To Be Seen
My, my, how many times had it been? Twelve, thirteen maybe? He'd lost count. "Hello? Are you awake?" No response, huh. Hazama lowered himself closer to the vampire, hearing a faint hint of breath escape her strangled throat.
To be about to expire, only for your body to bring back your senses, how agonizing it must be. Despite the uncaring expression the vampire girl tried to maintain, her pain was clear as day. How wonderfully excruciating must it be, to be chained under enough pressure for your body to break apart. It was quite the beautiful sight.
Hazama sighed, the throbbing on his chest lighting up his senses. That pain, that feeling, it was always so intense. Overtaking his mind and reason, if only for the small instances where it hurt like that. So very pleasant.
How long until she woke up this time? It was taking longer and longer, and the silence felt unnerving. If he had something else to occupy himself with at times like these, at the very least…
The familiar presence and the doll's silhouette on the corner of his vision warned Hazama about his visitor. "Oh, Colonel." He opened with the pleasantries even before lifting his head. "How nice to see…"
The pathway before him was empty.
Hazama got up, surveying his surroundings. Surely he didn't imagine that presence. Although the separation was a shocking event, the vessel was sure of his sound state of mind. A feeling of uneasiness crawled up his neck as his body tensed, yet Hazama didn't feel danger in the air. Was this a test? Another one of the mad scientist's experiments? Well, better to be safe than…
A sudden strike on his back knocked the air out of his lungs. The vessel's body flew forwards, hitting the guardrail with a loud thud. Hazama had little time to situate himself before the puppet closed its cold metal fingers around his neck. What a familiar feeling… It left a bitter taste of blood in his mouth as his body was lunged into the ground.
In that small instant, he glimpsed a hint of purple, which threw him off. The Colonel wasn't one to make unnecessary changes to his tools. For what purpose…?
Well, it didn't matter. The vessel had to answer, before he was rendered unable to do so. Getting on his knees, Hazama sent out a chain, striking blindly to buy himself time to get up. He felt the snake head cross the air where its target would be, with no indication of impact, and before his mind could register that fact, a metallic fist knocked the back of his head.
Hazama blacked out immediately from the brute force of the attack. Blinking fast, he regained consciousness, finding himself bound by a magic formula. Was this…? A small struggle tightened the chains considerably, confirming the fact. The vessel was trapped by his own sadistic creation.
"If this is a joke, it's in terrible taste, sir." Hazama complained to the pavement, sighing heavily. The close footsteps shook the ground under his face, the sound reverberating inside of his ears. A shadow blocked the sunlight for a moment, and the vessel was lifted off the ground. "Huh?"
The marionette doll held him like a sack of meat, which wasn't terribly far from the nature of his body, but was still lacking in manners. "You'll be coming with me."
That was not the voice he expected to hear. "You are…" The truth finally hit him as Hazama saw the purple dress sway with the puppet's mechanical steps. "Carl Clover." The child did not answer, and from the place he was, the vessel could not face him. "What do you want with me?"
Lifting his head, Hazama saw the vampire sitting down on the guardrail. Freed from the bindings, she stared back at him with blood-red eyes, merely watching as the vessel was dragged away. For a self-proclaimed lady, that was quite the uncouth farewell.
The gaze would soon be broken as the puppet took him further away, back inside the NOL facility. Hazama waited patiently as they traversed the empty corridors, trying to get a better grasp of his situation. Just what did that child wanted with him?
The marionette doll's steps were rhythmic and mechanical, its solid metal parts pushing against the vessel in an uncomfortable manner as it held him. "This place will do, Sis." Hazama could hear the sound of the child's footsteps against the polished floor. "Put him here."
They entered the Headquarters' Infirmary, easily recognizable by the pristine white walls. The vessel was ungracefully thrown over a bed, still bound by his wrists and legs. For the first time, he could face his captor. "Now, will you explain yourself, little boy?"
