Christian
Christian lay on his back in the middle of the floor, just staring at the ceiling. Occasionally he'd glance up at the table beside him, but otherwise he didn't move.
He thought about the Sentinels. They seemed easy enough to destroy.
He thought about Taylor. If he died, Blakesley probably wouldn't need him alive either. Although that offer he'd receieved the day before had been replaying over and over in his head. He's just gotten out of practically the same situation with Lucious - he didn't want it again.
He thought about what Blakesley had said about the chip in his head. That certain thoughts would alone cause the pain. That was the hard part to understand. They must be having some kind of trouble with their computers or the readings just from the sheer amount of blacks he had up in his mind. Unless something was acting in a way that they were never receiving his true thoughts... Maybe the pendant had something to do with it?
He frowned. That wouldn't surprise him, but it'd be weird.
He ran his right hand slowly over the bandages on his hip. It wasn't hurting as much as it was a few days ago, that was for sure.
N999
N999 entered the room, balancing a tray of food on her hip. Nothing very spectacular or indeed, even really that edible.
"Morning."
Christian
"Morning," Christian murmured in reply, not moving.
He listened for where her footsteps were going as he glanced up at the camera.
N999
N999 placed the tray down on the table carefully, before turning to Christian.
"Eat it or I'll come back and force it down your throat."
Christian
"You don't need to take that tone with me. Since when have I refused before?"
He slowly sat up and leant on his arms, looking up at her.
N999
"There's always a first for everything."
N999 cocked her head.
"And any other reason I'm in a snappy mood isn't your business, subject."
Christian
Christian tilted his head in mockery.
"And why would I bother to know anyway?" he asked, then smiled.
"So piss off and let me eat."
N999
N999's lips peeled back from her fangs in a vicious hiss, before she stalked out of the room.
"Vermin."
Christian
"Thanks sweetie."
He waited until the door had closed after her, then looked up at the table.
He didn't particularly feel hungry * and from his point of view they fed them too much * but what the heck?
He peeled himself off the floor and stood beside the table, looking the food over before starting to eat.
Blakesley
Blakesley walked down the hallway, hinking to himself. It was strange...Sabretooth should have been here with Christina by now. He wondered idly if something had gone wrong, but dismissed the thought.
He opened the door to Christian's cell and stepped inside.
Christian
Christian looked up in the middle of eating, then returned his attention to his food.
"Guess Taylor's not awake yet," he said finally, after swallowing.
Blakesley
"No, he isn't," Blakesley said.
"It is a puzzling thing."
Christian
"Yay*" Christian commented, less than enthusiastically.
He finished up and wiped his hands on his pants.
"Guess you really screwed up this time."
Blakesley
"What else are telepaths for?" Blakesley said dismissvely.
"Use all tools as they come to hand, Christian. Speaking of which, Christina should be arriving back in my custody today..."
Christian
Christian's head shot up as he studied him for a moment, as if to work out if he was lying or not.
"You let me anywhere near her, I will kill that child. And I don't care how much it hurts," he promised, raising his eyebrows.
Blakesley
"No need to worry about that," Blakesley said.
"The...mothers are kept in quite a different area of the base."
Christian
Christian hesitated, then looked away.
"Safer for them then," he sighed.
"When's she due?"
Blakesley
"Two, three months," Blakesley said.
"Not that long."
Christian
Christian shrugged, then moved back to a nearby wall and sat down.
"So what the heck can you do with me while Taylor's out of it?" he raised his eyebrows.
Blakesley
"Converse."
Blakesley sat in the chair, watching Christian.
"Work some degree of...amiability out."
Christian
Christian frowned.
"And why would you, of all people, want to work something out with me on a negotiating level?"
He leant his head back against the wall, keeping his eye on him.
Blakesley
"Because you may have some use outside the research level," Blakeskley said.
He steepled his fingers together.
Christian
Christian groaned and rubbed his face.
If it was going to be anything like Lucious was going to make him do, he was flat out refusing.
"Like what?"
