Subject Child (BBSx Reader GTAverse)

~/35\~

~*^Your POV^*~

I slowly woke up. Everything hurt, and my only thoughts would go to before I burned out, to the promise I made my BloodyRose. That I wouldn't let her be forgotten so easily. But fear still lingered in my chest. I had remembered everything else that had happened however long ago it was. They had found me. They had seen me covered in fire. Kryoz had recognized me. Worst of all, I was back in our base. I was more than thankful to be out of HDMP's grip, but I don't know what I could do anymore. After three months of experiments, I have no clue if something uncontrollable might happen. I kept my eyes closed and listened as a ringing in my ears finally started to fade. I could feel six people around me, talking. I could recognize Delirious, Mini and Terrorizer, and I believe I heard Kryoz, Smiity and Vanoss. They were arguing over something.

"—explaining to do." Vanoss ordered. Explaining? About what? "You guys weren't telling us something when Hound was gone. Kryoz and I had seen her covered from head to toe in fire. Is that the something we want to know?" Someone swallowed, then there was shuffling. "Well?"

"Okay, fine," Delirious started, "we had known about Hounds...'abilities' since the day we had first had trouble with Ohm and Cartoonz."

"You mean your guys rampage?" I assumed that someone nodded, since no one confirmed Vanoss' statement verbally.

"She shot out several cop cars and a helicopter with her flames." Terrorizer continued. "That was the day she had told us about HDMP."

"And the day we had learned that she would do anything to take them down," Mini intersected, "even if it meant getting caught." There was silence and more shuffling, before the sound of someone at my side. That someone placed a hand against my forehead, and I did all I could from flinching at the unexpected touch.

"Is that the reason why she has all these scars?" Kryoz asked from above me.

"We don't know. This is the first time we've seen her face." Delirious admitted. Someone sighed, and I felt Kryoz's thumb rub my forehead. It was comforting, and I surprised myself when I felt saddened as his hand left my forehead. I reached out with my heat, marking where everyone was. I didn't want to be around them. Not when I had no clue what was running through my veins at this current moment. So, when they left, I would book it. I would need to find some kind of window or something. I could draw in heat and use my flames to lower myself from the building. I wouldn't leave Los Santos. I would just try and stay far from the others until I knew that I wasn't a danger. It might take another couple of months, but if it meant protecting my boys, than it would be worth it.

"Do you think she's safe to be around anymore?" Smiity asked now. It was silent for a few minutes.

"She had the ability to kill all of us at will," Vanoss mumbled, "if she wanted to be rid of us, she could have done it a long time ago. I would say that unless she does it intentionally, she won't be a threat. But we don't know if all those HDMP people are dead. So, we should be on high alert." There was more shuffling, and some people left the room. Only three remained.

"What exactly happened when you found her?" Delirious questioned softly. I heard someone let out a shaky breath.

"She was... she didn't seem human at first." Kryoz said carefully. "Coated from head to toe in fire. Burning up anyone who she dared touch. I thought she was another kind of experiment of theirs. I only recognized her when she faced us fully, and I saw the colour of her eyes, floating as orbs in a orange face. She approached us, and that's when I knew it was her. No one could be that dangerous yet not harm someone." I heard clothes rustle together, then felt one heat source lean into another. Some kind of comfort being shared between the two. Someone let out a humourless chuckle.

"I thought she wouldn't recognize us," Kryoz continued, "I thought that the second she came close to us, we would have been killed. I... Ive never been that scared of a person. It was absolutely terrifying, just seeing this pillar of fire that was actually a person float up to you. And when she finally dropped it and collapsed into me, she just wouldn't stop mumbling 'bloody rose'. I thought it was a promise made against the people that took her. But now I think it means something more." My breath hitched, and I felt the others turn to me. I quietly mumbled under my breath, hoping to make it seem like I was merely dreaming. But I couldn't stop myself from mumbling her name along with it, making it a little more audible.

"You mean like that?" Smiity questioned quietly.

"Yeah." Kryoz said sadly. It sounded like he knew. Like he understood that I was referring to someone. They remained silent for a while longer, before someone sighed one last time.

"We should go and let her rest." Delirious stated. I felt the others nod before they turned and left the room. They closed the door quietly behind them. I finally opened my eyes, only to close them against the bright yet still dark lights. Who would have thought that even a small shift in lighting would affect me like that?

But now, I would have to act fast. I stayed on the table, listening and feeling around with heat. Once every signature of heat was gone, I moved.

~*Brock's POV*~

I sat on the couch, my elbows braced against my thighs as I rested my face in my palms. We got her back, but something didn't seem right. The way that Kryoz had said that she seemed terrified to be in their presence had set something off in me. My thoughts kept running back to her, lying unconscious in the infirmary room upstairs. It was really just the guest room converted to accommodate her.

It's been an hour since we returned from that mountain range. Kryoz, Smiity, Panda and FourZero all returned to their base half an hour ago, needing the rest. We would be updating them about Hounds condition in the morning. Vanoss was talking with Ohm and Cartoonz in the heist room about what, I have no clue.

I heard something maybe like footsteps coming from upstairs. I slowly stood, and made my way to the staircase. I listened again, and heard that faint brushing of feet against the ground. I climbed the stairs and walked down the hallway. I nearly went past her room, but stopped when I heard the wind blowing outside. We had closed and locked her balcony doors. So then who was out there? I pushed open her bedroom door and froze. She had turned halfway to stare at me, one hand braced against the railing. She had her weapons strapped to her back. All except Icicle. She held my gaze.

"Hound?" I asked. "What are you doing?" Her eyes flicked behind me before returning to my face.

"I'm trying to protect you guys." She didn't even give me the time to ask what she meant when she hurled herself over the railing. I rushed forwards, trying to grab onto her. But I stood, shocked as I watched red and orange fall towards the ground, as it slowed closer to the earth. And then she was gone. I stared at where she was, before realization snapped into place.

She just ran. Out of what? Fear for herself? No. She said that she was protecting us. She ran to keep us out of harms reach. But harm from what? I whirled around and ran back down the stairs. Those who were present turned to me. Delirious was on his feet the second I reached the bottom step.

After all this time, we managed to get her back, only to have her leave again?

"What's wrong?" Delirious demanded. I looked at those around me. Nogla, Wildcat, Terrorizer, Lui, and Mini. I swallowed before opening my mouth.

"She ran." I answered. This got the others on their feet.

"What?!" Nogla exclaimed. I heard the others in the heist room go silent before they emerged.

"What's going on?" Vanoss asked, slightly annoyed. I looked at him over my shoulder.

"Hound ran. She said something about trying to protect us and ran." Vanoss paled.

"But how did she get by us?" Mini questioned. "We would have seen her go through the do-" I shook my head.

"She jumped off her balcony and used her 'ability' to get to the ground." I explained. The others went silent.

"But, why?" Ohm asked. I shook my head.

"Like I said, she wants to protect us."