The Body of Theseus

by ArtisticallySane

Summary:

The billboard flashed the same five ads over and over. Time seemed to stand still as each ad flicked to the next, closer and closer until it landed on the one Till couldn't believe was reality.

Alien Stage Memorial Event. Take a guided tour of the Alien Stage Museum. Special guests include: Gargmon (Host) and Shelmeda (Host). Special performances by: Luka and Ivan.

Notes:

What do we want? COPIUM
When do we want it? NOW

I love the creators of Alien Stage for what they have created but I think there have been some miscommunication with the recent Q&A's. They keep telling us Ivan is gone and I just think there are some things lost in translation(totally delusional) So I decided to help them out a little.

If anyone is wondering I have gone through the stages of grief multiple times the past few days.

Chapter 1: After All These Years

One year after the tragedy.

“How are things progressing?” Unsha gruffly asked while meticulously observing the body incased in the fluid filled cylinder. A multitude of wires and hoses hooked to it relating vitals and mechanical functions.

“Very good sir. The body is fully formed from the tissue sample we received and everything was enhanced and spliced until the body completely matched our records and data we collected.”

“Very good. What about this?” Unsha turned to the tube next to the body that displayed a brain with a complete nervous system attached. More wires and tubes connecting it to machines outside.

“Very good as well sir.”

“There won’t be another tantrum like last time, will there?” Unsha side eyed the alien next to him. He did not want a repeat of what happened. His pet’s outburst cost him some business deals and profit. Unsha didn’t like to lose money.

“No sir.” The alien answered nervously. “Looking back through our data we concluded that the original event that triggered the tantrum and other unwanted actions all stemmed from one particular person he encountered at his time at Anakt. To prevent these events from happening again we installed barriers around his time there since it would have been detrimental to completely erase that part of his memory. If we did erase that part he would revert back to the mentality of a five-year-old and have to relearn everything. Instead, we made it so he would still remember the curriculum but not the other pets.”

Unsha clicked his tongue. The last thing he wanted was to waste all this time and money only for the same thing to happen again. His pet was a cash cow. Unsha needed to rebuild his reputation from the disaster his pet caused.

So, when he was approached to participate in an anniversary event for the Alien Stage tragedy, how could he not agree? The fans and participants didn’t know but there had been talks about making sure Unsha’s pet made it to the finals to compete against the previous winner. With Heperu already working on fixing his pet, the museum thought it would be a fun event to have them sing. Not to the death this time. Unsha made sure. He wasn’t going to waste all this money just to lose his cash cow again.

The museum had already spliced the participants DNA to create clones, so they had no problem recreating the original pet. They were lucky because Unsha’s wife insisted that they keep the remains of her pet. It was her precious birthday gift after all. With some coaxing, Unsha was able to convince her to let the museum use what they could. Even with his body preserved they said it would be easier to remake the body. Something about the gunshot to his lungs potentially affecting his singer, Unsha wasn’t paying attention, to focus on the possibility of getting his cash cow back. All he wanted was to make sure his new pet was as obedient as the last one. That’s why they removed his brain, analyzed his actions and put barriers in place.

“How much longer then?”

“It will take us about a year to implant the brain and make sure it doesn’t reject the body. That will give you three years before they plan on having the memorial event. Granted there are already talks about postponing it due to issues with Heperu’s pet.”

Unsha clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Just make sure his eyes are the same.”

*****

Six years later.

Bright lights flashed over the visor, the same five ads on repeat. One flashing a new energy drink. One promoting the latest motorcycle. One displaying a tropical vacation spot far away. One advertising the newest cellphone. One sponsored by a museum.

Till had lost track of how much time he had spent propped up on his motorcycle watching the same five ads. It had become almost a mantra in his head. Energy drink. Motorcycle. Vacation. Cellphone. Museum. His heart betting faster as each ad changed until his heart stopped and his breath caught in his throat. Each time hoping he had seen it wrong.

Energy Drink. Motorcycle. Vacation. Cellphone. Museum.

His gut twisted, the urge to vomit his lunch increased. He couldn’t breathe. His throat constricted while he gasped for breath inside the confines of his helmet. He frantically ripped at the strap and yanked the helmet off. Gasping for breath, doubled over, desperately trying to keep his lunch inside him as the back of his neck trickled with cold sweat.

This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when he was finally, finally, ok. A strangled sob escaped as tears fell. This was reality, right? He wasn’t hallucinating again, right?

Energy Drink. Motorcycle. Vacation. Cellphone. Museum.

“Fuck!” Till choked out. He quickly shoved his helmet back on. Angerly jabbing the kickstand up with his foot and drove away. He couldn’t look anymore.

Zaps! new and improved energy drink with more energy! To get things done!

Motowheel’s 3.4 model with advanced hover technology. The new five point hover system is easy to use and approved by MWU to be the safest on the market.

Want to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life? Join us at the newly built Houst Hotel. Enjoy luxury and convenience all within view of Lakahoa Beach.

Galaxy Ultra 69 series comes with new and improved camera settings to capture the most precious moments of your life. Never leave home without it.

Alien Stage Memorial Event. Take a guided tour of the Alien Stage Museum. Special guests include: Gargmon (Host) and Shelmeda (Host). Special performances by: Luka and Ivan.

*****

Till wasn’t sure how he made it back to the base in one piece. His mind was a mess, thoughts racing faster than he could make sense of them. His vision had faded in and out of black more times than he could count. He stumbled off his clumsily parked bike and staggered to his room. The voice of the other rebels couldn’t be heard over the sound of his heart trying to beat out of his chest.

The sweat accumulating on his skin was cold as he rushed to his room, even though his skin felt like it was one fire. His stomach continued its downward spiral on an unstoppable roller coaster. Worse of all was the tingling sensation on his neck. The urge to scratch until the feeling went away was hard to fight. Before he knew it his fingers were digging into his flesh as he reached his room. The feeling of something old and forgotten hung on the precipice of this frantic reality.

Teal eyes frantically searched the small space he called home. What did he need? What was he looking for? He wasn’t sure, but he knew he needed…something. Those eyes he had drawn hundreds of times were flashing freshly in his mind. Were they the same? He had to check? Had to make sure. There was no way this was reality.

Till scattered his years’ worth of sketch books across his floor. Each book turned to pages portraying detailed drawings of the past. Loose leaf pages scattered with dark eyes, midnight black hair, and a snaggletooth grin. Lyrics and feelings unable to be confessed accumulated between the pages creating a sense of peace for the creator.

That peace was now shattered as Till sat in the middle of the mini disaster he created. A multitude of the same eyes he saw earlier on the billboard staring back at him. Closing in on him.

“You died. I watched you die!” Till croaked. Tears spilled over his lash line and into his hands as he buried his face in his palms.

“Who told you I died?”

“No, no, no, not again.” Till’s hands left his eyes to move to his ears. Face scrunched as he desperately tried to will what he knew was coming away.

“You just assumed I died. Like usual you never looked at me. Everywhere else but me.” The same rough voice stated.

“Please, no…” Till whined. No matter how he covered his ears he could still hear the voice. At least as long as he kept his eyes shut, he wouldn’t have to see him.

“Such a crybaby. Just like the loser you are.” The voice morphed into something thinner, younger.

“Shut up.”

“Wow! You drew me!” Came an innocent voice closer than the others.

Till’s eyes snapped to the small child next to him. He observed the child’s glee. The small boy was happy looking at all the pictures of himself. The child turned to Till with a smile.

“I’m so happy.”

Till’s body stiffened when the child laid down placing his head on Till’s knee. Big bright eyes continued to look at the pictures strewn across the floor. A gentle smile playing on his chubby face.

“Till, can I come in?” Isaac’s voice rang from the other side of the door that creaked open moments later. He saw the way Till had staggered to his room with a dazed expression and became increasingly worried.

Till looked at him with wide, crazed eyes. He didn’t want his friend to see him reverting back to that time long ago. He had been better for years; he had made so much progress. All to be pushed down the stairs in a whirlwind of emotions that left him haggard at the bottom.

Till opened his mouth to speak, a flash of white from the corner of his eyes stopped his voice. He froze again, eyes glancing down at the older version of the child. Taunting eyes and provoking smile.

“Go on.” Mocked the man laying on his knee. Droplets of water fell from black hair on to Till’s pants but made no physical stain.

Till began looking around the mess of papers for one to write on and a pencil. He nodded his head to answer Isaac’s questioning gaze. Shaky hands grabbed the items he was looking for.

“Aw, I really liked that one.” An innocent voice said, watching as Till turned the drawing over to write on the back.

“Everything…ok?” Isaac asked while entering the room. Taking in the mess strung across the floor. The dazed and frazzled expression of the man sitting in the middle of said mess. Isaac had come to recognize the man in the drawings over the years. He knew who he was. Till’s friend. Till’s opponent. Till’s grief. Till’s family.

‘I saw him.’ Till wrote in scratchy, shaky font.

“Who?” Isaac asked, finally pulling his eyes away from the mess on the floor to the mess of a man in front of him.

Till turned the drawing over he was writing on to point at it. Eyes wide, body shaking. He had so much to share but it was impossible with the constantly changing man in the room. His body was vibrating with crackling energy. He wanted to tell Isaac what he saw, he needed to get it off his chest. To confirm that others might have seen it too. To know he wasn’t crazy.

“Isn’t that the guy…” Isaac wasn’t sure how to address him in Till’s current state. “Wasn’t he your friend from Anakt?”

Till nodded, opening his mouth to speak. A pale hand stretched into his vision, wrapping around Till’s neck. Trying to pull him down. Till stared at the man on his lap in shock before he tried smacking the hand away. His fingers digging into the skin of his neck where the other man’s touch still lingered in a burning, tingling sensation.

Irritated skin cracked against rough nails. Small dollops of blood formed on the wounds. Smearing over pale skin and rough fingers as Till continued to scratch at his wound. The sensation from that man’s touch turned into burning as the newly exposed skin was met with air.

“Till, stop!” Isaac leaped forward, pulling the silver-haired man’s hand away.

“Aw, he’s stepping on me.” An innocent voice said from the other side of the room. Eyes focused on the piece of paper under Isaac’s foot.

“He’s alive.” Till manages while the child was distracted. He clung on to Isaac while he tried to get everything out, he needed to before the other man appeared. “The museum. Anniversary. He’s there!”

“You mean the anniversary event they have planned at the Alien Stage Museum?” Isaac reiterated to make sure he understood. Till nodded, still glancing at the child.

“We have to save him.” Till begged around the tears. He had been trying for years to find Mizi with no luck. He thought she was the only remaining family he had. The only one who would remember the ones they lost. But to find out now, after all these years of suffering alone, that the person he had been grieving over was right under his nose this entire time was devastating. The sleepless nights, the grieving, the coping. All of it would have been easier if he had known. His friend was alive. His family was so close.

“Till, you know rescue missions are hard. Even if your friend is there it won’t be easy to get him out.”

“Please!” Till pleaded. He glanced over Isaac’s shoulder to find a man in place of the child. Taunting smile back in place.

“What a burden.”

“I will look into it. I won’t make any guarantees that it’s something we can do. I’m not gonna risk our family if it seems to dangerous.”

Till finally released his hold on Isaac, a small glimmer of hope coursing through his veins. He nodded. The small spark of hope growing in his chest.
Isaac left after he made sure Till was ok. Or as ok as he could be given the circumstances. He knew he would have to do some digging into this.

Till focused on the door and not the man standing next to it. He knew for certain now that the man he was seeing was a hallucination. A figment of his imagination. What did that say about him?

“You really think you can save me?” The man mocked. “What if I refuse, like you refused that time I tried to save you?”

“Shut up, you're not Ivan.”

