Leave The Monster Alone

"I thought I could change it all, make this world a better place but it was all a dream on my part. This world cannot change. It refuses to change. So all I can do is bring it to justice" Mark just decided to hear the other out fully. He also loomed out, pretending to not be interested in the ideal chatter. If someone overheard, then he could claim ignorance. The other quilted down as well after that declaration. 

"You done? Can we start to move now?" Mark asked, looking at the central building in this place. It was where they had to go and where he could meet Liam, hopefully. There was a violent flickering of lights before emergency ones snapped themselves on.

But it had caused an uproar and people were panicking. Since it was still dark out there, people seemed to be panicking. It had been a long time since the light had cut off naturally and they all lost their mind at that notion. Somehow Mark knew it was all pointing toward a bad sign. He felt it inside him. 

"Can I know your name and the purpose of your visit? Your civil identity would be much appreciated as well" the receptionist asked, her voice sweet and melodic. She was the clear definition of a 'honeypot', kept here to enchant the sisters. She was likely paid extra for every new customer she managed to convince to use their product.

But she was not the reason they were here. Try as she might, she would not be able to disgrace Mark or Rao from their takes. At least Mark booed that was the case since both of them looked interested in her for now.

"I'm here to meet Liam. Is he here? My name is Mark and I need to talk to him about the game" Mark decided to be upfront about his request. He saw Rao facepalm in front of the corner of his eyes but he decided not to pay attention to him. Rao could handle his worries himself.

"I'm afraid that Mr Liam is not available right now. Can I direct your call to him and ask you to come back?" The last tried to distract them but Mark was not going to be that easy for her to deal with. He had dealt with such people in his world plenty of times and he did not want to face another disappointment.

"I know he's inside and it is urgent enough. If you tell him that it is Mark, I'm sure he would recognise me as well" Mark was sure about this fact. The other had invested too much in him to let him go now.

"I'm sorry but I can not allow you entry under our visitor's policy. Please come back tomorrow" the lady was amended as well, her voice clear like steel. Mark wanted to grit his teeth at the situation but he knew it would not help him in any way.

"What is going on here?" A guard hurried toward them from the side. He looked to be in a high position if the patch on his arms was anything to go by. He was tall and muscular, but not over the bulge. He was decent enough built to be attractive.

But it was his voice that distracted Mark. He had heard that voice before, he was sure of that much. It was one he was unlikely to forget anytime soon as well. It was the voice that had accompanied him through years of his life as a friend, all uphill he found him not to be who he thought he was.

"Captain En? There's no need for you to get involved here. We have it handled and these people are about to leave as well" the lady glared at Mark and his companion, daring them to refute her words. She knew that they could not make a scene out of this without causing trouble to themselves.

Her plan night has also worked out, had it not been for En who had arrived. The other looked at their way, his eyes widening at what or rather who he saw in front of him. Mark saw recognition shine in the other's eyes as soon as they met Mark's own. Accompanying that was a feeling of doubt as well and Mark knew he had to clear it all up now.

"As I said before, I need to meet En. I have crucial information with me about his project. En, help me out here as well" Mark's voice had slipped into that tone he used on En when he wanted something.

His eyes begged the other party to understand his needs and play along. Thousands of thoughts passed through En's eyes, settling on a questioning look before he voiced 'Mark?' with his lips. Mark nodded to convey that he was the one the other side had been thinking about.

"Let them in. They are here because I asked them to come. I will take responsibility for them and their actions." The receptionist looked a little worried still, her eyes moving over Mark and Rao in a glare before she nodded her head.

"You can pass since Captain En vouched for you. Please make a prior appointment next time." Hopefully, there will not be a need for next time. The plan was to complete this mess and solve the problem in one go.

En looked like he had a lot of questions, some easy to answer and others not so easy. Mark felt nervous and others were present as well. The last meeting had not resolved a lot of things between them and there were still fractures left. They both had no idea what to say and Rao was someone who was an outsider.

This made up for a miss-missed matched team and everyone could feel the awkward air around them. They get a lot of curious gazes don't their faith as they move through the corridor.

"Ignore them. Most of them are just surprised since I have company today. I usually stay alone" En sounded a little nervous, a little nervous as he let them through the corridor. Mark chose to ignore the nervousness in that voice, focusing on the key points instead.

"How long do you need in this base?" Mark asked, trying to start a conversation. He wanted the awkward air to get out of the way so that they could at least start talking about important things. But it was more difficult than he had anticipated it to be. Mostly because they still had no idea how to interact with each other without getting angry.

"Why or rather, how are you here?" However, En decided to be the better man and put his differences beside him. He brought up the most important question of that day up. Mark had no answer for him.

How was he here? How was he in the real world when he had been a part of the code? Where did this physical body come from? But he did not have the answer. That didn't mean no one did. Rao likely knew the answer to these questions but asking him was a bit awkward as well.

Thankfully, he decided to answer on his own.

"Mark always had a physical body of his own while his mind was trapped in the game. Unlike you normal people, he had no recollection of what happened before he was in the game so he was no better than NPC." The others set this in 'the matter of fact tone. Had he expected the answer to be this obvious and for everyone to be able to guess it?

The other let them through the inner corridor of the place before he stopped in front of a familiar-looking door. That had been the same door Liam used for his personnel officer and resting space. Weirdly enough, it had never felt odd or out of place in the design of the first base.

En knocked at the office door, his expression especially grave as he opened the door and let himself and let himself in. He motioned to the other two in his party to come in as well and moved towards the bed. The only bed in the room had a figure on top of it which Mark instantly recognised.

"Are you here to meet me again?  You don't need to come daily for my sake and you already had your turn today. Go away now En" that grumpy and tired voice belongs to Liam. The others look to be in even more pain from the last time they had seen him. His real body was also younger than what Mark had expected out of him.

"I'm not the only visitor this time and I would like to see your face once you saw the surprise I have brought" Liam looked annoyed as he motioned for the other man to go away with cries of 'no gifts after the last one.. Then his eyes fell on Mark and they widened.