Charlie's Pov
"How nice to see you." My voice was dull. "Enjoy killing mom?" I asked.

Dad sighed. "You've got it all wrong. It seems your memories are still mixed up."

Upon the mention of my memory, my head began pounding. I held it.

"That monster killed Zeke." I glared at him. "Why were you with him?"

Dad sighed. "I'll show you a little clip." He pulled out a VHS tape. Walking over to a super old looking TV and inserting it. He turned the TV on.

Static appeared on the TV. And then Number One stood there. "Hello, Charlie. I understand you might hate us both, but listen to your father. He wants to help you. You need to come to acknowledge the harsh reality and cold truth of the world. You're forgetting important things. And believe me, you're gonna wanna pay attention so the twist makes sense at the end." He smiled as the screen got fuzzy again.

Dad turned to me. He sat at a table across the room, two chairs seperated across the table. "He's coming. For a meeting. Soon."

I nodded. "Right." My head hurt more and I frowned, submerging into my memories.

10 Years Ago
"WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!" My father gripped my throat. "I should have fucking pulled out quicker. Why was I forced to have such a talentless mistake. All you do is stare at me all day."

I blinked at him slowly. He was annoying. His hits never made me cry. But he always beat me.

Mom watched us, a faraway look in her eyes. "This can't go on like this." She muttered.

"You too? Damn bitch." He pulled out a beer bottle and glared at her. "I should kill you both."

2 Weeks Later
Mom smiled down at me. "You'll just be staying with them for a little while." She rubbed her bruised cheek. "Until your father can calm down."

I nodded up at her.

The front door to the house opened and a small boy with blond hair stared back at me.

"Zeke? Oh it's so nice to see you again? How's your mother?" Mom asked.

"She's okay."

"Go get her for me, please."

The boy named Zeke nodded, running off.

He looks interesting. Maybe if I was being forced to stay here, it wouldn't be completely boring. I was only staying for a few days though. A few days.

Four Years Later
"I asked you for a drink!" My father yelled. "Give me a damn drink!" He growled.

"You always hurt Charlie when you drink. Grow up. Do I have to send him back to Zeke's family again?"

"DON'T TOUCH MY PROPERTY!"

I watched, tears in my eyes. "Please....stop."

Dad whirled around and kicked me in the face, sending me to the floor. "Shut UP!"

My vision swam. My head thumped with pain. And my ears couldn't hear much besides yelling. I couldn't even tell who was yelling. I spat out blood and cringed. When my vision finally cleared after a few minutes and I pulled my face off the floor, my dad clutched his throat, a knife buried in it.

My mom watched him coldly. "I'm so done with this." She tore the knife from his throat and sighed. "I'm sorry....both of you.....take care of my boy." She jabbed the knife into her throat. Coughing up blood that dripped down her lips, a bloody smile on her face before falling over next to Dad. I saw a person screaming and crying at the edge of my vision. I saw them. Barely. My eyes were getting blurry with tears. I cried. Blocking out the noise I heard and covering my ears.

'Wow. A kill yourself squad. Can I join?' A voice similar to my own chuckled in my head. 'Idiot weakling persona.'

6 Months Later
"I don't like it here." I looked around the orphanage.

"Nobody cares about what you think. It's all about what Miss. White thinks." A blond boy with bright red eyes glared down at me.

"Vincent." I blinked. "I-I'm sorry
I didn't mean it." I backed away from him.

Vincent aimed his hand at me. "Should I kill you right here, Mr. No Powers?"

"No." I hated being the only odd ball here. "Please!" I begged. "I'll do anything you ask."

Vincent rolled his eyes. "You're a little bitch. So easy to be manipulated. When you grow up, follow in your dead mom's footsteps and become a stripper. No. Take it even further. Just like her, kill yourself." His tone was dead serious.

My eyes filled with tears. "Don't s-say that! It's mean."

"Damn pansy." He lifted me up by the shirt, despite us being relatively close in size and age. "That's the exact reason you'll never be adopted." He threw me against the wall.

I let a fear tears fall out.

"Just to spite you, I'll tell my mom and dad to take him. He seems like a nice punching bag." Zeke stepped out. He had on clothes you'd never find at this old place. Obviously an outsider. And he said he'd tell his parents to...adpot me. I blinked in shock.

Vincent scoffed. "Whatever."

Zeke smirked down at me. But it immediately changed. "That look in your eyes. It's gone." He frowned.

Present Time
I frowned. "Zeke...why...did he even care? He's always protected me... so why did he look so... weird?"

"Zeke? Always protected you? Hmm. A funny story. Zeke always harassed you and bullied you, Charlie."

I glared at my father. "Liar. You LIAR! YOU KILLED MY MOM!" I shouted.

"I didn't. Number One did. And about Zeke, he...was horrific. When your mother and I adopted you, Miss. White described you always hanging around a boy who bullied you. Named Vincent. She said even though he hurt you a lot, you thought of him as an older brother. All the happy memories you have with Zeke, they're likely fake. Memories you falsely created because your brain desperately wished for a positive older brother figure."

I shook my head. "But Mom...".

"Your birth mother was a bystander. Always watching the abuse. So as a result, you distanced yourself from your adopted one."

