Chapter Text
Sebastian's shoulders heaved with his ragged breaths. His hands shook, however much he despised the fact. Held out in front of him was his gun, a trusty tool that has done him no wrong. Gotten him out of plenty of trouble in the past. Staring back down at him was a barrel to another gun. Not his. Not one he recognized. He didn't dare take his eyes off of it, even as his hands shook, even as a foreign voiced mumbled something to someone.
Business was slow. Truly, it was. No Expendables, no entities, no bodies to go scavenge that he hadn't already seen. That was perfectly fine to Sebastian. He liked slow moments, ones where he could turn off his Scrambler and communicate with the surface, or maybe go visit his friend Painter. If he was lucky, he would have been able to get in a quick little nap. But Sebastian wasn't lucky. Was he ever, in this forsaken place? Just as he had gotten comfortable, there had been a blinding flash of light. Deafening, too; it had a screech that grated against the ears, set every individual scale on his body on fire. When it faded, Sebastian quickly came to his senses and reacted to defend himself. Clearly, one of the other figures had the same idea.
"Oh," someone hummed, "come, now. Stop that." Whoever the person was, they had a velvety voice, smooth enough to persuade the other gun into faltering. Not lowering, but at least considering.
Sebastian pressed himself further against his corner. Was this another elaborate scheme from Urbanshade? How had he allowed them to get this close? What the hell? Why him? Why now? He couldn't find his voice, but he squeezed the grip on his pistol as he tried to blink the light out of his eyes. There were plenty of words he had for any workers looking to take him away. Plenty. Even more things he planned to do to them. As Sebastian continued to blink his vision back, he saw the details of the two figures before him. One was covered carefully with a cloak, though there were still hints of gold peeking out from under the fabric. The other looked to have the head of a camera and the body of an armored human. Maybe those were wires, Sebastian thought as he blinked again. It was still too bright to tell.
“Pardon me, sinner,” said the cloaked figure, hand over his broad chest and his head bowed. His hands were plated with gold, arms covered with similar gauntlets. Not Urbanshade. No agent working for this shithole would have enough to even look at gold in a pawnshop. “You must forgive our sudden intrusion. I am only curious as to what circle of hell my companion and I have found ourselves in.”
Sebastian made an attempt to steady his breathing. A fruitless attempt. “Hadal Blacksite,” he answered slowly.
The cloaked figure raised his head and allowed his golden hand to lower. "Come again?" Confused. Not malicious, not threatening. Only lost. It should have been a relief to the other. It might have just been the exact opposite.
"Hadal Blacksite," Sebastian said again, clearer. He blinked and shook his brain out of autopilot. What the hell was he doing, offering assistance to someone--something--that clearly had intention of hurting him? "Who the fuck are you?" He hoped the roughness conveyed authority rather than the dread and apprehension filling his lungs.
There was a pause. He shook his gun. "Answer me."
The camera-robot-thing flinched at the sudden movement. The gun trained to Sebastian's head hummed with an electric charge, steadily and slowly increasing in pitch. It was all he could do to stare as something blue began to shine out of what Sebastian once thought was an empty barrel. Is this how he was going to die? Who was going to tell his benefactor? Or Painter? Or--
"Enough." The cloaked figure was firm, swiftly guiding his companion's gun to the ground as it discharged with a loud shot. Smoke lazily trailed upwards from the new hole made in the ground. "There is no need for such senseless violence," he scolded, wiping his gauntlet on his cloak as if the weapon was disgusting enough as to stain his hands. Sebastian let out out a huff of relief as he allowed his own gun to lower. That relief quickly dissipated as the cloaked figure approached him. "I ask again, sinner--" the word felt much more like an intentional insult now-- "where are we?"
Sebastian raised himself until he hit the ceiling. The two figures stared up at him, one taking a respectful step back and the other positioning itself to fight. "You're in my shop," Sebastian answered lowly, hunching down to get close. His previous fear had all but left him, and he had full confidence that his intimidation was working properly, now. "Now, I asked you a question too, no? Who are you, and how did you get here?"
Silence. Deafening silence. The robot glanced between its companion and its potential opponent as the taller figure slowly removed the hood of his cloak. Under the hood was a helmet that Sebastian could not recall seeing for the life of him. In the center of the face plate sat a perfect, golden cross. His posture straightened as he looked up to Sebastian, broad shoulders held high. "I am the Righteous Hand of the Father," he calmly stated. "And should you not allow us to leave this place, you will be crossing the will of God."
Oh, Sebastian thought with such joy as he inhaled deeply, a new nutcase.
Notes:
forgive me reader for i have sinned (started writing a really cool concept without thinking about how to start it)
new chapter coming soon please bear with me
Chapter 2: unholy alliance
Summary:
There was a bright side, Sebastian struggled to convince himself. If nothing else, this would make for a very entertaining story for his visit to Painter.
+---+---+tl;dr : sebastian decides to extend some kindness and is quickly reminded of why he Doesn't Do That
Notes:
hehe unholy alliance get it. like the badge name "uneasy alliance" but it's. yeah
sorry for uploading kinda slow math has been kicking my Ass please enjoy
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It must have been hours.
No, "hours" would be a bit excessive. But it had been a while, that much was a fact. Time was always a tricky thing in the Let-Vand Zone. Tens of thousands feet from the surface, as it turned out, was not an ideal distance to see the sun. Even if the whole place wasn't shrouded in perpetual darkness, Sebastian's little nook certainly had no windows. It was part of the reason why he picked this room to hide in to begin with. But even he could feel the minutes ticking away as this Gabriel guy rambled on about Heaven and Hell and wars and...
Well, truth be told, Sebastian had been tuning him out for the past few minutes. The tension had long since drained from the room, filling instead with his usual annoyance and the new arrival's stifled frustration. Sebastian had relaxed despite his lingering apprehension. Every now and then, he'd offer a glance to the camera--because that was what it must have been--at the other's side. It regarded him with an almost curious lens, not saying anything but constantly observing. When Sebastian's third arm fiddled with the hem of his jacket, the camera instantly flicked to it and cocked its head. It was then that Sebastian decided that he was done looking at the machine. Not out of fear, he told himself. Definitely not. Only because he knew there were more important things to take care of. "So," he huffed, splaying an empty hand towards the armored figure, "you're an angel?"
Golden gauntlets flexed and closed into tight fists as Gabriel took a breath. "Yes." The word sounded like it was a pain to force out. Perhaps he had tried to point this out more times than Sebastian had been paying attention. Perhaps that should be an incentive for him to focus. But who was to say this was not just a trick? Or simply a very, very misguided prisoner, trying to convince anything in his way of the delusion he lived in? Trust was a dangerous thing here. Sebastian didn't have much to go around to begin with.
"And that's..." Sebastian trailed off as he gestured vaguely at the robot. He didn't have to look at it to know it was staring.
Gabriel looked down at his companion, as if just remembering he was not alone. "I am not sure," he answered slowly, looking back up at Sebastian. "It is a testament to man's greed and hubris. That is all I care to know." The robot's machinery whirred indignantly as it snapped its head to the words. Disagreement, they all seemed to recognize.
Sebastian nodded. There was a bright side, he struggled to convince himself. If nothing else, this would make for a very entertaining story for his visit to Painter. An angel and a GoPro in his shop, and they couldn't even be bothered to buy anything. "Alright." He lowered himself further in an attempt to get a closer look at the two. "How'd you get here then, angel?" The question dripped with skepticism, and Sebastian quite honestly couldn't care less. Angels weren't meant to look like this. They weren't meant to look ready for war, though the swords on Gabriel's hip were a nice touch. Angels had wings, halos, faces at the very least...
The so-called "angel" allowed his shoulders to relax. For the first time since Sebastian had known him, he seemed to be at a loss. "I suppose," Gabriel murmured as he looked at his hands, "my Holy abilities have been... dampened as of late." His companion looked up at him as he spoke. News to it as well, it seemed. "I did not intend for us to end up here. Believe that, if nothing else."
It was such a non-answer. Something that was worded to sound right enough to anyone not paying attention. But Sebastian had nothing but time, and enough experience with snobby types to know that Gabriel was saying nothing of substance. "Right." He took a moment to pick a pill of felt from his jacket. "But you know how to get back."
Silence.
He looked up, claws caught between threads of fabric. Some sort of mix between fear and annoyance flooded Sebastian's system. This could not be happening. It just wasn't possible. "You know how to get back," he repeated, hoping Gabriel had simply missed his cue to speak. "And I don't have to keep watching you. Yes?"
Gabriel refused to even lift his head.
Cursing under his breath, Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose with his knuckles. It wasn't like he had enough to do around here. Now, babysitting had been thrown on top of it all. He wasn't even getting paid! This was more than a message from Urbanshade. Even they, with all of their cut corners and expenses, had the decency to send somewhat competent people to do their bidding. No, this was something worse. Something higher. This was punishment from the Universe. Cruel and unusual punishment.
With a weary sigh, Sebastian dropped his hand and took in the two figures before him. Gabriel kept his head hung low, while the machine next to him seemed to observe how the creature in front of it moved. It seemed to be a curious thing. All machines were, as far as Sebastian was aware. What was he supposed to do with this? He couldn't send them back out--he knew Urbanshade would see the two of them as something worth being studied. He wouldn't wish that fate on anyone. Especially not on anything sentient. That, and there was the whole deal with the deadly anomalies wandering around the facility. A quick glance between the pair told Sebastian that they wouldn't last two rooms without getting overwhelmed. But God, he couldn't keep them around either. Not without getting some sort of payment for his troubles. There had to be a way to get them back to wherever--whenever--they were meant to be. Maybe Painter would know? How would he move them around? He had heard of another angel in the Hadal Blacksite... perhaps it could offer some guidance for a lost soul?
"Listen." The word left Sebastian with a sigh, reluctant and somehow already regretting the choice he was making. "I will..." He trailed off into a vague gesture with his smaller appendage. There wasn't anything he could promise. Nothing that he could say for certain. "... try to help you get back."
The uncertainty seemed good enough for Gabriel, who gratefully clasped his hands together. "Oh," he chuckled with relief, "thank--"
"If," the other interrupted, not really caring about the way Gabriel seemed to tense up, "you help me out while you're down here." Of course. It was only fair. Sebastian wasn't quite sure what he could trust them to do yet, but they had to be useful for something. The robot was clearly very skilled with a gun, and Gabriel had a certain flair with words that always escaped Sebastian. Together, they could be dangerous. Which could be a very, very good thing for an escaped prisoner.
Slowly, Gabriel nodded. "Of course." His shoulders relaxed, hands still dutifully interlocked, but he seemed less enthusiastic than before. "I assure you, we are both efficient when need be."
Sebastian rolled his eyes and waved a clawed hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, good to hear." With a quick glimpse to the machine in question--which was still staring at him--he shifted his attention to the yellow lens focused on his extra arm. A part of him wanted to reach out and punch its glass, or sling his gun while its guard was down. But even he had the sense not to piss off someone with a better arsenal than he had. "You got a name, stranger?" came out instead of the various insults he was cooking up. If it was going to do nothing but stare, Sebastian figured he should at least know what to call his new observer.
The robot looked up to focus on Sebastian's face. He could hear the gears turning and as it looked back down at its blue breastplate, running artificial fingers along scratches and dents in the metal. When it was satisfied with what it found, it lifted its head and tilted its chest out for the other to see. Its fingers were pointing at some scratched out blotch of paint above... what were those, headlights? Sebastian couldn't tell. He leaned closer and squinted, just barely making out the inscription of V1. So it was the first version of... something. What specifically, Sebastian didn't know nor could he bring himself to care.
"Forgive me," Gabriel dared to speak, "but what exactly are we meant to do?"
"Just--" Sebastian sighed and tucked his wily hair behind his ear. He couldn't get too angry. Not yet. "Just shut up for a minute. Let me think."
Jesus fucking Christ.
Notes:
"woah everyone here is so weird.. good thing i'm the only normal one" (all of them think that) (they are somehow all wrong)
next chapter coming... checks watch.. whenever it's finished
Chapter 3: two's company
Summary:
They were not meant to be docile or quiet or anything this new world was forcing them to be. But the native creature told them not to draw attention to themselves, so what were they meant to do but listen?
+---+---+tl;dr : gabriel and v1 have the calmest chat they've ever had in their brief history of knowing each other
Notes:
this chapter is from the pov of gabriel
heavy ultrakill spoilers in this one go play the game if you haven't!! and also more exposition la lala lala
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
How far was angel capable of falling?
Gabriel was, at first, indifferent to the inconsistent accuracy with his Holy ability to travel between realms. Sometimes, he'd end up just a little off of where he meant to go. More recently, he had inadvertently skipped over entire rings of Hell. The removal of the Holy Light from his body was, initially, not that big a difference in practice. Of course, there was that gaping emptiness in his chest, a feeling so awfully and terribly human--but his powers were not dampened in the slightest. He could fly just as well, could dash at speeds faster than the wretched machine could keep up with, travel back to The Council after his second loss to something not even mortal...
But The Council was no more. He had ensured that. Since that day, he had noticed, his powers had weakened. Considerably. His once glorious wings were now a mere wisp, his halo reduced to a faint aura around his helmet. Ivory and golden armor remained hidden underneath a stained and tattered cloak, a souvenir from what he once considered his home. On the rare occasions where Gabriel could muster up the energy to feel the familiar, righteous fury, he could never bring himself to act on it.
