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Kenny ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He had to reach Tommy, even if he knew he wouldn't make it in time. He screamed as loud as his voice would let him, as if that would change the outcome.

"TOMMY!"

The forest was silent as Kenny came to a halt. Nothing but the wind and the occasional click from the weapon the stranger held. Click after click, but nothing followed.

The man's hands were now shaking, his eyes wide and his breath heavy. In a moment, he suddenly became still, a feeling washing over him as contact was made. The hand that now rested on his shoulder felt like that of a long lost friend. He lowered his weapon, his aggression subsided for now.

Tommy looked back at Kenny, a small smile on their face. Kenny approached, dumbfounded. How was Tommy still standing? How could Tommy have been so reckless in the face of certain murder? Tommy turned back to the stranger.

"Let's get somewhere safe, I don't want that beast finding us again."

He simply nodded, motioning for the others to follow him somewhere. Tommy followed, and not wanting to be left behind, so did Kenny. Kenny didn't take his eyes off of the stranger though. He didn't trust him one bit, not after what he almost did to Tommy. But if Tommy was able to calm him and trusted him, then Kenny had to as well, at least a little.

The man kept an eye out, his strange weapon still in hand. For a moment he stopped, taking note of his surroundings, before slightly changing direction, as if he knew for certain where he was heading. Kenny stepped ahead of Tommy, side eyeing the stranger.

"Just where exactly are you taking us? How can-"

"Shh," he interrupted, speaking in a whisper, "somewhere safe. Keep your questions for later."

It didn't take much traveling for them to reach their destination. A strange structure lodged in the ground. The man walked to the door, inviting them inside. Upon entering, they saw it was in rather bad shape. It was similar to a house, but still small, only meant for one person. From the outside, it looked as though it was once part of a bigger building of some sort. Lights on the inside flickered, not powered by fire but by some other unknown force. The windows were blocked, and once they were all inside, the stranger locked the door.

"Is this...your home?" Tommy questioned, making a guess, comparing the place to the houses they were used to.

"Take a seat, we need to talk."

Although no longer angry, his tone was still stern. He was unlike anyone Tommy and Kenny had ever seen. His skin was pale, but not in the same way Tommy's was. He had blond hair, but only on his head and on the tip of his chin. His clothes were similar to the kind Tommy was used to seeing, but it was a style they were unfamiliar with. His long dark coat made of leather was the only thing that really stood out, the rest seemed like regular clothing. So much about him was completely alien to the two, even the soft cushions they now sat on. What was the source of light within the room, how was it cool when outside was warm? Kenny spoke up.

"Can we start with an introduction? I'd at least like to know your name first, mr...?"

"Dave. My name is Dave. And you?"

"Kenny. And that's Tommy.

"I can introduce myself, Kenny." Tommy said in a joking manner, attempting to lighten the mood at least a little.

"Alright, there's your little introduction. Now what the hell are you two and why were you following me in the woods?" Dave said, glaring down at them. He was a tall man and definitely didn't look like the kind of guy you would want to mess with.

"We weren't following you, we heard the loud sounds and went to check what it was. It was that thing, right?" Tommy replied, looking at Dave's weapon.

"It's a gun. It shoots bullets and tends to be really loud, so yeah. Y'all don't have stuff like this do you?"

"Never even heard of a...gun. I don't mean to be rude but a lot of the things you have here and, uh, you yourself, are completely foreign to me."

"Whatever, now what are you? Some kind of animals? You seem human enough."

"I'm a catbird, and Tommy is...uh..." Kenny replied, realizing he didn't know what Tommy was.

"An amorano. That's what the people back home call themselves at least." Tommy answered.

Dave looked them up and down, studying them and their features. He grumbled something under his breath as he turned his attention to his now scabbed injury. It hadn't gone too deep thankfully. The adrenaline rush made him almost completely forget it was there to begin with. He took off his coat, lifting his shirt a bit to get a better look.

"The Murderman got you good huh? Uh, that thing you were fighting back there I mean." Tommy said as Dave attempted to treat the wound.

"Is that what you call him? Hm, fitting name." Dave said, taking off his shirt as he walked into a different room. "What business do you two have with that thing?"

"It murdered someone from my village. We're trying to hunt it down before it hurts anyone else." Kenny explained, anxiously tapping his fingers along the handle of his hatchet.

