Start: Chapter Eight

I.

True to his word, Gilbert had taken care of the camera in his room. I saw its melted carcass the instant I stepped inside, hardly surprised. It wasn't likely that he would have meant anything else, because how else was he going to get rid of it? In a way, it was greatly amusing. However, I knew well enough that it wasn't something the creepers were going to overlook very long.

As for Gilbert himself, his excitement about the meeting had turned into a foul mood. I knew why, of course. It seemed like he was growing more and more protective of me, and it was obvious he didn't want me involved in anything.

"I'm not helpless you know," I said quietly, sitting on the bed while Gilbert paced the room. He turned towards me, red eyes flashing briefly.

"I want what is best for you, Roddy. I'm not having you dragged into some dangerous scheme that might not work." Again the pacing resumed.

I sighed, picking at a loose thread at the hem of my shirt. "I'm going to help, Gil. He said that we all need to work together. That includes me. You don't get to choose whether or not I am a part of this."

Hearing the tromp of feet stop, I looked up to see Gilbert staring at me, look in his eyes akin to anger. I frowned some, not having ever seen that look directed at me. It was an unnerving experience, to say the very least.

"Roderich." There was a forced calm in his voice that I instantly didn't like. "I will not have you put in danger again. I will not have anything happen to you because I couldn't prevent it ever again. You will do what I say and stay out of this."

"I can take care of myself," I insisted, trying to get him to see. "Next to you, I am the most powerful one here. Nothing is going to happen to me."

Gilbert walked over to me, leaning down and moving the hair off my face. His eyes were gentle once again, something that I noticed with relief.

"Please Roddy. Just let me take care of things. Stay out of this. For me?"

I closed my eyes, sighing quietly. Gilbert was treating me so differently from normal. I was inclined to blame it on my capture. Knowing Gilbert, he made it out to be all his fault. And now he was trying to make up for things.

"But what if I don't want you doing anything either?" I asked quietly. "I don't want anything happening to you. I could just as easily say that you should stay out of everything. Would you listen to me then?"

There was an exasperated sigh, and I looked up to see Gilbert shaking his head. When he spoke again, his words were slow, as if explaining something to a child.

"I am not in any danger, Roddy. No one can so much as touch me. No one wants to risk getting burned. It is far more dangerous for you. Sure, you can blast people away. But you have limits and weaknesses that anyone can use against you."

"You have weaknesses too," I responded, absentmindedly reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear. "Don't try to tell me that you don't. If I am not taking a part in this, then neither are you."

Gilbert's eyes flashed and he was instantly on his feet again, staring down at me. "No. I am going to get you out of here. I am going to do this so that you don't spend the rest of your life in this place."

"Then don't tell me that I can't help too."

Making an angry noise in the back of his throat, Gilbert started the pacing again, but this time was practically stomping from side to side. I sighed, standing up and stopping him with a hand on his shoulder, meeting his eyes as he looked back at me.

"I am going to go back to my own room now. Come and get me when you've calmed down." I leaned forward and brushed my lips against Gilbert's cheek, then turned and left him, still feeling his eyes boring into me.

Returning to my own room and Arthur was hardly a step up. The blonde boy was in a state of rage, practically throwing a tantrum. He sat in the middle of the floor, lights turned off, chanting under his breath and creating the most fearsome illusions I had seen yet.

It took him a moment to realize that I had returned, and another moment to grudgingly stop whatever he had been doing. When asked about it, he only replied that he had been casting a spell to "smash the bloody bastards into a pulp."

Ten minutes later, when he was mostly calmed down, we sat across from each other on our beds. Arthur crossed his arms across his chest and stared at the ground, a scowl on his face.

"What is wrong?" I asked hesitantly, still afraid that talking would set him off again.

"Damn git got himself caught again," he muttered, eyes narrowing drastically. "Again! And I only got to see him for a moment! They shut him off in the room across the hall and blocked me from going to talk to him. They say I helped him escape. Bastards all of them!"

Piecing together what Arthur was saying, I gathered that he had found out that Alfred had been caught again. I looked at him with new sympathy, gathering that he wasn't just being crazy.

"Well, I am sure you will see him at breakfast, ja?" was all I could think of to say. Judging by the huff that Arthur made shortly after, it was far from enough.

