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To say Stone was nervous about working under Doctor Ivo Robotnik was to claim that the Pacific ocean is just a few drops of water. In other words: he, a trained agent with a kill count beyond measure and a near perfect track record in his profession, has never been more anxious.
He has heard many horror stories surrounding the Doctor during his time as an agent. The breakroom is rife with gossip of his unprecedented temper, unsanctioned violence and killing, insane ramblings, and how he burns through assistants faster than the government does through tax dollars. He was a landmine Stone had no intention of stepping on.
But then, after a particularly messy mission in Cuba, he returned to his desk fully packed with a letter perched upon it signed by Commander Walters himself.
Stone thought he was fired that day.
But he was never that lucky.
Day one under Dr. Robotnik was not quite as Stone had expected it to carry out. He had been prepared for tantrums, unexplicable orders, unreasonable punishments for absolutely nothing, a barrage of insults about his person and entire family bloodline. Instead, he received steely silence. He was completely ignored in the corner of the Doctor's lab, stood with his hands behind his back and awaiting instructions that never came. Was this a tactic, he wondered idly. The first step in Robotnik's scheme to render all who worked for him totally insane?
Stone could handle silence. Standing stoically and doing nothing was not a new concept for him - and it wasn't like he was lacking in entertainment when Robotnik tinkered and schemed and, about two hours before his shift ended, danced, throughout the day. All in all, he was not feeling nearly as horrible as he expected when he arrived back in his apartment that day.
Of course, that did not mean he was letting his guard down. Stone had personally witnessed the break downs and dramatic firing of too many assistants to the Doctor for that. Sure, most of his co-workers were blockheads at the best of times but quietly standing guard in the corner was not above their skill set. In some cases, Stone would argue it suited them perfectly.
So, there was more to it. Which, strangely, felt more tiresome than if he had in fact been thrown in to the deep end by the first moment. But he would get by.
Day two was more or less the same. Stone stood in the corner, the Doctor worked while acting as if he didn't exist. He could almost believe he was genuinely oblivious to Stone's presence in the lab - had he not purposefully shoved the agent on his path to grab a screwdriver from one of the shelves. Stone stumbled slightly but caught himself quickly, swearing he could hear a quiet laugh from the man behind him.
It took until day five for Robotnik to acknowledge him. At this point, Stone would admit, the mounting stress had gotten to him. The night before he had indulged in his first cigarette in what must have been two and a half years just to take the edge off. It helped, at least temporarily. But he still felt ill-footed, misplaced in the Doctor's perfectly organised lab.
"Coffee." Robotnik had said suddenly, still seeming engrossed in his tampering with one of his badniks innards to the point that Stone barely registered the word and whether it was intended for him.
"Sir?" He asks, so stumped by the mere fact that the Doctor was even talking to him now. The man sets down his tools with a huff, still not bothering to cast a glance in Stone's direction.
"Surely you are not so brainless as to not understand what a coffee is, agent? Is making a simple beverage really that far beyond you or do you think you could handle this one, indescribably simple, task for once?" Stone blinked. Breathed deep, took the comments in stride.
"Of course. How do you take it, sir?"
The first ever coffee Stone had presented to Dr. Ivo Robotnik had been spat all over his pristine suit. The second had apparently been even more offensive, as the Doctor had ordered Stone to unbutton the top of his shirt so he could pull it open and directly pour the mixture onto Stone's bare chest. Thankfully, that day Stone had attempted iced coffee and had the presence of mind to bring a change of clothes in case of further incidents, and recovered rather quickly. It took around a dozen tries before Stone had opted for some ridiculously fancy artisan Austrian goat's milk that he spotted in the supermarket, and steamed it in a latte for the doctor with an indecent amount of sugar. He was not even sure within himself whether this was intended as a small act of defiance to see if what the Doctor would think of such a bizarre mixture or if he really was so desperate to appease him that he would turn to such an unexpected brew.
That was the one drink that did not end up poured over any part of Stone's body. He always kept a large quantity of Austrian goat milk in the lab's refrigerator after that.
