A/N: Yes that's right everyone! I managed to update!
I am happy to say that I am feeling much, much better and I totally cracked down on the writing. So here it is, almost 9,000 words of story. Yep, I do work.
Let me explain a little bit about this chapter before you get into it.
This chapter and the upcoming one used to be one chapter. I had to break it apart because it was so long. Seriously, I'm currently working on the other piece and it's got a good 5,000 words on it. Personally, I don't mind reading extremely long chapters. I just don't like posting extremely long chapters. I feel like it's too much information at once. Your poor brains!D: Besides, you all have lives. You can't waste your day sitting at your computer!
This chapter's ending might be a little strange b/c of that. I tried to round it out but...meh. :/ You be the judge.
Look Albedo's here! Don't get too excited though, it's not a nightmare yet.
Also, I've got to go ahead and warn you guys that this is the first time I've actually written Wilhelm. He only gets a short part in this chapter but I've tried to keep him as IC as possible.
Oh, and while I'm at it, this site's document manager has been giving me problems so if anything seems out of place I'm totally sorry. Let me know and I'll try to fix it.
Warning: Wilhelm! D:
Disclaimer: Xenosaga isn't mine. Go figure.
"It really did hurt you deeply when you were told that what you were looking for was not your conversion, but a coffer for your miseries. In that way you would be able to carry on comfortably — but with a taste of bitter aloes — bearing that sorry load."
- Saint Josemaría Escrivá's Furrow
Abnormally Attracted To Sin
Chapter 10
Concede
"You wish to see him."
Smooth and monotone, Wilhelm's voice found Albedo in the dimly lit office. Albedo was silent in response. He didn't need to speak. He didn't need to say anything. What would be the point? Wilhelm already knew. Red eyes moved their line of vision from the Compass of Order and onto the White Testament. Albedo met his stare from behind his mask. Wilhelm smiled, a pale, placid thing, and closed his eyes; black amusement on porcelain skin.
"I'm almost surprised."
Wilhelm's smile resembled more of a sneer the longer Albedo watched it. Still he remained calm and quiet. There was no point in being affected by anything Wilhelm said or did. It wasn't going to change anything. So he stood in silence, hating the being in front of him, and waited for an answer.
"I don't normally receive requests."
Wilhelm opened his eyes and fixed his compass with a complacent stare. "He haunts you. I imagine it would be difficult to become so disconnected with him."
Albedo held back his annoyance. He could repair their severed link instantly if it weren't for Wilhelm's orders not to. Albedo hated that he had to follow orders. He hated that he had to ask permission. He hated that his destiny was held in the spinning of Wilhelm's compass and he hated how he could do nothing to change it. He didn't care about power or immortality the way Voyager did and he didn't want to revisit in the past the way Virgil did. He agreed for Rubedo. The mere mention of Yuriev's return had been all it took for him to agree. Albedo wasn't about to let someone as simple as Dmitri destroy his dragon. Even that hadn't been his decision. Wilhelm had known just as much as Albedo himself that Albedo would never deny his brother life.
But being so disconnected from his beloved brother was harder than he had originally thought. If he was to be obedient then he was going to have to receive some sort of compensation. Wilhelm hadn't been phased one bit by Albedo's request. He had seemed interested, intrigued even. Now he stood before fate himself, hating his predicament and waiting for an answer. He was going to see Rubedo. If he had to defy Wilhelm so be it.
They could do this the easy way or the hard way.
Wilhelm blinked white eyelashes and pushed himself up from his seat. He walked over to gaze out of the glass walls surrounding his office. Every motion he made was smooth and calm as if he had all the time in the world. And why shouldn't he? He had the universe on his desk, dancing to the spinning motion his compass predicted.
"You have served me well. It would be shameful of me to deny you such a simple request."
Wilhelm moved his head slightly towards the door behind Albedo. That was when he noticed Kevin. When he had arrived Albedo was unsure, but he was there, hovering just outside of his line of vision. An aura of unease emanated to the White Testament from Kevin. Albedo allowed himself to snicker at the feeling. What was he afraid of? He couldn't possibly be worried for Wilhelm's sake. Albedo needed to live long enough to protect Rubedo and wouldn't try something as foolish as attacking him. Even if he was to try something so stupid what would Lust do? Trying to kill him would be pointless. Albedo was just as immortal and just as powerful as Lust over there. Kevin liked to pretend he was stronger, more important than the others. Perhaps he was and Albedo was misjudging the power of Lust. Or maybe that was just what Wilhelm wanted Kevin to believe. Either way, Wilhelm didn't need his protection.
"Sir," Kevin announced, walking past Albedo to Wilhelm's desk.
He began to continue when Wilhelm interrupted.
"Kevin, what do you have planned for Albedo?"
Kevin's mask turned to Albedo for a quick moment then back to Wilhelm in confusion. That answered his question.
"There is a very pressing matter that will be demanding much of his attention. Give his tasks to Virgil or to Voyager."
