[Hogun – POV]
We continued walking down the sterile corridor of the lab unit until we arrived at one of the most unsettling sections—the clone storage room.
The moment the doors slid open, a chill ran down my spine. Towering glass tubes lined the walls in perfect rows, each containing a suspended child. Some looked peaceful, like they were merely asleep. Others… not so much. Twisted limbs. Half-formed bodies. Faces frozen in expressions of silent agony.
Even for me, this room was hard to stomach. And that said a lot.
I knew they weren't real children. I knew they were grown in these tanks, created by the Addons, built by my own hands and hers. I had helped Hast design this distribution lab years ago, back when the lines between necessity and morality blurred for the sake of science.
But still—this? This was something else.
I glanced at the others. Kal'tsit's jaw was tense, her tail flicking once behind her in restrained disgust. The Doctor stood silent, fists clenched inside their sleeves. Even Amiya—usually composed—looked visibly disturbed, her ears drooping as her eyes scanned the tanks.
They didn't like this place. None of them did.
Kal'tsit stepped forward first, her sharp voice cutting through the sterile hum of the lab.
[Kal'tsit]: Hogun. What is this place really?
Her eyes didn't leave the floating forms inside the glass tubes. Her tone was cold, but beneath it was something else—disbelief, perhaps even sorrow.
Amiya looked up at me, her voice quieter but just as firm.
[Amiya]: These aren't just experiments… are they? They're people.
Even the Doctor, who had remained silent until now, took a step closer.
[Doctor]: How could you allow this to happen?
I stood still, staring at the nearest tube. A young boy floated inside, no older than fifteen, his skin pale and eyes forever closed. I exhaled, my voice low and steady.
[Hogun]: This place was built at the end of the war.
They didn't speak. So I continued.
[Hogun]: Soldiers died faster than we could bury them. Teens. Kids. Brave young fools who didn't even get to live before they died for a cause they barely understood. We were losing thousands every week.
I glanced at Kal'tsit, then Amiya, and finally the Doctor.
[Hogun]: So, Hast and I built this lab. We took what DNA we could recover. Fragments from fallen soldiers, captured cells, even battlefield remains. We built this facility not to make weapons, but to give them a second chance.
I walked to a nearby console and tapped the screen. One of the clone logs lit up. A name appeared—Private Julian Rhynes. Age: 19. Status: Memory imprint failed. Physical status: Stable.
[Hogun]: Some worked. Some didn't. But the point was, we didn't want their sacrifice to be the end of their story. We tried to bring them back… to give them a life they were denied.
I looked at them again, this time not as a soldier, but as a man carrying the weight of ghosts.
[Hogun]: Now, it's just storage. The old DNA samples remain. We study them for medical advancements. Drugs. Healing. Some clones… might still wake up. Others will never open their eyes.
A long silence followed. Only the soft hiss of machinery filled the air.
[Kal'tsit]: …And do you still believe this was mercy?
[Hogun]: No. But it was the only mercy we could afford.
As the conversation settled into a heavy silence, the Doctor stepped forward, eyes scanning the nearby console. Without a word, he pressed a button.
And then—he vanished.
[Kal'tsit]: Doctor?!
[Amiya]: What did you do?!
Their voices rose in panic, but I held up a hand, calm and unbothered as I approached the panel.
I raised a hand calmly.
[Hogun]: Relax. He's not dead.
They both snapped their attention to me.
[Hogun]: He just uploaded himself into a digital haven—one of the subroutines left over from the original mind-backup system. It's a neural loop that allows you to live out your desires and dreams in an artificial construct.
I moved to a separate console and began typing.
[Hogun]: Hold on… retrieving… and done.
A shimmer pulsed in the air, and with a soft zap, the Doctor reappeared, looking confused but otherwise fine. In his arms were three tiny avatars: a chibi Kal'tsit, a chibi Amiya… and a small girl with long pink hair and black curved horns.
Kal'tsit froze. Amiya stepped back, her eyes widening.
The child tilted her head and looked around with innocent curiosity. Her voice was soft and full of forgotten warmth.
[Theresa]: Are they friends, mister
[Kal'tsit]: …Theresa.
The name fell like a stone into the silence.
Even the ambient hum of the lab seemed to dim. Amiya looked between the girl and Kal'tsit in disbelief.
[Amiya]: That's… That can't be…
Kal'tsit took a single step forward, her voice trembling, for the first time in what felt like decades.
[Kal'tsit]: How is she…?
I didn't answer right away. Instead, I slowly lifted the high-grade neural sync cuffs in my hand, the cold steel gleaming beneath the lab's lights.
