Cliff (Abridged)

Ratty is tipped off via some contacts from her new job about an engineer working for the company that brainwashed and murdered her. She visits this engineer's house under the pretense that she is a reporter working on a story. The engineer - Cliff Matheson - attempts to drug her and, when that doesn't work, knocks her out by force.

She wakes up in a cement lined basement with one other woman: a pink-haired deer who refuses to answer to anything but the number '16'. Cliff also starts referring to Ratty as '19'. Cliff leaves on business for several weeks, intrusting 16 to 'break in' her new roommate.

Ratty explores the basement, eventually breaking into Cliff's office and finding a room full of computer terminals. She boots one up and finds digital photographs of some pretty extreme gore. Most striking is a photo of a dismantled wrist. 16 stops Ratty at this moment to show her her own scar:

“Oh! That’s me.”

Ratty turned to see the deer proudly holding up a massive chunk of scar tissue.

“That’s not… good.” Ratty said

“It was our first date!” 16 replied.

“That might actually make it worse.” The deer shrugged, pressing her lips against the scar in a reflexive move of comfort.

Cliff comes home, and despite her best efforts, 16 has failed to make Ratty even a little agreeable.

They fight, Ratty escapes, and accidentally shoots 16 in the chaos.

Sapper meanwhile has been searching for Ratty. They meet just on the edge of Cliff's ranch and hug.

Back at home base, they get into a small fight over Ratty's carelessness and self destructive behavior.

"It's like he's hovering over you, isn't it? You feel like-” They finally let out a single sob. “Like this is all just a happy dream, and any second now you're going to wake up.” They were weeping openly at this point, “And the worst part of it is, your stupid brain makes you actually want to because you think you deserve it, because of all the things he made you do.”

Ratty fell forward, wrapping her arms around her wife as some useless document crumpled and stained under her paw.

“I felt that way every day. I know exactly what you’re going through.” Sapphomet managed between sobs, Ratty’s dirty shirt balled up in their hands as they pressed their face into the stale smelling fabric. 

It took a moment before Ratty apologized; a simple “I’m sorry” that broke her voice to let out.

"I know Ratty."

"I'm sorry for scaring you."

"I know." Sapphomet said, "We're going to get him. I swear to you we're going to make him hurt twice as bad as he hurt you, but there's no reason to make any more pain." Ratty’s facade cracked, giving way to a single, suppressed sob. She took a deep, choking breath of the smaller woman's shoulder, and let go of her wife, leaving one hand in theirs and letting them guide her back to their bedroom.

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