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 Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:31 am
The crystals, the people gasping and twisting, the waves of Chaos across the battlefield–
“I was.”
There wasn’t any point in lying about it. In fact… Elliot looked up to Promethei as something that had been nagging in the back of his mind finally clicked into place. He had seen that face before, with a similar twisting in his gut that–at the time–hadn’t had an explanation. He looked over to Diryas, realizing he’d recognised his other form for similar reasons.
“So were you. I saw you there. When the Chaos energy was affecting everyone.” He took a deep breath as Diryas muttered something that earned him a hissed rebuke from Tobias. He didn’t have the energy to counter that. “Didn’t know it was you at the time, but… I recognize you.”
Zebulon hadn’t yet upgraded, he guessed. Neither had Diryas. They were both still pages.
He looked up at Tobias. “Are you powered?” The question was distant, exhausted, but curious all the same. It was also too far for Diryas.
He was small. Small enough to get around Tobias if he really put his mind to it. Tobias was tall, and that gave Diryas plenty of clearance to twist himself out of the way as Tobias’ arms tried in vain to grab him mid-jump.
There was a lot of shouting. Amidst it all, Diryas at Elliot and Tobias at Diryas as Diryas swung on Elliot–’you don’t get to ******** ask questions after what you’ve done’. Tobias shouting back as he dove for Diryas–‘don’t do it, don’t touch him!’--filled Elliot’s hearing next. Not that he heard too much as Diryas moved too quickly for him to get out of the way and for Tobias to catch him and the last thing to fill his ears was ringing as he saw stars.
Tobias wrapped his arms around Diryas’ midsection, hauling him up and bodily away from Elliot, resolutely twisting to the side and depositing him with a profound lack of ceremony on the ground.
Diryas immediately dove for Elliot again.
Tobias just as immediately put himself between Diryas and Elliot, forcing Diryas to pull up short and crash into the wall next to Elliot. “That’s ********!” Eyes flashing, Tobias turned the fury in his eyes on both Diryas and Promethei. “Don’t ******** touch him!”
It was surprising enough that Diryas drew up short, fingers clenching and unclenching in fists as he yearned to add more to the blood trickling from the corner of Elliot’s mouth. Before he could say anything, Tobias shoved Elliot roughly behind himself, keeping his body between Elliot and the other two.
“He’s dangerous! He attacked Zeb!”
Tobias’ heart thudded in his chest at seeing the look in Diryas’ eyes. He was distantly aware of how easily they could both shove him aside if they wanted to. Because no, he wasn’t powered. He didn’t have any extra help if they decided to push the matter further. He was alone in this. He would just have to protect Elliot with just his own mundane ability.
“He didn’t want to!”
“Then he can prove it! If he was really sorry, he’d have said something sooner rather than ******** running off for years!”
“He’s here now, isn’t he?” It was less question, more observational demand as Tobias threw a hand in Elliot’s direction. Elliot groaned quietly. “He said he was ******** sorry! What more do you want from him?”
“Honestly?” Diryas’ look toward where he’d dropped the knife was very deliberate. “For a start, considering we don’t even know if he’s going to turn on us–”
“He’s not going to turn on us!”
“He’s a captain, Tobias! He saw Chaos and he chose to go further with it!”
“And he’s here now! And we need to get him to a ******** doctor with how hard you hit him!”
“He was too interested in you! He doesn’t–can’t–know that you don’t have any powers!” Frustration was deepening Diryas’ voice to a bass rumble. “He can’t know that you’re vulnerable.”
“He’s not going to hurt me!” Being called ‘vulnerable’ rankled Tobias, made him more resolute. He turned toward Elliot when he heard him groan again, crouching to check his pupillary response. Diryas made a movement then, causing Tobias’ head to whip back around on his neck.
Their eyes met and Diryas drew up short again. A forceful, angry, “don’t,” growled from Tobias’s lips.
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:31 am
Promethei made no move to stop Diryas, and perhaps that was the most telling thing about his opinions on the matter. He was still holding the knife, and his grip on his knife had only gotten tighter when Elliot confirmed he was there, recognized them, and asked after Tobias’ powered state. There were a multitude of more innocent reasons that Elliot could have wanted to know that, but in light of everything else, how could he reason it was anything but bad? Elliot was an agent of the ******** Negaverse for some ******** reason and–
But g-d, did Tobias sound harsh.
