Chapter Text
The President's words hammered deep in Roier's conscience, tormenting him by every step he made towards where he imagined they had taken Cell. The exhaustion and adrenaline collided inside the man's body, remembering that he was close to reaching his limit. But, at the same time, it was pushing him forward, while his mind battled over the possibility of something happening to Cell, to the point of terrorizing even his business partner.
Roier didn't know the details of Forever and Cell's relationship. They talked only a few times about it, but what was said to him was that both of them formed an alliance some time ago that resulted in positive results for both of them, making Cell trust Forever enough to let him lead the secret organization they had founded together. That's why, when Virgilio asked Roier to talk to him, he didn't think twice. And it ended up being the right decision, since without Forever's help he would never be able to pass through the ocean of inmates that awaited him on Block B. Both the mysterious gas that seemed to debilitate everyone, and the automatic bars of the tanks were of great help. So Roier was extremely grateful for all the help offered by the President.
The problem was that something inside Roier hated when people called Cell a monster, whatever the reason. So he couldn't avoid demonstrating annoyance when the man tried to convince him that Cell had become the current problem.
It was an irrational reaction. If someone, close to Cell, who saw what he had just done was warning you that you're in danger, the logical reaction would be to listen and keep the distance. But Roier couldn't. To have the opportunity of seeing the humanity that still lived inside Cell was more than enough to make the therapist decide to help him, no matter the consequences. So he couldn't do anything but thank the dashing President and go forth on his own.
He would deal with the consequences later. All he needed in that moment was to reach Cell, and certify that he would not get in the damned helicopter.
Roier adjusted the gas mask on his face and took a deep breath, trying to ignore how the decline of the adrenaline levels had started to affect his drawn body. He reloaded the rifle with the last cartridges he had, analyzing the weapon to make sure that it hadn't got any kind of damage during the fight, since he would probably have to return it soon. He didn't take long to reach the exit door of the corridors that led the cafeteria and, luckily, from then on he wouldn't need Forever's help, since he had got to Alcatraz by helicopter, so he remembered he only had to cross the cafeteria and soon he would get to the access area to the roof.
Aguanta, gatinho. He pleaded to himself, once again opening the door with a kick, and getting into the room. I'm coming.
Roier immediately prepared to shoot, ready to find another horde of inmates and guards in position to stop him there. But, to his very surprise, that was not the case.
He saw only one person, whose face was mostly covered by a gas mask just like his. Roier immediately pointed the rifle towards the guard, who was armed, just like him, and standing still just like a sentinel in front of the door the Mexican man needed to go through.
At least it's just one. Roier though, relieved. He was really starting to get tired.
"I'll give you one chance, culero, " Roier shouted to the other side of the cafeteria. "Get out of my way and you live."
A muffled laughter sounded from behind the mask, and the man shook his head.
"Who would say the frightened little lamb from the first day would reveal himself to be a treacherous wolf? I should've known, since you fell for that damned Cell instead of any other decent person in this place."
Roier laughed bitterly. Eliot Higgins. Of course.
"This place had only one decent person, and you killed him."
"That old man?" Eliot cackled. "He was at the end of the rope already. What made you think Virgilio was worth it? The nonsensical affection he had for your boyfriend?"
Eliot started to advance towards Roier, who cautiously made the same — never taking his finger out of the trigger.
"I didn't have the chance to know Virgilio as much as I wish. But the little I saw made it clear that he was a good man. I can't say the same for you. I thought I heard you saying Caius was unbearable? Why are you on his side?"
"That posh son of a bitch may be a pain in my ass, but nothing outperforms Cell in this matter," Eliot snarled. "You've got no idea what he did to my family when I decided that having a prisoner controlling a prison was ridiculous. I broke some of his stupid rules, and my parents and sister were gone. I found them a month later, chopped off and left in a wasteland, with a letter of warning to never go against the ‘King of Alcatraz’ again. Do you have the faintest idea what that does to one's mind?"
Roier bit his lips. That was harsh to hear. So he was one of the people Cell mentioned using some time ago to prove a point?
Mierda, pendejo. Roier cursed, stopping a few metres from Eliot when he did just the same. ¿Por qué te has dejado corromper tanto?
