Mimic jacks ProtoMan out of the SciLab network as Lan speeds off inside the absolute second all of the doors are open. Arcadia follows ProtoMan, as he always does, and the two of them look at her, blank-faced in their shock.
For some reason, Mimic finds that hilarious. She stifles her laughter, though.
[he'll be fine] she tells them, while everyone else runs off to follow Lan. She doesn't bother going after them. There's not much she can do there anyway.
"But- but shouldn't we-" ProtoMan stammers, but she waves her hand and he goes quiet again.
[it's MEGA] she reminds him. [he's fine]
"She has a point," Arcadia says, blinking. ProtoMan glances at him. "I mean, he did just come back from deletion, which no Navi has ever done before, and he's just as powerful as you are, so . . . I-if anyone can survive getting transported to World Three's headquarters, it's him."
" . . . My life has gone from weird to downright insane," ProtoMan sighs.
You don't know the half of it, Mimic thinks, amused.
She wanders over to the van and sits down on the edge of the inside. She and the two Navis wait quietly, the only sound being the occasional gust of wind from the light summer breeze. It's oddly calming, in a way, probably because she knows her role in this insanity is done and she's fine with that, because everything's good now, and MegaMan is back and ProtoMan is okay again.
She's still sitting there, waiting patiently, when Lan comes back out and makes his way over to her. He sits next to her, PET in hand, and the screen shows MegaMan's grinning face.
"So," Lan says. "We saved MegaMan. And he's even got a new ability."
"What is it?" Arcadia asks, curiously.
"Dad called it Style Change - he said it's a hidden ability, something to do with his Ultimate Program," Lan explains. "That's- that's why the Beta Sword was so powerful, he thinks. Because both MegaMan and ProtoMan have Ultimate Programs, and it makes their systems different to other Navis, somehow, and it boosts the power of the Program Advance to the point where it was able to accidentally release PharaohMan."
Well, that's interesting. She'd always wondered why MegaMan and ProtoMan's battle had released PharaohMan like that. Maybe that's why that weird golden light had appeared in the anime, too, though it hadn't happened this time.
"A-anyway." Lan coughs, clearing his throat. "Thanks. For helping me save MegaMan."
[you're welcome] Mimic signs, and ProtoMan echoes the words - for her, and himself, and for Arcadia, who nods along with a bright smile.
"Yai said she can call a limo to take you back to your house, if you want," Lan tells her. "Or- wait. You're probably richer than Yai is, so . . . I guess you live in a place like hers? Massive mansion, way too much space?"
Far too much. But he thinks she's used to it, so she just shrugs.
She's glad he doesn't offer to go with her. When the others come back, they don't offer either, so maybe they think she just needs to be alone or something, or they think she'll be embarrassed if they come with her, but whatever the reason, she's glad.
It means there's no risk of them running into Shuseki. Though she's not sure how Shuseki will act around people who aren't in his employment and therefore can't be paid off to stay silent.
Yai calls the limo and it arrives within moments, because physics doesn't apply to the rich - or at least not to Yai - and Mimic climbs in with one last wave to her friends before she closes the door.
Mimic is lucky Shuseki has the sense to wait for Yai's limo to leave before grabbing her arm and dragging her inside the mansion.
She stumbles in his wake, thankful that she'd had the foresight to put her PET away before getting out of the limo - it means she doesn't have to worry about dropping it, or Shuseki seeing that there are two Navis on the screen rather than just one. He doesn't say a word or make a sound, not until he throws her into some random room and slams the door shut behind them.
Mimic has a second to look around and register that the room is a study - probably Shuseki's private study, he seems like the kind of person to have one - before Shuseki turns around and stalks toward her.
She finds herself backing away, instinctively, before her back hits a desk. Shuseki traps her against it and leans down so they're face-to-face.
"I told you to stay in your room," he says, voice deceptively soft and extremely dangerous. "Now, imagine my surprise this morning when I checked the security cameras, and found you walking out of the mansion. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Absolutely nothing.
Mimic cringes away as much as she can, trapped against a hard desk like this. Trying to make herself smaller doesn't work, either.
So. He had meant for her to be confined before the surgery as well.
That knowledge doesn't make her feel better.
"Because of your blatant disregard for my orders," Shuseki says, "you'll be confined for four weeks. And you know what happens next."
Mimic blinks, confusion briefly overriding paralysing terror.
"Turn around," Shuseki orders, voice suddenly harsh.
The contrast is terrifying enough that she finds herself obeying him automatically.
She jerks when she feels his hand gripping the back of her shirt, and trembles when he drags it up and over her head, leaving her shirtless in front of him. For good measure, he rips off the hoodie tied around her waist as well.
