doggone

[repeatedprayer]

[In the time following his departure from Tabito and Manabu's company, the alias "Grey" has wound up sticking.

Not that everyone calls him that, he's used a few other aliases since then, but it's what he's wound up thinking of himself as. If Grey had taken the time to think about it a bit more he might have picked something with a little less connection to Rezo's name, but it's still leagues better than thinking of himself as "Rez- wait, no, just a copy." And maybe that's why he's felt significantly calmer since he left Sairaag.

By his own standards, Grey has been laudably well-behaved; sure, he's been mostly doing under-the-table psychic work, often on behalf of criminals, but! He's been trying to keep a low profile so it's usually things like clairvoyant spying rather than anything violent, and he's been making a point of not doing anything that directly impacts the galaxy railways.

It would be extremely awkward if Manabu Yuuki had to try and arrest him, after all.

He's found himself frequently thinking about Manabu, much to his annoyance. He has no serious expectations of ever seeing Manabu again, so it's simply a waste of mental bandwidth to find himself wondering what Manabu is doing right now or where he is, or to reminisince over their incredibly brief acquaintanceship. Grey can only suppose that because Manabu was the first reasonably normal person he got to know after leaving Sairaag that Manabu is going to stick out in his mind for a while.

And it's probably because of the real estate that Manabu is hogging in Grey's mind that he's been very aware of every mention of the SDF that crosses his path. He hasn't exactly been tracking the SDF's activities deliberately, but he does pay attention to the news and the SDF frequently winds up in there, even if Manabu's name in particular isn't normally dropped.

Until the day it does.

SDF Officer Taken Hostage By Pirates]

* * *

[It's taken several weeks of investigating, but Grey has been able to track down The Huntress's client, a Dr. Parish and associates. It must be a small galaxy, because Dr. Parish is someone Grey knows. Sort of.

Rather, Dr. Parish was a colleague of Rezo's who collaborated with the man on chimera research (and other unsavory things) in the past. Not only that, the man was an ardent admirer of Rezo's superior psychic prowess, and desperate to improve his own meager abilities.

He'd had quite a shock when Grey approached him in town, but after the initial surprise it had been sickeningly easy to convince Dr. Parish that he was the real Rezo. Grey can only surmise that the man wants to believe too badly to let himself be properly suspicious. It had only taken a day for Grey to be invited to tour Parish's laboratory.

The lab's located on the grounds of a former Marquess's estate, a ways out of town and secluded by trees, a high wall, and a long drive. Grey's done a little recon before, but actually being here is different, especially since he has to navigate by cane at the moment. Grey is doing his best to politely nod and smile as Parish guides him from room to room, explaining their work and occasionally handing him things to examine himself.

But evidently Parish realizes that "Rezo" isn't entirely interested, because he stops partway through an explanation of some stem cell experiments he and a few others have been working on to say "Of course, the really interesting specimens are kept in the basement floor."

Grey already knows this. He hopes his expression seems the right sort of eager.]

Interesting?

["Something along the lines of what we did in the past. Would you like to see them?"]

Nothing would please me more.

[Grey can practically hear Parish's delighted grin. To soothe the surge of irritation, Grey reminds himself that he's going to kill this man before the end of the day and allows Parish to guide him out into the hall and to the basement entrance at the back of the building.]

Comments

[siriusly]

[Manabu flusters, his face reddening.]

I, I have interests! It's not weird to want to work hard, though...!

[his tail thumps, betraying a bit of eagerness to get egged on.]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey politely doesn't comment on the tail thumping, but his smirk definitely widens.]

No, it definitely is. You know most people complain about having to work at all.

[siriusly]

If they don't like what they do, sure...and, and it's not like every day at work is a walk in the park, but it's still important an--

[he hesitates, glancing over his shoulder at the tail.]

And...I don't know how...I'm supposed to face anyone like this...actually...

[repeatedprayer]

[Ah. Back to the worrying. Grey's smirk fades, and he looks at Manabu, considering. One has to admit, the ears and tail don't exactly add to Manabu's intimidation factor.]

Are you concerned that your colleagues will laugh at you?

[siriusly]

It's more that...

[...

how to say...

he looks ahead of himself and down.]

