Click, click, click. The sound of Hearts' boots echoed off the walls as he made his way down the hall toward the kitchen. It had been a long day and he could use a drink to relax before plotting their next move. They had a heavy goal on their hands and it took careful planning and calculation to avoid making a mistake and ending it all prematurely.
Approaching from the other end of the hall was Fu, which was pretty rare. Fu was usually in his lab all day, watching footage on his computers or testing one thing or another. Hearts honestly didn't know what all he was up to and never really bothered to ask. What did it matter? Fu was the one who had gathered several of his powerful allies thus far, so he knew better than to question him. As long as Fu continued to help him achieve his goal, then he wouldn't mind whatever he did in his free time.
"Yo!" Fu grinned at Hearts as he got closer. Normally he would wave, but his hands were preoccupied with something he had thrown over his shoulder.
"What have you got there?" Hearts arched a brow as he stopped walking to inspect the suspicious cargo. "Some kind of . . . monster?" It certainly looked like one. He couldn't see the face at all, but the massive, violet mess of a right arm suggested it was something he really didn't want any part of. "Is that for one of your experiments?" Hopefully it wouldn't cause the rest of them any trouble, whatever it was.
"Hahaha! Don't let him hear you say that!" Fu continued to grin as he shifted the weight a bit on his shoulder, "This guy will probably be your most powerful ally in your mission. Buuuuuut I might want to run an experiment or two on him first." His grin became a smirk as he resumed his journey down the hall toward his lab.
Hearts watched him disappear for a moment, taking note of the being he was carrying with him. He could see a bit of the face from this angle. That purple goo or whatever it was seemed to be covering half his body. Well, no matter. If this creature would help him in his journey to kill the Omni King, he didn't really care what he looked like. The only factors that mattered were strength and loyalty. "My most powerful ally, huh?" Shrugging, Hearts turned and continued on to the kitchen as he originally intended.
Days went by without anything more mentioned about the creature Fu had brought back. Everyone went about their business as usual. They harvested energy from a few smaller planets to avoid detection by the Gods of Destruction and the angels, but not much more aside from that. Until they had the manpower to take on higher-energy planets and, if need be, to fight a God of Destruction, they had to lay low.
"Most powerful ally . . ." Hearts sat in the lounge of their hideout, swirling the last bit of whiskey around in his glass as he remembered that brief encounter with Fu. He'd seen the man in passing a few times since then, but they hadn't really exchanged anything outside of pleasantries. Had he failed in his experiments and accidentally killed the creature? "How annoying." As patient as he had been up until this point, that patience was now wearing thin. He needed to quickly gather more powerful allies, otherwise they'd never get this mission off the ground.
Drinking the last bit in his glass, he left the lounge and placed the empty glass in the kitchen sink before making his way down toward Fu's lab. He'd only ever seen the inside of it from the doorway, though he'd never really asked to go inside either. Fu was an absolute mystery to him. What was his goal? He'd only joined forces with Hearts because he said his mission was 'interesting' and 'sounded fun'. Sounded fun? Trying to kill the gods and the Omni King to free all mortal life sounded fun? It was strange for certain.
Hearts stood outside the door for a moment, trying to listen to what was happening inside. There was only the faint sound of whirring computers and an occasional clicking of keys on a keyboard. Just what did he do all day? No, he didn't really care. He was only annoyed that it was taking such a long time. "Fu." He gave the door a couple knocks. "It's Hearts. Open up."
The sound of the keys stopped abruptly and there was a brief shuffling inside before the door finally opened just a bit, "Yo, Hearts!" He grinned like a fool just as he always did, "Did you need something? Are you going out?"
"That creature you brought a few days ago . . . you said he'd be my strongest ally, but I haven't seen him since. Was he a failure?" He tried to peek past Fu, but the door wasn't opened far enough for him to see inside.
"Not at all! Quite the opposite!" Fu smirked, pushing his glasses further up on his nose, "Are you curious about him, Hearts?"
Hearts only gave Fu a stern look, annoyed by his personality. Fu was obviously intelligent, but he played around far too much for Hearts' taste.
"Alright, alright." Fu waved a hand before opening the door all the way, closing it once Hearts was inside. "He's not really conscious yet, but sometimes he opens his eye – don't let that freak you out." Fu led him to a long table, which had the 'creature', as he'd been calling him, laid out on top of it.
"He looks different now than before." Hearts furrowed his brows as he gazed down over this future ally. He looked like . . . a Kai? Those were potara earrings, were they not?
"Well for the most part I was able to fix all that purple stuff that he had all over him. His body was breaking down pretty badly on that one side." Fu grabbed a bag of chips he had on his desk and sat down in the chair beside the table so he could snack while chatting with Hearts.
"You fixed it?" This question only earned a smile and a thumbs-up from Fu, so he decided not to ask further about it. How was it possible to repair something like that? The mystery of Fu continued. "Is he a Kai?" Hearts hesitantly reached down and touched one of the potara earrings.
"Good observation! He was a Kaioshin, to be exact. He was an apprentice who went wild. He killed his master to become Kaioshin, then switched bodies with a powerful Saiyan man. With his new power, he traveled to an alternate timeline, killed all the Kaioshin to eliminate the Gods of Destruction and the Angels, and then, with the help of himself from that timeline, set out on a mission to wipe out all mortal life!" He popped a chip in his mouth, a happy look on his face as though he was impressed with what this Kaioshin had done.
"He wanted to wipe out all mortal life?"
"Mmhmm." Fu spoke while still chewing. "He nearly did, too!"
"That is exactly the opposite of what I'm trying to do! I am trying to liberate the mortals from the oppression of the gods! So you brought me a god that wants to kill all mortals?" Hearts was normally very calm, but this action had him seething, "Should I take this as your betrayal, Fu?" He never really did fully trust him from the start.
