Several weeks have passed since Tom first stopped resisting the painful sudden bouts of transformations, and there hasn't been any behavioural changes as far as Tord has seen. Tom would spend many days in his half-shifted form, and even more days as a full monster; roaring and blasting fire at the enclosure's walls in hopes of escaping again but to no avail – not since Tord had the area fortified. Overall being very aggressive.
Tord hoped that it was just a matter of letting it tire itself out, like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. What greatly concerned him though was the fact that Tom seems to be growing weaker with every transformation. Whenever he shifts back to normal he barely has the strength to eat anything, refusing to talk, wanting nothing more but to curl up and sleep. Often times, Patrick had to coerce him into eating even just a little bit. They were still feeding rabbits and other critters to the monster, so they weren't really concerned about Tom going hungry, but the fact that he was running low on energy was worrying. This made Tord ponder if his initial idea had been wrong, and that embracing the serum's nature was doing Tom more harm than good; but he quickly steeled himself back on track. Until he was sure that no progress was being made they'll stick to the plan.
During Tom's monstrous episodes, Tord watched over him in the enclosure, studying his behaviour, and spent most of his time reading up on animal behaviour. Things such as body language, taming of wild animals, and training manuals for cats and dogs – really, just about anything about animals is helpful at this point.
The monster seems to be much calmer than usual today. It charged at him only twice and hissed his way about three times, so that was progress! Tord hoped this was a good sign that his plan is finally working, because after much consideration he decided that today he will make first contact with the monster face-to-face.
"You're WHAT?!" Paul and Pat yelled in unison once Tord finished telling them his intentions.
"I think today is finally the day." Tord repeated, not losing any of his confidence at their outburst. "The monster is doing a lot better, and a close encounter will give us more Intel on how to perceive the situation going forward."
Paul's eyes suddenly brightened. "I'll be right back!" He hurried out of the room.
Patrick narrowed his eyes back at Tord and sighed. "You sure this is a good idea, sir?" He prompted. "The monster is still very dangerous, and you don't have a giant robot to save you this time. What are we to do if anything goes wrong and it decides to attack you? If anything happens… what are we supposed to tell Tom, then? He won't live with himself if he learns that he hurt someone again."
"It won't come to that." Tord broke in roughly. He turned his back to him and paced forward until he was peering into the enclosure, hands folded behind his back. "Some time has passed since we began the "treatment", and now is as good a time as any to see if there were any improvements to the monster's behaviour. I know I am endangering myself by doing this, but this is my creation." He placed the palm of his robotic hand over the image of the monster stooping down to drink from the pool. "My mistake." He sighed. "I am solely responsible for Tom's condition, and I can't just cross my fingers and hope from afar that it works. I need results! I want to help Tom though this no matter what, and I understand if you have your reservations-"
"Reservations?" Patrick sputtered, hands on his hips looking mildly offended. "I want to help Tom just as much as you do, that's not what this is about. I am just saying that maybe we should be more patient and wait until we see definite changes to the monster's attitude."
Tord winced. "It's risky, I know! But the more information we gather, the better. If anything goes amiss I promise not to do anything stupid, and run straight back out of the enclosure."
"I'm not too worried about that, because Paul and I will be watching you from over here and at the first sign of trouble we will go in there and escort you out ourselves!" Pat scoffed sternly, knowing full well that no matter how many times Tord promises not to be reckless he will always endanger himself if it means making a breakthrough with a new experiment. "And of course, we will keep the tranquilizer gun close by for safety precautions."
"Excellent!" Tord nodded in approval, watching the monster once again. He observed the asset shake its pelt before leaping for one of the higher ledges in the enclosure to rest on. Some part of Tom must still be somewhere in there… I just need to reach out to him long enough to tame the monster-
He was jerked out of his thoughts by an annoyingly loud sound of something heavy being dragged behind him. Tord frowned, his shoulders slumping as he refused to turn around to investigate just yet, but somehow already knowing full well what it is. Without looking away from the enclosure he addressed Patrick next to him.
"Paul is dragging something into the room, isn't he?"
"Yes, sir." Patrick responded with barely suppressed amusement.
"It's a blackboard, isn't it?"
"Affirmative, sir."
Tord pinched the bridge of his nose and released a long exasperated sigh. "There's a score drawn on it – whether the monster is more cat or dog like, correct?"
"I'm afraid so, sir."
"Paul!" Tord finally whirled around to confront his Commander.
"I know you said no last time, but really think about this!" Paul reasoned, his eyes huge and pleading. "If we learn more about the way Tom behaves in this form we would be closer to taming it!"
"Then why is the score exclusively cat or dog if that's the case?" Tord accused, his eye narrowing. "Why are you already ruling out the possibilities of the monster being a reptile? Or an amphibian? Or even a bird? Admit it, Paul; you just want to do this to f#ck around a little bit!"
Paul rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Oh please, sir, as if the monster has any chance of being anything but a mammal! It's furry; it changes from Tom, who is in fact a human, and thus a mammal; it's warm blooded; no scales; no feathers – although the monster does like to swim once in a while…"
"But why cat and dogs only, Paul? You still haven't given me a reasonable argument for that yet."
"Because… !" Paul trailed off, ducking his head in embarrassment and shifting his feet as he thought of a reasonable answer. "They're both domesticated animals, and if we find out which traits the asset shares most in common with it would help us decide the best way to train the monster going forward." He paused with a knowing grin. "Plus; I know you have been reading animal training books to help the matter anyway, so I don't see why not take the extra step forward and just do this for funsies at the very least! No harm done, right?"
Tord and Patrick exchanged glances. The Polish General shrugged, his eyes glowing with amusement for his lover's harmless and silly tendencies. The Red Leader groaned in resignation and relented.
"Fine, Paul. You can keep your silly little experiment. Although, now I wonder how purple fur, horns, and a forked tongue fit in the cat or dog criteria?" Tord teased, still not impressed with Paul's idea.
The Commander scratched his head pensively and stared at the blackboard for a couple heartbeats. "Well… I recently found out through extensive research – that I may or may not have done just for this exact occasion – that the rarest colour a cat can be is lilac, which is close enough to purple!" He mumbled, grabbing the chalk to give the cat side of the board a point. "And I also found out that there is this extra rare condition that happens most often with cats than dogs where they can grow horns, so that's another point for cats! The forked tongue, however…" Paul stepped back and hesitated for a brief moment, only for him to go ahead and create a small box by the corner of the score and put a point inside; labelling the small space as "the lizard corner".
Never before had Tord regretted a decision so fast. He didn't have the patience to properly educate Paul on all the ways his so-called newfound pet knowledge was wrong. Well, technically he is right, just not entirely accurate. He groaned and face palmed instead. "Let's just get on with this, please."
He walked out of the observatory toward the gates of the enclosure. Tord took a deep breath and pressed the button next to him to open the gates. "Also, please resist the temptation to make out intensely while I'm in there with the monster!" Tord yelled. "My life might depend on it."
He heard Paul snort with laughter from the other room. "Like we ever did such a thing while on duty!" He objected.
"Then please explain to me all the planes the two of you crashed!" Tord flashed back at him humorously.
Shifting his attention back to the current task at hand, Tord turned serious and watched the gap before him increase until it fully opened. Heart accelerating inside his chest Tord wearily strolled into the enclosure, head held high and posture straight as he fixed his sights on the large creature that resides within.
