Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Format - video feed captured by Concorp drone. Audio unavailable. Approximate time of day - early night.

Several seconds of no motion before a man abruptly appears in the center of the frame, as if cut in through video editing. His features are hard to make out in the dim light, but he looks somewhat scruffy and his eyes catch the light of the camera as if he had tapetum lucidum - that is to say, they shine like a cat’s might.

He looks around in clear confusion, gesturing with his hands as if speaking to someone, before something out of view causes him to turn and raise them above his head in a sign of being unarmed.

A trident, also hurled from out of view, buries itself in his chest and sparks. The man falls over.

Feed ends.

Chapter Text

Format - audio from hacked comms system. No video available, likely source from outside containment cell in Sector 3.

Scar: Where did it come from? How did it get in here, Doc?

Doc: I already told you, I don’t know. One moment there was nothing there, and the next, boom, alien. We’ve installed anti-port locks in containment, so it shouldn’t get out.

Scar: Shouldn’t or won’t . Thats a big difference and if it can just… appear, then we should be approaching this with the most concern possible.

Doc: To the best of my knowledge, cannot possibly. But the - mm, never mind. It’s waking up.

Scar: We’ll discuss this later. You there - how did you get here?

A new voice, somewhat muffled by audio distortion.

77-2: Huh? Wait, me?

Scar: Yes you , who else would I be talking to? Answer the question.

77-2: I dunno, you could be talking about the dude next to you who electrocuted me with a trident?

Doc: Hah! I’m one half of base security, Inmate, not the threat.

77-2: Well, you sure secured your status as a real jerk.

A very quiet growl.

Doc: Answer the question.

77-2: Alright, alright, fine! I died and respawned here instead. Can I go now?

Scar: No, you may not. Doc… Aliens don’t respawn, do they? Should we be testing that? You’ve got a ton of them don’t you-

Doc: -Scar, what makes you think he’s telling the truth?

77-2: I am telling the truth-

Doc: Oh, shut up . My point is, General, whether or not any aliens I know respawn, he’s still suspect.

Comms between inside and outside containment briefly cut.

Doc: And hey, if you want to check which aliens respawn, maybe you should ask your pet , huh?

Scar: I was just suggesting something, Doc. No need to get uppity about it.

Containment-outside comm line reinstated.

Scar: Inmate, you’ve been detained for trespassing on government property. You will remain here the night, possibly longer. We expect good behavior, got it?

77-2: Oh, yeah, I’m gonna act up when I have absolutely no stuff . Seems like a great idea. You guys are the worst.

Feed ends.

Chapter Text

Format - still image taken from security camera inside containment.

An impact mark left in the wall, practically a crater. It looks remarkably like someone managed to punch the concrete hard enough to crack it. Small chips and flakes of material are scattered on the ground directly under the damage.

Chapter Text

Format - audio feed from hacked comms system, synced manually to video feed from security cameras.

Scar: What in the world happened ?!

77-2 doesn’t respond - instead, he just shrugs, smirking.

A thudding noise as Doc slams a fist against the glass, teeth bared in a snarl.

Doc: Answer the question.

77-2: I punched the wall? Come on, isn’t it obvious?

Scar: Punched- punched the wall?! You'd have to have the force of a truck to make that kind of damage!

Doc raises his right arm - the robotic one - and turns towards a wall, drawing his fist back before slamming it into the wall; Scar flinches at the action.

Doc dusts off his hands and takes a look at the wall, which is now cracked rather neatly in a similar pattern - albeit showing less damage.

Doc: General, the correct force levels would exceed that of an End Crystal. It’s an alien.

Scar: Well yeah . I thought we knew that already. It's not Keralis.

Scar: Also… remind me to never piss you off.

Doc grins; the grin stays on his face as he turns back towards 77-2.

Doc: Start talking, Inmate.

77-2: About what? Also, are you sure that just punching the walls of your own base at random is a good idea?

Scar scowls and approaches the glass.

Scar: Enough with dodging orders. What are you trying to accomplish? Do you think it's funny , making a mess of your containment unit? Answer the questions, Inmate.

77-2: I was getting annoyed. I punched the wall because I needed to punch something and there weren’t any mobs spawning. Can I please leave now?

Doc: Absolutely not.

Doc walks away from the door and gestures for Scar to follow him.

Feed ends.

Chapter Text

Cub switched the feed off, pushing off from the desk and letting the wheels on his desk chair take him to the other monitor.

"Okay… let's see…" he muttered, typing on the keyboard and accessing the log files for the drones. He just needed to know if they were all still intact again. Sure, it hadn't been more than thirty minutes since he last checked, and they were fine then, but he couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of his stomach either.

The drones were, in fact, intact. No further logs had been filed, mind you, but that was hardly unusual.

"That's good," he mumbled into his hand before getting up and grabbing his phone off the wall. Wasn't the best thing, a reminder that the person normally on the other end was up to things he shouldn't be, but it was also a quick alert system if anything came up on the monitors. And he'd want to know if anything did.

Cub put his coat on before walking out of the room. He had so much to do still, but focusing wasn't exactly an easy task with all this Area 77 nonsense carrying on. He shook his head and made his way back up to the grounds.

Villagers everywhere, carrying about their usual duties. Nothing seemed to be particularly out of the ordinary, except for a suspicious flash of blue around the corner that looked like someone’s clothing.

And not the villager type.

He paused, frowning before following the color and rounding the corner, his pace speeding up. "Hey! Who's there?!"

“It’s me!” The man - and it was a guy, actually, holding his hands behind his head, hat casting a slight shadow over his eyes. “Keralis! You’re Cube, yeah?”

"Uh… Cub, yeah," he paused, staring at Keralis. "How did you get in the premises?"

“I told the guy up front I wanted to see a friend and he let me through!” He tilted his baseball cap up, revealing bright cat-like eyes that were currently wide and enthusiastic. “I didn’t think I was gonna run into you, too, but it’s good to see you!”

"You told- I- who are you seeing here, if not me?" Cub asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. This was unexpected and it didn't settle his nerves one bit.

“Well, my plans have changed. Now the friend I’m here to see is you.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, leaned forward. “You’ve been spyin’ on Area 77, Cub, haven’t you?”

Cub tensed up, visibly. "Who wants to know?" he asked, his voice low.

Keralis just beamed at him. “I’ve been in there, Cub. They had me locked up for a while, and I saw some stuff. I can get you the info from inside, things not even the drones’re gonna pick up. So, who wants to know? Maybe you wants to know.”

He paused, eyebrows knit together in concern and frustration. He did want to know. But he didn't know if he could trust Keralis.

"And what's in it for you?"

“Well, I’m a very poor hermit, Cub. I just got here, and I have no money at all. Nine diamonds, can you believe that! Only nine of them!”

"So, if I'm getting this right, you want to be paid for the information you provide. How can I ensure that you won't just go off for whomever can pay you most? Keralis, you must understand my hesitancy right now…"

“Well, you’re a rich guy. I think you can probably pay me the most.” He smirked. “I’ll even give ya a tip-off for free, Doc’s been real antsy lately. Running all over the place, fiddling with his arm and levers. One point I saw him turn and punch a wall right in front of Scar, even!”

Cub frowned, straightening his collar. "What's the pay rate?" God, he was really doing this, huh?

“Hmm... “ Keralis cocked his head to the side, closing his eyes in thought. “Maybe we hash that out in a bit and I get you your information somewhere more private? So many people listening right now, you know?”

A pause, and then his smug grin got just a bit smugger. “Plus, y’never know when a drone update might come in…”

"What is that supposed to mean-"

“You think I didn’t see all those things hovering about? I got good eyes, I can spot that blue logo miles away.”

He scowled before shaking his head. " Fine , fine. We can talk later. Just… don't do anything stupid, Keralis."

"What, me? Never." He grinned.

The phone buzzed.

Chapter Text

Format - communication over private ConCorp cell line.

Scar: Hey Cub! Long time no chat-

Cub: Why did you call me, Scar?

