"...Y'know, it's ironic."

"What is?"

"I had a lot to say back then, especially about you, and now I've got nothing."

"Maybe that's only natural. I mean, you are..."

"Yeah."

"..."

"Guess I shouldn't ask how things have been."

"Bad."

"Thought so."

"I think it's mostly the humans...every time I leave this cul-de-sac, I know I'm being stared at. I can't escape them..."

"Well, of course not. They're everywhere. Like ants."

"True..."

"Getting back on subject--I noticed you've stopped talking to everyone."

"I haven't stopped, really..."

"But you did spend the last two weeks holed up in your room. I'd say that counts as stopping."

"..."

"Avoiding your family isn't going to protect them. It just wears down on you."

"I noticed..."

"So why don't you--"

"I can't. I don't want to lose anyone else just because I made a stupid mistake."

"Hey, you were injured. Give yourself a break."

"Still...I should have--"

"Just drop it, all right? All you're going to do is blame yourself."

"..."

"It's not getting you anywhere. All you've done is dug this hole that you need to get out of, before it caves in. Just trust me, bro...this isn't working out."

"I know...but I'm still afraid. Hole or no, it's all going to fall apart someday..."

"Maybe it already has. Look at you...in one month you became a completely different person. Someone who can't stand on their own, and everyone knows it, but still insists that they're fine, even when they're all alone. I'm not saying you're weak, just telling you what I've observed."

"...It's that drastic, huh?"

"Yep."

"Hard to try and reach out when everyone you could reach out to hates you."

"What gave you that idea?"

"Roll won't speak to me, and neither will Metalman. Dr. Light, Eddie, and Rush all avoid me, and Tango...I don't know what she thinks of me. Probably the same."

"Well, you know Tango...But no one hates you. You have been coming off as a jerk, and you ran away first...but if they actually hated you, why would they let you stay? Why would Dr. Light still try to comfort you? You have to look at the whole thing."

"...I tried...I got nowhere."

"That's not surprising. You seem to want to go nowhere."

"...You know what else is ironic?"

"What?"

"We fought each other for four years, hoping against hope that one of us would give in and join the other. You finally defected from Wily--and in less than one year...this had to happen. I wonder now...did it make any difference? At least, if we were still enemies...you would still be..."

"No. It would've ended more or less the same way, except we'd never get to live as allies. We'd just be apart...alone."

"...You have a point...Did you come here just to tell me to shape up?"

"Nah. I just wanted to see you again. But, you have fallen quite a bit. All you're doing is suffering without a payoff."

"...I am, now..."

"Just trust me, bro. You're running in circles."

"Am I even running?"

"...Still has something to do with me, doesn't it?"

"Maybe. Yeah. I'll be honest...I miss you."

"And you've been letting it bog you down."

"..."

"You have to try and move on, bro. I know it'll be hard, but you have to try. If you keep mourning forever, you won't be able to look ahead. That's one thing that's been inhibiting you...you won't let it go."

"...I thought that if I did, I'd...insult your memory, or something."

"You won't."

"...Anything else you want to talk about?"

"Not really. You?"

"No."

"Noticed you aren't much for words these days."

"I don't see any reason to be."

"...Eh, this is just as fine. Can't remember the last time we could just sit together..."






















[Side Note: LATE AT NIGHT. SHOTS IMMINENT. AAAAARGH.]