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Entry tags:
week 7 and on
"I can't believe Rhys is so creepy" and other stories
"I can't believe Rhys is so creepy" and other stories
"I can't believe Rhys is so creepy" and other stories
"I can't believe Rhys is so creepy" and other stories
a death in four parts, part four of four.
jack killed him because he was a monster. jack is a hero. jack's always been a hero.
he sits in his chair with his arms wrapped loosely around his ankles, his cheek pressed against his knee as he watches jack on the screen. there's -- there's a trial happening and everyone is caught up once again in events. another death? some girl, rhys doesn't remember her name, doesn't bother to reach for it. instead he keeps his eyes on jack, jack who seems so peaceful in his sleep despite the hysteria. rhys could sympathize, he thinks. jack did just save the ship, kill (save) the two people who were destined to destroy everything from the inside out. trials could return to normal with nothing lurking underneath the skin of the innocent ones left until everyone can finally find their way around alice and...
maybe then they'll get to go home. he wonders if that's why he's stuck here, watching them. will he come back? will they let him come back? he's not sure if he deserves it anymore. after all, he did kill jack and helios seems so long ago now that... that rhys has to rethink it. maybe jack was trying to do the same thing there that he did here? save rhys? rhys was so blinded by his own ego that he couldn't understand his intentions, couldn't understand that jack was just trying to help. he was always just trying to help rhys, wasn't that what he said? they were a team and sometimes being part of a team means having to make the hard calls. hard calls like putting down your partner because he's gone too far.
rhys had gone so far that even fiona couldn't save him anymore. he really did deserve this, he thinks.
rhys watches as jack returns from the trial and settles in for the night. he doesn't feel much empathy for shelley, doesn't really remember why she bothered killing in the first place. she seemed so guilty, so sad over what she's done and rhys doesn't feel a thing -- just a tired sigh at the repetition. jack was so right, he thinks. he's really become what he feared -- cold and dead inside, unable to relate to those around him, unable to care for them. he was going down the wrong path the whole time and he hadn't even realized.
god, he's fucking stupid.
he feels like he should feel something when jack takes out his torn up arm but at most, he glances down to where it is now -- whole on his right side. he hasn't bothered to test the mechanics of it here, to see if his things are still accessible. what's the point? the stuff in his arm, all of his important atlas documents and blueprints, his memories of his friends, his stupid freggin' echojournal. he wonders if he could access it here, watch the logs all over again and see where he can find the exact moment he turned from... whatever he once was to whatever he is now. he's not quite sure anymore if he was a good person then but he definitely knows he's not a good person now. he hopes jack destroys it since there's no damn point to it all anymore -- or maybe, maybe he can take it as his own? rhys destroyed hyperion, jack can have atlas. rhys doesn't deserve the company any more but jack could do it so much better with it, couldn't he? he could make pandora safe like rhys was trying to... make it a place to actually live, like jack was originally doing before the vault hunters stopped him.
he's fine with watching this, watching jack take the arm apart and repurpose it for his own until suddenly, jack starts to speak. rhys' brow furrows and he can't help but pay attention, wondering what jack could possibly have on his mind right now until he realizes -- it's him. jack's talking about him, rhys. rhys' breath catches in his throat and he finally lifts his head from his legs, watching the screen with intense eyes.
he needs -- he wishes -- fuck. he finds himself unfolding from the chair and approaching the screen with outstretched arms. he listens to jack and can't help the boiling need to respond. this is the closest he's felt to the guy since... since... two weeks ago. it really has been a while, huh?
always trusting people i know i goddamn shouldn't. ]
Wait --
[ don't get it, though. it doesn't make any goddamn sense. ]
Wait.
[ he could've killed me. had plenty of chances, since i didn't think he'd screw me. ]
Wait, Jack!
[ jack's voice quiets and rhys is left clutching the screen of the video feed, eyes watering once more as he just... doesn't now quite how to process this. there's so many feelings churning in his gut and he wants to go back, wants to talk to jack, wants to -- ]
... I'm so sorry, Jack. I am so, so sorry.
[ apologize. he wants to apologize. rhys takes a step back from the screen, slowly sinking to his knees and pressing his hands to his face as the tears finally start to spill over. he hurts, he hurts so bad because at least -- at least jack didn't abandon him in the end, did he? he tried to help until he knew he couldn't help any more. he helped liz, right? because that must have been what happened, he must have been the one to pull the monster out of her but keep her alive. he must've tried the same for rhys because why wouldn't he? why wouldn't jack help him? but rhys was far too gone at that point, even fiona knew and that's why she didn't fight it. that had to be the reason why because nothing else made any sense. why would everyone just abandon him? why would no one believe him? why would fiona stay so silent? there's only one clear option here and it's because he was the bad guy and jack was the hero who was going to save the day.
the only one who didn't know this was rhys. ]