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The room was set; camera and tapes ready, suspect in custody, guards standing by. Yet something still felt off. Something felt like it was bound to go wrong the moment they walked into the interrogation room and intuition told him it was the seething physicist burning holes into the door to the room with just his eyes. For as much as he was Pentecost’s flesh and blood, Jake was nothing like his father, only able to diffuse such situations on a moment's notice, floundering otherwise. But, he was going to have to speak up now or forever hold his peace, prompting to catch Ranger Lambert’s arm as he stepped towards the door.
“Nate. Sidebar.” He half whispered, pulling them out of earshot range.
“What?” Nate cocked an eyebrow, already irritated with what he was going to say.
“Should we rethink letting Gottlieb in?” Jake suggested, tilting his head in Hermann’s direction when he said his name.
Nate’s scowl grew tighter as he processed the thought. It was Jake’s idea in the first place to try to get Hermann in there once Geiszler had finally given in and agreed to give them any sort of answers, hoping some part of the old Newton would poke through if Gottlieb was there. They were mere minutes from starting their interrogation so it was baffling that Jake was suddenly going back on his idea.
“Why? It might actually get him to talk.” Nate posited, using Jake’s own words from when he proposed the concept.
“Just take a minute and look at his aura,” Jake stepped beside him, gesturing, “Really look at it.”
“Jake…” Nate huffed as he kept himself from rolling his eyes.
“Alright, I’ll cut the mystic bullshit. But seriously, he looks like he’s going to kill him the second he walks in.” Jake explained.
It was true. Hermann was standing a few feet from the interrogation room door, a white knuckled grip on the head of his cane. His jaw was visibly clenched and there was a fire in his eyes that was burning hotter than ever. Even with the distance between them, Jake and Nate equally gulped as they felt the red hot anger wafting off of him. It was strong enough to chill their blood and make them imagine the scene that would play out if they weren’t careful.
“He does look pretty pissed,” Nate conceded after a moment, “Look, I’ll cut you a deal: we let him in and if they get rowdy, we’ll put him on the bench.”
“Oh, I guarantee they’ll get rowdy. But whatever you say, your majesty.” Jake sniped, clapping his hand on Nate’s shoulder.
Nate just shook his head and took the lead in walking back towards the door, Jake matching his pace only a tick late. Noticing the rangers in his peripheral, Hermann cleared his throat and straightened out his hunched posture, trying to work himself back into a civil mindset so they could get this over with peacefully. Jake eyed him cautiously, standing close enough to hold him back if necessary, while Nate punched in the security code on the door’s keypad. As the door slid aside, everyone caught sight of Newton, looking meek but as conceited as ever, brows furrowed and biting at the split in his lip. He instantly stood up from his chairs, cuffs around his wrists jangling, and bared his teeth when he noticed Hermann, who mimicked his snarl and gripped his cane with both hands. He was only steps from being in close enough range to hit Newton when Jake and Nate caught him at the torso.
“Yup, already gone south,” Jake sighed, aiming to push Hermann back into the hallway, “Out we go.”
With one hand on Hermann’s chest, he roughly pressed in the code to close the door using his free hand. Hermann, blinded by his rage, continued to fight back, only to be seized by the lapels of his blazer and pressed against the wall, boxed in by Jake’s strong frame. He drew a shaky breath through his nose and slowly calmed as he let it back out through a deep exhale. It occurred to him as he returned to his right mind how uncouth he was becoming, the fight response likely something left over from an old drift that now felt like distant history.
“My apologies,” He choked out once he regained his voice, “I seem to have let my anger take over.”
Jake kept his hands curled for a second longer after accepting the apology and guilt settled in his stomach as he observed Hermann nervously rubbing the bruising around his throat from the last time he was in a room with Newton.
“No, I totally understand.” Jake assured, placing a consoling hand on his shoulder.
“Listen, I’d love to let you beat him to a pulp, I really would,” He continued, trying to rectify the situation, “But if he’s finally willing to talk, we need him to spill before I let you do that, alright?”
