I don't even know what to think right now.  Whether to hate myself, hate him, hate the world...

The days after my last post went up were peaceful.  Rae still hasn't said a word to me that wasn't crazy-talk since I rescued her, but she's able to take care of herself.  She eats without my prompting, which is a relieving improvement.  Means I can actually leave her alone now and get some air.  We'd been in the same place for a couple weeks.  I was walking around the town, and...

I must've been preoccupied.  Thinking about what I posted last time.  But before I knew it, I'd wandered into a pretty dingy part of town.  And what's more: no one was around.  That was enough warning for me, I started to leave right away.  But before I could, I heard a sound.  Almost like static.  And then the sound of rubber soles hitting the pavement.

A kid about my age skirted the corner, running helter pelter like friggin' Rob Lucci was on his tail or something.  Didn't even give me a moment's notice but dove into an alleyway.  If you needed any more hints about what he was running from, because apparently you're really bad at seeing patterns, I caught the sight of a crossed out "X" on his arm.

I started forward, not really sure what I was going to do, but...He needed help, if he was running that desperately.  I got towards the mouth of the alley when I saw he had stopped short, staring into the darkness.  And I heard a voice.

I suppose most of you aware of the proxy hierarchy reviving an old position?  I didn't believe it when I first saw it, talk about your unreliable narrators.  But, more reliable sources were soon to verify it. Redlight is back.  For some degree of "back."  It's a new man, whatever they say, someone who's taken his title and signature love of camo pants.

The voice was all too familiar.  "Ah, a dead end, it seems...And who's your friend, Daniel? It would be awfully impolite of someone to... intrude on such a thing without introducing them first..."  Looming out of the darkness, I saw a face I never expected to see again.

That same man who fought to help us against his former master...Was back in the role of the puppet.  I was angry.  Maybe it rung too deep so soon after Elaine's death, but I was mad at him for having lost his mind again.  "Get out here, traitor," I snarled.

"Oh please, Reynolds."  He stepped out into the open, almost giving Danny-boy a heart attack.   "You've walked in on the middle of buisiness. I suppose if it pleases you, nobody can get hurt in this little confrontation..." He seemed to think for a minute, before straightening, snapping his fingers as if he'd come up with an idea. "You stay and listen, and I won't have this end with you standing in a river of Daniel's blood. What do you say?"

What DO you say to an offer like that?  I've survived bigger windbags prattling on than this douche, so if it saves a life, easy bargain.  "Okay, sure.  I always have time for a laugh.  I'll hear what you have to say."

Then he was gone for a second.  Bastard used the Path or something to get in between me and the other guy.

"Daniel, you want this to end nicely, correct?  You're wasting both my and Mr. Reynolds' time now. Whatever you've been promised, it's not worth it."

Daniel was shaking like crazy, eyes darting to the sides, before he gave up and stammered a "Fuck it!" out, and threw something at Spencer.  Then he was gone.  Good set of legs on him.  The man in red caught the object easily- it was a floppy drive.  Without looking at me, he murmured something.  "... it's good to see you again, kid."

Uh-huh.  A nice try, but my heartstrings have gotten rather hard to pluck as of late.  "...Don't try to bait me.  I'm sympathetic, not stupid.  What that thing there supposed to be?"

"You always were a clever one." He gave a grin and held it out so I could see it. "So much trouble for such a little thing seems foolish to go through, hm...?"

"Really, the things you'll do to get your porn."

Spencer chuckled.  "I don't pretend to understand the whims of those I work with, Mr. Reynolds. They also said you were a lost cause, but I disagreed, and so here I am.  Have any idea why?"

I folded my arms.  "Enlighten me."

He began to pace for a few seconds, before speaking in a slow, measured, almost comforting tone.  "You're not someone that I want working against the cause, Mr. Reynolds. And you're definitely not someone I want as my enemy."

I paused and thought.  The dots connected almost instantly.  The nerve of this guy.  "You want me to sign up."

A slight quirk of a smile from him. "Look at you, using your reasoning!  An incredible feat, really. Impressive."

If nothing else, that smug grin, on the face of a friend, trying to drag me down with him, set me off.  Shaking with anger, I could barely spit the words out.  "Even after everything you've done to me...After you took my parents, my friends, my LIFE..."  I stepped towards him, ready to tear that fucking smile off his face with my bare hands.

"You think I'd give that fucking despicable line of thought even a moment's consideration?"

"Of course you wouldn't."  The grin widened, ever so slightly.  "That's why I supposed that I would attempt to at least show you the other side of things.  You're a warrior, Mr. Reynolds.  You have a mind at your disposal.  And yet by this point it would seem most of my colleagues think that it's rotted due to disuse!"

Oh, coming from those guys, that was rich.  "Your 'colleagues' aren't exactly ones to brag when it comes to mental prowess.  You're all fucking nuts, in case you hadn't noticed."

"That's a rather big assumption to make."  He paused for a second, gathering his thoughts, or so it looked.  "Mr. Reynolds -Konaa, if you prefer- what is it exactly that you want?"