Arthur pulled his legs to his chest and continued to stare at the ground, scowl slowly melting into a frown. "Last time I saw him… Right before he left… He told me that we'd be together again when we were finally free. I really hoped that would be the case." He sighed quietly, shaking his head and closing his eyes. "Now we are still here. He is so close I would only have to go a few feet to touch him and to feel him holding onto me again… But they won't let me see him."

Feeling as if I was intruding on a personal moment, I looked away, twisting the blanket in my hands. "Ah…"

"You're lucky, you know? Gilbert's first thought is always you. I can tell." Arthur was looking at me, green eyes watching me carefully, as if trying to make me understand. "Alfred is amazing. He's a bloody idiot, but he's a great guy. He's always thinking about the common good, though… What would be best for everyone." There was a sigh, and Arthur looked away. "I know it sounds awful. But I just wish that I would be more important than everyone else."

There was a pause, silence in the room as I thought this over. It was true, I realized. Even though recently it had been frustrating me, Gilbert always put me above the needs of everyone else. It was sweet, I decided. And perhaps I didn't mind it. I smiled, understanding now that it was Gilbert's way of showing how much he did love me.

"I don't think it sounds awful," I responded finally. "It isn't anything unreasonable. But maybe you aren't giving him enough credit. Maybe if you looked close enough, you'll see he's doing everything for you."

Slowly, Arthur looked back up, just the hint of hope in his eyes. "You think so?"

"I do." I smiled some, trying to get Arthur to believe me, even though I had never actually met the boy in question.

It was then that the creeper appeared to tell us lights out and we lay down in bed. I could hear that Arthur was quickly asleep, and I was glad that I had managed to calm him. Yet that reminded me that it had been a while since I had left Gilbert, and he still had yet to come and get me. I sighed softly, shaking my head and closing my eyes.

I'd have to tell him he was right, I decided. So long as nothing horrible happened, I'd stay out of everything. After all, it was rather sweet that he was being so protective. And it wasn't like I enjoyed violence of any sort.

With this worked out, I turned onto my side and fell asleep, figuring that I might as well get some rest while I waited for Gilbert.

II.

To say that Gilbert was not happy about Roderich leaving the room was a bit of an understatement. For a while he stared at the door, fully expecting his half-brother to come back with an apology. He entertained himself with thoughts of pulling the brunette to him and kissing him senseless until he could convince him that he needed to stay out of stupid dangerous things.

But the time passed and Roderich didn't return. For a while, Gilbert took to pacing again, muttering under his breath about stupid prissy aristocrats insisting on being stubborn and not doing what was best for them. Eventually, that lead to him trying to burn down the walls. Failing, but trying nonetheless.

When the creeper came to call lights out, Gilbert once again entertained fantasies. This time of burning the unwelcome man to a crisp and going on to do the same to every non-muttie in the building. Then name himself king of all the mutties, as he had set them free. They would bow to him and he would grin, holding Roderich to him. The best part was when he got to turn to his half-brother and say an "I told you so," because really, he had taken care of everything.

Instead, he let the creeper move on, unaware to how close he had been to death. Gilbert went back to trying to burn down the walls.

It was over an hour before he went and sat on the bed, glaring around himself. The plaster seemed to be fireproof. None of his fires had lasted. It was very unfortunate and had only burned off some of his anger and exasperation.

He lay down and prepared to wait out the night in a state of sullen anger when the door opened. Slowly, he turned his head, then sat up, surprised to see Alfred there. So he had gotten out of the infirmary.

The blue-eyed boy looked how Gilbert believed puppies would if they were sad. His bottom lip was quivering and his eyes were wide. Without being invited in and clearly not realizing the foul mood that the other was sporting, Alfred walked up to Gilbert and sat down on the bed next to him.

"You've got to help me! I'm dying here!"

Gilbert raised his eyebrows. "Haven't I helped you enough?" he muttered. "Helping you tends to end in disaster."

"This won't! It's nothing too bad, I promise!" Alfred's lip pushed out more and he stared at Gilbert imploringly. "I just need you to distract the guard outside Arthur's room. They won't let me see him!"

Groaning, Gilbert lay down again. "I don't do relationship troubles. Go get some other sucker to deal with your problems."

