The news of Dexter's disappearance was no surprise to him, he was the cause after all. But the text messages never ended, the missed calls reaching into the hundreds by now. More than enough police reports had been filed and yet Eden was relentless. She knew that from his phone records that he had last spoken with TJ. But TJ kept firm in his statement that Dexter had never shown up. Her persistence was becoming quite annoying, there were no eyewitnesses, none that could be tracked down. The city was already a busy place, though nobody reported anything out of place. And why would it? Everything was carried out as nothing more than a friendly encounter, and Dexter was nothing important, nothing of note, he was a dime a dozen. Nothing about him had ever stood out, besides his personality, and even that was missing from the scene. For all Eden knew, he up and left, but she pressed that it had something to do with Eiji. She wasn't wrong of course, but it didn't stop there.

TJ sighs out a heavy breath looking down at his phone's screen, flicking the end of his cigarette aside he turns and descends back into the bunker. Pocketing his phone after locking the screen he makes his way down the long corridor, the lights flickering overhead though none of his concern at the moment. He can hear the sobs already echoing weakly from their favorite room. He can smell the faint remnants of gasoline and something so cryptic that would make your skin pebble and the hairs stand on end. Though to them, It was a comfort, something that felt like home. Didn't have to answer to anyone here, didn't have to hide anything about themselves from the other or anyone else for that matter. Though their visitors would enter, they never left. Opening the heavy latch with a small groan of the metal giving way to grant him access to the brightly lighted room, TJ turns and closes the door behind him before looking to the scene playing out in the center. Eiji turns to look to TJ's entry, a knife in his gloved hand, the tip of the blade resting on his cheek in a lazy gesture. His eyes spoke volumes of his boredom with the victim at hand. They had spent too much time working on this project that there was only one thing left to do. His steely gray eyes bore holes into TJ, wanting to be rid of this nuisance any longer. A week of rehabilitation and getting nothing out of the pathetic excuse for a human being tied up and squirming on the floor was tedious, and warranted zero results. The lacerations across his face being the byproduct of TJ's anger, TJ rakes his fingers back through his hair, pushing it from his eyes and looking down at Dexter on the floor as he strides over. He kicks him in the shin as if he were testing to see if a piece of garbage on the floor had anything more to it than exactly as it appeared, only to see that it was just that, litter.

"Still?" Eiji asks whimsically circling around to the backside of Dexter as he was lying on his side with his hands tied behind his back, the zip ties around his wrist grating against his skin, causing the inflammation that was visibly noticeable. He bends to a crouch and prods the tip of his knife along Dexter's spine to toy with him, watching his back arch in a shallow attempt of being free from the sharpened metal.

Fear was heavily instilled to him, rendering him absolutely useless, though that wasn't much of a difference from his regular presence in their lives. But this reduced state was more than displeasing to see. He did nothing for himself, he didn't try to fight back, only that once and TJ had made sure that he knew exactly where he stood among the three of them. His position on the dirty floor was a perfect representation of that lesson that had to be hard learned.

"Of course. She's not going to give up until she finds some proof. If there was any to find." TJ shrugs and moves to place his foot on the side of Dexter's face, pushing his weight onto it slowly. Dexter groans out and tries to move his face away only to receive more pressure being applied. It was no surprise honestly, they hadn't bothered to supply him with nourishment other than some water and TJ had tossed him half of a sandwich once. If he had eaten it, TJ didn't know, it was almost a passing gesture, and he hadn't given it a second thought after that. Eiji had been the one to stay at the Bunker for the entirety of this. That was another thing that Eden had pressed, she couldn't reach Eiji, and it only made her more suspicious. Considering all that had happened, with the fight that had happened with Dexter and Eiji, she was sure that he was involved. Her intuition was very keen, though they both knew that something had to be done at this point.

"End this." Eiji sighs out and rises to a stand, completely done and over this whole situation. "None of this would have had to happen if-"

"I know. I agree." TJ interjects removing his foot from Dexter's face and matching the gaze of his partner, his hands tucked in his pockets, his mismatched eyes lifeless as ever. He was at his breaking point and Eiji could see that plainly. TJ was lost to this one, any care he had had possessed was now absent. Eiji loved it when he was like this, it meant that the yellow tape was removed, there were no longer any restrictions. It's not that TJ didn't care anymore, he just couldn't care anymore.

Since Dexter had attacked him, TJ had switched, the gloves were off and he wasn't taking anything more. He was ready, and Eiji couldn't help but get excited for what was to come. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be pleasant for anyone that got in their way.

Eiji smirks and lowers his chin to look back down to Dexter on the floor, his breathing was already shallow, probably due to a fractured rib, it looked painful for him to move in anyway. His glasses were smashed by TJ and this had rendered him blind, the swelling from the assault that was inflicted to his face had reduced and only left behind the evidence in split skin and deep bruising. He imagined that the majority of the bones in his face were crushed, it was evident in his nose. The raccoon eyes that were the deep purple bruising under his eyes was proof of a fracture in his skull somewhere near the back. This was TJ's masterpiece, his work without the use of his favorite blunt force supporting items, and Eiji admired it, it was in his name after all.

"Did you set it up?" Eiji prompts looking up to TJ's cold gaze cast down on Dexter at their feet, his expression was blank, though held a certain showing of disregard. It was dark in every sense, and the blank stare was deadly.