Hermann nodded, the fire in his eyes extinguishing like molten steel being placed in water. The lines in his face perfectly exhibited how exhausted he had been, mentally and physically, these past ten years and only seemed to be growing deeper as he continued to have dark thoughts about Newton’s affliction. Jake had detected it the moment they met and still felt sympathy for him, hardly beginning to imagine the pain whirling around his head.
“Good. Go make yourself some tea, just cool down.” He advised, watching Hermann’s wake as he shuffled to the mess hall before going back into the cell.
Nate had managed to convince Newton to sit back down, it seemed, as the little weasel was leaned all the way back, hands hung in his lap as his glower remained painted on his face. He was a small man as is but something about his chair, the table, or both made him look even more minute, unsettling everyone at the thought of someone so tiny almost ending the world. Jake half expected him to smirk and make some sort of smartass comment, but Newton just scanned every corner of the room before doing the latter.
“What is this? A police interrogation? I thought the police got defunded a while back.” He jested, sporting an evil glare that went back and forth between the rangers.
“They did, but that’s beside the point. You said you had answers.” Nate countered sternly, pulling out the chair across from him.
“Correction: I said I might have answers. For a price.” Newton scoffed, beginning to trace absent circles onto the table top.
“You already know we’re not letting you walk until we get those things out of your head.” Jake responded, leaned with his back against the door and his arms folded across his chest.
“I’m not worried about that right now. What I want to know is why you tried to bring him in here.” Newton retorted.
“We thought he might talk some sense into you finally.” Nate answered, unable to keep a hint of his own sarcasm out of his tone.
“Well, you thought wrong. Again.” Newton growled, ceasing his scribbling to cross his arms.
“Clearly,” Jake sneered, suppressing the urge to smack the smugness out of him, “What was your big idea, anyway?”
“Uh, simple? The Precursors’ first plan didn’t work so they were going to try again. If it hadn’t been for you meddling kids.” Newton disclosed, one knee rhythmically bouncing.
“And used you as a vessel?” Nate questioned, more so to clarify than get new information.
“Karma’s a bitch, isn’t it? Guess it’s what you all get for calling me a kaiju groupie for so long.
“But, yeah. I was their middle man, let them worm their way over here. Shao didn’t suspect shit.” Newton described in a level of detail that would have to suffice.
“Anything else?” Nate and Jake asked in unison, glaring at each other after they did.
“Nope. Other than you better keep frog face out of here or I’ll fuck you both up.” Newton barked, his attempted intimidation not translating as well as he wanted it to.
“Sure, you will.” Jake heckled, already going to unlock the door.
“Would love to see you try.” Nate similarly quipped, leaving his chair where it was and following Jake out.
“I mean it!” Newton aimlessly called after them.
In the hallway, the rangers exchanged a knowing look, Nate wordlessly telling Jake to go find Hermann, acknowledging that Newton would be choleric about it but hoping it was for the best. Jake’s first instinct was to check the lab, where he found Hermann blankly focused on the center of his littered desk, tea in his hand presumably going cold. It was only when Jake stepped into his personal bubble that he blinked back into reality and met his eye.
“I don’t know how you put up with him for ten years.” Jake joked, turning to lean against the corner of the desk.
“Nor do I,” Hermann slowly shook his head, gazing into his mug as he took a sip, “He’s truly insufferable.”
“You deserve financial compensation.” Jake chuckled, once again patting his shoulder.
They sat in amiable silence for a minute before he remembered why he was there, noting, “We didn’t get anything new out of him.”
“Shocking.” Hermann sighed, setting his mug down as he felt his grip start waning.
“Do you want to try Plan A again and see if you can get him to talk?” Jake inquired, trying not to overstep a boundary.
“I severely doubt it would yield anything other than shouting and a physical altercation.” Hermann reminded him.
