Wake!Caesar and Au!Noah Meeting (Closed)

[gorilladog]

Who: AU!Noah and Wake!Caesar
When: Midday in Nautilus
Where: Northern District
What: An exhausted Noah escapes the wrath of Black Knight on his Earth as he wakes to find himself in a strange city, relieved to find Caesar all fine and well, only to figure out that this particular man isn't the one he's expecting. As is the classic Caesar way.


Wind ruffled through long blades of grass as they seemed to encircle a lying figure out in the open plain. The said figure was a seemingly average sized blond teenager with a green bomber jacket, gray pants, and black converse. In a half-fetal position, the boy laid there, dishelved, lips parted, and his face scratched up with a burned scar down from below his ear lobe to his lower back. Smaller creatures, butterflies and other small animals crawled and flapped around him, investigating the newly awakened. Eyelids slowly reveal blue-green eyes as he stares blankly at a bug crawling onto his hand, only to turn it downward, as with a groan, the soreness of the battle before began to resurface. Slowly lifting himself up, the creatures either crawled or flew off as he looked around dazedly.

The blond felt through his pockets for any communication devices, only to have his head throb, reminding him of what happened to them. They were destroyed as he narrowly escaped this boss, Black Knight. Revealing herself as an EVO, and him revealing where his loyalties lie, both parted ways in understandably less than pleasant terms. When he originally wanted out from under her thumb, he expected espionage, something maybe out of an action movie, freedom so close he could taste it. However, what the movies failed to show, was the outright exhaustion one had after the fact. The disbelief of the fact that it was actually over. No more calls during the day for menial work, no more of the snide, calculating voice belittling, building up, and breaking his self esteem down over and over again. No more having to lie and save face in order to keep the people he cared about the most safe from Black Knight's ire. No more having to kiss up to certain people he disliked in order to safe his own hide. No more of the stress. No more.

Blinking at the sun's rays, it was understandably hot around here, and Noah, without thinking of it, takes off his jacket to tie the sheelves around his waist. Arms revealed more scars, some deeper and redder than others. Well. If there's animals and grass around, there had to be water and shelter somewhere right? The blond walks on, unknowing what lies ahead.

Comments

[pineapplesalmon]

Six was an asshole.

No seriously, he was a complete asshole, and Rex was going to kill him for this if he ever found out. Which Caesar didn't plan on telling Rex, but well--Rex had a bit of a habit of finding out things at inconvenient times. Really inconvenient times.

When Caesar said he wanted some more training with fighting, he didn't expect to be dropped in the middle of the plains and told to walk back. Yeah. That was a thing that happened, and Caesar wasn't pleased when it happened. That displeasure has been replaced by nervousness now, considering what will happen if he fails to protect himself from the EVOs running through the plains. At worst, he is pretty sure he could teleport, but if one catcehes him off-guard....

There isn't a point to think about what-ifs now, so Caesar lets that thought drop to the grass at his feet and die there. He looks around, taking a view of the plains around him. He can see the city in the distance--just barely, but he knows what he was looking for, too. Good. He can find his way back.

Caesar sighs as he starts walking. It isn't long before he comes to a stop, though, blinking as he sees a figure in the distance. ... Okay, it wasn't Six. No, too blond. At least he thinks--yes, definitely blond. Caesar wrinkles his brow and starts walking towards the figure, trying to keep at least a little cautious. It could be one of the more evil-minded Wakened heading out to kill things.

That theory dies pretty quickly when Caesar recognizes Rex's best friend. His eyes go wide. Shit. He was a newly awakened, and he was in the plains? By himself?

Caesar has half a mind to teleport him to Nautilus, but then--well. Six would call him a coward, even though he had a good reason to use his Angelii powers. Caesar hangs his head for a moment. Stupid pride....

He lifts his head back up and starts trotting to the younger man, waving as he gets closer. "Noah! What are you doing out here?"

The last question is rhetorical, as Caesar knows the answer and Noah does not--it is more to fill in the silence than anything else.

[gorilladog]

Picking up a very familiar voice that rung in his ears, calling his name, made Noah stop in his tracks. His breath shortened and he stood stock still, at first not daring to go any further, or turning to see the source of the sound.

Then carefully, almost reluctantly, Noah turned his head to see the man he left in order to save himself, the man he shared so much with, getting close during Rex's six month absence, and someone he persistently kept opening up to in hopes of the other to open up back. The image wasn't disappearing, the sound became louder as the figure came closer.

