A/N: hello everyone! here's a Zeo x Toby oneshot I wrote that pretty much is a retelling of the events at the end of Metal Masters, but set in a somewhat dystopian society AU. hope you like it, and as always, reviews and critiques are very much appreciated! thank you!
Zeo grabbed his faux-leather jacket as he left the small apartment that he shared with his best friend, Toby. Well, in all honestly, he used to share it with Toby, but his friend had been living at a hospital for the past few months. Always one to get sick, it was no surprise that, as the environment began to lack enough clean air, and humans had to turn to artificial means to survive, Toby really suffered. Most people just needed to wear filtering masks to be able to breathe, but for those like Toby, the masks did little to help. None of the normal doctors could do anything to relieve the pain Toby always feels in his chest when he can't get enough oxygen into his system, and things were looking bleak for the teenager.
That is until Zeo met Dr. Ziggurat. Although he was a bit eccentric, he claimed to have been working on some sort of new procedure to help humans live in their newly toxified environment. It was all still experimental, of course, but Toby didn't really have any other options.
Toby had been moved from the regular hospital to Dr. Ziggurat's private clinic, HD Health. Everyday since then, Toby has been getting some kind of radiation treatment that Dr. Ziggurat referred to as an "arrangement". Neither Toby nor Zeo were exactly sure how it all worked, but there had definitely been improvements in Toby's health, so they didn't really bother questioning it. Of course Toby still had to live in the clinic, to be under constant surveillance, but he was getting stronger everyday. Zeo visited his friend every afternoon and would spend long hours talking at his bedside.
Of course, Zeo wished he could spend more time with Toby, but to be able to keep the apartment they lived in, Zeo had to work. He was an employee at a factory that produces the health masks that everyone had to wear whenever they were outside. The factory's air was actually much more damaging than the awful black smog that floods the city, but it was a job and so Zeo couldn't complain. Steady jobs were hard to come by in this day and age, so anything was better than nothing.
And because of that attitude, Zeo found himself working 6 days a week, from 5 AM until 1 PM with no break, only making the minimum wage. His job was to attach the two strips of elastic to the cloth filter, so that the mask stays on one's face. It was tedious and his fingers had long since been calloused from the repetitive motion. Some days after work, Zeo could barely even straighten his fingers out all the way. Toby always worried about him working in the factory, but it was all Zeo could do to make sure that when the day came that Toby was better, he'd have a home to return to.
When Zeo finally showed up at the factory on this particular morning, however, he found a heavy chain wrapped around the door's handles, glinting maliciously in the dim light. His manager, Mr. Steel, or Coach as most people called him, was waiting outside. "What's going on?" Zeo asked, approaching the older man.
"Hey Zeo," he greeted in a voice that lacked its usual cheeriness.
"Coach..." Zeo said, but he couldn't finish his sentence. He just turned to the other and searched his face.
"The factory's been shut down, Zeo. Some hotshot company made an offer that the boss man couldn't refuse, apparently. They bought it and shut it down. I don't know what's going on, honestly," Coach said, frowning as he kept his eyes trained on the sealed door.
"They can't do this to all of us! I need this job so badly!" Zeo felt the panic rising in his chest. It quickly bubbled up and lodged itself in Zeo's throat. His palms began to sweat. "Toby. I need the money for Toby. I can't lose this job," Zeo whispered, mostly to himself. "Toby!" he suddenly shouted. Without another word to Coach, Zeo dashed off to the clinic Toby was at.
Tears began to prick Zeo's eyes as the wind smacked him in the face as he ran, but he didn't even bother wiping them away. He dashed as fast as he could for the relatively short distance to HD Health. Out of breath he quickly signed in at the reception desk in the lobby, and then he took off down the all too familiar halls to Toby's room. Zeo opened the door and said "Toby! I-" But then he realized that he was talking to an empty bed. Zeo frowned. This wasn't right, Toby didn't have his arrangements until later in the day, it was still only a bit after 5 AM, after all. Still perplexed, Zeo felt someone suddenly standing extremely close to him.
"Zeo, how nice to see you," Dr. Ziggurat's smooth voice called.
Zeo shivered. "Doctor, where's Toby?" he asked and turned around.
A smile formed on Dr. Ziggurat's face. His triangular glasses reflected one of the hallway's fluorescent beams. "He won't be able to have guests for quite a while, I'm afraid. Toby needs to undergo some surgeries, you see."
Zeo's eyes widened. He took a step back from the doctor. "No, what are you talking about? He's already gotten so much better! He's gotten better..." Zeo trailed off. Taking the arrangements had really improved Toby's health, so why did he have to have surgeries now? Zeo turned to Dr. Ziggurat and narrowed his eyes at the tall man. He hadn't stopped smiling at Zeo, and it was really starting to creep him out. "What surgeries?" Zeo suddenly asked.
"Ah, my boy, they're just going to make him that much better. And that's all you wanted, is it not? You want your friend Toby to no longer be sick. Rest assured, his health will be in perfect condition when this is all over." Dr. Ziggurat placed a gloved hand onto Zeo's shoulder. "Now run along, Zeo. Toby can't have anyone interact with him until all of the procedures are completed."
Zeo took another step back, away from the other man's hand. "I want to see Toby right now."
