Mistakes Were Made (and hell was paid)

by nicoykai

Summary:

Loid Forger, a dutiful father and faithful husband. Out of every disguise Twilight ever donned, that was the only one he wanted to keep. He had wanted to claim it, take it and make it his. In some ways, it already was his. In those last few months, his real emotions and feelings slipped through until Loid Forger and Twilight were one.
But then Operation Strix ended, and so did Loid Forger.
Abandoning Anya and Yor was the biggest mistake in his life. He’s paid for that all these years, and worse, he made them pay for it as well. Not anymore. Now, nothing would stop him from taking care of his family.
~
Or, years after Operation Strix ended, Twilight is wracked with regret for abandoning Anya and Yor and decides to seek them out only to discover how much of a mistake leaving them was.

Notes:

Hey Y'all! This is my first spy x family fic. I'm caught up with the anime, but not the manga so no spoilers please! This story is basically what happens if Loid actually left Anya and Yor after the mission was completed (with some angsty plotlines thrown in cuz I'm depressed and need to feel something lol) so the backstory is canon compliant, but the rest is not. If I get anything wrong in the fic or if you guys have any suggestions, please let me know down in the comments.
Enjoy :)

Chapter 1: Prologue - His Mistake

Twilight was a master of disguise. Those he bested called him the man with a thousand faces. He could impersonate anyone, seamlessly becoming anyone with ease. He tossed away mask after mask, transforming himself into who he needed to be in that moment to complete his missions. Sometime, during all those years working for WISE, he had lost himself. That wasn’t a problem. Losing himself was a necessary sacrifice to keep the peace between Westalis and Ostania.

Well, it used to not be a problem.

As Twilight studied himself in the mirror, the name Loid Forger came to mind. That name was always on his mind, echoing in the background despite his every attempt to forget it. It started out as a near silent whisper, growing a little louder with every month that passed since Loid Forger was declared dead. When months turned to years, the name gained more power until it was practically being screamed inside his skull.

Loid Forger, a dutiful father and faithful husband. Out of every disguise Twilight ever donned, that was the only one he wanted to keep. He had wanted to claim it, take it and make it his. In some ways, it already was his. In those last few months, his real emotions and feelings slipped through until Loid Forger and Twilight were one.

But then Operation Strix ended, and so did Loid Forger.

He doesn’t like to remember those last few days with his pretend family. It happened so quickly. One second he was making breakfast, basking in the happiness of Anya finally becoming an Imperial Scholar just in time for next social gathering, and then the next second he’s being whisked away by WISE agents the moment his mission is complete. His rapid departure was necessary to keep his cover and to stop the National Union Party from starting another war, but it was still painful.

He hadn’t even gotten to say good-bye. Loid Forger was killed in an accident on his way home from Eden College. His death was quick, and his funeral even quicker. In accordance with ‘his will’, Anya was sent to live with a close friend back East, leaving Yor alone to continue her life. According to his contact’s report, she had gone to live with her brother while Anya was sent to high-end orphanage.

He couldn’t bring himself to personally check up on them, no matter how tempting it was, because he knew the moment he saw them, he might not be able to let them go again.

But you haven’t let them go, have you? His reflection seemed to say.

He was older now, less put-together more noticeably worn out. The bags under his eyes were dark, visible even through the bruise on his left eye from his latest mission. But, that face in the mirror didn’t resemble Twilight anymore.

That face belonged to Loid Forger.

Maybe it was the fact that the cold war between Westalis and Ostania was almost over, or maybe it was the fact that he was in his late thirties and his age was beginning to slow him down. Hell, maybe it was because he was tired, more tired than he’d even like to admit. But as Twilight stared at himself in a cracked mirror of his safe house, he’d come to a decision, one that had been growing in the back of his mind in the same way that his old name did.

He was done being a spy. He was done with the non-stop missions and the endless disguises. He’d done enough good in his life to create a world where children never cried. Now, it was time he returned to his own child, who he no doubt made cry when he abandoned her. She would be his priority.

Abandoning Anya and Yor was the biggest mistake in his life. He’s paid for that all these years, and worse, he made them pay for it as well. Not anymore.

He didn’t care what it would take. He didn’t care if Anya was adopted into a new family or if Yor got married for real. He could make sure they were okay and watch over them from the shadows he lived in for so long.

Nothing would stop Loid Forger from taking care of his family.  

