Chapter Text

INTO THE UNKNOWN

Ezekiel sat in the front passenger seat, his gaze stuck on the horizon that zoomed past. A small plastic bag was placed on the floor in front of his seat that held snack wrappers and an empty plastic bottle, some of it being from a pit stop he and Sylvia made in Salem almost an hour ago. The interstate was quite smooth except for the occasional gust of wind that Sylvia needed to quickly react to. He had been sitting in the car for a little over two hours, his eyes threatening to close as the rhythmic sound of wheels against carefully maintained road and rushing wind lulled him to sleep. He’d been fighting it for a while, the only thing keeping him from fully falling asleep being the anxiety that only got more intense the closer they got to Portland, their ultimate destination and where they’d be staying for roughly two weeks. His sister-in-law was nervous too but she did her best not to show it, her voice artificially calm while the white knuckle grip she had on the wheel said differently - although that could also just be stress from driving on a windy day. Still, he knew she had to be at least a little apprehensive or even afraid.

Ezekiel had only been out of the hospital for a month before they got an unexpected visitor, an agent for the FBI of all people, showing accurate credentials and looking the part as well. He told the family that Ezekiel was being asked to come to their field office in Portland to look over some evidence collected from the cult’s last known encampment site and translate some of his encoded messages for them since he admitted to leaving nonsense and red herrings now and again to discourage people he didn’t trust within the cult from decoding them. Even if they were meant to be only circulated internally they still didn’t want to risk getting a hold of and falsely interpreting a false claim which Ezekiel understood since one could’ve easily been dropped or forgotten about. In fact, they even found something they knew only Ezekiel knew how to decode - his personal journal, partially burnt and damaged by water but still mostly readable. He had a special substitution cipher that he never shared the key to, not even to the police, and it was used extensively in the notebook. In the end Ezekiel agreed to go but requested that Sylvia or his brother Ben be with him. He was slowly getting better at advocating for himself and knew that if he started to panic he could always count on one of them to be able to help him start calming back down - he also hated the idea of being alone in a city he’d never been to, in a hotel he just heard of and that was assigned to him, and around people who were far stronger than him with guns. Luckily, his request was easily granted, and the agent even said that he was expecting someone to come with him since he was still healing from his injuries and would need to be driven. Sylvia was the first to volunteer and Ben easily relented after he pushed back lightly, Sylvia claiming that she’d use all her vacation days if she had to. Besides, this was important, and she’d need to cut her hours to look after the boys if Ben went with Ezekiel. If her boss didn’t grant her the time off because the FBI demanded her be somewhere then she should probably find a new job anyway.

That all leads to today, the shadow of the city quickly approaching and giving way to a winding maze of roads, stoplights, and speed limit signs. All the sleepiness in Ezekiel’s body quickly faded away once they were in the city proper, replaced by restlessness and a growing sense of dread. Despite the buildings blocking out most of the wind Sylvia’s grip on the wheel was still tighter than he expected, confirming his suspicions that she was also quite nervous. Eventually they made it to the office, a large building made of reddish-brown bricks and lots of tall windows, the whole place feeling like a strange combination of a sleek modern style and an office building made and not renovated since the 90s. The two parked near the front in a handicap space so that they had enough room for Ezekiel to get out and transfer to his chair - thank goodness for their placard. Sylvia didn’t get out right away though, instead turning off the car and looking over at her passenger expectantly. Ezekiel glanced back at her for a moment before tearing his gaze away, shifting in his seat uncomfortably - what did she want? Why was she staring?

A hand reaching over for his own made him jump but he didn’t fight as Sylvia slid her fingers between his, locking their hands together tightly. “You ready Zeke, or do you need a minute?” She asked, her voice with that forced calm he knew she was so good at controlling. Looking up at the building in front of them Ezekiel took a deep breath in before nodding. He didn’t feel completely ready but he doubted he ever would be - it was now or never, he had to get in there before he got cold feet or began to overthink things. Sylvia gave his hand a slight shake and squeeze, her mouth drawn into a tight smile before she released him, hopping out and beginning to get his wheelchair from the backseat. Ezekiel opened the door himself, swinging his legs over so they were dangling out of the car, waiting for Sylvia to finish putting his chair back together. Eventually she helped transfer him, helping him out of the car before slowly lowering him into the seat, keeping a tight grip on his hand and one on his shoulder to keep him steady. Sylvia bit her tongue, trying not to comment on how light he was. She knew he was getting better but it was a bit too slow for her liking, he was still too light for a man his age and height. He had to be moved slowly so that he didn’t get super dizzy, his legs shaking like there was a current running through them for the brief moment he was standing. Once he was comfortably seated Ezekiel was passed a small blanket, soft and rainbow colored. He always got cold easily and the texture was quite calming. It was like a security blanket for him and he had almost forgotten, flashing Sylvia a yellowed smile to silently thank her before draping it over his lap and legs, tucking it beneath him to secure it in place while Sylvia shut the car doors and locked the car with a beep.

