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Agent Aban Stone has been kidnapped dozens of times. Even before he worked for the US government’s most important technological asset, he would be kidnapped by foreign governments and terrorist groups for all sorts of diabolical reasons. When he began working for Robotnik, things didn’t change.
Over time, Aban got better at dodging kidnappers. He had three locks on his front and back door. His windows were always locked and had reinforced glass. There were motion lights outside as well as security cameras everywhere (Robotnik’s personal design). Before going to bed, Aban would do a routine check around the entire house to ensure nobody was hiding. When he woke up, he would check all of the security cameras before even getting out of bed.
Yes, Aban was an expert at dodging kidnapping.
He just didn’t expect Doctor Ivo Robotnik to not be.
Doctor Ivo Robotnik is surrounded by his prized government technology. He has backup servers if power is ever cut off, and then he has backup servers for the backup servers’ backup servers. His drones are programmed to lock onto a target, analyze and categorize the target, and then dispose of said target if necessary, all within one second or less. They act quick and never miss or malfunction. Robotnik is a genius, of course they won’t malfunction.
Even his own home (which he rarely goes to anyway) is equipped with his tech. There is a “butler’s quarters” where his drones stay and can be summoned from with a touch of Robotnik’s gloves. There are security cameras, motion lights, and even laser based security that turns on when Robotnik goes to sleep (which he rarely does anyway) or leaves the house.
Aban wasn’t expecting Robotnik to suddenly leave the lab to pick up something (a blueprint or a file he said) from home. He wasn’t expecting Robotnik to take a little longer than expected to find what he was looking for. He wasn’t expecting a terrorist group to hack their way into the doctor’s tech, shut down whatever they could, and somehow manage to dodge the rest. He wasn’t expecting Robotnik to be unarmed when they broke into his house with chloroform, rope, and duct tape.
He should have been expecting something bad to happen, but he wasn’t. Why would anybody go after Robotnik and not himself anyway? Surely Aban was easier to get to than the doctor. But apparently that wasn’t true, since Robotnik was currently being shoved into the back of an unmarked vehicle and Aban was relaxing in the underground lab sipping a latte.
Whenever Robotnik leaves his house, he’ll log it into his glove. If he doesn’t log it into his glove within five minutes of said glove leaving the property, all technology and drones belonging to Robotnik will be alerted and go off.
Aban nearly had a heart attack when suddenly all of the lights turned bright red and the main computer played a deafening alarm. He rushed to the computer to see what the problem was.
In big white letters the computer read:
DOCTOR ROBOTNIK IN POSSIBLE DANGER. TRACKING LOCATION…
The screen to the left pulled up a map of the city. A blinking red light showed that Robotnik was on the move, heading down a street leading onto the highway and out of the city. Stone frowned with worry, already thinking of how much time he would have to grab his guns and go. The computer text changed.
NOW ACTIVATING SPY CAM. STAND BY…
The screen on the right flickered on to reveal footage being filmed from what Aban assumed was Robotnik’s eyes. Aban would ask the doctor later how that was even possible. (He assumed it was a chip or microscopic camera on his retina).
“God, this skinny little fucker is the so-called genius we’ve been trying to get?” A voice said. Robotnik’s eyes slowly opened, looking around wildly. Aban felt sick when he thought about how freaked out the doctor must be.
The same voice, which Stone could now see was the driver of the car Robotnik was trapped in, scoffed, “He looks like a fucking loser.”
“I’m a Doctor,” Robotnik hissed. He squirmed, looking around at the four men in the car with him. “Who are you supposed to be? Generic terrorist #2? How many lines did you get for the part? Three? Two?”
One of the men reached over and yanked on Robotnik’s hair, forcing him to look up. “You better shut that ugly mouth before we staple it shut.”
Stone had seen enough. He grabbed a watch out of the drawer, instantly sinking the tracking and footage with it and leaving the laboratory. He had to go to his own house, grab whatever guns he needed, then get back in the car and get to the doctor.
Aban got in his car, speeding out of the parking lot and to his apartment. He tried not to watch the footage on his watch for too long. Crashing his car wouldn’t help the situation. If Robotnik wasn’t in danger in the vehicle, he would just follow the car now and shoot their wheels out. Aban couldn’t risk the doctor getting hurt.
“What do you want with me?” Robotnik snapped through gritted teeth. “I hope you plan to dispose of me soon. You’re disgusting to look at, let alone be stuck hanging around. I feel embarrassed to even be in the car with you.”
“YOU LITTLE-“ One of the men punched Robotnik, grabbing him by his collar right after and forcing him to sit up. “Another fucking comment like that and I’m shooting your god damn knee caps!”
