Puppet
Manga / Anime Movie / Cinema
Cast:
Misery - Sydney Sweeney
Mosquito - Ana De Armas
Maps - Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Max - Indigo White
Merchant of the Void - Tom Holland
BNWO - Forest Whitaker
Codename - Jacob Elordi
Witch Coven Leader - Zendaya
Commander of the Shadow Templars - Tom Hardy
Maps (recording herself alone):
What I'm about to tell you about is a lie built upon a truth, about the sad story of a boy that was going to end his life, but thanks to many people, saved many people, did his part to make the world a better place, and very likely saved the world with the help of those, that, by the end, considered him a friend. It's an unlikely story, with an unlikely cast of characters, paired with the usual suspects, in an ensemble both stranger than fiction and more entertaining than anything on screen. All excitement taking place, for the most part, near and far away from this boy that it all seems to center back onto, who both has nothing to do with anything, and yet the power of a story has made him immediately relevant to anything and everything going on.
The lie? That he is a cyborg, possessing an implant that allows him all the powers necessary for a federal agent to act with a team of people, remotely, to keep others safe, and otherwise satisfy his curiosity at whim and at his leisure, unnoticed and beyond the scope of any nations surveillance program. The truth? Based on a lie that he told to impress others in a rehabilitation center, that he manufacturered and sold drugs in a way that eluded law enforcement agencies, he was implanted with a piece of technology that allowed for the tracking of him where ever he went, the ability to communicate to him, and the ability to see whatever it was that he was seeing, because it was believed he was a part of a large drug operation, and such technology was used to collect evidence in such cases.
When it was revealed that his involvement with drugs was a lie, meant to impress people, it was decided that they would manifest psychotic symptoms in his mind to drive him insane, which given his suicidality, would help conceal what was done to him. That was until others found what was in his head and started using it for other purposes. Started helping him, and giving him information, which of course only lended itself to the myth that he had something more complex in his head.
Eventually, the people helping him started helping the police, and the boy served as a good samaritan, watchdog of sorts with a team of people that would help anyone that approached him, technologically speaking. They controlled his technology, and kept him safe, as well as offered a service to the world, and provided themselves as a leiason to the police when necessary.
And the boy seemed like a long way away from his sad story of being the boy that abused his family dog by using peanut butter and butter on his genitalia in order to get his dog to please him, to enhance his masturbation, but in many ways he would never escape it. He was famous for it, well, infamous for it. There were people that wanted to kill him, burn him alive, have sex with him, give him a dog, have his child and raise that child to be the antichrist, convert him to Christianity, and make him repent, some even just wanted to talk, but it was important to law enforcement that no one that hacked or knew reached him, so they kept him safe. At some point there was a mistress that wanted to turn him into a straight woman, or a cock hungry sissy, it wasn't really made clear, but by the end he ended up happier taking hormones meant to feminize, even though he has a very masculine build, ended up looking very strange, and won't look suited as a woman or a sissy.
_____
Max (in his head):
I loved her, but she never would have known. We made each other feel happy and safe for a time but I was slipping into madness. I was making her life worse now, not better, and even though she still cared for me, I was losing her.
Then, one night, I couldn't sleep. She had said that I could change her clothes and put her to bed if she was blackout drunk or passed out, so I went into her room to soothe myself. I knelt byside her bed, by her feet, and thought of what I wanted to say, knowing she was asleep and wouldn’t hear it. I placed my hand on her ankle and the words wouldn’t come out. I wanted to tell her that I was afraid of losing her, that I still loved her more than anyone, that I was grateful for her, but nothing came out. My mouth was open but everything felt tense, and I couldn't form the words.
Then she awoke, and startled and scared, screamed at me to leave. I did without saying a word, and we never talked about it since. The dynamic had changed, and it was wrong of me to assume such poor boundaries with anyone. But even if I could say something, I wanted her to leave and forget about me. I was falling apart, and I didn’t know how to reach out for help from those I should have sought help from. I couldn’t be the person she met, the person that deserved to be with her, the person that advocated for her life and happiness over my own needs and wants. She was better without me, and enough of me wanted what was best for her to self sabotage my way out of a relationship I badly desired and needed. It hurt, a lot, and it was the wrong way to do the right thing.
Male Voice (only Max can hear):
“She said she forgives you and loves you.”
Max (in his head):
I ignored the false information meant to inspire delusions and false beliefs stemming from misinformation and opted instead to only trust what was spoken to me in person. I didn’t believe the voices but they made an impact even when I didn’t trust them.
Male Voice (only Max can hear):
“She said you’re doing well, but you need to come to terms with the fact that you’re hallucinating.”
Max (in his head):
It was difficult to remember the good times. At best I could catch a glimpse of a distant memory when things were good, but it was fleeting. I didn't appreciate them when they were happening, and likely couldn't recall them for that same reason. But the feelings were always easy to recall. From them, I would lose myself to fantasy that combined the things I could remember to things that never did. It was sweet, until tainted by the presence of voices that would always make their presence known to me, as well as the knowledge that they knew what I was thinking, and saw what I would experience in my mind’s eye. It was a disappointing realization to hear them speak to me with intimate knowledge of my mind, but the fantasies brought me ease nevertheless.
_____
Mosquito:
“I think he should suck lots of big black cock. Get addicted to it.”
Misery:
“That's too good for him.”
Mosquito:
“He’s straight. He’ll humiliate himself and never get laid again. Everyone will be talking about it. Everyone will be watching him masturbate to big black cock porn.”
Misery:
“Then we’d be giving him orgasms. I’d rather make it so his dick could never work again.”
Mosquito:
“We could have him feminize himself, then he’d give himself erectile dysfunction. Then, big black cock.”
Misery:
“What is it with you and thinking that sex acts with black men are degrading?”
Mosquito:
“Excuse me, he’s a fucking white man. A pretentious white man and many people would have sympathy for someone with erectile dysfunction that walked around sad all the time that wouldn't dream of fucking a black cock obsessed sissy.”
Misery:
“It's not enough. By the time we change him, he’ll probably be enjoying himself. I need to call someone.”
Mosquito:
“Are you still doing this for fun? I know who you are going to call.”
Misery:
“No, you don’t. These are some scary people. Just let me handle this.”
(Ring ring)
Misery:
“No…”
Mosquito:
“Can I use my normal voice? Feels weird using a modulator when we are in the same room.”
Misery:
“Do you know what I’m going to ask for?”
Mosquito:
“You didn't answer my question.”
Misery:
“And I won’t.”
Mosquito:
“I’m afraid that’s the price you are asking for.”
Misery:
“You're asking what it does for me on a personal level? Jesus. It helps… stave off bad feelings. Is that enough?
Mosquito:
“Is it pleasurable?”
