Chapter Text
David didn’t like to admit that a part of him enjoyed the silence.
That would suggest he’d wanted this to happen. A statement like that couldn’t be further from the truth. It had been a tragedy. But there was no one around to judge him for it. Anyone with common sense had escaped the city before the quarantine zone was erected. There’s only the dead or dying to keep him company now. The streets were barren, ice coating the pavement in thick sheets. Snow crunched under his feet with every step he took. Any buildings nearby were picked clean by fellow survivors and scavengers. For a few days there had been a semblance of order. But new capes combined with lingering effects of the Simurgh had ensured the eventual anarchy. Since then, things had only gotten worse.
He paused at the edge of a worn crosswalk. The harsh wind whistled down the street, ruffling against the weathered coat he’d stolen. There was an apartment complex across the street. It had every indication of being abandoned. But he refused to rush, waiting several seconds in a tense standoff. There were no signs of life, human or otherwise. The door to the building had been splintered, the once polished wood now crumpled inward. He carefully crossed over the pavement, tentatively testing each step. Frozen sludge mixed with grit had begun piling up on every edge of the sidewalk. His chest ached, throbbing with pain every time he took an inhale. It’d been that way for weeks, and he had slowly learned to acclimate. A glove reached up to trace the metallic device covering the lower half of his face. He was fortunate if the respirator worked at all.
It was the very first piece of technology he had built. He shouldn’t have even survived in the first place. His entire plan had involved the Simurgh killing him. A building had been dropped right on top of him. Thus, he had both despised it and adored it for the role it played. Its one function was to rhythmically pump air in and out of his lungs. Doing so manually only created consistent burning in his throat. He couldn’t bring himself to truly feel guilty. It hadn’t been a fault of his own, after all. That wrenched imbecile was the true party at fault. David had only wished he could kill them a second time. Technically, he could stitch them back together from the DNA sample. He’d collected it off the mangled corpse before burning the rest of it inside a dumpster.
When he reached the opposite sidewalk, he gave himself a brief respite. He wasn’t sure why he continued to travel like nothing had changed. There wasn’t anything left for him to do. But he’d persisted regardless, and it was nearly two months later. Once his breathing returned to a calm tempo, he wedged the door open and wriggled his way through the gap. He would’ve broken a window instead if he hadn’t been so concerned about making too much noise. The interior was dim, a variety of discarded objects littering the floor. Based on the sheer volume, he imagined it resulted in a repulsive stench. Thankfully, his respirator filtered the air alongside helping him to breathe. He began to sift through any belongings that had been left behind by the residents. He knew most of it would be useless, but scavenging technological components always made such a trip worth it.
The first prize he salvaged among the wreckage was a toaster. He’d found that his specialty was versatile enough to utilize almost any component. While he wasn’t completely sure regarding an intricate understanding of his passenger, he suspected it primarily involved life support systems. Ironic, considering the lengths he’d gone to end his own life. He took his time inspecting each of the mechanics, before finally shrugging off the worn backpack he traveled with. He found every tool secured inside, a collection that had only been growing the longer he worked. Stripping the components of the toaster was trivial. He’d done it nearly a dozen times by now. The frustrating part was determining which pieces were best suited for specific mechanisms.
It turned out that defining a life support system was something his passenger struggled with. So long as it maintained organic functionality, he could realistically build it. That gave him quite the wiggle room to work with. His respirator easily fell under the definition. But what he truly had in mind was an autonomous exosuit. Mannequin had been the inspiration to such a design, even if he hated admitting it. He sorted the final few components, organizing them inside the backpack. While he appreciated the nature of his passenger, there were certainly downsides to possessing one. He had become more compulsive, requiring everything he made to fit together seamlessly. It was maddening to scrape paint away from every car he’d salvaged so each metal plate looked identical.
