Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rhys couldn't catch his breath. It was endless, the amount of corners he had turned, hoping that he would not be led to yet another dead end. The walls around him seemed to warp, the maze growing more and more suffocating with every step he took. If only he could just find the damned exit!

He had already tried to use his ECHO eye to scan his surroundings, but the bastards who kidnapped him must have done something to him while he was out because everything was fried. There was only static and a godawful buzzing sound so he figured he was better off keeping it shut off. The noise would only distract him, anyway.

So here he was, sprinting down another hallway that looked just like every other hallway he'd come across. The same bland metal floors and reinforced steel walls that continued on forever, it seemed.

He'd realized that he was on some kind of detention level the moment he broke out of his--weirdly--comfortable holding cell. Rhys hadn't even been handcuffed or anything! It made breaking out a piece of cake, but it also put him on edge. It had been too easy. He was painfully aware of the fact that whenever things went well for him, it was either a trap or a prelude to something worse. Most of the time, it was both of those things.

He jumped and stumbled as a speaker crackled alive from above him. "Rhys! I'm so glad to see that you're awake! How's the eye, buddy?" 

Rhys screamed internally at the familiar voice. What was with corporate assholes finding ways to come back from the dead?

"Katagawa!" He seethed. "How the hell are you still alive? The Vault Hunter killed you--I SAW you explode into... a giant electrical stream of lights!"

His disbelief was met with a short laugh.

"Well, since you can still formulate sentences I'm going to assume the procedure was a success. Nice to see something finally go according to plan with you," Katagawa said.

Rhys loathed how his tone oozed of smugness. He could imagine him in some fancy office, staring into an abnormally large computer monitor and giggling at Rhys' terrible sense of direction every time he took a wrong turn. How long had he been watching him anyway? From the very beginning? He felt like such an idiot. Of course it wouldn't have been that easy to escape. Farewell, his (nonexistent) plan for a badass getaway. 

"Just answer the question!" He demanded, then paused for a moment. Katagawa's words slowly sunk in. "Wait. I have a better question for you... What do you mean "procedure"?" 

The mystery behind Katagawa's reappearance could wait.

"Oh, right! Let's just say that it's a gift. Not that you deserve one after what you did to me, but hey, I'm willing to look past that! If we both put a little effort in, we can finally work to become one big, happy family!" Katagawa assured him.

Rhys could only feel uncomfortable with how enthusiastic the other man sounded. After all that had happened, the psycho still thought there was a chance for a merge? He'd underestimated how far Katagawa was willing to go before to reach his goals, so who knows what he was planning this time. He was also well aware of how the creep had avoided his question yet again. 

He clenched his fist tight, glad that at least his cybernetic arm was still functioning normally. Maybe if he pretended to play along for a second, he could get a straight answer. God, he was going to regret this. He already did, and he hadn't even started yet.

"Katagawa. I'm sorry. For... destroying your pleasure yacht. And uh, ignoring all your calls and emails," Rhys struggled to say, but he couldn't stop now. That didn't stop him from hating it any less, though. "But how can I truly appreciate this... wondrous gift, that you've so graciously bestowed upon me, without knowing what it is?"

Just end it now, he thought.

There was a long silence on the other end, as if Katagawa hadn't actually expected him to apologize. He felt a small pang of victory at that. To think that his bullshit apology could really stun his arch enemy into silence was... nice, for once. 

Sadly, it didn't last.

"Rhys, buddy, I... I appreciate that," Katagawa took a shuddering breath before composing himself. "Apology accepted. I knew you would come around eventually. You just needed more time. As for your gift... well, I think it would be better if I just showed you what it does!"

Rhys had sacrificed his dignity for nothing. He wanted to roll over and cry, a lot. Despite that, he managed to summon some semblance of a response.

"Uh. Right. It's just, I don't really like surprises, 'ya know?" Rhys muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. 

Katagawa laughed. "Oh Rhy-ys, buddy, you won't be surprised for very long. You've had plenty of practice. It's all about muscle memory now!"

Rhys blinked up at the camera, confusion written over his face. "What... are you talking about-- " 

He heard the distinct click of a button through the speaker and all of a sudden, it felt like he'd been splashed with a bucket of cold water. His body suddenly froze, leaving him standing still, motionless. As if he were-- were--

"Come up to the sixty ninth floor ASAP, buddy, you're running late for an important meeting," Rhys didn't need to see it to sense the smirk Katagawa was no doubt sporting in that moment. "Trust me, Rhys. You don't want to miss it."

His left leg lifted by itself, taking a step forward. Then, his opposite repeated the same motion until they were both walking in unison. All the while, Rhys fought hard against the foreign control, distantly realizing that at some point, his ECHO eye had switched on by itself.

He no longer had control over his arms or legs. He'd been compromised. His eyes glanced around frantically, he tried to open his mouth to call for help, but nothing came out. He felt... like a passenger inside his own body. 

Something triggered in his brain and buried memories came crashing back down to him. The alarming feeling of fingers around his neck, a phantom pain, squeezing, a force he couldn't stop--wait, why couldn't he stop it! Nothing was working, he couldn't break free, and suddenly there was a voice-- this is what commitment looks like, you little--

Rhys blinked, suddenly finding himself in front of an elevator. The light of his ECHO eye flickered once, twice, and then the doors were opening. It was empty. As if anyone would have helped him anyway, he thought, feeling far away. Mechanically, his body stepped inside, moving to stand in the middle of the elevator. Rhys' flesh arm reached up to click the floor button and then, it was moving up. 

All he could do was watch helplessly as the floor numbers passed by. As he got closer and closer to... Katagawa. 

