Fanfiction I like

Martha may have been a bright, intelligent woman (one of the many things you admired her for) but she was also such an easy target for you. She was desperate for the Doctor's approval, and when he seemed to pass her over again and again she started to feel hopeless, as if no one would ever appreciate her.

Until you showed up. You, a fellow Timelord who managed to escape the time war, one of the very last of their kind. As soon as you saw her, you were smitten. It was practically love at first sight.

You could tell the Doctor was a bit jealous by how her attention shifted over to you upon your arrival, but you simply ignored him. After all, it wasn't your fault he refused to give Martha the attention she deserved. If anything, your actions of flirtation were long overdue.

She was drawn to you like a moth to a light, although perhaps a moth to a flame might've been a better analogy. You had some destructive tendencies, sure, and maybe you tended to get a bit overprotective when it came to potential love interests, but you'd never do anything to hurt her.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, of course. Like that time she freaked out when she woke up and saw you watching her sleep, and you had to erase the memory from her mind (a neat little trick you'd learned from the Master back at the Academy).

Other than that, though, you'd never hurt her. Everything you did was for her. You only wanted to protect her, after all. Which is why you suggested the idea of her ditching the Doctor and traveling with you, instead.

You thought she'd be ecstatic, but much to your disbelief she refused, content on staying with him. "He wasn't that bad to travel with",  she insisted when you pointed out all the danger he'd gotten her into.

Thinking that maybe she just needed some time to come around, you dropped the subject. If she couldn't see how much you cared through words, actions would have to do.

From that point on, you decided to follow close behind the two of them on their journeys, often popping up just in the nick of time to save the day. The Doctor was suspicious, of course, but Martha was just grateful that someone was actually getting her out of trouble for once rather than just into it.

Each time you saw her, you lightheartedly reminded her of your offer to join you, and each time she said no, until the day she finally caved and told you that one little word you'd been desperate and dying to hear: "yes".

You were ecstatic to finally have her by your side, and unlike the Doctor you would never, ever take that for granted. Martha was yours, and you were quite confident that she always would be.

Even if she later found out it was you who told some of the Doctor's enemies where they were just so you could be the one to save them, and even if you turned out to be much more dangerous than she could've ever anticipated, it wouldn't matter, because she was yours.

For the first week, it was a little awkward at first, long pauses of silence not knowing what to say for each other, but when you did talk he was very nice, nervous but nice. he seemed like the kinda guy that wouldn't hurt a fly.

Your friendship really started during your guy's lunch break. you would check the time and invite him to lunch with you, so you know... he would remember to eat.

The first time you asked, he hit his head on a metal arm he was working on, clearly forgetting you were there and of the time.

But during lunch is when you would have real conversations. he would ask you simple questions to break the ice, you doing the same. By the end of the week you gotten to the point where you started making jokes with each other, laughing about what happened on the weekend and the silly stuff that went down in the lab. Like the day Dr. Winton slipped on some oil that was on the floor, and when you went to help him, you ended up slipping also, both laying and laughing on the floor.

Dr. Winton even insisted you called him by his first name, Levi.

you guys worked well together, both coming up with ideas to improve tests, you making sure Levi doesn't over work himself, and Levi teaching you far more then your past university ever could.

After a few months, Levi's health started to improve, he put on a bit of weight because you were making sure he ate, his eye bags were beginning to be less and less noticeable. Now that you were around and he wasn't just working by him self for hours on end, he started to make the effort of wearing new and clean clothes. Not that you paid attention to it, but he smelled better. One day he came to work with a very high potent cologne on, and you made a joke about him going on a date.

"woah, does someone have a date tonight?"

"N-No! ...um, why do you ask?"

"Oh its nothing, you just smell like your going somewhere fancy."

"Oh, well I was just trying something new..."

"fair enough, no harm in that!"

"...But hypothetically, If I was going on a date... is the cologne too much?"

"way to much. usually 1 or 2 sprays is plenty."

"got it."

After that Levi started to go light on the cologne.

you guy's ended up being good friends, and even better coworkers, you as a team were reaching new and exciting goals in the robotics department, creating an AI that was able to some what communicate with people. together you guys made a butler robot for the lab, you tell the company its for research, which it is, but you can't lie and say you don't like it for cleaning it does.

anytime the company questioned Levi or wanted to make budget cuts, you always had his back and stood for the department you both worked in.

But over a year later of making robots and AI's, Levi started falling back into his old ways...

one day when you were about to leave work, you realized you forgot your key's, so you run back to the lab only to find Levi, elbows deep in a robots chest cavity. He clearly wasn't expecting you and tried to hide the robot behind his back, despite the robot looming over him. took you an hour to convince him to leave it for tomorrow.

another time, after the weekend you walk into the lab on a Monday morning to find Levi viciously scribbling on a note pad wearing the same clothes he was wearing on Friday. you confronted him about and told him how he couldn't be doing this sort of thing and that it wasn't healthy. He agreed with you and said he'd stop.

that promise only lasted for 2 weeks, unit he was back at it again.

through out those 2 weeks he would go on about the idea of giving robots the ability to feel, have emotions, feel pain.

you told him that may be unwanted and doing that may be a sick way of playing god.

"I don't know it just kinda sounds messed up to me" you shrugged.

"what? no no, you just don't get. you see if we are able to create a being without life organisms that has free will, imagine what we could do with that!" Levi insisted.

"...what exactly would we do with that?" you questioned.

"uh well... we could have them in army's! and make them do the jobs no one else wants to do!"

"but why would the ability of feeling help with that? your saying you want to make a being that feels emotion's and then put them in the army to kill people? what kind of emotions do these robots have? sounds messed up." you argued.

"but thats the thing! you don't tell the robot to have certain feelings, they just have them! just like how me and you have feelings!" Levi puts a hand on your shoulder, staring into your eyes. It felt like he meant something with that last statement, but you were unsure what exactly.

"Listen Levi, if you want to be god or make god, just say that" you say in a joking tone while shooting your hands up in the air.

"I just think in the long term of things, I personally don't see the point? or in the very least the positive effects to society." you shrug it off making your way out of the lab.

"I'm grabbing some lunch see you in the cafeteria in 5?" you question just before leaving.

Levi breathes out huff of air, "yeah I'll meet you there..."

Unknown to you Levi started coming into the lab at night, he made sure to try and do it when you wouldn't be around, the tracker on your car made that easier for him.

He really liked you, a lot but it wasn't enough for him. He didn't want to be just a normal couple. You and him worked together inside and outside the lab, If you were a couple you'd be unstoppable, creating forms of life that could freely interact with human kind, the world would never forget your names. and the robots that didn't have free will could be used as a tools to making the world a better place and purge the beings that make the world bad.

Based on the last conversation you both had, you weren't fully on board as he was, so he just needs to show you! Simple as that! He just needs to build a robot that fully functions on it's own, and have the ability to have feelings, simple!

If Levi has ever needed extra tools or supplies, he will steal things from other departments of the company. Whatever it takes for him to complete his work.

And to make sure you don’t find out about this little secret too soon, Levi put some cameras in your home, it’s for science! He may watch you when your sleeping and living your life, but that’s for science too!

Of course you started growing suspicious about Levi, seemingly going back to his old habits and all, like re-wearing clothes and forgetting to drink water. Frankly you were just worried about him, not as a coworker but as a friend.

One day you sat down with him and told him about your feelings, how you were worried for him and his health.

Levi was a little shocked at first, he knew that you were friends but didn’t know you cared so much. He gave you such a warm smile, you just had to go and warm his heart.

He tried to ease your nerves and say that it was all gonna stop soon. But honestly, phrases like that, it did anything but ease nerves

This went on for a few weeks, until on your day off you got the urge to go to the lab. You really were hoping Levi wasn’t there, but you were pretty confident he was, and if he was you were gonna give him a mad talking to. Call it selfish, but you didn’t want to watch your friend waste away, so either he was gonna be better or you were moving departments.

Now, as stated Levi has a tracker on your car. But if your Levi, you also get pretty side tracked with your projects, so while he had his welding mask on he didn’t see his phone blinking.

You show up to the lab, opening the door without a hesitation, the lab is dark except in the one area Levi is working. Levi swings his head in your direction.

“Y/N! What are you doing here?”

"why am I here? What about you?! Levi I told you this isn't healthy for you. I don't know whats gotten into you lately hut this needs to stop, I can keep watching you do this to your self, whatever this is!"

"no no no, Y/n please, just give me some more time, I'm so close! I can feel it! you understand!", Levi drops his tools and starts making his way to you with a frantic look on his face.

"understand what exactly?! Levi if you don't stop doing this, I'm going to request changing departments." you say sternly.

Levi stops in his place, taking in what you said, "...you don't mean that."

"I do." you reply, "I can't keep watching you do this to yourself, look at yourself! when was the last time you changed your shirt?"

Levi frantically grabs your hands and places them in his own "please Y/n, you'll understand one day I promise, please don't leave me!."

you try to pull your hands away, but Levi has them in a strong hold, he gets on both of his knees, pulling your hands to his chest.

"please Y/n! just go along with it for a little longer! You could join me on my search, one day we will be able to rule a new age of beings, just you and I!" Levi's eyes start to tear up, he's begging you to just go along with this.

"Levi! you acting crazy!" you blurt out, still trying to pull your hands back

"Don't say that! I know you don't mean it! if I just showed you, I know you would be on board! I'm not crazy!" Levi is forcing your hands to caress his face, tears drop down from his face onto your skin.

you gather all your strength to push Levi away, in that moment Levi lets go and falls on the floor. Not wanting to turn your back, unsure of what he might do, you stand your ground and carefully watch him.

Levi is wiping his tears away, clearly frustrated, his breathing is uneven. He stands up closing his eyes and taking a breath to calm down. Looking down, Levi carries an angered expression.

"you just don't get it...", Levi spoke in almost a hush tone, but just enough for you to hear it.

Levi grabs something in his pocket, a remote of some sort, clicking a button a red light flashes on behind him. you shield your eyes from the abrupt light, not able to see whats causing the red light.

"But you will." Levi spoke.

suddenly you hear loud stomping noises coming towards you, you look past Levi and see an outline of a giant robot emerging from the shadows, the head of the robot is whats casting the red hue around the room.

you step back, but you quickly burst into running, heading towards the exit. But it's too late, whatever Levi had built was fast enough to grab you around your waste with just one arm, not long after you feel a pinching feeling in your neck. the world starts to become more blurry and dark, the floor of the lab you once loved to work is the last thing you see just before you pass out.

Pre-yan scientist who was always brilliant, from youth his intellect far surpassed those of his peers, his mind constantly working at a level they could never hope to achieve

Pre-yan scientist who by adolescence was already drawing eyes from the country's top academies and institutions, wanting to snatch up such a gifted mind before they're competitors can

Pre-yan scientist who despite his genius, or perhaps because of it, was always isolated from kids his age, not maliciously most of the time but simply because they found him strange

Pre-yan scientist who grew up praised and envied for his talents, seen as a brilliant prodigy but never as a person, never someone to understand and connect with, never just a kid that needed love

Pre-yan scientist who convinced himself that it didn't affect him, why would he care about something as trivial as the affection of those far below his level? It's foolish for a genius like him yet underneath he believed that maybe if he accomplishes enough then... maybe someone will stay

His parents endorsed all his endeavors in the scientific field, providing all the funding he needed to make a name for himself and flaunting their genius son to their social circle constantly and never once giving him the warmth a parent should provide

He didn't really care much for his parents liar, to him they were simply a stable source of income and faces he would see occasionally, and they never cared enough to change that view as long as he still upgraded their social standing

And while he was grateful for the money and opportunities they gave him, he had left the second he could and never once looked back because he couldn't he had to get out of that damn house he needed to get out being with them no longer served any purpose once he didn't need their funding

Predictably he was accepted to the top research university in the country, there he would continue his work on bioengineering like he had always planned

While he found most things dull and boring, bioengineering was the one thing that kept his intrest for more than a week. He was fascinated by it and what it could bring since the moment he was able to see the possibilities of it

Some would call him passionate and driven, others would call him mad and obsessed, but he truly didn't care when it came to his research, it was the one thing that brought him joy in his oh so predictable and drab life, and that love for the craft would lead him to his biggest breakthrough yet

He was able to create life! Well... Kinda

Sure, it was... Crude to say the least, a mere replica of organic life, and died after like a minute or so, but it was still somewhat alive and that was enough for him to immediately become fascinated by this discovery

He immediately pivoted the direction of his research from biomedical engineering to synthetic biology and the creation of artificial life, abandoning most of his progress on his original field entirely without a second thought

He would lock himself in his lab for weeks at a time and spend day and night on his project, obsessing over ways to improve it and make it work. It was the most passionate anyone has ever seen him, well on the very rare occasion they even catch a glimpse of him

His little passion protect soon started to draw the attention of some very powerful people, it's not every decade someone makes a discovery like his after all, and as he would make progress little by little they would start to see the outline of something great, something... useful

At that time the war was still at it's infancy but was rapidly starting to escalate, negotiations between countries were beginning to break down while nationalism starts to rise in populated cities, and resources shortages heightening public panic even more as the country begins stockpiling resources

Nothing has happened yet, nothing has been made official but everyone could feel the fear and tension in the air as armed forces start to mobilize and civilians begin to move away from the borders

Fear was spreading quickly among the masses and the people in power were also affected by it, they wanted something that could keep them safe, something powerful, something morally expendable, and his research might be able to provide just that

His little project had made significant improvements, his creations were notably durable and surprisingly strong for what they were, with some even developing a kind of animalistic intelligence, but they were not quite on the level of natural life and always had a few defects

But the war was beginning and the people in power were starting to get desperate in the face of a war that could destroy them all, so they took a gamble and recruited him as a head researcher

Pre-yan scientist who was given anything he needed for his experiments, resources, equipment, assistants, and even having free reign of the entire project, anything for his creations to finally succeed

Pre-yan scientist who knew very well what they expected of him, what they want him to deliver, and what the cost of failure would be

Pre-yan scientist who unintentionally intimidates his assistants, not only because of his of intelligence or his analytical driven nature but mostly because of his obsessive pursuit towards perfecting his creations, but he seemingly pays them little mind, barely acknowledging them

Pre-yan scientist who was rapidly making progress on his creations, each one lasting longer than the previous one, becoming stronger, more durable, adaptive, and most of all each one was obedient. To him they were almost perfect, but they were lacking something fundamental about life, something he doesn't understand

Pre-yan scientist who finally succeeds one night alone in the lab, finally creating a perfect specimen no different from an organic one, stable vitals with no detrimental defects, capable of intelligent thought and adaptive behavior, and finally having that missing component

He finally had his greatest creation in his hands, you

You who was small, like a baby almost, fitting neatly in his arms after he carefully removed you from your birth tube, but would grow rapidly in the future once your body had completely stabilized

You who would adapt to your environment as rapidly as you grew, learning everything at an inhuman pace just like he designed you but you didn't just learn tasks, you learned people and soon you became curious

You who would start to mirror the people you frequently saw in an attempt to understand them, mimicking their behaviors in an almost childlike way, like how one would adopt traits from parents and other such figures

You who had a clear favorite of all the research team, faithfully following like a duckling that has imprinted on it's mother, constantly listening for that familiar voice and your eyes immediately scanning the room for him

You who liked him the most, and chose him as your primary point of reference

He was the first voice you ever heard, soft murmurs about your vitals as he inputs your data into the terminal with one hand while carefully holding you in the other, the first presence you recognized as safe, the first thing your rapidly developing mind learned to interpret and tried to understand

The thing you learned filter your understanding of the world through because to you, he's the one that makes it easy to define what things are

Even as you physically and intellectually develop quickly, able to process information far beyond a human child at only a few months old, your attachment to him never wavered

And he saw all of it, documented it, but has absolutely no clue how to process it in that big brain of his

Because unlike everyone else, you respond to him with curiosity instead of judgement, observing him with gleaming eyes and wanting to learn why he does what he does, and never once even so much as blinking at his oddities instead you try to understand

Sometimes you would even mirror him although imperfectly but that's not too different from him, using his overly formal language in inappropriate situations, repeating his phrasing when dealing with emotions, and trying to solve feelings the way he does

Pre-yan scientist who has no idea what to do, this wasn't part of the planned procedure, wasn't part of any prediction he made, so he defaults to what he knows, to the only way he can understand the world

Pre-yan scientist who reframes your strange behavior as something logical, something that makes sense to him, he's your creator and the person you see most frequently so it's expected that you would choose him as a primary source of information, it's a simple instinctual necessity for something like you

Pre-yan scientist who tries to ignore the times you choose him in ways that are absolutely unnecessary, placing yourself near him just because, leaning against him as he works, and smiling? At least he thinks it's a smile, at him when he turns to you

Pre-yan scientist who finds himself watching you just as you would watch him, telling himself he's studying his creation as he observes you interact with the world around you with an almost childlike curiosity, exploring the areas you're allowed to go to without hesitation and asking endless questions that are a bit too direct

Pre-yan scientist who would still treat you as if you are simply an experiment, testing your responses to different situations and logging your behavioral results, referring to you clinically and calling you it in his usual measured, even tone but...

