Important A/N!

Like I previously considered doing, I am going on hiatus for the month of November while I work on NaNoWriMo. You can find me on that site under the same user name (if you want to be writing buddies, let me know, because I am completely open to that idea!)

But yeah...there's no way I can work on NaNoWriMo, Ultimatum and focus on all of the other stuff I need to get done before the end of the year all at the same time. HOWEVER: I can promise that I will update in December. You can count on that.

If I get up to 100 favorites by November 16, you'll get an update on November 16.

...I'm gonna shut up now. Enjoy the chapter!

"How now, my lord, why do you keep alone,

Of sorriest fancies your companions making,

Using those thoughts which should indeed have died

With them they think on? Things without all remedy

Should be without regard: what's done, is done."

- Lady Macbeth, Macbeth

The room was quiet.

Runo was lying peacefully, the sound of her breaths interrupted every few seconds by a quiet but distinct beep. Above her, an EKG traced out the rhythm of her heart in green.

Even though the vital signs were important—and consistent—, Hydron failed to see how they could be comforting. After all, the monitors seemed to be mocking him, promising him life but keeping it sealed in unconsciousness. Even though the unconsciousness was induced, it was still cruel.

Upon returning from Displatis with Runo, Joe, the Vexos and Sid—much to the surprise, shock, elation and eventual despair of everyone involved—, the girl had become catatonic. She simply stared forward, unseeing, as caustic tears burned their trails into her cheeks. Mira, after a moment of stunned stupefaction had tried to get her to come out of it, but the girl simply wouldn't respond. She couldn't even stand up on her own; Hydron and Joe held her up until they got her into her bed at Marucho's house.

The group was given a terror when Alice went into Runo's room to check on her after she hadn't shown up for dinner and started screaming. It turned out that Runo was unconscious on the ground, a spilled bottle of cleaning products lying by her side, and at that point, Alice lost it, too.

The paramedics arrived within minutes and rushed Runo to the hospital where they threaded a tube down her throat and administered active charcoal to neutralize the poison. They put her on a ventilator to be safe and, once she got the chemicals out of her system, administered a drug to help her sleep through the night.

Since then, various members of the Brawlers had come and gone—Mira and Baron, each with cards offering well wishes, Joe, bearing a bouquet of flowers, and others with small stuffed animals, cards, and balloons. Marucho brought Drago over and left in tears. After Mylene got some stitches for the whip lash on her face, the Vexos stopped by, but left soon after Mylene angrily complained about a Gundalian boy who wouldn't stop quoting Shakespeare. The sight of their fallen comrade was unsettling for all of them—about two minutes into the visit, they fell into an uncomfortable lull in the conversation. It was a silence none of them knew how to break, and, after a few moments of it, they departed. Hydron maintained his vigil.

Neither Julie nor Shun appeared.

The doctors gave him a cot to sleep on, which he used for a few hours, but was now finding useless. Flashbacks to those dreadful moments when Dan sacrificed himself so they could flee haunted him and disturbed his sleep. Images of the three Gundalians shooting him with their lightning until he collapsed, unconscious but still alive, startled him just when he started to reach dreamland. Even though all he wanted was to lose himself in the dark tethers of the netherworld, he couldn't do it. His brain just wouldn't stop replaying the day.

Ultimately, he gave up trying to find the darkness and roused himself, deciding that a bit of fresh air would do him well. Maybe a conversation with a nurse or other loiterer would take his mind off his dark thoughts.

He slipped quietly into the hallway, leaving the respirations of his unconscious comrade behind. Wheelchairs, unhooked monitors, I.V. stands and unoccupied gurneys lined the hallways of the medical floor, appearing as bulky shadows in the murky lighting. Here and there, a light illuminated an area of the hall. They were placed sporadically enough that the ominous atmosphere was preserved, but close enough to preserve one's sight.

He gave the men and women attending the nurse's station a weary nod, which some returned, as he passed and headed for the elevator. He pressed the button to call it and, when it arrived, punched the button labeled "G". The large elevator passed nine floors in silence. The only indication that he was moving downward was the slight dropping feeling in his stomach—but it was nothing compared to the elevator in Ves Palace before he destroyed it.