Chapter 2: Turning me into a weapon, for justice they said

Summary:

Loid starts his search, but Anya's not where she's supposed to be.

Notes:

This chapter is a little shorter than I wanted it to be, but the next one should be much longer. Thank you for reading!

“You’re seriously gonna do this?”

Loid looked down at his glass of scotch before taking a small sip. “Yeah, I am.”

Franky whistled under his breath and leaned back into his chair. “Man, I knew it bugged you leaving behind the little runt, but I thought you got past it.” The scruffy man hadn’t changed much these last years. He was still ugly and annoying, but still useful whether for getting information or as a drinking buddy. Loid couldn’t bring himself to look at the other man, so he studied the worn-down wood of the shady bar they were at.  

“So did I,” Loid offered, though he knew that wasn’t true. He never stopped thinking about Anya. Or Yor.

The muffled sounds of conversation and glasses clinking flittered around as the two drifted into silence. After Loid decided to take a step back from his spy-work, it was quick work getting his affairs in order. He had already contacted Handler, informing her about his decision. That conversation had been long and taxing, but eventually they were able to come up with an agreement. Twilight would still be an agent of WISE, though his status would be listed as inactive. He would serve as backup in case of an emergency, and he would remain as a contact for other agents. To his surprise, she had also given him a large retirement check. It would be enough to help him track down Anya and Yor and hopefully get settled in somewhere, though he would probably need to get a job eventually.

A job? That thought seemed so foreign. Sure, he had many jobs while he was a spy, but they were all part of his disguise. None of his ‘careers’ were earned, and rarely did he ever actually do them correctly. Finding something that he was passionate about and excelled at other than being a spy would be hard. It wouldn’t be impossible, though. He was determined to find out who he was outside of WISE, almost as determined as he was at looking for Anya and Yor.

“I guess I’m not really that surprised,” Franky chuckled, pulling Loid out of his thoughts. When he didn’t reply, Franky continued, “You’ve changed these last few years. After that whole Strix business, you got cold and started acting like a real jackass!”

Loid knocked back the rest of his scotch before turning to glare at him.

“Hey! Don’t look at me like that! You were a total jackass,” he told the blonde. “But, you were also in pain. It doesn’t take a badass spy to see that. All I’m trying to say is, I hope doing this will finally remove that stick up your butt.”

“I do not have a stick up my butt,” Loid replied, only because he didn’t want to comment on the fact that Franky of all people managed to see through his façade and was able to understand Loid he was feeling.

“Fine. You don’t have a stick up your butt. It’s a boulder. Big, and cold, and about the size of my-” Before Franky could finish whatever vulgar thing he was saying, Loid grabbed his shoulder and squeezed a pressure point. “Ow, ow, ow! Mercy! Mercy!”

Loid smiled slightly and let go. “I think it’s time to for me to take my leave.” He stood up and placed a large stack cash on the table, much more than he owed for the drink. “Close my tab, will you?”

Franky stared down at the cash, and Loid could see he understand which tab he was referring to. This would be the end of their interactions for a while, maybe forever. Loid put on his jacket and his hat, watching as Franky grabbed the cash and brushed through it with his thumb. He was just about to leave when the scruffy man smiled and said, “This will be enough to cover your tab, but I’m not closing it.”

Loid raised his eyebrow in a silent question.

“I can’t exactly leave my best customer high and dry, can I?” Franky laughed. “I can’t say it’s always a pleasure doing business with you, but you’ll need someone to turn to when things get hairy.”

The former spy studied the man who had been his informant for years, and then sighed in mock exasperation. “I guess that’s true.”

“Of course it’s true, cuz I’m always right!”

Loid rolled his eyes and turned to leave. “See you, Franky.”

“See ya, Loid. Call me up, once find that short-stack, Kay?”

For the first time in many years, a genuine grin spread across his face at the sound of his name.

~

Anya.

That was his first priority.

He would go find Yor once he found his daughter. If he was lucky enough to still be able to care for her, having the little girl by his side might help convince the older woman to come back into their lives. He wasn’t looking for forgiveness from Yor. He was looking to atone for his mistake which included reuniting mother and daughter.

Loid rubbed his tired eyes as he read through the document once more. The paper trail to Anya’s whereabouts was suspiciously small, and he was starting to get a bad feeling as he looked at the three papers that were the only clue into Anya’s life these past five years.