Day forty six was the first (but far from the last) time Stone had saved Doctor Robotnik's life.
Being the world's most significant genius had its drawbacks; especially when one was so vehement in his attitude towards anyone who he viewed as below himself in terms of intelligence - which was, of course, everyone. It was therefore not horribly surprising when Stone arrived at the lab at 8 o'clock sharp, the Doctor's latte in one hand and his own coffee in the other, to witness the man tied to a chair, two masked ignoramuses threatening him and attempting to take control of his machines using his gloves. Robotnik appears far more irritated by the interruption to his work than scared, rolling his eyes when the man wearing his control glove curses him out when it does not work.
"Why on Earth would I make a glove that works for anyone who isn't me?" He asks tauntingly. "This is one of the worst performed kidnappings I've ever experienced. Both disappointing in concept and execution. 0 stars." Stone really wishes the Doctor could learn to keep his trap shut on occasion - but he really does not have the time to wish for things that will never happen. He emerges from his stupor at the sight before him, drops the cups and retrieves his gun from its holster.
He makes quick work of the man 'guarding' the door, who is distracted by the Doctor's vitriolic words as he turns to glare at Robtonik with undisguised hatred and disgust. It is all the time Stone needs to reach around his neck, one hand covering his mouth to prevent screaming and the hand holding his gun securing the kidnapper to his own chest. He is unsure whether or not Robotnik has noticed him, but the Doctor keeps the other imbecile distracted while Stone drags his partner out the lab's door. "Scream and I blow your brains out." Stone informs him calmly. He waits for a nod before continuing. "How many of you are there?"
He releases his hold on the man's mouth. "Just us! Just me and him, I swear." The kidnapper blabbers uselessly, barely holding in tears in a display that makes Stone openly sneer from behind him. "Please, we- we didn't know what we were doing. Let me go and I-" There's nothing more of use to gain from him, Stone decides. He is quick and efficient in placing his hands either side of the man's head and snapping his neck with a satisfying crack. This is what his work with Doctor Robotnik has been missing, Stone thinks to himself. One down, one to go.
He crouches with his gun at the ready as he enters the lab. The stealth may have been unnecessary, he realises, as the assailant is completely wrapped up in arguing uselessly with the Doctor.
"-cannot believe that someone as ill-mannered, small brained and utterly useless as you even managed to get in here. I mean, seriously, it is an offense to everything I have ever built--" The man snarls then, briefly dropping his gun from the Doctor's head as he grabs his hair in a tight grip to pull his head back and snarls.
"Alright, Doc, that is enough. Now, listen here-" Robotnik never gets the chance to listen to what the masked man has to say, not that he would have particularly cared regardless, before a bullet bursts from between his eyes where he is facing him. He collapses beside the chair the Doctor is tied to, revealing Stone stood silently with his gun raised.
"Took you long enough, Stone." Robotnik mutters sarcastically. "You really love to dilly-dally, don't you."
As much as the Doctor snarks him after the event, leaving him with the duty of clean up and with strict instructions that this go unreported as to not waste his time with incessant reports or questions and a groan at his latte having been spilled on the floor, something imperceivably shifts between them afterwards. Robotnik no longer yells at him or physically snaps Stone's jaw shut each time he attempts to offer an unsolicited comment on the Doctor's work. Their conversations consist of more than the Doctor barking an order and Stone saying "Yes, sir.", "Right away, sir.", "Sorry, sir.". He enjoys the new dynamic. If he didn't value his life so much he might have said that Robotnik does too. He still finds himself smoking occasionally on the more stressful days, but those become more spread out over time; more an excuse to take a quick break from work than a genuine need for relief.
Day eighty three is when Stone finds himself more drawn to the Doctor than he thought possible. He can't be certain as to why especially considering how the man - in front of their superior, Commander Walters, no less - uses one of his badniks to render a man who had followed him after an awfully painful meeting to ask even more painful questions almost brain dead. He could barely stand, his only words were garbled nonsense, and he looked more terrified than anyone Stone had ever seen.
