It has been around...2 weeks now since you have been diagnosed of having this strange energy infecting your body, and with that 2 weeks since you last saw Dr Hofnarr.
For first, you have a new partner to work with, a new lead scientist, Dr Jebediah Christoff. He doesnt really make any attempts to get close to you, he just expected you to do your part and thats it, you missed your old co-worker already. Through some listening in here and there you were able to find out that the director doesnt like Christoff either, didnt exactly help your expectations of him.
As you have been told, you did have night terrors every now and then but dont feel any different, at least for now, they are still running tests on you to see if your state is truely stable or not. At least you wont end up like Hofnarr right?
No more of that, You are just making yourself anxious with that.As you continued to work inbetween your tests you would talk to the scientists there, they werent really interested in your personal life but started to listen once you talked about the new lead scientist involved.
To add to that, the dissonance experiements are sort of shoved into the background due to the increasing danger, however you got a new projects which has to do with a certain "keystone fragment". For now its in pieces, its probably your job to get it back together.
It seemed familiar to you, very much so yet that could only be your imagination, afterall what can broken pieces of an artifact make you feel familiar to it.
And afterall, it could be your general anxiety that flared up regularly due to the events of the past few weeks.Well for now you worked on things, Christoff used you alot more to get things for him rather than giving you documents to look over and reports to write. As of right now you were down in storage searching for something, some kind of tool he needs, you honestly felt like some kind of lackey to him than a co-worker. If this werent for the Nexus Core and disobeying couldnt get you terminated, you would have long skipped your work.
No matter, you were pretty sure you almost had everything, tube holder, plyers, you only needed some actual testing tubes now. You considered searching in one of the actual laboratory for those.
Part of you wanted to see what the director was up to now but you declined that thought, he was probably busy and last time you just came in unannounced he wasnt exactly impressed with it. Maybe after workhours again, youll see.For now you just searched, pushed some boxes out of the way which was a bit of an inconvinience, you were by no means frail but you are a scientist and not a body builder damnit. As you pushed a few boxes out of the way you found a hatch....you really shouldnt enter in there buuuuuuuuut on the other hand...exploring is better than being a henchman for christoff.
You got that thing open in a matter of a few hours, seems like it lead into some kind of..sewer attachment, makes sense, this storage unit is on the first floor.As you climbed down the lights dimmed to a sickly green, a metal grid as a ground as some kind of fumes rose in the tunnel like underground. You should make haste, or else theyll notice you are gone, its just a simple exploration, a short in and out you could say. You didnt plan on staying for 2 long.
As you went along the walls you looked for anything that may get your attention but it is just a normal sewer, nothing interesting. Oh well you couldnt exactly expect alot afterall, just a momentarily escape.Well that was until you decided that it was enough and wanted to go up again only to find a dark figure staring back at you, basecly blocking the way to the ladder, you remained silent, its green eyes staring at you. From what you could make out its wearing a sort of mask and a science labouratory coat, so it was probably another scientist, yet something felt off.
"Well well well, what do we have here" It came towards you, staring you in the eyes as it got a bit to close to your liking.
"I am-" But before you could speak out it started to speak again
"Christoffs little lapdog." It didnt say this in a malicious or intimidating tone, moreso curious and twisted.
"I rather not be called a lapdog, im just doing my job." You replied as you pushed it away "personal space, buddy." you added
"Right where are my manners, the names Dr Crakpot. ...and now give me a reason why i shouldnt tell on you, afterall you shouldnt be down here" Well at least now you know its name.
"...Neeeeeiiiiiither should you." You commented as you pushed it away again, the guy really doesnt know what personal space means
"Oh how right you are, such a smart one. Usually the others just beg. I have watched you for quiet some time now , Y/N" Crackpot commented, you are unsure how to feel about that guy, you...didnt know he watched you either, kind of creepy.
"Oh really...thats....not scary whatsoever" You commented as you basecly went around him, tried to avoid him.
"Becareful, Y/N, Things may change veeeeeeeeeeeery soooooooon." He cocked his head as you looked back at him, a rat climbing on his shoulder.You exited the sewers and shuddered, that was.....bizarre. That scientist sure is of a weirder nature, unsettling even. But he worked here so he probably had his use one way or another.
You got the rest of the tools and left up to the labouratory again, handing them to Christoff and sort of just standing there...You still thought about what Crackpot said, of course, he can be a maniac and simply rambled like one, but the line that things will change very soon doesnt sit right for you.
You can probably get some answers later after work, you still had an hour left.While Christoff worked you just watched, you wanted to see how that thing looks tepaired, of course, he wont be able to finish it now, that will probably take some time but you had nothing better to do. Well it did not help that he was annoyed by your presence, this will be a long year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The hallways were dimmed, broken sun long having set. And once again you two were alone in the building, it was close to 11 pm.
"Hey so quick question, encountered this guy, i think his name was Crackpot." You decided to speak up, deciding to for now keep it a secret that you went down the hatch, the storage unit is one of the only rooms in the building without cameras.
"Ah, Dr Crackpot, hes quiet the....character you could say." Phobos was careful with his words when describing the scientiest.
"So...hes just like that?" You questioned back, you dont know which answer you wanted more, a yes or no.
"Positive, he can act a little...bizarre, but I can assure you will see him rarely, as for now he has a different project." The director promised
"I...hope so, the guy has been watching me." You muttered out, still quiet uncomfortable that you have been stalked
"Do not worry, he does that with everyone that appears even slightly interesting to him" For Phobos this doesnt seem to be anything new
"And you dont do anything against it?" You tried to get out reasons on why that .....scientist hasnt faced consequences
"As far as i am aware, he is not commiting anything malicious with these actions hes simply....erm....unusual of behaviour." The god emperor tried to describe Crackpot in..well the politest way you can describe him.
"Great to know we basecly have the equivilant to a crackhead working here." You joked.
"eehhhhh we all have our flaws....except me of course."
"Pff yeah right." You huffed out amused. At least these simple interactions made your day better, afterall, bad things are only temporary and you are sure you...get used to Crackpot being around.

YOU ARE READING
Well this is an unexpected turn of events(Phobos X Reader)
FanfictionNevada was a harsh place, either you find the right amount of work to make a sustainable living off it or you dont and die trying. You were no one out of that ordinary field. Trying to make a living. Thats all you cared for...at first (NOT NSFW)