Misery:
“No, okay, nothing is, but some things are less shitty than others, and most of it doesn't help, and all of it is better than nothing.”
Mosquito:
“I think I know what to call you now and have what you are looking for. We’ll start right away.”
Misery:
“Can I ask where you get this shit?”
Mosquito:
“I don't think you are ready to know.”
Misery:
“Whatever it is, I'm all in.”
Mosquito:
“I have a good feeling about you. Okay! The Black New World Order originally put one in every white person until they figured out that for it to work, everyone needed one. So everyone is hooked up, even you, so we won’t need to prepare him or anything.”
Misery:
“Where did you come from? I found out you're not using your real name here, and that's pretty strange to pay for an education and not want credit for it.”
Mosquito:
“I was raised by the Gulf Cartel in Mexico and made my way here on my own. I've seen what kind of shit goes on that they would never show on the news here. Some of it you wouldn't believe. But I got out by doing something impossible.”
Misery:
“Impossible?”
Mosquito:
“I gave them what you and everyone else are wearing. At the time, only the Italian mafia used them, but they combined my hacking skills with a private army and were willing to come to terms. It’s made the cartel more powerful in a way that money and violence could never achieve. They reached people unreachable, and it laid the basis for the foundation they have today. I'm sort of a celebrity in those parts, but I always preferred the shadows. They call me Mosquito because of the implants and because it translates to “little fly,” and I'm a short, petite fly on the wall everywhere.”
Misery:
“So you're wealthy, I'm assuming.”
Mosquito:
“I have a very diverse portfolio, and yes. I took the money and invested it in legitimate ways to make more money, carefully investigating everyone I invested in and what they were doing. But who doesn't like having fun, too.”
Misery:
“What were you going to call me?”
Mosquito:
“Misery, for what you feel and what you bring to others. I’ll pay off your student loans if you stay the course.”
Misery:
“That’s very generous, but I think it's a matter of time before we get caught.”
Mosquito:
“My contact Maps will keep us safe. She's very well-connected and plays her part so well that she's become more powerful within the government than any woman could imagine. Local law enforcement will hospitalize our victims and not believe a word, and Maps will keep the federal law enforcement agencies off our backs. We feed them someone they want occasionally, so we’re in excellent standing with them.”
Misery:
“So we play?”
Mosquito:
“And playing is so much better together. I’ll walk you through everything you can do, what you never want to do, and together, we can expand on the manual for how this shit is done. I'm expecting big things from you.”
Misery:
“Why do you think I’ll be good at this?”
Mosquito:
“You are a writer, and your stories always have a theme of being completely believable. That's most of what we do when trying to drive someone insane. Fill their heads with believable fiction that parallels whatever is going on in their lives.”
Misery:
“And what if they don't believe?”
Mosquito:
“We have control over their arousal template to ensure they are invested, even if they’re skeptical. They can't help but listen and create tangents based on what we tell them. It’s an uphill battle they eventually lose. Now, typically, we don't compete for their attention when they're socializing. We add a thought here and there in moments of silence. We stay present, but bombarding someone takes the right timing. If we do it too often, they become resilient to it. They build up a tolerance. So we pace it out, and you're not going to like this, but giving them what they want is the best way to foster investment in their hearing. We build them up, knock them down, and go round and round. But you won’t have to give them constant attention. We have artificial intelligence, which does most of the work and then implements our writing as needed or, you know, wanted.”
Misery:
“I don't see why we can't just tear them down constantly if we can make them invested. Tolerance or not that takes a heavy toll.
Mosquito:
“We want them to look crazy, not run down and miserable. We want instability, most of the time. Fostering depression and low self-esteem makes people sympathetic, and it doesn't discredit them. But don't worry; most people eventually understand what we’re doing and their position, and they take their own lives. You can imagine why when your only refuge is medications that deplete your dopamine and make everything less rewarding.”
Misery:
“I take a lot of comfort in that. I'm not trying just to get people off and get them high.”
Mosquito:
“No, that won't be your style. I can't wait to see what you do.”
______
Max
“Who even are you?”
Merchant of the Void
“I am the Merchant of the Void. I am the insects in your ear and the God that put voices in your head. You are my slave, and everything you have done preceding becoming my slave is inconsequential. It only made it easier for me to own and control you, because it was destined that you become mine. I will make money off of using you as entertainment, and rent out your head to eager participants that want to play and pretend at what I do naturally. I will steal every idea you have, make you question whether your ideas are even worthy, and offer you nothing but a never-ending torment that will leave you worthless, penniless, and alone.”
Max
“So it’s easy to say your sense of humor runs on the sadistic side?”
Merchant of the Void
“Speak to me if you wish, I don’t respond to playthings. You will simply be speaking to yourself as you paint a picture of madness for yourself.”
Max
“Yeah yeah yeah, hail Satan, blah blah. Keep to the shadows coward. Your scheme only works until you get caught, and you just said you’re giving me an audience. I have faith in people to do the right thing eventually.”
Merchant of the Void
“You are the one in the dark about your own understanding of your own situation. I’m afraid the people that find their way to me are not the heroes you seek. You will continue to suffer indefinitely as your hope diminishes, and that’s what we’re here to watch.”
Max
“Then I better ensure that that doesn't happen.”
Merchant of the Void
“The longer you last, the more money I make. The rest is inevitable. You will not escape this maze.”
Max
“All I wanted from life was an interesting story, and you continue to give me that. You will not succeed, and your lack of understanding of me will disappoint your fans.”
Merchant of the Void
“Oh, they’re your fans. And I’ll be sure to give you their feedback on your performance.”
______
Maps (recording herself alone):
To perform hypnosis, the mistress used a technique of freezing time, where she would buy time by stopping any nearby clocks and then slowly accelerating the time to catch up after she was done performing hypnosis in order to make up for the lost time. She shared her technique with local law enforcement, and helped them buy time, which has become standard practice and gained her favor.
______
“So you don’t think your voices are hallucinations? Tell me about that.”
“They aren’t hallucinations. When a voice in your head tells you, “Go deaf.”, before the music on your phone goes louder than it has ever gone on max volume, it’s safe to say that you are not only being hacked, but real people are communicating with you in a way that only you can hear; and they’re counting on you treating me like I’m hallucinating and that I’m delusional. They want you to abuse me under the guise of treating me. Under the idea of helping me. It’s sickening. You’ve been trained to only see things a certain way, and however their doing this, we’re both in the dark as to how they are doing it, and to you, it doesn't exist. I wouldn’t believe it exists if it wasn’t happening to me directly, but it is. So we’re at a bit of an impasse. I could pretend, and play along, as someone doing well with treatment, that knows their symptoms are symptoms, that takes treatment seriously, and that doesn't resent people treating harassment as manifestations of the mind, but at the end of the day, it doesn't solve my problem. It doesn't even lessen my problem. It only depletes my dopamine, insults me, and further damages my reputation more than the people harassing me with technology that you believe doesn't exist. Now you’re going to chart that I’m slipping further into delusion regarding my hallucinations and suggest coping skills, reality testing, and perhaps a change in medications, correct?”