As Robotnik's unofficial minder; Stone panics. Was he supposed to anticipate this in some way? Have kept watch on the Doctor so he could prevent this sort of thing from happening? Of course he knew Robotnik was a particular mix of cruel and impulsive that made him the government's both most valuable and most volatile asset, much like how he knew the sky was blue, but he hadn't anticipated the Doctor making such an offensive move over some no-name wasting a few of his precious seconds.
Insane, an unhelpful part of Stone's mind offers up.
Even here he squashes it. Stone knows madness, far better than most would give him credit for. Doctor Robotnik is merely a genius. Just a very very bored one.
A darker part of his mind perks up in its place. The man is much more bearable like this. He is careful to repress that too.
"Robotnik." Commander Walters hisses, startling Stone out of his reverie. The man is grinding his teeth with barely contained fury while his gaze flits between the bumbling militant and the Doctor. "Turn. Him. Back."
Robotnik smirks. Then, with a press on his finger on his control glove, the man in front of them is suddenly back to rambling in coherent, raging, English.
Stone quickly reassesses his view of the Doctor, evolving swiftly with every tid-bit revealed to him in their time together. Not massively impulsive then. Just enough to keep the government imbeciles on their toes. If the agent didn't know any better, he would say that the Doctor was in complete control of his outbursts, and, like everything else he did, they served a purpose in cultivating the most fearful reputation possible.
"How dare you - do you have any idea WHO I am-"
"Don't care, didn't ask; ya BORING!" The Doctor responds with flair. He dismisses the man with an obnoxious hand gesture of two fists bursting into open palms in front of his face before storming off with flair and coat tails flapping behind him. Stone is quick to follow. They stride down the corridor for a few beats before the Doctor pipes up again. "Stone."
"Doctor." He glances over to see a raised brow.
"I can hear the unfortunate sound of rusty cogs in your mind attempting to form a comprehensible thought. Care to divulge?" Robotnik asks with a mocking interest. Stone will take any form of interest from the man at this point though. He shares what has been racing through his head, right from the moment the Doctor had rendered one man so utterly compromised with the press of a button.
"That was... magnificent." He admits, a rush of air leaving him with the admission. Stone's usual collected composure leaves him as he allows the manic grin to spread over his face and give away the glee building in his chest. "I mean. Truly. And- and the reversal of it? I did not expect that; I mean the man had the IQ of a sack of potatoes for a few minutes and-"
"Arguably higher than before."
"-then BAM zapped back to how he was before in the blink of an eye." Stone muses. "Incredible." Robotnik narrows his eyes, gaze lingering.
"You really mean that, don't you?"
"Every word." Stone replies simply. Robotnik hums.
"I don't deal with every imbecile that way before you get too excited." The Doctor comments as they step into the elevator. Stone presses the button for the first floor as he schools his face back into neutrality.
"I know, sir. Who would fund your work if you did?" It's a risky move attempting to joke with the genius, especially after that display of just what the man can do if Stone irritates him too badly. Robotnik cackles and nods to himself.
"Precisely, Stone. Perhaps you aren't the brain dead simpleton I first pegged you for." At best, the words are mildly insulting. Yet they are the closest Stone has heard to a compliment from the Doctor since he first started working for him so his internal preening in response really cannot be helped. "That is not an admission of being wrong." Robotnik is swift to add. "I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself as more than a dim-witted bean grinder."
"I won't let you down, sir." The other man scoffs, waving a hand at him as the elevator doors open.
"Dispense with the 'sirs', won't you Stone?" He asks boredly.
"Sorry, si-" Robotnik shoots him a glare. "Sorry. Military habit." He explains. "What do I call you, then?" Robotnik mulls it over with a quiet hum, not hesitating in the slightest in his purposeful strides towards Stone's car.
"Doctor." He settles on. Stone nods as he holds the car door open.
"Would you get in the car, please, Doctor?" Robotnik huffs with an eye roll and slips into the passenger seat, Stone quick to shut it behind him. It's clear he has a comment on that - and he shares his thoughts as soon as Stone has hopped into the other side of the vehicle.
