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Blood splattered from his mouth, the dark substance hidden by his trembling hand. His weak eyes fluttered up as he adjusted his gaze to the Hexcore, could he really call it that anymore. Was it even HexTech? It was taxing, watching the almost fully organic contraption morph and shape itself in a rhythmic fashion. It’s almost teasing Viktor, calling out to him as if it knew the man wanted to capture its knowledge; keeping it hidden from the meek man.
“Another day,” he whispered as he hoisted himself up, relying on the cane to keep himself upright. He cautiously walked himself out of the lab, his breathing weakening and his vision blurred but he kept himself going. Why was his body deteriorating, a week ago he managed to run as if nothing was wrong in the world, the feel of the wind on his face was yearning. But now- he had fell to the floor. His body only getting halfway out into the corridor, Why? His vision blurred even more as his body gave up on him. A peaceful darkness consumed mind.
“Viktor! Viktor!” A strained voice called out to the other, It sounded as if they were crying. Why would Jayce cry? Viktor regained his consciousness and he turned his head slightly to the handsome man screaming down at him, why couldn’t he hear his voice anymore? Viktor pondered. Drops of something warm fell on to his face.
- -
“Oh god, you stupid man” jayce lifted Viktor’s head off the floor, wiping his mouth to get rid of the blood. He hadn’t noticed the corrupted hand and leg.
“I shouldn’t have left you out of my-“ he noticed. Oh god did he notice. His hand froze and twitched as he saw the glowing purple leg.
“Viktor- what did you do” his breathing started to pick up. He looked at Viktors hand and he began to hyperventilate.
“Y-you resorted to shimmer- is that. You were talking to him. Silco!” Viktor wanted to speak but his voice faltered,
‘N-no’ Viktor mouthed as he tried to advert his gaze from the other. Jayce looked at the other in disbelief and partly anger.
“Have you not been listening to me or anyone at all- oh my god have you been using it with the hexcore?” Jayce let go of Viktor and stood up, all Viktor could see were that jayce’s feet were turned towards the lab. They then walked forward, towards the once beautiful Hexcore
“What the hell viktor- what have you done! What is this thing? This is-” His voice boomed in the lab. The frail man flinched and managed to cover his ears. He didn’t like loud noises. Jayce noticed and he went quiet.
“I-I’m sorry Viktor I shouldn’t have-“ he brushed his stubble with his fingers. “I’m sorry you have your reasons.” He walked back over to the other and cradled him into his arms. “I’m sorry Jayce” the German man croaked as he looked up at the other. His corrupted hand gently cupping the other’s cheek.
“It’s cold” Jayce murmured. “Explain everything once I get you to bed” he seemed hurt.
“I don’t want to die jayce,” Viktor mumbled as he lifelessly laid in bed.
“I know, that’s why I want to save yo-“
“But you stopped- stopped Hexcore development” Viktor stammered, his lower lip quivering. He raised his corrupted hand slowly, twisting it around to show it off to jayce.
“So I found out myself that if I used a variant of Shimmer, I-I” he paused for a moment and he clenched his fist as slightly as possible. “I could harness the Hexcore and live” he coughed badly and instead of blood some purple liquid dribbled out of his mouth.
“I was able to run a week ago. Live one of my dreams. But now- I’m like this” he turned to look at Jayce.
“I hate myself- I really do” he sniffled and hid his face from the other. Jayce was a stand still his body hitched, he knew Viktor wasn’t well in himself but he didn’t know it was to the point of hating himself in the process. He looked at the outstretched hand and he gently took it.
“Viktor, it’s going to be alright” it was obvious to Viktor that Jayce was uncertain. The broad man’s hand was warm and comforting, consuming all of Viktors easily. Viktor didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t going to be alright, Viktor knew this. The weak man twitched and his hand flashed a purple glow. His eyes changed from a warm brown to a cold purple. He gasped and leant back into the pillow as he looked at Jayce. Viktor’s face frowned.
“Why are you looking at me like that” he coughed.
iv. Am I human?
Jayce was stunned, seeing the weak man in front of him become more healthy was almost entrancing. Of course it wasn’t the healthiest Viktor looked but it was the most healthy he had seen him in a long time. But that wasn’t the only thing that changed. Viktor’s eyes weren’t the same, they were milky- purple and quite honestly scary. But he tried to push it down.
“Viktor something strange is going on I don’t understand” he kept looking at the other’s hand. Viktor smiled and gently closed his fingers around the other’s hand.
“I’m living, I’ll be here for a while.” There was strength back in the man now. He felt as if he could sit up again. He used jayce as leverage as he sat himself back up.
“I fixed my leg, I’m going to get some more. Use it to fix my spine. I don’t want to be a cripple anymore. I don’t want this life threatening disease. I want to be human” he gazed off into the darkness of the room.
“Am i human Jayce?” Jayce didn’t know how to reply. He wanted to confirm and agree with Viktor all he liked but he know that this man was now fused to the Hexcore, there was no denying that. Would that still be considered human. In the end he didn’t answer, he just held the man’s hand comfortingly. He wanted to kiss it, he really did but he didn’t know if Viktor would like it.
“I guess it’s hard to tell now huh,” he gently shuffled his corrupted leg out of the covers. “Metal has fused with me, see you can tell some of my leg brace is now imbedded” he gently traced his leg. “But it has helped, sometimes I feel like I would never need that cane again. But sometimes it is like this, as if my life has returned to normal- that I am still dying” he turned to Jayce.
“If you just let me experiment with shimm-“ Jayce embraced the other and shook his head
“no, I won’t let you. This was too dangerous already Viktor. Your life has been altered too much, if the council sees you they won’t trust us. They won’t let us work again. You understand this right?” He gently rubbed Viktor’s back. His fingers tracing along the segmented back brace.