Then Alfred was in the air, floating above Gilbert and staring down at him. Somehow his eyes had gotten bigger. "But isn't your half-brother in there? You're dating him, right? Don't you want to see him?"

Gilbert rolled onto his side. "I'm trying to sleep. Go away. People don't get this hot from being sleep-deprived." He grinned for a moment at his little joke. Ha. He was hot. Like the fire.

There was silence for a moment – blessed silence – and then Alfred started up again. "Ah, I see. Did you guys have a fight? Is that's what's the matter? Hey, is something burning in here?"

Rubbing his forehead, Gilbert sat up again, forcing Alfred to stop hovering above him. "Yeah, okay. We had a differing of opinion. Now will you just go away and let me sleep this off? You'll see Arthur in the morning."

"But Gilbert…" Alfred hung his head, sniffling a little. "I haven't seen him in weeks, Gilbert. You know how you felt when you were away from Roderich? That was just a day! Can't you help me? Please?"

Gilbert stood, rubbing his eyes and muttering under his breath. He did want to see Roderich, even though he was still a bit stung about being left. Plus, it would get Alfred to leave him alone. "Fine. What do you want me to do?"

Alfred instantly brightened, bouncing to his feet and running to the door. "Just distract the guard! I'm sure you can figure it out!" He turned back to Gilbert and beamed at him. "Thank you so, so much! You're awesome!"

"Of course I'm awesome. There should never have been a doubt." Gilbert opened up the door and headed to wear he knew Roderich's room was. There was a guard there, which he didn't remember from before. Frowning, he shook his head. That was a question for later.

"You owe me, just so you know," he muttered. "They'll know it was me."

"Well, how would they know?" Alfred asked, skipping around an inch above the ground.

"They will." Gilbert stepped closer to the guard and snapped his fingers, grabbing hold of the fire ball that resulted and chucking it down the hall. As expected, the guard took off after it to investigate. "Let's go."

Alfred gaped after the fire ball, then took off to the room, pulling the door open and disappearing inside. Gilbert followed at a slower pace, deciding that he was going to have Roderich come back to his room and planning what he would say to him.

"Ow! You bloody git!" could be heard from the room. Gilbert was glad it didn't echo down the hall, and allowed himself some amusement. So that was the greeting that Alfred had been so keen to get?

The scene that greeted him when he went inside the doorway was pretty much what Gilbert had been expecting. An Alfred oblivious to the grumbling Arthur was hugging the latter tightly and smiling like a fool. A green illusion was floating by the video camera, keeping anyone watching from seeing what was going on. And Roderich, ever the deep sleeper, was passed out on the other bed.

Ignoring the other two, Gilbert walked over to Roderich and looked down at him, smiling a little. If he listened closely enough, he could hear the soft sound of a solo violin echoing around the room. Roderich was having a good dream, it seemed.

At loathe to ruin such a rare thing, Gilbert leaned down and kissed his half-brother's forehead, then gently picked him up and headed back towards his own bedroom. Laying the other down on the bed, Gilbert came up next to him and wrapped his arms around the brunette. Just as he was about to fall asleep as well, the door opened again.

Cursing quietly, Gilbert sat up slightly and glared at the door. His glare slowly faded as he saw it was the masked guy from before. Sadik, he remembered.

The door closed with the newcomer inside, walking quietly over to the bed. Gilbert met Sadik's gaze as the brunette looked over who all was there. He watched as the other nodded, stepping back a little.

"Don't let him out of your sight," Sadik said softly. "Don't let anyone take him from you for even a second. And I know you don't trust Heracles, but listen to him. He can make sure you don't lose those you love."

"What are you talking about? Is someone going after Roderich?" Gilbert started to panic, arms tightening around his half-brother.

Sadik sighed softly, clearly not about to tell Gilbert anything. "Just keep an eye on him, got it?" With that, he turned on his heel and left.

Gilbert frowned, looking over at the asleep Roderich. He sighed and brushed the hair off the other's forehead, then put both arms around him again. Very slowly, he calmed down enough to sleep, pressed up against his boyfriend and bothered by nightmares of dark shadows with claws stealing him from him.

III.

