Chapter Text
Most things at the naval base and the connected docks were mundane. It was the usual cold metal lab walls and wooden floor along with a black top desk and a lonesome stool that greeted him. Nobody dared to traverse through the wide industrious hallway connecting to the main building, which guaranteed silence, even if it was a product of his reputation. Like most days, there were not that many field operations which afforded him the luxury to stay in.
Kit tried to have his peace. But when he took the last long sip of his coffee from his long metal green tumbler, a soft knock echoed from behind him. He slowly swiveled in his lab chair to the door and was met with a jumpy shark mobian. She tried to smile with her sharp teeth ,but the gesture came out as awkward and unsettling. Kitsunami waited for the purple shark to flip through her clipboard before settling on something.
“Kitsunami?” she began, meeting his bored expression. “Right, you are being called to the HR office in Coral hall.”
“What for?”
“Um, I can’t exactly say.” she replied.
He waited for her to leave, but the woman continued to stand before the lab door. Kit threw her a small frown which came across as a glare. She stood more stiff than before. There was no point in ignoring her. He knew at some point he would be reported to human resources sooner or later. Many at the base knew of him and his ‘history’, and reluctantly worked in fear alongside him. Most never bothered coming to his lab and avoided his hallway despite it being the connector to the main building.
“Fine.” Kit said. He cradled the tumbler in his hand close to his body as he left the lab.
The coworker guided him in complete silence. There was nothing to say, but Kit recognized her from the few groups he’d catch sight of walking outside of his lab window. Her chartreuse dress and small neon blue hat was hard to ignore. Her heel echoes stopped within the large dome pale orange hallway with artifacts mounted on every side of the walls that weren’t glass stained windows or office doors. It felt like a nautical museum with the late morning sun bearing down from the reinforced glass roof.
“Here you go. Ms. Jewel and the lead will now see you.” she smiled.
“Thanks.” Kit nodded.
He didn’t bother knocking and pushed the metal door open, ignoring the shocked look of the shark. There were two people inside, waiting amongst the ridiculous amount of ship motors and mini-ship bottle replicas mounted and shelved across the large office space. Jewel, the iridescent beetle, smoothed her skirt while fixing her smile in the small guest chair. The tiny sea otter behind the large desk pushed his comically large glasses back on his nose.
“Welcome in! I’m Spotty, head of HR and lead of inter-council discipline group. You must be ‘Kitsunami’, correct?”
Kit nodded, trying to piece together what exactly that title meant as he seated himself across from Jewel. He’d never heard of the inter-council discipline group before, but he barely remembered any of his ‘revisited’ compliance meetings.
“So, how about we start with a positive?” Spotty began. “You’ve been bringing in new innovations for our ships and technology at the base. Just this year alone, you’ve acquired 25 patents at 20 years old! Why, that’s amazing.”
With a few nods, he tried to steel his spine to stop from cowering at the brown otter’s compliments. It was strange suddenly having his achievement brought up. The cold autumn air which crept in from the various windows did little to ease his tense back.
“Um, what is this about? I didn’t hur- assault anyone this time.” Kit mumbled.
“I’ll take it from here, Spotty.” Jewel said. “Kit, we are assigning you a…team member.”
“What?!”
“Well, you can’t exactly continue to manage the lab and workshop alone.” Spotty replied, shrugging the padded shoulders of his tux.
“This is ridiculous. I’ve been managing everything just fine. Like you said, I have 25 new patents.” grumbled Kit.
“Yes you have.” Spotty agreed. “But you haven't been able to work well with the other departments at all. Most people avoid your side of the building all together. That’s not good for the longevity of the lab.”
“I can always email people. I can’t help it if they’re scared of me.” Kit defensively shot back.
Spotty took off his glasses and drew a long sigh. The freckled fur otter massaged his temples for a bit. He laid his hands on the large oak desk and held Kit’s eyes with an exhausted yet determined look.
“We know.”
Kit’s big ears raised a bit from his chair. Many thoughts flew and coalesced at once while he forced himself to meet the otter’s emerald eyes. They didn’t bring him here to negotiate. Slowly, he realized that they were giving him an ultimatum.
“You don’t mean.”
“Yes, we do.” Jewel sighed. “This is our last ditch, Kit. Most of the other base members have filed various complaints and want you out. We’ve been trying to fit their claims and appeal, but the council has decided that this is your only choice.”
He tried to hold his ears in place and take in a few steadying breaths. Working for the Navy for almost three years hadn’t exactly been easy, but it was steady work. No one bothered him at all, even during work events he was forced to attend to. At first, it seemed like bliss, having a lab to himself in a corner of the farthest building. It was next to his house on the beachside shores, nestled in a small forest. Sooner or later it became obvious that he wasn’t exactly ‘liked’ by anyone. It was the first time he’d heard about complaints being filed.
“So I have to be ‘buddied up’ to keep my contract employment? Or what?” Kit asked.
