commander hieu shepard

The gaze the two got was nothing short of absolute focus, as Id sized them up without even an ounce of subtly. His eyes locked on Kaiden’s first, only stopping to flicker down at the offered hand in silent rejection before darting right back up. Thankfully, Shepard was quick on squishing that assumption that anyone had really earned a handshake yet. But there was a distinct keenness in his eyes as he watched the strange level of casualness between him and Shepard.

He’d play with that later. “Get used to things being interesting then,” he mimicked Kaiden’s cadence in something not entirely unlike cheeky play, “because it looks like we might be with you a while.” He huffed, and poor Kaiden was only being offered a front of aloof disinterest.

But then Garrus spoke up. The demihuman. Maybe. And while Id didn’t react in shock, his eyes were still wide as looked at him right back. Fascination was written all over his face as the gentle click of… some kind of jagged jaw extensions near Garrus’ mouth clearly made sounds that were not the perfectly translated words in his ears. It kind of tickled to look at when one couldn’t hear them. He had half a mind to take the thing out just to hear.

But being called a stray? He quirked his lips back at him. At first it was just a tiny frown, much like Kaiden had gotten.

Then he huffed out that same little half-chuckle. “No. The ‘stray’,” he emphasized with the kind of amusement that was somehow just vaguely threatening, “is choosing to go in the same direction. Lucky you, eh.” He tucked his chin up and crossed his arms, smirking ever so slightly as if ‘being chosen’ was some clear benefit to the crew.

He looked back over his shoulder at Shephard when the subject of space travel was brought up, and for a moment he was utterly taken aback by that much compassion on a face that was, well, still a stranger towards him. The knee-jerk reaction was to think it pity or condescension. But…

Id just furrowed his brow, trying to decide if anything they’d— or he’d— been through counted. After a second, he nodded. “… Our body has been in space once before.” Although they had been in Weltall for most of it. Spare that one time they were not, but those memories were strange. “If you’re worried about us getting sick.” He shrugged. Besides, anything they had in their stomach was left behind a storage crate in that hallway.

#// rp #system contact #ooc // SORRY THIS TOOK SO FUCKIN LONG HIEU VANISHED ON ME

Garrus and Kaiden shared glance for a moment, then turned their attention onto their commanding officer for wordless input. All they got in return was a shrug of Hieu's shoulders and a soft, empathetic smile. Garrus chitted his mandible, the Turian method of 'clearing the throat'. To an untranslated ear, it sounded a bit like 'tut, tut, tut'. "Well, let's get going then." He pulled the side door of the Mako open, revealing a set of bucket seats with highly secured seat belts and buckles.

Kaiden climbed in first, readying one of the seats across from him for Id to sit in. He left the buckles hanging unlatched for the younger human to climb into more easily. "Here, after me," he said calmly as he sat down. He did a quick display of how to secure the buckles, then gestured to the seat.

Garrus waited patiently, knowing it was easier for the biggest one in the group to climb in last. "It looks like more than it really is. Prepare to get a little tossed around while we drive over the rubble. Especially with the commander driving."

"I heard that," Hieu commented as he climbed into the front, sitting down behind the driver's seat and securing himself in. "Don't worry, Id. I'll be gentle."

Id bristled a bit in reluctance at the idea of leaving the squabbling mess of scientists to deal with his Gear, but at the same time, they were all probably too stupid of it to do any real damage. Hell, apparently they hadn't even found out how to open the cockpit again after pulling Fei out, and now that it was up and running, he'd be able to tell anyway.

So he chewed the inside of his lip in thought, then nodded in agreement to the offer. Slowly. Food. Shower. Things they really needed. All acceptable. He felt their stomach growl a bit, which literally could only mean two things. "Whatever they serve here, it's crap or not enough. I hope you have better." He shrugged. Though a shower especially would be nice. Even if they weren't really filthy-filthy— it seemed like maybe they'd been cleaned up a bit when their wounds were treated, though he didn't really know— he didn't like how it felt. Did Fei not ask or something? Was he really just moping the whole time?

He snapped back to Hieu, when the other started leading, and quickly met his pace and his side so quickly that it was obvious. He was... starting to feel less prickly.

But he wasn't done yet.

His eyes immediately clocked where they were going. It was kind of hard to miss the literal tank in front of them. But the people aside it were interesting enough. Human, dark hair, more armor like Hieu's. Glowing tech of some sort. It almost looked Solarian, but with everything else? It was obviously not. Especially when he could see clearer that it was... a hologram? Huh. The next one was what he assumed was a demihuman at first, but something was very... off. He hadn't ever seen one like that before, even on Elru.

... Then again, maybe that was a wrong guess, too. Ugh, this was making his head hurt.

Id looked up at Hieu as they came to their destination, and spoke just loudly enough, "... These ones are your people, I take it? There's more, right?" And even though he was facing Hieu, his eyes flashed to the other two, waiting for their response. He furrowed his brow trying to give them a look over, though he couldn't be sure how strong either of them were. Hieu's little gravity trick had been a surprise after all.

The human's attention was grabbed first, and the officer stood up straight to give Shepard a quick nod and salute, noticeably casual in his movements. "Shepard, good to see you're back. The wheels on the Mako are aligned and ready, sir. And I see we have company, now." He tilted his head in curiosity toward the crimson-haired young man, trying to get a decent read on the kid's face. "Interesting company, too."

The other one, taller and lankier in his bird-like features, turned his head up from his tablet to look at the pair of them, mainly at Id. "Hey Shepard, looks like you... How do you humans put it... 'brought home a stray'?"

Shepard let out a light chuckle and shook his head. "This is Id. He's going to come back to the ship with us while we wait for his Gear to be repaired and studied."

