Deep, purpled bruises cover the guard's pale skin. He stands at Boomerang's cell door still, with shadowed eyes set on Tatsu. It's almost too difficult to not look at his face, and to not question why this is a situation that she seems to keep finding herself back in. It feels like she's caught in a time loop of violence, bruises, and blood. She's caught in it with a criminal, who seems to find trouble as easily as he finds diamonds.
"Here to speak with the Aussie again." the guard says. It sounds more like a statement then a question, she doesn't answer it. His voice is cold and harsh, when he speaks again a moment later. "You speak with Colonel Flag yet?"
Tatsu nods, confirming it. Then she waits for him to move out of her way and allow their visitation to begin, but this doesn't happen. Instead, the guard sighs and tilts his head to the side. He angles his gaze on her like he's trying to get a read on her, and if things were different (and if it weren't very likely that the Captain is unwell, and has been going in and out of the hospital in her absence) then Tatsu thinks that she might be amused that this guard thinks he can get a read on her.
"You know that all the decisions have been left to Colonel Flag, in Agent Waller's absence. Don't you?" he speaks again, eventually. "The Colonel's been left in charge, to make sure all instructions are followed. So, I'll make this shit simple: You want to see Captain Asshole, you follow the instructions. Alternatively, some of us have taken to calling him Captain Pain-In-Our-Asses, or another favorite is Captain Dumbass. Take your pick and follow the instructions, and there will be no problems here today."
"What instructions have been left?" Tatsu asks, ignoring most of his response as she steps closer. Up to the guard, and to the gate behind him where her gaze settles for half a second. "And why have they been left solely in regards to the Captain?"
"That information wasn't shared with me. Even if it was, you probably don't have the clearance to know."
She draws in a long, steady breath, and then continues.
"What can you tell me?"
"Well, what I can tell you is that the Captain has a virus. He can't stop himself from doing stupid shit, and causing trouble for himself. That's what I can tell you. It's like he caught some kind of sickness that he can't get rid of. He's stupid, he can't help it. We have to put him back into place every single time and that's how it is."
It's then that Tatsu feels it, deep in her chest. It's that same pang of concern, with something else that feels like inevitability. In her absence Tatsu recalls thinking that the Captain might behave better, or at least a little better than he had before. Now it seems that he hasn't, and that they're back in the same situation they were on Tatsu's first visit here. She doesn't like the way it feels, and she finds herself hoping this will go differently to how that day did. Despite these quiet hopes, there's a loud nagging thought telling Tatsu it's going to go worse than her first visit here. She fights it down, and fixes her attention back on now.
"What are the instructions?" she asks again, soon.
"For you? That your visitation with him is limited to an hour. Waller has also made it clear that he's in solitary because of what he did, and that he's not here for company. So, you'll have to respect that and our way of life here. As long as this is as clear as fucking crystal, then we won't have any issues. I'm sure it'd be a nice break for Captain Dumbass if it went that way today. I think we all might be glad if we didn't have to kick hiss ass back into line for one goddamn day."
For a few moments Tatsu finds herself observing the guard and saying nothing. There's really not much she finds she has to say to him, and suddenly there's not much time for her to say it before he's walking over to her. Away from the cell, and closer to her, with a look in his eyes that tells Tatsu they're not done here. It's the way he's looking at her and the look in his eyes that tells her there's still more to this and he's about to share it with her. She has her own questions and thoughts that she wants to share about why Boomerang's allegedly been in the hospital lately. For now Tatsu decides against it, wanting to keep that knowledge to herself for the moment.
"One more thing: You fuck up, you deal with it. You deal with me. Understood?"
She blinks once, then waits, eyebrows raised for more.
"Waller's instructions, my words. You fuck up, you face me. You break the roles, you lose privileges." he pauses, half-smiling a little now. "You break half a rule, you're out. You ignore Waller's rules, you're done with visitation. You fuck up at all, you have to earn it back. You face me, then you face Waller. You lose privileges, if you break our rules here. You have to earn those privileges back. Comprende?"
It's then that Tatsu recalls Waller's words, her warning about following her rules. Take one item for him, she remembers, as she thinks back to the moment she made the decision to slide Boomerang the plush toy through the slot in his door. It isn't exactly a surprise for Tatsu to learn that Waller knows they didn't listen, and that they disobeyed her orders - and by they, Tatsu really just means herself. She know that this is on her, she feels the weight of it crawling over her skin in seconds. This is her mistake, and her doing, and knowing that it's likely worsened things for them makes Tatsu feel the weight of it more. She feels a guilt, next. She tells herself it shouldn't be there but she knows that it belongs there, right there with that feeling in her chest that stirs whenever things don't feel okay.
Right now, this feels far from okay and Tatsu knows it's not something she can run from.
