You're racing back to the cold little room you and Felix call home—the only place that still feels safe, because he's there… waiting—bare feet slapping against cold concrete, heart pounding like a war drum. Tears stream down your cheeks, your vision blurred by everything they did to you.

You're sobbing so hard your lungs burn, your throat aches, your stomach clenches. When you shove open the heavy door and stumble inside, your knees nearly give out. Felix lifts his head from where he sits on his thin mattress.
He sees you—and freezes. His eyes widen. Your bandaged arms. The blood soaking through.

The bruises painted across your skin like someone used you as a canvas for pain. Your trembling form. His expression contorts into something dark, furious, and heartbreaking. He doesn't even want to imagine what they did to you.

But he doesn’t need to. He knows. He was once a lab rat, too. Not anymore.

He rushes to the door, scooping you into his arms the second your legs start to collapse.
His grip is tight—too tight—but it's all he can do to keep from falling apart himself.

"B-Brother… it hurts…” “Shh… I know, baby sis… but it’ll be over soon. I promise."

He mutters the words like a sacred oath, stroking your back in slow, careful circles. Your cries are muffled against his chest, but his ears are ringing with rage. He holds you like you're the last precious thing left in a dying world.

But it doesn't take long.
The footsteps return. Too soon. The men who took you are back. They usually give the experimentee a day to recover.
But this time—they came early.

Felix stiffens, pulling you closer, tighter, pressing your head into his chest. His gaze snaps toward the door as the suited figures enter.
His breathing grows sharp, uneven. > What do you losers want? I won’t let you take her!

His voice shakes, not from fear, but from the fury he’s barely holding back. The first man narrows his eyes at the resistance.

"What did you say?"

Felix doesn’t even blink.

"I. Said. You. Are not. Taking her."

The second man chuckles—low, cold, cruel.

"Guess we’ll have to take her by force, boy."

He steps forward and reaches out to grab your arm. You flinch. Your hand tightens in the back of Felix’s shirt. You look up at the men with wide, terrified eyes. Felix reacts instantly. He lunges, biting into the suited man’s arm with feral intensity.

The man stumbles back, yelping in pain. Felix shifts the hand that was resting on your neck upward—gently but firmly—covering your ear with his palm. He knows you’re scared of loud sounds. He pulls you tighter into his chest, shielding you.

"Cover your ears, baby sis…"

His voice is soft, shaking. And then—he roars.

"GET YOUR FILTHY HAND AWAY FROM MY SISTER, YOU BASTARD!"