"'Gear', sir?" The Human furrowed his brow in mild confusion, but shook it off with a shrug, knowing it'd be explained in the next debriefing, anyway. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Id. My name is Lt. Kaiden Alenko." He offered a hand out, but Shepard gestured with a wave, and he pulled it back. "Ah, right. Well, nice to meet you, anyway."

The other one stepped forward and tipped his head down in greeting. "Garrus Vakarian. We're both part of Shepard's crew, like you said. I'm sure we'll get to talk more on the ship." He gave Shepard a nod. "The calibrations are complete for the trip back to the Normandy. Everything checks out."

Shepard clasped his hands together with a small clap. "Alright, then. We're set. Are you used to space travel, Id?" He turned toward Id fully, a look of compassionate concern on his face. "It can be quite different from land. It might take some time to adjust to."

Id crossed his arms right back, sandals still far too casually hanging from one of his fingers as he matched Hieu's posture. Authority in title was hardly intimidation. Especially because, of course, Hieu had no good answers yet, and normally that'd probably make him more irritable than he already was.

But Hieu had guts. For the first time since this little back and forth game started with that push back in the cell, Hieu was starting to show some teeth when he was pushed. Which made him infinitely more fun. Squirreling scientists and cowardly guards were annoying. Hieu had substance. Finally.

And so after a moment of the dull glow of his eyes peering at Hieu, glowering unimpressed and irreverently at him as the distance between them was closed ever so slightly… Id actually smiled. It was small, and subtle, and might’ve been easy to miss if he didn’t huff out a little laugh. Play hard, get hit hard? Practically his motto, and his eyes lit up with excitement. “Good. I’d hate to be disappointed.”

He looked back at Weltall as the lights flickered back on all over its body. “He can charge enough to move on his own for now. Don’t worry, he plays nice as long as I do.” He smirked. “I will tell your people what they need to do their work. That’s fair.” He nodded like he was agreeing to changing the rules of a game rather than actual negotiations. But he was at ease knowing that at the very least Hieu had promised he would not be touched without permission.

He caught that word choice, too. Honestly was carrying a lot of weight, but that was okay. “I know you’ll have lie. Everyone does, especially the ones in uniform.” He looked back at Hieu slyly, but his gaze was no longer acidic, just more accepting as if it was simply truth. “But… we will both get the basics and see what happens.”

There was a pause, then another slight smile that danced the line between genuine and maybe a little off-putting. The exact same face as Fei, but so different in expression and carry that it was impossible to mistake one for the other. “… Deal.” He cocked his head before moving to pull his hair out of his face and tuck it behind his ear, finally exposing most of the person looking back at Hieu in a tepid show of openness. It was as close to a handshake as he was willing to give. “Haha, I like you now. You’re not hiding anymore.”

But now was a bigger question. “What do we do now, then?” He furrowed his brows, less aggressively this time. He knew Hieu was not stupid enough to suggest that he wait in the cell again, especially after giving his word.

It was a relief to finally see something other than guarded sharpness in those unique eyes. Hieu visibly relaxed when Id shifted the hair from his face, showing him his features in near-entirety, though he gained a confused little look when it was mentioned that he wasn't 'hiding anymore'. Id reminded him of Wrex in some ways; confrontational, but only in an effort to measure the mettle of those around him. It wasn't a true challenge, it was a test.

At the question, Hieu let his arms fall back to his sides, looking northeastward. "The Alliance will be here soon, and we'll go from there, but right now, I figured you could use a better meal and a shower." He waved for Id to follow, and began to walk in the direction he'd been looking. "I have a ship called the Normandy. She's outfitted with amenities for my crew, but I'm happy to share them with you, and I'll make sure my crew treats you well."

Parked down the far end of a Prothean corridor was a six-wheeled all-terrain armored vehicle. It was about the size of a tank, and also had a top-mounted canon. Painted white, red, and black, the worn print of the code 'M35' was on its cab's side.

Standing next to it was another human, dark-toned and black-haired. He stood at a shorter height than Hieu, with a somewhat thinner frame. His armor was on the lighter side as well, marked with patches of slate camouflage. He was checking the tires with a glowing gauntlet projected over his right hand. Behind him stood a tall humanoid with avian-like features. His armor was uniquely shaped to his body, covered with heavy plating. A glowing visor covered his left eye, and he was entering in some sort of date onto a tablet. Neither of them had seen them approaching, yet.

Nope. That was very much not the answer Id wanted. Honestly, he figured as much; freedom was seldom had and easily lost. Not that it made it any better, as Id bore a tiny glimpse of teeth and his scowl soured with a spark of impatient anger. They were not to be leashed. But he...

... he didn't know what to do.

There was a tick of silence, and rather than give Hieu any benefit of seeing him start to contemplate their arrangement a little more seriously, he instead turned to look at Weltall. The low whir of it charging paired with the tired stillness made him feel small, and for a moment, his expression sank. He wanted out, now.

Unfortunately, the fastest way to ‘out’ looked like it was Hieu. Help was really not Id’s deal, but the older man was proving to be... enough. For now. To work with, not be helped. Oh, make no mistake; beggars couldn’t be choosers, but being forced into a situation by circumstance wasn’t exactly making his heart fonder to the idea. Inside, Id was still coiled up like a viper, waiting for the instant the man made a bad decision to cross him. But if it got them out of here and back…

“‘Neutral party’, huh? Cute.” And suddenly, Id's words seemed far more natural to the young man: pure and utterly uninterested sarcasm as he rolled his eyes to glance over his shoulder at Hieu. No one was ever really neutral, everyone wanted something of you. “… fine. I will cooperate. For now. … On a few conditions.”