Albedo was visibly surprised at Wilhelm's decision but he quickly corrected his body language. Kevin only nodded.
"Your gratitude astounds me," Wilhelm spoke, that black amusement again. "Unfortunately I cannot permit you to leave. There are rules."
Wilhelm turned his head to Albedo for confirmation.
Albedo had expected something like this but he wasn't going to submit without knowing the terms. He nodded for him to continue.
"I will let you have your fun," Wilhelm said, quietly, "Though your power must be restricted."
He turned to face the darkness beyond his window, placing his hands behind his back.
"You may contact him only through dreams. While awake you are not allowed near him but you may manipulate his perception. In his dreams his mind is yours. Do what you will with him but don't kill him."
Wilhelm gave a small chuckle here and shook his head, "No. I don't think that would be the desired outcome."
Contact with Rubedo every time he slept was much more than the small amount that he had originally asked for. Albedo kept waiting for the catch, the condition that would make him reject the offer Wilhelm was giving him.
"It goes without saying that he cannot know that you are alive. Not yet," Wilhelm glanced over at his precious compass. "And so in his sleep, you must appear as your past self. Whatever memory your brother holds of you will be the persona you will take."
There it was. Albedo knew already what Rubedo's memories of him were. Rubedo remembered a monster.
Wilhelm could sense Albedo's displeasure.
"You are not happy with these arrangements. But I have not finished explaining."
Wilhelm's eyes lingered on the compass as if confirming that what he was going to say would be something he could actually follow through with.
"I know the kind of love you have for your brother. I know the kind of love that you desire from him."
Kevin, who had went from slightly confused to completely lost in this conversation, jerked his mask to face Albedo's in disbelief. Albedo ignored him. He wasn't afraid to admit it and he dared Lust to judge him.
"If you are able, through his memories of you, to make him confess his love for you...Then you may reveal to him your true self."
Kevin took his disbelief off of Albedo and turned it on Wilhelm.
Wilhelm returned Kevin's expression with his own painted, porcelain version. He raised a white eyebrow towards the Red Testament, questioning if he had any protests to his decision.
What was sane of Albedo was screaming at him not to do it. It was telling him that it wasn't worth it. None of it was worth it. It told him to be patient. He could wait. And Albedo thought about it. He worked out all of the angles and weighed the pros and cons. If he went through with this, there was no telling the kind of affect it would have on Rubedo. He glanced up at Wilhelm's compass. Wilhelm had given him permission so whatever the outcome it could not have been too drastic. As impersonal as the immortal was, he wouldn't allow any more harm than necessary to Rubedo. He was too important and if Wilhelm wanted his plans to continue it was in his best interest to keep Rubedo alive. Maybe then, it would be ok. Maybe, in the restless spinning of that compass, Albedo pulled through. If he could, he'd have the rest of their immortal lives to make up for everything he'd ever done wrong. And for everything he was planning to do. How Albedo wished he could read the compass. If only for a moment. Just to make this decision.
"Your decision can be made whenever you like," Wilhelm said, a shrug in his voice. "Do know, however, that if you break any of these rules you will be forced to end this game. You will be forbidden from any contact with him and you will have scarred him for no reason."
Albedo nodded. He would be careful. He turned to leave when Wilhelm stopped him.
"Oh," Wilhelm said, "Keep in mind that if you harm him in his sleep he will sustain the injuries when he awakes."
Albedo hesitated once, but nodded in acknowledgement.
"It has been a long time since I've seen a good show. I look forward to your performance."
"Is there...something I need to be...informed on...sir?" Kevin asked, as Albedo vanished.
Wilhelm sighed, a tiny sound. "It is unimportant and tiresome to explain."
Red eyes focused their attention away from the Red Testament and onto the vast blackness outside of the Dämmerung.
"Her construction goes well."
"Yes. The proceedings are ahead of schedule. Are there any specifications or requests?"
Wilhelm shook his head.
"No. If it has begun...everything is moving smoothly."
Kevin paused, reluctant to ask. "Sir, Albedo's involvement-"
"There is no need to worry. It is only a game."
"A game?"
Wilhelm's lips curled up slightly into the subtle, painted smile that had taunted Albedo.
"A strange reenactment of Beauty and the Beast. Fitting Actors, don't you agree? Pull back the curtains and call them forth onto this stage. Their audience awaits."
Jr. didn't make it to his room. Instead he sat himself down on a bench in the Durandal's Residential Area. He didn't need to rest, he needed to think. He took a deep breath and leaned back against his seat.
What had happened on the bridge...there was no way that had been an ordinary headache. And that sound…what could have possibly caused that sound? It wasn't the normal ringing that accompanied migraines. This pain had been different. It had been as if someone had been groping around inside of his mind. It had felt like a reversal of his spiritual link. From an end that shouldn't exist...not anymore. He must be going crazy. He'd smacked his head harder than anyone had thought and the bleeding in his skull was drowning his poor brain.