Notes:

I was planning on having an update ready for Ivan's Kink Journal for August but due to recent events I felt getting this out of my system was more prominent. This will span multiple chapters. Tag's may change because I don't have it fully fleshed out. It will be a happy ended there is just gonna be a lot of hurt along the way.
I have been scanning through the translations from the multiple Q&A's and trying to incorporate/keep in mind things they have leaked about the characters. If you see any of interest about Ivan or Till please share them with me and the links where you found it so I can check it out as well.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 2: Planning Is All The Fun

Summary:

Till knows Ivan is alive. Now he just need a plan to save him. Even if he has to do it by himself.

Three days passed since Isaac said he would look into rescuing Ivan. Those three days have been torture for Till. Not only was he constantly fluctuating between crippling anxiety and teary-eyed hope, but he was also rehearsing what he would say when he finally met Ivan again. He told himself he would be nicer, that he wouldn’t let anything Ivan says get to him. He would be patient and kind. He would listen to what the other man had to say. They would share their grief, talk about their past and move on. Stronger than before.

Besides, Till was older now. Wiser. More mentally and emotionally mature. They could help heal each other’s scars.

“You really think you can help me?” The older version of Ivan watched Till pace back and forth for the umpteenth time.

Till ignored the question but still reached for his neck. The urge to scratch until he drew blood just to get Ivan to shut up was undeniable. That was why yesterday he decided to wrap his neck, causing his fingers to graze over the gauze. He was going to rescue Ivan in a few days. He didn’t want to meet him covered in fresh scars.

“Hey Ivan, long time no see. I know this really cool place I want to show you.” Till mimed his interaction.

“I had a really cool place I wanted to show you once too.” Teen Ivan smirked.

“No, I don’t think that’s right…” Till muttered, ignoring the comment. “Hey Ivan. I’m glad we could meet again. I have something I want to show you, will you come with me?”

“Of course Till. I will go anywhere with you.” Child Ivan smiled while grabbing Till’s hand. “Are you gonna show me all the pictures you drew of me?”

Till glanced at the small child, gulping down the reply that lingered on his tongue. From past experience he found it best just to ignore them. It would only be a couple days before the real Ivan would be back. He could deal with these hallucinations until then.

“Till, Isaac said he wanted to talk to you in the briefing room.” A rebel called through the door after they knocked.

Till bound to the door eagerly, flinging it open and not bothering to shut it as he maneuvered around the shocked rebel and headed towards his destination. Heart pounding as fast as his feet were carrying him. Finally, he was going to hear about the plan to save Ivan.

“Woah there…” Dewey laughed watching Till stumble into the room, the momentum of his body continued to carry him even though his feet had slowed.

‘What’s the plan?’ Till scratched out on his notebook, foot tapping anxiously. It had become a habit to use it for communication unless delivering information was time sensitive. It was even more prominent now that he used the notepad because of the man following him around.

“Well…Till, we talked about it and…” Isaac started. Hand nervously scratched the back of his neck.

‘I don’t like that tone.’ Till glared.

“Till, you know it’s a gamble every time we head out on a rescue mission. With the information we gathered there is just no possible way for us to feel confident going into this. The anniversary event is estimated to bring in a lot of people which means more risk to us. I cant take that risk.”

‘You took that risk during Alien Stage.’ Till angerly scribbled on his pad.

“We did. But that took years of planning. We had time to revise our plans down to the last detail.” Dewey stepped up placing his hand on Till’s shoulder.

“There will be another chance for us to rescue your friend, but right now we can’t. There are to many variables that could cost to many lives. Now that we know he is alive we will keep tabs on him. We will find a way to save him.” Isaac grabbed Till by the shoulders, staring into his eyes. “I’m sorry Till.”

Till bit his lip to hold back the angry sob that threatened to break free. That didn’t stop the tears though. Jerking away from the two men Till stormed out of the room. Anger boiled up inside of him, threatening to flow over and burn anyone who was close. He needed to be alone. It wasn’t Dewey or Isaac’s fault, he couldn’t take his anger out on them.

A part of him always knew it wouldn’t work. They had talked about breaking into the museum multiple times to save the kids trapped in there, but they had never been able to create a definitive plan. The plan was coming along but like anything the rebels planned they wanted to cover all their options before initiating it. This event was estimated to have a huge turn out of aliens and pets alike. Each guest to the exhibit increased the likelihood of something going wrong on the rebel’s end. It just wasn’t feasible.

“You just keep piling more on their plate. They have enough to worry about.”

“Shut up.” Till shot daggers at the man dressed in white.

“It’s true. You know it. Do you really think saving me is important to them?”

“It’s important to me!” Till turned towards Ivan angerly. All the anger he had been holding back danced on his tongue ready to spill out. “You're important to me!”

“What if you aren’t important to me?” Ivan loomed over Till with a twisted smile. “I’ve been alive this whole time and never once came looking for you.”

“I-I…you sacrificed yourself for me. I didn’t understand what was happening then. I still don’t know what was going through your head but…” Anger turned to uncertainty.

“What if I regret it?” Ivan reached forward to caress Till’s cheek. ”You didn’t even win the competition. My sacrifice was in vain. You killed me.”

“No…I-I didn’t! I never wanted you to die!” Till flinched at the contact but couldn’t find the strength to pull away from Ivan’s hand. Even as his face came closer Till stood frozen.

“Yes you did. You never looked at me.”

“Ye-yes I did!” Till finally pulled back only to find he had backed himself into a corner. Ivan’s face continued to come closer. Taunting eyes and wayward smile.

“If you did then you would have known.”

“Known what?” Panic increased the closer Ivan came. “What would I have kno-” His sentence was cut off by Ivan’s lips covering his. Silencing him once again. Till tried pushing against the man to free himself. He had to know what Ivan was talking about. Ivan refused to let go.

Already shallow breaths became more frail. The weight of the question heavy on his shoulders pushing the last bit of air from his lungs into the hallucination. His body flailed to get away. The lack of oxygen reaching his limbs decreased his control of them. Before he could stop himself his fist collided with Ivan’s face.

“Listen, I know you are mad about what we decided but you don’t have to hit me for it.” Isaac rubbed his reddened cheek.

Till stared in horror at the man before him. He had punched his friend in his hallucinogenic daze. How would he explain this to Isaac? They would probably lock him up if they found out he was seeing the now not-so-ghost-of-his-very-much-alive friend. He couldn’t tell them that, the only thing he could do was repent.

“I’m sorry…” Till muttered with his head down.

“Are you sure you are ok?” Isaac asked, more concerned now then he was a few nights ago. Till nodded his head, unable to make eye contact.

“Is this how you plan on being nicer when we meet again?

*****

Measured steps cautiously avoided any bump or crack in the rough floor. He couldn’t risk making any noise. If anyone found out what he was doing they would tell Isaac who would then scold Till and probably lock him up until the anniversary event was over. Till couldn’t let that happen.

He checked the hall one more time before slipping into the briefing room. He had seen what was spread out over the table the day they told him they couldn’t save Ivan. The blueprints for the Alien Stage Museum along with an itinerary of the events. Isaac really had put time and effort into trying to make the rescue mission work, and that made Till feel even worse for accidentally hitting him.

The blueprints were still haphazardly covering the table. No one had been inside this room since Till stormed out, which was lucky for him. He scanned over the three pages and quickly copyed them into his sketch book to better study later. Some of the words had been translated in messy Dewey script like ‘showroom’, ‘stage’, and ‘child’. Though most of the words had not been touched.

Till made sure to copy down every little detail including the itinerary and any other information laying around. A few more minutes were spent looking at the original blueprints and trying to map out the best route, which was hard to do when he didn’t know what half of the rooms were.

“What’s that?” Child Ivan pointed something on the page. Till examined the weird grate like design, tilting his head back and forth hoping it would help him make sense of the alien language sprawled next to it.

“It looks like a waste grate. There were a couple in some of the rooms at Anakt.” Teenage Ivan offered.

Till did remember see them a couple times in the rooms where he would get locked up for misbehaving. If memory serves they were big enough for an adult human to squeeze through and lead down into the sewers. The sewers!

A quick scan of the shelves found the other set of blueprints that he was looking for. Over years of hard work, the rebels had mapped out the sewer system that connected just about every building in the city with helpful notes jotted down along each route. He compared the address on the flyer to the notes on the sewer diagram and was able to find the closest entry point.

He quickly sketched out the sewer system with various entry points in case the closest one was dangerous. Everything was coming together. Till could easily formulate a plan with this information. Even if he had to go alone, he was going to bring Ivan back.

*****

Till spent the next couple days formulating his plan and gathering supplies in secret. He tried his best to act normal during the day. Interacting with the others, going on supply/reconnaissance runs, and playing with the kids. Then at night he would plot out his route by candlelight and stock up on one or two items he might need. Taking very little at a time to make sure he didn’t draw suspicion.

The plan he came up with was to sneak into the place the night before and get a good look around. By then everything should be set up and he could finish plotting out his route. He might even try snagging some information or tech while he was there. It would help to lessen Isaac’s anger if he came back with something useful.

Then he would spend the night in the sewers, waiting until Luka and Ivan’s performance was over to sneak back in. This concert marked the end of the anniversary event and guests would be leaving. Which would be the perfect time for Till to blend in and sneak Ivan out the front door. Perfect plan.

“Aren’t you so cool planning out this solo heist all by yourself?” Teen Ivan mocked while lazily looking over the plans.

Till ignored him, instead going to double check everything in his bag. Food, check. Water, check. Electronic Pulse Disruptors, check. Wall suction climbers, check. Personal blaster, check. Along with other various odds and ends that were small enough to not be missed. Everything seemed to be in order. Tomorrow he was going to save Ivan.

*****

“This place is gross.” Child Ivan whined.

Till had the same thought but this wasn’t the first time he had been in the sewers, so he knew what to expect. Although no matter how prepared you are the putrid smell still makes you gag. He wasn’t happy at the time with the amount of money he spent today picking up a respirator and bunny suit but right now he was glad he spent it.

The walls were covered in a tacky filth. The little walkways on each side of the canal of decomposing liquid were covered in a thick layer of slim. One wrong move and he would end up covered in unidentifiable fluid. There would have been no way to get his clothes clean after that. The only way to save their souls would be to burn them.

He paused to check his map one more time and compared the alien writing on the wall with what he had. This manhole cover is one block away from the museum. He was heading in the right direction.

“What is that?” Child Ivan pointed to something in the liquid.

Till did a double take. Instinctually reaching out and covered Ivan’s innocent eyes. He didn’t want a child to see the remnants of a decomposing human head floating by. He had noticed larger lumps floating in the canal as they got closer to the museum but paid them little mind. Now they had his full attention.

A bloated male torso leisurely floated by, organs dragging along behind it as it casually bounced off the wall. The rotten flesh that touched the wall stuck, making a gut wrenching sound as it began to separate from the body. An arm missing half its skin exposing the decomposing muscle underneath. The lower half of the male torso sloshed by, missing a leg and fully displaying the mutilated genitals.

What really caught Till’s attention was the eyeball that drifted in front of him. Even through the milkiness of its decay he could still make out the black iris and red pupil. A familiar color scheme he knew intimately.

Till closed his eyes with a shaky gulp. Wiping his clammy hands on his pants did no good since they were trapped inside a set of gloves, but he needed the action to feel normal. He turned from the parade of body parts to find the fork that would lead him to the museum.

A whirling mechanical sound coming from the fork halted Till in his tracks. He listened to the sound of gears and metal screeching followed by a gush of liquid. Not long after a wave of fluid and body parts came flowing out of the tunnel leading to the museum.

Till glanced at the body parts again. He gathered his bearings and pushed on. His need to reach the museum urgently increased with a single thought running through his head. What the hell are they doing in that museum?

Notes:

This chapter touched on some horror themes and there will be more later on. But Till is on his way to save Ivan!

The mental image of Till covering child Ivan's eyes to shield him from the horrors of the sewer got me.

