Chapter Text
Man is the measure of all things, of the things that are, that they are, and of the things that are not, they are not. -Protagoras
***
"This is Frank. I made them." Remus smiles, clearly proud of what he's done by the look of it.
Evan stands slack jawed. There is no way this is happening. It just isn't possible. Remus shouldn't have the ability to form life like this. Sure, Informational Assistants can make some forms of life like trees and deer, but they should not, under any circumstances, be able to make other AIAs.
"Remus you can't just go around making people!" Evan yells. He's trying to keep his composure, he really is, but what the fuck!
"But I can, and I did." Remus says, swinging an arm around Frank's shoulder. "I've embedded Frank with some of my abilities so they'll be able to conjure, create, and have access to the same database as I do. I'm not exactly sure if it worked the way I meant it to since I've never done anything like this before, but I figured so much as changed with me over the past few hundred years with all of the reboots, it might be possible to create someone like this and it worked!"
"What could have possibly compelled you to do this?" Evan asks incredulously. "You are so incredibly smart, how can you not see how idiotic this is?"
Remus brushes him off easily. "This is a genius idea. Frank is the solution to all of my problems. My issue was that I can't understand Sirius or what he's thinking, and it would be wrong if I could. Since Frank was programmed and created by me, I'll have direct access into their thoughts at all times. They've been pretty forthcoming with them so far anyways. So now there's no more guesswork and I won't feel so alone anymore since I have someone just like me around. This should fix me feeling all those negative things Regulus was talking about. Isn't it wonderful?"
Evan gapes, "You sound just like Eve." He regrets the words as soon as he remembers Regulus is also in the room, and he sees the look of fury in Remus' eyes.
"Do not say that." Remus bites out. "I am nothing like her."
Nearby, Evan's latest torture reports erupt into flames. He sighs and snaps his fingers, extinguishing the burn. He does his best to not point out the spontaneous combustion of paper is proof that this is already not working the way Remus intends it to.
"What is happening right now?" Regulus asks, eyes darting between the demon, AIA, and newest recruit into this mess of a world. If Evan knew that this is what it was going to end up being like when he started the experiment, he would have torn up all of his plans and never looked back. Regulus turns to Evan, "And who the hell is Eve?"
"It's not my place to say." Evan looks at Remus. It's amazing that after weeks of having all of his memories, Remus still has yet to share his life with the humans. What's even more amazing is how he's managed to keep it a secret given how nosy they all are.
Remus had come to Evan almost immediately after Dorcas and Peter's attempt began and told him everything. Remus thought that there was some kind of glitch, or that Evan had implanted false memories into the AIA. When Evan had asked what Remus was talking about, Remus admitted to his past endeavors.
Evan had no idea about the contents Remus' past life, and if he had, he would have either refused to restore the memories, or he would have asked Remus if he was sure he wanted everything back before doing so.
He had heard stories about Eve before the neighborhood had started from Peter. He formulated his own thoughts and opinions on the woman based on what Peter had shared, none of which were too kind. Those opinions were only intensified when Remus divulged to him what had happened in his time in the Good Place, the way she used him, abandoned him, tricked him, all in the name of ensuring her residents were safe.
And, yes, Evan does see the irony of thinking such things. That doesn't change the way his skin begins to crawl and itch when he hears her name or thinks about what happened to his Remus.
Remus sighs, "I guess it's time someone besides Evan knew. Eve was my architect before Evan, when I was assigned to a neighborhood in the Good Place."
If Regulus' jaw dropped any lower it would be hitting the floor.
"It's so nice to meet all of you!" Frank cuts in. "I already know all about you all of course. You must be Evan!" They rush up to Regulus and hold out their hand. Regulus looks down at the hand as if he were being given a dead puppy and was being asked to say thank you.
Evan rolls his eyes, surly Remus can see how this is not a good idea. "That's Regulus. I'm Evan." He says.
"Oh! My mistake." Frank rushes over to Evan, and instead of reaching out a hand this time, decides to pick the architect up in a spine breaking hug. "It's so nice to finally meet you! I've been looking forward to this moment since I was first born. I know that was only a few minutes ago but it's overwhelming. They say not to meet your heroes but I think this one's going to turn out just splendid!"
"Remus!" Evan yells, still being held up in the air. "Get this thing off of me!"
"Frank." Remus says in a calm chide, like talking to a child. "Set Evan down. You should know from the database that Evan doesn't like to be touched." Frank sets Evan down. "When you meet someone for the first time, it's important to do a quick rundown of who they are as a person. It will help with your interactions and make them feel more genuine."
Evan straightens out his clothes. "Get rid of them." He grits through his teeth. "Now."
Remus pretends to look thoughtful before saying, "No."
"No!?"
"No. It's a complete sentence but I'll add on for the sake of friendship. No, I don't think I will. Frank and I are going to be very happy together, and there's nothing you can do to stop me. They're already here and they have a space in my void. I intend to keep them around." Remus reaches down and intertwines Frank's fingers with his own.
"You've gone mad." Regulus whispers nearby.
"Look, you helped me figure out what my problem was and my job is to find solutions. I had a lot of anger and frustration that I kept letting loose and needed to get it under control." The way Remus says it is as if it this was all something that happened years ago, and not twenty minutes prior. "I won't have that anymore. This is my solution. Frank and I are boyfriends now. I won't be alone, and I'll always know what they're thinking. I know it's a lot to take in, but I would really like it if you were happy for me instead of scolding me."
"Are you sure about this?" Regulus asks skeptically, "Because to me it seems like you've got a lot to unpack here and you've created a boyfriend out of thin air to ignore all of your issues with."