"This is the extent of my knowledge on the topic. He's your problem now. Just remember, no contact and no visitation inside the cell. You need to remember that once you're here, you're here. You become one of us. I don't give a fuck who you are, you follow our rules. I'm glad that's clear."
Tatsu turns away from him after that, stretching to the closed latch over Boomerang's cell door. Behind her the guard lingers, before stepping away and giving them the brief illusion of privacy and space. It feels different today. Her hand reaches for the latch, but once her fingers are locked around it she hesitates and leaves her hand hovering outside of it. She waits to feel a pull to do this, to feel the tether tugging her to do it and look inside. It's all there today, waiting, and building up inside of her chest, and Tatsu knows that she's hesitating because there's a part of her that doesn't want to see what's on the other side of his door.
It's almost like she's afraid of what she'll see. She's not afraid, not really, but there's still a hesitation there. She opens it despite this. Tatsu's hand catches on the latch and she opens it slowly. Inch, by inch, until it's opened enough that she sees inside. She sees him. It takes her back to that first moment when she visited Boomerang only it's different this time, and with just a look it feels worse.
Boomerang's dressed. It feels strange, to see him covered up in the pale jumpsuit she's seen the others wearing sometimes. It looks different on him, almost like it doesn't fit, or like it shouldn't fit. His clothes are clean, she notices it next, and his skin appears to be mostly clear of blood and that's a relief. That's where it stops. His face is spotted with bruises. Fresh, dark, bruises litter his skin. Tatsu scans them fast, knowing there weren't that many there before. She knows she would remember if they had been there before, Tatsu remembers all of them.
There's a particularly dark bruise under his left eye that she lingers on. Tatsu finds that she almost can't look away, but somehow she does. She pulls her attention away after that, away from the bruise and back to Boomerang's still figure. He's currently sitting on the concrete slab, with his legs stretched out a little and his back pressed to the wall. It's like the first time, where he hasn't noticed her yet. His gaze is fixed on something else.
Something pink and fluffy clutched between his hands.
It takes Tatsu a while to piece together what's happened. She feels it then and almost wishes she hadn't. Her breathing shifts as she feels it return to her. It all returns, the feelings from before, and the thoughts she carried and ignored in Manhattan. In the quiet outside of Boomerang's cell, she feels the anger crawling back in with it all. It floods back in, seeping right back under her skin like Boomerang was, or still is, but this is different. It leaves her feeling compromised again, it's uncomfortable. It's almost too much. She knows that she's compromised now, and she's been like this since Midway, and Manhattan, and Jenn. It's unavoidable, and for half a moment she almost considers that it's their fault that she's compromised like this.
It's his fault, or a part of it is, that he's inhabiting her thoughts and seeping inside of her. The Captain is the one that follows her to her dreams, and then pulls her to his reality like this. So it's his fault, and it's their fault that she dreams of their blood on her skin. This is what Tatsu tells herself in this moment, only it's as unconvincing as everything else she's tried to believe so far. It's their fault, except it really isn't at all. It's on her; she pushed Waller and ignored the rules, and at the end of it all she leaves and they pay for her mistakes.
The bruised guard's only a few feet away, hovering close, when Tatsu turns around to find him.
"What did you do to him?" she asks, words harsh, heavy. "Why is he like this again? Why is he always like this after I am gone?"
He barely looks up, at first. "Told you, he's got that stupid virus. Makes him do dumb shit. That's what it is."
Tatsu steps closer, quickly. "Open his cell up, now."
"You heard Waller's orders. No can do."
"I won't ask again." she makes it clear, just one more time. "Open his cell up, or I will."
A smile follows the silence. Then, a laugh. He looks up at her, amused. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you were under the impression that you called any of the shots here. You may work for Waller, but that's where the line's drawn, sweetheart. You have no power here, none at all. I'm in charge. I say there's no visitation inside of the cell, so that means there is none. That's the last time I'll make that clear. I won't be so nice next time."
She doesn't offer him another look, or another word. Tatsu turns away after that, back to Boomerang's cell, where she steps up to peer through the slot in the door. Now he's stirring, just a little, while his hands are still clutched onto whatever's between them. She knows why, or thinks she does, but she finds herself hoping that she's wrong.
In the next few, quiet seconds, Boomerang's attention wanders over to her and settles. He makes a quiet noise, then fixes a smile on his face.
(why does his smile linger with her? why does she care?)
"Well, shit, luv. Sure took your time comin' back to me."
That's it. It's all that Boomerang says for now, and it's all that's said between them for the next few minutes. Tatsu needs the time to observe him, while Boomerang seems to need it to stare right back at her like he's trying to work out what's real and what isn't. With each look, she finds herself wanting to know how this happened again. It seems that with each look, he's getting closer and closer to working out that this is real. That she's here, that she came back to him.
