(no subject)

[psimera]

...

Your struggles with motivation are irrelevant. The only one who may command me is Master Porky.

...

Given your track record, I expect to be back to pulling Needles within a week. Please do not drag it out and delay me any further.

Comments

[pullsneedles]

[Oh no he can't-

This is-

Lucas can't-

Why is-

He had a funny feeling. But now he can't talk, only stand and watch.]

[1/2]

[psimera]

[It's - the other Needle puller, Master Porky's enemy. This is a problem - Master Porky ordered him not to take his helmet off when confronting enemies. Quickly, he grapples for it.]

[2/2]

[psimera]

[There, that's better - and actually, this is a perfect opportunity. He might not be able to pull Needles right now, but as long as the enemy is here, if he takes him out instead -]
[The Masked Man shifted to a battle stance.]

[pullsneedles]

Claus....?

[Fighting the Masked Man is nothing new but now-

How is he supposed to...?]

oops I spoilered Lucas *brick'd*

[psimera]

[For a moment, the Commander freezes, feeling a bit... odd. That sounds familiar...]

[In the end, it doesn't seem to ring enough bells, though. He tosses it aside as unimportant, at least for the moment]

[ - Lucas, you might want to move, he'll be throwing a PK Thunder at you any moment now -]

Only sort of? He's on the cusp of Chapter 8 in his game.

[pullsneedles]

[-except that he does have the Courage Badge the Mr. Saturn polished so diligently for him, which reflects the thunder attack.]

Claus, why're you doin' this?

Oh. Oh boy. I'm so sorry, Lucas.

[psimera]

[The Commander hisses in pain as lightning plays across his form before dissipating. Suddenly he understands completely why Master Porky told him to wear his helmet - without it, a thunder attack would have fried his circuits completely, and then he'd be history.]

...

[He remains silent again, shutting his eyes for a moment. That shouldn't feel familiar. It's bothering him, making him want to take out Master Porky's enemy more and instead just stand still at the same time.]

[To distract himself, he rushes forward to try slicing Lucas with his sword.]

*gets the tissues for everyone*

[pullsneedles]

[Lucas tries to stop it with his stick, though he might not manage to block it completely since it takes a moment for him to think of grabbing it.]

Claus, it's me, Lucas! Claus, why is this happenin'? Can'tcha tell me what's wrong?

[psimera]

[Lucas does manage just in time, the Commander's sword skidding off his stick sideways. A lucky angle, there.]

[ - stop - stop saying that name. In his mix of distress and confusion, the Commander reverts to speaking like how about half his thoughts work these days.] Designation 'Claus' not recognized -

[No, stop getting distracted, just take out the enemy -]

[pullsneedles]

[It's a familiar expression. Everything's broken and nothing's going to be fixed again. He lets the arm holding the stick drop slack to his side.

He can't.]

Claus. Claus, you're my brother Claus. Please.

[psimera]

[The Commander hesitates again, hand loosening from his sword for a second. Brother? He doesn't have any familial relations, he's a chimera. Artificially constructed. If he had a family, he'd remember it. This isn't logical. Obviously the enemy is just trying to throw him off - but in that case, why isn't he attacking? And apparently it, the throwing him off, it's working -]

[No. It doesn't, he isn't - it's illogical.]

...
PK Love Alpha!

[pullsneedles]

[Lucas sucks in a gasp and gets up a PSI shield. But not quick enough, so he takes the hit. He drops his stick and crosses an arm over his chest in pain. He starts working on some healing PSI.]

[psimera]

[The Commander covers his ears for a second at the gasp, leaving himself open to an attack - that's if Lucas is actually up to it of course. If Lucas doesn't take the opportunity, he'll unleash another PK Love Alpha, hoping very hard that Lucas goes down so he can pretend he killed him. If he does that, he can just leave - it's not important to check when there aren't even any Needles around or anything, and Master Porky isn't giving him a direct command right now. This whole situation is disconcerting and he wants to just go.]

[pullsneedles]

[He can't bring himself to hurt his brother. And unfortunately for the Masked Man, the PSI Shield does protect Lucas from the next bout of PK Love Alpha.

