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An ear piercing ringing echoed within the scientist's head, forcing her awake. Her hands shot up and forcefully covered her ears, desperately trying to block it out. Tears welled in Tesla's eyes as she curled up into a ball. Several minutes later it finally stopped, though it left her even more disoriented than before.
Everything was a blur. How she got there was anyone's guess, all she knew now was she was trapped. Opening her eyes she was met with a gray, empty room. She wiped the tears from her eyes, before trying to push herself off the ground. Her arms felt weak and all she could manage was getting on her knees.
“L-Lieserl?” She coughed out, desperately looking for any sign of her.
Deafening silence was all she was met with. Fear coursed through her as she desperately tried to piece together what had happened. Her gaze moved across her body as she instinctively checked for signs of injury. Other than a few odd scratches everything seemed okay. Patting her pockets made her realize she’d been searched beforehand, leaving her defenseless.
‘G-God dammit!’ she clenched her fists in anger and stress. She was met with the cold metal of her ring. ‘W-Wait.. Why the hell..’
Her eyes stared down at it. Whoever was holding her captive hadn’t bothered to take it.. Though this left her with more questions than answers. If they took everything else, why wouldn’t they take that? If they were wanting something from her then they would’ve taken everything, right..?
She coughed, barely having the strength to continue sitting up. Her mind raced trying to figure out where Einstein had gone. Part of her worried they’d done something to her, or worse.
Suddenly she heard shuffling coming from outside the door before a loud banging came.
“W-Who the hell are you?!?” She tried to yell, but her voice was too weak.
“Dear Frederica.. It’s been awhile, has it not?”
“Who do you think you are?!” She spat. By this point she was trembling. Nobody knew her real name other than Einstein and Joachim. “Who the hell are you!”
Menacing laughter could be heard from the other side of the door. “Dear dear Tesla.. You know who I am. It’s your old friend.”
Her heart dropped. It couldn’t be.. Surely.. Slowly the door opened and she was met with something she hoped she’d never see again.
“Good afternoon, doctor.”
Within seconds she’d backed up and shoved herself against the wall staring wide eyed at the man standing in front of her.
“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU BASTARD!” Her scream was ear piercing. Decades worth of pent up anger, sadness, and hatred came out with it.
Otto just solemnly frowned and took a step forward, “Seems we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot, doctor.”
“WRONG FOOT?? YOU BASTARD! YOU RUINED OUR LIVES!” If they hadn’t been in an underground facility her voice could’ve been clearly heard for miles. “YOU KILLED MY FRIEND! YOU NEARLY KILLED LIESERL! YOU TRIED TO KILL AN INNOCENT CHILD AFTER KILLING HIS DAD ! YOU’RE LUCKY I HAVEN’T BLOWN YOUR PATHETIC ASS OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!”
“Now, now doctor,” his voice was calm, yet it carried a sense of danger with it. “I wouldn’t yell if I were you-”
Her eyebrows furrowed, and she shoved herself closer to the wall. At this point her entire body was violently shaking. There wasn’t anywhere to run, and she knew she couldn’t take him on by herself.
“Y-You’ll regret it if you try to hurt me you fucking prick! We have people already on their way!”
He laughed mockingly, scaring her even more. “Dear Frederica, it’s been a year since you’ve come here. Help isn’t coming.”
Her entire body went numb. There wasn’t any reason to believe him. They wouldn’t leave her. Einstein loved her, didn’t she? Joachim cared for her, right? They wouldn’t abandon her like that… Right..?
“N-No it hasn’t!”
“Look at your device then, Tesla.”
Her chest began pounding, realizing that there was a real possibility he’d been telling the truth. “Wh-What device?!?”
“Seems you haven’t found it yet,” he took a step closer. “You used to be so observant, Tesla. Seems you’ve become less sharp in your old age.”
“STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” She screeched, though it had no effect on the other.
Frowning, he stood still. “Seems you still haven’t figured out my intentions. I have no reason to hurt you. It’d be a waste of talent.”
Her breathing became heavy as she desperately gasped for air. Her gaze refused to leave the man and she knew he was up to something.