"I'm sorry for your loss. What he did was definitely horrible, just like so many things he has been doing. But I can't let Caius hand him to my superiors."
Eliot's cackle echoed even louder this time.
"And why not, dammit?! That man is a monster, Roier. A plague to humanity. As long as he lives, people are gonna die. People are gonna be tortured. Do you understand that?!" He yelled, clearly losing himself. "My sister was twelve. TWELVE. She was a CHILD. Are you going to tell me an innocent little girl deserved the end she got, ant that fucking maniac doesn't deserve that?!"
Roier gritted his teeth.
" No, " Roier denied, not trusting his own voice. "She didn't deserve that."
"So tell me, motherfucker," Eliot got even closer, and although Roier couldn't see his expression nicely, it was clear that the man was losing it more and more. "How dare you try to defend that demon, after all the shit he already did?!"
Roier's mind immediately summoned the moment of Cell's vulnerability he had witnessed. The way his eyes went empty, how his entire body started to tremble, how he couldn't form intelligent sentences as he cried in despair when he looked like remembering things he didn't want to.
That was the face of someone whose life had been nothing but pure hell. And after discovering the Federation's interest in Cell, and even an experiment designation given to him by the mysterious organization, it was clear that they had something to do with the person Cell was nowadays. The person who kills with a frightening easiness, who was capable of ordering the death of innocents to prove a stupid point... the person who couldn't trust his own shadow, and who had built a kingdom based on fear and violence, and that, for having his life ruined, didn't hesitate on ruining others'.
Roier recognized that Cell was, yes, someone questionable that seemed to be way far from salvation... But he would never be able to abandon him, even if that made him be just as insane as Cell was. After all, he had the feeling that if he didn't remain on Cell's side, then the King would definitely make more innocent victims. And he couldn't allow that. Both in the sake of his profession, and for the unconditional love he nurtured for Cell.
"I don't expect you to understand my motivations. Neither for you to try forgiving him, because what he did is unforgivable," Roier unlocked the rifle. "The only thing I expect from you is to get out of my way. And maybe you'll live another day to honor the memory of your family."
Eliot started cackling, loudly this time, in an almost unhinged way. Roier only tried to get ready for the bomb that was on the verge of exploding, and when the mad man stopped laughing to open fire towards him, he just kicked up one of the few wooden tables and used it as cover to the fury attack of one of the many enemies Cell made through the years.
He had no idea what the Federation had done with Cell for him to become what he did. But after all he heard and witnessed, it was clear that Roier couldn't allow them to capture him again. Not when Virgilio said he had been the catalyst for Cell's positive change. If the Federation captured him, it was possible that they would transform him into something even worse and, then, Roier wouldn't be able to do anything.
But that wouldn't happen. He would protect Cell from everyone, even from himself if needed... and there was no living soul able to prevent him.
Roier checked on the rifle's bullets, cursing mentally upon noticing he had nothing but three fucking bullets left. Higgins had proved himself an extremely versatile opponent, and he really looked keen to make everything to delay Roier's advance, which was extremely frustrating. He didn't have time to lose with a man blinded by his revenge. Especially when an absurd feeling of urgency took his heart, and something in the deep of his stomach shouted that he was running out of time, and if he took a bit longer, he would never reach Cell again.
" Mierda ," He cursed. "I need to find a way to get through this pendejo. C'mon, Roier, think. Damnit."
Eliot opened fire against the table Roier had been hiding, once again forcing him to move and get out of his hiding place when the bullets succeeded in destroying what was left of the already fragile metal. Roier panted, rolling under another table he kicked up. But he was not fast enough, allowing some of the projectiles to hit one of his arms and the mask of gas, which prevented the shots from hitting his face, but yet ended up leaving the therapist at the mercy of the gas, still present through the corners of Alcatraz.
"C'MON, HERMANITO! " Higgins shouted, shooting up. "DON'T YOU WANT TO PLAY? YOUR BOYFRIEND IS WAITING FOR YOU. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANNA LET HIM BE TAKEN AWAY?"
Roier took off what was left of the mask from his face, and covered his nose with a piece of fabric he tore from his coverall. It wouldn't be enough to avoid him from breathing the toxic gas. But it was the best he could do at the moment.
