xp_logs | Manuel and Nathan (+ Moira), medlab, very late Monday night

Manuel sneaks down to the medlab to take an empathic 'look' at Nathan, to verify his possession-related suspicions. Askani takes exception. Manuel and Nathan get into an argument that turns into a screaming match on Nate's side. A very angry Scottish doctor breaks it up.

Manuel looked around, both physically and empathically, before stepping into the low-lighting area of Medlab. His thoughts and body-language both screamed out "FEAR!" and "curiosity" as he fluidly slipped into the room.

Loud. Someone was being loud, and Nathan frowned, his eyelids fluttering open as the shrill thoughts crashed against his wavering shields. He couldn't quite manage to focus, even with his eyes open, but there was a presence there, an unsettled presence, lingering at the doorway. Hostile? Fighting the drugs, he managed to lift his too-heavy head, just an inch or two off the pillow, and saw Manuel standing there.

He immediately let his head fall again, something close to a whimper escaping him as even that slight impact sent a jolt of pain through his skull, piercing the comfortable haze. "G'way," he muttered weakly. "Not.. visiting hours."

"Of course it isn't, you moron. I wanted to See for myself if you really are possessed by those-not-born." he hissed at Nathan. Then he peered at him, cocking his head comically to one side as he used his empathic sight on Nathan.

Nathan flinched at the conflicting reactions he was suddenly sensing from the Askani. Some were amused, some were angry... some were absolutely and completely indifferent. Not all of them were noticing Manuel's presence. There were different levels of awareness among them, he had figured that out days ago. "Go away," he repeated slowly, the words coming out a little clearer. There was laughter suddenly, bouncing around inside his head, and also some cursing...

Stupid boy...

Let him look, if he wants.

Shall we wave, Nathan?

Enough. Askani herself, that cool, clear voice, cutting through the general babble. Let him get a good look. We do not hide.

Manuel Looked, and he blanched at what he saw. "I was right. For once in my life, I hate it when I'm right. You _are_ overwhelmed by those-not-born. I ... I think I need to tell someone."

Nathan tried to laugh, but it came out sounding rather strange. "Everyone knows, Manuel... Charles and Moira do... Amanda does." He stopped, swallowing, wishing he had some water. Throat felt like sandpaper. "And I'm... not overwhelmed. Not..."

May I? Askani asked him, and he sent back a wordless affirmative. That starry sky inside his mind changing, a bird of fire sweeping down out of it, landing on the beach, and Nathan opened his mouth again, listening calmly as his voice spoke words that weren't his own.

"We would never harm him," he heard himself say, the accent of the langya bellaya edging the words. "And it is not in our interest, young empath, to steal his will from him. We need him, and this is a burden he has taken upon himself freely." His voice cracked a little, but Askani persisted. "He is brother, son, father, friend... he will save us, and we are here only to help him do so."

Manuel took a step backwards at the Mother Askani's words coming from Nathan's mouth. He started to speak, swallowed heavily, then opened his mouth to try again. "You're not even _born_ yet." he whispered.

"And from our perspective, young empath, you are long dead. Does that negate your existence?"

"You don't get to _have_ a perspective." he said, stronger now. "You're a parasite, overwriting this big ox with your own wants and needs and desires. Good riddance to him, I never liked him much, but I will not let you spread from his mind."

He is very young, Askani murmured in amusement, and Nathan couldn't help a faint, wan smile. Shall I attempt to reason with him, little brother, or would some dramatics be more effective?

#Up to you,# Nathan thought back at her, trying to keep his eyes from drifting shut. #I just want to go back to sleep...#

Then trust me. I won't bruise him, I promise, she sent back, and Nathan felt something shift inside his mind, feel her drawing on his power, and he opened his eyes to see her glowing form take shape beside the bed. She looked as she had on the beach that last time, younger, garbed in white and smiling, and he managed another weak smile in response as she touched the side of his face for a moment, before turning to Manuel.

"I have been called many things, young empath," she told Manuel, and Nathan had to wonder at the lack of the 'little brother' appellation. "Never a parasite. I believe I am offended."