The first paper was a document that confirmed that Anya had been accepted into the orphanage WISE had chosen for her after his “death”. The second one was for her transfer to a Boy’s and Girl’s home closer to the border only a month after she arrived. The last one was a paper marking her acceptance there. The only issue was that Loid could find no record of the Boy’s and Girl’s home Anya was supposedly accepted into. There was no building at the address, no record of the employees, and no other children listed to have lived there. There was nothing.

Loid frowned at the papers. Yeah, he had a really bad feeling about this.

~

Anya stared at the plain white walls of her room. The florescent lights made them appear almost blue. She liked the color when she first arrived at this place, but after four long years of staring at the blank walls, she hated them.

She hated a lot of things now. She didn’t like the emotion at first. It was strange for such a loving girl to feel hate, but with every passing day the emotion consumed her. It was like poison, slowly taking over her mind and heart until it was the only thing she felt now. Maybe that was better, though. It was easier to feel hate than to feel sad.

She hated the people at this place, the ones who locked her in this room for days on end, the ones who would force her to read the minds of traitors and spies so they could learn their secrets. She hated the scientists who would tie her down to a table and draw her blood for their experiments and tests as they tried to figure out what exactly made her an Esper. She hated the Wise agent that betrayed her. She hated telling him, for thinking that it would get her papa and mama to come back. 

She hated papa and mama, too. She hated papa for leaving them, for just throwing them aside as if everything really was fake. She hated mama for not fighting to stay with her, for obeying "Loid's" wishes to move on with her life and to take Bond with her. They both were so strong, and it would have been easy for them to come get her. But, they never did, and eventually, she stopped hoping they would.

Anya even hated herself for hating the two people who she loved most in the world. She hated herself for still loving them.

Hate, hate, hate.

Anya was tired of that word. But what else was there to feel?

She could hear the thoughts of one of her captors before he even opened the door. It was an older man in his late fifties. Even though he was on the older side, he had no problems keeping her in line. Anya quickly sat up and moved to the middle of the room before he would get impatient and hit her. (That didn’t stop him sometimes, though, especially when he was in a bad mood.)

“We’ve got another one for you,” he told her.

She didn’t say anything, just nodded. She didn’t fight the hand that grabbed her arm too tight as he hauled her out of the room and down the white florescent lit hallway. They didn’t encounter anyone else as they moved through the building towards the interrogation rooms. The man unlocked the metal door to the third cell and shoved her inside.

A young woman in her late twenties was handcuffed to the table. Her face was bruised, and Anya could see a trail of red falling from her nose, splattering her mouth and neck with dried blood. 

A voice spoke up the moment Anya entered. “Where is the leader of your group?” The interrogator asked. Anya knew what she was expected to do. She closed her eyes and forced herself to concentrate on the woman’s thoughts.

Just another day in the life of Anya Forger.

She hated it.

Chapter 3: A Mother's Love (and grief)

Summary:

A glimpse of Yor.

Notes:

Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the super late update. Some personal things have been going on in my life, and writing just felt too exhausting. I'm really thankful to all of you who are sticking around, and I'm going to do my best to give your more consistent updates.
I hope you enjoy reading. Thank you!

Yor Briar was an assassin. A damned good one at that, and one of the best in her field. She cultivated her skills from childhood, spending many years honing herself into the perfect killing machine. Assassination was who she was.

It was the most important thing in her life, besides her brother. It was the one thing she was most proud of, the thing that kept her motivated all through her life in poverty and later as an outcast. Yor could endure the passive aggressive comments from her co-workers and the glares from people who noticed that she didn’t fit in. She could endure it all, because she knew her blood, sweat, and tears kept the citizens of her country safe. Yor was happy, knowing that her whole life was about assassination.

But then, she became the mother of the Forger family.

A new world had opened up around her, a world that she used to observe but could never quite reach. What started out as a cover for her assassin gig, turned into something Yor never wanted to let go of.

You did let go, though, she thought to herself.

Yor sat up in her bed, shoving that thought away as she leaned over to turn on the lamp. The room was cast in a golden glow, but Yor’s eyes refused to focus on anything as guilt and grief started to swell inside her. There was a quiet huffing sound from on the floor next to the bed, and it pulled Yor’s attention away from her thoughts. She smiled softly as Bond’s white, fluffy head popped up.

She softly stroked his head. “It’s okay, Mr. Bond. Go back to sleep.”