Mierda, que estoy haciendo? He questioned himself, looking to the sides, searching for a plan. Tengo que encontrar una manera de matar a este cabrón pronto.
"Heeeey kitty, kitty, kitty, come and play," Higgins called. "Now that I think about it, that's how you call that thing right? Doesn't ‘ gatinho ’ mean ‘kitty’?"
He cackled, and Roier gritted his teeth.
"What a stupid pet name, what did you see in that guy? It's inconceivable that you found someone like him attractive, even if slightly."
" Ey, culero, " Roier snarled a warning. "We're here to fight, or to talk about my love life?!"
"It's just dumb! You see, you could've fallen for ANYONE in this place. Me, for example," Higgins continued, and Roier arched his eyebrows. "If you had listened to me on the first day, maybe we could've talked a bit more, you know? I could've helped you to get the information about that asshole, and together we could save your kid. It would be a way better option than to fall for a serial killer, don't you think?"
Roier punched the table.
" NO HABLES DE MI NIÑO, HIJO DE PUTA."
"Oh, did I hit a sore spot?" Roier heard the noise of a gun being loaded, and swallowed. "But it's true, Roier. If you had decided to stay on our side, you wouldn't be in the situation you are now, and your brat would probably have some real chance of surviving."
Eliot opened fire against the table, once again forcing Roier to move.
"But here you are, completely trapped, and just about to die, only because you chose to ally with the King, whose kingdom was already decaying," he opened fire again, and Roier almost was shot to death. "I thought you were smarter than that, Roier. How disappointing."
Roier punched the floor, panting. His body was heavy, and he was dizzy, probably thanks to the gas' effect. He had to act. His time was running out.
It was now or never.
"I'm quite smart," he refuted, trying to drag himself to a different place from what Eliot saw. "And you'll notice that once I jump over you to go find my boyfriend, whom I'll certainly keep alive, no matter your wishes."
Eliot lost his presumptuous smile, and immediately opened fire against the table while he shouted in anger. And, exactly as Roier expected, he finished discharging all his bullets against it.
He immediately moved to load the rifle, while he shouted to Roier.
"WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THAT MURDERER AFTER ALL? DIDN'T YOU UNDERSTAND ALL THE EVIL HE'S CAPABLE OF DOING?"
And that's when, taking advantage of his opponent's emotional distraction, Roier jumped out of his hideout, trapping Eliot successfully, and easily getting off his mask, to the vengeful guard's very distress. Eliot tried to strike back, but, when it came to melee fighting, he was nothing compared to a combatant such as Roier, who swiftly disarmed the guard and overpowered him in every way possible, dragging him down and putting the weapon inside his mouth, to Eliot's very horror.
"I'm completely aware of the disgrace my gatinho is capable of causing," Roier said, coldly. "What you, and not even your stupid superior know, is that I can be just as bad. I had chosen not to be like that anymore, but unfortunately... you didn't give me any other choice."
He unlocked the weapon, to Eliot's very despair, who tried to move and escape from the inevitable, but Roier didn't allow it.
" Adiós, señor Higgins, " Roier said, calmly, and put his finger on the trigger. "Tell Virgilio that I and Cell said hola ."
Eliot screamed, and Roier shot — not even blinking over the disturbing attitude of exploding a man's head in cold blood.
The therapist laughed bitterly, removing the weapon's barrel out of the dead man's mouth, to then get all of his ammunition and march towards the access to the roofs. He knew all of that made him an enormous hypocrite, especially after scolding Cell several times about his cruel methods of punishing people. But he had no choice. The idea was to completely abandon this dark side of his life and restart from the bottom, in a life away from death and regular assassination. That was not the life he wanted for Bobby, and definitely wasn't something he wanted to force Jaiden to deal with. So he left everything behind, and decided to try becoming the best version of himself; someone who didn't need his blood-covered past to carry the life on, and who only wanted to live in peace with his best friend and his son.
But of course it would not be so easy. The blood seemed to follow him since the moment of his birth, and it would always come back to torment him, no matter how hard he tried to get away from that life. He wanted to help Cell do the same, that was the idea since the beginning. But he ended up jumping in hell with Cell in the end, which was the complete opposite of what he originally planned, but the only option he had in a moment of despair.
