Chapter Text
Run. Run. Run.
That’s all Purple thought as they and Red dashed through the pristine halls of Industria. Behind them were several soldiers, all dressed in fancy suits, firing at them with bullets.
It had all gone so wrong so fast.
Of course, they knew something bad was going to happen when they and Red confronted Pink and told them to suck it, but even they couldn’t have predicted how quickly their former employer would resort to killing them outright just to keep them quiet.
In hindsight, they probably should’ve seen this coming. If MIRA was willing to endanger their own crew members by putting them on a ship full of dangerous alien eggs, why wouldn’t they be willing to kill the surviving members of said crew just to make sure the news of how screwed up of a corporation they really were wouldn’t get out.
Evidently however, this wasn’t something MIRA had to deal with often, that or they couldn’t be bothered to hire soldiers who actually knew how to aim, either way their shot was terrible. Not that Purple was complaining, it was thanks to that that they were still alive.
To their right, Red ran, keeping pace with them and not daring to stop for even a second.
It was ironic really.
Two co-workers, once friends turned enemies turned somewhat friends again, running away from the company that caused them so much strife in the first place.
To think that not so long ago, they were at each other’s throats, now they were working together. Two crewmates who knew the truth, running for their lives. Truthfully? Purple always imagined doing something like this, escaping MIRA with Red. It’s how they thought things would go way back when, and even when Red betrayed them and threw them under the bus, they still held onto the lingering hope that one day, they would be able to run away from this mess, together.
“There it is!” Red called out, pointing ahead. Looking forward Purple practically beamed at the encroaching sight before them.
An escape pod.
Exactly what they had been looking for.
Now all they needed to do was get inside and get the fuck out of there.
That shouldn’t be too hard right?
Pumping their legs as fast as they could physically go, Purple practically lunged into the escape pod, body skidding to a stop as it met the floor.
Not wasting a single second, the crewmate got to their feet and whipped around just in time to see Red dive in as well.
“Alright! It’s gotime baby!” Red exclaimed, quickly making their way to the front of the pod where the controls sat.
Standing in the center of the console was a large red button, the word “EJECT” written in big letters underneath.
The two crewmates brought their fists together, smashing it against the button.
“Going down!” Red announced, a big smile on their visor that Purple couldn’t help but mirror their own.
This is it.
They were actually going to escape.
They were finally going home.
They were finally going to be able to expose MIRA for the dirty rats they really…
Why wasn’t the escape pod moving?
Purple blinked, their smile quickly disappearing from their visor, replaced with a confused panic.
They glanced over at Red, who looked just as perplexed as they were.
As if to answer their question, a loud, automated voice broke out from the speakers on the ceiling.
“ESCAPE POD EJECTION SEQUENCE INITIATED, THE SPACECRAFT WILL BE DEPLOYED IN, ONE, MINUTE!”
You’ve gotta be kidding…
“They added a time limit to the escape pod?! What are they stupid?!” Purple exclaimed, hands waving in the air angrily.
The sounds of oncoming footsteps and gunfire grew louder, the intercom slowly counting down.
Fear, panic, and dread all pooled within Purple’s stomach. They already knew that sitting here and waiting for the timer to finish wasn’t an option, they’d be dead long before it even got the chance to leave.
With one last silent curse to MIRA, they grabbed Red by the hand.
“Red! Come on! We gotta get moving before the soldiers get here!” They say urgently, attempting to pull them along.
But Red didn’t move.
“Red, hey! Did you hear me?! We gotta go, now!” Purple demanded with even more urgency, pulling on Red’s hand even harder.
“Red, come on! We have to-”
“Purple.” Red finally spoke, an eerie calmness in their voice. Purple stopped, looking up at the other crewmate with confusion.
Without turning to face them, Red pulled their hand away from Purple’s grasp, removing the captain’s hat from their head and holding it against their chest.