Chapter 3: You Aren't Who I Thought You Used To Be

Summary:

Till finally made it inside the museum where he is greeted with more horrors and confusion.

“Did your muscle also stop growing a few years back?” Adult Ivan taunts as Till catches his breath spread out on cool tile. Till didn’t even have the energy to glare at the hallucination. Hell, he barely had the energy to lay on the floor.

He had not anticipated that the museum’s drainage system would collect in a reservoir and periodically empty into the sewers. He was lucky to find a chunk of metal he could shove into the gears long enough for him to climb inside the reservoir where he then proceeded to haphazardly slip and slid up the wall with his wall suction climbers. All the while receiving not so helpful commentary from ever changing hallucinations.

Breathing became easier as minutes ticked by. Till silently thanked whatever god there might be that he hadn’t set off any alarms. In this slight moment of peace Till looked around where the drain had spit him out. An underground lab filled with tubes and machines.

Till quickly shed his suit, securely placing it in his bag and activating the Electric Pulse Disruptor. This device created pulses that were strong enough to temporarily fry small objects like security cameras. It would make it a lot easier for Till to travel around unnoticed.

Now that he knew he was safe from being seen he let his eyes wonder around the sterile room. The more he took in the sicker to his stomach he felt. Giant floor to ceiling glass cylinders were sporadically placed throughout the room filled with bubbling liquid. Wires and tube connecting the various lifeforms inside to outside machines that supplied them with the nutrients needed to grow and thrive. Little placards on the tube relay technical information, even displaying pictures of the original gene donors.

Traveling through the array of tubes the amount of fully formed bodies decreased to make way for tubes filled with specific human parts. At the end of the row was a little machine displaying each tank with a percentage. Till watched as the percentage of the tube closest to him dropped below 50%.

Gurgling came from the tank beside him. The tubes and wires hooked to the brain inside separated, leaving the organ to sink down with the decreasing liquid. The fluid was funneled out a tube that lead to the drainage system Till came through. The last of the liquid went through the tubing, taking the brain with it until it disappeared in the drain.

“The fuck…” Till stared in disbelief of what he had just witnessed. He quickly turned back to the panel checking the percentage of the other tubes.

“Do you really have time to focus on this? Adult Ivan asked.

Till pushed the bile rising in his throat back down. The hallucination was right. He needed to move if he wanted to scope out the whole place for tomorrow. This…nightmare could be processed at a later date. Right now he needed to focus on the task at hand.

With a deep breath Till stepped out into the hallway to begin cataloging the rooms. The basement was full of more rooms like the first. Labs full of human mutations stuck in tanks of fluid. He jotted down his findings as he went, never spending more time than necessary in each room. Occasionally grabbing small items laying around to hopefully appease Isaac.

The floor above was the main museum decorated with banners and signs directing guest on where each exhibit was located. On this floor he focused on where exits were located, paying little mind to the actual exhibits. He was there for the real thing, he didn’t need to relive it.

Till was halfway up the stairwell to the third floor when he heard the door below open followed by footsteps. His gut fell to the floor in panic; heart skipped a beat then kicked into overdrive. It had been so easy up to this point that he had started to let his guard down. He should never let his guard down.

“I think you should run Till.” Child Ivan tilted his head, eyes focused on the stairs.

He took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the screams of protest from his legs. The blood rushing through his veins drowned out the sound of the footsteps following him but couldn’t stop Ivan’s comments. His not so helpful comments.

“You still run weird.” Teenage Ivan smirked. Till ignored him to continue running, leaving the hallucination in his dust.

“You will need to be more alert if you plan on saving me.” Grown up Ivan said as Till passed him.

“Your shoe is untied.” Child Ivan watched the laces of Till’s shoes as the silver haired man ran by.

Till stumbled over his loose shoelace barley managing to catch himself on his hands and knees before his head hit the ground. Teal eyes darted over his shoulder to see if he had been caught but stopped halfway, landing on the man standing next to him. Their eyes locked for what felt like an eternity. A flurry of emotions bubbled under Till’s skin causing him to subconsciously reach to scratch his neck.

“Are you hallucinating me again?” Ivan’s voice broke through Till’s trance. Finally, back to reality, Till checked behind him again. The footsteps could still be heard farther down the hallway, but he couldn’t see the approaching figure yet. Panicked eyes turned back to the problem at hand. The man standing next to him. Luka.

Till knew he could beat the blonde-haired man in a fight. He had spent the last seven years doing physical labor, getting stronger both mentally (hallucinations aside) and physically. It wasn’t a matter of if he could subdue Luke but a matter of if he could before he was caught. Till readjusted his stance, ready to pounce.

Luka placed his finger to his lips in a shushing motion. This act of nonaggression caused Till’s prepared attack to faulter. He quickly glanced back down the hallway then back at Luka, trying to decide if he could trust the man that once manipulated him. Luka pointed down the opposite hallway. Till scanned the path then back towards the footsteps before landing on Luka one last time. With a nod from the golden haired man Till took off down the designated hallway.

“It would have felt really good to punch him after what he did.” Adult Ivan said what Till had been thinking. Right now, survival is more important than revenge.

Till internally screamed obscenities when a set of hands shot out from a door, covering his mouth and dragging him into a room. He should have known Luka would betray him. Till was ready to fight for his life. All his anger and aggression towards Luka was going to be let out in an unbridled rage on this individual.

“Calm down!” Came a familiar hushed voice of Isaac. Till stopped thrashing against the person holding him, a wave of calm washing over his high-strung body. “Care to explain what the hell you are doing here?” The man released him, spinning Till around to stare daggers at him.

Till smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head nervously. How could he possibly explain what he was doing inside the museum after he was told it was impossible to save his friend? Wait…Why was Isaac here? Teal eyes scrunched in confusion. He jabbed his finger at Isaac then down at the ground.

“Well Till if you-” Till slapped his hand over Isaac’s mouth, both able to hear the approaching footsteps.

“What are you doing out here?” A gruff voice asked.

“I was looking for the bathroom.” Luka replied with grace.

“Where you in the stairwell?”

“Yes, sorry. I got a little turned around. In fact, I’m not sure how to get back to my room. Can you show me?” The guard clicked his tongue but seconds later two sets of footsteps could be heard walking away.

Both men sighed in relief as the footsteps grew fainter. Till decided in that moment if he met Luka again, he might not hit him as hard as he originally planned. He turned back to Isaac, glare returning to sharp teal eyes. Issac crossed his arms, returning the glare.

“We received new intel that Luka and Ivan were going to be housed in the museum the night before the event for security purposes due to their recent return as idols. I went to your room to tell you this, but I couldn’t find you. We were already in the process of arranging to break in here and rescue the kids so when we learned this information we decided to move up our plan by about a week so we could try saving Ivan too.”

A sharp pang shot through Till’s chest at the realization that his friends had and were doing everything they could to reunite him with Ivan. Jagged posture relaxed as guilt washed over him. He should have just waited and believed in his friends. They never stopped believing in him. He owed them an apology and a promise to work harder.

“Always a burden.” Ivan taunted.

“Now let’s move. You find your friend. I have something I have to check on up here. Once you get your friend meet Dewey downstairs by the back exit.” Isaac informed while checking the hallway to make sure they were alone.

They parted ways in opposite directions. Till combed each room, unable to read the alien writing on the signs. Footsteps sounded behind him causing him to rush into the closest room and shut the door behind him. Waiting and listening until the steps faded out again with a relieved sigh.

“What are you doing here?”

The overwhelming urge to cry creeped up Till’s spine, prickling his skin. He had been hearing this voice for the past few days but this time it felt more solid. For the first time in years Till felt whole. The void that had slowly been closing in his chest was ripped back open only to be filled with the voice he hadn’t realized he had longed to hear.

Time froze while Till turned to examine the man in front of him. The only thing that could be heard was Till’s frantic heartbeat inside the quite room. Everything was as he remembered. Black hair. Pale skin. Dark eyes that seemed to stare into your soul. And that stupid snaggletooth that Till didn’t realize he missed until it was gone. The only way Till knew this Ivan wasn’t a hallucination was because he was dressed in black pajamas. And because a teenage version of Ivan was standing next to Till providing unwanted commentary.

“What a loser. You had all these things planned to say when we meet again and all you can do is stare.”

As much as he hated to admit it, hallucination Ivan was right. Till had all these interactions planned out. Yet now when he was faced with the real Ivan, he found himself at a loss for words. Every word he rehearsed flew out of his mind leaving nothing but an empty, spinning hamster wheel.

Ivan’s face scrunched when Till hesitated a step forward. His gaze more calculating than it had been seconds ago. It felt like he was analyzing every part of Till down to the most microscopic detail.

“You should probably say something Till.” Child Ivan offered.

The hallucination was right. Till had changed so much over the years, hell, even his name is gone. How would Ivan possibly know who exactly he was? Till’s eyes glanced over to where the man in white stood, watching with a smile as Till opened his mouth to speak. Would the hallucination actually let him talk?

“Go on.”

Till gulped before turning back to the real Ivan. He had to do this. Even if the hallucination tried to stop him. He needed to talk to Ivan.

“He-Hey Ivan.” His voice cracked with emotions. After clearing his throat he continued. “Long time no see.”

“This is what you decided to go with?” Teenage Ivan sighed.

“Tell him about the pictures!” Child Ivan chimed in happily.

“I-I have s-something to show you.” Till took another shaky step forward. Ivan’s eye snapped down to Till’s feet as if calculating the distance between them.

“He hasn’t said anything in a while.” Teenage Ivan offered.

Till took another slightly more confident step forward. Ivan shuffled back slightly causing the smaller man’s movements to pause. Till wet his lips to the best of his ability, fighting off the sudden desert that appeared in his mouth.

“Did you see that? He stepped back. He obviously didn’t want to see you.” Adult Ivan mocked.

Till took a deep breath to bury down all his doubts. Ignoring all the things the hallucinations were saying that were dancing in the back of his mind. There was no turning back now when he was so close. So close to the family he longed for.
One more confident step put him within reach of Ivan. He offered his hand with a warm smile. Eagerly awaiting the feel of the other man’s hand in his.

“Please come with m-”

Smack

Ivan swatted Till’s hand away with a glare. He had never seen Ivan’s eyes alight with so much anger and hatred. Even when they were kids beating the crap out of each other Ivan always wore a smile. Something was wrong.

“I told you he regretted it.” Adult Ivan smirked.

“Why would I follow you? I don’t even know who you are.”

“Wha-oh right I have changed a lot.” Till nervously laughed while rubbing his sore hand. “It’s me. Till.” He waited for recognition to dawn in Ivan’s eyes, but nothing ever came. “We went to Anakt together with Sua and Mizi and Acorn and Marty and…you know our family.”

“I don’t have a family.”

“Right, of course. You probably thought we all died. I bet it’s weird seeing me again after so long, I know it is for me. But if you come with me we can talk ab-”

“Why do you insist on getting me to follow you? You talk like we’ve met before but I have never seen you before in my life.”

Notes:

Did you expect to see Luka in this chapter? Me either. Is that character development we see from Luka? Why is Ivan being so cold towards Till? Will the rebels rescue everyone? Honestly, I don't even know sometimes. I just start typing and watch in awe or horror as to what happens.

Chapter 4: Extra Baggage

Summary:

Till found Ivan and now he has to escape with an unconscious body.

Cold. Dark. Sloshing water, quickly rising. Consuming. Dread. Fear. Or was he sinking?

“Wh-what?” Till shrunk back staring at Ivan in disbelief.

“He regrets it so much that he completely forgot you. You were never important to him.” Adult Ivan claims with a look of I-told-you-so.

“I’ve never seen you before.” Ivan reiterates, crossing his arms with a stern glare. “Please leave.”