Why did these things keep happening to him? Was he just a walking, talking, psychopath magnet or something? Rhys could handle regular corporate assholes, that was easy. What he hadn't counted on was insane corporate assholes. Like Katagawa. He'd thought--no, he'd hoped--that line ended with Jack. But, he was wrong. Now, he had to find a shovel and dig himself out of the mess he'd found himself in this time.

If only he had a way to contact Zer0. Come to think of it, he couldn't figure out how Maliwan managed to capture him in the first place. Rhys remembered where he'd been before--in his bed, sleeping. So how did he wake up here? Unless there had been a security breach, but anyone getting past Zer0 was unthinkable. No one could get past Zer0, it was basically impossible. Still, the thought nagged at him. He forced himself to stop thinking about it.

Instead, he shifted his eyes back up to check the floor number just in time to see the counter land on the designated floor. The doors slid open and his body was on the move once again, with no hesitation.

Rhys couldn't turn his head to look around so he focused on what he could see of his surroundings from his direct field of view. He focused on the tacky Maliwan colors in each corridor and committed to memory every door that he passed. If he couldn't use his ECHO eye to help create a map, he would just do it manually.

When he came to a sudden stop in front of a shiny and expensive-looking door he automatically assumed it was Katagawa's office. (Rhys thought all Maliwan executives probably shared the same taste in crappy décor, but that was besides the point.) His eye did that weird flickering thing again and the door opened with a hum. If he'd been capable of making an expression, he would have put on his stern CEO face. Instead, he settled with glaring holes through the back of Katagawa's chair.

Upon hearing the telltale footsteps of Rhys's arrival, Katagawa swiveled around in his fancy chair, spreading his arms wide in greeting. "Rhys! I'm so glad you could make it, buddy. I hope you didn't have any trouble finding your way up," he said, innocently. 

God, I hate you. So, so much.

On the outside, Rhys stood motionless, but his eyes blazed with hellfire.

"You're stubborn, Rhys," Katagawa remarked, nonchalantly rising from his seat. He stalked closer, stopping about a foot in front of Rhys. "Do you know how difficult it was for my men to reprogram your ECHO eye? You set up some impressive defenses, buddy! But eventually, we found a way through."

Rhys directed his gaze to settle on an odd statue in the corner of the room. He already knew that Maliwan had hacked into his systems, that became glaringly obvious once he lost control of his limbs. He didn't need stupid Katagawa reminding him of it.

Katagawa suddenly snapped, fingers inches from his face. Rhys stared at the hand in bewilderment, then over to Katagawa's face. The weirdo was actually... pouting. It was disturbing. 

"None of that, Rhys! I'm just getting to the good part," Katagawa whined. "Trust me, you'll want to hear this! It's about your new gift."

Gift?! He wanted to shout. You're insane!

Katagawa placed his hands behind his back and slowly began circling around Rhys' still form. An intimidation tactic, Rhys guessed. It wouldn't work, he told himself. 

Yet, he wanted to jump out of his skin the moment Katagawa placed a gloved hand on his shoulder from behind. He had a backstabbing psycho literally at his back, how could he not be afraid? Rhys only hoped that he didn't have a knife hidden up his sleeve.

Even if he could move, Katagawa was trained with swords and he... had no experience with weapons at all, except for his trusty stun baton. He owned a gun, but he'd never actually used it. In hand to hand combat, he would get demolished.

All of a sudden, he felt warm breathing fan across his ear. He cringed, inwardly. When did Katagawa lean in so close? Of course he would have no respect for personal boundaries. Why would he? Fuck. He hated everything about this. 

"Your hair smells amazing, Rhys. You'll have to tell me what kind of shampoo you use later," Katagawa whispered, pressing closer against his back. He stayed like that for a long moment, before sighing and stepping back.

"Heh, I'm getting off track. Now," He shoved Rhys and he almost tripped over his feet. "Sit down. It's about time we put that gift of yours to good use, eh buddy?"

Rhys found himself moving over to Katagawa's chair, obediently taking a seat. Katagawa waltzed on over, deciding to stand beside him this time--thank God. He could really do without the hand on shoulder thing again, though. His own hands sat unmoving in his lap.

"After your defenses were completely broken down, we installed an exclusive Maliwan program into your ECHO eye. Pretty cool, right?" Katagawa grinned, motioning excitedly to Rhys's glowing eye. "But I didn't want control over just your cybernetics, so I proposed an idea. What if we took it a step further and installed the program directly into your brain? The procedure was risky, but I knew you would pull through!"

Suddenly, Rhys thought he was going to be sick. 

"I was right, as always. You took it like a champ, Rhys," he complimented. He patted his shoulder in a creepy show of camaraderie. Rhys wanted to grab the hand and tear it off. "Now, you are probably wondering why you're here. I'm sure you already know that by now, but go ahead. Take a look at my desk, buddy."

Rhys' eyes roamed over the desk, immediately fixating on the acquisition papers spread out in front of him. There was a single, black pen placed to the side. His eyes widened. He'd had a feeling, deep down, that Katagawa's ploy was all leading back to this. Even though he'd known that from the beginning, it didn't stop his eyes from watering up. The longer he stared at the neatly stacked paperwork, the more his thoughts began to run wild. Yet again, he was going to lose everything. Why must his ghosts always come back to haunt him? What higher being had he pissed off in a past life?

The hand on his shoulder tightened as Katagawa leaned over to peer at his face. Tears had begun to roll down his face, small droplets staining his cheeks. Rhys was usually better at containing his emotions, but now that the waterworks had started, he couldn't seem to switch them off. He couldn't even lift his arms to wipe them away. Katagawa was the last person he wanted seeing him cry like this, especially when he was the cause for it.

