Work Text:
The distinct sound of footsteps resonated loudly in the cold laboratory, only to stop beside him as the newcomer watched with mild interest what he was doing.
“Do you think we could benefit from having a second thumb ?” Dottore asked while injecting the blue liquid from his syringe inside the very agitated lizard inside the cage in front of him.
Pantalone lifted an eyebrow at the question.
“Well I do believe some faes used to have six fingers in ancient texts. Why ? Are they secretly subject to your admiration ?”
“Hardly. Not so long ago I met a traveling merchant with a deformity on one hand. He had two thumbs. Apparently it was quite useful in his daily life. More motricity, a firmer grip on objects. So I wondered, would I be doing better with another thumb ?” Said Dottore while noting the initial reaction displayed by the lizard due to the serum.
“An interesting thought. However if you are that desperate for more motricity, maybe you shouldn't have gotten rid of the easier and more practical solution. Don’t you think so ?”
The 35 years old segment let a small laugh escape him hearing his colleague.
“I guess you are right. It is true that I am now far slower than when I had the other segments with me. But the peace it gave me in exchange for removing them is, I'd say, far more healthy for the spirit.”
The lizard started convulsing as it tried to break the confines of his prison. Dottore noted this as well before speaking again.
“Anyway, how may I help you ? Are you already here to claim your next batch of elixir ?”
“Not at all. My stock of elixir of immortality is well garnished. I am far more self conscious about my consumption of the serum than with cigarettes. No, I came because I have a question about someone you had the pleasure to meet in Sumeru.”
Blood began to escape from the skin of the lizard as it soon collapsed on the ground and stopped moving. Having seen enough, the Doctor noted the results of the experiment on his clipboard before putting it aside on the table and turning to the Regretor.
“Ah, let me guess, is it the new hero of Natlan ?”
Pantalone smiled in response.
“Indeed. I have received a report from one of my subordinate. Apparently the squad I had sent to Natlan to investigate the masters of the nighwings secret have gone silent at a most critical moment. The squad entered the underground with the Traveler but only he and his friends got out. I am assuming I won't hear of this unit anytime soon.”
“Yes you are hardly the only one to whom the Traveler had perturbed the plans. Are you thinking about taking action against him in retaliation ?”
Pantalone snickered at the idea. He took a look at some of the documents scattered across Dottore’s desk. Something about the Hyperborea civilization and another about an abyssal heart ?
“And lose another unit of mine ? I’ll pass. I only accepted to send this squad because the fontainian man paid his fair share in mora. Overall not an important loss.”
“Then what do you want to know ?”
“Only your impression of him. Most of what I know is from mouth to ear. And if I am to ever meet this Traveler one day I would like to know who I am dealing with.”
“In that case I’d say it’s better to ask this directly to Arlecchino. She was in his company for far longer than I was. I wasn’t very interested in him back then so I can't help you much on the subject.”
Pantalone scoffed. “Then I might as well send one of my men to her. She’d likely tell more to them in one sentence than to me in a day. And in any case I don’t believe she would be willing to discuss this matter in particular.”
“Why not ?” Asked Dottore while directing his attention to the moon’s light passing through the window.
“Because as it might surprise you, I believe she got quite affectionate with him.”
This diverted the harbinger’s attention again to him as he tilted his head to the side with a smile.
“I didn’t take you for a gossip lover Pantalone. Did you read that in some article of the Steambird magazine ?”
“Ah ah if only. But surely even you have noticed how since she got back from Fontaine after the flood mess most of the talks about taking rid of the Traveler were put to the side if not cancelled entirely. What do we call this again ? Causality ?”
“That is more a coincidence rather than causality. And even if she is the reason the Fatui won’t send a lethal force against the Traveler, that does not prove she is as you say ‘affectionating him’. ”
“Humor me, would you ?”
But Dottore had no time to respond when a loud noise was heard outside the window, followed shortly by the shockwave of an explosion shattering the window and making them both fall over.
Pantalone on the ground only heard white noises inside his ears as he felt blood on the side of his head. Dottore, despite being the one closer to the explosion, was on his feet with no time and went to the shattered window to see outside his laboratory.
The explosion came from below as it was meant to break open the large iron door of the building blocking the exit of numerous individuals fleeing the scene, helped by people he did not recognize. He did however take a look at the camera in front of his laboratory to see other individuals running toward their position.
In two steps Dottore passed over his colleague still gathering his senses on the ground and activated the security measures by the door right as the first intruder tried to open it. The electro current passing through the man’s body made his followers stop as they watched him die on the spot.
When finally Pantalone lifted himself on the nearest chair and realized what was happening Dottore was already on another computer activating various countermeasures only he knew off.
“So…” He said with a sigh as he lit a cigarette and took a breath from it. “Friends of yours ?”
“Probably men hired by someone I offended in another nation.” Dottore said, moving his fingers at high speed on the keyboard.
“Yes, you tend to do that. What do they want ? Your head or your experiments ?”
“Don’t you wonder if they aren’t here for your head ? Despite your bravado, you are not much more liked than I am.”
“No, if they wanted me dead they would have struck while I was on my way here. We are quite far from Sneznegrad after all. There were many opportunities. But, whoever they are, choose to breach your little fortress instead. So it’s more lik-” Another explosion shut him up as the building briefly shook. Pantalone sighed.
