[log] Escalation of aggression [closed]

[bookofnope]

Characters: Beckett and Zack, later Brian, Jade, Angel, Rhys
Location Fire station (building 242)
Date: Days 148/149
Summary: Beckett and Zack's long-standing disagreement escalates. The Vampire Protection Squad arrives to the tune of some Bad Life Choices.
Warnings: Violence. Blood. Probably blood drinking. Will add more if needed.




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[bookofnope]

[How nice for Zack to have burned it off. Beckett hasn't. He's still furious, crumpled as he is on the floor. The lost control. The aborted feeding. The blasted ease with which he was eventually forced down... if he could physically get up, he'd be at Zack's throat again. His face says as much, unmistakable.]

"You started it" - bloody child - [He twists himself into a tighter ball as the coughing flares again, fights it and fights to raise himself on one hand, at least sit up and spit out the remnants of blood in his mouth. ]

This is what I get for trying to warn you... stay away. I'm not your bloody prisoner.

[But he's not going to offer much resistance, either. At least he knows about preserving his strength, even if it's just for the next go he's still hoping to have.]

[heroproceeding]

[ The 'child' remark earns an eye roll at this point. Wounded but still trying to get under his skin, regardless. Zack huffs as he gives him a sideways glance, unimpressed. ]

No- you aren't my prisoner. But I sure as hell don't trust you to be civil right now. Especially after you just went after me.

[ He gestures widely with a hand as if waving away the whole thing. ]

But go ahead. Get on my case. The only child I see right here though? Is you because you're pissed you got floored in the end. Just as you're gonna be pissed when I do this.

[ Zack doesn't hesitate at this point as he catches him by the arm with the intent to lead him over to said firepole. Whatever resistance he fights back against, patience still utterly gone at this point. ]

[bookofnope]

[You damn well bet he is going to be pissed. He tries to growl, but just ends up scraping his own throat with the sound, squeezing out more air than he can spare. He tries to snap at the hand grabbing him, but his head swims with the quick hard gesture and it's over before he knows it. Cuffed to the bloody pole. It's not the most humiliating position he'd been in by far, and Zack is not the most humiliating foe to ever put him through it, but that doesn't mean his pride doesn't smart. He's gotten so bloody weak.

The smart thing would be to sit down, get some strength back. So of course he doesn't. He crouches, still blazing the readiness of a threatened, cornered animal, all despite his labouring breath. The one thing Zack isn't going to get is concession.]

I'm sure you've very proud of yourself. What a stunning achievement. It's not every day a soldier backs a man into a corner and uses an existing condition against him. Or is this how you usually win your fights?

[That's right. Can't punch him in the face? Punch him in the honour.]

[heroproceeding]

[ Now cuffed to the pole and out of his hands, Zack deflates somewhat as he steps back. The right thing to do would be to check those ribs of his, but with how on edge Beckett is at the moment, he's probably better off waiting. It's not as if he can do much about broken ribs anyway. Most of it's just a matter of sit and wait, especially with Eve out of the picture.

That leaves dealing with his shoulder which is about as pleasant of an idea as sticking his hand in one of those holes back during those "repairs". He doesn't bother looking back at Beckett as he removes his back and other things, dropping them against the wall a ways from the other man. ]

And last time I checked, you were telling people to use it.

[ He leaves it at that for now while he continues to peel out of his clothing. His coat drops first, revealing the bloody mess that's now his shoulder. It coats the white shirt underneath which is also now ripped and torn where the thin fabric used to cover the skin there. With a sigh, he peels that off, too, muffling the protesting grunt of pain as he does so. Better not to give Beckett the pleasure of hearing that.

Doesn't really stop the short hiss that comes from him, regardless, as he inspects the area with fingertips. Looks like his uniform top was wrecked in the process, too, though not as badly with how it had bunched. Not that that's saying much when most of the sleeveless turtleneck has far too many holes in it to go with the parts that are oddly sewn over.

He's definitely going to have to clean and treat this wound before it gets worse. Even if it means leaving Beckett for a time to deal with it in the bathroom. Picking up his pack, he comments maybe a bit too casually: ]

Stay here and don't try anything stupid.

[ Like trying to pull out of those cuffs because he's sure that'll really help Beckett, what with the state he's in already. ]

[bookofnope]

Use it in case I could not be reasoned with. Somehow you seemed to have skipped the reasoning.

[No, he did the exact opposite. Pushed and pushed and asked for this, and Beckett would never tell it otherwise. He has so little pride left, he curls up around the last of it like a wolf about a wound, and even the slightest jarring gets a flash of red teeth. And very much the same for his sanity.

He doesn't try the cuffs. As it happens, the moment Zack starts examining the bite wound, Beckett is transfixed to the view. The torn flesh and the blood that still oozes from it. Part of it is enjoying the sight of the damage he'd dealt; he doesn't even try to deny that to himself. Another is the blood. Still the blood.]

You realise, [he growls in a low voice,] that if you continue to give me this show, I may not be able to help what I try. I could get free of those if if my control slips again.

[heroproceeding]

And that's more than one reason why I'm off to clean it up in the bathroom. Shiva.

[ He's not as dense as Beckett might think. He'd seen that look. That odd fixation. Nothing good could come of that. That he's well aware of. Doesn't change the way he tiredly huffs as he walks by him and off into the other room to deal with it. Over his shoulder, he huffs. ]

And like I could ever get any reason out of you. You wouldn't have listened to me anyway. [ He pauses maybe a bit suddenly in step. ]

You know what though? You might think you've got all the reason to look down on me, but I'm not the one losing my temper and eating people's fingers. But I guess I should'a expected that, huh?

[ He doesn't stay for an answer though, already starting off again to disappear into the bathroom for a time. Maybe not just to clean himself up and bandage things so much as not deal with Beckett for a while. ]