Robotnik scoffed, “Wow, I’m trembling with fear. How many nights do you spend writing these lines down? Do they sound as cool out loud as they do in your diary?”
Aban took a deep breath and huffed, “Doctor, stop fucking taunting them. We need you alive.” I need you alive. Aban thought helplessly.
He made a sharp turn into his driveway and got out, not even turning the car off. Once inside, Aban went to his safe to grab whatever guns and ammo he found necessary, which was all of it. He changed into some easier clothes to work in. Aban managed to do all of this in under three minutes, getting back in his car and speeding off after the doctor’s location.
The footage continued.
“You are gonna be awfully helpful for our little adventures.” One of the men said, “Been needing a good hacker.”
“Oh I’m just dying to betray my high paying, loyal lap-dog government for a couple of scruffy high school dropout wanna-be terrorists.” Robotnik laughed, “Wanna-be terrorists who, if I’m not mistaken, have done nothing kind for me since meeting me!”
Aban heard a gunshot. He quickly looked at his watch. Robotnik’s eyes quickly looked down at the bullet wound now in his thigh then back up at his kidnappers. Of course Robotnik didn’t make a single sound. Stone assumed he showed no reaction to the wound either.
One kidnapper hissed, “He said watch your tone. Should’ve fucking listened.”
“I’m a little tired of hearing him at all.” One chimed in, grabbing the roll of duct tape from nearby. “Don’t you boys agree?”
Stone cringed as they grabbed at Robotnik, forcing a bandana or cloth in his mouth before wrapping his mouth with duct tape. The doctor barely shouted, but did struggle when they touched him.
“He hates touch.” Stone huffed, as if they could hear him, “Don’t touch him. He fucking hates being touched!” He sped up once he got onto the highway.
When Aban got a hold of these people he was going to rip them to shreds for treating the doctor like that.
The drive took much too long for Aban’s liking. He had to follow a couple cars behind so they didn’t notice him following. Once off the highway, he pulled into a nearby motel parking lot and waited for the doctor to stop moving. He watched carefully as the kidnappers parked the car at a random field, dragging Robotnik out and down a few blocks to an abandoned house in the country.
The kidnappers took Robotnik down to a basement, tying him down to a chair and finally ripping the duct tape off his mouth. Robotnik snapped, “Nice place, do you take all of your dates here?”
“Shut up.” One kidnapper snapped, “I will shoot your knee caps. I’ll do it.”
“Just stop responding, dumbass.” Another kidnapper said. Robotnik nodded a little. Stone could picture the smug smirk on his face. His heart ached as he turned his car back on.
Aban drove a block away from where the kidnappers had parked their car. He strapped guns and a few knives to himself, onto his back or other places. He kept extra ammo on his belt. With a deep breath, Aban began his walk to the abandoned house. He turned the volume down on his watch, but didn’t turn it off.
“So, how does your tech work?” One kidnapper asked, taking out a pair of brass knuckles and slowly putting them on in front of Robotnik. “I’m curious.”
Robotnik stayed silent.
“Oh, nothing to say?” A kidnapper teased, “You were so talkative before.” Still no response.
The one with the brass knuckles suddenly lashed out, punching Robotnik as hard as he could. Stone heard a crack and cringed. Robotnik spit up a bit of blood and muttered, “I’ve always wanted a nose job. I’ve been convinced since I was a child that I was born with a crooked nose. Got a mirror? Maybe you fixed it.”
Robotnik was punched a second time. He wasn’t as cheerful after that.
Stone listened and watched as they punched and kicked and hit Robotnik over and over. They switched between brass knuckles, a belt, and several other blunt objects. The kidnappers continued asking questions about Robotnik’s tech. How does it work? Is there a central hub? Can you really build any kind of tech? What do you regularly supply the government with? Is Robotnik your real name?
Aban had been trained in his line of work to resist torture and interrogation of any kind. He was the top of his class, and had never buckled under any kind of pressure.
But Robotnik hasn’t been through boot camp and hasn’t been trained under brutal, abusive generals and higher ups. He hadn’t been beat into submission and come out swinging before. Aban felt his heart pounding as he saw the house, just two yards away now.
He moved quickly, hiding in bushes and trees. The area was heavily wooded, thank God. Aban kept his pistol drawn and at the ready with a silencer. Reluctantly, he turned the volume on the watch all the way down. He surveyed the area.
Two people in front of the house, sitting on the porch disguised as normal everyday people. Possibly two on the back porch as well. He knew there were four people in the basement with Robotnik, and he thought he saw two or three people inside the house through the camera when the kidnappers went inside.
