Warning: something something dark mysteries.
Quick name reference: Zima=Sonya, Istina=Anna, Gummy=Lada, Leto=Rosalind, Rosa=Natalya, Absinthe=Zoya, Carrion=Mikhail (the OC)
One percent
"Let's race this last lap!"
"You're on!"
Cannon sighed as her teammates dashed forward through the training grounds, despite their instructor's orders. They barely got any rest from the last mission and they had been forced back to the routinely exercising. As happy as the normalcy made her, the white-haired forte hoped for some more time to recover.
"Hey, it's not fair! Put your armor back!" Salvager protested as she fell behind, not enjoying her rival's newly found speed.
"No way! I'll bring my banners into battle as fast as miss Flametail! The days of being a slowpoke are over! Haaahahahaha!" Squire laughed, tripping with the first obstacle of the circuit. As the elafia took over the kuranta, she stuck her tongue out, showing that she would always one-up him, no matter where he went or what he tried.
A whip put an end to their quarrelling, forcing them to focus on the exercise.
"If you don't complete this lap in thirty seconds, you'll be taking another five!" Dobermann warned, her patience with those three about to vanish. The trainees reacted just as she expected and she made a satisfied expression. However, when she examined the whip in her hands, a forlorn look took over.
The mess hall continued to operate as usual. Somebody received the orders, somebody else kept an eye on Kay's frequent visits to the storage room, a few cooks prepared the dishes and a friendly face served them.
That day, the kitchen was particularly noisy. Someone had brought a certain sankta to prepare a famous delicacy.
"Tadaah! To celebrate that everyone in the Ursus Self-Government Student Group returned safely, I baked Exusiai's special!" The chef presented to her friends gathered around the table.
"Yahoo! Apple pie, let's go! Gimme, gimme!" Leto demanded by bouncing on her seat. "Ow!"
"Stop moving so much. You're injured." Istina gave her a chop on the head, questioning whether to show the bottle of honey she brought for the occasion or not.
Rosa picked the knife and helped Gummy serving the portions. "I'm so glad we managed to save those siblings… even though they will lead a different life after that woman got them infected…" The aristocrat shook her head, apologized for bringing that up despite the happy mood and made a curious expression. "Where is Zima?"
"At the Medical Department, going through some examinations." Istina replied, picking a spoon to test the pie's consistency. The girls grew silent, a mute worry floating over their heads.
"Hhhhhhmmm! Exusiai's pies are the best! If only we had some honeyed drinks, that would be perfect!" But General Leto was not one to linger in sad themes.
"Eat slowly, honey drunk." Istina nagged again.
"I'm saving Zima's portion for later, but if you want more, Gummy will go back to the kitchen!"
Rosa caressed her friend's head, once again charmed by her friend's infinite generosity. "You're such a dear… By the way, Leto, will your leg be okay?"
"Ah, about that. Shura said she would prepare me a regimen to help my rehab! I'll be back at my full power in no time!"
"Ura!" The girls cheered.
Element K surveyed the contents of Click's drone with cold eyes. The streamer who was called to her office had a hard time staying still. There were many things she wanted to say, but the feline was just too scary to speak up.
Kal'tsit shut the damaged drone down and extracted the memory disk. "Is this the only copy there is?"
Click bobbed her head, holding her cap over her chest.
"I'm glad. Judging by your reports and the evidence you gathered, everything about this operation will be kept a secret and removed from the logs. Only the Doctor and myself will have access to these recordings from this point forward."
"B-But what about-!" Click stopped herself, scared of raising her voice in front of the dangerous and scary element K. "What about… his last words?"
The medic rolled her eyes and stood up. "If you want to listen to them again, how about asking the person in question for a repeat? You will need this card to access the section of the medical ward where we keep him."
Picking the red card in her hands and her blue eyes glittering with emotion, the mouse bowed many times before leaving the office in a dash. Kal'tsit sighed and glanced at the Doctor, who had been watching from a couch.
"Do you think you made the right decision by changing the members of the dispatched team? What would have happened if you sent those medics to their deaths?"
"I knew Zima and her team would take care of saving Carrion."
The medic of clear-colored hair rolled her eyes. "As a result, that young ursus was brought to Rhodes Island and given emergency treatment in the brink of time. It took a while to drain him of the drugs he was given, but… as expected, his infection was not cured. The team we sent to gather intel at Mastermind's hideout will bring us whatever remains from her research. That vouivre mercenary and her are currently at our prison, where they will stay until we decide what to do with them. Are you thinking of continuing her experiments?"
"…of course not. You said Mastermind used to be one of my assistants, but I probably didn't approve of her methods back then, just as I do now."
"Hmph. Even if the end justifies the means, a salvation built upon others' sacrifice is bound to crumble, huh? As humane as ever."
"Amiya would never accept it, at least."