"That's fine. You're not real, you can be offended all you want. I'm guessing that you've stolen his power to manifest like this? You scan as having emotions, which is really scary now that I think about it, but you are _not_ real. You're a figment, an echo." he stammered.

Askani smiled at him, a slow, sly smile. "So certain you know the nature of the world," she said, tossing red hair back over her shoulder. "Yet I sense bravado, rather than true conviction. I am not something that can be encompassed in words, young empath." The air around her started to glow, her eyes and hair shifting to flame. "I was and am Askani, clanmother and warlord. Who precisely are you? Besides a foolish boy, of course..."

"I am Manuel Alphonso Rodrigo de la Rocha." he said back, with his normal cocky smile. "I'm an empath, and a very strong one. I was trained as a mindbreaker for a short while, before I came here to recover my health and learn control over my power. And I _exist_. This is _my_ time."

Askani threw her head back and laughed, a delighted peal of laughter that seemed to make the air shiver. "Oh... oh, I am stung! To the core, truly." She looked back at Nathan, smiling. "I see the attraction," she said. "He is a walking challenge, isn't he?" Turning back to Manuel, she stretched out a hand, levitating him slightly off the ground and then gliding over to stand in front of him. "I think there had better be no threats between us, young empath," she said cheerfully. "Threats are so uncivilized."

Manuel floated an inch or two off the ground, and swallowed heavily again. On his right wrist, the dampener seemed to take on the weight of lead. "You have his telekinesis, I see." he said bravely, around the lump of fear. He then took a swing at Askani's head, expecting his hand to pass through her harmlessly.

She raised a hand, catching his wrist. "Mannerless boy!" she said sharply, her grip tightening.

"Askani!" Nathan rasped, pushing himself up with his good arm. Pain jolted through him, head, shoulder, and leg, and he bit back a whimper. "You promised me."

Her delicate features twisted for a moment, and she let go of Manuel, dropping him back to the ground. "I hope this shows you who is in control," she said to him warningly. "Had I not promised, you would be whimpering at my feet promising to be more temperate in future."

"I doubt that. You're not real." he said with much false bravado. "And now I have proof of it. Nathan will probably give much to keep this knowledge secret..."

"Little brother," Askani said, looking back at Nathan, "you have much, much work to do with this one. There are those of us who can help you. Call upon us when you are well again, and we will talk." She glanced back at Manuel, shaking her head. "Youth and misfortune can excuse much," she told Manuel. "But the time for learning is not infinite. Use it well, or the world will not be kind to you."

"The world is never kind. That's why I believe in grasping it by the throat and making it give me what I want. Which is why I am here." Manuel rasped out. "I hope you enjoy your brief stay inside of Nathan's mind. I'll be having you exorcised soon enough."

She glided towards him, up into his face, letting him get a good look with his eyes and his empathy. "You," she said very softly, "are a child. I forgive much, from children. Be glad for that." With that, her form dissipated into fiery sparkles that hung in the air for a moment before fading entirely, and Nathan felt that shifting sensation in his mind again as she appeared back where she should be, ascending into the starry sky.

"Manuel," he muttered, easing himself back down to the bed, "word of advice. Don't go flinging around idle threats."

"Who said it was idle?" he said with a smile. "It will just take a little longer than I'd like. Unless you'd like to ... persuade me not to?"

Nathan blinked up at the ceiling. "Beg you for their lives, such as they are?" he murmured, feeling a slow, building fury, like white-hot liquid fire bubbling up inside him. "Get down on one... one knee, say 'Please, Manuel... don't finish the Canaanites' work?'"

Manuel laughed. "A pleasing thought, but ultimately worthless. I'd have thought you would like being your own man - their corruption must have spread farther than I thought. No, I'm looking for something more ... material."

"Like?" Drugs were good. Drugs got in the way of his concentration, kept him from reaching out with his telekinesis and tearing Manuel apart on the cellular level. "What are... their lives worth to you, Manuel?" Nathan murmured, still staring up at the ceiling. "What do you want?"

