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He could still remember that day, he knew everyone else could too. The day everything went wrong.
The bandicoots had interfered with their plans yet again, and they managed to break into Cortex Power, which was already unstable from Pinstripe's outburst so long ago. No one was careful during that encounter, so it was hard to place the blame on any one person. The entire power plant was blown sky-high, no one was left unscathed from the initial fireball, but the worst had yet to come. The radiation that had been building inside Cortex Power for years was finally released, inflicting a nuclear apocalypse across the globe. No one was spared.
N.Gin had those dreadful thoughts on his mind as he hobbled through their shelter, though Cortex called it their 'base'. Cortex Castle was a radiation hotspot, so it was uninhabitable, forcing the whole team to leave, so they were some place entirely new. From what Gin could tell, it was a sort of underwater fortress, though 'fortress' may be an exaggeration, it was more of a military base and it was no longer underwater, as the sea surrounding it dried up at a scarily fast pace.
The cluster of buildings came in handy, as they were already equipped with a great deal of supplies and systems, at least giving the team a fair start. Though the supplies would come in handy, the group knew that they wouldn't last, so they immediately set off on making rules and planning scavenging routes for future use. With those in place, life went on, in spite of the horrendous ways the world around them twisted and deformed.
Even certain members of the group had been twisted as well, thanks to the radiation that the explosion released. Dingodile was more crocodile than before, hardly any of his dingo attributes showed. Brio's mutations became permanent, though he remained the same size and shape, he became amphibious and needed a personal aquifer to prevent himself from drying out. Even Gin himself changed, though not in major ways. Much like almost everyone else, he needed new cybernetics, specifically his right arm and the missile in his head needed to be replaced.
His missile was heavily damaged in the explosion -though N.Tropy unintentionally blocked most of it from him and took the brunt of it- so, it had to be removed lest its damaged systems cause it to detonate, or cause even worse damage to N.Gin's skull and brain than it did upon entry. The removal process was stressful, but successful, and a new, engine-like replacement was implanted where it once stood, keeping N.Gin's life support system in place.
Gin's trip down memory lane was interrupted by a series of clanging noises nearby, which he almost wanted to ignore, but there was a chance it could be him...
N.Tropy had it the worst in the group when Cortex Power was destroyed. He was the last to evacuate the building, in favor of ensuring everyone else escaped -Gin still had no idea why he did so, it was odd- so the fireball hit him the hardest. His armor was destroyed, his entire left arm, robotic and otherwise was ravaged, later having to be completely removed at the shoulder due to an untreatable infection. Even after replacing his arm, his condition seemed to only get worse and worse, everyone could see it.
The once proud doctor was unfocused, clearly in pain, and started showing up less and less to group meetings, until he stopped going altogether. He was still alive, that was obvious, as his rations were still being taken, as well as a hearty mountain of pain medications of varying types. Tropy had holed himself up in the two-storeyed medical bay, the lower floor for actual work, the second for observation, so it was assumed that he appointed himself as their pseudo-medic, as he had experience with certain medical conditions and prosthetics.
Gin had to admit, he missed the lofty man, the only other doctor that didn't treat him as a pest. So, the small chance that the clanging was him, finally out of the medbay and into the rest of the base, filled N.Gin with a sort of excitement. So, he hopped over to the doorway that the noise was coming from and peeked around the edge, but what he saw startled him.
It was clearly N.Tropy, though Gin could only see his silhouette in the darkness, but something was just... off. There was a dreadfully heavy and tense feeling around him, as though he was angry or depressed and the feelings just seeped out of him in waves. That wasn't all, visually, there were things wrong too. Though every small detail was lost, there were still glaring differences to be found, such as he was much taller than before, he had to hunch over to fit in the room even though it was over seven feet tall.
But one of the most eerie things about him was the noises he was making. Tropy was lowly muttering to himself, occasionally pausing to breathe, which in itself was disturbing as it was a horrible choking, hissing, gurgling combination. There was also the sound of nails tapping on metal- did Tropy take off his glove? The worst sound to be heard though, was the crackling. It wasn't the cracking of a fire, or electricity, but of bones- like someone was constantly cracking their knuckles or neck. The persistent twitching of N.Tropy's head implied that the cracking was completely unintentional.