“For the entire time we’ve known each other, you have made nothing but sacrifices to get us here. You sacrificed your job at MIRA for the sake of speaking the truth, you put yourself in harm’s way just to distract Green, and even despite all the mistakes I’ve made, the things I’ve done to hurt you… you still found it in yourself to give me a second chance.”
They turned to face them, their visor shining with a vulnerability Purple had rarely seen from the other crewmate.
“...I think it’s about time I return the favor.”
A pit rose in Purple’s stomach.
What were they-
Without warning, Red shoved their captain’s hat into Purple’s hands before dashing out of the escape pod.
“Hey losers! Over here!” They called, waving their hands in the air.
Purple’s visor widened, the sounds of the soldiers shouting as well as the gunshots and footsteps growing quicker and more frantic filling their eardrums.
“Red…” They spoke, voice low.
Red looked back at them, a smile on their visor.
“Red!” They called out, voice louder this time, already beginning to move forward.
“Goodbye, Purple. Thank you… for everything.” With that, Red turned left and ran for it, disappearing out of sight.
Purple acted before their brain could. They dropped Red’s captain’s hat, making for the doorway to the escape pod.
But before they could jump out, the door slammed in their face, locking them inside.
“NO!” Purple shouted, slamming their fists against the door desperately trying to get it open or at the very least, break it open.
But it didn’t work.
The material was too strong.
The sound of the intercom counting down reentered their consciousness.
“Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six.”
They frantically made their way to the control panel, desperately flipping switches in an attempt to get the countdown to stop, to cancel the deployment.
But nothing worked.
They ran back to the door, once more trying to break it open with their bare hands, to no avail.
“Five.” The intercom echoed. Their pounding got more frantic.
“Four.” Purple shouted, their voice going hoarse.
“Three.” They slammed their fists against the glass of the door, one last ditch to break it open.
“Two.” They collapsed against the floor, hand reaching for the captain’s hat.
“One.” They hold it to their chest, tears forming as they blast away.
Purple awoke with a start, their heartbeat quickening as they grasped the air with their hands.
Sitting up from their bed, they placed a hand to their chest, their other hand going to clutch at the blanket furiously.
A moment of slow, steady breaths later, their heart rate slowed and the shaking stopped, the panic they initially felt quickly replaced with irritation.
“Same damn dream…” They muttered to themselves, though calling it a dream wasn’t exactly accurate. Dreams were things your mind made up, a better description of what they saw would be that of a live replay, one where they were forced to re-live the mess that led them here in the first place.
Sighing, the crewmate stood out of their bed, brushed themselves off and went to open their closet.
They grabbed their signature brown cap, the one they wore when they were an unpaid intern at MIRA, and placed it on their head.
Making to close the closet doors, they paused upon catching the sight of the top shelf, more specifically, what sat upon it.
A captain’s hat.
Red’s captain’s hat.
Reopening the closet fully, they reached out, seizing the accessory from the top shelf and holding it out in front of them.
A strange mix of emotions filled them then, ones that cycled from sadness to anger, from grief to resentment, from sorrow to bitterness.
Why?
Of all the times to put others before yourself, why did it have to be then?
Could they not have been selfish for just a little longer?
With a half-sigh, half-growl, Purple set the captain’s hat back into the closet, exited their room, and made their way downstairs.
The smell of freshly cooked breakfast wafted through their nostrils as they stepped into the living area, the sound of gentle humming coming from the kitchen as their roommate, Rose, cooked up a fresh batch of bacon and eggs on the stove.
Upon seeing Purple come in, the bright pink crewmate practically beamed at them, their visor almost sparkling.
“Purpy! There you are! I was starting to think you were never gonna wake up.” Rose greeted airily.
“Go ahead and sit down, I’ll have your breakfast ready in a jiffy!"
Purple didn’t say anything, nor did they try to object, they simply took a seat at the counter, and waited.
Serving up both of their dishes, Rose slid one of the plates over to where Purple was sitting before taking the seat next to them.
The two crewmates ate their breakfast in silence, or at least Purple did, Rose hadn’t said anything at first until they were about halfway through their meals.