"Woah, woah, woah! Calm down, big guy!" Fu set the chips aside, wiping his hands on his pants, "Let me finish, yeah? He was stopped by a group from the past. You see, this guy – his name is Zamasu, by the way – wished for immortality. He is the fusion of his immortal self and himself who had stolen the Saiyan body. It was impossible for the group from the past, a group of Saiyans, to beat him on their own!" Fu stood up, placing his hands down on the table at Zamasu's side, "So they called upon none other than the Omni King to erase his existence." He narrowed his eyes at Hearts, grinning all the while, "See there? Zamasu hates the Omni King, probably even more than you do."
". . . this god was erased by the Omni King?" Hearts studied Fu's face carefully, searching for any sign that he might be lying.
"Yup."
"Then how is he here right now?"
". . ." Fu stared at Hearts for a long moment, "I have my ways . . ." He stood up straight once more and adjusted his glasses again. "The important matter is, this guy hates the Omni King and will surely help you in your quest to take him out. If he tries to kill the mortals again . . . we'll figure out a way to restrain him." Fu shrugged his shoulders and went over to look at some of his equipment. They looked like they were monitoring something, with cables and tubes of all kinds running to this 'Zamasu'.
There was no sense in trying to figure out where Fu had picked this guy up. He'd acquired the others in just as mysterious a manner. Was that story really true? It was awfully convoluted. "A god who killed the gods. . ." Hearts studied the Kai's face before lightly touching it. The right side had a patch over the eye and he had a large brace on his right shoulder and wrist. The sleeve was tattered and mostly gone on that side as well, but the skin underneath was its proper complexion. "Looks like you did fix him, just as you said."
"I did! Isn't he beautiful?" Fu practically sang the words, his attention still focused on his equipment.
Beautiful? Hearts ran his thumb over the Kai's cheek, then his lips, before sliding his hand to his ear to toy with the Potara earring again. He'd never been so close to the gods he so despised. "I suppose he is." He was easy on the eyes, for certain. There was no importance in that, though. "You said he is immortal?"
"Mmmhmm . . . wanna test it out?" Fu grinned back at him over his shoulder before rummaging through a drawer and tossing him a dagger, "Go on, don't be shy. I don't think he would feel the pain even if he was awake."
"I take it you've already tested this . . ." There was something unnerving about Fu's personality more often than not. "Fine, then." He lifted the dagger above the unconscious god's chest and brought it down, sinking it clear through him before removing the blade just as quickly. A smoke-like substance was emitted from the site of the wound briefly as it healed itself right before his eyes, leaving only a hole in his clothing where the cut had once been. "Hmph . . . that will be useful."
"Right? See? You were worried for nothing. You can use him as a meat shield if you want. He's really powerful, though, so don't underestimate him." Fu reached back to take the dagger from Hearts. "Hopefully he'll regain consciousness soon and we can really set this plan into motion!" He grabbed his bag of chips again, this time sitting in front of his monitors, "Want a chip?"
"N-no thanks. . ." Hearts furrowed his brows at Fu before returning his attention to Zamasu. Fu had fixed his rotting right side, but would his mind be corrupted in any way? Would he retain his memories and his hatred for the Omni King, or would he be a clean slate? Hearts wasn't sure which option he'd prefer, given that this god had tried to wipe out all mortal life.
"Zamasu . . ." He reached to touch his face again, but jerked back with a startled gasp upon seeing that his left eye was wide open.
"Huh? What is it?" Fu whirled around in his seat, but calmed upon seeing what it was that had Hearts flustered, "I already told you he opens his eye sometimes. I don't think he's really conscious, though. Don't worry about it." He waved his hand and turned around again. "He probably won't be able to really interact with anyone for a while yet. His readings are all pretty dull."
"Right . . ." Even if that was the case, it was disturbing to see that unblinking eye. What was more interesting was the color. Kai's normally had black eyes, didn't they? Was it a different color because he'd fused with another being? "Silver eyes . . . how extravagant. Typical of a god." They were all holier-than-thou, controlling mortal lives from atop their pedestals. "They think they are better than the rest of all life. I'm sure this god is no different."
"Well he was definitely a narcissist to the extreme. I'd bet money that he and himself from the future had an intimate relationship." Fu chuckled to himself, amused at the look of annoyance on Hearts' face.
"Tch. Let me know whenever he's actually conscious. We'll see how useful he'll actually be to us." Hearts left the lab and closed the door behind him, but for some reason the image of that wide, silver eye stuck with him. "A Kaioshin . . ." There was something about him that had him worried, but only time would confirm or deny his suspicions.
. . . where?
Zamasu blinked several times, but still he couldn't see anything out of his right eye. Where was this? That was . . . a ceiling, right? What room was he in? He hadn't been indoors from the last moments he could remember, so then where was this? ". . ." He opened his mouth to speak, to ask the question that was going through his mind, but no words came out.
What happened?
He remembered fusing, remembered fighting with Son Goku and Vegeta . . . he remembered fighting the fused Saiyan Vegetto. He even remembered fighting that bastard Trunks. But at the end of it all, he . . . he. . .
The Omni King.
Zamasu grit his teeth and tried to cry out in anger and frustration, but again not even so much as a whimper escaped him. What was going on? Why could he not speak? On top of all of that, he felt weak, like he couldn't even get up if he tried.
Had he not been erased after all? Was there some kind of other world he had been sent to rather than have his existence erased? Was it because of his immortality?
Someone else had been nearby not long ago, but they'd left before he could fully realize what was happening. Would that person tell him what was going on? Their physical characteristics were similar to a Kai, with his pointed ears, white hair, and purple skin, but that didn't make any sense. The Kaioshin were dead. They were all dead.
He heard a door open and then close to his right. He managed to turn his head just enough that he could see it with his left eye. That person was back again and he had someone else with him this time. Who were they? They weren't Kais, not with those red eyes of theirs. Was this the Demon realm? Had he died and been sent here? Was something like that even possible?
"Can he speak?" Hearts stepped close to the table, but made sure he would be out of reach of the god.
"He hasn't said anything yet, but he's been blinking and moving his head and stuff." Fu was quite a bit more bold and stood on the other side of the table before leaning down so his face was mere inches from Zamasu's face, "Can you hear us, Zamasu?"
Zamasu's eye narrowed sharply in response, but he didn't say a word.
