Rikky and Rika... Cleanup

*She sits huddled in one corner of her bed, her arms hugging her knees into her chest. She rocks back and forth muttering to herself, the thick Gaelic accent sliding through* I's gota git i'back. I gota *her mind replays the nightmares with almost hideous clarity, over and over...torturing her.... first the battle, and how in her one moment of bravery, her entire being was shattered. Her soul, her powers were ripped from her. Then...then the true nightmare begins, as her mind replays each hideous detail of her encounter with HIM...the groveling, the begging, the pleading...then, then...the mirror. She casts a brief glance around the room, at the now bare walls. Mirrors no longer stand where they once did. they no longer highlight her every move. No longer can she stand the sight which appears within them.*

*Rikky blinks a few times, slowly, watching his expression in the mirror… gaze more focused on his -hair- than anything. Short. Not like -his-, but short. He likes it that way, far better. Yes, he was gorgeous with long hair, that mane, so deeply black it was like a banner of actual night, but it was too… -him-. He wasn’t him, he refused to be HIM. What he’d seen from the minds he’d encountered, Jesse’s, Sai’s, were vastly different… Jesse loved. Sai /had/ loved, and now hated. Hated because Aerik, that prick bastard, had… Rikky pauses in his thoughts, staring again. Slowly, almost without conscious effort, his hair begins to grow again… long coils of it slipping down his cheeks, his face, to lap over his shoulders… longer still. Was he him? He didn’t /want/ to be. He wants to be his own… the hair lengthens, his posture straightens, lids halving his vision. Oh yes, he knew well, by now, how to pretend to be Him. He’d learned, he’d seen, he’d taken /everything/ from Sai’s mind, and a great deal from Jesse, hers freely given as she’d lowered her shields, trusting him to be that other one. Sai, he’d mindraped. He hadn’t wanted to, but the lad had given him little other choice. There. He sighs at the image in the looking glass. There, that was him. And Rikky… he scowls suddenly. Rikky was /not/ him, he refused to be, refused to be twisted and shattered and so… and yet, part of him IS as such. And part is not his own, and this he doesn’t know. Compulsions. Learn of who you are, who He is. And so Rikky had. But raised as he was with the GUARD, they who were all but totally human, they with emotions, and caring, yes, even love.. he could have been raised worse. In a less loving environment. Rikky, they called him, affectionately. Rikky, NOT Aerik. And now they knew all Rikky had learned.. the new boyfriend, the needs, the breakup between Sai and Aerik, the past between he and Jesse. They knew it all… all the clone knew. But it didn’t affect them the way it did Rikky. He was not… he pauses, images flittering behind his eyes, so attuned now to His image… someone.. HERE.. was thinking of Him. Slowly, the youth turns, hair still long, eyes narrowed into lovely amber slits. And he walks like a puppet drawn forward by strings.. out the door, down the corridors, pulled by the images. Then he stops before Rika’s room. He’s never -met- her before, only knows her files, but she is superior in rank to him, so he raps his knuckles on the door softly* …Hello?

*Someone was going to catch on soon, what then? What will become of her. For now she has done okay, most were too busy to notice her absence. An occasional excuse regarding a cold...or a date, and no-one thought twice. But if they will...She tenses suddenly as someone knocks on her door. She hastily wipes the tears from her face and calls out * Yes, who is it? *As she stands and rapidly runs a brush through her hair, straightens her clothes and at least tries to resemble the person she once was* What do you want?