"C-Caesar?" He stammered distantly. Questions, suspisions, and worries began to build up in Noah'stop mind. Relieved as he was to see it was Caesar that found him and that the man in turn, appeared to be okay.

"What...what do you mean what am I doing here? Why are you out here? Is it really all over?"

[pineapplesalmon]

Cue Caesar looking confused. Is it really all over? Whatever Noah was referencing, Caesar had no clue about what it was. Maybe after Rex deactivated the meta nanites? Caesar hadn't experienced it yet, but he knew what the end result would be from Rex telling him.

Well, he was Rex's best friend, so it was best that he was closer to Rex's time than Caesar's.

His brow still furrowed a little in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. But we need to get out of here, first."

[gorilladog]

Noah was expecting a certain answer from the man, which apparently he wasn't getting at the moment, for whatever reason. He pauses as his own expression mirrored Caesar's.

However, this only gave way for Noah to snort amusedly, smiling as though it hurt internally to do so. Taking a few steps closer to the man, he lies a hand on Caesar's shoulder for support. If Caesar were to just look at the blond's face, he would see scratches accented along the edges, dark circles below blue-green eyes. And deep red gashes and scars decorating his pale hands and arms.

"Good one. But seriously...where are we and...where would we go? This isn't one of those pocket dimensions of Breach's is it?"

[pineapplesalmon]

"It isn't. It's in another plane of existence, and this particular part of where we are is filled with wild EVOs."

Caesar was skipping the explanations for now, which was rare for him regarding Nautilus. There wasn't time to explain it until they were safe. Noah was obviously from a different time. Caesar had never seen him look this injured, and he was acting very familiar with him.

... Well, at least Caesar paused for a moment to look apologetic. It seems that whatever had happened, he and Noah had gotten closer. Noah was going to hurt when he found out that Caesar remembered none of it.

[gorilladog]

"Great, the welcoming committee."

While annoyed, Noah stayed close to the older Salazar, as he also took the hint that questions would have to hold off until they were safe. Although, the regards for his own safety were more on Caesar's behalf than himself, he was just happy to see Caesar alive and well. Because as far as the teen was concerned, the man was the closet thing he had to a friend.

Keeping a wary eye around him, Noah starts looking for any clobbering, mutated beings that would head their direction.

[pineapplesalmon]

Well, if that's how Noah felt, then what Caesar was going to say next would be a dozy. Because to Caesar, well. Let's just say that things are a little different for him.

"Rex is going to be happy to see you at least," Caesar paused for a moment, then kinda winced. "Ah. Well. If I get you to him alive."

The way Caesar ends that is on a lighter note; it's a joke despite the situation. Which he should probably clarify. Rex had enough trouble figuring out when he was joking, and he couldn't expect poor Noah to have a better chance at it.

"... I'm kidding. Just stay close."

[gorilladog]

Fortunately, for this particular Noah, he was not a stranger to Caesar's humor. While it still was enough to keep him on edge of the possibility of the man being dead serious, he learned to decode through pauses, body language, any subtleties that would give the older man away. It was one of the perks of being a former agent for Black Knight, as watching and learning from her made him more skeptical and wary of an individual's behavior.

Never the less, Caesar's mention of Rex made him visibly stiffen, letting go of Caesar's shoulder so the arm went limp to the side. He turned to look at the other for any other indications of pulling his leg.

"Wait, Rex!? You mean he's-"

Maybe the war was over, maybe Rex was okay, and maybe the statement and the joke was just Caesar's way of reassuring him that there was a possibility of Rex forgiving him after everything he's done. But Noah knew better than to believe in something that was too good to be true. That was what got him in his previous situation in the first place.

"Oh yeah, I could just see him trying to contain his joy when he sees my face before deciding to take my head with his sword, most likely on a silver platter with an apple in my mouth. The rest of me probably will be EVO chow to whatever is out here."

Noah laughed mirthlessly as the emerald green gaze lowered. Was the response biting? Absolutely, but he expected Caesar to understand it in turn.

"Caesar, you know how he deals with betrayal. Just because we both know I'll always be loyal to him, doesn't mean he would consider giving another chance anytime soon."

[pineapplesalmon]

Caesar forgot that he was supposed to be walking, instead turning to look directly at Noah and stare. What the heck was Noah talking about? Taking a quick stock of what Rex had told him and his own memories didn't come up with any clues.