"Well you can glare at me at least." Fu stood up straight again, "I'm assuming you can hear us. Umm. . . ah! If you can hear what I'm saying, move your head." He grinned as he watched Zamasu weakly move his head from side to side. "Oh! Perfect! Hearts, why don't you tell him what's going on, then?" Fu took a seat, leaning his elbow on his desk and resting his chin in his palm to observe the interaction between the two.
"Right." Hearts moved a bit closer now that he saw Zamasu couldn't really move and apparently could not speak. "I am Hearts. Right now you are in my hideout with my team. I am gathering powerful allies to help me with my mission." He ignored the glare the god was currently shooting at him. He was angry because a mortal was asking for help, wasn't he? "My ultimate mission is to gather the power needed to defeat the Omni King." He smirked as he watched the anger practically melt off of Zamasu's face. "Ah, are you listening to me properly now? That's right. You and I have the same enemy."
The same enemy . . . the Omni King. Zamasu stared into Hearts' eyes for a bit before blinking and turning his head to look away. This mortal wanted to defeat the Omni King? Absurd! The Omni King was the most powerful being in all of existence! Even he, an immortal, supreme god, was no match for him!
But then . . . how was he here right now? "H . . . h . . ." He tried to ask the question, but still could not speak.
"Why can't he talk, Fu?" Hearts leaned away from him, "Is it something to do with whatever you did to fix him?"
To fix him? Zamasu furrowed his brows at that. He did feel something over his face. Was that why he could not see out of his right eye? Wait . . . his right side had been . . .
Zamasu used every ounce of strength he had to try and lift his right arm so he could see it with his good eye, but it was no use. He could lift it only maybe an inch off the table before it fell back down. He repeated this motion a few times before giving up with a huff. No use. He didn't have any strength to speak of. Surely he would regain his strength and his voice, right? There was no way he would allow himself to be at the mercy of mortals. Death would be sweeter.
"Hm?" Hearts watched him struggle to move his arm for a moment, "What are you trying to do? If you're trying to fight, don't bother."
"Maybe it's because he hasn't had any food or water?" Fu tapped at his chin for a moment, "Even if he is immortal, he may still get weak if he doesn't have anything to eat or drink for a while."
"Then shouldn't we get something for him? He's useless if he's weak."
Useless. A mortal was calling him useless? If only he had his strength, he'd obliterate these bastards! But . . . but right now, he couldn't so much as lift his own arm, let alone wipe someone out of existence.
"Trying to lift that arm again." Hearts tilted his head, "That's the arm that was that big mess of purple, isn't it? Fu fixed it for you." Hearts took hold of Zamasu's hand with the intent of showing the god how it had been healed, but the moment he touched it, he paused. His hand was smaller, thin, and his skin looked quite soft. Removing one of his gloves, he touched his arm again, this time able to feel just how soft it really was. He felt so incredibly . . . delicate. His arms had lean muscle on them, but still he looked and felt delicate compared to the build of someone who was powerful.
Ah, he was staring. "Here, look." Hearts placed Zamasu's hand on the god's own chest so he could see that it had been repaired. Sure enough, that silver eye widened a bit as he moved his fingers. "I could say that you owe us a favor, but I'm not interested in something like that. You have the same goal as us, do you not? Ignoring whatever else you had originally set out to do, wouldn't you say it is in your best interest to take out the Omni King?"
". . ." This bastard was trying to manipulate him, wasn't he? Though Zamasu could not help but be curious as to what exactly his plan consisted of. Thinking about all of this was making him feel a bit light-headed, though.
"I think you'll see it my way in due time." Hearts hated gods, but something about this god was different. A god that hated gods and mortals alike. Once Hearts had the strength to kill the Omni King, he could also take out the other gods – Zamasu included. He could probably work with him until that time, though.
"Ah, I think we've lost him for now." Fu stood from his seat and finally looked away from his monitoring equipment, "His brain activity has slowed again. Still, that was pretty good for his first time awake! Maybe in a few days he'll be able to talk back." The demon grinned, "I wonder what words he'll have for you, Hearts!"
"Hopefully a vow of loyalty to our cause."
Fu laughed again, "You don't really expect it to be that easy, do you?" Fu lead Hearts back to the door of his lab, "I'll continue working on him. You can stop by and check any time, though."
Another few days went by. Fu had inserted a feeding tube to make sure Zamasu got the nutrients his body needed to help him regain strength. He was also injecting him with something that Fu insisted he needed. Hearts didn't question it any further, but his hunch told him it was something to do with whatever he had done to 'fix' the god. Maybe there was still more to be fixed? His arm and side looked fine, though he hadn't seen what was under the eyepatch and the piece on his shoulder. Not that it mattered anyhow. It didn't matter what Zamasu looked like or if he was fully healed or not. It only mattered that he regained his strength and that he agreed to fight alongside him and the others.
. . . though his beautiful appearance did catch Hearts' attention more than he cared to admit.
Hearts made his routine stop by the lab to see how things were going, but was a bit surprised to find Fu asleep in front of his computers. "Sheesh, at least go to bed . . ."
"He does that fairly often."
A sudden, unfamiliar voice behind him made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. It was low, soft, almost sultry in a way without even trying. That voice had to be . . .
"Oh? You can talk now?" Hearts turned around to see the god himself sitting up on the table. He still had various monitors attached to him, but the feeding tube had seemingly been removed. "And you're sitting up, too. If you have that kind of strength and are still here, I take it that means you've decided to join us in our mission?" He kept his voice low so as not to alert Fu. It would be easier to talk with Zamasu if that guy wasn't awake to say something weird.
"Join a band of misfit mortals . . . that has disaster written all over it."
"Yeah, well you don't exactly have a shining track record yourself, Zamasu."
Zamasu's visible eye narrowed considerably before he gave a simple huff in response. Apparently that had struck a nerve, but still the god did nothing to fight him. Was he simply unable to attack, or was he choosing not to?
"Do you have your strength back fully?" Hearts approached him slowly, that silver eye watching his every step.
