Chapter Text
Coil is, once again, running for his life.
He isn't too bothered by it, it's really just another Tuesday for him at this point. He probably knows the lab better than some scientists that work there from the sheer amount of times he's been in this very position; running down a hallway while a horde of biografts chases him.
But today something's different. He just can't place it.
He'll just… think about it later!
“KEEP UP, JUNKBOTS!”
He's running everywhere, the biografts swarming him and trying to corner him. He's just too fast for them to keep up with!
“CRYSTAL CRIMINAL DETECTED.”
“Does Subspace seriously program these things with some dumbass catchphrase every time there's a new demon that pisses him off? Is this supposed to intimidate me or something?”
Still he laughs at this sad attempt to catch him, it's his biggest heist yet! He's definitely not giving this one up anytime soon, especially not to waste time phighting some biografts, when he can just run. He's just gotta find one of the exits…
…Which he isn't having that much luck finding. Normally he would have found one by now, but these stupid biografts keep chasing him down more and more hallways and stairwells… he could just phight them, but he wants to drop as little crystals as possible today, if he can.
He turns into a hallway, and ahead of him there's an open door. Odd. it's the dead of night, most scientists are gone by now. The door should be closed. There really isn't anywhere else for him to run though.
He's just going to have to run in and phight his way out. Inconvenient, but he's confident he'll get out in one piece.
The Hellhound speeds into the dark room, the only light coming from his gear and his now glowing horns. He quickly spins around to face the entrance.
“NOW YOU'VE-” He's cut off by the door quickly sliding closed, slamming against the frame.
“...The fuck?” Coil stares at it with a puzzled expression.
He backs away from it, drawing his fists in a phighting stance.
“Let me guess. I get too close to that door, and it opens, and the biografts jump me.” Coil rambles out loud to nobody in particular.
But to his surprise, a sinister voice rings out all around him:
“Oh but Coil… you're exactly where I want you!”
Subspace.
Coil jumps and looks around for the source of his voice, spotting a red dot behind him. A camera. There must be some kind of speaker on it.
“...What…?” He breathes. He isn't scared– Or he's telling himself that at least. He's just… a bit confused.
The scientist laughs. Hard. He speaks through his crazed laughter: “You really think you're invincible, don't you? You really thought I WOULDN'T CATCH YOU?! WHILE YOU'RE IN MY LAB, IN MY TERRITORY?! STEALING MY INTENTIONS?!”
He gets slightly more serious.
“I've had enough of you. I've spent WEEKS! of my life– WEEKS! crafting the perfect plan to FINALLY CATCH YOU. YOU LITTLE BRAT.”
Coil steps back more from the camera. Subspace's insane laughter is only getting worse and it's genuinely freaking him out, he's never seen him this happy about anything and it's not a good sign. He's trying not to show his growing fear, like hell he's giving this crazy man the satisfaction of seeing him afraid!
“...And I've finally done it. You're finished. There's nowhere for you to go.”
He takes a deep breath. Keep it cool. Don't lose your nerves. Distract him while you wait for a way out.
“...So like, you coming to phight me or something? Go ahead, try! Your muscles are falling off your bones like slow cooked meat, I could beat your ass EASILY!”
Subspace goes deathly silent for a moment.
“...I can't wait for this plan to be finished so you can finally SHUT THE FUCK UP.” Subspace hisses, clearly pissed beyond anything he's seen. Seemingly his true colors for once.
“So am I being executed? Firing squad- no… biograft horde stabs me to death… heh…”
Subspace takes a long, deep sigh of annoyance before returning back to that odd giddy tone from before.
“Of course not… execution would be such a waste! As much as I'd love to just- STRANGLE YOU! I have… other plans. Ones that will both be useful to me and bring me the satisfaction of finally conquering you.”
Coil shifts around uncomfortably. He's really hating where this is going. He's gotta think of something, fast.
