-No Good Deed Goes Unpunished-
A .hack/G.U. Fic by Digitaldreamer
Chapter Three: In Which Haseo Is Already In Trouble
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Oh wow, a whole month without updating... I'm really sorry for the wait, guys! I originally planned to update looooads sooner, but I was really, really busy. First there was graduation, then I had to get ready for my open house, then there was real life drama and a camping trip... yeah, busy month was busy. Hopefully I'll finally be getting back into the swing of things, however.
In happier news, I now have an outline for this fic! Yeah, yeah, I know I said there wasn't going to be an outline... eh, what can I say, I'm weak. I cannot resist organization. I can't guarantee this fic will be finished, judging from my plans I'd say it's gonna be pretty long... well, I guess we'll see. I also have Haseo'\s outfit sketched, I just need to find time to color it. I should have a link next chapter.
Right, as for this chapter... actually, this chapter and chapter four were supposed to be one chapter, but they ended up being so long that I ended up cutting it in half. The good news is that means the next chapter is already halfway done! I just hope this chapter won't seem like too little happens... well, there's some Kuhn musings and Haseo torture, so it's all good, am I right? Am I right?
...er, yeah.
Please be sure to leave a review! Critiques are always greatly appreciated, but honestly, if you just liked it, tell me so! It can be three words, "I liked it", I don't care, just please review!
Right... onward! Enjoy the chapter!
--
It was shaping up to be a rough day for Tomonari Kasumi.
After sending an e-mail to Pi, the young man had laid there in his apartment for awhile, feeling restless. After an hour of this he had logged back in as Kuhn, thankful for the multiple foreign women he had made an acquaintance with. Their happy squeals and petting of his hair hadn't proved the great distraction the steam gunner had been hoping for, however, so after awhile he left them in favor of tackling a dungeon by himself, something he rarely did. He spent a few hours of doing this before finally logging off and settling into an uneasy sleep, only to wake up hours before his alarm went off and spending the rest of his time lazing around his apartment in a daze before stumbling off to his job.
He didn't like it, this feeling of uneasiness. Tomonari was a simple man, he took pleasure in simple things and generally preferred that the people he surrounded himself with were kept happy and smiling so he could do the same thing. Of course... over the course of the past many months, he had learned that it really wasn't that easy to keep things so simple, and if he wanted to protect that happiness, there was a lot of heavy responsibility involved. He had taken that responsibility willingly, but that didn't mean he always enjoyed it. This feeling of uneasiness, this anxiety and worry... he didn't like it at all.
It wasn't like other worries, ones that could be wiped away in his mind and momentarily forgotten... this one was different, somehow. Then again, most of his worries didn't involve one of his closest friends being made into a slave by a deranged, power-hungry psychopath on the internet. Haseo could take care of himself, he knew that much... but Haseo also had a tendency to want to bite off more than he could chew in the name of his stupid need to protect everyone. Tomonari couldn't help but wonder if in this case, Haseo had done just that.
He already had the image of Haseo kneeling before Sakaki, panting and shaking, burned into his mind. He didn't want to see it in reality ever again.
"Haseo... you'd better be careful," The young man muttered as he paused for a streetlight that had turned red. He scratched the back of his head as he gazed up at the gray sky. It was a dreary, dull day, the sort that didn't really seem to be bringing any rain, but the clouds insisted on sticking around anyway. Tomonari really wasn't a fan, contrary to his status as a gamer, he liked the sun. "Man, it figures, even the weather won't cooperate with me." He chuckled and shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets as he continued on.
He didn't walk far, however, before his pocket shook. The twenty-five year old jumped as the tune from Online Jack began to ring from his khaki pants, causing the various other people walking along the sidewalk to stare at him. Tomonari flashed a weak grin at them as he fished out his cell phone, brow furrowing as he stared at the screen. He didn't recognize the number. Shrugging, the young man flipped it open and held it to his ear. "Hello?" He spoke tentatively.
"Kuhn?"
Azure eyes widened in shock. "Pi!?" Tomonari sputtered, once again getting some odd looks that he failed to notice this time. "Is that... what the... how did you get my cell number!?"
A sigh. "You do realize as an admin, it really isn't that hard for me to find such information, right? Besides, you've certainly given it to enough women in the game." Was it just him, or did her voice get a tad frosty at the last bit?
