Work Text:
Moments after scribbling something into a piece of paper, Phyx’s eyes go back to examining the contents of the vial. Bright, green liquid emanating some sort of neon aura. He thinks he can even see some inscriptions merging with the bright green, resembling some of the code Allison had shared with him only a few months back. ‘It’s important’, she had said. He’s rather keen to agree after seeing the way it can change people; the way it can mold them, turn them around on themselves. He’s been fascinated by it ever since, searching for different combinations, various effects; trying to see how he can safely apply it without… undesirable side consequences.
Before him, in this little green vial, hides away an integral part of his work; a new combination of ciphers, hopefully holding desirable results within. He takes the vial with gloved hands and turns, walking to the other side of the room where a few monitors and other related machines are placed in a mess only he can hope to understand. Phyx presses a button placed in a rectangle shaped machine, and when a small opening appears, he carefully places the vial within. He lets go of the vial and sees it go into place, then releases his hold from the button, the contraption closing and hiding the vial again. He steps back and sees the monitors show loading screens, processing the information hiding within the vial.
Phyx decides to work with other things in the meantime while he waits for the loading screens to finish reading the code, among them a few new ideas for James’ mechanical arm. As bothersome as it is to have to fix it every few days because the man can’t keep his hands to himself, it also gives him room to speculate on new and creative functions for the poor thing. He starts looking through his room for a few blueprints on James’ arm, and he’s not far into his search when he hears footsteps nearing the room. He recognizes them and doesn’t avert his eyes from the papers in his hand, turning them around and falling into further disappointment when it’s not what he’s searching for.
Only once he finishes sorting through that specific stack of papers, he looks to the side, identifying Alec sitting on a chair in the middle of Phyx's usual mess. He examines him for a few moments, noticing a few recent wounds here and there. The smaller man simply sits, staring at the ground, patiently. Phyx sighs and moves on to another pile of papers. "What happened?"
A voiceless huff. "Waddya think happened?"
Phyx stops, rolls his eyes and looks back at Alec, meeting his eyes sternly. "You're wounded. Who did you get into a fight with?"
Alec frowns and looks to the side, almost in shame. "James."
He holds his gaze on Alec for a bit longer, a mix of exasperation, worry and curiosity. He looks back at a paper he's holding and skims through it. It's holding the blueprints to some old project of his that was quickly overshadowed by the work assigned to him by the Order; it's fairly simple and he never did wind up doing it, mostly because he never had the time. He wonders if doing it now would give desirable results. "The box with the regeneration serums is in the corner near the monitors. Try not to break anything."
Phyx hears quiet shuffling and with it a sort of oppressive silence falls upon the room, filling it with defeat. It's not the first time Alec gets into a fight with James- it's not the first time he comes back losing. It's not a lack of skill from Alec's side- rather an overcompensation from James. There's few ways to permanently damage the creature, and the only effective way was taken out of their hands when the man returned from the dead with rage as his only fuel. To him it's a scientific discovery, a marvelous thing he's able to examine at his own leisure; to Alec it's an obstacle, a barrier keeping him from gaining any sort of recognition.
'There will always be someone better than you, Alec,' Is what he sometimes tells him while he's healing his scars.
'How hypocritical of you,' Alec would say, wincing in pain. '-you battle your inferiority as if your life depended on it.' And he wasn't wrong.
This time, Phyx says nothing. Alec doesn't agree with the sentiment.
"What are these blueprints for?"
Phyx stops for a few moments, eyes looking over the green blueprints in his hands before turning around and noticing Alec reading over some documents. The serum lies ignored on the side, unused. The scientist raises an eyebrow and makes his way to where Alec stands, stopping when he sees the way the other suddenly tenses. He leans over to examine what the other is reading and finds some painfully similar sketches to the ones he made for James' arm; it's the blueprints he's been looking for. He snatches them from Alec's grasp as quickly as he can and hears his huff of irritation, completely expected. When he meets the wounded man's gaze he sees hurt in them. He almost winces.
"Who asked you to make them?"
He looks between the blueprints and him. "No one. I was merely… conducting my own research."
"Helping his performance." Alec states, plainly.
"Yes," Phyx agrees, before realizing what he said. "I know-"
"You don't," Alec deadpans, meeting his eyes. "The serum's been failing recently. You should fix that." He says before limping past Phyx and out of his sight.
When Phyx looks at the serum on the table, he realizes it's emptied.