Scar: Why? Am I not allowed to call a fellow Vex nowadays?

Cub: You really still consider yourself that? After all the stunts you've been pulling?

There's a nervous laugh from Scar.

Scar: Stunts? What stunts? Don't be silly Cub, I was just calling to-

Cub: You know what you've been up to Scar. Do not lie to me. You've done enough of that as of late.

Cub: Do you even realize what you're doing? What you're tampering with?

Silence.

Cub: That's… what I thought-

Scar: Now wait one damn minute! What about you!

Cub: What about me ?

Scar: The drones! Don't act dumb with me, Cub, I know those models! I helped build them, for goodness sakes! War drones ! Really!?

Another moment of silence.

Cub: I did what I had to. Now if you’ll excuse me-

Scar: Don't you dare hang up-

Cub: I have business to attend to.

Crashing noises from Scar's end of the line.

Call ends.

Chapter Text

Format - video feed taken from security cameras within Area 77. No audio available.

The wall near the door of containment buckles, and one hand smashes through. 77-2 quickly widens the hole and breaches.

Scar turns in clear shock, then starts yelling something; 77-2 disregards him and runs down a corridor.

Feed switches to second camera, showing Doc and 77-2 staring at each other. Doc appears to be yelling; 77-2 says nothing and attempts to barrel right through him.

Feed switches feed switches feed switches feed switches feed switches feed switches feed switches feed switches

Feed ends.

Chapter Text

77-2 sat cross-legged in his containment cell again, eyes closed, face wrinkled up somewhere between “frown” and “smelling something gross.”

“I’m going to ask you one more time ,” Doc growled, pounding his fist on the doors, “what was that.”

Scar frowned, listening to the two as he looked over the containment cell. If it was that easy for 77-2 to break out, they were going to have to up the security and integrity of materials. And it wouldn't be cheap.

77-2 said something, clearly more muttered under his breath than said in response to Doc.

He shook his head. “Inmate, you’re only going to make things worse for yourself. Answer the question , 77-2. What. Was. That.”

“Dark magic,” 77-2 muttered again, louder this time, avoiding eye contact.

That got Scar's attention. He stepped forward towards the glass, staring down at 77-2. "What do you mean?" There wasn't the same anger in his voice as usual.

77-2 tilted his head up, red-brown eyes glinting with a somewhat sinister light as he just sort of stared at Scar. “What d’you think I mean, Vex ?”

Doc took a step back, sensing some sort of change in the air. A shift in the subtle currents. Something that wasn’t just the air conditioners turning on.

Scar practically bristled at that. "You know what I was asking, Inmate . People - alien or otherwise - don't just use dark magic." His speaking voice had dropped low, and not in a way that Doc had heard before.

77-2 grinned widely - an expression that, Doc was suddenly very sure, he had seen on his own face just the night before. His grip tightened around the hilt of his trident.

“Mimicker, ” he snarled.

All he got in response was a shrug. “Alien doesn’t just mean ‘from outer space,’ you know?” That smile was absolutely uncanny , so like his own that Doc couldn’t help but reach up with his free hand and touch his own face just to make sure it was still attached.

" Stop that ," Scar hissed, suddenly banging a hand on the glass. "Stop that! You are under the containment and watch of Area 77 and you will behave, got that? Do I make myself clear , Inmate? "

77-2 stretched, pushed himself itself up off the ground, took one step closer to the containment door, smile vanishing from its face so fast it might as well never have been there. Doc gritted his teeth, tried to hold steady and stop his fraying nerves from betraying him.

“What’re you gonna do? Kill me?” It cocked its head to the side, facial expression almost totally flat. “I don’t think you could manage that. You got lucky.”

"We'd have no use in killing you - and that should be something you consider as lucky, 77-2," Scar said, keeping his eyes steadily locked with the inmate. "You will remain here. Until you can either prove yourself or die trying, you will remain here. Am I clear ? Do not ask another question as a cheap response or I will personally make this containment unit smaller."

77-2 took another step forward, facial expression suddenly sad and wistful. “But it’s lonely here, Scar. I don’t have anyone to talk to. It’s just the two of you spitting venom at me and hurting my feelings, and I just want to go home, you know? I can’t even see my friends because I don’t even have a single stick to play with. I want to go home.”

“ Let me out.”

Doc snapped back to himself quite suddenly as he found himself mouthing the words 77-2 had been saying, muttering them under his breath, and why in the world was he facing the keypad? He shook his head furiously, stepping back, trying to gather himself, and hazarded a glance over at Scar to see how his partner was doing.

Scar was certainly doing better in the case of not being swayed into action… but he was seething with barely controlled anger. The same anger that always brought buzzing when it happened to be the ConVex together, pulling a fast one on another server member.

But Scar didn't have his other half with him. And it showed in how his hands were white-knuckled and shaking. If 77-2 had played to Doc's empathy, then it had certainly played to Scar's frustration and temper.

Doc put a hand on his shoulder, trying to ignore how much every single little bone in his body wanted to turn tail and run screaming from Area 77, and just never come back, leave the damned place behind. He’d never seen a real Mimicker before. He wasn’t even sure this was one.

“Don’t let him get to you, General. He’s trying to play us against each other.”

The pressure in the air fell, just a bit, as 77-2 took a step back, arms crossed smugly. “Well observed there, Doc.”

Scar froze for a second before squirming out of Doc's grasp. " Fine . Okay. Yeah… I'm good," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We need to discuss some things in private, Doc."

Doc nodded. "That would definitely be for the best."

Chapter Text

Format - audio file taken from within Area 77 conference room. No video available.

The distinct sound of a door being shut and locked.

Scar: We need to up security. Move it deeper into the facility, better containment, stricter hours. I don't care about the cost or hours-

Doc: Is that going to work, though? I'm not convinced it's trapped at all. 77-2 is toying with us, Scar. It wants us to get paranoid and start scrabbling around to contain it better.

Scar: … Then we give it what it wants and hit it when it doesn't expect it. That thing is dangerous , Doc. It can't be let loose on the server.

Doc: Mmh. Of course. You know, if it were up to me I'd just toss 77-2 in a cage with your alien and have them take care of each other.

Scar sighs.

Scar: I thought we discussed dropping this topic. My alien is fine . I know how to handle them. 77-2 does not follow any structure we understand or have seen so far. 77-2 uses magic , Doc. Dark magic .

Doc mutters something under his breath, too quiet for the recording or Scar to pick up.

Doc: ...Well, it's not the only one capable of stuff like that, so he- it had better watch out.

Scar: It’s not a good idea to combat dark magic with more dark magic, Doc. You’d be asking for trouble…

Footsteps and the sound of someone taking out a pen and clicking it open.

Scar: We need a better plan to deal with it. I… don’t want to be drastic, but-

Doc: But what? Spit it out, General.

Scar: I don’t think you’ll agree with me, Doc. It’s not something you’ll want to hear.

Doc: This entire situation is drastic and less than ideal. Spit it out.

Scar: We may have to terminate it.

Silence for a moment, then low, soft laughter from Doc. His voice has dropped down a bit, and he sounds just a little unhinged.

Doc: That’s all? You’re worried about what I might think if we kill it? The damned thing needs obliterating , General. It’s a bona fide cognitohazard.

Wood scraping across concrete floor. Judging by the way Doc’s voice fades from side to side, he’s gotten out of the chair and is now pacing back and forth across the room.

Doc: I’m just surprised you agree, General I-Keep-A-Man-Eating-Alien-As-A-Pet. You’re the softy here, not me.

Scar: Doc, you were over at the keypad. I don't know how you'd react. I don't know if your reactions are yours and that's what has me at this conclusion.

Doc: That- 77-2 did something to me, Scar. Was that not obvious ? No, I am one hundred percent on board with this plan. I want that thing dead and never coming back.

Scar: I don't know Doc!

There's a clatter of wood hitting concrete - most likely the sound of Scar’s chair falling over as he stands up.

