revivalproject

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[Vector sits at a cafe, a cup of tea before him. He looks no worse for wear. He's just as content as he normally is, the black eyes betraying no emotion.]

We have returned.

[He takes a sip of tea.]

We were recruited by Imperial Intelligence and had the most interesting adventures back in our world. We will miss some of our talks with Dr. Lorkin, but we are glad that we came back to friends we have made here.

[Private]

Agent, if you are still here, may we talk?

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And you are still our's. You are a friend to the hive, and more importantly, a friend to me.

I always will be.

[He might have changed, but him considering Vector his friend? There's something that won't ever change.]

Will you allow us to make it up to you? Perhaps over dinner at a nice restaurant?

... Sure.

[He wants to see him in person, anyway.]

Thank you.

[He sends Aden the name and address of the restaurant, and a time at which they can meet there.]

[Aden is there, quite a while before the time, just waiting.

He looks a little worse for wear in that he looks very tired, but has obviously made an effort to look okay. Even look nice.]

[Vector is dressed in the outfit he wore when he and Aden first met.]

We are glad you came.

[The two are shown to a booth and given menus.]

I said I would.

[Aden shrugs, taking a seat across from him when they're shown to a booth.]

Did you think I wouldn't?

Truthfully, we were a little worried.

[The waiter comes by for a drink order, and Vector just orders himself some iced tea.]

I guess that's fair.

[Now that he thinks about it.

After all, he had been avoiding him. Vector had had to keep a hand on him to keep him from bolting, the last time they met. So Vector being worried that he wouldn't show?

Valid.

He also orders himself some iced tea, when the waiter comes by- much as he might feel the need for something stronger.]

Aden... if we could, we would wish more than anything that we were taken after we met before you arrived in this universe. We saw how sad you were when we did not recognize you.

[His hand slides over to cover Aden's.]

[He tenses at the touch, but doesn't pull away from it.

Mostly, it was unexpected.] It hurt.

[Of course it did. It was probably his worst nightmare. Vector had been a positive influence in his life for so long, and without him... He just couldn't really handle it.

During the time Vector was home, too, going through all that... Aden didn't have a fun time.] But... In some ways, it... I thought it might have been better for you. No terrorist network here, no Darth Jadus. No SIS, or Star Cabal pulling strings...

Things at home weren't exactly experiences I ever wished for you to go through.

[Sure there were good things too. Like everything with the Killiks. Vector's friendship with Lokin. The times when things were calm. But there was a lot of bad, too. And there are things he still hasn't told Vector, too, even at home.

Not about the brainwashing. Nor the brain damage he suffered as a result. His is a life of secrets. It always has been, and probably always will be. Vector might very well be too kind for it.]

But we did go through all that together. We saw you turn down Jadus, even as we thought you were going to go with him.

[It had been the first sign to Vector that there was good in Aden.]

You were never anything but kind to us, even as the galaxy wasn't kind to you.

[It's not a memory he likes to recall.

He'd stood there with the codes, ready to give Darth Jadus what he had wanted. He'd thought it was the path of least resistance. And a chance to be something more than just another alien in the Empire. A shot at some real personal power.

I wouldn't be doing it for the Empire... I'd be doing it for me...

He'd been so, so close to doing something he could never take back. But then he'd looked back at Vector, seen the look on his face, and he had decided against it.] ... You were different. You were always kind to me, too.

[Kaliyo had been sort of a friend. He certainly didn't trust her, but she could be relied on for a laugh every once in a while. Lokin had been okay, in his own Lokin way. Raina had been alright, too. Aden had never liked SCORPIO and didn't trust her, knowing that doing so would be idiotic.

But Vector?

Vector was someone Aden could trust. Someone he liked. Someone genuinely good.] A true friend. I couldn't go and throw that back in your face, now could I?

You made the right decision in the end. We saw you change the more time we spent with you.

[He's seen Aden do bad things, be bad to people. Yet Aden's never been anything but kind to Vector. Vector knows that he's the one person Aden would ever be this nice to, that he's the one Aden cares about more than anything.]

You began to change after we met. Become a better person.

Yes, well...

[Excuse him while he turns a rather impressive shade of purple.] I won't ever be a good person. I've come to terms with that.

[He's sullen, he's cynical, he gets bored easily and when he gets bored, things usually go sideways. He can even be hateful, if pushed far enough, and he's most definitely someone who doesn't mind getting violent.

Still, it's thanks to Vector that he doesn't give in to all of his worst impulses.] You just made me want to try being someone better, is all. I don't see the world like you see it... But you made me want to.

We do not believe that. You would not have wanted to change, become better, if you did not have at least some goodness within you.

[This time, Vector takes Aden's hand in his own and gently squeezes it.]

[Aden wants to say that any shred of good he had in him was well and beaten out of him by the Empire. But he doesn't.

Because he supposes the other man has a point.

Had there been no good in him at all, he wouldn't have wanted to change in the first place.

Vector taking his hand in his makes him turn rather an impressive shade of purple again, and he looks off to the side. From the outside looking in, this must look like a date, he figures. Reality is different, of course.

He thinks.] I suppose.

We would not have stayed your friend if we did not believe you were completely bad.

[He pauses for a moment.]

We may have bought that outfit you pointed out to us. We do look good in it.

... I see. I thought you would.

[It had looked to be Vector's style. And the colors were ones that Aden thought suited him, along with the style.]

I know you pretty well, after all.

And we know you quite well.

[The waiter comes by to take their order, and once he leaves, Vector turns back to Aden.]

We know you have feelings for us.

...

[What?]

What.

[You're going to need to give him a moment, Vector.]

During our adventures, we thought we saw hints of how you felt, but we could not be too sure.

Then, when we returned, and regained memories of those interactions with you, we were finally sure.

Is this where you gently turn me down, Vector?

[Has to be.]

Quite the contrary.

The more time we spent with you, the more we went through together, the more you showed us a side you showed no other, the closer we became...

[Vector squeezes Aden's hand again.]

You are quite special to us.

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