Dave re-entered the room, leaning against the doorframe. He was in a new shirt, a blue one that wasn't dirtied and torn. As he put his coat back on, he reached into the pocket, pulling out two small boxes. One seemed to contain a few small sticks of paper while the other looked like some sort of small metal device. He took one of the sticks out, putting one end in his mouth. Then with a click, the metal box produced a tiny flame, lighting the end of the stick. Dave took a deep breath before exhaling the smoke. He returned the objects to his pocket, not once explaining what they were.

"Seems we have a common enemy then. Whoever it was he hurt, they weren't the first, and gods know they won't be the last."

"What do you know about it? Come on, same enemy right? Don't keep secrets from us, what do you know?" Kenny said, anger rising in his voice. Tommy put their hand on his shoulder to keep him from standing up, the last thing anyone needed was a fight breaking out.

Dave glared at Kenny. He didn't appreciate the attitude he was being given.

"Look, I know you don't exactly trust me, but just wait a damn second ok? You don't have to go talking to me like that."

"How do I know you're not working with the Murderman, huh? You did almost murder Tommy after all, how do I know you're not the same thing as it?" Kenny sneered, standing up despite Tommy's attempt to keep him calm.

Something about what Kenny said struck a nerve. Dave snapped, giving Kenny a death glare as he began to approach.

"Say what you want about me but don't you DARE compare me to that thing. You have no idea what it's put me...what it's put so many people through. I could kill a thousand innocents and still be more pure than it, so sit back down and keep quiet."

Despite wanting to escalate things further, Kenny sat back down. Dave took another puff from the stick and backed away, collecting himself. Holding the lit stick between two fingers, he thought about where to begin.

"I'm a human. A person. Probably the last one to be honest. That thing, what you call the Murderman, was human once too. Human, but certainly not a person. I don't know how he's still alive, but he is. He's a monster. I've seen what he looks like, and even now his monstrous face doesn't match the ugliness of his soul."

Tommy could see the pain in Dave's eyes. Whatever he was remembering was painful. He didn't cry out like Daya's mother did, but that same grief could be felt in the story he told.

"I don't know how I got here." Dave continued. "This world is...nothing at all like the one I used to know. It's not at all what you think it is. I just hope they're still out there..."

"Who do you think is still out there? Other humans?"

Dave nodded. Although it took him a moment to decide it was something he wanted to do, he walked back into the room he had been in before. Upon returning, he held a small picture in his hand.

The picture showed three people, one of them being Dave. The person to his right was a boy, but the left side of the picture was too warped to see any details. What they could see though seemed to be from the past. Dave looked younger, happier too.

"That's Ted." he said, pointing towards the boy. "And that's...Alice."

When he was done showing the picture, he took another look at it. He handled the photo with care, not wanting to damage the fragile paper any further. He tucked it safely into his other pocket.

"If I'm here...then I can only hope they are too. Somewhere, I feel like they are. I just have to find them before the Murderman does."

Tommy stood up, willing to suggest an idea.

"What if we helped you look for them? Maybe I could find them the same way I found you."

Although unsure of what exactly had sparked the feeling that had drawn Tommy to him, they had a feeling that maybe they could do it again. And with potential answers to what the Murderman is, it would be wise to find others who might know more about it.

"You sure?" Dave questioned, a little doubtful if allowing them to come along would be a good idea.

"Would you rather go alone?"

Dave tried to think of a way to retort, but came up with nothing. Although hesitant, he agreed.

"Fine. You can help. At least that one can help with giving us an aerial view." he said, motioning to Kenny.

Kenny folded his arms and let out an annoyed chirp.

"Yeah, I guess." he replied.

Fidgeting with part of his jacket, Dave looked to Kenny.

"Actually, Kenny, would you mind flying to the top of the building and seeing if you can spot anything? Just give the area a quick search for us."

With a shrug, Kenny stood up and walked out the door, leaving Tommy and Dave in the room together. Dave's demeanor changed, his expression somewhat softening.

"How did you do that, what you did earlier?" he asked. His voice was less harsh, his gaze showed a confused sadness.

"The, uh...the touch? I don't know. I just had a feeling it would work."

"It's wrong. You shouldn't be able to do that, not like..." Dave thought out loud, trying to understand what was going on.

"The emotions weren't mine, Dave. I have never met you, and yet...I don't know. There was this feeling of wanting to see you safe, and happy. I'm not sure how I got those feelings, but whoever they belong to, they care about you."

"You shouldn't know any of this. It's...I-I'm sorry, I don't mean for this to sound like I'm judging you, I'm just confused. This is...it's a lot to take in."