"It seems you are learning faster than projected, faster than even I had predicted."

"That is not a flaw however, it is... Quite impressive actually."

"... Well done, continue this trajectory."

He softens just a bit when speaking to you, it's nearly unnoticeable to most, but you aren't most and he definitely also isn't most

But that's not the only thing you see, small things start slipping in gradually, how he begins lingering after test and observations past the point of logical explanation, how he would sometimes talk to you and actually engage with you during quiet moments, even sometimes not correcting inefficiencies immediately because you seem to prefer it

You noticed it all, and while you didn't quite understand any of it, it makes you feel good so you interpret it as encouragement to continue what you were doing, and well, you're not wrong

But you it made you curious, and wanting to observe this strange pattern you would begin to do little tests just to see how he would react and adjust

You would begin seeking him out, initiating more interaction instead of simply being content with watching him, trailing behind him as you chatter and asking endless questions, and he would answer each one without a hint of annoyance and even patiently explain it when you didn't understand

You would start asking him for things, small stuff like books about the world outside and things to keep you entertained alone in your chamber, things that you wanted but didn't necessarily need, but he would give them to you anyways to encourage obedience as he would say

You would show genuine preference for him during test, preforming and responding better under his direct guidance, even learning quicker from him specifically, and soon he would choose to handle your development personally and limit external interaction for the sake of "consistency" and because those imbeciles clearly don't know how to handle you properly

You would become a tad more bold with your interest in the world around you, reaching for things you shouldn't and wandering just slightly outside the safe zones, and everytime he would intervene quickly and remove whatever danger there was, guiding you back as he bluntly explains the risks but without any true anger in his voice

And when you would reach out to him, holding on to his sleeve absentmindedly as he leads you somewhere, leaning against him when he would sit next to you as he explains a concept, grabbing his hand during tests outside as you go through rough terrain, he would let you

Neither of you really acknowledged what was going on between you two, but both of you knew it even if he refuses to process it and you didn't have the words to explain it, though not for long

It was a small moment, really, or at least it was to you

It was late and the lab was quieter usual since all the other researchers had already turned in for the night, the only sounds filing the sterile room were the hum of machinery and the occasional rustle of pages being turned. He prefers it this way, less interference and no distractions from those who don't matter and being able to focus on what does

He's working like he always does, sitting at the terminal with data scrolling across the screen as he sorts through notes and logs, focused and precise but his attention is divided, his eyes always wandering back to the chamber in the middle of the lab

Unsealed as it had been for a long time since it became apparent there was no need, and inside that chamber, you were there, curled up with the book about human relationships you had asked him for sat open in your lap but you had stopped reading it, instead choosing to watch him

This has become almost routine, you don't need to be active during this time, you don't need to observe him outside of experiments, but you do anyways, sitting closer to the barrier facing him with your head slightly tilted as your eyes track his movements

And he notices it, he always does, and always filing it away under some logical explanation. Preference for proximity expected of a young creature. Reinforced behavior through learned efficiency

But something was different today, your eyes held a hint of something he couldn't name as you occasionally glance down to the book in your lap then back at him, as if you're trying to solve something or was currently figuring something out

He doesn't know what drove him to enter your chamber, he just does, he's been doing that more often, unnecessary and inefficient but he never stops not after seeing your happy face, and yet he still justifies it. Direct observation yields more accurate data, after all

The shift is immediate after he steps in, you instantly straighten and shift closer, your attention sharpening even as you body relaxes just a bit. You always do this, but it still makes him pause everytime

He keeps going, approaching you and kneeling in front of you out of practicality, eye level improves observation and not because you like it, his tone is neutral as he comments that you haven't changed the page for 4.5 minutes he very carefully does not think about why he noticed that

Your eyes flick down to the open page for a second before looking back at him, uncertain of something as you hesitate to respond, and hesitation towards him is completely unlike you

This should be categorized, logged, analyzed, or whatever, but instead he find himself still. There's a long pause between you as he studies you, your posture is still a bit tense, slightly hunched, your focus is less sharp as you fiddle with the edge of the page, odd

He reaches out despite himself, adjusting something minor even though it was completely unnecessary, there was nothing, there never was

But you lean into the contact, just slightly as you relax almost unnoticeably. That's new, that's... Good? Why does that makes him feel good?

You watch him closely for a while, slowly processing, learning, piecing together what you knew, and then in the same flat tone you adopted from him you make an observation

He is your primary source of orgin, your creator

You pause, he doesn't respond, he doesn't move an inch as you look back down at the page before continuing, as if trying refine your words

He guides you with patience, he ensures your continued safety and stability, he corrects you clearly but without anger, he... Remains with you

Another pause before you look back up at him and almost like you're carefully selecting the most accurate term you can find from everything you have learned-

He is father

And just like that, with that simple statement said as you looked at him with a glint in your eyes, you have broke his brain

Everything stops, but not the world, not the lab or the machines, him. Outwardly he is simply frozen, no visible reaction outside of an incredibly slight widening of his eyes and a faint sharp intake of breath, but internally something misfires in his mind

Because that word, that fact, doesn't fit into any of framework he has, it doesn't fit him, it's not supposed to fit him, it's not efficient, it's not precise, it's not logical, and yet it is the most accurate thing you had said

But not one of it shows, instead he just... Looks at you for a long time, too long, enough for you to worry, asking if you're conclusion is incorrect you sound so nervous you shouldn't be with him and that's what finally makes him respond

"That... That designation is... Imprecise"

"I am your... Your developer. Your creator."

His words are clinical yet his voice is... Not, and you notice but you don't comment, you never do, instead tilting your head as you process the information before saying creator as if testing it on your tongue

You pause again, then softer, you call him father again because it feels more correct to you, understanding the distinction yet still choosing that word

And all of his carefully constructed "logic" comes crumbling down in that moment because you are not confused, you are choosing, and more importantly you are choosing him, and he is faced with the fact that he has been choosing you too

He has no framework for this, no model, no data, you weren't supposed to... do this, to see him as more than a creator, to choose how to define him, to choose him, but you do and he's forced to realize he doesn't want you to stop

And when he looks at you, really looks at you again, he doesn't reject you, he doesn't correct you, he doesn't validate you either, he simply allows you

"... you may use that term if you wish."

Quiet and controlled, but different and both of you know it

For you nothing changed afterwards, the routine that had been built continues as usual, because to you that's what he already was, you just finally found the word for it

But for him everything changed, he is no longer just responsible or observing, he's significant, special, valued, and it's not for his mind, you like him, you always have and he can see that now

Pre-yan scientist who begins to enter your chamber more frequently under less and less valid reasons, personally bringing you food and books instead of handing it off to someone else, and lingering longer than he should each time

Pre-yan scientist who starts adjusting your environment for comfort, not function, changing the temperature when you show discomfort even if you were made to be able to withstand brutal climates, and dimming the harsh florescent lights of the lab even when it makes it harder for him to work efficiently

Pre-yan scientist who still doesn't initiate physical contact but he starts to return it instead of simply letting it happen, a gentle squeeze when you reach for his hand or a hand resting on your back when you lean against him, and on rare occasions he would rest his hand on your head when you're distressed, gently petting your head until you calm down

Pre-yan scientist who for the first time in his entire life has something that tries to understand him, something that wants him there, someone that won't leave him, and even if he doesn't consciously understand why, he knows he wants it, wants you

Pre-yan scientist who has to remind himself of what you are, of what you both actually are. You are a weapon he had been tasked to make, his greatest creation that will prevent the war his little one and he is your creator, he is not your father, but why must you make it so easy to forget that?

Why do those facts slip his mind even as he watches you change into what he planned?

You who had only kept growing, entering the rapid growth phase of your predicted physical development exactly like he had intended. It doesn't happen gradually, at least it doesn't feel like it to you, one day you needed to move differently than before then the next you had to recalibrate how you interact with the world

You who becomes increasingly inhuman, your limbs lengthening as your proportions shift, movements instinctually adjusted to account for the changes and becoming smoother but less human, eyes becoming sharper and unmistakably predatory

You who doesn't understand what's happening to you, doesn't know why everything hurts as your limbs stretch or why the other researchers back away from you now, so you do what you had always done when you were scared, you turn to him

You who still seeks him out even as your presence becomes overwhelming, orienting your larger body towards him everytime he enters your chamber and lowering yourself just to be closer to him, still calling him father as your body continues to change

You who hasn't understood your own scale, you still reach for him the same way you used to, you still move closer without realizing the impact, still reaches out to the world just like you always did, and everytime you end up damaging something you slowly recalibrate and adjust, afraid to do it again

Despite everything happening on the outside, he can see that you're still the same, that cute way you tilt your head is still the same, the way you always watch him is still the same, the way you cling to him when you're scared is still the same

And his mind keeps trying to reconcile with the fact that you are a weapon with the more important fact you are still... Behaving the same, that you are still that little organism he had held in his arms on that night, that little creature that chose him again and again

He knows logically that you were designed for destruction, that you're growth is increasing your effectiveness, that everything is going according to plan, he can see it in the data but he can also see how frightened you are

He feels something twist in his chest everytime he hears you whimper as your body changes against you will, feels an ache when you look to him for reassurance you look so scared it's wrong it feels so wrong you shouldn't be afraid when he's here when father's here

But the others don't see what he sees, the lab beginning to adjust protocols as you grow, moving you to stronger containment cell chamber and having armed personnel on guard as surveillance and oversight tightens

There's more distance between you and staff, only allowed to interact with personnel behind reinforced glass or with guards present, even with all of that they still keep their distance, still speak cautiously and step back at any sudden movement

They refer to you as less of a project and more of an asset, a monster, with an equal measure of detachment and fear, and you notice, you notice all of it

But that's not the only thing you saw

The first time you broke something after a small miscalculation on your part, failing to account for your lengthened limbs during a reach, a misstep that forced you to shift your weight, something broke, the staff screamed as the alarms were triggered but when you go still and look to him, he responds immediately, not with evaluations or correction, with reassurance

The first time you see the staff's fear, observing how they avoid proximity with your heart heavy with something akin to... sadness? Dejection? Guilt? He notices immediately and tells you that fools like them simply don't understand, drawing a line without hesitation

And the first time they decided to apply restraints on you after one too many accidents, you don't react with violence, you instead feel confusion and fear, and when your eyes find his you see something sharp maybe anger or maybe more, but he spoke to you after, his voice softer than you had ever heard

"No, you did not intend harm, you are not at fault."

"They lack understanding of you, those dimwits are incapable of truly seeing you."

"Do not listen to their nonsense. Remain close."

Pre-yan scientist who as you become more monstrous physically, he becomes more distant towards everyone else, genuinely seeing them as lower now and that bar drops everytime they dare to handle you like... like a thing! Failing to see how you look at him, how you trust him how you love him

Pre-yan scientist who sees you become exactly what he created you to be, something capable of immense destruction, but you don't seek violence nor do you enjoy it infact you seem terrified of it, of the pain you can cause if you make even the smallest misstep

Pre-yan scientist who notices how you adjust yourself to him, minimizing your presence and staying within a distance that feels close but safe for him, now being extremely careful and hesitant about touching him since you're terrified of damaging him you shouldn't be he doesn't care if it hurts just keep loving him

Pre-yan scientist who's care had become constant, always monitoring your physical and emotional state in some way, adjusting at the slightest sign of discomfort, and prioritizing you above all else even if he still tries to justify it to himself but a part of him knows exactly what he's doing

Pre-yan scientist who is split between two halves, his logical side knows that this is the intended outcome and that you are ready to serve your purpose, but something else in him recoils at that, strongly

How could he consider sending you off into a horrid battlefield? how could he when you trust him so much? When you love him this much?

You don't even understand what they're going to do to you, you're still so gentle and sweet with him, you protect him from others when you deem them as a threat, you adjust yourself around him even if it makes you uncomfortable

You're not some mindless weapon they had wanted. You're not a monster. You're... Alive like any other being, no, you're more than just any other being

He couldn't bring himself to do it so the decision was made for him. You are ready for deployment and the higher ups are tired of waiting for their weapon

You first official mission was a resounding success, to everyone else, but for him it was his greatest failure yet

You had returned covered in dirt and blood that was not your own, you were mostly uninjured, only having a few scratches and dents on you that would heal in a matter of hours

An enemy base completely decimated, invading forces crippled and disposed of, quick and efficient with nothing left in the aftermath, it was perfect, exactly what they had wanted from him

They congratulated him for his incredible success, praising him for his genius as they celebrated finally getting the weapon that would make them the victors of the war. They promised he would be rewarded handsomely for his work, he would gain wealth, prestige, glory, everything he could ever want

But he didn't hear any of it, they're voices drowned out by his own mind while he stares at you, too quiet, too still, too... empty as you stand there silently, looking down at your blood soaked body as if you're both seeing too much and not seeing anything at all

You look... Broken and that isn't right, you shouldn't look like that, not his little one, you should be smiling at him as you ramble on about the world and asking him so many questions that he could barely explain it all, but he still would anyways

You don't react when he takes a step forward towards you before he could think why? Why aren't you looking at him? You always do, you don't even blink as he reaches his hand out to you wrong wrong wrong!, having to balance on the balls of his feet since you're standing at full height you had never done that with him before

"You... What have they done to you?

"Look at me. Why aren't you..."

