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div class="text"strongShell Shockbr /br /Writers:/strong Denny and Leilabr /strongRating:/strong PG-RGbr /strongWarnings:/strong Ratchet/Azimuth. /strongDisclaimer:/strong We value our lives too much to even dare think about claiming Ratchet and Alister as our own. We borrow them for an RP, so don't worry. [Put the Wargroks back into your cage!]br /strongSummary:/strong emEveryone's nightmare is to wake up in a cold, dark place without a clue where one is. Sadly, that's what's happened to us. What's even better, we have monsters and weird encounters to endure as well. And then there's them…br /Lucky, right? If I ever get out of here, I will need some therapy sessions./embr / br /br /br /strongChapter 37/strongbr / br /br /-br /br /br /"HAH! Take that, you stupid Shapeshifters!" Nefarious threw his arms into the air and laughed at the entity sitting at the other end of the conversation. "1 to 0 for the doctor!" br /br /em"Merely luck."/em The Superior frowned slightly, tapping its chin idly. em"But a valuable lesson to draw from. Perhaps I should have briefed them better,"/em A glance to the scientist, em"And be aware of the conditions of the environment."/embr /br /"That was negligence on your part, not mine." Nefarious hooked on leg over the other as he leant against the console, hand stemmed on a hip. "I sent you the data and map of the arena, and they show the nanotech tubes beneath the ground. You can go look it up, if you wish." He smirked as the entity hissed at the condescending tone – it proved that none of the Shapeshifters hadn't studied the map closer. Rubbing this mistake into the Superior's face came unexpected – and was so much more satisfying for /br /em"I doubt that such a detail had been overlooked,"/em the entity hissed lowly, catching the doctor's /br /"What? You didn't know about it, so of course you overlooked it."br /br /em"Yes, yes, of course."/em The Shapeshifter rolled its eyes. em"I shall tend to that negligence the next time. Tomorrow, the old Lombax alone. One Wrathful. I shall choose the location more carefully this time."/em And with that it signed out, leaving the doctor /br /"Tch. And people say I'm a sour loser." A timer began beeping. "Ah, the Lombaxes must come any minute."br /br /No second later the doors slid open, letting the Lombaxes step in. Azimuth approached the desk, looking at Nefarious with some reservation before sitting down. br /br /Ratchet hesitated in obvious reluctance to follow. When he finally did, he sat rod-straight on the /br /"You did well today." Nefarious sounded very satisfied; the grin on his lips was impossible to overlook, after all. "Good job on surviving that long. I didn't expect the Jealous to turn out this way, but it seems like luck was on my side for a change."br /br /"You mean luck was on emour/em side. That's why you were sounding so self-satisfied after you scanned the floor."br /br /"What? No. I didn't." Nefarious clasped his fingers together and smiled deviously. "It's all a fair game. Nothing unnatural or devious going on here."br /br /Azimuth raised an eyebrow before he shook his head and looked away. "There is something I wanted to ask you, Nefarious."br /br /"What is it?" The doctor looked at him, obviously still in a good mood. br /br /"Those two Shapeshifters we fought today… One of them said something interesting." The elder directed his gaze at the robot. "They called each other 'partner'. They were probably close too."br /br /"And your point is…?"br /br /"Is that a normal development for Shapeshifters?"br /br /"How should I know?" Nefarious threw his arms in the air and spun around. "I might be responsible for their existence, but not how they develop. I just know they have to be annihilated before they kill us."br /br /"It should interest you because it means more variables to consider." The younger glowered at the doctor. Had he really been blind to the Jealous' change in attitude after its partner died?br /br /"The second Jealous didn't only get dangerous because it devoured the other. It became more focused, more intent on killing while uncaring to the destruction it caused."br /br /"Even more the reason to annihilate them." Nefarious turned away and stared at the monitors. "Knowledge is power. And if their knowledge of the world increases, it will harm us in consequence. We just have to obliterate them and we will be fine." The doctor looked over his shoulder. "Besides, there is no way those monsters would become sentient and ethical beings, now is there?"br /br /"Sentient, yes; ethical, no. Such are many species in the various galaxies, but even I don't want to go against every single of them." Ratchet shrugged, although he subtly glanced at Nefarious during his first /br /"Well. I doubt, however, that you'd like Shapeshifters to roam freely in the galaxy, now do you?" Nefarious widened an optic, not expecting an answer from Ratchet. "If that's all you're concerned about, then we're done here. Tomorrow I expect Azimuth here. Alone. Prepare yourself."br /br /-br /br /em"I am never going to pose as the Superior again."/embr /Hair appendages shortening, the pattern of glowing lines realigning and boots flattening, the Shifter straightened his coat and walked down the corridor. em"It is arduous to sit in front of that doctor. We should use the chance to annihilate him and have our way with the Lombaxes in due time."/embr /br /It pursed its lips. The superior had been acting… peculiar for a few days. Ever since it had led that entity into its personal quarters, the Superior lacked its former assertiveness. It still ruled the Shapeshifters strictly, that wasn't the issue. The issue was… how less invested it seemed. Or was it a newly-found pleasure to the Superior to let them step into traps like these? Not that the entity minded. It was all going according to plan. Let the Lombaxes fight, win and whatnot. The defeated guards were disposable units to begin with. Many of them were not even familiar with the finer details of their /br /em"Something is bothering you. What is on your mind?"/em The Shifter squinted its optics as the voice's owner stepped out of a side hallway. The Equitable looked inquiringly at its fellow Superior /br /em"It is the fact that the Superior has evidently not disclosed an important piece of information in the location's surroundings."/em The Shifter looked at its right hand. The lack of index finger was quickly taken care of – by all means, it could not understand how the Superior could keep such imperfection when in all other aspects it was emperfect/em, at least in it's the guard's perception – and the usual rigid posture was taken up again. em"Our leader would not make such a mistake."/embr /br /em"The Superior certainly seems… distracted, to put it one way."/em The Equitable fell in line to its counterpart but its gait was more relaxed. em"Our leader's interest in that guard is certainly strange. What does it wish to gain from that lower being?"/embr /br /em"I wouldn't know. And as long as plans proceed as expected, I do not question its authority."/em The Shifter frowned slightly before it turned to the other guard. em"Let us hurry. Its Excellency should be done with its duties-"br /br /"Ah, there you are."/em The Superior stepped towards them with its Precious walking at its side. A smile was on the leader's lips while the other guard, face hidden by that helmet as always, was unreadable. The Shifter had to admit, if there was one thing that guard was good at, it was hiding its feelings. em"I assume the fight has ended as expected?"/embr /br /em"It has, your Excellency."/em The Shifter bowed "The Lombaxes killed the two Jealous. The elder beheaded and destroyed the first's collar by using a portable force field. The second fell after it had devoured the first – its power caused the ground to decay and break up, revealing tubes full of nanotech. It died being dissolved into its atoms."/embr /br /em"I see. Quite the expected the turnout."/em The Superior giggled and folded its hands. em"Did the doctor notice the lack of me?"br /br /"To his shame he did not."/em The Shifter did not straighten up yet. em"He is so oblivious he could not look through a performance that could never reach your Excellency."br /br /"I see. Well…"/em A low chuckle as it nuzzled its forehead against its Precious' forehead. em"He shall pay later on."/embr /br /Silence followed. The Superior looked at the other two entities, confused by the lack of response. In fact, the disconcerted stare made the leader frown. em"Is something the matter?"/embr /br /em"It's nothing, your Highness,"/em answered the Equitable, although it stared openly at the pair in front of it. em"I am just surprised because I didn't expect that you would bestow such a gesture on anybody."/embr /br /An emotion close to startlement crossed the Superior's face. em"I… I see. Well, I suggest you grow more comfortable with it."/embr /br /The Shifter looked at it quietly, but did not address that point any further. em"Your Excellency, how did your duties today go?"br /br /"Oh, quite well."/em The entity grinned amusedly. em"The doctor will be surprised to see another one of us vanishing so suddenly. But what can we do about that? It is simply the inevitable evolution of our kind beyond their expectations."br /br /It's not like anyone except us can understand, anyway./em How should they, actually? Shapeshifters were beings of their own making – maybe accidently created, but they carved themselves and their personalities by taking in the other entities. Neither robotics nor organics had this freedom, and they would /br /The Equitable addressed then another matter. em"Do you have any wishes regarding the distribution of the remaining energy?"br /br /"Nothing at all."