Those who are affected by the Outlier drug become twisted versions of themselves based on their cognition. For instance, those who succumb to greed become what they believe greed looks like. One patient became something that resembled a chandelier, and another transformed into a large beast that had qualities of a vault. There had been other tests on creatures that weren't of the human species, such as lizards, cats, and a herd of sheep, as well as a few inanimate objects. We never received any reports on the lizard tests, but the others went exactly as predicted. However, there were quite a few substantial failures that we sent to a place we refer to as The Pit. We haven't explored The Pit in depth, so we have no idea where it leads to. We will be sending Clancy Javis to investigate later this month, and we've sent off the remaining subjects to Genesis Asylum off of New Long Island. President Hashura has prioritized the Outlier project; he has stated previously that "war is coming", whatever that means. We will have more updates in the future once more developments are made.

~~~

   Henry stood on the edge of the Genesis Hospital's roof. Monoko had just went back down to Liam's lab to make a copy of the Outlier documents, giving Henry some time to think. "The world's so small from up here..." He said to himself. A gentle breeze blew through him, and he took a second to let the tranquility of the world around him to sink in. Henry dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out his bottle of Kaotine. He turned it over in his hands a few times before holding it up to the light. There were a few pills left inside. Henry opened the bottle and dumped the pills out onto the ground before stomping them into nothingness. He then took the bottle and threw it as hard as he could over the side of the roof. An intense weight was abruptly lifted from Henry's chest. He realized that it probably was a horrible idea, considering he was fifty stories up and the streets were flooded with people. "Yeah, I probably just killed somebody." Henry muttered. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and kicked up a bit of dirt before turning towards the staircase. Henry walked back down to Liam's lab, where Liam was leaning against the wall. Monoko was typing up a copy of the documents in the folder, and Signus was laying on the table.

   "Is he...?" Henry asked fearfully. "He's alive, if that's what you're asking. He'll be fine, thanks to you and Monoko." Liam replied. "Good. That's good..." Henry let out a sigh of relief and sat in a chair near where Signus was laying. "I don't know what I'd do without you little buddy..." He said, loud enough for only Signus to hear. "Liam... Could you deliver the documents to Apollo after Monoko's done with them? I've gotta try to get at least one more key from the Dreamscape today." Henry asked. "Oh yeah, sure, it's not like I've got a job or anything..." Liam grumbled. "Can you do it on your break?" Henry pressed. "Well... I had plans... I was gonna meet someone at the diner down the street." Liam said. Henry smirked and nudged Liam's side. "Oh? Do you have a special someone? What's his name?" He teased. "Fine! I'll do it, just leave me alone." Liam said, clearly flustered. "Well if you've got something more important to do, I could just tell Apollo to wait." Henry suggested. "No, if we make him wait, he might do something crazy. We don't know him, or what he's capable of." Liam insisted. "Call him and ask if it'd be okay if I delivered it instead." He said. 

   Henry pulled Beep out from his suit pocket and tossed it into the air. "Beep! Call Apollo!" Henry ordered. Beep's screen burst to life and the phone suspended itself in midair. Beep dialed the number, and started to ring. Eventually, Apollo picked up. "Ha-hey Henry!" He said in a disgustingly cheerful tone. "You got my papers, yeah?" He asked immediately after. "Yeah, yeah, I got your papers. Thing is though, I have something very important to attend to today. Would it be alright if one of my associates brought the paperwork to you instead of me?" Henry asked. "Uh... Yeah. Alright, that'll be fine." Apollo replied after a moment. "Cool. He'll make it clear that he's with me." Henry said. "Okay. Thanks Henry, I'll call you again later to give you your next job." Apollo said. There was a click, and the line was dead. "Wow, not even a goodbye? How rude." Henry said sarcastically.

   "He's... Definitely an odd one." Liam said. "I've no idea what his intentions could be." He added. "He's an asshole." Henry muttered. "That's one word for it." Monoko griped. "What would you call him?" Henry asked with a goofy grin. "A self-centered prick that has no regard for anyone other than himself. These freakin' documents aren't even worth it, it's all stuff we already know! Signus could have DIED for this douche-bag!" Monoko snapped. "Oh. Oh wow. Um... " Henry mumbled nervously. "I didn't really expect that..." He muttered awkwardly. Monoko stood and turned to Liam. "Here." He said, shoving the folder into Liam's arms. "C'mon, Henry. Let's get this over with." Monoko waved Henry over to the machine that they used to send Henry into the Dreamscape. "Does this thing have a name?" Henry asked as Monoko helped him get strapped in. "No, not yet. Why, does it need one?" Monoko replied. "No, but I think it'd be cool to give it a badass name." Henry suggested. "When Signus wakes up, we'll make one up, just for you. Alright?" Monoko said. "Okay." Henry said simply. Monoko turned the machine on, and Henry fell back into the Hall of Doors. Without a word, Henry picked a door and walked through.

