Newt x Reader || A13

11 | A13

The boy from the hallway stands before me. It's been over a year since au saw him last, but it's hard to forget a face when you're only ever used to seeing the same two each day.

"You never did tell me your subject letter." He says with a grin.

"Julian?" from somewhere deep within, his name bubbles to my lips.

"Shoot, you remembered." He says, raising his eyebrows in surprise. He comes closer, leaning over my failure reports. "Damn, 212?" his eyes glint mischievously, "I quit after thirteen."

"They let you do that?" I ask, looking up in astonishment.

"I mean, it's supposed to be a secret," he shrugs, "but I started a bigger project. For research purposes, because the simulations weren't working." I stare dumbfounded. "Think of it as more extensive intel that can be applied to the sims later to increase success rates."

"A project?" I ask, waiting for him to continue, but he simply nods his head, not offering any more information. Even so, the fresh face is a greatly welcome. It's simply been myself, the Dr, some nameless staff members, and my brother for years- until he was taken, that is.

"There's been a development." Julian says, interrupting my thoughts. "We're supposed to be partners from here on out."

Partners?

There's a word I haven't heard in a while.

It's something Thomas used to call us. Partners. An inseparable unit.

I almost scoff at the irony of it all.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"The doctor says it's for the future." he begins. "Something about collaboration being a necessary step in the compound's research."

After his words, a beeping sound begins, followed by the screech of heavy metal.

We both turn and watch as one of the bolted doors the size of a wall of my lab slides open, revealing another lab, identical to mine.

"That's my lab." Julian says. His is almost identical to mine, but the number engraved in the centre of his is 1. I gape, astonished. I was told those doors would never open. I stay silent, processing the information, trying to make sense of it all. I am once again cut off by my new lab partner.

"Have you found him yet?" I turn and stare. He's talking about my brother.

"How did you know?" About him. About the one thing that was mine.

"They told me everything about you."  Julian admits. It takes much of me not to let my mouth hang open in a gape.

"I don't know anything about you." I say. "And I found him, I just can't get to him." I put my head down. "I just miss him."

Julian is silent for a moment.

"It gets better." He finally says, sitting down next to me at my lab bench.

"How would you know?"

"Got a hunch." He offers a small smile.

"And how often are those hunches correct?"

"All the time. He's there, you know." Julian says, gesturing in front of me.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"Your brother." My heartbeat quickens at his words. Surely it's not this simple.

Julian walks over to the third bolted door on the wall adjacent to the one which opened into his lab and presses his hand to it.