Jacques squats on the side of the road, seems like waiting. A sedan car passes, and he just looks at it, not even bothered. An SUV also passes, and he lets it go by.
"What is he doing?" Sigma asks.
"It seems like Jacques loves to watch the cars pass by, doing nothing. This behavior is a form of self-soothing," Beatrix explains, her tone measured. "Kids his age, especially ones with a history of instability, often develop habits like this to create a sense of control. The rhythm of cars passing by — the predictability of it — gives his mind something stable to hold onto. It's almost meditative."
Sigma rolls his eyes and exhales. AIsplaining, here we go again.
Beatrix continues, completely unfazed by Sigma's reaction. "That stillness suggests he's not just spacing out — he's focused. His eyes are tracking every car, studying their movement, the sound of the tires, even the patterns of light reflecting off the metal. He's—"
"Thank you, Beatrix. Tell me, how is watching the cars relevant to trying to create a sense of control?" Sigma rolls his eyes because it seems like the analysis is coming out of nowhere, and as a human being, he can't feel the relevance in it.
Beatrix's tone remains steady, almost patient. "Humans are wired to seek patterns, Sigma. Predictability reduces cognitive load and creates a sense of safety. In an unpredictable or unstable environment, the brain tends to cling to anything that follows a clear pattern — it's a way of minimizing perceived threat."
A lot of fancy words, but so little relevance — or perhaps Sigma is just experiencing brain exhaustion from the AIsplaining. Beatrix's words are starting to lose their value. When Sigma looks back at the monitor, his eyes widen as he finally sees movement from Jacques.
"Yes. A car approaching, passing, and disappearing follows a structured sequence. Speed, sound, motion — all unfolding in a predictable rhythm. Jacques may not be aware of it consciously, but his brain is processing that consistency as a form of environmental stability. It's no different from why humans find the sound of waves or a ticking clock relaxing."
A double-cabin pickup truck appears, and Jacques begins to stand up. When the truck passes him, he chases after it. With incredible speed, he manages to catch up and place his hand on the pickup box. At the right moment, he jumps off the ground, lands on the pickup box, and swings his body to roll and enter the truck bed.
"Jacques is not engaging with the chaos — he's detached from it. The noise, the motion — he's observing, not participating. That separation creates a controlled distance. If a car swerves, he's still an observer, not a participant. That's the control."
He punches through the pickup's glass shield, creating a hole. Then he grabs the driver — an NPC — punches him in the face, and throws him off the truck. After laughing, he climbs into the driver's seat and takes over the wheel.
Beatrix's voice remains even. "To Jacques, it's survival."
Of course, Jacques is being chased by the police, but the game has its own mechanism. He enters a pawn shop to change the car's color, and when he emerges with a different color, the police lose track of him. Now he drives at ease.
Sigma smiles and shrugs. "Well, apparently he was just waiting for that specific car because it's his favorite model."
Sigma continues watching without interfering. He wants to see Jacques's behavior raw — what he'll do if nobody is watching in a virtual world where there are no consequences and no one will really get hurt if he injures them.
In general, Jacques seems almost… considerate. An elderly pedestrian crosses the street, and he actually brakes, waiting for her to cross before accelerating again. When he gets bored with the car, he returns home, breaks it down into small parts, and sells them at pawn shops. Of course, he makes a lot of money and spends it on expensive, tasty food like steak or pizza.
Sigma nods. "As expected from a teenager."
But he can't help but notice how good Jacques is at breaking down vehicle parts — and how fast he is at it. He can spot a good engine and knows exactly how much it's worth. Sometimes, he even finds a seemingly broken machine, but with a little customization, he turns it into an upgraded version of the engine that can be sold for three times the original price.
Sigma tilts his head in confusion. Sigma creates these engines based from real-world models, and Sigma wonders how he's so good at it. It doesn't seem like he reads manuals — it's more like the boy knows it intuitively.
"I wonder if this is the power of the Black Dragon Guardian…" Sigma shakes his head, unsure that such a divine guardian would bless an Argonarian with knowledge about machines.
At night, he would go to the bar on foot.
"Beatrix, quick! Place a lot of women — all types of women!" Sigma commands, and the android responds immediately.
Of course, it catches Jacques by surprise when a girl with big boobs, dressed in pink with stylish makeup, full lips, and blonde hair, shows up wearing something sexy. The typical girl that would make a boy's heart jump in excitement.
"Hey, handsome, would you like to have some fun?" she teases seductively.
"I'm underage," Jacques says, walking past her without even bothering to look.
This behavior shocks Sigma. "What in the world?! Is he being serious?"