Suddenly Dr. Ziggurat's smile disappeared. He took a step towards Zeo, who backed away from his advances. Dr. Ziggurat continued to push the young boy back until they were both in the room that had, until recently, been Toby's room. He shut the door with his foot. Then he pushed Zeo roughly against the wall, pinning his hands on either side of Zeo's head. He sneered at the boy and said, "You can see Toby if you really want to."
Absolutely terrified, Zeo could only swallow thickly. Dr. Ziggurat had always seemed a bit strange, yes, but never like this. Zeo could feel new tears forming in his eyes and his body was trembling. Finally finding his voice, he whispered, "I want to see Toby." While frightened for his own life, Zeo was horrified what might be happening to Toby at that very moment.
"Very well. All you have to do is agree to have a few arrangements," Dr. Ziggurat smirked.
With a sniffle, Zeo frowned at the doctor. "What?"
Rolling his eyes, Dr. Ziggurat finally backed away a bit from the petrified boy. "Toby was a good test subject for my experiment, but I've since made some adjustments, and I need a new patient to try them on." His eyes slowly raked over Zeo's body. Smirking again he leaned in extremely close and whispered, "And I think you'd be a great fit."
Zeo let his tears finally spill as he nodded once. He didn't know what would happen to him, but he needed to see Toby. "So if I do this, I can see Toby?"
Standing up completely, releasing Zeo from the wall, Dr. Ziggurat said in an exaggeratedly cheery voice, "Of course, my boy. Now follow me, the sooner we start, the better!"
Zeo swallowed dryly, but fell in step behind the older man. He knew that the arrangement was supposed to save the human race some day, so it shouldn't be that bad, right? And if it's what he had to do to see his friend, then there was no way around it.
The pair made their way down a cold, dark hallway. Zeo shivered as they passed all of the empty rooms. He'd been to the clinic so many times, but he'd always just gone straight to Toby's room. Had the place always been so desolate? Was Toby the only patient here? Zeo thought back to every time he'd entered HD Health, every moment he'd been in the corridors. Other than the receptionists who greeted him and Dr. Ziggurat, Zeo couldn't think of a single other person he'd seen outside of Toby's room. Though in truth, the only times Zeo ever left that room was to go across the hall to the bathroom and the vending machines next to it, but still... He'd really never seen the majority of the building, and he'd never questioned it. But now, as Dr. Ziggurat led Zeo into a small room, he couldn't help but feel an awful weight settle into his stomach.
"Here, change into this," Dr. Ziggurat said, handing a typical hospital gown to Zeo, as well as a cap to tuck his hair into.
Zeo took the offered items and stared at them for a moment. He slowly put his hands onto his jeans' waist band, about to pull them off, when he realized that Dr. Ziggurat was staring at him. "Um, can I get some privacy?"
The doctor rolled his eyes but nevertheless turned around.
Zeo quickly removed all of his clothes sans his boxers, and tugged on the thin gown. Stretching the cap over his head, getting most of his hair into it, he said quietly, "Okay, I'm ready."
"Then follow me," Dr. Ziggurat said in his clipped voice. He opened a small door that Zeo hadn't noticed when they'd entered the room. Going into the next room, Zeo saw the wall lined with medical tools. In the center of the room, however, was what appeared to be a hospital bed with a strange enclosure around it. The doctor led Zeo to the bed, and said, "All you have to do is lay down right here, and the machine will do the rest."
Nodding, Zeo got onto the bed carefully. He still had no idea what to expect. Once he was laying down, Dr. Ziggurat placed a breathing mask over his mouth and nose. Then he bustled around the room for a moment before suddenly pricking Zeo's arm with something. "Ow!" Zeo gasped, staring down at his left arm. Dr. Ziggurat was already holding a small piece of gauze over the tiny wound.
"Don't fret, my boy," was all the older man had to say. Then he flipped a small switch and the machine turned on.
The mask over Zeo began to pump some kind of gas into his system, and almost immediately he felt his eyes grow heavy. As his vision blurred, he watched Dr. Ziggurat go into what looked like a small control booth. As everything faded to black, Zeo was vaguely aware of the bed's enclosure lowering over him. Then he was unconscious.
Zeo blinked once. Then he blinked again. His cloudy vision was clearing up and he could tell he was staring at a white ceiling. His own breathing pounded in his ears before his hearing fully came back to him. Groaning softly, Zeo sat up in what he realized was a bed. Looking around the room, it slowly dawned on him that he was in a hospital. Then everything suddenly flooded back into Zeo's memory. "Toby," he whispered as he looked around the room. Seeing no one, Zeo tried to get out of the bed he was in. But, when he began to shift towards the bed's edge, he realized he had an IV in his arm and a few other wires attaching him to some machinery. Without thinking, he yanked out all of the cords. The sudden pain made Zeo's eyes shoot open. That was one way to help him wake up fully...
Clutching his hand, which was now slowly dripping blood, Zeo walked out of his room. He was at the end of a long hallway that was poorly lit. Slowly making his way down the hall, Zeo peered into each room he passed. All of them were empty, but he wasn't surprised. When he reached the opposite end of the hallway, however, the last room on the left had its door ajar, and soft light was leaking out from the crack it made. Zeo slowly opened the door and scanned the room.
Immediately, Zeo's eyes were drawn to the boy laying in the bed that was against the back wall. The boy looked to be his age, with long white hair and a scowl settled deeply into the features of his face, which was turned towards the door. His eyes were closed, so Zeo presumed he was asleep. Taking a chance, Zeo entered the room and walked to the bed. Getting closer to the boy, Zeo realized that he looked a lot like... "Toby?"