*He knows by now, of course, that Aerik is mute. That the only way he can ‘speak’ is via a link to the well-known RUNner, Gild. He’d found this out by his rape of Sai. But here, Rikky need not put up pretense that he is Aerik, he doesn’t have to pitch his voice as that illusion the Other uses. He can employ his own, vocal chords given to him in the cloning process… the fact that his body had been formed without them NOT a mistake as the GUARD labbies had conjectured. And his own is lighter, a bit higher, younger… sweeter. Not the dark velvet of his twin, but gentle silk, tenor, no less lovely, just not so… tangling* Rika Storm, yes? *he knows the thoughts patterns, they were filed and he knew the files* May I come in? *despite the fact he’s a /telepath/, a very prized possession in the hands and minds of the GUARD, a power that comes with a built-in station, a certain amount of pride, even arrogance – the other psionics had made sure he knew this – he has his implanted rung system, a safeguard against his immense power. Those of superior rank were to be treated not as a RUNner, not as a natural, but with courtesy. Lest the youth run roughshod over them all*

*Her mind races to place the voice, but it fails and instead rushes even further ahead....oh gods no. They found out...with effort she calms herself...If they had, they would be in here already, they wouldn't knock...* Hold on a sec * She finishes straightening herself out, or as good as she can without a mirror, and unlocks the door. As she opens it..* Can I help.....*her eyes slowly take in the figure in her doorway...the tall willowy frame, the pale skin, the perfection of the creature before her is startlingly familiar....eyes wide, she slowly backs away from the door, one hand reaching to cover her mouth which opens in a silent scream*

*Rikky blinks a moment as the door opens, as the woman inside backs away… as she looks on him with something close to horror, or fear. It had taken a moment for her to assess him, but when she had, the changes of expression were… well, under normal circumstances Rikky would be interested, amused, even, perhaps pursue it all. But this is not the tavern, or the castle, nor is she a plaything. She is a fellow GUARD member, and he’s not allowed to toy. At least, not like this. He frowns a moment, head tipping to the side, his cascade of deep pitch hair shimmering about him. She’d been thinking of -him-… and the emotions that had come with the images were not overly favorable. Of course, he realizes… of course, she thinks /I/ am him. He sighs internally and raises his hands, hoping to calm her down* Ssshhh… I am not -him-…

*A whimper escapes her as she continues backing away, not even hearing your words....no not here, it was bad enough there, but here? she can't handle it....She continues backing, her voice quiet, the Gaelic showing through* Nay, Not here. *her legs hit the edge of her bed, and she falls onto it, the impact seeming to have jarred some alertness into her she reaches blindly for the side table and her gun, her eyes never leaving your form.* What else ya gonna do ta me?

*he watches her intently, slow blinks, every motion slow… opposite her own. He can see the panic rising, her actions screaming her intents, her fears. Almost lazily, calmly, he closes the door behind them without turning to watch what he is doing, those beautiful, large eyes of his screwed onto her face alone* Going to do? *he asks softly, gently, faint smile on his lips* I came here to talk. You were thinking. *and he has his compulsions… /find out who you are, who you are from/. She, obviously, has some information. And this alone supersedes the directive for courtesy, though he’ll hold that as long as he is able to. He knows she moves for her gun, he says nothing, makes no other moves*

*Her eyes still wide with fear, her heart racing. She sits there watching, waiting for something to happen…for him to enter her mind, torment her some more. Tantalize her with a hope, she has all but given up on.....There's something different, but what?...* talk? you? I tried dat, and ya wanted nuthing ta do wid it.

Did I? *his posture alters, slightens, becomes less threatening as he relaxes, attention solely on her. He can -hear- her heart pounding, like a terrified mouse or rabbit… he can hear her blood rush through her body, -feel- the chemicals in her mind respond to and because of her fear… adrenaline among them. How marvelous, he thinks, how marvelous the mind and all it can do and all it does. But even as he muses faintly on this, the beauty of the brain, his own -does- twine out, gently, soft slither, for hers. He needs to see what happened, what was done, why she is reacting like this* And what did I say to you, Rika?

