It was roughly two o'clock in the morning, give or take a few minutes, when a stifled groan escaped the Doctors lips. He stirred, lifting his head up from the pillow and glancing at his surroundings. He thought for a moment, after recalling just where he was, questioning whether he preferred the horrible images that haunted his dreams, or his current surroundings- Cassandra's bedroom. He sighed, letting his head fall back down into the pillow. It had only been a day since he came here, hadn't it? It seemed like longer. Cassandra stirred behind him, however briefly, but didn't wake. This was no concern to Jizabel, that man could go for hours, then slept like a rock. The doctor had been given his own quarters, however it was dreadfully impractical to stay there, afterall he'd end up here one way or another. Then again, what was better? Cassandra coming to him, or him just staying at that bastards side?

I'm just making it easier for him, but why...?

He scowled, pulling his pillow out from under his head and slamming it down over him, as if trying to block out the loud voices that where in his head, needless to say failing. Perhaps he could suffocate this way? He smiled in a sick fashion, subconsciously moving his hand to press down on the pillow. It was slow, so agonizingly slow, then finally the ache started. His lungs, her lungs, where crying out for air, a faintness fell over him... but regardless he tightened his grip on the pillow, pressing down slightly harder. He could do it, he could do it himself. There was no impulse to pull away, to breath, to simply sit up and breath. There was no pain, nothing he wasn't used to, and now it was something that he'd never feel again. His grip loosened, however slightly, and the blackness began to take him. No more of this. No more of Cassandra, no more Father, no more of his demons, haunting his mind, his dreams. The madness was stopping, it could be stopped, it would be stopped. It was coming to an end, finally waking up from that nightmare of so many years.

Then it hit him, those eyes. A flash of green and just a hint of gold, a grim light in what had been a comforting darkness. It came through him like a shock wave, bringing him back to consciousness as he sat up, tossing the pillow to the floor and gasping for breath. His breathing slowed, and returned to normal, as he gave a paranoid glance towards Cassandra. Still sleeping. Good.

It was too soon. It would have to wait. Everything was falling into place, wasn't it? Wasn't it? It was much too soon, he had a plan, a vision. Father did aswell. Now was not the time, It was too soon.

He slipped out of the bed, the room a little less dark now, since his eyes had adjusted. He picked up one of his robes from the floor, just where it had been tossed earlier, and put it on before leaving the room and returning to his own quarters.

Dr. Zenopia would have the test results brought to him soon, and Cassandra's sad little bet had made things all the more simple, hadn't they? No matter what this problem, this little hinderance, would be out of his way before the week was out. That bet. In a way, Cassandra's bet was so very ironic.

Take my freedom? I've never had freedom to take.

How true... How ridiculously true....

-----

...Who was in the hall? Light and quick footsteps, that pattern was so familiar.... Like a childs, yet far more agile. He ignored them, his mind too clouded by other things. Infact, he wasn't even sure he'd actually heard anything to begin with.

Riff Raffit was breaking down. He could almost hear his heart race, feel his pulse as he came to realize there was little hope to escape on his own. Jizabel's own feelings where caught between pleasure and misery. Just look at his sad little brother... Unconditional love? How preposterous. Riff's love was a complete fabrication, it was no more a reality than his own fathers words of affection. The minute that man escapes he'll go right back to Cain, and Cain will always be drawn to him, like a moth to an open flame... It was all for not. The finest example of devotion in the history of time was nothing more than a charade.

The door opened softly behind him, though he stayed by the wall, watching Riff intently through the portrait.

"...Doctor?"

His eyes widened, and he wasn't entirely sure whether or not he had jumped abit. Cassian didn't seem to have noticed, so perhaps he hadn't. At least he hoped he hadn't.

What is he doing here...?

"Doctor?"

He swallowed, taking a few seconds to regain his composure and turn to Cassian, his expression as bleak as usual, and certainly not surprised.

"...Oh, Cassian... You brought the information I asked Dr. Zenopia for."

Cassian returned this with a short nod, about to open his mouth before Jizabel crossed over to him, snatching away the papers. Cassian fell quite, as the doctor took a minute or so to look over the results, whatever they where. A peculiar look came to the mans eyes, if not for a second, before he slid the papers back into the folder.

"...Just as I suspected." he remarked quietly, before giving a rather odd glance to Cassian, looking more at his body then he was the man inside it.

"...Doctor-"

"I didn't expect you'd be bringing these, Cassian," the doctor remarked, cutting him off as if he was hiding something. Cassian watched him grasp the folder close to him, before using his forefinger to push up his glasses.

"I asked him if I could deliver them, he had no objections."

Why did you do that...?