"Isn't it obvious?" The child answered in a sour voice. "I'm running out of options, and I need to check something. Stay still, it'll be over soon."
"That really isn't reassuring, you know…" The blue eyes, despite their bright hue, felt as void of emotions as the usual white sockets of the mask. It was no wonder Hazama had mistaken the two. The boy truly was his father's child. "Wait, kid…"
With little regard for that request, the young boy climbed up the bed and leaned over him. Small hands rudely grasped the sides of Hazama's head, turning his face to the sides as if he were a mannequin. "It's quite well built. As expected from Father's creation."
"Personal. Space." Hazama gasped out as the boy kept pushing and pulling his jaw around. He winced when the small fingers pulled his eyelids open, trying to blink. It was not a pleasant experience, but it was also nothing worth of note. The vessel had to endure much worse on his old maintenance sections. "Are you trying to get some ideas for your next science fair project?"
"You could say so." The boy laughed darkly, finally releasing Hazama's face. "You can't be that far away from my current level. As long as I can take you apart…"
He didn't finish the thought, but the vessel understood it well enough. Well, that was just his luck. To have his plans foiled was annoying enough on its own, but at least last time the ghost had bestowed him free reign over himself. "I'd rather not have you take me apart, if possible…"
Ignoring Hazama's request once again, the child untied his tie and began unbuttoning his clothes. Hazama squirmed a little, bothered by his lack of freedom. At least with the father, he had the option to complain and undress himself at his own pace. Besides, as soon as the kid was to open his shirt…
The small hands stopped on their tracks just as that thought crossed the vessel's mind. Hazama looked down at the brat, knowing what to expect. Annoyance, indignation, perhaps a hint of anger even. Surely, he wouldn't want to work with damaged goods, right? Actually, now that he thought about it, perhaps the scar would only make the boy more eager to take him apart… "Are you okay?"
Concern was not on the list of emotions Hazama expected as a reaction. "Huh…" The child's eyes, bright and blue, were no longer as hollow as those the vessel came to expect. "…yes?"
Carl Clover touched the opening lightly, almost fearfully. "You're not… This isn't… normal, right?" The vessel wanted to believe that concern wasn't for his well-being, given that the kid had no qualms about knocking him out mere moments before. "That wasn't… Did Sis hit you too hard…?"
For a moment, Hazama considered answering "yes". But, as funny as that would be, it didn't seem like a good idea. "Oh, no, it was already like this." What if the child decided to "fix" him out of guilt, after all? "It's nothing to worry about. Actually, it'll make your peeking easier, I'm sure."
For the first time, their eyes met. "Doesn't it hurt?"
The question really caught him off-guard. "Terribly so, yes." Hazama answered, unsure of what to think of this. The child's gaze wasn't as annoyingly emotional as it should be. "As any wound does, I'm sure."
The boy shifted his weight, trying to get a better look at Hazama. The vessel could almost hear the gears turning inside that little head. "You…" He adjusted his round glasses, furrowing his brows as he did so. "Are you used to it?"
"What does it matter to you?" Hazama retorted with a bothered tone. "Are you that troubled about working with second-hand goods?"
"Second… hand?"
"Second-hand, yes." The vessel replied matter-of-factly. "I've been discarded. I'm no longer a vessel for anything." Or anyone, he refrained himself from saying. "I can't blame it entirely on this, but Terumi-san sure wasn't pleased to see the extent of the damage."
The confused child cocked his head to the side, seemingly lost on the conversation. "But you have a soul."
"I do, yes. All of my own." Hazama couldn't hide a little pride in that statement. He wasn't sure if that soul had always been there, but he considered it his, as much as it had been tinkered with by forces beyond himself. "I'm sure it's a design flaw you'll be able to overcome."
The child's shoulders dropped as he stared at the vessel intently. "You're… very depressing to talk to." Carl Clover sighed. Hazama took it as a compliment. "Well, I'm a bit worried now, but I still have to take a look at you."
