diversified | My heart is under arrest again. [ closed ]

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My heart is under arrest again. [ closed ]

WHO Jacob Kane (

insertdadjoke), Abel Fletcher (

sociopapathic).
WHAT Twists of fate and turns of chance. Remus remembers everything, yet remains under the thumb of the Reapers. Romulus remembers nothing, and lets his fear control his seemingly-unending life.
WHEN 2012.
WHERE Death Eraser laboratory somewhere in Alabama.

There was no time, only confusion. There was no thought, only pain. Whatever these people had given him, it had sent his mind straight out the window while leaving his nerve endings in tact, making it impossible to try and block it out. What option was left to him other than try to ride through their terrible experiments while hiding in the corner of his mind? It didn't help that they kept murmuring over him, words too soft to hear but loud enough that he couldn't ignore it. It was driving him insane, and he wasn't sure he minded that. Wouldn't that make things easier? Being insane, maybe it would make living so long bearable.

Jacob gritted his teeth for a moment, then let out a soft sigh and sunk into the uncomfortable operating chair beneath him. There was no escape, no hope, no one coming to find him or otherwise free him from the torment. Whoever these people were, they were going to keep him for as long as they wanted and possibly even longer. His only eventuality might be that he would be there for so long that they would forget why they had him and either lock him away in darkness or finally let him go free.

It was an unlikely dream, but it was, at the same time, the best Jacob could fancy up right now.

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"You saw it." Abel hadn't realized that his brother had stayed and seen him die. No wonder he was so messed up if that was really the first and only thing he remembered. He couldn't help himself from saying, "I told you to run for a reason. What if you had gotten caught?"

And then he tried to calm himself down. It was thousands of years ago there was no use worrying about something that could have happened and didn't back then. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. It was a long time ago and you did end up running anyway." For the rest of his life, it seemed to be. "I could tell you your name, if you really want to know."

Abel was given a large, confused frown for the scolding. It was laced with a hurt that didn't have a name, something Jacob could no longer pinpoint as shame because he had disappointed his brother. How was he supposed to have known any of that if he couldn't remember why he had been running? How was he supposed to have left Abel behind when he was dying right in front of his eyes? How was he supposed to react to being treated like a brother when he didn't understand what being a family was all about?

"Still don't know what the hell I was running from," he said dryly, as if trying to change the topic from the odd tumult of emotions. "But, yeah. I saw it. What's the point of a name now, anyway?" he asked, head tilted toward Abel. Whoever they had been back then were pretty thoroughly dead, literally and metaphorically. There was no way Jacob could have retained himself and it seemed like Abel had moved on from that identity.

At the frown, he grabbed him and pulled his close for a quick hug, ruffling his hair before letting him go. He didn't mean to confuse him like that, but he had always had some trouble keeping his frustration to himself.

"Our masters. We had stolen things from their home and ran. They wanted their property back and we weren't going to go back," he answered quietly. It was a time he only liked thinking about because of Romulus, but the situation wasn't something to think back on fondly. "Knowing your name might shake something loose. Help you remember."

Jacob stiffened at the movement, head ducking automatically as if to become a smaller target, and tried to pull back and away. None of this was helping. He couldn't deny that it somehow felt right and his doubts were slowly easing away, but it was all too much, too fast, without the proper mindset to take it all in.

Considering how long ago it was when Jacob's memory stopped, he wasn't surprised to hear the implication that he was a slave. That wasn't uncommon, although it was certainly something odd that Jacob had then gone on to become Roma, first emperor of Rome itself. If he had known that past, Jacob doubted he would have gone into office with as much bluster as he had. Did he really want to deal with all those memories? They were never something he considered he might get back, much as natural curiosity gnawed at the missing edges.

"You said something about eating?" he asked. It was a completely indelicate change of topic, but there was no way he was going to delve into all of this with an empty stomach. Besides, it would buy him time.

Abel knew how to deal with Romulus, but he had no clue how to deal with Jacob. All he could figure thus far is less physical contact. Sure, he could do that until Jacob realized that Abel wasn't going to hurt him. He was patient and could deal with this.

"Yeah, I was going to call down for room service for you once you woke up. You have a preference?" He got up off the bed and went up to the phone so that he could call down and get him something to eat.

Edited 2014-02-24 18:45 (UTC)

Finishing off the last of the water bottle, Jacob set it aside and watched Abel. He didn't really want to take his eyes off the man right now. Suspicion was warped by a sense of belonging that he couldn't possibly trust right off the bat. He was going two different directions at once.

"Pretty fond of Italian," he answered. Wait, that brought something else up. "Where are we?" They were speaking English, but hell if that actually meant anything. Who knew where those bastards had taken him after their abduction act?

There was a nod at his food preference, smiling in slight amusement as he did. Some things never changed. "Alabama," he responded, drawing the state out oddly with his slightly accent. "Mobile, specifically. I had to carry you here for a few miles until I found a place to rent a car." And by rent, Abel meant hotwire and leave somewhere a fair distance away from the hotel.