Tomonari gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, you got me there..." He swore he could feel the woman's icy glare radiating from his cell phone. How the hell did she manage things like that!?
"So... what exactly happened?" Pi asked, getting right down to business.
The twenty-five year old sighed as he sunk down onto a bench, figuring it would be best to keep out of the crowd for this conversation. "It's a mess. We won and destroyed Taihaku's sword, but the AIDA inside it attacked Haseo... he fought it off, but after that he was too beat up to do much else. Sakaki went and declared that we had actually lost, meaning due to some deal he had made with Haseo, Haseo now has to swear his loyalty to the bastard. Of course, Haseo said no at first... but it turns out Sakaki's thing about all the AIDA seeds he has wasn't a bluff, so in the end he had to give in." He explained.
Pi let out a breath, "That's... certainly quite a predicament."
"Yeah, no kidding... Atoli found him after he got out of Raven's /a/Home... from the looks of things Sakaki's even gone so far as to edit his PC. It's some weird traditional crap." Tomonari muttered, wrinkling his nose at the memory of the screenshot Atoli had sent him. It looked more like something Kuhn would expect to see on a woman. "This has to be illegal... is CC Corp really letting him get away with this crap?"
The woman on the other end of the line gave a sigh. "I'm afraid so. Hacking Haseo's PC like this is without his consent is certainly illegal... but considering all the control CC Corp has given him, it's unlikely they'd do anything but turn a blind eye to it." Pi paused a moment, then spoke quietly, almost to herself. "If he was able to edit an Epitaph PC... it's very likely whatever he has done involves AIDA."
Tomonari's fingers clenched around his cell phone. "You mean to tell me Haseo..." He trailed off.
"...I... can't say for sure, I'll need more information. But yes, it is very likely Haseo is infected. Even if he isn't, that will probably be one of Sakaki's goals. If he can infect Haseo, he will have one of the most powerful Epitaph Users under his complete control." Pi stated.
"Which would be perfect for him..." Tomonari muttered. "That bastard... does he really think he can turn Haseo into some kind of attack dog?"
"Well, he'll certainly try." Pi said coolly.
Tomonari scowled. "He can try all he wants, he won't win." He growled.
Pi let out a sigh. "Kuhn--"
"He won't!" Tomonari snapped, interrupting. "We're not gonna let him! If he thinks he can keep messing with us he's got another thing coming! All of this crap... the tournament, messing with Haseo's PC, infecting innocent players... we can't let him keep doing this!" As he ranted, his voice rose in pitch, going from relatively calm to fairly loud. "We can't let him win! He--"
"Kuhn!" Pi cut him off, her voice hard. "Stop yelling!"
Tomonari paused, blinking. He had been yelling? A glance at the crowd revealed that indeed, he had been yelling, judging from the way many people had paused before his bench and were now staring at young man blinked, then flashed a nervous grin and put his hand over the phone. "S-sorry... y'know, my girlfriend... eheheh... s-sorry honey, I didn't mean to yell, I know your ex is really a complete loser and you prefer me..." He rambled into the phone as the crowd murmured among themselves, many rolling their eyes as they dispersed. Once he was finally ignored again he gave a sigh and put the phone back to his ear.
"Sorry, was attracting attention, everyone's gone now..."
"Did you just call me your girlfriend?" Pi hissed.
"Ah-ah... no! No, of course not!" Tomonari stuttered. "I was just... y-you know, trying to get rid of all the prying ears--"
"Kuhn..." Pi's voice sent chills up his spine.
"C-come on Pi, focus, we've got work to do... ehehe..." The twenty-five year old laughed nervously.
The woman on the other end of the line gave an irritated growl and muttered a few unkind words under her breath before speaking again. "First Master Yata and now this. I can't believe it..." Tomonari could hear the exhaustion in her voice and felt guilt override his previous emotions. He could have kicked himself... how had he let himself get that angry and yell like that? He was normally so laid back. This was just one more mess, and all he was doing was adding to Pi's load...
"Hey... come on Pi, don't worry." He said, trying to sound as comforting as he could without irritating the admin. "Don't worry about it... it'll all work out."
Pi snorted. "It'll all work out? Why so much optimism?" She asked dryly.
