DMAORG - Code of Conduct

"Took you long enough."

The voice is sharp and strong, yet sounds like a whisper, and despite having run as fast as he could, Tyler looks down, feeling sorry and ashamed. Now that he has awaken, not only physically but mentally, Tyler knows he shouldn't have fallen asleep in the first place. His mind is still a little bit in the blur of the neon lights, but Tyler knows he has a purpose. He just isn't really sure what it is. But Clancy will help.

"Tell me everything," the boy lets out in a shortened breath as he stares at Clancy, back pressed against the Wall. Tyler can almost feel it buzz with the melody, although he's a couple feet away. He's impressed, his knees shaking from the unexpected and the unpredictable. "I'm ready, now."

"I see you've packed already," Clancy takes his time, letting his back slide against the Wall to sit down on the dirt. Brown dirt. Not grey. "That's great, I think they're coming tonight."

"Who are they?" Tyler asks, his throat suddenly closing up. He knows that what he's about to learn will change the course of his life forever. Clancy pats the spot next to him, and finally Tyler makes his way towards the Wall. When he sits down, the buzz of it warms his back, his whole body. Clancy lets his head rest against it like a soft pillow, his eyes closing with comfort.

"D'you hear it, Tyler?"

Tyler nods. He doesn't need to lay his head against it to hear it, feel it run across his whole body like blood in his veins. The music is all around him and, somehow, inside him at the same time. It almost feels like it's coming from himself, although Tyler knows that's impossible. They stay that way for a couple seconds that feel like forever, before Tyler dares to break the semi-silence.

"So..."

"What's going on?" Clancy sighs, a soft smile spreading on his face. "Is that what you were going to say?"

Tyler nods, impressed. He's not scared, mostly impatient. He wants to know. He wants to leave. He wants to live. Clancy sits upright, slightly massaging the sides of his forehead with his thumbs as if trying to sort out his thoughts, wondering where to begin.

"All right. As you've probably understood by now, you know the Bishops aren't that good, right?"

Tyler nods again. Not that good is a euphemism. He isn't sure how, but Tyler knows in his heart that the Bishops, contrary to what most people in Dema believe, are actually evil. They don't want what's best for the inhabitants of Dema. What do they want? Tyler is dying to know.

"You've also figured out that they use the neon lights to... instill thoughts into our brains, right?" This time, he doesn't wait for Tyler to acquiesce to continue. "They lull us to sleep with these lights in order to make slaves out of us. I don't have time to dive deeper into this now, but you'll know soon. The banditos will help."

Tyler's stomach tightens inside. The Banditos. Tyler sees yellow every time he hears this word. "Who are they?"

"They're people like us, Tyler. They want more out of this life, so they fight against the Bishops. They fight against Dema."

"So," Tyler gulps at the thought of fighting the Bishops, "where are they? Shouldn't we, like, gather? Make plans?" Tyler's pragmatic mind is coming back full force now that he's awake, and he doesn't think the Banditos are ready. Although there are just nine of them, the Bishops are a hard lot to take on. They can't pretend to win them over with a snap of their fingers. They have to think this through. "Should we go and wake them up now?"

Clancy lets out a pure laugh. "Tyler, they're all awake, I can tell you."

"But where-"

"They're outside, Tyler. They're behind this," he nods towards the Wall.

"Wha-" Tyler starts, but his breath catches in his throat with fear and uncertainty. "But nobody goes outside. It's... dangerous." Suddenly Tyler feels weird, almost like he's being made fun of. What proves that Clancy can be trusted? His mind is reeling. Why did he let himself get thrown into this? His hands are shaking. Who says he's on the right path? Who says the Bishops are the ones lying to him? Clancy appeared out of nowhere one day, and now Tyler is ready to follow him outside out of the blue. This doesn't feel right. This shouldn't be happening. Tyler should-

"Hey," Clancy's hand finds his shoulder. "Hey, calm down."

At his words, Tyler realizes his breath has quickened so much he's seeing stars.

"That's okay," Clancy goes again. "It happens all the time. You're overthinking, because you're still under the influence of the neon. Give yourself time. And if you don't trust me, trust your gut."

Tyler stays silent. He closes his eyes, tries to feel the music run from the Wall through his veins because he feels, he knows it's calming. Soothing. When he's ready, breathing slowly again, he raises his head again. "They're... outside. Right? Are they coming to free us?" Clancy nods. "Why me, then? And why you? Why do you know all this? Was Riko one of them? And do we-"

"Hold on, hold on," Clancy stops him with a movement of the hand. "Let me answer all these before you ask any more questions, all right? Yes, Riko was one of them. I'm still not sure where he is now, or if he's dead. None of us do, we've never been that far. And yes, I am a Bandito, Tyler. And so are you."

"I'm n-"

"It'll come back to you, you'll see. It always does."

Tyler frowns. "What do you mean by th-"

Tyler stops as Clancy gets up quickly, a finger on his mouth as if to shush him. And then they both hear it. Twigs and branches cracking under heavy boots. Someone is coming. And it's not a Bandito. Tyler's heart jumps in his throat as he comes to his feet and Clancy grips his shoulders.

"You have to go now."

"But- the Banditos? Are they not-"

"Not tonight, Tyler. Go back to your room. Keep the petals on you at all time. Go!"

Clancy pushes him towards the left as he starts to go right.

"Are you not going back to your room?" Tyler asks, but Clancy's already almost disappeared behind the trees.

"I'll divert them," he whispers from afar. "Leave, now!"

"Will I see you again? When will I know the Banditos are coming?"

Clancy shrugs. "I hope so. And keep listening."

Tyler opens his mouth to ask another question, but Clancy's already gone. Still, the boots are approaching and Tyler can feel the red coming closer and closer. Grasping the straps of his backpack tightly, Tyler runs as far away from the sound as he can. Which Bishop is it? Keons? How will Clancy divert him? How will he get away?

When he finally gets to his room, Tyler knows he's safe. He goes to bed with a petal in his hand. He knows the yellow will protect him. Still, he does his best to not so much as glance towards the neon lights. He sees better with eyes closed.

He doesn't sleep that much, and when he goes to Prayer in the morning, he has only one thought in mind: he needs to leave Dema. But Tyler's stomach drops when he kneels down on his grey cushion: there's no sign of Clancy. Not even an empty cushion. It's like he never existed.

Clancy's gone.