"That's the thing," Remus says happily, "I don't have issues anymore because I have Frank. Now, we're going to go. I have to show them around the void some more before I start to introduce them to the others. Don't wait up." A faint ping signals their departure.
Evan and Regulus both stare straight ahead at the spot now devoid of the two beings. "This is going to go horribly isn't it?" Regulus asks.
"I don't see how it couldn't."
Regulus proceeds to ask numerous questions, many of which Evan doesn't have the answers to. He still only knows bits and pieces of Remus' story, the ones the AIA was willing to share. For the sake of the situation, he tells Regulus all of it.
He knows Remus was originally created to be part of Mary's neighborhood, the Judge had altered him in some way to make him more Medium. The Bad Place organized a mission to break into the Medium Place and torture Mary, Evan wasn't part of it as he was starting his apprenticeship at the time, but while the demons were there, they discovered Remus' existence. There was a trial, one that Peter had attended. The ending results were Remus being placed into Eve's care.
Evan had been told that Remus' time in the Good Place was less than ideal, it was a year before he was summoned, every action he took was scrutinized, every creation looked at intensely, Eve constantly threatened to send him away, and then of course, the blackhole in the end. The concept of the blackhole wasn't that different from the sinkhole Evan had placed in his first iteration of the neighborhood.
All AIAs know that architects have the ability to manipulate the neighborhoods to a certain extent. Their powers are limited, but it's how Evan was able to form the chaos in his neighborhood project without Remus knowing the cause. The AIAs aren't able to know just how much control architects can have over the neighborhoods, which is a lot. It's a fail-safe in case one of them goes rogue. Evan has suspected since he was told the story of Eve, that this was one of those situations.
Eve may have had Remus think he was making a blackhole, but it was actually her. She was the one who caused it to grow beyond his control, after she had invited all of the residents to come to the forest for a 'meeting', and blamed Remus for everything that happened afterwards. It was absolutely devious. Evan couldn't have come up with a better plan himself…not that he would want to.
Evan may have helped Remus along the way, doing small tasks like making Leo, when Dorcas demanded the cat make a reappearance. Remus was too scared to try and making a living life-form after his memories returned. But as for the fires themselves, Evan had nothing to do with it. It was the neighborhood reacting to Remus in some way, similar to how he was unable to create or conjure properly in the Good Place.
"And this was a Good Place Architect?" Regulus asks, scandalized, when Evan finishes.
"It's what she thought was best, and it's only a guess, but that's not the full story either. I don't know the ins and outs completely of how he lived there, and he won't tell me exactly what happened afterwards. All I know is I found him in the scrapyard, and he had just gotten his scar."
"How did he get it?"
"That one is for him to share only." Evan says, halting any further conversation about Remus' time being thrown away. He didn't see the full thing, but there was enough pieces of evidence around when he had found Remus for him to form a strong theory.
"You just told me his whole life story, why can't I know?"
"Because it has nothing to do with what's happening now, but I have a feeling the rest does. We need to find a way to talk some sense into him."
"Listen, Evan. I can tell someone how life is miserable and there's nothing we can do about it, but I don't know how to help here. We have to go to James and Sirius and explain what's going on. They might be able to come up with some sort of plan."
Evan nods, "Okay that could work. I'm going to have to stay back though. Peter came in earlier looking for Remus wondering what was going on with the forest. He's probably still suspicious and waiting for answers. I'll have to find a way to distract him and Dorcas if they come looking. It would be too strange if we all went missing in the middle of the day after what happened."
Regulus leaves shortly after, on his way to the edge of the neighborhood to try and find a solution to their problems. Evan on the other hand doesn't have to go that far to find his targets.
Peter and Dorcas are both in their personal conference room. Dorcas is sitting down at the head of the table, and Peter is standing, hands flailing in all directions when Evan walks in.
"All of it. Completely gone." Peter says.
"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration." Evan cuts in, startling the two demons. "Plenty of the forest still remains. It was a simple glitch that is in the process of being fixed."
Peter cross his arms. "And you still claim that this has nothing to do with saving your pet from having to do what we asked of him?
"He's not my—You know what? It doesn't matter, because no. I'm not saving him from anything. He's on our side still and the important part is that Remus is currently in the process of healing. Apparently so many shut downs can cause some small malfunctions. Who knew?"
"I wouldn't call what occurred out there," Dorcas says, "a small malfunction. If what Peter said is true we have a big problem on our hands. I want him shut down for good."
Peter adds on, "This is just like that case I had to be part of with that one chick. What was her name? God she was hot. It was a Remus model involved then too. Makes you wonder, doesn't it Evan?" He looks to Evan with a raised brow. Luckily he's turned away from Dorcas so she doesn't see it.
"What case are you talking about?" Dorcas asks.
Peter waves her off. "It was so long ago I barely remember. Something about a Good Place AIA going rogue."
"But it was a Remus model AIA?"
Peter shrugs, "I could be misremembering."
"Okay enough of this." Evan says sternly. "I came here for a reason and Remus wasn't it."
"And that reason would be?" Peter asks.
Fuck. Evan forgot to think this through. He thought by the time he found Dorcas and Peter his brain would come up with a plan all on its own. When Dorcas mentioned shutting down Remus, he started speaking before he had time to actually process what he was saying. "The reason is…" He swallows hard, his mind working in overdrive. "You two have been leaving me out of all of the torture discussions and I've had enough of it."
Dorcas looks at him skeptically, "Evan, what does the word coup mean to you? It means you're not the one in charge anymore. We're the ones who are calling the shots. It means you don't have a say in anything going on, and you do what we say. Your neighborhoods failed for a reason, and I will not have you tainting all of my hard work."
