Warning: Serious spoilers for "Knight on the Grid." You shouldn't be reading this story if you haven't watched Season 3 anyway, but I thought I would put in a specific warning for this chapter. Also, I should mention that this story contains spoilers for the season 4 episode "Perfect Pieces in the Purple Pond" starting...now. Also, if you haven't figured out by now, this story contains frank discussions of murder and cannibalism. No worse than the show, but usually one warns for those things.

Chapter 7: Aftermath

"A wicked companion invites us all to hell."

It was dark outside. Zack waited impatiently. Nothos had promised he would stop by tonight. He worked late at the Jeffersonian, because Dr. Saroyan was there, but he got back in plenty of time. Hodgins and Angela were "out" and would not be back for some time. He had a lot of questions. At first, everything had been fine. As soon as he saw the body, he knew who it was, what had happened. It had been great to feel so…clever. After all, it was much easier to interpret the data when you already knew which conclusion you would reach. He identified the murder weapon in record time, and knew that the man had not been "kneecapped" right away. The easiest King of the Lab moment ever!

He had hoped to gain some insight into the process of killing a person through his association with Nothos, but it had not worked out that way. He did not seem willing to share those details, and, as always, only the parts he chose to share were discussed. Zack did not feel left out, exactly. After all, he had explained the importance of catching the Monsignor while he was still on sabbatical - because that was a key indicator of a shift in intentions. If they were going to prevent him from carrying out any murderous plans, they would have to strike before the year was out. Zack had finally realized that even if the man was technically innocent, his death was still important because it would prevent the deaths of other innocents. Better that one man should die for the sake of the people. That was even in the Bible; maybe the priest would appreciate that. Zack knew all about why, but he was still interested in how. But Nothos reserved that part of the plan for his...true apprentice.

Zack did not know what to think about that. It was like finding out that Hodgins was best friends with Angela. It was...unexpected. He had to admit that, from a practical standpoint, it made sense for Nothos to preserve the continuity of the Gormogons by acquiring a new apprentice. But...he was surprised Nothos had not asked him. He was helping him, wasn't he? He found out when Nothos showed up without any teeth. He had gaped at him, and asked what happened...only to find out that the apprentice had pulled them all for him with a pair of pliers. He said it was just some kid he was training, but Zack knew then that he was not the only person Nothos talked to about these things. Maybe he discussed the plans for killing the priest with this apprentice.

But it did not end there. He learned more about Gormogon after working this case. He learned how the man knew things about him; he'd been watching. Zack was very proud of himself for figuring this out the old way - on his own, without any help from the man they were investigating. It was a heady experience, having both avenues open to him. He'd thought that would gain him some respect, both at work and from Nothos. It did not work out that way, though. Dr. Brennan had dismissed him when he agreed with Agent Booth about Dr. Sweets, and now Nothos had acted without informing him of his plans. His own "secret knowledge" did not extend to foreseeing what would happen when he effectively delivered not only the silver skeleton, but also Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan to his friend. Zack was agitated. He wanted explanations.

But there were no answers waiting for him in his apartment. He glanced at the shelf in the pantry; packets of Ramen, canned tuna and spaghettios didn't seem that appetizing. He paced back and forth a few times, but that didn't help. He knew that Hodgins did pushups when he was agitated, so he decided to try that. Focusing on breathing was not enough to distract his mind.

Finally, he heard the motorcycle outside.

"Why did you blow up Dr. Brennan?" he asked, as soon as the door opened.

"Good evening, Zack. Aren't you going to ask about the Corrupter first?"

"No. You will tell me whether or not you got him anyway. I want to know why you targeted Dr. Brennan. She's not even male!"

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Why does whether or not I've eaten have any relevance to the question of why you targeted Dr. Brennan?"

"It doesn't. But if you hadn't eaten, I thought we might sit down and discuss this while you ate."

"Oh. No, I'm not hungry. Just tell me!"

Zack had no idea why he was so upset, but he knew that something was wrong. It was an awful, sick feeling - an unwelcome surprise. It was like....suddenly, he remembered sitting in a courtroom, listening to a man completely demolish Dr. Brennan's reputation. He had been in shock that her professor, who should know better, who claimed to...to like her...would do something like that. It was wrong. It was...a betrayal.

"You betrayed me," he said in surprise, the hurt evident in his voice, and the confusion written on his face. "How could you go after Dr. Brennan like that?"

"What did you think would happen? She's trying to stop me, isn't she?"

Zack shook his head. "No, you don't understand. If I explained it to her, she wouldn't..."

"You are not permitted to speak about this!"

"Yes, I know, but she wouldn't try to stop you if she knew. You didn't have to...to blow her up!"

"I will not permit her to stop my work. One person cannot stand in the way...It's bad enough she has the skeleton..."

"Why didn't you take it back? I let them know you were listening, so you had a chance..."

"But you miscalculated. The FBI does not just let anyone take something like that. The truck was heavily guarded. If anyone is going to speak of betrayal...." Nothos stared at him pointedly.

Zack looked back blankly. "What?"

"You told them about my camera."

"True, but why is that relevant?"

"You aren't supposed to tell them things that make it easier for them to stop me! That was why I had to target them. They were too close."

Zack drooped. "This was my fault?" he asked quietly.

"I won't hold it against you. You are a beginner, and some mistakes are to be expected. Just don't let it happen again."

Zack looked up and shook his head earnestly. "No, it won't! I won't let her stop you. She lets me analyze the remains more and more, while her attention is focused in the field. I won't let her find anything that will lead her to you."

The man Zack had come to trust looked at him skeptically. "Are you sure? Are you sure you can do that?"

Zack nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. You won't have to stop them. Please, just don't...don't try to hurt them again. I would warn you if you were in any danger."

"So, do you want to hear about the Corrupter, then?"

"Yes, please," Zack asked meekly. This conversation hadn't gone at all how he had expected.

"I didn't get him. He got away. Your...friend...the FBI agent interrupted before I could finish. He is still out there, and now he's forewarned. He'll probably move to a safe house and be impossible to find."

That was discouraging. Letting murderers get away was bad enough, but letting men who planned to commit murder get away was even worse. He tried to remember how Agent Booth had known who Gormogon's next victim would be, but he couldn't pinpoint who had given it away.

"The day was not a total waste," Zack offered tentatively. "We found your Master's skeleton, and I'm studying it now."

"Oh? What have you learned from that?"

"It is very odd looking at a composite skeleton - the parts don't fit together, giving it a very...surreal effect. I'm not good at describing it, though."

"It's like looking at a piece of artwork, rather than human remains."

"Ehhh..." Zack held his shoulders awkwardly and pressed his lips together. "I can't describe artwork, either. I know what it looks like, of course, but that's not what people mean by it. Angela's an artist, though, and she said that's what it was. She also said it was terrible," he added.

"Terrible?" He seemed...offended, Zack guessed. "It's a complete human skeleton!"

"I agree with her. I prefer skeletons where the parts add up to a whole. The incongruities introduced when you combine over thirty different bodies is..." His face scrunched up. "Terrible."

Author's Note: I don't like this chapter. I'm not sure why. But I won't be offended if you tell me why you don't like it either ;).