Turning around, he spoke once again. “Come with me, Dr. Tesla. We have much to discuss.”
She watched him, unmoving. Her body refused to move. She didn’t want to move. Leaving would be signing the death warrant that’d been chasing her for decades, it didn’t take a physics doctorate to figure that out.
“Dr. Tesla if you don’t cooperate I’ll be forced to use extreme measures. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
“I’d rather fucking die than obey you,” venom clung to every word she said.
“I see,” he said calmly. “I’m trying to do you a great favor, Dr. Tesla. Think of it as an apology gift..”
“I DON’T WANT YOUR STUPID FUCKING APOLOGIES! APOLOGIES WON’T BRING BACK WHAT YOU STOLE FROM ME! WHAT YOU STOLE FROM EINSTEIN! WHAT YOU STOLE FROM JOACHIM! WHAT YOU STOLE FROM WELT JOYCE! ” Her voice was shaking. Even if it killed her she refused to bend to his will. She felt weak and light headed, and her chest hurt worse than it ever had.
“Ah, it seems you still miss him..” Although he wasn’t facing her she could tell he was thinking of something.
Tesla stayed there unmoving, silently studying his every move.
“Theresa, can you be a dear and help me with something?”
Suddenly the familiar sight of the short girl appeared. “T-Theresa-”
Suddenly she was bound, unable to move or speak. She thrashed around violently, refusing to give in to whatever she was planning. Her gaze moved towards her, pleading for some sort of help. Within seconds she could immediately tell something wasn’t right.
The girl's eyes lacked the life behind them she’d grown accustomed to, and her movements were more similar to that of a puppet than a real person. Part of her questioned if she was even real or not..
‘S-She.. We had an agreement.. Lieserl said she talked to her.. What the hell has happened.. What happened to her .’
“Dr. Tesla, unfortunately you’ve made me use force. Once again, we have no intentions on hurting you. I simply want to have a discussion with you.” He looked towards the source of her prison and nodded, before she walked off dragging her along.
They’d put her in a chair across from Otto’s desk, and the other just looked at her smiling. “I just want to have a heart to heart, Nikola. No more, no less.”
She narrowed her eyes and made a muffled noise that sounded like a wide range of derogatory insults. Around her were bright lights and expensive looking furniture. He had the nerve to even show her a picture on his desk before going back to what he was saying.
He sighed, “Nikola.. You and I aren’t so different. Cursed to walk the world forever, abandoned by those we loved.”
‘This egotistical bastard! He’s the fucking reason for all this! I didn’t want to be involved in any of this!’ Tears formed in her eyes, remembering everything from the past several decades. She desperately wanted to kill him right then and there.
“Don’t cry, Nikola. The past is the past, you are unable to change it.. For now.”
‘What the fuck does he mean for now?!? What is he trying to pull??’
“You know,” he said sadly, “I wasn’t lying when I said it’s been a year since you’ve arrived.”
Suddenly she started fighting once again, knowing he was lying to her.
As he sighed, a screen materialized in front of her. “Dr. Tesla, I apologize, however I have not lied.”
They wouldn’t.. They wouldn’t abandon her.. They loved her. Her heart felt like it was about to stop beating at any second.
“Nikola, have you ever considered why Lieserl has stayed with you?”
She stared at him, murderous intentions were clear in her eyes.
He continued, “You know.. She was a very bright child. Full of joy and wonder. Have you ever considered why all of that disappeared when you two met?”
All she wanted to do was cover her ears. None of what he was saying was true.. None of it.. Right..? She knew the reason behind her change, and she knew she hadn’t done anything. She couldn’t have done anything. The first eruption is what caused it. Karl dying. She knew that’s what happened. It wasn’t her fault, she couldn’t have done anything. They didn’t even know each other yet.
He picked up a cup and began drinking. “Nikola.. She never truly cared for you.” He sadly watched as she began thrashing around trying to escape to kill him. “Have you ever considered why she treated Omega-1 better than you?”
Her anger was evident on her face, tears falling down her face. ‘He has a name you bastard!’