He put up a finger laxly, glaring past it to Hieu. “… I can move him, but he needs repairs and fuel. If your handlers really want us, you can give us that much.” Another finger. “You don’t touch us without permission, and you don’t put us in any kind of cage again.” The words made him bristle up as he spoke them, and he absentmindedly put his hand over the medi-gel patch as he walked up close to Hieu, only slightly tilting his chin to see him while his voice took on a growl. “Fei might roll over and let you do what you want, but I was being very nice to you before. Don't think I'll miss anything you try—”

Id...

Great. Id's eyes twitched like something suddenly itched, and his eyes flickered off to the side. Shut up. I'm dealing with this. There was another little pause, then a third finger raised with that eking genuine curiosity about what in the world Hieu was, “And… you will tell us everything we want to know. I’ve had enough pointless one-sided conversations.”

Conditions... A feeling of mild frustration crossed his mind as he prepared to listen, feeling his authority being just a little disrespected. Then again, Id seemed to not know much about social structures in general. Alters had jobs to do, and Id was trying to do his. Still, it came across less like a determined adult and more like a petulant teen. If there was one thing Hieu Shepard was known for, it was being willing to listen.

His eyes closely watched Id's face as he spoke, trained to notice subtle behavior changes during negotiations with unknown elements. He noticed a shift in Id's face, looking to the side as if he were looking in someone's direction. Then Id's focus returned to him, and the last of the conditions was stated.

In response, Hieu held up a finger, addressing the conditions in their turns. "I can't guarantee anyone will be able to fuel or repair your Gear until they know how it works. You might be familiar with it inside and out, but the rest of us need time to learn about how it functions before we power it up."

He held up his next finger, face softening just a shade. "I can guarantee that no one will touch you without your consent unless you're hurting others." He leaned a little closer to Id, tilting his head in a firm fashion. "You play hard, you get hit hard." Then he stood back straight.

The last finger raised, and he tipped his head into a nod. "I promise to answer all of your questions honestly." It was the most commitment he could give, with how much information he'd have to restrain behind possible confidentiality with the Citadel.

He crossed his arms, looked at Id, and let a sigh out. "I want to help you, Id. Hopefully get you back home. We just have to start from the basics, alright?" He normally would have held out a hand to shake, but knowing Id was touch-adverse gave him pause. Instead, he simply waited for an answer.

Id stopped dead in his tracks to look at Hieu, a stark and almost younthful curiosity on his face when he felt the biotic energy ebb next to him. No, it was so... strange? It felt cool and metallic— wait.

A week…?

“That’s too long.” For the first time since he’d taken the spotlight, Id’s eyes went wide at Hieu and his brow furrowed, and he looked down at himself. And, well, yeah. He didn’t question Hieu’s honesty for once, because while his arm was hurting, it had clearly had some time to heal. There was a strange, transluscent gel-like substance sealed over the large and mostly healed open wound. Like a bandage. Medical care...

And then it made him flinch knowing that someone he didn’t know much less trust might have touched them, and not knowing exactly what had happened. Hieu seemed to be putting that much more barrier up between him and the Salarians, but Fei was too trusting. It would get them in trouble again and again. His jaw tightened as he flashed his teeth in a sneer. But he looked back at Weltall, trying to busy his mind with what to do next instead.

Id moved up close, paying no mind to anyone who might question his presence, until he stood at the side of one of Weltall-X’s legs, disengaged from the hoverblade. Id looked over to see the telltale streaks of its heels' path carved into the dirt, trying to stop. Both its arms laid over its hips like they'd just fallen there. Wrapped around the cockpit, protecting them…

That meant they were awake for that much of the crash, at least. Afterwards? Nothing.

"Come on..." He casually reached out to lay his hand on Weltall-X’s leg, closing his eyes and breathing slowly. A familiar red light danced at his fingertips. “Wake up.” A pause. He opened his eyes. The paint under his hand had spread bright bloody red like a stain in water, then retracted back to pure white.

The bright gold lights where ‘eyes’ should have been, far up above and jutting out from the side of the ruins, lit up for a moment. A low whir echoed through the site for a moment as the less debris-hindered hand barely flexed its fingers in response. It was there, he felt it! Relief fell over him in an instant. It was just… tired feeling. "You and me both." It was hard to miss the little hint of fondness in his voice as he spoke towards the machine.

Id cocked his head in concern, a small frown slowly creeping over his features as he quietly catalogued things in his mind. "Hieu." He turned and looked at the other, crossing his arms to echoes hee hasn’t lost control here. Yet underneath the sharp sternness of his features was a very tentative, very volatile new tone of... well, almost patience. Hieu had not lied yet, but he reflexively searched out the soft glow of his eyes all the same like he'd find some hardness there. “... We will be allowed to leave? When he can move? They don't want him or us. They can have their ruins back.”

Id felt it in his voice and hated it immediately; that small exposed nerve of unknowing, of reaching out and clawing for any anchor to get bearings with, even if it was this strange man with stranger powers who didn't hurt yet and spoke gently because Hieu didn’t know what he was.

Hieu watched with a curious, but cautious stare as Id inspected the medigel on his arm. It looked like a wound that had been caused in the crash, worn-in and scabbed. Id didn't have seem much of a reaction to the gel itself, but more the fact that it was there in the first place. He could relate, recalling just how afraid of the doctors he'd been after the raid on Mindoir. It was hard to overcome that kind of mental wound.

Then Id began to move closer to the large robot. Hieu followed behind, keeping close enough to be within reach in case anything happened, but far enough to give Id some room. When he saw the younger human reach out at touch the metal surface, he was shocked to see it begin to change color. It shifted from white and black to a bright crimson, like the energy he'd seen emanating from Id earlier.