The nightmares and the hallucinations had to be part of the healing process. They'd disappear as soon as he was better. He could get through them. It wasn't like they were anything to worry about. The wounds he had sustained had to have been there since the accident. He'd just been so disoriented that he hadn't seen them. He wasn't crazy and he wasn't about to concede to insanity.
His lie had been so bad he was sure no one believed it. The people investigating weren't going to find anything or anyone. Jr. really hoped the doctor kept his mouth shut. He had plenty of other things to deal with at the moment. All of this stress wasn't helping him get any better that was for sure.
Exasperated, he bent over and placed his head in his hands. What a mess. He felt something press against his skin and pulled back. It was his medicine capsule. He was still holding it. He frowned at it. It was meant for the pain. It wasn't going to make the nightmares or the noises stop. It would probably make them worse if anything else. Jr. didn't have pain except for the times he was hallucinating anyway. If he took medicine and it made him drowsy then it was ultimately useless. This little capsule wasn't going to work. Still...he'd promised to take it. He thought about it, rolling the medicine back and forth across his palm. He felt a little silly when he thought about it. It was medicine. It wasn't going to rip him apart or cause him to explode. It helped. Medicine was supposed to help and it might, if he was truly sick. But…what if he wasn't? What if there was something more behind this? If Albedo had miraculously survived…Jr. shook the idea away. Albedo had been known to survive everything and anything that had tried to destroy him but there was no way he could have...
Could he?
Impossible had never held any meaning to Albedo before. Jr. hesitated. He needed to know. He needed to make sure. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. He didn't want to touch that part of his mind. Albedo, that bastard; even in death he wouldn't stop and if he was still alive...
Jr. must be going crazy.
It couldn't be healthy. No healthier than digging up a coffin to make sure a body still lie in it. He took a deep breath, steeled himself against whatever he might find and opened a connection. It was a weak one because he didn't want to attract Gaignun's attention and it was a slow process because Jr. himself wasn't sure that he wanted to find out the answer. In the end he came up with nothing; just a black empty spot where Albedo used to be. He wanted to be sure, so he pressed against the edges of his link as if he were going to force the connection. The process failed and caused a searing pain in his head. He gasped a little, disconnected immediately, and shook off the feeling.
What a stupid idea that had been. Jr. was apparently full of stupid ideas lately. Of course Albedo was dead. Of course he wasn't coming back and of course these past few days had been nothing but trauma induced hallucinations.
Jr. glanced back down at the capsule in his hand, running his free one through his red hair.
If Albedo had survived Jr. would have known by now. That psychopath had been stuck to him like glue his entire life. He should feel better about him being gone. He should feel relieved that he didn't have to worry about what his maniac twin was going to try next. He should be doing something productive. He should be getting back to work and he should be serving the Foundation as the director she deserved. He should be…
Enough! These delusions of his were pointless. It was time for a serious reality check. Jr. was waking up today and everything was going to slide back into place.
Punishing himself wasn't getting Jr. anywhere.
He really needed to get off the Durandal for a while. A walk around the Foundation sounded really good for some reason, despite the fact that Gaignun had stamped some sort of prohibition act on Jr.'s forehead. He knew where his little brother kept his alcohol and he wasn't above stealing it.
Jr. stood up and made his way to the transport as it slid to its stop. Employees filed in and out as Jr. walked towards the open doors. Jr. wasn't crazy. He just needed to relax for a little while. He really needed to straighten out the mess he had made too. Jr. paused for a moment outside of the transport and took one last look at the capsule in his hand before tossing it down into the shuttle's path.
The world was better off without Albedo anyway.
What gift he had been given, or was gift the correct word? Curse would be more appropriate. What should he expect after selling his soul to the devil? The decision was his alone, or that was what Wilhelm had told him. Albedo wondered how much truth there was in that. He wondered what that damn compass on Wilhelm's desk would have to say.
Albedo decided quickly that sanity was an annoying creation.
Wilhelm's Dämmerung was far behind him now. His footsteps echoed noisily off Michtam's crystalline floor instead, filling the lonely space with the incessant clicking of his boots. The only inhabitants of this forgotten planet wandered as aimlessly as he did; lost souls looking for purchase on polished ground. He ignored them as they ignored him. Neither cared that the other existed. Albedo wasn't human and he had no interest in pillars of salt. He liked it here despite the unseemly creatures. It was devoid of humanity and only the looming munitions of apocalypse resided in this forsaken fortress.
He assumed Voyager would be around. Greed had fond memories of Michtam but it was of the crumbling upper levels and not the cold crystalline heart where the White Testament was currently wandering.
He wanted to find some sort of abandoned area, one away from the brainless masses of consciousness skulking the halls. How could he think properly with them floating about like bloated actors flaunting their pitiful forms to a disparaging crowd? He followed paths were few Gnosis existed and continued until their diminishing numbers vanished completely.
Rubedo, Rubedo, Rubedo. What was Albedo to do about Rubedo?
clink...
His twin was constantly consuming his thoughts. Nothing else mattered.
clink...clink...
Then again when had anything else matter?
clink...clink...clink...