Unfamiliar silver eyes slowly opened and stared blankly at Zeo's face. "Who are you?" the cold voice asked.
Zeo took a step back from the bed. "Toby?" he asked again, not sure what else to say. He was sure that it was his friend. But something must have happened to him. Toby had been fine yesterday when he'd visited him. "What's going on?" Zeo desperately searched his friend's eyes, but saw nothing resembling recognition.
"I do not know what you are talking about. My name is Faust," the other answered.
"What? No, you're... you're Toby! You have to be!" Zeo said frantically, his voice rising. He was so confused and scared.
"My, my, what do we have here, hmm?" a deep voice cut through the tense air.
Zeo turned on his heel to see that Dr. Ziggurat had entered the room. Before he could think of anything to say, the other was talking again.
"You should have stayed in your room, Zeo. Oh well, I guess it can't be helped," he sighed.
Taking a deep breath, Zeo asked in a dangerously low voice, "What did you do to Toby?" He clutched his hands in tight fists.
Dr. Ziggurat brought a hand to his chest and said with faint surprise, "Why, I only did what you asked me to do! I made poor Toby better." He smirked wickedly.
Zeo's eyes were wide with shock. "No, what are you talking about? He's not even acting like himself, he's not better!" He glanced back at the boy who was still lying on the bed.
Dr. Ziggurat raised a fine brow before saying, "I fulfilled my end of the bargain, my boy. Your friend is no longer ill. In fact, he's much, much, better than he had been before. Now you need to go rest before you receive your next arrangement."
All Zeo could do was gape. Did the doctor really think that he was going to stay in this crazy hospital? Fists trembling, he furiously shook his head. "I'm not staying here! I'm not letting you touch me!" he shouted loudly.
Sighing again, Dr. Ziggurat frowned. He pulled something out of his pocket, and, before Zeo could react, pushed a thin needle into his arm. "How bothersome," he mumbled.
Zeo was trying to push Dr. Ziggurat away from himself, but it was no use. His arms and legs suddenly felt as if they were filled with lead. His eyes refused to stay focused on anything, even as his vision turned black. He felt his knees give way and Dr. Ziggurat's arms around his torso before he was unconscious for the second time that day.
When Zeo's eyes finally opened again, he had no idea what was going on. There were things attached to many parts of his body, and he was in some type of enclosure. The walls around him were transparent enough that if he squinted, he could vaguely see the room around him. Staring at various medical equipment lining the room, he recognized that it was the same place he'd been in earlier that morning. For his arrangement.
Zeo tried to move, but he realized that he was restrained. His arms and legs were tightly cuffed to the bed he was on. "Let me out of here!" he screamed as loud as he could.
Suddenly, a small screen at the top of the enclosure came to life. Dr. Ziggurat's smiling mug filled the screen. "So glad you're awake, Zeo. The fun is just about to begin," he laughed. He appeared to be flipping a few switches. He must have been in the control booth, Zeo figured.
Small lights lining the enclosure suddenly flicked on. A loud noise filled the room, drowning out any further conversation. Dr. Ziggurat's face still smiled on the screen above Zeo's head. More, brighter, lights began to flash all around Zeo. He closed his eyes but the white explosions of light still penetrated his eyelids. Then, everything began to hurt. The buzzing of the machine got even louder, and it felt like thousands of tiny pins and needles were stabbing his skin. "Help!" Zeo pleaded. "Stop it, please!" he sobbed out. Tears poured down his cheeks.
But the worst had yet to come.
Suddenly, it felt like all of the air was sucked out of his lungs. The pain was excruciating, though it lasted only a second. As soon as the sensation began, it ended, only to be replaced with a feeling of drowning accompanied by a dull pounding in his chest. Zeo was finally aware of the mask secured over his face, and the tube that connected to it and went down his throat. It felt like some kind of liquid was flowing out of the tube and filling his lungs. Though he was still able to breathe, he couldn't stop the panic that naturally flooded him. Zeo kept pulling at the restraints holding him down, but to no avail. He coughed to try and get the feeling to end, but that only made the pain even worse. After a few minutes of struggling, he finally just gave up. Relaxing and taking slow breathes proved to be less painful, at the very least.
Zeo had no clue how long the entire arrangement took, but after what felt like hours of being stabbed with needles while simultaneously drowning, the machine went silent. The flashing lights turned off, and suddenly the enclosure opened. Dr. Ziggurat appeared before Zeo. "You bastard," Zeo spat at the man in front of him.
Dr. Ziggurat only shrugged. "I've been called much worse, trust me. Now let's get you to your room so you can rest."
"I want to see Toby," Zeo said menacingly. He resumed the struggle against his restraints.
Shaking his head, Dr. Ziggurat muttered, "When will you learn?" Then he hit a small button next to the bed, and a soft click was heard. He pulled the bed and it suddenly rolled free of the arrangement chamber. He led them into a hallway, heading into the direction of some doors.
"Let me go!" Zeo all but screamed. He just kept tugging his arms and legs, trying to break free of the iron grip clamped down on them. Giving up yet again on freeing himself from the restraints in an attempt to get sympathy from the tall man, Zeo begged, "Please! Let me see Toby... I have to see Toby..."