He didn't want to recover that part of his. But now that he had to force it to reappear, Roier wouldn't hesitate on destroying everything on his way to reach Cell. He had already lost his son in some way. And he would die before allowing the same thing to happen to the man he fell in love with.
Yes, Cell wasn't the most sane person in the world but, honestly, neither was him... so fuck it.
With this thought in mind, Roier finally reached the area that led to the stairs, running through all the hideous crime scene filling the place, not minding anything. He didn't need to stop to analyze who had done that, for he already knew that pretty well, especially considering the President's words before they lost contact.
Roier's legs fought the abuse, but he ignored the discomfort as well, feeling relatively better once he got away from the gas. He took the piece of cloth from his face, since it wasn't needed any more. The gas was probably some substance that worked as a forced sedative, which was a quite assertive choice to use for controlling riots. But Roier didn't have much time to keep thinking about it, since as soon as he reached the exit from the emergency stairwell, an absurd scene waited for him.
Caius, above a half-awaken and clearly dazed Cell, was about to behead him using a triangular and sharp piece of fuselage, which immediately triggered the combatant's reaction, who opened fire against the men before he could follow with his plan.
The Warden shouted in pain and confusion when the projectile hit his shoulder, immediately dropping the piece of metal and falling to the side. Roier gritted his teeth, furious, and started to march towards the both of them.
" PINCHE HIJEPUTA CULERO DE MIERDA, " he rampaged furiously, and Caius immediately widened his eyes and started to crawl away from a shocked Cell. "I'LL SLAUGHTER YOU."
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Caius shouted, outraged. "HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU ALIVE, YOU PRICK?"
Roier finally reached Cell, crouching beside him and analyzing his wounds, which were all terrible and bleeding profusely. Cell, however, didn't seem to even remember he was in a dismal situation, reaching for Roier's face and touching him everywhere as if to convince himself he was real.
"G-guapito... guapito, are you alive? Is that really you?" Cell questioned, and his voice was so full of fear and trembling that Roier felt something inside of him breaking, especially when tears rolled down the cheeks of his lover. "He said you were dead, I..."
" Ay, mi amor, " Roier sighed, gluing his forehead to Cell's, and taking a deep breath when he sobbed. "I told you I can take care of myself... don't tell me you fell for that culero's bait?"
"Sorry," Cell cried. "I'm not... I'm not feeling well, everything is burning, everything aches so much, and the voices wouldn't shut up..."
"Shhhh, it's okay, estoy aqui, " he kissed Cell's tears, which made him giggle faintly. "Everything's gonna be fine, I just need to finish this and we'll find a way to get out of here, bueno? "
Cell smiled and nodded.
" Y bueno. "
Roier almost laughed, remembering one of the conversations they had about the difference between " bien " and " bueno " some days ago. But before he could answer, a noisy cackle sounded a few meters away, making them immediately go into alert mode and look towards Caius, the origin of that laughter.
He was up again, meters away and next to what was left of the helicopter. Roier assumed Cell had something to do with the deplorable estate in which the aircraft, currently on fire, was found. But the Mexican man managed to just focus on Caius, who squished his wounded shoulder with too much strength as he laughed annoyingly. Once he stopped, Caius removed two syringes from inside his suit and, judging by the color of that viscous liquid that moved inside them, it was the same substance that Eliot had injected Cell to knock him out earlier.
Roier immediately widened his eyes, and pulled Cell behind him who, still dizzy, only accepted his boyfriend to protectively get in front of him. Roier, however, squinted suspiciously, for Caius was not advancing, which implied that Cell was not the aim of his intentions.
" ¡Ey, culero! Que estás haciendo?! "
Caius smiled broadly, and Roier got a bad feeling.
"They said.... they told me!" Caius shouted back. "They thanked me for completing the final phase of their experiment, that the formula injected in fucking Cell would change him, and he got extremely powerful afterwards. This means that these ampoules give power, and if I inject them in me, you're fucked."
Roier held his breath, grabbing onto Cell behind him. He couldn't tell if Caius was bluffing or just completely out of his damn mind.
"What makes you so sure, imbecile?!" Cell yelled behind him. "This shit is hell, it's pure torture. I don't even know how the fuck I'm still alive. Nothing certifies that you'll have the same reaction!"
