paixaorpg | When Scientific Progress goes "Boink" [Completed]

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When Scientific Progress goes "Boink" [Completed]

Character(s): Vexen, and the two little surprises he creates :D
Content: After finally compiling the data and tweaking it a little thanks to what happened at the meeting earlier that morning, Vexen decides it's time to make his GREATEST CREATION EVAR... then scientific progress goes "boink".
Setting: Outside of the Paixao domes, in an unmarked lab (F11ish)
Time: Saturday evening. Very late Saturday evening.
Warnings: Um... lots of cursing, that's all I can say for sure.

Ever since that horrific, botched meeting the Organization had only so many hours ago, Vexen had all but disappeared, paying no mind to anyone or anything. He wasn't out meandering like Marluxia or Demyx, seeking out Number Six or number Eight as Larxene and Lexaeus were, or even bothering to clean up the messes Anti-X was causing like Saïx. No, Vexen had gone into his lab and that was the last anyone had seen of him.

Actually, the data had been converted on Friday when Vexen actually collected the data (was Riku ever distressed. Vexen idly wondered what had become of the boy), but making the necessary changes... That took the better part of the day, but Vexen managed to get it completed before the day was over.

This was good. He couldn't afford to waste any time. Not while the traitor (whom he ironically agreed with to a point - However, Axel wasn't stable enough to be trusted. And now, Zexion was gone!) and that abomination he had created were running free in the city.

"..." Revering the moment, Vexen took his sweet time in getting everything set up. The tables, the machines, everything was in place. Everything was ready.

Calmly, he flipped the switch.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

With a clank and a whirr, Vexen's many contraptions started to move, emitting sparks as energy burst through them and through the many tubes and wires, light pouring out onto the table.

However, the light, instead of forming into a concrete humanoid shape as Vexen had predicted, only grew more and more, enveloping the room in a steadily growing grow. There was a hiss and a crackle, as a spark jumped off the ball of light forming on the table and began to grow, until the entire room was caught in a flash - or maybe an explosion - of light.

Fading away, the light revealed something very curious - Two figures, laying side by side on the same table. Two silver-haired boys, one looking around 15 and the other almost 20.

Two that happened to look exactly like Riku and Ansem.

"Riku" awoke, groaning a bit as he struggled to get up without falling. His eyes opened, mismatched blue and yellow orbs darting around the laboratory with alarm.

The mismatched gaze finally settled on Vexen, already distrustful and confused.

"..." The replica struggled to find words, but there wasn't anything that he could say to express his feelings. What happened? What was going on? Who was he? Who was the person next to him? Where were they?!

"... What the hell?!" The replica decided that was good enough for now.

replica-ansem was decidedly less articulate than his 'brother' for the time being.

"Mkn gbz," he said muzzily. "Yow?"

He rolled onto his side and squinted. Ouch. Bright. Light? Yes. Light and dark and up and down and 'me' and 'my brother' - yes, that other young man must be his brother, he knew it in - his heart - yes - and 'that other person', than blond fellow who looked eerily familiar but whose name escaped the replica's nascent thoughts.

He sat up and bumped his head on an overhanging lamp.

"Mrehrgh."

He saw - stars. Right.

Focusing cobalt-blue eyes on Vexen, he sloooowly moved from 'his' laboratory bench to Riku-replica's with a feline sort of grace. He sat.

Almost.

Nerves and dizziness made him miss the edge of the bench and he crashed to the floor, sending a tray of fragile things flying!

When the crashing noises stopped, he spoke.

"...That was intentional."

Vexen stared.

Everything had been going fine, just fine, until... that. The spark. Vexen noted down mentally what had happened - a spark had erupted and the entire room flashed. When it was over...

... he had twins.

One of them seemed to have formed perfectly enough, even finding words to ask him "What the hell?". Riku. The Riku Replica (Repliku?) had turned out exactly as planned, save for the mismatched eyes. But he was conscious, perfect, awake.

It apparently didn't seem so for the Ansem Replica (where did he come from?), who had successfully managed to destroy some of his lab equipment in the first two minutes of his existence.

Interesting. Most interesting.

Paying them no further notice, Vexen quickly grabbed a small legal pad and a pen and began to write, scribbling furiously.

The person next to him started to move. Now, the replica had no idea what was going on, why they were here or who he even was rightly, but he correctly guessed this person was the same as him. A brother, a twin, if you would.