Easy question.  "Oh, not much.  Peace of mind, your boss to fuck off and leave us all alone, you all thrown in a cell, some fries would be nice.."

"'Us'... yes.  Do you like to save people?  Or does your desire for revenge continually overshadow your desire to keep people safe?  You didn't have to assist the young man from earlier, and yet you did.  He had no relation to you.  In fact, you couldn't even be sure he was of 'your side'.  And yet you jumped to his assistance..."

He had a good point there, which I was sort of grumpy about.  "...If you have a point, get to it.  I don't particularly care for your opinions on the subject."

Spencer gave a sigh.  "Konaa, you're fighting a useless battle from your current position. You can only save so many.  You can only fight so much.  Even now, you're relying on nobody sending the best of their men to wipe you out; never mind the incredible turn of luck that He hasn't turned up to just rip you apart yet."  He leaned back against the wall, hands sliding into the pockets of his jacket. "And though I wouldn't quite call your efforts pointless, they're certainly finite in nature."

Bastard probably thought he was giving me earth-shattering revelations there.  You really think I hadn't given all that consideration when I decided to really start fighting back?  This wasn't some temper tantrum rebellion I'm planning here.  I knew I was declaring war on a monster with powers beyond our comprehension from the get-go.  And I've always known that I might meet my end because of it.

"...Even if that's the case, so what?  Just because something might be impossible doesn't make trying it mean any less.  I'll fight until there's no breath left in my body.  There's no way there can't be a happy ending at least for some of us.  And if not..."  I smirked.  "I'll kick God's ass myself when I'm in the hereafter."

Redlight tilted his head to the side.  "There's always another way, you know.  How many more are you going to protect, only to have them fall days, weeks, at best months later? And even then, how many have you infected with His image as you moved through their communities?  I find it interesting that most seem to think that the two sides of this so called 'conflict' are all that different. We all want the same thing, correct?  Safety. Security.  And yet, you... that's not your main goal, is it?  Mr. Reynolds, it seems to me that most have you pegged all wrong. When most simply want to live, you want to fight."  Here he leaned forward, slightly, eyes gleaming amber.  "You want power, Konaa.  The power to save people.  The power to protect people.  And I'm someone that can give that to you."

Okay forget what I said earlier, HERE was some serious nerve.  He was honestly offering me a Deal with the Devil.  Granted, what he'd said about the proxies and runners being alike rung a bit more true than I'd've liked.  I've thought so myself, at times, that we do actually have a lot in common, goals and situation.  But...

I thought about it for a minute before replying.  "...I was never one for taking shortcuts.  That leads...to unfortunate circumstances.  I know just what happens to people like you.  You forget, I watched it happen time and time again.  I'm not an idiot.  But you guys are the biggest fucking morons I've ever seen."  I laughed.  Not a ha-ha laugh, really.  Was more bitter than I'd intended.  "You think you have security, but you're the most vulnerable ones of all!  You let him into your head.  He can take you out whenever he wants.  You're like sick toys to him...We all are.  But I do my best to lend my strength, to those who can't stand on their own."  I jabbed a finger towards him.  "You all erode your own people for release.  That's what I can't forgive."

Apparently unimpressed by my spiel, all he did was shake his head. "You're blind to that which is around you, not that I'm particularly surprised. I don't blame you, Mr. Reynolds.  After all, proxies don't have the best reputation for being sane, and yet I'm sure that there's a few that come to mind that have been commended by the service, yet have Him no more in their mind then you do.  It's a selfless choice -to be recruited if only to protect others- and yet it is one that is made time and time again." The light in his eyes seemed to glow even brighter. " That is because more people live that way.  More people can be saved.  Being on the other side, your side, is to leave your fate in the hands of others. To be on the other side is to take it into your hands once again. Resources, time, and above all else, a chance to utilize both of these things instead of being continually hunted; it's not a shortcut, but rather a logical step."

I was quiet then, for a little while.  Ran what he was saying through my head.  He'd nailed a lot of things about me- I hate the idea that all I can do is run.  I want to fight.  I want to save every single person, even though I know that's impossible.  I didn't want to hurt anyone again.  Not after I'd seen what I could become through that.  Was this a way to save people without fighting?  To give up a few to save many?  Utilitarianism, that's what it's called.  Learned that back in Middlesex CC, Ethics.  Never thought I'd be reminded of that class ever again...

I strained my head thinking.  Was there another way?  Before long, though, I had my answer.  Glancing up, I saw the grin on his face had widened to a disturbing length.

I growled, began to unsheathe the sword.

He actually looked SURPRISED, and let out a kind of shocked laughter.  "Really, Reynolds? Not only are you going to turn me down, but also dig yourself an even deeper hole than you were in before?"

I was done with jibes.  I glared right into his stupid eyes.  "If I did this...if I joined you, I would be betraying everyone I called a friend.  Even if you talk about relative losses, and resources, it's too much.  Even a single life sacrified is one life too many."  The last two words came out stronger than I expected.  Like I had more conviction than I thought.

