Chapter as promised! Proofed by Jeffian. ... [ Part 26] Awake before dawn...it was like being reborn. Everything was so clear – his head wasn’t pounding anymore, body no longer restrained and the aching dulled. The good nights rest under the water had slept away the feeling coming back to his nerves and rejuvenated his body. His limbs were his again, an extension of his body as much as his hands had always been. Domi pet his fingers over the rows of suckers, he could taste himself, he could taste the metal of the tank, he could feel the texture of the welding and rivets. He took a deep breath, exhaling the water with a sigh and a wide flaring of gills. He reveled in all those feelings. The spy checked over the rest of himself...it was so wonderful to be able to MOVE. As small as his area of space was in the tank, it wasn’t horrible compared to what he’d been through, he was just happy to be in water again. His tentacles were already exploring every corner and surface, but there was nothing there except metal, no prey or anything to poke into except the fine grates over the humming filter’s intake and output vents – too small to get through. Hands wandered down to feel over his broad chest...he was intact, though that image of it cracked open was still raw in his mind. Not a single mark could be seen - mediguns were truly amazing. Domi then examined the severed tentacle; it was the first time he got to inspect it since the doctor had taken it. It had sealed over and indeed, was starting to grow back like a turgid bud on a tree. It didn’t really hurt any more, but it felt like he was down a finger, like there was a big piece missing. He hoped it would grow back like the doctor said it would. He recalled them doing so before, but in small accidents he’d only lost a few inches of tentacle, never over two feet. Nudity was not strange to him, but he felt so exposed at that moment. Being locked in a display tank, naked without any pleasantries, it only reinforced how they all looked at him like an animal. The spy wanted his clothes returned. He wanted his dignity and humanity back. As he was deep in thought with his back was to the plexiglass - he heard a light ‘tonk tonk’ on it. His frills shot up as a first reaction, before he whirled around, thinking it had to be the Medic. Already? So early in the morning? He trembled despite himself and shrank to the back of the tank instantly. The stout engineer was there leaned over looking in. No Medic...just him. “Lance?†The tentaspy mouthed, relaxing. He came up and put his hands to the glass, a careful smile curling on his lips. “Can you hear me?†Lance spoke softly near the glass, not wanting to attract any attention. He’d heard the medic say he’d be up at 9 am, and he knew the docs kept a strict schedule, so Lance got himself up before dawn. It was the weekend, so he expected the medic to be in there doing whatever it was to ‘examine’ their prisoner all day. He wanted to talk to the spy more, in a good state, before the doc could do god-knows-what to him. His curiosity had been piqued the other day. Just talking, what could be the harm? Not to mention the altered Spy was visually fascinating, and Lance wasn’t disappointed watching through the glass. Seeing Dominique’s body back under his control was a sight to see. He had said a BLU doctor did it, but it still was quite unbelievable. Domi nodded, he could indeed hear the Engineer. It was muffled though the glass but he had excellent underwater hearing for vibrations. Lance looked like he rolled out of bed, with a simple white shirt and loose, dark red pajama pants that were a little too long for his shorter legs. A tingle of happiness welled up inside the spy. He had come of his own accord, had the engineer really forgiven him? At least it seemed he wanted talk. It was nice to be there alone with him and not be strapped to a table or in a disguise. There was no lying, everything out in the open. Domi pushed off the bottom with his tentacles and broke the surface, poking his head up into the humped mesh lid. The engineer straightened up, but he still was not as tall as the tank was. He huffed and pushed the stool over, stepping up on it indignantly so they could be at eye level. “What about ze Medic?†Dominique had to whisper, first thing. “Doc said he’d be up at 9, when he says that he means it.†The engineer glanced about, just to be sure. All was quiet and dark; the only light coming from a small standing lamp. Sunlight was just beginning to be ambient outside. Domi relaxed, sighing with relief. Curious tentacles went to poke out of the mesh, which was about 1.5†in spacing. “No!†Lance yelped, but it was too late. Domi snapped back as he collided with the magnetic field, crying out in surprise and pain. It repelled him backwards like magnets colliding of the same polarity, and created an unpleasant sensation similar to a burn or a shock. He shrank away from the mesh, eying it with caution. The stung tentacles recoiled under the water, the pain throbbing up to his brain. They seemed extra sensitive at the moment. “Geezus I’m sorry, I guess you hadn’t seen the field yet.†Lance sighed, “It’s a new device William’s been developing. It prevents matter from going through it using magnetism.†“I’m fine, eet’s okay.