Electric Sheep

Summary: Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.

Rating: T

Notes: Apologies if this seems rushed... I felt bad that I hadn't posted in so long! Work and roleplay have been eating my attention and life,, Oops. Also! If there are any mistakes, I will reread this soon and try to fix any. If you find any, let me know!

Please review! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

Electric Sheep

Chapter 10

He had been getting used to the quiet.

It was more than he could ever ask for; some peace did him well. Dio found himself floating in the silence, his eyes closed and his breathing evenly. His lungs worked in a wonderfully calm manner, and his heartbeat gently flowed through him. The steady rhythm was lulling; through the darkness, the man concentrated on it – listened for it every second – and felt his thought-stricken mind calm down.

The voice had disintegrated into the dark voids of his mind, no doubt to brood and scheme until his next sleep. But Dio didn't care at the moment; the remnants of his nightmare were fleeting, and he hoped with all his subconscious that he would be able to forget it once he awoke.

His body was immobilized, but it didn't matter one bit. His pulse was at a steady pace, his thoughts slowed down and shifting as though through mud. Not a trace of his quickened, busy mindset remained.

Deep breaths, relaxed muscles, even pulse – everything was perfectly calm, and he was calm, as well.

Again, Dio wasn't a man used to such downtime. Like the bath he had just recently, simple little pleasures in life were usually lost to him. Caught up in his missions and the strong desire to redeem himself in the eyes of the Holy Master, Dio barely got any time to stop and think. To relax.

Not that he would – or could – have it any other way. His goals were far more important, and all the 'mental healthiness' that he needed.

However, while he was in this state, he couldn't deny that it was pleasurable. He'd have to relish the sensations of peace and serenity before it all crashed down when he awoke.

And as if on cue, Dio began to feel himself being dragged back to the conscious world. It wasn't as slow and sluggish as the previous awakenings when he was chained to the sink, but it took longer than he wanted, for sure. His mouth opened slightly and he let out a tired moan. His head was pounding and his chest burned as his eyes fluttered open.

He could practically feel the last of the Soporil dissolve away in his bloodstream. Groggily, his gaze shifted about the room in search of something to give a hint of his current situation. The blurs were preventing him from getting a good look; after a few blinks and a shake of his head, the world finally cleared and revealed his location.

The infirmary in Rhizome-9. He wasn't actually surprised one bit; it was where he'd been waking up lately, after all.

Had he been expecting to wake up to Free the Soul? Was he hoping that the Nonary Game had been some sort of nightmare, and that he was safe in the barracks of the organization again?

He scoffed at the thought, his lips curling into an empty smirk; he was a prisoner here, and he couldn't forget it. However, he also had to remember that his status was only temporary, and all he had to do to get out of this hell was convince Luna to let him go (which couldn't be too difficult for a pushover like her).

Luna...

The name sent shivers down his spine, and he wasn't sure why. His stomach felt heavy – as though he swallowed a bunch of stones. His heart sped up, but not in nervousness. No, he wasn't nervous, though his ailments were common symptoms of that feeling.

This feeling... the way his hands shook and his teeth ground together... this was not happiness. But he didn't know what it was, because it wasn't his usual anger, either.

But he couldn't ponder his strange middle-ground between glee and fury, for he tried to struggle to a sitting position and his chest protested with scorching fiery pain. His eyebrows shot up in surprise and his stomach churned as his hands went up to cover his mouth. Was – was he going to throw up? Bile splashed at the back of his throat, but he couldn't manage to gag or dry heave anything up. He kept his hands where they were just in case, though.

The pain was just so unexpected; though he felt the fleeting hurt as he woke up, he could've never imagined something like this. It was unbearable; was he bleeding? He had to be bleeding. But he needed to check first. Before he could puke his guts out or keel over or whatever, he had to check himself over. He could very well be dying and he would never know until it was too late.

Once he glanced down, he noticed instantly that his shirt was off. Rows of bandages covered his torso tightly, a bit of red seeping through the white. Gingerly, he let one hand go from covering his mouth and hovered his fingers over where the self-inflicted wound was. He winced as he brushed his hand over the injury, retracting it shortly after and examining his palm.

