What happened to Church. Assholes left me at a desert temple seemed to want to preface itself, but he bit that one back because it wasn’t exactly relevant, just a sore spot. He didn’t know where to start, because explaining Church dying was like explaining why tornadoes kept touching down in Tornado Valley: it just kept happening, again and again.

He leaned into her, looked to the pawn, and picked that one up instead, turning it over in his hand. He knew this piece at least, and there was intent there. “So, Church is an A.I. and an asshole, but, like, more asshole than A.I. He was blown away in an emp.” He said it like that, too; not each letter, but emp as if itself was a word. “I guess it was kinda mandatory to stop the Meta since he had the fragments, but…fucker didn’t have to. There had to be another way. They…just hadn’t found it yet.”

And the asshole hadn’t said goodbye. At least Epsilon had—

“I mean, there was Epsilon after - Church Lite. Had all his memories and shit, so you know, that was cool. Not the same, but close. Still an asshole. But he…well, he’s not around anymore either.” Easier to say than the truth, that he fucking sacrificed himself too, to save their asses. The pawn was turned over across his fingers as he leaned into her.

“It’s just really complicated, but I wasn’t around for that. Well, not Church. I was for Epsilon.”