"I know this is hard for you, Rhys. But it's for the best, you'll see," Katagawa insisted, tone comforting. "Once the acquisition papers are signed and the merger is complete, you won't have to worry about anything anymore. I'll make sure of that."

Let me guess, by killing me afterwards? He thought, hopelessly.

Katagawa wiped off a stray tear, his finger lingering uncomfortably on Rhys' cheek before pulling away. "I think it's about time we finally got this over with. It'll be quick, like ripping off a bandaid! Go on, sign those acquisition papers, buddy."

It wasn't like ripping off a bandaid. 

As his hand reached for the pen, Rhys wished that at least his arm would be shaking in opposition - proof that he was trying his damndest to fight back against what was happening - but he wasn't even granted that much. Instead, his arm slid across the desk smoothly and seized the offending object between his fingers.

No, no, no! Knock yourself out or something! C'mon! Anything! He pleaded, willing his mind to turn itself off. Why couldn't he have the ability to force himself unconscious at will?! Godamnit!

When the pen touched the first page and ink began to seal his fate against his will, Rhys felt something inside of him shatter. He squeezed his eyes shut, retreating into the back of his mind to grieve for his company, life, and livelihood. It was funny (not really), how everything he'd worked so hard for could be taken away with just a line of ink here and there. He clung desperately to the knowledge that he'd started from scratch before, and that he could do it again if he had to. If he lived after this, that is... 

Rhys noticed that the pen in his hand had gone slack. He opened his eyes to see Katagawa scooping up the paperwork like a prized possession, hugging it to his chest tightly. The creep caught his eye and smirked.

"Welcome to the family, Rhys. Maliwan will take good care of you," he promised. "Now. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

His lips parted on command.

"You... " Rhys took a deep breath, trying to formulate a response after spending so much time alone with his thoughts. "You psychopathic maniac! Y-you altered my brain! What the hell is wrong with you?! You're crazy if you think you're getting away with this!"

Katagawa laughed. "Uh, Rhys, buddy? If these papers are anything to go by, I already have. As of today, all of Atlas has been officially absorbed by Maliwan."

"So now that you've finally got what you wanted, you're going to... what? Kill me? Is that about right?" He guessed. "Because I'm just a loose end now, aren't I? Someone you have to get rid of. I'm not that gullible. I know how these corporate takeovers go, Katagawa."

Katagawa waved a hand at him dismissively. "If this is about what happened with my siblings, then let me tell you something. They weren't family, Rhys. Not really. They were rivals. This is different. You're different."

Rhys narrowed his eyes. "... Right. You're crazy. Thanks for the reminder. Now, if you're going to kill me then just do it already. I'm tired of these stupid games!"

He hated how Katagawa was looking at him in that moment--as if he were some kind of an idiot.

"Rhys... It seems actions speak louder to you than words. But, I can work with that. I don't mind a challenge," Katagawa admitted.

His eyes scanned Rhys up and down one last time before he turned and strolled towards the exit. "I'm off to deliver these papers. In the meantime, feel free to wait in our room. I'll catch up later. You and I have celebrating to do, remember? Oh and, no skipping out on me. That would be awfully rude, Rhys." 

"As if I could!" Rhys snarled.

Before he stepped out through the doorway, Katagawa glanced back and waved. "See ya then, buddy!"

And then, he was gone. It wasn't long before Rhys was forced to move, as well.

Chapter Text

The control Katagawa had over his body was released the moment Rhys stepped foot inside of his room. Rhys figured it was only temporary, and that the mind control would kick back in once another command was given. But for now, he was going to take full advantage of his newfound freedom by searching the entire room for a means of escape. Unfortunately, the door had locked as soon as it slid shut, so that was a no-go. 

He rushed over to the windows to see if that was an option, but his heart sank to his stomach when he saw just how far of a drop it was. Katagawa had sent him to his penthouse apartment on the top floor of the building. He probably thought he was clever too, trapping him here like a caged bird. Rhys turned, flipping off the camera that was placed unsubtly in the corner of the room. The red light was on, so he knew Katagawa had to be watching like the creep he was.

“It’s going to take more than that to stop me!” he shouted towards the camera. “You’re going to regret this, Katagawa. When I find a way out of here, I’ll get revenge for this! Just you wait.”

The intercom crackled to life. “That’s a real nice speech, Rhys,” Katagawa said, sweetly. “I’m absolutely quivering in my shoes from those empty, pathetic threats. Don’t you get it? You are not a movie hero, buddy. You’re more like the captive love interest.”

Rhys scowled. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. I have insanely powerful friends who will not hesitate to kick your ass! When Zer0 finds out I’m gone, he’s going to rain hell down on this place—and I’ll be there to tell you, I told you so!”

“Spoken like a true damsel in distress,” Katagawa pointed out in amusement, while Rhys seethed. “Oh, and by the way—you’re officially, legally dead. Like, ‘your body was found full of bullet holes’ dead. So, you don’t have to worry about Zer0 coming to look for you.”

“You—you faked my death?!” Rhys shrieked. What the fuck. “Every time I think you’ve topped the psycho chart, you go and say shit like that! Where is the line with you? Do I need to worry about some sex slave version of me walking around, too? No, wait—don’t answer that. I don’t even want to know.”

“Not a bad idea, but I prefer the real deal, buddy,” Katagawa said, anyway. 