"Be my guest."
Although he didn't appreciate that, the boy proceeded with his little analysis. Hazama let him have his way. There was no danger to it, after all. Indeed, the small hands were being far more delicate now. They traced his wound, studying his inner workings, and the vessel couldn't help but enjoy it a little. It was rare to have someone actually staring at him, instead of the shadow that used him as a body.
"You can be a little rougher, you know." Hazama remarked when he noticed the child had hit a roadblock. "You've already knocked me out once anyways. I'm not going to break apart that easily."
The boy glared at him, teeth clenched in frustration. "Well, you didn't look very hurt from that."
"I wasn't." The vessel agreed with a small nod and the usual smile. "I can't really feel pain."
Hazama wasn't sure what led him to admit that. The boy was quiet for a moment, before mumbling under his breath. "That explains this part…" The vessel was quite curious about what exactly he was referring to. "Do you never feel pain? You said the wound hurt."
"It's the only place that hurts." He confessed, somewhat pleased by the child's question. "It's the only place that ever hurt."
Carl Clover nodded, taking his words without judgement. That understanding reaction was so very unlike Ragna the Bloodedge's dismissal. It made Hazama feel seen. "I don't think you're supposed to be that numb, though…"
The vessel didn't understand the comment right away. "…huh?"
"You're not so different from that Platinum girl… Sturdy, sure, but..." After mumbling for a bit, Carl Clover looked up, meeting Hazama's eyes with a serious expression. "You're lucky, I guess. This wound could be hurting way more than it is."
"It could?"
Hazama couldn't hide the excitement on his voice, and the child picked it up easily. "Do you… actually like the pain?" The odd look wasn't as bad as the vessel expected. Hazama merely nodded in response. "Why?"
Should he admit it? "That's…" Well, he'd reach this far, so what was the harm? "It makes me feel alive."
"Oh." Carl Clover was surprised by a moment, before nodding. "Well, I guess I can understand that." That reaction was, far from unexpected, almost unbelievable. "It must be very boring, being built this way."
Hazama couldn't find the words for what he was feeling right now. He watched the boy continue to study his body: the focus of the blue eyes on the transition between his skin and his hollow insides, the (surprisingly rather few) pieces of his chest the small fingers carefully broke off. As much as that expression and mannerism reminded Hazama of the Colonel, there was such a stark difference between the two.
As much as that child wanted something out of him, he was also fully invested in the vessel in a way even his own creator never showed.
The inquiry brought a clear frustration to the boy's expression as he faced hindrances in this quest, time after time. "As much as I hate to admit it, that man really is a genius." With a final frustrated sigh, Carl Clover gave up. He lifted his head, eyes clouded behind the transparent lenses, and crossed his arms tightly.
"Are you done?" Hazama asked after a small silence.
"Yes. I guess so." Despite a smile, the child looked none too happy about that fact. "It really is beyond my current level. There's nothing I can do about it."
My, who was the depressing one now? "Well, you could always try messing around a bit. Making some changes to see what happens and whatnot."
The boy glanced back at Hazama, visibly bothered by the suggestion. "I can't do something like that. What if I break something? I wouldn't know how to fix it."
"Given the state you found me in, there really isn't much to worry, is there?" Hazama retorted with a hint of laugher. "Since you have the chance, isn't it better to find out as much as you can?"
Only after the words left his mouth did the vessel realise he was advocating for his own doom. The child's actions simply didn't register as deadly affairs, what with all the attention he was giving to Hazama's wellbeing. "Stop… talking about yourself like that."
The request was but a whisper. "Like what?"
"Like… you're a thing." Carl Clover pursed his lips with unease. "That's how he speaks."
"Well, it's the truth, isn't it?" Hazama didn't see the problem with that, although he surely wasn't trying to emulate the Colonel on purpose. "You weren't exactly treating me like a person either, so what does it matter?"
