A prison was a prison, regardless of how well it was furnished. Delta Seven was visited numerous times each day-- by Mirror, by Mirage, by Mrs. Taylor. He was well-fed, well-entertained... but that didn't change the fact that he was trapped. Trapped in a prison of plush couches, video games, and coloring books... video games were his favorite. Those had objectives. Like missions.

Presently, Delta Seven sat cross-legged on the couch, in front of the television, a controller clasped in his hands. His fingers twitched methodically, piloting a digital car upon the screen. How long had he been there? Weeks? Months? He was used to time slipping by, but he wasn't accustomed to remembering all of it.

One memory that had been particularly persistent was a conversation with Mrs. Taylor.

"Seven?"

"Yes."

"Remember how I told you... about how, in this world, you are my son?"

"Yes."

"How would you like to meet him?"

Seven remembered looking at Mrs. Taylor with owlish eyes, no real predominant emotion reflected in them.

"Do you... think I'm ready to meet him?"

Mrs. Taylor had nodded, so the asset nodded back to her. This earned a smile from the woman. Seven groaned. When, though? When?

But when? A npc hurled a shell at Seven's car, causing it to spiral and spew fake smoke. Seven groaned, waiting for the character's flailing to cease, and for the car to right itself.

It was a part of the Mansion he'd never been to, before. Despite having spent much of his young life in the Mansion, Chase hadn't even known that there was a basement to the building. He stood next to Mama, trying to play it cool, but there was a tension in him that even the least observant of people would notice, and Mama was very, very observant.

"So, let me get this straight..." Chase began, touching a hand to his forehead, "There's... another me... living in the basement of the school? Like... my brother?"

"Different, sweetie. He is you. From another dimension. We think."

"Mom, another dimension?" Chase protested, "I do- did- well... I guess he still is... I had a brother, remember?"

"Did your brother shapeshift?"

Chase's lips thinned, and he shook his two-tone hair. No, his brother did not shapeshift.

"If you're apprehensive about it, you don't have to."

"No-! I want to!"

That's what he'd said, anyways... now that he was standing here in front of the door to the Danger Room, though... Mama stood by the access pad, typing a long string of numbers into it.

"Are you sure you want to, Chase?"

The boy nodded. Gemma pressed the button, and the door unsealed itself, opening into a cavernous room. A two-tone head of hair was barely visible over the back of a couch.

"Finish!!" the t.v. shouted, its mechanical voice reverberating. The owner of the two-tone hair peered cautiously over the back of the cushion. They sat taller, a shock of luminous teal springing into view against the black sclera.

"Uh... hi..." Chase greeted. Hastily, the boy on the couch was unfolding themselves, they were rushing towards the door... a few yards off, they came to a halt. Chase stood frozen.

It was like looking into a mirror.

"I'm Chase."

"Delta Seven."

Chase glanced towards Gemma, who nodded for him to go head. "I'll be right here."

Chase strode closer to his doppelganger, cracking a hesitant smile. The gesture was not returned.

"You like Fabio Kart?" Chase asked, strolling towards the couch. Seven followed.

"No..."

Chase paused, turning to face his twin.

Delta Seven paused as well, a frown twisting at his lips, "Do... do you?"

"Yeah."

Then it was settled. The two meandered towards the couch, together.

Chase flopped onto the couch, and his doppelganger did the same. The two exchanged glances.

"Are you really from another dimension?"

Delta Seven shrugged, "I came here through the mirror."

"Cool. Is your name really Delta Seven?"

Seven's frown stretched wider across his features. He grabbed a pile of clothes-- his old uniform-- from one of the cushions, and set them next to Chase. There were some things you just couldn't put words to. Chase leaned over, his hand clasping to the linen fabric.

It was as if someone had taken the genetic information and smeared it with their hand. No name... no age... no anything except blurred memories of a cell and of spying on someone whose face they couldn't quite see from their hiding spot in the bush, and of someone who almost looked like Mama, but with no trace of affection in their face.

"How did he get here?"

A flashing red light, a woman, a mirror... running... running... running... and then they were in this room, freezing cold and dimly lit.

Chase let go of the shirt, also frowning, now. There were things that people were never meant to live through, especially kids... and even kids knew that.

"I'm thirteen, now," Chase said, hesitantly, "So that means that you're probably thirteen, too. We're from Upstate New York, but we don't talk to our biological family anymore. Mama and Papa are our adoptive parents, but they're very good to us."

Gemma had not informed Chase of her conversation with Jorge, but the saying that Mama and Jorge were "their" parents simply felt natural. In this world, they were. Even if things were different in the other world, Chase knew what was true in this world.

A shy smile was curling at Seven's expression. It broke into an outright grin when Chase announced, "And we'll think of a name for you, too. A real name, not Delta Seven."

Seven nodded his head cheerfully. He liked the sound of that. There were already two controllers connected to the GameStation, so Seven tossed one to Chase.

"Let's play a few rounds."

Chase caught the controller, and Seven backed-out to the main menu, to allow his twin to join the game.

The two boys took seats upon the couch. Delta Seven sat with his knees to his chest, and the controller in front of his legs. Chase sat cross-legged, with the controller in his lap. Delta Seven selected the multiplayer race.

First, characters were chosen. Chase chose a skeleton-version of a frog. Seven chose its living brother. They were pushed to the next screen, whereupon they'd build their cars.

"We need to think up a name for you," Chase murmured, selecting a car that looked like a ladybug. The wheels he chose were tiny... and the parasail? Something bland. Delta Seven selected something heavier weight, with better handling but less speed. He grunted a quiet affirmative.

Now the track selection lingered before them.

"Got a favorite?" Seven said.

"Naw, you pick."

He chose the easiest collection of tracks. Dramatic electronic music heralded them in, showing panning shots of the starting line-up. It settled into a split-screen, a frog with a checkered flag arising between the two screens.

3... 2... 1... GO! The cars were off, zipping around the track. Though each boy seemed intently focused, Chase still periodically spoke.

"How about... Michael?"

"...no."

Around the first corner, the second corner, into a straight away.

"Look out for the cows!"

They narrowly missed them.

"How about... Frank?"

"Frank?" Delta Seven laughed. That was a silly name.

Chase rolled through a mud puddle, and his car spun-out.

"Nooooo!"

"Heh." Seven drove on.

"How about... Russell?"

"No."

The conversation would drop-off periodically, amidst the furious button-mashing and sharp turns.