In another light, Promethei might have been fanning himself over Diryas’ voice and Tobias’ display of backbone, but it was a bit late for that– “He’s right, Toby,” murmured Promethei, finally, swallowing around the dryness in his mouth. “He’s an agent of the Negaverse. Even if I buy that he doesn’t kill, despite his presence at whatever that s**t was, his fellows do, and how ******** much do his fellows know?”
Tobias was arguably both the most and least safe one.
“Anyway,” cut, before Tobias or Diryas could cut him off, “don’t think taking him to the hospital right now is a good idea,” Promethei’s gaze was not quite on Elliot, somewhere above him toward the wall. “Once he comes to, he can ******** bolt and that could put us all in danger,” his gaze shifted toward Tobias, “you included.”
Elliot knew enough about them … or at least, he did, before he vanished after the failure to make that superior uninterested in the first place.
On the one hand, he hadn’t found him. On the other, on the other, how much of a target was he?
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:34 am
“So what do you suggest? Killing him?” Tobias’ look to Diryas was not friendly, then. “We’re not ******** murdering him, christ.” Accusatory looks to both Zebulon and Diryas. “Supposedly you two love him.”
Diryas’ eyes narrowed. “Love isn’t a free pass to put other people in danger. He still attacked Zeb, regardless of motivation, and he could do it again. And what if he leads someone to you?” Diryas gestured to encompass all of Tobias.
Tobias’ retort was not nice, and Diryas was taken aback despite himself. He maintained a gaze with Tobias.
He looked away first.
“If he went out of his way to make sure Zeb didn’t ******** die, the least we can do is not murder him in cold blood.” Tobias, again, turned his gaze on both Diryas and Promethei. “We can get him cleaned up and watch over him if you’re so sure he’s going to run off.”
“Agents can just teleport,” came Diryas’ dry retort. “We can’t hold him. He’s too dangerous.”
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:34 am
That was unusually harsh for one of the softest men he had the pleasure of knowing. His eyes widened minutely, but he said nothing of it, letting his husband field that one–
Well, mostly.
“Do love him,” he murmured, under his breath. And perhaps that was the problem. This would be easier if he could entirely pretend that emotional attachment wasn’t there, even if he had immediately jumped to that being his former partner. Because they still were, still had been, and then Elliot ******** betrayed him.
And protected him to make sure he didn’t ******** die, but, his voice rose in protest– “Not sure death was the desired path, considering it sounds like his superior ******** wants me.” Him, as a ******** mindless lieutenant, gutted of everything he ******** was and left to serve the soul-snatchers. As much as he wasn’t a goody two shoes like Tobias, he knew that was ********. “Guess I’d be as good as dead anyway.”
But protesting minor pieces and being pedantic wasn’t getting them anywhere.
Diryas was right, Elliot could just teleport. Or, at least… “Well, he can’t teleport right now. He’s not in that Captain Betrayalite garb.” That garb. “Wish there was some way to restrict his ability to power up too, but if he stays in this form we’re at least safer.”
Promethei bit down on his lip.
“That energy draining can work fast and then you’re defenseless. Can’t pull that like this.”
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:35 am
“He’s not going to. Look at him!” Tobias gestured to Elliot’s half-lucid form. “Hell, we need to take him to the ER! Tell them something, anything. Dise, you stay home, because your knuckles are going to give you away. He probably has a ******** concussion!”
“He did enough work under Chaos to get a promotion. You’ll have to forgive me for not ******** trusting him.” Bitterness sang in the tone of Diryas’ voice, strained as it was becoming. “Even if all he did was a support role, he supported people who do terrible things!”
“He came here for help!”
“He came here to clear his conscience! He’s just as responsible for the soul-stealing and murdering and corrupting as everyone who actually did it!” Diryas and Tobias were close, now, as they shouted each other down.
The choked, guttural noise from Elliot pulled them both back. Tobias had to take a wary half-step to the side to look down at Elliot, all the while not letting Diryas or Promethei out of his sight. Diryas, for his part, had a passionless expression as he looked past Tobias.
Elliot’s knees had drawn up to his chest, forehead resting on them as his shoulders jumped and shook in silent sobs punctuated only by his gasps for air.
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:35 am
Could he have really even come here for help when he didn’t know any of them were even aware of this world beyond in passing? Zebulon had told them all about that first time he had been drained, by that woman with the loud, wild hair, but then Elliot did that again himself and vanished like a ghost that only came by for the occasional hauntings before being properly banished–
The guttural noise stopped Promethei from raising his voice to protest that help wasn’t really a possibility, was it? The guttural noise earned no visible sympathy from Diryas but clearly had Tobias on alert–
What was he supposed to do with this s**t?