So it was natural that he let out an alarmed gasp when the older looking replica both smacked his head against an overhanging lamp and then proceeded to fall off a lab bench. Oh hell no. He was getting some answers before his "brother" did any more damage.

"Hey, are you OK?!" The Replica jumped off the table, seemingly unfazed by the fact he was created only a minute ago, and came straight to his twin's aid, kicking some wayward sharp objects away.

"Are you OK...?" Repliku asked again, trying to find his brother's name. Name. Name. He needed a name, he was called something, right? What was his name, as a matter of fact.

That geezer over there. He probably knew.

"HEY! Are you just gonna stand there writing or are you gonna help us?" The Repliku shouted over, giving Vexen a nasty look. Useless old bastard.

"Nrgh," said the replica, nodding. "I am. I apologise. I'm simply - I'm not used to how my motor cortex works yet, I suppose? Or perhaps my nervous system was still asleep when I tried to move."

He eyed Vexen askance.

'Cold' said his awareness. And 'ice' and 'scholar'. Unpleasant.

The other one, though: 'brohter' and 'light' and 'warm' and 'safe' and 'trust' and 'mine'. He smiled at Riku-Replica. "I don't think we have names yet, but I believe this scholar can help us discover them," he guessed, slowly getting to his feet. "I'm sure he plans to help us eventually."

"..."

Repliku blinked at the jibberish his brother was babbling about. He didn't know the first thing about this guy, but Repliku already knew he could trust him. Hell, he would have to, right?

"What the hell are you babbling about?" Repliku grumbled, helping his twin to his feet. And then he promptly moved to check the back of the taller twin's head. Maybe he hit it harder than it looked.

It was kind of hard when his brother was a head taller than him. Damnit!

"Ah, whatever," The frustrated clone returned to the other clone's side, directing a somewhat frustrated gaze at the geezer (scholar? Whatever the hell that was), who was still ignoring them.

"Well, I want some answers NOW," Repliku hissed, marching straight up to where Vexen was standing. With a quick movement, he snatched the legal pad right from the old man and crossed his arms.

"So? What the hell's going on?"

The pad being snatched from him was really unnecessary. Vexen knew there was no way he was going to wrestle it from the Repliku's grasp. He needed to earn his creation's trust somehow, anyway.

"You were born only a few moments ago and you're already getting on my nerves," The scholar warned them. The both of them. "But I suppose it's in your right to know. You two are actual people."

Right. Actual people. Complete, body, heart and soul. It somewhat annoyed Vexen that he could create something complete, yet he couldn't even complete himself. But that could come later.

"You two are clones. Copies of real people, actually. However, you," Vexen gave a gesture to the Riku clone before him. "are the only one that was meant to exist. He," Vexen then gestured to the Ansem clone. "wasn't supposed to happen."

However, Vexen was actually.. smiling as he said this. It was a cold, cruel smile, but a smile nonetheless as he explained this.

"I did not expect you two to be capable of speech and thinking immediately. You have exceeded my expectations already. I think we're off to a good start. Now I may please have my notebook back?"

Not!Ansem flinched at Vexen's expression and at what he'd said. 'Wasn't supposed to happen'. More phantom false memories fluttereed into his mind, hissing unpleasantly: 'mistake' and 'outsider' and 'accursed thing' and 'never should have gone near you' and on and on, in a voice he thought he should know but whose 'person' eluded him. He was left with just echoes. Nasty, useless echoes.

He made a soft "rrr." sound at Vexen. "Well, whether or not I was meant to be, I am now; notyhing can change that..." He peered at the notebook, found himself unable to decipher Vexen's chicken-scratch writing right now, and sighed, leaning a bit on his brother.

Proximity was nice.

"What -is- that word?" he eventually spluttered, looking annoyed. "Is it even in Common or is that some sort of bizarre Martian language? Or - could it be a code? I hope it's a code."

He wrinkled his nose at Vexen in a very Ansemly manner.

"Your writing's atrocious. How do you expect anyone to be able to read your lab reports if they all look like a spider with dirty feet waltzed across the paper?"

Repliku was undisturbed by his brother's actions; in fact, he appeared to be welcoming it, leaning back as well as they both stared at Vexen's writing.

