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XI: A Serpent's Game

City-23: Riverfront District

Oct-19th, 2034, 09:27

The Captain

Katarina and her team continued their advance towards the memorial bridge that currently housed the downed dropship. Luckily, they hadn't faced any form of resistance up to this point, but the sound of suppressed gunfire only grew louder with each step taken towards their objective. What an absolute shitshow the day had been so far.

The major was on her case almost immediately back in Terminus, questioning her leadership in the face of what he declared to be another major oversight on her part, and things only seemed to get worse after they lost contact with the original recovery team—four men presumed dead just like that.

Also, it was just her luck that her unruly lieutenant was the one that she was forced to seek out in request for aid. Of course, the giant snake of his, which had quickly risen to the top of her shit list, only wasted more of their time as she held him hostage until the captain was forced to comply with her outlandish demands. A part of her really wanted to use the oversized, stuffed cobra for target practice, but Rooker would undoubtedly overreact. He was always so protective of his precious Rose and her belongings. Katarina would never tell the viper, but her likeness was everywhere and little kids seemed especially enamored with the legends of the giant red and white serpent.

What was Rose's problem with her anyways? Yes, she and Rooker were in fact an item in the past and she was ultimately the one who ended their relationship. However, any creature with at least some semblance of brainpower could see that it was never meant to be—they were too similar and she was only left wanting.

The captain pressed herself up against the remnants of a building and waited for the rest of her squad to proceed across the last street that separated them from their objective. Rooker had at least provided them with a straightforward route to the bridge, requiring them to only vault over a couple of barriers and proceed down an adjacent alleyway, which like everything else in this forgotten city, had seen better days.

Cracked cement filled with tufts of grass and unkempt weeds covered their path, ramshackle vehicles laid either on their side or sprawled out unnaturally across the fractured asphalt, and a hazy yellow sky drifted above their heads. There was no telling if mankind would once again take hold of the earth and stem nature's advances on the lost city. A lot of things would have to change and none of them would happen overnight.

Katarina looked down at her boots, finding a wilted flower between them. She then shifted her gaze back up to the stolen sniper rifle in her hands and couldn't help but feel regret bottling up inside of her. She and Rooker had originally connected due to the tragic circumstances surrounding each of their family's deaths, with the man coming off as surprisingly gentle and compassionate despite the way he carried himself at the time. However, she later used that information and the emotions attached to it against him in order to keep him by her side and eventually surpass him in rank.

At the time, she couldn't have cared less about what he thought of their relationship. He had become a means to an end and she made him absolutely miserable because of it.

When she had finally gotten what she wanted out of the man, she dumped him to the curb and let him succumb to the vices of a bottle as a means to coup with the fallout. In fact, it had come to be a nightly occurrence where she'd hear of unrest due to some mongrel picking fights with other people at a bar. He was carted to her office on several occasions with the stench of alcohol and blood littering his clothes. All she could do was look down on her lowly lieutenant with contempt before ushering him into a special cell that she had come to reserve just for him out of misplaced malice.

However, the daily reports soon turned into weekly reports, and then the reports stopped altogether. She had later learned that the snake of his had managed to sink its talons into him and that he'd simply disappeared from the places that he religiously frequented in order to drown his sorrows. Worse still, the once-broken man began to fervently send her requests for aid as he shifted his attention to correcting the 'woefully inadequate living conditions' within the snake's newly acquired containment cell.

She promptly denied every request that he sent her way, at first stating that it would be egregiously stupid to treat the alien as anything other than a test subject and that its current setup would suffice. Later, she enacted to ignore such requests altogether. Naturally, Rooker took matters into his own hands and nearly killed himself several times in the process. Eventually, he found himself back inside her office, but this time he was covered in his own blood and wearing a makeshift sling around his arm. And what was to be his reward for such heroics? A stupid children's book that he happened to read while growing up and wanted so desperately to share with 'his' Rose.

The use of the possessive pronoun drove her up a wall. In fact, she had nearly commanded her guards to hold him down while she ripped the children's book from his possession with the intent of tearing it up right in front of him. Thankfully, she ultimately chose not to act on such impulses. Nevertheless, she was a coldhearted bitch back then and still was in many ways.

But what frustrated the woman most was the fact that Rooker had become so much happier after focusing all of his efforts on the viper. Yes, he was a rabid dog that proved difficult to control even on the best of days while amongst his own kind, but when he was speaking about or in the presence of the alien, he was almost an entirely different person. The calming effect that Rose had on him was unsettling.

It practically made her sick knowing how much he cared for the giant viper and how much of a positive influence the creature had on him in return. Even this morning, the man had come to Rose's defense without a second thought, despite the fact that the viper had likely killed the evening before. While she wished that the alien would've never slithered into either of their lives, she also feared just what would happen to Rooker should the captain deem the viper guilty on all charges and to be executed for its transgressions. He would no doubt come to the creature's defense until the bitter end, and would likely be dragged out to the warrens and shot in a dark alleyway for his efforts.

They would have to dig more than one grave that day.

“Damn it…"

The woman shifted Rooker's suppressed M107 in her hands and looked up to see that the rest of her squad had finally made it to her side of the street. There were five of them including herself. God willing, they would return in greater numbers.

“Are you alright, ma'am?"

One of the men sensed her distress, Corporal Ramirez by the looks of it. A good man and all-around reliable, yet also hopelessly compassionate, which was a trait that often got people killed out here.

As much as she wished she could say that her tenure had cleaned up the seeder parts of Terminus over the years, there was still a lot of work to be done, and a person often acted unpredictably once their back was forced against a wall. Nevertheless, escaping the city proved troublesome unless you knew exactly which passageways led you outside of its towering walls, so many miscreants chose to toe the line out of necessity.

However, older generations and men like the corporal, who was born under Occupation, saw it as a sense of duty to uphold that which so many within the Resistance had tenaciously scrapped together over the years. Their concrete oasis was far from perfect, but it did offer many a chance to make something of themselves in spite of the Elders' plan for the rest of the world.

“I'm fine, Ramirez, just taking stock of my weapon before we proceed," she lied through her teeth and turned to face the rest of her squad. “Alright gentlemen, we'll be rounding the bridge's tender house momentarily. Expect minimal cover and resistance from the south side. Williams, I want eyes on the north side and immediate notice should it become compromised. Everyone else, our primary objective is stabilizing and then transporting the lieutenant and any remaining survivors. Due to the proximity of the alien device, we'll establish firing lines advancing no further than the dropship itself. Am I understood?"

“Yes, ma'am!"

“Outstanding, now keep your wits about you. I needn't remind you that while the Lost may be thralls to the device and lack any form of intelligence, they more than make up for it with their sheer numbers."

With that, the captain rounded the final corner leading to the bridge's northern tender house, which they reached shortly after. She then turned to survey the condition of the structure in front of them. As expected, their side of the bridge offered them little in the way of cover, aside from the occasional abandoned vehicle. Straight ahead rested the repurposed alien vessel, which sat somewhat closer to the other side of the bridge. A pair of bodies shifted around the dropship in an attempt to stave off the flies that circled its black carcass. A third form sat nearby with one arm tucked in their lap and the other grasped onto a sidearm.

Even at this distance, she already felt the beguiling whisper of the alien device in the back of her mind.

“Williams."

“Yes, ma'am?"

“Slight change of plans. I want you to stay back and see if you can get the door to the tender house open. We may be able to use this bridge to our advantage. Give us a signal if you require further assistance or as to the status of the bridge controls."

“Understood, I'll be sure to have her open in a jiffy."

The captain nodded and then shifted her attention to the remaining squad members.

“Ramirez, you're with me. Everyone else, provided covering fire across the east and west sides. I'll have a chat with the lieutenant and we'll go from there."

