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Managing to make his way across the living room, his legs agonizingly painful, the blond grit his teeth as he headed for the kitchen. The stitches in the backs of his legs were fresh and the injuries hurt. His body was sore, his legs were burning with pain, and all for nothing. They hadn’t managed to corrupt that knight, not that he was upset over the loss. Alexandre was upset with the injuries he had taken, as well as members of his team, all for nothing. That was what annoyed him the most.

Grabbing the chair in his kitchen to balance himself, and take some of the weight from his legs, he pushed off after a few moments and made for the fridge so he could try and find food. He was hungry and didn’t want to go ordering take out or begging someone to make food for him - he was an adult.

The night before had been...hectic but he’d been glad to see his team members all alive and as well as could be. Some were injured, it happened, but nothing life threatening and his cousin hadn’t even been involved so he was safe. It would have been good experience, he knew it, but he was also glad his cousin hadn’t been involved. He wanted to train his cousin more...make sure he was more prepared - he was family.

Hanging onto the door of the refrigerator the ashen blonds eyes peered into the fridge as he tried to find something - anything which interested his appetite...nothing - damn. Nothing premade, no left overs, were interesting. He was going to have to stand up and moving about the kitchen and cook. Oh well, he’d done it before and with worse injuries...time to just suck it up and get to making a late breakfast/early lunch.


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It had been, and still was, hard to see his little cousin hurt. Hux had tried to make sure that Alexandre was comfortable earlier when he was relaxing but that had been a while so he was planning on checking up on the other blond to see if he needed anything. When he checked the younger man’s room only to find him missing he frowned in worry then set out to find his wayward cousin.

It didn’t take him long to find the short man in the kitchen hanging onto the refrigerator door and it didn’t take a genius to figure out just what Alex wanted. Hux quickly moved over to his cousin and he slipped a hand under one of his shoulders to help support him. “You shouldn’t be up yet.” He said before he touched him so he wouldn’t surprise Alex if he hadn’t noticed that Hux had walked into the kitchen. “Sit down and I can get you what you need.”


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Pouting up at his cousin, he was in fact capable of such things, the blond stared for a moment before relenting. He doubted he’d win against his elder cousin on this subject. He was hurt, he knew it, and Hux was a rather over protective sort. There was no way he’d win.

“Fine...I didn’t want to bother anyone for help with getting something to eat.” And he hadn’t wanted to order take out, he tried to eat healthy. Given what he did at night there was a very big reason why. He needed to keep in shape, hence the morning runs as well, it was all in order to do his best as an agent of the Negaverse.

“I’m just glad you weren’t there last night.” Speaking softly as his cousin helped him into a chair at the small, round, kitchen table.


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“It’s no bother Alex, you need to stay off your legs and I don’t mind helping.” Hux said as he helped him to sit down. When Alexandre was sitting he gave him a once over to make sure he wasn’t in a lot of pain. “I almost wish I was so I could have helped but at the same time I know I wouldn’t have been able to do much and probably would have gotten hurt myself.” He admitted then reached over and carefully ruffled his cousin’s hair.

“Do you need any pain medicine? And do you have any preference to what you want to eat or drink?” He asked, moving back over to the fridge to open it up and check the drinks as well as what all they had on hand that he could use to make a meal.

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“I know, and you know. You also know I’m not likely to stay off my legs.” Even though he really should. He wasn’t about to, he had things to do and staying laid up in bed, or on a couch, wasn’t his sort of thing. “I know you do. But while you're strong like this.” Gesturing to him as he was - a civilian. “Especially compared to me.” Even though he ran and he knew how to fight, and he went to the gym, he knew his elder cousin had him beat in strength.

“When we’re like that...I’m the stronger. There were a lot of people equal to me there - on the other side. I’d have spent most of the night worried about you and keeping you safe - you wouldn’t have gotten hurt. I’d have killed anyone who tried.” And he was dead serious about that, his voice and his eyes both said as much He hadn’t really talked to his elder cousin about certain aspects of this war. Fighting - yes...but he tried to keep him from knowing how bad it was or had been in the past. He didn’t want his cousin knowing he’d killed...didn’t want Hux to see him in a bad light - in a different light.

