#tycoll4de

Jess stared back. "There is no fucking way I'm going to put up with him."

***

"So, Accolade. do you know anything about that... altercation? Between Jess and Mantis?" Ty tented his fingers and started across the table.

"No idea." 4CCOL4DE answered truthfully. "Never even met Jess before. I didn't think Bug had either."

"Most fascinating."

***

"You'll only be in here together for about a month or so," Ty assured Jess.

Jess was not assured. "I don't want to be in the same room as him for two minutes. Try to keep me here a month and I'll kill myself. I'm not joking."

"It wouldn't work," said Mantis. "I've tried that. They reset you but let you keep the trauma."

***

"Well, we have done some preliminary investigation," Ty said. "It seems Jess entered our care after a deal with Elijah Alexander Mayfield, a deal which only happened because of Cicada Walters's intervention. She saw 'Mantis,' as he calls himself, and attacked him assuming he was Cicada."

"So why are we talking about this, Ty?" 4CCOL4DE pushed down the thoughts of the present-timeline Cicada. Not yours, he reminded himself.

"Well! I think this whole scenario presents an interesting case study for some concepts we've been very curious about regarding iterative personhood."

***

"Mantis is right, I'm afraid. We won't let you die, Jess, not while you're useful to us."

"What the fuck could you find useful about that psycho?" Mantis asked. "Are you studying the effects of time travel on edgy violent faux-punks?"

"Watch yourself, Cicada."

"Don't. Fucking. Call me that."

***

"The study will require some somewhat complex balancing of schedules, but nothing we can't handle," Ty continued. "The basic plan is to continually swap out the duplicates of Jess and Mantis that are sharing the room. Replace them with versions that have had different life experiences, or been exposed to different stimuli... it will allow us to explore how we can use this technology to manipulate the way subjects feel about each other."

"Your plan is to shove random Jesses and Mantises together and see if they get along."

"In so many words, yes. But think of the possibilities! If we perfect this, we can create duplicates that are perfectly loyal to us, or hate their former allies." Ty reached across the table and laid his hand on 4CCOL4DE's. "We might even be able to cure Mantis of that awful animosity he has for you. What do you say, Fox?"

"Right. Tomorrow's our last chance, I think." Jess spoke quietly. The two of them were huddled under the blankets on Jess's bed, whispering. They didn't know where the cameras or microphones were in the compound, but they thought this gave them the best chance at planning unheard. "Tomorrow's supposed to be our last day together in this room."

"Okay. You've got the plan down?"

"Couldn't forget it. Are you going to be able to do your part?"

"It won't be the first hostage I've taken. I can do this."

"Then tomorrow. We're getting out of here."

Mantis paused for a long time. "You know what they'll do to us if we fail, right?"

"Can't be any worse than what they're already doing. Maybe they'll actually let us die this time."

"It would be a blessing."

"Don't think like that." Jess spoke firmly. She grabbed Mantis's hands. "We're getting out of here. Say it back to me."

"We're getting out of here." Mantis sighed shakily. "Love you, Raccoon."

"Love you too, Otter." It pulled them in for a quick kiss. "Let's get some sleep. Big day tomorrow."

---

"So! They're doing it tomorrow, right?" Ty asked, grinning.

"Seems like it," said 4CCOL4DE. "How much of their plan have we managed to pick up on? I've only heard pieces."

"It's hmm... simple? As these things go. Do you remember Jess breaking its glasses a few weeks ago? It saved the temples from the broken pair, and has been sharpening them into a pair of shivs. They really have let their belief that this place is a prison get to them. I believe the plan is to wait until we come to collect them, then overpower the two of us and use the threat to our lives to make their way out of the compound unperturbed."

"What do they think is going to stop us from just transporting those iterations of ourselves out of danger?"

"I believe their theory is that if they hold the two of us against themselves and keep moving, we won't be able to pinpoint our own locations with enough accuracy to avoid the possibility of transporting them, or perhaps consolidating us." Ty shook his head. "That wouldn't actually stop us, of course, given the strength of our technology. But they think it would, which is all we need."

"And we're going to let them walk out of here like that?"

"Quite! And probably get killed for our efforts. Those iterations of ourselves will most likely have their throats slit by our intrepid pair after they make their exit. But there's more iterations of ourselves, we'll be fine." Ty paused. "And they may let you live, after all. I can't tell what they think of you. It's more than just hate, that's for sure."

4CCOL4DE let out a shaky breath. He didn't want to die, but if it was for his Bug... "And we'll leave them alone after this. No interference."

"No interference," Ty agreed. "Though we'll continue to observe them, of course. There is plenty of fascinating data to still be had from observing their dynamic."

"Okay." Bug's getting out of here. It isn't with him, but he'll be happy. That's all 4CCOL4DE needed.