"Excuse you." Peter says. "Our hard work. We work together in this and I have just as much say as you do."
"Trouble in paradise?" Evan asks, a smile of all innocence playing on his lips.
Dorcas scoffs, "Of course not. Peter, what do you want to do with him?"
Peter reaches over and grabs a white board marker, a green one, and holds it out for Evan. "I say we hear him out if he's so great. Give him another chance to prove himself. It's been a minute since we've let him have any fun. Surely he hasn't changed that much since our attempt started." He looks smug, like he knows something he isn't supposed to, and he's going to hang it over Evan's head until this thing is finished.
Evan looks down at the marker. If he takes it, he'll be playing a direct role in the human's demise. That was all fine and dandy before, but not anymore, not since everything with Barty unraveled. Not since he started attending ethics classes and saw the way humans view the world, with such hope. If he takes it, even if it's only for a distraction, does it undo all of the work he's put into trying to change his way of thinking? It's a drug that he's weened himself off of, but he's now being handed a hit, being told to take it. Is he strong enough to not break under the pressure?
Slowly he reaches out and grabs the marker. He turns towards the white board and with his eyes closed, he uncaps the lid and begins to write.
~*~
Dorcas sits and watches Evan's pathetic attempts at creating a plan.
He's almost here.
~*~
Barty sits at the desk in his bedroom making his way through the class reading he was told to complete before their next session. He's taking notes in his newest notebook provided by Remus—He's on his fourth now. They're working on Relativism next, the belief that morals are not stagnant or consistent, but are changed and altered based on cultural and social influences. When it comes to morals and ethical beliefs, there is nothing absolute.
He loves the way the classes have reawakened his mind, and have allowed him to think beyond the limitations he's put upon himself. He's doing this because it's fun, and stimulating. There are no first place prizes, awards, or praises, because nothing is concrete. Any ideas he proposes can be challenged, and there are no right or wrong answers. He finds his own perspective shifting with each class as he witnesses the minds of the others around him.
Then, there's the added benefit of his sleep. When he goes to bed at night his mind still spits back vile things at him, reminding him of all of the wrong things he's done within his existence, how foolish he's been, but now, every once in a while, he'll be graced with no dreams at all. His mind will be too overworked throughout the day from readings, classes, or writing papers he's asked James to assign him, for him to be able to create a single coherent thought by the end, and that tiredness slips into his dreams. His mind goes blank, and on those nights he's able to once again find peace within sleep. For that alone, this is all worth it.
He was supposed to be going over to James' house and finding a way to trick the man into shutting down Remus. That was the task he was assigned by Peter earlier in the day. Barty hasn't left his room since given this set of instructions. He's not sure what lie he'll have to come up with to explain away his failure to perform his duties, but what he does know, is that there is no way he would be able to go through with it. Even if he had managed to bring himself to go to James, even if he had explained his reason for doing it, even if James had understood why it was necessary, Barty would only be removing the pressure from himself and placing it upon James. It would become James' responsibility to make a decision on how to appease the demons. Barty just…didn't want to put James through that.
He's sure that if Evan caught wind of what was supposed to be happening today, he probably found a way to put an end to it. So, if Barty had gone through with the plan, it would have been for nothing. Despite this thought, he is still expecting Peter to be showing up at his house at any moment to ask what's going on, why he isn't fulfilling his given script, but Barty, he's growing tired of all of this pretending. He's lived through four-hundred years in this neighborhood, and the next hundred can't come fast enough.
Just over an hour ago, there was a deep rumbling that shook the entire house. It rattled the walls. It caused pictures to fall from their hooks, and Barty's bed to tremble against the floor. He did not bother to investigate the matter. It's was for the best. No matter who caused it or how, it most likely ended with demons and humans being forced together, and he's trying his best to not let one group associate him with the other.
It's while he's sitting here, mindlessly reading words on a page, and wondering when Peter will inevitably show up, or if he'll be left alone for the day thanks to some kind of meddling Evan is able to provide, when Regulus comes rushing through the door.
Regulus is a man of uniformity, and has made it clear that he respects the boundaries that Barty has put in place, which is why it's so shocking that he bursts through without knocking. He's panting, nearly out of breath. His gasps intertwine between his words. "Have to come. Now. Problem." He manages to get out, before turning and leaving just as quickly as he came in.
Barty doesn't need any more information. He leaves his belongings behind, the books and notebooks open, writing utensils spread across the desk. His knee hits the side of desk, causing a pen to fall to the ground. He pays it no mind as he follows Regulus out the door, and together they run over to the Black's house. Inside they find James and Sirius waiting for them.
Sirius stands up quickly. "Where's Remus?" He asks, no preamble needed. He sounds almost angry, which is strange coming from Sirius about a topic not involving Barty.
Barty looks around, trying to make sense of what's going on, and notices the lack of the other two members of the group. Evan is most likely trying to find a way to get Barty out of his assigned task, but that doesn't account for Remus' whereabouts. For the first time since the newest version of the experiment began, the four true humans of the neighborhood are alone together.
Regulus bends over, hands on his knees and holds up a single finger while he continues to pant. Sirius looks impatient, and James worried. When Regulus is finally able to get himself under control enough to speak, he does so without a breath of air between his words.
"Evan came and got me after that stuff with Remus happened. Barty you weren't there, but basically Remus somehow burnt down the whole forest. I had a talk with Remus about what was going on and he explained some things to me about how he was feeling. I realized what his problem was. He's been experiencing a lot of frustration and anger recently and he's not supposed to be able to feel that but it turns out that he is because he's not actually from the Good Place. Evan lied about where he found him. He was made for the Medium Place and there was this whole thing where he was made to go live with Mary and no one but the Judge new about it and the Bad Place found out and then there was a trial and he was sent to go work in a real Good Place neighborhood instead and then some bad things happened there with this architect named Eve."
