
After he walked back to his room, he opened the door to find Uno waiting for him. He looked at the two men standing there silently, then turned around without a word and went inside. As soon as he closed the door, Uno spoke quickly: "Do you want to get something off your chest?”
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Vincent smiled wanly. His eyes were red-rimmed from crying but now he felt better somehow... almost happy! But before answering, he thought carefully about what would be best—for both their sakes. Finally, he answered simply: "I want to talk about the strange research about a few students that I have been observing."
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"Alright with me," said Uno softly.
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Then Vincent told them everything that had happened since he started stalking Temmy, how she used more of her power than just mind reading ability, her understanding of animals and people's minds, she could even break objects with her mind when put under stress or pain. She was so much stronger than any other student ever seen by anyone else, he added. And after telling them all these things, he ended by saying: "I think it means that Sam's ability is more than just mind reading, it could be the ability of using the mind, like telepathy, but also some sort of mental force!"
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Uno nodded quietly. After thinking for a moment he replied: "You're right. That sounds exactly correct. It might explain why we've never heard of such a thing before! Well, I guess he could have used something like that when Sam and I first met, but I guess he was just more keen on solving things peacefully."
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"But what if he used those abilities against us?" asked Vincent worriedly. "What will happen if he chooses to betray the team?"
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Uno shrugged uncomfortably. "Maybe nothing, maybe something bad, who knows? It's strange... it's almost feels like I don't care at all."
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They stood together silently for a while longer. Then suddenly Vincent exclaimed excitedly: "But what does all this mean? What do you think we should do? Should we tell others about our discovery? Will someone find out about Sam?"
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Before Uno could answer, the door opened. There stood the girl Temmy, smiling awkwardly at them.
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"What the Hell? How did you get here? Have you been following me through the portal?" Vincent was scared by Temmy's unexpected arrival. In the heat of the moment, in fear of what's Uno what to do in his failure of keeping tabs on Temmy and letting her intrude into the base, Vincent raised his hand and tried to knock her out. Before he knew it, though, he found himself pinned down to the floor. With one swift move, Uno grabbed hold of Vincent's arm and held him tightly on the floor.
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Temmy laughed nervously at seeing the two struggling. "Now, let me ask you once more: what are you doing here? If you don't answer my question straight immediately, I swear I'll kill you myself!" Uno asked menacingly.
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With no difficulty, Uno managed to calm down the boy and stand upright. He glared angrily at Temmy, whose face grew pale as she realized what Uno meant to do.
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"Wait just a second, please I...I just walked in here on accident. I didn't mean to overhear anything."
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"You lie! You know very well what you came to see!" growled Uno.
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As soon as Temmy spoke, Uno slapped her across her cheek across the hallway hard enough to make her head spin.
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"That wasn't necessary!" cried Temmy in agony. "Let go of me, damn it!"
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Uno shook his head impatiently. "If you insist on lying to us, I'm not going to help you anymore. Now, stop playing games and start talking straight with us!"
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Temmy tried desperately to control her tears. Her cheeks were already swollen from Uno's slap. "Okay, okay, I give up. Just let me say goodbye to Vince—"
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Uno pulled away from her, leaving her hanging helplessly inside a prison cage. Without a word, he marched into Vincent's room and slammed the door shut. Temmy fell to the ground sobbing.
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"Damn it, Uno, come on! Let me talk to him!" begged Temmy.
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Without a word, Uno started pacing around the room aimlessly. Uno looked at Vincent, who was feeling really distressed making the mistakes of leaving tracks for others to follow him without knowing. Suddenly he stopped walking and turned to Temmy. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hit you like that. But you really deserved it, you liar!"
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At last, Temmy dared to smile weakly. "Don't worry about it. At least now I know you won't hurt me again. Besides, you still haven't told me what you wanted to talk to me about."
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"Yes, I have something important to tell you," admitted Uno. "It has to do with your friend Vince, actually. Remember when I caught you spying on Vincent? I warned you then that I'd punish you if you lied to me. Do you remember what I said?"
