"Hiding behind Lee Thompkins. That sounds about right for you right now." Projections of Edward's damaged psyche, as it turned out, didn't care one way or the other if he was currently as smart as usual. He just turned up anyway, standing in the corner and looking down at Edward while shaking his head. "You should really at least offer her a shag, seeing how you're the bitch anyway."
At least that way he'd get something out of it. "You look like a Christmas-themed disco ball, by the way. Not a bad look, I'm just saying. Still better than the GCPD era, I don't ever want to be caught wearing a sweater-vest and pants that don't show off that ass again."
He slowly looked up from where he's untying his shoes on the bench, teeth clenched in annoyance as he took in the sight of himself, cocky and smug. Fuck. Not this guy again. Didn't he already get rid of him? Or, at least, morph him into other things. Usually dead lovers. That was a pretty consistent trend, actually. He liked that. Having a consistent crazed hallucination at least gave a pretence of order.
"You're not real." Edward doesn't look at him, purposefully, he focused instead on pretending untying his shoes was a master feat that took all his time and energy. "You're a figment of my imagination. Unsure why you're even here." He was brain damaged and he lost his smarts but somehow, he didn't lose this horny jerk. How? "Go away."
"Am I not? That song and dance again? Come on. You know I'm real. We teamed up for a while, that worked out pretty great, all the way until you went off to do your own thing again." Oh, Edward. Always so awkward. He watched him now, arms crossed, eyebrows arched. "You need a hand with that, dummy?"
It looked like shoelaces were being a challenge today. "Some concrit on your Penguin number... I mean, it's an abysmal impression for the most part, but you know that. Just giving the Narrows what they want, I get that. But that little bit of improv today?" He choked himself to make sure Edward knew what he was talking about, then let go with a laugh. "Wow! Needy much? Seriously, man. I'd ask what's wrong with you, but given you are me, I got a pretty good idea. You really like doubling down on those mixed signals you're sending him, don't you?"
"Shut up." He removed the shoe he was pretending to untie and threw it angrily at the other him. Which did about as much as expected. It went right through him, bounced off a nearby locker and disappeared behind a counter. Damn. Now if he wanted that shoe back like ever, he'd have to suck up his pride and fish it out from where it landed. Which he would not do in front of this Edward.
Hence why he threw his other shoe off to the side in anger. "Stop calling me that, I'm not a dummy! If I was a dummy, would I be making as much as I currently am." He pulled out a handful of bills, holding them up and shaking them at the other him to prove what a genius he was. A genius with money. "Soon Lee will fix me, I'll have my smarts back and I'll be back on top. Then I'll do ... something to Oswald for what he did to me." No, he won't directly address what happened in the ring tonight. He doesn't even think he can explain that. "I don't need you."
"Dude." Ed had to chuckle. "Did you just throw your shoe at me?" Because that was hilarious. He pushed away from the wall and walked closer to Edward, amused by his desperation to prove himself as anything other than what he was right now. Pathetic dummy.
"You've always needed me. Without me, you'd still be some snivelling nerd doing police work at the worst police department in the world." He stopped in front of him, looking down. "Do you want to get into where you'd be without him?"
He scoffed and then smiled. "I get the appeal, you know. Where's that duct tape? Maybe you can put some on yourself, it was a good look. Less delusional blathering on about whatever bullshit you're telling yourself." He leaned forward, smirking. "Now, just between me and... me. How disappointed are you that they didn't actually drag you off to him?"
"I don't need you. I never needed you. I did what I did by myself, you were just -- just the person who made everything worse!" He was the one that killed Kristen, not this guy. He was just the one who chopped her up and put her around his work place. That wasn't helpful, nothing he did was helpful. He was just the thing in his mind, calling him stupid, making him feel small. "I told you to stop talking!"
