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Reagan Ridley took a breath, standing in front of the double doors to the meeting room where her team, her friends, were waiting. She hugged the small folder close to her chest, knowing that what she was about to tell them would probably not go over too well. Fuck, knowing them Reagan was half-expecting them to go on a riot, but she had to tell them, it would be her last chance.
“Come on Reagan you can do this, you’ve faced worse,” She said to herself, and pushed open the doors. “Hey, guys I need to tell you something.”
Glenn, the part man part dolphin veteran, was reclining in his chair and sat up, Andre was trying to grab a vial from Myc the psychic mushroom held in one of his tentacles, Gigi, Cognito’s head media manipulator, was reading a magazine. Reagan looked around but Brett, her best friend and partner, was nowhere to be seen.
“What is it Reagan?” Gigi asked.
“Where’s Brett?”
“He’s with Cognito’s newest mascot,” Andre said.
“What?”
“You’ll find out later,” said Gigi.
“Okay, well I’ll talk to him next,” Reagan said looking away from her friends, composing her nerves. “So! I went and spoke with Ron today, that’s why I wasn’t around for the plot hole mission.”
“And?” Myc titled his cap. “Did he dump you? Are we in breakup-Reagan mode now?”
“I can make him disappear if you want,” Glenn punched a webbed hand against the table. “The bastard will never see us coming.”
“No!” Reagan exclaimed, a blush creeping onto her exhausted face. “No we did not break up, in fact, he told me I was all that mattered to him.”
“Ooh! Sounds like you two are getting serious,” Gigi smirked. “I’m not one for monogamous but really with you I think you should take what you can get.”
“Thanks,” Reagan said dryly.
“So why do look like you swallowed a dead rat?” Andre asked.
“Because Ron asked me something, something big and I accepted,” Reagan set the folder down on the table, showing the Appleton logo. “Ron asked me to go away with him, to leave this all behind and have a life together. So as of today, I am resigning from Cognito Inc.”
“What!” Glenn shouted.
“Woah!” Andre fell backward out of his chair.
Gigi gasped.
Myc tiled forward. “I’m sorry I must have misheard you because you just said the most un-Reagan thing ever.”
“Look I know this is hard to understand-”
“Hard to understand!” Gigi threw her arms up. “Girl you just got promoted!”
“I know.”
“Maybe she’s being mind-controlled,” Myc suggested rubbing two of his tentacles across her face. “Reagan, blink twice if need my juice.”
“Knock it off!” Reagan slapped his tentacles away. “I’m not being mind controlled.”
“That’s just what someone being mind controlled would say,” Glenn narrowed his eyes.
“Stop! Fuck! I just wanted to tell you guys and say goodbye now will you quit already so I can say it!”
They backed off giving her some space. “Thanks,” She chuckled. “As I was saying I’m resigning and leaving with Ron, and I’m going to be leaving my position with Brett, I want you to show him some form of respect.”
“Don’t worry, he’s already shown us he can be a real soldier when he need to,” Glenn assured her.
“That’s good, and try not to destroy the Earth once I’m gone, I’d like to have a least a few years of peace.”
“What about the robes?” Andre asked. “You know how they feel about potential leaks.”
“Ron already has that covered, we won’t be a threat to anyone, you can be sure of that,” She told them.
“You know what that means Reagan,” Gigi said putting a hand on her shoulder.
“I do, but it’s the only way.”
“So, I guess this is goodbye,” Myc said in a tone that could be thought of as actually sad.
“It is,” Reagan said somberly.
Gleen bit back a noise in his throat and made a salute. “Then I wish you the best commander. We’ll hold down the fort.”
Reagan smirked. “At ease soldier and thanks.”
“Aw man, I-I think I need to get something, something to suppress these emotions!” Andre cried tapping the table.
“Never change Andre.”
Gigi gave Reagan a quick hug, she tensed slightly but had become more used to the feeling and no longer punched someone who gave her one. “I’ll miss you girl, you might have not had the best fashion sense but you were as smart as hell.”