…Subspace starts to talk again, but Coil tunes him out in favor of thinking about what tips Medkit gave him about Subspace…
Don't get caught by him in the first place.
Little bit too late for that one…
I know you think you're so much smarter than him, but really… he's not stupid. He knows a lot of things, definitely more than you do, and he will use it against you. Don't get cocky, always play it safe.
Should have thought of that one sooner!
Don't show fear, he loves that. He thrives seeing demons in terror and pain.
He's trying his best to keep it cool.
He's basically free to do whatever he wants to you, and he won't show mercy. He will drag it out for as long as he sees fit.
That's… not helping his nerves at all.
Don't antagonize him. If he catches you the torture will be worse because then he will have more of a personal vendetta against you.
Whoops!
He loves to announce what he's gonna do, he doesn't keep his damn mouth shut ever. You may want to listen to him if you find yourself captured… to at least prepare yourself for what's to come if you have no other choice.
…Shit.
He tunes back into what Subspace is saying, but it's impossible to tell what he was talking about because he's basically done talking by now.
“Oh… you weren't listening were you…? I suppose this is actually better! Why not just keep it a surprise for when we get there! Hehehehee…”
Coil is on the brink of panic, recalling what Medkit told him didn't really help him get out of this, they just made him more anxious. He's gotta get the hell out of here before it's too late. He's messed up in every possible way and if he doesn't get out now…
he's never getting out.
Coil whips around to the door behind him– and seeing that it's locked he begins to punch it. It hurts like hell but it's his only hope. He needs to break the door, the sturdy metal door. It's unlikely, but he has to at least try.
He'd honestly rather have a chance with the biografts than have to deal with whatever Subspace has planned. Hell, even if they tear him to shreds…
There's this sinking feeling inside him telling him whatever Subspace will do will be worse…
He can hear Subspace laughing at him again. “I guess it is about time to let this experiment commence!”
The insane scientist continues to laugh at his panic as some strange gas begins to pour into the room. He's trying not to breathe it in, but eventually his body forces him to take a massive breath of it.
He coughs profusely as he's immediately hit with an intense wave of dizziness that nearly knocks him to his feet. His knuckles are bleeding and tears are starting to form because the door just won't budge.
It doesn't take long before Coil's vision starts to go dark– next thing he knows he's on the floor in front of the door, unable to speak or move much as he feebly scratches at the door.
Eventually the only thing he can do is lay there and watch as his last sliver of hope for freedom slips away from him.
When he wakes, he's strapped to some kind of diagonal operating table in a very dim room. His arms, legs, wrists, ankles, torso, and neck are all held by restraints. He struggles against them but there's no use, they're solid metal. His head hurts, must have banged it on his way down…
“Hello?” He calls out. Surprisingly he can hear himself… his mouth isn't covered.
But he doesn't scream. He won't scream. That would bring that sick fuck satisfaction. He can't make any noise. Don't show fear. Just keep cool.
He's itching all over, and he can't scratch any of it, but he can look in the direction of one of the itches on his arms. In the dim light he can see that there's... wires in his skin…
…He's starting to feel nauseous looking at it, so he starts looking around instead. There's another table next to him with some weird contraption strapped to it. It had wires coming off of it as well. It's too dim in the room to tell what it is, but it was shaped like another demon.
Before he can really process all of this, Subspace comes in.
“Finally… you're awake! How exciting!”
Coil still feels very sluggish, but he manages to squeak something out:
“What… the fuck… wh-where…”
He does that awful, disgusting laugh again. It makes the throbbing pain in his head worse.
“You didn't go very far! We've just… relocated to where I do my… top secret experiments…!”
Coil hates the sound of this already.
“It's quite an interesting room… I've hidden it away from view, and I've managed to soundproof it too! I don't even need to bind your mouth… so I can hear you scream as much as I want…”
A shiver runs through him. Medkit wasn't even exaggerating, this dude seriously was a completely insane sadist.
He puts on a braver face, but he can't stop the slight tremble in his voice.
“What are you going to do to me.”