"Because... things just have to get better. The way Sakaki's been treating everyone, using people. hurting players... sooner or later things will have to catch up with him. He'll see what happens when you mess with Epitaph Users and play with AIDA. You just wait, sooner or later it'll come back to bite him in the ass." He said, brow furrowing. 'And I really hope I'm there when it does...' The young man added mentally.
"Perhaps..." Tomonari almost thought he could hear a smile in her tone, but with Pi you could never be sure. "But we can't afford to wait for karma."
He gave a sigh, shaking his head. Back to business, as always. He supposed he shouldn't have expected anything less. "I know. Don't worry, we'll do everything we can."
"Indeed," Pi said. "I... suppose for now I'll just do what I can to look into things at CC Corp. Will you all be alright?"
The twenty-five year old smiled. "Of course. Don't you worry about us, we can take care of ourselves."
The woman on the other end of the line sighed. "I know... but..."
"If you're worried about Haseo, don't be." Tomonari said. "He's strong, remember? He can handle some big headed asshole like Sakaki. Besides, he wouldn't like it if you worried... so just do what you can and try not to stress, alright?"
Pi sighed again. "Alright..."
"Good. Anyway..." The twenty-five year old trailed off, a grin coming to his face. "So, I see you've called my cell phone. Looks like I've finally got your number!" He drawled in a singsong tone.
A snort. "If you think this means you've finally gotten my cell number, you can forget it. I assure you, I made a point of making this call completely untraceable since I don't want Sakaki to overhear." He swore he could hear the smirk in her voice.
"Awwww..." Tomonari's shoulders slumped. "Come on Pi, we've known each other forever. When are you going to--"
"Don't you have to get to work?" Pi cut him off.
"What?" The man sputtered. "How did you--"
"You'd better hurry, Kuhn. You're going to be late. I'll contact you later." There was a click, then nothing.
Tomonari blinked as he glanced at the tiny screen, seeing the words 'call ended' flashing across it. "Aw man." He sighed as he leaned back on the bench, running a hand through his hair. "Ah well, one day, she'll pick up on my charms, one day..." He shook his head as he gazed down at his phone. He wanted to say his dark mood was based on once again failing to get Pi's number, but of course that would be a lie. "We can take care of ourselves..." He repeated quietly, fingers clenching around the plastic.
That was it. That was all he could say. That was all he'd be able to say for the past few weeks... he hated it, this feeling of powerlessness beyond those words, but what else could he do? There wasn't anything else, and he didn't want to worry Pi. He couldn't do anything. "Goddamnit..." He murmured, his fist squeezing around the phone.
He hated it.
The young man gave a sigh, forcing himself to relax his grip. He couldn't afford to break his phone. He glanced down at the screen again and his eyes widened.
"Shit!" He cursed. "I'm late!" With that, he leaped up from the bench and sped off.
He really hoped this whole thing blew over soon. With all of the late nights and crazy things like that phone call... he couldn't imagine his boss would keep taking his lame excuses for why he kept being late for work much longer.
--
Ryou Misaki gave a sigh as he sunk into his computer chair. His school bag gave a light thunk as he dropped it to the floor beside him and put his head in his hands,. "God, what a day..." He muttered.
It had indeed been a very rough day. The boy had woken up long after his alarm was supposed to go off, meaning he had to rush off to school in a hurry. In spite of the extra sleep, he still felt as if he had run a marathon, something that did not make struggling to pay attention in class any easier. The teacher's questions upon seeing his neck hadn't been simple to dodge around, either.
The teen shook his head as he flipped on his PC, gazing at the screen with tired eyes. Something told him that his rough day the school was only the beginning. "Joy." He muttered as the OS booted up, the familiar desktop theme filling his ears. Some would consider it odd the infamous Terror of Death had never bothered to change the soft, almost sad piano to something heavier... but there was something about it that Ryou found soothing.
The instant everything loaded, the 'Important Message' notice flared on-screen. Ryou grimaced as he pulled up his e-mail. He had four e-mails there, one marked with a blinking yellow exclamation point. Was it... yes, it was from Sakaki. The teen made a face and clicked on one of his other messages first. That bastard could wait.
Sender: Pi
Subject: The Situation
Kuhn told me what happened. I'm very sorry to hear about it. Let me assure you that I'm going to make sure Sakaki doesn't get away with this. I'm going to try to get in contact with CC Corp and see if I can get any information. For now, do your best to keep Sakaki distracted so he doesn't infect anyone else.
