#acp 3

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Isaac watches in complete shock as a creature, just like the one laying unresponsive beside him, charges at the scientist. It’s smaller than Arthur’s wolf form, but with the same sharp claws, jagged teeth and eyes glowing determinedly.

He switches his focus back to Arthur as blood starts to fly and the woman starts to scream. ‘Good’ Isaac thinks against the rush of panic as he continues to try and shake Arthur awake. He hopes the smaller wolf kills her.

It strikes him suddenly exactly who the creature was. He should have pieced it together earlier but with his partner still on the floor, bleeding out, his mind was elsewhere.

“Max! Stop!” he calls. But the wolf didn’t listen as he tore at the woman.

Isaac wanted nothing more than that bitch dead, but not like this. Not by Max’s hand. The kid was far too innocent and her blood was not worth that innocence, not by a long shot.

“Max, please! Help me out of these chains instead!”

The creature is growling but Isaac can tell that the rage comes from pain. The pain Max has suffered through. The pain of watching his father slowly dying.

No.

“Max, we will save your dad, I swear. But please, let go of her and help me first!”

The creature stops and turns to him, claws and teeth tipped with crimson blood. But all Isaac sees are his eyes, impossibly wide and the water that was leaking out of them.

Oh, you poor thing.

Isaac wanted desperately to help and comfort him, but there were two things he needed to keep his promise to Max.

One, a weapon to fight off any guards who attempt to impede on their escape. Max vould ony do so much after all, especially after what he’s been through.

Two, he needs the medic of the team to snap the fuck out of it.

She had only made a small gasp at Max’s entry before her eyes went dull again.

The creature makes a few bounding steps over and pulls the chains off Isaac. Before waiting at his feet.

Isaac goes to ruffle his fur before getting up and storming to the woman in the corner, still staring off blankly.

“Get up.” Isaac orders simply once he undoes her chains, “We have to go.”

She lets out a small whimper in response.

“Arthur’s bleeding out, you have to help him.”

The woman looks up at him, eyes wide, “I can’t.”

“Yes you can.”

“I’m not Nasira. I’m not anyone. Just forget about me and leave me here.”

Isaac sighs before he pulls her up. She lets out a small, pitiful yelp as he guides her to Arthur. The wolf was still laying still, blood continuing to pool around it.

Isaac lets her go and she collapses to her knees in the red pool. She shivers.

“I can’t help him. He’s – “

“Snap out of it! I don’t care what your name is and neither does he! Don’t try and pretend for a second that it wasn’t you who saved us, looked after us, took care of us all these years. I don’t care what your name is, you’re still our medic. You’re still our family. So save him, please!” Tears start dripping from his eyes.

“You’re the only one who can.”

“Why do you think? To help idiots like you when no one else can.”

Her eyes widen. She looks over at Arthur, bloody on the floor. Vulnerable, needing help.

Suddenly, she’s not in a lab, with white walls and controlled heating. It’s a sunny day, years before any of this, and she's rushing to a body laying by swaying grass, bloody and unmoving.

She wasn’t Nasira then either.

She rolls Arthur to his front, she doesn’t even feel the fur as her hands move to apply pressure the wound on his side. He lets out a groan.

What did she say to him back then?

“My name’s Layla. I’m a medic. I can help you, just relax.”

The fur starts to recede, making the wound easier to see against pale skin. She takes off her jacket and uses it as a makeshift bandage, making sure it’s tight enough to apply more pressure.

She turns to Isaac, “I’ve got a med kit in the car, get us there and he has a chance.”

Isaac nods, pressing a kiss to her head before walking over to the scientist bleeding out on the floor and grabbing the baton from her belt.

He holds it in one arm and hoists Arthur’s limp form over his other shoulder. He gestures to Max to follow him and the wolf does. The medic takes the rear and they begin to make their escape.

“D-Don’t- “ there’s a cough that follows the voice. It’s so quiet that no one hears it.

“Don’t leave. My life’s work. My life. Don’t leave me here.”

