Chapter Text
Everyone paused and turned towards the voice to see an infuriated Sword, except it wasn't exactly him.
"I, the Subspace T.Mine, stuck in some lowlife Inphernal's body! This is unacceptable!!"
The reactions that resulted were mostly exasperation and annoyance, except for Rocket and Medkit. They were more focused on the actual Sword, who's in Subspace's body and is currently doubled over in pain from the rot.
"Subspace, h-how do you...deal with this every day...." Subspace gave a condescending look towards Sword. "You can't even handle pain for even 30 seconds? Pathetic." He then shot Medkit a look. "But any questions you have, you can go ask your dear brother over there."
Medkit tensed up, his grip tightening on his gear as he stared at the ground. Subspace gave a scoff at his reaction. "Coward. I don't have the time to deal with this. I need to head back to Korbl–"
A hand stopped Subspace in his tracks; it was Hyperlaser. "Hold on, Subspace. You're not exactly in your own body. Do you really think the higher-ups will believe a foreigner saying they're you?" This made Subspace freeze up, a horrible realization dawning on him.
"UGH! I need to find a way to get out of this stupid body!" Subspace groaned in annoyance, not liking his current situation. He turned towards Hyperlaser, reluctant compliance on his face. "Alright then, what exactly am I supposed to do if I can't go back to Blackrock?"
Hyperlaser paused for a split second, quite shocked that Subspace was actually willing to listen to his reasoning. "Well, considering everyone else had changed back. The body swap has a time limit of sorts, but we don't exactly know how long that is." Subspace didn't like where this was going.
"What are you trying to imply here..." Subspace knew EXACTLY what Hyperlaser was going to say, but he needed to hear it from the mercenary himself. "If there is no specific time when you two will switch back..."
"You will need to pretend to be Sword and vice versa until that time limit is up."
This is officially the WORSE day for Subspace T.Mine, worse than when Medkit gave him the rot. That's how bad it is.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!? I HAVE TO PRETEND TO BE AN INPHERNAL FROM A SECOND-GRADE FACTION??? I AM THE SUBSPACE T.MINE...."
Subspace continued to rant angrily for the next 15 minutes.
"Ow, that hurts...." Sword stood up, leaning against a wall for support. "I have training today, and that's not something I can just skip out on! A-and I don't even know how to navigate Blackrock, let alone act like Subspace!"
Switching pov: Subspace first person
This is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! I am THE Subspace T.Mine, the greatest scientist of Korblox Administration! And now I have to play pretend?? I do not deserve this treatment!
I watched as Hyperlaser escorted Sword, the Inphernal I had the misfortune to swap with, to Blackrock. Which is my cue to head over to his place and attend his training session with his... 'mentor', I think he said?
Whatever, a measly training session won't be that hard.
I take back everything I said.
Sword never mentioned that his 'mentor' was one of the DEITIES of all people! And he calls this training!? What kind of Inphernal goes through this and still remains optimistic???
At least one good thing about that plebeian is his muscular physique....
"Your abilities are duller today." Ouch, that stung. I craned my neck up to look at the aforementioned mentor, Venomshank.
"W-well, the Phight today was really hectic! Darkheart caused a lot of chaos during the match, and it made me disoriented..." I mean, that isn't a lie. Darkheart did appear for a bit before the... Oh, now that explains the body swap.
Venomshank has been silent for like 23 seconds now. Did he actually figure out I'm not the real Sword? Or is he disappointed at the half-hearted performance in the training....
Hold on a minute, why do I care if he's disappointed? He's not my mentor! Stop it, Subspace, you need to focus on making sure that Venomshank doesn't–
"Darkheart did mention causing more chaos than usual today. Go and get some rest in your room. I'll call you down when supper arrives." Wait, what?? Is he actually letting me off the hook? No punishments, no extra work?
Venomshank tilted his head. "Sword, did you hear what I said?"
"Ye-yeah, I'll be in my room!" Damn it, why did I stutter like that...I scurried up the stairs before he could say anything else. That was close… I took off my helmet before lying down in the hammock.
Some rest doesn't sound that bad. Wonder how Sword is handling himself at Korblox Administration... I hope he isn't causing a mess in my laboratory. Oh, what am I saying? He definitely is.
Switching pov: Sword first person
This is overwhelming...
After being dropped off at my laboratory by Hyperlaser, he gave me basic guidelines on what I should and shouldn't do while I'm in Subspace's body.
One of those things is that Subspace has his own daily schedule, which he apparently fully completes in... ONE DAY. And they are all so tedious too... How in the world does Subspace do this with his condition??
He isn't lying when he says that he's the greatest scientist of Blackrock...
There's no time to waste, Sword; You've been entrusted by Subspace to handle his laboratory, so you have to do this correctly!
⟨Fyi, he was not really entrusted with the lab. Subspace just had no choice.⟩
Okay, let's do this. Subspace cares about his work, so I can't mess this up!
"Creator."
Oh, what the–
I turned around to see a...Biograft? It's blue and has different horns compared to the ones I normally see with Subspace.
"Are you feeling well, Creator? Is your rot bothering you? Would you like me to grab your medicines?" Damn, that robot talks fast.
"I don't need anything right now. I'll call you over when I actually need you." Is that something Subspace would say? Since I'm supposed to act like him after all.
"Creator, from previous records of when you have said this, you proceeded to overexert yourself afterward because of your work." Even though I don't really know him, that sounds like something Subspace would do; his work schedule is a huge mess! Why does he torture himself like this???
My thoughts were cut off when I realized that I was suddenly sitting on a plush chair with different bottles of medicine on a table in front of me. When did I get here? And why are there so many medicines??
"I respect your authority as my creator by listening to your orders, but as your health assistant, I will be making you take your medicines anyway."
Doesn't that ruin the poi– Okaaaay, they're giving me medicine now... Hey, it doesn't taste that bad; it just tastes like nothing! Subspace has a really sad life, huh?
Switching pov: Non-centric third person
It's been a full day since the body swap started. All of the Phighters(some more reluctant than others) had agreed to meet up at the same spot to see how the swapped-phrenals are doing.
Subspace, still in Sword's body, angrily pointed at said blade gear. "Why didn't you mention that your 'mentor' was one of the Deities!? In all my 30 years of being educated under Korblox, never have I experienced training so exhausting!"
"Huh? I don't really call him by name or by his status. That'd be rude, after all." Sword blinked back innocently, or as innocently as he could in the body of a manic scientist.
Suddenly, just like yesterday, a bright light flashed. Leaving both Sword and Subspace lying on the ground, unconscious.
It didn't take long before the two had woken up, groaning as they held their heads. Sword looked down at his hands and then at the rest of his body.
"I'm back in my own body! Hooray!!"
Subspace stood up, smoothing out any creases in his uniform, which he looked at with satisfaction at the familiarity.
"How delightful to be back in my body."
The two glanced at the other phighters, who were all just now coming to from the flash of light. A chorus of groans due to getting hit by a wave of Deja Vu.
And then.
"Are you kidding me!?"