Rhys was not going to think about the implications of that statement. Nope. Instead, he spun around and ran over to the first door he could find, which happened to lead into a wide, luxurious bathroom. He yanked open the door and slammed it shut behind him, sliding down the door in silence. His heart was beating erratically in his chest.

They think I am dead, he thought, miserably. 

He did not rely on other people to save him all the time, but it sure as hell was convenient when they did. Especially in a situation like this, where the odds of escaping were close to zero. 

Rhys took a few deep breaths. He could still do this; he could find a way out. Somehow. He would just have to be more patient and wait for the perfect opportunity. Katagawa seemed to think that he had him backed into a corner and—well, he did, but there was still an advantage he had over the smug asshole. 

Katagawa had no influence over his mind. Rhys could think of as many elaborate plans as he wanted, and Junior would be none the wiser. All he had to do was bide his time and see if there was a way to turn the program off for good. With how much Katagawa liked to hear himself talk, it would only be a matter of time before he revealed his secrets. Rhys just dreaded the time in between that—being in his presence at all made him want to throw himself off the side of the building. 

Suddenly, there was a quick rapt against the smooth wood behind him. It jolted him from his thoughts, and he practically threw himself further against the door to prevent him from opening it. He heard a sigh from the other side of the door when he pushed the lock in with a resounding click. 

“Rhys? You okay in there, buddy?” Katagawa called out.

Rhys gritted his teeth and breathed out through his nose before responding, “No, Katagawa. I’m obviously not okay. If you’re here to gloat, at least do it from the other side of the door. I really don’t want to see your face right now if I can help it.”

“C’mon, Rhys. Don’t be like that.”

“What did you expect, after everything you’ve taken away from me?” Rhys growled. “First my company, and now my life! You even took away my mustache! What kind of monster does that to a guy? Do you even know how long it took to grow that out?”

“It was in the way.”

“Of what?”

“Your face,” Katagawa said, as if it were obvious. “I wanted to see all of you, without any barriers between us.”

… 

As if he needed any more confirmation that Katagawa was a psycho. Rhys needed more distance between them, right now. He crawled away from the door to hide behind a towel cabinet, eyeing the door warily all the while. 

“What do you want from me that you don’t already have?” Rhys asked seriously, dreading the answer.

He heard a soft thud and noticed a shadow appear underneath the door. He must have sat down on the other side. His voice sounded closer this time when he murmured, “Everything, Rhys.”

The softspoken words only served to make his hair stand on end. “I don’t understand,” he said. 

That was a lie. Deep down, he knew what Katagawa was getting at, but he wanted to desperately believe that he was wrong. It was unthinkable. 

“I think you do understand,” Katagawa declared. “There was nothing subtle about my intentions, Rhys. The invitation to my pleasure yacht? Joining the family? I even called you special! If I’d known you were this slow on the uptake, I would have just done this from the beginning!”

Rhys swallowed. “You literally tried to kill me! Normally, you don’t try to kill the people that you like!”

“Well, you wouldn’t join the family! Do you have any idea how frustrating that is to a guy like me?” Katagawa hissed. “You rejected me over and over! Nobody says no to me—I don’t give them the chance. Failure cannot be tolerated. It’s nothing personal, Rhys.”

“That’s the most bullshit excuse for being a shitty person that I’ve ever heard!”

“You don’t understand how Maliwan works,” Katagawa said. “You take what you want, by any means necessary. That is the natural order of things for people like me. Anyone else would have eliminated you after your first rejection, but I broke that rule for you. I wanted us to rule together, Rhys.”

“Well, I don’t!” Rhys snapped. “I don’t care about how your stupid company politics work, and I don’t care about how you think you feel about me! You’re not the first asshole to try and use me for their own gain and trust me, I’ve learned my lesson since then.”

Silence fell over the room. An uneasy feeling began to creep up Rhys’ spine the longer it went on.

He heard Katagawa stand up. “Open the door, Rhys,” he demanded.

This time, Rhys did not even try to fight off the effects of the program. He was resigned to the fact that his body was going to do whatever it was ordered to, no matter how hard he fought against it. But he must have been given some amount of free reign because as soon he opened the door to reveal Katagawa clad in his pretentious business suit, he was able to move again. 

As soon as he realized this, he marched up to Katagawa and threw a punch towards his face. The asshole actually seemed shocked when the punch landed across his mouth, the force of it throwing his head back and to the side. 

He was ready to go in for another swing when Katagawa recovered and quickly blurted, “I was trying to be generous, but if that’s how it’s going to be then—you don’t want to hurt me. You want to kiss it better!”

Rhys’ eyes reflected nothing but horror in the face of Katagawa’s smug smirk. When his body moved in closer and grabbed Katagawa’s chin, a wave of revulsion washed over him. He felt himself lean in, could feel Katagawa’s warm breath fanning across his lips. He couldn’t even close his eyes to block out the sight of what was about to happen. It was unfair, and utterly humiliating.

When their lips finally met, Katagawa simply watched him, his eyes half-lidded and full of yearning. His lips were soft as they moved against his own, surprisingly tender. He’d expected a bruising kiss, something to punish him for attacking him just moments ago. Somehow, this was worse. It was Katagawa who broke the kiss first, drawing back just enough to plant another kiss against the tip of his nose. He leaned in closer to rest his forehead against his. 

“That’s just a sample of what I can give you,” he promised.

“Being a good kisser won’t stop me from hating you,” Rhys shot back, suddenly able to speak but unable to pull away from him like he wanted to. 

A spark of irritation flashed through Katagawa’s eyes. “Look at me! I’m the perfect lover. People beg for a chance at spending the night with me! Why are you so stubborn?!”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe it has to do with the little fact that I don’t like you! If you have that many people lining up to lick your shoes so badly, why me?” he countered.