“Fair enough—”
“But, it appears to be our last resort.” Wobbling slightly, Hermann stood up from his chair and placed a hand on Jake’s bicep to stabilize himself before grabbing his cane.
Jake made sure he had his balance before leading them out of the dimly lit lab into the bright hall, slowing his gait so that Hermann could match it. They had already inaudibly agreed that the odds of this working were low, Hermann, of course, having actually calculated the meager probability in the back of his head. Nate was most likely still checking the security tapes, so Jake decided to join him once he let Hermann into the interrogation room. As the door opened, Newton’s eyebrows raised and lowered at the drop of a dime, apparently having expected someone else to be waltzing in.
“What the fuck did I tell you, Pentecost—”
“Have fun boys!” Jake cut him short, rapidly closing the door after Hermann stepped in and sprinting off to find Nate.
“Fucking rangers…” Newton grumbled, scooting his chair back as far as his cuffs would allow as Hermann settled into the other seat.
“Indeed.” He concurred, crossing his legs and neatly folding his hands in his lap.
“I’m not telling you dipshits anything else, if that’s what you’re about to ask.” Newton divulged as he put his feet up on the table and tipped his chair.
“And I rightly guessed so.” Hermann assured him, repressing the ancient impulse to chide him about his positioning.
“Then why come back?” This time Newton took up the interrogating side, his interest piqued.
“Honestly? I’m not quite sure.” Hermann lamented, at a loss for words and reason.
“That’s a first, Mr. Know It All— Sorry, Dr. Know It All.” Newton ragged.
“It seems I had forgotten how appalling you are to be around…” Hermann muttered, voice caught in between audible and to himself.
“Well, you wouldn’t have had to learn it if you hadn’t been so dead set on meeting.”
The jab flipped Hermann’s stomach in several knots and his heart sank to his feet. Unfortunately, there was truth in the statement, as it had been him, breaking his stoic nature, who suggested they meet, wanting to see the brilliant, comedic man he had been writing to. What he had found was an irritating cretin who, ironically, made his heart grow fuller than it already was, even if he’d never admit it. To protect them both, he had sheltered the feelings and kept up walls for many years, only lowering them when they worked together to close the breach (or so he had thought). He never got the opportunity to confess or hand over the twin of the band resting on his figure, so instead he became somewhat of a recluse and avoided any chance that would bring his feelings back to the surface.
Noticing the way he paled and his eyes turned sorrowful, Newton smirked and dug the proverbial knife deeper, saying, “We both know it’s true. For once we can both take my side.”
“I despise you,” Hermann sniffed, refusing to let it turn into a sob, “I genuinely despise you right now.”
“Feeling’s mutual pal.” Newton backhandedly assured him.
“I can’t believe I harbored any other feelings for you…” Hermann sharply exhaled, swiftly getting up from his chair and once again resisting the itch to smack him upside the head.
“Yeah, yeah. Keep the pity party to yourself; I didn’t ask for an invite.” Newton snapped, tentatively watching his movements nonetheless.
“I hope you rot in that cell.” Hermann hexed with the purest resentment he had felt all day, harshly shoving his chair back under the table and furiously typed in the escape code, face burning hot as he turned down the hall.
“No you don’t!” Newton hollered in his wake, maliciously pleased with himself.
Hermann could feel the eyes of staff members watching him as he trudged to the lab, keeping his attention on that task and that task alone to keep the tears stinging his eyes from flowing out just yet. He nearly hurt his hand with how hard he punched in the code to lock the door, paying it no mind as he made his way to his desk chair. He was having a moment of feeling everything all at once yet nothing at all, which could have been managed had he not seen the way his ring glimmered and immediately crumpled. It was pathetic that someone like Newton could do this to him but it was his reality. He could regret it and his weak heart all he wanted but he couldn’t change that he hadn’t wanted Newton to be his forever, only to have those dreams tarnished by incompatible personalities and corrupt consciences. In a world where soulmates were real, this would have been his blown chance that he could never get back.