Chapter Text
The wind battered and toyed with the Creature as he climbed up the detailed wall of the Frankenstein family estate. Heartache made his chest hurt with a dull thud and fueled its product, rage. Each edge of ledge he grabbed, each brick he managed to hook the tips of his fingers onto, brought him closer to his goal. The window that led to the room where the Creature assumed Victor kept… perhaps not his most prized possession, but something he would miss dearly once he realized you were gone.
A child. One the Creature envied with an anger, one he knew he shouldn't, for it was not your fault. You, like him, didn't ask to be brought into the world… you just happened to have the fortune of being created under natural circumstances. Victor, while his studies and experiments released enough tension that he did not require relations, was definitely not a stranger. In the days that followed his expulsion from the academy, Victor needed a way to release his frustrations.
The one instance in which diving into his studies, drawings, and experiments didn't work.
She had never forgotten his name, the woman he left tangled in the sheets. Staring up at the ceiling, chest heaving, and alone. Months later, she'd discovered that he hadn't truly left her alone that night... but left her with a child. One that she decided, following the one night she had spent interacting with the self-absorbed man, didn't need to grow up with a father. She would raise you herself, on her own.
Her plan fell apart. Months after the baby was born, she became ill. A slow, painful death in which no one could do anything but watch her die. She confessed the name of her child's father with the last of her breath.
Victor Frankenstein.
An old maid managed to deliver you to the only kin you seemed to have left. Victor, in the middle of building his lab and getting lost in the eyes of his brother's fiancée, was severely unhappy when the maid insisted you were his. He knew it made sense, although he was too stubborn to admit so. But he thought of Elizabeth, and how she might react if she were to find out that Victor had cast you away. So he took you. He suffered the first few nights; his extent of medical knowledge was mighty, but infants were much different from dead bodies.
It didn't take him very long until he passed you off to his brother for him and Elizabeth to raise. With the excuse that his project swallowed too much of his attention for him to properly take care of you.
And it did, but upon Elizabeth's suggestion that maybe he drop the project… both Victor and her uncle insisted that too many resources had been put into their work to risk wasting them.
So Victor worked in his tower, while William and Elizabeth raised a bright-eyed infant that wasn't truly theirs. No matter, they accepted you and raised you as fully, really theirs. The maid, though well-intended, had forgotten to leave Victor with a name… and Victor neglected to name you. Too busy trying to balance keeping you quiet and continuing with his studies. So Elizabeth named you, Y/N.
Y/N. That's what the Creature was after now. If he could not have his companion, he would take every companion Victor had.
Though it was distant, he remembered meeting you.
He'd been sitting in an arched hole that allowed light to flow through and into his dreary "bedroom," staring at a leaf within his hands and admiring each detail, each small striation that stretched towards the edges of the leaf. How delicate and special it was, it was the last leaf within his reach… he had spent his time sending the rest down the small creek that flowed through his room. Exiting through the large circular tunnel at the end.
He always forgot to grab the leaf before it left him.
Soft footsteps, different than Victor's curt ones, ascended into the crypt- pausing when he looked up. Curiosity prompted him to rise and step towards the footsteps, chains jingling around his wrists. A sound that no longer entertained him as frequently, but he was quite at attention when a figure appeared from behind one of the columns. Obscured by a long blue fabric, just opaque enough, he could see the outline of… someone? Underneath.
She approached, holding something tight in her arm, body tilted away from him slightly as if to protect it- and yet she continued to come closer. The light illuminated her face and revealed soft features. Eyes kinder than the ones that had regarded him since he had risen from the strange bed that shocked him to life. She reached out with a hand, and on instinct, he matched the gesture, brushing his fingertips gently across the lace that surrounded hers. He grabbed her hand, pulling her closer so he could lift the veil and observe her properly. It was all new and exciting, yet every move he made was slow, hesitant.
His attention was turned towards the lace that sat on her hand next; he held it. Looking up at her as if for permission before he tugged it off, noting not the differences but the similarities between her hand, his, and Victor's.
Then, he glanced down at the bundle she held. Glittering, soulful eyes gazed up at him, with the same lack of knowledge yet hunger to consume it all. To experience. Somehow, he knew you needed to be handed in a benign manner. Slowly reaching down to tug the blanket from your face. A delighted gurgle escaped you, prompting surprised but pleased grunts from the Creature.