The monster's attention was on him the moment the gates started to open, and it raised its head from between its massive paws to peer down at him from the top of one of the tallest ledges as he walked closer.
Tord smiled. "Hey, Tom!" He spoke up softly, halting a few feet away from the monster as it glowered at him. "Does… does any part of you recognise me-?"
The monster roared, opening its jaws wide and blasted a stream of fire breath straight at him in a flash. Tord instantly raised his robotic arm to deflect the flames. It wasn't long ago that he had the brilliant idea to install a shield mechanic to his robotic arm for such an occasion. Paul had warned him not to overwhelm his arm with more needless features again, but now Tord was glad he went against his Commander's advice.
"Sir! ~" He heard Paul and Pat's anxious voices through the communicator in his arm as the monster ceased its flaming assault.
"I'm fine!" Tord reassured and made sure to wave back at the observatory to show them he was unharmed. "Everything is under control!"
The monster huffed with displeasure, smoke billowing from its mouth, clearly unamused to see Tord still alive and kicking even after its fiery attack. It scrambled to its paws and leaped down from the elevated platform, landing neatly on the ground with a powerful thud as it regarded Tord with bared fangs.
Tord stood unmoving as the monster loomed over him, single eyeless socket staring straight through his soul. Tord swallowed, all the knowledge he accumulated over the past few days replayed in his mind and he quickly studied the beast's posture as it stalked closer. Purple fur bristling along its back, muscles rippling underneath with every step. Tail eagerly swishing back and forth, and its jaws gaped to show a vicious set of long sharp teeth.
"Easy there! Easy!" Tord lifted his hands in a calming gesture but held his ground as he did not break away his gaze from the monster's.
It uttered a low rumbling growl as it bent its head down to his eye level, as though studying him like a juicy piece of prey. The monster was definitely predatory right now. Tord wearily reached into the pocket of his uniform, still maintaining eye contact with the asset, and pulled out a small plastic bag containing chunks of raw meat inside. Though the monster had refused to eat cooked meat before, always opting for live prey instead, Tord hoped that plain raw was good enough. He carefully pulled out a nice sized chunk and tossed it just below the monster's muzzle.
Tord waited in tense silence as the monster barely glanced at the given treat, putting all its focus solely on him. Tord gulped; suddenly all too aware of how close its standing to him, and how massive the claws on either side of him were in comparison to his own size.
"Steady!" Tord demanded in a firm voice as the monster loomed closer. "I am the food giver, not the food. Don't eat the food giver! You wouldn't like to eat me anyway. I'm half cooked, and I got a nasty metal arm that's not the least bit chewable!" He pointed at the chunk of meat still lying on the floor beneath the monster. "Eat that instead."
The monster appeared to pause, tilting its head to one side as though considering his words. It peered down at the chunk of meat for several heartbeats before stooping down and lapping the meat into its jaws with one swipe of its tongue.
"See? I'm not gonna let you starve. There's no need for you to attack me." Tord whispered, his palms still raised cautiously.
The monster returned to glower at him, fur fluffing up along its neck and back. Tord hesitated. Now would be the moment when he allows the monster to scent him in order to properly bond with it, but the asset was still on guard and he feared that any sudden move on his part will set it off the wrong way.
Carefully, Tord slowly lifted his robotic arm and extended out towards the monster.
At once, the asset growled and snarled, teeth gnashing as it reared back and crinkled its muzzle. Tord instantly pulled back his hand. His heart gave a nervous jump inside his chest. The monster advanced on him with wide open jaws and he doubled back. "Wait!" He quickly grabbed another chunk of meat and tossed it toward the monster, only for it to snap its jaws and catch the treat mid-air. That seemed to halt the creature's advances as it swiped its tongue around the muzzle.
Tord took a moment, while he waited for the beast to settle down before trying to bond with it again, to study it. The asset was definitely aggressive, but not as much as he feared it would be. He'd seen the monster at its absolute worst during the border patrol massacre. Right now, the monster was unpredictable and wild still, but not completely deranged to the point Tord couldn't get through it. Since his main theory regarding Tom's lack of control over his monster form derives from him being miserable and bottling up his feelings, Tord guessed that upon revealing all his dark secrets and fears have somewhat lightened the weight Tom carried and thus the asset was a lot more reasonable to deal with. Still, just a theory; but so far it seems to add up.
Taking a deep breath, Tord tried to extend his robotic hand out towards the monster again, only for it to lurch forward and snap at his fingers. He barely pulled them back before the jaws closed in on him.
"Sir, maybe it's best if you were to retreat for now and try again when the asset is in a more agreeable mood? ~" Patrick's voice advised from the communicator. "It doesn't seem particularly interested in making friends right now… ~"
"No way!" Tord gritted his teeth, glaring at the monster stubbornly. No matter how long it takes, or how dangerous the monster may be, he will find a way to tame it.
For Tom.
He attempted to approach the beast yet again only for him to be suddenly yanked backwards by a harsh tug. Alarmed, he glanced over his shoulder only to find none other than Patrick dragging him back to the enclosure gates.
The monster roared and charged after them.
"What are you doing?!" Tord sputtered in an incredulous shrill of disbelief.
"You won't listen to reason; and just as you said, your life depends on us, so we're taking matters into our own hands." Patrick replied as he continued to escort his leader away from the asset.
Paul appeared beside them and stopped, aiming a tranquilizer gun at the approaching monster as it followed after them.
Tord struggled against Patrick as they reached the gates. "Let me go! I got this covered!" He insisted, stepping away from the Polish soldier.
Pat's gaze hardened. "Endangering yourself won't help Tom."
Tord opened his mouth to retort, but stopped when he heard Paul yell out with fright. He and Patrick stiffened, and whipped their heads around to peer into the enclosure. Paul was frantically pulling the trigger on the tranquilizer but nothing happened. It was jammed. The monster slowed to a halt in front of Paul and towered over the helpless Commander.
"Paul!" Patrick cried out, concern and fear shone in his gaze. In a moment of panic he tried in vain to charge back in to help, but Tord held him back. There was nothing he could do, anyway.
"Paul, whatever you do, do not move a muscle!" Tord urged firmly, trying to hide the desperation and fear he felt creeping up his spine.
They could do nothing but watch as Paul froze before the monster. If he tried to make a run for it now the monster will definitely attack, and there's no way, even with all of Paul's training that he could outrun it. The monster stooped down to sniff Paul, nostril's flaring and ruffling Paul's hair with its warm breath.
Tord and Patrick were on edge the entire time as they watched. Are they about to watch the monster gore their companion right in front of their eyes? Patrick will be absolutely devastated. And what will they tell Tom? He already carries so much guilt from all the past victims, but to kill someone he personally knows and gets along with will break whatever is left of his spirit for sure. Tord charged the repulsor in his robotic arm, ready to barge back inside and fight the monster to give Paul the chance to get away.
However, much to their surprise all the tension in the room instantly evaporated as Paul burst into laughter. The monster was nudging the Commander with its muzzle, sniffing him all over and poking his chest intently.
Tord blinked. What's happening right now?
The monster emitted a deep croon that rumbled throughout the room as it buried its muzzle into Paul's chest and started to lick him. Laughing, Paul wove his arms around the snout in a hug of sorts and squeezed both sides of the monster's face.
"Who's a good pupper? Who's a good pupper?" Paul asked in a babyish, playful voice. The monster crooned louder in response. "You are! Yes, you are!"