Again, he wasn't impressed.  "Whatever side you're on, you're going to have to kill.  It's an inevitability.  You can build your own power, then protect those below you, instead of fighting a never-ending, losing battle.  You will DIE, Reynolds, and there will be not one person left to mourn you. Is that the sort of world you want?"

This time my response came back right away.  "Whatever kind of world comes my way, it's won't be the one you people inhabit.  We aren't mice.  Every last person in this world has the potential to be someone great.  I won't deal with you.  Not only do you kill, you torture, maim...Anything to get your way.  Sometimes, things ARE black and white.  You're the bad guys.  I'm the...decent guy."  A bit peeved at this awkward end, I flourished the sword.  "Enough talk.  Put ya guns on."

"I'm not going to fight you." He began to walk away, waving lazily over his shoulder. "I want you to remember that I chose to give you a chance, Mr. Reynolds. It's hardly my fault you threw it away."

Now that I was committed to getting at him, I wasn't just going to let him walk away.  I started after him, at which point he stopped and turned slightly.

"Now, I wonder... will you fight for your beliefs to be realized, or will you die by them?"

And at the head of the alleyway, lights shone through.  Three pairs of glowing, amber eyes.  They stepped forward, into the light.  One belonged to the guy we'd just saw.  One had an expressionless look, the others seemed to be terrified.  They stumbled forward as if their own bodies were alien to them.

"Do try to survive, Mr. Reynolds. At the very least, you'll make an interesting opponent."

Innocent people, he'd Hallowed them...destroyed who they were, for what?  To teach me a lesson?  I called out angrily at the retreating man in red.  "Is this what I have to look forward to being?  A coward who hides behind dead souls?  Pass."

 His voice had become brusque, condescending.  "There are no cowards in this game, Konaa; there is only the powerful and the weak, the helpless and the players. I gave you the opportunity to be on the side holding the right cards, but it seems that you'd rather die the death of a foolish martyr."  He sighed, and his lackies moved closer.  "Give me a good show. Perhaps you'll prove useful yet."

I lost my nerve.  I had resolved to fight, after the bastard had mocked everything we were standing for.  But...I couldn't fight these guys.  They were just pawns, they didn't do anything wrong.  The only thing they were guilty of was having awful luck.

I didn't trust myself to fight them without hurting them bad.   I felt my hands shaking, sweat on my brow.  I couldn't.  All that talk, and he just had to hide behind brainwashed teenagers for me to lose it.  I turned, ran.  They shambled after me.  Stupidly, without really knowing what I was doing, I rounded a corner and ran smack into a dead end.  They cornered me.  I was frozen in spot.  Part of me was screaming to cut my way out, but my arms felt like they'd turned to stone.  Slowly, hesitantly, I backed up against the wall.

And then there were a few swift, sharp noises.  Whirring.  Three knives, one embedded in each of the kids.  Dead before they hit the ground.  I slid down the wall to the ground, hugging my knees.  And Rise stepped out of the shadows, silently appraising me, before shaking her head slightly and removing the knives from the bodies.

I don't know what to say.  I need to think, but nothing's coming.

think I need to be alone for a while

Been thinking.

Rae's set up as comfortably as I could get her to be.  Wouldn't let me take her to the hospital, she started freaking out about rattraps or something.  So, we're in a hotel, and she's sort of just staring at the wall.  Isn't talking much, but she can stand now, and she follows me.  It's kind of like having a mute, knife happy, grumpy masked dog.

So.  We're safe.  As safe as one can be in this situation.  (think I've used that line a million times, remind me to change it up)  And everything's quiet, nothing trying to kill us for once.  It's a nice change.  Except...Well.  Let me explain.

You might've noticed that I, well, move around a lot.  Not just like, from place to place and such, but I mean that most of the time, I'm posting about something I was doing, a place I was breaking into, a person I was fighting.  That's cause I try to stay in motion for as long as I can.  It's where I feel more comfortable, out there, DOING stuff, y'know? 

Cause...when it's like this, slow, quiet...That's when you start thinking.  I mean, before you get the easy joke in, yes, I always THINK, even when I'm on...guess you could call em "missions."  Sure, why not, life's already enough like a video game, we're calling them missions from now!  (though given the usual reaction to my antics, the rating system for the missions must be the one from Sonic Adventure 2, where doing anything that falls short of curing cancer and bringing about the Second Coming nets you the lowest grade)

Usually it's just stuff like "okay what now, which way, oh shit it's a person, oh shit they're attacking me, punch punch kick okay if I go for his groin right now that should be it, now to the left, now to the right, gotta remember to check if Legend of Korra is out," stuff like that.  Here...this is the kind of thinking I hate.  That's right, you guessed it- we're getting philosophical.

maybe it's first the best.  cause this is the sort of thing I can't really run away from, and still call myself, well, a decent person.  And that's this: I fight proxies, monsters, anyone who tries hurting the innocent.  And it's hardly the most black and white situation ever, they're brainwashed, for the most part.  And against the guys who aren't brainwashed, who are just bastards, I curse em out for what they do and swear to kick their asses.

