A few notes to give, here:
[1] If you're reading this on FanFiction, know that this story is a sequel to Passage Protocol, an eight-shot that's part of the Changed: Random Stories fic on my profile. A slightly revised version of Passage Protocol can be found on Archive Of Our Own as a standalone story (I use the same username there).
[2] The fic you're reading right now may be rather liberal with some things that are mentioned in Passage Protocol, especially its epilogue. These things might be, or come across as, ret-cons (and believe me, it brings me no pleasure to say that).
[3] Lastly, someTRIGGER WARNINGS: This fic contains references to:
- depression, suicide, traumatic events, and subjects related to these things;
- involuntary/forced transformation. May be a potential equivalent to a sexual assault trigger. (I'm just playing it safe, here.)
If you're sensitive to any of this, please – either don't read this fic, or, if you are, do so with discretion.
Chapter one: The day after
With heavy feet, Lin lethargically trudged up the inclined ground. The hill was softened by grass and earth, decorated by the occasional tree whose leaves swayed in the gentle breeze.
Lin ran a hand through his hair and came back with stains of sweat. The sun behind him wasn't even fully up yet, but it was warm.
His stomach growled—the only sound that pierced that of the wind and his quiet labored panting. When was the last time he'd had a proper meal?
He reached the hill's summit and turned, squeezing his eyes against the sun. Beside the sphere of light that slowly but unstoppably emerged from the horizon, he could just make out the city's looming silhouette. A lone building stood a little ways away from its borders. The facility.
He huffed. Once, he might've feared that the virus would finish him off, but he'd gotten transfurred enough times to basically guarantee that it wouldn't.
Thinking about the snake still made him shiver.
Thinking about the others…he couldn't help but feel bad.
Finally, he turned and resumed his aimless trek.
Two weeks ago
Lin awoke. At first, his mind was blank, his eyes scanning vague, fluid outlines of furniture in the darkened room around him.
And then he remembered the day before.
He gasped as if a knife pierced his heart. Something arose and swirled in his stomach, then died down, leaving a void. The silence around him wasn't just exclusive to this room. It was everywhere.
Feeling sick, he managed to sit up. For a moment he remained on his bed, resting his arm atop his knee, his eyes focused on the soft blanket he absently held between thumb and forefinger.
Finally, he took a deep breath and stood with shaky legs. He needed to move, to do something. He turned to the curtains that obscured the window, hesitated, then decided to leave them shut.
He apprehensively turned to the door. Besides…that, he also remembered who— or, what else resided in this building. At least the Wolf King had left a guard to stop any unwanted visitors. He hoped they hadn't left sometime during the night.
Gathering his courage, he peeked outside. Sure enough, a duo of humanoid wolves stood there, their heads turning to him as he revealed himself. He apprehensively looked at them. Both wolves were taller than he and sported fur as dark as night, contrasting the ominous skull-like masks they wore.
"You're awake," the male wolf said. "About time."
Lin looked at him dumbly. This one's mask was a little more dull in color compared to its fellows' pale ceramic versions. As if it were made of clay, trying to present itself as porcelain.
"It's Vexo," the wolf sighed. "Remember?"
"Yeah," Lin said, recalling their previous meeting in the ventilation ducts. The wolf who had saved him from a pup. Twice.
Vexo gestured to the other wolf, who by the looks of her body shape seemed to be a female. "That's Raven."
Lin looked at the stern she-wolf uncertainly, noting the especially sharp-looking edges on her pale mask. One of the wolves he'd passed in the office yesterday…? He felt a little awkward at her…nakedness.
Vexo promptly shoved a tin can in his hands. "Eat."
Canned bacon? Lin looked up at Vexo questioningly, but the wolf said nothing. Eventually, Lin sat down on a worn but comfortable sofa. The smell of food only worsened his sick stomach, but he ate nonetheless. He offered some to his guards, but they declined.
While chewing on a piece, his gaze glided over the dusty room, lit dimly by the slivers of sunlight that were beginning to squeeze their way past the curtains. The door leading to the small bathroom was ajar; he hadn't bothered to close it before going to bed yesterday. To the side loomed a closet, its surface faded and stained, its metal handle wearing a thin layer of rust. A pot that once may or may not have contained plants rested emptily on a small glass coffee table.
With a sigh, he took another dull bite of bacon. He looked at the clock on the wall, only to remember that it wasn't working. His bed was oddly clean; apparently, the latexes had thoughtfully been taking care of those for when he woke up.
The guitar also stood out.