Staring because they couldn't READ. His brother (augh, they needed NAMES) pretty much voiced out what could be said about the paper; it was written in jibberish and therefore useless. Repliku tossed it behind him and glared as Vexen continued to prattle on, effectively saying that his brother was an unwanted result of the geezer's... experiment? Was that what it was?

"Really now? Well, too bad, cuz he's here to stay," Repliku grumbled, feeling unusually protective of the being next to him. The geezer himself and everything in this room seemed to permeate with darkness, and it unnerved him.

"Now, what's your name? What's our names? Get to the point, geezer."

Of course, Repliku was disturbed at hearing he was a clone, but he shoved that aside for later. First, he wanted to know names. Then he could figure out what happened.

Oh, the joys of children. Vexen twitched when the notebook was thrown. For being so incredibly young, these creations were mouthy. Especially the Ansem clone. But in a way, it was to be expected, was it not?

"My, you certainly are like your original, aren't you?" Vexen stared at the Ansem clone with faint distaste. Still, perhaps he could be useful...

Names. Yes, names, needed for identification purposes. He couldn't call them by their original names, and numbers wouldn't suit them. Although Vexen had to admit it was unprofessional to name one's test subjects, they were also sentient beings and deserved that much respect.

"My name is Vexen," Vexen continued, peering at the two. "I already have your name down, Repliku," A fitting name to remind the clone of his place. "But your brother's..."

He was a stranger, just like his original. An unforseen person that didn't belong.

"He is Xenos," Vexen decided. "Repliku and Xenos. Be glad, I was going to give you numbers instead."

Xenos blinked slowly.

"Xenos. Greek? 'The Stranger'..." he mused. "...It's acceptable. I think I like it."

He really WAS rather a lot like Ansem, though he didn't know it. He lacked the perpetual amorousness and cunning nature, but he had the quick wit and clever tongue, and the unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

"What sort of language is my brother's name in?" he asked. "it's not one I know..."

He knew - latin, and Greek, and Sanskrit (a little), and enough German to swear at people in, but 'Repliku' didn't sound like anything in any language he'd ever heard of.

"Is it a nonsense word?" He was amused now. "Did you just make his name up out of the blue? Wow. I would have thought you were the sort of man who believes that imagination is a useless thing...but you make up words. Maybe I misjudged you..."

He still smelled unpleasantly of the Dark, though. Xenos parted his lips slightly in a feline tasting-the-air gesture, and the resultant vivid smelled taste of darkness and ice made him sneeze explosively.

"Errgcchh. You smell of shadows...why?"

"Huh?" Unlike 'Xenos', Repliku had no idea what his brother was talking about. Funny how for being the only thing in the room that was remotely like him, they were worlds apart. But Repliku (what kind of name was that? Ah, whatever, he had a name now) decided to ignore it for now. What mattered was that everything was named now. So now...

Xenos had a point. Repliku couldn't "taste" or "smell" anything, but he could SEE it. The entire room seemed to be drenched in darkness, although being well lit by the lamp that attacked his brother, save for the two auras of light that came off the both of them. Weird.

"I don't smell anything, but I see something's wrong," Repliku confirmed, eyes set on Vexen. "What are you?"

He may not know a lot of things, but even Repliku could tell there was something "off" about Vexen.

Enough was enough. He didn't create these beings to entertain to their every need. They would have to do without. Besides, the lab needed cleaning.

"No more questions. I'm leaving to do some follow-up reports but I don't want you two to leave this room. There's no telling what destruction you'll do the rest of the lab," Vexen grumbled. Everything in this room could be replaced easily but he couldn't say the same for the precious books and resources located outside of the lab.

"It's good to see that your powers are working, however. It appears that Xenos has inherited them too," Vexen kept his eyes set on the Ansem clone, disregarding the original project for a moment. Repliku was a mere weapon, but Xenos... he knew Greek? It was obvious that Xenos did not completely retain the memories of his former self (or else Vexen would be a dead man) and Repliku of course knew nothing (or Xenos would have been a dead man)... But still...

"I will be back shortly. Do try not to destroy everything, it's hard to replace all the machinery in here," Vexen smiled, fading out of view as he spoke. There was a "click", and soon the two clones were left alone.

Xenos stared at where Vexen had been, then turned to Repliku.

"...I suppose he has some ethical issues with using the door like a normal person," muttered the replica, looking both unnerved and wry at once. "Maybe using the Dark gives one a terrifying fear of dorrs? Like a side effect?"

