Soldiers Of Fortune (For Crim)

Ignoring everything as the hand moved up to scratch the older man's face, Alexis shrank back a little as the arm rested on his head, murmuring for the guy to be careful of his skull. Just cause he was able to ignore pain, doesn't mean it wasn't gone and he was better.

"They took kids from the streets, gave them a home, food, a place in the world even if they went, kicking and screaming..." he replied, giving no second thought about answering and how wrong it felt inside to do so. But he had a chance to talk, freely, with words he always wanted to deep, deep down inside, and as stupid as he was, or weird, he was gonna talk his guts out before he left the dark room.

Maybe it was the fact that he couldn't see with his enhanced vision that gave him a bit of freedom, the lack of movement coming from his nimble body that slowed the obedient thoughts. Who knew? Apart from Rache.

"I remember you... From the facility."

Rache remained silent as he sat and listened, sliding his arm down from the kid's head to rest lightly on his shoulder, as if a comforting gesture.

"I thought they were the good guys too, at one stage." He murmured. "I was one of the best, which is probably why you remember me." A smug look spread itself across his features, not that anyone could see it in the darkness that filled the room.

"I was always there, you know. Just sort of... Watching. I knew something wasn't right from the start. Just couldn't pick it." It wasn't often he divulged such information to people who hadn't been broken yet, but he didn't see any possibility of this kid getting back to the Facility alive.

"Scriosta tried to get rid of me. They failed, kind of obviously. So I started taking their Soldiers, one by one, and breaking the hold on them. Making them realise. . ." He shook his head in the dark, closing his eyes.

"Are you aware of Scriosta's motives? Why they're doing what they're doing?" Back to business. It was always better to stay on track with these things. Making friends was never a good idea.

"Geez, don't flatter yourself too fucking much... I only remember you from the facility because you were the first face I saw once the bandages came off after the fucking surgery..." Alexis huffed, squirming a little. He remembered the day he got to see the lights of the ward again, the day he got to view the the room he had spent months counting out the steps from the bed to the door for movement so his limbs wouldn't become weak. Push ups were another good thing, but he got bored very quickly, so when the bandages came off and this man holding him's face came into focus, the kid felt relieved, happy he could see again.


A slight shrug and the teen settled his full weight against the man's body, physically exhausted, sore as all hell and the warmth from Rache added to the tired he was feeling. "No, I don't know why exactly. As far as I know, I'm just here to serve the one who took me off the streets..."

After a minute or two of silence, he asked. "So what are they doing?"

An amused chuckle rumbled from his chest. Yes. He was full of himself. Rache had always been full of himself.

"Sure..." He murmured; he remembered the moment well. He'd often helped in the hospital, taking the responsibility of 'welcoming' the new recruits to their new abilities. He'd taken them around the place in between his own training sessions, shown them around. Been like the big brother a lot of them had never had. And of course Lynch hadn't liked that one bit.

A lot of the kids had been taken off the streets, but none had made such an impact as Alexis had. Rache had decided to recruit him the moment they met. He only regretted that it had taken so long, and had to be done the hard way.

"They're taking kids. Not only those off the street, but those who have families. But I'm sure you know that." He paused, considering his words carefully. "Training them, putting them through hell." Another pause. "Lynch only wants one thing out of you. He wants world domination." Rache snorted. "Cliché, I know. But once he has the control, we'll be a threat to him. All his work, his creations. He'll kill us all. Not to mention the hundreds of innocents." He seemed to be rambling, but it was either come out all at once, or in broken pieces that meant nothing.

World Domination? Was this guy trying to yank his chain? Honestly, this had to be the lamest thing ever. Sure, he wasn't well versed in goodies and baddies since training and missions was the number one reason for everything, and that movies, cartoons and normal human things were forbidden, but come on!

The family bit, he didn't know about, but now that he thought about it, the one he served kinda did have the means, the funds and the weapons to do so if he was really smart about it.

"But, that would be stupid, if he killed us all, cause then... who would protect him after he took over the world? And... and he wouldn't do that to us!"

"As soon as I showed signs of having a mind of my own, he tried to have me killed." Rache replied flatly, not particularly interested in the other's replies. He'd heard it all before. All of it. No one believed their beloved leader would kill them.

