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Hershey’s doors shut behind him and he flinched, hugging his knees. Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward on the bed, allowing himself to tilt until he fell onto the pillow face down. He felt the sting in his nose signaling tears, but he liked to believe he was stronger than that. Whether it was true or not would be determined by whether tear stains were left on the pillow.

Arthur stood outside the room, locking the door back. He turned to the short, but scary-looking man, ushering him away. “So what did you think?”

The man nodded, recalling the visit. “He looks strong, which contrary to popular belief is a big plus,” the man said, laughing. Arthur joined in, not precisely finding it funny. “But all in all…you have impressed me.” The man stuck his hand out and Arthur shook it, making it official. “We’re in business.”

“Could you, load him today by chance?” the man asked. “I have a client who’s actually been looking for one just like uh, Sherby, was it?” Arthur nodded complacently, doing nothing to correct him. “Well, I think if I could get Sherby to the client sooner…that would be great.”

“Of course, we’ll take care of it,” Arthur said. The man nodded and walked away, leaving Arthur ecstatic. He turned back to the door and blew a kiss in thanks to the Nat trapped inside before following the man out.

“Heading out Carl!” Leo called, walking to the door.

“Not so fast young man,” Carl called after him, stopping him before he could leave. Leo turned around to face him hastily, Carl’s hands placed firmly on his hips. “Did you apologize to Frankie?”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Yes.”

“And Matrix?”

“Yes.”

“…Good.” Carl stepped closer and put a hand on Leo’s shoulder to squeeze it. “You’ve got to watch that temper of yours Leo, remember that.”

Leo faked a smile and nodded. “I will…I promise.”

Carl gave him a pat on the back to appropriately follow up the squeeze, only then giving him back his pace. “Good, now you can go.”

Leo smiled all the way out the door. But once the door shut behind him, the look of disgust returned to his face. Leo walked down the porch and muttered to himself, “You can’t just fix humanity with kind words jackass.”

As the boy walked away, Beta and Matrix came out from around the house to watch him go. “Ready?” Matrix asked.

“As ready as one tailing a murderous species can be,” Beta responded, and as soon as they began to follow him, a black car pulled up right in front of Leo.

“Down!” Matrix hissed, dragging Beta behind the bushes in front of the house.

Beta peaked through the shrubbery and saw Leo arguing with the person in the driver’s seat. “Please don’t do what I think you’re about to do,” Beta muttered.

And Leo did, getting into the passenger’s seat. The car drove away and the two boys sighed as they got up from the bushes.

“Great, now what,” Matrix said.

Beta sighed, unable to think of another way to go. And it was in that time of confusion and doubt that a shining light appeared.

And that shining light appeared in an old voice.

Don’t worry, Elias said, stimulating Beta in places he hadn’t been stimulated in a while. I’ll take it from here.

Beta’s body jerked forward and he fell to his knees suddenly. “Beta,” Matrix said, grabbing his arm. But Beta’s mind was going in and out. He felt Matrix on him, but he couldn’t do anything. It was like he was paralyzed. “Wait,” Beta whispered, unsure if it was out loud or in his head. But it was too late for waiting, he had already been lost.

Beta went still, worrying Matrix even more. “Beta…Beta!” Matrix called to him.

When Beta’s head turned to look back at Matrix, Matrix knew that Beta wasn’t home at that moment.

The Stak let his arm go and the Beta impersonator stood up fully, its posture even more perfect than Beta’s already was.

“You’re…not Beta,” Matrix stated, unsure of what else to say. Whatever was taking over Beta rolled its eyes and began to stumble away, and that’s when he figured out what it was. “You’re Elias, aren’t you?”

“Does it matter?” the voice said, lighter than Beta’s natural voice. “I know where Hershey is…” Elias stumbled as it tried to walk away. It nudged Beta’s head to gesture down the street. “Come with me.”

Hastily, Matrix followed.

“Okay, so I have a few questions for you—”

“Wonderful,” Elias said as it crossed the street.

“How exactly are you in Beta’s head?” Matrix asked.

“It’s something my kind is gifted with,” it responded. “I’ve learned to master it over the years.” Trying to step up onto the sidewalk, Elias tripped and fell, damaging Beta’s body. Matrix helped it back up.