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She nodded sadly. "I promised you that I wouldn't spy on him anymore." "Too late, too sorry, my dear. I'm afraid that won't be necessary anymore." Uno said while pulling out a revolver from behind his back.
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Temmy gasped in shock as she saw the gun pointed at her head. "No! Please don't shoot me!"
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Uno frowned, then lowered the muzzle slightly and squeezed off one shot. The first bullet pierced Temmy's leg. She screamed aloud in anguish and pain, falling forward onto the floor. Blood was spilling everywhere. Uno watched her beg for her life as she crawled towards him, hoping to come closer to Uno.
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Uno shook his head sadly. "Sorry, my love, but I have to kill you. For your own good." Then Uno shot another bullet into her body, intentionally missing the vital organs, just to see her suffer more, as her scream was like music to his ears, he wouldn't want to ruin the fun just now. He still had four more bullets left for her.
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"Oh God! No, no, no! Don't do this to me!" Temmy cried, begging Uno not to end her life yet. "Please don't kill me, I promise I'll never spy on you again!"
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Uno laughed mockingly.
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"As if what you just did wasn't enough. Don't you know curiosity kills the cat."
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Uno fired the third bullet into Temmy's left shoulder, which made her cry louder in pain. "Ow! Owwwww!"
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Her screams became deafening as she begged Uno to spare her life.
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"Please don't do this to meeeeeeee!!"
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In desperation, Temmy grabbed hold of Uno's ankle and tried to pull herself toward him. But Uno easily shook her hands free and kept shooting at her.
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"How about we make a bet Temmy, if you survive the last three shots, I will let you live for another day. Deal?" Uno said in a sadistic tone.
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Temmy nodded eagerly, hoping that Uno would take pity on her.
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"Deal."
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Uno fired the fourth bullet into her abdomen. Temmy fell limp on the ground, bleeding profusely from her wounds. Her blood splattered on the walls and floor, pooling on the carpet.
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Uno kneeled beside her, caressing her bloody forehead gently. "Why must you always test fate, little bird?"
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He looked up at the ceiling, sighed heavily and then pulled out the fifth bullet. Aiming towards her right arm. "I wonder if I should save you for tomorrow night, or finish it off now." Uno said sadly as he squeezed the trigger.
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A loud bang filled the air and Temmy's body convulsed violently. She coughed out several times.
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"Are you still alive? If you can still speak you better speak up fast."
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Uno smiled happily. "Good news, Temmy! Looks like I saved you for another day! Isn't that great?"
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Uno leaned close to her ear and whispered: "By the way, do you want to die in style?"
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Temmy couldn't believe what Uno just said, but she didn't have time to respond because Uno shot another bullet into her neck. This caused Temmy's body to stiffen instantly, causing her head to loll limply to one side. "How fascinating! Looks like you hung on just a little bit longer than expected. Don't worry, don't bother to speak, I always keep my promises." Then Uno fired the seventh bullet into Temmy's head, which caused her to freeze completely, and slowly her body started to regenerate.
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Temmy's bullet wound started to close on its own, while she slowly regained consciousness. "What happened? Why am I still alive?"
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The last thing she remembers is being shot by Uno. "Didn't you hear me, Temmy? I said 'don't waste your breath'. Your death wish has been granted, but only until next morning."
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***
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When she woke up the following day, Temmy found herself locked in a small cell, with a single window looking outside in the middle of nowhere. She looked around curiously at the cell's interior, which consisted of a bed made from a wood board and blanket, a toilet with a bucket for water, an iron pot for cooking and a table with a chair. Beside the door there was a mirror, where Temmy could see her reflection clearly. She stared blankly at her appearance for quite a long time. Her hair was messy as usual, her skin covered in dust and blood. And her clothes were filled with bullet holes and blood stains all over.
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After examining herself carefully, she finally realized that she was not dreaming; she really woke up in a strange place. Slowly she got up from her cot and went to the door. When she pushed open the door, she realized it was locked securely. As far as she could remember, she had never seen a key anywhere near her cell. So how could she escape from here?