Dr. Ziggurat looked at Zeo long and hard. He was clearly thinking about it, before suddenly his eyes narrowed dangerously at the teen. "No, that won't be happening. I don't want you getting... getting into trouble," he said in his deep voice.
A few tears ran down Zeo's cheeks. Turning his sad eyes to Dr. Ziggurat, he quietly asked, "Then can you at least tell me what's going on? Why... does he think his name is Faust? What happened to him?" If Zeo wanted to get him and Toby out of the HD Health clinic alive, he knew he needed to have some basic knowledge of everything that was going on.
Dr. Ziggurat hummed for a moment. A creepy grin formed on his lips. "Well, seeing as I am the 'villain' of this operation, it's only customary that I explain my plans to the young 'hero', is it not? Of course that never really worked out in the movies..." he trailed off, seemingly lost in thought.
Zeo rolled his eyes. Thankfully the doctor didn't notice, however, so he was able to continue on with his "utterly hopeless" approach. "Please," he said in a low voice, "there's nothing left for me to do. I just want some closure..."
A smug smile grew on Dr. Ziggurat's face. He clearly couldn't resist the temptation to gloat. "Alright," he said quickly. Before continuing, he unexpectedly made a harsh turn into a room off of the hallway they'd been in. He rolled the bed to the center of the room and attached a few monitors to Zeo. To the boy's relief, he also finally unlocked his wrists and feet, freeing them of their constraints. Once that was taken care of, he turned to the prone boy, his eyes gleaming frighteningly. "Well, as I've explained to you and your friend Toby before, I've been working on a solution to the air pollution problem. My method centers on the process that I call the 'arrangement', which you've had the pleasure of experiencing first hand." Dr. Ziggurat barked a short laugh. "The patient is supposed to be under anesthetics during the process, but I wanted to see what would happen in the case that they were fully conscious. So, thank you for that, Zeo." He suddenly paused for a moment, seeming lost in thought.
"Yes?" Zeo asked, prompting the other to continue.
"As I was saying, the process of the arrangement is meant to improve the human lung so that it's resistant to the toxins that are in the air that we breath. Essentially, a substance is sprayed into the lungs, coating every little surface, every alveolus, so that the particles in the air no longer have an effect that hinder one's ability to breathe."
Zeo raised an eyebrow. "What kind of substance are we talking about?"
Dr. Ziggurat replied, "It's an alloy of different metals, actually."
"Metal? You sprayed my lungs with metal?" Zeo shouted. He took a few deep breathes, but didn't notice it feeling any different...
Shrugging, Dr. Ziggurat said in his same cool voice, "It's harmless, really. And it makes the lungs all that much stronger. Soon, every human on the planet will be able to have an arrangement and will no longer have to fear the air that surrounds us. I'm just enhancing the lives of everyone on Earth, my boy." He smiled, but it clearly showed that he wasn't planning on saving the Earth just out of the goodness of his heart.
Zeo only stared incredulously at Dr. Ziggurat. So, the doctor was trying to turn people into some kind of weird cyborg? He could barely wrap his head around it, not even really understanding how the whole arrangement process worked. But, there were other things that mattered more to Zeo at the moment. "So what's going on with Toby? What did you do to him?"
"Ahhh, yes," Dr. Ziggurat said thoughtfully. "I needed someone willing to try anything to be the first human in my arrangement system. Your little friend seemed to be rather desperate, so I figured he wouldn't oppose to my less than typical practices. Of course, the arrangement machine still had bugs that needed to be worked out, so Toby had to endure, what was it, 23 arrangements I believe? However many it was, I finally got the machine to work to my standards. But, of course, by that point, Toby was beginning to question me and the entire HD Health facility. I realized that I would have to... keep him quiet. I couldn't have my first success case being some kid who... knew too much. Thus, in his last arrangement I had him undergo very early this morning, I also completed a simple procedure to wipe his memory; only a few shots were needed, really. Thus, Faust was born. Of course, the same will be happening to you, too, Zeo." Dr. Ziggurat's crocodile smile sent shivers down Zeo's spine.
"But, why?" Zeo couldn't understand. "I know the air isn't great, but as long as people wear masks, the majority can still live relatively unaffected."
Dr. Ziggurat shook his head slowly as his smile just continued to grow. "Oh, my simple-minded child. Of course this is about money. You don't believe I'd give people arrangements for free, do you?"
Zeo frowned. "Well, no, I guess not. But why would people do that when a mask is so much chea-"
The doctor's cold laugh pierced the air. "Now Zeo, I thought you knew. Who do you think bought out the factory that you worked at?"
After a moment, Zeo's furrowed brows slowly raised in shock. "You mean that was you?"
"Mmhm," Dr. Ziggurat purred. "And as I start to sell more and more arrangements to the affluent few, I'll be able to buy more factories and shut them down, until no one has the choice but to pay to get an arrangement." He nodded his head satisfactorily.
"You can't!" Zeo shouted. "You can't do this!"
Dr. Ziggurat chuckled for a few moments. "Oh," he said confidently, "but I already have."
Zeo shook his head violently. "No. I won't let you get away with this." He glared defiantly at the older man.
Raising an amused eyebrow, Dr. Ziggurat asked simply, "How?"
All color drained from Zeo's face. How could he stop him? Toby was already gone and at the moment he was hooked up to lots of machines, in no condition to even stand... His head dropped down, bits of hair that had escaped his cap falling over his eyes. "I... I don't know," he admitted. Suddenly Zeo felt as if all of the strength he'd built up over the years just vanished. He had always lived his life telling himself that it would be okay, that anything could get better but right now, he didn't see how any of that could be true. He turned his eyes to the tall doctor.
