Chapter Text
The filing cabinet at Scar’s desk closed with a satisfying clunk that reminded him that it was a few months of relaxation coming rapidly his way.
Scar worked at a company called the Hormonal Exposure And Regulation Therapy institution, colloquially called the HEART institution. The goal of the institution was to send people with unusually calming and regulating pheromone levels to individuals with deregulated hormones to help them adjust into “normal” life. They hired predominantly Alphas and Omegas with this particular set of skills, and sometimes the rare Beta with a good nose, and all were highly trained and educated on how to help their clients best. Most of their clients were emergency individuals who needed immediate regulation after a traumatic event, but the cases Scar worked with were the extremes.
Scar was one of the few individuals in the HEART Institution who did longer cases where they would usually spend a week of their time regulating not only a person but also their space, so they could reintegrate properly back into society. Understandably, the work was exhausting and required a lot of energy, so most people on the field were on for a week, then off for several weeks after to recoup and come back fully prepared. They were part of the Extended Stay Treatment Division, often just called the EST.
It was all part of his job and he was happy to use his gift the greater good.
Scar knew that the sound of a closing filing cabinet meant two months off minimum, where he could go back to his Lego sets, his lovely cat, and his garden to work in peace. It was kind of the perfect job for him. He loved helping and he seriously valued his free time, so being able to work on it was a beautiful combination of his loves.
Interrupting his daydream of the Titanic Lego set that was waiting for him in his hobby room was the hand of his friend (and boss) Cub placing a large envelope on his desk.
“Sorry,” Scar chirped, leaning back in his chair and loosening the tie he had on. “But I just finished a case. I’m off to vacation in Scarland and nothing could pull me out of that.”
“Oh come on,” Cub hummed, a smile creeping onto his face as he picked up the envelope again and started to pull out a freshly printed stack of paper from inside. “I know you’re curious. Look at aaaaall those papers in here. Look at how hot and crisp and clean they are, so ready for you to look into.”
Scar eyed the papers curiously. He had to admit it. It was incredibly tempting. His last gig was hardly even two days and he could have very easily taken another job before his time off. It wasn’t often a stack that big was handed to him or anybody for that matter. Usually, it was two or three pieces stacked together and left in their mailbox, so for this much background information to be provided on a client was… interesting, to say the least.
Scar sighed softly and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Even if he wanted to accept, he needed to get an idea of what he was getting into.
“How rough is it?” Scar asked, eyeing the papers curiously. “Are we talking plane crash? House fire? Freak vending machine accident? With that much paperwork, there has to be some kind of legal entity involved.”
“Well you’re not wrong about the legal stuff,” Cub hummed, thumbing through the papers and buzzing his lips before continuing. “None of that though. Dead parents is the only thing I’m really seeing here. It’s still a doozy. We’ve had to send about sixteen emergency teams on different occasions that way and none of them were able to help, so their reports are in here too. It’ll be a longer gig than what you’re used to.”
“How much longer?” Scar asked, absently looking through his pen collection and spinning the pens around with his finger. “Two weeks? I’ve done two weeks before and it’s totally possible.”
Cub muttered something, just quiet enough for Scar to miss it. Scar looked up at his boss and raised an eyebrow.
“Is it more than two weeks?” Scar questioned. “Cub three weeks is a long gig.”
“Um…” Cub muttered, averting his eyes and rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “It’s more like… nine… weeks? But week five is a full week off!”
“Nine?!” Scar cried, not even bothering to hide the horror on his face. “Cub! Why would you accept a case like that anyway!? You know we don’t do that!”
“Hear me out!” Cub cried. “I know it’s long, but there are some perks.”
Scar scoffed and started collecting his things. Nine weeks? How could somebody possibly need nine weeks of care for hormone and pheromone regulation? It was completely insane and whoever took the job had to be equally insane to take it.
“You can’t convince me,” Scar insisted. “But I’d love to hear you try your best.”
“You’d live on location in their home,” Cub continued, now shifting to block Scar’s exit route. “That’s nine weeks of free housing and free food. They’d completely take care of you for your time.”
“Still not sounding good,” Scar said quietly. “I happen to really like my home.”