“We confiscate the lab and workshop and hand it over to the engineering department.” Spotty answered. His playful tone dropped, which threw both Jewel and Kit in a loop.
“What! You can’t do that. It’s my lab!” he shouted, while the fur on his back raised.
The briney air of the room grew heavy while the ticking of the clock’s second hand echoed. Spotty slowly put his large black rimmed glasses on and adjusted his tie. Jewel tried to speak and sit up from her chair a bit more, but Spotty got to his point before she could get a word out.
“It’s under the lease of the government, which means we can take it back. You can keep the space, but all of your equipment will then be handed over to the other departments.” said Spotty.
It was getting too far and Jewel could tell.
“Listen, Kitsunami. We appreciate all that you’ve done.” she began.
“But?” Kit harshly added.
“But as far as the others are concerned, you’re a liability to the growth of your lab. It couldn’t hurt to have a partner who can ease your image with the rest of the base.”
There was nothing else for the two heads to add in. All that Jewel and Spotty could do was stare down the turquoise fennec until he replied with some level of conformation. They knew just as much as Kit that it would be hard to replace him in the navy. He had been an integral part of establishing their weapons and technology which helped with the chaos after the war. It wouldn’t be impossible to replace him, it would just take a lot longer. That would leave a dent and an opening for the current enemies of the former restoration.
Kit swept his bangs aside, and let out a long pained sigh. “Fine.”
“Great! Now here is the file on your- where are you going?” Spotty inquired.
The fennec standing at the door faced his two superiors with a bored expression. “Back.”, shrugged Kit.
“Aren’t you going to at least let me tell you who's assigned to you?”
With a small shake of his head, Kit slipped through the small opening of the door and left. Jewel closed her mouth into a firm line and turned to Spotty, trying to salvage what little she could. It was her after all that managed to beg Kit to join the newly formed government’s navy.
“No worries, we’ll go through with our first option. It was the only one who seemed to pass our test.” she nodded. “Besides, we only needed Kit to agree.”
In a soft slump, Kit rose from his place behind the office door. He had been leaning in, trying to catch a glimpse of who his possible new partner could be. Of course, his hearing could reach through the solid metal door, but it was no use. While making his way back to the lab, a group in deep blue uniform and matching jackets walked past him. As soon as their eyes caught a glimpse of his slouching figure, did all the laughter and banter fall into silence.
“Hi.” Kit waved, clearing his hoarse voice.
The large bear of their group flinched, and the group simply walked faster while leaving more room between them and Kit. His head fell further between his shoulders. It was no use. No one seemed to get over their fears, nor could he blame them.
It was him after all, who accidentally attacked a new recruit who stumbled into his lab last year.
Racking his yellow gloved hand through his long bangs, Kit made it to his lab entrance and slammed the door shut. His mind whirled and twisted alongside his gut. The lab still had his tanks and vent system in full display at the black top table in the middle of the space. When he slipped on his lab coat and fastened his goggles, Kit stared off at the aquarium wall installed into the lab.
He remembered his promise to Surge. It was only through Tails and Jewels that Kit had managed to appease the rest of the government and get his lab. It was through that same fox’s cleverness that he managed to be somewhat independent from the organization and strike up a contract when they needed him to help start the navy base. So he tried to steel himself and lift his head up.
When Kit slipped on his lab coat and fastened his goggles, he couldn't help but stare off at the aquarium wall installed into the lab. The blue water gleamed from the morning light, dyeing that side of the lab in a soft warm blue light. It was connected to the ocean below them. A school of green and orange fish glimmered as they swam in synchronized circles. Strange longing bubbled up, so he tore his eyes from the beautiful display and decided to take a long sip from his now cold coffee. He still had work to do.
— ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🌊
Most of the day slithered by very quickly. After wrangling the metal panel and copper wiring into place, Kit clicked the blow torch off and lifted his visor. It pained his eyes to be suddenly touched from the bright lab lights, so he held his eyes closed for a bit before opening them.
It was the last water pump he needed for the new ships he had been working on recently. It would be able to allow the sailors' ships to continue moving even if the engines didn’t work. Most of his recent work had been more workshop related, so Kit often found himself rotating to the side of his lab where the open port entrance would bring in the ocean’s air. It relieved his nose from constantly breathing in the burning scent of metal.
A soft alarm rang about the lab from the black top bench behind him. It was his time to go home.
Despite the grumbling protest and small fit, Kit slowly got up and began to put everything back into place. The last thing he needed was for the cleaning staff to break his stuff on ‘accident’. It was also against the rules to stay longer than working hours without being approved by the building managers.
The pump was almost finished, it would have to wait for tomorrow for the water and energy source tests.
With a drawn out breath, Kit threw his lab coat on the rack next to the entrance door. There were multiple cubbies and racks, but only one was in current use. He put on his small yellow hydro pack, which now hid behind his large ears and held his tumbler. The lights automatically turned dark as soon as he locked the door. With very little life, except for the cleaning staff who squinted at him, Kit made his way off to the cold outside entrance of the Coral building.