“Yes, ma'am!"

The sound of gunfire erupted in front of them as several emaciated forms began to close in on the other humans' position.

“Let's move people!"

The captain then broke from cover and pushed her way towards the dropship, stopping midway to empty half of her sidearm into one of the grey bodies that managed to make it around the alien vessel and lumber its way towards the downed pilot. Thankfully, she was quick enough and the thing collapsed to the ground only a foot or so away from its intended target. The creature's glowing eyes soon went dim and its ghoulish wails fell silent. Katarina then vaulted over a concrete barrier and beelined it to her lieutenant, who leaned back against the dropship's black paneling in relief. Ramirez soon fell in line next to her while the rest of her squad broke off and set up their respected firing line.

“God damn it, captain. What the hell took you so long?"

The pilot holstered his sidearm and then ran a bloody hand through his messy brown hair, shifting his green eyes upwards to meet hers. Lieutenant Simons was the spitting image of his father, aside from the fact that he actually took care of his body and wasn't a self-absorbed asshole. He was always brutally honest with her, and while she always respected him for it, honesty was a double-edged sword that he was more than willing to wield against her given their present circumstances.

“Apologies lieutenant, but we had trouble requisitioning another pilot for the rescue mission," Katarina replied.

“Yet still you chose to let the mad dog out of his cage. Should have figured that Rooker would be the one assigned to come pull our asses out of the fire." Simons spat immediately afterwards. “Really just the icing on the shit-filled cake that you've managed to piece together for us, captain."

“Now is not the time to discuss and pass blame, Simons. You'll have every opportunity to do so once we get everyone safely out of here."

“With all due respect, ma'am, you're not the one who's currently unable to move their legs and feels like they've been kicked in the head thanks to that damn artifact. If I'm going to die on this bridge, I'll call a flying circus out for what it really is," the pilot retorted.

“Captain!" a voice cried out above them. “We have another large pod of Lost incoming; we'll need additional assistance on this one!"

“Dammit. Ramirez, tend to Simons while we hold this ground." The captain then looked to the tender house behind them, where Williams appeared to almost be through the metal door. Unfortunately, they were going to be here for a little while.

Afterwards, Katarina positioned herself behind a nearby dilapidated vehicle and extend the sniper rifle's bipod across its hood. She then adjusted the magnification on the scope and gazed down the far end of the bridge. Sure enough, about two dozen grey bodies shifted towards their location, their haunting visage staring back at her.

“Hold the right side while we tend to the left. I'm going to send a couple of rounds their way!" The woman declared as she disengaged the safety and squeezed the trigger. The first bullet leaving the barrel soon tore through the pod of Lost before lodging itself inside a final husk's skull, which collapsed into a broken heap of pooling grey matter. The rifle barked again and the wake of its muffled war cry proved just as deadly.

“Dasher on the right side!"

Katarina shifted her gaze towards the other side of the bridge and spotted the special variant of Lost, which as the name suggested, pushed its way towards the humans on all fours at a frightening pace. The woman felt the recoil of the massive weapon once more as its armored fist ripped into the variant and one of its legs was separated from the rest of its body, which was then thrown back against the bed of a nearby pickup truck.

The muzzle of her rifle then swung back to the center of what remained of the pod. A final round was sent their way and two more regular variants were sent packing in a burst of flames. With the remnants of the Lost now too close for comfort, the captain engaged the safety, left her station, and moved to support the others with her sidearm, downing another one as she pushed herself onto the destroyed forward thruster of the downed vessel.

“Feldspar, dasher low at your two o'clock!"

The dasher from before had somehow recovered and was currently in the process of dragging itself towards the man. Its mangled innards spewed from a gaping green hole that once served as its leg. A rifle shot came as a reply and the dasher finally went limp.

“Captain, watch—"

A gunshot came from behind her and she felt a cold body contact her own before crumpling into a lifeless pile at her feet. Katarina spun on her heels only to stare down the smoking barrel of a gun, which was quickly lowered into its owner's lap.

“This doesn't make us even remotely close to even, captain." Despite the remark, Simons let a small smile form across his face as the corporal continued to attend to his numerous open wounds.

Katarina glowered as she drove her heel into her attacker's skull and kicked its lifeless corpse to the side. She then turned back to survey the battlefield, only to find that the entire pod had since been dispatched.

“The sound of gunfire will only draw more of them to our location," the lieutenant continued. “We need to vacate the area sooner rather than later."

The captain nodded her head before shifting her attention to the corporal.

“Ramirez, is he in a stable state that will allow us to transport him to the evac site?"

“Almost, I'll need another couple of minutes and then he should be all set," Ramirez replied before he resumed his efforts in earnest.

“Everyone, we'll pull back in five, so reload if you have to and keep your eyes open!" the captain announced as she reloaded her own sidearm and then stepped off the dropship to speak with its pilot.

“What the hell happened here, Simons? Where is my search team and where…is your brother and Sergeant Cutter?"

The green eyes shifted back in her direction. The pilot then holstered his sidearm and unlatched a flap along his waist, bringing forth a set of bloody patches, each bearing a unique insignia. He then pushed the patches into her open hand.

“Johnson, Tremblay, Cutter, and Simons…all dead. Their blood is on your hands, captain." The man then leaned back and looked into the hazy morning sky above them.

“How?"

“I'm afraid that I can't say for certain. Tremblay managed to somehow make it out of whatever mess the search team uncovered and contacted us once we were within range. He had the patches of the other three men in his hands once we touched down on the opposite end of the river, but something about the other man seemed off."

The captain furrowed her brow.

“Explain."

“Tremblay was always known to be a boisterous man, even in the worst of circumstances. However, the man that we found clutching those patches didn't even act like one. He was cold, distant, and a shell of his former self. We could only get fragments of information out of him. It was as if he had seen a ghost."

“Where is he now?" the captain pressed.

The pilot looked towards the crumpled crew cabin of the dropship.

“Crushed to death. Shortly after takeoff, the man panicked and made an attempt for the controls, but I managed to knock him out and wrestle back control before impact. However, I lost the aft thruster shortly after and was forced to perform an emergency landing where we now sit. I…could have sworn that I left the other man unconscious after our tussle, but prior to impact—"

“Captain, I got the bridge mechanism working!"

Katarina turned to see Williams signaling to her in the distance as he stepped out of the tender house.

“Outstanding, corporal, continue to monitor the north side. I'll give you the signal once we're ready to take advantage of those controls!" the woman responded before turning back to Simons. “You were saying, lieutenant?"

The man shifted uncomfortably as the other corporal finished up and came to stand by her side.

“Whatever that man was before he left Terminus, he appeared long gone. I thought that I had pacified him before impact, but Tremblay's eyes suddenly opened and he let loose a series of screams that I won't soon forget. They were otherworldly and bestial; it was if he was—"

Katarina's world exploded as a pillar of green blinded her and a shower of red painted her armor. She was knocked off her feet and pelted by falling debris that once served as the surface beneath them. The woman opened her eyes, only to find the convulsing body of her favorite corporal, his lower torso some distance off and the life quickly draining from his eyes.

“Nononono!" The woman made a move to save his life, but he was gone before she even reached him. Katarina sunk to her knees in anguish. She then moved to close his eyes and slowly rip the patch from the front of this armor, adding it to her growing pile of regrets, which she then transferred into a side pocket in her own armor.

“Ramirez is gone, captain; we have to move!" The voice of her surviving lieutenant shook her from her stupor.

“Captain…we have a massive pod incoming!" another voice rang out in front of them.

The woman rose to her feet and then looked to the other side of the bridge. The color immediately drained from her face, as much to her horror, one of the largest pods that she'd ever seen was now converging on their location. There were hundreds of them and they'd run out of ammo long before they'd be able to cut through the horde.

