The unworldly experience felt like a dream when Will abruptly awoke in his bed. Not that he could remember getting there. That's what concerned him. He remembered everything else. From the training simulation to the hall of mirrors. It was difficult to know for certain what had been real or not. Upon sitting up, his aching body removed any doubts he had of the Simulation Room. Instinct roused him to get up and head towards the secret door for confirmation of its existence, not being able to find it where it had been illuminated by a strip of light the night before. While the secret door no longer lit up with an illuminated wallstrip, its indented edges made it visible. 

Will stood back to take in the breathtaking view of the city skyline through the wall of reinforced glass. It's panorama bringing a new perspective of Infinite city with the first rays of the morning sun gently peaking up behind the horizon and reflecting onto the glass rooftops of city skyscrapers down below. For a moment, everything was quiet. He couldn't remember the last time he had been able to catch a break and just stand back from the relentless situations he kept finding himself caught in. 

Peaceful bliss was short-lived when an electronic beep followed by a fwoosh of air sounded behind him. Will turned around and saw that it had come from the floating desk currently hidden from his line of sight.

A steel tray appeared, sectioned into neat compartments from what resembled a vibrant meal, consisting of a protein slab with nutrient paste and a gelatinous-looking egg next to a stack of toast that didn't bode well at first glance. On an embedded, heated coaster sat a steaming cup of coffee.

Will reached out for the steaming cup of coffee, not realising how hungry he actually was until he took the first sip. The desk was big enough to store an integrated Holopad, paired with the tangible Hologram, and serve a meal when certain circumstances called for it. 

As much as the eyes could see, there was no dining table, so Will ate his meal there, taking the seat provided for him.

He ate in silence until another beep of an interlocked switch clicking open startled him, releasing a pop of air. Will jumped, taken aback by the continuation of pre-configured alerts. Everything that he had gone through last night still put him on edge. 

Looking up, he saw that another compartment had swung open on his right, revealing attire that evoked a blend of military precision mixed with a cutting edge of rebellion. A suit, while formal in appearance, had its own elegance: detailed embroidery on the lapels and cuffs, tailored with a deep, midnight hue in a sharp and asymmetrical design. Will gathered that he was to wear it for Victor's commemoration that evening. 

Maybe during the hours in between, he could analyse other Will's blueprints of the secret simulation room on the Holopad and while at it, unveil any other secrets he might have been hiding from Ezra. It was that or beginning another training sequence which Will had not fully recovered from yet. Especially when he still couldn't make sense of the memories that had followed. Things will go back to normal tomorrow. Until then, he just had to make the most of his time.

*     *     *

As part of the pre-configured alerts system, Will's Holopad informed him in due time to suit-up for Victor's commemoration. Then he stood at the door which slid open promptly as soon as the temporary regulations were lifted.

Will stepped outside into the hallway. To his right, Ezra had appeared, wearing a dark, olive-green suit of his own, with a high neck-collar and a tailcoat that oddly complimented the outward appearance of his IQ. Without a word, he strode forward, leaving enough space for Will to fall in line next to him. 

"Aren't you dashing?" Ezra said.

"Too dashing for someone who's still alive," Will added. 

"No one else knows that." 

"Except Bill," Will said. "Which if I were you, I would have already confronted him about what we saw." 

"That's good," Ezra chortled, looking slightly miffed. "I see what you're doing."

"What is that supposed to mean?" 

"It means keep those cards for the real enemy," he said. 

They walked the rest of the way in silence. It wasn't until they took the turning bay into the atrium of the Imperial's Base that Will questioned where they were actually going. He was answered when Ezra initiated the command sequence into the control panel to change its course. An act which Will hadn't noticed before during his first time inside this imposing spire of steel and glass as he had been too absorbed in its architectural-grandeur. 

Ezra instructed him to get on board with a gesture of his head towards the gate. Will obliged, doing anything he could that would refrain another dispute. He opened the gate and stepped onto the Turbolift. Ezra followed, activating the sensor with his weight once the gate shut behind him. It would only operate when everything was intact. Then it started to ascend. The short trip up was smooth and gradual, its spire of glass windows capturing the calming scenery of the moonlit cityscape from a bird's eye view. Just as gradually, the Turbolift arrived at the top, stopping to let them off. 

