𝐙𝐄𝐑𝐎 - 𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐂 ✔️

015

You sneak off to the library during free time, happily met by dim lighting and the pleasant smell of paper. The change in scenery was nice. The typical fluorescent lights that paved each ceiling made your eyes hurt. That's why you had come here.

This time, 001 had tagged along with you. He was quiet today, but his firm grasp on your hand made his attachment to you clear.

The first thing you notice is that Alex is not behind the counter where she normally was. A middle-aged man stood in her place instead. He greets you with a forced, crooked grin.

"Strange," you mutter to yourself, hiding your confusion with a small smile.

You lead 001 over to the fiction side as you two walk hand in hand. At this point, there was no clear label on your relationship. Neither of you had spoken of the kiss since it happened. The past couple of days, your lessons had been distracted by the memories of it. Even now, it still lingered in the back of your mind. You could still feel the pressure against your lips. The feeling in your stomach.

You kind of wanted it to happen again.

"Zee," 001 murmurs to you.

"Hm?"

"Let's go to the non-fiction section," he proposes, but the look on his face tells you exactly what he's thinking.

"001," you start, almost laughing at the expectant look on his face. "I'm not reading anything on black widows."

"Why not?" he says, almost whining.

"Because I came here to read one of these." Your fingertips brush along the spine of fiction novels.

"Fine, I'll go myself then." You watch in disbelief as he sulks over to the non-fiction section.

You skim over a chapter book, before deciding you don't want it. In the midst of finding a new one, you glance over to see 001 happily scanning the non-fiction titles in the corner by himself. It makes you chuckle. Whatever makes him happy. You think.

You've just spotted a title that catches your interest when 001 walks back over to you, colorful book in hand. There was a spider on the cover. He taps your shoulder, absent-mindedly mumbling, "Would you love me if I was insane?"

Your eyes flit from the words on the page to his face, but his eyes are still staring down at his book.

"What..."

He shrugs. "Sometimes I just... I don't know, feel different?"

Your head nods slowly. "And it's definitely not because you have mystical powers," you mumble.

He shrugs again. "I don't know."

He follows you over to the tables, sinking into the seat next to you. His demeanor shifts as soon as he's comfortable again.

"You know how Black Widows got their name?" he prompts, eyes still glued to the book.

"How?" you ask, not thinking that the answer could be as unanticipated as it was. 

"The female spider eats the male spider during mating."

Your brain pauses, not exactly sure how to process this information. "I was not expecting that..."

"No one does until it happens," he chuckles.

A creepy sensation runs down your spine as the image plays in your head. His obsession with these creatures never failed to amaze you.

"How did I get my name?" you ask, quietly.

His grasp on the book tightens. "I don't know," he says.

"You said you did," you accuse, raising an offended brow.

He sucks in his cheeks, eyes low. "Do you really wanna know?"

You nod.

There's a cold breath of silence before he continues, hesitantly, "You were trapped in that coma for so long, Papa didn't think you would make it out."

Gradually, the memory comes back into mind. You see your younger self, trapped on the hospital bed, nurses waning in and out of the room. The heart monitor beside you. The colorful liquids injected into your skin.

"Eventually," he mutters,  "he gave up. He didn't think you were gonna make it out, and if you did... he didn't think your powers would still be intact." He stops, glancing around as if remembering we weren't alone.

Your faint smile falters. "Then what...?"

He leans forward, voice lower than before, and points to the number on his wrist. "My powers still worked, so when he decided to start the program, I became his number one priority," he says, "That's why I'm 001."

"And I'm 000—"

"Because he thought you were worthless," he murmurs, wincing at the last word.

Your face draws back in defeat. All this time, you'd thought you'd gotten your name like all the rest. 000, 001, 002, 003. You were first, that's why your name was 000. But now, the light was seeping into your little dark world like a poison. Realizations poked at your brain like pests.

All this time, you'd thought Papa had cared about you. Though lately, you found him no better than the bad men. Each advancing day a new lie was discovered. The flames of every truth burning the path of what you'd once known as reality. Now the path was on fire and the flames were threatening to suffocate you.

"He was going to pull your plug."

"Why didn't he?" you ask, blinking through your blurring vision.

His lips part just slightly. "Because I told him not to."

For a full minute, all you can hear is the ticking of a nearby clock.

"Hey, but look," he says, attempting to brighten the mood. "You're great, you're powerful. He won't hurt you now."

"Yeah," you say, nodding sarcastically, "Not more than he already has."

"Well, now you know how I feel."

Your throat feels heavy. "Yeah," you mutter, "I get it completely."

Suddenly, you don't feel like reading anymore. You close the book and return it back to where you had found it.

001 follows you and reaches for your hand. "I know it's not what you wanted to hear."

"No," you shake your head, "It's exactly what I wanted to hear. Do you know how long I've defended this man? Justified his every wrongdoing?"

"That's because you didn't know any better," he whispers.

"I know." You sigh. "But now I do."

You turn away but he stops you, pulling you back by the hand.

"Don't do anything drastic," he orders, giving you a warning look, before he adds, "That's my job.

You shake your head, smirking. "Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of it."

He releases a sigh of relief.

"Besides, it's too early to try anything again now," you add.

He raises a brow in astonishment. "Oh? Becoming a little daredevil now are we? Was I that bad of an influence?"

"I guess so," you remark.

A sly smile develops across his lips. "That's my girl."