"No." Was it okay to admit that? This guy surely knew better than to try anything funny, right? He was immortal, so it wasn't like he could be killed or have his life threatened to make him obey. "Fu is working on that. I cannot walk well just yet, but it will all be better soon . . . or so he says." It was annoying, relying on that strange bastard of a mortal to help him, but that was for the best at the moment. "If you think I'm going to thank you for any of this, you're out of your mind."
"No, I don't expect a god to be grateful for anything. You expect a lot to be done for you and give nothing in return. That's the divine way, is it not?" Hearts pulled off his glasses before leaning in close. The tips of their noses practically touched and he was surprised Zamasu held his ground and didn't lean away, "All I want is a powerful ally who can help me take out the Omni King. I can tell that you're interested, so don't pretend you aren't."
Zamasu pursed his lips. It was true that he wanted to defeat him, but the thought of working with mortals to achieve that made his skin crawl. "If you have a plan that is truly plausible, I may consider it." If they had found some way to do it, he could at least use them right up until the end and deal the finishing blow himself. Had they found some way to unlock an unimaginable power? If he could obtain such a power, he could use it to defeat the Omni King and then begin his Zero Mortals Plan anew! He had no way of knowing where he was right now, but it was clear that this was some timeline different from where he had been before. Wouldn't it be something if he could find and kill Son Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks? The looks on their faces just before he cut them down would be wonderful!
Hearts backed away a bit as he watched Zamasu's expression darken, a wide grin stretching across his face. Just what sort of thoughts were running through his mind right now? "I think you'll find my plan quite interesting, Zamasu." He decided not to say anything about it. Judging from what Fu had told him, Zamasu was mentally unstable. To what degree, however, he wasn't certain.
Hearts' voice broke Zamasu's morbid train of thought, his expression returning to neutral. "I see. You'll have to tell me about it, then." He looked thoughtful for a moment, "Perhaps over tea? Do you have tea? It probably isn't any good if you do . . ." He had such a strong craving for tea, though. How long had it been since he'd had it? Ah, he hadn't had a single sip of it in this new, fused body.
Hearts put his glasses back on before beginning to unhook all of the monitoring equipment from Zamasu's body. "We have tea. I'm more of a fan of liquor when relaxing and chatting myself, but I'll have tea with you if that's what you want. Then maybe I can get you some wine after a meal later." He smirked, reaching a out to toy with one of the god's earrings just as he had when he'd been unconscious. Zamasu looked bothered by it, but didn't even jerk away. "Do you drink wine?"
"I've not had it." Just what was this 'Hearts' planning? Even though he was a mortal, something seemed off about him. He felt very powerful, like someone who could easily fight toe-to-toe with Son Goku. Just who was he? What was his reason for wanting to kill the Omni King? "What is it that you're planning?"
"Oh? I'm not planning on getting you drunk to have my way with you or any-"
"That isn't what I meant, mortal!" Zamasu grit his teeth, a deep scarlet color spreading across his cheeks and ears as he finally slapped away Hearts' hand away from his earring. "Though now I certainly won't have any wine later. You cannot be trusted. I know how you mortals are. You all have some strange desire to touch a god. Absolutely not! You already get too close." Even if they had some kind of miraculous idea, would he really be able to tolerate them for much longer? Fu was awful enough, but Hearts seemed to have filthy intentions.
"It was a joke, a joke." Hearts waved a hand to dismiss that topic, "I assume you're asking why I want to kill the Omni King . . . I'll tell you all of that another time, once you've decided to join us, perhaps." It was best if he didn't tell him he wanted to kill all of the gods and liberate the mortals, at least for now. Zamasu wouldn't tag along otherwise. "Let's go get that tea, shall we?" He turned to leave, but glanced back over his shoulder when he realized Zamasu wasn't following. "Change your mind?"
". . . did you ignore the part where I told you I couldn't really walk yet? Or were you expecting me to simply crawl behind you?" Zamasu looked less than pleased.
"Seeing you crawling would certainly be a treat, but in all honesty I really did forget." He chuckled at the disturbed look on the gods face while he approached him and slipped an arm under his knees and the other arm behind his back.
"W-what are you-"
"I'm carrying you."
"No! Unhand me! Just bring the tea in here!"
"I'm carrying you. Hush." Hearts left the lab with Zamasu in his arms, a small smile on his face. He hated gods, but . . . there was something quite different about this god. It was like he was full of himself and wanted to be prim and proper like a god ought to be, but he was really awful at it.
Fu sat up in his seat as the two left, "Sheeeeesh. Did they really think I could sleep through all that noise?" He drummed his fingers on his desk as he looked to the empty table where Zamasu had been. "It's probably fine if those two get along. I wonder, though . . . will they become enemies once Zamasu finds out Hearts' plan?" He grinned, laughing softly to himself, "Show me, show me! What will become of the two of you?"
For the next several days it went on like this. Hearts would carry Zamasu from room to room to include him in the group. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea, planning for their grand mission. Hearts had explained to him about the Universe Seed and how it had to be powered up. He did continue to leave out his line about bringing salvation to mortal life, though. That wasn't a topic he could cover with him until Zamasu was more connected with their team. He had to make sure he was fully on board. Fighting with an immortal god was the last thing he wanted.
While Zamasu had been disgusted and angry about being carried at first, he did eventually stop complaining about it. Every now and then he'd even make some remark about his 'servant' carrying him. Hearts didn't mind as much as he probably should have. He hated the gods, and yet this god just seemed so . . . mortal. He had limitations like a mortal. He had mood swings like a mortal. He made sarcastic comments like a mortal. Is that why he had killed the gods of the other timeline? No, he wanted to kill all beings other than himself. Zamasu was truly the most extreme narcissist. Hearts couldn't let his resolve falter for this one god.
Eventually Zamasu was able to walk on his own and he was quick to put an end to being carried. Hearts didn't let on that he was a bit disappointed about it, but did continue to spend more time around the god. The more close he got with Zamasu, the more likely the god would be to join their cause, right?