Even when encountering that... thing for the last time.
He had never felt so pathetic. Doubled over in pain on his knees, nothing but pleas for death on his lips and shame in his heart. There had been no grand speech or fierce battle, no real reason for the machine to kick into its instinct to fight. Admittedly, Gabriel had mistaken its inaction for intentional cruelty. Here was the easiest kill of a life time, and the insolent creature refused to take it. Typical of anything humans could get their hands on. But no, the machine had sat in front of him and simply stared, blinked its shutters when the angel could finally force himself to his feet. It said nothing when he weakly suggested they travel together, but deposited its gun in a blade of light sprouting from its back. Gabriel had since come to recognize that as a sign of agreement, though it was usually accompanied by its shutters imitating a squint. It remained by his side since that day, traveling through what little remained of Hell and listening to the rare tales of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This is where trust and pacifism had gotten him. Stuck in this primitive age of humanity where both he and a creature of steel were painfully out of place and out of their element. It looked nothing like the gardens of Limbo that Gabriel tried with all of his might to end up in. Of course not. Why did he expect his dwindling powers to be on his side when he and the machine were in a desperate bid for their lives? More than that, why had he expected them to work at all? Why had they? He kept all of his questions to himself, staring blankly at a divot in the ceiling. The Leviathan-esque creature they had intruded on had abandoned them in this room, mumbling something under his breath about consulting a painter. Gabriel couldn't understand what the nuances of artistry could do for anyone in a situation like this. This was a strange world.
V1 had taken to walking around the room. It picked up and scanned any loose file it found like it was made purely for research rather than bloodshed. Gabriel, on the other hand, had slumped on the wall opposite of his companion. His muscles ached with a pain unfamiliar to him. Gold was heavy, especially to a body slowly becoming mortal. The chore of walking was one that the angel was not yet accustomed to. How can something so necessary be so painful? How can anyone be made to live like this for decades at a time? He felt something akin to pity for humanity, if only for a moment.
An inquisitive chirp made him lift his head. V1 stared at him, shutters whirring as it tilted its camera to the side. In its hand was a small container of some kind--a small glass cylinder housing a spiral of colors bound to entertain anyone for an upwards of five seconds. "What?" Gabriel grumbled, propping his elbow up on his knee. He wanted to hate how quickly he had come to learn how the machine communicated. Unfortunately, it was an incredibly useful skill. Anyone else would--rightfully, mind you--hear two beeps and think nothing further of it. Not Gabriel. He would hear one sound that indicated confusion, another that meant frustration. V1 was sentient, of course. More than sentient. It was one of the most intelligent machines crafted by humanity. With no voice, it only made sense for it to communicate through simpler means. Gabriel understood each cue like it was a second language to be fluent in. He understood that the tilt of its head as the machine asking for explanation as to why he was laying so still.
With a sigh, he tilted his head back against the wall. "I am simply tired."
V1 leaned against the other wall, arms crossed against its chest. Its camera slowly bobbed up and down in a nod. Was it tired as well? If it was, it was doing a fantastic job of hiding it. Gabriel was almost jealous. What did a machine have to tire of? Fights? Bloodshed? Nonsense, the angel thought. That was what it was made for. One cannot simply grow bored with its inherent purpose. V1 simply fiddled with a coin in its hand, weaving iron through its fingers as it glanced around the room for anything else worth looking at. There was a small table with a radio and other various junk close to Gabriel. Next to V1, another table with batteries and files and pictures of beings neither recognized. Nothing was said for a long moment. Silence was instead filled with the quiet hum of fans cooling machinery, both alive and stationary.
Gabriel shifted uncomfortably on the ground. "This is..." He trailed off as he tried to find the right word. Insufferable. Annoying. Terrifying. Shitty. Worse than living through the destruction of Heaven and Hell all at once.
"...unfortunate."
V1 beeped an affirmative, nodding again. A mechanic finger flicked against a vial on its thigh meant for housing fuel. Running low.
"Your insatiable lust for carnage is the least of our problems."
The machine's fans gave a quick burst of air resembling a scoff. One of its hands gestured vaguely towards the angel's form before nestling back between the crook of its elbow. Gabriel was not one to talk, it was saying. He couldn't think of anything to say to that.
For a brief moment, the humming silence returned. Gabriel reluctantly spoke again. "Do you think," he muttered carefully, "that this... creature means us harm?"
Gears whirred as V1 slowly shook its head. Its arms uncrossed from its body and gestured to the emptiness around them. A creature meaning harm would not leave two dangerous individuals to their own devices. A valid point, all things considered. But Gabriel knew better. He had been around cruel, intelligent beings before. Leaving lesser beings alone was a quick and effective way to encourage infighting. He had seen it himself. Done it himself. The end of the Lust renaissance or the Sisyphian rebellion didn't come about for nothing. But he quickly assured himself that the thought was ridiculous. He could not speak for his companion, but he knew he would not be so easily swayed by the temptation of violence. He would not stoop down to the fury of such a lowly machine. Not yet, anyway.
He wanted to say something else. Anything else. Even something to inspire their usual insults would have been better than this oppressive silence. As powerful and certain as an Archangel had to act, Gabriel was completely and utterly lost. There was no Council left to guide him--good riddance--and no carnage around to follow. V1 seemed just as agitated, tapping its finger restlessly against the shell of its arm. They were not meant for this. That much they both knew. They were not meant to be docile or quiet or anything this new world was forcing them to be. But the native creature told them not to draw attention to themselves, so what were they meant to do but listen? "We would not be here if you had the sense to listen to me," Gabriel spoke at last, grumbling as he tugged on the tattered hem of his borrowed cloak.
V1 shot its head up. Its fans whirred angrily as it lifts its arms to gesture wildly at the figure across the room. He was the one with the ability that got them in this mess, not it.
"I would not have had to if you did not insist on finding a shortcut." That was the terrible thing about traveling with V1--no matter where it went, there was always a way to get there quicker. "Honestly, what were you thinking? When have secrets ever gotten you anything other than a harder fight?"
Another fake scoff huffed from V1's chest as it waved a mechanical hand dismissively. Gabriel clenched his fists as he watched the machine imply that he just didn't understand. It was about the challenge. The fight was part of the joy in finding a secret. What a foolish way of thinking! What a completely, ridiculous mindset!
"You are an idiot," he grit out. "And I am a bigger one for ever sparing you."
The machine tilted its head forward incredulously, its upper "eyelid" lowering to the middle of its lens. Be serious, it was telling him. Spare was a very gracious word to use a situation such as theirs. They both knew that. V1 straightened its back and nodded its camera towards the wings housing its weapons. An offer, Gabriel seemed to realize. A rematch.
He scoffed as he crossed his arms. "How wildly unpredictable," he sarcastically remarked. "How could I have ever anticipated you turning to violence to solve your problems?" Something thumped in the vent outside, but neither paid it any mind. "What will you do without me? Certainly not return to the layers of Hell you have so thoroughly cleaned out." V1 had gone back to messing with its coin, but not mindlessly like before. It flipped it with intent through its fingers, twirled it through its index and middle like it was preparing to flip it into the air. But it wouldn't, Gabriel knew. It didn't have the nerve. If it killed him, how would it get home? The air around them had turned tense, crackling with unspoken energy. It was comfortable. It was normal. A small piece of familiarity in a world so lacking.
The only thing that gave either of them pause was an unfamiliar voice muttering curse words as an unfamiliar figure rose to their feet. It was not the creature from before, nor was it any that V1 or Gabriel knew. It had two legs, two arms, a normal looking face, and uniform blue fabric plastered on its body. Not a demon, by any stretch of the word. Their eyes widened at the two before them. Nobody said anything. All any of them could do was wait for movement.
A coin clattered to the ground.
By the time the serpent returned, a large red stain on the ground inspired it to give the pair a brand new rule. No weapons in the shop.
Notes:
i love playing around with v1's expressiveness with his lack of speech. and gabriel's dialogue. can you tell
sorry this was a little long i like exposition ,, in other news i made it to 7-4 on violent yesterday guys please clap for me
Chapter 4: ...three's a crowd
Summary:
He was good at getting rid of issues, not necessarily solving them. This problem was different. He needed logic on his side. Just this once. And what was more logical than a computer?
+---+---+tl;dr : ultrakill duo play pressure for the first time
Chapter Text
Metallic footsteps overlapped as a large serpentine led his new assistants through a large hallway. Sebastian never liked making his methods of transportation so obvious. There were cameras in every corner of every room, eyes constantly watching his every move. But what other choice did he have? Let Painter think he was finally going insane? Absolutely not. That freak had enough to hold over his head for a millennia. He refused to add "vividly hallucinates angels and complex machinery" to the list of his other offenses. There was also the option of letting the new arrivals find the way themselves. That came with plenty of other risks that Sebastian dreaded to even think about. What would happen if they ran into a prisoner? Or a group of armed soldiers? What about--heaven forbid--HQ? No, he thought as he shook the possibilities away. Too much. He would worry about any other problems when they arrived.
Sebastian was not known for his problem solving skills. He was good at fighting when he had to be, entertaining enough to get a chuckle when he spoke. Anything logical seemed to float over his head. Normally, it would have been a brief inconvenience, a minor setback that could be fixed with a bribe or a threat. He was good at getting rid of issues, not necessarily solving them.
This problem was different. He needed logic on his side. Just this once.
And what was more logical than a computer?
To Gabriel's credit, his earlier words about efficiency had proven truthful. He and his little friend--was its name actually just V1?--did not deviate from the path Sebastian led. The machine glanced at the water outside of the spacious windows as it walked. Or maybe at its reflection in the glass. No one looked at it for long enough to discern. The angel kept his head dutifully trained forward, though Sebastian would turn back occasionally to see him pretend like he wasn't staring. There were no words, no grand speeches, no incessant questions. Thank God. He didn't have the mental capacity to listen to any more talking. Not with everything else running around in his head. Surviving down here was stressful enough.
They had tried. Rather, Gabriel had. Before they left, he had tried desperately to pry for answers. Why are you here? Who are you? What are you? Where are we supposed to go? Madness. That's what it was. Sebastian couldn't take it. Not in his room, and certainly not out in the open. Before he forced them all out, he gave the two a briefing on his expanded set of rules.
1) Do what you are told to do when you are told to do it. (Quickly followed by Sebastian demanding Gabriel to shut up.)
2) No weapons unless one is pulled on you first. (It took quite a bit of persuading to get him to change his initial ruling.)
3) Do not draw attention to yourself more than necessary. (Not at all would be preferable, but anyone was bound to stare at the machine.)
4) Never travel without someone who knows their way around. (Presented with a vague gesture towards himself.)
How bad would it be if he let them go? Really, how drastic of a shift would it be in the grand scheme of things? All he would have to do was find a turret room and nudge the other two in the general direction. Maybe convince them that something important was in it. Problem solved. Then he could go on about his normal routine and act like nothing had ever happened beyond the obvious. Tempting. Much more than he would care to admit. He wasn't a fan of violence. Despite everything one might think, he truly wasn't. But something about Gabriel and his pet surveillance camera awakened an ancient kind of annoyance. Not quite rage, but carelessly teetering on the cusp. It didn't seem fair. What had he done to deserve this? Was this truly divine punishment? A part of him knew he should be thankful to be in the good graces of such dangerous assets.
Another part of him, a much louder part of him, almost wished he was shot earlier.
The next door opened with a mechanic slam. Sebastian felt his eye twitch at the room before him. Oh, how he detested the labyrinthine halls of the Blacksite! Who even benefited from this kind of layout? Surely not the workers, wherever they may be. A maze that seemed to constantly shift and rearrange itself hardly seemed like an ideal work environment. It wasn't ideal for him, either. Good God, did this madness ever end? How much longer would it take to get to where they needed to go? He almost wished the other two would speak, offer him some kind of reprieve from his own thoughts, or that something would happen--
The lights flickered.
Fuck.
Sebastian whipped his head around immediately, straightening his shoulders and forcing himself to focus. The word hide hide hide bounced around in his mind. Maybe some sort of prey instinct from his prior injections. It didn't matter. In the midst of his frantic search, he could see the other two stand stupidly in place. Gabriel had picked his head up to stare curiously at the light bulbs overhead. The machine, at least, appeared to have readied itself. Prepared for combat. But it wouldn't be enough, Sebastian knew. He had made the mistake of trying to gun down an entity before. Lord help him if it wasn't an angler at all. There were no good alternatives. "C'mere," he commanded urgently, quickly slithering over to a nearby locker. Not for him. He was not that lucky.
The two followed close behind, though Gabriel took a hesitant step back. "What is--"
"No time." Sebastian opened the locker with an annoyed grunt. "Get in."
"Bu--"
"Do you want to get home?"
"Well yes--"
"Then you need to get in."
"Wh--both of us?"
Sebastian couldn't listen any further. Didn't have time to. Damn Gabriel and his endless questions. He threw both of them into the locker before slamming it shut with a frantic swish of his tail. There had to be somewhere for him to hide. There just had to be. The floor beneath him had begun to rumble, the earlier halls echoed with a roar unknown to anyone on the surface. Not enough time. There was never enough time in this God-forsaken place. It was a stroke of luck, or maybe the panic being replaced by weary acceptance, that allowed Sebastian's eyes to land on a vent cover in the ground. An angelic choir hummed in his mind as he quickly tore it off and dove into the vents below. Was there enough room for him? What if his tail couldn't fit through in time? What if the locker popped open above him? What if--
All questions ceased as the roaring beast soared into and quickly out of the room, knocking out the lights with it. Just an angler.