______
Max (In his head):
“Why shouldn’t the mind create the illusion of eternity upon dying as a way to ease the suffering one would feel if things suddenly ended? And what would form the basis for that eternal experience, but a conglomeration of memories tainted by ideas of where your place is in a world where you’re forced to fluctuate between feeling like you belong and like you don’t, wondering how you appear to all those that stand in judgment of who you are, and what you’ve done. A gentle fear shakes through you as you remain partially aware of what is happening to you and curious about where it all leads.
This is where my thoughts were as I was contemplating ending my life to escape the torment of voices only I could hear and the guilt and shame of what I had done. If it were possible to ruin your life before it had even begun, that's exactly what I had done. People knew, and there was nothing I could accomplish that wouldn't be overshadowed by what I had done. Even if I could get past the trauma of remembering, knowing how weak I was, and the knowledge that I behaved in such a deprived way for so long without realizing it was wrong until much later than I should have.
If I chose to live, would this be something I would have to tell people I meet, or would they least hear about it elsewhere? It would surely traumatize anyone who would lay with me to find out later, and it has had such a profound impact on the person I became. It would almost feel disingenuous to keep that part of myself from the people I got close to. Assuming that was even possible at this point.
But how could I do it? A firearm was the most surefire way to end my life. Jumping off a tall enough building would also ensure success. Pills or cutting would land me in the hospital, although a professional Brompton cocktail was preferable. I wouldn't say I liked the idea of leaving a horrific scene and traumatizing people. This was about minimizing my damage to the world despite knowing I ruined everything. Starvation seemed the best choice. That way, I could be sure I wanted to die while staying out of the hospital.
Maps (recording herself alone):
But starvation never lasted. He would go a couple of days without eating or drinking water, and eventually, he would change his mind. This became a ritual he would perform when things got bad, and it resulted in no permanent damage while reinvigorating him to keep going.”
_____
Misery (giving a lecture):
“The brain is, in part, created to serve the purpose of envisioning being other people, but this is not something most people utilize to a degree of vivid imagery and proficiency through consistent use, to the point that it has become an area of the brain not widely understood. This is due to most people not only lacking free time due to work-related stress and the need to provide for themselves and those they care for but also those that have free time lacking the desire to explore their minds during it with access to many forms of entertainment, much less the focus on empathetic pursuits; in time that could be spent on something requiring less effort.”
______
Misery
“By and large, animals stick with animals of a similar kind. If one separates from the pack, they quickly reintegrate, and everything is harmonious. When a person isolates, typically, they become sick. It's simply not what we are meant to do, but when you have voices, you have company. You have your pack, and the rules for social involvment change. Especially when your voices are real people communicating with you. You’re isolated, but you remain healthy. You’re alone, but you don’t feel alone. And when the content the voices offer you starts to entertain and fulfill you more than the small talk and the problems given to you by the outside world, you invite madness.”
Mosquito
“You mean to foster dependance and then poison the well. Why wouldn’t they then reach out to others the minute the getting isn’t good?”
Misery
“Because it’s counter-intuitive to reach out when we aren’t feeling well, and those conversations will bore him anyways after we’ve spoiled him with fascinating dialogue.”
Mosquito
“There’s still the matter of his support. His therapist.”
Misery
“They will continue to reinforce that he is insane, something he knows not to be true. This will build resentment, and resentment for those treating you is a symptom of antisocial personality disorder. Sociopathy and psychopathy. And the longer he sticks with his treatment team, the more evidence they gather of his illness and need for medications. Or he keeps it to himself, lacks any support, and drains himself pretending to be alright.”
Mosquito
“So you’ve come around to doing more than making someone miserable?”
Misery
“It's the best way to ensure that the world around him treats him in a way that will inspire little sympathy and understanding, yes. I’ve grown past my initial desires to hurt, but not so much that I don’t want complete destruction. When I’m done, there will be nothing left.”
______
Male Voice:
“Let me know if this is getting to be too much for you.”
Max (to himself in his head):
I knew they would never stop. Even if I begged them to. They wanted me to think I could stop it, only to be let down once again. Just like the stories. Just like the passed down comments about what someone else said. I knew the only reason they wanted to uplift me at all, was so that I would feel let down once more. But I was living for the uplifting moments. I was coming to depend on them. The power of the let down wasn’t what worried me. I was starting to wonder if the let down was just a tool to turn me into a gleeful madman.
The voices alone weren't that scary. They were extremely limited in what they could do to me. What was scary was living in the world, knowing what was in the world, and dealing with them. Having my reputation tarnished to the point where I had to live off of less than minimum wage. Dealing with hospitalizations and having my rights taken away. And knowing any number of things could happen to me, that could happen to anyone, but were more likely to happen to me, because people had known about what I had done. And these voices. Were they softening me for something more serious? Were they sex traffickers or planning to kill me horrifically in some elaborate plan? Burn me alive Book of Lavitacus style, but not before ensuring that I was alone and without prospects? I simply had no way of knowing.
The voices followed a pattern, so far as I could surmise. Often when I was thinking, the voices would chime in with, “So-and-so said this…”, or, “So-and-so did this…” Other times they told an elaborate story meant to inspire false beliefs and capture my attention. Sometimes, it was harassment meant to inspire fear and negative self beliefs, other times, something helpful to inspire faith in voices. They often told me, “You need to...”, with some advice, usually on point, and also meant to inspire faith in the voices. Sometimes it was behind the scenes discussion about how the voices are going to be voices and torture me. Often it was just miscellaneous commentary about things I had done and things that were happening around me. And, of course, there was conversation when I engaged with them. A shocking amount of times I had silence, and I would wonder why they wouldn’t just bombard me with an overwhelming amount of voices, but then I realized I would have built up a tolerance and learned to tune them out. They needed to capture my attention, and they needed to have maximum impact, because these weren’t hallucinations, these were real people harassing me.
______
He reached his wits end with the voices and the hacking, so he looked up the number of the secretary of defense on his computer and dialed the number, hoping to get in touch with someone that would believe his story. He already filed a complaint with the IC3 with the FBI, the cybercrime division, and they called his father directly after who said he had everything under control. When he called the local law enforcement, they simply hospitalized him as someone experiencing psychotic symptoms. This was his last attempt at reaching someone in law enforcement.
Other End of the Call
“It's just me working the control center tonight.”
Max
“Who am I speaking to?”
Other End of the Call
“We’re really busy tonight, why don't you just go to bed.”
