#finch x hacker in progress

[asukamood]

Transfer (BTH)

***

Previous Part – Next Part

First part

This post is part of the Bad Things Happen series.

***

I was planning to write this a little while later but since I’ve understood that many people were very fond of this series (especially on Tumblr) I’ve decided to prioritize that one instead.

If you have not yet seen the post entitled Target Syndrome, I advise you to go read it as it will enable you to understand some parts of this one-shot that could seem confusing otherwise.

Enjoy your reading once again!

***

Warnings: Implied past self-harm (not specified which)

Synopsis: “It won’t be of any problem.” A pause. “I... apologize about not being able to prevent this.” If he was initially talking to Randy, he was now looking at Hacker. He had never taken the time to apologize before, even if he felt like it was needed.

They stayed like that for a few seconds, looking each other in the eyes.

“...” Hacker eventually turned away. “You are not at fault.”

***

When Finch pushed the door to Hacker’s room open, he was met with three pairs of eyes looking at him. The first had two hazy dark blue irises blinking at him, barely processing his presence while the other two, narrowed, bright red and alert, snapped toward him.

He tilted his head down to show he was here in peace, resulting in Bobby and Randy relaxing.

“Hello.” He eventually said, the greeting soon shot back to him. “I’m glad that everything seems to be going well, have you had the time to talk?”

“Hacks keeps zoning out.” Bobby admitted, glancing worryingly at said man before turning his attention back to Finch. “But yeah, we were pretty much done with the main topics.”

“You seem to have something on your mind, son. Is there something you want to tell us?” Randy interjected, startling Finch. Was it that obvious or did Randy just have a knack for that sort of thing? He did remember Hacker mentioning an ‘uncanny accuracy’ when it came to guessing whether he or Bobby had something to say to him.

“I just thought you would want to be informed of Hacker’s transfer.” As expected, that seemed to pique their interest. Even Hacker seemed to come back to focus, saying nothing but staring at Finch with an interested look, nonetheless. Finch brushed off the vague weird feeling he got as he realized he had never really heard the other being so silent.

“Where is he going to go? And when?” Randy asked immediately, Bobby adding that they better make sure nothing happens this time, a scary expression displayed on his face.

Hacker motioned for the two to calm down. “He didn’t even say anything yet, chill out.” Bobby turned to him, scratching his neck as he muttered an apology.

“It’s fine, I understand the concern.” Finch reassured, clearing his throat. “He should be moving as soon as he recovers to... erm...” As he was faced with the expectant look of the three others, Finch found himself thinking on how in the world he was supposed to say it without the whole dilemma sounding strange.

Finally giving up on it, he finally confessed that Hacker would be moved to his house.

Silence ensued, in which Bobby and Randy both turned to Hacker with the same pointed and warning look. Said man deadpanned at them.

“I can hardly make a normal conversation; do you think I have the capacity to start screwing around?” He hissed, irritated as he looked away. Finch was unsure whether he should see that as good news or unwelcome news.

“In our defense, you totally would.” Bobby retorted; his arms crossed around his chest.

“... Well, yeah I would but I am really not in the mood.” Randy just gave him pats him on the head, the younger man leaning into it.

“Could I trouble you to update us on Hacker’s condition once in a while?” Randy asked, choosing to ignore the conversation his two kids were having next to him. “I know you would be unlikely to do anything stupid, but I cannot help but worry still.”

“It won’t be of any problem.” A pause. “I... apologize about not being able to prevent this.” If he was initially talking to Randy, he was now looking at Hacker. He had never taken the time to apologize before, even if he felt like it was needed.

They stayed like that for a few seconds, looking each other in the eyes.

“...” Hacker eventually turned away. “You are not at fault.”

Finch was about to reply before Hacker started letting out painful noises, each one louder than the other. Bobby reached for his shoulder in concern, tapping it lightly as he asked him what the problem was. Randy soon joined him but neither of them received a response as Hacker just kept on cowering on himself.

Eventually though, he did manage to let out that it hurt, bad.

The rest of the conversation was lost as Finch had run out into the hallway, in search of an available doctor.

***

The medical team that had hurried into the room once they were informed of what was happening soon came out, whispering among themselves. Ignoring that part for now, Finch approached them.

“How is he now?” The doctor he was speaking to bowed to him once he recognized him before straightening back up.

“We have managed to stabilize him.” He answered, looking back into the room. “Although... He’s the prisoner who is due to be transferred soon, right?” Finch nodded, noting that Randy and Bobby had started listening to the conversation.

“We have discovered something that you would probably want to know.” Finch frowned, what did that look on their faces mean?

“Proceed.” He encouraged.

“Have you ever heard of the disease called ‘Target Syndrome’?” At these words, if Bobby tilted his head on the side with a confused look, Randy’s reaction was much more aggressive as he froze, horror on his facial features.

Not him too, please.

Finch’s frown deepened but he stayed calm as of now. “I have yes, are you sure about this information? A wrong diagnosis of a disease like that...”

The doctor waved his worry away with the back of his hand. “I am aware but there is no doubt about that, we have made a soul screening earlier and these results do not lie. Nothing but the Target Syndrome would cause a soul to look this way.”

“At which stage is he?” Randy suddenly interrupted, the doctor blinking as his widened eyes stared up at the man. How he managed to not see the giant named Randy was an enigma.

“I presume you are close to the patient?” After the confirmation, he seemed to think about it a bit more. “I should not tell you that information but since the situation is this peculiar, I’ll make an exception today. He’s somewhere between Stage 2 and Stage 3, though he is closer to Stage 3 than he is Stage 2.”

Finch and Randy both paled at that, turning Bobby’s confusion into even more concern.

His question answered, the medic turned back to Finch. “We have some leads as to the dosage of medications needed to be prescribed but since we still have our doubts about this method of recovery, we would like to favor the more... ‘casual method’ of recovery if possible. I am unaware of your opinion on this prisoner, nor do I care about what crimes have led him to be put in a cell, I am simply asking you to make sure he would at least be comfortable in this new location.”

He then glanced at Bobby and Randy; the former latched on to the latter’s arm as he continuously asked what that really meant about Hacker. “This does imply to make sure these three will be able to talk as often as possible. I am aware that some restrictions should be put in place but in order to revert to an earlier stage, contact with loved ones is mandatory.” A pause.

“If you are unwilling to do it for his health, do keep in mind that what you will be doing would be another milestone reaching toward the full comprehension of this awful disease that has led many to die in horrific conditions.” Finch nodded, not interrupting in fear of missing out on some information. After witnessing it firsthand, it was hard not to think of how horrible dying from this disease was.

He still wished he could have done something, anything, to help him.

“Is there anything else I should be wary of?” If he was going to do it, he wanted to make sure he would do it well. Maybe this time, he would be able to prevent the death of another friend.

“... You should keep anything that could be harmful to him out of reach, especially when he already has a history regarding such incidents.”

Finch’s eyes narrowed. “Understood.”

The doctor, after some more recommendations, finally left.

***

“Strangely, I’m not too surprised about your living room looking so... bland.” Finch frowned as he let his pupils travel the room. He had no idea what Hacker was talking about, his living room looked fine to him.

“Can we focus on more important matters?” He sighed as Hacker went to sit on one of his couches. Even if there was a slight limp in his footsteps, it was still relieving to see that he regained his ability to support himself enough to walk around. “How are you feeling?”