The thing is though...I hurt people.  I do it a lot.  Anyone who comes after me usually gets hurt pretty bad.  And that's another thing, one that really scares me.  I've gotten good at it.  About a year ago I ran my ass away when that idiot Ridley was chasing me.  And now, just last month I fought FBI agents and made it out in one piece.  All the moving about's kept me in shape, and experience has made me a much better fighter.  So, I'm good at hurting people.

I don't think I want to be.  I know that, like...enough people are already rolling their eyes at me for taking a stance against killing, so, this is going to give them heart attacks, but, can I call myself any different from them if I'm hurting them just as bad as they hurt others?  Even if it is to protect another...Isn't that resorting to their tactics, sinking to their level?

I hadn't thought about it.  But the truth is, I have a...good god, kill me now, this is going to sound melodramatic, but I can't think of any other way to phrase it.  I have a dark side.  You saw when I put up the Walker Alpha mission, when I saw what they'd done to Rae and...I hurt those guys pretty bad.  I...didn't mention it in the last post, out of shame, but...I cut one of those guys holding me with a knife for a few seconds.  I mean I was stabbing him and...Well, he didn't die, but on my way out, I saw them bandaging his wounds.  They were bad.  I know I must've stopped because of the urgency to get Rae out, but if that hadn't been the case...

Would I have killed him?  I don't think I can answer that either way.  And that really scares me.

We don't live in a world where our problems can be solved peacefully every last time.  I know that damn well by now.  Just...if we keep fighting HIM, if we treat this like it's a war, aren't we just mirroring him?  Suffering is suffering, and a life is a life no matter how that life is spent.

Dad would've found another way.  He did find another way.  He left.  Maybe it didn't work in the end, but...I could never be half the man he was.  The sort of man who probably never raised a hand against another person until that day in the junkyard.

now do you see why I like to move so much?  I'm not a very nice person.  Especially not to myself.

I fought the law and...there were mixed results.

So you might not have noticed, but I'm not very good at making friends.  It's always been a thing with me, but when this starts to get government intelligence agencies on my ass it's gone from inconvenient to frankly a little ridiculous.  I mean...We've gotten some hints over the course of a few blogs that Uncle Sam knows about our pale friend and is trying to keep a tight lid on all knowledge pertaining to him, but...Well, I understood why Rhodes found this so funny now.  Fucking snake.

It turns out decoding a professional encryption is kind of fucking hard.  To cut a long story short, it took two weeks, a less than on the up meeting with a specialist in this field, and a LOT of swearing and soda.  Mostly soda.  And I swear a lot.  Eventually, I had it.  A lot of stuff might not be of use, seeing as the dudes at the listening post would've reported back to their bosses.  This was why I didn't let slip that I'd seen the name "Walker Alpha."  If they transferred her again, getting her back would be that much harder.  A long shot, but it ended up working out- more on that later.

A LOT of information about Slenderman and a few proxies of note was on that drive.  Mostly Slender, what little they could confirm about Slender's anatomy and powers, and a fair chunk of speculation with regards to what they couldn't.  They seem to subscribe to the theory that he gets stronger the more people know about him- Tulpa, right?  In addition, there was a list of known Stalked, a few familiar names among that...Elaine, I think you made whoever was in charge of keeping track of you pull his hair out.  And that's not even remotely close to the frustration contained in the file on Nick.  They have no clue what the hell you are, buddy.  Though I guess that goes for all of us.

No name for this organization, and precious little intel on what, exactly, they do.  From what I can conclude from the data, it's strictly observation and recording.  But there was a small paragraph on procedures with "live specimens" that made me a little uncomfortable- it was in the section on proxies. (they call them "converted")  But after hours of sifting through all the unbearably cryptic government-talk, I finally found details on Walker Alpha.  From there, it was time for preparations.

Planning to attack a mansion containing a team of psychotic killers is dangerous.  Planning to assault a US-sanctioned intelligence base, with likely military ties, full of trained agents?  Well...let's just say I've had smarter ideas.  I'm just throwing it out there, I KNOW how stupid this looks.  It is stupid.  I'm a kid.  A kid who's survived a lot more than anyone should have to, but this is a little beyond some idiots with masks and a penchant for sharpened kitchen utensils.

But they had Rae.  I owe her my life a few times over, and there was no way I was going to leave her to some faceless bureaucrats treating her like she's a friggin' diseased animal.  I wasn't leaving Walker Alpha without her.

Fast forward two days.  The building was a bit less hidden than the listening post- it was, in fact, a state building.  The local people said it was mostly for processing surveys taken about the town and organizing construction and demolition.  "Why the hell do they need five stories for that?" I asked.  A variety of shrugs followed.

The gate at the front was locked.  It was late afternoon, the building was closed down.  Right.  I set my plan into motion at promptly 6:13 PM.  A car tipped over the top of the hill, heading down the road, slowly at first, but picking up speed as it went.  Noticeably, it was driving direct down the center of the road- no cars were driving around here, so the only people to remark on this were the people on the sidewalk, stopping to stare.  It ended up smashing right through the gate, setting off a ringing alarm.  Someone burst out of the front door to stare at the empty vehicle.

