'Ware the White Rabbit

[Sage]

It had been months since he started this journey to Moscow and now back home. He'd come home with Nox to help him of course, but he was here to collect the last of his things. To clean up what Phaser had destroyed in his sickness.  While he helped Nox, it was the perfect cover to re-engage in all the things he had built here. It was perfect. And he had so much going on Nox never ever noticed he wasn't there with him the whole time. He was busy with his own problems and when he was off doing his thing Sage was doing his.

It wasn't nefarious, and it wasn't sneaky, he just wasn't there taking care of Lily completely like he promised. Thankfully she was loud and her cries of hunger and pain pierced his brain fog and he could tend to the child. Nox was asking almost too much, but then what he had asked of Nox was just as much -- blind trust. And Nox gave it freely, no questions asked.

Sure it was selfish motivation, he wanted a new arm. But he didn't know what else it all entailed what other experiments he was part of. Blind trust was dangerous and Nox gave it freely to him. Sage had earned that right, built the trust. And he wouldn't hurt Nox, Sage knew this would work. He'd never hurt Aurora's little brother. Never put him in undue danger without his consent. Not that Nox ever said no.

The former scientist who worked for his mother and father was working for someone else in Alexandria. He'd been persuaded to do the surgery and provide the prosthetic. And Sage would do the rest. That's all he needed, just this one thing and the man would be free of all the evil he did when he worked with Sage's parents. Sage would leave him be. It was a simple price for the things he'd done. And he knew it.

Nox lay in a gown on the gurney and Sage stood over him. "You sure you are cool?"

Nox just looked at him with that look that said you know the answer.  Sage smirked. "Good.  You won't regret this."  Sage took the syringe from his pocket and tapped it gently before squeezing the the plunger just a little to remove any air. "It's the same tech in my body helping to maintain my chip. It'll help me give you what you have wanted since losing your arm, and we'll study the power from with in."  Sage smirked. "And it'll give you a little healing advantage since it'll be programmed to heal the wound we are creating to give you the new arm, and it'll just keep on doing it.  Good?"

"Fine.  Just get it the fuck over with." Nox's eyes hadn't left the needle Sage held up.  Opps, forgot his fear of needles. Was an easy thing to do since Nox wasn't afraid of much, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. 

Sage injected the nanobots into the IV port and then tossed the needle into the red bin. "All done.  Now you sure?"

"Let's just get it over with Sage. I don't want to be in the hospital any longer than I need to."

"You won't be here longer than necessary and the bots will help. I promise."

Nox nodded but he didn't say anything as the nurse came in and pushed Sage out of the room -- almost physically. "I'm going, I'm going."  Now it was just a wait and see sorta thing. The surgery would go well, the man had preformed it thousands of times, it was a regular prosthetic.  But when Sage was done with it, he'd feel again.  Nox would not break a tiny China cup with the mechanical hand. He could touch his lover as he did with the other one. All the things he's terrified of now, he'd be able to do -- when it was all done. When Sage's connections were all made.

His parents had experimented on him, and now he was experimenting on his friend, but it wasn't the same he told himself. This was not an experiment -- it would work, because he'd tested it, simulated it and he even gave a bionic arm to a rat in the lab. Things that few people knew he did in the depths of his boyfriend's home. He didn't experiment on kids or people and he hadn't done this without knowing the result. Nox would touch again, and feel again.  He would be as whole as he could be.

Sage would remove the fucking horde if he could, if he even knew where to begin.  His friend deserved a calm life but he wouldn't ever seek it or ask for it. So Sage would give it to him.  One way or another.

[Nox]

Nox woke with a dull ache in his left arm.  The anesthesia was wearing off and the pain was bound to get stronger. But there was a heavy weight on his chest and he looked down to see a sleeping babe curled up against his bare chest.

A voice from the chair beside him spoke softly. "It's the only way she'd stop crying."

Nox chuckled. "And I'm sure you didn't mind seeing me shirtless."