Elizabeth watched with a light smile on her face, knowing with an odd suspicion that there was nothing malicious about this figure. He seemed to be purer than the common man, nothing but a will to learn and hands that knew no harm. Or at least, not harm he brought himself, she discovered. When a sickeningly recognizable color caught her eye, blooming from a cut in the man's side. She touched the tips of her fingers to it with a small gasp, just to make sure as the man watched her. She drew her hand away with blood staining the tips of her fingers and confirming her concern.
You seemed to sense her shift in demeanor and began to make a noise of discontent. The Creature drew away. Taking his hands back to himself.
Elizabeth bounced the bundle in her arm, murmuring, "Shh… who hurt you?"
Her voice echoed in the Creature's mind as he reached the window that granted him access to the room where you resided. Through the curtains, he could see the nursing maid, attempting to calm the bawling infant who had picked up on the tension that followed the night's horrendous events. The Creature did not regret his actions, but later, once he got the moment to reflect, he'd mourn the lives he ended that did not contribute to his suffering.
He would not do the same to this child, but would not allow Victor to take solace in you.
He pushed open the glass unceremoniously. The nurse looked up and let out a high-pitched shriek, and clutching you to her chest.
A low grumble rolled out of the Creature's chest. "Give me the child," the simple yet effective command rolled off his tongue.
The nurse, though she cared for you on a certain level, found that she valued her life more than the meager allowance she gained from this job. In a hurry, trembling so hard the Creature thought she might drop you, she handed you to him before fleeing the room.
Almost instantaneously, as if you knew the Creature had no intention to hurt you, you quieted. Looking up at him with tear-stricken cheeks. The Creature's rage waned a bit as he looked back, grabbing a thick blanket from Y/N's crib and wrapping it around his neck, then snugly around you. In a way that you could be tucked against him without the need to hold you there.
Suddenly, commotion rapidly approached from the hallway, the door the nurse had escaped from led out to. The Creature rapidly tucked Y/N into his coat, making it out of the window and disappearing rapidly into the snow just as the leftover wedding guests burst into the room.
"You hunted me past the forests, past the mountains, past the frozen horizons, until there was nothing left."
The Creature knew nothing about taking care of a child; all he'd seen were the fond teachings of his first friend through the holes of the boards that built the house he'd hidden in. But then again, you were much younger than the little girl… He didn't want you to die, nor did he want to pass you off to a stranger. In the early months of Victor's chase, the Creature had come across a village, tucked in the frigid cold of the mountains. This allowed him to hide behind his furs and covering.
The snow was coming down hard as he entered a rundown, yet cozy tavern. Empty tables that had clearly been occupied earlier and a bar across the room. Cluttered and decorated, but not so much that it created a messy ambiance.
You began to cry underneath his coats as a loud yet soft voice came from the bar, "Sorry, haven't had the chance to lock up, but-" He was met with an odd look from the barkeep, a fortified middle-aged woman, most likely the owner's wife- but he held it with a demeanor that suggested he didn't notice, or didn't care.
Approaching the counter, he spoke in a low tone, "Milk, please." He had been for the last week, crushing the berries and other foods he managed to scrounge up to feed you. Perhaps milk would be nice.
Your cries could still be heard as the barkeep tried to make sense of this strange situation. Still confused, but realizing she needed to say something, she responded with a question rather than getting what he'd asked there. "Do you have a babe under there?" She asked, with a nod of her head towards his thick coats.
The Creature fell quiet, blinked as he tried to decide whether to reveal the bundle under his clothing, and then reluctantly took you out. "…Yes. Their name is Y/N." He held you in one arm as he had seen Elizabeth do, and gently wiped away your tears, though more replaced them.
Her mouth stuck slightly open, the woman stared at the crying (from what she could tell) one-year-old in the stranger's arms. It was not much so that you were a babe, but the strange manner in which the man had entered with you. Seemingly having traveled with you in this almost blizzard-like weather. The way that the man held you, spoke about you… gave her a creeping suspicion that he lacked the knowledge to handle you.
"Well, may I hold her?" She smiled and held her arms out, looking up to catch the man's suspicious glare, "Oh, I have a few children of my own. I know how to handle 'em."
