Chapter Text
It was raining outside, I hated rain… It made the day feel like it was crawling by, it made my hands feel heavy, and my eyes feel tired. I hated the annoying sound of the thick draws drumming against the metal roof over my head, how the drumming made me want to go to sleep, to curl up on my desk and close my eyes. I hated how the facility seemed to get a little warmer, Stone most likely having turned up the heat to counteract the chill I got from the cool and dull atmosphere the rain brought.
A yawn pulled itself from me as I worked tirelessly on my latest project.
I could hear Stone moving around behind me, he’d long become a staple in my life, taking over the corners of my vision as he stood just in sight, making his presence know to me as he silently guarded me and care for me, making sure my coffee remained warm and full, and my immediate vicinity clean and cared for.
My fingers strummed over my desk, the thoughts of my annoying little assistant clouding my mind and fogging it up from my work. He was always right there, just within my reach, just a turn of my head away from being right in front of me.
Leaning back in the old swivel chair, I slowly turned till I saw my agent, currently working on sweeping near the door, gathering up broken pieces of metal and busted screws from my latest project. His eyes scanning over the floor as he worked just as tirelessly. My eyes flicked over his being, my finger tapping to my cheek as I took in the sight before me before I shifted to stand, kicking a small bolt across the floor to watch his reaction. His eyes immediately locked on and he shifted over to quickly sweep it up. I couldn’t help but snort. I opened my mouth to make a comment at his absurdity, but before a single insult could pass my lips the lights flickered before shutting off completely. My brow twisted into a knot, my eyes darting off to the now dull bulbs that hung from the ceiling.
“Stone?” I started, eyes returning to my agent, his expression hardened as he glared at the light bulbs before he glanced at the still glowing exit sign. He shifted, dropping the broom and moving closer to me, one arm extending over my body. “Stone.”
“Sir, I think we should prepare for an early departure.” he muttered out while he moved his hands to my shoulders so he could guide my to the door before moving between it and me, a flash of silver caught my eye and before I knew it I was staring at the gun my agent now held in his hand. I shifted back, eyes scanning over him as I took in that he saw a simple power outage as a threat.
“The lights will kick back on at any moment,” I stated, “It’s just a simple power outage.”
“Right when the external guards would be rotating.” Stone stated, his eyes moving to me for a moment before he looked down to his wrist, “I do not trust this Sir, the timing is too… coincidental.” He explained before slowly opening the door and poking his head out.
That’s when I heard it, a sound that sent a chill down my spine, ‘ pop POP POP ’ Three shots, each growing louder, and closer. Stone heard them as well, because as soon as the first one went off his arm flew out and I found myself pinned between him and the concrete walls. His normally playful expression twisted in one I was unfamiliar with, eyes dark, focused, planning.
“We need to move, now.” He whispered to me, voice harsh as he dragged me close and started moving quickly, more lights flicked off and soon we found ourselves navigating by just the emergency lights, and Stone’s firm understanding of the layout.
“Stone-”
“SH!” He hissed in a low yet somehow piercing tone, grip tight around my wrist as he tried to get us out. “Keep your voice down, do not speak unless it is important.” He instructed, no, ordered me.
Part of me wanted to argue, to growl back about how dare he tell me what to do, but the look he gave me, and the way the dull lights from the ‘exit’ sign lit up half his face made a lump grow in my throat, keeping me silent. I nodded almost too quickly, my head slightly dizzy as adrenaline rushed through me, eyes glued to the man I barely recognized.
Every bone in my body locked up a moment later when a flashlight spotted the two of us, “THERE HE IS!” An unfamiliar voice barked, my body frozen like a deer in headlights as I stated at the men just down the hall from us.
My ears started ringing as Stone yanked me back, the sounds of shouting and screaming buzzing past my ears as I stared wide eyed at the lights before us. His fingers curled into my shoulder as he pulled me behind him, the barrel of his gun slowly coming into view as my brain slowed time for a moment, smoke rose from the barrel as another round went off. He stepped back, pulling me with him as we rounded a corner, Stone practically dragging me down the hall.
“St-” I started as more shots were fired though it was cut off after the second ‘POP’ whizzed by me. My fingers found themselves curling into his jacket, clutching onto the smooth black fabric as shouting echoed through the halls.
“ARE YOU INSANE?!” A man yelled from behind us, though Stone didn’t stop, still dragging me along as his legs moved much faster than me. “We need him alive! Without him getting the information will be harder!”
My legs were weak as he pulled me through the halls, they needed me alive…
They needed me alive, I was going to be okay, but Stone… I looked up at him as he dragged me around another corner and slammed his hand into a pressure lock, thick metal doors sealing behind us.
“I don’t think they can follow us for now.” Stone stated while looking back at the doors, hands finally relaxing against me, “I can hold them off for a bit, but without your gloves,” I hadn’t even realized I wasn’t wearing them… He continued to guide me forwards, putting himself between me and the door as we moved through the hall.