†Domi stated flatly, inching closer again. He could feel a tingle like hairs standing up (if he still had body hair other then his head) as he inspected the field. It was faintly visible actually, now that he looked. It had a soft red sheen, like electric glitter catching the air. Lance could see how much better the Spy looked. His eyes and voice were clear and calm; his breathing relaxed. His skin was less pale and sickly. Such a difference to how he looked the other night. “How’s everthin’...? I mean it’s not huge or nothin’...but how’s our handiwork?†Lance patted the side of the tank. “A far cry better then being on a table, merci,†Domi managed a small grin, “Ze water breathes fine, but of course, I’d much razzer not be locked up, no matter ze size.†“I understand,†The engineer nodded, licking his lips in thought. God so much to ask, so much to say. He was spending a lot of time just observing. “You look so much better though, physically I mean.†“Ahh oui...I feel whole again. Eet feels so good.†The spy sighed happily. “I don’t think anyone would be comfortable with bein’ temporarily paralyzed...no matter what they had from the waist down.†“Indeed,†the spy nodded, indignantly looking at the metal between them. So close and yet so far. “That and being out of water so long.†He gave a more amorous look to Lance now, “Eet’s nice to see you alone like this.†He was trying to stay neutral, but emotion was hitting him hard under the surface, but keeping his cool under pressure was natural to him – and it was easy now that he wasn’t in such physical distress. For Domi, all his amorous feelings were still very intact. He wished they could pick up right where they left off. Since the night they made love (albeit restrained and physically deceptive) he replayed it in his mind over and over, and imagined them doing so much more. The spy wanted to be the charmer he knew he was, and had been for the engineer when he was using a disguise. He knew the engineer must not look at him the same way, and the apprehension showed a little despite his best efforts to try and pretend he wasn’t a monster in a tank. He was just trying to forget all that, talk normally. “I wish I could touch you.†Domi added forwardly, placing hands to the tank’s inner side. Lance chuckled to that, biting his lip. He was so conflicted, for he couldn’t deny, he still had feelings. Dominique’s inhuman features gave him pause, but he wasn’t repulsed. The biggest thing was the tentacles, the rest he could get past without much effort. Sure, the sharp teeth and claws were intimidating, and he saw what he could do with them when he attacked the RED Spy like a prey-driven lion...but the man acted gentle and kind as a kitten around him. Seeing the circumstances, deceiving him and using their RED Spy’s idenity was something he could forgive – and he was ready to trust he wasn’t a BLU anymore like he said. But he wasn’t quite ready to trust that much and open the lid to talk face to face. If the spy ran off, Lance would look like he was a traitor when it was traced back to him. He was wary of deception - spies were spies after all. “William did too good a job, yea.†Lance said, then asked hypothetically, “If I let the field down, would those...tentacles be trying to escape? Do you make’em move like that all the time?†Domi laughed lightly, easing the tension, “Non, they move on their own all ze time. I can control them quite delicately, eef I theenk about eet. But oui, they like to ‘have minds of their own.’ Rest assured they’d never ‘urt you, doing such.†Lance listened, fascinated, “I...don’t mean t’ pry, but of course I am mighty curious.†“Mon Cheri, you can ask me anytheeng you like.†Domi splashed a hand up from the water to gesture, “I’m just pleased you still want to talk to me at all.†He was so open and receptive, eager to answer anything Lance wanted to ask to put him more at ease. “There’s just so much to say...†“I’m not shy, Mon Ami.†Lance smirked, he couldn’t deny he loved his voice, even more then the RED Spy’s. His voice was a little lower, and perhaps less nasal. Not to mention that accent, how he rolled every word off his tongue English or French. “Ah alright, well...one thing I was wonderin’ about, when they had you on that respirator device - what I mean is, can you breathe air at all?†“Oui, I can indeed,†Domi pressed his suckers up to the glass as he shifted his posture to lean onto a small shelf that ran along two sides of the tank – the lid was high enough that he could splay his elbows onto it. “But my lungs get ‘dry’, then I feel like I can’t get enough oxygen, like ‘aving asthma. Do you remember when you saw me sipping from that flask I carried on my person before?†“Yea...I could tell by when I kissed you, it wasn’t alcohol in it.†Domi smiled to the memory, “Oui, just water. I was inhaling eet, not drinking eet.†“Crazy,†Lance pet a hand over his velveteen-fuzzed scalp, “That lets you stay out long as you like then, huh?†“Well, I still can’t sleep above water...in fact the days ‘ere were the first time I’d slept on dry land since being altered, eet was only thanks to that horridly uncomfortable ‘respirator’ tube.†He sighed, a sad noise coming from his throat. “I’m meant to stay wet. I’m tied to the water as much as a frog, eef not more so.†The engineer cracked up suddenly, and the spy stared at him. “What?