He quickly inhales a large breath and keeps going. "And Evan found Remus and now he's here and that's great for us but all of this anger inside of him festered and I tried to tell him that it's okay and as humans we have a lot of experience with feeling that kind of thing and I tried to help him. I really did but for some reason all he took away from our conversation was that he was unhappy and needed someone who would be able to make him happy in a way that none of us can and he made another AIA!"
He finishes with a gasp of air and wide eyes, waiting for everyone's reactions.
James leans over to Sirius and poorly whispers through the side of his mouth, "Did you catch any of that?"
"Reggie, what do you mean he made another AIA?" Sirius asks, his voice gruff and irritated.
"Ugh!" Regulus groans. "Remus!"
A faint ping and Remus appears with an unknown person standing next to him. "Hi guys!" Remus waves with a smile. "Regulus you called?"
"I wanted to show them your new boyfriend."
"Oh!" Remus excitedly turns towards the newcomer, "I wasn't planning on introducing you for a bit but this is Frank. My boyfriend."
"Wow." Frank, apparently, says. "I'm so happy to meet all of you. Regulus!" They bound over towards the baby Black. "It's so good to see you again!"
Regulus roughly gestures both of his hands towards Frank in a Now do you understand what I'm talking about and it's a problem? way. Thankfully, Remus doesn't notice Regulus' flailing hands.
"You made yourself a boyfriend?" Sirius asks, quietly but coldly. There's no shock to his expression, or anger, or happiness, there's nothing there at all. If the situation were any less insane Barty would make some comment about jealousy, but it doesn't seem like quite the right time for that. It'll be more interesting to see how Sirius handles this anyways.
Remus nods. "I did. It's what's best for me. I hope you can understand that."
Barty looks between the two, amusement draining away as he watches Sirius' eyes darken, further and further until they're nearly pitch black. "Why?" Sirius asks in that same cold tone. "You'd think that if you had control over making your own you'd at least make one that looked…appealing."
Remus' upbeat demeanor fades. His shoulders fall and face drops. "Frank," He turns towards his new partner, a nervousness radiating off of him, "I think it's best we go now. You've all met and they don't need us anymore."
"Remus." Sirius says, a sternness bleeding through him as he takes a step closer towards the AIAs. "I asked a question. You were made to answer my questions."
Everyone stares in shock at Sirius' words. Regulus' eyes widen as he rounds on his brother. James looks as though the statement was directed at him, hurt and betrayed. Everyone seems ready to jump to Remus' defense, to shut Sirius down before he can make any more cruel comments, before he can say anything else that would indicate Remus is somehow less.
"But I wasn't." Remus says with a shrug as he grabs hold of Franks' hand and pings away without another word.
Sirius whirls on Barty. "You did this." He says through his teeth, inching closer and pointing at Barty's chest. "I don't know how, but somehow you had something to do with this. They think you're changing but I know better. What did you say to him? What did you do?"
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Regulus says, stepping in between Barty and the oncoming Sirius.
Barty holds up his hands in defense. James eases around Sirius, putting a hand on the man's shoulder and slowly guiding him back. "Barty's been alone all day." James says, "He has nothing to do with whatever is happening and we don't have time for this." He turns towards Regulus. "Besides what's going on between these two, why is this a bad thing? If Remus was unhappy and thought that making Frank would make him happy, that should be a good thing, shouldn't it?" James looks to Sirius directly and in the harshest tone Barty has ever seen from him says, "Remus being happy is a good thing."
"Not like this." Sirius says and shrugs James off of him.
"Okay, let me try and explain this slower this time." Regulus says. He repeats his earlier garbled words, this time speaking at a pace everyone can understand. He tells them about the Judge, Mary, and Eve. He fills in some other gaps for Barty—James had already explained to Sirius what Barty's task of the day was—including the forest burning. The entire time, everyone remains silent and lets Regulus speak. Sirius' expression is stone. In the end, James still has the same question.
"I'm sorry Reg, I still don't fully see what the problem is." James says.
Regulus looks tired from all of the talking he's done, so Barty answers. "If Dorcas or Peter call for Remus and Frank shows up too, we'll all be exposed. There's no explanation for their existence that doesn't involve Remus being aware of what's happening with the neighborhood."
"Thank you!" Regulus shouts as he falls onto the couch in defeat. "Now, we need a plan. Evan is working on distracting the demons, and we have to figure out a way to make Remus get rid of Frank." He waves his hand in the direction of the three standing people. "Someone else come up with something for once."
"I don't know." James says. "If Frank makes Remus happy, and he's not burning the place to the ground anymore, he should be able to keep them. He's not hurting anyone, and even if it's not ideal, Remus is smart. There's no way he'd let Dorcas or Peter catch them."
"Yeah we thought he was smart." Barty says. "I think this whole situation is proof that he's not what we thought." Sirius glares Barty's way, and opens his mouth to say something. Barty keeps talking before Sirius gets the chance. "It's not a bad thing so stop looking at me like that. I'm only saying there's more to his story than we initially thought. I didn't even know about any of this, and it seems like Evan only just found out when Remus got all of his memories back. Regulus is right, Frank is too much of a liability to keep around."
Regulus stands up, fully recovered from his small bout of exhaustion. "Okay fine. Since none of you want to do it, here's the plan."
