seekevolution | The Amulet

There's no stir in Mohinder, but how can there be when he's pumped with so many drugs it's a wonder he's still alive. Actually... It looks like he only is alive because of other chemicals they have shooting into him.

Tony isn't a doctor, but he knows the cocktails keeping Mohinder under and his heart beating is Bad News Bears. It's pretty much criminal.

Bruce brushes a hand over his friend's forehead, staring down at him. He stands there for a long few minutes, only looking at what they are pumping into him. They are forcing him into not just a coma, but something just above death to keep his brain under control.

His voice is calm, frighteningly so, when he finally speaks. "I will not let them do this, Tony." His hand is still gentle on Mohinder, but his eyes are anything but gentle. "I am going to take him from here. /Now/."

Hold your horses, Banner. Tony swings around, dropping a chart, and presses his hand firmly against Banner's mouth. "There's a way to do this," he says, knowing Fury is probably gathering an army. "I don't think storming out of here is the best way to do it."

Yo. Green eyes. Time to dial it back five or six notches.

"Let me do this. I'm sending you back to Manhattan. And you really should go. I'll bring Hot and Spicy back with me." His smile is patient. Affectionate. "Trust me on this."

Tony is one of only two people in the world that could get away with that motion and not be dead on the floor a moment later. The Hulk likes him, trusts him, because Bruce does. He stares into Tony's eyes, his own flaring green and dark. Yet even as he stares, he's clearly trying to bring it back under control.

A slow breath. "I can't leave without him. He wouldn't without me." He doesn't care if Mohinder can control him with a thought. This is his friend and what SHIELD has done he isn't sure he can forgive. They could have put Mohinder somewhere safely away from those he could control but instead they do this!

"He would if it was the only way," Tony tries again. "Wait in the plane at least. I need to talk to Fury and you're too close to this." His hand's moved to Bruce's shoulder. He squeezes ever so lightly. "It's a mea culpa. Plus, I have some dirt to use. And you need to calm down and get a list of things I'll need to make sure I ask for."

He'll wrap Suresh up nice and neat, but only if you don't Hulk Smash the shit out the lab, okay? There's no way Tony will walk out of here with Suresh that way.

Bruce focuses on the hand on his shoulder. He focuses on Tony's voice. He focuses on the slow sound of Mohinder's breathing.

"...okay. I'll wait there for you." But even with the calmer tone, calmer eyes, there is a soft promise that he will only do this because he trusts Tony to figure out a way to be able to bring Mohinder from this.

It's pretty amazing what threats and smiles can do. Tony's gone only three hours when a group of six men carry Mohinder on a stretcher into the plan and leave. Tony follows, whistling and air drumming a solo. Yep, he's pretty stoked at his negotiation techniques. "We've got two weeks."

Bruce and Tony get Mohinder to the plane, and Bruce makes sure he is secure before take off. He barely waits for them to level off before he's back at his friend's side. "I owe you, Tony. Thank you... Thank you." There is a look back at Tony that is full of gratitude. He's had time to calm down.

"You do owe me," Tony says with a laugh and then heads up to the cockpit. He'll just let Banner sit there with Mohinder for awhile as he pulls him out of the drug induced coma he's in.

Tony isn't exactly all smiles. Banner had been right about the jealousy.

Bruce works quickly, quietly, to get Mohinder towards consciousness. When he's sure he has it going, he sits beside him, watching him with worry. Anything could go wrong right now, could turn for the worst when it comes to drugs this strong, and to say that Bruce is worried is an understatement.

He'll deal with the jealousy later, when he can handle it better.

"Mohinder..." Quiet, waiting for any sign of his rousing from sleep.

Tony has a super-sized ego. He probably has a super-sized jealousy issue too. That's not going to be fun.

But at least Bruce doesn't have to dwell. Mohinder stirs, chin lifting and long limbs stretching. He mutters something unintelligible, likely in Hindi, and lifts a hand towards his forehead.

Bruce lets out a breath of relief as Mohinder stirs. "Mohinder, it's Bruce. You are safe." Simple words, simple terms, trying to keep his friend from panicking when the other realizes he is here. "Take it slow."