“Something light for food and no pain killers. They either don’t work or they give me vertigo. Not much in between honestly.” The strong ones you got from a doctor's prescription gave him vertigo, really bad vertigo, and the over the counter ones took a few pills to do much, he’d likely built up a bit of a tolerance over time to them; and he said as much without giving his words much thought as he didn’t much care to hide this fact.


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Hux gave his little cousin an unimpressed look though he did reluctantly give a nod in agreement. It was very unlikely that Alex would stay off his legs, though maybe if he got Katya to help… Something to think on later anyway. “Even like this I’m only moderately strong thanks to genes instead of actually training, you got the short end of the stick.” He kept his tone light as he gave another nod. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to worry about me like that when you were taking so much damage.” He paused a bit at the word ‘kill’ though, trying to decide if his cousin actually meant it or not.

Between his body language and his tone, Hux was leaning towards yes and that… that was a rather frightening thought. “No need to kill on my account, in fact I would prefer against it.” He said with a strained smile before turning back to the task of fixing his cousin something to eat. “What about anything natural? Like how Feverfew can help with headaches, is there anything you know of that could help?” The only reason he knew about Feverfew and some other things like it was because of his mother to be honest.


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“Indeed, though I have some training on my side. I took to running after I joined the Negaverse.” Something he’d never done previously. He’d done the bare minimum in gym, even after joining he’d kept it to that, but he’d taken up running due to the need for stamina needed for a fight and even just for patrols. “Everyone else in our family seems to have gotten better genetics when it comes to size and strength.” Not that he minded, he was used to it and accepted it.

“I’ve taken worse damage, trust me. I can handle this.” So long as he wasn’t confined to a bed or a couch, that was torture. He’d dealt with that before and really hadn’t enjoyed it, he might even go as far as to say that was worse than the injuries.

Raising a brow at his cousin he smiled lightly. “I’d kill whether it was to keep you safe or just because the person was on the other side.” Shrugging a bit. For him killing wasn’t such a hard thing. He didn’t kill innocent people, that was one thing he would try and avoid at all cost, but killing a knight or a senshi...even a pimp or drug dealer - easy.

“I could...but I’m fine. I promise Hux. As I said - I’ve had worse and handled it. It goes hand in hand with all this.” Motioning in a vague sort of way. Settled down at the kitchen table he sat watching his cousin. “Feverfew though...have you been going through my books or what?”


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“You just got any speed genes to go with the shortness?” Hux suggested with a smile as he thought back to their other family and compared Alexandre to them in his mind. The smile dropped a bit as his cousin went on to say he had worse and the taller man eyed him. “You shouldn’t have been though. You shouldn’t have to get this hurt and say you are fine because you have had worse.” He said and shook his head with worry.

The worry deepened at the smile on his cousin’s face when talking about killing. “Tink, Alex, I don’t want you to kill to keep me safe. If I’m in danger of getting killed then pull me out of it instead of killing whoever or whatever it is.” Though he didn’t mind if a youma was ‘killed’ since he now knew they would just respawn back in the Negaverse. He paused in making the food to look harder at the shorter man. “You shouldn’t have to kill anyone.”

He shook his head at the question and gave a small shrug. “Mom occasionally gets headaches so she keeps a bottle of the stuff around. And I would still rather you take something if it could help.”


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“No, I had to - needed the stamina. Running had to become a thing. Remember, my parents live outside of the city. I had to get into the city for patrols.” Most of what happened did so inside the city, not in the areas around it that was all residential. That seemed to be mostly ignored, which was perhaps a good thing...he wasn’t sure honestly. He’d still dealt with a youma taking his energy while living at home...and his run in with some eternal senshi. Other than that though...everything was in the city itself.

“This is a war. I knew what I was getting into when I joined. I was told it was a war - I know what that implies. I was young...not stupid.” Shrugging a bit he took the time to cross his arms on the kitchen table and set his head onto his arms. Greyish blue eyes watching his elder cousin.