/em The Superior turned to its Precious again and smiled endearingly. em"We are done for today, and so are you. Get some rest and prepare for tomorrow-"/em A pause. em"Actually, my Equitable…"/em The leader lifted the addressed entity's chin a little. em"Come to my quarters tomorrow. You shall have the honor."/embr /br /Eyes widened. em"Th-thank you, your Excellency! I will be there!"br /br /"Good."/em The Superior was contented. em"Now, you are excused. Come with me, my Precious."/em It walked ahead a bit; the masked entity quickly followed up. Its speed, however, did not save it from the thought directed solely at its mind. br /br /em"It must be nice to be of so little use and still receive so much attention."/em br /br /The Equitable let out an unexpected shriek as the guard lashed out at them with its weapon. It did not get far, however – with nonchalance and calm the Shifter had turned its hand into a blade and blocked the scythe only mere millimeters away from its face. br /br /em"Is something the matter, inferior?"/em Eyes as cold as they could be, the Shifter stared at the helmet's visor. em"Not everyone has forgotten your place in this hierarchy."/embr /br /em"If you have problems with my position, go to the Superior. You should know it's its Excellency who keeps me close, and we don't defy its wishes."br /br /"I see. You can't take on personal issues on your own. You have to hide behind someone, no, some/emthingem to function."/em The Shifter's expression remained as cold as before. em"You've been marked as /emthatem entity already. The irregular unit in our collective mind."/em A pause. em"No wonder the Superior took a liking to you. You are /emrareem, that is all."br /br /"Both you and I know that this is not the case."/em The entity's grip around the scythe tightened, the pressure increased. em"The Superior chose me because /emIem was worth it."/em A sneer. em"I can't help it if you aren't worth its attention."br /br /"At least I know that my position measures up to the worth of my commitment. It is not at the whim of its Excellency."/em The entity looked down at the other. em"With you, however… I can only imagine how devastated you would be if your… relationship turned out to be based on nothing but a fleeting fancy for the unusual."/em A faint smirk of satisfaction as the Precious' pressure lessened. br /em"For the incomplete."br /br /"That. Isn't. True."br /br /"Oh?"/em The Shifter's eyes glowed with slight amusement. em"And what proof do you have?"br /br /"What is going on here?"/em The anger in the Superior's thoughts was audible. The Shifter did not give it too much attention, though. br /br /em"Nothing, your Highness."/em Finally it flung the lesser entity's scythe to the side. em"Just a little… misunderstanding."/em br /br /The masked entity did not turn its head away. The scythe still tightly in its hand, it whispered, em"Yes. Just a misunderstanding."br /br /"I see."/em The Superior narrowed its eyes before it turned away again. em"Well. As I said before… We shall leave now. Come."/em It spun around once more and walked ahead, only to stop and look at its Precious. em"Is something wrong?"br /br /"No, your Excellency."/em The masked entity finally dissolved its weapon, but did not turn away. It couldn't find a coherent answer, no reply that would without doubt show that the Superior was serious about their… commitment. At least in the eyes of that Shifter. Said entity looked at it /br /em"Prove yourself useful. Then any doubt will dissipate."br /br /"You know something?"/em The guard tilted its head. em"First get over your jealousy. It's unbecoming of an entity of such high rank to let the emotion of a lower being rule them. Maybe then I can take you seriously,"/em it mocked the other in a sweet tone before bowing with exaggerated flourish, and then followed the /br /The Shifter stared after them for a moment. Then, as the Precious' words echoed in its mind, it turned away and attended to its further duties. br /br /The smile of the wise victor was the most subtle one. br /br /em"Is everything all right?"/em The Superior turned to its Precious, a slight frown over its eyes. It had not interfered initially as it believed its Precious to be capable of taking care of itself by now, but still. Worry had crept up in the /br /em"It's was nothing, your Highness. The Shapeshifter and I just had some differences we discussed."/em The guard dipped its head to face the /br /em"I see. As long as you are all right."/em The entity smiled faintly before it gently placed its hand on the back of the other's neck to pull it closer and let their foreheads rest against each other. em"I'm glad you are developing well."/embr /br /The entity nodded. But behind its mask, even unseen by the Superior, its face /br /-br /br /"At least we didn't get hurt too much today." The second boot joined its sibling on the floor, and Ratchet let himself fall backwards onto the mattress from his seat on the bed's /br /"Little consolation over the fact that the fight left other more complicated issues to consider." Azimuth put his wrench into the wardrobe and took off the armor before switching into his casual wear. Then he turned to Ratchet and sighed. "They sure are some odd monsters."br /br /"They've grown from monsters to guys I could compare to other people in the galaxy who'd want to kill us."br /br /"I agree. I don't like the development, but I agree." Alister sighed and stretched his limbs. Then he walked over to the bed and let himself fall onto it right beside Ratchet. Arms were put around him to pull him closer to the elder. A low purr escaped Azimuth as he nuzzled his face into the younger's ear, and his tail swung contentedly back and /br /Ratchet turned his face to the other Lombax, eye brows risen. Alister just moved his nuzzling to his forehead. Why was he still acting so openly affectionate – or was it again? Strangely enough, he believed it was the former case. That ever since the electric shock, the elder's mood had been more open; more /br /Both curious and a little afraid, his stomach clenched as Alister's eyes gazed into his, the two ambers half-lidded in a warm glow. Thoughts blanking, Ratchet moved his head forward, slowly melding their lips /br /For moments they lingered in this position. Fingers brushed gently over golden fur, tails intertwined with each other. As their lips parted again, the elder quietly looked into his eyes, smiling openly and genuinely blissfully. He drew small circles on Ratchet's back and rested their foreheads against each other. "I also agree with this unexpected turn of events," he hushed /br /The younger bit his lower lip. He was enjoying this situation; he loved it that Alister was so open. Was it also right, though? Was Alister in his true mind, even though he had admitted before he liked what they were doing despite his moral misgivings? Ratchet felt as if he was taking /br /"Is something wrong?" Azimuth looked into his eyes, gaze searching for an answer. He stroked over the younger's head, purring lowly. He liked this situation; it was very much agreeable. As if there was any valid reason why he shouldn' /br /"I'm just really tired." Ratchet kissed him on the cheek. "The fight drained me – which one in the last days didn't? And you're probably exhausted too. How about we both shower, and then back here?" br /br /"I fear I need to object." A gentle shove against the younger's shoulder – and he found himself under the elder who supported his torso with one elbow. The free hand he used to caress Ratchet's cheek as he smiled warmly. "The shower can wait." And with that he leant down, placing their lips on each other /br /Unfortunately, Ratchet's stomach clenched under the gentle touch. There was something wrong. He should contact Nefarious, demand him to run a check on Alister- br /br /Suddenly Azimuth jerked away. A loud, dull noise sounded, followed by a pained groan. The elder narrowed his eyes and slowly lowered his hand with which he had thrown one of Ratchet's boots towards the door. His pupils had turned into thin slits, and his canines had been bared slightly as he stared at the individual at the entrance. br /"What are you doing here, Bar?"br /br /"Bar? What the hell? What are you doing here?" The same helmet, the same coat, though with a straighter stance. The appearance blew the current situation out of Ratchet's mind. Hadn't Bar left the facility?br /br /"What the hell are you talking about?" The robot pushed itself from the ground and slid up the wall, shaking his head slightly. "It's me, you stupid organics. Zane." He took the helmet between his hands and pulled it off, revealing a quite discontented glare on his retinal display. "Not that robot with a few screws loose."br /br /"Sorry to tell you, but you look all the same in those suits."br /br /"Well, then perhaps it'd have been nice if you hadn't thrown yer boot at me first!" Zane let the helmet drop beside him and began undoing his suit. "Just because I wear a helmet I'm automatically that falsely programmed—wait." He looked up and stared at them. "How do you know Bar?"br /br /"First, you are a jackass for calling Bar that. But jackasses exist among both robots and organics, so whatever." Ratchet gently shoved Alister away who even in his reluctant retreat was snarling at Zane. br /br /"Second, we… fell literally on each other in the