“No. Absolutely not.” The voice was sharp and unforgiving. David was standing still. His mind felt like it was full of cotton. The building was a shipping warehouse, one that was near the fringe of the quarantine zone. “I told you to recruit him.” Something was wrong. He could not move, could barely even think without a headache forming behind his eyes. It had been two days. He was still alive. His passenger stopped him every time he tried to finish the job. But it couldn’t force him to drink or eat. He’d been so close to finally slipping away. But something had happened. He could barely recall what when trapped in this subdued state.
“I tried!” The second voice made his breath catch. He remembered it now. Someone found him. His body hadn’t been his own, forced to move like a marionette. There was a parahuman who had taken control of him. They had treated him like a toy, reveling in whatever ability allowed them to subject him to such humiliation. “They were sick. I barely stopped them before they…” The sentence trailed off, the mere implication more effective than any excuse could possibly be. David felt a muffled spark of hatred burn in his chest. Liar. The other boy was lying. David had been trying to let nature run its course, but that wasn’t why they’d had him dance to their tune.
“You expect me to believe that?” But David could already hear the doubt beginning to creep in. He looked like a mess, and they all knew it. If the starvation and dehydration hadn’t been fully sufficient evidence, then the self-inflicted wounds certainly were. “It doesn’t matter. You aren’t going to keep him like that.” He felt himself slipping away once more, clawing against the thick fog that threatened to suffocate him. It was useless. It only wasted more time and energy that he couldn’t afford to spare.
He dragged his fingernails across skin. He refused to stay trapped in memories any longer than he had to. The last salvaged pieces of the toaster were tucked away before he slowly resumed his search. He’d only taken two steps when he heard the faint creak of a floorboard. The figure had been trying to approach him from behind. Their strained grin was all too familiar. “Jacob.” David whispered, releasing a shaky exhale the very next moment. His heart sank at the sight of the other boy. He’d been hoping that anyone else would be the one to find him. “What are you doing here?” Jacob was already examining him, cataloguing each imperfection with a practiced ease that echoed memories David would rather forget.
“David.” The other boy raised his hands slowly, as if he was approaching a wild animal. David took half a step back, trying to stay out of range. Jacob could only use his power upon direct physical contact. But David had damaged lungs and wasn’t sure if he’d be able to outrun the other boy if it came down to a chase. His fingers slowly reached for a small pouch at his side. “It’s okay. Adrian is gone. You killed him, remember?” He flinched at the reminder, watching Jacob wince at the realization of how his own words sounded. “Right. That’s probably a very sensitive subject.” The other boy swallowed thickly and slowly shifted closer. David was now cataloguing every available exit the room had to offer. The window would take too much time for him to open. The doorway was blocked by Jacob.
“Yeah.” He finally choked out in reply, matching the movements of the other boy. They were circling each other, each waiting for an opening to exploit. His fingers found a smooth orb of metal within the pouch and tightened around it. The capsules were designed to store and to preserve blood samples, but he had added a defensive mechanism to weaponize the device. “How did you find me?” He already knew the answer. He had been leaving a trail of scrapped automobiles in his wake. Anyone with common sense could’ve easily tracked him. “I thought you’d at least have enough decency to leave me alone.” He should’ve known better. Everyone who’d been a part of Adrian’s little group was a complete nutcase.
Jacob scoffed. His gentle veneer was beginning to crack under strain. “Leave you alone? You can barely stand upright.” That stung more than David had expected. His arm brushed the edge of a couch as they continued to delicately maneuver around each other. He was getting closer to the doorway. But he wasn’t willing to risk an escape attempt just yet. “I get it. I was there too.” That wasn’t the same thing, and they both knew it. David had been the first victim of Adrian’s cruelty. The others had stood by and watched it happen. Then they’d been subjected to the same fate.