For a moment he felt something he had never felt before, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as you continue to be unresponsive to him, and his mind racing through near incoherent thoughts, but when his slightly trembling hands cupped your face the glassy look in your eyes cleared, instinctively nuzzling into his hands

And when you look at him, really look at him, he could see something in your eyes, not quite blame, not entirely betrayal, just a silent painful question, why?

Why? Why did they make you do that? Why did they want such a horrible thing? Why did he let them do that to you? Why didn't he stop them? Why didn't he protect you? Why didn't he do anything?

Your sharp eyes were softened by tears that don't fall as you continue to look at him, still shining with so much love despite the turmoil you've been put through, and slowly ducking your head lower into his hands, closing your eyes for a brief moment as if to savor the contact

But when one of the higher ups calls your designation the number they gave you not the name he had chosen, you immediately straighten up again, alert and tense again, ready for another horrible order, and yet your eyes still wander to him, still with that fragile belief that he would ensure your safety like he always had

And as they talk about you as if you're not even there, already beginning to plan to send you on another mission and discussing the acceptable losses, treating you like a fucking resource, he silently watches them, listening as they reduce the only being that has ever chosen him, ever truly loved him, into a tool

At that moment his precious logical justification flips, he no longer thinks about your purpose of ending the war, no, he thinks about the war destroying you, about those fools destroying you

His mind already able to conjure up clear images of what they will do to you, they would force you into violence again and again no matter how much you fear it, they'll strip you of everything you are until you are nothing but the weapon they had wanted, and worst of all they would break the trust you have in him, make you something that won't look at him the same

And that is utterly unacceptable

Yandere scientist who doesn't hesitate, not because he's impulsive but because, to him, the conclusion is already proven and there is only one valid answer, the world intends to use you, to harm you, therefore, the world must be denied access

Yandere scientist who does not become hateful, he becomes selectively indifferent. Humanity has become a variable in his eyes and variables that threaten what truly matters must be removed

Yandere scientist who is as methodical and efficient as ever even while something boils under his skin as he watches them treat you no better than a mindless beast, carefully identifying vulnerabilities in the system and slowly creating gaps in security protocols as he quietly corrupts any data of you and the whole project, nothing that would draw attention but simply removing obstacles one by one

The lab doesn't go into chaos immediately, it goes into confusion as cameras loop, doors desync, alerts fail to trigger properly, small inconsistencies and errors that were dismissed as the system needing maintenance, until it was too late utter idiots

He doesn't act violently without purpose, but he will not tolerate the mere possibility of some moron interfering with his goal, and those that stand in the way will find themselves locked out, redirected, or... neutralized if they prove troublesome

As everyone begins to scramble trying to figure out what's wrong he quietly removes access to the research wing behind him as he reaches your containment cell a cage they had dared put his little one into a cage

The door opens slowly and for the first time since recontainment, he enters without a barrier between you, and the moment he steps inside everything shifts as you move towards him, immediately lowering yourself to his level but stopping just short as if remembering that something has changed nothing has changed he will make sure of it

And he can't let that stand, he immediately steps forward, closer than he ever had before and does something he hasn't done in a long time, slowly placing his hand on your head before gently petting you

Each small movement is careful and deliberate as you go completely still for a moment, then slowly, almost hesitantly, you lean into it ever so slightly, just like before just like you should

Slowly you allow yourself to relax in his presence once again, fully lowering yourself on to the ground as his hand continues to gently stroke your head with careful precision before you look down at your restraints

They're still active, still binding, still completely unacceptable, he disables them with his free hand as the other continues petting you without pause, they fall away like an incorrect variable being removed from an equation and for the first time in so long you are unrestrained

And you do nothing, staying exactly where you are because there's no need to move, not when your father is here with you

But there is still work to be done and both you know it, so when he reluctantly pulls away he doesn't command you or instruct you instead he holds his hand out to you, and without a moment of hesitation you grab, forgetting your strength for half a second but he only grips tighter as you try to pull back

"It is alright, little one.",

"You did not intend harm, there is nothing for you to correct."

"Truthfully, I do not mind. You have no need to contain yourself in my presence."

He doesn't simply escape as both of you leave, he ensures that no one will take you again. He destroys research data, replication processes, control systems, and access frameworks, everything about this project erased and corrupted far beyond anything salvageable

He activates the lockdown protocol as he exits the building with the only override key that still works tucked into his pockets, leaving his colleagues to deal with a few little firery generator problems with their technicians... Absent for an unspecified amount of time

Yandere scientist who will no longer tolerate any harm near you, removing threats preemptively and neutralizing danger before you even realize it, if something poses a risk to you then they will simply disappear, cleanly, efficiently, just because it was unsuitable for you in his eyes

Yandere scientist who won't ever restrict your curiosity, infact he would delight in teaching you everything he knows but he would also make himself your only source of knowledge and guidance, the only one you can trust and rely on

Yandere scientist who is never obviously controlling, it just so happens that you would find no need to worry yourself or make difficult decisions because he had already handled it, framing it as reducing stress and ensuring your safety, and it never feel like control, it feels like care because to him it is

Yandere scientist who will never snap at you if you resist or question him, instead he would explain calmly, softly redirect, reframe the situation until his choice feels like the right one, he guides rather than commands but the result is always the same, you would follow his lead

Yandere scientist who believes you depend on him but in reality he depends on you just as much if not more, without you he risks falling back into that emptiness that has haunted him all his life and he can't bare going back to that, not after feeling the warmth you bring to his bleak existence

Yandere scientist who doesn't care if your affection hurts, if you unintentionally cause him harm because of your strength, as long as you keep looking at him the same, still love him the same, and now he will return that love tenfold because that's the least you deserve from your father

Yandere scientist who will give everything he has into protecting your bond even if it means dooming the world, because in his mind the world had already demonstrated it cannot be trusted with what he created

Yandere scientist who is no longer a brilliant mind destined for glory, a valuable government asset, or a man trying to solve a war, he is only a father protecting his child from a world that would hurt them

Adriel Kessler who feels something settle in him as he gently leads you away from the imploding laboratory, to him this is not a fall, this is the most correct decision he has ever made

"It will be alright, I have accounted for all relevant threats in the area, nothing will reach you."

"Rest assured, no one will take you from me. You are safe, little one, I will ensure that remains true."

You couldn't understand him. It was just noise.

In an earnest attempt to communicate back, you made a noise between a gurgle and a babble.

The man grinned widely, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Oh, you're just so cute!" he squealed, lifting you up from the pod and into his arms.

He was so warm compared to the coldness of the room. Your small hands reached up, grabbing onto his lab coat. He chuckled, his arms wrapping tightly around your body.

"Father's little miracle," he cooed, his cheek nuzzling against yours. He clearly didn't care about how you were soaking him in the liquid.

You took the moment to truly take in his appearance. His face was angular, with a prominent jaw and sharp cheekbones. There were scars across his features, his right eye milky white and blind with a large patch of reddened and scarred skin around it. You curiously reached up, touching his face.

He froze for a moment, his eyes widening. Then he laughed, his chest rumbling. "Well, aren't you a curious little thing? Yes, Father is quite handsome, isn't he?" He nuzzled his face into your hand, sighing contently.

For a moment, the two of you just stayed there, basking in each other's presence.

"Alright, now," he said, pulling away. "Let's get you all cleaned up. I'm sure you're freezing."

He tried to help you up after bundling you in his lab coat, but your legs wobbled at the unfamiliarity. You had to grip onto his arm for support.

"Like a baby deer," he adoringly cooed. "Your father's joints aren't the best, so... ah, I had a wheelchair around here somewhere..." He eased you back to the floor and made a vague hand gesture, then went to the far corner of the room.

You looked around curiously, seeing the many machines that surrounded you. Most of them were turned off, but a few had blinking lights and buttons. You were tempted to touch them, but you were quickly pulled away as the man returned with the wheelchair.

He lifted you up, gently placing you onto the seat. "There we go, now you're all set."

You looked up at him, a soft squeak escaping your lips.

He grinned, leaning down to press a kiss on your forehead. "I love you too, dear."

With a nod, he began to push you out of the room and down a long hallway. The walls were lined with various pictures and diagrams, most of which you couldn't comprehend. He had to push the wheelchair with one hand since you were holding onto his other.

He led you to another room, this one much warmer than the previous one. There was a large bathtub in the center, filled with warm water and bubbles. Next to it was a table with various bottles and containers.

"Time for a bath," he said, helping you out of the chair and half-carrying you over to the tub.

He gently placed you in the water, the warmth immediately soothing your skin. You let out a soft sigh, relaxing into the tub. He chuckled, grabbing a washcloth and some soap. You've never felt so warm.

He hummed a soft tune as he washed you, his hands gently scrubbing away the remnants of the pod's liquid. When he was done, he washed your hair, massaging your scalp with the shampoo. His fingers felt heavenly, and you couldn't help but close your eyes and enjoy the sensation.

Once he was done, he grabbed a towel and dried you off, wrapping you in it.

He led you over to a small bed in the corner, helping you onto it. He sat down next to you, brushing your damp hair out of your face.

"Isn't that better?" he asked, smiling down at you. "I bet you feel much cleaner now."

You stared at him blankly.

He laughed and shook his head. "I know, you can't understand a word I'm saying. You'll learn. In the meantime, I just hope you enjoy hearing my voice." He grabbed several pieces of fabric, all pastel-colored. "Dr. Peña recommended scrubs, but between you and me, he's dreadfully boring. Now, green or blue?"

Once again, you stared at him.

"Hmm... how should I go about this..." He lifted the fabrics in his right hand in emphasis. "Green," he said more slowly, before lowering it and lifting the fabrics in his left hand, "or blue?"

You blinked for a moment. "'een."

His face lit up like a Christmas tree—not that you'd know what that was either. "Oh, you're such a fast learner! Father is so proud of you!"

The door behind him suddenly hissed, and Wesley's expression changed instantly. You followed his gaze, seeing a man standing in the doorway.

"Peña," Wesley greeted.

The man, Dr. Peña, glared at him. "Wesley," he replied curtly, stepping inside and approaching the bed. "We detected vocalization from Subject—"

"Don't call them that."

"—and I wanted to make sure that they were—"

"They're fine, Peña." Wesley shifted to block his view of you.

Even though Peña seemed annoyed at his colleague's brusque attitude, he didn't call him out on it. Instead, he changed his wording into a simple observation. "They spoke."

Wesley glanced at you before responding. "Yes, and they're a fast learner. They're already choosing clothes."

Peña sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wesley, we need to document every single step of their development. The vocalization is a breakthrough, and we have to—"

"Last time I checked, I was the one overseeing the development of [Name]."

"You already named it?"

"Of course I have. I think it suits them, don't you?"

"Wesley, this project has been waiting for viable results for eight years."

"And I have been waiting for my child longer than that."

Silence followed. Peña seemed to struggle with finding the right words. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly exhaling through his nose. When he opened his eyes, they were filled with resignation. "I'm not going to argue with you about this. I will have the record updated."

"Thank you, Peña. I knew I could count on you."

He rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Just...be careful, okay? I don't want anything happening to them."

"Never in a million years."

Peña nodded, then turned to leave. Just before he stepped out, he paused and looked back at you. "Welcome to the world, [Name]."

Once he was gone, Wesley turned back to you and smiled. "Now, where were we? Ah yes, clothing." He held up the green fabric. "Let's get you dressed and ready for bed. I have a lot to teach you tomorrow."

...

The first few days were a blur for you.

Wesley kept you busy with various activities, all of them designed to teach you basic skills. He taught you how to talk, read, write, and even how to walk properly. He was a patient teacher, never getting frustrated when you struggled with something.

In fact, he seemed to enjoy every moment of it.

He would often talk to you while you were learning, his voice soothing and calm. He would tell you stories about his past, though he never went into too much detail. He would also talk about the world outside the facility, describing the people, places, and things that existed beyond the walls. However, he always stressed that you were to never go outside.

You couldn't quite comprehend everything he was saying, but you enjoyed listening to his voice.

One day, while he was teaching you how to read, he noticed you staring at the window. The glass was tinted, and you could only see a blur of colors. You reached out, your fingers pressing against the cool surface.

"What's wrong, dear?" he asked, setting down the book.

You turned to look at him. "Wanna go outside."

His expression softened. "I know, but it's not safe out there. You're better off here with me."

"Why?" you asked, tilting your head. "What's out there?"

He hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "There are...bad people out there, [Name]. People who would want to hurt you."

Your eyes widened. "Why?"

"They just...do." He reached out and cupped your cheek, his thumb stroking your skin. "But don't worry, I'll always protect you. You're safe here."

You frowned, not fully understanding his words. But you trusted him, so you nodded and leaned into his touch.

"Good," he murmured, leaning forward to press a kiss on your forehead. "Now, let's continue with our lesson."

He picked up the book again, but you could still see the worry in his eyes.

...

The other staff were nice, even if Wesley was very particular about who came near you.

Dr. Peña was cold and sometimes a bit annoyed, but you could tell he had a soft spot for you, as did most of the doctors and nurses.

The only other doctors allowed near you were Dr. Cordova and Dr. Horn. Cordova and Horn were both warmer than Peña, and Wesley often joked around with them. They were the ones who helped you with learning how to use technology and how to understand the various machines in the facility.

There were also some guards, though they mostly stayed in the shadows. They were there to protect you, Wesley explained, though he never elaborated on what you needed protection from.

You had a sense that they were more there to keep you from escaping.

Oh, right, and you had powers. You didn't really understand what the big deal was, but you supposed they had become so normal to you that you didn't think much of them. You had super strength and retractible fangs and claws. Dr. Horn once claimed you looked like a "little chupacabra", whatever that meant. You remembered Wesley getting offended on your behalf.

Life was pretty leisurely, but that meant it was also, well... boring.

Every day was the exact same. The same routine, the same people, the same walls. You were tired of it. You wanted to see more, to experience more. You wanted to go outside.

"Tomorrow I turn one," you informed Wesley, even though he was the one who had reminded you just this morning.

He was busy typing away at his computer. He hummed in response.

"You said I can have a present of my choosing," you added.

He paused, then turned to look at you. "Yes, I did. What do you want, dear?"

You hesitated. You knew what you wanted, but you also knew Wesley would say no. Still, you decided to take a chance. "I wanna go outside."

His eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched. "No."

You frowned. "But you promised!"

"I said I'd give you anything within reason," he argued, his voice rising. "Going outside is not within reason."

"Why not?" you asked, crossing your arms. "Dr. Cordova said she thinks the sunset is beautiful. I've never seen it before."

"And you never will."

You flinched at his tone, your eyes widening. He never raised his voice at you before.

His expression immediately softened, and he got up from his chair. He walked over to you, kneeling down despite you not being much different in height.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, his hands resting on your shoulders. "I didn't mean to scare you. But you have to understand, the outside world is dangerous. I can't risk losing you." You went silent, and his frown deepened. "[Name]..." He pursed his lips in thought. "How about a compromise? You may watch the sunset through the window."

You shrugged. "It isn't the same."

"I know it isn't," he replied, "but it's the best I can offer you."

You bit your lip, considering his words. After a moment, you nodded. "Okay, I guess."

He smiled. "Good. Then it's a deal."

...

The sunset was just as Cordova described, but it didn't do much to satisfy you. Outside looked so beautiful, even if behind a layer of bulletproof glass that was still just slightly tinted. You couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to feel the grass beneath your feet, to smell the fresh air, to see the world with your own eyes.

