Nothing actually happens in this part, it's just people talking about their emotions. It's totally to help develop charters and not at all me trying to boost my word count without actually having to do anything

Rex only got an incredibly small amount of sleep that night, and what little sleep he did get couldn’t be considered restful in any sense. He was plagued with nightmares. The explosions, the rubble, the hawk, it all came back to him, just as realistic as it was earlier that day. Timothy couldn’t sleep either, for the same reasons, he told Rex. For the last few hours before dawn, the two just sat together. No sense in trying to sleep if it was going to be even more miserable than just being awake and tired.

“Rex. I’m sorry. For everything.” Timothy sighed. “If I hadn’t found those ruins, hadn’t dragged you into exploring them, we wouldn’t be in this mess right now. It’s my fault this whole thing happened. I only wanted to have a fun time exploring. I didn’t want it to turn into… this,”

Rex sat down next to Timothy, and put his arm around the bird’s shoulders. “Look, Timothy. It’s just as much my fault for wanting to explore the ruins, too. We’re both in this together. I’m not going to sugarcoat things and say it will just somehow get better. Because it won’t. The important thing is we stick together,”

Timothy nodded, relaxing a bit “Yeah, it just hurts. I’d do anything to be able to go back to yesterday, but I can’t. And even if I could, what else could we do different. We can’t not do the assignment, at best we’d be stuck living in the woods until the government goes on a manhunt, finds us, and kills us. Even then, eventually they’d set the bomb off anyway. And if we do retry the mission, who cares if we don’t get caught setting the bomb. Yeah, we’ll save that hawk. For like ten minutes. All my life, I’ve been the one with the power. And now, when i need that power the most, I have nothing. I’m a killer. And I have to live with that fact forever,”

“I see. I can understand where you’re coming from, to an extent. I never really felt that powerful from the start, but I feel trapped too. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I’m not as bold as you, I’ve never done anything with consequences nearly on this scale before, even when I really didn’t have a choice in the matter. Even still, I feel absolutely disgusting for what we’ve done, even though we had no way of knowing. Except the hawk. That one is entirely my fault for not warning you about how I changed the magic fields around. You shouldn’t blame yourself for that one at all,”

“Rex…” Of course, Timothy had tried to be careful with the other Hawk. He didn’t want to hurt him at all. Sure, Rex messing around with the magic fields didn’t help things, but it wasn’t completely his fault. Timothy knew that he should have been more careful, but he just got carried away.

“Rex. We were panicked. It happened. Don’t blame yourself. I was the one who did the magic, after all.”

“But I was the one one who made you so strong. There’s no argument that makes me blameless.” said Rex, almost completely unable to hold back his tears anymore.

“It’s okay if you need to cry Rex. I understand,” Timothy wanted to cry himself. He just wasn’t as expressive as Rex, and did a bit better at keeping everything in..

“T...Thanks,” said rex, burying his face into Timothy’s feathers, and began crying softly. Timothy didn’t really feel the need to say anything, he figured that it would be best just to let Rex let everything out. He couldn't believe what had happened either. He didn’t know how to cope. He didn’t know if he could cope. He had never really considered just how powerful his incredibly magical efficiency made him before, he had just seen it as a nice convenience. Now he was forced to see reality in the worst way possible. He felt absolutely terrible, he wanted to vomit. No matter how often he went over what had happened in his head it just all seemed so surreal, so distant.

A loud pounding sound on the wall signified that James wasn’t handling things very well, either. “Damnit, damnit, damnit damnit!” he shouted, punctuating each shout with loud pounding on the wall. “How could we fall for that shit! How could we let them do this to us?! How could we let them trick us like that?!”

“James, please calm down,” said Thrasher. “Getting angry isn’t going to help anything.” Thrasher couldn’t bring himself to feel angry. He just felt sadness. Sadness for what he had done, sadness for the victims, sadness for the sorry state of the world where something like this was even necessary.

“First, do no harm,” Thrasher said, putting his head in his hands.

“What?” asked James.

“It’s a line from an old human medical oath. It’s something I’ve always taken to heart. The last thing I want to do is hurt anybody, yet alone people I don’t have anything to do with. If only Rex hadn’t fused with Timothy. If only I had been able to do something to help someone, anyone, I might feel a bit less awful. But i couldn't. I’m a failure at what I want to do the most,”

James shook his head. “Look, I know it sucks, I know it’s horrific, but that’s just anthro nature. We fight, people die, and history goes on for a few thousand years until we drive ourselves extinct. Like a certain other intelligent race did millions of years ago. It sucks, but that’s just the way of the world. We need to be ready to defend ourselves. Because people like the government will trick you into committing the murders for them! This should be that stupid lion’s trauma to deal with. We shouldn’t have even dragged into this! It’s bullshit!”