Dr. Ziggurat smiled at the boy. "I thought so. Now just rest Zeo. I'll take care of you, and by morning you won't remember any of this. You have nothing to worry about." He dragged his cold hand down Zeo's cheek in an attempt to reassure the teen, before he turned heel and left the small room.
Zeo watched the man disappear. Once he was sure he was alone, he let his tears fall freely. Both his head and his heart were swimming. He turned his face and just stared at the windowless wall. He was out of options. Dr. Ziggurat had essentially completed his plan already. It was too late. Toby was convinced he was some guy named Faust, and Zeo would be facing a similar fate in a few hours. The truth that they knew would be lost to the world, leaving no one to stop Dr. Ziggurat. The arrangements themselves weren't inherently bad, but the total monopoly over them, giving Dr. Ziggurat infinite power and money, was. Zeo sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Toby. I've failed you," he whispered into his pillow. He sniffed as he added, "And I never even told you that I love you."
Closing his eyes, Zeo's mind drifted back to all of the time he'd spent with his best friend. Toby was Zeo's first real friend. They'd met one day in the park near the school they had both attended. Zeo had been taking a walk one afternoon, when he'd come across another teenager, about the same age as him, doubled over, coughing. As he jogged over to the boy to make sure he wasn't choking or anything, he realized the other was actually coughing up a bit of blood, staining the cloth mask strapped to his face. Zeo had wrapped his arms around the boy's shoulders and led him to a hospital, never leaving the stranger's side. That same evening, the two boys sat in Toby's small hospital room and began to talk about their interests, school, family, everything. They had formed a bond instantaneously and quickly became each other's best friend. After high school they moved into their small apartment together, and it was then that Zeo realized his feelings for Toby were more than just platonic. Every morning that he woke up to find Toby making them breakfast, every time their hands accidentally brushed, every instant when Toby laughed, throwing his head back, letting his brunette shoulder length hair fall behind him, eyes squinting; all of it made Zeo fall in love with his best friend. But he never told him. He was scared. Not of being rejected, but of his own feelings. It was so strange to Zeo. He'd never been in love before, so it was weird and new and Zeo was afraid of admitting these feelings to anyone besides himself. So, Zeo let his love grow, but he made sure to keep it hidden. Not that it was too hard, because by the time Zeo really knew what his feelings for Toby were, the boy's illnesses had been getting worse. Toby had to worry about his health, so Zeo knew he couldn't just dump any extra burdens onto the boy. He resigned himself to helping Toby in any way possible, and at the moment, a love interest didn't seem to be very important.
Suddenly, Zeo's eyes shot open. He had been on the verge of sleep, his tired body about ready to give up with his mentality. "Toby," his hoarse voice called. What was he thinking? He loved Toby, he couldn't just let Dr. Ziggurat take that away from him. With a bitter-sweet smile, Zeo said, "Sorry for forgetting about what really matters, Toby. Don't worry, I'm coming." Of course, he still had no clue what he could do, but wallowing in despair wasn't getting him anywhere. If he was going to go down, he might as well go down trying.
Zeo struggled to sit up in the bed. He sighed as he looked at his hand, which was still sore from earlier when he'd ripped the IV out of it. Of course, he had a new one in now... Clamping his eyes shut, he tugged it out, a moment of nausea overcoming him. Once his stomach settled, he pulled off the remaining monitoring device things, and swung his legs over the bed. He cautiously tried to stand, only to have his legs give out, sending him toppling onto the bed. He took a deep breath and tried again, this time his legs protested, but kept him upright. Zeo looked down at his trembling legs, bare save for the hospital gown that hung over his thighs. He took an experimental step away from the bed. Feeling more confident, he started to slowly cross the room. By the time he'd reached the open door that led to the hallway, Zeo's legs had mostly stopped shaking, and he felt balanced enough to keep on forging ahead. He glanced down the hall, making sure it was empty. He stepped into the cold hallway, immediately recognizing that it was a different one than he'd been in earlier. "Shit," he cursed, looking around. He sighed and headed to the right, thinking it was where he and Dr. Ziggurat had come from after the arrangement. Thankfully for him, he was correct. Scurrying past the room, he quickly let his memory lead him back to the room he'd encountered "Faust" in.
When Zeo entered the room, he was relieved that Dr. Ziggurat wasn't present. Faust was still on the bed, sleeping. Zeo tiptoed to the edge of the bed and gently laid a hand on the chest as it rose and fell softly. With Faust asleep, eyes closed, and hair slightly brushed to the side, it was easy for Zeo to see Toby's face. "I'm gonna get us out of this, okay?" he whispered.
"Zeo," the sleeping boy mumbled almost inaudibly. He shifted in his sleep, causing the other boy to pull his hand back.
"Toby, I know you're in there. I just need to get you out somehow." Zeo gazed at his friend fondly for a minute, before dragging his eyes away to survey the room they were in. Nearly identical to his own, the room was a small square with beeping machines along the wall the head of the bed was pushed against. Nodding to himself, Zeo looked at the sleeping boy one more time before saying, "Sorry." Then he yanked the IV out of Faust's hand. This was starting to become a pattern to Zeo, and he really wasn't happy about it.
