Nearly throwing that particular page of the Prestige across the room, Rainey clenched his fists and bit his tongue in rage, drawing blood from his most obvious of oral muscles.

He did not wish to hold a grudge against any of the men listed as receiving such an honor. However, Stephen had managed to convince himself that, if anyone he knew was worthy of such a reward, it was most definitely himself.

After all, the only people he really knew were working class, just as he was. Who in their right mind would give a laborer, who had virtually no previous responsibility, the metaphorical keys to the country? He could not fathom it.

But, he supposed that was why Ragloff was the ruler of the most dominant empire the world had ever known, while he was stuck here hauling random packages.

There must be something about these men, something that sets them apart. Otherwise, why would the leader have given permission to proceed in releasing the names? Rainey could not protest, because he had faith in Ragloff's decision-making capability.

Since his youth, Rainey had done exactly what he was told. They said jump, he asked 'how high?' They offered him a shitty job, he'd taken it without objection. Did this service mean nothing?

No…that wasn't the right train of thought. He was starting to sound like one of the men he hated. He'd just have to accept that he did not get the job, and persist in this dismal existence…as much as that pained him inside.

…Yet even so…SHINDLER???

How could they possibly allow that dim-witted, slow, brute of a man to assist the country in such a way? Rainey had no faith in his ability to THINK, let alone think FAST!

Throughout the entirety of the following workday, Stephen answered all of Shindler's attempts to initiate conversation with an annoyed, foreboding glare.

Shindler might be his friend, but what were friends next to crown and country? Such weak ties as friendship could not stand against the hold Geonia held on his cold heart.

Rainey left work early, unable to contain his anger any longer than he previously had. Feigning a stomach virus, Stephen arrived home within a few minutes, pushing his thin, delicate door open.

Standing in the threshold of his tiny residence, he quietly pondered what he could possibly do to console himself.

There were many different methods with which he had made himself feel a bit more optimistic, but things were so horrific that, at this point, he didn't think he'd ever feel as fine as he previously had.

The betrayal…it hurt.

Shindler was his friend…his peer. How could he just…just accept a position that had so obviously been designed for Rainey?

If there was a job, say, speaking slow as hell, and the government needed someone to fill in, Rainey would suggest Shindler in a heartbeat.

He was so perfect, so well trained and well versed, so willing to give his life for the country. And Matt had ripped all of this hope, all of these dreams from his life.

After much deliberation, Stephen decided to retire to his bed early, in an attempt to sleep all of these negative feelings off.

He repeatedly told himself that Matt had not meant to usurp the spot. Matt had not meant to steal his spot…but it wasn't like he was complaining, either.

Lying there, under a flimsy, ripped sheet, Rainey clenched his fists once more, digging his fingernails into bare, yet tough, palms.

Spite and rage are not exactly relaxing emotions, yet somehow, the warm embrace of sleep found him after around ten minutes…

Once more, Stephen was haunted by an absolutely terrifying vision.

The scenery he beheld was about the same as it had been in his previous apparition. However, in this newest of horrors, Ragloff himself was present.

His thin, tall frame met that of the criminals surrounding him, as he raised an arm. Waving this hand at each of them, Ragloff's expression seemed completely focused on countering the vices of these fiends.

Rainey watched as each of these criminals vanished with a wave of the leader's hand.

This miracle gave him hope, and reaffirmed his trust in Ragloff's power, intellect, and judgment.

Walking slowly to his idol, raised a hand and bowing his head in respect, Rainey wanted to assure him that his loyalty hadn't wavered, to reaffirm his support of the man.

As he neared the hero, however, Ragloff elevated his hand once more, bringing it to the back of his head.

Grasping onto the loose skin and hair present there, Ragloff ripped and tore the very skin from his skull and face.

Rainey gagged, beholding the beginnings of the bloody endeavor, and turned to vomit.

He simply could not bear to watch his hero's smiling, yet tarnished face.

When he finally did gather his nerve, and looked back to the man, what he saw sent him stumbling backward.

There, replacing the pronounced face of Ragloff, was the greasy mug of Matt Shindler.

Shindler grinned, idiotically, at his friend, shrugging his shoulders as if he had no idea how he had gotten there.

But Rainey knew…he knew very well. Shindler had usurped the position of their leader, just as he had robbed Stephen himself of the spot in the newly created agency!

Enraged, yet in disbelief, Rainey flung himself forward, with every intention of tearing this bastard limb from limb.

Suddenly, his very body froze. He could no longer move his legs, arms, or even roll his very neck.

Wagging a finger as one would do to a child that has misbehaved, Shindler pointed his finger at the now frozen Rainey.

Suddenly, Stephen felt a sharp, searing pain creeping up his leg.

Looking down with his peripheral vision, he saw that the very particles that made up his being were slowly disintegrating…the very same fate that had befallen the criminals Ragloff…no, Shindler…had dispatched.

