clockmaster | [RL with Zechs, Tyki and Rufus]

Current Mood: worried
Current Location: GaiaZechs's apartment (Gaia)
Current Music: No good deed (Wicked)

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[RL with Zechs, Tyki and Rufus]

Hakuba shivered, the weather wasn't any better now than when he left Gaia a few days ago. He nearly killed himself driving the iced road, he still needs more driving lessons. The detective couldn't use the flying broom, he gave it to that demon woman, Trish, anticipating that Elphaba would not mind. He imagined that the witch would symphatize with another woman who was being hunted like her, and, after all, the broom will fly back to it's original owner if something goes wrong. If not, he would just have to deal with another psychopathic friend.

The boy realy hoped that all was going well on the Ark...Tyki was really alive, and he remembered Zechs and the community. Such a relief. Hakuba was still worried and a bit scared, but damn him if he was going to left that kind of emotions to take control. Hakuba was in front of Zechs's door now, he had the keys of the apartmen, but he hesitated. Zechs was less than joyful when he prevented him to go to his lover's side for the second time. Knowing that trying to trying to delay the inevitable was useless, he opened the door carefully.

"Zechs?"

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Tyki felt bad for having been so harsh to his lover, and worried that this fight might very well be their last. Only the fact that Zechs was still holding him reassured him, and that feeling was one he had dreamed about every time he'd slept. At least, once he'd recovered enough to recall who he was.

"I'm glad it wasn't so long for you," he said softly. The toll had obviously been high enough. Tyki had been worried about Zechs, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad. If he'd been gone another six weeks, who knew if Zechs would even be himself anymore?

He didn't know how to answer Zechs' question. He feared the answer would only make things worse. He hesitated, then leaned against his lover, pressing his forehead against his shoulder. "I wanted you there every minute," he said softly. "I wanted you to rescue me, to come here and be with you. But I wasn't in any danger, and I likely would have harmed you. My Duke only took the restraints off a week ago."

He was quiet for a moment, before adding heavily. "I failed. Spectacularly. But I guess you saw that... Debitt told me that the community saw a recording."

Zechs feared the same thing, but thought it would be Tyki who would reject him. All of this twisted emotion within him was caused by one central event. He wanted to help the Noah. It wasn't for his own gain, and it was only out of his own ego in that he thought he could succeed in assisting his lover. Despite everything else - he couldn't see his sentiments changing.

But cringed nonetheless, hearing the implication, and feeling yet more guilt. It had only been two weeks for him - what must have it been like for Tyki? Zechs felt like a cad. Head bowed, he said softly in return, "I am so sorry it had been long for you."

When Tyki leaned against him, Zechs hesitated himself, then quickly brought a hand up to cradle his face, run his fingers through the man's hair. It was so long now. He closed his eyes, and allowed a part of him feel joy that he could do this. Even if part of him was anguished all he had done was in vain.

"... Your Noah had consumed you," Zechs murmured, as if confirming the knowledge for himself. "And ... you were in no danger."

He really hated himself in this moment. God damn it all. Hakuba was right. His expression was tense. Or was he? Could Zechs have been expected to merely wait, and do nothing, like some Victorian damsel? "... I had seen it. Yet ... you had fought admirably, my love. I ... Unless I had somehow seen ..."

"Well," Tyki said, his tone turning a bit wry. "I was in terrible danger when I was fighting Cross. But the last thing I remember was being stabbed by Allen, and then waking up, chained to a bed, weeks later."

He pressed closer, wishing he could reassure Zechs, make it all go away. "I'm afraid that tonight the only danger to myself was my own boredom. And I am so, so sorry that I worried you unnecessarily."

Silent for a moment, he added. "'Somehow seen' what, my love?"

Momentarily, Zechs forgot Hakuba was in the next room, and held Tyki as closely as he could without harming a man who was so clearly injured. His lips against Tyki's hair, he tried to use the man's presence to calm all of the emotion within him. Though at the moment, he was actively yearning for the ZERO. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Some of that yearning could be heard in his voice when Zechs answered Tyki's question. "If I had somehow seen the battle before hand. Perhaps with ... I might have been able to save you all of that danger, and pain. I could have spared you all of this."

Stubbornly, he asserted, "I couldn't merely wait for your return, my love. Not without knowing how you were, or ... It was the only tool I had available to my person. It was the only way I could have anything but defenseless to help you."

Somehow it seemed important to convince Tyki of this.

Tyki sighed, sagging slightly in Zechs' grasp. "We knew of the danger beforehand, yet I still was not able to stop Allen from striking me with that blade," he said quietly, and firmly. "I used everything I learned. I'm certain that I did better than I would have, but you predicted more than you realize - the tease was not a good enough shield. It was fate."

