Archive of Our Own ^beta

Dottore didn’t particularly care where his test subjects came from. Usually, they were easy to procure, especially when Crucabena was still around — curse Arlecchino and her refusal to cooperate — but he was willing to go the extra mile if it meant he had someone to work with. 

That situation was rare, though. He knew who to go to when he needed subjects; he had his sources.

But Pulcinella was not one of them, which was why, when he approached Dottore with a proposal, the Doctor was taken aback with a fit of laughter.

“I am being serious, Doctor,” Pulcinella said once he’d recovered; the creased eyebrows and set frown on his face were almost enough to set Dottore off again. “I have someone I’d like you to look over.” 

“Ah, Pulcinella — I simply never thought I’d see the day when you started engaging seriously in science. Tell me, who is this test subject, and where did you get them?” 

Pulcinella scowled. “He is not a test subject. He is someone I’ve been working closely with for a while now; I believe he has great potential. I merely want to know where that potential comes from. Think of him more as a patient.”

Oh? How intriguing. Pulcinella was not only bringing him someone for the first time, but bringing him someone he seemingly cared about. Fascinating. “And what would you have me do with him?”

Pulcinella paused, as if considering something, before sighing and forging onwards. “I would like you to confirm if he is human or not. He has advanced rapidly, especially for his young age, and there are rumors flying around that his strength is… otherworldly. That he may be some sort of monster disguised as a human.” He chuckled. “Some even think he was created by you.”

The reluctant look on Pulcinella’s face made it oh-so-clear he would’ve preferred to keep the information to himself, but then he wouldn’t be able to confirm his suspicions, would he? 

“And you have not been able to discover anything by yourself?” Dottore said. “Why not ask him?” Simple, but oftentimes the simplest methods were the most effective.

Pulcinella shook his head. “He is… resistant regarding any sort of discussion around his past. I did some poking around in his hometown, and there were some strange happenings there shortly before he joined the Fatui, but the cause is still unknown.” 

Frustratingly vague. But no matter; if Dottore would be running tests on this specimen soon, he could get his answers then. 

Fascinating. Someone who appears to be a young human, but is likely hiding something more… there was an itching curiosity in Dottore to get the results of the tests. Who knew what they could be used for?

“I am free two days from now. You may bring him in then.” Dottore waved his hand in dismissal and went to return to his work.

Pulcinella’s voice rose again. “Oh, and one more thing…” Dottore turned just in time to see a dark shadow fall across Pulcinella’s face; it seemed as though the already-freezing room dropped a few degrees. “If you hurt him, I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your life.”

Truly fascinating. 

Dottore flashed a grin full of sharp teeth. “Of course, dear Mayor. I would never dream of such a thing.”

The lab was ready two days later for the… patient’s visit. Nothing was out of the ordinary for a doctor’s office; the examination table was clean and only the necessary tools were out. 

Really, it wasn’t too different from how Dottore usually kept the lab, but seeing as this patient was not like those he usually worked with, he figured he should try his utmost best to not scare him (or Pulcinella) away. It would be a shame to lose out on further opportunities for collaboration just because of an untidy workplace.

There was a knock on the door at twelve o’clock sharp; Dottore opened it to find Pulcinella right up front, as he’d expected, and behind him a teenage boy — perhaps fifteen or sixteen — with ginger hair wearing a Fatui uniform and a level expression. Even behind Pulcinella, he towered over his superior, almost twice the height of the elf.

“Come in,” Dottore said as he stepped aside and gestured to the lab. 

As they entered, his gaze remained on the boy, and the boy’s gaze remained on him; their eyes were locked in a show-down of sorts, each sizing the other up. Eventually, Pulcinella spoke, and Dottore conceded to turn his attention to his fellow Harbinger. He could tell the boy would not give up, anyways; even then, he could still feel his stare on him.

Already, Dottore could tell the boy wasn’t normal. Pulcinella did the right thing by bringing him there.

“Ajax, this is the Doctor, the second Fatui Harbinger,” Pulcinella said. “Doctor, this is the patient I told you about. I trust everything will go smoothly.” There was an edge to his voice, and he gave Dottore a warning look.

Dottore merely chuckled. “Of course. Have faith in me; I know what I’m doing.” He gestured to the door. “You can leave him with me. The examination will only take an hour or two at most.”

Pulcinella frowned. “Do you really need me gone? I would be more comfortable if I could observe the procedure.”

Dottore’s smile grew ever more impatient as Pulcinella planted his feet and cane. He needed time alone with Ajax without any of Pulcinella’s meddling or interjections. The boy had already shown resistance to discussing his humanity with Pulcinella; his presence could bury any revelations that might arise during the testing process.

Then Ajax spoke up for the first time. “I can handle it.”

Both harbingers turned to stare at him, Pulcinella’s expression incredulous and Dottore’s smile morphing into barely-contained delight.

“My boy, are you sure?” Pulcinella said. “I would really be more comfortable staying.”

Ajax snorted. “I’m not some kid. I can do this on my own.”

“See? He agrees you should leave,” Dottore said, ushering Pulcinella to the door. “He will be perfectly normal when he returns. Now, shoo.”

The door shut with Pulcinella on the other side, and Dottore and Ajax were left facing each other.

Ajax narrowed his eyes at Dottore. “Pulcinella told me this is just a checkup to make sure I’m healthy enough to advance further in the Fatui. Is that true?”

So Pulcinella was hiding the truth from him, was he? Quite amusing how they refused to discuss things with each other. And even with his suspicions, Ajax was still willing to go through the “checkup” alone? It was a little admirable, though idiotic.