The door was white, and a little light seeped out from under it.

Why was that so familiar?

He walked over to the door and put both his palms flat on it, then looked over his shoulder at Riku.

"...Did I ever--" he started. No, that was nonsense. He'd only just been born, right? "...Never mind."

He had an urge to fling the doors open and just go cannoning through them to what was on the other side. What WAS on the other side? Vexen? Well, not in the flickers of dreaming memory he was experiencing. An enormous moon, in the shape of...of...

--No, it was gone.

He sat back down on the lab bench he'd been 'born' on.

"Does he expect us to simply sit here staring at walls?"

"H-Hey!"

Xenos walked towards the door and Repliku watched, confused at his brother's reluctance to open it. What was he waiting for? Well, maybe he didn't want to disobey their creator, but Repliku wasn't that forgiving.

Who the hell did this "Vexen" think he was?! Telling them they were... clones? And then telling Xenos that he wasn't supposed to exist (for some reason, this bothered him more), and then just leaving them? Expecting to be good and wait?

Like hell he was doing that. Repliku watched Xenos walk back, disregarding his brother's unasked question. if Xenos didn't want to ask, it probably wasn't important at the moment.

"Well, I'm not. Are you?" Repliku took his turn at the door, hands falling down to find the handle. Except... there... wasn't one.

"...?!" Giving the door a few kicks to see if it would open, Repliku let out a frustrated grunt as he realized that they couldn't leave even if they wanted to. He locked them in?!

"Who the hell does that guy think he is?!" Repliku hissed, giving the door a final angry kick. So much anger in someone so young, but how else would you feel if someone just told you that you were a COPY of someone and then left?!

... Well, obviously, Xenos was pretty unfazed.

"How can you just take this, Xenos? Aren't you pissed off at him too?" Repliku asked his brother, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. He wasn't mad at Xenos, he didn't want to sound like he was. Scratching the back of his head, the clone walked over to where his brother was sitting and sat down next to him, waiting for an answer.

Xenos eyed the blank white doors.

"...He disturbs me," he finally said. "The dark in him, and the way he feels so cold. I dislike his smile, and the way he looks at us as though we were toys. I would like to know who these people are that we - that he says we are 'copies' of..."

He could tell Repliku this. He could trust him.

Xenos looked at his hands, then clenched his fists and eyed the door.

"And I wonder if it might be possible for us to break that door down, but fear what would happen if we did. I'm not sure of how strong his magical ability is, and if we break the door, and it turns out he is much stronger than we...well, I doubt he would kill us but I also doubt he would simply let such a 'sin' slide."

He leaned on Repliku a bit and sighed.

Waiting in white rooms. Always waiting in white rooms.

"Perhaps when he coms back we might be able to bargain for a bit more freedom. if he's unreasonable, we'll get more drastic, I guess?"

Logic seemed to be his default mode. Whule he was angry, unnerved, and oddly getting a bit hungry, he knew that pitching a wobbly wouldn't do them any good right now.

Though he really did want to break the doors down!

Well, it was good to know that Xenos was pissed. Hearing the other replica out, Repliku was still amazed that Xenos didn't act more pissed. But maybe that was good, because his brother was throwing out some good ideas. And making more sense. Although he had to scoff at the idea of Vexen being more powerful than them.

"Didn't you see the guy? He's as old as dirt. Maybe older," Repliku scornfully observed, but he sighed, absentmindedly leaning back against his brother as they both stared at the door. The clone didn't exactly know why, but waiting in a cramped room like this was starting to make him antsy.

"I guess you're right... Maybe he's stronger than he looks. Doubt it. What do you think we should say when he gets back?" Repliku could already see that Xenos was going to be the brains out of the two of them. of course, he'd still rather break the door down.

Repliku was silent for a moment, just leaning against Xenos. For some reason, although he couldn't quite pin it down, he felt like... like he was supposed to know Xenos. Not just know Xenos, but it was almost like they were supposed to be together. Just the two of them. Perhaps their originals were brothers too...?

"Hey, do you remember anything?" Repliku frowned, looking up at his brother through silver tresses. "Vexen said we were clones, but I don't remember shit about... about who I'm supposed to be? Do you?"

