_The jigsaw puzzle of the mind_

______Frank and the doctor enter the hospital room, cold and hostile. The only window are at the back of the room, there are two empty chairs facing each other, separated by a coffee table. Closer to them, there is a bed and a man in it. A masked man, of that decorated mask, his whole body blocked in a kind of blue blanket, preventing him from making any movement. His head is turned towards them but his eyes are closed. Frank recognizes Billy, of course, but only because he recognizes the mask. He doesn't look like he's sleeping peacefully, drops of sweat are dripping from his short hair and his breathing is ragged.

Dr. Wally silently moves closer to Billy before turning to Frank, nodding his head. Frank moves closer too. He can't take his eyes off the man, yet looking at him makes him feel something strange.

Their plan is simple. The boy steps in when things are disrupted. So that's what Frank will do, disrupt things.

Frank moves closer to the man's ear.

"Wake up, Russo."

Billy's dark eyes instantly open. Frank moves away and Dr. Wally positions himself at a distance. Billy's breathing quickens, he flails, trying to escape to no avail. He groans, struggling until he realizes that all effort is useless. His arms are glued to his sides and he can barely move a finger. It's by far the worst feeling he has ever experienced. Finally, his crazed eyes land on the man standing next to his bed. Frank.

Frank feels an unhealthy satisfaction in watching him squirm to free himself. And at the same time, he hates it. He's never seen him like this, so vulnerable. He's never liked the idea of torturing a defenseless animal, no matter how despicable. Billy, Billy is the only one he didn't kill, the only one he left to suffer after hurting him. Agonized, seems more appropriate in front of this spectacle.

Billy's breathing calms as his eyes dart around, scanning Frank, unsure.

"Frankie?"

The Punisher looks him in the eye, his face stern, punishing. He can't see his eyebrows, but he's sure he's furrowing them right now. Obviously, he's wondering if he's still dreaming. He didn't think about what he was going to do before he woke him up. Maybe he thought he was going to talk to him but no words come out of his mouth.

Frank turns away from him, searching the room. Meanwhile, Billy's eyes, unable to follow the movement of the man he still thinks is his best friend, land on Wally. Wally smiles at him, an apologetic smile. Billy tilts his head to the side, not understanding.

Frank puts his hand on something that gives him an idea. He grabs the sharp object, which looks like a knife. He repositioned himself in front of Billy before violently sliding the sharp object under the thin skin of his throat. Billy sinks into the bed, surprised.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Russo flails a little, trying to break free again, but Frank's cold stare cuts right through him.

"Stop fidgeting, Russo."

His cold, hard tone chills his blood, as much as it does Wally's, who just as surprised has moved closer to Frank.

"Mr. Castle...what are you doing?"

"I'm bringing the little guy in. He'll come and save his own skin, won't he?"

Billy swallows hard, feeling the blood slowly trickle down the tip of the knife as it sinks too deep.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Suddenly, a jolt is felt, causing the lights to go out before they come back on. Frank and Wally exchange a look, looking around. But the boy isn't there.

______

______Billy decides to sit cross-legged in the middle of the room, the floor being what seems safest. He is still stuck in the mirror room and can't find a way out. It's his mind so he tries to calm down and take control. He doesn't know how to do it, but he's watched enough movies to fall for the clichés. He puts his hands on his knees and then closes his eyes with all his might. He thinks about leaving the room, he thinks over and over but nothing does. Then he says to himself that he should concentrate on something precise. He thinks of a pleasant memory. He visualizes the moment and he starts thinking about Frank. Fuck, Frank. He's here. He has to find him.

Frank. Frank. Frank. Frank. Frank. Frank. Frank.

His head hurts but he continues on a loop, like a mantra.

Frank. Frank. Frank. Frank. Frank. Frank. Frank.

The room suddenly begins to vibrate. Billy opens his eyes, startled, nearly falling over. Until he realizes that something above him is threatening to collapse. He looks up before he sees, horrified, pieces of broken mirror falling in his direction. With a quick reflex, he protects his face with his hands, trembling with his whole body when they reach his back. Soon, the shaking stops. Billy starts breathing again, unable to move, paralyzed by panic. Until he realizes that nothing is falling on him anymore. Very slowly, he releases his face, ready to start the process again, and when he finally manages to reconnect to his body, he jerks away.

The panic invades him, he starts to tremble and the tears flow without he can control them. Pieces of glass have torn his shirt and probably got into the thin skin of his back but his face is intact. This is far from reassuring him, because he knows that it was he who caused the shaking. It was him, trying to escape.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck..."

