Chapter Text
Once you loose yourself, you have two choices: find the person you used to be, or loose that person completely.
—H. G Wells
Coil had never liked the cold.
Even back in Playground, where the worst of it as was a sharp wind cutting between shipping crates or the occasional frost that turned metal floors slick underfoot, he'd hated it. The way it made his joints ache, the way it numbed his fingers until they felt like useless stubs. But Blackrock? This place was something else, the cold wasn't just a weather, it was a living thing.
It clung to his skin like wet cement, sank straight into his bones, and refused to let go.
Every breath came out in a visible puff that the wind snatched away, mocking him.
He dragged his boots through the deepening snow, shoulders hunched against the gale. Ahead of him, the Inphernal moved with irritating ease, his form cutting through the storm like he belonged to it. Subspace, he'd said his name was.
A scientist. Coil didn't trust scientists, especially not Bedrock ones with the manic glint in their eyes.
But when your only other option was curling up in an alley to die, trust became a negotiable concept.
Subspace glanced back over his shoulder, that wide grin splitting his face again. "You're falling behind, Playgrounder. Pick up the pace or you really will turn into an ice statue. I'd hate to have to chip you out."
Coil grunted, forcing his numb legs to move faster. "Not exactly dressed for a blizzard," he muttered, voice rough from disuse and the cold scraping his throat raw.
"That much is obvious." Subspace slowed his steps, falling into pace beside him instead of staying ahead. "You look like you've been sleeping in gutters for weeks. Which, to be fair, you probably have. No offence."
Coil shot him a sideways glare, jaw tight. But he didn't have the energy to quip back. He wrapped his arms tighter around his chest, tucking his chin deep into his old, threadbare scarf. The thing was more holes than fabric at this point, doing nothing against the wind that sliced through it. His teeth clattered once more before he clumped them shut, embarrassed at the sound.
A low, hollow chuckle broke through the howl of the wind.
Coil blinked several times. "Shut.. shut up."
He felt heat crawling up his cheeks, dying his face a bright red. His hands flew up instinctively, fingers fumbling with the frayed ends of his scarf as if he could somehow hide how pathetic he must look- shoulders curled in, a runaway street rat reduced to trailing after the first person who didn't immediately try to scrap him.
Subspace stopped walking entirely this time. He tilted his head, the motion almost birdlike, and raised both hands in that familiar sheepish gesture, palms open and harmless.
"You can have it, if you want," he offered, already unwinding the thick, insulated scarf around his own neck. "I have no need for it. These old augmentations keep the chill out pretty well these days."
The offered scarf dangled between them, dark fabric, surprisingly soft, still carrying the faint warmth of Subspace's body.
Coil stared at it, suspicion warring with the desperate need for relief. Back in Playground, nothing was ever free. A coat today meant a knife in your back tomorrow. But the cold was gnawing at him harder with every pressing minute, and Subspace just stood there, smiling like this was the most normal thing in the world.
"You're not gonna poison me or something?" Coil asked gruffly, eyes narrowed.
Subspace laughed again, brighter this time, the sound echoing oddly off the icy walls of the narrow street, earning them a few glances from passersby.
”Poison? With a scarf? That's a bit low-tech for me, don't you think?"
He gave the scarf a playful little shake.
"Come on, your lips are practically blue! Even a half-blind Inphernal could see you're freezing. Take it. No stings. I'm not exactly short on supplies."
He brings the scarf closer.
There was something disarmingly casual in the way he said it. It wasn't pushy, or mocking. Just... nice. Too nice, maybe.
But Coil's fingers were so numb he could barely feel them anymore, he disregarded his instincts. Swallowing his pride, he reached out and took the scarf. The warmth hit him like a shock- blessed, immediate relief.
He pressed it against his face for a long second, inhaling the unfamiliar scent, before looping it around his neck over his own ragged one. The layered fabric finally cut the wind.
It was warm.
…
"...Thanks," Coil mumbled, the word feeling foreign on his tongue.
Subspace's grin widened, eyes crinkling with what looked like genuine delight. "There we go. See? Not so bad accepting a little help."
He started walking off again. slower this time, clearly inviting coil to walk beside him rather than trail behind like a stray dog.
"Name's subspace, by the way. I know I said it earlier, but you looked half-dead at the time. Just a regular scientist, a researcher if you will." He tapped one of the glowing crystals on his arm with a chuckle, it was growing through the fabric of his jacket, and Coil gave him a slight look of aversion but didn't dare question it.
"And occasional collector of interesting strays, apparently."