"Maybe not as old as dirt," chorrtled Xenos, picking up a pen from the counter and twitling it between his fingers. This felt like a familiar habit too. "I suppose when he gets back we should ask him to let us out, and hint that his equipment might be more likely to break if we get bored."

As Repliku looked over at him, peering through silvr-white bangs, the pentwirling slowed, then stopped.

"...Do I remember anything..." he repeated, blue-violet eyes distant. He looked up at the ceiling as if the answers were written across the tile, spelled out encoded in the little dots above. "Do I remember...?"

He looked down, suddenly frustrated with himself.

"I think I have some memories. Latent ones, perhaps? Agh, but when I try to focus on them they just slip through my fingers like sand."

white sand fading to violet fading to black, and a fractured shoreline, a fragment of a world at the heart of no-world, and a boy standing before me - he's furious with me, and I'm endlessly amused with this anger - but - why?

"It's so...aggravating. I don't suppose our 'father' is too iclined to let us know who our originals are either. He likely wants us to find out for ourselves, or he finds it amusing to watch us fumble around in the dark."

the dark. i - did i always hate the dark? i reached out to it once, i think. or perhaps it was merely a dream.

"...I suppose what we're 'supposed' to be doesn't matter," he finally said, and smiled at Repliku. "We are what we are. Not our 'originals', and not toys. Clones or not, we are people, and that...that's all I need to know right now. That I am a person amed Xenos, and you are my brother who is named Repliku. And we are bored out of our minds waiting for our creator to come back..." He paused, then grinned. "Hopefully he will come back with tea or food, because I'm famished."

Repliku nodded, listening to Xenos ramble on. Well, that was more than what he had - Repliku had no memories, only feelings, he supposed. But hearing Xenos describe what they were (people, not toys, not copies, but real actual people), it actually made him feel a lot better.

No memories meant that he could make his own. HIS own memories, not someone else's. Immediately, he could see why he liked Xenos so much - well, not only were they brothers, but Xenos just seemed to know what the hell was going on. Repliku liked that.

He frowned when Xenos used "father" to describe Vexen.

"Egh, don't call him that. I'd kill myself if he was related to us," Repliku made a face to go with the sound. "He's no father, he's a creator." 'Creator' sounded nicer to Repliku. He knew that a father was something that people don't turn their back on - a creator, on the other hand. They were different. Not to be trusted.

"I hear you about the food," Repliku grinned, adjusting himself so he was once again leaning comfortably against Xenos. There wasn't like there was anything he could do now anyway, so there was no point in getting pissed.

At least, until the geezer came back.

"I gotta wonder though - why did he make us?" The clone frowned, looking up with mismatched eyes. "I mean, do we have an actual purpose for being or was he fucking around?"

Although Repliku knew that Xenos didn't know the answer either, he felt like asking anyway. At least Xenos would give him an answer.

Xenos snerked a bit. "I meant 'father' in an ironic manner. He's as much a father as I am a - a - housecat. Which is to say, not at all."

When Repliku asked the Big question, though...

"I gotta wonder though - why did he make us? I mean, do we have an actual purpose for being or was he fucking around?"

...Xenos mmphed and pulled hs right knee up, putting his chin on his hand and taking classic 'thinker' position.

"...Science without conscience is but the ruin of the soul," he quoted, out of the blue. And blinked. "...Bah. I wish I was more of a blank slate. I feel like I'm supposed to be following in the footsteps of whoever came before me. Like something is trying to push me into a mould. Be someone who isn't me. I know I won't fall into line - it's impossible for me to, because I'm not my original and he isn't me, but it's still a disturbing feeling. ...I seem to be talking a lot."

He grinned wryly at his brother.

"To answer as best I can: I HOPE he has a purpose, but I suspect he was just pissing about."

Repliku adjusted himself to match Xenos's new position. Hm, looked like he was going say more gibberish. Well, it wasn't gibberish, but the way Xenos worded his sentences and his choice of wording... ugh. Sometimes, Repliku had no idea what Xenos was saying at all.

The clone nodded to his brother's words. That was the exact thing he was feeling, just a few moments ago. But it was probably harder for Xenos, who had the slightest idea of who his original was.

But for him? Like hell he knew who his original was.

"I hope not," Repliku frowned. "I don't like... the idea that we were just made to test something."

Speak of the (icy) Devil.