Billy slides his hands to the back of his head, frantically rubbing his scalp, trying to calm himself. Blue things? Everything is so dark here, he can barely see his own hands. Billy takes a deep breath before pulling himself together and straightening up. This isn't real. This is just a nightmare. He's stuck in his own head, his head, so he has to calm down to take control. He can only rely on himself, he can't be his own enemy.

______

______"Frank, take the fucking knife out of my throat and set me free."

Billy knows that look all too well, but he doesn't understand why it's directed at him. Frank is his friend, right? But something is wrong and he knows it. He's known it for a long time.

Wally puts a hand on Frank's shoulder.

"Bringing the boy in, all right, but don't overdo it either, don't risk the puzzle piece falling apart."

A moment of silence kept the two men waiting for Frank's next move. Finally, he pulls the sharp object away from Billy's throat, making Billy breathe again. Frank turns to Wally, exhausted. The two men move apart a bit so that the Billy on the bed can't hear.

"Any other ideas, perhaps?"

"The shaking wasn't harmless, something's going on."

"Something is constantly going on! Russo is unstable, his mind is a complete mess, there's no time to psychoanalyze him."

"Believe me, I understand you but..."

"We don't have time to play anymore. We have to act. Billy will survive, it takes more than that to get through that son of a bitch." Frank puts his serious, dangerous look on the doctor. "We stick to the plan. The boy will reappear, Billy would never let himself get in trouble too long."

Wally is anything but convinced, but he's out of ideas. The Punisher turns back to Russo who looks at him without flinching.

"Tell me the truth. What's going on? Tell me, Frankie, why?"

"You want to know why, Bill. I'll tell you why."

But before Frank can say another word something enters the room through the window, automatically going off, filling the entire room with choking gray smoke in no time.

Frank barely has time to realize that he is already in total darkness. His vision blurs and his eyes sting. He pulls the collar of his shirt up over his nose to breathe better while coughing, he can only wait for the haze to dissipate and quickly, it happens.

The smoke disappears slowly, automatically Frank tries to locate himself but he is no longer in the hospital room, he is just in front of a door from where the smoke escapes. Frank starts to get used to this kind of change, he quickly understands that he is in another part of the jigsaw puzzle but the problem is quite different. No boy and no mad scientist. Frank is on his own now.

Frank looks at the opening between the floor and the beginning of the door, the smoke is still seeping in. Maybe Wally is on the other side. Frank opens the door, stepping into the room quickly, the door automatically closing behind him with a violent slam.

______

Dr. Wally is quickly overwhelmed by the gray haze, he freezes in place, not daring to make any movement. He protects his eyes as best he can with his hands.
Suddenly, he feels someone tugging at his shirt to guide him. Frank, the doctor presumes. He lets himself go, absolutely lost. He is guided away from the smoke, Wally coughs, rubbing his eyes several times before opening them again. He looks around, the scenery has changed. He is in a small room filled with beds, empty, a dull and dark atmosphere. In front of him, the little boy stands straight, worried, on guard, ready to flee but staying anyway.

"Oh, hello young man."

The boy's big black eyes watch Wally, uncertain. It's Billy without a doubt, but there's something shining in his irises that the Billy Wally has seen no longer has. A certain innocence that is certainly shaken but with a certain conviction that it will get better later.

"We're in trouble..."

Wally suddenly notices Frank's absence as he wonders what the 'we' includes.

"Are you in trouble?" The boy shakes his head in denial. "Where's Frank?"

"Billy needs help. But I don't know how to help him. He doesn't listen to me anymore."

Wally crouches down to be at his level and look more reassuring.

"Boy, where is Frank?"

"I thought he was our friend but Billy doesn't trust him anymore. We don't trust him anymore."

Wally is too afraid to upset him, he needs him.

"Okay. I can try to help you...where is Billy?"

"I don't know, he's somewhere he doesn't want me to come. But I know he doesn't want to be there too. I know that but he won't let me near him anymore."

Wally senses young Billy is fragile. He is suspicious, and probably rightly so. He's escaped them several times, he wouldn't want to miss this opportunity.

"Where exactly are we?"

"Group home."

"Oh, I see...is this where you live?" The little boy nods his head. Wally quickly examines the room, identical and bunk beds, there are very few personal items, some beds have toys or stuffed animals but not Billy's. The bed right next to him has nothing but a small poster of a little kitten hanging up so it doesn't fall off. "There has to be a kitchen, right? How about something to eat?"

