[PRP] Belly of the Beast

[TawnyAngel]

Aulus squeezed his eyes tighter shut and sobbed. "I'm sorry! She wanted information I c-couldn't tell her anything! I'm so sorry Hayes, I'm sorry!" It was unforgivable. He could have saved him. He should have saved him. He couldn't have though, he couldn't have given her any information or it could have led to people back at base being hurt. He could have told her his ******** rank though, maybe it would have brought a minute's respite or the voltage wouldn't have gone so high or something! He should have spoken. He couldn't have spoken, if he'd said one thing he would have given in and said more. He should have done something. He hated himself.

Tears streamed down the agent's scarred face and the occasional sob still broke through his control. Still cradling Hayes close against his chest he raised a shaking hand to brush some dried blood away from his partner's cheek. "I'm so sorry." He hated himself.  

[Tinnunculus]

Hayes made some incoherent noise; he looked like he very much wanted what solace unconsciousness would give. "S'bullshit, man," he mumbled, fainter now. "Don't b'lieve it."

When Aulus brushed his cheek the blond's fingers twitched. He ventured out of his head long enough to add, "Y're fine. It's okay. Y're fine."

Not long after, a certain stillness indicated the programmer had passed out.  

[TawnyAngel]

He didn't deserve to be forgiven.

He didn't deserve to be anywhere near Hayes.

He'd done this to him.

He had done this!

He felt Hayes go limper in his arms and gave up on fighting the sobs.

Resting his brow on the top of Hayes' head Aulus clung to the unconscious man like a child and cried his heart out.  

[Loreven]

Still watching Lore wilted. He let his eyes drift to the floor and said nothing.  

[Rocket Agent Star]

About 30 or 40 minutes passed before the door to the brig swung open again, admitting another Galactic and the sound of clicking heels.

Lore winced. Already? Not even an hour's rest? Who were they going to take now?

When he looked up, expecting to see another guard, he was surprised to spot a tall spindly man in a long coat. He didn't look like the others.

"Star.." One of the higher-ranked guards spoke. "There weren't any more visitations scheduled tonight, where you-"

"Shut up." Star cut through the man's questioning. Red eyes drifted over the Rockets as he approached their cell, hands clasped behind his back. His focus paused briefly on Aulus and Hayes, then moved on.

"Which one of you is Loreven Temero?"

Lore looked up from his slumped position on the floor beside the rear wall of the cell. He eyed the others, then looked back at Star. "..your voice is awesome. S'it always sounded like that?"

Star arched an eyebrow.  

[Natsuko-neko]

Xander went and sat down a little bit a ways from Aulus and Hayes, closing his eyes with a frown and hanging his head as the big Rockets sobs became the only sound in the cell for a while. He did look up with a neutral expression when the door opened again and some thin man came in. Did that guard call him Star?  

[TawnyAngel]

Oh no. No no no they were not hurting Hayes again! Aulus looked up at the tall thin man with his teeth bared in a snarl, and a slightly crazed look in his eyes. Nobody was taking his partner away, he was keeping him safe here!... But it wasn't Hayes he wanted. Aulus' eyes flickered over to Lore involuntarily; he wanted to be able to help him too, but the executive was not a priority. Nevertheless, there was no reason to rat him out. Closing his eyes Aulus hid his face in Hayes' hair again and just hoped that they would be left alone.  

[Gwennythe]

It definitely seemed like Aulus would probably prefer space right now, though her instincts were, now, to go and try and... fix that situation. Tambrey watched for a moment but persuaded herself, rather easily, that there was nothing to do there that would help.
She didn't know what had happened to Hayes- he was out, but that was all she could tell. Given the Galactics' behaviour so far, she suspected death wasn't imminent though.
At least they were all together again for now.

She turned to regard the door for as long as she dared while she still stood, then moved back to where she'd been sitting before.

Star. Such a strange code name.
Did his colleagues call him 'Twinkle'?
When he arrived he was familiar, of course, being a rather distinctive figure.
She watched him, listened to his voice and then Lore's response, but said nothing.
She couldn't stop looking though. Such an odd man; after the chaos of the machine and the events following, she'd forgotten him until now.  

[Rocket Agent Star]

When Lore was the only one to speak, Star nodded at him, "I'll assume it's you, then."

"Yeah, s'me. ...Seriously though, you sound like a robot. Y'ever consider voiceacting?" Lore seemed determined to keep Star's attention on him.

Star frowned and looked over the group. Several of them already looked broken. His eyes lingered on Aulus, barring his teeth,"...it would appear you've already had visits from Commander Tethys."

"Yeah uh.. well spotted. Familiar with her handiwork?"

Star's frown deepened. "Yes."

Lore tilted his head, surprised by the tone of Star's reply.  

[Natsuko-neko]

Xander blinked at the mans words then looked him over. "She uses her techniques on other members of Galactic too?" At least Rocket didn't torture their members like that. Then again maybe the man did something extremely stupid or bad for the team? It was hard to think of something that would be bad enough to not just get brig time but not bad enough to be killed for it though.  

[Tinnunculus]

"Just him," one of the Galactics on guard spoke up.  

[Rocket Agent Star]

Star tensed and aimed a glare at the guard, "As you were!" His shout was unnervingly shrill.

Looking annoyed, he turned his eyes back on the Rockets. "..try not to die. I'm going to need you alive."

With that ominous order, he turned on his heel and stalked back to the brig door, coat flowing behind him.

Lore tilted his head further as the door slammed shut. "I like him."
 

[Tinnunculus]

The guard tossed off a salute far too smartly.

After Star left he added, "We think he likes it."  

[TawnyAngel]

"I hate him," Aulus hissed between his teeth, "I hate them all. If I ever get my hands on one of them I will Make. Them. Suffer." After a momentary glare after the tall man in the long coat he hid his face again and lifted Hayes up off the cold floor into his lap; he didn't want him to be cold on top of everything else.  

[Dante-Sayre]

Thankfully the Rockets didn't receive any other visitors that night. Once Star was gone and the witty guard piped down, they were allowed a brief rest.

This rest was interrupted the following morning. Without any indication of time it was hard to tell when it was exactly, but it felt much too early. The still of the Brig was broken suddenly by what, for all indications, was a massive explosion. The thundering noise wasn't in the Brig, but elsewhere deeper in the ship. Tremors shuddered through the entire airship, which groaned and listed to one side. The lighting flickered, then blacked out. A moment later emergency lighting came on and an echoing alarm rang through the room and the halls outside, accompanied by flashing red lights.

"What in the hell was that?!" One of the guards yelped as they all stumbled to gain their footing.

"How am I supposed to know? Stay here with the others! Don't let the Rockets out of your sight!"

The first guard nodded while he and his companions readied their weapons and the other hurried out into the hall. When the door opened it offered a view of numerous Galactics running by, all looking alarmed.

The faint shouts of the passing Galactics echoed into the brig. "What happened?" "Were we hit?" "It came from the robotics lab!" "Hole on the port si-" The door swung shut, muffling the voices.