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

[repeatedprayer]

[Manabu's determination would be appreciated, if Grey was aware of it; but then, it's needed because he's stressed enough about having to unexpectedly run away like this. The pit stop so that Manabu can puke is alarming enough as it is.

It's a bit later when Grey finally stops their grim journey across the city and settles, wind-chilled and bone-weary, onto the flat pebbly roof of a large building.

Where are they? Somewhere that the air smells of saltwater, engine exhaust, and a pinch of sulfur. Here, the buildings are mostly factories and warehouses. The one Grey's picked to stop at is a factory- the rooftop water tower they're resting in the shadow of has the words "MCSHEEHYS' BRUSHES AND BROOMS" painted on it in letters almost as tall as Grey is.]

...We're somewhere far enough I don't think they'll be able to find us right away. We can afford to rest for a bit.

[Grey would certainly like to sit down, since laying in a bed isn't an option right now.]

[siriusly]

Right...

[this isn't ideal, but Manabu's never been the most sensible anyway. he borrows Grey's arm for help to sit down, grimacing. he feels like hell, which is...appropriate, but not helpful, because after moving these bags, he needs to figure out what among that spy's pockets may have survived the jostled journey.]

Well. I guess he'll have a few hassles of his own without this... [an ID card for...something. he squints.] Storage and logistics? Maybe a dayjob...

[the rifling is a bit lethargic, because it's cold, he's nauseous, and he's stuck with the dread feeling that the wheels have officially come off of this investigation. how is he going to salvage this in this state? think, Yuuki...]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey stoically descends alongside Manabu, sitting next to him to provide some semblance of warmth as well as to catch his breath. He lets Manabu handle the rifling, lethargic as it may be, and examines each piece of evidence as soon as Manabu sets it aside.]

It gives us another place to investigate... [Could the storage and logistics company be working with the university, with the lab? It seems plausible enough...]

[siriusly]

[Manabu slumps against him, frowning at the ID image. it's hard to really see without digging out a light source, and squinting doesn't make it any clearer. he sighs, stuffing the card back into the jacket.]

This isn't really going the way I expected. [...] Not that...I planned out all the details very well in my head...

[repeatedprayer]

[The weight of Manabu against him is at least reassuring. The situation is bad, but the most important part was salvaged. Albeit not without getting terribly sick in the process.

Grey closes his eyes.]

We couldn't have stayed there forever. [Though this is certainly sooner than either of them would have preferred.]

[siriusly]

[that's true, but...still. but still!

he huffs a little, shivering.]

I, I should probably have a better laid-out plan at this point. [but he's never really been the plan guy. that's what captains are for!] Sorry. Playing it by ear does tend to...lead to things like this. But-- [he makes himself straighten up to emphasize his determination.] But I'm still going to set this right. And--and help you out, too. In return. Don't think I won't.

[repeatedprayer]

Nn...

[Grey frowns, as dubious as ever about the odds of Manabu integrating him into society, but he really doesn't feel like arguing the point. It isn't that he's not grateful for Manabu's concern, exactly, but he's already gotten a lot from Manabu. He'd rather not lose what he has by slipping out of the shadows where he's safest- to say nothing of the trouble Manabu might get into trying to advocate for an illegal copy with a serious criminal background.

Grey opens his eyes and trails his gaze over Manabu's expression. Right. Setting things right.]

For now, let's go over the information we already have, and work out our next move afterwards. Starting with you.

[siriusly]

[right. work. Manabu rummages through the bags of stuff, digging out the thumb drive Grey swiped days prior.]

DNA sequencing for animals and people... The lab equipment in that storage shed... The names of benefactors and school staff...

[it's not ironclad, but it's a pretty apparent pile of circumstantial, far-too-coincidental findings. especially considering...] ...And myself. [he grimaces, his attention pivoting to the ache of having kept his tail tied down all this time.]

If I can access an SDF-secured channel somewhere, I can submit it all directly, rather than wait for someone to come out here and find it on the next scheduled train.