Hacker scoffed at the question. “What happened to the whole ‘I don’t talk to criminals’ attitude? Don’t tell me you are growing soft on me now of all times.”

That was something else Finch noted: his change of behavior. He sounded so much more bitter now.

“I am not. Is it that strange for me to inquire about your well-being?” The other glanced at him as he asked that, in search of any sign of mockery in Finch’s eyes. When he didn’t see any, he simply turned away from him.

“... I don’t know.” He shook his head, why was he acting like that now?

“Anyway,” Finch changed the subject, pointing at the staircase behind him. “Those stairs lead to the bedrooms. The first door on the right is a bathroom but the rest is free to use. You can pick any room you like; it doesn’t really matter to me.”

Hacker raised an eyebrow. “What about your bedroom?” Finch shrugged.

“I mostly just crash on the couch when I’m tired, so I don’t really have an assigned room.” The other gave him a skeptical look but did not comment further. “And over there--” He pointed toward a corridor. “--You can find the kitchen and another bigger bathroom. You are free to use anything in the kitchen as you would like and if you think you may be lacking in something, you can ask for it anytime.”

He nodded again, before pointing toward a computer left in the corner of the room. “What about this thing?”

“I was about to mention it. You can use it.” If Hacker looked numb before, the look of pure shock replaced it immediately.

“What? You’re not joking, are you?” Finch raised an eyebrow.

“When am I ever joking?” He retorted.

“Good point.” He looked happier than he did a few seconds ago, that was surely a good sign. He walked over to the other and handed him a little package.

Confused, Hacker took it and shot him a questioning glance. Finch’s only response was to tell him to open it. He did, not without shooting him a wary glance before his eyes lit up at the contents of said package.

“Is that...?”

“Your phone, yes.” Finch confirmed. “You are free to call Randy, Bobby and Blue as you please, though do keep in mind that I would be able to hear your conversation. I’ve also saved my number on your device, don’t hesitate to call me if you ever need it.”

“... That sounds too good to be true.” Hacker stated. “Are you sure there’s no catch? Like, I’m not going to be beheaded next week, right?” The combination of his voice cracking and the fear in his eyes earned him a horrified look from the officer.

“Of course not!” He exclaimed. “Nothing is going to happen to you, okay? You’re safe here.”

“...”

“I swear.” He quickly added, earning a sigh of relief.

“Okay... I trust you.” He slumped over the couch, his eyes beginning to droop. “Do you mind if I go take a nap? This whole transfer thing had my head spinning.”

“Not at all, go ahead.”

As Hacker closed his eyes, he vaguely remembered being wrapped in a blanket.

[asukamood]

Wrath (BTH)

***

Previous post — Next post

First post

This post is part of the Bad Things Happen series.

***

Warnings: Strong language

Synopsis: He was smart, Blue had to give him that.

Unfortunately for him, Blue was smarter, and he was about to show him how superior he was at these games.

He will always be the last one laughing.

***

Blue had been patiently waiting for Finch’s text with Dream in the latter’s office, having given himself for mission to reward himself for all his efforts by seeing in person Dream’s fury as he would listen to the recording, numerous ideas for punishment racing through his mind as he would stomp furiously toward the dungeons.

For now, though, said angel boy was blissfully unaware of the series of events his boyfriend has been foreseeing and pulling the strings of.

Besides, he was certain that Dream was too caught up in his paperwork to pay attention to Blue’s knowing smirk he had been shooting at him for the past hour. Or perhaps his revealed teeth had been drowned by the ocean of white inside of Dream’s office.

People tended to say that Blue was dramatic but this time, he was perfectly realistic. There were piles of paper that reached the ceiling everywhere you landed your eyes. Even in the busiest periods of Justice Reigns, Dream had never been overwhelmed by such a great amount of paperwork.

Dream did seem suspicious about the fact Blue did not try to get him to take a break today seeing the amount of work literally looming over him, but he brushed it off, having long since given up on figuring out what Blue was up to.

He was quite the enigma, but he supposed it was part of his charm.

Dream would not have been disappointed to know what his boyfriend was on about in that head of his.

While Blue hated the master of dungeons (maybe hate was too small of a word for what he actually felt toward him) for what he had done, he had to give him kudos for the execution of his plan.

Finch had been allowed a week off, so he wasn’t there to monitor the dungeons and the guards’ activity and while Dream would normally check the dungeons’ cameras occasionally to keep an eye out on those sorts of things, he had made sure to let some criminals go rampant while he was busy in a raid to give him as much paperwork as possible to keep him from having the time to monitor them too.

He was smart, Blue had to give him that.

Unfortunately for him, Blue was smarter, and he was about to show him how superior he was at these games.

He will always be the last one laughing.

As if on cue, Dream’s phone suddenly beeped, making the latter almost jump out of his skin as he accidentally snapped his pen. A groan of frustration left him, Blue’s smirk just grew even larger.

A sleep-deprived, frustrated Dream was more likely to make bad decisions but also more likely to listen to Blue’s suggestions, even if they were to go against his normal course of actions.

Well, it is not like Blue did not have a way to make his angel boy listen to him if it came to it.

But this method is quicker and is also likely to bring Blue quite the entertainment when Dream would eventually regret whatever he suggested he did and wallow in regret.

“Huh, a text from Finch?” Dream’s eyebrows raised in both surprise and curiosity as his finger swiped over the screen, opening the message. While he was doing that, Blue had wrapped his arms around Dream’s neck, his cheek resting on his shoulder as he looked over the contents of the screen.

‘Dear Lord Dream,

I have my suspicions that the master of the dungeons might have been abusing his power. After listening to the recording, I have sent you below, may I request you to meet me in the security room?

There are things I would like to confirm with you.

May this message find you well,

Finch.’

Dream’s eyes narrowed at the text before he quickly pressed on the play button on his phone screen, the dialog Finch had witnessed a few minutes earlier bouncing around the wall of paper all around them.

Just by the way he felt Dream’s chest heave in a deep inhale, he easily guessed that now he was not only frustrated but absolutely furious.

Blue let go of him as he quickly typed Finch a response before calling Ink.

“Hello Ink, I am afraid I will have to be delayed at some of my meetings and such today. I will also be unavailable for a little while; you are in charge until my return.” He did not even let his trusted assistant speak or ask any questions that he had already hung up, letting his chair fall back as he stood up and stomped toward the entrance.

Even in his fury, he somehow managed to dodge all the papers in his way.

Blue shook his head in amusement before following him with light steps.

***

It was a normal day at the dungeons, the bars still sent electrical shocks to anyone who touched them, there were still some criminals maniacally laughing in their sleep and the day seemed as boring as ever.

Or so, that was the case until the entrance to the area was slammed open, the doors loudly bumping into the walls which caused most of the criminals to flinch. The ones closest to the entrance turned to glare at the origin of the noise before their glares fell into pathetic fearful glances as they paled, coming face to face with the CEO of the Justice Reigns organization in the flesh.

His mere presence was more than enough to make most people sweat bullets but the fact he was radiating a more murderous aura than all the criminals here combined clearly only worked to enhance said effect.

He royally ignored the terrified stares that followed him and stomped toward the end of the hallway, his every footstep echoing loudly through the corridors like a warning bell for an immediate danger.

Which seemed like the case then.

Most of them did not even notice Blue trailing after him with a smile plastered on his face.