______

______The room is dark. A smell of cigarettes and old leather. In front of Frank a simple desk, at its end, a black armchair turned over. A single window, caulked with an old striped shutter that let the daylight streak the office. Frank can only see the head of the man in the chair, a gray hat subtly placed on top, adorned with a headband. Frank frowns before taking a step forward and flinching when he notices that his entire outfit has changed and his hands are a soft gray. He's wearing a suit, a tie and a long coat with a raised collar and on his head? A hat similar to that of the man in the chair. It's at this moment that he realizes that if all the walls and furniture are in black and white it's not due to a sinister choice of decoration.

Smoke is coming from the other man.

"Come in, sir. Please place your coat and hat on the coat rack."

The man's voice is muffled, like an old recording. Frank hesitates for a moment before taking the plunge, curious, taking off his coat and hat and hanging it on a dedicated coat rack right next to him.

The chair slowly turns around as if what Frank has just done was a signal. And with it, the man, head down, hat veiling his face. Once the man is in front of Frank, he sits fully in his chair, resting his back against the backrest with his legs crossed. And finally, slowly, he raises his head, revealing dark eyes, a perfectly trimmed beard, a puzzled look, a cigarette slipped between his lips.

Frank holds back a smile. It's Billy. Perfectly shaved, his face of angel, his cleft chin and his black eyes even more marked thus. Billy is an absolute fan of 1940's film noir. Billy always bragged that he would look amazing in one of those movies.

Billy picks up his cigarette before taking off his hat and revealing a perfect hairstyle, the parting marked, the hair carefully plated on the sides. He points to the empty chair in front of Frank. This one sighs, turning around, trying to open the door but not succeeding.

Frank turns around again, in spite of himself in an almost exaggerated way. If he is supposed to play the victim of this charade, he really doesn't want to.

Billy stands up, holding out a firm hand. His shadow makes the same movements behind him. All the details are there.

"Detective Russo, at your service."

Is this a joke? This time, Frank lets out an annoyed chuckle.

"This is ridiculous..."

Frank's deep voice fits the scene surprisingly well. Billy lowers his hand before subtly tugging at the collar of his jacket.

"Simple courtesy."

"No, I'm not talking about... Are you serious right now, Russo?"

Billy raises his eyebrows as he sits back down.

"How about you sit down and tell me more."

Frank inhales deeply, not masking his annoyance, especially when he notices that he fits his character perfectly. Frank finally complies despite himself, sitting down across from him, looking menacing.

"Perhaps you could tell me, Detective Russo, how to get out."

Billy smiles before slipping a cigar between his lips, offering one to Frank, who declines, and lighting it. He takes a dramatic pull on it, which clearly annoys the other man, and then lets the smoke out to the side. To Frank's surprise, Billy coughs as if it's his first time smoking. Frank can't help but laugh. That's just like Billy. He remembers, whenever Billy forced him to watch one of those old movies he was addicted to, he would burst out laughing as he imagined the oh-so-serious character choking on his own cigar.

"Get out? That's quite a question, sir. But you see, I'm the type to take on bold challenges. I'll help you out of whatever torment you're in. I'm listening, what is the point?"

Frank sighs, moving forward as he rests his elbows on the desk.

"The point is, you're starting to bust my balls, Bill. You're going to give me the fucking pleasure of stopping your bullshit."

Billy squints, licking his lips.

"Do we know each other?"

"I don't have time for this bullshit. I don't have time for your fucking circus." The Punisher sets his dark gaze on the other man, clenching his fists, looking serious. "Get me out of here or I'm going to find another solution that you might not like."

Bill's gaze changes, he sits back in his chair deeper, the tip of one of his fingers pounding the desk frantically.

"We can't get out of here." Billy's dark eyes dart into the Punisher's. "There's no way to escape. We're all trapped, Frank."

So he knows who he is.

"What does that mean?"

"You shouldn't have come. This place is a mess. It's all suffering. He's just pretending. I pretend, we all do."

"Do you know where he is? You know where the other Russo is..."

"No. But I do know that for a while now, nothing has worked the way it used to. It's broken. And...we never knew how to fix ourselves."

______

______Wally and young Billy face each other, sitting at a small table, a tall glass of milkshake each prepared by the doctor. Billy looks at his glass, hesitant.

"Go ahead and taste it, you'll see, it's delicious." Billy looks up at the doctor, unsure. Wally smiles at him before taking a sip to show him that he is safe. Billy watches him do it before swallowing noisily then bringing his straw to his mouth and taking a sip. "Well? Delicious, right?"

