"So..."
The maned wolf turned his head just enough to see the approaching penguin. "What?"
"Which do you prefer being called? Amigo, Lewis, or Ombre?"
"Well, they're all me. Pick a name and go with it." He shrugged, turning away again.
Martin watched him, stepping closer. "Okay then, Lewis." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Why?"
Lewis pressed his ears against his head. "Why what?"
"Why...all of this? You don't even look like you enjoy it."
"That would be because...I don't."
Martin stopped, now standing beside him. "Then again I ask...why?"
Lewis glanced over at him and sighed. "Why don't you put that bit of computer software in your head to work and calculate it yourself?"
"I don't think it works that way."
"...Yeah...I know." He swished his tail around the penguin as he thought. "I was a fool...And I made a mistake too large for me to ever come back from. I'm sorry that you were involved as you were...You didn't deserve that."
"Yes, you made a lot of mistakes. You were an idiot from what I can tell. A colossal idiot."
"Yep."
"But I wouldn't say you're irredimible."
Lewis glanced at him again.
"I mean, yeah. You hurt me...You really hurt Scout and Pixie. You probably hurt Cooper a little too...but you regret it, don't you?"
"I betrayed my best friends all because some spider thought I could have better career aspirations if I faked my death and worked for her. I lost my fluffing leg being stupid. I have too many regrets to list, Martin. Hell, I even played with your heart. I don't see what you're even doing here. You should hate me, too." He pushed him away with his tail. "Adios."
"No." He held onto the tail. "I don't hate you and I know you weren't only playing with my heart. Some of that was real."
"Does that matter?"
"It does...To me at least." He looked up at him. "I think if you tried to come back, the others would let you."
Lewis laughed one single dry laugh and shook his head. "Scout would never let me come back. I fluffing traumatized her, Martin. That's how bad I screwed up."
"She was traumatized because she thought she lost her best friend...But you're not dead. You're alive."
"And I betrayed her, Martin."
"But you can un-betray her."
The maned wolf squinted down at him. "That doesn't even make sense. You can't unbetray someone you betrayed."
"I mean, okay, yeah, you're right...But you can try to repair the damage. You know, apologize, find ways to get back on her good side. Rebuild that broken bridge of trust. I may not have known her for very long, but she has a soft heart under that hard exterior."
"...She does."
"And she's missed you a lot. Wouldn't it be better to at least try to make amends than just...Allow yourself to be a puppet like this?"
Lewis lowered his head.
"Come on, Lewis...Why don't you join us again?" He stroked the fuzzy tail in his flippers. "Maybe we could even start over if you did?"
"You'd...you'd still be interested in me?" He turned his head sharply and looked at him.
"I still like you, Lewis, Amigo, whoever you are." The penguin smiled at him. "I know I was talking to the real you online and I liked who I met there. I wouldn't mind getting to know the real you even more."
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