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Okay, you're going to be careful about this at first. You dig through your pockets for the letters you found. You have a guttural feeling you're missing one but too late to go back now. You forcefully shove them into one of the wires dangling out of the anomaly's hands. "You already mattered! Someone wrote these for you!"
This stops the anomaly dead in its track, distracting it from its single minded march towards Gregory. It rips open the sealed envelope and starts skimming through the contents of the letters. "WHAT IS...NO. NO. NO, THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT." It stumbles away from the four of you. In its hand is a wad of cash and a <span class="mu-b">Nest passport.</span> This is enough to set anyone for life.
"SHE...SHE WAS GOING TO GIVE ME A NEW LIFE. EVEN AFTER I WAS FIRED. EVEN IF SHE COULDN'T COME WITH ME. I. I COULD'VE RECOVERED...?" The passport slips out of its trembling hands. "NO. NO! NO, THAT DOESN'T FUCKING EXCUSE WHAT YOU DID TO ME!" <span class="mu-b">The anomaly is clearly disoriented by what it read.</span>
"I know you won't believe me but he's sorry! It might be be too late now but he wants to fix this!"
"BULLSHIT." The anomaly takes another step towards Gregory. "HE TOLD YOU TO SAY THAT. HE HIRED YOU. HE'S GOING TO THROW YOU TO THE DOGS, JUST LIKE ME!"
You're about to keep rambling but the intense, piercing stare Gregory is giving you is enough to silence you. You nod at him before retreating back with the rest of your allies. Maruyama tightens his grip on his briefcase while Kiara keeps filming everything going on.
"I will not say I am blameless in what happened." Gregory plants himself in the middle of the set. A clock tower looms dozens of feet over him, casting him in shadow. "I was a stupid, prideful child who wanted to get everything served to him on a silver plater. I fired you because I was jealous of you. You had actual talent back there and in my heart of hearts, I could not tolerate someone being better than me."
The anomaly takes yet another step but it's clear that it's hesitating with each one it makes. The buildings around them stretch up higher and higher into the sky. "THEN WHY DID YOU COME BACK? YOU ALREADY RUINED EVERYTHING THIS PLACE STOOD FOR! YOUR MAGNUM OPUS DESTROYED EVERYTHING THAT ONCE MADE THIS PLACE SPECIAL! WHAT ELSE CAN YOU TAKE FROM US, MR. DIRECTOR?"
Gregory tries his damn best to keep his composure up. His eyes mist up with tears as he continues to speak with a wobbly, unstable tone. "To make things right. I can't undo the things I did wrong but I can at least try." He takes a step towards the twitching, seething anomaly. "I'm old. Even the best cybernetics and medical procedures in the City can only keep me healthy for so long."
"When I die, I don't want you to be stuck here. Forever waiting for something that'll never happen. We never did finish filming that final scene, did we, pal?"
The anomaly is trembling alongside Gregory. It tries its best to choke back its emotions. "...LET'S WRAP UP SHOOTING."
