Marina… the Queen to the Doctors empire. It wasn't something she wanted but a position forced upon her. She was purchased by him after all, sold by her monster of parents. To know her, let's start back at the beginning.
Her parents weren't ready to become parents when she was born. She was brought into the world already recognized as a burden. Her parents lived in a rural village of Fontaine, surviving at first mostly off of farming and the land. The abuse and neglect didn't really start until she was about three years old. It started with getting yelled at over anything and everything. It escalated from there to hitting, grooming and much, much worse.
The day her parents told her that she was going to have a sibling, her stomach twisted in knots. She was just a toddler herself, already registering how her parents were not fit to raise children. But… she wouldn't be alone anymore. She would have another person to rely on… to help her get through life. Was it selfish of her to think that? Was it selfish for her to want that, knowing what would end up happening to her sibling as they aged?
When Wriothesley was born, she knew the answer. She realized her purpose in life even at that young age. It was simple… protect and care for her brother. They were inseparable the day he entered the world. They were each other's safety. They were each other's best friends. They were the only ones in the world who understood what each other went through.
However, the day came when it was Wriothesley's turn to enter the horrific world their parents had created. Marina knew they wouldn't be as easy on him as they were with her. After all… they could expand their audience in the snuff room.
It wasn't all bad. The bad was awful but the good was great. They got to go to school and make friends. They got to learn and figure out their place in the world. They both met Clorinde, a young girl who was Wriothesley's age but both siblings found her friendship. They would often go to Clorinde's house to stay the night, their parents happy to have their burdens out of the house for the evening. Their parents knew the siblings would never tell what was happening at home… the two young kids knew what would happen to them if they did ever shared their home life to a single soul.
Clorinde knew something bad was happening at the sibling's home. Wriothesley often had burns, bruises and cuts all over his body. Marina often had burn marks around her wrist or ankles and small bruises along her torso. They were not normal markings but Clorinde herself was a child and didn't know any better.
Their mama and papa were still capable of some love. They got whatever they wanted or needed. They had dinner as a family often. They did small vacations like camping or hiking. They hugged them and occasionally tucked the siblings into bed. However, they were greedy. They realized opening their online snuff room once a month for each child paid the bills and plenty extra. It was way better than working the farm in their minds. Marina was able to separate herself enough to be less affected by the things that were done to her. She had an escape into her own safe fantasy world. Wriothesley however, was not able to. Marina didn't blame him however… his sessions were much more horrendous.
Marina would give anything to take her brother's pain away. She could take it… she had for a long time already. But patching her dear brother up after these horrific scenes got harder and harder to do. It made her heart ache holding onto her innocent baby brother as he sobbed in pain. It hurt even more knowing there wasn't a single thing she could do about it.
It all came to an end one evening when she was 13 years old. It was the day before her brother's 10th birthday, his original birthday. They were at family dinner when her brother told her parents that he didn't want to do the videos anymore, that he didn't like being hurt all the time. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. Not another word was said the entirety of dinner. At the end, Marina was excused from the table however Wriothesley was required to stay.
She hesitated from leaving the table. She knew something bad would happen. She went up the stairs and waited. And waited. And waited.
Marina was almost asleep on the staircase landing when she heard the sound of glass shattering. She raced down the stairs, quiet as a mouse. Her parents would definitely hurt her if she was caught. Stealthily she peeked into the kitchen through the cracked doorway.
She couldn't believe her eyes, she didn't want to believe what she was seeing.
Her father had Wriothesley pinned to the kitchen counter. Candles were lit throughout the room, the lights dimmed. The camera was set up at the end of the counter, another on the opposite counter to capture the angles. Her mother was standing beside Wriothesley. It was the glimmer of the large butcher knife in her hand that made Marina's blood run cold.
He was awake… his mouth taped shut. His face was stained with tears. The foul words that left their mother's mouth, cursing the child they never really wanted. It was supposed to be his final video. It was supposed to have a massive pay out. Their parents were really about to murder a 9, almost 10 year old boy who they had raised… and it was all for a profit.
The knife slowly entered Wriothesley's skin under the left side of his chest. They were going to cut out his heart agonizingly slow. His cries of pain escaped the tape. Marina didn't hesitate. She ran into the kitchen and shoved her mother away from her brother. She stole the knife from the wicked woman and stabbed her fathers arm so he could let go of Wriothesley.
A cold cloth was pressed to Wriothesley's wound as she pulled him off the counter and upstairs. She knew her parents would plan something diabolical to do to her for that act of defiance. But she needed to save her brother. His life was too precious to her to let him die in such a foul way at such a young age.
Marina crudely stitched up the angry wound that was created on Wriothesley's chest. She had learned to keep the first aid kit hidden under her bed. They slept in the same room that night, the dresser pressed tight against the door so her parents wouldn't hurt them in their sleep. In all honesty, she wasn't sure if she even slept that night or if she just held Wriothesley protectively.
It wasn't long until her punishment was bestowed upon her. She was to be sold to the highest bidder into human trafficking. She would no longer be a burden to her parents. She would be someone else's problem and they could do whatever they wanted to her. She was horrified. She couldn't protect her brother anymore… she didn't know what would happen to him. She didn't know what would happen to her.