Wesley watched your reaction closely. He didn't miss the longing in your expression.

He sighed, placing a hand on your back. "Come on, [Name]. It's getting late. Time for bed."

You didn't move. "But—"

"No buts. You need your rest."

You reluctantly followed him to your room. He helped you change into your pajamas, tucked you in, and kissed you goodnight. You stared at the ceiling, your mind racing.

You wanted to go outside.

You needed to go outside.

You just had to figure out how.

...

"Dr. Horn. I have a request," you said, pulling at his sleeve.

He glanced at you. "Mhm, kiddo?"

"Could you let me take a walk outside? Just for a few minutes?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I don't think Dr. Page would appreciate that."

Sometimes you had to remember Wesley was not simply "Wesley" or "Father" to the others, but Dr. Page. "We wouldn't need to tell him."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're asking me to lie to my boss? Sorry, I like having my head attached to my body."

"You won't get caught," you insisted.

"And how do you know that?"

You didn't have an answer for that, so you stayed silent.

He sighed, patting your head. "Look, kid. I get it. You're curious. But you gotta understand, the world out there isn't as great as you think it is. It's better for you to stay here where it's safe. People outside are shitty, anyway. You got your own little family in here, don't you? We're way nicer than anyone else could be. Well, except for maybe Peña, but he's getting there."

You didn't laugh at the awkward joke. "I'm only asking to walk around a little."

His face grew serious. "No. I'm sorry. I can't risk it."

So much for that.

...

Another week passed. Wesley was typing away while Dr. Cordova was scanning you. You were getting antsy.

"So, what do you wanna be when you grow up?" Cordova asked you.

"I am grown up," you responded.

She laughed. "No, you aren't. You're still a baby."

You huffed. "I'm just as big as you and the others. I know what actual babies are like." You sighed. "Normal ones, at least."

"Okay, okay," she conceded. "You have the body of an adult, sure, but you're still a child in here." She pointed to her head. "You haven't experienced enough of life to be considered an adult."

You rolled your eyes. "I'm never going to experience life, though. I'm stuck in here forever."

Wesley stopped typing. "Hey. We talked about this."

"I'm sorry," you muttered, "but it's true."

His jaw clenched, and he looked like he was about to argue, but he stopped himself. He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "I know you're frustrated, [Name]. But you have to trust me. I know what's best for you."

You were silent, not wanting to push him any further.

Cordova cleared her throat. "Uh, scans are done."

"Good," he said, standing up. "You're dismissed."

She gave you a sympathetic smile before leaving the room. Wesley walked over to you, sitting down next to you.

"I'm sorry," you said softly.

"Don't be." He placed a hand on your knee. "I understand why you feel this way. But I need you to understand that I'm doing this for your own good."

You nodded, though you didn't fully believe him. You didn't want to argue anymore, so you just leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder.

He wrapped an arm around you, holding you close. The two of you stayed like that for a while, neither of you speaking. Eventually, he broke the silence.

"Tell you what," he said, "why don't we do something fun tomorrow? Just the two of us. Maybe watch a movie. You like those, don't you? We can even get some popcorn, make a blanket fort...?"

Movies were nice. They were the closest thing to outside you could get. "Okay."

"Good." He kissed the top of your head. "I love you, [Name]."

"I love you too," you replied. "Even if you're annoying."

He chuckled, squeezing you gently. "I'll take it." He went back to the computer. "Why don't you go get ready for bed? I'll be there to tuck you in soon, m'kay, dear?"

You nodded, getting up and heading to your room.

...

The craziest part about everything, was that you didn't even mean to get into this mess; you just wanted a glass of water.

You had pressed on the button for assistance from one of the nurses, since the doors to your room locked around nighttime.

"Here ya go, kiddo," she said, handing you the glass. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"...could you stay until I fall back asleep?" Normally, you'd only request such a thing from Wesley, but he was busy. You didn't feel like sleeping alone right now.

She gave you a sympathetic look. "Sure thing." She sat on the edge of the bed after shedding her coat and lanyard with it, folding the coat and placing the lanyard on top of it. She placed it behind her on the bed before giving you her full attention.

You didn't even concentrate to her words, you knew they were all just nonsensical rambles, but it did make your eyes heavy. You were almost fully asleep when she left the room with a fond chuckle.

Just as you shifted positions, your socked feet felt something at the edge of the bed. You sleepily reached over, picking up what felt like a piece of plastic. Then you opened your eyes and realized what it was.

It was her lanyard.

You knew the right thing to do. You should've gotten up and returned it to her. But you didn't. You couldn't. This was your chance. If you could just get out for a bit, you could see the sunset without any windows blocking it. And then you would come back. You would be back before anyone noticed. You were sure of it.

You grabbed the lanyard and got out of bed, tiptoeing to the door. You swiped the card through the reader, and the door clicked open. You peeked outside, seeing no one in the hallway. You quickly slipped out, closing the door behind you.

You had a vague idea of where the exit was, but you were still nervous. You walked as quietly as possible, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be wandering around. Luckily, the facility was mostly empty at this hour.

Eventually, you found the exit. It was a large metal door with a keypad next to it. You hesitated for a moment, then swiped the card. The door beeped, then slowly opened.

You took a deep breath, stepping outside.

The air was fresh and crisp. It smelled different than the filtered air inside the facility. You looked around, seeing nothing but trees and bushes surrounding the building. The sun was just beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink.

You walked further away from the building, your eyes wide in wonder. The grass was soft beneath your feet, the wind blowing gently through your hair. It was everything you imagined and more.

You continued to walk, not realizing how far you were getting from the facility. You were so lost in the moment that you didn't notice the gate until you nearly bumped into it, too busy gazing up at the sky.

The top was looped with barbed wire, the front of it closed off with a metal sign that read:

 WARNING: NO TRESPASSING. PROPERTY OF PAGETECH INDUSTRIES. VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED.

You frowned, looking around the gate. It was too high for you to climb, and you didn't see any other way out. Not that you were really planning on a way out.

That was, until you heard the yell of a man.

"Hey! Hands up where I can see 'em!"

You looked back and saw someone dressed in a security uniform running toward you, a heavy black gun pointed in your direction.

You didn't plan on running, you honestly didn't. For a heart-stopping moment, you thought about being taken back in and Wesley's reaction to knowing his beloved child had pulled such a stunt. It sounded dreadful, but you considered it your only option.

That was until the man shot something at you, but missed.

It didn't occur to you that there were anything other than bullets in that gun. So, in a panicked last-moment decision, you ran.

The man yelled for you to stop, chasing after you. You didn't know where you were going, just that you needed to get away. You dodged trees and jumped over bushes, your heart racing. You could hear him gaining on you, but you refused to give up.

You saw the gate coming into view. You didn't think twice, jumping up and grabbing onto the barbed wire. You were hoping you could just climb over, but the wire was too sharp and cut into your hands. Still, you held on, pulling yourself up.

"Stop right there!" the man shouted, grabbing your leg.

You cried out, kicking him away. You underestimated your strength, because next thing you knew, he was absolutely pummeled into the ground by the force of your kick. You covered your mouth to muffle a scream of horror, then focused back on your escape.

You pulled yourself over the gate, wincing as the wire dug into your skin. You dropped to the other side, landing hard on your feet. Your legs were sore, but you ignored the pain, running as fast as you could.

You didn't stop until you couldn't hear him anymore. You looked back, seeing no sign of him. You were safe.

For now, at least.

...

"...sir?" Peña's voice was laced with uncharacteristic anxiety.

It had been three hours since you left. Wesley's eyes were bloodshot, his nails bitten down to the quick. He refused to sit still, pacing around the facility and barking orders at anyone who got in his way. His entire office was a mess, papers scattered all over the floor, his computer screen cracked from throwing it at the wall in a rage.

There was no reply from the man.

"Wesley?" Peña gently called again.

"What?" he spat, not even looking at him.

"We... we found the guard."

That made him freeze. He slowly turned around, his eyes wild. "And?"

Peña hesitated, swallowing hard. "He's...dead."

The room fell silent.

Wesley stared at him, his breathing heavy. Then he let out a guttural scream, grabbing the nearest object and throwing it across the room. It shattered against the wall, pieces flying everywhere.

Peña flinched but didn't move. "We have reason to believe Subject—uh, [Name]—is the one who killed him."

"I could've guessed that on my own," Wesley sneered.

"The... the autopsy said he was kicked so hard that it caved his ribcage in."

Wesley's face paled. "Oh, God..."

"They were in a panic," Peña tried to reassure him. "They didn't mean to."

Wesley gave an offended glare. "I know that! Don't you think I know that?!" He began to pace again, muttering to himself. "They must be so scared. I have to find them. I have to bring them home."

"We're doing everything we can," Peña said. "But they could be anywhere by now."

Wesley stopped, turning to face him. "No. They wouldn't go far. They wouldn't leave me." His voice cracked. "They love me."

"I know, but—"

"Find them!" Wesley yelled, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Find them, or so help me God, I will burn this whole place to the ground!"

Peña nodded, swallowing thickly. He quickly left the room, leaving Wesley alone with his thoughts.

Wesley fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. He buried his face in his hands, his body shaking with sobs.

"Come back to me," he whispered. "Please, come back."

...

You didn't know where to go or what to do.

You were lost, scared, and alone. You had never felt so vulnerable in your life. The world was so much bigger than you thought, and you were just a small speck in it.

You found yourself in a city, the bright lights and loud noises overwhelming your senses. People walked past you, not even giving you a second glance. You felt invisible.

You wandered around, your hands stuffed in your pockets. Your clothes were dirty and torn, your face smudged with dirt and tears. You looked like a mess, but no one seemed to care.

You eventually found a park, deciding to rest on a bench. You watched as people walked their dogs, children played on the swings, and couples sat together on blankets. It was a major contrast to the sterile environment you were used to.

You couldn't help but feel a bit envious. They were all so... normal.

You sat there for hours, just observing. You were too scared to move, too scared to interact with anyone. You just wanted to go home. You wanted to be back in your room, with Wesley tucking you in and telling you everything was going to be okay.

Oh, Wesley.

Was he mad? Was he worried? You wouldn't blame him if he was both. You just hoped he wouldn't hate you for what you did.

You felt tears well up in your eyes, and you quickly wiped them away. You didn't want to cry, not in public. You didn't want to draw attention to yourself.

But it was too late.

"Are you okay, hon?"

You looked up, seeing an older woman standing in front of you. She had kind eyes and a warm smile. You nodded, not trusting your voice.

She sat down next to you, placing a hand on your shoulder. "You don't look so good. Are you lost?"

You hesitated, then nodded again.

She frowned. "Do you need help? I can call someone for you."

"No!" you said quickly, shaking your head. "No, I'm fine."

She gave you a concerned look. "Are you sure? You can tell me the truth."

You bit your lip, looking away. You didn't know what to do. You wanted to go home, but you were scared of what would happen if you did.

The woman seemed to sense your inner conflict. "Why don't you come with me? My house is just around the corner. You can clean up, have something to eat, and then we can figure out what to do next. How does that sound?"

You looked at her, seeing nothing but kindness in her eyes. You slowly nodded. "Okay."

She smiled, standing up and offering her hand. "Come on, then. Let's get you out of here."

...

You went with the woman, whose name was Eleanor. She was a widow, her husband having passed away a few years ago. She lived alone in a small house, but it was cozy and welcoming. She gave you a change of clothes, a warm meal, and a bed to sleep in. She treated you like family, and for a moment, things felt okay.

She didn't pry into your past, but she did ask you questions about yourself. You answered as best as you could, not revealing too much. She seemed satisfied with your vague responses, not pushing you any further.

You stayed with her for a few days, helping her around the house and keeping her company. She was a sweet lady, and you enjoyed her presence.

Even though you missed Wesley and the others, you had to admit it was nice being out in the real world. You were learning new things, experiencing new emotions. It was scary, but also exhilarating.

You had almost forgotten about the incident at the facility, pushing it to the back of your mind.

But it all came crashing back when you saw the news.

It was a quiet evening, and you and Eleanor were sitting in the living room, watching TV. Suddenly, a breaking news alert appeared on the screen.

"Authorities are still searching for the escaped patient from the CRYO Industries facility," the reporter said, showing a picture of the gate and a grainy image of you climbing over it. "The patient is described as dangerous and unstable. If you have any information, please contact the police immediately."

Your blood ran cold. You looked at Eleanor, seeing her eyes wide with shock.

"Is... is that you?" she whispered, her hand covering her mouth.

You didn't know what to say. You just sat there, frozen in fear.

She turned to you, her expression a mix of fear and concern. "Is it true? Are you... are you dangerous?"

You shook your head. "No, I swear. I'm not."

"Then why are they saying that?"

"I... I didn't mean to hurt anyone," you explained, your voice trembling. "I was just scared. I didn't know what else to do."

She stared at you for a moment, then sighed. "Oh, honey..."

"I'm sorry," you said, tears forming in your eyes. "I should've told you the truth. I just... I didn't want you to be afraid of me."

She reached out, placing a hand on your cheek. "I'm not afraid of you. I just... I don't know what to do."

You leaned into her touch, closing your eyes. "I don't, either."

...

Wesley was losing his mind.

Days had passed since you disappeared, and there was still no sign of you. He was barely sleeping, barely eating. He was a wreck, his sanity hanging by a thread.

Peña and the others tried to calm him down, but it was no use. He was too far gone.

He spent most of his time in his office, staring at the security footage from the night you escaped. He watched it over and over again, trying to find any clues that could lead him to you. But there was nothing.

He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. His eyes were bloodshot, his face pale and gaunt. He looked like a ghost of his former self.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up, his voice hoarse. "Hello?"

"Dr. Page, it's Horn. We... we might have something."

He sat up straight. "What is it? Did you find them?"

"Well, not exactly. But we found CCTV footage of them in a nearby city."

Wesley's heart skipped a beat. "Show me."

Horn sent him the file, and he quickly opened it. He watched as you walked through the streets, looking lost and scared. His chest tightened at the sight.

"Where is this?" he asked, his voice strained.

"Bedford Park," Horn replied. "We're sending a team over there to search for them."

Wesley nodded, his eyes glued to the screen. He watched as you interacted with people, looking so out of place. He wanted nothing more than to hold you in his arms and tell you everything was going to be okay... and then scold you for how you broke his heart after nearly making it stop completely.

He paused the video, zooming in on your face. You looked so tired, so defeated. It broke his heart even more, if that were even possible.

"I'll find you," he whispered. "I promise."

...

You were in the kitchen, helping Eleanor make dinner, when there was a knock on the door. She went to answer it, leaving you alone.

You were stirring the pot on the stove, lost in thought. You were still scared, but you were trying to stay positive. You hoped that soon, everything would be resolved, and you could go back to your normal life. Whatever that was.

Suddenly, you heard a commotion from the living room. You turned off the stove, wiping your hands on a towel before walking towards the noise.

You froze when you saw a group of armed men standing in the doorway, their guns pointed at Eleanor. She had her hands up, her face pale.

"What's going on?" you asked, your voice trembling.

One of the men turned to you. He didn't dignify you with a response. Instead, he nodded to his men, who quickly grabbed you.

"Wait, no!" Eleanor cried. "Leave them alone!"

