This was too much to think about.

Jr.'s eyes shot open again. He was never gonna get to sleep like this. Lying here made him feel so despicably useless.

When he tried to sit up, however, he was reminded of just how useless he actually was. He froze as his abdominal muscles contracted, hissing in pain. Everything still felt so sore. Moving would be impossible while he felt so drained.

Jr. had been far too exhausted to do anything after Albedo left. His legs were just about useless then, crumpling like pages from an old book, and his chest felt like it'd been mangled just the same. Jr. wasn't sure if he trusted Albedo, but this did seem like a side effect of drowning.

That was, if it wasn't something weird Albedo had done to him.

But Jr. had laid here for far too long already, doing absolutely nothing. He was too tense to sleep. The last time he'd been unconscious, he'd woken up with no clothes and in the clutches of a man he hadn't seen in 14 years, so no thank you. He'll pass.

The only thing to do for the suspense, the rolling questions in Jr.'s head, was to get up and act. That was the only way to get himself out of this mess, and sitting here and wondering about it was only making his nails shorter for all the biting he was doing.

Jr. ignored the protests of his body, the strange tinges and persistent cough, pushing past the pain and pulling himself up. He had to get out of here.

He had no idea why Albedo had wanted him, but he was certain it wasn't for anything good. Jr. could be a hostage, or bait for his friends, or it could be something Jr. couldn't even wrap his head around. Albedo made it sound like this was revenge, but for what? For Miltia? Albedo had attacked Nigredo and the others there! Jr. couldn't pretend he was wholly innocent, but revenge didn't make sense to him, either. It didn't explain everything- why Richard was involved, where that photo had come from, why Albedo had just left him here instead of killing him while he was weak.

Jr. hadn't seen Albedo in so long. Just what was he thinking? What was he up to? It was almost like dealing with a new person- a strange, unpredictable, terrifying person.

Jr.'s heart ached in his chest. He was trying not to let himself think about it too much. Yet, he couldn't help but remember the boy Albedo used to be, small and quivering, and contrast him with Jr.'s strange captor. Where had he been, all these years? Who was he working for? What did he want? He seemed like an impossible contradiction- claiming to have saved Jr., but still waxing poetic about the pain he would inflict.

Jr. shook his head. Those questions didn't matter now. At the very least, Albedo seemed to want him alive. That meant more chances to escape- and escape he would.

He'd been lying there long enough to have memorized every inch of the room he was in. The lighting was low, and the walls a mess of blue and black hues, but the door Albedo had left through was easy to make out regardless.

Everything in the Song thrummed with a strange energy. It made Jr.'s skin crawl. He really hated it here.

Jr. staggered over to the door he'd been eyeing. He still hadn't been able to come up with much of a plan for escape. There weren't any ships he could commandeer, and he still couldn't send any messages to Gaginun. He didn't know if it was from the torture, or something Albedo had done, but it didn't matter.

Albedo had mentioned that Gaignun knew Jr. was in danger, but he didn't sound too concerned about Gaignun's potential involvement. That scared Jr. It probably meant that this was a trap.

Jr. gritted his teeth. He wouldn't allow Albedo to use him like that. Whatever he was planning, Jr. would make sure it wouldn't happen.

Jr. finally made it to the door, thankfully not as breathless as he thought he would be. He didn't know where exactly he was going yet, but he needed to get his bearings in this place. Maybe he could find his guns, or send a message to Gaignun.

Maybe anything was better than waiting.

Before Jr. could tackle the problem of the door (firing some elemental ether at it? Kicking it really hard?) it slid open automatically. Jr. blinked, gaping.

Wouldn't Albedo lock it for his prisoner? He didn't want Jr. getting out, did he? Maybe he thought Jr. was too weak to make it this far. The thought upset Jr. more than if Albedo actually had locked the door. He'd take the frustration of a challenge over the sting of pity.

At least the exercise was helping him. Jr. was walking more normally, now, albeit slower than he usually did. He traced a hand along the wall as he walked, just in case he pitched over, but he seemed to be fast recovering. Maybe lying down had helped.

Jr. started off wary of potential threats- security systems, allies of Albedo's roaming the ship, the rotten bastard himself. He walked carefully, trying not to rasp too loudly, eyes alert and watchful for every shadow and corner, but the farther he got, the sillier he felt creeping around. It seemed like there was nothing in these hallways but the echo of Jr.'s own boots.

Somehow, it felt more tense than if enemies were searching for him.