“Don’t push me!” I snapped at him, looking back as he tried to keep me moving.
“You’ll have to run… My bike is outside. I know you don’t like it…”
“Stone!” I nearly barked out but he kept talking.
“But you won’t have to go far.” His eyes finally met mine, “I know you can do it. Go to the main building. Ask for help.” He said his voice softened and his face relaxed a little, a flush crossing at his cheeks as he looked up at me. The keys to his bike offered out to me, that stupid grin on his face. How dare he suggest something like this, leaving him behind, leaving him alone to take on all these fools.
“Don’t try giving me orders like that! You’ll be driving that stupid-” I started to growl out but he interrupted me again.
“Doctor.” His voice was far too steady, his eyes watching me with a playful look like he used to wear, but it was different this time, a hint of longing hidden behind those long lush black lashes. “To serve you has been an honor.”
I stopped, staring at him as he watched me, cheeks warm and an unspoken goodbye in his eyes. He was being serious, he didn’t see a way out of this without me leaving him behind. He didn’t see a way out even with me leaving him behind…. My eyes widened as I stared at him for a long moment, unable to speak as I stammered, mouth opening and shutting a few times like some idiotic fish.
“Sir you need to leave, I need to shut down the facility completely so I can protect your research, and I can't do that with you here, so you need to leave and get us help.” I looked between his eyes, wanting to argue with stone but then a laugh bang echoed through the halls and I looked back at the door, staring wide-eyed at the slight dent in it now. “Ivo, go!” He said shoving me forwards to force me to run, the key clutched tightly in my hand.
I wanted to look back.
I wanted to see him.
I wanted him to come with me.
But I couldn't bring myself to argue anymore as I ran down the halls, turning around sharp corners and a pant on my lips. Stumbling over myself I managed to get to the garage, closing the door and looking around till my eyes caught the dark bike. I made my way over, fingers tracing over the seat of the bike staring down at it for a moment longer than I should till I heard another loud ‘Pop!’ My shoulders jolted as I scurried onto the bike and fumbled around to turn it on. I was lucky enough that Stone had given me a quick crash course on how to drive it in an emergency if we were out and he couldn't drive, but I hated it. I glared down at the dash board before revving the engine, the bike lunged forwards, nearly knocking me back off of it, I leaned forwards, clutching the handles.
The echoes of gun shots surrounded me and I couldn’t help but look back over my shoulder at the sealed door of the garage. I swallowed a lump in my throat, imagining Stone running out behind me and jumping on the back of the bite so I could speed us both off to safety. But I was a tool, and what I produced was far too valuable to leave behind.
The tires skid underneath me as I rocked out of the garage, listening as the gunshots grew quieter beneath the revving engine till I could only hear the hum of the bike below me. My skills on the bike were far from graceful, but I was able to keep it upright as I sped around the facility towards a military base just a few miles away.
Miles…
The image of Stone’s still corpse flashed through my mind.
Yes we had had close calls before but this was something else, leaving my hands trembling to the point I had to grip the handles so tight my knuckles grew white to make them go still. My eyes burned, no not from tears, I would not cry over the thought of the death of a simp like him. No it was the wind, it must be the wind. I clenched my eyes shut tight to will the tears away before opening them again. I hadn’t even grabbed a helmet in my rush out of the building, I was surely going to hear an earful after this.
I hardly managed to slow the bike down enough as I skid to enough of a stop to jump off, somewhere in my mind I remember hearing the bike crash into the ground when I let got, but I didn’t care. I rushed past security and yelled at the personnel, screaming back at them when one dared to touch me and shove my pass in their face.
“There’s an emergency at the facility! I need Walters NOW!” I nearly screamed, my voice felt hoarse as the men around me seemed to finally understand what I was saying and lead me into a meeting. I kicked the sealed door in, unable to hold back anymore.
“BRING HIM BACK!” I screamed, catching the room of generals and majors by surprise. “BRING HIM BACK RIGHT NOW!” I grabbed the closest thing to me, a chair, and launched it into the room, the men around me hardly able to dodge it.
“Who?” One managed to ask as I hurled another chair in their general direction.
“STONE! The facility! It’s in lock down?! Didn’t you get any message? Any alerts?! Bring him back!” I screamed, grabbing the edge of the table and yanking on it to attempt to flip it, but when the table remained still and my arms strained I realized it was bolted to the floor, so I screamed, slamming my hands down against it. “BRING ME BACK MY AGENT!”
“Dr.Robotnik we are working on it,” Walters said in a cool tone while putting his hands up, in a defensive manner.
“NOT FAST ENOUGH!!” My throat hurt as I screamed, gripping the edge of the unmoving table as I glared down at it for defying him.