Acerbus Quies

Acerbus Quies

Chapter Two
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AN: Finally, part 2/2 is up! This is the first fanfic I’ve ever actually posted an ending for, so this is really quite an accomplishment for me. Once again, it’s unbeta-ed, so sorry for any mistakes.

Yay for reviews! I love reviews, they’re very motivating and it’s nice to hear all the work I put into writing was appreciated by some folks.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Ergo Proxy.

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There had been no discernable physical transformation, but Real could sense a definite shift in the atmosphere around Vincent.

Now Real’s guilt was replaced by a new emotion: fear. Ergo Proxy was violent and unpredictable. He had never truly attacked her in the past, but what were his current intentions? Real recalled prior incidents during which he had appeared and realized they almost all seemed to have been times Vincent’s life had been in danger. But, how could her confrontation with Vincent ever be considered life endangering?

“Why are you here?” Real uttered before she considered whether or not it was a question she truly wanted Ergo Proxy to answer.

The Proxy smiled. Somehow the change in expression made him look even more threatening to Real.

“Your actions called me here.” Ergo’s voice carried a malicious undertone.

Real didn’t understand what the proxy was getting at.

“But, I thought that you don’t appear unless he’s in mortal danger. There’s no danger here.”

Ergo Proxy moved closer to Real, whipping the blood from his nose. Real automatically took a step back at the increase in proximity between her and the proxy.

“You stirred up quite an array of unpleasant emotions within him. In other words, you pushed him into a state of panic.”

Real took a shaky breathe in. She knew Vincent was neurotic as hell and overly-sensitive, but for God’s sake how could a few angry words and a punch send him over the edge?

The proxy seemed to be enjoying Real’s reaction to the information and took another step closer to her. Real, again, took a retreating step in response.

“I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to pay you a visit.”

Real didn’t like the proxy’s tone. There was something especially unsettling about it paired with the sinister way he was looking at her.

Real glared back at him. She refused to let the intimidation she was feeling show externally. Instead she mustered up her courage and put on a front in an attempt to hide her growing fear.

“What do want? What’s your purpose for cornering me like this?”

“Vincent lets you walk all over him. It really pisses me off,” Ergo answered with a bitter edge.

Ergo Proxy took another large step towards her. Real started to back away from him again, but as she lifted her foot and began to move it behind her the heel of her shoe hit something. Suddenly, Real realized that the proxy had been herding towards the ships side the whole time they had been talking. She cursed herself for not noticing sooner.

Ergo leaned in, leaving only a few inches between him and Real. Real pressed herself against the ship reflexively, but it increased the space between her and the proxy only a trivial amount.

“However,” he stated with a leer, “I’m really not much of a talker. I would rather express myself through action.”

Real could feel her eyebrow twitching, but for once the reaction was generated by fear and anxiety in place of annoyance. If she could just get to the ship’s cabin maybe she could grab her gun with the FP bullet in it. The proxy wasn’t in his fully transformed state, so she just might be able to make it if she moved quickly enough. There weren’t many things that could put off a proxy, but threatening to shoot him with an FP bullet might just do the trick.

She moved just a few millimeters along the wall, readying herself to make a break for the ladder leading up to the deck. However, as soon as she made the small movement both of the proxy’s arms shot up on either side of her and trapped her against the side of the ship. Real couldn’t believe how fast he moved. The proxy had maintained Vincent’s form, yet he was still able to react with inhuman speed.

Ergo leaned in so that their faces were close to touching. He seemed to be studying the expression on Real’s face and drawing pleasure from her discomfort. Suddenly his tongue flicked out and he licked the side of Real’s face. She cringed at the contact.

The proxy chuckled and then abruptly grabbed her hair, pulling her head back painfully. She winced from the action and repressed a whimper. Ergo brought his lips to Real’s neck, but made only light contact with her skin. Real could feel Ergo’s breathe on her neck and it sent a shiver through her. He continued to gently run his lips to the side of Real’s neck and then up to her cheek. Slowly, continuing to keep only slight contact, he moved his lips across her face to the corner of her mouth before kissing her roughly.

Real struggled to push away from him and free her hair from his grasp, but her actions were to no avail.

‘He’s so strong!” Real heard her mind screaming as the Proxy continued to press his lips to her own.

Real didn’t know which was more disconcerting; the fact that the Proxy of Death was forcibly kissing her or that he had retained Vincent’s form. There was an almost unfathomable contrast between the two, yet both the proxy and Vincent shared the same being.

