[ elizabeth is alive and rhys isn't sure how to feel about that.
he found out where to watch what happens, feeling a voyeuristic sensation settle over him as he sat in the chair and began to go through the screens. it was... thursday, he realized, and the last thing he remembered was elizabeth's transformation on sunday night before the feeling of being shot by jack. bits and pieces crawl through his memories from when he turned into that monster but other than that, he isn't sure what to make of anything. he feels a startling numbness, the only thing holding back a tidal wave of even worse, more terrifying emotions as he observes everything with a blank, flat expression.
the camera switches to fiona first, wrapping her bleeding finger in the med bay. rhys sinks into his chair and feels his head drop, eyes moving to the ceiling because he just -- he said he would stay and he didn't. he shouldn't have stayed though, when he thinks about it. not with this nasty, rotten thing crawling inside of him -- it would have hurt her. he knows it, it would have mercilessly torn apart fiona with little regard for rhys' feelings and, and, and --
... and he wonders, if for a moment, she knew? she was so silent during the trial despite her assurance she would back him up against jack. he felt so alone, so right in his beliefs that he ignored the stress in her eyes and did little to stop himself from going head to head against jack. he thought it was so obvious -- jack was vile! terrible! jack deserved everything bad that happened to him! he ENSLAVED his DAUGHTER, of course he was the bad guy here.
yet everyone just thought rhys was hysterical, that he was yelling for his own sake and a nuisance at most. marinette egged him on, called him an idiot when she didn't even know. she had no idea what rhys dealt with when it came to jack, had no idea just how deep rhys' fear of the other man ran. he thinks of dorian who promised to talk to him, to hear him out later but -- but how. rhys knew jack wouldn't hesitate, it didn't matter what rhys said or did but if nothing changed right then, nothing would change at all.
so, maybe she knew. left him alone to deal with jack because she knew that he was a monster deep down all along. he finds himself curling into the chair, hands sliding through his hair as he brings his knees up to his chest and try to remember how to breathe. she must have known because otherwise, why would she be so quiet? why would she have abandoned him like this? fiona never -- fiona never abandoned him, until now. he feels a hollow sort of emptiness when he realizes why.
she knew he was a monster. jack knew he was a monster. he was alone from the start.
at least... at least jack didn't kill him immediately, though? that must have been what was happening. jack trying to keep rhys company, keep him from becoming worse than he was. that's why rhys felt so happy around him, that must be it. jack was fine with switching handcuff partners that week because... because he knew what rhys was. of course. he knew that minako couldn't handle rhys like he could and that has to be why. it has to be why because... what other reason could there be? that must've been why he punched him too, he had no idea what rhys was actually dreaming about -- must have thought it was the thing inside him coming to the surface and not one of rhys' own insecurities.
of course. it all makes so much sense now. jack was trying to save him.
when he pulls his hands out of his hair, there are tears on his face but he doesn't bother to stem them and instead switches views to someone else. just -- just, he had to get away from fiona. he hopes she burned his letter, hopes she can find happiness elsewhere. he doesn't deserve it, he doesn't deserve anyone at all. the camera settles on elizabeth after a moment and she's in the holding cells, asleep. he's shocked for a moment, really truly shocked because if she's alive... why wasn't he? what... what changed in that small gap of time that he's missing? maybe there was some sort of mistake, just a hiccup and at any moment he'll be returned to his body like nothing happened. or... or maybe -- maybe his monster was stronger? it dragged him along for so long, it kept him aware long past the point of body decay -- maybe... maybe they couldn't keep him alive? they must have tried, he thinks. why would they just let him die?