I shook my head. "No! No! You hurt me! YOU ABUSED ME! SHUT UP!"

"I've only hit my daughter once in my life. And it was for something very petty and stupid. I've never hit you a day in your life." He shook his head.

I whimpered. "You're wrong."

"This world is wrong." He sighed. Walking over to where I lay, pulling me up and pulling me into a hug. "Number One wanted to frame me for killing your mother. He knew it'd hurt you. I loved your mother."

I stayed silent. Looking upwards at the ceiling blankly.

"He's here. I love you." He pulled away.

I glanced over as Number One entered the room.

"Stay outside." He ordered his other clowns. And...was that.. Monica with them?

I glanced at him silently. "You. Hi again. Was killing my friends not good enough?"

He chuckled. "You really don't understand. I have been waiting so long for this." Number One smiled at me. "I killed your mother. Well, I think. Your brother. Your close friend Cody, and your little cousin too. I've got a little kill streak. If I were in a video game, I'd have unlocked an air strike kill." He glanced around the white room. "But don't look so down. Do you hate me for what I've done?" He tapped his fingers along the table seperating us.

"Yes. I despise you. You've taken almost everything from me", I replied.

"Hmm. That's tragic. A question though. Why do you think I did all this? Can you guess my purpose?"

"Who knows?" I shrugged. "Revenge? For fun? Because you could? I have no idea." I trembled, looking at him in fear and anger.

Number One sighed, getting up and walking behind me.

I didn't budge. He could kill me if he wanted the moment we were alone. He wasn't going to do it now.

He traced a hand through my carrot colored hair. "So pretty. So pale." He trailed his hand along my cheek. And then pressed his lips against mine.

It was my first kiss in a while. For a few moments, neither of us moved. It wasn't like time stopped like people said. Time kept moving. It was quick, not sweet at all. Rushed and with little care. But his breath smelled nice. It wasn't the worst kiss in the world, but a part of me was revolted because of who it was. Especially when he started using tongue.

He pulled away first though, despite him initiating it. "Not a bad kisser either. But...well...". He looked like he was about to say something. But changed the subject. "Fine. I'll tell you." He paused again. "The reason I did all this was because you asked me to do this."

I stared blankly at him. "Why would I ask you to kill some of the most precious people in my life?"

He trailed his hand along my shoulder as he walked back over to his side of the table. "The other personality inside you, begging to come out. Pleading for release. He asked me personally to cause chaos. Just enough that you would be discouraged to ever try and get control back from him. I thought you knew. But it seems your memories of when he comes out are missing. But you know he's there. You can hear his thoughts clawing at you, can't you?"

"Not possible. He said he was trapped for years."

"Yeah. Because people can't lie, Charlie." He said sarcastically.

"Whatever. You've been planning this whole thing, just for me?" I asked.

"Yes. My precious little psycho. Or sociopath. Either way. I want to reawaken your deep dark desires and paint the town crazy." He spread his arms widely.

"To go that far for one person is just....".

"I know. But I saw that look in your eyes when you killed my clowns. You loved it. You craved it. But that look is gone. You aren't him. The one I like. Precisely why I brought some useless clowns for you to see what you'd do."

"So you planned this, killing my friends, Zeke.....I..and you considered it useless. Wow."

"I really care about you. A whole lot. Just not the pathetic, sniveling, suicidal trash you are now. Once you're finally gone again, things will get better."  He growled.

"So what you expect me to sit in a cage in his mind again? Definitely not happening."

Number One slammed his hands against the table. He let out a chuckle. "When I break you, you won't ever want to come out again. The other you won't hesitate to kill. While you won't hurt a fly. You're useless to me."

I bit my lip gently. "And just how do you plan on breaking me? By kissing me to death?" I gulped, trying to hide my nervousness.

"Nothing sweet like that. I'll save that for your better persona. I'll break you mentally." He lifted his hand up to his mask. "Ready for a plot twist? Make sure to pay attention now." He let out a laugh. The video.

I began sweating in anticipation. Months of build-up. All leading up to this very month. Number One's identity. A million faces flashed through my mind.

And then he pulled off his mask, revealing light blond hair and blue eyes. My own eyes widened in shock. I whispered a name I never thought I'd speak again in such circumstances. "Zeke?"

"Bingo. But it's a secret. We have to keep it under wraps." He pressed a finger to my lips, silencing me.

"I...I...". I was at a loss for words. "How....why.... you're dead." I shook my head. "Dead. Dead."

Zeke walked over to me. "I know you're suprised. But this is all according to plan. For me at least. For you, it fucking sucks." He nodded.

I shook my head. Denial. It couldn't be. I was hallucinating. Crazy. I'd snapped. Dreaming. My thoughts were all jumbled.

"You'll see. Exactly what I plan on doing. How I'll break you, 'brother'." He said sarcastically, pulling out a detonator. "But tomorrow. Your brain can't seem to process all this." He lifted his aluminium bat upwards and smashed it down onto my head.

Episode-End

Episode 5 Preview-Death. War. Terror. Bomb. Save. Eat. King. All those words will have a harsh meaning. As war commences and everything crumbles, Marywood, all of it, will know true tragedy. Nothing is off the table. And no one is safe....-Episode 5: No Mans Land.