Chapter 1

KRISTIN BAOK

Kristin Baok didn't think he was breathing.

His body buzzed and tingled, every nerve simultaneously numb and burning like a live wire.

It was me. I'm the one who killed Ashley Baok.

Sprague's words bounced around in his skull like a ricocheting bullet.

Kristin had dreamed of this moment, of hearing someone's confession, and in every possibility, it never involved someone coming to them. Every possibility took place with Larson there or Asa or Azrael or someone from one of the Precincts there. Every time he dreamed of the confession, it took place after an interrogation. A cat and mouse game. With an arrest shortly thereafter broadcasted to the world. With piecing together the clues in a real-life version of those crime shows he used to watch in his free time but never again because he now lived it. Kristin never thought he would hear the confession with someone sniffling through tears.

But if that's what it took.

If someone wanted to cry their way through the whole thing, Kristin didn't care. He just wanted someone to come forward, say it was them, and give him answers as to why he no longer had his brother. He wanted to know what sick reasoning someone used to justify taking his brother from the world. He wanted Ashley to have a chance to rest a little easier.

"Kristin?" Zip tugged on his sleeve, and he flinched, wrenched back to reality like someone ripped a bandage off his skin.

"Yeah?" His voice sounded so distant, like it came from miles away. Kristin sucked in a breath of air, and it grated his throat and felt like he was breathing through a straw.

"You... a-are you ok?"

Kristin shrugged, eyes staring straight through the door to where he knew Sprague still sat. To where he knew someone who had just confessed to Ashley's murder sat.

"We... we should see what's happening."

Robotically, Kristin reached for the door handle, but Ferris blocked his path and a pang of betrayal shot through Kristin's gut. How could Ferris do such a thing? How could Ferris stand there and block him from getting answers?

"Please," Kristin whispered. "Move. I need to talk to him."

"I don't know what's happening," Ferris said. "But I know we can't rush out there. At least not like this."

"Why are you defending someone who just said he murdered Ashley?"

Ferris shook his head. "I'm not. I assure you I am not. I want to make sure that we get all the answers. I know you want to ask him, but I don't think he's going to reply. Or at least not how you want."

Anger flared in Kristin's gut. "But we have to at least try, Ferris. Ashley deserves that, doesn't he? I have to know. I need to know what happened, and he's right there. He's so close. He's right out there." He jabbed a finger out toward the courtyard where he knew Sprague sat.

"Ashley deserves answers, of course. I'm not arguing otherwise in the slightest. He deserves answers and the truth coming to light. But you heard Sprague, didn't you? I don't know what's going on, but it's not black and white, as convenient as that would be."

Kristin bit back a growl. "He said he killed Ashley, didn't he? How can it not be black and white? You heard what he said! He killed Ashley. He killed my brother."

Kristin tried to push toward the door again, and Ferris again refused to move. Tears stung in Kristin's eyes as his friend yet again kept him from the person who had just confessed. He wanted to push and shove his way through, but he also couldn't hurt Ferris.

"K-Kristin." Zip pulled him back by the hem of his shirt, and Kristin followed.

"What?" He hated how harsh his voice was, but frustration burned within him. He clenched his hands into fists.

"The... the Trinity is-is three. Sprague's... one."

"And?"

"Doesn't..." Zip trailed off and dropped his gaze to his feet.

"Spit it out, Zip. Don't care what it is. Tell me why I shouldn't go out there so Sprague can share everything that happened."

"Why... why would-. Can't you s-see... nothing the Trinity has done to... to this point has been admitting to their crimes. It's weird. I-I want... to talk to Sprague, but this doesn't make... it doesn't make sense."

Kristin glared at the wall over Zip's head. His body trembled, and he curled his fingers into fists to keep his hands from shaking. He forced himself to take a breath, and he can feel the weight of Ferris and Zip's eyes on him, watching, waiting, observing like he was some fragile bird about to break.

Somehow he still felt Ashley beside him. He knew what his brother would say. Ashley would've forgiven the Trinity in a heartbeat, even knowing how it ended. He wouldn't have wanted Kristin to hold onto the hate.

But how could he not?

How can I not hate them, Ashley? They took you from me.

"Well, do you want me to just let Sprague go? Do you want me to say 'thank you' for him admitting he murdered my brother? Do you want me to shake his hand and tell him he's free to go?"