Blakesley
Blakesley smiled slightly.
"Bait, for one."
Christian
A confused look swept across Christian's face again.
"For what? For who?" he demanded.
Blakesley
"YIRAAS agents in general. One retired in specific," Blakesley said softly.
"We know that the repressor collars work on telepaths."
Christian
Christian's mind went totally blank for a moment, before his face began to turn red as a sign he was desperately holding himself back.
He clenched his fists and slowly stood up.
"That's not going to work on me," he finally said between his teeth.
Blakesley
"It doesn't require your co-operation, per se..." Blakesley said.
"Maternal instincts require assuagement by coming to the aid of the wounded child."
Christian
"I will never hurt that child. And I will never let you or anyone else hurt that child if I can stop you. And the same goes for Tanya. I will willingly die first. Even Craig knew that," Christian glared.
"And if I hear of you ever doing that, I will not care how much it hurts to kill you."
Blakesley
"Temper, temper," Blakesley tsked.
"As it stands, Tanya's acquisition is far from our reach at the moment. We know our limitations."
Christian
"I don't care if you want Leroy. But I will not endanger that child in any way," Christian insisted.
He ran his fingers through his hair and paced a little in the corner.
Blakelsey
"But children are usually so tractable..."
Blakesley smiled chillingly.
Christian
"Look. Another other kid, fine, I'd go it. But not that one," Christian insisted, stopping for a second.
He glanced up at the camera, then leant back against the wall.
Blakesley
"Of course."
Blakesley got up as the intercom buzzed.
"But that is exactly what makes this child so interesting..."
He picked up the handset.
"Blakesley speaking."
He listened for a few moments, face slowly changing from an urban smile to an almost feral snarl of rage.
"What do you *mean* you've lost all traces of her? Can't you contact Creed?"
Christian
"Well f**ked if I'm doing anything..." Christian murmured, folding his arms and putting his right foot up against the wall.
He scratched his head a little as he waited.
Blakesley
"Unacceptable!"
Blakesley raked his fingers through his hair.
"Where is Creed? WIth Magneto again, one presumes. Hold the payment. Well, he didn't deliver, did he? No he did not. There is no Christina returned to our keeping, is there? So, he does not get paid. Blacklist him. If that will even affect the overgrown, uncouth oaf...yes, I see."
He hung up and closed his eyes for a brief moment, struggling to get his temper under control.
Christian
Christian raised an eyebrow watching him.
"Seems someone already saved me the trouble," he almost chuckled.
"Except I would have killed her as well*"
Blakesley
"It does not mean nessacrily that she is dead, nor that the child has been aborted," Blakesley said in an eerily calm voice.
"The...benefits I engineered in the child would make it a powerful weapon. It is entirely possible that Magneto is now in possession of it."
Christian
Christian shrugged, carelessly.
"But you never know. I could be right."
He smiled at the thought.
Blakesley
"I hope that you are not."
Blakesley stilled his shaking hands.
Christian
"Sad story if I am, huh?" Christian finally chuckled.
He quickly sobered, but not before glancing up at the camera again.
Blakesley
"By now, Christina's mutation would have faded completely from her cells," Blakesley said.
"An irreplacable source of genetic material."
Christian
"Diddums," Christian rolled his eyes.
He let his arms fall to his side and slid to the ground again.
"I hate her," he murmured.
Blakesley
"Why such violent distaste for Christina?" Blakesley asked.
"You certainly seemed chummy enough when you broke my arm..."
Christian
"I was playing her. What, you think I'm not capable of that?"
Christian snorted.
"Just didn't realize how much it'd come back and bite me in the ass."
Blakesley
"Such hostility...and usually towards female figures too."
Blakesley smiled slightly.
"With the notable exception of Tanya."
Christian
"I'm not biased," Christian shook his head.
He leant his arms over his knees and looked off to the side.
Blakesley
"No, you hate everyone equally."
Blakesley watched Christian.
Christian
"Well I wouldn't say that," Christian chuckled.
"I don't hate everyone enough to kill them on sight."
