I Am Learning, Ph1LzA

Happily Ever After

Techno arrived at the complex around the same time Ranboo did. They both got a very silent Billiam out of the car and into the warehouse, where he was greeted by boos and insults of all the Crows present. Ph1LzA still sat in his wheelchair, with Trixtin standing at his side, and Sam, Tommy, Quackity, Nikki, Tubbo_ and Michael just behind him. The rest of the Crows, closely watching Billiam, were behind them and still muttering even after the solemnity of the moment had quieted them from their initial outburst.

Ranboo was greeted with yells of excitement, and Tommy, Tubbo_ and Michael all broke from the crowd and tackled him to the ground. They completely ignored Billiam, who stood by watching their enthusiasm with undisguised alarm. Techno prodded the man forward until he was standing close to Ph1LzA. Then he left to go get Wilbur.

In the relative silence, Billiam looked Ph1LzA over narrowly. "I hardly know you." The words were delivered in an indifferent tone. "You look..."

"Damaged." Ph1LzA replied. "I imagine so. Before we start any small talk, however, I want to get to the point. You never answered us in the car earlier, Bill. Why did you side with the EGG?"

The proud look came back into Billiam's eyes. His mouth opened in a sneer, but before he could speak Trixtin broke in. "Think carefully about how you answer. You are among enemies, not friends, and no one is willing to take whatever scorn you have to hand out." The fire in her voice and the murmured approval behind her made Billiam pause and rethink.

Finally, controlling his instincts, he replied, "You should already know, Phillip, why I chose power over what I could have had. The EGG was not my creation, nor that of any I know, but it could deliver on its promises. I have seen it. And so why should I not take what it offered me?"

Ph1LzA knew by now any question of morals would not be able to be satisfactorily answered. "So, you used people for...what? Fuel? Storage? Random experiments?" Though behind him the Crows murmured, and Quackity growled out a curse, followed by Tommy, for the most part they waited for Billiam's answer.

Silence was his only reply, until he was urged to respond by the growing agitation of the Crows. Billiam tossed his head and looked off to the side, his golden mask effectively hiding what emotions he might be going through. "They were useful. EGG used them how it wished. None of them were of use besides that, so what should I care about them?" Before they could yell at him, Billiam continued. "It needed whatever they gave it for its plans! I was to benefit, to be on top, as I have always determined to be! Don't you know, Phillip? I was like this as a child, too."

Ph1LzA shook his head. "You weren't this, Bill. You weren't born like this."

For the first time, Billiam smiled. The gleam of his teeth, the easiness of the grin, unsettled Ph1LzA's stomach. "You're right," Billiam replied. "I had to grow beyond our childish games and competitions, but I was always who I am. Always had to be the best, always had to be the greatest. Thanks to my real father, I was able to achieve the highest dreams I ever dared to set my mind to, and then on higher. Who knows, maybe I would have been merely king of the hill had I stayed with your family." The Crows refused to hold themselves back at this speech of his and a storm of rebuke, censure and curses rained on Billiam. He took it with the same smile.

Ph1LzA stood up, very slowly. Trixtin supported him as he took one step at a time towards the brother he used to have. Billiam didn't move or react as Ph1LzA came face to face with him. "Take off the mask, Bill." Ph1LzA commanded.

Billiam shrugged. "Why should I? You'll only see the face of your pretty robot. Don't soften your heart now, Phil. Dispatch me, and be done with it, or you were never fit to fight me in the first place."

Nothing came to Ph1LzA's mind in response to that. He saw now from these words whether or not Billiam had always been this way, he was so deeply corrupted now he could never be otherwise. He never would want to be otherwise. Ph1LzA pondered what to do with him.