Nippy fall winds greeted him at the grand stairway entrance. When he looked at the sky, their was nothing but the dark blobby shadow of the moon amongst the stars. He made his way to the shrubs across the shoreline, where the docks turned into the empty beachside with a wall of palm trees marking the forest’s entrance.
Howling and small hoots welcomed him, it was the usual night chorus that drew a small smile to his face. Even the fireflies danced more than usual, despite the biting winds of autumn. Kit figured it was from the warm ground of the beach, but a small part of him thought it was magic.
The large house greeted him at the clearing of his front yard. His home was at the perfect distance from everything, the city, the base. It afforded him some stillness and peace, even when others sometimes didn’t. He couldn’t help but draw a smile, recalling the moment that Big had handed this small treasure to him after he stumbled upon it.
It was a warm memory, but Kit’s smile fell when he noticed a shadow figure on the porch swing. With his hands ready, Kit summoned the water from his pack and drew up the stairs of his porch.
“Who’s there? State your name and business.” He said.
“Well crickey, I thought we had left on friendly terms.” laughed a familiar accented voice.
Kit groaned and clapped his hands, triggering the porch lights. Sitting on the wooden porch swing with a few large bags and a suitcase at her foot was the last person he had ever wanted to see, or even hear from.
“I thought we had a deal. You left to work for the academy, Marine.” Kit snapped, his jaw jutting while his fists tightened.
“About that, I was fired. But! I have a new gig here and was hoping to stay.” began Marine. “Plus, I completed our previous deal, mate.”
“It doesn’t matter! You need to find somewhere else.” he seethed.
“I have nowhere else!” she firmly replied.
Something about that admission caused Kit to step back and tuck his ears behind him. For the first time since their confrontation, Kit took his time to assess the orange raccoon. There were too many bags for this to be temporary, and as far as he could recall, she didn’t have much to her name. Her green crop top over a purple shirt and long dark sailor pants were littered with stains and dust. From the scent carried by the wind, it was clear she had camped out at a park.
“What happened?” he sighed.
“It’s…nothing.” Marine shot back. “Look, are ya gonna let me in, or not. I’m not here to shake you down like a coconut tree.”
Kit stared at her, watching in silence as she fiddled with a loose strand of her long pigtails. He opened the screen door, unlocked the white front door, and walked in. The door slamming echoed before falling into the soft chorus of the crickets. After shutting the blinds, Kit paced through the living room trying to gather his thoughts.
“I never did see her when she was here?” he muttered.
“I’ll make those berry pancakes you like!” reverberated Marine’s voice through the window.
It wasn’t until Kit made his way to the small desk behind the couch and got a notepad and pen did he make his way to the door. He grimaced at himself, but then opened and held the door propped open. The autumn wind blew harder, causing his hair to sway. He noticed the raccoon trying to hide her shivers and failing.
“The rules will be drawn out tomorrow morning.” Kit announced.
“Ripper! You’re a real one mate!” Marine gleamed, as she quickly stacked her bags atop of her suitcase.
“My name's not mate.” he replied, rolling his eyes. It
“Right Kit!” Marine winked, before wheeling her stuff inside.
After a few slow blinks, Kit closed and locked the door. When he turned around the boisterous raccoon was nowhere to be seen. It wasn’t her first time, so he figured she must have made her way to the third floor large attic. With a small shrug to himself, Kit placed his pen and note pad on the wooden coffee table.
In slumped steps as exhaustion seeped into his bones, Kit made his way upstairs while turning off the trails of light Marine left. He tried to think of why the day had ended up like this, but Kit believed it was most likely due to his horrendous luck. Most things were from that, but he had people who had somehow made it fade into the background. Now that he didn’t have a particular tenrec by his side, it grew a bit harder to manage the little optimism he had.
At least the wide walls of his room with high paned windows greeted him. There was a stillness with the closed windows and large bed in the corner. When Kit made his way to the hallway bathroom, the knob jutted. It was locked. Instead a loud voice replied to his soft knock.
“Sorry Kit! I’m using the dunny right now.”
He held up his trembling gloved fists glaring at the door in a silent fit before he made his way down stairs in the dark to the kitchen side bathroom. At least, there was silence. His night vision helped him make his way to the bathroom and wash his face from the day he had. As Kit made his way back to his room, a voice echoed through the hallway. Marine was singing…again.
‘I may have not seen her, but I definitely heard her alot.’ Kit thought, as he locked his room and jumped on his bed.
He threw his water pack to the corner wall of his bed and burrowed himself in his quilts. A bit of anger rose once more when he was reminded of tomorrow. Tossing and turning, Kit gave up and stared at the wooden ceiling fan. Its soft rotating arms along with the muted humming of Marine’s voice allowed him to drift into sleep. He knew what awaited him when his eyes closed. It was always the same, but in having that dream, it gave him some twisted sense of closure. It always did on a bad day, but at least that never changed.