Torn Pathways

Part 2: Unresolvable Error

[They stared at the icon in disbelief and confusion, not sure what the restart was meant to do. They didn't even notice the pc was running into problems...]

[Second set Chosen down as they just wondered what in the world they were looking at]

Second: Restart? What does that mean?

Chosen: Restarting usually happens when there are too many issues for a computer to solve at once. The restart is supposed to speed up the process, but it can also erase some things too.

Second: How is that helping then?? If you're erasing a few things, that is not really helping.

Chosen: Some things have to be erased; restarted to resolve problems.

[Second thought about it for a moment and quickly learned that Alan never saved them as a file. They've been in an ongoing file that Alan physically couldn't save for many years. If the computer restarts, the chances of them being alive still were close to zero since they weren't saved into Alan's computer.]

[Once Second realized this, he turned to Chosen with a horrified look.]

Second: Don't restart it.

Chosen: I wasn't going to. I feel like you and I have the same idea as to why?

[Second nodded slowly as Chosen hummed. He then set fire to his hands and flew up to the message, hitting the " Maybe Later " option. It disappeared before Chosen fell back down to the floor.]

Chosen: Why is that popping up now? It didn't pop up before, even when there was a virus in his pc. Have you noticed anything weird recently?

[Second blinked before he slumped slightly. Chosen cleared his throat, realizing that Second probably didn't know what he meant.]

Chosen: I mean - in the pc.

Second: Oh, u- uh.....Not really. The only thing close to " weird " was that pop-up. Other than that, it's been......fine...I guess.

[Chosen stared at Second, knowing full well that Second was hiding something. Considering there were still secrets in this pc that only he and the gang knew about, he didn't fully believe that Second hadn't seen something up with the computer.]

Chosen: Second....?

Second: What? What.....?

Chosen: You're not very good at lying..

[Second grunted softly, rubbing the back of his neck.]

Second: What are you talking about? What am I lying about?

Chosen: You're telling me....after months of being in this computer with only me here....you haven't seen anything out of place?

Second: I mean- have you?? You've been in here with me, why haven't you seen anything? Why am I expected to notice everything?!

[Chosen went silent as he just stared at Second, awaiting him to come clean. Second noticed that Chosen wasn't budging on his terrible lying attempt, and he quickly sighed.]

Second: Alan's files.

[Chosen's eyes slightly widened at Second's soft reply]

Chosen: His files?

Second: Yeah. When I went to grab a file, I noticed that some of them were missing.

Chosen: Hm. That's not exactly weird, Second. I mean.....Alan deletes files all the time. Most of the time, it's some stuff that he needed, but he deletes them to make sure that the pc has enough space to hold us.

[Second went numb for a minute before he turned away from Chosen to look at the black screen. Alan had risked so much for them, and yet all he got in return was stress. Alan's burdens were enough for him to snap, and Second couldn't even begin to understand how he felt when the team just.....left.]