~~~

   Clair trudged through the murky swamp, holding branches and vines above her with one slimy hand. The other was holding a strange-looking stone, covered in brightly colored jewels. In the middle of the swamp stood a lonely shack, barely held together by nails and the strength of time. Clair entered the hut to find an old woman. The old woman had several animal-like features, but it didn't seem like she was any one kind of creature. She had the head of a bird, the body of a badger, the hands and feet of a raccoon, and the tail of a snake. "Here you are, Tranquility." Clair said as she handed the rock to the woman. "Thank you dear. Although you may not be the one foretold in the prophecy, by my honor I have to give you this key. You passed the trial after all." Tranquility said. "I assure you ma'am, I am the one you should trust. That other man is a liar, he wants the keys so he can release the Krystal King from his prison." Clair lied. "I'll decide who I trust on my own thank you." Tranquility huffed. "Of course, you're entitled to your own choices." Clair said somewhat apologetically.

   "Here is the key. Do with it as you will." Tranquility said. She placed a small black box in Clair's hands, and without another word, Clair left the Ancient to her devices.

~~~

   Reza led the group of teenagers through the New York City Ruins, to the chapel where the Kult stayed. He had only managed to convince three people out of the close to a million people that lived in New New York. After the speeches he gave all over town, people had threatened to call the police for "gang activity", so he decided to retreat with what he had. When Reza walked in the church, he saw Obscurity and Adrian fixing the doors. "I'm back." Reza said calmly. Obscurity glared at him, but his expression quickly changed when he saw the three boys behind him. "Great job, you did good." Ob said. "For once..." He grumbled under his breath. Reza shot him a look, and took a deep breath. "Ob, these are Thrasher, Cyrus, and Zephyr." He said, gesturing to the boys. "They want to join." Reza said. Ob gently pushed Reza aside and put his face inches away from the three teens'. "Why?" He asked in a low voice. "Why do you want to join us? What purpose would it serve you?" Ob straightened his back and began to pace in front of them. "Trying to get away from abusive parents? Running from responsibility? Lonely, friendless, depressed? Are you in search of adventure, or maybe a shot of adrenaline? Hmm?" He pressed.

   "All of those things don't last. This, however, is forever. If you're trying to solve temporary problems, joining the Krystal Kult isn't the answer. " Thrasher, Cyrus and Zephyr all shook with fear as Ob's hollow eyes bore into them. "But if you're here for salvation... If you're here for good reason, to bring our lord back from his prison, then this IS the answer." Ob said. Zephyr took a shaky breath and cleared his throat. "My reasons for being here are my own." He stammered. "You can either accept me, or kick me out right now." Zephyr's voice began to grow ever more confident. He stood up straight and gave Ob a challenging glare. After a few tense moments of silence, Ob began to chuckle. Reza took a few steps back and braced himself on the wall. "I like your resolve kid. Which one are you?" Ob said quietly. "Zephyr." Zephyr replied confidently. Thrasher and Cyrus took a couple of steps back, clearly afraid of Ob. "What even are you?" Cyrus asked nervously. "I'm two things kid. I'm either your best friend..." Ob glared at Reza before leaning down in front of Cyrus. "Or your worst nightmare." He said in a deep, quiet voice. Thrasher backed up even farther, until he was standing outside. "Come back! It's not safe out there!" Adrian suddenly shouted. Reza jumped a bit and grimaced at himself. He had nearly forgotten that Adrian was there. Thrasher kept backing away from the church. "Nah man, I'm not staying around this freak! He scares the hell out of me!" He exclaimed.

   "If you don't get back in here, you'll die." Ob warned calmly. "Are you threatening me?!" Thrasher cried. "No. I'm warning you." Ob said. Just then, a group of Krystal Beasts tore out from the shadows and quickly overcame Thrasher. Cyrus and Zephyr stared at the mass of Krystal Beasts in horror. "Wait!" Adrian yelled out into the darkness as Ob and Reza slammed the doors shut. "He is definitely dead. One, hundred percent dead." Reza said coldly. "What the hell?!" Cyrus shouted. "What? There's no use in being upset. In this life, people die, there's nothing we can do." Reza replied. "Don't antagonize them. Let them grieve for now." Ob said. "He... He just died so fast... Not even a sound..." Zephyr said. "It's more troubling when they scream." Ob said in a strangely comforting tone. "I don't know if that's helpful or upsetting..." Cyrus said. "No screaming must mean he didn't suffer." Adrian said. There was suddenly a very intense death scream from outside. "Wow. That was delayed." Reza said. "That wasn't him..." Cyrus said. The group backed away from the door as something heavy slammed into weakened wood. "Stay quiet." Reza ordered. The church grew silent as a disconcerting anticipation filled their hearts. Zephyr and Cyrus let out a soft gasp as the door burst open. A strange-looking Krystal Beast charged into the room, snarling and screeching.

   It had a round-ish body, and orange feathers poking out from between the crystals on its body. There was a sharp crystalline beak protruding from its face and a familiar set of goggles. "Oh my God... Oculus?!" Reza said, shocked. "I knew it." Ob said. Without thinking, Reza drew his weapon and pierced through the Krystal Beast before anyone got hurt. Cyrus and Zephyr ran to the door and forced it shut to prevent anymore Krystal Beasts from entering. "Jesus..." Reza muttered once he realized what he had done. He looked up at Cyrus and Zephyr and gave them a nervous smile. "So... Do you still want to join up?" Reza chuckled sheepishly.