Going inside was surprisingly easy, the two checking in, filling out some paperwork, and eventually getting visitor passes before being directed to the elevators and what floor to head to. With murmured thank you’s they went on their merry way, Ezekiel clipping the pass to his left breast, the white background on the pass sticking out on top of the deep blue of his sweater. It was space themed, with yellow stars that actually glowed in the dark and were made of a much fuzzier material. It was his favorite top and he wore it deliberately for today since he thought it might help keep his spirits up and nerves down. He also wore two beaded bracelets, both being made by Charlie and William, his nephews who were just the sweetest kiddos on earth. One was just made of rainbow beads with a heart charm attached while the other one was made of mismatched letter beads that spelled out his name with a heart bead on the end. He wore them on the same wrist, the beads and heart charm occasionally making small clicking noises as the beads rubbed together with the movement of his arms, propelling himself by Silvia’s side to the elevators. Once inside they headed to the third floor, there being four total floors counting the lobby which was on the first. It felt like each floor passed brought more weight onto his shoulders until by the time the doors opened with a ding he was incredibly slouched, almost looking like he was trying to curl up like a pillbug. Sylvia placed a hand on his shoulder and the two looked at each other, Sylvia nodding before Ezekiel did it back, straightening his posture a little bit but still slightly curled into himself. It was a silent conversation and one they understood perfectly, Sylvia and Ezekiel confirming that they were ready and were about to enter, determined to face the music together.

Rolling onto the third floor they were greeted with another long desk, presumably an extra layer of security that lay before a pair of large glass doors. As they moved up to the desk Ezekiel spotted an office, like a classic cubicle-filled office with what he assumed to be conference rooms. They showed the man on the other side of the desk their guest passes and ID cards, informing him that Ezekiel was here to help consult on a case he was involved in and that Sylvia was here to act as a caregiver - not wrong even though it felt weird to say. They were soon given the all clear, the man passing back their identification and talking into a handheld transceiver.

“Vega, Percy Matthews and Sylvia Matthews are here to see you.”
Ezekiel cringed hearing his old name. He hated that he hated it but he just wasn’t used to it, it didn’t sound like him. Still, that’s what it said on his visitor pass and his ID card (which he just got in the mail a week ago), so it made sense. He could hardly hear what was said on the other end but it sounded short and neutral, most likely a confirmation that the message was received. Ezekiel began to rub one sleeve of his sweater between two fingers, feeling the difference in texture between the stars and night sky they fell upon. Sylvia rested a comforting hand on his shoulder again, her own foot tapping anxiously on the hard tile floor. After what felt like forever and no time at all the glass doors opened, revealing a tall, broad shouldered man with tan skin, a bald head, crows feet, and a wrinkly forehead from age and furrowing his brows so much. He looked to be in his 50s maybe, a black suit jacket and white buttoned undershirt devoid of wrinkles hiding what muscle Ezekiel imagined lay underneath. Despite his meathead looks he also seemed kind, his eyes gentle for the most part and eyebrows rising in what Ezekiel assumed to be surprise as he spotted the two. He walked with long strides, offering a small smile. His badge read “SSA Stefan Vega, Unit Chief”. Huh, so this was the guy in charge? Made sense, he sure looked the part. Still, no amount of kind smiles and proper attire could shake away his fear of strangers and meeting new people, especially large men with weapons. Ezekiel’s growing fear seemed to be quite obvious as Sylvia moved to the side and slightly ahead of Ezekiel in a protective manner, her hand never leaving his shoulder. Vega certainly noticed too as when he spoke his tone matched the kind Ezekiel would use when comforting a crying nephew.