That was when I made my move.  Grappling over the wall to the rear of the building, I made my way across the lot to the back door.  Locked, but it was keeping up the charade of being your typical office building, so that took about thirty seconds to pick.  I was in.  But not before making a brief phone call.

There were a few people milling about the front, looked like ordinary types.  Sticking to the wall, I made my way upstairs.  This was one thing I found out from the data- the first two floors were all most people ever saw.  The fun stuff was floor three up.  I padded my way up the stairs and was met with another door.  Unlocked.  Lucky- nobody on the second floor.  Guess they don't man it after hours.  I was able to sprint up the next flight of stairs.

This door was locked.  At first glance it was mechanical...But I had my cheatsheet.  Groping around at the paneling on the wall, I pulled the closest one to the door loose.  Underneath was a keypad.  Now, the code changes weekly, according to the data, but it contained the codes for the next two months.  And when I punched it in, the door unlocked, no sweat.  Guess they didn't expect to be compromised by a teenager.  Not that I can really blame them.

The third floor had a few rooms with glass windows.  There were people in them, seated at computers, looking over papers.  I closed the door as quietly as I could and started sneaking.  By ducking underneath the windows I managed to stay out of anyone within's sight range, and checked every room on the floor.  Mostly computers, one room had people seated at a table speaking.  Couldn't listen in, and information wasn't what I was here for, anyway.

Onto floor four...and suddenly an alarm was ringing inside, too.  Must've been spotted by a camera or something.  Let me tell you, stealth is kind of hard, especially when you can't just reload your last save whenever you get caught.  I started running.  In between me and the stairs was one of the rooms of analysts, this door flew open and one came out, looking at me, bewildered.

"Move it, move it, MOVE IT!" I yelled, as more people started to emerge.  Funnily enough, they obeyed- guess even a rag-covered teen like me is a bit threatening when he's heavily armed and barreling towards you.  Ran smack into a security guard on the stairs up- ducked under his rather large feet and kneed his crotch while I went.  He'd left the door open- I made it.  The fourth floor was one big room, no windows.  There were three security types headed for me, batons out.

I drew a couple of knives, ducked under the first swing, parried the second.  The third guy tackled me from the side.  I tried wriggling out, but he had me good and firm- my free arm got pinned by one of the others almost instantly.  I was cocky- I'd gotten lucky against these guys before, mostly thanks to getting the drop on them.  But make no mistake, they're trained to subdue people.

The guy free was pulling a taser from his belt.  It looked like my next conversation with them was gonna be from a cell- but then I saw something.  We'd slid forward as we struggled, enough so that I had vision around the corner.  And I saw her.  Rae was strapped to an operating table, from the looks of it.  A few men in white coats were staring at us, taking a few steps back.  She was slumped, her hair ragged, bruises on her face.  Like she was a fucking lab rat.

I lost it.  I bit the first part of the guy holding me I could find- his ear.  He yelled out and slackened, letting me slide out from under him and kick at the guy about to tase me.  Bad timing- he'd already activated it, and as he slipped it fell onto him.  Meanwhile I'd grabbed one of my knives and stabbed the last guy in the arm holding me, which got him to let go quick.  Stopping to scoop up the taser, I ran at the scientists and punched the closest one in the face, as hard I as could.  He stumbled backwards into some machinery and fell.

"What the hell do you sick fucks think you're doing?!  Get away from her or I'll...rgh."  I cut the straps holding her.

Removing my gun, I pointed it at the two security guards that were conscious, glaring.  "Drop everything."  They complied, hands up, silent.  One of the scientists apparently was more indignant than frightened, and he spoke up.  "What do you think you're doing?  You just freed a dangerously unstable-"

I took a step towards him and pointed my pistol right at his leg.  "Shut the fuck up!  Badmouth her one more time and you'll be limping for months, if you're lucky!"

...yeah.  I...more on how I feel about my behavior later.

Hoisting Rae up, I could hear pounding footsteps coming up the stairs.  Great.  There was only one thing left to do, so I ran up the last flight.  The door was unlocked, surprisingly, and I stepped through, into a scene from a spy movie.

There was a large monitor at the far end of the wide room, displaying a map of the United States.  The states were colored green, some brighter than others.  More computers and technicians...and a man in a suit, talking furiously into a cell phone.  They all turned at the sound of my footsteps, and we were left to regard each other.

He seemed bemused.  "So.  Millions of dollars go into this project, and we're compromised by someone who can't even purchase alcohol legally.  Drop the proxy, and put your hands on your head."

Maybe I just have an irrational hatred of suits these days, but I wasn't ready to give up just like that.  "Better idea, you let us out after I'm done rearranging your face."  I put Rae down gently and started for him.

That was when eight people in body armor burst into the room from behind, carrying rifles.  I hardly had time to turn around before they were pointed straight at me.  Slowly, I put my hands up.  The man in the suit stepped forward.

"You're pretty resourceful for someone on the run, but you could never hope to match us in a matter of sheer firepower.  What did you think coming here was going to accomplish?"

