Work Text:
needyourblood whispers to you: We need to talk.
Katie stared at the cryptic message on her communicator, her thumb hovering over the "send" button as she'd just typed out her own message: "Can we meet?"
Deleting the row of text, she responded a quick affirmation, requesting they meet in his lab. Her HQ wasn't safe anymore— it felt as if the entire island was listening to her every word. Nothing of what she was about to say could get out.
needyourblood whispers to you: Okay. Come quick.
He'd always messaged this way, Katie reassured herself. It wasn't uncommon for his words to be so cold— so blunt. Yet now, it felt like they were laced with an anxious undertone, or even worse, anger.
The CNE Worker couldn't have told him the truth. Katie made sure everything was well concealed, that way she'd be the one to break the news. Without her side of the story, she feared Multi would lose all faith in her. That she'd truly be alone.
Katie made her way to the waystone sat on the front yard of her HQ. She tried her best to avert her eyes from the framed photograph of Multi and Nacho hanging on the wall. It felt as if it the weight of it, the fleeting feeling of paternal joy it held, bore heavy on her walk of shame.
As she stepped outside, rain pelleted her head, causing her to pull up the black and blood red hood she now adorned. She could only imagine that her new clothing would add insult to injury— but it was necessary to truly seal the deal.
Katie scrolled through the locations on the waystone, looking for 'CNE Reactor'. It shouldn't have ever came to this— she longed for the days when it was a debate of whether she'd go to KFC, or take a new client at therapy, or go pester Mr. J back on his island. Things had spiraled too far, and it was up to her to spool everything back into control.
In seconds, she found herself within Multi's reactor. He didn't wait for her at the entrance; though, she figured she knew where he was.
She walked through the cave, made her way through decontamination, and stepped into the eerily quiet, sterile laboratory. Her attention was immediately drawn to Nacho's room— the hidden door standing agape for all to see. Katie could just barely see the shadows of someone pacing within the room.
Sweat began coating her palms, and she anxiously tried rubbing them on her robes to ease herself. Her bottom lip was worried between her teeth as she slowly ascended the metal stairs, up to Nacho's room, up to the broken shards of what she once called 'family'.
"Multi?" Katie spoke, apprehensively. That seemed to snap him out of his restless pacing, as he suddenly froze to stare at her.
His pupils were blown, under eyes puffy and red with stress. He wasted no time in his questioning:
"Where is Nacho?" his voice shook.
Katie couldn't meet his eyes, "see, that's what I wanted to talk about. You have to trust me on this—"
"Where is Nacho?" he spat, again. Katie couldn't tell if the glow she saw in his eyes was real, or simply a figment of her imagination.
He continued, "my employee told me— you know what happened. You know where he is. Where is Nacho?"
Multi's breath came in short bursts, and it was clear his nerves were kicking back in. He didn't have the time for Katie to draw this out, he needed to know where his son was— if he was okay.
"Nacho is fine," Katie began, "or— he— he'll be okay. I know he'll be okay," she stammered, wringing her hands behind her back. "I have a plan. It's gonna work, it has to work. It'll all be okay, trust me!"
She finally looked up to meet his gaze. He didn't bother asking again, as his eyes said everything.
"I," she hesitated, "the Dark Worker made me choose. I had to make a decision, and—"
"You gave up Nacho," Multi finished her sentence. "You gave up our son. For powers? O kurwa."
"No, no! It's not like that, I swear."
"You already have power. Aldo and I are the most powerful people on this island. You have— you had power by keeping my trust. What were you thinking?" his voice was growing louder with each word.
"No, no, no. Multi, please, I have a plan. Those powers— I'll use them to save Nacho. To save Tomate, to save Pepino, to stop Dark Cucurucho—!"
"How do you know they didn't scam you? Do you even have any powers to show for it? Or did you trade my son for nothing." The word "my" hung in the air. Who was she to hand over Nacho as if she was the only one who had a say in it?
At that, she paused. It had been days since she made the deal, and she had yet to receive any powers. She mentally scolded herself, "why would you fall for that? How gullible are you?"
"It doesn't matter. Just— look at all of the information I got! This'll help us get Nacho back," she shoved the pictures and notes she'd taken into his hands.
Multi skimmed through the papers. Coordinates of the Temple and prison, photos of each cell, vital information on the strengths and weaknesses of Dark Cucurucho— it all proved useful, but the idea of Nacho being poked and prodded on by them stuck to the forefront of Multi's mind.
"See? And I have so much more inside knowledge. Dark Cucurucho trusts me— they'll never see it coming."
"What is 'it'?" he finally asked. "You've yet to tell me your real 'plan'. Unless you expect to talk things out, as you usually do."
She chose to ignore the jab at her problem solving skills, "I can't tell you. I don't need you getting involved— I can't risk you getting hurt."
"But you can risk Nacho getting hurt, tak," he seethed.
That one struck harder than the rest of his jives. It wasn't like Katie hadn't wept every night, constantly reminiscing the cries of her baby being taken away. Part of her wished he hadn't gotten a new voice, that way she wouldn't have to hear the way he stopped asking "mama, why?" and instead "dada, help".
This mission was her penance. She knew her life was on the line, yet she thought taking that the risk was hardly enough of a reparation for what she'd done. No matter if she lived or died, Katie knew Nacho would never trust her again.
Her communicator pinged— Dark Worker whispered to you: Where are you?
"Co to jest?" Multi asked, peering at the screen. His face fell when he saw the ominous question.
"It's nothing. I really shouldn't be here," she started, "I'm supposed to stay put in the Nether for now."
She saw a look of concern wash over his face, "but I'll be fine. Nacho will be back today, I promise."
"But will you be back?"
Katie paused, the pregnant silence returning. It seemed that she herself didn't have a defiant answer to that question.
"Nacho will be back," she said a second time.
Dark Worker whispered to you: You were supposed to stay in the Nether. Where are you?
An exhausted sigh left her mouth as she shoved the communicator in her backpack. Before she took out her warpstone, preparing to face whatever wrath awaited her in the Nether, she decided to try it just one last time.
Katie extended her arms out for a hug, entirely preparing for the gesture to not be reciprocated.
What she wasn't expecting was for Multi to all but fling himself into the hug, his arms wrapping around her and clinging like a lifeline. She would've laughed at the situation, had it not been under such grim circumstances.
"Multi, I—" she cut herself off as she heard faint sniffling come from the scientist. A hiccuped gasp burst from his throat as he pitifully attempted to not fall apart.
"Please," his voice wavered, "be careful. I want our entire family back— not just part of it."
Katie choked back her own tears. Now wasn't the time to cry. She didn't get the right to cry— she'd got them into this whole situation. For now, she'd have to stay strong. For Multi, for Nacho, and for herself.
"I will."