"I…"
The boy fell silent, a thoughtful expression on his round and childish face. Hazama couldn't believe he actually mistook that one for his father before. Although he could give off a serious presence, the boy couldn't help but betray his attempts at stoicism.
Well, he was still a kid. "I really did that."
Why did he sound so scared of that fact? "Like I said, it's fine. I'm a vessel anyways…"
"It's NOT fine!" The sudden outburst surprised Hazama, and he jumped a little, making the bindings contract strongly. "This is…! I'm not…!" The boy's eyes were watery. "I DON'T WANT to be like HIM!"
The marionette doll, that had been silently watching over them all this time, stepped closer and closed its arms around the child. Carl Clover somehow held back the tears with only a few sobs, hugging the solid metal tightly as he did so. He mumbled a few loose words, far too quiet to make out.
Hazama watched this small scene play out, unsure of what was happening or what he could do about it. At other times, he would revel in the fact he'd made a child cry, but that particular brat wasn't being annoying enough to warrant that. In fact, as surprising as that sounded, the vessel didn't really mind the boy's presence.
He enjoyed the attention, and the questions, and the focused gaze and the careful gestures. It was the first time that being bound and studied wasn't a tedious and unpleasant affair. "Kid…" But why was that? Why was this child's curiosity so different from his father's methodical evaluations?
Well, the answer was obvious, as clear and transparent as the tears that dried without running down the small face. "I'm…" Clear as the blue eyes that didn't meet Hazama's. "I'm sorry."
The vessel sighed. "Why do you care?" He couldn't help but sound judgemental of the fact. "I'm a stranger, an adult, an ally to your father. By all accounts, we're enemies."
The answer didn't come right away. "You're not his ally." Carl Clover retorted with a dark smile. "You're his thing. Just like mother is." Hazama was taken by surprise by the statement. "Just like we all are."
The child was definitely cleverer than the vessel expected. "So…"
"That's why I need to care." The words were so clear, despite being as loud as a whisper. "If we're all things, if this world really is meaningless, then I will grab on to whatever I still have. I won't become like him, never!" Defiance burned behind the round lenses. "I'll bring Sis back, and I'll show him that we matter. That we're not his things, we're people."
That… was quite the noble little speech. Hazama felt like poking fun at it, but he didn't find the words right away. "Am I a 'people' too, then?"
Carl Clover faced him with a seriousness unbefitting of his young age, yet still matching his childish ways. "You are." The answer held no hint of doubt. "You're just like Sis is now."
He was just like… the marionette doll? He was like the doll. And yet, within that same breath, the child had stated that both of them were people. "Huh." Well, that was absolute nonsense. "Are you going to fix me as well, then?"
"Fix…?" It was the boy's turn to be surprised. "As in, make you more human?" The vessel nodded, quite curious about the answer. "I… I don't think… I'm not sure if I can do something like this right now…"
"Oh, it doesn't have to be right now. I could just follow you around until then." Hazama sneered. "You know, like your sister."
The child noticed the jest, and responded with a polite smile of his own. "I could work with that, you know." Carl Clover declared in an almost challenging manner. "Especially if you really don't mind me making mistakes, like you said before."
A small laugher escaped the vessel's lips. "You are quite the amusing brat."
The boy merely smiled. "Well, think about it. I'll give you a little time before we leave."
Hazama had to admit it was a tempting offer. If it were those careful small hands, perhaps being changed wouldn't be such a bad experience. "Where are you going now? There isn't much time left, you know."
His confused expression was more than enough for an answer. "What are you talking about?"
"This world, this embryo, will soon collapse." Hazama explained. "Whoever's still left that isn't fighting for the Azure will probably disappear as well."
The vessel had been standing in front of a possible entrance, waiting to meet Ragna the Bloodedge before that. He wondered if the man had already passed through to the other side. "Is there… a way to survive that?" The boy asked in a small voice. "I haven't given up the Azure, but I didn't find Noel Vermilion either…"
"Oh, she's on the other side of the Boundary by now." Hazama wondered what kind of place it was. "If you really want to reach her, you could always jump into a Cauldron. Though, whether or not you'll really end up where she is, is up to debate."
