Chapter Text
“Let go of me!” Tom cried, struggling to squeeze out of the hand of his captor.
“Hmm…nah.” The hand clenched tighter around his tiny body and brought him closer to the man’s grimy face. Hot, rancid breath washed over Tom, making him gag and his eyes water. The man lifted a grubby hand and stroked Toms head, continuing. “You’ll sell for a hefty price. You’re gonna make me rich, freaEeEEGGH-!“ The man jerked and spasmed, his hands going slack and allowing Tom to slip through the man’s half closed fist, and suddenly he was rushing towards the very distant asphalt. He slammed his eyes shut and braced himself for the inevitable impact, curling his limbs closer into his body.
“Ouff!” Something slammed into his back, forcing the air out of his lungs. He felt huge pillars close around him, and felt a nauseating sense of vertigo as what could only be a hand moved in a direction that he could barely discern to be up. The fingers pressing onto his body lifted, allowing Tom to roll over onto his side with an airless wheeze. Something hard and cold shoved in between his curled limbs and pushed them apart, then roughly maneuvered Tom so that he was on his back and his arms were above his head.
“There,” a blaringly familiar voice rumbled. “You will be able to catch your breath easier this way.”
Hesitantly, Tom cracked an eye open to see who now held him. He was met with the sight of a face so incredibly marred with burn and scar tissue that it took him a long moment to recognize it.
“Tord!?” He pushed himself up on his elbows, fuming. “What the he-!” A groan floated up from the ground where the man was now currently slumped, cutting Tom off.
He looked over and watched with slight apprehension as the man clumsily lurched to his feet and glared with bleary, unfocused eyes that drifted up to meet Tord’s cold eyes.
“What the…” His gaze slid down to where Tom was sprawled, a wave of possessiveness overtaking his face.
“That’s mine!” He growled, snatching at Tom.
Tom scrambled away from the approaching digits as Tord cupped his hand around Tom, pressing it against his red hoodie. He stepped back, letting the man stumble, then delivered a swift sucker punch to the man’s gut with his metal hand. Wheezing, the man keeled over as Tord said, “I would suggest that you stay down.”
Tom felt himself being lifted, and looked back to see Tord looking at him with, oddly enough, worry in his eyes. “Are you alright, Tom?” He asked, scanning Tom from head to toe. “I’m fine!” Tom spat, even though it was obvious he was shaken. Could you blame him though? Being kidnapped and being (possibly) saved by the guy that tried to kill you and was also supposed to be dead would do that to a guy.
Tord looked at him for a few more seconds. “Hmm...I will…deal with that later. Now then,” he addressed the man crumpled on the ground. “You said that you were going to sell my friend here, ja?” The man nodded in affirmation, and smile with far too many teeth slid across his face.
“If you’ll give it back to me, I’ll split the cash with you.” The hand under Tom moved, sending a jolt of fear throughout his body. He let out a breathless exhale when he was dumped onto Tord’s non-scarred shoulder instead of the man’s waiting hands. Tom sunk his fingers into the threads of Tord’s hood as Tord stepped back and slammed his foot onto the mans head with a nonchalant “Nah.”
The man collapsed, unconscious.
Tord reached up with his flesh hand, jostling Tom on his precarious perch on his shoulder, and tapped what looked to be an earpiece in his ear.
“Sir?” A questioning voice rang out from the speaker. “I need a pickup at…” Tord leaned back out of the alleyway to look at something. “Olive street, between the tattoo shop and the cafe. I have a new test subject for the doctor.” Tom’s eyes widened, and he peered over the edge of Tord’s shoulder, wondering if he could survive a jump down.
“Oooo, what’d they do to deserve that?” The guy on the speaker asked. “He was I- No, Tom, calm down, you are not the test subject, you-“ “Tom?” The guy on the earpiece interrupted. “Isn’t that one of your old housemates?” The voice gasped. “Are you reconnecting with them because you’re a sad and lonely hermit?”
“What? No-What? Ugh, never mind.” Tord pinched the bridge of his nose, unbalancing Tom and making him fall into the red hood. “Just get over here and pick this guy up, Paul. I have something else I need to do.”
Tom climbed out of the hood and back onto Tord’s shoulder, grumbling. “What the hell, Tord! What are you doing back here?! And what do you mean test subject?! Dammit, Tord!”
Tord let Tom finish his rant before responding. “You know how I said I was going to make the world a better place? I am simply going to use bioweapons, among other things.” Tom stuttered. “Eh-What?”
“Anyway, you still live with Edd and Matt, ja? Or at least near them?” He took Tom’s surprised expression as a yes and asked, “What is the address?”
Tom scoffed and crossed his arms.
“You think I would tell you after what you did? Fat chance.’”
Tord looked at him for a moment, then huffed.
“Alright,” he said, then abruptly grabbed Tom with his robotic hand. The cold fingers clasped tightly around his body had Tom gasping, his hands clinging to the sides of the palm, and he looked up at Tord. One of his eyes, the right one, was also robotic, he noted offhandedly.
Toms eyes flicked down to the ground, then back up to Tord, who smirked. “Then you can walk.” The air whooshed past Tom’s ears as Tord crouched, making him dizzy. The hard metal wrapped around his torso disappeared, letting Tom fall for a few moments before slamming against the immense wall of metal that was Tord’s palm.
“Hmm? Tom, let go.” Tord’s unoccupied hand came up to pry him off of the side of his palm, the calloused fingers completely engulfing Tom’s minuscule hands. Tom held on as best he could, but ended up falling the last few inches to the ground, knocking the breath out of his lungs.
Tord stood, towering over Tom, and turned away, starting to walk away from Tom, who was desperately trying catch his breath, to call out to Tord’s rapidly retreating back.