He jumped to his feet, knowing he can't hit the stupid thing, can't get away from the other him either, but he started to walk away, trying to get them back to somewhere safer. To find someone else. That ought to cock-block the bastard. "I don't have to listen to you. I don't need you any more than I don't need him."
No, he's not doing this. He's not going to let this horny jerk derail his thoughts of revenge with this-this whole kinky fantasy. That yes, was on his mind but no, he was not talking about. Especially not aloud where anyone could hear him! "You're the disappointed one. I only want to see him when I kill him next."
"How are you going to kill him? Throw a shoe?" Just a question. Ed stepped to the side so Edward could move forward if he wanted to. Might be a good idea to pick up his shoe. Mostly he wasn't leaving him alone, not when he knew how much he was getting to him. Them. Ah, pronouns. Instead he kept walking next to him, kept talking.
"You know that we're the same person, right? Come on. I know you're dumb, but you don't have to be that dumb. If I'm disappointed, so are you." Simple as that. "But hey, it wasn't me that lured him here. How pleased are you that he sent them all after you? Not over you after all. You might be stupid as all hell right now, but at least you still know how to get his attention."
No, he wasn't going to pick up the shoes. He was going to walk through the dirty fight club in just his socks now. Which also sparkled, for the record. Sequin socks were not comfortable but when he committed, he really committed every last part of him. "Stop talking to me, you're going to make us-- me, actually, look crazy."
He didn't want to get caught out talking to himself when he was trying to establish himself here and win over Lee. Nothing would win over Lee quite like a crazy yelling match with himself. "I don't want to talk about that stupid, lame bird brain." And then he wouldn't have to either because he was ignoring him. Yes, he settled on that, ignoring and moving forward without even looking back. He could do this, he could beat the other him. "And I don't want to talk to you. You don't think the same as I do. You're just pure id, nothing else."
"For one thing, you know that Freud's theories are mostly bullshit. For another, even if that's true, that still makes me smarter than you right now." Just saying. Not that it was that much of a challenge. "So. You don't want to talk about him, you only want to dress up as him and annoy him until he sends people to fetch you? Reasonable."
Ed rolled his eyes. "Hey, dummy. Isn't it time you admit how much you want a piece of that tight little body already? Because I've been telling you that for months now. Can't believe we still haven't fucked him."
Hey, he had his priorities.
"If you'd timed it right, you could have owned him."
"I never wanted him. You know what I wanted. And I know you didn't care for her but she was what I wanted." Isabella was definitely the one for Edward, not the one for Ed. The entirety of their relationship, he mocked, he jeered, he ... admittedly got super turned on during the choking thing. Though Edward never knew how he felt about that one personally.
He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and tried to ignore him. Which was not easy.
It was just always hard to ignore people who were so obviously wrong and the more his other self spoke, the angrier he got. He was clearly just baiting him.
"He stole my mind from me! He doesn't want me as anything but a trophy and I don't want him as anything but dead!" Edward hissed out his words, slapping his hand on the wall as he walked by to punctuate his words. "I don't do it so he'll care, I do it because it's funny. The crowd loves it." He smirked, smug and cocky. "They love me."
"Right, right. Boring girl 2.0, what a catch. You know, I actually thought she was more attractive with her head smashed in." Just saying. Ed kept up easily, given they were the same height and the same person and also him not actually being anywhere but in Edward's mind.
"Of course they lap it up. They are a bunch of people eager to see blood, you could be up there singing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' and they'd love it." Not exactly an audience with very distinguished taste. "They love Grundy. So do I, by the way. There's a guy who gets to the point."
"She wasn't boring, she was the love of my life." She represented everything he always wanted, everything he lost out when he killed Kristen, everything he craved deep down that he felt he was supposed to have. A nice girl, a domestic life, happiness with the one that he loved. Things he didn't deserve but he certainly wanted.
