((Collab Post between Joshua Tamashii and Letter Bee))

Heinz Harper was in the briefing room, but, when he heard that Amelia was coming to the office, he teleported back to his seat, and waited. He knew, even without Timespace, that this confrontation was coming; Amelia cared about Ascot deeply, and, with her revulsion at killing, and, if she had found out about Ascot's vision, would try hard to prevent it. The man wiped some sweat from his brow; he had things to feel guilty about.

When Amelia finally came in, Heinz would say:

"So, you found out what Ascot saw?"

It took Amelia a few minutes to reach the office. She knew Heinz had eyes and ears everywhere and was not surprised to see him waiting for her. She was even less surprised that he knew why she was there.

"Ascot told me a few weeks ago." she said, looking at the ground. Heinz made her nervous for reasons she didnt understand. Maybe it was because she didnt interact with him very often." IT was the same day the spirits told me about the game... do you really think he'll have to have to kill someone Mr.Harper?"

"Ever since that day..." the Agency Head thought about the day that he had to bring Ascot back himself, when he found out that what had happened caused Ascot to mindwipe himself in order to keep functioning, "the day Ascot himself doesn't remember, the day where you saw me bring my nephew back, as calm and confident as ever, but without any answers as to why he was gone so long..."

"I have to tell you something. The vision of Ascot killing someone, it's actually a repressed desire for vengance, vengance for what happened that day. I say repressed because for some time now, Ascot's been broken, and had to knit himself back together using Mind Magic." Heinz actually began crying. "And I...it's my fault. I sent him there to look for Babylon, without thinking of the possibility that the enemy knew of his existence and had prepared an ambush..."

"Babylon? Do you mean there's another Atlantis?" Amelia asked, her face going pale at the very thought. If there was another Atlantis she knew better then anyone that it had to be shut down as soon as possibe. That place probably took upwards of fifty lives a day if it was just as big. If it was bigger the death toll would only be higher.

"Not quite the same; it's much larger, but death games are more frowned upon; as the Developing World continues to prosper, the supply of...subjects has actually begun to dry up, especially with robots and VR stimulations competing with actual humans for...you know," Heinz responded. "But, in its own way, its depraved; it's basically the place where the remaining homeless, as well as immigrants from poor countries...end up if they're unlucky." 

"DONT CALL THEM SUBJECTS!" Amelia shouted at Heinz, shocking herself while doing so. She took a second to calm herself before speaking again." Theyre human beings, the same as you and me. If such a place does exist though you need to shut it down before it goes too far... no girl who goes into that place will come out the same... I know I didn't."

"Of course they're human beings," spoke Heinz, "but sometimes, you have to distance yourself from the thought of such pain, to detach yourself...anyway, I have plans for Babylon after the E3 mission is finished. But, the point is, I sent Ascot to look for Babylon, he was ambushed, and..." His eyes shook with the remnants of shock and disbelief, "again, it's my fault. It's also my fault I can't say what happened to him...not without recalling those memories."

"What did happen there?" Amelia asked" What happened that he had to forget?"

"I got only a few images from Ascot's mind; the self-wipe was that good. But, there were cameras and videotapes...and a pile of damaged clothing...[i]his clothing[/i] in the corner." Heinz let the implications seep through Amelia's mind.

Amelia knew what the implications meant in seconds.
"You cant send him back there when the time comes." She said" Send him away with me somewhere. If Im there with him can keep his mind off what might be happening and keep him where ever you send us."

Heinz Harper nodded, and continued:

"That I will; I can find an excuse to send him off on some other business, or even just assign him to watch over you; he loves you - not that he's realized it, not yet. If I tell him that you're especially suffering when the time comes, he'll gladly stay with you."

"H-he what?" Amelia asked, her face turning red when Heinz said Ascot loved her. She wasn't sure how to react to that. ALOT of men had said they loved her over the years and to her it was almost an empty word. But with Ascot it might be different since he actually seemed to care for her and he did a good job of taking care of her." Mrs. Rose said my room needed to be more... homey I think she said. Do you think Ascot could join us in shopping athe time of the mission?"

Heinz smiled. "Sure; I've been meaning to renovate your room myself, but, yeah, I can join you and Ascot at that time."

"Could Mrs. Rose and Miss Amaya join us?" Amelia asked.

"Of course," the man said indulgently, "anything for you...within reason, of course." Heinz did like Amelia, and saw her as a surrogate niece, of course. That said, one could condemn his treatment of his existing nephew; the man was fond of him, but apparently had no qualms using him as an underage agent just because of his magical powers. Anyway, the point was, Heinz genuinely enjoyed 'family time' with Ascot, Amelia, Amaya and Rose, despite his darker side.

"Thank you Mr. Harper... would you mind if I join you in watching over the E3 mission, incase Ascot does something stupid?" Amelia asked.

"All right," spoke Heinz, before creating a portal back to the surveillance room.

[B][I]END[/I][/B]