“Uh, thanks Gigi, you know you could come and visit Appleton sometime.”
Gigi sniffed. “I just might, I have that rumbled invisibility cloak trick you taught me, no one would notice me.”
“Glad I was able to give you something to remember me by,” Reagan said. “I should go find Brett and tell him my decision.”
She turned to leave and felt a tentacle on her shoulder. “You know out of all humans you were one of the ones I hated the least,” Myc said.
“Thanks,” She said knowing that was the closest to a compliment he could give.
“And your one memory none of us will ever erase.”
Reagan blinked a few times, trying to keep in any tears she had, and gave the talking mushroom a small smile, his tentacles slid free.
“Goodbye guys, and thanks for everything.”
Brett Hand was scratching the head of his new dog and companion, who just happened to be an alternate timeline version of Air Bud that he had just spent the last four hours working to save. He was glad that he managed to keep his teammates from erasing the dog but that didn’t erase the feeling he had over the choice Reagan had been given. A large part of him hoped she would turn Ron down, but another large part of him felt she would genuinely be happy with him, and much healthier. He’d come to her lab to wait for her final decision.
“Maybe you could be my new Reagan,” He said rubbing the dog. “How do you feel about growing out a messy ponytail? I ruv you Brett! Pratonicary!”
Air Bud gave a little whine sensing his discomfort then barked, Brett turned to see Reagan holding the Appleton folder.
“Heh, I thought you were the office dog around her,” She joked.
“He’s new, I had to make some choices and manipulate the American Government but I think it worked out,” Brett explained petting the dog’s head.
“Really, first day as boss and you’re already manipulating government?” She smiled. “I guess I made the right choice for leader after all.”
“So does that mean…”
Reagan nodded. “I’m going with Ron, so that means you’re going to be in charge around here, the others told me you were able to take charge today, I hope you can keep that up.”
“I-I can, promise,” He assured her. “So I wanted to ask, will I still be able to visit you in Appleton, once I figure out where it is.”
Reagan looked away. “That won’t really work, to make sure the robes don’t come after us Ron and I are going to erase our memories, this is going to be a total restart of our lives, we’ve even written scripts to get started.”
“Woah, total rewrite,” Brett said. “So does that mean you won’t be Reagan anymore, like the Reagan I knew?”
“Yep, from now on I’m going to be Courtney Samson, I think Ron gave me the cool name, he’s going to be Mike Higgins.”
Brett frowned. “Reagan, are you sure this is what you want? Like really sure, I’ve just gone along with what other people want before, and it’s not fun unless it’s you of course. But a whole new life, erasing who you were, is that what you really want?”
Reagan sighed. “When Ron first brought it up I thought about just saying yes so that we could be together, at least in some way. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I do want this. My whole life I’ve been a tool for someone, first a tool for my dad, then a tool for JR, and now the Robes want me to work with them only because I arrested my dad!
“Plus every crazy thing I’ve had to go through, having to do something I really am not socially meant for, it’s just been so much Brett. And I’m tired,” Reagan backed up against a wall and slowly slid down. “I’m so tired of it all and I just want to rest.”
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. “Okay then,” Brett said kneeling down in front of her. “If this is what you want, then I’m happy for you two.”
“Thanks Brett,” Reagan opened an eye and smiled. “There is one more thing I’m going to need you to do before you’re officially in charge.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m going to need you to be the one to read me my script after I wipe my memories.”
Ron Staedtler pulled out the two fingerprint erasers, handing one to Reagan. “Okay, on the count of three.”
“One, two, three,” They said together activating them and yelping as their fingerprints were burned off. “Goddamn, that burns!”
Off to the side, Brett winced in sympathy remembering when he accidentally erased his own fingerprints. Ron gently grabbed one of Reagan’s hands and kissed her fingers, Brett had to admit they made a cute couple.
“Alright, I guess we're just about ready then,” Ron said.
“Yep, oh, there is one other thing I need to get rid of,” Reagan said grabbing her left pinky. She gave it a little tug and the prosthetic popped off. “And just when I was getting used to the thing. Too bad I can’t keep any cognito tech.”