Shuseki's presence at her back disappears. She doesn't dare look over her shoulder to see what he's doing, but she hears clinking - he's taking off his belt.
Oh, god, he's taking off his belt and she's shirtless and her back is facing him and he's going to-
The metal end of the belt hits her back and she chokes on a cry of pain. She grips the edge of the desk and almost collapses to her knees when he strikes her again, and then again before she can recover from the second strike.
On the fourth strike, she cries out. On the seventh, the pain blinds her, and her legs give out. But Shuseki keeps going, until he's struck her with his belt ten times, and she's crying and making ragged noises that're halfway between sobs and screams.
"Get out," Shuseki spits, when he's finished.
She can hardly think through the pain or see through the tears, but she obeys him. She gathers her shirt and hoodie and runs out of Shuseki's study faster than she's ever moved in her entire life.
Mimic can't walk for long. Her back feels like its on fire and the pain spikes with every step she takes, and eventually she has to stop and all but collapses onto her backside on the floor, leaning sideways against a wall in some random hallway she doesn't recognise.
Pain it hurts it hurts so bad why did he do that why did he think that was okay why it hurts so much so badly why it hurts so much pain IT HURTS PLEASE-
Two of the mansion's staff wander past. She's not even trying to hide, but even though they must see her huddled against the wall, they don't even look in her direction. They just walk by, without a word or a backwards glance.
Why won't you help it hurts so much it hurts why won't you help you bastards why I hate you I hate you I HATE YOU-
I hate you I hate you for just watching this I hate you I HATE YOU-
TURNING A BLIND EYE YOU BASTARDS I FUCKING HATE YOU-
"Mimic."
All of a sudden, her thoughts fall silent. The silence is nearly deafening, but ProtoMan's voice cuts through easily.
"I've ordered the house programs to run a bath for you," ProtoMan says.
His voice is soft. Not the dangerous kind of soft that Shuseki wielded like a weapon, a threat, a promise, but the gentle kind, the exact opposite, the kind of soft that cools the anger and fear battling inside her and threatening to drag her under. The kind of soft she'll listen to any day, because her thoughts are starting to get too loud and she's scared and angry and she doesn't know what else to do.
"It will help," ProtoMan tells her, and she wonders how many times he's had to do this for Chaud.
Mimic gets up stiffly. Her shirt and hoodie drag along the floor as she walks, mind numb, listening to ProtoMan.
He's keeping up a running commentary, and Arcadia occasionally chimes in. Between the two of them, they keep Mimic's ugly-loud-evil thoughts at bay, and it seems they realise this, so they keep talking and talking and she keeps listening because the only other option is drowning.
The bath is ready by the time she drags herself to her bathroom. She drops her shirt and hoodie on the floor, then peels off the rest of her clothes, puts the PET on a low shelf where she can see it, and slides into the water.
She doesn't look at her reflection. She's too scared of what she'll see if she does.
Mimic doesn't sleep that night either, but this time the pain keeps her awake. She knows it's not healthy staying up for three nights in a row, and she's dizzy and can hardly think straight and her thoughts are literally all over the place. There's probably a lot more that's wrong with her, but she can't think clearly enough to notice.
She's still avoiding her reflection. ProtoMan and Arcadia have definitely noticed by now, but they don't say anything about it, instead they just talk about nothing and everything.
They're probably running low on energy from staying up so long as well. She signs for them to go sleep, and insists when they protest. When they've both vanished into sleep-mode, Mimic puts the PET into its charger, sits back on her bed, and tries to keep her mind blank. It doesn't work.
Morning comes, and ProtoMan and Arcadia come out of sleep-mode to see her in the same position she's been in all night. They take up talking again, but she's been alone with her thoughts for hours and not even their pointless chatter can shut up her thoughts now.
The only thing that does shut up her thoughts is her bedroom door opening. One of the cooks leaves a plate of food and then leaves, without a word or even acknowledgement toward her.
Mimic blinks at the food, and then looks at ProtoMan, hoping he can explain.
"When Chaud is usually confined," he says, "he is given two meals every three days. One in the morning, one in the evening, both on each third day. However, he does keep a stash of food in a box in his wardrobe. He usually takes one bit of food from that a day, except on the third days when he gets actual meals. Master Blaze does not know about the food stash and neither do any of the staff members."
Oh. So she'd almost half-starved herself for no reason.
That should bring some sort of reaction, but all Mimic can feel is just an empty, hollow kind of emotion that can't even really be called an emotion. It's just nothing.
She eats the plate of food. Yesterday, when she'd had those cakes from Lan's mom, she'd practically inhaled the things - but now the food tastes like ashes in her mouth and she has to force herself to chew and swallow, otherwise this confinement will just be worse with an empty stomach.
