Totally Not A Daddy's Boy.

[Zachary LaRousse]

This happens shortly after
The Dark Horse

The part about ripping Moe’s dainty little throat off his neck had obviously been a bluff, as Zac immediately collapsed down to his carpeted room floor the moment he heard the ‘thud’ that signaled the little pixie’s exit. With his fury and adrenaline slowly being flushed out of his system, he could feel himself ache, even in the places he’s rather sure he wasn’t even hit. He tried to get himself to stand up, but he’s extremely weak and exhausted, so he has no choice but to stain the floor with his still bleeding nose.

“J-Jace,” he groaned weakly as he saw a glimpse of the blonde’s figure from his open door, “H-Heel-” He didn’t even get the chance to finish his cry for help as he suddenly drifted into unconsciousness.

When he finally woke up, he was greeted by that vaguely familiar white ceiling. Clean and utterly spotless. He was on a bed, not as soft as his own, but undeniably a whole lot more comfortable than the carpet he passed out on. The blood on his nose has been cleaned, and he could feel a good number of bandages all over his body.

“You’re awake,” said one of the nurses who came in to check in on him. Seems she’s one of the telepathic staff, as Zac was just about to ask what had happened when she opened her mouth and began recalling what had transpired just a few hours earlier.

So Jace did hear him and immediately rushed him to the infirmary. (Great, a good number of students saw him as a lifeless corpse already). Dr. Marst said he had a broken nose, two fractured ribs, and a number of internal wounds, but nothing too serious. After administering first aid, they called his father to tell him what happened. His father was rather furious, he heard, and immediately sent their family doctor (who, as expected, is a biomanipulator) to fix him up. It didn’t take long and he’s expected to make a full recovery, but Dr. Kimiyo recommended he rest up for at least a day to make sure he’s in tiptop shape.

-xxx-

Zac slept for almost half a day after that, and when he woke up he saw Cedric, his nanny-butler, beside him. “Nice nose,” he teased as he closed his book.

After exchanging the customary how are yous and you’ve grown a lot!, Cedric proceeded to tell Zac of what had happened soon after. About how his father immediately contacted the school administration and shoutedcomplained to them about their supposed mismanagement of the situation. Seems they didn’t need Uncle Bart’s intervention after all.

Cedric did tell him that because of what had happened, his uncle decided to have his two second-cousins, Jasmine and Saffron, be transferred from Kocher to Hammel. To prevent future occurrences like this, he claims. It’ll take a while though, so Zac should still be careful. (He groaned inwardly at the mention of the twins. Heaven knows they’ll be a bigger problem for him than for his supposed assailants).

The man ruffled Zac’s hair one last time before telling him he has to go now – he still has to catch a plane back to Milan to help with his father close some deals there. They’d visit him soon, he promises.

“See you!” waved Zac before he went back to sleep.

Look out little butterfly. Your wings are about to get clipped.

[Ann Hudgins]

It was an anger without words, when Ann heard what happened at the Talk. Connie had told Alex, who told Ann about what happened to Moe, and so many other students. When she heard about who was involved...well.

Even though it had taken her a few weeks to catch wind of everything, Ann couldn't believe it. She was still made at Zac because of what he did at the dance, but she could understand that he had done that out of jealousy....but this? He had no soul if he did that, and Ann believed he did--if not some spoiled version of a soul. He just couldn't have done it. So she needed to hear it. From him. She just....had to know.

It took her a few days of courage gathering to ditch her classes in the middle of the day and drive to Hammel. She dropped by the office, only to find out where Zac was at the time (if he was in class she would have just made him leave in the middle of it, to hell with what the teacher said. She needed to know. She was dressed in typical college clothes; pants and flip flops (driving a motorbike in flip flops is not something she recommends), and her favorite style of T-shirt.

He was in the infirmary. Something about a fight. The first stones of realization were starting to form in her stomach but still... Ann had faith in Zac. It was weird, but it was true. He hadn't done that. He just couldn't. As Ann walked into the infirmary, a man was on his way out. Zac was laying in one of the beds, asleep. She rolled her lips over her teeth, steeling her nerves.

She pulled up a chair next to him and nudged his arm. "Zac," she said softly a first before she repeated it a bit more firmly, "Zac."

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac would’ve growled and swatted the intruderhis visitor away had he been in the right condition. But as it was, he was incredibly tired – apparently being operated by a biomanipulator, who accelerated his metabolism to enhance his healing is rather taxing – not he still ached all over. So instead he had no choice but to roll over and open his eyes, yawning and pouting as he saw who his visitor was.