Startled from what he could see and hear of N.Tropy, Gin unintentionally let out a wheeze, catching the time traveler's attention. Instead of turning around to face him, only Tropy's head moved, twisting around, past its typical 90 degrees, without any sign of Tropy's body moving to account for it.
Having noticed N.Gin, Tropy lurched further into the darkness of the storage room, and by the time Gin managed to flip the unnecessarily heavy light switch, he was gone. Seeing his comrade in such a state had N.Gin shaking, he couldn't understand what had happened. The last time he saw N.Tropy, he was the same he always had been, only more stressed, more pale, and mostly unresponsive- whatever it was that N.Gin just saw must've happened as Tropy hid himself away.
Suddenly, all of the pain he was in made sense. Even after recovering from the initial damage, the mutations slowly taking place would certainly not be pleasant. The thought of N.Tropy going through such pain alone caused Gin's heart to twist in his chest. But, there was no point in following him, Gin figured. Tropy ran away as soon as he realized he was being watched, who knew what would happen if he was cornered, unable to hide himself away from prying eyes?
Gin didn't want to find out, least of all be a cause for Tropy's distress. However, he did still miss the tallest doctor, his closest companion, the only reason Gin even considered escaping Cortex Power. So, he came up with an idea. Quickly, he found a sufficiently functioning tablet, which was initially meant to keep track of the supplies before everything ended. Carefully, he thought about what he should write, it couldn't just be some drivel, Tropy deserved better. Then, it struck him, he'd update Tropy on what was going on outside of the Medbay... As well as admitting his feelings on Tropy's hiding.
After he wrote down the message, he placed the tablet in the box of supplies that N.Tropy was rummaging through, confident that he'd return later that night, after everyone had gone to sleep. With that done, N.Gin went about his day as normal, ensuring that their generators were properly functioning, and that each and every door responded to commands- though he left the Medbay doors untouched.
Despite how distressing Tropy's situation was, N.Gin was just happy that he was out, about, and alive. On the way to his quarters, an abandoned submarine hangar, he spotted Dingodile outside of the storage room, his mechanical tail swishing back and forth with great interest. What was that brute doing? Whatever it was, Gin ignored him for the time being and went to his quarters, stifling a yawn. It was there that he went to sleep with a smile on his face, he had good dreams for the first time in a long time.
Hissing and coughing, he hid the best that he could. N.Gin saw him. N.Gin saw him! Tropy couldn't believe he allowed such a thing to happen, after all of his efforts to remain tucked away in the darkness. He managed to get to the Medical Bay without anyone else spotting him, and it seemed that N.Gin lost him on the way, if he even tried to follow along in the first place. Unnerved by the new development, Tropy approached one of the many counters lining the lower level of the bay. It was covered with different devices, meant to identify symptoms of different illnesses and injuries.
Looking over the little devices hurt his head, all of the bright lights that they gave off, constantly blinking and changing, made him feel dizzy. But he had to pay attention to them. Tropy had been using them to keep an eye on his own condition, and to hold out for the hope that he could return to how he used to be one day. That he wouldn't have to hide. That it would all just be a bad dream, a fleeting memory.
With a whine, he started hacking and coughing, harder than before. As quickly as he could, he grabbed a nearby cloth, grabbing it with two of his hands, no matter how unnecessary that was. He coughed into it, ignoring the stench of chlorine it carried and brushing aside the fact that it was quickly covered by the smell of copper. As his coughing fit ended, N.Tropy pulled the cloth away and sighed, seeing gooey strands of blood, saliva and mucus connect his mouth and nose to the newly soaked cloth.
Seeing the mass of blood, and feeling the strong aching in his chest, Tropy reached for a scanner with his robotic hand, breaking the strands of gunk, tossing the rag away and wiping the blood from his face as he did so. After retrieving it, he scanned his chest, ignoring the buzzing he felt as the rays of the scanner reacted with his stitches and augments. Once the scan was complete, he looked over the display, eager to see what was wrong this time. His lungs were filling with blood clots, again, and his stomach muscles were straining, riddled with ulcers, tears and even a couple tumors, though none managed to get into his stomach's insides. He guessed that it'd rupture soon, so he'd need a new stomach and lungs before long.