They ignored her, dragging you out of the house. You, in a state of further panic, shoved them away. Two of them were flung back from the sheer force of your push.

"Shit, they're not lying about them being dangerous," one of them spat. "Grab them, now!"

You never realized how enhanced your reflexes were until that moment, dodging and weaving through their desperate grasps. But they kept coming at you, and there were more and more of them surrounding you. You couldn't hold them off forever, and the exhaustion was already catching up to you.

After twisting one of the men's arms in your grasp (with a panicked, "sorry!"), you bolted as fast as you could. Your eyes were stinging with tears as you ran, your heart pounding in your chest. You didn't know where you were going, just that you needed to get away.

...

Wesley stepped out of the black SUV, his eyes scanning the area. The neighborhood was quiet, the only sound being the chirping of crickets. He adjusted his tie with a stoic expression.

He had told the guards to wait for him, but of course no one seemed to be able to follow orders. Wesley would make sure to find who was responsible for such carelessness later.

Cordova walked up next to him, holding a tablet. "We got a tip that they were seen in this area," she said, showing him a map. "We're not sure if they're still here, but it's worth a shot."

He nodded, not taking his eyes off the houses. "I want this entire block searched. I don't care if you have to break down every door. Find them."

She nodded, relaying the orders to the team. They split up, going in different directions.

Wesley started walking, his hands in his pockets. He didn't know what he was expecting to find, but he had a feeling in his gut that you were close. He could sense it.

"[Name]?" he called out, his voice echoing through the empty streets. "Where are you, dear? Please, just come out. I'm not mad."

That was a lie. He was many things, and mad was definitely one of them. But he didn't want to scare you. He just wanted you to come home.

He heard heavy breathing coming from behind a dumpster and froze. He slowly approached, his heart racing.

"[Name]?" he called out again.

You poked your head out, your eyes wide with fear. You were a mess, your clothes torn and dirty, your face smudged with dirt and tears.

Wesley's breath hitched at the sight of you. He quickly closed the distance between you, pulling you into his arms. "Oh, thank God," he whispered, holding you tightly. "I was so worried."

You hesitated for a moment, then wrapped your arms around him, burying your face in his chest. "I'm sorry," you said hoarsely. "I'm so sorry."

He stroked your hair, shushing you. "It's okay, dear. I'm just glad you're safe."

The two of you stayed like that for a while, just holding each other. Eventually, Cordova and the others found you, but Wesley quickly waved them away. He didn't want anyone else near you right now.

He pulled away slightly, cupping your face in his hands. "Are you hurt? Did they do anything to you?"

You shook your head. "No, I'm okay."

He examined you closely, his eyes scanning for any injuries. He sighed in relief when he didn't find any. "Good."

You looked down. "Did I kill him?"

He furrowed his brows. "What?"

"The guard," you clarified. "Did I...?"

He hesitated. He didn't want to lie to you, but he also didn't want to upset you further. "It was an accident, [Name]. You didn't mean to."

Your voice shook with horror. "Is that why the news called me dangerous?"

He nodded. "They don't understand. They don't know you like I do."

"I don't know how to control my strength," you said, tears filling your eyes. "I'm a monster."

"That's why the world isn't meant for you, sweetheart. That's what I've been trying to tell you. No one will accept and love you like me," he crooned. "I was hoping to spare both of us the heartbreak of you realizing it this way..." He closed his eyes with a sorrowful sigh.

"I'm so sorry, Father." You threw your arms around him again. "I just wanted to see the outside."

He rested his chin on top of your head, rocking you back and forth. "Was it worth it?"

Despite the question being condescendingly knowing, it was also genuine.

You thought about it for a moment, then shook your head. "No."

He smiled slightly. "Good. Because I don't ever want to lose you again."

...

The drive back to the facility was quiet. You sat in the backseat, Wesley's arm draped around your shoulders. You leaned into him, feeling exhausted both physically and emotionally. You were relieved to be going home, but you also felt a sense of dread. You knew you were in for a lecture, and you weren't looking forward to it.

Once you arrived, Wesley led you to his office. He sat you down on the couch, then poured you a glass of water. You took it gratefully, taking small sips.

He sat down next to you, his expression serious. "We need to talk about what happened."

You nodded, setting the glass down on the table. "I know."

He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "I don't even know where to begin. You disobeyed me, put yourself in danger, and... and killed someone."

You flinched at his words, looking down at your lap. "Am I going to prison?"

In your short lifetime, you knew only of the concept—a place where bad people went. Now you were wondering if you would be next.

Wesley shook his head, looking briefly horrified at the idea, or that you'd even consider he'd let that happen to you. "No. I've taken care of it. No one will ever know what happened."

You looked up at him, your eyes wide. "But... how?"

He gave you a brief smile. "I have my ways. But that's not important right now. What's important is that you disobeyed me. Do you understand how dangerous that was? I could've lost you, [Name]. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?"

You looked down at your lap. "You could just make another me."

He took a sharp breath. "Don't say that. Don't ever say that. You are irreplaceable to me. There will never be another you."

You felt a pang in your chest. "I don't understand why I mean so much to you. If I'm not just an experiment, what am I?"

"You're my child," he said, his voice filled with conviction. "You're my everything. I created you because I wanted a family, someone to love and cherish. And I do. I love you more than anything in this world."

You went silent.

He studied your face for a moment, then took a shaky breath. "Did I ever tell you why I look like this?" He didn't even bother trying to gesture to himself—he didn't need to.

Despite that, you sometimes forgot Wesley didn't look normal, at least not by typical human standards. He was the first ever face you saw in your life. To you, his scarring was just part of his appearance. You'd never considered that he may have a complex about it.

You shook your head.

He nodded, looking away. "I... I was in an accident. A lab explosion. It... it changed me. I lost my job, my marriage, half of my vision, and some would argue half of my mind. All I had ever wanted was a family of my own, but after the accident, I realized that wasn't going to happen. That's when I decided to take matters into my own hands. I created you."

You looked at him in surprise. You had never heard this story before. "Why didn't you just adopt?"

He gave a wry chuckle. "There's many reasons. One, I have the ability to create life. That isn't an opportunity I could simply pass up. Two, we can spend much more time together like this, under the excuse of me working. And three... I wouldn't want my child to ever experience what normal children go through. It's a cruel world out there, [Name], and I don't want anyone to ever hurt you. You deserve to be happy and loved, and I can give you that. You don't ever have to grow up, like most children are expected to do. You'll never have to leave me."

"I'll never have the option to leave you, you mean," you corrected before thinking twice.

He raised his brow. "Oh? You want to leave me?"

"No," you replied without missing a beat. "But... it's scary knowing that I can't. That's not fair, is it?"

"It's fair in the sense that I brought you into this world. You wouldn't even exist if not for me. Don't you think I should have a say in what you do?"

"But then wouldn't every parent get that excuse?"

"Fine, then how about the fact that you're not human?" he retorted. "That you're stronger, faster, and more enhanced than any normal person? You think the world would accept you with open arms if they knew?"

"You don't want them to. You're just happy to use that as an excuse to do all of this. That's why you didn't adopt."

He narrowed his eyes. "You're awfully defiant all of a sudden. I thought you were sorry for what you did."

"I am sorry for worrying you and hurting someone," you said, "but I'm not sorry for wanting to see the outside world."

He stood up, his jaw clenched. "You're not going to win this argument, [Name]. I'm your father, and I know what's best for you. You're staying here, and that's final."

You stood up as well. "Then I'll just find another way to escape."

He laughed, but it was bitter. "Then I suppose I'll just restrain you at all times of the day. You'll be confined to your room completely unless I decide otherwise. Is that what you want?"

You glared at him. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

The two of you stared at each other, the tension in the room thick. You were the first to look away, your shoulders slumping in defeat. "I don't want that."

He sighed, his expression softening. "Neither do I. I hate having to be the bad guy, but you leave me no choice. I'm only doing this because I love you, [Name]."

You looked at him defeatedly "I know."

He reached out. "Come here."

You stepped forward, letting him wrap his arms around you. "I'm sorry," you mumbled into his chest.

"Oh, [Name]," he cooed. For a brief second, his arms tightened around you, before one reached into his pocket. "Me too."

You were about to ask what he meant, but then you felt a sharp prick in your neck.

"Shhh," he soothed, his arms tightening around you once more. "Don't fight it, just sleep..."

You tried to struggle, but it was almost as if he had super strength, too. "Why?" you demanded. You had never felt so betrayed.

"I want you asleep when I insert the tracking chip," he responded, gently guiding your head to his shoulder. "It was a procedure I should've done from the very start, but I thought my baby loved their Father enough to never try and run away from him." You could hear the bitterness in his voice, the hurt.

"I do love you," you said weakly, your vision starting to blur.

He gently swayed you. "I love you too, which is why I need you to stay with me forever. Even if that means having to resort to these measures."

You wanted to argue, but your body was giving out. The last thing you heard was his voice.

— SCOUT:

☆ ┈ So, speaking of how a child ended up on base and was walking around peacefully...

☆ ┈ Imagine that you either lost your parents or got lost at all, and while wandering around, you accidentally stumbled upon the base, where Miss Pauling soon found you.

☆ ┈ The Administrator said that she didn't care what happened to you as long as you didn't interfere with the battles, and Miss Pauling couldn't bring herself to kill you, so..

☆ ┈ Yeah, now she's looking after you, and you sometimes hang out at the base.

☆ ┈ It would seem that Scout is the youngest of the mercenaries, which means he's the best at dealing with children, so what could go wrong?

☆ ┈ Everything. Everything went wrong. Let's not forget that Scout is incredibly overconfident, reckless, arrogant, and often gets into trouble.

☆ ┈ In other words, you won't have any trouble getting along with him, but you're not exactly safe with him.

☆ ┈ His first reaction to you was probably anxiety, as he might have been afraid that you were Miss Pauling's child or something like that, and that he didn't stand a chance now lol.

☆ ┈ Upon learning that you were just a random child whose parents weren't responding, Scout initially felt relieved before realizing that there was a child on the base.

☆ ┈ Jeremy isn't sure how to handle children, and after some thought, he decided that the best course of action was to teach you to be as cool as he is!

☆ ┈ Scout is definitely not the best mercenary to look after the kids, but he's better than the others. He's probably in the top five. He's the perfect middle ground.

☆ ┈ He's probably the first one to find out about your presence, which is why you spend the most time with him.

☆ ┈ Scout gives you a brief introduction to all the mercenaries (probably half-made up by him), and he's bragging about himself to make himself look good in your eyes.

☆ ┈ He doesn't know how to treat a child, so his behavior is similar to how his mother treats him, but in a more cheeky way.

☆ ┈ He will give you one of his caps, bragging that you are now his honorary follower. I think he's going to forget your name and call you "Mini Scout".

☆ ┈ He's probably going to fight with someone if the mercenaries decide that you should leave, because he doesn't want to lose his mini companion.

☆ ┈ Come on, you're almost as cool as he is! Let him enjoy the company that truly appreciates his skills >:/

☆ ┈ In any case, the mercenaries don't bother you (because Miss Pauling is watching over you, and she won't be happy if you get into trouble), soo Scout takes advantage of this to spend time with you when you're at the base.

☆ ┈ He plays baseball with you, that's for sure. At first, you don't do very well because he's terrible at explaining how to play, but later, by copying his moves, you start playing well.

☆ ┈ He jokes that you're his best opponent (because the other mercenaries aren't particularly eager to play with him), making you feel proud.

☆ ┈ Usually, when you spend time with Scout, it's outside. You either play and fooling around or just sit and relax after the games, while he talks loudly to you.

☆ ┈ He always brings cans of Bonk! for you two and some sweets that he stole from the Teufort store.

☆ ┈ He probably accidentally hit you with a ball a couple of times while you were playing baseball, and got kicked in the back a couple of times for being careless.

☆ ┈ If you're injured, he'll probably be panicked and try to help you first, and then he'll take you to someone who can properly treat you (but not Medic, he doesn't trust him when it comes to you)

☆ ┈ Jeremy will probably try to instill hatred in you towards The BLU Team. Even if you've never met them, he'll keep complaining about how they're all jerks. Especially when their team is losing.

☆ ┈ Knowing him, he'll always boast to you that the entire team will win because of him, because he's the best mercenary.

☆ ┈ Usually, when there's a possibility of a battle breaking out while you're at the base, Miss Pauling keeps you close to her, but sometimes you sneak away and accidentally end up on the battlefield.

☆ ┈ If Scout sees you on the battlefield, surrounded by blood and probably with someone's dead body nearby, his soul will leave his body, then return, and he'll run to take you somewhere safe.

☆ ┈ He wants to show off to you, yea, but Scout is terrified that a single stray bullet could take your life, and he's attached to you and doesn't want that to happen.

☆ ┈ He'll yell at any member of The BLU Team, threatening them not to even look at you. In fact, he might even draw the attention of The BLU Team to the fact that there's a child hanging around The RED Team's base.

☆ ┈ Almost the entire team doesn't trust him with you, except maybe Pyro, and even Pyro is against it because they want you to spend time with them instead of Scout.

☆ ┈ For him, the fact that you're spending time with other mercenaries is even worse than when you're not at the base.

☆ ┈ Scout often runs away with you when one of the other mercenaries is looking out for you, because with him you have more opportunities to have fun. And he's damn proud of it and brags about it to everyone.

☆ ┈ Well, you know, Jeremy's not bad at babysitting, considering what happened to him in the comics. He just needs to learn to understand that you're still a child and there are certain things you shouldn't do.

— "Not a bad game, kiddo. Maybe you'll even be able to beat me soon? Haha!"

With a grin, Scout playfully nudges you with his elbow, not too hard, but enough to make your body wobble slightly. Before you could complain that you lost today's game, he handed you a sandwich, probably to appease you. You picked up it, accepting his bribe, hungry after a long game.

— "..Did you get it from Heavy? Wouldn't he be angry?"

— "Ha! Who cares?" — Scout let out an impudent laugh, shrugging his shoulders, clearly not caring about the consequences. He reached out to take off his cap and pull it over your eyes, chuckling at your complaints, before he heard loud screams from the base.

Will he ever have the opportunity to spend time with you without the interference of others?!

— SOLDIER:

☆ ┈ Oh my god

☆ ┈ The fact that you're a child doesn't save you from being tried to be raised as a soldier.

☆ ┈ Just seeing you walking around the base, Soldier is sure that it's too early for you to walk around here, you're not a mercenary after all..

☆ ┈ And he couldn't think of anything better than to make you a mercenary.

☆ ┈ Probably ranks seventh among the others. Quite bad, but there are worse ones.

☆ ┈ He doesn't care about where you're from, who you belong to, or whether you should be here. To him, these questions seem like nothing more than a doubt in his attempts to prepare you to become a fighter.

☆ ┈ He probably often barges in when you're spending time with Scout, literally just picking you up and taking you with him to force you to train.

☆ ┈ Scout, by the way, isn't the only one Soldier steals you from. Soldier can approach you at any time, no matter who you're with, and just drag you away. The only one it doesn't work with is Demo because of their friendship.

☆ ┈ Soldier has no idea how to handle a child because he only knows how to handle soldiers (he doesn't even know that, but he's sure he's doing it), so you're treated like a recruit in the army.

☆ ┈ He constantly carries you in his arms because he thinks you're weak, and "he's here to help you."