He emerged from the elevator in a dimly lit hallway. This one was devoid of gurneys and stretchers. The only defining feature of it was the wallpaper depicting several golden caduceus wands against an off-white background. It must have been some trick of the light or his own sleep-deprivation, but Hydron was briefly certain that some of the snakes had moved.

He headed down the hallway toward the main entrance to the hospital, where he showed the resident receptionist the badge he had gotten from Marucho that gave him clearance to stay the night. Then, he passed the waiting room, empty save for a few anxious looking adults and a few sleepy teenagers, one of whom stood and stretched as Hydron walked by.

Then he was outside on a terrace above a sparsely populated parking lot. The hairs on his arms stood up at the invitation of the chilly air and he immediately wished for a sweatshirt he didn't own. His brain started at the unpleasant sensation, banishing the fatigued fog he hadn't even noticed until that moment. He looked up, fascinated by the open sky above him after being locked indoors for so long, but was disappointed to discover only the dark ceiling bright lights conjure in the night. The stars were, for the most part, cloaked, their celestial bodies hidden from him. He wouldn't have recognized the constellations anyway, he supposed, but a part of him still wished to see them.

The automatic doors opened behind him. He turned his head, mildly suspicious, but was surprised when he recognized the familiar face. Familiar though it may have been, he was one of the last people he wanted to see. Standing there was a serious-looking Ace whose gray eyes glittered with distrust. His mouth was set in a grim frown. He didn't even bother to hide how he felt about the former prince.

For a moment neither of them spoke; they just looked at each other. Ace moved forward, coming to stand beside Hydron. He rested his forearms on the concrete barrier in front of him and leaned forward, pressing his weight against it. "Fancy meeting you here," Hydron greeted casually, trying to ignore the irritation creeping in his stomach.

Ace was unfazed. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked the blonde.

"I could ask you the same," he deflected calmly. He turned and leaned back against the barrier, angling his face toward the inky sky. "Shun ask for two guards?"

"Yeah," Ace said. Hydron frowned.

"That's bull," he replied evenly. Ace stiffened. The former prince smirked fleetingly. "I'm not stupid, Ace. Who doesn't trust me?"

"Better question is who does trust you," the Darkus brawler muttered. He straightened up but left his hand on the railing. Hydron turned his head to look at him. His eyes were dark-not just because of the ambiance. "Forgive my disrespect, your highness, but I think our distrust is justified. After all, you're the one who tried to kill all of your comrades."

Hydron felt that twinge of annoyance pulse dangerously. He'd changed; why couldn't they see that? He called to mind all of his etiquette lessons from his youth and kept his expression neutral. "I can't deny that," he admitted, forcing himself to sympathize with their caution, "but you can ask Mylene and the others. I've changed. I'm not that person anymore."

"You tried to blow up Dan and Spectra. You sent Lync and Volt to the ends of the dimension with a Death Bomb. You tried to annihilate entire worlds. Besides, why should I trust Mylene and the others? Lync is the only one who's shown any kind of change of heart. You're the last one I'd trust. It's gonna take more than 'I've changed' to convince me." Hydron was silent as he considered the brawler's words. "Don't have anything to say about that?"

"What you think about me doesn't matter," Hydron replied after a moment, keeping his voice level and sincere. It wasn't like he could say that Ace's claims didn't have value—everything the Vestal said was true. "I've done some things I'm not proud of. I'm sure you have, too." Ace bristled and Hydron winced. Bad move. Of course he wouldn't want to be reminded of that.

"I never tried to kill anyone," Ace growled. "Unlike some people."

"Spectra tried to kill people. What makes him so special as to receive your good graces?" Hydron questioned cooly.

"His name is Keith."

"'What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.''

"That's different," Ace hissed. "Keith atoned for his crimes a long time ago."

"Atonement? Interesting." Hydron turned his cool gaze to the seething eighteen-year-old beside him. "And how did he atone for his sins? By becoming Vestal's regent?"

"What does that—?"