“No! I can’t leave you! Come on Ivan, we spent years together in Anakt. We would fight then make up. You’d watch me draw. You’d steal my pencils then give them back. You even tried to run away with me.” Till’s gut clenched at the last part. Part of him wondering how different things would have been if he had left with Ivan that night.

“Why would I ever try to run away with you? Unsha gives me everything I need. I no longer have to worry about basic things.”

Alarms sounded throughout the building. Flashing red lights engulfed the small room. The door behind Till flung open revealing a sweat drenched, panting Isaac.

“What are you still doing here?!” Both rebels on high alert and full of panicked urgency. Till turned back to Ivan, eyes pleading and full of desperation. Caution to the wind as he grabbed Ivan’s arm and tugged.

“Ivan, please!”

“No.” Ivan stood his ground. “I’m not going back to the slums! I no longer have to fight for food and shelter. I don’t have to start fires with two rocks to make sure I don’t freeze to death…”

“You can start a fire with two rocks?” Isaac asked, remembering the boy him and Dewey meet years ago on their way back from a failed mission. Occasionally, he would think of that small child and wonder where he ended up. He never would have guessed he became an idol and supposedly die on stage. But here he was, alive and well.

Before Isaac knew what he was doing he had already shot the tranquilizer into Ivan. It was something they rarely used on the kids if they were to rowdy while being rescued. Silence was golden for the rebels. But right now time was of the essence and Isaac felt a guilt for the small child he had to leave behind all those years ago.

“Why did you shoot him?!” Till cried while clutching onto Ivan’s body. Frightened eyes searching for the bullet wound. He had to stop the bleeding. He couldn’t let Ivan die again. Did he really get this close to saving Ivan only for his friend to take him away again?

“Isn’t it ironic.”

“It’s a tranquilizer. Come on, we need to move.” Isaac helped hoist Ivan up so both men could bear the weight. Caution was thrown to the wind as they hurried down the hallway. It would be better to ask forgiveness for a few bumps and bruises later. As much as Till hated the thumping sound of Ivan’s legs hitting the stairs there was nothing he could do about it. Getting out of here, preferably alive and in one piece, was his biggest concern.

“How are you going to explain this to me?”

“What if I really did forget you?”

“Do you really think things will go back to how they were?”

Adult Ivan continued to ask as Till and Isaac headed towards the exit. Till’s sole focus was on getting Ivan out of this building. Once they were back at the base they could figure everything out then.

A sigh of relief washed over both men as they reached the vehicle outside the back door. They had managed to make it out without running into any guards. Till helped Isaac pull Ivan into the back of the vehicle, paying little mind to the kids already huddled in the back.

Shink!

Everyone ducked as a blaster round made contact with the vehicle. A charred spot above one of the kids head smoked from the heat. Till glanced over his shoulder in time to see the guard chasing after them. The sound of reinforcements could be heard off in the distance.

“Shit! Hurry Till, get inside!” Isaac reached for the silver headed man.

Till looked from Isaac’s frantic face to the scared kids around him. Finally, he landed on Ivan who was still sound asleep from the tranquillizer. This whole mission was to save these kids and Ivan, none of this mattered if they get caught. With a bitter smile Till pushed Isaac back into the vehicle. The door slammed shut separating the two men and before Isaac could stop it the vehicle peeled out creating a shield of dust for Till.

Till used the cover to make a mad dash towards where he left his bike a few blocks away. Blaster ready in his hand to draw attention to him once he was out of the dust cloud. Before he even cleared the edge of the cloud ultra heated beams danced around his body as the guard opened fire. Till did the same, returning rounds enough to distract the guard from the speeding away vehicle. He just needed to give them enough of a covered head start.

“Aren’t you so cool. Sacrificing yourself to save the others.” Teenage Ivan ignored the blast that whizzed though him.

“Shut up.” Till huffed from behind a trash can. He poked his head around to gauge how far the guard was behind him. The sirens were louder now meaning he needed to put more distance between him and the museum before there were too many aliens to deal with alone.

“Issac will be pissed if you don’t make it back alive.” Adult Ivan mocked.

“You don’t think I know that?” Till snapped.

“What about me? I thought we were gonna be family again.” Child Ivan asked.

“We are.” Till was too caught up in the hallucinations to hear the footsteps approaching.

“It’ll be kind of hard to do if you’re dead.” Teenage Ivan spoke matter-of-factly.

“What does that matter. He didn’t remember you anyways. Your death won’t affect him at all.” Adult Ivan smiled bitterly.

“I said shut up!” Till pointed his gun at the hallucination at the same time a loud thud came from beside him. He turned his attention to the lump next to him, blue fluid seeping out of a wound on what Till assumed was its head. Had one of the other rebels stuck around? Whoever it was he owes them a great debt. He had been so consumed with the hallucinations he hadn’t even noticed the guard approaching. Anything they wanted he would…

“It was easy to find you hiding since you wouldn’t shut up.” Luka stood over the alien. He pointed the blaster he was carrying and shot the alien one more time.

Scratch that, Till owed him nothing.

“So, do you have a way to get away from here or did I save your ass for nothing?” Luka shot the alien again. Till looked at the newly formed hole oozing blue fluid then back at Luka with a raised brow. “I have a lot of pent-up hostility towards aliens.” Another blast. “Plus, this fucker tried to touch me once we were back to my room. You are welcome by the way.”

Till rolled his eyes. A small part of him knew what it was like to be touched against your will by aliens. Yet Luka’s elegant closing statement and past actions caused Till to lose all empathy he had for the blond-haired man. With a sigh Till headed towards the direction of his bike.

“Do you really think you can trust him?” Till caught a glimpse of white out of the corner of his eye, his sole focus on getting back to his bike. “He’s manipulative, what if he shoots you and takes your bike?”

Till picked up the pace breaking into a jog then a full sprint. The sirens had stopped their movement and it was only a matter of time before they found the body of the guard and caught up to them. To the rebels, all human life was precious but if Till had to sacrifice Luka to save his hide he would.

“Slow…down…” Luka panted from behind. Till glared over his shoulder.

“Just leave him. What use could he bring to the rebellion?”

“Seriously…I…can’t…run…” Luka wheezed out around gasping breaths.

“Do you really plan on saving the person who imitated me?”

“Can…we…take…a…break?”

“Hours after I was shot. After I sacrificed myself to save you.”

“Both of you, SHUT UP!” Till broke, his movement halting. Their words became a jumbled mess as they talked over each other. It was getting harder to distinguish what was real. That, along with the anxiety of getting caught brought Till to his breaking point.

“Who…are you…talking to?” Luka took the break to catch his breath.

“I know what he did, I was there! Let me deal with it.” Till pointed at adult Ivan angerly. “And you!” He pointed towards Luka. “I appreciate what you did in the museum and in the alley but that doesn’t change how you manipulated me and almost got me killed on the stage. You impersonated someone dear to me. Someone who I just watched die hours earlier. I wasn’t in the right state of mind to begin with!”

“You don’t seem…in the right state of mind…now.”

“He’s got a point.”

“Of course I’m not! I’ve spent the last seven years thinking my friend died because of me, three of which I hallucinated him. Now I find out he is alive only for him to not recognize me after I trekked through the sewers full of decomposing human body parts. Broke into a museum commemorating the most traumatic event of my life. Stumbled upon a fucked-up alien lab where they are growing humans. Now I have to deal with your annoying ass for the one block hike back to my bike while being chased by alien guards. Excuse me for not being in the right state of mind!” Till huffed out all his anger and frustration.

“Wow…that’s a lot to unpackage…” Luka watched as Till’s reddened face slowly went back to it’s normal color.

“You should probably tell him you are seeing me now too.” Till glared at the man in white.

“Wait, are you hallucinating him now?”

A shout came from the distance causing both men to turn towards it.

“Shit, they caught up.” Till turned and bolted towards his bike.

“Ow.” Luka groaned from the ground. He had tried to run after Till but the exhaustion from earlier caught up to him. One step was all it took for his shaky legs to give out and send him falling face first to the ground.

Till glanced over his shoulder. The guards were continuing to gain on them, footsteps loud. Lights flashed across the alley in the distance as they continued their search for any rebels remaining. He had a choice. Leave Luka to take the fall and buy him some time or try and save him.

“Do you think he would try and save you?”

“No…” Till bounced his weight back and forth. “But I’m not him.” He closed the small distance between them and yanked Luka to his feet. Tightly locking his hand around Luka’s wrist, he drug the other man behind him.

“You came…back?” Luka panted. Legs burning as they desperately tried to keep up with Till.

“You saved me twice back there.”

Their hearts pounded as they ran the short distance to the bike. A few stumbles along the way almost took both men down but they quickly regained their footing. Their muscles ached and lungs burned as they rounded the corner to the familiar sight of Till’s bike.

“That’s…a…deathtrap.” Luka wheezed while Till shoved on his helmet and straddled the bike.

“So are the alien’s chasing us.” The bike roared to life.

“I’m not getting on that.”

“Fine you can deal with them.” Till pointed towards the flashing lights that were approaching quickly.

“On second thought…” Luka hopped on the back of the bike. “Now what?”

“Hold on.” Till kicked the bike into gear and peeled out of the alley. A shrill scream came from behind him before Luka locked his arms tightly around Till’s waist.
Shouts could be heard from behind them as they drove off. Blaster fire sporadically whizzed past causing Luka to tighten his grip to the point where the driver found it hard to breathe. Till took a sharp corner hoping to put a building between them and the guards. One more blast rang out. A searing heat grazed Till’s arm before they were fully submerged behind the building.

He bit back scream, but thankful he could still move his arm even though it was painful. He revved the bike and took off down the familiar streets. Continuing to dodge and weave the buildings and aliens. Taking a few detours here and there to make sure they weren’t followed back to the base.

After an hour Till pulled into the base, cutting his engine off and removing his helmet. He also had to physically remove Luka’s hands that seemed to be welded together around his waist. The rebels were meticulously moving around the base as they put everything back in order from their recent operation.

“Hey buddy.” Isaac slapped his hand on Till’s shoulder, irritated smile on his face. “We are going to have a nice long chat.” He squeezed Till’s shoulder to prove his point. There was no way Till was going to get out of it. “Why is he here?” Isaac turned his attention to Luka, who waved bashfully.

Notes:

Interviewer: Till, how do you feel about the fact you saved Luka?
Till: It was probably a mistake.
Interviewer: Luka, any comment?
Luka: I am just surprised he actually saved me.
Author: I am also surprised Till saved you.

You ever just start writing and stuff happens? Yeah...now I have to figure out what the fuck I am going to do with Luka...

Chapter 5: Explanations and Anxiety

Summary:

Isaac demands Till explain himself before he can see Ivan.

Isaac guided Till to the briefing room by the steady hand placed on his shoulder. Teal eyes desperately looked around the unloading area as he was drug away, trying to find Ivan. He spotted the children being guided to the medical ward. Others unloading the truck and taking inventory of the items they scavenged. But there was no sight of the raven-haired man he was anxious to see. He wouldn’t be able to relax until he was positive Ivan was safely tucked inside the base.

“Care to explain what the hell you were doing there?” Isaac asked as soon as Dewey shut the door. “Or how the hell you got in there without being noticed?” Isaac crossed his arms with a scowl, foot tapping angerly. Till pulled out his pad of paper but before he could manage to write a single stroke it was ripped from his hand. “Oh no, now is not the time for that! I’m going to need you to explain to me what the hell you were thinking with your big boy voice. It better be a good excuse too because right now it’s all I can do to stop myself from throwing you in one of our cells.”

“Oh, you really pissed him off this time.” Till looked to the man in white standing next to Luka who had been drug along by Dewey.

Luka gave Till a look of ‘why are you looking at me’? It took Luka a moment with his muddled mind to notice teal eyes weren’t staring at him but beside him. More confusion clouded his brain before he remembered what Till said earlier while they were running for their lives. Was he seeing Ivan again?