Letting out a breath, the Creature handed the bundle over. Watching carefully, not only to make sure that she didn't harm you… But he knew he could learn something from this experience as well.
The woman cooed in a soothing tone as she took you, placing you on her hip and bouncing in an attempt to calm you. After a couple of moments, the room became silent, but the quiet crackling of a hearth, tucked in a corner across the bar. The Creature watched in amazement. Many times had he attempted to rock you in an attempt to get you to cease your crying, but never had he managed this so quickly.
A chuckle came from the woman, a sparkle in her eye as she switched her gaze back up to the Creature. "When you have four of them, things get a little easier," Her smile revealed small wrinkles next to her eyes. "Is this your first?"
"…Yes." The Creature gave a slow nod.
"Ah, I guessed… and you're draggin' 'em through the snow. Poor babe." She hummed, "Mom passed or dropped 'em off, huh?"
"She passed," he frowned under his mask, remembering a night not so long ago… Elizabeth's blood still covering his hands and clothes as he escaped into the night with you. But he relaxed a bit, taking a seat on one of the stools.
The woman passed you from one hip to the other. "How 'bout you stay the night then?" She asked softly, sensing his sorrow. "I can teach you a couple of tricks, get you some better provisions?"
"I…" He couldn't think of a good reason to refuse, so he didn't. "I would thank you immensely."
Brightening up, she began bustling around. "Lovely! Let me lock up, hm?" Walking across the room, she locked the door, turning around and pulling a rag from the apron she wore to brush crumbs off the tables to sweep up the next morning. Normally, she'd give the room a deeper clean, but she was eager to help out you, however strange your father seemed to be.
She worked quickly, multitasking with you on her hip, finishing in record time. The Creature watched her in mild amazement, any distrust he'd had with her in the beginning… gone.
"Well, let's get on with it then- Oh! I'm Johanne, completely flew over my head." Johanne gestured with a shake of her head. She slipped on a thick coat that had hung on a hook that sat next to a door that the Creature suspected led them outside, but most likely in the direction of her home.
He knew this could backfire in an instant- but his desire to care for the babe was stronger than his concern.
"It is best if you don't know my name." He said in turn as they stepped out the door and into the cold, for he lacked one.
Johanne paused, looking at him strangely. For a moment, the Creature thought she might change her mind- hand you back to him and rush into the dark, but she accepted his answer. "Stranger it is." She nodded, turning and walking briskly through the dark.
The Creature followed close behind her, shielding the two from the harsh night winds that threatened to nip any bare skin. Your content babbles came faintly from Johanne's coat as a quaint-looking cottage rose from the snow; it didn't look large enough for the size of a family the woman claimed to have. But as they reached it and the Creature held the door open as they stepped inside, she explained:
"Oldest moved out," Johanne let out a breath as the warmth of the house soothed her frigid face. "Just the five of us now."
The five of us, not much of a difference, but as he looked around the interior of the cabin, it looked larger from the inside than it did outside. It maintained the same ambiance as the bar, but with a welcoming feeling that only a content home could offer. It was one large room, with one half holding the fireplace, a rug, a couch, and a basket of toys on one side, and a sewing machine on the other. The other half had the kitchen and a dining table in the far corner. Above sat a large loft; the Creature guessed there sat beds and storage.
Two of the children bustled around the kitchen, while a man, the Creature assumed was the husband, sat on the couch with the other child, reading- or had been reading a novel. They all were now goggling at the stranger their mother had merrily entered with. Tall, ragged, and masked… but they all trusted Johanne's judgment, so it only took a moment for the children to recover. The one who had been seated on the couch ran up to their mother, and as soon as she'd gotten her coat off, Johanne was immediately swept away.
"Anders Nilsen." Greeted the husband, rising from the couch and holding out his hand. "Hangers right behind you."
"Stranger," Offered the Creature in return, prompting a brief, but confused look from the man. He removed his overcoat and turned to place it on the hook, keeping his mask.
"Well… Stranger, why don't you get rid of the scarf as well? It's plenty warm." Anders suggested.
The Creature looked down at him, and for a moment, he contemplated it- then felt like an idiot that he even considered. These people, no matter how friendly they seemed, would attempt to take you and chase him back into the woods. He shook his head, "It is better… I keep it on."
