The Partner

Chapter 8: Mind Games

Where am I...?

What happened...?

I opened my eyes as I felt myself lean forward.

I tried to move my arms. They're shackled onto the armrests of the chair I'm sitting on.

I'm wearing another gas-mask...?

My head is pounding...

Was what I saw a nightmare...?

I looked up to see two men in black robes talking, both wearing gas-masks...

One of them is taller than the other...

"Lance... don't you think were taking this too far?"

The tall on, Lance, shook his head.

"Not far enough..."

The shorter one looked at me for a second before they looked at Lance.

"Just putting memories into people is wrong! Why did we have to-"

Lance raised his hand and hit the smaller one across their face.

"Do you think that the Valarians would simply stop?"

The shorter one looked at the Lance, their hands tightly clenched.

"Don't let this prejudice get the better of you! Your hate for these Valarians isn't going to help us-"

Lance put a hand to his face.

"You are talking just like that traitor Alexander, Lexus."

Lexus looked away.

"Why... can't you tell me what your plan is...?"

Lance stared at Lexus for a moment.

"I won't..."

Lexus put a hand onto their head.

"At first... at first I thought that all this was necessary. I thought that killing these Valarians was just-but all we've done is stoop to their level! We hijacked the local Valarian police storage facility, stole a memory reader, and started to twist it to our needs. Now all it does is put fucking images into someone's head-why!? Is there a reason for us to do that? Why can't you just explain your plan to us? Or are you afraid were going to realize that what we're doing is fucking insane and ethically wrong that well abandon you just like Alexander!"

Lance smacked Lexus across the face again, knocking them onto the floor.

"I am only fighting one extreme with another. If you can't accept that, than I have no need for you. Once my plan is set in motion, the human resistance will start and we will win. And after we do-we are going to kill every Valarian alive on this planet as punishment for their sins!"

Lexus slowly stood up from off of the floor.

"Lance... what are you letting yourself become...?"

"I've only become strong. I have the strength to do what is necessary!"

Lexus shook his head.

"What strength...? All you have is power for once in your life and it's changed you... you used to have an ideal-a belief... but now you are just a tyrant using fear as an excuse to rule and convince people that we need to be even worse than the Valarians. You don't have strength... only power... and power is always lost at some point."

Lance shook his head.

"Yet through all this you've continued to follow me...?"

Lexus stayed silent.