Looking back at Singed, Crane wiped the sweat from his forehead, still catching his breath.
"So… did I pass? At least impress you?" he asked, his grin laced with exhaustion.
Singed studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable.
"I was impressed from the beginning," he admitted. "The moment I realized you understood the basics."
Crane's smirk widened slightly, but Singed wasn't finished.
"You just overdid it with these toxins," he added flatly.
Crane let out a short laugh.
"Hahaha."
The lingering effects of the experiment still clung to him. "Yeah… I might've gone a little overboard."
Singed eyed him carefully. "Where did you learn your skills?"
"Oh, just stole some notes from a chemist in Topside," Crane lied effortlessly, not even breaking a sweat.
He leaned back slightly, a smirk tugging at his lips. "So, can I call myself 'Doc' now? I want people here to think I'm smart."
Singed barely spared him a glance. "Call yourself whatever you want."
"Then I'll be Dr. Crane," he declared with a grin.
Singed opened a drawer from the workbench and pulled out a dirty notebook, handing it over.
Crane took it, flipping through the pages with mild curiosity. "So… what do you want me to do with this?"
"Get the ingredients," Singed replied simply.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small sack of coins and tossed it onto the table.
"Normally, I'd get them myself," he said. "But since you're going to be my assistant, I'd rather spend my time working."
Crane raised an eyebrow, glancing between the notebook and the sack of coins.
"So I'm your errand boy now?" he said, though there was no real protest in his tone.
"Call it a trial," Singed replied flatly. "If you want to work here, prove you can follow instructions."
Crane clicked his tongue, tucking the notebook under his arm and grabbing the sack of coins. "Fine, fine," he said with a dramatic sigh.
"Guess I'll go shopping."
———————————
"Let's see," Crane muttered while reading the notebook.
"Looks like I just gotta buy some plants." He groaned. "First, I've gotta go to the black market—easy enough. Then, I have to head to Entresol."
IgottabequickifIwanttimetotestoutthefeartoxin.
Making his way to the black market, he stopped in front of a vendor and pointed to a flower he needed.
"Yo, ma'am, how much for that flower?" he asked.
"Seven silver cogs," the lady replied.
"That's too much. How about four?" Crane tried to haggle.
"I'll go down to six, but that's it."
"Oh, lady, you're breaking my balls. Surely you could go lower."
The vendor raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by his persistence.
"I don't have time for games," she said, crossing her arms. "Six silver cogs is the lowest I'll go."
Crane leaned in slightly, flashing a charming—if not slightly unsettling—smile. "Come on, surely you can do better. I'm not asking for charity, just a little break."
The vendor narrowed her eyes at him.
"I don't care how cute you think you are. You're lucky I'm even offering six. Take it or leave it."
Crane sighed dramatically, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. Six it is. You're lucky I need this flower."
He handed over the cogs, lips curling into a smirk as the vendor bagged the flower.
"Pleasure doing business," he muttered, already turning to leave.
As he walked away, he thought to himself:
Me, cute?I'mfuckinghorrifying. Butsheputtheflowerinabagforme,sothatwasnice.
——————————
Crane walked through the winding streets of Zaun, finally reaching Entresol.
For all its grime and decay, Zaun did have its moments of beauty.
The city's industrial chaos was dotted with glimpses of nature—ivy creeping up rusted walls, delicate flowers blooming in the strangest places. Even in its darkest corners, there was a certain allure to Zaun's twisted charm.
He entered various shops, searching for the remaining plants.
Then he spotted a shop that looked oddly familiar.
Curious, he stepped inside.
The warm glow of candlelight illuminated the space, casting flickering shadows over the cluttered shelves. Trinkets of all kinds filled the store, a mix of the valuable and the useless.
As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he noticed someone slumped over, sleeping. Someone he recognized.
Oh… Iremembernow. ThisisBenzo'sshop.
Sosadwhathappenedtohim.
He made his way to the counter and cleared his throat.
Benzo didn't stir.
Crane coughed again, louder this time.
Benzo suddenly woke up, blinking and looking around before his gaze landed on the red-skinned boy.
He said nothing about the kid's strange appearance, deciding it wasn't worth the effort.
"You could've just rung the bell," Benzo said tiredly, gesturing to the small bell on the counter.
"I have some questions," Crane said.
"If you buy something, I'll consider answering them," Benzo replied.
"Fine."
Crane picked out a small trinket and placed it on the counter.
"Now I have some questions—"
"You gotta pay first," Benzo cut him off.
Crane rolled his eyes. "Two silver cogs. That's the highest I'll spend here. Take it or leave it."
Benzo smirked slightly. "Huh. What do you know? That's exactly enough to ask me some questions."
He pocketed the coins and leaned back in his chair. "Alright, shoot."
"Know any stores around here that sell plants?"
Benzo thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, about three shops in this area sell plants."
Crane flipped open his notebook, showing Benzo an illustration of the plant he was looking for.
"Hmm. Only one place sells plants like that," Benzo said. "It's on the opposite side of town."
"That's all?"
"That's all I know. Just head to the opposite side of town; the shop should be there."
"Alright. Thanks for the info."
Crane turned and walked out, the door creaking as it swung shut behind him.
———————————
As he made his way through Entresol, the scent of food hit his nose, making his stomach growl.
He stopped walking, debating with himself.
Ineedtogettheplant…butifIdon'teat, Icoulddie. Yeah, that'sit. Ifit'samatteroflifeordeath… picklife.
He quickly justified his decision in his head.
Theplant'snotgoinganywhere, he reasoned. Besides, Ideserveabreak.
With that, he changed course, making his way toward the food stalls.
As he got closer, he spotted a group of kids sitting together, eating and talking.
Familiar kids.
He narrowed his eyes. Wait…that'sMylo, Claggor, Vi, andPowder.
They looked so normal.
For all the pain they would go through, for all the chaos waiting in their future, right now, they were just a bunch of kids sharing a meal.
His gaze lingered on Powder. She was barely keeping up with the conversation, more focused on eating than anything else.
Wouldsherecognizemefromhernightmare?
Well… onlyonewaytofindout.