... oh god, what if he didn't deserve to be saved? jack must have had to make a choice, seeing how far gone rhys had become. rhys was truly becoming his monster at that point, right? he was the bad guy here, the one who had to be put down. that's why elizabeth still lives and he doesn't. jack saved all of them by killing him. that despair he felt at being alone, it makes sense now if he was this thing all along. jack knew and tried to spare them even more grief but his monster, oh it went out of control. maybe it's because he's -- well, he's not elizabeth. elizabeth was kind and good and did way fucking more for anyone than he ever did. maybe it's who you are that determines how... vile you become.
rhys has never been a good person and now, he's died for it.
a death in four parts, part three of four.
he found out where to watch what happens, feeling a voyeuristic sensation settle over him as he sat in the chair and began to go through the screens. it was... thursday, he realized, and the last thing he remembered was elizabeth's transformation on sunday night before the feeling of being shot by jack. bits and pieces crawl through his memories from when he turned into that monster but other than that, he isn't sure what to make of anything. he feels a startling numbness, the only thing holding back a tidal wave of even worse, more terrifying emotions as he observes everything with a blank, flat expression.
the camera switches to fiona first, wrapping her bleeding finger in the med bay. rhys sinks into his chair and feels his head drop, eyes moving to the ceiling because he just -- he said he would stay and he didn't. he shouldn't have stayed though, when he thinks about it. not with this nasty, rotten thing crawling inside of him -- it would have hurt her. he knows it, it would have mercilessly torn apart fiona with little regard for rhys' feelings and, and, and --
... and he wonders, if for a moment, she knew? she was so silent during the trial despite her assurance she would back him up against jack. he felt so alone, so right in his beliefs that he ignored the stress in her eyes and did little to stop himself from going head to head against jack. he thought it was so obvious -- jack was vile! terrible! jack deserved everything bad that happened to him! he ENSLAVED his DAUGHTER, of course he was the bad guy here.
yet everyone just thought rhys was hysterical, that he was yelling for his own sake and a nuisance at most. marinette egged him on, called him an idiot when she didn't even know. she had no idea what rhys dealt with when it came to jack, had no idea just how deep rhys' fear of the other man ran. he thinks of dorian who promised to talk to him, to hear him out later but -- but how. rhys knew jack wouldn't hesitate, it didn't matter what rhys said or did but if nothing changed right then, nothing would change at all.
so, maybe she knew. left him alone to deal with jack because she knew that he was a monster deep down all along. he finds himself curling into the chair, hands sliding through his hair as he brings his knees up to his chest and try to remember how to breathe. she must have known because otherwise, why would she be so quiet? why would she have abandoned him like this? fiona never -- fiona never abandoned him, until now. he feels a hollow sort of emptiness when he realizes why.
she knew he was a monster. jack knew he was a monster. he was alone from the start.
at least... at least jack didn't kill him immediately, though? that must have been what was happening. jack trying to keep rhys company, keep him from becoming worse than he was. that's why rhys felt so happy around him, that must be it. jack was fine with switching handcuff partners that week because... because he knew what rhys was. of course. he knew that minako couldn't handle rhys like he could and that has to be why. it has to be why because... what other reason could there be? that must've been why he punched him too, he had no idea what rhys was actually dreaming about -- must have thought it was the thing inside him coming to the surface and not one of rhys' own insecurities.
of course. it all makes so much sense now. jack was trying to save him.
when he pulls his hands out of his hair, there are tears on his face but he doesn't bother to stem them and instead switches views to someone else. just -- just, he had to get away from fiona. he hopes she burned his letter, hopes she can find happiness elsewhere. he doesn't deserve it, he doesn't deserve anyone at all. the camera settles on elizabeth after a moment and she's in the holding cells, asleep. he's shocked for a moment, really truly shocked because if she's alive... why wasn't he? what... what changed in that small gap of time that he's missing? maybe there was some sort of mistake, just a hiccup and at any moment he'll be returned to his body like nothing happened. or... or maybe -- maybe his monster was stronger? it dragged him along for so long, it kept him aware long past the point of body decay -- maybe... maybe they couldn't keep him alive? they must have tried, he thinks. why would they just let him die?
... oh god, what if he didn't deserve to be saved? jack must have had to make a choice, seeing how far gone rhys had become. rhys was truly becoming his monster at that point, right? he was the bad guy here, the one who had to be put down. that's why elizabeth still lives and he doesn't. jack saved all of them by killing him. that despair he felt at being alone, it makes sense now if he was this thing all along. jack knew and tried to spare them even more grief but his monster, oh it went out of control. maybe it's because he's -- well, he's not elizabeth. elizabeth was kind and good and did way fucking more for anyone than he ever did. maybe it's who you are that determines how... vile you become.
rhys has never been a good person and now, he's died for it.
he has to tell jack thank you. ]