It was an eerie emptiness. This was the Song of Nephilim's true nature, something in opposition to life itself, like a floating pocket of death. It was too quiet, too sterile, too haunting. Maybe this was why Albedo had gone so insane. Being alone here was unbearable.

Jr. shook his head. No, trying to attach some sort of reason to Albedo was pointless. He'd been corrupted by U-DO- Jr. could still feel it on him. It was U-DO, now, and a strange, violent puppet where his brother had once been. Jr. couldn't hesitate when the time came. He had to fight Albedo if he wanted to survive- if he wanted his friends to survive!

In the maze of dark, featureless rooms, there was no sign of Jr.'s guns, nor any communication devices. The buttons Jr. pressed only opened more doors, activated more bridges. If he wasn't so determined, he might've started to feel hopeless. The Song felt endless and featureless, like he could search it forever and still find nothing.

There was nowhere else to go but continue up. That was probably where the important parts were- communication, and controls. It was also probably where Albedo was. Jr. closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, to figure out where Albedo was through their link, but it was useless.

Jr. exhaled, snarling. He couldn't sense anything like this. Albedo could be anywhere.

He didn't think he stood much of a chance against Albedo injured like this, but trying was better than nothing. He'd left his friends to deal with that weirdo Richard all alone, and Albedo was probably luring Gaignun into some kind of trap. Jr. couldn't be useless now. Albedo was his problem, his other half, his enemy to defeat. If the time was now… so be it.

At the top of the Song, it was almost like stepping onto an entirely different ship. It was still uncanny, but in a new way.

The hallway was still dark, but now there were little chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and candelabras dotting the floors. They gleamed with artificial fire- never extinguishing, but still wavering like real flames did, casting a sickly yellow color in the little space they lit up. Here shadows cast all around, rippling with every quiver of the lights.

This wasn't any sort of control room. There was nothing in it but a throne adorning the center, atop some stairs. Jr. rolled his eyes. Who needed something like this, anyways?

Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that this room was familiar. His mind was foggy after almost drowning, pounding like a headache, but Jr. was definitely forgetting something. His eyes canvassed the walls, the ceiling, before finally looking down on the floor.

Or, more accurately, looking down to the bodies.

Jr.'s vision swayed. He'd seen corpses before, of course, but not like this. This was grotesque, nightmarish. They were Realians- Kirschwassers, to be precise- but dismembered, snapped, and strewn about.

It was like Miltia all over again, staring into the cold, still faces of the other URTVs.

Jr. stumbled backwards. That was why this was familiar. It was the same image that had gotten them into this mess. It was the same image that was so grotesque, so terrible, that it practically begged for them to track down the monster who had created it.

Jr.'s heart thundered in his chest. He'd assumed Richard had been behind this- it was his trap, after all- and it certainly seemed like the little creep, broken toys or something like that- but here it was, on the Song of Nephilim, with Albedo.

Had Albedo done this?

Jr. didn't want to believe it. Albedo was meek and easily frightened. But he was a monster now, and even then… that URTV he'd beaten needed to go to the hospital ward.

But why? Why would he do this? Why would anyone do this? Jr. was a soldier. He wasn't disturbed by much. This, however, made him sick.

He jolted violently at the voice that rang out then.

"Ah, Rubedo, there you are."

Jr. spun around, skin crawling. He felt so vulnerable, unable to sense Albedo. He hated to be snuck up on.

The bastard looked the same as he had when he had spoken to Jr. last, all too pleased with himself. "How inconsiderate of you to wander off like that… I've been searching all over for you."

"Were you behind this?" Jr. spat. "Answer me, Albedo!"

Albedo laughed for too long. Jr. hadn't said anything funny.

"Such fire… how I've missed you, Rubedo."

"Can't say the same about you," Jr. spat. "Now answer me!"

"Why?" Albedo's laugh died down, now worming its way into his terrible words. "Does this frighten you, Rubedo? Are you upset?"

"What kind of question is that?! 'Course I am!" Jr.'s voice faltered. His lungs weren't strong enough to shout yet, but that wouldn't stop him. "This is sick!"

"My poor, sweet Rubedo… frightened by the sight of some worthless dolls." As though to prove his point, Albedo's foot jutted out to kick one of them. Jr. hated the sound of bone cracking like he'd never hated anything else.

"Stop it! They aren't dolls! You can't just kill them!"

"Can you really call this death? To die, one must first be born…" Albedo mused. He toed the limb, now slack with every push.