“Oh. It’s you. What do you need?” he asked grudgingly. It’s been long since he’s seen the empath’s face. Didn’t she graduate already? “Where’s your boyfriend? Does the Dwarf know you’re visiting me?” Because even though he’s completely moved on from that I’m-obsessed-with-Ann phase, it doesn’t mean he’s completely over making Alex’s life worse. Just ask him what the pompous teen does whenever Zac visits Kali’s.

Oh how he wishes he can get out of school soon.

He couldn’t think of any decent reason why Ann would come see him (the only thing that’s coming up is that she finally discovered the err of her ways and is here to beg Zac to take her back) until it hit him. “If you’re going to beat me up for what I did in Dr. Neville’s Talk, this is the right time. I don’t think Ms. Harrison will return to check on me within the next hour or so.”

“And please make it swift.”

[Ann Hudgins]

"You look like shit."

She blinked in surprise at the first words out of her mouth to him, once he rolled over to look at her. She sighed and sank down in the chair next to his bed. She didn't want him to immeiately assume that--she clenched her fists when he brought up Alex. Not that it was any of his business....no she hadn't told Alex she was going to go see Zac because it didn't concern him. It was a lame reason, and she would tell him about her visit....later.

She tucked her bangs behind her hair and let her frustration evaporate. She had gotten insanely good at erasing her negative emotions like that. She looked him in the eye. "I'm not going to beat you up." She knew Zac (or at least she thought she knew him), and knew that he didn't learn from physical retaliation. He stalked her after she hit him the first time, and still punched her boyfriend in the face. He wouldn't ever learn like that.

"I just needed to hear...about what happened. From you." She knew that sounded pathetic, but she still had hope that it wasn't like what Connie had made it seem like. Some kid have fallen through the floor and into the research department, because of it--so Connie said. Ann rolled her lips over her teeth. "You didn't really pay that girl to expose Moe and others, did you?" Her eyes were trusting, and vulnerable. Her voice was soft.

But a voice in her mind told her that since that was what he had guessed her visit was about, and why he was in the infirmary in the first place, was because of it. She fidgeted, and tried to keep eye contact.

[Zachary LaRousse]

“Savor it. It wouldn’t last forever,” he chuckled, winking (though his face hurt slightly). Crude humor, but it was enough to break the ice. He’d settle for it over being beat up any day.

He did ease up a bit when Ann told him she wouldn’t beat him up. Well, he knows the empathy wouldn’t really stoop down low (heck, even he wouldn’t do that), but it’s not like what he knows protected him lately. He didn’t expect the situation to explode as big as it did, but it, well, still did. He didn’t expect Moe to be able to hold his own against another person, but he was the one who sent him to the infirmary. Seems the whole Talk fiasco has a habit of bringing out the unexpected lately, he just wants to be sure.

But then she had to ask that, and well, all his hopes vanished.

“First off, I didn’t pay Mia to show those pictures specifically,” he answered, clearing his throat. “I told her to create a distraction, preferably using some porn videos she can scour from the internet. But I gave her ‘creative license’.” As he’s said time and time again, he’s not angry at Mia for doing what she did. If he had the ability to produce and display pictures like that, he would too.

He then proceeded to tell her exactly about his plan. About what JD and Robbie were supposed to do, what actually got done and how (he believes) Moe running off to cry to his stupid goth boyfriend blew everything out of proportion.

“So are you here to kill me now sweetheart?” Who knows, his confession might just have that twisting effect on people’s moral compasses.

[Ann Hudgins]

Ann chuckled along with him at his reply, and took that moment to calm herself down further. She needed to just be stoic for this encounter so she didn't do anything drastic. Ann let out a pent up breath and listened to him as he recounted his tale.

So Mia had really taken it upon herself to produce the images and videos of the students, not Zac? Well....Ann didn't like Mia at all, thanks to that bug she had planted on Alex during the dance. And just because Mia was heartless and mean. She nodded slightly. Okay, so it did that did change things a little. Ann knew it would have been different if he had specifically told her to get pictures of everyone and show them. Though, of course he shouldn't have interrupted Dr. Neville's seminar ANYWAY.

It really wasn't nice or decent of him to drag in Robbie and JD--Robbie, she figured would have agreed readily to it, JD probably fought it all the way up until the actual thing (and probably continued to argue). Ann blinked and nodded as she processed all of this information, and then looked back up at him and his carelessness.

"You're not sorry." It wasn't a question. She could tell. He wasn't sorry. Not after all of the drama he caused. He was in the infirmary and he wasn't even the slightest bit remorseful. That was worse, Ann decided. It was in Zac's genetic makeup to do something troublesome so he could get attention. It was also in Zac's core fiber to go over the top. But he had emotion, but....it was all wrong. Ann put her forehead in her hand. "Zac what is the matter with you?