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Slowly, Temmy walked back to her bed and sat down. Suddenly, she remembered what Uno said yesterday. "Do you want to die in style?"232Please respect copyright.PENANAuL98aT3Z9M
As Temmy pondered her existence, she considered the possibility that death might be less agonizing than her current state of living. She had lost everything that mattered to her - Vincent, her family, and her friends. The prospect of never speaking to them again was a harsh reality. Exhausted and devoid of hope, she was prepared to accept her fate. Yet, a part of her resisted, refusing to abandon Vincent in this world. Her love for him was profound, surpassing anything she had ever imagined. The thought of leaving him alone was unthinkable. She had only learned his name the previous day during a conversation with Uno.
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But what if he didn't want to see her?
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What then?
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Could anything be more important to her than Vincent's happiness?
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For the first time, she understood the meaning of truly caring for someone, of feeling responsible for their well-being. She realized she couldn't live without Vincent, not after meeting him. It took her a while to comprehend why he was so special to her.
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Vincent was the only one who gave her the courage to survive in these critical times.
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So what if he despised her?
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Wouldn't he despise himself more if he abandoned her?
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Was it not selfish to leave Vincent just because he was different from others?
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Was it not wrong for her to believe that she couldn't share her feelings with anyone but him?
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Perhaps Vincent was the only one who understood her true self. Maybe no one else could.
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And perhaps Vincent was the reason she survived those horrific events in the past. They had shared common experiences, faced terrible things, and their lives were forever altered. That's why she wanted to stay with him.
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Maybe it was destiny that brought her and Vincent together. He was the one she loved most in the entire world. Even if it took a lifetime to convince him of her love, she would spend every moment trying to win his heart. And when he entered her life as he was now, she would be content with whatever happiness may come. For no matter what happened or where they were, nothing could ever separate them again! She pondered this until she fell asleep. Moments passed, and suddenly there was a knock at the door.
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"Hey, are you okay?" Vincent peered into the cell where Temmy was sleeping. "You look like a character from an Edgar Allan Poe story."
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Temmy rose from the bed. Her face was pale but happy, her eyes sparkling brightly under the light.
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"Vincent, I finally get to talk to you face to face," Temmy said, relief evident on her face.
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Vincent's face twitched with regret, fully aware of what Temmy had endured after he visited the person's cage due to his mistake. He couldn't even look directly into her eyes.
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He knew he had made another mistake.
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"Don't worry about me," Temmy said, smiling gently. "I'm fine. You're the one who always looks after me when I'm in great danger, like the time in the hospital. If it wasn't for you, I might be dead right now. You're the one who motivates me to survive. Without your thoughts with me, I might not even be alive right now. So all in all, I just wanted to say... Please go out with me!"
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She knelt before him, extending her hand.
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Vincent looked at her hand, then back at her. His mouth opened and closed several times, unable to speak.
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After a few moments, he reached out his hands toward her and took hers. Then he kissed her lightly.
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"Oh, Vincent..." Temmy said, blushing deeply.
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Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. A voice came through the intercom system: "Vincent, do you hear me?"
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"Yes, yes, I heard you, I'll get rid of her soon enough, don't bother yourself anymore," Vincent answered.
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The sound of footsteps faded away.
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"Thank goodness," Temmy said, relieved. "Now let's talk seriously here. How did you know that I was locked up in this place? Who told you?"
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"It was my fault," Vincent replied apologetically.
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"No, I was the one who chased after you, please don't blame yourself," Temmy reassured Vincent with a smile.
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"That's okay, it was really my fault. Now follow me, I will bring you back to your house."
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As they prepared to step through the portal, Uno stepped out from the portal and stopped them both in their tracks.
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"Where do you think you're going with Temmy, Vincent?" Uno asked Vincent lightly.
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"Please, I just want to go home," Temmy said nervously.
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Uno smiled slightly.
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"Don't tell me you two are already dating," Uno chuckled.
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"Uno, please let me handle this, you don't have to kill her," Vincent pleaded with Uno, hoping that he wouldn't kill Temmy.
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Uno stopped laughing.