Sure enough, a light red shade colored his skin.

His face paled instantly and he did the first thing that came to his half-conscious mind: scream.

He yelled for Luna, for Brother, for someone. He didn't want to die – at least, not like this. He could kill himself by his own terms, or by Free the Soul's philosophies and contracts. But he didn't want to lie in an infirmary bed and slowly bleed out until nothing remained of Left clone D-10 – Dio.

In his screams, he almost thought he was begging, but he truly couldn't tell. The sight of blood frightened him – but why would it? He had stabbed himself mere days ago, hadn't he? It didn't make any sense, but he was still yelling all the same.

The sound of a door slamming open made him jump, and he stopped for just a moment to look towards the door. Tears were streaming down his face as he sat up, getting a better glance at whoever entered the infirmary.

He wasn't surprised to see the melon-colored hair, nor the light purple dress or apprehensive blue eyes.

"D-Dio, why are you panicking?" Luna asked, the worried look on her face clear as day. "I promise, you're going to be alright!"

"Liar!" Dio snapped, his lips curling back in an animalistic snarl. "Why the fuck am I bleeding!?"

The young woman pressed her lips into a thin line, her eyebrows knitting together in anxiety. "Just... relax," she murmured, her tone oddly soothing. "I just need to change your bandages." Her mouth curled into a smile, nodding to assure him it was okay.

But was it? In the state he was in, Dio wasn't in any position to trust her. The lingering effects of the anesthesia made everything hazy, and his paranoia skyrocketed. The throbbing pain in his chest didn't do him any favors, either.

But Luna didn't respond to his hostile glares and edginess – at least, it didn't stop her. She still took a step forward, and he visibly flinched as she grew closer. His steeled gaze never left her, his eyebrows knit together and his lips formed into a firm frown.

"It's okay," she assured, her blue eyes emitting only gentleness. Carefully, she sat on the edge of the bed and held out her hand. He eyes her palm suspiciously before lightly grasping it – for reasons he couldn't understand. It was as if some instinct told him he would be okay if he did that.

Brother, he hoped he would wake the fuck up soon before he lost sight of himself. But he supposed this helped his whole 'trust me' ruse, anyway.

"Dio, do you remember what happened?"

Her voice broke him out of his thoughts – and some of the haze of sleep. Slowly, he shook his head, arching an eyebrow in confusion. He had woken up here – a bit slower than he would have liked, but it wasn't a big deal. He had been drugged with Soporil again, and-

Wait.

Hadn't he... asked Luna to nix the drug last night? And she had – he had watched her leave and lock the door. So unless she snuck it somehow or came back while he was asleep...

Yes, his consciousness returned all too quickly, smacking him in the face. "W-what the fuck, Luna!?" he yelled, a bit too weak to shove her off the bed (though he sort of wanted to). "You drugged me anyway after telling me you wouldn't?"

The girl's eyes lit up for a moment, something unknown flickering in the light blue irises, before she gave a small sigh. She lifted a hand, clutching that stupid charm around her neck tightly. Finally, after a few moments, she turned her attention back to him with a firm gaze.

"You had a nightmare," she murmured, her face softening into a sad expression. When he didn't respond right away, she continued, "I... heard you screaming, so I came running to find you thrashing on the bed. You were... almost inconsolable."

Dio raised an eyebrow, trying to hide the burning shame making its way into his chest. A nightmare? Yes, he remembered having one, but he couldn't recall Luna coming in at any time. Maybe that's why he was so confused when he woke up; the remnants of the Soporil and night terrors still lingered in his mind and body.

Well, fuck.

He'd really embarrassed himself like that? And he didn't even remember screaming in his sleep, or violently shaking around like she made it sound... or even her administering Soporil to his veins. It fucking sucked – his memory was fuzzy and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

"I don't remember it," he replied, for once honestly. He remembered the dream, but nothing of the conscious world he awoke to."Really. Was it... bad?" What a stupid question. Of course Luna couldn't tell something like that – and didn't she say he was 'inconsolable,' anyway? He sighed and shook his head, correcting himself, "Don't answer that, I know you can't really tell. Uh. I guess... I should maybe thank you for that. For waking me up."

