ladynero (ladynero) wrote in rp_prompts, @ 2009-02-21 15:35:00 |
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Entry tags: | ladynero:icedark_elf:tb:ffvii |
Fallout (Ten Set 04 - #3 In Public)
Title: Fallout
Authors: ladynero and icedark_elf
Characters: Abel Nightroad and girl Zack Fair
Fandom: Trinity Blood and Final Fantasy VII
Theme Set: Ten Set 04
Theme(s): 03-In Public
Warnings and Notes: Crossover rp. Spoilers for the Carthago episode.
He stood on the balcony, looking over the moonlit water, his robes still torn from his battle against Radu and the Goliath tank, while his hair fell in a tangled mass around him. He was trying to figure out his confusion and misery, but kept focusing on a pair of wide blue eyes that stared at him in horror.
It hadn't take Cat long to let Zack go once they had heard, which was good, as Zack would have fretted herself to bits over Abel. It took a bit of hunting, but she finally found the man, and moved closer to him. "Abel?"
He twitched away before he could stop himself, and glanced at her with wounded and confused eyes that didn't seem to want to focus on her. "Zack?"
Oh, damn. She didn't hesitate, moving up to hug him tight.
He went stiff in her arms before the familiar scent of her penetrated the confusing misery that surrounded him, and he practically collapsed into her arms, silent tears running down his face.
Bracing herself, Zack held him, murmuring at him as he rested against her. "What happened?"
Haltingly, the story came out. Stopping Esther from shooting the emissary, fighting Brother Petros, running from the Inquisition with the emissary and Petros in tow, the takeover of the Inquisition's blimps, the flight back to the Embassy, the ambush by Radu and the tank. "I don't remember much of the battle, but I know I went farther in my transformation than I usually do." He glanced down at his left side which was mostly bare by the torn fabric.
"I'm just happy you aren't hurt still." She cupped his cheek, studying him. "So, were you as sexy at that point as the rest of it?" A playful leer, trying to cheer him up.
He chuckled, a weak sound before it died. "When I came back to myself, Esther was huddled over the emissary, staring at me in horror." He shuddered and curled closer to her. "I can still hear her screaming at me to stay away, that I was a monster."
That got a snort. "That is total and complete bullshit."
He shook his head. "I don't know what happened or even how I got back here." He looked up at her, his emotions plain in his eyes. "I just keep seeing her, staring at me in horror, as her words echo in my ears."
She kissed his forehead. "She's an idiot."
"Then why do I keep hearing her and seeing the look of horror on her face?" It didn't make sense to him at all.
"Because you always worry about that. Remember when you first showed me?"
He nodded. "Yeah. You were delighted at the wings."
Zack grinned at him. "Yeah, because they are pretty. But I was thinking more of what you thought my reaction would be."
He ducked his head. "Similar to Esther's," he mumbled, suddenly finding the cloth of her robes very interesting.
Running her fingers through his hair, she smiled at him. "I think she just hit a sore spot on you. Look at the rest of us. How many of your friends think of you as a monster?"
"None of you considering how many are willing to offer a vein," he confessed, still staring at her robes.
Still running her fingers through his hair, Zack smiled. "It's because we care about you. She's just a rather...spoiled little girl."
"I can hear them," he whispered. "The screams of those from Armageddon, the ones I killed either under orders or because I could." He closed his eyes and tried to curl closer, trembling.
Sitting, she pulled him close, hugging him tight. "Idiot."
"They're screaming with her, begging me, pleading for their lives, accusing me." The words spilled out of him as his trembling increased.
"You are a good man, Abel Nightroad. Even if you weren't in the past, you are now." A hum. "I wonder how the vampires see your actions in the past."
He shook his head. "I don't know." He buried his face in her neck. "Make them stop?" It was a soft plea, the child wanting the nightmares to go away.
She rocked him carefully. "I wish I could. But all I can do is say that I'm here for you. Cat and the others, we're all here for you now. And we think you are a good person."
He continued shivering, hard enough to set his teeth chattering, as silent tears ran down his face, and he clung to her as if she was the link to his sanity.
Petting his cheek, his hair, she continued to murmur comforting thing at him. "We won't leave you."
It was several minutes before he finally stopped shaking, settling into an almost numb state.
Brushing a kiss on his head. "You are not a monster. Got that?
He hummed, noncommentally, and shrugged his bare shoulder.
"If you are a monster, than what am I?"
That got him looking at her. "You're not a monster. You just have a few more tricks than most of us."
"And I can take you down."
"You cheat." The accusation was soft but the corners of his lips twitched.
"Do not. But I still want to hear why you think you're a monster."
He closed his eyes. "I don't know. It's the screams and accusations I can hear. They didn't mean anything at the time, but they built up over the years."
"They shouldn't mean anything now."
"But I killed them. If I forget them, then who will remember that they ever existed?"
"You can remember them, but remember, they were the enemy." Her expression was still, but it was what her teachers had told her to get her through the fact she was killing people.
"Even the civillians?" He wasn't sure how to classify 'enemy' if he was the one who had changed sides.
She hugged him. "I never did well with civilians, either." A tighter hug. "But even then, mourning for them won't bring them back."
"But they would be remembered even if only by their murderer."
"I'm not saying to forget. Just remember to live your life."
He curled closer to her again. "Not gonna be good company tonight. Sorry," he mumbled, knowing he was dodging the topic.
"Idiot." She bopped him lightly. "It doesn't matter. I'm not going anywhere."
He chuckled, a weak sound. "I know or Leon would have lured you away already."
"Give me credit for better taste than that."
He managed a faint look of horror. "You would leave for Catarina?"
"If I was, we'd film it for you."
He grinned at her, a weak leer on his face. "Promise?"
"Or I can talk to her about inviting you in." She kissed the tip of his nose.
He chuckled, trying to swallow the sob that wanted to escape.
