#drabblelands

With one last solid hit, the digi-struct device sunk back into the terminal with a more than satisfying clunk. Gabe sat back on their heels with a grin, catching their breath, and listened as the machinery hummed back to life. They looked over to their companions, reaching an arm up to give them the thumbs up. “It’s in and purring! Let her know we’re good to go!” They stood after a minute, stretching out their back after having knelt over for so long.

Hitoshi whooped out a cheer as Compress called back, “Excellent work, my dear!” He brought his ECHOdevice to his front, and made a call to the mechanic. “Ellie, darling. The Catch-A-Ride is back up and running. What say we get motoring?”

“Hooee! I’d let you motor me any day of the week, honey!” Ellie cheered back, making Compress cough in surprise. “Go ahead, and digi-struct you a vehicle and get to wrecking those COV sumbitches!”

“I’m driving!” Gabe immediately called out, hearing the good news through their own ECHO. Walking up to the front of the terminal brought up the comforting sight of a functioning screen. They flipped through all the options, before deciding on the Bandit Technical.

Dabi watched over their shoulder as they made their selection, the skepticism written blatantly over his face. “Do Sirens even know how to drive? Figured you Space Witches would be too uptight to know how to have any fun...” Dabi didn’t know how to drive either, but the thought of anyone else driving him preemptively made his stomach churn.

Gabe rolled their eyes as they punched the digistruct button and turned to their pyro-happy partner, being back-light by the familiar blue glow as the truck came into being. “I have been driving since before Hitoshi was born, so don’t you worry your pretty little bacon ass about it.” They smirked, walking backwards to the truck.

Dabi grinned with a chuckle. “So, you think it’s pretty?” He followed Gabe’s lead towards the vehicle, jumping into the flatbed in the back. Finding a spot to sit wasn’t too hard, but finding a spot so he could easily puke over the side without falling out was another story.

Gabe laughed as they shook their head, jumping into the driver's seat through the open window. They blew the horn, calling over to the others. “Get in losers! We got some bandits to fuck up!” 

“I call gunner!” Hitoshi yelled, booking it to the truck, and Compress casually sauntered behind. Gabe leaned out, stretching their arm out to give their son a hand up to the gunner seat, and waited as Compress joined Dabi in the back. The engine roared to life as they turned the ignition over, the Technical peeling out of the Catch-A-Ride before Dabi could catch his grip.

“Oh fuck, I think I’m gonna be sick…” he muttered, leaning towards the edge of the bed, trying hard not to focus on the Siren’s driving abilities as they drifted around a corner to run over a skag. Compress reached over to pat Dabi’s back in sympathy.

They stared up at the ceiling of their holding cell, the only room they could call their own in this hell. They focused on the rivets holding the metal panels in place, in an attempt to ignore the faint song coming from the glow as it hummed just beneath their skin, slowly fading. The wait until it was completely gone was always the worst part. Their marks burned in over-stimulation, sensitive to even the slightest brush of fabric from their starch-stiff gown, absolute agony from the hands that constantly grabbed and pinched.

A knock near the barrier caused them to jump. The ‘scientists’ never knocked… Gripping at the fabric to hold it away from the marks on their leg made it easier to sit up from the cot. Turning their head, their gaze met with bright blue eyes that made their own widen. The red man’s son stood off to the side, not quite directly in front of the barrier separating them, leaning more around the edge of the wall. His eyes held the fear they remembered hearing in his voice from before, as well as a curiosity that made their anxiety spike. They continued to stare at him, not speaking, hoping they weren’t about to get dragged out for more experiments at the boys behest.

“Um… Hi,” he started slowly, finally stepping out into full view, worrying the skin around his fingers. “M-my name’s Touya.” He wasn’t dressed in a suit like his father was, his outfit more suited to running around and playing outside, than the stiff dullness the red man thrived in. The patches of dirt on the elbows of his sweater, and the bruises on his bare knees were proof enough of that. But what spoke louder, were the odd burn marks on the side of his face. “What- um, what’s your name?”

They stared him down, before standing up and walking towards the barrier. ‘Touya’ backed up, letting out a faint whimper as he did, stopping when they did. They looked through the transparent red wall down the halls on either side of their cell, not seeing anyone else with him. Their gaze fell back on the boy, before slowly sinking down to sit on the floor. “I don’t have a name. They just call me ‘The Siren’. I’m not allowed to have a name until I’m useful.” They finally answered him.

‘Touya’ blinked at their reply, surprised to get an answer at all. “Oh.” He swallowed loudly, moving towards the barrier again, and also sitting down in front of it. “How will they know if you’re useful?” His head tilt to the side, his curiosity over-riding his fear once again. The shift moved some of his impossibly red hair, showing a small patch of bright white peeking through. They quirked an eyebrow up in question, more to themself than to the boy.

“When I stop fighting back, and start listening to their orders.” They tilted their head as well. “Why is your hair white?” 

