theairlock | Week 7

I dunno, but you managed it somehow. Obviously you were an Overseer cuz you proved you could do the job.

No! I refuse to...

[What, believe he could do such a thing? Hadn't he already? What did he do that caused him to dedicate himself to Jamie? Who was in their round but gone now?]

...gods... gods I killed Bolton, didn't I...

[He's just gonna... look at his hands in slow growing horror.]

You fucked up, Xanny. I don't know how people got to like you, in those photos. What the hell you did to get Jane to trust you so much.

You know how I feel. I understand what you were doing, why you were doing it, back in the mall. I didn't have to like you, but what you were doing, you were doing for someone close to you.

But god, Xander, if that's how you fucking treat your family, if you keep making this mistake over and over, maybe you need to take a look at yourself and figure out where the fuck you went so wrong!

[Xander's breathing comes more and more rapid as Church's accusations and his own memories line up. He remembered Jamie and the green creature vanishing, them all being scared. But his own feeling were frantic- about to take flight after him. 'I owe him my life!'

And his memories of the 'last' week given to them. In them he remembers not only losing Lightning, but also what he remembered of his own past. The events had been returned mostly in order. So, the next thing he would remember...]

...I would remember Elise next. I would remember what I did. And right after losing Light. Gods... no... no I would have done anything they asked, what did they... of course that would be why they charged me to watch Jamie and Bolton-! They planned me to turn on them all along-!

[He trembles and hits his knees, one hand gripping the counter of the Gate, the other the cube he had been considering all day, clutching it to his chest on instinct.]

...what if... no, I remember them in the memories from the pictures but... I did it... I really did try to kill them all....

[So close, but still so very wrong]

...You were a mole. [Xander's words roll over Church and seep into him. If only he could remember Varric, then he could remember his reasoning to kill Togami--but the word is still there.] You were a plant to just--watch, to lie in wait?

You--

[Xander's a Champion now. Not the Ultimate Champion, not anymore. Just one of them. One of them that...there's tumultuous history with. God. God, Jane would be a wreck. But maybe Jane would be the only one. If Xander died.

Someone has to die. Someone's going to die. To keep from forgetting. He has a book, a yearbook, there's a woman, there's the name Queenie, he doesn't remember her though. He doesn't remember someone who he wrote so frantically was so important to him. If they keep forgetting, they'll lose their reason for even fighting. Resisting.

Someone has to.

Xander's got a pendant, Church has seen as much, had been fiddling with it when Church had waffled outside the room. The chain glints on his neck.

Church reaches for it. And pulls the chain back, up while Xander's on his knees.

If he can make this quick--]

[He doesn't see it coming, so wrapped up in this horrific possible realization. One moment he is fighting back panic... next he is doing the same for a very different reason as the silver charm jams into his Adam's apple.]

Ghnk?!!

[He jerks, the hand with nothing in it grabbing at the chain]

[One impulse is to apologize--because as much as he hates Xander, he also kind of likes Xander. And this is an awful way to go. But he doesn't, his own throat choked closed with the sudden panic and emotion. He's killed people before. Just not like this.

The others can execute him all they like. The deed will be done. They'll get uploaded to some bullshit world, and then nobody will have to forget. And Xander won't get the chance to betray everyone the way he's done--he's done how many times now?

Church holds fast.]

[He scrambles at the chain, but it's too fine to get a grip on, yet too strong to simply snap under the pressure Church was using. Hysterically, in his mind he curses Snow for buying such high quality jewelry. His vision isn't spotty yet, but he can feel the chain links digging in, pinching his flesh and making blood blisters form.

Maybe he was right. Maybe Xander was safer put down. Maybe... he really was like his father after all.

But he swore to Jane, to Jamie, to Lightning that he would not Die. That no matter how much he deserved it, no matter how many people died while he kept living, he would repay his debts. So with a strangled gurgling roar he twists, the chain finally cutting into him, blood flowing-

-and slams a fist into Church's face. The hand with the warp cube still in it]

[Everything that happens when the cube meets Church's face happens all at once. There's a blinding flash of light that explodes from the cube, engulfing both men, and when it fades there's no sign either of them were even in the concourse.]

[At the same time in a different part of the spaceport, dark and empty and unused, there's a second flash of blinding light and when it fades there are Xander and Church.]

[Shame he never lived long enough to meet future cubes, the cubes of the future.

Church is pretty sure, for a few blinding seconds, that Xander has quite literally knocked his lights out. Obviously that's what the blinding flash and immediate darkness is, right? He's pretty sure that's what it is.