"Now, just listen. Alright? Before you go getting pissed off at me, just hear me out." he begins quietly. "I tried 'cos you asked me to. Asked me to make it easy on them, and on me. And I did. Tried real hard. Think it lasted about half a day. Don't even think it was that long, to be honest. And you know what the truth is, luv? I tried and I couldn't, 'cos they're all shitheads."
There's a grin on his lips, after that. It almost looks painful, from the way his lip's split and swollen again. He barely seems to notice it though and smiles through it, keeping his gaze intently set on her like now that he's decided this is real he doesn't want to look at anything else. Tatsu finds that she wants more than this, she needs more. There are so many questions brimming at the front of her mind and building there, waiting to be voiced, and to be shared, because she needs more than this.
It all falls away, slipping fast. She's left with only one question, and it's the one that matters the most right now because it will determine what happens next.
"What did you do?" Tatsu asks.
He seems to like the sound of her voice, apparently. It's something subtle she catches on his face. It's brief and barely there, and she's certain that no one else would see it, but Tatsu sees it and she wants to ask him why. She considers that it's because she doesn't treat him like the guards do, but somehow that doesn't feel like it's enough. It doesn't feel like it explains it enough.
"What do ya think I did?" he answers, fast. "What I do best, apparently."
"Which is?"
"Well I didn't steal no fucking diamonds, darl. I pissed them off. Antagonized them." Boomerang says, gesturing to somewhere out of the cell. "Gave her a reason. Yeah, that's what I did. Is that what you wanted to know?"
Boomerang doesn't wait for her to answer, he doesn't wait for anything before he moves. He cradles the left side of his body like he's injured there, as he pushes himself off the slab and starts to walk over to her. Then he's right there with her again, looking at her through the slot. It feels closer now, and Tatsu finds that in this moment she sees him like she has before. He's open, exposed, and always covered bruised.
She almost wants to ask if he's always covered in bruises.
There are new marks and spotted bruises that she picks up on with one glance. They're scattered over his skin, and the only relief she finds in the next seconds is that his knuckles aren't raw or busted. It makes her think that if he caused this as they say, why are there no signs? His hands are marked with old scars, there's nothing fresh there. There's nothing on him that indicates that he caused this, whatever this is, and it confirms to her once again that there is still more to this than she knows.
"Broke the rules." he says, finally. "According to them, I broke their fucking rules."
Pinky's head is gone.
It's completely ripped off, when Boomerang holds the plush toy up in the air. He holds up what's left in his hands, showing that there's only a body left, and Tatsu soon sees that what remains is also torn and partially ruined in places. She shifts her attention right back up to him, first noticing the way his smile is changed. It's bitter now, and almost sad. He lowers what remains of Pinky like he's showed her enough, and then cradles her gently into one hand. After that, Boomerang steps closer, even though Tatsu first expects him to back away.
He moves closer, or at least close enough for her to see that his eyes are red like he hasn't been sleeping well or at all. Or she considers that it means he's been crying, but that's something Tatsu doesn't really want to consider right now so she pushes it away.
"Probably best for you if you just leave now, yeah? Don't want you pissing Waller off." Boomerang states, eventually. He says it like it's a simple solution, like it's that easy for Tatsu to detach herself from him, and from them. "Really appreciate you stopping by, but it's for the best if you don't piss her off. Could you do somethin' for me, though? Give my best to the other guys if you see 'em. Don't think I'll be seeing anything out of this shit-box for a while, so give 'em my best."
It's after she hears this and after she takes another, deeper look at the Captain that something else comes back to her. It's something she can't deny; seeing him hurt, and bruised, and so tired reminds her of the pull she felt earlier. The tug between her heart and her mind. It leaves her with a decision to make, and only a few seconds to make it in. It's really not enough time to consider all of the consequences, and this should bother her more but it doesn't. She knows she's been left with another choice, to take a moment and turn it into something else.
She doesn't have to do this, Tatsu tells herself, it wouldn't be hard for her to walk away now if she really wanted to. It feels weak though, even as she tries to convince herself that she could do it if she really wanted to. It feels weak like there's no way out of this, and like she's already aware that she really doesn't want to walk away right now. It almost feels like there's no choice, like there never was.
It comes down to one thing in the end, really. Boomerang is a criminal who deserves to be here, this she knows, but she also believes that this doesn't mean his treatment here is justified. It doesn't feel like it is, and that's what it comes down to in the end. Tatsu knows who he was before he helped saved the world, and she considers she has some idea of who he is now, and it doesn't feel like he's someone who deserves this.
She doesn't know what this makes him. A good man? She doubts it, she's not sure. The Captain is still a criminal, he always will be, and she knows he'll never be like her or anyone that she knows. It doesn't mean that he deserves to be treated this way and this is why Tatsu makes the choice that she does. It's why she listens to what her heart is telling her to do.
