True Lies

Blackdagger
** The room was dark, James barely had feeling running through him. His limbs were dull and sore; his stitches were stinging ever so lightly. His healing factor was less than that of a human. The drugs that pulsed through his veins were numbing, and gave him an intoxicated feeling. He was hardly aware he was still alive, in fact the dull pain was the only thing that he could cling to. As to tell him he was living. His thoughts rambled, from those of childhood, to those of a few nights before. Though he had no sense of time or place. He didn't know if he had been this way for months or years, days or hours. He did not even understand where he was. As feeling filtered back, trying to hold the raging wave of pain at bay, he began to feel needles pressed into his arm. He felt people around him, and finally heard voices. One in particular struck him. Soothing, soft, near melodic. One that told the medics to leave, and him to relax and open his eyes. He would have if he had the strength. **

Attrait
-=-J.X. Amorce wandered to the room where Blackdagger was being held. His suit was Armani, his shoes to match. He reeked of money and authority. The only thing the betrayed this cool collective demeanor was a warm smile that danced over his lips. A kind almost gentle soul it seemed behind it all. He motioned for a few medics to part as he looked to the sad sight of "humanity" crippled beneath him. A few refused, until he spoke suggesting they needed to help the injured elsewhere. They parted without a moments more hesitation. He looked down at James and spoke very gently, very soothing. The effect relaxing, noting James was becoming less tense. -=- // Relax James, open your eyes. // -=- The youth seemed to struggle. Against his power or against the pain of opening his eyes he was unsure. But he let it be. His voice just as soothing, like a melody whispering in a distant forest. He sat at James' bedside and watched. -=- James, we need to discuss a few things before they grow . . .-=- He placed his hand over his brow, trying to phrase what he was saying in a less treating way. -=- . . out of hand. -=- He sat back waiting for the youth to answer, seeing only small flinches, as acknowledgment he then smiled. J.X. was a smart one. Having seen this base grow from nothing to this. He knew where the microphones were, even ones he hadn't placed. He was aware of nearly everything. He still chose his words wisely. -=- You know as I do that I saw you with Yvette. And I was . . .-=- He paused for a long moment before continuing. -=-. . .aware . . of your growing relationship. Several G.U.A.R.D. employees have been under the impression that you were helping her. // I know that was not the case. You would never help a R.UN.ner, no matter the cost. // -=- He stopped rolling his fingers over his brow, and instead looked at the boy, only to hear the lightest murmur. -=-

** James listened as best as he could. The sound of the voice seemed to tear through his grogginess and through the medication to his brain. He listened, and felt his body seem to fall. He felt his world crashing about him and all he could do was sit, and listen to the crumbling pieces. As soothing as the voice was, it could not buffer the words. Each was a dagger of truth slashing at his heart, tearing his loyalties even further. He was unsure how to answer until prompted the words a hair above nothing, a notch below a whisper. Slurred by his inoperable tongue. ** That wasn't the case. I would never help a R.UN.ner you know that. No matter the cost, the relationship, I would never help a R.UN.ner. ** His voice trailed off, and the sensation of warmth and serenity grew. He relaxed a bit more, teetering on an unconscious plane. **

-=- Managing another smile, and a nod, though he knew the youth would not see it. It was for the benefit of those watching who /could/ see. . . could possibly hear. -=- I knew that was the case. That // Yvette took you hostage. // And under the circumstances, // You did everything to protocol. // -=- He looked away for a moment. Towards the sound of passing footsteps. He heard the clicking on the cold tiled floor slip into the distance. He would only say this alone with James. -=- I am sure your father would be extremely proud. -=- He leaned back from the statement allowing the boy to drink that in before continuing. Again for the benefit of those not seen. -=- You know I must mentally scan you to assure that this information is correct. -=- He watched James inhale deeply, and understood that this meant 'yes'. He briefly touched his near leathered hand upon the boy's head. Instead of searching deeply as he could, being a mild telepath against no mental shielding, he merely sent thoughts of soothing landscapes and situations to the boy's mind. James relaxed further. Nudging the boy awake a few times. Minutes later removed his hand, and smoothed out the sheets beneath James. -=- I suppose then there are no more questions to be answered. It seems to me that your encounter was completely innocent. -=- He moved to leave and hesitated for a moment longer. Reaching into his pockets to retrieve a small brown envelope that read in black letters -James Blacke - -=- This arrived for you today. // I suggest you open it when you are back in your room. Shall I put it in a safe place for you? //