"I have something that I need to ask you."

The doctors heart skipped a beat, worsening this situation still was the fact that there was no getting out of this. Perhaps it was something normal, something he should be asking... No, that wasn't like him, he always poked his head into places where it didn't belong, he was the type of person who never took no for an answer, ever.

"...yes?"

"...Why? Why are you even here?"

There it was.

"...I know that he's seen your past, but you stand on equal ground, why don't you do anything about it?"

Jizabel turned away from him, as his subordinates frustrations mounted. He had to admit, he was always a little wary when Cassian was angry. It was mot so much a fear of danger as it was the general uneasiness that his scoldings left.

"...And this time you're keeping me away."

He swallowed, raising his hand to push up his glasses yet again. It was a subtle motion, and like all of Jizabels behavior it was completely memorized by Cassian. He was nervous beyond belief, and Cassian himself took that as a good sign. At least he had him on the spot.

"...It's nothing that concerns you. You can go now, I'm busy, Cassian. Besides, I know you don't like me."

There are some things that just grind on a person, and that was one of them. What was it? Did the doctor always pull that just to smite him? Was it a reassurance to himself? Or was he really that ignorant?

"...You've finished your errand. Now Go."

The silence between them was laced with tension, as Cassian took a few steps forward.

"I'm not leaving... You remind me of how I used to be... You and I are too much alike. It disgusts me." Jizabel's eyes rose from the floor, and he turned them towards Cassian, though never giving him his full attention. "...Everything was fine up until I stopped growing. That was when my parents just turned on a dime. I was useless, so after a few years they decided it was in their best interest to sell me the first chance they got. Even when I performed in the circus I received little humane treatment. Anything that seemed like compassion was a complete charade."

Jizabels eyes widened, as he slowly turned his head to Cassian. The older man raised his own vision up from the floorboards to look at Jizabel, with a weak smile.

"Maybe you haven't noticed, but I've read you like an open book...." With that, however, he returned to his own story, "There was a girl there, years ago, who said she loved me.... She was the ringmasters woman. Everyone there was placing bets as to whether or not I'd fall for her."

His expression was grim, and Jizabel noticed most all the pigment fading from his face. He cringed, fighting away that desire to approach him. What he was saying didn't matter. It could not matter. He knew what Cassian was getting at, and it simply would not do.

"...I couldn't take anymore of it. Eventually, I killed them both and fled. After that I just fell deeper and deeper into the criminal underworld and..." He paused, trying to form better words before giving up such a trivial task, "..and.... here I am now."

He paused, those words finally off his chest, and a feeling of relief coming over him with the reality that he was almost across the first bridge. Jizabels mask had fallen, and an ill feeling had come over him, as he stared down at the floor near Cassians feet.

"...I guess Delilah was as deep as I could get," he remarked, in hopes to break the awkward silence between them. But, of course, Jizabel took no initiative to comment, so he swallowed and continued.

"...I... came here because I'd heard of the vast scientific knowledge that Delilah housed... I just hoped that one day they'd be able to grant me what I desired most but... According to Zenopia, it's still out of my reach... I... have nothing left." He swallowed again, before stepping toward Jizabel, turning the younger mans head to face him, to look him straight in the eyes.

"I don't want you to become... the way I am."

Jizabel pulled away from him, with mounting urgency.

"...That's not your concern..! You don't know anything, you're completely wrong..!" He stopped, realizing just how much he was overreacting. This had all just slipped too far hadn't it? If he hadn't let Cassian in to begin with, none of this would have happened. It always lead back to his own stupid mistake, the stupid mistake of even letting him get so close to him...

"...I used to hate you. You aren't completely wrong, I really did.... but as the days, weeks... months went by I finally opened my eyes to what was happening... You aren't like others. You're alot different, the things you're capable of, the love that you're capable of. Jizabel...You're alot better than I've ever been, or ever can be...you've just... given up on everyone, haven't you? ...Yet you're still hanging onto this idea that somehow your father might actually care for you..." Cassian's outward calmness dissolved, and he grabbed Jizabels tie, pulling him closer to him, "How long have you been this way!? What did he do to you!?"

His hand fell from the doctors shirt, and a few tears fell to the floor beneath him as he backed away. Jizabel took one cautious step forward, raising his hand toward Cassian as if to rest it on his shoulder, but the older man smacked his hand away, still frustrated by the doctors behavior.

"...Don't...do this to yourself...! You're just the way I was when I was cringing from the ringmasters whip... You have to break free of him, or you'll just continue to fall! You have to get away from both of them!"

A low chuckling split through the room, much to the concern of them both.