“James, you’re starting to get a bit too much again. Getting angry isn’t going to solve any problems,”

“Yeah, but it sure makes me feel better.”

“You know, maybe you should try to find a healthier outlet for your anger. Have you tried meditation? Though I’ll admit, it’s been hard to concentrate. All I see when I close my eyes is that damn explosion,”

“Yeah, so why don’t you try punching instead? You’re a crocodile. You have the muscles for it. Come on, do your species proud!”

“No, James. Violence isn’t going to help things here, it’s not the right answer.”

“Says you, but what do you know anyway?”

“I mean I’d like to think I know a decent amount about ethics and such.”

“Not like that, moron. I mean of the world. The lies of the government have affected my entire life. Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a human researcher. When I got into a college program for it, I was ecstatic. The humans were these great, mysterious elders, and I wanted to know everything about them. But everything I had been fed was a government lie. We’ve been manipulated our entire lives! How can you not be at least a little pissed off by that?”

“Don’t get me wrong, James. It does make me angry, but what happened happened, and I just sort of deal with it. Yes. It sucks. But that’s what happened,”

“How can you just let it go that easily? How much of our lives, our entire culture is made of lies?! How many of the so called “traditions” we follow to honor the humans are just lies? How much of our so called “worship” was just government propaganda? We’ve been manipulated all our lives! And you’re just okay with that?! What is wrong with you?!”

Thrasher sighed. “Look, James. It does make me mad. It makes me really angry. These past few weeks it feels like we’ve just sort of been tools people keep using to push their own agendas. But I don’t want that to make me violent or angry. Because that would be letting them control me. I want to be stronger than that. I want to prove that I’m my own person. I am the one in control. So I don’t let them get to me. I remain calm, and let me decide how I want to feel. And while yes, I have sadness, and anger, and hopelessness, and a bunch of other emotions all swirling around inside of me, I try not to let my anger at the government come out,”

“So what you’re saying is that I shouldn’t let people control me, and express what I choose. Well I choose to express anger. So screw you and stop preaching to me!”

“Look, James, i’m only trying to help, I didn’t want to make-”

“Well I didn’t ask for your help. So stop preaching to me! I’m not like you! I need an outlet!” said James, who once again punched a wall.

“Look, James. I’m going to step out a bit, give you some space. Would you like that?”

“Yeah. Sorry. I didn’t mean to last out at you like that. I’m angry at myself and the government. Not you,”

“I know. Text me when you’re okay.”

Rex and Timothy heard a knock at their door. It was Thrasher. “Hey, something wrong?” asked Rex, who had managed to regain his composure.

“No, no. It was just a rough night for James and I last night, and he’s in a bad mood right now. He wanted me to give him some space, so I figured I’d come over here, see if you guys would take me in for the time being.”

Rex looked at Timothy, who nodded. “Yeah, sure. Come on in. I think it’s been a rough night for all of us.”

Thrasher sat down and sighed. “I just wish we could have done something to help them. We were just sort of forced out of there, and it’s not like anyone could have survived that explosion anyway,”

Rex sat down next to him. “Yeah. Timothy and I are going to keep a lookout for anything on the news about like a vigil or something. It’s the least we can do for the victims, at least the ones whos spirits manage to find their way there.”

“Yeah. I think that would help clear my mind, at least a little bit. I’ll ask James if he wants to come along when he’s more calm, I’m pretty sure he’ll want to.”

It was starting to get bright out, so the two decided to check for any news. Sure enough, the dark claw was disguising the operation as a shipping warehouse. The current confirmed death toll was 53, though not all of the members had been accounted for. A general ceremony for the victims would be held the next night. Timothy messaged Dan to ask him if he wanted to come, but he couldn’t because of his modifications. It would draw attention to them.

Dan did want to come at least spend some time with the rest though, despite his training as an assassin, he wasn’t handling his emotions well either. He knocked on the door, and sat down next to Timothy.

“Hey guys. Sorry to drag you all into this, even though it sounds like all of you are having a rough time too. Where’s the shark, by the way?”

“Oh, James? He needed some time alone.”

A muffled “damnit” from the other room confirmed that he was still there.