"You are a good man, you know that, right?"
That did it. He curled close to her and sobbed, releasing all his confusion and misery.
Smiling faintly, Zack rocked him again, letting him get all of it out. "It's okay. I promise, it'll be okay."
After several minutes, the crying faded to sniffles around a few yawns.
"Come on, lets get you to bed. Have you fed recently?"
He let her help him to his feet. "Took what was spilled tonight. Ion's blood was sweet," he mumbled, frowning at the robes he wore. The entire left side from almost his neck to his hip had been torn away, or blown away. He couldn't quite remember the details.
"Doesn't mean you're recovered." She ran a hand along the edge of the fabric, frowning slightly. Already Zack was planning on sitting down with Esther, if she could refrain from strangling the girl, and finding out what happened. Looping the arm around him, she tugged him along. "Come on. We're staying in the room just off Cat's."
He nodded and leaned on her, trying to keep from falling asleep right there. "Won't leave me?"
"Promise." She did keep an eye out for the of the others, just to make sure that they knew to keep an eye on the brat girl. "Honestly, though, do you need anymore? I'd rather you be up to full health."
"Tired. Maybe later." He was leaning more heavily on her as his energy drained away. He had been running nonstop almost all day. Between the fight against Petros at Ion's hotel to now, he hadn't had a chance to just rest.
Getting them to their room, Zack headed straight for the bed.
He let her guide him through the room and fell into the bed, asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Sighing some, Zack crawled in next to him and stretched out, arm curling around him. Had promised to not leave, after all.
Catarina crept in about an hour later, looking around cautiously before shutting the door behind her. "How is he?" she asked, her voice soft as she picked her way across the room.
"I'm going to have a long talk with the girl." Very, very dry tone.
Sighing, she perched on the edge of the bed to stare down at her guardian angel. "She's on bedrest for hysterics right now." She glanced at Zack, noticing with amusement the glow in her eyes. "Did you know that she disobeyed orders to leave the Embassy here and almost started a war between us and them?"
"She's spoiled." A frown. "She had Abel going on about being a monster again."
"Damn," she sighed, reaching down to brush his bangs out of his face. "He has his melancholy days, but any soldier does. He hasn't had any truly bad 'monster' days since I convinced him he was a guardian angel."
"He was...upset." Zack sighed, and looked at the other woman. "Though I'm going to need to talk to Esther. Abel is a bit fuzzy on details of what happened."
"Petros was able to fill some of the details in," she confessed. "He owes Abel a life debt and has promised to keep his secret for now." She straightened a bit. "Apparently Radu managed to take control of one of the Goliath tanks. They had to abandon the car they had stolen with the destruction of the road. A large shell from the tank exploded nearby, reinjuring Ion. Petros acted as a human shield so Ion could escape with Esther, but another shell prevented that. He vaguely remembers a third shell hitting Abel, but doesn't want to fully believe it."
"Explains this." She ran her fingers over the fabric again. "Apparently she started screaming for him to stay away and that he was a monster."
"He was winged with his scythe. Petros remembered that before he passed out." She studied Abel, eyes taking in the signs. "He remembered the tank exploding, the entire area being something straight from hell, and then a black angel descending from the sky." She glanced at Zack. "How do you want to deal with her?"
"I...don't know. Kicking her off a high place isn't in the allowed things to do." A sigh. "I suppose, talk to Abel first. He's the one she hurt, after all."
"She still isn't cleared for field work. She abandoned her post, disobeyed direct orders, and nearly caused a war," Catarina remarked, ticking the points off on her fingers. "What would happen to someone like that under your command?"
"Court martial and imprisonment." Zack's voice was flat. Not a nice punishment, but it was the truth.
"Tempting. Very tempting," she mused, tapping her chin before sighing. "Unfortunately, she's a future queen and the Emissary has taken a bit of a liking to her."
That got a disgusted sound from Zack, but she had expected it. "And I can't spar with her to teach her a lesson." Which had happened enough times back home.
Catarina blinked, a small, sly smile curling her lips. "How would you care to be in charge of her training for the foreseeable future?"
"You are an evil woman." Zack pondered this. "She won't like it."
"She will have to learn how to protect herself," Catarina replied innocently. "Tonight she was lucky, but if Abel nor Petros had been there, she would have been dead."
That got a chuckle from Zack. "Okay, now I'm bad for wanting to do this." She did not like the little prat. But Zack had always enjoyed thumping people down to size.
"How? You are teaching her to defend herself while puncturing her ego," remarked Catarina with a casual shrug. She turned her gaze to Abel. "For him, I would turn my back on the peace I have attempted to achieve for over a decade if he asked."
Running her fingers through silver hair, Zack smiled softly. "He needs all the love he can get."
"He has had too little that he clings to any scrap he can get." A thought occurred to her. "Have you ever been down to see Lilith"
"Not yet, though he's talked about her."
"She was a partial mother figure to him and it was her death that caused him to stop fighting," she remarked. "She also was kind with red hair and blue eyes."
That caught her attention. "Ah. That explains some things." Looking at him, she shook her head. "Idiot," she murmured in Wutanese.
"It is possible that the stress of the day followed by whatever injury he had sustained scrambled him a bit so he wasn't thinking straight." Catarina shrugged. "All theory, but instead of seeing Esther, he might have flickered to Lilith instead which would explain his upset emotional state."
"Well, we'll just have to kick him back to reality."
"He needs a vacation. All of us do, but we've just started negotiations with the Empire," sighed Catarina, rubbing her temples. "That's what the Earl of Memphis is doing here, opening negotiations for a true peace treaty."
"What's are they like, anyway? This Earl? Other than having dubious taste?"
"Young. The traitor, Radu, was his tovarosh. The Earl himself is about as emotionally mature as Esther's age but is older due to being both a Noble and a Methuselah."
Zack nodded. "If he wants, he could always join in on Esther's sessions."