"... What happened?" Caesar realized the only way to clear the confusion was to speak, so he did. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He really didn't. Everything that this Noah had been through didn't exist to Caesar. All of his struggles, all of his pain, all of his experiences--none of it was real to Caesar. Only to Noah.

Being from alternate realities sometimes sucked. Not that Caesar knew that was the case yet or was even actively considering it. He just assumed there was either something that Rex hadn't told him, or Noah was from a future that neither Rex nor Caesar had experienced yet.

[gorilladog]

Silence hung heavily once Caesar inquired Noah with that confused stare.

When Noah first saw Caesar here, he had butterflies bubbling of fear and excitement. Caesar wasn’t hurt, but questions still rose of the Consortium still being at large, how Rex was doing. However, now he looked back, with wide blue-green eyes, with its dark circles empathizing all the stress, weariness, and terror Noah labored for those last near to three years. A step back, as many thoughts and memories rushed through still. A weight dropped in the of his stomach and in this chest was constricting.

“Caesar…c’mon."



Noah laughed all the more nervously, a look of disbelief mixed with an attempt to control the fear that was bubbling out the more he spoke.

"I was assigned to work for you in those six months. We were there when Rex came back, we had to turn on him so she wouldn’t think there was anything suspicious going on. I told you, I was working undercover for White Knight to get information, expose Black Knight for who she is, so I could get out of that crazy as heck mess I was in. You told me about Rex's childhood, I brought you up to speed with what he was doing before he got sucked into that time portal thing with Breach. How…you don’t remember any of that?”

[pineapplesalmon]

"... No," Caesar asked carefully, turning to look at Noah fully. "I don't remember any of that."

To his credit, he did look sympathetic. Sorry for it, even. But Caesar already had a good idea of why this was the case. After all, so many people were from alternate Earths, so what was one person from an Earth exceedingly similar to his own.

"This place attracts people from alternate Earths all the time. I'm not sure why. I just never expected to see an alternate version of someone I know."

Well, sort of knew. Caesar wasn't going to really emphasis that too much. Somehow, he didn't think this was going to go over well as it was. He didn't want to drive that home anymore than he had to at the moment.

"... I'm sorry that I'm not the Caesar you were expecting."

Sorry this got tl;dr

[gorilladog]

The constriction in Noah's chest released, with an emptiness taking its place. Blanching, shaking his head slowly, Noah took a few more steps backwards as Caesar continued.

Lowering his head to take in the information this Caesar was giving him, Noah reviewed it through his mind. If this really was some multi-universal hub, not one of Breach's dimensions, then he really was farther away from home than he thought. He remembered being briefed on the Ben coming from his Earth to theirs, how Caesar, Rex, and Ben put a stop to the Alpha nanite. If this Caesar was telling the truth at least, the Rex here probably wasn't the Rex he was expecting either. Noah couldn't decide if that thought was a comfort or not.

Noah's head snapped up at the apology, gaping momentarily. Only to follow with his shoulders slouched and eyes half lidded. He was exhausted, sore, empty, and felt like just crawling into a hole and staying there, never coming out. He wanted to get angry, he wanted to feel at least something to retaliate. That this was some cruel mind game Black Knight was playing against him, to finally break him until the final blow was delivered by this Caesar, who could have been a shape shifting EVO posing as someone he knew. But Noah wouldn't let her have that luxury. If she wanted him dead, she would have to finish the job herself, preferably with Noah taking her down with him.

This Caesar's tone of voice, his facial expressions and body language seemed to show everything contrary. To be honest, would he really want Caesar, or any one for that matter remember something like what he went through?

Finally, after a mental battle, Noah responds hollowly, deciding that no defense was the best course of action. Because there was only one thing he cared about the most at this point.

"Just tell me one thing."

Noah lifted his head to look Caesar directly in the eye.

"Do you have a good relationship with Rex? Does he know you care about him? Because if there's nothing getting the way now, there's no reason for you to put any walls up with him."

I am the queen of TL;DR. I love it. >_> ALSO WOW MENTAL BLOCK IS GOOOONE

[pineapplesalmon]

Caesar felt his own chest constrict. He could quite clearly see how emotionally and physically spent Noah was. Whatever this version of Noah had gone through, it had been a lot. Too much for what someone his age should ever have to deal with.

