Soulmate AU Chapter 2
Sidnote: Stone and Robotnik are going to meet in this chapter, what will their first impressions of each other be?
Stone couldn't do this. He just couldn't. Nothing here makes sense. Not the signs(which were written in Dari), not the worksheets(which were still written in Dari)or his classmates who spoke to him in a language he barely understood, the miscommunication getting him into 3 fist fights before lunch(he won all the fights thanks to his father's selfmade military training). Forget making friends, how am I supposed to graduate if I don't understand anything? God I must be so stupid, Aban thought, quietly sobbing in the bathroom stall.
But he froze, swearing he could almost hear his father's voice yelling at him, Pull yourself together, boy! And pull himself together he did, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand, he walked out of the stall standing tall. Strong. Proud. All things Aban didn't feel as he splashed his face with cold water from the sink. Lunch is almost over, he thought checking the time on his watch, I'm not hungry though...
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The rest of the school day was filled with more confusion, more homework, and more fist fights but Stone made it through because the son of military man does not fall to his knees crying in a bathroom stall when he is faced with problems. No Stone would never do such a thing and if anyone claimed he had done that very thing today then he'd just beat them into silence, he decided. He was pulled away from his thoughts when Pablo came running at him, jumping and licking his face. Stone's lips curved up into a small smile as he petted the Rottweiler. Then he noticed something, a piece of paper sticking out of Pablo's spiked collar. The 18 year old reached for the paper and unfolded it.
Your mother is working a late shift, she won't be home until 12 am. She's worried about leaving you home alone so I told her I'd watch you. Below are the coordinates to my boss' lab. Take the car there and destroy this letter as soon as possible.
-Dad
Stone noted that his father had simply wrote Dad unlike his mother who always wrote love, Mom. He tried to brush it off, shooing Pablo away so he could focus on memorizing the coordinates. Once he was confident he knew the coordinates, he snatched a lighter off the table and lit the note on fire. Then made a grab for the car keys and drove off...
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Robotnik was alerted to "the doorbell" being rung and checked the cameras to see what fat gorilla dressing up as a soldier had been stupid enough to ring it this time. The knock out gas had already been dispersed, effectively leaving the boy who was clearly still in school judging by the backpack slung over his shoulder, unconscious, making it even easier for the badniks to drag him into the lab. The school boy was tall, had black hair, a sharp jawline, and the same skin tone as the doctor's bodyguard but his eyes were a deep chocolate brown unlike his bodyguard's piercing green ones. Where the boy was thin and lanky, his bodyguard had broad shoulders with a strong build. His bodyguard also had a rugged looking beard where the boy lacked any facial hair at all. Not like any of that mattered though, Robotnik would tie him up all the same.
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Stone slowly opened his eyes, woken up by the sound of a tall, strange looking man with slicked back hair and a wild moustache yelling down at his father. The mustache man threw a cup of coffee down at his father's feet, soaking his shoes, and kept on yelling about his father making terrible coffee. He couldn't place why but he wasn't afraid of the stranger, if anything he wanted to be closer to him, to know what it felt like to stand by his side....and Stone tried to do just that but couldn't, quickly realizing he was bound and gagged.
He didn't have much time to dwell on that though, noticing a white circular bot with a red eye flying near him, hovering a foot above Aban's head. A small voice in the back of his mind told him to be afraid, to scream, to try to get away but all those thoughts were pushed aside as he looked up at the bot with awe and childlike curiosity. The bot made a few beeps then flew away, Stone followed it with his eyes, and saw it was headed right for the mustache man. The bot beeped louder this time, its beeps reminding Stone of a bird's little chirps and chitters.
The taller man suddenly stopped yelling and looked at the flying machine, patiently listening to each and every beep. "I see," the mustache man mumbled, eyes drifting over to Aban. "Who are you," the mustache man asked, kneeling to take out the gag.
"I'm-He's my son. I've already told you this several times, sir," father cut in. The stranger's head snapped over to father, "Did I ask you?" Father opened his mouth to speak. "That was rhetorical now try to make me a coffee that doesn't taste like mop water and shit this time, you buffoon!!!!" Stone's father gave a huff of indignation before storming out.
"Now," the mustache man began, "Just who are you?"
The 18 year old gulped, "I-I'm Aban. Aban Stone, sir."
"Aban Stone...," the taller man said it like he was testing the words out on his tongue. "So you're the son of that sniffling excuse for a soldier, correct," he asked, still kneeling in front of him.
"Yes but who are you? Where am I? And-"Stone's attention was caught by another red eyed bot flying by"-did you build those," he asked, going starry eyed.
He rose to his feet. "I am the Great Doctor Ivo Robotnik but you may call me Doctor Robotnik or sir. "You," Robotnik said pointing at him with a dramatic flick of his wrist, "are currently an intruder in MY lab!" "And yes I did build the badniks, I built everything here," the doctor added, taking note of the adoration and excitement in the younger man's eyes.
The lab. The robots. The older man's quirks. Suddenly it all made sense, this is father's boss! "Father complains about you every night at dinner but he never mentioned you were a genius," the 18 year old blurted, smiling brightly at Robotnik.
"Your father complains about me does he," the taller man growled.
Shit. "Umm...," Aban trailed off, knowing he'd made a mistake.