"Yes... it's good..."

"Eureka!" Billy smiles. It's the first smile he's ever gotten from him, Wally almost jumps in his chair. He has a certain affection for his patient. "You know, I always wanted to have a little boy..."

"You didn't have one?"

"Alas, no... life decided otherwise. My wife and I tried, for years, but we learned... she couldn't have a child..."

"Things are done wrong then... there are plenty of children here who have no parents and you, you would have kept yours."

"You're right. Things are done wrong sometimes. We wanted to adopt, you know, but my wife got sick and... we couldn't. Maybe we would have adopted you. I would have liked a little boy like you."

Billy shrugs before taking another sip.

"No. Nobody wants me. They say I'm not adoptable anymore. They say I'm broken and no one wants something that's broken."

Wally frowns.

"They don't know what they are talking about. Something broken has a lot of charm." Wally gives him his best smile. "Look at me, aren't I full of charm?"

Billy laughs genuinely, his tiny shoulders shaking subtly. After a short silence where both enjoy their drinks. Billy looks up at Wally again.

"Are you all alone too?"

"Yeah...I'm old now and I'm like you, I don't have a family anymore."

"It sucks, doesn't it?"

Wally lets out a small laugh.

"Yeah, it sucks..." Wally and young Billy smile at each other for a moment. Sensing Billy's confidence, Wally takes the lead. "I think I have a solution to help you, to find...the other Billy, the adult version."

"How?"

"Actually Frank and I are looking to bring him to us and... here's what I think... you have access to your entire mind, right?" Billy shyly nods his head. "You'd have to take us into the memories he's forgotten, what he's blocked out..."

Billy's eyes go wide, his head jerking from side to side.

"No... I can't do this... I'm not allowed to go, we're not allowed to go."

"You can do it... I'm sure you can."

"No..."

"You don't want to?"

"It's... it's too scary..."

"Billy, my boy, don't worry, you're not linked to those memories, you're not part of them. But the other Billy is." Billy looks slightly panicked at the thought. "I don't want to hurt you. If you want, we can hold hands. I'll admit, I'm scared too and I'm not as brave as you." Wally tries to catch his dark look. "Will you try?" Billy finally nods. "But for that, we need Frank to come with us."

"No! Not Frank."

"Do you trust me?" The boy shakes his head without hesitation. A milkshake is not enough to coax a young Billy who is already traumatized enough. "I know what I'm doing. If you want me to help you, you have to get Frank back."

After a few seconds of hesitation, the young boy nods and stands up before extending a small hand to Wally. The doctor grabs it as he stands up.
Billy leads him to a door, which he opens before hiding behind Wally.

On the other side of the door is a black and white desk, Frank and Billy facing each other and their eyes glued to the doctor.

Billy in black and white squints his eyes again, thinking, resting a hand on his chin.

"Hmm... interesting... the mission seems quite accomplished to me, another job well done."

Frank sighs before rolling his eyes, he quickly stands up, joining Wally.

"Thank God, I couldn't take it anymore..."

The doctor frowns, not sure what's going on. Just before Castle walks out the door, Russo stands up and calls out to him.

"Frank? Be careful..."

Castle frowns, this Billy is clearly his best friend. The Billy he used to be most of the time before his whole life fell apart. Proof, perhaps, that he actually existed.

Frank simply nods, walking to the other side of the door, his clothes back to what they were before and his skin back to its natural color. Frank examines himself, surprised, as the door closes behind him.

______

"Well, my dear, it looks like you've regained your color." Frank sketches a half smile before spotting the little boy giving him his darkest look he has in stock, as if he's been practicing in front of a mirror to perfect it. "This time we're in. We're going to find the Billy we're looking for."

"Good. Let's put an end to this madness."

Young Billy puffs out his chest, inhaling deeply. He feels betrayed by Frank because Billy feels betrayed by him. He doesn't know why because Billy doesn't share his adult problems with him but he feels what he feels. The boy grits his teeth, stepping up to Frank with all the courage he can muster and Frank knows he has a lot of it.

"Save us."

Frank barely has time to react when a sharp pain in his shin forces him to bend down as he closes his eyes, a low groan coming from his lips. The brat, he has just given him a violent kick well placed on the bone. Frank quickly grabs the boy's collar, the courage in his eyes quickly turning to fear. He may be Billy but he's just a little orphan boy. Frank releases his grip when suddenly he notices that the scenery has changed again. It's the boy who did it. They are in a dark room, too dark to make out anything. But the door is open. Wally looks through it so Frank moves closer, doing the same. Frank's teeth clench as he hears a voice whispering.