"Isn't it uncomfortable sleeping on that table in the lab?" Hearts and Zamasu were alone in the lounge – Zamasu was seated on the sofa and Hearts in the large armchair. The silence was deafening and Hearts found himself looking for something to talk with him about. It was a wonder the god hadn't just up and left already from sheer boredom.
"It's horribly uncomfortable. It isn't a bed at all and you're making me, the most supreme being in the cosmos, sleep on it. How inconsiderate of you." Zamasu leaned on the armrest, his silver eye staring directly into the eyes of Hearts.
"You could have just asked for a bed, you know. Or are you too high and mighty to ask?"
Zamasu's eye narrowed, "Then give me a bed, mortal."
"Ahhh, so it is a matter of your pride." Hearts smirked, eying Zamasu for a moment, "We don't have any spare beds, though."
"Then why even bother to mention it? You're insufferable. You and Fu both." All of them, really. Still, he had grown a bit used to their presence during the short time they'd been together.
". . . there aren't any spare beds, but my bed is plenty large enough for two." Hearts smirked, leaning forward a bit in his chair. Teasing Zamasu was just too fun for him to pass up on such an opportunity. Besides, what if he happened to agree to it? He had nothing to lose and quite a lot to gain.
That familiar red blush spread quickly across the Kai's cheeks, "How vulgar! I'd sooner sleep on the floor than share a bed with a mortal!" Zamasu wasn't oblivious to the frequent perverse comments from Hearts. He already knew he was beautiful, so why wouldn't a mortal lust for him? The very thought was disgusting, though. At least he kept it to comments only and didn't try anything strange. It would be a shame if he had to retaliate and sever his hands. That would surely put a damper on the mission to kill the Omni King.
"Is that really true? Fu seems to think that before you fused, the Kaioshin Zamasu and the mortal Zamasu were in an intimate relationship." Hearts reached for his glass of liquor he had sitting on the side table and took a drink, his red eyes peering over the glass to watch Zamasu's expression.
"That's . . . even if the body stolen belonged to a mortal, it was still possessed by the soul of a god! It's not the same! Do not even begin to compare yourself to a part of me." This conversation was getting annoying, though he didn't find it annoying enough to simply leave. Where would he go, anyhow? Back to that boring lab where he'd have to listen to whatever Fu wanted to prattle on about?
"Right, right. Whatever you say, Mr. God."
The moment the words left Hearts' lips, Zamasu practically flew off the sofa, an energy blade encasing his right hand as he tried to strike Hearts directly in the throat. Luckily Hearts' reflexes were quick and he was able to grab hold of Zamasu's wrist just below the base of the blade to stop him. The god was seated atop his lap, his legs straddling the other man. "Don't you ever call me that!"
Mr. God. . .
That awful Saiyan fusion, Vegetto, had called him that in that same mocking tone! He'd never forgive him!
"It was only a joke . . . but if that's all it takes to have you on my lap, perhaps I'll take the risk and say it more often." He was pushing his luck with all of this teasing, but Zamasu always reacted so beautifully. How could he resist?
"Woah! Did I interrupt something?" Fu entered the lounge, coming to stand beside the armchair where he found Zamasu on top of Hearts, "I mean, don't stop just because I'm here . . ."
Zamasu shot the demon a seething glare, the energy blade around his hand dissipating, "You're not interrupting any-"
"You're interrupting, get lost." Now that the energy blade was gone, Hearts released his hold on Zamasu's wrist, only to wrap both arms around his waist and pull the god flush against his chest.
"W-what are you doing, mortal!? Unhand me at once!" The Kai grit his teeth, shoving at Heart's chest to try and pull away from him. If he had to use destructive force to do it, then . . .
"Oh hey, Fu, while you're here . . . any reason in particular we can't take this eyepatch off of him?"
The eyepatch. Zamasu stopped fighting when Hearts asked about it. He had also been curious, yet afraid, as to what was underneath. He was an immortal god whose body healed from all damage, so then why would he need something like an eyepatch? Wasn't he healed? He had something of a similar material on his shoulder. He'd thought many times about taking them off when he was alone in the lab, but a fear in the back of his mind prevented him from doing so.
"You mean you haven't looked underneath yet?" Fu tilted his head curiously at Zamasu, who only gave him a dead stare in return, "I was able to fix most of that purple rot, but . . . well your right eye just didn't want to come back properly. Last I saw it, it still had purple around it and the eye itself was just a blank yellow color." Fu shrugged, "I thought it was ugly and ruined your pretty face, so I covered it up. It won't hurt anything to take it off, though."
Ugly. Ruined his face.
Zamasu reached a hand up to lightly touch the eyepatch, his other eye wide and unblinking. Ugly. Ugly ugly ugly. . . . he was ugly. He was ruined. All because of those mortals. This was all Son Goku's fault!
"Hey." Hearts grabbed Zamasu's wrist, pulling his hand away from the cover, "You're not-"
"Let go of me."
"Just listen-"
"Let go of me!" Zamasu produced another energy blade with his other hand, prompting Hearts to immediately release him. The blade dissipated as the god climbed off Hearts' lap and quickly fled the room.
"Huh . . . I thought you two were getting along. What happened?" Fu furrowed his brows as he watched the door to the lounge close. He then returned his attention to Hearts.
"You happened, idiot. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass." Hearts stood from the armchair, crimson eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared down his nose at Fu.
"Ahh. . . hahaha, woops! I didn't really do anything, though." Fu scratched at his head, "I'm sure it will be fine. Zamasu won't leave us – he's too interested in the Universe seed. Besides, what would happen if he stopped his treatments? His body may begin to turn into that mess again. He wouldn't want that." Fu waved a finger before shrugging, "And . . . do you really think you could beat me, Hearts?" He grinned and chuckled, amused as Hearts' anger faltered for a moment, "Don't be rash. He'll come around in time, I'm sure."
Ugly. Ruined. Ugly. Ruined.