Problem was, where would he get those vital organs? Though he was already unwilling to ask, N.Tropy knew that no one would agree to donating to him if he did, especially considering he had no replacements made, so the donors would perish shortly after the operation. He couldn't simply take organs from people already passed, he tried when his heart started beating irregularly, but the dead organs were already useless, but not because of decay. They were all having problems similar to Tropy's, though there were a few differences, such as a body being infected with the Ophiocordyceps fungus, and another showing signs of the aftermath of rabies. It certainly was peculiar, but interesting nonetheless. He ended up putting together a pacemaker instead.
Ultimately, Tropy found that there was nothing he could do, as he had no time to build replacement organs. The damage would be done in a few days time, so, with a gurgling sigh, Tropy resigned himself to his fate and curled up, tucked into the corner of the ceiling beneath the observation level.
He hated what he'd become, and he despised more that such changes were killing him. Sure, having a new arm sprout from your right shoulder came in handy, as well as the large, dragonfly wings and scales that came along with it. But, the singular, sharp horn growing out of his temple and a new eye appearing beneath his pre-existing left one was a bit much. Not to mention the change in his size. Tropy swore he'd never felt such pain before, especially never over such a long period of time.
Digging his new claws in the metal of the ceiling above/below him, Tropy thought about N.Gin. What went through his head when he saw Tropy? Was he afraid, relieved? Did Gin even realize that it was him? Would Gin ever find his body, and would he care? He hummed, which was a scratchy, hissing noise, thanks to the tubes inserted in the side of his neck. One carried blood, the other carried oxygen, for whenever Tropy needed to operate on himself.
That hum quickly turned into another coughing fit, which left N.Tropy's entire abdomen a shaking, burning mess. There was no way that he'd let himself suffer through his last few days. Unfortunately, he was unable to get his much-needed painkillers before N.Gin showed up, so he still had to go out and get them. Despite the searing pain he was in, Tropy decided to wait until everyone was asleep, so that it was certain that no one would see him.
Exhausted from his coughing fits, he curled into himself and napped until night fell.
Sneaking around the base at night was relatively easy, as most of the team despised going anywhere alone at night. Tropy had even heard Cortex and Tiny discussing monsters lurking about at night. He almost laughed when he heard, after all, he was the monster they were talking about. Though, he supposed they wouldn't have to worry before long... considering he was going to die in a few days.
Scuttling across the ceiling was surprisingly quick, as Tropy found himself in the storage room yet again. The lights remained on, to ensure people could find whatever they needed at any point of time, and since no one was awake, N.Tropy figured he could leave them on. Silently, he dropped himself down from the ceiling and crept over to the crate of medications. Though, he spotted something odd inside. An old tablet.
Part of him wanted to look for the blasted painkillers he needed, but another part said to take a look through the tablet's log, see what there was to see. What was the harm? It's not like he'd live to regret it. Oh, but he did. He regretted looking, as he felt his heart seize as he read the message left behind.
'Doctor Tropy, it's been some time since I've seen you out and about, so I thought I'd leave you this message as a sort of update, considering you may have missed a few things around here.
Hardly anything has changed with the rest of us, though Nina has become more rebellious as the days go by, it frustrates Doctor Cortex to no end! Doctor Brio seems to enjoy it the most. Speaking of, he's been quiet lately. I'm worried about him. I hope he's getting enough water. The scavenging is going well, Tiny and Dingodile take care of that, and so far they've found a whole stash of MREs! Enough for another six months if we keep to our rationing. I, myself have been doing my usual rounds, but I left the Medbay alone. I figured that you must've been spooked by my sudden appearance. I apologize for that, by the way... But enough about all of that!
I saw you here, in the storage room, but you have nothing to fear! I only saw your silhouette, no major details or anything of the sort! Though I would like to ask, is that why you've been hiding? I assure you, there is no need. If it makes you comfortable, I suppose it works... Ultimately it is your decision. I just wanted to let you know that I miss having you around. You were such a voice of reason for us, even if no one else realized it. I wish that you weren't afraid, that you'd stay out here with us. Is that how you feel? Afraid? I understand if so... But, if there's anyone you can talk to, it's me! It doesn't even need to be face to face! We can talk through this tablet, from night to night. I just want you back need you back miss having you around. It'd help me a great deal, knowing that you're okay. So please, don't hesitate to write me back, or even go out and find me. I'm still here, Doctor.