When the master of the dungeons came into view, Dream started walking even faster. He shouted his name in a terrifying tone, said man flinching before he turned around slowly, answering his call with a shaky voice and skin so pale he would have been mistaken for an albino if not for his hair and eyes.

Oh, how good it was to see such an expression on his face when the trouble did not even begin.

“We need to have a little discussion.” He stopped in front of him, a death glare focused on him as he crossed his arms around his chest.

“Of course, My Lord!” The other was quick to reply, sending his assistant off to get some tea. He was smart enough to tell that making the already furious man in front of him wait any longer than necessary would spell his doom.

Well, it’s not like he could really escape from it anyway.

Blue had made sure of it.

As he watched him absolutely decomposing in front of Dream’s intimidating stare, he secretly sent the audio recording Finch had bothered to get to Randy, along with a message signed ‘Finch’.

He was not quite one for violence, but it didn’t mean that Blue was going to let them get away with just losing their job after everything they’d done.

***

“Oh, hello Finch!” The doctor smiled as the captain stepped through the door, waving. He answered with a nod.

“Hello Jasper, is everything okay?” The other man nodded as he closed the drawer that he has been rummaging through shut, taking out a small syringe and a small bottle of liquid.

“As busy as ever but nothing out of the ordinary.” He responded as he dumped an empty bottle that had been left there. “I suppose you’re here to see Hacker?”

“I am, any progress on his condition?” Jasper put all of his tools on top of the desk, grabbing a new pair of clean gloves.

“He’s still quite sleepy but he doesn’t seem to be sleeping as much anymore.” He cursed as the gloves put a little too much resistance to his liking. “The regular administration of painkillers also seems to do him good. I think he should be fine to leave in a few days, if someone is by his side of course.”

Finch had to step aside for a nurse to zoom past him, hands full with new material. “He’s still going to need to use painkillers, but the amount would be reasonable enough for him not to need any assistance from a medical professional.” As he finished his sentence, he reached for a mask.

“Although, I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave for surgery. I trust you not to mess with anything, but it is my duty to make sure nothing happens to my patients, I hope you understand?” Finch nodded.

“Of course, you’re just doing what is expected from you. I will be careful not to touch anything I shouldn’t.” Jasper seemed satisfied with this answer as he walked away, turning back once to remind him he had an appointment this Friday.

Finch sighed before he got on the move, Hacker’s room just right around the corner. He opened the door slowly.

***

“We haven’t gotten any news from Hacker for a while now.” Randy let out with a worried frown on his face as he placed the plates on the table. Across from him, Bobby’s expression faltered as well as he glanced at the empty chair next to him. “Do you think--”

He spoke up before Randy could introduce the idea that something might have happened to him. “He is fine, you know him. He is probably just flirting with Finch again.” The way he tapped on his fork as he said that was evidence of his nervousness.

Randy did not know if he said that to convince him or himself but either way, he did not comment further. “I hope that you’re right.” They both sat down and began to eat before Randy’s phone suddenly beeped.

Both men flinched, not expecting that. Randy took out his device with an eyebrow raised his hand swiping to unlock the phone. Bobby, who was still munching on some pasta, spoke up. “Who is it?”

Randy’s frown deepened. “It’s an unknown number but apparently it came from... Finch?”

“whAT-” Bobby almost choked on his handful of pasta before he jumped off his seat and ran behind Randy, leaning onto his chair to look above his shoulder. “Hacker gave it to him? He is such a simp I would not be surprised that he did.”

“There seems to be an... audio file?” Both were getting more curious now, especially since the sender had stated that this was something both should know. Bobby clicked the play button.

***

“I... Holy shit.” Bobby stepped away with a hand over his mouth, his face as pale as the moon. “No way that...” He shook his head. “This has to be a joke.”

Randy, who was still sitting at the table, was shaking from pure anger, his fist vibrating as he suddenly snapped the fork in his hand in two, his nails transforming into long and sharp claws. His pupils turned a bloody red as his voice started to distort, sounding deeper and more echoey.

“Those BASTARDS!” He yelled, getting up from his seat.

‘I will make some arrangements for you to be able to talk to the two you have heard in the recording. I was told to give you this opportunity as a sort of compensation for our failure to make sure this would not happen. Of course, you will not be chastised during your stay, and you will also get to see Hacker once you are done with them.

There is a warehouse on the border of the Justice Reigns’ territory, please meet us there tomorrow at 2 P.M. (## #### #### ###)

In hopes this message finds you well,

Finch.’

[asukamood]

Finch Needs A Raise

***

Previous part — Next part

This post is part of the Bad things happen series.

***

Flirts x 2 = Mess, the sequel

WARNINGS: Suggestive (Because of Blue and Hacker), referenced sexual activities, referenced violence

Ships: Past Hue (Hacker x Blue [They still act fruity though ahem]), Hinch (Hacker x Finch, in progress at least) and Drueswap (Dream x Blue)

Synopsis: “I... don’t think I wanted to hear any of that.” He could not help but confess aloud, interrupting Hacker’s shouts of ‘Unbelievable!’ at the end of Blue’s tale. Both Devil’s spawns turned toward him in mild surprise like they had just noticed that he has been standing there the whole time.

Hacker was the first to react. “Oh? You are still here Finch?”

“I have been here.” He corrected, the slightest hint of desperation in his voice. “I cannot leave, this is a part of my job.” He continued rambling as the other two looked at each other amused. “W h y?” His voice broke, feeling the little patience he had left crumbling and being stepped on.

***

One good thing about being the CEO of Justice Reigns’ partner is that you were allowed anywhere you would like in the headquarters of said organization. If someone ever tried to stop Blue from going somewhere without an apparent reason, like undergoing an experiment in the science division, then another would pull that person away by the elbow, explaining to them just what they had done in a hushed tone.

Blue found it quite amusing how their mildly annoyed eyes would immediately revert to horrified ones once they were told just who he was to Dream. To entertain himself a bit more, he would usually cross his arms in a fake annoyance and raise an irritated eyebrow at the person.

It was enjoyable to see them freak out and apologize profusely for the entire division. He would usually keep said face until he walked away enough to be able to snicker without being noticed.

Not like anyone would have the guts to say anything to him.

So here he was, waltzing through the corridors of the Justice Reigns' dungeons as guards exchange nervous glances with one another at each step Blue takes further into the domain.

He was planning to leave once he had had enough with giving Dream’s subordinates heart attacks but just as he was about to take the exit, his eyes locked onto a familiar face behind bars. He froze, blinking, before walking toward the cells.

He vaguely heard gasps of dread leaving the guards who hurried after him, most definitely to ask him to step back. He could not blame them for that reaction since most of the criminals kept here were extremely dangerous, even life threatening in some cases.

But the one he had just spotted here was nothing short of harmless. In fact, Blue even suspected that there was more chance he would hurt himself instead of the target when trying to punch someone.

“Hacker?” He called and the latter’s eyes lit up, snapping back into focus. The way he looked so dozed off earned just the tiniest tug of worry in Blue’s heart. Though that concern was quickly shoved down when said person’s pupils almost turned into stars when he recognized him before he jumped to his feet to jog to the other.

“Blue! I missed you so—Wait, what are you doing here??” His excitement quickly morphed into confusion as he scanned his wrists searching for any handcuffs. When there were not, he looked up to his eyes again with a blank stare. “... Who did you scam?”

