Location: 423 West 73rd Street, Foyer

Time: 12:40(?) PM, January 2nd 2108

I started coughing up blood. Not a lot of blood, but I feel like coughing up blood is one of those things where any amount is worthy of concern.

At least, that’s how it feels to the one doing the coughing. And the bleeding.

Why?

What was I doing collapsed on the floor coughing up blood?

Collapsed?

Since when?

Everything hurt. I couldn’t get up, but I had to. Somehow my legs managed to support me.

I spent hours waiting for each second to pass, constantly struggling to think of anything other than a vague hope that the pain would lessen.

It didn’t.

The only thing keeping me conscious was how hard I was biting the inside of my cheek.

What kind of terrible character would ignore the lesson he should have already learned and continually pick fights he had no chance of winning?

Ah, yes, that’s still me.

My apologies to anyone who thought I would’ve developed even slightly after my encounter with Hana.

Vier.

I thought Hana was fast. In retrospect, she was nothing more than a kid trying to replicate the real deal. A child’s cheap imitation of their parent. I wasn’t even aware that Vier had moved until I regained consciousness.

“It’s good you’re still alive, but you should have stayed unconscious longer. I hope you don’t mind, but I took a few vials of your blood while you were out.” Vier sounded completely nonchalant.

He was still there. I guess there wasn’t a decrepit roller coaster to take me away this time.

Good.

Even in that pathetic state I planned on standing up to him. A smarter man would have stayed on the ground.

“How. . . Long. . .” Talking was too hard. I tried, but I couldn’t fill my lungs with air. Every breath I took felt shallow and left me unsatisfied. The pain got worse as I instinctively tried to take rapid breaths in order to rid myself of the sensation of drowning on dry land.

“How long were you out? About twenty minutes or so. If you’re curious, I already dealt with Zea. So basically, don’t bother.”

What he was saying didn’t seem real.

“The thing is though, talking with him got me thinking. Wasn’t this scene too perfect?”

An inspired choice, but perfect was not the word I’d have used to describe my condition.

“The whole thing was practically scripted. After the stunt you pulled last week who would have thought you could handle work in the ARA? This outcome was unavoidable.”

“So. . .” What was he trying to say?

“So, Zea might have been the target, but someone wanted you dead as well. If I had to guess, the Prime Minister, or at least someone who works for him, is probably pretty annoyed you decided to protect Emelia. Your actions lead to her falling under Ren’s protection. This was your punishment. I was your punishment. ARA records are all classified, so no one would ever need to know.”

The Prime Minister? Was he the one to send Oliver after Emelia in the first place? I thought the name was a coincidence, but maybe not.

Even while staring down impossibility I was trying to make sense of things. Without a doubt, I’m a single-minded fool to the core.

And my punishment? Fine. I was expecting something like that from the moment I stood in front of Hana’s lightning. I’m a lot more comfortable with direct threats over suspicious promotions.

“The thing is though, I don’t like it. I follow Ren’s orders. I have no desire to dance to anyone else's tune, especially when it’s this indirect. So I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to knock you out again, then leave. I’m sure the little mouse that doesn’t think I notice it will pick you up. As for what happens after that, well, I don’t really care. Turn yourself in, leave the city, become a criminal, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“But first, let me give you another piece of advice. Vier’s third rule: Abandon your ideals. I’m getting tired of listening to people like you and Ren go on and on about justice like it’s something special. Justice is nothing more than the strong pushing their sense of righteousness onto the weak. You’re just trying to bully others into doing what you already think is right.”

“That isn’t. . .”

There was a lot I wanted to say, but I couldn’t force the words out. Was it because of my injuries, or just because I couldn’t oppose the oppressive atmosphere Vier was radiating?

“Don’t bother. The problem for you, Jax, is that you’re weak. Unbelievably weak for someone who stood against me. You don’t even have the resolve to do whatever it takes. Repeatedly throwing yourself into harm's way won’t accomplish anything. At least Ren has the power to force her fantasies into existence, having me as a weapon is proof enough of that. Someone like you can’t afford to share in her delusions. If you keep letting your ideals drag you down you’ll never get anywhere.”

Sparks flashed across the circuitry on Vier’s skin.

“Try to stay out this time.”