The anger on Katagawa’s face slowly receded. He leaned down, his chin coming to rest on Rhys’ shoulder, and lips close to his ear. “I did my research on you, Rhys,” he whispered. “There were rumors going around years ago, after the Helios incident. As it went down, witnesses said that they could hear his voice on the ship.”

“So what?” Rhys muttered, averting his gaze. He didn’t want to talk about this. He wasn’t proud of what had happened on Helios.

Katagawa narrowed his eyes. “He was looking for you, they said. At first, I thought, ‘Why would someone like him want anything to do with a lanky nobody like you?’, but then it hit me. You were obsessed with Handsome Jack, you wanted to be him, didn’t you? He saw himself in you, saw that you were special.”

“You’re wrong,” Rhys told him, flatly. “Handsome Jack didn’t give a damn about anyone. In the end, he only cared about himself. He was a lot like you, actually.”

“Oh, Rhysie,” Katagawa sighed, and Rhys stiffened. “You know that’s not true. We can be equals in this company. You and me, together. I’ll even take that chip out of your brain. All you have to do is play nice and stay right here—with me.”

Rhys’ first instinct was to retaliate harshly, to tear into Katagawa’s offer with venomous words, to tell him that it was not going to happen. But before he could open his mouth to voice his thoughts, he was struck with a better idea. This was his opportunity. If he wanted to have any chance at escaping, he needed to get that chip out of his head, and if he had to play into Katagawa’s game to do that, he would.

Rhys cleared his throat. “I don’t trust you. How do I know you’re not lying?”

Katagawa laughed. “What, do you want me to sign a contract?”

“Yes,” he deadpanned. 

“So, we’ve come to an agreement then? Just like that?” Katagawa said, eyeing him suspiciously. “You agreed awfully fast.”

“I don’t want to be your personal marionette for the rest of my life. Is that not a good enough reason for you?"

“Fair enough,” Katagawa remarked. “I’ll write up the contract in the morning. For now, you’re coming with me to bed. To sleep. Your eye bags have bags, buddy.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Rhys muttered, as they left the room.

Chapter Text

Rhys woke up to the feeling of heavy limbs tangled around his own. His chest felt like it was being constricted—long arms were wrapped around him, caging him in. It was like being hugged by an unpleasant octopus. He tried to wiggle out of the death grip, but the arms tightened even more around him, as if sensing that he was trying to escape.

The night before, he’d tried scooting towards the edge of the bed to avoid this exact scenario, but a quick string of words quickly forced him back over. He had to suffer through Katagawa spooning him all night long. After what seemed like hours of him lying there awake, exhaustion eventually kicked in and pulled him to sleep.

Since he was awake first, he realized that he could play this to his advantage. Katagawa obviously hadn’t thought through the consequences of sleeping next to him. If he wanted to, he could strangle the life out of the conniving bastard right now. Then, he could break out and escape before anyone even noticed. It would be so easy.

Rhys tilted his head to the side to carefully observe the body lying next to him. Katagawa’s features were softened as he slept, the lack of lines on his face making him appear younger. If they had met in any other situation, he might have found him attractive. But once Katagawa attacked his company and started rambling on about merging, that feeling immediately shriveled up and died. All that remained was loathing and disgust.

His fingers twitched in anticipation, but something held him back. His gaze drifted over to a mark that was peeking out from behind Katagawa’s neck. He managed to lift himself up on his forearm to get a better look. It almost looked like a… barcode? Rhys leaned in closer. It was a barcode!

Unconsciously, his eyes darted back to Katagawa’s face, and he jumped. Mismatched eyes stared back at him, wide awake and alert. Rhys glanced down, noticing how compromising his position looked. He panicked, thinking about how it could be interpreted. He was leaning halfway over him, their faces only a few inches apart.

Rhys froze, trying to think of how he could explain the situation before Katagawa got the wrong idea.

What came out was, “You’re not a clone, are you?”

Katagawa lifted a single eyebrow. “What’s up with you and clones? Is this some weird fetish I don’t know about?”

“That,” Rhys said, ignoring him and pointing an accusing finger towards the spot on his neck. “Why the hell do you have a barcode on the back of your neck?”

“Oh, this?” Katagawa lifted a hand to graze the letters. “It’s just company policy. It keeps the plebs from getting too big of a head and shows that anyone can be disposed of.”

“Okay, but didn’t you take over Maliwan? Why would you want to keep a tattoo that represents how disposable you are?” Rhys probed, eyeing it dubiously. “I mean, you stole my company—shouldn’t that be enough to warrant like, tattoo removal or something?”

Katagawa scowled. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I have a meeting today with my father regarding the matter, and I don’t mean the tattoo. We are to discuss the long-term details of my position in the company and his pending retirement. I’ve been acting as head of the company, but nothing is written in paper yet. I’ll officially become CEO once the paperwork is finalized. It’s only a matter of time.”

Rhys’ eyes narrowed. “You’re not the type to give up control so easily. If you really wanted to, you’d just kill anyone in your way. So, what’s stopping you?”

“It’s not that simple,” Katagawa said, pushing up to sit on his forearms. “Well, it was with my siblings, but this is an entirely different story. You see, they didn’t truly matter in the corporate latter. They didn’t contribute anything. To stand with the bigwigs you must prove yourself, and I’ve finally done just that. I’ve shown that I will do anything for this company and naturally, I will be rewarded for it.”