"It doesn't matter!" Caius refuted, ripping off what was left of the suit's torn sleeve, and revealing his arm, covered in blood. "What matters is that this is my way out of here, and if I get to kill the two of you in the meantime, I'll be glad enough!"
Cell shouted something else, which Roier couldn't discern due to his limited knowledge of Portuguese, and before any of the two could say anything else, the desperate Warden pierced his arm with both syringes at the same time, injecting the red liquid in his veins to, then, discard them.
He kept cackling, apparently feeling something happening, and Roier noticed his heart quickening alarmingly. Lumps started to spread through Caius's arm, starting from where the needles had punched and, in a matter of seconds, lumps seemed to spread over his whole body, even his face. The cackles, little by little, became panic and apparently pain screams, as Caius started shouting that it was hot. That everything was very hot and, to Roier's very horror, he became completely deformed when some lumps grew too much, transforming into enormous tumors of boiling blood.
Some lumps popped, making Roier feel like vomiting, especially when the noise of bones breaking mixed with Caius's desperate roars. In a matter of a few minutes, the dismal man metamorphosed into an horrendous and deformed creature, exhaling fog through his pores, and even having one of his eyes melted out of his head. It was a simply disturbing sight, and Roier couldn't do a thing other than stare in shock.
That is until Caius, or what was left of him, screamed in agony and rocketed towards them both, what immediately made Roier move and pull Cell away, just in time to avoid the unbridled attack of the monster, who collided forcefully against the emergency exit's wall, and had more of his lumps pop from the hit, causing the creature scream even more in agony and despair.
Roier opened fire against the monster, completely lost on what to do, and to his very concern, the shots didn't seem to do anything but pop some other lumps, and catch Caius's attention, who immediately turned to Roier's direction and roared furiously, once again charging towards him.
The combatant whispered a curse and threw himself aside in the very last second, not managing to avoid hitting the thing completely, which ended up making him fall to the ground and yawp in pain, since the spot where Caius had touched was as if somebody had pressed a hot iron against the therapist's skin.
He tried to get himself together and localize Caius, but the fucker was too fast. Roier had barely blinked, and the creature was already about to attack him, now with enormous and deformed arms that seemed ready to smash Roier to death, and he didn't know if he would have time to escape.
But he didn't need to worry for long, for Cell appeared behind the monster and grabbed him by the neck, not seeming to mind the absurd temperature exhaling from Caius's body.
"NO FUCKING WAY, YOU ASSHOLE," Cell roared, and Roier though seeing his eyes shining red for a second. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
And, suddenly, Caius was flying to the opposite direction, landing close to what was left from the helicopter. Roier widened his eyes, finally managing to get up, and going to the panting Cell, who didn't swerve his eyes from the fallen monster not even for a second.
"GATINHO! A LA VERGA! " Roier swore, groping Cell in despair. "Don't touch that thing, it burns! I-..."
"It's alright, I'm fine," Cell said, gently, holding Roier's hands and looking in his eyes. "What he injected in himself? I have dealt with it since I was thirteen. It doesn't affect me."
Roier breathed a confused noise, completely lost.
"What do you mean?!"
Cell opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, he only widened his eyes and grabbed Roier, throwing both of them on the ground and, for little, dodging the helicopter's body that simply came flying towards the two of them.
" CHINGA A SU MADRE, " Roier cried out, baffled.
"Fuck, this asshole got all screwed, but still got strong as hell. That can't be possible!"
"CELL, WATCH OUT!"
He raised his head just in time to see Caius charging at them again, and just managed to push Roier away before being hit forcefully by Caius, who dragged him to the helicopter's fuselage and pressed him against it, making Cell scream both out of surprise and pain.
"NO, NO, NO," Roier shouted in despair, once again opening fire against Caius until he ran out of bullets. "GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU FUCKER!"
The bullets, again, just served to get the creature's attention, who roared in frustration and simply tossed Cell towards the edge of the roof, moving to charge once again towards Roier, who gritted his teeth apprehensively and waited until the very last second, tossing the rifle against Caius's face to distract him, and flipping to the side, avoiding his hit successfully and making the monster end up impaled in one of the helicopter's blades that had flew away in the explosion and ended up stuck in the emergency exit.
