Time For Your Backstory

- Salmon Bay, 7 years ago -

"I still don't get how you use this thing, dad..." You mumbled, re-wrapping the chain to your wrist as it had fallen from your hands for the umpteenth time.

"Heh, you gotta wrap it like this, secure it." Your father, Delsin, instructed, helping you re-wrap the chain. "See? Like that."

"Right. Secure. Gotcha." You nodded, and unwrapped it again, but this time, it was held on tightly to your wrist.

As such, you began whipping at the wood and hay dummy your father had made for training. You just kept swinging and swinging, and you weren't sure if you were actually hitting the target or not.

"Hey, don't tire yourself out." Delsin said, chuckling. "You gotta go slow, kiddo. It's your first time using this thing, don't sweat it."

You nodded, and just kept trying your best to aim and whip the dummy. But one time, you missed, and the chain wrapped back around, whipping you in the back. "Agh!" You yelped as you fell to the ground.

"You okay?" Delsin asked, going to check on you. "It didn't hurt, did it?"

"A little bit. It more than stung." You shook your head as you got back up. "I don't know, dad... is having a chain really a conventional weapon?"

"Eh, it's more or less a utility. But you can't rely on your Counduit powers all the time, especially since you haven't had your share of Core Relays. You gotta learn how to use it, you never know when you might run out of gas." Delsin explained.

"Right, yeah, I understand." You nodded, and whipped the dummy once again.

You felt like your hits were a little too soft. They were fast, sure. But they lacked some real punch. You were naturally strong because you were a Conduit, so what gave?

"Dad, am I doing this right?" You asked, turning to your father.

"Well, kinda. You're hitting the target, but you're not getting much force behind those hits. Try swinging like this, instead." Delsin recommended, demonstrating how you could hit harder by pretending to swing the chain.

You tried it out, and the results were... a little better. The hits were definitely more solid than before. But it was still lacking that oomph, that extra punch.

"Now, try to use your mother's neon." Delsin advised, and you just stared at him.

"But you said I can't shoot neon blasts. Chain only." You replied.

"No, I mean try putting neon on the chain." Delsin elaborated.

"Oh. Well, uh... How do I do that?" You questioned, staring at the chain.

"It's like letting some weird liquid run down your arm toward the chain. Let it go, and watch." Delsin explained.

You did what he said, and just let the neon flow through your body and toward the chain. And to your surprise, it actually worked. The chain was a lot more straight now, and it was like you had a knockoff light-saber dangling from your wrist.

"Okay, try swinging it." Delsin instructed, and you swung.

This time, you felt the slight extra weight on the chain. And when you hit the dummy, you left a glowing blue and purple mark on the chest. Which was weird, because you sworn that would've ripped the dummy in half.

It was a mix of a straighter, more solid hit. Yet simultaneously, the chain still felt like it bent. Was this an advantage that chains had over, say, a sword?

"Woah... That's pretty awesome." You commented, staring at the chain.

"Now you get what I'm talking about? Try hitting it again." Delsin suggested.

You nodded, and repeated the motions. You whipped the chain, and left another mark. You hit it a couple more times, and soon enough, the dummy had various glowing neon marks.

"Alright, that's enough, buddy. Don't want you to tire yourself out." Delsin told you, patting your shoulder.

"I think I get the chain thing a bit more." You said, wrapping the thing back around your arm.

"Told you." Delsin said, crossing his arms and smiling. "You can't use your powers all the time, y'know. Now, for the next lesson."

- A bit later -

You and Delsin were now practicing parkour, and as was always, your dad was miles ahead of you. Seems you inherited his fear of heights, as looking down at the water below you did you no favors.

You were jumping, climbing, running to every rock and boulder you saw as stable enough to hold you. Your dad was a lot faster and confident in his jumps, while you were struggling a bit.

You tried to catch up with him, and eventually, you found a good path that you were sure would work. And thus, you jumped. "Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhh-!" You yelled as you fell.

Your body fell toward the water, but at the last second, you got caught by Delsin, who used video wings to catch you before you splashed. You expected him to come up with some sort of quip that he'd embarrass you with, but...

He looked scared, and worried. Like, there was something more to his expression. Was it just his fatherly instincts kicking in, or was there something more?

"D-dad...? Are you okay?" You asked, concerned.