It's like a whisper. Something quiet, and dull, but there. It tells her to stay here, to deal with this together, with them. It also tells her that running isn't something she should do, even if she knows she could do it without looking back.
It feels like a mess, in the first few moments after Tatsu opens the door to Boomerang's cell and steps inside. Her heart tells her this is the right choice, while her mind tells her that she's made a mistake, that it's a mistake just like Manhattan but somehow worse. She wonders if it is, and if she's just created their own mess here at Belle Reve. It's not just hers, it's theirs. It's a little late for any doubt, Tatsu thinks, as her eyes connect with Boomerang's and she closes the door behind her. It's just the two of them in the cell this time, and in these next seconds she's allowed a chance to read him again. It's almost too easy again, she thinks. He's looking right at her like he wants her to see it, to see what he's thinking right now, and then it changes suddenly and he's starting to look at her like something else. Boomerang looks at her like she's totally unlike anything else he's ever seen in his life and it leaves Tatsu afraid to have someone look at her this way, to have him look at her this way.
Tatsu pushes it down and leaves it to linger in the silence, leaving it as something to think on later. Across from her, Boomerang's jaw is hanging slightly open, just for a moment. It's because she's here with him, despite the orders from Waller and the guards. It stays quiet like this for a while, until it doesn't. Boomerang almost seems impressed, and she's certain that if it weren't for the bruises littered across his skin he'd probably look much happier about this than he does right now.
"Holy shit, Katana."
His words echo in the quiet once they're said. Soon, they're replaced by a heavy knocking on the outside of the door. It isn't locked but the guard remains on the outside, like he's hoping knocking on the door will pull her out of there. Several heavy thuds follow, before he calls out to them. Telling Tatsu that this is it, and she's crossed the line, and if she doesn't follow his instructions immediately then they'll act as ordered and use force to remove her from the cell.
Boomerang laughs at this. It feels strange suddenly, to hear him laugh and to see it on his face where all of the dark bruises linger and hang there for her eyes to wander across. His laugh isn't quite as loud as she's heard it before but it almost is, and it reminds her of the sound he made when she gave him the beer and the pony. That's when Tatsu notices that what's left of Pinky is still clutched tightly in Boomerang's hands. For now he doesn't notice her gaze, he seems too distracted by the situation to notice it, or to notice that he's still holding onto the plush toy.
"Yeah? You think you can take her on?" Boomerang yells back. Half a second later, he's over by the slot in the door yelling at the guard. "Go on then, mate. Give it a go. Let's see what you got then, hey. It'll only be your funeral."
Once he's finished taunting the guard, Boomerang chuckles lightly and turns back to Tatsu. He turns away from the guard, and whatever else is currently going on out there, and he looks right at her. Big blue eyes blown wide. His smile stays there on his lips, hanging there loosely while he seems to get lost in her again. It feels unsettling, and then Tatsu notices that it seems to be more than that. He's not just lost in her, it's like he's allowing himself a second to be lost in this and whatever thrill it gives him to see her disobey Waller's orders and ignore the guard's warning. It's a distraction from his life here, she's a distraction. It's only that, she tells herself, and nothing more.
Her eyes search him for injuries again. Maybe she does it to check that he's okay, or maybe it's her way of forgetting for a moment about the way he's still looking at her.
"We don't have much time." Tatsu states, eventually. "You need to tell me what happened in my absence."
"Yeah, I got that." he nods, fast. "Just hang on - I don't get why you just did that. Don't get me wrong, it was fucking badass. Yeah? But, hey - look."
Pinky ends up in the space between them, thrust there by Boomerang's hands. He holds onto it like it's supposed to mean something, and Tatsu knows exactly what it means. It's Waller's message that she will do anything to them, even take away something that was never going to cause harm. It's a reminder of the control that she has here over them, and how she'll take whatever she wants because she can.
"Look, what they did. Katana, look. They ripped-" Boomerang stops, sighing heavily. Then he looks away, still holding Pinky up in the air. "Ripped his head off. Poor little bastard, never saw it coming. He never did anything to them. Why do you think they did it? Huh? Because they can. Something to do with me breaking their rules. Sounds about right, yeah?"
A few, heavy seconds pass as Tatsu observes him. She watches him and the way he is now, not directly looking at her, but not looking at what remains of the pink pony in his hands either. It's almost like his attention is back to something else, or away to somewhere else. That doesn't last very long either, though. Boomerang pulls himself out of it, half-smiling. It's crooked, and very obviously missing something. There's a spark that she sometimes catches there - something bright, and often annoying, and usually too complex for her to ever fully read - but it's gone now. It's dulled out, empty.