Scar: I don't know who or what to trust right now! That thing knows too much! But you're also not innocent here either! You're out here breeding aliens! What are you even going to do? What's your goal, Doc?

Doc growls again, a sound that seems far too ruthless and inhuman to be coming from anyone , him included.

Doc: That’s above your clearance level, General Scar.

Scar: EXACTLY! This is exactly what I'm talking about, Doc!! I don't have any clearance to the stuff you're up to even though I'm the one who built this facility from the foundation up!

Scar: I supplied the containment tech. I programmed the security. I built the air strip. All you did was run into a spaceship with your tunnel bore and yet you're trying to act like I don't have a right to know .

A long, long stretch of silence.

Doc: …Scar.

Another moment of silence, then the sound of a chair being set upright as Scar sits back down.

Scar: What?

Doc: Don’t you think it’s odd that you’re so worked up about things that don’t have to do with 77-2?

Doc: It did something to me. I don’t mean any offense, but what if it got inside your head too? It even admitted it was trying to make us turn on each other.

Scar: … Shit .

Scar: I'm… sorry, Doc. I didn't mean to yell.

Doc: It’s fine, General. But this brings up an issue. If it got you angry on purpose… are you sure it doesn’t want us to try and terminate it?

Doc: Really think about if the idea is yours or if it’s not quite from your own mind. Because we can’t afford to play into this thing’s hands.

Yet another long stretch of silence.

Scar: I… don't know, Doc…

Doc: Mmmmmh. I hate this alien.

Feed ends.

Chapter Text

Format - audio feed from recording device within containment cell of 77-2. No video feed available.

77-2: It’s been three days. I don’t have anyone to talk to. I haven’t even eaten anything. I’ve paced every inch of this stupid containment chamber and there’s absolutely nothing to do. It’s downright inhumane.

77-2: I’m just - I’m really lonely , which you can tell because I’m talking to myself and pretending it’s some other person. Solitary confinement is a big ol’ bummer, and I might be in here for life if I can’t “prove myself or die trying,” whatever that means. Seriously, what kind of thing do they want me to do?

77-2: The - okay, look, I’ll admit it to nobody, the suggestion was a bad idea. I think they both probably know I did that by now, but I was kinda - hoping that the green guy was a creeper and he’d blow a hole in the wall for me?

77-2: Also they’re huge jerks to me, so it’s kind of hard to feel bad about trying to spookems my way out. The cyborg one is really nasty and punched a wall just to try and intimidate me, and the - the Vex. I don’t even know what a Vex is? I just looked at him and my brain filled in the blanks and was like “oh that’s Vex right there” and then I got in trouble for knowing stuff.

77-2: I want to leave… I want to leave.

Phrase repeated for several minutes before feed ends.

Chapter Text

Cub rubbed at his eyes. He knew, logically, he'd been up too late - too long - and it was taking its toll. But to go to sleep would mean he'd miss anything that happened in that blasted facility overnight, probably more considering how tired he felt.

He pushed away from the desk and leaned back in the chair with a groan. "Why can't this just end…"

“Poor dude,” said the cat-eyed man next to him, sitting in one of the board-room chairs the wrong way around. “Wait, or is that just what he wants us to think? Do your feeds scan for cog-whatsits before we get ‘em?”

Cub leaned back forward and looked over at Keralis. "They're run through a filter. If there are any hazards that can be detected by my surveillance systems, then it will come up with a pre-warning. But it's not perfect… not a lot of things around here cause cognitohazards."

“Hmm…” He looked up at the ceiling. “Well, I didn’t feel like he was trying to talk to anyone that wasn’t him, you know? I think I can kind of tell when I’m being cog… cog-neato-hazarded?”

"I feel like that'd be a difficult thing to tell , but… Who am I to say," Cub muttered, before yawning somewhat loudly. "I - excuse me - I just don't know what to do."

“I know what you gotta do first, Cub. You gotta sleep. That’s an important part of regulating your emotions and body cycle. If you’re really tired, you won’t be able to think as good.” Keralis stood up and padded over to Cub, leaning on one of the free surfaces that wasn’t taken up by surveillance equipment. “I promise I’ll let you know if something happened while you were asleep. I’m nocturnal and you’re not, though, so get some rest.”

Cub looked up at him, a frown on his face. "I - " he paused, faltered in his thoughts and sighed. "Fine… But wake me in the morning. I don't care how little sleep I get, I need to be up… okay? Please..."

“Okay, Cub. I’ll wake you up in the morning. Go to bed now.” Keralis stretched, stood up and headed over to the surveillance panel. “I got this covered.”

A pause.

“Oh, if you run into any tired-looking villagers, tell them to go to sleep too. I know at least one of them has a major case of the dark circles.”

Cub got up slowly. "A villager?"

“I just see a lot of tired-looking people lately. People having so much insomnia… but even if you don’t actually sleep, lying in bed helps.”

He nodded slowly. "Yes… of course. Of course. I'll try my best, Keralis. Thank you."

Keralis shot him a thumbs-up and turned towards the desk. It was long-haul espionage time. Maybe even time to get more information.

Chapter Text

Format - Format - Format - Format - Format - Format -

Scar wakes up. It's dark and humid. The air is thick with fading evening heat and plant life. He knows this place.

There’s a strange muttering sound. Something like a chant off in the distance. An odd, out-of-place thing, it tugs at Scar.

He frowns, following the noise. Often he has to duck out of the way of branches and vines. More than once he nearly trips on them. It's like they move on their own.

The jungle gets darker as he moves closer - darker, and less like a jungle. More temperate, and then more weird - trees losing their leaves, dead vines and branches sloughed off on the ground, almost like a controlled burn that reached its edge here.

It’s nearly audible, now, and the chanting is not a ritual but clearly someone mumbling to themself, clinging to some repeated phrase for comfort,

I want to leave I want to leave I want to leave I want to leave I want to leave I want

"Hello?" he calls out, unsure where he is now.

It’s a clearing, the scene suddenly changing as he doubts himself, a clearing in the middle of a pine forest, except all the needles have dropped to the ground and the trees are bare, evergreen no longer.

In the center of the clearing, surrounded by spirals of fallen pine needles, is a man in an orange jumpsuit

is a strange figure with scruffy black hair

is Inmate 77-2.

In the back of his head he's yelling to leave. That this isn't safe . But all he can muster is a single step backwards and one word. "You…"

“I want to leave. I want to leave. I want to leave.” Its source pinpointed, the muttering suddenly ceases to become strange and alien and compelling. It’s just a voice. Words saying one thing, over and over.

He can't move, can't speak, can't think. The repetition drills into his head. And he feels like he's sinking…

77-2’s mumbled mantra abruptly ceases as the inmate slowly turns its his its his head to look at Scar, with eyes that look nothing like the malicious expression copied from Doc.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” he says quietly.

Scar stares at him. His head hurts… were his eyes watering? He can't tell, everything feels fuzzy.

"… I … want to leave."

“ Stop that ,” 77-2 says, voice echoing strangely again. “Stop it. I’m not trying to get in your head.”

Scar shakes his head. "You're lying."

“I’m not.” 77-2 moves to a sitting position, cross-legged in that spiral of fallen leaves. “Not this time.”

"Then… what are you doing?"

“It’s your dream, not mine,” he responds. “No - wait - or is it Doc’s, maybe? I don’t know. I just want- well, you know.”

"If it's mine, why are you here?" Scar asks, though he still can't shake the hair-raising feeling that haunts the back of his neck. The feeling of being watched from all sides.

“Dunno.” 77-2 is looking towards him, but not really at him, eyes tired and weary, a thousand-yard stare. “Why am I anywhere? Why’ve I been in a cell for three days with no food or company?”

Scar goes quiet. He… doesn't know how to answer. Well, he does , but right now… it doesn't make any sense in his head or out loud.

"What are you?"

“I’m Kakujo. What are you ?”

