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At the main road to a new town, a familiar, beaten, and dirty scooter struggles along. Ase and Anna stop outside the first building they come across, a large, brick building with a home-y feel to its architecture. The two have been arguing up until arriving at the building about what to do. Ase suggested they stop and ask where the closest auto repair shop is while Anna insist they rely on her "Internal Compass" which she'd been following the whole time. Ase won. They dismount and turn to walk in when Anna reminds Ase about the skull, which he'd been wearing since before arrival. As he reaches to remove it, he notices a radiant, red glow coming from the second floor of the building. Ase removes the mask and doesn't inform Anna. Anna walks in and approaches what is assumed to be a front desk and asks the woman working behind it, "Excuse me, Hi. Sorry to bother you, but I need directions to an auto shop. Might you know where the nearest one is?" The worker replies, "Ooh, I'm sorry. There isn't an auto shop in this town. We don't really have anything except our town's infamous insane asylum, which we're standing in. The nearest one is in the next town over." "Well, thanks for your help." As she turns to leave, Ase stops her and instructs her, "Anna, go find a hotel, we might be here a while. I need to settle something here. Don't wait up." Anna leaves and Ase approaches the desk. He begins, "Um, Miss? Can I get some help?" She replies, "Look, sir, I already told your girlfriend that the nearest—" "No, I need 'help' help." "Oh, God, not another. What's the problem sir?" "Well, the voices keep telling me that Jesus is in here and needs to be rescued." After an extensive process of administration, two nurses remove Ase's swords. As they attempt to remove the scythe, which Ase had aptly named "The Reaper", but fail to get it to budge without moving Ase with it. After many tries, a briefing from Ase, and even a demonstration on the safety of The Reaper, the staff gives up. Ase is brought into an office. He observes his surroundings and makes notes: There are six degrees on the wall; twelve writing utensils on the desk, half pencils, half pens; a nameplate with the name Dr. Berith B.Elle; none of these has been touched by dust. A man, seemingly in his late twenties enters the room. He calls in a pleasing voice, "Ase Vix, correct? I'm Dr. Elle. I see that you've been hearing voices telling you that Jesus is trapped here, correct?" Ase responds, "Yes, this is correct. You have all this information written down, don't you?" "Yes, I was just checking to see if you were comfortable with these assumptions. Now, I'm here to help you, but not today. We're going to assign you to a room, okay? And when you're comfortable, you can come see me, alright?" "Alright..." Ase is escorted to a room. It contains a bed, a window, a night-stand, and a lamp. Hours later, Ase remains in his room. He hadn't left. He hadn't talked to anyone. He just sat and thought for all of those hours. A nurse enters the room with a tray with water and pills in his hands. He calls to Ase, "Mr. Vix, meds time." As he hands Ase the water, he suddenly grows a panicked stare on his face and assumes the fetal position in the doorway murmuring about evil clowns. Ase grabs The Reaper and leaves his room and the nurse. He pulls the skull on and follows the red glow from before. As Ase darts down the hall, he crashes into Dr. Elle, knocking the skull off of his face. Dr. Elle asks, "Ase, why are you running through my asylum with a skull on your face?" "It's a complicated story. Mind if we continue in your office?" Inside, Ase tells his story to Dr. Elle. Dr. Elle has nothing in response, so Ase stands to leave. As he stands, he places the skull on his face, only to make a horribly startling discovery. The glow is coming from Dr. Elle. Before any words are spoken, Dr. Elle removes a glove and places his palm on Ase's forehead. "Sleep." Darkness, again. Elsewhere, another discovery is found. Mort stumbles across a sight he hadn't seen in centuries, a rip between Hell and Earth.
End Chapter 7