There had never been a time. Not in his entire life.
Clink! clink...clink...
Was his need to see Rubedo so bad? Was he so desperate that he would torment the little dragon until he broke?
Clink!...Clink!
Yes...Yes he was.
Clink! Clink! Clink, clink...
And break Rubedo he would.
Clink...clink...
Afterall, it would take an insane Rubedo to believe in a sane Albedo.
CLINK!
Albedo snapped out of his thoughts quickly and found that he'd walked into a piece of crystal. It stretched across his path like a barricade to keep him from going any farther. Curious, he looked up to find that it was from the ceiling. It must have fallen. Tiny shards of blue encircled it in mockery of the shape it once held. After a moment of staring at it, Albedo decided that the broken crystal could take his weight and he used it as makeshift bench as he plotted his brother's downfall.
Downfall…Albedo grinned. That was exactly what it would be. The White Testament wondered slightly if he would be able to return to his former maddened glory. If he was unable to mimic his old self, Wilhelm would end it all without a second thought. He should start out slow at first. If Rubedo's mind was Albedo's toy then perhaps he could drape himself in Rubedo's imaginings. It wouldn't take long for Albedo to regain himself.
Albedo tilted his head and brought his right hand to his face, hoping the hidden numbers might burn through with some kind of answer.
That was the point or so he assumed. Rubedo would have to love the beast first. It would be difficult, even Albedo was not sure of how he would do this. He could simply stop if he thought Rubedo was in true danger. But…how easy would it be to stop? What if Rubedo's image of him became some sort of narcotic? Something Albedo couldn't escape even in Testament form? Sinking into insanity wasn't something he wanted to revisit if he won Rubedo's acceptance. Not entirely.
He was frustrating himself. Nothing had ever stopped him before. Albedo obtained what he wanted, when he wanted, whenever he wanted it. If he wanted Rubedo then what should stop him?
Nothing.
Teleportation was a silent method and Albedo wouldn't have noticed the intruder if not for Michtam's floor alerting him to the footsteps. The crystals shrieked under the power of his weight as the trespasser stomped over to Albedo.
"So he gave you special permission, huh?"
Virgil. Albedo was a little surprised that the blue testament would care enough to find him. The footsteps behind Albedo paused for a moment.
"So what," the addict spat. Albedo knew Virgil wanted a reaction, but the White Testament didn't feel like playing today.
"You get some special treatment for making your path back to him? You somehow get a level of respect for doing absolutely nothing except tormenting him? For following your own selfish desires?"
Special treatment...malediction in the guise of a largesse wasn't exactly what Albedo would call 'special treatment'. At least not when he had to sacrifice what he had become to regain something he once was. Yes he was selfish. Albedo had never said that he was going to be fair. His love was a selfish one and it always had been.
"You're no better than us." Virgil's voice continued, trying to pull Albedo's focus away from his brother and onto him.
Gluttony was quick to anger and seemed constantly in need of a fight. It tickled Albedo and he'd usually entertain him but his presence was annoying at this particular moment. His twin was the most important thing right now and he needed to make a decision. If Albedo was going to do this he would have to do it right. If Albedo was going to risk this it had better be worth it. If Albedo was going to do this he'd have to make sure that he made it through. He'd better be ready for any consequence and he'd better be ready for him; Rubedo was stubborn and he wasn't going down easily.
Aggravated, the addict threw a small tantrum and knocked Albedo's hand out of his line of vision.
How rude.
"You have something to say?"
Why yes, yes he did. Albedo grinned, the wicked way that had once been his signature. He could do this. He would do this. He would accomplish exactly what he needed to and he would do it without fail. There was no other way. He needed Rubedo and he'd be damned if he didn't get him.
Sanity could scream and fight and protest all it wanted but Albedo...well, he'd never been completely sane to begin with.
A quiet laugh escaped him at the thought. Had there ever been any other answer?
Done with his brooding and ready for the theatre Wilhelm had prepared for him, he turned up to meet the gaze threatening to sear through Virgil's mask.
"I like it better when I can see your face, Addict. The scars of gluttony are agonizingly beautiful."
Synthetic air hit him hard. Relief washed over him the minute he was on Foundation ground. It was a little overwhelming and Jr. suddenly wondered slightly if he hadn't needed that medicine after all. It had been dark when Jr. made it off the shuttle. He was surprised at first by how late it was but decided not to try and recount his day in order to find lost time. It was around 11 o' clock right now and that's all that mattered.
By now Jr. would be at the Iron Man drinking grown men under the table and buying everyone shots until he finally allowed chaos to drag him home. It was what he should have been doing and something he really needed to do to unwind. Unfortunately, because of Gaignun's penchant for keeping him sober, no one would give him any alcohol. With a heavy sigh he decided to skip that district all together. He'd get in a hover car and just ride around in it for a while. He couldn't think of anywhere specific he wanted to be. If he saw something that caught his attention then maybe he'd get out and walk.