The boy mumbled to himself, a troubled expression on his face. "If I had the Azure, I could fix everything…" His eyes were hidden under the light gold bangs. "Father said I could learn the Truth by peeking into the Boundary…" He sighed deeply. "Either way, I guess we'll be heading to the Cauldron now, Sis."
So he'd met the Colonel before. How curious for the Puppeteer to offer advice… Hazama couldn't help but be intrigued by whatever the masked scientist had in store for the boy. "There's a Cauldron at the bottom floor of this facility. I'll lead you there."
Carl Clover lifted his head, regarding the vessel with a small hint of suspicion. "Aren't you after the Azure as well?"
"Not really. I was looking for it before being separated from Terumi-san." Hazama explained, finding the boy's expression quite charming. He would certainly be a far more interesting adult than his father was. "I have no use for it anymore, so there's no reason for me to backstab you. You don't need to be so on guard."
The child stared him down for a moment, measuring his response. "I guess you would only use the Azure to fix yourself, then?"
"Maybe? I honestly didn't give much thought to it." The vessel confessed with a small shrug. "I'm really not that interested in these wish-granting powers."
For a moment, it seemed as if the boy wouldn't believe him. Who in their right mind would, after all? This entire Embryo was made so they could fight for the Azure, to have someone give up on it would be preposterous. The truth is, Hazama was interested in it, he simply didn't know what he'd use all that much power for.
If it reached that point, he'd probably fight the duo for the right to claim it. But, until then, he was more than glad to just accompany the two out of curiosity. "Okay, then." Carl Clover nodded slightly. "You lead the way."
And with that said, the marionette doll turned the vessel on his side. With a swift blow, the magic formula was broken, and the chains vanished. Hazama sat up and stretched a bit, enjoying his freedom. After fixing his clothes, he got up and gestured the boy to follow him. "This way."
A strange feeling welled up on his chest as they walked down the empty corridors. The winged statues' marble eyes stared down at the three in silent judgement, the shadows weighting down on Hazama's shoulders. He wasn't used to this much stillness, to only hearing the echoes of his footsteps on the polished stone floor.
It was a good thing then, perhaps, that he didn't have to cross this place alone. The small boy walked by his side, the marionette doll following them close behind. They didn't exchange a single word as they ventured deeper, reaching the very bottom level of the Cathedral.
Beyond the door stretched the endlessly gaping mouth of the Boundary. The open Cauldron filled the room with a burning, almost asphyxiating hue. It, the eyeless entity that had beheld far too many parts of that soon-to-be-over charade, called out to them with the wordless promise of beautiful lies.
Breathless, in a silence that even the dead dare not to emulate, the child was the one to take the first step. Hazama stayed back, as he was used to do by this point. Merely watching, merely a vessel, merely fulfilling needs beyond his own. Under the pressure of that room, his presence itself would soon disappear, back to the nothing where it originated.
The last time he'd stood before the beastly jaws of blazing red and shining blue, under the weight of the entire fake world, Hazama had peeked inside the Cauldron. Recovering his memories just as he was ordered to do.
That was the beginning of his story inside the Embryo. A small actor, with an unexpected twist. And now, a hollow vessel.
Just what was in store for that child, then? "Sis." For someone who reached this point mere instants before the end? "Let go, Sis. I need to know." Hazama was quite curious about the resolution, but a part of him felt unsure. "I need to find a way to surpass that person."
The doll, always so quick to follow orders, hesitated. The metal claws still holding back the small boy's arm, keeping him from reaching closer to the truth. You're just like Sis is now, the words ringed on the back of the vessel's mind.
"Sis, please." The child didn't struggle against the gesture, merely looking back at the metallic face with pleading eyes. "I can do this. Please, trust me." The same seriousness, and yet such a stark contrast. "Let me go."
