///This is a really long chapter especially compared to pretty much all the other chapters, heh
Total Word Count: 4367
Love how I didn't realize I was spelling Remy's name wrong until like 5 hours later—
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TW: Torture, murder, death
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"I feel like I should be concerned with silent night now. Again, you're not going to harass me with questions?" Roman scoffed from the lower bunk of the cellblock, the boys locked in for the night.

"Yeah, I guess so." Virgil hummed.

"So..." Roman mumbled.

"I'm glad you're not too scared as to actually talk to me." Virgil chuckled ironically.

"Well, I need to fight my own battles." Roman grumbled.

"I guess. But you're not doing so great fighting this one." Virgil sighed.

"What battle would you be referring to?" Roman cocked an eyebrow.

"Everything. Your memory- not remembering me, because whatever memories you have of me- they're false, I promise you that." Virgil blinked at the ceiling.

"Why would I- why should I believe that?" Roman growled bitterly.

"Right now? You just have to trust me- but seeing as how you don't..." Virgil withdrew a shaky breath, "I guess I'll have to take matters into my own hands then, huh?"

"Meaning?" Roman sat up suspiciously.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head, dear." Virgil gritted his teeth with these words, "Brian's working on it."

"Brian...-" Roman murmured this a moment before seeming to attach who this is, "The guy at the lunch table?"

"Yup."

"I don't trust him..." Roman shuttered.

"Me either, but I'm going to drastic measures." Virgil shrugged.

"Why?" Roman laughed, "So you can brainwash me into thinking you're a good person? Again?"

"Sure." Virgil hummed.

Roman was surprised at this answer and wasn't sure how to respond.

Nobody responded until Roman scowled.

"There's nothing wrong with me, Virgil. I'm fine." He shook his head slightly in annoyance.

There was a long pause before a small, broken laugh, with a shaky voice following.

"You're hurting me." Virgil whispered.

An expression of guilted horror seemed to pass over Roman's face before it hardened and he glared, standing up and turning to face the top bunk, unable to see Virgil from over the side of the bed, but knowing his voice was directed at him, "I'm hurting you?" He laughed, "No, No, I'm sorry, but you don't get to say that! That- I'm hurting you?"

"Yes, yes you are." Virgil responded simply.

"Yeah? Yeah, and how's that?" Roman put a hand on his hip.

Virgil sat up and turned to Roman, revealing bloodshot eyes and the expression of not just a kicked puppy but one who had been kicked out the front door by his owner he thought loved him- in a way- this had been exactly what had happened,
"I love you."

Roman stiffened up at this and his eyes glazed over for a moment with an expression of shock.
He quickly shook himself out of this and looked away from the boy sitting on the top bunk, "You claim that, but-"

"You were complaining that I don't ask you any questions at night now? Like how I used to? I gave up- so much- you feel that, Roman?" Virgil patted the bed beneath him, "That's rock bottom," He slowly dug his fingernails into the bed, "So you want me to harass you with questions?" He looked up to meet Roman's eyes, "Fine." He took in a sharp breath as Roman looked at him with an unreadable expression, Virgil started, "Do you remember? When we first met? You know, the play?" He inquired.

Roman didn't answer right away.

"You're the one who wanted questions, so I want answers." Virgil's eyes glinted in the dim light that filtered through the slot in the door of their cell.

"I know, it's just-" Roman rubbed his temple before shaking his head, "That's such a daft question- that whole area is gray anyway, I just remember you hurting Tom.." He trailed off in thought.

"Okay, fine, do you remember what I did to him then?" Virgil prompted.

Roman's voice shook, "Y-you just...his leg...I remember you broke it- really bad, really deep, and-"

Roman was interrupted as Virgil swung his legs over the top bunk, rolling up one of the legs of his jumpsuit to reveal a deep gash of a scar, still slightly purple, despite it having been there for near a year, "Like this?" Virgil stares at Roman as if to dare him to look at the leg.

Roman did and his eyes darkened with confusion, "I-I-" He shook his head, "M-My ears...you-"

"Tom did that- how do you think he got his face like that? Logan whipped his glasses out on him- focused them on him while he was too busy beating the crap out of your ears." Virgil's voice shook, "Because you were defending me- you were protecting me."

"No-" Roman shook his head, "No. That's not-" He hissed in annoyance as tears threatened to fall.

A long silence followed.

