Valentino sighed as the phone went to voicemail. After the second time, he sighed agitatedly before putting his phone in his pocket. He then looked over his shoulder at Stephanie. “I’m going out to seek Mayhem; I won't be too long. Please don’t hold the party up,” Valentino turned away to walk down the empty hall, his boots clicking against the reflective tiles, echoing throughout the hall. As he walked, he looked around at the several photos on the wall, and his eyes lingered on the picture of Mayhem’s first day. He softly sighed and shook his head as he walked, eventually reaching the elevator down the hall.

“Just wait…” Redknees repeated to himself as he walked next to Masider, who was more focused on figuring out where to go after Ilithiyah released them. 

“Do you seriously believe that?” Masider said as he kept walking, looking back at Redknees, who wasn’t following too far behind. “I knew you were gullible but not that gullible; come on, you’re acting like you got forced into this. You took this up when Raines paid your debt off; if it weren’t for him, your head would’ve been some mafia’s trophy.” 

Redknees paused in his steps, twiddling with his fingers as he looked at his feet. “I never wanted to be evil, Ezra… and you know that,” he admitted, keeping his head low. “I just wanna breathe; this feels like holding your breath until you pass out.”

Masider stopped in his tracks and turned around in shock, but then his brows furrowed, balling his fists as he retorted, “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU’RE SAYING,” he screamed, his throat straining. “STOP HOLDING ON TO YOUR STUPID DREAMS OF WISHING IT WAS DIFFERENT. END OF DISCUSSION.” Masider said as he whipped back around, angrily taking a step forward. He took a resounding breath as he composed himself. “It’s either them or us, Akai,” he bluntly stated as he continued his path, his steps riddled with anger.

Redknees looked back for a moment, contemplating if he wanted to run back to headquarters, but he didn’t want to be alone. All he yearned for was some sort of normalcy in his life rather than a life in the shadows. He realized he got too lost in his thoughts and quickly caught up with Masider. “WAIITTT!!” he wailed out before reaching Masider’s side. “Do you know the way back from here??” Redknees asked as they walked off.

After an hour, they eventually reached an office building; although it looked typical, it was far from it. Masider walked up to the intercom and spoke in his usual monotone voice, “Not quite my tempo,” he said as he looked over at Redknees, gesturing for him to tell his part of the password. 

Redknees’s eyebrows perked up as he walked over, and he looked back at Masider as he said his part. “For the record, Ezra wasn’t out of tune.” 

The two stepped back as they watched a small crawlspace shakily open above the glass doors. Masider hurriedly crawled up to it, and Redknees followed behind. As they crawled through the tight space, Masider whispered. 

 “Don’t bring it up if he doesn’t ask,” he said as he reached the elevator, pulling Redknees in after him. He stood up and brushed off his uniform, his gaze returning to where the tracker was sliced out. “Damnit, if he notices, I’m dead.” he thought as he brushed his thumb over where the tracker once was. He looked back at Redknees, who was busy gazing up at the camera, then back to the outside world's view. “Stop dwelling on it, Akai,” he stated, his gaze fixed on Redknee’s expression.

“Have you ever thought about what it’d be like to have genuine friends or go to that thing called ‘college’? Or even a girl-” Redknees paused as he glanced back over at Masider, noting his look of disapproval; Redknees shied his face away, glancing down at his boots, “Sorry.”

The rest of the elevator ride was silent, with only the sound of Redknees drumming his fingers on the metal railing. As the elevator dinged, the doors opened, revealing an extremely tall, pasty, red-haired man with long, pointed ears. Upon seeing the two, the man stood up and paced casually towards them as they stepped out. His long hair cast a subtle glow as it glistened behind him. He leaned slightly down, his eyes roaming over the two, almost threatening. 

“You two were gone for so long I thought something must have happened!” he chuckled, easing the tension slightly before he popped a squat, his hair nearly grazing the ground as he looked up at the two. He took in the two’s annoyed expressions and smirked before speaking.

“Did you see him? Valentino?”

MAYHEM’S HUSH BUSH

Stephanie started recording, she flipped the camera towards herself “I think I just heard Mayhem and Diego talking to each other just now.. I’m shocked because I have never heard Diego’s voice before.”

 Stephanie carefully sneaked around the corner, peering in on Mayhem and Diego’s conversation. They were minding their business on the couch as they went through old photos together. She zoomed in as she watched the two talk, trying to catch Diego talking.

“WHAT.. YOU WANTED TO BE A COWBOY GROWING UP?!” Mayhem shouted as he held up the photos from when he was 18 at the rodeo. “I GOTTA SAY.. YOU LOOK PRETTY HOT IN A COWBOY HAT.” He then tried to lick the photo, but Diego snatched it from his grasp before he got the chance; his face heating up from Mayhem’s words and actions.

Right as he was about to speak, Mayhem turned around and noticed Stephanie, causing Diego to also look.

“YOU KNOW HE HATES TALKING ON CAMERA TOO, RIGHT?” Mayhem said as he leaned back, resting his shoulders on the armrest. “IS IT HUSH-BUSH TIME??”

“DAMNIT MAYHEM HE WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING,” Stephanie groaned loudly in annoyance, “but yes.. it’s hush-bush time..”

Mayhem smiled and leaned his head back as he spoke “TODAY’S HUSH BUSH, DIEGO WANTED TO BE A COWBOY WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER,” He said as he held the photo up towards the camera; Stephanie quickly zooming in on it.

Confusion quickly set in on Stephanie’s face; as the photo was a girl with long black hair, green eyes, in a black band tee, and jeans. She was hugging the arm of a taller blonde man who was in a similar outfit to her. The girl’s eyes were bright enough to shoot an uncomfortable glare to anyone who looked into her eyes.

“Mayhem… Who’s that?” Stephanie asked, extremely confused. Mayhem’s eyebrow shot up as he quickly turned the photo back to him, and when he realized what it was, his heart sank. 

“I forgot about this,” he said as he flipped the picture over on the end table, his mood shifting drastically. The reply sat between the three of them; silence filling the room, yet so many questions all at once.