~~~

   Henry found himself in a dark hall, surrounded by metal walls. There were quiet hums and whirs of machinery above and below him. He walked through the corridor, taking in his surroundings. Suddenly, the lights turned on one by one above him, revealing shutters on the walls. Henry watched as the shutters opened, revealing the vast expanse of space around him. He let out an awe-stricken gasp and smiled. "SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!" He screamed at the top of his lungs like a child. "Henry! God dammit! Could you not scream in my ear?!" Monoko snapped. "I'M SORRY!" Henry shouted just as loudly. Monoko cursed and Henry took it as a sign to shut up. Henry stared at the beauty of space for another few minutes before moving on. He followed the corridor in search of some form of life. "So. I'm in space. This is totally sick. Even if there aren't any Ancients here, I could have a great time here." Henry said. There was a quiet shuffling from inside the walls, which made Henry nervous. "Um... Monoko? Is there... Is there something in here with me?" He asked. "Oh, yeah, definitely." Monoko replied. "Uh... You wanna run that by me again?" Henry stammered. "There are definitely some sort of lifeform nearby. Whatever it is, it's practically on top of you." Monoko said.

   "Oh GOOD." Henry grumbled. "Keep moving. We don't know if that thing's friendly or not." Monoko ordered. "Yep." Henry sighed. He kept walking, making sure to check over his shoulder every now and again. The lights abruptly turned off with a loud click. "Who... Who are you?" A quiet voice creaked. "Are you... A human? I haven't seen something like you in a very long time." The voice whispered. Something heavy started shuffling towards Henry, who was frozen in fear. A heavy bone-like claw placed itself on his shoulder gently. "Are you afraid? I can feel your heartbeat. So quick... So... Uneasy." The voice said. Chills ran up Henry's spine as a gust of warm breath caressed his ear. Henry squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath, waiting for something. "Become familiar with this place. I will return soon." The voice said. When Henry opened his eyes, the lights were on again and he was alone. "What was that?" Henry asked. "I dunno, but whatever it was is gone." Monoko said.

   "Oh good. I don't know which is worse, not knowing where that thing is, or having it that close to me." Henry said. "Well he said to 'become familiar with this place', so I guess you should keep wandering around. Maybe you'll stumble into something cool. Or deadly. Either way, it's better than standing around." Monoko suggested. "Ok. Hope I don't die or something." Henry muttered. "Wow, you really just checked out, didn't you?" Monoko asked. "You know it." Henry said. He leaned up against what he thought was a wall, and ended up falling flat on his back. "Oh cool, you found a door." Monoko snickered. "And the floor!" Henry said. They both started laughing over Henry's stupidity for a moment; but the moment soon passed. Henry pushed himself to his feet and walked through the doorway that he discovered. He found himself in a small room that resembled a cafeteria. The word "lost" was written on the wall in a deeply crimson liquid. "That better be ketchup." Henry said. "I highly doubt it." Monoko said. "Why?" Henry asked. "Just cause. Look to your left." Monoko replied. Henry turned to the left and suddenly recoiled with a sharp yelp. There was a decapitated animal-person's body laying in the corner, surrounded by blood. "OH GREAT!" Henry shouted. "Calm down!" Monoko shouted just as intensely. "Get a closer look, I'll try to see what the cause of death was." He said. "Uh, clearly DECAPITATION!" Henry exclaimed.