The auction ended and she was sold to a man named the Doctor. Her future was unknown. Her brother's future was unknown. She was swept away in the middle of the night. She didn't even get to say goodbye to him. Instead, she was hidden in a random car trunk and traveled in the dark for days.
When she finally saw the sunshine again, she was far from home. It was hot and dry, much different than the climate she was used to. All Marina saw for miles was sand and decay. Where in the world was she taken?
She was led by a group of men inside a huge pyramid. The outside was ancient. The inside however was modern. It looked like… a scientist lab. As she was led further into the maze of computers and tubes, she found a man standing in front of a wall of paper.
"Ah, my lovely Marina!" The man smiled greedily at her. "How I've waited for you to arrive! How was your trip?"
"I've been blindfolded for days and I have no clue where I am. Who the hell are you?" She asked with as much bite as a young teenager could muster.
"Oh." His smile twisted into something sinister. "You're a feisty one… I knew you were the right one when I saw you. This bland desert land is in Sumeru. My apologies dear you are no longer in your homeland. As who I am." He bowed before her with a flourish. "I am Dottore, also known as the Doctor among my network."
"Why… am I here?" Marina asked. She pulled her arms around her, almost a protective move across her body.
"To be my queen… to my entire empire." The Doctor turned around to face his board filled with papers. "You see my dear Marina… I've worked my entire life to build an underground network. Drugs… gambling… prositution… trafficking… you name it and I likely have a card dealt into it. My vast network is in reality mostly a cover for my more… personal… work. I've been exploring the possibilities I can do with genetic modifications. Experimenting with DNA if you will. My hope is to find immortality one day, hidden among the secrets of past DNA."
"Me? I don't know anything about science." She retorted.
"You'll learn overtime. I chose you because of your genetics. I've seen what you've been through… how you tolerated the torture of your life. I'm offering you a chance at a new life. A better one, away from those brutes who raised you." He quickly turned around and took Marina's hands, pulling them away from her and forcing her guard down. "Join me in this empire and you will have anything you ever wanted in the world."
"You bought me to… save me?" She blinked.
"In a way, yes. But also for your assistance. And in exchange for this however, you are going to have to do things you may not agree with now." The Doctor said.
"You're not… going to just use and abuse me? Force me to sleep with you like they told me would happen?" She asked.
"Oh goodness no. You are a child. We can approach that issue when you're of age." Dottore shrugged. "I will need you for other things however."
"My brother." Marina forced out. "They still have Wriothesley. Can you get him out of there too?"
"Already ahead of you my Queen." Dottore smirked. He approached a nearby computer and pulled up the website their parents ran. Marina sobbed as she saw the photo of her little brother. It was an auction like she had been sold on but his… his was for murder.
Dottore explained to her that he was currently winning the auction but he had no intention of hurting him. If anything he wanted both siblings to help run his empire. They had strong genes and an even stronger will. Money was never an issue for the Doctor, he was determined to be in possession of both siblings.
Marina was taken to an elevator by a nameless crone of the Doctor. After countless floors, she arrived at a space she was told was her room. It was plain and colorless right now but the Doctor had already told her to make a list of items she needed to be more comfortable and he would have it available to her within the week.
The Doctor didn't get a chance to buy Wriothesley however. He sat Marina down a few days later to explain the tragedy to follow. Her brother had picked the lock on their father's gun cabinet. He removed a shotgun from it and executed both of their parents. Wriothesley would be going to jail for two counts of homicide.
Marina wasn't distraught about her parents death at all. They truly deserved what they had coming to them in Hell. But her brother didn't deserve this fate. He deserved freedom… he deserved his life and his happiness.
The Doctor promised Marina she could keep tabs on her brother while he healed from his wounds and completed his jail term. He explained to her that she would be assisting in the transfer of goods and escorting caravans as soon as she felt comfortable doing so.
She was torn… this man was clearly evil. He was doing unspeakable things to innocent people. But he was kind to her. It was a warmth and kindness she had never had before besides her brother. She knew deep down she would have to put on a mask to keep these mixed feelings at bay.
The Doctor was patient with her. It had taken some time for Marina to adjust to her new life in the desert. She never felt comfortable near his top henchmen. But the time had come for her to meet a caravan of supplies in the desert. The meeting place was set and only one other person was accompanying her. A single escort. Unfortunately, the planned route crumbled fast as a sudden sand storm hit.
Marina was separated from her escort. She had never experienced such a wicked act of nature like a sand storm and became lost easily. The sand was sharp against her skin. She couldn't find shelter, let alone see a few feet in front of her. It seemed like she would be buried alive by the sands of time. Across the vast bank of sand she saw two shadows appear before she collapsed.
When she woke up, the sand wasn't devouring the air anymore. It was easier to breathe. Marina had no idea where she was but it was warm and dry. She was laying on something stiff. Her body felt like jelly. She noticed small flickers of light bouncing off what looked like stone walls. A cave…?
She sat up slowly, holding her head as it throbbed. She was indeed inside a small cave, a safe haven from the sand storm dominating the air outside. It was then that she noticed two people in the cave with her. Startled, she pressed her back against the cool stone wall and tried to look small. She pulled her legs to her chest and used her arms as a makeshift shield.