“That week off in the middle is technically PTO without it counting as actual days off,” Cub continued. “And we both know how much you get paid.”
“Still not convinced,” Scar replied simply, standing and pulling his coat on. “The pay would have to be insane for me to agree.”
“How’s ten times your usual sound?” Cub said quickly, watching Scar with quiet desperation.
Ten times his usual was insane. Like, too good to be true levels of insane. Scar raised an eyebrow.
“This place can’t afford ten times my usual,” Scar said suspiciously, interest piqued as he zipped up his jacket. “You know how much that is, right?”
“I know we can’t,” Cub insisted, shoving the envelope now stuffed full of the papers again into Scar’s chest. “But this client can.”
Scar scoffed in disbelief and took the envelope, reading the handwriting written on the front.
Xelqua.
Scar had to blink a few more times to make sure that he was reading the name right. He had seen the name hundreds of times before. Namely on stadiums, college grants, hospital wings, TV ads, Sahara shipping warehouses, ConCorp stores… you get the picture. The Xelqua family was loaded beyond belief and it would be a field day for reporters if information about one of the few children of the Xelqua line required what was essentially a glorified pheromone buddie were to get out.
“Are you serious?” Scar questioned, ducking down to Cub’s level and lowering his voice. “Like, this isn’t a prank or something? I thought they were all alphas. Why would they need me? Wouldn’t Bdubs be better suited for it?”
“Dead serious,” Cub said quietly. “I came to you first because… well… they requested one of the best in hopes of getting it done sooner than they were expecting and I couldn’t think of anybody better. An alpha was specifically requested.”
Scar hesitated. He seriously valued his free time. Being able to build his little sets and tend to his little garden were some of the few hobbies he really enjoyed and to have to essentially put it on hold for two months was a lot. He didn’t even fully know what this all was going to entail. Scar cautiously pulled out the front page and read through the requests that he was being given. Heat assistance was a given on this particular job, seeing as he was going to be there for at least one heat, but some of the other requests were odd. Since when was it in his job description to sit in at all meals? He could easily say no and not be faulted for it.
On the other hand, he got into this business for this exact reason: to help folks who had nowhere else to turn. If this client had already run through some of the best emergency staff available and they were unable to help, he was supposed to be the one to get the job done. Besides, how bad could living in a mansion for just over two months and change really be?
With a heavy sigh, Scar opened his bag and slipped the envelope inside it.
“I’ll start going over it tonight,” Scar said softly. “Can you ask if I can bring Jellie? I’d feel bad asking somebody to watch her for that long.”
“Scar, I knew I could count on you!” Cub sang, hooking Scar around the neck with his arm and pulling him down for a weird kind of half hug. “I’ll make sure you can bring her don’t you worry! You go on home and I’ll reach out when they tell me when they want you over! You’re the man!”
Scar shoved him off, unable to wipe the grin off his face as he did so. Cub left quickly after their interaction and soon, a very curious Bdubs poked his head around his cubicle.
“What was all that about?” He questioned, a curious twinkle in the omega’s eye. “Seems like you got something really big.”
“Don’t even worry about it,” Scar insisted. “Just a long case. Nine weeks is insane, right? I’m not crazy for thinking that’s insane, right?”
“Nine weeks?!” Came the squawk of Cleo as she poked her head around the other side of his cubicle, the alpha clearly as shocked as Scar was. “Are they mad? That’s ridiculous. I haven’t heard of anybody even being able to afford four consecutive weeks. Nine week is ridiculous. Especially from you! You’re a pricey boy!”
“Well, not really a problem if the client has the money I guess,” Bdubs added. “Oooh do you have a ConCorp owner needing a fuck buddy? Because I’ll happily take that off your hands! I could use a free membership!”
“Stop it,” Scar replied, a smile on his face but his tone still firm. “It’s not being a fuck buddy and you know that. It’s just part of the job. It’s not that big of a deal, really. They’re playing me well, I’m living on-site, and they’re basically going to cover my every need! All I have to do is pump out pheromones and do all the therapy stuff and it’ll all be sorted. I doubt that it’ll actually take the full nine weeks. They’re just being generous.”