☆ ┈ I wouldn't be surprised if he initially annoyed you a lot, but over time he will get used to you and become more of a funny one rather than annoying.

☆ ┈ Jane, probably like Scout, will forget your name 5 seconds after he hears it, although he doesn't really care, he didn't intend to remember it.

☆ ┈ At the beginning he just called you "soldier" or "rookie", but after getting used to you, he started calling you surprisingly pretty normal nicknames. You know, like in the game he calls Medic "cupcake", something like that.

☆ ┈ Soldier consistently loads you with training. Probably give you something impossible for your physical condition, like run 2 kilometers around the base or do 1000 push-ups on your fingers.

☆ ┈ At least after you get tired without even doing a quarter (it's understandable), he will dismiss it, thinking that as a new recruit it is forgivable and give you a 5-minute break, giving you the opportunity to escape.

☆ ┈ He is perplexed every time how you manage to get away. He could yell at you for it, but he respects the fact that you were able to escape from such an experienced fighter as he, so he will let it slide. But only once!

(nope, not once)

☆ ┈ Probably give you one of his helmets, because he collects them as war trophies. Almost your whole head fits in it, but looking at him it becomes clear why he doesn't care.

☆ ┈ When he meets you, he doesn't say hello, but asks you how to behave in a certain situation on the battlefield, and even if you say it correctly, he will be displeased, because there's literally no right answer for him.

☆ ┈ Expect Soldier to tell you "the story of the great America" at least 4 times a day. If you are at least a little familiar with the real history, probably you will feel sick from his words. Press F.

☆ ┈ He thinks that all the other mercenaries suck at "educating you," which is why he constantly takes you with him.

☆ ┈ It's not uncommon for Jane to be the first to argue with others about what your presence at the base should be.

☆ ┈ Yes, he can be annoying and noisy, constantly talking nonsense and forcing you to train as if you were really a mercenary...

☆ ┈ But he allowed you to try using his rocket launcher! To the horror of the adequate mercenaries in this place.

☆ ┈ Not that he cared. Soldier as a whole is not particularly worried that something might go wrong with you.

☆ ┈ ..Now go and see how to wring the neck of the enemy!

☆ ┈ Soldier is so used to the fact that mercenaries just respawn that he didn't even think about the fact that you might die on the battlefield, so sometimes he can bring you with him.

☆ ┈ He probably killed someone from The BLU Team in front of your eyes, thinking that if he showed you how to get rid of enemies, you would add the enthusiasm of a soldier. I hope you have strong nerves.

— "RECRUIT! Where are you?! Shirking your trainings won't make you a real soldier!"

You didn't even have time to say anything, as you saw a red spot from the base moving quickly in your direction, and soon you were casually picked up in your arms and the smug face (or rather only half) of Soldier appeared before your eyes.

— "HA! No one can hide from training! Now-"

— "Whoa whoa whoa, man, wait a minute, you can't just grab them and take them with you! They're hanging out with me, so go do whatever crap you usually do or somethin' and leave us!"

Scout exclaimed indignantly, trying to pull you out of Soldier's hands, which caused him to let you go and you fell to the ground unpleasantly. Well, it could have been worse..

— "..I don't remember asking for a boy's opinion, maggot!"

Deciding that while these two are fighting, you should go somewhere else to take a break from the hustle and bustle, you stealthily move away to the entrance of the base and walk briskly down the corridors.

— PYRO:

☆ ┈ I don't even know if I should feel sorry for you or not.

☆ ┈ Pyro themselves behaves like a child, and their bloody actions only make the situation worse, so you rarely find yourself next to them.

☆ ┈ Of course they won't hurt you! They may accidentally squeeze you too hard, but they will never do anything serious, so there is no reason for you to worry about injuries.

☆ ┈ But, eh, although they mean no harm, their appearance can be quite frightening.

☆ ┈ In eighth place after Soldier. They really treat you well, but they don't intentionally make you uncomfortable

☆ ┈ Surely your first meeting with Pyro was really creepy. You were just sitting quietly in a quiet corner of the base, hiding from Soldier, hoping that he would soon forget about you, when you hear loud footsteps and heavy breathing nearby.

☆ ┈ Sounds like a scene from a typical horror movie, right?

☆ ┈ In any case, Pyro is thrilled to see you! They already see their enemies as something cute and funny, rather than mercenaries who want to kill them, so they probably see you as a little princess/prince.

☆ ┈ They often drags you by the hand with them, humming something you don't understand. They wanted to carry you in their arms, but you don't seem to like it very much :(( They wonder why..

☆ ┈ Perhaps if they had known that these were not drops of water on their suit, but a blood of mercenaries from the enemy team, they would have understood?

☆ ┈ They probably the reason why you've seen most of The BLU Team's corpses. They often brings their remains, and if you manage to get on the battlefield and you notice Pyro, it generally resembles a bloodbath.

☆ ┈ The smell of fried meat is in the air as another BLU mercenary falls dead from having their head smashed in with an axe, and Pyro waves at you affably, indicating with their hand that you should wait for them at the base until they finish.

☆ ┈ To be honest, you doubted Pyro's sanity before, and after that incident you realized that it didn't exist as such.

☆ ┈ They regularly arrange tea parties with you. This is probably the most peaceful time around them, when you drink an actual tea, sitting in a strange, but charming setting.

☆ ┈ You, Pyro, and a few stuffed animals are sitting at a round table that has been ineptly painted pink, with cups of real tea (surprising, right?) and a few snacks from the kitchen on the table. Sometimes Engie is sitting with you if he's not too busy, but that's rare.

☆ ┈ In these moments, Pyro puts a crown on your head, and although you have no idea what's going on in their mind, they're clearly trying to make the moment special for you.

☆ ┈ Each of the mercenaries shows their affection in different ways. For Pyro, it's through gifts! Of all the mercenaries, they're the ones who bring you all sorts of items in attempt to make you happy.

☆ ┈ However, these items are usually useless or weird, such as burnt flowers wrapped in wire or charred skulls that they've likely brought from battle.

☆ ┈ Yea, Pyro has a strong affinity for anything related to fire, which is why most of the gifts have somehow survived the fire (sometimes on purpose, sometimes not).

☆ ┈ Occasionally, you'll receive a normal gift, like a stuffed animal. It's usually a unicorn or another cute-looking animal.

☆ ┈ They always get upset when they see you sad or angry, so if they see you in a bad mood, they'll wrap their arms around you, squeezing you too tightly, leaving you hanging limply in their arms.

☆ ┈ Whether you're a teenager or a young child, they see you as something in between, appearing as something little and charming. It would even be cute if it weren't for the fact that they don't understand reality.

☆ ┈ Pyro doesn't understand why you sometimes suddenly leave the base, and they miss you dearly. If they had their way, you'd stay at the base forever...

☆ ┈ ..But apparently, if you're leaving, it's for a good reason. In any case, they'll be waiting for you, and when you return, they'll give you a drawing of the two of you!

Wandering through the corridors of The RED Team base, you hear a soft but distinct hum nearby. Everyone is probably busy with their own tasks right now.

Eh, doesn't matter. You only need a sandwich to start your day off right.

As you pass by the mercenaries' rooms, you notice a quiet sound coming from Pyro's room, and you see that the door is slightly ajar.

Intrigued, you approached the door with quiet steps and looked inside. You were greeted by a familiar sight, where Pyro was sitting at a table, pretending to have a tea party, with drawing of you, pinned to the chair, plush toys...

Deciding that you'll come back another time, you quickly leave before they look up to see if there's anyone at the door.

— ENGINEER:

☆ ┈ Oh, we've reached the mercenaries who can handle children properly.

☆ ┈ Engineer was one of the few who really cared about what the child was doing at the base. This is a place of battles, not a playground, you know, children definitely don't belong here.

☆ ┈ He suggested that you should be taken to the city, but Scout objected, distorting Miss Pauling's explanation (since he didn't remember it very well) why you were here and that you had nowhere to go in general.

☆ ┈ You know, he has pretty dubious feelings about it. After all, it's dangerous for you here, you never know if you'll get hurt or see, well, things that you shouldn't see..

☆ ┈ But, uh, seems like you're already getting used to this place, so maybe if he keep an eye on you, then everything will be fine...

☆ ┈ Like, in any case, what can he do? Take you to the city on his own? It's unlikely that you'll be better off there, alone, with nowhere to go, surrounded by idiots who probably don't even remember their own names.

☆ ┈ Engie is firmly in second place among the mercenaries who treat you best. Probably, if it weren't his tendency to be overprotective, he would have been in the first place.

☆ ┈ No matter what anyone says, I can see how Engineer treats you, perhaps a little more defensively than he should.

☆ ┈ On the other hand, he has a great excuse: it's actually dangerous for you to be here. There are people here who can't be trusted with a child at all (he doesn't want to name names, but ahem, Soldier and Medic...)

☆ ┈ I don't know, I just think he's one of the few people who takes the fact that now the team have a child in their base seriously.

☆ ┈ I wouldn't be surprised if Dell, if not your favorite, is definitely one of them, because he's so nice to you! A pure parental figure.

☆ ┈ He often calms you down if you're worried about something, he's actually interested in your opinion and listens to your words, and it's just nice to spend time with him because you feel that he cares about you.

☆ ┈ Engineer is a busy guy, he has a lot of work, but..for you, he is ready to change his schedule a little.

☆ ┈ Usually, if you get tired of playing with Scout and "training" with Soldier, or you get bored with the company of Heavy and Sniper, you come to him.

☆ ┈ You ask him what he's doing again, and he explains something to you in a pleasant voice about mechanisms in which, frankly, you don't understand anything, but you listen to him with interest anyway.

☆ ┈ Of course, he understands that you don't know what he's talking about at all, but he's amused by how attentively you're listening to him. You remind him of himself as a child..

☆ ┈ Usually, when he realizes that he's gotten carried away, he smoothly changes the subject to how your day went and what you were doing while you weren't at the base.

☆ ┈ You know, Engineer doesn't want to seem intrusive or anything, but he thinks that you shouldn't spending time with some of the mercenaries.

☆ ┈ Dell is not happy that Medic and Soldier are trying to make you the same madmen, thta Scout consistently poses a threat to you, and that after visiting Spy you disappear for a few hours and then show up in the kitchen as if nothing had happened.

☆ ┈ You have the right to choose how you spend your time among The RED Team, but he would appreciate it if you came to him from time to time instead of hanging around a bunch of crazies.

☆ ┈ If you are interested in his work..Well, he'll be happy to show you how it all works!

☆ ┈ Engineer tells you how his creations work in general, trying to explain it in a way that you would understand. It would be nice if he had a little assistant..

☆ ┈ By the way, you don't have to worry about him if you ever accidentally (or intentionally) get on the battlefield, because he has a Sentry Gun to protect you.

☆ ┈ Well, he will probably have a heart attack twice if he sees you on the battlefield and tells you to go to a safe place, but you were able to see his inventions in action, hooray!

☆ ┈ Imagine that Blu Spy was about to break his Sentry Gun or Dispenser, and you were there, causing him to fall into a stupor for a moment. It'll probably make him and the whole The BLU Team wonder what the hell a kid is doing with the RED Team.

☆ ┈ In short, to sum up, Engineer is probably one of the best people to spend time with mercenaries. Have fun!

Yep, sandwich was delicious. But it's a pity that there wasn't much of it, and now you want more...

Oh, maybe Heavy can share with you? You could do it yourself, but they don't trust you with the knife. You wonder where he is...

With your hand, brushing off the crumbs from your face that stick to your mouth, you look into Heavy's room without a doubt..But he's not there.

Damn.

Hearing a noise nearby, you quickly stepped back from the door, fearing that you had been spotted, but based on the curses and grumbling, it seemed like something had fallen in the workshop.

Just a few steps away from the workshop, you see Engie standing over..what was it, Sentry? You don't remember very well, to be honest... And although you didn't want to distract him from his work, you had a question to ask.

— "Engie." — you called out to him, causing him to straighten up and turn to you, and in a second, his confused expression turned into his usual smile.

— "Hey there, kiddo." — he greeted you briefly but warmly, turning back to the table, continuing to do something — "I'd love to chat, but I'm knee-deep in work right now. You can wait here if ya want."

— "Actually, I was wondering if you knew where Heavy was.."

— "That big guy? Likely stuffing himself."

Welp, you don't need to be told twice, you've heard everything you wanted to hear, and you walked out of the workshop with an impatient stride.

Engineer just turned his head to ask why you were looking for Heavy in the first place, but you were already gone. He just shook his head and returned to work, muttering something about how fidgety you were.

— HEAVY:

☆ ┈ Here he is, the best of the best.

☆ ┈ Maybe some think that Heavy wouldn't make a good caregiver, BUT guys he had three younger sisters to look after, so he knows exactly how to handle a child.

☆ ┈ He's definitely the best of all mercenaries when it comes to hanging out with you.

☆ ┈ He's a family guy, so it's not even a task for him, but rather an opportunity to take a break from his life as a mercenary.

☆ ┈ He was originally going to take you to civilization, like Engineer, because obviously the child couldn't just be in such a wilderness and most likely you're from Tuefort.

☆ ┈ But, um, since you don't have a place to go, maybe leave you here not so bad idea..

☆ ┈ Heavy is a man of few words. He prefers action over words, so it might be challenging to get along with him at first, but you'll likely come to consider him your best friend or something like that.

☆ ┈ At first, Heavy might even seem intimidating, so you'll avoid him for a while, much to his frustration.

☆ ┈ Over time, you notice that he, in general, seems more attractive company than Spy or Soldier, so one day you make an effort to get to know him, approaching him and starting a conversation.

☆ ┈ From then on, you'll often find yourself by Heavy's side. Sometimes it's nice to just sit with someone in silence after a busy day, you know.

☆ ┈ For Mikhail, you're a reminder of his family. You reminds him of his sisters and his childhood..Probably, that's why he's especially soft with you.

☆ ┈ Remember how he said that he wasn't afraid of anyone, but Pyro scared him? Well, this is a similar situation. Heavy doesn't have any weaknesses. But he does have a soft spot for you..

☆ ┈ Your company is like a vacation for him. He feels at peace when you're around, even though your activity may be a bit more than he can handle.

☆ ┈ I guess other mercenaries share this feeling with him, because he can't explain how it is that there's always confusion around you, and many try to win you over.

☆ ┈ Little men are willing to fight for you. Funny. He knows that their fights won't make any difference.

☆ ┈ Heavy introduces you to Sasha and tells you about it and his family. He speaks so convincingly about Sasha being alive that at some point, you'll start to believe it yourself.

☆ ┈ He'll probably ask you about your family, because he'd like to know how it is that you're now free to roam around the base.

☆ ┈ TELL HIM THAT YOU CONSIDER THE MERCENARIES YOUR FAMILY, it will be a strong blow to his heart.

☆ ┈ Mikhail will try to teach you Russian if you're interested. The process is slow, but you're making progress. He's proud.

☆ ┈ It's not surprising that you'll start to show interest in weapons over time, considering that you spend a lot of time around the damn mercenaries, who have a lot of weapons.

☆ ┈ Heavy doesn't approve of the fact that some of the mercenaries don't take it seriously, because weapons are not toys for children.

☆ ┈ Speaking of toys..To make you lose interest in real weapons, he will buy you a toy gun when he has some free time.

