Last day of being home sick before being cleared to go back to work :) Still have minor bs going on with me, mainly just mucus, but I feel a lot better lol

Sooooo I decided to write for you aaaaalll and I hope you enjoy~ lol Much love!

"WELL LOOK AT THIS!" I swallowed hard as I peeked into the window ever so slightly. I saw a man with blue skin and a shower cap covering his head as he seemed to squint into the mouth of a child he had in his chair. "Yep," He pulled back to reveal that the child he was looking at was Dogen as he adjusted his coat with a wide crooked smile. "A bad apple indeed. Must have many cavities."

"What do you mean, doctor?" The man gave a twisted laugh as I saw him mess with a tool that was off to his side.

"We'll be having to extract that brain of yours." What I could assume was supposed to be a dentist pulled out a giant tool that looked as if it was used in a torture chamber as it was filled with many little arms and drills spinning about. "Don't worry," He reached up and petted Dogen's tinfoil hat with a toothy grin that made my skin crawl just by watching. "This will only hurt." He stopped for a moment as he pressed a button on the large tool that made all the little drills start spinning with an agonizing screeching noise to it. "A lot!"

"Dogen!"

I tried to leap forward, but suddenly, I felt as if I was being pulled out of the scene in question. As if my astral projection was being pulled from my own mind and being slapped right back into my body. As if someone had realized I wasn't supposed to be within that area. As if I was never supposed to see what I saw.

I screwed my eyes shut as I tried my best not to fight the motion.

This is not just my mental plain. Something is really wrong here.

The image of that tool getting closer to Dogen's face burned in my mind as a bright light shined behind my closed eyelids.

And I have to figure out what's going on.

Curse or not.


"Raz!" I snapped my eyes open and nearly dropped to my knees once I felt that I was back in my body once more.

"Shit," I cursed silently as I took in a sharp breath. "That hurt. Felt like I was being pulled out of my own mind by force."

"I shut off the machine to force you out." Sasha's cool voice had a slight speed to it that made it sound urgent without messing with the tone of which he was speaking. "I have to go speak to Agent Vodello in person on a private matter and I didn't want to leave you in there without proper supervision."

"Are you okay?" Lili's voice was concerned as I looked up and saw she was closer to me than when I went in. "You look like you got hit by a truck."

"I feel like it." I stood up slowly before looking over at Agent Nein. "Is there anything I should be worried about with this 'private matter'." I used air quotes as I took a deep breath. "Because if it's about the whole Aquato thing, I'm sorry but I'm not leaving. I've come too far and begged too much just to-."

"Razputin," I stopped in my tracks as I saw that the agent had knelt down to be on my level before addressing me. "Trust me, young man, when I say that your last name gives me no reason to have to be removed from camp." He adjusted his glasses for a moment before continuing. "In all honestly, it gives us more reasoning to keep you here. Having proper training and control over your powers is important with your family history. Two things that we Vodello and I can gladly give you within your stay here."

"Then what's-?" I stopped as Nein reached out and put a single hand on my shoulder.

"It's agent business. Last rounds of paperwork needed from our last mission and all. You'll understand in the future." He dropped his hand from my shoulder before slowly getting up to his feet. "But there is no need to be worried, Razputin. You're more than welcomed here. You have no reason to fear." I felt a smile creep up on my cheeks as the agent then turned his attention over toward Lili. "I think you two need some rest. It was obvious from what I heard while speaking with Vodello that you two saw some things in the mind field that sounded like outcomes of mental exhaustion. Seeing things and all. You two sound get some food and some sleep and come back tomorrow. Maybe things will be cleared up."

"Mental exhaustion? But then what about the dentist dude? And Dogen? And the whole 'gotta remove the brain! Cavities!' thing?" Lili crossed her arms over her chest before gesturing to the machine behind me. "Either something is getting messed up by your machine or Raz has a fear of dentists we don't know about, and by the fact that even he was freaked out by all that, I doubt it's something with him."

"I still highly suggest rest and coming back tomorrow," Sasha spoke in a matter-of-fact tone as he now crossed his arms in reply to the girl. "That way we can be for certain."

"Are you serious?!" Lili looked outraged as she narrowed her eyes at Sasha. "Something is seriously fucked up here!"

"My orders stay true, Ms. Zanotto." Sasha looked over at me as he quirked up an eyebrow. "Unless Mr. Aquato already feels up to taking another swing in the Brain Tumblr." I felt nauseous just at the thought as I swallowed hard and put a hand on my stomach.

"Please no. Not yet. Or ever again." I saw Lili's features soften before a mumbled grumble came out of her slowly.

"Fine."

"Wonderful." Sasha seemed pleased with this as he then gestured toward the stairs. "Now, if you may? Agent Vodello will be arriving soon to finish what's needed for our paperwork. By the time we're done, it should be time for levitation training. How does that sound?"

"Levitation training!?" My eyes grew wide as I snapped my attention over toward Lili. "Does that mean we get to learn from Vodello herself!?"

"Well, yeah." Lili was pretty nonchalant about it as she gave a small shrug. "She teaches the lesson every year. Sasha does some lessons too."

"But like, levitation training from the Mental Minx herself! That's like getting Psi-Blast training from Sasha Nein!"