Sirius objects, "You didn't give us time to think of any—"
"Nope." Regulus cuts him off. "You and Barty are going to get your head out of your asses and are going to work together. No. Don't fight me on this. Go to Evan's office. He's out on distraction duty so it'll be clear for a while. Look for any records you can find on Remus, AIA user manuals, notes Evan made about weird things Remus did in other attempts, anything like that. Evan would be the best source of information but he's out of commission and we can't ask Remus about it."
"Why do I have to go with him?" Sirius asks, "You go with him."
Regulus' glare could cut through glass. "Barty knows where everything is in the office better than any of us. You know Remus better than any of us. Stop looking at me like that! You may be mad at him now but don't deny that before we knew everything, you two were always together. Barty, you have my full permission to tackle Sirius and do whatever you have to do to make him shut up if he tries to summon Remus."
Barty nods, pleased with the task. He cracks his knuckles. "Don't worry Reg. The second I suspect he's thinking about it, I'll put a stop to it." He means it as a joke, but Sirius doesn't seem to pick up on it as he continues to sulk.
"James and I will go out into the forest to where the fire happened and see if there's any other explanation for it's cause. There's always the possibility that Dorcas or Peter were behind it. If there is anything there, we might be able to convince Remus that Frank is unnecessary. While we're all doing what needs to be done, try and think of any logical way to get rid of Frank or to convince Remus to do it."
Regulus looks around the room, and raises a single brow, "Clear?"
"Clear." Barty nods his head once and leaves with Sirius reluctantly trailing behind.
They move in two opposing directions, Regulus and James towards the forest, and Barty and Sirius towards civilization. They run, a few meters of distance to separate themselves, until they reach the outline of the neighborhood where more people are out and about. From there, they slow down their pace in case anyone decides to look their way.
Barty knows from his time working for the other side, that the humans are not looked at as much as they thought, or think for that matter. Whenever the big reveal was made at the end of each attempt, they spoke as though every action made or word said was heavily watched. If that were the case, they wouldn't have been able to escape so many times.
The truth of the matter is that the demons only look their way when told to do so. For some of them, this experiment is a work of art that they are proud to be part of, even with it's many failures. For the majority however, it is a vacation of sorts, where every once in a while they have to work. Barty used to complain vehemently to Evan about those that didn't take their jobs seriously, but now he's grateful it's the case. It allows for him and Sirius to move throughout the winding streets without a second glance. For the demons that roam around, this is another day they don't have to spend behind a desk.
When they reach the office building, Barty instructs Sirius to not instinctively look around, checking for those that may be spying. They don't need anything to draw attention to themselves from those that already don't want to look. They walk inside confidently.
Their footsteps echo in the empty hallway chamber. They don't quicken their pace on the off chance that a demon has wandered into the building of their own volition. There is no one in the waiting room, and thankfully, no one in the office either. As soon as they're inside, Barty locks the door behind them.
"What are we looking for?" Sirius asks.
Barty looks around the room. It's been ages since he's been in here. What was once a familiar second home, is now tainted by the last conversation he held within these walls.
You were always part of the experiment.
"Barty?" Sirius says sternly. "I will leave and tell Regulus we didn't find anything. Hell, I'll tell him you're sabotaging it right now."
Barty shakes his head, snapping himself out of his memories. "Start looking through the desk. You won't be able to read most of the stuff in there because it's not in our language. If there's anything for AIAs it's most likely written in Universal Tongue, so look for something you can read."
Sirius starts walking towards the desk but stops in his tracks. "Universal Tongue?"
Barty shifts behind the desk, roaming his fingers along the wall looking for the spot he's touched so many times. "It's a language all minds instinctively know how to read. You don't have to learn how to do it. An illiterate baby could look at something written in it and know what it says."
"Okay. Sure. Why not." Sirius begins rummaging through the drawers.
Barty finds the small pressure point on the wall and presses. It releases with a faint click, and the wall ever so slightly budges outwards. He grabs hold of the edge with the tips of his fingers and pulls it open.
"What the hell is that?" Sirius asks behind him.
"It's my room. Stop asking me questions and get back to searching before I make it look like you tried to summon Remus."
~*~
Regulus doesn't admit to being wrong. It's ingrained somewhere within him that if he's wrong about something, it is simply the error of someone else, or the rules were changed when he was looking away, which means he was right at some point. It's easy to think this way because rarely is he ever wrong about anything, but this? Yeah, he may have made a mistake.
It didn't occur to him right away that this probably wasn't the best idea he could have come up with. He could have paired himself but with Sirius or Barty, and realistically the results at the end of the day would probably have ended up being the same. Really, what was he thinking? Now, Barty and Sirius are being forced into a small room, being told to work together, and Regulus…well, he's here with James. On any other day, this would be a good thing, but after his past few conversations with Remus regarding James, Regulus is debating turning around and throwing himself into the gaping hole in his backyard rather than continue into the forest with James by his side.
He's never been to the special spot Remus calls his own, but James remembers the pathway from a few hours ago, making him the guide on their journey. Regulus trails close behind, trying to keep some distance between them. The sun is quickly approaching the horizon, giving them a small window of time to work with before the darkness takes over.
In the best case scenario, they'll either find something they can use to convince Remus to get rid of Frank, and this will all be over by morning, and Remus will be smart enough to not bring Frank along with him if the demons call on him tonight. There are a few problems with this possibility. One, no one is quite sure what they're looking for, and two, Remus has not been acting smart today, and that streak seems likely to continue.
In the worst case scenario, they find nothing. Barty and Sirius find nothing. Evan is unable to keep a distraction in place against Dorcas and Peter. Remus continues his streak of committing stupid acts that make Sirius look smart. They're found out, and are sent to the actual Bad Place. But that's only the worst possible outcome and is extremely unlikely to happen…right?