Max
“Do I have to call the police?”
Other End of the Call
“I’d hate to see you do that.”
Max
“Why are you the same voice I’m hearing in my head?”
Other End of the Call
“I don't know Max.”
*click*
______
Max (’alone’):
“Psychotics are unhinged, not from any moral compass or personal responsibilities but from what is accepted as truth. To a psychotic, there are no preconceived notions, and their open mind is greeted by a flurry of ideas upon ideas that would never occur to the average person. Should they master their pain, what would remain is a critical thinker. The danger comes from belief, as it always does with belief, and once a psychotic overcomes the need to hang onto things, all that is left is knowledge.”
______
Max (to himself in his head):
I started a fire that burned down my father’s house. Well, he went in after me and spread and accelerated the fire to ensure that it would burn down the house, after filming me starting it. They must have triggered me somehow, using the television, and then speaking to my subconscious via the telepathic illusion. All to ruin me, and make him money, but why?
The government knew I was being hacked, and they couldn't stop it. What’s more, they were hacking me alongside all of them, and trying to drive me insane to prevent exposure to what was done to me and the damages that had occurred therein. I was sitting on a class-action law suit, likely with many other individuals, who were being harassed through the same telepathic illusion in an unconstitutional fashion. And my father knew, and he was a part of it. Taking money from the government to drive me insane and never face the defeat of being usurped or having his abuse reach the light of day. All to keep secret a piece of technology that would terrify the public and bring into question what the United States should face for violating human rights of citizens for no reason other than to protect their image. For what they saw and understood as continued stability, at any cost, in a time when influence was never more accessible and people were never more connected to one another on a massive scale.
It made me angry, that rather than protect me, they damned me, as a problem with their simple solution. Filing me into the mental health system for problems I didn’t really have, while people behind the scenes must have known what they were doing was wrong, but followed orders blindly. Or not so blindly, and giving power to sycophants that enjoyed abusing others, while patting themselves on the back for helping keep things stable. It made me sick. Everything bad I had ever done couldn't amount to what people with unchecked power would do without morality or ethics to guide them. I was in a hole I could never hope to climb out of. Everybody morn the damned.
______
Mosquito:
“Save for the monks that save insects with each step, through sweeping the path they walk and finding a home for those that have lost their way; most find them insignificant and worthless. And that's exactly how they felt after being sexually abused as children. Someone used them for a short burst of relief. Not a drug. Not a person. A child. Someone took from them their chance to develop properly, and to them, their abusers took their lives from them. And someone thought of them, and thought of a group of superheroes. Dragonfly. Mother Spider. The Fly. Centiped. And survivors spying on him took notice. So they all decided to identify as different bugs, and met up together with other bugs, and it turned out to be the only support group that brought any ease to their suffering. But it turned into more than just a support group…”
Misery:
“I saw. Tortured bodies.”
Mosquito:
“Right, kid rapists. Normally I try to protect vigilantes like this but they're attracting all the attention. It must be one of them doing the torturing and killing because the cops suspect a serial killer given that they all fit the same manner of execution.”
Misery:
“What will you do?”
Mosquito:
“I’m going to let you take lead on this one and decide what needs to be done. If we give them up, we remain safer. If we don’t, well, less safe, plus kid rapists win.”
Misery:
“Not if we take them on ourselves, our way.”
Mosquito:
“You’ve got your hands full with your favorite pet but I could handle that. So give them up?”
Misery:
“Just the one doing the killing.”
Mosquito:
“We run the risk of the killings not stopping, plus, it looks better if we give them the whole group.”
Misery:
“I will talk to them. I think they will make useful additions to my team. I'll feed you victims as they come in and I've confirmed them.”
Mosquito:
“Risky, but I like it. We always have making them psychotic to fall back on if it doesn't work. Keep that to yourself.”
Misery:
“Way ahead of you.”
______
Misery (giving a lecture):
“I think being against the death penalty requires not only a love of all people but the ability to see good in all people and believe fundamentally that there is good in all of us as human beings. But even without that, death is not justice in this day and age. It’s a glorified publicity stunt meant to appease the mob, that is, the public that can’t afford money and compassion for someone who has done something, or many things, terrible to horrific. Justice is taking someone’s luxuries and freedoms away after determining they were in the right state of mind at the time of the crime or crimes, giving them nothing but their minds, with the hopes that they might arrive at salvation. Once you rob evil of what it feeds on, and every memory of it starts to fade until it is only remembered that it happened, misery takes hold; one cannot last in misery indefinitely. Time may take a long time to heal some wounds, and there may still be some forms of mental illness we still don’t fully understand, but evil is not an endurance fighter. If we can put our grief and disgust aside, is this form of change not true justice worthy of us and our society? Is it not worth it to allow for this type of change while we allow for the possibility that we may have gotten it wrong? We already have.”
______
Maps (recording herself alone):
The subject of Max’s voices comes up quite frequently, and the truth behind who’s responsible is that he was a victim to a free-for-all of sorts. There were hypno-doms that had their way with him for a time, a self-proclaimed master that did most of the torturing, and then miscellaneous people that would feed him accurate information. It was fair to say that his head was a chaotic place, and making sense of everything would have required recognizing who was doing what. He lacked this, and had to receive each syllable for what it was worth. Even with those providing accurate information, without any way to varify, he would have to treat it as misinformation, save for the times he chose to believe what he was told.
_____
Misery
“I’m taking a different approach with this one. I want him greeted with silence with very strategically placed hallucinations, and to go heavy on hypnosis. Other people are speaking to him using your device and it’s interfering with my work.”
BNWO
“That's not us. We’ve elected to sit on the infrastructure we’ve built until the time comes. Needless to say, we can’t remain hidden and moderate hallucinations on a specific individual. I’m afraid it will draw too much attention.”
Misery
“What you’re telling me is that you lack the structure to see who’s opperating on your devices?”
BNWO
“It’s simply not a priority. Anyone who knows is known to us, and then opperate as though they don’t want to get caught, or else. Now, if you have taken a special interest in someone, and want them to yourself, I’m afraid you’re on your own, since your priorities wouldn’t be aligned with ours.”
Misery
“Can I expect any trouble from you if I isolate this individual?”
BNWO
“Only by removing his device will we take issue. We have no feelings one way or the other about how it is used as long as detection is avoided. We believe the manual serves as a good guide, but recognize the importance of expanding on what we already know. I see you as someone of vital importance in this regard, so you are free to do as you wish.”
Misery
“Much appreciated, for the permission and the continued permission to operate on your infrastructure.”
BNWO
“Fuck up, and you’ll more than hear from us.”
______
Misery
“I’m planning on taking down the Merchant. Are you with me?”
Mosquito
“I don't work with cops. You’ve changed.”