Noah was a teenager. Growing up rapidly like Rex, yes, but a teenager all the same. They weren't meant to deal with adult level stuff, even the mature ones. He was supposed to be doing stupid stuff, and quite often with his best friend and Caesar's brother, Rex. The sympathy in Caesar's eyes turned into more of a happy ache--both happy as his heart raises in the fact that he can affirm that, yes, he was close to Rex while at the same time knowing he couldn't just reach out and fix the pain that Noah was going through.

What he could do was reach out for Noah with a hand, and he did so, putting it firmly onto the younger man's shoulder. "I'm light years closer to Rex than I was before he lost his memories." And then his shoulders relaxed a bit as he laughed, a slight tease in his voice. "You must really know me back home if you know about the walls. ... Rex either found their gates or smashed through most of them long ago. We love each other very much."

It was weird, but kind of reassuring. This Noah could only< be telling the truth if he knew to make that sort of statement. Only people that knew Caesar would know of their existence.

Meanwhile, *I* seem to have had a mental block >_>

[gorilladog]

Noah froze when he saw the hand move toward him; the teen even flinched at the touch as though he was bracing himself. However, as the intent was realized, the blond slowly relaxed.

At the sound of Caesar’s laugh, a curl of his lips that slightly resembled a smile accented his features. The younger man even snorted at the statement of Rex smashing through those walls. Yeah, that definitely sounded like what Rex, either from his Earth or Caesar’s would do.

The blond shrugged, “I was persistent I guess.”

This was a thousand times better than what Noah expected to hear, and it was expressed as relief flooded his eyes with only a glint of uncertainty. It meant there was hope for the brothers; that, without any barriers could be a family at last. It meant the duo would be a force to reckon with before anyone like Black Knight or Van Kleiss could attempt hurting them. Caesar looked and sounded so much happier than when he last saw him, which in Noah's point of view, wasn't too long ago. He wanted to believe that the Caesar in his timeline could somehow be this happy too one day, but he knew realistically how much work that would take for the older man to bring himself out of that dark place, and how Noah could only help Caesar so much as the other man let him. Never the less, Noah seemed to maneuver through near to impossible situations at this point as gracefully as he could. He wasn't going to give up on either Salazar in his timeline, that just wouldn't be acceptable.

Noah wasn't sure how much more information he should give, as he was certain it was already surreal for Caesar to find someone that knew him and didn't know the other that much in return. Even if this was the same man that was open to the possibilities of pocket dimensions, alternate universes, and such. And wherever this place was, Nautilus he thought Caesar said, seemed to be a central hub of just that.

Noah stroked the back of his neck; who looked abysmally uncomfortable with what he was about to admit next.



“Caesar...you...he was depressed. And I was desperate. I looked out for myself even before I met Rex, but I didn’t know what it meant to actually work for her until she started making threats. I was willing to do anything with the less risk of me or anyone else getting hurt. For those six months, I knew I needed to keep playing my part just a little longer. You...he pretty much became an ally during that time, I couldn't keep going thinking I was alone in all that. I-I already pushed everyone else away to keep them safe, he was the only person I could trust in that place."

>_> And then I went MIA in RP for like two weeks. LMAO.

[pineapplesalmon]

Caesar squeezed Noah's shoulder, looking a bit lost when Noah finally finished speaking. What was there to say to something like that? The more he learned, the more he knew that this Noah had been through hell. Caesar had traveled with Rex to observe his own future and watched the Unawakened Caesar slowly lose himself.

Yet there was a clue in Noah's words to the little piece of the puzzle Caesar was missing in his own life. Pushing people away to keep them safe. It made sense. It would explain some of what Caesar had been told about happened later perfectly. Caesar had done the same thing to keep Rex safe, hadn't he? That had to be it.

"You did what you had to do." There was a little bit of relief in his voice. "We both did. ... but this should really wait until you're settled. You're tired. I'll teleport you back to the Holiday House and you can pick out a room, get some rest, good some food into you... Then we can talk. Sounds good?"

Normally Caesar would be kicking it down the road to avoid the situation entirely, but not this time. Noah needed the downtime, first and foremost. The heartfelt conversation could come later when the teenager didn't have such tired eyes.

Okay, here we go.

[gorilladog]

Although Noah heard Caesar just fine, it came apparent to him that the voice was drowning in and out, particularly when a soft, subtle, garbled noise began to increase its volume, which made the younger man start, looking in another direction.

"Did you-" Noah started to say, but once the man's voice continued to increase, it got Noah's attention, particularly with the "food" and "rest" comments.