“Feldspar, get Simons off the ground, now! Everyone else, we're moving to that evac point. I say again, we cannot hold this position any—"

A camouflaged mass body-checked her as another explosion went off and a large crater formed where she once stood. The body on top of her then cried out as debris continued to rain down on top of them.

“ENEMY SNIPER!"

The Doctor

Adrian jolted from his slumber as a result of his most recent nightmare, only to strain his neck as the rest of his body refused to budge. All the while, he felt the soft object that once cushioned his head slip towards the base of his neck. The man twisted his body to verify that it was indeed a pillow and received an additional shot of pain for his troubles.

“Ow."

The doctor went to massage out the strain in his neck, but he was quickly prevented from doing so. Adrian then shifted his gaze downwards and his fears were confirmed as he looked upon a heavy rope that fixed him to what appeared to be a giant boulder. Furthermore, he seemed to be boxed inside some kind of large pillow fortress. A muted paper lantern served as his only light source and the sound of running water could be heard nearby.

He then felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as an outside force suddenly lifted the front portion of his cushiony cave, revealing that he was currently inside an actual one. More paper lanterns dotted its ceiling and illuminated a series of overflowing bookshelves and elaborate paintings, at least from what he could see over the giant wall of cushions that formed a perimeter around his makeshift enclosure.

Adrian let his gaze fall directly in front of him, finding what appeared to be a giant easel with a large pad of paper on it. On that paper was a series of words that formed a message, no doubt meant for him. While the penmanship was sublime, he was almost too afraid to uncover its meaning. Nevertheless, the man took a deep breath and directed his attention to the first line.

Hello Adrian,

I'm sorry about what occurred earlier this morning. I wasn't thinking straight and you scared me half to death because of it…

The doctor's heart rate quickened as he finally put two and two together—he was currently inside the serpent's lair and it was now trying to communicate with him through other means. Also, scared it half to death? The oversized handbag was the one who had gone after him. Despite his heightened blood pressure, the man continued onwards.

I then tried to correct my mistake and comfort you much in the same way that I've done for Rooker in the past, but this stupid snake couldn't even get that part right.

Regardless, I've been thinking a lot about our first interaction and what occurred earlier. It pains me to see you in this state and I want to help you become more comfortable with my presence…

Even if its compassion was genuine, he hadn't forgotten what Rooker had told him earlier that morning. The serpent was clearly in on their little plan. It was its life on the line after all. Unfortunately for the viper, its life wasn't worth his own. Besides, he had made his stance quite clear to Rooker at the time.

You're clearly disgusted by my nonhuman form. I…can understand that sentiment. In truth, I hate my body too. I never asked for this, to be born as an outsider who was never given a voice and is only looked down upon despite always being the largest person thing in the room…

The viper had deep-seated insecurities? It had grown up under Rooker's care and was never raised under a matriarch or given a psionic chip to sort out those issues for it. Perhaps this was why it was currently hiding itself. After all, it surely wouldn't be doing all of this for only his benefit, right?

The man continued to read down the paper, again surprised by the penmanship and the creature's ability to write ridiculously small given its relative size.

I've just been surviving this past decade, never truly living. And despite hating who I currently am, I want to be given a chance to live and make up for it, because I'm rather fond of this world and am utterly fascinated by what humanity has achieved despite the barriers placed in its path. I want to experience what it means to be human, Adrian, and will fight until my dying breath to make that happen…

Experiencing life as a human was never in the cards. While a sense of pity welled up inside of him, he would not be swayed that easily. His workmanship had only resulted in hardship and pain for those in close contact with him, so it was better for everyone if he just buried his head in the sand and minded his own business for the rest of his life.

Based on our interactions, I get the general sense that you're just surviving as well. While I have no idea what made you this way, I know it has something to do with my kind, which I admittedly have little understanding of. But that's not important right now, what's important is that we focus on fixing you. And…I have a couple of ideas.

(Please talk afterwards so that I know that you've read this. <3)

The viper then signed its name in the form of a stemmed rose, which was surrounded by even more hearts. Cute. However, the doctor was still tied to a rock against his will and wanted to have no part in any of this.

“I-I've read your message. Yes, I'm afraid of your presence, but that doesn't mean it falls to you to fix me. Please just let me go. I'm no use to anyone like this anyways..."

Movement suddenly came from above him and the giant cushion was once again placed in front of him, trapping him back inside his little box. He then heard the rustling of paper and what sounded like someone scribbling something down. Sure enough, the barrier was soon removed again and the viper had another message waiting for him to read.

Don't you want to be free of those episodes? I sincerely wish to help you and somehow feel that only a viper can pull you through this. I just want to try a couple of things. Don't worry, the pillow fort that I built for you is for humans only and I'm not allowed to touch anything inside it—a viper-free zone!

Its kind is what caused his episodes in the first place. Why was it so hard for this viper to understand? Also, he had a 'viper-free zone' back in the observation wing, so the serpent needed to come up with something better than that. Although, he was sure boredom would once again overtake him if he was allowed to return to that area.

After what had happened earlier, he was afraid to be alone given his own set of early morning mistakes. The more that he thought about it, the more he realized that he was really going to pick being in the company of a viper over further isolation. The serpent had said that it wouldn't touch him, and he was at least somewhat curious as to what it had in mind. The man then let out a sigh and cleared his throat.

“I've thought about it further and am willing to give it a try, but—"

Adrian's fortress momentarily shook as a small earthquake rocked its foundation. It would appear that the giant serpent was pleased by his decision to humor it. The man waited a couple of additional seconds for the all-clear before he continued his line of thought.

“But...I have some conditions that I'd like to be met first. The first is that I'd like a pad of paper and something to write with so that I can jot the rest down. I want a written agreement before we begin."

The doctor fully intended to test the serpent. If he was going to play its game, he would make sure that he could trust it to keep its word. The simple request would be its first official chance to put its words into action.

Unsurprisingly, his world once again fell into relative darkness as the entryway was closed off and the sounds of slithering echoed around him. The man closed his eyes in an attempt to block it out. He then reached for his wooden box but was left empty-handed. As a result, he was driven into an immediate panic as he searched his other pockets but still turned up nothing.

Luckily, the slithering stopped soon after and the barrier was removed once again. However, much to his further misfortune, his writing pad was nowhere to be found. He then looked to see that the serpent had left him another message at the bottom of the previous one.

Problem. I tied you up initially because I was afraid that you'd run off and hurt yourself again. I have paper and a pencil in one of my hands now, but they'll be useless to you in your current condition. If you promise to close your eyes and stay still, I'll loosen the rope and drop the items at your feet. I promise not to touch you.

Shit. It was their first major trust-building exercise and things hadn't even officially started yet. While part of him wanted to bolt straight towards the observation wing as soon as he was freed from his bonds, he still had no idea how to get out of this cave. Given the size of the viper, it was probably just as massive.

A dangerous thought suddenly came to him, one that he would never have considered in a million years but would prove that this viper could at least keep its word. The risk was probably too great, but there was a good chance that it already had it in its possession. Although one thing was certain, he would need it back or he was dead in the water. The man closed his eyes and made his decision.

“I understand, but I also just realized that a little wooden box of mine was misplaced after we ran into each other this morning. This box is very important to me and I would be greatly upset if it had somehow been lost or damaged. If you were to return this box to me, I'd consider a verbal agreement good enough, but I'd still like that paper and pencil as well."

He had now given the serpent two tasks and two ways to fail. About thirty seconds later he received his answer.