Sage sat back with a slight blush but it wasn't embarrassment as he just shrugged. "Do whatever I can since you won't sleep with us."

Nox rolled his eyes. And Sage laughed. "How you feeling?"

"Dull ache, not too bad yet.  Not sure I like this metal thing jutting from my arm, but okay."

"It won't be jutting from your arm after we get the wound healed.  You'll have a brand new arm and you won't have a need to take it off unless you want to."  Sage got up and tapped a case next to his bed. "New arm, and a cap to cover the stub while you heal. Or for after if you wanted."

"How long do I have to lay here?"

The doctor took that opportunity to clear his throat and enter the room.  "Only as long as the anthesis is still in your system. You are healing nicely thanks to the nanobots. And we've no need to hold you for longer. When you get back to Moscow I'd like you to follow up with some surgeons there."

"We'll go see Dr. James." Sage giggled. In other words he'd have Jensen heal Nox and then we'd be done with this shit.

"Normally I'd see you back and we'd discuss the next steps, but Mr. Parker has insisted that he has it under control. Mr. Durante, I hope you know what you are doing. The Parkers were..."

Nox held up his hand to stop the doctor from speaking. His voice was cool and distant. The dark light danced just out of reach but it flickered oddly like a glitch in the system.  Just a flicker and then it was normal, dancing in the darkness waiting, calling...

"Look, doc, Mr. Parker is someone I trust with my life. I mean literally my life, so please don't try to tell me he's like his parents because he's not. I know what I'm doing. I'm a fucking adult and so is he. Unless you need anything else I'd like to take a nap before I go."

The doctor nodded twice before he gave a nod and left. Like he was processing Nox's words.  Sage giggled. "Sometimes you are just so fucking scary and you don't even have to call upon the scary shit."

9 → 0/10 S:0

[Sage]

Nox napped and Lily woke him up with a soft cry. She was hungry and Sage could feed her but she responded better to him. He fed her and was getting dressed before the nurse came in with discharge papers.

"You should still be in bed. Mr. Durante."

"It's Nox and those are my discharge papers?" He asked.

She glared at him. "They are but you didn't know that."

Nox shrugged. "Doesn't matter, either way I'm leaving." Nox looked to Sage and he nodded.

"We got a flight to catch." Which Nox wouldn't be thrilled about. But first class was better than coach and Nox had Lily to keep track of. It was amazing how much her presence calmed his impulses -- especially the darker ones.

As they left the nurses all whispered. They weren't whispering about Nox, more about him, how he looked lucid and awake and how quickly it changed when Sage had been looking higher than a kite most of the day while sitting in Nox's room.

[Nox]

The plane was just as traumatic for both Nox and Lily as the weave of power kept Lily from being heard by others. Nox unfortunately had a window seat and all his fucking fears played out in his head. On top of Lily's disturbance. She must have a head cold. Which was just what Nox needed right then.

The meal came and they ate in almost silence before the plan jumped several feet with turbulence and Nox almost lost his food. Lily's tears were real. And it was a horrible flight.

16 hours later they were on the ground in Moscow and Nox couldn't be happier. His nerves were fried, he was starving. The fucking horde was pounded at his brain. He needed to do something about it.

Sage made sure Nox had a ride home, but they took separate cars. Sage missed Aiden and he knew Nox would be looking for something more and he didn't want to be around.

Nox had the car stop at his favorite diner instead of going home. They needed some time to cool before wading into the children at the house. No telling what mayhem was going on.

Nox texted Hayden.

Landed. Eating. Probably need a drink or a good fuck. How's my house?

Hayden didn't respond back and Nox didn't really care one way or the other. Sky spit out a message.

House is quiet. No one is here. Safe.

Thank the fucking gods.

Nox ate his nearly alive steak and took a second one for the road. He needed to sleep. Needed to 'talk' to Oriena. And he needed to fuck something up. And it really didn't matter the order.

Q: Use the OP (9)
(1d20+0: [12]+0 = 12)
Success

9 → 0/10 S:1