“But Scaaar…” Bdubs whined. “I’ll miss you so much. Can Cleo and I come to visit you? I’m sure it’ll get so lonely in your mansion with your sugar daddy!”
“Ooh, yeah!” Cleo chimed in. “We can probably convince mister moneybags to pay off all of our student loans if we play our cards right! C’mon Scar! It’ll be so much fun. We have to come over when you’re on site.”
Scar rolled his eyes and grabbed his water bottle, making his way out of the office and towards the elevator.
“I’m going home now,” he called over his shoulder. “I’ll let you know before I leave for the gig.”
“Stay safe!” Cleo said. “And call us if it looks like they’d make me debt-free!”
“Ooh, me too!” Bdubs added. “I love you!”
Scar waved before letting the elevator doors close and took a second to process what just happened. He just took the biggest job in his career and was holding some seriously precious documents. It would have all the information about the client he could possibly need to prepare himself and information that nobody else had probably ever seen. This was big.
The commute home was uneventful, save for the L train being late, and speedily made his way back home to start his research. He soon found himself with a cat in his lap and paperwork meticulously placed across the coffee table.
Scar scanned the papers, pen tucked behind his ear and ready to make notes as needed. His client was going to be a man by the name of Grian Xelqua on the request of the household manager Mumbo Jumbo. The name of his client, though, was surprisingly unfamiliar. Everybody knew about Xelqua children, Pearl and Gem, with their many successes and highly decorated careers in business and military marketing respectively, but Grian was never a name that came up on his research. The Xelqua family was known for being a completely Alpha family, so to have an omega and keep him a secret seemed odd. Most super-rich families loved to use their omega children as bargaining chips to make connections with other wealthy people. Scar never agreed with the practice, but what did he know? He’d never be wealthy enough to be able to understand the social requirements of the most elite members of society.
Scar continued his research, looking into the reports from the emergency visits. He held one of the many reports in his hands and read through it.
Responder: Etho S. Lab (A)
Date/Time: 8/2/2xxx
Report: I arrived at the scene with Stress Monster (O) and we were given information about the situation by the household manager Mumbo Jumbo (A). Grian Xelqua (O) was vomiting, dizzy, unable to eat, and in and out of consciousness. Jumbo informed us that it was still several weeks until his next heat. Xelqua was unresponsive to pheromone treatment from both myself and Stress, seemingly unaware that we were even there trying to treat him. We called for reinforcements from Cub Fan (B) and were told that all we could do was make him as comfortable as possible. We informed Jumbo to adjust his dosages of medication until he started to improve and then try pheromone treatment again when he was aware enough to receive it. We were quickly removed from the home and were asked not to speak of this to anybody outside of folks on a need-to-know basis. We received no follow-up from Jumbo.
Other Statements:
Stress Monster: Grian Xelqua his hormonally a wreck. No matter who put pheromones into the air, whether me or Etho, he was unresponsive to treatment. It’s unclear whether he is unable or unwilling to be treated, and the ways we’ve been trained to treat him prove ineffective. The capabilities of the three emergency staff do not seem to be enough. Future visits might require the EST Division.
Cub Fan: Do not release to the public (per request of the Xelqua Legal Team)
Scar furrowed his eyebrows and picked up another report, one from a few months later.
Responder: Scott Smajor (O)
Date/Time: 10/15/2xxx
Report: I got to the estate 10 minutes after the initial call from the household manager Mumbo Jumbo (A) with Etho S. Lab (A) and Ren Dog (B). Mumbo informed us that Grian Xelqua (O) was nauseated and refusing to leave his room. We entered Grian’s room and found him sweating profusely, bleeding from the mouth and nose, and calling for people not in the room. When we tried to calm him with pheromones, Grian became violent and threw whatever he could reach at us. Mumbo tried to interfere, but was injured in the process. Ren stayed in the room with him and managed to calm him without pheromone usage and treat him well enough to get him resting and Etho and I patched up Mumbo. We recommended adjusting his hormone regulators through his primary care physician and Etho added that this was worse than last time (??? There was a time before this??? Not noted on documents. Please adjust that for future teams to reflect this information) and recommended that Mumbo look into the HEART institutions Extended Stay Treatment (EST) department, and I agree. We were removed as soon as Ren came back. We received no follow-up from Mumbo Jumbo.