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Isaac yelled out when Nasira, if that even was her name, had been taken away for more questioning. She wasn’t in a state to answer questions. Her head hung low as she whimpered and cried, nothing like the strong, angry threat she was when she came in.

That left him and Arthur in the room with her, this maniac who decided to take up that other man’s place. Who decided it was now her job to torture Max.

That poor kid. Isaac hoped that they could find him before it was too late. Max still hadn’t become an adult, after all these years of being experimented on, then escaping. Only to be brought back to the place of his nightmares.

It didn’t matter to them that he was a child. In fact, it probably excited those freaks more to be able to test on him.

Isaac seethed; it wasn’t just Max either. Arthur had walked straight back into the hands of those he feared most for his son. And now they were getting ready to experiment on him again too.

He lets out an audible growl that Arthur turns too. His eyes widen at the fear in Arthur’s eyes. Obviously, he hadn’t been paying attention to what the mad scientist had been saying.

He gets the gist of it when guards come over and put a blindfold over his shaking head. He fights the hands that unchain then manhandle him into the centre of the room.

He gets forced to his knees; he has no idea who he’s turned to, but he yells all the same.

“You keep trying to break him, but it won’t work – ”

He’s cut off by a punch to his abdomen, he bowls over and coughs.

“Isaac, please! Don’t make it worse!” he hears the tears in Arthur’s voice.

“Hey, Arthur, it’s okay – ” his head snaps to the side after a punch across his face.

“You can stop this, Arthur Reyes.” The low but feminine voice of the scientist starts. “Don’t you feel obliged to. Seeing as this is all your fault.”

“No- ” Isaac gets a punch to his jaw, knocking him off balance.

“Leave him alone!” Arthur screams.

“Don’t you wish you hadn’t bothered him with your problems. Hadn’t started that silly agency with him. Hadn’t ever met? Then he wouldn’t be here. He wouldn’t be hurt, he would be safer without you. Don’t you agree?”

Before Isaac can interrupt her, a guard pulls him up by his hair before slamming the butt of a gun into his temple. He groans, disorientated by the hit and the blindfold.

“No!” Arthur yells out, “I’m the one you want! This is my fault, leave him alone!”

He gets a laugh in response, “Of course it is your fault. You should have kept him away. You should have known, this team you put together would be nothing more than pieces for us to use to break you, once we got our hands on you again.

“No...”

“Did you honestly think you wouldn’t be back here? Did you actually think that there was something left of Arthur Reyes? You are a subject and you always will be. All you did with all these years of “freedom” was collect some new subjects for us to toy with.”

“No!”

“So why don’t you tell me where the third mutant of your collection is? You already doomed them the moment you met. Just like your dear boyfriend.”

Arthur’s eyes widen and tears spill. “Isaac, I’m sorry. I’m sorry we- ”

“Arthur if you finish that fucking sentence, I’ll punch you in the face.”

Arthur stops, stunned by the rage in Isaac's voice. The man, despite his position, had his back straight as he spoke through gritted teeth.

“I mourned for you for three years. Every single day of that I wondered if it was worth living without you. You coming back into my life saved me. And we found our family and got together and you’re going to tell me you regret all of that?"

“Isaac I- ”

“Say it all wasn’t worth it. Go on.”

“I-It, it was worth it. I’m sorry, I love you. It was worth it.”

Isaac smiles before he turns to where he heard the scientist’s voice.

“’He bothered me with his problems?’ I did nothing for him for three years while you freaks had your hands on him. I’d take all his pain now if I could. You don’t know shit about him. My Arthur doesn’t break. And you don’t know shit about me either if you think I’d want to be anywhere else other than by his side.”

He laughs into the emptiness. “So go fucking ahead. Punch me. You ain’t getting shit from it.”

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They burst out of the building. Max’s claws and Isaac’s baton both dripping with blood. They race for the car they left behind a skip that was thankfully still there.

Isaac drives as fast as he can to get home, making sure they weren’t being tailed. The journey was a long one, but they eventually make it home.

By the time the car stops, the medic is done with her stitching and helps Isaac take Arthur inside. Max, now returned to his normal form, goes ahead and knocks on the door by force of habit.

