Bright white lights stung from the glare baring down at him as his eyes opened, shifting in his spot an agonizing pain shot throughout his back and spread to his head and left arm. His response to that pain, Cole choked out a scream that even he thought was an animal, not a person.
Tears welled in his eyes, blurring his sight more as a pair of familiar hands held him down and a voice called out, but he couldn't hear it.
"Dr. Shepherd, he's awake!"
Frantic footsteps resonated in the hallway and got louder when a man with a dark complexion, scar over his eye and a white orb where it was supposed to be an eye and true to this position the man wore a doctor outfit and said with a calm and instructive tone "up his morphine and flip him on his chest; son bite this, you're going to need it" he said cramming a rubber tube in Cole's mouth.
True to his offer, Cole roared like a banshee and bit into the tube for dear life and felt his back go wet and felt his back rip apart from the flip and that's when he saw Rachel draining his lightning from his right arm and was plugged into an Atlesian generator.
His back erupted In pain when the doctor literally dumped disinfectant on his back, cut excess skin and scabs off and used a needle and thread to stitch his back closed as fast as a sewing machine would and within a full minute, he was done stitching and covered his wound with a sweet-scented gel and pressed a cloth on it.
Cole was gasping for breath a coughed hard before he shakily gripped the android and said, "wa...water" he whispered more that spoke, so it was barely comprehended.
"Nurse get him a pitcher of water, pain medication and monitor him until further notice" shepherd said walking out of the room with a clipboard and wrote vigorous notes and stopped when he saw Cole's left arm but chose to let it go. His job was to fix people, not ask questions.
Rachael grabbed his Grimm hand and held it to her chest, and that's when Cole began screaming in pain and looked to be having a seizure.
"Nurse! Doctor! He's having a seizure! Please help him" she pleaded with pre-coded dread that she'd dilated to 12 and forced 'tears' to flow from her eyes.
It worked a treat because they both raced in, and the doctor literally stabbed a syringe in his leg as he yelled, "hold him still"
The drug didn't work, however, Cole thrashed around all the same and even puked dark green bile all over Rachael and the bed, "why didn't that work?" The doctor exclaimed as the nurse gestured for more staff to hold Cole down, and that's when Rachael looked up in realized something.
"I have an idea" she said before she elaborated and touched his chest and slammed her fist on her hand forcing his stored electricity into his heart, and miraculously it worked.
Cole gasped and let out a deep sigh, like every stressful thing that he had just melted away. Closing his eyes, he grabbed the android's hand, smiled and said, "thanks Rachael" and passed out.
"Okay, everyone out. I need a few minutes with these two; be on standby in case I need you again" Dr. Shepherd commanded staring at the bot intently.
She sat down on Cole's bed and began wiping his sweaty face off with a rag, and smiled at him.
"You gonna tell me what that was, missy?" He asked firmly, shedding his coat off his person and sagged on the chair near a window he'd left open.
Rachael looked him up and down, admiration for his sake, but deep suspicion planted itself in her head. "Well...it's not like it's the first time he'd done this-"
"I KNOW ABOUT THE SEIZURES- argh, I'm talking about the electric concussion that you hit him with, hell how about the Grimm leeching his body you want to explain that?" he glared at her showing her hand still open to her face.
She blinked at this behavior and studied his demeanor for a few seconds before she spoke matter-of-factly, "it's a prosthetic for concussion blasts that are for disabling people who mean him harm" she pointed at her master with fire in her eyes "I figured his heart was failing, so I hit him with a small blast"
He pulled out a scalpel and tried stabbing Cole's arm, but it snapped like a twig, blade clicked on the floor, startling her a bit at the action.
"What about the arm he's got, is he possessed or infected?!" He sounded scared and terrified, and all was proven right when she saw his pulse going higher every second she'd stayed silent.
"Fine, have it your way" he said lighting a cigarette "You have ten minutes to answer my questions, or I'll have him turned over to the authorities" with that he walked out and groaned "this is insane even for me"
With that Rachael grabbed the bag from under the bed and got out of her puke stained clothes went in the adjacent bedroom and began stripping down to nothing and stepped in the shower and washed herself off as quick as she could "hope master recovers" she muttered to nobody in the room and washed her synthetic skin.
She couldn't genuinely smell her surroundings or herself, but the sensory input Dr. Merlot designed her with had been helpful in several ways...unfortunately this was not one of them.