If he hadn't been woken up, he would have suffered longer. And that was something he could thank her for – just this once.

A small smile appeared on her face, and he instantly felt a twinge of regret and satisfaction combined. Damn it, he wasn't supposed to make her happy, but at the same time, it was a good thing, wasn't it? He could gain her trust faster this way – much as he hated using his manners around her.

He opened his mouth to retort something, but she lit up before he could, her own lips formed into an 'o' shape. "T-that's right! Dio, your clothes are out from the wash. I brought them for you."

Oh. Well that was... kind of her. He grimaced, wincing as he sat up and looked over at the clothes. She wasn't talking about the nightmare – was that on purpose? Was she trying to spare him the details of his surely-humiliating actions in the waking world while he suffered in dreams? He wasn't sure if he should be angry or relieved about it.

He accepted the clothes, giving her an expecting glance, as if she could somehow read his fucking mind. But, amazingly, she gave a nod and stood up, brushing off her dress.

"I'll be right outside the door, if you need me. I've left a few things for you on that medical table," she said, giving a nod to indicate the items and turned around. Just once more, she glanced back at him, her blue eyes a bit brighter than he remembered. "Also, I... I have an idea for today, if you're okay with it. Let's do something fun."

And with that, she shut the door behind her, leaving him a bit dumbfounded.

He blinked a few times, wondering what the hell she could possibly want to do that was fun, but he had to get changed before he found out anything, anyway. Carefully, the blond slipped the black t-shirt over his head, wincing as it brushed his bandaged wound. Next, he slid off the jeans and slipped into his gray pants instead, fastening the buckle and walking over to the medical table next to the bed.

It seemed Luna left him hygienic things – deodorant, a brush, toothbrush, etc. Things like that. Necessities for cleanliness. Dio would be lying if he wasn't a bit grateful for that; at least he wouldn't look like a filthy prisoner.

But among the items, Luna had left a mirror. It made sense, of course – how could he know if he looked okay without something to check? It was understandable, and he would definitely use it.

But what he found in the mirror didn't sit well with him – at all.

He looked... worn, almost, his teal eyes tired and listless. Vulnerable. Weak.

The image only told the truth – mirrors didn't lie, after all. Deep down, Dio knew he wasn't anywhere close to what he felt back in that circus – when the lion charged at him, he felt no fear. But it had all been a lie. An ugly, twisted lie that in any other situation, he would not mind spewing out. However... this was different – this was his own life. It affected him.

"Fuck," he muttered, glaring once more at the mess in the mirror. He didn't want to face the fact that it was really him.

Dio wasn't strong. Deep down, he knew this. He couldn't even resist the pull of one woman, after all.

That sin carried on with him, even now, and it only proved his weakness. If he could fall to temptation once, why couldn't he again? What would stop him from messing up and failing at his missions yet again?

That voice in the dream – or Dio's inner thoughts, whatever it had really been – was right. Dio wasn't shit. He messed up too many times, and why should they even want him back?

How could he possibly be valuable to Free the Soul like this? Especially stuck in a facility with no way out, forced to talk to the enemy and trade information for luxuries? Dio just had to be stronger. He was weak – all his life, he had been so weak – but he needed to be strong if he was going to escape. He had to be strong enough to trick Luna into letting him out. He couldn't crack under the pressure, or give into temptation.

But... he had before, and he couldn't ignore that it could happen again. He could lie to himself all he wanted, but the past showed how things turned out in the end. And the consequences of his actions and results from said actions just pushed him further into darkness; the fact that he didn't even recognize what was happening just made it worse.

The arrogant and 'brilliant' leader of the righteous Myrmidons was beginning to hate himself.

Dio's screaming this morning frightened Luna.

