Run In (Tag: Buddy)

It was late. The library was closing. Xion yawned to herself as she gathered up her belongings and headed back to her dorm room. Her very quiet room, because her roommate was never around. It was good for Xion she supposed, since she could work as late as she wanted on her little robot. But it was also very lonely. She put the last of her books in her backpack and heaved it onto her back. As she rounded a corner, she ran headfirst into someone, had apparently been doing the same thing she had been - and heading home. Xion was knocked off her feet and because she hadn't zipped up her book back her books spilled out.

Buddy had been walking around the island, just trying to keep his mind off the ginger and the brunette, not to mention the kid... and the annoying roommate was now only an added trouble. It was almost closing time when he had entered the library: well, he was passing by and he figured he could as well check out the books and see if he could find something interesting. He quickly gave a look at the psychology section and wasn't really surprised to find out he knew and had read already the best part of those books, but when he managed to find a book he still hadn't read he decided to take it: might as well be garbage, but since it was about repressed memories... well, it could as well come in handy. He was already walking away when, turning a corner, he bumped against something or rather someone with a pile of books that scattered all over the floor "Hey watch it" was his comment, massaging his head that had been hit by one of the flying books.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Xion squeaked out when she heard the tone of the man she had bumped into. She scrambled to pick them up, shoving them back into her back pack. Warily she looked up at the stranger. So far everyone seemed friendly enough on the island, but she had a sinking feeling by how angry he looked, he wasn't going to be too forthcoming. "Are you okay?" she asked when she saw him rubbing his head. The large tome that had hit him had been something related to robotics and was naturally thick and very heavy.

"Yeah, whatever... I'm fine..." he grumbled grumpily as he started moving away, recovering his book and not even bothering to help the girl with hers: it wasn't his fault if she was getting so many! His eyes slipped lazily on the titles of the books, capturing some stuffs about geeky things and robotics... not even thinking about that, more for the habit of knowing and intruding, he slipped in her mind as to find the reason why she was reading such volumes: was she studying the subject? Was it related to her power? Was that a hobby? He had already started leaving, since even to find such answers he was sure he would take just a matter of seconds, but as he entered her mind he stopped: what the hell? "What is wrong with you?" he asked in surprise, turning toward her: what the hell was going on in her mind? Nobody could have such vivid memories... nobody could remember so much!!!

"That's good. I should have been paying better -" She frowned when he asked what was wrong with her. Her head started to hurt a little and she blamed it on the alarmed tone he had taken. "T-There's nothing wrong with me," she said defensively. She picked up her last book and hugged it close to her chest. She glared at him for even accusing her of something like that. Maybe calling him out on it wasn't such a good idea and she could already feeling her momentary burst of courage wavering under the look he was giving her.

"Sure there is something wrong. Nobody can remember stuffs like that!" he replied without any intention to give up, approaching her again and cornering her: oh, he had no intention to let her go now! What kind of weird toy had he just found? She was more or less his own height, and she looked quite weaker than him, so trapping her if she tried to leave wouldn't be a problem at all... But he really couldn't let her go now! And he had no intention to exit her mind either: it was like a luna park! Everything looked so bright, so present... it didn't look like a memory, it was like it had just happened, like it was all happening now... what was that sorcery???

Xion backed up, away from this bizarre boy. He was really starting to scare her. How did he know about her panamnesia? She normally had to tell people she had it for them to know. Yet he knew. He was talking about it in a way that was distinctly uncomfortable and reminded her of her father. Her head started to throb. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"I'm just taking a look..." he replied absentmindedly with an amused grin: gosh that was interesting! He could actually see her whole life, like... everything! Litterally everything was there, bright as new! Now it couldn't be... "Are you even human? Or some sort of machine half human half robot..." he asked, starting to check her out, still without touching her

Xion dropped her books to grip her head. The pain was starting to bring tears to her eyes. Now her head was really starting to hurt. She could finally feel his mind probing hers. It felt awful, like someone was pawing through her very being. By having him go through her memories, it brought to front the worst of the ones she had managed to tolerate. She had to get away. She had to get him to - "Stop!" She shouted.

He looked at her bewildered, even if he still didn't leave her head: was he hurting her? How? he was just looking around, he still hadn't touched anything... was she imagining the pain? Was she just overreacting? Or was she really hurting because her mind was just that weird? The last one couldn't he counted out... He actually did give her a break, he didn't want to break that nice new toy just yet, but as he exited her mind he got even closer to her, forcing her against the wall and lifting her chin with one finger "Now tell me, little one... what exactly are you?"

Xion bit her lip. She closed her eyes tightly. All those memories she had done so well just ignoring, he brought them all to the surface so she had to see them all at once. All those times her dad put her on display in competitions, all those times her mom went without because her dad spent all the money on whores and booze, the bullying kids put her through in school, the lonely nights she had because her parents were arguing and her brother was off serving the marines. "Don't touch me!" Xion demanded, the hurt and anger bled through her tone. She pushed him back. If there was one thing Zack had taught her, it was that self defense was important. She was already afraid though. It was a false bravado. "I don't have to tell you anything!"