“You live life within a delusion. You want the best for her, but does she want the best for you? Even during the second eruption, did she call to check on you? Nikola, think back to the older days. Did it ever feel as if she pitied you more than anything? Even now, have you ever considered she only keeps you around because you’re the last person she has? Her last connection to the person she used to be? Do you ever think she resents you for being the one who survived? That she wishes Welt had survived instead?”
Tears rolled down her face as she sat there silently. He was lying to her, she knew it. Einstein had never been anything but good to her even when she didn’t deserve it. Even at her worst, she still stuck by her side and supported her. He went silent for several minutes, leaving her to think about it. What if he was right? She hadn’t come to her rescue after all..
Maybe all those memories were made out of pity rather than genuine care. Had it really all been a delusion she’d refused to break out of? Too much of a coward to accept it? Too self absorbed to notice glaring signs? Thinking about it she really rarely smiled.. No, she couldn’t think of it.. Einstein had always been emotionally closed off with others. Besides, she did smile when she was with her. He was trying to break her. He knew nothing about them.. Right? Up until recently he thought they were dead. Even though she knew he was lying to her, memories of them arguing began showing themselves. It felt almost as if her own mind was trying to delude herself into thinking those were the only moments they had, despite them happening maybe once.
Her vision had become blurry and she could barely breathe. Her mind was racing with thoughts she hadn’t had in years. All those worries and fears began bubbling back up to the surface. All she wanted to do was be back home with her wife and son. It was almost as if she was trapped in a never ending nightmare, and all she wanted was out.
‘.. I want to die.. I can’t take this anymore.. Please…’
He watched on, noticing he was managing to get somewhere. “Nikola.. You deserved so much better. You’re a very bright individual, you know. I know you can accomplish great things. You’ve already made advancements far beyond others capabilities. I believe you could make advancements far beyond Einstein's capabilities. You know, Dr. Tesla..”
His gaze went back towards her. Her eyes seemed dimmer than before and her will to fight seemed to disappear. The life behind her slowly seemed to be disappearing as he spoke. This had been easier than he had expected.
“.. I have an offer that can help the both of us. I assume you are already aware of my little.. Pet project that I’ve been working on.”
She stared at him blankly, anger slowly reappearing in her eyes. The memories of those poor ‘clones’ stuck with her. That one girl who had managed to survive, the one who was granted life. K-423.. The one cursed to live life as Welt had. Seen as nothing but a lab experiment and a tool for others to use. Never seen for what they are, a person. A human. If he still has her.. Did they fail at saving her..?
‘Hm.. Interesting,’ he thought to himself. ‘Seems she still has a little fight left in her after all.’
“If you’re willing to join me, Dr. Tesla, I can make both of our issues disappear.. You can help your dear little Lieserl be happy again. Reunite her with her mentor and her dear friend. Give her back the life she should’ve had. All I ask in return is for you to help progress this little project. In the end, we will both win. There won’t be any strings attached.”
He watched her for a second, unable to read what she was exactly thinking. Nodding towards ‘Theresa’, she was freed from her prison and immediately fell forwards. She somehow managed to catch herself and just looked down at her ring. She felt weak. The thought of having to help with something so cruel haunted her. Both she and Einstein were enraged when they found out what Welt had gone through at the hands of Schiksal, and the thought of doing that to someone else.. She couldn’t. Even if what he said was true, hurting another person wouldn’t solve anything. Especially when that person is a child.
“Tesla, it’ll be okay. I’m here for you and so is Ein,” he sat a hand on her shoulder before she jerked away, “O-oh, sorry..”
“It’s fine..” She mumbled, brushing her shoulder as if getting rid of dirt.
“You know Ein cares about you, right..? She’s concerned for you..”
“I’ll be fine. I don’t need her pity, or yours for that matter.”
He sighed, “Still.. Point is we both care about you. Joachim does, too..”
She stayed silent, not even looking at him.
“.. You know I know how it feels.. Right Tesla? That feeling of loneliness.. Fear that you’re worthless..”
“Look, I don’t want to talk about this anymore! Mind your own damn business, bean sprout! Unless you want to end up in that cemetery we visited!”
