Imagine an AU where you have an evol that is a form of energy manipulation… but it’s you giving your own energy to heal wounds. That’s how you use it anyways. You’ve never tried to take before.
Now imagine being stubborn enough to eke out your own little existence in one of the calmer parts of the N109 Zone. Just like any other human settlement, there will be animals abandoned and mistreated. You took it upon yourself to be the only animal shelter in the whole city. At least you were the only one willing to declare your claimed territory as such.
You didn’t take in just dogs and cats, though that was the majority of the population. No- you took in even the most bizarre of animals and if you couldn’t (such as the random tiger here and there) you’ve built enough connections to get such animals to someplace safer. Better.
You’ve saved animals on the brink of death from wounds delivered by cruel hands with your evol. Frantic children would bring you half dead pets hit by speeding cars and you’d willingly sacrifice your energy to see fearful tears become elated ones. You’ve even stitched up the occasional person who got into a knife fight or grazed by a bullet. Everyone in the area subtly aided in keeping your place less dangerous than other parts. Still, you kept modded OTTO bots as minor security and the various genetically modified (for pit fighting) dogs that have accepted you as pack and home keep lowly thieves at bay.
You remember going through your morning chores one day (despite it always being perpetually dark) and tilting your head when your local murder had a new head among them. One of the crows that you saved by healing his shattered wings bounced over to you, croaking as you cooed back. You couched down to hold out the little buffet of choices on your tray. The other crows were quick to join, everyone picking over things for their favorite treats. You stared at the odd one and the clear mechanical alterations it possessed.
“You probably don’t like the different nuts and fruits, huh…” you were no mechanical expert, but you knew enough to keep things running and repair your OTTOs. This bird didn’t look damaged in the slightest.
“You don’t look hurt either. You takin’ in the sights then? Thats alright. Just don’t steal anything. If you bring me something you want, I can tell you if you’re allowed to take it or not.”
You figured a mechanical crow had a human master. That meant it would likely understand you even better than the flesh and blood crows that were still picking over breakfast.
You didn’t pay the crow any mind after that as it seemed to be content perching with the rest of the flock. Tending to each of your charges was an exercise of devotion. This gave you purpose and peace. You belonged in this world because you were the one that didn’t give up on anyone. Animal or person.
Little did you know that that strange crow left the moment you opened your door to a pair of masked strangers, one supporting the other, as blood was quickly pooling on the floor beneath them.
There were no words that needed to be said as you ushered the boys in, subtly directing the bots to patrol more strictly around the front. The masked individuals didn’t identify themselves, but you could recognize Onychinus general uniform dress when you saw it.
“How many bullets?” You asked, voice cool and clinical as you tore the fabric away from the wound weeping in the upper abdomen. Possible perforated organ, you noted to yourself.
“Three.” the uninjured Onychinus answered.
“Will this bring trouble to me?” You ask a bit more softly. Standing, you grab your basic surgical equipment and bring it over to the boy laid across your coffee table.
“No.” The same mask answered.
“Alright. Here. This is leather you can bite down on. I don’t have anesthetics.” A shaky hand took the strip of leather and slipped it under the mask.
Gripping your forceps you got a nod from the injured one and go to work fishing out the bullets. You weren’t incredibly shocked that the injured Onychinus didn’t make a sound. The tension in his body betrayed his pain though. You worked quickly in plucking the material from flesh, setting them in a steel tray. Those weren’t normal bullets. They looked more like rubber ball rounds, but the tech suggested something far more dangerous.
Whatever.
The less you knew, the better.
As if thinking the same thing, the uninjured Onychinus swept the three bullets up and disappeared them onto his person.
“They said you got a healing evol.” He said quietly.
“People say a lot of things. I just fished out some bullets at I’m applying some deep sutures, yeah?”
Another quiet nod and you got to work carefully pooling your energy. You had to visualize it like a thread. A thread of blood and gold. You did just tie sutures deep into the wounds… only those sutures healed the flesh moments after. Over 20 were created and mended into flesh. Far more than would be expected in your experience. Your vision was already swimming, nose dripping with blood as you finished. All that remained of the wounds was the spilled blood. Everything else was fresh, pink skin.
You tasted blood on your tongue and fell back onto your ass as the ability to stay upright fled you. You stifled a groan as your closed your eyes to stop the room spinning.
“Don’t… uhh… don’t over exert for a few days… risk of internal tearing and bleeding if you- if… you…”
Your body went limp as your ability to stay conscious failed. The two masked figures shifted, unsure if they should act or to leave you be and just disappear.
A large dog lumbered in, padding over to you and squirming his massive frame under your head. A fluffy white muzzle turned towards the twinned masks, letting out an almost exasperated bruff.
Next came a raccoon, a water bottle clutched in its little paws, and waddle over to you while chittering softly. The bottle was set beside you and then those little paws patted at your flushed cheeks.
Several more animals came to your side from a lanky cat to a pair of pigeons that perched on your hip.
“Oh my god.” Amazement came from the injured mask, standing as if he’d never been hurt in the first place. “We need to take a pic.”
“You know boss would be mad- takin’ pics of an unconscious lady. That’s what creeps do.”
“Fuck… we should probably just leave then. Looks like she’s in good hands- er- paws… claws?”
“Get moving. Boss is waiting for us.”
“Right.”
