Marcel's POV

I am with Roman. We are in my hotel room and it's the next day.

"You can hide out here for a while."

"Will I have to go back to the breeding grounds."

I don't know how to answer the question. People have escaped the Breeding Grounds and come to New Jerusalem before but they are always caught. I have no doubt the cyborgs are looking around New Jerusalem now.

"I don't know..."

"Please..." Roman shakes his head, "You don't know how the Breeding Grounds are. I didn't eat for days down there. I can't go back. I...I'd rather die than go back there..."

"Listen. You're a friend of Marx. If you're a friend of Marx we can definitely figure out something. We'll hide you out for a while. Just stay in this room. No one will see you."

"Where are you going?"

"I have to deal with someone."

I nod over at Roman. I don't know how long I can hide him but he risked everything to come here and warn Marx. I didn't know straight people were capable of something like that. I didn't know they really cared about anyone other than themselves. The fact that he's sitting here now is making me look at him in a different light. Normally I would go to Cid to try to figure something out about that but if Roman is telling me the truth then Cid is the person that I can't trust.

The hotel room I'm staying in is a popular hotel room. As I walk through the hallways people congratulate me on winning the primaries and wish me luck in winning the presidency. I should be happy. I should be celebrating. Right now though I just feel betrayed. I need to talk to Cid. I need to understand where he's coming from.

I try to find Cid but as I knock there is no answer.

"You looking for Cid too?" a voice asks.

I turn to see Lexus. He doesn't have a shirt on. He's a relatively muscular looking guy really. Our eyes connect down the hall. There is always just something about him that I don't trust. This is the same guy who put out my fucking sex tape.

"He is my advisor...why were you looking for him?" I ask.

"Cid and I had some business to do. My hotel room is right down the hallway."

Knowing Cid this seems backhanded. What the fuck would Cid have to talk to Lexus Lucius for. Lexus is shaking his head at that moment. I'm confused on what is going on but I know that Cid is up to something nasty and shady. I knew he always had a shady side to him but I always thought that shady side worked to my favor.

"What did you and Cid have to talk about?" I ask.

"Wouldn't you like to now?"

Lexus smiles. That sly ass smile that makes me want to reach over and just beat his ass all day. I can't stand him.

"Lexus I don't have time for your childish games. Are you going to tell me or not?" I ask him.

"I've been considering something. Something that Cid and I have been negotiating," Lexus explains, "I want to join your ticket. Run as your vice president."

Looking at Lexus I think he's telling me a joke. I can't help but to start laughing at that moment. The laughter clearly takes him by surprise. Lexus crosses his arm probably not expecting me to break out into laughter like this. Truthfully I could laugh my ass off.

"You're joking right? I'd rather lose..."

"That's exactly what you'll be doing if Nazarius and me run together."

"Does Nazarius know you're planning on turning his back on him?" I ask.

"This is politics."

Shady. These people were shady. God knows all the funny ass deals that Nazarius and Lexus had done behind my back. Now all of a sudden Lexus was willing to turn his back on Nazarius. And the fact that Lexus can so casually say that "This is politics" as an explanation blows my mind. He blows with the wind. I don't get it.

"What do you get out of this?" I ask him, "Like you said, I have no chance of beating Nazarius and you together. So why would you leave Nazarius and join the underdog."

"With me on the ticket you have a fighting chance," Lexus replies.

He's probably right. I have to admit it. Lexus is popular and he has a more money than Nazarius and I combined. The corporate giants love Lexus. He's also a war hero. He fought against the Straights back in the day. People love a war hero. If I'm smart I would take the offer regardless of how much I hated Lexus and how backwards he is.

"You don't care about me," I reply, "Like I said. What do you get out of this?"

"It's a win-win situation really. We may end up winning. I'll be vice president. And then there's something else..."

He roles his eyes around.

I'm confused.

"What else could you possibly want from this? I don't have anything else to give you but the position."

"You're right. You don't have it. Not anymore."

Lexus Lucius smiles at that moment.

"Marx."

"Sure thing. I get the Vice Presidency and that fine piece of ass..."

