Chapter Text
After Gray fell unconscious, Fragile had led me and him to a nearby shelter, one with better capabilities to take care of him.
She took all of the kids somewhere safe, somewhere where they could get permanent places to stay, and where Jamie could get better care. It almost seems like she wants to keep them as far away from Gray as possible.
All of the kids except Mari, who refused to leave Gray.
I'm sitting on the floor in the living room area, watching Mari try to teach Lou how to draw.
I sigh softly, looking up at where Gray lays on a hospital bed.
'What the hell happened?' I wonder, 'This isn't right...'
"Sam," Mari asks, "could I have something to drink?"
I nod, standing up. "Sure, honey..." I mutter, "...water?"
She nods. "But...if there's juice?" She asks, tilting her head.
I chuckle, and nod. "Okay..." I say, going to the kitchen. I grab a cup, and look around for something like juice to get for her.
A ping goes off, letting us know someone is here.
I look toward the door, fighting off the knee-jerk reaction of grabbing a kitchen knife.
Fragile rounds the corner. "The kids are safe," she says, "I...I'm sorry I had to send them away, Sam, but...so many all in one place, with..." she glances at Gray. She then looks down at Mari and Lou. A faint smile flickers across her face.
I nod slightly. "It's not going to be fun to be the one to explain to him where they are..." I say, getting the juice for Mari, and setting it down next to her on the ground, "...he's known most of them since infancy,"
She sighs, nodding. "With his current...condition, I couldn't let them stay near him," she says, bluntly.
"Why?" I ask, "He's done nothing but care for them, but all you see is Higgs when you look at him, huh?"
She tenses up, but sighs. "Who is he, Sam?" She asks, glancing at Gray again.
I furrow my eyebrows. "He's Higgs' brother, about three years younger," I say, shrugging, crossing my arms, "they grew up together, with their uncle, until he died. Ran to Central Knot, was found by Gram and Pops. Then Higgs left to find his own way when he was old enough, leaving Gray behind. Gray had a dream about the bombing of Central, and was able to get him, Gram, Pops, and the kids under their care out of the city, and they found Haven. They...they lived there ever since,"
She raises her eyebrows. "He was in Central?" She asks, "You said he dreamt of the bombing?"
I nod. "He has weird, prophetic nightmares," I say, "like...scarily accurate. I've seen it a few times, before the revolt in Haven. He dreamed about it…" I look toward the hospital bed again.
Gray has an oxygen mask over his face, pale and almost corpse-looking. His shirt has been removed, bandages around his midsection, black starting to seep through.
Sweat gleams on his skin.
There are IV tubes going from his arm to the bag on the stand next to him, and wires attaching him to all kinds of machines.
Fragile is watching me, concerned. She looks at Gray.
I sigh. "He...He has DOOMs," I say, "a lower level, three or four I think, but..." I shrug slightly.
She nods. "He said blood always looks black to him," she says, "what did he mean?"
"He sees chirealium," I say, "at least...that's how I understand his explanation. He sees in black and white, or...grayscale, I guess, until he's in an area with high levels of chirealium. That's when he starts to see colors. That's how he knows he's in a dangerous zone, and he sees the negative space of BTs that way too,"
She nods again. "And...you and him...?" She looks at me.
"We're partners," I say, "take that however you want,"
She furrows her eyebrows. "You're telling me you don't see the resemblance?" She asks.
I sigh. "I did at first," I say, "but trust me when I say physical resemblance is where it ends. He's nothing like Higgs," I stand up a little straighter, watching Gray.
His eyes have opened, and he's looking around. Even from here, I can see the panic building in his eyes. He's starting to breathe heavier.
I approached him. "Hey, hey, Gray..." I mutter, kneeling next to the bed and grabbing his arm with my left hand, gently placing my right hand on the top of his head, "...you're alright...you're okay..."
He looks at him, gray-blue eyes filled with tears. "Where am I?" He whimpers, his voice hoarse.