"Hey it's alright… we saved you, we do not intend to harm you." A gentle voice soothed. A girl with blue hair and mismatched eyes. She looked to be older than Marina by a few years. Her skin was sunkissed and her accent was thicker than Marina was used to in her short time in Sumeru.
"Unless you give us a reason to." Another voice said. Harsher… more territorial sounding but with just as thick of an accent. This girl had long brown hair with blonde streaks in it. Her smokey blue eyes bore down into Marina's soul. She was standing by the entry, almost like she was standing guard. This girl looked closer to her brother's age than her own.
"Why…" Marina coughed a bit, her throat dry. "Why did you save me?"
"We couldn't leave you out in this sand storm. We watched you faint." The kinder of the two said. She pushed a bottle of water and food into Marina's hand. "My name is Candace… I'm the guardian of Aaru village nearby. You are not from around here are you?"
"We already know you're not so don't bother lying to us." The girl at the entry practically growled.
"That is Dehya… please forgive her tone. We desert dwellers have been through a lot recently." Candace offered a small smile.
"I um…" Marina looked down at the water in her hands. "I'm from Fontaine… I was brought out here a while ago… I'm not sure how long it's been anymore. Time feels… different out here."
"Brought?" Dehya asked.
"More like… bought." It came out as a whisper.
"You are hailing from that mysterious lab in the wastelands aren't you?" Candace asked.
"Yes…" Marina downed the bottle of water, realizing how dehydrated she actually was. She was raised in temperate climates that rarely changed and rarely got this hot. The desert wasn't an easy adjustment for her, likely the cause of her fainting. "I'm not here on my own accords…"
Marina spent some time telling her tale to these two people who found her. She didn't know why she told them her whole life story. There wasn't much to do in a cave in a sand storm anyway. But she felt safe with them… safer than she's felt in a while.
Candace took pity on the young girl. Her story was tragic. Dehya however, hardened by the loss of her father, didn't feel the same. She told Marina to just run away. To free herself. To take her life into her own hands. To control her fate and destiny.
"It… isn't that easy." Marina sighed. "He would find me. He would bring me back… doubt he would just kill me that would be too easy."
"So play his game." Dehya offered instead. "It won't be easy… it'll probably test every limit you have but it seems to be your only option if you can't run away."
"And you can always hire us to help." Candace smiled warmly. "We are part of the Eremites corp… we could be hired to help you as an escort or muscle or anything really. That way you'd have familiar faces in the desert."
"Just don't expect us to do crazy shit… your man sounds like the kind of weirdo I'd rather not be involved in. You, however." Dehya gave Marina the up down. "You seem fun to get to know."
Candace gave Marina a small map that laid out the desert. She marked the location of the cave they were in and where Aaru village was. She also marked the wastelands where the lab was. Out there in the wastelands, there was a desert anomaly that caused most compasses or gps to not work so it was easy to get turned around in that area.
The sand storm finally passed and the groups separated. Marina promised both girls she would be in Aaru village to see them again as soon as she could. She liked the idea of having friends out here… archons know she needed a friend in this situation. Marina went back the way she came, returning to the lab in the wastelands.
As she got closer to where she lost her escort, she heard voices calling out her name. A search party was trying to locate her. To Marina's shock, leading them was Dottore himself. This was the first time she had actually seen the man leave the lab. She ran over to them. Did he… smile… when he saw her?
"Marina, you are safe!" Dottore met her and examined her with a gentle touch. "Are you well? Where have you been my dear Queen?"
"There was a sand storm… I found a cave and took shelter." Marina explained. She didn't want to tell the Doctor about potential friends she had made. "Is my escort alright?"
"Yes my lady." The escort saluted at her. He had been looking for her as well.
"How did you two separate?" Dottore asked.
"Just the sudden storm… it's alright." Marina waved it off. Dottore however, wasn't as easy to forgive the man.
Dottore pulled a gun from his lab coat and shot the escort in the head. His accuracy was a direct hit. The man dropped to the ground, dead. Marina's face twisted in horror. She screamed as the blood spread across the scalding desert sand. The Doctor made an example out of this henchman that said 'if you mess with my Queen in any sense, it will cost your life'. The others received the message loud and clear.
It took Marina a long time to work up the courage to go back out of the lab. She hated the thought someone lost their life because of something so minor as being separated in a sand storm.
But she healed. More like she adjusted. As she grew up in the grasp of the Doctor, she learned to compartmentalize the horrific sights she witnessed. She was a survivor after all… a fighter.
When the Doctor wanted someone to go to Aaru village sometime later, Marina volunteered suspiciously quickly. There was no escort this time per her request. Dottore had already sent the request to the Eremite corp and her guides would be waiting for her to lead Marina to Sumeru city.
The desert allowed her passage this time. The map she was given led her directly to Aaru village. No sand storms. No predators. No tribes threatening her safety. When she arrived at the outer gates, she was greeted by familiar faces.
"It's been a while." Dehya smirked. "Thought you got cold feet."
"About that…" Marina explained to Dehya and Candace the horror that followed her return to the wastelands.
"That's horrible…" Candace murmured. She brushed a piece of Marina's hair back. "Are you alright? Has he harmed you?"
"No, I'm fine… I just took some time to reflect on what happened. How my life ended up here." Marina chuckled sadly.