Maybe if it had been someone else, he might not have let go. As it is--Xander him muscle, big mclargehuge, stronk, and also desperate. Once they've teleported, Church staggers back--he's still got fingers of one hand wrapped loosely to the chain, but that sure is a facepounding he just got. With some metal oomph behind it.]

[The flash blinds Xander as well, but he's too focused on the fight to even notice they are somewhere else. Instead once the hold goes loose he jerks to his feet, the chain yanking free from Church's lax hold. He coughs and gasps in deep breaths, holding his bleeding throat and putting space between them quickly]

Edited 2018-03-21 23:50 (UTC)

[Church tastes blood himself, not sure if it's his nose or his mouth or from where, and--

...and...

...and his sight still hasn't come back, or else it's very dark in here.]

Did--did you punch me out of my own body?! [But ghosts don't bleed! And neither do AI.]

Don't be an idiot.

[His voice is raspy, but it could be worse. He rubs his eyes then looks around, hoping his good Nohrian nightvision will catch up after the bright flash]

[It might take him a minute to adjust but his Nohrian nightvision will do him some good here. The location they've found themselves in is large but the architecture of it is eerily familiar.]

Right, having AI abilities here would be way too fucking--fucking christ, what did you hit me with, a god damn magical bowling ball?

[His whole face hurts, but apparently that's not keeping him from talking so far. A little slurred.]

It was the 'sabotage' I was given. It sends the user somewhere else in the port... randomly. I think... gods I think we're in a unused section of it.

[Church can hear Xander walking briskly right at him, and suddenly grabbing his hand, putting it on his wounded throat. And grabbing his collar with his other hand and pulling him forward until they are face to face. Xander has been icy as the Overseer. He's been annoyed. He's been commanding. He's been awkward or even kind.

But his tone now is growling and heated. Unlike it's ever been in this damnable game they've shared]

Blind or not, do you feel that? I am telling you right now we will never speak of this again. I will wear high collars as needed, and no one else is ever to know. Do you understand me?

[This close, he can make out the outline of Xander. The hint of expression. The furious expression. Is there starlight here to see by?

He wants to spit something rude out, but no. There's blood and silk on his tongue. Church no longer has any advantage, and he's well aware Xander could destroy him if he so desired.]

I...I understand. But--

Why? Why not tell everyone? [His voice is smaller than he wishes it was.] I just--I just tried to-- Why wouldn't you shout it to the heavens and let everyone know what I did?

Because... I don't want to destroy what little companionship our group has left. And it would just make you a target. Because... despite it all, I don't want you dead, Church.

[He practically slumps, and lets Church go by just dropping his hands in defeat.]

Plus, I... understand it. And for now, we are the only one the other can depend on, until we find our way back. So I have chosen to trust you.

...I'm...

[He swallows an apology. Man, they don't make Hallmark cards for 'sorry I tried to murder you in cold blood', huh?]

I did something impulsive. I--shit. I can't fucking keep it together, Xander, I can't, and whatever you did, it's--it makes you a danger, but god, that's not--that can't be the way I try fixing anything, I'm sorry.

...At least there's an infirmary. When we get back. [If.] I'll clean you up. Jesus, it's the least I can do.

Just. Let's. [His hand is still on Xander's neck, and he suddenly removes it--only to grab onto Xander's arm instead. It's dark, he doesn't want to lose someone that apparently has decided to trust him for now.] We gotta figure out where the fuck your sabotage thing took us. Can you use it again, or was that like a one-time thing?

[He shakes his head, but makes no further comment on what happened]

We can use it again, but the directions did warn that we could end up in a void or something worse. Plus, this might be our only chance to investigate without PAL or Price hanging over us. I suggest we save it for a last resort.

[ Let's explore!]

[There is starlight, from the ceiling. As their eyes adjust the layout gets more clear, showing heavy metal walls that have lines of large hatches going along them, about the size of a short-journey vehicle.]

[Time to explore! Xander heads towards the hatches]

Are these... where ships can port?

[It sure looks like it. Unfortunately they look to be locked tight.]

[More like fortunately let's not accidentally open some airlocks or something??] Yeah. Little ones, like, personal vehicles or ones built for just a short trip, looks like. [He looks up at the stars.] Docking bay. If this is the top, then if we find any elevators, they'd just lead straight down.

[Church reluctantly mosies on further--is it just hatches all the way down?]

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