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Remus’s stomach dropped to his feet. He didn’t want to believe what his eyes were telling him.
Emile was sitting up, eyes open, and not the vacant eyes he had before, his eyes were bright and sharp. Too sharp. His little tie was back in place, like Emile had straightened it without consciously meaning to. It reminded Remus of...
No! Remus couldn’t get distracted.
What was incredibly concerning at the sight was Patton, who was leaning towards Emile, not seeing the way Emile’s eyes were too sharp for his age.
The moment the door few open, Emile’s eyes inhumanly and strangely locked onto Remus within a millisecond of opening the door. The inhuman coldness and the nature of how quick Emile’s eyes had locked onto him sent an uncomfortable shiver down Remus’s spine.
Patton was much slower, turning to Remus a second or two later, his face lighting up, pointing to Emile, exclaiming with a proud grin on his face, “Bubba, sorry for not coming to tell you, but Emile’s awake!”
Remus nodded in response, maintaining eye contact with Emile, Emile’s eyes still cold and analyzing, boring into Remus’s without hesitation.
Patton was oblivious to how odd Emile was acting, his smile genuine, not a hint of concern at Emile’s odd behavior.
“Yeah Pat he is awake.” Remus turned to Roman, a silent conversation ensuing with just their expressions.
Remus glanced over at Patton and to Janus in Roman’s arms, then shot one down the hallway towards the living room, his eyes widening.
Roman, you take Patton and Janus and head back, they could wake up at any time too, but let me handle this.
Roman’s eyebrows shot up, but sunk once more immediately after, knitting his eyebrow before he regarded Patton and how close he was to Emile.
Remus! I...okay, just... be careful.
With that Remus turned, Roman calling out to Patton, his voice audibly higher and just slightly off from his normal voice as he glanced over at Emile repeatedly.
“Hey Patton, now that Emile’s awake, why don’t you come back with me to the living room to wait for your other brothers to wake up? You can even hold Janus again with your strong big boy arms!”
Patton straightened up, face beaming at the mention of being big and strong again, hoping up and running over to take Janus from Roman’s arms, swooning a little under the extra weight. Janus gurgled happily, patting Patton’s back as he was deposited in Patton’s arms.
“Pa! Pa!” Janus babbled, taking a fistful of Patton’s shirt and starting to stuff it into his mouth. Instead, Janus caught sight of Emile on the bed, and just as oblivious as Patton to Emile’s odd behavior, stretched out his pudgy arms towards Emile, smiling happily at his brother.
“Ee! Ee! Emmmm.” Janus furrowed his eyebrows, dropping his gaze thoughtfully, concentrating hard on the new syllable, as if he was trying to solve a difficult puzzle.
Patton laughed, shifting Janus in his arms to make the hold more comfortable.
“Yeah, Jan, Emm! That’s Emile! You’re doing so good. Bye Emi!” Patton said, placing a kiss as he started to follow Roman out of the room, glimpsing back to Emile, waving Janus’s hand manually for Emile.
But Emile still didn’t react other than blinking, staring blankly at the two of them. A crease appeared in Patton’s forehead.
Janus was still concentrating before lighting up once more, only able to stretch out one hand to Emile, having thought and focused enough to clumsily say, “Emi! Emi! Emi!”
Patton gasped, the crease disappearing entirely, his whole face lighting up, passing through the doorway. His and Roman’s voice became more and more muffled and echoey as him and Roman went back to the living room.
“Such a good job! Emi! You hear that Roman? Janus knows how to say Emi now, isn’t that cool?”
“Yeah, Pat, he’s learning how to speak, just like you did when you were his age?”
“I did? I don’t remember learning to...”
“Well, none of us do. We’re too young at that age to....”
And just like that, Remus was alone with Emile.
They both remained silent, Emile’s eyes scanning up and down Remus. It wasn’t sexual, as 4 years didn’t have that kind of comprehension yet. Emile’s gaze simply scanned Remus, taking in all the little features of Remus’s physical form.
Remus felt vulnerable, watched by something foreign, something inhabiting his younger brother’s skin. His skin crawled with the knowledge he was being carefully watched. Instead of giving into the feeling, he reached for the door, closing the door behind him while still facing Emile.
When Emile’s eyes locked with Remus’s once again, Emile finally spoke, his voice strange, as if an adult was speaking through him. None of Emile’s child like voice was present.
“Relation?” Emile asked simply.
“Older brother, mentor, father figure.” Remus said, his voice shaking just ever so slightly as he never thought he would have to do this for Emile/.
Emile tilted his head, eyes narrowing with calculating precision, pinpointing the small discrepancy.
“Threat? Or Distress?”
Remus swallowed, a lump in his throat forming, but he spoke around it, this time trying to keep his voice level.
“Dis- Distress.” Remus’s voice cracked, but Emile didn’t falter this time, continuing the odd interrogation without missing a beat.
“Records? Or Manual? The boy, the child and the twin?”
Remus fumbled for the chip hanging around his neck, hidden under his shirt, hung on a simple chain.
“Records and 2 more that are in the database I presume. Remington and Virgelius Sanders, standby?”
Emile peered at the chip, stretching out his tiny hand for it. Remus carefully placed the chip in Emile’s hand.
“Searching database... Remington and Virgelius units confirmed still on standby. Authorize early activation for those units before this unit downloads?”
Remus felt a spike of fear arc through him, waving his hands violently, but not reaching closer than he already was, having retreated since placing the chip in Emile’s hand.
“No, deny early activation! They... those units need the proper time allotted for proper upload and update.”
Emile nodded, the first more human movement he had performed since Remus had stepped into the room. It was short lived, as Emile spoke again, rattling off everything with that monotone and level voice. No emotion.
“Those units will be given until the appropriate activation time to activate. Unit V4716-L Virgelius t minus 37 seconds until activation. Unit R3189-Y Remington t minus 337 seconds until activation. Minimum time of 5 minutes between units in the same area space has been implemented as per guideline 4U.3.9.23. Uploading now.”
Emile pinched the chip in his palm, stiffening the moment he did so.
Emile’s word sunk in and Remus’s stomach sank.
37 seconds! I have to get to them! But first-
“Unit Emile, process command. Standby until Unit Remington is activated!”
...
Emile blinked once.
“Command processed. Upload will continue as normal. This unit will stand by until Unit R0318-Y has been activated when upload is complete or unless command has been given by known hostile or unknown learned from upload.”
Remus took that as his cue to leave, tearing open the door to Emile’s bedroom and down the hallway for the third time that day.