Aban got on the ground, taking the sniper rifle off his back. He positioned himself so he was nice and comfortable, putting a silencer on the gun as well. He had done this a million times, the movements coming naturally and without second thought.
With careful precision, Aban shot the two people on the front porch dead. He waited for the men on the back porch to come around to the front, and then shot them as well. No open windows to continue his work. With a sigh, Aban packed away the rifle and drew his pistol once more. He moved in, glancing at his watch to check on the doctor.
One of the kidnappers had drawn a knife, and was taunting Robotnik with it. “How many fingers do you need to be a proper scientist? I’d say only 9. So how about you give us some answers and we won’t cut your finger off.”
“I could build a mechanical hand with nothing but toothpicks and old batteries and wires.” Robotnik snapped, “Do your fucking worst.”
So they did.
Stone made his way up to the house, sneaking inside through the back door. He could hear two men in the other room, and some walking around upstairs. On a more alarming note, he could hear screaming and cursing from the basement. Aban went into the other room, a dusty and disgusting living room, and shot the two men sitting in there. A third one drew his gun, but Aban was faster, shooting him in the head without missing a beat.
The noise drew attention, footsteps upstairs quickly coming down the stairs.
Robotnik weakly looked up at his captors. “Oh, you’re in for it now.” He huffed, “Better write your wills, boys. Leave your child pornography to your closest friend, leave your two dollar bank account to your family members-“ A kidnapper began strangling him while another picked the knife back up.
Aban worked as quickly and quietly as he could, shooting and choking out anybody he came across. He checked the entire upstairs, finding one person hiding in a closet and shooting them as well. Once that was taken care of, he made his way down to the main floor. Two of the men from the basement had come up, ready to take him out.
Aban hid at the top of the stairs, occasionally glancing down to check if it was a good shot. Every time he looked they would shoot at him. Eventually, Aban had to reach around and shoot at them, baiting them to come up the stairs after him.
Five minutes of shooting and fighting later, Stone killed the two men and slammed the basement door open. He marched down the stairs, shooting one of the men.
“HOLD IT!” The final kidnapper shouted. He was holding Robotnik in front of him, a gun aimed at his head. “Hold it right there! I’ve got your precious little Doctor here. So how about you head back up those stairs and leave before I do something you’ll regret.”
Stone stayed at the bottom of the stairs, hands tight around his pistol and eyes narrowed. He didn’t speak, he barely breathed. He didn’t make a single sound. His eyes weren’t trained on the kidnapper. No, his eyes were on Robotnik, the battered, bruised, and bleeding doctor he pledged his allegiance to two years ago.
Robotnik was missing 2 fingers, his nose was broken, and his thigh was horribly patched up from the bullet wound. It was no doubt going to be slightly infected. Ivo stared at Stone with tired eyes, eyes that begged for a vacation on a beach with nothing but ocean and clear skies in sight. Stone had to get Robotnik to a hospital.
The kidnapper had been rambling on and on for some time now, but Stone hadn’t been listening. Him and Robotnik had been gazing at each other, a secret conversation only they had shared.
“-and so, agent, I think this is your final day on Earth!” The kidnapper laughed triumphantly, aiming his gun at Stone. Robotnik swiftly threw himself back against the kidnapper. The captor dropped his gun, and Stone was quick to pick it up and aim at the man. Robotnik rolled away as fast as he could.
Without another thought, Stone shot the captor three times. Once in the head and twice in the heart. Robotnik huffed, lying on the ground next to his now dead captor. Aban put his gun on his belt.
“Well done, Stone,” Robotnik managed to get out, “That has to be record time. Did you-“
Stone got on the ground and interrupted, “Can I touch you?”
Robotnik paused. He slowly nodded. Aban sat Robotnik up and hugged him tightly, burying his head in the crook of his neck. Robotnik didn’t return the hug, but he did allow himself to relax in the agent’s arms.
“I-I’m sorry,” Stone said, “I’m so sorry, Doctor. I should have accompanied you to your home, none of this would have happened. Your hand, your poor nose. I-I should have known that you would-“
“Stop, Aban.” Robotnik whispered, “It’s fine. You saved me. I’m safe. Alright? I’m here.” He reached a hand up to run it through Aban’s messy hair. “I’m gonna be okay thanks to you, Aban.”
Stone felt his hands shaking. He tightened his hold on Robotnik and snapped, “This won’t happen again. I promise. Nobody is going to hurt you again… Come on.” He reluctantly pulled away and wiped his face. “I’ll help you upstairs… It’s a bit of a walk to the car.”
