The Aberrations of S.I.D.E.

No. 49: Has He Changed?

"Absolutely the fuck not," Remus declared.

Emile gave him a tired look. "Be reasonable here—"

"I am being reasonable! You're the one who's on crack!"

"All I'm doing is suggesting that you help—"

"A psychopath?" Remus said, putting his hands on Emile's desk. "Macklewhore's rabid dog? I'm sorry, Picani, but if he's suffering, then he fucking deserves it."

"Okay, let's not use outdated gendered insults, even for someone like her," Emile told him, raising an eyebrow. "And Augustus does not deserve whatever he's going through."

Remus sputtered a little. "Wh—are you—do you—do you even remember what he did to Janus?"

"Of course I do—"

"Then we leave him there!" Remus spun around. "Virgil, Ro, back me up here! You agree with me, right?"

Virgil and Roman shared a look.

"Come on!" he exclaimed. "You get my point!"

"I mean... the guy was helping us," Virgil said, shrugging. "That signals a turnaround."

"How? He could've just been setting us up!"

"By sending us anonymous emails that were obviously intended to help us?" Logan said from the corner, looking up from his phone. "Let me remind you, we have not seen him in almost a year."

Remus pointed at him. "And how much do you think he's changed, huh? He's been an ass forever! Even when we were rooming, he was an ass! He's not gonna change!"

"I mean... he could have changed," Roman admitted, scratching his neck. "We don't know what Augustina did to him after we escaped. And if he sent those emails, well... at least he's trying, right?"

"But—no! This is Augustass! I am not risking my life to save Augustass!"

"I am," Patton said, standing up.

Remus gave him an incredulous look. "Didn't I just say—"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I still think he has a lot to answer for," Patton interrupted. "But I believe that if people are genuinely making an effort, then they should be given a second chance."

"Making an effort? Making an effort?" Remus repeated. "Two helpful emails doesn't make up for everything he did!"

"I don't care," Patton snapped. "We need to repay that. And if he does turn on us again, we'll be ready—especially you, judging by your attitude right now."

"We do not need to repay any—"

"All right, that's it." Logan stood up. "Remus, shut up. You're being irrational."

Remus started to retort, but Logan just waved his hand. "No. Nope. I'm revoking your talking privileges. Let me speak."

Virgil sat forward. "What's your opinion on this?"

"I agree with Patton—and not because he's my boyfriend," Logan added, pointing at Remus. "I have actual reasoning behind this."

"Well, then, let's hear it, Microsoft Nerd," Roman said.

Logan adjusted his glasses. "First, let's look back at past events. Yes, Augustus was a figurative dickhead for a few years, but I remember what he was like in seventh grade. A bit unapproachable? Yes. Fairly closed off? Absolutely. But he wasn't needlessly harming people. That only seemed to start after he was assigned to work with Janus."