"Oh, uh, y-yeah. Sorry, just..." Delsin sighed, and his wings disappeared as he set you on the ground. He hesitated to say anything, and you knew why.

"...Is this about Uncle Reggie?" You asked, and Delsin closed his eyes and nodded.

"...Y-yeah. I... he told me to... I didn't have a choice..." Delsin mumbled, and his memories flashed back to the day where Reggie had to be let go or Augustine's Concrete Virus would get to Delsin.

"He said he was so proud of you, dad." You assured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Uncle Reggie wouldn't want you to worry about him. Look at what you did. Conduits are free. They're not openly discriminated against anymore."

"Yeah, you're right..." Delsin said, standing up. "Come with me, Y/N. I know you've seen the billboard a thousand times, but now we've got to add a little extra."

"Okay." You replied, and the two of you went to the billboard that served as a memorial for Reggie.

"Here." Delsin said as he grabbed a bag of spray paint cans he pulled out from behind the billboard. "It's your turn to put your mark on this thing."

"What if I screw it up?" You asked, and Delsin chuckled.

"You won't. You learned to do this even before you got your powers. This'll be a piece of cake." Delsin encouraged.

"O-okay. Thanks, dad." You replied, staring at the can for a little bit.

With a deep breath, you rattled it, aimed it, and began spraying. Particularly, on the side where Delsin and Reggie are hugging each other. You added yourself in the middle, with a smile and holding a rock and roll hand sign.

Once you were done, Delsin knelt down to your height, patted you on the back, and looked at you with a prideful smile. "That's my kid."

- Later that day, at Seattle City -

"And then you just add some outlines here, and there, and bam. You're a pro." Your mother, Abigail, or "Fetch" as she liked to be called, instructed as she finished making a design on the wall.

"This is a little easier than using spray paint, that's for sure." You replied, drawing on the wall with your neon powers.

"Well, yeah. No need to fill things in and all. It's like making a sketch." Fetch smiled, watching you practice.

"It's like writing, except without paper or pen." You commented, looking at your creation. "Uh... are these too much spirals?"

"It's a cool look. But don't go crazy. It's fine the way it is." Fetch assured, ruffling your hair.

"Hehe, thanks mom. Neon art is a little more my speed. Plus, it stands out more, which is the point." You said, looking at your creation.

"I'd say you've got a knack for it, too." Fetch commented before joking, "Oh, I'm not letting your dad live down the fact you like my type of art better."

"I like them both equally, mom." You rolled your eyes, though your smile never faded. "It's just that one's a little easier for me."

"I'm glad you picked both of them up, Y/N." Fetch smirked, playfully punching your arm. "And I'm sure Reggie's proud of you, too."

"Mom, you know dad still feels bad for... y'know..." You responded, worried.

"Losing family will do that to you, it just never goes away." Fetch nodded, frowning.

"I would've liked to meet Uncle Brent." You sighed.

"And he would've liked to meet you, too." Fetch replied. "Take that as a reminder that drugs and addiction can make you hurt anyone, no matter what. So don't ever go down that path. Alright?"

"Yes, ma'am." You nodded, giving her a smile. "The most delinquent thing I'd ever think of doing is getting a tattoo like dad has on his left arm. Or maybe a piercing, like you."

"When you're older, maybe." Fetch smiled back. "Don't go crazy, though."

"I won't. Don't worry, mom." You assured, nodding.

"That's my boy." Fetch said as she hugged you, and you happily returned it.

- Even later, at Eugene's Hideout -

You and Uncle Eugene were playing Heaven's Hellfire, and the game was intense. The two of you were playing online, and so far, you were neck-to-neck.

"How are you this good?" Eugene asked, focused.

"You taught me everything I know. I learned from the best." You smirked.

"Oh, we'll see about that." Eugene smiled, and his fingers pressed on the buttons with lightning speed. And he beat you.

"Let me guess, 'I taught you everything you know, not everything I know'?" You joked, and he laughed.

"Exactly. That's how it is." Eugene nodded.

"You're the best, uncle Eugene." You told him, and you were telling the truth. "But I promise, the student intends to surpass the master one day."

"Good luck, I'll be waiting for the day you do." Eugene grinned, and he looked over to the side. "So, how's your version of the Virtual World going?"

"I'm getting the hang of it. Doesn't help that you've only taught me how to make entities from Heaven's Hellfire." You quipped.