"That would have to be up to him since I have no say in his actions." She looked at Zack. "If you want to talk to Esther, now would be the time."
"I promised I wouldn't leave." She rested a hand on Abel.
She nodded and stretched out to curl up next to Abel. "Guardian Angel, can you wake up for me?" she crooned, stroking Abe's face with her fingers.
"Wakey wakey." Zack chuckled, nudging Abel some.
There was a small whimper of confusion from Abel as he started stirring. "Ca'? Zach?" he slurred, trying to wake up.
Catarina smiled. "Is it okay for Zack to visit the others briefly? I promise to stay with you until she gets back."
Zack did dip her head to give him a kiss. "Didn't want you to think I'd gone off and left you."
Abel purred into the kiss. "Be safe," he mumbled, falling back asleep.
Catarina grinned. "I'll stay until you get back."
She nodded. "All right. Where are her rooms?"
Catarina smirked. "Down the hall to the left, fourth door on your right after the one directly across from this room."
With a smile that wasn't all nice, Zack nodded, and then slowly rose, watching for any adverse reaction from Abel.
He didn't stir, deeply asleep. Catarina moved only to start working on getting Abel more comfortable as he slept, starting with his boots.
Zack left out, quickly following the directions Cat had given her, and knocked on the door.
Esther huddled under her covers, shaking and terrified that monster would get her. "Go away!"
Oh, like that was going to stop her. Zack instead opened the door and let herself in. "Well, aren't you an inspiring figure."
"Go Away!" shrieked Esther, curling up tighter under the covers.
Closing an eye, Zack found a spot to sit on. "You gave our boss and major issue to deal with, you know?"
"I don't care! I don't want that... that monster anywhere near me!"
"I don't know what you are talking about. But in any case, why don't you take a deep breath and try acting like an adult."
Red rimmed eyes peeked out at her, glaring. "You didn't see that thing that almost killed us!"
"Actually, Abel is my partner. And someone that everyone else in AX works with well. What makes you think we haven't seen his more unique abilities?" Zack's eyes narrowed. "And I wouldn't call him a thing again. You will not like the results."
"You're all against me! I know it! Especially if you're harboring that... that..." She pulled the covers back down, hiding from Zack again.
Zack snorted. "And why would we be all against you? Anyway, I came here to inform you I'd be taking over your training."
That got another narrow glare. "Why you?" she demanded, still hiding under the covers except for her eyes.
"I'm female, for one. And you apparently gave a very poor showing in your ability to stay alive." Zack leaned back in her chair. "So I'm to help you toughen up."
"What do you mean? I'm still alive, no thanks to that.... monster!" she spat the word like it was poison.
"According to Petros, you'd be dead if there hadn't been others there to keep you from being killed."
"Considering he was trying to kill us, I'm surprised," she sneered.
Zack just quirked a brow. "So, how is it you are still alive if he was trying to kill you?"
"He had other things to do," she sniffed.
"So he, what, didn't try very hard to kill you?"
"I'm good!" she snarled, emerging from her hiding spot. "I'm a field member of the AX!"
"No, you aren't."
"Yes I am! Why else would I be brought here and sent after the assassin?"
"You might want to have a discussion with the lady in charge, then. Because she considers you to have abandoned your post and that you aren't clear for field work. And you know that Abel kept you alive. You are just too cowardly to admit it now."
"I am not and no he didn't!" She threw off the covers to glare at this uppity woman.
"Really now. So he didn't get between you and Petros at all? Or you and a tank?"
"That wasn't Father Nightroad! That was a monster!"
"That wasn't a monster. That was a man who was trying to keep you alive, because he cares too much. If he was a monster, he have let you die." Zack sighed. "But you are going to be stubborn about it. In any case, be ready to get up early tomorrow. We're going to see what your abilities are tomorrow, first thing. I need to see what I have to work with."
"Fine! Go back to your monster's bed," she spat, pulling the covers back over her.
Zack moved, catching up the front of the girl's clothing and planting her against the wall.
She shrieked and struggled to get free but was too firmly pinned.
"Now listen here, little girl. If this had been where I was from, you'd be in jail. Cat is being nice in trying to help you get better. My time is better spent doing more useful things, but she wants you to learn how to defend yourself. Understand?" Her voice was icy, and there was a definite burn in her eyes.
"You can't do this to me! I'm a field agent!" she sobbed, still struggling to get free.
"Again, I say you aren't. Ask her if you don't believe me. Besides, I am going to be your teacher. Which means that while you are under my orders, you will listen. We both know I'm stronger than you, and I can fight better than you as well. Do not tempt me to do you serious damage in an attempt to make you learn." A shake, and she lifted the girl higher. "Esther, you will learn, or you will end up killing someone. Do you want that on your conscious?"
"No," she sobbed, hanging there in defeat. She remembered how Dietrich had tricked her into killing and how horrible she felt afterwards.
Zack's expression softened, and she set the girl on the ground. "I'm going to teach you enough that it will make the chance of that happened much less likely to happen. But you have to remember that you are a child compared to everyone else. There isn't one of us you could take down. And that means you won't have a real chance against somone trying to kill you or someone you are with."
Esther's legs collapsed under her and she buried her face in her hands. "Why are you being so mean to me?"
"Would you rather I be nice, and someone died because you couldn't do your job?"
"I can do my job! I know I can!"
"If that was the case, would you have gotten back here with the envoy without Abel?"
"Yes," she sniffed, scrubbing at her eyes and looking like a child.
"So you could have fought Petros on your own, while still guarding someone, hmm?" She crouched down. "Hit me."
"What?" She looked up at her, surprised.
A gesture at herself. "If you can fight that well, hit me."
Rising to her feet, Esther eyed the woman before drawing back her fist and punching her in the stomach only to yelp when her fist encountered iron.
"Now, try it again." Zack shifted some, ready to swat the next attempt away, just to prove a point.