factory halls. And third, yes, he did survive."br /br /"What…?" The displayed eyes widened. Zane almost dropped the suit in shock. "He… He sur—But how? He was supposed to be dead! Gone! How could he have-"br /br /"Your beloved doctor hit the wrong button when he tried to annihilate him." Azimuth's eyes still bore the same hostility in them as before, and only slowly he relaxed. "We ended up becoming acquainted with him and parted on a relatively sour note."br /br /"But… but how?" Zane seemed completely and utterly disconcerted. It seemed his circuits were unable to handle the information given. "Nobody gets out here unless—unless escorted or teleported. I tried, and—and I…" br /He shook his head slightly and straightened up. "I see. Well. Nice that he made it out of here."br /br /The near breakdown was obvious, probably the effect of a sensitive subject. Ratchet thus just shrugged and said. "As said, we parted on a sour note, but I hope he /br /"And you're here for another lesson."br /br /"Yes, I am." With a swift motion he threw his coat into the wardrobe and stepped closer. A sneer escaped him as he saw the music stand toppled over before he bent down and set everything right. Then he turned to Azimuth who had calmed down completely. "Do you want to stay?"br /br /The elder remained silent for a few moments, frowning slightly; but eventually he turned to Ratchet as he answered, "No." br /br /"All right then. I'll make a start now, so if you want out, you should go now."br /br /Azimuth nodded; then he leant down to the younger's ear, lips brushing faintly over the fur. "Don't forget what you promised yesterday," he quietly reminded him before placing a brief kiss on Ratchet's cheek. "I will see you later." And with this he turned around and left the /br /"Can I be assured he doesn't interrupt again?"br /br /"This'll only happen when an emergency occurs or when I call him. Besides, he and I had a chat." Ratchet rolled out of the bed, popping his shoulders /br /"A chat, huh?" Zane looked at him, index finger lightly tapping his chin. "I see. So he interpreted it this way. Interesting." A faint smirk appeared on his lips as he turned around, placing the sheet music on the stand. "Either way. Let's carry on with the lesson so that we both can return to whatever we do." Not that he had anything to look forward to – all that waited for him was work, work, and even more work. He could not emwait/em for a charger drink at the employee's bar. And from what he had learned in the few minutes he had arrived at this place, he felt like he needed it /br /"As you might have gathered by now, with the Loving it is not about the voice alone." He flexed his fingers and straightened his waistcoat. "It is about teasing them, taunting their desires, and giving them just enough to have them dwell in the illusion of satisfaction. Succeed, and you can either flee or destroy them. Fail-" He spun around and leant down to Ratchet, the displayed eyes taking on a fiery red color. br /br /"And you will pay a high price."br /br /The Lombax just tapped his foot as he looked up, unimpressed by Zane's /br /"You can believe me or not. It's your choice." He turned away again and walked towards a chair to sit down. "Just don't come running to me when they cut off a limb of yours because you didn't please them enough."br /br /Ratchet cocked his hips to the side, crossing his arms. "You should know that I believe you. I've learnt to expect emanything/em from them in my emfights/em. I'm just not fond of theatrics or people trying to intimidate me. I get that enough from other people."br /br /"It was a friendly reminder. It would be unfavorable if you suffered from an injury you can't heal." A measuring look. "Since you're organic, too, any injury they would inflict in case of failure would be irreversible." br /br /"You would know from experience, or something?" countered Ratchet with a crooked /br /"Yes." Zane's hand moved up to his retinal display. A few clicks sounded; and what Ratchet had assumed to be a firm part of the robot's shell turned out to be nothing but a detachable holographic visor intended to hide what was beneath. Where optics should have been there was only a jagged, black gap, revealing the interior circuitry of the robot. br /br /Ratchet flinched. "I don't have to guess that was the Shapeshifters' doing." The voice that left his mouth sounded as sick as he /br /"Correct, Captain Obvious." A crooked grin appeared on Zane's lips as he spoke those words without any offensive tone. "They… didn't like the look in my eyes." He lowered his hand and took the visor into both hands, turning it around. "I made a mistake when I encountered them once. In fact, it was the time I tried to leave the facility." br /His finger scraped over the surface of the visor. "I memorized the routes of the Shapeshifters and at which exit I would encounter those guards that were susceptible to my voice; but I slipped up and didn't perform well enough to please them. That is why they noticed my intentions and tricked me into believing they were subdued." He slowly lifted the display and attached it to his head once more. "I was blind with confidence. And for my failure, they decided to give me a emphysical reminder/em of my blindness." br /br /A pause. He looked up and grinned smugly. "But, as you can see, it's nothing a bit of upgrading can't handle. I assume they didn't expect me to get one of those handy retinal enhancements. They work just as well as my optics and they were cheaper than the repairs too." He chuckled. "Plus, I noticed it made me a bit more popular with the ladies. I suppose they like men with shades."br /br /Slowly a faint smile spread on the Lombax's face. "Oooh, you're playing the 'cool guy' card, with a dash of 'mysterious'. Yeah, that's always gets the ladies' attention. I was most of the time only the 'cute one'." Here he used air quotes. "Or they were more interested in my guns."br /br /"Well, your guns do have a high appeal, especially since they are… almost as big as you are." Something rushed over the visor, probably information charts. "Yeah. They are." He looked up again and grinned at the Lombax. "It's not my choice. A worker's salary isn't enough to pay for a cosmetic reconstruction, and I'll be damned to let the doctor do it. He would probably disassemble me first for trying to leave. Besides, some women find scars attractive." A pause. "Mind you, most of these women are Valkyries."br /br /"What can I do? Most people who use Grummel Net guns – or almost any company's guns, for that matter – are mostly races who're taller than me. I've met only…" Ratchet looked up, but not to look at something, but because he was mentally /br /"Three people. Three people smaller than me."br /br /"Well, maybe you'll need to grow a few more inches then." The robot grinned teasingly before he leant back. At the furthest corner of his perception he noticed the door slide open by a slit; and even though he gathered who it was, he decided not to say anything to the younger who had not noticed anything at all. "Either way. Time for your lesson. Remember that the slightest mistake could be fatal during your encounter; so, put everything you have in it – body, emotion and soul. Try to make me fall for your voice, no-" A smug, expecting smirk appeared on his lips. br /br /"Make me wish to emdie/em for you."br /br /-br /br /em"I could really get used to this."/em The Superior closed its eyes and leant against its Precious' chest. How pleasant it was to lie on the bed together, the other's arms around its neck and the presence filling up the leader's perception. em"Just you and me. It is nice."/embr /br /The guard kissed its top of the head in silence. The face mask was lying on the low table next to the couch, and the guard looked at it now and then with a contemplative expression. br /br /em"Is something wrong?"/em The Superior tilted its head upwards and blinked. It had noticed the slight tension ever since they had parted ways with the other two leading fractures of mind, but hadn't found it appropriate to ask immediately. It reached up to its Precious' cheek, four fingers cautiously brushing over the surface. br /br /em"I'm…"/em Should it share its thoughts? It was clear the Shifter's confrontation hadn't been about insulting it. The Shifter, just as to its name, tried to manipulate the guard into a direction that was likely meant to get rid of /br /But as it was with both lies and manipulations – they worked best if they had some measure of truth to them. Just emwhat/em did it bring to the Shapeshift- no, the Superior's cause?br /Apart from spending time with it, nothing /br /em"I feel useless."br /br /"What?"/em The Superior moved out of the embrace and stared at its Precious. Confusion, surprise dominated its gaze. How had the other come to such a thought? em"Why would you-"/embr /Suddenly realization hit it. So that was the reason why there had been a dispute…! em"I see."/em Eyes narrowing, fangs bared, it turned away and motioned to leave the room. em"It's the Shifter's fault. How dare it spew such nonsense-"/embr /br /em"But it's true!"/em The guard suddenly cried in. em"What good I am to the cause? How do I help the Shapeshifters?!"br /br /"What good?"/em The Shapeshifter turned around, face marred with anger. em"Are you really asking me what good you are to our cause? Really?"/em It stepped back towards the bed, every step heavy with agitation. em"The fact that you exist is the good that you are. The fact that you are not collapsing on yourself is living proof of your worth to our cause!"