It feels different to see him without it.
"Croc gets a TV. Right? Harley gets her coffee, Floyd gets family." he pauses, taking a few steps around the cell. "And I get one thing. Yeah? One thing, and they rip it's fucking head off. I'm not complaining anymore, not really. Seems like that's just how it goes for me. It's just my luck. So I'm not complaining, I'm just tryin' to show you what's gonna happen if you hang around."
"It wasn't you-"
"It was, and it still is." Boomerang stops, then turns to face her again. "So hey, you better leave. Leave, or you'll piss 'em off and they'll use it as an excuse to take away something you love. You're pretty much the only decent person here, or that I ever met - so, you don't deserve that. Right?"
I have nothing to lose, Tatsu thinks to herself in those passing moments, it has already been taken from me. It's not something she shares, it's something she will never say to anyone. She takes a step away after that, back to the door, but that's it because it doesn't feel like it's over yet. Tatsu doesn't know what's happening outside of Boomerang's cell, it's like everything else slipped away and now it's just the two of them and they're not finished here yet.
"Tell me what they did." she pushes. "What happened while I was gone?"
It makes him uncomfortable, almost immediately. Boomerang tenses noticeably; his shoulders pull together, and there's something that flashes over his face that looks like rage. It settles heavily there, lingering in an obvious kind of way that tells Tatsu it isn't going to go away anytime soon. It's the rage she sees next, longing to seep through and escape. He keeps it down, leaving it to wait on the surface.
"Why? You think it's gonna change something?" his reply comes back fast. "Don't even know why you care. I asked, didn't I? You never said, so I never really got it. But, hey, here's what I get now: This shit isn't good. You being around here, around us, don't really see what good's coming from that. You should run. Away from here, and us, and everyone else here. There's nothing good here. Run while you can, darl."
"I can't."
Tatsu doesn't realize the words are out until he's looking at her the way he is. It's different, she can't read it, and that's just as unsettling as his gaze. It's one of the many things she doesn't understand right now - like why he wants her to run and why she doesn't want to, or why he's still looking at her the way that he is. It seems that right now, the only thing that Tatsu knows with certainty is that she isn't finished with them yet. That includes the Captain.
Boomerang opens his mouth next, parting his lips like he's going to ask why. Then he doesn't. "You should."
It's quiet between them for a long time, quieter than it's been before. Tatsu doesn't move in the silence, and Boomerang stays pretty still, too. His eyes say more than his words right now, and now they're longing to know why. She almost wishes she had answers for him, but at the moment Tatsu finds that she doesn't even have the answers for herself.
"Sometimes what we should do and what we must do are different things." she explains, eventually. Her voice breaks away the quiet, chipping away at it word by word. "I can't leave yet. I can't explain it beyond that."
He stills again, dropping Pinky down on the bed. Then his hands fold over his chest slowly. "What do you think happened, Katana? Think something bad happened and, what - You're here to fix it?" he asks, pulling a face. "There's nothing to fix, darlin', and nothing happened here. I just did what I'm best at, I pissed 'em off and now I'm paying for it. That's really all there is to it. Think you're searching for something that's just not there."
The words feel false, she doesn't believe them, not when they contrast what his eyes are saying. His eyes tell another story, as do the bruises and marks over his body.
"Whatever happened here.." Tatsu pauses. "Did you start it?"
He steps away, over to the slot in the door. There, he peers out of it. "Does it matter?" he answers half a second later.
"Yes, it does. Did you start it?"
"Don't know." Boomerang answers, giving a shrug of his shoulders. "Guess that depends on the way you see things."
"What happened?" she pushes, needing to know more. "Were you sedated? Did they hurt you again?"
Once he's finished looking out of the slot in the cell, Boomerang turns around again. He shrugs his shoulders again, and it leaves Tatsu with nothing; no answers to what happened, no confirmation that what she believes is the truth, and no reason to believe that what she's done today was the right choice. She disobeyed Waller and the guards to step into his cell, and it leaves her doubting what the right decision was. Now it all feels unplanned and rash, and completely unlike her.
The only thing Tatsu currently knows with certainty is that something happened here. The destroyed, headless plush toy and the bruises over Boomerang's skin confirm this, and that's all it does. It doesn't tell her what happened or why, and it doesn't explain the doubt that silently lingers telling her there's still more to it.
"Don't really remember if I'm honest. Sorta just passed in a blur. Ya know?"
It leaves her with more questions. "A blur of what?"
This irritates Boomerang, this becomes clear soon. Her persistence to know, and the way she's still pushing him for answers and the truth, seems to annoy him. She catches fragments darting over his face, that linger and disappear in seconds. Boomerang shakes his head, while idly scratching at the side of his beard.
"Why aren't you hearing me? What's so fucking hard to understand, huh?"