Be careful and don't do anything rash.
The teen snorted. "'Don't do anything rash'? Gee, thanks for the support, Pi." He muttered dryly. In spite of his sarcasm, Ryou felt a small pang of guilt. Pi was already so busy looking for Yata... and all he'd managed to do was add to her load. He sighed as he closed the mail and clicked on the next one. "She's right though... I have to be careful, I can't let more players get infected."
Sender: Kuhn
Subject: Be Strong
I'm sorry... we all did our best and it still wasn't enough. But don't worry! Atoli and I are on the case! I contacted Pi, she probably e-mailed you. We're all looking into this, so just sit tight, okay? Don't let that bastard get to you, we'll show him!
Hang in there, Haseo.
Ryou sighed. "Kuhn... it's not your fault, you don't need to apologize. You sound like Atoli," He murmured, raking his fingers through his hair. "This is all that bastard Sakaki's fault... I'm not gonna let him win, you don't need to worry." With that, he clicked on the third e-mail.
Sender: Atoli
Subject: I'll Do My Best!
Haseo... I'm sorry. What Sakaki has done... it's unforgivable. But... I know it will be alright! Don't worry, it's my turn to be strong for you this time. Kuhn and I are on the case! :) ...Please be careful, alright? Sakaki can be... I know you can take care of yourself, but... just be careful, alright Haseo?
I'm going to help you, I promise.
Ryou bit his lip. "Atoli..." He whispered as he gazed over the e-mail. "You don't need to worry, I trust you... I know you and Kuhn will get this fixed." He took a deep breath. "I just... I wish there was more I could do than just 'be careful'. Damnit..." The teen gazed sadly at the words for another moment, then went back to his inbox.
"Guess there's no more left..." He muttered as he eyed at the e-mail from Sakaki with a strange mixture of anger and dread. His mouse hovered over it for a moment and he hesitated, pondering over whether he should delete it or not. After a moment the teen sighed, decided that deleting it was unlikely to do him any good, and clicked on the e-mail.
Sender: Sakaki
Subject: My Pet
Good Afternoon, Terror of Death.
I trust after a good night's sleep you are ready to assume your duties as my pet. Report to the Serpent of Lore immediately upon logging into the game. I know you may be tempted to dawdle, talk to your little friends, whine about little ways to cheat the system and how to dismantle my rule and what not, but I would suggest you skip all that today... unless you would like to start things off with a punishment, anyway.
Don't think you can get away with testing me, pet. I will be watching.
Ryou's fingers clenched around his controller, letting out a growl and a few choice curses. "Why you... ordering me around like that... you bastard." He hissed. For a moment, he seriously considered e-mailing Sakaki back and telling him he could shove his orders up his ass, along with his "punishment"... but he supposed that would qualify as "anything rash". The teen let out a frustrated breath as he forced himself to relax his grip.
"I guess I have no choice..." He said quietly, gazing at the e-mail. "Sakaki... I'm going to get you back for this. You just wait." With that, he reached for his M2D.
--
There was a burst of blue as Haseo logged in, silver bangs falling over crimson eyes. When the particles of energy faded the adept rogue glanced down at himself, noting with a groan that the outfit was indeed still there. "Goddamnit..." He muttered, handed clenching into fists as he tried to ignore the way everyone in the temple was turning and gaping at him.
"Is that... the Terror of Death?" A girl player whispered to her friend.
"What the hell is he wearing?" Another exclaimed.
"Oh my God, he looks like a girl!" A blade brandier snickered.
"Ha, serves him right!" His friend sneered.
Haseo set his jaw and tried to tune out the chatter as he stalked out into the streets of Mac Anu, the ends of his coat trailing behind him. "Damnit, If it was Sakaki's intention to humiliate me, I have to admit he's doing a damn good job." The silver-haired teen said to himself as he reached the warp point.
"Haseo!" Gaspard's voice rang through the air, breaking the teen's concentration.
"Haseo!" Silabus' cry came right after Gaspard's, sounding less frantic but still concerned.