"Would you like some Psi-Blast training?" I looked over toward Sasha, who gave me a wide smile. "Sounds like you're more than interested."

"Are you serious?" I gave a wide smile as the agent gave a simple nod.

"Only if you get some proper rest after your training though." I nodded enthusiastically as Lili just rolled her eyes at me.

"He's like a fangirl at a convention I swear." She turned on her hills and started making her way up the stairs as I turned and followed her.

"Hey! This is my first time meeting them! You got to know them your whole life!"

"Exactly!" All of this got a chuckle out of Sasha Nein as we left. The man let out a small remark as Lili and I retreated up the stairs with our small bickers continuing without us knowing or hearing.

"An Aquato and a Zanotto. Quite the particular mix."


"Do you really wanna head back to the cabins and rest already?" Lili gave me a smug look as we started making our way up the path toward the main lodge. "Or do you wanna mess around and adventure a little more?"

"Well," I smiled widely as I could feel the essence of the lake growing closer with each step we took. "I remember someone promising me lake time."

"Are you specifically this connected with water or is it a whole family thing?" Lili's voice gave a teasing tone as I put my hands behind my back.

"Actually," My voice had a 'matter of fact' tone to it to counteract her teasing one as I continued. "I'm the otter of the family."

"Did you just call yourself a freaking otter?"

"What other animal loves water more than anything?" This caused Lili to laugh joyously as I couldn't help but just smile at her.

"You really are something, Razputin."

"So I've been told."

"What are you two kiddies doing out here by yo lonesomes?" I snapped my attention toward an older voice that had randomly joined us. "You two should be at the lodge at the very least! Not out here in the woods!" I tilted my head to the side as I tried my best to understand who exactly was speaking to us.

"Who the-?"

"We just got done with training with Agent Nein, Mr. Cruller." I felt my eyes widen as the name struck a chord deep within my being.

"Agent Cruller?" I looked over at the older man with anxious eyes as I tried to tie his features to the one that my aunt had been photographed with over 20 years ago. The small finer details matched as the older man gave me a curious look.

"Yes, boy?"

This can't be. It can't fucking be.

"Raz?"

This is the man who cursed us. The one who tried to bury my aunt away from history as if nothing had happened. The one who failed his final promise to her in the comics and stories.

He promised to hide us from the world. Protect the legacy that she started. To clear her name from the pain she had been put through and the blood she had shed.

I swallowed hard as I felt my hands curl into fists.

But here we are.

The damned Aquato and the righteous Agent Cruller.

"Proklyataya pylʹnaya tsyganka." I muttered the words softly to myself as I glared at the older man. "Guess I don't look like her as much as people claim now, huh? Don't recognize me, old man? Don't see the resemblance, Agent Cruller."

"Now, young man," The man had a slight trembling in his body as he narrowed his eyes at me. "I don't believe I have ever met you in my life but I can tell nasty words when I hear them though. Did I say something wrong?"

"So I don't look like Lucrecia like everyone tells me?" A bitter sound dripped with every word I said as I gave a pitiful laugh. "That's good to know."

"Lu-Lucy?" The older man looked to have been in shock as he looked over my features. "I-Is she well? H-How's her-?"

"Nona is fine, Agent Cruller." I put emphasis on her given name before continuing. "No thanks to you."

"Now young man, you're treating me like I had a choice within the predicaments that occurred."

"Could you blame me?" I crossed my arms over my chest as I gave a small huff. "Isn't like my whole life I've been treated like a parasite due to what you decided was best."

"I did my best to protect her."

"Yeah. Her. The rest of us had to fend for ourselves."

"Is there something I'm missing here?!" I snapped my attention over toward Lili, who was looking between Cruller and me in disbelief. "I thought Agent Cruller hid Maligula from herself? Gave herself the chance to forgive herself and all?"

"He did, yes," I spoke softly as I tried my best to cool my anger. "By erasing her memories and freeing herself from her past." I swallowed hard as I gestured to myself. "But people never forgave her. They never forgave us. He hid her from the world, but he could never save her legacy. He couldn't save us."

"What's your name, boy?" I turned my attention toward Cruller, who now had a soft look in his eyes.

"R-Razputin." I swallowed dryly as I gave the man a proud look. "Razputin Aquato. Hydrokinesis psychic."

"Just like her then." I nodded as his eyes seemed to have started to tear up in the corners.

"Just like her."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry for snapping, sir."

"You have every right." He let out a sigh as he put his hands behind his back. "I could have done more, after all."

"She's happy though." I watched as a happy spark seemed to gleam in his eyes. "Thanks to you."

"And you're now here. Practicing to be a true psychonaut. Making the old Lucy proud, I bet."

"I sure hope so." This caused the agent to give a small laugh as a smile broke out on his face.

"Trust me, young man," He reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. "The Lucy I knew would be much more than just proud." I couldn't help but smile at the man as it truly did seem that he cared for my aunt.

Maybe he did have his best interests at heart. Maybe he never meant for us to live in pain.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest as flashes of memories filled my head for a split moment before disappearing completely.

That doesn't mean his actions never caused us pain, though.

But I guess I'll go about this as Lucy would in her younger depictions.

I smiled at the older man before looking over toward Lili, who seemed to be a lot more comfortable in this setting than before.

Mission first, angry later.