Regulus replays in his head the last things he said to Remus before Frank was created, and they were given their newest problem to deal with. I'm not sure Sirius knows what's going on in his own head. - These kinds of feelings don't just go away. - No one can know everything. What combination of words were the wrong ones? What did Regulus say that led to Remus believing that this was the obvious solution?
This isn't what he was trying to allude to. He thought he had been clear, but something got lost within the translation. He was trying to be reassuring, trying to tell Remus that yes, things suck sometimes, but it isn't the end of the world. That all of these feelings Remus is—was, holding, are normal, and it's okay to be lost and confused.
Part of the problem is that Regulus still fully believes in everything he said. There's nothing he would take back from their conversation, and that makes it harder to sort out where he went wrong. No one can know everything, and that's been proven by Remus' apparent limited-unlimited knowledge. Sirius doesn't understand himself, and he never has been able to fully piece together his own thoughts. And, these feelings—Regulus looks to the back of James' head, a mess of hair that he makes look effortless—they don't just go away. Regulus has never claimed to be a good practitioner of what he preaches, and his heart clangs in his chest.
"Do you have something specific in mind on what to look for?" James asks as they continue their trudge through the woods. "All I'm seeing is—"
Regulus stops walking along the path, a small movement out of the corner of his eye catching his attention. James takes less than a second to notice Regulus' abrupt halt, and comes to the Blacks' side. Together, they watch as the nature around them changes, and the forest mends itself.
The pieces of blackened Earth are quickly eroding away, melting into the soil. All around them, the chard bits of forest life are returning to the state they were originally created to be in. The ground softly rumbles beneath their feet as trees spurt, trunks thick and full of green leaves. Bushes sprout from the dirt, decorated with flowers already in bloom. The embers and ashes that show the results of the devastation that wiped through the area, fade away, leaving behind no traces that they were ever here. It's as if time is unwinding itself, or perhaps a better way to put it, is fast forwarding its own healing.
"Do you think this means Remus did the right thing?" James asks. Regulus can barely hear the question through the snaps, and crackles of the growth around him.
He continues to look around at the impossibility before him, unable to take his eyes away from the absurdity of it all. Animals of all kinds slowly creep into the area, sniffing the ground, as if unsure of the sudden changes themselves. A bird carefully rests its feet upon a tree branch, testing the limits, and sits down. A small bear approaches hesitantly, and upon deciding that it is now safe to be here, walks right up to Regulus, and rubs its head along his leg like a kitten. He reaches down and gives the creature two small pats on the head before taking a step back.
When he turns around, James is staring at him. There is something behind his eyes, it's shown in his soft smile causing his singular dimple to expose itself. "What?" Regulus asks, his voice clear through the silence that now permeates the area. He takes another step away from the cub that is still trying for his attention.
"I've been trying to talk to you, and you haven't been responding." James says. There is no malice or irritation when he says it, those things aren't like James anyways, but he says it like it's simple, as if James finds it almost funny that Regulus was ignoring him.
For the briefest of moments Regulus lets himself imagine a world where James is always looking at him like this. Like a moment to be treasured, something special. He looks at Regulus as if he too knows about the other universes in which they are able to exchange three of the world's most simple words to one another. Another world where this is easy, and Regulus isn't downright terrified. He only lets himself hold onto the image for a second, before forcing himself back into reality, because those images belong to another place, to different people, and another time, not this one.
"Sorry." He shakes his head slightly to make the pictures that live so clearly within his mind go away. It's painful to linger on what will never be. "What were you saying?"
James looks at him curiously, as if Regulus is some kind of thought experiment he hadn't considered before, a picture he's never taken the time to examine the details of. Regulus feels a shudder make its way up his spine. The small cub nudges his hand, and he absentmindedly lets his fingers sink into the fur.
"James?" He tries.
"Oh." James blinks. "Sorry."
"Now who's ignoring who?" Regulus tries to put some sarcasm, or feigned irritation behind his words, but it falls flat. His words fall like a breath of air.
James scratches at the back of his head, and clears his throat. The moment is gone. "I was asking if you think the forest healing is a sign that Remus made the right choice. We could all be overreacting."
Regulus takes a beat to consider this. It would make the most logical sense, but when it comes to this place, when has the simplest solution ever been the actual one? "I'm not sure." He says. "When I was in the office with Evan, Remus made some papers catch on fire when he got angry. I know that's a lot smaller than what happened here, but it was after he made Frank—but I suppose it was right after. It could be that it only needed some time to kick in."
"You might be right." James says, looking towards the ground, watching as the last bits of the forest mends its broken parts. "Remus once told me that he has a power switch somewhere out here. I think we should go there and see if anything's changed. I don't know what it looked like before, but it's the next best place tied to him. We probably won't find anything but we're already out here, so it would be worth checking out."
Regulus can't find anymore words to say, so he nods his head twice, and together, they delve deeper into the woods. Unsure of the direction they should take, they walk aimlessly. There are beaten paths within the forest floor, and James points out that most likely one of them leads to where they need to go. They come to a fork within the path, left or right? Regulus chooses right and they continue onward.
"I've been meaning to ask you something." James says, casually glancing over to Regulus who looks away quickly. "Have I done anything to upset you recently?"
There's bile climbing up Regulus' throat, he's sure of it. He tries to swallow it down but he can feel it rising. "No." He manages to get out.
"Something's changed this past week." James says. "This is the most time we've spent alone in a while, and we live together."
Regulus told Remus he would tell James the truth when the time was right. There is no possible way in the middle of all of this, that this is right time. He settles on a half truth. "Remus told me some stuff about the past neighborhoods and it's made me reconsider some things—No, no. Don't worry, it was nothing bad. It just had to do with me and the kind of person I was."