"I'm sure it is. We've all seen and felt a lot of things we don't understand. But that's why I want to help. I think we're more or less in the same situation."

A small smile formed on Dave's face.

"It's so strange...you have her way of talking. I trust you, Tommy. Thank you."

On the roof they could hear the tapping of Kenny's feet. A rhythmic tap, likely signaling something.

"I think your buddy found something. Come on." Dave said, heading for the door.

Walking out and looking up, sure enough Kenny was looking down at them.

"What's up with your house Dave? Parts of it are all weirdly goopy." he hollered down.

"Your guess is as good as mine, it was just like that when I woke up here. Find anything?"

Kenny pointed to the distance before fluttering down.

"There's a strange clearing over that way, it's full of all kinds of weird formations. The trees seem to be dead around there too so it might be worth a look. Definitely doesn't seem natural."

"Definitely not. That way, right?" Tommy asked, making sure they knew the right way to go. Kenny nodded.

"It didn't seem too far away, we should be able to get there before dark." He added.

With a destination in mind, the three of them quickly headed out, a race against the sun. They traversed the forest, making mental notes of landmarks that would help them on their way back. As they ran through the thick of the woods, there were in fact noticeable odd changes. The plants seemed to die, but not in the way they normally should. They became gray, and even black in some places. Every bit of life that could be taken from them was so that it could not return to the natural cycle. They continued forward, and the brambles became sharper. Continuing through became painful, but they pushed on, clearing out what they could of the thorns. As the trees began to distance themselves from each other, they could see that the ground they walked on, which they had previously thought to have just been a dark stone, was reflecting the sun like obsidian. In places the rock jutted out from the ground, forming cross-like shapes. Dave came to a conclusion when they reached the clearing. This was an unnaturally formed graveyard.

If it weren't for the rocks being like razors, it would have been easier to walk around now that the plants had dissipated. Everything within the clearing was dead, shriveled up and blackened. Using his hatchet, Kenny poked at one of the dead plants. It crumbled into dust immediately with even the lightest contact. Even further still into the clearing, the land rose into a mound. Signs of life could be seen, flowers attempting to grow. They would sprout and blossom, only to wither away and die. Then more would sprout, and the battle between life and death would continue. The flowers were attempting to grow around one of the obsidian crosses, under which was a hole dug into the ground. Even from a distance it looked too well shaped to have been done naturally. Dave walked forward in long strides, a forced expression of bravery as he swallowed hard, afraid of what he might find within the hole. Tommy and Kenny followed, giving him space. He stopped when he reached the hole, looking down before dropping to his knees.

Tommy and Kenny ran over to him when they heard him let out an anguished yell. He reached into the deep grave, trying to pull out whatever it was that had been put to rest. First came an arm, with no body attached. Then came a leg, a jaw, another limb. But they weren't made of bone. Underneath the flesh was metal and wires. The lower half of a body was brought up, and finally came the upper half. The head was still attached, although damage was done to the neck and a hole had been made in the chest, tearing apart the insides. The synthetic boy looked young, a screw sticking out of his black hair. His eyes were open, dark as if the light of life had literally left them. Dave clutched the man, trying his hardest not to cry as he held the remains. His hands traced over the body, trying to find any sign of life where there was none. With a shaken breath, he looked back to Tommy and Kenny, urgency in his eyes.

"Grab as many parts as you can...we're taking him back to my place."

Tommy nodded and immediately went to collect all they were able to. Kenny remained in place, looking at the sleek metal under the boy's skin. He had no idea how something made of minerals could have been considered alive in the first place, but he shook those thoughts out of his head, realizing how insensitive it would be to question something like that now. Regardless of if it made sense, if someone could be saved, he was going to do what he could. The two of them were able to pick up the limbs and pieces, and when they were certain they had the parts, they headed back, hoping that they'd be able to get to Dave's place before night fell.

It became dark, but they pushed onward, knowing that they'd be getting back soon. As the sky became black, the light of safety became more noticeable. They had made it. Once inside, Dave gently laid the top half of the man on the couch, hurrying to block off the door before something could follow them inside. Kenny and Tommy sat their collection of things nearby the couch, doing their best to avoid damaging anything.

"You two can sleep in my room. I'm going to be out here trying to...make some sort of progress." Dave said, looking through the building in hopes of finding some tools that would make this less impossible. He sounded tired, but his movements were rushed.