"He atoned for his crimes by committing further crimes, did he not?" Hydron continued. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a communicator, then held it up in front of him with a flick of his wrist. "Arson, disruption of the peace, defiance of the military. Destruction of private property, destruction of government property, trespassing, theft, trafficking of illegal goods. There have even been accusations of murder against him." Hydron looked at Ace seriously. "It seems not everyone thinks he's as great as you do."

"Spectra has nothing to do with this," Ace snapped. "And all of those charges were dropped."

"Ah, but that's not entirely true, is it? The general public just hasn't got a clue." Ace's expression darkened even further. "Funny what the council can do to sweep cases like that under the rug, hm?" Hydron smirked. A part of him knew he shouldn't be riling up the Darkus brawler so much, but he couldn't deny himself the devious pleasure he got out of angering him. After all, Ace always had a quick temper, and playing with fire always had been a favorite pastime of his.

And besides, why should Spectra-or Keith, as Ace seemed intent on calling him-get special treatment? He was just as guilty as Hydron was!

Hydron had to work to block out the twinge of uncertainty that twisted in his stomach.

Ace was growling as he viciously stared at the former prince. Hydron could see the workings of his mind reflected in his gray eyes; he was struggling to keep from launching himself at him. Unfocusing his eyes a little revealed that he was actually shaking with the effort to control himself. Inwardly, he frowned. The guilt twisted more violently. Maybe he had pushed Ace a bit too far…

"Calm down, Ace," came a deep, calm voice. Percival popped out on Ace's shoulder, an ever watchful guardian. Hydron noted with mild interest that the Bakugan had evolved again since he had last seen it. He was sure to be a formidable opponent. "You are not here to fight with your allies."

So we are considered allies, Hydron considered. He had to consciously hold his tongue after contemplating a snide comment that he knew would not be appreciated by the already nearly homicidal Darkus brawler beside him. It would probably be best to leave things as they were for now.

Percival's words seemed to have a retardant effect on Ace. He immediately stood upright, releasing some of the tension from his muscles and dropping his murderous expression. He grunted agitatedly before glaring off into the darkness and crossing his arms, as if looking at Hydron would set him off again.

"Whatever. If you need me, I'll be in the waiting room," he muttered. And with that, he turned on his heel and stalked back inside.

"You handled that well," Apexeon remarked quietly from Hydron's shoulder. The former prince smirked to himself and turned around, resting his weight on his elbows against the concrete barrier again. "The way you turned that conversation around was most impressive."

"Royalty 101," Hydron chuckled mirthlessly. "'Ways To Turn a Conversation In Your Favor.'" He glanced behind him at the automatic doors, taking in the rectangle of dim orange light from inside projected onto the concrete ground. Ace had returned to his seat in the waiting room, probably to glare at a wall or something and sulk. Soon enough, he'd realize that Hydron had basically just turned the spotlight to Spectra in order to deflect it from himself—and a little later, he'd probably throw a fit because of it. But for now, Ace was blissfully ignorant in his anger.

Truthfully, Hydron hadn't been sure if it would work. After all, it had been a few years. He didn't know how much the brawler had matured. If he had gotten to the point where he'd be able to look past his anger in search of motive, Hydron's technique would have been useless. However, it seemed as though he, at least, still had one thing going for him: luck.

He sighed. "You sound troubled," Apexeon commented. "Although, I suppose that's to be expected, considering how these past few days have gone."

"It's funny," Hydron muttered. "I thought I'd be a lot happier after getting out of that hellhole. But since Dan is still there…I feel…" He sighed. "I know a lot's happened over the past few years, but I still suck at emotions…"

"It's alright," Apexeon assured him. "Just talk it out." Hydron smirked.

"You know, the humans had a psychologist about a hundred years ago who came up with something called the 'talking cure.'"

"Well, if that's what it's called, then employ it," Apexeon reasoned. The former prince chuckled.

"I'd rather not. Everything that psychologist believed about the human psyche focused on sex. Or so I've been told."

"…What's sex…?" Hydron froze, pursed his lips, and found a strangely threatening bubble of laughter erupting in his chest. Apexeon started when he released it, the melodious tones of his genuine laugh echoing on the stone formation around him. The Bakugan bounced from his shoulder onto the barrier Hydron leaned against. "I don't understand. How is that statement amusing?" The confusion in the Bakugan's voice only served to make Hydron laugh harder, almost to the point where tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"Oh, my gosh," Hydron laughed breathily, wiping at his eyes. "Oh man; I haven't laughed like that in a while."