/em It slashed its arm to the side. em"That is the only worth you should have. The only worth the other Shapeshifters care for! They want nothing else, not even the slightest further action from you!"/em It curled its fingers into its coat, teeth burying themselves into its lower lip. br /br /em"But that is not all. They believe that you, an allegedly incomplete entity, have outlived your purpose. In other words, they wish you dead! They want me to execute their collective wish to kill you – and yet… Yet you are still here."/em A frown appeared on its face as it tensed up, looking away. br /em"I am the Superior,"/em it whispered, em"My duty, as much as it is theirs to obey me, is to lead us to our collective goals. Their wishes are my wishes. Their desires my desires. But look at me!"/em It took another step closer, face marred with anxiety. br /em"What have I done to realize their wishes? You are not dead! You are still within our ranks! They want you extinguished and yet I cannot, no, will not follow their desire!"/em It spun around, its frame full with tension. br /br /em"I am their Superior. My purpose, if anything, is to fulfill the desires of the lesser entities. And yet I cannot fulfill my duty."/em Again it turned around, facing the other guard. em"I am guilty. I am guilty of creating you, caring for you. I am guilty of letting go of our cause, of my purpose!"/em br /Eyes locked with each other. em"Every day, every second I have to bear the guilt of defying what I should do. Every day I have to fight our natural tendency to align our opinions! And all that, all of this is only because I do not want to lose you! Your worth, the good you are not to them, but to /emmeem, has no measure to it. They do not see the good you are and will be to our cause! So please…"/em The Superior fell to its knees, looking up to its Precious anxiously. br /br /em"Please don't think you are useless. You are not, no matter what they say. You might not see your place in this cause, but it is there. I cannot tell you, not because I don't know, but because I can't. It is something that you are not allowed to know, and as much as I wish to tell you, I cannot."/embr /br /A very audible, very loud gasp that had nothing but to do with thoughts, and was all throat and mouth escaped the guard's mouth before it crashed into the Superior, clashing their lips together. The kiss was desperate, the arms shaky as it all but leaned on the higher /br /Eyes widened. The Superior could not prevent them from falling over, only soften the fall. With just as much longing it wrapped its arms around its Precious, mind intoxicated by the sensations lips parting and searching for each other evoked. Fingers clawed feebly at the other's head as it returned the kiss eagerly; it felt hands pushing and sliding beneath its coat, the delicate yet demanding touch clouding all the thoughts it had initially had. br /br /em"Thank-/em you. Thanemk you."/em The guard panted between meetings of their lips, unable to decide what it wanted: more kisses; hide its face in the Superior's neck; just embrace each other for hours; more /br /Surprise appeared in the leader's eyes, but not for long. em"I—I forgot you could s—"/em Its thoughts were interrupted when its Precious pressed their lips on each other. Not that it minded; to have the other's presence fill out its perception did not bother it at all. The hand on the other's head slid down, tugging at the collar of its jacket before smoothing over the exposed part of its back. Fingers snuck between fabric and body, curling into the /br /The entity on top had forgotten itself; not that it mattered. It pushed its back into the touch, craving- no, needing the touch to burn that ugly image in its mind away that demanded attention. Fingers curled into the silken skin hidden beneath the coat, thoughts it could not control yearned for more. br /And who was the Superior to deny it this? The entity felt the other's lips on its neck, kissing and trailing along it; the fingers on its back pulling down possessively…br /br /em"I don't want to lose you,"/em the Superior hushed, em"Losing you would drive me mad…"/embr /br /em"I-I don't want to be lost./em Not again." And suddenly, the clock turned back for a moment where it had nobody, where it had been left alone because of that mistake, where it had been alone with them, where they had hurt it, where they had turned h-br /br /The guard surged to the ceiling, scrabbling against a smooth surface. It crashed back, the impact rocking its mind that it saw dark spots. Looking around, it only slowly realized that the Superior's anxious expression had taken the ceiling's place over him, and that it was lying on the /br /em"What's wrong?"/em The Superior cupped its cheek, brows pulled together in worry. Then it transformed its other arm to carry the entity to the bed, placing it cozily between the cushions. The hand on its cheek remained where it was, stroking gently over the surface. br /br /"… I don't know?" Had something happened? The vague unease at having the Superior so close was puzzling, and it also quickly dissolved. Not that it minded the gentle /br /The higher entity blinked. em"You… You spoke again."/em It looked at its Precious with slight confusion, but also wonder. Slowly it let its hand slide away from the other's cheek and rest on its chest; then faint, slow pulses of energy left its palm and entered the other's body. It hoped that this would make any unease vanish from its Precious' mind. em"It… still astounds me."/embr /br /"I don't think emI can talk much."/em This was strange. It had gone automatically silent after these words and switched to thoughts. Why was it even talking again if it was easier to communicate with thoughts?br /br /em"It's still… amazing."/em The Superior smiled at it quietly before it pulled its hand back and simply looked at the entity. em"Another trait of yours that distinguishes—no, sets you above the other Shapeshifters. All we can do is giggle, but no more."/em A pause as it chuckled lowly. em"Even I am unable to speak."/embr /br /"If you think emso."/em The guard frowned. How bothersome. It couldn't speak more than three words? What was that good for?br /br /Foreheads met. Arms were put around the entity as the Superior gazed quietly into its eyes. em"I like the sound of your voice,"/em it whispered, em"How odd I didn't notice its beauty before."br /br /"Does it really sound good?/em The guard relaxed completely into the cushions, sighing at the close contact. em"If you like it that much, then I can…/em speak more." If so little made the Superior happy, why should it deny the other?br /br /em"I would very much like that."/em A soft smile was on its lips before it chuckled lowly. em"You know, this almost feels like a secret between us. One that I'll hold dear."/em Fingers stroked gently over the entity's cheek. em"That makes me wish to tell you a secret too."/embr /br /"What is it?"br /br /em"A… silly dream of mine."/em The Superior looked away, slight embarrassment in its eyes. em"I want to leave the facility at some point. See the world beyond it. But… as you know, it was not possible to do so. And now, I have some… business to take care of first."/em A pause as it looked the other entity again. em"So… when this would be all done and over, I wanted to leave this place. Now, however…"/em It cupped its Precious' cheek and whispered into its mind. br /em"Now my silly dream has a new dimension to it. A silly, adventurous one. Namely just you and me, making a run for it."/em It hid its face in the other's neck and smiled nervously. em"Imagine, us two leaving here and seeing the world outside. No more worries. No more doctor, no more guarding. Just… you and me."/em A low chuckle. em"You may laugh now. I know it's a silly notion, and I can't just leave this place. But… it is a very entertaining train of thought to me. One I wish that would happen."/embr /br /"Why silly?" Fingers traced idle lines across the Superior's scalp with the 'hair' as its goal. It fondled the soft structure. emI'd love to see the outside world too. Not more concrete or metal only around us; no narrow hallways./em Twinkling dots – tens of thousands of them – in front of a black expanse blinked into its mind. em"I want/em to see that." It paused, sending just as many ideas about places to visit to the Superior's mind as it saw those lights. "I want to see emit with you."/em br /br /Slight wonder went through the entity's mind as it saw the images its Precious showed to it. em"What… was this you just showed me?"/em A short pause as it searched its memory for any corresponding data. em"Were those stars?"/embr /br /"They were." It shared more images, but no reaction that followed was as strong as that when the Superior saw the stars. em"They are the constellations visible in this part of Polaris."br /br /"I… I see."/em A blissful smile appeared on its lips. em"The stars look very nice. It would be wonderful if we could see them with our own eyes – together."/em It nuzzled against its Precious before it took the other's right hand into its own. Four fingers met against five and intertwined with each /br /em"I feel something is on your mind. And that you want to share/em it with me."br /br /em"Perhaps."/em The Superior closed its eyes and sighed lowly. How odd it was that it felt something close to fatigue, and that only because it felt so comfortable with the other entity. em"But it's something I will tell you when we see the stars."/em Its hand closed around its counterpart. br /br /em"I promise."/em/div