"From what you've told us so far, it sounds like you didn't necessarily escape your old life." Dehya said. "C'mon… we got a long way to Sumeru city. You can tell us more along the way."
The path to Sumeru city was, as Dehya said, long and treacherous. The multi day journey was taxing to Marina. But when she made it, she was amazed. The city was so vibrate and alive. The smells and sounds were so much different than her small farming village she was raised in. The Doctor had allowed her time to explore the city before she had to meet with his contact.
Candace and Dehya set up a camp for them all outside the city near a river. It was so quiet and peaceful, a feeling she couldn't remember feeling at many points in her life. She spent the evening getting to know Candace and Dehya more. She realized in that camp that these were her people… her friends… her new family. It was only their second time together but she felt a tug in her soul about them. She knew deep down that they would be the key to her freedom and to see her dear brother again.
Her mission went smoothly the next day. The contact delivered on their promise and the documents would be returned to the Doctor as soon as she reached the desert. Medical nonsense she never understood. Dehya introduced Marina to an old friend of hers, a private investigator. With this connection, she was able to use the large sum of money that Dottore had given her to create a detailed contract. The contract allowed this investigator to keep an eye on her brother in Fontaine and report to her as frequently as a month at a time. Dehya would be her permanent guide to Sumeru city for these updates.
The Doctor allowed it… allowed Marina to keep track of her brother's life behind bars and when he was released. He allowed her to create contracts with Dehya and Candace for their services. He viewed it as aid to his cause. Marina viewed it as something completely different. She viewed it as a connection to people she loved and cared about. She viewed it as a safe haven and a connection to the future. Most of all, it was the formation of Cerberus as Candace and Dehya swore their loyalty to Marina as they became closer and closer.
The days bled into years. Time passed differently for her in the desert. Marina hated to admit that her quality of life became better with the Doctor. She was on the top of the food chain for the first time in her life, not the bottom. He never did anything to her she didn't approve of. He refused to experiment on her. He always got her whatever she wanted. She didn't even need to be in the room for business if she didn't want to be. Fuck he didn't even hug her without her permission.
But she couldn't ignore the terrible things the man did. Yes SHE was treated well but others were not. Others were beaten and used. Others were experimented on. Others were thrown to the side like trash. She had witnessed more than she cared to.
But she always had a safe haven… Aaru village with the two other heads of Cerberus. They had been documenting the network as she learned parts of it. The documents were kept secretly and safely in a hidden closet within Candace's home.
She went on hundreds of missions with Dehya and Candace throughout the entirety of Sumeru. She learned how to keep in the shadows. She learned to be confident with the dealings of the network. She wasn't innocent in all of it… it was a fact she had to accept to keep alive. Every month she met with her contact about what was going on with her brother. She would give the private investigator as much money as she could to put on her brother's books in prison. Marina may not be able to see him anymore but the least she could do was make him comfortable.
When she was 18, Marina came down with a mysterious illness. The Doctor couldn't figure it out as well as the doctors in Sumeru city and Aaru village. All they knew was she was dying. Her organs were shutting down slowly. She couldn't eat or drink… she slept a majority of the day… her brain was only fog.
The Doctor gave her a choice… an impossible choice. "I will respect whatever choice you make my Queen," is what he had said to her. Dottore had put his experiments on the backburner… spending most of his days caring for her while she was sick. He often just sat by her bedside, holding her hand while he read over documents or made quiet phone calls to his various leaders in the network.
The choice? To live or die. He offered to experiment with her DNA to cure the mysterious illness or to let her die in peace. It was a choice Marina mulled over for nearly a week. But to Dottore's surprise… she chose the first option… to live.
The experiments began the next day. He had acquired ancient DNA of a desert wolf. He felt it was fitting given her affection towards canines and her canine-like appearance. They were also known throughout history to be immune to many diseases, being wiped out of existence due to humans.
The experiments were painful… painful didn't even begin to cover the feeling. Even worse for Marina, the Doctor seemed to be enjoying the agony she went through. She would be strapped to the experiment table while her DNA was ripped apart and put back together again. She would come in and out of consciousness. When Dottore thought she was passed out, he would laugh and make comments like 'scream louder for me my Queen' or 'your pain filled singing is what I needed'.
For Marina, her view on the Doctor changed at that moment. He wasn't taking care of her… it was an act all along.
The experiment took a week. A week of being ripped apart and sewn back together. But she was alive… she was well… she would never be sick again as it turned out. Her appearance changed. Her once icy blue eyes were now mismatched like Candace. One blue and one a light reddish pink. Her fingers were more claw-like than human. Marina had canine-like teeth now. The most curious part for her however was the small fluffy tail. Thankfully she was able to keep it well hidden. The only ones who knew it existed was Dottore, herself, Dehya and Candace. It was practically invisible in the dark cloak she often wore outside the lab. In the lab, she wore a long gray dress that's flowy enough that no one noticed her hidden trait.
Marina's life turned brighter when she heard of her brother's release from jail. She knew Clorinde was taking care of him… Marina was forever grateful he still had a friend. She plotted with Dehya and Candace on what she could do to escape the Doctor's grasp.