Anders' mouth opened and closed, face settling with an expression that the Creature wished he didn't see so often. Intimidation with a mild distrust.
"If you say so." The expression disappeared as one of the children ran over with you, holding you out to the Creature.
"Dinners done!" They chirped, dancing off towards the table as soon as you were lifted from their arms.
Standing still, hesitant, the Creature stayed where he was before the door. Until Anders clapped him on the back, "Cmon, can't leave a guest unfed."
The night went mostly like this: Johanne and the children enjoyed the Creature's company, listening intently as he recited stories the old man, his friend, had told him in what it seemed ages ago. Johanne taught him better ways to hold Y/N, tricks to get you to cease crying when nothing else seemed to work, and what you could and couldn't eat. She'd also gifted him a large brown satchel in which she tucked old clothing, toys, and food.
It all almost felt… normal. It would feel normal- if it weren't for the pair of eyes the Creature felt on his back the entire night. Anders carefully watched as if the Creature were liable to lash out at any moment.
It made the Creature wonder if he should be silently escaping into the dark, leaving you with a family that quite obviously would be able to care for you better. But towards the end of the night, when the children had retreated to the loft, Johanne deposited a you into his arms, drowsy. He followed what he had learned from her that night. You looked up at him, blinking slowly. Making soft, incoherent noises until one seemed intelligible. "…Adam." To soothe you, the Creature often recited the tales he'd read in the old man's cabin- most often it was Adam and Eve's. He knew it was very unlikely you had truly spoken the word, connecting the name with something. But he could let himself believe it.
Within minutes… your eyes had drifted closed. Quiet and comfortable. In that moment, he discovered what it was to be selfish. This child would be his companion.
Above whispered shouts caught his attention, and he looked up, though he could not see through the boards… he could tell from the voices it was Johanne and Anders arguing.
"He refuses to take off his mask- you don't think that's strange?" Anders hissed.
"Of course it is, but have you stopped to consider that he perhaps has some kind of scar-deformity he does not want us to see?" Johanne retaliated.
"The mask is not the only odd thing- you said he showed up in the bar just after the sun set with the babe under his clothing?? Who travels with an infant in the coldest part of Norway?"
"What do you want to do, Anders? Take the child, kick him out, and expect him not to retaliate?"
"Yes!!"
It was then that a fear gripped the Creature. A fear that Anders might get his way. Silently, he rose from the spot on the rug and collected the satchel. Wrapped you back into the sling that settled against his chest, and slipped his coat on.
He could still hear the couple arguing above as he slipped out the door.
It had been nice to feel normal again, even if it was only for a couple of hours.
"Just you… me, and the child."
Victor was on a trip for revenge, yes, but also one of retrieval. Elizabeth had fallen unconscious, yes… but her heart had slowly kept beating. Just enough for Victor to save her. Save her like his father hadn't been able to do for his mother. It had been a short-lived victory. With William's death and your kidnapping. As soon as Elizabeth was stable enough, she begged Victor to retrieve you, perhaps the Creature as well. And though Victor suspected you were dead, and held a cold hatred for the Creature… he left Elizabeth in the hands of a less competent but capable doctor, he sped into the cold. Hunting the second life he had managed to create, one he hoped to end to stop its endless rampage of destruction.
In the endless white blanket they called the Arctic, Victor's glove ran through the thick hair of one of the huskies that carried his sled. Patting it affectionately (or as affectionately as the man could muster) until he noticed something had caught the dog's attention. Pointed ears, raised tail, and the hair on its back fluffing up… in fact, all the dogs held the same, or similar pose as they tried to identify a figure in the distance.
Victor let out a quick breath, panic engulfing his thoughts. Shotgun, he needed his shotgun.
Tucking tail and diving into his tent, Victor scrambled to find his weapon, fumbling with it as heavy footsteps approached. "Victor…" Came the familiar yet dreadful voice that Victor had heard time and time again, a hand reaching into the tent-
A teeth-shattering gunshot went off as his finger pulled down on the trigger, once, twice, followed by a desperate sounding: "STOP," as the Creature's hand retracted from the tent, flesh blasted from the bone.
