clockmaster | [RL With Zechs- Noah'splot]

Loud music had been coming from the apartment behind the door - French opera, it seemed. It abruptly cut off after Hakuba knocked, followed quickly by Zechs opening the door.

The man was also wearing a poker face. His hair was immaculate, his clothes were clean and pristine, and his face was utterly calm. The only way one could tell he had not slept the night before was the dark circles beneath his eyes. Just as the only way one could tell he had been drinking heavily since the same night was the slight scent of whiskey around him.

"Detective. Do come in," Zechs said, his voice stiff and formal.

The apartment was completely clean, almost obsessively so. There was no sign of the bourbon he'd obviously been drinking.

Hakuba looked around the room with interest, he was used to analyze things around him automatically because it was needed to solve cases, but this time he did it for different reasons. He wondered if Zechs has OCD or it was just because of the nerves. He wondered if he always drink when he was anxious too, that was never a good combination.

The detective turned back to look at Zechs. Always disturbed him a bit that he was taller than he was.

"You said that wanted to see me because I have skills that you may need. What is it about?"

Under ordinary circumstances, Zechs would have noticed Hakuba's careful analysis of his apartment and his own appearance. But the circumstances were not ordinary. While he walked in a straight line and was speaking coherently, the man was actually rather intoxicated. Perhaps it was a good thing the boy hadn't brought his car. Zechs wouldn't have been able to drive it.

Businesslike and professional, as if Hakuba didn't check up on him because he was worried - even when drunk that was obvious to him - Zechs nodded and gestured to a chair.

"Before I would tell you, I would need to secure from you a promise."

His gaze was cold, and absolutely serious. "You will not speak of this conversation to anyone. Nor of the favor I ask of you."

"You know better than anyone that my life goes around secrets, Zechs. You know the quote What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Fine then, you apartment is las Vegas now. No one will discover, unless Rufus has some sort of video system that you don't know...that wouldn't surprise me."

Hakuba was still holding Elphaba's broom, and unlike the others time when he used it, the broom was strangely calm, waiting. Hakuba thought that the object was feeling the tension too. He let it go, and the broom flew to a corner, hanging on a wall.

"It has a character." Hakuba informed Zechs, and sat on the chair. "I'm listening."

"Vegas," Zechs repeated, his tone somewhat disbelieving. But he nodded anyhow in agreement. "I trust you to keep my secrets, Hakuba. And rest assured, I have swept the apartment for audio and video monitoring devices. Our conversation is, in fact, private."

Zechs glared at the broom when it moved, but dismissed it easily. It was hard to focus on any particular thing for him, all save for the plan he had in his mind. And that plan was very clear. Not wanting to betray his drunken state, Zechs sat down in a chair within the living room, and gestured for Hakuba to do the same. It was becoming difficult to stand without swaying.

"I need you to hack into some very heavily protected and encrypted security and retrieve a computer program," Zechs said, his voice calm and cold.

"It is not illegal on my world, but the weapon it is commonly associated with - a mobile suit - is. I am not using the weapon, nor do I posses the weapon, nor do I even need the weapon. I simply need the computer program."

"Can you retrieve it?"

"I will not know until I try to hack the program itself." Hakuba narrowed his eyes at Zechs, he was good at hiding his intoxicated state, but not that good.

"A a mobile suit...Like Tallgeese?" Hakuba crossed his arms over his chest. "Tell me why you want the program and what can do."

Zechs nodded, but also tensed. His hands clenched upon his knees for a moment, then released. A very brief shadow had passed over his face, some memory, before his expression was calm again.

"I do not want it for the Tallgeese. Or any other weapon. Such is why it is valued on my world, and why it is guarded, but it is not the reason I wish it," he answered, speaking very calmly. Emotionless. Masklike.

He didn't want to lie to Hakuba. So far, he hadn't. And he wanted to keep it that way. Very slowly, he said, "Your program, Doyle, gathers information, does it not? This does much the same, save for the method of communicating the information. This program - the ZERO system - gives the user the information it gathers directly, instantaneously."

Hakuba tried to relax on his seat, he was being defensive and that wasn't helping any of them. Zechs was acting strange, but he was making efforts to control himself too, and Hakuba couldn't blame him for being disturbed.