Growling, Esther launched another punch, this time at the ignorant woman's face.
It was far too easy to deflect the blow. "Have you ever really been trained on how to throw a punch?"
She growled and threw another punch, determined to wipe that smirk off the woman's face.
This time, Zack grabbed her wrist and just held it.
"Let go!" she snarled and tried to kick her shins.
Sighing, Zack pushed her against the wall again, though this time she didn't actually pick the girl up. "Do you have any idea how long I've been a fighter?"
That got a glare from Esther but the redhead pushed her lips together, stubbornly.
"Probably longer than you've been alive. In any case, tomorrow, be ready to ache. Because we are going to make you strong enough for Cat to actually consider giving you the okay to be a field agent."
"But I am already. Aren't I?" shr protested, weakly.
"If you were, do you think she would have been asking me what to do with someone who abandoned their post and almost ruined everything?"
"I didn't abandon my post! I knew where the assassin was!" she argued.
"Was it your job to do anything about it?"
"No one would listen."
Zack quirked a brow. "So positive on that?"
She looked at her. "I tried to tell them but no one would listen to me."
"What have you done to earn that right?" She let the girl go again, hands tucking into her pockets.
"I knew! But no one would listen!"
"Because you have to prove yourself." Zack shook her head. "And this is not helping do that."
"What do you mean?" She blinked at her.
"You said we were all against you. Maybe you should talk to some of the others and see what they think of Abel before jumping to conclusions." Zack shrugged. "Remember, we're the new kids. They are the ones who have been working together a while."
"They're all against me."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because no one listens to me and they're all on his side."
"Again, they've worked with him how long?" She shook her head. "You are new, you haven't proven yourself. Meanwhile, Abel has helped save their lives in the past, just like they've saved his. There's a bond there. One you have to build with them." Zack shook her head. "You can't expect them to instantly consider you their friend. And this job is dangerous."
"Figure that out over your alcohol?" She glared at her and folded her arms.
"Probably. Do you wonder why you weren't there?"
"Because alcohol is evil!"
Zack just quirked a brow. "I doubt that. In any case, it was bonding."
She sniffed. "That's what you say."
Zack studied her. "Why do you try so hard to drive people off?"
That got a glare. "I don't drive them off! They leave me!"
"How so?"
"They just do!"
"Do they just move, do they die, do they tell you to not talk to them anymore?" She continued to push.
"I don't know but they stop talking to me and visiting me and then they vanish."
Zack nodded. "The ones here won't leave you. Not once you are one of them."
She snorted. "They'll get rid of me fast enough since they don't like me."
"What have you done to try to make them like you?"
“I've helped! I went and got Father Nighroad when everyone else was under arrest at the Vatican!"
Zack nodded. "And that was a start. But you act like you are better than the rest of us."
"I do not!"
"Evil alcohol?"
"It is! It says so in the Bible!"
"From what I read in that bible of yours, doesn't it mention them drinking wine?"
"Wine is one thing. It is fine with a meal, but that alcohol you were drinking is evil."
"Well, aren't you being pretentious." She stood. "In any case, you aren't your helping your case of trying to make friends."
"If they don't want to be my friends, I don't care," she sniffed again and put her nose in the air
"Maybe they'd be more interested if you didn't act like they were filthy."
"I don't."
"You do."
She glared at her before huffing back to her bed and crawling under the covers.
Zack moved towards the door. "I want to dislike you greatly for what you did to Abel. For some reason, he worries about what you think of him. But, honestly?" She glanced back. "I feel sorry for you."
Her response was to roll over with her back to the door and pull the covers up again.
"I hope you figure out what you need in life before it ends up gone." With that, she walked out. Moving down the hall, shaking her head, Zack sighed. "Always have to help, don't you." She really was a glutton for punishment, sometimes. Though she was going to have to see why nobody came to check out Esther's shriek.
Leon stuck his head out of a door and grinned at her. "Hey Beautiful Princess, going to visit me for a while?"
"Just got to tell Miss Priss that I'm her new teacher."
Leon shook his head. "I fell sorry for you. But at least you get the joy of teaching her a lesson. She was always too busy making eyes at me."
"She doesn't like me." A wry smile. "Told me to go back to my monster's bed. Don't think her making eyes at me is going to be an issue."
He snickered. "I wish you much luck with that one, princessa."
"Thanks. Tons."
He winked. "Better get back to your monster's bed before he comes out looking for you," he teased. "After all, we've seen him in the morning before he's had his tea."
"Cat is sitting with him." A sigh. "She hurt him, bad."
"Yeah, but he has the entire department behind him. She's just got herself."
"She still hurt him. So, you meet the new envoy?"
"Yeah. He's young, still got a lot of growing to do, and is hurt 'cause his buddy was apparently
working for the Order."
"Ouch." Zack nodded. "I'll meet him later, I’m sure. But you're right. Time to go back to my guy." She grinned, and gave Leon a wave.
He sighed and clasped his hands over his head. "I shall count each beat until I can gaze upon your beautiful perfection once more."
"Too bad for you if I leave Abel, it has to be for Cat. Later." Grinning, she made her way back towards her room.
"Damn," he called after her, chuckling as he shut his door.
Letting herself back in, Zack stopped to look at the pair, just to see if they were sleeping or not.
Catarina was curled up next to Abel, dozing, with her head on his shoulder, but Abel hadn't moved.
Smiling, Zack slipped in on his other side and settled there.
Cat woke up and smiled at her. "Well?"
"She's a brat. And she hits horribly."
She snickered. "Are you going to change that?"
"Going to try." Zack sighed. "Did you know she thinks she's a field agent? And that the reason she went after the assassin is because she thought she knew how it was, but nobody would listen to her?"
Cat sighed and rubbed her temples. "Lovely. Send her after one person because everyone else is being watched and all of a sudden, she's a field agent."