" . . . Your surgery is tomorrow," ProtoMan says, when she's finished forcing the last bite down her throat. "And after your confinement, you will need to go to IPC. Do . . . do you know how to do Chaud's job?"
Mimic shakes her head.
"Then I will assist you in any way I possibly can," ProtoMan tells her, firmly. "And, also . . . you can ask Chaud for assistance."
No. No, she can't- she doesn't want to- she doesn't want to see him. She doesn't want to talk to him.
Not after this. She's too scared of what she'll see, of what she won't see, of- of-
She curls up and can't stifle the whine that comes out of her mouth.
She's fucked up Chaud's life. He'll hate her. He was fine with her before, he said so himself that he knew it wasn't her fault, but even if it's not her fault he'll still hate her now because look at what she's done to him-
"Mimic!" ProtoMan's voice cuts into her thoughts again. "Calm yourself. Whatever you are thinking, I promise you it is not worth it."
"She thinks Chaud hates her," Arcadia's quiet voice says. Mimic almost doesn't hear him. "I can- I can see it. She doesn't wanna talk to him because she's scared to."
"He will not hate you, Mimic," ProtoMan says gently. "This is not your fault. It was never your fault."
That's hard to believe, considering it's been her stupid mistakes and her stupid screw-ups that have caused everything that's gone wrong so far.
"I don't think she believes you," Arcadia whispers, distraught.
"Then we will work at it," Protoman decides. "This kind of thing cannot be undone with one conversation. I know that. I will help her see the truth."
The 'truth' is that she's an idiot who thinks she can pose as Chaud, when she can barely keep herself held together. They mean well and in some deep part of her scattered mind, she's grateful for what they're trying to do, but she doesn't believe ProtoMan or Arcadia.
Her evening meal gets delivered and that tastes like ashes too, but she chokes it down anyway because the alternative is starving and that's a slow, terrible way to die.
So is sleep-deprivation, so she lies down at ProtoMan and Arcadia's insisting, and tries to sleep. She might get some hours, she might not - Mimic hasn't got a damn clue. Her mind's too messed up for her to tell if she's been blacking out for a second, a minute, or an hour.
Her head's fuzzy with lack of sleep and she's still hungry, but less so than yesterday. She decides to save taking a bit of Chaud's food stash until later. It might be better that way.
Two emails arrive, almost at the same time, while she's sitting on her bed and trying to wake up.
One is from the Blaze family doctor, informing her - and Shuseki, who's also been sent the same email - that he's on his way and will perform the eye surgery later in the morning. The second is from the N1 Grand Prix officials.
"For coming in second place," ProtoMan reads, "we have awarded you with a trip and tour of several cities in four different countries. Details will given when you arrive at the airport. Your trip is scheduled for-" ProtoMan pauses. "This . . . it is meant to begin in two days. Even if you were able to recover from the surgery that quickly, you are still confined to your room."
"I don't think that man'll let her go," Arcadia mumbles.
No, he won't. Luckily, Mimic has a way around this. Assuming it's allowed, anyway.
[ask if we can decline] she signs. [tell them give to LAN]
"Are you sure?" ProtoMan asks her, tilting his head worriedly. "We can always ask if they can simply postpone it . . ."
Mimic shakes her head.
It's supposed to be Lan who goes on the trip anyway, not Chaud. The only reason she's being given this trip is because she came in second place rather than first, and while she has no idea what the hell the Champion of the N1 gets as a prize for winning (aside from the title, of course), the runner-up is given this trip. And, like she said, it's meant to be Lan who goes on it.
Though there are other things that're different aside from the winners. She's confined to her room, and isn't allowed to work until after that confinement ends, which means that Chaud's role in some of the trip episodes is non-existent now. Is there a way around that?
Mimic doesn't know. She'll figure it out when she comes to that. Or she can just leave Lan on his own and see if he can get through the trip without her interfering. After all, Chaud had only shown up in a couple of the episodes, and he'd only played a somewhat-minor role. Lan's strong, and he's got MegaMan with him again.
Maybe he can work it out himself.
He'll have to, unless there's a way she can send ProtoMan and Arcadia to a completely different country for no apparent reason.
What would she even say, if she could convince them?
I've got a bad feeling about Lan, could you check up on him and MegaMan for me? Oh, and if you see a criminal mayor, feel free to record his bad deeds and send it off to the local police. And if you hear anything about Survival Seven, break in and rescue MegaMan. How do I know you'll have to? It's Lan, that's why, and he was probably tricked into playing.
Hell no.
She'll just leave it alone and hope Lan can get through it. Nothing that happens to him on that trip was ever as bad as PharaohMan, so he should be able to get through everything on his own.