Chapter Text
Sebastian knew, deep down, that he shouldn’t be alive. He knew that watching his body be torn to shreds and rebuilt in Beacon should’ve meant he should’ve been dead. Long gone. A rotting corpse in the ground, forgotten about by all but his family.
And yet, he isn’t.
He’s breathing, heart beating, staring at his disheveled reflection in some MOBIUS building god knows where. They’d told him to “freshen up” before diving into STEM, but Sebastian couldn’t bring himself to clean up. There was blood staining his forehead and shirt, as well as leaking through the bandages on his hand.
“You’re alright, Seb,” He whispered to himself, hands clutching the sink, “You’re doing this for Lily. You can save her, but you’ve gotta get it together.”
You and I both know I can simply take these emotions away, Sebastian , the voice of his past whispered in his ear, icy phantom fingers dragging themselves against his neck, All you have to do is ask .
After Beacon, Sebastian had noticed that he’d brought home a parasite. One he’d sworn he’d killed within STEM. One who was the reason for all his grief and trauma. Ruvik . It had been devastating—the creature he was so sure wouldn’t be able to harm anyone else had latched onto his shattered mind. Sebastian had taken a month off of work to recover, and spent most of it curled in bed, sobbing. Everything he’d worked for had been for nothing. He’d stopped eating, bathing, hell, even drinking water! But after five days of suffering in silence, praying he would just die in his sleep, Sebastian woke to feeling refreshed. His hair wasn’t disgustingly greasy, his stomach felt full, and the dehydration had gone.
Not yet, Seb, Ruvik had laughed in his face, voice mocking him, You’re too important to go.
“Enough, Ruvik,” Sebastian grumbled, pushing away from the sink and standing up straight, “I’ve got shit to do.”
Which would be so much easier if you let me take control, Ruvik scoffed, freezing hands gripping his hips, I could find your Lily in their STEM so much faster. I designed it, after all.
“I am not burdening anyone else with your existence,” Sebastian said, rolling his eyes as he walked out of the bathroom (lowering his voice substantially), “MOBIUS doesn’t need reason to hold me captive as well. I’m only here for Lily, and that’s it.”
Kidman looked bored when he returned, making an idle comment on how he did, “Exactly nothing” to clean up. Sebastian didn’t give her the dignity of a response. Laying down in another tub of milky liquid, Sebastian recounted the times when his life wasn’t absolute ass. Meeting Myra, getting married, watching Lily’s birth…
Within moments he was inside the system, inky black surrounding him on all sides. Turning on his flashlight (when had he gotten that?) Sebastian looked around for, well, anything . Was this supposed to be their STEM? A wet black room?
There’s a house to your left, Ruvik’s voice startled him, I believe it is yours.
“What?”
What felt like years passed like seconds in Union, pumping lead into any wandering Haunted to reassure himself as he searched. Sebastian hadn’t heard from Kidman since her initial confirmation that the frequency he found was (most likely) Lily—almost as if she’d abandoned him. It wasn’t too hard to believe, either, with half the shit she pulled at Beacon. Being left for dead in a dying town filled with monsters and men hellbent on killing him sounded reasonable.
Kidman is losing her mind outside of STEM , Ruvik piped up, a heavy sigh leaving Sebastian's lungs, I’ve ensured they cannot trap you in here.
“Do I even want to know what you did?” He groaned.
I didn’t harm anyone, if you’re curious, The spirit said, and Sebastian could hear the smile on his face.
“Then what did you do, Ruvik?”
Barbed wire.
Sebastian froze where he was standing, staring straight ahead blankly, “You…? What- how!?”
Your blood, of course. You’re not dying, if that’s what’s worrying you. I refuse to let you fall before you’re ready, Seb, He cooed, sounding insanely pleased with himself, You’re too important to me, and besides, we have your daughter to find.
“Why would you—?”
Kidman tried to disconnect you. They… discovered my presence and panicked, thinking that I could somehow reclaim STEM for myself. Apparently, killing you was the best option to get rid of me, so I’ve locked you in.
It was…a lot to take in. Sebastian barely made it into a house before collapsing onto a couch. Everything was too much—the air was too cold, his clothing too rough. A panic attack was the best thing to describe how he felt. Nearly hyperventilating, eyes blurry with tears, all because MOBIUS tried to kill him.
Sebatian, focus on the table , His eyes flitted over to the coffee table in front of him, Breathe. In, and out. Just like that, keep focusing on the table. In, and out.
Somehow, he could feel a hand holding his own, a thumb gently ghosting over the back of his palm. Just like what Myra used to do… No. Myra was gone, this wasn’t her. It was Ruvik, a serial killer, a psychopath—but why didn’t he try to stop it? Why was it working?
