The room was polished and plush. Thick curtains decorating the tinted windows so that only a flicker of light came through each aperture. Beneath us, the floor was thickly carpeted. Each step feeling as if I was crushing a pile of goose feathers under my feet.

Not that my steps left any kind of impression for the others here to follow. If they had, this conversation might have been a lot less painful.

The man was reclining in a comfortable looking leather armchair now. Looking as if he was watching TV or otherwise relaxing with a beer after a long day at work. Listening patiently.

That chair and his posture and the overall air that he kept around himself made him look oddly approachable. Trustworthy. Like someone who would keep listening without judgement while still letting you know that you were being listened to.

"Was this really necessary?" I asked my younger echo.

Though in truth my words were also aimed at the Drake. Who, in a very Drake-like fashion, had opted to discard his female human form for one which I could only describe as a Lovecraftian-horror straight from the deepest smoking pits of Pandemonium.

"You want to keep doing drugs Sully." He whispered into the echo's ear. "You want to reach across the table and slap this fool across his fat, ugly face. Look at how those cheeks of him wiggle Sully! Look at how they squirm when he nods his head! Imagine how satisfying it would feel if you just reached over and smacked him! Pow! Right in the kisser!"

The many mouths and tentacles of the thing jiggled with laughter.

"He's judging you, you know. He thinks you're nuttier than squirrel shit! He's counting down the seconds until he can tap out and give you another batch of pills and scrub this whole thing under the rug. Where you belong. Because he's better than you, you see. He's a person and you are a bug to him. You are broken to him. He'll never take you seriously. No one will ever take you seriously. So, you should just go right ahead and slap some sense into him. That'll show him a lesson or three in looking down at his betters!"

I glared at the Drake. Mercy and Frigid joining me.

He ignored all of us, as usual.

Indeed, his words sped up as one of his eyes flickered in our general direction.

"I mean, just fuck it at this point you know? You're here, in this place, only because your grandpa is a bad person with connections and so he can afford to send you here. Not because anyone in this place cares about you. You're wearing those crazy-person socks Sully! No one here sees you as a person. No one here trusts you! They gave you a bunch of pills to make you go away and then they groaned when you said they didn't work! No one here wants you around! No one will ever want you around now that they know you're not normal! So why not get started on some payback? I say slap the shit out of this walrus and pee on him afterwards. That'll show him who's crazy!"

The echo of the younger me broke down in tears again.

"Yes. Yes it's still here. They are all still here." He told the therapist. "He looks like a… I don't even fucking know man. Some kind of Lovecraftian horror thing from the deepest pits of Buddhist hell. It is all tentacles and mouths and all the mouths have eyes in them and they're all drooling blood and I don't even have the fucking words man! I don't know!"

He started crying again.

"I don't even know how to put the fuckin thing into words! You have to help me doc!"

I didn't need to use my mind-reading to know that doc wouldn't be helping. In fact, judging by his expression, doc looked seconds away from pressing the hidden button on the side of his chair and having some very burly men take the echo to a padded room.

"And why do you think this first apparition changed from the figure of a lovely young woman, appearance wise at least, to that of a monster?"

"Because my new ally is a terrible person. Who feels he has to harass Tier 0 people for shits and giggles."

I stopped to massage my forehead.

"Seriously man. Out of all the things you could be doing… out of all the diversions you could have gone for… this was it?"

I expelled a heavy sigh.

"You realize that Masters and Savants on the Kenari side are marshalling themselves against us at this very moment, right? You do realize that every passing second means we have less chances of catching them unawares, right?"

Frigid Bloodline nodded.

"Indeed. This seems like a petty way to spend time we do not have. It serves no purpose but to feed your ego. At our expense."

He waved down at himself.

"I and Mercy even went so far as to shift into human forms to make this echo of a lost child less afraid. But he will not listen to a word we say so long as you keep tormenting him."

Benevolent Mercy stopped herself from flinching as she noted the man's twitching finger. How it reached for the hidden button.

"Truly, Drake? Is this really how you wish to spend your time? I figured you of all people would wish to level as fast as you could to finally reach Divinity. Why keep us locked in here like this? Even if this really was as amusing as you make it seem, why not take your petty anger out on someone who actually deserves it?"

She sighed and then massaged her own brow. Her human-like forehead moving about as she applied far too much pressure.