“You can’t really tell a killer not to kill. I’ve already soaked my hands in blood and I don’t mind. The first time, yes, but you get used to it. When it’s your life or theirs...a friend's life or theirs - you don’t care so much..” A soft smile and he buried his head between his arms for a moment before lifting his eyes back to his cousin's form. “If we let them live...they come back - another night...another fight. Letting them live means someone else, or yourself, gets hurt in the future. It means someone else may die due to them. I won’t let that happen - I also have enjoyed it a few times.” He’d genuinely enjoyed killing people, he wasn’t ashamed of it...not anymore. He would kill again, he’d done it in the past. He knew he’d do it again in the future.

The change in topics was perhaps good, he had a feeling the shock of finding out what he was capable of, had done and even enjoyed at times, would be a lot for his poor cousin. The giant of a teddy bear that was Hux.

“I wasn’t aware of that. It’s good to know at least.”


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Hux gave a hum in understanding, having forgotten that his cousin had started this war back when he was still living with his parents. It was just one more point in his thoughts that Alexandre was too young when he was dragged into the fighting. “I never said you were stupid, but I would put emphasis on that young you just mentioned.” No one should have to worry about these kinds of injuries or worse when they are young thank you very much and the fact that Alex was his cousin made it even worse.

He just about dropped the utensil he was holding when Alex mentioned he was a killer and did end up doing so when he said he enjoyed before. Hux swallowed then picked it back up before addressing his cousin. “Surely there can be a peaceful resolution somehow, some way to stop the killing on both sides. Just eradicating your enemies can not be the answer.” He didn’t even touch the idea that his baby cousin enjoyed killing.

He was equally as grateful to grasp onto the topic change as he finished up the first part of the food. “I’m not sure if she takes anything else for them or has any other natural things like it but she does have that.” A plate with a sandwich was passed over to Alex as Hux started on making some soup to go with it.


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“I’ll give you young...but did I ever act like a normal teenager?” Alexandre questioned in return. He knew he never had, he’d gone so far as to look down on others his own age and snub them - finding them immature. But his cousin was right, he had still been young. He had likely gone into things with more knowledge, and understanding, than most would at his age but still. He even knew he’d gone into it for some wrong reasons, or at least more questionable reasons, but they’d evolved over time as things like that were prone to doing.

“There isn’t, trust me. Both sides are equal in their sins...for the most part.” Managing a small shrug of his shoulders. “They’d kidnapped our people and tortured them - we’ve done the same. They’ve killed...so have we. Some of their people enjoy it, figure the only good Negaverse officer is a dead one. Some of us think the same about them. I’m not so harsh and against them. I’m willing to bring them to our side….but it’s that or death as far as I’m concerned at this point.” He was willing to assist members of Order in joining Chaos, he might even try and manipulate or talk knights or senshi into joining the negaverse. But if they didn’t...well he figured their death warrant was signed...just not dated.

“I have plenty of things in stock in the greenhouse - for various injuries. It helps to heal bruises faster and keep the risk of infection down. I know we have at least one doctor, or med student, in the Negaverse so we have supplies down in Negaspace.” Unknowingly liberated supplies, maybe some actually purchased, but they had supplies to handle severe injuries. It was hard to go to a normal hospital often and explain away the injuries. Some of them would surely gain unwanted attention and questions that were hard to answer, especially if something big had happened in the city that same night.

Thanking his cousin for the sandwich the blond picked it up and took the first bite. Setting it down as he chewed he kept his eyes on his elder cousin. “That’s a fairly new thing or I’d have used that when I was younger. I’m terrible at lying...and doing so when injured and under pressure...it makes bending the truth almost impossible.”


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“No, you didn’t but that still doesn’t mean you were a fully informed adult at the time with life experiences to back it up.” Hux said as memories of his little cousin through the years came to mind. He shook his head as he focused on what Alexandre was telling him next and frowned more. “Nothing, no negotiation, no treaty, absolutely nothing can be done?” War was war so he did understand that both sides were in the wrong when it came to certain actions they both took but just as well he couldn’t help but think there should be a way to end this war peacefully.