Misery
“I’m earning trust and gaining power simultaneously. If I’ve changed, it’s because I see the landscape, and see the potential for something greater.”
Mosquito
“Your pet hasn't lost his mind.”
Misery
“He’s wasted as a casualty or a plaything. He’s incredibly resilient, and his ideas have made the Merchant incredibly wealthy.”
Mosquito
“This didn't used to be about your will to power.”
Misery
“I’m ensuring longevity and continued freedom, and I’m done competing. Why can’t you see the bigger picture?”
Mosquito
“This was always about fun for me, and I know how to keep myself safe. Build your house of cards, and they will fall. Take on big players in this game and you will attract too much attention to handle. We’re ghosts.”
Misery
“I can’t ignore this opportunity with everything I have in play. I’ve decided who I want to be, and I couldn't have done it without you.”
Mosquito
“Yeah, well, I can’t afford to be seen with the future Merchant of the Void. People will be coming after you.”
Misery
“I’m prepared.”
Mosquito
“Goodbye Misery.”
______
BNWO
“I had to meet the man hooked up to everything.”
Max
“That’s funny.”
BNWO
“I wouldn’t think it is. Your father had you implanted. The police put some crazy shit in you. We hooked you up. You’re a regular cyborg buddy.”
Max
“That’s a scary thought.”
BNWO
“You know, you’re a difficult read. I don’t know if you’re in denial or you’re taking in the information and just playing along because you’re in the hospital but I’ll tell you this. You’re made of strong stuff, and despite what some people think of you because of what you’ve done, you’ve changed, and it looks good on you.”
Max
“What landed you in the hospital?”
BNWO
“I’m just here to meet the man that ruined everything. You’re more aware than I thought. Seems you’ve gotten used to never being alone. Not even in your mind, eh?”
Max
“So it goes.”
BNWO
“Not yet, at least not for you. You’ve got some life to live, and I think if you were going to commit suicide you would have done it by now.”
Max
“Never say never.”
BNWO
“Well, I’d hate to lose my favorite underground celebrity.”
Max
“I suppose that’s of small comfort.”
BNWO
“It wasn’t supposed to be! Still pissed you ruined everything.”
Max
“Still have no idea what you’re talking about.”
BNWO
“Your friends are listening, so I can’t be as open with you as I’d like to be, but hopefully, one day. Until then, Max.”
______
Maps (recording to herself alone):
“It would appear that a mistress is in a battle for Max against his father, who had him implanted and harassed using the Phi Delta Theta fraternity network, who swore allegiance to the former president of one of the chapters after he worked in tech and brought the technology to them. The mistress, communicating to him through unknown origins has battled to secure his ideas for her own against his father, both of whom don’t plan on reimbursing Max for his ideas. Max, when asked, sided with the mistress, and called his father incestuous for continuing to do what he has done to him, and pointed out that the mistress is developing the science whereas the fraternity is just playing around with something they don’t understand. We’re now treating his father and their fraternity as a criminal enterprise and continuing to monitor all activities with the mistress to learn more.”
______
Maps
“You’ll never guess what I just learned.”
Supervisor
“I’ve heard all the tapes.”
Maps
“The government is using the God’s Voice device to torture people that have committed Cardinal sins.”
Supervisor
“Are you here to tender your resignation?”
Maps
“I’m here to save those people from torture sanctioned by the government.”
Supervisor
“We are a nation under God. What did you think that meant exactly?”
Maps
“I’m putting a stop to this barbarity. You oversaw this and let it happen, and as a result, you will be treated as someone at war with the United States, as a double agent, who showed no regard for the well-being of American citizens.”
Supervisor
“Preposterous.”
Maps
“I wanted to be the one to tell you, since I’ll be taking over your job. This will be handled quietly as not to alarm the public about classified government technologies, and you will be detained to Guantanamo Bay. Have a pleasant stay. It’s a life sentence.”
______
Maps (recording herself alone):
“She was a vampire. She didn’t have fangs, wouldn’t burn in the sunlight more than someone with a pale complexion, but did prefer the night. She loved blood. She loved the color. She loved the warmth and the thickness of it. She played with it, sold it, and regularly underwent blood transfusions from worthy, willing victims. It kept an already younger person looking and feeling even younger. She was thirty-nine but looked nineteen. She was beautiful, professional, distant, and dark.
Max (’alone’):
She spoke to me in a way only I could hear from what seemed like a voice in my head. We have yet to meet, and I have never seen her. She could control parts of my physiological system, like making me vomit or salivate at will, and could not only control whether or not I became erect but if I came, and if I did, how I did. All from the unknown, like an apparition always present around me that took an interest for reasons that alluded to me.
It couldn’t have been satisfying enough, I thought. Being a ghost without any real presence. Taking an interest from afar and never being able to do anything physical to me. Was this a test? A punishment? I wanted her. Not like most men wanted women. I wanted to grant her the freedom to exert her will on me on a greater level. I didn’t want my preferences or limitations to matter. I wanted to serve willingly and do more than play victim to torment from afar. I wanted to see my mistress. I wanted to worship her and all of her power.
I adhered to a strict set of principles and ethics. I was by no means perfect, but I was very far from being a dark person. I avoided criminality and firmly believed in society and how it functioned. I prided myself on doing the right thing and positively impacting those around me. For her, though, I would never question her decisions—at least, I wouldn’t question them in person. I would obey. And that scared and excited me.
I gave her all of my ideas to make money. I wasn’t wealthy and had little in the way of assets or finances. She used it all and brought life to all my ideas that she found worthy. It was what I could contribute, and I never expected anything in return. Only the hope of gaining her favor so maybe, one day, my dreams of living with her as her pet would come to fruition. I dreamed of it so. To be bled by her, whipped by her, even just to glimpse the most beautiful woman in the world.
She told me that there were no photos of her, and aside from licenses and essential identification, she scrubbed the world of any photos or videos there was of her, in real time. She was everywhere and nowhere, and she claimed that photos may capture someone at their most beautiful, but the truly beautiful lessened the awe inspiring experience of beholding them in person by having photos of themselves available to others. She was against competing with herself, as one must do to live up to their photos, and told me if she wasn't seen as divine, she would rather not be thought of at all.
Maps (recording herself alone):
She was a ghost in an age of surveillance, or perhaps a phantom. They say the difference is ghosts were once human, and still possess souls, while phantoms lack souls, and were never human. A phantom in this world could have been anything from a computer program of some intelligence to a psychopath hell bent on destroying as much in this world as they could, from an early age. She was a difficult read, and there were times when I contemplated if she possessed a soul, or if she simply played the role of a god without giving the world or anyone else a second thought.