“You two are Percy and Sylvia, correct?” He asked, Sylvia confirming with a verbal response while Ezekiel just shyly nodded, his hands moving on their own to grip the blanket that lay on his lap. “It’s nice to see you both got here just fine! I’m Special Agent Vega, I’m the Unit Chief here. You can just call me Vega if you’d like though, it’s not a big deal.” The agent continued, holding out a hand for Sylvia to shake. Once her firm handshake was complete he moved to Ezekiel who just stared at it for a while. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to shake it or didn’t know what was being asked of him, he just couldn’t move for a while out of fear. Once he forced his body to move though he reached out and shook it quickly and gently before moving his hands back down to the blanket, gripping and slightly twisting at the soft fabric. “Sorry, Eze- um, Percy is a little nervous. To be honest I am too.” Sylvia commented with a small chuckle, reaching up to scratch the back of her neck like she usually did when she was uncomfortable. “No worries, I don’t blame either of you. This is pretty heavy and it isn’t every day you have to meet with FBI agents. Now, let's get you two inside and get to work, shall we? Follow me.” Vega responded, turning around and gesturing over his shoulder in a waving motion for the two to follow. Ezekiel tore his hands away from the grounding feeling of the blanket and towards his wheels, rolling after Vega and entering the main office while Sylvia held the door for him. She followed right behind him, the three occasionally getting glances from other people at their desks or on their way back, one woman in a black blazer freezing in place to look before resuming her business.

Soon enough they were led into a large conference room with a flatscreen TV at the front, a long rectangular table in the middle with spinny chairs surrounding it, and tall windows allowing plenty of natural light in. “I’m gonna go summon the rest of my team and I’ll introduce you two to everyone, m’kay? If you ever need a break Mr. Matthews please don’t hesitate to let us know. I’ll be back soon but for now take a seat, anywhere but the front will do.” Vega instructed, standing at the doorway while Sylvia and Ezekiel filed in. The two decided to sit near the front so that Ezekiel could see the television in case they displayed anything, Ezekiel just pulling a chair out of the way and rolling up to the table since it was low enough while Sylvia grabbed a chair directly to his right. Once Vega left Ezekiel twisted around and reached back for a bag hanging from his wheelchair, stuffing his hand in a side compartment for his reading glasses. He took out an oblong plastic case, lifting the hinged lid open just as the first person came in. Ezekiel tried to only focus on getting his glasses out, black rectangular frames housing two lenses of different prescriptions, the one on the left being meant to help with his cataract slightly while the one on the right did absolutely nothing. Sliding them on Ezekiel looked around, making brief eye contact with the first agent who entered. He looked heavyset with ruddy brown hair cut short, a beard he seemed to be trying to grow out (which was successful by the way, it was just short), dark hazel eyes, relatively pale skin with an even paler patch in the shape of a watch on his right wrist, and was wearing a sweater vest with a red tie and white undershirt. Ezekiel looked away quickly before he had a chance to interact.

Next came a wave, all of them bunched together and chatting. First came a woman with hair that was so light it could pass as bleached thrown into a tight ponytail, a white button up, a black blazer, a short black skirt, pale skin, and smile lines. Her eyes were a silvery blue and he was easily able to recognize her as the woman who stopped stirring her coffee to watch him enter. Behind her and talking her ear off was another woman who was both the opposite and exact same in appearance with coily black hair stuck in a tight bun, chestnut brown skin, eyes so dark they could pass as pure black, and a similar outfit with a gray blazer over a white button up, a pearl necklace, and black slacks, a coffee mug in hand - it seemed that the other woman made that coffee for her, a kind gesture. She was talking about another person - potentially a romantic partner she was frustrated with if her tone and terminology were anything to go by - but that’s all he could tell before they finished up, quieting down to get ready for the meeting. Beside those two were two men. The first was pale as porcelain with light brown hair with a slight waviness to it and in desperate need of a haircut (albeit still relatively short, the ends were just dreadfully frayed), what he assumed to be reading glasses hanging from his shirt collar, a plain white t-shirt, gray pants, and an athletic build. The other had a slightly more tan skin tone but not quite as tan as Agent Vega, being somewhere in the middle. He had dark brown hair, dark eyes, a watch with the clock pressed against his inner wrist, a light blue button up shirt, tan slacks, and a disposable coffee cup in hand. Everyone took their respective seats, Zeke starting to fiddle with his hands and not think about what everyone else was probably thinking. Sylvia reached out and grabbed his forearm lightly, brushing her thumb over it in a soothing manner. Just as he looked up and was about to offer a smile the door closed, the last person inside being Vega with manilla folders in hand. He sat at the very front and placed the folders down, passing them first to his left where one of the agents sat. Everyone got a folder for themselves and when it was finally passed to Ezekiel and Sylvia they both took one as instructed, Ezekiel knowing just what was inside.

