[MHHQ - Holding Cell]

Seikou is sitting on the bed, eyes unfocused, absently untying and re-tying his ponytail holder. "Why...?" he whispers...

Variance steps in as quietly as he can manage, looking to Seikou with plain and obvious concern.

Seikou looks up and smiles for a moment, a sad smile. "Vari-sama..."

Variance turns his head slightly to the right, gaze defecting to the same side for a split-second before returning to its previous direction. "I... was just checking in." It sounded a little heartless, but nothing else came to him.

Seikou shakes his head. "I'm fine, Vari-sama. I think that..." He then falls silent. "No... not now..." he whispers.

Variance's gaze narrows questioningly, just slightly. "Seikou?"

Seikou looks up, revealing that his eyes are... flickering somehow. THey're still the same red, but they go in moments from cold to deeply afraid, and then back again. "Vari-sama, get out of here! NOW!" he cries.

Variance takes a step back, halfway through the doorway. Again... he knew it was inevitable, but knowing and having it happen are completely different. He nods in understanding and completely exits the cell, hand readied to the access keypad on the portal's right side.

Seikou gets up suddenly, eyes cold red, and attempts to leap through the doorway before it closes...

Variance raises his glaive in case Seikou makes it through, urgently commanding the door to close...

Seikou turns on his beam saber mid-lunge and barely manages to make it through the door, slashing at Variance the moment he's through...

Variance raises his weapon before the saber can get too close, not as worried about it being cut in half this time(metal holds up better than wood), pushing himself from the wall and into the middle of the room, gathering a Charge while doing so.

Seikou grins and lands on his feet, raising his saber into a defensive position. "I was hoping we could fight again, Variance..."

Variance stands his ground, polearm held diagonally before him in a similar defensive stance. "And why's that?" No, he wasn't going to try so soon, he knew better now. That didn't keep him from wanting to, from wanting to fight and plea for him right off.

Seikou says '...You and Aura... Somehow, you're keeping me from gaining complete control... Thus, I must destroy you.'

"You can try all you like, but I assure you that you'll never kill us, and you'll never fully control him as long as we're still standing." A dense, permeating weight settles in the air, obviously of magical origin as Variance begins to focus.

You say 'And I'll make sure you fail... for -his- sake!'

"It's too late now..." Seikou lunges at you, attempting to slash before the attack is fired....

Variance fiercely thrusts his hands outwards, the heaviness in the air showing itself with a dim blue light just before it constricts around Seikou in a cylindrical field. A quite audible creak eminates from the floor the Maverick's standing on as the gravity in that spot increases what feels like at least five times...

Seikou falls to the ground, pulled down by the intense gravity. "What... the..."

Variance lowers his arms, keeping cool amethyst eyes intent on Seikou. "Well. You certainly can't kill me if you can't move, can you?"

Seikou attempts to struggle to his feet, but is quickly pulled down again. "Damn... you..."

You say 'Seikou... You've done it before, and despite the odds, you can do it again. Aura's still worried sick about you, and even moreso now that... she forced me to tell her about the Virus. It had to come out some time...'

Variance visibly softens, though his concentration falters none. "I'm sorry it had to be so soon, but... you -have- to fight. If not for me, than for her, and if, by some trick of the light, not for her, than do it for -you-. Do it to expel the inner demons..."

Seikou's eyes return to normal again for a moment. "Aura-chan..." he whispers. But a moment later, the Virus takes over again. "No! The antivirus program is gone! That's what was fighting me off... not willpower, or friendship, or any of that crap."

Variance turns tense once again, pouring another burst of Mana into the Tractor Beam that's holding his opponent, so far, steadfast. "He has the strength to beat you, and he has our strength as well. The program may be gone, but his spirit remains..."

You say 'You just don't want to admit it.'

Seikou says '...It's not about willpower. It might be if he was human... But he's nothing but a computer. Willpower... spirit... all of that, in the end, is dominated by his own programming...'

You say 'That may be... And you may be right and all I know is simple myth and false hope...'

Seikou attempts to climb to his feet again, but remains pinned. "...So... are you going to destroy me? I'm helpless..."

Variance keeps staring at Seikou, a flash of something ancient and timeless surfacing from deep within through the 'windows to his soul'. "But I -do- know that Mana flows in and around everything, gracing us with the life we see around us..."

Variance maintains the gravity shift, speaking much more calmly than one should be when they're holding a Maverick five inches from their face. "We may not be directly tied to the flow of Mana, but being the creations of a living race..."

You say 'We inherited their ability to express emotion, to do more than merely imitate... Machines, we may be, but we have spirit, no matter how faint it may be.'

Seikou shakes his head. "We are -data-. Nothing more."

You say 'Understandable. You haven't seen through my eyes, hence not being able to comprehend it. In fact, I may even be wrong...'

Seikou says '...The point is that Seikou is gone... and unless you destroy me now, I will kill you...'

Variance remains steady, not noticing his crystal beginning to dim slightly under the stress of upholding the field. "I'm not giving up on him. -She- hasn't given up on him, either. I -will- free him from you."