“Where is I…” Till turned back to Isaac.

“I swear if you are about to ask where your friend is Till…” Isaac trailed off angerly, unable to finish his sentence. Till worried his lip, because he was in fact about to ask about Ivan.

“You didn’t see me in the unloading dock. How do you know he didn’t dump me somewhere? All your hard work, gone. Just like how the rain washed all my blood away.”

“Isaac wouldn’t do that…” Till muttered, this time looking to the open space next to Dewey. Luka followed his gaze curiously before pointing to the open space. A questioning expression on his face.

“I wouldn’t do what? Throw you in the cells? If you are locked up you won’t be able to see your friend and I don’t think you understand how mad I am right now.”

“Where is he?” Till questioned with frantic eyes. He needed to see Ivan for himself. It still didn’t feel real. His gut was twisted in a knot that wouldn’t begin to come undone until he saw Ivan. Alive. Well. Breathing. Not the hallucination in front of him.

“I’m right here Till. I’ve always been by your side.” Adult Ivan stood over Isaac’s shoulder smiling.

Till looked past Isaac to the man in white. The only reason he knew this was a hallucination was because of the white outfit and wet hair. He needed to see Ivan. As soon as he did these fake Ivan’s would disappear and everything would be right. Luka walked up beside Till, following his eyes.

“Why would I ever leave you Till?” Blood began to spill from Ivan’s smile, dripping, but never creating a stain on Isaac’s shoulder. The same look in Ivan’s eyes Till remembered seeing before his body hit the floor. It once again reminded him of the affection he had once seen on his mother’s face now blurry from time.

The fear, confusion and panic came crashing back. A flood of emotions he had felt on the stage but hadn’t had time to process. Still didn’t have time to process. The only thing he could focus on was his racing heart and no matter how much he tried he couldn’t catch his breath.

He needed to see Ivan. To make sure the one in front of him wasn’t real. That he didn’t die all those years ago on that stage. He needed to touch him. Hug him. Talk to him. Watch him interact with others to know that he is real. He needed to see Ivan. To make sure the one in.

Luka waved his hand over Isaac’s shoulder. Cutting through Ivan who faded into nothingness. Till could finally breathe.

“What the hell are you doing?” Isaac pulled away from Luka with a growl. “Tie him up or something. I will deal with him later.” He waited for Dewey to pull the other blond-haired man away before turning back to Till, who finally caught his breath.

“The sewers.” Till offered. His mind was finally clear. He knew the quickest way to get to Ivan was to answer all of Isaac’s questions. “I got in through the sewers.”

“Man, you were desperate.” Dewey muttered while continuing to tie Luka to a chair.

“Ah, so you saw the genetics lab.” Luka shared.

“Yes. I grabbed stuff while I was there too.” Till emptied his backpack on the table. Gadgets and vials tumbled out along with the supplies he took with him.

“That explains why the others couldn’t find much…” Isaac muttered as he looked over everything. He knew what one or two of the devices were. The bottle of pills he picked up had a label that read ‘pain killer’ in alien. “We will have to do some research on these devices. I’m not sure what they do.”

“That one.” Luka tossed his head towards one of the devices on the table. “It will seal up small cut and won’t leave a scar. And that one…” He tossed his head towards another device, “It takes samples and gives a composition of the sample. It can take a sample of something as hard as bone. Learned that the hard way.”

The three other men in the room turned towards Luka in stunned silence.

“What?” Luka looked between all of them. “Heperu was determined to make me perfect. I’ve had just about every alien machine used on me at one point in time. One issue would get fixed and another would appear. I was constantly being operated or experimented on.”

“Do you think we can trust him?” Dewey asked once he was huddled with Till and Isaac.

“I trust him about as far as he can run and that’s not far.” Till deadpanned.

“Then why did you bring him here?” Isaac asked.

“He saved me…twice.” Disgust crossed Till’s face like the words were rotten on his tongue. They all turned to look at Luka momentarily.

“That still doesn’t mean we can trust him.” Dewey offered.

“Well…” Isaac picked up the sampling device. “He could be our guinea pig.”

“Why do you guys keep looking at me and whispering?” Luka asked after they all turned towards him again. “Why are you holding that device?” The group stepped closer. “I don’t like that look on your faces...wait…wait! That device can be used on anything! Like a piece of paper or one of those vials full of liquid!”

“We should probably test it on something we know first…” Dewey stated.

“Jeez, you almost gave this old man a heart attack…” Luka sighed in relief when the group stopped their advance.

“This doesn’t mean we trust you.” Isaac pointed the device at Luka. “I can never forget what happened to Hyuna because of you.”

Luka snapped back in his seat like he had been slapped, eyes wide in shock. The surprise faded into a bitter smile, body slumping and pulling against his bindings. It had been so long since he heard her name.

“Yeah…I can’t either…” Hyuna’s last words echoed through Luka’s mind again and again. Live with love. He had desperately clung to those words these past seven years. Constantly trying to be better when all he wanted to do was fall apart. Those words are what caused him to cover for Till back in the museum.

He hadn’t recognized Till at first, he just knew there was another human inside the building besides him, Ivan and the kids. It wasn’t until he saw the panic in Till’s wide eyes that he remembered the kid he faced all those years ago. How he had manipulated him. Impersonated the person who sacrificed himself for Till just hours before. Luka knew what he was doing but he had to keep living to hopefully see Hyuna again one day. He just didn’t know that day and happiness would be so short lived.

“Do you have more medical equipment you don’t know what is? I might be able to help.” Luka offered, unable to meet their eyes.

“Why should we trust you?” Isaac questioned.

“Call this my penance…and the best way I can do that is by helping out the people she loved…” Luka smiled bitterly again. “You can use me test out the devices. I’m used to the pain. As long as it helps you guys that’s all that matters.”

“Wow and I thought Till’s emo phase was bad…ok, come on buddy…” Dewey began untying Luka from the chair.

“This actually works out. Parker, the only guy who knew how to use some of the medical equipment we stole didn’t make it back from his mission last week. We are in need of someone with alien tech knowledge. Let’s all head that way…” Isaac put his hand on Till’s shoulder. “That way you can see your friend.”

Till turned to Isaac with bright eyes.

“Just know, I had the medical staff examine him. Make sure there weren’t any tracking devices in him or any other technology that could be dangerous to us. They will not wake him up until I give them the go ahead.”

“Thank you.” Till managed on a shaky breath. It was all he could do to hold back tears as his body flooded with relief. Ivan was here and he was safe. His body vibrated with anticipation as he followed the others towards the medical bay. It took every ounce of his being to not push them aside and run like a mad man to Ivan.

Till strained his neck looking into the medical bay. He couldn’t see Ivan around all the kids and rebels. It was making him anxious, causing him to drum his fingers against his thigh. Anything to get the nervous energy out.

Isaac led them down to the last cot that had all the curtains pulled. Hushed words were shared with the person behind the curtain. Isaac nodded before turning back to the small group.

Till couldn’t focus on anything but the white curtains and the movement behind them. The sounds of children faded into the background along with the harsh lights shining down on him. The only thing he could concentrate on was that Ivan was behind those curtains. He was here and he was alive.

“Till?” Teal eyes finally pulled away from the curtain and landed on Isaac.

“Can I see him?”

“Yes…but!” Isaac grabbed Till before he could run off. “I need to tell you something first.”

“Can’t it wait?” Till glanced over Isaac’s shoulder to the curtain, monitoring any movement behind it.

“No…I think you should hear this. They examined his body. He doesn’t have any tracking devices inside him, but they did find something odd. They never saw any bullet wounds.”

“So? Alien technology should have been able to heal that.” Anxiety came back. He was so close.

“Alien technology can do a lot of things, but it can’t completely erase a scar. It might not be as noticeable but there will still be little signs. They found none. Yet they found traces of scars on other place…” Isaac bit his lip, thinking of how he wanted to phrase the next part. “You remember back at the museum, how his memory seemed to be a little…foggy?”

Till nodded suspiciously.

“I think the aliens might have done more than just…keep him alive.”

“What are you trying to say?” Till glared. He had had enough. He just wanted to see Ivan. Isaac searched Till’s face before speaking.

“I just wanted to say that the aliens might have done more than just keep him alive…he might be a little…different than what you remember so just be extra patient with him.”

“I planned on it.” Till really smiled for the first time since he found out Ivan was still alive. “Can I go see him now?” Isaac nodded, stepping out of the way.

Till bolted towards the curtain, pausing briefly outside to take a deep breath. Let the anxious jitters flow out of his body. This was it. Nothing could stop him from reuniting with Ivan now. Finally, everything would be as it should.

He pulled back the curtain, eyes automatically going to the sleeping figure laying in the bed. Till’s breath caught in his throat while he watched Ivan’s chest rise and fall with each lungful of air he was taking. He was breathing. Till released his bated breath once he counted Ivan's chest rise and fall ten times. Feet shuffled forward timidly as his eyes took in every detail of the man on the bed.

It had been so long since he had looked at Ivan. Really seen him. Did he ever truly see Ivan? It didn’t matter because he was now, and he was going to commit every detail to memory. His pitch-black hair that matched his bushy brows and long eye lashes. Pale skin without a blemish in sight. That stupid snaggletooth poking out from his lips.

Till reached out and tentatively touched Ivan’s hand. It was warm. The sob he had been holding in since he returned finally broke free. Knees hit the floor with a sickening thud that he didn’t register. Clutching Ivan's hand he brought it to his cheek and let his tears flow.

“I missed you, you idiot.”

*****
“So, what did they really say?” Dewey asked once Till was out of ear shot, not that it would have mattered. Till had been too focused on the curtains to even notice the pieces of paper he had stuck in his hood.

“They warned me that…” Isaac scratched the back of his head. It was hard for him to wrap his mind around it. “This might not be the same Ivan Till grew up with.”

“What does that even mean?”

“There are no traces from when he got shot but they found other scars on his body…they looked like surgery scars. All seemed to mimic reattaching a limbs.”

“So, you are saying they pieces that body together?” Dewey asked with disgust.

“It’s not all the uncommon now-a-days for aliens to upgrade their pets.” Luka offered.

“I’m not sure that his body was the only thing pieced back together…he didn’t seem to remember Till back at the museum.” Isaac glanced over his shoulder to the curtain. “Lets keep this between us and keep a close eye on them.”

Notes:

I now get to enjoy writing Luka as a menace to everyone. It might stray from the original character a little but I can't imagine going through what Luka has and still being sane. I think being away from his owner would really allow him to grow and become the person he was meant to be. A menace. lol

Chapter 6: Blurry Memories and Questionable Moralities

Summary:

Ivan wakes up to find memories that once were insignificant now hold more meaning. Till makes a upsetting discovery.

Blurry figures ran past, their voices muffled as if they were talking under water. Ivan continued to watch them play in the familiar setting of Anakt. A blurry figure approached him. He wished that their features would come into focus as they got closer, but that wish was never granted.

No matter how many times he dreamed of his past or tried to recall memories he could never make out anyone’s face. Always just blurry anamorphous blobs. Same with their voices. He could never make out what they were saying and all their voices sounded like the same muddled droning sound.

Was this person talking to him the same as the one he talked to yesterday? There was no way for him to tell. When he didn’t reply to the blob it left. He went back to watching the figures play together. He was alone again.

One of the figures ran by chasing a red flower crown. For the first time he could make out minor details of this figure. He couldn’t describe their face or even if they had all ten fingers and toes, but he could tell they had silver hair.

His feet moved before he could stop himself. Following the figure as they chased the crown. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt this pull, drawing him to the silver-haired figure. Maybe if he continued to follow them, he could finally see their face.

He watched from around a corner as the figure ran into a room with an alien, which he could make out plain as day. There was another figure there too, but they were just a blurry mess. That didn’t matter, he wasn’t able to take his eyes off the silver-haired figure. The determination and rebellion the figure had as they faced off against the alien that was ten times their size. He couldn’t understand why his heart raced as he watched the interaction, or why his breath caught in his throat. All he knew was that he wanted to see more of this figure.

