Never Did Like You Randolph

Rem was sitting behind the desk of what was probably in the past some low level admin. He had his pistol back, the man he killed with the chair had it tucked into the back of his pants. Rem assumed he was dead based on the force of the blow and the shot Rem put through his forehead, but he didn't normally kill people like that so he had no idea. Rem was waiting for Randolph, he needed Randolph to explain what all of this was for. He didn't think he would get that answer, but he needed to try, even though he could almost hear Trezlan telling him how stupid that idea was.

"Rem." Randolph came through his own pistol at his side.

"Don't even Randolph I have my pistol leveled at your head and its an auto so I don't even have to come close to being good at aiming." Which was why Rem chose this particular pistol, his ability to aim was suspect.

"So just kill me."

"No I need to know why, why did you do this?" Randolph went to draw down on Rem and Rem opened up, the first two shots missed, the rest of the gunfire didn't, Randolph's head was shredded by the shots. Rem heard his pistol's magazine click empty. Despite not getting why, he at least had gotten Randolph and felt this at least ended things. Though all the magic used at The Boss's headquarters bothered him, and as he stepped over Randolph's body he was thinking it probably wasn't over, even before he noticed the Eight armed men in the hallway waiting for him.

Listen To Me You're Doing This All Wrong

Rem had the chain pseudo attached to his chair waiting to strike the first person into the room. He was about to knock on the door when he heard Trezlan in his head screaming stop. He was almost tempted to ignore the voice, but if not for Trezlan he'd still be in the chair.

"What? You left me, I have a plan now."

"You have an awful plan, and I should know I'm the king of those." Rem almost laughed but it would have hurt the bruises on his chest.

"Well come up with a better one."

"I have one, you'll need to start crying for help, the building is most likely empty, but they'll freak and come in, that's when you strike."

"And this is different from my original plan how?"

"Your plan was to knock on the door, thus showing you were free of the chains thus preparing them for your ambush, calling for help supports the idea you're still locked up."

"You have been locked up a lot haven't you?"

"Literally centuries, now quickly put this plan in motion I have other things I want to do today."

"Well I'd hate to inconvenience you." Rem readied himself and then called out. It took a bit, but eventually his jailer arrived and Rem brought the chair down with force on his head and despite his size the man crumbled to the ground potentially dead.

"Fantastic Rem, ok gotta go."

"But I don't.... You asshole!" Rem was once again by himself and despite that seeming weird to complain about.

Just Lie, Don't Tell Me Your Weird Truths

"What are you doing?" Rolando saw Trezlan absent mindedly staring off into the distance. Which was weird since Trezlan was normally so active it was strange to see him just standing there. Rolando was almost worrying he was having some kind mental breakdown.

"Oh sorry communicating with someone through some kind of mind link." Rolando immediately regretted asking.

"Just lie dad, just lie and say you were thinking of something important."

"Well you asked and I'm answering, I thought you wanted more honesty?"

"NOT LIKE THIS! I want you to be honest about dangerous things, not whatever you have going on right now that is confusing and unwelcome!" Trezlan frowned.

"But most of my things are confusing and unwelcome!" Rolando walked off and Trezlan frowned. Which just made him want to focus more on what Rem was doing. And it was good for Rem he did, if not Rem would probably have died a minute later.

Magical Thinking

"Chains are actually secure he wasn't any closer to having them off." Randolph had dropped pretense, he had the goon check Rem's chains and Rem knew the jig was up. Rem was still completely confused as to why Randolph was working against him, or what was even going on. Especially since after checking his chains Randolph and his goon left, leaving Rem all by himself to consider his fate. In his desperation he effectively called for the gods to help and surprisingly someone answered.

"I had the oddest feeling like someone invading my mind hoping for a solution, is that you Remle Crowe." He heard the voice in his mind and he could almost visualize Trezlan sitting on a command deck somewhere in deep space, it was entirely confusing as to where the man was, and why Rem could see him, let alone seemingly speak with him.

"I don't know how or why I can connect to you, but I'm in real trouble, I'm chained to a chair and the people behind it I believe are going to kill me." It was weird to talk to someone else through thoughts, for a brief moment Rem considered he was going crazy.

"Chain to a chair about to be executed, its like we were born to be connected, ok give me the details Rem don't leave anything out." Rem wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, but he went over all the things he knew which wasn't much to Trezlan, Trezlan considered it briefly and then responded.

"You'll have to pop your bone out of joint, it'll hurt like no ones business, but if you do that you'll be able to slip the chains easy, let me show you in the link how this goes describing it is not how I learned." Trezlan through the mind link showed rem how to effectively pseudo break his thumb to free himself from the chains, it did look quite painful, but so was dying. Rem managed the maneuver and freed his hands, but his thumb were in agony, even after he popped them back into place as Trezlan instructed.

"Well I'm free, now what do I do?"