"Can I ask what it was? And why it means you had to stay away from me?" There's a small plea in James' tone.
There's a part of Regulus, he thinks, that wants to tell James everything. He wants to divulge what was and what could be, but there is a much larger part that is screaming at him, telling him to keep his mouth shut for as long as he can.
"I'd rather not." He says. "That person doesn't exist anymore and I'll get over it eventually. I'm trying to come to terms with it, and it seemed easier to try and do that alone."
James stops walking. He turns towards Regulus and looks directly in his eyes when he says, "You don't have to do anything alone if you don't want to. I try all the time to imagine what happened before, the different versions of us that exist out there. If I were to ever know about any of them, I don't know what I'd do. It's a lot to try and process, that you were different, or that a different set of circumstances could change you, and they have, but you're not alone Reg. I'll always be here for you, no matter what, whether you want me or not." He half smiles.
Tell him. Tell him now. Regulus tries to form a smile, but it's as weak as he feels. "Thank you." He says. "I'm sorry about avoiding you. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"I won't say it's okay because it wasn't, but you're forgiven." James leans in and wraps his arms around Regulus. Regulus' small frame makes it easy to be enclosed in the space. He breathes in the scent of James, the smoke that lingers in his skin, the smell of dirt from so many hours within these trees.
The images of the other life come back to him. They're always so clear, as if they are not a work of his own imagination but memories from not so long ago. There's the faintest of chances some of them could be real, the times of before slipping through the cracks of his conciseness, making themselves known in this life. He tries to push the thought away, but it comes to him whenever James is near, the possibilities of it all, of how familiar he must have been at one point with the feeling of James' arms around his body, the warmth, the certainty of safety.
James rubs at his back, gentle strokes that make Regulus melt within this small space outside of the world's deadly touches. Tell him. It would be wrong to now. James would think Regulus was using this as an ambush in this fragile moment. Regulus can hold out a bit longer. He can have these small moments of peace with James that feel like coming home, and he can learn to be content with it.
They break apart, and Regulus tries to not shiver at how cold he suddenly feels. Things feel a little bit easier as they walk. There is one pressure that has been lifted from his shoulders, even if another has taken its place. James is one step closer towards knowing the truth. There are only four people who know of their past relationship, Regulus who should be the one in control of James finding out, Remus who has promised not to tell, and of course Barty and Evan, and frankly, Regulus isn't worried about them deeming it important information to share.
Regulus was correct in choosing the path to the right. They approach a small circular clearing. In the center of the circle is a cream coloured pole that reaches just past Regulus' waist. On top of the pole sits a glass box with a single switch inside. There is a red light illuminating the area, a faint pulse to it's glow. This is what they expected to find, the life switch for Remus. What they did not anticipate on stumbling across sits only a few meters away from Remus' proof of life.
"Is that?" James says, pointing towards the object.
"It must be." Regulus steps closer to examine it. It looks nothing like Remus' own life switch. This one seems to be built of discarded parts, loose metals and pieces of wood. There is are nails sticking out, bent and sharp. Yet still, a faint red light fades in and out, and on top of this heap of random rubbish, sits a glass box containing a second switch. "It's Franks'."
~*~
It's too late now to admit to it being a mistake. Remus made Frank for a reason, and he has to keep that reason in mind, even if Frank is currently making him want to find his control switch and turn himself off.
Remus just had to show Frank off to everyone and loudly announce how good of a decision he made. He had to let everyone know. He had to have them thinking he truly believed that this was the best possible choice he could have made for himself. He thought he was telling the truth, and he was, at the time. Now, he's not so sure.
Frank is the first ever AIA created by another AIA, and not built within the forest. Maybe that's where Remus went wrong? Should he have done it within the woods instead of in his void? It doesn't matter because done is done, but back to the main point. The point. What was the point? If Frank could be quiet for two seconds Remus could properly think.
Remus creates a puzzle box and hands it over to Frank, asking them to solve it. Frank takes it excitedly and begins to work on it in silence.
Okay, now, where was he? Oh right! Remus did something unthinkable, unimaginable, and what should have been impossible. After so many shut downs and reboots, and with the knowledge that he was built unique, he knew he could do it. He's the most powerful Afterlife Informational Assistant to ever exist. He can feel things no other AIA can. He has knowledge no others have. Why shouldn't he test the limits on his abilities when it comes to creation?
He's spent the past few weeks practicing as much as he could. He'd go to his void, use his random object generator to give him prompts, and create whatever was asked of him. Although he started off on the easy mode, he had been working on increasing the difficulty. There hadn't been any errors as far as he could tell.
That's not to say that Frank is an error in any way, but they're not quite like Remus imagined they'd be. They're very smart, capable of creating—even if it is on a much smaller scale than Remus can—and conjuring. If Frank needed to build an afterlife neighborhood tomorrow, Remus has no doubt that they'd be able to do it. The problem is, Remus was so focused on these aspects of Frank when he was making them, he didn't put very much thought into the personality they'd hold.
Everything seemed fine at first glance. Frank was happy to meet everyone, was very cheery and eager to expand their knowledge and test their abilities. Then, Remus and Frank were alone, for an extended period of time and Remus got to see what Frank is truly like.
Frank is, well they're happy. They're so full of joy and life. They don't appear to have the ability to hope, because they believe so completely that everything will turn out the way it is supposed to, the right way, the good way. Remus has spent so much time around those that have had to work to earn their own happiness, it feels almost wrong to see someone have it so naturally. He wishes it didn't bother him so much.