Your comrade friend, N.Gin'
The message was written with a stylus, as every word was clearly by hand. They were messy and clearly written hastily, something that he knew N.Gin did regularly before their plans went awry. Knowing that he was missed, that he was actually on someone's mind, struck him. Tropy was doomed to die in a few days and leave his friend forever, and that fact cause a dull aching in his chest, aside from the burning in his lungs and the pulling of his stitches.
He wanted to talk to N.Gin. Tell him the harsh truth, but Tropy didn't want to break the small igor, or put any unnecessary weight on his already burdened shoulders. So, he decided to play along with the glimmer of hope in the message left behind. He answered Gin's questions and asked his own, as well as expressing his own feelings on the matter. As he wrote his signature, completing his missive, a drop of water met the screen, then another, and another.
Blinking, Tropy finally noticed his shaky breathing, the sheen covering his vision, and the tears running down his faces in jagged lines. He was crying. He hadn't realized how he felt until he wrote it down. He was afraid. Of what, he wasn't entirely sure. Death? Pain? He couldn't tell anymore, if he ever even knew. Nefarious was lying to his only friend left, dragging him along, only to be crushed by the truth. Should he rewrite everything? Risk witnessing the upcoming misery, or die before the consequences can catch up to him? But why did he care so much?
Wiping the tears from his eyes, he clenched his jaws, trying to figure out the answer. Why did he care? To read the message, to write back, to cry about it, to worry about the outcome? Tropy let his breathing slow as he took note of the answer. He already knew why. N.Gin was his friend, his companion, the only person he gave a damn about anymore. The thought of never seeing him again hurt, more than anything mutations could inflict.
Ultimately, he decided to leave his message the way it was, let N.Gin enjoy their remaining time, blissfully ignorant. Perhaps the littlest doctor would find it easier to accept his death after it was already over and done with? Tropy could only hope. That's all they had anymore. Hope that things could be better, for one another, if not for themselves.
Taking a shaky breath, Nefarious stood, jolting when he felt his head hit the ceiling. Adjusting to the room's meager height, he quickly fund the painkillers he desperately needed and left the storage room, taking the tablet with him. Yet again, he crawled along the ceilings, quietly chuckling as he heard a startled squeak come from Cortex's quarters, though that chuckle quickly became wheezing. Ever so carefully, he dropped to the floor outside of the submarine hangar, which N.Gin called his.
As quietly as he could, he opened the steel doors, cringing at the metal screeching as it ground together. Though, as though by some sort of miracle, N.Gin stayed asleep, beneath one of the work desks around the hangar. Tropy couldn't help but softly smile at the sight of his friend, sleeping soundly. He was adorable. Sadly, his thoughts were interrupted when he was zapped by his pacemaker due to his heart beginning to beat too quickly.
Taking a breath, he calmed down and approached the sleeping igor. Despite the changes to his appearance, such as the lack of hair, he couldn't help but find Gin sleeping to be cute. It was odd, certainly, but he wouldn't complain. He didn't want to. Shaking his head as he realized he was getting distracted, N.Tropy placed the tablet next to Gin's pillow so that it'd be the first thing he saw when he woke up.
Still smiling, Tropy scuttled out of the room, and back to the Medbay. His mission was a success, and hopefully he'd get to enjoy it for a while. Finally back in the dark void of the bay, Tropy let his wings stretch, each wing being about two meters in length. Surprisingly, keeping them flat on his back was a great effort, as they always seemed to want to flutter and give off their noisy buzzing, even if just for a few moments. Not great for being stealthy.
After letting them relax, he strolled over to one of the many counters in the room and grabbed the scanner again. Might as well see how bad he was. Once again, he ignored the dull buzzing along his stitches, and looked over the display once the scan was complete. To no surprise, his condition had worsened. Though, not in his lungs, he suspected they were about as bad as they could get. However, his stomach was horrendous, almost unrecognizable with how mangled it was. It looked like a disease in its own right, covered in tumors and ulcers, all pulsing along with his heartbeat. The outer lining of it had also begun to tear, showing the layers of the organ's wall, all strangely smooth in comparison to the practically armored outer layer.
Hissing through his two rows of teeth, Tropy put down the scanner in disgust. That thing was inside of him, it was a part of him. It made him want to hurl, but he resisted the urge, it'd probably trigger the rupture and kill him faster. For a moment, he wondered how that would feel, and organ shredding apart while still inside of its owner. He doubted it'd be anything less than agonizing. Though he figured he'd find out in a few days.