Immediately the other's silver eyes opened. He turned to look at Zeo. "You again. What do you think you are doing?" A frown drew his lips into a thin line.
"I'm saving you," Zeo said. Ripping off the small sensors that connected Faust to the machines, Zeo continued, "Now come on." He held out his hand to the taller teen.
"No," was the stern reply.
Heaving a sigh, Zeo asked, "You're gonna make me do this the hard way, huh?" He suddenly leaned over the bed and wrapped his arms around Faust, pulling him. Even though Toby had always been the taller of the two of them, he'd also been lighter than the slightly stockier boy. Zeo tugged and was able to jerk Faust out of the bed. The two boys toppled to the tile floor. Taking the opportunity, Zeo hopped to his feet, pulling Faust with him.
The silver haired boy struggled against Zeo, but after being bed-ridden for so long, his whole body was weak. Without the ability to protest physically, however, he began to shout. "Dr. Ziggurat! Help! Help!"
Zeo's eyes widened. He managed to clamp a hand over Faust's mouth as he hissed, "Shut it! I'm helping you!" He continued to pull the other boy out into the hallway with him.
"Get off me!" Faust yelled around the hand. "I do not even know you, so I definitely do not need your help." He suddenly sank his teeth onto the digits in front of him.
Zeo whipped his hand back. A small trickle of blood began to run out of a tiny puncture. "Shit, just stop! Trust me, okay?" Zeo tried to find Faust's eyes.
The taller boy glared at his captor. "Why should I trust you?" he growled.
"Because..." Zeo went silent for a moment. He even paused in his efforts to drag them down the hallway that he'd finally managed to get them into. "Because I love you, Toby," he whispered.
Suddenly, there was a flash in Faust's eyes. Something like recognition shone for a split second, before being replaced with the anger that had previously been there. "I'm not Toby," he spat. But his body language changed. He no longer struggled in Zeo's arms, and he had, at least for the moment, stopped shouting. He let his body lean heavily on Zeo as the two made their way down the long hallway.
Zeo stayed silent. Faust was being complacent, and he wasn't going to complain. He led the way through the doors at the end of the hall. They were in another corridor, but a small map on the wall indicated that if they followed this hall it would lead back to the main lobby. Quickening his pace, Zeo all but carried Toby as they made their way along the dim stretch of the health clinic. The hall turned to the right at the end. Beyond that was the home stretch. "We're gonna make it," Zeo breathed. They rounded the corner, only to smack right into a solid form.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Zeo. Did you really think I'd let this happen? You must have greatly underestimated my intellect, my child," Dr. Ziggurat chided. He looked at Faust. "Are you alright, Faust? I'm sorry that he handled you so roughly." He extended his hand out to the taller of the two teens.
"I will be fine," Faust replied coolly. He took the offered hand, letting the man pull him close, so that he could lean slightly on the doctor.
Zeo's eyes frantically bounced between the two in front of him. "Toby... Toby please. Come back with me. Please..." he broke down then, hot tears searing their way down his face. He fell to his knees, the cold tiles hard against his bare flesh. "Toby," he wailed softly. "I love you. Please... I need you, Toby." He tugged off the cap that had covered his hair, allowing his bangs to completely obscure his features. Head hung, he let his tears puddle in front of him.
"I love you, too," Faust suddenly whispered.
Head shooting up, Zeo stared at the other boy.
Faust... no, Toby, smiled down at his friend. His eyes were no longer empty, shining with the familiar spark that Zeo had come to treasure. Toby jabbed his elbow right into Dr. Ziggurat's stomach.
The surprised man dropped to his own knees. He looked at Toby with confusion. "What happened Faust?" he gasped out.
"Sorry Doctor, but my name's Toby," he smirked down at the man. Then, reaching out to Zeo, he smiled. "Hurry," he whispered. With what little strength he had, he pulled Zeo to his feet.
Still slightly dazed, Zeo just grabbed Toby and ran with all of the energy that he had left. They ran out of the HD Health clinic, past the factory Zeo had worked at, and all the way back to the building that their small apartment was in. They barely were able to stumble through their front door before collapsing onto the floor, gasping for air.
Eventually, Zeo managed a still slightly-out-of-breath, "Toby. How...?"
Said teen smiled brightly. "I don't really know myself. It was like I'd been trapped somewhere inside my head. Like I could hear my mouth saying that I was someone named Faust, but when I tried to stop, nothing happened, like someone else was talking for me. But then... you said you loved me, and I got the strength to overcome that other person inside me, I guess." He shyly looked at Zeo for a moment before whispering, "Did you mean it?"
Flabbergasted, Zeo stared at Toby for a few moments before bursting into laughter.
Toby frowned, a dark blush tainting his pale skin. "Oh..."
"No, no, no!" Zeo shouted, wrapping his arms around Toby's neck. "Yes I meant it! I'm laughing because I thought it was obvious, silly. I love you so much, Toby!" he exclaimed. He hugged Toby close to him, his laughter fading into soft tears. "I love you so much," he repeated as he silently cried onto the other's shoulder.
With a relieved smile, Toby also brought his arms up, winding them around Zeo's waist. "I love you too, Zeo. And..." he paused for a moment. He pulled back from the crying boy, and used one hand to tilt the other's face up to his own. "Thank you," he whispered, "for saving me." Then he sealed their lips together in a quick kiss.
