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[devoutish]

Yeah?

[That's it, that's all you get.]

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[bywolves]

[ It takes a minute for Royce to calm down. When he can, a few minutes later, he crawls to the tablet and curls up around it, almost making himself a nest for the tablet to sit on. It's the only connection he's got that isn't - her, in the corner, alternating between sobbing and laughing. ]

Lockdown. [ Royce says finally, ragged. ] Danger lockdown.

[devoutish]

No, it's-- it's all right. I'll get inside in time.

[Can he really promise that, though? The more human part of his brain tells him that no, he can't. That he's only saying he can because he wants to get to Royce as soon as possible, because he doesn't want to spend another night alone in the post office - and because, when it comes down to it, he doesn't care about the risk of dying as much as he should.]

[bywolves]

[ You better. Royce growls, a warning noise. He knows Alfie - he knows the both of them, and while Alfie's usually hardcore about nobody dying without reason, that's been slipping, lately. ]

Danger. [ Royce repeats, angrily. ] You get inside in time. [ Promise him. ] I'll come to you.

[devoutish]

It'll be just as fucking dangerous for you.

[bywolves]

I'll get inside in time.

[devoutish]

Royce.

[bywolves]

Alfie.

[devoutish]

[He sighs, and forces himself to be completely honest here.]

It's a long walk through the tunnels. It's-- and my head--

[Pause. Breathe.]

Not much room for error. If I lose my-- myself, if I get turned around--

[He won't have the time to spare. He can only make it to the next building if he starts walking soon, and keeps walking straight. He can't promise that he'd get in before lockdown.]

[bywolves]

No. [ Then don't move. He's not going to risk Alfie dying. ] No come. No walk, no error.

[devoutish]

And you?

[Royce has to move, at least a little bit. He can't stay in the funeral home overnight.]

[bywolves]

No funeral home. [ Royce says. He'll move far enough. Behind him, there's a shivery sob, and Royce rumbles quietly, upset. ] I'll walk.

[devoutish]

Not far.

[His voice is stern.]

[bywolves]

Not far. [ Royce agrees. He doesn't think he has it in him to go far anyway. ]

[devoutish]

If you died again--

[He doesn't know how to finish that.]

[bywolves]

Not died again. [ Royce says, and this time it's firm. ] Didn't help. If losing myself, I'll get inside.

[devoutish]

[And he'll have more options, with more houses around him. Alfie relaxes, just a little bit.]

Go next door. That's all.

[bywolves]

[ He makes a confirming noise. He'll go in a minute. First, though. ]

Anomaly. [ A beat. ] Her. [ And he nudges the tablet so Alfie can hear Gwen laughing to herself, a little hysterically. ] You?

[devoutish]

I--

[He'd killed her. It. He'd killed it. He'd killed an anomaly, he hadn't killed Fiona.

He squeezes his eyes shut, trying not to think about what he's been wondering for hours now: if what he saw when he bashed its head against the wall was similar to what the Joker had seen when he'd beaten the real her to death.]

I.

[bywolves]

[ There's a long pause, and then Royce lets out a low, wounded sound. ]

Alfie. [ He hopes that conveys how sorry he is. He's very carefully thinking around what he has to do. In fact, he doesn't think he will. He'd rather be this than have to kill her. ]

[devoutish]

{Alfie makes a sound that's almost a whimper. He'd killed her without hesitation, but. Still.]

[bywolves]

Hurt. [ He understands. The cloak gathers up around the tablet. ] Ssss - sss.

[ He can't say sorry - all he has is the start of the sound. ]

[devoutish]

Hurts very much. Yeah.

[He swallows.]

Are you going to--

[bywolves]

No. [ Royce says, near immediately. The cloak ripples angrily. ] No.

[devoutish]

[Maybe ordinarily, he'd get worked up about this - it's not really Gwen, it just looks like Gwen. But he finds that he can't manage it, now. Maybe he could if it were about something less abstract, but who even knows what the lights are, anyway? Who knows, maybe they're a bad thing.]

Your light?

[bywolves]

Didn't help. [ He sounds miserable. ] Her. Alfie.