The Spark. (001/Peter Ballard/Henry Creel Fanfic)

- 09

(owch)

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001 was twenty six when he saw A1 again.

It had been ten long, cruel years of watching the subjects grow up, helping them train, working, on a brutal loop. He felt like he was losing it, every single night spent trying to remove that damn chip. Of course, he failed. It felt like he was completely drained, that ticking in the back of his mine was gone, had been gone for years. He couldn't care less about the subjects, about the tests, the work, the lab. The only time he felt something deeply was everytime he was weak enough to let the thoughts of her in, the thoughts of what happened to her, what he could've done differently, how he could've prevented it, let her take his place, at least she would still have a life.

He hadn't seen her since that night. He didn't really know if she was dead, but considering that he hadn't heard from or about nor seen her in ten years, she was likely gone, considered too dangerous to stay in the lab. Perhaps they had tried a chip too, but she likely would've figured out how to burn it, to remove it. And of course, with all these thoughts, the crushing sadness pressed in, the kind that tore his breath away, felt like a hole opened up and drew his heart in, and it hurt.

It was another useless day, he was patrolling the halls, doing checks on all the rooms to make sure the subjects were in them before the lights went out. His feet seemed to pull him in a different loop than usual, and when the halls started getting colder, darker, he stopped, hit with flashbacks so hard he leaned back against the wall nearest to him. He wanted to go down there, to see if they had at least left her room, her memories.

But of course he couldn't, not without Brenner noticing and punishing him for it. So, he walked back down the hallway, back to his usual route, even though it hurt so bad. And maybe he should see her room anyways. They couldn't hurt him more than he'd hurt himself, more than the sharp pains he felt every time he thought about her.

You never know how much you need someone until you lose them.

He had been getting more rebellious, helping the subjects in non Brenner approved ways, slacking on his tasks, taking the punishment he got for it. He could tell Brenner was fed up, the way he glared at Peter every time he even so looked at one of the more powerful subjects.

So, he wasn't surprised when Brenner sent for him, saying he wanted to show him something. Peter expected the worst, but death never scared him. He stared down at the crumpled letter on his desk, requesting for them to meet that evening. In 10 minutes, he realized, looking at the clock on his wall. There were a few clocks in his room, the only way he could sleep was if he could still hear that subtle tick, tick, tick that his powers had caused. Even if he didn't have his powers anymore.

He made his way down to one of Brenner's offices, pausing to knock on the door. It was one of those things he did without thinking of it, because entering a room without knocking brought back memories he would rather not relive. When a simple come in echoed through the door, he stepped in, nodding politely at Brenner. Only because he had to. Brenner smiled at him, noticeably not offering him a seat. They would probably be going somewhere, he concluded, based on how both of them were standing.

"So glad you could make it Peter." Brenner offered with an insincere smile. As if he had anywhere else to be.

"I would like to show you something," Brenner continued, his hands folded in front of him. He didn't explain why, but both of them knew. He wanted to hurt, to control Peter. And considering how he'd been less of a rule follower lately, he wasn't too surprised. He was curious, though. What could be worse than physical pain?

He followed Brenner down a lot of hallways, so many he got lost, he wouldn't be able to sneak back down this way if he tried. They approached an even longer hallway, with one door on the right side, though the wall looked like it could hold at least seven more, assuming they were the size of the rooms everyone slept in.

It was not. The room they stepped into was smaller than he had been imagining, thin with only cabinets and storage units on each side. They stepped through another door. This had to be some sort of test, of puzzle. The room they stepped into was long but completely empty, with another door at the end of it and one right across from the door they had entered from. The same wall also had a strange line, crack maybe, along most of it. The door was open however, and his brow furrowed, for what he could see of the other room was all workers, computers, cameras, test equipment, and things like that. Brenner stepped around and motioned something at one of the workers, who nodded and then started typing quickly.

"You see, Peter, I thought we could've worked this out. A second chance, and yet you keep messing things up." Brenner said, a hint of fury sounding through his calm exterior.

"So, I decided you need to remember how it feels to hurt."

Peter stepped back as the wall in front of them seemed to move, sliding up into the ceiling to reveal a huge glass panel.

What was behind it made him want to fall to his knees, throw up, cry, and laugh all at once.

Because the girl training on the other side was A1.

A thousand different emotions and thoughts rushed through him, he was too lost, too confused to think. He pressed himself back against the wall, it couldn't be real, it couldn't be.

It wouldn't be.

But even after he blinked, shook his head, pinched himself, rubbed his eyes, she was still there. Looking exactly like the girl he knew, but taller, older, her hair was longer, and most of all she fought with the technique of someone so sure of themself, so sure of her abilities, of her training, that she was nearly unrecognizable. Fire sparked in organized bursts, the workers she was practicing against would have been dead in a second if she wasn't practicing. This wasn't the scared, unsure, out of control girl he had seen being dragged away from him.

He turned to Brenner, who was smiling at him, he knew.

Had always known, he reminded himself.

He was furious, why hadn't she tried to find him if she was alive? Or contact him at all? Why did she get to keep her abilities and he didn't? He was confused, lost, angry, and yet so full of relief and joy that he couldn't make out his own emotions.

And then she took down the last guard, shook her bangs out of her eyes, and grinned. She then hurried over to the other side of the door to his right, a proud step in her stride.

His heart dropped.

And then sped up.

The door clicked and then opened, and A1 stepped through, dipping her head respectfully to Brenner and then turning towards him.

But she looked confused.

She didn't recognize him.

"Who's this, Papa?" she asked him, before turning to Peter. "I'm A1. And you are..?"