*She sits there watching you...wondering what you are up to. This posture…this voice, they've changed, he's playing a new game with a marked deck....a long time survivor, she knows when the chips are down...and she is all out of cards...she goes straight for the punch, her new assuredness showing as the accent vanishes* *she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath* What’s your game this time? If you’re going to kill me...get it over with...I won't play your game anymore, not by your rules. *her mind is wide open, never having had any decent shields to begin with. The events of her previous meeting constantly replay themselves in her head, a never-ending reminder.*

*No shields… well, as good as none to Rikky, anyway. They might deter a lesser telepath, but one so strong as the clone… no shields. And he wouldn’t do this, he wouldn’t pry, wouldn’t enter, if not for the fact that his first directive outweighs the secondary… learn. Do almost anything you have to do to learn of him. There’s a small internal conflict, one that almost makes him wince, pain in his head, as the compulsions battle themselves out. Then, it all smoothes, and Rikky is free to override… learn. And, yes, he does just that… sees. See Him in the shadows, hear the command in her mind to come to him, sees his eyes and feels his voice in her head. God… sadistic, vicious bastard. And then… he knows. For a moment, his eyes pull off her and scan the bare walls of her room. No mirrors. And none because she saw herself as…* You are still beautiful. Did you know that? Only you see yourself as… old. It is a torture for you alone.

*She just sits there, watching, waiting for something, anything.....and she feels nothing, he does nothing....it was almost a disappointment, in a bizarre twisted way. She had steeled herself, to do something, anything...what she was not sure. But all he did was sit there......Then he did it, dropped the bomb he pointedly looked around the room, drawing attention to the lack of mirrors* only see myself as old? I look it, I am old *a hand slides along what she perceives as a wrinkled cheek.... a strange sound leaves her throat, a half sob, half chuckle* of course its a torture for me, it affects no-one else *her words bitter and harsh*

That is not what I meant… *Rikky shifts then, hazards moving forward, so slowly, calmly, approaching, and very aware she still has a gun. Not that it would do much, he’d know her thoughts before she pulled the trigger, and he’d escape the bullet, but still.. the noise could alert others, and then he wouldn’t be able to… to what? Help, he guesses. Right what he’d made wrong. Clean up after him. Damn it all. Normally Rikky may not even care, but this was a fellow GUARD member, and that meant something* You feel it, you think it, you see it, and knowing this will not change that. But it is illusion, he placed it in your mind. You are the only one who sees and feels that you are old. Your mind, though… it cannot fight what he has done. *a quiet murmur as he continues* You want me to be him. You want to hurt me, hurt him. If it would make you feel better, go ahead.

*She watches him approach, the gun forgotten in her hand, as words he utters ramble through her head...he? me? him?...what was going on?…her mind swims in confusion...her eyes tell her it is the same creature...the one she should hate...fear, yet her instincts tell her otherwise...Which does she follow her head or her gut.. rarely have the two conflicted, and never with such force* Him? be him? you are him.

*Not prevented, Rikky pushes onward, gentle, graceful glides of movements, little steps, approaching further. He can sense her confusion, sense her internal struggles, all the while, his mind still in hers, searching… finding the tangles Aerik had placed there to keep her from taking her own life, searching further, seeking out -what- he had done. Her power, shut off. Still there, but inaccessible. He’s felt it before, knows the signature, knows the ability. Can he counter it? He isn’t sure. It could… hurt her to do so, but if he succeeds, she would be as she was before. Unnatural. The illusion… that could be more difficult, and he’s not nearly so experienced as his twin…* I am not Him. *he pauses, makes a tiny moue of disgust, wrinkling his nose prettily. But then, there is nothing about him that is not pretty* I am… you do not know? *this shouldn’t surprise him, not everyone -did- know, and he hasn’t been alive very long. Maybe a month, still very young* I am his twin… I am a …clone… *he is very aware of this, they never tried to hide it, they -told- him as such. When he first awoke… it was almost the first things said to him. Happy Birthday. You’re a clone* But I -am- GUARD… and GUARD made. And I know of him, though I have yet to meet him. They call me Rikky here.