“We’ll get you a new prosthetic, I promise,” Ron said.
“Well that’ll be Courtney and Mike’s problem,” Reagan said moving over to Brett. “Here,” She handed him the false finger. “A little parting gift.”
Brett choked back a sob, holding the finger close. “I’ll treasure it always.”
Reagan looked back at Ron. “I’ll go get the bedroom ready.”
“Okay, I’ll be in a minute,” Ron said.
“See you soon Brett,” She said leaving the two guys alone.
“Hey man,” Ron said. “I know we didn’t get to hang out much, but thanks for being here, I know how much you mean to Reagan.”
“She’s my best friend, been more of a sister than my actual sister,” Brett said looking at the shut bedroom door. “I’m going to miss her, but she looks so happy here. Will your personalities be affected by the mind wipe?”
“A little, depending on the memories implanted your personality can be altered to varying degrees but for the most part we remain the same, she’s still going to be Reagan and I’m still going to be Ron, just a little different.”
“That’s good,” Brett wiped his eyes. “You take care of her okay, promise me.”
“I promise.”
“Good.”
Ron held up the memory gun. “We should probably go in, it’s time.”
Reagan was sitting on the bed, she’d changed out of her day clothes into a worn purple pajama top and matching pants. Ron held out the memory gun. “Okay. Remember, after I zap myself, you have a 60-second window of suggestibility to read me the script, then it’s your turn. After that, we’ll be out for a couple of hours.”
Reagan nodded, Ron cupped her cheek and gave her a kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you back.”
Ron changed into his own night clothes and laid down next to her with a sigh. “I can’t wait to finally be able to sleep at night.”
He looked at Brett, then looked at Reagan before he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. A line of purple energy traveled through his brain and he relaxed in the bed.
Reagan held up the script. “Your name is Martin Higgins. You live just outside Appleton, Wisconsin with your longtime girlfriend Courtney Samson. You had a hard time for a long time, but you did something brave. You took a chance on a new life because you realized you deserve one. You want to be a librarian, collecting memories of the past and tutoring kids in history. You’re free of everything that hurt you in the past and are ready to move on to the next part of your life, with the one you love most in the world.”
She brushed a hand through Ron, no, Mike’s hair, letting the new memories sink in till the remainder of the 60 seconds passed. When it did she let out a breath and looked at Brett who was trying and failing not to cry. “Alright, my turn.”
“Reagan before you do, I just want you to know, that you have been the best friend a goof like me could ever have. And that I love you, more than my own family, and I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too Brett, I’m glad to have you by my side right now. And I love you two, you’re like the little brother I never knew I wanted.”
She laid back in the bed and held the memory gun to her forehead. “Well time for me to go, heh this will probably be the first actual good night’s sleep I’ve had in… I don’t even know how long.”
Despite his crying Brett actually laughed as Reagan closed her eyes and pulled the trigger, relaxing as Ron did before. Brett took a breath and held up the script Reagan gave him.
“Your name is Courtney Samson. You live just outside Appleton, Wisconsin with your longtime boyfriend Martin Higgins. You’ve had a tough life, tougher than you ever deserved, and lost a finger for it, but you did something brave. You finally let go and took a chance on a new life because you realized that you deserve to be happy. You want to be a science teacher, who builds little toys and machines for your boyfriend and students. You’re free of everything that hurt you in the past and are ready to move on to the next part of your life, with the one you love most in the world.”
It was slightly different from the script but the result would be the same, and it was a send-off for his best friend, Brett felt that some added words were a nice way to say goodbye. He looked at the clock, waiting until the rest of the minute, when it passed he gently rubbed the hair of his sleeping former partner.
“Good luck, Courtney,” He said, tears now flowing freely down his face. He stumbled out of the house, the empty gun in hand to where the Cognito chopper was waiting for him. He took one last look at the small house where Mike Higgins and Courtney Samson were fast asleep before the first day of their new lives, before climbing into the chopper. “Goodbye Reagan.”