It didn't take him long to find a hover car and it took even less time to program it. Auto pilot tonight. Jr. didn't plan on operating it manually this time. He'd learned his lesson...for now. He planned a route that circled the whole Foundation. He'd had no real destination anyway. It might be relaxing to ride around and perhaps better for him than returning to his room. Jr. finished the last bit of coordinates and leaned back as the craft began to make its route.
The vehicle Jr. sat in was nothing like supped up thing he had acquired the last time. While that one had been modified for speed, this one was for comfort. Its interior mirrored the limo he had ridden in during his chase on Second Miltia. The size was half that of the previous car however, and the front was more rounded, mimicking the shape of a pentagon rather than one of a rectangle. The black interior cast the car's insides into almost complete darkness with the help of the Foundation's night cycle. The neon blue of the control panel was the only lighting. Jr. sank back into the plush seat and leaned his head against a window.
The machine ran smoothly over Foundation streets, weaving in and out of traffic when its sensors signaled clear of any other craft. It was cool and quiet lights illuminated the night and filtered their way through the windows, occasionally running across the dark seats or flashing over Jr.'s form. He'd always loved it here at night. The Foundation was just as restless as its Little Master.
Jr. couldn't help himself. The peaceful atmosphere along with the comfort of his seat was betraying him. He wasn't sure if he was fighting sleep to prevent nightmares or fighting simply for the sake of fighting it. He'd practically spent the last week asleep; shouldn't he stay awake a little longer? It made him feel lazy despite the fact that he "needed" the rest that was so stealthily trying to claim him. He rubbed his hands across his face and pushed forward a little. He should get out and start walking now but he was loath to leave the comfort of his hovercraft. A quick look out of his window told him that he was in the middle of a freeway and couldn't get out quite yet. He shrugged and glanced over at the control panel. Point 4578, passing Sector 62. By now most of the Foundation had been rebuilt. There were a few sectors that remained abandoned or in disuse however. Jr. planned to completely rebuild deserted sectors and there was a flooding of paperwork; people requesting, buying, selling old pieces of property. Jr. had personally selected a few sectors to be specifically built as residential sectors and 62 had been one of them. It was the first time Jr. had been by the sector since the Gnosis attack and he was happy to see the nearly completed construction work. A day or two more and it would be finished. Sectors 70 through 80 had been slated for complete reconstruction but that wouldn't start until the completion of residential sectors. The thought made Jr. curious and he ran his fingers over the control panel, commanding the hover car to travel down the abandoned sectors.
It would take another forty-five minutes to get there and Jr. decided he needed something to keep himself awake. He played with the buttons until he found the radio. Jr. hesitated for a moment, that phantom sound running through his mind again, but shrugged it off. It was just music. He connected to the UMN and flipped through stations until he found something. Jr. had always been a fan of classical music and was happy to find a station that was playing it. As he leaned back into his seat again he started wondering if it would make him fall asleep instead of keep him awake. He decided that he was too lazy to try and change it. He pressed his head against the window again and tried to keep his eyes open. He couldn't fight it much longer, he was simply too tired. Just as his mind was about to wander down a path he'd been fighting to stay off all day, the music caught his attention.
He'd heard it before. Jr. sat up a little straighter and shook his mind clear of sleep. It was lively and vibrant, awakened him immediately to its sound. There was something about this song. Had he heard it before? He turned it up, trying to discern just what it was about this music. It wasn't classical; at least he wasn't sure it was. Ancient yes, it was from the Lost Jerusalem era, but it didn't sound classical... Jr. frowned. What was it that was bugging him about this song? After listening to a few more measures he was sure he'd heard it before. There was a small panel that he could press beside the radio and it would tell him everything he needed to know about it. He started to reach for it but stopped. No, he'd heard it before. He could figure it out. He needed something to keep him awake anyway.
The song was halfway over and Jr. still couldn't figure it out. Maybe it was the composition that sounded familiar? He tapped his hand against the dashboard, making a mental list of all the composers he could think of. Nothing. He let out a groan. What was it? His patience finally ran out and he pressed the button. A small screen appeared from the panel with the current song's information typed across it.
Song: Libertango
Composer: Ástor Piazzolla
Genre: Classical Tango/Tango Nuevo
Composed during the Lost Jerusalem era, exact century unknown.
Ástor Piazzolla. Piazzolla. 'You've got to be kidding me,' Jr. thought to himself. Reflex kicked in and Jr. immediately changed the song almost without realizing it. Music from the next station poured out of the speakers toward him and Jr. watched the information on the screen change along with the station.
Song: Oblivion
Composer: Ástor Piazzolla
Genre: Classical
Composed during the Lost Jerusalem era, exact century unknown.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Jr. growled. He slammed down on the button; forcing it to jump three stations from the one Jr. had been on. Still, it was the same thing everywhere. Piazzolla. No matter what station Jr. was on it was always Piazzolla. The guy's music wouldn't stop; Soledad, Adiós Nonino, Summit, Cumparista, Cholco! Every station, every time he pressed the button that name would pop up. Finally in a fit of rage, he disconnected the whole damn radio. The good, calm, relaxed feeling he had felt earlier had completely vanished. In its place paranoia reawakened and Jr. glared at the panel, out the windows, to the empty passenger seat beside him.