The beast roared in pain and what seemed like frustration for getting caught in a trap. But Roier didn't mind, running towards Cell, who seemed unconscious.
"Cell? Cell!" He called, tapping the man's face in despair. "Wake up, it's not time to sleep!"
Cell's eyelids trembled, and he finally managed to open his eyes a little, to then smile faintly.
"Did I die and reach paradise...?"
"No , pendejo. "
"Then why am I seeing an angel?"
Roier ended up laughing before the absurd pick up line in the most inadequate moment imaginable. And if Cell wasn't in such a worrisome situation, he would probably get a punch to the nose.
"Can you get up?" Roier asked, worried.
"Uh- I think so. Where's the thing?"
"I trapped him in one of those walls, I think we've got enough time to get out of here."
"He'll keep chasing us, Ro. We've got to deal with him first."
"You're too weak now! C'mon, I'll carry you-..."
"ROIER!"
Roier didn't have the time to answer, nor to react and, as if in slow motion, he watched Cell pushing him away just like he did earlier to avoid him getting hit by Caius's attack. The problem was that, this time, there was nothing behind Cell besides meters of free fall and certain death for the sharp grits on the borders of the island.
The combatant widened his eyes in disbelief, as he watched Cell falling with the creature Caius had become. The expression in his face was a mixture of regret and relief. The face of someone who would accept to die if that meant the life of the person he loved. And that would be a new sight that would haunt Roier's nightmares for the upcoming years, just like the impossibility of saving Bobby was.
No. He refused. Otra vez no, no lo permitiré.
And with that thought in mind, he threw himself back, making the relieved expression of Cell become panicked. But Roier knew what he was doing. He moved his body in such a precise way in the air, that he managed to grab Cell's arm at the same time he held the roof's edge, making both of them hit forcefully against the wall but, at least, remain alive.
Roier felt his muscles scream violently for the sudden tension thrust upon them — after all, Cell was not light at all —, but he held tightly.
"GUAPITO?!" Cell shouted, exasperated. "WHAT-..."
" CÁLLATE, CULERO, " Roier grunted. " AYÚDAME, O MORIREMOS LOS DOS."
Seeing Roier's life was as dangered as his, Cell immediately moved, using the holes in the wall to escalate back to the top in a matter of minutes, to then pull Roier up and hug him in pure and complete despair. Roier, panting heavily, hugged him back immediately, to then move away and grab Cell's face, capturing his lips in a ground-breaking kiss, barely minding if he could taste the gunpowder and blood in Cell's mouth, who reciprocated the kiss vigorously and with immense excitement.
After a few seconds that, for both of them, felt both like nothing and like eternity, they moved apart, panting against each other's mouth and gluing their sweaty foreheads as the golden light of the sunset lit their tired faces.
Reluctantly, Cell moved away and looked down, only to watch what was left of Caius's deformed body being dragged by the sea's violent waves. He, then, turned to glare at Roier, who stared at him with a very unhappy face, despite the incredible kiss they had just shared.
"Guapito, how...?"
"It doesn't matter how. But you never do that again," Roier growled, and Cell was caught off-guard by the ferocity in his words.
"Do what?"
"You almost died, you son of a bitch."
"Oh," Cell swerved his eyes, embarrassed. "Rather I than you."
" Y yo qué?! " Roier retorted, forcing Cell to look at him and meet his teary eyes. "If you die, after all I did to find you, what will I do, carajo? "
Cell lowered his head.
"I thought I had lost you. The feeling was dreadful... I... I can't, guapito..."
"It's the same for me, gatinho," Roier gently said, calming down and touching Cell's face to raise it up. "But we can't do that with one another, sí? If I lose you, I won't be able to handle it as well. Not after what happened with Bobby, not after everything..."
He felt his tears flowing, and Cell took a deep breath in resignation.
"I'm sorry," he pledged, kissing both of Roier's wounded hands, and then covering his face and tears with pecks, just like he had done to Cell earlier. "Forgive me."
" Somos tu y yo contra el mundo, Cell, " Roier reassured, his voice determined despite the tears. "As long as we're together, we'll never lose. Okay?"
Cell nodded, once again, gluing their foreheads together and taking a deep breath.
"Okay."