He held up a hand when he dialled down and started chatting amiably into the phone, ordering a few things to eat for both Jacob and himself. Just because he didn't have to eat didn't mean that he doesn't. He liked food and he always tried to expand his tastes throughout the years.

Jacob went silent as Abel was on the phone. This was definitely weird. How was he so calm and amicable after everything he had just told Jacob? After everything they had just escaped from? His own nerves were frayed at best, tempered by how low he was running. He spared a glance toward the window while Abel spoke, figuring that as long as he could hear Abel, then it was like watching him with something other than his eyes. They were certainly on a high floor and, with a look to the rest of the room, somewhere incredibly fancy.

"There was probably something a hell of a lot cheaper closer by," he said once Abel was off the phone. If Abel had a corporeal form of some sort, it didn't strike Jacob as odd that he might eat as well. "Surprised I'm not in Uruguay or something."

The only reason Abel was so calm and could act as cheerful as he was being was because of the fact that Abel had spent the majority of his afterlife doing such truly horrible things that he's become somewhat numb to traumatic experiences. Nothing truly shook him to the core besides his brother's safety and even when it did bother him, he was always good at lying.

"There were, but we're going to be here for a few days so I picked comfort over convenience. Besides, I have the money to pay for it and it's not as if it's going to hurt me financially." He looked amused at the Uruguay comment. "I'll have you know that the country is a lovely place, but I know what you meant. From what I saw, they were American, so it was likely they wanted to keep you close to home while they opened you up to see how you worked."

Jacob flinched at the mention of what had been done, arms wrapping around his middle as if to keep his chest from falling apart any more. In all of his years, never had anyone managed to get their hands on him and take him apart so fully and completely. Much of it has obviously been fueled by scientific curiosity, yet part of Jacob was certain it had been psychological warfare as well. Probably for no other reason than to make sure their subject would not even try to resist — and it had worked.

With a forced bemused expression, Jacob turned to Abel. "I'm awake now. Why a few days?"

"Because you still need to regain your strength and I'm not putting you on a plane back home until I'm sure you're not going to collapse," Abel replied. Considering how bad off Jacob had been when Abel found him, it's not a surprise that he's making sure he's back to normal physically. "Besides, you've been through a lot and it's about time you had some rest before you're back to your normal routine. I'm not going to force you to stay here the entire time, but it would be in your best interest to do so."

Jacob rolled his eyes widely. "Maybe you haven't noticed," he said slowly, "but I tend to heal up really fast. After I have some food in me, I'll be fine." That was oversimplifying it to the extreme, but it was essentially how Jacob had operated for so long. If he could function even halfway, that was enough to get moving again and recover on the road. There was no reason to stay here to finish up what could just as well be done back home.

It was all Abel could do to not copy his brother's movements and roll his eyes in annoyance. "Maybe you haven't noticed," he responded just as slowly, his tone one that was usually reserved for particularly difficult children, "but even you need time to rest your body so that it can still heal at its heightened pace. Despite what people may believe, you are still human, brother, and that means you still have their weaknesses."

Jacob gave Abel the stink eye before he turned away to look outside the window. Whether that was true or not, he was certainly more than capable of taking care of himself while he recovered, rather than being kept with this person he did not know beyond vague instincts stirred up over millennia of disuse. It wasn't fair that he knew Jacob whereas Jacob was going in blind.

"No shit," he said. "If I didn't have human weaknesses, that whole shebang would never have happened in the first place. Always best to recuperate where it's safe and unknown." Which was to say that the fancy, high-rise hotel room was making him nervous. This was certainly not off the grid. What if those people came back for a second helping?

"And you think that you're not safe here?" He chuckled at that and sat in a chair closer to the door. "If you're worried about the people who grabbed you returning for round two, you don't need to. I took care of everything before we left."

Abel wasn't planning on explaining that he had killed everyone in the building so that nobody would try to take him again. He didn't want to make Jacob freak out about him more than he already had. After all, it was in everyone's best interest to keep Jacob calm enough so that he could rest up and let his body heal naturally.

Jacob gave Abel an incredibly wary look. There were a lot of ways to interpret that, but somehow Jacob didn't think he had to reach too far to figure it out. Abel was, after all, an Enforcer before he was anything else in Jacob's eyes. Their job was to kill. "Took care of everything?"

No matter what, Jacob wanted to prevent himself from relaxing too much. His body was still sending all sorts of signals, of hunger and thirst, of aching withdrawal and strain. How was he supposed to rest, especially with Cerberus right there watching him?

"Don't suppose you just gave everyone good dreams and waltzed out," he deadpanned.

"It doesn't matter what I did to them, just that they won't try to grab you nor try to hurt you." Abel ignored the wary look from Jacob, looking completely relaxed in the chair. He tilted his head slightly as he looked over at him and studied his responses carefully. If he was to get Jacob to relax around him, Abel would have to learn how he worked better and make sure he did things to put his guard down. "Room service is going to be here soon. We can talk about this after we eat, all right?"