“You know what I think?” Rhys retorted, backing up to sit across from him. Surprisingly, Katagawa let him. “It sounds to me like they’re stalling for time. Your first hostile takeover failed big time—you had an army at your disposal and lost to a Vault Hunter. I don’t think they’re going to forget about all of those wasted resources anytime soon. If Maliwan is anything like Hyperion was, then they’re probably going to replace you.”

Katagawa sat up fully, his eyes set ablaze. “You’re just jealous,” he accused. “Jealous because I am going to officially become CEO of Maliwan and Atlas, while you get demoted to vice president of Beach Drinks!”

“Jealous?” Rhys scoffed. “Once I get out of here, I’ll start over, or find a way to get it all back. I was just trying to warn you, for my own sake. I don’t want to know what’ll happen to me if they decide to replace you.”

Suddenly, Katagawa went rigid. “They wouldn’t dare touch you,” he said. “I won’t let them.”

Rhys swallowed. There was a heaviness in the air that made him want to bolt. Yet, it also gave him an idea.

“What could you do? You’re not legitimately CEO yet,” he said. “If a higher-up randomly decided that I wasn’t worth the risk of keeping alive, who are you to stop them from getting rid of me? If I’m wrong, then great—I get to live to see another day! But if I’m right… well, then we’re both living off borrowed time.”

Katagawa moved quickly, grasping his shoulders with an iron tight grip. “You don’t get it. Accomplishments must be rewarded; it’s written in the contract. It's how the company functions. They can’t violate the contract!”

“If murder was actually prohibited, they would’ve cared when you killed your siblings,” Rhys shot back, wincing when fingers dug into his shoulders tighter. “They know you’re a loose cannon, Katagawa. No one wants to be responsible for another Handsome Jack situation, and you’re almost as bad as he was!”

“So what? You liked that about him!”

Rhys stopped, caught off-guard. “W-what? What the hell are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Rhys!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he argued. “You’re just trying to change the subject! My life is literally on the line here, I don’t have time for this!”

“Handsome Jack,” Katagawa hissed. “Let me guess, it was the power that drew you to him. Or was it the fame? It certainly wasn’t his dashing good looks.”

Rhys cringed. “Are you serious right now? It wasn’t like that! I used to look up to him, but that was before I realized what an insane psychopath he was!”

“I don’t believe you,” Katagawa said. “Let’s have a heart to heart. How did you really feel about him?”

“I may have had a teensy-weensy crush on him before he tried to kill me,” Rhys blurted, unable to stop himself. His face heated up right after. “That’s a violation on so many levels! Stop fucking with my head!”

Katagawa smirked, satisfied. “As I suspected.”

“How does this have anything to do with my—or really, our current predicament?!” Rhys demanded. “Were you listening to anything I said? Your company is going to replace you and when they do, I’m a dead man!”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Katagawa told him, flippantly. “I’ll have it taken care of.”

Rhys blinked, taken aback. “You—you will?” 

Katagawa moved towards the edge of the bed to stand up. He stretched his arms before turning back to him. There was a small smile on his face that Rhys found concerning.

“No one is going to touch a hair on your pretty little head, Rhys.”

“Uh,” Rhys said, stupidly. “Right. Okay… That’s great and all, I think… but what’s your plan exactly?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Katagawa answered, strolling across the room to slide open the closet. It was packed full of designer suits and dress shoes. “You’ll be coming with me to the meeting, after all.”

“What?” Rhys squawked. “You know what, this is pointless! You are the most unbearable, egotistical—"

“Come over here, Rhys. We don’t have all day.”

He rose from the bed, his legs carrying him over to the closet obediently. When he stopped beside Katagawa, a blue and orange pinstripe suit was shoved in his face.

Rhys blanched. “Seriously?”

“If you’d rather go in those rags that you call pajamas—"

“Fine!” Rhys ripped the suit out of his grasp. “I’ll wear it, but I won’t like it!”

The suit was an abomination—it went against everything he stood for. It was going to be humiliating, to be seen in his rival company’s colors. But at the same time, it presented him with an opportunity. Katagawa obviously had no idea what he was doing sending him into a room full of executives when the whole world thought that he was dead. Inevitably, someone was going to talk. It would only be a matter of time before rumors of his presence got out.

“Oh, and before I forget—here,” Katagawa said, holding out a tie.

“It’s red.”

“I can see that.”

“Is this some kind of power play?” Rhys questioned. “To further rub it in that Atlas has been absorbed by Maliwan?”

“It’s not that deep, buddy. It’s your own tie.”

Rhys’ eyes narrowed as he scrutinized it, recognizing the familiar pattern and texture. But the last time he’d seen it, it had been hanging up in his closet. He looked at him dubiously. “Did you steal this out of—"

“Yeah, I’m going to need you to stop asking so many questions,” he told him. “Get dressed and meet me in the lounge. We’re on a tight schedule, Rhys. Chop-chop!”

His mouth snapped shut as Katagawa left the room. He was forced to watch himself get dressed in silence, his limbs preforming the motions even as he fought against it. It brought with it a sickening sense of déjà vu. Katagawa wasn’t Handsome Jack, but some similarities were too hard to ignore.

A few moments later, he was finished and moving again. Just like he said, Katagawa was waiting in the lounge when he walked in. His arms were crossed over his chest, perfect brows scrunched up in annoyance. He was glaring at the door as if it had personally insulted him.

Rhys approached him, arms hanging by his side motionlessly. Katagawa turned his head to look at him and rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to stand there like a robot. Move however you want, but as my business partner, I’m expecting you to play nice.”

“The illusion of choice,” Rhys said, dryly. “Got it. How generous of you.”

“Consider it a privilege, one that can be revoked at any time,” he replied, moving over to fix his tie.