Thank God.
Carefully, he pushed open another vent cover and pulled himself into the darkness. Nearby, a locker opened with a clatter and a groan. They had survived. Great. Fantastic, actually. Sebastian huffed an exhausted sigh as he slithered over to the sound, flicking the esca dangling from his head to life. The dim light illuminated the sorry sight before him; Gabriel shakily pushing himself up, the machine limp on the floor, the locker behind them wide open. He could help them, Sebastian thought briefly. They had to be terrified. A guiding hand in a situation like this would, undoubtedly, help them trust him. Maybe it would even feel nice to do.
He crossed his arms over his chest and rested his extra hand on his side. "Get up," he grumbled.
The robot quickly twitched back to life, easily moving back to its feet. At least one of them were efficient. Its lens seared through the darkness with a bright yellow light that left Sebastian guarding his eyes. Gabriel could only manage to get to his knees. His shoulders heaved, his hand clutched the fabric of his cloak as he snapped his head to the creature before him. "What was that?"
"Is it just questions with you?"
"Well--I just--" Gabriel sputtered, gesturing wildly towards the darkness around them. "Am I not allowed to ask about a world I know nothing about?"
Ah. A valid point. Sebastian hated people that knew how to argue. "Look, I'll... I'll explain it later, yeah?" It was a lazy attempt to placate, to get Gabriel to forget about it for the sake of continuing. "C'mon. You've still got to walk." He gestured his head towards the open door, moving away without checking if either followed.
Steady footsteps and a stronger light pointing ahead of him allowed Sebastian to know one of them was beside him. The sound of the other scrambling towards the only two sources of light with heavy breathing was the cue that Gabriel had followed suit. Good. Great. This was fine. Everything about this was fine. Anglers aren't known to strike in the dark. Not out here, anyway. If they could manage to get to Painter's with no further incident, maybe there could be a way to salvage things.
Kind of.
Notes:
sorry for the wait guys i spent the entirety of the time beating 4-s (joke) (i was also doing school stuff) (i HATE math)
also wow thank you so much to everyone that has left a comment!! i love reading them you guys are so funny and nice <:]
more updates to come!! i am just a very slow writer
Chapter 5: logic and reason
Summary:
"Let's say... you were me." His hand made a vague gesture towards the space between them, as if physically swapping their souls. "What would you have done?"
A small scoff came from Painter. "Other than get shot?"
+---+---+tl;dr : sebastian reluctantly comes clean to a computer about his new helpers
Notes:
managed to post something again within a week everyone say "thank you peanut"
okay now everyone say "we love you peanut"
wow thanks guyse :)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Attempting to stay unseen did not go as planned. Of course it didn't. Why would it? Why would anything work the way Sebastian hoped for it to? The longer they moved, the more aware the facility seemed to be aware of their presence. The occasional detours Sebastian took into side rooms ended up saving them from at least three anglers. Gabriel had to yank his partner by the hull of his chest--much like one would hold a cat by its scruff--to prevent any unnecessary attention. In one of the rooms, a wall dweller had the brief opportunity to kick the machine in the back of the knee. It didn't last long past its confusion of metal rather than skin. Every encounter meant another question to answer. Later. Thankfully, Gabriel had not spoken further aside from muttering to himself and the robot traveling at his side.
Servers hummed and whirred around them in their current room. Sebastian felt something in his chest loosen as the other two looked around curiously. They were close. Oh, thank God. He wasn't sure how much more he could take of this. The two visitors had to pick up their pace to keep up with Sebastian as he hurried through room after room, only stopping when he instructed them to stand by a door to another side room.
The room was quiet. It always was, aside from the occasional prisoner slipping in to offer a quick greeting. At the sound of someone approaching, a computer screen shot to life. On it lay a pair of crudely drawn eyes and mouth. "Sebastian!" Painter happily called out, either not noticing or choosing not to point out how disheveled his friend looked. "Hello, hello!"
Despite the stress searing through every nerve, Sebastian offered Painter a genuine smile. "Hey there, friend." Painter was the best thing down here. Even with recent developments, even with uncertainty following him around like a death cloud, Sebastian knew he could count on this stupid computer to put a smile on his face. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the screen. God, he looked like a mess. "Ran into a few things on my way here," he mumbled in annoyance, half-heartedly smoothing down his hair.
Painter's scribbled face smiled widely as the other slithered closer. "Still scavenging?" Sebastian didn't even get to open his mouth before his friend spoke again. "I saw a few prisoners pass by earlier. Think I got 'em with some turrets if you wanna go check it out."
Tempting.
"Nah, nah." Sebastian waved away the offer like it was nothing important. "I, uh... I actually came to ask you about something." Understatement of the fucking century, he thought bitterly. He wrung the hem of his jacket in his lower hand.
Thankfully, Painter did not pick up on Sebastian's abnormal awkwardness. He only blinked as his drawn smile faltered. "What is it?"
Sebastian opened his mouth, but found his mind blank. Fuck. Why hadn't he thought of how to word his situation on the way over here? "One sec," he mumbled stupidly. Jesus fucking Christ. Spit it out, Solace. "You, um... you remember that dream I told you about?"
An animated line curved into a frown. "The sad one?"
"No, no, when I was in here earlier. The one about the, uh..."
"Oh, the one about the angel in your shop?"
"Yeah, that's the one." Sebastian clapped his hands together. "So." He flashed a quick, tense smile. "This has been buggin' me. Let's say... you were me." His hand made a vague gesture towards the space between them, as if physically swapping their souls. "What would you have done?"
A small scoff came from Painter. "Other than get shot?"
Sebastian resisted the urge to smile. Damn his friend and his comedic timing. "Okay," he relented with a chuckle. "Let's say you were me, and you managed to calm them both down. What would you do then?"
The computer paused to think. That was the real wonder of AI, Sebastian figured. It was programmed to act like a human down to the smallest mannerisms. Someone had to code the way Painter's eyes blinked rapidly as he came up with a response. Or maybe that was all him. It wouldn't be too absurd. Not with everything else down here. Still, he wondered. Painter didn't like talking about his life before, and Sebastian didn't like to pry through his file. Did his old creator give his friend his mannerisms? Or did Painter pick it up through association? Maybe they could talk about that later. When things calmed down, maybe they could talk like normal.
Until that moment came, Painter finally focused back on Sebastian. "I guess I'd try to hide them," he answered slowly. Like even he, with all of his infinite logic, couldn't be sure. "Or at least try to figure out where they came from."
Sebastian's eye twitched. "Right." That meant more talking. Goddammit.
"Why?"
"Hm?"
"Why do you ask?"
For a moment, they both just stared at each other. Sebastian's shoulders had tensed, his fidgeting made much more apparent. What was he meant to say? That he was just curious? Try to joke and say that he was only trying to prepare for his vision to become a prophecy? Nothing at all? Any and all options were horrifying, in that he either had to come clean or hide such a monumental thing from his only friend. With a weary sigh, Sebastian ducked his head out of the door, whispered something, and slowly moved to rest next to the table Painter was sitting on.
Two other figures walked through the door. A tall, cloaked figure ducked his head under the frame and stared at Painter. He released a sigh of what might have been disdain at the sight of machinery. Behind him, a complex-looking robot moved smoothly into the room, curiously beeping at the sight of a screen. Its head cocked to the side like a curious dog, but it made no further moves.
Painter blinked rapidly. Maybe if he were human, he would have nodded his head in understanding. "Ah.”
Sebastian tucked his hair behind his ear. "That one right there--" He pointed a clawed hand at the angel removing the hood of his cloak-- "is Gabriel. And that..." The sentence trailed off as he gestured vaguely towards the standing camera. In response, it tapped the blotch of paint on its chest cavity once again. V1. Sebastian sighed and shrugged. "V1, I guess."
The room was silent before a brave computer spoke again. "Sebastian?"
"Mm."
"How did that dream of yours go?"
Notes:
sorry for the wait on this i had prom yesterday!! it was a lot fun but i am also very glad that i don't have to stress out about it anymore,,
anyways thanks for reading, i am Very Slowly trying to move the story along where i would like for it to go. new chapter coming soon, enjoy this for now!!
Chapter 6: processing...
Summary:
Sebastian knew what it was like to be a stranger in a place that wasn't very welcoming. But it was different. He was Sebastian, and Gabriel was... that.
+---+---+
tl;dr : two angry guys in a room + their respective robot friends
Notes:
i am a little under the weather, so this is Most Definitely not my best work. but hey What Can You Do
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Painter took the news much calmer than Sebastian did himself. He listened silently, blinking when he heard a detail that sounded important. Sebastian tried to recall as much as he possibly could while also ignoring V1's curious staring. Gabriel had decided to resume his new hobby of sitting. It must have been incredibly engaging, as he did not interject anyone's thoughts once. His cloak blanketed his armored form only slightly, just barely hid the way his shoulders tensed when his robot companion gestured towards the other computer with excitement. Sebastian noticed every detail against his will. He had learned--and Painter had too, through the brief story he told of finding a body in his shop--that they both needed constant surveillance. Like children. Tall, powerful, stupid children.
"So, what are they doing now?" Sebastian focused back on Painter. He had been quiet, absorbing everything he was being told, but now he stared up at his serpentine friend. Doodled eyes moved across pixels as he awaited an answer.
A smug smile found its way to Sebastian's face. "Oh," he hummed. "They're my new helpers." Gabriel offered a weak grunt of protest.
Painter blinked again. "How do they help you?"
"Well, between you and me," the other sighed loudly, making sure it was very much not just between him and Painter, "I was thinking about them doing my scavenging."
Finally, another voice spoke. Low, gruff, tired. "You cannot command me to stoop to such menial tasks."
It was tempting to ignore Gabriel entirely. To just let him fume silently as Sebastian brushed over the possibility of forcing them into a job no one asked for. Instead, he graced the angel with a fanged grin. "I don't think you get a choice in the matter, friend." Two of his hands clasped together, a movement that was all too natural to Sebastian's usual persona. "Could've sworn we agreed to those rules earlier."
"My agreement does not equate to submission," Gabriel huffed. He sounded much too confident for someone who had spent more than half of his time on the ground. "You are a fool to think you can pass your divine punishment on to me."
Sebastian snorted. "Divine?" he repeated. "Doesn't look anything like me. Maybe you hit your head a little too hard when you sat down."
The fans in Painter's system clicked to life. It was a sign that his processors were running overtime. Too much information at once. "Sebastian, I don't think--"
"I am commanded by nothing and no one but the Father," Gabriel spoke with a sense of finality. He readjusted his cloak on his shoulders and nestled himself further against the wall. "Now leave me be, you insolent child of blasphemy."
"Oh, I'll show you a blast, alright--"
"That's enough."
Everyone paused at the frustrated tone in Painter's voice. Sebastian's claws curled around his revolver. Gabriel stopped himself from standing. Even the machine, who was in the middle of reaching for its own weapon, allowed its hand to fall back to its side. "Not in my room," was all Painter said as his fans gradually slowed to a manageable hum. "If you're gonna fight, don't do it in front of me." When he saw Sebastian looking at him, his scribbled eyes shifted into something more angry. Or maybe disappointed. Sebastian could never tell the difference. "You know better."
The other huffed and curled his tail around his body. He did, he supposed. Not just the very obvious fact that Painter had told him upfront that he didn't enjoy watching things he couldn't interact with. Sebastian knew what it was like to be a stranger in a place that wasn't very welcoming. But it was different. He was Sebastian, and Gabriel was... that.
The tension in the room had not quite dissipated. There was an agreement between the two, at least. Even Sebastian was not above following rules. V1, apparently, could not care less about the potential of losing its way home. It had been steadily approaching Painter's screen, joints curiously whirring as it flexed its fingers experimentally. Waiting for something to pop up, it seemed. The latter took notice and managed to draw a smile on his face. "Hello," he greeted happily. "V1, right?"
The machine barely reacted before it lifted a pointer finger and tapped at the screen. Painter managed to zip its face out of the way. "Rude," he huffed, though his smile didn't drop. V1 faltered for maybe a moment, then adjusted its aim and tried again. Painter dodged once more and managed to laugh when the other squinted its optic at him. "Not much of a talker, huh?" Neither V1 nor Gabriel got to answer before he was fiddling with the tool bar on his drawing program and drawing up a textbox. "Can you type?"
V1 glanced between the screen and the keyboard. Its fingers hovered over the keys before it eventually figured out their purpose.
YES.
Sebastian had long since learned to tune out his friend's chattering when it was not addressed to him. He glanced around the room, all three eyes following a natural pattern as he crossed his arms over his chest. He had been in here plenty of times before. However, a bundle of gold and stained fabric at the door disrupted his vision. Gabriel had to give a double take when he realized Sebastian was staring, but his fists clenched in turn with the former's glare. The tension only raised when Gabriel shifted his cloak, revealing the sheathes for his two swords. I could tear him apart, Sebastian thought to himself. Let him get a few rooms ahead and rip him to shreds. No one would miss him, he had it coming for even thinking--
"Sebastian, you hear me?"
