Chapter Text
Victim didn’t often go into the city. He didn’t often leave Rocket Corp. if he was being completely honest, let alone by himself.
But sometimes he liked to indulge a bit and go to a coffee shop - though he usually left rather quickly. Sticks tended to stare at him on account of his scars…
Scars he had gotten from entering the Outernet for the first time. Scars from his rocket, the namesake of his company, malfunctioning and catching fire before it had crashed. The scars he remembered receiving, remembered screaming as fire had burned the right side of his body, thinking he was going to die, flying out the single window, skidding on the ground, dirt smearing across raw skin, the pain making him momentarily black out before almost immediately coming to, paralyzed by agony. His clothes had been hanging on by threads, the spring breeze sending chills through him as he laid there, barely protected.
That had been the day he met Mitsi, the first individual to ever extend a caring hand to him.
He remembered the fear when he’d first been touched. Someone else was there - was it the cursor? Had it followed him? Please no, please, I just got away, please no!
It had been Mitsi.
He had no reason to trust anyone - why would he? His first year - almost a year, at least - had been spent being harmed, being killed, revived, killed again, revived, tortured, killed, revived, tortured more, put in a box, tortured more, killed, revived…
He’d been under the impression that the world was a dangerous place, that everything was out to hurt him. Mitsi had been no exception.
But she hadn’t hurt him. She’d been kind. She had gently took his hand, helped him to his feet…
She had helped clean and bandage his wounds, apologizing profusely for the pain it caused him. He’d fallen ill - gravely ill - shortly after settling in the village, and she and the villagers had taken care of him. He barely remembered anything about the illness except pain, heat, and nausea. He remembered the cool relief of a cold compress on his forehead, the feeling of someone at his bedside, someone making sure he took the medicine that was helping him recover, of being fed, given water, his fever breaking and looking over to see Mitsi asleep at his bedside, hand clutching his own. He had fallen asleep shortly after.
He yawned as he sat at the counter. “Vic! It’s been a while!”
“Mhmm…” He sighed. “Sorry, that was rude.”
“Oh, not at all. You look like you’ve been through the wringer!”
“That’s… certainly one way to put it…”
Orange was still very weak, even after being discharged, and they were still no closer to finding Agent. Apparently, The Dark Lord had drained Orange of his power, and the current theory was that that was the reason for his sickly and exhausted state.
He and Chosen were sharing a room, as per both kids’ request.
“How’s Orange doing?”
He sighed. “Not great. He’s still very weak.” He couldn’t help but feel pained whenever he thought about his little bro- Orange. - about Orange looking so frail. He was never that quiet or timid, even when he’d been in Rocket Corp. custody. “I know I sent the reward money over, but… no amount will… ever be enough to convey my gratitude.”
“Hey, isn’t that the CEO of Rocket Corp.?” He glanced over.
“Yeah. Look at that burn.”
“How can he look himself in the mirror?” He looked down at the counter.
“It’s like a peek into his soul, huh? You remember what they did to The Chosen One!”
“Someone should beat him up; see how he likes that.”
Ah… another reason I don’t leave Rocket Corp.…
“Why doesn’t Peony throw him out?”
“What an eyesore- Hey!” He jumped a bit and looked over. A little girl had pulled one of the gossipers out of their chair and was dragging them towards the door.
Or, at least she was trying to. “Hun, no, don’t drag people!” Peony rushed over and picked the girl up. The girl let out an audible growl at the gossipers. “What is it, hun? You don’t normally act like this…”
“Hnnn!” She squirmed out of Peony’s grasp and climbed onto the seat next to Victim, turning so she was facing the gossipers and glaring.
“Lapis, what did you say?”
The stick, Lapis, stood up and brushed their clothes off, huffing. “Nothing that wasn’t true,” they responded.
Peony scowled. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Lapis gawked at Peony. “Wh- I am a paying customer!”
“That doesn’t give you the right to harass other customers. Leave.”
Lapis and their fellow gossiper stood and left.
“You… you didn’t have to do that,” he mumbled to the girl. She turned to face him. He was pretty sure his face went pale upon seeing that this girl was, in fact, the one who’d invaded Chosen’s room. “Y-You’re…!”
“If you try to take her, I’m kicking you out, too.”
“I… I wasn’t…” The girl was now glaring at Peony.
“Hun, I’m trying to defend you-” The girl shook her head. Peony sighed. “Hun, you told me you don’t trust Rocket Corp., now you do? I’m getting mixed signals…”
The girl reached over the counter, grabbing a random receipt and a pen. “No bullying! >:C” she wrote. “This neutral ground!”
He and Peony exchanged confused glances. Neutral ground?
“Whatcha mean, hun?”
She grabbed another receipt. “No fighting allowed. Respect everyone. No respect = kicked out!”
Victim couldn’t help but let out a small snort of amusement at the picture of the little girl kicking Peony out of her own business. “Sorry, a funny image came to mind.”
“Her kicking me out of my own shop?” Peony’s eyes were filled with mirth.
“Heh…” Victim sighed.
“Any luck finding Agent?” He shook his head.
“I miss him…” He rested his head on the counter.
“I’m guessing you have no idea where to look, huh?”
“No…”
“Orange didn’t know anything?”
“He can’t remember…”
He saw the girl scribbling something. “Well, maybe his memory will clear up.”
He shook his head. “Peony, he was drugged. He’s unable to remember because he literally doesn’t have those memories. The camera was there, but it wasn’t rolling, if you know what I mean.”
The girl hopped off the chair and tugged at Peony’s apron. She pointed up. “You want to take a nap?” She nodded. “Alright; you know where the guest room is.” The girl scampered up the stairs.
“Does she… live here with you?”
Peony shook her head. “She lives out in the woods. She comes here every so often, though.” Peony looked apologetic. “After Agent and Alan came in here askin’ about her I tried talking to her about talking to you guys. She’s not interested. I’m sorry.”
Victim sighed. “Honestly, she’s not exactly a priority at the moment…” He tapped his fingers on the counter. “We’re more worried about finding Agent…”
He sat there in silence for a bit. “I’m… guessing you want your coffee to go?”
He sighed and pulled out the needed change. “Yeah… don’t really feel like staying out anymore after overhearing those two gossipers talking about me…”
He rested his head on the countertop.
Need to… find him…