It's just...proof that I can't handle myself. Which at this point, it...really shouldn't be that way. After everything that's happened...

[repeatedprayer]

[Manabu's words are a little vague, but when Grey reads between the lines... He gets the sense that there may be some history he's missing here.]

...Everything that's happened?

[siriusly]

[he smiles grimly, shaking his head.]

It's...a lot to get into. [and a lot he's not sure he's authorized to.] But--um. The platoon's...gone through a lot. All of the SDF, really. That's part of... ...Heh, that's...why we were at that bar at all. Remembering the people we lost.

[repeatedprayer]

Isn't that normal for the SDF? It's a dangerous line of work.

[But there's definitely some history he's missing here, and Grey remembers what Manabu said back on Tabito about how something "big" had happened involving an extradimensional species.]

[siriusly]

Right! Right, and...and I should've been able to avoid something like this. I mean, this...this didn't almost kill me like-- [like other things. he grimaces, turning his head away.]

...I just...I'm just ashamed. Of myself. Letting this...happen to me. Is all.

[repeatedprayer]

The only people who have reason to be ashamed are the ones who did this to you. [And they're mostly dead now!] I'm sure you were trying to protect people, to do your job. So it- It isn't as if you did anything wrong, life just isn't fair.

[Sometimes life just deals you a shitty hand and you get turned into a dog. Or you're created as a lab rat that can never be accepted as their own person.

Having extended those warm words of optimism and kindness, Grey shifts off of the bed and gets to his feet.]

I'm going to make some food. Do you think you can eat?

[siriusly]

...

[Manabu looks over, still wrestling with shame and unease in being in this situation anyway - to say nothing of it having to force Grey to be as he is! didn't...he want to be anywhere but near Manabu? doing his own things? unknown? given his powers, that part makes a little more sense, but even so...

the idea of food was so far away from his mind as to be an alien ask, so it takes a beat to process.]

Um. S-sure...

[what are you doing, Yuuki? shouldn't you be on your feet? bouncing back?

why am i like this?]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey stews a little as he prepares their meal. Manabu shouldn't have to be so down on himself! Certainly Grey thinks Manabu is foolish, and reckless, and he can be dense sometimes... But even with all that, he's objectively a far better person than most!

Trying to express it, however, is as difficult as trying to pull his own teeth out. So much of it boils down to the fact that somehow, someway, Grey has realized he cares about Manabu, in a way he doesn't care to examine but which leaves Grey vulnerable to his own potential shameful screw ups. If he says the wrong thing... If he can't get Manabu home safe from here... If he'd taken too long to find Manabu...

You're just a copy, how are you supposed to be anything to him?

Breakfast at the Grey-Manabu household is going to be a sad affair. Grey grabs a pair of cup noodles supposedly flavored beef, boils some water on the hot plate, adds it to the noodles, and voila.

Grey hands Manabu one of the cups and a fork.]

I hope your mother won't berate me for feeding you this. I realize it's a far cry from what you're used to at home.

[siriusly]

[he smiles somberly at that as he takes what's offered.]

I think...she'll just be happy you found me at all. That's above and beyond a part-timer, you know.

[and above and beyond an acquaintance. Manabu's got the understanding he says one thing and does another...]

[repeatedprayer]

[Manabu, please, he was just trying to make a quip. Why do you have to be so sincere and sweet all the time???]

...Well. Maybe I'll be promoted to a full-time worker, then?

[His delivery is a little weak, thanks to the hesitation and his uncertainty in the face of Manabu's response.

Time to distract himself with his own cheap noodles.]

[siriusly]

[Manabu feels a tightening in his chest.]

Only if you stick around, I guess. [and that feels...

...

hm...]

[repeatedprayer]

...

[For a moment, Grey tries to picture it- but the weight of reality immediately hits him.

Once Manabu's safely returned to his platoon, there will have to be an investigation into what happened. And there's no chance of the authorities shrugging off the existence of a powerful psychic who killed so many people so easily. Even at best there'll be people trying to dig into his past, his identity...

Sticking around is the last thing Grey can do. But it will be for the best. Manabu will be safe once he's back on Destiny, and he'll be with people he's much closer to than Grey.]

...I still have places I need to see. But I think we'll have to stay together a little longer.