Rhys immediately swatted at his hands. “I don’t need your help; I can do it myself!”

“How about this,” Katagawa began, ominously, “I’ll give you three strikes before I take back control. You just got one for the attitude. Is that clear enough for you, buddy?”

“Crystal,” Rhys grumbled, straightening his stupid tie himself.

“I’m glad we’ve come to an agreement, then. Let’s go.”

The front door slid open as they stepped into the hallway. It was empty, and as they walked, he noticed that there were no other rooms on the floor. There was a single elevator at the end of the hall.

“So, this screams of… paranoia,” Rhys observed.

Katagawa glanced over his shoulder. “I don't know what goes on over at Atlas, but here at Maliwan, it's every man for himself. Assassination attempts are the norm.”

Rhys grimaced. “If only you knew. A lot of people have tried to kill me. That’s why I hired Zer0, we go way back. On a best bro scale, he’s just behind my bro-bro Vaughn—who I’ve been meaning to visit, actually…”

Before he could fully reminisce about the past, Katagawa slapped him on the back.

“No need to worry about that, buddy. What I told you before still stands, I’d never stab you in the back,” Katagawa reassured him. “And now, I don’t think I could even bring myself to stab you in the chest. No one’s ever managed to change my mind on that one before—that was all you!”

“… Thanks, I guess?”

As they got into the elevator, Rhys’ eyes scanned over the buttons, taking a mental note of all the floors. An escape attempt on the first floor would be too obvious, but maybe an attempt on the second would catch them off-guard? He could jump from two stories, no problem. He would have to keep it in mind for later. He had a good feeling about this little trip—he would be gone in no time.

The elevator dinged a few moments later, and the doors opened to reveal a normal floor with actual offices. Rhys memorized the steps they took from the elevator. They continued forward for about ten feet, then took a left, passed by a few closed doors until they turned right, and finally came to a stop in front of an office with double doors. It was getting easier to do without the help of his ECHO eye.

Before they went in, Katagawa turned to face him. “Now, this should be obvious, but I’m going to give you a friendly reminder just in case,” he said. “No one is going to help you. To be completely honest, everyone in that room hates your guts. Which is exactly why you’re going to stick with me. Capeesh?”

Rhys frowned. “Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this?”

“You’ve got me—you’ll be fine.”

Stepping into the room alongside Katagawa was… awkward, to say the least. They walked towards the end of a long table where a single chair remained unoccupied—a seat obviously meant for the company CEO. He avoided eye contact, but he could still hear hushed voices whispering amongst each other as they passed by a row of executives. Rhys stiffened upon hearing his name, just knowing that they were talking about him.

He glanced over to see Katagawa’s reaction. Rhys had expected him to look irritated at least, but instead he was staring on, totally unaffected by the gossip. He felt resentment bubble up in his chest at the sight. It wasn’t fair how he could stroll about, completely at ease. He caught the eye of a sneering old man before quickly looking away. No matter what Katagawa said, he wasn’t safe here. It was obvious that these people wanted him dead.

Katagawa sat down with a flourish in his wide chair, beckoning Rhys to stand beside him. He moved to his right, internally repressing the strong urge to punch him in the face again. On the opposite side of the table, someone cleared their throat. Rhys looked up, his eyes landing on a greying middle-aged man who bore an uncanny resemblance to Katagawa.

Must be his father, he thought.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Katagawa’s smooth confidence falter slightly.

“Father,” he said nonchalantly, resting his elbows against the table as he leaned forward. “How have you been? I can see you’ve been helping yourself to the new brickerdoodle stand! Let me tell you, retirement is a good look on you! How about we put it on paper?”

“Junior,” the older man snapped. “I received word from the neuroscience department last night. What have you done?”

Katagawa laughed, but it sounded a bit strained. “I’ll admit, my methods are a bit… unconventional, but hey! It’s the results that matter, right? Atlas is officially a subsidiary of Maliwan, just like you wanted!”

Katagawa Sr. sighed. “That is not the point, and you know it. Why is he still here?”

Rhys swallowed, eyes darting back and forth between the two.

“Oh, you mean my buddy Rhys?” Katagawa said, turning to wink at him. “You don’t have to worry about him—he’s been neutered. He’s just here for the show.”

A younger woman leapt to her feet, abruptly. “If word got out to his allies—”

The elder Katagawa raised his hand, effectively silencing her. She slowly eased back into her seat.

“Suzuki raises valid concerns. What if his allies learn of his presence here? You would bring their wrath upon us? After we are still recovering from one loss already? We cannot afford another,” his father stated.

Katagawa deliberately ignored the ‘I told you so’ look Rhys sent him. “You underestimate me, father. With the contract in effect, Atlas’ forces will have no choice but to surrender. If you’re still not convinced however, I have a plan! How do we ensure total victory you ask? It’s simple, really. Rhys, go on, buddy—show them. Tell them that Atlas will surrender.”

“Atlas will surrender,” Rhys corroborated. His eyes widened, and he whipped around to face him. “You said you faked my death!”

“I did,” Katagawa confirmed.

“Then what the hell was the point if you’re just going to have me make a public announcement?”

Katagawa waved a hand dismissively. “You’re not actually going to make an announcement. I was just proving a point to everyone in this room who think they know better than me,” he said, turning his gaze back to the elder Katagawa. “I know what you’re really trying to say—you don’t think I’m worthy of becoming CEO. Is that it, father?”

A moment of tense silence fell over the room, the air suddenly clouded with apprehension.