Then there was the other side of him. Literally. He turned his head and sneered at the other him. "You know he'd never want you. He wanted me. I'm the one - his friend, the chief of staff, the man who was always there for him. He doesn't like your forcefulness, your crudeness." So there. "Though it's moot, I suppose, he never really ever wanted us anyway. He just thought he did."
"He was willing to die for us. You weren't even willing to listen to the woman you loved telling you that you may be just a smidgen unhinged. You know. After you told her that you'd killed her boyfriend. Before you throttled her." Oh, Kristen. What a true love that had been. "I'm just saying, man. Maybe it's time you got off your high horse where love is concerned. Cause I'm really not getting the feeling that we're any good at it."
Just saying. "And if you think Oswald would have said no to me pinning him down and having my way with him, you really need a reality check. He wanted you. He wanted me. Finally someone wanted all of us."
The room was empty, the walls were blank and the door wouldn't budge, not even as he threw himself against it. Jim started pacing, looking up to see any sign of where his route to proceed could be, until his eyes landed on a camera. A-ha. Naturally.
"What is this game?" Jim shouted, turning slowly around and finally stopping again, facing the camera. "I'm not here to play."
"Wrong answer, Jimbo. Jimmy. Jim, Jim, Jim." This was going to be fun. He grinned excitedly from the safety of the control room, a backroom he'd hijacked for this little project, feet up on the deck, watching the tiny screen with an eager expression. Oh, this was going to be good. Real good. "Now listen up, quiz kids, we're going to play a game."
He hit a buzzer next to him and some peppy gameshow music started to play. He always loved to go all out with these kind of things. "Now. Let's try again. Are you ready to play?"
"Ed." Of course. No, this didn't make any logical sense, he hadn't really anticipated it, but now it was the least surprising revelation already. He found a headache coming on and that was the least of his problems right now. Where were Bruce and Lucius? He had to get to them. He had to get to Hugo Strange and punch his smug little smile off. He really didn't have time to deal with the GCPD's little pet psychopath.
Jim sighed and rolled his eyes. "Let me out. Now."
"Not until we play a game. Come on, don't pretend you're not in the gaming spirit. And, if you're not, I can soon get you into it." A 'ding ding ding' sound played and Edward dropped his legs down, leaning forward towards his mic, his voice slowed and reserved, in that cruel drawl he saved for his more cutting moments. "If you ever want to see billionaire boy and Foxy alive and well, you better find that spirit and come on down!"
Doctor Strange had told him to not go after Jim, just Lucius Fox and Bruce Wayne but with his greatest nemesis roaming free? How was he supposed to ignore this? "Here's how level one is going to work. I ask riddles, you answer them. Three correct riddles in a row and you'll advance to the next stage. Three riddles in a row wrong and your life is forfeit. Everything else in between? Let's just say, we'll play that by ear." Two right, one wrong or two wrong and one right. He'd work that all out as they played. "Keep in mind, I do have two hostages."
"How about you come here so we discuss this in person instead?" Jim didn't need to raise his fists to make the threat obvious, his voice did that for him just fine. There was a lot to be said for a good growl. "Leave them alone, Ed. You don't want to do this."
Were Lucius and Bruce in just as much danger as he was? Only one way to find out. "I want to see them." And no, he wasn't agreeing to his insane games that easily. The last thing Edward needed was an enabler. "If this is all about you having some issue with me again, then leave other people out of it. Carl Pinkney didn't have to die. Neither do they."
"What? And engage in some petty meathead fist fight? Oh yeah, sign me up." Men like Jim didn't talk unless they were talking with their fists. And that's what Jim did. He would sooner sock Edward in the face than ever speak half a word to him. "How about we keep doing this my way and you play along like a good little puppet, 'mmkay?"
Apparently not, Jim had to be awkward. He turned his head to the side, casually, eyeing the fallen bodies and then pulling a face. He didn't like to give in. "Nah. Don't think so." He didn't feel like dragging them around. "Do you really want to not take my word for it and not play?" He hissed playfully. "Risky move. I would start with the boy. I think that'd hurt you more, wouldn't it? Plus you and Foxy don't scream bffs to me."