As Ergo began to try and part Real’s lips with his tongue her thoughts were brought back to the situation at hand. Even though the Proxy was ridiculously strong Real wasn’t ready to give up the fight. Options began to run through her head and she quickly decided that feigning defeat and then attacking while the proxy’s defenses were lowered would be the best course of action.

Real relaxed her body into the proxy’s hold and then parted her lips and allowed Ergo to deepen the kiss. Slowly, she started to kiss him back and arched her back into him, flattening her breasts against the proxy’s chest. Ergo Proxy groaned in response. Real felt his lips tense into a smile as he continued to kiss her. A tingling sensation was starting to spread throughout her body. A more base part of Real seemed to be enjoying the intimate exchange she was having with the proxy. Images of her and Ergo Proxy engaged in more explicit activities than simple kissing quickly flashed through her mind. Real gasped gently as the various visions presented themselves in rapid succession.

However, those images were held in the forefront of Real’s mind for only a few seconds before they were eclipsed by her more dominant practical side. The pragmatist in Real was arguing that her enjoyment of the situation was just a sign that she had some major intimacy issues. She needed to get away from the proxy immediately and retrieve the gun with the FP bullet.

As Ergo parted Real’s legs with one of his own and began to push her up against the ship Real readied herself for the attack. Before he could make another move Real snaked her arms around Ergo Proxy’s back and then kneed him in the groin as hard as she could.

The proxy let out a loud grunt and then doubled over.

Real immediately took off up the ladder to the ship’s deck. It seemed that her continued physical training during the ship’s downtime had paid off. She was sure she had done a pretty good amount of damage and it would take him a least half a minute to recover before he could come after her. That was about the exact amount of time she needed to run into the cabin and grab the gun with the FP bullet.

However, just as Real reached the top of the ladder Ergo Proxy shot out his arm, grabbed the back of her shirt and threw her backwards and off of the deck.

Real readied herself to make impact with the ground, but instead she found herself face to face with the side of the ship. She quickly realized the proxy was behind her, pressing her to the ship with his body.

Real cursed under her breath, “Fuck!”

She had underestimated the regeneration power of the Amritsar cells. Why did they have to work so damn quickly?

Ergo Proxy laughed quietly in her ear.

“I can’t say I wasn’t expecting that.”

Then his voice turned sharper.

“But, I won’t be able to let such an act go unpunished either.”

Real felt the proxy press against her completely. The movement caused her to clearly feel his arousal pressing into her lower back.

Real made a disgusted sound and tried elbowing Ergo Proxy with her left arm. However, the proxy spun her around to face him before she could make contact. He grabbed both of her wrists, pinned her arms above her head and pressed himself against her once more. Real noted, with distress, that in the time between when he had last had her cornered and the present the proxy seemed to have progressed further toward total transformation. The skin on his arms had turned black and his nails were replaced by what could only be described as claws.

The proxy had apparently decided to continue where they had left off and began to part Real’s legs with one of his own once again. However, he did not attempt to resume kissing her. Real reflected bitterly that this was unfortunate since she would have taken the opportunity to bite his tongue off.

Real’s thoughts once again centered on escaping from Ergo Proxy. There was no doubt that she was outmatched physically. She was going to have to escape him through some other means than a physical attack.

Ergo changed his grip on Real’s wrists so that he was able to hold both of them against the wall with one hand. The shift caused Ergo’s claws to dig painfully into Real’s wrists. His newly free hand reached behind Real and roughly grabbed her ass and then hoisted her up. The movement put Real into a new position. She was now straddling Ergo Proxy’s hips, her back pressed into the side of the ship.

In the new position Real and Ergo Proxy were now face to face. A shock ran through Real when she observed the expression on the proxy’s face. His smile had spread to remarkable lengths, making him look almost painfully deformed. His face reminded Real of a more grotesque version of jester puppet she had owned as a child.

The proxy stared into Real’s eyes for a few moments before beginning to grind his hips against her violently.

Real quickly realized that the situation had just gone from bad to worse for her.

Ergo’s transformation was continuing to progress and as a result he seemed to be getting more and more aggressive. Real didn’t even want to think about what the proxy ultimately had in mind for her. If she was going to find a way out of the situation she needed to figure it out immediately before Ergo could continue any further down his intended path.

A thought came to her. She realized that there was one person who could get her out of this situation. But, would he even come? What would Ergo Proxy’s reaction be if she cried out for help?

Real was abruptly drawn out of her thoughts as she felt something sharp press against her neck. Ergo has moved his hand to the collar of her shirt and trying to work his claws underneath the fabric.

She couldn’t let this continue.

“Vincent!, she cried out, “Vincent, help me!”

God, she hated the sound of her voice calling his name; so pathetic. But, she didn’t have another choice.