It wasn't like him to become so raw; he was always on his guard, and kept any emotions perceived as weak – such as sadness and fear – to himself. From what Luna gathered about the Myrmidons, they were very controlled and organized in a strict manner. It made the GAULEM a bit afraid of how broken through that tough shell must be.

The fact that Dio acted wary around her once he regained his consciousness of the world around him didn't help any, either. The blond seemed on edge since he awoke, and no wonder; Luna had no way of knowing what he had been dreaming about, but it was enough to enter him into such a state that even the core instincts drilled into him by Free the Soul were ignored.

And though some would argue that Dio deserved it, Luna couldn't bring herself to think that way. No one deserved to writhe and cry out on the bed as Dio had, and no one should wake up so disoriented and confused while screaming their lungs out.

Luna's artificial heart broke at his state. She wanted nothing more than to take that pain away from him; perhaps she could carry it herself, if she was able. Though... if she was able to take his burdens, it would let her experience something human, so it would benefit herself, as well. She was quite desperate to feel something outside her programming – even pain would do (though she didn't prefer it, truthfully).

She sighed, running her fingers over the cage of her bluebird necklace. Dio had asked about Maeterlinck's story when he was half-awake, and she had obliged. Though it was obvious he didn't remember it now, she hoped she would have the opportunity to share it again. The story touched her, as did most fairytales. Though... 'The Blue Bird' was special to her, as she was always searching for her happiness.

It made her think about Dio, too. Where was he most happy? Given the turmoil he suffered at night, it was surely not in Rhizome-9, or at least not yet. But was his happiness truly with Free the Soul? Its goal was so evil, though... surely that couldn't be his true purpose? Luna believed in Dio, after all; she knew he could be more than the Left clones. Deep down, Dio was someone different.

She had seen a small part of that man when he hesitated in his anger. When he had nearly smiled at her in the garden. When he had chosen Ally for her when he chose Betray for everyone else.

How long would it take for him to show more of that side of himself again? Would it ever resurface? Luna could only hope. Dio wasn't exactly a poster person for quick changes, after all (that was perfectly okay – progress was progress, no matter how small).

The redhead stood patiently outside the infirmary. It ended up taking Dio a little longer than Luna had predicted to get changed. She almost knocked on the door to make sure he was alright, but it slid open a moment later.

"D-Dio!" Luna cried, offering a smile to him. He met her gaze and raised an eyebrow, frowning. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

The man shrugged, scratching the back of his head. He seemed uncomfortable or nervous, but Luna wasn't going to ask about it. Instead, she continued to smile politely and listened for an answer.

"Uh. It's alright, I guess. Hurts a bit, but I can handle it." He brushed it off like it was nothing; it was hard to believe it had been bleeding quite heavily last night. Dio glanced around awkwardly before settling his gaze onto Luna. "So, what was this 'fun' you were talking about?"

Luna clasped her hands together and exclaimed, "Well... I- I think we need to relax a bit. I promised you a tour of the facility before, but I had gotten so distracted by Lagomorph at the time and I... forgot." She was a bit embarrassed about it, truthfully. "I think we can visit the rooms you didn't get to see during the Nonary Game, in time. But right now, let's go to the recreation room."

Surprisingly, Dio didn't protest. He didn't seem happy about it, but he didn't actually argue. Luna was confident she could make Dio have a bit of fun in the room, as she had fond nostalgia of it. While she never actually 'grew up,' she had watched Kyle do so, and he enjoyed the mechanical rabbit ride (which was modeled after Lagomorph). Perhaps Dio would get some sort of enjoyment out of the room, as well.

She never saw Dio as someone to take care of, nor as a burden, but she still felt the drive to please others all the same. It was in her programming to be motherly, though she hoped she didn't act like this towards the blond man too much – she didn't think he would appreciate it, and she knew he was, in some ways, way more knowledgeable about the world than she was.

Dio was a peer, but Luna couldn't help her sense of care and compassion.

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "So are we going already? I can't wait all day, y'know."

Smiling wider, she nodded and clasped her hands together. "Of course! Let's go." She was just happy he was okay with coming; she was sure he would have fun... or she'd try her hardest, at least.