"I don't understand why that was funny. What is 'sex'? Is that some outlandish food or something?" Hydron had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing this time.

"Um, no. And I am not having this conversation with you right now. Oh gosh; wait 'till Dan hears about that one…" He chuckled, took a deep breath, and continued. "I dunno. I guess I'll humor you. A couple months ago, Lync and I were eating at Marble's. I think you were at home that time; you and Monarus weren't with us. And Lync just started getting all philosophical on me…" He paused for a moment.

"He was like, 'Have you ever wondered why Dan was so naive?' I just sort of stared at him, and I said, 'Where did that come from?' And he made this face, like he bit into a lemon or something." Hydron scrunched up his own face as he was describing it, pursing his lips. "He was like, 'Well, Dan just acted like an eight year old all the time.' Long story short, he basically explained why Dan was an idiot and why none of his philosophies made any sense, and how it should have gotten smacked into his head at some point that the world was going to come back and bite him in the ass.

"He was like, 'When I got stranded on Earth, Dan basically offered to house me until we found a way to get back.' And I was like, 'What? Why the hell would he do that?' And Lync told me that, at first, he thought Dan was just doing it to keep him close, but after spending time with Alice—remember when his face turned bright red earlier? Yeah, that was because she walked in the room—he realized that that was actually what he was like. And he didn't understand.

"He kept saying Dan should have lost because he didn't plan out his strategies at all. He just made stuff up and babbled about protecting the Bakugan. And he just didn't understand what it meant to be outgunned and that there comes a point when believing you can do something when you have a gun at your head gets to be less admirable and more suicidal.

"And I have to say…I agree with him," Hydron's tone took on the likeness of a growl.

Apexeon shifted on his shoulder. The prince dethroned snorted.

"What was that idiot thinking?" he demanded to the empty night. "What the hell was that idiot thinking? Cutting his wrist so the rest of us could go free? Yeah, sure, noble act, Dan; you'll go down in the history books as a fucking martyr; you happy now? That…idiot," he mumbled, leaning forward and resting his chin on his arms. "Yeah, sure, he got us out so that he could be electrocuted and dragged back into that hellhole we were supposed to be helping his escape. Good for him. Great job." He straightened up. "Yeah, he got us out so we could go home, tell everyone, 'oh, yeah, we're alive, but your leader sacrificed himself so that we could live an extra week before he's held hostage for the power that will be used to destroy the universe', have his girlfriend attempt suicide, and drive several pairs of parents to hysteria. Exactly what part of that situation worked out the way he wanted it to?"

"Getting you out alive," Apexeon offered after a moment of silence.

"But we're not worth it!" Hydron replied instantly. "Hello? How is that not obvious? Let's see, Lync acted as a double agent at least twice to Dan's detriment," he said, counting off on his fingers, "Shadow Prove tried to keep his girlfriend forever trapped between dimensions, stalked his friend, scared the hell out of that Baron Leltoy kid, beat his best friend to a bloody pulp and sealed him in a human pickle jar and held another of his friends hostage." He held up a second finger. "Volt actively supported the Vexos and the repression of the Bakugan, attacked his other best friend and sealed him in a human pickle jar, repeatedly tried to steal the Perfect Core energy, and also attacked Shun Kazami." Up went another finger. "Sid tried to kidnap kids to use in a war against innocents for the good of an emperor who wanted to rule the universe, betrayed his friends, and was responsible for the death of a respected Castle Knight." Another finger. "Mylene almost killed one of Dan's best friends, divided, attacked, and sealed another friend in a human pickle jar, advised me to blow up both Dan and Spectra, acted in open support of annihilating the Bakugan, attacked his girlfriend, took Mira hostage, and also tried to kill Mira and Spectra." Up went his thumb. "And then there's me. The kid behind the majority of that. Everything Ace said about me was true. I kept Dan's friends as statues in my throne room. I ordered his girlfriend be trapped between dimensions for all eternity. I pressed the button to kill him and Spectra. I tried to kill two of my allies, eliminate an entire race, and help my father destroy worlds. I was fine with destroying entire planets and punished others for thinking otherwise.