[siriusly]

[Manabu slurps on the noodles in lieu of answering right away, because he's really feeling some kind of weird way. partings are always bittersweet, and the prospect of one now shouldn't be a surprise...but...

after all this...?

--wait.]

Mmh? [he blinks, noodles dangling out his mouth as he looks over. after a beat, he slurps those up, wiping his mouth.] What do you mean?

[repeatedprayer]

We left witnesses at the laboratory. Even if we hadn't, somebody was providing funding for Dr. Parish and his colleagues. Chimera research is expensive- You need to pay for equipment, personnel, test subjects... Even if you're doing it illegally there aren't many corners to cut.

[He gestures at Manabu with his fork.]

Which means that you were a considerable investment for somebody to make. It's highly unlikely that they'll shrug their shoulders and write you off. We can expect people looking for us. In an ideal world you could just go to the police and tell them what happened, but...

[Grey plunges his fork back into his cup, giving the noodles a broody stir.]

...The authorities on Ruvinagald are known to be corrupt. Odds are good that whichever rich backer Dr. Parish had will also have ties to law enforcement. We don't have your SDF ID or any way of proving your identity, and even if we did it'd still be a gamble that anyone would help you.

[He pauses a moment to let Manabu digest that, before finally getting to his point:]

I think the best course of action will be for us to combine our forces and make our own way back to Destiny. Your colleagues in the SDF will know you well enough to confirm your identity, and then you'll have the SDF's backing to take down anyone left that's responsible for what happened.

[Vengeance! Or justice if you prefer! Doesn't that sound nice?]

[siriusly]

...

[Manabu absorbs all this with an attentiveness that was severely lacking when Jane Austen was the subject. this is work - this is serious!

those survivors...a money backer...

...]

..."Rezo"...

[repeatedprayer]

[It's a little hard to tell, but it looks like Manabu is thinking about this seriously without panicking. That's satisfying to see. Grey resumes eating in silence, letting Manabu mull things over. Unfortunately, he isn't prepared for the conclusion that Manabu comes to.

Grey very nearly chokes. It feels as though the bottom just dropped out of his stomach.]

What?

[What did you call me?]

[siriusly]

[Manabu's frowning down at the remains of his cup, missing that dramatic reaction in his periphery.]

I remember...I remember hearing that name. In there. The lab. Something for a Rezo. Things to show Rezo.

[he looks over.] Maybe that's the benefactor? Behind all of this. Mayb-- [blink.]

...You okay?

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey's face is paler than usual. In the dim morning light, he looks almost like a ghost. He certainly feels as though there's one in the room, tracing an icy finger across his heart...

He stares balefully at Manabu, until the other man's words finally sink in.]

...You heard it. Right. He said you could probably hear...

[Grey shakes his head and turns around, depositing his cup on the counter. He doesn't feel like polishing it off right now.

He forces a stronger voice:]

I can see why you'd think that, but Rezo isn't the benefactor. He's the former colleague of Parish's that I was impersonating.

[siriusly]

[impersonating...Manabu needs a second to recall that bit. it's hazy. that whole event was...hazy. he'd heard the name more than a few times even before that rescue, but he can't be certain of what's remembered and what he's just assuming he knew.

even so:] That's still a lead. A connection to follow. You know this guy? If you were able to pretend to be him so easily.

[is that why he has a false ID? is he a spy on the side?]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey can't bring himself to turn around.]

Yes. I've met him.

[Should he be discouraging Manabu away from this train of thought? It's true that Rezo- the original Rezo- is connected to things. And if Manabu is to bring the perpetrators to justice, then it's better if he knows and remembers as much as possible.

But there's one thing that Grey never wants Manabu to know-!]

[siriusly]

[Manabu drinks back the remainder of broth in the cup, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. he needed the food more than he realizes, though his stomach isn't appreciating sudden solids in there after weeks of IV nutrition...his stomach audibly makes a noise at that.]

So that might be the way to go...hunting this guy down, finding out what he knows about this whole operation. Stop...other people from getting caught up in it.

[...]

Other people...are caught up in this...

[there's no way this is the first, but it's the first he's heard of any of this.

he feels nauseous quite suddenly.]