. er I mean Dee!" You and James exchange power hugs and you shake his dad's hand. "So where to guys?" "The military installation in New Mexico." "Oh thats right, you guys are parachuting into the river basin. Ever parachuted before?" "No." "Well, don't worry, this plane can rotate it's propellers to hover, you'll be right over your drop zone." After a few hours of idle conversation, you are above the Atlantic Ocean, this seems to be the only part of the world that hasn't been decimated by war. As you near the United States coast, you see fortifications all along the coastline. The war has reached America, but only in the skies and the sea, no enemy troops have been able to get in. The plane's radio chimed in a military like voice. "Unidentified Osprey, give us your transponder code, over." "Billy May's is greater than Vince." "Thank you, you may proceed through the United States." After a few more hours, you are above the Gulf of Mexico, your drop zone is near.

Night has fallen and you and Mike are already in your skydiver equipment. With your FAMAS rifles strapped to your backs, you are ready to jump. "OK GUYS, THE PLANE IS IN HOVER, YOU CAN JUMP WHENEVER YOUR READY." At this mark, you and Mike then race each other out of the plane. You can't believe this feeling of just falling through the air like this. Your wrist gauge blinks green and you and Mike deploy your parachutes. After falling for about 20 minutes, you both land behind a bank in the river basin. You can see the base from here. ****** B and C, Do recon and attack a scope to your FAMAS. ****** "Hey Mike, let's do some recon before we move in." "Dude, are you high? You have to clear a path for recon, here." Mike then hands you a scope from his parachute pack. You attach it behind your locking mechanism and calibrate it with the windage and your direction. You also move up 300 yards behind an outcropping of rocks that surrounds the entire river basin. You and Mike crouch down belly first, overlooking the military installation. Through your scope you see a field of barbed wire and posts that seem to have mines, like the Rommelspargel from World War 2. You pick out a narrow opening in the barbed wire and mines that you and Mike could crawl through and cut a length of fencing out from the western border of the base. You then turn your attention to the base itself, searching for anyone that may be lurking around. Using your cursory sesnes, no one is seen, yet you then open up your mind, attempting to search for others in the area. Suddenly, it looks as if you have opened an aimbot on CS. You see the luminous outlines of people behind walls, all heavily armed with some sort of high-tech Personal Defense Weapons. (Sub-Machine gun sized weapons with assault rifle calibers.) You flick the firing switch on your FAMAS to semi-automatic so as not to have the gun recoil into your eye socket as a result of spraying. You train the gun on the closest target, the outline of a man smoking a cigarette behind an old Ford 4x4. He is alone and out of sight from any of the other guards. You load the chamber with a 5.56 round, aim for his head, wait a few seconds and then depress the trigger.

The round sails through the window and then connects with the man's mendula oblongata(/lolspelling), a perfect shot. You turn towards the western edge of the building, you see a group of men standing around a petroleum tank, yet you don't wish to attract too much attention. You turn towards the guard post, you see the glow of a TV within, yet the guard in there isn't outside. You notice that this is the closed-circuit surveillance office. You see a DIRECTV satellite on the upper left hand corner of the box. You reload the chamber of your Bullpup manufactured rifle, and shoot two rounds into the satellite, totally knocking it out. The man who was watching the station emerges, and then is instantly cut down as you shoot him in the brain stem as he tries to fiddle with the downed satellite. You then shoot a stack of crates inside the control room, blocking the door and rendering the surveillance cameras virtually useless. "Time to go." You and Mike then hop out from your rock cover and sprint crouched into the field of barbed wire. You reach the narrow opening and go prone, shimmying along the dirt, headed towards your objective. After about 10 minutes of meticulous crawling, you reach the inside of the base's defenses. You and Mike take cover behind a pillbox shaped building. Two men are walking by, you both shut down your mental awareness in case they are powerful KoR operatives. You can catch glimmers of their conversation. "The girl is being firmly secured in the main hold." "Who the **** is this bitch anyways?" "I don't know, some chick that is involved with some cocksucker in the CoP." "Lol, CoP is the noob ****." After hearing this conversation, you sneak around to the breezeway that separates the pillbox from a row of fencing. You emerge right behind the two men as you stab them both in the soft spot of their skulls. You then pile their bodies behind the pillbox and you and Mike advance in the direction opposite the way they were headed. You both pull out your sidearms, two silenced Nickel plated Colt .45s. You head into a side hold and inspect your surroundings. It seems to be just a room full of ammo crates and other munitions such as Howitzer shells and grenades. You pocket a few and begin to plant C4 throughout the room. You set them to remote detonation and leave the hold. Suddenly, a group of men enter the room.