Dio shoved his hands into the pockets of his garnished jacket. This would probably be stupid, but he couldn't exactly fight it, either. Luna had seen him at his worst, and could use that against him at any time. He never thought he'd see the day, but it seemed like he was a bit afraid of Luna's power over him. At least, the power she held in the facility.

Sighing, he stared at his boots and followed the ends of the long, purple dress towards the elevator. That design on the lavender fabric was crazy; who designed that shit? Dio had tailored his own ringmaster coat, so he was allowed to judge others' fashion choices (or at least, that's how he reasoned it).

He kicked at the ground as they entered the elevator, watching silently as she pressed the button to go up to Floor B. As the machine hummed to life, Dio closed his eyes in thought.

Though he couldn't really care less about this fun Luna was going off on, it was essential for him to play along. The only way to keep his mind off his recurring self-loathing thoughts was to keep focused on his mission: get the hell out of here alive. He had to focus; Free the Soul had trained him to be determined and hardy even in the worst conditions, at least.

Luna's eyes met his for a moment and he had to look away, though he wasn't sure why. It was as if, after that whole shit last night and this morning, things had changed between them. Maybe they'd become a little less than enemies now; wouldn't that be something? The blond had trouble picturing it, and his own unconscious reactions to the girl were agitating him.

Gnashing his teeth together, Dio stood awkwardly until a 'ding' sounded. Luna walked forward once the doors slid open, looking back to make sure the man was following. He just rolled his eyes and continued walking with her, eventually catching up to step beside her instead of behind.

"Um, Dio, are you feeling any better?" Luna asked, her tone a bit apprehensive as she cast another glance his way.

He shrugged, again. She kept asking stuff like this, and he didn't know what to tell her. It wasn't as if it mattered how he was feeling, anyway, so it made no sense for her to even bother. Dio wasn't 'okay' stuck in this facility, and he wouldn't 'feel better' over time. This place was poisonous to someone like him; one of Brother's prestigious soldiers.

"I guess," he offered, his tone bored. "Quit asking, alright?"

"O-oh," she murmured with a slow nod, "Of course. I'm sorry." She seemed anxious again, looking down and fiddling with her necklace. There it was again; that stupid bluebird thing. She always wore it, or at least every day since he'd been here. It held a bluebird inside its golden metal wires. To be honest, he didn't see the significance in it.

So why did seeing it make a nasty taste splash into his mouth? She had tried to tell him the story behind it, but he didn't want any part of it. What did he care about some shitty fairy tale about birds?

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed the annoying voice echo through the hallway.

"Goooooood morning Moony! Oh, and B.O.! Did you kids sleep well~?"

The fucking rabbit. Dio was in no mood for him. His hands balled into fists instantly, and he whipped his head around, trying desperately to find the source of the voice.

"Fuck off," he snapped, trying to focus on something else around them (but failing horribly). Luna gave him a worried look, but couldn't say anything over Zero III's cackling.

"B.O.! I'm just tryin'a say I hop you had a good sleep! Is that such a crime~?"

"For you? Yeah," the blond hissed back, rolling his eyes. "Get lost. I'm not in the mood for you today."

The rodent giggled, still not showing his ugly face. "Aww... poor B.O.! Too bad I carrot leave you alone! I'm afraid'a what you might do to poor lil' Moony!"

"Lagomorph... Don't worry. I'm okay." Luna shook her head, her tone sounding oddly sure and relaxed. It was strange; did she foolishly trust Dio, or was she just putting up a tough front? She didn't seem like the type to do the latter, so maybe she really did think Dio wasn't something to worry about.

That would have made him laugh once, but now it just made him all the more angry.

"Where are you, Zero Jr.? What computer are you hiding in? I'll fucking smash it!" he snarled, turning to look at the melon-haired girl, trying his best to direct his anger at the A.I. and not at her. "Where is the little bastard, Luna!?"

Her hands lifted to wave in front of her face, and she shook her head. "Um... no, Dio, he isn't... I mean... He doesn't technically have a home computer that you can access... and, um... I think you know what will happen if you do..."