/div
div class="text"strongShell Shockbr /br /Writers:/strong Denny and Leilabr /strongRating:/strong PG-RGbr /strongWarnings:/strong Ratchet/Azimuth. /strongDisclaimer:/strong We value our lives too much to even dare think about claiming Ratchet and Alister as our own. We borrow them for an RP, so don't worry. [Put the Wargroks back into your cage!]br /strongSummary:/strong emEveryone's nightmare is to wake up in a cold, dark place without a clue where one is. Sadly, that's what's happened to us. What's even better, we have monsters and weird encounters to endure as well. And then there's them…br /Lucky, right? If I ever get out of here, I will need some therapy sessions./embr / br /br /br /strongChapter 37/strongbr / br /br /-br /br /br /"HAH! Take that, you stupid Shapeshifters!" Nefarious threw his arms into the air and laughed at the entity sitting at the other end of the conversation. "1 to 0 for the doctor!" br /br /em"Merely luck."/em The Superior frowned slightly, tapping its chin idly. em"But a valuable lesson to draw from. Perhaps I should have briefed them better,"/em A glance to the scientist, em"And be aware of the conditions of the environment."/embr /br /"That was negligence on your part, not mine." Nefarious hooked on leg over the other as he leant against the console, hand stemmed on a hip. "I sent you the data and map of the arena, and they show the nanotech tubes beneath the ground. You can go look it up, if you wish." He smirked as the entity hissed at the condescending tone – it proved that none of the Shapeshifters hadn't studied the map closer. Rubbing this mistake into the Superior's face came unexpected – and was so much more satisfying for /br /em"I doubt that such a detail had been overlooked,"/em the entity hissed lowly, catching the doctor's /br /"What? You didn't know about it, so of course you overlooked it."br /br /em"Yes, yes, of course."/em The Shapeshifter rolled its eyes. em"I shall tend to that negligence the next time. Tomorrow, the old Lombax alone. One Wrathful. I shall choose the location more carefully this time."/em And with that it signed out, leaving the doctor /br /"Tch. And people say I'm a sour loser." A timer began beeping. "Ah, the Lombaxes must come any minute."br /br /No second later the doors slid open, letting the Lombaxes step in. Azimuth approached the desk, looking at Nefarious with some reservation before sitting down. br /br /Ratchet hesitated in obvious reluctance to follow. When he finally did, he sat rod-straight on the /br /"You did well today." Nefarious sounded very satisfied; the grin on his lips was impossible to overlook, after all. "Good job on surviving that long. I didn't expect the Jealous to turn out this way, but it seems like luck was on my side for a change."br /br /"You mean luck was on emour/em side. That's why you were sounding so self-satisfied after you scanned the floor."br /br /"What? No. I didn't." Nefarious clasped his fingers together and smiled deviously. "It's all a fair game. Nothing unnatural or devious going on here."br /br /Azimuth raised an eyebrow before he shook his head and looked away. "There is something I wanted to ask you, Nefarious."br /br /"What is it?" The doctor looked at him, obviously still in a good mood. br /br /"Those two Shapeshifters we fought today… One of them said something interesting." The elder directed his gaze at the robot. "They called each other 'partner'. They were probably close too."br /br /"And your point is…?"br /br /"Is that a normal development for Shapeshifters?"br /br /"How should I know?" Nefarious threw his arms in the air and spun around. "I might be responsible for their existence, but not how they develop. I just know they have to be annihilated before they kill us."br /br /"It should interest you because it means more variables to consider." The younger glowered at the doctor. Had he really been blind to the Jealous' change in attitude after its partner died?br /br /"The second Jealous didn't only get dangerous because it devoured the other. It became more focused, more intent on killing while uncaring to the destruction it caused."br /br /"Even more the reason to annihilate them." Nefarious turned away and stared at the monitors. "Knowledge is power. And if their knowledge of the world increases, it will harm us in consequence. We just have to obliterate them and we will be fine." The doctor looked over his shoulder. "Besides, there is no way those monsters would become sentient and ethical beings, now is there?"br /br /"Sentient, yes; ethical, no. Such are many species in the various galaxies, but even I don't want to go against every single of them." Ratchet shrugged, although he subtly glanced at Nefarious during his first /br /"Well. I doubt, however, that you'd like Shapeshifters to roam freely in the galaxy, now do you?" Nefarious widened an optic, not expecting an answer from Ratchet. "If that's all you're concerned about, then we're done here. Tomorrow I expect Azimuth here. Alone. Prepare yourself."br /br /-br /br /em"I am never going to pose as the Superior again."/embr /Hair appendages shortening, the pattern of glowing lines realigning and boots flattening, the Shifter straightened his coat and walked down the corridor. em"It is arduous to sit in front of that doctor. We should use the chance to annihilate him and have our way with the Lombaxes in due time."/embr /br /It pursed its lips. The superior had been acting… peculiar for a few days. Ever since it had led that entity into its personal quarters, the Superior lacked its former assertiveness. It still ruled the Shapeshifters strictly, that wasn't the issue. The issue was… how less invested it seemed. Or was it a newly-found pleasure to the Superior to let them step into traps like these? Not that the entity minded. It was all going according to plan. Let the Lombaxes fight, win and whatnot. The defeated guards were disposable units to begin with. Many of them were not even familiar with the finer details of their /br /em"Something is bothering you. What is on your mind?"/em The Shifter squinted its optics as the voice's owner stepped out of a side hallway. The Equitable looked inquiringly at its fellow Superior /br /em"It is the fact that the Superior has evidently not disclosed an important piece of information in the location's surroundings."/em The Shifter looked at its right hand. The lack of index finger was quickly taken care of – by all means, it could not understand how the Superior could keep such imperfection when in all other aspects it was emperfect/em, at least in it's the guard's perception – and the usual rigid posture was taken up again. em"Our leader would not make such a mistake."/embr /br /em"The Superior certainly seems… distracted, to put it one way."/em The Equitable fell in line to its counterpart but its gait was more relaxed. em"Our leader's interest in that guard is certainly strange. What does it wish to gain from that lower being?"/embr /br /em"I wouldn't know. And as long as plans proceed as expected, I do not question its authority."/em The Shifter frowned slightly before it turned to the other guard. em"Let us hurry. Its Excellency should be done with its duties-"br /br /"Ah, there you are."/em The Superior stepped towards them with its Precious walking at its side. A smile was on the leader's lips while the other guard, face hidden by that helmet as always, was unreadable. The Shifter had to admit, if there was one thing that guard was good at, it was hiding its feelings. em"I assume the fight has ended as expected?"/embr /br /em"It has, your Excellency."/em The Shifter bowed "The Lombaxes killed the two Jealous. The elder beheaded and destroyed the first's collar by using a portable force field. The second fell after it had devoured the first – its power caused the ground to decay and break up, revealing tubes full of nanotech. It died being dissolved into its atoms."/embr /br /em"I see. Quite the expected the turnout."/em The Superior giggled and folded its hands. em"Did the doctor notice the lack of me?"br /br /"To his shame he did not."/em The Shifter did not straighten up yet. em"He is so oblivious he could not look through a performance that could never reach your Excellency."br /br /"I see. Well…"/em A low chuckle as it nuzzled its forehead against its Precious' forehead. em"He shall pay later on."/embr /br /Silence followed. The Superior looked at the other two entities, confused by the lack of response. In fact, the disconcerted stare made the leader frown. em"Is something the matter?"/embr /br /em"It's nothing, your Highness,"/em answered the Equitable, although it stared openly at the pair in front of it. em"I am just surprised because I didn't expect that you would bestow such a gesture on anybody."/embr /br /An emotion close to startlement crossed the Superior's face. em"I… I see. Well, I suggest you grow more comfortable with it."/embr /br /The Shifter looked at it quietly, but did not address that point any further. em"Your Excellency, how did your duties today go?"br /br /"Oh, quite well."/em The entity grinned amusedly. em"The doctor will be surprised to see another one of us vanishing so suddenly. But what can we do about that? It is simply the inevitable evolution of our kind beyond their expectations."br /br /It's not like anyone except us can understand, anyway./em How should they, actually? Shapeshifters were beings of their own making – maybe accidently created, but they carved themselves and their personalities by taking in the other entities. Neither robotics nor organics had this freedom, and they would /br /The Equitable addressed then another matter. em"Do you have any wishes regarding the distribution of the remaining energy?"br /br /"Nothing at all."