Blue let out a dramatic offended gasp, his expression turning upset. “I did not scam anyone, I am a model citizen, mind you.” The guards who were following him earlier stopped as they watched the scene unfold in utter confusion before they all collectively decided to leave this whole ordeal for Finch to deal with, who was posted somewhere near.

Hacker raised an eyebrow at that but did not comment further onto the matter. “If you didn’t do that then why are you here?” He checked his wrists again. “You don’t look like you’ve been arrested either.”

Blue chuckled. “I rizzed up the head.” He said, the smug look on his face speaking volumes of how proud he was about that. Hacker’s facial expression was tainted by confusion.

“The hea--” Before realization hit him and his jaw was left wide open as he stared incredulously at the man in front of him. “DREAM VON LICHT?!” The shout echoed through the dungeons and several criminals flinched at the sudden noise, turning toward the origin. Finch, who was still posted nearby, winced, a hand covering his ear as he glared daggers into Hacker’s head.

Said person did not seem to notice or care about the attention he was getting, preferring to pass his hands through the bars, ignoring the electrical shock that was sent right through his body before he put his hands on Blue’s shoulders. “ARE YOU FOR REAL? I WAS JOKING LAST TIME!”

Blue laughed at his reaction before swatting his hands away from him, warning him not to injure himself further with the electrical shots. “I wouldn’t be here if I was joking, would I?” His best friend was still processing the information.

Once he finally did, he looked at Blue in a certain way that only the two of them could. “Soo...” He got closer to the bars again as he prolonged the syllable. “How big is he?”

Behind them, Finch’s face lost all colors. He prayed for every god he could think of that surely Blue was not going to answer him, surely, he would get to stay ignorant of that information for the rest of his life.

However, the gods did not look toward him and the only warning he got to prepare himself mentally was his boss’s boyfriend chuckling before a number left his lips. Hacker registered the information before giggling in his hand like a high-school girl talking about her crush before he wiggled his eyebrows at the other causing him to laugh.

“Good to know, although I need to know what happened exactly.” He sat on his cell’s bed with his legs crossed like he was participating in some kind of sleepover. “I want every. Single. Detail.”

Blue tapped his chin in thought. “Hm, sorry baby, you’re going to have to wait for it.”

Hacker let out an offended gasp, eyes wide with betrayal. “WHAT? WHY??” He sounded so genuinely hurt that Finch found himself thinking that they should implement a sort of mental hospital facility for delusional criminals like that, if only to make their job easier.

Blue clicked his tongue before crossing his arms around his chest, looking at the criminal with the kind of look one would expect to see on an adult’s face explaining something obvious to a child. “Because it would feel more satisfying that way, don’t you trust me?”

Hacker pouted before letting out a sigh of defeat. “Fiiiine but at least tell me something interesting, I’ve been dying of boredom here no one talks to meee...” He whined dramatically, slumping onto his bed.

Blue chuckled but acquiesced, nonetheless. “Very well, but let me tell you this, you are so not ready to hear it.”

His interest piqued, Hacker sat up again, having never seemed more concentrated than now.

“S p e a k.”

“Well, do you remember the coworker I told you about last time? Veronica?” Hacker nodded eagerly, seeming hooked to his words.

***

After hearing their conversation, Finch was starting to think that the World War II he had suffered through during his childhood in his home universe was not as bad as whatever kind of dystopian dialog between evil (shameless) entities he had the misfortune of witnessing.

“I... don’t think I wanted to hear any of that.” He could not help but confess aloud, interrupting Hacker’s shouts of ‘Unbelievable!’ at the end of Blue’s tale. Both Devil’s spawns turned toward him in mild surprise like they had just noticed that he has been standing there the whole time.

Hacker was the first to react. “Oh? You are still here Finch?”

“I have been here.” He corrected, the slightest hint of desperation in his voice. “I cannot leave, this is a part of my job.” He continued rambling as the other two looked at each other amused. “W h y?” His voice broke, feeling the little patience he had left crumbling and being stepped on.

Blue shrugged, a smile on his face. “Why not?”

“What is wrong with you two?!” He would have felt bad for reacting that way in any normal circumstances but listening to their horrifying conversation must have stripped him of at least half of his remaining lifespan because of how traumatizing it was. As the captain of the Justice Division, he was paid well, so well in fact one could even qualify him as wealthy. However, even if he were to sacrifice his entire salary for therapy, he doubted it would be enough to heal him properly.

“My last name is Chicago, what do you think? It makes sense that my parents were so neglectful man.” Hacker said absently.

Blue scoffed in amusement, letting the sentence ‘isn’t your last name Bradford?’ die on his tongue. “Imagine having parents, couldn’t be me.”

“Why need those when you already have a ‘daddy’?” He snickered at his own joke as he winked at Blue, who choked, his eyes wide with shock. It quickly morphed into laughter though as he wheezed, using the wall as a support to keep him from falling.

Meanwhile, Finch’s face had lost all color, his eyes lifeless as he contemplated everything that happened before leading to this very event. An image of Dream flashed in his mind, and he flinched slightly, expression starting to become a horrified one as he wondered just how he was supposed to face his superior ever again after hearing something like this.

Seeing his reaction, Hacker laughed even harder.

“Oh, come on Finch, you do not need to look so traumatized! It is funny!” If there were no bars between him and Finch, there was no doubt that he would have smacked his back.

“This is torture.” He corrected with the same strangled voice, making both men let out another chuckle.

Blue wiped out a tear that had started to form between his irregular breaths before he calmed down to be able to form a coherent sentence. “By the way, I meant to ask...” He turned toward Hacker again who cocked his head to the side. “How are you back here? I thought you had managed to go out?”

“...” Hacker let out a nervous chuckle.

“... Seriously?” The unimpressed look Blue gave him spurred him into action.

“It’s not my fault if I can’t stop...” He grumbled under his breath. “I’ve been trying to, but it never works I always end up doing it again...”

The other shook his head in amusement. “It’s the gay in you doing that.” He stopped and his smile fell. “Well, as much as I like talking to you it must be time for me to go.”

The other’s smile fell as well, his eyebrows furrowed. “Right, can’t you come see me often?”

“I will try of course but while you are relatively harmless...” He turned to look at another prisoner, the latter having their eyes set onto them all this entire time. “...Most people in that area aren’t.”

Hacker nodded, still seeming quite upset. “Yeah, I get it.”

Blue stared at his sulking expression before sighing, approaching and flicking Hacker’s forehead through the bars. The latter yelped, blinking as he put a hand on the affected area. “I will still try to come by, pook pook. Stop making that face.”

The latter smiled again. “Thank you, cutie pie. It is appreciated.”

Blue motioned for Hacker to get closer again and Finch watched with wide eyes as the former suddenly leaned in and planted a kiss on the corner of the other’s lips.

“I’ll miss you pookie!” Hacker waved before his hands bent to form a heart. Blue reciprocated the signs before walking away and disappearing around the corner.

“I... I am so confused.” Finch breathed out, making the criminal raise an eyebrow.

“About what?” He cocked his head to the side again, looking genuinely confused.

“What are you two??” Finch vaguely wondered if he should let Dream know about what he had just witnessed. But then again... a flashback of Hacker asking Blue how big the former was enough to halt the idea completely.

Unaware of the internal conflict, Hacker simply replied that they were best friends. “I guess you could say that we are exes too but our feelings for each other are totally platonic. We just flirt with each other because we find that funny. Plus...” He smirked at him. “It gives us inspiration to flirt with you two.”