"And then, I remember that time I was having a panic attack at rehearsal..." Virgil murmured quietly, "Patton did his best but- you're the one that was able to shake me from it, Roman. You came and...it was..okay." He sighed shakily.

Roman didn't respond, lips pressed together in a thin line.

"And- and the thing that Patton did," Virgil chuckled fondly, "Where he covered your car in snow so we'd have to walk home together- Tom was so mad..." He sniffed, "And we tripped over a box and- and it was mistletoe and...maybe it wasn't a surefire kiss but it gave me so much hope..." Virgil held his shoulders, "So much hope that this hotshot guy might actually like me..." He moved closer to Roman who refused to meet his gaze.

"And when Tom broke my leg, Roman, you had bloody murder in your eyes- you were so," Virgil chuckled, "So confused and I was that- well, you admitted being gay for me so that they could give me a shot in the hospital. Hell! It worked!" Virgil was grinning despite the waterworks taking place with his eyes, "You said you loved me Roman, you said that you loved me!" Virgil sounded like he'd given up all hope as was resorting, "You loved me! For god's sake, you took a bullet for me, Roman, a bullet in your shoulder, right there!" Virgil harshly pressed an accusatory finger to Roman's bullet wound and the boy gasped in what could he assumed as pain.

Roman's eyes glazed over before he looked at Virgil with rounded eyes of confusion, "Virgil?"

The way Roman said it was a voice filled with relief and confusion.

"Yes!" Virgil yelled, hugging Roman around the shoulders.

"I-" Roman stood there awkwardly but didn't push Virgil away.

Virgil noticed this, furrowing his brow, "You...you still don't remember, do you?"

Roman frowned deeply, "I- no, no, I'm sorry, I don't but..." He scanned Virgil's face.

Virgil crumpled and backed up, causing Roman to wince as the pressure on his wound was taken away.

He seemed to stiffen up before rubbing his temple and looking back at Virgil with more of an accusatory look.

Virgil prepared the new Roman to come back, but he didn't, instead, Roman just looked lost, a mix of old and new. Neither, really.

There was a small beep and the two's cellblock door opened.

Virgil looked over his shoulder with a shaky sigh, "That's our cue." He hesitated before grabbing Roman's hand, "Let's go." He led Roman swiftly out of the cell.

"W-wait, me?" Roman questioned.

"I don't see anyone else around." Virgil murmured.

Roman looked around before clearing his throat, "No, literally, there's nobody around- where are the guards?"

Virgil admired the fact that Roman wasn't utterly appalled at the fact that they were holding hands and running down the hall together.
It was something.

"Brian's most likely taken care of that- but he wants us in and out as quick as possible, okay?" Virgil glanced back at Roman.

Roman gave a curt nod.

Virgil smiled a little before pulling out the flash drive he held in his jumpsuit pocket and squinted at a small diagram on the outside.

"What're those?" Roman panted.

"Arrows, telling us where to go, come on." Virgil tugged Roman around a corner and Roman let out a yelp of surprise.

"Sh! Don't assume we're totally safe- the guards have to be somewhere.." Virgil continued running around corners until slowing at a long hallway, "Facility hall." He announced.

Roman frowned as Virgil led him down the hall until they reached the door at the end, a tall one made of what looked like iron.

"What now?" Roman looked at Virgil.

"Now we-" Virgil was interrupted by the click of the door unlocking, "Wait for Brian." He finished despite it not being necessary.

Roman begins to take his hand away as they enter but feels Virgil give it a desperate squeeze.
Something inside him tells him to keep his hand in Virgil's.

The boys entered cautiously, greeted by gray walls of a room of computer screens, a main one at a desk with a swivel chair, about fifteen screens mounted on the wall, split into four with different parts of the prison under surveillance.

The sight of what was distracting all the guards from the two boys could make a grown man blush. It made them.

Virgil muttered something before turning the break-room camera off with a switch of the mainframe- the screens numbered to the switches on the mainframe.

"Moving on..." Virgil mumbled, looking at the hard drive and moving to the swivel chair, letting go of Roman's hand reluctantly as he sat down, sighing slightly before turning it on. Flipping the drive to the other size, opposite of the arrows, was a password:

<<dontusethewordpasswordasapassword123fluffythedog>>

"Christ..." Virgil squinted at the tiny writing of the password before entering it in "Dont...password...one two three...fluffy...dog..." He murmured as he entered it.
The screen flashed white and then was at a home screen.

Roman leaned against the chair with one hand and put his other on the desk to lean over Virgil and the computer.