As he thought about his limited future, he gulped down a few of the painkillers he'd taken, hoping that they'd still have some sort of effect. As he sulked in the bay, he couldn't help but let his inner row of teeth grind against each other, occasionally bumping into the outer layer. As he waited for the pain to subside, he found his thoughts wandering to N.Gin again.
Would he be okay after Nefarious was gone? How long would it take for him to move on, if he had the need to move on in the first place? Would he commit to an autopsy? Would he care to try? What would happen after it was all over? Tropy supposed that he'd never know, all of those questions fluttering about in his head, never to be answered. After some of his simmering, worsening his mood, the pain in his chest subsided and it felt like he could breathe easier.
With that, he clung to the ceiling, below the observation ring, and curled up into a ball to fall asleep once more. It's not like he had anything else to do.
N.Gin woke up to a small surprise by his pillow. The tablet that he left in the storage room, with red fingerprints staining its edges, which was new. With a grin, he suspected that N.Tropy had found it, maybe he responded? Eager to see, he turned it on and found Tropy's elegant, flowing lines, though strangely shaky and ragged. Ignoring the oddity, he read through Tropy's message with out pause.
'N.Gin. I appreciate your message, and the update that came with it. You know I hate not knowing things.
I'm glad to hear that Cortex is getting frustrated, it's always been so amusing to me, and the discovery of the MREs is an excellent development. For the next outing of those two, I suggest they head to the shipwreck nearby. From what I can tell, it hasn't been raided yet. And, as for Brio... I'm not surprised. He's surrounded by those he'd considered enemies for years, suddenly depending on them would be jarring to anybody. Just give him some time, hopefully he'll adapt to the changes as I did. As for our encounter, there is no reason to apologize, I wasn't afraid, just unprepared to be seen by someone else. That's not your fault. Though, I appreciate you taking my feelings into consideration.
I am relieved that you saw nothing. To answer your question, yes, my mutations are why I am hiding. I'm a monster compared to what I used to be, and I despise it so. I'd rather hide in the shadows than be seen by anyone, let alone you. I'd hate to frighten you, you don't deserve such treatment from anyone. I am touched that you think so highly of me, and I want you to know I see you in the same way. You seem to be the only one able to ease my temper. I... honestly don't know how I feel about this, other than disgust. Though I suppose 'afraid' is the closest thing to the answer.
To be completely honest, I miss having you around as well. My condition would be so much easier to handle with a friend by my side. I don't want to rely on this piece of plastic, so... You may enter the Medbay, and we can talk there, hidden in the shadows. I'm glad that you reached out to me, I would never have done this otherwise. To have someone to talk to, now, after everything that has happened, is a gift. One that I do not deserve, but one that I won't turn away. And, though I may not say it outright, face to face, I missed you as well, N.Gin.
Your friend, for better or for worse, Doctor Nefarious Tropy.'
The message left N.Gin grinning, as he stood up from his 'bed'. Of course Tropy would leave behind a proper signature, even after the world ended. Giddy and excited, Gin set off on his day. When his duties of the day were completed, he could slink off to the Medbay and talk with N.Tropy properly. He wondered what Tropy'd sound like, as his breathing sounded horribly painful on its own. Would he even be able to talk? Well, Gin figured he'd find out.
As the day went on, Gin kept a smile on his face, eagerly completing his tasks in anticipation for his visit. As he was checking the stock of the rations, he noticed Brio grab his. He guessed that Brio was just hungry, so he let it be, he'd just have to ensure that Brio didn't take anything later at the designated eating time. He noticed Dingodile there too, though he didn't take anything. He only watched Brio, his tail swishing back and forth like the night before. It was unsettling to say the least, so N.Gin scampered off to finish his jobs.
All of his jobs were completed with checking each door's functionality, like the night before. On the way to the Medical Bay, he grabbed his rations and figured N.Tropy would snag his when everyone fell asleep. Taking someone else rations was suspicious anyway, so he couldn't bring Tropy's food with him to the bay. Once Gin arrived, he checked on the door's inner-workings before knocking.
"Come in." was the muffled response he got, and he quickly stepped inside, closing the steel door behind him.
Looking around the large, dark room, Gin couldn't see N.Tropy at all. He must've been hiding in the dark corners of the room.