You know me.  Never quiet, even at the threat of instant death.  "I was under the impression I would breeze in here, rescue the femme fetale, while defeating your dastardly minions in hand to hand combat, before leaping out the window, barely outrunning a poor green-screen explosion."

Not a chuckle.  Goddammit.  "You don't look witty, you know.  Just kind of foolish.  I don't know what connection you have to that subject, but-"

"Rachel."

"What?"

"Her NAME is Rachel.  Say, or I'll-" One of the troops stepped forward.  I fell silent, glaring daggers at the agent.

"...You really aren't one of them, are you?  A friend of hers, then?  You do know she's lost her mind.  Anything we can learn from her would benefit us all." He adopted a calmer tone, probably trying to reason with me.  "You probably know that USP-01- your 'Slender Man'- hones in on those with knowledge of him.  This girl's existence is now a federal secret.  It would be foolish to waste time trying to rehabilitate her, when her body, which has been exposed to USP-01 for years, could potentially contain crucial data on it."

"Is that all she is?  Data?  She's a human being, you fuck."

He just narrowed his eyes.  "If you aren't going to cooperate, we will take you into custody.  You really have no choice but to do as we say, if you want to leave here alive.  There was never any chance of you breaking in and escaping all on your own."

I was quiet.  The guards started for me.  And five seconds later, my ace in the whole triggered.  Sirens.  Lots of them.  I grinned.  "Looks like I'm not on my own after all."

"...What did you do."

"Tip off to the police- I'm being held hostage in this very building.  They'll demand to search the entire place, Suit.  We'll be found.  You can't wipe the data clean that quick, either, so your little organization is gonna get dragged out into the light, too."

He scowled, pausing to think.  One of the soldiers headed over the window and pulled the curtains aside.  "He's right.  Police, at least three cars."  That moment of distraction was enough.  My gun was out and at the agent's head.  He froze, staring at me.

"Last chance.  Let us go."

There was a pause.  Two minutes, maybe three.  Then a ringing noise.  The agent's phone.  He whipped it out.  "Hello?  ...Yes, he's-..."  The expression on his face softened into something I couldn't really pick out.  He tossed the phone at me.  "It's for you."

I almost missed the catch, I was so surprised.  Holding it up, I spoke.  "Uh, hi."

"Mr. Reynolds?"  The voice was calm, direct.

"Speaking.  Who the hell are you?"

"You don't need to know who I am.  I apologize on behalf of my subordinates- there was no reason violence had to occur, and ideally this situation can be resolved without it."

"No REASON?  What the hell is your pro-"

"We have little time, thanks to you, Mr. Reynolds.  Rachel Ahlgren is a valuable test subject, but I am willing to allow you to remove her from our custody- in exchange for your assistance in keeping this facility a secret."

I frowned.  "That's a good deal.  Little too good, if you ask me."

"I have a vested interested in maintaining good relations with people in your position.  You have proven yourselves resourceful enough to be a severe hindrance to us if you want to be.  Now, do we have a deal?'

I wasn't done yet.  "Hey, bastard, you think I can just pretend you didn't strap her to a goddamn cutting board?  You hurt her, treated her like property, and-"

"You have a right to be angry.  But that anger is wasted at me.  I'm just damage control, Mr. Reynolds."

"...We're not done, but for now, yeah, I'll help keep your dumb secret."

"Thank you.  Please return the phone to my colleague."  I put my gun away, walked up to the suit, and handed it back, warily.  After a minute of talking in hushed tones, he hung up and signaled the soldiers to lower their weapons.

"You're off the hook, kid.  This time."

I glared.  "Don't think I'll forget this.  I'm still gonna beat your face in for what you did to her."

He looked at me, and...chuckled.  "You've definitely got guts.  Whether you're crazy or just plain stupid, at the very least, you're no coward."  He gestured at the doorway.  "Well, shall we?  We have some lying to law enforcement to do."

"One last question.  Who ARE you people?"

"Kid?  If you knew, specifically, the answer to that, the deal would have to be off.  Count your lucky stars."

I hoisted Rae up, and was escorted out.  That wasn't all to it...but that's for another post.  My encounter with the government ended there.

March was fun, Part one.

Isn't this what you love?  Coming back to the internet after a long bout of sleuthing and misadventures that resulted in injury and dead ends, as if you were an upright businessman returning home after a long trip to a meeting where you were outbid, and you found your wife shacking the mailman.  Only in this case, the wife is the other stalked, and it's not shacking so much as it is completely going to shit.

...Fuck off, my metaphors are the best.

Sufficed to say, I've been busy.  And while I do my best to keep people appraised of my movements, there wasn't a lot of time to update this blog while I was fighting for my life.  Again.  This makes, what, twelve times?  At this rate monotony is going to kill me before any proxy does.

Here's how it started.  I received an email.  Offering the location of Rise for "a favor."  Right.  So, I replied with my usual charm and social grace but left the implication that I wasn't completely closed off to the idea.  The response gave me an address, and a time, midnight (again, very subtle) and away I went.

So I showed up at the place and started looking around for the guy who was trying to take me by surprise.  Train station.   Heavy fog.  The atmosphere was such that I was half expected Slender to have learned to type.

