Leave The Monster Alone

"Don't try to force yourself up or you will get into trouble with your legs. They do not have enough energy to hold you up after all"  Mark considered those words and he knew they were right. But he could still not help but find his situation frustrating.

He watched as the other took a seat and opened a familiar scene on his laptop monitor. Mark felt his breath get caught in his throat as Yun was forced back and Luna was defeated. Their side was losing badly and Mark was not there to help them. He had never felt this helpless before today.

The doctor was incredibly helpful and by the end, he could feel as if he could move freely again. He would never take this feeling of being able to walk for granted again. The blood circulating through his body felt good once again and his arms started to finally numb over. 

"So, can we have a talk about everything now? Who are you even?" Mark asked in a curious voice, his eyes taking in the form in front of him. He could not help but glare at the other person who had appeared out of nowhere. 

No, that was not the right words to say. The other had always been there and Mark had not been able to see the other until now. He had been the one to be suspended in a sleep coma till now so it was definitely his lack of self-awareness that made this situation possible. 

"You should have a guess by now. I am the one who caused this whole mess so I guess I am the villain here" So this person was someone Mark should know in the name. As soon as the other finished introducing himself, Mark cautioned himself against the incoming dangers. Surely this person was out to do something evil like before? 

"You don't have to be that cautious of me. This was all an accident, an experiment woven out of control" Mark's expression clearly stated that he did not believe in the small tale the other had been weaving. How can something this big be a small accident? There was just no way this was ever possible. 

"An accident? It ruined so many lives. It ruined our world and you say it was all an accident?" The last of the soldiers fell against the AI which caused the other to flinch before he turned around and started typing at top speed. Mark had an idea about what he was typing from but no official confirmation. He waited till the other was finished before he gave his own input in the whole thing. 

But before he could, he saw a save file pop up on the game screen. The other pushed it open and it restored the game to a few days prior. There was only one big difference in there now and that was a pretty big one for everyone involved. The world had reverted to the last but Mark was not present there. 

"You saved them. Why would you save them? What do you gain by doing so?" Mark had never wished for a gun in his life. Or any kind of weapon he could use to threaten the other. That was the only way to get information from someone like this professor. 

For his part, the other looked sad and conflicted as well. His eyes were cast away and he had a faraway look to his eyes. Mark could not help but feel sorry for the unkempt state the other was in. He really looked terrible after all, not that Mark had any sympathy for him or anything. 

"I'm afraid but saving that world is out of my control at the moment. I lost control of that AI a long time ago and my resources here are rather lacking. I can merely buy our worlds a little more time and that is all I can do" Mark had to give the other credit. He sounded frustrated at his position which was understandable. Mark was frustrated just by being beside the other and he was not even the one doing anything. 

"You are trying to help? You? Who was the cause of all this?" What an irony. The destroyer is trying to become the savior. But it seemed too late already for all that. The foundation for failure had already been set after all and the faults could not be shifted anymore. The other knew that as well so he did not try to defend himself from Mark's words. He just looked defeated about his position. 

"I know I fucked up. You do not have to remind me of this since you already did enough of it at the start. Don't patronize me" The other almost begged and it brought a sweet pleasure to Mark. The other really did seem sorry and having a bad time. Now if only that helped Mark in any way it would actually turn out to be good. 

Too bad, this guilt did not help anyone from the actual wrath of the creation he had unleashed. Now, it was urgently needed that the people focus on these people. But there were many questions Mark still had. There was one glaring red mark he had the itch to solve. 

"What am I doing here?" What was Mark doing here? He was not supposed to be here. Where was here even? Inside the game, surely, but where exactly? 

"What are you harping about? Have you lost your memory? What is this? A TV show?" The professor gave a short and forced laugh. Then his face turned in a show of surprise and resignation when Mark showed no sign of clear approval. 

He had a feeling that he was supposed to know this person but he could not remember anything about this side of things. Who was this person who seemed to know him this well? The other seemed to be reading his mind even. Mark had never felt heard like this before. It felt good but the situation was bad. 

"I don't know what is happening. Also, where am I and how am I here? You never answered my question from before" Mark felt his chest tighten and his breath shorten at the other's blank look. Panic seemed to be settling over his features and even the other side seemed to be blanking even more. 

"You are in the real work." Real-world? What was the real world for him? "You are finally back here and now you chose to lose your memory. Did you even have it in there?" Mark was blank-faced on the outside but he was out of his mind on the inside. What had happened to him? 

"We are all doomed. You don't have your memory so you likely did not do what you were sent to do either? I did think you were behaving strangely but I never expected" There was a deep breath on both ends. 

"So, what now? Are you going to clarify these topics now?" Mark wanted to shake the other side till he gave him the answers he needed. He was not above doing bodily harm to get his way and he saw the realization draw on the other side as well. The other looked nervous for the first time but he was not afraid of Mark yet. Mark had a feeling like the other could not see Mark as a danger to himself in any situation. 

"Reo. My name is Reo. Does it jolt your memory now" Mark tried to think harder but his memory refused to clear. There was not even a fog in his mind to look through, it was a clear miss which made Mark sigh in regret. He could not remember anything. 

"I've got nothing. Maybe I've lost those memories in there or maybe you are conning me. How do I believe you?" The other was starting to look frustrated now, just as Mark had expected the other to become a long time ago. He had to commend the other. He had not lost his marbles fully yet. 

"We will have time to solve this mystery later. We should get started on the biggest problem of all" The other was looking at the screen in front of them where the normal day seemed to be going on. Mark could not help but agree with the other side, even if he did not like it. 

"Should we start by approaching their headquarters? I have a feeling we have hidden away for too long" Mark had nothing to say to the other. He had never truly hidden away for anything as the other side had but saying anything right now would not benefit him in the least. 

Instead, he had to concentrate on finding Liam and the others in this world and help them from outside. How Mark got here did not matter, what did matter was the future action they had to take from here on out.. He was sure he would do what was needed to be done.