"Doyle can be a bit more complicated that that, but yes, that's more or less what he do. Instantaneous information? Like...being connected to the program? I already heard from a similar technology with that EVA pilots from the comm but...You want me to hack a program for you and synchronize yourselft with it?"

Zechs was acting considerably less strange than he could have been. He was making a concerted effort to seem completely calm and normal, to the point he appeared emotionless and cold instead. In truth, he was quite drunk, and worried, and rather depressed. He was also, at this moment, just a little insane.

"The ZERO is also a little more complicated than that," Zechs admitted in a wry tone. "However, yes, the user is connected to the program. One could see why it would be useful in conjunction with a weapon."

"I will be able to build myself the hardware necessary to communicate with the ZERO system. I merely need you to retrieve the program."

As Zechs spoke, he was not exactly looking at Hakuba, or anything, for that matter. His focus was on something else - perhaps something only he was really aware of.

"If it's not me you will ask again until you find someone else to do it, right?" Hakuba frowned slightly. Useful in conjunction with a weapon...More like a disaster if mixed with a person, he thought. Developing and A.I. was something, letting a machine in your head was another very different. Zechs was worrying him, that bad sensation on the fond of his stomach was growing as the time passed. The other man was not even looking at him while talking, like if Zechs himself was not totally there.

Hakuba had enough, he stood up, come closer to him, and pout a hand on his shoulder in a friendly way. He tried to look the less threatening as it was possible.

"Zechs..." Hakuba squeezed his shoulder.

"Correct," Zechs acknowledged. His mind was going over plans. Possibilities. Things which he would be able to do once he finally had use of the ZERO system again. However, he did add, "But you, Hakuba, are the person I would trust the most with such a task."

This entire incident was making him feel helpless. He now knew because of Debitt that Tyki lived, and was sane - but little else. Where was he? Why hadn't he returned? With too little sleep and too much alcohol, Zechs wasn't making the best decisions. He couldn't take matters into his own hands by finding Tyki on the Ark. Fine. He could take matters into his own hands by building the ZERO system and figuring out what to do.

When Hakuba touched his shoulder, Zechs tensed and reached inside of his jacket, clearly holding onto a gun, but did not pull it out. His eyes were wild. For a moment, his calm mask was gone; all of that hidden emotion of depression and madness was there.

Before Zechs was completely calm again. Hands out of his coat, empty, he gently took Hakuba's hand away. "Please. Forgive me. What is it, Detective?"

The effect was instantaneous. Hakuba found himself looking down at a pair of icy blue eyes glaring at him in shock as Zechs's expression filled with horror. For a moment, he was expecting to find himself looking up at the barrel of a gun, but it didn't happened.Between one second and the next, the shadow of madness was gone, but the detective saw the emotions that the blank mas was been hiding.

Hakuba felt like hitting his head against the wall. Damn.

Damn it all.

Damn the war, and the exorcist, and the Noah.

"I should apologize.I usually don't touch people if they don't want me too." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, smoothing down the tussled strands.

"I should apologize.I usually don't touch people if they don't want me to." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, smoothing down the tussled strands. With all the tension, the sorrow and the lack of sleep Zechs was probably on the edge. Trying to convince him to change his mind about Zero when he was like this would be unproductive. Hakuba choose another option then.

"I will help you with the Zero program." Hakuba informed him, an idea already forming on his mind. "I will need a computer and a lot of coffee, for both, because I will need your assistance, Zechs."

Hakuba gave him a soft smile, and pointed to the kitchen. "I will do the coffee, please can you take care of the computer?"The younger man didn't waited for and answer and desapeared in the kitchen.

"There is no need for you to apologize," Zechs replied automatically, almost mechanically. He blinked slowly, cursing himself within. He must have slipped somehow, and he couldn't afford to. There was nothing to be done for it, however, and Zechs nodded as the boy left. He didn't suspect the Detective was plotting something - a matter which proved he wasn't thinking clearly.