"You are most certainly correct about that. So? What are we going to do with the cub we picked a year ago? His entire existence needs to be made a secret. Officially, we never hired an operator by the codename 'Carrion'. If someone asks, nobody will know who that person is. If other parties discovered we found out of a method capable of returning oripathy back to its initial symptoms, we would paint yet another giant target on us."
"…"
Kal'tsit sat over her desk and looked out her office's transparent walls. On the other side, Amiya was talking to a few medics about the latest examinations, a serious and professional expression showing on her surprisingly young face.
"I don't even know why I ask." The feline sighed. "You will just give him a new codename and let him stay, regardless of what I say."
"Rhodes Island is his home."
"A home… A place to return to… Rhodes Island seems to be that kind of existence for many people… even for me."
"I'm sorry, Dr. Kal'tsit."
"Apologies are necessary when the decisions taken were either wrong or too pricey. The price for your choice remains to be seen. Besides, rather than an apology, there's something else you could offer to this world to compensate for all of your mistakes."
A cure. The Doctor fell silent.
That ceiling again. It transported him back to the time where he didn't even have a codename. Those were trying times, but he endured through them. Looking back hurt, but when Mikhail looked back to that last year, a warm feeling returned to his chest.
Had he survived? Had it been just a dream? Or rather, a nightmare?
When the redhead lowered his eyes, he found, again, a brunette ursus. That time around, however, she wasn't glaring at him or tapping her foot angrily. Her face was swollen and her limbs were patched with bandages. Hugging a pillow, she had fallen asleep. Mikhail made a sadistic smile, but he held back. Shouting and pranking her would have been fun, but watching Zima sleep so peacefully was also nice in its own way.
The ursus boy wore a patient robe and had its left arm held up by a supporting cloth. Except that there was no left arm anymore. Just a bandaged stub.
"One percent."
Mikhail blinked in surprise, not realizing who just talked. "One…?"
Zima opened her eyes and looked at him. Her usual disgust and enmity were absent that day, but she was probably too tired to be mad. "You bullied me. You apologized. I'll give you one percent of my forgiveness."
The old bully glanced at her, then at himself, then at her again. "Just one percent?"
"Hooh? Not enough for you?"
"Ah, not that. It's just… if I only get one percept each time you remove one of my limbs, I'm not too optimistic about ever becoming your friend."
"Wa- You bastard! I try to play nice and this is your answer?"
"Haha, my bad, my bad. I was just joking. Even if it's only a tiny amount, it's way more than I ever hoped to receive. Thank you…" Mikhail frowned and sighed. "And thank you. For saving my life. We know I didn't really deser-"
"Oh, quit it with that self-loathing crap, Mikhail. I'll give you the other ninety-nine right now if that's what it takes. You have people who care a great deal about you. I'm not sure I could ever call you a friend, but you've befriended most of my friends. I do not like it any more than you when things get tense because of us. It's lame as heck."
"True that. I'm tired from feeling guilty when that happens."
A long silence followed their agreement. The vanguard operator tensed up a little.
"…do you regret it? The things you did to me…"
The guard operator closed his eyes.
"I regret that I didn't know how to do any better. You clearly didn't deserve those things… but… in the end… when you snapped and beat me to a bloody pulp, you stopped hiding your true self. The true Sonya. That conclusion alone is the only thing that I won't ever come to regret."
The girl rubbed her pained belly and sighed. "Being an instructor suits you. Your students seem like a nice bunch. And they did prove themselves useful, like you said."
"I'm looking forward to returning to my duties… if Dr. Kal'tsit allows it, that is."
"What? You're going to allow her to boss you around? I thought you only took orders from me."
Mikhail felt a bulging in his throat and itching in his eyes. "Aye, aye, general."
Zima blushed and stood up to leave. "Don't misunderstand! You're still too green to be my underling, let alone something like a friend. You're just one percent of the way there, so don't get ahead of yourself, you punk!"
"Hehehe… You're so easy to read, Sonya."
"You asking for a fight? Huuuh?!" She groaned, shielding herself with violence whenever she got embarrassed. "You focus on recovering for now. When you're better, you're dead meat."
"Heh. Sounds lovely."
Zima stood next to the door and looked back before opening it. "Also… Congrats."
"What for? Surviving?"
"Have the medics not informed you yet? The experiment worked. Mostly. Your oripathy was almost removed. Suppressants will work on you from now on. If you play your cards right, you may get to live a long life." Sonya smirked. "That is, if you survive me."
Zima felt quite satisfied with her parting words, but she didn't expect to meet those two just as she entered the corridor outside. The taller one, she had knocked out with a sucker-punch. The smaller one threatened to ruin her life and was most definitively serious about it. Above all else, they were her old enemies.
Absinthe's fist close, rose and considered punching that girl's stupid face again… but no such motion came to happen, even if Zima prepared herself to receive it. Then her arms opened, as if to embrace the brunette ursus, but the cop was too sore to actually do it. Zima scratched her head.