There was a faint hissing sound, and darkness sprouted up from the ground and molded into a spiral, disappating as a figure stepped out from out of it. Vexen had returned, and he looked around, face still indifferent.

Internally, he was as pleased as Nobody could be that the room was still intact.

"Good. I was worried you two would not have complied. I have prepared your room. I'm afraid you'll both have to share, I was only expecting one," Vexen commented, crossing his arms as he surveyed the two creations before him.

Good. They were controllable. Not like Anti-X, which was very good because Vexen needed something that could follow orders. Although he had the feeling that maybe Riku was not the best subject; just like his original, the clone seemed headstrong.

Already, he and Xenos were bonding...

Vexen made note of this. Perhaps he could use this against the clones later.

As Vexen's shadow appeared, Xenos reacted rather strongly. He let out a soft snarl and shot out one arm to shield Repliku from the shadows. His other he pointed at the spiral of darkness, and as he did, a weapon appeared in his hand, coalescing in a blue-white flash of light.

"Stay away from us--" he snapped, then realised exactly whom he was pointing the nine-tooth hook sword at.

Vexen.

Not a horrid marauder from the depths of the darkness.

Just...Vexen.

In spite of this, he kept the weapon aimed at the scientist, blue eyes narrowed.

"Don't expect us to be your spineless puppets," he said softly. "Just because we were obedient this time does not mean we are pawns or toys, SIR."

Vexen blinked impassively as Xenos aimed the weapon at him. Interesting. He wondered if Repliku had a Soul Eater he could summon at will as well. It appeared that one of them inherited the ability to summon weapons from the other.

But to threaten their own creator? It appeared that Vexen would have to 'discipline' the children before him. Raising a hand, Vexen snapped his fingers.

The sound echoed across the empty room, and with that echo came a rumble. A sheet of ice - no, many sheets of ice suddenly burst up from the ground, enclosing Xenos and squeezing rather tightly.

Knowing the Repliku would surely make a scene, Vexen shot the Riku clone a narrow glare, making a squeezing motion as the ice continued to slowly squeeze Xenos in it's grip.

"I advise you two avoid doing anything foolish. I'm more powerful then you think," Vexen warned in a voice that was icy as the chill that engulfed the room. "I think it goes without saying that I brought you into this world and therefore, I can take you out."

The hiss of darkness made Repliku gasp, turning his attention to where it came from. He had no time to act though - Xenos was already doing that, but before Xenos could strike, it seemed he realized who it was.

Just Vexen.

Still, the darkness continued to flow out from the gate he stepped through, irritating Repliku's senses. He growled, the same feral one as Xenos as his older brother threatened the scientist before them. Something... didn't seem right about this scene though.

Feeling the floow under him shake, Repliku quickly jumped back and let out an alarmed cry as his brother was attacked by sheets of ice, cruelly slamming into his body and trapping him. With a sweep of his hand, light formed into something that looked like the Soul Eater.

"LET HIM GO, YOU BASTARD!" Repliku screamed, about to charge when Vexen spoke again, leaving the clone frozen in his tracks.

Just... god, he wanted to smash the old bastard's face in, but... Repliku gave a panicked look at where Xenos laid trapped.

"Damnit, just... LET HIM GO!"

Xenos almost panicked; he swung both weapons (for he'd summoned the other one as soon as he sensed the magic rising in the air) HARD at the wall of ice, but being that he was so newly awakened, he was weak.

Too weak.

That thought clamoured around in his head like a jeering echo as he braced his back against one iceblock and his feet against the other, trying to shove them back. It was the enclosed space more than the cold and dark that bothered him. Wonderful. Atop everything else he was claustrophobic.

So that's the word for what it feels like when a small space makes you feel like you're choking to death - like everything's going to slam forward and crush you into nothing. Good to know!

Xenos's heartbeat sped up and his breath quickened, little puffs of frost dissipating in the chill air.

"I--please - st-stop--" gasped the Seeker's replica, closing his eyes tight. "Stop it. I yield, I yeld, stop--it wad a mistake, I didn't know it was YOU, I thought you would use the d-door just stop--please stop--"

He dug his nails into the ice and shuddered. But even in the middle of the terror was determination.

I'm not going to die here and leave my brother alone. We're meant to be together, and nothing's going to change that.

He locked eyes with Vexen.

"I apologise f-for drawing my weapon," he said, shaking from the cold as well as nervousness. "Please d-dispell this..."