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey absently nods along to the list of evidence. It feels like they've got enough for the SDF to make a good start, particularly if they have Manabu to act as a combination witness and evidence. Nobody would be able to deny something is wrong if Manabu appears with dog ears and tail visible.

But they need to get Manabu into the right place first.]

And where do you think you could get that access?

[siriusly]

The train station... [he lifts his head, searching the sky for sign of one of those familiar, noodly trails of light that would indicate a galaxy train.] If...my credentials are still active in the system, I can send it directly. Or I'll have to use an emergency line...

[his eyes wince. that won't be ideal. it'll be a lot of questioning right up front.]

We'll...have to get the story straight.

[repeatedprayer]

The security around the train station is tight. [And that was something Grey observed when he'd just arrived on Ruvinagald, and not before there was a fugitive SDF officer running around.] I hope you have some insights into how to bypass security.

[That issue, however, seems almost straightforward compared to the next, looming issue of Manabu having to explain the situation to his colleagues. Grey huffs.]

I don't suppose you could leave me out of the explanation.

[siriusly]

I-- [he grimaces.] I...wouldn't know how. Grey, how could I have possibly gotten out of there on my own? Or, even that, recovered?

[as far as 'recovery' looks on him at this stage (which isn't terrible! good job Grey, you did in fact feed him vegetables).]

Would it...really be that bad? To get out in the open on this? People would be grateful--

[repeatedprayer]

Manabu. I know, alright? You can't lie to your colleagues.

[Even if Manabu did deign to lie about Grey's involvement, or at least gloss over it, the SDF would undoubtedly gather testimonies later down the line of a Rezo lookalike with lethal psychic abilities attacking the lab.]

I just- I merely- I have a past you know.

[Grey huffs and reaches up to irritably scruff a hand through his hair. "A Rezo lookalike with lethal psychic abilities" is a question with only a handful of possible answers.]

Helping one person isn't going to change that.

[siriusly]

[he's hurting all over already, so what's one more ache? the one in his chest is harder to pin down and understand, but it's not like he's in a place with the time and means to really unpack it. all he knows is it hurts, it makes him unhappy, and he doesn't know how to make it better.

things are so much easier when there's an obvious fix to barrel forward toward.

he watches Grey with that unhappy expression, ears drooping and making it even more sad, brow knitting as he considers that response.]

...Doing anything doesn't change the past. That's...that's the past. I, I'm talking about moving forward. Past the past!

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey's hand slides to hide his face as his head droops. It's easier than looking at Manabu right now.]

Forward...

[To say Grey never thinks about the future would be inaccurate, but he does tend to focus on a specific goal without considering what comes afterwards. Once, that goal was to surpass Rezo. Now, his goal is to help Manabu. He can't think about what comes next beyond avoiding his own instinctual fear of being revealed or imprisoned.]

I don't want... to go back...

[His words slip out of him slowly, painful thoughts struggling to take shape and articulate themselves.]

If I go with you... if the authorities discover me, they'll make me into a lab rat again.

[siriusly]

[earnestly:] I wouldn't let anyone do that! If they did, then--then I guess I'd be an outlaw, too!

[more earnestness than sense, the Manabu Yuuki way.

he sits forward a bit to try and see past the hand obscuring Grey's face.]

Grey, I'm...I'm not the only person in the SDF who wants to help people. I mean, it's...kind of what you have to want to do to be there. [sometimes it gets diluted. twisted. but those facets show their true colors...and get addressed! in his anecdotal experience, at least. which surely counts for an entire system covering multiple star systems, right?]

Maybe it...it won't be easy. But it has to be better than always running? And hiding?

[repeatedprayer]

...Running and hiding has been far better than what came before.

[Which Manabu has a pretty good idea of ever since Grey wound up crying on his shoulder all night.

Grey is quiet for a bit longer, brooding over what Manabu is saying. Eventually Grey finally lets the hand drop and tilts his head slightly to meet Manabu's gaze.

He's so earnest. Determined to help Grey join the rest of the world and live an honest yet free life, as a historian or astronomer or whatever.]

You really believe it's possible, don't you. Why?