She pushes past it. "You're avoiding my questions."
It bothers him, she sees it dart over his face then. "Whatever this is, it's gotta be done. Don't get me wrong, you comin' here was the best thing I had going on in a long time. And you only came that one time, right? So that was fun. Didn't have much more before that 'cos there's no one to talk to, except those guards and you know there's not a lot of love there. So that leaves this, it's all I had." he pauses, as a hint of a smile darts over his face. It's fleeting; there a moment, gone a second later like it was never there at all. "That's how I know it's what they're gonna take next. Probably want to take it away now, after you walked in here like that. They're gonna take it, so isn't it better if we stop it first? Not like you'll be losin' much, and I'll be just fine."
Tatsu doesn't believe his words, once again. It's because of the look she catches in his eyes, that contradicts what he's trying to convince her to believe. It tells her that even Boomerang doesn't believe it, or if he does then it's because he feels like there's no other choice. It does make sense to her, that this would be something they'd take next to show their authority, but Tatsu knows they won't do that because it's a part of her agreement with Waller. If it's taken, there's no reason for Tatsu to continue working for them.
She knows that Waller's happy to bend and twist their deal, but she wouldn't take it away entirely. Waller needs Tatsu right now, just as much as she needs the others, if not more. It stays with Tatsu and she feels a desire to tell Boomerang, to share this with him and ease his concerns that they won't take this. She can't tell him though, not here and not in his monitored cell. They need time, and she thinks she's figured out how to get that.
"It isn't that simple." she says finally.
Boomerang almost laughs again, it just doesn't form fully on his lips this time. "Pretty simple, actually. You just stay away from here like you did before. What's so hard about that? Just stay away from me for a bit. Makes sense, don't you think?" he answers. "Come on, Katana, you know me. They know me. I'm a criminal. You're not gonna find much here but trouble, and you never really seemed like the kinda girl interested in trouble."
It's almost too much to think on, or too much to question, yet she lingers on the words for a second. Listening to them over in her mind, until she works out what she will say. There's an undeniable truth to his words, especially the last part. It stays with her, because she knows he's right. She doesn't look for trouble. No, Tatsu kills trouble and criminals like Boomerang - and here they are, somehow. He's a criminal, who annoys her to the point where she could easily kill him, only she hasn't. She hasn't, and she's still here with him. Tatsu knows this means something to both of them, only she's certain that her side of it is well concealed. Boomerang's side isn't.
"Come on, darl. It's real easy, yeah?"
"I'm not." Tatsu answers, the earlier part first. "I'm not here for that. Or only for you. I see the others."
His presence feels closer, suddenly. Boomerang takes the slightest step closer and looks down at her, eyes pointedly scanning her over. "Not like this, though. They never mentioned that. Never heard about you going into see the others in their cells. Or helping clean them up. Just me. All nice and gentle with me, but you're still keeping ya distance with them." he pauses, drawing out the last few words. "Said it was just me. But I guess it doesn't really matter what they said it was, or what you won't say it is 'cos I know what it is now."
There it is again, the pull to him. The wait, where she finds herself watching him closely, wondering what he will do next.
"They got their shit - the TV, phone-calls, and the visitation - and maybe this is what I got. Maybe that's not alright anymore."
She's not sure what it is, but there's something about the way he says it that unsettles her. It's not what he says, it's just the way it sounds combined with the look she catches dart over his face. It's gone before she really sees it, and after that it's lost to her. Boomerang remains, staying close in front of her for a very long time. Her eyes wander from the bruises again, over to the faint blood smeared on his forearms and neck. It's not like the last time, when she remembers the Captain being totally oblivious to her eyes wandering over his scars, bruises, and vulnerabilities.
Today he sees it, and today he doesn't like it.
It sets him off, in a way that reminds her of her first visit to see him. It's the anger inside of him and the way it builds up around him, that makes it seem like he's trying to encase himself in it. He wants to keep the anger there as a way to keep it all out. It's his way of keeping her out, along with everyone else. It spreads over his face quickly and he seems torn, between staying there with her and leaving.
Boomerang decides on leaving, and steps away from her. Over to the other side of his cell, where he only glances at her a minute later.
"Jesus Christ, Katana - how many times do I have to say this? They took away the only thing I gave a shit about and ripped it's fucking head off. What about that isn't clear to you?" he snaps at her. "Here's what it means, and here's the last time I'll say it, yeah? It means that you're better off staying away from me. I know the others are a bit nuts like me, too. But you are guaranteed to find less crazy and a whole lot less trouble with them right now than you will with me."
Tatsu doesn't move. She remains still, eyes resting on him. "It isn't your choice to make."
He rolls his eyes. "What, and it's yours?"
"I can tell you're afraid."