"Really, comparing your pathetic self to your superior? You really don't know when to quit, do you," he stepped into the room, laying an arm around Jizabel, ushering him away from Cassian, who scowled in complete disgust over how easily the doctor let him touch him.

"Doctor! Are you really alright with this-"

A sharp pain coursed through Cassians head, as the bottom of Cassandra's boot collided with his skull. Cassandra smirked, pressing his face against the ground, as Jizabel turned his own face away, unable to bring himself to say anything.

"When I have control, I will burn you lower class scum alive. Get. Out. I never want to see you in my presence again, boy."

----

How could he honestly think that he would have won? When he himself had failed so many times. Cain was not to fall to such a simple attempt, Jizabel himself had learned that the hard way, as the scar under his eye so reminded him. As much as it pained him, it was evident, Only Father could touch Cain...

A death sentence was befitting to him, he had completely humiliated the whole organization, had he not? Besides, nobody liked him. Nobody. Cassandra could panic, cry, but no matter what he faced the same end. Everyone faced it, although Cassandra got it sooner. There are two types of people, the one staying put their in proper place, and the one with their foot in the other ones face.

In Jizabels mind, both should be executed as soon as possible, their sad existences extinguished. A thin smirk of accomplishment spread over his mouth, as he lifted the Scavengers Daughter, tossing it down the stairs to land at Gladstones feet with a metallic clank.

"I believe that belongs to you."

Cassandra's face had gone extremely white, and with a miserable cry he slammed his elbow in the closest case, pulling the sword from it and making a run towards his former pet.

Keep coming, don't stop.

The sword tore through flesh with a sickening tear, yet Jizabel felt no pain, as Cassians small, broken, form fell against him.

----

For once blood was not beautiful. His mind was racing, his heart could explode. He couldn't take anymore of this, was this how everyone else usually felt in situations like this? It couldn't be, could it?

This is wound is fatal... if this isn't treated quickly...

"It's alright..."

Cassian smiled at him, a thin trail of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"No, it's not."

He's right, isn't he?

Jizabel closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath, before unbuttoning Cassians shirt and slowly pulling the rapier from his small body.

"D-don't try to save me... It's pointless, I don't care... if I can't have the body I wanted I..."

Jizabel sobbed, however briefly, before lowering him to the floor, attempting to make him abit more comfortable.

"Please...If you have any hope left at all you.. have to get away from Delilah...If you don't... He'll kill you, I know he will... He'll use you, and dispose of you once the time comes...Your wings that where once so beautiful are so soiled with insanity that they can't be washed off...."

He closed his eyes, much to Jizabels dismay, "...You have to run away now..."

The doctor sobbed again, his head in his hands.

"You... you really don't understand... I... I can't...? You're wrong... It's not that I can't... I... don't want to....I am in the palm of his hand, I'm imprisoned by an endless ring. No matter what he does to me I... I belong to him. My body and soul belong to him...."

"Jizabel..."

"...Abel did everything God wanted, but in the end it was Cain who committed the first murder, it was Cain who could be killed by nobody else, it was Cain who got the attention wasn't it...? ...Wasn't it? ...After everything Cain was of far greater importance.... but...Th-there is no God, there is only the Cardmaster. And I cannot leave him."

Cassians eyes fluttered open, however briefly.

"I understand... That's too bad."

He weakly raised his hand, brushing it gently across the younger mans cheak, a trail of blood left behind, showing a vibrant crimson on his pale skin.

"...but... if you ever do change your mind... Don't hesitate to call on me... Because... You can't do anything on your own... You're still just... just a boy..."

His hand dropped from Jizabels face, falling limply beside him. The doctors heart nearly stopped, and a feeling of dread swept over him as he lifted Cassian's hand from the floor the check his pulse.

Why....?

He swallowed, looking nervously around the room before his eyes finally came to rest on Cassandra's crumpled and unconscious form in the corner. He then took a sharp breath, upon realizing that he hadn't done so for several seconds. His fingers still lingered on Cassians wrist, feeling the faint pulse beneath them. It was now or never.

It's not time for you to exist the stage yet.

----

No song lyrics today, since I hadn't thought of any that fit. hah. Haha... but there is another Sweeny Todd reference, that is "One staying put in his proper place, and the one with his foot in the otherones face"

I feel sad. No more Cassandra. I sorta liked the old perv.... and... and.... No more rapings! Dx

What kind of world do we live in where Jizabel only has to worry about his Father? A far less emo world, isn't it? ...Hah, ohhh you have no idea. Angst will live on, I assure you... Dunno if this is a good thing or not... Ah well, review plz, thank you. (And I hope everyone had a happy halloween.)