"A player…"

“That’s a cop-out answer. I’m a player. Doc’s a player. Herobrine’s technically a player. You know what I meant.”

"You're an alien ," he corrects and then immediately regrets. "I'm Scar…" he mutters, giving in.

“I already said I’m not an alien as in from outer space.” Kakujo 77-2 pauses, cocks his head to the side. “At least, I think I did.”

The air is thick, heavy with fog. Was it foggy here before? It has to have been. Fog so thick the treetops can’t be seen.

"Then… where are you from?"

77-2 shakes his head and doesn’t respond. Not directly, in any case. He just looks up into the fog and mutters something.

“Means strange and unfamiliar, too. Means disturbing or unknowable or weird. Unfathomable. Old with a capital O.”

"I… don't think I follow…" Scar mumbles, looking up at the fog, a chill running down his spine. None of this feels right.

“Good,” 77-2 Kakujo 77-2 says. “Don’t follow.”

"Why?" He hazards the question despite the burning in the back of his mind not to .

The fog is thick, low to the ground, swirling across the clearing and clinging to Scar’s skin, tugging at him gently. Trying to pull him somewhere.

77-2 Kakujo 77-2 Kakujo extends one hand towards him. “Bad things could happen. You’ve gotta wake up, Scar. You’ve been here too long.”

Scar stares at the hand. He doesn't notice himself leaning back slightly at the tug.

"Wake up?"

Kakujo stares at him again. Right at him, this time, red-brown eyes meeting Scar’s dead on. “Listen to me. This place. Right now. Where we are. It’s not where you want to be. You need to leave.”

You need to leave.

Chapter Text

When he woke up it was still dark out, and the sun had yet to peek over the horizon. But he had no time to wait for that.

Scar got up from the personnel bunk and left the room as quietly as he could; he didn't need Doc following him.

He made sure, though part of his brain couldn't find a good reason why , to grab food and water. And then he headed to the containment room.

Kakujo 77-2 was sitting there, back slumped against the wall the door was set into and therefore facing away from Scar. If he'd heard the man's approach, he certainly didn't react.

He paused, quite suddenly aware of how stupid of an action he was performing... but it was kind of too late to back out now.

Scar walked forward and found the keypad. His hand hovered over it for just a moment before he entered the passcode in and walked inside. He let the door shut behind him.

77-2 raised its his head, cocking it to one side in confusion. Seemed like he'd just woken up as well.

He slowly put down the tray of food and water and gently pushed it across the floor to 77-2 with his foot. But he never got any closer.

"... What… what was that?" Scar hesitated, afraid of speaking in the silence.

"Nightmare," 77-2 muttered, picking up a piece of bread and biting into it. He wasn't really eating that fast for someone who hadn't had food for four whole days. "Yours. Also mine. Not a good combination."

"Nightmares don't usually make you wake up feeling…" Scar trailed off. There wasn't a word he knew for what he felt when he had woken up. He just knew it was bad . "And dreams aren't normally shared."

77-2 shrugged. "Anything about this anything seem 'normal' to you?"

"I- y- no." Scar sighed, leaning against the door.

"...Why'd you come back, anyway?"

"I… don't know? I just - all of this - you - and -" Scar shut his eyes and muttered something foreign - Vex - under his breath.

"I just… woulda thought you'd have flooded this room with obsidian or something after that, not brought me food." He took another bite. "Thanks, though."

"Well… I mean part of me wants to yell at you. But… that might wake up Doc and…" He shook his head.

"He's gonna go nuclear if he sees you in here, right?"

"... Yeah , probably."

"Should you maybe, uh. Talk to me from out there instead?" 77-2 gestured back at the door. "Plausible deniability. You can tell him you're interrogating me."

Scar looked over at the door and shook his head again. "I won't be here long… if Doc wants to get into a screaming match later, so be it. I just… need to confirm something."

"Yeah?"

"... Kakujo , right?"

77-2 Kakujo smiled softly. "That's me."

Scar nodded. "Okay… uh… I should get going before I'm caught. Just, Kakujo, do me a favor? Please don't keep causing ruckuses. I'll... try to sort some things out, but I can't do that if you punch holes in the wall."

He shrugged. "Okay. I'll do my best. You might wanna get out of here now, though. I think I heard movement upstairs."

Scar frowned at that statement, but didn't question it. Instead he found the admin lock inside the containment unit and dug out his card before swiping it. He paused for just a moment, thinking of speaking one last word, before he left in silence.

Kakujo sighed and slumped back against the wall again, taking another bite of bread. Not the way he'd expected anything to work out, but it was progress. One down, one to go.

Chapter Text

Format - combined audio and video feed from 77-2 containment, interior and exterior.

Doc: So, you're up early.

Scar: 'The early bird catches the worm' or however that saying goes…

Doc: …You slept badly too, huh?

Scar: Did you?

Doc visibly shudders.

Doc: Awful. I won't bother you with the details.

Scar frowns and sticks his hands in his pockets.

Scar: Mmm… sorry to hear that.

Doc: Yes, well, it's irrelevant anyway. I hope you're feeling better.

Scar: Regardless, we have stuff to do today and I have things I need to take care of. If we could get it all done quickly today, it would make my life a lot easier.

Doc nods.

Doc: Agreed. Now then, do you have any of your own ideas as to how we deal with 77-2?

Scar: Keep h- it contained. Keep watch on it and study what it's up to. Until we have more information… I don't want to risk anything just yet.

Doc: …Sounds like a plan to me. I was going to interrogate it a bit more this morning, if you’d care to come with?

Scar: … Go without me. I need to figure something out-

Scar walks over to the coat rack and puts on his jacket -

Doc: Are you all right, General? It’s not like you to walk away in the face of an anomaly.

Scar pauses.

Scar: I'm fine.

Doc crosses his arms.

Doc: That’s the least convincing “I’m fine” that I have ever heard. Scar, I know you didn’t sleep well last night either, is there - something I should know?

Scar: No , Doc. I said I'm fine. I've just… got to attend to some business that I'm not looking forward to.

Doc: I see. Good luck with Cub.

Feed ends.

Chapter Text

Keralis pushed himself back away from the desk so fast that he crashed into the board-room table with the spinny chair, nearly fell out from it. It was mid-morning, he’d been planning to let Cub sleep until basically right before noon - technically still morning - but this was a Big Thing that Cub needed to know about right nowmmediately.

He dashed up the water column, easier said than done, and barrelled out into the morning. Shoot, where had Cub even been sleeping?

“ Cub! Hey! Wake up! Important thing!”

Cub, who had been sleeping in a bed tucked into the corner of the storage room, bolted up at the yelling and nearly fell out of bed.

"Who- wh- what's going on!?"

“Sorry to wake you, Cub!” Keralis dashed over, offered a hand to help him up. “I was gonna let you sleep longer, but I think your buddy Scar might be coming over.”

Cub took the hand as he processed the information.

" What ?"

“One of the feeds! Scar was talking to Doc, said he had to go do something he didn’t want to do, and then Doc said ‘Good luck with Cub’ to him!”

He grimaced, getting up and grabbing his coat. "Why on earth would he…" he muttered.

"I dunno, Doc's a pret-ty observant guy. I really do think Scar is heading over though, do you want me to make myself scarce?"

"No, no. Stay. If he wants to start an argument about it then so be it…" Cub shook his head and walked outside. "Any idea when he's gonna show up?"

“Welllllll… it takes ten minutes to head over here, right?”

"Unless he has to stop on the way, yes."

“Hmmmm…” Keralis hummed in thought. “Maybe any minute now, then.”

And he was right - it didn't take long for Scar to come gliding over the ConCorp gates.

He landed near the fountain, spotting Cub and Keralis and pausing - puzzled by the sight for just a moment.

“Hulloa, Scar!” Keralis waved, clearly not bothered by the tense situation. Sort of just takin’ it easy.

"Why is he-"

"It’s none of your business, Scar. Why are you here?"