If Ezra hadn't stepped off first, Will would have remained standing there, his blue eyes full of awe at the expanse of Infinite City, not realising that they had stopped. The Turbolift had brought them to an unexplored monument at the top of the spire. Ezra stepped off first, eager to get to the main event. Will followed, coming up next to him. Two guards stood either side of the entrance doors, blasters in their hands which succeeded in enforcing security. 

"A little too excessive, wouldn't you say?" Will asked as they neared the guards. 

"With everything that's happened lately, I would have to disagree," Ezra said. 

They reached the entrance which brought their subdued chatter to an end. Just before they were permitted entrance into the Atrium Tower, they were authorised to verify themselves through a digital scan of the Hologram Projector which Will recognised from his first night in Infinite City when he had been restrained. All clear, they proceeded without any further hindrances.

"Just don't do anything I wouldn't do and try not to draw unnecessary attention to yourself," Ezra advised. The entrance doors slid open. 

"Because that's exactly what I would do," Will said. Ezra returned his sarcastic remark with a sidelong glance. 

Entering the Atrium Tower was certainly a sight to impress. Will marvelled at its grand opulence, trying to take in as much detail as he could while trying to navigate through the crowd of gathered guests, each fitted in their own respective attire. As Ezra guided them to the front, a domed glass ceiling stretched high above them, framed by alloy panels. Below, they walked on a polished, tiled floor inlaid with onyx and silver that shimmered in the glow of light fixtures mounted in the wall around them. 

"Who are all these people?" Will asked, trying his best to stay in line with Ezra. 

"First class citizens. Hidden alliances. When someone in power falls, so will the people's allegiance. My father will do anything to ensure the peace of Infinite City. The peace that you disturbed." 

"Me? Whose side are you on-" 

"People are watching, Will." Ezra stopped abruptly, whipping around to face Will deep in the gathered crowd. "And what people hear, they will talk." 

They continued in silence, successfully reaching the front, but not without a few grunts and bumps into fellow citizens of whom some could be hidden alliances as Ezra had just claimed. The room filled with soft chatter accompanied by the mindless tune of a somber cello. When they reached the front, Will saw two flights of stairs leading up to the ceremonial platform from either side, each one designed with gilded handrails and glass steps. 

His eyes fell on the podium that overlooked everyone below. A sight that would grant anyone who stood there with the authority and power of a Chancellor over its people. No doubt, Bill would relish in the moment when he would address the nation of Victor's demise, ending with a moment of silence to commemorate his life. At least, that's how Will imagined the ceremony would go. 

A hush befell the restless crowd as Chancellor Grayson appeared on the platform, his suit woven of grey silk layered with a metallic sheen. Upon his shoulders, he wore the Regent Ceremonial Cape that only locals knew was weaved together from Infinite City's rarest material, Villerium.

The crowd waited in earnest as Bill prepared his speech. Even the cello had stopped playing.

"We are gathered here today to commemorate the life of a great leader." Bill's voice projected through the Atrium Tower. "Whom without, a world free of crime, murder and hunger would be non-existent. In this way, we honour Chancellor Victor Dark for the peace and justice he brought to this world." 

The tall, modular wall behind Bill lit up with a holographic image of Victor, appearing larger than life itself. It projected onto the wall, as a rite of remembrance. While the crowd revelled at the holographic image looming over them, Will's glare remained impartial. 

"Pfft, peace and justice my arse," a miffed voice sounded behind him. 

Will looked over his shoulder to see a young man with styled blonde hair and intelligent blue eyes meet his gaze. 

"You don't agree?" Will asked. 

He grinned, short in stature that he was easily overlooked. What he lacked, he made up for in his appearance. 

"Seems as if I'm not the only one," he answered. 

"Who are you?" 

"You're asking the wrong questions," he said. 

"Whose side are you on?" 

"That depends on which side you're on. Will, is it?" 

The pressure to answer clearly left him tongue-tied. His eyes darted from left to right, unable to settle, which paid off when he caught the unmistakable sight of red hair bobbing through the crowd a few feet ahead of him, a blue dress following her wake. 

"Excuse me, but I have to go," Will said, thankful for the distraction. 

While it was a poor act on his part to leave the young man in the state that he did, Will couldn't let this chance slide. There was only one person he knew who matched that description of the red-haired girl he had just seen. The girl he had fought on the Turbolift. 

Maybe this time, he could finally get her name.