“I– I need to talk to Kidman,” Sebastian mumbled, not moving from his awkward position, “I need to know… how an’ why .”
Are you sure?
“Positive.”
Wait a few minutes. You need to be more calm , Ruvik’s phantom hands migrated from his hands to his face—Sebastian leaned into the sensation without hesitating (how long had it been since someone had held him?), You’re no use
His radio crackled as he called for her, repeating her name a few times before getting a response, “ Oh, thank god! We haven’t been able to reach you in hours! Sebastian, what’s going on? Is everything alright? ”
“Y-Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine,” He stuttered out, staring down at his still-shaking palm—covered in blood that wasn’t his—taking one last deep breath before his continued, “But I do have one question off the top of my head.”
“ What is it? ”
“Why did you try and disconnect me?”
There was silence for a few tense seconds, “ Sebastian, what are you talking about? ”
“I’m talking about you trying to disconnect me,” He repeated, a tiny knot of frustration forming in the pit of his stomach, “You know doing that would kill me, so why did you do it?”
“ Is there something you’re not telling me? ” Kidman’s voice crackled through the speaker, but even with the static he could hear a hint of nervousness, “ Did something happen? Valentini can apparently make illusions, so are you sure you know what you’re saying? ”
“There’s b-barbed wire wrapped around my body right now,” Sebastian said with all the courage he could muster up, “And a little birdie told me that it was there because MOBIUS tried to kill me.”
“ Barbed wire—? Sebastian, what’s going on? ”
“Nothing is ‘going on’. I’m sitting in a house, calling you to ask why you tried to kill me,” He grumbled, “Don’t play dumb with me, Kidman.”
“ I’m not playing dumb with you, I don’t know what you’re saying! Whatever told you that MOBIUS tried to kill you —”
“Do I have to remind you that you’re a part of MOBIUS?” Sebastian didn’t know if the anger pooling in his gut was his own.
Five guards are standing around your body, guns pointed at you, Seb , Ruvik whispered quickly, May I?
“Not yet.”
“ Who are you talking to? Is there someone else with you? ”
“Oh, I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that you know who I’m stuck with,” Sebastian couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up in his throat, “Besides, you and I both know who’s keeping me alive right now, Juli, and I’d like some fucking answers.”
“ Sebastian, you're not making any sense. ”
“Oh, I am making perfect sense, Juli Kidman,” He was smiling (why was he smiling?), “Why don’t I lay it out for you; there are five men standing around my body pointing their guns at me. But that’s just what a birdie told me.”
“ How do you—? ”
“Blown your cover there, Kidman. You know what’s going on.”
“ You are in serious danger right now, Sebastian. The guards are keeping you safe from him. ”
He barked out another laugh, “Safe? From who, Kidman? The boogie man? Why don’t you say his goddamn name so I know we’re on the same page.”
“ Ruvik. ”
“There we go. That wasn’t so hard, was it? Now, tell me, why you want to kill me now, even though I’m apparently the only person who can get MOBIUS their core back?”
“ Ruvik’s attached to your mind, Sebastian. He’s a danger to you and Lily. We weren’t going to—! ” It was barely there, but Sebastian could just about hear her nervousness slipping into her voice.
He let out an annoyed scoff, anger that wasn’t his own boiling beneath his skin, “Yeah, you weren’t going to disconnect and kill me to keep Lily safe.”
She’s close to snapping, I can feel it, Ruvik’s voice echoed within his ears, The longer she talks, the more time we have before they shoot. Shall I kill them?
“You know how long I’ve had to deal with him, Juli?” Sebastian shook his head quickly, “Three goddamn years. And do you know how many times he’s tried to kill me? Zero . Ruvik’s only ever tried to keep me alive .”
“ Seb, we both know he’s only using you as a host. He’s a parasite in your—! ” Kidman wasn’t even trying to hide the panic in her voice now, “ Goddamnit, Sebastian! He wants to use your body to come back to life! ”
Sebastian, you’re going to have to trust me on this. Give me some sort of signal and I’ll slaughter them.
“And you know all of this because you studied us for a few minutes, don’t you? You know everything we’ve been through, right?” Sebastian knew anger was flooding his voice, but he didn’t give enough of a shit to curb it—he gave a, “If Ruvik is a parasite in my body, then he should be able to easily take over right NOW! ”
“ He’s using your blood as a goddamn weapon! Are you going to let him manipulate you so—! ” Kidman’s voice was cut off by a wave of static. It crunched up any audio that could’ve gone through, except for a scream. High-pitched and bloodcurdling.
“Keep talking, and I might not be able to convince him to hold back,” Sebastian smiled, “Who knows what he’d do if you tried to kill me again. Hell, maybe I’ll let him have control while I’m in here.”
Another round of harsh static filled the air, “ Seb–a–an! S—p Ru—k, pl–a–e! ” He could only assume Ruvik was doing what he promised (only the guards, right?) with how frantic some of the garbled noises were.
“ Let this be a warning ,” A voice said back, one that wasn’t Sebastian's (it wasn’t his fucking voice, he wasn’t talking, wasn’t moving his lips), “ Attempt to harm Sebastian again and I shall paint murals with your blood. ”
He was breathing hard (was it even him breathing?) by the time the radio static finally died, ears ringing and heart racing once again. Sebastian was exhausted, like he’d just run two marathons one after the other. Why was he—?
I apologize for the drain, Ruvik said after a moment, It’s rather hard to kill when your host isn’t technically conscious.
“Remind me…not to let you do shit like that,” He mumbled, struggling to keep his eyes open, “don’ wanna fall asleep here…”
You’ll be alright, Sebastian, Ruvik’s tone was comforting, but his words sounded laced with sarcasm, I’ll wake you up if you’re in danger.
==V==
There was so much to take in about the man—his sharp jawline, calloused hands, crooked nose—and only so much could fit into one picture. Stefano hadn’t realized just how perfect Sebastian Castellanos was until he was within the man’s personal space. Even unconscious, he was absolutely stunning.
It had been a slight surprise to find him out cold in some random home, curled on the couch and shivering. He briefly thought of laying a blanket over him, but rid it from his mind as soon as it appeared—Stefano wanted to use the man’s obvious power for himself.
“The Core is much safer in the hands of MOBIUS, no?” He muttered to Sebastian’s body, “I think she’d like it better if her dear father took her place as my source.”
You’d have to be a fool (or dead) to have missed the shift in Union when Sebastian first appeared. Stefano hadn’t even been aware of his arrival, just that the world had started slowly putting itself back together—and using the stolen MOBIUS radio he had, it seemed that the few remaining agents had contact with the real world once more. That had been infuriating, but… upon meeting the man who’d partially fixed his home, his anger dulled into curiosity.
The Marrows had been the first place he searched—thank the gods he could remember the passcodes to access it—and the file MOBIUS had on Sebastian had been… extensive . It contained every romantic relationship he’d ever had, an account of each scar on his body and what caused it, and nearly all of his direct family tree. Stefano had found it odd until the section simply titled ‘Beacon’ appeared, answering all of his burning little questions. He had been a victim of the STEM failure that occurred in Krimson City, and was considered dangerous due to, quote, “possible parasitic relationship with R.V.”, whatever that meant.
Stefano had been able to learn a little about the apparent brain parasite from the rest of Sebastian’s file—Ruben “Ruvik” Victorino had been the core of Beacon’s STEM, and with him being practically pure evil, had destroyed it and killed almost everyone inside.
“Perhaps MOBIUS would allow me to make you into a masterpiece,” Stefano continued, bending down to brush a gloved hand against his cheek, “I give them what they want, and they let me keep what I want, hm? That sound’s fair, doesn’t it?”
The air around the male fell from a comfortably decent temperature to a frigid one, goosebumps rising on his covered flesh, “Of course I wouldn’t bother with negotiations. If MOBIUS wants their core back, then they’ll have to let me keep you. Either that or I’ll give her over to those who want her solely for power.”
Stefano ignored the feeling of eyes burning holes into the back of his head—if anything was going to harm him, it’d have to try a lot harder than that.
“You’d make a beautiful sculpture, Sebastian,” At this point he was just trying to get a reaction, “Frozen in time for all to see, blood replaced with rose petals and heart a gemstone. I’m sure I could find one good enough to rest within you.”
If you think for even a second I’ll allow you to harm him, then you’re a damn fool
, An annoying voice growled in his ear, and Stefano didn’t even try to hide his eyeroll.
“Ah, I was wondering when Sebastian’s little parasite would show his face,” He said amusedly, shaking his head as he started to remove his gloves, “Fret not, Ruben, I’ve only the best intentions for your precious host.”
Oh, really? The ghostly form of Ruvik formed in front of him, sitting rigidly on the couch with Sebastian’s head in his phantom lap, I’ve seen what you call art in here, and Sebastian will not be formed into an ugly mound of flesh .
Stefano ignored the comment, “So you have been listening,” He chuckled, “I’d learned of your presence quite a while ago, but I wanted to see if the ghost of Beacon truly resided with the core’s father.”
Your idea of knowing is flawed .
“As is yours, but I don’t go around saying it, do I?”
The translucent figure shot him a glare, see-through hand combing through the sweaty brown locks on Sebastian’s head, You want something from him .
Stefano nodded, a small smile on his lips, “I wish to keep him in my care, hidden from MOBIUS,” He dragged a bare hand down the sleeping man’s throat, eliciting a small shiver from him, “Of course, I’d be returning the core, but Sebastian is…”
Much more powerful than that brat ever could be? Ruvik made a sound that seemed like a laugh.
“Indeed, but they do not need to know that.”
He’s only so powerful because of me, Ruvik said blankly, looking down at the man in his lap with a strange sort of fondness, I’ve been a core before, Valentini, and I’d rather not be forced to create worlds again .
“I never said you’d be the core,” Stefano rolled his eyes, hands reaching to grasp Sebastian’s, “I said that he’d be kept with me, and MOBIUS would get Lily in return.”
Perhaps the agreement was more a benefit to him rather than Sebastian and Ruvik, but it wasn’t like Sebastian would know. He expected to have to slowly break down every last thread of fight left in the man—with Ruvik’s help, of course—before he’d be able to call the man a doll, but Stefano didn’t mind. There was so much you could do to manipulate and change the human mind, and they had all the time in the world.
“ Sebastian? Sebastian, come in. ”
Back within his little safe house, Stefano had just begun decommissioning each of Sebastian’s guns when his radio crackled back to life. The man himself was curled within a heavily locked room (thanks to Ruvik keeping his consciousness suppressed), so he answered, “Not now,” He made sure to whisper to hide his accent.
“ Listen, it’s important. I know you’re upset with us– me , with me, but we might be able to pull you out early. ”
Stefano paused, “Go on,”
“ I don’t know how, but we’ve been able to contact the operatives stuck in Union, and they’ve got a solid lock on the core’s location, ” The woman said, “ Not to mention how the entire town’s started stabilizing. I assume you’ve been able to turn on some machine to keep Union from falling completely apart, but you’ll be pulled from STEM soon. And, uh— we’ve agreed to let you an-and your…friend go free. ”
“Oh, is that so?” Stefano didn’t even think to disguise his voice at that, “I do believe that Sebastian isn’t inclined to trust you, hm?”
“ Wha—? Who is this!? What did you do to Sebastian!? ”
“Is that any way to talk to a possible threat? For all you know I could have your dear Sebastian at gunpoint,” He laughed, “Sadly, I’m not here to threaten him, per say.”
The woman on the other end was quiet for a few moments, “ Stefano Valentini… ” She breathed.
“Good girl, you know who I am,” He mocked, sending a wayward glance towards Sebastian’s room (still peacefully asleep, thank goodness), “Now, I happen to be in custody of—oh, what’s her name? Lucy?”
“ Lily. ”
“Yes, her. I know you want your precious core back,” Stefano said, inspecting his blade as he spoke, “And I’m more than willing to hand her over, but there are conditions.”
“ MOBIUS does not negotiate with—! ”
“Anger me again and I’ll snap her goddamn neck.”
Once again, silence on the other line. “ Fine. What are your conditions? ”
“I get to keep Sebastian Castellanos.”
==S==
The world was black—no, the room he was in was black. And he was on a bed…he’d fallen asleep on a couch, right? Where the hell was he?
Sebastian struggled to untangle himself from the mess of blankets (or what he could only assume were blankets), accidentally falling out of the bed. He wasn’t as scared as he thought he’d have been—especially since he couldn’t find any of his weapons or gear, even after turning on a lamp. The room, now bathed in soft yellows and oranges, had deep crimson walls that were covered in paintings and photographs. None of them looked… out of the ordinary, at least from what Sebastian had to compare them to. There was a plush rug in the middle of the floor, and the bed was drowning in inky black sheets.
“What in the…?” He muttered under his breath, “Where the fuck am I?”
There was no response to his question which worried him. Ruvik always had some smartassed response at the ready whenever Sebastian asked a question of any kind. Sure, silence from the ghost was always appreciated, but Ruvik had sworn to keep him out of danger… he’d never broken a promise since Beacon.
“Ruvik? Sebastian tried, hands pressed against the door, searching for a way to leave, “Motherfucker… the one time I need you you’re quiet.”
I was resting, Sebastian, Ruvik’s voice was gravelly.
“You’re literally dead,” Sebastian rolled his eyes, sighing loudly, “Now, are you going to complain about being tired, or are you going to help me get out of here and explain where the fuck we are?”
We’re in a house, inside a bedroom, He said sarcastically, And before you yell about my promise, we’re not in any immediate danger.
“Uh huh, sure, then why aren’t I on a couch?”
Because a locked bedroom is safer than a couch in a random house in the middle of STEM, Ruvik groaned, Sebastian I believed you to be a smart man .
“And you didn’t think to, oh, I don’t know, wake me up to do this!?” Sebastian felt his cheeks heat in anger, dull fingernails digging into the palms of his hands, “You said you couldn’t take control of my body!”
I never said I was the one who moved you
.