Lexus is grabbing on his dick at that moment. He's rubbing it almost thinking about Marx as he takes a long hard stroke of his dick underneath his pants!

I don't know what comes over at me. I run at Lexus. I tackle him to the ground. I'm on top of him before he knows it. I want to choke the fuck out of him. I want to punch him until that sly little face of his is ugly and deformed.

"I will beat your ass. You understand?"

"Think about it," Lexus replies, "Cid told me about Florian's offer. You have to marry Florian. What do you need with Marx? Why do you care? You guys are divorced."

"Marx loves me..."

I say the words as though there is no doubt of it. I want to believe it. I do want to believe it. Right now though I'm sure that Marx ran away from me. I need to see him. Every part of my body is missing him. The time spent without him makes me doubt daily how Marx really feels about me. Does he really love me? The only time he really said it was during sex.

Does that really even count?

"Maybe so," Lucius replies, "Even better. That means he'd do anything to help you win. Even if that means marrying me so that I can agree to be your vice president."

Lucius laughs. It's at that moment that I realize how sick he is. I want to hit him. I want to attack him but instead I just get off. He's not worth it. He doesn't have any self respect.

"You're pathetic, little boy," I tell him, "You know that? You're willing to marry someone you know who doesn't love you."

"You're preaching to me?" Lucius asks, "Let's cut the bullshit. Everyone smart enough knows that you and Marx has an arranged marriage. Now he'll just have another arrangement. This time it'll be with me..."

"Cid agreed to this?"

"Cid is out tracking your ex husband now to bring him back. He's putting all his resources in it."

Cid was doing that? Before Cid was so sure that this was for the best that Marx was gone but now that it works in his favor to have Marx here Cid all of a sudden wants to bring him back. The more and more I think about it the more I realize how full of shit Marx is.

"I'm going to fire Cid. He doesn't make my decisions anymore."

"Do what you want with Cid. I could care less. I'll make the deal with you. Convince Marx to marry me and I'll be your Vice president."

"No."

I can't help but enjoy the moment that the sly smile Lucius has on his face fades. He isn't expecting it. He's thinking that this is a no brainer. Politically it would make sense. Lucius wants Marx for whatever reason whether it be personal or political. All I have to do is be quiet and take the bait. All I have to do it be quiet. Marry Florian. Let Lucius marry Marx. Make Lucius my vice president. And beat Nazarius.

"What?" Lucius asks.

I would be the president if I just did those things. I'd be the the most powerful man in the free world. I'd be the president if I just said yes.

"No."

And I've never been so sure of an answer in my life. The words are solid. They hold weight. I say them almost immediately and I mean it as soon as it comes out. Lucius is breathing heavy at this moment. He doesn't know what to do .

"I'm going to talk to Cid. You're thinking with your emotions."

As if he isn't. As if Lexus wasn't crushing on Marx since the first day that he met him. He's thinking with his emotions just as much as me. Sure. People thought Marx was a 6 but Lucius never seemed to care about marrying for political gain before. He never seemed to need it. Now all of a sudden he found someone that he truly wanted and he was willing to make the political moves to get him. I knew Lucius. I knew his game. I didn't trust him.

"Do what you want."

Cid doesn't show up the rest of the day. I'm sitting in my room. Roman is a talker. Truthfully I'd rather him anywhere else. I have some important topics to write down for the Presidential debate that was coming up. I'd rather be surrounded by my advisors but I don't trust anyone. Everyone is on Cid's payroll. As my campaign manager he hired every single person. He was the one that hired Silk. And look how that turned out.

"You going to win? You know the presidency?" Roman asks.

He doesn't shut up.

"I mean I hope so."

"How do you feel about straight people?" Roman asks, "I mean any plans on what you are going to do about the whole segregation thing?"

"Straight people...aren't the most popular. Segregation works. For now."

"And what about Marx?"

I'm struggling to focus on my topics. At this rate Nazarius is going to kill me when it comes to the political debate. I have no help. Nazarius probably has a team. The only thing I have is an annoying straight boy that won't shut up.