"HEY, YOU THERE...AAGGHKLJAKLJDFKLFJDKL" The group of men fall crumpled to the ground as you and Mike unload your payload of .45 caliber rounds into their bodies. You noticed that one of the men is still alive, yet unable to pose a threat to you. You walk up to him and point the gun straight at his nuts. "WHERES AMY!?!?!" "*Cough*..... Who's Amy?" You decide a pistol whip to the face should refresh his memory. "THE GIRL YOUR HOLDING HERE, WHERE IS SHE?!?" "Lol, eat my nuts kid, shes gonna die." A shot to the leg sends this man into a fit of screaming, in which you quell with a kick to the head. You then decide to do what you did to the man who raped you. ****, you REALLY didn't want to remember that.... You delve into the man's mind and strangely find it wide open, there is a small amount of resistance, yet very little resistance. You put the image of Amy as a beacon, and then you see her in his mind, she is in a room with Whitewalls(BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME), and a singular one way viewing port. You zoom outwards and outwards, seeing a building inside the base with a large "4" painted in green on the side, and zooming further and further you see the circle of corpses you left, directly across from where Amy is being held. After pulling the corpses back into the munitions room, you and Mike head over to the opposite building. You both crouch behind a row of pallets on the side of the building. Amy is definitely here, you can feel her through the walls. You send her a telepathic message of soothing and calm and love. ****** A. Charge in the front door spraying bullets ****** "Ok Mike. On the count of 3, we go in through the front door, and just shoot everything in sight." "Uh, r u shur?"

"Ya." "K" "Alright, check your weapons. 1.... 2.... 3!!!!!" Upon reaching 3, you kick down the front door and you and Mike roll in opposite directions unloading your FAMAS magazines of lead. On your reload, three men have fallen and 4 more men come out with grenade launchers. One of them points the explosive launcher straight at you. He then falls to the ground, his head squashed like a grape after Mike pulled out his sidearm. Once you reload, you do a sweeping motion while auto-firing, and take out the last 3 men. After you clear these men, you both head towards a window in the back corner. You look through the window, and sure enough the girl of your dreams is right behind there. You don't see a door, so you do the only logical thing, and butt the glass with your rifle. Upon the rifle going through the window, Amy screams and retreats to the corner of the room. You finish plowing a hole in the window and you jump through it. Amy looks at you and instantly her eyes light up. "..DEE!" You both run at each other and share a brief kiss. Mike then sticks his head through the hole, "HEY, FAGGOTS, NOT NOW WE HAVE TO GTFO!" "True that, Amy follow us, and stay behind us." You hand her your sidearm and quickly show her how to use it. At this point, you can tell that the base is on full alert, men are constantly searching every nook and cranny of the base. You decide to cut back the same way you came. Yet, upon inspection with your binoculars, you see the hole in the fence that you entered the base with has been filled with concrete. Theres only one thing to do now, you think. You then lead everyone back into the building where Amy was being held. "Dee, what are we doing back here...." "We need to stay far away from that building across from here." "Why?"

You pull out the C4's detonator and press the red button. The building violently quakes as the C4 goes off in the munitions shed. You peer through a shrapnel hole in the building, and now half the base is on fire. Not only that, the short arms rounds are heating up and going off on their own. Men are burning, torn from limb to limb by the blast, or being cut down by the wayward bullets. "TIME TO GO, FOLLOW ME AND STAY CLOSE!" The three of you run diagonal to the ruined building. You can see that the explosion has knocked out alot of fencing and has also set off all of the mines near the river basin. Listening to Forrest Gump's girlfriend's advice, all three of you bolt as fast as you can out of the base and towards the river basin. You shortly make it back to the river, away from the base, yet there are still men that are alive, heading towards your position. You and Mike make quick work of them by pulling out your stolen grenades and tossing them in the midst of the retreating men. Shrapnel cuts through their bodies as they lie dead in the muddy banks of the river basin. "Well, now that that's over, how do we get out of here.. Mike" "Dude, don't look at me." You go into your bag and look for a walkie-talkie of some sort. You find one, but a bullet has passed through it sometime during one of your firefights. "Let's head down the river and see if we can find a vehicle of some sort." The three of you set out eastward, following the Rio Grande river back towards Albequerque. After an hour of walking all three of you need to take a break. Amy hasn't been walking alot for the past few months (or however amount of time elapsed in this story), and you and Mike have been in combat since Greece. Suddenly, a godsend appears. A small windboat is winding down the river, headed towards you. You keep your sidearm handy as you flag down the boat. It slowly and passively approaches you and your group. A man in his early 70s is piloting it. "Hey kids, need a ride to Albequerque?" "Uhh.. yeah." "WELL, THEN HOP ON IN KIDS!" Mike instantly jumps on as you help Amy on board.