“Alright, now that everyone’s here I think we should begin with introductions. Agents, this here is Percy Matthews and Sylvia Matthews, they will be helping us these next few weeks with an ongoing case regarding a group who call themselves The Children of The Father. Percy especially is here to help us decode some encoded messages he left during his time in the cult while Sylvia is to act as support and a caregiver during his time in the city.” Vega announced, gesturing to them both individually and explaining their roles to his team. Ezekiel simply offered a tiny wave and an awkward smile, holding back the urge to run at the mere mention of the cult’s name. God, this was a bad idea, wasn’t it? “Percy, Sylvia, I’d like to introduce you to the team next. This here is Special Agent Lucille Pennington” Vega continued, gesturing to the blonde woman who made coffee earlier. “It’s nice to meet you both. You can just call me Penn if you want, everyone does.” She remarked, giving both of them a smile. “Beside her is Special Agent Katy Wilkins.” Vega said, continuing to introduce everyone one by one. All she did was nod firmly, her tight bun bobbing up and down slightly. She seemed to be a no-nonsense type of gal when it came to work, her eyes looking perpetually tired now that she was closer. “Special Agent Robert Walton-”

“Like the guy from Frankenstein.” Ezekiel interrupted before Robert could speak, his head perking up at the familiar name. An awkward silence filled the air as Ezekiel slouched in embarrassment at the words that simply slipped out. “Um…h-he was a sailor…in the book by Mary…Mary Shelley. S-sorry, uh…k-keep going.” Ezekiel clarified, Robert quickly butting in, seemingly trying to reassure. “It’s fine, I just haven’t heard that name since middle school English class. I don’t think my parents named me after him but it would be funny if they did. I never got to ask.” The agent responded calmly and with an amused smile, Ezekiel quickly recovering and giving a soft smile of his own back. Ezekiel nervously adjusted his glasses just as Robert put on his own to get ready for when they’d start to get down to business. Things moved along quite smoothly after that. “Special Agent Sean Harvey,” Vega resumed, Sean only giving a short two finger salute in response. Looking down at Sean’s watch Ezekiel couldn’t help but wonder what time it was already. “And finally Special Agent Martin Wagner.” Vega said with finality, the bearded man who came in first smiling brightly. “Happy to be here.” was all the agent said.

With introductions out of the way they were quick to get down to business, Vega opening his folder and everyone else following suit. On the first page was the case number, known people involved, crimes involved in the case, and finally a description of the case itself. Ezekiel didn’t bother to read it, Vega reading out loud and Ezekiel partially tuning it out as memories started to flood back. Ezekiel completely blocked Vega’s voice out as he tried focusing on his breathing, tapping his fingers against his lap in sequence and then tapping them the opposite direction in an even rhythm to time his breathing - breath in for four, hold for four, breath out for four, hold for four, and repeat - only to be broken out once Sylvia placed a hand on his arm. The team was waiting once he looked up, a blush crossing his cheeks as he shrunk even further into himself. “Percy, you know you can step out if this is triggering for you. You already know all that’s going on anyway.” Vega piped up, his eyes soft and brow furrowed in concern. “N-no, I’m good…I’ll be fine…c-carry on.” Ezekiel responded after a deep inhale, Vega nodding before everyone moved to printed photographs behind the first page. There were numerous photographs of what was left of the cult’s past encampment, Vega explaining as everyone went along - remains of campfires, tents partially torn down, pictures of trees with their symbol painted on but hastily attempted to be removed, and finally the pieces that made him tense again. There was a photo of a journal, one burnt and heavily damaged by water. A couple pages were shown in the photographs as well, some burnt and soaked beyond recognition while others were perfectly readable. He could recognize it anywhere and, as if on cue, Vega reached down into a large bag near the front and took out that same journal in a clear plastic bag. The larger bag it was contained within must’ve already been in the room prior to them entering. A tag hung from one of the corners of the bag and it looked somewhat restored, no longer wet. Vega handled it with care as he set it on the table, everyone staring at it. “We have the journal here, actually. Percy, do you feel comfortable telling everyone about this right now?” Vega asked, turning to Ezekiel. His rising panic must’ve been easy to see, Sylvia giving his arm a small squeeze to keep him in reality. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Zeke.” She said, not caring about calling him by his government name anymore if it meant comforting the man. Ezekiel shut his eyes tight and shook his head. “No as in you don’t want to talk about the journal or as in you know you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to?” Sylvia asked for clarification, Ezekiel tapping on the table twice to inform her that he meant the second option - tapping and knocking had become their little code for choosing things, especially when he would lock himself away so that she or the kiddos wouldn’t see him distressed. “Do you want to talk about it?” Sylvia asked at last, Ezekiel taking a deep breath in and nodding.