I thought that you dropped something on the ground and went to retrieve it while you slept. It's very beautiful and I made sure to keep it safe until you asked for it. Don't worry, I didn't look at what was inside of it, because I'd probably do something stupid due to my large size. I can return it to you now, but the same rules still apply. No peeking!

Adrian couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and smile at the viper's odd word choice. He was really about to do this.

“Please return my box to me. I'm closing my eyes now."

He shut his eyes again and felt the intensity of light shift through his eyelids. A displacement of air soon followed, along with the gentle scent of perfume—French vanilla if he was correct. Oddly enough, it didn't suffocate him like the cheap stuff that the captain always seemed to wear. The light shifted once again and he risked opening his eyes, finding himself encased in the pillow fortress but now with a few extra items at his disposal. The heavy rope that held him against the boulder then went slack and he was free to move his arms.

Adrian immediately appraised his wooden box, determining that it was no worse off than when he had lost it earlier. The viper could at least be trusted to keep its word in the short term. Despite this, the man still found himself running a hand across his neck, which was left saturated as a result of their close encounter—the repressed fear still lied just underneath the surface. They were far from friends, but at least he could rest easy knowing that he could take refuge in his sanctuary should the need arise.

“Thank you, Rose. This box means a lot to me and I'm happy to see that you took proper care of it."

A low coo resonated throughout the cavern and the power of the creature was once again demonstrated. It was no doubt celebrating its small victory in the distance. Indeed, the human had just referred to the viper by its given name—a slip of the tongue.

The doctor inwardly kicked himself. Why had he just done that? This was not how things were supposed to go down. This viper was a monster and needed to be treated as such, lest he tread the same ground that had led him to ruin in the first place. Adrian would remain steadfast despite his minor slipup.

“Alright, I'm willing to see what you have for me, but I need your word that you will not cause undue stress or bodily harm to the little human currently tucked away inside your cave." The doctor realized midway through his sentence that the viper was incapable of verbally agreeing with his declaration and a written statement would actually be required. Also, he could've phrased that last sentence a little better. “Uhm…maybe just sign your name again or something. It really doesn't have to be anything fancy."

Sure enough, the sound of scribbling once again took over, but as the minutes began to tick away, the human grew impatient. However, right before he was about to raise his voice the barrier lifted once more, and yet another message awaited him.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I won't let you down, Adrian, and promise to be on my very best behavior. Trust me, I've learned my lesson now. No bodily harm and undue stress will be passed on to the cute little human. <3

The message was trailed by another long stem rose, but this one was so much more detailed than the last. Its large petals pushed off the page and the viper's name was signed in cursive along its stem. The alien made sure that each letter remained well clear of the prickly thorns that came with it.

However, the doctor was not 'cute,' but he figured that this probably worked much in the same way that human women always seemed to gravitate towards the ankle biters when selecting a pet to take home. Little equals cute, at least from the perspective of the towering giant. Regardless, the man would let the transgression slide, at least for now.

“I'm satisfied. Let's see what you had in mind."

Another happy whine broke out through the cave and his world once again was illuminated by the single paper lantern. The viper was obviously starved for attention and appeared to eat up any positive leaning statements that he happened to toss its way. Damn, it almost brought him back to the earlier times of his employment in New Providence. Back when the doctor actually enjoyed their presence and the little quirks that came with them. Each viper was as unique as their personality, but—

Adrian felt the dark memory attempt to surface, but he managed to force it down thanks to his wooden box. Thankfully, he was then further distracted by the barrier rising once more and looked to the large easel.

I'm going to show you a few things from my personal collection, and I just want you to react to them. Please be honest. If there's something that you don't like, don't hesitate to let me know right away. We'll start small and work our way up to the big stuff. Should be fun!

Wait.

The man might have just been conned into attending an art show. While he now wanted so desperately to scream out the snake's name, it would only serve to break the guidelines that he'd long since set for himself. Also, he was almost afraid to call it 'snake' now because she seemed so excited to help. No. It was excited, not she. There was no she, only it. It!

Adrian then proceeded to lightly smack the center of his forehead in order to shake the hazardous thoughts out of his brain. It was better to dehumanize all of them equally and pretend like they didn't care. Things were less messy that way. This viper didn't really care about him. It was all a lie, a ruse, and it only wanted the information currently stored away inside of his brain.

After the fifth tap, another realization struck him: the viper had changed out the bandages around his head while he slept. The doctor quickly felt around his skull to indeed confirm that this was the case, noting that the quality was a little better than what was done for Rooker. Still, the serpent had had his melon inside its clumsy hands, yet it hadn't acted on impulse or separated his head from the rest of his body. Much to his relief, the wrappings on his back remained untouched.

The doctor suddenly heard a light cough from above. He shifted his gaze skyward and caught a quick glimpse of the viper's hood before it disappeared out of view. The serpent had come to check on him during the civil war that raged inside of his head. It appeared that the ball was still on his side of the court.

“Sorry for the delay, it's just that I've never been that interested in viewing artwork. My…old friend used to drag me to art galleries all of the time. It was all very dreadful stuff really and…"

Despite its best attempts to keep itself concealed, the viper's giant hood went limp and drooped into the corner of his view as it was pulled towards the earth.

“...but I'm sure that it will all be geared towards helping me become more comfortable in your presence. So, I'll make an exception just for you. Please show me the first item in your uhm…collection."

The sail sprung back to life and once again disappeared out of view. Then he heard a squeal of delight escape from the serpent's maw and his barrier was hastily put back in place, leaving a slight gap for him to peek out of.

Shortly after, a mass of red and white made its way towards the easel, taking hold of the giant pad and pulling it behind the rock. It was unsettling to think that alien and man were sitting back to back against the boulder. The sound of scribbling once again commenced and the pad of paper soon found its way back to the easel. However, this time a second easel was also brought into the mix, along with a small table similar to the ones that he saw earlier in the pavilion.

An armored fist lowered from the sky and released a smaller object onto the table, which was then pushed closer to his cushioned enclosure. Finally, the claws pulled away and the barrier lifted for him to gaze upon the first item in the viper's collection: a stuffed cobra that was quite a bit larger than the ones that he'd seen yesterday.

“Okay…"

He turned his attention to the newest message.

His name is David Hisselhoff. He's a miniature version of me—a Mini-Me if you will. As I said, I want to start with something simple and gauge your reaction. Again, let me know what you think (I'm behind the boulder if you require any assistance).

He thought that the viper was a bit touched in the head, but he would never tell it that directly to its face. It clearly put some thought into this game and was excited that he was still taking part in it. However, there was no doubt in his mind that said game was geared toward inciting a negative reaction out of him. The viper evidently wanted a baseline to work with and this was how it was going to achieve it, silly as it were.

“I feel no different, but I thought that we agreed that no undue stress was to befall the little human? Are you already breaking your promise? That would make this human very sad."

A muffled whimper came from behind him, which the man tried to block out as he immediately came to regret his word choice. He was then enclosed in his fort and the message was updated again.

Given the circumstances, I'm hoping that you're fine all the way through. I need to get an idea of what you're comfortable with before we address the issue directly. You're welcome to jot some things down on that pad of paper of yours if you don't feel comfortable with sharing them with me immediately.

I want to help you, Adrian, and would never intentionally harm you. Please don't back out now.

The problem was that the serpent had harmed him already. Well, the first time resulted because he ran away like an idiot and hurt himself afterwards, and the second time was due to its absentmindedness. However, when you're the size of a house, absentmindedness could lead to others being crushed underneath. As for backing out, the man had a long history of running from his problems. But where had that ultimately led the little doctor? Here, he ran for three years and it had led him right to this very spot.

“I'm fine and can continue to state my reactions verbally. As for uhm…David here, I'm perfectly comfortable in his presence."