Bond didn’t go back to sleep, however. Instead, he slowly clambered up on the bed, a little ungraceful in his old age, but he eventually settled down next to Yor and rested his head on her lap. Her smile became sad as she resumed petting him. Bond’s crazy amount of fur and his arthritis make cuddling difficult, and it had been a few weeks since they last laid together, and months since Bond had the strength to climb up on the bed.

Yor continued petting him, even when his eyes began to droop and he started to snore. She listened to the sounds of his breathing, and like she did so often recently, she wondered how many breaths Bond had left. It was morbid, but it was reality.

Only a few weeks ago, the vet had warned Yor that Bond likely wouldn’t make it another year. She knew Bond was old, having been fully grown when they first rescued him from the terrorists, but in her mind, Bond was still the spritely “puppy” that could run around for hours with Anya at the dog park. She didn’t pay much attention to the gray hairs growing around his face and on his paws, or to the way he moved much more slowly.

Yor hadn’t wanted to believe it at first. She still didn’t want to believe that the one thing she had from her life as a Forger would soon be gone. It was only because of Bond that she was able to get through the past four years, and the thought of having to bury him was too much for her. She couldn’t bury a loved one again.

The two stayed like that for hours, with Yor stroking Bond’s fur until the morning sun started to seep through the curtains. She didn’t get any sleep, but still, Yor got up and started her usual morning routine. It was like that most nights anyways, with her own insecurities and regrets warding off sleep and nightmares plaguing what little she could get.

Her movements were robotic as she got dressed and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for herself and Bond. Yor felt like an outsider in her own body, watching as her hands moved of their own accord. She finished cooking just as Bond came lazing out of the bedroom.

“Good morning. I already put your food in your bowl,” she told him, even though this had been their routine now for several years. He plopped down and began eating, so Yor did the same, bringing her bowl over to the table.

Yor had cooked her own food, and yet when she went to go take the first bite, she jolted at the sight of southern stew. How in the world had she not realized what she was making? Ever since she started cooking only for herself again, she made the same few meals and stew was not one of them. In fact, it was probably the one thing she told herself she would never make again.

The memory of the last time she made southern stew was still fresh in her mind, like it just happened yesterday and not over four years ago. She could picture Anya sitting at the dinner table, a suitcase by her feet and tears streaming down her face in between each bite. At the time, Yor’s eyes had been full of tears too, but she hadn’t let them fall. She held it together long enough to get through their last dinner together, cherishing what time they had left before Anya got picked up by a social worker.

Tears formed in Yor’s eyes as the memory replayed over and over again in her mind. Before she could really think about it, she took a bite of the stew. It was comforting and excruciating at the same time, like her heart was simultaneously being mended and torn apart again. Yor took a second bite, ignoring the pain swelling in her chest. Each bite was harder than the last, but she kept eating until the stew was gone and she was left with only her grief.

It won’t ever go away, Yor realized.

She was an assassin, one of the best in her field. Her hands were stained with blood from hundreds, and that used to be all she wanted, all she lived for. But now, she wanted her hands to do was make dinner for the girl she considered her daughter, to brush through her pink hair as she helped braid it with ribbons, and to pull the girl into a tight hug and never let go.

Yor looked over at Bond who was watching her with almost too-intelligent eyes. She was almost convinced her grief was reflected in his eyes, but she knew deep down that it wasn’t, that she was just projecting her sadness onto him. It was enough for her to make a decision, though. She had to act fast. She'd wasted so much time already. 

It was time to go find her daughter.

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading! This was kind of a boring chapter, but from here on out, the story is going to be focused more on the plot and there should some more action-y scenes. I look forward to the next chapter :)

Chapter 4: Crossing Lines

Summary:

Loid is determined to uncover the truth and learns a lot in the process.
TW: torture

Two weeks. That’s how long it took Loid to find a lead on Anya.

After the paper trail revealed nothing about his daughter’s whereabouts, he took a trip out to see the Boy’s and Girl’s home Anya was supposedly taken to. Instead of a bustling house full of children, Loid arrived at the address to find a long-abandoned factory with broken windows, peeling graffiti, and a strong odor he didn’t want to name. It was obvious that the factory was not and had never been an orphanage.

Loid stared helplessly at the decrepit building, trying to fight the rising panic as he realized that not only was Anya missing, but there were people intentionally trying to cover it up. Fear like Loid had never known began racing through his veins as countless scenarios began to fill his mind, all of them worse than the last. As a child, he had seen and experienced the darkest parts of humanity. He knew just how unkind this world could be to children, and now Anya could be experiencing the same things.