Finch growled, his middle finger standing up. “Of course, you two would agree on something like that.”

“You’re so mean.” He dramatically sobbed as he faceplanted against his pillow.

Finch left after that, regretting every decision he had made until now.

[asukamood]

Hurt

***

Previous part — Next part

First part

This post is part of the Bad things happen series.

***

Warnings: Blood, graphic? depiction of injuries post-strangulation, huge and I mean huge Hacker angst

Ships: Background Drueswap (Dream x Blue), In progress Hinch

Synopsis: He frowned as he realized that this was Hacker’s cell. It was no wonder Blue looked so worried now.

“Hacker?” He was the only one occupying the cell from what his subordinate told him the last time he gave a report due to an incident earlier in the week. This type of thing happened often so he didn’t think much of it but now, he was regretting that bitterly.

No answer.

***

As Finch walked through the deserted corridors of the dungeons, he was starting to wonder just what pushed him to listen to Blue. He was indeed the one who told him to go check the cells at lunchtime and not Dream.

While his relationship with Dream did make him acquire certain privileges most wouldn’t have access to, there was no real obligation for Finch to obey Blue’s orders as he was not even part of the Justice Reigns organization to begin with.

So, there was no reason for Finch to be strolling around that area when all the criminals kept behind bars were absent for lunch.

But something about how Blue had approached that whole situation was... odd to say the least. Which prompted him into action.

***

“I see...” Dream looked lost in thought after a moment before nodding and turning his attention back to Finch, who was standing in front of his desk, his back as straight as an I. “Thank you for informing me of this, you are dismissed.”

Finch bowed down before walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.

That Is when Blue appeared out of thin air beside him, almost causing him to punch him right in the face on instinct. He managed to restrain himself at the last second, stepping back as he released his breath. He apologized for getting in his way and turned around, ready to walk away, back to his duties.

“Finch.” Well, that was until Blue called him. Said one turned around again, his eyebrows furrowed as he responded to the call. He didn’t know what kind of thing the other would ask, no one really could actually.

“At lunchtime, please patrol the dungeons.” He had said. Finch was about to ask him why exactly but before he could utter a word, Blue stared at him with a certain look that made him shut his mouth.

He was tempted to refuse but the look of worry and nervousness Blue was wearing was both unusual and concerning, indicating that whatever he was supposed to find there was going to be quite a hassle to deal with.

“...Very well.” He finally said after a moment of silence, the other nodding before going ahead and opening the door to Dream’s office with a smile like nothing happened.

***

As he expected when he came here, nothing seemed to be out of place. Though, he had to admit that seeing the place so quiet and empty was quite unnerving to say the least. Most times, one could hear some criminals manically laughing at one point or just straight up fighting against one another but now, there was not a single noise coming from any cell.

Which was normal since said cells were empty.

Just as he was about to conclude that Blue must have been pulling a prank on him, he walked past a certain cell and stopped dead in his tracks.

While this one was as dead silent as the others, the same couldn’t be said about the emptiness all of them shared up until now. From where he was, he could clearly see that someone was lying on the bed under a blanket.

He took a look at the cell’s number.

851216

He frowned as he realized that this was Hacker’s cell. It was no wonder Blue looked so worried now.

“Hacker?” He was the only one occupying the cell from what his subordinate told him the last time he gave a report due to an incident earlier in the week. This type of thing happened often so he didn’t think much of it but now, he was regretting that bitterly.

No answer.

He frowned, repeating his name but louder this time.

Still nothing.

He looked at his watch and confirmed that he still had two hours before any criminal would come back to their cell, guards tailing after them. Then, he made sure that no one was around before swiping his card to unlock the cell. He waited a few seconds, the lock lighting up yellow before scanning his face before it finally clicked, the door slightly ajar.

He swung it open before closing it behind him, walking inside the cell with caution. Hacker wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone physically even if he wanted to but there was no telling if a potential danger was lying near.

One could never be too cautious.

He shook the figure through the tissue. “Hacker. Answer me.”

His silence was starting to concern him before a groan reached his ears as the man shifted under the blanket to be laying on his back instead of his side. A hand gripped the end of the blanket before it was yanked down enough to let his face pop out.

Finch was momentarily taken aback at how terrible he looked.

His eyes were bloodshot red, the bags under his eyes so prominent that you would be forgiven for thinking it was make up. His eyes themselves were dull and unfocused, opposing the usual vibrance they would radiate normally.

“Mhm?” Finch’s frown worsened as Hacker didn’t add anything else.

“Why are you here?” When he looked at him in confusion, he quickly elaborated. “It’s lunchtime, you should be with the others eating.” He crossed his arms around his chest, vaguely hoping that he didn’t catch on to the concerned tone of his voice. Whether he noticed or not, he didn’t comment.

“I can’t.” Was all he said as his head lolled back against the pillow, his gaze unfocusing again. Finch had to snap his fingers in front of his face to get him to concentrate on his conversation, after he did, he prompted him to continue. “Punishment.”

“Punishment?” He repeated, his eyes wide. “For what?”

Hacker briefly glanced at him before closing his eyes. “For causing a ruckus.”

That logic was beyond Finch’s comprehension, but he decided to leave that topic for another time. “If that is true, then why has all the guards left you here on your own?” Finch vividly recalled Dream instructing them to never leave a criminal out of sight ever again since Hacker escaped for the first time.

“They weren’t worried about losing me, it’s not like I could move anyway.” He flatly responded, his eyelids fluttering shut every once in a while.

Finch raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Hacker sighed weakly before his foot moved... and the sound of rattling chains echoed in the empty cell. Finch walked over to the other end of the bed and lifted the blanket and sure enough, he was able to see with his own two eyes that an anti-magic chain was wrapped around Hacker’s ankles and attached to the bed to prevent him from moving.

“What the hell?” Finch muttered under his breath, a mix of emotions in his voice as his thoughts started racing.

Chaining a prisoner to their bed wasn’t an uncommon thing to do per se but everyone knew that only those who were a threat to the staff, or the lives of fellow inmates, were to get this kind of treatment. Moreover, even the most violent of them were allowed to eat.

Hacker was neither dangerous or violent, which only raised more questions.

Also, it was specifically stated in his files that he lacked a magic core to begin with, why were the anti-magic chains necessary?

“You said you were punished for causing a ruckus, what happened exactly?” And the fact he was not notified of this punishment taking place in the first place was odd enough.

Hacker took some time to reply. “Was sleeping.” He blinked a few times before continuing his sentence, voice hoarse. “Someone tried to choke me.”

Hacker scowled a little when Finch lifted the blanket off but otherwise did not try to stop him. It was Finch’s time to scowl as the first thing he noticed was the bruises that littered his neck. “Did none of them get you to the medical wing?” Hacker jolted as he stared at him.

“What?” He sounded drowsy.

“I said, did none of them get you to the medical wing?” He took a few seconds in which his breathing went funny before ultimately shaking his head.

Truth being told, Finch was frustrated at himself for not noticing that something like that might have occurred. Bloody red eyes, fainting, dizziness... those were all symptoms of the aftermath of a strangulation. He moved again to the other end of the bed and reached for Hacker’s ankles with the intent of getting the shackles off of him.

The idea was quickly halted though as he realized that he did not have the key required to unlock the chains. He could go to the safe and rummage through them to find it but by the time he would be done, everyone would have come back already and seeing a prisoner getting carried off to the medical wing without a proper reason would just create unnecessary trouble and rumors.