His leg brushed against the living room table. Jacob lunged forwards a second too late. David was already moving, ducking under the swipe and darting out through a doorway. The gap in the main entrance of the building was wide enough for him to squeeze past before the other boy could catch him. His lungs were already burning, the respirator compensating with a fast rhythm. He dove sideways the moment a faint pop echoed out. Jacob had appeared without warning, stumbling past David as he evaded. He hadn’t realized how annoying the teleporting parahumans were until he had met the other boy. Before he could lose his nerve, he pulled a metal orb out of the pouch and threw it behind him. Jacob hit the ground, the smooth metal sailing over his head and landing in the snow with a muffled thump. A sharp hum echoed out barely a moment later, arcs of electricity crackling.
“What the hell, David!” He heard the other boy shout behind him. They both scrambled back on their feet. He was already panting, exhausted from a chase that had barely lasted a minute. One finger brushed against his coat and suddenly both of them were tumbling across a rooftop. He’d never be able to make it back down in time. “Gotcha!” He felt a weight settle on top of him with a sudden jolt. His arms were pinned to the rooftop, even as he struggled and strained. “Stop the squirming. I’m taking you home.” David felt tears beginning to well up in his eyes. Each breath in his respirator was ragged.
“David?” He jolted awake at the voice. He was in a padded room, curled in the same corner he’d spent countless hours mapping. He bit his lip until it bled, knees curling against his chest. They’d all kept trying to talk to him now. “I know you’re awake.” Of course it was Jacob. Of all people to stand idly by, Jacob had been the worst offender. Hell, the other boy had even been amused. His humiliation had only compounded every time Jacob poked fun or treated him like furniture. And now he was in the next cell over, another plaything added to the collection. “Fine. Be that way. I figured we might as well make conversation until Adrian gets back.”
The silence stretched. Normally Abigale would intervene. But she had been taken an hour ago to slave away at whatever their warden had in mind. He shouldn’t care. He hated the fact that any of them stirred anything that wasn’t disgust in his mind. They deserved to suffer like he had. But he was also tired. “How did you do it?” Of course, Jacob couldn’t stay silent. The boy worshiped the sound of his own voice. “We’ve been doing this for what? A week?” A strangled laugh came from the other boy. “Fuck. I feel like I’m losing my mind. But you? It’s nearly been a month now.” He hated the reminder. A month of feeling like he was drowning in syrup every time that power strung him up like a puppet.
He never responded to the others. A few of them had tried to apologize. Abigale practically gave one every other hour. But that didn’t mean he was obliged to forgive them. He preferred to hear his own thoughts before they were forcibly suffocated once more. “Whatever. The point is, every time I think of giving up, I remember you’ve endured worse.” It was as close to an apology David would get from the other boy. They both tensed as two sets of footsteps approached. The cell for Abigale opened, the woman numbly walking inside before collapsing. The door locked just as she regained control of her limbs, a muffled sob echoing out through the wall. The second pair of the footsteps shift, heading in the opposite direction before stopping in front of his cell. David tensed as he realized it was his turn now.
“No wonder your deadbeat parents never gave a shit.” The comment echoed, the entire building falling silent. Adrian had frozen halfway through turning the lock. For a moment he thought that Jacob would take it back. Instead, the other boy seemed determined to double down. “Anyone in their right mind would toss you to the curb.” A snort followed the bitter comment. Adrian slowly switched focus. “You had to lock us up in cells. Otherwise, we would’ve abandoned your scrawny ass a long time ago.” There was a sharp intake of breath from the figure standing in the hallway. David could hear the footsteps receding from his cell and turning to where Jacob was imprisoned a short distance away. “You’re such a pathetic little punching bag. We only kept you around back then for entertainment. Do you really think any of us cared whether you lived or died?”
A door slammed open and Jacob fell silent. David could imagine it, the boy frozen in places as his mouth forcibly shut. “Shut up!” Adrian’s voice was a ragged rasp. “You think I give a shit?” But a tremor in his voice betrayed him. “I won. You all belong to me now. And if you think you can just mouth off to me without any consequences…” The sentence trailed off into silence. For a second, all that could be heard was the ragged breaths of their abuser. “… I’ll correct that error. Get up. I have something extra special in mind for you.” David could hear the awkward gait as Jacob was forced to move against his will. A crack echoed out, David flinching instinctively. A hand reached up to trace his cheek, recalling the occasions he had been on the receiving end. “I still remember all our little chats. You told me you were afraid of hypothermia, remember? Let’s see how long I can make you stand outside in the snow before your legs fall off.”