He lifted his head over to the two robots at his side. "Huh?"
Painter rolled his eyes animatedly before regarding V1 again. "If you guys are trying to get home, there's this room with an--"
A harsh smack to Painter's monitor shell cut off the words. Sebastian only shook the sting out of his lower hand and cleared his throat. God help him if Gabriel found out there was another angel in this place. No one would ever hear the end of it. But Painter's big mouth had already doomed them, seeing as the cloaked figure had leaned forward with interest. "What room?" his low voice asked. No, demanded.
Silence. Painter hesitated. "There is a room," he repeated slowly, fans whirring back up to speed. "Where, uh... well, my friend here probably knows more about it than I do. He'll help you." Both Gabriel and V1 looked over to Sebastian expectantly. Like he would actually make good on his promise to answer any of their questions.
He took in a deep breath. He would get that stupid computer for this. That much he knew. But until that moment came, he rose and began to slither towards the door. "Wha--" Gabriel grunted as he stood, lifting his arms exasperatedly. "Where are you going? You're supposed to--"
"Got shit to find," Sebastian answered gruffly.
Behind him, two pairs of metallic footsteps followed. A part of him wanted to detest not even being able to scavenge by himself. Another part of his soul felt much lighter when his new assistants held their own asset bags. A few extra sets of hands, suddenly, didn't seem so bad.
Notes:
we're finally starting to get into the scenes i have planned out in my head... It's Getting Good Guys
shout out to the one person that bookmarked this with the general commotion copypasta. this one's for you
Chapter 7: friendly competition
Summary:
Far be it from Gabriel to turn down a good challenge, but this...
This was lunacy. Madness. Fucking unfair.
+---+---+tl;dr : easter egg hunt - hadal blacksite edition
Notes:
yall ever play pressure with a friend that hogs all the data before you get to sebastian. yeah that is ultrakill duo in this chapter. they have been too nice to each other and i Have to fix that
sorry for the wait on this one i got a little caught up in personal stuff... but we're all good now so!! hopefully more updates soon!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
One, two, three. Empty.
One, two, three. Nothing.
Gabriel tightened his grip on the strap of his bag. Normally, he wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction of compliance. Especially not the creature he had been forced to follow around for who knew how long by now. But it had given them an incentive. A challenge. The one with their bag filled the most got to ask one--one, it was sure to emphasize, one--question. It could be about their environment, another creature they had encountered, or about the itself. The concept of an objective had V1 searching every room they entered for files and sticks of data. The promise of answers had Gabriel scrambling to do the same.
And, Lord, he was losing.
It wasn't enough to be bested in combat once. Or twice. No, no, of course not. It just had to be faster than him at opening drawers as well. It zipped back and forth like a bullet ricocheting off the walls, greedily raking anything it found into its own bag like it was feeding a starving animal. Even when Gabriel tried to predict its patterns and snag a cabinet to himself, it would consistently launch itself over and steal anything worth taking. He shouldn't have been shocked. V1 was like that in combat as well. Always unpredictable in its efficiency. In any other situation, it was fine. Useful. Enjoyable, to a fault. Far be it from Gabriel to turn down a good challenge, but this...
Just as suddenly as he picked it up, a mechanical hand yanked a file from Gabriel's hands.
This was lunacy. Madness. Fucking unfair.
Nevertheless, he persisted. What else was there to do? Give up? Let the machine see how effective it was at getting under his skin? No. Never. Not now, anyway. The creature they had been following allowed them time to themselves, though it promised to wait in a room ahead to check their progress. Gabriel was, if nothing else, an angel of his principles. He would not cheat. He was more than capable of catching up without bending the rules. He would not stoop so low as to--
Before Gabriel even had the chance to properly approach, V1 slid over to the cabinet in front of him and quickly yanked the drawers open. One, two, three. Two more assets slipped into the machine's bag. When it noticed another cabinet across the room, it pushed itself forward with a powerful thrust of its wings. Gabriel was left to brace himself against the woefully empty collection of drawers. The cool surface against his palms did little to calm his growing fury as the other looked at him from over its shoulder. V1's camera stared blankly at him, betraying no thought aside from its lower shutter raised just slightly. Happiness. This was more than instinct or a desire to meet an objective. It delighted in Gabriel's suffering.
Little shit.
The machine did not focus on anything other than its next cabinet. There was nothing attacking it, no fuel to scavenge for, nothing else to really focus on. It was given an objective, and it would continue until it completed it. One, two--
A loud mechanical shriek filled the room as V1 tumbled to the floor. Gabriel ignored the stinging in his hands as he approached the cabinet. "A-ha!" he cried triumphantly. The pain was temporary. It would fade, as all pain does eventually. But his victory, his inevitable fate as the righteous winner, that would remain.
As all victories must, Gabriel's came to an end as a swift kick to his ankles brought him down to the floor. He grunted as he propped himself on his elbows, snapping his head to V1. The audacity of this stupid, foolish hunk of metal! How dare it stand in the way of his own goal? Again? Various gears and weak joints whirred and creaked next to Gabriel's head as the machine stood. Its camera swiveled on its neck as it scanned the room, factory default hand formed into a perfect fist at its side. Was it preparing for combat? Or perhaps the bloodthirsty thing was always prepared for a fight. The angel couldn't be sure. He only knew that the fist clenched when the camera was pointed at him.
"Your greed is reprehensible," Gabriel spat, "and it will get you nowhere."
Something in V1's system gave a curious chirp. It glanced down to its bag--overflowing with arcane knowledge--then to Gabriel's bag--container for all of two thumb drives--then to Gabriel's helmet as he rose. What ever did he mean, it asked silently by cocking its head to the side. Clearly, greed was getting it further than he was.
Gabriel did not think. Did not feel his body moving until his hand wrapped around the thin strap of the machine's bag and yanked. The fans in V1's chest gave a huff as it lurched forward. Only for a moment, though. It quickly found its footing again and tried to wrench its body away from Gabriel's hold. It was sad, really. Two of the most powerful beings on Earth, both with expansive and effective arsenals, reduced to a petty game for children. Were he in a more stable state of mind, the angel would have been ashamed of himself. In the moment, he could only manage a grunt of effort as their friendly competition raged on.
Effort quickly turned into shock and pain as a metal fist collided with the side of his helmet. Gabriel couldn't even struggle to sit up before a heavy pressure was sitting on his chest. A boot? Foot? Did it matter?. V1 shifted its weight all the same. The angel was left to weakly squirm and struggle for breath. Stupid. A familiar railgun hummed in the machine's steady hands, pointed carefully at the other's head. It was going for big damage, Gabriel knew. He couldn't sustain big damage. There was nowhere to run, no one to call out to in vain. He was going to die here, Gabriel realized dimly. He was going to die, alone and unmourned, over a fucking bag--
A sputtering gasp filled the silence as the pressure suddenly lifted. Gabriel quickly scooted backwards on his hands, grasping for his chest and fumbling for his swords out of instinct. Despite his better reasoning, he looked up. There was the thing from before, dangling the machine by its claws tucked into the metal of its chest plate. V1 made no sound of protest, only snapped its camera to the scowling face keeping it airborne. "Two minutes," the creature grumbled. "I leave you alone for two minutes, and you try to kill each other."
V1 kicked its feet uselessly, gesturing between Gabriel and itself. This was normal, for them. What good was a companionship without a bit of sparring to keep one on one's toes? This was hardly an attempt on Gabriel's life. Just... a simple discussion. If the angel had visible eyes, he was sure they would be twitching.
The creature sighed as it carelessly dropped the machine back to the ground. Gabriel silently pushed himself to his feet. "Well," the serpentine huffed, fiddling with its hair and making a vague gesture with its extra arm, "might as well check you now, yeah?"
The machine obeyed immediately. It slid the bag off of its shoulder and held it open to the pale lights above its head. The machine's sins seemed to have been forgiven, if the satisfied grin on the other's face was anything to go by. "Very nice," the creature hummed as it took the bag for itself, tail flicking behind it. "Very, very nice. Well done." V1's processor gave a content trill as the thing turned it's three-eyed gaze upon the angel. "You too, big guy. Cough it up."
Gabriel turned his body away, as if trying to hide the fact that he had a bag to begin with. Not that there was anything worth protecting. Not as far as he was aware. The creature's insistent stare was enough to get him to relent, holding it up by the strap with shame. The creature snatched it up, pausing only at how easy it was to take. "The machine cheated," Gabriel blurted when the scowl returned to the other's face. "It... I followed the rules, but that--thing--"
An echo cut him off. "Rules?"
"...Yes," said Gabriel, who suddenly felt very foolish. "The rules."
The creature chuckled as it sifted the angel's extensive collection. "I didn't give you any rules." One thumb drive found its way into a worn jacket pocket. "I told you to get more shit than the other. Maybe that could be a rule. If you squint." V1 turned to Gabriel, hands on its hips and bevel raised in the air. Arrogance, on top of it all. Gabriel was close to pulling out his swords, consequences be damned.
Before anything else could happen--before Gabriel could act, before V1 could ask its questions and receive an answer--a distant voice silenced the room. It wasn't one that Gabriel recognized, the creature's fish-like ears flicked to hear what it was saying.
Attention to all incoming operatives: Z-13 has been spotted along with other unknown specimen near your objective. In the event of encounter...
The creature made no further jokes or comments. Only flicked its bony ear and ushered the two towards the door they came from. "C'mon." Urgent. Fearful, almost. "Back to the shop."
Gabriel clutched his empty bag and stumbled along. "What was that?" he dared to ask.
"Nothing," was the quick answer. Too quick. "It's nothing."
Notes:
wohag hq mention?!? in MY pressure/ultrakill crossover fic?!??! it's more likely than you think....
ugh sorry this is so long any time i write in gabriel's pov i always end up yapping. like i get that he's more proper than sebastian but this chapter is pushing 2k oh my gyat
anyways in lighter news my v1 plush came in the other day i'm so excited he's sitting in my lap right now !!! just waiting for his weird little girlfriend (gabe plush) to arrive in my po box
Chapter 8: inspect_specimen
Summary:
Its processor clicked and whirred in its head, a sound that it had grown familiar with when repairing itself. It was not looking to override any limitations this time, however. Something far simpler.
+---+---+tl;dr : sebastian solace and v1 "oh hey i have three arms too" ultrakill play charades
Notes:
trying something new! this one is from v1's pov :]
this is. Kind Of filler i just need to get something out so people know i am still alive. hey guys im still alive
happy 10k words !!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
CTRL PNL >> CALC >> AMT >> STEPS
INSERT CALCULATION TIME FRAME (MINS): 8
CALCULATING ...
92.
It took 92 steps until V1 was crawling back into a hidden room. Something in its CPU irked at the slow pace the taller creature set. Much too slow. Not efficient. It could not grasp why the distant voice was cause for concern to begin with. It was not directed to any of them, after all. There is only so much a voice can do to cause bodily harm. But it did not mind moving back. Commands were a small comfort here, and something that V1 could accomplish in any setting. Gabriel clambered in soon after, calmed from his earlier outburst. Good. He, of all beings, should realize that he stood no chance against the superiority of a machine. Nothing did. "My goodness," the angel muttered under his breath, adjusting his cloak uncomfortably, "how do you fit through that cursed thing?"
V1 turned to the side to show the blades of light--wings, Gabriel called them--protruding from its spine pressed flat against its back. Space conservation. It was a tight squeeze, especially with more upgrades than was intended for its model, but it managed. It made sense why Gabriel struggled. He was bigger than V1. Yet another sign of inferiority. Not one that could be helped, but a sign nonetheless. Heavier thudding echoed in the vent next to them, followed by their serpentine leader. The creature rose to its normal height as it slithered into the room, adjusting its coat and covering the entrance with the fork of its tail. It must value its privacy. V1 did as well.
"Machine," Gabriel whispered, ducking his head as if to avoid being seen, "if that thing stays true to its promise, I beg of you, ask something important."
The machine felt its fans huff as it waved a hand dismissively. Any question it asked would be important. Gabriel could not seem to comprehend that. He was a foolish creature. He did not understand that knowing one's opponent, even down to the most minuscule details, gave one the upper hand. He did not understand that he was not beaten by sheer luck. No. V1 studied. It studied every creature it came across. It knew every tell of an attack, every pattern of bullets, every possible technique of neutralizing it in battle. Why should this one be any different?
Evidently, the creature had better things to worry about. It wrung its two main hands together, the third curled against its stomach, and stared at the wall. Maybe it could see through it. Maybe it hoped it could. Gabriel continued to speak, but V1 kept its lens dutifully trained on the being before it. Its processor clicked and whirred in its head, a sound that it had grown familiar with when repairing itself. It was not looking to override any limitations this time, however. Something far simpler.
BEGIN PROCESS: INSPECT_SPECIMEN ? Y / N
...
PROCESS COMPLETE. DISPLAY DATA? Y / N
DISPLAYING DATA ...
TYPE: UNKNOWN --> LEVIATHAN? OTHER SUPREME DEMON? SIZE 2?
DATA: An approximately 3.5 meter tall creature residing underwater. Referred to as "Sebastian" by defective terminal. Further research needed.
STRATEGY:
- "Sebastian" seems to take well to obedience. Follow established rules.