Lin looked at it. In an apartment with notable wear and tear, the carbon fiber guitar looked oddly pristine. He actually recognized it; before his abduction, he recalled swooning over that then-new piece. If the articles he read about it were to be believed, this thing should've had no problem surviving five years of disuse.
After rubbing the bacon off his hands with a towel—the faucet didn't work—he took the instrument and sat back down with it on his lap. It was notably lighter than the wooden guitars he was accustomed to.
He tried the strings. As expected, each gave a tone, still pure despite the neglect it suffered. He made some adjustments, then experimentally tried a simple play he'd learned.
Any fears that he'd lost his touch dissipated swiftly after that. His fingers flew over the strings, introducing vibrant notes to the apartment's stale, static air. Seemed his time asleep had somehow left this particular skill untouched as he effortlessly produced more sound, harmoniously connecting the tunes together into one flowing whole. Just like old times…
Just like…
…
… Were they the same…?
He kept playing, but now he couldn't unhear it. The notes sounded…different from what he was used to, if only slightly. Was that just his mind playing tricks on him? Flawed memories?
He looked at the guitar. Carbon fiber. He wasn't used to carbon fiber. It didn't have the same familiar weight.
He barely realized he'd stopped playing until Vexo grunted. Bemused, Lin looked up at him and Raven. The wolves' gazes looked unreadable as ever.
Lin glanced down at his guitar. Then he rose and placed it back in its stand. "Don't tell anyone," he muttered.
Vexo gave him a look, but said, "Alright."
With a sigh, Lin sat back down on the sofa. In silence, this time.
"… You know you can go wherever you want, right?" Vexo said. "We're bodyguards, not jailers."
Lin glanced at him. He'd assumed as much…but where would he go? He leaned back, recounting yesterday's events.
"Aura is in one of these apartments?" he asked.
"No; she's been moved to the den." Vexo gave him a pointed look. "King's pretty secretive about the details though."
Lin sighed quietly. He'd convinced the King not to disclose to anyone what happened—save for the Elder One, who was also been sworn to silence—but Vexo clearly knew something had transpired. He could hardly blame the King for telling his men who they were supposed to imprison though. Hopefully, the rest of the facility would remain in the dark.
Maybe he should go to the den. See if he could resume his talk with the King. Maybe he could help Aura in some way. Despite what she'd done, he didn't want to see her confined to a tiny room.
He stepped outside and started down the warmly-lit corridor.
The wolves followed. "Where are we going?" asked Vexo.
"The den."
"To where your attacker is?" Raven questioned.
Lin nervously glanced back at them. He still didn't like being flanked by latexes like this, even when he knew they were friendly. Though, with their seemingly perpetual glares, 'friendly' was a relative term.
They descended a nearby elevator and went the somewhat-familiar way back to the balcony.
A breeze of cool air blew in Lin's face as they stepped outside. He narrowed his eyes against the blinding sun, reflected by windows from houses, complexes, skyscrapers. Not for the first time in his life, he wondered if there was anyone…looking back…
… No, he didn't. He knew the answer. Yet, as he leaned against the railing, he felt like there were eyes on him.
If you want to leave, I won't try to stop you anymore…but promise me you'll at least say something when you go.
Aura's words hung in the air.
"Big place, huh?" Vexo grunted from beside him. "Not sure it's for me. Give me the den, and I'm happy."
Lin turned his gaze away from the painfully bright sunlight. What time was it, even? What season?
"Guess we'll have plenty of places to settle when our kind heads out further into the world," Vexo said.
Lin glanced down to the ground below, where he spotted a patch of dark latex at the foot of the facility. The crystal wolves. The King had said they weren't very far in their world exploration project, but seeing how much of the ground they had already assimilated—with dark tendrils branching out from the central patch, reaching towards the city—Lin could only imagine how far they'd get over another five years of work.
"Come on," Vexo said, slapping his shoulder. Lin followed, but the city's gaze still cut into him.
Lin lightly rubbed his stomach as he followed Vexo through the metal gate. It slammed shut behind them, relieving Lin of the city's ghostly eyes. The low hum of electric machinery resonated through the room.
"It was only a few feet," Vexo said with a smirk. "I bet you could've jumped that distance."
Lin groaned. Those bees hadn't tried to scare him, but being carried over the gap in-between the balconies was enough to make him feel sick. Maybe he shouldn't've looked down.
"I thought humans were used to flying," Raven said disapprovingly from behind him. "You built giant machines just for that purpose. Would you rather have crossed the hive?"
Lin slowed his pace to let his stomach settle a bit. He recognized the room he was in—the same room where he'd broken down in Aura's arms. That meant the generator where he'd learned the news about humanity was only one door away.
