A Friend

Aleksandr stood where he had been before Zinc and Angel left after Zinc had practically shoved him into the small building, he was frozen in place a moment before the door slamming shut made him jump. He turned and stared at the door for a few moments before he tried the handle. He was met with a locked door. 

"They locked me in?!" Aleksandr hissed jerking the door again in his frustration. He had to leave, he needed to get to Ilya. He needed to see his son, but Zinc had made it very clear that if he didn't do what they said Ilya's life was forfeit. And that they would bring Ilya to him in a few days after he had some time to work on his research. No doubt that time would feel like moths. 

He really did not like that Zinc had custody of his child, it made something deep inside him itch. A protectiveness that was always there, but seemed to be even more prominent, scratching at the corners of his mind. He shook his head to try and alleviate his thoughts, and when that didn't work he took to exploring his new prison. 

The room that the front door (he assumed it was the front door at least) was in was something of a makeshift lab with a large and empty table in the middle of the room. The lab was rudimentary for his standards, but as he examined all of the beakers, microscopes, centrifuges and a small fridge and other items, he decided that he would be able to do most of his work here. There was a stack of memo pads in a corner for notes and then the three binders of his own research notes. Zinc had mentioned that they would get him any supplies he needed, so he figured he might ask for something sooner or later. To his left was a small living space, complete with a dresser (not like zinc had let him grab any clothes to actually use it though) and a bed. Well bed was a gracious term, it was more so a cot, and looking at it and then down at his body he didn't think he'd be sleeping very comfortably for a while. In fact, he wasn't sure how's he get any sleep at all wit how large his lower half was. Normal centipedes curled into balls to sleep, so maybe that would work for him? But that was a question for another time. 

He sighed and walked back out into the small lab and into the third room to his right. It was mostly empty, save for a sink, mirror and...a large cage? Heaven knew what he would need that for. Or for all he knew Zinc could plan to lock him in it if he didn't do something they wanted. With a shudder he walked straight ahead and found a small bathroom with another sink, toilet and shower. So at least he'd be able to clean himself, he noted to himself that he wanted a shower sooner than later. He felt gross. He turned to leave and as he was nearly past the second room with the cage, his passed the mirror and stopped, having caught his reflection. He hadn't actually seen his reflection since well...everything had happened that afternoon. 

He froze a moment before he slowly crept up towards the mirror, the "click clicking" of his legs on the concrete seemed so much louder than they had moments before. Aleksandr stopped and turned away before he approached the mirror, afraid to look in it. 

"Stop this," he scolded himself. "You can not ignore your reflection forever! Might as well get it over with!" He inhaled and sighed deeply before he turned to look at his reflection, and his heart dropped. Staring back at him was, well, him but not him. His antennae stood up straighter in his shock, staring back at him were pale yellow eyes, not hazel ones. He took in the rest of his reflection and noted the black and red freckle like markings that covered most of his face. The two mandibles the grew from his jaw under his now pointed and inhuman ears, pulled closer to his face in his discomfort. He barely looked human, no he didn't look human. He looked like a monster. 

Without a second thought he growled and slammed his right fist into the glass, shattering it with the force of the punch. He winced on habit and pulled his fist away and examined his knuckles, expecting to see blood and bits of glass in his skin, but he saw the opposite. Nothing. The chitin of his hands entirely protected him and despite slamming his fist into glass, he came away wholly unscathed. 

He pulled his unharmed fist to his chest and tears begin to fill his eyes. The events of the day finally hitting him all at once and looking at the monster he'd become was the last straw. He slid down the wall and to the floor sobbing, fat tears rolling down his freckled cheeks and pattering on the cold cement floor. He curled into himself trying to make himself small as he sobbed. 

A knock on the door followed by keys jiggling in the lock made him jump. He looked up, rubbing furiously at his eyes trying to will himself to stop crying, and prayed that this surprise visitor wasn't Zinc. He knew that they would torment him if they stumbled upon him sobbing his eyes out. He cleared his throat, straightened up and wiped at his eyes again with his arms. 

"Hey Alek, sorry to barge in but uh, I wanted to talk!" Angel called. Aleksandr sighed relieved, he liked Angel. Angel seemed like a good person, or as much as one could be working for Zinc. For all he knew Angel was in a similar situation to him. 

"I am in here!" He called from the room. The sound of the door shutting behind him followed by shoes told Aleksandr that Angel was walking towards him. Upon entering the room, Angel noticed the shattered glass and that Aleksandr had obviously been crying moments before. His eyes even still look watery. 

"Alek are you ok? This is a lot I know-" 

"NO I AM NOT OK!" Aleksandr snarled as what little composure he has managed amass shattered like the mirror. Tears began to slide down his cheeks again. "My life has fallen apart around me in the span of just a few hours! I have been turned into a monster and I do not know where my baby is!" Aleksandr stood still for a moment, hands clenched and shaking, before he began to sob again and doubled over. 

"Woah, woah!" Angel said startled. He watched Aleksandr cry for a moment, unsure of what to do. He didn't know him very well. He leaned down and placed a hand on Aleksandr's back and rubbed. His chitin felt cool, sleek and hard against Angel's palm. "You're alright..." 

Aleksandr continued to cry for a good few minutes while Angel offered comforting words. He sniffed and sat back against the wall. Aleksandr rubbed at his eyes again. "Thank you Angel. I am sorry that I lost my composure there. Today has just been...a lot." 

"It's ok, I'd be worried if you weren't upset in some degree." Angel replied. "Do you feel a little better?" 

"Yes and no." Aleksandr sighed. More accurately he felt like a run out wash cloth. "You said you wanted to speak with me?"

"Oh! Yes, I wanted to tell you about your kid." 

That got his attention immediately. "What about Ilya? Is he ok?!" 

"Yeah, yeah! He's fine," Angel quickly said before adding, "I don't know where Zinc is holding him though. So I wanted to let you know I'm that I'm going to be keeping an ear out for that and I'll let you know if I hear anything." 

Aleksandr's pale yellow eyes widened. "You would help me find my son?" He asked in disbelief. "But you do not even know me! You just met me today!" 

"That's true, but I'm not a bad person. Well not Zinc bad, I'm not great though..." he frowned trailing off. "But! You seem like a good guy, and I know Zinc did you dirty and I want to help you as much as I can." 

Without stopping to think, Aleksandr threw his arms around Angel and hugged him tightly. "Oh thank you, thank you so much...!" 

Angel sat on his knees a with his arms to his sides a little stunned, but returned Aleksandr's hug after a moment. "Of course, you're welcome."