Most people in Vexen's position would have been pleased to see Repliku so tormented or Xenos literally shaking and begging for his life. But Vexen was a Nobody, and he derived no pleasure from anything. His intent was to show the clones who exactly was in charge here, and he knew that the deed had been done. They would think twice before crossing him again.

In a way, it was good to know that he had twins instead of just one headstrong clone. He could simply use them against each other to get what he wanted. A far better way, in his opinion, rather then using logic or reasoning to 'plead' the clones to listen to him.

Whomever said violence didn't solve anything was clearly mistaken. But violence also begets more violence, so Vexen allowed the sheets of ice to slide back into the ground and release the Ansem replica.

"I hope that taught you both a lesson," Vexen commented, turning his back on them. With a wave of his hand, the door opened.

"That way will lead to your rooms. There's nowhere else to go, so don't bother even trying to escape. I will be returning to you two later."

There was another hiss, and Vexen was once more engulfed with darkness, disappating into the air once more.

"Xenos!"

The ice falling away was Repliku's signal to run over to his brother, immediately grabbing him to check if he was hurt. There was the sound of a door opening, and Vexen remained there, lecturing once more.

God he wanted to...!

"GET BACK HERE, YOU COWARD!" In his frustration, Repliku grabbed his weapon and angrily threw it at shadow-engulfed figure, watching as the weapon sailed through the disappating darkness and clanged against the wall.

He felt like this happened before, and it pissed him off.

But he couldn't worry about that now. Repliku returned his attention to his brother, who felt so cold.

"Hey, are you alright, Xenos?" Repliku asked in a much softer tone.

Xenos let out an extremely feral HISS at the retreating Vexen.

Then he attached to his brother and started purring.

It was a curious noise that seemed to start around his heart and resonate out until the young man's whole body was rumbling.

"I'm all--I'm all right," he murmured. "i'm fine. Just a little unnerved is all..."

He peered out the door.

"Nowehere else to go for now," he amended, sneering a bit at where Vexen had been.

Then he went back to nuzzling Riku's hair and rumbling.

"I'm sorry about that. I was stupid, and he used me against you. I won't allow that to happen again..."

Most people would have been a little disturbed at the fact Xenos was... purring, for lack of better words, but they were strange beings. Repliku actually found it comforting and absentmindly held his brother against him in a protective embrace.

God, he was so weak, just letting Vexen toy with them like that! He should have attacked the geezer anyway... but he couldn't risk it. Xenos was too important to lose.

He was so cold. Repliku gave Xenos a tighter hug, trying to warm him up.

"No, don't say that. You were just trying to protect us," Repliku reminded him, casting another glance to the door. At least there was light on the other side.

"Let's go. It looks warmer there."

Xenos got to his feet, still rumbling and still leaning on Repliku. It was nicer ouside the lab. Warmer. The scent and feel of the dark wasn't so strong outside. It was still a prison, but it was a far better one than the lab.

Xenos hoped he wouldn't have to return to that room any time soon.

"You don't mind it badly, sharing a room with me?" he asked, then sneezed. "Ngfth. Excuse me. ...I...seem to be a bit of an unexpected...anomaly. For everyone. Even myself. I don't want to be bothersome. ...Well, except to Vexen."

He looked up and down the hall of the building they were currently restricted to.

"...Where did he say our room was?"

Helping his brother up, the two of them started to make their way through the door. The hallway outside... it was drenched in white. Not exactly comforting, but not as bad as the laboratory.

It didn't matter. They were stuck here anyway. Repliku idly looked for more doors, anywhere they could go, but Vexen wasn't that dumb - the hallway lead to one single door, all the way on the other side. Tch. Figured.

"Nah, I don't care. Just don't expect me to sleep on the floor," Repliku smirked, but he kept a steady hold on his brother. Hearing him talk about himself like that... it kind of unnerved him.

"Don't say shit like that. It's like you said, what matters now is that you exist. I for one am kinda glad you do," Repliku gave Xenos a smile, not a mocking one, but a real one, however slight it was. "It'd be lonely with just me around."

Nearing the end of the hallway, Repliku looked impassively at the white door before them.

Then he gave it a kick, watching the door swing open, groaning in protest. He grinned. That felt satisfying.

"Well, I guess this is it."

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When Scientific Progress goes "Boink" [Completed]

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