Virgil shrank down as Roman hovered over him, he swallowed nervously.

"Sorry- I forgot that makes you anxious." Roman sat back and opted to stand behind Virgil, folded his arms over his chest as he observed the boy and the screen from there.

"Um- yeah." Virgil murmured before installing the drive in the side of the computer.

There was a moment of lag before Roman's files were brought up.

"There we go.." Virgil murmured, scrolling through the file for some abnormalities before getting to a colored page with the watermark of For certified personnel only! "I officially certify myself." Virgil began reading.

"Experiment Q?" Roman frowned.

"Right? You'd think it'd be something edgy like experiment X or something." Virgil snorted before clicking on the link.

There was another flash before the computer opened up an assortment of files.

The boys looked at each other, silently urging to press play as soon as all three videos loaded.

Virgil played the first one.

"Look at the date," Virgil pointed out, "It's too long after you got shot- but your shoulder's bandaged so clearly you'd gotten medical attention.."

Roman blushed, "Great. I'm in nothing but white boxers.."

"White," Virgil shuttered, "I could never wear white shorts- or boxers I suppose."

"Why?" Roman frowned.

Virgil looked at him, blinking with a cocked a eyebrow until Roman finally got it and blushed deeper.

"OH RIGHT THAT." Roman stiffened up.

"Moving on." Virgil turned back to the screen with a sigh to hide that his face was red, resuming the video.

The boxers Roman was thrashing around, bound by cuffs held to the walls, "Where am I!" He demanded.

No answer.

"Let me go! He's all alone! He needs me!" Roman screamed, "Virgil!"

Virgil's eyes shot wide as he realized Roman was referring to him. This was old Roman.

The light of the room flashed as a shock was administered and Roman blacked out.

The video ended.

Virgil instantly moved to the next.

Same setting, but Roman looked tired this time, head down, hair disheveled.

"Let...me go...assholes..." Roman growled.

Virgil frowned. If they had the power to administer shock, why aren't they administering it for...literally calling them anuses?

"Let me go! I need to get out of here!" Roman began to thrash again and looked around wildly, "Help! Somebody help! Help! Patton! Logan! Virgil! Mo-!" He was cut off as a shock was administered, causing him to scream and then fall limp.

Virgil's eyes widened and he moved to the final video.

Roman didn't speak in this one. He sat there, head bowed and arms limp in their binding, legs crossed.
No sound was made until the sound of a beep came.

"Virgil." The voice overhead announced.

This caused Roman to jerk around as if he were being shocked, but he wasn't.
Eyes looking up at the camera, there was bloodlust hatred.

Virgil quickly clicked out of the videos, staring at the screen blankly.

"Roman.." Virgil slowly turned around to see the usually stoic boy in a crumbled heap that leaned one arm against Virgil's chair.

Virgil was unsure what to do.

"They...I.." Roman sputtered out.

"It's okay...just..take a minute while I look into this, okay?" Virgil murmured softly.

Roman nodded slightly and Virgil got to work, reading over the file.
He stopped as he saw a new profile for Roman.

Patient: 19 1 14 4 5 18 19

He frowned at another bit of information.

Triggers;
On: Virgil

Off: Wound

Virgil shook his head, unsure as to what to do with this information at the moment, "I'm some sort of trigger for you, apparently.." he turned to see Roman staring at the screen blankly.

"Yes...well, makes sense- I felt that.." Roman murmured.

"Felt what?" Virgil furrowed his eyebrows.

Roman met his gaze, "A shock- every time I looked at you, like someone was hurting me- like you were hurting me."

Virgil gaped slightly but turned back to the screen before he launched himself into any kind of hysterics, "The...the Case file- Experiment Q, we can look for it in the data base." Virgil clicked around until a search bar appeared.

"Don't we have all the information we need? We know what happened now." Roman muttered as if he were tired and weak.

"Not all the information...not how to fix you." Virgil typed in Experiment Q and quite a few things popped up. He scanned over their descriptions before clicking his tongue, "This one looks like a synopsis." Virgil double clicked the file link so it opened, reading its contents allowed.