- The gun on its hip is ancient and likely ineffective. If the situation calls for violence, act fast.
"...the clicking for?"
"It is running a program, I believe. Shouldn't take long."
Audio was the first thing to return. It usually was. The camera's aperture whirred as it struggled to adjust to the light. Its visual processors needed to be repaired soon. They were taking far too long to recalibrate. Gabriel was nothing more than a blur of white, gold, and crimson--though V1 could make out a concerned hand reaching for its body. When his form came into focus, he quickly pulled it away like he had never reached to begin with. He had a habit of doing that, it observed. Pretending.
The sound of something else clearing its throat interrupted this thought. The creature fiddled with its hands as it cocked its head. V1 mirrored the motion, earning it a crooked smile. "We back online, then?" hummed the creature. When V1 nodded, both of them straightened themselves. "That's good. I believe I still owe you that question."
Oh, yes. The question. Truthfully, V1 was a curious bundle of metal and code. There were numerous, endless possibilities at its disposal. It could take a route to please Gabriel and ask something basic. Why was the creature here? What was its classification? Where was "here"? None of those seemed of high importance, however. As curious as the machine could be, it was still logical. And all logic pointed to the reasonable conclusion that these were answers that could be easily acquired someplace else.
Its neck joint creaked near its audio input systems as it looked the creature up and down. It was very obviously skilled in battle, if the scars on its stomach were anything to go by. V1 could ask why it wore clothes, though Mindflayers were also known to prioritize aesthetics. It could ask about its gun. Or about the benefits of triocular over monocular vision. One curiosity made the machine pause, though. Something it had wondered since its arrival.
As it finally looked up to the expectant creature, it pointed a hand to the other's third arm.
"Machine," Gabriel hissed. Disappointed. Or possibly angry. Was there really a difference?
Confused, the creature glanced between the two. "What?" it asked Gabriel. "What's he saying?"
An angel at the machine's side let out an agitated sigh. "Your arm," he answered curtly. His own appendage gestured exasperatedly towards the creature's. V1 glanced between the two and nodded. Yes. The arm.
The creature craned its neck to stare at the thing, like it was a new modification it was not aware of. Its fingers stretched and splayed experimentally. Carefully. What wasn't shielded by the large jacket it wore was covered in bandages. Stained bandages. It could bleed. V1 filed this information away with a quiet click as the creature shrugged and looked up. Its shoulders were tense, primary arms crossed. "What about it?"
Before Gabriel could speak again, V1 deposited its wings and turned to the side. It pointed towards its own set of extra arms, then back to the other's. The creature need not be so modest. V1 was no stranger to a battle. An extra arm meant a trophy. It only wanted to know where this "Sebastian" got its third.
But no answer came. Instead, an intrigued hum filled the room. "Well, hello." The machine flinched when it felt a hand wrap around its Knuckleblaster, but it did its best to not move otherwise. "Don't know how I didn't see this. Must've been more light than..." The words trailed off into a mumble, but gained volume with the next sentence. "Where'd you get 'em?" A mechanical hand reached around to tap at a faint inscription on the metal. The creature leaned in and squinted to see it. "V2," it read aloud.
Gabriel snapped his head to V1. "There's more of you?" he asked in a horrified whisper.
That was a topic for another time. The creature huffed as it sat back up, its tail flicking in front of the vent. "Well, uh... if you're asking about mine..." It trailed off, glanced towards the ceiling for a clue, before smiling again. "It was a gift. Let's leave it at that, yeah?" It nodded as it spoke, as if agreeing for the two.
V1's processors clicked some more before it nodded as well. That would suffice, for now. There was always later. Footsteps echoed outside of the room, but nobody reacted beyond the creature suddenly closing its mouth. With a sigh, it reached for some folders behind it and handed them to Gabriel. "Read 'em," it commanded quietly. "So you can get off my back." The angel, stunned and confused, slowly lowered himself to the ground. His robot companion quickly followed.
The three sat in silence for a while. Gabriel and V1 were busy reading files, and the snake before them was busy staring at the wall. Maybe it really could see through. Maybe it really wished it could.
Notes:
hope this was a good balance of "genuine state-of-the-art ai" v1 + "dirty stinky stupid bastard" v1. he's my favorite robot i need to crush him in the palm of my hand
thank you to everyone for putting up with my wacky upload schedule!! marching band season is coming up so i have been keeping pretty busy trying to practice .... but don't worry these freaks are not going anywhere!! they jsut might be. Slow
Chapter 9: +ARSENAL
Summary:
So, either Sebastian was an idiot, or Gabriel knew something he didn't. Both could have been possible, of course. Were he a smarter man, Sebastian would have been dead long ago.
+---+---+tl;dr : sebastian and gabriel become judges for the machine olympics (one is slightly more qualified than the other)
Notes:
these chapters just keep getting longer and longer... but i mean you're still reading. so. thanks for that
this one is in seb's pov... more exposition everyone say yay!!
certified peanut post
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"You are far too amused by this."
Sebastian couldn't be bothered to offer a response to Gabriel's words. The operatives from earlier had long since moved on, if HQ's fading announcements were anything to go by. Naturally, Sebastian took the opportunity to see more of what V1 could do. As it turned out, there was a lot. It was a machine built for war, Gabriel had informed him earlier, and God did its agility reflect that. He watched in awe as it bounced off of walls like it was nothing, sent sparks flying from its occasional sliding against metal grating, dashing at speeds that allowed it to flee from Sebastian's line of sight--it was incredible. He had never seen anything like it. The robot still hadn't pulled out any of its weapons--where did the thing even keep them?--but it mimed the motions of a fight. Sebastian assumed, anyway. "Use the red one again!" he shouted.
V1 responded instantly. The blue arm at its side fell limp as the metal prongs on the red hand curled into a fist above its head. It was slower, Sebastian observed. Where its normal arm would have cut through the air and quickly returned to the ready, the red one seemed to pull V1's body with it as it moved. It must have been heavier, but if it took any more effort, the machine didn't let it be known. It flipped off of the wall with ease, switching back to its primary arm to land a few more imaginary blows in the air.
The cloaked figure at Sebastian's side released a weary sigh before shouting himself. "If you're going to show off, you could at least use proper form." V1 paused in its movements across the long, empty hall to acknowledge Gabriel's words. Something shifted in its stance as it looked up to the other for approval. It was lower to the ground, active arms squeezed closer to its sides. Gabriel adjusted the hood of his cloak and shifted his feet. "Better," he called out. A golden hand sprouted from the fabric to gesture vaguely in the air. "Your dodging still needs work. But better." V1 squinted its optic at the critique, but offered no retaliation.
Sebastian managed to pull his eyes away from the show. "How'd you know that?"
Gabriel crossed his arms, not looking away from the machine. "Hm?"
"The..." The sound of V1 moving again caught Sebastian's attention. It was busy trying to perfect its bounce off of walls, now. When it slammed against the ground and didn't bounce back up, it whirred angrily and tried again. Perhaps it was more like a child than he had originally thought. "That," he repeated, splaying his hand towards the machine. "How do you know when he's doing something wrong?"
"It is obvious," Gabriel muttered distractedly.
Obvious. So, either Sebastian was an idiot, or Gabriel knew something he didn't. Both could have been possible, of course. Were he a smarter man, Sebastian would have been dead long ago. Still, there was nothing to give him any clues as to what mistakes V1 could have possibly been making. Not aside from the machine's mounting frustration or Gabriel mumbling under his breath. "Right," he agreed nonetheless. "No, yeah, it is. But why don't you walk me through it anyway?" Gabriel took his turn to glance at Sebastian. It was remarkable how a faceless helmet could exude such judgement. "Just, y'know..." The serpentine shrugged. "Just to make sure we're seeing the same things."
Real smooth, Solace. Reaaal smooth.
With a slight shake of his head, Gabriel turned back to the machine ahead of them. "The ceiling is throwing it off," he muttered.
A scoff. "Obviously." It was?
"It relies too much on movement in the air," the other continued as he crossed his arms. "In a real combat situation, it would be wise to stay as close to the ground as possible." The floor screeched under V1 as it slid again and popped back up unexpectedly. It stumbled over its feet, quickly sending it to the floor with a shriek of gears and fans. "It prefers to move fast in order to disorient. It works for some, but every machine eventually falls into a pattern."
Sebastian nodded stupidly. "Right. That's good." He glanced back down to the cloaked figure, who had lifted his head to stare at him again. He quickly cleared his throat. "Good that we see the same thing, I mean. Not a big fan of patterns myself."
Gabriel hummed as he turned back to watch V1's attempts at... well, it was certainly attempting something. It was too quick for Sebastian to make any sense of past a blur of blue and yellow. "Patterns themselves would not be terrible if the thing would maintain steady form when on the ground," the angel mused. "But the only thing it does on the ground is search for an opportunity to get up again. Any enemy of a reasonable intelligence would recognize this."
Well. It was a good thing Sebastian wasn't an enemy. Maybe he should be more grateful he wasn't shot before. "You've seen him fight before, then?"
"Enough to know it is fallible," Gabriel answered with a shrug. "Efficient, of course, but fallible. As machines often are." He paused, cocking his head at V1 swaying on its feet. "This is far from its best performance, though. It must have lost some fuel during our time in..." The words trailed off into an incoherent mumble. Neither made a further attempt to speak. Only listened to the sound of metal slamming against concrete.
Sebastian hated the burning desire in his chest to know more. The act of keeping his mouth shut was almost a painful one. Fuel? What did V1 run on? Was there a way to get it more? What would happen if it ran out? How did Gabriel know so much about the machine's fighting style? What were the two of them used to fighting? Where did they even come from? Why has Sebastian not wondered that sooner? He figured he could answer that one; because he was not an enemy of reasonable intelligence.
A sound from a few rooms down interrupted his thoughts. Gabriel didn't react to it beyond a disinterested hum when Sebastian turned. Footsteps. Why could he hear footsteps? Had another shipment of prisoners come in? No, no, it was too early. Urbanshade kept every gear of their machine well-greased and perfectly punctual. They didn't just send people down early. Not even death-row prisoners. Sebastian slithered towards the door that the sound came from, straining his ears with a decisive flick. There were footsteps, alright. Multiple people's worth. His enhanced hearing was a silver lining in his many augmentations, though a familiar voice ringing through distant speakers caused his heart to sink.
All operatives, be advised, Z-13 and two other unknown anomalies are still loose in the facility. Prioritize evacuation, but in the event of encounter, shoot to injure. Leave the other two alive.
Sebastian quickly straightened his spine and turned back around. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Gabriel remained where he was, watching as V1 slowly approached. Idiots. Both of them. Too focused on themselves to remember that they are still very much in danger. He shook his head and rapped his knuckles on Gabriel's helmet. "We need to go." Quick and to the point. Maybe if Sebastian spoke quick enough, the dread flooding his body would leave him.
Startled, Gabriel snapped his head up. "Wh--go?" he sputtered before gesturing around him. "We just got here." V1 glanced between the two, but ultimately nodded in agreement at Sebastian. Idiots.
"Look, this is not the fucking time." Sebastian quickly slithered forward and jerked his head towards the door. "There's going to be a lot of noise in a minute, and unless one of you are bulletproof, you either need to get back to the shop or start looking for places to hide."
Frustratingly enough, the two only moved to turn to each other. "You said there is a threat coming this way?" asked Gabriel when he turned back.
It was tempting to leave altogether and leave them to fend for themselves. The only thing keeping Sebastian in place was the thought of anyone else being experimented on under his watch. "Yes," he bit out instead, waving his hand until the door next to him opened. "So come--"
"Does it bleed?"
The question caught Sebastian off-guard. "Wha--yes, they--the fuck kind of question is that?" He felt like he was losing his mind. A quick glance between the two in front of him did not make him feel better. He wanted to scream. Do you have any idea what these people do to things like us? You're going to get shot! You'll be lucky to just get shot! Just listen to me and start moving!
No one said anything further. The footsteps were only getting closer. Slowly, but surely. The pair must have been communicating something. They were fluent in a kind of silence that Sebastian had never seen before. A silent hand on a metallic shoulder, an enthusiastic nod coupled with mechanic joints whirring. Then, Gabriel rushed to Sebastian's side, leaving V1 where it was. "Those lockers," he huffed, pointing at one in the room ahead of them, "are they bulletproof?"
Sebastian glanced between the two before following Gabriel into the room. "Enough," he answered quickly. A glance over his shoulder had him watching as V1 turned to the other door, its wings stretching from its spine. "What about--"
"It can handle itself." Gabriel managed to throw the locker door open and carefully stepped inside. "It needs to refuel anyway." He looked Sebastian up and down before speaking again. "I suggest you find a place to hide as well." With that, the locker doors closed with a slam.
Sebastian didn't need to be told twice.
Notes:
the world is your canvas.... soemthing or othe..r.....
thank you all so so much for reading!! your support means the world to me i never thought i would have kept this going for this long.. i hope your days are wonderful and beautiful and that you only ever eat good food forever
anyways unrelated but my birthday is tomorrow :] can't wait to spend it trying to beat minos prime again
Chapter 10: +FINISHED OFF
Summary:
Gabriel looked around the hall for any signs for his companion. Not out of concern, of course. He was not worried. Not for the machine, anyway.