Cole had not smelled good in the slightest, and it got worse when his skin was burned closed, sweat permeated her input analysis to its maximum capacity and worsened when he'd puked on her.
While she'd contemplated her purpose to Cole, she stepped out from the shower and dried off as best she could.
True to his word, he was back just as she came out from the shower, wearing Cole's white t-shirt and black sweatpants. "Greetings doctor, have you put together the questions you wish me to answer?"
He cleared his throat and stood nearest to the door, "were you two responsible for the five kilometer sinkhole in the forest?"
Rachael was ready for this one and lied as easy as breathing, "no; we were trying to escape it, though we crashed we still ended up in a tree in the edge of this village"
"How'd he get the arm?" He lit a cigarette and created a five-foot white bubble in front of him and blew the smoke into it. "He obviously did just wake up with it"
Calculations came up inconclusive for a passable lie, so she just winged it, "he killed a beowolf and because he lost his I grafted it to him by the elbow using stitches and a needle; so far, it has been in his control, so I figured as long as we hid it, he was fine...til now that is"
They both glanced to Cole, whom lie on the bed unable to corroborate her claim, so he took her word for it. "I'll be honest, this is just insane even for me, regardless you'll both need a good bed to sleep in and with you both here you're going to need a job to pay for the bills and whatever you need to take care of him."
While they talked about payment and jobs in detail outside the room, Cole slowly awoke, groaning in pain all over his body as he sat up but fell back when his back felt like lava scorched his skin.
"Oh gods" he groaned and gasped "that's agony at its worst, fuck-"
He tried moving without moving his torso at any point, but it was just making his pain worse, so he lied down and didn't do anything but stare off thinking about how he ended up where he was nowadays.
Breathing was harder than ever, but he had to fight it as he forced himself up and let out a quiet groan as he felt the pain spread like a wildfire. The fact that he was now sitting up and pushing himself out of bed wasn't the miracle, the miracle was that he was able to move out of bed and make his way to the bathroom and leaned against the counter.
Looking at his reflection he saw that his hair was no longer white, his hair, eyebrows, and even his facial hair was all brownish red with black highlights he'd not known where it came from, but he knew who would know. For now though, his main concern was the fact his body had healed to an extent that he'd now looked decent enough to not need such a rich diet of nutrients, but for his own sake he'd continue down that edible path while he could.
His face had darker lightning scars and were now a darker gray, his eyes were more vibrant and looked like gems, his teeth looked more animalistic this time and funny enough it reminded him of a wolverine and mixed with the sharp fangs of a jaguar...what was happening to him?
The next thing he noticed was that he had a darker complexion than a white bucket of paint...his skin was closer to what someone with a pulse had. He was overjoyed at how normal his skin was now. The happiness was too much that he started giggling, and that turned to light crying and laughing.
His scars were still prominent, but at least weren't overly noticeable anymore. Most faded into his new skin color or just got overlooked for his lightning scars.
What he was happiest with was definitely the fact that his Grimm arm was a match to his body in proportion terms and only reached his shoulder but not so much that he'd be worried anymore but the fact he had to limit the areas he spread his power to was a glaring problem now more than when he first lost his arm almost four years prior.
Looking himself over was interrupted when the doctor was screaming at his nurses and other staff members to look for him, but before they could, he was in the doorway of the bathroom lazily waving at them and said, "can I get something to eat, you'd not believe how hungry I am"
Rachael looked at Cole and without a word, she picked Cole up and put him on the hospital bed stomach down and examined his back along with the nurses who had hit him with questions he'd ignored to just enjoy lying down and not on his back.
"For once I'll just let my friend speak for me...gods this hurts so much" he complained.
She glared and thumped him on the head with her finger absentmindedly applying a new gel ointment to his back and had him sit up, so she could wrap him up to keep his wounds covered up.
"Ma'am that is our job" a nurse reached for the roll in Rachael's hand, but she swatted it to the side and said "he told you to talk to me about him, so I suggest you ask fast" completely ignoring the women and men in the room.
"No matter" a male nurse said pushing past them, "How'd you escape the sinkhole of that magnitude?"