The proxy paused in response to Real’s outburst, apparently taken aback. His surprised quickly transitioned to laughter.

“You think he’s going to help you now?” The proxy said, amused.

Real’s shirt began to tear as Ergo Proxy pulled into the material with his claws.

Several thoughts ran through Real’s head. Did Vincent plan to leave her to Ergo Proxy as punishment for her cruel words and action? Could he hear her calling his name, begging for his help? Would he save her even if he did?

“Vincent!” she called out again, panic rising in her voice.

Her cry raised a new round of laughter from the proxy. His claws continued to tear through her shirt, exposing more and more flesh as they continued their path along her torso.

Real didn’t care how wretched she sounded anymore. She began yelling his name with desperation.

“Vincent!”

The proxy continued laughing.

“Please, Vincent!”

Suddenly, Real found her legs and arms free. Now she could escape. She viciously kicked Ergo Proxy in the stomach, sending him flying backward.

She prepared to make a run for the gun with the FP bullet, but abruptly realized that she was lying in a tangle of blankets. She was scrambled to sit up and immediately recognized her surroundings as the dimly lit interior of the ship.

Vincent lay sprawled on the ground before her. Real had apparently knocked him to that position with the fierce kick she had intended for Ergo Proxy.

He looked shocked, but uninjured.

“Vincent!” Pino cried out from the opposite side of the cabin. She looked apprehensively toward Real and then back again at Vincent. After a few moments Pino seemed decide that being at Vincent’s side took priority over the risk of coming into closer proximity to Real.

Vincent had apparently overcome his shock at unexpected kick in the stomach he had received and was now staring a Real with a look of concern.

“Real, are you all right?” Vincent asked with apprehension.

“You were…”

Vincent seemed to take a moment to choose his words.

“having a nightmare.”

Real was speechless, yet somehow calmed by the information. However, her relief quickly turned to embarrassment when she realized she must have been calling Vincent’s name out in her sleep.

Vincent and Pino were still staring at her, both looking at her as though they expected Real to completely flip out or grow a second head at any moment. For a split second she felt that she would lose it and start screaming for them to stop fucking looking at her and go back to bed. But, she quickly reigned in her anger and humiliation and forced an attitude of agitated indifference into their place.

“I’m fine,” Real said in a flat tone.

Her shipmates continued to stare at her, not a modicum of change in their expressions.

‘Jesus Christ, they look like they expect me to break down and begin weeping hysterically,’ Real reflected.

Real stood up and glared down at Vincent and Pino.

“I’m fine, damn it!”

The combination of Real raising her voice and cursing were what seemed to finally draw her traveling companions out of their stupor. They both visibly let out a sigh of relief, as if her small outburst had been the sign of Real’s regained sanity that they had been awaiting.

Real decided she couldn’t stand to be in the same room with either Vincent or Pino and crossly made her way out onto the ship’s deck. The stupid way Vincent was looking at her, with so much concern and, God she hated to acknowledge it, pity. She slammed the cabin door behind her with the intent to ensure neither of her shipmates would think she would willingly tolerate their presence out on deck.

Real walked to the ship’s railing and took a deep breath. Apparently being stuck out in the middle of nowhere with a half-idiot, half-proxy had taken its toll on her psyche. Before Real had time to even begin analyzing the meaning behind her recent nightmare, the cabin door behind her opened.

“Um, Real-”

It was Vincent. Of course it was Vincent. And, he still had that horrible look of pity and concern plastered all over his face.

Real couldn’t stand it anymore. She couldn’t stand the way he said her name, the way he never respected her need for personal space, even the way in which he was now walking towards her was irritating.

She prepared to let him have it, but was suddenly halted by the familiarity of the situation. Lurking within Vincent was Ergo Proxy, waiting for his next chance to appear. He was possibly even watching her now and planning out just exactly what to say, or do, during their next meeting.

Real decided to hold off on her impending Vincent-provoked tirade …at least until she had a gun loaded with the FP bullet in her hand.
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Sorry if that was a little more twisted than anyone was expecting. For my next fic maybe I’ll write one with Vincent dreaming about Real- complete with fuzzy bunnies, singing clouds, and naked Real. I truly love Vincent, but since I was writing from Real’s perspective (circa episode sixteen) describing Vincent in any type of positive light really wasn’t a viable option.

This story’s title (Acerbus Quies) translates to something like “Bitter Sleep” or “Dark Rest” in Latin.


Key story points-

Real is repressed. Probably in a multitude of ways.

Vincent will now think that Real has nightmares about him :(

Pino doesn’t know what the fuck (and that’s probably a good thing).