She fell into her role well. Marina was putting on a grand act to play the role of the Queen. She hoped it pulled the wool over Dottore's eyes about her real intentions. Dottore started spending more time traveling to Fontaine and expanding his network. When he left the wastelands, she often went to Sumeru city. It was a guilty pleasure of Marina's… she felt like a normal person walking around Sumeru city beside Dehya. Candace often stayed behind in Aaru as they aged.
The contact she used to keep an eye on Wriothesley met her like clockwork every month up until she got word that her dear brother was graduating college that year.
Marina was so proud of her brother… he got the normal life that she had dreamed for him. However, when she learned his and Clorinde's major, she knew the next course of action. She needed to meet with the other heads of Cerberus as soon as she could. She could feel the end in sight.
Her brother and best friend planned on becoming detectives… to find her. She knew it was to find her. The preparation she had done all these years would finally pay off. But how could she get the information to the two future detectives?
The day she returned to the wastelands shortly after learning about what her brother was doing in Fontaine, the Doctor had returned back to the lab. He was in the process of finishing his new lab in Fontaine… he wanted them to return to Marina's homeland. Marina was ecstatic by the news… she could reach Clorinde and Wriothesley if they were in the same country!
However, the Doctor had different plans. And if Marina was honest… it was a plan she didn't mind.
A family… Dottore had requested they try for a child. Marina had thought about it in depth as she had gotten older. As much as she didnt want to bring a child into this world she lived in, it was something she yearned for. However… The Doctor had a condition. To manipulate the child's DNA.
Marina said no. She couldn't allow her child to be genetically modified like she was. The pain was too much for her as an adult. There was no way she would allow her child to be subjected to that.
The Doctor agreed to the condition at the time. Marina wasn't sure if it was an act or a true feeling. But she accepted whatever fate had instored for them. They tried for a child. Being intimate with the Doctor was a little off putting for Marina. It was like a boundary she made in her mind was crossed. She had very little trust in him and that made the situation stressful for her.
With her past life, she knew she had a safe place to escape in her mind. While she agreed to it, she didn't feel safe being in bed with Dottore. So each time they tried for a child, she would disappear to the safe place in her mind.
After two months of trying, Dottore told her that he had already picked the DNA he wanted their child to bear. Saying those words, Marina panicked. She knew she shouldn't have trusted this man but it may have been too late. She was furious at the situation. She felt betrayed… felt used. It made her feel like she did when she was with her parents. Marina slapped the Doctor hard after he dropped that bomb on her. He didn't even flinch. The Queen disappeared into the desert that very night without a word to the Doctor or any of his workers.
She didn't return to the lab for almost two months. Dottore never sent anyone to bring her back but she knew she was being watched. Marina would spot a henchman in Sumeru city about once a week. It was alright with her… she needed time away and enjoyed her time in the city with Dehya. That was until she began feeling sick. Knowing her DNA manipulation made it so she did not become ill, she knew what that meant. Dottore's plan had worked and she was indeed with child.
Marina had such mixed feelings when she left the clinic with Dehya that day. She was thrilled at the idea of being a mom but the father made her stomach twist in knots. She knew it would be useless to keep this from Dottore. He would find out eventually. The next day, when she saw one of his henchmen spying on her, she gave them a letter telling Dottore the news and that she would be back in the wastelands in two weeks time.
Marina hosted a final meeting with her contact monitoring her sibling. Graduation was four months out for her dear brother and best friend. The contact even gave her a picture of Wriothesley and Clorinde talking on campus to a man with white and blue hair (Neuvillette if she remembered correctly) and a blonde girl (Navia if she recalled). Her brother had taken a partner and so did her dear friend. They looked so happy… They looked like they all fit together so well. She yearned to meet them again… to be part of the family they had created. To be loved… to have a home…
Accepting this photo, she thanked her contact. Before the contact could leave however, she withdrew a pistol from her dress. It was time for the Queen to start wrapping up loose ends. One shot to the head and the contact crumpled to the floor dead.
Dehya had waited outside the building they met in. She would be Marina's main contact now as they drew to the conclusions of their planning. No one could be trusted outside the heads of Cerberus. What Marina wanted would always be first to the other two heads.
Marina returned to the wastelands shortly after. The Doctor was thrilled with the news of Marina carrying their child. He explained that he had the perfect DNA for their child, he just needed to finish the final extraction process. Much to her disliking, she knew she couldn't talk the Doctor out of manipulating the DNA of her child. But she could let it happen while they were still in her womb. She could take the pain… maybe they wouldnt feel it or at least they wouldnt have to bear the torture she knew was in store.
A short time later, she received an email from Dehya when Marina was working in the lab. She had taken up her own research area, working on ways she could reverse the genetic modifications. After careful decoding, Marina couldn't believe her eyes. Her brother would be in Sumeru in a week… visiting from abroad. Dehya had heard the news from her friends inside the Akademiya. The Doctor had already returned to Fontaine and would be gone for a long time. This trip would be wholly unnoticed by the Doctor.
The trip was arranged and Marina found herself in Sumeru city the day before her brother would arrive. Dehya had put the notes they had been keeping for years inside the library that only students had access to. She just needed to figure out a way to let her brother know they were there.