'It's just a coincidence,' he tried to tell himself. 'Albedo's dead. You know that.'
Jr. stopped the car, not caring anymore where he was. Walking would have been a better idea.
He half expected something to grab him the minute he stepped out of the car. He expected Albedo himself to be standing out there, ready to pull him into some sort of sadistic depravity. It proved to only be his paranoia. Nothing jumped for Jr. or materialized out of the darkness to drag him into some twisted other world. The abandoned sector was just that, abandoned. No one was there.
The area had been devastated by the Gnosis attack. The empty buildings were charred and blackened by fires, causing the structures of most buildings to fall in on themselves. Jr. leaned back against the outside of his hover car. The unsettling thought that this was perhaps his nightmare world flashed through his mind. After a moment of deliberation he decided that it wasn't. The image of his wounded Foundation was a bit grounding. This night was not turning out the way he had wanted it to. He needed a serious dose of alcohol. He'd raid Gaignun's later; he was here so he might as well look around a bit.
The sector Jr. walked wasn't completely unrecognizable. Most of the buildings had survived enough to continue standing. Some buildings were even illuminated by the flickering of light fighting to stay bright. This was real. The devastation the Foundation had felt was real. All of the nightmares, the black outs, the strange noises were all in his head. Finding comfort in destruction wasn't exactly what he had planned either but it was working. Jr. wanted to think of it as a chance for rebirth instead of a gravesite. A little positive thinking truly never hurt.
Jr. felt his paranoia start to slip away as he explored the sector's buildings. His eyes grazed the names of shops and restaurants and he even walked inside a few if it wasn't too dark inside. This sector was a small one and Jr. found himself at the end of before he even realized it. He shrugged at the thought and checked the time. It was one-thirty. He should probably get back if he wanted to get enough sleep before work. He turned and made his way back to the hover car. As he approached, he noticed a small light shining out of the darkness not too far from his car. He didn't remember it being there before. Then again, he'd been a little preoccupied at that moment. The closer he got the more his curiosity built. It wasn't the flickering half-lights of the dilapidated sector but a strong stream, welcoming people to it as if it were open for business. Jr. passed the hover car and continued forward. It seemed to be a building, the outline of it finally taking shape as he grew closer. No, it wasn't a church, it was a cathedral. Finally he reached it, the light giving him the full view of the structure in front of him.
"Whoa," Jr. whispered in awe.
The ecclesiastical edifice towered over him, its spires and towers obscured by the darkness. The entrance was square in shape, the edges of the top making sharp point and disappearing along with the true height of the building. Light poured out of the intricate rose window above the stone doors and through the giant stained glass ones aligning its sides. It was small for a cathedral; a miniature compared to the ones built on Lost Jerusalem but was outstandingly accurate, considering. Jr. found himself hurrying up the hard steps to inspect the grey stone it seemed to be composed of.
Jr. himself had never been a particularly religious man. Being a bio weapon, a clone created solely for destruction, he wasn't entirely sure if something like a god were to exist. Nothing benevolent anyway, that was for sure. The thought sparked his memories of Miltia and of the Yuriev Institute and of his father's undying fear. U-DO existed, whatever the hell that thing was, it existed and that was all Jr. needed.
That being said, his love for Lost Jerusalem had given him plenty of knowledge on the topic. Lost Jerusalem's history was riddled with religion; it was an inescapable presence, an ideal that had been carried on to the present. Not that he minded, it was interesting even if he didn't believe in it. So he marveled at the building and at the flawless delicacy in its creation. His eyes fell across the windows and the large, intricate carving on the doors. He ran a hand down the stone. 'Limestone', he thought, 'Rare.'
He was admiring the material of the church when his eyes found a plaque just outside the intricate lines of the doors. It was gray, camouflaging itself in its surroundings. The smooth, black lettering was visible under the streams of light and Jr. leaned closer to read it.
Nil Desperandum.
Non veniam quearo, sed ultionem.
Kyrie, Ignis Divine, elesion!
Meum est vindicare!
Jr. stared at it for a moment. Latin wasn't a language he used often but he recognized some of the words. He squinted as if doing so would morph the words into a language he could understand. Nil desperandum meant do not despair, he knew that much. Ignis mean fire, divine meant, well, divine...
He shrugged. He couldn't read it and he wasn't going to magically be able to. He took a few steps back in an attempt to take the structure in all at once. It was impressive. He didn't know many cathedrals so accurate and who would have known that he would have found it in such a devastated area? It was strange that this place hadn't been touched by the Gnosis.
Come to think of it, Jr. didn't remember this cathedral being here. He leaned his head back and stared at the sight before him. Jr. would have remembered something this magnificent being built, especially in a district that hadn't been constructed in Lost Jerusalem's image.