Fog wasn't so big that I could miss a certain massive figure, though.  Obstruction wasn't trying to hide, to be fair.  He lumbered forward, watching me.  I raised my eyebrows.

"You gonna try to kill me, or...?"

He shook his head.  I sighed.  "Okay, so it's charades.  Go for it.  First word?"

He pointed behind me.  I looked.  "Oh.  You're good at this game."

Rhodes was leaning against the booth, eyes glittering green in the dark.  His suit was finely pressed as ever.  Somebody has an obsession.  You know, other than with torturing me.  I went for my sword.  He laughed.

"Just a minute.  I knew where you were staying, I could've come there if I wanted a fight.  I just want to talk."

"Yeah, but you didn't really take what I want into account, did you?" I snarled.  "And I'd like to gut you pretty bad.  The fact that you'll probably get up after it isn't really helping the urge."

 That damned slasher grin of his.  "Ohhh~?  Yeah, you wanna waste me because of what I did to little miss sketches crazy.  I raped her, killed her, probably kneed her in the sides, too.  ...Or did I?"

I wasn't in the mood for games.  "You got something to say about her?"

"Oh but it's so much more FUN when it's left ambiguous, don't you agree?  Half the blogs seem to go that way, and THOSE are the ones the readers drink in deeply.  You're left to draw your own conclusion, because let's face it, after all the buildup, what possible conclusion couldn't fail to meet your expectations?  I mean, just look at LOST.  So...No, I won't tell you what happened to Nessa.  But between you and me?  Whether I tortured her before burning the body, or whether I never laid a finger on her...You won't be seeing her again.  It doesn't really make much of a difference."

I crossed my arms.  "Okay.  So you draw me here, and then decide you AREN'T going to tell me something I'd like to know.  Great start.  I feel like cooperating already."

He held out his hands, a gesture of peace that was as ironic coming from him as it would be from someone with a bomb strapped to their chest.  "I didn't lie.  I have information for you.  I don't know where Rachel is, but I can point you in her general direction."

"And what do you gain from this?"

Rhodes looked straight at me.  "I'll be blunt, June.  If you go here, you'll mess up the plans of someone I really don't like.  For me it's simply a matter of setting one enemy against another.  Our personal history aside, you're not really the type to let a lead to a friend go dry just to spite me.  So you will find a way to save her, and I will have inconvenienced a serious annoyance.  More importantly, I will be very amused."

I had to let out a laugh at all of this.  "I take it proxydom isn't one big happy family?  Although, honestly, I could have probably deduced that on my own.  You just pissed they didn't let you in on the job?"

A shrug.  "As far as you know!  Think of it as a mystery.  The quest giver usually has ulterior motives in today's RPGs, doesn't he?"

"...Give me the address."

He rubbed his hands together.  "Now this is the crazy part.  The people you want a word with are closer than you think.  They're in this very city, as a matter of fact."

I snorted.  "Come on.  That's bull."

"It's the truth!  It may seem like a crazy coincidence.."

"...but it's no coincidence.  They're following me, aren't they?"

He frowned.  "To be honest, I'm not sure if they're following you OR me.  Either way, them being here at the same time makes perfect sense.  At any rate, you're just getting the address out of me.  If you're too prepared, that's half the fun gone.

"Alright.  The address.  Now."

And believe it or not, he just gave it to me.  No ambush, no tricks.  He just handed me a slip of paper and that was that.  He must've really hated this guy, I thought.  The two of them walked off into the night.  And I was on my own, with a piece of paper as my only guide.

Honestly, better odds than I've had in the past.

The address was for an abandoned store in a less than reputable part of town.  Specifically, a toy store.  The place certainly looked like no living being had stepped in it for years, the paint was flaking, the wooden sign was practically chipped away to nothing...the glass on the door was broken, even.

It was almost a little TOO picturesque.  Like it'd be prettied up to look abandoned, or prettied down in this case.  It didn't matter either way, I suppose.  I knew somebody was in there.

Walking into a proxy den is never advisable.  But they weren't exactly going to come out and talk if I asked.  I didn't have a choice.  I had some tricks up my sleeve, anyway.  I've learned my lesson about just charging in- don't do it unless you're using a bulldozer.

I walked around the back.  There was a rear entrance, noticeably in better shape than the front.  Locked, but it was pretty easy to pick.  The door swung open before I could stop it...almost silently.  Oiled hinges.  That was a pretty slick thing (ha ha) to catch for a proxy.  They weren't amateurs, so I had to step lightly.

Closing the door behind me, I gave a quick look around.  Fairly normal backroom stuff.  Boxes, shelves...stairs down.  With a quick look at the front (empty), I started down them.  It was dark, pitch black in fact, so I waited for my eyes to adjust before proceeding.  Helped just enough for me to not fall.

There was only one flight.  And it led into a cellar.  Now that's an odd thing for a toy store to have.  Guess this building had quite the history.  And this was no ordinary cellar.  It was HUGE.  Easily more room down here than the entire floor above.

And footsteps.  I wasn't alone.

