Vermillion carried the last unconscious hybrid into the underground station. He dodged the nurses and doctors busily running around to examine the other hybrids. A nurse holding a lot of folders nearly crashed into him, but he stepped out of her way. She breathlessly thanked him before realizing what he was carrying. She stopped, quickly turning back around. The folders nearly fell from her grasp, but she managed to balance them as she nodded her head towards a bed near the back of the room. She muttered something too fast for Vermillion to completely understand, but he assumed that she was telling him to put the hybrid on that particular bed. He probably caught her saying something about being with the hybrid shortly. That could have been wishful thinking, though. Whether she said it or not, though, Vermillion placed the unconscious body onto the bed like she asked. He made sure that the body was comfortable, putting the head on the pillow and pulling up the blanket. The moment he stepped away, the nurse- now without folders- took his spot. She started hooking up nearby machines to the person, absentmindedly muttering different things to herself.

Vermillion immediately vacated the room. There was no reason for him to be there. He had enough medical knowledge to keep himself alive, and he was discovering that he was barely doing that these days. The nurses and doctors around him had far more credible experience and knowledge. Vermillion will only get in their way as he stood around waiting for something to happen that he could solve that they couldn't. Vermillion knew that the likelihood of that happening was about as likely as Clara giving up her pursuit to make hybrids the top predators in the world.

Vermillion released a heavy breath as he stepped out of the medical wing. The muffled noises of heart monitors and people rushing around echoed in the sterilized hallway. Vermillion was extremely happy for the temporary moment of peace. He knew that once he left the hallway, he would be faced with three somewhat angry and embittered heroes who would demand answers Vermillion wasn't ready to provide. He went over the full, unrestrained truth in his head, picking out the parts he was willing to tell. He had to make sure he had enough to create an accurate story, but there were some parts he absolutely couldn't tell. He knew Ankh, Nemesis, and Blaze. He knew what they would loudly object to. He knew that if he told them why he was hiding, they would drag him to the tower while claiming he was the idiot. Vermillion probably was, but he couldn't risk their lives.

Vermillion belatedly noticed a new noise in the hallway. It was soft, but it wasn't muffled in any way meaning that it was from the hallway. Vermillion looked around. He didn't see anyone else in the hallway. None of the doors were ajar. By all accounts, he was alone in the hallway. The sound, however, argued against that claim. Vermillion could tell that it was getting closer. It was then that he thought to look up instead of keeping his gaze on the ground around him. Vermillion's eyes widened as he saw the source of the noise. He quickly lifted his arms up, barely catching Shroud as the spider hybrid dropped from the roof to the ground. The force of Shroud landing had Vermillion tilted forward, but he spun the momentum until he was spinning in a rough circle with Shroud falling against his chest. Shroud giggled like it was a game, completely unaware that Vermillion almost didn't catch him.

"Mimi!" Shroud happily exclaimed. Out of all the names he ever possessed, Mimi was probably his favorite, if not the most embarrassing. There was no baggage attached to that name. The worst thing he had done while using that name was leaving Shroud without saying goodbye. Shroud, at least, didn't seem to hold any immediate grudges. There might have been some underlying resentment, but Vermillion would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Shroud! Look at you! I bet you're quite the ladykiller. Or the gentleman-killer. I don't judge," Vermillion shrugged. He situated Shroud onto his hip as he walked down the hallway. Since their last meeting, Shroud had regained a lot of his health. He wasn't as thin from malnourishment, and his hybrid features had smoothed over. His energy levels seemed a lot more appropriate for a toddler. Vermillion had been slightly worried about leaving Shroud at Origins, but it seemed that Nemesis and Prescient were keeping their promise.

"Nope. I've just been playing... and doing my schoolwork," Shroud hurriedly added the last part. Vermillion laughed lightly as he pushed open the door at the end of the hallway. He kicked the door back shut with the heel of his boot as Shroud continued rambling. "I was playing hide and seek with my friend when I saw you. I had to come say hello! You haven't come by in a while. Even Uncle Nook has come!"

Vermillion hesitated at the name. He knew that Shroud and Nook were close. Nook was Shroud's babysitter when Tommy was working at the hotel. After Nook's brother took over, Tommy hasn't reached out to Nook at all. He doesn't know how any of his previous friends are doing. He hopes they're doing well, but he can't muster up the courage to see for himself. He doesn't know what's keeping him exactly. It might be the fear that he'll see that why aren't fine, leaving him alone with the guilt. It might be the fear that they're completely fine without him. It might be the fear that they'll be upset with him for not visiting sooner. It might be the fear that they didn't miss him at all. It was terrifying, and Vermillion couldn't risk losing the bonds he formed with them. If he didn't check up on them, their relationships were frozen. They were fine.