Unease slithered into him and he considered leaving. There was no way this cathedral could be real. There was absolutely no way that Jr. could've missed this church. He had been a little disoriented lately but not long enough for this to have been completed. He took a few backward steps from the edifice.
Was he overreacting again? Jr. studied the cathedral once more, hard. It didn't seem natural, not with all of this debris and destruction around it. The building's pristine condition and its powerful illumination were more eerie than the crushed sector beside it with all of its flickering warning lights. It was bait, a trap, something to lure him to it. This place was no sanctuary just as his room was no sanatorium. And even though Jr. knew already, even though he had told himself numerous times, even though he had insisted again and again that it was impossible, he couldn't keep himself from believing...
"Albedo."
Jr. snapped himself from his thoughts and pushed himself forward to the doors. He took a moment to steady himself before placing his hands against the doors. He wouldn't run away. He had to prove to himself that it was impossible. It couldn't be true. If Albedo was back there then...then...
He began to push against the doors, his weight pushing the stone easier than he had expected. The weight distribution had been a little awkward and had only pressed them open a little, leaving the inside a secret from him. He readied himself again and started to push-
"Little Master!"
The horribly loud zoom of a hovercraft and the shouting that accompanied it caused Jr. to spin around toward the road. An out of control hover bike raced down the road at a speed that had even Jr. taken aback. Its rider was discernable from Jr.'s spot on the cathedral steps and he doubted he would have recognized him at that speed anyhow. The bike was out of control and made jagged zigzags from one side of the road to the other, taking out signs and pieces of broken buildings with it. The driver didn't seem to mind. He shouted his excitement as loud as he could, steering something that shouldn't be manually steered. Of course, it didn't take long for the crazed driver to lose complete control. The hover bike caught something it couldn't drag and ended up flipping over, sending its driver flying into an a hole torn out of one of the buildings.
Jr. jumped off the stairs, his worries centered on something else, and took off for the idiot driver, cursing the entire way. The hover bike continued its noise, spluttering and trying to get itself upright again. The moronic driver was nowhere to be found so Jr. ran into the building to search for him. The hole the man had flown through covered both the first and second floors of the building. Jr. could see that he wasn't on the bottom floor and scrambled up the stairs to find him. After a stunt like that Jr., wondered if he'd still be alive. He hadn't smashed into the building, so he had a good chance. It would serve the bastard right if he was unconscious after doing something so fucking ridiculous. It took Jr. a minute to find the door the man was behind. The door wouldn't slide open but Jr. found a weak wall and forced himself through.
"Hey!" Jr. yelled, trying to find him in the rubble-filled room. "Can you hear me? Where are you?"
A muffled voice answered him and Jr. swung his line of vision towards it. The man was trying to crawl out from under the pile of ruined building he'd been thrown under. Jr. wasted no time in helping him out from under it, ripping piles of debris away to find the body beneath it. He was a young man, probably mid-twenties, and he seemed to be fine despite the fact that he was absolutely wasted. He smelled of pure liquor and once Jr. had gotten him out from under the mess, he started laughing victoriously.
"Little Master!" The man laughed as Jr. freed him from the wreckage. "Little Master, did you see that?"
"Yeah I saw it, idiot!" Jr. hissed, more than a little pissed off and just a tiny bit envious of his inebriated state. "What the fuck were you thinking?"
"I was thinking...Hah! I don't know what I was thinking!"
Jr. growled and pulled at the man's helmet. He might arrest this guy if his head wasn't smashed up bad enough to send him to the hospital first. Hazel brown eyes stared at him from behind the circular frames of glasses. Blonde hair had been matted by the helmet and fell over the man's eyes. He let out another bout of laughter as his helmet was removed.
"Hammer?" Jr. was shocked. He'd known Hammer to get drunk but never this drunk. "What the hell?"
"Hey, hey don't you worry Lit-lit-Little Master! I can drive back, watch!"
Jr. watched as Hammer tried to pull himself up only to fall back down. Jr. sighed and shook his head.
"Hammer, what are you doing out here and why were you steering that thing manually so drunk?"
"I'm not drunk, Little Master," Hammer said, seemingly offended by the statement. He swayed a little and tried to push himself back up.
"You're not, huh?"
"No, no, waaatch...this!"
Hammer flung himself to his feet and made a lunge for the open wall of the falling structure. Jr. was faster and caught one of his legs before he could make it. Hammer hit the floor on his stomach with a loud groan.
"Well you sure as hell proved me wrong."
Hammer nodded to him, a little dazed and breathless from his hard fall. Something outside caught his attention and the navigator started waving his arms out of the hole. Jr. shook his head again and began to drag Hammer a safer distance from the hole when Hammer shouted, "Tony! Tonyyyyyy! Toh-nyyy!"
"Tony?" Jr. released Hammer and leaned over to look outside himself.
"Hammer you motherfucking bastard! I'm going to kill you! Look what you did to my bike!"
Tony stood beside his dead hover bike, shaking a fist upwards at the flailing navigator.
"Look what your bhike did to me!" Hammer shouted back.