"What about him?"

"If segregation really worked you would have never knew Marx," Roman states, "I mean do you care about him at all?"

I put down my pen.

"Can we not talk about Marx please?"

"Sure."

"Thank you."

"Why not?" Roman asks.

I look over at him. He's so goddam annoying. I cross my arms at that moment.

"Because. Sir. When I think about Marx I get distracted," I reply.

"Yeah yeah. I get it."

I pick up my pen to start writing again. I need to cover multiple issues. Education. Foreign policy. Taxes. I have to really think about how to answer the questions in the debate about these things. I can't think about Marx right now. I have to focus my attention on Nazarius.

"Isn't that a good thing though?" Roman asks.

"Oh my god! No! No...it's not a good thing. Love is a distraction."

"So you love him?" Roman asks.

I take a deep breath. I can't deny it.

"Yeah. Yeah I do."

"Well then you'll probably always be distracted unless you are back with him," Roman stated, "Trust me. I've spent a long time trying to be something that I wasn't. The more you avoid thinking about him the harder it will be. You know how those things work. I bet once you are with him things will flow freely."

I'm actually surprised that Roman makes a little sense. I'm actually surprised that at this moment I'm really getting into him. I'm really understanding what he's saying to me.

He's right.

I need Marx. Everything that went right in my career was when Marx was around. He was...like my lucky charm.

All of a sudden a knock came at the door.

"Great I'm never going to get any work done," I reply, "Come in."

It's a security guard. He walks halfway into the room.

"Sir. You told me to let you know once Cid arrived back at the hotel."

"Is he here?"

"Yes sir. He's downstairs in the lobby."

"Get all the guards and follow me."

"Sir?"

"You heard me. Get as many guards as you can and follow me."

I begin to walk at that moment and by the time I get to the elevator all of the hotel staff is with me. I leave Roman in the room clearly as I make my way down the lobby. When I get to the lobby I see him. He's standing there talking to a couple of people. I can see the look on his face at that moment.

I notice the other people in the room. Florian is there. Lexus is there. They are standing there socializing with Cid. I have no doubt that Cid is selling both of them dreams.

All that stops now.

"Arrest that man."

Cid and the others look at me. The security guards seem to not really understand what is going on. I have no doubt they can make the arrests. They all double as regular police officers in their regular life.

"Excuse me?" the officer asks.

"You've got to be making a mistake," Cid says.

"I know about Silk..."

Cid looks nervous all of a sudden. He takes a few steps towards me.

"Arrest him! I have proof that Dr. Cid had a conspiracy to murder," I tell the guards.

They look at me confused but all of a sudden move forward to arrest Cid. Cid is panicking. He's screaming at the top of his lungs. I can see everyone else gathering around at that moment.

"Wait. Bring him in. BRING HIM IN!" Cid is screaming.

At that moment I realize Remus is there. He runs from outside and when he comes back in, he's with Marx. My heart drops to see Marx standing there all of a sudden. Marx looks over at me.

Our eyes connect. All of a sudden the strength that I have seems to go away.

"Marcel..." he whispers.

It's really him. It's really Marx.

"Do you have any idea what I went through to get him back here for you?" Cid asks, "I had to pay the border patrol to release him. Do you know how hard that was? I did it all for you. I brought Marx here..."

After he tried to kill him.

"For Lexus..." I reply, "Don't think I'm stupid. Arrest him."

Cid and Lexus exchange glances at that moment. Cid is caught like a deer in headlights. For the first time he seems shocked. I watch as they put handcuffs on him. I watch as they start taking him out. The lobby is full of political figures. I never have seen Cid so upset.

He is clearly defeated.

That's when he gets desperate.

As the guards walk him past me he stops and says firmly with a cold, dark threat that shakes my spine to the core, "If I go down...so does Marx."

"You wouldn't..."

I can see a smile spread across Cid's face as he turns to everyone, "MARX IS NOT 6. Marx is STRAIGHT!"

The entire room turns to Marx. I can feel the heaviness at that moment. Everyone is focused on him and I know that Cid is getting the last laugh after all...