Welcome to the TCCS

It was such a small, innocent movement from the man; no more than a dismissive wave politely (or rudely) asking for a bit silence in the moment. However, because there was motion from him, Dennis' shot nerves jumped in a fit of panic, then into action, spurring the teen to stand at attention with his wide eyes now unwaveringly staring at the scientist's scarred image - almost as if he was anticipating (or expecting) that very same hand to come crashing back into him.

But nothing happened, not anything like that, at least. Yet Dennis still watched the man like a frightened prey animal, ever vigilant for the predator's next move that might cost him his own life.

Achim would get his silence though. So much of it, in fact, that Dennis debated correcting his assumption about what the previous version of him had done to the boy. It seemed pointless to do so, but at the same time if Achim was truly wanting to make amends with the others then he needed full clarity on what exactly had gone down between his alternate and them. Operating on lies or misinformation, no matter how small and insignificant they may be, could prove to be bigger a hindrance than any mere correction.

The boy never moved from his fixed position though, in spite of the invite to sit down, and instead watched Achim as he prepared their drinks before regarding the cup of cocoa with suspicion. Nothing about it seemed to be out of the ordinary and he hadn't noticed Achim tampering with it in any way, but that didn't mean something hadn't been done beforehand either - like the cocoa powder being laced, or even the cup itself being constantly laced and used on whatever "guests" the man hosted.

"He didn't kidnap me." He barely managed to get out, speaking just loud enough it couldn't really be considered a mumble. "He kidnapped my friend, Judas, and Pierce's friend, Shale, but he never took me. He just..." At a momentary loss for words, Dennis made a loose gesture toward his left arm. "He quilled my left arm when we first met and I said something stupid to him. Then, after he found out Gramps and I knew each other, he hunted me. Tortured me on call with him. Jumped me in an alley later and tried to kill me. Twice." Memories of the double agent standing over him with a knife after the second attack, then getting pinned against the wall by Sani flashed across Dennis' mind and he let out an involuntary, shaky sigh.

"He was fucked up, man." The teen's voice cracked with emotion and he hastily rubbed at his eyes to erase any tears threatening to manifest and spill over. "I swear to god, he just wanted everyone to suffer because Gramps didn't want to work with him anymore and it was so frikkin stupid."

There was no interruption from Achim’s end as the teen just let it all out there. While his body and emotion was stoic, the scientist did feel pity for the poor kid. However, it was what Dennis had said in that last bit that really got Achim’s attention. He didn’t exactly know what went down between the two before this whole war started, so if it really was just the feeling of being slighted that triggered such a massive implosion on his alternate then to him it was really telling.

“He must’ve felt betrayed that Silas didn’t want to work with him. As they say, cheat a man and he’ll walk away, slight him… and well.” The scientist took a sip of his coffee as he sat down, his eye locked on Dennis. “I am not trying to justify his behavior, simply trying to analyze what was going through my alternate’s head at the time. That being said, there was clearly something more going on in his head judging by how violent he was towards you.”

Seeing Dennis hold down that emotion did make Achim stand up slowly. “Dennis. I… am sorry for what you were put through. I know it’s not my apology to make but I feel I should.” It was… unusual for Achim to feel this kind of sorrow towards a stranger and the scientist did stop to question as to why he was feeling like this. Dennis reminded him a lot of his own daughter in a lot of ways and he wouldn’t want to see his own child hurt in a way that Dennis was. 

“I don’t know how much you believe me or even if you’d accept the apology to begin with but just know this. I have no intention of inflicting harm on you.”

"I could tell you." Dennis offers a little too quickly, too readily, and internally winces at himself for it. His friends and family barely know the exact details of the horrors Achim put him through (unless they were present for them - in which case, they do know in some way), but here he is offering those coveted details to the alternate of the guy who made them experience the horrors.

God, he can be such an idiot sometimes...

"I don't..." Feeling himself start to tremble, Dennis takes a slow, methodical, shaky breath to steady his frayed nerves and locks his eyes on the ground between him and Achim. It helps to keep him from flying into a full blown panic, although the fear never subsides either. He's still standing next to a monster, after all. "I don't think I'm the catalyst of that war though. I think... it was already happening before I got into things, cause Gramps tried to keep me away from him before you-- before he found me. He said the less we talked and the less I knew for a while, the better. But then yo-- he found me anyway. By chance, and then deliberately. And it just got worse from there."

Those slip ups from Dennis didn’t seem to phase Achim at the slightest. This whole multiverse deal was confusing even for him so he couldn’t exactly blame Dennis for mixing the two. Still, he stood there with his hands behind his back, looking down at the teen with that trademark scarred up face. He held up his hand, a motion for Dennis not having to continue yet before sighing.

“He kidnapped you. Held you at the TCCS and either hurt you physically or tried to experiment on you.” Moving to the counter top, Achim motioned Dennis to sit down on the chair that was facing the table. He began to pour himself a coffee and the teen a hot chocolate. “I want to reassure you that I would not be mad enough to physically harm a teenager like that.” The scientist placed the steaming hot cup in front of the other.

“I did in the past, with the experiments that lead to the creation of Bruce but I learned my lesson when.” He motioned towards his eye with the patch over it. “I guess my alternate did not learn said lesson.”