   "That could've been done before or after the person died." Monoko explained. Henry groaned to himself and took a squeamish step towards the body. He crouched down and looked at the corpse for way longer than he wanted to. "Ohh... Lacerations on the neck and chest... Are those teeth marks? Hey, what's than in his chest pocket?" Monoko rambled. Henry reached into the corpse's left pocket and pulled out a rectangular piece of plastic. "Fred Lopez... Thirty-four, class D clearance... This could be useful..." Henry muttered to himself as he stuffed the keycard into his own pocket. "You won't need this anymore, right, Fred?" Henry asked with a goofy grin plastered on his face. "Henry. Dear God, I swear one of these days I'm going to tase you." Monoko chuckled. "I doubt that." Henry replied. "Sure." Monoko said. Henry backed away from the body and left the corpse alone in the room. "Be careful... The thing that killed Fred is probably still around." Monoko warned. Now that Henry knew what exactly the doors were in that world, he retraced his steps and searched for more rooms. Most of them were bathrooms, which Henry figured was perfectly correct. "Yes. More toilets." Henry said. "Oh my God. Could you please stop screwing around?" Monoko asked, exasperated. "Yeah sure." Henry said as he exited one of the many bathrooms.

   The lights turned off again, and the familiar creepy voice returned. "Do you understand our plight now, human?" The voice asked. "Nope. All I saw was a dead guy and like thirty bathrooms." Henry replied. "Oh. Um... Alright fine, let me just explain it." The voice sighed and the lights flickered back on. Henry turned around and bumped directly into a sloth creature. "WHOA-HO-HOLY CRAP!" He shrieked ."Aaah oh no." The sloth said lamely. "A scary sloth guy, watch out I might eat your face or take three weeks to relieve myself." He retorted. "It's not because you're a sloth, it's just... You were right there. In my face. You scared me." Henry whined. "Anyway, what's the problem?" He asked. "First of all, my name is Sloth. You may know me as one of the thirteen Ancients." Sloth said. "Yes!" Monoko hissed triumphantly. "A monster found its way onto the station, and since you want my key, you'll have to find it and get rid of it for me." Sloth explained. "How did you know I want the key?" Henry asked. "Mania told me to look for a 'balding circular man'. I was getting my trial ready and this crap started so..." Sloth replied. "What? Beh-scuse me?" Henry asked. Monoko started laughing hysterically and Sloth smirked. "He gave a somewhat accurate description." He said smugly.

   "Unfortunately, there's someone else collecting keys as well. A red slimy beast has gathered at least three keys from Tranquility, Greed and Harmony. She claimed that you're the one that's planning on releasing the King, but I believe otherwise. Mania and Patience tell me that you've acted with kindness, even though you may have snapped more than a few times. You mean well, and I'm sorry to say we're bound by our law: those who complete our trial earns our key. As long as you protect the ones you have in your possession, everything will be alright." Sloth said, suddenly quite serious. "What?!" Henry exclaimed. Sloth shrugged. "I believe in you. It'll be fine." He said. Henry sighed and slumped over. "What am I looking for?" He suddenly straightened his back and gave Sloth a determined look. "I dunno. Something... Monster-y? If it tries to kill you, it's probably the monster. The other inhabitants of the station are all in the cargo hold, hiding until it's safe to come out, so you SHOULDN'T run into anybody else. Unless... Ah, nevermind. Go. That monster's not gonna hunt itself." Sloth said. Henry nodded and walked off, unsure where to start.

~~~

   Christina watched Henry fumble around with the car keys patiently. "Henry, it goes in here." She pointed to the ignition slot behind the steering wheel. "Uh... Yeah. Yeah, I knew that." Henry said, feigning confidence. He jammed the key into the ignition upside down and waited. Christina giggled and nudged Henry's side. "Babe, it's upside down." She said. "Oh. See, this is why I don't drive." Henry pouted. "We can still use a cab." Christina suggested. "Yeah, what kind of story would that be for the kid? 'Oh yeah uh your dad's too much of an idiot to drive so you ended up coming out of your mom in a taxi in the middle of a traffic jam!'" Henry snapped. "I