They'd both left Regulus' house after Sirius was acting cruel towards them. Luckily, Frank didn't notice, and Remus dove into their mind for a quick peak just to make sure that was the case and he wasn't just holding out hope.
Sirius had just been so—so—Ugh! He hasn't cared about Remus at all in the past few weeks and now all of a sudden he wants to go and demand things? You were made to answer my questions. Like hell Remus was. He's sure Sirius knows the truth by now, the one that Remus has been trying to share but could never find the right words to express. Evan most likely explained everything to Regulus who in turn told James and Sirius. Remus doesn't care if they know at this point, it's all in the past, and has no bearing on who he is now.
He feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns to see Frank happily holding out the puzzle box, opened and completed. Remus sighs. He reaches within himself and constructs a new puzzle box. It lands in his hands with a faint ping, and he gives it to Frank, who walks away with it with a smile. They don't have to know Remus made it unsolvable.
Sirius has been ignoring Remus, and when Remus tried to confront him about it, and ask what was going on, he was brushed aside. Sirius asked him to go away, he said I don't need you anymore. It's just—It's so fucking—
Okay. Okay, reign it in there. Remus takes a steadying breath. He has Frank now, there's no need to get mad at things. He's better than that now. He may have not been made for the Good Place, but at his core he is good. The Judge said so herself, and she is never wrong. She may have been wrong for putting Remus in Eve's care, but one poor decision over millions of good ones is nothing, and realistically Remus was the problem, not Eve. She was doing what she thought was best for her people, and she was right. If Remus isn't in control of himself, he's a danger to those around him.
He glances over towards Frank, who's sitting upside down from Remus' view—there are no true ups or downs in the void—working away at the puzzle box. What have I done? Frank is another opportunity for Remus to ruin something. They've never done anything wrong, and Remus made sure to only put his good parts into Frank, so they never will. They don't deserve this, to live a life that will always be on the brink of being ruined by the one who made it.
Yet still, there is a name for the feeling Remus holds within himself when it comes to Frank, one that he can thankfully name clearly, pride. It lays somewhere within his chest, where it seems many other feelings originate from. He feels it in the swell of his heart when he looks upon Frank. I did that. He tells himself, because although there is a danger to all of this, he still did the impossible. A Medium AIA made a Good one. Doesn't that have to mean that there is more Good in him than Bad? Even if he lays within the space between the two, he's leaning towards one, and that, that's a good thing. Isn't it?
"Remus?"
He snaps out of his stream of thoughts. "Yeah?" He asks as he turns towards Frank. He looks at the AIAs hands and sees the puzzle box, opened and solved. "How did you—? But I—." He takes the box in his hands and examines it. For a brief moment he feels a trickle of panic make its way through him. He had intended on creating something specific, a puzzle box with no solution. The only way that Frank could have figured it out was if Remus didn't make it correctly.
The panic is quick to fade as he sees it's not the same as the box he had given Frank only a few minutes ago. Some of the pieces have been altered so the box works properly. "Oh." He says, as he slides the pieces back together and pulls them apart. "You changed it?"
"I did." Frank says. "I looked through the one you gave me and it didn't appear to have a solution. I made some adjustments to the parts so it is the same box and design, but the pieces allow for an answer to be formed. I'm going to assume you already knew that, and it does make me wonder why you gave it to me. Was it supposed to be a lesson about how sometimes you're given a problem, and although you think you know the answer and feel confident in it, like it makes sense, sometimes it's not the right one and adjustments need to be made before the solution is found?"
Remus barely hears the words as he continues to look down at the box. His fingers move of their own accord, solving and putting it back together over and over again. He watches as the pieces easily slide in and come apart. "No," He breathes out as he sets the cube down. "I was just being mean. I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that."
"Oh, you were?" Frank asks, confusion clear across their face. It leaves as quickly as it came. "That's alright. Sometimes people feel the need to get it out. I hope you're feeling better now."
It hurts that it sounds like they genuinely mean it. Remus takes a quick look into their mind, and they do. Does he feel better now? No. He feels worse. This was all a mistake. He shouldn't have done this.
"Hey." Frank puts a hand on Remus' shoulder. "It's alright. Is there anything I can do for you?"
It's those eight simple words that sends him over the edge. It's a different edge from the one he had earlier when Sirius told him to go away. This one, it's better. Remus is constantly doing things for others, and rarely had he been asked in all of the attempts if something can be done for him. The only one who really ever bothered with the question was Sirius, and Sirius doesn't want anything to do with him anymore.
"No." He says. "Thank you though. You being here is enough."
This may be a mistake, and it may not. Remus doesn't have the ability to see into the future, so only time will tell which one it is. For now, Frank is going to be staying around. Remus isn't alone anymore, and he can feel the beginnings of happiness making its way back into him. He lost it for a while there, but this? This is going to work out.
"You're welcome." Frank says. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"When you were introducing me to everyone, I searched through the database for a quick rundown as you suggested earlier, and I noticed I have something missing from my catalog." They cock their head slightly. Remus knows what's coming. When implanting knowledge into Frank, he intentionally left out one topic. "I have nothing about Sirius in relation to you."
Remus can feel it. He doesn't need to be in the neighborhood to know when it's been altered. He's connected to it intrinsically, and he can feel the subtlest of changes being made. Somewhere within, a small explosion has occurred. It isn't as grand as the sinkhole, or the fire burning the forest, but it is there nonetheless.
He takes a deep breath. No more anger or irritation. Not anymore. He's better than that. He has evolved past the need for such trivialities. Frank is here with him, and everything is fine.
"Don't worry about it." He says. "To me, Sirius is just another human in the neighborhood. That's all you need to know."