"Come on...answer..."

Then Billy appears in his field of vision, crossing the room at length, pacing. An unscarred Billy, the Billy who betrayed him. There, they are. They are Bill's faded memories.

"Frank..." For a moment, Frank wonders if he's seen him. "Answer, damn it." No, he's on the phone. He's obviously trying to call him. "Come on, Frankie, answer it..."
Finally, Billy stops, looking at his phone, shaking. The next second he throws it violently across the room, collapsing to his knees on the floor, frantically running his hand through his hair on the back of his head. "No... no, no, no, no..."

Billy slowly lifts his head, tears streaming down his cheeks, a murderous look in his eyes.

Frank frowns, what does that mean? Suddenly, they are dazzled by a powerful light, the floor shakes, the walls crack.

The boy's small voice echoes.

"We shouldn't be here."

"Eureka! It works, we'll make it."

Suddenly, the light disappears and another scene appears. Billy is tied to a chair, hands and feet bound. He has already taken several blows but he smiles despite his noisy breathing.

"I don't give a shit anymore!"

Billy grits his teeth as a man comes up to him quickly throwing a hard punch to his face, followed by another and then an other one in his stomach. Billy let out a cry of pain, blood pouring from his lips as the chair recoiled from the force of the blow. Billy's hair falls in front of his face, but despite his miserable state, Frank notices that he is still holding on.

"Billy...see, I thought you were different...I'm disappointed in you..."

The man who just spoke appears in front of Billy, emerging from a dark corner, Rawlins.

"Go... fuck... yourself."

"That's the risks of the job. You got what you wanted. I paid you well, it seems to me, you got a company, a nice car and nice suits."

"It was never...any question...of them dying..."

"I told you about it."

"Too late!"

"Why, Russo? Would you have betrayed me?" Billy answers nothing to that, gritting his teeth even more. Rawlins shakes his head before grabbing Billy by the neck, choking him. "Would you have betrayed me, Lieutenant?"

Billy's fists clench as he begins to choke.

"No... of course, not."

Frank at this scene takes a step back. Billy is a good liar. But who did he lie to, Rawlins or him? From what they saw just before, Billy tried to call Frank, Billy tried to betray Rawlins.

"It's done. They're gone." Rawlins releases Billy, "Now it's up to you. Either you join them, or you become what you always wanted to be. A man of influence and wealth."

Frank can see the look on Russo's face change dramatically. He knows that look. Billy goes into survival mode. What happened next, Frank knows. He sided with Rawlins until Frank came back from the dead, until Russo betrayed Rawlins to let Frank kill him, until Frank punished Billy.

The light reappears, the shaking becoming more violent. The walls around them collapse. Young Billy runs to hide in a corner while Frank and Wally look at each other. Suddenly the light disappears, everything becomes dark, it's too dark to see anything. The music of a carousel starts, cries of joy and amusement turn into screams of pain, and then the music stops. Finally, a strange noise is heard, like a mirror slowly breaking. Frank takes a step back as something sharp hits him. The Punisher freezes as he can no longer rely on his sight. He hears the scientist's rapid breathing and then the sound of several pieces of glass collapsing to the floor. He senses that something is falling, but he doesn't know what or when. Suddenly, a thud followed by a cry of pain is heard. A man has just hit the ground, Frank is sure of it. But who? Wally?

Suddenly the light slowly reappears, they are outside, illuminated by the streetlights because it's night. Quickly, the Punisher spots Wally who has stayed beside him and then the man on the ground, surrounded by glass, shaking. He's breathing hard.

"Holy...shit..." Billy. "Fucking twisted, stupid mind!"

"We agree."

Billy freezes at the deep voice that reaches his ears. He looks up at the one he expects to see, Frank. His eyes widen when he realizes that it's him. That it's the Frank who shouldn't be there. Billy leaps to his feet, taking several steps back, still shaking.

Frank notices that Billy is hurt. Not in the face, but he has shards of glass stuck in his body and is bleeding in several places. Where was he to end up in this state?

"Frank...you...how can you be here..."

"Mr. Russo, finally, there you are..."

Billy turns with a start to Wally. He can't help it, adrenaline is coursing through his veins more than ever, between the panic attack in the mirror room and falling to land in front of Frank, he is unable to be calm.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"My name is W-"

Frank cuts him off.

"Why did you lie to me, huh? Why did you tell me you knew?"

Billy frowns.