Watching from afar, Tord and Patrick exchanged bewildered gazes. Paul tamed the monster? Just like that? But why? How? What is it about Paul that earned the monster's trust so fast? Does this mean that Tom is finally getting some semblance of control over this form? But then… why act so aggressively toward him? Tord couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. He should be the one the monster responds to!
Warily, Pat and Tord made their way back over to Paul's side. The monster was too busy purring at the affection it was receiving from Paul to really notice their presence.
"Paul, what did you do?" Tord asked, shifting his gaze back and forth between the Commander and the asset.
Paul shrugged. "Nothing! I just stood still like you said so, then the monster started to sniff and poke me and that tickled me. But I didn't do anything!" He laughed again as the monster continued to nudge into his chest. "I have no idea why it suddenly turned all docile on me. I thought for sure I was about to be a goner!"
Tord narrowed his eye at him in disbelief. Then on a closer look, he noticed little specks of crumbs scattered all over Paul's chin and on the red sweater of his uniform.
He wasn't the only one to notice, as Patrick stepped closer with a frown on his face and swiped the crumbs off of Paul's face. "What have you been eating, Paul?" He crossed his arms and stared at him sternly.
Paul looked away guiltily, a sheepish smile on his face as he struggled to answer. "I may or may not have swiped some peanut butter cookies from the canteen before coming down here."
"Paul!" Pat admonished.
"I can't help it, Pat! Those cookies are delicious as sin, and everyone in this base agrees with me – they would've run out for sure by the time I was done here, and who knows when's the next time we'll have them again? Nuh huh! I wasn't going to take any changes, so I took a few cookies and ate them on my way here."
Tord glanced at the monster. Is that why the monster turned so docile on the drop of a dime? "You wouldn't happen to have more of those cookies on you right now, would you?"
"Of course!" Paul fished the inside of his uniform and pulled out a cookie. "I'm saving some for later."
The cookie was swiped away almost instantaneously by the monster as it leaned forward and licked the treat right out of Paul's hand, slobbering his palm in the process. The beast's fur ruffled as it emitted a deep pleased purr like noise.
"Ew! That felt super weird!" Paul was shaking his hand frantically and swiping over the front of his uniform to dry the saliva. "It was rough, like sandpaper or…" His eyes rounded with sudden realization. "A cat's tongue! Another point for cats!"
Tord held in the urge to facepalm.
The asset continuously drooled as it drew near Paul, presumably scenting him for more treats. In doing so, Paul started to run his hands through the fur on the side of its head, prompting it to tilt closer to him and release another deep rumbling purr. "You reckon Tom is going to remember any of this when he turns back to normal?" Paul asked. "I mean, he said he gets glimpses of his actions as a monster through nightmares. If that's the case this is pretty awkward now!"
"Probably not, since he uses the Dreamcatcher to rest." Tord replied.
"Can you imagine Tom waking up in cold sweat and sitting up in bed because he remembered me calling him a good pupper?" Paul snickered at the thought. "Or feeding him cookies?"
Pat chuckled in agreement. "That is nightmare fuel."
Tord rolled his eye humorously while holding back the urge to laugh. "Oh please, Patrick, that is like a secret fantasy for you. You would love it if Paul fed you cookies, and don't you deny it."
The look of blatant embarrassment and indignation that flushed over the Polish soldier's face was priceless. Tord grinned slyly. Pat opened his mouth to object when the monster gave out a curt growl and nudged Paul again, nearly bowling him over. The Commander pressed his hands against the side of its head to try and sooth it. His eyes suddenly brightened. "Huh, I wondered what happened to his ears…"
Tord raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I'm sorry?"
"His ears." Paul repeated. "When Tom is in his half monster form he has those huge ears, and I thought it was weird that he lost them when he turns full monster, but now I know why." He scratched a spot on the side of the monster's head, pulling the fur apart and unveiling a twitching ear hiding underneath. "Apparently his ears just don't grow any bigger!"
At this discovery, Tord let out a silent gasp and instantly pulled up his robotic arm to document his new finding.
"Pat, come over here and let it catch your scent." Paul extended his hand out toward his partner.
Wide eyed, Pat shook his head and stepped back. "No way. I want to help Tom, but I don't think we should be pushing our luck this soon. Besides, I don't have any peanut butter cookies for it to like me."
"Trust me!" Paul insisted, rubbing the monster's snout affectionately. "I think it's calm enough now for you to get close. Just raise your hand and let it smell you."
Peering over the screen of his arm, Tord watched in silence as Patrick wearily drew closer to the monster. The asset's singular empty socket drifted from Paul and over to Pat, and it froze. Tord held his breath. Judging by the monster's posture now – stiff tail and raised head as though alert – it was definitely interested, not aggressive. But that can so quickly change. Once he was close enough, Patrick slowly lifted the back of his fingers toward it. He flinched when the monster jerked its head back before leaning forward to sniff him. The blast of hot air on his face made Pat cringe away a small bit.
Then the monster reared back suddenly. Patrick was about to jump away, frightened that the asset took offense to him, when it stooped down again and hurried forward to give Pat a long soggy lick on his face. Tord couldn't hold back his laughter. Patrick ducked away, cringing in disgust as saliva coated his face and dishevelled his hair.
Paul chuckled as he rested an arm over the monster's head as it panted. "He likes you, luv!" He winked.
"Great." Pat droned, still rigid as he tried to wipe away the drool to no avail.
As his laughter died down, Tord regarded the monster once again. Since it was being so friendly right now, then surely it will accept his scent this time? He stepped closer to the asset as it accepted another scratch behind the ear from Paul, too busy to notice him at first glance, and he lifted his robotic hand out towards it.
The moment he did that, however, the monster turned to him with a furious snarl; fur bristling as it jerked away from Paul's touch.
Tord doubled back at once. With another growl, the monster whipped around and bounded away, jumping on to one of the ledges to resume its initial position of perching on top and watching over the enclosure.
Frustration bubbled up inside of Tord. He couldn't understand why the monster was so eager to be receptive towards Paul and Patrick, and continuously be so aggressive to him. What is he doing different? A pang of hurt pierced his heart. Is Tom's hatred towards him so strong it manifests itself even in monster form?
"Don't take it so personally, sir." Paul spoke up, jerking him out of his thoughts. "Maybe it just doesn't like your scent! I mean… when was the last time you showered, again?"
Now it was Tord's turn to be embarrassed. He crossed his arms defensively over his chest and turned away. "Showers are for the weak! I am a busy man with lots of things to do, and I can't afford to waste time with such trivial things."
Pat wrinkled his nose. "Well, maybe if you didn't smell so strongly of smoke and sweat the monster would be more receptive towards you." He stated matter of factly.
Looking back and forth between his deputies and the monster watching them from afar, Tord groaned out loud in frustration and gripped his hair in tufts. "Fine! Whatever! I'll take a f#cking shower, but I bet it won't solve a thing!" He marched away, huffing and puffing angrily as he grumbled out curses under his breath.
Still, a small part of him hoped that a simple shower was enough to gain the monster's trust...
(Meanwhile…)
"How are you feeling?"
Edd heard Matt ask as he walked into the living room, a can of cola in his hands.