+---+---+tl;dr : general aftermath of standard ultrakill level (feat. sebastian pressure solace)
Notes:
i love having chapter titles gimmicks. shout out ultrakill style index, shout out chapters 3+4 of this fic
thank you all for the birthday wishes!! i beat minos prime and am working on p-ranking act 2 now :D (wrath is kicking my ASS)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Blood.
There was so much blood.
The stench of iron permeated the air, squeezing a cough or two from the angel as he stepped out from his locker. If nothing else, the serpentine was honest when it said there would be noise. Gunshots, shouted commands, wordless screams, the occasional pleased trill from V1--all of it seemed to echo in the silence around Gabriel as he forced his feet forward. Various corpses with various injuries lay carelessly scattered on the ground. Humans, he recognized dimly. Gabriel had never been so close to one. Each corpse wore a fabric shell of black--or maybe it was gray before blood stained them--with an odd, distinct symbol on the breast. It was funny, almost. Despite their supposed fear of the place itself, human bodies behaved a lot like Hell mass. Or was it the other way around? Gabriel shook his head and continued on, deciding he didn't care.
Behind him, a vent popped open. Ah. The creature had found a place to hide after all. He still had a way out of here. Despite the small relief, the catalyst for the carnage was nowhere to be found. Gabriel looked around the hall for any signs for his companion. Not out of concern, of course. He was not worried. Not for the machine, anyway. If the gore splayed around the room was anything to go by, it was more than capable of handling combat in this odd environment. But they were not meant to draw attention to themselves. Wouldn't something like this go against that completely? Wouldn't allowing V1 to wander off even further violate the rule?
He didn't notice the creature's approach until it froze at the door. "Dear God," it breathed, as if afraid that anything louder would damn it to the same fate. Reluctantly, the angel turned to see it hunched over a body with a large wound from a chainsaw blade in the chest. Maybe with fascination, maybe with horror, maybe with some terrible combination of the two. Its curtain of black hair kept him from making a proper guess. "How the hell--"
"The machine has quite an expansive arsenal," explained Gabriel dismissively as he turned back around. "Your rule to keep quiet is likely the only reason something like this hasn't happened sooner."
The creature continued. "They wear bulletproof vests. They always wear the vests. But there's... there's holes. Why are there holes, how did it--"
"It doesn't use bullets."
"Well, it has to use something. Holes don't usually just show up on people." A pause. "Unless you're telling me something else did this."
The creature was an insistent one. Or perhaps stubborn would be the right word. Gabriel didn't have time for its questions. Even if he did, why would he bother? He could just barely wrap his head around the concept of how V1's weapons worked himself. The extremely limited knowledge he had came exclusively from over-the-shoulder glimpses at terminals. Some were the work of humans to win a war, others were the result of machine ingenuity to survive in a world not meant for them. What Gabriel knew for certain was that V1 knew how to use them to their fullest, and most days that was enough.
"This was the machine's work, alright," he sighed, shaking his head at a still smoking hole in the wall. Sloppy. Be it human or machine error, it was a sign that something was nearby. Gabriel hurried onward, followed quickly by the frustrated groan of the other. If it was a threat, it would be handled. If it was V1... well, that could also be handled. With slightly more care and slightly less weapons.
All movement came to a slow halt in the next room. Death stained what little of the floor rubble had left untouched. The smell of burnt flesh mixed with lingering smoke and dust stood stagnant in the air as if it was a physical obstacle. Both angel and monster alike took a moment to acclimate at the door, coughing and hacking and waving at the air around them in a desperate attempt to breathe something clean. "Jesus," the creature forced out in a strained voice before coughing again. Gabriel offered no comment aside from a small cough himself. As strange as it sounded, the terrible stench surrounding them was a small comfort. It reminded him of Hell--how smoke would rise from demons' still bodies as V1 tried to find him in the carnage. His shoulders drooped slightly as he shook his head and continued on. A voice in his mind told him that perhaps he shouldn't find comfort in eternal punishment. That, maybe, his sanity left him bit by bit with every shot of a gun and slice of a sword.
Another, quieter voice, one that vaguely resembled his own, urged him towards the only sound in the room.
Not once in all of his time with the machine had he seen it broken. Injured, yes. In need of repairs, always. But never had he seen it the way it was now. Sparks jumped from V1's improvised arm socket as its body laid limp against one of the few sections of wall not actively falling apart. Its default arm rested on its lap, fingers loosely wrapped around a revolver.
Gabriel froze where he was.
Its light wasn't on.
Why wasn't its light on?
It must have been resting. Surely. It only made sense. There were a lot of bodies, so it must have put in a lot of work. Surely, that was all it was. There was simply no way it had traversed through all of Hell--and then some! had it not also been victorious against the Prime Souls?--only to die here. Truth be told, Gabriel wasn't entirely convinced V1 had the ability to die. It was hardly capable of slowing down. Maybe it was simply in pain. Could it feel pain? Would that be better or worse?
He could hear the native creature slither beside him. It, too, stared for a moment, but soon found the bravery to speak. "Well," it huffed, "at least he went down with a fight." It didn't go down, Gabriel wanted to yell, it couldn't have it's just not possible, but he only forced himself to nod. Yes. That would be better than nothing. Better to have lost in a fair fight instead of being caught off-guard. He struggled to ignore the heaviness sitting on his chest as the other's clawed hand reached for the machine's lifeless form.
Metal rattled as a robotic figure suddenly shot to life. The light behind the cracked glass of V1's lens flickered and its limbs jerked around, but it snapped its arm up and fired a stray shot in the pair's general direction. The creature jumped back, all three hands flying into the air. "Woah!" it shouted as it slithered backwards. "Jesus fucking Christ--"
Gabriel jumped as well, latching onto the hilt of Splendor before he caught himself. "Machine."
Almost instantly, V1's gun lowered. Its shoulders heaved with the erratic whirring of its fans, but it did not move. Well, not really. It was still twitching and jumping around like a puppet controlled by a sadistic toddler, but made no further attempts at combat. That was close enough to still. Gabriel forced his feet to move closer. To inspect the damage, he told himself. V1 only craned its malfunctioning neck, staring at him through broken glass and what was probably an incredibly overwhelmed processor.
Oddly, Gabriel found that he was relieved. Was he allowed to be? Was his subconscious simply satisfied with having another chance to kill the thing himself? Rather than spend any time on these questions, he lowered himself to V1's line of sight. "Is your fuel level sufficient?" he asked simply.
A content, choppy trill left the other. Yes. Very much so.
He glanced at the sparks flying from V1's three arms. "Can you... can that be fixed here?" He gave a vague wave of his hand towards the damage. Or maybe towards V1's whole body. It all probably needed work.
The machine thought for a moment before beeping an affirmative, dropping its arm back onto its legs. Easily.
"Did any get away?"
An immediate negative. Its only steady hand swiveled on its joint, weakly gesturing to the room around them. Do you see any that could have been able to?
Gabriel leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Are you proud of yourself?"
V1's fans sputtered, a sound akin to that of a breathless chuckle. Of course. Always.
It was okay enough to be honest. That was a very good sign. With a weary sigh, Gabriel hoisted the machine up with a careful arm around its waist. Its feet stumbled as it tried to maintain balance on the ground, but it didn't flinch enough to be dropped. Slowly, cautiously, he turned around to face the creature. It stared at the two of them with a mixture of disgust and horror. The angel felt his shoulders tense up with shame, only then realizing what they must look like. Before he could say anything to defend himself, the serpentine shook its head and opened its mouth to speak. All that came out were single syllables, fleeting glimpses of sentences, before it gave up and turned around. "Come on," it grumbled.
The machine's fans sputtered again as one of the arms slung over his shoulder adjusted his hood. Gabriel didn't need to be told twice. He didn't even care where he went, as long as it wasn't here.
"Sir."
"In a minute."
"Sir, could you just--"
A disgruntled figure swiveled in the chair, various screens of footage in the Blacksite ensuring its face was kept well hidden. The power system hummed quietly in the air with a dignity rarely found in machinery. "Is this an update on the recent operation?" asked the professional voice in the darkness. "Or are you, too, willing to defect for the sake of morality?"
The worker shifted on their feet outside the door. They knew what they were being asked, and could not find the words to deny it. That wasn't the issue at hand, though. "Check the cameras," they squeaked out simply. "Door 48 for the Expendable Protocol."
There was a sigh, but the figure spun back around and obeyed. A mouse clicked around on the numerous screens before one suddenly changed to red. Static could mask a lot of things, but it could not manifest a massacre. Not like the one still drying on the walls of the destroyed room. The figure stared at the corpses' operative uniforms before it spoke. "Did they have families?"
"A few, but--"
"Contact them and offer severance." The figure opened a drawer in the desk in front of them. "I will review the footage and alert Mr. Shade. Find out what to do going forward." An arm sprouted from the darkness, shooing away the worker. "You will receive orders at a later date."
The door shut quietly. The only thing that broke the silence was the quiet press of a button.
Attention to all incoming EXR-P...
Notes:
(sebastian voice) fucking weirdos
i don't really like this one but i'm tired of rewriting it so Please Accept It i will make the next chapter better
anyway deltarune tomorrow am i right lads or am i right lads
Chapter 11: routine maintenance
Summary:
Silence was good. Silence meant rest, and rest was valuable to anything intelligent in the Blacksite. But Sebastian had dropped off his assistants before returning to his shop, and rest quickly became unviable.
+---+---+tl;dr : gabriel falls for the easiest ragebaiting of All Time (+ robots bonding if you squint)
Notes:
finally finished playing deltarune. no spoilers but ?!??!?!? hey. hey toby fox. hey. what the hell. make me spend $25 just to rip my heart out and curb stomp it. okay man
anyways thanks everyone for waiting! i still wanted to squeeze in another update before pride month ends hopefully it's not dookie butt
and if it is. heh. i guess i will take the whole fic down (joke)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The soft hum of servers and fans filled the air outside of Painter's room. Usually, it would only be interrupted by a passing prisoner, or the odd Urbanshade employee. If he was lucky, Sebastian would pop in, always with a smile on his face, and they would talk about nothing until duty dragged him away. It wasn't like Painter minded the silence. He had plenty enough to think about, what with the prisoners attempting to get into the Ridge. Plenty of time to strategize. And, with no one to talk to, he could conserve energy. Silence was good. Silence meant rest, and rest was valuable to anything intelligent in the Blacksite.
But Sebastian had dropped off his assistants before returning to his shop, and rest quickly became unviable.
They both sat in front of Painter's table. V1 fiddled around with its limbs and Gabriel held whatever was shoved his way. It was remarkable how effortless the machine made repairing itself look with just one hand. Its others laid limp at its side, occasionally jerking with an electric spark. Broken, Painter assumed. Bullets and shrapnel could do that to anything. He blinked his animated eyes and turned his attention to the other. Careful hands plated in gold guarded the small bolts the machine had removed from its knee. Occasionally, V1 would look up, and Gabriel would wordlessly dip his hands forward for it to retrieve what it needed. The room was silent, punctuated only by the quiet clatter of tinkering, though Painter was curious enough for that not to matter. "So," he spoke into the silence, "it runs on… organic matter?"
Gabriel huffed as he shifted his legs. "Blood."
The answers for Painter's occasional queries came quick. To the point. Possibly a little annoyed. That wasn’t anything new. Sebastian had told him multiple times that he had a knack for annoying people. He was actually named Most Effective Troll In The Hadal Zone by the expert himself. Painter wasn't quite sure that it was a good thing, but he wore the title with pride. No amount of sighs or groans or other cues for annoyance would keep him from his objective. Or from learning. He turned his eyes back to V1. "Is it good on fuel for a while, then?"
Small metal pieces in Gabriel's hands clinked as he forced them into a fist. "I should hope so," he muttered, wiping at a stain on the other's lens. V1 offered no confirmation aside from an idle chirp as it shooed away the intruding aide. Painter wished he could understand what V1 was saying. If it was saying anything at all. Gabriel seemed perfectly fluent in its odd little language, muttering something to the machine and nodding when it offered another chirp. Maybe Painter could ask for lessons.
Silence fell over the room again as V1 continued its work. It fished around in its now loose knee socket, pulling out a pebble with a whir of its optic. Squinting. So it could feel annoyance? Other emotions? Painter blinked his eyes as he logged the information. V1 was an odd thing. Both of the newcomers were, to be quite honest. But they were fascinating. A fleeting glimpse into a world so different from their current residence could not be anything less. He could see why Sebastian tried to frame them as a weird dream. “How often does this happen?”
Gabriel turned his head to the computer screen. “You are quite talkative for a terminal,” he remarked. Annoyed. A job well done. V1 simply flicked away the pesky debris and looked into the socket for any remaining problems.
Painter blinked his eyes again. “I’m not terminal with anything.” His flat face shifted into a mischievous smile. “Unless you know something I don’t.”
A weary sigh escaped the other. “Talkative and defective.” V1 lightly smacked a leg covered in tattered fabric. Gabriel shook his head as he returned to his task at hand. “Good to know.”
“Am I not allowed to ask about things I don’t know about?” Pretty hypocritical for a supposed angel. Painter probably should have expected that. It was still fun to poke at.
Gabriel took a slow, controlled breath. He did not look up, did not even move aside from letting his hands fall when V1 took the last piece to be put back in. “Machines tend to get rid of their vocal interface,” he stated coolly. “Seems like an oversight that one like you would not consider.”