"Have you heard of the Aegis? The Guardians? You've seen them around. They guard the doors, escort Lynch everywhere he goes." He shrugged absently. "They'll take our place. Really, they've had our place all along. Our only purpose is the muscle. To take the places of power; the White House, the Taj Mahal, etcetera. Once he has control, he has no need for muscle any longer." He was expecting the kid to lash out at him in the dark, try to take him off guard, or at least attempt at hitting him out of anger for speaking such 'blasphemous words', as he'd heard quite the number of times. But then again, maybe this one was different. He'd always thought this one was different.

"Shut up, okay?! Just... just shut up for a while," He growled, clenching his fingers into the man's back as much as he could, which, in all honestly, wasn't very hard. Sure he knew about the Guardians, they wouldn't let you piss without watching if you were within twelve feet of his master. Aside from standing there and looking bad ass, he never really knew what they did.

But he had to give this guy credit for making him think about what was going on behind the scenes, maybe he was smarter then what the program gave him.

"I want a bath later. I reek of blood and spit, and you bastards owe me at least that for not punching your fucking head in..."

There was little to no pain from the fingers in his back, and Rache went quiet for the few moments it took the teenager to demand a bath.

"We don't owe you anything." He replied coldly, shifting under Alexis and grabbing hold of the kid's biceps, easily pushing him off and moving him over against the wall so he could at least stay upright.

"But if you behave yourself, I'll see about that bath." Standing, Rache brushed himself off, certain his shirt was now stained with blood. "And it's not like you could punch anyone's head in, even if you wanted to." He snorted. "The people here are stronger than anyone at the Facility. The power of free will does that to you."

The warmth of the man's body was quickly replaced by the bitter cold of the wall as he was hefted up by his arms and thrown away, snarling like an animal. "Sure, that's cause you beat the shit out of them when they are tied down and helpless. Real test of strength there, dick head!"

Yeah, he was done with listening by the tone in Rache voice, gripping the wall to stay upright with one hand, using the other to feel around in the dark for the man once more. "And yeah, you really proved that with the chick you sent after me. She did a real good job of fucking my shit up."

Rache was a good few feet away by now, leaning against an opposing wall, his eyes pinned in the general direction of the teenager's angry voice. He knew this room like the back of his hand, dark or light. He'd spent enough time in there.

"We have no choice. Would you have come here willingly had we not done any of that?" He questioned, not expecting an answer. "And she was a rooky. No matter how good she made herself out to be." Giving a half hearted shrug, Rache wandered over to the door and knocked twice.

"Open up. The kid wants a bath." He shouted through the steel that barred their exit. A few moments of silence, followed by a series of clicks, and the door was open, a growing sliver of bright light splitting the darkness of the room. Before much could be said, the same two soldiers that had been hauling Alexis around his entire stay strolled in and each grabbed one of his arms, dragging him from the room without much concern for his well-being. They figured they'd all been through it, and therefore it was a sort of initiation into the greater good.

Sometimes, Alexis wondered if having really good eyesight was a curse rather then a gift, the light spilling into the room causing him to shut his eyes tightly for what seemed like the hundredth time today alone, opening his mouth to challenge the leader before he realized why the door was opened and he was now carried off, hands gripping his arms tightly down the brightly lit corridor.

Rache said he was allowed to have a bath, but after the big talk about how he had to be good to earn what he was about to be given, hot or cold, he wondered what else the catch was. But for now, he let his eyes adjust once more to the light, turning his head back to see if Rache was following them or not.

Not that he cared, pfft, he certainly didn't give a damn.

Rache was following. Of course he was following. He didn't really have anyone else to be tending to. All the other new 'recruits' were dealt with and sleeping off the last remnants of the Obedience.

All that was left was this one. The most stubborn, it seemed.

Taken into the stark white bathrooms of the isolation sector, the guardsmen dropped Alexis, almost carefully, into a chair under a large shower head. Rache soon followed, and the door was once against closed behind them. It seemed the two really would be spending a lot of time together.

Alexis was not allowed a moment alone.

"It's not exactly a bath." He stated, loosening his tie and pulling the silk neck accessory from around his throat. "But it'll get you clean." Rache himself needed a shower, but he wouldn't intrude on the teenager's personal space. "You know how to work a shower, right?" A small smirk played his lips, almost teasing, as he discarded the tie and pulled the button-up shirt up and over his head, ignoring the aforementioned buttons.

"Of course I know how to work a fucking shower... douche bag," Alexis nearly spat, in a very sudden foul mood even thought he was grateful for being placed gently into the seat, sitting up a little more and turning the water on via the taps behind him, getting the water as hot as his aching body could stand and letting the water remove the stickiness of the fabric still left on his body, deeming himself drenched enough before removing all his clothes, leaving them in a pile on the tiles.