“Me and Mary are gonna go shopping later today.” They started keeping their voice casual.
“You wanna come?”
Purple paused, their mind slowly processing the request. From the corner of their visor they could see Rose looking at them hopefully.
If they were entirely honest, no, they didn’t want to go to the mall, that place was big, crowded, and filled to the brim with corporatization.
At the same time however, getting out and actually doing something would probably do them some good, and from Rose’s expression they could tell that they weren’t just asking for the sake of not leaving them out, it was an offer made in earnest from one friend to another, even if Purple didn’t really consider them friends.
Turning them down, while honest, would also leave them feeling bad.
So, with a deep breath, Purple spoke.
“Sure.” They answered simply, forking at the last bit of bacon on their plate.
At their agreement, Rose practically beamed.
“Yay!” They cheered, wrapping their arms around the other crewmate.
“I knew you’d say yes! And to think Mary thought you’d say no.”
Purple did their best not to look bothered by the sudden bout of physical affection. They’d never been much of a touchy feely person, but they didn’t want to be rude by pushing Rose off either, they were just being nice after all, even if their constant energy and need to be handsy with them reminded them a little too much of-
A sudden knock coming from the apartment entrance cut off their train of thought, their attention instantly being drawn to the noise.
“Oh! That must be them!” Rose said giddily, hopping off of their chair and practically skipping over to the door.
Purple remained seated for a moment, their visor hovering over their unfinished breakfast, debating whether shoving it all down their throat before they were inevitably forced out of the chair and forced to follow Rose around for the next two or so hours was a good idea.
Unfortunately, they would never get their answer, as Rose had already opened the door, revealing a maroon-colored crewmate wearing black eyeliner and an identically colored choker around their neck, twirling a skateboard in their left hand.
“Mary!” Rose practically shouted, wrapping their visitor in an embrace.
“Sup babe, you’re looking fabulous today!” Maroon greeted, wrapping their free hand around Rose’s back, Purple did their best not to cringe.
They were starting to regret this already.
If there was one position Purple never wanted to find themselves in, it was being a third wheel to their roommate’s budding romance, but if there’s anything they’ve learned through the many years of hardship they’ve had to endure, it was that life was hardly ever fair.
“Oh this is so exciting! I can’t wait to buy a bunch of really cute clothes!” Rose yipped, hands and body practically latched onto Maroon, who seemed entirely unbothered by the contact.
“I doubt you could get any cuter than you already are babe.” The gothic crewmate returned, voice carrying a heavy edge of flirtation.
“Oh you’re just too kind~” Rose said, pecking their cheek, Purple did their best to keep their expression neutral. To show such unabashed affection for someone, out in the open for all to see, it was something they could never envision themselves doing.
Though it’s not like they’ve ever actually been in a relationship, so they weren’t exactly an expert in the field.
Keeping a steady pace with Rose and Maroon while also remaining at an arm’s length from both of them, the three crewmates finally made it to their destination.
MIRA MALL™
“Where all needs are met, and the poor go to die.”
Purple scowled as they stared up at the building. Yet another reminder of how much of a strangle-hold MIRA had on society at large.
Biting their tongue, Purple followed behind Rose and Maroon as they entered through the sliding doors.
To the surprise of nobody, the mall was absolutely packed, crewmates of all different sizes and colors wandering to and fro, wasting their hard earned beans on useless clothes.
Purple never much cared for the buzz around cosmetics. Give them a hat and a backpack that allowed them to remain modest and they were good to go.
But Purple was just one crewmate, one crewmate who was severely outnumbered by the rest. The rest that cared for how they looked, the rest that cared for how they were perceived by others.
People like Red, who are constantly chasing other people’s approval to make up for their own sense of inadequacy.
Purple scowled, the thought of their former partner making them want to throw something.
Even now, so long after it happened, the anguish they had felt over that moment had never quite settled, only getting worse overtime as the thought that Red hadn’t made it out of Industria alive haunted them.