"So he's untouchable?" Dio asked, his voice straining in anger. Fuck everything.

"Yup! I'm allllllllways watching, B.O.!" The rabbit cackled, lowering his voice menacingly and adding, "Always~"

Wait a minute. If the rabbit was watching as sharply as he said, then that meant... No, it couldn't be. What... could they do with that sort of footage? How could they possibly use it to their advantage? But Dio knew, deep down, that they could use it, for some purpose, against him...!

His face drained of all color instantly, but instead of lashing out he whispered, "N-no. You... you fucking didn't..." If they had a recording of him crying and thrashing in his sleep, and when he awoke the next morning, as well...

"...morph, we do not require surveillance..."

Honestly, what had become of him? He was a man so determined to earn his sainthood that he would have blown the place to hell if he messed up even a little, just to cover his ass and secure his spot in the new world. Where did that person go? Was he lost in that pitiful fucking kid who had nightmares and cried?

"...nk you..."

A small hand on his shoulder broke him of his trance; he lifted his head, probably looking so fucking pathetic. He couldn't help it; he truly felt like a rat in a cage now, forced to be watched always by his keepers...

"Dio," the soft voice continued to work its way through his despair. He gazed over at the girl next to him, looking into her light blue eyes. Her expression was nothing but gentle and sure. Sad as it was, he needed that sort of look at the moment. "Dio, Lagomorph left us alone for now."

She continued quietly. "He actually... doesn't know about last night or this morning. Everything is daily recorded by the cameras in the facility, but I made sure that he erased all footage of the infirmary." Glancing down for a moment, she added, "I... couldn't do that to you."

Dumbfounded, Dio stood there blinking in surprise. She... did that? For him? No, there... had to be some sort of ulterior motive. But why would she erase something like that? To gain his trust or something? It didn't make any sense; was she just being kind? Why to him?

"Luna... why would you do that?" he asked in confusion. Nothing made sense.

"It's like I said, Dio, I couldn't let you become upset over something like that. Something I could control. Don't worry – I have authority over Lagomorph here. I had him erase everything." She pressed her lips into a reassuring smile, giving a nod. "Let's just relax and have fun today, okay?"

He sighed, giving a shrug, his anger leaving for the moment. "...Sure."

Dio looked around the room; it looked the same as it had during the Nonary Game. He'd seen most of the rooms during their downtime, just curious to see what kind of setup they had here. And he didn't mind this room, as well as the Lounge. The two rooms that weren't all business or technology and seemed to promote relaxation was something that he could get on board with.

Though, to be honest, he couldn't see the old bitch using the two rooms for fun (she was probably too busy being an old crotchety bat).

There was a billiards table in the center of the room, sporting an assortment of colored pool balls in the center, a cue stick laid down next to them. A small patch of the green table was colored darker, for some reason (probably part of the puzzle – Dio wasn't in this room during the Game).

For the most part, it seemed like a normal recreation room; dart board on the wall, record player in the corner, deer head decoration, and the like. A weird set of armor suits were in one corner, displaying a range of weapons in their metal hands (not for Dio to touch, he could already tell). Those were strange, he supposed, but there was one particular item in the room that managed to spook Dio.

A fucking kiddie ride was in the corner – the kind that were still outside the post-apocalyptic supermarkets back on earth. He'd seen them before; they operate on small coins and entertain kids for a few minutes while their parents take a breather. Granted, he'd never seen one in action due to the world being sort of... hell, but still. Dio knew what it was, at least.

The problem wasn't the weirdly-placed ride, it was what it was shaped like. Though Zero III stood on his hind paws, the quadrupedal animal the machine was shaped like was definitely him. It had every little detail, down to his stupid hat. That damn rabbit seemed to follow them everywhere – wasn't there a doll of him somewhere in the facility, too?

Did the Kurashiki woman have a rabbit fetish or something?

Suppressing a shiver at the thought, he turned his attention away from the creepy ride and noticed Luna standing near the dartboard. Arching an eyebrow, he asked, "You want to play darts?" That was her big wowza idea? What a letdown; though he should've expected this, as Luna was boring.

