He's a breath away from death and he lays perfectly still. The pain radiating up from his wrist seems to be distant, an afterthought right now as he looks up at Tseng. He knows exactly what Tseng is capable of, he's seen the pictures that accompany reports that were filed away with the hope that Rufus wouldn't get his hands on them and see the truth of what the Turks did in the shadows. While he couldn't join them in the field, Rufus wanted to know everything he could instead of hiding from the truth no matter how unpleasant it was.

This was the first time he wasn't sure if Tseng was actually going to kill him. He had fought for life every single day for the last two years but now laying here he didn't struggle or try to put distance between his throat and the blade. Rufus had put his life in Tseng's hands years ago and it was fitting that it would be Tseng would be the only one to actually kill him when others had failed.

He's not afraid even as he meets Tseng's dark gaze. "I know you, Tseng. I know you would have left a brand that he would have to look at and be reminded of what happens when he comes after a Turk." He nearly asks if there is something else that Tseng is hiding from him- he knows there is something but he's not sure how to ask those questions.