The frown briefly turned into a smile. “Well I’m glad that at least you and those back in the Negaspace are prepared for emergencies.” How fully prepared he had no clue but something was better than nothing. The smile fell again as his cousin mentioned getting injured when he was younger.


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“No, neither side is about to come to the table. I wouldn’t want that anyway in all honesty. I’d rather just remove them - simpler and less messy.” In a sense anyway. No treaties, no hoping the other side kept to their end of things. No policing and no end to this - to the power. He did want the war to end...he just wanted to be on the winning side of it. “I want the war to end, trust me on that. I just don’t want it due to a treaty or due to them winning.” He had no intentions of losing to the other side...or making a deal with them.

“We have to be prepared...the injuries we can - and have incurred are not always so simple. I’ve yet to use the services provided by our own but I will if need be, I’d rather that than a hospital. I’d be surprised if the other side doesn’t have some setup in place as well. As I said...hiding injuries and lying at hospitals is not easy - especially if it coincides with a big incident in the city. You’ve seen how this city can get, the holidays proved that well enough.”


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Hux just couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that Alex didn’t want to end the war with a treaty, though he could understand why he wouldn’t want the Order to win. “But it would save more lives to end in treaty rather than just killing them to make it stop.” Genocide did not sit well with him at all so the thought that his little cousin would rather that along with some possible conversions left his head spinning a bit.

He gave a nod as he pulled the soup off the stove from where he was warming it up then dished it out. “I have indeed seen what the city is like, though I suppose some incidents would be easier to lie about at the hospital then others.” Anytime lots of civilians were caught up in things it would be easy to slip into the wounded for example.


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“Ending it with a treaty means policing both sides, hostility - neither side would trust the other. It’s less safe. I’d rather end the way via us winning.” That way the fighting stopped and there would be no issues after that, no senshi or knights to challenge them. “:no more children woken to fight by the other sides cats. No more worries.” Shrugging. “It means things end and we can live.” Though he did still remember the future and what it had shown him. Would that still happen? Was that the end goal for their puppet master? He didn’t like that either even if it was without so many fights.

Shifting in his seat he sighed as he nibbled away at his sandwich till it was done. The soup was stared at, and even sniffed, for a moment. Taking a spoonful he tilted his head to his cousin. “The other side wouldn’t even abide by a treaty - at least not some of them. Some of them are as cold as we are. I saw one kicking bodies of younger officers...officers he’d shot and piled up like wood. They made a mockery of the dead bodies and abused them even in death. Some deserve to die more than others...and I’d enjoy being the lucky one to kill them.” Another mouthful of soup as he kept his eyes on his cousin.

He didn’t lie, he was terrible at it, but acting...separating one life from the other - that he was good at. Right now though it was easy to see what he could do...what he would and likely had done. He was a General for a reason - he had soaked his hands in blood and worked for it.


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“Are you so sure of there being no more fighting if the Order was gone? Because I’ve heard of those who defected from Chaos which means that there are still people who don’t agree with what we are doing.” Hux said and ran a hand down his face. “Yes not having to fight children is good but the fighting still wouldn’t stop if there were people in our own faction who could and would turn on us.” He on the other hand didn’t have any memories of the alternate future so he didn’t really know what it was like to see the world truly being under the Negaverse’s control.

The talk of what some of the so called Order had done made the taller blond frown. “I never said they didn’t have their problem people too. But if there was a treaty then surely something could be added in to deal with those types of people.” Honestly Hux wasn’t sure that Alexandre had room to talk seeing how he admitted to enjoy killing and hadn’t his cousin warned him about how crazy the one General who caused the hospital trouble because he was off his rocker? Each side had those who were willing to kill and each side had those who would gleefully do so. Though he did doubt he would ever find his cousin disrespecting a dead body so there was that at least.