With Hakuba out of the room, he shuddered, and allowed his masks to drop again. Warily, he got to his feet, entered the bedroom - here was the bottle of bourbon, and several shattered glasses, and other broken items he had destroyed in his anger - and began retrieving the computer equipment. He was very careful to leave the door shut when he wasn't actively walking through it. He didn't want Hakuba to see what was in the room.

Eventually, Zechs would want to move the computer out here anyhow, he mused. There wasn't any reason he wanted to sleep in the large bed alone. The couch would do, if he did ever decide to sleep. So far he hadn't.

As Zechs set up the computer, he listened for noises of Hakuba in the kitchen. Distantly, some part of him was a little concerned he might need assistance in finding things.

On the meantime, Hakuba finally managed to found all that he needed. he was a bit confused at first, but kitchen were kitchens, and no matter what world you're in there's some things that never change.

He wished that Zechs trust him a bit more, at least enough to talk about Tyki's missing and what was he thinking. Maybe on the morning, when he was thinking clearly.

With one hand he reached into his jacket pocket and took out Akako's potion. It usually works faster with tea, but caffeine will do the trick too. It had magical properties, It will make Zechs feel better and help to calm him down. It wasn't exactly like a sedative, and certainly it didn't have the same contraindications, but it would make a person sleep.

He returned to the living rooms moments later with two steaming cups of coffee on his hands.

When Hakuba returned, Zechs seemed utterly calm again. The computer had been set up upon the coffee table in the living room, and was set before the chair Hakuba had been sitting in. Zechs was holding a small glass of amber liquid that he was nursing slowly. His eyebrows raised at the sight of two coffee mugs, but didn't say anything about it.

Zechs trusted Hakuba more than most people he could name. He told him about Tallgeese, he had let the man into his home, and he didn't mind that he knew of his relationship with Tyki. But trust was a very rare commodity for the man. Part of him was still suspicious - still waiting for Hakuba to trick or deceive him somehow. It was nothing against the Detective. He would think that with just about anyone.

Also, Zechs was feeling extremely vulnerable right now. Weak. Helpless. Those weren't things he was about to advertise.

"Do you require anything further?" Zechs asked, businesslike and professional once again.

"That will be enough, thanks." Hakuba nearly frowned when he noticed the glass in Zechs's hands, but he controlled himself enough. "Now I just need some information about were to start."

Hakuba sat in front of the computer, blowing on the cup lightly so it wasn't too hot. He took a sip of his own drink and let the other on the table, near to Zechs. "If you feel sleepy, that will help."

He said, masquerading his real intentions, his fingers already running over the keyboard in fast movements as he connected to Doyle's interface. The A.I. will help him with the access to the net he had to hack, and he could order Doyle to analyze the risks of the programs and block it using the binary code without Zechs noticing.

"I talked to Allen Walker."

Zechs sat down, near the offered coffee, but didn't take it. He raised an eyebrow at Hakuba. "I am not tired in the least, yet I thank you. However, how would a caffeinated beverage be conductive towards sleep?"

He wasn't experienced with programming or software, beyond knowing how to use it for tasks he was familiar with. But if the ZERO system changed, Zechs would be able to tell. He was far too intimately familiar with the program and its effects to be fooled. Yet on its surface, the ZERO system appeared to be quite benign. It was easy to underestimate the effects it could have on a person's mind. How easily a human could be driven insane by it.

"Indeed? I had managed to converse with the Noah, Debitt, before you had arrived."

Zechs' face tensed. He wanted to avoid this subject. If they didn't, he might become sick from worry. "Mikk is alive, and apparently sane, in Debitt's time. I have gathered that is a few months into the man's future. Yet it was not prudent for me to gather more information from that source. Not without arousing suspicion."

"That can took some time, it's normal to feel tired after 7 hours. and no, the coffee is supposed to help you against the sleep." Hakuba gazed at Zechs's drink. "Better than that for sure." He quickly turned back to face the computer again, Doyle's interface showing up.

"I saw that. But I didn't wanted to talk to the others Noahs. Tyki let me know how dangerous they are, and they didn't looked exactly friendly to me. I tried to know as much as them as I can, but avoiding to ask them personally. Sometimes, regain information is more easy than people thought. You just need to know what to ask and who ask the correct questions. "Hakuba tone was empty of any arrogance, he was just stating a fact.