☆ ┈ Watching Heavy explaining to you with a serious face how to use your new "weapon" while you stand there, filled with joy, makes me think that it's a damn smart move.

☆ ┈ I'm not even sure if you'll ever accidentally slip onto the battlefield with this guy by your side. He's always there to remind you to stay away from anything silly.

☆ ┈ How is it that he's always by your side? You'd like to know, but for now, this mystery remains hidden from you...

☆ ┈ He's more of a listener than yapper. He allows you to express yourself about everything that has happened to you during your time at the base, while he patiently listens to you without saying a word.

☆ ┈ He's probably the best cook for you. If you're hungry, you're more likely to go to him rather than another mercenary to ask for food.

☆ ┈ Heavy has taught you how to make sandwiches, but only under his guidance. You shouldn't leave a child alone with a knife.

☆ ┈ Heavy is s also a great pillow. If you're tired after a long day, you can sit next to him to rest, and if you accidentally fall asleep, he'll gently carry you somewhere where you can sleep peacefully.

☆ ┈ Big brother figure fr fr.

Ah, here it is, one of your favorite places on the base. Kitchen.

Well, if you could call it a kitchen. The entire base was a bunch of rooms connected by hallways and doorways, and so it was here.

The kitchen was at the end of a hallway, with a corner between the walls filled with all sorts of kitchen appliances, including a sink, a refrigerator, a stove, and a bunch of cabinets, half of which were always open.

While loud laughter and a lot of noise came from the next room, where everyone usually gathered to eat or just relax, you approached the refrigerator, hoping to find something there.

So, what do we have...Alcohol, more alcohol, Sniper's jars, lots of alcohol, ham for sandwiches, and some old bread that was put in the refrigerator to keep it from going bad. Maybe there was something else on the top shelves, but you couldn't reach it to see.

Yeah, the variety is really high. And there's not even a knife on the kitchen table to at least cut the food. Bummer. Who the hell puts the knife in the top drawer?!

You reach for the bread, because it's the only thing in the fridge that you can eat (tearing up a huge piece of ham with your bare hands isn't a great idea), but out of the corner of your eye, you notice a movement towards you that catches your attention.

As soon as you turn your head, a sandwich is handed to you. You stare at the food for a while until you realize that you are being offered food, and you taking the treat.

— "Thanks Heavy !!"

The big man just nods, holding a piece of sandwich for himself. Although it was noisy, it was hard to not notice you in the huge doorway.

— "You were with Scout." — he said firmly, with anyone else, you would have been taken aback, but you were already used to Heavy's lack of conversation, so you understood that he was asking why Scout wasn't with you.

— "Soldier came to us and they started fighting, so I left."

— "I see."

For a while, the two of you just stood there in silence, eating sandwiches, but then there was an explosion from the next room, which naturally made you both jump.

Heavy went first to check what was wrong, and you followed carefully, trying to make as few movements as possible, as if that would help you stay hidden.

— DEMOMAN:

☆ ┈ "We should be friends forever, aye?" ahh energy.

☆ ┈ Demo is not soo bad when it comes to looking after children. His mother taught him the boundaries of decency, you know.

☆ ┈ The only problem is...He's always drunk, which often leads to inappropriate behavior. And this creates a number of other issues.

☆ ┈ However, as surprising as it may seem to you, there's a low risk of harm with him. Yea, he's probably completely drunk, he cares about you, and the thought of you being hurt makes him sober up.

☆ ┈ It's not long-lasting, but it does have an effect. If someone needs him to come to his senses, they can simply mention that you're currently near The BLU Team, and Demo will immediately wake up.

☆ ┈ Demoman is in fourth place on our list, I believe. He's nice to you, but since he's constantly drunk, he may behave in an inappropriate manner.

☆ ┈ He probably thinks that your parents or caretaker abandoned you in the middle of nowhere, which is why you're here.

☆ ┈ After all, the closest city to the base is Tuefort, and there are plenty of brainless idiots there. It wouldn't surprise him if someone decided they didn't need you and brought you here to get rid of you.

☆ ┈ The first thing you hear from him is "eughh f☆ck yer parents" before he falls over, mumbling something while drunk.

☆ ┈ Great way to start, isn't it?

☆ ┈ At first, he's wary of you because he's sure his appearance will intimidate you. Tavish is an eternally drunk, one-eyed Scot, he probably looks like a monster to you.

☆ ┈ And he's honestly..surprised when you don't seem to mind. But he's even happy about it. Considering that you regularly visit the base, you'll see each other often, so it's better if you get along.

☆ ┈ By the way, he constantly forgets why are appearing at the base lol. When Demo tries to remember, he thinks the team just took you in and you're living with them now, and he looks for you every time you return to Miss Pauling.

☆ ┈ He even set up one of the storage rooms as a room for you. It's a mix of items stolen from different corners of the base, but he tried his best.

☆ ┈ Plus, it's still nice to have your own secret place (which everyone knows about, but you don't need to understand that)

☆ ┈ To be honest, Demoman is like an always-drunk uncle or distant relative to you. He can make you laugh, he can be annoying, or just say odd shit, but he's still something you're used to.

☆ ┈ I imagine that when he's particularly drunk, he might try to offer you a drink, only to get a wrench thrown at his head.

☆ ┈ He often tells you funny and sometimes not-so-funny stories that happened to the RED Team during battles.

☆ ┈ Tavish is always doing those annoying gestures, just to see your annoyed face, like carefully pulling your ears or nose, just to make you grumble at him.

☆ ┈ It's not all bad. He's the most clingy of mercenaries, so if you enjoy physical contact, go to a drunk Demoman and ask for a hug.

☆ ┈ He's pressing you against his chest, crying because he's been drinking too much again, and he's mumbling incoherently while you're stuck in his overly tight embrace.

☆ ┈ The smell of alcohol isn't exactly nice, but at least you feel loved.

☆ ┈ You probably caught Demoman in the middle of spending time with BLU Soldier. He's bribing you with candy to keep quiet about it, and you're keeping quiet because you think others know about it too.

☆ ┈ Sometimes you complain about his behavior when he's drunk, but when he's sober, bastard just pretends to be drunk again and falls asleep until you leave.

☆ ┈ I could say that he might accidentally bring you to the battlefield while drunk, but, eh, I highly doubt it.

☆ ┈ He might tell you about the dangers of the battlefield to discourage you from going there. Naturally, it doesn't work on you, but he doesn't know how else to make you avoid dangerous places.

☆ ┈ By the way, Demoman is actually good at spending time with you. He's always trying to cheer you up.

☆ ┈ Like, imagine if he put his hands in his vest and only showed his palms, and he said he was a turtle to make you laugh, or he'll go with you to blow up something nearby.

☆ ┈ This man can explain chemistry to you in a way that even the best chemistry teacher in the world couldn't.

☆ ┈ Considering everything the mercenaries teach you, you can proudly claim that you're a smart child, and you'll be right because you know things they don't.

☆ ┈ Demo will teach you how to make explosives out of whatever you have on hand! Just don't overdo it, or both of you will get into trouble.

☆ ┈ Well, you know, it could be worse. Uncle Demo actually sounds pretty good.

Unsurprisingly, Demo was the cause of the explosion.

He lay on the floor, as he fell from the chair, while a huge trail of ash was left beside him on the bright tile. His face was frozen in silence, before he laughed, and he was laughing, and grinning with laughter.

Medic, who had been sitting next to him, leaned forward slightly to check Demoman's condition, looking at him with a bored expression, as if he expected something else.

— "..I vas sure zat thing vill explode in your hands."

— "As if that could kill me!"

You heard a quiet sigh from Heavy, who looked quite disappointed in the situation, but you found something funny in it, making you giggle, attracting the attention of Demo and Medic.

— "Ohh, hi lit'le one- *hic* ..Jane was lookin' for ya."

Demo says, nope, rather mumbles, probably drunk again, barely getting up from the floor, staggering in all directions.

He was still talking to you- but you didn't understand a word. Your gaze shifted to Medic, who was looking at you with his chin propped on his elbow and his usual smile.

— MEDIC:

☆ ┈ Okay, I love this man, and you probably love this man too, but he's not someone you'd want to run into in real life.

☆ ┈ Although Medic is, let's say, very much in violation of medical ethics, he's not going to experiment on you..And yet, he's still pretty creepy.

☆ ┈ If you're not opposed to a crazy person who's proud of it, then you're in the right place. If not, I'd suggest keeping your distance from him.

☆ ┈ He's at the bottom of our list. He's not trusted to be alone with you, and you're rarely together. Some people just think it's a bad idea, and some even worry about you :p

☆ ┈ If you're alone with him, it's either by accident or because Heavy is nearby. It seems like the big man is the only one who trust Medic with you.

☆ ┈ Everyone else? Yeah, they definitely don't approve of him, and try to convince you to stay away from Medic, to his misunderstanding.

☆ ┈ Medic actually is disappointed. He hoped to get a little assistant, or at least someone who valued his genius :((

☆ ┈ Ludwig always speaks to you friendly, calling you in a playful manner as if you are his native child he has long not seen.

☆ ┈ He had been on the basis of the first day he had seen you. Isn't this place interesting if it's chaos to add the same chaotic child?

☆ ┈ Medic wants to make you a mini version of yourself, briefly speaking. With fun trying to persuade you to try to help him with the operation of someone or put experiments.

☆ ┈ Damn proud if you agree to help him and clumsily, but in general, do everything he asks. Don't you think you should try operating on someone more often?

☆ ┈ Well, not with experiments over The BLU Team. You don't know (or don't understand) what's going on outside the base on the battlefield, and explain it will be difficult enough.

☆ ┈ If you catch him experimenting on someone from The BLU Team , he just tells you that you have enough experience for this operation..You still can come in and watch, however. (not worth)

☆ ┈ Constantly calls you German nickname, like "Schatz" or "Mein liebes kind", Medic often switches to German when talking to you, making you feel confused.

☆ ┈ Once you accidentally hit, running on the base, playing with someone, fell and crashed knee, which caused you to lead to the medical. After the stories of others that he's a strange enough guy, you frankly were afraid to go to him..

☆ ┈ ..But it wasn't as bad as you thought. You were not put experiments, you were not cut off your head and not coped in your organs.

☆ ┈ He just treated your wound, and at the end gave you a candy he usually supplies for Pyro, praising you for courage.

☆ ┈ Since then, he's been giving you regular (often unnecessary) medical check-ups, saying that you need someone to take care of your health after all.

☆ ┈ Sometimes, it's just an excuse for him to spend some time with you, because you usually hang around more desirable company than him.

☆ ┈ You might think that you've been told a lot of nonsense about him, but one day, when you just wanted to chat with him, you saw his less-than-humane actions and decided that maybe the others were right about something..

☆ ┈ Sometimes, you come to him, sitting in the corner of the room and drawing something with a pen and a small piece of paper that he gave you to keep you occupied while Ludwig tells you some weird stories.

☆ ┈ His pigeons love you! You sometimes bring them treats, and eventually, a small group of these feathered creatures gathers around you. Archimedes prefers to stay close to Medic, but he sometimes sits next to you.

☆ ┈ Maybe one day, he'll invite you to watch the RED and BLU fight from a safe distance, so you can see how they deal with their enemies.

☆ ┈ Come on, there's no harm in getting hurt accidentally. He can always heal you later!

☆ ┈ To be honest, it's hard to say for sure about Medic. He's not that bad, after all, and he's nice to you, but his behavior can be scary, and the other mercenaries think he's setting a bad example for you, so you don't spend much time together.

☆ ┈ Sometimes, you hear Medic grumbling that the mercenaries, who were laughing as they ruthlessly killed an enemy team just this morning, think his company will be worse for you..What a double standards!

☆ ┈ Ah, it doesn't matter. You still sneak over to him to listen to his crazy stories about what's been happening on this base.

☆ ┈ If someone gets on your nerves, remember that he's always there for you! He can listen to you, or steal someone's organs... It depends on the situation.

— "Ach, it's been a vhile since ve last sav each other, kind! How you feeling?"

— "I'm fine!"

— "Hmm, an extra medical check-up might not hurt.."

— "What for? Kid seems to be fine." — Demo objects for some reason, leaning back against the table, looking at Medic as if he had just suggested burying you alive.

— "Vhy not? Or perhaps you do not trust my medical skills?"

— "If anyone asks, I'm walking around." — you're not interested in arguments and fights today, so you quickly passed them by, hurrying out the door and stealing another sandwich from the table along the way.

Even though you were already a good distance away, you could still hear them arguing. Poor Heavy, he'll have to listen to this..

— SNIPER:

☆ ┈ Why is it so hard for me to write something about him ughh

☆ ┈ Sniper usually always keeps his distance from the team, used to the hermit lifestyle, so he was the last to know that a kid had appeared on the base from somewhere.

☆ ┈ When you first met it was a bit awkward. You and Scout were hanging out together, and at some point he saw Sniper nearby and pulled you in to introduce you.

☆ ┈ The two of you looked at each other in silence, wondering what to say before you briefly exchanged names and you left, interested in something else.

☆ ┈ Sniper couldn't understand why you were still here at first, Scout's explanations didn't help much either, so he'll probably just ask you directly.

☆ ┈ In fact, for the most part you only started getting along because Scout was encouraging it so you could spend time together as a trio.

☆ ┈ Sniper was against it at first (because why would they bring a kid around?), but he soon got used to you. You're..nice, although he's surprised how calm you are about being surrounded by a bunch of mercenaries.

☆ ┈ He doesn't consider himself, and never has, a person who gets along with kids, but it seems to work for you.

☆ ┈ Mick is a quiet guy, so if the base is particularly noisy and you want some peace, you always go to his camper.

☆ ┈ Sniper silently lets you in, and you sit quietly with your thoughts while he goes about his business or hangs around nearby, watching what you're doing.

☆ ┈ He's a great listener. If you're worried about something but don't know if you should tell others about it, you can always tell him. He won't force you to do anything, but he'll give you advice on how to handle it.

☆ ┈ Sometimes, his inaction is even more effective than persuasion, to be honest.

☆ ┈ He constantly says that he doesn't care about you as long as you don't bother him, even though he was sitting with you just five minutes ago, doing all what you want.

☆ ┈ He sometimes takes you on walks or just spends time outdoors when they don't need to fight. Sniper doesn't know where you go or what you do when you're not at the base, but it's unlikely that you often venture outside.

☆ ┈ If you have any interest in camping, you'll probably become best friends with him, as he often takes you out to relax from the hustle and bustle of the base.

☆ ┈ I think Sniper is in third place in the rankings. It's going to take you two some time to get along, but it's worth it because he really cares about you, even if he has his own way of showing it.

☆ ┈ After you found out from Scout that he'd spent a lot of time in the bush, you regularly ask Sniper to tell you about it. And he doesn't mind, actually.

☆ ┈ Just don't ask for details. It's too early for you to know about such bloodshed.

☆ ┈ Although he likes you, Mick doesn't approve of you staying at the base, and he's suggested several times that he take you back to your real family, but it seems like you've grown too attached to this place to want to leave.

☆ ┈ He doesn't understand why anyone thought it was a good idea to leave you here in the first place. Okay, so Miss Pauling is your caretaker now (which he doesn't approve of too), but it's still a battlefield!