Seikou is starting to make it to his knees. "And how do you plan to do that, Hunter? All you know is how to wound..."

"Is that so?" Suddenly, the field releases(though the floor is still indented from the pressure), yet Variance seems to have no intention of moving...

Seikou grins and stabs at the gem on Variance's chest...

With his reaction and the fact that most people know him to follow the Laws of Robotics as closely as he can manage, Variance is a bit of a hypocrite, at least as far as the Third Law is concerned. He remains perfectly straight, seemingly unknowing of the plasma blade piercing dangerously close to his reactor.

Variance speaks softly, almost in a trance-like state. "Looks can be deceiving." Out of nowhere, he places his hand on Seikou's(the saber-wielding one), concentrating briefly, trying to draw strength...

Seikou tries to get away from the other Reploid's hand as quickly as possible...

Variance keeps a firm, almost deathgrip-like hold on Seikou's hand, continuing his attempts to Drain him to submission. "I won't let you have him."

Seikou begins to sag. "Urk..."

Seikou says '...you still... refuse... to destroy me...'

Variance follows as the other begins to drop, staring intently with clouded violet eyes. Needless to say, Logic is having a bit of a fit right now, as are a good deal of his internal alert systems.

Seikou finally collapses to the ground, the beam saber falling out of his hand...

Variance releases his hold, still quite oblivious to his completely shattered crystal and resulting hole through his chest. "As long as there's a chance for him to live without having to worry about you, I won't do it."

You say 'I told him we'd find a way... I'm not breaking another--'

Variance is suddenly cut off the the rude awakening caused by his injury, cueing a sharp cry of pain and a stagger backward. An errant spark or two rings off the walls, accompanied by the sound of his collapse.

Still, Variance quite easily manages to almost literally begin dragging Seikou to the holding cell again, once more dismissive of his own state of being.

Seikou doesn't struggle, so...

Variance finally sets Seikou gently on the cot in the other room, half-staggering back to activate the plasma 'bars' and walking the same way out again. -Now- comes the reflexive wound-clutching.

You say 'I guess... I went a little too far...'

Seikou is still unconcious, but he mumbles something in his sleep...

Seikou says '...aura...'

Variance props himself against the front desk, the very same desk he had bled on not that long ago, trying to stifle his wounds yet again. Oh, was Signas going to be miffed about -this-... At least Seikou was safe again.

Seikou starts to awaken in the cell. "...vari-sama..."

Variance looks to the holding room again, taking a few breaths to collect himself. Of course, Seikou wouldn't be immensely happy to see his commander with a gaping hole in 'im, but if duty calls... He walks into the cell again, as calm as he could poassibly bring himself to be, given the circumstances.

Seikou sits up on bed, very slowly, clearly still weak. "Gomen..."

Variance leans on the side of the doorway, trying to cover his wound by crossing his arms. "I could say it's not a problem, and it isn't, at least for me, but... we're still trying."

Seikou shakes his head. "...Don't try to hide the wound, Vari-sama. I nearly killed you... I couldn't have stopped myself..." He closes his eyes. "I need to be shut down, Vari-sama. Before it's too late."

Variance turns to gaze at the wall next to him, finding himself unable to contest the truth. 'Too late' was coming much faster than a possible cure or extra restraint for the Virus...

You say '...It's only come this far because of Vice's instigation... If it wasn't for him, you could have contained it much longer than it would've taken to make a cure... Right?'

Seikou nods. "...Yeah. But whatever the cause... Hitomi's antivirus program is gone. There's no way to fight it now.

Variance falls into silence again, inwardly wishing that being injured wasn't so -distracting-. "I don't usually mean to bring guilt into things, and you obviously don't need anything else to worry about..."

Seikou shakes his head. "This isn't a matter of guilt. This is a matter of eliminating a Maverick."

You say 'That's not what I'm talking about...'

Variance cuts himself off, shaking his head. "...I'll... talk to Signas about it."

Seikou nods "I apologize again."

You say 'You don't have anything to apologize for. The Virus, on the other hand...'

Seikou says '...I'm the one who deleted the antivirus. The virus pushed me, but in the end, it was I who did it...'

Variance remains wordless, turning to fully rest his back against the doorway. He could say something, he -should- say something... But he couldn't mention her, not if he didn't want to burden him with more to worry over. Besides...

Seikou says '...It would be the best for everyone if I was retired.'

Variance shifts uncomfortably(both from his conscience's berating and all the bleeding), brow pulling into a wounded scowl. Again, he raised another valid point. "But... you shouldn't have to suffer because of what it did in your stead... It just isn't -right-!"

Seikou shakes his head. "That's not the issue now. My death will possibly save hundreds of people... and maybe prevent another Shrike. Isn't that more 'right' than me living to kill again?"

Variance has words stolen from him by logic once again.

You say '...I guess... I'll have to get started, then.'

Seikou nods...

Seikou says '...I'm... so sorry.'

Variance says nothing as he rises from his place against the doorframe, walking out into the base proper.

(Holy crap, it's actually -whole-.)