"You need to talk to her. Though she thinks everyone is against her." Zack sighed. "You might have to transfer her."
"There's no place to transfer her to without her getting in trouble," grumbled the cardinal.
"Send her to her grandmother if you have to. But that's a more last resort thing." Zack stretched out again. "Though if you can get through her head that she's going to get people killed, you might have a chance." A small pause. "You know, if I was more evil, we could always pull a bait and switch."
"Bait and switch?" Catarina perked up at that, interested.
"It all depends on a lot of acting, and the ability to take a hit." Zack wrinkled her nose. "It's not a fun situation, but it works."
"Tell me more? Then we can decide."
Zack sighed, and settled up some, hand resting on Abel's head. "Well, we only used it on the worse cases, and it was always a First Class who got themselves...thumped. When we'd get a new SOLDIER who managed to get in and somehow get themselves stuck into a mindset that was going to get someone else hurt, we'd sent them out with the First." She looked at Cat to see if that made sense so far.
She nodded. "Following you so far."
"Then, well, we'd let the other lead until it came to a situation where someone could very possibly get hurt. And the First would let themselves take the hit. That's where the acting came in." Zack wrinkled her nose. "They had to make it seem real."
Catarina nodded again. "Okay, I see what you're saying now."
"It was easier in our world, because we have materia to cure ourselves." Zack shrugged. "Had to pull it more than once during the last few months of the war. Lot of hotheads got in, even with the psych tests."
"Then we figure out how to do it here, and she either learns or she is sent to her grandmother with a full letter of explanation."
Zack nodded. "It tended to work. But you need to make sure it's a situation that an idiot and an injured person can deal with."
"Or we stage the whole thing to seem real," she countered.
"Like I said, good acting is required." Zack ran her fingers through Abel's hair. "And you can't let her know that it's a setup."
"Considering the entire department would like to get back at her for her attitude?" she drawled with a grin. "Even Hughes would want in.'
Zack chuckled. "Then you just got to find out who's willing to take a hit to convince her. And pray karma doesn't get it's own kicks in."
"We have been doing what we can to keep the peace going. I hope that those actions would balance any karma."
"Karma is a bitch." Zack grinned. "So, let me know when your mind gives you a good idea. I'm going to be plotting various exercises for Esther. So she'll probably hate me before this is over."
Catarina laughed. "I will because I'll need your mind to help refine them."
"Me dumb soldier. Me make things go boom. Smash."
She snorted and pushed herself up to reach across Abel and pat Zack's head. "You believe that, Valkyrie, while the rest of us marvel at your mind."
She grunted a few times, swatting lightly at the hand. "You marvel at my ability to bend."
She chuckled. "Along with all the men in the group," she added before smirking. "So tell me, is Abel any good?"
A slow, smug smirk. "He's obviously picked up a thing or two over the years, yes.”
She purred. "You realize you have just guaranteed a night of chocolate ice cream and girl talk, right?"
Zack chuckled. "Of course."
"We'll have to bring Kate in on it so she can participate and enjoy the friendship as well."
Zack perked. "Actually...I have something I want her to try out. I had forgot about it with all the excitement."
She smiled. "In the morning. Kate's watching the city tonight."
"All right. I want Abel to be there, too. He might have a few ideas if it doesn't work like I plan."
She nodded and stood up. "Well, I'll leave you two to sleep." She grinned. "I'm going to see if I can get a Spaniard to yell loud enough to be heard."
Zack chuckled. "I'll let you know if you succeed." She snuggled down against Abel, kissing his forehead.
"Considering how thick the walls are here, I'll take that as a challenge," she grinned, twiddling her fingers at Zack before leaving.
When she left, Zack hugged Abel, relaxing against him.
He didn't shift for the rest of the night, deep asleep as he was.
Dozing only lightly, keeping one ear out for any more issues, Zack passed the night quietly, though woke up when the sun started to rise.
Grumbling softly at the light, Abel turned over and curled close to her, trying to escape it.
"Sorry, Abel. I got to get up." She brushed his hair off his face.
"No. Comfy." He grumbled into her chest.
She chuckled. "Sorry. I got to go chase Esther around and torment her."
He pouted before reluctantly releasing her.
Giving him a quick kiss, she slide out of the bed. "You can lurk around and watch me thump on her if you'd like."
He snorted. "Bed comfy, more comfy with you."
"Yes, bed is comfy. Zack promised Cat to teach Esther to not be useless."
"Lost cause," he yawned, trying to get comfortable again.
"Brat. Still, if I can teach her to at least learn how to fight some, it'll help." She poked him in the side, then covered him more with the blanket.
He snuggled down under the new blanket. "Still lost cause."
"I'll be back soon. And then I'm going to go enjoy that nice large tub I saw." Patting him, she trotted out of the room.
He was asleep again before the door shut behind her.
After running the girl into the ground, Zack came back to the rooms. The second the door was shut, she was stripping. "Mmmm, bath time~"
"How badly is Esther going to be complaining?" yawned Abel as he sat up to rub his eyes.
"If she doesn't whine about not being able to move, it's only because she's asleep somewhere."
He chuckled and pushed back the blankets to rise to his feet only to immediately sit back down again with an 'oof' of surprise.
Dropping her shirt, she went to him. "Abel?"
"I'm apparently still recovering from yesterday," he remarked, holding his head in his hands. "Went to stand up and the room moved on me."
Resting a hand on his cheek, Zack looked him over carefully. "Give me a minute and I'll go get you some food." She started for her shirt again.
"I'll be fine while you soak," he protested, waving her towards the bath. "I'll just sit here until the world doesn't move."
"Sit down and stay until I get back." She gave him the look she had developed when she started having children. "I'll be right back."
"No, really, it's okay," he protested but didn't move.
Snorting, pulling the shirt back on, she waved at him. "Be right back." With that, she was out of the door.
he sighed and collapsed backwards onto the bed, exhausted despite his sleep.