No.
They couldn’t think like that.
Red was alive. They had to be.
Lest Purple have to drag them out of Hell themselves just to punch them for being a stupid, self-sacrificial piece of-
“Oohhh look at those cute dresses!” Rose exclaimed, detaching themselves from Maroon and running over to the clothing store’s display window. Standing behind the glass were two stationary mannequins, dressed in elaborate and admittedly fashionable dresses and posed in ways that brought out their outfits more.
Purple stared up at them, expression blank, they never did much understand the appeal of such over-the-top apparel, especially those that only seemed to hinder your movement more than it did help, but they supposed they weren’t exactly the target audience, were they?
No, the target audience currently had their face smooshed up against the glass, visor sparkling, absolutely enamored by the sight of them.
Taking a step back, Rose turned their attention to Maroon, who had an almost expectant look on their face.
“Lemme guess.” They started.
“You want me to get one of those for you."
Rose, of course, nodded their head feverishly. Maroon sighed, already resigned to their fate.
“Alright, come on.” They say, already pulling some beans out of their backpack as they walk into the store.
“Yaay!” Rose cheered, running up to Maroon’s side and hugging them tight.
“Best! Crewfriend! Ever!!!!”
Purple would be lying if they said they didn’t find the sight a little endearing, even if they did pity Maroon. The way Rose acted, it reminded them a lot of Cyan and how excitable they were.
Cyan.
Even now the name still left a bittersweet taste in their mouth.
Had they survived long enough to be able to return home, Purple was sure Cyan would’ve asked them to go shopping together, a hypothetical reality they would never see.
Their fists clenched subconsciously at the thought. How cruel must the world be to allow someone as pure as Cyan to die so abruptly and brutally, meanwhile Purple, the person who made so many mistakes, gets to be allowed to live.
“Have you ever sat down and had the thought, ‘I’m completely worthless!’, well do I have the solution for you!” The sound of a high-pitched voice blaring from a nearby screen caught Purple’s attention.
On the screen was a bright yellow crewmate, looking at the screen with a plastered on, corporate grin.
“Hi! I’m Banana! And here at MIRA, the work of our fellow crewmates is crucial to keeping the company spirit alive, and with your help, not only can we keep our wheels running, but it will also give your life a brand new purpose, to help MIRA Corporation ascend to new heights it has never seen before. So if you ever find yourself struggling with inadequacy, just call us at-”
They didn’t wait to hear the rest of what the advertiser had to say, turning around and making a beeline for the exit.
Of course, this was the world that allowed innocent crewmates like Cyan to die, the world they currently lived in, the world ruled by MIRA, the corporation that couldn’t give less of a shit about their employees as long as they made as many beans as possible.
Even now after fleeing from their clutches, those fuckers still haunted them.
Everywhere they went, everywhere they’d go, the spirit of MIRA, and the countless innocents they threw to the wolves just to get on top, would remain looming over them. All the while the people who knew the truth, people like themselves, would be condemned to death just to keep them silent.
They hated it.
They hated MIRA, they hated themselves for not being able to do anything about it, and they hated Red for leaving them behind.
Red.
The person who Purple foolishly thought wouldn’t hurt them again, even after all the wrong they’ve done them, only to end up abandoning them once more in some suicidal attempt to atone for their past. As if they got to decide how they could make it up to them, how they could make it up to anyone.
An idiot is what they were. A pure, bonafide, idiot, and one who they’d give the world just to see again.
The feeling of something moist accumulating from the corners of their visor gained their attention, and it took them only a second longer to realize what was happening.
Just as quickly as the tears started to come, Purple was aggressively batting them away.
They refused to cry.
They refused to let themselves feel weak in a time when weakness was exploited by the monsters above.
Taking a deep breath, Purple looked forward, and began walking. No direction, no idea where to go, just… walking.
The park.
A place where mini crewmates went to frolic and older crewmates to think about their life choices.