Not him? but...*her mind races through possibilities* a clone? *that explains what she knew, but didn't know...the confusion in her senses....she had been hiding since...she won't even let her mind finish the sentence, it highly possible that they somehow managed it, she's been out of the loop, she wouldn't know.* you’re HIS clone? You are GUARD? * a smile crosses her face, the first that had been there in ages* Then you have *once again she allows hope to flare* you have his skills?

*Rikky smiles, still edging closer, till he stands just before her, an arm’s length away.. and nods slowly, eyes planted firmly on her lovely face. The cloning process was still highly questionable… and he’s guessed that there were many mistakes before he was created. They could do it, yes, but there were bugs to work out yet.. and it was still fairly classified information* I am -his- clone, yes. And I am GUARD, yes. They made me, raised me. *his voice is a soft murmur, a touch of palpable suede* I have… *he frowns, unsure what he has* I have a great deal of power, and knowledge, but his skills? I do not of what he is capable, to be honest. *Far more than Rikky is, to be sure. Aerik has lived a lot longer, seen a great deal more action. Not that Rikky is any kind of slouch, but even the most skilled GUARD Psionic is nothing compared to Aerik* But I can try.. *he whispers* I can try to fix what he has done.

*She closes her eyes and breathes a sigh of relief, calm stealing over her almost instantly* Can you? would you? *her eyes fasten on you, trying to imprint upon her mind the different muscle postures, the friendlier face....The second male she had looked upon in years, which she did not instantly think of possessing...the first terrified her, the second...the second offered salvation* Would you try? please?

*he sees and feels the calm that sweeps over her as she understands what he is… and of course, if he’d wanted her to believe he was Aerik, he could have done so. Well, given free will over the situation. As it is, he simply can’t… she is a higher rank than he. A small pause, and he kneels before her as she sits on the bed, reaching hands out, fingers to place on her temples. But he doesn’t connect yet, he holds back, eyes bright in the shadows of his bangs* I can try. But it might… hurt you. Much of this will not be skill, but sheer brute force. And he is stronger than I. *this much he already knows* Are you willing to take the pain? I will be too involved with what I am doing to dampen it overly much for you. *He’ll wait for her answer before proceeding, still searching things out in her mind*

*she looks into your eyes and smiles* anything is better than this, even death itself looks appealing. *she leans forward and kisses you on the forehead* Thank you.

*Rikky’s eyes lower demurely, lashes shielding his amberblack orbs for the duration of the kiss, then he glances back up through the smoky veil, smiling* It looks appealing.. but is unobtainable. *he whispers this, knowing she couldn’t kill herself, though another could, of course. But she couldn’t have actively sought it out. He pushes that away, however, nods once, and completes the physical circuit, fingertips to temples, warm flesh to flesh* And you are welcome… *absently murmured as his eyes unfocus, as he sees -through- her and beyond.. into her. His mind fully in hers, body all but unguarded, traipsing down the paths of her thoughts… the first thing he does is stand before the blockage. Power shut down. His astral eyes narrow… this could be.. difficult. So smoothly accomplished, so easily… he’s beginning to get a better idea of just how strong, and skilled, his twin is. No scars, no psionic fallout. Truly, a wonderful job. He doesn’t know a GUARD Psi who could pull it off this well, he doesn’t even know if -he- can. He starts by picking at it, testing its ‘tensile’ strength and resilience. Working at the knots, scrutinizing from every angle. He sighs. Maybe the illusion first… no, that was a deeper one. This first, a warm-up, then the illusion. Alright… free-floating, heavy, anvil-like… the dampners were strong. But Aerik made one tiny fatal slip… he didn’t expect anyone to have the power to undo his work. Rikky is not so powerful, but he -is- as strong as Aerik -was- before the assimilation tripled his psionics. Rikky, the strongest telepath currently on the Earth at the moment, as Aerik was not. He marshals his powers, concentrates… and sends a massive charge of mental energy at the blocks. Directed so narrowly, like a laser, it won’t destroy Rika’s mind, but it -will-… //hurt//….*