It didn't take too long to get some food and take it back. "Here," Zack said, setting the tray on the bedside table.
He smiled up at her. "Thank you but you didn't have to," he protested again as he slowly sat up.
"Fine girlfriend like person I'd be if I let you black out from not eating." She kissed his forehead again. "Idgit."
"I would have gotten up after your soak," he replied with a shy smile.
"Well, now you can eat something while I do my soaking."
He grinned. "Yes dear," he teased, starting to nibble his way through the food.
Giving him a pleased smile, she started to strip down again. Mmmm, bath.
He was careful as he ate, taking his time so he wouldn't accidentally get sick by eating too much on too empty of a stomach.
Keeping an ear on him, Zack went to get that bath. Finally, no more wrinkled noses. "Is that helping?"
"Yes, thank you," he called, settling back now that the tray was empty.
"Good. It would have been forever before Leon would have let you live down passing out. And you know he would have found out."
"Yes, I know," he remarked, nursing his pot of tea while ignoring the state of his hair and clothes.
"Let me know if you want me to run new water for you, by the way." She was enjoying hot water. Ahh, such a nice invention, hot water.
"Perhaps later when I'm not at risk for drowning myself."
"Drowning would be bad, but I need your help later. So you should probably get dressed at least." Reluctant to stay too long, in case she fell asleep as well, Zack dragged herself out and dried off, then headed for new clothing.
"What do you need my help on?" He let his eyes linger on her for a while in appreciation.
Dressing, her voice was a bit muffled. "Remember how much I've been fiddling with that projector?"
"Yes." He slowly stood up and moved towards the bathroom, stripping off his ruined robes as he went. He really should get cleaned up.
"Well, I want to test it. And you're the best with the older tech."
He chuckled, letting the last of his things fall to the floor. "All right. Let me get a shower and attempt to tame this rat's nest."
Shamelessly, she wandered back into the bathroom and leaned against the wall. "Fine by me."
He shook his head at her. "You are horrible." He managed to start the shower and climb under it.
"Oh, like you weren't looking at me earlier. Plus there's that whole having sex thing."
"Did I complain about you looking?" He carefully started scrubbing his skin and hair.
"Who's the one who called me horrible?" She chuckled, and started to attack her hair with a brush.
"You'll be even more horrible when I have more energy later," he teased.
"That's right. I'm just saving it up." She finally got her hair pulled back into a messy tail and gave it up at that. It was the best she was going to get.
He chuckled and started on his skin. "So, how badly did you put Esther through the ringer?"
"Well, she's most likely going to hate me tomorrow when I make her do it again."
"I slapped her yesterday," he remarked, determined to go on with his cleaning.
"I almost put her through a wall. But I decided not to. Though if she doesn't straighten up, Cat might pull an evil stunt on her." Tucking some hair behind her ear, Zack found a comfortable place to lean on the wall.
"Oh? What stunt is this?" Abel poked his head out of the curtain.
"I'll let Cat explain." She grinned, rolling a shoulder to loosen a tight muscle there. Had rested on it wrong or something.
He shook his head and ducked back under the shower. "I should feel sorry for her, but she nearly got people killed."
"Push comes to shove, we might make her think that." It was a mutter, but spending time with the girl had not made Zack that much more sympathetic. Though there was still sympathy for her.
He sighed. "If it's a choice between the mission or her life, I might have to choose the mission," he confessed, hating himself for it.
"If the bait and switch doesn't kick her in the ass, I think Cat is going to send her to her grandmother."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to a bait and switch." He shut off the water and pulled the curtain aside, grimacing at the mass of tangles in his hair.
"I'll brush your hair for you if you'd like."
"Please," he breathed with a heartfelt smile of relief.
Grabbing the brush, she smiled at him. "Any time."
He dried off and moved to the bed where she could brush his hair more easily.
Settling behind him, she started on his hair, humming softly as she did.
He closed his eyes and relaxed, enjoying the little bit of attention.
Zack took her time. He had such nice hair. She would have killed when she was younger for hair like that. "So, feeling better?"
"Some. It will probably be a while until I am able to put this behind me." A soft purr was coming from him as she brushed his hair.
Setting the brush to the side for a moment, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. "Well, you know we're always here for you."
He wrapped his hands around her wrists, holding her there as he leaned back into the embrace. "Yeah. I just... get lost sometimes. In memories."
"Well, now you got plenty of new memories to focus on." Another squish, and she kissed the side of his neck. "Just remember that, or Cat is going to kick your ass. And you know the others will help."
That got a chuckle from him. "Especially you?"
She just grinned against his skin. "Maaaaybe."
"Oh no. I'm going to have to be on my best behavior, or you'll drag me out for a training session with Esther!" he mock whined, unable to help the huge grin on his face.
"You might, actually." She gave another kiss, then settled back again to work once more on his hair. "She's got potential. Just got to dig it out."
"Do you have any spelunking gear? You might need it when you go hunting for that potential."
"Hardy har har." A tweak at hair. "It's my great failing. Still don't like her, but I did agree to train her."
He chuckled before relaxing under the feel of her brushing his hair.
It didn't take as long as she thought to get it all brushed, but she kept it up for a little longer. He had such nice hair.
He was purring again under the attention, but had no inclination of stopping any time soon.
Chuckling, she kissed his hair. "Come on. Still have to run by Cat's and try something. And she can explain what the plan is for twitchy girl."
"All right," he sighed, reluctant to move from his spot but knowing he needed to get dressed.
"While I'm sure Cat would appreciate the view...." She patted low on his back.
"Getting possessive are you?" he teased, moving over to his bag and removing a fresh set of robes.
Zack made an amused sound. "I thought that was my job?"
"Yes, I suppose that is your right as a girlfriend," he mused, acting as if he was seriously thinking about it.
"You indulge in it quite often." Flopping over on the bed, she stretched some.