It wasn’t Loid who finally managed to walk away from the abandoned factory, it was Twilight. He did nothing to fight the persona that seized control. He would need to be Twilight, would need to be the man who would do anything to complete his mission.

---

Twilight lounged carefully on the red velvet chair, appearing casual as he took a drag from his cigar and looked at the cards in his hands. Through the smoky haze, he studied the other three men sitting at the poker table. He didn’t care about the two to his right. They were both businessmen, just looking to satisfy their need for danger and excitement at the underground poker club. Twilight was only interested in the man sitting directly across from him.

“I raise,” Twilight said, pushing a few chips into the center. The two businessmen swore, but he stayed focused on his target.

The man’s current name was Barry Clemins, but Twilight knew him by a different name, Agent Steel. He had worked as a field agent for WISE up until four years ago, conveniently quitting only a week after his last mission: transporting Anya Forger to an orphanage after Operation Strix had concluded. From what Twilight could tell, Steel hadn’t been a big asset to WISE. His mental and physical abilities were average, and his case reports hinted at him being self-centered and extrinsically motivated. A supervisor had also noted in his file that the agent had an uncontrollable need to be better than others, something that’s considered a flaw in this line of work. There was no conclusive evidence that suggested Clemins would know where Anya was, but Twilight’s gut told him something wasn’t right.

A quick investigation into Steel’s finances confirmed his gut-feeling. Only a few days after he resigned, Steel had supposedly inherited a large sum of money from the estate of a long-lost uncle. However, according to the background check in Steel’s personnel file, his father was an only child and his mother only had one sister who remained unmarried. There was no uncle to inherit from which meant Steel likely got that money through illegal means. Twilight followed his gut and looked even deeper into that payment, and he discovered that the money transfer was sent from the same town Anya was taken to. It was enough to make Twilight track down the man now sitting across from him.

Both of the businessmen folded, but Steel looked directly into Twilight’s eyes and tossed more chips into the center. “I also raise.”

Twilight met his stare, silently studying the man for a second before he forced a good-natured laugh. “Alright, alright. I fold,” he said and placed his cards facedown on the table, hiding his winning hand. “You’ve got a good eye for bluffs.”

Steel didn’t laugh, but Twilight saw the corner of his mouth quirk upwards. “Maybe you just need to learn to bluff better,” he told Twilight as he gathered up all the chips from the center and began stacking them up one by one.

“Probably,” Twilight laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “But I’m afraid I won’t be able to practice my bluffing anymore tonight. The last game ran me dry. Gentlemen.” He nodded the three men as he stood up. He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and nonchalantly made his way towards the exit. A quick glance backwards showed Steel and the other men starting up a new game.

Perfect, Twilight thought as he stepped outside into the cold night air. He should have more than enough time to step up a trap.

An hour later, Twilight caught sight of Steel leaving the underground ground club. From his perch on a neighboring roof, he was able to track Steel’s movements as the man started walking down the darkened alley towards the main street. Twilight followed him soundlessly, jumping from rooftop to rooftop while hiding in the shadows. He had tailed Steel for nearly a week, investigating his usual hangouts and acquaintances. Then, he had mapped out the most probably routes Steel would take and made plans accordingly. It cost precious time, especially since he didn’t know if Anya was safe, but he wasn’t going to risk getting sloppy now.

It was almost too easy for Loid to fall back into his role as Twilight, to shove his feelings so far down they wouldn’t cloud his judgement. The fear and worry he felt for Anya turned into cold calculation and determination. Twilight couldn’t afford to fail Anya again.

Twilight felt that determination rise up as Steel turned down an alley, taking his usual shortcut to the train station. With a deep breath and a few quick calculations, Twilight leapt from the rooftop and landed on the concrete with a barely audible thump.

Steel was clearly not out of practice. As soon as he heard the landing, he whipped around to face Twilight. A gun was already in Steel’s hand and pointed toward the noise, but Twilight was quicker. He shot forward and grabbed Steel’s arm, shoving it upwards and twisting until the gun clattered to the ground. Steel swung with his remaining arm, and Twilight ducked down, easily dodging the feeble attack. In one swift movement, Twilight shot out his leg and kicked Steel behind the knees, knocking him down onto his back. Immediately, Twilight was on top of him a fist pulled back and rage dancing in his eyes.