*She feels him 'pluck' at the block, the vibrations running through her body like a minor electrical charge. Then, after a brief pause, IT happens. Unbelievable pain, pain she did not think possible. it feels like an implosion and an explosion occurring at the same time, both competing to outdo the other, attempting to see which destroys her skull first. She squeezes her eyes tight, a trickle of blood running from the right*

*Being IN her head, he can feel it… the ripping agony. His physical body makes a sympathetic hiss to the pain while his mind works quickly to at least bleed a -little- of that off, though he can’t, at the moment, divide his attentions enough to seriously aid her. He pushes it away from himself, not needing to be affected as he works, tries shielding his actions a bit better, keeping it contained a little more, gathers again… and silently begging for forgiveness, sends another laser-blast of Psi energy at the blocks. Further limiting himself, he’s keeping the fallout from being sensed by the other GUARD Psi’s. He hardly needs them rushing into the room and undoing all his precious work by distracting him. Besides, they didn’t know the blocks were even there… the dampners are loosening. He unleashes two more shorter bursts, intense, before the last of his attempts. This one being massive, powerful, the gathering of his energies once more, sustained… and he trains it on the blocks, keeps it there like a spear of solar flare, until he can feel the blocks give way… crumble… disintegrate*

*how the pain can increase, she does not know, but it does, making the previous agony seem like a mere pinprick in comparison. Her head now feels like a nuclear test site being blown apart, reformed.......then suddenly the agony stops leaving behind only a throbbing footprint stamped upon the inside of her skull. one that would normally be torture, but that now feels as no more than an ache in comparison.*

*He pulls back into his body as soon as the blocks are destroyed… almost completely annihilated. And he’s exhausted. AND he left himself open.. AND her power is back on. For a moment, it hits him… but part of him was prepared, he -knew- her files. Its only an instant, things in Rikky that should not be moving… MOVE. It startles him, makes him blink even as he pushes his shields up, blocks her out, shuts his responses down… but oh, it affected him. First Yeeyan, though he’d managed to shove to the side easily enough. Still, it wasn’t long ago.. and now this. He takes a moment to catch his breath, both from his mental exertions and the power of Rika’s unnatural abilities, which may affect his very inhuman body a little differently than normal. He shudders, just a little action… and it may be that such -assaults- to him awaken him far faster than he was ever meant to… but he can control it.. control it. Yes. Control. Finally he looks back up, eyes wide and dark, still in contact with her, and murmurs* Now the illusion…

Thank you! *Unhesitatingly she leans forward and kisses him* thank you. *The relief on her face is evident as she feels her powers return, unconsciously she boosts them just to test…then noting your reactions she quickly dampens it down...she then looks up with a sheepish grin* sorry.

*Fortunately, he has his shields up by the time she boosts her powers, but he’s a bit dizzy from the kiss. Its his first one. He blinks at her a few times, feels her dampen the abilities, and tries for an awkward smile back at her, beautiful, and maybe moreso because he -is- a bit shocked* …You are welcome… *he gathers his composure again, nodding* It is.. alright. Um.. the illusion. Are you up to it now? Or a later time when you have recovered a bit?

*She returns the smile and murmurs softly* what I wouldn't give for a smile like yours *blinks* oh the illusion…uhmmm, I guess whatever is easier for you *fidgets, a little uncomfortable with it all*

*Rikky, for the first time, actually /looks/ at Rika. Beautiful, she really is… his eyes soften a bit as he gazes over her features, as perfect as a human could aspire to have. How could she have believed it was all her power and not her? She didn’t need her power, Rikky thinks, she has enough of it naturally.. but his gaze sharpens, snapping out of his thoughts, as she compliments, and he actually, genuinely, blushes softly* Thank you. *his eyes lower in the praise, then raise again, accompanied by a small, delicate frown* It is up to you. How soon do you wish to look into a mirror again? *he shifts where he kneels, adjusting*

*she looks at you blushing....that’s cute, you don't see grown men blush too often, not like that anyhow* *sigh* well then I suppose we might as well get it over with.

