Chapter Text
Ajaw woke with a pounding headache. What the hell is going on now? He sat up and rubbed the back of his head.
Wait…
Ajaw moved his hand… a human hand, he saw tanned skin with scattered spots of green and yellow scales. He felt his face and felt smooth skin alongside the patches of hard scales under his eyes and he felt a messy bundle of hair on his head. He looked down and saw human limbs, he was dressed in what he assumed was something similar to Kinich's clothes. Yet this wasn't his body. Where the hell even was he??
He got up, wobbly as he tried to balance on these strange legs. He looked at his hand again as he looked around the room. It looked like… some kind of ruin. Wait a minute…
Ajaw scrambled to his feet as he ran a hand along the walls. He found a crevice he recognized as pushed his way through. The tight tunnels were much harder to navigate with this body now. What the hell…?
He pushed a bit more and squeezed his way out, entering that horribly familiar room. The altar at the back, murals carved into the stone. This place, it was the old ruins he was locked away in for centuries! What the hell was he doing here?! When did he get here?! Where the hell was Kinich?!
His eyes scanned the room before landing on a familiar form, examining the murals on the far side.
“Hey!!! Kinich! Where were you?! What happened?” Ajaw shouted as he made his way over. Kinich didn't move a muscle.
“Hey… Kinich?” Ajaw said as he grabbed his shoulder. “Don't ignore me!”
Kinich finally turned, but his eyes were a bright searing red, and a deceptive smile spread across his lips.
It felt like time froze, but only for a moment as Ajaw pounced him in the blink of an eye, slamming him into the ground and gripped his hands over Kinich's throat.
“You're not Kinich.” Ajaw scowled, “What the hell did you do to my servant?”
‘Kinich’ laughed, “Ah, so you finally woke up. I was getting a little worried the experiment failed, yet here you are.”
“Stop stalling.” Ajaw growled, “Tell me what happened to my servant and vessel before I snap your insufferable fake neck.”
The being laughed again, “You're looking at him, this body is his, in the flesh.”
Ajaw didn't have time to react as Kinich's body shot forward, punching him in the gut and forcing him back. He still wasn't acclimated to this body yet. The being laughed again.
“Oh such a sprightly young body. No wonder he's known as the best Saurian Hunter in Natlan.” The being mused.
“Who the hell are you?” Ajaw growled as he got up again, albeit still wobbly.
The being grinned. That stupid grin. Blood red eyes and a grin that looked nothing like his vessel. The more Ajaw took in the form, the more he came to terms that it wasn't just some illusion or fake, it was Kinich's body. His actual body.
Rage built up in Ajaw again, how dare they… how dare they?! Kinich's body was his. No one else gets to have it and this being had the gall to-
“You can call me… the Doctor.” ‘Kinich’ mused, “And don't worry, I'm not some demonic spirit or anything. I'm very much alive, my real body is just elsewhere right now.”
“Well then, Doctor. ” Ajaw spat, “Get out of his body right now!”
“But why? I can finally conduct experiments using the natural resources of this land. Something only people from Natlan can do, plus his age and build is quite good, much more flexible than my own.”
The being grinned at him again, “Although, his body still does ache a bit due to all the testing I did. Are you enjoying your new form, K'uhul Ajaw?”
“You! You're the one responsible for this messy thing?!” Ajaw shouted as he got into a fighting stance. “Kinich's body belongs to me. We have a deal and I refuse to let a bloody insect like you take it from me!”
“But your body is Kinich's.” The Doctor said, “It's just… a segment of his. That form is about two years younger than his current form, but I figured it would work out all the same.”
“Please, I own the genuine article and I'm not accepting some fucking copy!” Ajaw shouted as he charged at him. Energy surged through his arms as he launched a blast of Dendro at the man. Kinich's body dodged it with ease though, grappling to the top of the ruins and swinging back around before landing on the ground.
The Doctor smiled, dodging another attack. “So you don't remember what happened? How curious.”
“Remember what ?!” Ajaw scowled as he shot another blast that Kinich's body dodged with ease.
“You don't remember the days leading up to your new body. I didn't intentionally knock you out prior to that, yet you bear no memory. Maybe that's just the issue of fusing you with a segment. Souls and spirits are always such tricky little things.” The Doctor said as he hopped to the exit. “But I've had my fun, it's time for me to leave, I have a lot more studies to do here before I leave. Do enjoy your new body, Ajaw. I made it special just for you.”
Ajaw ran at him again, only for Kinich’s claymore to materialize and strike him, it hit him square in the chest and Ajaw let out a cough as he was flung back against the altar. He let out a gasp as he fell to the ground, his body aching. He heard a laugh before his vision went dark again.
“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?! This disrespect! Free me at once!” Ajaw shouted as he tried to break out of the strange grey box that managed to lock him away.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, as much as I would like to.”
A man with blue hair and a strange mask covering his face walked in.
“Who the hell are you?!” Ajaw demanded as he punched at the walls of his containment.
“You can call me… Dottore, or the Doctor.” the man mused, “And you are such an interesting specimen, though I will say you created such a curious vessel to leave your original ruin.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Ajaw scoffed, “Oh that reminds me where is Kinich?! He is my servant! He should be by my side!”
“Oh, do you not see him?” Dottore asked, a stupid grin under his mask that somehow managed to make Ajaw unsettled.
“See him?”
“Right here,” Dottore moved next to the box and leaned down before grabbing something with one of his hands.
Kinich was yanked up, his headband covered his eyes and a clean rag was tied over his mouth. Some kind of strange metal cuffs restrained his wrists and ankles as plain rope bound his limps together. Kinich let out a muffled shout as he tried to thrash in Dottore’s hold.
“Such a unique specimen. I've been keeping my eyes on you for quite some time now.” Dottore said as he picked Kinich up and placed him on a cot on the other side of the room.
“Hey! Where are you taking my servant?! He doesn't belong to you!” Ajaw shouted as he punched at the walls.
“You needn't worry about him. I'll be making good use of your servant. I just need to check a rumor I've heard.” Dottore said, “I'll be back in due time. Don't worry, I'll be giving you a wonderful gift oh Great K'uhul Ajaw, just be patient.”
Ajaw watched as the man rolled Kinich out of the room of… wherever the hell here was.
Ajaw punched at his confinement with his small pixel hands ag ain.
“Kinich!!”