Another common misconception was that there weren't any male vipers left after the alien race was assimilated into the Elders' war machine. Similar to a majority of terrestrial snakes, sexual dimorphism meant that the females of the alien species were quite a bit larger than their male counterparts, which normally stood about as tall as an average human male once they were fully grown. Male vipers were few and far between due to their shorter lifespans and the Elders' desire to control the Viper species, which was likely a matriarchal society to begin with. As for today, only a handful were allowed to exist at any given time, with others left as cryogenically frozen embryos, which were heavily protected and a closely guarded secret.

Of course, like any social organism, this often left the females of the species bothered and…wanting. He had drafted more than a few fault trees as a result of his intraspecies research, and it was actually embarrassing to admit that one of the branches that needed to be considered was a given subspecies' libido, which proved more problematic than you'd think and often led to disastrous results (for both parties). He learned rather quickly that vipers had a tendency to want to pair off for life and were therefore extremely territorial and protective of what they perceived to be their bondmate, with the larger and more aggressive ones often winning out on their pick of the litter. However, since there were so few males remaining, these natural instincts proved difficult to suppress and males tended to be revered.

“I appreciate the reassurance, Rose, and am ready to proceed with the next item in your collection."

His response earned him another happy coo before the viper went to work on the next task, again leaving a slight crack for him to peek out. However, he was more distracted by the fact that he had called the serpent by its name again. That was twice now that the doctor had allowed his tongue to slip. In fact, it was becoming harder and harder to dislike this viper outright. He saw shades of Marmalade in her, Jara as well. Funny enough, the larger ones almost always came off as the gentler ones, mostly because their size already served as a threat deterrent and they didn't have to fight for every scrap like the smaller ones. Indeed, small dog syndrome seemed to apply to alien species as well.

However, this viper came from a different breed altogether and wasn't supposed to be gentle, far from it actually. Maybe it was the circumstances of its upbringing, the humanlike qualities that were unintentionally instilled into its genome, or just the fact that she wanted to be this way.

The doctor thought back to that night in New Providence, the one where he and Marmalade had sat in wait for his songbird's return. The human had brought up the fact that a living organism expresses the state of its existence through the use of such conjunctions.

Marmalade had turned the line of questioning around on him in an instant, asking if she were in fact living. While he had already known the answer at the time, the doctor proved to be too much of a coward to tell the viper the truth. Marmalade wasn't living, she was surviving. At the time, he took good care of her, but she also had a life that he wouldn't wish on anybody.

Thoughts of the past caused the dark memory to surface and the tremors to return. Thankfully, he once again managed to take refuge in his wooden sanctuary and rode out the ensuing shockwaves. Adrian then looked down at the worn valleys that looked less and less like hearts with each passing day.

This wasn't living, this was surviving.

Something had to change, so maybe it was time to take a step forward and see where fate led him. The doctor was far from willing to assist the viper in her personal woes, but for the first time since his arrival at Terminus, he was willing to at least give her a chance to further prove herself. The final decision wouldn't happen overnight, but she did claim that she would fight for a chance at life. Strangely enough, he actually wanted to believe her. In any case, she had every opportunity to maul him while he slept or when he had his eyes closed and left himself open to her.

His pillow barrier then raised, revealing what looked to be a large sketchpad on the second easel. The drawing looked to still be a work in progress with a rough outline of a human sitting next to a larger red and white viper, which was nearly completed and detailed down to the last scale. Each had their backs turned to the viewer and looked out towards a sun that was in the process of setting over a sandy beach. The viper had its tail carefully bundled next to her, which the smaller human sat on and enable them to hold the other's hand without issue. It was a touching piece that would look beautiful should it be completed. However, Adrian had a sneaking suspicion that he was the first human to see it.

After lifting himself onto his feet, collecting his writing supplies, and grabbing the pillow that once served as a headrest, he took a look around the fortress that the viper had built for him. Circumstances out of his control had placed him here, and while he was utterly terrified about what would come next, he figured that he should be the one to add another dimension to their game. With that, the little doctor pushed on the soft barrier and allowed it to fall forward into the cave.

Adrian moved to situate himself on top of the table, using the pillow as a cushion, and then traded out his supplies for the stuffed cobra, which quickly found its way into his lap. He closed his eyes and steadied himself. The man was still very much afraid, but he had managed to follow through with what he'd set out to do so far. He then took a deep breath and addressed his tormentor, which was likely still somewhere behind him.

“It's a beautiful piece, Rose. I like how much detail you've put into it. Clearly, this is something that you've worked very hard on. I'm...sure that it will look even better once it is finished."

A gasp erupted from behind him and something heavy crashed to the ground, shaking his table and knocking down a few of the cushions in the process. The human chanced a glance towards ground zero and found the viper sprawled out on the ground with bundles of her thick tail stuck straight into the air. A large section of her forked tongue hung to the side while the rest of the viper's snout kissed the ground as a result of her ungraceful landing. The red eyes soon recovered and caught his green ones, exploding in size. The serpent then hastily pushed herself off of the ground and dived headfirst behind the giant boulder, leaving a large section of her tail still out in the open.

At that moment, Rose appeared to be more afraid of him than he was of her. A pair of scaled hands soon lifted themselves above the rock in order to address her prey.

[Adrian, what are you doing out here in the cave! Please get back inside the safety of the fort that I built for you. We need to find out what you're okay with before we jump into the deep end.]

“It got stuffy in there, and I wanted to get a closer look at the finer details of your drawing."

[This wasn't supposed to happen yet though. If you're allowed to see me right now, you could fall prey to another episode and I'd have no way to help you like before. This isn't a game, Adrian, you could get hurt!]

The red mitts then fell behind the boulder and the viper poked her head out briefly, catching his gaze again and letting another startled yelp escape from her maw. The viper then pulled herself back into her shell and the hands once again sprung forth.

[Please turn around before addressing me. We can't be taking these kinds of risks!]

Rose was really serious about helping him. The doctor couldn't help but smile at the outlandishness of the situation and the sudden skittishness coming from a creature that might as well have been engineered to level entire buildings. Regardless, the human complied with the viper's worrisome demands.

“Generally speaking, I'm fine when it comes to artwork and similar depictions. It's…the physical piece and specific aspects of your species that tend to set me off, certain words or phrases as well."

Another whimper came from behind. The viper probably just realized that she'd have to venture out in front of him in order to send him another written message, which would be rather pointless at this juncture. He turned back around and caught the serpent ducking back into cover, her long tail still left hanging out towards what looked to be a waterfall situated next to the water basin. He at least now had a point of reference should a timely escape still be required. However, the little human was quickly learning that he held a lot more power in this relationship than he had originally thought.

“I'm going to have to look at parts of you eventually. You not having a voice only made this setup even more difficult. But if it's any consolation, I do admire the effort that you've put into this thus far."

[But then why go after the drawing in my old room? The one that's in front of you was eventually meant to replace it, but I have a lot of fond memories of creating the old one. Regardless, I thought that my artwork could be the key to all of this...]

Rooker had told him before their confrontation that said drawing was Rose's favorite. It was clear that the other man had spoken to the viper about it, so the conclusions drawn here made sense. However, this made him wonder what else the pilot had relayed to the serpent. They had verbally agreed not to spill their guts on matters related to his condition, but that was after Rooker had a chance to converse with the viper.

“In the past, I've just fervently chosen not to look at artwork, doubly so with aliens in it. Uhm, no offense intended of course. Anyways...I did this because of personal reasons that I'd rather not discuss at this moment in time."

[Then why not tell me from the start? Why lead me on and follow through with my first set of attempts if you already knew the outcome? I could've thought of so many better ways to go about this. Now I just feel silly…]

While he felt a pane of remorse for the viper, his methods were purposeful and he got what he wanted out of the serpent. She could be trusted, at least on certain matters. However, she had a long way to go before he'd openly discuss his past with her.