"But he still chose us over himself," he exclaimed, "even though he must have known he was worth more than all of us combined!" Suddenly, there was an unwelcome, painful lump in his throat. He swallowed hard to dispel it, but it didn't work, so he pursed his lips together and tried to ignore it.

The stinging in his eyes didn't make it very easy.

"Goddammit, what the hell?" he rasped around the lump. Why am I crying?

"To-morrow," Hydron jumped, breathing in sharply and wincing when his throat spasmed in response, "and to-morrow, and to-morrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day," said a voice with a slight British accent. Hydron glanced around in confusion. The hell? Macbeth? Who in their right mind would be out reciting Shakespeare in a hospital parking lot at two in the morning?

"To the last syllable of recorded time; and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!" Ah, there he was. A teenage boy, tall, with sandy blond hair. The tips were dark—perhaps they'd been dyed? He was standing out in the open, dead center beneath a streetlight, as if he had delusions of it being a spotlight (if only he knew how close to the truth he was). He supported a thick, open blue book in his right hand, only his eyes were closed, rendering the text useless. For some reason, the kid was wearing a trench coat, and, oddly enough, the first thought that reached Hydron's confused mind was, Doesn't this kid know that the stereotypes here paint him in a shady light? No pun intended.

Heedless of the former prince's musings, the boy continued with his speech, his face contorting to mirror the agony of the speaker he was playing.

"'Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing'," he finished, lowering the hand he held up in a fist beside his head. He stayed there, frozen as if spellbound by his own performance, for a few beats, before a loud, angry voice cut through the night.

"For the love of all things merciful, please tell me you're done!" Hydron blinked, his sorrow forgotten.

The boy might not have heard it for all the reaction he gave—that is, until he responded. "Now, now, Plytheon, just because you have no appreciation for the fine works of the Bard, does not mean that our learned comrade above is like minded."

That was when Hydron realized that this was a brawler—Ventus, if the color of his trench coat was any indication. Regardless, Hydron wasn't quite sure what to make of this, and, impulsively, blurted, "Look, if the next words out of your mouth are, 'he jests at scars that never felt a wound', you are delusional." No way in hell am I getting tricked into playing Juliet.

"Ah, so thou dost share my appreciation!" the brawler exclaimed. "Tell me, art thou familiar with Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark?"

"What the hell…?" Hydron muttered. "…Yes…?"

"Wonderful! Take it from act one, scene four!" Hydron just stared at him.

"…You want me to run lines with you?"

"Alas, what else, my friend?"

I don't even know this guy; what in the…? He continued to stare at him for a moment longer before his fatigue got the better of him. Oh, what the hell?

He took all of thirty seconds to pull up Hamlet on his communicator and oblige.

"The air bites shrewdly; it is very cold," he said emotionlessly. Oh god, this is ironic…

"It is a nipping and an eager air," the brawler replied as Horatio, his voice full of vigor.

"What hour now?"

"I think it lacks of twelve." The brawler had melded into his character perfectly, all of a sudden taking on a completely different persona. His posture was changed, though not in a way Hydron could describe. He just…was different.

"No, it is struck," Hydron replied, searching for Prince Hamlet's character within himself. He closed his eyes, imagining his own ceremonial crown on his head. He was a prince. His father was dead—the only difference was that this prince actually loved his father.

"Indeed?" the brawler asked. "I heard it not: then it draws near the season wherin the spirit held his wont to walk." He paused, as if waiting for the trumpets and gunshots to ring out as prompted on the—again unseen—page before him. Hydron imagined them, instead. "What does this mean, my lord?" he asked of the silent sounds.

"The king doth wake to-night and takes his rouse, keeps wassail, and the swaggering up-spring reels," Hydron explained, a note of feigned disinterest seeping into his voice, "and, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down, the kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out the triumph of his pledge."

"Is it a custom?" The brawler actually sounded confused.

Hydron scoffed.