“Yeah, I can see that.”

“Sorry,” Elias said, continuing to walk. “I’ve never done, well, this before.”

“And you couldn’t just tell Beta the directions why?” he pushed.

“I wanted practice doing a mind jump,” it said. “You can never have too much practice.”

Matrix stepped in front of Beta’s body, stopping it in its tracks. “Beta isn’t just some dead guy you can claim for yourself,” Matrix argued.

“Thanks Pocahontas,” it responded harshly. “But I don’t think Beta minds all that much.” As Elias tried to get past Matrix, he blocked it again. “And how do you know that?” Matrix said. “Just because you’re in his head doesn’t mean you know him.”

“What, like you do?” Elias challenged. “At least I don’t try and judge him for not being able to understand things that he simply doesn’t have the emotions to feel,” it responded. “Now move, time is of the essence, something I’m sure you’re aware of.” Beta’s body pushed past him, and Matrix, annoyed again, followed.

He felt this fire burn inside of him as he walked, feeling tenser than he had ever been in the past. There was something about Elias that bothered him, but—for Beta’s sake—he didn’t want to say anything just yet.

The door to Hershey’s hell opened and Arthur, plus two guards, stood there. “Come on, we’re loading up.”

“This is a repair shop,” Matrix stated, turning to look at Beta’s body.

“Yes, it appears so,” Elias said. “But I think I hear a van around back.” As the two began walking around the building, Beta’s body fell with a thud. Matrix turned and leaned down to help it, but the voice refused it. “No, it’s just a malfunction. I’ll get Beta back here safe, just go and get Hershey.”

Matrix didn’t second guess himself and started running to the back.

Hershey’s head stared down at his new sneakers, although after everything that had happened they started to feel worn. As he stared, he noticed the ground getting louder, and the faint sound of sizzling. Hershey’s head jerked up to see them approaching the open gate leading to the back lot.

Outside.

“No, no wait,” Hershey said, starting to create friction with his shoes. The guards weren’t having it, holding him firmly. “Stop, stop! I can’t go out there! Wait!” As Hershey thrashed more, the guards just lifted him up, separating his feet from the earth.

“Come on now Hershey,” Arthur said right beside them. He grabbed a syringe out of his bag, ready to use it when necessary. “Don’t pick now to start causing me problems.”

“Hershey!” Matrix called, turning the corner to the back of the building right as the early sun hit Hershey’s exposed skin. He tried to contain it, he really did…but a part of him knew that it was probably for the best that he just…let go.

So he did.

Matrix shielded his eyes from the flash of fire and flinched at the sudden burst of heat, but knowing that Hershey was in the midst of it made him act anyway. Matrix ran over to where the fire was, and where the three dead bodies laid.

Hershey fell to his knees, his clothes burned completely off, but his skin alright as it sizzled and sparkled a bright orange. Matrix fell to his knees too, but for a different reason. It was the scent of the bodies that allured him, the sweet sweet smell of burnt meat. Matrix’s teeth sharpened and his nails filed, salivating all over Arthur’s corpse. But, Matrix controlled himself, which he could only do when he heard the whispers coming from Hershey kneeling before him.

“I’m so sorry,” Hershey was whispering, clenching and unclenching his hands. Matrix’s fangs and nails retreated and he sighed, engulfing Hershey in a hug, unaware of the unnatural heat coming off of him. Hershey took it gladly. He shook, unable to process what he had just done. But once understanding came around, Hershey began to cry loudly.

“I didn’t mean to,” he spoke, voice muffled in Matrix’s shirt. “They were going to kill me…”

“Hershey, I know. It’s okay,” Matrix said as Beta, the normal Beta, rounded the corner. “It’s okay.”

Beta sighed, keeping his distance from the two as they had their moment. Why’d you do it? Beta asked the voice in his head.

It took a minute to respond.

You know why.

After a few seconds of realizing Beta was there, all three of them decided to get Hershey clothes, flee the scene, and pray no one saw them.

One thought,

One thought plagued Matrix’s mind.

He thought, We should’ve just gone straight to Illinois.