"You do realize the Labyrinth is full, and I do mean full, of all kinds of filthy, depraved criminals and degenerates? I myself take pride in correcting as many as I can and I feel fulfilled after setting them on the right path back to redemption, but still. If you truly must entertain yourself in this manner, then tormenting some innocent… actually no… the echo of some innocent youth, seems a bit petty for someone so obviously powerful and experienced."

"It does seem to be beneath you." Frigid agreed at once. "Beneath all of us in fact. I value my position within my clan, and I understand pruning the bad seeds away so the whole bush may thrive. Yet I also understand that there must be tasks for all within the clan and that my task is not to bother with each and every infraction that a clan member might make. That is what the younger generations, those who are still training and growing, are for."

"I don't think he is considering these actions as a means of correcting some wrong." Mercy rebutted. "I think he's just being sadistic."

"Well, yes. You are right, young one. I went off on a tangent. I forget myself. And who I am speaking with."

Both of them sighed.

Meanwhile, I stood over the mass of tentacles the Drake had become.

"I see you are having your fun." I told him cooly. "And I do recall that I promised not to step in and stop you while you had what fun you wanted, while we were destroying the Dragon's empire and sundering the works he built. Yet I also seem to recall that you yourself made a promise to rein yourself in."

I paused for effect.

"To really focus on the mission at hand. After all, we both stand to benefit from our quest succeeding and we both stand to lose much if our current targets find each other and solidify each other's convictions. This does not serve our purpose. However, much fun you make for yourself."

I paused again. This time taking a step forwards.

"You are going back on your word, Seeking Drake." I said bluntly. "Your word of honor."

The monster stopped wriggling with glee.

In all honesty, this was a gamble.

While yes, the Drake was absolutely going back on his promises and yes, he was absolutely doing so knowingly and in a way that kept our side at a disadvantage…

Well…

It was hard to think that the likes of him would care.

At all.

In fact, it was very likely he'd see the admonishment as encouragement and double down.

However, the Drake also had his own twisted sense of honor. And, against all odds, he seemed to care a lot about said word of honor. Or, at the very least, the idea that he had any kind of word of honor at all.

Case in point, people who sought the Drake for help and asked for audience in advance usually left his house of horrors unscathed. The keyword there being usually.

The beast would find revulsion amusing, but he would only tolerate disrespect up to a point. By the same hand, he had allowed many people who only slightly disrespected him to escape with their lives. Not even torturing them while he acted as a host.

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And considering how much the Drake liked torturing just about anything that could feel pain, that was saying something.

Yet, it must be acknowledged that he did care very much about the act of hospitality. With no one, not even himself, fully being aware of just how far he'd be willing to go in order to act the part of a gracious host at any given time.

'I guess old habits die hard.' I mused. 'For his species, the act of hosting someone properly is a sign of a high status in life. The sign that you are a patron or a matron of an influential household. The sign that you know how to give respect, and are therefore deserving of respect.'

The old Drake would have never been in a position to act as a host of course. Not prior to being introduced to the System. As the umpteenth bastard son of a semi-influential geezer on death's door, he'd have counted himself lucky to even be invited to eat within the household courtyard when his betters had guests over.

'I suppose that's why he values the tradition so very much. It is a transformation, from a worm, to the Seeking Drake. Just like in the story he told me, back when he was just a specter in my mind.'

I allowed my mind to wander off for a second then. Wondering what fate had befallen those who had so easily trodden upon the old, weak, powerless Seeking Drake. Wondering if those who first thought up the children's story could have ever imagined the monster they had inspired.

'Best not to think about that now.' I chided myself. 'Got enough problems as it is.'

He began shuffling then. Twisting and turning the folds in his own flesh until he began resembling a human again. A male this time. Which was nice. Given what the therapist on the couch was saying.

"So, why do you think your first apparition took the shape of a young lady?"

"I don't know." The echo mumbled. His eyes downcast.

"And why do you think she then transformed into some kind of monster?"

"I don't know." The echo repeated.

The man on the couch seemed to relax upon hearing the simple answers. His finger drifted away from the button.

"Sully, have you ever had issues speaking to women?"

"No." I said. Scoffing. "Not when I was drunk anyway. I was great at parties."

The others turned to gaze at me. Even the Seeking Drake.

"That is really sad." Mercy spoke up.

"Indeed." The Seeking Drake added. "Now, back to your earlier statement my dear Sully. I take offense to what you said."

"You do?" Mercy turned around and asked.

"You do?" Frigid Bloodline echoed.

"You do?" I parroted.

"Why?" All three of us asked as one.