She didn't notice his boredom, however, and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I mean... I think it would be fun for us to play a game. It won't be a puzzle; just a regular few round of darts. We can also play billiards, if you like... But I think darts would be a good game to start with." He wondered why that was, but didn't ask and merely crossed his arms.

"Yeah? How many rounds?"

"Um... best two out of three?"

"Sure. Care to make things a bit more interesting, then?" He gave a smug look, lifting his head to make himself look more confident than he felt.

"W-what?"

"Are you deaf? I mean I'll play if we can make a bet."

"Oh? Um... well, I can't let you leave, if that's what you're thinking..."

He rolled his eyes. "No. I'm not stupid. You said you'd give me my own room if I told you stuff, right? Well, what if I beat you? It's not information, but it's a bet. I'll do whatever you want if you beat me." He tried to sugarcoat it as best he could; it was so obvious he would win, anyway.

She seemed to consider it. "It sounds reasonable... but I don't know what I would want you to do..."

"Ugh, really?" He looked around the room, his eyes settling on that creepy ride (it was the first thing that he saw, but it would do). "I'll... ride that thing. I'm sure you'll get a kick out of that." This part of the bet didn't matter, because Dio didn't intend to lose.

After a few moments to think it over, Luna nodded. "Okay, Dio. If you win, I will talk with Ms. Kurashiki about getting you your own room here. If I win, you will ride the rabbit ride, and we can go to the garden and... talk a bit more about things. Okay?"

"What kind of things?"

"Just... things. I suppose I... would like to get to know you better."

Again, it didn't matter. He rolled his eyes; as long as he didn't put anything about Free the Soul or Brother in jeopardy, those were fair terms. He nodded, holding out his hand. "Fine, it's a deal."

She clasped his hand tightly, reminding him vaguely of what he had felt when he'd held her hand before. The anxious, unsure feeling he couldn't place.

Whatever. It didn't matter, because he was prepared to win. It was just a fucking game of darts, right?

"Prepare to lose."

An hour and a half, nearly three rounds, and about two dozen usages of the word 'fuck' later, however, he was about to eat his words.

Luna, quite frankly, was kicking his ass. She'd managed to win two games in a row, but they had decided to play the last game, anyway. Just for fun – or maybe to torture Dio some more.

He frowned as it was his turn, kicking the leg of the pool table in frustration. There was no possible way to catch up to her now, not with this being his last throw. She had flipped a switch on the dartboard before they played to change the settings from 'puzzle' to 'normal' or whatever, so there wasn't any chance of it being rigged.

She was just... really good at it.

"How the fuck are you doing this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

Tilting her head a bit, Luna blinked in confusion. "Um... I'm not doing anything, Dio. I'm just trying my best!"

Stupid, stupid naïve smile. It did make sense for her to be good, he supposed; she spent more time here than he had. And he had been stupid and was so sure he could play darts despite never fucking picking up a dart in his life that the hadn't considered her experience, as well. Talk about not sizing up your opponent before competing with them.

He growled and looked down at his hand, balled into a fist, wanting to just hurl anything he could at the dart board (something besides darts; that trident one of the armor suits was holding looked nice). But before he could think it over more, he felt a dart placed in his hand, and warm fingers brush against his palm.

Luna placed a dart in his hand, giving him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, just try your best," she encouraged with a nod. Gritting his teeth in anger, the man hurled the dart towards the board.

It hit a blue space, on the outside – 20 points. But it wasn't enough to match Luna's much higher score. Frowning, he turned to her, expecting to see her gloating.

She was smiling (as usual), but she held her hand out for him to shake. "Good game, Dio. I had fun!"

He wanted to retort that he didn't have fun. Except it had been originally for fun, except he changed the rules and took the fun away. Fuck... now it wasn't fun at all! And that was only his fault.

"N-no! No, I won't... I won't get on that thing!"

"B-but... But Dio, you wanted to bet..."