Steel was unconscious a few moments later.

---

It took two hours for the former agent Steel to finally regain consciousness. Twilight watched apathetically as the man began to twitch, trying to move his arms and legs despite being chained to a chair. He was gagged and blind-folded as well, and Twilight could hear Steel’s breathing quicken as he realized exactly what kind of situation he was in.

Twilight didn’t say anything as he approached the man and yanked off his blindfold. Black eyes immediately locked onto Twilight’s own, and he could see hatred and anger swimming in the former agent’s eyes. Good, Twilight thought. This will be more fun.  

He said nothing to the chained man, silently grabbing another chair and setting it down in front of Steel. Twilight could see the man’s eyes dart around the room, taking in the crumbling concrete basement. The were no windows and the only exit was a broken door located directly behind Twilight. A single lightbulb hung above their heads, casting the room in a dim light.

Once Steel’s eyes finally returned back to him, Twilight spoke. “I’m not going to waste any time. Do you know who I am and why I’m here?”

The other man didn’t respond and just glared up at him. The gag was still in his mouth, but Twilight didn’t need him to talk just yet.

“I’m disappointed in you, Barry Clemins. Or should I say agent Steel?”

Steel froze at the mention of his codename, and Twilight could see fear in the man’s eyes.

“You’ve lost your touch, agent,” Twilight told him with mock sincerity. “Your movements were easy to track and were incredibly predictable. Even a retired agent should be somewhat of a threat.” He paused and tilted his head as if in thought before adding, “I guess it makes sense, considering you weren’t much of threat when you were an agent.”

Twilight chuckled to himself, and then watched in satisfaction as anger overtook the fear in Steel’s eyes. The angrier he was, the easier it would be to get information out of him.

“Is that why you left W.I.S.E.? Because you knew that you weren’t good enough? Or is it because you’re a coward?” He asked. “You knew you weren’t as strong and smart as the other agents. You knew you would end up getting killed in the line of work and you were scared, so you waited for the perfect opportunity to leave. Isn’t that right?”

Steel’s anger was boiling now as he growled at Twilight and strained against the chains still strapping him down. Twilight finally leaned over and tugged out the gag, and then quickly moved back as Steel spat at him.

“Fuck you,” he growled. “I’m not a coward.”

“Yes, you are,” Twilight told him matter of fact. “Why else would you leave?”

Steel growled again but didn’t answer the question. Instead, he asked one of his own. “Who are you?”

Twilight faked a sigh. “Maybe you’re not a coward, just incredibly dumb if you can’t even remember me.” He hadn’t expected Steel to recognize him. He’d only encountered Twilight a couple of times and those were all in disguise, and he doubted Steel would be able to connect the dots. “Besides, you’re not really in the position to ask questions, are you?”

“Fuck you!” Steel shouted, his face starting to go red. “Just tell me who the fuck you are!”

“After you tell me who you are, Steel,” Twilight told him coldly. “Are you a coward or an idiot for leaving W.I.S.E.?”

Twilight watched Steel carefully as his words sunk in. The anger was still there, but he could see consideration in the former agent’s eyes. It seemed he was realizing that he would have to start playing Twilight’s game if he was going to get out of this. Steel was completely in the dark, with no idea who Twilight was or why he kidnapped him. It was exactly like Twilight planned.

“Neither,” Steel grounded out after a few moments passed. “I’m an opportunist.”

“So, you ran the first opportunity you got?”

“No,” he said through gritted teeth. “I just know how to make the best out of a good opportunity, especially when she practically fell in my lap.”

The word she hit Twilight like a punch to the gut. That single damning word confirmed his worst fear: not only was Anya in danger, but she was in danger because of an agent from W.I.S.E., the organization that he had dedicated his life to. It took every bit of training for Twilight to keep his face composed, and he stood up from his chair and grabbed a simple black bag sitting by the door.

Steel didn’t seem to notice his slip-up, but judging by his guarded expression, he must’ve noticed the change in Twilight’s demeanor. He eyed the bag wearily as Twilight set the bag on his chair and unzipped it. He pulled out a pair of pliers and turned towards Steel.

“Anya Forger.”

Steel’s eyes grew wide at the name, further solidifying the conclusion Twilight had come to.