Then the energy receded, and the robot was as it was before, untouched or moved by the action. He squinted in confusion, trying to understand what had just happened. Before his mind could wrap around it, though, he was met with a response from the machine, whirring with just enough life to stir before settling back down again. It almost seemed tired, or sick.

The questions weren't easy ones to answer, and Hieu grimaced slightly at the thought of answering them too bluntly. "Well... It's complicated," he started, rubbing the back of his neck. "We have to find out more about you and where you came from before we can even get close to sending you back, and we can't just let you roam blindly out there, either. I've been sent as a neutral party to escort you and your Gear to the Alliance, and things will progress from there."

martyrbat

Men, Women, and Chainsaws – Carol J. Clover

[TEXT ID: "Tortured survivor" might be a better term than "hero."]

#// musings

A name. Id hesitated, scrunching his nose a little. "... Names do not matter." It was sharp off his tongue, and he spoke it with his chin tilted slightly up and all the sureness and cadence of obviously reflexive repetition. A beat passed, but he felt a little pang in his chest and looked aside. Because they were going to be spending even just a little time together, and he didn't know how he felt about 'kid' yet. That was not a name that was used on him, and he had the feeling that if he didn't give a name, Hieu would only use it more to wheedle it out of him. "... Id." He finally offered quietly. "That's what I'm called..."

He wasted no time in following after Hieu, though he matched pace as to not be 'following'. The facility was... interesting. Both brutal and advanced, made up of a bunch of connected 'pods'. He'd never seen anything like it. Solarians rarely let their work look so basic.

These weren't Solarians. Got that much down.

But, it itched under his skin how familiar it was despite being so alien. It was a research facility, no matter the look, and he absently stayed closer to Hieu. An agreement, nothing more. It would suffice. Though he didn't spare any too-curious scientists an eerie stare back whenever he caught them staring at him. Frightened of their zoo exhibit loose? Hmph.

But he wasn't feeling any better. His concentration flickered as they moved, his stomach churning as he walked. They did something, he knew it. It had to be them. Everything was all off-kilter and achy in a way he absolutely did not recognize. He looked around just before they left the facility, lagging behind for a moment. "Mmph..." Just... a moment...

Only to reappear behind Hieu the moment he was called to, wiping the corner of his mouth. Well, he felt kind of better now. The rest was that hallway's problem as the door shut behind him. "... mm, I'm coming," he grumbled, though his grumpy, slightly woozy demeanor changed instantly when his eyes caught sight of the downed Gear. His eyes went bright and wide, and he immediately caught up and nearly passed Hieu. "There you are..."

Weltall. He could see the jutting wings and shoulder, the one leg that wasn't buried under what had presumably been a ceiling. Bright white and black and red that stuck out absurdly from the dull natural colors around it.

Id's eyes were keen enough to track and judge the impact. It almost looked like they'd been thrown there, but... no. Weltall didn't look that damaged. At least, not enough to be properly inoperable. Trust him, he knew. Twice over. But without even an ounce of hesitation, he walked up into the site. "No, something's... weird. Why aren't you waking up?" He cocked his head, then looked back at Hieu, ignoring the busy crowd of Salarians moving around them. "... How long have we been here, Hieu?" It definitely sounded like a demand, but there was a tiny little fracture in his tone that let on that it was of some concern.

Id. What an odd name to take on, but it sort of made sense, given the attitude he'd been met with; Powerful psychic energy, the desire for instant gratification, and definitely the heightened anger and tension when he didn't get his way. It all seemed to fit. It was a bit uncanny, honestly. "Id, kid, I wasn't far off." he said lightly. He gave an acknowledging nod, but kept turning the concept over in his head as they walked.

The moment of separation didn't go unnoticed, though Hieu gave him the time he needed. When he returned, the telltale signs of some stomach upset became apparent. Hieu smiled sympathetically and continued on, only to quickly be nearly overtaken by Id, whose demeanor seemed to take a change once he saw his gear.

Looking over the machine, it was bright and colorful. He could see scrapes and wear in the metal plating on some parts of it, but on other parts it looks suspiciously smooth and seamless. He could only assume that it was some sort of mesh covering over other parts of machinery, but it almost looked...alive.

He climbed along the loose soil with Id, keeping pace with him easily. He used a bit of a biotic boost to push himself up over the edge of the debris, landing his feet on the ground next to the other. At the question, he paused to think back on the debriefing aboard the Normandy. "About a week. Why? What's wrong?"

Id's scowl slowly grew more and more impatient as Tal went on some sprawling stupid rant about how this was so every inconvenient to him. Really. Really? He was stuck here and his gear was possibly broken. "He does have a habit of that." Id scrunched his nose as he ushered a not so subtle threat.

But Hieu butted in again, steering the strange demi-human back on the right track, which was probably for the better. His yammering was starting to get annoying again. Whatever authority he had here, it was passably usable. They seemed to bend a lot easier to him than he seemed to act like they would, whether out of diplomacy or intimidation. Id gave him a measured look before snapping another glare at Tal. It was... so tempting to just push him over like a bearcow.

"... Trust me, I don't intend for me or Weltall to stay here any longer. You'll have all your little rocks to play with soon enough." Good enough. He promptly looked away, intent on not giving the demi-human anymore attention, which seemed to be a mutual sentiment. Finally. He was done with him anyway. "Hieu." That was his name, right? "... Looks like you're as useful as you promised. I like that. Let's go."