The blond wordlessly nodded, wanting to do just what Caesar was saying, settle in until he could figure out what to do from here. However, a brow raised at the prospect of being "teleported" somewhere. It seemed as though explanations had to wait, so with an eye roll, the blond commented good-naturedly.

"You knowing how to teleport people. Why is that not surprising?"

Wooooo

[pineapplesalmon]

"Well, I'm an Angelii--a higher form of Wakened. It's one of the perks. I can fly unaided as well." Caesar grinned at the complement. "Rex is even more powerful than I am--an Ashura. He's really good at everything he does."

After a moment, he grinned a bit wider. "Okay, hold on--I'm going to teleport us."

And without further warning, he teleported directly into the kitchen of the Holiday House.

[gorilladog]

Noah wavers between smiling a little at Caesar's obvious endearment for Rex and frowning thoughtfully at the said EVO's name. Would Caesar be taking Noah somewhere Rex was in close proximity? The thought of it was enough to make him want to opt out. He didn't want to deal with seeing Rex, seeing him like this. Or his reaction upon finding out who Noah exactly was, and what he did in his timeline.

The teen attempts to voice his concerns, as he tried blocking out the irritating clicks and muffled noises that kept ringing in his ear.



“Wait-Caesar!"

Before he could even get a word in however, Caesar was teleporting them to the desired location. His heartbeat quickening its pace, Noah held on to Caesar like a lifeline, both hands grasping onto Caesar's biceps, eyes squeezed shut, and grimacing. He braced for whatever else was going to happen.

It takes about six seconds for Noah to finally open his eyes, slowly lift his head to look at Caesar, then look in the corner of his eye to see the open plains long gone, and in their place a nice home. He looks to the other side, then to look back at Caesar again, and where he placed his hands. He quickly jerks them to his sides. He shifts his gaze to the floor.

“Uh, nice trick. So an Angelii huh?"

[pineapplesalmon]

Yes, Rex was going to be in close proximity, mostly because he also lived in this place. Caesar had teleported into the living room, figuring they could at least sit for a bit, or at least talk about where Noah wanted to sleep. Since the kid looked about dead on his feet.

... Man. That's right. Rex was now going to be four years older than him at least. That was going to be... weird.

"I can fly, too," Caesar replied with a wide grin. "So do you want to sit for a bit and talk or sleep now that we're safe? I can wait until you wake up."

[gorilladog]

Weird would be putting it mildly. Noah considered that he was still passed out from escaping Black Knight and having dreams as a result. Except this dream wasn't one of those nightmares that paralleled with his daily life back home. Or he was dead. And this was what happened after the fact. But this Caesar already explained where he was didn't he? All of this was so much to take in.

Noah's focus wavered as Caesar spoke, the dialogue became mere sounds that fluctuated around words like "sleep", "safe", and "wake up". His mind and body made the choice for him as he felt his eyes drooping. Noah attempted to hold on to the closest object to him in case he passed out right then and there. How could something like sleep be something he knew he needed yet loathed? His answer was simple in writing, but difficult in action.

"Do you have anything for sleep, speaking of?"

A Sedative maybe? A stiff drink? He figured it would be better to ask for something to help him than verbally off loading on Caesar again.

[pineapplesalmon]

Well, that pretty much settled it. Noah needed to rest before anything. Poor guy looked about ready to fall over now that he was feeling a bit safer.

"I do, but let's get you into a spare room. They're right up the stairs."

Caesar put an arm around Noah's shoulders to steady him. Also to start taking him towards the stairs since he was looking pretty close to just falling over. Asking him too many questions wasn't going to be very helpful for either of them.

Noah didn't really seem to need anything to keep him asleep, but Caesar could give him some nyquil to help. Nothing much stronger than that. Caesar didn't know how to Bend any of that up.

"So let's get you to bed before I have to carry you."

[gorilladog]

Noah graciously takes the support as he held on with as much strength as he had at the moment. In his mind, Caesar was going over and above in helping him. Noah knew he owed him for this.

"Keep trying to make me laugh and you just might." Noah snorted back weakly, but tensed up, grimaced as he suddenly felt the sharp internal pains from the events prior to entering Nautilus. Damn Black Knight.

Noah would follow with Caesar's help up the stairs to the spare room.

[pineapplesalmon]

"Right. I'll try to conserve your energy and make the jokes later."