The boy's hands shot up to cover the spot on his head. They rubbed quickly to ruffle his hair enough to cover the spot again. He eventually calmed down, lowering his hands to worry the hem of his sweater as he pouted. “I’m sick. My Mom has it too. Eventually all my hair will be white. Dad wants me to keep it hidden. He doesn’t want other people to know.”

“But you just told me.”

‘Touya’ nodded. “Dad’s not nice to anyone. Not even Mom. So I don’t listen to him either.” He smiled a little, which they returned slowly. He looked down after a bit to watch his hands fiddle with his sweater. “...Your wings were really pretty.”

That confused them. “Wings?” They looked over their shoulder, down at their back to see if anything was there, before turning back to the smaller child. “...What wings?”

‘Touya’ looked up at them again, the small smile still on his face. “The ones you had earlier. They came out after…” he paused, the smile falling from his face. “...The purple stuff they put in you made your spots glow blue.” He gripped his sweater tighter, lowering his gaze once again. “Do you need the purple stuff to get your wings? Or can you get them without it?”

They shrugged, frowning at the boy. “I didn’t even know I had wings until you told me.” They looked down at their hand for a moment, flexing it to see how much of the glow remained. “...I could try.” He hummed at them in question as they closed their eyes. They focused the hum towards their back, similarly to how they would focus on their arm to use their powers, the few times they had been allowed to without the threat of shock batons and sedation. The usual feeling of sensitivity had lessened as they continued to focus as well, bringing a satisfying sense of relief. At ‘Touya’s shout of surprise, they opened their eyes again, seeing the red-head standing with a wide grin.

“You did it! They’re not as big as last time, but you’ve got your wings!” His arms were raised in victory as he bounced happily. They looked to their back again, and sure enough, a small set of blue wings, just shorter than their arm span, floated behind them, streaks of energy looking as delicate as actual feathers. Reaching out to touch them revealed they were just as sensitive as their marks were, and reacted to the contact from their fingers. They tried to move the new appendages, and realized maneuvering them came as naturally as their Powers had.

“...I have wings.” The statement came out whisper quiet, they barely registered that they had spoken out loud, too focused on admiring them.

“...Can I give you a name?” Their head whipped back around to face ‘Touya’, eyes wide in surprise. The young boy still grinned widely at them, the fear from before having completely left him. They nodded slowly, dropping their hand back down into their lap. “I wanna name you Angel! Cause your wings make you look like an angel!”

They thought over the name for a minute, gazing back at their new wings. Angel turned back to Touya with a real smile. “I like it. My name is Angel.”

-

Gabe slowly awoke, quickly registering the plush cushions of the couch they’d curled up on in Rhys’ office, and feeling a weight leaning against their chest. Slowly cracking an eye open, the comforting purple fluff of Hitoshi’s hair filled their vision, letting them relax under their son’s weight. Bringing their hand up to rub at their face, the wetness that fell from their eyes became apparent, and their heart clenched at the memory of the young boy, making it hard to breathe.

As carefully as they could, Gabe managed to free themself from under the teen and laid him back down on the couch, making sure not to wake him. Not bothering to pull their boots back on, they headed towards the Atlas CEO’s desk, taking a seat on the floor behind the high backed chair, looking out over the megatropolis far below them. The tears started to fall harder the longer they sat, staring out the window. 

Curling in on themself, Gabe hugged their legs to their chest as they silently rocked, doing their best to not wake the others as they wept.

“The Siren’s abilities seem to have increased with that last dose.”

 A voice rang out loudly, seemingly coming from right beside their head. They attempted to roll over, away from the noise, halting the motion when the shackles and straps reminded them they weren’t allowed to. The voice chuckled at the attempt before continuing.

“Make a note to increase the Eridium levels for tomorrow's tests. We’ll keep the same dose for the rest of today's tests, and have Kido send this report to-”

“No need, gentlemen. I’ll be observing the next test.” A second, louder voice came from speakers mounted high on the walls around the room, seemingly echoing through their head. The voice made them tense up, forcing themself to open their eyes. 

Standing in an observation room above them, looking out over the surgical tools and machinery, stood a tall man in a suit, impossibly red hair his only defining feature. They snarled in disgust, doing their best to spit at him and his cushy throne room. The red man chuckled before looking to his side, placing a large hand on a boy they hadn’t noticed yet. A rather young boy, younger than them, who shared the tall man’s impossibly red hair.

“She’s just a kid, like me...”

“You see, son? There’s nothing to be afraid of. This Siren will be the strongest the galaxies have ever seen, and she will lead your forces, one day. Thus is the might of the Endeavor Corporation. Nothing will stop our march forward.”

The boy stared down at them, terror and concern in equal measure painted his face. His small hand reached out to his father, almost grabbing at his pant leg, before withdrawing it to clutch at his own hand, worrying the skin around his fingers.