[siriusly]

Be-because...it's what I fight for. [his expression pinches.] I mean, what's the point of what I do if it doesn't help people...find better lives? Even if it's just keeping things on time, or if it's something huge like this, like--like some of the other things I've seen.

If people are going to go so far as clear across the galaxy...it...it may as well be to get to a better place. Right?

[again: more earnestness than sense. but it's a bit hard to deliver a fully-formed speech when freezing cold and sore.]

[repeatedprayer]

[But why him? Why Grey? It's maddening that he can't figure out a way to ask Manabu if it matters that he's a Copy- if he still counts as one of those people Manabu wants to help- without making it obvious that's what he is. And so Grey winds up staring at Manabu in frustrated silence, until he notices the shivering.

His expression softens.]

...It's cold. Come here.

[Hopefully Manabu will have no objections to curling up closer and letting Grey embrace him. Both of them could use the extra warmth.]

So then, what will you tell the SDF about me?

[siriusly]

[Manabu scoots in, though he's slow to settling; his tail still tied down makes sitting comfortably a challenge, so he tries a few ways to bend or not-bend his leg until just...drawing his knee up and dealing with the least of the painful twinges. this sucks. he just wants to be comfortable!

Grey's warm, though, so at least a portion of him gets to be warm.

amidst this fidgeting there's a few 'um's and other uncertain sounds, since his impulsive speaking-from-the-heart can only go so far, and not far enough as to compose whole plans or speeches.]

I, I mean...you're a victim of bad science practices too, right? We're not--I mean, not exactly the same, but. Similar. Like that. It's further proof that something needs to be done! And...and neither of us should be getting punished for that. Is what I think...

Right?

[that sounds sane and coherent, right? he can't tell. it's cold.]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey wraps his arms around Manabu, loosely enough to allow for all the fidgeting that Manabu is doing, and listens. And thinks.

Manabu has a point, more than he realizes. It isn't as if Grey ever asked to be created. By comparison, being punished for the murders and other crimes he's committed feels fairer- even if he doesn't regret any of it at least those are choices he made. Emotionally, it's hard not to think of himself as an abomination, but he can understand logically that it isn't his fault.

Grey's voice is soft:]

I was referring more to my involvement in your situation, but I can't say I disagree.

[Anyway, the fidgeting finally made Grey remember about Manabu's tail and how it's uncomfortably tied away under his pants.]

-I think we can untie your tail now.

[Not like anyone else is up here to notice it. Or if there is, then they've probably spotted the dog ears first.]

[siriusly]

Oh. [well now he has to think about THAT more critically! that'll go great in these circumst--] Uh? Oh--really? That'd actually...probably help a bit.

[...but that means being un-hugged. these are the sacrifices a soldier has to make sometimes.

Manabu reluctantly wriggles free so he can sit up on his knees and deal with the matter of pants and tail-bindings, which would be way more embarrassing if he wasn't trying to hurry up and not freeze his actual ass off. once the tail's loose, he's distinctly less tense, exhaling in a loud sigh while trying to get pants back up without pinching the base of his tail.

while sagging back against Grey:] This has to be the weirdest situation I've ever been in...even without time travel.

[repeatedprayer]

[If it helps, Grey's not enthusiastic about unhugging Manabu either! Partly because Manabu's kind of eminently huggable and Grey's maybe a tad overprotective, and partly because Grey also appreciates the body heat. But he lets Manabu get on with things and once he feels Manabu's weight settling against him, Grey once again wraps his arms around him.

That might be the point at which Grey would relax a little if it weren't for the next weird thing that Manabu blurts out.]

-Without what.

[Pardon??? Is that a metaphor or something?]

[siriusly]

Oh--uh...eheh...heh... [did he not bring that up before? woops. he's slippin', too far away from SDF consequences.] I, uh...I got stuck in a Time Knot. On my train out to Destiny, when I was recruited.

[repeatedprayer]

[Ah. There's that sheepish chuckle that Grey is familiar with.] Elaborate.

[Grey isn't actually annoyed with Manabu and his oh-by-the-way-this-impossible-thing-happened schtick- but the confusion might read as irritation in the moment, whoops.]