Anger and fear clouded Victor's judgement. There was a click as he fumbled to reload, when suddenly strong hands gripped his ankles and dragged him outside and into the snow. Flipping him round to come face to face with his Creature.
"You only listen… WHEN I HURT YOU." The Creature bellowed, cold hands holding Victor's arms just a little too tight. Victor closed his eyes, breath shaky as he prepared for a blow… but it never came.
Scattered barks, their uneven breathing, and the breeze whistling past them were all Victor could hear for a moment. However, he did not dare to move, as if the Creature were a T. rex that would not attack unless it detected movement. At least, not until he heard the quiet cry, muffled by the layers of clothing around it.
Victor turned his head and looked up at the Creature with wide eyes, as if to confirm what he was hearing.
"They're sick," The Creature spoke, gazing at Victor with mixed feelings. A hatred, yet a reluctant acceptance that without him… You may not survive.
He had tried his best to keep you warm and did a pretty good job of it. Especially after Johanne had provided him with the supplies. But as the temperatures grew colder, it grew harder, and you fell ill.
It was then that the Creature ceased running and allowed Victor to catch up to him. There was rarely a moment when you did not cry in discomfort.
"You… You didn't kill it," Victor said incredulously, the discovery momentarily distracting him from his detestation. "Why?"
"Them." The Creature corrected. "We are alike. We are both… your children, though created in different ways."
Victor blinked, reeling back a bit as he processed that the Creature had just referred to him as its father. The Creature huffed and shook him slightly, "You made me, so fix them."
"I-I have no supplies, no warmth but my furs and tent. The child would need more than that."
"There is a ship in the distance; perhaps you could board it."
"Yes, yes, okay." Victor immediately agreed. Not eager to anger the Creature.
The Creature let go of Victor, rising to his full height and gesturing around them at the huskies that sat distraught and chained into the snow. Some are still up and barking at the intruder.
"Prepare the sled only; there is not enough time to pack your possessions."
Victor nodded vigorously, on his feet within a moment. Bustling around in the dark, to chain each sled dog into place. The barking quieted, as the dogs' master reassured them that the large man who had caused Victor distress was in fact… not an immediate threat. Instead, they stood attentively at the waiting once Victor managed to organize them and hook them to the sled. He then turned to the Creature.
"You have no reason to trust me, but the dogs will not be able to carry us both. Give me the child, and I will be able to get them there quickly. The sooner the better."
Suspicion clouded the Creature's gaze, with good reason.
"You want them to live? Don't you?" Victor quickly added.
"…Yes." The Creature reluctantly nodded his head, reaching back to untie the blanket that kept you in place, holding it with one hand while the other reached under his clothing so you wouldn't fall. Gently, he withdrew you from his coat, wrapping the rest of the blanket around you. He reached up to tug down his mask, raising you so he could place a gentle kiss on your forehead, for he had a creeping suspicion Victor would not welcome him with open arms once he reached the ship himself.
He passed Y/N into Victor's open arms, hands falling to his sides as Victor shouted a command and the dogs sped off into the snowy dark.
It didn't take very long for Victor to reach the ship; the dogs flew across the white blanket underneath them, unbothered by the wind or cold. They were met by the loud chattering of the men who worked on the ship, wearily battling the ice in hopes that the captain might change his mind and save them from their unavoidable frozen demise.
They had spotted him approaching, and so the captain stood waiting, arms crossed and eyes grey and curious.
"In what manner do you approach, traveler?" The captain spoke first, calling out into the night.
Victor did not respond until he was close enough not to shout over the wind, hopping off the sled. "My child, they have fallen ill from the cold. They need refuge."
Walton, the captain, could see clearly that Victor held something infant-sized and did not hesitate to allow the two to board his ship, nodding and turning to lead Victor to the ladder. "A strange place to bring a child, is it not?"
"Yes, it is. I was not the one who brought them here." Victor said, continuously looking over his shoulder, "Will you take them up the ladder? I have a prosthetic."
A look of confusion crossed the captain's face, but he took the bundle that Victor handed him. "Of course."
Outside the noise of the crew members shouting, one ordering the readying of the rifles, and the chaos that ensued afterward as they failed to stop the Creature.
Walton rushed into the captain's quarters, where Victor had been led and now was trying to rub warmth into you. "What is that thing? What does it want?"