The adept rogue winced. 'Silabus and Gaspard? Crap...' He couldn't afford to stop and chat, he had to get to the Serpent of Lore... but he couldn't just brush off his friends either! The teen took a deep breath, then sighed and turned away from the warp point. He wasn't going to let Sakaki rule him and make him hurt his friends... even if it meant he'd get hurt.
"Silabus? Gaspard? What's- ah!" Haseo let out a yelp as the beastman character suddenly latched onto his middle, sobbing into his chest.
"Haseo! I-I heard what happened... I-I can't believe Sakaki... a-and he changed your clothes a-and... this is bad, this is really bad, isn't it!?" Gaspard sobbed into his chest, clinging to the back of Haseo's coat. Tears clung to the shadow warlock's fur and soaked into the black silk of the kimono as he buried his face into the material.
"I... Gaspard..." Haseo murmured, brow furrowing. Sure, the younger player was crushing his ribs... but the pain he felt at the hopeless lilt of the boy's voice hurt a lot more.
"Haseo..." The adept rogue glanced up to see Silabus standing there. His expression was one of concern, golden brown eyes meeting his uncertainly. "So, it's true... Sakaki really did edit your PC, huh?" The brunet glanced over the teen, then winced in sympathy. "It looks... er..."
"Heh, yeah..." Haseo patted Gaspard's head as he forced a chuckle. "Looks pretty stupid, doesn't it?"
Silabus gave a small smile at that. "Really doesn't quite fit you." He said, cocking his head to side as he put his hands on his hips.
"He's not allowed to do stuff like this! It isn't fair!" Gaspard threw back his head and wailed.
Haseo winced and patted Gaspard again. "Hey, hey, come on Gaspard, relax... I'm fine, see? I just look different, it's not that big of a deal." He murmured, trying to sound reassuring. He was wasting time. He knew he was wasting time... but he didn't care. His friends came first.
Gaspard sniffled as he pulled away a bit to look up at Haseo. "But Sakaki... he... he..."
"What about him?" The Terror of Death quirked an eyebrow and smirked.
Silabus frowned. "He's made you swear his loyalty to you, right?" He asked, his golden brown eyes focusing on the collar questioningly. "Like..."
"...Some kind of slave?" Haseo gave a short, harsh laugh as he reached up to brush his bare fingertips over the collar. "He'd like to think so." At these words Gaspard gave another wail, causing the adept rogue to wince yet again. "Hey, hey, Gaspard, come on, calm down! I'm alright, it's gonna be okay..."
The dog character gave a whimper. "But... Haseo is..."
"Going to be just fine." The adept rogue said firmly, grabbing Gaspard's hands and gently detaching the shadow warlock from his waist. "So don't worry, alright? I may have had to swear my loyalty to Sakaki... but I'm not gonna let him beat me, understand?"
Gaspard bit his lip. "Haseo... won't Sakaki be mad?"
Haseo snorted at this. "Mad? He can yell at me and do whatever the hell he wants... if he thinks I'll be bowing to him, he has another thing coming." He said, crimson eyes flashing and voice taking on a note of strength. He was well aware Sakaki could probably hear him and he didn't care. He hoped that bastard heard him. He hoped that bastard saw and heard him and realized that no matter what he ordered, it wouldn't change anything.
'I won't let you win, you bastard. These guys are counting on me.'
Silabus gave another smile at that. "That's our Guildmaster for you." He murmured admiringly, folding his arms.
Gaspard sniffled and looked up at his leader tearfully. "Haseo..."
"Come on Gaspard, no more crying." Haseo said, patting the boy on the head. "I need you to be strong for me, understand? After all, Canard's guild shop isn't gonna run itself."
The beast character wiped his face, then nodded, expression fixed into one of determination. "I won't let you down, Haseo!" He declared.
"I know you won't." Haseo said with a small smile. He then glanced to Silabus, whose smile had taken on a tinge of sadness. "Silabus..."
"Let me guess... you're gonna be busy for awhile, huh?" The blade brandier asked, putting his hands on his hips again. Golden brown eyes met crimson for a moment and his lips pressed into a line. Haseo winced at that expression... he could practically read the other teen's mind, hear the questions the brunet longed to ask. Why was Haseo always so busy? Just what was his second Guildmaster involved in that got him into these situations? What was going on in The World?
