Chapter Text
Revenant was warned before and he knew from experience, there are just some things that you can’t do when your body is metal and electricity packed into a small vessel. Even if he was a towering simulacrum, his slender frame still meant that the blows he took would rack his systems. Exposed wiring equated to him having to take a different route each time and it was an added chore for him to keep an eye out in the nooks and crannies for any debris. The recovery period didn't take long, but it still meant time where he was vulnerable. Such a hassle. And it was only going to get worse from joining the Games.
He should've known that going through however many fucking fences and getting EMP'ed so many fucking times would've done something to his circuitry. Right now? He could care a whole lot less about that. His team had moved towards the center of Capacitor, the heart of all those damned Charge Towers. They had traveled here intending to loot some more high tier gear and just to have a quick fight or two but it seems that the other squads had different plans in store. They had all diverged upon the area, making it the main fighting ground for this game.
He ducked beneath a spray of bullets before sliding into another fence and seeing that an EMP was going to hit for the umpteenth time. The damn drone was hiding somewhere outside of the building and there were too many snipers in the area for him to even bother trying to hunt it down. One thing he's going to do after the games is to track down the hacker and show the Korean a thing or two for setting off that many EMPs. He grunted as the pulse hit, jostling up his electrical flow and trying his best to get it regulated before his body entered a repair state. Wouldn’t that be nice for them to find him in? A sitting duck.
Just when he thought he could pop a few cells, an enemy had wandered into his line of sight. It was Gibraltar. He pulled out his Flatline and downed him, leading into ending the big man. Good. One less skinsuit he would have to worry about. Jolly boy must've been affected by the Wattson and Crypto combo as well. He tried once more to fill his shields and was about to finish when he got sucker-punched in the side of the face. He whipped his head around and saw the offender, it was Pathfinder. I swear- The scout was shuffling his feet and drawing his arm back for another hit. Son of a- When he went in for the swing, Revenant caught the MRVN's fist, twisting it around the scout's body and holding it behind his back.
"You have a lot of fucking nerve socking me in the face right now. I ain't in the mood." He growled in the scout's audio receptors. Path paid no mind to his threats, struggling for an escape.
"Yes, but we're currently in a game, friend. No mercy!" He pulled again, but the simulacrum tightened his grip. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that another EMP was going to hit. This would be the one to take out all of his shields for sure.
"No mercy? No mercy would be me showing you what happens when you interrupt me." He raised his other hand to grasp the scout's chin, he was going to break this annoying little MRVN's neck. Once that EMP was over with, he'll be able to finish the scout, quick and easy. He just had to be patient.
Once he felt that familiar surge, he readied his shoulder for the snap but couldn’t act on it. He couldn't move. That's when he realized he heard the sound of a Kraber being fired after the pulse and both him and Path were in its sights. He collapsed from the impact, Path following suit and it was clear that they were the last ones in their squads. He saw the MRVN twitch slightly before falling completely still, he only hoped that the scout had died quickly. It wasn’t long before he lost consciousness.
“Welcome back, I hope the mission was a success?” A voice called out to him. The call came just when he had finished his shower, he was rustling his hair as he approached the holo-screen.
“Yeah yeah, what do you want?” He wandered through his apartment after he had killed the woman, some head of a corrupt corporation, or something like that.
“I suppose you want your credits first, correct?” There was a message that popped up of the disclosed amount of money having been transferred to his account. He grunted in approval.
“You’ll get your next assignment tomorrow. For now, we just wanted to do a check-up on you.” She purred, the noise reverberated through the speakers. If there was one thing he hated, it’s people trying to butter him up, and the lady always tried to butter him up.
“I’m fine. Just get to the point, sweetie.”
“A little feisty today, aren’t we? As I’ve said, we just wanted to check up on you and make sure you’re alright. Nothing out of the ordinary? Remember, nothing is too little that shouldn’t be disclosed to us.” As he rubbed the towel on his ear, he thought back on that face he saw in the mirror. It was blurry but he knew what his face looked like and that image wasn’t his. Red and white hugged the creature’s features, bright yellow orbs staring back at him, but when he wiped the condensation away, he was greeted by his confused human expression. He knew there was something else there, just couldn’t place it as he had heard the communicator call coming from his living room. He had told them about this before but they responded that maybe he wasn’t sleeping enough. Bullshit. If he wasn’t sleeping enough, he wouldn’t be doing his job correctly. He faced the monitor.
“Ain’t different from yesterday, princess.” He was met with a breathy sigh.
“Is it so hard to just ask employees how they’re doing? We’re worried about you. If you saw that creature again, understand that it might be your diet. Maybe you’ve been having too much fast-food lately-”
“And I’m done talking with you. Anything else you wanted to know?” He had heard enough from the woman. He just wanted to unwind with some popcorn, tea, and perhaps a movie. Who knows, maybe Bourne might be on tonight. He was a sucker for those.
“Good day, Revenant.” He could feel those eyes roll as the call ended. He enjoyed that, pissing people off whenever he could because they pissed him off. What can he say? He’s multifaceted.