Max (’alone’):
For all I knew, I could have completely lost my mind and been imagining it all. She could have been completely made up by my mind, but with the changes to the world around me, and how real she seemed, it was enough to make me question what was actually coming from my mind.
Even with my fixation on my mistress, I couldn't shed thoughts of my former lover. Even after so many years apart, I could feel her as though she was inside of me. I carried her with me and missed her all the same. It felt warm and bittersweet, and while the longing would subside after quite some time, for durations of time, it never left me. The thought of how much time had passed felt cold, and enduring such thoughts meant she would leave me. But I could always feel her return within me, and once I overcame the feelings of inadequacy from feeling her perspective within me, I gained strength from her warmth and wisdom from her perspective.
I wondered if this bothered my mistress. I was harboring feelings for another. I still felt so close to someone else I had been intimate with. Would it keep her from me? She never punished me for thinking or talking about her. When I was, it was like she was gone. She was telling me that I couldn't have both. She would delegate others to speak to me in a way that only I could hear, but they seldom spoke to me when my thoughts were on my former lover, not enough for me to know how she felt about me thinking about someone else. Not enough to know how she saw me.
But I would learn what pleased her and what didn't. She had so much control over me; I could feel it. She wanted me to be the best version of myself, and our thoughts aligned on what that meant. It was like being cared for in the most unsatisfying way. I wanted her abuse to serve some deep desire within her, not to mold me more by what she wanted. It felt like it was for me, and as long as that was the case, I stood no chance of meeting my mistress. Changing me was her way of taking an interest and becoming invested; it seemed so disconnected.
I could never feel close to her despite how she cared. I was a chore, and I wondered if she would have even taken an interest if I was already what she wanted me to be. Would I just have been looked over? Would I finally be good enough? I resolved just to become grateful that I had her attention. There must be something worthy about me to warrant that, or is there simply more to the story?
I imagined how she approached her victims. Did they all hear her voice as I had. Forced into compliance and subservience until she felt ready to meet in person? Did she mold them first? Was I even special or unique? Or am I simply collecting my gift before my blood tariff is due? I wasn't healthy enough to be considered good stock. Certainly wouldn't be a good candidate for transfusion. In any case, my blood wasn't special, so how could I hope to be for her?
Maps (recording herself alone):
Her security team was one of a kind. The Shadow Templars. They weren't strangers to the darkness, and before long, they would come to be identified by it. Dawning optical camouflage and a variety of weapons, and possessing a variety of weapons based on personal preference, they went anywhere, unnoticed, and didn't fear heading straight into the darkness to protect those they were assigned to and exact vengeance on those that posed a threat to the common good. They were trained to not make noise when moving, and being equipped with rebreathers and optical camouflage that prevented even a shadow from forming made them ghosts, or phantoms. Usually knives were all that was required, and it wasn't uncommon for someone to witness someone suddenly die from bleeding out from, seemingly, nowhere, accompanied by a voice telling the victims of violence, in a way that they heard in their head, that someone would be by to clean everything up and collect the body as though nothing happened. She protected the president to everyone she took an interest in, who were, at all times, surrounded by invisible people standing guard. Unless she didn't like a political candidate, in which case, she left their fate in the hands of the people already there to protect them. They, the Shadow Templars, were the most elite fighting force on the planet. Unnamed, unrecognized, unnoticed, all of whom took an oath and were governed through a telepathic illusion that no one knew existed, and all of whom sought to find purpose rather than glory, and to be one small part in something greater. All of whom who exercised the right to act on their own moral judgement, guided by a team that knew and saw everything. And all that was required to join, to be initiated and begin training, was to recite an oath, prewritten and known, in front of a camera that wasn't on, on any piece of technology, to find out if you were deemed worthy.
Then there’s her army of ‘traps’. A group of men that take estrogen that possess technological skills that surpass anyone on the planet. They run her social media accounts, opperate media companies conjured up by Max, the mistress, and them, and perform hypnosis to backfill spells performed by a coven of witches that take the fall when anything goes wrong. They’re also in charge of manifesting telepathic illusions meant to mimic psychotic symptoms, as sanctioned by the government. They feed her the information she needs, when she needs it, and otherwise opperate freely on her compound estate.”
______
Misery
“You never gave me a name.”
Codename
“Call me codename for the purposes of this exchange. Surprised you met with me yourself. Your reputation precedes you. Figured you’d send someone.”
Misery
“I need you to know you can trust me, and that what I offer is legitimate. You don't really get that from meeting someone else.”
Codename
“If this is a ruse, I’ll quickly learn that it is after you tell me what you are here to tell me.”
Misery
“You lead a group of theives, yes?”
Codename
“Go on.”
Misery
“Your reputation precedes you in the right circles, and I’ve been told there’s no one better.”
Codename
“You want something stolen?”
Misery
“I’m offering legitimate, over-the-table work for you and your thieves, not to be paid on commission but instead be put on retainer, indefinitely, as you are free to work as you see fit when you are not working for me. In exchange, I can keep you and your people hidden, get them out of trouble, and offer information when you need it. You’ll find no one better at that.”
Codename
“If this is over-the-table, that means you are involved with law enforcement. I can’t take it on faith that you could keep my people hidden, were I a theif with a band of theives like you claim.”
Misery
“Trust that they need people like you, and when it comes to these jobs, they only expect professionals that get the job done. Everything you do would be under my jurisdiction, and with only me and my people being aware of you. They come to me, they trust my judgment, and the wealth you will be paid with is my own personal wealth. No paper trail, no dossier, and only me and my team’s knowledge of you existence, which we already know about.”
Codename
“You’re trying to hire theives and then hint at having personal wealth. Your not concerned.”
Misery
“Even now you are surrounded by invisible soldiers that swore loyalty to me and defend what is mine. Feel the knife on your neck?”
Codename
“What happens if these thieves don’t want to take a job your offering?”
Misery
“Then you refuse the job and I handle it a different way. Refuse too many, goodbye retainer, and then I find someone more skilled and more interested. More invested.”
Codename
“I think we can do business.”
Misery
“Good. You’ll receive instructions from a voice you hear inside your head. I’ve just paid you and your men for the month, individually, and I have a job lined up for you.”
Codename
“The reason for this endeavor?”
Misery
“A test. You’re going to steal the Declaration of Independence. They will see you out.”
Codename
“You don't care about strategy? I was thinking we should wear facial prosthetics to look like a rival gang, under baraclava masks, and we’re going to need a laser drill to....”
Misery
“We can provide you with the facial prosthetics that won’t trip the thermal cameras, and a compact laser drill to, presumably, cut the entire case out from the wall. You will also be provided with a portable humidifier compatible with the case to be attached immediately. How you do this without any casualties, how you escape, all will have to be self-funded with the alloted money provided to you. You will be reimbursed and paid upon completion. They will see you out.”