"So, you decided to come visit me after all." N.Tropy wheezed. He sounded like he just woke up.
"Yes. I've been looking forward to see- hearing you all day." N.Gin admitted, still grinning. His cheeks were starting to hurt.
"All day? You really are devoted..." Gin heard, though it was said so quietly.
Afterward, it seemed like Tropy was just trying to breathe. N.Gin almost left, as to not disturb him, but then N.Tropy spoke again, and from the darkness, Gin saw three glowing yellow eyes from below the observation deck.
"I'm surprised you haven't asked any questions yet. Did Cortex finally break you...?" he yawned, and the three eyes closed briefly before opening again, but more clouded than before. Tropy certainly seemed tired.
"Oh. I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable, or anything... hehehe..." He muttered, shuffling closer to the middle of the room. "Though... I was wondering... Does it hurt at all?"
"Yes. Most days are agonizing, so I tend to take heaps of painkillers." Tropy groaned, and a hissing, gurgling noise surfaced, causing Gin to look around, trying to find its source.
"Don't bother looking, that was me. I... needed to augment myself quite a bit. To adapt to everything and ensure that I could still function properly." he explained, wheezing ever so slightly. Gin wasn't used to hearing those noises from anyone other than himself, he found it disturbing.
They continued to talk for some time, whether it was about Nefarious' condition, or the happenings in the base didn't matter. Not to them at least. They had company, company that gave a damn, and it was refreshing. But, the moment was horrendously ruined.
N.Gin heard a muffled bang, which was quickly followed by a pained cry from N.Tropy before he seemingly fell over. All he saw was the set of eyes drop and land somewhere behind an operating table. There was a duo of loud thuds as the doctor crashed into a counter and landed on the cold floor. As quickly as he could, N.Gin scurried over to where N.Tropy had landed, and due to the angle, Gin could actually see him in detail.
His labcoat barely fit anymore due to his increased height and overall size, and underneath the straining fabric Gin could see stitches, there even were some across Tropy's throat, keeping a couple of thick tubes in place, one filled with blood, the other seemingly empty. He also appeared to have grown clumps of scales, as there were quite a few clusters scattered across his form, one could be seen on his wrist, another surrounding the horn protruding from his temple. It was clear that his mutations had to do with some sort of bug, because he had a very impressive set of wings twitching on his back.
Despite it all, he still rushed over to help N.Tropy, but he paused when he heard Tropy's hisses.
"Damn it... Why did it have to happen today? Now? It was supposed to hold until tomorrow..." was said under his breath, as he clutched his chest and stomach with his two right, clawed hands. Blood was dripping out of his mouth, where an inner set of teeth kept opening and closing, when the outer set mostly remained open.
"What? What happened? Are you alright, doctor?" Gin prodded, tugging on Tropy's mechanical arm in a vain attempt at getting him to stand.
"No. I'm not alright... My stomach... just exploded." he growled, before going through one of the most violent coughing fits Gin had ever seen, sending a terrifying amount of blood over the floor, even some chunks of flesh were spat up.
"I estimated it'd happen tomorrow... I never thought that... It'd happen today... In front of you..." he choked, head hanging in shame, or exhaustion. Gin couldn't tell.
"Well, can't we do something!? We can't just let you-" Gin started, but Tropy interrupted,
"No. There are no suitable replacements that I can retrieve... I couldn't get one if I tried, certainly... not now..." as he finished, he went into another coughing fit, and even more blood splattered out, some even getting on Gin.
"But... But won't you die?" he stammered, resorting to resting both hands on Tropy's shoulder, a silent reminder of his presence.
Nefarious didn't respond verbally, only nodding in defeat. Gin could feel his own breathing pick up as the situation truly hit him. N.Tropy was dying in front of him, and there was nothing that could be done about it. His heaving turned into sobbing and he subconsciously clutched Tropy's arm, as though it would accomplish something.
Despite being disoriented from pain and blood loss, Tropy was fully aware of N.Gin's condition. His logical mind was clouded, refusing to function, so his emotions forced him to act. He wrapped N.Gin in his arms and held him close, ignoring the startled squeak the smaller man made and the blood still trickling out of his mouth. He loved the little man too much to let him go yet. Please, let him stay a little bit longer...