Everyone waited patiently for Ezekiel to calm himself back down, doing the tapping again to count the seconds as he breathed with his eyes closed. After about 45 seconds he was back to normal, opening his eyes to look at the other agents. “I…I-I wrote this journal…back when I was…there.” Ezekiel began, not quite knowing what else to say. As if on cue Vega piped up, “Would you want them to ask you more specific questions?” Ezekiel thought for a moment before nodding, the first to speak quickly being Agent Harvey. “The description of this journal says that it belonged to a man named Ezekiel Abrams but you claim it’s yours. Is there a mistake?” Ezekiel was quick to shake his head in denial. “N-no mistake, that’s um…that’s what Father Abrams…renamed me when I became…The Son.” Ezekiel responded, Sean looking like he had even more questions but deciding to keep quiet. “Do you want us to call you Percy or Ezekiel?” Penn said next, her tone sounding more gentle and comforting. Ezekiel hesitated for another moment before responding just like last time. “I would like to be…to be called Ezekiel Matthews. I don’t…like the last name I…was given by Father but…I’m not ready for Percy. I haven’t…been Percy in…twenty years? A lil’ longer than that.” Everyone nodded to confirm they heard, some of their faces contorting slightly, edging more towards negative than neutral. “You mentioned some titles. We can assume that The Father is Father Abrams but what do you mean by 'when I became The Son'?” Katy asked next, asking as if she had read it off of a script. Ezekiel scrunched up his face and looked away in thought, humming as he contemplated how to explain it. Eventually he looked back up, taking a deep breath before answering. “By my understanding…it was based on the…holy trinity. He was…The Father. Uh, Father Abrams was…not an actual priest…I don’t think.” He began, his hands going back down to fiddle with his blanket. “As The Son I…was second in command…essentially. He, uh…he chose me…said an angel had…h-had told him I…told him about…me.” Ezekiel continued, struggling to find words and keep going by the end before cutting himself off. He knew they wanted more info but he couldn’t give it all at once, not right now, not without freaking out.

Everyone seemed understanding though, the next question proving to be their last for the time being. “There are symbols on many of these pages that are photographed. I know from the initial police reports that you claimed to encode the original messages left behind but we’ve never seen this kind of encoding technique before. Is this a personal cipher you used?” Agent Wagner said next. Agent Harvey looked away for a moment - he definitely didn’t read the police reports thoroughly enough. At first Ezekiel was excited to talk about his ciphers, perking up and genuinely smiling for the first time today. “Y-yes, actually! Um, it was…meant for my use…only. I had a different one…before but the key got…discovered and spread beyond…my inner circle. I decided then that…that I would only use it myself.” He began, the last part setting the stage for more memories to settle in, specifically the one that led him here, the one that led him to the outside world. “It was, uh…F-father he, um…he didn’t know just how…much I was smuggling out. I think…I think he…he would…he uh…mm…” Ezekiel began but couldn’t finish, the longer he tried explaining where his brain was going the harder it was to stay grounded. Pressure grew behind his eyeballs as he recalled how Father found that same journal and how, looking at it now, it was clear that after the beating it was burnt but somehow doused in water before it could be completely charred. His broken leg might’ve healed, he may have been able to recover from his concussion, he may have finally found his brother and survived, but he quickly felt the feeling of death and dying creep back up on him. Like the seven angels he heard seven trumpets raise in alarm, four horsemen crept over the horizon for him and him alone, and the moon turned to blood and watched, watched and judged and screamed as hooves kicked and kicked and punched and pulled and-