*He tries to hide his smile from her thoughts, and pushes that damn blush away, cooling his skin, evening out the tones. He keeps his position, fingertips to her temples, and nods once, eyes unfocusing* I do not think this will hurt, but it may… *he trails off, slipping back into her mind, pushing again to find the illusion set into motion. Oh, good God. This would be.. tedious. His twin wrapped it so much into thoughts, senses, imagery, and more, that there was a mess to untangle. Time consuming, yes, but hopefully not too power-draining, not like the last time. So he labours… long, still moments go by… almost a half an hour… sliding, picking, unknotting, untangling, snipping… its half the fact Rikky -is- so powerful a telepath that it gets done so quickly. Just skill alone wouldn’t have managed it… and he learns a great deal from this exercise. Its a hard endeavor, and it leaves him physically sweating, he’s so focused, working so delicately, like diffusing a bomb… intricate work here, and some lines leading to places that could damage if not disconnected correctly. Aerik hadn’t made it easy… and Rikky must forge a few new threads to reroute the systems, protect the rest. In the end, he doesn’t -undo- the illusion, he just redirects it, so she sees truth, feels truth, but Aerik’s work, too much for Rikky to wipe out, remains**He sighs heavily when its over, leans back on his heels, and drops his hands. Weakly, wearily, he mutters* There. Try that.

*she holds still the entire time, attempting to keep her mind blank of all thought, all feelings. She does feel on slight twinge as he works, what it is form she doesn't know, and will not ask, that fact that he is even trying is more than enough for her. whether it works or not does not matter, she has all she needs, her powers. nothing else matters... after what seems an eternity he leans back* Try it? I don't...I don't know. *hesitantly she walks over to a drawer. After standing with her hand on it for a few seconds she opens it, and pulls out a small hand mirror. She hesitates to look at it, then abruptly turns it and looks in it. As she sees her reflection she bursts into a beatific smile and starts giggling...why she is giggling she doesn't know, but she is happy. she looks in the mirror once more then turns to you* Oh thank you, *with the mirror still in one hand she hugs him, then kisses him again, while still giggling...she can't stop giggling.* Thank you thank you *she then leans back and looks at you, the occasional giggle bursting out* You never did tell me your name.

*the blank state of mind -did- help… helped a great deal, in fact. He watches, tiredly, as she steps for the drawer, pulls out a mirror… struggles, not wanting to look… but she finally does and… he grins. He can’t help it, her smile is contagious, that beautiful expression of delight. Weary, he can’t quite return the hug, not with any strength, but he holds his smile, happy that she is so happy. And he knows the hell she went through, knows the pain… the suffering He had inflicted with his warped games. He supposes he can’t blame his twin.. RUNner and GUARD, no love lost between them* You are… very welcome. *comes the tired reply. He thought he’d mentioned his name, but is too exhausted to argue the point or even really think about if he did or not* Rikky. Here they call me Rikky. *while she’s still giggling, he pushes himself upward, using the bed as a brace, and straightens, turning, towering over her. A quiet sigh, and he murmurs* I should... rest. *he feels dizzy.. this has been quite the chore for him, so young, so inexperienced* I am around… I live here. If you should need me… think my name. *then he’s partly weaving for the door, to depart*

*Smiles* thank you Rikky, I will *she watches him head out, only just now realizing how straining it was for him.....she had to repay him somehow...She closes the door, and turns to her closet, where she begins pulling out her mirrors and re-hanging them*

*Rikky re-enters his room, shutting the door silently behind him. He’ll have to cut his hair again, soon.. tomorrow, he thinks, as he collapses onto his bed and immediately falls into a deep sleep…*