“Look, I’d love to go to the ceremony with you. I really would. It’s just you know,” He said, pulling up his sleeve to show his robotic arm. “I know that i’m supposed to be mature and cold to this stuff now, it kind of comes with the territory of being an assassin, but I’m really not. Especially with something on this scale,” Dan sighed and took a deep breath

“I’ve never really had anyone to talk with this about, anyone who really treated me like an actual person. The government sees me as a tool, everyone else sees me as a murderer. Including myself. Do you know how old I was when they first found me? I was twelve. Twelve. The government made me disappear. They had to. The government didn’t give me these modifications. I got them from human ruins.” Dan was about to cry at this point, struggling to get the words out.

“I was just a dumb kid. I didn’t know any better. My curiosity got the better of me, and I went into some human ruins. I found a weird machine, and decided to see what it did. My curiosity was rewarded with painful surgery and body modifications. I don’t know how they found me, but the government was waiting there when I got out. They kidnapped me, and I’ve been here ever since. But I know they didn’t want me for my skills or whatever. They wanted me for my modifications. An earthquake had hit in the time I was unconscious, and the machine that gave me these cybernetics was rendered unusable. Thus, I was the only one who had them, and who will probably ever have them.” Timothy pulled up his sleeve, and fiddled with his cybernetic arm.

“And there I was, some abomination of magic and technology. The government saw my skills in using technology; my robotic eye is really good at telling me how to work with human stuff in my native language, and made me an assassin. I didn’t really have a choice, it was that or get tossed out in the middle of a jungle in some other country and be left to fend for myself. They had tried to get me to repress my emotions, and to an extent, I have. Or I’ve at least gotten really good at convincing myself I’m not a terrible person,”

“I never wanted to hurt anybody. I never wanted to be here. I never wanted these stupid robot parts. They’ve done nothing but ruin my entire life! I watched my own funeral. I saw my own parents mourning their dead son, and I did nothing. I saw my parents cry out and question why I had to die. I wanted so much to reach through the screen I was watching on and tell them it was okay. That I was alive. But I couldn’t. The government needed to keep my existence a secret. And if some parents had to mourn their dead son, so what. And now, if fifty families have to mourn for fifty dark claw members, so what? They aren’t related to anyone in power, so it’s not like they matter to whoever is calling the shots. And if some deer has to grow up scared and alone who cares? Not the government.,”

“Dan, we’ve noticed a marked improvement in your mood lately, we’re permanently putting you with Timothy and his friends,” That was the first time the government had even pretended to care about my well being. I know they just did it to make me a better assassin. You guys are the only ones who care about me as a person.” Dan sighed. “Sorry for getting a bit off topic there. It just sort of came out.”

“Dan… I had no idea.”

“You know, in retrospect we should have seen that. Even for what we’ve seen of the government, his cybernetics are far more advanced,” said Rex Timothy glared at him.

“Dan, if there’s anything I can to do help, just let me know” said Thrasher.

They spend the rest of the day just talking and hanging out. The next day, Ray and his friends went to the memorial

The memorial took place outside. On a table were pictures of all those who had been killed in the explosion, with their names engraved underneath. Rex saw the hawk, but was unable to make out the name. It was time for the service to begin.

“As we begin our mourning, will the departed who join us in the spirit realm please lift their portraits, to indicate their presence.” About half of the portraits lifted up, including the hawk’s. “Good. Now let us begin with a moment of silence, to honor those spirits that could not be here today, be it because they were unwilling or unable to make it, or because they have already returned to the base magic that forms our universe.”

After the moment of silence, the memorial continued. “Death of the physical body is always a touchy thing. It cannot truly be considered death, as the spirits of our beloved victims still linger here with us today, and will linger for some time. However, the death of the body is still a great tragedy. The victims today can no longer interact with the world without magic. Never again can they have a body. And eventually they will decay back into the background magic that empowers the world. But all is not lost. We can still remain with the deceased and enjoy their company for the remaining time of their souls. And for that, we thank the humans for creating us as able to use magic, and interact with the world this way. For it is only by the grace of humans that we are able to interact with the spirit after death. And now I will give everybody some time to pray to the humans on their own.”

Rex of course, didn’t have anything to pray for. Not that the humans could have granted his prayers anyway. The last human’s spirit was probably still around, but that jerk wasn’t worthy of worship anyway. Rex just remained silent, he didn’t want to be rude and think about something completely off topic. Eventually though, the time for prayer was ended.

“And now, the friends and family of the deceased are welcomed to meet with them, using the portraits as a guide.”

“Hey, Rex. Should we meet up with the hawk? He was here.” asked Timothy.

Rex shook his head. “We probably shouldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to, but I don’t want to risk him ratting on us.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Let’s just go home.”