Ian heard the footsteps, and gave a short sigh, having an idea of what was coming.

[color=Gold]"Let's take a rain check on this conversation for another day."[/color] Ian whispered just as the first shot rang out, a sharp pain blossoming in his leg, followed by another in his other leg.As he fell to the floor, he didn't let out so a single sound, aside from a small chuckle when Lorenzo threw his own words back at him. Obviously he thought Ian considered himself separate from humanity, but Ian knew better than anyone that he was as human as they come. He'd just learned to suppress it better.

Ian took all the abuse that Lorenzo dished out silently, thee only tears being shed were those of blood from his wounds, the only whimpers heard being those of his bones as they cracked ever so slightly. This wasn't the first time that Ian had suffered a beating nor his first time getting shot, and for a moment, he thought that he was back home on Turok; getting the shit kicked out of him for stealing from one of the gang members that littered the planet. They were always so confident, believing that nobody could touch them, that it was almost impossible for him to find easier targets if he tried. But then Lorenzo shook him out of his mind by shooting him in the ear, the loud sound bringing him back to the present day. Lorenzo comment earned him nothing more than a hollow look, which is probably why he deemed it necessary to launch another kick to Ian's face.

Ian just laid on the ground, eyes looking up as he fought the urge to make this bad situation even worse. Ian Blackwood didn't care if he lived or died, just as long as he got to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted when he did end up biting the dust . . . but the boy from the slums wasn't so willing to jump into the eternal void, and held Ian's tongue for him. The boy took over the body, welcoming the familiar pain of bruising and gunshots. 

[color=Silver][i]Looks like no matter where we go, home always comes to find us, huh Ian.[/i][/color] The boy chuckled as he whispered into Ian's mind, finding the predicament to be hilariously familiar. [color=Silver][i]I wonder what that man would think, for him to save you you from one abusive gang only for you to fall head long into the clutches of another. And did you here what he said, your sister's alive . . . or would you prefer if I used the term that you gave to Serah, 'crush' was it? I'm pretty sure that it's looked down upon to love your sister like that, even if you aren't related by blood.[/i][/color]

[color=Gold][i]Doesn't matter[/i][/color] Ian replied, wondering if when he'd be rid of this side of himself, though deep down he knew the answer would be never. The boy was, and would always be, a part of him, the boy was his humanity in all of it's dark glory and Ian couldn't despise it anymore if he tried.[color=Gold][i]The past doesn't own me, and it never will. I never look back, remember.[/i][/color]

[color=Silver][i]I remember that you keep saying that, that you keep thinking it, but you and I both know that it's not the truth. You just say that to keep what little sanity you have, same with that facade of a smile you wear all the time. Serah has no idea what you're truly like, when you're all alone and nobody's watching.[/i][/color] Laughter filled his ears, a hollow ringing laughter that resonated bothersomely in his mind. [color=Silver][i]Lorenzo called you a Princess, but that doesn't even come close to describing your fragility. We've always been nothing but an empty shell, a delicate parasite that feeds off the energy of others to stay sane. By yourself, you're nothing but a sad lump of flesh. Who are you going to talk to tonight, I wonder?[/i][/color]

[color=Gold][i]Drop the act[/i][/color] Ian growled,[color=Gold][i]You're the only person I can talk to at night here.[/i][/color]

[color=Silver][i]True, sucks to be you, doesn't it? I'd hate to have a voice talk to me all the time when I'm alone, it's a sure sign that you've got some screws loose. Try and sleep tight, unless you want to expend the effort to respond to whoever try's to talk to you now. Probably going to tell you you're an idiot, have some major balls, or both, though I'd put mu money on the first one. Oh, and I'm done taking the pain for you, but I doubt that it matters much though, we've felt and dished out worse. Much worse.[/i][/color] The boy's presence faded back into Ian's subconscious, allowing Ian to be aware of his surroundings again, and feel the pain coming from pretty much everywhere. He was surprised that Lorenzo hadn't gone for a crotch shot while he'd been at it, he seemed like the type, but maybe it just hadn't crossed his mind. 

Ian tried to move a little, but immediately stopped as it was quickly apparent that it was a bad idea. While he could move his arm and legs well enough, they were in no condition to have any weight placed on them whatsoever. The pain was intense, but the boy had been right that it wasn't the worse pain he'd ever felt, far from it in some cases. The most annoying thing was his ear, in which he could now here an incessant ringing noise. [color=Gold][i]At least I can still hear from that ear, though probably not as well.[/i][/color]

Okay, so this day had gone from good, to bad, to good again, to bothersome, to finally being very nostalgic in the worst possible way. The only bright side he could see to this, and he probably shouldn't be thinking this, was the joke that Lorenzo made at the very end. Ian, being a lover of classic Earth music and memorabillia, couldn't help but chuckle at the reference. What could he say, funny was funny, and he had a morbid sense of humor at times. 

[color=Gold]"Heh, good one."[/color] He muttered under his breath in a pained grunt, passing the time until somebody decided to help him by watching to rivulets of his blood race across the floor, trying to mentally will the smaller, thinner rivulet to move faster. It was going to lose at this rate, dammit . . .[color=Gold][i]Okay,I wish someone would hurry up and take me to the med-bay or something already, the mixture of pain and blood loss is stating to mess with my head.[/i][/color]

[@Thanatos]