/em The Superior turned to its Precious again and smiled endearingly. em"We are done for today, and so are you. Get some rest and prepare for tomorrow-"/em A pause. em"Actually, my Equitable…"/em The leader lifted the addressed entity's chin a little. em"Come to my quarters tomorrow. You shall have the honor."/embr /br /Eyes widened. em"Th-thank you, your Excellency! I will be there!"br /br /"Good."/em The Superior was contented. em"Now, you are excused. Come with me, my Precious."/em It walked ahead a bit; the masked entity quickly followed up. Its speed, however, did not save it from the thought directed solely at its mind. br /br /em"It must be nice to be of so little use and still receive so much attention."/em br /br /The Equitable let out an unexpected shriek as the guard lashed out at them with its weapon. It did not get far, however – with nonchalance and calm the Shifter had turned its hand into a blade and blocked the scythe only mere millimeters away from its face. br /br /em"Is something the matter, inferior?"/em Eyes as cold as they could be, the Shifter stared at the helmet's visor. em"Not everyone has forgotten your place in this hierarchy."/embr /br /em"If you have problems with my position, go to the Superior. You should know it's its Excellency who keeps me close, and we don't defy its wishes."br /br /"I see. You can't take on personal issues on your own. You have to hide behind someone, no, some/emthingem to function."/em The Shifter's expression remained as cold as before. em"You've been marked as /emthatem entity already. The irregular unit in our collective mind."/em A pause. em"No wonder the Superior took a liking to you. You are /emrareem, that is all."br /br /"Both you and I know that this is not the case."/em The entity's grip around the scythe tightened, the pressure increased. em"The Superior chose me because /emIem was worth it."/em A sneer. em"I can't help it if you aren't worth its attention."br /br /"At least I know that my position measures up to the worth of my commitment. It is not at the whim of its Excellency."/em The entity looked down at the other. em"With you, however… I can only imagine how devastated you would be if your… relationship turned out to be based on nothing but a fleeting fancy for the unusual."/em A faint smirk of satisfaction as the Precious' pressure lessened. br /em"For the incomplete."br /br /"That. Isn't. True."br /br /"Oh?"/em The Shifter's eyes glowed with slight amusement. em"And what proof do you have?"br /br /"What is going on here?"/em The anger in the Superior's thoughts was audible. The Shifter did not give it too much attention, though. br /br /em"Nothing, your Highness."/em Finally it flung the lesser entity's scythe to the side. em"Just a little… misunderstanding."/em br /br /The masked entity did not turn its head away. The scythe still tightly in its hand, it whispered, em"Yes. Just a misunderstanding."br /br /"I see."/em The Superior narrowed its eyes before it turned away again. em"Well. As I said before… We shall leave now. Come."/em It spun around once more and walked ahead, only to stop and look at its Precious. em"Is something wrong?"br /br /"No, your Excellency."/em The masked entity finally dissolved its weapon, but did not turn away. It couldn't find a coherent answer, no reply that would without doubt show that the Superior was serious about their… commitment. At least in the eyes of that Shifter. Said entity looked at it /br /em"Prove yourself useful. Then any doubt will dissipate."br /br /"You know something?"/em The guard tilted its head. em"First get over your jealousy. It's unbecoming of an entity of such high rank to let the emotion of a lower being rule them. Maybe then I can take you seriously,"/em it mocked the other in a sweet tone before bowing with exaggerated flourish, and then followed the /br /The Shifter stared after them for a moment. Then, as the Precious' words echoed in its mind, it turned away and attended to its further duties. br /br /The smile of the wise victor was the most subtle one. br /br /em"Is everything all right?"/em The Superior turned to its Precious, a slight frown over its eyes. It had not interfered initially as it believed its Precious to be capable of taking care of itself by now, but still. Worry had crept up in the /br /em"It's was nothing, your Highness. The Shapeshifter and I just had some differences we discussed."/em The guard dipped its head to face the /br /em"I see. As long as you are all right."/em The entity smiled faintly before it gently placed its hand on the back of the other's neck to pull it closer and let their foreheads rest against each other. em"I'm glad you are developing well."/embr /br /The entity nodded. But behind its mask, even unseen by the Superior, its face /br /-br /br /"At least we didn't get hurt too much today." The second boot joined its sibling on the floor, and Ratchet let himself fall backwards onto the mattress from his seat on the bed's /br /"Little consolation over the fact that the fight left other more complicated issues to consider." Azimuth put his wrench into the wardrobe and took off the armor before switching into his casual wear. Then he turned to Ratchet and sighed. "They sure are some odd monsters."br /br /"They've grown from monsters to guys I could compare to other people in the galaxy who'd want to kill us."br /br /"I agree. I don't like the development, but I agree." Alister sighed and stretched his limbs. Then he walked over to the bed and let himself fall onto it right beside Ratchet. Arms were put around him to pull him closer to the elder. A low purr escaped Azimuth as he nuzzled his face into the younger's ear, and his tail swung contentedly back and /br /Ratchet turned his face to the other Lombax, eye brows risen. Alister just moved his nuzzling to his forehead. Why was he still acting so openly affectionate – or was it again? Strangely enough, he believed it was the former case. That ever since the electric shock, the elder's mood had been more open; more /br /Both curious and a little afraid, his stomach clenched as Alister's eyes gazed into his, the two ambers half-lidded in a warm glow. Thoughts blanking, Ratchet moved his head forward, slowly melding their lips /br /For moments they lingered in this position. Fingers brushed gently over golden fur, tails intertwined with each other. As their lips parted again, the elder quietly looked into his eyes, smiling openly and genuinely blissfully. He drew small circles on Ratchet's back and rested their foreheads against each other. "I also agree with this unexpected turn of events," he hushed /br /The younger bit his lower lip. He was enjoying this situation; he loved it that Alister was so open. Was it also right, though? Was Alister in his true mind, even though he had admitted before he liked what they were doing despite his moral misgivings? Ratchet felt as if he was taking /br /"Is something wrong?" Azimuth looked into his eyes, gaze searching for an answer. He stroked over the younger's head, purring lowly. He liked this situation; it was very much agreeable. As if there was any valid reason why he shouldn' /br /"I'm just really tired." Ratchet kissed him on the cheek. "The fight drained me – which one in the last days didn't? And you're probably exhausted too. How about we both shower, and then back here?" br /br /"I fear I need to object." A gentle shove against the younger's shoulder – and he found himself under the elder who supported his torso with one elbow. The free hand he used to caress Ratchet's cheek as he smiled warmly. "The shower can wait." And with that he leant down, placing their lips on each other /br /Unfortunately, Ratchet's stomach clenched under the gentle touch. There was something wrong. He should contact Nefarious, demand him to run a check on Alister- br /br /Suddenly Azimuth jerked away. A loud, dull noise sounded, followed by a pained groan. The elder narrowed his eyes and slowly lowered his hand with which he had thrown one of Ratchet's boots towards the door. His pupils had turned into thin slits, and his canines had been bared slightly as he stared at the individual at the entrance. br /"What are you doing here, Bar?"br /br /"Bar? What the hell? What are you doing here?" The same helmet, the same coat, though with a straighter stance. The appearance blew the current situation out of Ratchet's mind. Hadn't Bar left the facility?br /br /"What the hell are you talking about?" The robot pushed itself from the ground and slid up the wall, shaking his head slightly. "It's me, you stupid organics. Zane." He took the helmet between his hands and pulled it off, revealing a quite discontented glare on his retinal display. "Not that robot with a few screws loose."br /br /"Sorry to tell you, but you look all the same in those suits."br /br /"Well, then perhaps it'd have been nice if you hadn't thrown yer boot at me first!" Zane let the helmet drop beside him and began undoing his suit. "Just because I wear a helmet I'm automatically that falsely programmed—wait." He looked up and stared at them. "How do you know Bar?"br /br /"First, you are a jackass for calling Bar that. But jackasses exist among both robots and organics, so whatever." Ratchet gently shoved Alister away who even in his reluctant retreat was snarling at Zane. br /br /"Second, we… fell literally on each other in the factory halls. And third, yes, he did survive."br /br /"What…?" The displayed eyes widened. Zane almost dropped the suit in shock. "He… He sur—But how? He was supposed to be dead! Gone! How could he have-"br /br /"Your beloved doctor hit the wrong button when he tried to annihilate him." Azimuth's eyes still bore the same hostility in them as before, and only slowly he relaxed. "We ended up becoming acquainted with him and parted on a relatively sour note."br /br /"But… but how?" Zane seemed completely and utterly disconcerted. It seemed his circuits were unable to handle the information given. "Nobody gets out here unless—unless escorted or teleported. I tried, and—and I…" br /He shook his head slightly and straightened up. "I see. Well. Nice that he made it out of here."br /br /The near breakdown was obvious, probably the effect of a sensitive subject. Ratchet thus just shrugged and said. "As said, we parted on a sour note, but I hope he /br /"And you're here for another lesson."br /br /"Yes, I am." With a swift motion he threw his coat into the wardrobe and stepped closer. A sneer escaped him as he saw the music stand toppled over before he bent down and set everything right. Then he turned to Azimuth who had calmed down completely. "Do you want to stay?"br /br /The elder remained silent for a few moments, frowning slightly; but eventually he turned to Ratchet as he answered, "No." br /br /"All right then. I'll make a start now, so if you want out, you should go now."br /br /Azimuth nodded; then he leant down to the younger's ear, lips brushing faintly over the fur. "Don't forget what you promised yesterday," he quietly reminded him before placing a brief kiss on Ratchet's cheek. "I will see you later." And with this he turned around and left the /br /"Can I be assured he doesn't interrupt again?"br /br /"This'll only happen when an emergency occurs or when I call him. Besides, he and I had a chat." Ratchet rolled out of the bed, popping his shoulders /br /"A chat, huh?" Zane looked at him, index finger lightly tapping his chin. "I see. So he interpreted it this way. Interesting." A faint smirk appeared on his lips as he turned around, placing the sheet music on the stand. "Either way. Let's carry on with the lesson so that we both can return to whatever we do." Not that he had anything to look forward to – all that waited for him was work, work, and even more work. He could not emwait/em for a charger drink at the employee's bar. And from what he had learned in the few minutes he had arrived at this place, he felt like he needed it /br /"As you might have gathered by now, with the Loving it is not about the voice alone." He flexed his fingers and straightened his waistcoat. "It is about teasing them, taunting their desires, and giving them just enough to have them dwell in the illusion of satisfaction. Succeed, and you can either flee or destroy them. Fail-" He spun around and leant down to Ratchet, the displayed eyes taking on a fiery red color. br /br /"And you will pay a high price."br /br /The Lombax just tapped his foot as he looked up, unimpressed by Zane's /br /"You can believe me or not. It's your choice." He turned away again and walked towards a chair to sit down. "Just don't come running to me when they cut off a limb of yours because you didn't please them enough."br /br /Ratchet cocked his hips to the side, crossing his arms. "You should know that I believe you. I've learnt to expect emanything/em from them in my emfights/em. I'm just not fond of theatrics or people trying to intimidate me. I get that enough from other people."br /br /"It was a friendly reminder. It would be unfavorable if you suffered from an injury you can't heal." A measuring look. "Since you're organic, too, any injury they would inflict in case of failure would be irreversible." br /br /"You would know from experience, or something?" countered Ratchet with a crooked /br /"Yes." Zane's hand moved up to his retinal display. A few clicks sounded; and what Ratchet had assumed to be a firm part of the robot's shell turned out to be nothing but a detachable holographic visor intended to hide what was beneath. Where optics should have been there was only a jagged, black gap, revealing the interior circuitry of the robot. br /br /Ratchet flinched. "I don't have to guess that was the Shapeshifters' doing." The voice that left his mouth sounded as sick as he /br /"Correct, Captain Obvious." A crooked grin appeared on Zane's lips as he spoke those words without any offensive tone. "They… didn't like the look in my eyes." He lowered his hand and took the visor into both hands, turning it around. "I made a mistake when I encountered them once. In fact, it was the time I tried to leave the facility." br /His finger scraped over the surface of the visor. "I memorized the routes of the Shapeshifters and at which exit I would encounter those guards that were susceptible to my voice; but I slipped up and didn't perform well enough to please them. That is why they noticed my intentions and tricked me into believing they were subdued." He slowly lifted the display and attached it to his head once more. "I was blind with confidence. And for my failure, they decided to give me a emphysical reminder/em of my blindness." br /br /A pause. He looked up and grinned smugly. "But, as you can see, it's nothing a bit of upgrading can't handle. I assume they didn't expect me to get one of those handy retinal enhancements. They work just as well as my optics and they were cheaper than the repairs too." He chuckled. "Plus, I noticed it made me a bit more popular with the ladies. I suppose they like men with shades."br /br /Slowly a faint smile spread on the Lombax's face. "Oooh, you're playing the 'cool guy' card, with a dash of 'mysterious'. Yeah, that's always gets the ladies' attention. I was most of the time only the 'cute one'." Here he used air quotes. "Or they were more interested in my guns."br /br /"Well, your guns do have a high appeal, especially since they are… almost as big as you are." Something rushed over the visor, probably information charts. "Yeah. They are." He looked up again and grinned at the Lombax. "It's not my choice. A worker's salary isn't enough to pay for a cosmetic reconstruction, and I'll be damned to let the doctor do it. He would probably disassemble me first for trying to leave. Besides, some women find scars attractive." A pause. "Mind you, most of these women are Valkyries."br /br /"What can I do? Most people who use Grummel Net guns – or almost any company's guns, for that matter – are mostly races who're taller than me. I've met only…" Ratchet looked up, but not to look at something, but because he was mentally /br /"Three people. Three people smaller than me."br /br /"Well, maybe you'll need to grow a few more inches then." The robot grinned teasingly before he leant back. At the furthest corner of his perception he noticed the door slide open by a slit; and even though he gathered who it was, he decided not to say anything to the younger who had not noticed anything at all. "Either way. Time for your lesson. Remember that the slightest mistake could be fatal during your encounter; so, put everything you have in it – body, emotion and soul. Try to make me fall for your voice, no-" A smug, expecting smirk appeared on his lips. br /br /"Make me wish to emdie/em for you."br /br /-br /br /em"I could really get used to this."/em The Superior closed its eyes and leant against its Precious' chest. How pleasant it was to lie on the bed together, the other's arms around its neck and the presence filling up the leader's perception. em"Just you and me. It is nice."/embr /br /The guard kissed its top of the head in silence. The face mask was lying on the low table next to the couch, and the guard looked at it now and then with a contemplative expression. br /br /em"Is something wrong?"/em The Superior tilted its head upwards and blinked. It had noticed the slight tension ever since they had parted ways with the other two leading fractures of mind, but hadn't found it appropriate to ask immediately. It reached up to its Precious' cheek, four fingers cautiously brushing over the surface. br /br /em"I'm…"/em Should it share its thoughts? It was clear the Shifter's confrontation hadn't been about insulting it. The Shifter, just as to its name, tried to manipulate the guard into a direction that was likely meant to get rid of /br /But as it was with both lies and manipulations – they worked best if they had some measure of truth to them. Just emwhat/em did it bring to the Shapeshift- no, the Superior's cause?br /Apart from spending time with it, nothing /br /em"I feel useless."br /br /"What?"/em The Superior moved out of the embrace and stared at its Precious. Confusion, surprise dominated its gaze. How had the other come to such a thought? em"Why would you-"/embr /Suddenly realization hit it. So that was the reason why there had been a dispute…! em"I see."/em Eyes narrowing, fangs bared, it turned away and motioned to leave the room. em"It's the Shifter's fault. How dare it spew such nonsense-"/embr /br /em"But it's true!"/em The guard suddenly cried in. em"What good I am to the cause? How do I help the Shapeshifters?!"br /br /"What good?"/em The Shapeshifter turned around, face marred with anger. em"Are you really asking me what good you are to our cause? Really?"/em It stepped back towards the bed, every step heavy with agitation. em"The fact that you exist is the good that you are. The fact that you are not collapsing on yourself is living proof of your worth to our cause!"