"Lucius is a good man, Ed. He reminds me of a friend I wish I still had." Jim wasn't willing to play the game, but he knew Edward was a talker. He could keep him talking and hopefully keep him from hurting someone in the process. Slowly shaking his head he ran a hand through his hair. "You like to play with people. I didn't even know you were playing with me. I guess that must have made you feel really smart."
What a mess that had been. Mostly he wondered why he didn't hate Ed more than he did. "The strange thing is, you put so much work in and in the end I really just feel sorry for you. You could be a good man too. A great man, even."
"Oh please, you never had a friend like him. Your friends don't have a brain cell between them." Or, should he say, friend. Harvey was the only one he could think of and no, he didn't count himself. The pity and humouring did not count as friendship and he was nothing like Lucius. Other than their dashing good looks and actually have a mind to speak of, that was where it ended. "I am really smart. I don't need to feel it. I outsmarted you before, I'll do it again."
Right now, in fact. If Jim would just play his damn game. He gritted his teeth, tried not to let it get under his skin, trying to breathe calmly. No, he couldn't let Jim steal his moment. He wouldn't let him win. "I can sneak up on you or be right in front of you without you knowing. But when I reveal myself you will never be the same. What am I?"
"I guess then you just felt really dumb when things didn't work out for you." Jim slowly walked around the room, taking another careful look at the walls and finally the door, putting on a casual air while listening to Ed. A riddle, of course. "You know, I've always liked riddles actually. Brain teasers. Broke up a dull day at work, when you didn't time them too badly."
Harvey wasn't a big fan, but Harvey preferred to use his brain simply on his own terms and not when anyone was watching. He really hoped that Harvey was using it right now, they could use some backup. "For you, Ed, the answer might have been friendship. Do you think that it would have changed things, if you hadn't felt alone? Why kill people? That's not a smart thing to do. Why did you start? Tell me. Why kill Doherty?"
"Wrong answer! Seriously, Jimbo, step up your game here. You're playing for lives." He didn't like the questions, it sounded just like talking to Strange. When he deemed him worthy to speak to - pompous asshole. Edward wanted to move forward but the incorrect answer to his riddle was bugging him. He never could just let things alone. "How did you even get friendship from that? Are you seriously trying to play therapist right now?"
Jim wasn't playing right and it was beyond frustrating. He wanted not to be bothered by it but he was bothered by it. Of course he was. "Doherty was an asshole. No one missed him. No one even noticed he was gone. That's how loved he was. I'll give you a second chance on the riddle, come on, step up your game here. Give me an answer. A correct one, this time."
"I don't think you would have killed him just because you were jealous. I'm sure you were, but I don't think it can be that simple. You'd have tried to rationalise that. You'd not have become a murderer just out of jealousy. So what is it? You like questions, why not answer mine?"
And that riddle. Damn, what had it been again? Friendship had seemed fitting enough and right now he really had other things on his mind than memorising a damn riddle. "What was the riddle again? I didn't memorise it."
"Of course it wasn't jealousy. I'm not that petty." He wasn't sure if he could say he had intent or not on that one. It was a crime of passion, sure, but it wasn't exactly an innocent mistake or a slip up. He didn't come to do it but he meant to do it. He was glad to do it. "He was hurting Miss Kringle and he was trying to hurt..."
No, he was falling into his trap. God damn it. "And I stabbed him to death. It was liberating, Jim. Felt great. Couldn't get enough of it." He hit his sound buzzer and it played a happy little celebration noise, to try and clarify his point. "Focus this time. I can sneak up on you or be right in front of you without you knowing. But when I reveal myself you will never be the same. What am I?"
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At least that way he'd get something out of it. "You look like a Christmas-themed disco ball, by the way. Not a bad look, I'm just saying. Still better than the GCPD era, I don't ever want to be caught wearing a sweater-vest and pants that don't show off that ass again."