The boat then takes off down the river towards your RV point with James and his Dad. "Excuse me for not introducing myself, my name is John McCain!" "WHOA, YOU MEAN THE JOHN MCCAIN??!?" "Yes sir!" Amy looks from side to side, you can hear her mind saying, "I'm an Obama fan". You then send her a mental message, "Barack Obama didn't give you a lift away from hostile territory." As you progress down the river, the senator talks to you about different things such as policy, war, and diamond thieves(you need to be a South Park fan to get this). 45 Minutes later, you have reached the fortified outskirts of Albuquerque. "Here we are guys! Be careful, there have been some people with guns running around!" And with that McCain takes off back towards Arizona. ****** A. Go to the CoP base then C. Tell Mike to go somewhere, you need to catch up with Amy ******
With the night air (I'm guessing it's night-time) filling your lungs, ecstasy surges through your veins. The fortified, oppressive, barbed wire fence in the distance blocking off Albuquerque does nothing to disturb your sudden burst of euphoria. The walls hold paradise, even if war surrounds it. Even the craving to enter your own mind is gone. Tears blur your vision. When was the last time you cried? You don't even care for the tears trickling down your face. Who cares? Somehow, everything is just... better. As you, Mike, and Amy approach the walls, you "sheathe" your weapons when you spot the guards nonchalantly patrolling the area. How much does Amy know? About the Cult? You did sense a trickle of surprise, when you sent her the Obama message, but if she didn't know anything, she should have been stunned. The guards stare you down as you approach them. "We need ID," one of them says. Amy glances at you, as if unsure about what you're going to do. And then, you realize you're grinning like a fool. I love you. You don't send her the message; it's just a message to yourself. Easily, you penetrate one of their minds. Mike does as well. Without more than a thought, you make them open the gate, and they turn back towards their posts, zombie-like. You and Amy start through the entrance, but Mike suddenly says, "Wait." You both turn, and wait. Mike seems to be doing something with his mind, but you can't really tell from out here. The men crumple up, after about 30 seconds, then Mike starts after you again. "What did you just do?" you ask, now walking through the streets of Albuquerque.

"Eh, just searched for something useful. And I blanked their minds of the last few minutes, so they won't remember us." Damn, when did Mike get so careful? He's definitely changed since the rituals. You can't tell whether it's for the good or bad. Good, obviously. After all, how could everything have gone right? "Find anything useful?" "Not really. Just riots everywhere, and ****ing terrorist watch all around the country. Obama's been assassinated, you know." Surprise, then realization. You knew that, but had forgotten. Amy was an Obama fan. The night air still holds the euphoria of before, despite the streets being almost void of people. The street lights are off, casting a dark aura upon the roads. The moon is the only source of light here. Thankfully, in the dark, no one can make out the guns strapped to your backs. If someone did, you don't think you'd care. Somehow, the ecstasy has gotten stronger inside you. Nothing can ever go wrong again. You smile happily. Even Amy is smiling now, no longer in danger. I wonder how it was for her. That war zone back there... Nothing someone can get used to quickly. But then again, Amy was on the run with you for a while, months ago. She's experienced something like it before. Mike's face, you see, is unsmiling; simply searching through the streets passively. Smile, Mike. We're home. Amy's hand weaves it's way into yours, and you grip tightly. You're not going to lose her again. Ever. The warmth from her hand eliminates whatever chill you could have been feeling before. No words are exchanged as you tread through the streets of Albuquerque, searching for the Quizno's that started it all. Somehow, you don't regret anything anymore. It's all just the past. But what about?... No. Can't think about any of that. Can't think about anything. Only Amy. Then, you come to a place you recognize. Only at this distance could you recognize it; if it was farther off, you couldn't have made it out in this dark. It's the plaza, where you and Jeremy and Felix and the rest of them went shopping for socks. Every store is closed. Absently, you wonder how late it is. "We're close. 5 minutes, maybe," you say. You take your time getting to the Quizno's, however much you want to see... No, there's no one at the CoP base you want to see. Everyone's dead, but at least you have Amy there. And Mike, of course. Finally, you see the unlit Quizno's sign. As you try to open the door, you find it's locked. "No key?" asks Mike. Without an answer, you slip your hand out from Amy's grasp, take your FAMAS from your back, load it, and fire three quick rounds into the glass, shattering it. Amy screams, and Mike swears under his breath. As you open the door, reaching your arm inside, Amy says, "Are you ****ing crazy?" You grin back. I love you, too, you send. She smiles, despite herself. Soon, you're descending down the stairs into the CoP base. You find that grim room waiting for you. You're not even sure what you're supposed to do when you get here. You don't think Karl said anything about that. Walking through the familiar hallways, you feel a tinge of being at home, in this base. It doesn't have that same, alien feeling as the other base. And there's no Jack. Funny I remember him now.

"Should we... go to the Arch-speakers, or something?" Mike asks, now in front of the door to your room. You glance at Amy, who looks back at you. Then you look at Mike, and say, "Ah..." Mike laughs - finally - and says, "Right. Don't worry... You guys can have the room." Still grinning, he turns and starts walking, muttering something about the cafeteria and common room. Finally, you and Amy are alone. You enter the room, to find it almost exactly as you and Mike left it. Stuff has been moved, but that was probably when they sent you the supplies while you were in Casablanca. The clock reads 3:36 AM. Stuff has been moved, but you don't really care. Taking a seat on the bed, Amy smiles. Somehow, it seems tinged with sadness, but that's impossible. "I think we should talk." From what you know, girls don't say stuff like that unless this is some heavy **** they want to talk about. And you know, this is heavy ****. What now? ****** B. Tell her almost everything then C. "Let's have sex." ******