He chuckled and pulled the robes on, his movements automatic as he watched Zack stretch.
Grinning at him, Zack waited for him to get ready. "So many layers."
"Not as many as the Inquisition. I don't have to wear plate armor under my robes." He grinned. "Only for special events and Court."
"Ick."
He laughed and pulled his hair up in its usual tail. He hesitated over the gloves before deciding to forgo them today.
Standing up, Zack made her way to him, curling her fingers around his for a moment. Then she went to grab the device she'd been fiddling with for a while now.
He quickly grabbed his earclips and his glasses, slipping them on as he followed her out the door. "Where would you like to do this?"
"Cat's rooms. Probably the most secure place here. And if this works...."
He grinned. "If this works, you're going to have an ecstatic Albion nun."
"Yeah." She tucked the item away, and bumped him with her shoulder. "Shall we?"
He bowed her towards Cat's room. "After you, my lady."
Making an amused noise, Zack headed that way. And hopefully Cat was in, not still in Leon's rooms.
Abel rapped on the door and got permission to enter. With another smile, he opened the door for Zack.
Smiling at him, Zack went into the room. "Hello," she said, nodded to Cat.
Cat smiled at them as she finished straightening her robes. "Good morning. You are looking much better this morning, Abel."
"Thank you, Catarina. A hot shower, and sleeping next to a gorgeous woman does wonders for a person," he replied with a smile towards Zack.
"Flatterer." Rolling her eyes at him, Zack went to sit. "We'll need Kate if you can."
Cat nodded and tapped the earclip she wore. "Sister Kate? May I see you for a few minutes?"
There was a shimmer and Kate appeared, smiling at them. "How may I be of service, Your Eminence?"
Pulling the projector out of her pocket, Zack fiddled with it a few more moments. "Kate, could you do me a favor and try coming through this one?"
Kate looked at her before shifting to come from the projector in Zack's hands. She gasped in surprise as she became solid-looking. "Wha...?"
Abel and Catarina stared in surprise at the Albion nun as well.
Frowning a bit, Zack reached out poked her. "Needs a bit more power...." she mumbled as her fingers sank in slightly. "Okay, need to adjust it a moment. Back to the one that you use normally. Just for a minute, though."
Nodding, Kate shifted back, watching Zack with wide eyes. She had felt that poke. For the first time in years, she had felt something.
Fishing out one of her materia, Zack held it as she used the other hand to open the machine. Here's where years of breaking things came in handy. "You're almost solid enough."
Three sets of eyes watched her with hope, fascination, and curiosity, as Zack worked.
Opening the device, and then the seal, Zack studied the arrangement of materia and the green glow around them. Didn't need much more power. Setting the one she held down, the woman pulled a blade and slide it across her palm, grimacing.
Abel flinched as if he had been the one hurt. "Zack?" He didn't know why she had done that, and was really hoping for an explanation.
"Need the mako," she said absently, as green welled up. Using the materia, she drew it towards the spot she needed it in the machine. "Once it's in our systems, for some reason, the body keep...not really creating up, but it doesn't run out. But it's still a very strong power source."
Cat shivered. "That just seems.. wrong somehow. To inject people with such a thing."
Zack gave a wry smile. "Only SOLIDERs. The stuff is bitter cold when you end up in a tube of it, though. Injecting is nothing." Casting a quick cure on herself, she wiped her hand off on her robes. "I think this should do it." She quickly sealed everything up again. "Okay, try it again."
Kate bit her lip and shifted projectors again, appearing as very solid. She started shaking as she reached out to touch Abel. "I can feel..."
Abel smiled at her and wrapped her arms around her in a hug. "Welcome back, Kate Scott."
Smiling faintly, Zack waited.
Catarina smiled and looked at Zack. "Thank you,' she mouthed.
With a squeal, Kate slipped out of Abel's arms and threw herself at Zack. "THANK YOU!!!"
Holding the projector out of the way with one hand, Zack chuckled and gave her a hug with the other. "To think all my breaking things paid off. And if you give me a second, I'll modify it so it sit in the center of you. That way you can walk around with it."
Kate nodded so hard her head looked like it was going to fall off before stepping back, nearly vibrating with excitement
Grinning, Zack took the device, fiddled with a few more things, and then held it out into midair as Kate...shifted. Letting go, she smiled as the projector vanished into the woman. "There you go. Now you should be fine. Let me know if the power ever starts to wear down in it. Though I'll be impressed if it does."
Smiling for joy, Kate threw her arms around Zack again, babbling her thanks, as Abel and Cat smiled from where they were standing.
"Glad to help," Zack said, pleased. "Don't forget to squish the others, too."
Spinning, Kate released her before jumping both Abel and Catarina for hugs before she vanished through the door. Abel chuckled. "It will be some time until she settles, I believe."
Zack just smiled and rocked back and forth. "I'm glad I was able to get it to work right."
Abel raised a brow. "Me dumb fighter. Me smash things?" he drawled.
"Me make big booms."
"That was hardly a big boom." He smiled and gathered her in his arms. "That was an intelligent woman giving a precious gift to someone."
"Boooom." Zack said teasingly, spreading her arms out to demonstrate. "Though I dread if the Professor tries to poke at it."
"You think Kate is going to give up that projector for just anyone to poke at it?" snickered Catarina, shaking her head.
"Thus the dread. She can indulge in violence now, you know." Zack smirked a little.
Catarina laughed at that.
Abel smiled and bent to brush his lips across hers. "I am proud of you, my warrior woman."
She leaned into the little kiss. "We got to find someone to take the blame for that, by the way."
"Oh? What do you mean?" he inquired.
"Not sure I want people knowing I can make a solid light machine like that.
"So we never mention where it comes from. It can be just a bit of Lost Technology that finally resurfaced," Catarina remarked, making sure that Kate heard her through her communicator despite the nun's excitement.