That didn't help.
He took a breath before proceeding. He intently avoided the generator's glare as they passed it. Soon, their surroundings began to show signs of leakage. Water dripped from the ceiling, coalescing into small puddles on the ground.
They entered a room with a body of water that could only be described as a pool. Vexo's sigh reverberated through the room. "We haven't found a proper route through here yet without getting wet."
Lin kneeled down beside the water and washed the lingering bacon off his hands. He remembered this section's maze-like structure. Maybe some of the locals knew where the shallower parts were located. He'd rather avoid swimming.
He gasped when he noticed something in the pool. Something big floated below the surface. Lin stumbled to his feet and backed away. One of the section's bigger residents?
Pointy ears and dark eyes rose from the depths.
"Mav…?" Lin hesitantly said.
"Hm…" the enormous dog rumbled, raising the lower half of its head from the water to reveal its smug-looking smirk. "Admiral's log: It seems there's a delicious morsel visiting the place. It smells of bacon. Now, the question is: cook, fry, freeze, or leave that decision to my bloodthirsty friend Varan?"
Lin stared at him. Somehow he didn't feel even the slightest bit afraid.
"Maverick," Raven said, her voice carrying poorly-restrained annoyance. "We're headed to the den, so if you don't mind, we'll be on our way."
Mav moved closer. "Eh, old Acheron can wait."
Both wolves growled, an animalistic noise that made Lin flinch. "Maverick," Vexo warned.
"Dogs are wolves' cousins!" Mav said, unfazed. "Surely, he wouldn't want his cousin to starve to death?"
Vexo sighed annoyedly, his flattened ears standing back up. He looked at Lin. "You're awfully calm about this."
Lin glanced back. "I…fought my way through his territory before."
"That he did," Mav said, gently poking his giant nose into Lin's stomach. "He has the power to defeat entire fleets singlehandedly." His dark eyes looked at Lin, ears perking up a little.
Lin smiled despite himself. He reached out and pet Mav's fluffy muzzle, earning him some satisfied rumbling. This giant of a dog, for all his talk about morsels and pirates, had an air that made him seem like the most harmless thing in the facility.
"Admiral's log," Mav murmured. "I think I'll leave the decision to Varan. Until then, I can leave the morsel alive for petting purposes."
Lin continued petting him—much to the wolves' annoyance—until Mav looked at him again. Lin paused.
"You want a lift?" asked Mav.
Lin hesitated. A lift…? "What…kind of lift?"
In response, Mav receded into the water, repositioning himself so his back arose from the surface. "Climb on, human!"
Lin hesitantly stepped forward. He tentatively set a foot on Mav's back; when Mav solidly remained still, Lin stumbled aboard, grabbing the dog's wet fur to balance himself. Mav patiently waited until Lin sat down behind his neck.
"There's plenty of room," Mav said. "Would His Majesty's humble servants like a ride as well?"
Both wolves grumbled, but followed Lin's example.
Mav moved them through the section. Whenever they reached a shore, he pointed them to the appropriate room, where he reemerged as soon as they crossed the threshold. Seemed the generator rooms underwater were also connected. That must've only added to the section's confusing maze-like structure. Yet, the aquatics had chosen to live here. Well, they'd had five years to explore, so…
Lin sighed quietly, absently running a hand over Mav's furry back. Five years… It felt like just a day ago since his life turned around. Just a day ago, his life was normal—
He jumped when Mav threw his head in his neck and howled. The ghostly noise made the very air vibrate. Lin shivered despite himself.
As soon as it rose however, the dog fell silent again. He was succeeded by a bunch of other howls, but these were…lighter. More playful. Lin followed the sound to see a bunch of squid pups splashing around in the water, returning Mav's call.
Lin caught himself smiling. If his experiences yesterday were any indication, he'd be hard-pressed to find anyone whose enthusiasm was more contagious than the aquatic youngsters'.
Eventually, they reached familiar territory—the entrance room, with a door and a grating at the far end. Mav carried them across the final pool.
"And here is where we part ways," Mav proclaimed as he let them disembark. "I thank you for taking the Admiral Express—and humbly request more payment."
Lin turned to face him, only to get a giant muzzle poked in his stomach again. He gave Mav a few pets.
"Thanks, Mav," Lin said.
"Hm, sure. So long as I get paid." He glanced at Lin and softly added, "And so long as people can find it within themselves to trust me."
Mav dived back underwater. Lin watched him vanish into the depths.
Trust him…? Huh, it was funny: He'd spent the entire trip on Mav's back, yet had barely even considered the threat of transfur.