Interlude Will

It seemed kinda crazy, like something out of a sci-fi movie. There was this grape, all ripe and juicy, just hanging there in front of a cold metal wall. And the only light was this weird artificial glow.

When Will looked closer, he saw these tiny pipes that were like life support for the vines, and all these fake sun-lights. It was like someone had decided to make a mini jungle in the middle of a robot world.

The whole plants-meet-tech vibe was oddly cool. Only in the Enrichment Centre could you find something this bizarre. It felt like living in a movie about a supervillain's secret base. Will was pretty sure about that, especially since Dustin had made this whole checklist of "Evil Lair Must-Haves".

Taking a deep breath, Will got a mix of smells – fresh grapes and that kinda fake clean smell from whatever they used to scrub the place. He stared at the wall that was now more vine than metal, wishing he had his sketch pad with him. But, nope, he had to leave it back at his new place.

"You know, you can eat those for free," some kid's voice broke into his thoughts.

"I was thinking more of drawing it," Will said, turning around to see who was talking.

The kid was a couple of years younger than Will, dressed in the short-sleeved, shorts-version of the Aperture jumpsuit that everyone at the Enrichment Centre seemed to be into. It kind of made Will feel like he was in an episode of "Star Trek: Summer Edition".

But he couldn't really complain. He was wearing the same thing. It was cheap, easy to clean – just chuck it into the incinerator – and surprisingly comfy, even if it hugged him a bit tighter than he liked.

With an artist's eye, Will checked out the kid. Pale skin, ebony-blue hair, and almond-shaped eyes. Pretty, in a way. Not 'kissing pretty' – he was too young for that kind of thinking – but, like, in an artistic kind of way.

That was something Will was still trying to figure out. While his friends were all getting weird about girls, he found it amusing and kind of confusing. Only to realize that he was getting his own kind of weird. Just not about girls.

So, while he still didn't get what Mike saw in El, he was painfully aware of what El saw in Mike.

It made things a bit... well, it wasn't like there was a Hallmark card for "Sorry your face got stolen by an incubus trying to seduce me".

Will almost overlooked one peculiar detail. The kid was wearing a spiked dog collar, complete with a dog tag that boldly declared "#1 minion". In any other place, it might have seemed odd, but here, it just seemed to fit him somehow.

"Earth to the astronaut," the kid teased, waving his hand in front of Will's face, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Have you been abducted by aliens or something?"

"Not recently," Will replied, the words slipping out before he could stop them. He winced internally; he wasn't supposed to talk about that. The real reason he and his friends were here had attracted a lot of unwanted attention, especially from people in suits who weren't known for taking 'no' for an answer.

The kid's eyes widened in excitement. "No way! You're that guy? Did you get probed?" he asked with a mischievous grin. Leaning in, he added in a conspiratorial whisper, "Did you like it?"

"Aren't you a little young to be knowing about stuff like that?" Will asked, his tone sharp with embarrassment. And besides, it wasn't anything like that. It wasn't an abduction, but more like a rescue. Will wasn't even sure if they were aliens, elves, or some kind of space elves.

Damian knew more, but getting answers out of him was a whole other ordeal. Will already had his fair share of bruises and embarrassments from their regular training sessions; he didn't need any more complications.

"I aced Sex Ed," the kid bragged with a smirk. "I know all about that butt stuff."

Will rolled his eyes, struggling to keep a straight face at the kid's boldness. "Good for you," he said with a dry tone. "I'm sure you'll find a way to put that extensive knowledge to good use... eventually. When you're a bit older, maybe." He let a sly grin slip. "So, what should I call you? Minion?"

The kid puffed up his chest, striking an exaggerated heroic pose. "Not just any minion. I am Zachary Bosh, GLaDOS' number-one minion. But you can call me Zach. And you are?" he asked with a mixture of curiosity and mischief.

"Will. Will Byers." Will couldn't help but chuckle at Zach's antics. "And how does one earn the esteemed title of GLaDOS' number one minion?"

"By my sheer unrivalled genius. I nearly pulled a hobbit," Zach said with pride.

Will furrowed his brow in confusion. As a fan of Tolkien and an avid D&D player, he knew what hobbit was. He and his friends even called a patch of woods near their hometown Mirkwood. But even with he had no idea what Zach was talking about. "Pulled a hobbit?"

"You know, like sneaking into Mordor, getting past all the defences…"

"Mordor isn't real," Will pointed out, a bit exasperated. He was good at keeping the lines between reality and fantasy clear, even if recent events had blurred them somewhat. "And even if it was, Mordor was destroyed."

Zach looked at him like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course, it's real – in hacker terms, anyway. That's what we call Aperture's BSS, 'cause, you know, you can't just walk into Mordor. Though I'm not sure why that is."

"Boromir said that," Will clarified.

"So, you know where it's from?"

"From a book."

"Sci-fi?"

"Fantasy."

"Ah, not really my thing," Zach shrugged. "So, as I was saying, I managed to dive deep into their system. Got further than anyone else before, and that caught the attention of our glorious machine overlord. And here I am."

"Our glorious machine overlord," Will repeated, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Aren't you laying it on a bit thick?"

"Well, there's something I want, and she's always watching," Zach replied, glancing around as if expecting someone – or something – to pop out at any moment.

"She is not," Will started to say, but he was cut off by a sudden, mechanical voice echoing through the corridor.

"I am," intoned the female voice of GLaDOS. "Minion, the mil-spec hacking rig is assembled and ready for testing. Proceed immediately. It is for the security of this country, and more importantly, for the profits of Aperture Science. As for learning to flirt, you may continue that futile endeavour later."

"What do you mean, 'attempt'? I was killing it," Zach protested, but his confident grin faltered slightly.

"If by 'it' you mean your chances of copulation with Will Byers, then yes, you are indeed successful in 'killing it'," GLaDOS remarked dryly.

Will felt a rush of blood to his cheeks, a mix of embarrassment and surprise colouring his reaction. Zach's awkward attempt at flirting reminded him of how Dustin used to act around Nancy, Mike's older sister – earnest, a bit clumsy, but endearing in its own way. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before.