He makes an ‘oh’ sound as he realizes his mistake and Isaac fumbles through his pocket for keys. Then suddenly the door opens.

Isaac’s eyes are blown wide for a second and his fists clench, ready to fight the invader. But his heart skips a beat at the sight he sees instead.

“Zak?”

Zak looks up at them all, eyes red-rimmed with bags underneath. His focus switches to Arthur, laying limply in Isaac and Nasira’s grasp.

“What happened?” he gasps before suddenly remembering to let them inside. He helps guide Arthur onto the old red couch.

Arthur lets out a sound as he lands on the couch, Isaac takes that as a good sign.

His gaze lands on Zak whose mouth is opening and closing, unable to find the words he wants to say . He’s watching Layla continue her wound care, her hands as steady as ever, even though everything else about her has changed.

Max sits on the floor beside the couch, head in his arms, letting out small whimpers every so often.

And Arthur, his Arthur, laying unmoving, unresponsive. Isaac wants nothing more than for him to open his eyes and maybe then they can put all this behind.

But as he looks at his family, all he sees is the blood and tears. Layla’s taken Arthur’s shirt off, and his new brand was red and angry. He can’t even imagine how Arthur will take it when he wakes up.

Maybe he won’t. Maybe the wolf comes back and never leaves, so that Arthur can never be hurt by it again.

He wonders if Max would do the same, if his father was gone for good.

“Isaac?”

He turns to the timid voice of Zak and suddenly realises he’s crying. Tears were streaming down his face and he was sucking in breaths between sobs.

“Isaac- “

Zak stops when Isaac pulls him in. His arms wrap around him as he holds Zak tight to his chest.

“I’m sorry, Zak. I’m sorry I couldn’t look after them. I’m sorry but- “ Isaac’s breath hitches.

“I’m so glad you’re safe.” Isaac’s tears fall faster and Zak grips him. He looks down at the younger who let out a whine.

“D-Did something happen? Is th-this my fault?”

Isaac cursed quietly, he didn’t give enough credit to Zak’s ability to make connections like that.

“They wanted to know where you were and we didn’t tell them. But this would have happened anyway. Th-There’s no reason for any of this. Just a sick obsession that’s hurt them far too much.”

Zak hugs him tight again. Isaac sighs and looks back over to Max who was now holding his father’s hand. Layla had finished everything she could have done and leaned her head against the couch, her eyes going blank once again.

Isaac feels his eyes sting again. There’s no way back from this. He pulls Zak off him and sits on the floor. Zak moves to sit near Max. They stay in a silence that was heavy with despair.

They stay sat for a couple hours, sometimes adjusting positions, the rare but necessary words. But otherwise, the same, cold silence.

Febuwhump day 2 - failed rescue attempt

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Arthur pulled at his restraints, the chains rattling furiously. Beside him, clanging chains could also be heard, as Nasira growled and fought.

Isaac let out a deep sigh, his arms slack. “Can we please think of a plan instead? We still don’t know where Max is.”

Arthur snarls at that but Isaac knows it isn’t directed at him. Nasira pulls her knees to her chest.

“Good thing Zak hadn’t come home yet, huh?”

The chains around Arthur go loose as he stops pulling against them. That was one thing at least, he was the only mutant here, they would focus their efforts on him. He quietens the part of his mind that panics at the thought.

The door to the empty, bright white room that they were held captive in swings open. A woman with tinted goggles on the top of wild, brown hair and a white lab coat takes a large stride into the room

“Hello!” she answers cheerily. “My name is Rebecca. You can call me Becky if you like.”

Arthur growls, “Who the hell do you think you are?”

The woman tuts, “Oh please, you were the ones who came charging into our facility. I mean, breaking down the gate. Truly monstrous, wouldn’t you say, Arthur?”

“The only monsters here are you. Now where is my son?” Arthur hisses.

‘Rebecca’ wags her finger, “If you’re good, we’ll let you see the subject. He’s been behaving quite well himself.”

“WHERE IS HE?” he roars.