Scar frowned. "Cub… look I'm -" he sighed. "Look, I just came here to ask for some help."

Keralis nodded like he totally understood what was going on.

“And why would I help you after you’ve done all of this?”

Scar groaned. “Cub! Look! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for it to go this far - but… there was just… It - some things have to be done. And now I’m trying to fix one of those things so please! Will you just hear me out this once!”

Cub stood there, staring at him blankly.

“Fine. Shoot.”

“You… You’re the only person I know who can successfully dig into who someone is. Well… Doc, too, but uh…”

“You don’t want him to know.”

“Yeah,” Scar mumbled, absently rubbing the back of his neck.

Cub pulled a pen and a pad of paper out of his pocket. “Do you at least have a name?”

“Yeah, yes. Kakujo.”

“Cocky Joe…” Keralis cocked his head to the side. “Why’s that sound so familiar?”

Scar looked over at Keralis. “You know him?”

“Nooo… I just think I’ve maybe heard that name before.” He tapped his chin. “If only there was something to jog my memory…”

There was silence as Scar frowned and Cub just shrugged, gesturing vaguely at Scar.

“You’re… kidding me right, you’re supporting him with this?”

“Yeah.”

Scar sighed, fishing in his inventory for his shulker box. He took it out and grabbed a few diamonds out, handing them over. “Are we good, now?”

Keralis pocketed the diamonds, then grinned. “Well, now you mention it, I do think I remember something. I talked to a villager who was saying something about him. I think they’re old friends. But I don’t know where he is right now.”

“A villager? Who?”

“Butcher villager. Really tired looking…”

“That the one you asked me about last night?” Cub asked, looking over at Keralis.

“He’s been here all night?” Scar asked, but Cub ignored him.

“Yeah. He’s a pretty private person, though. I would have to talk to him myself.” Keralis shrugged. “Plus, maybe you two need time to talk things out. So I’ll see you around!”

He immediately broke into a mad dash, vaulting over the fence gates to ConCorp before anyone could stop him, just sort of booking it before anyone asked any more questions.

Business was booming!

Chapter Text

Format - text log from the personal files of Head Researcher Docm77.

77-2 has done something to Scar. I don’t know exactly what, all I know is that there was food in its cell today and I certainly did not leave it there. Not that I begrudge it having food, if it’s going to be in long-term containment we do need to figure out what it eats, but…

Well, the point is that I didn’t feed it, so Scar must have. That worries me because, last night, Scar was the more adamant and angry one, probably more enraged than I was. Something happened, and I do not know what .

Maybe it just gave him nightmares. Maybe it gave me nightmares. I’m tempted to blame what I dreamed last night on 77-2, but somehow I’m damn near certain it’s just my own brain playing cruel jokes on me.

77-2 was… cooperative today. Maybe that’s putting it a bit strongly, since it still refused to answer basic questions like “where are you from” and “how do you know this information”, but it at least didn’t talk back or be snide at all.

Or do… whatever that was, the other day. Whatever it did that caused me to turn to the keypad and almost let that thing loose. I didn’t like that.

I’m not going to ask about it, though. Just in case it tries to do that to me again. I have to stay vigilant.

End log.

Chapter Text

Format - audio and video logs from inside Area 77 conference room.

Doc rests both of his hands on the table, robotic hand idly tapping against it with surprising delicacy.

Doc: Look, General, you would know if I was mad. I just need to know what changed between last night and now.

Scar sits opposite Doc, keeping his hands crossed over his chest.

Scar: Nothing happened, Doc. You’re being paranoid.

Doc grins, wide-toothed and unfriendly.

Doc: Am I, General? That’s very interesting . I seem to recall that, last night, you were the paranoid one. And now you’re feeling comfortable enough to leave Area 77 to go and chat with your old pal Cub.

He stands up, hands behind his back.

Doc: Now, I don’t want to get aggressive, believe me. But I need your honesty in a situation like this.

Doc: So… what happened.

Scar: I told you . I had a nightmare. I did some early rounds. I had to discuss something with Cub. That’s it . Now would you please stop breathing down my neck about this. We’ve both got more important things to do.

Doc: You know… you’re being awfully cagey about that nightmare of yours, General. We already know 77-2 is capable of manipulating people and creating cognitohazards. Would you care to tell me what you had a nightmare about , Scar?

Scar shifts in his seat.

Scar: It’s none of your business, Doc. After all, you didn’t tell me about yours either.

Doc stares at Scar, expression blank.

Doc: I didn’t tell you because it was about your little alien pet eating me alive, Scar, and you tend to not take kindly to me bringing up that it’s dangerous.

Scar stays silent for a moment, his eyes on the table.

Scar: Well… congratulations , I also had a nightmare that involved my alien. Let’s leave it there, okay?

Doc sighs and sits back down.

Doc: Fine. Fine, I’ll leave it at that. So you woke up and made your rounds early. What possessed you to go into 77-2’s containment chamber?

Scar: Well it’s not like we were smart enough to add a slot for food. We can’t exactly starve the thing if we’re trying to figure it out.

Doc: Shouldn’t you have sent it in through a shulker box?

Scar: In hindsight, yeah, probably. But it was early morning and it slipped my mind. Next time, I’ll remember.

Doc stares at Scar, looking almost disappointed somehow.

Doc: General, you do know there are security cameras inside that containment unit?

Scar goes silent. He’s clearly scolding himself mentally, but he doesn’t speak out loud.

Doc: Scar, please . 77-2 is dangerous , and you were in there talking to it. Possibly even unarmed. And yet, despite the fact that it can punch with at least the force of an End Crystal , at no point did 77-2 attempt to overpower you and escape.

Doc: I need to know how that happened. Why that happened. Exactly what occurred between now and twelve hours ago.

Scar: That’s above your clearance level, Doc .

Doc starts to laugh, low and soft like before, head tilted up towards the ceiling. When he finally lowers his head to look at Scar again, there’s a dangerous glint in his eyes and his voice is lower, more controlled.

Doc: Anything else you would like to say for 77-2, General?

Scar: I don’t speak for 77-2, Doc. I’m speaking for myself . Believe it or not I’m capable of that.

Doc stands up once more, leaning against the table with his robotic arm, tapping in an offbeat rhythm.

Doc: And I am just supposed to overlook the blatant breach in protocol, I suppose. And that you and that alien thing are capable of having a civil conversation when not even a day ago you wanted to terminate it.

Doc: Do you recall telling me to remind you never to piss me off, General?

Scar: Are you threatening me, Doc?

Doc: You’re capable of thinking for yourself. Draw your own conclusion.

Scar: I do believe threats against personnel are also breach of protocol. This meeting’s over.

Doc grins.

Doc: Agreed.

Feed ends.

Chapter Text

Format - secured line from Area 77 to ConCorp.

Cub: Hello?

Doc: Ah, have I reached the offices of ConCorp?

Cub: Yes, you have. Hi, Doc. What do you want?

Doc: Scar went over there recently. Did he act strangely at all?

Cub: Strangely how? You both have been acting strangely, all considered.

Doc sighs.

Doc: Without revealing any classified information, Area 77 is currently trying to contain an alien capable of mental manipulation. I’m worried that Scar may have been influenced by it somehow, and he won’t talk to me.

Cub: Aren’t you also dealing with that alien? If I’m honest, I don’t see why you two are doing any of this. It’s only going to end with problems.

Doc: There’s some legitimately dangerous stuff in the world, you know? We’re just trying to make sure it doesn’t hurt anyone.

Doc: And I especially don’t want your best friend to get hurt, Cub.

Silence from Cub’s end. Then a sigh.

Cub: Fine . He came over here asking if I could help him with something.

Doc: Did you agree to that request?

Cub: Yes, I did. It wasn’t that big of a request.

Doc: And what type of request was it?

Cub: He wants me to look into the name “ Kakujo ”. That’s all I know, Doc.

Doc laughs quietly.

Doc: Thank you very much for your cooperation, Cub.

Feed ends.