She smiled as she got another roll of bandages and rolled it over Cole's body. "Mas- erm, Cole...drove a truck we'd found running from the rumbling and sped off throughout dirt roads and thereafter we crashed into a rock and ended up in the river"
A young and very familiar chameleon girl spoke up, "how by the luck of the gods had you both survived in the wilds; people around here die or go missing, so it's obvious you came from mistral or the outskirts of Anima."
Cole froze at the voice and snapped toward her, and pure joy clenched his heart and set it ablaze with hope. He stood with aid from Rachael, took a closer look at her, "Ilia...is it you?"
She flinched and blushed at his grasp but didn't fight the urge to smile, as she did her 'human' façade faded away and gave way to a genuine heart-felt laugh as he pulled her in, letting her soak his bandages with tears. She cried and tightened her arms on him, and thankfully he bore through the pain and just held her just as tight. "how have you been ilia?"
Choking out a laugh she replied "I've been on the run you fool; When the captain lost track of you he went to sienna and chose to hunt everyone responsible, I escaped after he killed cinder and the others in her sect..." she let him go sniffing and wiping her eyes "he tried to save them...she burned it all down" she calmed just enough to look him in his eyes and hugged him again, but this time her arms went around his neck.
"I'm so happy my friends are still alive...but Adam, he went off the rails this time" he looked at the doctors and said "how much lightning dust do you guys have in this town?"
Ilia stopped him and pushed him to the bed, "your our patient Cole, let your...wait back up." She looked at him and said, "you don't know everything that happened after you died, do you"
Cole's expression went mournful when he looked away "I never thought about it, my assistant over here hasn't told me anything about remnant, I think it's been a few months since I was gone"
"Look, Cole you need to understand that she died chasing the wrong thread, and she paid the price" he tried to stand over her, but she held him firmly on the shoulder "but you need to let it go, nor should you forget the past...just feel the pain and let it pass"
"who died, ilia, I've only been gone a month at best" Cole said feeling incredibly upset if not agitated.
"Blake, Cole, Blake is dead...she has been for a year at most"
Rachael placed a hand on Cole's shoulder, he looked her in the eye stood up as soon as her face showed remorse and other emotions he could feel and sort of taste from her.
"Cole, im sorry but you were clinically braindead for two years and comatose for a year...you've been gone for-"
"Three years..." he looked up at ilia and fell back on the table feeling weak and trembling "I've been gone that long?"
She had been so quick to try comforting him that he didn't realize she was halfway through wrapping his left arm with bandages and had Rachael filing his claws down to hide his arm better.
"Can we get back on track on why the hell you and your cyborg girlfriend suddenly appear after a five kilometer sinkhole hit our kingdom!?" Dr. Shepherd exclaimed. "This is heartwarming and all but the council agents are on their way to ask and investigate this town so either get out of here or put yourself in a good position to hide what you three are because I'll have to turn you in otherwise"
Cole slowly rose from the bed with help from ilia and Rachael before speaking up, "then get Rachael and ilia a job, and I'll hide out in a hotel room or something"
Ilia spoke up just as he was going to answer Cole "actually I have a job Cole, and I can let you live in my apartment for a few weeks; two more checks, and I'll have the lien to get outta here, so why not just lie low while the two of us take care of you"
"Fine, but I'll need to keep busy at your place so don't expect me to take it easy and sit around" he said grabbing a socket and drained what he could and like that his body had healed a bit but not enough to do much other than basic necessities.
"What about working off your medical bills?" Shepherd said, walking over to Cole and poked his chest. "You think your week-long stay here was free?" Staring down, who amounted to a ragged man was an understatement. It's for the best that Cole's actually was forgotten about after three years.
"I have a bank account I had before I dis- uhmm I mean left home." Cole nodded to Rachael and from inside her pocket she pulled out a black card and said, "we'll pay outta pocket, but rest assured I'll know if you try to swindle us for more than necessary" her threat was disguised as best she could but ilia and Cole shivered at the tone she had.
"I still need to work since the façade needs-"
"Just pack your shit and leave our town you idiots" shepherd said, walking out of the room with the students in tow.
After a long process of getting dressed, Cole declined a shirt and opted to simply wear a jacket he'd packed in case he was cold and low and behold he needed it.
"The town is called Kuriku, a small town in the outermost area of mistral that led into the wilds, this place had twenty-five hundred people and housed twice the amount if not for the fact that haven was in session again there'd be a massive influx of people in our business" ilia explained to the other two while walking through the road.