“Where is she?” Twilight asked with the promise of death in his voice.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

Twilight said nothing as he moved the pliers towards Steel’s left hand chained to the armrest of the chair, and he made quick work of pealing off his thumbnail. Steel screamed and cursed at him, helpless against the pain. Twilight opened the pliers and dropped the bloody nail onto Steel’s lap.

“Wrong answer,” Twilight told him. “Where is she?”

Steel didn’t answer immediately, only panted as he attempted to recover himself.

“Where. Is. She?” He asked again.

“I don’t know!”

Twilight moved forward again, going a little slower this time as he pulled off another fingernail and again dropped it onto the other’s lap. Sweat was now pouring down Steel’s bright-red face, and Twilight could see tears in the corners of his eyes.

“You can scream and curse and lie however much you want,” Twilight told him, waving the pair of pliers around casually, “but in the end you’re going to tell me everything.”

Steel laughed humorlessly. “I’d like to see you try.”  

“Okay,” Twilight told him. “I will.”

Twenty minutes was all it took.

Steel was slumped in the chair, sobbing down at the large pile of nails in his lap. Twilight looked down at the broken man chained before him, a flurry of emotion temporarily clouding his mind. He hated torturing people for information. He only had to torture two people in his time with W.I.S.E., and they had both been terrorists whose actions put many lives in danger. Still, Twilight had certain lines he never wanted to cross, and torturing people felt like he crossed all of them.

But he would do it. It was necessary, and as Steel finally started talking Twilight knew it was also worth it.

“I don’t know where she is,” Steel rasped, his voice almost gone from screaming, “but I know who has her.”

There was nothing Twilight could do to keep the rage out of his voice. “Who has her?”

“I.R.O.N.”

Twilight recognized that name. I.R.O.N., or Information and Reconnaissance Operations Network, was a neutral organization that formed near the beginning of the war. Basically, they acted as a market for spies, trading information or weapons and helped get agents into contact with other organizations. The organization was successful at first, but of course spies began to trust the organization less as more people got involved. Secrets aren’t meant to be traded like that, so it was no surprise when I.R.O.N. eventually because full of misinformation and traitors. From what Twilight can remember, the organization was disbanded and the remaining members went underground.

 He wouldn’t be surprised if the organization was trying to start up again. With the cold war starting to settle down and the amount of spies decreasing, Twilight could understand how they would think it was a good idea to start up again. What he didn’t understand, however, was why they had Anya.

“What does I.R.O.N. want with her?”

Steel huffed something close to laugh, still slumped over. “They deal in information,” he said, like that was all the explanation needed.

“I know that,” Twilight hissed. “Why do they want her?”

“You know exactly why,” Steel said, groaning as he pulled himself back into an upright position. “Why else would you be looking for her?”

Twilight’s mind was racing a mile a minute, trying to understand what Steel thought he knew. Could he have figured out his identity? Did Steel realize that he was Twilight and that’s why he was looking for Anya? And was the why I.R.O.N. wanted Anya, because she was his daughter? Except, that wouldn’t make much sense. Anya wouldn’t have the kind of information that they want. Steel would’ve known that Anya wasn’t aware of Operation Strix or that he was Twilight. Also, Steel could’ve provided more information about Twilight and W.I.S.E. than Anya could.

Maybe I.R.O.N. thought they could use her to lure him in, but Twilight couldn’t think of a reason they would target him except for being a well-known spy. Even if that was the reason for taking her, they hadn’t made it known to him. None of it made sense.

Twilight fought against the unanswered questions floating around his mind and focused instead on the man in front of him. He couldn’t let Steel know he had the upper hand, not when he was so close to getting the rest of the information.

“I want to hear you say it,” Twilight ordered, overflowing with fake confidence.

Steel looked up, meeting his eyes, and there was nothing Twilight could do to prepare himself for the next words.

“Anya Forger is a telepath.”

Notes:

Hey y'all!
So, you know how there's this idea that fanfic writers always go through the most traumatic stuff and that's why they don't update? Well... that's me. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but my mom has advanced breast cancer. She's been undergoing treatments, but we still don't know what the outcome is going to be. I've been taking care of the house and my younger siblings in her place, and it's been very exhausting. I haven't had the time or energy to write that much. I can't promise that I'll be consistent with updates, and I hope you guys understand. I do intend to keep writing this story though. I'm determined to finish it even if it will take a while. I really do appreciate all of you who have stuck with this story for so long.
Thank you all so much!