Robotnik stood up, leaning against the wall for support. He huffed and said, “I can walk, Stone, don’t worry.” However, when Robotnik attempted to walk to the stairs, he stumbled and fell forwards. Aban caught him before he hit the floor.
“I’ll carry you, Doctor.” Aban said, “It’s no problem.” Robotnik rolled his eyes, but let Aban scoop him up bridal style and carry him out of the house. The doctor was surprisingly light. I should cook for him more often . Aban thought to himself. He shouldn’t be so light in my arms.
He carried the doctor out of the house, down the road past the kidnapper’s vehicle, and then down another block to his own car. Stone held the doctor close the entire time, occasionally looking down to make sure that he was still awake.
Aban set Robotnik down in the passenger seat, helping him buckle in. Then, he got a first aid kit and spare towels from the trunk to wrap up the doctor's hand. He came back to the passenger side. “Is it painful?” Stone asked, “Could you tell me on a scale of 1-10?”
“It’s a… an 8.” Robotnik nodded matter of factly. “It is a horrible phantom pain, Stone.” Aban got to work wrapping up the doctor‘s hand with a towel and properly patching up the bullet wound on his thigh.
Stone got into the driver's seat and sped off. He asked, “Doctor, would you like to go to a hospital or go back to the laboratory so your medical badniks can assist you?” Robotnik shrugged. Stone frowned and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He continued, “I know you don’t like to be touched, and I know the hospital scares you, but I worry about your medical drones capability sometimes. You are a genius though, I don’t doubt their programming if you don’t either.”
“Take me to the lab.” Robotnik sighed and admitted, “I want to be alone.” Stone nodded and sped up as they got onto the highway.
A long drive later and they arrived at the laboratory. Stone picked up Robotnik once more, rushing him into the lab and into the medical wing. The drones snapped to life once Robotnik entered the room, sensing his increased heart rate and high blood pressure. Stone laid Robotnik on the table, and the drones did the rest of the work for him. Aban stepped back as four drones carefully removed Robotnik’s clothing and accessories, getting out medical supplies necessary to patch the wounds. He leaned against the wall as the drones buzzed around his doctor.
“Did you see the footage?” Robotnik asked quietly.
Aban nodded. “I did. How did you get footage from your eyes, doctor? Absolutely brilliant.”
“Microscopic cameras in the retina. Built into the contact lenses.” Robotnik replied, “That’s the first time I’ve ever activated them, let alone synced them with my computer’s security system.”
“Brilliant.” Aban repeated with a small smile. “You’re a genius, Doctor.” Robotnik nodded but frowned, looking away.
“They broke me, Stone. I’m glad you killed them. I slipped up.” Robotnik said, “I told them things I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry-
“No, Doctor, don't be sorry.” Aban smiled, “Please, I should have come to you sooner.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Stone. If you had just left it to the government, they wouldn’t have had me back in months. I’d be dead, no doubt… You actually care.” Robotnik said softly, glancing over at his agent.
Stone forced himself to remain a professional demeanor. On the inside, however, he was a blushing mess. He cleared his throat and said, “You’re a very important person to me, Doctor… I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”
Fuck, was that too personal sounding? Stone thought, tapping his foot as the doctor stared at him with an odd look in his eyes.
After a moment of silence, Robotnik closed his eyes and mumbled, “The feeling is mutual, Aban.” Stone let his guard down as his face turned bright red at the compliment. He shifted a bit where he stood. “Can you come here?” Robotnik asked, “Check my pulse.”
Aban immediately came over and checked it, expecting something bad. He waited for the doctor to tell him he wasn’t feeling well or that he could feel his heart pounding, some reason for calling the agent over. After a moment, Robotnik took Stone’s hand and guided it to his cheek. Stone smiled a little, cupping the doctor’s cheek and rubbing it with his thumb.
“Thank you.” Stone said. Robotnik didn’t reply. He leaned into Stone’s touch as the drones finished patching up his thigh. They got to work on his hand.
Robotnik explained, “While I build my new fingers, I’m going to need extra assistance around the lab from you. I need you by my side 24/7.”
“Of course, Doctor,” Stone replied, “There’s nowhere else I would rather be.” Robotnik let out a sigh and nodded. He rubbed his face against Stone’s hand before opening his eyes and looking up at his agent.
“Good.” Robotnik whispered, “I don’t want you to be that far away ever again.” Stone smiled, his heart swelling up with joy at the doctor’s rare and sincere tone.
Aban whispered, “I wouldn’t dream of being that far away again, Ivo.” He kissed the doctor’s hand and smiled down at him.