"Lila. There are a few things, that I need you to know. I can... I understand you. I can't get mad at you. Because, if I did, it would mean that I'm- that... that I've, no. If I get angry at you, it only means that I understand nothing. I've learned nothing. That I've spent my entire life, not learnt anything about myself, or the world around me," Jasper stuttered out in the loudest and most confident voice he was able to manage, trying to ignore all the places where he wheezed, choked, and wobbled, while watching Lila slip into the room, softly shutting the door behind her and shuffling towards him.Her head faced downwards, some of her hair falling to obscure her face. She wore another frilly dress with another white shirt underneath, and Jasper had to concede that he knew nothing about her as an individual, her image twisted with her mother's.He didn't know if she liked books. If she liked tea parties. If she liked frilly dresses. Or why she liked them. If she was

The loud, chopping wind thrust itself at the window, the noise smashing through the glass, regardless, and alerting everyone in the building of the noise. There was an inescapable screeching noise accompanying it, bouncing off all the walls, and finding its way into Emmet's office, the grating sound of metal scraping against metal wearing him down and breaking through his defenses. It burrowed its way into his ears, he felt it pierce his heart, slashing the organ down to fall to the bottom of chest. The only thing louder than the wind, which sliced through the blades of the helicopter ruthlessly, was the blood rushing through his ears. Emmet wanted to hope that nothing was making sense. Why was command here? Their next scheduled visit was weeks away. There was no prior notification. He had to move Jasper to somewhere safe. 

Emmet eventually picked himself up off the floor and, with a sad smile, opened the door to let himself out of the lab that he had sequestered himself in. He let Doctor Johnstone's message flutter to the ground and he left it behind, closing the door on it as he entered the corridor outside, where the light was He determinedly walked towards the front entrance of the facility, towards his fate, keeping his eyes firmly forward, and refusing to look elsewhere to keep himself from distractions. He let his broken hand fall limply by his side, swinging forwards and backwards as he walked, trying to project a false sense of whimsy. There was no reason for him to be interrupted by anyone, a day off from work for most people to sleep in. Doctor Johnstone probably went back to her own room, which she shared with Alice, the two as thick as thieves. Emmet found that the usual small pang of jealousy and resentment towards her was no

The agent wasn't breathing. Emmet was sure of it now. He decided to sporadically hold his breath, picking a random number in his ever continuing count to reach, before breathing once more, before repeating the process, after picking another random number. There was no sound in the room other than his own breaths and heartbeat. There was no rustle of clothing from the other side of the room and the agent. There was no scuffing of shoes like before. And there was no breathing. It was almost as if he was completely alone here, left in the dark in a soundproof room, baited inside and then unbeknownst abandoned. A panicky fog began to descend on Emmet's mind, and his legs shook, struggling to keep him standing, as the darkness from all sides began to press down. He didn't know anymore whether his eyes were open or closed, and he suppressed the choke of fear that w

Emmet was now firmly out of sight and out of mind of the agent. He was now cast out, completely disregarded, and recognised that, at least now, without any intruding eyes on him, analysing his every move and action, deliberating over the harm that they would potentially cause, he was free to take actions to influence the situation, and was finally given a modicum of power to hopefully save Jasper. He was the important one here. He was the one who held all the knowledge that the agent wanted. The agent would only get it if Jasper was willing to give it up. Emmet had to everything he could to prevent an altercation where it was preferable for Jasper to relinquish his position. He needed to keep himself out of danger, out of sight and out of mind, while making sure that the interrogation would proceed how he needed it to. There were only so many things he could do. Emmet knew that now most of his action