Mohinder's not the brightest of men when it comes to anything outside of his particular scientific interests. He hears Bruce's voice and, soft as it is, his smile manifests across his lips.

"Bruce-- I don't mind telling you, I feel bloody awful..."

Bruce gives a little chuckle at that. "I imagine you do." Finally, something that seems more like the friend he knew. "I'm trying to fix that, but it takes time. Don't move too much; it wasn't easy figuring out how to counter what they did to you." The relief is clear in his voice.

What they did to you.

It takes a moment more before his smile slips from his face. His eyes look less drugged, sure, but more scared. He presses his lips together too. No talking. No more talking. He can't risk it. Think only in Hindi...

He'll just try not to hyperventilate.

Damn. Bruce takes a calming breath before he speaks. "Calm yourself. I told you that I trust you, and I mean it. I wouldn't have done this otherwise. We have two weeks with you and the amulet to figure out how to break this and we will. Do you remember what we did before? Tell me not to follow any command you give for two weeks, and you'll have to phrase a great deal as suggestions instead of commands so I can work with you."

To say that Mohinder trusts Bruce isn't an issue. He doesn't trust himself. "That--" His breath feels sour. Stale. How long has he been under? It feels like days. "It doesn't work," he whispers.

They'd started testing almost as soon as Bruce left. They put him in rooms with men and women, given him cards to read and--

Mohinder's seen people die before. But never like that.

He shakes his head adamantly.

Bruce would have reacted far worse if he knew what SHIELD had done. Maybe it's for the better he had no idea. "It worked before," he whispers. Why would it have changed? "We'll make this work. There is a limit on the range of the amulet. Even if we have to stay apart, no one else will have touched the amulet and you can be safe."

Mohinder reaches out to take Bruce by the wrist. His grip is loose, his touch cool. "Where's Molly?" he asks softly. He has been trying to hard to keep his cool. To keep himself from thinking. Obviously, he's too dangerous to be around his daughter but having no idea how long he's been out, anything could have happened to her. The rest...he'll find out about later. He might not be the girl's biological father and he might not have been looking out for her for all that long, but he at least has a good paternal instinct to protect her.

"I'm not sure. I will find out, I promise." A soft smile, trying to get his friend to calm down and steady himself. "Steady yourself. You won't affect anyone but me. You're rapidly putting distance between anyone else who touched the amulet. There is a limit on its effect."

That, at least, has a calming effect on him and Mohinder closes his eyes and exhales slowly through his nose. "Last week... I wish I could return to last week." He'd been happy, more or less, pining secretly (more or less) for Bruce. They'd had their project, Molly had a recital with her violin at a school she was doing so well at. Everything was fine.

And now--

"I believe I understand how you and how Xavier's lot feels now." Alone. So...very alone.

Bruce flinches, just a touch, from those words. He doesn't pull away any more though, sighing softly. "Mohinder, it will be okay. You can only effect a certain people and you're away from them right now, except for me. I need you to focus and work with me; you can't fallen into depression or darkness. I trust you, even if you trust no one else, even yourself. I know how that feels, and honestly I am probably being a hypocrite."

There's nothing that Bruce says that isn't one hundred percent true, but he can't help but be upset by it all. Breathing normally just isn't about to happen right now, not with tears slowly streaking down his cheeks.

"I do trust you," he promises. "I...can't thank you enough for coming for me."

"I couldn't leave anyone in that situation, nevermind a friend." Even if Mohinder decides to pull away from him, Bruce will always hold him as a friend. He gets up and finds a tissue box built into the plane itself, snagging a few before returning to press them into the other's hand. "We'll be landing in just a few hours, and I'll get you set up with us. There might even be enough distance between bedrooms and labs to be safe."

He's grateful. Sitting up, Mohinder tries to shake off the dizziness he feels, and gently dabs at his cheeks. He feels quite foolish but there is so very little he can do about that now. What's done is done.

He's very careful with everything he says, making sure everything that comes out of his mouth can not be misconstrued as a command. "Thank...thank you."

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Just pretend that's the look Tony is giving Bruce.

Re: Just pretend that's the look Tony is giving Bruce.

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