Suddenly, the door to the bay opened and Dingodile entered, dragging N.Brio along with him. Tiny, Nina and Cortex watched from the doorway, a mix of interest and fear on their faces. From what could be seen of them, anyway.
"This bloke decided to steal your rations, Tropy." Dingodile snarled, shoving Brio forward.
Brio said nothing in response, only staring at Tropy in fear and confusion. Gin looked up to N.Tropy and saw him blink a couple of times as he tried to make sense of what was going on around him. Though, a look of eager madness soon bloomed across his face. N.Gin knew that look. The look of an idea, a truly mad one.
See, when they first made the rules, the group all agreed that should anyone transgress someone else in the group, the offended party had the right to punish the offender in any way they pleased. Certainly, Brio had some functioning organs? A clear set of lungs? A whole stomach? With that grin on his face, Tropy shoved N.Gin away and stood, despite how clearly unsteady he was.
"He did, did he?" Tropy drawled, wiping the blood off of his face with his wrist. Everyone seemed terrified of his appearance, except N.Gin. That's all that really mattered.
Dingodile nodded and left, not wanting to know what was going on in depth. Politely, he closed the door behind him, as Tropy's mad gaze and Brio's fearful one met. In a flash, Tropy leaped over the operating table and all but threw Brio onto it, fueled by adrenaline. A second chance, an involuntary donor. It worked perfectly in N.Tropy's deteriorated mind. Once he came out of his stupor, he'd think differently. Maybe.
At the moment, he tied N.Brio down to the table and quickly searched for a suitable surgical tool. A bone saw? That'd work, but not for the more careful cuts. His strong, sharp claws would be suitable for that. Immediately, he went to work, not bothering to ease his victim's pain, oblivious to N.Gin's continued presence. Gin wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse.
Tropy had no time to worry about Brio's screams bothering his friend, nor the blood splattering everywhere. Nor about Gin's qualms about Tropy tearing himself open, revealing a set of bloodied lungs behind a ribcage held together by staples, and a notable gap in his mess of a digestive system, the gunk that was once his stomach spilling over his intestines and splatting onto the floor and operating table. Gin watched as Tropy quickly, but ever so carefully removed Brio's stomach to replace his own, and was ever aware that Brio was watching it, himself, as he was still conscious somehow.
After that, Tropy unceremoniously ripped his own lungs out and swiftly replaced them with Brio's, immediately causing his periods of screaming to become choking and sputtering. Without bothering to tend to Brio's wounds, Nefarious strode over to one of the surrounding counters and produced a needle and quite a bit of thread, as well as a bone-stapler. He sewed and stapled himself back together, being sure to clear out his old stomach's ruined structure before sealing himself up completely.
He was so engrossed in watching N.Tropy operate on himself that Gin failed to notice that N.Brio had gone totally quiet. He was dead, murdered by the huge figure before him.
"Now... the immunosuppressants..." Tropy muttered to himself, rummaging through a medicine cupboard, tossing the ones he didn't need away.
Once he found what he was looking for, he downed five. Exhausted from his sudden burst of energy, Nefarious slowly sat down and seemed to lose focus. Hesitantly, N.Gin stood and tried to creep over to him, without setting off another episode of such violent behavior. Despite how quiet he was trying to be, Tropy still noticed him, though it seemed to take a moment to realize who or what he was seeing.
Still clearly out of it, he looked over to the operating table for a few moments, before looking back to Gin. Then, he sighed and looked down to his lap, pounding the ground with his fist.
"Damn it... I... I forgot you were... here..." he breathed, his voice much clearer than before. "Gin... I... I'm sorry... You shouldn't... shouldn't have seen that..."
N.Gin only shook his head and hopped over, hoping to avoid the pools of blood and guts left behind. Carefully, as to avoid causing possible pain to Tropy, Gin sat next to him and rested a hand on his friend's mechanical arm.
"You were desperate. I understand." Gin sighed, subconsciously moving his hand up and down Tropy's arm, despite the fact that neither one could feel it. Only hear it.
"That's no excuse... I... I should have..." Nefarious began, only to be interrupted by his own pained hiss.
Gin jumped as Tropy curled into himself slightly, trying to ease the painful tension, to no avail. Instead, he glanced around the orange bottles scattered across the floor.
"Painkillers... Need... Painkillers..." he wheezed, quickly picking up the different bottles and reading their labels to figure out their contents.