"Not now…" Victor replied frustrated, his attention on getting you to cry. Gain back the energy it had lost to the cold.
The Creature continued to cause havoc. Standing in the middle of the crew that fought to keep him at bay, he raised a hand and pointed towards the captain's quarters, growling out, "Let me INSIDE!"
"The blunderbuss. Larsen, get the blunderbuss!" Walton commanded.
Larsen stormed outside as soon as the weapon was in his hands. He lifted it and fired, prompting a pained groan from the Creature.
"Y/N, Y/N!" Such an exasperation tinged its voice that Walton for a moment debated calling a ceasefire.
But the blunderbuss was set off with a click, knocking the Creature back. Once more, the Creature tumbled off the ship, slamming into the ice.
A crowd gathered at the edge. "I killed it, I killed it." Breathed Larsen, looking at the limp figure below them.
Although apparently not, because once more the figure began to move, the captain's expression became incredulous. "It’s still alive! Ladder! Pull up the ladder!" Walton bellowed, turning towards his crew.
"LET ME INSIDE." The Creature repeated, letting out a guttural growl as both hands pushed the ship and miraculously began to rock it.
Walton, yanking the blunderbuss away from Larsen, grabbed the railing and aimed. "How many shots are left?" He called out.
"One! But it won't kill it!"
"I know, I'm not aiming for him." Replied Walton, squinting as he made a shot for the ice that sat beneath the monstrous man. It broke with a sickening yet glorious crack, sending the Creature scrambling to escape the icy depths of the Arctic. With no use, as within moments the Creature was sinking, small bubbles reaching towards the surface in his wake… and a murderous expression on his face.
Inside, the ship's doctor hovered over Victor's shoulder, fetching what he asked for. Though they had no remedies that would be safe for you, it seemed to be responding to the warmth that now surrounded it. For a moment, Victor allowed himself to rest. "Who's ship am I on?"
"You are on the Royal Danish ship, Horisont. I’m Captain Anderson. This is Dr. Udsen." The captain gestured, having entered shortly after sinking the attacker.
"How many of your men did it kill?"
"Six."
"It will come back and kill many more. All of you, if necessary, unless you allow it to enter." Victor was quite aware that the Creature wished to do no harm but to stay with the only being that did not see it for what it was- at least in Victor's eyes.
"No, no. It’s gone. It sank in the freezing waters. It’s dead."
"No, it is not! It cannot die. I have tried to destroy it. Whether you believe me or not, it will come back… for the child."
"What manner of creature is that? What manner of devil made him?"
"I did. I did. I made him. I had determined that the memory of my evils should die with me." But now, now he was not so sure. A part of him stubbornly wanted to keep the Creature out. Deny it what it so desperately wanted as he had on Elizabeth and William's wedding night.
"Some of what I will tell you is fact." Victor set you down, surrounded by the soft pillows that adorned the captain's quarters. "Some is not, but it is all true. Their name is Y/N, mine is Victor. Victor Frankenstein. It was my father who gave me that name. Do you know what it means?" He looked up.
Walton, "I believe I do, yes. Conqueror. One that wins it all."
"Yes. It all started with him. My father," He sat down with a heavy sigh, "And my mother."
"But that was not the end of it. In seeking life, I created death."
Shouting interrupted Victor's tale, Walton almost seemed annoyed. Transfixed by the man's story, "It would seem I need to address my men again." He approached the door, looking back at Victor with what he hoped was a reassuring look, "Don’t worry. They’ll listen to me."
The doors opened with a slam to reveal the Creature, storming into the room. With an animalistic growl, he raised a fisted hand, eyes glinting in the firelight that roared across the room.
"No, no, stop! Do not harm him! We're in here. They're in here." Victor rose, holding his hands out.
"Go on, beast. Kill us both. Confirm your maker’s tale." Walton, despite knowing that the Creature could crush him with the fist it had lifted, stood tall in its face. One of the many traits that gained him his status as captain.
"My maker… told his tale," The Creature growled softly, lowering his arm and stepping around the captain up to Victor. He looked to the side, spotted you, leaned down, and gathered you into his arms. The only living being who saw him for who he really was. The movement woke you and prompted a content burble, "Then I will tell you mine."