Dehya played her role well… doing exactly as Marina told her. She picked the passport out of Wriothesley's pocket and then befriended him. Marina however, did not play her role as practiced. When she saw her brother in the bazaar, she choked. She wanted more than anything to run to him and tell him how much she had missed him over the years. She couldn't though… not yet. Dottore was indefinitely watching her movements. The last thing she wanted was retaliation towards Wriothesley for her escape plans.
She ran… Wriothesley following behind her. Marina was thankful for all those days she spent exploring Sumeru city. She easily ran through the labyrinth of alleyways and Wriothesley lost her trail. Dehya thankfully understood and played along, taking Wriothesley to her friends for help and returning to Marina's side shortly.
Marina however was already slowing down. Her pregnancy seemed to accelerate thanks to the genetic manipulation of both her and her baby. She couldn't keep up with all of the traveling that needed to be done. Dehya however was more than willing to deliver the letter to her brother's door and watch as they found her notes in the house of Daena.
"I don't see why you can't just talk to him." Dehya sighed, rejoining Marina after watching Neuvillette and Wriothesley return to their temporary housing. They had successfully found the notes in the house of Daena that night. The mission had been a success.
"It's simply too soon…" Marina said softly. She patted the spot on the bench next to her, urging Dehya to sit down beside her. "We do really look alike though, don't we?"
"Lady Marina…" Dehya gently tilted her Marina's face so they were looking eye to eye. "You two could be twins if I didn't know any better." Dehya pressed a soft kiss to Marina's lips. "You however are just gorgeous."
"You flatter me Dehya." Marina smiled warmly.
"Was it really necessary for me to pickpocket him today? I almost feel dirty for it… he is a really kind soul." Dehya asked.
"Unfortunately yes." Marina sighed. She leaned back on the bench and looked up at the bright moon. "I do not wish for him or Dottore to get suspicious of you. I need to keep you and Candace safe. It's hard enough for me to stay in the shadows. Can you please just continue faking your identity to him for me?"
"Anything for you." Dehya held her hand, squeezing it softly. "I will follow you to the ends of the world. Same for the other head of Cerberus. I know it can't be easy hiding all of this. Although… it's going to be harder in the future as she develops and arrives."
Marina laughed quietly, running a hand over her swollen belly. "Worry not Dehya. We made this plan to protect her… to give her a future… to give her the family she deserved and I never had. Dottore will never be her father. I plan on raising her thinking Wriothesley is actually her father. It will make it easier when she goes into his care."
"I trust your judgement lady Marina." Dehya kissed her hand. "Come on… let's get you two out of the cold evening air."
Dehya helped Marina off the bench and towards their safe house in Sumeru city. Dehya gave her all of the details she had on her brother. The lioness would see Wriothesley more times during his short visit to Sumeru. Dehya recounted everything to Marina as she was escorted back to the desert. She even printed out a photo she had taken of Wriothesley and Neuvillette at the party in Gandharva ville.
Marina's pregnancy developed quicker than originally expected. The Doctor said it was because of the Melusine DNA he used for their daughter. Her own genetic manipulation was also a likely factor. When her water broke, Marina was by herself in the lab. The Doctor was away in Fontaine at the time. Alone and scared, she retreated into the desert. She had no idea if labor would be the same or different for her with the modifications to her DNA and the babies DNA. She was already worried about her labor given she had no idea what was about to happen. She had never been to a doctor. She had never had an ultrasound. Her health was more or less in the care of the Doctor and Candace.
Thanks to her sumpter beast, she made it to Aaru village before the contractions became too much for her to bear. Dehya was outside of the village when she arrived. The lioness was actually about to leave for a commission but quickly escorted Marina to Candace's home. No commission in the world was more important than Marina to Dehya.
Marina needed to be among the two people she trusted during this. She had no idea what to expect, she didn't know what to do. All she felt was pain and panic. Labor was short for Marina, a blessing. Dehya held her hand the entire time as Candace delivered the baby.
A little girl… Marina had a girl. She had light periwinkle hair and soft features. The manipulation of DNA definitely took as she had bunny like features but that didn't exactly describe it. Along her arms and legs, tan patches of skin almost resemble…flowers? There were so little records of Melusines, Marina wasn't sure how to describe the features of her daughter. All she knew was she was perfect.
Sigewinne… the perfect name for her little girl. Marina would do anything for her. She knew the moment she was passed into her arms that Marina would dedicate her life to getting her out of the lab. The Doctor would never be her parent… No, she deserved kindness. This little one deserved the life Marina was supposed to have. There were two people she knew would raise her child safely, in her homeland; Wriothesley and Clorinde.
The Doctor saw Sigewinne maybe half a dozen times in her whole life. He had no interest in her really besides data, which Marina provided to him. Marina also had no interest in her precious child being used as a science experiment. Most of the data she provided to the Doctor was made up or very enhanced details of the truth. Sigewinne stayed in the upper floors of the lab in her and Marina's living space. Marina would work on her studies while Sigewinne napped. She trusted no one with her little one.
Sigewinne developed quickly. She was way smarter than any other child would be at her age. She was curious and bright. Marina told her stories of her brother and best friend. Whenever she had to travel to Sumeru city (which became very rare) Sigewinne would go with her. Dehya and Candace adored the small child. Marina made it her mission to only allow love around her daughter.