"Don't get overexcited, sycophant." He scolds, relaxing into the leather. "Has anyone ever told you you're like an...over eager puppy?"
"No, Doctor."
"Well you are."
"...sorry, Doctor?"
"Don't apologise to me. Apologise to yourself for the lack of shame." Stone smirks as he starts up the car.
"I'm not upset over it."
"Then you're worse off than I thought." Robotnik mutters. "Cracked pursuivant." The Doctor looks him over for a beat before reaching for his seat belt, slowly clicking it into place. Stone blinks. Robotnik never used his seatbelt in the car before. He would almost be offended were he not so amused; neglecting to comment in favour of reversing the car out of its parking space with a shake of his head and a hidden smile.
From there on, Stone knows he's completely gone. He is no longer an agent for the United States government - he's an agent for Doctor Ivo Robotnik and him alone. Perhaps Robotnik senses the shift in him too, as Stone gradually gains more duties than simply guarding him and making the coffee. Suddenly, he's in charge of Robotnik's emails and phone calls. He's organising his schedule and gathering supplies he needs for projects. He's providing input on designs and meetings the both of them openly loathe.
Stone likes the additional responsibility and trust in their relationship. But some days are harder than others.
Today, for example. It had gone tits up from the very beginning and only gotten worse from then on. From Stone tripping on a loose wire in the lab and getting yelled at by the Doctor for wasting his latte by pouring it all over himself. To the tedious meeting they had to attend with condescending higher ups while Stone suppressed any glares at those who kept staring at his slightly-too-tight spare suit. Then when Robotnik couldn't find the blueprints to his latest badnik upgrade and threw every heavy duty tool in the lab at him.
The smoke break was warranted, in Stone's opinion. It had been a while since being under the Doctor's employ had resulted in this, but it was undoubtedly inevitable. The day led to a sort of breaking point for the agent and the relief brought by each drag on the cigarette was more than he could express.
Though, like everything else that day, it all goes spiralling out of control.
Robotnik storms out of the lab thunderous and with so much speed Stone only puts out the cigarette under his shoe after the Doctor has already spotted him. The man makes a beeline towards him, obviously irritated and distasteful before he's even uttered a word.
"So this what you're doing instead of making my latte." He opens with. Stone meets his aggression with his usual calm demeanour.
"I'm allowed smoke breaks, Doctor. It's the law."
"Oh, the law, is it?" The Doctor bristles. "The law told you to do it, hm? So you'll just do anything that the law tells you to - is that right?"
"I... Well, sir-"
"Bababab, sychophant! You do not answer to the law; you answer to me." Robotnik glares daggers into him, a manic look in his eyes from too many nights spent with little sleep and excessive work. Stone might comment on the Doctor's hypocritical views considering his own health but the man does not seem in the mood for jokes in this moment. "Pin yourself to the wall." He seethes.
"I-- what?" Of all the things that could possibly come out from Robotnik's mouth that was not one Stone expected to hear. His expression darkened.
"I don't make a habit of repeating myself, agent."
Stone swallows nervously, resting a hand on his chest with a confused shrug before pushing himself into the wall. He doesn't even sense Robotnik move before the man's face is inches from his, eyes wild and face murderous as he readies to spit vitriol in Stone's face. Both his hands have slammed on either side of Stone's head, leaving him trapped against the outside wall of the lab under Robotnik's heaving weight.
"Go on. Explain to me why you think this is acceptable? That my agent can be wasting precious time for protecting me-"
"It's only a few minutes-"
"Do not interrupt." Stone knew that was a mistake from the moment he opened his mouth and a vein in the Doctor's temple seemed to throb animatedly. Interrupting the Doctor mid tyraid on the best of days was a disastrous idea but in this moment it was practically suicidal. "You have left your post to poison yourself, agent. No more, no less. Do you even have any pathetic justifications for it?"
Robotnik is eerily quiet now. Stone gives it a second - still wondering if this is one of the Doctor's hypothetical questions he'll get chewed out for genuinely answering but the man is still and waiting. He has obviously worked himself into quite a rage. Stone can feel his panting breaths against his face from their close proximity and meeting his steely gaze almost requires him to go cross eyed.