Elliot was crying, and a part of him wanted to go over and wrap him in a bear hug before murmuring some absolutely rancid s**t he knew would make Elliot laugh. The other part screamed to take advantage of the situation–Elliot had betrayed them–had betrayed all of them–had abided terrible actions–had made no move to stop them–had made no move to stop them all while professing some religious good–had gone to other clubs and taken advantage–had–had–
Promethei groaned, and it sounded like he had been pulled through a wringer to even grouse, “And now he’s ******** ******** hell.
Could he really stab a sobbing man–a sobbing husband–former or not–
Reluctantly, Promethei set the knife on the table nearby.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:37 am
It was Diryas who broke the pause. “I guess we assume he’s not faking it–”
“Of course he’s not ******** faking it!” Tobias’ stare turned onto Promethei as Elliot’s posture drew further in on itself. “Drop the guise. He’s not going to hurt any of us.”
“We can’t know that for sure.” Diryas frowned minutely. Tobias’ scowl in turn was much less subtle. “It’s a matter of life or death, Tobias. We can’t just assume he’s safe.”
“He could have killed us–or worse–at so many points before now. He could have corrupted any of us! At any point! And he just stayed away instead.”
“He should have left. He should never have been an agent in the first place, much less made it to Captain. That’s the part you’re not understanding, Tobias–he made it to–”
“I know he made it to Captain. You've made that abundantly clear.” Tobias crouched down next to Elliot. “But I don’t want to say goodbye to him, alright? Not if he’s purifying out.”
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:37 am
Was he capable of corrupting them himself, or did he need some alien-made machine or a higher up to do that? Promethei didn’t know, and it was part of what kept him on edge beyond the whole … Negaverse … everything.
Promethei grumbled under his breath. It was not kind.
He didn’t want to let go of this form. Like this, he felt safer. Like this, he could protect Diryas and Tobias, even if Tobias didn’t think he needed it. Like this, he had a bullshit weapon or whatever it was, but he packed a better punch than he did as a civilian, and even as a civilian he could clean Elliot’s clock and he could give the lieutenant one on top of that–
But he was standing around in the three of their–four of their–three of their house, powered up and in no doubt signaling to any fellow powered people that there was at least one inside. And if one of those ******** was Negaverse–
Promethei slammed his fist into the table for a satisfying–to him–rattle before he dropped the guise and swapped back to the doctor of chemistry that he was.
“Fine.”
But now what.
“What are we doing with him until he purifies that lets us keep an eye on him?”
Perhaps a more generous way to word that would be to keep him safe until he left, or to make sure no one was coming after him to drag him back. Zebulon, though, was still on edge and suspicious after someone so close to him had betrayed him in such a way. A deep trust of years had been damaged and wounded. Zebulon wanted a way to keep an eye on him to ensure he could do no more harm.
No more harm to him, to Diryas, to their community, to Tobias who so stubbornly believed him from the start – all of them.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:37 am
Diryas looked Elliot over. Elliot’s ragged noises had petered out, now instead resting his forehead into his clasped hands, intertwined fingers obscuring his eyes.
Breathing.
It would be easy. Power back up briefly, just long enough to have the bit of extra strength that would let Imhotep land the kind of blow Diryas couldn’t. The kind of blow that would be a mercy compared to what Elliot was capable of doing to any of them. To Tobias, especially.
Just breathing.
Tobias’ eyes met Diryas’, anger and frustration and defiance in the honey gold looking back at him. He could power back up briefly, just long enough to have the bit of extra strength that would let Imhotep land the kind of blow Diryas couldn’t. The kind of blow that would drive Tobias away. Probably forever.
He was just breathing.
The tension in the room curled itself around Diryas’ stomach and squeezed. He was able to picture it, powering up and using that bit of extra strength to land the kind of blow Imhotep could and Diryas couldn’t, the kind of blow that would end their problems and birth new ones.
The kind of blow that would leave them with blood and a body they couldn’t explain.
The kind of blow that would leave them with a hole blasted through the four of them that they couldn’t repair.
He was just… breathing.
And Diryas realised then that he was breathing in sync with Elliot and felt all of the fight drain out of him in that moment. He visibly sagged, the fire wicking away from his eyes and leaving them exhausted and sunken instead.
“Fine. ******** it. Fine.”
Tobias’s eyes narrowed and Diryas looked away from him, suddenly ashamed of his willingness a moment ago to kill. That he still felt justified didn’t help resolve it at all. “Do you mean it?”