“Perhaps,” Dottore said. “Today is just a simple examination; we will have to see after that.”

“That’s not a very straightforward answer.”

Dottore chuckled. “Does it need to be straightforward? All you need to know is that I’ll be examining you today and will get the results later. What happens then depends on the results.”

“What do you need the results for?”

This boy was incessant, wasn’t he? Good; questioning things was a good quality to have. Didn’t mean Dottore had to answer those questions, though. “That is a matter between Pulcinella, the other harbingers, and me. You do not rank high enough to be privy to that information.” 

Ajax tilted his head and narrowed his eyes further, an irritated frown tugging at his lips. “Can you at least make me stronger?” 

So Ajax did want something from this examination. And what a question to ask; Dottore could see how he’d made it so high in the Fatui’s ranking in such little time.

He let his shark-tooth grin spread across his face. “We’ll see about that,” he said, and made a sweeping gesture to the examination table. “Now, shall we begin?”

The testing process went smoothly enough; Ajax was cooperative as Dottore drew his blood and measured his vital signs — all seemed normal enough, though he stored the blood away for further testing later. 

In a specialized room made for measuring elemental energy, Dottore had Ajax demonstrate his fighting skills and proficiency with his Vision against a training dummy. The level of Hydro was regular, though Dottore hadn’t been expecting much from that area of testing; even non-humans could get Visions, after all. 

Still, he asked to examine it, and Ajax handed it over with a bit of reluctance. There was nothing out of the ordinary with it, but when Dottore asked how he’d gotten it, he simply said “I don’t know.”

The first unusual thing so far. Dottore made a note of it, but didn’t press further; verbal interrogation wasn’t his job. He could let Pulcinella take care of that.

After an hour of testing, everything was turning up frustratingly normal — he was really relying on that blood sample to show something fruitful — until he finally decided to take the leap and ask more directly. There was still the disappointing possibility that Ajax was just a human after all — a human with great talent and work ethic, but a human nonetheless — but the rumors of him being a monster or a creation of Dottore himself were too great to pass by. 

The reluctance to discuss parts of life were significant, too. He was hiding something.

Before wrapping up and dismissing Ajax, Dottore took his shot and asked “Do you have anything else you would like to show me? Anything pertaining to unique physiological features you may possess?”

And there it was: the hesitation. Ajax paused and his eyes flicked away just for a moment. “...No,” he said, but Dottore had already seen everything he needed. 

He let the corner of his lips twitch up imperceptibly. So there was something more; how fascinating. He would find out what it was eventually; he had all the time in the world. 

The next few days were spent analyzing the blood sample. It didn’t resemble the ichor of the gods, nor did it seem to have any divine properties at all, so Dottore ruled out the possibility of Ajax being a godly being; he didn’t have that air about him, anyway.

But then the idea struck him: what if he had something to do with the Abyss? The idea on its own was intriguing enough to prod further; a teenage boy, somehow the product of that dark realm? It was unheard of, and that made Dottore all the more excited to investigate further.

A few more tests confirmed his suspicions. Feeding it to small mice caused them to react abnormally, and exposing it to the vestiges of Abyssal energy Dottore possessed in his lab caused the blood itself to react in a way that suggested it was akin to the energy. Some more prodding and testing, and he made it show its true colors: the deep purple and black of the Abyss. 

He could feel giddiness rise inside at the revelation — who knew what discoveries he could make by studying the boy — but squashed it down immediately. However frustrating it may be, Pulcinella would kill him if he tried anything without his or the boy’s consent. 

But then again… the Abyss was an enemy of the Fatui. Though they may study it, it was still a dangerous force and hostile to all of humanity. Pierro wouldn’t take the presence of a product of that realm in their troops lightly.

Perhaps, if the director were to learn about this development… Dottore could earn a new test subject. 

He sighed. No, there was no use in getting excited now; he didn’t know how things would turn out. He just had to hope that they would end up in his favor.

A few hours after Dottore had made the breakthrough in his studies, there was a knock at the door of his lab, signaling Pulcinella’s presence.

“Come in.”

Pulcinella swung the door open and approached, but still stayed a foot or two away. “Have you discovered anything?” he asked.

“I do believe I have.” Dottore tilted the vial of blood, the purple hue mixing and swirling within its glass confines. 

Pulcinella studied the vial, his eyes taking in every inch. Dottore didn’t explain what it meant; he could tell from Pulcinella’s face that he understood immediately.

“I had my suspicions,” Pulcinella finally murmured, "but it is certainly something else to have them confirmed.”

“You want him to advance, yes?”

Pulcinella nodded; his eyes didn’t leave the vial. 

“He doesn’t have much further to go before the only higher position is Harbinger.” 

“I am aware.”

“It’s a dangerous game to play, Pulcinella. The Abyss is our enemy too, you know. What would Pierro think if you suggested someone on their side?”

“He’s not on their side,” Pulcinella retorted, a little harshly. “And a Harbinger with Abyssal properties would be an asset; Pierro is also aware of that.”

Disgruntedly, Dottore supposed that was true. Having someone with Ajax’s properties on their side would certainly be beneficial, especially in their war against the Heavenly Principles, but still… the research…

Pulcinella turned to leave. “I need the results written up as thoroughly as possible. Send the report, signed, to my office as soon as you can.”

The matter was out of Dottore’s hands, then; it was all up to Pierro’s choice. He supposed it wasn’t too bad; even if Ajax became a Harbinger, there would still be opportunities for collaboration, even if Dottore wouldn’t have as much… freedom as he liked.

Whatever happened, things were about to get interesting.