"...are you sure? You need rest too, you know?" Tommy asked, knowing well that Dave wouldn't sleep if he chose to start on this now.

"I'm positive, this has to be done as soon as possible. I have to..."

"Goodnight Dave. Make sure you get at least some sleep tonight."

Kenny followed, only giving a small wave as if to say goodnight.

"Goodnight you two." Dave said, kneeling down by the couch and getting to work on fixing the boy. He felt the boy's face, feeling how cold it was in comparison to what he remembered of him "Don't worry Ted, you're safe now...I'm going to make sure you're in tip top shape, ok?" He said to the body, acting as though it would respond. At the very least, he had some vague hope that maybe Ted could hear him, although he knew it wasn't likely.

In the bedroom, Tommy sprawled out on the bed before scooting over to make sure Kenny had some room too. Kenny stood there by the shut door, looking down at his talons.

"Is...something wrong?" Tommy asked.

"No Tommy, everything is perfectly fine, there is nothing that could POSSIBLY be bothering me right now."

"...stupid question, uh, I guess, what's bothering you then?"

Kenny paused, trying to find the right way to phrase his thoughts.

"The uh, the machine...or, man? Boy? I-I don't know. I'm confused. I mean, I understand being attached to inanimate objects and all but...how could something like that be alive? And why is Dave so worked up over it?"

"Kenny, I really didn't want to bring this up back there because, well, it wasn't the time. But that was Ted. That Ted person from the photo, the boy looks just like him."

Kenny thought, comparing the two in his memory. The photo had been hard to make out in some places, details warped, but Tommy was right. What could be seen did in fact look exactly like the body.

"Well, if he's a machine, then he can be fixed, right? He can be brought back?"

Tommy shrugged. They didn't know something, or rather someone, like Ted was possible.

"Let's just get some sleep. Hopefully when we wake up he'll be done."

As Tommy snuggled into the bed, taking in the warmth of the blankets, Kenny laid next to them. Time passed, Kenny had no way of telling how much. He tossed and turned, but his mind raced with thoughts of all that had happened. He tried to wrap his head around it all, trying to understand the things that previously didn't exist but suddenly now did. Or did they always exist, and it was a matter of no one noticing until now? Tommy was fast asleep, but as he tossed and turned, Kenny couldn't keep his eyes closed. He eventually sat up, rubbing his eyes. He was tired, absolutely exhausted. But his body wouldn't allow him to rest. He got up and paced around, letting his mind wander. Murder, machines, things that held no meaning and yet meant everything at the same time. It made his head hurt. His restless thinking was interrupted by a loud noise coming from the living room.

Taking his hatchet and quietly opening the door, he peered out to see what the source of the noise was, ready to battle the Murderman if he had returned. Instead, he found Dave, swearing to himself as he checked one of Ted's parts for damage, having dropped it by accident.

"Do you need some help?" Kenny offered, stepping out of the room.

"You're supposed to be asleep." Dave scolded.

"Since when were you my dad?" Kenny laughed. "...I couldn't sleep."

It was quiet for a second, the two just looked at each other.

"...I'm not really sure what you could help with." Dave responded to Kenny's offer, getting back to work at trying to fix the wires in Ted's chest.

Kenny sat down next to Dave, watching him work. He could see just how intricate the inside of Ted's body was, wires and tubes, strange parts with what looked like symbols etched into them. It looked as if it were some kind of magic. In the center was a container of sorts, put back into place by Dave who was trying to connect things again.

"So...is that his heart? Or I guess...his version of a heart?" Kenny asked, pointing to the core within Ted's chest.

Dave nodded. "He was made to look as human as possible. An assistant and protector for Alice. She and a friend made him together. I'm just...doing the best I can. If I can get him to wake up, he might be able to self repair. I hope..."

"So then...he's her son?"

Dave paused for a moment, something about the question cut deep.

"I...I guess so."

Kenny put his wing on Dave's shoulder.

"If we were able to find Ted, I'm sure we can find Alice. He might even be able to help you find her."

Kenny tried to reassure Dave, but even he wasn't so sure. He had no clue how any of this worked. Dave gave a small smile, glancing over at Kenny.

"Yeah. Yeah you're right. Uh, could you help me hold this in place?"

Kenny nodded, taking the piece of Ted gently and keeping it still while Dave worked it into place. There was a small spark that came from the wires, a momentary light that flickered within the chest cavity. Ted was alive.

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