-dead and gone-

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It had been a few days since their last walk. Mephone had found out during this time that most of the hotel residents would mind their own business which had been a huge relief. They would greet him and go along with their days. He'd also noticed the way his younger brother followed him around the hotel not allowing him to leave his sight, he knew 4S didn't trust him and he had every right to. Especially after what he had done. He lent against a wall in testubes lab, talking to her and fan about their theories on the whole situation. He knew how badly they wanted to solve it, to know what was going on. They just couldn't pinpoint a solution. But he knew, he knew why all these strange occurrences had been happening and he knew who caused it. The man who he and his siblings had ran from time and time again. He tried not to think about it by zoning out.

Suddenly he felt two cold, mechanical arms wrap around him tightly. He jumped. Before returning his younger brother's affection. They stood like that for awhile, wrapped in each other's embrace. Until fan noticed, he felt 4S pull away, slightly embarrassed before he lent beside him against the same wall, eager to join the conversation. They shared their thoughts on the whole ordeal back and forth, attempting to peace the puzzle together. He felt 4s grab his hand tightly almost as a way to reign him in and stop him leaving, which he had no intention to do. Testube paused from moving her sticky notes around aimlessly.

"You know, maybe that woman had something to do with it?" Fan looked at her blissfully unaware of half the information they'd gathered over the past month, this was unlike him but in his eyes everyone was acting differently. Maybe they knew what he'd done? No, they couldn't. No one knew, not even his own brother who stood beside him. "Aren't you going for a walk today?" She questioned him without lifting her head from the paper's scattered across the desk in-front of them. He couldn't tell her. Everyone would hate them, everyone would hate him. He shuddered slightly. He made up an excuse quickly, 3gs was busy today and he didn't like going on his own. This wasn't completely a lie as he knew 3GS and 3G were doing something that day. 4s jumped at the opportunity, questioning him almost instantly if he would like to walk with him. He couldn't decline, he'd just have to take a separate route.

It was quite late in the afternoon. Mephone had to admit he was an exhausted, testube and fan had left the lab to go and get lunch together, leaving the pair of siblings alone. He could tell his younger brother was ecstatic about this walk yet all he felt was regret and remorse stirring together to make him feel violently ill. He was handed his coat swiftly as he and his brother stepped out into the light. It was freezing cold, the grass was dusted lightly with frost. The grass crunched under their feet. It was a funny sound that neither had really heard often as their father had forbid them from going outside in bad weather. He felt a sharp pain stab him in the back, he kept himself together as he still owed his brother. After all he owed him everything, the show,his contestants and his life. He had to admit however that he was desperate to find out if their stupid plan had worked. He felt 4s Take his hand and drag him towards the woods. His heart sank as his younger brother led him down the same path he and 3GS had wondered down the day before.

It didn't take long for 4s to become lost and confused. Mephone took the chance as it was handed to him, they turned away from the general direction of the storage facility, he was terrified of the younger of the pair finding out what he'd done. They waled past a small fence, barbed wire lining it messily. It looked like it had been there a while along with the lush green field it contained. Many cows grazed the field with their young, they stopped to watch them for a while. He watched his brothers expression change as he watched the calf's play together. He didn't say much, just watched them closely. One particular calf stood out to them it stood alone, younger than the rest. It watched the other cows frolicking around together. The calf was alone. He hugged his brother closely trying to comfort him from whatever he was feeling. 4s sniffled, maybe he was ready to go home. They began to walk back back slowly listening to the sounds around themselves. It was interesting to see how the birds flew, foxes flee and badgers bait. It didn't take long for them to arrive back on the stone path that led back to the hotel. 4s began to talk about the animals he'd seen. He must have enjoyed seeing the cows as he made it fairly obvious that they were his favourite of all. It was nice to hear him talk about something he enjoyed. He preferred the pair of red foxes that he'd seen leaping and lunging through the bushes hunting rabbits and other small critters.

The hotel was just in view now, the large orange building towered above them. He wondered the hight of it compared to meeple. No one actually knew the actual height of the facility in the sky because of the three levels of buildings below the ground floor, hidden by clouds. They weren't allowed in any of the basement levels unless they were to get in trouble. He remembered the time cobs threw 3G down the flight of stairs leading down to the basement's first floor, he remembered being in there for skipping out on a few tasks however the sound of shattering glass striking him as her face cracked and arm snapped made him never want to skip anything again.

"Are you just going to stand there?" The words finally hit him as he realised his brother the door open for him. He stepped inside quietly  apologising. 4s just shot him a concerned look before taking his hand and leading them towards testubes lab. They had to go through the hotel's living room to get there. The hard wood floors clicked and clacked as they walked across it, OJ had taken a break from his duties as a housekeeper for his hotel along with paper who was now permanently managing the complaints desk. OJ lent on the back of the sofa from behind where as paper sat cross-legged, comfortably on the chair. They usually watched the news together, it was good to keep up with what was going on the world he supposed. OJ waved them greeting them kindly. Just before he could return the gesture he overheard the current news.

"Steve cobs found dead at gruesome crime scene, aged 47. Police are investigating..." the news reporters voice trailed off as his mind went blank. He was dead. He wanted to cry, the guilt hitting him like a truck. He covered his mouth in shock, shaking as he realised what he and his older brother had done. They had killed him.

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