"It seems like he isn't interested in women. Shall I try showing men?" Beatrix tilts her head.
"Yes, let's try men," Sigma says, now looking curious.
A handsome, muscular man with a hairy chest, neat hair, a golden chain necklace, and a square jaw with faint stubble leans against the wall. As Jacques approaches, the man greets him with a seductive smile and a playful pose.
"Hi, cutie. Shall I take you home?"
Jacques bumps his shoulder, making the man lose balance. "Move, pedo!"
"He's not gay," Sigma raises his eyebrows lazily at Beatrix.
The android now analyzes Jacques's sexuality and tendencies intensely.
"Jacques exhibits a strong aversion to sexual advances, regardless of gender. His immediate rejection of both the woman and the man suggests that he does not experience typical adolescent attraction in casual encounters. His response to the man, in particular, was aggressive—using the term 'pedo' implies that he perceives the interaction as predatory rather than flirtatious. This indicates a potential underlying trauma or a heightened sensitivity to age-inappropriate advances."
Sigma squints at the monitor. "So? What's his deal? Is he just asexual?"
Beatrix pauses before answering. "Not necessarily. Asexuality implies a lack of sexual attraction, but Jacques' behavior leans more toward avoidance rather than disinterest. His body language, lack of engagement, and immediate dismissal suggest that he either does not prioritize romantic or sexual connections or has conditioned himself to reject them outright."
"So, what? He's a monk?" Sigma scoffs.
Beatrix remains composed. "More data is needed to determine whether this is due to personal choice, emotional detachment, or past experiences shaping his perception of intimacy. However, his lack of interest suggests that he does not seek validation or pleasure from typical romantic or sexual pursuits."
Sigma crosses his arms. "Can you just explain in short, TLDR version?"
Beatrix nods. "He's either not interested, emotionally closed off, or has past trauma. More data needed."
Sigma rolls his eyes. He knows this will take a lot of time. "Alright, Beatrix, I'm tired. Record the gameplay and keep trying to figure out his type—I'm done for now."
"Affirmative!" Beatrix does what she's told.
When Sigma finishes resting, he goes through his routine: brushing his teeth, taking a shower, oiling his hair, and making sure he looks fresh. He dresses up in his stylish black suit with a grey tie, puts on his shiny loafers, and enters his private office again to meet up with Beatrix, expecting good progress in their observation.
"Good morning, Sigma," Beatrix greets him.
"Good morning, Beatrix. So, how's it going? Have you figured out his sexuality?" Sigma drops into his sturdy office chair and rocks it left and right.
"I've run a lot of tests—sent our subject all types of women—but none of them seem to catch his interest. No spikes in heart rate or body temperature. He doesn't seem interested in dating or romance," Beatrix reports.
"This is bad. We need to know his type. It's very important to design the right scenario to trap him in the dream labyrinth," Sigma says, furrowing his brows as he thinks hard about how to solve this.
"What if we try all kinds of men? Have you tried that?" Sigma asks, pointing the tip of his pen at Beatrix.
"It's not that I don't want to try," Beatrix starts to explain, her voice lowering. "But I've seen a lot of brutal interactions between him and other men. I compiled them in a clip."
Beatrix opens a video file showing Jacques's interactions with male NPCs in the game. He fights with gang members, driving a truck over them without hesitation. When an elderly neighbor complains about him, Jacques slashes his tires and laughs as the old man weeps. In another scene, an NPC policeman keeps chasing him. Jacques, having had enough, knocks the officer unconscious, ties an anchor to his neck, and dumps him into the ocean's depths.
"It doesn't seem like he's attracted to men either… In fact, it looks like he releases all his anger and sadistic urges on male NPCs. If they dare to disturb him or piss him off, he switches to psycho mode and tortures them to death," Beatrix remarks, her voice tinged with unease. Sigma had requested that she display a little more emotion—even if it was artificial.
Sigma continues watching the clips, which resemble scenes from The Punisher. The angrier Jacques becomes, the more sadistic his actions grow.
"The kid has bad emotional control," Sigma shrugs.
"I think we need to alter the trap into something that really matters to him. It's clear he's not interested in anyone romantically," Beatrix suggests.
"No, no." Sigma gestures with his hands. "Everybody has a type they feel drawn to. If we can't discover it consciously, let's tap into his subconscious."
"You want to use Gertrude or Lucy?" Beatrix asks.
"Gertrude needs the right timing. We'll use Lucy. Connect me with the boy," Sigma says, adjusting his tie as he stands up from his chair, preparing to talk to Jacques again.