Before Vermillion could reply, he heard someone running towards them. He turned around to see a little girl about Shroud's age rushing towards them. She huffed as she slid to a stop, her small wings flaring out to give her drag. When she stopped, she glared up at Shroud. "You cheater! You should have told me you stopped playing!"

"Mimi! This is Hetta! She's my best friend!" Shroud said, squirming out of Vermillion's grip. The vigilante let him go. Shroud bounded towards the avian girl. She had short white hair curling around her shoulder. She was wearing a red shirt with dark shorts. Her clothes allowed for her wings to flare out behind her. They were still mostly dowry feathers. Vermillion knew a thing or two about avians purely because of Beau yelling random facts at him when he assumed something about her hybrid species. He knew, at least, that Hetta was probably a chicken variant of her avian, unlike whatever Beau was.

"Like hell I'm your best friend. I'm your only friend," Hetta reminded Shroud. Vermillion stifled a laugh as Shroud gave his friend a pouty face. Hetta sighed, tilting her body away from him. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Alright, fine, I'm your best friend. Just stop looking at me like that."

Shroud audibly cheered. Hetta wore a small smile as she watched him. Her attention finally focused on Vermillion. He raised an eyebrow at her from beneath his hood. She shuffled from foot to foot, her fingers wrapped around her chin. She finally snapped her fingers. "Oh! You're the Red Angel! I can't believe I get to meet you! You saved me from hanging once!"

Vermillion blanched. He did not expect for a little girl to so openly tell him that she had almost died from hanging. He saved people all the time, of course, but nobody he ever saved was so upfront about their traumatic experience. Hetta grinned up at him, unfazed by her own words. "Thank you for that, by the way! I like living. I wouldn't get to annoy this one if I wasn't alive."

"How old are you?" Vermillion asked once her words registered in his head. She had the innocuous expression of a child, and bluntness was common in young children. None of those facts really made up for the fact that she innocently proclaimed enjoying her own life. Vermillion was a little terrified of what would come out of her mouth next, but he needed to know just how old she was.

"Shut up! I don't have to tell you anything!" Hetta indignantly replied, her wings flapping wildly behind her. She blew out a breath through her nose. "The owner lady is looking for you, Red. You're in trouble~"

"Alright, alright, fair enough. Be good. Stay out of trouble, both of you. I'll visit again, Shroud," Vermillion said. He wanted to make it a promise, but he couldn't bear the thought of breaking it. There were so many promises Vermillion has made in the past. All of them were broken. Very few were actually fulfilled. Vermillion didn't want to add another to the list. He would much prefer Shroud to think there was a possibility without an actual promise.

Vermillion walked away from the two. They began chattering between each other, racing off to play a game with one another. Vermillion kept a sigh sitting on his tongue. He was also going to play make-believe, but it would be a lot less fun. He would much rather join in whatever game Shroud and Hetta were going to play than pretend like he was a stable individual with other people who were also pretending that they were stable. Vermillion knew he couldn't, though. Even if he didn't have to face the music with Nemesis, Ankh, and Blaze, he would be rushing off to regroup with Passerine and defeat the last member of Apex.

Vermillion ended up at Nemesis's office a lot sooner than he wanted to. He knew where it was from the last time he had been there. He didn't want to, but he remembered the tour he had been given. Nemesis had been so proud of this place. Vermillion was glad to see that this place was providing results. It was good that something would be left behind to save the people of Logstedshire.

Vermillion nudged open the door with his foot. The door swung open with a near silent creak. Vermillion looked inside. There were still thousands of papers hanging on whiteboards, but the papers and markings were distinctly different. Nemesis was planning to expand. Vermillion looked away from the boards to peer at the people huddled around the couch right beside the door. Instead of Blade being there like last time, Nemesis and Ankh were sitting on the cushions. Blaze had brought up a chair to sit with them. They were all quietly discussing something. Nemesis was holding a mug, Ankh had a water bottle, and Blaze had a thermos that was filled with coffee if the smell was anything to go by. A coke was sitting at the end of the couch, covered in dripping condensation. Vermillion stared at the bright red metal instead of the other people in the room, especially when they grew silent at his presence. Vermillion closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The air rattled in his chest, shaking loose all of his nerves.

Vermillion stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. He picked the coke up off the ground. He opened it in one fluid motion. He took a long gulp of it. When he was finished, he exhaled in satisfaction. He looked at them with a half-smile on his face. "Alright! What do you fuckers want to know?"

"The truth," Blaze immediately said without missing a beat.

Vermillion glared at him. "The truth is that the sky is blue during the day and grass is green when it's healthy. Be more specific, asshole."

"Did you actually die?" Nemesis asked, leaning forward to stare at him with her concerned eyes.

His head was slammed back by rough hands. Pain shook through his entire head like his own personal earthquake. His skin burst between the folds of his hair. Blood was dripping everywhere. The puddle beneath him was growing larger and colder by the minute. He could barely keep his attention focused on the person in front of him. All his thoughts were spiraling away from him until he was faced with the singular thought that he was going to die.