He drew back a little, to look at Zechs' face, very solemnly. "There was only one thing that I wanted and hoped for while I was there," he said seriously. "And that was for you to be all right while I was gone. I understand your desire to do something to help me, but that damned ZERO has ensured I did not get my wish. I will not condone its use. Period."

Zechs tensed further. There was too much emotion within him now not to take such a thing defensively. Not really thinking, but speaking straight from that hot injured sensation within him, he bit back, "I am fine."

It was perhaps a little sad, but he didn't think he was lying to Tyki. As concerned as he had been that morning, it was out of possible future outcomes if he continued to use ZERO. He hadn't the proper perspective to see it had been detrimental to him now. But he didn't want Tyki's anger, and tried to fight back his own. His fingers carded through the dark, long hair of the Noah.

"I believe I could eventually develop the machine to the point where I could use it to benefit others," Zechs continued, just a hint of desperation in his voice. "One member of the forum is attempting to halt viruses. I could use the ZERO to predict SHODAN's movements. Or even on Gaia alone - I could foresee possible threats to Rufus, or the planet as a whole. There is so much which could be done with the ZERO, Tyki. It isn't attached to any manner of weapon. It would merely be my will directing it."

Tyki stared at him for a long moment, more sadness than anything else in his face. "When was the last time you slept a full night, Zechs?" he asked flatly, but his voice was rising. "When was the last time you ate a proper meal? And it doesn't count if Saguru forced it down your throat! It has only been two weeks, and you lost more weight than I did in two months!"

He gathered his energy, and pulled himself away from Zechs, forcing his body to carry him to his feet when all he wanted to do was collapse and sleep for a week in the arms of his lover. Zechs needed this, he now realized. "I do not know how many ways I can say this," he said, and walked slowly towards the place where the door to the Ark had been. "If you would like so much to do this to yourself, I will not watch."

All of those angry emotions, defensive and hurt, left in a rush when his worst fears were realized. Zechs's face was twisted in guilt and hurt, and only a hint of surprise. As much as he had expected this ... he had hoped. He didn't bother to answer any of those angry questions. His stomach right now felt lined with stones.

"Please," Zechs said, unable to stop himself for a moment, then held his tongue, attempting a more coherent answer for his lover. His hands now clenched his knees tightly. He didn't know if he could bring himself to just let Tyki walk away. "It was not any desire ... it wasn't for my own self. It had been ... "

He brought a hand up to his face. "I am stronger than the ZERO. But not strong enough to watch you leave. I ... I cannot ..."

A scary day when Rufus loses his temper. Hakuba had given him a clue to what was happening in his apartment, and Rufus had come in armed to the teeth. Though he didn't look it with the many layers he wore, but Rufus had his gun loaded and materia in his arm. He had slid in thanks to Dark's magic feathers (if the man knew that Rufus kept them for these things, he would be furious), and had been hiding in the shadows the entire time.

He was fucking furious. Zechs had been running a program that could destroy the planet? Been sending him those e-mails? As Tyki was leaving Zechs, Rufus emerged. Lips pursed and a murderous look in his eyes as he very quietly said.

"How quaint, Zechs."

The last thing in the world Tyki wanted to do was leave. Which was why he was walking towards a featureless wall with no door in it instead of the door to the hallway or the door to the kitchen. He had hoped that Zechs would say something, to prevent him from having to admit that he couldn't go anywhere, going this way.

He paused, thanking...something, since he refused to thank any deity for this, and turned around.

...only for Rufus to suddenly reveal himself.

Tyki's jaw dropped in shock, and he stared at Rufus for a long moment, furious on his own part that the blond had apparently been eavesdropping. There were things he could say to answer Zechs, but he couldn't bring himself to react to Zechs' words as if Rufus wasn't there, so he just stayed where he was, looking from Rufus to Zechs and back, in silence.

Zechs immediately got to his feet, automatically and instinctively standing so he was between Rufus and Tyki. As if the President was threatening his lover. All of his angry temper resurged again, and focused on an acceptable target. Normally he would have worn a calm mask even in his anger. But now Rufus had seen him more vulnerable still.

"Have you no concept of privacy whatsoever, Rufus?" Zechs growled, hands clenching into fists. The bastard had the nerve to be armed. He very much doubted the man was here just to remind him of paperwork this time.

Making sure he'd be shielding Tyki from Rufus' direct line of sight at all times, even if the man should move - Zechs wasn't even realizing he was doing this - he said hatefully, "I take it yours is not a social nor business visit."

Rufus glared at Zechs, a sure indication for the other man to sit down and be quiet if he knew what was good for him. Few people saw this side of Rufus outside of an interrogation room. Few people from those interrogation rooms made it out alive still.

