Chapter Text
Z-13 - The Saboteur
Project - Cyan Skies
Project Cyan Skies, P.C.S. for short, is the idea and attempt to get Z-13 to willingly join sides with Urbanshade. P.C.S. was forced into creation and commencement due to a group of operatives deciding to "haul the fish-man back into the submarine with them" (as said by one of the 4 operatives) along with the crystal. Supposedly, the two operatives sent down to retrieve the crystal managed to find Z-13 in the open, temporarily blinding him with a flash beacon charge in front of his face, tackling him into a locker, and repeatedly punching him while the other two operatives restrained him. After Z-13 was surely knocked out, the operatives began dragging him around the facility until they reached the submarine, dumping him in, and proceeding to leave the Hadal Blacksite with Z-13 still knocked out. The SCRAMBLER has been retrieved from Z-13, and he has been completely unarmed according to containment procedures.
It is to be stated that all 4 operatives were charged with felonies such as first degree murder, attempted murder, and assualt. Although they did retrieve the crystal, all 4 operatives were soon executed due to bring Z-13 along with them. Before the operatives were promptly executed, they all suggested, in some way or form, for Z-13 to be spared from execution, and instead to be "rehabilitated". This matter was debated on for exactly 3 days before a decision was made to create P.C.S.
Z-13 has been put back into containment with extra security measures in place to stop him from attempting to escape again. Personnel, specifically the team of scientists who managed to convince Z-38 to work with Urbanshade, have been tasked to devise and execute a plan to convince Z-13 to work with Urbanshade. The project was not put on high stress, due to the fact that if it didn't go to plan, there were already plans to execute Z-13.
Below is an exerpt from an interview with Dr. Hall and Z-13
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
HALL - "This is Daryl Hall from the ████████ team. I'm here to interview Z-13, also known as the Sabotuer. Currently, he cannot hear me at this current moment. Shortly in about one minute, the interview with Z-13 will commence. This interview serves as a start to Project Cyan Skies. I have 5 questions written out that I am required to ask, and two extra questions that are the meant to 'sate my own curiosity'. This interview exists to help start a bond between the ████████ team and Z-13."
- The sound of a metal door opening can be heard, alongside the sound of something moving.
HALL - "Hello, Z-13. I'm here to interview you, I suppose you'd rather go straight to the point?
Z-13 - Something, supposedly an arm, slams against the wall, "I get a taste of freedom, for just a few weeks, before being trapped in a cell worse than the one I started in. How poetic. But if you're feeling so friendly and kind all of a sudden, how about we start by calling each other our actual names? No more Z whatever, just Sebastian."
HALL - "Alright, Sebastian, may we start the interview?"
- 15 seconds went by in awkward silence.
HALL - "I'll take that as a yes. Question 1: what do you think of your time in the Hadal Blacksite after causing the site-wide containment breach?"
Z-13 - "Freedom, the closest I've gotten to it since you turned me into a genetically modified freak. Urbanshade might have still been breathing down my neck, but I was able to walk around without guards or anyone following me like dogs."
HALL - "What do you think of the EXR-P that were sent down into the Blacksite?"
Z-13 - "Most of them were fine, we helped each other in ways. They gave me whatever information they found around the facility, I gave them whatever loose equipment they thought they needed. When they inevitably perished, I'd pick up whatever valuables they'd left behind, and the cycle repeated itself."
HALL - "What do you think of the last group of EXR-P that went into the facility? This is a more, personal question of mine."
Z-13 - "Am I required to respond?"
HALL - "No."
- 5 seconds passed in silence.
HALL - "Continuing on, what do you think of Z-779, also known as the p.AI.nter?"
Z-13 - "I would've done more if I could."
HALL - "Do you feel any remorse for the people you killed due to your usage of Z-96?"
Z-13 - "No."
HALL - "Is it true that you attempted to sabotage the attempts of expendables obtaining the crystal?"
Z-13 - "Isn't it obvious?"
HALL - "I'll take that as a yes."
HALL - "How have you been doing with the genetic mutations?"
Z-13 - "Oh, just stellar of course! It's sooooo easy to cope with the fact that you barely resemble yourself anymore because of some company who only wants money!
Z-13 - "I have a singular question for Urbanshade. Why hasn't your little firing squad already turned me into something that resembles fish nor human?"
HALL - "The EXR-P who brought you here requested you a pardon. Due to Urbanshade's past experiences with creating bonds with another anomaly with intelligence similar to your own, something similar to a pardon was issued."
Z-13 - "Could I meet this, 'anomaly'."
HALL - "I can't decide that."
- The sound of metal slamming onto metal sounds out.
HALL - "That's all of the scheduled time I have with Z-13.
- A minute passes, Hall's voice turning incomprehendable before the ending of the audio log and transcript.
Arlo never took the time to remember how much of his life he spent running from things both human and not human. When another sharp object cleaved into his body (still devoid of scars for some reason) he would find himself waiting for someone, anyone, to save him.
Adrenaline still flowed through his veins, his heart pumped, his senses were the same as they always were, and he was still bright and alive. Yet, he wasn't supposed to be alive. When your body is cleaved, torn, and broken the way Arlo's was, it doesn't take a genius to figure out he should be dead.
When things like this happen, people often hypothesize about these things. Arlo was no exception to this rule, why would he be? If he was still alive, he could still think. He hadn't gone braindead just yet!
"Two minds are better than one" was a common saying among humans. Although, that wouldn't have any meaning if the two minds were the same. So, Arlo came up with a quick and simple solution: talk about these horrifying things with your fish boyfriend! The only minor problem with this plan was that his fish boyfriend was supposed to kill him, but that, truthfully, was a minor problem in the grand scheme of things. Arlo was able to sweep so many other questionable things under the rug (for example, the fact that he's dating a fish), why not this one too?
Now, Arlo and his fish boyfriend, who for some reason is named Finley, were lying down on a spare blanket, which had been haphazardly thrown over some dead grass, staring up at the pitch-black sky. It was supposed to be a romantic date where they went stargazing, but the problem with the Mist's realm having no stars quickly popped up.
"Finley," Arlo's voice was muffled by the pillow he had his arms curled around, the last bit of it covering his mouth, "what do you think would happen if we left the mist?"
"Would all my wounds come back? I'd just die on the spot, but what about you?" he continued, turning to stare at Finley, who seemed to be transfixed by the pitch-black sky.
"I'd die due to the oil," was the simple response Arlo received.
Arlo winced at Finley's response, changing the topic as quickly as possible, "Do you think that there are stars up there, they're just pitch black?'
"There could be, or maybe it's just because of all the humans and their unnatural light."
"I suppose if there were stars, everyone would feel at least a tiny bit more hopeful," Arlo attempted to make something up on the spot, "But, we can imagine that we see the stars! They're just pitch black, when daytime comes, we'll be able to see them!"
The idea of pitch-black stars was quite frankly, depressing. This whole date was just depressing because Arlo didn't plan it out. All that he could do was turn on his side and wrap his arms around Finley.
"I'm sorry this was," Arlo tilted his head slightly as if that could get his point across, "so, awkward."
Finley looks directly at Arlo, turning ever so slightly, "It's fine."
"Could you redo my bandages tomorrow?" he asks.
Arlo chuckled, "Of course, we should probably go get some sleep."