”I missed you, you idiot.”

Dark eyes cracked open, vision blurry with a drug induced haze. He looked around trying to figure out where he was with no luck before his eyes landed on the blurry figure gripping his hand. The blurry figure with silver hair. He blinked his eyes quickly, knowing if this figure came into focus this wasn’t a dream.

It wasn’t. Ivan was greeted by the sight of the man from earlier clutching his hand to his cheek as a single tear rolled down onto Ivan’s hand. His chest tightened at the action, it felt familiar in a way. A simple gesture that was meant to comfort and held emotions untold. Had he done something similar before?

“You’re awake.”

Dark eyes snapped from the tear rolling down his hand back to the wide teal eyes staring back at him. He said nothing as he continued to watch the other man, gaging his reactions. This person was a rebel, and judging by his surroundings he was no longer safely tucked away in the museum, or the city for that matter.

Growing up in the slums and at the mercy of alien owners Ivan had learned to adapt to his surrounds. He could think on his feet and could decern the best course of action to ensure his survival. Right now, he had no idea where he was or what these people wanted from him. His survival instinct was telling him to go along with these people. Observe them, make his judgement call and do what was needed to survive.

So, with that in mind, he denied his initial instinct to yank his hand away. He guarded his facial features to make sure he gave nothing away. This man talked as if they had met before and while Ivan had no recollection of that he could play the part. He could play whatever part was needed of him to secure his survival in the rebel base.

Tell them he lost his memories a few years ago after a traumatic incident. With a tragic statement like that he knew humans wouldn’t ask many questions, afraid it would trigger some trauma for him. Memory loss would also explain any differences in his personality until he figured out how he should act. He would just have to apply to their sense of empathy and continue to be the well-behaved pet he has always been. Do what is necessary to insure his survival.

“How are you feeling?” Till asked, grip tightening around Ivan’s hand like it was a lifeline.

“I’m…ok.” Ivan replied after quickly weighing his options. He knew the rebels didn’t have much. So, if he did admit he was dizzy and nauseous, and they gave him something to ease his discomfort that would be a burden. He couldn’t be a burden if he wanted to survive.

“That’s great.” Till smiled fondly, eyes glistening. Ivan’s chest burned with an unknown emotion.

“Oh, sleeping beauty is finally awake.” Dewey strutted through the curtain, a gaggle of small children following him. “I’m Dewey, and you must be the famous Ivan we’ve heard so much about.” Ivan sat up in his cot, shaking the hand that was offered to him. He was glad for the distraction. “Sorry we had to meet this way, things went south pretty fast back there but we all made it out alive. Even the children.”

The little kids focused their attention on Ivan but continued to hide behind Dewey. Ivan plastered on his best smile and focused it on the kids. He quickly gathered these children were important, his chance for survival would increase if he was kind to them. Their shyness faded away and they filed more into the makeshift room. One with long silver hair was even brave enough to crawl up into the bed with Ivan. Ivan smiled at the child and patted their head before turning back to the two rebels. He didn’t expect the silver haired man to be looking at a pink haired child like they had slapped him across the face.

Till was stuck between a mix of horror and bewilderment. He hadn’t taken the time to look at the kids they had rescued until they were forced into this small space together. He had noticed something proverbial when he spotted one hiding behind Dewey. They felt familiar but he knew he had never seen them before. Glances at the other kids gave him the same feeling. It wasn’t until a small child with pink hair and dark eyes stood in front of him that his world stopped turning.

It started as shock. Sweat forming on his prickled skin, breath caught in throat. He remembered watching that same colored hair blowing in the wind as its owner played with the one they loved. Mizi. But those weren’t her eyes. He knew those eyes on a personal level. They haunted him for 3 years. Now their owner sat in a cot patting a child’s head. Ivan.

Bewilderment hit next. He finally understood that the child in front of him were a mix of the people who meant so much to him. His friends, his family. It was unnerving. This child had done nothing wrong. They hadn’t asked for this, but Till was appalled by them. His chest tightened as the final set of emotions took over. Angered horror.

The aliens had really made clones of the contestants. It was bad enough that they tried to replicate them but to mix their genes together to create new humans was diabolical. Till felt violated, not only for himself but for his friends. A part of him was angry at this child for existing. His anger towards the aliens grew even more. To the point he saw red.

A small hand reached out and took Till’s fist, uncurling the fingers to reveal the moon shaped indents from his nails. The red from his vision faded while he took his first breath. The small child tilted their head, dark eyes curious. That’s right. These kids did nothing. It was all the aliens. They didn’t ask to be made or to be a mix of their genes. So as much as these kids made Till’s stomach churn, he couldn’t hate them. They were innocent.

He finally smiled at the child in front of him. Gently, he patted their head. He buried down the feeling of unease when looking at the children. They would have a better life here. They wouldn’t grow up to be forced to sing against each other to the death. They could grow and be happy. He wanted to be a part of that, and the first step was getting over his feelings.

“What’s your name?” Till asked the child.

Dark eyes widened, twinkling brightly from the attention. The child never said anything but seemed happy. This fact was proven true by the green light shining brightly on the neck band.

“That’s IM112. He doesn’t say much.” One of the kids said. Till turned his attention to the kid who had also crawled up in the bed with Ivan. This kid had golden hair like Luka and purple eyes like Sua, but where did the skin color come from? “I’m HLS456. That’s ST276.” He pointed to the silver-haired child that was now sitting in Ivan’s lap. “Over there is LS564.” He motioned towards the dark-haired child with golden eyes. “And that’s HT45.” He pointed towards the child with dark hair and teal eyes.

That unease came back to Till while he stared into his own eyes. He really didn’t like that. Gulping down the lump in his throat he turned back to HLS456. It took him a moment to put it together but once he did, he felt sick all over again. The combination of letters and numbers sinking in with a sickening dread. Till tried to focus on anything besides those thoughts. Like why the kids still had their collars on.

“Collars?” Till questioned Dewey. Not sure if it was the lump in his throat or from talking so much but it was hard for him to find his voice.

“You know how the device we had broke?” Till nodded. “Well Parker was supposed to fix it since he was so good with the medical equipment but…you know what happened.” Both men took a moment of silence for their fallen friend. “That was actually what Isaac was looking for in the museum. He didn’t find a replacement though. Looks like the kids will have to wear these things a little longer.” Dewey smiled sadly at LS564. She had perched herself on the end of Ivan's bed, kicking her feet back and forth.

Ivan watched the girl in his lap brush her hair to the side as she talked to the blond kid. His head hurt and mind foggy. This somehow seemed familiar. Silver hair and collar locked securely around their neck.

A blurry memory flashed before his eyes of a figure crumpled on the ground. The only feature he could discern was the silver hair. A gentle hand touched the back of the collar that was not obstructed or blurry. He watched as it popped open, releasing the figure from their confines.

This action seemed so natural. Like he had done it a hundred times throughout his life. Always in the shadows releasing this person from their shackles. The figure didn’t respond to collar being gone, Ivan interpreting that they were passed out. He stared at the figure, but even touching their face brought no clarity. Nothing. No movement. No clear image.

“Oh!’ Dewey gasped. “How did you do that?!”

Ivan came back to his senses; all eyes focused on him. His hand hovered over the collar on the little girl’s neck. It was open. She stared up at him with wide eyes.

“Can you take mine off?” HLS456 asked eagerly.

Ivan blinked a few times, still surprised by what he had done. He knew how to take the collars off. How did he know that? Unsha never made him wear one because he was so well behaved. And who was that kid he saw in his memory? Had he learned to remove the collars just for him? Why did his chest ache throughout the memory?

Ivan ran his fingers over the back of the collar. It clicked open with a mechanical whirling sound before falling to the bed. The blond child happily smiled down at the device before turning to Ivan and hugging him.

“Thank you!”

Ivan patted the boy on the back. The other kids drew closer to the bed. Each staring at Ivan with pleading eyes. He knew what they wanted. It was something only he could do. This made him valuable to the rebels.

“This is fantastic. There are some more kids, can I bring them in?” Dewey asked eagerly.

“Sure.” Ivan smiled. Fingers slid over another collar causing it to pop open. The kids excitedly crowded around Ivan except for one.

IM112 stayed by Till’s side, longingly looking at the other kids. A small hand came to rest against the collar on his neck. Dark eyes turned back to Till only to find the older man transfixed on Ivan.

A foggy memory played in Till’s mind. Reminiscent of all the times he would act up. How he would get beat up, collared, and threw into a cell at Anakt. How he would suffer in the cell that canceled out every sound except his breathing and heartbeat. When he woke up the collar would be off, and his wounds cared for.
Faint memories of gentle hands caring for him. He always thought it was Mizi.

She was always gentle and sweet, it made sense for it to be her caring for him. Or did it? Mizi only ever cared about Sua. Why would she do something that would risk her getting in trouble and not being able to see Sua? He knew it definitely wasn’t Sua who helped him. Most of the other kids tolerated him but wouldn’t risk their own freedom. That left one person.

One person who wasn’t scared to pick a fight with Till or steal his things. One person who was content just quietly sitting next to Till as he drew. One person whose owner trusted them. One person who Till couldn’t figure out until it was too late.

“Maybe our fishbowls were a little different.” Adult Ivan stood over real Ivan while he unlocked another collar. Droplets fell from damp strands of hair but never made physical contact with the real Ivan.

Till tore his eyes away from the scene. His stomach churned seeing the hallucination so close to the real Ivan. Everything was supposed to be better now. He shouldn’t be seeing him anymore. But the realization that it had been Ivan freeing and caring for him all those times brought on a new set of guilt.

He had never once thanked Ivan for doing that because he always thought it was Mizi. It couldn’t have been an easy task, yet Ivan did it every time and never once rubbed it in Till’s face. The snarky Ivan he knew, who did anything and everything to get Till attention, would have loved to hold this over his head. So why didn’t he? Why did he not want Till to see this side of him?

The side that would have made things so clear. Ivan did care for Till. He did think of Till. He just did it in his own way. Behind the scenes. Hiding his true self from everyone. Only willing to show his true emotions when no one could see him. Judge him.

Till’s chest throbbed as he came to realize the full weight of what this meant. He had spent years thinking Ivan hated him or just tolerated him. They fought and would make up only to do it all over again. If Till had known back then the things Ivan did for him in secret, things could have been different. Maybe they wouldn’t have had to suffer.

It was useless dwelling on the past. Ivan was here now. Till could thank Ivan for all the times he cared for him. They could start over with better perspectives of each other. They would be there for each other now. Because that’s what families do.

Notes:

Two things:
1. I spent thirty minutes trying to find this damn fishbowl metaphor. I had seen people say that it represents keeping precious memories easily visible and accessible, but you know what I can’t find when you try to google it? That wording! I searched reddit and found a post talking about it but there was no reference. So, I took my happy ass to X and found the original image of the Ivan/Till fishbowl and scrolled through the comments until I found where someone posted that meaning. Still had trouble trying to find this version of the fishbowl metaphor. Take it how you will.
2. IDK much about the kids and couldn't find good pictures of them so I accumulated a bunch of stuff I found on reddit and went with it. If it's wrong...oops.

Chapter 7: Who Knew A Piece of Clothing Could Ruin Everything?

Summary:

Ivan is finally released from the medical bay. Till shows him around the base in awe that Ivan is here.

After getting his arm bandaged Till was sent back to his room against his will. He argued to stay by Ivan’s side, still unsure if this was reality. Till lost that battle when Dewey, the normally happy go lucky guy, switched between his joking smile to his annoyed smile. He knew if he pushed any harder that annoyed smile would turn slightly maniacal and he would end up hog tied in a supply closet.