[Hogun]: Theresa's imprint was embedded deep in the Doctor's neural backups—fragments stored before the collapse. A phantom memory. I didn't even know it survived until he accessed the system just now.
The little girl stood quietly, staring up at us with wide, unknowing eyes. I walked forward, kneeling beside her.
[Hogun]: She doesn't remember the past. Nothing of the Theresa you knew. No war, no grief, no throne. In every sense, she's a new person.
I glanced over my shoulder at Kal'tsit and Amiya, then back at the child.
[Hogun]: So... think of her more like a daughter than a ghost. A second chance, not a resurrection. And according to the system parameters, she's permanent. Bound to this world now.
I glanced at the two chibi avatars—the mini Kal'tsit and Amiya—that hovered nearby, bouncing gently on virtual feet.
[Hogun]: The others? Temporary. They'll dissolve in about an hour.
The Doctor remained silent, motionless, staring at the girl. Something was shifting behind his eyes—no conscious memory, no logic to anchor it—just a pain, deep and sharp. Like a scar waking up.
The girl tilted her head, eyes curious.
[Theresa]: Why are you looking at me like that… Mister?
The Doctor blinked. For a moment, he opened his mouth to speak… but said nothing.
Kal'tsit stepped forward again, slowly, as if pulled by something stronger than fear. She dropped to one knee before the girl, her voice barely a whisper.
[Kal'tsit]: Theresa…
The girl stared at her quietly, then gave a small, warm smile. One that felt like a long-forgotten sunrise.
[Theresa]: You look sad. Did I do something wrong?
Kal'tsit shook her head, silent tears beginning to fall.
[Kal'tsit]: No… You did everything right.
The air hung still, too fragile for words. Even the Doctor remained rooted in place, his expression unreadable—yet beneath it, something fragile cracked and stirred.
I stepped forward, breaking the moment with a soft sigh.
[Hogun]: Alright. You people should go back now, for her safety. And mine.
I glanced at the blinking console behind me, then at the corridor lined with dangerous tech and red-labeled control panels.
I glanced at the blinking console behind me, then at the corridor lined with dangerous tech and red-labeled control panels.
[Hogun]: Also… don't touch anything on your way out. Especially the red buttons. The last thing we need is Ivan out of his cell and a civil war on our hands.
I paused, letting the silence stretch, heavy with implication.
[Hogun]: Trust me… the rest of this place? Even scares me.
My eyes drifted to the tiny Theresa now resting peacefully on the Doctor's shoulder, her breathing soft and even, as if the weight of the past never touched her.
I turned without another word, footsteps echoing down the corridor as I resumed my descent deeper into the Lab. I had somewhere I needed to be—the power room. And if I didn't get there soon, something was going to explode. Probably spectacularly.
I passed another clone chamber. This one was… special. Built to experiment with me, and the others. A single glance through the reinforced glass made my stomach tighten. One of the Hogun clones stared blankly back at me—ten arms, nine feet, twisted muscles wrapped around cracked bone, its body twitching unnaturally in the suspension fluid.
[Hogun]: …We really had no brakes back then.
I kept moving.
I passed the overgrown gardens, where plants designed to photosynthesize nuclear radiation sprawled like jungle vines. The mechanic's room came next, full of incomplete drones and machines fused with bone. Then the synthetic room, where living metal pulsed on tables under surgical lights.
And finally, the doors to the power room.
They hissed open with a deep mechanical groan, revealing the black hole that powered the entire facility—a caged singularity, swirling in suspended gravity fields, humming like a sleeping Devil. Cables stretched across the walls like veins, pulsing with raw energy.
Something was off. The hum was too high. The air is too hot. The rhythm of the place had changed—gone sharp, unstable.
[Hogun]: …Damn it. What the hell did someone touch?
I stepped in, hand reaching for the console, and then I felt it.
A shift in the air. A presence.
From the shadows at the far end of the room, something moved—heavy boots against metal. A silhouette broke free from the darkness.
Out of the shadows stepped Ivan, his silhouette sharp, his presence unmistakable.
Wasn't he supposed to be in a cell?
[Ivan]: Well, Hogun… be ready to die.
I froze mid-step, one hand still hovering over the control console.
[Hogun]: Wait—how the hell are you out? Half an hour ago, I passed your cell.
Ivan smirked, tapping his temple with a gloved finger.
[Ivan]: You forgot, I can clone myself. Sniper. You had a lovely chat with the decoy. Meanwhile, the real me took a stroll. Now, your end has come.
I stared at him for a moment, then slowly glanced to the massive chute right behind him, labelled in bold red: "HIGH-RISK WASTE EJECTION PORT."
[Hogun]: Ivan… just how dumb are you to make your dramatic entrance standing next to the garbage drop? I could press this button and you'd be compacted, flash-fried, and ejected into subspace.
He blinked.
[Ivan]: …You could do that.
[Hogun]: Yes. Yes, I could.
There was a long pause. Ivan looked at the chute, then at the button. Then back at me.
[Ivan]: Can I… just go back to my cell instead?
I sighed, letting my hand fall away from the panel.
[Hogun]: Yeah, you can. Come on. I'll even walk you back. Maybe bring you some books.
I placed a hand on his shoulder, and we began walking.
[Hogun]: Also… I'll try to visit next month. Son.
Ivan looked away, but I caught the tiny flicker of something in his expression—embarrassment? Gratitude?
Maybe both.
And just like that, the potential apocalypse of the week was postponed… again.
[Later]
I exited the lab, the thick reinforced doors hissing shut behind me. The residual heat from the core still clung to my coat, and my mind buzzed with the near-catastrophe that had just walked itself back to prison.
Outside, Kal'tsit and the Doctor were waiting—Kal'tsit with arms crossed and a storm brewing in her gaze, and the Doctor… well, the Doctor still looked disoriented, like reality hadn't quite finished syncing up after his dive into digital dreamspace.
Kal'tsit took one step forward.
[Kal'tsit]: Explain. Now.
I stopped just shy of them, rolled my shoulders, and exhaled like I was blowing off the last bit of pressure in my lungs.
[Hogun]: Ivan escaped. For five minutes. He tried to monologue me into oblivion, then accidentally stood next to a waste chute. I could've vaporized him, but he politely asked to go back to his cell. So I walked him back.
Kal'tsit blinked, disbelief painted across her face.
[Kal'tsit]: That's it?
[Hogun]: That's it.
The Doctor glanced between us, still clutching little Theresa's hand. The chibi versions of Kal'tsit and Amiya floated in and out of his orbit like confused fireflies.
Kal'tsit stepped closer, her voice low and sharp.
[Kal'tsit]: Hogun… this place is a disaster waiting to happen. You're hoarding ghosts, dangerous tech, and failed miracles. One of them has already walked free.
I stared at her for a long moment. Then I held up my hand.
[Hogun]: Kal'tsit. You're banned from the Citadel.
She froze. The silence that followed was like a punch to the chest.
[Kal'tsit]: …What?
[Hogun]: You've been in here for two hours and already nearly pushed three systems into red zones. I don't even know what you did to the cloning wing's backup processor. You're brilliant, Kal—but this place isn't Rhodes Island. It's my house. My nightmare.
I pointed to the Doctor, who was still trying to get Theresa to stop braiding Chibi-Amiya's ears.
[Hogun]: And I just gave him back a piece of his soul. I won't risk that again because you can't stop poking unstable things.
She looked like she wanted to argue. Her lips parted—but no words came.
Instead, she turned sharply and walked away, her coat billowing like a blade slicing through the air.
The Doctor gave me a confused shrug.
[Doctor]: So… uh… am I banned too?
I snorted.
[Hogun]: No. You've got visitation privileges. Just don't bring Kal next time.
Theresa looked up at me, blinking.
[Theresa]: Does that mean Auntie Kal's grounded?
I nodded.
[Hogun]: Indefinitely. Also, call her grandm, a she is way too old to be an Auntie.e
Theresa blinked up at me, her expression scrunching into a confused pout.
[Theresa]: Grandma…? But she doesn't look like a grandma.
The Doctor let out a strangled cough, clearly trying to hold back laughter.
[Doctor]: She's… going to love that.
[Hogun]: She's ancient by biotech standards. If she yells at you, just say, 'You're not mad, you're just old.' Works every time.
Theresa gave a solemn nod like she'd just been entrusted with a sacred technique.
[Theresa]: Okay! Grandma Kal.
From around the corridor, even without enhanced hearing, I could sense Kal'tsit twitch.
[Kal'tsit]: I heard that.
[Hogun]: Good. Now get out of my Citadel, Granny.
A distant sound of medical tools being unsafely slammed into a hard case echoed back in response.
The Doctor finally broke, shoulders shaking with laughter as he gently pulled Theresa into a side hug.
[Doctor]: This place is insane.
I folded my arms, staring at the sealed lab doors behind me.
[Hogun]: Yeah. But sometimes, insanity is the only way to keep what's broken from falling apart completely.
Theresa looked between us, then beamed.