Ferris somehow managed to keep his expression soft, and that made Kristin want to scream and shove him because how could Ferris stay so calm?

"No, absolutely not," Ferris said. "And I'm sure Ren knows to keep Sprague here, through whatever means they have to. If Sprague is responsible, he will be held accountable. Full stop. I have no intentions of stopping until we know exactly what happened to Ashley and everyone involved is held accountable to the full extent of the law."

"I wish the law wasn't so rigid."

Ferris tightened his grip on the door handle, and he stared down at the back of his hand. "I wish that too, but it exists for a reason. We can't become what we want to stop, even if sometimes that would make things easier."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Why can't just this once, just this one time, we bend the rules to catch them and figure out what happened?" Kristin knew in his heart why, and he knew Ashley would be so furious and upset. But he also didn't care. He just wanted answers.

The corner of Ferris's mouth pulled up into a hint of a sad smile. "Because it wouldn't take a whole lot for just this once to turn into again and then again and so on. And stepping outside the law would leave lots of room for the Trinity to walk free. I know you don't want to take that risk, Kristin."

"What are we doin' walkin' outside the law?"

Kristin whirled around and saw Charlie.

"Hey, Springs," Ferris said. His expression lightened and he offered a much more genuine smile.

"'Yello," she replied, and she held up her phone and gave it a wave. "I got Ren's message. They said to come around back. What's goin' on?"

Ferris glanced at Kristin, a question in his eyes. Do you want to tell her, or should I?

Kristin spoke. "Ren is in the courtyard with someone who just confessed to Ashley's murder."

He held Charlie's gaze as he spoke, and his voice was low, like it dragged across gravel and every word caught on yet another sharp edge. His stitched-up heart tore open for the millionth time. Hurt and hate and heartbreak spilled in his chest like a gushing wound.

Kristin watched as surprise bloomed on Charlie's face. Her eyebrows rose, and then her expression darkened like a looming storm cloud.

"This someone is out in the courtyard?"

Zip ducked his head in response. "Yeah."

Charlie huffed, then walked toward the front door in long strides, eyes flashing and shoulders straightening as her steps turned heavy, slamming on the ground like punctuation. Kristin followed her. Perhaps this would finally be it after so long waiting.

"Wait," Ferris said, and she hesitated.

"Why?" Kristin turned around. "Why do we keep having to not talk to the one person who has literally just said he killed Ashley. Sprague Fetch just confessed."

"We gotta talk to him, Dipper. Ain't got no idea who Sprague Fetch is beyond this, but we gotta talk to him."

"I want to get Ashley's killers. I really, really do. I promise you." Ferris ran his hands through his hair. "I see Ashley everywhere, and it's just like when I lost my fathers. I couldn't to anything then, and I looked over everything again and again and again. But I don't want that to happen here. I couldn't take it if we were left wondering, and Ashley deserves justice. I don't know what happened, but he never deserved that and the one thing we can still offer him is justice and answers and knowing what happened and who... who-. Who took him away like... that. If it doesn't go right though... I couldn't forgive myself. It can't go wrong like it did with my fathers. I know the situations are so different. That was an accident, and this was murder, but it can't happen again." He took a shaky breath and paced back and forth, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I know we only have one shot with Sprague, and it has to be the right course of action and I don't know what that is. I'm not trying to be difficult, I swear. I want to know what happened."

"Yeah, yeah, Dipper. No worries. I won't rush out there, I'll walk. How about that?" Charlie wrapped an arm around his waist and patted his back.

"That's... that's not what I was talking about."

Charlie leaned into Ferris's side further. "I know, but I feel like you gotta know there is no universe in which we don't talk to Sprague. I will fight all of the Precincts bare-handed if I have to, because I am talking to him. I bet Kristin feels the same way."

"It has to be done ri-."

"I know, Dipper. I know. Let's call the Moonfall Precinct and then they'll drive on over here, and we can have ourselves a nice little chat with him in the meantime. How about that? Everyone happy?"

Ferris closed his eyes, still standing directly in front of the door.

You'd better let me through, Ferris. I can't not talk to Sprague. I have to know what happened to Ashley. He deserves answers. You can think and I won't rush you to decisions, but I can't let you keep me from answers. We're close, for once. I have hope that maybe we're close.

"I just don't want to ruin this chance."

"We won't," Kristin rushed out.