"It's like when princess Azula was missing..I asked the woman who tried to kill her directly and he told me where the princess was." Hakuba saw Zechs's tense features reflexed on the computer and looked apologetic at him."Allen said that Tyki was defeated, but not dead, it means that he's probably with his master Millennium Earl. If that's true, you can be sure that he's alright." At least when it comes to his body, he added mentally.

Considering the coffee more favorably now, Zechs nodded slowly. He definitely wasn't thinking clearly. Of course coffee was to keep a person awake. However, being more awake might mean he'd have to feel things more immediately. And the bourbon he was drinking now was wrapping his brain in a soft blanket of apathy. He was hesitant to leave it.

Zechs did not cringe when Hakuba mentioned Tyki by name. He was very worried. He wanted to do something now. He felt so helpless. Hakuba's arrogance was accepted as fact, however. Zechs trusted he had the abilities and instincts necessary to be a detective. And he himself was used to fishing for information in order to get the correct facts. Even from enemies.

Especially from enemies. Zechs was very good at getting information from dangerous people. But he wasn't in the mood to boast.

"Physically all right," Zechs growled, unintentionally echoing Hakuba's thoughts. "But not immediately. It likely would take Mikk some time to recover. Else, why has he not contacted any of us?"

"Since I can't be sure of his actual mental state, I can't tell you for sure about it. You know that I don't like to take fast judgments."

Hakuba's fingers stopped and he was silent for a moment, his own thoughts beating his mind. He didn't wanted to think about that. Too many possibilities, too many ways to commit a mistake. Doyle was trying to tell him something, and that made him go back reality. He took out his cellphone and pushed some buttons before to left it on the table and. "Doyle, I want you to find all the information you could about the ZERO system, please."

"yes Saguru-niichan." A masculine, yet still juvenile, voice replied.

While the program worked alone, he faced Zechs again, looking at his eyes. No wonder people called him a cold heartless bastard, he always left his feeling behind when it was needed. It helped him to cope with situations like this.

"You talked to Tyki’s family. Bad thing. It caught their attention. Even worse thing. it just a matter of time until they find out what do you mean to Tyki, or worse, the exorcist find out about it. Ones will try to kills you and the others, if they don't try to exterminate you too, will want to use you against him." Hakuba unclenched his hands, he didn't realized that he was being so tense. "That's why i want to ask you not to do anything until we know for sure about Tykis's fate."

"Debitt has told me he is sane," Zechs said, his voice strained with worry despite his best efforts. Even he could only keep up his heartless mask for so long. "But we cannot know anything further. Not until I have more information."

That was the purpose of ZERO, after all. Zechs was also considered to be a heartless bastard as well. During the war, he had betrayed his allies and committed treason against his own military for higher ideals. He held his own sister under guard - for her own safety, but under duress - and was willing and able to kill his closest two friends. Few people who knew him well on his world actually liked the man.

"Debitt assumes I am like any of the Noah's other friends. He is known for having human associates. They will not discover there is a deeper connection." Zechs' tone was becoming more stained. He knew he had acted in haste. And he didn't want to place Tyki in jeopardy. But he didn't know what else could be done. And he couldn't simply do nothing.

"The Exorcists already know Mikk and I are ... close, unfortunately. At Mrs. Bella Cullens' wedding, the ..." Zechs was finding it difficult to speak. His hands clenched his knees. "... the large reason Mikk left at all, not fighting the Exorcists further, was because he ... feared for my safety."

Zechs' face was still calm, unnaturally so. But his eyes were shut, concentrating on maintaining that demeanor.

"I'm not totally sure about what happened on Miss Bella's wedding. I just know that it was bad, and since I know that Cross was a friend of her. I'm right If I assume that he was on the weeding as well? Noah's and Exorcists... recipe for trouble."

The blonde boy listened to Zechs words, he sounded like a man older than his real age. Hakuba felt his own facade cracking slightly.

"I can't see how a program like ZERO can help you in that..." Hakuba murmured softly, looking sad, and sighed. "..but I will do all I can to help."

Hakuba cleared his throat and looked away, glad to have the computer to work with instead of looking at Zechs. He knew that sometimes one put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.