"I mean, what the hell?" Furious Ann was starting to bubble. This wasn't the Zac she pushed a floating log across half the lake to rescue a friend drowning on a bouy. This wasn't the Zac had to put up with several hours of every day trying to get her to go on a date with him. This wasn't the Zac she saved by giving him the Hiemlich. This...this asshole, was someone she had no idea who was.

He was heartless, and he needed an eye opener.

Ann looked up at him, her head still in her hand. She'd show him.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Seems Ann does know much about the crowd Zac hangs out with. If he had known this, and was still in some mood to tease her about it, he’d insist she’s a total stalker. But since this isn’t the time for all that cheery banter (and that he wasn’t really privy to her thoughts), he just grinned slightly as he went on with his tale.

Well, at least Ann didn’t seem like she’ll be making a big fuss about him not feeling repentant about what he did. She seemed disappointed, yes, but it’s not like she’s ever proud of the things he did way back. It’s the usual, as some may say. “Nope. Not one bit.” He was sorry that he dragged his two best friends into the whole mess though – Robbie didn’t seem like he’s able to cope with the whole ‘social pariah’ scenario and JD completely cut his ties from him – but as for the other people, well, he’s not. Like he told Moe the other day, collateral damage.

“Like you expected more from me?” It wasn’t exactly the best taunt he could say, considering how self-depreciating it sounds, but really, in his mind he was this big bad meanie in Ann’s eyes. He never had her favor, why bother trying to redeem himself now?

With a huff and a roll of his eyes, he turned back and asked, “So, you done with your visit darling? Ready to gloat with your boyfriend and celebrate now?” He’s tired of explaining the whole thing over and over again anyway. He says he needs some sleep.

[Ann Hudgins]

Nope. Not one bit.

Not.

One.

Bit.

Ann's exhale was very slow. She knew it was coming. She felt it, but hearing it confirmed by him. "You truly are a monster." She shook her head, a very surprised laugh escaped. Just one short 'ha!' He was just not all there. Whether it was a new development or he had always been this way, Ann wasn't sure. But, Ann could make him see. Her hands balled into fists in her lap and she looked down at her hands.

But was she prepared to do that?

Like you expected more from me. "I expected you to be human. I had....hoped." Her voice nearly broke; and then she got her answer. Yes, she was prepared to do something like that.

It was easy. She barely had to close her eyes and focus on the proper chakra and fabricate the sadness. The remorse. The sorrow. The regret. The pain. The overwhelming feeling of despair. The guilt. She balled it all up, and she opened her eyes and looked at Zac. She was determined. This would work. They may not be his emotions, but once he felt them, his thoughts would make them real.

Or maybe this experiment would backfire horribly--Ann didn't know for sure. It worked in training...with feelings of calmness and happiness. Why not with these strong and sad emotions? She stood from her seat and moved to the side of his bed. "Zac, one day....one day soon, I hope you can actually find that heart of yours." She looked at her hand, now that it was raised between them, she mentally imagined the ball of focused remorse into her palm. She felt it's energy--all warm and tingly--and pressed it directly over his heart. Her face furrowed in concentration as she made sure it settled into him.

She didn't move her hand away at first, she was watching his expression. She had to have done it right.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Nothing could ever make Zac be prepared for what had happened next.

One moment he was feeling all so smug about showing Ann that remorse and regret was something that he had completely eradicated from his little twisted dictionary and the next, he was all but consumed by it. It was dark. It was creepy. Extremely unpleasant. Something he definitely would not look forward to feeling again.

For a moment there he thought he’d gone insane.

Then he realized he was with an empath. That dark creature who can control his emotions on whim. Oh how he hates how much power she has on him right now.

“You happy now?” he said in between pants, beads of cold sweat forming in his forehead. He has to say, compared to how disastrous she seemed to be a year ago, she’s improved. Tons and tons. “I think you should go.”

Ann’s succeeded after all. Even if the emotions die down, the fact remains that he felt it, and it’ll be etched in his mind forever.

[Ann Hudgins]

There wasn't a release of satisfaction. His panting and reaction to her power didn't make her swell with happiness that she had succeeded; it was an awful situation.

But he deserved it.

She told herself that as she backed away from him and left, without saying a word. She had nothing more to say to him. Not now, and probably not ever.

She could only hope that she wouldn't start crying about what she did on the ride back to her dorm, and wreck. That would just ruin her week even more.