He knew Silabus wanted to ask... and he also knew Silabus never would. He was too kind for that. He would never ask Haseo for these answers, even when they pertained to him and Gaspard, and Haseo knew he couldn't tell him. Not yet. And somehow, the fact that in spite of all the things Haseo did with explaining, the fact that Silabus and Gaspard still looked up to him and trusted him... it almost hurt. Haseo just ran off and did what he needed to do... hell, he only sung by Canard's /a/Home when he had time, which wasn't very often. He was hardly around... and yet Silabus and Gaspard always greeted him with a smile, always blindly trusting him. He didn't deserve that.
But he was thankful anyway.
Silabus gave a small laugh and shook his head. "Hey, it's fine, I understand..." He smiled. "It's alright, Gaspard and I can handle things. You just worry about Sakaki."
Haseo nodded. "Thanks, guys." Crimson met golden brown again, adding a silent command. 'Take care of Gaspard, alright?' It was a stupid thing to insinuate, it was something Silabus always did anyway... but Haseo couldn't help but feel worried. Gaspard was young... not that young, but even so, Haseo had come to really appreciate the kid and wanted to care for him. He wanted to see Gaspard keep smiling at the guild shop as he passed... he didn't want anything to ruin that. But when it came down to it, there wasn't much he could do but tend to his duties with G.U. and trust Silabus to keep acting like the big brother figure he seemed to have become for their youngest guildmember. And of course, all Silabus did was smile in response to this silent duty and nod. The adept rogue gave a sigh and shook his head.
Why was he worrying? These two had grown strong... they could take care of themselves.
His sense of calm was interrupted by a short mail. The adept rogue felt his stomach twist at the chime. "Shit..." His brow furrowed as he opened the mail.
Sender: Sakaki
Subject: Do Not Defy Me
Terror of Death, I believe I gave you an order. Report to the Serpent of Lore NOW, unless you want your little friends to pay the price.
Haseo let out a growl. "That bastard, he wouldn't..." Crimson eyes flashed to Gaspard and Silabus, whom looked confused.
"Haseo... what's wrong?" Silabus asked.
"N-nothing." Haseo insisted. "Look... I have to get going, alright? I promise I'll try to see you guys again as soon as I can."
Gaspard's shoulders drooped. "Awww, okay... see you, Haseo."
"Yeah, see you." Silabus chimed in. Haseo nodded, then turned... only to pause as Silabus' hand fell upon his shoulder. He glanced back at the blade brandier, questioning. Silabus simply smiled sadly. "Haseo... be careful, alright? I don't think Canard can handle another Guildmaster change."
The adept rogue blinked, then forced a smile and a nod. "There isn't going to be one. Don't worry, I'll be fine." With that, he turned and activated the warp point.
'I just hope that won't end up being a lie... Silabus, Gaspard, you be careful too.' Haseo thought as the soft green lights whisked him away.
--
Crack!
The sound of meeting flesh was sickening, and with a thud Haseo was thrown to the floor, panting. His hair was somewhat disheveled, bruises and cuts dotting his lithe frame. Blood trickled from a cut on his lip and with a scowl the teen brushed it away, glaring up at his master.
"Honestly, Pet, I thought you had the wisdom to avoid earning yourself punishment before you even got here." Sakaki sneered above him, emerald eyes glinting dangerously.
Haseo snorted. "Excuse me for not wanting to take a page from your book and be a complete ass to my friends." He shot back.
Sakaki glared at him for a moment, then without warning pulled back his leg and kicked Haseo in the stomach. The teen let out a choked cry and curled inward, eyes squeezing shut as he clutched at his middle. He shuddered, fighting against the wave of hot nausea that overtook him. He already had several broken ribs, and the constant kicks and movement weren't helping. His attacker gazed down at the boy's shaking form, smirking. "I would suggest you learn to hold your tongue, Terror of Death."
Haseo merely glared at him.
"Yeah, that's right, you tell him, Sakaki!" Saku cackled from the sidelines and clapped her hands together. Her expression was one of glee as she clutched at Endrance's arm, looking positively ecstatic. Finally, Haseo was getting his! He deserved it for trying to take away her Master En! The blade brandier, on the other hand, was struggling to keep from appearing sick. Sakaki had been beating Haseo for fifteen minutes now, and something told him the former Moon Tree leader was no where close to being finished. It was all Endrance could do to remain silent, to watch as Haseo was sent slamming to the carpet again and again, to not rush to his side and defend him...