"Good." Zack grinned. "I make enough cultural errors somedays without needing to be pulling on tech out of my head."
Abel smiled. "Yes, but you are not making as many as you did when you first arrived."
"Not quite that dumb," Zack said with an eye roll. "Though I still think I've run across German on another world."
"It is possible," remarked Abel with a shrug of a shoulder, still holding her.
Looping an arm around Abel's waist, she smiled. "I did something good."
"Yes. You woke up in my bed." He curled his arm around her shoulders.
Cat shook her head. "Is there anything else I can help you with? Or witness for you?"
"No. That was my big effort for now. Though I do start Esther's training earlier."
She chuckled. "That must have been interesting," she mused, brushing at her robes. "Well, if you two will forgive me, I have a meeting with the Earl of Memphis to attend."
"Got a guard?"
Catarina nodded. "Gunslinger will be there and Sister Paula has insisted on attending as well.'
A nod. "All right. Got anything for us to do?"
Catarina shook her head. "Go ahead and relax today, you two. There will undoubtedly be a group sent to the Empire to continue negotiations, but I don't know who I will send yet."
Abel offered a wry grin. "Then have fun with the Lady of Death."
Zack chuckled. "We'll have fun." She tugged on Abel. "Someone can show me around."
"Yes, my lady," he teased, waving to Catarina as he let her tug him out of the room.
"Bye, Cat." Waving, Zack snickered. "There we go. So, what shall we do today?"
He thought for a moment. "We could see if the market is open, or even just help out those caught in the chaos last night."
She smiled. "All right."
"Got your toothpick handy?" he teased. It was probably safer to go out armed at the moment.
"I know you aren't talking about Buster."
"And how are you so sure?"
That just got a smirk, but she did head back to their room to collect her sword.
Chuckling, he followed her to retrieve his gun and holster. He didn't feel like depending on his Crusnik abilities today.
"We're so sexy when we're armed."
"Right now, I think it would be better to error on the side of caution." He tossed her a wry smile as he shrugged into his holster. "There was a serious battle last night."
"True. Though, hopefully, it won't be repeated." She bumped her hip against him.
His smile was a bit strained at that thought. "If it is repeated, then I will hunt down the Order and wipe them off the face of this planet."
Zack stopped, and turned to face him. "You know you'll have me no matter what, right?"
He closed his eyes and rested his hands on her hips. "My heart is sure, but my mind gets mixed up at times."
She poked him in the middle of the forehead, and then smiled. "Well, you'll get it eventually."
His smile grew less strained and a bit more teasing. "Can't take me back. Warrenty ran out."
"Who would I even trade you for, hmm?"
"Well, there has been rumors about you throwing me over for Catarina."
Zack waggled her eyebrows. "Ooh, baby."
He sniffed and tried to give her a superior look that was spoiled by the laughter in his eyes. "Should you ever choose such an action, I will insist on pictures at the least"
"Like you wouldn't be invited, I'm sure."
He smirked at her. "In that case, perhaps you should throw me over for Catarina."
"Like she wouldn't be thrilled to crawl into our bed."
He chuckled and kissed her lips. "We shall see."
Snickering into the kiss, Zack gave him a hug. "Come on. Let's get going."
He smiled and laced his fingers through hers before heading outside.
Smiling, glad he was feeling better, she followed. "So, plans?
He shook his head. "None actually."
"We'll make it up as we go."
"That sounds like the best plan." He paused, wincing at the sight of smoke staining the air. There wasn't a lot, but there was enough to tinge the sky.
Looking up, Zack tipped her head, studying the area. "Not as bad as it could be."
"I destroyed as many of the ships as I could. I remember that."
She tightened her fingers. "You did what you had to."
"Part of me wishes I could remember clearly what happened, but a larger part is grateful," he sighed, starting down a street he hoped would not lead towards that battleground.
"Well, as long as you came home, I'm content."
His eyes were shadowed. "I pray that there were not too many innocents hurt by the Order's actions and later, my own."
Again there was a tightening of fingers. "We'll help them if they need it."
He nodded, knowing that was all he could do for them. "Then we should wander and see where our fancy and Fate takes us."
She smiled. "Good boy."
He smiled, feeling a bit more steady, and continued walking down the street.
"So, considering what happened last night, I'm impressed with how well the place stood up. I've seen the Inqusition spar. They are rather like large...heavy monster."
"I'm rather concerned to know where the Inquisition was during all of that," he confessed. "The only ones I have seen have been Petros and Paula since we returned to the Embassy, but a massive ammount of their equipment was hijacked and destroyed."
Zack paused. "Then we should probably find out where they are now. Cause the only two I've seen at all are those two."
"If they are dead, then there is nothing we can do for them," he said, voicing his fears. "And I wouldn't put it past the Order to kill them as an inconvenience. However, there is the possibility that they are out helping people as well as tending their own injured on their remaining craft."
"They are tough bastards, so I'm sure it's the latter of the two." It didn't take long to come onto the first spots of repair work, and Zack paused, and spoke lowly to Abel. "Should we find a place where I can start healing people?"
He brushed a kiss across her forehead. "Do what you can but don't overtax yourself," he replied before moving to help with the work.
"I won't. Just got go be sneaky over it. Want to play cover for me?"
He smiled. "What sort of cover did you have in mind?"
"Well, you know I have to see the people I'm casting on, and that it does give off a glow...." And she didn't want to end up being looked at odd.
He nodded. "All right. Of course you know I'll do anything for you.'
She smiled. "Well, if we find people, I'll just hide behind you."
He chuckled. "All right. We ready to get dirty?"
Waggling her eyebrows, Zack nodded. "Let's go."
He chuckled and lead her forward, breaking away from her side to help the men lift a large beam of wood off the ground.
Looking after him with a fond smile, Zack went to lend her own aid to the cleanup effort. Was going to want another bath later, she was sure.