"What are you talking about?"

"About my family!"

Billy doesn't understand, frowning, his breathing rapid.

"Why..." Billy shakes his head violently, running a hand through his short hair before lifting his head. "This... this is all your fault... why... why did you do this to me!?"

Billy goes to throw himself on Frank but Wally interferes, placing a hand on Billy's chest as Billy pushes it violently.

"This is no time to settle scores. First, we need to get out of here, you need to wake up, Billy."

Billy frowns, taking a moment to regain his composure even though he can't really do it anymore.

"Is that why you're here?" Billy steps closer to Wally, laying his dark gaze on the man. "then, good luck." Billy takes a few steps away, raising his arms to the sky. "I'm stuck."

"That's why we came, to help you get out of here."

"Why?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I don't know you, what do you care?"

Frank takes a step forward.

"Karen has been kidnapped. You're the only one who knows where she is."

There is a silence, Billy violently runs a hand over his face.

"Wait a minute... Wh-What? What the hell?! You, Frank, got into my head with Mr. Weird to wake me up so I could... help you?" Billy laughs falsely, with an irritated laugh. "Okay, I've gone crazy."

"No, you're not crazy. I'm a scientist, I'm Dr. Wally. I found a way to get inside someone's head."

"Is this a joke?"

"It's normal for it to be hard to believe. Don't rely on your logic. Trust yourself, trust what you feel. You said it yourself, you know you are in your own mind."

Billy opens his mouth but doesn't have the words. Frank takes a step forward taking it upon himself.

"I didn't believe it either, but you have to admit the facts are there."

Billy raises his eyebrows, overwhelmed.

"Okay... all right, fine, so how do we do it?"

"Well..."

Frank sighs, resting his hands on his hips.

"He doesn't know."

"Okay, great, great... you came for nothing then. Because I've been trying to come back to myself, but nothing does, I have no control, the more I struggle the more things turn against me. I'm my own worst enemy so it's nice to have come by but you can go back."

"Your own worst enemy..." Wally repeats.

"Can't you tell?" Billy points to his wounds.

"You... Yeah, that's you..."

Billy turns back to Frank.

"What the fuck is he doing?"

"Leave it, he's thinking... hopefully he comes up with a twisted idea that works."

"Why... yes! That's right! Where is he? Where is he? Where the hell are you Billy?"

Billy and Frank exchange a confused look. Frank looks at Wally.

"Doc...he's right here..."

"No! But no, come on! Don't be stupid! Not that one! The other one, the... the kid."

"Ah, the kid..."

Billy frowned.

"The kid?"

"There's a version of you, a kid, he's the one who brought us here. When everything went black, he disappeared."

"You brought... you brought him into your delusions!? No kidding... he's just a kid..."

Wally approaches Billy violently, pointing at him.

"We have to find him! It's you so you must know where he is! It's you so you think the same."

"I don't know where he is...I don't think like I did when I was twelve."

"Make an effort."

Billy sighs. Then he looks around. They're outside, it's not really distinguishable where they are, they're in some kind of park maybe.

"If you say he was scared... I'll say he hid... it's not complicated when I was a kid I was afraid of the dark so he's got to be somewhere a little light but I'm not stupid either... where they won't think to look... in group home I always hid in the obvious places, where people think it's not even worth looking, right next door... under the bed or..." Billy straightens his head. "Behind a tree."

Billy moves closer to the nearest tree before walking around it. The boy is sitting on the ground, eyes closed, head in his lap, hands pressing firmly against his ears. Wally moves closer too, crouching down in front of the boy.

Billy frowns as Wally takes his thin arm and gently pulls it away from his ear.

"It's over. You're safe." Billy feels like he's feeling what the boy is feeling. He feels relief and unlike what Billy expected, he is not suspicious. He likes Wally. "Look, we found him." Young Billy turns to the old version of him who smiles at him weakly. It's very strange to see himself as a child. The boy stands up.

"So now we can go." He turns to Billy, "We shouldn't be here."

Billy frowns.

"But where are we?"

"In the part of the jigsaw puzzle that came apart from the others. Your trauma." Wally answers confidently.

Suddenly a sound of a spotlight turning on rings out. All eight eyes turn to the source of the noise. A carousel lights up, having been triggered. The music starts to play slowly again before stopping.

A cry of pain from the gut, piercing, filled with intense pain resounds. It's Billy's scream. The scream of a man who is being disfigured for life by the one person who never really mattered to him. The scream of a traitor receiving the terrible punishment of the Punisher.