If it were Hazama, he wouldn't comply. He'd refuse the boy that chance out of sheer pettiness. What was there to see that the brat couldn't find out by looking at the vessel instead? And even if he wasn't exactly what the child was looking for, to follow Relius Clover's advice seemed… ill-fated, to say the least.
Hazama took a step closer. At the same time, the marionette doll let go of the boy's arm. "Thank you, Sis. Wait here, I'll be back soon."
These sweet and childish words were asking for disaster to strike.
Hazama stepped yet closer, although the boy didn't notice it at all. "So this is the Boundary…" The mumbling wasn't difficult to make out in the empty room, even if the words faded, devoured by the Cauldron's bottomless pit. "So Father came through here… No, this isn't important, I need to focus. I need to know…!"
A gasp.
"So much…! Information… In this place… Everything…" The words became more and more disconnected. Having done the same before, Hazama understood the sensation, but he still felt the need to close the distance. "That man… Here… He saw…!" At this point, he was within an arm's reach of the child. "Ah…"
No.
Although he was moved by his own feelings, it was a force foreign to himself. Hazama took hold of the child's arm and yanked him away from the Boundary's whispers, much to the boy's surprise. "Ah!" The loud scream ringed inside the vessel's ears. "What are you doing?! Let go of me! I need to—"
"Do you trust him?"
"Wha…" The child stopped struggling for a moment. "What does that have to…"
"Do you trust him?" Hazama insisted, far more aware of the meaning of this situation than the child could ever fathom.
"I… I have to believe him!" The brat complained, far louder than he needed to. "He wasn't lying about the Boundary! Everything is down there!"
"It's not about believing if he's telling the truth or not, I'm asking if you trust him." He held the angry child firmly by both shoulders, forcing their eyes to meet. "Do you know what he wants from you? Do you know why he told you any of this?"
"Why he…" For a moment, Hazama hoped the tantrum could stop there, but it didn't. "What does it matter!? I don't have any other choice, and we're running out of time! If I do this, maybe I can even find out where the Azure…"
"It's a trap, you stupid brat." Hazama finally lost his patience. This was why he hated children. "The last idiot I know that looked at this for too long became a filthy sack of bugs. Is that what you want for yourself?"
"But…!" God, was he ever going to listen? Hazama began half-heartedly considering pushing the child into the Boundary himself. "But if I lose this chance…!"
"You can't lose what you never had." He sighed, using a little force to keep the brat still. "You're not build for this. Something will break, and it's not going to be pretty." The child sobbed. "If you want to know so much, make something that'll go down there for you."
"Make…? That could take years! Sis is—"
"She's not going anywhere." Indeed, as soon as he said that, the disobeying puppet wrapped its arms around the boy, helping Hazama to keep him still. "See?"
"Sis…" The child looked up at the cracked face of the doll. "Sis… I…" Hazama let go, and Nirvana took over, dutifully protecting her master from harm. "Not you too… I'm not… I was trying to…" And here comes the crying. "I'm sorry…"
It was an ugly crying at that, too. The tears ran down his face as if they were trying to start a river, and the snot came soon after. Hazama sighed, feeling tired. He was not made to take care of children, that's for sure. The dumb brat had almost screwed himself over his stupid father's "advice". Just what kind of idiot would you have to be to trust the Colonel, of all people?
Well, the correct answer seemed to be the desperate kind of idiot. Children are very easy to manipulate in the end, huh. It's no wonder Terumi-san got that much hatred from Ragna the Bloodedge after the whole church incident.
Hazama turned away from the child, that was still being consoled by the cold arms of the doll, and faced the Cauldron. As he did so, the gaping mouth began to tremble, like a colossus' yawning.
There wasn't time for this. "Carl Clover." Hazama called as he got up. "Do you want to vanish with the Embryo?"