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"You're not real." Edward doesn't look at him, purposefully, he focused instead on pretending untying his shoes was a master feat that took all his time and energy. "You're a figment of my imagination. Unsure why you're even here." He was brain damaged and he lost his smarts but somehow, he didn't lose this horny jerk. How? "Go away."
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It looked like shoelaces were being a challenge today. "Some concrit on your Penguin number... I mean, it's an abysmal impression for the most part, but you know that. Just giving the Narrows what they want, I get that. But that little bit of improv today?" He choked himself to make sure Edward knew what he was talking about, then let go with a laugh. "Wow! Needy much? Seriously, man. I'd ask what's wrong with you, but given you are me, I got a pretty good idea. You really like doubling down on those mixed signals you're sending him, don't you?"
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Hence why he threw his other shoe off to the side in anger. "Stop calling me that, I'm not a dummy! If I was a dummy, would I be making as much as I currently am." He pulled out a handful of bills, holding them up and shaking them at the other him to prove what a genius he was. A genius with money. "Soon Lee will fix me, I'll have my smarts back and I'll be back on top. Then I'll do ... something to Oswald for what he did to me." No, he won't directly address what happened in the ring tonight. He doesn't even think he can explain that. "I don't need you."
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"You've always needed me. Without me, you'd still be some snivelling nerd doing police work at the worst police department in the world." He stopped in front of him, looking down. "Do you want to get into where you'd be without him?"
He scoffed and then smiled. "I get the appeal, you know. Where's that duct tape? Maybe you can put some on yourself, it was a good look. Less delusional blathering on about whatever bullshit you're telling yourself." He leaned forward, smirking. "Now, just between me and... me. How disappointed are you that they didn't actually drag you off to him?"
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He jumped to his feet, knowing he can't hit the stupid thing, can't get away from the other him either, but he started to walk away, trying to get them back to somewhere safer. To find someone else. That ought to cock-block the bastard. "I don't have to listen to you. I don't need you any more than I don't need him."
No, he's not doing this. He's not going to let this horny jerk derail his thoughts of revenge with this-this whole kinky fantasy. That yes, was on his mind but no, he was not talking about. Especially not aloud where anyone could hear him! "You're the disappointed one. I only want to see him when I kill him next."
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"You know that we're the same person, right? Come on. I know you're dumb, but you don't have to be that dumb. If I'm disappointed, so are you." Simple as that. "But hey, it wasn't me that lured him here. How pleased are you that he sent them all after you? Not over you after all. You might be stupid as all hell right now, but at least you still know how to get his attention."
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He didn't want to get caught out talking to himself when he was trying to establish himself here and win over Lee. Nothing would win over Lee quite like a crazy yelling match with himself. "I don't want to talk about that stupid, lame bird brain." And then he wouldn't have to either because he was ignoring him. Yes, he settled on that, ignoring and moving forward without even looking back. He could do this, he could beat the other him. "And I don't want to talk to you. You don't think the same as I do. You're just pure id, nothing else."
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Ed rolled his eyes. "Hey, dummy. Isn't it time you admit how much you want a piece of that tight little body already? Because I've been telling you that for months now. Can't believe we still haven't fucked him."
Hey, he had his priorities.
"If you'd timed it right, you could have owned him."
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He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and tried to ignore him. Which was not easy.
It was just always hard to ignore people who were so obviously wrong and the more his other self spoke, the angrier he got. He was clearly just baiting him.
"He stole my mind from me! He doesn't want me as anything but a trophy and I don't want him as anything but dead!" Edward hissed out his words, slapping his hand on the wall as he walked by to punctuate his words. "I don't do it so he'll care, I do it because it's funny. The crowd loves it." He smirked, smug and cocky. "They love me."