Plus, it has already been two days since he has been like this, he doubts that he could do anything without being able to take him to the medical wing. He cannot afford to move the entire team out of their workplace for this anyway.

He scratched the side of his head as he tried desperately to find something he could do without it bringing in more consequences.

He was so busy racking his brain over in search of a path to take that he did not notice Hacker starting to curl in on himself shaking. However, he did notice when the latter started coughing loudly into his hand, blood splattering onto the mattress through the holes of his hand.

Finch’s eyes widened, cursing.

He did not think it had gotten this bad already.

Be damn rumors, something had to be done about his state and now.

He guessed that he would deal with the consequences later.

He handed the other a tissue who took two seconds to notice it and another five to take it. Eventually though, he wiped his mouth and hand with it before Finch took it back and dumped it in the nearest trash can.

He looked at his watch. He had ten minutes left before the other prisoners came back from their lunch break.

“Hacker?” He turned toward him again, looking even more sleepy than he had been before. “I’m going to have to go, try to stay awake, okay?” At this point, Finch did not even care if the other noticed his worry, it was not the most important thing to keep anyway.

Plus, by the way that his eyelids were drooping, he doubted the other had enough awareness to even register different emotions in voice tones.

He waited for Hacker’s weak nod before he walked away.

***

He never thought he would ever actively search for Blue like this but here he was, standing in front of Dream’s door to ask about his whereabouts. He took a deep breath before he raised his fist and knocked on the door three times.

“Come in.” Surprisingly, it was the voice of the man he was searching for in the first place that answered him. He quickly grabbed the handle and opened the door, revealing Blue leaning against Dream’s desk.

The owner of said desk seemed to be absent.

“Dream had to go take care of something, but I have a feeling that you are here to see me instead, are you not?” Finch nodded, stepping closer.

“If you knew about Hacker, why did you not say anything earlier?” he asked, slightly angry but mostly confused. “And why did you not tell Lord Dream about it either?”

Blue sighed, before sitting on top of the desk and crossing his arms around his chest. “I knew you would ask that question eventually.” He looked Finch in the eyes.

“I couldn’t intervene directly, because I’m the reason he’s been targeted in the first place.”

[jaywaslost]

Themthemthemthemthemt h e m-

Transfer (BTH)

***

Previous Part – Next Part

First part

This post is part of the Bad Things Happen series.

***

I was planning to write this a little while later but since I’ve understood that many people were very fond of this series (especially on Tumblr) I’ve decided to prioritize that one instead.

If you have not yet seen the post entitled Target Syndrome, I advise you to go read it as it will enable you to understand some parts of this one-shot that could seem confusing otherwise.

Enjoy your reading once again!

***

Warnings: Implied past self-harm (not specified which)

Synopsis: “It won’t be of any problem.” A pause. “I... apologize about not being able to prevent this.” If he was initially talking to Randy, he was now looking at Hacker. He had never taken the time to apologize before, even if he felt like it was needed.

They stayed like that for a few seconds, looking each other in the eyes.

“...” Hacker eventually turned away. “You are not at fault.”

***

When Finch pushed the door to Hacker’s room open, he was met with three pairs of eyes looking at him. The first had two hazy dark blue irises blinking at him, barely processing his presence while the other two, narrowed, bright red and alert, snapped toward him.

He tilted his head down to show he was here in peace, resulting in Bobby and Randy relaxing.

“Hello.” He eventually said, the greeting soon shot back to him. “I’m glad that everything seems to be going well, have you had the time to talk?”

“Hacks keeps zoning out.” Bobby admitted, glancing worryingly at said man before turning his attention back to Finch. “But yeah, we were pretty much done with the main topics.”

“You seem to have something on your mind, son. Is there something you want to tell us?” Randy interjected, startling Finch. Was it that obvious or did Randy just have a knack for that sort of thing? He did remember Hacker mentioning an ‘uncanny accuracy’ when it came to guessing whether he or Bobby had something to say to him.

“I just thought you would want to be informed of Hacker’s transfer.” As expected, that seemed to pique their interest. Even Hacker seemed to come back to focus, saying nothing but staring at Finch with an interested look, nonetheless. Finch brushed off the vague weird feeling he got as he realized he had never really heard the other being so silent.

“Where is he going to go? And when?” Randy asked immediately, Bobby adding that they better make sure nothing happens this time, a scary expression displayed on his face.

Hacker motioned for the two to calm down. “He didn’t even say anything yet, chill out.” Bobby turned to him, scratching his neck as he muttered an apology.

“It’s fine, I understand the concern.” Finch reassured, clearing his throat. “He should be moving as soon as he recovers to... erm...” As he was faced with the expectant look of the three others, Finch found himself thinking on how in the world he was supposed to say it without the whole dilemma sounding strange.

Finally giving up on it, he finally confessed that Hacker would be moved to his house.

Silence ensued, in which Bobby and Randy both turned to Hacker with the same pointed and warning look. Said man deadpanned at them.

“I can hardly make a normal conversation; do you think I have the capacity to start screwing around?” He hissed, irritated as he looked away. Finch was unsure whether he should see that as good news or unwelcome news.

“In our defense, you totally would.” Bobby retorted; his arms crossed around his chest.

“... Well, yeah I would but I am really not in the mood.” Randy just gave him pats him on the head, the younger man leaning into it.

“Could I trouble you to update us on Hacker’s condition once in a while?” Randy asked, choosing to ignore the conversation his two kids were having next to him. “I know you would be unlikely to do anything stupid, but I cannot help but worry still.”

“It won’t be of any problem.” A pause. “I... apologize about not being able to prevent this.” If he was initially talking to Randy, he was now looking at Hacker. He had never taken the time to apologize before, even if he felt like it was needed.

They stayed like that for a few seconds, looking each other in the eyes.

“...” Hacker eventually turned away. “You are not at fault.”

Finch was about to reply before Hacker started letting out painful noises, each one louder than the other. Bobby reached for his shoulder in concern, tapping it lightly as he asked him what the problem was. Randy soon joined him but neither of them received a response as Hacker just kept on cowering on himself.

Eventually though, he did manage to let out that it hurt, bad.

The rest of the conversation was lost as Finch had run out into the hallway, in search of an available doctor.

***

The medical team that had hurried into the room once they were informed of what was happening soon came out, whispering among themselves. Ignoring that part for now, Finch approached them.

“How is he now?” The doctor he was speaking to bowed to him once he recognized him before straightening back up.

“We have managed to stabilize him.” He answered, looking back into the room. “Although... He’s the prisoner who is due to be transferred soon, right?” Finch nodded, noting that Randy and Bobby had started listening to the conversation.

“We have discovered something that you would probably want to know.” Finch frowned, what did that look on their faces mean?

“Proceed.” He encouraged.

“Have you ever heard of the disease called ‘Target Syndrome’?” At these words, if Bobby tilted his head on the side with a confused look, Randy’s reaction was much more aggressive as he froze, horror on his facial features.

Not him too, please.

Finch’s frown deepened but he stayed calm as of now. “I have yes, are you sure about this information? A wrong diagnosis of a disease like that...”

The doctor waved his worry away with the back of his hand. “I am aware but there is no doubt about that, we have made a soul screening earlier and these results do not lie. Nothing but the Target Syndrome would cause a soul to look this way.”