** James felt his body swim, though none of his thoughts were scanned. He began to question this for a long moment before feeling his labored breathing ebb. His blood began to pulse regularly. Slipping to sleep a few times and snapping back out of it with a small start. He heard his superior speak again and only could answer to place it in his animal room. A small after thought was an utterance about the welfare of his animals. He was reassured they were being cared for. He sat in silence, listening to the same. He waited almost for anything, surely this man knew. He /saw/ James help Yvette. He was there, he spoke of their relationship. This guy wasn't that dense. If anything he was all too attentive. **

-=-J.X. heard the thoughts loudly race through James' mind. He said then in the same echoing tone. -=- // It is better to leave things be, wouldn't you agree? Please rest, try not to think of the escape any longer. // I will take care of these vicious rumors floating around our base. They should be tales of valor. -=- A light chuckle. -=- You are, after all, back . . . alive. You are quite a solider. -=- He then stood, and spoke for a final time. -=- Do not worry about the paper work, I will fill everything out for you, seeing as I have recounted the memories. You are in no condition to write, and the events are fresh in my mind. // Read them when I am finished. // I would not want to // leave any crucial details out. // -=- The message was clear to Blacke. -Read the paper work, don't add events. - In the same way as he seemed to be concerned for the welfare of the documents, he managed a way to keep all stories straight. He pressed his hand against James' as a good-bye, and walked out of the room. Passing a few medics on the way saying to them lightly in passing that the person he was visiting needed attention. The envelope he carried back to James' room and placed it where it belonged, and personally attended the animals that day. -=-

** James could only open and close his lips feebly in response. The message was all to clear. J.X. knew, don't think about it. Everything was going to be okay. If he had the strength he would have cried in relief. Instead he felt a kind hand press a farewell and soon medics attending to his needs. Injecting him with more healing -relaxing drugs so they could repair the damage correctly. As well as his healing factor was, it was not perfect. Bones that were broken would be mended as is, elongating them, compounding them. His skin would heal without a scar, but the skin would heal in such a way there would be too much, or too little. If it hadn't been for the muscle relaxants and other mixtures, he would have been deformed long long ago. So instead he sat here now, nothing healing, only doctors attending. Something they all had to learn to work with. Something that drifted from this thoughts as he began to sleep. **

-=- Jean, after taking care of a few things, visiting a few more injured people was back in his office. The light marble floor like sheen glass. Reflecting his movements to the holographic computer terminal. He wrote up the report and filed it as he said, just as he "saw in James' mind". The basic line of it was, == James was going to the Prison block for a suprise inspection. At a checkpoint the power went out due to a foul up at a transformer. This then causing the death of a valued technician, who was at fault. The techies, who were performing a routine virus run, then tried to contact main control, and went to see about the power. The base was in an uproar, and one prisoner saw the chance and took it. To the negligence of several G.U.A.R.D., he was included. She escaped. When she was trapped, she took hold of the first G.U.A.R.D. member she saw, which was James. Out matched by two elite R.U.N.ners, he then was pulled to a former employee's car, and taken from base in an unconscious state. Upon awakening he was being beaten by several R.U.N.ners, and thrown into captivity. Until one of them thought he may have a tracking device, and thus he was returned. Just barely alive. == The story more than likely. It was now the truth. His word, mental scans, scars, and records were more than enough to prove it. Everything was neat and tidy. He forwarded a copy to Scratch, along with several other items. A few more reports, a few documents regarding Natural Resources, and Human Resources. Damage bills, of which underlying governments were most likely to pay. A few tracks on the account that was being used in odd areas. He sent them all and sat at his desk for a long quiet moment feeling very satisfied, nearly confident. Though he didn't let any of these emotions betray him. They never surfaced past a fleeting thought. Instead cameras picked up what seemed to be a tired, older man, and the microphones picked up a very light sigh. -=-