Chapter Text
– Hey, mira! Jaiden! Look at my drawing! – The little boy quickly got up from the floor and ran a few steps toward the brown-haired bird girl. He held the large sheet of paper in his small hands, running barefoot in that hospital gown that was characteristic of all the children there, and that at least left their wings and little tails free.
Jaiden, the oldest of all of them, smiled warmly at him and accepted the drawing, already preparing automatic compliments even if she couldn't quite make out what was being portrayed. And when she took it, she genuinely struggled to understand it at first — but soon realized he had drawn each of them, holding hands, each one with features that matched reality.
– Wow, Quackity! It's really beautiful. Did you make this?
The little duck boy nodded his head several times, smiling openly with his small sharp teeth. He had to stop nodding because he got dizzy, and luckily his wings helped him keep his balance and not fall. He then moved closer, pointing at the drawing with his tiny fingers.
– This one in the middle is you! I drew your blue wings and you're super tall! This one next to you is me, and my brother. Could you tell that this one is me? This is Roier, with the bandana you gave him, and this is Doied with glasses. This one further away is Ash. He has an angry face because he lost to Roier in la mancha.
– It's very beautiful, Quackity. You draw really well...
A little boy with dark hair and one eye covered also approached quickly, with firm steps and a posture brimming with confidence, and also handed a sheet of paper for Jaiden to look at. Jaiden smiled and accepted it, already used to being the "official evaluator" of the younger ones drawings, who always wanted her approval because she was older.
– I also made a drawing – he said confidently, placing his little hands behind his back, waiting with anticipation for her reaction.
Jaiden sometimes couldn't help but worry about how that such a tiny little boy tried so hard to grow up and seek validation. Even though he was younger than Quackity, he came across as far more responsible and serious. But deep down he was just a little boy who needed love and to live his childhood like a child.
Quackity also approached with curiosity, nearly leaning over the drawing, and furrowed his brows.
– Hey, that's not fair! Ash cheated! He must have asked Doied to draw it for him!
– No! I didn't ask anything! Shut up!
– ¡Cállate tú, idiota!
Jaiden covered her mouth to hold back a laugh, watching the two little boys argue. She looked more carefully at the drawing, Ash had drawn himself holding a sword and apparently fighting an evil being. She had to admit: along with Doied, Ash was one of the best artists among the children. But she wouldn't say that out loud — not unless she wanted Quackity to be sulky for three days straight. When she turned her attention back to the two boys, Ash was tugging at her clothes to get her attention.
– Jaiden! Quackity's calling me short!
– Because you aaaare! – Quackity stuck his tongue out at Ash, who growled and clenched his little fists.
Jaiden then stepped in, before Ash could jump on Quackity and the duck hybrid ended up getting beaten up by a kid younger than him.
– Quackity, don't talk to him like that. He's smaller than you because you're older, but when he grows up I'm sure he'll be very tall, just like you.
It was Ash's turn to nod, proudly.
– Yeah, I'm gonna be taller and older than Quackity!
– What? No you're not! Jaideeen! – Quackity whined, refusing to accept that Ash would be older than him in the future.
Jaiden was about to try to calm the situation again when the door to the white room opened. All three of them straightened up and stood at attention, expecting it to be some adult from the federation. But then two other children walked in. Two brown-haired twins, one wearing glasses and the other a bandana.
When the two of them were left inside and no adult came in, the children allowed themselves to relax. Quackity was the first to run toward the other two.
– Roier! ¿Dónde estabas?– He began circling the twins, looking for any marks or bruises, but found none. Which was strange, because he and Ash were the only ones who came back hurt from the adults research.
When Quackity went to those rooms full of tubes and bright lights, they always stuck needles in him and did things that hurt. Quackity sometimes couldn't remember when he woke up, but he knew it hurt because he always came back covered in bruises and marks all over his body, on top of feeling like he was about to pass out at any moment.
Ash too, every time he left the room, he was taken somewhere else that Quackity had never had access to, but that he imagined must be a lot of fun. He came back saying he was training to be the strongest soldier of all time, and never complained about the cuts and bruises when he returned.
Jaiden also never seemed to need injections, Quackity figured it was because she was almost an adult. Maybe the injections were only for children, the adults said it was for their own good. Jaiden, most of the time, stayed there with them, always taking care of them and helping.
But Roier and Doied came back as if they had simply gone to play, and that was basically what they did. Doied always bragged that they had gone to "take a test" and afterward they got candy. Neither of them really knew what it was, but they enjoyed just answering questions and doing what the adults asked, to get a lollipop as a reward in the end.
Quackity wanted a candy too.
– Did you guys see my brother? – The duck hybrid then asked quietly, afraid the adults might hear. He had already been scolded before for talking too much or "asking unnecessary questions", and he didn't want to go back to the silence room.
But Quackity didn't like it when his brother disappeared for too long, it felt like a part of himself was missing. And when he came back, he would be really mean to Quackity for a while.
– No, Quackity. We were with a worker in the research room – Doied answered.
Quackity drooped his wings, but tried not to look too shaken by it. With any luck his brother would be back soon.
– Do you guys want to draw too? Quackity and Ash made really beautiful drawings. – Jaiden called them over, noticing Quackity's sadness and wanting to find some way to distract him. – Want to see? Quackity drew both of you too!
Quackity immediately perked up and pulled the twins by the hand, flapping his little wings excitedly as he showed them his drawing. Jaiden held out both drawings so they could look too.
– Wow, Quackity! Your drawing really is so cool... Wow, Ash, did you make this? – Roier chatted excitedly, pointing at the drawings.
Ash puffed out his chest and nodded, arms crossed. – Yeah, I made it all by myself.
– What's this? – Doied asked, pointing at an unrecognizable figure Ash had drawn. Ash leaned in to see what he was pointing at.
– Oh, that's the evil god. I'm defeating him because I got really strong and he didn't.
– Wow, that's so cool! – Quackity opened his mouth in an "O" and leaned back over the drawing, now looking at what he had been criticizing before with entirely different eyes.
– You're not going to be able to defeat him, he's a god— Ay! – Doied grumbled when Roier stomped on his foot. – What was that for?! It's true! Besides, tío Cucurucho already said he defeated him and that he won't be back for a while.
– You know what I think? – Roier whispered, as if about to share a secret. – That this god is actually pretty cool.
– Roier! he's evil! – Quackity exclaimed quietly, covering his mouth in alarm. – Jaiden, tell him!
Jaiden was staring fixedly at the drawing, unblinking. That child's drawing now looked completely different to her eyes, and everything around her seemed to hum and darken. Everything felt so wrong; nothing was right. All of this...
– Jaiden?
Jaiden turned to Quackity when he called again. And when she looked at that small face, his big eyes that seemed to reflect the whole world within them, carrying such pure innocence, Jaiden felt as if the ground had disappeared beneath her feet.
– Quackity.