And without prompt, he started towards the door. Then stopped. "... Urgh." He rolled his eyes, turned on his heel, and walked back to the bed, grabbing the sandals from the floor and the discarded hair-tie from the bed. He didn't really bother to put them on, but he knew Fei would be irritated if he left them. Besides, if he needed armor, he'd need them. Not like he bothered to have more clothing packed away anywhere.

"Okay. Now let's go." He walked briskly past Hieu towards the door without so much as eyes contact, quite content to just keep going without him if he was too slow really. ... But he stopped short and looked over his shoulder despite himself, those bright and now faintly glowing eyes peering back through the mess of red hair in his face. "... Well? Hurry. It'd be inconvenient if they tried to stop me because you're not there."

And, well... he had no idea where he was or where to go, but he wasn't about to let Hieu know that.

Useful was certainly one way to put it, and it didn't rest very easily on Hieu's gut. He took in another tense breath at the comment, then closed his eyes to think. He was taking huge gamble on this whole thing. Whatever power the kid had, it was unpredictable and violent in nature. Beyond that, he was only a kid, maybe twenty. He paused when he heard footsteps, then observed as the other human went and plucked up the par of sandals and hair tie. A curious little moment, given his precocious nature, at the moment.

He squinted at the kid giving him commands, and crossed his arms sternly. "We're working together on this, you know. I would appreciate a little respect," he mentioned in passing as he approached the door beside the other. "And a name, if I could get one. I know you're not Fei, but I'd like something to call you besides 'kid'." He pressed a few commands on the side panel, and the door opened up again. Tal had left the hallway, no doubt in pursuit of some other micromanagerial task he was obsessed over.

As Hieu stepped out into the hallway, he looked back at the youth. "Follow me."

The site where 'Weltall' has crashed was a shocking one. A large, dragging dent cut out a straight line of impact in the ground, leading up to a debris covered form of a humanoid-shaped vessel of some sort. It really did look like the old mecha vids he used to watch as a kid. The Salarians were still in the process of removing chunks of Prothean ruins from atop the machine, but its figure was clearly emerging from below the soil and concrete.

"Come on," Hieu said as he stepped over the edge of the carved out ditch, carefully climbing down the soil and toward the robot and expecting the kid to be somewhere behind.

I won’t let them touch you. Those were big words that no one ever meant, but they ached in his chest all the same when the door finally opened.

Big eyes, shiny skin, the faces were all blurry in his mind until now, and the burbling voices had a new clarity, but he knew who they were, and he flashed teeth like a dog. They had the gall to talk about him like an escaped lab rat!? His eyes flickered to the guns. Easy, only three, they'd be down before they could lift them on him. And the scientist, laughable, not even worth mentioning. And Hieu—

For that one moment as Hieu put himself between Id and the oncoming force, Id stared up in utter confusion. He’d been ready for every possible move except the one where Hieu wasn’t lying. Or at least, trying to not look like a liar. He was determined to not have a bluff called, it seemed.

He felt like a bug under a glass, watching the conversation go back and forth in front of him. And— damn it, he shifted uncomfortably when Hieu made it clear his attempts to not look sick had failed— he could only feel the angry flush of frustration in his face as he looked away when the spotlight fell on him again. He didn’t expect an apology, he wasn’t even sure he wanted one or what he’d do with it. He didn’t care. He didn’t get apologies.

It happened anyway.

Id looked up, very unaware of how his eyes betrayed his youth for just a split-second. Even a stiff, intimidated, ambiguously genuine apology was an entirely foreign noise to his ears, and it didn’t quite find purchase in him. But the apology wasn’t really what he focused on anyway. No, it was that tone of voice, of Hieu outright demanding one for him so thoroughly, seeming so frustrated on his behalf…

Ugh, did he really have to sound so much like Fei? It made his spine feel icy in a way he couldn’t figure out.

But he stepped back from his stance and looked at Hieu with a small frown, eyes still narrowed and brows furrowed. There was a long pause, then carefully he stood up straighter and crossed his arms rather tightly across his chest— more for sensation than to look annoyed, though both worked. “Hmph, that’s an understatement. … Your apology is understood.” He didn’t stop looking at Hieu with that a look that just might’ve been tepid, uneasy appreciation— if someone squinted hard enough at it. That’s the best he’d give the others for now, though he was very quickly starting to recognize them as not ‘Solarians’.

No, something was wrong. More pieces he was left to deal with and clean up again.

“… My Gear is not part of your ‘excavation project’.” He finally looked at Tal, and those last two words were like venom. It’d be a lie to day he wasn’t half-daring him to talk down to him again. “If you’re as quick as you say, then you better hope you’ve gotten what you wanted. You’re going to give him back and hope you haven’t damaged him further trying to poke around in what isn’t yours. Understand?”

Tensions were obviously high, but they at least appeared to be simmering down. The postures of the guards eased noticeably when he spoke, as if relieved that he wasn't immediately hostile. Hieu saw that look of mixed appreciation on the other human's face, and gave the smallest nod in return.

Tal stiffened right back up when he was spoken to, and his brow furrowed in reaction to the harsh words spat his way. "Know listen here! We are not fixated solely on your machine, though the scans of it have been rather interesting." Hieu attempted to speak, but was cut off by Tal continuing rather assertively. "We are in the midst of excavating data entries from the Protheans' ancient computers. Studying their remains. Learning about their culture. There is more at stake here than your strange robot -- which I may add has destroyed a number of structures we were in the middle of examining!"

Hieu stood between them instinctively, holding his hand out in the other human's direction in a desperate attempt to keep things from flaring up again. "Then there won't be any issue in showing him his gear, right?"