Zamasu wasn't really sure where he was going. He wanted to leave this place and hunt down Son Goku to rip him apart for what he had done. And yet. . . would it be worth it to exact such revenge if it meant losing the opportunity to kill the Omni King? From what Hearts had told him of the Universe Seed, it truly did sound promising. He needed to be patient and put up with their nonsense and their awful companionship until he could steal the fully-powered seed and use it himself to kill the king. It was at that time he would be able to find and destroy Son Goku.
"I'll kill him. . . I'll kill his family again, this time right before his eyes! And then I'll rip him apart. His screams will be the sweetest sound to have ever graced my ears." His heart pounded hard in his chest at the mere thought of it. He wanted so desperately to inflict as much pain and suffering as he could on that Saiyan bastard.
Zamasu opened doors as he traveled down an unfamiliar hallway in the hideout. Closets, small bathrooms, an . . . office? But finally he arrived at a bedroom that looked like it was rarely used if at all. There was nothing personal about it and the bed inside had been neatly made. "No spare bedroom, huh? Lying mortal bastard." It would be fine to just stay here for a while, right? He didn't want to see or hear any of the mortals for now. Well, never really, but he wanted to at least escape them to think for a bit.
"Ugly. . ." That word stung horribly. He, the most beautiful being in existence, was called ugly. "I am. . . I am not ugly! I am beautiful! I am the most perfect god!" He held a hand over the eyepatch again and stood in front of a floor-length mirror hanging on the wall in the corner. "Surely it has healed itself. Perhaps it was just a bit slow, is all. . ." So then why was he hesitating to remove the cover? Why was his hand shaking? What if . . . what if it hadn't healed? What if it would never heal?
Zamasu slowly sank to his knees on the floor. He couldn't do it. He didn't want to know the truth about what was underneath. If it was just as Fu said it was, then he wouldn't be able to take it. He had told himself that he accepted the mess his body had become. He'd done that for the sake of the cosmos, but . . . but now what? His plan had been completely ruined, so for what reason had he destroyed his perfect body? His perfect face? Had all of his work and all of his sacrifice truly been for nothing?
The god clenched both hands tightly into fists and grit his teeth, trying to will away the tears stinging at the backs of his eyes. He could feel that in his right eye at the very least. So it could still shed tears? How pathetic. An eye that can cry and do nothing else. "Pathetic. . . ugly . . . ruined . . . and for what?"
For nothing.
"How? How did I fail? Everything was perfect . . . we were unstoppable . . . we? I . . ." He had no one, now. The future between Black and Zamasu had looked so beautiful and bright and splendid. Who would have thought it would be completely destroyed so quickly? All of that work and planning was obliterated by just a handful of Saiyans. "Saiyans. . . I'll kill you! I'll find you and kill you!" Tears streamed down his cheeks now, even the right side had tears seeping out from underneath the eyepatch. "I'll kill you!" His words were a harsh whisper as he beat his fist against the floor, careful not to destroy the floorboards. He didn't want to make too much sound and alert the others to his location, either. No one could see him like this . . . so disgusting, so vulnerable, so . . . pathetic.
Hearts stood at the bedroom door, his hand on the knob as he listened to Zamasu inside. He could hear his soft voice, his words shaking with sobs. He could hear that pain hanging on every word, that emotional agony. Was this really a god? Was this really what they were like? This was nothing like the gods Hearts thought he knew, that he despised so much and wanted to destroy. Zamasu did not seem much different from himself or Fu or the others.
He stared at the knob for a long while, fighting with himself as to whether or not he should open it. He wanted to talk to Zamasu, to try and comfort him and ease his worries. To promise him revenge on the mortals who had wronged him once they'd killed the Omni King together, but . . . Zamasu didn't want that right now, did he? It would likely only make him feel horrible if someone saw him in such a state. Zamasu really did see himself as better than everyone else, which probably made accepting his imperfections that much more difficult.
Sighing softly, Hearts dropped his hand to his side and walked away from the door. Zamasu probably didn't realize it, but that bedroom belonged to Hearts. He didn't really keep anything special in there, though, so it wasn't readily obvious to anyone.
"This isn't right . . ." Hearts muttered the words to himself as he wandered back toward the kitchen for yet another much-needed drink. "He's a god . . ." He initially had every intention of using Zamasu for his power and then making him the first victim when he gained the strength of the Universe Seed, but . . . would he really be able to do that? Wouldn't it be best to keep Zamasu as his ally forever? He was immortal, wasn't he? It would be a waste to destroy someone like that. Yes, he should definitely keep him around.
. . . that was most certainly the reason to keep him around.
"Did you find him?" Fu was already in the kitchen, likely about to raid the pantry for more snacks to go back to his lab with.
"Yeah." Hearts went to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of his favorite. He was tempted to just drink straight from the bottle, but figured it would be too dramatic and make Fu ask annoying questions.
". . . aaaaand? How did it go?" Fu sounded like a doting parent, wondering how his son's first date went. Why did he sound so damn interested? All of this could have been avoided if he hadn't said something so insensitive.
"He was in my room. I'm sure he didn't realize it. I could hear him talking to himself and. . ." He thought better about telling Fu Zamasu was crying. The god wouldn't want anyone to know about that, especially not Fu who had been the cause of it. "He sounded like he really needed time to himself, so I left." Hearts poured himself a glass and took a seat at the kitchen table, a defeated sigh leaving his lips.
Fu stared at him for a long moment as though trying to decide if he should pry further or not. After a bit more hesitation, he snagged a big bag of chips from the pantry and took a seat across from Hearts at the table.
"Did I say you could join me?" Hearts shot Fu an irritated look.
"Did I ask for permission?" Fu threw him a smirk in return, earning him yet another sigh. "What's with that expression, huh?" He noisily opened the bag of his snack, tossing a few chips into his mouth, "Do ya like him?" He practically sang the question as he leaned on the table, red eyes wide with curiosity, "You do, don't you? Hahaha!"
"Shut it, Fu." Hearts rested his elbow on the table and rested his forehead in the palm of his free hand as he took a drink. "He's only been up and about for what. . . a week? Two weeks, tops?"
"So?"
"We've barely had any interaction. You're being ridiculous."