"I…" The boy rubbed his face clean, trying to find words. "I don't…"
"Do you want to be a part of the next world? Or do you want to stay as you are now?"
Hazama had already made his choice. It was just a matter of acting on it. "I… I don't want to forget again."
"Then here's our ride." Nirvana understood it before her master could properly weight the meaning of those words. Cradling the child and sheltering him from the entire world, she stood up, a stringless doll. "Let's go."
Gripping his hat tightly, Hazama held onto one of the metallic shoulders. Tremors began just as they left the ground, jumping down into the great unknown that extended beyond the Edge of the world. The Cauldron welcomed the three with open arms, closing behind them with the embrace of oblivion as the three left reality altogether.
Hazama took in a deep breath, feeling his lungs stretch out as they filled up with the chilly air, and exhaled slowly. Opening his eyes, he found himself laying down in a grassy path, under the morning light. The sun peeked over from behind the horizon, its warm rays shining over his face. "Ugh…"
It wasn't the most pleasant of rides, but at least it was over. Hazama got up, confirming that his body was indeed still in one piece, despite all the twisting and contracting sensations he was blasted with while crossing the Boundary. That was a good sign, probably.
Looking around, he found Nirvana sitting down by his side. On her arms was the boy, still unconscious. The lenses on his glasses were broken, but, besides that, he seemed fine. "Mnh…" The child winced, struggling a little as he fought to surpass the threshold between dream and reality. It was a lost battle, at least for now.
"Maybe I shouldn't have meddled with it." Hazama thought to himself out loud as he watched the sleeping child. "When the Colonel finds out… I'm going to get in trouble."
He was keenly aware that he messed with Relius Clover's plans, and that was not a smart thing to do, especially in such an upfront way. Whether the masked Puppeteer would retaliate was not a question of if, but a matter of when. It was troublesome, to say the least.
Still, Hazama didn't want to leave yet. Perhaps it was just the fatigue; moving felt like a hassle. He'd rather stay on the grassy hill, feeling the refreshing breeze as the morning went by.
And after that… If he were to follow the child… Hazama pushed these thoughts away. He was too tired to consider what was to come. It didn't matter much either way, as long as he got to enjoy his freedom.
His hand unconsciously reached for his chest, finding the emptiness under the clothing. It didn't hurt now, at least not strongly enough to make a difference. Unbuttoning his shirt, he touched the broken skin, scratching away at the surroundings of the scar.
Hazama could hear the pieces of himself shatter, but he didn't stop until the throbbing began. The warm feeling went up his arms and neck like a pulse, filling him with a sense of awareness. "Don't… do that…"
The small voice surprised him. Hazama turned around, meeting the half-opened eyes of the child. "Do what?"
"That." The boy blinked slowly, stretching his arms and legs as he woke up. "I don't know…" A big yawn delayed his words. "How to close it yet."
"You don't need to close it." Hazama was quick to retort.
Although still sleepy, Carl Clover gave him quite the irritated look. "You can't walk around with a hole in your chest." The boy replied as he tried getting up. Using Nirvana's shoulders as support, he managed to stand on his small, bony legs. "I told you I would fix you."
"I want to keep this." Hazama couldn't afford to lose that part of himself. "As a memento."
The boy's eyes were a little higher than his, as Hazama was still sitting down. "You…" The child adjusted the broken glasses, before taking them off as he noticed the damage. "Well, fine, then. But don't break it any more than that."
"I won't." Hazama buttoned his shirt once more, hiding the damage. He was a little surprised, though at this point he'd already learned that the child was very agreeable when it came to matters like these. "You… really are going to make me human, then?"
"Well, I can't promise anything, but since you didn't let me peek into the Boundary…" The boy shrugged with a small, cheeky smile. "I will have to take you apart to understand how Father builds things."