"Well in my case it would be burn everything on my way out, for you, uhh shit do you have a pistol or anything?"

"I had one."

"Well shit, I think you're still kind of screwed, I'd help but I'm pretty sure I'm a long way from you, so uhh good luck don't die."

"You're super helpful." Trezlan had already broken the mental connection, but Rem was sure he got that last message anyway. Still he had freed himself which was a plus, now he just needed to know what to do next, which seemed like harder than freeing himself now that he was free.

Bad Day for Conversation

It was hard for Rem to see, his eyes had swollen up around his nose and he had a cut on his forehead that was dripping down as well. He was completely confused as to why he was just simply beaten. He knew he had done bad things, and would probably do more bad things, but he expected when someone catches up with him they'd at least tell him why they were assaulting him.

"Looking good Rem." He noticed it was just him and the other man left, everyone else had been removed.

"Feeling good, I'm sorry I don't know who you are at this point."

"Randolph."

"Shit really? I was sent to find you." Randolph attempted to laugh and then coughed on blood and just started coughing.

"How nice of you Rem, I always thought you didn't care."

"I didn't, The Boss wanted you."

"Figures, at least you were honest about it." Rem thought that was sadder than anything that Randolph just accepted he didn't really care.

"So what are they doing to us here anyway."

"You got me, I got taken first, I've seen the rest of you guys come and go, they are looking for something I think, but I have no idea what."

"They? So there are more than just Mr. Punchy?" Rem could hardly see, but he still noticed a tick on Randolph's face, he also noticed that Randolph while coated in blood didn't seem to have the accessory injuries to go with it.

"Well I think its more than one." Rem sensed the change immediately, Randolph was lying, and seeing how things were, Rem figured he was lying because he was in on whatever was going on.

"Right well I hope they give me a bit of time, I'm trying to get out of these chains and I think I'm almost there, so when they show up stall them for me Randy." Randolph hated being called Randy, it was one of the few things Rem remembered about him.

"Sure thing Rem, sooner you get free, sooner I get free." That cemented it for Rem, now he knew that Randolph was working against him, and that he was probably the last magic eater alive for whatever purpose. The worst part was he was no close to unlocking the chains, he just said that to test Randolph. He needed something, anything to save him, but he didn't have anything. So he just sat there awaiting oblivion. Which felt more than a little depressing.

Can't Shake The Beating

Rem awoke in chains, he saw other magic eaters in the room also in chains. They were seated in a circle, the room looked like some kind of rec center. He saw motivational posters on the wall and the ground was carpet. Whatever he'd been sedated with had a nasty hang over, his head was ringing from pain, it was in fact what woke him up. The rest of the magic eaters were also equally awake, though some of them looked to have been tortured. Rem was not surprised they had taken his weapon while he was asleep, but he had hoped briefly they had left it.

"Got you too Rem?" Rem couldn't make out who said that, between the blood and throat damage the man was almost unrecognizable. On top of that Rem never exactly hung around with the other magic eaters in a clear state of mind so he didn't really know most of them by name.

"Yeah though it looks like I got the better of it so far."

"Just wait they'll come for you too, I don't even know what they want, so far they just drag us in there and swing for the fences."

"With magic or without it?"

"Without, just a big dude punching, never seen him before, thought it was the Boss but someone else said he's dead." Rem tried to process what he was being told, but it wasn't lining up at all. Who would take magic eaters just to beat them? Rem was confused as to the whole enterprise. Though he didn't have long to wait before the large man picked up his chair and brought him to a smaller rectangular room.

"So you want to talk first or?" Rem's question was met with a fist to the face, and the rest of the conversation continued like that until he passed out from pain.

Problem Not Solved

Rem arrived at The Boss's location and immediately knew something was up. There was no one out front. The Boss ran a barber shop as a front for his illegal operations, and none of the barbers nor their fake clients were there. The shop was empty, even though the open sign was still flashing. Rem took out the pistol now, something was definitely up. As he got further in the shop he felt the magic. It was all over everything. Like a magic bomb had gone off, it was residual meaning he probably missed the big show, but it was definitely still there and so he cautiously approached The Boss's office.

Everyone was dead inside, they had been violently thrown around the room with the Boss himself pinned to the wall and his insides removed. Whatever magical force had done this lingered on every surface, almost as if magic itself has rebelled and attacked the men. Rem didn't feel safe there. He felt like he was being watched even though everyone was dead and the room wasn't big enough for someone to hide. This feeling was only emphasized when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Remle Crowe." He didn't turn around the voice was a harsh whisper, but it carried malice in just saying his name.

"If I said no would you not do what you want to do."

"No."

"Why spoil a perfect day, yeah I'm Remle, though I go by Rem."

"Well Rem, are you going to come quietly or in pieces?"

"If I get the choice I'd prefer quietly." He felt the syringe hit his neck and then the world went black. Rem's last though was "why ask if you were going to drug me anyway?"