"I know it's a-- dirty habit Doctor. But it helps me... Focus. I know you prioritise efficiency and-" Robotnik raised a hand, effectively silencing Stone in his rambling explanation. His eyes narrow as he hones in on the agent's words.
"Do you often find yourself distracted, agent Stone?" He says, faces centimetres apart to the point their noses brush when Robotnik talks with too much emphasis (which is always, by the way). It's an unfair question in this situation and Stone is reeling to hold on to his usual steely composure.
"W-well- I-"
"Well, well, I..." The Doctor mocks. "Speak clearly, Stone! I know thirteen languages and yet I still can't understand the gibberish spewing out of your mouth!"
"It- it's like your dance breaks!" Stone finds his footing, at last, dutifully ignoring the closeness of their mouths when he talks. It is suddenly much easier to form coherent thoughts when his gaze darts to the scenery behind Robotnik rather than directly at the man himself. The Doctor tilts his head in consideration. "They help you clear your head. Think. Deconstruct. Smoking does the same for me, sometimes."
"Surely there are better ways for you to do that."
"If I think of one I'll let you know." One of Robotnik's hands flies back from the wall and presses into Stone's chest, leaving him winded with surprise and the sudden pressure. Stone absently worries about Robotnik feeling his fluttering pulse beneath his palm before his attention is drawn back to the man before him.
"As if you need to think at all, sycophant!" He hisses. "You do as I say. And when you're not doing as I say you wait for my next order."
"I can't just shut my mind off, Doctor." Robotnik scoffs.
"And people question why I prefer machines." He remarks. The hand pressing into Stone's chest slides its way under his jaw. The agent has to remind himself to breathe. "You need something done right, do it yourself."
Stone blinks rapidly at Robotnik, feeling utterly stumped and wrong footed both by the touch and his words.
"What-"
He couldn't finish that sentence as suddenly there were lips being pressed against his. The lips of Robotnik. His boss. Admittedly, the speed at which it stopped any and all thoughts firing between his brain's synapses was truly remarkable. The Doctor pulled back, staring at him with hooded eyes as Stone barely registered how rapid and heavy his breathing had become.
Robotnik's chin jutted forward as he waited. Uncharacteristically patient. His brain must have really been powered down because Stone did not hesitate in closing the miniscule gap left between them. Robotnik hummed into his mouth, one hand sliding into Stone's hair, another landing on his right hip. The agent's own hands slowly rose, resting on Robotnik's shoulders timidly. When the man bit his lip, and subsequently deepened the kiss, Stone didn't have the presence of mind to consider it when his left arm hooked around the other man's neck and the right came to absently stroke the short hairs at the back of the Doctor's head.
He was fully pressed into the wall now, focused enitrely on keeping up with Robotnik's movements and meeting every bite or caress with his tongue with his own. Stone doesn't even notice the low groan he lets out when the Doctor takes his lower lip between his teeth and tugs until the man is breathing out a low chuckle at his choked sound. It becomes a personal mission, then, to get him back for it - all his concentration honing in on eliciting an incriminating sound from Robotnik in turn. He doesn't even detect his own shortness of breath until the Doctor pulls back and he's left panting helplessly for air.
When he gets an eyeful of the Doctor now his hair and mustache are mussed from the kiss and Stone's absently wondering hands. His face is coloured from exertion but he looks incandescently smug when he tears himself out of reach. Stone is left lurching and confused, staring after Robotnik helplessly.
"There." Robotnik says brightly, seeming in far better spirits than when their encounter first started. "I hope that dispells any ideas you have about thinking while on the job, agent." It takes Stone considerably too long to realise he's been addressed and all he can do in response is nod mutely. Robotnik clasps his hands together, satisfaction radiating off of him in waves as he steps back from Stone.
Stone's brain is only just coming back online when Robotnik turns on his heel to stomp back into the lab. His back is turned to him when he throws out one last comment over his shoulder.
"Oh and brush your teeth before you return. Your mouth tastes like an ash tray!"
Stone does as he is told.