"Show him the thing! As far as I'm concerned the excavation is behind schedule and dealing with damages yet assessed. It'll be easier when it's is towed out of there." He knew that was a stretch of the truth given how excited Tal had been earlier, but hey, it got them where they wanted to go, right? "You escort him, and be careful of the rubble! We might be able to salvage some of what's been destroyed." With his rant done, the scientist made to leave, and the guards turned with him.

As they did, Hieu turned to look at the kid, a stitch in his brow and an audible sigh of relief escaping his lips.

Id listened, eyes half-shadowed and peering up at Hieu. He didn't know whether to feel insulted or annoyed really.

He didn't trust like that. Why should he? As far as he was concerned no one had any room to tell him otherwise. Enough needles, enough binds, being frozen, being paralyzed from the nerves out for 'science', being poked and prodded and bled dry. He admittedly had very little idea the extent of what had happened here when Fei was in the spotlight, but he wasn't as naive as to pretend it wouldn't get worse.

He was out for a reason. The ache of panic still wracked every muscle in their face and chest.

But then, Hieu took his arm and Id stiffened to attack right back. If it had been even a year earlier, that hand would have been gone. The small, "Don't," that came with it was a rattling tail in the grass. Except it was no attack. Hieu held his arm so gently that it was barely a push, and felt so strangely light and soft despite all the force it was being fought with. The energy around Hieu changed slightly, less sharp and angry and more... confused. Wary. Still rough, but it was almost a little cold now.

Id resisted for a moment. Then he slowly let Hieu move his arm away.

But oh, those eyes stayed locked on Hieu's, taking in every feature like it was a tell he hadn't noticed yet. Then he scrunched his nose when he finally felt the earpiece he was wearing. "..." He pulled his arm away entirely, eyes flickering up at Hieu with a bit more... complication now.

And nausea. "Mmph..." Id flinched more obviously and drew back, and slowly but surely the energy started to dissipate. He landed softly back on the ground again only once he was sure that gravity effect was gone, and crossed his arms with a scowl. He was still plenty ready for a feint. "I don't trust you. Words mean nothing." He murmured flatly, but looked at the door behind Hieu that was still echoing with the dull hard thunks of someone banging on it.

Another call out from his mind, and again no response.

"But, I am... open to accepting some mutual benefit. If you actually can do anything, that is." He frowned at the door when another thump nearly cut him off. Fine. He carefully took one more step back, eyes locked on the door, fingers braced in a claw form at his sides, and shoulders low in nothing short of a prowl. "Prove it. Let them in, and we'll see what happens. They're getting annoying now."

There was a lot of risk to that request. He didn't know what this alter had planned for the Salarians on the other side of that door, given that the mention of their name had obviously stirred something up in Fei beforehand. He measured the danger for a moment of silence, looking directly into the kid's eyes as he thought.

"I won't let them touch you," he stated firmly with a soft movement of his hand in a settling motion. He very cautiously tapped his earpiece as he moved to unlock the door manually. "Don't rush in. Nice and slow."

The scientist and guards responded accordingly, with Tal leading the group of three armed men into the room. "What's the meaning of this? You've released him? This is highly impro--" He stopped when he saw the very different coloration and stance of what he'd seen last time. "Interesting..."

"Hold on," Hieu held up a hand to dissuade. "He's been through a lot. Being in a containment field was triggering him. If you had been concerned about him you might have noticed that."

Tall pursed his lips with displeasure and offense. "I beg your pardon? We were only trying to prevent him from running amok around an excavation project."

"He's feeling sick and disoriented. He's in an unfamiliar place. And you've been able to understand him for a while now. The least you could have done is give him a translator and explained the situation to him." He crossed his arms. "I think now that he can understand you, you should apologize."

Tal looked between Hieu and the other, realizing quickly that it wasn't a request. He cleared his throat awkwardly and blurted out, "M-my apologies. We Salarians work quickly, but perhaps not... gracefully."

Hieu looked to the kid for his reaction, being careful and ready for anything.

rpmusings-galore

“ HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO KNOCK YOU DOWN BEFORE YOU STAY THERE? “

always one more. now, watch me stand AGAIN.

#// musings

"Hmph. Then why didn't you before I started doing this? Don't bother lying to me, I'm not stupid." Id cocked his head, the irritated disbelief on his face still partially obscured behind hair. The deep dark brown that had been curtaining his face began to shift and fade into a pale pinkish red color instead.

But the sound of boots against the floor echoed, and even Id had to take a small pause to just... stare at him in utter surprise. The man weighed as much as a Gear— and he'd know— but it didn't make sense. How? People couldn't just do that, not without Ether, and that did not feel like Ether. Not that he'd let on. That energy just lapped up against Hieu with a sudden new temperature, not like fire but like the feverish prickling skin of almost animalistic anger sprawling across Hieu's body for trying to sweeten up a lie to them.

"So why should I stop? You and your friends won't give back what's not yours. You've been keeping us in a cage. You..." Id flinched. Ugh, the weird nausea again, the migraine was skull-splitting, "you did something to me. I know what happens in cages." The words stung bitterly on his tongue and in his throat, even as his tone stayed quiet. "If he won't stop it, I will." He could have left Hieu a smear across the wall already, gravity or no gravity, but...

Wait.

All the little objects that began to float and clatter off their surfaces. Id moved on instinct, kicking off the floor on his own volition before Hieu could force him off, and it was with all the ease of someone kicking off the bottom of a pool. A bright red glow enveloped him and kept his place in the air as he frowned back with offense. "... Cute. But that's cheating."

And just like that, a new weight lurched at Hieu's neck— Id himself, slamming up with clearly trained form and precision.

But... then there was a tiny pause. Maybe Hieu could feel it as Id made contact. Just a hitch where the force of his arm could have been too much, before any irreversible damage could be done, a silence filled only by the anger and anxiety that was bubbling up formlessly in the energy wrapped around Hieu. "... We don't belong here..."