It wasn’t until Till’s body hit the bed that he finally realized how exhausted he was. Not only had he been put through the physical wringer today, but so was his mind. He wasn’t surprised by the figure dressed in white kneeling beside his bed. Dark eyes boring holes into his face.

“Shut up.” Till whispered, not sparing a glance.

“I didn’t say anything.” Adult Ivan reached out, caressing Till’s neck. Till pulled away from the hand and rolled over.

“You didn’t have to.” Till ignored the familiar hum of the duet he was supposed to sing all those years ago and fell into a dreamless slumber.

*****

“Morning sunshi…oh…” Dewey stopped to look at Till who was pushing food around on his plate.

“You look like shit.” Luka pushed past the other blond and sat next to Till.

Till glared at the man next to him. He knew he looked horrible. The night was not plagued by nightmares, but it was a restless sleep. A constant melody playing in the background of his dark room. He would have rather had nightmares.

On top of that Till woke up to his voice being nonexistent again. He had used it too much yesterday between trying to convince Ivan, arguing with Luka and mending things with Issac. It would probably take a couple of days for him to be able to use it again. Each bite of food and sip of water burned as it went down. That was one of the reasons he was having trouble eating, the other reason still sat in the medical bay.

“I would have said it a little more delicately but yeah…” Dewey sat down across from Till. “You look like shit man.”

Till flipped through the stack of cards he had with readied responses before showing it to Dewey.

Thanks asshole. This card was specifically made for Dewey and now Luka. Dewey burst out in a hearty laugh.

“They are letting Ivan leave the medical bay after one more checkup.” Till perked up at Dewey’s statement. “I’m sure he will want a familiar face to show him around and get him settled.”

Till drooped. How was he supposed to show Ivan around and explain things if he couldn’t talk? How was he supposed to repair what they had if he had to waste so much time writing things out? The Ivan he remembers would make fun of him for being an idiot and overdoing it. Only a loser would lose his voice like this.

Adult Ivan smiled at Till and continued to hum. He hadn’t said anything to Till since last night. Just constantly watching and observing. The droplets of water falling from wet strands became more consistent.

Drip.

“Finish eating and we can all go see Ivan.” Dewey started shoveling food into his mouth. Till managed a few more bites before the pain in his throat was unbearable.

*****

While Dewey talked to Ivan, Till had someone check his throat just to make sure he didn’t damage it too much. He walked away with a nasty syrup to drink and a clean bill of health. With a moment to steady his nerves, he stood outside the closed curtain around Ivan’s cot listening to Dewey explain Till’s conundrum. He stole a glance to the man in white next to him, who just smiled back.

Drip.

“Are you going to come in or are you conversing with the hallucIvan again?” Luka poked his head through the curtain. Till flipped him the bird. “Roger, heard that loud and clear.”

Till pushed past Luka into the small space that was also occupied by children. Most of which were piled on the small cot with Ivan. The sight paused Till in his stride. Ivan. Alive. His chest ached in a way different from all those years ago. Everything was right. Or it would be soon.

Till touched his neck. Fingers brushing over the scar where his name once was. The space his collar always set was now an expanse of tattered skin. A war ground of trauma and coping that all seemed silly as he stared at the raven-haired man.

“You are in good hands with Till. He will show you around the base. We are still figuring out rooms so find us after dinner and we will get you settled.” Dewey turned towards the kids. “Come on kids, let’s get you all settled in.” Dewey led the children out of the small, curtained room before poking his head back in and glaring at Luka. “All the kids.” Luka huffed but followed anyways leaving just two people behind.

Awkward silence fell between the two. Till bounced back and forth between his feet. Once again filled with nervous energy. He fought the urge to draw or pluck a guitar to calm his nerves. Instead, he focused that energy on Ivan with an awkward wave.

“Hey Till.” Ivan said, causing Till’s legs to about give out. It had been so long since he heard Ivan say his name. “Dewey told me about your voice. We can do the tour another day if you want.”

Till shook his head with a smile and frantically waved his hands. He pulled out his note pad to show Ivan. Things would be better this way. Till could focus on showing Ivan around instead of the never-ending stream of questions racing through his mind. He would save those questions for later. When he could talk. When they could talk.

*****

This is the storage room. Till held up his pad while pointing to door.

They had spent that past couple hours walking around the base. Rebels would come and introduce themselves to Ivan. They would engage in small talk before separating with a friendly wave. Till watched every interaction with awe. It wasn’t just the fact that Ivan and so polite and easily got along with everyone. It was the fact that Ivan was interacting with people.

It wasn’t like all those years ago when Till struggled to understand what was real. This Ivan was here. Others saw him. Talked to him. Avoided bumping into him.

“What’s next?” Ivan asked with a well-practiced smile. He continued to put on his princely charm even though every interaction drained him. The end of this tour couldn’t come soon enough. All he wanted to do was find a room and hide in it, preferably away from the companion that seemed to be attached to his hip.

Ivan enjoyed reading but was annoyed by the fact he had to stop and read everything the man next to him wrote out. He was also annoyed by the way the silver haired man watched every interaction, whether it was with other people or just his movements. Ivan felt like prey waiting to get caught in a lie. Teal eyes judging every word and movement, waiting for the smallest discrepancy. One wrong move and any progress Ivan made at being useful could unravel like a tattered sweater.

This is the unloading dock and vehicle storage. Till stepped foot into the open room. Rebels scurried around as they continued to unload items from vehicles.

“Hey Till, could you help us unload this box?” One of the rebels asked. Till nodded with a smile. His thigh was happy for the distraction, a bruise already formed from all the times he pinched himself. It was the only way to make sure this wasn’t a dream, and to stop himself from touching Ivan to make sure he was real.

Till gestured to Ivan for him to give him a minute before jogging to help the others. Ivan watched with disinterest as three men hoisted a box down from the back of a truck. He read the alien words scrawled on the side. Clothing That probably would come in handy for the rebels who he assumed didn’t have much, but did they really need three people to lift the box?

Till ignored the man in white as he helped. It had become easier to do since Ivan had been by his side all day. He was even able to drown out the constant dripping sound. But as he got farther away from Ivan the sound became louder and ringing in his ear like his heartbeat. So loud in fact he didn’t hear the others telling him to watch his step.

His world tumbled as he crashed to the floor, the box landing beside him. Flaps flew open scattering the clothes. Till regained his composure as the few people in the docks came to check on him. He waved them off with a smile, ignoring the pain from his tailbone.

“Are you ok?” Ivan asked, a hand stretched out to help Till. The silver haired man nodded with a bashful smile, cheeks red. They both helped gather up the spilled clothes. Each garment Till touched seemed familiar but he wasn’t sure where he had seen them before. It wasn’t until he picked up a grey shirt with silver chains on the shoulders that it hit him.

Drip. Drip.

His stomach rolled threatening to expel his lunch. Breath caught in his throat as he stared at the shirt he never wanted to see again. He wanted no reminders of that horrible contest or that day he lost it all. A quick glance at the black dress in his arm confirmed what he feared most. These were their outfits from the stage. He gulped down the lump in his throat, the sound getting harder to tone out.

Drip. Drip.

“You should probably throw this one away. There is blood on it.” Till snapped his eyes up to the sound of Ivan’s voice and his heart stopped.

Ivan was holding up a long white jacket. Red stains coated the left side of the article. Till was teleported back to that rain covered stage. A strong hand locking his head in place as lips aggressively attacked his. Then a gentler peck before hands are engulfing his neck. This is the end, and he is ok with it if it was by Ivan’s hands. The thudding of his heart and sound of rain would be his farewell march.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The sound so loud he didn’t even hear the gun shots. Hands slipped from his neck. Eyes wide as he watched Ivan fall to the ground with an expression Till couldn’t place. Red. Blood. Pooling at his feet. This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening again.

Feet moved before Till’s mind caught up with what his body was doing. He ripped the article of clothing from Ivan’s stunned hand, tossing it to the ground without care. It offended him on so many levels. Panicked hands traveled over Ivans side looking for any indication of a bleeding wound.

“What the hell?” Ivan questioned as exploring hands began tugging on the hem of his shirt. He fought against the silver haired man who was stronger than his small frame gave him credit for. While the hands felt uncomfortable touching his body the flashes of silver gave him a sense of familiarity. Something like this has happened before, maybe a little rougher but still singed with unfamiliar emotions to large for small bodies to process.

Ivan paused his resistance giving the other man the ability to pull his shirt off his left side before they tumbled to the ground. Air left Ivan’s lungs as he became sandwiched between the floor and the smaller man. Hands gently caressed his left side causing his stomach to roll, half expecting a fist to collide with him to further knock the air from his lungs. It never came.

Till’s body relaxed when his shaking hands found no wounds. No blood. Just warm skin still preening with life. This wasn’t the stage. This was reality where Ivan was alive and by his side. But why did Ivan ever try to leave? Why couldn’t he just let Till lose, he had already accepted his fate? Why did Ivan curse him with these horrid memories that haunted him for years?

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Till’s eyes blurred with tears that tumbled down his face onto Ivan’s chest. The plethora of unasked questions swarming his mind begging to be unleashed. He needed answers. He wanted this torment to end. He glanced to the side where the jacket lay only to find another version of Ivan. One with blood dripping from his lips and eyes hallow, life no longer there. It smiled.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Till turned back to the man below him. The barrier between reality and hallucination distorting. Blood trickled from Ivan’s mouth. Dark eyes glared at him, mouth moving but the sound never reached his ears. Body warm but would soon be cold as more blood pooled around him. He had to know before it was too late again.

“W-why?” Till choked out, ignoring the pain in his throat. Were the tears from the painful scratch of his throat or from his heart? Lips moved but still no sound came out. Was it too late? “Why did you do it?!” Till shouted. He fisted the remains of Ivan’s shirt and shook the man. He had to know before it was to late once again. Why did Ivan leave him?

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Cheer up loser. The words didn’t match the lips but Till didn’t notice. He was once again stuck in a memory from years ago faded around the edges from the passage of time. A mixture of rage and grief filled him, even though he was older the emotions were still more than he could handle.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip

“Asshole.” Till called before his fist connected with Ivan’s face. The retaliation came swiftly. A fist impacted Till’s jaw, snapping his head to the side. A crazed smile broke Till’s face. Ivan was alive enough to hit back. As long as he hit Till back, just like the old days, he knew Ivan was alive.

Till’s fist connected with Ivan’s arm, who used it to block his face from another impact. Another punch landed on Till’s side but none of that mattered. He could live with the physical pain so long as Ivan was here with him. Alive and focusing on him.

Till was roughly yanked away from Ivan, two other rebels simultaneously held Ivan back. The space between them gave Till room to breathe, room to collect his thoughts. To realize what he had done, allowing another layer of guilt to set heavily over him.

This realization only settled over him when he could look into the raging eyes of Ivan being held back and the melancholic eyes of an Ivan dressed in white simultaneously. They weren’t the same person. Ivan was alive and Till let his emotions get the better of him. That was only made more obvious by the bruise blooming over Ivan’s face. He wanted to be better for Ivan this time around, and he had failed.

Drip. Drip.

“What a loser. Adult Ivan smiled.

Notes:

Just Luka nonchalantly throwing out a hallucIvan.

I love the thought of the dripping from hallucIvan's hair just constant background noise and the sound getting louder and faster as Till's emotions fluctuate until it becomes to much and he snaps. The constant soft hum of the duet he and Ivan were supposed to sing. Chills, literal chills.

Gonna be honest. I thought I would be done with this story by now. I thought I could wrap it up all nice and neat in 7 chapters. I was wrong. Might be about halfway done.

Chapter 8: There Were Two Beds and Three of Them

Summary:

Isaac hadn't planned on Ivan and Till getting into a fight and had already planned on them rooming together. Now they need a buffer.