"Nah, ain't no way we're gonna lose a chance to find out what happened to Ashley. Best thing would be to get him back, but since that can't happen and he'd be pissed if we did bring him back, we can get him some justice and lock up whoever decided to take away his life forever and ever and let them rot in a cell for all of eternity."

"What she said," Zip murmured, fiddling with his fingers.

"Alright," Ferris whispered.

xxxx

Whatever image Kristin had in his head as to what one of the Trinity might look like, Sprague Fetch was decidedly not that. He didn't know what he thought the Trinity might look like, but Sprague didn't look like one from the trio of murderers. Or, at least he didn't look like the mugshot of the killers in the crime shows he used to watch with Ferris. Hollow eyes, a cruel whisper of a smile, predatory features.

As Kristin walked out of the NYTE house and into the courtyard of the camp, he could see Ren standing with their back to him at the gate and Sprague on the other side. He crouched close to the ground, curled up with his arms wrapped tight around his legs. His honey eyes stared through the soil. And as Kristin approached, he thought Sprague looked more like a kid than anything. Skinny, tired, stringy black hair sticking to his tear-stained cheeks.

But looks didn't matter. Sprague Fetch had confessed to Ashley's murder, and anyone could be a killer.

Kristin knew he had never seen Sprague before. Cat's Cradle required that sort of memory. He and Ashley saw many of the same people since they had spent so much time together, sometimes spending every second of every day little more than a few feet from the other. But who was to say that Ashley hadn't seen Sprague?

Could Sprague truly have taken Ashley's life? Kristin hated the thought that he stood before the person who had seen Ashley's last moments, and that person sat on the ground, face buried in his armlike he couldn't bear the weight of what he had done. Didn't Sprague know what Ashley's death had done to Kristin? Ashley no longer had his life, and Kristin no longer had his brother. Couldn't Sprague have thought of what murdering another would do to himself and have changed his mind?

"Why did you do it?" Kristin demanded.

Sprague inhaled sharply, body freezing and locking up.

Kristin could hear every heartbeat pound in his chest, and blood roared in his ears. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking out over a sea of clouds far below as wind howled all around him and pummeled him from every angle. He was so close to answers, everything he now wanted. He wanted to hear Sprague's reply, but he knew it would change everything. He knew it could destroy him, but he had to hear.

Tears welled up in Sprague's eyes. Tears that Kristin couldn't understand. Sprague had confessed to Ashley's murder. Why was he crying over that? He didn't get to cry, not after he took away Ashley.

Kristin could cry. Charlie could cry. Zip could cry. Ren could cry, and so could Ferris. But Sprague didn't get to cry.

"Why?" Kristin repeated, voice firm. Charlie bumped her shoulder into Kristin's arm.

Easy, she silently told him. Kristin put his hands in his pockets and tightened his hands into fists to give his frustration an outlet.

"Why?" he repeated yet again when Sprague didn't reply.

Sprague sniffled and his lip quivered. He settled on the ground, hands on his knees as he pulled his legs to his chest and buried his face in his arms.

"I didn't have any other choice," he whimpered. "There was no other way."

Rage burned in Kristin's veins, broiling and bubbling. His ears rung and the edges of his vision blurred.

He hadn't realized he'd taken a step forward until he felt Ferris's hand on the back of his shirt and Zip's light touch on his forearm. In front of him, Ren had taken a step to the side to stand between him and Sprague.

"What are you doing?" Kristin asked Ren. They stood between him and the person who had said he'd killed Ashley. He made a half-hearted attempt to break free from Zip and Ferris, but he knew beating up Sprague wasn't right. Ashley would've been angry with him, and he would get no satisfaction from doing so. Kristin wouldn't get his brother back, and Sprague just looked hunted.

Sprague looked exhausted down to his bones, and the circles beneath his eyes looked like bruises.

"I don't know what's going on here," Ren said, "but I know we need to get Larson and the Moonfall Precinct here."

"No!" Sprague cried, and he shrunk back when all eyes turned onto him.

"And why the hell not?" Charlie asked before Kristin could. She took a step forward, raising an eyebrow.

Frustration reared its head in Kristin's chest, all fangs and tattered scales worn thin from the waiting, the wondering, the pleading.

Sprague swallowed, and Kristin had to hold himself back from demanding an answer. Several moments ticked by in slow motion before Sprague responded. When he did, his voice was high, tight, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"Because they'll come for us all."