anuclearpoweredsuperhero:
Martin didn’t respond to Ronnie’s comment; he knew they both changed each other for the better, but he didn’t exactly like to think about the day the wormhole exploded. He simply nodded, walking close to his old partner - almost close enough to be touching shoulders, but not quite.
He watched Ronnie as he spoke, staying silent so he could truly listen. Hear everything that Kara hadn’t told him, which hadn’t been very much. He didn’t blame her though; he assumed she might have wanted Ronnie to tell the story. He clenched his jaw at the moment Ronnie spoke about the molecules, the destabilization…he’d felt what that was like before. Slowly growing weaker and weaker, feeling useless as he came closer to death. Luckily, that hadn’t happened.
“Oh, Ronald,” he whispered, stopping in his tracks and turning to face him, looking at him properly. He was silent for a moment, sad, confused eyes examining the other’s face. “…What did they do to you?”
He’s silent for a moment, letting Martin absorb the information. Part of him feels like a weight has been lifted off of his shoulders–to finally tell someone about it was freeing. But the other…the other hates himself for letting CADMUS capture him. Never mind that he wasn’t in the best physical state when it happened. He still should have been stronger. Better.
He doesn’t look at Martin as the older man questions him, however, Ronnie does answer him after a long moment. “It…wasn’t so bad at first.” He shrugged. Or really, it might have been, but he honestly couldn’t remember. “They…had to figure out how to stabilize me. That was just a bunch of tests to see what molecules mine could bond with. They eventually chose my doppelganger…genius really.” He tries to chuckle, but it falls flat as his eyes gain a faraway look as the memories start to come back around.
“After I was stabilized…” He cleared his throat, “Well. Then testing began. They wanted to see the limits of my powers. My physicality, strength, speed, all of it. And well…they didn’t do in the humane way STAR labs did.” No, they pitted him against alien after alien, rarely giving him medical treatment for injuries sustained, unless they were life or form threatening. And when they were, he was injected with something to heal him. His spine shudders at the memories and he tries to give Martin a brave smile, but its weak and easily seen through, he knows it.
Martin didn’t realize, but he held his breath as Ronnie began speaking. He noticed how the other almost refused to look at him as he talked, but he didn’t once let his gaze wander.
He supposed it made sense; the people from that facility would not know about Martin being Ronnie’s other half, and so they wouldn’t think to grab his doppelganger. Besides, would they even still have bondable molecules despite not having the accelerator explosion that bonded them in the first place? Perhaps it really was wise to choose Ronnie’s doppelganger.
But...something in the younger’s eyes haunted Martin. His own eyes softened immensely and he reached out, placing a hand on Ronnie’s shoulder. “You do not have to tell me if you are uncomfortable,” he murmured, seeing right through the smile.