"We're in a shelter," I say, "Fragile lead us here,"
He nods, eyes flicking to behind me. He looks confused, looking around. "The kids?" He asks softly.
"They're safe," Fragile says, "I made sure they're found proper homes,"
He looks at her, a look of pain and anger in his eyes. He looks at me. "And you let her?" He asks.
"I had no choice, hun..." I mutter, "...trust me, there's no arguing with Fragile. 'No' isn't in her vocabulary,"
Fragile scoffs a little, but doesn't say anything.
Gray glances at her.
"But..." I continued, "...I was mainly worried for Jamie, and she found somewhere where he'll be taken care of..."
He sighs.
"But...bright side..." I say, rubbing his arm a little, "...Mari threw a tantrum and refused to be taken away from you..."
Gray chuckles, then coughs. "God, I love that kid..." he mutters.
"Sam..." Fragile says, "...I don't mean to be...pushy, but...we need your help again,"
I look at her, narrowing my eyes.
•••
I take a deep breath, blinking, looking around the room.
It's that shelter I had woken up in before.
I sit myself up, stiffly. I take the oxygen mask off of my face, looking around, confused.
The shelter is mostly silent, kids toys and drawings scattered across the floor.
I turn myself, sitting at the edge of the bed now. I start removing the patches and needles and tubes from my arms, and slide myself off of the bed.
Alarms start to sound from the machines around me.
From a different section of the shelter, Fragile approaches, looking concerned.
Her jumpsuit has been unzipped, the arms tied around her waist, showing her tank top underneath. She’s also not wearing her boots.
She's holding Lou, who smiles when she sees me.
Lou crows happily and reaches her arms out to me.
Mari follows Fragile, looking confused, then smiles, gasping. "Gray!" She cheers, jumping, "You're alive!" She runs up to me and hugs my leg.
I laugh, patting her head. "Of course I am," I say, my voice hoarse, "You think I'd just leave you?"
She giggles. "Fragile was starting to think you wouldn't wake up," she says, "but I kept telling her you would, and I was right!"
I chuckle, and look at Fragile.
She looks at me, uncomfortable. "How do you feel?" She asks.
I shrug a little. "Weird..." I mutter, "...how long have I been out?"
"A few days," she says, "you talk in your sleep. You were calling out for Sam,"
I sigh, nodding. "Where is he?" I ask.
"Sam went to Mexico!" Mari says, hopping, "Fragile wants him to connect a...a cry-all net, and talk to a dead man?" She looks at Fragile. "Did I say that right?" She asks.
Fragile chuckles. "The Chiral Network," Fragile says, "we have a friend, called DeadMan, who is working in a lab in Mexico. Sam connected the UCA to the Chiral Network, crossing the continent to do so, so...we thought he'd be the best to help us again,"
I furrow my eyebrows. "We?" I ask.
She nods. "At first it was BRIDGES," she says, "now, we call ourselves Drawbridge. There's a much longer explanation, but..."
"You don't feel like I deserve the explanation, huh?" I say, "You're still not sure if you can trust me?"
She leans back a little.
"Listen," I say, "I know you, your dad, and my brother had a history, and not a good one, but I'm not Higgs. Some days I wish I didn't look like him, but it's unavoidable. So, if you don't mind, I'd rather you not blame me for something I didn't do,"
She looks like I've attacked her personally, but sighs. "It's hard to get past it, when not just your face looks like his, but...your voice..." she mutters, anger tainting her words.
I sigh. "Believe me, I get it..." I mutter, "...remember, I grew up with him..."
She furrows her eyebrows. "Not to be...well, blunt, but, I'm surprised you exist," she says, "To my knowledge, Higgs doesn't have any living family members,"
"I'm honestly not surprised that he denied my existence," I say, "he dropped me the first chance he got, never looked back..."
She nods, but looks somewhat suspicious.
"Gray," Mari says, "I'm hungry..."
I nod, standing up.
My left knee feels like it's shaking a little, but I get myself to my feet.
Fragile steps forward, carefully, but doesn't reach out for me.