"I get it, I get it. I'm sorry, okay? And you're welcome. No need to strain yourself this much. It's not my mug you came to see today, so I won't hold you up anymore." After Zima moved past them, the girls caught her hands. "W-What is it now?"
"One percent?"
"Stingy!"
"Come on! Leave me alone! I'm trying my best here!"
Zima exited the Medical Department and headed towards the mess hall. Someone promised her an apple pie. If there was none left when she arrived, butts would be kicked!
When Absinthe and Click swiped their red card over the door's lock, they found a red-haired boy resting on a bed while looking through the window. Tears dropped from his eyes, but he wasn't agitated or sad. It was like a portrait for hope. The curtains of the future had been opened wide for him and he didn't even know if he was ready. The gray-haired ursus rested on the doorframe, capable of staying there looking at him for hours…
"Big sis is heeeeere! Mik! Mikhail!"
But Click was to electrified by seeing him well and alive to contemplate such things. All she cared about was throwing herself at his arms and making sure he wasn't just a hologram.
"Hahaha, look at you. It's only been a day since we last saw each other, but it felt like ages." The instructor welcomed her, ruffling her hair in a way he knew she enjoyed. "About the deer video, please give me some time. I used to press the command keys with my other hand, so I will need to find new key bindings to work around it."
"Until that day, I swear to be your left hand! I will lash your whip for you, clean your teeth and even help you bath!"
"T-That's a bit too much, don't you think?"
The streamer patted his head. "Don't be stubborn. Or what? Would you rather have somebody else helping you with that?"
The pair of ursus found each other's eyes and blushed. Their reunion had been something both of them had been looking forward so much and Click just had to lewd it. The things she would do for her ship…
For example, she would step back and leave some privacy to her two best friends. Click would claim ownership of her proclaimed little brother later, but for the time being… Mikhail belonged to someone else first.
After the door clicked closed, Absinthe took a seat next to him and looked for the words she had prepared in anticipation. After thinking so much, all she drew was a blank. However, whatever it was, she knew where those words originated from, so all she had to do was finding them again. Mikhail's favorite smile returned to her beloved's lips before they were opened.
"I love you."
Zoya threw herself at him for a hug. She had been so worried, so afraid that he might die… It was completely compulsory to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. She needed to know he was real. As the girl sat over his hips, rested her head over his and touched his chest, she noticed the absence of something.
"Your shoulder… It's clean…"
"…they said my oripathy returned to minimum levels… I will get to live for more time than I expected…" The boy explained, closing his eyes before directing them at hers. "May I… spend that time with the person I love?"
The answer was given in the shape of a kiss.
It wasn't too intense or too impressive. The slight touch of their lips, the feeling of each other's breath… what made it special was the person on the other side. Mikhail closed his eyes. A sudden realization made him grow a little paler, a cold sweat running down his chin.
"Hold on, we can't do that yet. I… need to use the restroom real quick."
However, the ursus girl didn't move, pinning him down against the bed. "You don't have to worry about that."
"B-But-"
The operator didn't get to make his protest before Zoya dived in for another kiss. Unlike the last one, that time she was much bolder. A mixture of panic, disgust and fear took over Mikhail, but he throbbed for her so much he couldn't possibly push her aside. After the contact was broken, the both of them gasped for air. Noticing his ill-looking face, the girl pressed her head against his softly, making a smile the boy had never seen before. A smile that made him fall for her all over again. His shock faded away. Despite being forceful, she was confident.
"Don't worry, Mikhail. I just checked. There's nothing between your teeth."
She had seen it herself. The carrion that hungered for human flesh. When that beast tore a hole through the ground and found the campsite, it could have perfectly killed everyone at that moment. Yet it didn't. The thing she saw wasn't a mindless monster. It was the boy she loved fighting against himself as hard as his frenzied mind allowed. It was the same crybaby who teared up while reading romance comics or that giggled while getting team-tickled by her and Click.
Zoya took a peek at him, but Mikhail still looked troubled. It wouldn't be easy, of course. He had just been through the worst crisis of his life, close behind the trauma from Chernobog. Back then, he lost some fingers. That time, an entire arm. Nonetheless, it didn't really matter to her what he did through his worst or much of him was left. Zoya would not hesitate anymore.
She showed him another smile he had never seen before: a spicy one.
"Want me to help you when you bathe?"
Both of them were blushing. "I knew you could be forceful, b-but this is entirely new to me!"
"Come on… You love it."
Mikhail caressed her cute face and her gray hair, finally recovering his own colors.
"Heh… You read me like an open book."
You got me. The warning was for fluff, haha.
Welp, I think that will be it for these characters. I'm probably not done with Arknights fanfics, but since I usually upload these stories only after finishing them, the next one won't happen anytime soon. I hope you enjoyed this fanfic. See you around!