Several days have passed since their encounter with Reagan, and the group of friends were progressively recovering. After taking Eduardo over to a doctor, he was forced to stay put and take a break from his work to be looked after by Mark; on the blond's insistence, of course. Eduardo hated it every second of it though. Which was reassuring to Edd and Matt to see him be his arrogant grouchy self despite his injuries. They often came over Mark's place to visit them to see how Eduardo was doing and help entertain the burly brunet.
Mark had even gone so far as to contact Eduardo's old flame, Laurel, to update her on the situation and have her pay him a visit. Needless to say, Edd and Mark had a blast teasing Eduardo afterwards for his red flushed face the entire time in her presence and his exaggerated heroic moments as he retold the epic story of how he got hurt to her. Although, upon learning they weren't a thing anymore, Matt happily volunteered to teach Eduardo the art of romance to win Laurel back.
Eduardo is on the verge of murdering all of them in their sleep.
All and all, everything was going well for their group.
Eduardo wriggled, laying down across the cream-coloured sofa in Mark's living room, trying to get comfortable with a blanket draped over him. "I am feeling more than fine!" He argued in exasperation. "Do you have any idea of how much work I could have done in these last few days the three of you kept me here against my will? Probably not a lot, but at least I would be doing something important!"
"Oh, cheer up, Edu!" Matt laughed, sitting cross legged on the floor and peering up at him with twinkling blue eyes. "You're getting pampered. I wish I was the one being pampered! I am so jealous of you right now – getting all the attention, doing nothing but rest and eating good food made by Mark."
"I am not helpless, doofus! I don't want to be pampered and sit on my #ss wasting my time – I wanna get up and do sh#t!" Eduardo shouted, kicking the blanket off of him and trying to get up only to wince in pain and lay back down.
Mark slipped past Edd from the kitchen and approached Eduardo with a bowl of soup in his hands. "We just want to be completely sure you fully recover – no need to be such a drama queen!" He chuckled. Tipping his head he added, "should I change your bandages while I'm at it?"
Huffing in frustration, Eduardo took the soup from Mark with a pointed glare. "Just give me the goddamn kit, I can change my own damn bandages, you know-it-all bastard!"
Jovial laughter rang throughout the room. Edd watched over his four friends fondly from the archway between the kitchen and the living room, sipping his cola, extremely relieved that all of their ordeals were seemingly finally over and things were improving.
Wait, four?!
Edd gave a startled gasp and rubbed his eyes.
Blinking at the scene before him again, there was a young man leaning over Eduardo who met Edd's eyes with his own black button ones, his face a mask of concern, and then he vanished again in less than a heartbeat. Was that… Jon? The apparition was gone so quickly that Edd thought he might have hallucinated him just like he did with Tom – especially since no one else in the room acted as if they'd seen him, too. Was that real?
"Edd?" Matt's voice cut through his thoughts. "What's wrong? You look as if you'd seen a ghost!"
I think I just did! Edd shook his head as though clearing his thoughts. "Nothing! I just- uh… has anyone seen Ringo?" He quickly changed the subject. No way would he confess to them what he thinks he witnessed. They'll think he is gone lunatic and probably force him to be put still right beside Eduardo on the couch.
"I'm not sure…" Mark murmured, staring at him with an odd look. "I did go out a couple times to fetch some things from Eduardo's apartment upon his request – maybe she slipped out at some point?"
"Good for her." Eduardo grumbled under his breath, sipping a spoonful of soup. "At least one of us is free to go wherever they want. Damn lucky cat."
"Would you like me to make some more crude drawings of Reagan for you to vent your frustrations on?" Matt offered innocently.
Eduardo gave him a long stare. "You eternally sweet idiot." He said, poking Matt on the side and ruffling his hair. "If you can somehow get the real deal bound and gagged for me to extract sweet vengeance on, that would be better. But I guess drawings will have to do… for now."
"I better go out and find Ringo then, before she is lost for good." Edd quickly excused himself and hurried his way out of the apartment.
It's not that he was necessarily uncomfortable whenever the subject of Reagan is brought up, but the memory of his betrayal is still fresh in his mind and Edd needs some more time to process it before he can look back on it again without any trace of grief. Although, with the help of his friends Edd can only hope he will get over the bitter pain soon enough and move on from Reagan for good. The Irishman had faked their friendship for his own personal gain, anyway – he never cared for Edd or anyone else. As much as Edd would've liked for it to have ended differently, Mark was right. He can't help someone who wanted nothing to do with him in the first place.
If Reagan didn't really care for him, why should he care for him at all?
He crossed the hallway, noticing that the door to Eduardo's apartment was slightly ajar. "Ringo? Ringo! Psst- psst come out!" He called out, slipping inside the burly brunet's apartment knowing that the feline most likely followed Mark in here at some point.
Closing the door behind him, Edd swept his gaze around the room looking for his feline companion. There were papers scattered everywhere. And he thought Matt's apartment was a mess! Hopefully Ringo didn't leave any sort of trace behind here of all places or Eduardo was going to flay both their skins to clean it up. As he stepped farther into the home, Edd was suddenly hit with a wave of memories from not so long ago when this place used to belong to his late dear friend. As sad as the reminder was, Edd only felt a bittersweet sensation tingling in his gut and he smiled faintly at the thought of Tom.
"Mrrow!"
Startling out of his thoughts, Edd blinked in surprise when he spotted Ringo sticking her head beneath some sheets in the far corner of the living room; her tail flicking with interest.
"There you are!" Edd picked her up. The gray tabby instantly curled up and nuzzled into his chest, purring. "What are you doing here, you sneaky little bastard girl? Off exploring?"
He looked up and paused. Something wide and large loomed in front of him, covered up in sheets. Edd thought it was strange for Eduardo to have that in his living room of all places and not in his own room, but he figured maybe it was for the sake of space. No wonder Eduardo never invited them over! He probably doesn't have the time or the patience to tidy this place up with how precious his job is.
The thought lingered in his head.
Eduardo often complained about getting back to work, even long before his stab wound. He would insist he had better things to do and go stalk off to his apartment after hanging out with them. Matt wasn't kidding when he said that Eduardo is too busy to get into needless fights with him. But that only drives Edd more curious. What is Eduardo working on?
Edd stared at the large shrouded shape before him. One peek wouldn't hurt, surely? He thought in contemplation. But… that would be invading Eduardo's privacy! I shouldn't pry where I'm not wanted… Then another more cunning and mischievous thought popped in his head to counter argue his morals. Eduardo is confined to Mark's couch, and I don't need to go back so soon; no one needs to know about this. He realized with unusual slyness; almost as though he were coercing himself into doing something he didn't really want. Plus, it would be pretty good for once to know what the f#ck is Eduardo up to. Could even be something embarrassing to tease him with!
Encouraged now, Edd extended his arm out while carefully balancing Ringo on just one arm and grabbed the sheets. He gulped, hesitating a couple of heartbeats. He wasn't sure what to expect. Maybe a huge life-sized golden trophy for the world's number one biggest ego, and Eduardo just really likes to polish and look at every hour of the day. Edd wouldn't be surprised.
Without further delay, he pulled back the sheets.
Edd's eyes widened and he gasped.
