The F.O.S

Chapter Four: By Jove, I've Been Shot!

So I stormed out of the room, ready to do whatever it'd take to get myself out of that awful, wretched place.

I still had that block of metal in my hand, just in case anybody tried to stop me.

Surprisingly, no one did.

Whenever someone saw me, they'd roll their eyes, and mutter to themselves "Good luck." in a sarcastic way.

I didn't care though, because I was on my way out.

I wandered around for a long time, looking for an exit, thinking that if these people noticed my look, that they'd just show me the way out.

I started to notice that the buildings were looking very familiar, almost as if I was walking in complete circles. I didn't think much of it at first, until around the third hour.

I started running, no matter what direction I went, no matter how fast, or slow I took it, I would always end up outside the cafeteria. I started to panic.

It's not as if I even had much of a life before, but I didn't want to live the rest of my life in that purgatory, I mean, I had friends, right?

"Of course you do, think of all the other surgeons in the hospital." I thought to myself.

"But are they really?" Another part of me asked myself.

"Of course they are." I thought back to myself, trying to not think about it too much.

"Think about it, do they ever even talk to you, at least, outside of the work environment?" The other part of me thought.

I stopped running, and thought about it further.

I realized that those people weren't my friends, why, they were hardly even colleagues, nowhere close to being friends.

And for the first time in my life, I realized that I was alone. I lived alone, I did everything alone. I couldn't even have a pet, because I was always too busy in the hospital. I sat down, on the ground.

It was night time. The screens were displaying a nighttime scene. I heard footsteps coming from behind me. I turned around, and wasn't too surprised to see Peter walking towards me.

"Any luck?" He asked.

I huffed. "I think you already know the answer."

He looked at me, and then started to do something I highly unexpected him to do: He laughed.

"What? Was it something that I said?" I asked, not having a clue on why he was laughing.

He stopped laughing. "Oh, sorry, it's just, every single person here has thought that he, or she, or whatever, would be the one to escape, to leave this place for good. No one has."

"And why does that amuse you?"

"Because everybody's so confident about it, they act like they're the chosen one, or something." He let out one last laugh. "It just humors me, almost like watching karens getting told off by a manager, or something of that sort."

"Uh-huh."

"But this place, it's not so bad, once you really get into it. Sure, it's a little restricting, but everyone quickly gets over that. Besides, once you get your mask, it gets a whole lot easier, trust me, a whole lot easier."

"What if I don't want to be involved in any of it?"

"Well, you could lock yourself in your room, but don't man, this place can really get to your head. It's best to just attend the classes, attend events, and participate, and forget about your old life. Unless you don't want to forget, and if you really want to, we can actually abdu-I mean-kidna-I mean bring your family here. Unless, of course, you have any kids... we don't do that."

"Eh. I have no family."

"Noted." He meant that literally, he got out a notepad, and wrote something down on it.

"Okay, fine, I guess that I can stay... for now... but one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Is there really no one that's been able to make it out?"

"Ye-no, there's been one person to make it out-at least, without being called on a mission."

"Who?"

"Tommy, he made it out once, and almost no one noticed, he's really good with sneaking around"

"Why thank you, Peter, that's kind of you to say." Said a voice.

"What? Who was that?" I asked.

"Seriously? Well at least, I thought that I was being obvious, was I too inconspicuous?" Said Tommy.

"Just a little bit, Tommy, next time, wear your whoopie-cushioned shoes." Said Peter.

"Will do." Said Tommy.

"Somebody please break the ice. What's going on?" I asked.

"Well, Rowan, since we already know your type... That still sounds really weird... There's no point in making you wait for initiation for any longer. So, we are starting right... Now." Said Tommy.

He held up a tranquilizer, and proceeded to shoot me with it.

"By Jove! I've been shot!" I said. And everything faded to black.

Now, the only reason why I know about this conversation is through viewing some camera footage. Just thought I'd clarify.

The two looked over my unconscious body.

"Where's Elliot and Frank?" Asked Peter.

"Frank is doing his thing, and Elliot may-or-may-not be duct-taped to the wall, and I may-or-may-not have eaten that cake she was saving in the mini-fridge for two and a half months, right in front of her, and I may-or-may-not have-" Started Tommy.

"Stop. I don't want to hear about it. It's protocol, man, we have to have all four of us present when doing initiation, not just two people." Interrupted Peter.

"Eh, we can get them in a second. I just wanted to see how little two-face here was doing, and you know how loud Frank and Elliot can be while trying to be stealthy."

"Eh. That's true."

"Why didn't you mention Benedict?"

"I didn't want to scare him even further... at least, not before what's about to happen to him." He started to laugh.

"What?"
"Just remembering the last time we initiated an accidental that was this angry."

"Oof, man I've never seen so many random bits of spinach in my life."

"Gotta agree, though, that was one intense mosh pit."

"It was nice."

"Yeah."

"I've finally figured it out, Peter."

"What?"

"My problem is that I don't care about other people at all. Your problem, is that you care way too much about other people"

"It's true. Alright, Fran-he's not here, right."

"Why, what do you want Frank fo-oh, right, we have to carry him to the-right."

"Alright, buddy 'ol pal, I've got the front if you've got the legs."

"Will do."

"Thank you."

"Indubitably"

And so the two picked me up, and proceeded to carry me to a thing that would absolutely change everything I've ever known, and who I was.