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Don realized something was off with Katie the moment she hadn’t left her room for recreation time.
Despite being a child, he had always been the most observant one the federation had kept. It’s most likely the reason they kept him around so long.
Ash had noticed as well, his telltale being the way the purple and obsidian glitches covering his eye flickered quickly.
Even though he was young and smaller than the others, most low level guards held their breath as he moved around, terrified of what his glitched form could do.
When Don asked, the nurse in charge let out a laugh and patted his head as if he was some sort of caged animal she felt pity for before sending him back to the table.
Where was his baby sister?
Don sat in the metal chair and stared down at the sterile white table, his hands resting in his lap as the thoughts in his head ran a mile a minute.
Sitting across from him was Ash, who had abandoned his craft that his shaky hands were originally working on.
A drawing with trembling crayon strokes that made up their messed up family, Katie’s pink horn and Don’s black hair being the most recognizable features within it.
“Katie?” Came from the distorted voice, the effect of the constant torture and experiments the tanned boy was forced through.
“They said she isn’t feeling well.” Don muttered out, raising his head to make eye contact with his brother to the best of his ability.
He could already feel a headache coming on from staring at the angry glitches for too long.
“Lie.” The younger spat out, his fists clenching where they rested atop the cold table.
“I know Ash.”
“Why don’t we get her?”
“That puts you in unnecessary danger.”
Ash let out a huff as he crossed his arms and sunk back against his chair, his glitches flickering faster with anger.
“Katie worth it all.”
Don sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, his usually cold exterior shattering for the moment. He was terrified for Katie. He was terrified for Ash.
The sound of the mechanical doors echoed throughout the room as another nurse walked in, white hand enveloping the smaller child’s one.
Ash’s head snapped up. His glitches calmed as he focused in on the child. He frowned when he realized it wasn’t Katie, the deep purple and black glitches covering his sight begining to flicker and shake erratically.
When the boy stood, Don blinked out of his trance and followed, grabbing Ash’s shaking hand to halt his movement.
Don crouched down, resting his hands atop Ash’s trembling shoulders before speaking, “Ash. Don’t. Katie wouldn’t want that.”
“She’s hurt! We have to help-!” Ash argued back, his scowl deepening at his older brother the longer he prevented him from practically ripping those guards apart. His glitches were quickening in pace, his clenched fists turning the color of obsidian and slowly seeping up his arms.
“-If you do something, they won’t let us even see Katie!” Scolded the older boy, his grip on the tan boys shoulders tightening. His own finger tips began to turn translucent and slowly invisible, the strong feelings triggering the change.
The opening of the sterile door once more caused the arguing duo to freeze and whip their heads to the sound. A nurse, just like all the others, walked in while holding a child’s hand. However, this time, the body attached to the arm was one they knew.
There stood Katie, their sister. Except, this version of their sister was lacking the usual horn that made her recognizable. Instead, what lay on her forehead was none other than one of those sterile white bandages that the monsters had used to stop the bleeding.
Her face was flushed as tears poured down her cheek silently, her usual golden blonde hair looked dull and ratted, as if it was a struggle to even get her this way.
She looked broken. Completely, utterly, broken.
Don’s shock was visible on his face with how he stared at her head, back to her eyes, and down to her whole body, making sure that she wasn’t hurt anymore than they deemed necessary. That was his baby sister.
His baby sister, who he had promised to protect, swore on his life to keep safe, yet, he failed. He failed, and now she had to deal with his failure. She had to deal with the pain, the endless torture, the experiments, and everything else that he had already gone through.
Except this time, they would be much more harsh on her than they were him. After all, she was a deity, was she not? He felt his stomach flip, his heart pounding on his ears when she walked in.
Ash felt the exact same way, despite the fact that he was her younger brother, she promised to take care of him to protect him and to keep him safe, but she couldn’t even keep herself safe.
The glitches on his face began to move erratically, his body was practically trembling with rage.
“Katie,” Ash choked out, his heart clenching at seeing his older sister looking so broken, when usually, she was the one who somehow found the good in everyone.
The nurse walked her over, letting go of her hand and letting her finally see her brothers after the grueling night and morning of pure, agonizing torture.
Katie immediately rushed into Don’s arms, her body wracked with silent sobs as he cradled her closely.
“Oh, sis.. I’m so sorry..” Don whispered out, his hands pacing around her back before settling atop her head and rubbing her hair.
Ash, who had been frozen in shock, immediately whipped his head to the unsuspecting nurse, the black color seeping up his arms once more, his glitches moving a mile a minute.
But he heard his sister continue to cry.
He turned back to her, the both sides of the moral dilemma in his head fighting against eachother as he watched his older sister sob in pain.
And maybe Ash would regret not going after those monsters in the future. But right now?
All that mattered was making his sister feel safe.
He took a sigh, the glitches beginning to slow and his arms gaining their original color back before wrapping his arms around Katie’s back.
The two boys cooed and comforted, helping Katie’s sobs slowly morph into quiet sniffles. Her hands weakly squeezed the front of Don’s shirt, the simple white fabric they all had to wear.
“..it hurts.” Was all she managed to whisper out, turning to face Ash and burying her face within his shoulder.
Ash held his breath, tensing as she took comfort in his arms. His shaking hands moved to cradle her shoulders.
She finally wiped her eyes and tugged on the long white sleeves that were too long for her arms, covering the bandages that were haphazardly placed to cover the marks and scars where the prior injections were.
She moved to follow Don to where the plush cushions and seats sat on the floor, immediately curling up on her older brother, clutching a worn bear plush in her hands.
Ash copied, curling on the other side and resting his head down as well.
This was hell on Earth for them. They would be tortured and experimented on like lab rats.
But for now? These next few minutes?
They could at least pretend they were normal.