Chapter Text

Doc stalked the hallways of Area 77, headed right for the containment unit. The containment unit. A damned shame that now there was a “the”, but that was the hand life had dealt him and that was what he was going to roll with.

He didn’t have a lot of leverage. Not against 77-2. He had raw physical strength, maybe , and a couple of pieces of intel he could hold over the guy’s head, but that didn’t mean a lot when his own partner had already been turned against him. This conversation was going to have to be fast.

He tapped the back of his hand against the glass door of the containment unit, metal clanking against glass, and waited for 77-2 to respond as he twirled his trident in his free hand.

77-2 didn’t quite snap to attention per se, but it definitely reacted quickly, getting up from where it was sitting on the floor and heading towards the door.

“Um… hi? I thought you’d already done your daily talk slash threat thing?”

Doc grinned. “I’ve received some new intel , 77-2. Took an inconvenient amount of time, seeing as you’ve somehow managed to entrance my general-”

“Absolutely not!” 77-2 cut in, eyes wide with panic. With what appeared to be panic. “Look, I’m really sorry about what happened yesterday, but I’m not going to do that again!”

“And why not? It almost worked. You’ve already got Scar wrapped around your little finger, huh?” He leaned against the glass, tapping at it with the back of his trident. “I came to see you alone for a reason.”

77-2 was good at pretending to be scared, he’d give it that much. It took a step back, hands raised. “Woah. Woah, woah, woah. Don’t kill me.”

He laughed. “Oh, I thought you said we weren’t capable of doing that. But no, I’m not planning to go in there, and if I have my way you’re not getting out for a very long time .”

Doc took a step back, idly looking over the mechanics in his arm. “The name Kakujo mean anything to you, Inmate?”

It froze. Like a fish out of water. Like someone getting struck by a bolt from the blue. He let 77-2 stew in that silence, waited patiently for it to speak.

“How… do you know m- that name?”

“I have ways of getting information that people try to keep from me, 77-2.” He tapped one hand against the glass. “ This time, nobody had to get hurt. Are you willing to play the odds with me?”

Scar had heard talking and rounded the corner quickly, freezing at the sight.

“Doc… what are you doing?”

“Having a friendly chat with Inmate 77-2.”

Scar looked between the two, his brow furrowed. “That doesn’t look friendly to me. Doc, what’s going on?”

77-2 looked like it wanted to say something badly, and Doc tilted his head to the side. “Go on, Inmate. Explain to the good general what’s been happening here.”

It stared at him, distrusting, looking like it wanted to run very far away very fast. Good. About time someone started showing him a little respect.

“I was just -” it said, eyes flicking back and forth between Scar and Doc, clearly thrown off by everything going on “- answering a couple questions.”

Scar frowned and approached Doc carefully. "What are you up to, Doc?" he asked, his voice low. Clearly he was just as confused as 77-2, but he was also terrified of what Doc was up to. Still, he held his ground as best he could.

Doc grinned. “I’m not up to anything. I think my intentions are pretty clear.”

"You're lying , Doc, that's what you’re doing. What are you up to?"

“I’m being interrogated,” 77-2 said, looking down at the ground, “because Doc thinks I’m still manipulating you.”

“Did I say you could speak, Inmate?”

"It- he isn't manipulating me Doc! Will you please calm down!"

“I will ask you one last time, General. What happened. ” He crossed his arms, stared daggers down at Scar.

Scar scowled. " Fine , fine! The nightmare wasn't about my alien! I lied!"

Doc blinked, anger falling off his face. Clearly that hadn’t been the answer he was expecting in the slightest. “You… lied… about a dream you had? I had to get this worked up for you to tell me that ?”

Scar sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Look, Doc, I'm sorry - I - it's just - I didn't think you'd take it well. And I didn't need you up my neck while I tried to figure things out. Clearly… that didn't work out as planned."

“ Clearly, ” Doc echoed. “Well, this is a mess.” He leaned his back against the containment door, looking downright exhausted. “So, if you’re not under hypnosis, why did you change your mind about 77-2 all of a sudden?”

"... Change of heart?" Scar offered with a nervous grin and a shrug.

77-2 raised one hand.

“Go ahead.”

“He, uh -” the prisoner stammered “- showed up in my dreamscape somehow. Or I ended up in his. And I was not doing good at the time, and things got really bad, and - I just want to leave, okay? I just want to go home.”

“Noted.” Doc tilted his head back towards Scar. “Is this account correct?”

Scar nodded. "Yes. It’s accurate."

“Huh.” He shoved one hand into his pocket, raised the other one to rub the bridge of his nose as well. “Well, Inmate, you just keep getting stranger. What are we gonna do with you, huh…”

“Let me out of here?”

“ Besides that.”

Scar looked over at 77-2. "Can you… answer where you're from? We can't just let you out into the server with what you're… able to do."

“I… you know, I get that. Uh, where I’m from -”

Whatever the words were that 77-2 said, Doc didn’t hear them. Well - heard them, all right, but something about it made his vision fuzzy and his knees weak. He felt his legs crumple under him as he fell to the floor, clutching his head. Had this been a trick ? Just something to get him to lower his guard? Or was 77-2’s nature genuinely that incomprehensible?

He pushed himself up to a kneeling position, head still ringing, every part of him still unsteady. Focused entirely on using his robotic arm to keep himself from falling over a second time, he slowly and shakily got to his feet, then looked over at Scar to check and see if he was all right as well.

Scar also wasn't in great condition. He was on his knees, one hand on the floor and the other at his chest. His head was spinning and his chest felt tight. Whatever was said had also affected him just as badly.

“Are you all right?” 77-2 asked, one hand on Doc’s shoulder. He shook his head, trying to clear out the static.

“I’m fine. Just give me a moment.”

77-2 nodded, then walked over to Scar, one hand extended. “I am so sorry about that. You need any help getting up?”

Scar didn't speak, but caught his breath before shaking his head. "I'm -" he coughed, "Fine."

And then his head caught up with the situation.

He looked over at 77-2 Kakujo, staring with confusion and slowly building fear.

Doc, still steadying himself, was also starting to put two and two together; he took a shaky step backwards, eyes wide as Kakujo 77-2 Kakujo turned to him.

“You- you could have left at any time, couldn’t you,” he muttered, wishing there was more distance to put between him and Kakujo. He really, really wanted to get out of here now.

But he’d promised Cub he was going to make sure Scar didn’t get hurt, and part of that involved standing stock-still and hoping he served as enough of a distraction for Scar to run.

Except… Kakujo was advancing slowly, and his heart was jumping out of his throat, but there didn’t seem to be any murderous intent. Just - not really mirrored confusion, but an equal amount of it.

“I,” he said, “legitimately did not know I could do that.”

Doc’s head was starting to swim again, vision unfocusing. He willed himself to stick together, stay conscious, not pass out; he hefted his trident, which suddenly felt like it weighed millions of pounds.

“Get- get back in your cell, Inmate.”

Kakujo laughed softly. “I know, I know.”

Wait. That - okay, that would be why Kakujo was walking towards him. That made a little more sense now. Didn’t stop the air from feeling like it was suddenly pressurized to an extreme, crowding around him on all sides, too thick to breathe as 77-2 approached.

“You’ve gotta get some sleep, Doc. The kind without nightmares,” it he it said, tapping him gently on the forehead with the back of his its hand.

Even before his knees gave way a second time and he slumped to the ground, Doc was out cold.

Chapter Text

Format - audio log of interview between General Scar and Inmate 77-2 Kakujo. No video available.

77-2: …Scar?

Scar: …What… did you do?

77-2: I- I don’t entirely know . The containment breach thing, that is. Doc’s just asleep.

Scar: Just… just asleep?

Scar laughs, but it's borderline anxious.

Scar: Doc wouldn't just… fall asleep , Kakujo…

77-2 Kakujo: No, I mean the spell I put on him. He’s just going to sleep for about eight hours, or whatever the healthiest chunk of time is, and then he’ll wake up.