She makes a mock gesture of surprise before slamming the door behind her shut. It locks automatically.

“I’d worry more about yourselves, our data says there are three mutants on your team.”

“And we have one, the subject.” She puts a finger up in an exaggerated gesture.

“Two, Mr Arthur Reyes who is right here.” She puts a second finger up and then a third.

“So, who is number three?” she asks in a deceptively light tone.

Arthur grits his teeth, “There isn’t a third, you’re mistaken.”

The scientist walks up to the leader and harshly slaps his cheek. Isaac growls out, his chains pulling tight.

“We’re mistaken?” she snarls, her mood switch eerily sudden, “We have been planning for this for four years, all this time we have been collecting data, tracking your movements, preparing for the day we finally caught you.”

She digs into her pocket and pulls out a cattle prod. She pretends to point it towards Arthur who glares back before whirling on her feet, making the weapon land under the medic’s neck before tilting her head up.

“Nasira!” Arthur gasps, his mind spinning at the woman’s change in tactics.

“Tell me who the third is! Are they here?! Where are they?!” she roars.

“Fuck you.” Nasira states simply, the woman turns on the prod, her wild, green eyes staring into Nasira’s dark irises, watching for a colour change. The medic lets out a groan through clenched teeth.

“Leave her alone!” Isaac yells, still fighting the chains. Arthur’s breathing quickens and his heart hammers in his ears.

“I’m the mutant! No one else! Just get on with your sick experiments!”

She places the prod directly over Nasira’s rising and falling chest.

“You think you’re just here for our experiments? No...”

The prod lights up a spark and Nasira screams, Arthur yells with her.

“You’re here because we want revenge. You’re here to suffer.”

Arthur’s eyes are wide and his numb lips move ready to beg for his team’s lives. But he stops at Nasira’s intense glare from where she was. She uses an arm to grip the scientist’s collar who yelps at the sudden contact.

“Where’s your pride, Arthur?” she hisses at him before turning to the woman that had moved hands to her wrists, trying to remove the vice grip Nasira had on her. “Listen you freak, we ain’t givin’ up shit so you can stop the whining and bitching and tell us where - ”

All in a single moment, he hears Isaac’s scream and his breaths stop at the sight of the scientist who still had her prod in the air and the medic slumped against the wall, completely unconscious.

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They’re here.

The subject’s brain lights up as it recognizes the voices. Computers monitoring its brainwaves has measurements that go all out of range. But despite the bleeping and crackles of electricity, the subject can only focus on a voice that growls and grunts. An inhuman one that shows up when things couldn’t be more dire

Dad!

Tears slip from the subject’s eyes and it goes to wipe them away, crying is bad and it needs to be good. But then, it stops. It lets the tears fall from its eyes and mix with the fluid. It keeps the tears as a hope of rescue. Of return.

The hope that it can be Max again. His father’s son.

There’s another voice, yelling at someone. It’s pleading at the wolf, at the scientist, at someone. The subject recognizes it as Isaac, his other dad and the tears fall faster.

They’re coming for me. I’m going to be free.

It knows it shouldn’t be having those thoughts. That it’s easier to just give in, accept fate. To not hope at all. But if there’s anything its family has taught it, it’s hope.

Suddenly there’s a bang and the creature in the other room mewls out. There’s a scream too, Isaac’s scream.

“Did you honestly think we wouldn’t be prepared for this? After that stunt you pulled last time?” the white coat lets out a horrible laugh.

Isaac’s begging for the creature to get up, for Arthur to get up.

The subject can’t hear a response.

Its family taught it to fight.

His family needs him.

The fists against the glass start out weak. He was hungry and tired and hurt. But Isaac lets out another cry and he hits harder, starts kicking, starts growling.

He bites and screams and fights for all he’s worth until the tubes come undone and the glass breaks, luminescent fluid flooding the scene. He falls out with it, takes a gasping breath of air before he runs to the voices.

He runs back to his family.

His two bare feet are pounding before they become furry and turn to four. He feels bigger suddenly, angrier, ready to fight.

He feels like Dad.