"Project Q, also known as Experiment Q, is in its trial state..." Virgil began, "For specific delinquents that have shown particular threat or aggressive behavior, most successful in adolescents, the experiment is done to give said delinquent to ensure safety, installing an on trigger word and an off trigger word," Virgil frowned, the words for on trigger word and off trigger word highlighted and underlined as if having a link- he opened both up separately, going for the on first and reading the file, "The on trigger word is the first to be installed...a word, phrase, ...or name, will be repeated as shocks or injections are placed to the delinquent to establish pain to this memory of this word, phrase, or name.." Virgil looked at Roman with a saddened gaze, as if to say something, before recalling Brian mentioning that they would only have an hour to complete this operation and get back to their cell, so Virgil went for the off file, reading that aloud, "The off trigger word, or safe word is installed to get the delinquent back into a stage of relaxation, powering over the on trigger word momentarily." The file ended, prompting Virgil to return to the "synopsis" and keep scrolling. He then landed on a particularly interesting page:

Patients

Virgil looked in confusion to see that only two names were listed, "This has only been conducted twice- the hell were they thinking?" He muttered mainly to himself, opening Roman's file and seing the same one from earlier, deducting something new this time, "Your shoulder is your off- it isn't a word, name, or phrase, it's whatever emotions or memories you've connected to your shoulder wound."

Roman paused to touch his shoulder, wincing but looking at Virgil, "I think about you, though- but..it isn't bad?I- isn't that ironic?"

Virgil stiffened up, "I...no, yeah, it is.." he whispered.

"Go back to the names." Roman leaned forward.

"Uh, okay?" Virgil did as told.

"Click on that first name."

"Who? Remy...?" He squinted at the first name.

"Yeah, that." Roman nodded.

Virgil shrugged and clicked on it, opening Remy's file, "Remy Lea..." He looked over the name and then profile picture, it being a young, happy looking man.

"Are there videos?" Roman wondered, "Look, he looks a bit younger than us- maybe there's not many experiments because there aren't many threatening adolescents here- what was his crime?"

Virgil scrolled to the generalized section of Remy file and chuckled, "He pulled an all-nighter in a Walmart and ate half the donuts- not much of a threat, huh?"

"Videos." Roman frowned, "This guy looks familiar- I can't put my finger on it."

Virgil sighed and continued, opening the video files and finding two folders of files, one labeled Before and one labeled After.

Virgil opened the Before file, two video files there and a report. They clicked on the video and watched.
The difference here was that Remy wasn't in any sort of binding forces, just the white room, he had a smile on his face.

"It's not problem at all, dudes. I mean, really," Remy yawned, "You told me I could take a nap on a real bed after this, right? So that seems worth doing a harmless experiment!" Remmie leaned back onto the padded floor.

"Remy." A voice murmured overhead.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." Remy hummed.

"Please sit up and a doctor will come in to administer a vile for the experiment." The voice, sounding shrew, explained.

"Okie dokie, pal." Remy sighed, sitting up.

A doctor then entered with a vile of clear liquid, other than some particles floating in it.

Remy held out his arm and the doctor took it, poking it and causing the boy to wince before injecting it all and then swiftly exiting.

"Should I tell you when I start feeling something?" Remy asked.

"We'll know.." The voice murmured.

Remy whistled until all of a sudden his breath hitched and he gave a nervous laugh, "It kinda itches- no, stings- it- it's burning- it's burning- it's burning! IT BURNS! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" He screamed and began to writhe around, scratching at his skin with screams of pure agony.

"Remy. This is what it's supposed to do. Remy, Remy, listen to my voice, Remy, Remy clung to it, Remy, Remy listen."

Remy screamed, something so disturbing as if wooden pins were being shoved under his tonsils and being stabbed repetitively, splinting under the nail.

Virgil had to turn it off as he gasped for breath from the situation.

"N-next Video.." Roman murmured.

"I-I can't-" Virgil choked out.

"We need to know what happened to him, Virgil, he could tell us what happened." Roman pleaded.

Virgil panted but knew Roman was right and played the next video, this one had Remmie sitting in the room with a frown.

"Remy? Remy...?" The voice murmured.

Remy gave a small smile, "Oh?"

The voice cursed and the video was over, white words then on a black background as the video moved right into the report:

Experiment inconclusive, subject had no trigger attached to his name. Will be released soon.

The two boys looked at each other and then moved to the After file.

There were two videos and another report.

They clicked on the first video- this being a new setting, a news report:

"Good Morning Florida! Today we bring some devastating news- three lives were taken last night, a mother, father, and child were killed mercilessly by their eldest son last night. After returning from a brief time in court, neighbors reported that he appeared to he numb and unfeeling. Screams were heard later that night he returned and investigators say the family was soon killed after. More on this story, at Eleven. We now move into a video of a bunny nuzzling a dog-" The video turned off.