A look of sheer terror crossed Rainey's features, and he looked up, pleadingly, to his former ally.

Shindler gazed back, sighing and shaking his head in a 'holier than thou' manner.

He chuckled, and gazed back down at the subject of this torture. He gave one more of those imbecilic looks, and opened his crude mouth to speak.

As the last of Rainey's torso abandoned him, Shindler cursed his still intact ears with two simple, yet damning words.

"You too."

Awakening in a cold sweat, Rainey screamed aloud, most likely disturbing several of his neighbors in the process. This isn't a very fantastic feat, considering the fact that the adjacent homes are only isolated by at most two inches of plaster.

Breathing heavily, and coming to terms with the reality around him, Stephen sat up and nearly jumped from his bed, as if he were attempting to evade the night terrors that had taken a liking to his torment.

He thought of how odd and random the dream had seemed.

After all, how could Shindler ever disguise himself as Ragloff? This was even worse than the previous vision, the one with the small child.

However, at least in this one, the criminals present had been destroyed. Even if he himself had been tortured, it was worth it to see such scum perish.

Yet, the more he thought about it, the more he felt as though this dream possessed more truth than fiction.

Shindler…disguised as Ragloff…tearing his face. What could this symbolize? As he thought, things started to come together. Everything suddenly made sense, in a way that both sickened and shocked him just as much as his nightmare had.

Shindler was plotting Ragloff's downfall, he was absolutely sure of it.

After all, Matt had been present at the bombing of the Collection Agency.

He gasped suddenly, as he pieced together this puzzle. It all made sense. Matt was a traitor, and he must have duped the officials into believing that Stephen himself was the unreliable one.

Well, this simply would not do…something must be done…and this something would have to be both drastic and effective.

He could interrogate Shindler himself, to find out what he knew, but something told him that the terrorist cell would have prepared him for interrogation, and Matt would most likely clam up.

He would need to think of something else…perhaps announcing these newfound discoveries to the public? Maybe contacting the agency that Zach Rogers had suggested in his column?

No, neither of these worked. He was not exactly the most trusted man in Geonia…he would likely be shunned and ignored completely.

He could not drag the public into this until he had perfect, irrefutable proof. Then, and only then, he could exact revenge against the man who had wounded him so, and threatened his fine country.

Besides, if Shindler had infiltrated the group, he was certain that he could not contact them regarding this new development.

A one on one battle against the two men.

Were this battle physical, Stephen would have worried.

However…now that he thought about it, Matt was a crafty and manipulative individual. Just a few days ago, he had managed to shield his inner corruption, and convinced Rainey that he could not possibly possess the intellect needed to stab him in the back.

Oh, what a devil…what a vicious cycle Shindler had unleashed on the poor, innocent, unsuspected Rainey.

The very thought that he had been taken advantage of, taken for a fool, made Stephen's blood boil.

He would have his revenge, whether it took him ten days or ten years.

One day, Shindler would pay for what he'd done. And when that day came, Stephen would be there to ensure he could not, would not escape his fate. In fact, he now resolved to be the one to orchestrate this vengeance.

Yes, just as any honorable citizen would, so would he extract justice FOR his beloved Ragloff. He would show not only that his wisdom and foresight surpassed that of his peers, but that he himself was worthy of any position Ragloff could possibly offer.

He had been a mere laborer for so long, been shunned by the more acceptable members of society. And all these years, he had taken it, thinking that he wasn't the only one stuck in a rut.

He'd looked around to see other such as him, and determined that if this life were enough for them, it would most certainly suffice in keeping Rainey himself alive.

Now, I know some of you may be wondering why Rainey, the man we are following with the utmost precision, is thinking such radical and biased things with virtually no foundation for these ideals.

The answer to this is simple. There is no basis for such accusations, because Shindler has done absolutely nothing, cover or overt, to warrant such persecution.

Yes, even as the theories Rainey spouts may back up his assertion, that Shindler cheated him out of his 'rightful position', the fact of the matter is that Shindler IS, in fact, far too simple to ever devise such a complex scheme.

But let us not persecute Rainey for his…persecutions.

This reaction is only natural for any true citizen of Geonia. A prim, proper citizen SHOULD be backstabbing, treacherous, and sly…so long as they do not direct these aspects toward their government.

If these techniques are used for the sake of the nation…well, then the ends justify the means. Rainey's thoughts may be misguided, but they show the promise of the individual he may become.

However, enough exposition, we should get back to the center of our analysis. Let us skip to what will be the turning point of Rainey's thoughts.

In a moment of wondrous and blissful revelation, Stephen suddenly realized exactly what it was he would do to Shindler.

He smiled dreamily to himself, anticipating the coming reward. If he could not deter Matt any other way…he would have to resort to violence. And…if things were going to get aggressive…why not take it all the way?

Shindler must die…and Rainey planned to prompt his downfall…