Caesar led him into the room. There hadn't been a bed before the door opened, but Noah didn't need to know that. He made it one of those adjustable air mattress beds in a queen size with it shoved up against the wall. Not that Noah was going to really bother with adjusting it until later, but the option was still available to him. He left it on medium, right between soft and hard.

There was also a T-shirt and shorts in Noah's size on the bed, laying unfolded for him to change into. A nightstand with a regular shaded lamp. A water glass laid on a coaster with a couple of nighttime gel capsules next to it. There was a closet on the other side of the room, a small desk, an overhead fan and light, and the walls were painted a light blue. Bending was pretty kick-ass.

"I think you can find the bed from here, right? I left you some clothes to get changed."

[gorilladog]

Noah's head tilted upon Caesar's shoulder as he viewed the room. His eyelids drooped as Caesar spoke. He felt the vibration of the older man's voice, and heard the soothing tone that was just enough to lull Noah to sleep.

"Mmhm", The younger man hummed tiredly as he reluctantly let go of Caesar and held onto the door frame.

There was a delayed moment as he looked at Caesar with those weary, half-lidded eyes that added many years to the young man. Yet, there was a sincerity there too.

"Caesar," he started, "Thank you."

[pineapplesalmon]

"You're welcome," Caesar shooed him gently towards the bed. "Now get some sleep before you fall over."

Funny, he didn't know Noah well at all, and yet here he was feeling a bit protective over him. The teenager obviously was emotionally dependent on him back home to some extent, and he was very lost and tired. ... Okay, so maybe that was why. Caesar did have a father streak in him.

"I'll see you when you get up. You can find my number on the network--it'll be in your phone. ... I can explain that later. Just sleep."

CW for bloodiness and guts... >> because I'm horrible

[gorilladog]

With a lowered gaze, Noah closed the door with a soft "click" of the lock. He turned his back to the door and leaned against it for a moment. As blue-green eyes closed, he sighed softly while processing the events prior to this moment. If Noah were more awake, he would have told Caesar his phone was destroyed and inquired more about the network, but the older man was right. Restful sleep was a necessity; a necessity that Noah sacrificed to earn the privileges he was denied back home.

The blond slowly walked the bed, placed a hand on the comforter to descend upon the mattress. Shucking off his converse beside the bed, he strips himself of his old clothes and in the new batch Caesar left him, albeit slowly and deliberately. Noah was self-conscious about how the simple t-shirt would leave his scars around his arms, and the major burned one under his right ear lobe exposed, but he supposed he could just use his jacket for that. It protected him on both a physical and sentimental level, not just because it was so durable and practical, but it was something to remember where he came from, who his family was, and to an extent, who he was. Noah would have hardly considered himself a nostalgic, tender heart in the past, but his experiences have shown that holding on to pieces of home, things and people that reminded him who he was, saved his sanity in all the chaos.

As Caesar's footsteps were getting farther and farther out of earshot, Noah hesitated before he took the NyQuil, placing the empty glass after jugging down the whole thing, tucked himself in, and dove face first into the pillow to muffle his sobs. He didn't want to sleep, but he was too tired to fight the exhaustion that claimed him a full minute later.

-----------------

Noah awakes with a start, only to be in a strange, white location, with the feeling of something attached to his hand. Vision clouded by light, he tries to sit himself up, only to feel a gentle pressure applied to his hand.

"Noah. Noah, it's okay, you're safe now. It's me."

Noah looked around dazedly for the source of the light, warm voice. His focus narrowed upon a girl with tender, olive eyes, long, auburn hair, and a gentle, pretty smile. It takes five seconds to feel her hand intertwining with his own, and it takes even longer to recognize who she was.

"Claire?" He questioned softly, his own voice barely rose to an audible whisper.

"Yeah, it's me." A white hand reaches to caress his cheek and tuck a strand of hair out of his face. "You're in the hospital. But it's all over now, we can go home."

Noah looked at her with a puzzled brow, a fuzziness that clouded his brain. Before he could get a word in from her, someone else was looking over him and his healing progress.

"You fell and hit your head," Claire snatched Noah's attention, answered his unspoken questions. "You were out for over a week, but the doctors said you're recovering really well."

So, it was just a dream, he was back home and he was alive! Not in that Nautilus with that happy Caesar...

Caesar. He asked.

"Claire, where's Caesar, and Rex? Are they okay?"

Suddenly, Claire's gentle, content face fell to a frowning, sympathetic expression.

"...Noah," She murmured pityingly.