Of what? She doesn't know yet, it's still unclear along with pretty much everything else that Boomerang's showing her right now. She looks through it and sees that he's afraid, this is what she knows. He dismisses the suggestion with a dry, heavy laugh, and then he starts to pace again. Before he returns to her, arriving back in front of her. It's then that Tatsu looks into his eyes and sees that he's trying to push her out, far away from this. It lingers in his eyes in a dull way, that confirms that it's more than anything he's telling her. It's there, she just needs to find a way to take it from him.
Boomerang's laugh hangs in the silence, once it rattles out of his throat. "Darlin', I killed aliens. I'm not afraid of anything."
It's the truth, and at the same time it isn't, somehow. Tatsu finds it both curious and concerning how it can be both of these things at once. It echoes between them after, he waits there next to her, expecting her to believe him. She silently wonders if she will regret this and she's almost sure that she will, but right now she can't leave it like this.
"Then tell me what happened. Tell me what is going." she urges, voice gentle. "Things have changed. Why? You are-"
"Me. I'm me. I'm always gonna be me, and I'm fine with that." he cuts over her; the gentleness of her voice means nothing to him right now. "I'm happy with it. Despite almost every person I ever met telling me that I shouldn't be, I am. I'm at peace with who I am."
Tatsu's voice rises now. "You aren't happy or at peace with the way things are here."
"Why do you suddenly give a shit, huh? You know this is as good as it gets for me in here. Can't pretend that it gets better, and I can't pretend that I'm someone else just so I don't piss 'em off. I am who I am. I always will be. And the honest truth is that you know that, even if you don't know me. I was chatty and friendly 'cos I wanted a beer, knew you'd get me one if you felt bad enough. Knew if I sat still and quiet, and did what you asked, that you'd get exactly what I asked."
"You may be a decent criminal, but you aren't a good liar."
After he takes another look at her, Boomerang nods towards the door. "Think it's time for you to go now. Go on, luv. You should piss off now." he says, gesturing to the door again. "See, what you did was awesome. Right? But I think it's probably fucked me again, 'cos now they have another reason to come at me. You should leave before it gets to that."
She doesn't move. "They won't."
"Not while you're in here, because they need ya. Don't really need me, that's the difference."
It's all swirling around, madly in her mind. Tatsu tries to focus on one thought. "I wanted to help you. I put myself into this situation knowing what it could mean. I understand that, and I accept whatever follows."
"What are you gonna do? Kill the guards?" he laughs. "Don't even know why you're doing this. Still won't tell me why."
There's another pause. It's long and drawn out, and Boomerang sighs after. He's got an almost curious look in his eyes, but it's weighed down by that same look of heaviness that lingers there. She keeps her eyes set on him through it all, somehow.
"You hallucinated the first time that I saw you here."
It's unexpected, to say the least. "What?" Boomerang frowns, fast. "Thought I didn't do anything weird?"
"You were stained with blood. Injured, and alone. You spoke like we had.." she stops, hesitating. "Like I had been there before. You believed that I was in your head. I can't explain it more than that, I do not know what else you saw. I only know that I was here for them, and for you also. You were not in a good way then, and you aren't now. That is why I'm here."
Boomerang drags his teeth over his lip, chewing on it for a moment.
"If you're here for us, you're gonna get hurt like us."
"I won't."
He makes a quiet tsk noise, shaking his head. "Don't know that."
"You don't, either." she pushes. "You don't know as much as you think you do."
It's like he's done with the conversation, from the way he steps back. "Maybe not, but I know you better go now."
Tatsu follows him, mirroring his steps. "Tell me something, first. Tell me why you're afraid."
"Already told you, I'm not-"
"Then what is it?" she asks, waiting. "Tell me, and I will leave. Tell me, Captain, so we can be done here."
His shoulders stay tense, when he turns back to face her. "These pricks, they're watching us right now. You think it's gonna be that easy?" he asks. "Think I'm just gonna be able to say it, even if I wanted to?"
"I thought you weren't afraid of anything."
It feels like it almost calms between them. Tatsu's not sure if she images the feeling, or creates it for herself, but it almost feels that way from the look on his face. It's like he understands now that her words are the truth, and that she's here to deal with this, whatever it is. He hesitates for a second, physically pulling away from her, and the he switches. Just like that, he leans in and opens his mouth.
The words are almost there, the whisper builds on his lips, but there's no time.
"We have authorization to use force to remove you from the inmate's cell, if we deem it necessary." a voice suddenly carries in, from the slot in the door. "You are to leave the cell without disruption or confrontation. After this, Waller wishes to see you immediately."
Tatsu catches it, in a heartbeat. She keeps her gaze on Boomerang, as she listens to the guard waiting outside of the cell. Across from her, Boomerang pulls away again. He steps away, far over to the other side of the cell, and then he looks at her like he's waiting for her to leave. She knows she can't, and not just because they're not done here but because this doesn't feel right.