That bit of information was logged down as well. He was very easy to mess with. Sebastian should have tried this sooner. Painter blinked, never dropping his smile. “I was made with companionship in mind.”
“How terribly noble.”
“Right back at ya.”
Once again, the room fell silent, filled only with the normal hum outside and the whir of V1’s knee as it flexed the joint once, twice, three times. Gabriel observed with a silent tilt of his head. Painter did the same, though he was only capable of rotating his face. When the machine seemed satisfied with its mobility, it gave a quiet beep and turned its camera--head?--to focus on the sparks flying from its arm. Thinking. Maybe it could run diagnostics based on visual damage. Or could it feel the damage? Every subtle movement brought forth an endless wave of new questions, but Painter managed to keep his mouth shut. How, he wasn't sure. But he was quiet enough for V1 to pick up its head and chirp something to Gabriel.
The other leaned forward, trying to peer into the faulty socket. "Couldn't you just reach in?"
V1 glanced back to the sparks. It offered another chirp in response.
Gabriel stiffened. "I'm not giving you a sword."
"What's going on?" Painter asked cluelessly. It was hard to ignore the glare Gabriel gave him--at least, he assumed it was a glare. It was hard to tell past the vacant look of his embossed helmet. V1 let out an agitated trill, gesturing towards the stationary computer. They were talking about him. Good things, Painter hoped. Or at least neutral things.
It took a moment, but Gabriel eventually sighed and relaxed his fists. "It needs something to reach into its arm socket."
Oh. That wasn't so bad. And something Painter could help with directly. "I think there's some pencils behind my monitor," he offered. "But if they're not long enough, you can try my tablet's stylus."
The angel reluctantly forced himself to his feet. His hand hovered awkwardly in the air, fingers twitching, before he snatched up a few pencils. His movements were quick. Sharp. Like there was a beast bearing its fangs in Painter's shadow. Gabriel shifted the utensils to his other hand, wiping his palm on his cloak as he presented them to his companion. Weird. Maybe the space behind Painter was dustier than he thought. Or maybe there was a spider? He should tell Sebastian to look when he stopped by again. V1 took a pencil without thinking, immediately adjusting its body to focus on the troublesome area. No one said anything further, allowing V1 to work and Painter to watch in amazement.
After a moment, one of the arms detached with a soft hiss. V1 tugged it out of place as carefully as it could manage. It cocked its head to the side as it turned it in the air, inspected the connecting joint, then set it in Gabriel's lap as it returned to its work. Gabriel did not seem bothered in the slightest. In fact, he held the blue arm with the same level of protection as a small child might hold for their favorite toy, waiting expectantly for another. Painter could practically hear Sebastian's voice in the room, could see him rolling his eyes. They're like children. Giant, stupid children. Maybe he was only referring to Gabriel in that aspect. There was certainly a resemblance.
The next arm, a red one that seemed much heavier, came with much less effort or care. V1 repeated its inspection, passed it to the other when it found nothing of interest, then turned back to the last arm. Gabriel struggled a bit to hold that one up, but it rested comfortably in his lap all the same. Painter cursed the physical limitations of his monitor. He couldn't see any of the good details aside from a vague inscription on the red arm. Without thinking too much about it, he found himself speaking. "Can I see one?"
"Of course not," Gabriel immediately scoffed. "These are vital parts of the machine's arsenal, I highly doubt--"
V1 wordlessly turned to Painter's table and sat a scratched up green arm in front of his monitor.
Silence fell over the room again. When Gabriel finally found his voice, he sounded more than annoyed. He sounded angry. V1 responded with trills and chirps of its own, but Painter tuned it all out. He took in every detail of the arm with glee, quickly pulling up his drawing program and putting his cursor to work. It didn't take long for the background arguing to fade into the quiet hum that he was used to. Quiet was good. Quiet meant that Painter could focus. Sebastian would want to see this, and Painter would deliver nothing short of perfection.
...He had never been good at drawing mech, he quickly realized.
Notes:
agh i know i say this a lot, but thank you all so so much for reading!! life has been getting a little tough lately, but it's nice to know that people like the things i create <:] i love every comment i get you are all so funny and nice (and some of you are like. Really Good at guessing key plot points. fuck You guys) (JOKE htat is a JOKE i am JOKING)
anyways i will probably take another break to play the new pressure update. i would apologize but most of you will probably be doing the same. maybe we will meet on the same server....
Chapter 12: nostalgia bait
Summary:
"Got a little party in here, don't we?"
Painter's smile widened. "They like big band music."
+---+---+tl;dr : sebastian picks up his fragile cargo and hears some bangin tunes
Notes:
new pressure update is so peak oh my gosh.... me and my friend played a little bit and if you know my history with pressure you will probably not be shocked At All to learn that i got the new badges for the secret ending (my friend didn't she died like 3 rooms before the ridge ended) (fuck you froger we all say in unison)
fair warning i am aware that some of the lore in the new update kind of clashes with my initial interpretations of the pressure universe... please know that i will probably be sticking to my original plan/interpretations and slipping in the new content between the cracks when i can <:] thanks guys for understanding!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Heartaches, heartaches
Why, loving you meant only heartaches
Instruments hummed a tune through the aged fuzz of something antique. The sound of music lured Sebastian through the spacious room. It filled the silence between the large, airlock doors opening, soared over the quiet purr of server towers. It wasn't a bad song. Much better than the one looping ceaselessly in the Ridge, that was for certain. But it was odd. Sebastian had never taken Painter to be the kind to listen to the type of song emanating from his room. Then again, it was hard to tell Painter's opinions on anything. Maybe this was his favorite song. Maybe he was capable of secrets after all.
Those thoughts left his mind as he slithered into the little side room. Painter's face flickered to a smile, the music's volume ducking only for a cheerful greeting. "Hi, Sebastian!"
Sebastian smiled. He couldn't help it. "Hey, Paint." He moved further into the room, eyeing his assistants. V1 and Gabriel sat right where they were left, one staring curiously at a bullet casing in his hands and the other focused intently on digging into its shoulder cavity. The machine certainly looked better than it did when it was dragged in here. One of its numerous arms--why did it have so many?--rested on Painter's table, the other two still attached to its shoulder. It flicked its head towards Sebastian's presence, but just as quickly turned back to its tinkering. "Got a little party in here, don't we?"
Your kiss was such a sacred thing to me
I can't believe it's just a burning memory!
Painter's smile widened. "They like big band music."
A small chuckle slipped its way from Sebastian's lungs. "Nice to know." Gabriel finally picked up his head at the low sound, fist closing protectively around the scrap piece of metal. Did he think he had something worth taking? It took a lot of effort for Sebastian to keep his expression from souring. He was going to have to spend a lot of time with him. Biting his tongue was crucial for the pacing of insults. They wouldn't hit as hard if he didn't allow the atmosphere to breathe. "You alright there, friend?" he asked the cloaked figure instead, straining a smile.
Gabriel loosened his grip on his bullet casing. "Fine," he answered cautiously. He shifted his legs with a quiet grunt as his helmet turned to the computer behind him. "I still do not like the machine having a weapon."
"A pencil isn't a weapon," said Painter. Ever so helpful.
V1 perked its head up, pulling the tool in its hand out of its socket. Sure enough, the graphite tip of a pencil shook in the air as it cocked its head. An expressive little thing, it was. What, Sebastian could practically hear it say, this old thing? You're scared of this? A little piece of wood?
Immediately, Gabriel's body tensed. "Get that thing away from me." The machine seemed less than eager to comply. Its fans gave a whir as it jabbed the air around his shoulders with amusement. The latter cringed away, arching his spine to dodge the line of fire. "Stop--stop that--"
Painter merely laughed over his instrumental music. "Get him, V1!"
"Alright, alright." A clawed hand waved the oh-so-dangerous weapon away. "Easy with that if you want to keep it." Oh, how Sebastian hated being responsible. He wished he could see what else Gabriel was so afraid of. Maybe he should have let V1 keep messing with Gabriel. Or Painter. He was good at that, messing with people. But no. Unfortunately, the only sound that followed was that of V1 once again turning back to its work and an old song slowly coming to an end.
I should be happy with someone new,
But my heart aches for you!
A lively brass section closed off the song, leaving the room in a empty sort of quiet. Sebastian sighed. "Any news?" he asked Painter in the brief silence.
"Hm? Oh, no. Not anything important today." Painter blinked his eyes at his friend. "You?"
Sebastian barely managed a shrug before music began again. It was a different song now, opening with quiet chords from woodwinds and strings before a moving melody in the trumpets took over. Both Gabriel and V1 looked up at the sound, much like one would upon hearing an old friend call their name. Sebastian chuckled a little at the sight. "Uh, nah," he eventually answered, pulling his gaze back up to the computer. "Did some exploring."
Painter was not an idiot. He immediately knew there was a double meaning behind the words. "And did you... find anything useful?"
Didn't you say you'd be lovin' me night and day,
Or were you foolin'?
V1 immediately snapped its head to its companion, excitedly patting his thigh. Gabriel looked between one machine and another, as if in awe by the very concept of lyrics. Couple of weirdos. The song was not that good. "I did," Sebastian responded to Painter, gaze flicking to the cloaked body on the ground. "Might steal Gabe here for a minute--"
"That is not my name."
"--to come see it, too."
Painter blinked, expression fading into a careful vagueness. "Oh! That's... okay, yeah. That's good, isn't it?"
Didn't you sigh every time that we kissed goodbye,
Or were you foolin'?
Sebastian smiled as he nodded in agreement. "Indeed it is." He turned his head to an enraptured Gabriel and flicked the material of his helmet. "Get on up, big guy," his rough voice commanded. "Exploring time." A wild simplification, of course. It had to be, in this situation. Sebastian still wasn't sure if his secondary location would do anyone any good. He didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. Especially not Painter. Especially not Gabriel.
A frustrated huff escaped the other as he rubbed his head. "But I've never..." The words trailed off before Gabriel straightened his back, saying instead, "The machine isn't done repairing itself."
"Good thing I'm not asking for him, yeah?" Sebastian turned around and jerked his head towards the door. "Come on. I don't bite." He didn't stay to see if he was being followed. He did, however move slow enough to hear the tired sigh of someone forcing himself to his feet.
Over the music, Painter spoke again, voice low and careful like he was sharing a dangerous secret. "Be careful. He hasn't had his shots."
"How much further must we go?"
A faint, swaying light of an esca was the only thing lighting the room as the pair moved up a steep slope meant to replace stairs. There was no way to get to the top, as the climb was interrupted by a pool of water. A flooded section of the Blacksite was not uncommon to come by, especially not with the notorious Z-13 around. "Gotta go through here for a little bit," Sebastian sighed as he began to tug his scarf off of his neck, gills fluttering experimentally in the air. "The vents are too small going that way."
Metal scuffed against the ground as Gabriel took a step away. "Is this your way of discreetly trying to 'handle' me?" he hissed accusingly. "Because I assure you, my absence will be noticed--"
"For the love of--no. I am not trying to--" Sebastian looked over and brought up a clawed hand, mimicking the other's air quotes-- "'handle' you. I could've already done that if I wanted to." A small chuckle filled the room as he tucked the fabric into an inside pocket of his jacket. "It's just a quick dip, and we should be back up in a few. Shouldn't be a problem for a tough guy like you, no?"
He saw something odd when he picked up his head. Gabriel was avoiding both the creature and the water in front of him, nervously fiddling with the fabric of his dirty cloak. Why did he seem so on edge? There wasn't anything to be afraid of. It was just water. If he had been around V1 for any amount of time, this should have been nothing. Unless--
Sebastian's eyes widened with glee. "Oh my God."
Gabriel instantly snapped his head up, hands sprouting from fabric to defend himself. "Look--"
"Oh my God, you don't know how to swim."
There was no rebuttal. No denial, no attempt to argue. Just the quiet shuffle of fabric as Gabriel crossed his golden arms. "Such methods of travel are beneath me," he mumbled. "I have never needed to, nor did I see any reason to learn."
Sebastian coughed out a single, breathless laugh. "What are you gonna do, Jesus? Walk on it? Part it like the great Red Sea? Ooh, or--"
"Oh, alright," cut in Gabriel firmly, "you've made your point." His tense shoulders drooped slightly as he glanced down into the water. It was too dark to see anything other than a reflection. Sebastian knew that. He had grown used to it. But seeing the way Gabriel shifted on his feet, the way he uncrossed his arms to tug at the inside of his cloak--something about it reminded Sebastian of another life. A younger boy with darker skin, wringing the hem of his shirt in front of his brother, too terrified to get in the water...
He spoke before he could stop himself. "Look," he sighed, "I'll show you, yeah?" He did not sound reassuring. Not in the slightest. But Gabriel nodded, and that was enough. "It's easier than you think. Just... take a deep breath. And hold it."
Gabriel complied, closing his fists as he inhaled slowly.
A loud, unceremonious splash cut into the tense silence. Sebastian hummed contentedly before he dived after his assistant. He should have shoved Gabriel into water way sooner.
