Tempest Wind (Vash x F!Reader)

Comfort in Knowledge

Warning: This chapter handles some very dark themes including nonconsensual human experimentation, dehumanization, torture, mutilation, impregnation, and miscarriage! You'll find a chapter summary in the end.

You are still in his embrace; you barely breathe as your mind races, the pictures and shards of information flowing through your mind. There are still a lot of details missing; years worth of logs are lost, or at least haven't come up yet. You have no idea of the extent of the experiments that were done; this is but a small sliver. And you're still missing a crucial detail.

You pull free from Vash's arms and look for the tablet; your eyes lock on it. From this angle, you don't see what exactly is happening on the screen; you just see movement, and since you've learned that the videos don't loop, you can only assume the video is of the same experiment. Your hand reaches out for the device, but Vash grabs your fingers instead.

"Maybe you should take a break. This is a lot, and it is horrible." His voice is sad, and as you look into his eyes, you see sorrow in them.

"There it is... the pity I don't want. Don't feel sorry for me... Don't take it on yourself to make it better. It's not your job; you didn't do this, and you have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing will ever make this okay anyway. Now give it back; there is still more. If you don't want to see it, then I can go on by myself. You can go to Brad and tell him I'm fine; I'm sure he still beats himself up over it for whatever reason."

"But you aren't fine. You shouldn't be. You have every right to be angry, sad, and horrified." Vash's gaze is tentatively on you, looking for any hint of the different emotions that must be boiling in you, but there is nothing but neutrality.

"Don't tell me how I should feel about this. It is what it is; it can't hurt me anymore. That man is dead; that's the past. Nobody will strap me to a table again and pull me limb from limb; they won't cut me open like a roast tomas; I will not feel this pain again. I am fine." Your voice is calm and collected, with unwavering stubbornness reflecting from your face. It reminds Vash of the early days; your headstrong nature has captivated him since the beginning, your bravery, and your willfulness.

"If that is what you want," he lets go of your hand and picks up the tablet, swiping away the video before handing it to you. "I am not leaving your side."

"That is your choice." You sound a little bit sad, but Vash is unsure why.

December 20th, 2455

0325's body has rejected now all of the 25 human embryos I've tried to implant; none have been attached. Her body destroys the cells completely in a matter of hours and absorbs them, similar to poisons. I have little hope for Plant cells, but perhaps they are more resilient. I will start with the first set tonight.

The results for Plant cell implantation are the same as with human embryos; the body rejects them completely, making me believe that her immune system rejects everything that is not biologically hers and makes the body attack it. I wonder what it includes, how it would react to sperm cells, whether impregnation inside the body is possible, and how her egg cells would react outside the body. I have more work to do; I need more of her.

The period dedicated to research on her reproduction has had interesting side effects. To provide optimal conditions for fertilization, I have cut down on physical experimentation, only dabbling in cloning as per previous reports, and it seems her consciousness has returned to some extent. She is no longer a mere husk; she appears to have an understanding of her surroundings and has vocalized distress, but she doesn't appear to have memories. This requires further research.