A large corkboard was revealed to him, but the contents that it held was what disturbed Edd. Several news articles of mysterious vigilante operations spread throughout Europe were pinned and highlighted; sticky notes were glued here and there in frantic writing in black marker, commenting: Who are they? What is their goal? Where is their base? Who is the Red Leader? A long thread of red string was stretched out across the board and pinned to different areas of a world map with crossed out spaces and pictures. At the centre of it all, a red symbol with two jagged points stretching upward like horns and the one leg trailing off into a dribble as if it were blood by the end. Right beneath the symbol though, was two pictures. One of Jon, smiling innocently toward the camera, the edges of the photo ripped and worn off and with a caption "never forget" next to it. The other picture… Edd felt his heart race as he recognized it. It was a picture of himself standing and smiling beside Matt, Tom, and Tord; taken the day the four of them moved in together, and it used to be hung on the wall of the living room of their old home. The picture was slightly charred, and Tord's face was aggressively crossed out, and Tom's face was scribbled out for some reason.
Edd felt as if the entire building was falling in on top of him, slowly, level by level, like in a dream.
"I wish you hadn't seen that."
The voice made Edd freeze in place. Gulping, he wearily turned around to find Eduardo closing the door behind him with narrowed eyes.
Frustrated that he was being kept on a couch and away from his work for so long, Eduardo finally had enough, and so he managed to trick doofus into pestering Mark to distract the blond long enough for him to make his escape and sneak back to his own apartment. He longed to get just a little glimpse of his work and get his brain back on track again. He can't stand being idle anymore! But when he found the loser gawking at his work… sh#t.
Eduardo's eyes were like small dark coals, and Edd could've sworn he glimpsed a strange flash of green flicker across his gaze. Those eyes pinned Edd to the floor for a long, agonizing moment.
"Step away from it, Loser." Eduardo cautioned, his voice low as he drew closer. "I know this looks bad, but I can explain."
Edd remained unmoved. Gripping Ringo tighter in his arms, he struggled to gather his thoughts and stay calm. There were so many questions running through his brain at once that Edd wasn't sure what to ask first. A surge of panic washed over him. All he could think about as he observed Eduardo approach was Reagan's words replaying over and over again in his head. Oh sure! I am certain that your friendship is genuine and not in any way based on some form of self-interest at all. He wants you to replace his dead friend, and you want him for some hidden agenda you got going on. Who is using who here, I wonder? He had said when Eduardo came to his defence. And then later, he'd added: You never got over the death of your friend. Not entirely, anyway. Thinking back to the encounter now, Edd realized with a sinking feeling of dread that Reagan might've been right about Eduardo.
"Loser-"
"What is all of this? What does any of this supposed to mean? Why do you have a picture of me and my friends up on your creepy conspiracy board?" Edd blurted accusingly as he backed away. He narrowed his eyes into a glare. "Are you… are you only using us to get to Tord or something?"
Eduardo paused. He breathed deeply in and out through his nose, wondering the best way to go about this without freaking the loser out more than he already is.
"I am looking for the ones responsible for ruining our lives." He let out his breath again in a long hiss through his teeth. Meeting Edd's paralyzed gaze he continued. "After your friend, if you can even call him that, killed Jon and blew up our homes I vowed I would get revenge and make him pay for what he did. I went back to the wreckage of our homes to look for clues; hence the picture of you and your friends. Surprised you didn't take it with you when you scavenged for the rest of your belongings."
Edd looked away. After the robot incident, he and Matt stayed over Tom's new place for a little while, too upset to go back to get their stuff so soon after what happened. When they eventually had to look for their stuff, Edd thought the picture was gone forever. Burned in a blaze during the explosion.
"Anyway; I poked around the ashes of your home and then investigated the robot's crash site, looking for clues that the bastard might still be alive." Eduardo went on icily. "I thought this was just the actions of a dumb batsh#t insane lunatic, but I was wrong. During my investigation I discovered that he had not acted alone."
Extremely startled by his words, Edd's eyes widened. "What are you saying?"
"I have gathered enough evidence to suggest that he was acting on behalf of a secret organization calling themselves The Red Army."
Edd froze; huge eyed. The same organization Reagan wanted me to join? A chill of dread rippled down his spine, his stomach churning as pieces slowly pieced themselves together. He moved aside as Eduardo paced past to face the board.
"It's a lot to process, I know, but it's all true." Eduardo went on. "Not much is known about them. Most people don't even believe they really exist – that they are on the same level as the illuminati and just another crazy conspiracy theory to blame things on. But I know it's true, and it's all connected to this symbol," He gestured the red icon plastered in the middle of the board. "all I gathered so far is that they seek total world domination, and they are led by a mysterious figure known as the Red Leader."
Edd hardly heard him, trying to understand what all of this means. Tord... was part of the Red Army? What are the chances that I am asked to join the same organization as him? Does Reagan know Tord? Is he even still alive after all?
His hold on Ringo eased, and the feline climbed up his arm to perch herself over his shoulders. This was all too much to process. "Is Mark in on this as well?"
Eduardo shook his head. "He knows the truth about my work, but he doesn't want to be involved." He responded with a low growl in his voice. Despite Mark's emotional support, he couldn't help but hold some resentment toward the blond for not wanting to seek revenge on the f#cker who took Jon away from them. But he could understand Mark's desire to keep his life simple and just move on, so he can't afford to be that angry with him. "Leave him out of this, loser. His friendship is genuine."
"And you, what? Only befriended Matt and I in hopes we knew something about Tord?" Edd challenged, struggling to keep his voice from wavering. "I was right about you all along! I knew you were not to be trusted!"
Eduardo winced. "You're… partially correct." He admitted, shifting his feet. "Thing is… doofus doesn't know anything useful." He steadily met Edd's gaze.
Understanding instantly dawned on him, and anger pulsed hot and strong within him. "Even if I knew whether he's even alive did you really think I would ever tell you? "Oh, you want to go after Tord, you say? Sure thing, Eduardo, he's chilling out in Dubai last I heard of him – go ahead and carry out your revenge on my best friend; I don't mind!" -"
"Edd!" Eduardo's furious hiss cut him off. "How can you still consider him your friend after he betrayed you? Don't tell me you seriously forgive him for what he's done?! Didn't you learn anything from dealing with Reagan?"
Edd narrowed his eyes. "Clearly you are not any better!" He motioned the board again.
"I am not using you! I just-" Eduardo sighed and tried again. "I had hoped you would help me find him and make him pay for what he did to us. Make all of them pay. You are the only person I can think of who would have any reason to want to go after them."
"Eduardo…" Edd shook his head. He swallowed the anger rising in his throat. "Going after Tord and the Red Army won't bring Jon back."
"I know that!" Eduardo snapped, his hands balling into fists. He paused, his tone softening as he gazed at the board again. "No matter how much I want him back, I will never see him ever again. I made my peace with that fact. What I don't conform with is letting those bastards get away with this scott free!"
Edd said nothing. Eduardo persisted. "Haven't you ever wondered?"
"Wondered what?"
Eduardo fixed him with a cold calculating gaze. Edd didn't like that look. "Think about it, loser." He murmured bitterly. "Tom took him down. He stopped the Red Army from accomplishing their plans… isn't it odd that he was killed a few months shortly after?"
Backing away, Edd felt his mouth go dry and he could barely contain his body from trembling. "What- what are you saying?" He stammered.
"Do I really have to spell it out for you? Your friend, or whoever is in charge of the Red Army, had Tom killed for standing in the way of their plans."
Edd's stomach churned. He stared back at Eduardo, too shocked to respond right away.
He didn't want to think about what this could mean. It was so much easier to accept Tom's death as just a sudden tragedy rather than a revenge plot from an evil organization he was almost conned into joining. Fresh grief tore at his heart. "You don't know that!"
