Firewall

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The whole room was quiet, the wind oddly still as night crept over the city. Mark noticed that Jack had a pretty good view of the sunset from his chamber window, and decided to focus on that rather than his sleeping friend, whose breathing was the only indication that he was even alive. Mark had replaced Ken's position of a guard immediately after Felix had released him from the little meeting they had. Jack slept soundly, unmoving and quite peaceful looking, which was rather odd regarding what had just happened to him.

Mark stared at the sinking ball of plasma from the chair he sat in, frowning as he contemplated what Felix had told him earlier, his words still echoing clear in his mind.

"Until we know more, we need to treat this not as a transformation, but a problem regarding Jack's health. His movements should be limited, and we should proceed with the necessary tests for MatPat's research. Unless it's proven otherwise, we can assume that summoning a Character doesn't affect Jack negatively since he summoned Sam without any strain. Sky and I will continue training him on how to use his Characters while he's stuck in bed. There's no reason to let the time go to waste. Someone should be watching over him at all times, it doesn't matter if it's an Expert or not, I don't want him to be left alone."

Mark sighed and looked down at his hands. He arched his fingers, allowing a few red pixels to spark up and glow. He turned away from Jack so the following flash of red light wouldn't disturb his sleep. Mark glanced back at the younger AI before looking down at the tiny box he had summoned.

"Jesus Christ... Tim, what am I going to do?" Mark whispered aloud to the box, looking into the blue eyes that adorned its wooden surface "I'm trying as hard as I can to make it easier for him but..." he stopped and closed his eyes, bringing the box closer so it lightly brushed up against his forehead "god, I wish I could ask for your advice..." his voice was barely audible, his brown eyes flickering open to see that the sentient box looked equally depressed.

Mark cradled the box in the palm of his left hand so he could summon someone else with his right. Chica sprang forth from the red pixels, her nose going to brush up against Mark's free hand. He stared down at them both, a lump forming in his throat as he looked back and forth between the two.

It felt like insidious claws were dragging his hope down by its metaphorical foot, taking away every bit of optimism Mark had left. He silently tucked the box into the crook of his arm and took hold of Chica's head with both hands, his thumbs gently caressing her furry cheeks as she flicked her tongue out in order to lick his wrists. The tiny box Mark now had tucked against his body was shifting around, small noodle like arms coming out from two of its six sides so it could grab onto Mark and pull itself closer to him.

Mark felt like crying, his breath gradually becoming shaky as time passed "oh god... I wish I could talk to you..." he shuddered, letting Chica lick away the tears that followed shortly after he said that "just to hear your voice, if only once..."

"M-Mark?"

Mark snapped into focus, whirling around to see a rather sleepy and absentminded Jack sitting up in his bed, Sam the eye resting in his arms "that you?" he mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Taking Jack's inability to notice his previous crying as a blessing, Mark immediately wiped the tears out of his eyes and stood up "yeah, it's me" he forced his voice to be steady as he walked over to stand beside him, keeping the box in one hand as Chica went to put her large paws up onto the bed, thrusting her snout up to a tired Jack.

There was a delayed chuckle from Jack as he reached forward to pet Chica's head, keeping Sam away from her huge paws so he wouldn't get squished "good morning Chica" he slurred, obviously out of it as he looked out at the sunset, thinking it was the opposite.

"You're looking west, Jack" Mark stifled a laugh as the sleepy Irishman struggled to comprehend what he was seeing "you've been asleep for more than a full day."

"Yer pulling my leg!" Jack loudly yawned and rubbed his eyes once more "if that's the case, why am I still tired!?"

"I don't know" it was then that Mark realized that Jack's right eye was no longer septic. He leaned in over an affection-hungry Chica so he could get a better look. The green veins around his eye had faded from view, and his eye was a pearly white just like the left one. He looked perfectly healthy, but paranoia still clung to his mind.

"Felix put you on bed rest" Mark quickly said as Jack went to get up "there won't be any moving from you for a while."

"Whhhaaaaat!?" Mark stifled a laugh as Jack's reaction was incredibly predictable "oh come on! I'll get all weak!" he held his arms out for dramatic effect "my stamina will plummet!"

"Felix's orders... Besides, he's gonna be giving you summoning practices along with Sky, so you won't die of boredom!"

"Ugh, but still!" Jack flopped back down onto the bed, Sam falling to rest on his chest "I feel fine!"

"Yeah, well we're not taking any chances!" Mark found himself smiling as he realized just how casually they were talking to one another, just like they had before the syncing had ever taken place. Mark suddenly yearned for those days, back when Jack was a mere fighter who attacked using only his speed and some basic combat skills. Back when the thought of Characters was nothing but just that: a thought.

Jack was only going to continue growing from here on, that was obvious. He had gotten so many Characters in just one day, and he still had yet to figure out what weapons he could now summon.

Mark looked down at his feet, a morbid thought creeping up his spine as Jack began to play with Chica and Sam, beginning to ignore him, to his relief.

He looked down at the small box in his hand, which looked back up at him almost knowingly, even if they couldn't share any words. Mark pursed his lips together, flinching as it dawned on him that his hands had begun to shake.

"Mark?"

The red haired Korean man looked up, thinking it was Jack that had spoken, but soon spun around on his heels as he realized that the voice had come from the door. Vanoss's face poked in from the hallway "Felix wants me to take your place" he slid fully into view "he claims you've been here all day."

"I can handle it" Mark responded confidently, smiling in means of covering up his dark thoughts.

"Yeah, but you're needed for other things... Like setting patrol paths and going out there yourself" Vanoss said simply, his arms crossing as he leaned against the doorframe "I'm sorry Mark, but you can't just neglect your other duties."

Mark bit back a protest as he quickly realized that his avian themed friend was correct in that notion. He glanced back at Jack before nodding almost to himself "Chica, here girl" he said, waving goodbye to Jack as Chica leapt off the bed and trotted after him "see you later, Jack-a-boy!" he let Vanoss walk into the room before slipping out into the hallway. He stayed by the doorframe, out of sight as he listened to Jack and Vanoss greet one another.

The sudden weight of exhaustion suddenly dawned on him, making him lean against the wall for support. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it as he walked down the hall. Chica let out an audible whine and brushed up against his leg as they made their way back to Mark's own chambers.

Mark looked down at the golden retriever, and then at the box in his hands "I'm fine..." he murmured, almost to himself as he let them go back to his Antechamber. They absorbed back into his body in the form of red pixels, leaving him to walk alone. That morbid thought of his crept back into his mind, turning his blood cold and making him clench his hands into fists.

"No." He thought determinedly "I absolutely refuse to get jealous!"