Coil huffed, shoving his warm hands into his pockets. The relief made his shoulders loosen just a fraction. "Coil," he offered after a beat.
"And I'm not a stray." He grumbled.
"Could've fooled me," Subspace teased lightly, but there was no real bite in it. "Most Playgrounders avoid Blackrock, let alone make it this deep without being chased off. You've got some fight in you. I'll give you that."
They walked in silence for a few more minutes, the only sounds the crunch of snow under their boots and the distant hum of the city's machinery. Subspace, though, didn't seem capable of staying quiet for too long. He started talking again, easy flowing chatter that filled the cold air between them.
"You know, the weather patterns here are fascinating," he said, gesturing vaguely at the swirling snow. "Crystal resonance affects everything. Changes how the frost forms, how the wind moves. Most people just complain about it, but it's beautiful if you look at it right. Efficient. Unforgiving."
He glanced over, eyes shimmering. "A bit like you Playground types, from what I've heard."
Coil snorted. "Didn't think Blackrock folks cared much for Playground."
"Oh, we care," Subspace replied, voice dropping into something more conspiratorial. "We just express it... differently. But you? You're nothing like the usual loudmouths they send over the border. Makes me curious what drove you out here."
Coil's head lowered. He didn't answer right away, but the question silently hung there, not demanding, just open. For the first time in weeks, someone was actually talking to him instead of at him or through him. No sneers about Playground scum. No threats. Just actual conversation.
He lowered his guard.
"Had to leave," Coil said eventually, voice low. "Didn't fit in anymore. Got tired of the way they looked at anyone who stepped out of line. And.. never mind.”
Thankfully, right before Coil was about to have his ass hurled into the runnels by his former friends, the news that he had escaped into Blackrock had already been wide spread in Playground. Convicted crystal criminal on the run, spotted nearby Blackrock borders. No Playgounder who values their life would thread him there.
Subspace hummed thoughtfully. "Sounds familiar. Blackrock isn't exactly warm and fuzzy either, but at least here we value results over blind loyalty. You could do well, you know. With the right help."
The words settled strangely in Coil's chest. He found himself glancing at Subspace more often as they walked, studying the way the scientist moved. Confident, almost bouncy despite the snow. There was a sharpness to him, something coiled and restless under the friendly surface, but he kept it leashed. Kept smiling. Kept offering pieces of warmth.
It was almost predatory, but surely someone this warm couldn't possibly be bad?
The corners of his mouth abruptly twitched upwards.
By the time they reached a more secured sector, sterile buildings looming like a silent guardian against the endless white. Coil realized he'd stop shivering. The new scarf helped, sure, but it was more than the fabric. Subspace hadn't pushed, or judged, he'd just been there. Rambling about evolution theory one minute, cracking a dumb joke about navigation systems the next, as if they were old acquaintances instead of a mad-scientist and a half-frozen runaway.
It was disarming. Dangerous, probably. But after weeks of nothing but hostility and hunger, it felt like the first real he'd seen since crossing the border.
And even before that, Playgrounders don't do kindness. it just isn't their thing. It's as unnatural as praying to Ice dagger for a good harvest.
The lab doors, set into what looked more like a sleek, fortified residence than a pure research facility, hissed open when Subspace approached. Warm air rushed out to greet them, thick with the faint hum of machinery and something almost like home-cooked food.
Coil hesitated on the threshold, old instincts screaming at him to turn around.
Subspace paused, turning back with the same wide, reassuring smile. "Come on in, it's warm. There's actual food that isn't frozen garbage, and I've got some spare clothes that might actually fit. No one's going to bother you here."
He holds onto Coil's shoulders, squeezing them consolingly before letting go.
"You look like you could use a friend, Coil. Even if it's just for tonight."
Coil's jaw worked, fingers twitching. "This your place?" He asked, voice still rough with suspicious, but no doubtingly softened.
He glanced past Subspace into the warmly lit interior, catching glimpses of sleek counters, scattered tools, and what looked like half-assembled mechanical parts in the next room. "Doesn't exactly scream 'cozy home.'"
"It's both, really. Home and lab. I find the two blend together nicely when you're dedicated to your work as I am." Subspace chuckles before gesturing inside. "Come on. You're letting all the heat out."
"Oh, uh- right, yeah. I'm coming."
The softness buried under Coil's street-tough armour ached at the offer, for once, it didn't feel as right this time. He stepped inside, the door sealed tightly behind them with a quiet, final click.