Roier finally allowed himself to relax, taking a deep breath and trying to soothe his unhinged heart. He allowed Cell to rest his head against his shoulder and, only then, when the adrenaline had dropped, he could notice how exhausted both him and Cell were, especially because the other had fainted as soon as his head touched the therapist's shoulder.
Roier tried not to despair by seeing the absurd amount of wounds spread through his lover's body, especially when they were isolated on an island, away from everything and everyone. He just hoped that the few doctors that were in the prison hadn't died during the riot, else he had no idea on how he would treat both his and Cell's wounds.
He raised his left hand to Cell's messy and blood-covered hair, gently petting the King of his life's head, while he admired the sunset that gently warmed the couple's gelid bones as they recovered from the tough battle on the top of Alcatraz.
The disquieting feeling that it was not over plagued Roier. After all, Caius apparently had been nothing but a pawn to get the Federation what they wanted. And if the words the Warden had said earlier were not just a delusion of a trapped man, that meant the Federation had got it. And it was just the beginning of something terrible... especially considering they still had Bobby as hostage.
Roier sighed tremblingly, hiding his face in Cell's hair and trying to ignore the intrusive thoughts. They had won for today. They were alive and, above it all, they were together.
And for the sake of his sanity, he hoped they kept that way.
The screen turned off, disappearing with the admirable scene of a loving couple seeking refuge in one another after triumphing in the hardest battle of their lives. A satisfied smile graced his lips, and he thought the love-birds deserved their privacy after fighting so ardently to protect one another.
Curious. That was the only adjective he could think of to describe the powerful bond that formed between the prisoner and the spy. In the beginning of everything, he was certain the fearful danger of Alcatraz would devour the young Roier even before he could do his first report. But it was quite interesting how things had developed. And, best of all, how that experience served to teach even more about the intriguing specimen that CB-0413 was, or "Cell", as Roier ever so lovingly called him.
Oh, what a great relief it was to see the face of his precious child once again. He would make sure to keep Roier's kid properly protected. After all, he had fulfilled his part of the deal, even if he wasn't fully aware of that yet.
And if there was something Cucurucho was, it's a man of his word.
"I request EQ-0002 to come to my office," he ordered after pressing a button on his desk and approaching the microphone. " Immediately. "
Cucurucho didn't need to wait for long. In a matter of a few minutes, someone was opening the door of his office and, as soon as he met the empty eyes, he smiled widely again, behind the perpetual bear smile printed on his mask.
"EQ-0002, my dear!" He greeted, gesturing for the specimen to approach. "Come, come. We've got to talk."
EQ-0002 nodded silently, walking to the chair in front of Cucurucho's desk and taking a seat with no further ado.
"As you know, I've been saving you for a very important mission we've been working on these last few weeks. And it is time for you to be sent to complete it."
"What kind of mission?" EQ-0002 asked in a monotonous way.
"A rescue!" Cucurucho put his hands together, excitedly. "It is time for you to finally meet our prodigal son."
EQ-0002 arched one of his eyebrows.
"Prodigal son?"
"Yes, yes, the little fool got lost during his first field mission and ended up in one of our old operation bases. A great coincidence, is it not?"
EQ-0002 only nodded, robotically.
"Yes, sir."
"Very well, the details of the mission are already being sent to your room. I want you to depart tomorrow morning, for we've got no time to lose. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Great. Dismissed."
The experiment coldly nodded, getting up from the chair and fixing the beanie in his head, to then walk toward the door.
"Oh, and one more thing," all the warmth and lightness disappeared immediately, being replaced by a gelid voice that didn't match in the slightest the smiley bear mask. "Use any necessary method to force him to cooperate."
EQ-0002 obediently nodded, and, then, left the room, closing the door behind him and leaving Cucurucho alone again with his own thoughts.
He stared at the files spread over the desk for a moment, and the smile behind the mask came back, widening even more by seeing the face of his favorite experiment. Oh, how he had missed that dirty-mouthed little brat, who, apparently, became quite a scary man, full of potential, making Cucurucho nod, satisfied. Everything went exactly as planned, and any result other than the complete perfection was totally unacceptable.
Above everything and everyone, the Federation would prevail. And whoever tried to go against that rule... would be completely destroyed.