Virgil stared in horror, "I'm not sure this guy can help us, Ro..."

Roman frowned, "Next video."

Virgil sighed and went to the next video.

Remy sat in the middle of the room, bound to the walls with Roman's same binds now, two machines installed to the left that weren't there last time but also weren't there with Roman.

"Remy-" The voice called and the binds shook as Remy panted slightly at the name, thrashing around, "Clever, lying boy- we've now only to install an off...or imprisonment- either way, you'll end up there- your friend, the doctor," on cue, the same doctor walked in, causing Remy to glare blankly at her while still writhing a bit, "She's just giving you something to protect your eyes- can't have you staring directly at the volts if they shine outside the boxes." The voice referred to the machines on either side of Remy, "This Experiment is to just find a way to calm down your reaction to your on word, give you an off word, and remove and memory of this place- can't have you blabbing, can we?"

The doctor placed the sunglasses on Remy for eye protection and Virgil choked on air.

"It's Lea." Virgil gasped out.

"What?" Roman scoffed.

"Remy- Remy Lea is Lea-" Virgil was cut off by the wound of screams as Remy was shocked- then a black screen again with white writing and another report:

Experiment inconclusive: Off Word: Unknown. Patient no longer responds wildly to trigger word, still responds violently. Patient had been disgusting his reaction to his trigger, prompting his release which resulted in three casualties of his own blood.
Will be put into prison with new name of Lea, as to not set off trigger. No further experiments will be conducted. Imprisonment should be made for lifetime until further notice.

Virgil looked at Roman with shock, about to speak before a voice came over head, "Guards, please report back to stations in ten minutes." Virgil was sure that that was Brian and quickly exited out of all the files before seing a last one he hadn't noticed, "It's a map of the prison- but it's wrong."

"What? How is it wrong?" Roman squinted at the map.

"It..- holy fuc- Roman, the white room is on campus- it doesn't show it on the maps posted in the prison, Roman, it's in the prison-" Virgil looked at Roman as his eyes rounded with regret, "I-If I had known- maybe I could have saved you-"

"I'm still not so sure I can have saving, Virgil- ...I don't smile when I see you." Roman winced.

Virgil couldn't find a response so he simply turned back to the computer and exited out of the map, taking out the flash drive and reluctantly turning the break room camera back on, glad to see that what had been going on in there had been shut down and resolved.

Virgil then took in a sharp breath and stood up, pushing the swivel chair back in, "Come on, we need to get back before the guards take their post." He didn't look at Roman but instead waved for him to follow as he neared the door.

Roman frowned and nodded, following.

Virgil couldn't help but want to hold his hand again- but how could he continue to love someone who may never love him again?

...He needed to find that lab...and he needed to find a solution- and that's when the computer buzzed.

Virgil whipped around and saw a final file pop up- one that had been lagging, he looked at Roman and shook his head when he began to approach the computer, "You go back to the cell."

"No, I'm staying." Roman ordered.

"I don't have time for this." Virgil leaned over the desk and read the file, titled

Reversal

Virgil gasped in disbelief, "It was a link article to the off trigger- Roman, look," Virgil pointed to a particular paragraph, "It says here that the effects can be reversed if the trigger word and that held to it is removed from the mindscape. Potential memory loss...blah blah blah...intructio-!"

"Five minutes!" The voice boomed.

Virgil bit his lip, wanting to read but knowing there wasn't time- and he couldn't lose Roman again, by the chance that the guards found them and they'd put the boys in isolation as threatened if prisons go where they shouldn't.
He needed Roman, memories or not, more than he needed him fixed.
So Virgil quickly exited the file and logged out of the computer to ensure no further files would pop up. He then shoved the flash drive into his pocket and booked it for the door, "Let's go."

Roman nodded and headed out, followed by Virgil.

Virgil had a solution-
And he was going to do whatever it took to fix Roman.
No matter what.

***

//Holy shite, chapters usually only take me a day to write, this one took three days— geez that's like...criminy, but yeah! Plot Plot Plot, this is what I get for resolving things in a matter of the few chapters left, it results in longer chapters. The ones after that should be shorter, other than maybe chapter 19 ;)

I don't think y'all will see the ending of this book series coming though and I really hope you don't come to kill me when you read it...
But ya know
Heh
Y e p

I'll try to update again soon!!

-Jay