Subspace led him deeper to the facility, chattering all the while about his latest projects, the ridiculous comfort of a proper bed after sleeping in snowbanks, and how refreshing it was to have company that could actually hold a conversation instead of the usual stiff-necked Blackrock personal.
Coil listened, nodding occasionally, the knot of tension in his chest loosening thread by thread. For the first time since arriving in this frozen wasteland, he didn't feel completely alone.
He just hoped that Booms and Skates were doing alright.
"Sit," Subspace preened casually once they reached what looked like a modest living area attached to the lab wing. He nudged Coil towards a reinforced chair before disappearing briefly into another room. When he returned, he carried a steaming bowl and a spoon.
"Here, eat. You look like you haven't had a proper meal in ages. Can't have you passing out on me from hunger before I even get a chance to help."
Coil eyed the bowl warily- some kind of thick stew, rich with chucks of meat and vegetables he didn't recognize. It smelled incredible, though, hot and savoury in a way that made his stomach twist painfully.
"You always feed strays like this?" He muttered, taking the bowl but not digging in right away. "It... feels too good to be true."
He stares at it grudgingly, unsure on what to do, Coil hates being looked at with pity, he's not a fucking charity case. But time and time again, he's been proven wrong. He swallows a hand-full of saliva.
Subspace leaned against the counter, arms crossed, he gives Coil a sympathetic look. "Call it professional curiosity. Or pity, if you prefer. Either way, eat. I'm not going to watch you starve in my own home." His tone stayed light, almost teasing, but there was an undercurrent of something sharper- eagerness, maybe. "Besides, you'll need your strength. Blackrock isn't kind to the weak."
Coil hesitated another long moment, instincts prickling, but hunger won out. He ate slowly at first, then faster, the warmth spreading through him with every bite. It tasted better than anything he'd scavenged in weeks. Subspace watched him the whole time, burning into him, it made Coil slightly uncomfortable as he gradually slowed down his pace.
It's not that he minded that he was being stared down while he ate. Well, actually it did, solely because he wasn't used to it, but he wasn't complaining! That weirdo's been nice to him so far.
By the time the bowl was empty, a strange heaviness had settled over Coil. His eyelids grew heavy, movement rapidly slowing down. "-Whadja... put in tha'?" Coil slurred, trying to push himself up from the chair, a futile attempt as his body almost instantly slumped down. His head swarm as he desperately clung onto consciousness. "..You bassard."
The grin on Subspace's face slowly widened as he stepped closer, steading him with surprisingly gentle hands. "Just a little something to help you relax. You've been through so much, after all. Don't fight it. You'll feel better soon, I promise."
This is bad, extremely bad. Coil ground his teeth together until a dull ache bloomed in his temples, the bitter realization that he had fallen for every single lie making the back of his throat burn. He'd been stupidly naive, telling himself that this wasn't Playground, that the scientist could've been trusted, even if he had a few loose screws here and there.
He tried activating his gear, but it refused to respond.
Coil tried to pull away, heart hammering with renewed caution, but his body wouldn't listen, as if he was stuck in slow-motion. The world tilted as Subspace guided him toward the side room filled with humming equipment and strange half-finished mechanical frames.
Two Biografts were already waiting inside, their segmented bodies glowing faintly with internal crystal circuit. Their heads turned in eerie unison as Subspace entered, their glow flickering with interest.
"NEW SUBJECT ACQUIRED," one of them intoned in a flat, mechanical voice. "QUERY. WHAT PROCEDURE WILL CREATOR PERFORM?"
The second Biograft tilted its head with a soft whir of servos, stepping closer to the table with stiff curiosity. "SUBJECT SHOWS PLAYGROUND PHYSIOLOGY. HIGH COMPATABILITY POTENTIAL. WILL CREATOR INTERGRATE THE CORE?"
Subspace let out a soft, delighted laugh as he eased the drowsy Coil onto the reinforced table. "Patience, my dears. You'll see soon enough." His fingers brushed Coil's horns almost tenderly. "This one's special. I have a feeling this attempt will be successful this time, and if not, we'll adapt and go again."
"UNDERSTOOD,' the first Biograft replied, its voice carrying a faint note of mechanical intrigue. "WAITING FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS."
Coil's vision blurred as he was laid back, the restraints clicking softly into place around his wrist and ankles. He managed one last weak growl of protest, but it dissolved into nothing. The last thing he registered before everything faded was Subspace humming happily to himself, tools already in hand, while his loyal Biografts stood watch with quiet, curious patience.
Then, he was promptly swallowed by darkness.