Scar: …So you… admit to doing… that.

Kakujo laughs nervously.

Kakujo: I did a lot of that in a very short timespan, and mostly by mistake. In case you didn’t notice.

Scar: You realize he's not gonna think that was a mistake when he wakes up.

Kakujo: I didn’t really think ahead, I just - he looked tired , and I heard him muttering about having a nightmare, and I felt really bad.

Scar: Still! It’s not like you asked him if he wanted to sleep! You left containment and made him! Kakujo!

Kakujo: In my defense, that was three separate and equally dumb mistakes in a row, not the same continued mistake.

Scar sighs.

Scar: Regardless… I don’t know how you plan on making yourself an innocent in this. We really cannot let you out on the server if this is the kind of stuff you do… and… I don’t want to keep you here, but I’m not so certain what Doc thinks.

Kakujo: I wasn’t super planning on acting like an innocent. I made a mistake. I’m owning up to it.

A short pause.

Kakujo: But also, I dunno how you’re going to send me home if me saying the name of the place I’m from causes, uh, whatever that was. So this… sucks?

Scar: I… don’t know what to do either. Whatever you said… or how you said it…

There’s an uncomfortable pause.

Scar: …Felt like my ribs were being compressed.

Kakujo: Ah. I- I’m sorry.

Scar: It’s… fine. I’m fine. I just… don’t know how to move forward from here. Unless Cub or Keralis or, if he’ll even cooperate, Doc has any ideas… I’m not certain how to get you home .

Kakujo: Whoof. I can’t say I didn’t expect that, but still. Forget alien, I think I might just be - like - literally not something this world can handle, period?

Scar: Yeah, sure seems like it at least. Which is… minorly disconcerting, considering some of the stuff this place does handle.

Kakujo: Like… what?

There’s a heavy silence.

Scar: …Like… the thing in the jungle… or the Vex… or Scara… a number of things.

Kakujo: Shoot. That reminds me. I - don't actually know what a Vex is?

Scar: Oh … I’m… sorry about earlier then. I assumed - what with how you spoke it… yeah.

Kakujo: Look, sometimes my brain just fills in the blanks for me and I don't actually know what the things I say mean. Like with - with the world name thing. I just sort of said it and things happened.

Scar: That’s… odd. But - uh… the Vex are - how do I put it - a group of entities I am well familiar with. And so is Cub.

Kakujo: Okay, that makes sense. And, is, Scara like, a tiny clone of you?

Scar laughs.

Scar: No! No, no! Certainly not tiny and not a clone. Scara is uh… a venus flytrap esque plant? That uh… got seriously dosed with a rocket’s radiation and uh… is now… the size of probably a four story building and sentient? And a wizard… and needs glasses - it’s a long story.

A short pause.

Kakujo: Adds up.

Kakujo: And - I get the feeling you don't wanna talk about this, so you super don't have to - the, uh, jungle thing?

There’s a pause. Longer than any before.

Kakujo: …We don't talk about the thing in the jungle. Got it.

Scar: N-no. I… sorry, I must of… spaced out there… uh… what were you asking about?

Kakujo: The… jungle - Scar, are you all right?

Scar: Fine, why? The jungle? I mean… that’s where the one crash site is…

Kakujo: The crash site of…?

Scar: The Vex! And uh… a pet.

Kakujo: The thing in the jungle.

Scar: The crash?

Another long silence.

Kakujo: Hey. Scar. Do you remember what - happened with Doc? The first time I did something weird.

Scar: …You mean when he went to the keypad? To let you out?

Kakujo: Yeah.

Scar: What about it?

An audible deep breath from Kakujo.

Kakujo: Something is looping you around a question I asked you. I don't - oh, this is about to sound really stupid…

Scar: I think… you’ve lost me, what’s going on?

Kakujo: I'm about to make my fourth dumb mistake of the day.

Scar: …What are you going to do, Kakujo?

A very, very long silence. When Kakujo speaks again, his words echo weirdly.

Kakujo: Hey, Scar? D'you think you could open the door for a moment?

Feed ends.

Chapter Text

Format -

Kakujo looks at a nonexistent watch on his wrist. By his measure, it'll be another four hours until Doc wakes up. Three to play it safe.

He turns the keycard Scar handed to him around in his hand and tilts his head towards the man.

Scar blinks and looks at Kakujo. “How… What happened?”

He shrugs. "Like with Doc. I just asked nicely."

“Then why… don’t I remember it?”

"That's what I'm confused about. You remember the dream you had, but not - not me messing with you, on purpose, while you're awake?" Kakujo shakes his head slowly. "Something's wrong."

Scar frowns. “I don’t think I follow… I do remember the dream… and us talking before whatever happened - you asked me something - but not what that was. But none of anything that has happened seems normal . So how can it be wrong?”

Kakujo laughs softly, that same tired chuckle that he made just before knocking out Doc.

"There's different types of weird. The - the fog. In your nightmare. Do you remember that?"

Scar goes still.

“ Yeah … Yeah I… I do.”

"I didn't do that, Scar. That was not me . There's- someone, something else trying to get at you. Seems like it might've gotten a chunk already."

“But… what? I… I don’t think I’ve had any other contact with cognitohazards except…”

"Except?" he prompts, letting just a little bit of power leach into his voice again.

“Before… I found out it… was doing that as well…” Scar mutters, but he doesn’t sound… all there.

"Scar. Remember what you just said. " His words ring weirdly in the large, empty room; they ricochet off the walls and make the air hum.

He flinches and shakes his head. “It was… it was before Area 77 was built… I was… taking care of… of it and… I… I don’t know why .”

Kakujo's not emphasizing his speech anymore, but everything in the containment chamber still hums with energy, like blankets made of static, when he speaks again.

"Remember that, too, please."

“It… needed to eat. Because… it was… was… stuck . In the jungle… in a pit. In the dark.”

He was really doing this, huh. He was really going to go through with this dumb thing.

"Scar, whenever you say anything about the jungle or the thing in it, I want you to remember that, okay? Don't forget."

Kakujo stands up, leans against the door and stares at Scar. "You fed it, right?"

Scar nods slowly. “Yeah. I did…” He looks pale at that thought.

"Can it hear us right now?"

“I… don’t know…”

"Then I'll have to make this really pointed," Kakujo mutters, walking over towards Scar with that same slow walk as before.

Scar doesn’t back up, just stays still, concern clear on his face despite the chill in the air.

"Scar," Kakujo says, squatting down to eye level with where the guy is sitting, "I'm about to do something very spooky, and I want you to know it's not directed at you in the slightest, okay?"

There’s a pause. And then Scar nods, slowly. “Okay.”

The world splinters. Cracks to pieces like a crystal glass dropped on the ground. And in that sea of fractured reality, something speaks-

"You will drop your ties to this man, and anyone else, and if you object, you will take it up with me."

The room shudders.

Kakujo is inside the containment cell. Scar is outside it, holding the keycard.

He’s pale as paper, standing stock-still. But he doesn’t speak.

Kakujo closes his eyes. "You all right, Scar?" he asks - no weird ringing in the air this time, no compellment, just words.

“I… yeah . Yeah… I’ll… be okay.” Scar mumbles, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head.

"Sorry about that," Kakujo says from his sitting position, leaning against the wall. "Like I said. Fourth mistake of the day."

“No, no. It’s - It’s okay. I’ll be okay. You… did what you had to.”

He shakes his head. "Nobody has to do anything. I just - like with Doc, in a way. Something was eating at you, and I - I can't tolerate things like that."

“Well… had to or not… you - you did it for good reason. That’s… thank you.”

Kakujo smiles. "No problem. Uh - shoot. What - were we talking about, before all that?"

“Um… how we’re going to try and get you home.” Scar says quietly, a small frown on his face.

He visibly deflates as well, suddenly looking very small in his very big empty chamber. "Oh. Right."

“We’ll figure something out. I promise, Kakujo.”

Kakujo grins ruefully. "You be careful making big promises like that, Scar."

