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"Dottore, who is this?" The Ninth gestured towards the small elf.
"This is Klee. The Knights abandoned her."
"You should at least notify me before adopting." He bent down, extending his hand to the child.
"Klee's happy to help!" She giggled and took the Banker's hand.
"Dottore?"
"What? I'm busy."
Klee did her strange little dance, humming to herself.
"Did you kidnap her?"
He walked away, scratching down something on his clipboard. “I hired her.”
“This is Dodoco!” She happily grabbed ‘Dodoco’ off of her backpack, presenting them to Pantalone.
“Hello, Dodoco.” He smiled, patting the child’s head. “Where are her parents, Doctor?”
He was silent.
“Are you angry, sir? Did Klee do something wrong again?” She pouted, holding Dodoco close.
“Oh my Gods. Did you fu– Did you kill her parents?”
“No. She was abandoned. The Knights could no longer handle her.”
“And how do you know this? Did they leave a sign next to the crate they put her in?”
Again, silence.
“Dottore.”
The scientist glanced over his shoulder.
“You are not fit to be a father!”
“Again, she’s my assistant . Assume whatever you’d like. Klee?”
“Yes, Mister Doctor?” She bounced happily towards him.
“What do you think about this one?” He handed her a small glass dish with a clay-like substance on it.
“Shiny!”
“Yes, yes. It’s shiny. Please be careful.”
“Is this dagger… daggerous…?”
“Hmm? Yes, it's very dangerous.” He squatted down next to her. “I haven’t tested it yet, but it should be incredibly powerful. All it needs is a starter.”
She tilted her head inquisitively.
“Basically, this could allow someone without a vision like yours to replicate your abilities. At least in terms of destructiveness.”
“Klee doesn’t understand…”
He carefully took the substance away from her. “Normal people can cause big explosions with this. Huge explosions. Stormbearer Mountains sized.”
She laughed enthusiastically. “You’re so cool Mister Doctor!”
Dottore smiled just the slightest bit.
“Are you kidding me?” Pantalone swooped down and removed Klee from the Second’s vicinity. “Don’t give her deadly weaponry! She’s a child, Dottore!” He stood there awkwardly, no longer knowing what to do with her. Why did he pick her up? This shouldn't be his problem to deal with.
“I like Mister Doctor. He lets me have fun, unlike Mister Albedo and Master Diluc.”
He paled. “Master Diluc? Klee, who is Master Diluc to you?”
“He's one of the weird grown-ups. He's so grumpy all the time…”
“And Albedo?” Pantalone was already concerned that a certain ‘Darknight Hero’ might already be in the facility.
“Albedo is the best!” She giggled.
“Albedo is Gold’s most successful experiment to date. He’s also the Knight’s Chief Alchemist. A grievous misuse of his talents, if you ask me.” Dottore strode over to the Banker. “Give.”
Pantalone scoffed. “I am not giving her back until I can trust you not to give bombs to a child!”
“I can’t stop her. She makes her own, Regrator.”
“Are you kidding me?” He stepped away, but Dottore closed the distance just as fast.
Wet sniffles broke their locked gazes. “P-please stop… fighting… Klee’s sorry…”
“Ah–” Pantalone’s eyebrow twitched as strange feelings crept up through his throat.
“Klee just wanted to help…” She hiccuped between sobs.
“We’re sorry, Klee.” Apologizing was a blatant affront to Pantalone, but he knew Dottore was incapable of uttering such words.
The Doctor nodded. “I’ll try… to be better?” His lip wavered.
The elf’s tears waned. “Thanks, Mister Doctor. And Mister Raider.”
Dottore barely withheld a laughing fit.
Regrator held his tongue.
“There’s no need to fight. Can you talk it over with Klee?” She did her best to smile.
Maybe someday they could explain.