Panic enveloped the Doctor as his network crumbled. He never pointed the blame to Marina. If anything, he confided his troubles in her. Marina knew she put up a very good act and had the Doctors full trust. She also knew it was her brother taking down the network Dottore had worked his entire life to build. Her notes in the house of Daena really did the trick.
Everything came crumbling down faster than she originally thought. She knew the plan would go quickly once the pieces fell into place, but this was an accelerated rate none of Cerberus could have predicted. Marina was honestly proud of her brother for trusting her the way he had and taken the bull by the horns for this brutal plan.
The Doctor came bursting into her living space early one morning. Marina was so startled all she did was pull Sigewinne close until she realized who it was.
"Dottore…?" Marina asked groggily. She looked at the clock. "It's 4am what in the world is happening?"
"My Queen…" His grin was almost sickening. "Today is the day we leave the desert. We are returning to Fontaine this afternoon."
"O-okay…" She looked at him confused. "Honey what happened?"
"The network has fallen." Dottore let out an exasperated sigh while he shrugged. "It seems the Fontaine police figured out the web better than I could have predicted. It's alright… I was three steps ahead. After all, the network was more or less a cover for my true life passions. A scapegoat if you will. Now please cover our little ones' ears."
Marina looked down at Sigewinne who was barely awake. She was only three but had the understanding of someone around 10 to 12. She reached to the nightstand and gently placed the noise cancelling headphones over Sigewinnes ears. Marina held her close and gently rubbed her back, her attention returning back to Dottore.
"I managed to capture the General Mahamatra's lover." Dottore smirked. "The experiments are complete… We will drop him off at the dummy lab trap before we go to Fontaine. The lab there is complete and ready for our work. Please pack up all essentials you and Sigewinne need. Backup your research and pack your notes. We leave by noon. This lab will be blown to pieces."
Marina couldn't believe her ears. Dottore did… what? She had little time to waste as he left the room. She spent the entire morning packing what her and Sigewinne would need. Thankfully, they didn't have very many material possessions. She mostly packed clothes, photos and toys for her daughter. She backed up all her research files and packed her paperwork. The last thing she did before she left the wastelands was a final email to Dehya and Candance. It was a final goodbye as it was becoming too dangerous for them to be involved. They were entering the final act after all and Marina had lost enough. She couldn't bear losing the two other heads of Cerberus. No… she couldn't bear losing her best friends. She couldn't bear losing her lovers. She couldn't bear losing the people she trusted the most to the hands of such a fowl man.
Dottore's henchmen loaded a small caravan of trucks with the lab equipment he needed and all of the items Marina packed. Dottore and a small group of men loaded a large cage into a helicopter. Marina and Sigewinne were loaded shortly after. It was a very short flight to the fake lab; a dummy pyramid Dottore set up years ago.
The henchmen loaded the cage into the bowels of the pyramid. Marina followed them inside, carrying a small bag with Sigewinne in tow. They dropped the cage on top of a mechanism in the middle of the room before they left the pyramid. Marina asked Sigewinne to play right outside the entry to the main chamber, just out of sight of the main room.
She approached the cage and pulled the large sheet off the top. She had to stifle a gasp. Inside the cage was someone she recognized. Dehya had shown her pictures of her friends and Marina tried to always remember the names to the face. This was one of her friends… Tighnari if she remembered correctly. The Doctor had experimented on him that day. A desert fennec fox she believed. The man in the cage had ears and a tail now. He seemed panicked, shaking and curling into himself in the cage.
"Hi there." Marina said awkwardly. "I… I know you're scared but please just listen to me."
Tighnari peaked up at her slightly before growling. His tail straightened up and puffed. His ears flattened against his head. He was scared but she seemed safe.
"The mechanism you're on is weight sensitive. If you move out of the cage without the weight being replaced at the same time, this whole pyramid will explode. You need to stay in the cage." Marina gently passed a few bottles of water and some food though the cage. "Help will be on the way I know it. Are you familiar with a Fontainian detective named Wriothesley?"
"How do you know him?" Tighnari asked quietly. He accepted the water, hesitant at first but the desert heat hit him hard.
"He's my brother." She smiled. "He will be here for you. He will get you out soon. Please just hang in there in the meantime and…" She unlocked the cage. "I'm so sorry you had to be dragged into this. This was never part of the plan. When I complete the cure for the DNA manipulation, I will make sure you can return to a normal life."
Before Marina could say anything else, Sigewinne called for her in the main entry. Marina quickly grabbed her bag and left the room. It was time for them to leave Sumeru.
Marina boarded the helicopter with Sigewinne in her arms. She watched out the window as the desert became far below her feet. She felt alone… she felt nervous. The plan was completely off the rails and she had to improvise all that was to come. All she hoped was her brother would save this poor victim as well and her dear Dehya and Candace would be alright. She would survive… she always does.
The arrival in her homeland was bittersweet. She felt joy to be back home but anxiety with the end being so near. The Doctor was panicking. He had gathered his final batch of experimentation subjects in a safehouse nearby the lab. It was connected via underground tunnels that only he and Marina had access to. She was in charge of their care, checking on them every few days.