"You think so?" Fu leaned back in his chair, crunching on a few more chips as he looked thoughtful for a moment. "You were curious about him from the beginning. You were drawn to his pretty face and his eyes . . . or . . . well . . . eye. You carried him from place to place when he couldn't walk so he wouldn't have to stay in the lab all day. Even now, you're the one who encourages him to join us for meals, to gather around while we plan . . . and outside of that, you're the only one he will spend any kind of time with."
All of this was starting to give Hearts a headache. "You're taking all of this the wrong way. I'm just having a hard time accepting that he's a god is all. I hate gods. They're pompous, they're rude, they don't give a single fuck about the mortals they created. They're cold, they're so . . . above us. Zamasu, though . . . I don't know. He seems different and I just can't wrap my mind around it." He threw his head back and downed the rest of his drink in one gulp, tempted to pour himself another.
"That's all there is to it?" Fu squinted at him, but just hummed a bit and shook his head. "Whatever becomes of you two, I'm really curious to see it. The mortal who hates the gods and the god who hates the mortals . . . will they become the greatest allies or will they each seek to kill the other?" Fu chuckled as he rose from his seat, taking his snack with him, "I'll be in my lab if you need something. Make sure Zamasu comes back to me at some point tonight. Or . . ." He glanced back over his shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips, "Is he going to sleep in your room?"
"Get out of here." Hearts shooed him with a wave of his hand, finally relaxing in his seat once Fu was gone. "As if he'd sleep in my room . . ." He ran a hand through his hair, sighing for the millionth time. "The god who hates the mortals . . . will you try to kill me, Zamasu?"
Zamasu didn't come out of the room for the rest of the day. Even when dinner was ready, he did not join them. Hearts had gone to try and coax him to the table, but when he opened the bedroom door, Zamasu was asleep on the floor in front of the mirror. Just what had he been doing all this time? Surely he hadn't just been crying and lamenting for hours on end. It was likely that he was just exhausted from getting such poor sleep on the lab table and had been asleep on the floor in the room for a while now. Why not get in the bed, though?
Once they finished eating and the twins were busy with the dishes, Hearts excused himself from the table to go to bed early.
"Should I expect Zamasu back in the lab?" Fu tilted his head, a plate of cake in his hand. That bastard was always snacking in there, even after eating a full meal.
". . . maybe. Depends on how he reacts when I try to move him." Hearts rubbed at the back of his head, trying to ignore the wide grin Fu was sending his way. "Hopefully I won't have to bring him to you, though." Without giving Fu a chance to say anything else, Hearts left the kitchen.
As Hearts made his way back down the hall to his room, he pondered the different scenarios. Best case, Zamasu wouldn't wake up and freak out until the morning. Worst case, he'd immediately wake up and go ballistic at what Hearts was trying to do. It wasn't like he had any ill intentions in moving him to the bed with him. They would just sleep in the same bed. That was fine, wasn't it?
Though if Zamasu decided he wanted it to be more than that, he definitely wouldn't turn him down. Who would turn down sex with a beautiful god like Zamasu? Gods were awful, but he would use them for that at the very least.
"Alright . . . what will you do, god?" Hearts carefully turned the knob so as not to make too much noise. He was relieved to see that Zamasu was still in the same spot on the floor, though he had changed his position a bit. "Look at you . . . you're an absolute mess of a person right now." Hearts closed the door behind himself, locking it so the others couldn't be nosey during the night. Primarily to keep Fu out, though that guy probably had some kind of device to get into the room if he really wanted to.
He shut off the main light, then went into the bathroom that was in the room and turned on the light there so it wasn't pitch before returning to the unconscious Kai on the floor. "Heh . . . not very divine right now, Mr. God." That nickname had made him horribly angry before. Had someone called him that in the past? One of the people who ruined his plans, perhaps? Fu had mentioned something like that, hadn't he? "You're even drooling on the floor." He reached out to swipe away the saliva with his gloved thumb, wiping it off on his pants. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He really wanted to at least remove the shoulder cover and his overcoat, but what if he woke up during that? That wouldn't go over well at all.
"This would be easier if you were drunk and passed out." Slipping his arms underneath him, Hearts very slowly and gently lifted Zamasu up from the floor and carried him to the bed. The god groaned and shifted a bit, but didn't seem to really stir otherwise. Would he really sleep through all of this? It would be a damn miracle.
He carefully placed Zamasu down on the bed, slipping his arms out from underneath him. "There. Isn't that better than the floor or that lab table?" He glanced over the god briefly, "Can I at least take off your shoes?" He wasn't sure why he was even speaking to him – Zamasu was obviously sleeping like the dead at the moment and couldn't hear a word. It should be safe to at least remove his boots. Taking those off in bed was completely logical and shouldn't cause a fight or a misunderstanding if Zamasu were to wake up during the process.
Walking to the end of the bed, Hearts carefully pulled each boot off and set them on the floor, looking back up the bed at the god to make sure he hadn't woke up. Even with the dim lighting from the bathroom, he could see Zamasu clearly. He really was beautiful; Hearts had noticed that immediately when he saw his face for the first time. How could Fu say his eye made him ugly? Just how bad was it? Was it really so awful that it could make someone consider this beautiful god ugly? It didn't seem possible. "Did his words really upset you that much, Zamasu?" Hearts went back to the side of the bed and just stared down at the sleeping man for a moment. He knew he ought to cover him up and then get ready for bed himself, but . . .
His lips looked so soft. . .
"Are all gods beautiful, just as you are?" Hearts removed his glasses and gloves, setting them on the bedside table, then rested a hand on the headboard to brace himself as he leaned down and lightly ran the thumb of his other hand across Zamasu's lower lip. "Or are you an exception?" His heart was beating so quickly. Why did it feel exciting to touch him? He wanted to touch him more, to feel his skin under the tips of his fingers as he ran them along his arms, his chest, his stomach, his-
"I need to stop." He drew in a deep breath and pulled his hand away. Perhaps he should take him to the lab instead. Having Zamasu in the bed next to him might make for trouble. Would he be able to keep his desires in check? Just what did he desire, exactly?