"Ay, marry, is't: but to my mind, though I am native here and to the manner born, it is a custom more honor'd in the preach than the observance." Hydron crossed his arms and sighed, fully submitting to Hamlet's mindset. "This heavy-headed revel east and west makes us traduced and tax'd of other nations: they clepe us drunkards, and with swinish phrase soil our addition; and indeed it takes from our achievements, though perform'd at height, the pith and marrow of our attribute. So, oft it chances in particular men, that for some vicious mole of nature in them, as, in their birth—wherein they are not guilty, since nature cannot choose his origin—by the o'ergrowth of some complexion, oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason, or by some habit that too much o'er-leavens the form of plausive manners, that these men, carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect, being natures livery, or fortune's star,—their virtues else—be they as pure as grace, as infinite as man may undergo—shall in the general censure take corruption form that particular fault; the dram of eale doth all the noble substance of a doubt to his own scandal."

They were silent for a moment, drinking in Hamlet's speech.

And then the Ventus brawler started laughing.

Hydron jumped, startled by the sudden, out of place sound. And, almost immediately, a flush rose to his cheeks. "What are you laughing at?" he demanded. He was so surprised at his comrade's amusement that he hadn't controlled his tone properly and thus actual embarrassment leaked into his voice. He clamped his mouth shut.

"It's been a while since I've had someone who shares my appreciation for the arts to run lines with!" the brawler said once he regained control of his voice. He bowed deeply. "My most gracious salutations, Prince Hamlet." He rose, flashing Hydron a benign but slightly unsettling grin. "Or rather, Prince Hydron?"

The former prince stared at him.

"Hmph," Hydron replied after a moment. He chose to let go of the whole title issue for now. "Greetings to you, as well, my good Horatio. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, sir…?"

"What's in a name? that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."

How long had this kid been out here?

"Jesse Glenn of Gundalia, your highness." Ah, that explains it. Must be the kid Mylene was talking about.

"It is a pleasure," Hydron addressed him dryly. "However, all kidding aside, can I ask what the heck you're doing here, running lines from Hamlet at two o'clock in the morning? In a hospital parking lot?"

"Ah, what is life without spontaneity?" Hydron was starting to find it difficult to keep from glaring.

"That…did not answer my question."

"Oh for crying out loud!" came an angry voice Hydron recognized as one Plytheon. "Mason kicked him out of their room because he wouldn't stop speaking in Shakespearean and he got bored waiting around inside!" Hydron blinked.

"So…you went for a walk…"

"Ay, my lord."

"…At two in the morning."

"And what, pray tell, bid thee from thy bed, my lord?" His tone wasn't contemptuous, but it was a bit challenging. And why are you out of bed at two in the morning?

"Touché," Hydron conceded. Why does this guy want to keep speaking in Shakespearean English?

The automatic doors opened. "Dude, what are you still doing?" Ace asked grudgingly, approaching the former Vestal prince. "You look like you're talking to—oh." He had spotted Jesse, who smiled benignly at him. Ace deadpanned. "That explains it," he muttered.

"Ah, the faithful comrade of the lord of the house," Jesse exclaimed. Ace shot him a look of distaste.

"Excuse me?" he asked with a startlingly straight face.

"How does Ren put up with this guy?" Percival asked in exasperation from Ace's shoulder.

Hydron blinked, then grinned at this new development. So Ace wasn't a fan of Shakespeare? It was hardly the most mature thing to do, but hell if he was going to pass up this opportunity.

"That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this," Hydron burst out, tucking his communicator back in his pocket and grabbing hold of the cement barrier with his hands. He turned hardened eyes to his fellow cast member below, "you have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella for taking bribes here of the Sardians; wherein my letters, praying on his side, because I knew the man, were slighted off." It was a struggle not to look at Ace, for he was sure he'd burst out laughing at the look on his face.

"What the hell are you doing?" the Darkus brawler, as predicted, demanded.

Jesse caught on and smirked deviously.

"You wronged yourself to write in such a case," he said simply, all of a sudden powerful, radiating Brutus.

"In such a time as this, it is not meet that every nice offense should bear his comment," Hydron fired back tersely. Cassius was, after all, quite angry. Ace growled and Jesse flipped to a new section in his book, making his way out of the streetlight and to the stairs leading to the pair of Vestals.

"Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself are much condemn'd to have an itching palm; to sell and mart your offices for gold to undeservers."

"I an itching palm!" Hydron cried as if offended. He struggled to remember the time when he played Cassius in a play put on by the royal entertainers. He stepped away from the concrete barrier so that he could see the top of the stairs when Jesse reached the top. "You know that you are Brutus that speak this, or, by the gods, this speech were else your last!"

Ace muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a threat.

"The name of Cassius honors this corruption, and chastisement doth therefore hide his head," Jesse recited as he climbed.

"Chastisement!" Hydron demanded.

"You people are crazy," Ace grumbled, turning and stomping back toward the door. Hydron glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before shooting a smirk at Jesse. 'Brutus' grinned coldly back. Hydron stepped farther away and turned his back upon the partition so that he was nearly in the center of the square, allowing for more movement and ad libbing in their blocking.

"Remember March, the ides of March remember: did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?" He flipped the page and stopped before Hydron, purposely just within his personal space, his eyes steely. Hydron, not one to be outdone, layered himself in Cassius' skin and glared up at him in defiance. He noticed silently that the automatic doors did not swish open as Ace returned to the lobby and flicked his eyes toward them. Sure enough, the teen was hesitating, arms crossed, as he begrudgingly observed their performance. "What villain touch'd his body, that did stab, and not for justice? What, shall one of us that struck the foremost man of all this world but for supporting robbers, shall we now contaminate our fingers with base bribes, and sell the mighty space of our large honors for so much trash as may be grasped thus? I had rather be a dog and bay the moon than such a Roman!"

"Brutus, bay not me; I'll not endure it," Hydron 'Cassius' replied angrily. Oh, how good it felt to lose himself in someone else. "You forget yourself to hedge me in. I am a soldier, I, older in practice, abler than yourself to make conditions."

Jesse stared him down. "Go to. You are not, Cassius."

"I am."

"I say you are not."

"Urge me no more, I shall forget myself," he hissed. "Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further!"

"Away, slight man!"

"Is't possible?"

"Hear me, for I will speak. Must I give way and room to your rash choler? Shall I be frightened when a madman stares?" Jesse goaded calmly.

"O ye gods, ye gods! Must I endure all this?" Hydron all but shouted in response, mindful of the sleeping patients above.

"All this!" Jesse snapped. He stepped forward and Hydron stepped back, the both of them completely improvising their movements. Jesse poked his index finger into Hydron's chest, invoking an even more heated glare. "Ay, more. Fret till your proud heart break." He threw his hand to the side to illustrate his point. "Go show your slaves how choleric you are, and make your bondmen tremble! Must I budge?" He gestured to his own chest with his hand. "Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch under your testy humor?" He straightened up and shot Hydron a look of disgust. "By the gods, you shall digest the venom of your spleen though it do split you; for, from this day forth, I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter, when you are waspish!" 'Brutus' was cold and angry and deadly serious.

"Is it come to this?" Hydron hissed.

"You say you are a better soldier; let it appear so. Make your vaunting true and it shall please me well: for mine own part, I shall be glad to learn of noble men." Jesse feigned interest.

"You wrong me in every way; you wrong me Brutus," Hydron protested venomously. "I said, an elder soldier, not a better: Did I say 'better'?"

"If you did, I care not."

"When Caesar lived, he durst not thus have moved me."

"Peace, peace! You durst not so have tempted him."

"I durst not?" Hydron got indignant again.

"What the hell does 'durst' mean?" came a hushed grumble.

It took all of Hydron's control not to break character and burst out laughing. Jesse showed no signs of distraction, though—he was a seasoned performer.

"No."

"What, durst not tempt him?"

"For your life you durst not!" Jesse spat. Hydron leaned forward, pushing into Jesse's personal space this time.

"Do not presume too much upon my love; I may do that I shall be sorry for," he hissed in his face. He drew on real anger to make the performance of the threat genuine.