Diryas rubbed his temples with the forefinger and thumb of one hand, tucking his arms close. “Yeah. Fine. I mean it. But we still need to keep him somewhere until we figure out how to get him out. Somewhere without a window for anyone to come in, or him to leave.”
And if he teleported out, then all bets were off and that would tell Diryas where Elliot’s loyalties actually lay, and then maybe the gnawing in Diryas’ gut would go away–
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:37 am
Did Diryas mean it?
Zebulon knew that Diryas didn’t lie, especially not to them. If Diryas of all people meant it, perhaps he should let it go. Diryas was stubborn. Diryas did not let go easily, and defended those he cared about with a passion Zebulon both envied and admired.
Did Zebulon mean it?
Did he mean it in turn, like his husband? Did he mean that he would let Elliot be, that he wouldn’t give into the deep burning urge to retrieve the knife from the table and make sure this wouldn’t turn into an ultimate betrayal after all things? Did he trust all of this enough to leave it alone?
Tobias had been ready to bodily shove both of them away from Elliot. Tobias believed him.
Diryas seemed to well enough to relent.
Zebulon’s sigh was shaky as he shoved aside a mess of emotions he would need to work through later, starting with his feelings on Elliot in general. Could his love toward the other be restored to its original state after all of this? Perhaps he could use the time while Elliot sat in a no-windowed room to figure that s**t out. Did they even have one of those, though? Building codes came with their own sorts of rules, and not many rooms were permitted to be windowless.
There was the closet.
… Wait.
“Bathroom.”
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:38 am
Tobias’ first instinct was to protest, but it died on his lips as surely as it came. It was just the bathroom. They had two of them. It was someplace secure. Safe.
“Whatever. But,” he interjected immediately as Diryas moved toward Elliot, “I’ll take him.”
Diryas just sighed and waved Tobias on.
Tobias crouched in front of Elliot, gently prying Elliot’s hands away from his face, slowly–insistently–pulling Elliot close enough to him to move. For a moment, he was worried that Elliot wouldn’t stand under his own power when Tobias tried to get them both to their feet.
He played tennis. He didn’t lift weights.
But, to his relief, Elliot came with him after a brief hesitation. Of the two bathrooms, the main suite bathroom did have a window. So to the ‘guest’ bathroom they went. Once there, he swatted the toilet lid closed with one hand and sat Elliot down.
Cool water ran over a washcloth that he handed to Elliot, who took it robotically and just… stared at it. Now, without the other two ready to jump to violence, Tobias let himself relax enough to let out a long sigh and brush some dislodged curls out of his face with the heel of one palm. “Look, just… wash your face. Okay? You look sad as s**t.”
Elliot didn’t move for a second, then began to absently wipe at his face with the washcloth.
Good enough.
Tobias watched him for a few seconds, then turned to crane his neck to look down the hallway outside the bathroom door. He could see their bedroom light on, now. Could hear the sounds of getting ready for bed. Someone was in the main bathroom running the sink.
It sounded… normal. Normal, except maybe for its silence. No banter, no flirting.
Tobias looked back to Elliot. He was back to looking off into nothing.
He was still there, looking off into nothing, when Tobias returned with a blanket and a pillow from the bed. That got a whuff of air, a puff of curls to get them back out of his eyes, Tobias leaning against the doorframe and watching Elliot as the blanket slipped partially to skim his legs and pool at his feet. And there he stayed for a moment or two before snapping out of it with a shake of his head.
“Here.” He tossed the pillow at Elliot, the impact to his chest taking Elliot a second to register. Once Elliot looked up at Tobias, the latter tossed the blanket to follow. “I’m not going to pretend that I’m not angry. You ******** up. You ******** up bad.”
“I know.”
“Good.” Tobias turned to leave, pausing to look over his shoulder. “...Hey, sad sack.”
Elliot looked up at him.
“I still love you.”
The door clicked shut. A moment later, there was the sound of something pushed up against the doorknob.
A moment after that, the sound of something heavy being pushed in front of the door itself.
Tobias took a moment to inspect his efforts. Then, exhaustion setting in and setting in hard, he moved for the already-dark bedroom. He stood at the foot of the bed, looking over Diryas and Zebulon where they were. Asleep or not, he didn’t know. Probably.
He went to sleep on the sofa instead.
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:38 am
And as the other two finally fell asleep, Zebulon stood. He walked to that blockaded bathroom, gathered his legs to his chest, and watched. [ fin ]
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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