Pulling away and sniffling a bit, Zeo smiled warmly at Toby. "I'm so glad you're okay. I'm sorry that I ever let Dr. Ziggurat do anything to you..." he trailed off, feeling guilty about everything that had happened.
Shaking his head, Toby placed a gentle hand on Zeo's thigh. "No. You only wanted me to get better, don't apologize. I'm the one who's sorry that you got involved." But then Toby realized that his hand was in contact with bare skin, and it caused him to fully take in the fact that Zeo was still wearing a hospital gown, much like his own. Eyes widening, Toby regarded Zeo seriously, worry etched into his features. "Did you... have an arrangement?" he asked, fear tugging at the edge of his words.
Zeo slowly nodded. "I had it twice. The second time... I was awake an-"
"What?" Toby shouted, alarmed.
"Dr. Ziggurat wanted to see what would happen, I guess," Zeo shrugged.
Toby wrapped his thin arms around Zeo. "I'm so, so, sorry."
Zeo melted in the tight hug. "It's okay now." Then he thought for a moment, and added, "Well, except that I still don't have a job, thanks to Dr. Ziggurat... and my only jacket was left at the clinic..." he pouted childishly.
Chuckling lightly, Toby said, "Yeah, I know. I'm sure you can get a new job, though. And I can find work, too! Dr. Ziggurat may be greedy and selfish, but he did cure me."
Zeo brought his teal eyes up to search Toby's face for a minute. Then he whispered, "I know." A pause and then, "But... you don't think he's just going to stop because two of his patients got away, do you? I mean, no one would believe a couple of teenagers anyways. He can find new people to test his arrangement on..." New panic began to crawl up from the pit of Zeo's stomach.
Toby frowned, but nodded. "You're right. We need to do something to stop Dr. Ziggurat permanently."
A determined smirk coming to Zeo's lips, he said, "Yeah. And I can get my jacket back, too."
The next day, just as the sun was starting to set, lighting the air's toxic particles ablaze with color, the two boys, clad in all black, slipped out of their small apartment building. They made their way through the city's filthy streets, to the all-too-familiar building that was HD Health. The clinic's lights were off, emitting a foreboding feeling.
Zeo clutched Toby's hand tightly as they approached a window off to the side of the building, in a corridor they knew to be empty. "Go in, do what we have to do, and get out. Quick and easy," Zeo said reassuringly.
Nodding, Toby only held Zeo's hand tighter. He was trembling with nerves. Even though the two had made up a plan and talked about everything countless times in preparation for their "operation" he was still not convinced that things were going to go exactly according to plan.
Bringing their clasped hands to his lips, Zeo placed a soft kiss to the taller boy's fingertips. "Okay, let's do this," he said. He tugged the small black backpack from his shoulders, opening a large pocket. Zeo produced a large rock that they'd found earlier, and a pair of heavy workman's gloves. Nodding once at Toby, Zeo pulled on the gloves, and then he threw the rock straight through the hospital window. Moving quickly, Zeo used his gloved hands to pick out the majority of the shards of glass in their way. Then he boosted Toby inside, put his bag back onto his shoulders, and climbed in through the window himself.
The two teens carefully tried to avoid the broken glass littering the ground as they continued into the hallway connected to the room they'd entered. Toby, who had been in the clinic long enough to know his way through the major corridors, led the way. They swiftly made their way to the room where the arrangement chamber was housed. Although they were dressed in black and made a point of sticking as close to the walls as possible, they knew it was inevitable that Dr. Ziggurat knew they were there. So, speed was of the essence. If they moved fast enough, they wouldn't be caught, or they'd at least have accomplished their mission beforehand.
They entered the dark room and approached the arrangement machine. Zeo dropped to his knees to once again take off the backpack. He pulled out a hammer and a wrench. He swallowed thickly as he gave the wrench to Toby. "We just need to destroy this thing. At least that will give us a bit more time to figure out a proper way to end Dr. Ziggurat, while he tries to make a new machine," he whispered. Zeo's breathing was ragged as he crossed over to the contraption.
"Think of how many lives this thing can save," Toby said quietly as he looked at the machine somewhat fondly. He walked up to the arrangement machine and placed a hand onto the cold metal. Suddenly, he dropped the wrench, bringing his other hand up to the surface of the metal chamber. Turning shining eyes to Zeo, Toby practically pleaded, "Zeo, think of how many lives this thing can save." He lowered his head, resting his forehead next to his hands. "I can't do it," he said. A few loose tears dropped from his face and spiraled to the ground and the forgotten wrench. "I don't want more people to have to suffer like I did."
Zeo stared at Toby. Tears began to prick at his eyes as well. "Toby," he called in a low voice. He knew that Toby was right, as always. Though Dr. Ziggurat used unethical methods to achieve his goal, the results of the arrangement were outstanding. Toby was alive because of it. Zeo didn't have to worry about wearing a clean mask to go outside because of it. The arrangement system could help so many people, how could they destroy that?
"My, what have we here?" Dr. Ziggurat's cold voice suddenly called, making both boys jump in surprise.
"Doctor..." Toby trailed off.
Dr. Ziggurat raised a smug eyebrow. "And what were you planning to do with those?" he asked, staring pointedly at the wrench on the ground and the hammer still in Zeo's trembling hand.
Zeo ignored the loud pounding of his heart and said, with as much venom as he could muster, "We're here to stop you." He glared at the tall man in the doorway.
