Your Mind // 001 // ST4 SPOILERS

015 - Everything

[TW: graphic violence and mentions of self harm]

IMPORTANT: I'm changing Y/N's name to Josephine since I feel like Y/n doesn't really fit. Reminder: this doesn't mean you have to like the name, just think of it as a replacement for "Y/n"

"Now, Ten. I want you to find Mr. Ballard for me. Do you think you can do that?" Dr. Brenner slid a photograph across the table to the little boy, who nodded in compliance. It was his daily objective to find employees in the void to train his mind to get used to it.

The boy closed his eyes, searching within the darkness for the orderly in the photo.

"I found him."

"Good, now, can you describe what he's doing? What do you hear?" Mr. Brenner glanced at 010's brain activity being loaded.

"He's... talking. And there's music in the background," Ten illustrated with his brows furrowed.

"Music?"

"It's... calming. It's not like any kind of music I've heard before... He's laughing with someone." The boy smiled to the music.

"Can you describe the person he's with?"

The boy was silent for a moment, the muscles in his eyes tensed.

"It's... Zero. They're... close together. They look happy."

Brenner froze, his expression cold as stone. He stiffened his shoulders and eyed the orderly behind him.

"Music, you say? Do you know where it's coming from?"

"There's a... record player, I think. The black disc is spinning on some sort of... box."

"That bastard," Brenner muttered under his breath quiet enough for the boy to not hear. He knew where they were. "I thought I locked it shut."

He turned to the orderly behind him. "Prepare the control room while I handle this."

"Again."

The men in white plunged their tasers into Peter's chest, letting him convulse in the chair with agonizing screams. Blood dripped down his chin and onto his barely unbuttoned shirt, staining the purity of white.

"STOP! Let him go, please! Don't hurt him!" I screamed through tears as the guards' firm grip on me tightened, keeping me in place on my knees. I released choked sobs as my father barked orders of punishment again and again, watching with a stern but amused look. "Please, hurt me instead. I was the one that started this, not him."

"I should've known you would go behind my back with my daughter. As if I didn't see this coming," my father lectured under his breath, the room finally silent of the tasers. Peter's pained grunts echoed as he sat breathless in the chair. A guard struck him in the face to silence him.

"Quiet."

"Please, just let him go. He didn't do anything," I pleaded through broken sobs. "It's my fault."

"Josephine, don't—" Peter muttered before being struck again.

"I'm disappointed in you, daughter. I thought I told you to stay away from him, that there are rules in this place," my father snapped harshly with his head to me. His tone softened. "Why do you defend him? Was he not the one that watched plainly as you were being beaten—"

"Which were by your men. All of this happened because of your plans for power. Don't think that I'm clueless. I know why you pinned me against Two. You did it for power. To make all of those lab rats of yours turn against each other for your sick 'love'. You don't care about them. You care about their powers." I glared up at his shocked expression as the room fell completely silent.