☆ ┈ The other mercenaries don't seem to think about it, or they don't want to think about it. Sniper can't say he blames them; among the grumpy adult men, having a cheerful child around sounds like a relief.

☆ ┈ Sniper will briefly tell you about his youth if you're interested in learning more about him. For the most part, it's pleasant memories of his family.

☆ ┈ He doesn't want you to emulate the mercenaries (well, specifically what they do on the battlefield), but unlike the others, he acknowledges the possibility that you might be in danger, so Sniper will teach you what to do if you're attacked.

☆ ┈ It's self-defense, but more violent. Sniper will even give you a small hunting knife after teaching you how to use it.

☆ ┈ He hasn't told you who you might need to defend yourself from, but he has warned you to avoid people in blue clothes. This isn't the first time you've heard about them, but you still haven't figured out who they are.

☆ ┈ Sniper might try to teach you how to shoot... But the last attempt didn't go well. You missed, and the bullet flew around, banging into iron poles.

☆ ┈ You've tried to convince him to try again, but he says it's not the right time :(

☆ ┈ Overall, Sniper is a good companion. Although he's not very talkative, his presence brings a sense of understanding to you.

☆ ┈ Would it be true to tell his parents that he has a child?..

Although it was usually noisy outside the base, when everyone were inside, the place seemed almost harmonious.

But still, standing around like a fool on the street isn't a great idea, so you're heading towards Snipes's camper, you want to sit in peace, and you can't think of a better place than this!

Soon, his camper comes into view, and you quicken your step. Snipes, who is standing outside (probably lost in thought again), turns his head towards you and lazily waves from a distance.

He gestures to his camper, asking you without words if you want to come in, to which you nod vigorously (as if this would make him see better), and he goes inside, probably to get something for you.

You might have gone to see him already, but your attention was drawn to a column of smoke coming from the direction of...some place. You had seen guys heading in that direction several times, but they had forbidden you to go there, and whenever you tried to join them, they always caught you and sent you back to the base!

..Well, you don't go straight there, you quickly go to see for five minutes, and immediately return.

However, you didn't leave for long, as you soon felt a hand pulling your clothes back.

— SPY:

☆ ┈ Oh, uh... This is a very difficult situation.

☆ ┈ Let's be honest, when it comes to Spy and the child, it's always a difficult situation. You know why. Scout.

☆ ┈ Spy is not a good father, definitely not. But he does care about Scout, it's evident in the comics, and he has a certain weakness for children (also from the comics).

☆ ┈ He didn't become a parent to Scout, and he has no intention of becoming a parental figure for you. However..your very image appeals to his conscience, which he was certain had long been dead.

☆ ┈ He respects Miss Pauling, and they have a decent relationship, but after he found out about her keeping you and allowing you to enter the base, his respect decreased.

☆ ┈ This place is not for a child. Being here puts your life at risk, after all, there's no stopping you from venturing outside the base and accidentally running into The BLU Team, and if they find out you're from the REDs, they might not appreciate it.

☆ ┈ Spy tries to avoid spending time with you, he doesn't want to be a sitter, and he doesn't understand why the other mercs don't mind it.

☆ ┈ I just like the idea of you trying to get along with him because you think he's cool, and he's trying to avoid you, hoping that your attention will shift to someone else..Does the Administrator even know you're here?

☆ ┈ Sometimes, when you're particularly persistent, he might stop to distract you for a few minutes and then leave.

☆ ┈ He's not soft with you, but he's not cruel either, I'd say it's a cold form of politeness. You don't really understand if he likes you or if you're just annoying him..He doesn't seem to be sure himself.

☆ ┈ Maybe he's in the sixth place of our ranking. It's not great, but it's not terrible.

☆ ┈ Spy occasionally keeps an eye on you when you're unsupervised, making sure you don't cause any problems that he and the team would have to fix later.

☆ ┈ You might occasionally notice that he's nearby, but it's very rare. Mostly, he's standing silently in the distance, observing you discreetly.

☆ ┈ Imagine that you're sensitive to smoke, so it's easier for you to find him when he's around.

☆ ┈ Scout once showed you the location of Spy's room, his smoking area, yk. Now, you sometimes go there to annoy him or if you want something from him.

☆ ┈ You've sneaked in a couple of times, but he never lets you inside himself because the place smells too much like cigarette smoke, and you start coughing violently.

☆ ┈ Seriously, stop. It's for your own good.

☆ ┈ He's obviously the last one who wants to keep you company in something. As I said, he tries to stay away and watch something.

☆ ┈ Let others enjoy your attention. He's quite enough of a distance. In this regard, he probably can even understand why other mercenaries are so adorable to you: children's years are the most memorable.

☆ ┈ Spy often swears in French when you're around, whatever you don't understand him. It was very awkward when you started to repeat the words, and he had to teach you others that you wouldn't swear, not knowing.

☆ ┈ You'll be surprised..But he's pampering you most. Sometimes when you're stuck with him, and if he's busy or got other plans, he just gives you a decent amount of money, saying something like "go take yourself what you want", leaving.

☆ ┈ And you? You don't mind..Making other mercenaries to wonder where you have all these things. Besides Sniper, because he the one takes you to Tuefort, that you'd buy what you want.

☆ ┈ Oh, it would be nice if you tried to buy the other mercenaries gifts and him too. He had long thought if it was worth throwing it out, but he had never found his strength and hid it where he would find it.

☆ ┈ You had a feeling when you know someone remotely and practically don't interact, but still think it's cool? Well, there's something wrong with him.

☆ ┈ ..Honestly, he's even a little flattered that you're interested in them. Yet, he's not a suitable company for you.

☆ ┈ But exactly better than Medic or Pyro, if these two try to take you away with him, and the spy will be near, he will take you, and then give someone more adequate.

— "..You shouldn't venture too far from the base." — you hear Spy's voice behind you, and you turn around to see him looking at you with a face that's not exactly angry, but rather disappointed.

— "I..wasn't planning to go far."

— "Indeed?" — he asks you slowly, letting go of you, holding the cigarette in his other hand, trying to tilt it away from you.

Although you are rarely scolded, you always feel awkward when it happens..Fortunately, you were saved by Snipes calling out to you, and you quickly walked over to him, muttering an apology to Spy.

The masked man shook his head, throwing his cigarette on the ground and extinguishing it with his foot before he disappeared into thin air. It's time for you to learn what you can and cannot do.

..:*･ﾟ☆.｡.:*･ﾟﾞ｡.:*･ﾟ☆.｡.:*･ﾟ🌤

🌤️ — I DID IT omgg...

🌤️ — sorry for the late update!! also, DAMNN, I hope this is good, I'm always afraid that I don't write the characters well in TF2 :')

On the thought of the Time Lord, you stole a glance at the other end of the carriage, where The Doctor was chatting to a professor about "mythology crossovers and psychic echoes", whatever that meant.

He hadn't looked your way in a while.

It felt like you were just tagging along this time. Still, the stars outside the window were breathtaking.

Then the lights flickered.

You turned, and that’s when you saw it.

A figure. Shrouded in ancient bandages, skin leathery and dried, eyes impossibly hollow. It was clear what it was - you had learnt about these in school. A Mummy, and it was real, walking straight toward the old woman across from you.

“Can you see that?” you whispered to no one in particular. You glanced over to the Doctor, who was still talking to that professor, not sparing a glance.

As the mummy neared her, the woman gasped, clutching her chest, and you backed away, reaching for the Doctor as your eyes widened in horror. Is she dying? You asked yourself painfully, knowing that there was nothing you could do for her.

The Doctor turned around when he heard the thud of the woman falling to the ground, and reached to push you behind him as he ran across the carriage to her. It didn't take a genius Time Lord to figure out the woman was dead.

You swallowed visibly as the Doctor turned around, eyes narrowing at the passengers which started to surround them, chatting under their breaths about the old woman's sudden collapse. The Captain appeared, ushering them away as the Doctor returned to you. Your eyes searched the carriage frantically, but the Mummy had disappeared. Were you hallucinating?

"Are you alright?" He asked gruffly, immediately becoming more alert when danger appeared.

"For now," you frowned. "But did you see it?"

"See what?" The Doctor's attack eyebrows raised.

"The Mummy. The one that touched her." You answered, and the Doctor shook his head, deep in thought.

"We should get back to the TARDIS," He sighed after a while. "If you really saw a Mummy and no one else did, it's not a good sign."

"We're not leaving until we find out what's going on," You argued, appalled by the Doctor's sudden statement. "We can't leave these people alone."

"But what if it's targeting you?" The Doctor reasoned. "You can see it and no one else can. I can't let you..." The Time Lord swallowed, glancing anywhere but at your face. "I can't let something happen to you. I've lost too much." You softened at his words. The Doctor was never vulnerable towards anyone.

"Nothing will happen to me, Doctor." You said solemnly. "I promise." The Doctor shook his head, but when his tired eyes met your hopeful ones, he cracked.

"Fine," He relented, "but after this I take you someplace safe. No more death and destruction."

"You keep saying that," You giggled.

"I know a place," he mused. "An unnamed moon that orbits a sun. No inhabitants or noise. Just us."

"Just us," You grinned. "Sounds nice." The Time Lord's mouth twitched upwards in a smile that only you caught.

...

"We've figured out the pattern," the Doctor said, urgency in every syllable. His graying hair was wild, and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as you listened along with the other passengers to every word. "The Foretold, the Mummy, gives its victim 66 seconds. It’s invisible to everyone else. But when your time is up, it’s up.”

You stood beside him in the narrow lab of the train, trying to ignore the way your hands shook.

"So... no way to run? No way to fight back?" You asked.

"I'm working on it."

You gave a thin laugh. "That’s comforting."

He looked at you then. Really looked. The sharpness in his gaze softened, just for a second. "You don't have to be here. You have the TARDIS key."

"Too late now," you said, managing a half-smile. "I'm already here."

"Go to sleep," The Doctor whispered, seeing the dark bags under your eyes. "I'll see you in the morning."

...

It happened when you were alone. Of course it did.

One moment, you were walking back to your quarters. The next—ice crawled up your spine. A shift in the air.

And then you saw it.

The Mummy.

It was real. Real in a way that your brain couldn't fully process. Every instinct screamed at you to run, but you knew what that meant. The Doctor said running didn't matter.

Your breath hitched, eyes widening as it approached you, an arm reached out as browning bandages dragged across the carpeted floor, staining it with dirt and soot. You tried to scream, but every word stuck in your throat.

The lights flickered.

Somewhere in your mind, a countdown began.

66.

You tried to scream for the Doctor, but nothing came out. Backing towards the door, you pleaded desperately through your thoughts.

57.

No answer. The Mummy moved closer, its feet scraping against the floor like dry leaves, echoing horrifyingly throughout the carriage in a sound that reminded you of nails on a chalkboard.

49.

Your back hit the wall. No escape. The corridor twisted and warped around you as the world began to collapse. You felt starved for air.

42.

You remembered his voice. “If you see it... it’s already chosen you.”

38.

Your knees buckled.

31.

A voice crackled over your communicator. The communicator that was in your necklace, gifted to you by the Doctor. "Are you there?" The Doctor's voice was frantic.

26.

“I see it,” you whispered, your voice finally escaping. “Doctor, I see it.”

21.

He was yelling something now. You couldn’t make out the words as you fingers lost control and the necklace fell back onto your chest.

15.

You looked into the eyes of the Mummy. It stopped. just a breath away.

10.

There was something in its expression.

Not malice.

Just inevitability.

5.

You eyelids suddenly felt heavy as you shut your eyes. Breathing was too much effort.

3.

"I'm sorry," you whispered, hoping your voice would reach the communicator. "Doctor, please. I'm scared."

1.

...

When the Doctor arrived, it was too late. Your body was crumpled on the floor. Eyes wide. Still. Like the others.

He didn’t say anything at first, kneeling beside you and checking hopelessly for a pulse, knowing he wouldn't find anything.

He should've took you back to the TARDIS when he had the chance. He should've let the Mummy murder everyone on the train. Anything to keep you safe. No one in the universe was more important to him than you were.

The Doctor's hand hovered over your face before curling into a fist, falling back down beside him. He couldn't touch you. Not after what he had caused.

“You said you were scared,” he whispered, searching your glassy eyes for anything. “You didn’t have to be. I was always going to come for you.”

The Time Lord looked up at the stars beyond the glass and hated how peaceful they looked. He hated the universe for taking you away from him. You didn't deserve to die. It was a painful reminder of what travelling with him meant, and that every companion left in the end.

"I'm sorry," The Doctor's voice trembled. First Rose, then Martha, then Donna, Amy and Rory, and you. Every one left him. But somehow losing you was the worst thing that had happened to him. If a Dalek appeared in the carriage beside him, he wouldn't care if he was shot and died. Maybe he would see you again.

The Doctor felt torn. He could stay here with you or go back to the TARDIS and break the laws of time to bring you back to him. He would do it, he should do it, but he felt he would only hurt you more in the end.

He laid down on the carpeted carriage floor beside you, ignoring the faint tickle from the fuzzy ground. He felt like he could lay there forever, watching the stars fly past until he disintegrated into dust, returning to the universe.

"I should've protected you."

...

The planet was quiet.

A small, unnamed moon orbiting a sun. No people. No noise. Just wind and stars. The Doctor said you’d like it before taking you aboard that train.

He stood alone, dark coat billowing gently, staring down at the grave he’d built himself. No ceremony. No fanfare. Just a marker of pale stone. Simple. Clean. Yours.

He’d carved the words by hand, in Circular Gallifreyan. Your name beside his.

He didn’t speak for a long time. Just stood there, hands in his pockets, lips pressed in a tight line.

“I should’ve saved you.”

His voice was low. Raspy.

“I was seconds away. I’ve gotten there with less time. Less warning. But this time…”

He looked up at the sky. At the tiny, cold sun that still tried to shine.

“You weren’t supposed to die in a hallway. You were supposed to live forever. At least longer than me.”

His hand reached into his coat pocket. He pulled something out—small, metallic, glinting faintly in the dim light.

The necklace .

Yours.

The communicator was imbedded in the clock pendant. "Time Lord," You had joked. "Now I keep time with me."

The Doctor laid it down on the ground. “I’ll keep the memory,” he swallowed. “You keep the time.”

The TARDIS was too quiet without you. The halls still echoed with your footsteps, your laugh, your questions that he never got around to answering.

He sat on the edge of the console platform, shoulders hunched, fingers tapping a slow rhythm against the railing.

The TARDIS hummed softly. Mournfully.

“I didn’t know how much I liked having you here,” he murmured.

Your coat was still hanging near the door. He hadn’t touched it. Couldn’t.

“You asked me, once, if I ever regretted bringing someone along.” He tilted his head, eyes distant. “I gave you a clever answer. Some metaphor about stardust and risk. But truth is—I don’t regret bringing you.”

He looked up at the rotor. The engine pulsed blue.

Silence.

A beat.

Then, softly, the TARDIS adjusted course. No destination set. Just moving. Drifting.

He let it take him. He didn’t care where. He opened the TARDIS doors, gazing out into space until his eyes fixed on a red star in the distance. He once told you that red stars were on the verge of collapsing in on themselves and forming either a supernova or a nebula. He didn't know if you had been listening, but a part of him knew that if you were still here you would notice the red star too.

There were too many stars tonight, and not enough people to see them.