Fiesty little thing... pity for her, this only amused him more, and didn't really impressed him. Especially cause he might even have been short, and not the strongest man alive, but he still knew a couple of things about how to catch or hit someone... As she pushed him back he stepped right back toward her, keeping her between himself and the wall. Ignoring her answer, or better lack of it, he went on, an amused, devilish grin on his lips "Well, why don't we make an experiment? Why don't we try and see what happens if we take away a memory or two, uh? Wouldn't you like to forget some of those nasty memories?" he asked temptingly

Xion could feel the wall against her back, the way he had her cornered scared her. Most of all it made her want her brother to be there. The one time she actually needed him to step in and he wasn't around. Why couldn't he have scared this man off and not Tadashi? "N-No," she squeaked out. "Don't! Stay out of my head!" Her memories were fine just the way they were, yes some of them were bad but who didn't have bad memories? She wasn't a guinea pig for this person. He had no right to meddle with her mind just because he had the ability to do it. However when she tried to voice that it seemed the thoughts had camped out in her throat and refused to come out.

"Really? You don't want to? But I've seen some pretty sad memories lying around in your pretty head..." he talked to her like talking to a pet, to a small child: he didn't really want to harm her but... that was just too precious! Whatever she was, her mind was such a mysterious, precious thing! Such a shining jewel, and it was attracting him like shining objects would attract magpies. Uncaring if she wanted such attentions or not, he moved some hair away from her eyes "So what should it be?" he asked, sneaking once again in her mind, trying to be more gentle this time and see if that would hurt nonetheless

Xion did little more than shake her head. She didn't want this. She didn't need her memories 'corrected' or 'altered'. She should have told him that just because he had the powers to do something, it didn't mean he should use it on whomever he pleased. She screwed her eyes shut. If this was just like any of the incidents when she was bullied, if she just ignored him, he would lose interest and move on.

Well, she looked scared, which was normal, but she didn't look in pain. That was definitely a good sign... So... what could he tinker with? He could take away something... no! Even better... A far better idea hit his mind: Working with meticulous patient and care, he started forming in her mind a new memory, a simple, believable one, trying to make it as real and shining as the other ones. He just tried to implant a memory of them meeting on her first day, a nice meeting, a meeting where she would have taken a liking on him... he had learnt that, taking details from other memories, he could easily make the memory more beliavable so it was easy: he just had to take himself from the current memory, the setting from the recent memories in the island, for the feelings he could borrow and copy the ones she had on the first meeting with a shy japanise guy... and the game was done... now he only had to check it it would work...

Xion slowly brought a hand up to her head, partially covering her face from his view. She exhaled slowly a few times, shakily at first but then it leveled out. Her shoulders slacked, her expression became a little less frightened, and eventually her hand dropped. "W-What?" she asked in soft confusion.

Her head was hurting again. Nothing that was crippling but just enough to be annoying. She opened her eyes and peered up at him tentatively. This was the strangest feeling she had ever had before. She had two 'first meetings' for this man. One of them was fairly pleasant. She had enjoyed his company and they had laughed. He made her feel like her powers were normal for once in her life - something even her brother couldn't do. But then the second 'first meeting' she had been afraid, so petrified and she had tried to get away from him. The memories varied so differently. But both of them seemed like they were right.

Perfect!!! Buddy's expression was simply delighted: it worked!! She bought it!!! She actually believed that that one was a real memory!! And awww the poor thing was really confused now... well, who couldn't blame her? She was remembering two first meetings... well, he just had to take care of that: he just had to take away the less pleasant meeting and make sure she would remember only the nice one. He immediately moved to take away the memory but, oddly enough, it looked like it was stuck in there... he had to force his power quite a lot, and quite roughly and, after a moment, he didn't even care anymore if that could hurt her.

Xion couldn't fight back the whimper that left her when Buddy tried to forcibly make her forget that their second 'first' meeting hadn't gone so smoothly. She cringed as a surge of pain made itself known. "S-Stop!" she pleaded. Her hands went back to her head as if to contain the pressure she felt. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Please stop!" The part of her he had manipulated told her she could trust him, he knew what he was doing, but the more logical half screamed no. This was wrong! She hadn't wanted this. "Get out of my head!"

"Don't worry, pet, it will just take a minute..." he said in a sweet tone, caressing her head in a gentle, sweet way: it would have almost looked like a tender gesture if it wasn't that he was mentally violating her! With a last, stronger pull he managed to take away the memory from its rightful place, and he had to create a mental safe just for the occasion to lock in the memory since there was no other lost memory in her mind! Now, if so far he had hurt her, that surely would be painful for the girl, and it possibly made her head spin... even fainting now was a possibility, but, well... that wasn't a big deal... if she did faint, he could just take her to the infirmary, and the best part was: now she would most likely trust him...

He didn't listen to her. Why wouldn't he listen to -? Her head felt like it was splitting in half. She leaned her head forward. Nothing she did alleviated the pressure she felt. A few tears leaked past her eyes, which at some point she had screwed shut once again. She tried to keep her breathing steady but even that wasn't working. And as soon as the memory was sealed away, Xion went slack against the wall, sliding down until she was slumped against it. She had passed out.

He managed! He actually managed to alter her oh so brilliant, incredible mind! His new toy was reacting to his power and that was just thrilling! Sure... there were consequences... as he managed to lock away the real memory, the girl passed out but, before she could hit the ground, he caught her in his arms. He carried her out of the library in almost a loving way, taking her to the infirmary where she entrusted her to the care of a Baymax, only saying she passed out in the library without adding anything else. He was almost tempted to tinker more with her mind but... no... before he could even start he stopped himself... that was such an interesting toy and, oh the possibilities! But was he really willing to tinker around with the girl's mind? He would sign her fate... that was quite a heavy decision... and he wasn't sure he wanted to do that... before she could wake up, he walked away and back to his room.