"I granted you a boon, for a service you rendered me. That boon is now erased, in exchange for my silence in this affair." he said smugly.

Nathan turned his head on the pillow, regarding Manuel levelly. "No," he said simply. "Your silence... means nothing to me. Charles knows, Manuel. He knows and he's helping me... learn to live with them." He managed a thin, weary smile. "Moira knows. She's afraid, but she's... determined not to let me go through this alone. Even your... link-mate knows, Manuel. Knows, and gave me a book to read about psychic resonances." He felt the smile grow, seemingly of his own accord. "I will stand up... on the roof of this school and shout the truth to the four winds. I don't need your silence, boy."

Manuel stared at Nathan for a few moments. "You lie. You deceive me, to maintain your hold over me. Well, the scales are even now." he vowed.

His concentration wasn't totally gone; he reached out and held the door shut, just in case Manuel had any ideas about turning and leaving. "Soon as they let me have a computer," Nathan growled softly. "Told them already... probably didn't go into enough detail. But I'll make it clear. For everyone to see. And you, little boy... you don't get off that easily."

Manuel snorted. Loudly. "You have no _RIGHT_ to hold me here against my will! Especially not with that thing in your head calling the shots!"

"You brainless little... SHIT! Were you paying... any attention at ALL?"

"I heard, and I saw." he spit back. "I see a woman from a timeline that doesn't even _exist_ move in and take you over for her own purposes. I see a mass of overlapping auras in your head, and no sign of Nathan anywhere."

Nathan pushed himself towards a sitting position again, shaking with the effort. "Then you're... willfully blind, not just stupid," he snarled unsteadily. "I'm more... myself than I've ever been, Manuel!"

"If by that you mean that you are now entirely the host for ... whoever they are, for whatever purposes they desire. You are a _slave_, Nathan. Ahhh, why am I bothering? There is no Nathan anymore. Only - them." he shrugged.

The door behind Manuel suddenly swung open with a bang and Moira stood, glaring. "Wha' th' bloody 'ell is goin' on?" she snapped. "Could 'ear ye two down th' 'all, nay ta mention th' link went nuts." She spotted Nathan attempted to climb out of bed and sighed. "Nathan, sit yer ass right back down!"

A string of Askani profanities escaped Nathan as it became perfectly obvious that he was not getting out of bed to throttle the boy. "You try and do anything... ANYTHING to them, you little bastard, and I'm going to tear you limb from limb and deal with the consequences later!"

Manuel turned and looked at Moira, and more importantly, to the open door behind her. "Oh, good. I need to get away from this possessed fool before the thing ruling his mind tries to take over my mind." Nathan's outburst he ignored completely.

"Nathan, calm down before ye injure yerself!" Moira turned her head and frowned at Manuel. "Lord, still goin' on 'bout tha' possession thin'?"

"YOUR MIND?" Nathan almost screamed, the furniture and equipment in the room starting to rattle. "Why the HELL do you think they would WANT your mind?!?! You're no better than a Canaanite!"

"I don't know, you tell me!" he spit back. "My throat still hurts from when that thing tried to strangle me! I just want to get away, to leave you to your possessed dementia! You won't let me leave!"

"YOU THREATENED THEM! You told them... you said you'd EXORCISE them..." Nathan slumped back against the bed, trying to catch his breath as his vision tried to gray out. "They died already... they died, why would you want to hurt them? Son of a bitch...selfish little son of a BITCH!"

"THA'S ENOUGH!" Moira bellowed, stepping between the two. "Nathan, stop right now! Manuel, ye want out so badly, th' door's open, dinnae let me find ye in th' MedLabs after visitin' 'ours! An' if'n yer so worried 'bout possession, talk ta Emma! Maybe she'll set ye straight!"

"Maybe, just _maybe_, I was actually trying to _HELP_, to do some _GOOD_ with my power. But hey, if you want to be their bootlick for the rest of your life, that's your concern," he hissed, then turned towards the open door.

"Why is it when either o' ye try ta 'elp each other, somethin' always goes wron'?" she murmured, watching Manuel stalk from the room before turning her stare to Nathan. "Now, start from th' top..."