There was nothing he could do but stand and watch. He had to... he hadn't been fast enough to save Haseo before. The least he could do was be strong enough to not look away from his love's torment.
Sakaki reached down and hauled Haseo to his feet by his collar, a malicious grin on his face. "Does this anger you, Terror of Death? To be beaten like a dog who has disobeyed his master? To be humiliated? Why don't you fight back? You and I both know you could easily block me. What's stopping you, pet?" He taunted.
Haseo's lip pulled back into a snarl. "You know damn well what's stopping me, you ass." He hissed.
His captor's grin widened. "Ah yes, that's right. How convenient, hm?" He drawled. He then backhanded Haseo harshly across the face, sending droplets of blood flying through the air. The adept rogue grunted, then turned back to face him, crimson eyes blazing with barely repressed fury. Sakaki smirked, then suddenly kneed the boy in stomach, sending the teen crashing to the ground. As he fell he suddenly found himself taking a punch to the back of the head, cutting his cry off as his mind swam. Haseo collapsed to the ground and let out a groan as blood trickled down his temple.
That hurt... he couldn't think... no, no, he couldn't lay here, he had to get up! He had to get up, he couldn't let Sakaki win. The adept rogue pushed himself up and shook his head, then forced himself to his knees as Sakaki stood over him, cackling with triumph. "You have no idea how wonderful this is, to see you finally beaten like the pathetic creature that you are. To have you before me, on your knees, exactly where you belong... it's positively exquisite." Sakaki murmured.
"You're sick." Haseo growled, receiving a kick to the face for his trouble. The blow sent another sickening crunch through the room as Haseo was sent skidding to the ground again, ruby droplets dripping onto the carpet from a broken nose. The adept rogue lay there in a heap, gasping for breath, wheezing through the broken airway. He then let out a grunt as Sakaki hauled him to eye level again.
"Perhaps I am, pet... regardless, it is time for you to learn. I am your master, and if you disobey me, there will be consequences. Is that clear?" Sakaki hissed, his fist clenching around blood-soaked silk.
The Terror of Death stared at him for a moment, then smirked. "Do you really think I care about that?" He asked. His voice was hoarse from a kick to the throat, he had a black eye, and each breath sent a flash of pain through his broken ribs. His kimono was sopping wet with blood... and in spite of this, his voice still sounded strong, defiant. "News flash, Sakaki. I don't give a damn what happens to me. You can beat me up all you want, I really don't care. It takes a lot more than something as insignificant as pain to break me... you should know better." With that, he spat a bit of blood into Sakaki's face.
His master blinked in shock, then let out a snarl as he wiped the blood away. He then tossed Haseo to the floor again. "Is that so?" He hissed as the adept rogue hit the floor with a 'thud!'. "Pain doesn't effect you... is that really true, I wonder? Let's find out, shall we?" He sneered, waving a hand.
The collar around his neck flared to life and Haseo's eyes widened. "AUUUUUUUUGH!" The Terror of Death let out a cry as he curled in on himself, face contorting in agony. Once again the unbelievable pain shot through him, as if he were slowly being torn apart, as if every single nerve ending had been set aflame. He clamped his mouth shut as he writhed upon the floor, feeling as if a great pressure were coming at him from all sides, crushing him, made his heart feel as if it were about to explode. Fingernails clawed at his throat as he fought against the urge to scream, muscles spasmed, he was thrashing upon the floor...
And then quite suddenly the pain stopped and Haseo lay upon the floor, drenched in sweat and panting. Sakaki stood above him, smirking. "Are you so certain pain doesn't effect you, Terror of Death?" He sneered.
Haseo tried to speak, but found his voice unable to work. He simply shook his head, trying to ignore the way his limbs were twitching uncontrollably.
Sakaki chuckled darkly. "Is that so?" He waved his hand again.
Once again the agony shot through him and Haseo let out a howl, bucking upon the floor. It felt as if he were being impaled, as if something great and sharp were tearing through his insides, ripping him to shreds, snapping through flesh and bone as if it were nothing. It was if he were being electrified, slowly torn limb from limb, every ligament slowly tearing apart, one after the other. The adept rogue writhed upon the ground, shaking uncontrollably and gritting his teeth as he fought to hold more screams at bay. He wouldn't scream, he wouldn't scream... he wouldn't let Sakaki win, he wouldn't! But it hurt, it hurt so much...