The water was the most heavenly thing right now, the new heat finding every ache and pain in his limbs, closing his eyes as he sat there, stretching out on the seat before relaxing, eyes now roaming over his battered and bruised body.

He really was skinny, not much muscle to show his hidden strength, but not tiny enough to be called weak either, but his thin form was perfect for hiding in places no one else could. Sighing, he let Rache know how good it felt under the water, tilting his head to watch the man undress without a second thought at the situation through half lidded eyes.

He would sleep well once given the chance to, that was for sure.

Rache stripped himself down quite fluidly, turning the taps to his own shower on full blast, steam almost exploding from the contact between hot water and cool tiles. He hadn't considered much of a response for the kid, concentrating more on keeping an inconspicuous eye on him and cleaning the dry blood from his chest.

Compared to the kid, he was well built, not bulk like the body builders, but hardly scrawny in comparison. The sigh alerted him to Alexis' enjoyment of the hot water, and he allowed a small smile to grace his turned face.

"I'll escort you to a clean bed after this." Rache murmured past the running water spilling over his face, keeping his back to the teenager. "I think you deserve some sort of sleep." Though he seemed to leave out the 'constantly monitored' part.

The blood washed off Alexis's thin frame and down the drain as he sat there, ruffling his hair a little to rid it of the clinging clots of crimson, his hands travelling over his body to find blackend bruises dotting his lithe form. His hands finally traced the scar running from the nape of his neck to the edge of his shoulder and down his arm a little, face hollow of emotion as he remembered the day he got it.

The fight to the death.

He was so absorbed by the scar and how it felt under his fingertips that he didn't hear what Rache had to say as the man showered next to him.

The older man glanced over his shoulder at the boy curiously; usually Alexis had some sort of comeback, whether it be a snort or a witty remark.

But he wasn't going to ask the kid if he was okay. That would break the 'illusion' that separated the two levels that each of them resided on.

"You hear me? Clean bed. Sleep. Sound good?" He questioned, eyes resting on Alexis for a moment before he turned away again, running his hands through his dampened hair to try and muss the strands that stuck to his face.

The brunet's head snapped up from the dazed view of his scarred skin, spraying water everywhere with his shoulder length hair moving along with him, looking over to the other naked man who was speaking to him. "What? Oh, sleep? You're actually gonna let me sleep now? That's fucking amazing," He replied, hand still lingering on his shoulder, giving it a slight rub before trying to stand.

Thank fuck for the chair being there, cause the moment Alexis tried to stand, the steam filled room blurred, his legs wobbled dangerously under his weight and by fuck, he'd never felt pain like this since... the first few days out of surgery.

Glancing back over to Rache, he took the man's form in, well build, slender figure, scarring but everyone had that if they were in the same profession as they were or once was. He looked appealing. A slight amused snort left Alexis as he wondered how many girls and guys would follow him around. Not that he really cared, sexuality of any kind was forbidden. It caused too many problems as an assassin.

"Hey, what about a decent meal? I haven't eaten anything except this tiny bit of apple that Rory guy gave me for... how long have I been here?"

It was almost as if he'd forgotten that Alexis ate. That he was, you know, a person. Rache glanced back at him with a raised brow before turning his gaze back to the wall his body was facing.

"You've been here approximately three days. . . So I suppose you've earned a meal. I mean, considering I want you to stay alive." He shrugged his shoulders, the hot water rolling down his skin in small rivets that trailed the length of his back. He hadn't taken notice of the boy's physique, nor had he considered taking a good look. Rache didn't think it appropriate, and had learnt from past mistakes.

"Though, as a safe-guard, you'll be eating in your room." Hesitating a moment before asking his next question, he ran his hands through his hair once more. "What do you feel like? Pasta? Your file didn't say anything about vegetarianism."

It was almost like the guy was embarrassed to view another naked guy, the way he was glancing over his should for only a moment before turning away, and it was weird and making Alexis a little... aware of himself. That had never happened before and as he stood upright and stretched out his limbs, he huffed. He wasn't about another naked guy make him feel self conscious about how his body looked. Not when he had spent his life showering with both sexes in the one room without another thought.

"I like... food. I'm not allergic to anything," He answered, slicking his hair back off his face, plonking himself back down on the chair and reaching over to shut the taps off, shuddering as the heat left his skin, breathing the steam in.

"So, since I get the feeling that you aren't going to let me be alone, are we sharing a bed then?" he snarked.