He nods once, pulling his hand from his pocket he rubs at his nose and then points nonchalantly down to Dexter.

Go time.

Eiji bends at the waist, reaching down with the knife in his hand he snaps the zip ties around his wrists with a small tug. Dexter gasps from the relief of the pressure but groans from the blood now rushing to his hands that had been numb. TJ hisses in a breath and rubs his knuckles over his lips as Dexter rolls over onto his stomach, pressing a numb palm to the cold of the concrete below him, the choking strangle coming from him.

"Ah yeah, that's the worst feeling huh?" TJ taunts leaning to the side to catch a view of Dexter with his face pressed to the ground as he gasps for breath, the sounds of faint gagging coming from the battered idiot.

Eiji chuckles and scratches at his head with the tip of his knife watching TJ hoist the kid up to his feet, forcing him to stand in his weakened state. He pushes him forward towards the door only for him to collapse to his hands and knees, a searing pain shooting up his arms from his hands making harsh contact with the ground that causes him to vomit immediately. TJ bursts into laughter, his head thrown back and his hands on his stomach with the genuine amusement causing Eiji to chuckle. He knew that his best friend had a thing for torture, especially one that he knew exactly how it felt. But seeing him smile after these months was nice, he was anxious for the finale of this showing though. Eiji stoops, hooking his arm under Dexter's and wrenches him to his feet again, forcing him to walk forward again.

"Eh yeah don't touch me, you're disgusting and you smell terrible. Keep stumbling over your own feet and I'll have TJ take you the rest of the way. Would you like that?" Eiji playfully smiles and pulls his arm away from Dexter as he reflexively was going to grab him for support. An animal instinct he presumed, there would be no way that he would be seeking any form of comfort from either of them.

Eiji wipes his hand over the front of his light grey knit sweater and looks to TJ rolling his eyes, though his lips split into a toothy smirk. He moves to open the door for them and Eiji pushes on Dexter's back to exit turning right, further into the base. Dexter drags his feet, reaching out to the wall for support as Eiji continues to push him to keep him moving.

His mind was blank, there was nothing left there, he didn't hope to be saved, he knew that there was nothing that would save him. He wanted for it to end, he wanted to not feel anymore. He wanted to be anyone else in the world than the person that he was at the moment. He tried desperately to detach himself, to feel nothing, and in the end he wasn't able to. He felt guilty, it's all he ever felt, but this came with regret. His entire life he had been able to get out of situations or at least deviate fault. And this time, he should have kept his nose out of things, why did he have to press? Why did he have to stick his neck out? He should have known better, he should have given everyone their privacy. He should have been respectful. Being pushed forward abruptly into a smaller room than the last jerks him from his thoughts. The light flickers on overhead, his vision so blurred he can't make out the shape in the center.

Eiji circles around the centerpiece looking at the set up, he mouth curled up at the corners in a delighted smile, his eyes snap to TJ first, his head following second. Reaching up he touches the black rope hanging from a thick pipe overhead and tugs on it gently to test the strength. Trailing his hand down the course material he traces the shape of the knot that lead to the noose and turns his back to TJ unable to contain the grin spreading on his face.

Moving away from the setup he makes his way to the side and turns his back to the wall, leaning against it with his arms folded over his chest. TJ navigates Dexter to the chair and helps him up to stand on it.

"Turn around." TJ orders and pushes on Dexter forcing him to turn or fall, he didn't really care which one happened.

Dexter looks down to TJ and jumps slightly at the black rope hanging before him. TJ reaches up and pulls him by his shirt forcing him to bend down. Fitting the noose over his head, he tightens it with a small yank and steps back in finality propping his balled fists on his hips.

"It's up to you now." TJ smirks looking over Dexter weakly standing on the chair with his hands on the rope around his neck.

His face contorted in a twist of fear and agony, his dried crackled lips trembling, his eyes watering though still swollen, he was a wreck. And he didn't look like himself anymore, he never would anyways. TJ tilts his head slightly still looking on Dexter falling apart before him, he glances to Eiji with an arched eyebrow, pinching his bottom lip between his thumb and index finger, he was completely engrossed in seeing it all. TJ's mismatched eyes look to Dexter's face again, crusted blood and fresh tears, dark patches of purple, blue and brown bruises covering his face. He didn't even recognize him as the kid he once knew, but his eyes were the same. They reminded him of a rat, it was fitting.

"Don't make me help you." TJ warns. "This is how it ends. Death or dignity."

"You could actually do something right for once." Eiji comments in with a shrug of his shoulders.

Dexter shakes his head and looks down, his mangled arms still trying to work against the pain so he can have the strength to pull the rope off. His mind was still blank, it was another instinct.

The thing about the human psyche is that it is ingrained to fight to keep the vessel alive, no matter how much you could will it to give out. Out of instinct it will cause you to experience a flow of emotions, this was common, crying and sadness being the typical reaction. You could see it in anyone that has ever been sad, they feel that way because it's natural, and yet at the same time it's forced. Because afterwards, the person that was sad will feel better and keep going. The true battle was allowing those emotions to emerge and surface or not, will your will beat out instinct? In most cases instinct would win.

The chair clatters backwards, the sound of a deep throng echoing in the small space followed by choking, a struggle, a gurgle and silence. The rattle of the last breath.

In this case, it lost.