"... I was born with it." A simple enough answer. To him, it was the truth.

"I believe it was a curse from God... Who is the Voice that talks to me. There's not much else to say about that."

Hearing the fact though he had to talk about everything...

A sigh.

"It started as a child, the fact I could talk to the dead. Then it's been getting worse with each passing day the more I use these curses, the more they stay with me and get stronger..."

Longer sigh now. The bastard was probably going to use this all against him anyway. Figure out his past as revenge.

Bastard...

Achim moved closer, that grin only getting wider. “You speak to the dead? Now isn’t that interesting.” His words were dripping with poison, one could almost hear how much he was enjoying the turned tables of this situation. However, the scientist was not done, Joseph’s answers were only bringing on more questions.

“And these voices, do they constantly whisper information in your ear or do you actively communicate with it? Is there some kind of ritual?” There was a growl from deep within his throat.

“Who revealed my past to you?” Achim grabbed Joseph by the chin, forcing him to look at him in the eye. There was no room for lying in such a crucial moment.

A deep breath or two as he'd stumbled from the rough treatment. He was still a little winded from the damn punch. What a hell of a damn hit... Then a sigh, as he lifted his head to look at Achim.

"For a scientist... I thought your threats would be a little more unique. Or did daddy make it so you don't have to get your hands dirty yourself?"

A grin, a small laugh. "I can never tell the difference sometimes between what you do and him... Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, hm?"

Brows furrowed suddenly, the smile dropped his gaze focused on the ground and he closed his eyes for a few moments.

Opening them up again there was almost a milky white to the eyes as he looked over at Achim again.

Though it faded quickly.

"... I'll give you want... I'll do it, no need for... Automatons."

Achim was so close to sending him off, one could even envision the hand movement he was about to do but seeing those milky white eyes and those words leaving Joseph’s mouth, he instantly stopped himself. Turning to face his prisoner, the scientist stood tall.

“If I had known it was that easy I would’ve bought them in a while ago.” Another wave of his hand and the guards instantly dropped him back into the chair. He moved over, leaning down to get eye level with Joseph.

“Tell me… everything. How do you have this power to know the past? Who is this voice that speaks through you?”

A low groan, a cough. Teeth had been gritted to endure the pain that had momentarily coursed through him.

Damn him to hell. How dare he!

But the look at him was enough to get him quiet for once.

After being curled in pain and gathering his senses he took a few deep breaths and he was sitting up straight once more.

Still wasn't as bad as his father's punishments.

“I’m done with you. Just.” Achim waved his hand towards the other while his metal fingers rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Take him to the Automatons for some heavy torture.” He lowered his hand with a smirk, trying to regain some of kind of control of the situation at hand.

“At least, I’d listen if you were to scream. My machines…” There was a small laugh. “Well… let’s just say that ‘mercy’ is not in their vocabulary.”

The guards wrapped their arms around Joseph, forcing him onto his feet whether or not he could stand on his own.

“Unless… you give me what I want right now.”

{ @monster-or-man sent in; "Judgement? Please... I know that the pearly gates are no place for me." Achim's heavy boots hit the ground slowly as the black coated scientist paced in front of the chained up Joseph. He only stopped simply to grab his chin in order to force his prisoner to look at him.

"This all could have been avoided, but you've left me no choice... Unless... You may have a change of mind. HM?" }

"My stance remains firm, and it will not change. You should not be doing this. No matter the kind of man I may be this will not go the way you wish for it to. I can assure you."

Still stubborn. Still holding out despite the fact he was at the others mercy.

"You will not get away with this, Achim. I can promise you it. And your father must be ashamed of you."

Sliding his normal hand down his chin, Achim was growing more and more frustrated as time went on. Very rarely did he show any other emotion outside of anger, but this glimpse into his mind was enough to let Joseph know that he was getting to him.

Curling his metal fist, Achim slammed it directly into the man’s cheek. A surge of electricity pulsed through Joseph’s body, a brief flash of the other’s rib cage was revealed to the scientist before quickly disappearing. “You did not know him. You have no RIGHT to talk about him.”

That crazed look was evident in his only eye, one that screamed murder if Joseph were to push things further.

I saw a prompt on Twitter; Draw your oc before and after trauma like that one mirror from Undertale. It's been a while since I drew Oron so it was a lot of fun to do despite being real sick this past week

That got the hare to freeze. At least briefly before she recollected herself and gave a forced smile. She’s too familiar with this type of threat. “Fine. Then at least allow me to lead you to V’s little hideout in the Net. They won’t be able to see you or Adam, so you’ll get all you need through me and more.”

That got Achim's attention and with some hesitation, he did pull his hand away from the cables. "Very well... Do not disappoint me hare." There was a certain amount of viper in his voice, despite her attitude, he was still the one in command here.

Cue the angry thumping of a digital, anthropomorphic hare.

“Oh, I’m sorry? Who’s the one who knows all the ins and outs for V’s schemes? Sure isn’t the one who fell for such an obvious trick straight from a children’s book.”

Sharpened metal finger tips danced around the plug that connected the Netrunner to her machine. "I would be careful if I were you. Heard that turning you off while in there can result in some rather... unfortunate consequences."