That conversation, although brief and an ironic prediction of what was to come, stuck with her throughout the decades. One of their last one on one conversations before the incident happened. It didn’t matter how much she was hurt, she couldn’t let him win.
She managed to force enough energy to look up at him, that same dim anger slowly growing brighter. She used her remaining energy to say three words.. What would probably be her final words.
“I’d rather die.”
The room went silent as he stared at her, surprised. “Dear Nikola-”
“Don’t call me that.. You’re a pathetic bastard, you know that? You insult my friends, my wife.. Then you disrespect Welt.. He had a name. Welt Joyce. That name meant the world to him, Otto. He won’t ever be forgotten, either. Einstein and Joachim will make sure of it. Even if we pretend for even a second that what you say is true about Einstein.. I won’t let you disrespect him when you’re the reason he’s gone.”
Her voice was quiet, and her gaze never left his. Hatred clung to every single word, and her eyes looked as if they were from a herrscher. For a moment Otto was terrified that the small, weak scientist in front of him was going to cause the third eruption, and her target would be him.
“All those things you said.. You caused them. We wouldn’t still be alive if you hadn’t fucked with our lives, Otto. Do you believe Einstein would even want to go back?? Do you think I’d be willing to sacrifice the lives of others for her? That she’d even want me to? You’re fucking delusional.. Do what you want to me, I won’t join a bunch of pathetic bastards like you.”
Her eyes narrowed and she spat. “And for the record.. We’re nothing alike. I didn’t ask to live forever. I stay alive for those I have left.. I push for progress and the future. You cheat death and use and abuse others even if they helped you. Reanna didn’t do anything, and yet you’re the reason she and many others died. You use teenagers who don’t know any better and let them die with no remorse.. You never wanted progress, you push to bring the past back.. You’re absolutely pathetic.”
“And one last thing, Otto.. Kallen would’ve despised you if she knew what you’ve done.. The people you hurt.. You’re a joke.”
He looked at her, watching as her last bit of energy slowly disappeared. Her eyes watched as he pulled out the divine key he killed her friends with years ago. She didn’t care. She lived long enough. Einstein and Joachim would continue the fight, even if she couldn’t be there to see it through.
“I love you, Lieserl and Joachim.” She mumbled quietly. Anyone else would’ve been scared, but she felt a strange sense of peace and comfort. She kept fighting until the end and that’s all she could do. At least she’d get to see Welt, Schrodinger, and Planck again.. Maybe she’d even get to finally meet Karl. Her only regret was not being able to say goodbye. She just hoped Einstein and Joachim could bring themselves to forgive her someday..
“NIKOLA!”
Her eyes flew open to see Einstein staring at her and aggressively shaking her.
“Oh thank god..” Her face softened a little, “Are you okay..? You started freaking out and started crying-”
She stared blankly at her, not saying anything.
“.. Nikola? Are you okay? What happened? Are you feeling unwell..?” As she spoke she put her hand on the other's forehead as if she was checking for a fever.
Tears welled in her eyes as she stared up. “Y-You’re still here.”
“.. Oh Nikola..”
Tesla immediately held onto her and started crying. “I-I-”
“It’ll be okay, try to calm down..” Her voice was softer, “I’m not going anywhere.”
“O-Otto.. H-He…”
Einstein patted her back, “It’s okay, he can’t hurt us now..”
“Y-You don’t understand.. He..”
Einstein stayed silent and hugged her tighter.
“He somehow.. He tried to get me to join him and tried to.. It felt too real to be a dream, Lieserl..” Looking down at her hand and arm she could still see marks from where she’d been scratched and imprisoned. Pulling away, she held her arm out in an attempt to prove her story. "L-Look.. These weren't there before.."
“.. And you’re sure these aren’t from field work..? We have been performing experiments a lot lately. Is it possible chemicals got on you? Or that you had an allergic reaction to something?"
“Yes.. Y-You would’ve noticed them or I would’ve told you by now.. Besides if chemicals got on me you'd definitely know.."
“.. I see..” For a moment Tesla could’ve sworn she saw a flash of anger in the others eyes, though it was gone too fast to be sure. “It’ll be okay, I won’t let him hurt you..”