Blakesley
"No, the ones you don't kill, you tolerate," Blakesley said.
"What exactly makes Tanya so special?"
Christian
"What, you want to know the intimate details of my life just so you can use them against me?" Christian raised his eyebrows.
"I don't think so."
Blakesley
"No, for once I'm truly curious," Blakesley said.
"Why? Why her?"
Christian
Christian hesitated, before staring up at him for a moment.
Returning his gaze to the ground, he tilted his head slightly.
"Because she was there for me when everything else in my life had turned to s**t."
Blakesley
"Gratitude?" Blakesley wondered slightly.
"Odd."
Christian
"I'm not a completely heartless prick, you know," Christian frowned.
"Just because I might use someone doesn't mean I have something against them."
Blakesley
"Unlike myself."
Blakesley smiled.
Christian
"There we go. Exactly," Christian chuckled.
"Close, but no."
Blakesley
"Why do you hunt aliens?" Blakesley asked.
"Is it just because that is what you were taught to do?"
Christian
Christian shrugged.
"Yeah, pretty much. Vendetta sometimes too*"
Blakesley
"I am supposing I would be one of those vendettas?" Blakesley asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"The question is...can you put that aside for business?"
Christian
Christian's eyes narrowed.
"I f**ked Christina for a few weeks just to get her to trust me," he pointed out, "and I hated her even then. But I still don't get what you want from me, or what I could possibly get out of it."
Blakesley
"I have something that you want," Blakesley pointed out.
"Now, it is your turn to step up to the bargaining table and give me something that I want."
Christian
Christian frowned in confusion.
"And what could you possibly have that would be of interest to me?" he asked.
Blakesley
"Taylor. Your freedom...at least from these walls."
Blakesley smiled slightly.
Christian
"Taylor?" Christian frowned, "and why on Earth would you give him up? Alive, anyway*"
He shifted slightly and looked up at him.
Blakesley
"See...this is where you must convince me," Blakesley said.
"What do you have that is worth me giving Taylor up?"
Christian
Christian looked at him sideways for a moment, consideringly.
"I'd much prefer the pendant to Taylor," he raised his eyebrows finally.
"Then we might be getting somewhere."
Blakesley
"The pendant is not mine to give," Blakesley said.
"Ashtoreth has taken that quite firmly into her own keeping."
Christian
Christian cursed, and ran his fingers through his hair for a moment, contemplating.
"When you say Taylor, what do you mean exactly? You're just gonna give him to me, or are you setting him free? Because I fully remember you saying you need him*"
Blakesley
"There is another with Taylor's talents, is there not?" Blakesley said.
"You are an alien hunter...do you have the skill to bring your prey in alive?"
Christian
Christian hesitated, then rubbed his chin.
"I've never had to before," he said finally, "but I guess I could give it a go*"
Blakesley
Blakesley bared his teeth in a smile.
"How many do you think you could capture and bring into our custody?"
Christian
"How many do you want?" Christian raised an eyebrow.
"Or better yet, what are you gonna give me to accommodate them with?"
Blakesley
"Those collars?"
Blakesley tilted his head.
Christian
"Ac-com-mo-date," Christian emphasized slowly.
"What am I supposed to do with them? Depending on how many you want."
Blakesley
"We'd set up a collection point, of course," Blakesley said.
"Possibly five or so, including the one with Tongue."
Christian
Christian shrugged.
"Guess it'd give me something to do. Even if I can't draw blood."
He looked a little annoyed at the thought.
Blakesley
"See how much more pleasant it can be when we all get along?" Blakesley said.
"All business like and civilised..."
Christian
"Nothing was stopping you before," Christian raised his eyebrows.
"You were hostile toward me, and I was just returning the favour."
Blakesley
Blakesley smiled.
"Mutual hostility then.But I, unfortunately, have to go."
Christian
"Diddums," Christian rolled his eyes.
He shifted towards the back corner and began to relax again.
Blakesley
Blakesley got pu and left, leaving Christian to think over the conversation.