As he fell backward, expecting the cushions of his couch to greet his back, he was thrown into a dark abyss. He felt daggers pierce his chest, bullets driving through every part of his body, his lungs being filled with water. And that was all a lie. A damn lie that the Syndicate and Hammond put him through. Yes, he was being stabbed or shot at, but breathing? Drowning? He was a fucking simulacrum and yet here he is, choking on his blood, seeing the scarlet liquid leak onto his hands and down his body. That’s when his flesh turned to metal. That’s when he saw a bright light…
When he woke up, he felt oddly at peace. Why did he feel this way? Usually, he's in pain, pissed, and terrified because of his degraded programming. But right now? He felt eerily calm. Something was off. His visual hud wasn't the same, it was clearer and blinking in hues of blue and green. He scanned the ceiling, noticing the familiar steel that decorated the ship. So he's in the respawn rooms, that much he could tell. He let a few seconds pass before sitting up and what greeted his vision was not his tattered, red, decrepit body. No. What he saw was a familiar blue MRVN frame, much bulkier than his own. Looking at his hands confirmed his suspicions, they weren't his but the friendly scout's. He wanted to scream but the scout's vocal processor wasn't capable of that, and instead, a high pitched whine escaped him. Lifeline broke through the doors when she heard the noise, stopping herself short and shaking her head when she saw who was on the table.
"Oh, this boy. Path, why you whinging? This happens all the time, you die and get respawned back here. Ain't nothing new." She thought nothing more of the situation, turning on her heels to head towards the exit.
"I ain't Pathfinder." He muttered. She stopped.
"'Scuse me?" She turned around and got closer, observing him as she pulled up his reports on the monitor. He was studying his hands.
"What you mean you ain't Path?" She eyed him ridiculously. 'Bot must be crazy. She squeaked when he grabbed her by the shoulders and held her close, her breath fogging his lens as their faces dared to touch each other.
"I. Ain't. Pathfinder." He punctuated, his voice sounding just like the MRVN's. He couldn't help himself from reaching up and letting his fingers ghost above his neck, amazed at himself at the sounds he made. As she studied him in his optic, her eyes widened.
"Revenant? Then where's Path?" It was barely a whisper. He gazed back at her and she could tell, he was just as worried as she was.
They heard a scream echoing off of the walls, they knew who it was. Revenant released his hold on her and hopped off the bed. He overestimated his experience to the body as he promptly tripped and fell over, landing on his face. Dammit! He knew the MRVN's body was different, but it all felt so new, a stark contrast to what he’s been living with. Lifeline was already ahead of him, sprinting out of the doors towards the source of the sound. He hefted himself up and ran out of the room, slamming face-first into the wall across, missing the sharp turn. He grunted but didn't waste any time to recollect himself as he tried to catch up to the medic. She popped through a few doors, trying to locate where exactly Revenant's body is at. Or rather, where Path is. They reached the end of the hallway and got to the next when they saw a nurse scurrying out of a room. That's gotta be him. They got to the entrance and what they saw, made their hearts sink. A figure was huddled in a corner, the furniture pushed and turned over, the room a mess, but so was the Legend. They both moved in slowly, the other Legends starting to show up by the doorway.
"'Ey now Path. It's me, Ajay. Are you okay?" She spoke gingerly, crouched slightly so she didn't seem intimidating. Years of comforting traumatized patients took a toll on her but proved helpful for the most part, and that's what she hoped as she got closer to her friend. Or so she thought. Path shook his head and curled up even more, his arms rested on his knees, hands gripping his helm. Lifeline raised a bit, upset to see her friend in this state. Even though she might have her differences with everyone, she would do everything she can to make them feel better. But it seems that right now, she was powerless in helping the poor scout. Revenant placed a hand on her shoulder, motioning her back. Even if she couldn't make out what he's feeling, she knew he meant well, especially to Path. She knows better now, he isn't just a killer with no feelings. It might've taken him a while but he's changed and she thinks, for the better. She nodded, backing up to give him room. He was grateful as she moved, noting to somehow repay her afterward. As he got down to Path’s level, he could hear the shakiness in the scout's breathing. It was painful, seeing him in this terrible state, having to endure these things that he knew all too well of. It's not easy, it changes the person. That much he knows.
"Path. Marvin. I know what you're going through, I know exactly what you’re going through. These are some new experiences. You must be so overwhelmed. Hell, I’d be surprised if you weren’t. But I've dealt with them my entire existence, ever since I found out on that one day." He brought a hand to the scout's cheek, wiggling his boxy fingers beneath the slim ones that used to be his. Path looked up at him with such a fright in his optics.
"How?" His whole body was trembling. Revenant wished he could express his emotions visually, to show his sympathy for the scout. He'll just have to tell him.
"I just did, on my own. It was hard but I accepted my fate. But we’re not gonna accept yours. You’re not supposed to be in there, I’m the one who should be suffering. And we're gonna fix this. We're gonna help you through this. I'll be by your side the whole time." Path whimpered, falling apart and jumping onto Revenant's form. The scout grasped around the other tightly and silently wept, Revenant rubbing his back. This was going to be trying times, probably even more so than when he first went through it on his own. Except there's no way in hell he would leave the scout by himself and suffer, lest he would be just as awful, or even worse, than the ones who doomed him to this eternal hell. No. He’s gonna help the scout and find a way to fix this or he’ll die trying. He swears it.