Again it stopped and Sakaki crouched down next to him, eyes narrowed. "Are you so certain this doesn't effect you, Pet?" He sneered. "If you want... I can end your punishment here. I can make it stop, if you apologize... just apologize for being late today, apologize for how atrociously you've acted, and it will end." He said, gripped Haseo's chin and forcing the teen to look at him. "Come now, Pet... apologize."
Haseo swallowed, eyes narrowing. "I... I won't give in to you!" He hissed, jerking his head from his captor's grip.
Sakaki looked at him for a moment, grin falling. He then stood, glaring down at his captive haughtily. "So be it." He hissed, waving his hand.
Again the pain flared to life and Haseo let out a grunt, fingernails clenching at the rug below him. He let out a series of heavy breaths, squeezing his eyes shut as he forced his jaw to remain locked even as agony shot through him in waves. He wouldn't react, he wouldn't react, it wasn't that bad, he wouldn't give Sakaki that satisfaction!
After what seemed like ages but was merely half a minute, Sakaki waved his hand and turned away from the teen, stalking back to the controls of the Serpent of Lore. Haseo lay there gasping for awhile, expecting another blow. Finding there was none he glanced up, brow furrowed in confusion. Why had Sakaki stopped? The former Moon Tree leader was gazing off into space with a contemplative look upon his face... something that was very unlikely to mean anything good.
"Awww, why'd you stop?" Saku's voice carried a note of confusion as well, and judging from Endrance's furrowed brow, he had the same question.
Sakaki smirked as he turned back to Haseo, once again appearing confident and in control. "Oh... I felt that seeing how my normal methods of punishment don't seem to be working, perhaps I would take Haseo's advice and try something... different. Endrance, heal him, would you?"
The blade brandier blinked, then nodded and stepped towards Haseo, long hair trailing behind him. He knelt at Haseo's side and placed his hands on the teen's shaking shoulders, then closed his amethyst eyes. To see the boy he cared for so much hurt like this, beaten and shaking from pain... he couldn't bare to watch any longer. All he could do was be thankful to be able to take away some of that pain... it was the least he could do. "Repth." He whispered. A soft green glow surrounded Haseo, taking away the teen's various cuts and bruises. After a few more casts, there was nothing but bloodstains left behind. The adept rogue blinked in confusion, unsure if he should thank the other Epitaph User or not. He didn't have to, however, as Endrance stepped back without a word.
Sakaki gazed at his captive, smirking. "Rise, Terror of Death."
Haseo scowled, but after a moment he did as he was told. "What are you playing at, Sakaki?" He growled, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Now now, Pet, I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." Sakaki drawled, crossing his arms before him. "For now... how about you leave this place and go visit your guildmembers, hmm?"
Haseo's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"You heard me." Sakaki said. "After all... seeing how eager those two were to bother you this morning, I'm certain they'd love to have more of your company, correct?"
The adept rogue's hands clenched into fists as his eyes widened. "No! I swear, if you lay one finger on them I'll--"
"Tsk, always jumping to conclusions." His captor interrupted. "Relax, Terror of Death, I won't be doing anything to them. I merely want you to take them out to have some fun, that's all. Is that really so hard to believe?" The dark amusement in Sakaki's eyes did little to back up this statement.
"Yes." Haseo growled. There was no doubt in his mind that Sakaki was planning to do something... he wouldn't have just stopped beating up on him for no reason. Regardless of how Haseo claimed physical pain didn't work, he knew quite well that Sakaki was a sadistic bastard who found his suffering to be very, very enjoyable. But what was the catch behind all this?
Sakaki rolled his eyes. "Always so untrusting... go on Haseo, I have given you an order." He folded him arms before him, his smirk still in place. Haseo remained where he was, fists clenched at his side. "Go, Haseo." He repeated, emerald eyes twinkling dangerously. "Unless you'd rather I send AIDA to play with them instead?"
Scowling, Haseo turned and stalked out of the Serpent of Lore. He had no idea what Sakaki was planning, but he'd be damned if he'd let that bastard touch his friends. But what could he do? He supposed he had no choice but to play Sakaki's game.
For now.
--
To Be Continued...
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