This definitely wasn't biotic ability. Hieu watched on in surprise at the red energy engulfing the other's body, and barely had time to brace himself for what came next. The forearm to his throat came too quick for him to counter. He found his back up against the wall, and the kid holding the air from his lungs. He pushed and struggled, managing to get enough space for breath.

He felt the thumping against the door behind his back, and the pressure against his neck. There weren't many options that didn't include a fight, which is what he was trying to avoid. The best thing he could try to do was reason. "Listen to me, I'm sorry they put you in a locked cage. If it were me, I wouldn't have. But the only way we're going to be able to sort this out and get you back what's yours, is if you let me go and stop this."

The kid looked sickly, and not just from the shift in color he'd taken after the change. Hieu was beginning to catch on. Fei must have had DID, and this was an alter, he was talking to. A complicated situation made even more so by the fact that there was so little they knew.

He felt the shift in the energy around them, and heard the words whoever this was had said under his breath. "No, you don't..." Hieu pushed the arm off in the moment, but did so slowly and gently. "But I want to try and help you find your way back to wherever it is you came from. I'm trying to help you. You just have to trust me."

The name earned something between a sneer and a smile, but little else. "Not yours. Not theirs. What else do you think that means? It’s mine.” ‘Our’. It had slipped out again, and Id felt a small twist in his chest. His face drew into a small frown as he looked around the little cage they’d been stuck in. There was an eerie familiarity that made his hands feel hot and his skin be ghosted over by needles. But a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the cell stopped him in his tracks with a brief pit in his gut, and with a little spark of power that Hieu might have only barely seen, those deep brown eyes shifted to bright glowing gold like they were suddenly backlit by an inferno of firelight.

He was’t the only one getting his bearings, oh no. As Id’s new eyes turned back, he watched the switch in body language Hieu took on with expectant but amused curiosity. Oh, he was fast, a lot more so than the big-eyed demihumans who kept prodding them, and if anything that at least made it more fun than frustrating.

If only he didn’t go and ask stupid questions.

Talking down to him. What answers was he hoping for exactly that would help them out of here? He knew this dance, he knew he was clearly working with the people imprisoning them, but before the thought got much further, he winced. Okay, no, really, why did he feel like this? Not the bruises or the migraine, those were normal to him, but like actually sick. His head felt empty and full all at once. What did Fei do? Or what did he let them to do them? But he quickly hid it as he stood up and stared Hieu down, so that any hint of weakness was covered. He was not letting them stay another second in this little exhibit. Not again. It was only a matter of time before the supposed-Solarians decided to investigate more invasively. Not. Again.

He tried calling again, and again, and again, mentally reaching into the darkness for his companion. He had to get them out of here, now. But Weltall just wasn’t calling back. No movement, no sound. He couldn’t even feel where it was.

“… Hmph. Don’t look so worried.” His lip twitched, and he reached up to undo the tidy ponytail. A cascade of freed hair fell over his shoulders and hung around his face with immediate relief. “You’re done with Fei. For now. You will talk to me. So, try again.” Id stalked closer to Hieu, entirely unbothered by the concept of personal space given how very close he got all at once. “You. Take me. To our Gear. Now. Or I’ll find it myself.” And on that very word, it was like a snap; something invisible slammed against Hieu, just enough force to shove nearly anyone back towards the wall in very firm— if uncomfortable— warning.

The hairs on the back of his neck began to raise, and he felt an icy pit forming at the base of his gut. Something had changed, and he was starting to feel like a mouse being toyed with by a very large cat. The glow that engulfed Fei's eyes caught his attention more immediately. That was something he'd never seen before. Biotic abilities glowed a blueish purple, not a yellow gold.

But he knew when something was about to happen. Enough disasters and near-death-experiences had trained him to prepare for the worst. A faint tide of glowing energy began to spread over his skin and armor, subtle enough to possibly slip past Fei as he undid his long pony tail.

Te more words that were said, the more he began to understand. This was no longer Fei, it was someone else. Perhaps something else. With the breach of his personal space, Hieu stood to meet the gaze cast upon him. He was taller than the other by a good few inches, but that height difference seemed to have no effect on this new entity's plans.

It hit him like a truck, but with his field up, it was less like being thrown into a wall and more like being shoved by a strong gust of wind, his feet grating along the tile floor as he slid back across half the room. He braced himself, holding up his arms across his face to keep his vision clear as he peeked past them to look back at not-Fei.

Would he be forced to into a conflict here? This was hardly the place for it. He could hear some pounding on the locked door behind him, and hit his ear piece to say, "Stay back! Let me handle this!"

He stood back up straight, using his biotic ability to hold himself steady in the torrent of pressure headed his way. This wasn't biotic power being used against him. Gravity around him wasn't being manipulated, no, it was more like the air itself was given mass and pressed into him. He would have to counter it, somehow, and in a way that didn't cause the kid any further harm.

"Stop, now," he warned, his body and eyes beginning to more obviously glow with his raw biotic energy. The room began to feel less constrained by gravity, with some objects beginning to lift off the ground and tables. "I don't want to fight you, but I can't take you to Weltall! Not when you're doing this!"

“I just…” Hieu wasn't lying. He had gotten pretty good at figuring out when someone was tugging him along on something. Why was he was shoved in a prison cell even after he complied and tried again and again to show them he wasn't dangerous? He didn't know how he'd done it to begin with, he just wanted to go home, he didn't want to be trouble.