Eduardo shrugged. "You're right. I have no evidence to support that is indeed what happened to Tom. But you can't deny that it is a likely possibility." He stepped closer. "Loser, you knew that lunatic the best. Is there any way he could have survived the robot's destruction? Did he ever mention to you anything about this organization? Please, if you know anything about this at all you have to tell me!"
Unable to answer, Edd glanced away. Thanks to Reagan, he now has a lot of valuable information Eduardo would die to get his hands on. But something about this just didn't feel right, and he was hesitant to share all he knows.
He felt sick. The memories of both Tord and Reagan's betrayals replayed in his head; still fresh as though they had just happened. If Tord were still alive he would want to know exactly why he did what he did. Maybe Tord was conned into joining the Red Army like I was? Could the Red Leader have forced him to betray us? But those were only childish wishes and desperate attempts to excuse Tord's behaviour and pin the blame on someone else. To keep believing he was still, deep down inside, his best friend and that he could still be saved.
But Tord had made himself and his intentions pretty clear that day. What do I need friends for when I've got THIS?! He remembered with a pang of hurt. Goodbye, Edd! The world isn't going to take over itself!
And what of Reagan? There is no excuse for what he did.
Edd thought back to their confrontation in the alley. Reagan was absolutely livid when the Red Leader for whatever reason had refused to let Edd join them and then demoted him as punishment. Edd couldn't get this specific detail out of his head. Why did the Red Leader reject him? Was it because they knew of his connection to Tord? Do they think of him as a threat to their organization like Tom had proved himself to be?
Strangest thing of all, however, had to be the conversation he had with Reagan on the phone the day before. Or at least, who he thought was Reagan.
The voice had been exactly like the Irishman's, but the caller's attitude had been all wrong. Looking back at it now, Edd realized whoever it was had been a little too apologetically and nervous throughout the conversation; not like Reagan at all. But who else could have been? Who could possibly know his phone number and have ties to the Red Army-
It felt like the entire world just inverted in on itself as the obvious answer dawned on him.
Edd could hardly breathe. Everything he knew up to this point has been suddenly flipped over, and changed the entire picture he thought he knew so well. His mind was buzzing with frantic thoughts; everything that's happened to him over the past year was accumulating inside his head into dreadful realizations.
Tord… it was Tord who called me…
Edd felt a cold shiver wrack his entire body.
Along with this revelation came several implications. Tord is alive! He's okay! A wave of relief swept a fraction of his grief away, making him feel slightly lighter in his chest. Then troubled thoughts set in. Oh god, I actually talked to him after all this time. But what does this mean?
Recalling the conversation on the phone, now it made more sense as to why "Reagan" had been so wistful and sorrowful. He regrets what he did! He wants to come home! Maybe he WAS forced to turn on us by the Red Leader. Is he imprisoned in the Red Army? Did he join them only to regret his actions but now can't leave? Reagan never mentioned anything about what were to happen if someone wanted to back out, but considering he had warned them to think carefully about their decision Edd guessed leaving the organization wasn't possible.
Just as the idea of Tord being an unwilling member of the Red Army came to mind, stirring pity for his former friend, more disturbing possibilities popped up.
But what if he is okay with all of this? Does he know that Tom is dead? What exactly had he been apologizing for back in the phone call? The fact that he betrayed them… or that he got Tom killed? Did the Red Leader order him to kill Tom himself? Edd paused, his throat tightening. Could Tord be the Red Leader himself? Reagan did firmly believe I might have a connection to them...
Just as all these thoughts threatened to overwhelm him, feeling like he was about to burst into tears just from the sheer weight they had over him, he forced himself to pause upon realizing how much he doesn't know. There was one comforting fact about all this, however. No matter who Tord really is or what his involvement in the Red Army is, he told Edd that they would meet again someday once he "worked on himself" and that he has "a lot to atone for". So there was hope; a small glimmer of hope that Tord was still his friend.
I need to find him! Edd decided with absolute certainty. I need to get down to the bottom of this and find answers!
And wouldn't you know it; there's a guy standing right next to him who is also looking for Tord – albeit for entirely different reasons – and who may have a lead on how to find him, if only he had half the knowledge Edd has on the Red Army to do so.
A twinge of guilt ignited within him. He was partially to blame for Jon's death for allowing Tord into his home despite all the red flags he gave off and Tom's warnings, and Eduardo obviously misses his friend dearly. Now he was seriously considering using this opportunity to get Eduardo to lead him straight to Tord? That was messed up in so many ways!
Just as he thought that though, a sneaky little voice in the back of his mind said otherwise. You need him just as much as he needs you! You have the information, and he has the means to apply it. Just go along with him for now, and reach out to Tord before Eduardo can get to him. It will be easy! You can't do this by yourself… Edd could almost imagine an arm casually leaning over his shoulders as he carefully considered the plan. He hated to admit it, but Reagan had left a bigger impact on him than he was ready to come to terms with. He could practically hear Reagan's voice so clearly as though he were speaking right beside him. Give him the necessary tools and let him do the hard work for you. Once you get a lead, sweep in and claim your reward before he does. You won't be hurting anyone! He won't accomplish anything by killing Tord, and you need answers badly. I say this is a win-win for everyone!
These dark thoughts reminded Edd of Reagan's lesson back in the alleyway. "Everyone is out to get you. No one is really your friend. We all have motives for the things we do, and that includes relationships. Once you've served your purpose in someone's agenda, they will discard you. Simple as that. But no one really cares about you! If you don't use others, you're gonna get used yourself, and see how long you'll last just being a mere pawn. Be wary of everyone's intentions, or be played for a fool. If there's one thing that I can teach you, Eddie; let it be that."
Edd shifted his weight in contemplation. I care about Eduardo. He is my friend. I am not doing this with the intent to hurt him. He reasoned. But I can't exactly let him kill Tord either. Besides, he was totally on board to use me to get to Tord, so using him in turn shouldn't be all that damming, surely? But in the off chance that Tord is in fact the Red Leader and is in some way involved with Tom's death… Edd might have to rethink his whole plan.
He turned to Eduardo, opening his mouth to speak when a cold chill passed through him all of the sudden, making goose bumps rise along the back of his neck and arms. Edd glimpsed a see-through shape appear like a shadow beside Eduardo. Blinking rapidly, he could've sworn he saw the figure peel away from Eduardo and fade away; all the while, staring at him with a sad smile. A soft voice echoed in Edd's head, "Please take care of him for me."
Jon?
Now that's just ridiculous. Why would he be seeing and hearing Jon's... ghost? He's obviously imagining things! Clearly he is too stressed out by recent events and is in need of a desperate nap.
However, the thing that kept him from dismissing this strange sighting as a mere figment of his imagination was the fact that he felt Ringo tense over his shoulders. She lifted her head with a quiet chirp, staring straight at the spot Jon had been with pricked ears. Again, Edd wasn't unfamiliar with the supernatural but this was just too much at this point. Suppose I did see Jon, how come Tom isn't here then? He thought bitterly, then sighed in resignation. Fine, whatever. Be the supernatural powers from the beyond or whatever! I will keep an eye out for Eduardo; you happy?! He internally shouted to the heavens.