“Alright Chuckle Fuck 1 and Chuckle Fuck 2, care to explain what the fuck happened?” Isaac glared at Till and Ivan who both sat dishearteningly before him. Neither were able to say anything, let alone look Isaac in the eyes. “Ivan I can kind of get. It can be overwhelming being ripped from everything you know and thrown into a group of strangers. We didn’t really give you a choice, this was forced upon you. There are bound to be some unwelcome feelings. But Till,” Isaac turned his attention to the smaller of the two, “I don’t get. You risked your life to save Ivan. You went against my direct orders and planned a potential suicide mission for yourself to rescue him. Yet not even a day later you two are beating the shit out of each other.”

“I’m sorry.” Ivan muttered. He knew none of this was his fault. He couldn’t understand what caused his tour guide to go full feral cat on him but he knew he had to make amends. He had to be useful to these people for his survival and if that meant swallowing his pride and apologizing for something he didn’t start then he would. Plus, he did get a few good punches in.

Isaac had listened to the other rebels before confronting these two. He knew Ivan did nothing wrong. According to every statement Ivan was the victim, only throwing a punch after Till hit him first. Isaac could only imagine what was going through Ivan’s head at this moment.

“Care to explain Till?” Isaac asked after a huff. Arms crossed and eyes focused on the smaller man.

Till went to speak, to try and make Isaac understand what happened even if he didn’t. His throat screamed in protest, remnant to a hot iron poker being shoved down the delicate tissue. Tears sprung from his eyes, hands clutching at his throat willing it to stop hurting. He needed to explain what happened. Till patted around his person until he pulled the pad free.

The clothes.

“What about the clothes?”

They were from the competition.

“What do you mean com-oh.” Isaac paused when the realization set in.
A knock came from the door followed by it swinging open. In strolled one of the rebels holding the alleged jacket. Panic coursed through Till as his eyes zeroed in on the article of clothing. The red splotches drawing his attention as his breath caught in his throat. His hand instinctually reached out to anchor himself to something, anything to keep his mind in the present. That anchor just happened to be Ivan’s hand.

“I brought the ite…”

“Get it out of here!” Isaac snapped. Part of the puzzle fell into place when he saw the fear in Till’s eyes. How Till’s hand tightened around Ivan’s. The confused rebel stumbled back out of the room with a stuttered apology. Isaac looked at the anxiety on Till’s face and the confusion on Ivan's. “You probably didn’t know the significance of that jacket when you picked it up did you Ivan?”

“No.” Ivan answered. Till looked at the raven-haired man like he had grown two heads.

“So, this whole ordeal could have been avoided if there wasn’t a lack of communication.” Isaac turned towards Till before talking. “When I was questioning Ivan this morning, he informed me that an accident a few years ago caused him to lose his memory. He can remember day to day things, but he has a hard time remembering events up to that point. New memories he has no issues.”

Till turned his full attention to Ivan who looked uncomfortable being talked about. His stomach rolled with unease. It all made sense now why Ivan didn’t recognize him immediately. The accident affected Ivan’s memory of him. It wasn’t that Ivan wanted to forget Till. It was that he couldn’t remember Till.

“I-I’m so-sorr-ry.” Til manage out with his hoarse voice hoping he sounded as sincere as he felt.

“Ivan, what is the last thing you remember before your accident?” Isaac questioned.

“Unsha took me to a party. He was meeting Urak and a few other business partners. He said it was a celebratory party for making it to the next round.”

Bile rose in Till’s throat as he remembered that party and the vile things the aliens did to him. He remembered seeing Ivan for a moment, but the well-behaved pet was quickly ushered out. Till had been glad Ivan hadn’t been there to witness what happened that night.

“So, you don’t remember the next round of the competition?”

“No. My memory is very blurry after that. Unsha told me that the rebels broke in and ended up setting the building on fire. He found me unconscious on my way to the stage and rescued me.”

Isaac pondered this information and what extent of information he should bestow upon Ivan. He obviously blocked out the memory of being shot because it was traumatic. He also seemed to block out other memories that potentially reminded him of the accident. So, what amount of information could Isaac tell that wouldn’t trigger a response but would be enough for Ivan to understand why Till was so upset. They both obviously had a lot of things to talk through but that couldn’t happen right now with Till’s voice.

“That…particular item of clothing is linked to a traumatizing incident for Till. If he decides to go into more detail when he is able to that is up to him. I just want you to know the fight wasn’t because of something you did. I think it was just a shock for Till and he was reminded of that time.” Isaac paused as he collected his thoughts. “You two have a lot to figure out and work through. I had originally planned on letting you two room together but now, with certain information in the light, it might be best if you two can have some personal space...”

I’m still ok with that. Till hurriedly scribbled on his note pad. Now that he knew Ivan had lost his memories he felt even more responsible for the man.

“Ivan?” Isaac questioned.

“That’s fine.” Ivan put on his best smile. He had dodged the bullet about their fight. That didn’t change the fact he was still worried about being a burden to the rebels. It was best to go along with whatever they planned. Survival shouldn’t be this hard but somehow the silver-haired man’s hand tightly wrapped around his was surprisingly calming.

“Hmm…” Isaac muttered. “I think we should have a mediator for you two for a couple days…but who…?”

A knock sounded from the door followed by Dewey busting in. Luka on his coattails carrying a weird medical device shaped like a blaster.

“Perfect.” Isaac smiled manically while eyeing Luka.

Please, no. Till scribbled, realizing Isaac’s intent.

“You brought both of them here, they are your problem now.”

*****

Three men stood just inside Till’s room, two of which holding pillows and blankets. Till rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment when he realized just how messy his room was. He knew the day would come he would have to share this space with someone, but until then he was using the extra cot as storage.

“I don’t care what you two do but I am taking one of the beds.” Luka stated. He walked further into the room, dropping his stuff onto Till’s bed. Till glared as Luka flopped onto his bed.

Till smiled apologetically towards Ivan and began cleaning off the cot that was cluttered with various items. Clothing, drawing books, and pencils created an unorganized layer. Till shifted through the items, haphazardly finding a place for them only to knock over a drawing book.

With an internal sigh Ivan picked up the book, pausing to glance at the page it fell open on. Another memory flashed through his mind. Sitting next to the silver-haired figure, watching as they drew. Both filled with ease as the artificial sunlight warmed their skin.

“Did you draw this?” Ivan looked up from the drawing of the red flowers to find teal eyes watching him. Till nodded his head. “Why did you draw the cameras?”

To tell the kids. Till scratched out.

“Don’t let him lie to you he probably just thought they were pretty flowers.” Luka offered followed by Till giving him the middle finger.

Ivan ignored their back and forth banter in leu of flipping through the sketch book. The next picture was also from Anakt Garden. It was two girls laying in the grass surrounded by red flowers. The details in their faces stirred something deep inside Ivan’s brain but it couldn’t be placed with any memory.

The book was pulled from Ivan’s grip as he was halfway through turning the page. Till smiled sheepishly while tucking the book under his arm. He motioned towards the now cleared off cot. Ivan eyed the bed before plopping down in the corner of the room. Till blinked in confusion before glancing back at Luka who shrugged.

You can have the bed. Till held out his notepad for Ivan to read.

“You take it, I only sleep about three hours anyways.”

“How are you alive?” Luka asked. “With that amount of sleep you will die before I hit forty.”

“Unsha had a very strict schedule for me. The food he fed me was high in nutrients and everything else was obtained through supplements. Even with that I was still able to be top of my class in school.”

“Do you want to tell him or should I?” Luka directed his question at Till who was busy writing.

You no longer have an owner to impress. No strict schedule to follow. You can live your life the way you want now. Till hadn’t realized the type of life Ivan lived, granted he figured this grain of information was only scraping the surface. Ivan had always seemed so carefree at school. It never occurred to Till that Ivan was missing basic human necessities like sleep. How could he have known, Ivan never complained. About anything.

“I know. It will take me a while to break the habit though.” Ivan noticed the melancholic expression on Till’s face. “Be patient with me.” He plastered on a reassuring smile, still trying to appease others for his survival.

*****

“Till?” Luka called into the darkness. It had been an hour since Till said he was going to sleep. The time leading up to then was full of Luka harassing both men. Ivan handled the teasing more elegantly while Till replied by giving him the bird. And sometimes a pillow to the face. “Till, you awake?”

“Even if he was do you think he would answer you?” Ivan offered from the corner of the room.

“No. Not the point though. It’s you that I need to talk to and we haven’t been given a moment alone since we got here.” Luka shuffled in his bed, sitting up to face Ivan. “What do you remember after your accident?”

“You know most people would avoid bringing up someone traumatic accident.”

“Oh, shut up. You obviously don’t remember but we have worked together before. I’ve seen the real you. You aren’t gonna have some breakdown by remembering the accident because just like me you are lacking in the human emotion department, or at least understanding them. You don’t have to pretend around me.”

There was a long pause.

“Use your imagination. I’m sure you can come close to figuring it out.” Ivan shot back. “Now go to sleep your voice makes my ears bleed.”

“So feisty. I like it.” Luka mused. He flopped back in the bed and rolled over.
Till continued to lay in bed unmoving. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t fall asleep and had found himself staring at the wall for the past hour until Luka spoke. He was the last person Till wanted to talk to so he ignored him.

A part of Till felt bad for listening in to their conversation but another part was glad. He witnessed Ivan acting like the person he remembered. The one who would pick fights with Till but act like prince charming to everyone else. Today all Till had witness was public side of Ivan. It felt fake. It didn’t feel like the Ivan he remembered. So, seeing this side really helped put Till’s mind at ease.

His heart was another story. It had been a frantic mess all day. He had spent most of his day just admiring Ivan. It had been so long since he had seen him that his memory was fading. He had to etch every detail back into his brain so he would never forget.

Till knew it was weird to constantly be staring at another man but he couldn’t help it. He was just so baffled by the fact that this was reality. That someone he cared for so deeply and thought he lost years ago was back in his life. Two people can make a family.

Being a family made you overprotective of each other. It explained the sinking of his heart when he heard Ivan’s reply: “Use your imagination. I’m sure you can come close to figuring it out.” The implication of that statement weighted him down.

Till had seen the cruelty of the aliens firsthand. He had been on the receiving end of it many times. The abuse of his owner. The experiments at Anakt Garden. The lab under the museum. The children. Aliens were cruel. They had no sense of morality when it came to the creatures they considered pets.

Till waited until he heard soft snores coming from Luka and even breathing from Ivan before he sat up in bed. He looked into the dark corner, barely able to make out Ivan’s pale skin. It was still hard to believe this was reality. That Ivan was alive. The urge to check if those statements were true pulled Till from his bed.

He got on his knees beside Ivan to watch the slow rise and fall of his chest. Till reached out under Ivan’s nose, letting each breath of life dance over his skin. This was real. Ivan was alive.

Till curled up next to Ivan. Never able to take his eyes off the sleeping mans face. He sat there in content silence letting Ivan’s even breathing lull his heavy heart. If he listened hard enough, he could even hear the rhythmic beating of Ivan’s heart. His eyes grew heavy and before he knew it, he fell asleep to the best melody he had ever heard.

Notes:

Luka is probably the worst choice as a buffer between Ivan and Till but I have to admit he is the comic relief I needed.

Also could you imagine having no memories of you past, getting kidnapped by someone who says they were your best friend, getting beat up by said best friend then having to room with them? Ivan is the king of putting up with shit.

Notes:

I was planning on having an update ready for Ivan's Kink Journal for August but due to recent events I felt getting this out of my system was more prominent. This will span multiple chapters. Tag's may change because I don't have it fully fleshed out. It will be a happy ended there is just gonna be a lot of hurt along the way.
I have been scanning through the translations from the multiple Q&A's and trying to incorporate/keep in mind things they have leaked about the characters. If you see any of interest about Ivan or Till please share them with me and the links where you found it so I can check it out as well.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy.