Winter Solstice | Fatui One-Shots (Genshin Impact)

Divine Subject | Dottore

Dottore

T/W: Torture

-

"You're wasting your time," you said.

You were bound, wrists tied behind your back and imprisoned like an injured fawn. This was most definitely the basement of one of Dottore's old laboratories; the scent of dried blood still hung in the air. It was damp, too, and unbearably cold—dark, like the deepest depths of the ocean. A faint electrical buzz filled the air, and the occasional flicker of light led you to believe your captors were tinkering with the old machines upstairs.

"If you would just tell us where DS no. 2 is this could end a lot more pleasantly," a masked man, though not bearing one of the Fatui, said in response. This group of eccentrics—you were able to count four men and two women—demanded that you disclosed the location of an old failed experiment that had somehow leaked. As an unwilling lab assistant, you had the unfortunate delight of assisting in all kinds of experiments; thus, you were privy to a lot of information.

"I'm afraid I can't divulge his findings, lest I become one of the experiments you cretins are so obsessed with," you spat.

"Listen, we have reason to believe if we can find DS no. 2, we could harness its power. You know what that means, don't you?" you could hear the arrogance in his voice threatening to take hold of him.

"DS no. 2 failed due to lack of a sufficient base; at most you might unleash its potential for an instant before annihilating the surrounding area including yourselves," you sighed, recalling how you had almost died from the initial shockwave. In fact, if it wasn't for Dottore who had conducted the experiment personally, you would have been incinerated.

The man was growing irate by the second with your incessant refusals, "As I said, we have to reason to believe we can make it work."

"And as someone who personally bore witness to that atrocity, I say there's nothing you can do."

He removed his gloves and pressed a hand to his forehead as if he were disappointed, "I've given you plenty of chances to answer our questions, but it seems you'll only concede with a more direct approach."

His tone shift sent a wave of uneasiness to wash over you, twisting your stomach into an endless knot as he slowly and methodically approached you. His mask hid his eyes, but his lips were contorted in a cruel smirk. As he roughly gripped your jaw, he snarled, "This is your last chance, girly; you know what's about to happen."

Indeed you did, as you had seen this same scenario play out as a spectator. That crazed tone of voice was one that intended to do you harm. Maybe if you had helped those victims you wouldn't be in the predicament you were in today, but then again you'd also be dead. Tell your captors everything and face Dottore's wrath or endure whatever punishment these lunatics could come up with, there was no good option, but at least this bunch of crazies couldn't extend your life just to toy with you more.

"I cannot say anything," you said resolutely, though it came out a bit forced with the way his hand was crushing your face.

Not missing a beat, he shoved your head into the floor, a rather harsh impact seeing as it was made of stone-cold concrete. Your senses were overtaken by a harsh ringing as blood flushed to your head, breath stolen from your lungs amidst the shock. You couldn't see much of anything with dark spots splattered like paint across your vision, but you could feel dizziness set in as you felt unsteady. His hand kept you locked in place while a menacing crackle began to burn nearby.

With a derisive tone, a female voice laughed—again, you couldn't point out the source, "Should have talked earlier. You're in for it now."

You felt the air around you shift in temperature before you realized his intentions. With a loud yelp of pain, you felt the searing burn of fire brand your palms. You supposed the gods didn't intend for vision wielders to use their gifts like that, but what do mortal virtues matter to a god? With his focus on your hands, you twisted your head to side so you could at least breathe, blood trickling down into your eyes.

Although, the burning would soon stop with another voice's exclamation, "Wait, Zakhar, look. Her blood is glowing!"

Zakhar stopped, taking interest in this new development. He grabbed your hair and forced you up, your eyes squeezing shut to brace the pain. Your head was still spinning and the screeching ringing had graduated to roaring pounds.

"Th-this is..." he didn't get to finish, for a new voice took the stage; one you were all too familiar with.

"Well, this is certainly a sight," he said with a light laugh. You couldn't focus your vision enough to meet his gaze, but that silhouette was certainly Dottore's. "One of my most prized experiments reduced to such a sorry state, what ever shall I do with her?"

The basement felt frozen under the sheer might of his presence; none of your captors daring to breathe as he passed by them one by one until only Zakhar stood in his way.

"Il Dottore-" Zakhar began before he was decapitated in one swift motion too quick to properly see.

"Who said you could speak?" Dottore inquired to the now lifeless body with a condescending but also annoyed tone.

With Zakhar no longer holding you up, you slumped back onto your knees, head tilted down like a disciple in worship—awfully ironic.

"Now then, I'll be taking my assistant back. As for the rest of you, well, you'll just have to die," he said it so casually that if you didn't know his name you'd have thought him to be joking. You heard nothing but the sound of bodies dropping to the floor, a move so elegant and captivating you could compare it to a practiced performance.

Dottore lifted you into his arms in the same fashion as a bride, though this was not romantic in the slightest. It was more a display of possession and patronization—look how you fare without me. Perhaps that's why he came to personally retrieve you; he wanted to remind you just how dependent you are on him.

"I curse your name," you weakly protested.

But he just laughed, "Is that so, Subject 2?"