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“And some of them join our side. It’s going to happen - defectors.” Shrugging a bit as he ate slowly. “And if we wipe out the other side there is no where for our would be traitors to go.” They would find them though, maybe easier than now, and they would remove them in a permanent manner. They’d just vanish. He didn’t mention this to his cousin, his cousin wasn’t...as accepting of how things were, not yet anyway. He hadn’t been exposed to this war like he had been - not yet anyway.

“No - they aren’t so organized...in fact they have no organization at all. They are a collective of people who are either senshi or knights - that’s it. Small groups...but no organization or leaders or anything. So no one to even form a treaty with much less anyone to enforce it or deal with their own out of line members.” If this was anyone but his cousin, or almost anyone else, he would not be having this talk. He would not be explaining things and being so...nicely and so slowly. He wouldn’t be wording things as he was. He would be as blunt as he wanted to be - flat out say he wanted to wipe out order and that the other side needed it!


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There was more that Hux wanted to ask about or to point out but really his head was spinning with all of the information as it was. Bad enough to find out that his little cousin liked killing but to find out that the only viable option in the war was to wipe one of the sides out just had him wanting to go back to his room and curl up on his bed. “And it’s not possible to just treaty with each little group since it would take too much time, there wasn’t enough trust for it, and too many things could go wrong with that plan.” He said rather then asked, running a hand over his face.


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“Exactly. Their side is disorganized with no real leaders amongst them. Loyalties shift like they would in a high school. It’s impossible.” Shrugging his shoulders as he stood and moved to embrace his cousin. He knew this was a lot for him - possibly too much. His cousin was a kinder person than he’d ever been, even before he’d joined the Negaverse. He had always had his nose in the air and looked down on people, still did to a point, he was the sort who could fit into this life best between the two.

He’d had no choice however in bringing his cousin in, he wasn’t going to let him become a knight - an enemy. He wouldn’t have a knight under his own roof...he wouldn’t fight, and couldn't kill, his own family. He’d done what he’d had to do. He just needed to work with it and help, ease, his cousin into things. He was going easier on him than he did with any other person he’d ever corrupted.

“It could be worse...and you always have me - you have me right here.” Whatever that meant, which could and likely was a lot. Hudson had his protection, had his knowledge and skill...had his experience. He had a lot by having Alexandre here at his side.

“I know this isn’t your cup of tea - I know you.” But he couldn’t let him become a knight. He did what he had to do. He didn’t regret it...he just had to go about this different from his usual.

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It was a right mess but Hux still have his cousin a small smile when Alex said that he did have him. “Thank you, I don’t think I could have handled being tossed into this without you here.” He tried not to think about how it was more then likely he would have been Order if it wasn’t for his cousin being there since he wasn’t sure what to think of that idea. Not only that but he would have been left floundering with trying to figure out everything on his own and probably would have ended up ignoring it if left to his own devices to be honest. “It really isn’t, you are right on that.”


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“I don’t think you could either.” He stated with a wicked smile in place. He meant it...but he was also teasing his cousin. “I don’t know what you’d do if I weren’t here.” Aside from being a knight anyway, that would have most certainly been a thing if not for him.

“It just means I handle you with special care and ease you into everything.” He said reaching up, having to get up on tiptoes, in order to ruffle the others blond hair. “You’re going to need to learn self defence for starters. And which members in the Negaverse to keep away from...like Obsidian. I really think he should be in a padded room...at least sometimes. Loyal he is...and capable, someone good in a fight. But also downright insane at times...not unlike some other members...but still - they have their uses. I just wonder about his lack of regard about some of us being caught in his little game.”


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Hux gave his short cousin an amused look then smoothed back the ruffled hair before he gave a sigh. “It’s probably best to learn self defence anyway even if I wasn’t part of this war so I agree with that and I certainly welcome any information on who to avoid.” He was more then happy staying away from that particular General after the hospital so Alex wouldn’t have to worry about him going anywhere near Obsidian willingly. “You would have thought that would have gotten him into some sort of trouble at least.”


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“Yeah, this city is dangerous for civilians as well. I’d have likely suggested it anyway.. I sort of improvise myself and don’t have any training in anything.” He just hit the gym and ran, both of which were obvious. Petite he was but toned he also was, he had to be. He’d been at this enough years that being a Negaverse officer alone would have provided a hell of a work out for him.