The Doctor reported to her that the previous lab was destroyed and it was likely the trap pyramid was as well. He was unsure if his trap worked or failed. Shortly after they arrived and the lab was fully set up, he executed all of his henchmen. Marina was horrified. He took so many lives… and for nothing. The final pieces left in play were the Doctor, the Queen, their child and the enemy forces slowly closing them in.
Marina had gone to the Court of Fontaine two weeks after they arrived in Fontaine. She hadn't been there since she was a little girl. It had changed so much. Marina and Sigewinne got breakfast at a small cafe near the police station. She explained to Sigewinne what was about to happen. The little girl nodded, knowing her mother loved her so much that she was taking her away from the bad place and that she would follow in a few days. Marina slipped a letter in Sigewinne's backpack and asked her to give it to the man who looked just like her. That man was gonna be her new dad after all.
When Marina went to leave the cafe, she tucked her and Sigewinne into a quiet corner. At the counter was a beautiful blonde woman and a handsome white haired man, purchasing 5 coffees that morning. She covered her mouth as tears fell from her eyes. Her brother and best friend's partners were right there. Less than 10 feet away from her. It almost made what she was about to do that much more challenging. Marina wanted nothing more than to run up to them and introduce herself to Navia and Neuvillette. But the Doctor would target them… it would give too much away. She had to remain in the shadows.
When the coast was clear, Marina and Sigewinne walked to the nearby police station. About a block away, Marina confirms that Sigewinne knows what to do. With one last hug and forehead kiss, Marina watched as her child walked down the street and entered the Fontainian police station. It was soul crushing to the Queen.
She ran away with hast, returning to the lab as quickly as her transportation would allow. She cried the entire way there, stopping to check on the safe house that held Dottore's prisoners. She left them food and water before returning to the lab hidden deep within a cave system.
Marina had 7 days. 7 days to undo everything Dottore worked his whole life on. Two days in, she realized her research hit a block. That was fine… 5 days was more than enough to produce a euthanasia med as a last resort. She made two… one for the Doctor and one for her… just in case.
The day finally came when the lab was infiltrated by the special forces. The day of her rescue. The day the Doctor would finally be taken down for good. Freedom was finally here after over a decade.
Watching her family go up against impossible monsters was hard enough. Watching her brother fly into a wall made her physically flinch. She was grateful the Doctor was too busy watching the 'show'. She had to force down tears as she watched Clorinde get overrun by the clones of the man who kept her captive all these years.
But help arrived. The back up from Sumeru. Marina's breath hitched when she saw Dehya and Candace fighting alongside her dearest friend Clorinde. With the groups combined, they defeated the horde of monsters.
They eventually joined her in the lab. Everything happened so fast she hardly processed it. The moment she came back to reality was when the Doctor pressed a knife to her throat. He knew… he probably knew all along. Maybe she wasn't as good an actor as she thought she was. It didn't really matter that he knew. She had a secret weapon prepared for this moment.
The needle pierced the Doctor's thigh and she hit the plunger on the syringe. Dottore fell on the floor in pain. Marina couldn't help but grin as she stared down at the man who kept her all these years. Only one word was on her mind: freedom. Dottore deserved every bit of pain he felt as the medication coursed through his blood.
Her reunion with Dehya and Candace was heartfelt. She was thrilled to see them again. She whispered her thanks to them. A thank you for always being there for her. A thank you for getting her this far in her life. A thank you for saving her brother and friends life. A thank you for loving her.
Their reunion was short. Marina had two reunions she had waited a better part of a very long time for. She approached Clorinde, telling her how much she missed her. Clorinde pulled her into a crushing hug, almost knocking the wind out of her. She chuckled, brushing her hair back. Marina let Clorinde hold her for a while longer.
But there was one reunion she was looking forward to the most. Her baby brother… all grown up. He wasn't a helpless boy anymore… far from it. He was a strong detective with a will to live unlike any other. Her mind went blank as she looked over her brother. There was so much she wanted to say but right now all she could manage was how much she missed him all these years.
The fact Sigewinne was safe in their care was the icing on the cake for her. Her brother and friend had taken her in as their own. Their partners were holding on to her listening in. Marina couldn't help but tell Sigewinne how much she loved her. They would be reunited soon after all.
But the tables turned. She had been with a clone the whole time. Marina had no idea when or how it happened. She had been so careful. She knew deep down in her gut that he had not achieved the immortality he craved. It didn't make sense to her in the moment and it certainly didn't now.
It happened so fast… the glass shattering… the water flooding the floor… the gun shot.
Marina's world went black. There was nothing around her. She felt like she was floating in a sea of emptiness. Somehow she knew as she stared down the void. She was dead… killed by the bullet shot by Dottore. She almost had to laugh at the irony in her death. Survived so long, though hell and back, to die in her brother's arms.
"At least I got to say goodbye this time… kinda…" She chuckled. Marina looked back into the darkness one last time. "Please Wrio… just take care of Sigewinne. She will need you now that she doesn't have her mama."
A light appeared behind her, drawing her in. Hesitantly, she turned around and began her path towards the light. She paused as she approached, peaking over her shoulder into the darkness.
"Maybe mama and papa will beg for my forgiveness when I see them in Hell…" She thought to herself. "And maybe… just maybe… I will forgive them…"