The scientist clasps his hands together: “Oh, I'm so glad you asked! Since you so rudely ignored me last time… I'll keep it more of a surprise! Besides, we should probably get going soon… I'm too excited to wait too long!”
“You are the first demon to be put through the process of ‘Repurposing.’ You see, you have been a massive pain in my ass! You MUST pay for this! However, you are too skilled to simply just kill. Your gear admittedly works pretty well with my crystals… Your skills would much better be applied… in our military.”
Coil’s face twists into an expression of confusion and anger.
“In… YOUR MILITARY? Like hell I'm joining Blackrock! I don't care what torture gonna put me through, I'd never join you. I’d rather die.”
The pink demon shoots him an annoyed glance. “Well… if you would have just let me finish, I would have explained how you have zero choice in the matter! Now shut up.”
“...”
“As I was saying… you are being repurposed, meaning that I will use this beautiful invention to take all of the small amount of useful parts you have and use them in a way that is useful to me! Everything else will be thrown out. Including your body, I believe programmed steel will be more useful.”
Despite the fact that it's dark, and that he's wearing a mask, coil can sense the massive sadistic grin on his face as he says that.
He can't help somewhat showing the dread that is quickly creeping into his body:
“what. wait- WHAT DO YOU MEAN STEEL? YOU CAN'T JUST… DO…”
He gets another glance at the strange demon-shaped contraption next to him. It has the same horns as him. Same height… same… body…
“...THAT… that's… just… impossible…” Coil stammers, his face falling as he realizes something.
“Simple-minded Playgrounder… many more things are possible in Blackrock… things that your pathetic faction could never even DREAM of creating!”
The Hellhound begins to struggle against his restraints again.
He's losing his cool. He's breaking further by the moment.
He can't lose it, it's all he has.
But his body is betraying him, fight or flight kicking in.
But he can't run, and he can't fight. He's completely powerless, a sitting duck just waiting to be snatched by the hawk.
“SO YOU'RE GONNA TURN ME INTO A FUCKING ROBOT?! IS THAT WHAT THIS FUCKING IS!?”
The scientist doesn't respond with anything but mocking laughter.
His breathing speeds up, it's like his chest is tightening– he can't get enough breaths in. His heart is pounding.
He's so stupid, how could he let this happen?
He's never going to phight again.
He's never going to see Playground again.
Hell, he's never gonna see Skateboard again. What is he going to do when he realizes he's gone?
Will anyone even look for him, wonder where he's gone…?
He's only 20. He had so much left in his life.
Now he's gonna be reduced to some… robot.
“ANSWER ME! YOU FUCKING BASTARD! ANSWER ME!”
Subspace finally speaks up again…
“...I believe I've said enough! let's get started, shall we?”
Coil can't calm himself down, but he at least closes his eyes, bracing for what is about to come.
Don't scream. Don't scream anymore. Stop looking scared, you're stronger than that…
The machine buzzes painfully to life…
…
…and the pain that follows was so visceral…
that Coil cannot hold back the screech that immediately erupts from his mouth.
A new employee is trying to find their way around the facility. It is quite large, and they do not understand the map they were given… the very bottom floor? They thought they were supposed to be working on the very top one… oh well, maybe their schedule was changed.
The employee goes down the elevator, ending up on a strange floor they've never seen before. This wasn't in the employee orientation…? Why is it so dimly lit down here?
There's a door at the very end of the hallway they've ended up in. Strangely it's not an automatic sliding door like every other door they've seen here. Strange.
They turn the knob, and it's not locked. Maybe this is where they're supposed to be.
As soon as they open the door the shrieks of a demon in pure agony fill their ears. They've never heard such a terrified and pained sound.
Accompanying it was some evil cackling and the sound of metal clashing together, all creating a hideous cacophony of agony that made them slam their hands over their ears and let out their own noise of shock.
They're frozen in fear for a moment, before slamming the door shut and sprinting back to the elevator.