"Anti-depressants... Sleep medications... Painkillers... Painkillers? Painkillers!" he droned, practically cheering when he found what he was looking for.
Eagerly, he took two large pills, crushing them between his teeth with a loud crunch before swallowing them. Then, with a sigh, he laid down on his side, letting the bottle roll away from him. Wanting to stay close, Gin shuffled so that his back was leaning on N.Tropy's. There didn't seem to be any stitches on his back, so Gin assumed it was safe.
"Are you alright?" Gin asked again, after a couple of minutes of silence.
"Possibly... There's certainly a greater chance than before." N.Tropy replied, finally seeming to get his breath back.
"So, you could still...?" N.Gin began, but cut himself short, he didn't want to think of that possibility anymore.
"If I'm not careful, yes." was the response he got.
Once again, the two fell silent. Gin wasn't even sure if Nefarious was awake anymore, but his attention was quickly grabbed by the operating table again, with N.Brio's body still laying on top of it. Most of his insides were left intact, though they were moved so that Tropy could get the ones he needed. Brio's intestines spilled out of what used to be his stomach area, and splintered ribs were scattered across the floor and table. It was a horrendous sight to say the least.
"What're we going to do with him?" Gin asked himself, not expecting Tropy to answer.
"I'll probably eat him." he stated, after taking a glance at the table.
N.Gin let out a surprised wheeze and looked back to Tropy.
"Eat him?? Isn't that-"
"Cannibalism? I'm not sure anymore. I'm not human anymore, that's for sure. Besides, we can't waste what's left, and I have no functioning way to preserve the rest of his organs. Food is really the last use he has."
If N.Gin wasn't unnerved before, he was then. Though, he couldn't come up with any sort of argument aside from diseases. He doubted Tropy would listen about those, from what he saw, N.Tropy was very versatile when it came to operations on himself and others. He'd probably try to cure himself, maybe he'd even succeed. Instead, he accepted Tropy's answer with a huff. He did have a point, and Brio did steal Tropy's food...
Shaking his head, Gin leaned against N.Tropy and listened to his breathing. No longer strained and there was no gurgling to be heard. Gin smiled at that, and it seemed that the painkillers kicked in as N.Tropy relaxed behind him. Then, a question went to Gin's head.
"Are you going to keep hiding?" he prodded, looking to the distant ceiling above.
N.Tropy was silent for awhile. Gin assumed that he fell asleep, and settled to do the same, worried about what would happen if he left. But, he was shaken to alertness when Tropy answered.
"I guess not... There really is no point to it anymore. I saw them. Everyone saw me. We all might as well get used to it." he hummed, tapping his metal fingers against the floor in a steady rhythm.
Gin didn't realize he never responded. He was just so happy that N.Tropy wouldn't be hiding anymore, and that they'd get to see one another more. Though, as he smiled, he let out a long, loud yawn, the events of the day finally catching up with him. Bleary as he was, he still noticed Nefarious' arm slinking around him and pulling him over the doctor and laid him down in front of the mutant.
"Doctor?" Gin squeaked, trying to look over to N.Tropy.
"Go to sleep N.Gin." he was commanded in response, and was given no choice to move away, so he simply accepted fate an fell asleep on the floor, surrounded by blood, guts and pill bottles.
He could still remember that day, he knew everyone else could too. The day Brio was tossed into the Medical Bay and never returned. Not a piece of him was seen ever again.
Aside from that, life was as normal as it could be for the group of villainous survivors. Everyone quickly got used to N.Tropy's appearance, and most even found it useful (Nina thought it was super cool and terrifying. It warmed Gin's heart.). He took N.Brio's tasks, which was mostly just checking in on everyone else, making sure they weren't falling apart at the seams.
N.Gin was actually quite happy with how things turned out, especially concerning Tropy's health. There were very few problems after that fateful day, and his pain, aside from the tugging on his stitches, practically disappeared. That was, quite possibly, one of Gin's favorite things about anything that had happened in his recent memory. Aside from regularly being visited by the mad doctor every day, of course.
Overall, everything was... peaceful, which was odd for that particular group. The only time any unrest came around was when someone asked about what happened to Brio. But a trio of glowing yellow eyes, watching them from the darkest corner of the room always sufficed in shutting them up. With that all of that in one package, N.Gin felt like the group could have an actual life. Like the past suddenly let go of him.