Other Statements:
Etho S. Lab: Grian Xelqua needs far more than the emergency team is able to provide. Please encourage the Xelqua estate to look into the EST division.
Ren Dog: Grian Xelqua was only able to be calmed down when pheromones were not pushed into the room. After all alphas and omegas left the room and we opened a window, he was able to communicate more clearly. When asked what sparked this, he insisted that it was a reaction to his medication and that his heat was a month late. This is a serious reaction and he should be directed to the EST division if this continues after dosages are adjusted.
Cub Fan: Do not release to the public (per request of the Xelqua Legal Team)
Scar read through the other fourteen reports and all had the same note from Cub at the end. All of the reports mentioned medication, heats being missed, and violence towards individuals who put out pheromones. Every time somebody from a previous visit was present for a new visit, they insisted that the EST division be involved and Scar couldn’t help but agree. This Grian character was clearly struggling to an extent that was far outside of most of the emergency team’s capabilities. They did their best, but they lacked the nuance and sensitivity to pheromones that the small but mighty EST department had.
That being said, every report after the first one noted that there was no file for Grian Xelqua or the Xelqua estate as a whole. It was as if they were completely trying to hide the fact that there had ever been an emergency at all. Not only was that dangerous for the emergency teams, but also possibly dangerous for Grian. To continue to get treated as a new client and be given the same stress tests over and over again would be a lot for anybody. Scar had to go through the stress tests only three times in his training and even that was a substantial about of energy.
Scar moved on to the next paper which was a formal request from the household manager Mumbo Jumbo. He read over it and was surprised by just how much of his client’s information was missing from the document. Usually, it would include medical history, medications, a mental health evaluation, and a bunch of other things that would usually help him help clients better, but this document had omitted several important things. Just as he was about to make a bit of it, the bottom of the paper had a note in bright red sharpie.
“Medical information withheld per request of the Xelqua Legal Team”
“Of course,” Scar muttered to himself, putting the paper down and sighing heavily. “Why even give me the paperwork at this point?”
Jellie mewed politely in his lap and he couldn’t help but smile, rewarding her cuteness with generous skritches on her head as his irritation mellowed out.
“Jellie, you would have given me the information I needed,” he muttered, trying to let go of the bitterness he was feeling about taking in this job. “These stupid rich people are making my life so hard.”
Jellie mewed again, unhelpfully, and leaned into Scar’s hand. Scar looked over the sea of paperwork, most it having some kind of red marker notes scribbled onto it to excuse the information he needed being missing. It was unlike any case he had taken in the past and he hated that he had to go into it blind. He was supposed to be a professional. He continued looking over the papers until something caught his eye.
A prescription form.
He quickly grabbed it and scanned it for anything he could find. Soon, his eyes landed on a medication.
Estramycin: 100mg
Estramycin was a hormone and pheromone regulator typically given to young omegas who were still learning how to control their output and to much older omegas who might have been losing their ability to produce pheromones on their own. The medication had some insane side effects and was only supposed to be given at a max of 60mg. To be on a 100mg dosage every day would put anybody on their ass, no matter how big or tough they were.
Scar breathed out a sigh of relief, grateful that he at least had a strong place to start within it came to treating his client but still horrified by his findings.
The evening progressed and Scar had bitterly resigned himself to the accepting that he would have to just go in blind. He had information from the previous reports and now a lead on Estramycin, but he would just have to rely on his experience Scar stood up, Jellie jumping off his lap before he could become fully vertical, and made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth. That’s when he heard a familiar ping from his work phone in the main entryway. Quickly, he jogged over and saw a message from his boss.
Cub Fan (HEART Inst.)
They said they’re all good with Jellie coming with you. The Household Manager Mumbo Jumbo said he’d come by at around 3 tomorrow to pick you up. Here’s his number. I already gave him yours so he should be in contact with you soon. Do you need anything?
Scar quickly saved the number in his phone and sighed to himself. He would have plenty of time to go shopping for the things he would need and packing would be no problem. He would have to move things from his smaller suitcase to the bigger one, pack a week or so’s worth of clothes, and probably invest in a couple of quality-of-life items like a sleep mask and bring his noise machine. He’d truly be okay.