“At which stage is he?” Randy suddenly interrupted, the doctor blinking as his widened eyes stared up at the man. How he managed to not see the giant named Randy was an enigma.

“I presume you are close to the patient?” After the confirmation, he seemed to think about it a bit more. “I should not tell you that information but since the situation is this peculiar, I’ll make an exception today. He’s somewhere between Stage 2 and Stage 3, though he is closer to Stage 3 than he is Stage 2.”

Finch and Randy both paled at that, turning Bobby’s confusion into even more concern.

His question answered, the medic turned back to Finch. “We have some leads as to the dosage of medications needed to be prescribed but since we still have our doubts about this method of recovery, we would like to favor the more... ‘casual method’ of recovery if possible. I am unaware of your opinion on this prisoner, nor do I care about what crimes have led him to be put in a cell, I am simply asking you to make sure he would at least be comfortable in this new location.”

He then glanced at Bobby and Randy; the former latched on to the latter’s arm as he continuously asked what that really meant about Hacker. “This does imply to make sure these three will be able to talk as often as possible. I am aware that some restrictions should be put in place but in order to revert to an earlier stage, contact with loved ones is mandatory.” A pause.

“If you are unwilling to do it for his health, do keep in mind that what you will be doing would be another milestone reaching toward the full comprehension of this awful disease that has led many to die in horrific conditions.” Finch nodded, not interrupting in fear of missing out on some information. After witnessing it firsthand, it was hard not to think of how horrible dying from this disease was.

He still wished he could have done something, anything, to help him.

“Is there anything else I should be wary of?” If he was going to do it, he wanted to make sure he would do it well. Maybe this time, he would be able to prevent the death of another friend.

“... You should keep anything that could be harmful to him out of reach, especially when he already has a history regarding such incidents.”

Finch’s eyes narrowed. “Understood.”

The doctor, after some more recommendations, finally left.

***

“Strangely, I’m not too surprised about your living room looking so... bland.” Finch frowned as he let his pupils travel the room. He had no idea what Hacker was talking about, his living room looked fine to him.

“Can we focus on more important matters?” He sighed as Hacker went to sit on one of his couches. Even if there was a slight limp in his footsteps, it was still relieving to see that he regained his ability to support himself enough to walk around. “How are you feeling?”

Hacker scoffed at the question. “What happened to the whole ‘I don’t talk to criminals’ attitude? Don’t tell me you are growing soft on me now of all times.”

That was something else Finch noted: his change of behavior. He sounded so much more bitter now.

“I am not. Is it that strange for me to inquire about your well-being?” The other glanced at him as he asked that, in search of any sign of mockery in Finch’s eyes. When he didn’t see any, he simply turned away from him.

“... I don’t know.” He shook his head, why was he acting like that now?

“Anyway,” Finch changed the subject, pointing at the staircase behind him. “Those stairs lead to the bedrooms. The first door on the right is a bathroom but the rest is free to use. You can pick any room you like; it doesn’t really matter to me.”

Hacker raised an eyebrow. “What about your bedroom?” Finch shrugged.

“I mostly just crash on the couch when I’m tired, so I don’t really have an assigned room.” The other gave him a skeptical look but did not comment further. “And over there--” He pointed toward a corridor. “--You can find the kitchen and another bigger bathroom. You are free to use anything in the kitchen as you would like and if you think you may be lacking in something, you can ask for it anytime.”

He nodded again, before pointing toward a computer left in the corner of the room. “What about this thing?”

“I was about to mention it. You can use it.” If Hacker looked numb before, the look of pure shock replaced it immediately.

“What? You’re not joking, are you?” Finch raised an eyebrow.

“When am I ever joking?” He retorted.

“Good point.” He looked happier than he did a few seconds ago, that was surely a good sign. He walked over to the other and handed him a little package.

Confused, Hacker took it and shot him a questioning glance. Finch’s only response was to tell him to open it. He did, not without shooting him a wary glance before his eyes lit up at the contents of said package.

“Is that...?”

“Your phone, yes.” Finch confirmed. “You are free to call Randy, Bobby and Blue as you please, though do keep in mind that I would be able to hear your conversation. I’ve also saved my number on your device, don’t hesitate to call me if you ever need it.”

“... That sounds too good to be true.” Hacker stated. “Are you sure there’s no catch? Like, I’m not going to be beheaded next week, right?” The combination of his voice cracking and the fear in his eyes earned him a horrified look from the officer.

“Of course not!” He exclaimed. “Nothing is going to happen to you, okay? You’re safe here.”

“...”

“I swear.” He quickly added, earning a sigh of relief.

“Okay... I trust you.” He slumped over the couch, his eyes beginning to droop. “Do you mind if I go take a nap? This whole transfer thing had my head spinning.”

“Not at all, go ahead.”

As Hacker closed his eyes, he vaguely remembered being wrapped in a blanket.

[jaywaslost]

Themthemthemthemthemt h e m-

Transfer (BTH)

***

Previous Part – Next Part

First part

This post is part of the Bad Things Happen series.

***

I was planning to write this a little while later but since I’ve understood that many people were very fond of this series (especially on Tumblr) I’ve decided to prioritize that one instead.

If you have not yet seen the post entitled Target Syndrome, I advise you to go read it as it will enable you to understand some parts of this one-shot that could seem confusing otherwise.

Enjoy your reading once again!

***

Warnings: Implied past self-harm (not specified which)

Synopsis: “It won’t be of any problem.” A pause. “I... apologize about not being able to prevent this.” If he was initially talking to Randy, he was now looking at Hacker. He had never taken the time to apologize before, even if he felt like it was needed.

They stayed like that for a few seconds, looking each other in the eyes.

“...” Hacker eventually turned away. “You are not at fault.”

***

When Finch pushed the door to Hacker’s room open, he was met with three pairs of eyes looking at him. The first had two hazy dark blue irises blinking at him, barely processing his presence while the other two, narrowed, bright red and alert, snapped toward him.

He tilted his head down to show he was here in peace, resulting in Bobby and Randy relaxing.

“Hello.” He eventually said, the greeting soon shot back to him. “I’m glad that everything seems to be going well, have you had the time to talk?”

“Hacks keeps zoning out.” Bobby admitted, glancing worryingly at said man before turning his attention back to Finch. “But yeah, we were pretty much done with the main topics.”

“You seem to have something on your mind, son. Is there something you want to tell us?” Randy interjected, startling Finch. Was it that obvious or did Randy just have a knack for that sort of thing? He did remember Hacker mentioning an ‘uncanny accuracy’ when it came to guessing whether he or Bobby had something to say to him.

“I just thought you would want to be informed of Hacker’s transfer.” As expected, that seemed to pique their interest. Even Hacker seemed to come back to focus, saying nothing but staring at Finch with an interested look, nonetheless. Finch brushed off the vague weird feeling he got as he realized he had never really heard the other being so silent.

“Where is he going to go? And when?” Randy asked immediately, Bobby adding that they better make sure nothing happens this time, a scary expression displayed on his face.

Hacker motioned for the two to calm down. “He didn’t even say anything yet, chill out.” Bobby turned to him, scratching his neck as he muttered an apology.

“It’s fine, I understand the concern.” Finch reassured, clearing his throat. “He should be moving as soon as he recovers to... erm...” As he was faced with the expectant look of the three others, Finch found himself thinking on how in the world he was supposed to say it without the whole dilemma sounding strange.

