#[ icb the pain made rhys' braincells start working lmaO ]

[destinedatlas]

semi-discussed starter for @thehandsomeasshole

     Rhys sits there on his knees, trembling hand holding a piece of glass to his temple as Handsome Jack prattles on about how he wants him to die. As long as those cybernetics are in your head, it echoes through his mind as the maniac paces around. There’s a searing pain in his shoulder from the wound he ripped open when he TOOK HIS ARM OFF. He had to stop Jack, had to crash Helios, had to kill those people... but why did Jack have to be like this? Rhys’ face is full of pain, hurt; he’d thought he’d found a sort-of FRIEND. Maybe Jack feels the same way, in some weird twisted way... Rhys already knows that the other’s anger comes out much differently than his own.

     Rhys thinks on this as he cuts into his own face, DIGGING the jagged glass under his skin and starts to pry out the cybernetic implant. His whole body is trembling, he feels like he’s about to THROW UP. This is a common occurrence for him, but this is different... it feels like if he does throw up, all of his intestines will come up with it. Red hot pain screams at him as he pulls the small port out of his head and he can feel warm, sticky blood dripping down his face. He’s breathing so shallowly, it’s taking everything in his power to not stop, just pass out, let the pain melt away into unconscious bliss. He can’t. This HAS to be done.

     And yet... DOES IT? Rhys watches Jack switch gears from being scheming and angry to something that looks like FEAR as he seems to realize what he’s doing, what’s about to happen to him. Even though he seemed perfectly fine dying before... maybe it’s because he won’t get anything out of it if he’s the only one to die. Maybe that’s what is different, but either way, Handsome Jack seems GENUINELY AFRAID for the first time, well... EVER, at least since he’s been an AI in his head. Brows furrow as pain throbs in his temple and more, even worse pain shoots up his neck from where his arm used to be. In this moment, Rhys feels BAD for him, moreso than he ever did before. He knows real fear when he sees it, and this is it. Slowly standing up, Rhys positions the glass shard at the iris of his Echo eye, listening to Jack beg, talking about death

               THERE’S NOTHING THERE.

     Brows furrow and breath catches in his throat, he nearly chokes on the air, feeling immense pain in his eye socket as he starts tugging the iris out of the mechanical eye. All the while, through the pain, he stares at Jack. IF he’s going to do this, the AI needs to KNOW that he’s serious. That he can, and WILL, do this again if the need arises. His expression, while filled with pain, nose twitching, breath coming so quickly it’s barely there, is stoic. He pulls the wire out nearly to the end of it.

          “I’m sorry, Jack...” He tells him, frowning deeply. He takes in a shaky deep breath and closes his eyes, waiting a moment, before dropping himself down to the floor. He’s so tired, the pain is too much, he’s going to need to do this from down there.

          “You know...” he starts, chuckling very dryly, holding the echo eye so that it points towards the hologram, “I did think of you as... a friend. I was on board with EVERYTHING you wanted to do, no matter what. Unless it involved KILLING MY FRIENDS, obviously... but...” he stops, raising his head so that he’s seeing him with both eyes now. Biting back pain that nearly blinds him, a little whimper escapes his throat and he shakes his head.

          “Then, you wanted to kill ME. You know, just making a body shouldn’t be all that hard if we get the right people Why would it have to be me? Why do you need an ARMY? Is it because you’re afraid to go back? YOU DON’T WANT TO DIE, and that’s why I think you had that BRILLIANT idea,” the sarcasm is DRIPPING from his voice, even through the pain, even as he talks very slowly, between breaths. “You want there to be enough of YOU to ensure that you never die again because it TERRIFIES you. Maybe I can understand that, but suggesting me as the first..? I don’t get it, THAT is what is crazy. And maybe you are, but you don’t need to get back at me. I didn’t DO anything other than exactly what you told me just now. I DON’T WANT TO GO THERE EITHER, so WHY do you think I “betrayed” you?” Rhys shakes his head again and coughs.

          “DAMN this shit hurts...” a dry chuckle, “Jack...” a pause, brows furrowed, “this is me giving YOU a second chance. Maybe you can find it in your heart to give me one, too. If not...” He looks the hologram dead in the eye and tugs on the cable gently, “Well, if not, you know what happens, and there will be NO satisfaction of watching me die with you, either.”