Heracles' opinion of Limatik only worsened the more he saw of him. The man sat around and demanded that everyone else do things for him, staring down his nose at them and overall looking annoyed and haughty. Loinen seemed to despise him, asking at one point how long the other would be staying with them. The answer received was apparently too long, for Loinen sat back with a bit of a groan, earning an angry glare from Parazita.

The good thing with having this other Parasite around was that no one was paying as much attention to Heracles and Sadik. This turned out to be very beneficial, as Heracles had to have Sadik go and deliver a message to Gilbert. The knowledge that Gilbert and Roderich were apart was worrisome, to say the least.

Of course, he knew that neither of them had heard Parazita order the room that Roderich and Arthur shared to have a guard at it, to make sure that the former didn't leave. But it had been unexpected that they had been apart in the first place. The disagreement wasn't a thread of time he had seen.

Heracles knew that Sadik was returning just before he did. He watched quietly as the other distracted the guards, shifting the placement of the ground just a bit so that he had a clear path. Then he was back in his seat, feet propped up on the table.

"Well, got your message through. They were together again, in the right room, just like you said. You know, sometimes it scares even me when you know everything." Sadik stretched and yawned, shadowed eyes remaining alert behind his mask.

Shrugging a little, Heracles shook his head. "I don't know everything. I simply know a lot of things. I especially don't know everything when awake. Much easier to focus while I sleep."

"Whatever," Sadik muttered, kicking his feet away from the table and flicking a hand to stretch the ground and easily bring the chair back on all four legs.

There was silence for a moment, Heracles lost in his own thoughts while Sadik glanced around the room. The masked boy scowled at Limatik for a moment, hatred clear on his expression, then he turned away, arms folded across his chest.

Heracles looked between the two, then frowned a little. "Is it true that his previous host was…"

Sadik gave a curt nod, glaring down at the table. "Poor kid never stood a chance. Bastard took him when he was just ten. He could have been a great Sensory too… He was sound, you know. Not like this Roderich kid, but one of those with the sense of hearing that can pick up things from miles and miles away…"

"I'm sorry," Heracles said quietly, biting his lip.

There was a shrug from across the table and Sadik leaned forward, gaze still hard. "Nothing you could've done about it. I didn't know till it was too late. I know I'm not the only one who has lost family to those monsters. Even if mine wasn't so immediate." For a moment he looked over at Parazita, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"We have to stop them before they take another…" Heracles sighed, rubbing his forehead. The future just had too many twists and turns to be certain. He didn't like any uncertainties.

"That's what you're doing, evet?" Sadik muttered. "Just, promise me something, okay? I get revenge on him." He jerked his head towards Limatik, green eyes hard as the rock that made up his element.

After just a brief moment of contemplation, Heracles nodded. "Of course. That is what is due to you."

There was a flash of teeth, then Sadik had brought Heracles' hand to his mouth and gently kissed the knuckles – surprising, as he was hardly ever gentle. "Thanks. Means a lot to me."

"I just wish I could get my own revenge," Heracles said quietly, looking down at the table. "Seeing what I can is useful, but it doesn't do anything for what I want."

Sadik laughed quietly, reaching over and ruffling the other's hair. "Don't worry, little kitten. I'll make sure she never takes another. And she'll wish she'd never taken your mother."

"Promise?"

There was another laugh, then the sound of chair legs scraping the ground and Sadik leaned over. He titled Heracles' face up, looking down into his eyes. "Promise," was all he said before he brought their lips together.

End: Chapter Eight

I have had this chapter done for a week. Unfortunately, that week was incredibly busy and I didn't have time to edit... But here it is now!

In other news, my Word document for this is now 52 pages and nearly 25,000 words! And what else? We are halfway through! I don't know what I'm going to do when this is over. Hopefully it will involve finding muse for "And the World Comes Crashing Down" once more.

So, more pairings revealed and such. I am a bit of a romantic when it comes to this sort of thing, I admit. But I promise, there are reasons for everything!

And answering a questioned answered back in chapter six, I put Kiku as a Neuro because that is where I needed him most for the story. I hope that Sadik's power has been cleared up, and you will be meeting both Ivan and Matthew soon enough, so hopefully your question about the water elemental will be answered soon!

Until then, read and please review, comments keep me motivated and help me improve. Less than three~