“As you've rightfully guessed, my episodes stem from your kind and…specific memories from my past. But like I said, that's off-limits unless you're in my inner circle."

[But how are we going to fix you if you're unwilling to share those memories? Perhaps there's something important in them that you've overlooked in the past? Uncovering the person, place, or thing responsible could be the key to all of this. Also, inner circle? I've never been a part of one of those, but I'd like to think that I'm very trustful.]

Rose's giant red tail wagged back and forth at the final declaration.

The 'thing' responsible was obvious, but he was in no way ready to face those demons head-on. Regardless, they had made a surprising amount of progress today and he didn't want things to spiral out of control. Adrian was still afraid, but at least he could tolerate the viper's presence from a safe distance. Even more surprising, he hadn't required his wooden box in some time, despite his decision for a change in scenery.

“After what I've seen today, I'm sure that you are. However, those kinds of admissions don't come free and take time. I'm willing to give you a chance as long as you continue your upward trajectory. In the meantime, perhaps you could show me around your cave a bit? I'm told that it's rather rude to tie up your guest and then not allow them to stay for lunchtime as reparation."

Adrian had still yet to eat and he was hopeful that the viper had something stored away. Surely his portion sizes were much smaller than hers. However, his thoughts of hunger were put on hold by another happy coo, which was then betrayed as the tail wagging stopped and the hands readied a reply.

[But doesn't my nonhuman form still disgust you? It would be quite difficult to show you around my home if I'm left to hide behind this boulder.]

“I wouldn't say that your body disgusts me. It's just that there is so much more of you than there is of me, and I'm particularly small for a male human. Smaller things tend to fear bigger things if they're unaware of the larger creature's intentions. And those memories that I spoke of earlier…were not the fondest."

[You fear the power that I wield over you as a result of my size?]

The colossus then leaned her head out, displaying a set of downtrodden eyes and a lowered sail. A scaled hand moved down to tightly grip the serpent's opposite forearm. The poor thing looked like it was going to burst into tears.

“I…that's definitely part of it. For the record, you're not disgusting, Rose, just a little on the large size," Adrian hastily corrected.

Red eyes looked back up into his and the edges of the serpent's maw tugged upwards. The viper then made a move to respond.

[Thank you, Adrian. I mean, Rooker tells me that all of the time…but it's nice to actually hear it from someone else. Even so, I just wish that I was…small.]

It was now clear to the doctor that size was a hurtful topic and likely the main contributor to the viper's poor self-image. He sighed. If he'd known this in the past, he probably would've used it against Rose to further drive her into the ground. But now…he actually was willing to comfort her. He was crossing too many lines too quickly but figured that he could always pull back if he wanted to, and one more consolation couldn't hurt.

“Small, why would you ever want to be small? I mean look at me." The human shifted the rest of his body towards the viper while he still kept the stuffed cobra in his lap. He kicked his legs in a dramatic fashion. “Look at these stubby legs. I need a stool to reach high places, I could never see anything at concerts, and finding adequate clothing is always a struggle."

The doctor then flapped his arms to demonstrate the bagginess of his borrowed clothing, which earned him a giggle from slithering giant.

[At least you have extra space in your clothing. I'm stuck with whatever a shady vendor in the Switchyard can stitch together for me, and the current bra is pretty much suffocating me. I fear that I'm also starting to develop back pain.]

Rose then leaned out to give the doctor a chance to ogle at the red zeppelins currently hanging from her body.

[See? The stupid things keep growing like the rest of me.]

He shifted his eyes momentarily and confirmed the viper's woes. The black undergarment was indeed on its last legs, and the monsters that it hoped to contain were now threating to escape. However, the human refused to let his gaze linger after the serpent began to experimentally poke at the enormous orbs. His efforts to escape led him back into the crimson eyes. Unfortunately, he had no idea whether to acknowledge her claim. If a man was to tell a human woman that she was unusually large, she'd bite his head off immediately afterwards. In his experience, if one was to say the same thing to a viper, she'd turn into putty in your hands. However, this viper was likely the exception to that rule.

“Uhm…I'm sorry you feel that way. I bet Rooker could help alleviate that once he comes back, he seems to have a rather resourceful set of hands working for him."

The scales around Rose's cheeks shifted as a result of his rather poor phrasing and the viper fell into a wishful daze but quickly shook herself out of it, realizing that she had since moved her entire body out into the open. The serpent course-corrected immediately afterwards, this time pulling the entirety of her tail behind the large boulder.

[We need to stop taking risks, Adrian! I could've unintentionally set you off, showing myself off like this.]

“I don't know about you, but I've been fine so far. I'd still be interested in the tour of your cave though."

Rose was surprisingly easy to talk to, and it was very easy to understand her now that his grasp on sign language had pretty much fully returned. The crazy thing though, was that the man had yet to suffer from an episode. Perhaps there was something that he was missing in their interactions. Funny enough, he had little desire to return to the observation wing at this time.

[I still don't think that a tour is a good idea. I'll need to be close by and you'll have to see the more frightening aspects of my body. It is too risky. We need to find something that will counteract the episodes first. And since you're unwilling to share your past with me, I don't yet know how to proceed.]

The greatest annoyance the man now faced was the fact that his legs had almost fallen asleep by this point. Perhaps it was for the best, but he needed to move around a bit. A thought suddenly popped into his mind, one that he wouldn't have even suggested to his Adeline.

The little doctor pushed himself to his feet and then waddled his way over to the second easel, making sure that the large stuffed cobra was placed back on the table.

“Maybe we look at a few more of your sketches to pass the time. You can stay there if you'd like, but I'd like to move around a bit and can run the easel for you."

A distressed whine escaped from behind the boulder and the viper's head shot out of her shell, her hood spread wide as if to ward off impending danger.

[N-no that's entirely unnecessary, Adrian. I've given it more thought and a guided tour of my humble abode sounds great, fantastic even. However, if you'd rather look at some more art, please turn around and walk a very long distance away from that easel. I'll then grab the other items that I was originally going to show you. Really, the other sketches on that pad aren't worth your time.]

Rose then gave him a nervous smile, her red eyes all the while darting between him and the pad of sketches. If the doctor wasn't curious before, he definitely was now. He then moved to pull over the white sheet of paper.

“It's perfectly normal to be nervous about something that you've created. I'm sure that the next one will be just as beautiful."

After he successfully flipped over to the second sketch, he began to admire Rose's handiwork, starting from the very top.

It was of a viper that again looked very similar to the stuffed cobra and was about the size of a normal viper. She appeared to be laying on a mound of pillows and her facial expressions suggested that she was greatly enjoying whatever activity was going on further down in the sketch. His eyes trailed downward and quickly passed over a set of modest-sized breasts covered in a pair of human hands, which lacked the sharp claws that one would normally find on a viper—a red flag, but still, the man continued.

He passed by a smooth abdominal section that lack any significant muscle definition and then proceeded to crash straight into a wall as his eyes locked onto the viper's hips.

“Oh…"

Sure enough, he now gazed onto a very different kind of flower, with the viper's second set of petals folded open, swollen, and greedily crying out for pollination. While very similar to a human, everything seemed to be in disproportion to the rest of the viper's body, as if deliberate changes were made to scale down the size of the organ. Based on the emissions that spewed forth from the opening, said viper had reached the apex of carnal euphoria and her dam was about to burst.