He sank down into the chair at the same time multiple browser window popped up on the computer screen.

"Two of the Noah were invited - Debitt and Jasdero - and the Exorcists Allen, General Cross, General Klaud, and Kanda were also invited. Ty-" Zechs stopped, clenched his knee harder, then calmed. "Mikk decided to attend because he was worried his cousins may be attacked and killed. When the twin Noah attacked the Exorcists, Mikk joined. Events progressed predictably from there."

This was very hard. The more Zechs talked about this, the more that he was reminded why he was so worried. He had been coping before because he was concentrating on a plan of action. This was focusing on the man he was trying to help, which made him emotional. Zechs realized now that Tyki must have ... loved him even then. He swallowed.

"ZERO will be a tool I can use. Right now, there are too many variables and possibilities for us to judge what the correct course of action is. With the ZERO, I will be able to see all the correct paths and possibilities. Such is advanced usage of the machine, which I have previously mastered." Zechs' voice was full of his own arrogance, and just a hint of that underlying madness. "Currently, I have no ... ability, to assist anyone. The ZERO system will change that."

Zechs was just on the edge of breaking down, but was holding onto his calm facade by a thread. He wasn't putting up his walls to keep Hakuba out. Nor was he trying to call for attention, to see if anyone cared enough to see beneath them.

He was trying to protect the boy from what lay within. One hand held his glass tightly. Zechs drank more deeply from it, the bourbon not managing to sooth him any longer. Indeed, he looked and sounded like a man far older than twenty-three.

Hakuba’s face was concentrate while Zechs explained him the wedding’s events, but he smiled slightly when the older man talked about his capacities. There, there, Zechs was sounding a bit crazy too, but the strong character of a soldier was still there too.

He was refusing to call Tyki by his name. It bothered Hakuba a lot, but he tried not to pay attention to it for now, noticing that Zechs control was in tin ice. He really wished that Zechs choose the coffee instead of the tea. Oh well, the night was going to be long.

Doyle's voice interrupted them, it was probably keeping an ear on them, Hakuba thought.

"Master Hakuba, I'm nearly done." The detective looked at the screen, where more windows opened and closed by themselves,data scrolling by faster than Hakuba could track. He closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair, half afraid of what the answers were going to be.

"Found him." Windows closed as Doyle show him a long file indicating the security system of the ZERO program. Hakuba frown in annoyance. That was going to be a hell to hack and he will need to use Doyle to create some problems in another interfaces to cause a distraction while he was working. Doyle was a master hacker, but Hakuba wasn't particularly enthralled with the idea of the A.I. breaking the law, even if Zechs told him that this wasn't illegal on his world. Doyle was quite happy to stay out of everyone's radar, thank you very much. That means that Hakuba will do most of the hard work.

Hakuba incorporated a bit in the seat and started to work, his fingers moving quickly over the keyboard.

"It's going to take me hours just to go trough the first walls of the system. Can you do me a favor? I like to work while I'm hearing something....Tell me a good memory of yours, Zechs."

Referring to his lover by his last name - something Zechs had almost never done, in the past - distanced himself from what was going on, emotionally. If he called Tyki 'Mikk' instead, then it was almost as if he was talking about someone else. It was his own method of coping. It wasn't working very well.

Absently, he glanced at the computer when the program Doyle claimed it had found the security system. Zechs also noticed the look of annoyance on Hakuba's face. Whatever security was around the ZERO system, he guessed Heero Yuy himself might have written it. Which would mean it would be almost, but not quite, completely uncrackable. But Hakuba didn't say it was impossible. He just claimed it would take a while.

Zechs' smile was wry. He finished off his glass of bourbon, then frowned at it. Did he get another? Perhaps it was time for coffee instead. He wanted to remain awake for this. For now, however, he didn't touch the mug.

"A good memory?" Most of his good memories, of late, were rather painful instead in present context. Zechs thought further back. "Do you know why I was known as the Lightning Baron?"

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I need to dissappear again for a bit, be back in 2 hours >_> sorry

It's okay dearie. <3 I'll be here!

I'm back baby! :D

*dances* *gives you cookies*

dances gives you cookies