/em It slashed its arm to the side. em"That is the only worth you should have. The only worth the other Shapeshifters care for! They want nothing else, not even the slightest further action from you!"/em It curled its fingers into its coat, teeth burying themselves into its lower lip. br /br /em"But that is not all. They believe that you, an allegedly incomplete entity, have outlived your purpose. In other words, they wish you dead! They want me to execute their collective wish to kill you – and yet… Yet you are still here."/em A frown appeared on its face as it tensed up, looking away. br /em"I am the Superior,"/em it whispered, em"My duty, as much as it is theirs to obey me, is to lead us to our collective goals. Their wishes are my wishes. Their desires my desires. But look at me!"/em It took another step closer, face marred with anxiety. br /em"What have I done to realize their wishes? You are not dead! You are still within our ranks! They want you extinguished and yet I cannot, no, will not follow their desire!"/em It spun around, its frame full with tension. br /br /em"I am their Superior. My purpose, if anything, is to fulfill the desires of the lesser entities. And yet I cannot fulfill my duty."/em Again it turned around, facing the other guard. em"I am guilty. I am guilty of creating you, caring for you. I am guilty of letting go of our cause, of my purpose!"/em br /Eyes locked with each other. em"Every day, every second I have to bear the guilt of defying what I should do. Every day I have to fight our natural tendency to align our opinions! And all that, all of this is only because I do not want to lose you! Your worth, the good you are not to them, but to /emmeem, has no measure to it. They do not see the good you are and will be to our cause! So please…"/em The Superior fell to its knees, looking up to its Precious anxiously. br /br /em"Please don't think you are useless. You are not, no matter what they say. You might not see your place in this cause, but it is there. I cannot tell you, not because I don't know, but because I can't. It is something that you are not allowed to know, and as much as I wish to tell you, I cannot."/embr /br /A very audible, very loud gasp that had nothing but to do with thoughts, and was all throat and mouth escaped the guard's mouth before it crashed into the Superior, clashing their lips together. The kiss was desperate, the arms shaky as it all but leaned on the higher /br /Eyes widened. The Superior could not prevent them from falling over, only soften the fall. With just as much longing it wrapped its arms around its Precious, mind intoxicated by the sensations lips parting and searching for each other evoked. Fingers clawed feebly at the other's head as it returned the kiss eagerly; it felt hands pushing and sliding beneath its coat, the delicate yet demanding touch clouding all the thoughts it had initially had. br /br /em"Thank-/em you. Thanemk you."/em The guard panted between meetings of their lips, unable to decide what it wanted: more kisses; hide its face in the Superior's neck; just embrace each other for hours; more /br /Surprise appeared in the leader's eyes, but not for long. em"I—I forgot you could s—"/em Its thoughts were interrupted when its Precious pressed their lips on each other. Not that it minded; to have the other's presence fill out its perception did not bother it at all. The hand on the other's head slid down, tugging at the collar of its jacket before smoothing over the exposed part of its back. Fingers snuck between fabric and body, curling into the /br /The entity on top had forgotten itself; not that it mattered. It pushed its back into the touch, craving- no, needing the touch to burn that ugly image in its mind away that demanded attention. Fingers curled into the silken skin hidden beneath the coat, thoughts it could not control yearned for more. br /And who was the Superior to deny it this? The entity felt the other's lips on its neck, kissing and trailing along it; the fingers on its back pulling down possessively…br /br /em"I don't want to lose you,"/em the Superior hushed, em"Losing you would drive me mad…"/embr /br /em"I-I don't want to be lost./em Not again." And suddenly, the clock turned back for a moment where it had nobody, where it had been left alone because of that mistake, where it had been alone with them, where they had hurt it, where they had turned h-br /br /The guard surged to the ceiling, scrabbling against a smooth surface. It crashed back, the impact rocking its mind that it saw dark spots. Looking around, it only slowly realized that the Superior's anxious expression had taken the ceiling's place over him, and that it was lying on the /br /em"What's wrong?"/em The Superior cupped its cheek, brows pulled together in worry. Then it transformed its other arm to carry the entity to the bed, placing it cozily between the cushions. The hand on its cheek remained where it was, stroking gently over the surface. br /br /"… I don't know?" Had something happened? The vague unease at having the Superior so close was puzzling, and it also quickly dissolved. Not that it minded the gentle /br /The higher entity blinked. em"You… You spoke again."/em It looked at its Precious with slight confusion, but also wonder. Slowly it let its hand slide away from the other's cheek and rest on its chest; then faint, slow pulses of energy left its palm and entered the other's body. It hoped that this would make any unease vanish from its Precious' mind. em"It… still astounds me."/embr /br /"I don't think emI can talk much."/em This was strange. It had gone automatically silent after these words and switched to thoughts. Why was it even talking again if it was easier to communicate with thoughts?br /br /em"It's still… amazing."/em The Superior smiled at it quietly before it pulled its hand back and simply looked at the entity. em"Another trait of yours that distinguishes—no, sets you above the other Shapeshifters. All we can do is giggle, but no more."/em A pause as it chuckled lowly. em"Even I am unable to speak."/embr /br /"If you think emso."/em The guard frowned. How bothersome. It couldn't speak more than three words? What was that good for?br /br /Foreheads met. Arms were put around the entity as the Superior gazed quietly into its eyes. em"I like the sound of your voice,"/em it whispered, em"How odd I didn't notice its beauty before."br /br /"Does it really sound good?/em The guard relaxed completely into the cushions, sighing at the close contact. em"If you like it that much, then I can…/em speak more." If so little made the Superior happy, why should it deny the other?br /br /em"I would very much like that."/em A soft smile was on its lips before it chuckled lowly. em"You know, this almost feels like a secret between us. One that I'll hold dear."/em Fingers stroked gently over the entity's cheek. em"That makes me wish to tell you a secret too."/embr /br /"What is it?"br /br /em"A… silly dream of mine."/em The Superior looked away, slight embarrassment in its eyes. em"I want to leave the facility at some point. See the world beyond it. But… as you know, it was not possible to do so. And now, I have some… business to take care of first."/em A pause as it looked the other entity again. em"So… when this would be all done and over, I wanted to leave this place. Now, however…"/em It cupped its Precious' cheek and whispered into its mind. br /em"Now my silly dream has a new dimension to it. A silly, adventurous one. Namely just you and me, making a run for it."/em It hid its face in the other's neck and smiled nervously. em"Imagine, us two leaving here and seeing the world outside. No more worries. No more doctor, no more guarding. Just… you and me."/em A low chuckle. em"You may laugh now. I know it's a silly notion, and I can't just leave this place. But… it is a very entertaining train of thought to me. One I wish that would happen."/embr /br /"Why silly?" Fingers traced idle lines across the Superior's scalp with the 'hair' as its goal. It fondled the soft structure. emI'd love to see the outside world too. Not more concrete or metal only around us; no narrow hallways./em Twinkling dots – tens of thousands of them – in front of a black expanse blinked into its mind. em"I want/em to see that." It paused, sending just as many ideas about places to visit to the Superior's mind as it saw those lights. "I want to see emit with you."/em br /br /Slight wonder went through the entity's mind as it saw the images its Precious showed to it. em"What… was this you just showed me?"/em A short pause as it searched its memory for any corresponding data. em"Were those stars?"/embr /br /"They were." It shared more images, but no reaction that followed was as strong as that when the Superior saw the stars. em"They are the constellations visible in this part of Polaris."br /br /"I… I see."/em A blissful smile appeared on its lips. em"The stars look very nice. It would be wonderful if we could see them with our own eyes – together."/em It nuzzled against its Precious before it took the other's right hand into its own. Four fingers met against five and intertwined with each /br /em"I feel something is on your mind. And that you want to share/em it with me."br /br /em"Perhaps."/em The Superior closed its eyes and sighed lowly. How odd it was that it felt something close to fatigue, and that only because it felt so comfortable with the other entity. em"But it's something I will tell you when we see the stars."/em Its hand closed around its counterpart. br /br /em"I promise."/em/div
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