"I understand if this is all too much for you to take in; I don't blame you in the slightest. But at least think about my offer, will you?" Eduardo's rough voice broke him out of his thoughts. His gaze remained fixed on the board. "The Red Army is rising whether we like it or not. There's something happening all over the world, and if we don't act now more people like Jon can get hurt-"
"I'll help you." Edd interrupted, twisting his hands together.
At that, Eduardo looked up and met his gaze, eyebrows raised in surprise. Edd sighed. He can't afford to lose any more of his friends; they mean everything to him. He's lost so much already. But if there's even the slightest chance of seeing Tord again and get some answers, he needs to take that risk. It's best he joins forces with Eduardo now rather than let him go off on his own path of revenge and get hurt.
They need each other now more than ever.
"I will tell you everything I know…"
(Meanwhile…)
Sitting in the middle of the enclosure, his legs crossed, Tord remained motionless as he observed the monster. After taking a reluctant shower and clearing his head, Tord marched straight back into the enclosure and gave strict orders to Paul and Pat not to disturb him this time as he attempts to bond with the monster for the second time that day.
They have been nervous, of course.
"You sure about this, sir?" Paul questioned, exchanging an uneasy glance with Patrick. "The monster is still dangerous, and you don't have any cookies to make it more friendly. If something were to happen while we're not there to save you…"
"It will be fine!" Tord assured, waving his hand dismissively. "I got this. I will stay in that enclosure long enough for the monster to get used to my presence, and then I'll tame it! I can't do anything stupid if I just stay absolutely still, right? You two go on ahead and fulfil your duties. I will handle Tom."
It had been hard to get rid of his most trusted soldiers' worried and watchful presences, but they relented upon the condition that at the first sign of trouble on his part he must contact them immediately. Tord simply shooed them away with a polite smile and vowed to do as such should the worse happen. But Tord wasn't the least bit worried. He will bond with the monster this time! Even if he has to spend an entire decade secluded inside this closure, he will get the monster to open up to him.
For Tom…
He'd been sitting there, doing nothing but watch, for three hours now. So far the only thing the monster has done since he arrived was hiss at him and occasionally try to take a bite out of him, only for Tord to stand his ground and drive it back with a flash of his repulsor. The monster wasn't content with his presence, to say the least.
Now it remained perched on top of one of the platforms, curled up with its tail wrapped around itself, peering down at him from above with what Tord could only describe as an annoyed expression. It growled softly, shaking its pelt and then turning to groom the inside of one of its massive paws.
Tord sighed. "This may take a while…"
To pass the time, he decided to re-read the files he has written down so far on both the monster and the serum; as well as freshen up his knowledge on animal behaviour to help him tame the monster. So if the monster were to turn its back on me or display its belly that could potentially mean that it trusts me. He made a mental note on that.
The sound of panting and a blast of warm breath over his back stirred Tord from his thoughts. He blinked and turned around. When did the monster get so close without him hearing it?
The monster loomed over him, as though looking at the screen on his robotic arm, tongue lolling. As soon as Tord turned around however, the monster instantly stopped and steadily stared back at him; closing its mouth and going silent. Tord furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What?"
The monster simply kept staring at him. It did nothing but stare.
Somewhat wary of their close proximity, Tord dared not to turn his back on the monster in case it saw fit to attack him with his guard down. He glanced away but made sure to keep the monster in his peripheral vision with his one good-working eye. He only scrolled down the screen on his arm to keep reading when the monster resumed panting behind him again.
Tord whipped around.
The monster paused and met his gaze.
Hmm… I wonder…?
With a small knowing smile growing on his face, Tord turned away again but didn't bother looking at his screen anymore. He wanted to try something out. And sure enough, as soon as he faced away from the monster he heard it pant behind him once more. Tord glanced back only for it to stop and stare at him. He repeated the motion a couple of times only to be met with the exact same response.
"What's the matter?" Tord asked, his voice light with amusement. "Are you self-conscious about being stared at or something?"
The monster whined, gnashing its teeth and swiping a forked tongue over its snout.
Tord shook his head and laughed. He didn't take his gaze off of the asset this time. He observed its movements closely, studying its body language to deduct its current mood. Seems… friendly enough, I suppose?
With that in mind, Tord scrambled to his feet and tried reaching out toward it with his robotic hand.
The monster growled at him, fur bristling along its neck and back before it bounded away; tail streaming behind as it headed for the pool.
Tord clenched his fists in frustration. Why why why WHY? He thought angrily, resisting the urge to stomp his feet like a brat and lose his composure. He glanced down at his hand. What am I doing wrong now? I took a shower for you, damnit! Taking deep breaths to calm down his temper, Tord forced himself to sit back down and wait patiently for another chance to bond with the monster.
Finding something else to occupy his mind in the meantime, Tord had to remind himself that the only reason as to why the monster wasn't behaving nowhere as vicious as it had presented itself in the past and didn't simply gobble him up now when it could so easily do, is probably because of Tom's different state of mind since he had come clean about his condition. But that still doesn't explain why the monster was so stubborn when it comes to him.
A few more hours go by. Patrick paid him a visit at some point, to make sure he was still alive and gave him some food to go along with it. The monster seemed very intrigued with him as he was eating; staring at him intently the entire time. Later, Tord decided to take the chance and do some thinking time. Nothing too special – just thinking about how he plans to solve the money situation and pay for all the damages the monster caused in the border patrol massacre, or what new inventions he could create next… or how utterly amazing and beautiful Tom is…
A fuzzy fluttering sensation flooded his chest as the image of the selfless eyeless man popped into his head, prompting his cheeks to turn a light shade of crimson.
Although he no longer denies his feelings for Tom, Tord wasn't sure what he is supposed to do with them now. Motivate him to help Tom, he'd guessed. But other than that what should he be doing? It's not like he can act on them; Tom needs to recover from his ordeal – that's what matters most. True, his heart is screaming and yearning for Tom, but even if it takes an entire lifetime Tord won't do anything until he is certain that Tom is happy. That's the most important thing right now.
For Tom to be happy again.
If only Tord could make that happen…
He glanced over toward the monster, where it was swimming around in the pool; head half-submerged in the water, looking eerily similar to a crocodile. Its singular empty socket blinked at him before diving.
The asset was surprisingly fond of water. Aside from swimming every once in a while the monster likes to dip its snout under the water and blow bubbles. Tord thought that was incredibly endearing, especially for an indestructible weapon of war.
The monster swam around for a little while longer before heaving itself out of the pool, and shaking its pelt to flick off the water to dry. Tord winced, putting up his hands to try and shield himself as much as possible from the collateral spray of droplets. Once dry enough, the monster slunk quickly toward the ledges and leaped up high to perch itself on top of one of the platforms. Curling up with its tail dangling off one side, and its claws gripping the edge.
A few more hours passed, and Tord felt his eyes start to grow heavy. Though he can spend several days in a row with no sleep, it was a lot harder to accomplish such a feat when there wasn't much for him to do to keep his mind otherwise occupied or the aid of coffee. Not to mention that falling asleep in near proximity to the monster wouldn't be wise.
He slapped himself hard. Stay awake! He told himself. No matter how long it takes, I need to be aware of my surroundings and bond with the monster.
He cast a glance at the monster and paused. The asset has its head tucked between its paws, eye closed, and breathing deep and steady as it snored. A rare sight. The monster doesn't sleep very often; usually only when it has run out of energy and is ready to transform back into Tom soon. Tord blinked tiredly. With the monster fast asleep, there's no danger in taking a closer look at its features… it would be nice to run his hands over its face and find out the feel of the texture of its fur without it snarling at him every time he gets too close. So many things he could investigate… for SCIENCE!