To the right sat a three-inch muscle that teased the rim of the alien's needy petals and served to hold the viper in her state of blissful ecstasy. Adrian traced the muscle to its origin and discovered an ebony beard whose trimmed hairs brushed against the glossy scales beneath it. Four distinct scars completed the visage of its owner, who looked to be equally as pleased about the pair's current setup. However, the human that was currently watching the scene unfold was becoming more and more distressed.

Adrian shifted his attention downward even further as a means to escape, but quickly found himself confronted with something equally as horrifying: much of the other male's torso was encased in a wall of thick coils. Seeing hardened scales surrounding soft flesh lit the fuse and the doctor finally lost it, knocking the entire easel over as he fell to his knees and looked to his wooden box for solace.

The man heard a series of heartfelt whines in the distance, but he closed his eyes and focused all of his attention on the worn heart-shaped valleys. He knew Rose couldn't help him right now, so he was now forced to fall back on his older methods. Thankfully, the tremors soon abated and dark tendrils of his past disappeared beneath the cavern floor. After he was given back full control of his body, the doctor rose onto shaky legs and moved to the nearby table for additional support.

He then looked up to see Rose peeking out from behind her rock, her hood collapsed against her wide shoulders. Surprisingly, the serpent almost looked to have come off even worse for wear than he did.

[It isn't what it looks like, Adrian! In order to become a great artist, one must understand and be able to accurately replicate all aspects of the organisms they intend to represent. This includes eyes, hands, tails, and uhm…other things. And…I was just doodling something that I saw in a magazine. Yes! Uhm…it involved some kind of underwater basket weaving and the human females had, wait—the vipers had uhhh…]

The scaled hands held themselves in suspension as the viper tried her best to explain herself out of the uncomfortable situation, but in the end, she found nothing to grasp onto and the hands fell to her side in resignation. Rose then pointed her snout straight towards the ground and shifted her great body behind the boulder, hiding her embarrassment from the little human and shaking the foundation of her home.

“Rose?"

The viper failed to answer his call. It didn't take a genius to understand why she was upset. Although the sketch deeply troubled him and served to jumpstart the dark memory, she had tried to warn him and would've only set him off further if she had tried to physically intervene. Regardless, the human had just uncovered a sordid secret that she likely wanted to keep clutched to her chest.

His earlier self surfaced and told him to move on, that the viper wasn't worth it and this was only part of her wicked game. If so, she would've had a promising acting career if she were a human. Regardless, the doctor figured at least a quick heath checkup wouldn't hurt.

Adrian picked up the stuffed cobra, clutching it to his chest while he rounded the boulder in a large arc, still a bit leery of the giant serpent. Only the sound of flowing water and his gentle footfalls filled the cavern. He then stood before the great serpent, who held her eyes shut and clutched the end of her tail as though it were a blanket.

“Rose?"

The red eyes opened at his second attempt and fell to meet his own. Even from this position, the human had to crane his neck and found himself reaching no higher than her steely abdominal section. Her hands then let go of her makeshift blankie.

[Please just leave me alone, Adrian. The exit is that way and you're free to go. We can pick this up another time if you even care to come back.]

The end of her giant tail then pointed towards the opposite end of the cave and relative freedom.

[I'd ask you to forget what you just saw, but I probably just scarred you for the rest of your life.]

Her hands then moved to again nurse her tail as she shifted her attention to look outside towards the courtyard and the rest of the enclosure.

“Why would you say something like that?"

[I saw firsthand how you responded to that sketch. You were disgusted and appalled at what you saw.]

Rose then paused to look at the menacing set of claws that lined the tips of her fingers, which Adrian did his best to overlook. Unfortunately, her shifted focus towards her talons resulted in a line of sweat to trickle down the back of his neck. Luckily, the memory remained submerged, however, the forked tongue flicked through the air, and the viper's posture sunk even further.

[Your mouth may try to deny it, but the rest of your body tells me the real story. You can't lie to me, Adrian, so please don't try. The thought of an abhorrent monster such as myself yearning for companionship terrifies you, and frankly, I don't blame you. I barely cling to the idea myself, foolish deviant that I am.]

Adrian could've listened to the viper's advice and walked immediately towards the exit, he could've agreed with her and told her to simply move on, but instead, he lowered himself to sit cross-legged with plushie in hand and decided to take a different approach.

“You've developed feelings for him."

The red eyes locked onto his as the serpent's head lifted once more.

[Believe it or not, there was a time when I could've been considered normal-sized. Rooker and I would come up with all sorts of games to play and activities to do. There were movies to watch, artwork to paint, new and exciting books to read, and words to sign. We…even wrestled from time to time. I convinced him that it was a good way to develop the muscles in my tail. However, the real reason for wanting to wrestle was that…I've always loved body contact and been very touchy-feely, which stemmed from the fact that it was the only way I could express myself at the very beginning.]

Rose paused to allow the doctor to process the information.

[You may not think much of the man, but Rooker ended up being the best thing to come out of my difficult upbringing. I cherished each and every childhood moment that we spent together, despite our rough beginnings. Every day was an adventure despite the scientists' occasional interruption of our fun. But…as you can probably imagine, sexual maturity hit me like a fully loaded Advent freighter.]

The viper's attention focused momentarily on what she believed to be her most egregious flaws. Her forked tongue stuck out of her mouth in a show of disgust. She then shifted her gaze back to the little doctor that sat at a safe distance away.

[Rooker did his best to comfort me and make me feel as though nothing had changed. The childish antics continued even as I ballooned in size. However, misery brought about by the endless pain soon set in, and I was forced to cling to the best parts of my past. And in doing so, one constant stood out from all the rest, and...I started to see him in a very different light.]

She then looked down as if contemplating whether to divulge the next set of memories.

[One day I tried to act on those impulses. I was probably pushing past twenty-five feet long at the time, but Rooker was still willing to wrestle with me despite my towering stature. Shortly after we started, I decided to make my move but instead lost my balance and proceeded to nearly suffocate the man under the weight of my hips. I also broke one of his arms in the process as my scaly ass rolled over it once I registered his muffled shouts and tried to recover.]

Rose let out a shaky breath and took another few moments to pacify her own set of tremors.

[After that day, I refused to let the games continue and pulled myself into my protective shell, afraid that I'd hurt him again if that part of me was allowed to surface. Worse still, I caused Rooker to unconsciously flinch while in my presence for nearly a month. Of course, he claimed that I was only imagining things and that nothing had changed between us. I…only kept growing, and even though the human continued to shrink before my eyes, the urges only intensified.]

The serpent shifted her body in order to momentarily gaze upon the downed pad of sketches. Despite her attempts to hide it, a sense of longingness entered her eyes.

[Now…I'm more confused than ever. You saw it yourself; those sketches aren't even of me. They're idealized versions of me as I fail to cope with the fact that I'll likely never find someone who can see past my size or the monstrous features that come wrapped along with it. Even today, I think that if I just fix those things, I'll be accepted and treated as a human. It's…rather pitiful really. I'm built like a tank but have the backbone of a jellyfish.]

Rose looked back at the ground and allowed the sound of the nearby waterfall to drown out her silence. As for Adrian, he was at a loss for words. Back in New Providence, there were more than a few times where he had to play psychiatrist because Marmalade thought that she had missed her monthly shed, or after Jara had been told that she'd be parting ways with her favorite plasma cannon. Hell, even Sprout once sought him out after she had suffered insult in a local park.

The man quickly caught himself before he dipped further into the past. The point was that those things seemed to be so much easier to address than what Rose was currently going through. She was looking for answers and the cold truth was that all of them would lead her to ruin. Much as he'd enjoyed the company, the harsh realities of her genetics still remained: Rose was likely a ticking time bomb and could very well be dead within the next year should the degenerative traits of her ancestry take hold. Of course, all of this was conjecture until he actually took a look at her genome, which he wasn't yet ready to do.