"Oh, is that so?" Dr. Ziggurat chuckled.
Clenching his teeth, Zeo didn't say anything in response.
"As I figured," the doctor sighed. He put his hand into his coat pocket as he strolled over to the arrangement machine, right next to where Zeo was standing. "Now, I think you and I still had some unfinished business, did we not?" he asked with a sweet smile. Then, taking his hand out of his pocket, he produced a long needle, much like how he had the day before. He moved his arm to connect the cold metal with Zeo's flesh, but suddenly Toby stopped him.
"Zeo!" Toby yelled, obviously having seen the needle before the other boy. He dove past the arrangement machine and latched his arms around Dr. Ziggurat.
Zeo's eyes were wide with fear. He watched as Dr. Ziggurat flung Toby to the side. The tall teen hit his head against the wall, and crumpled onto the ground. Anger flooded Zeo. A growl tore out of his throat as he launched himself at the doctor. The two crashed to the ground, Zeo sitting atop Dr. Ziggurat's waist. "I hate you," he said darkly, before landing a punch onto the floor tile directly to the left of Dr. Ziggurat's face. He wanted to hit him, but he couldn't, he'd never forgive himself. Instead he glared daggers at the doctor as he let out another low growl.
A large bead of sweat trickled down Dr. Ziggurat's pale face. Frowning, he glanced from the fist next to him to his leg.
Zeo followed his eyes, and realized that somewhere along the line, the needle that Dr. Ziggurat had been holding had been pushed into the doctor's own leg.
"Oh no," Dr. Ziggurat said quietly. Then he eyes rolled back a bit, he dropped his head, and his body fell limp against the tiled floor. He spasmed once or twice before settling completely still.
Zeo's large teal eyes slowly turned from one unconscious man to the other. He crawled off of the doctor and made his way over to Toby. He put his right hand onto the pale cheek. "Toby?" he asked softly. He slid the teen into his lap, one hand still caressing the other's cheek. He brought his free hand to run through the silver hair. Toby had insisted that afternoon that he got his hair cut before they went onto the "mission", so the silver strands played around his shoulders as Zeo's hand ran through the silky tresses. Zeo leaned in and placed a gentle kiss onto Toby's chapped lips. "Wake up," he pleaded quietly. He'd just gotten him back, there was no way he was letting Toby go again.
"Ze-o?" Toby asked, his eyes cracking open. He winced slightly, but still managed a smile. He looked over Zeo's shoulder. "What happened?"
Relief washed over him as Zeo hugged Toby close to his chest. "I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered into the silver hair that was now pressed into his face. He deeply breathed in his boyfriend's scent. But then, hearing a groan from behind him, Zeo whipped his head around.
Somehow, Dr. Ziggurat's eyes were slowly opening. He groggily lolled his head to the side so he could observe the two boys next to him. "Who are you?" he asked in a faint voice that lacked its usual poison.
Toby and Zeo stared at each other. "What?" Zeo asked.
Frowning, the doctor continued, "Who am I? What's going on?" He forced himself to sit up slightly. "What's that thing?" he pointed to the arrangement machine. He rubbed his head softly as he groaned again. His eyes squinted in the dim light and a deep frown marred his usually refined demeanor.
Glancing at the needle that lay forgotten on the ground, Toby quietly said, "I think that's what he used on me... to make me think I was Faust..." He looked at Zeo with a sad smile. "I mean I feel bad about this, but isn't this for the best? If he doesn't remember who he is, I mean?"
Zeo thought for a moment. The equipment for giving arrangements was undamaged, and Dr. Ziggurat no longer seemed to be in the way of using that technology for pure good. Eyes bright, Zeo hugged Toby again. "I think this is definitely for the best." Pulling back slightly, Zeo rested his forehead against the other boy's. He placed a swift kiss to Toby's nose. "Now let's find my jacket!" he laughed.
After a few months, things were really starting to look up for everyone. Scientists were still experimenting in perfecting the arrangement, but the sickest people in the world were already starting to get treated. As factories that had made masks began to close due to the smaller demand, the employees were all relocated to new factories that were making the parts for the arrangement machines. Coach even got a job in one of these new facilities. He'd asked Zeo to work there with him, but Zeo declined. He and Toby were working on making their own business. Neither had much experience, but it had always been a dream of Toby's to make people happy, and they thought that there was no better way than through food. Toby was a decent baker, and Zeo was a great assistant. Out of their small apartment, they made cookies, cakes, and pastries that they sold to the women in the neighborhood, as well as for catering small events. Every weekend they'd bake whatever leftover dough they had from that week, and then bring the treats to the local hospital that Toby had originally been at when he'd first gotten sick.
Dr. Ziggurat, as it turned out, became a patient at that same hospital. He was physically healthy, but the drug he'd tried to use to take Zeo's memory had caused him to completely forget who he was, and he still needed some rehabilitation. But things were turning around for him, too. He spent his afternoons painting in the craft room available to patients, and he always made a point of showing his latest pieces to Zeo and Toby as they shared their baked goods with him. It was strange to be forming a friendship with the doctor who essentially used them and then tried to dump them off without their memories, but it was also the least they could do, since he did save Toby's life in the end.
And things were going really well for Toby and Zeo's relationship. They were taking things slow, but they couldn't have been happier. After everything that they'd been through, they were both looking forward to carrying out their fairy tale ending, together.