"Oh, my. How scary." Hazama couldn't help but smile. "Well, as long as you put me back together afterwards…"
"Of course I will." The confident look of a cheeky little genius was really something to behold. Hazama could get used to it. Perhaps it'd be worthwhile to follow the two for a bit longer. "I'll rebuild you even better than before, mister… huh. Did I ever ask your name?"
"You can call me whatever you want." It didn't really matter, after all.
The boy was none too pleased by the answer. "I'd like to call you by your name."
What an interesting choice. "Hazama." Although he didn't really have a proper name, that was the only answer that came to mind.
He'd always liked the sound of it. "Mister Hazama." Carl Clover's smile was genuine, but that didn't bother Hazama. He could definitely stand the boy, as long as he didn't start throwing a tantrum again. "I'll do my best."
It was rather enjoyable, to be seen by someone. "I'll be in your hands, Carl Clover."
I just don't resonate with the whole "evil Carl" development. I know the kid is like, 11, but seriously? He just trusted Relius like that? No. Not on my fanfics. I'm giving this child another ending and congratulations, Hazama, you are a big brother now.
Also, because I can't live without making fun of *something*, here's an extra excerpt:
(Meltdown)
"So, how is it now?"
"Hmm…" Hazama sat up, taking a deep breath. "This is…" It was quite a surprising thing, so many small sensations flaring up his mind over the smallest things. "I'm feeling, alright."
"Really?" The kid was quick to sweep up his little notebook, pen already waiting in expectancy. "Tell me, what changed?"
"A lot, actually." Hazama sighed, the usual smile stiff as stone on his face. "On second thought, put them back."
"Huh?"
"The feelings. Put them back, please." It was like a full-body itch that he couldn't even begin to scratch, and he didn't like it one bit. "I don't want them anymore."
"Oh, okay, get back down and I'll…" As soon as he felt the kid touch him, Hazama's eyes began to leak. "Whoa, are you… crying…?"
Like a broken pipe, they just kept letting warm water out. "Huh." If his body had a warning system, that was probably its version of blaring sirens very loudly. "This whole feelings thing is really not like I imagined it." Hazama still kept a straight face, but everything else inside him was chaos.
There were so many, and they were all coming down on him at once, like a waterfall of pointy ice chunks, and it was just… "Huh… maybe if I do this…"
The tears began streaming down faster. "Carl." Hazama called out as his throat started to swell up. "A little *sob* faster, please?"
"I'm trying, I'm trying, don't panic!"
"You're the one who's… *sob*" He couldn't even finish the phrase, as the words drowned under the overwhelming pressure of existing. "God, *sob* how do people *hiccup* live with these."
*Hiccup* His entire body jumped suddenly, beyond Hazama's control. "I don't know, I don't like them either." The boy replied as he tried to keep Hazama's chest still. *Hiccup* That was the most annoying feeling yet. "I can't…" *Hiccup* "Sis, hold him down!"
Nirvana, in no delicate terms, pushed Hazama's shoulders onto the bed and kept him there, despite his body's attempts at escaping. *Hiccup* He stared at the ceiling, waiting for it to be over, but the feelings just wouldn't subside. And those annoying… *Hiccup* Gah, why couldn't Hazama just burst those stupid things with a knife, like a balloon? They would probably make a popping sound. Wait, what the heck was he even thinking about? *Hiccup* Oh, for crying out loud…! *Hiccup*
At least the frustration left him occupied. When Hazama finally managed to breathe right, without those troublesome contractions, he let out a deep sigh. "Well, that was an…" A few more tears came out, just to spite him. "Experience."
"I couldn't put it back exactly the way it was before." Carl Clover also sighed, looking quite tired. The fatigue soon left his expression, though, the moment he grabbed his notes. "Now, you have to talk. What changed? And be as detailed as you can."
Hazama, still never letting go of his smile, glared daggers at the child. "If you tell someone about what just happened, I will murder you, kid."
Carl smiled by the corner of his mouth, a small laugher escaping his lips. "Sis, keep holding him down."
~Fim~