However…
Scar
If you could send me as much as you can about Estramycin and then maybe snag me a pheromone blocker spray from the supply closet that would be great :D I think I have everything else! Just leave it on my porch when you have time.
As soon as Scar hit send, he was met with another ping, this time from his recently saved contact.
Mumbo Jumbo (HM Xelqua)
Good evening Mr. Goodtimes. This is Mumbo from the Xelqua estate reaching out on behalf of Grian Xelqua. First of all, thank you so much for taking on our challenging case. I’m sure it’s been frustrating with the information missing from most of your paperwork, but I can explain it all tomorrow on our drive to the estate. I hope you understand. It’s all a touch complicated. What’s the address I should pick you up from?
Scar smiled at his phone and sent a quick reply.
Scar
Nice to meet you! And no worries. I’m happy that I was available to help! I’m sure we’ll get this all sorted in no time! Is there anything I should / shouldn't bring into the home? :D
Maybe the smiley face wasn’t as professional as it could have been, but it felt right. Mumbo was treating him very seriously and he needed to find a way to break the ice somehow. He quickly added his address and set his work phone down.
He had some serious packing to do.
By the time noon rolled around the following day, Scar was packed and ready to go. He made sure Jellie had all her toys, food, and comfortable things she would need to make her stay as enjoyable as possible and he found himself sitting on his couch reading all the information about Estramycin that he was sent.
From what he found, it was a medication in the process of being phased out for pheromone and hormone treatment on omegas due to its side effects having caused permanent and lasting damage to omegas who took a dosage any higher than 35 mg. There were countless studies, trials, court cases, and documentation of the wildly negative reaction that omegas of all ages were having to the medication, and yet Scar hadn’t heard about any of it until looking into it himself.
It was, unfortunately, typical. The health of omegas was never taken seriously and they were often given potentially harmful medications and treated poorly in hospitals due to this. The medication given to alphas, Titrosin, was a perfect example. Titrosin essentially did the same thing for alphas that Estramycin did for omegas. The only difference was the fact that alphas took it. There were countless studies done on that medication to ensure that it wouldn’t cause permanent damage to an alphas fertility, tests lasting years before the government approved the medication to be given to the masses, and countless complaints and hesitation from alphas over the medication making them “not feel right” while on it. The world valued the bodies of alphas so much more than the bodies of omegas and it was clear to see.
Scar was grateful to work in a facility that took good care of all its patients, regardless of their second gender and no matter how many previous doctors had dismissed their patients’s concerns. With a heavy sigh, Scar put the many papers in the information binder and slid it into his bag. He checked the time and was frightened by just how quickly his pick-up time was approaching.
Scar stood to do the final sweep of the house, ensuring that lights were off, windows were locked, and things were unplugged. His fridge was usually empty anyway, but he had donated all the food he happened to have in it to neighbors or to shelters that morning. He found Jellie sprawled out on his bed and he couldn’t help but smile. He was thrilled to be able to bring her with him on the case. He usually just had to say goodbye and either leave her with a friend or put her in a pet hotel for the duration of his case, so having her with him was going to be a lovely change.
Scar took a final look into his hobby room, affectionately called Scarland by him and hm alone, and blew a heartbroken kiss to his unopened Lego Titanic set sitting on the floor.
“I’ll come back for you, my sweet prince,” Scar whispered before closing the door.
Jellie mewed in his arms and, upon seeing her carrier out on the floor, jumped out of his arms and toddled over to sit inside of it. She knew what the carrier meant. Carrier meant she was about to be spoiled. Scar chuckled and zipped her up.
“You might not like this one as much, girlie,” he mused, offering her a sideways smile. “You’re not going to the neighbors. We’re going to a pretty ill client this time around.”
Jellie mewed at him, adorably clueless to what he was telling her, and Scar moved her and the carrier to sit near the door.
Just as he was about to turn and sit back on the couch, he was startled by a loud knock on his door. Scar looked down at his watch and took note of the time.
2:59
At least knew that this client was punctual. Strong start. Scar opened his door wordlessly and took a good look at the man in front of his home.