"I did. I believe the fatal wound was from the back of my head, but it could have been blood loss," Vermillion admitted. It was easier to recount the parts of him that hadn't been bleeding. He had been covered in cuts and bruises, the blood covering nearly every inch of his skin. It was terrifying to see that much blood. He wasn't scared of blood, but that much of it? He thought he was going to puke. The only reason he didn't was because he knew his puke was going to be filled with blood as well.

"Who killed you?" Ankh followed up, and Blaze made sure to add: "And why?"

"I'm so sorry, Theseus. I wish there was another way," The man said softly with tears falling from his eyes. He was always so gentle. He was always so pacifistic. He wasn't made for violence. That didn't mean he wasn't good at it. That didn't mean he wasn't cursed like every other sorry soul who found themselves trapped in that scientific outpost. In his eyes, he was doing the kindest thing he could have ever done for him. And maybe... maybe that was why he let it happen despite a voice inside of him begging for the chance to live.

"His name was Henry. He was... he wasn't quite a scientist or a test subject at the facility. He was something in between. He was someone who volunteered for something he wasn't sure he wanted to be part of until it was too late to change his mind," Vermillion explained. Henry had been an intern when he arrived at the facility, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. He was hopeful and optimistic, ready to do his best for humanity's future. No one thought to tell Henry that the facility wasn't for noble people. It was for people who were willing to abandon their morals so that the rest of the world didn't have to. Henry's only salvation was caring for the prisoners at that place, allowing him to have a proper outlet for his kind spirit.

"That doesn't explain why he killed you," Blaze piped up, breaking Vermillion's concentration.

"What's the facility? What are you talking about?" Ankh also asked. Vermillion realized that his way of answering their questions wasn't enough for either of them. They wanted straightforward answers.

"The facility was an institution that existed outside of the walls. It was filled with scientists and malpractice. I grew up there," Vermillion told them, rubbing his upper arm. The only people who knew about the facility were Beau and Charlie. He would have rather kept it between those two because he knew that Ankh, Nemesis, and Blaze would tell the rest of the heroes. Even if they didn't want to, Ankh wouldn't be able to keep a secret from Captain and Dream. Nemesis wouldn't be able to keep a secret from the rest of the Syndicate. Blaze just wouldn't be able to keep a secret.

"I'm sorry... when they said I could save a life, I agreed. I didn't know that I would get you. If I knew that, I wouldn't have brought you into this cursed existence," Henry whispered to him, holding the small child in his strong arms. His dark brown eyes and pale hair were completely different from that child, but they weren't completely different. He got his nose from Henry. He got his kindness from Henry. He got his adoration for animals and life in general from Henry. If it wasn't for Henry, he probably would have been as cold and merciless as his other parent.

"At the facility, a man named Arch-Illager took over. He built himself a council. One of the council members... was injured. Henry was told that he could save that person's life. Henry agreed. He didn't know he would be donating sperm for an experiment," Vermillion explained vaguely.

"Oh, Vermillion..." Nemesis whispered. No one said it out loud, but Vermillion could see it in their expressions the moment the truth dawned on them. Vermillion wasn't a child born from conventional means. He was a test tube baby, and his parents were donors. Henry didn't want to feel anything for the thing he didn't know he had created until it was considered murder to kill the embryo. Henry, though, was far too kind to look at the baby that shared some resemblance to him to feel nothing for it.

"Why didn't you return to us?" Blaze demanded. He was practically standing up with how he was at the very edge of his seat.

"You have remarkable friends. I expected no less from you, of course. You were always keen on having powerful allies. That doesn't mean you can stay with them, or else we might have another situation like this," Clara told him as she started to lead him out of the warehouse. His blood still coated the ground, but he couldn't feel any of the wounds that the blood spilled from. Instead, it looked like all that blood came from the body lying on the floor right beside the splatters. He knew it couldn't have been, though. Henry took a pill to kill himself. He didn't bleed at all.

"A lot of fucking reasons. Most of them are shit, I'll admit. I can't tell you what they are. All I can tell you is that there are two more members of Apex left: the Ender Heart and the leader. Once I'm done with them, you'll get the full truth," Vermillion told them.

"Once this is all over, I need you to tell the truth to everyone," Vermillion whispered to Passerine once he finished telling her everything. She looked like she was going to puke, but she was slowly nodding. He smiled at her despite the tears in his eyes. He gave a rare hug. He usually never initiated physical affection with Beau, but this moment called for reassurance for both of them that everything was going to be alright. Passerine clung to him, her arms very nearly choking him as she squeezed. She was crying, and not even a second later, Vermillion was crying with her. No one wanted to die.

"I swear it," Vermillion promised.