Jr. couldn't turn his face away, but then again, he didn't want to. He looked back up at Albedo, fire burning in his gut. "How can you say that? Of course they're alive- and they deserve to live! Everyone does!"

"Oh, please. You don't really believe that." Albedo's eyes flicked up to Jr., eyelids drooping low. "It's unseemly to lie, Rubedo."

"What are you talking about? Of course I do!" Jr. snarled. "Why would you even do this!? Why kill all these girls, and send out that tape? Why take me here?"

His questions had slipped out more general than he intended, and too many at once, but Jr. couldn't help but want answers, damnit! It didn't look like his escape attempt was going to end up worth a damn, so he might as well try and get the truth out of Albedo.

Albedo didn't respond. Jr.'s mind was whirring now, trying desperately to contain his emotions. As he looked at Albedo, he could see more of the old Albedo in his face- in his eyes, the way his fingers twitched.

Jr.'s heart wrenched. It couldn't just be U-DO. He had to talk to whatever was left in there.

"You've been infected by U-DO, but… it's still you in there, I can tell." It was a dangerous thought to have. Jr. didn't want to hesitate. No matter how much of Albedo was left, he was dangerous and twisted- this only proved it. Yet… "Don't pretend you're some kind of monster now. You were scared of everything when we were younger. Don't you feel something? They look like-"

Jr. didn't finish his sentence.

They looked like Sakura. All Kirschwassers did. Jr. was never fully comfortable around them, but he knew that no matter their looks they were each their own person. Weren't the URTVs the same way?

Still, seeing them torn up this way, and by Albedo too… it made him feel funny.

Albedo's smile faltered. Sakura always did this to him, and Jr. never understood why. "Still that human girl, I see. Is that why you're so defensive? Violence is perfectly acceptable, but the second you want her-"

"That's not-!" Jr. couldn't listen to this crap. "Dammit, Albedo! A human girl? We're human!"

Albedo had returned to his high spirits, barking out a high laugh. "Oh really? Can humans do this?"

His fist clenched around his wrist, then, wrenching it backwards with sickening strength. Jr. couldn't help the wince at the crunch of his forearm, Albedo's grunt of pain. It still healed, though, with a flash of purple light.

Albedo lifted his new hand in the air, admiring. His eyes slid down to where Jr. was, and he stalked over, smiling widely.

He bent down, eye to eye with Rubedo.

"Can they do this?" he whispered. His breath smelled like blood.

When his hand touched Jr.'s neck, it was crackling with some kind of energy. It had to be U-DO- nothing else would feel so revolting, so painful, like a shock of freezing cold and a knife peeling away skin. Red dragon activated almost unthinkingly, and Albedo was forced stumbling a few steps backwards.

Jr. fell to his knees, panting. He was already weak, and red dragon took a lot out of him anyways. He wasn't supposed to use it.

"This isn't anything. We're still human, Albedo." Jr. said. He wasn't gonna let this go. "Or… whatever humans and mutants and Realians all are. We're people, and we can be good or bad, but we have to make a choice!"

He flinched when he heard the slap of skin, looking up to see Albedo clapping. His eyes had glazed over with boredom.

"What a rousing speech," he said. "Truly impressive."

Jr. gritted his teeth. "Don't dismiss me-! I'm not kidding around, Albedo!"

"Of course not. You aren't much a comedian, Rubedo…" Jr. heard the crush of a cape meeting the floor as Albedo crouched down, and was suddenly met with his gleaming violet eyes. "…but you are an impressive hypocrite."

"I'm not!"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten?" Albedo's voice dropped to a whisper again. It made Jr. shiver. "These are but specks of dust in the wind, Rubedo. They're nothing compared to those you've killed… I wonder how many? Hundreds? Thousands? There were six hundred of us, after all, and that's not counting all the Miltian civilians-"

"Shut up!" Jr.'s eyes snapped shut. "That wasn't my fault!"

"Do you really believe that?"

"Is that why you brought me here?" Jr. demanded. "To take your revenge?"

That couldn't possibly be it. Then why dismember these Kirschwassers? Why include MOMO?

"It isn't so simple as that," Albedo murmured. His fingers ran through Jr.'s hair, watching it fall from his clawed fingers with rapt attention. Jr. didn't have the strength to stand, but he did have the strength to slap Albedo's hand away.

Albedo stood abruptly, turning and facing his back to Jr. "I will force you to repent, Rubedo. You will feel the weight of what you have done to me, and all those who were destroyed. I will tear the penance from your lips, and wreak atonement on your body!"