Carefully jumping to his feet, Tord stealthily sneaked his way over to the foot of the platform where the monster was resting on top of. He wondered how he was going to get all the way up there when he caught sight of the dangling tail. It wasn't low enough for him to reach, but with a little help from one of his arm's features…
Grinning, Tord deployed the grappling hook from his robotic arm, shooting his metallic hand upward until it grabbed along the length of the monster's tail. Tugging on his arm a couple of times to test the hand's grip, Tord started to retract the cable joint and was pulled upwards until he found himself hanging on to the tail.
Just as he was about to climb the rest of the appendage, the monster let out a low growl.
Tord stiffened.
The tail drew up suddenly and started to whip around violently back and forth. Tord clung on for dear life, but he could not stand the sheer velocity and strength of the blows and he was flung away.
Tord hurtled through the air with a startled shout. He could only watch helplessly as his surroundings blurred together into an incomprehensible whirlwind, and the pool drew closer until he splattered head first into the water. Terror gripped Tord's chest as he made impact with the water, all breath being driven out of him at once and leaving him winded, making him instinctively open his mouth to draw a big gulp of air only to choke on water instead; lungs instantly flooding.
He writhed around desperately, hands to his throat as he gagged. No! I can't die this way! The Red Leader can't go out this way! He thought frantically. But try as he might, he could not do anything. The force of the impact has stunned him. He couldn't move.
Just as his vision was about to black out, a shadow fell over him and the water suddenly churned. He felt something tug at his uniform and pull him up. Tord coughed and retched as he broke through the surface while his rescuer carried him to land.
He collapsed as he was dropped onto the floor, beating his own chest and spitting up water as he gasped for air. Something big and heavy nudged his back, as though trying to help. Tord was too shocked to make sense of what just happened.
A deep croon resonated from behind him.
Turning around, Tord blinked up at the monster tiredly. It was dripping wet. "You… you saved me." He rasped.
The monster towered over him, panting softly, tilting its head to one side as it observed him with the closest thing Tord would guess was a worried expression.
As his mind cleared, Tord clumsily dragged himself to stand up. His ears were full of water and he knocked the side of his head to clear them. He craned his neck back to peer up at the monster again; a wave of gratitude and warmth flooding through him. "Tom? Are you there? Were you the one who-?"
The monster snorted, ruffling its fur and swiping its tongue over its snout.
Tord's stance faltered briefly. Tom or not, the monster still saved him from drowning. Then surely… now it must feel something toward him, right? He hesitated, looking into the monster's one eye. Since it bothered at all to save him then his tactic of letting it get used to his presence must've worked!
Taking massive gulps of air as he recovered; Tord faced the monster calmly and lifted his robotic hand out towards it.
At once, the monster's calm and peaceful attitude shifted to aggressive as it bared its teeth at him and snarled. Tord blinked. He couldn't believe… he couldn't understand… after all this, the monster still refuses to accept him? But why? Gritting his teeth in frustration, Tord stepped closer and urged the monster to accept him anyway. However, as the beast growled at his fingers he realized that the asset wasn't being necessarily aggressive toward him… but at his arm.
He pulled back his hand, watching the monster's features soften to neutral again. Tord stared at the palm of his robotic hand. He did blast the monster with the repulsor function on multiple occasions… he can't exactly blame it for hating or fearing it. The monster doesn't trust his arm not to hurt it again.
Which means…
Tord swallowed, knowing precisely what he needed to do to gain the monster's trust now.
Facing the asset once more, staring steadily into its one eye, he took a deep breath and warily lifted the back of his left hand out towards it; trying very hard to keep from trembling. Tord wasn't sure if this will work. For all he knows, the monster still despises him or is feeling hungry for some human flesh. He's taking a huge risk, for sure, but isn't it worth a try? What's he got to lose? His one remaining arm? Think of how many features he will have with two robotic arms!
Tord remained absolutely still, his arm still extended as he watched the monster. Its snout seemed to twitch as it leaned forward to sniff at his hand. Tord held his breath with anticipation. Here we go; it's analysing my scent. He could feel blasts of warm breath over his wet dripping palm, but he remained motionless.
His breath nearly hitched in his throat when the monster put an end to the distance between them and nudged his hand with its muzzle, purring softly.
Tord stared at the asset in surprise. A chuckle of disbelief rising in his throat as he ran his hand over the monster's face. It felt almost velvety under his touch. He could feel the vibrations as a deep purr rumbled in the monster's throat. Its tongue flicked out and lapped at his hand. Tord cringed away slightly. Oh god, Paul's right. It does feel like a cat's tongue.
He continued running his hand over its muzzle, carefully bringing his robotic hand up to the side of the monster's face. The asset growled at the sight of it and tried to twist away.
"Shhh… it's okay." Tord soothed. "I'm not going to hurt you. There there."
Slowly he placed the palm of his robotic hand along the monster's muzzle. Tord paused, looking up at the monster to judge its temperament. It blinked back at him with a low whine. Tord started to scratch and rub along the side of the monster's head affectionately. A few heartbeats of standing still, the monster seemed to finally relent and leaned into his touch with another deep purr.
Tord smiled warmly. "There you go. That's it. You're okay now, Tom." He continued to pet it.
Staring into its singular empty socket, he couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness wash over him. Tord leaned forward to rest his forehead on the monster's nose.
"I'm sorry for hurting you, Tom."
He remained that way for several heartbeats, just listening to the monster's breathing.
All too soon, the asset pulled away from him and left to return to its usual spot on the elevated platform, turning its back to him. With one mighty leap, it climbed the ledge and heaved itself on top; curling up to resume its interrupted nap.
Tord stared after it in awe.
The spell was broken however, when he noticed all the clumps of purple hair stuck to his hands from petting it. What's worse still is that it looked like every surface of the entire enclosure was covered in stray strands of fur; even the pool had some chunks of purple fur floating about. What a mess to clean up this will be. Tord tried dusting his hands to get rid of the particles stuck to him, but they remained resistant. Next, he attempted to swipe them over his uniform just to get even more fur stuck to his being.
"For goodness sake!" He shouted in frustration, swiping at himself furiously. "You shed so much F#CKING FUR! God – with how much you shed we could collect every tuft of fur of yours and make clothes out of it-"
He cut himself off mid-sentence as an idea suddenly struck him. The monster sheds a ton of fur with every period it spends transformed... cleaning the enclosure and disposing of all the clumps of hair was a pain in the ass… and the army just so happens to be in dire need of an economic boost to pay for all the damages…
Tord took a strand of purple fur stuck to his uniform to analyse it more closely. He will have to contact his tailors soon and see what they can do with it. He had a feeling that purple was about to become the newest fashion trend soon.
And so, Edd and Eduardo are going to join forces from here on out to find out everything they can about the Red Army and potentially stop their plans of total global domination. This is where their involvement in this story ends. We will see them again in the end, but the plot will turn it's focus on Tom and Tord and Reagan. I know it may seem odd to finish their character arc's here at this point after it seems as though things were just getting started for them, but I hope that as you read on and reach the end of this story things will make more sense in the long run.
But anyways, thank you guys for reading. I appreciate your support immensely! Don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you thought. Hope you guys enjoyed it, and I'll see yah all in two weeks! ;)