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"Of course they lap it up. They are a bunch of people eager to see blood, you could be up there singing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' and they'd love it." Not exactly an audience with very distinguished taste. "They love Grundy. So do I, by the way. There's a guy who gets to the point."
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Then there was the other side of him. Literally. He turned his head and sneered at the other him. "You know he'd never want you. He wanted me. I'm the one - his friend, the chief of staff, the man who was always there for him. He doesn't like your forcefulness, your crudeness." So there. "Though it's moot, I suppose, he never really ever wanted us anyway. He just thought he did."
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Just saying. "And if you think Oswald would have said no to me pinning him down and having my way with him, you really need a reality check. He wanted you. He wanted me. Finally someone wanted all of us."
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"What is this game?" Jim shouted, turning slowly around and finally stopping again, facing the camera. "I'm not here to play."
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He hit a buzzer next to him and some peppy gameshow music started to play. He always loved to go all out with these kind of things. "Now. Let's try again. Are you ready to play?"
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Jim sighed and rolled his eyes. "Let me out. Now."
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Doctor Strange had told him to not go after Jim, just Lucius Fox and Bruce Wayne but with his greatest nemesis roaming free? How was he supposed to ignore this? "Here's how level one is going to work. I ask riddles, you answer them. Three correct riddles in a row and you'll advance to the next stage. Three riddles in a row wrong and your life is forfeit. Everything else in between? Let's just say, we'll play that by ear." Two right, one wrong or two wrong and one right. He'd work that all out as they played. "Keep in mind, I do have two hostages."
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Were Lucius and Bruce in just as much danger as he was? Only one way to find out. "I want to see them." And no, he wasn't agreeing to his insane games that easily. The last thing Edward needed was an enabler. "If this is all about you having some issue with me again, then leave other people out of it. Carl Pinkney didn't have to die. Neither do they."
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Apparently not, Jim had to be awkward. He turned his head to the side, casually, eyeing the fallen bodies and then pulling a face. He didn't like to give in. "Nah. Don't think so." He didn't feel like dragging them around. "Do you really want to not take my word for it and not play?" He hissed playfully. "Risky move. I would start with the boy. I think that'd hurt you more, wouldn't it? Plus you and Foxy don't scream bffs to me."
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What a mess that had been. Mostly he wondered why he didn't hate Ed more than he did. "The strange thing is, you put so much work in and in the end I really just feel sorry for you. You could be a good man too. A great man, even."
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Right now, in fact. If Jim would just play his damn game. He gritted his teeth, tried not to let it get under his skin, trying to breathe calmly. No, he couldn't let Jim steal his moment. He wouldn't let him win. "I can sneak up on you or be right in front of you without you knowing. But when I reveal myself you will never be the same. What am I?"
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Harvey wasn't a big fan, but Harvey preferred to use his brain simply on his own terms and not when anyone was watching. He really hoped that Harvey was using it right now, they could use some backup. "For you, Ed, the answer might have been friendship. Do you think that it would have changed things, if you hadn't felt alone? Why kill people? That's not a smart thing to do. Why did you start? Tell me. Why kill Doherty?"
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Jim wasn't playing right and it was beyond frustrating. He wanted not to be bothered by it but he was bothered by it. Of course he was. "Doherty was an asshole. No one missed him. No one even noticed he was gone. That's how loved he was. I'll give you a second chance on the riddle, come on, step up your game here. Give me an answer. A correct one, this time."
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And that riddle. Damn, what had it been again? Friendship had seemed fitting enough and right now he really had other things on his mind than memorising a damn riddle. "What was the riddle again? I didn't memorise it."
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No, he was falling into his trap. God damn it. "And I stabbed him to death. It was liberating, Jim. Felt great. Couldn't get enough of it." He hit his sound buzzer and it played a happy little celebration noise, to try and clarify his point. "Focus this time. I can sneak up on you or be right in front of you without you knowing. But when I reveal myself you will never be the same. What am I?"
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