Stubborn or no, he can't stop himself from screaming.

He tells himself he will not be reduced to begging, not even when the pain becomes nigh unbearable, but it is the suffering of his companion that wears down the resolute defenses of his mind. Seeing Percy struggle against his own psychological torture as he's forced to do Chu-e Choi's bidding is worse than anything they could do to Orion alone.

"Let him go," he finally chokes through tears, bloodied fingers trembling. His teeth are bared but his voice shakes as violently as his hands. "Your problem's with me, Percy hasn't done anything to you, let him go."

By the end, he doesn't have the strength left to yell.

It's pure hatred that keeps him conscious at all, the anger fighting against the pain that blinds all other thoughts.

"Just kill me, you coward."

How many other limbs before they'd had their fill?

As a self-proclaimed psychic-type expert, telepathy is a familiar brush against his mind. What's unfamiliar is the force with which that presence applies pressure, more like a battering ram than the gentle nudge he was used to.

He clenches his jaw, tight, and his walls hold.

Stay out of my head.

Whatever occurs in the physical realm is much harder to resist, for no amount of thrashing or craning his neck will stop the injection of Arceus-knows-what into his neck. It burns, spreads like fire through his veins, and Orion lets out a hissed breath.

He doesn't reply to Chu-e Choi, determined to remain stalwart—

—until his trusted partner lunges at him, eerily reminiscent of the three-day war as it bares its fangs.

"I-It's OK, buddy," and his voice cracks for the first time, fear for his Pokemon trouncing that of his own well-being. "I know it's not you, Percy, just— ngh."

He focuses hard on the defense of his mind, the only thing he can control.

character tag: Cillian Quinn[break]
format: non-trad b[break]
pokemon: shadow lugia, dhelmise, lanturn

got permission to use lugia since it's non-trad

Harvesting x3 SALAC from my garden.
Buying x3 SALAC for 150PD.

"You don't deserve respect," Orion spits. "None of you do."

He presses his lips together and refuses to answer when the Council is mentioned. Furious or not, he knows better than to take the bait that may lead to saying too much.

It's much easier when he's faced with his own Pokemon.

"Percy!"

Something raw enters his voice, the first genuine note of fear since they'd taken him. But it quickly twists back into anger; Orion struggles against his restraints as he turns his glare upon Chu-e Choi.

"What the fuck have you done to him?"

Chu-e's words make it sound as if he's going to leave.

"Cowards," he snarls. "All of you."

"Of course there's something wrong with it! Why the hell do you think I'm still doing this job? You think I like politics?"

He's hated them his entire life. They represent his family, the system he's always loathed. He'd rather live an easy life as a Ranger.

"Yeah it's fucking rigged, but I'm doing a hell of a lot more to try and fix it than you."

Chu-e Choi looks down at him and Orion glares up in defiance.

The sound of his old name has a more immediate effect.

"That's not my name."

And for all intents and purposes, that was true. Orion Lykos wasn't a separate identity from Seiji; he'd changed his name, legally, the one thing in his power that could put further distance between himself and those who hated him.

He winces in discomfort as his arm is stretched uncomfortably into place and strapped down. Cool steel gently kisses skin without tearing flesh as Chu-e Choi cuts away the fabric. Orion deliberately keeps his gaze on the other man's face.

"You think a silver spoon makes up for psychological torture?"

It's clear from his tone that Orion does not.

"Being a cadet pays real shit, you know. Not really enough to afford an apartment free of infestation, definitely not enough to make rent and still eat every night of the week. You think 'cause my family was rich I've never suffered? Pull your head out of your own ass and use your brain."

Sakurai.

It's not as if he doesn't hear the surname often enough; his brother Jiro was still in politics, as well, spreading his campaign of urban expansion.

Hard to believe that was the reason Orion had run for office.

"Where'd you hear that name?"

He doesn't try to deny his family name but there's fury in his growl.

And the Beast shows its teeth, then, a saccharine smile as deadly sharp as the blade in his hands. There it was: he wasn't going to torture Orion because it would accomplish anything, he was going to do it because he wanted to.

"You're sick, Choi."

"Fuck off, 'people like me.'"

He hears the snap of the glove as Chu-e Choi circles back around but disregards threat for anger.

"Why aren't you doing my job then, huh? You think it's so fucking easy, why don't you run for office? See how much power you really have at the 'top'."

The League isn't perfect. They've got their flaws. But he'd joined in the hopes of doing something to fix those flaws, to help people, and this crazy asshole thinks that torturing him is justified because of another's crimes?

"You know how many families Rocket's torn apart? How many kids they've killed?" He matches Choi's ranting with his own. "I bet you do. I bet you killed some yourself. You think their families aren't enduring what you've done? You think I haven't had friends kill themselves because Rocket destroyed what little they had to live for?"

Let Choi hurt him. Let him kill him. It'll only prove him right.

"You're no better than Cullifer or anyone that let him off."

He hisses out a breath as the pressure lets up from his hair, jerks his head to the side in a futile attempt to shake free of Chu-e Choi's grip.

It's not that he wants to look away from the photo; he doesn't want Choi to have an ounce of control.

Of course, Choi is in complete control, but Orion can still enjoy his spite.

"Then he's a piece of shit who had it coming, congratulations," he growls. "That has nothing to do with me. How dare you equate me to someone like that?"

He turns his head sharply as Chu-e slips behind him; if he'd been given the chance, he'd have tried to bite him. But Choi's fingers wind through his hair unmolested and strands strains painfully against his scalp as he does his best to fight the grip.

He can't do much, however, and relaxes with great reluctance.

"No."

He's not one of Hoenn's rangers, and Orion's never left his home region.

"Because you're a fucking psychopath? Why should I care?

Perhaps because Chu-e Choi could kill him slowly, but he's too furious to give a damn.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

He takes in every detail, every sharp instrument that'll doubtless be used to harm him. With all the tools of torture at his disposal, Orion doesn't expect Chu-e Choi to go for the cheap shot.

The strangled sound is as much a snarl as a scream, anger and pain battling for dominance. Instinct commands him to claw at his face, to wipe away the scalding streams, but the restraints hold fast even as he bucks against them. His jaw clenches as he seethes through it and catches every bitter word spat by Choi.

"Fuck you."

God, but he'd love nothing more than to break his nose.

"I don't give a fuck what helps you sleep at night, Choi! Plenty of people go through shit and don't turn into fucking monsters that ruin the lives of everyone around them!"

"Do — do you even hear yourself?"

It's incredulous, accompanied by a shake of his head that casts dark hair into his eyes.

He doesn't flinch away from the steel-sharp smile.

"The League won't stop till every one of you is in prison, and the world'll be a safer place for it," he spits. "So, yeah, if we're looking for heroes — it sure is hell isn't you."