Jacob let his face cloud over at the answer. He didn't like it, although he currently had no proof toward his suspicions. It would not do to piss Abel off when he was probably the only one who could figure out how to kill the unkillable man. Running a hand through his hair, Jacob grimaced and tried to smooth out the greasy strands gone long untended for however long he had been captive.

"This place have a shower?" he asked. Even though he probably shouldn't even try taking a shower on his own right now, it was definitely a way to get some time alone while they waited for their food. He didn't want to imagine how scraggly he must have looked right now.

No matter what Jacob thought, Abel would never do anything to truly harm his brother. In fact, he was probably the safest he has even been in his entire life. Nothing would ever harm Jacob while Abel was around to protect him, even if Jacob didn't want his protection.

"Yes, and a bath. I would prefer you to use that instead so you don't fall and hurt yourself." If need be, Abel will magic the shower to conveniently not work if Jacob attempted to use it. "I'll have clothes ready for you when you get out."

Edited 2014-02-25 04:56 (UTC)

Jacob shifted his legs over the side of the bed and, very slowly, pulled himself to his feet. The water had helped, as had the time sitting down while not having a panic attack and letting the sedatives wear off more. All that was to say: he could stand without falling flat on his face, but using the bath instead of shower was probably for the better. He turned a glance over to Abel thoughtfully.

"Your clothes?" Not his usual fair, that was for certain, but Jacob could probably pull it off. They were definitely identical, so it was a matter of bearing rather than build. Shaking his head to try and clear that thought, he followed the wall until he found the bathroom and let himself in. Moments later, he had the water running and was already trying to work off some of the worst from the sink while the tub filled. This place was far too luxurious for his tastes, but at least their amenities weren't overly complicated to operate.

Once Jacob started moving, Abel's eyes were on him and he watched him carefully, ready to move if he looked like he was going to fall. He wasn't one to worry usually, but this was his brother and that was so drastically different and far more important than anyone else in the world. If given the chance, he'd move heaven and earth for him.

"No, I have something that'd suit you better than what I wear." Just because they're identical doesn't mean that Abel thinks Jacob could work a suit like he can. Once Jacob's in the bathroom, the act fell apart and he teleported to on top of the bed with a sigh. How is he going to be able to deal with his brother for these next few days? He'll have to find a way to do so and maybe make it so Jacob isn't completely terrified of him by the end of their stay.

Jacob took his sweet time. It was quite a relief that Abel didn't follow him into the bathroom for whatever insane reason he might have fabricated, and so Jacob shaved and washed and soaked until he could feel somewhat more human. His stomach still cramped up in pain, too far gone to consider grumbling, and he still felt far too dry for being neck-deep in water. When he heard someone at the door to the suite, Jacob took that as his queue and got out, drying off and covering up in time to see room service actually arrive.

Now that he was clean, he looked a lot better. It did nothing for the bags under his eyes or the slight thinness of his frame where his body had already begun to compensate for the lack of proper nutrition, but the time alone had done good things for his countenance, at least.

"Looks like lunch is served." Eyeing the dishes, Jacob made his way to the bed where the clothes would presumably be waiting. He wasn't about to change out in the open, but he did still need them first.

Abel had gotten up from his spot on the bed to open the door for room service and to put the clothes on the edge of the bed. He was back in the chair, sitting in it backwards and eating something that looked like it had been drowned in chocolate, ignoring the real food that had been brought in for now. It's varying levels of ridiculously expensive foods, but Abel had apparently gone smart with his money and picked things that came in large servings instead of the tiny things usually served in high class places like this.

"It's not really lunchtime," he said in between eating, looking less like the frightening Enforcer he was and instead the twenty-something he had died as. "Take your pick with whatever. Except for this. This is definitely mine."

The clothes themselves were simple, jeans and a t-shirt. Jacob disappeared back into the bathroom for a moment before he returned to give Abel a longsuffering look. There was that niggling insistence of insanity once again because this scene was so beyond normal that Jacob was finding it hard to believe in its validity.

He took a seat opposite of Abel and began to look through the various dishes. There was plenty to choose from, but the chicken alfredo looked both delicious and easy enough on his stomach. The smells did nothing but help his appetite appear in a fierce resurgence and Jacob began to pick at the food quickly, but carefully. Inhaling the water before had reminded him how much messier it could get if he overstimulated his stomach with actual foods too quickly.

"You can have it," he said just before he began to eat. He didn't really feel like doing anything except filling up, but there were questions to be posed sooner rather than later. With the way his mind was hopping around, he didn't want to lose his train of thought anywhere along the way. "What time is it? What day?"

Edited 2014-02-25 06:18 (UTC)

"Good." He seemed content with that and eats more of his food. Now, he's far less obvious about keeping an eye on Jacob, but he's still watching him to make sure nothing goes wrong. Three thousand years and he's having trouble dealing with his own brother. The other Enforcers would have a good laugh if they found out something had stumped Cerberus as much as this had.

"It's Thursday, 1741." His voice goes automatically clinical at reciting the day and time. It's something he couldn't help. "What was the date you last remember?"

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