“I… I don’t think she likes us…”

The red man laughed deeply, slapping his son firmly on the back. The small boy flew forwards, bracing himself to land against the thick glass separating the observation room from the surgery below. The red man continued to laugh, uncaring towards his own son's plight.

“She simply has not yet learned her place with us. In time, she will. Until then, a liberal use of restraints will be needed. Now!”

The ‘scientists’ around them paused in their preparations, looking up at the observation room, awaiting further command from the man who signed their paychecks.

“There’s no need to wait until tomorrow to increase the levels. Have them increased for the rest of today's tests, and give my son here a show of a Siren’s true potential!”

The ‘scientists’ nod in unison, most resuming their tasks, and two others walked away. One headed to a cabinet off to the side of the room, the other to a terminal that beeped loudly at her prodding. The terminal exuded a vial of purple liquid that immediately drew their attention away from the red man. The purple glow sang out to them, calling them home as a mother would a child. They despised that glow, and it’s song, holding nothing but disdain and hatred for the calming tune. 

The second man returned with a large syringe, handing it to the woman at the terminal. They watched as she extracted the contents of the vial into the syringe, and they knew what would happen next. They screamed out, yelling profanities at the liquid, the ‘scientists’, the red man and his son, all while pulling at the restraints keeping them tied to the table.

“Dad, are they gonna hurt her?”

“Of course not. This is for her own good! Now, stop asking stupid questions and pay attention.”

The woman with the syringe drew closer, and they screamed louder, their insults rang out faster and more desperate with each step she took.

“Hold her down!”

Many hands reached out to grasp their limbs, holding too tightly and restricting their movement. They screamed out louder, begging them to stay away. The felt the needle slowly enter their arm, and their screaming turned to sobs.

“Dad, they’re hurting her! You said they weren’t gonna hurt her!”

“Touya, they’re not hurting her. Siren’s don't feel pain! They’re not human!”

The plunger sank down, injecting the purple glow under their skin. They felt the syringe pull out of their arm, ripping another sob from them. The hands all slowly let go as the singing liquid called out louder to them, sinking deep into their being. They could feel their markings pulse in time with the song, glowing bright blue in response. An off beat pounding from above them caught their attention through the haunting melody. Shifting their tear-streaked gaze up, the small boy pounded on the glass separating them, bright blue eyes reflecting their Siren markings.

“Let her go! LET HER GO!!”

“HELP ME!”

“Sunshine!”

-

Gabe shot up, breathing heavily. Their hands quickly rubbed over where the restraints had held them down, confirming they were free. The sickly green glow of their markings illuminated the small make-shift camp in the early morning light, reflecting off the face of their still sleeping son. They sighed in relief and rubbed at their face, forcing themself to count their breaths, and turn off the glow. A hand at their shoulder made them jump, turning to see a surprised pyro with his hands up in surrender.

“Sorry. You started glowing, and I got worried…” Dabi lowered his hands and sat down beside them, grabbing the canteen and holding it out to them. Gabe accepted it with a nod, taking a long swig from it before swallowing thickly. They capped it off and handed it back to him with a quiet ‘thanks’. “...Bad dream?”

Gabe nodded, absently bringing their hand up to rub at the injection spot. The scar-tissue was all that remained of their childhood, but the nightmares never stopped. Dabi’s eyes followed their hand before he spoke up. “You get a lot of those?”

They nodded again. “Almost every night.” They grinned sadly with a chuckle, “It’s a wonder I can function, half the time.” 

Dabi hummed while leaning back, moving his hands under his back to support his new position. “...Do you wanna talk about it?”

They looked up at him in question before shaking their head. “Not really.”

He nodded in understanding. Sitting back up, he uncapped the canteen and took a drink himself. “Something my sister told me, long time ago, was that… If you told your nightmares to someone else, it’d spread the weight of the fear. The more you talked about it, the less scary it would be, until Poof!” Dabi wiggled his fingers for emphasis. “The nightmare would go away.”

Gabe snickered quietly, smirking at the black and white haired man. After a moment, they reluctantly shot back “...Did it work?”

“Yeah…” Dabi smiled back at them, offering the canteen to them again. Gabe reached out to take hold of the metal bottle, fingers gently brushing against Dabi’s, as a grumble came from the purple haired teen beside them.

“Mom…?” Hitoshi yawned out as he sat up, stretching the kinks out of his shoulder.

“Maybe another time…” They whispered to Dabi as they stood, walking over to their son. Dabi nodded slowly to himself, bringing his hand up to rub at his staples around his neck. “Morning, Bee. You sleep okay?” They spoke softly, smiling at the teen. He nodded, rubbing the sleep out of his eye. “That’s good. You wake up Atsu, and I’ll get breakfast started, okay?”

“Okay…” He yawned out again, reaching for his jacket and boots. He tossed a boot at the magician, landing the heel on his temple. “Uncle Atsu, get up, we got shit to do.” Dabi snorted at the display, ducking his head as he laughed.