"You are literally keeping us trapped in place, despite promising that you would help. You have been bullying my echo for days now. Long before we arrived by your own admission. And not only that, you've continued to do so after we all got here and explained what we needed to do in order to get out. How are you not sabotaging us?"

"Because none of what I do matters silly." He argued. Shrugging his now human shoulders. His silver hair moving as if he had just gotten out of the shower.

"I've tried telling your little past self who I was and what I needed him to do. I didn't even realize he had no powers until you arrived. Because he has not budged an inch. I swear, on my honor, that I speak no hyperbole when I say that your past self is the most stubborn fool I have ever had the displeasure of encountering. I was at this a whole week before I gave up and decided to enjoy myself in whatever way I could."

I blinked. Then I looked at the echo once more as he went on and on about how… no. He didn't have any problems with women and he didn't know why this was happening.

"What exactly have you been telling him?"

"The same thing you did as soon as you arrived. That this is all some remnant of a severed knot in Pandemonium and that all of this is in the past. That the current you and the current me are pals fighting together for a noble cause…"

Benevolent Mercy dry-heaved. The reddish-brown hair in her human form jolting violently as she made the motions of someone about to puke their guts out.

"But nothing got through." The Drake shook his head. "Absolutely nothing. Telling that guy that he's a Telepath is like telling the Dragon that he's got a spear up his rear. It is the absolute truth, but it somehow doesn't seem to stick in their minds."

I frowned, then nodded.

That seemed about right.

"You didn't have to start telling him weird things though."

"Oh Sully! You tease! What could I have possibly said to you or an older version of you that would have shaken you in the slightest?"

"He doesn't know though." I reminded him.

"Or, he does, but he's never going to face it. Not ever."

Indeed, looking over at the echo's confessions, he had said just about everything there was to say to the therapist. Relaying our conversation word for word. All except the bit about him being a Telepath. That little tidbit seemed to get lost in translation.

I leaned over his shoulder then. Grimacing at the way he leaned away.

"Is the girl next to you right now Sully?" The man asked the echo. "Are they all in the room right now?"

"Yes sir." The echo nodded. Swallowing a lump in his throat.

"They are all right here. Including him."

"The Tall Man from your youth?" He asked again.

"Oh fuck me." I groaned. Seeing where this was going.

"Yes sir. He's here. He's got, a third eye on his head. And the white suit."

"I see." The therapist went on.

"You know, I don't understand why your parents would send the younger you here." The Drake quipped. "I mean, they do realize that therapist is a mixture of two words right? What happens when you put a space after the first e?"

"Not now Drake." I snapped.

Then I turned back to the younger me.

"Look, there has been a big misunderstanding here. I get he's a freak and you don't want to listen to him. I really do get it. I don't want to listen to him either."

"Ouch."

My echo started crying. Again.

"He does tend to get a bit weepy doesn't he?"

"It could be the drugs." Mercy stopped him.

"Nonsense." Frigid Bloodline interrupted. "None of the drugs can have any kind of effect on him. Because he has all four Types. Including Enhancer and Shifter."

We all stopped to look at him. Including the echo, who stopped crying just as quickly as he'd begun.

"What do you mean?" The Drake asked him. His eyes narrowing.

"Only that this echo is not truly living in the past. Or so Sully has explained. He is a creation of the current Sully based on his past. But this is truly not the past. If the current Tyrant is missing all his powers, while ours are merely muted and of no use, then it stands to reason that the echo has all the powers our Sully had."

"Because powers cannot truly be taken away or erased. Only momentarily suppressed." I finished. Thinking back to Hazimon's lecture on the subject.

"Precisely." The lobster turned man said again. "The rules of reality are thinly spread here, but it is not as if they have been overwhelmed completely. One's powers cannot simply vanish."

I nodded and turned to the echo.

"Okay me. Now, I get that you don't even want to think about becoming a Telepath. I didn't want to think about it for the longest time either. It is not a fun prospect and nothing fun has happened to me since I became a Telepath."

'Not even the thing with the gnomes?' Buddy asked suddenly. I paused to look down at the Symbiote.

"Well okay. I did enjoy the purges." I admitted.

"The what now?" The echo asked, suddenly a lot less interested in hearing me out.

"Nevermind." I chided him. "Only know that you've got all four Types right now. So even without having to rely on Telepath, you should still be able to verify my words by using Enhancer powers."

"But…but the needles pierced my skin." The echo protested.