No, that much was obvious. Who wouldn't want to put their hands all over the body of a god?
Why couldn't he pull himself away? Why was his heart beating so rapidly? Was it because something like this was sinful? It probably was. "You're bringing out a strange side of me, god." He ran that same hand over the cover on Zamasu's shoulder before carefully removing the device. His arm was green underneath, but where his tattered shirt began he could see the purple coloration on his skin underneath it. Was it weird to find the way the purple and green meshed together beautiful? The colors complemented each other surprisingly well. That was nothing to hide or be ashamed of. Shouldn't Fu agree, given that his whole damn body was purple?
"That guy is a quirky asshole. Don't listen to him . . ." Shouldn't he save these words for when Zamasu was awake? "I'm going to take your coat off." Didn't he say before that it was best not to do that? And yet here he was, removing the red sash before slowly unbuttoning the front of the tattered coat, pulling his arms through the arm holes, and sliding the fabric out from underneath the other man. Still not even a single bit of stirring, either. "He's out cold." It was almost laughable just how much he had done without Zamasu waking. He had removed his boots, his shoulder cover, his coat . . . he'd even gone so far as to touch his lips, but Zamasu had no idea. How much could he get away with?
That kind of thinking was dangerous.
"Oh, the bands on your wrists . . . those are uncomfortable, aren't they?" His breathing was feeling a bit labored now. How pathetic was it that his body felt so excited from just this little bit? It wasn't like he was going to do anything with him, so there was no reason to get so worked up. Even as he removed the wrist pieces and placed them on the floor with everything else, his hands were trembling slightly.
"Come on, that's enough . . ." But he just wouldn't leave the bedside. Instead, his eyes trailed over Zamasu's body. The shirt he wore underneath that coat was tight enough that he could make out the muscles hidden underneath. What a powerful, but lean form. Hearts' hand hovered just above the Kai's stomach, his fingers itching to touch the fabric of his shirt, to glide over the curves of each muscle, to slip up underneath the fabric and-
"Shit . . . I need to sleep." Hearts pulled himself away and went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face. What was going on? Sure, Zamasu was beautiful, but what kind of thoughts was he allowing to go through his head? That kind of thing could only end in disaster. He had not yet witnessed the height of Zamasu's power, but he knew he didn't want to be on the receiving end of a full-force attack. Doing something inappropriate with him against his will was completely out of the question.
Hearts stared at himself in the mirror after drying his face. "What has gotten into you? He is a god. You hate gods." Wasn't it fine to have an exception, though? At least Zamasu had already eliminated the gods once himself. He should not have any issue with him wiping all of the others out, then. "Why am I worried over this? How ridiculous."
The man stripped down to only his pants before climbing into bed beside Zamasu. The bed was plenty large enough for two people, but the very thought of sleeping beside him made his pulse pick up once more. Hopefully he'd be able to calm himself enough to sleep.
He rolled onto his side so he could at least look at him. He'd left the bathroom light on, but pulled the door mostly closed in case Zamasu woke in the night and needed to use the restroom . . . did gods even do that? It wasn't something he'd ever considered. Either way, the dim lighting from the bathroom was just enough that he could make out Zamasu's features in the dark room.
Hearts pulled the covers over them both, up to about mid-stomach. After all the moving he'd done with the god without waking him, apparently moving the sheets was enough to make him stir. Hearts held his breath as he heard the god groan a bit and watched him roll onto his side, facing the other man. Would he wake up? Would he panic?
". . . nnn . . . mmm . . . Za . . . Zama . . . su . . ."
Who the fuck says their own name in their sleep?
"Well he was definitely a narcissist to the extreme. I'd bet money that he and himself from the future had an intimate relationship."
Fu had said something like that, hadn't he? Then perhaps he wasn't dreaming about himself, but rather his other self. Zamasu had practically confirmed Fu's suspicions earlier, after all. For a narcissist, the greatest lover in existence would definitely be themself. What a mess of a creature he was. Those two may have had some kind of love affair going on and then they fused. So what now, then? Surely this Zamasu remembered that relationship. Did he miss it?
"Za . . ." The god whined softly, his hands moving oddly as he dreamt of whatever it was.
Against his better judgement, Hearts slowly reached out and gently touched Zamasu's face, his fingers caressing his cheek before moving to the god's ear. Unexpectedly, Zamasu began to nuzzle his hand, soft noises escaping him as he did so. Still, he did not wake up. "You have to be doing this on purpose . . . are you trying to bait me?" Hearts whispered the words as he slid the same hand back across Zamasu's cheek and then ran his thumb over the man's lips. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to put his mouth and hands all over Zamasu's skin. His heart felt like it would beat out of his damn chest if this kept up. "You're cruel, Zamasu." Why did he feel so strongly? Was it something to do with the fact he was a god? Did gods give off some kind of pheromone? Or perhaps it was a desire to dominate a god.
With hands that were now trembling with need, Hearts pulled the god close as carefully as he could. What if he woke up now? How could he explain this? He couldn't. There was nothing other than he was taking liberties that he should not be taking. Was it okay as long as he didn't do anything inappropriate? It was fine to just hold him close, right? But he had been saying that every step of the way so far. He said it when he put him in the bed, when he took off his boots, when he removed some of his clothes . . . just how far was he going to take this before he could finally stop himself and be satisfied?
"Mmm . . . Zamasu . . ." The Kai nuzzled into Hearts' chest , his hands resting lightly against the other man's skin as his fingers sloppily wandered short distances across the large x-shaped scar.
". . ." Hearts swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat before wrapping his arms around the god and holding him tightly against him. Whatever. If he woke up now, then so be it. His heart was pounding so hard that he thought for sure it was loud enough to wake the Kai. Was this punishment for something he'd done in the past? Karma was a cruel mistress. Still, he'd enjoy this attention for as long as he could while doing his best not to overstep the biggest boundaries. Zamasu might be angry in the morning . . . no, he would most definitely be angry in the morning, but for now . . . for now he would hold him close, bury his face in that beautiful white hair, and let him dream of the lover he once had.