The two pairs of footsteps receded. David tried to tell himself it was a coincidence. That Jacob had just conveniently decided to mouth off Adrian right when the other boy was about to pick out a new toy. The excuse sounded hollow in his mind.
“There you are.” He let out a strangled breath as he surfaced from the memory. They were still on the rooftop, but now David was bound. Jacob looked tired, sitting on the ledge with a cheap cigarette. It was unbearably dramatic, the kind of thing the other boy had once reveled in. Now it looked less like a performance and more like a coping mechanism. “How often does that kind of thing happen?” Upon closer inspection David could see the cracks in a usually perfect façade. Jacob had soft bags under his eyes, fingers trembling slightly as he took an awkward drag of the cigarette. His posture was hunched, knees nearly curled against his chest. “Are you still trying to die?” David flinched at the unspoken accusation, eyes flicking away to look at rough concrete.
“No.” It was a lie, and they both knew it. If it wasn’t for his annoyingly persistent passenger, he’d already be dead. He knew how it looked from an outside perspective. But what else could he do in a world like this? The fact Cauldron hadn’t shown up was a miracle. The Simurgh had made all his neurons scrambled. And he had spent nearly a month being a puppet for a parahuman with attachment issues. He was a loose cannon, a string to cut before the threads were tangled. He’d played his part, and yet the universe seemed determined to call him back for an encore.
“Right.” Jacob replied with a scoff. He finally stood, walking over to kneel in front of him. “I think you only made it half a block before getting winded.” A finger reached out to poke his chest. The jab proved enough to break his composure, a strangled cough echoing out as his lungs spasmed. “Even if you managed to escape, I’d easily catch up to you again.” David narrowed his eyes as he saw his pouch carefully secured against the hip of the other boy. Jacob followed his gaze, slowly shifting away in case David somehow managed to get his hands free. “That was impressive tech. I would’ve been fried if you didn’t have shit aim.” David was almost relieved to see a smug smirk directed his way. That was the Jacob he had known, back when David was the only plaything the group had.
“Why?” The question spilled out of him despite his best efforts to remain unfazed. It was a small detail he had spent weeks trying to unravel. Despite all the time and effort he had spent evading them, he’d still been caught. “I was followed for a month. We’re on the other side of the city. All of you spent so many resources trying to get me back.” It baffled him. David had barely talked to them, and when he did it was brief. He’d spent nearly three weeks as nothing more than a piece of furniture to them. “Why waste time tracking me down?”
Jacob blinked, his expression twisting into something hesitant. “You don’t know?” The other boy looked baffled at the question. He opened his mouth several times as if to speak. A weary laugh echoed out before the tension slowly drained from his shoulders and that familiar grin returned once more. “You’re really dumb.” He gently flicked a finger against David’s forehead. ‘Come on.” I’m taking you home.” There was a pop as they appeared on another rooftop a few blocks away. “Let me know if you start getting nauseous. I don’t want to be anywhere near you if you start to puke.” They began teleporting from rooftop to rooftop in rapid succession. It was disorienting, a kaleidoscope of different locations blurring into each other.
He was willing to wait. He had survived Adrian, and this would be no different. It would only be a matter of time before someone let their guard down. Madison wasn’t a peaceful city, after all. If the other survivors didn’t cause trouble, there were always Case 53 abominations wandering the area. The quarantine zone was a powder keg of factions waiting to blow. That was why he’d been searching his environment to begin with. There had to be something out there that would kill him. But he couldn’t quite convince himself that the solution would be so easy. The parasite in his brain was a deviation from the norm. Because in reality? He shouldn’t have ever triggered in the first place.