"Don't speak to them Sully." The therapist spoke calmly. "They are not real. Speaking to them as if they were only enforces these delusions of yours. If they were real, I'd be able to see them too."

"You've been suppressing all your powers." I explained suddenly. Realizing what must have happened.

"You're a lot stronger in Telepath than in any of the others. You not wanting to admit it must have shut down all your other powers. Here. I'll prove to you what I'm saying is right. Picture your arm turning into a sword. Just for a second."

The younger me did so.

Nothing happened.

"No, you have to want it to happen." I chided him. "You have to realize you're a Shifter and Enhancer and a Projector too. You have to be sure you're going to do it."

It was then that the Drake piped up.

"Look at that vase over there." He pointed to one end of the room. "Don't think about powers at all. Just tell yourself that you want to grab it with your hand. Don't think of it as being special. Just stretch as you normally would and put a lot of effort into it."

I whirled. Shocked that he'd be so… so… genuinely helpful.

"What?" He asked. "I want to get out of here too."

The echo began doing as he was told. Growing visibly excited by the prospect of non-telepathic powers. All while the therapist chided him again.

"Sully, what are you doing?" He asked in a disappointed tone. "We've been over this before, don't feed your delusions because it only…"

The arm shot out. Growing bony armor and ropes of thick, taut muscle as the limb exploded in size.

"HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT!" The man completed. Practically tripping over himself in an effort to reach the button.

"NURSE! WE GOT A SHIFTER HERE! NURSE! NURSE! GET THE COPS! GET THE ARMY! GET THE HEROES!! NURSE! NURSE! NUUUUUUURSEEEEEE!!!"

"Thank you for all your help doctor, Jameson!" The echo said after a few days of willfully ignoring me and my peers.

"It's nothing Sully! Having you here was always my pleasure!"

He patted the echo on his back. His broad back.

Looking almost as if there had been some bond of friendship between him and the echo. Something that would have felt a lot more impactful… if it weren't for the dozen or so armed guards surrounding both of them.

All of them had their guns lowered, but their fingers were all twitching above the trigger.

Apparently, none of them had gotten the memo that the echo had eaten a couple of hits from an A-Rank hero without so much as flinching a few days ago. The echo was fine, of course. I may not have been the best Shifter out there, by Savant standards, but a trio of Tier 10 abilities was still far, far more than anything anyone on Earth had in their arsenal.

Not to mention the gains I'd made after the System went down in both Shifter and Enhancer.

The echo was fine. He probably never really felt anything out of sorts.

Machine Fist Ned on the other hand had to be healed by the echo himself, after he let his [Vicissitude] counter the blow automatically. The fact that neither he, nor any other heroes were here to see the echo being handed off to the proper authorities to begin his training spoke volumes as to the kind of experience the man had had.

"I could never have made it out without your help!" The echo spoke up again.

Doctor Jameson, a short, portly man in his forties, only laughed merrily.

"Oh Sully! This would never have been possible without you being such a sport about our little misunderstanding! And such an eager learner when we went through the mandatory meditation and anger management exercises for Shifters! You did all the work my boy! I just gave you a wrench."

That was not a very good speech from where I was floating about, but apparently the echo was moved enough to hug the short squat doctor with just enough gusto to display affection.

Without also crushing his spine into a million little pieces.

All of the guards inhaled sharply and drew their weapons. Though, as expected, none of them were dumb enough to fire.

The echo let go of the doctor and made the motion of wiping away a tear. Though of course he had none.

"Thank you, Doc! I'll never forget what you've done here for me!"

Doctor Jameson pissed his pants. The liquid stain running down his right leg and filling the room with the smell of ammonia.

"Just you wait! I know I just awoke as a Shifter, but I won't become one of those bloodthirsty guys eating people they're supposed to be healing!"

We all looked at the Drake in unison. Though he seemed more bored than anything else. Hovering over the echo and calling him a Telepath over and over again with a half-hearted expression.

"I'll be different from the others! You'll see! And I'll work tirelessly to stop all the villainous Espers harming society once I'm done with training! I'll make you proud!"

"Sully!" Grandpa Gus, or rather, the echo of a past grandpa Gus, called over to him from the outside doorway.

"I think Doctor Jameson has had enough of your emotional goodbyes. Time to go. I was only allowed to come over to help guide you through the intake process back at base."

He suppressed a tremble. His eyes becoming softer and almost pitying at my own echo.

"Come on now. Orientation awaits."

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