Notes:
kind of got lazy with the ending but i want to get something out before drum camp starts. you're gonna eat your food and LIKE IT (jokejoke joke)
life or bath gabe edition.... your donation could be what saves this disgraced angel... (presents my empty palm expectantly) (all proceeds go directly to pushing him into increasingly larger bodies of water. we are aiming to dropkick him off a plane into point nemo)
also hello hello gabriel enjoyers :] you're going to like the next few chapters i have planned. smiles really widely and kicks my little legs
Chapter 13: walk and talk
Summary:
Far be it from Sebastian to turn down some peace and quiet. It was odd, then, that he found himself sorting through excuses to speak.
+---+---+tl;dr : sebastian delivers his fragile cargo to its secondary location
Notes:
sorry for the noticeable dip in quality the ao3 author curse is real and it finally struck me down... a little tired and sad but i'll be Damned before i abandon my silly world and my precious readers (shout out you guys) (4k hits you guys are insane!!)
kind of filler again i want to get something out before school starts this week. sorry in advance for slow updates
certified peanut post
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Didn't you say...
Hm. How did that song go again?
Quiet humming was the only thing breaking the silence aside from the occasional drawer sliding open. Gabriel had a good tone, as much as the other hated to acknowledge it. He matched the earlier melody almost perfectly, like he had heard it countless times before. Sebastian wanted to be annoyed. Truly, he did. But anytime he turned his head, the sight of the other's still soaking cloak would make him snicker and forget what he was going to say. He was a peculiar thing, this so-called angel. But very easily swayed when it came to commands. That much was useful.
The next door opened with a loud slam. Sebastian glanced back to make sure Gabriel was following, only to cover his mouth as he looked away again. Footsteps traced the ground around him as he directed his gaze to a large window. It was an odd architectural decision, thought Sebastian as he cocked his head. It wasn't like the view outside was anything remarkable. Just an endless darkness with the occasional bubble or naval mine. Maybe it was to comply with some sort of regulation. Or maybe it was to send a message to any potential defective workers. What if it broke? What would happen if Sebastian turned too fast and launched his tail at the glass? Would the difference in pressure kill the people in the room? Was it worth trying? Or--
His ear flicked at the sound of drawers sliding open. One, two, three. A small smile graced Sebastian's features as he looked to the other again. "Pop quiz," he called out as he slithered towards the other. A clawed hand pointed at the water outside. "Shark through the window. What do you do?"
Gabriel picked his head up, glancing between Sebastian and the glass. The manila folder under his fingers shifted against the surface of the desk. "A shark?"
"Oh, come on. I gave you this file earlier. The green one."
Once again, Gabriel stared into the glass, as if the entity would suddenly appear and give him the answer itself. "You... don't look at it," he answered slowly, tucking the folder into the bag strung over his shoulder.
A low chuckle filled the room as Sebastian continued onward. "Look at that," he remarked with amusement. "There are some things you know how to do."
With another loud slam, the two moved into an emptier room. No drawers or desks to loot, no side rooms to explore, not even a window to stare at. Footsteps bounced off of the empty walls as they continued on. Far be it from Sebastian to turn down some peace and quiet. Hell, he had done nothing but crave it for what must have been hours. It was odd, then, that he found himself sorting through excuses to speak. He knew he shouldn't care as much as he did. Especially considering the sheer amount of trouble the newcomers had caused. But there was nothing else to think, and no way to get answers but to ask. A glance to the side was all Sebastian needed to know that Gabriel did not care either way--or, at least, had learned that his questions would provide no answers.
"So," Sebastian sighed loudly as he turned his head towards his assistant. "What's the deal with you and V?"
Gabriel picked his head up at that. "The machine?"
"Yeah. I mean, one minute you're trying to kill each other, the next you're..." Sebastian turned his head to open the door in front of him, ducking through the frame and shrugging into his next sentence. "I dunno. Having conversations. Listening to old songs together." The other remained silent, allowing Sebastian ample room to make assumptions. "What are you two? You enemies? Friends?" There was one other option, he realized. He lowered his body to the other's level, making no attempt to hide his grin as he turned his head. "Something more?"
Almost immediately, Gabriel's shoulders tensed. "I do not know what you are implying," he stated curtly, raising his chin and speeding his gait around a corner. "Our companionship is one born of sheer convenience, and nothing else."
It took a lot of effort for Sebastian not to roll his eyes. A lot. "Where have I heard that before?" he scoffed under his breath.
"Come again?"
"I said, I think we should go back a door."
Gabriel glanced at the way they came from, then back to the creature before him. To the handle under his palm. Back up again. "Why?"
Sebastian's grin widened with a satisfied hum. "Good argument. I'm convinced. Let's keep going."
An agitated sigh accompanied the sound of the door opening. They weren't far, if Sebastian's memory served correctly. Then again, he had said that every time Gabriel asked how much longer it would take. Maybe if he kept talking, neither of them would notice where they were going. Maybe it would get rid of the inherent dread that came with being somewhere you don't belong. "Does it know commands?" Sebastian asked as a collection of desks pulled Gabriel away.
One, two, three. A DNA sample and a couple of hard drives found its way into Gabriel's bag. "I am sure it does," he responded without looking up.
"So, if we run into another batch of guards, I can just say--" Sebastian flashed his fangs and playfully clawed at the air-- "sic 'em, and it'll take care of things?"
Gabriel shook his head as he returned to the serpentine's side. "I do not believe a machine needs to be instructed to follow its coding."
"Just sayin'. Might be more useful to have its default be not attacking, no?"
"Ah, well. I will be sure to educate the notorious war machine on the fine art of pacifism, then."
When the next door swung open, a wave of familiarity flooded Sebastian's body. They were close, alright. He recognized those crates in the corner, the half open drawers from his initial discovery of the place. Their destination couldn't have been more than a room away. In fact, he could have sworn he could already hear engines rumbling and gears turning. A quick scan of the room assured him that no one had been around since he had left to retrieve his cargo. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing. "Don't worry about finding stuff," he instructed Gabriel, who was already halfway towards approaching a small cabinet against the wall. "We're almost there."
The other scoffed, but ultimately complied. "You have said that quite a few times."
A quiet hum came as a response. "I mean it this time," Sebastian said quietly, ducking his body through the door and slithering forward.
The next room confirmed his suspicions. He stretched his tail in the sudden openness, watching his assistant carefully as he, too, took in the sudden shift in architecture. In the middle of Gabriel turning his head to scan the room, it froze on something in the distance. Sebastian only moved towards the precarious bridge leading to the center of the room. He did not need to look up to see what his assistant was staring at. Frankly, he did not want to bother. It was a miracle the path had thrown him into this room, of course, but the main attraction was... grotesque, to put it slightly. "Come on," he grumbled to Gabriel's still form. "I'll explain when we're closer."
Silence overtook the two as they moved towards the center of the room. Cautious footsteps were the only thing interrupting the low hum of machinery. Once they made it to solid ground, both of them stared for a moment. The large, pale figure in front of them hung its head, its spiked halo spinning lazily above. Its arms were held up purely by the wires and tubes keeping it attached to the two massive tanks on either side of it, tainted by blood and fuel. The room itself was lit up only by the glow of the figure, enhanced by what must have been blinding lights shining on it.
"What is that?" asked Gabriel in a horrified whisper.
Sebastian glanced down to find the other slowly moving forward. "An angel," he answered simply. Gabriel wrenched his gaze away from the figure, taking a step back from Sebastian as if he had just confessed that he really did take him here to kill him. "C'mon, we can get closer. It can't do a whole lot from there, anyway."
They did so without exchanging another word. The angel took notice of them halfway, lifting its head and staring curiously with its single eye. Odd. Usually, by now, it would be trying to scare a visitor away. It certainly did to Sebastian earlier. But now, it allowed them to move forward without a sound, allowed Gabriel to continue until he could brace himself against a large control panel near the railing. "An angel," he echoed softly. In disbelief? Awe?
Sebastian didn't know. He only nodded again, finding the courage to grin. "Maybe a distant cousin."
Slowly, as if painfully, Gabriel moved his gaze downwards. He stared for another moment before slowly speaking. "And you thought it..."
The metal on his hands creaked softly as he clenched his fists, picking his head up to stare at the other.
"...comedic to bring me here?"
Sebastian frowned. "I thought it would be helpful." With a sigh, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, neither of us know how you got here. And I sure as hell don't know how to get you back to where you need to be. This guy--" he nodded towards the angel now eyeing Gabriel-- "is the only other thing I can think of that came from another dimension. If Urbanshade can get him here, they can get you out, no?" Silence fell over the two. In a desperate attempt to keep his mind occupied, Sebastian spoke again. "Won't talk to me, though. I can't hear him, anyway. So, I thought, maybe you two could..." The sentenced trailed off into a vague gesture between them with his third arm.
Gabriel hesitated before he turned back to the large figure before him. "Right," he breathed.
Awkwardly, Sebastian clasped his hands together. "So, I'll, uh... leave you to it, yeah?" He was already beginning to turn around, glancing between light and silhouette. "I'll send V to bring you back after a bit. The path should reset before then, so hopefully no more swimming."
Gabriel nodded. "Right."
Without another word, Sebastian moved out of the room. All that was left was Gabriel and the other angel before him. What was this? What was that creature playing at? Was this a threat? A suggestion to stay in line? Where did this entity come from? Before his thoughts could begin to spiral further, a voice filled the room. Or maybe simply Gabriel's entire being. It was a single word, delivered with no emotion or inflection, but it was powerful. Familiar. The angel blinked its lone eye slowly, its lower eyelid rising just enough to be noticed.
Hello.
Notes:
get prankd fools this was not filler at all. to quote an old comment, plot jumpscare
shout out to the person who guessed this would happen in Chapter Freaking Three... now another one of you has the chance to wield the dodgeball of prophecy. place your bets Now
Pages Navigation
M00nlit_Dreams on Chapter 1 Tue 11 Mar 2025 06:44AM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 1 Tue 11 Mar 2025 10:55AM UTC
Comment Actions
Vampishly on Chapter 1 Fri 04 Apr 2025 10:45PM UTC
Comment Actions
Yoko_zo on Chapter 1 Wed 02 Jul 2025 10:57AM UTC
Comment Actions
NotAThreat on Chapter 2 Tue 11 Mar 2025 12:53AM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 2 Tue 11 Mar 2025 01:41AM UTC
Comment Actions
NotAThreat on Chapter 2 Tue 11 Mar 2025 10:52PM UTC
Comment Actions
M00nlit_Dreams on Chapter 2 Tue 11 Mar 2025 06:54AM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 2 Tue 11 Mar 2025 11:00AM UTC
Comment Actions
Xylophonie on Chapter 2 Tue 11 Mar 2025 06:56AM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 2 Tue 11 Mar 2025 11:00AM UTC
Comment Actions
cactis (Guest) on Chapter 2 Wed 12 Mar 2025 09:27PM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 2 Fri 14 Mar 2025 03:34AM UTC
Comment Actions
EquineHuntress on Chapter 2 Thu 13 Mar 2025 11:37PM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 2 Fri 14 Mar 2025 03:35AM UTC
Comment Actions
Goldenshiba276 on Chapter 2 Fri 13 Jun 2025 09:08PM UTC
Comment Actions
Yoko_zo on Chapter 2 Wed 02 Jul 2025 11:05AM UTC
Comment Actions
NotAThreat on Chapter 3 Fri 14 Mar 2025 04:12AM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 3 Fri 14 Mar 2025 02:29PM UTC
Comment Actions
Xylophonie on Chapter 3 Fri 14 Mar 2025 05:09AM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 3 Fri 14 Mar 2025 02:28PM UTC
Comment Actions
alleywaycrows on Chapter 3 Fri 14 Mar 2025 08:31AM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 3 Fri 14 Mar 2025 02:28PM UTC
Comment Actions
Homeless rodent (Guest) on Chapter 3 Fri 14 Mar 2025 01:59PM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 3 Fri 14 Mar 2025 02:27PM UTC
Comment Actions
Triaduns on Chapter 3 Sun 16 Mar 2025 07:46AM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 3 Sun 16 Mar 2025 01:17PM UTC
Comment Actions
a_wandering_person on Chapter 3 Wed 19 Mar 2025 12:31AM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 3 Thu 20 Mar 2025 02:30AM UTC
Comment Actions
berrows on Chapter 3 Thu 20 Mar 2025 01:30AM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 3 Thu 20 Mar 2025 02:33AM UTC
Comment Actions
Size 2 i believe (Guest) on Chapter 3 Wed 16 Apr 2025 01:40PM UTC
Comment Actions
Goldenshiba276 on Chapter 3 Fri 13 Jun 2025 09:10PM UTC
Comment Actions
spinnythehyper on Chapter 4 Mon 24 Mar 2025 12:00PM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 4 Mon 24 Mar 2025 07:11PM UTC
Comment Actions
NUMBER 1 GABE LOVER (Verosikaa_Maydayy) on Chapter 4 Mon 24 Mar 2025 11:52PM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 4 Tue 25 Mar 2025 12:21AM UTC
Last Edited Tue 25 Mar 2025 03:51AM UTC
Comment Actions
NUMBER 1 GABE LOVER (Verosikaa_Maydayy) on Chapter 4 Tue 25 Mar 2025 12:44PM UTC
Comment Actions
twodollarpeanut on Chapter 4 Wed 26 Mar 2025 12:24AM UTC
Comment Actions
NUMBER 1 GABE LOVER (Verosikaa_Maydayy) on Chapter 4 Thu 27 Mar 2025 07:51PM UTC
Comment Actions
Pages Navigation