†He frowned in a confused fashion. “Frog – you know...that’s slang for ‘Frenchman.’ †Lance stifled his laughs not wanting to make noise. Had it been anyone else he would have been offended, but he knew it wasn’t like that. “A...ah! Oh!†Domi chuckled through his nose, the other’s laughing contagious. When you are tired and stressed everything is funnier. The engineer rubbed his eye and was calm again, “I’m sorry it’s not funny...†“NON! Eet was, I can not believe I did not catch that.†They both quieted down. “I wish you could ‘ave known me before...†Domi said in a low tone, not wanting to waste this time they had. “So I’m guessing this isn’t reversible?†He sounded hopeful. Domi gave a defeated shrug, then idly looked at his claws, “I’m not in Respawn anymore, far as I know my old data is gone. I don’t know how I could be changed back to ‘ow I was without Respawn and my old patterns.†He leaned his face into his hands, but soon his eyes were back to the Engineer. “Jesus,†Lance sighed, feeling bad for the Spy. To be a science experiment against your will, betrayed by your own company. “Not something you like to think about, I suppose.†“Non...not really.†The other sighed sadly, “But eet’s been 6 years so I’ve come to terms with eet, that iz all I can do.†“Ya know,†Lance tried to lighten the tone, and bring up things not having to do with his physical appearance for a minute, “I was mighty flattered when you started comin’ on to me. I....didn’t want anyone knowin’ I fancy men, it was part of why I was playing so ‘hard to get’. But really, I had no idea what a man like yourself wanted with a gear-jockey like me.†“You should give yourself more credit, Cheri.†The spy crooned, the distractive talk working. The engineer beamed, but was obviously humble to being given so much credit. He continued, “I know you said you liked my builds, is that all? Do you really like machinery or was it just the design aspect? You don’t seem like the kind to git your hands dirty...besides the obvious I mean.†Lance gave a backstab gesture to show his point. “Basically I feel like we come from two different worlds.†“Heh! Well, I may not look eet...but I am a bit of a buff for engines AND fine design.†Domi pet a hand over his lips in thought, compiling memories in his mind – “Because of my profession, always moving around and not leaving paper trails...I never owned a car in my adult professional life, but I’d rent cars, or was loaned them from an employer for a big job. Because of this, I got to drive many different models. All were sleek, beautifully designed machines. Ze purr those engines made was very lovely, because you can be assured I only drove ze best. I even got into working on some because I wanted to know more about ze engines, fixing up older models, learning like an apprentice at a few auto body garages on my travels.†The spy tried to draw its curves in the air as he continued, webbed fingers undulating, “One of my favorites to drive was ze Jaguar E-type, a long nosed car that seated two, leather seats, 6 cylinder, 3.8 liter. First gear lacked a synchromesh but really, you’re usually stopped when shifting into first anyway, oui?†He chuckled, throwing up his hands. Lance stared, jaw dropping. He was a CAR AFICIONADO? “I...uhh...yea,†Lance agreed with his last statement, still a bit in shock. “What’s weeth that look?†Domi leaned in close as he could. “I am just surprised is all! Pleasantly surprised. I actually got a ‘prechiation of cars too, I did some work more on ‘em when I was younger - now I’m all branched out as it were, but of course I still love to take apart any engine.†“Surprised someone like me could be into cars beyond ze leather interior?†Lance grinned wide, eye corners crinkling mischievously, “Jes means I won’t have to go easy on ya with explaining my devices, eh?†“Well I’m no Engineer, but oui, I am no idiot on ze matter.†The Texan wanted to lean in and nip and nuzzle at him right then and there, hearing him talk about engines and machinery like that, it made him all the more attractive. He stopped close to the mesh, twisting up his prominent lower jaw in annoyance. It was so hard to feel close to him, in every aspect, keeping the mesh there. Lance looked the spy in the eyes, like he was searching for any traces of deception. Assuming it was the truth when Domi said he wasn’t a BLU anymore, hadn’t been using him, put himself out into the open to get closer to HIM... ‘I trust you.’ Domi had told him, when he slipped away after the evening they got so physically close. The spy had put his faith in him, now it was his turn to do the same. The engineer didn’t say anything, but he gave Domi a look, and reached over and preformed the necessary switch sequence to power down the field. A low humm wrrred down and was silent. Domi watched as Lance went and got the key for the lid from the medic’s desk, “If you promise me you will not run off, I can have us talk face to face.†“I am no fool Mon Ami, they would suspect you eef I escaped like this. For your sake, I’ll stay put.†The spy answered, almost professionally, but then his voice softened, “I can endure anything ze Medic can do, eef eet means ‘aving you closer.†That answer and how he said it, made Lance feel confident. Still, his heart raced as he slowly unlocked the lid and pushed it up, hydraulic hinges making it pop up like a car trunk.