"You have done that you should be sorry for," Jesse corrected him hotly, shoving him. Hydron stumbled backward, eyes wide and angry. "There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats, for I am arm'd so strong in honesty that they pass by me as the idle wind, which I respect not." Jesse advanced. "I did send to you for certain sums of gold, which you denied me; for I can raise no money by vile means: by heaven, I had rather coin my heart and drop my blood for drachmas than to wring from the hard hands of peasants their vile trash by any indirection! I did send to you for gold to pay my legions, which you denied me: was that done like Cassius? Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?" He advanced again, forcing Hydron back again. This time, his back hit the concrete partition, startling him. Jesse leaned in, forcing Hydron to arch his back to keep their noses from touching. If Hydron didn't know any better, he'd say that Jesse actually looked murderous. "When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous," he hissed, his voice lowering dangerously, "to lock such rascal counters from his friends, be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts. Dash him to pieces!"

Hydron stared into his burning, violet eyes for a moment before he opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted.

"How the hell do you people understand what you're saying?" Ace demanded, breaking the spell. Hydron and Jesse both blinked in surprise, having momentarily forgotten that he was still there. Jesse straightened, allowing Hydron to stand again, before sharing slightly confused glances.

Ultimately, Hydron shrugged. "Lots of Earth-related English lessons."

"I—"

"You love English, yeah, I got that," Ace cut the Gundalian off quickly, a brief expression of terror coming over his features at the prospect of dealing with his archaic manner of speaking. He averted his eyes. "I gotta admit, though, that was pretty impressive."

The compliment was mumbled around a wad of embarrassed flavored chewing gum. Had Hydron been the same boy he was when he ruled the world, he was certain he would have milked that comment for all it was worth. "What's that?" he surely he would have said, just for the pleasure of watching his former enemy squirm.

...In all honesty, if he hadn't seen how embarassed Ace was, he probably would have milked it right now. But, alas, he had matured over the years—and over the past few weeks. Hydron simply smiled and took the compliment.

"It was our pleasure," he grinned, bowing dramatically—though not as dramatically as his cast mate.

Okay, so he hadn't matured that much.

Hydron yawned, suddenly conscious of his fatigue now that the thrill of acting had worn off. It was with a murderous glare that looked less threatening than it was intended that Ace yawned as well, and Jesse was left out.

Thankfully, the Ventus brawler had the good grace to understand that now was the time to 'bow out'. "Fare thee well, gentle gentlemen," he bowed, closing his book as he did so. "Twas a pleasure running lines with you, my lord."

"And you likewise," Hydron grinned, inclining his head and lifting a hand graciously. "Good night."

"See you," Ace muttered, clearly having no qualms about letting the Gundalian depart despite the performance he had obviously enjoyed.

And then, Ace and Hydron were alone.

Almost immediately after Ace realized that, he turned on his heel. "Try not to look like you're schizophrenic," he said snappishly, stomping back inside, presumably to attempt to sleep in a waiting room chair.

"Good night to you, too," Hydron chuckled as rolled his eyes, following after a moment.

"You seem to be in better spirits," Apexeon commented once they were sealed inside the elevator once more. Hydron glanced down from the floor-counter.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you seemed to be having fun, what was it, 'running lines' with that boy."

"Is that so?" Hydron murmured, leaning back against the wall of the ascending metal box.

They were quiet for a moment, enough time for the elevator to reach it's destination and allow the passengers off, discouraging conversation.

It was when Hydron laid his head back on the lumpy pillow on his cot that he realized Jesse had intervened just before he lost control of his emotions and started to cry. As he sank into dreamland, he wondered if that had been done on purpose.

Whoa, IT'S A CHAPTER. I'm…honestly quite surprised. For several reasons. One, that I actually finished this damn thing. Two, that I actually found TIME to finish this damn thing. Third, that Hydron…likes Shakespeare…. Yeah, this just came out of me wanting to understand Hamlet for English class. And then, hey, it turned out Hydron likes Shakespeare. Waddaya know.

Oh, and Ace actually dislikes someone more than Hydron. And yup, that person is Jesse.

Oh yeah, and the main reason I'm surprised is that…well…it's October 18 (*at the time of finishing this, it was 10/18/14; right now, it's 11/2/14). I'm REALLY behind on chapters. But I am going to work on the next couple LATER, because I am falling asleep right now and very few good things come from me when I'm tired.

Review!