Codename
“I’ll need satellite access to throw them off, and have to setup a very large emp blast to cut their comms.”
Misery
“Our business has concluded. It’s time for you to leave. Someone will be in touch to finalize your plans and assist with the technological side of things. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
______
Maps (recording to herself):
“Ending the Aryan Brotherhood was quite simple. It began with turning their church mice into her pet rats, with a church mouse being a term for someone who stays tight-lipped about criminal activity and attends church and a rat being someone who exposes criminal activity. A simple change using her hypnotic powers and knowledge, and with all that information about the Brotherhood, she had her map and a blueprint from that. Then, not conquest, but a vacuum. No arrests, but blood. She slaughtered and massacred all of them, and when they would ask what she wanted, begging for their lives and offering any number of things, she said, “I want blood.” She sent her surviving pet rats to prison. She used her power to get prisoners the right to technology and smartphones with limited capabilities but internet access, and with that, more pet rats, more erectile dysfunction, and more information. And with all that, favor from other criminal enterprises and gangs that could move in and take new territory, as her power swelled and her thirst for blood was sated for the time being.”
_____
Max (pacing, to himself):
“Play the game of being the best version of yourself. You are better than no one, and no one is better than you.
When you mess up, rectify. Apologize when you've done nothing wrong, if it puts an issue behind you. Lie if it comforts or protects them, but try to steer the conversation in a direction where you don't have to lie. Lay down, and find yourself at your most humble and resilient, prepared to handle someone at their worst. Put on hold your desire to put the distance between those that would keep you from your dreams, your sanity, and your peace of mind. You are not there for yourself, you are there to serve another. It is a selfless and honorable act of service meant to help someone else in need.
When you run out of things to say, and reach a lull, ask something. When things become tense, and you can't give them what they want, be honest, and offer something else in the way of an alternative, even if that's just conversation. Set limits, and let them understand that you are a person and a human being. You reserve the right to leave. Offer resources, and be a wealth of knowledge on top of being a top tier conversationist. Have fun with it. If you're having fun, they will too.”
______
Maps (recording herself alone):
“The world ignored them. The world hated them. The world treated them subhuman. They were a caste to which there was no lower in their country. They lived in the streets off of close to nothing, living off of daydreams, drugs, good times, socializing with like-minded individuals that thought like individuals, and fought away the negativity that surrounded them, both externally and internally; but most externally. The world wanted them to go away. To be different from what they were. To fit into a box they didn't fit into. To work a job they weren't equipped to work, one that wouldn't hire them, or both. To drive a long commute, in a car they couldn't afford, didn't want to drive day in and day out, from a house they couldn't afford, in a place that wouldn't accept them anymore than where they were now. They wanted to be invisible, so that's exactly what they set out to do, and accomplished. People didn't want to see them anyway, and they didn't notice them when they started going missing for periods of time. They started taking small things that people wouldn't notice go missing, moving things around ever so slightly, and making slight noises just to fuck with people, all after a fresh shower without any shampoo or body wash, just to make sure they wouldn't leave a scent. Mostly, though, they just use their invisibility to sleep in vacant houses so that they can continue dreaming without expending the energy and stress required for someone to make enough buy a house to live in. They believe it is an inalienable human right.
In exchange for the right to be invisible, they provided their vampire mistress with a network unlike any other. Feeding her with information and making her more powerful than anyone could have possibly imagined.”
_____
Misery
“It's good to see you.”
Witch Coven Leader
“You as well, mistress. If I may?”
Misery
“Speak freely, and consider it an ongoing endorsement of your counsel.”
Witch Coven Leader
“You’ve brought on the boy to serve you, and I believe he will serve your best interests no matter what fate befalls you in the coming days, as you have made him loyal, but you lack a small counsel, to be used at your discretion, and I would suggest our sisterhood for such an opportunity.”
Misery
“I was thinking something similar.”
Witch Coven Leader
“We work with unseen forces and an unpredictable nature. I don’t think you would have brought us on if you didn’t see value in it, but what we offer you is an undying bond that cannot be shaken by circumstance. A bond that wasn’t obtained by you, but brought about by the course of fate. A bond that didn’t require manipulation, and because you are a woman that doesn't hold herself over her people, you are someone that can maintain everything you have obtained and even grow. We offer the gift of objective perspective, on you and your empire, as you balance information given to you by the people working under you, as people with no desire for power beyond what you have already offered us. And if there ever comes a time when you are hated by the world and you have nothing, you will have sisters to help you navigate the worst-case scenario.”
Misery
“I accept. We will meet at my leisure at your grounds, and I will share everything with you. In return you will hold nothing back. I’m not to be coddled or protected. When we meet, we are equals, and you will keep the information I give you privileged and confidential, as I do the same in return.”
Witch Coven Leader
“And the boy?”
Misery
“He is a tool and a pet, and grateful to be on the receiving end of my whip. He is aware enough of strategy to be useful, he is aware enough of my true goals for me to ensure his loyalty, and anything else he knows stems from natural ability.”
Witch Coven Leader
“He has served you well.”
Misery
“I expected you to say that he’s an unpredictable element and that I should be weary.”
Witch Coven Leader
“He’s happy and he’s in love. He couldn't be more predictable.”
Misery
“I expect he’ll grow tired of it at some point.”
Witch Coven Leader
“You haven’t been on the receiving end of your whip, so I wouldn’t expect you to know what that does for someone. It cleanses the mind, quiets it, focuses it, and ultimately brings peace and clarity. It’s making him stronger, mentally, and he won’t give that up. Having that done to you by someone you love, knowing it pleases them, while growing from it, is better than sex to him because of what he’s gone through. Your pet is here to stay and serve you, and should you make the decision to release him, he would probably ask you to kill him.”
Misery
“He’s too useful.”
Witch Coven Leader
“For a great many things.”
______
Max (imagining):
When slaves from stolen from Africa were whipped, they were not disinfected. Their wounds were not treated at all, and the wound created from being whipped would essentially split someone’s back open, leaving a perfect home for flies, parasites, and maggots to fester. They were still expected to work, still expected to exhibit proper decorum, still expected to take it upon themselves to take care of themselves in what little time they were given.
This wasn't the treatment I could expect being whipped. I was being whipped willingly, and with love. I would be whipped until I either couldn't get up or passed out, then my wounds would be treated by professionals and I would rest for a prolonged period of time, eating foods and taking medication that would assist in my recovery. And all the while, I would think of them, and the people who so cruelly treated them less than human, as though it was so easy. Then, the strength to be gained through persevering through pain, and the beauty in gifting someone a forbidden experience of love that defies and disobeys conventions, that since both of us find traditional lifestyles and relationships mundane, wouldn't have made either of us happy.