That was vague. So he liked food. Rache shook his head absently. He'd given the kid a chance to ask for whatever his little screwed up heart desired, and he decides he likes the general term food.

And now he was being a smart ass.

"I wasn't planning on it, but if you really want to share a bed with me." The older man retorted flatly, sarcasm dripping from his words. He'd really planned on leaving the kid be for the few hours of sleep he'd be allowed; the room he would be residing in was heavily guarded, watched from every angle with cameras, and had a two-way mirror that he would constantly be monitored through.

He reached over and turned the taps to his own shower off, reaching over toward a central rack that housed fluffy white towels, grabbing one and unfolding it.

Towelling off his own hair, before wrapping the linen around his waist, he returned more purposefully to the rack, sifting through the piles of folded clothing items and eventually pulling a set of clothes out, placing a folded towel on top of the pile. Walking over and dropping them on Alexis' lap, he gave the kid a small nod.

"Dry off, get dressed, I'll be back to get you in five." He glanced toward the surrounding walls, up toward the ceiling. "And, not that I don't trust you, but don't try anything stupid." Looking back to the teenager, he gave a small smile and turned, exiting the shower-room through the singular steel door.

"Honey glazed cashews..." Alexis sighed as the door shut behind Rache, staring down at the clothes and towel in his lap before setting the clothes aside and burying his face into the fluffy cotton towel. He could have asked for anything, he realized that a little too late after the guy left, sighing at his sudden need for that taste once more. He had randomly tried one sample bag of them and pretty much fell in love with them. It wasn't an order to avoid any foods, but he felt so guilty about it. Dirty even.

He didn't want to share a bed, he was being a jerk at Rache. Sure he'd leech the warmth from the man like he did in the isolation room, but he was just gonna pass out the moment he hit the pillow.

Towelling himself dry, wrapping his hair up in the towel on top of his head until he was done changing into the cotton clothes of black he was given, leaning against the wall near the door as he waited for Rache to come back.

The door sealed behind him, the two guardsmen giving Rache curious looks as he passed, gathering clothing from a chair and ducking behind a privacy screen.

Pulling his jeans on, and a loose fitting t-shirt, he pulled the towel up and over his shoulders, hoping to at least avoid his hair soaking the white material of his top. Returning from the screen, the man glanced toward one of the guards.

"Set up a room for the kid." He stated flatly, turning his gaze on the other. "And he'd like a nice hot meal. Something with protein. And I think he mentioned something about Honey glazed cashews." Giving a light nod, the guards moved off to deal with their orders, Rache pushing the door open with ease, leaning against the frame and staring at Alexis.

"Come on. We'll get your wounds tended to. A nice, healthy physical." He smirked, holding the door open for the kid. Actually letting him do something on his own. He figured he could, quite easily, take the teenager if he turned on him, and if he took off he wouldn't get too far with his injuries, fatigue and hunger.

Pushing off the wall, Alexis poked his head out of the door before exiting the shower bay, looking around for the guards that dragged him here. No one except Rache and himself now occupied the area. Towel still on his head, Alexis passed the older man and into the hall, turning back with his hands twitching at his sides. He could attack, but they both knew that he wouldn't get far.

"A physical? Geez, it's boot camp all over again..." the teen mumbled, holding back a yawn as his bare feet tapped in wait for Rache to lead the way to... where ever he was to be placed now.

"Hey... uh, that chick you sent after me. She's dead, yeah?"

Closing and sealing the door behind him, Rache moved away from the shower bay and began to lead toward the medical ward.

"Just making sure you're alive. We'll make it as embarrassing as impossible. Promise." He snorted, turning down the hall. He didn't trust that Alexis wouldn't take off while his back was turned, on that he wouldn't try to kill him right there and then. But he was sick of being cautious.

"Why do you care? Was she important to you?" He questioned, not really interested. She wasn't dead, really. Just wasn't conscious, nor breathing for herself. If she didn't wake up in the next week, then she'd be dead.

Why did he ask about the girl? It just kinda, fell out of his mouth as he walked almost along side of Rache now, turning his gaze for the floor and recovering his pride somewhat. He didn't care about her, did he? "I just wanted to know if it was a clean kill or if she's a vegetable, that's all."

What the fuck were they pumping into the air in this place, emotional stimulants to provoke caring? Fucking hell, all Alexis wanted to do was eat, sleep and maybe never wake up again... just like that girl. He didn't even know her name.

Rubbing his rope burnt and scabbed wrist, he held back another yawn.