Ree Ree, you know nothing about being in the army, and you're bad at writing mysteries... Yeah... I am. But War-Spider kind of sprung from nowhere, and I had to write Thomas and present him to the world. I'm making everything up as I go and really trying something with first person, because I don't write first person very often for fanfics, at least not in recent times that I can remember.

Despite not having the surest footing, I really hope you enjoy this dive into the multiverse. We are not alone.

Prologue:

I was never going to join the army. Sure I was an army brat, and what did that cost me, everything? My mom, my dad, and now, the only person who's ever meant anything to me. But I'm going to find Luke. He's always been my best friend, and he's always looked after me. Now it's my turn to look after him. So I joined the army.

Well, I joined the research division. That's all I really needed, anyway. Luke got lost when he was working security for this weirdo research program. If I get in through research, maybe I can find my brother. Do I know what I'm getting into? Absolutely not. I never have. I'm about 94% improv. My family thinks on its feet. That's what we're good at. Hopefully, wherever Luke is, that's what he's doing right now.

I don't know what people think when they look at me, I guess I look unruly, like brushing my chocolate colored hair is optional (which it is) and I know I look closed off like other people are optional (which they are). I'm not a people person, and they brought me in to look at computers anyway. I doubt they think I can fight, I doubt they think I'm here for anything more than computers. I work best when people doubt me as much as I doubt them.

Everyone who has ever met Luke loves him, so the whole world should be looking for Luke Adam Whittaker, but no one is. Only me. I know my sister-in-law would be if she didn't have to take care of their daughter, and knowing that makes me all the more aware that I'm not finding Luke for me, I'm finding Luke for all the people who care about him. When we were younger it was just him and me, now it's him and me and everyone. He looks a lot like dad, but he's so much more than our father ever was. That's why people like him. That's why people miss him. Some people assume that he's dead, but some of us can't assume that. Daisy can't assume that, and she certainly can't let her daughter Maggie assume that. And neither can I.

So, I slip into a research position that I never would have fallen into. I'm not anti-America, but patriotism is dangerous, war is dangerous. I'm not losing Luke to this. I'm not losing anyone else. That's why I wasn't going to join the army or any other branch of the military. Not because I don't care about my country, just because at this point, I care more about my family.

Luke never really understood my point of view. To him, this was the only thing that made sense. Trying to save the world. Because people like Luke and Luke likes people back. Because I think Luke's always cared about everyone the same way he cared about me, or Daisy, or even Maggie. I think Luke legitimately has room in his heart for everyone. I've never understood that. I've only ever had room for a couple of people, and I don't always make the cut. We're polar opposites, Luke and I, but he's my best friend. Even though he'll never understand that I just want to be safe, and for the few people I can care about to be safe. Even though I can't understand that he's willing to risk his life so that everyone can be safe. He's really done it now, risked his life for the rest of us. So I'm risking mine to get him back. I'm gonna unravel this mystery if it's the last thing I do. Because if you only have room in your heart for a few people, you hold onto those people.

I'm barely following a lead. I'll have to go on is the fact that Luke was working with this secret research program as security detail. Now that I'm in research, I might have a way of figuring that out. But I have to work fast, have to bypass a lot of restrictions that I'm not even supposed to know about, and I have to remain unseen while I do it. I was pretty unseen at my old job, but here, people notice me. People with guns, who could seriously mess me up if they saw me sneaking around. That'll be the hardest part, I think. Following my leads without anyone peeking over my shoulder. There aren't enough hours in a day for this. I feel like I'm getting close to something, but I also feel like everyone else is getting closer to figuring me out.

When most people are asleep, I stay up, dodging firewalls and searching databases. I'm not supposed to be here, but I'm not the only one out of place in this system. Hidden deep in the files is a secret experimental program called War Spiders. Nothing else is swept under the rug as much as War Spiders, and it's my strongest lead. If I'm wrong about Luke being assigned to War Spiders, I'll have to start from the beginning and follow threads that don't even exist right now. This is my best chance, and I don't have time to waste. So, time to improvise.

From what I found out about War Spiders, it was discontinued very, very recently. I can't find anything about the people involved in it, and I have to wonder if the fact that Luke told me he was working security for a secret program is what made him disappear. The only thing I can find out is vague coordinates of where the program used to be, I think? So late at night about a day later I sneak away to the last recorded location of Project: War Spiders.

The night is dark and quiet. I have nothing to be afraid of, except for all the people who didn't expect me to break rules in the middle of the night. I don't really expect to fully get away with this. But as long as I get some answers, I don't really care what happens to me. For a little bit, I'm not scared of guns or tasers or even death.

And it's a good thing I'm going into this relatively unafraid. Because I couldn't have prepared for what was waiting for me at the site of Project: War Spiders. Opening the door seems to turn the program on. A generator starts to whir, the lights flicker, and the walls seem to open up. I step inside, trying to figure out what could have happened to my brother. That's not exactly what I find though. Inside the wall, there's a bodysuit that's mostly black with a red webbing pattern, like a spiderweb. The name Project: War Spiders makes more sense seeing the spider theme in the room. I step towards the wall with the bodysuit, since it's apparently the only thing in the otherwise vacant room. And then, something jumps out at me. Oh. It's a war spider. I suddenly remember how to be afraid.