The whole situation isn't all that great for Lucas, either. He can feel his mind trying to retreat as it fully hits him that so much of this is just like the nightmares of Tanetane Island.

He presses trembling hands to his face, palms guarding his nose and mouth and fingers clawed over his eyes.]

[psimera]

[Shields he knows how to handle. For that, he just uses the Shield Killer.]

[Lucas has his eyes covered by that point, though. The Commander walks cautiously over to right in front of the blonde boy, raising his sword. Why isn't the enemy attacking by this point?]

[pullsneedles]

[Lucas steps back, falling down to one knee. He forces himself to keep moving back, attempting to save his own skin without abandoning his brother.]

[psimera]

[He just follows - not speeding up, though. In fact, there might be a touch of slowing down. ...if the enemy fully retreats, that counts as a victory too, right? And then he can leave -]

[pullsneedles]

[He takes a chance and reaches up to grab Claus's hand, attempting to stop the follow-through.]

[psimera]

[The Commander jerks violently, other arm clacking over itself to reform into a blaster pointed at Lucas's head at point blank range. He can't seem to actually shoot, though, and his expression is visible under the helmet with him being this close. Visible and lost.]

[He should be attacking. But he's not, and there isn't anything in his pre-programmed protocols meant to deal with this situation. By this point, his brain is blazing at him to retreat and reevaluate, because there's something stopping him from killing Master Porky's enemy.]

...

[The Masked Man felt a little strange.]

[pullsneedles]

[Lucas's chest heaves, desperate for air and close to sobbing. The hand holding Claus's wrist shakes.

Is he about to die?]

[psimera]

[By this point, the Commander would be happy just retreating. Portions of his code are contradicting each other and crashing, and he's pretty sure his biological half is the cause, which means crashed code will just make everything fifty times worse. He needs to go get Dr. Andonuts to look at it, fix whatever this problem is -]

[He yanks on his hand, trying to get Lucas to let go of it. Just - let him leave! Isn't that good enough?]

[pullsneedles]

[The force pulls Lucas up to his feet. Claus was always the stronger, daring one, wasn't he? So he does indeed get his wrist back.

Lucas doesn't take his hand back, leaving it open and wishing Claus could just take it and they could go back to the way things were that will never be again.]

[psimera]

[The Commander retreats rapidly backwards until he's at a safe distance again, trying to ignore the shouting of 'critical system error' in his head. This - this didn't turn out how he planned at all.]

[He unfolds his jet pack's wings in preparation for taking off, staring at Lucas's hand with what seems almost like nervousness - though it's hard to tell now that he's far enough away that the helmet is obscuring most of his face again.]

[pullsneedles]

[Lucas takes one step closer, two, then stops. Once the wings unfold, the questions pour through his mind and opening his mouth just lets them flow.]

Wait!

Wait, no!

Why are you working for King Porky? Why does he want to see me? Are you going to New Pork City? Why is all of this happening, Claus?!

[psimera]

[If he had a heartbeat, rather than cybernetics keeping him alive, it would've sped up when Lucas stepped closer again. On one hand, he doesn't want to speak, it might make his errors worse. On the other - it's a perfect chance to deny that he knows anything that Lucas is talking about.]

...
Designation 'Claus' not recognized. [Though it sounds more human than last time, he's a bit more under control of himself - this time it's more like he's just quoting.] I am the Commander. I am a chimera constructed under the command of Master Porky, with the primary objective of serving him. [Not someone's brother.]

... [Oh no. Did Master Porky invite Lucas to New Pork City? Then he really needs to get these errors resolved, because he's sure he'll be fighting Lucas again. Even if - there's something making him not want to now, but that's just those same errors speaking. Definitely.]

[The jet pack powers on and he shoots off into the sky without letting himself hear Lucas's response, if Lucas has one.]

[pullsneedles]

[Lucas follows Claus's flight with widened eyes. The Masked Man probably wouldn't hear Lucas's quiet reply anyway.]

A chimera?

[As if he didn't have enough to mull over. He finally retreats himself, wanting to hide away in his field of sunflowers.]