[Theresa]: Then let's keep it together! Together!
And for a moment, just a breath of time—it felt like something whole.
Even if it wasn't real. Even if she wouldn't remember.
[Extra: The Pirate Queen Join the fight]
[??? Pov]
It's been five days since I dropped into the world of One Piece—reborn in all my chaotic glory as my Gmod character: the Pirate Queen.
A catgirl with jet-black hair and eyes like twin rubies shimmering with untold deals and dangerous promises. My red captain's coat fluttered in the high winds above Marineford, sharp against the sun. My pirate uniform was immaculate—tailored to perfection, daring yet regal—and strapped at my side was my blade: Devil Bane, a European-style saber forged by none other than Hast and Light themselves. It hummed with power and history.
In each hand, I carried a Uzi. Sleek. Deadly. Infinite ammo, of course—because reality was mine to bend.
I lounged atop the deck of my flying, invisible warship—a ghost vessel drifting high above the chaos below. For five long days, I'd waited here. Watching. Listening. Waiting for the Summit War to begin.
And now, it was finally happening.
Below, the Marines were dragging Ace to the execution platform. The sea churned with rising tension. Pirates gathered on the horizon, and the clouds above crackled with the thunder of fate.
I licked my lips.
[Queen]: Showtime.
The wind howled as I stepped onto the prow of my invisible warship, the sky behind me igniting with cannonfire and divine wrath. Below, chaos erupted—pirates charging, Marines shouting, and the great war for the future already drowning in blood and ambition.
But they hadn't seen me yet.
I jumped.
No—plummeted—like a falling star wreathed in fire and mischief.
As I descended, I spun once midair and fired both Uzis at the same time—ripping through Marine formations before I even touched the ground. Screams rose beneath me. Smoke curled like a devil's grin.
BOOM.
I landed in the plaza of Marineford like a meteor, a shockwave blasting out in every direction, sending weaklings flying and even causing a few Vice Admirals to stumble.
[Queen]: LET THE CROWS SING FOR DISASTER—
I screamed, arms outstretched, coat flaring, hair wild.
[Queen]: —FOR A HAPPY EVER AFTER!
Silence followed. Eyes turned—pirates and Marines alike frozen by my presence, unsure whether I was friend, foe, or fever dream.
Then came the first to react: a group of Marines charged. Brave. Stupid.
I spun, slicing through one with Devil Bane, the blade howling with unnatural wind. My Uzis sang in tandem, cutting down rows of enemies as I danced between bullets and sword strikes like a shadow on fire.
Then, he stepped forward.
Dracule Mihawk.
The Warlord. The world's greatest swordsman. Eyes like cold razors, blade-like moonlight.
[Mihawk]: …You're not from this world.
[Queen]: Neither are you from mine. Let's see whose title means more.
We clashed.
Steel met steel—Devil Bane colliding with Yoru. Sparks flew. The air screamed. For a moment, time itself held its breath as I met the force of legend with the fury of the absurd.
He swung with precise, mountain-splitting strength—I met it head-on, our swords grinding together until—
CRACK.
A sliver of black blade chipped from Yoru. Mihawk's eyes narrowed, and the world around us flinched.
[Mihawk]: …Impressive.
[Queen]: Oh, I haven't even started singing.
The ground cracked beneath me as the Admiral's punch landed—a searing shockwave of compressed force detonated against my side, sending me hurtling through a stone pillar like a cannonball. Rubble rained down. Marines cheered.
But then…
Boom. Boom.
Footsteps echoed through the settling dust.
A crimson glow lit the smoke. My coat fluttered, torn but proud. My black cat ears twitched. My crimson eyes gleamed like twin hellfires beneath the shadow of destruction.
I stepped back into view, dragging Devil Bane behind me, its edge sparking against the shattered tiles.
[Queen]: Well, well. An Admiral and a Warlord? All this attention for little ol' me. I'm flattered.
I spit out blood, then raised my Uzis and fired a heart-shaped burst at the Admiral's boots—purely to annoy him.
[Queen]: Come on! Let the crows sing louder! I want the heavens to weep!
The sky rumbled as if in answer—black clouds gathering, a storm summoned by madness and war. Marines wavered. Pirates howled in approval.
And upon the execution platform, Ace and Garp looked down, bewildered.
[Ace]: …Who the hell is she?
[Garp]: Trouble. The fun kind.
With a cry somewhere between a banshee and a rock star, I charged the Admiral again, spinning mid-air and bringing Devil Bane down in a flaming arc.
The Pirate Queen had entered the war in full.
[Chapter end]