He glared at the girl, crossing his arms. "That's... that's not fair! You... cheated!" He paused, taken aback by his words a bit; was he... whining? Fuck, maybe he was a little kid. A deal was a deal, and Dio was a man, wasn't he? Even if she somehow cheated or hustled him, it was still honoring his promise.

And Brother knew he needed to gain Luna's trust here; as small as it was, not fighting this stupid outcome of their bet was probably a step in the right direction.

They stood in silence for a moment, Dio's fists trembling and every part of him protesting, before he finally yelled out, "F... fine!"

He marched over to the stupid ride, climbing on it as best he could. It actually was big enough for him to fit on (probably even for someone as big as K); clearly, it wasn't created for a kid. He watched Luna approach with a red coin; he'd never let her know, but he was a bit... nervous, he supposed.

It was entirely new for him.

Who knew how fast these things went? Maybe this one was altered for faster speeds or something for the puzzle... He had no way of knowing. But she wouldn't put him on something she knew was dangerous, would she? Every part of him wanted to say that yes, she would, but after the incident last night and the morning after, he couldn't think that way. At least, not until she proved herself an untrustworthy bitch again. Her actions spoke good for her, for once.

Clammy hands grabbing the handle in front of him, Dio gave a nod to her and watched her smile gently. He was about to retort something when the machine hummed to life; instantly, he flinched and held on tightly, as if he was on a fucking roller coaster or something.

But, to his surprise (and relief), the ride seemed to be swaying slowly in a up, down, and around motion. Like a merry-go-round without the spinning thing, almost. He didn't mind it, actually, and his grip loosened. As he looked up from his gaze on the mechanical rabbit's head, he saw Luna standing close by.

She had a grin on her face, but it wasn't a mocking one.

"Dio! Are you... having fun?" she asked, clasping her hands together.

He held onto his hat and shoved it down, over his eyes, to try to hide the flush that began to spread across his cheeks. Damn it, he was embarrassed because of this stupid ride.

"Shut up...!" he groaned, wishing for the thing to stop now. He wanted to get off it and run away, back to the infirmary and hide his face in a pillow or something. The hot feeling on his face wasn't going away; in fact, at her giggles, it only grew worse, making his heart speed up and his breath catch in his throat.

He fought the urge to jump off – You need to earn her trust and this is a good way to start – and wallowed in his shame until he heard a clicking noise, and a small flash. Was that...? He had little time to ponder it, as the ride came to a stop moments later. He climbed off instantly, inspecting the box in front of the ride, where Luna had put the coin.

Of course there was a lion head decoration on the front (he wasn't too keen on lions at the moment, after that nightmare), and on the other side, a lens (how the hell did he miss that?) and a slot that spit out a photograph a second later. He snatched up the picture, looking it over.

The Dio in the picture looked sorta wary of the thing, but had his hat over his eyes and was clearly blushing. Luna approached him, and he held a hand out for her to stay back for a second. His eyes scanned the image and took every last inch of it in before his features scrunched into disgust.

This wasn't what Dio wanted to look like – even in one dumb photograph. He was the proud and prestigious leader of the Myrmidons, not a fucking dope.

Angrily, he tore the picture in half, turning to Luna. Her eyes seemed a bit clouded for a moment before she focused her attention back on him. "U-um, Dio, we can... have a rematch?"

"What, so you can beat me again?"

"I... know you want your own room. If you do beat me, I will let you have just that, okay? I promise."

With a shrug, the blond walked towards the door. "Fine. But tomorrow. Let's go eat; I'm fucking starving."

The girl smiled towards him, nodding. "Okay! Lead the way." She gave a small giggle, making him raise an eyebrow. She was... giving him a small amount of freedom? Well, it wasn't much, but it was... something.

He smirked back at her silently, turning around. The door slid open, and he walked outside.

Unbeknownst to him, however, Luna had bent down and picked up the photograph's remains. She glanced at the picture, of the image of Dio looking embarrassed and a bit more relaxed and very... human. Giving a soft smile at the pieces, she placed them into her pocket and hurried to catch up with him.