They weren't urgent.  In fact, they were slow.  Relaxed.  I actually heard someone humming lightly.  I sat back and listened.  When they were receding from the stairway, I peered around.  There was a door ahead of me and passages on either side.  I followed the sound of the footsteps, to the right.

There was a figure, strolling in the dim light a few ceiling lamps were providing.  He was going slowly, comfortably.  I couldn't really make him out very well, and at any rate, he could've turned around at any moment.  Instead, I went back to the left.  Clear.  Stepping lightly, I could hear the occasionally footsteps from a few directions.  There were a few people here, couldn't really get a good estimate.  I leaned around a corner and froze - somebody standing guard.  He was hunched over on a bench, facing the turn.  I didn't pull back fast enough, he gave a grunt of surprise.  I heard him get up and start towards me.  There wasn't much time, had to do this quick.

I pulled something out of my pouch and quickly shot around the corner, holding it up to his face.  A hanky, specifically, soaked in cooking spray.  Just about the cheapest anesthetic one can get.  Hey, when I say prepared, I mean I tried my best not to half ass it.

He struggled, but thankfully he was pretty muffled by the cloth.  Soon enough, he slumped down.  Good thing he wasn't much bigger than me.  I risked a pencil light to give him a once over.  Wearing pretty nondescript clothing, not a lot to him...except the gun at his belt.  That could've been trouble.  I took it, to be safe, and the ammo I could find on him.

There wasn't any time, or place for that matter, to hide the body.  All I could do was press forward.  And soon I reached the end.  Another door.  No other passages.  I'd have to risk it.  I stepped forward and opened the door, entering into what was clearly the main room of the cellar.  Which had been converted into...

A listening post.

There was a huge server set up, and wires everywhere, with a pretty big-ass monitor and a computer right in the middle of it all.  To the side there were cots set up- six of them.  At the computer was another man, and to his side a woman.  In the couple of seconds before they turned around, I had the gun out.

"Not in the mood to fuck around.  Hands up."

They complied.  I walked forward.  "Now, for starters-" That was as far as I got.  The woman was right next to me faster than I could follow and had knocked the gun out of my hand.  Then her fist was in my gut, and her other hand reached around, grabbed at the back of my neck.

She was trained.  These weren't any mooks.

I'd just about had it with people getting in my way these past few months, so I sort of lost my temper with the lady.  She got a headbutt to her forehead and a boot to her leg.  Shoving her forward, I pounced with the chloroform, holding it to her mouth.  The guy at the computer wasn't doing anything, I like to think he was kind of confused watching a scruffy teenager beat up his pal.

Once she was out, I turned to him.  "Okay, answers."

Silence.  I held my gun up.  He looked me straight in the eyes, defiant.  There was a pause.

"You aren't gonna shoot me, are you."

...I holstered it.  "No.  But you are going to tell me where my friend is.  You know that's what I'm here about."

Confusion.  "Friend?  Your boss doesn't have friends.  He's got lackeys, disillusioned teenagers.  Who are you?"

"I think you just implied I work for Rhodes.  First mistake.  Second will be not telling me what the fuck is going on here."

"You broke in here, pal.  You owe me an explanation, I think."

He was a lot chattier than the others.  Maybe that's why they kept him cooped up at the computer.  "If you aren't talking, then get out of the way."  I admit, I really wasn't sure what to do here.  So I checked him for weapons (unarmed) and opened what he was doing on the computer.

A lot of it was in code.  Eagles leaving nests, walruses shining their tusks, all manner of things that implied coming out of the closet or were just plain ole double entrendes.  Or however the fuck that's spelled.  Anyways, I got a bit out of it.  Stuff about Rise, and a lot about a Snake. (no prizes for guessing)  Finally..."Subject transferred to Walker Alpha." Timestamped three days previously.  I got out a thumbdrive and starting copying everything on Rise and Rhodes onto it.

The desk jockey was backing off.  I got up and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.  He wasn't that much older than me.  "Who are you people?  Talk.  This can be a Batman interrogation, or a Jack Bauer one.  Pick."

He stared.  "You really are a fuckin kid, aren't you?"

"Shut up, I have to take cues from something."

"This is ridiculous.  You really have no clue what you're doing, do you?  You're downloading encrypted files.  Those files mean more than your life.  You have the option of backing off right now and living, or getting into even deeper shit.  Get out while you're still ignorant, and not a liability."

That pretty much settled it.  "You're government, aren't you.  Goddammit."  Silence.  "Well, as a taxpayer of the United States (theoretically), allow me to provide you with some valuable feedback."  I dropped him, removed the thumbdrive from the computer, picked up, and threw it at the server.  There was a lot of wrecked technology in record time...and a shrill alarm ringing out.  Whoops.  Time to go.  I bolted out of the room.

On my way out, I heard a thump coming from the other corridor- the other guard tripping over the wire I'd planted in his path.  I was up the stairs and out the door before anyone could catch me.

...So.  I probably could've handled that better.  But I had to do spur of the moment thinking.  At least I had information.  Decrypting it was going to take some doing.  But I had a few ideas planned.

And for the sake of length, I'm ending the first half of my recap here.