"Sit down, Zechs." Rufus said simply, dangerously quiet and not at all yelling as one would expect the President to be doing, "Tyki is going to be fine. There are X-Potions in the bedroom for him. It would be best if he left."

He was going switch to German, he was more powerful in his own language. It was what connected the two men, past that.

"It isn't, either."

Tyki struggled to stay standing, using all of his will not to lean on the wall. He was weakening fast, again.

"Thank you for the X-potions, but I'm not going, Rufus," he said, and glanced at Zechs, briefly, then away. He was cursing inwardly, caught between wanting to reassure Zechs and stand by him against a common threat, and not wanting to reveal that it had been a bluff. If he showed his tells, Zechs would read through his bluffs the next time, and he would never be able to use this tactic again. Considering they hadn't yet resolved the ZERO situation, he didn't want to lose this trump card so easily.

He folded his arms. "Considering what you have just interrupted, I think I have the right to stay and hear what you have to say to my lover."

His face twisting further, Zechs' expression also changed into something more frightening. Though significantly different than Rufus' own in both manner and tone. He recognized the danger in the President's cold voice, but it did not cow him. Why at all? Rufus was no more dangerous than himself, Zechs felt.

For a moment he stood obstinately, blatantly disregarding Rufus' direct order. But then his eyes darted back to Tyki, surprised. He didn't catch the slight glance in his direction, and tensed. At least the Noah wished to hear Rufus out. Even if ... he would eventually leave.

But damn it, the fool didn't have the strength to keep standing like that. Ready to hear objections, he quickly strode to Tyki's side, supporting him and leading him to a chair before he fell.

Angrily, his own voice loud and commanding, he responded in English - also a clear defiance of Rufus, "State your piece then, if the manner is so urgent besides not being of a business nature."

Rufus stood impassive to Zechs' breaking facade, though he noted how easily it could be broken. The glowing yellow materia in Rufus' arm suggested otherwise how seriously Rufus' exasperation for the two men were. If Tyki wanted to be involved, he was signing his own death warrant.

"I said, sit your ass down, Zechs." Rufus said quietly, the materia taking over in his arm and the room filling with yellow light. "I rather hate using my own interrogation techniques on an employee - soon to be former if he doesn't explain what the hell he was doing putting my planet second to his grief counseling. You didn't think I'd notice you go insane?"

Tyki didn't resist Zechs' assistance, sitting down gratefully in the chair, though he struggled to control his features as best he could.

He sat up straight, though, when Rufus' arm started glowing. "What the fuck, Rufus?" he snapped.

There was nothing he could do, though he started to struggle to his feet regardless.

After Tyki sat down, Zechs stood concerned and angry at the man's side for a moment. But then his eyes widened at the sight of the yellow light. A faint memory came back to him - the taunting video post of Rufus taking over the Fire Nation. This was the same yellow light. Zechs let anger overtake his expression again - to hide his spike of fear.

Arrogantly, as if it had been his intent all the while, Zechs sat gracefully into a chair beside Tyki. Skillfully he hid his inner terror at being manipulated and controlled by another. He did so by displaying that same anger and twisted hatred as before, as well as a haughty and perhaps even disrespectful attitude towards Rufus. But still that worry remain. And what if the man could tell?

"I have been perfectly sane, sir," Zechs said, the title stressed sarcastically - though not in a sneer. He was too refined for that. "And I have never placed your planet's safety below my petty sentiments. If it had not been clear from my communications to your person, in time I would be able to develop a means to assist Gaia using the program. I am certain of that."

"I received the numerous e-mails, Zechs. Do you know how I know that ZERO is behind them all?" Rufus said quiet levelly, the yellow light still faint underneath Rufus' jacket, "I plant the public information. Your assessments are untrue, and are going through my records."

Rufus knew very well what the feeling was when he put people under the materia, the sheer anger that his prisoners had. It was the quickest way to break his strongest. Fortunately for Zechs or Tyki, Rufus wouldn't make them attack each other.

"Do you really think I would take the information of some computer program over my men? If you were at work more, then you would have realized this. Now, give me one good reason why I couldn't kick you both off of this planet, and why I should let you keep your job."

Tyki carefully lowered himself back into his chair, pretty sure that nothing had come of the glowing light. He figured Rufus must have pulled back on whatever he was preparing to do, and jumping the man definitely wasn't high on his list of things to do right now, especially since Rufus could easily do a lot more than punch him in the nuts right now and there would be nothing Tyki could do to stop him.

His lips pressed together tightly as he listened to Rufus' words. He doubted that anything he could say would help at this point. Asking Rufus for any kind of forgiveness on Zechs' behalf would likely be counterproductive, considering how much of an ass he'd been to Rufus up to now.