He was dressed in a crisp black suit with a red tie and decent shoes. Clearly, the man had some kind of money. Scar’s eyes drifted up to his slicked-back hair and took note of how it looked like a Lego man’s. He was almost positive that it would have stayed perfectly in place even if they were sucked into a tornado. Scar’s eyes finally landed on the man’s face, taking note of the well-groomed and prominent mustache decorating his upper lip and how his dark eyes were cast down at a very simple-looking watch. He was also hit in the face with an intense, borderline unpleasant smell of gunpowder wafting from the man, quickly identifying himself as a very stressed alpha.
Taking into account all of the information in front of him, Scar could only assume that this was the man here to pick him up. With as good of a nose as he had, he knew that he didn’t have to be on as high alert as most other alphas would feel the need to be, so he quickly adjusted his pheromone levels to make himself smell like less of a threat
“Hi,” Scar said kindly, offering a polite smile to the overdressed man at his door. “I assume you’re Mumbo, right?”
Mumbo quickly looked up from his watch and a smile fell onto his lips.
“Yes!” the man chirped, extending a hand to Scar as he spoke. “So sorry about being early. I had to run a few errands before arriving and I happened to finish early.”
Scar took his hand and shook it firmly, taking note of how calloused Mumbo’s hands were for somebody who looked like he'd been playing with silk his whole life. Mumbo was nice enough, he assumed, and he wasn’t late, so Scar couldn’t complain.
“No worries,” Scar said warmly, opening his door a touch wider and flashing his most dazzling smile at his client’s household manager. “I’m packed and ready to go, so I’m ready when you are.”
“Wonderful!” Mumbo chirped, a small twinkle in his eye as he pulled his hand back. “Can I help you with your bags?”
“That would be great honestly,” Scar replied, moving over to invite Mumbo into his home. “Everything is already staged by the door, so just grab anything right over here except the cat carrier.”
Mumbo nodded and cautiously stepped inside Scar’s home. It was always an odd dance when an alpha entered another alpha’s home. There were always the initial pheromone spike from whoever’s home it was when the other entered, but it usually mellowed out. Mumbo coughed a bit upon entering, but was making a serious effort to appear unphased by Scar’s scent. Scar hummed softly to himself as he grabbed a few bags to take to the car, only to stop in his tracks upon seeing it.
It was a really nice car. Sure, Scar had seen a lot of well-made vehicles in his day, but there was something so effortlessly elegant and expensive looking about this car that Mumbo had just casually driven around before picking him up. He knew the Xelqua family was loaded, but he hadn’t quite processed it until that very moment.
“Is everything alright, Mr. Goodtimes?” he heard Mumbo ask behind him.
Scar couldn’t help but cringe at the use of his last name. It felt so impersonal.
“All good,” Scar insisted, making his way over to the vehicle and smiling towards Mumbo when he reached the trunk. “And, please, just call me Scar. The whole Mr. Goodtimes thing has always felt weird.”
Mumbo chuckled to himself and lugged another bag out the door.
“I must admit,” Mumbo said as he opened the trunk of the car. “When I read your file, I was expecting somebody a lot more… serious.”
Scar barked out a laugh and started loading the bags into the car.
“Oh, I’m serious about the work,” Scar assured him. “I just like people. I like to follow the make-lots-of-friends school of therapy before I get into the actual therapy. It usually makes everybody a lot happier, including me.”
The two shared some laughter and, before he knew it, the car was loaded. Scar locked the front of his home, hand lingering on the doorknob for just a moment, before making his way to the car door. He slid himself in and made sure that Jellie was all safe and secure as he waited for Mumbo to get back in the car. Mumbo got in and quickly started the car, the rumble of the powerful vehicle vibrating the interior just a bit.
“All set?” Mumbo asked, looking over his shoulder and flashing a kind smile to Scar.
Scar looked back at his home and sighed softly. He knew the job was going to be hard. Of course, it was. He knew nothing about his client, everybody was acting super secretive about the case, and he didn’t even know how far away this place was. It was going to be a doozy no matter how he spun it. Scar turned back to look at Mumbo and offered a small smile.
“Sure am,” he replied kindly. “Let’s get this show on the road, yeah?”