While Adrian was not her keeper, he figured that he could at least direct her Rooker's way.

“And you haven't spoken to Rooker about this since? If you still feel something, why not approach him about it?"

[And tell him what? That I want him to use my expansive body as a space heater while he eats me out? I'm not brave enough to approach him directly on the topic. Besides, I've been trying to flirt like in the magazines. They said that an interested male would be immediately receptive and I'd then be swept off of my tail. However, the closest I got to success was when he called me 'friend' and then lifted my 'toe,' which were sadly mixed messages so I tried a couple of more times, but Rooker just turned into a stuttering mess afterwards. Clearly, it's not working and human males are much more difficult to understand than I thought.]

The viper then crossed her arms across her ample chest and gave an indignant pout. Adrian wasn't even going to try to unpack that. However, he'd at least give her one final nudge in the pilot's direction.

“I still think that Rooker deserves to know. You might be surprised by the outcome."

[No, it's better for both of us if I just live in my own little fantasy world. Besides, I've destroyed his life enough already. I don't want to lose him. And if keeping him safe means that those urges never get sated, then so be it.]

While her message seemed resolute, the pained expression that she gave afterwards told him otherwise.

“I'm…sorry that you feel that way."

[No you aren't, Adrian. You really don't care about me or my kind. But then again, I can't really blame you for it. Regardless, if you have even a sliver of sympathy for the abomination that sits before you, you'll honor her wishes to keep Rooker in the dark. While he may not love me in the same manner that I love him, I refuse to allow anyone to destroy the life that he has built for us, even if that life is currently in the midst of crumbling down around us.]

The serpent before him clearly had her own internal demons that could not be fixed overnight. He actually felt bad for Rose, but there was no use discussing the matter if their relationship was likely to be only temporary in nature. While they had made great initial strides on his end, he probably wouldn't lose sleep over what occurred on her side of the aisle. Even so, the doctor had once given an oath that he'd like to think still meant something. There was still a woman trapped inside that suit of armor, so he wouldn't go against his patient's wishes.

Adrian sighed and pushed himself back to his feet, moving a hand into his pocket to feel the back of his wooden box and momentarily brushing his fingers over the burnt A&A lettering. He then looked down at the stuffed cobra at his feet and was filled with thoughts of his beautiful nightingale.

“I…won't fight you on the matter since it seems like you've made up your mind. But speaking from experience, love can flourish in the most unexpected of places and between the most unlikely of pairs."

Adrian then knelt down to scoop up Rose's large plushie off the ground, turning to focus all of his attention on the viper's crimson eyes as he began to make his way towards her massive body. Thankfully, the memory continued to remain shackled within the deepest depths of his mind.

He had taken his first step, then another, and then another. Slowly but surely the little doctor closed the distance between him and the wall of scales in front of him, which soon parted and allowed him access to the serpent's slumped torso. He was soon forced to strain his neck to track the crimson barriers that prevent him from swerving out of his lane.

However, fear soon took hold and forced him to close his eyes out of instinct, yet still, his feet carried him towards his destination. He then felt the earth beneath him shake on both sides of him as the serpent no doubt surrounded its prey. What a fool he was to think that—

The doctor suddenly ran into something soft, eliciting a soft grunt that originated right in front of him. The human flinched and opened his eyes to find himself staring at the top of a striped snout, its owner directing her hot breath away from him and continuing to hold him in her protective gaze. The pleasant aroma of French vanilla filled his nostrils.

The viper had somehow come to contort her large body in order to meet him halfway. A pair of muscular pillars sprouted on either side of him and Rose had to practically lie on her stomach for them to meet at similar heights. The rest of her body felt so far away, but the little doctor remained steadfast as he stared into the serpent's eyes. For the first time since his arrival, his mind allowed him to fully register their human-like qualities.

“I-I figured that you'd want David back before I departed your home. I can understand if you wish to be alone right now. Don't worry, y-your secret is safe with me."

He felt movement to his side, but still managed to keep himself together as a section of red tail was pulled into view and stopped next to him. Adrian then pushed out his arms in order to return the miniature cobra to its owner, setting David on Rose's outstretched tail and then taking a series of long strides backwards. With the addition of extra space, the viper shifted her snout upwards and silently mouthed, “thank you."

Adrian allowed a small smile to form on his face as he turned to make his way towards the exit. However, the man was stopped in his tracks as a black sphere rebounding off of the cavern floor caught his attention. Its kinetic energy soon dissipated and the baseball-sized object made contact with his feet.

“What in the world?"

As he picked it up, its once flickering red light turned a steady green, yet nothing happened as far as the human was concerned. However, further appraisal of the sphere was halted as a monumental crash suddenly came from behind him. The man pivoted on his heels to find Rose's enormous body sprawled out in a similar manner as before, except that it was now convulsing in place. Her eyes had shifted to predacious slits and moved to meet an unknown threat. The intimidating fangs also stood erect and began to pool an alarming amount of venom under a maw that shook alongside the rest of her body.

“Rose?"

Five armed guards suddenly appeared at his side, one moved to take the sphere from his hands while the others pointed their rifle barrels at the paralyzed viper. Another man came into view and was transferred the device. He wore a white lab coat and a pair of transparent spectacles. A salt and pepper beard covered his face and long brown hair sprouted from the top of his head.

The last figure continued to balance the black sphere in one of his hands as he came to kneel beside the convulsing alien, running a hand along the outside edges of her hood and brushing past her petals.

“Apologies Delta, I had no intention of testing the device out on you at this moment in time, but you made my life rather difficult these past twenty-four hours and chose to slither off with the good doctor. I'm afraid that I simply can't take any more chances."

The viper's tremors continued as she remained transfixed on her prey, which stood back up and shifted their attention to him.

“I trust that you're okay, Doctor Fairchild? You gave us quite the scare when you were nowhere to be found inside the observation wing. I know you're no fair maiden and probably know your way around a viper more than any of us, but Subject Delta has taken prisoners in the past. All were released unharmed of course, but I fear that the childish outcries for 'companionship' may yet shift into something much more malevolent."

“I'm sorry, you have me at a disadvantage…"

The other man's eyes lit up in understanding and he shifted his body to fully face Adrian.

“Oh, of course, doctor! Manners make the man after all. My full title is Doctor Werner Emmerich Hoffman, but you may refer to me as Dr. Hoffman for short."

Hoffman then took a dramatic bow before continuing.

“I'm the newly appointed Chief Scientist of this dark corner of the world. You've no doubt conversed with my…predecessor, Dr. Vahlen, but all that will come later. For now, let us depart this containment cell and free you of its reptilian inhabitants."

Adrian shifted his attention to the downed viper, still shaking in a pool of her own venom.

“And the viper…"

Dr. Hoffman smirked and then appeared to disengage the device in his hands.

“Will ride out the remains of the episode and then be right as rain. However, while the first field trial appears to have been a success, I fear that Subject Delta will be quite upset once she regains full control of her body. I don't know about you, Dr. Fairchild, but I'd rather have reinforced walls between us and her once she begins to throw her next temper tantrum."

With that, Dr. Hoffman moved to pat him twice on the shoulder before departing alongside his guards towards the exit. Adrian looked back to see the stuffed cobra now lying face down on the ground. His owner's crimson eyes were in the middle of producing small streams and now pleading for the doctor to stay. She had promised him earlier that no bodily harm would befall the little human. And while the viper had kept her word thus far, history had taught him to fear their wrath.

“Come, Dr. Fairchild, we must make up for lost time and there is much to discuss!"

The human gave the alien one last look and made his decision, turning towards the exit while gripping his wooden box in a set of shaky hands. He then proceeded forward in order to be reunited with the rest of his kind.