Feed ends.

Chapter Text

Format - video feed from stealth drone overlooking Keralis’s house. No audio available.

Doc, looking from side to side furtively, steps up to the door and knocks. Keralis stands at the door, and they speak through some sort of intercom for a while before Keralis opens the door.

Doc stands outside, and gestures towards a small pile of diamond blocks in one corner. Keralis’s pupils dilate; he narrows his eyes at Doc, crossing his arms. Doc says something that seems to reassure him, then turns his back, waving his robotic arm in the air dismissively as he walks away.

Feed ends.

Chapter Text

A proximity alarm had tripped, waking Doc from his nap. He’d rubbed the bridge of his nose, explained he was still a little groggy and that Scar should go deal with it, he’d catch up later.

This was, of course, a whole entire lie.

He picked up his trident from where it was resting against the side of his bunk - Scar had somehow gotten him all the way over here while he was still out like a light - and stretched, shoulder popping.

To be charitable: he had in fact not slept without nightmares in a long time, and 77-2 had in fact caused him to do just that. He felt straight-up refreshed. It was weird .

Which - especially as he checked the pocket screen, the logs of what had happened while he was asleep still pulled up - was why he needed to have a private chat with the man, without Scar interrupting.

Hence, the proximity alarm mysteriously going off.

Doc had no idea how much time was being bought for him right now, so he was going to have to move fast; he took off into a run down one hall, headed towards - where else - 77-2’s containment chamber.

77-2 didn’t seem to notice him approaching, probably because it he was sitting with his back against the door. Doc leaned his trident against the ground, idly tilted it back and forth, and knocked on the glass.

77-2 jumped like he’d just been hit with a bolt of lightning, scrambling back away from the door. Doc sighed and rubbed his temples.

“I’m not gonna attack you, Inmate.”

“That’d be a first,” he responded, looking around the room nervously. Probably trying to figure out an escape route.

He’d have to go through Doc first.

“First time for everything. Speaking of which -” he leaned forward, one hand on his chin and the other on his trident “- your name’s Kakujo, yeah?”

“Y...es?”

“All right, Kakujo. D’you want to tell me how you managed to breach containment with an anti-teleportation field in place?”

77-2 Kakujo frowned, staring at the floor like it was mocking him. “I would like to, but the honest truth is that I have no idea. I just - just sort of went, ‘oh shoot, Scar and Doc fell over, I’ve got to help them up’ and then - then I wasn’t in the cell anymore?”

Doc nodded. “I can’t exactly disprove that. And, if I review the tapes - you mentioned that you put some sort of sleep curse on me?”

“You - have tapes, huh.” Kakujo grimaced, but nodded back.

“Yes. We’ve got cameras up all around Area 77. For obvious reasons. Which brings me to my third question.” Doc squatted down, still balancing his trident tip-down as he stared at Kakujo. “This one works better if I can show you a visual.”

“You’re not going to stab me again, are you?”

“I’m not going to stab you again unless you give me a good reason to, 77-2.”

Kakujo winced, then sighed and scooted closer to the door again. “Alright. Shoot.”

“Video logs show that, after I passed out, you somehow got Scar to enter containment with you, took his keycard, and then talked for several minutes. All of which is concerning enough, but then , about fifteen seconds after Scar says something -”

He held up his pocket screen, showing the recording. “The feed blanks out for half a freaking hour . That’s a lot of lost time, Kakujo. And when Scar came in because he thought he was waking me up during the alarm period, he was very pale.”

Kakujo stared at him, face impassive.

“You wanna tell me why we had no video footage for thirty minutes, Inmate?”

After having a rather annoying time getting Keralis to leave, Scar had wanted to come back to calm just once . Course, he couldn’t have that.

“Doc?” He rounded the hallway and stopped, staring - but this time he wasn’t going to just stand again. Instead, he walked forward and grabbed Doc’s arm, the one holding the trident.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice low.

“We lost half an hour of footage while I was asleep, shortly after you entered the containment room again ,” Doc said, putting his robotic hand over Scar’s and very slowly prying the man off him. “You can’t keep me in the dark and expect me not to worry, or draw my own conclusions.”

“I didn’t try to keep you in the dark, Doc. You were out like a light, what was I going to do? Wake you up?”

“Clearly not, but some sort of documentation would be nice. Do you know how it feels to wake up, check security logs, and see that a known cognitohazard has done the same exact thing to you as to me, and then have those tapes blank out? Scar, you’re still ridiculously pale. What happened? ” He didn’t sound particularly angry this time, just sort of worried and very stressed out.

Scar sighed. “Look, Doc, I’m - I’m sorry. This has been… a stressful week, but… it’s not easy to explain what happened either. I’m… still trying to understand it myself.” He paused for a moment, looking over at Kakujo. “But I promise you I’m fine.”

“You understand that’s really hard to take at face value, yeah?” He shook his head slowly. “I got knocked out by him tapping me on the forehead . You were in there for at least ten minutes, and that’s if I assume you left immediately after the feed cut out.”

“I’m being honest with you Doc, he didn’t do anything wrong.” Scar said, looking back at Doc. “He was just… helping with something. I’m sorry that the feed cut out, I didn’t know it cut out. Believe me if I did, I would have tried to repair it, but it wasn’t really on my mind last night.”

“And what was?”

Kakujo made a face that was very clearly a “I know something but it’s not my place to say” expression; Doc elected to ignore it.

“... Doc… I think I owe you an apology.”

Doc tried very hard to look unsurprised. “For?”

“For… ignoring your concerns about… that… thing … in the jungle.” Scar muttered, not meeting his eyes as he tried very hard to keep himself grounded in reality and not in fear.

“In his defense,” Kakujo said, clearing his throat, “he was literally unable to not ignore those concerns. It - did something to his memories, I’m still not sure exactly what .”

Doc stood up, put one hand on Scar’s shoulder and let it rest there. “Scar, is that true?”

Scar nodded slowly, not speaking. Afraid to do so. Eventually, though, he did manage something, a small and quiet “ I’m sorry. ”

“Alright, General. Bring it in.” He dropped his trident, opened his arms. “You’ve had a hell of a long half-week.”

Scar accepted the hug quietly. “I’m sorry - I’m - I’m really sorry Doc, I should have listened to you about that…”

“I’m gonna take Kakujo’s word for it and assume you were incapable of doing so. Either way, I forgive you.” He sort of awkwardly disengaged from the hug after a few moments, patting Scar on the shoulder one last time.

The man on the other side of the glass gave him a smug smile and raised one eyebrow. “Don’t forget to pick up your trident, Doc.”

“Shut up,” he responded, without even a trace of malice in his tone.

“Re - regardless, I think…” Scar hesitated for a moment, trying to find a way to explain what he was about to suggest without causing chaos. “I think… we should let him go.”

Doc raised an eyebrow, then tapped his own forehead. “You, uh, sure about that?”

Scar looked over at Kakujo before looking back at Doc and nodding.

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

Doc stared at the keypad for a very long time before typing in four digits and stepping back as the door opened. “All right, Inmate 77-2 - Kakujo. You’re free to go.”

Kakujo stared at him, confused and suspicious. “This is a test.”

Scar shook his head. “No - no, not on my end. I… you’ve done more for me than I can for you. I… I don’t know how to get you home, Kakujo. Not without a lot more help than I have. I want to get you home, I promise that. But I’m going to need your help.”

“Doc?”

He grinned, crossing his arms. “You draw your own conclusions, Kakujo. All I can say is, ah - we’re pretty understaffed around here, you know?”

Scar laughed lightly and turned to Kakujo, one hand in his pocket and the other held out. “I guess… welcome to Area 77, General Kakujo.”

Kakujo shook Scar’s hand, utter disbelief on his face. “You’re kidding me. Doc? Are you messing with me?”

Doc just shrugged and stuck out his own hand. “Hey - if you can’t contain ‘em, hire ‘em.”

Feed ends.