Finally giving up on it, he finally confessed that Hacker would be moved to his house.

Silence ensued, in which Bobby and Randy both turned to Hacker with the same pointed and warning look. Said man deadpanned at them.

“I can hardly make a normal conversation; do you think I have the capacity to start screwing around?” He hissed, irritated as he looked away. Finch was unsure whether he should see that as good news or unwelcome news.

“In our defense, you totally would.” Bobby retorted; his arms crossed around his chest.

“... Well, yeah I would but I am really not in the mood.” Randy just gave him pats him on the head, the younger man leaning into it.

“Could I trouble you to update us on Hacker’s condition once in a while?” Randy asked, choosing to ignore the conversation his two kids were having next to him. “I know you would be unlikely to do anything stupid, but I cannot help but worry still.”

“It won’t be of any problem.” A pause. “I... apologize about not being able to prevent this.” If he was initially talking to Randy, he was now looking at Hacker. He had never taken the time to apologize before, even if he felt like it was needed.

They stayed like that for a few seconds, looking each other in the eyes.

“...” Hacker eventually turned away. “You are not at fault.”

Finch was about to reply before Hacker started letting out painful noises, each one louder than the other. Bobby reached for his shoulder in concern, tapping it lightly as he asked him what the problem was. Randy soon joined him but neither of them received a response as Hacker just kept on cowering on himself.

Eventually though, he did manage to let out that it hurt, bad.

The rest of the conversation was lost as Finch had run out into the hallway, in search of an available doctor.

***

The medical team that had hurried into the room once they were informed of what was happening soon came out, whispering among themselves. Ignoring that part for now, Finch approached them.

“How is he now?” The doctor he was speaking to bowed to him once he recognized him before straightening back up.

“We have managed to stabilize him.” He answered, looking back into the room. “Although... He’s the prisoner who is due to be transferred soon, right?” Finch nodded, noting that Randy and Bobby had started listening to the conversation.

“We have discovered something that you would probably want to know.” Finch frowned, what did that look on their faces mean?

“Proceed.” He encouraged.

“Have you ever heard of the disease called ‘Target Syndrome’?” At these words, if Bobby tilted his head on the side with a confused look, Randy’s reaction was much more aggressive as he froze, horror on his facial features.

Not him too, please.

Finch’s frown deepened but he stayed calm as of now. “I have yes, are you sure about this information? A wrong diagnosis of a disease like that...”

The doctor waved his worry away with the back of his hand. “I am aware but there is no doubt about that, we have made a soul screening earlier and these results do not lie. Nothing but the Target Syndrome would cause a soul to look this way.”

“At which stage is he?” Randy suddenly interrupted, the doctor blinking as his widened eyes stared up at the man. How he managed to not see the giant named Randy was an enigma.

“I presume you are close to the patient?” After the confirmation, he seemed to think about it a bit more. “I should not tell you that information but since the situation is this peculiar, I’ll make an exception today. He’s somewhere between Stage 2 and Stage 3, though he is closer to Stage 3 than he is Stage 2.”

Finch and Randy both paled at that, turning Bobby’s confusion into even more concern.

His question answered, the medic turned back to Finch. “We have some leads as to the dosage of medications needed to be prescribed but since we still have our doubts about this method of recovery, we would like to favor the more... ‘casual method’ of recovery if possible. I am unaware of your opinion on this prisoner, nor do I care about what crimes have led him to be put in a cell, I am simply asking you to make sure he would at least be comfortable in this new location.”

He then glanced at Bobby and Randy; the former latched on to the latter’s arm as he continuously asked what that really meant about Hacker. “This does imply to make sure these three will be able to talk as often as possible. I am aware that some restrictions should be put in place but in order to revert to an earlier stage, contact with loved ones is mandatory.” A pause.

“If you are unwilling to do it for his health, do keep in mind that what you will be doing would be another milestone reaching toward the full comprehension of this awful disease that has led many to die in horrific conditions.” Finch nodded, not interrupting in fear of missing out on some information. After witnessing it firsthand, it was hard not to think of how horrible dying from this disease was.

He still wished he could have done something, anything, to help him.

“Is there anything else I should be wary of?” If he was going to do it, he wanted to make sure he would do it well. Maybe this time, he would be able to prevent the death of another friend.

“... You should keep anything that could be harmful to him out of reach, especially when he already has a history regarding such incidents.”

Finch’s eyes narrowed. “Understood.”

The doctor, after some more recommendations, finally left.

***

“Strangely, I’m not too surprised about your living room looking so... bland.” Finch frowned as he let his pupils travel the room. He had no idea what Hacker was talking about, his living room looked fine to him.

“Can we focus on more important matters?” He sighed as Hacker went to sit on one of his couches. Even if there was a slight limp in his footsteps, it was still relieving to see that he regained his ability to support himself enough to walk around. “How are you feeling?”

Hacker scoffed at the question. “What happened to the whole ‘I don’t talk to criminals’ attitude? Don’t tell me you are growing soft on me now of all times.”

That was something else Finch noted: his change of behavior. He sounded so much more bitter now.

“I am not. Is it that strange for me to inquire about your well-being?” The other glanced at him as he asked that, in search of any sign of mockery in Finch’s eyes. When he didn’t see any, he simply turned away from him.

“... I don’t know.” He shook his head, why was he acting like that now?

“Anyway,” Finch changed the subject, pointing at the staircase behind him. “Those stairs lead to the bedrooms. The first door on the right is a bathroom but the rest is free to use. You can pick any room you like; it doesn’t really matter to me.”

Hacker raised an eyebrow. “What about your bedroom?” Finch shrugged.

“I mostly just crash on the couch when I’m tired, so I don’t really have an assigned room.” The other gave him a skeptical look but did not comment further. “And over there--” He pointed toward a corridor. “--You can find the kitchen and another bigger bathroom. You are free to use anything in the kitchen as you would like and if you think you may be lacking in something, you can ask for it anytime.”

He nodded again, before pointing toward a computer left in the corner of the room. “What about this thing?”

“I was about to mention it. You can use it.” If Hacker looked numb before, the look of pure shock replaced it immediately.

“What? You’re not joking, are you?” Finch raised an eyebrow.

“When am I ever joking?” He retorted.

“Good point.” He looked happier than he did a few seconds ago, that was surely a good sign. He walked over to the other and handed him a little package.

Confused, Hacker took it and shot him a questioning glance. Finch’s only response was to tell him to open it. He did, not without shooting him a wary glance before his eyes lit up at the contents of said package.

“Is that...?”

“Your phone, yes.” Finch confirmed. “You are free to call Randy, Bobby and Blue as you please, though do keep in mind that I would be able to hear your conversation. I’ve also saved my number on your device, don’t hesitate to call me if you ever need it.”

“... That sounds too good to be true.” Hacker stated. “Are you sure there’s no catch? Like, I’m not going to be beheaded next week, right?” The combination of his voice cracking and the fear in his eyes earned him a horrified look from the officer.

“Of course not!” He exclaimed. “Nothing is going to happen to you, okay? You’re safe here.”

“...”

“I swear.” He quickly added, earning a sigh of relief.

“Okay... I trust you.” He slumped over the couch, his eyes beginning to droop. “Do you mind if I go take a nap? This whole transfer thing had my head spinning.”

“Not at all, go ahead.”

As Hacker closed his eyes, he vaguely remembered being wrapped in a blanket.