"Nevermind that, just tell me how you found my lab," Robotnik ordered, eyes narrowing at him.
Stone was hesitant to speak. He was sure he already got his father in trouble, and something told him telling Robotnik that father gave him the coordinates to the lab just wouldn't go over well with the genius. "Oh don't tell me," the taller man groaned, "You're father told you where my lab is didn't he?" Stone remained silent but the guilty look on his face was enough to cue Robotnik in.
"That-that DUMMKOPF," the doctor roared. Aban could only watch as the other man jumped up and down angrily, shouting out a furry of what he assumes is curses in a language he's never heard before. At that same moment, Stone's father walked in with a cup of coffee in hand.
HEADS UP, READERS!!! There's more German ahead-I headcannon Robotnik as having German in him-so I'll write the English translation in () At. The. End. Of each German sentence
"I brought you your coff-"SIE VERDAMMT GEHIRNVERWEIGERER!!!!" (there isn't an exact english translation for this 1st line but it basically means you damn idiot) "Wenn ich daran denke, dass ich geglaubt habe, dass du auch nur eine einzige funktionierende Gehirnzelle in deinem ditchten Schädel hast!!!" (To think I believed you had even one single brain cell working in that thick skull of yours!) "Wie können Sie es wagen, die Heiligkeit meines Labors auf diese Weise zu entweihen," Robotnik erupted, furiously tapping the buttons on his gloves. (The last sentence means: How dare you desecrate the sanctity of my lab this way)
Something in his father's eyes changed when he saw Robotnik tapping those buttons, there was something like...fear in his eyes, real raw primal fear that has been engrained in humans since the dawn of time. Stone immediately hurried to get in between them, squirming like a lowly worm on the floor. "I-I don't know what your doing but just...don't," the 18 year old says, cringing at his own words. Robotnik glowered down at Aban with hate filled eyes, a flock of badniks surrounding him. "Please doctor...," Stone begged, giving the older man his best puppy eyes.
For a split second something flickered in Robotnik's eyes, it wasn't hate or anger but something else entirely. Stone couldn't put a word to it as the doctor walked closer to father, the click clack of his boots echoing against the tiles while his speedy fingers worked to disarm the bots. "You can live...for now but your fired. And if you even think of telling a single living being about this I'll hunt you down and make sure you suffer a long gruesome death worse than anything your feeble mind could ever imagine," Robotnik spat.
The military man gulped, sweat trickling down his forehead but nodded in understanding and Robotnik backed off, turning his back to them. "Come on, boy. Let's go home," father said, beginning to untie the ropes.
"The kid stays," the doctor said, lowly. Stone felt something like happiness bloom in his chest at the thought of being here with Robotnik. He didn't understand the feeling, didn't understand why a man like Robotnik would want him to stay.
"Why," Stone and his father asked in unison.
The doctor was silent for a long time, "Think of it as a little incentive to help keep your mouth shut about what occurred here today."
The military man silently rose to his feet, "Will I ever get to see the boy again?" Robotnik seemed to think that over, "No." Stone's father turned on his heel, and walked out, never even giving him so much as a glance.
"He just...left," Stone whispered to himself. Why did he just leave? I know we never liked each other much but I stepped into save him so why'd didn't he try to do the same for me? If he couldn't do it for me, he could've at least tried to get me back for mom's sake...Maybe it's for the best, his traitorous brain supplied. And little did Stone know just how true that thought would become....
"Hold still," Robotnik ordered as a badnik flew over to Stone.
"What's happ-"The badnik cut through the restraints with a laser-"Oh I see now," Stone mumbled, standing up and rubbing at his red wrists.
The badnik flew away then Robotnik turned to the 18 year old and hissed out, "I don't want to hear you whine and cry about wanting your mommy. Forget her, forget your father. I don't give 11 shits about what the higher up military dipfucks I work for say. You belong to me now and your going to follow my every command. To. The. Letter. Do you understand, Stone?"
Robotnik's face was just a inch from his, he could feel the taller man's hot angry breath on his face as he spoke which gave the younger man a funny feeling that made his whole body feel like there were little lightning bolts running through him. He'd never experienced anything like it but he was already addicted, "Yes, doctor."
"Good now go make me a latte with steamed austrian goat milk," Robotnik barked. Stone nodded, silently judging the man's odd taste in coffee as he rushed out of the lab. Once he was in the hall Stone realized he had absolutely no idea where the kitchen was. Did this place even have a kitchen? It had to right?
Aban looked down the seemingly endless halls and went left, hoping it would lead him to the kitchen. It didn't. He had no idea how big this place was or even how long he'd been wandering around the halls before Robotnik tracked him down.
"What do you think your doing, Stone? And why don't I have a latte in my hand right now," the older man snapped.
"I was just-umm well I-"You're wasting my invaluable time. Spit it out already," Robotnik cut in. "I was trying to find the kitchen but I got lost," Stone admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away. "That excuse is...acceptable. This time. Come along, the kitchen is this way," Robotnik said.
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Stone went right to work making the coffee and noticed a single lone cup on the counter. He picked the white mug up, thinking nothing of it until he saw the lettering. The mug said World's Greatest Genius but underneath the scribbling he could faintly make out the word 'Soulmate...'