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"Are you serious about wanting to date Temmy?" Uno asked curiously.
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"Well, I guess I should confess my feelings for her," Vincent replied with a shy smile.
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"If you're sure that you still want to continue seeing her, I won't stop you," Uno said.
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"But she has knowledge of our base and possibly all of our secrets. If she gets out, it might jeopardize our plans. It's better if I put a bullet in her," Uno said nonchalantly while pulling out his revolver.
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"Wait a second, wait a minute, I didn't mean anything bad by asking her out, I just want to see how far we can go, I swear you don't have to hurt her!" Vincent shouted angrily.
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"Look, I'm sorry about what happened to Temmy, but I'm not going to allow you to interfere with my work, so please back off and let me handle this," Uno said, aiming the gun at Temmy.
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"No way! I won't let you shoot her!" Vincent shouted.
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"It's okay, Vincent, you don't have to stand up for me like that. It's my responsibility, and I will accept whatever comes before me. Just know that I love you and nothing is going to change that, so please... Do what you've got to d-"
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There was a loud bang and a flash of light from the revolver. Temmy fell silent to the ground.
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Vincent screamed in anguish. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks and splattered onto the floor.
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"No, NO!!! YOU BASTARD!!!!!! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LET ME DO IT?!?!" Vincent screamed wildly.
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"Look closer, do you see a bullet wound?" Uno asked while holding his side.
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At last, Vincent turned around to look at Temmy. There was no blood anywhere, and she was breathing.
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"What is this?" Vincent asked in disbelief.
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Uno shrugged. "Just a little trick I picked up along the way."
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***
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They arrived at Temmy's house, and Vincent carried Temmy inside.
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Once they entered, he laid Temmy on the sofa. He sat next to her, holding her hand. He stared at her seemingly lifeless body.
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"Why?" Vincent whispered softly.
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"What's wrong, Vincent?" Temmy asked, opening her eyes slowly.
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Vincent jumped up quickly to hug Temmy tightly. "I thought I lost you for good!"
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Temmy giggled. "Relax, I'm fine, but I must admit, I had fun watching you freak out for a bit. Now sit down and relax, I need to explain something to you."
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"Okay, what is it?" Vincent asked excitedly.
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"I forgot everything that happened in the base. And I can no longer read your minds," Temmy said, sighing heavily.
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"WHAT?! Why? What happened to you?" Vincent asked frantically.
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Temmy put her head in her palms for a moment, then looked at Vincent with a sad expression.
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"The gun I used, remember? I set it to wipe out her memory of the base as well as locking her mind reading to us. She can still use it, but just not on us," Uno said with a smug grin.
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"Oh, that's why you agreed to this whole thing," Vincent said in an understanding tone.
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"Yeah, it's pretty much the best option I've come up with since you broke in. If you die, there goes the plan. We can't risk losing you again, so I figured that this is probably the safest bet," Uno said with a smug face.
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"Well, thank you, Uno, I appreciate that very much. I owe you one," Vincent said happily.
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Uno laughed loudly.
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"No problem, man, I hope we can keep working with each other for years to come. Oh, speaking of which, how did you find out about my base anyway?"
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"I just followed him into the void and I just hoped to reach him, that's it," Temmy said, shaking her head sadly. "I never knew that he was involved with you guys. When we were talking, I felt like I saw a glimpse of him somewhere deep within me."
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"Really? Well, that's interesting, I guess the thought of reaching someone is a destination too," Uno said with a smirk.
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"Anyway, what are we going to do about the rest of the team?" Vincent asked, changing the subject.
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"We're going to leave them alone for now, but I will send word to the others tomorrow morning," Uno answered calmly.
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"Alright, thanks for your help today," Vincent said sincerely.
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"No worries, anytime," Uno said casually.
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Vincent sat down next to Temmy and held her hand. He stared at her blankly.
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"What's wrong, Vincent?" Temmy asked, concerned.
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"Nothing, I was just thinking that I'm glad you're alright," Vincent replied awkwardly.
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"Me too, Vincent, I feel the same way," Temmy said, hugging his arm affectionately.
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