The voice doesn't sound the same, it isn't the bruised guard that was here earlier. It's a new, one she's never heard before. She catches a faint accent but can't pick it. Tatsu waits, listening as he continues.
"I will repeat this one more time, we have been given authorization to use force to clear the inmates cell. We will do so if necessary. You are to leave the cell without any confrontation or disruption. Violence towards the guards will not be tolerated."
Still, and near the door, Tatsu throws a look over her shoulder. "And, what of Waller?" she asks.
Through the opened square in the cell door, she sees that the guard's in full riot gear. Next, she listens and she hears only the sound of his slow breaths. She hears no one else's voice, no one else's breathing. Just his. He's alone, to use force if necessary to remove Tatsu from the cell, and it still doesn't feel right. So she waits for another second, needing just a little more before she leaves.
"As I said, Waller wishes to see you immediately."
Waller's away. Business somewhere, she recalls Flag telling her earlier, I just know she's back in a few days.
It doesn't fit. Tatsu turns her back to Boomerang, eyes locking on the guard outside of the cell. His face is concealed, covered completely by a helmet. She stares at him for a moment, then nods and starts to walk over towards the door. There's nothing from Boomerang behind her, only silence. Tatsu reaches for the door, pushes it open, and then waits as the guard stands there. Observing her, quietly for a second, then he nods.
"Your cooperation is appreciated." he says. "Now, if you would see to Agent Waller. She's waiting for you."
"May I have your name? So I can tell Agent Waller of your understanding and cooperation."
He doesn't move from his place by the door.
"Anderson."
There's a second before Tatsu leaves that she turns back to catch Boomerang's gaze, or she at least tries to. His back is turned to her, and she notices that his hand is back on his side like he is injured there. She reminds herself to see to it later, and steps out of the guards path. He moves outside of the cell, watching her as she leaves. It puzzles her, why he does this, but she keeps walking away.
The guard waits until she's gone to move again. She's concealed around the side of a corridor when she hears the distinctive sound of Boomerang's cell door opening again. Tatsu stays there, waiting a moment, before she follows it. Not too long, because she already thinks she has an idea of where this is going. It's long enough that the guard Anderson will believe she's gone. She's not sure what to expect, but she thinks she knows where this will lead them.
Tatsu returns to Boomerang's cell quietly. She lingers near the walls, moving fast, like a shadow. It's only when she's closer to his cell that she hears it, the unmissable sound of a struggle. It grows closer as Tatsu does, and when she rounds the corner and steps into the open space of his tiny cell she sees Anderson, or whoever he really is, fighting to jam a needle into Boomerang's neck.
It doesn't feel right. Not at all. There's blood running down the side of Boomerang's jaw like he's been hit, and he's really struggling to keep Anderson away. He's not nearly as tall as Boomerang, but he's large, and it looks like he's already weakened the Captain with some of the prison gear. It takes Tatsu about half a second to make a decision she knows she may regret, but it feels beyond her now; her hands wind around Soultaker before she knows it, she only recognizes it and the way it feels in her palms.
An alarm starts blaring in Belle Reve a second later, distracting Anderson for just a moment. It's enough for Tatsu to take her chance to move, and to pierce Soultaker deep into his heart.
a/n: hi guys, ok so I didn't get to update this soon as I expected or said. 109839933% sure the next one will be up much sooner, I have some time off so expect it soon. ❤ Really sorry about the wait guys.. also yes, someone tried to kill/take Boomer. answers coming soon.
Thanks for all the reviews, I appreciate them and it makes me so happy to read. Means so much. Didn't mean to make you wait this long, will be updating next one much sooner...
P.S sorry about Pinky, but don't worry too much guys, I've got it covered.
guest reviews -
Justafanofyours - ch6 - oct20: aw thank you, I appreciate your comment! and thank you so much. It's such a relief to know you thought I portrayed her well. Thank you for that! My apologies for not updating as soon as I said. I won't ever give up on this fic, and I'm going to try harder (now that I have time) to update more often. Thank you for waiting so patiently & thanks for your comment :)
Newbie - ch6: Thankyou so much! Really glad you liked all of the lines, means a lot to me. And I will be updating sooner from now, apologies for the super late update.
Kay - ch6: hey, thank you! Really glad you liked the description of her dreams. I can't wait to show you more. Thank you for your comment!
Guest - ch6: hi, so sorry! Did not mean to make you feel that way, I really hope the update helps. So sorry. Here it is, next one will be up shortly too.
Sol - ch6: ahh yeah I know, 2 months...Sorry. x
guest - 1: Thank you! Haven't given up, sorry to concern you... Enjoy.