"Get in line." Jr. grumbled. Richard had already come close to killing him, earlier.

"I wonder, was it good to abandon us? I know some humans are deserters, too…"

Jr. winced. Miltia never truly left him, like it had seeped into his very skin and weighed him down there. He couldn't admit his guilt to Albedo, but he couldn't lie either. Jr. hadn't made the right choice, he knew that. He visited Miltia in his nightmares every time he slept.

It was different, though, than what Albedo thought. None of this was fair.

"I didn't mean to. I didn't want to. I didn't have a choice!"

"Neither did we." Albedo turned back around. "You left us with nothing, Rubedo, nothing but U-DO. Our waveforms weren't strong enough. You knew you were condemning us to death… or worse."

Jr. wrenched his eyes shut. He had known. Albedo had no choice but to become infected. They had all been corrupted… and Gaignun was forced to fight his way through their former comrades. All because Jr. had broken the link.

Long fingers knitted themselves in Jr.'s hair. He could feel his head pulled up, could sense Albedo right in front of him again.

"You want to talk about that human girl, that worthless distraction?" Albedo asked, his smile sickly sweet. "I remember the day she died… I knew then that what you said was true. Humans did die. Do you know what I vowed, that day?"

Jr. didn't respond. Albedo didn't seem to mind.

"I vowed never to let you die, Rubedo." His lips quirked downwards, suddenly serious.

Jr. couldn't keep the surprise from his face. Wasn't killing him the point of Albedo's revenge?

"Don't you… hate me?" Jr. choked. Albedo let go of him abruptly, and Jr.'s head snapped downwards, limp.

Jr. panted. He was so tired. All he could hear was Albedo's confusing laughter, and the words he crowed.

"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" He mused. "There is so much worse than death, Rubedo. I cannot die, and I've suffered. Death is mercy. I will show you none."

"You say I'm a monster, but you're the one acting like it!" Jr. argued. He had to do something. He had to pick himself up. Slowly, he began to move his legs, pulling himself off the ground.

"Of course… we are one, ma moitié. If you are a monster, I am too... and so we are, twisting about one another for all eternity." Albedo seemed pleased with that. Jr. wasn't. "You can't destroy me, Rubedo… You've already tried to cast me aside, but you can't, just as you can't destroy the guilt within… the memory lingers just as I do."

"How would you know-"

Albedo's smile was all teeth now. His eyes were lidded. "You talk in your sleep."

Jr. scowled. That bastard! So he was just toying with Jr. all along?! What was the point of all this?!

The anger was finally enough for Jr. to pull himself to his feet. He worked to catch his breath, watching Albedo all the while.

He was only watching back, bemused.

"Alright. I'm not proud of what I did." Jr. admitted. "But I'm not gonna let a maniac like you tell me what to do, either!"

He wanted to say that he lunged at Albedo, but he staggered, really, and before Jr. could swing a punch he ended up tripping over his own feet. Jr. cursed, preparing for the sensation of the floor hitting his face, but instead strong arms wound around him.

"Let go!" Jr. growled. He didn't want to be touched by Albedo. He was the fiend who had done all this!

"Dear, dear… still so weak, mon Rubedo." Jr. couldn't see him, but he could feel Albedo's hand in his hair again, this time patting his head.

Jr. flushed red. That condescending bastard! He knew Jr. had just been tortured! Was his plan just to humiliate Jr.?!

"I swear I'm gonna-"

"We'll awaken that dragon in you yet," Albedo whispered- closer to Jr.'s head, now. Jr. could feel the heat of his breath in his hair, a brush of his lips. Jr. prepared to thrash, to scream, to kick, but instead he felt the warm, soothing sensation of healing ether.

He froze, now well and truly baffled. Was Albedo healing him? Why?

It certainly was helping- Jr. could breathe fully again, and his legs felt less limp. Jr. took the opportunity to push back with his newfound strength, but left himself still half-held in Albedo's grip and staring up into his eyes. Here in the lowlight, with the gleam of the candles around them, Jr. could see streaks of lavender tracing across the indigo. They were dark, but deep in color, like staring into an endless pool of star-studded space.

It didn't make Jr. any less confused.

"Why-"

Before Jr. could ask, however, he was thrown into Albedo's arms yet again. The ship rocked violently, and from the surprised grunt Albedo gave, he hadn't been expecting this, either. The communications line crackled, and a familiar shrill voice rang out.

"So this is where you've run off to!"

"Ma moitié" means "my half".

"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" is from Corinthians in the Bible.