"Guilty as charged." Eugene shrugged, crossing his arms. "You'll get the hang of it soon enough. And better than me, I reckon."

"You sure about that?" You asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Positive. I hope you don't make that world your new reality. I would know a lot about secluding yourself from the outside world." Eugene replied, and his expression saddened a bit.

"I won't. Maybe I'll treat it like a pocket apartment. And don't beat yourself up because you just wanted to live a safe life." You comforted. "Anyone would just want to disappear if they were constantly bullied."

"That is true, isn't it?" Eugene sighed, and then gave you a smile. "If it weren't for your dad, I would still be hiding in this place and never come out. He was the reason I started living again."

"And look at what you did for not only him, but the world. You helped him stop the DUP. That was a huge step toward the freedom of all Conduits." You assured, smiling at him. "The One Who Dwells is now a name that makes people feel safe."

"I still can't believe I named myself that. I'm not that grandiose." Eugene shook his head, chuckling.

"Hey, everyone's been edgy at one point. Plus, I still think it sounds pretty cool." You argued, laughing a bit. "Maybe I'll make my own alias like that."

"Don't embarrass yourself, dude. I know what it's like, trust me." Eugene joked, nudging you.

"No promises." You replied, and then you and Eugene got back to playing Heaven's Hellfire.

- A few hours later -

You handcuffed yourself. Why? You heard stories from your dad and mom, about Hank. How he could get out of handcuffs with just a paperclip.

Now that you thought about it, paperclips had a select few uses that weren't exactly related to papers.

And now, laying on the ground, you tried to bend the paperclip to a straighter shape using just your mouth. As such, you kept trying and trying. You were sure you were gonna have the paperclip perfectly straight once you were done.

After you poked your tongue a few dozen times with it, you finally got the thing straightened. And now, you could use the thing. You slid it into the keyhole, and fiddled around a bit.

If you learned anything from the lock-picking advice Hank taught you, it is: you just gotta be patient. And so, you kept poking and moving the thing. Until you felt a slight click. And the left handcuff came off.

"Woah, that actually worked." You muttered, smiling at yourself. Then, you did the same to the right one. "That... was scarily simple."

You took the handcuffs off your wrists, and decided to just throw them in the trash can. Then, you sat on the floor and looked at your hands. It was weird how something as small as a paperclip could do that.

"Maybe I should keep a few on me just in case. It never hurts to be prepared, right?" You reasoned, and then nodded to yourself. "Yeah. Sounds good."

Also, you were grateful that no one saw you struggling to get yourself out of the handcuffs. You knew for a fact that would give your parents something to never let you live down.

And that would definitely be added to the playlist of things your mind would randomly make you remember at night.

"Wow, that really would be embarrassing for your parents to know." Ramona's voice made you jump, and she was laughing at your reaction.

"Don't do that!" You shouted, back in your current appearance. "Also, how long have you been watching?"

"Just for a bit. Long enough to know that your family really isn't a bunch of normies, huh?" Ramona joked, sitting down beside you. "So, this is what you dream of?"

"Kinda. I'm just reliving memories. I don't exactly have dreams in the traditional way. You know, having so much control on my own Subspace. Or how I call it, Virtual World." You explained. "Felt like going on a nostalgia trip. Back home to Salmon Bay."

"Looks like a nice place. Did it really look like this, or are you adding a few bits and pieces?" Ramona questioned, curious.

"It's pretty close to the real deal, but I added a few personal touches." You replied. "Maybe a brighter sunset, and a slightly bigger Akomish Longhouse."

Ramona raised an eyebrow at that last part. "Akomish? What's that?"

"Oh, the local tribe my dad's a part of. The Akomish Tribe." You answered, standing up. "He and I are Native Americans, so I was accepted into the tribe once my dad told them about me. Pretty chill group. Everyone cares for everyone."

"Sounds nice." Ramona commented, and stood up, too. "Is the Akomish Tribe still around today?"

"They're still strong as ever. We've been through a lot, but we always pull through." You answered, smiling. "So, why'd you pass by? Just a visit, or in need of a boost pad? Not that I mind either."

"Both. But I'll pass by for the boost pad later. Right now, just wanted to drop by." Ramona replied, skating away. "See you, Y/N."

"Later, Ramona." You said, and watched her go. "Maybe I should wake up."

And so, you did.