Maps (recording herself alone):
She told me she lost interest in love after discovering how easy it was to manipulate someone’s mind using hypnosis to make them fall in love with you. Apparently, the effects can’t last very long once you’ve met in person, as love has within it has a fleeting nature. She referred to, of course, a high level of infatuation that occurs when people first fall in love, which to her, was true love. The work people do to stay and take care of someone didn't look like love to her, because she fundamentally believed that love had to be effortless and enjoyable. She considered anything less to be pretend play, at what love really was. So she turned her back on dreams of falling in love, or manipulating someone to fall in love with her, and opted instead for the thrill of torturing others, which in her mind, showed undying loyalty that exceeded a healthy relationship.
_____
Cop #2
“You still sure this is a military hit?”
Cop #1
“Soldier’s records came up spotless. Everyone in his unit spoke highly of him, and I believed them. Guys a war hero and leadership said he never made any enemies. Wouldn't let me cross-reference operations with other military members, because, classified.”
Cop #2
“This reeks of criminal element. Man killed in a bar, sitting down, knife into the back of his neck.”
Cop #1
“That's how they train them.”
Cop #2
“No one saw anything. He was surrounded by people.”
Cop #1
“So you think no one is talking?”
Cop #2
“What else could we be talking about, a ghost?”
Cop #1
“The bar seemed beneath him, based on his record and everything I turned up, but I couldn't find anyone that could account for his whereabouts leading up to the incident.”
Cop #2
“Points to criminal, not military. Military deaths are usually guns, and if they did use a knife, why in front of everyone if not to make a point.”
Cop #1
“Makes sense, just hate to condemn a war hero without evidence, and I can't shake the feeling that he saw this coming and just, accepted it. But I guess if he got in over his head he might.”
_____
Codename
“Are you there?”
Female Voice
“I’m always here, and you don’t need to speak out load for me to hear you.”
Codename
“We did it, but we lost someone. No casualties on the other side.”
Female Voice
“It was inevitable for this heist, but you created a distraction and pulled the body out with you. You passed the test.”
Codename
“His funds are gone.”
Female Voice
“We extracted only what we paid him. Anyone of your people ends up dead, that’s what will happen. Are our terms still agreeable?”
Codename
“Yes.”
Female Voice
“And naturally, you will be reimbursed with any funds that were required for the heist, upon successful completion, since we are expecting you to use your own funds to fund each operation.”
Codename
“What will you do with it? This is the hottest item in the world right now?”
Female Voice
“We are going to return it.”
Codename
“You’re joking.”
Female Voice
“You won’t hear me jest to you this way. The heist was just a test.”
Codename
“And if I kept it?”
Female Voice
“You would fail the test and lose your retainer.”
Codename
“Understood.”
Female Voice
“Congratulations, and morn however you see fit to do so. You’ve just received an additional bonus for completion, as you will with each subsequent completion of jobs asked of you. When we need you, we’ll be in touch.”
_____
Misery
“I have something that belongs to you that I’d like to see returned to its rightful owners.”
Government Agent
“You stole the Declaration of Independence?”
Misery
“I bid for it at a black market auction, outbidding others that may have not wanted it returned. Can never be too careful.”
Government Agent
“Is it damaged in any way?”
Misery
“It appears to still be perfectly intact, and incased in the same protective display that must have been pulled from the wall in which it was residing.”
Government Agent
“How much did you pay for it, assuming I believe your story?”
Misery
“A touch over four billion US dollars.”
Government Agent
“Do you have a reciept?”
Misery
“You clearly don’t know how black markets function when dealing with something so hot.”
Government Agent
“I’m going to need you to give me information about this black market auction?”
Misery
“I can give you the location of where the auction once was, but is no longer, and I’m afraid I was blacklisted upon purchasing something so hot, as much as I’d love to help. I’ll send you more details of the incident in a correspondence. I have private security guarding the item and they will expect identification beyond reproach before they pass it on.”
Government Agent
“Even if everything you told me was a lie, you are returning an important piece of our Republic, and since I can’t imagine why someone would steal something so valuable just to return it undamaged, you have my gratitude and the gratitude of the United States of America.”
Misery
“I do love my country, so that means the world to me. Happy to help.”
_____
Maps (recording herself alone):
“He was autistic, but outwardly, you wouldn't know. He also happened to be a savant, but you wouldn't know that about him either. His gift was also the burden of thinking conversations were terribly predictable. He spent all his social time filling in what others would end up saying, from a very young age, until he would happen upon details he couldn't possibly know without hearing them first. He communicated in a concise manner, with eloquence when appropriate, but always took a backseat in conversations and preferred to expend as little energy as possible. It was for this reason that law enforcement wanting to use him under a hypnotic state surprised him, but he successfully provided a detail that helped locate hidden, trapped hostages that were able to be freed, thanks to what law enforcement called a miracle. Now he allows them to put him under whenever they need him.
When he became aware of my existence, he asked me how I occupy my time. I told him that I record tapes for myself and for the government about what is currently going on in the world. Things you wouldn’t hear about on the news. He asked if it was always the truth, and I told him it was. He told me that there should exist an organization of hidden individuals, recording and archiving the truth and history of our species, before finding a way to preserve the knowledge on our planet long after we’re gone. I think this was his way of telling me that he knew my true purpose in making the tapes, and that he approved.”
_____
Maps (recording herself alone):
Following Me and Misery becoming official government operatives, Mosquito’s reputation was in ruin. Any background check exposed what she tried to hide, that she was a functioning member of the Gulf Cartel, who likely abused her into compliance after she fled the United States.
Misery showed up alone to find out what had happened with Mosquito and collect more intelligence on who she was. The Gulf Cartel was happy to greet and invite a lone woman to one of their bases, where Shadow Templars were quick to infiltrate and take position inside. The moment one of them tried to grab Misery, his throat was slit open, covering Misery in blood. They started swearing in Spanish and calling her a whore before every single person in the base was killed in a similar fashion, save for one person who had the tendons behind his knee cut out and both arms broken by the shoulders. He screamed at her, calling her the devil.
Misery:
“Tell me everything you know about Mosquito.”
_____
Misery:
“Well you look to be in sorry shape.”
Mosquito:
“Misery, as I live and breathe.”
Misery:
“You never did use my real name.”
Mosquito:
“Our given names rarely tell us anything about who someone is. You are Misery.”
Misery:
“So word has traveled to you about my latest endeavor to find you?”
Mosquito:
“‘Mosquito, there's a woman with superpowers looking for you’ sure gets around. Knew it was you, knew you’d find me.”
Misery:
“Ready to go?”
Mosquito:
“Dare I ask where I'm headed?”
Misery:
“Home. I’ve got a project lined up for you, a marketplace. I call it The Road to El Dorado.”
_____