“Should I start saying my prayers ?”
Dottore gave him a deadpan look that Pantalone saw even with his mask on.
“We never know.” He added.
“The only god who will answer your prayers is me.” Said Dottore as he activated the release of toxic gas inside the main air conduits and in the corridors. The men still behind his door saw this and fled before it was too late.
“I sent the alert to the nearest garrison. We just have to hold it until then.”
“What ? Aren’t you going to take care of the rest of them yourself ? They freed numerous of your test subjects and I'm sure many hours of work were lost. Not to mention they are trying to kill me, your financial support.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. You’re just collateral damage. The test subjects won’t get far and I have all the time in the world. I won’t waste precious resources to get rid of vermin. That’s what the soldiers are for.”
Dottore went by the window to count the ones outside helping the test subjects out. Many of his men were dead on the ground while the rest were waiting their turns.
“What makes you think she likes him ?”
Pantalone turned his head in confusion.
“Sorry ?”
“Arlecchino. What makes you certain she fancies the Traveler ?”
“Oh. Well… for starters, she barely mentions him.”
“And that’s a sign of love ?” Asked Dottore with sarcasm while checking the outside for movements.
“You should read her reports some times. She always writes the details of her mission with great depth and details, much more than you or I would ever do. That includes the enemies and alliances she makes during her missions. Yet despite the Traveler being a central key of the events of Fontaine she only mentions him to tell what he did and not how he did it. She likes to analyze the strength and weakness of everyone but she did not felt the need to share it with the rest of us this time.”
“Couldn’t it simply be gratitude ? Like you said he helped save Fontaine, her homeland.” Dottore saw the men outside bring what looked like a ballista from Liyue in the courtyard, presumably to aim it at his position.
Pantalone, unaware, leaned back on his chair and touched the blood on the side of his head while grimacing.
“Could be. But even so, why be so secretive about it ? It’s not like we Fatui have never taken the same side with the Traveler. Even recently Capitano and him fought side by side against the abyss.”
Dottore went to the other extreme side of the laboratory and opened the chest laying there to take out a common Fatui rifle, the same one given to new recruits.
“Why do you have that in your laboratory ?” Asked Pantalone with confusion. Of all that was in this laboratory, this was the most out of place.
“I started exercising myself !” Said Dottore with an enthusiasm only he could muster. “Zandik was never able to use one correctly during his debut in the Fatui. I want to know if I can master a skill he could not in all his life.” He went back to the broken window and positioned himself to aim.
“Your stance is horrible.” Instructed the banker quite usefully.
“If you want to participate in the activities of the day you are more than welcome. If not then find another argument to prove the love story. Because I am yet to be convinced.”
“I didn’t say there was a love story, only that she liked him. There is yet to know if he likes her back. And quite frankly why would he ? She is hardly the type you get feelings for other than fear and anguish.”
Dottore smirked without looking at him, too focused on finding the power charge of the almost ready ballista.
“Are you delaying the conversation because you have no other arguments ? Or do you love the sound of your voice that much ?”
Pantalone scoffed.
“Well you certainly didn’t like the sound of yours. But since you are forcing my hand I guess I should reveal my trump card, one even you will find hard to refute.”
“I am all ears” Said the Doctor shooting his first bullet outside and missing completely.
“When she came back from Fontaine she brought back some of her ‘childrens’ with her and I overheard them talking after Arlecchino left. It was about recent events occurring inside the House of the heart and in relation to the Traveler. Apparently they spent a great deal of time together and he was introduced to many members of the House. As I recall, they said that some of the kids started calling him ‘Mother’.
Dottore fired another shot but didn’t care for the result as he turned to look at Pantalone.
“A joke between children at best.”
“Don’t be a bad player. Are the kids of Arlecchino prompt to make this kind of joke, knowing who was the last Mother ?”
Dottore kept silent for a short while, covering himself away from the window as the men outside started shooting back from where the bullets came.
“You are right, I did not think about that. That would be unlikely.”
They heard the distinct sound of the ballista activating and aiming itself at them.
Pantalone sighed again for what felt like the fourth time.
“And I suppose we can’t get out because of the poisonous gas you released outside ?”
“I could, but not you.” Said Dottore before going back to the window and firing one last time.
It misses.
“You really need training.”
“Indeed I do.” Said the Doctor with too much enthusiasm before summoning one of his needle drones as Pantalone liked to call them and making them fire at the ballista making it explode instantly under the pressure of the elemental energy inside and thus, turning the intruders to ashes.
Pantalone finally came to watch the fire burning all the bodies and leaned against the broken window.
“You will be going to Nod-Krai in a few weeks right ? It’s probable that you’ll run into the Traveler.”
“And what of it ? You want me to ask him about his love life with our colleague ?”
Pantalone laughed.
“If you actually manage to ask him that, I'll be very impressed. Make sure the Knave doesn’t know about it though, otherwise she might end the purge you started in Sumeru.”
“Afraid for my life ?”
“Of course not. I have half of you in my bank. You are going nowhere.”
They both watched as the great fire elevated itself from the court in the cold winds of Snezhnaya to be spread like some kind of burning tree.
“I wonder…” Thought Dottore. “Should I get more acquainted with our dear descender ?”