TYRANT!

Chapter 4- Questionables (or 'Least I could Do')

It was 18:49:17. Haylen was now in Steve's cell with Steve, sitting on the floor eating pizza slices she had ordered from a nearby pizza place. Steve had a huge towel wrapped around him, while Haylen laid on a bunch of blankets and pillows she had brought from home, for Steve.
Steve took a bite of his slice. "Mmm, this's good pizza." he said, eating audibly. Haylen smiled. "I'm glad you like it, that store's my favorite." she took a bite, chewed and swallowed. "T-They put so much care into their food, y'know?"

Steve looked at her for a second, then looked at his slice, and kept eating. "Sorry there's no bed in this cell, normally BOWs act as animals." Haylen said. Steve swallowed a big hunk of his slice. "Don't worrrry about it. Thanks for the blankets." he growled. Haylen nodded. "Least I could do, Steve." she replied.
Steve smirked, then kept eating. Haylen thought about bringing up the subject of how he got to Antarctica, but she shook her head. It was too early right now. Steve looked at her oddly. "Why'd you shake your head?" he asked. Haylen jolted. "I-It's just so good!" she exclaimed.

Steve smiled, then kept eating. Haylen slightly blushed. "Never made a tyrant smile before..." she thought to herself. "Y'know..." Steve began "...I'm really sorry for your husband." Haylen smiled. "Oh, it's ok. I just accept the fact that he's gone to a better place, and somewhere he still loves me." She said with a happy sigh.
Steve's face became ill again. Somewhere Claire still loved him too...somewhere... somewhere... His eyes squinted in sadness. "Oh... Clairrre..." he grunted softly.

He looked up at Haylen, who was looking at him concerned. "Steve, what is it?" she asked him. Steve sighed. "D-Doctor Haylen, maybe I should tell you... how I got this way..." he said sadly. "Oh Steve, you don't have to..." Haylen said. Steve grunted forcefully. He did have to. Haylen poured her heart out for him, he might as well do the same.
"L-Least I could do." he said. Haylen looked away from him, and uneasy look on her face. "If you're certain..." she said. Steve cleared his throat, got comfortable on the cold, stone floor (or at least tried to)... Then, he began.

He told Haylen everything that he could remember. When he met Claire, and how he thought she was a zombie. The fight they had about her brother. The mishap with the luger trap, when he saved her from the bandersnatch, when he helped Claire with his submachine guns, when he met his T-Virus infected dad... got to Antarctica.... was captured by Alexia Ashford.... the small tidbits he could remember from first being a tyrant, and finally the moments before his 'death', when he told Claire he loved her.

He sighed, and took a drink from his 3 litre jug of chocolate milk. He sighed again, and looked at Haylen, who was all teary eyed. "My god..." she said "...what a tragic story, Steve." He looked at her still, then looked at the floor.
"M-Maybe it'll go uphill from here." he grunted. "I would certainly say so! I'll be sure to take extra care of you!" she said, standing up. "But-- you don't know what became of Claire?" she asked. Steve shook his head. "Well, by how she sounds, she's sure to have made it out." she said.

Haylen then picked up all of their garbage, and took it into the small plastic bin by Robert's desk. She then came back in the cell, and picked up a large comforter blanket. Steve yawned, his eyes half opened. "Here, lay down, I'll put the blanket on you." Haylen said. Steve curled up into a "ball" again, this time his back was in the air, and his knees beneath his body on the ground.
Haylen threw the blanket on top of him, the put a pillow by his head. She then kissed him on the top of his head, smiled, then patted his hump. "Goodnight, Steve." she said. Steve smiled back. "G'night, Doctorrrr Haylen." he said gutturally.

Haylen then shut the cell door, turned off the light, then left.

-----

A few hours later, Haylen returned. She turned on the light, and walked in with more blankets. Steve was asleep now as she walked up to his cell and unlocked it. She opened the door, then walked in.
"Steve..." she whispered, but Steve said nothing. She smirked, and closed the cell door behind her. She walked up to Steve, the around him to his other side (that was away from the door). She then sat down, and leaned against him. Then, she turned and gave him a hug.

"Oh, Steve... y-you're such a sweetheart." she whispered. She then leaned back against him, and put her blankets on herself. She moved to her side, using Steve as a pillow, and then fell asleep, smiling.

***

"WHAT!?" Haylen jolted from her sleep. She was awakened by a furious Roberts, who was yelling in his cellphone. Haylen remained silent, and laid against Steve, listening in.
"You can't expect him in two weeks! We haven't conducted enough research!! Oh-- I don't care if you need to 'update' your resources!! We need to study the full capabilities of this virus! It may have a defectant of some sort, since T-008 has all his human-- FINE! If you're gonna be that way! Alright! I will! Bye!!"

With a click of his phone, and a furious sigh, Roberts slumped down in his seat. Haylen moved closer to the floor, decreasing her chances of being seen. She heard the door open and close, and then paid closer attention.
"Ah Wilson," Roberts said "Good morning!"

"Good morning, sir. Couldn't help but overhear you spazzing." Wilson laughed.

"Oh yes, those fools again. They want T-008 to be shipped to them in a few weeks." he replied.

"What!? But we just got him a few days ago!" Wilson exclaimed.

"I know. Haylen will be so upset. Too bad she'll never know where he's going..." Roberts sighed.

Haylen's eyes opened wide, her hand on Steve shoulder. 'Wait a second, what?' she thought 'What's going to happen to Steve?'
"Wait a sec," Wilson said, "I think...I...did you hear something?" They both fell silent. Wilson surveyed the cell, as Roberts looked at him oddly.

"What?" asked Roberts. "I--I... nevermind. Thought I heard something. Must've been that tree-frog over there......hey, how'd he get blankets??" Wilson hissed, waving his arm in Steve's direction. Roberts glanced at Steve, then cleared his throat and turned back to Wilson.

"Well, in any case, let us go and sort this thing out. I'm sure Haylen will be here shortly to deal with this... 'Steve'..." He said. Wilson nodded, then they both left.

Haylen slowly moved her head to peek over Steve, to ensure that the others were gone. "They're gone." Steve suddenly said. Haylen jolted backwards, her hand on heart. "AHH! Oh... Steve, you startled me..." she said smiling. Steve turned his head to her and smirked. "Sorry." he growled.
"H-How long were you awake?" Haylen asked, as Steve sat up and took the blankets off of him. "A-A few minutes... I heard that conversation too..." Steve grumbled. He then looked away from her, his smirk disappearing.

"Are you gonna... get rid of me?" he asked. Haylen looked away as well, and fixed her hair with her hands. "I-I dunno. They never told me anything. I swear." she said. Steve sighed, then looked back at Haylen. "That's all I got out of them though." he growled.
Steve yawned, as Haylen stood up. "Well, I better start making reports! Roberts is a research crazy guy." she laughed, as she left the cell. "Wait!" Steve called after her. Haylen turned to him. "What is it? I'm just going to be outside of the cell. I'm not going around the world or anything." she laughed.

"Yeah...but can I ask you something?" he grunted. Haylen put her hand on her hip, and smiled. "Anything, go ahead." she said. "W-W-Why did you sleep in here with me?" he asked. Haylen turned away. "Because...because, Steve, I really care about you and...." she turned back to face him. "...I...I...I -- You're a good friend, Steve." she said nervously.
Steve stood up, and smiled faintly. "H-Haylen... I-I...thank you." he said. Haylen smirked and picked up her notebook. "Least I could do." she replied.