The sound of the barrier dropping didn't rouse him, nor did the first few words of reassurance. Fei's toes dug at the seams of the tiles for something to feel as the world went soft and distant, and something urged at his brain. His eyes slowly shifted to stare at Hieu and the offered hand distantly.

And then, "... Hmph. Do you...?" There was a whisper that hadn't been in his voice before, with a sudden and strange hoarseness. Ugh, what an awful headache, and the lights were really annoying. He felt so sluggish and tired. Hieu’s hand was left unaccepted and hanging in the air, but it was very much watched from the spaces between fingers.

"... Do you really want to help, or are you just playing like the others and hoping I won't notice? Because I'm very tired of that game." Questions over and over and over, satisfying their own curiosity like staring at a zoo animal. Slowly, he lifted his head and dragged his fingers down his face to press at all the scrapes and bruises like they were new. "I have a better start for us." Those eyes narrowed at Hieu. "You can take me to our Gear. Now. It's mine." Why wasn't Weltall calling back to him? The silence was actually riling up his nerves, that wasn't normal, Weltall always always came to him...

His hand hovered there, unreciprocated. For the pause, he watched Fei intently, his eyes fixed on the other man's lowered head. Something seemed to shift in the air, twisting and tightening with newfound tension. Then Fei spoke again, but this time it was...different. Hieu lowered the hand slowly after another moment of confused pause. "Fei..?" he called quietly.

What he was met with was a change in pace and tone. Fei was suddenly more cold, detached, and suspicious. Just when he had thought he was getting through...

Hieu sat up more tensely, furrowing his brow with visible confusion as he answered plainly. "No, I'm not playing anything. I'm trying to help you, Fei." Wait, that was odd. Hieu pulled his lips to a straight line for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean 'our'?" He was beginning to suspect there was something more complicated going on in Fei's mind. Such a sudden shift, what was the cause?

He could see it in every inch of Fei's body language. His whole posture had shifted, and the way he carried himself had gone from soft but confused to prickly and scrutinizing. Even his voice had changed, now carrying a more worn and ragged timbre. Was it the barrier? Was there no longer a need to keep up a friendly face?

Earth? What was Earth? Everything was so unreal and going way too fast, and his fingers felt cold and unattached. Fei held his head for a moment longer, staring down at the sterile white tiles on the floor, then he tried to catch his breath again.

Okay, okay, try and breathe.

He swallowed and nodded, trying to at least focus on the cold on his feet, though the buzz of the lights was starting to feel louder. So, he ran his hands through his hair, gathering the loose bangs and undoing the tie in his hair in one fluid go to redo it more tidily. It was more fidget than necessity.

"... okay... okay..." The fact that Hieu didn't even seem to know what he meant by a Gear did not land. The idea that someone wouldn't just didn't really register amongst literally everything else. "No, it doesn't make sense. I don't know what any of those places are. I don't know any 'Alliance'. I don't know how I got here." He looked up Hieu through the barrier, the looming reality of his imprisonment was still very much present.

"I was..." he took a steadying breath and spoke slowly, more measured, but it was clear he was still feeling the growing realization while trying to dig back for memory, "underwater off the coast of Aquvy. There was some kind of weird energy reading that we kept picking up on the past few months. It was too consistent to just be an anomaly, so we thought it was coming from outside Zeboim. We were worried that maybe something had reactivated down there, we wanted to make sure it was safe and... Weltall was just the safest way to check on it."

"... I saw something down there. It almost looked like... a glowing shard of glass in the water. I called it in and I reached to grab it. That's all I remember before I was pulled out and put in here. That's it. I don't remember anything else." He furrowed his brow and shook his head as it all settled in more. "But... I'm guessing none of that means anything to you, does it?"

He remembered talking with Bart and Elly idly over the comms just to fill the uncomfortable silence of the seafloor. He'd asked them to, he didn't really like how quiet it got down there with just the low murmur of water outside. Bart teased him affectionately, and he could hear Elly elbow him over the mic. But the words felt so distant and fuzzy now, and the sheer fact that he couldn't remember what they were talking about made his head feel light and the floor feel gone.

"I..." he reeled back slowly and sat on the edge of the bed, dizzy and wincing slightly. "I need to get back... I need to..."

When the story finally came, it was nothing he had a chance to prepare for. Aquvy? Zeboim? Nothing made sense. Hieu stood there, still and quiet, trying over and over to put it all together. It was like trying to put together a pile of jigsaw pieces from six different sets. Not at all like when he was a kid on Mindoir passing the long days by.

But memories weren't the place to be right now. His focus was fixed on Fei as he began to get hit by the full weight of the situation at hand. By the look on his face, and the sound of his voice, it was less like a gentle tide coming into the shore and more like a hurricane making landfall. He could feel some sympathy, in a way. His whole life had once been flipped upside down in one day.

He tried to recount the story in his head over a pregnant pause, his faintly glowing eyes scanning over vague directions and objects as his thoughts filtered through. Something had called Fei toward it. Weltall was merely the vehicle. He'd known that feeling with the beacon, once it had gotten a grip on his mind. The answer Fei asked for was unfortunately the one he was going to get, but before he could deliver the words, he saw Fei dip for the bed.

Without hesitation, Hieu reached over to the controls and lowered the containment field. The automatic locks on the door out of the room engaged with a clunk as he did so. He ducked into the room, approaching with measured movements as he said, "Hey now, hold on." He knelt down to keep himself in Fei's vision, however periphery it might become. "You're right. It doesn't mean much to me, but I'm hoping to help you, however I can. We just have to start somewhere."

He thought it over for a while longer, then said, "You mentioned an energy signal, and a glowing piece of glass. We'll start there, okay?" he offered his hand out for a hold, anything to give the smallest amount of comfort or reassurance.