Arcane: I have Plasmids F*** YEAAAAAAH!!!

The system roared.

Power flooded the lab, twisting the air into something unnatural.

Lukas stood frozen.

His breath came in shallow gasps. His heart pounded against his ribs.

It was happening.

Braces. Bolts. Hydraulic joints. Armor.

The diving suit.

And then—

They struck.

A wet, sickening crunch filled the room as steel buried itself into flesh.

Lukas clenched his jaw.

The suit didn't just attach.

It replaced.

Clamps locked around Vander's forearms, sinking deep into muscle and bone. The spine braces latched on, forcing his broken body to align with the suit's cold, merciless frame.

His fingers twitched.

His chest jerked.

His ribs caved in and reshaped themselves.

And yet—

He didn't scream.

Lukas's stomach twisted.

He should be screaming.

The final plate snapped shut over his chest.

The helmet locked into place.

The room went silent.

And then—

A single, mechanical hiss.

Lukas exhaled.

His arms felt numb. His legs barely held him up.

It was done.

The machine held.

The body lived.

But the man—

Lukas swallowed.

"…Vander?"

Nothing.

Just the quiet hum of the suit's ventilators. The low, rhythmic pull of oxygen through the system.

Lukas's fingers curled into a shaking fist.

"...Can you hear me?"

His voice cracked.

"Please—just...just say something, anything."

The weight in his chest crushed him.

Seconds passed.

The air thickened.

Then—

Vander moved.

Lukas's breath caught.

His fingers twitched.

His massive, plated hand shifted—then, slowly, deliberately, it reached forward.

Lukas didn't flinch.

Didn't move.

Couldn't move.

The cold, heavy gauntlet brushed against his cheek.

The touch was—

Soft.

Barely there.

Like a calloused thumb brushing over a wound.

Like something familiar.

Like something human.

Lukas's vision blurred.

Tears slipped down his face before he could stop them.

Vander's hand lingered.

Not a command.

Not an attack.

Not a mindless reflex.

A reassurance.

A promise.

Lukas let out a shuddering breath.

"...You're still in there."

Vander's fingers twitched.

Lukas sucked in a breath.

His throat felt raw.

His eyes burned.

But for the first time in hours—he allowed himself to smile.

---

Vander moved again.

Slower this time.

He was trying to get up.

Lukas frowned.

"Vander?"

The giant groaned.

His mechanical limbs strained.

Lukas felt his stomach drop.

"Vander—stop."

But the man didn't listen.

His mind screamed at him to keep going.

His body betrayed him.

The suit was too heavy.

His injuries were too severe.

He lifted one massive leg off the table—almost lost his balance.

Lukas caught him.

Barely.

Vander was heavy as fuck.

The sheer weight of the suit sent him crashing to one knee.

He gritted his teeth.

"Holy shit…" His voice was hoarse.

"You're too damn heavy."

A sound rumbled through the ventilators.

A breath.

No.

A huff.

Lukas's chest tightened.

It was barely there.

Barely noticeable.

But he knew.

He knew what it meant

"I know where you're trying to go."

A pause.

"I know you want to see them."

Vander turned his head slightly, visor glowing faintly.

Lukas swallowed.

"But you can't go back to them like this."

His voice was quiet.

"Not yet."

He felt something in his ribs almost crack when Vander's weight pressed down harder.

"Okay—okay, easy—"

With a grunt, he pushed him back onto the table.

His arms screamed. His lungs burned.

But he did it.

"Listen. This procedure—it didn't heal you."

Vander stilled.

Lukas continued.

"It just… stopped shimmer from spreading further."

A beat.

"It's still inside you."

A low mechanical exhale rumbled through Vander's vents.

Lukas's jaw clenched.

He hated this.

Hated himself.

He looked Vander in the eye.

Or—at least, where his eyes should be.

"But I can fix this."

Vander didn't move.

"I just...I need time."

Another breath.

Another pause.

Then—

Vander placed a hand on Lukas's shoulder.

And nodded.

Lukas let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Lukas stepped back.

He inhaled.

Exhaled.

Then—

He gestured toward the Vita-Chamber.

"Come."

Vander tilted his head slightly.

Lukas smirked—tired, but genuine.

"I just dragged your ass halfway across Zaun. The least you can do is listen to me."

Vander let out a low, soft huff.

Lukas blinked.

That was…

Was that a laugh?

His chest tightened.

The weight on his shoulders didn't disappear—but for the first time, it felt a little lighter.

He helped Vander up.

"So damn heavy..."

Step by step.

Each one slow. Heavy. Measured.

The suit wasn't just his cage—it was his burden.

But for now—

It was also his lifeline.

And Lukas?

He would carry that burden with him.

No matter what.

Because Lukas Fontaine didn't fucking quit.

---

The Vita-Chamber hummed.

A deep, mechanical whirr echoed through the lab as the system flickered to life.

Lukas stood beside it, rolling his aching shoulder.

[WARNING: VITA-CHAMBER ACTIVATED]

[10,000 SYSTEM POINTS DEDUCTED.]

[REMAINING POINTS: 1,600.]

He looked at Vander.

Steel-bound. Silent.

"Worth it."

Lukas inhaled sharply.

"Alright, big guy. This thing's gonna put you in some kind of suspended animation while your body heals."

"It won't remove Shimmer, but will heal all your injuries."

Vander stared at him.

Lukas forced a smirk.

"But don't get too comfortable, I'll be waking you up soon."

Lukas gestured to the chamber.

Vander hesitated.

Then—he moved.

Heavy, mechanical footsteps.

The floor groaned beneath his weight as he stepped inside.

The chamber hissed.

A mechanical latch sealed him in place.

A soft, greenish glow filled the capsule.

Lukas stepped forward, pressing his palm against the glass.

For a moment—just a moment—Vander hesitated.

Then—

He raised his own hand.

Pressed it against Lukas's through the glass.

The two stood there.

No words.

No sound.

Just that one, final gesture.

Then—

The stasis field activated.

And Vander—was still.

Lukas exhaled.

Stepped back.

Then—

His body finally gave out.

He collapsed into a chair in the corner of the lab.

---

His hands were still shaking.

The weight in his chest hadn't lifted.

But at least Vander was safe.

For now.

His eyes flickered to the chamber.

Vander's massive frame was barely visible through the glass. The diving suit. The steel. The changes.

He leaned forward.

Pressed his elbows against his knees.

Exhaled.

His hands clenched.

'I need to do something.'

His voice was hoarse.

Bitter.

"I fucking knew the future. I knew how it would play out. And I still fucked up."

A breath.

A shaking breath.

"All that talk with Vi..."

Then, a final conviction.

"I need to go back."

"I have to get them back, I need to look for Pow—"

A sharp beep cut him off.

Lukas froze.

The system screen flickered before him.

But this time—

It wasn't normal.

[SYSTEM ALERT: ERROR]

[SYSTEM ALERT: DIMENSIONAL BREACH DETECTED.]

The text warped.

Distorted.

The screen bled red.

And then—

The entire room shifted.

"What's goin on—"

Lukas shot to his feet.

He took a step forward, Electricity crackling in his palm.

The air in front of him rippled, bending like shattered glass.

A crack formed in reality.

Thin. Jagged. Expanding.

And then—

Reality split apart, the edges of the world bending like shattered glass.

Lukas staggered back.

The tear widened.

Wind roared from within.

The room groaned under its weight.

Then—

An older woman stepped through.

"What... The... FUCK?!?"