❝Somewhere deep in my soul, lives your memory.❞
[X Ambassadors — RENEGADES]
DIALOGUE COLOUR | #853c41
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"I can agree with that." Zero smiled at her specifically. She's very special indeed.
Grell would offer her half a cookie, again, testing the waters. Zero left her in his care, whatever Ren wanted to talk about better be really important, he didn't like being far from her side.
Zero followed Ren out and together they walked in silence into Zero's room directly across from Loretta's. Ren shut the door and locked it so no one would interrupt and Zero gazed outside the glass windows. It was insanely bright and he let the curtain shut them into semi darkness again.
"What are we really doing here still, brother?" Ren shot without any hesitation whatsoever.
"Still? You act like we have somewhere else to be?"
"Dad's unfinished research ring a bell?"
With a quiet sigh, Zero turned to face him. "If you want to go, you're free to. I'm here. Where I belong."
Ren shook his head, "No, that's not true. Doc may have taken you in and you may be chummy with Grell but they're not family. I am. And I don't waste anymore time here."
"Family don't make blood and they're more family to me than the one we never had. Where was dad when we needed him?"
Ren approached him, "But dad needs us to do this for him. He left us this one job and it's not too late. We can finish this."
Zero folded his arms over his chest, "Yeah, but right now they need me more and they're more important to me than—"
Ren shoved him back, "She's killing you, idiot."
Zero fell into the bed, he stared back at Ren. This wasn't like him at all.
"And you think I'm just gonna stand there and watch her do it?" The words stabbed into Zero, not because of what he said, but because he blamed it on her.
"She's got nothing to do with this. Don't you dare."
"Oh, she's got everything to do with this, that brat is using you. She's making you into a sympathetic sap, since when do our kind show any sympathy?" Ren was getting louder and he shook his head and lowered his voice again. "Since when do we care about them at all?
"I'm sorry if you're confusing me with dad, see, I wouldn't use a person as a test subject." Zero glared at the floor at his feet. He gripped at his sides with shaky hands. "Even with their consent."
"Not that point, when was the last time you fed?"
"Does it matter?"
"You're not answering my question."
"I don't have to."
Then there was a sudden motion of Ren, it happened to fast Zero missed it. Suddenly he was pinned back into the bed, Ren clutched as his throat, choking the breath from him.
"If we were under attack what would you do? How would you defend yourself?"
Zero stared into those eyes, so pale and afraid he'd been there. No, Ren, you're not immune to them, humanity rubs off on everyone. He didn't resist, just listened.
"If we were under attack, you wouldn't last a second." Ren loosened his grip just enough for Zero to draw breath but didn't move. He was not only afraid, no, he was terrified. At this very second, he almost seemed human.
"It's alright Ren, I get that you're mad—"
"I'm not mad, I don't get mad." Ren corrected, "I make things right. I fix what's broken."
Broken?
"And I want to fix my brother." Ren leaned in and Zero tensed when the prick of fangs cut into his throat.
"Ren... What are you doing?" Zero tried to push him off, something wasn't right. "Ren."
Don't move anymore.
Every muscle in him locked up.
It's better this way, it's the only way I can protect you. In Zero's thoughts Ren's voice echoed melancholy which was strange, another human emotion they weren't privy to and yet...
Something precious was stolen.
Ren covered Zero with the blanket and left the room. For now he wanted to let him rest, however long that would be depended on how much of it he needed. He left the door open and approached the next room across, "He's resting now." Grell didn't need to ask, Ren read him like a book. His gaze landed on the blonde, the memories of her flitted in his head like a film and at the current ones he couldn't hold her gaze. They were a little too close for comfort. That was a mistake. Ren turned to the red-haired one, "Where is Doc, have somethings I'd like to discuss with him."