Though why Rufus was threatening to kick him off the planet, he didn't know. He hadn't been here, creating evil computer programs and going through Rufus' records instead of doing his job. He'd been in a damned hospital!

Zechs eyed the light cautiously and warily. It wasn't just indignation at being controlled. He had a genuine dislike for feeling helpless, and the last time his motions had been commandeered by a magical force ... well, there was a good reason he didn't like Cross much. Perhaps it was just as well Rufus hadn't used the materia yet against them.

He took in everything Rufus said, his own expression calming as he gained control of his anger. Finally, when the man was done, he had only one answer for him. And he thought it was a pretty damned good reason. "I have not been disloyal to you."

Folding his hands together, still watching the glowing materia, he continued quite honestly, "I had used only public information in the wish not to invade your privacy, or disrupt company records. I decided to use the information seemingly public because I hoped to prove I could find information which was useful to you. At no time had I intended to put ShinRa or even Gaia at any risk. When I had discovered plots against your person, President, I wished for you to be informed of them."

Calmly, he continued, "I have been at work for more waking hours than would normally be possible. I suspect the ZERO had increased my levels of adrenaline, making it possible for my person to avoid sleep. The computer program was not making such decisions. It was I. And I will still attempt to use whatever means necessary to ensure the safety of your own self and the company, Rufus."

The last was said a little contemptuously again. But Zechs was getting rather impatient about all of this. He was trying to help people, damn it. The ZERO wasn't attached to a weapon any longer. And he was stronger than it. Why couldn't anyone else see it as an asset?

Rufus stared at him, the expression never changing. He was still angry, he glared at Zechs his expression making a sideline glance at Tyki's expression. He had a feeling Hakuba would be interjecting at the moment, but something told him to drop the subject. Rufus released them from the materia hold, mainly because if he held them there any longer, he'd pass out from exhaustion.

"I don't believe that you did it for my sake."

-How nice from you to drop by Rufus, we can have a tea party now.-

Hakuba said to all of them. Leaning against the frame door, his right hand holding the left arm that was folded over his stomach. It wasn’t like the men were discrete while yelling at each other and the yellow light visible underneath the kitchen’s door was not a good sign. To be sincere with himself, Hakuba had no idea what the light was, and even when he noticed that it came from Rufus’s arm and was probably something really dangerous or painful, Hakuba didn’t even blinked. Sometimes, ignorance was bliss.

-ZERO is gone now, I was sure of it.- Hakuba moved his hand to make a point, but he winced slightly. That wasn’t a good idea. –Unlike Doyle or the system I created for your company, his nature is not an A.I, it can’t survive on the net.-

Even if he was the one with the broken hand, the boy had the sensation that he was the less fucked up of the four.

Tyki watched silently, his expression solemn, then he looked at Rufus. "He didn't do it for your sake," he said. "He did it for mine. But so what? If he also used it to try to find plots against you, then he did at least spare a thought for you as well. My Zechs has been foolish, but he is not yet so far gone under that thing's influence that he has put Gaia at risk."

His tone and words were cruel. Tyki was drawing on all of the sadism he had, just to keep from caring about the effect that these words might have on Zechs. He didn't look at his lover, and spoke as if the man wasn't even in the room.

He glanced at Hakuba, then back to Rufus. "I'm sorry to put you both through this, Saguru, Rufus. I feel it is partly my responsibility. I knew of ZERO, and there were precautions I could have taken. Rufus, please, give me a few days to put him back together before you make a final decision about firing him. As you heard, ZERO is gone and is no longer a threat."

Rufus wasn't unreasonable, he was more irritated that Zechs did it right under his nose and he didn't do a thing about it. "I can't have a man under the influence working for me, I'm sure you understand. I want it gone and done with - go to Healin Lodge, there's a private hospital and take Tyki there. Stay there before I decide what to do with you."

Rufus talked down on Zechs as if he was a child, but his words held as much weight as Tyki's own. Rufus turned to Hakuba, "And you let this thing get built?"

Hakuba's voice was calm, "I wasn't aware about all the capacity of the ZERO system, when I discovered it I decided to stop it." Hakuba paused, thinking of the 27 bones that composed the hand, the carpals, metacarpal,the phalanges. His hand was swell and bruised, but not bleeding...much. The skin was scratched and Hakuba wondered about if he was going to need a tetanus shot. To reduce swelling, he moved the injured hand above the level of his heart. The tense silence held until the boy continued.

"I don't work for you, I'm not from your world, and I don't live here. I don't need to justify my acts or decisions." He looked at Zechs for a moment. Now the other man was thinking that Hakuba did all this only because Tyki told him to watch over him, and that annoyed the detective. He looked back at Rufus.

"Not to no one except myself."Hakuba said very quietly. "How long you been there anyway?"

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[RL with Zechs, Tyki and Rufus]

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