"What are the necessity-based stores" Rachael inquired, letting ilia drop Cole's arm to give a pseudo tour pointing out every stored she'd been in.
"The stores in this town are all necessary; we have farmers and butchers that sell food, tools, and every so often they aid the blacksmith." She led them to another place with three businesses next to each other, "there's the restaurants and bakery of the town, tailors, and of course, the hospital we just came from...just don't make it a habit to piss off Shepherd" she smiled at this and Cole noticed that it was fake but left it alone.
"Are we headed to your place, ilia?" Cole asked as he scratched his beard. "I'd like to cut this shorter than an old man's beard if it's okay"
She looked at him and replied, "in all honesty you actually look handsome with a beard...and while I'm no stylist I can give you a trim" she opened her door to the duo and kicked off her shoes, "make yourself at home while I get you cleaned up; Rachael, right?" She asked.
"Yes miss amitola?" She smiled at her hostess.
"Go in the kitchen and maybe put something together for Cole please, he's gonna need it tonight" she winked, disappearing behind a wall and the sound of a door closing echoed throughout the apartment.
Cole turned to the android and asked curiously, thumb aimed at ilia's door "what was that about?"
Going into the kitchen, Rachael replied, "she's going to be trimming your hair and requires food prepared for dinner for you master; you and her are acquaintances, so I'd like to think that she's happy you are alive after so long kind of being dead and all"
"I guess...that makes sense, but we need to talk about why you lied to me" he stated grabbing his jacket and pulled it off.
"Short version then, remnant gained a powerful cult calling themselves the Saviors, Blake belladonna, Jacques Schnee, and Pyrrha Nikos were killed by Reaper...and his actions has remnant in an uproar...your destruction of the underground laboratory Dr.merlot kept you alive in has attracted all of the mistral kingdom so we should be going asap."
"Blake was killed...by an assassin, whom also killed Pyrrha and Weiss' dad" Cole said as he slowly made his way to a room and found the bathroom but thought against it, so he went into the living room and sat at a table with three chairs placed around it and smiled at the bowl of apples.
"Master, don't spoil- oh it's just an apple- can you check our bags if you can, I packed clothes and bathing essentials for if we needed it, and you're wearing hospital scrubs still, so perhaps you should change." Rachael said watching the food cook and hiss on the pan.
"Thank you, Rachael" he said, digging through the large Duffel bag consisting of exactly what she told him was in there: ten pairs of socks, five boxer shorts, five gray shirts and five pairs of black pants as well as a month's worth of soap and three towels.
"I'll be in the shower if ilia asks; no coming in thinking I'll need help, I need to be alone for this for once." He took one complete outfit and walked into the spare bedroom and built-in bathroom. "I see Ilia prepare for guests" he smiled at this and climbed into the shower after locking the door and stripped out of the scrubs. The bandages were the most difficult problem he'd dealt with, so he sliced them off with his dagger he had taken from the laboratory city.
The water was nice and hot like he'd taken to enjoying, and the conditioner and body soap he had felt as wonderful as it smelled. Using a loofah he scrubbed his body but left his Grimm arm as dry as he could while showering but his problem was his back ached as the water washed over him making his back react poorer than he thought.
After he was done, he turned off the water and climbed out of the tub and went to work drying off and got dressed but decided not to wear the socks since ilia had carpet all over her floors.
"I'm lucky for even this amount of quiet; enjoy it Cole, this peace won't last long" he cynically joked as he opened the door.
Ilia hummed as she got set up for Cole's haircut and smiled, seeing said person wet and fresh from the shower. "Like I mentioned, I'm no professional, but I'm confident I did good"
"Dinner is done, so you should move it to the side till after you're both done eating" Rachael said placing four plates on the table, two small plates had potato wedges and ketchup. The two big plates had breaded chicken, fried asparagus stalks and rice with pickled red onions on top of said lumps of rice. It's not much, but I did what I could with what I found."
Cole helped ilia set her makeshift barbershop to the side and sat at the table, "Where's your food, Rachael?" Ilia asked.
Leaning over cole whispered "she's like Penny, except she can't fight"
"O-oh, wow uhm, I'm sorry I didn't know. She seemed normal to me- I never thought I'd see that coming" she said feeling incredibly guilty "remnant is definitely not how I remembered it"