"I wish it would have killed you!" came the angry reply.
Tony made to walk closer to the gigantic hole in order to more properly threaten Hammer. As he took a few steps closer he saw Jr. leaning peeking around one of the walls.
"Little Master? Is that you up there?"
"Yeah, what the hell is going on here?"
"That idiot," Tony shouted, pointing an accusing finger toward the drunken navigator. "Got drunk and took off on my bike!"
"No!" Hammer defended. He leaned out of the hole, his upper body hanging out dangerously. "I got drunk and to-hok off on his blike!"
Hammer blinked for a moment, trying to think about what he had just said.
"Whatever!" Jr. yelled, clearly frustrated. "Just get up here and help me get him home before he tries to kill himself!"
Tony grumbled a few things under his breath but obeyed. Jr. pulled Hammer farther away from the hole before the drunken man could try to fling himself out of it again. He turned around when he heard Tony stumbling over the rubble.
"We're over here!" Jr. shouted.
Tony bumped into something else before finding the wall Jr. had forced himself through. He walked over to them and stared down at Hammer menacingly.
"Come on, Tony," Jr. pressed, gesturing to Hammer. "You've got to carry him, I can't."
Tony reluctantly bent down and lifted Hammer over his shoulder. Hammer squirmed for a moment but silenced himself after a few harsh words from Jr. The three made their way down the rotting steps and back onto the sector's streets. Tony looked back at his busted bike and sighed.
"Man, and I just bought the thing two weeks ago."
Jr. shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Help me get this guy back to the Elsa and I'll buy you another one."
Tony nodded and grumbled a thank you, adjusting Hammer's weight on his shoulder. Hammer seemed to be dazed. He was quiet the entire walk back to the hover car. Occasionally he would get the urge to poke at Tony's spine but other than that he was still.
"How did that happen?" Jr. asked, pointing to the limp body on Tony's shoulder.
Tony shrugged. "Went out drinking and he got smashed."
"But Hammer? I'd expect something like that from you, not him. chaos always has to bring you back after a binge."
"Yeah well..."
"Don't tell me that he forbade you from drinking or something," Jr. snickered.
"It's not like that! I just thought he'd like a break from it, that's all. Hammer thought he'd try to out drink me and then he flipped out." Tony adjusted Hammer's weight. "Besides, he's got his hands full dealing with Professor right now, and if you don't stop poking me Hammer I'm going to drop you!"
"Professor? Why?"
"Something about Scott."
"They get in another fight?"
"Something like that," Tony said with another shrug.
They weren't far from the hover car and Tony sped up a little, hoping to viciously drop Hammer onto the seats and get home. Jr. wasn't in such a hurry, however. His attentions were centered not on the car, but on the lights a few feet away. It were as if the cathedral was calling him, flooding the steps below its doors with a warm yellow glow. It was trying to trap him again, begging him back to the doors he'd only pressed against.
"Little Master?"
"Hm?" Jr. asked, snapping himself out of his trance and turning to face Tony.
"I asked what you were doing out here so late."
"Oh, uh...nothing. Riding around..."
His eyes moved almost immediately back to the cathedral. There was something wrong here, he could feel it. There was something behind those doors, waiting for him. Tony followed Jr.'s line of vision as he rounded the hover car to the passenger's side.
"See something, Little Master?"
Could he not see it? Jr. wasn't going to take the chance of asking. Instead he shook his head.
"Nah, it's nothing. Let's get back to the Durandal."
Jr.'s vision lingered on the abbey a little longer before he forced himself to look away. He opened the doors and slid inside, breathing a sigh of relief that he was getting out of this place. Tony stared curiously in the direction Jr. had been earlier. Hammer, still silently enjoying the alcohol buzzing through his system, forgot about the pilot's earlier threat. One small jab was all it took for Tony to keep his promise and drop Hammer onto the hard ground beneath them.
"Idiot."
A/N:
Do not despair
It is not forgiveness but vengence I seek
Oh lord, fire divine, have mercy!
It is my duty to punish.
How many of you thought I wasn't going to give you that translation? Unlike my French (I butcher that language like no other), I actually kind of know some Latin and am pretty sure that this is correct. Pretty sure. It's been a while. It's a lot closer than my French will ever be!
For any of you pointing fingers at it, the words "kyrie" and "elesion" are both Greek instead of Latin. Despite that, they're used in many (I'm afraid to say all) Latin Catholic Masses. Strange, I know, and I'm not even entirely sure how they ended up being used in a Latin mass, but I included them b/c they are more common than not. In complete Latin, I think is "Domine, Ignis Divine! Miserere!"
But I personally like Kyrie elesion better anyway. Meh.
It's finally done! I thought I'd never get finished with it. It gave me a tough time in certain spots so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it didn't come out bad. I'm sorry that I was unable to compact the next chapter into this one. I tried, I really did, but it just didn't work. It should be up within the next two weeks since it's already so close to completion.
Well I hope you all enjoyed it. C:
Reviews are my muse so inspire it up, people!