“Zeke!”
A firm voice tore him away, Ezekiel suddenly aware of how raw his throat felt, how his chest was tight, how his eyes were both dry and uncomfortably wet at the same time from staring at his lap while his eyes welled up and spilled over, how his mouth was agape, and how a hand was cupping his cheek. He looked over at her face, Sylvia’s face, in a conference room. His eyes trailed over to the other agents who were looking on, everyone staring in a combination of concern and borderline horror with a tiny dash of confusion. “Don’t look at them, look at me Zeke.” Sylvia requested, her voice becoming gentle again. Ezekiel complied, feeling his breathing get faster and tears threaten to flow in large swaths. Sylvia grabbed his hands before they could reach up to pull at his hair, holding them tight but still in a comforting way, rocking back and forth. Ezekiel followed her lead as Sylvia made humming and shushing sounds, requesting that he breathe. Ezekiel tried, he really did, but each deep breath in made a sob follow. Eventually Sylvia leaned in, letting go with one hand and using it to instead cup the back of his head, forcing their foreheads together. Before she could get so much as a word out Ezekiel reached out and wrapped his arms around her neck, bringing her in for a tight hug as he just let himself cry - hard.

Sylvia continued her rocking and shushing, rubbing Ezekiel’s back as he got snot and tears all over her nice button up shirt. Whenever he’d try to apologize she’d shut him down, gently insisting that he doesn’t have anything to apologize for and that he was okay. Eventually he did calm down, his painful sobs turning into just sniffles. He eventually retreated, noticing the gross wet spot he left. Before he could do much though one of the agents thrust a box of tissues in their direction, coming up from behind Sylvia. Ezekiel shyly looked up at who he realized was Agent Walton, the guy he said had the same name as some dude in an old novel. He let out a wheezy laugh out of embarrassment and anxiousness, accepting quietly with a large smile. He kept sniffling back mucus as he used one of the tissues to dab away a lot of the disgusting tears and snot he left. Sylvia laughed as well, not expecting Ezekiel to tend to her first. “Zeke, get your own face first.” She chuckled, her voice thick and rough. Her reddened eyes and shiny cheeks indicated that she had been crying too but not nearly as much as Ezekiel had been, maybe a couple teardrops spilling over at most - it was most likely the underlying emotions themselves that affected her voice. He relented, blowing his nose with a tissue and wiping off his face with his hands. After a while he took a long inhale and an equally deep sigh, his body slouching as exhaustion from so many emotions started to creep into his bones. “Sorry guys I just…I just kinda freaked…sorry. Um, I…I think I’m…done for now if that’s…okay.” Ezekiel commented, everyone nodding in some way to confirm that it was okay besides Agent Vega who responded verbally, “You’re totally fine, Perc- Ezekiel. This was just meant to be an introduction to the case and what we need from you, we didn’t mean for it to be so emotionally charged. Now, you do know that you’ll be coming in every day around this time to help us with the investigation, correct?” Ezekiel nodded with another sniffle, having calmed down drastically but still being quite shaky and short of breath. “Good, just remember to let whoever is with you know that you need a break when you need one. Other than that I think this meeting can end here. Do you have the address to the hotel we provided, Mrs. Matthews?” Vega continues, turning his attention to Sylvia who nods with a short “Yep!” in response. Vega nods back and goes to stand. “Then you two can leave for today, thank you so much for your cooperation with this! I expect to see you two here tomorrow, same time. You both have my number and card so don’t be afraid to let me know if anything happens that prevents you from arriving, whether it be late or not at all. Everyone’s dismissed.”

Everyone rises at once as soon as those last two words are uttered, the shuffling of papers and creaking of wheels being the only sound in the room besides the two recovering visitors. Most left without anything more than a quiet “See you tomorrow” and “Get some rest” or maybe just a small wave goodbye but the only agent who stopped was Harvey. He seemed to be a serious, roughed up man dressed in business casual attire, maybe a jock or sporty type beneath the surface, but as he walked by his eyes looked wet - too wet. “Hey, you did great today. Maybe tomorrow I could…show you around? Let you use the coffee machine or our break room if you need a…well, a break from it all? I’m sure Vega wouldn’t mind.” Harvey asked, something tense and emotional backing every word he said. Ezekiel could only nod and give a thumbs up, his tongue sort of hurting from all the stammering and his throat raw, hence his silence. Agent Harvey simply gave a small smile and another two finger salute before he made his exit, Ezekiel being left to wonder alongside Sylvia what made the man so emotional. After a while both of them mutually decided to leave, Ezekiel putting his glasses away and rolling out from under the table while Sylvia rose and gathered her own things.

As they were leaving, only one thought raced through Ezekiel’s mind, ‘This is gonna be a long two weeks, isn’t it?’