Lou, on the other hand, does. She reaches a little hand out to me, fingers grabbing at the air.
I smile softly, and limp toward Lou. "Hey, baby girl..." I mutter, "...enjoying time with Mari and Fragile?"
She giggles a little, little fingers brushing against my face as I get close enough.
Fragile watches, warily, but I do see her expression soften some. "Want me to get Mari her food?" She asks.
I shake my head. "I can do it," I say, "you've got Lou,"
She nods, following me toward the kitchen.
Mari climbs up onto a stool at the counter in the kitchen, and pats her hands on the counter. "Could I have a sandwich?" She asks.
I smile, nodding. "PB&J?" I ask.
"Yes, please!" She says, happily.
I nod, grabbing the ingredients.
Suddenly, an alarm rings out through the shelter.
"Intrusion detected. Intrusion detected," the computerized voice says, "Level five alert. Multiple unidentified armed hostiles inbound,"
I look up, furrowing my eyebrows. I look at the display that has popped up, seeing multiple figures in strange outfits, all with guns.
Fragile looks at the footage, and quickly grabs a carrier for Lou.
"Gray?" Mari whimpers, tears rising in her eyes.
I rush to the little girl, grabbing her. "Come here, honey..." I mutter, holding her close to me.
"This way," Fragile says, starting toward an exit as the figures reach the bottom of the stairs.
They raise their weapons, and start to fire.
I duck behind the kitchen counter, holding Mari close to me.
She screams, and grips onto my shirt.
I grit my teeth. "Mari, stay here," I mutter, setting her down.
"Don't leave me..." she whimpers.
"I'll be right back," I tell her, "stay here,"
She nods, hugging her knees to her chest.
Still crouched, I carefully move out from behind the counter. I throw a punch at one of the figures, grabbing his gun and swinging it at someone else. I grab a nearby stool and throw it at someone else. "Mari!" I call out.
She scampers out from behind the counter, running up to me.
I grab her, picking her up, and barrel toward the exit that Fragile left from. I reach the surface, dirt and stones crunching under my bare feet.
In the distance, I see Fragile on a bike, but suddenly see the bike crash and skid to a stop. "No!" I cry out.
Another figure stands behind her, looming over the crawling figure of Fragile on the ground.
My heart is hammering in my chest, knowing I won't reach her in time.
'But, I have to do something...' I tell myself, the fear bubbling into anger and determination.
The figure behind Fragile turns its head to look at me. It tilts its head.
What...no heroics?
I grit my teeth.
"Gray...?" Mari whimpers, grabbing onto my hand, "What's this black stuff?"
I crouch and pick Mari up. "Get on my back, buddy," I say, my voice eerily even, "and hold on tight,"
She looks at me, scared, but nods, letting me help her transfer to my back.
I make sure she's on tight, and lean forward as I dash across the plain to get to Fragile.
Day late and a dollar short...
As I get to Fragile, I hear the screams of an infant, then hear them suddenly stop.
I skid to a stop and see a tiny, unmoving figure, lying face down in the dirt nearby.
Lou.
My heart plummets, and I look at the figure standing nearby.
They're wearing a mask, but even then, I can almost tell it's him.
I grit my teeth, and let out a guttural yell of anger.
The tar that had followed me to where I now stand forms a kind of tidal wave that rears up and smashes down, but moments before contact, the figure is gone.
Something inside me feels like it snaps, like a rubber band breaking.
I gasp, the tar receding. I fall to my knees, tears rising in my eyes.
"Holy shit, Gray!" Sam calls out, abandoning his own bike and rushing over to me and Fragile.
"Lou..." Fragile mutters, trying to crawl toward the little girl.
I cough, starting to feel something bubble up in the back of my throat. I lurch forward, coughing and gagging until a thick, black substance bubbles up, falling to the ground.
"Mari, come here..." Sam mutters, helping the little girl get off of my back.
I shakily grab him. "It was him..." I mutter, but before I can say much more, the world fades to black.