“Yes,” his father said, straightforward and to the point. “You failed to overcome Atlas in the takeover, which put us in a bind that we are still recovering from. Secondly, when the company needed you most, you abandoned your position in a quest for petty revenge! You were presumed dead for weeks, while the company floundered!”

“If it weren’t for that stupid Vault Hunter, we would have won!” Katagawa declared. “They ruined everything!”

“Don’t try to deflect the blame now, you’ll only look foolish,” Katagawa Sr. told him. “Where were you all those weeks? Stalling for time? I’m disappointed. I wasn’t aware that I had raised a coward for a son.”

Katagawa stilled. “I’ve done everything for this company. While the others sat around leeching off our fortune, I was the only one willing to get my hands dirty. Weeding out the competition, absorbing Atlas—all of it was done to earn your approval. But none of that matters to you, does it? I was never your first choice to inherit the company.”

“That is precisely why I called on you for this meeting today,” Katagawa Sr. said. “You are not, in fact, the only remaining heir. Naoko is still alive.”

A series of surprised gasps filled the room. Rhys shifted on his feet, growing increasingly uncomfortable.

Katagawa’s expression turned blank. “Naoko, huh? How many people know?”

“Only the people present in this room. I’ve located her, and I intend to bring her back home.”

“I do love a family reunion,” Katagawa said distractedly, as if he were thinking about something else.

“Junior!” his father snapped; tone sharp. “From this day forward, I am delaying my retirement and suspending you from your position. When I retrieve Naoko, she will be taking your place as CEO and that man,” the elder Katagawa’s eyes landed on Rhys, “will be disposed of.”

Rhys broke out in a cold sweat, a wave of panic surging throughout his body. This was bad! Very, very bad! Katagawa had said he would take care of this, the lying asshat! He shot a panicked glance towards him, trying to convey to him the gravity of his situation. The prick caught his eye, and—smirked!

Katagawa turned to regard his father.

“You really should’ve signed those retirement papers,” he remarked. He glanced down to tap a button on his wristwatch, drawing everyone’s attention. “Security, you know the drill. Lock the doors to office 637 for me. Oh, and I’m going to need you to send up that droid we were talking about the other day while you’re at it.”

A subsequent click echoed from the doors, which triggered a stream of frightened murmurs among the executives. Rhys watched as people pushed away from the table, exchanging worried glances between each other. Some remained seated and didn’t move, their attention focused intensely on the elder Katagawa and his son.

“Junior, what is the meaning of this?” Katagawa Sr. demanded, standing up.

“I’m doing what’s best for the company,” Katagawa said obviously. “So, as of today, you’re all fired. Permanently.”

“Junior, stop this nonsense at once,” his father insisted, finally looking anxious. “I understand if you are upset with me, but let’s keep this between us. I don’t see how these matters concern them.”

“Actually, it does, and they have you to thank for that,” Katagawa responded, his tone turning downright gleeful. He rose from his chair and glanced towards Rhys, who went pale as realization dawned on him. “I just want you all to know that it’s nothing personal. At least, not for most of you,” he sighed. “I was going to let some of you go, but then my father went and revealed that big shocker at the last minute, and—well. I can’t have news like that getting out to the public, right? You’re all corporate slaves, I’m sure you understand.”

Rhys grabbed his shoulder, his grip white-knuckled. “Katagawa, don’t do this, man. Knock it off! This is insane!”

Katagawa chuckled. “You’re such a bleeding heart, Rhys! They want you dead, remember? Do you have any sense of self-preservation?”

“I—I don’t like to kill people if I can help it! Otherwise, I’d be just like him. You need to stop this,” Rhys pleaded. “I-I’ll do whatever you want!”

“You already do whatever I want, Rhys,” Katagawa said with an affectionate smile. “Now shut up and enjoy the show.”

The doors suddenly swung open, and a heavily armed droid hovered inside. A younger man tried to make a run for the exit, but before he could reach it, a laser shot out from one of the blasters. It hit the mark, the beam instantly vaporizing the man into nothing. There was a beat of silence before the room was filled with screams. Rhys could only watch in horror as more executives were targeted and shot throughout the room. The screams and shots paired together reminded him too much of Helios.

He crouched down behind Katagawa’s chair, squeezed his eyes shut, and covered his head. He wasn’t doing it to protect himself—the robot hadn’t fired a single shot at him—he just didn’t want to see an entire room of people murdered by their own CEO. And didn’t that sound familiar? Rhys would never be free of Handsome Jack, one way or another.

It felt like hours before the screaming finally stopped. He stayed there a little longer, not wanting to be confronted with the reality of what had just happened. This was all his fault. He could’ve… he could’ve done something.

Rhys slowly opened his eyes, arms lowering to his sides. He tilted his head to glower at his mechanical arm. He could do it—he could. Escape would be so easy if everything worked out. But that was exactly the problem… things never worked out with him. He wanted to slap himself for even considering it. He’d kept it to use as a last resort, and this was nowhere near the extent of what he could handle.

He took a deep breath and stood up on shaky legs. The room was almost entirely empty now, save for two other people. Or rather, a person and a body. There was Katagawa Jr. and… his father. Katagawa Sr. was dead, his body lying lifelessly on the ground. A puddle of blood was gathered around his head from where he’d bled out from a slit neck. Katagawa stood above him, still wielding the same katana that he’d almost killed Rhys with before.

As if sensing his eyes on him, Katagawa turned around. He was grinning triumphantly, blood spattered across his face, neck, and torso. He looked absolutely deranged. Rhys felt sick.

Katagawa lowered the sword and stepped closer. “See? Like I said, it’s all taken care of.”

Rhys doubled over in response, his stomach expelling its remaining contents.

He really wasn't safe here.