“No, he got enough energy gathered, more than likely, and struck out at the other side as well. That would have anything else overlooked. Plus we can handle ourselves...and it could be seen as training for us as well.” Shrugging his shoulders, he really was still sore and having gotten up on tiptoes had not been smart. He was seating himself again as he looked up to his cousin and motioned him to sit back down.

“Most of my team is stable...I mean aside from members who have more teasing, playful, personalities than there are none who are unstable. Calm personalities are a thing - as you saw..”


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“I would have thought you would have looked into self defence by now seeing how long you have been in this.” Hux said with a raised eyebrow. It was certainly a worry that Alex didn’t actually know how to fight beyond any self taught or hard learned moves. He nodded and sat down, understanding what Alex meant even if he didn’t like the thought that the General could get away scott free. “Yes, I’ve met at least some of your team and they seem nice enough over all.”


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“Most of them I brought in without planning to...similar to yourself. But they’ve all turned out well - for which I’m glad.” Leaning back in his seat he sighed and tilted his head back a bit. “I should have perhaps but I took to running every morning first, to build endurance, I later started hitting the gym and continue to do so. I asked another officer, who is a strongman, to help me for a while.” He’d done his best without learning self defence, he’d worked on building muscle and strength as he’d never had either thing. He had never been much for gym in school and had needed to make up for it.

“I should have perhaps done self defence, or something, but I honestly was over whelmed in the start. I had something of a breakdown with everything I piled onto myself. I had no time to fit things in. It’s why I moved out of my parents, Lily moved me out and moved me in with her to help. She’s clueless about this part of my life, has to be, but she knew I had a lot going on. I had school and this and a job as well.” He had been trying to get used to being in the Negaverse and that meant running and getting into fights and gathering energy and all.

“I was 16 - it was a lot.”


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While it was likely that he was going to suggest Alexandre to take the time to learn self defence with him, he wasn’t going to push for it just yet. Instead he scooted over so he could carefully give his cousin a hug. “I’m sorry you didn’t have anyone who was able to help you through this.” Hux said then pressed a kiss to Alex’s forehead. If nothing else he would be forever grateful he hadn’t been tossed in the deep end like his cousin had been.


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“It’s fine. I learned and got over it.” Though it still had it’s ups and it’s downs, especially when he was injured, it wasn’t as hard as it had once been. It had gotten easier, especially once he realized and accepted that anything was possible, and he meant it - anything was possible. It also helped, in his opinion, to have as many friends as he did and to have his own cousin now.

Staring up towards his forehead, almost going cross eyed in the process, he wrinkled his nose a bit. “I’m glad I have you now and I have other people now as well. That I can help others.” So they weren't like he’d been.

“If I have a hard time ever again I have people to lean on, especially at home now.” Smiling up at his cousin, a soft sort of pleased smile. “For which I’m glad. Now...you should get something to eat and we can put on a movie or something. We’ll figure out self defence tomorrow or later.”


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“I may not be happy with this entire mess but I’m glad to be able to support you and I promise that I’ll be here if and when you need help.” Hux said with a bright smile, shoving all of the nastier details away for now and instead focusing on the thought of being there for his cousin. “Will do, but first let’s get you out into the living room and comfortable hmm?” He asked then got up to do just that. The taller man was more then happy to go back to just relaxing and spending time with his cousin without the thoughts of doom and gloom.


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Shaking his head, a smile in place, he nodded his head then. He was glad to have the comfort his cousin could offer him. He hadn’t wanted to bring family into this whole thing but now that his cousin was involved he was sort of happy in a way. He would always worry for Hudson, how could he not? But it was someone who was family that he could talk to. Someone who knew him better than anyone else in his team...someone he’d grown up with.

“Mind helping me into the living room?” He asked after a moment's hesitation. It hurt walking and moving around, for obvious reasons, and while normally he wouldn’t ask for help...he would this time.

“You pick the movie.”