Subject Zero: Mirrors (Book 2)

Chapter 18: PAY ATTENTION

Wednesday, May 22, 1985
Royal Manor, Mirror World

Third Person's POV
Tui and La had returned to this dark world, since they didn't get the answers they were hoping for when they were last here. They were in the large, castle-like building again, approaching the room where they found the files about their human selfs: Akari and Tsuki.

But before they could open the door themselves, the man they worked for, Joplin, opened the door, knowing they were approaching it.

      "Ah, Tui and La, you've returned again," said Joplin. "I assume you have questions. You always do."

Tui hesitantly looked at La then back at Joplin. "Uh, yes, that's why were here, actually."

      "I see. Well, you caught me in a good mood, so ask away," he says as he walked past them.

La turns to him and asks, "Why do you have files of our human selves? How did you even find them?"

      "And why did you take away the mirror, only to easily give it back?" Tui asks.

Joplin stopped walking and turned around, menacingly looking at them. "Well, it's not good for humans to see the Jester or any part of our world. I took away... 'your' mirror, so we don't risk the Corrupted finding more humans. I gave it back to you simply because I knew you were searching for it, and it looked like you needed it."

Tui awkwardly looked at La when Joplin didn't answer the questions La had asked. She asks again, "And... the files? How did you find those? Why did you have them?"

Joplin was quiet for a moment. All he says is, "Someone I know has had eyes on the both of you for a while... so I asked The Doctor to get them. Who knows what he'd do with that information?"

La felt fed up with him. She knew he was just looking out for them, but she knew he wouldn't just give them a straight answer. Then she thought about what Tui said: Who's to say our shadows weren't being controlled by him? And then about what Joplin just said: So I asked The Doctor to get them. But then she realized what he meant; he knew about their human selves because he already knew they were going to become his pawns at some point, especially after the car accident. He knew the entire time.

La opened up her hand and created a stake made by shadows in physical form. She threw it toward Joplin, hoping to hurt him. But he raises his arm up, and it vanishes.

"La, don't do this now," he tells her. "I understand your frustration, but there's really no need to-"

She threw another at him, but faster. He couldn't make it vanish this time, there was no time, so he dodges it and generates a puddle under La, causing her to fall into it. It disappeared and reformed on the ceiling, which made her fall out of the puddle and into the floor, hurting her. He didn't want to hurt her, but he also knew she wasn't going to stop until she landed a hit on him.

Tui was very puzzled by these sudden actions, but didn't want to listen to Joplin after she saw him hurt La. She quickly knelt down and tugged on the rug he was standing on, causing him to fall. Both girls could hear a bone crack when Joplin hit the floor. But he didn't seem at all fazed.

La stood up and stood next to Tui, while Joplin also stood back up, casually rubbing his head.

      "What is making you two so aggravated? I was only trying to help. If he got ahold of those files, he would only take advantage of them and you. Is that something you want?" He paused. "Or... is something else the matter?"