Noah tried to speak again, only to feel a chill ghosting over his skin. Looking over Clarie's shoulder, he saw an all too familiar figure in the doorway. As soon as the blood drained from his face, it boiled up to make it flush in anger. His blue-green stare that now alighted with internal flames met the blinking, undefined expression of Black Knight.

Attempting to sit up again, he grabs for Clarie's arm, to keep her close. Everything seems to be in show motion, as Noah attempts to stand from the bed to run toward the woman. Only when he tries to protect Claire, while starting to chase after BK, Clarie rips away from his clasp, staring back at him in wide-eyed horror.

"Noah," The girl stated breathlessly. "You're not you."

The white room is suddenly shrouded in black, with Claire's form dissipating into nothingness. Noah turns to reach out to his girlfriend to no avail.

A cool, misty fog ghosted over the teen's skin, a wind suddenly picking up to ruffle the hospital gown he wore. Daring to turn around, he saw Black Knight stalking closer and closer, her unreadable expression now exposed her cruel, calculating gratification. With the glint in her violet eyes, now beginning to glow, and her mouth turning upward like a bow. In turn, Noah stared back, daring to not close contact. He was her prey to bat around and tease before, but now, after everything that happened, she had no power over him.

"What did you do with them?"

Black Knight doesn't respond as her hand reaches out to grab Noah's throat.

"All you need to know," Black Knight's voice began to alter into a deeper baritone, little by little, her features melted away to look like... "all this, is your fault."

Staring back at him was no longer Black Knight, but now a version of Noah, blood drenched the hand that grabbed his throat.

"Tell me. Where do you think those Salazars could have gone?"

The barking laughter was like ice that clanked together, hollow, mirthless, and cutting. Both cold hands bathed in blood locked around his neck, choking him even more as the passage of oxygen was being blocked. Noah's eyes watered, his own hands covering this monstrosity of himself's hands.

Forcing Noah to look in another direction, the other, darker Noah revealed Black Knight's body, looking as though she was badly electrocuted, black ashes covering her, and impaled by the weapon he used when Noah defied her.

Noah stared back, seeing the life gone and away. She was out of everyone's misery, it needed to be done. Yet...shouldn't he feel something? Anything?

Then, to Caesar's body, blanketed and lying in his own large pool of blood. At Noah's feet, the man was exposed, his clothes and stomach ripped open, with all guts spilled. His dark brown eyes and mouth hung open.

"No." The darker Noah let him go, as the gowned one fell to his knees, gawking back in horror, reaching out for the scientist, to only feel warm blood at his fingertips.

"You will always remember this. This was all your fault."

Noah then hears a snap and a loud bang in the distance.

----------------

With a shout, the teen woke sitting straight out up from his bed. He felt the cold clamminess of his face, the sweat dripped down, fists balled into the sheets, nails dug into the fabric. It wasn't until after a few blinks that he redirected his focus around the room. The light blue walls were a stark contrast to the white walls of the hospital, the black ones in Black Knight's office, or the pale gray ones of his room back home. He looked over his stand with the empty glass, and the dirty pile of clothes that lie hazard on the floor.

With both hands to covering his face, he sighed exasperatingly, sinking back into the bed, feeling tears trickle down, he shook his head as yet another nightmare dominated his subconscious. The idea of going back to sleep set him on edge, he didn't want to revisit that. However, in knowing how his dreams worked, it would be inevitable that it would pick up from where he left off and spiral into something even worse. That was how it was for him every night. Why couldn't Noah sleep and dream about a life without EVOs? Without Black Knight, Providence, dreaming about being back home with his parents. No one would be struggling financially, the idea of him being emancipated would be unthinkable and unnecessary. He could go to school, be with his friends, become a basketball star, have his girlfriend Claire by his side, partake in petty and typical teenage dramas, get the highest grades, make everyone, including himself proud.

Noah's mind wouldn't be at peace until he could investigate exactly where he was, why, and how he got here. Caesar briefly explained it already, but there had to be more to it than what was already told.

Making up his mind, Noah put on his jacket to cover up his scar, and rose out of bed, while still feeling sore, he didn't feel like he would pass out again. Or at least, have the energy to make sure he didn't. Crossing his room to the door, he opened it a crack to see if anyone else was out and about. Finding no one coming either way in the hall, he closed the door behind him and walked down from the hall to observe his new surroundings, now that he was more awake and could get a sense of forming a plan B, worst case scenario.