Purple hadn’t meant to come here, their feet had simply taken them there as if they had a mind of their own.
Not that they were complaining, as this was much preferred to the stuffy, crowded halls of the mall.
They sat in the grass, brown cap resting beside them as they stared up at the sky.
The park itself was mostly empty save for the occasional crewmate walking by, allowing Purple a rare moment to breathe amongst the chaos that was the world around them.
It was at times like these where they couldn’t help but reminisce, think about the past and the actions that led them here. In particular, one memory stood out to them, one that took place in a field of grass not too dissimilar from the one they were sitting in.
“Hey Purps?” Red piped up, picking at the ends of their sandals absentmindedly.
“Mmm?” Purple hummed, leaning against a tree.
“Are we friends?”
Purple blinked, opening their visor to look at their fellow intern.
Red wasn’t looking at them, continuing to stare down into the grass, their expression hard to read.
Purple stayed staring at Red for several more moments, hoping, perhaps naively so, that they would elaborate. When they didn’t, Purple leaned back, turning their gaze to the sky above.
“I would hope so.” They answered.
“Why do you ask?”
Red fidgeted with their hands nervously, still refusing to make eye contact.
“I just… wanted to make sure.”
Purple narrowed their gaze, looking back at their co-worker.
“There’s something you’re not telling me.” They state bluntly.
Red froze like a deermate caught in headlights, their nervousness seeming to increase at being called out.
“W-Well… I… uhm…” They trailed off, an almost ashamed expression crossing their visor.
Purple’s face softened. Sitting up from where they were leaning against the tree, they went to sit next to Red, setting a delicate hand on their shoulder.
“Hey…” They began gently.
“Ya know you can talk to me right? I won’t make fun of you or anything.”
Red looked up at them, a hint of vulnerability they rarely saw from their co-worker in their expression.
“I… I know.” They admit, letting out a sigh.
“I guess I just… worry that you’re only spending time with me out of pity, o-or that you don’t actually like me, or think that I’m annoying or something…”
Purple’s visor furrowed as they listened to Red’s words.
“Why would you think I’d find you annoying?”
Red didn’t respond to that, averting their gaze so that Purple couldn’t see their face.
Purple is quiet for a moment. The implications of Red’s silence weren’t pretty, and the thought that anyone in their co-worker’s life made them worry about being a nuisance, angered them in ways they honestly weren’t sure what to do with.
Part of them wanted to pry, to perhaps get Red to name names so they could go give them a piece of their mind.
But they also knew it wasn’t their place.
To demand information out of them that they clearly weren’t comfortable sharing, what kind of person would they be to do that to someone they cared about?
Not to mention how hypocritical it would be. They themselves had secrets they didn’t care to share. Even now they had never told Red that their real name was Violet, or that they had an Indigo phase in college, mostly to save themselves the embarrassment.
So, instead of pushing for answers, they patted Red’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
“I don’t find you annoying. A pain in the ass maybe, but not annoying.” They say with their usual, friendly snark.
“And anyone who tries to say that you are annoying can catch one of these.” They said while flipping the bird with their other hand.
That finally got a reaction out of Red, letting out a light chuckle.
“You always know what to say, don’t you Purps?” They comment, visor upturning into a smile.
“You know me.” Purple responds, laughing alongside their partner.
“Really though, thanks. I definitely needed to hear that.” Red adds, their tone more genuine this time. Purple smiled, their grip around their co-worker tightening.
“Anytime Redsy, anytime.”
Purple didn’t know when exactly this happened, but at some point, Red wound up falling asleep against their shoulder.
Their first instinct was to freeze, followed by a desire to push them off, but when they looked down and saw their partner’s sleeping form, so peaceful and free of all burden, they found themselves hesitating.
So, instead of pushing Red off of them, Purple allowed themselves to be used as a makeshift pillow
“I don’t find you annoying. A pain in the ass maybe, but not annoying.” Their own words from before repeated in their head.
They smiled, hand going to rest on Red’s head, giving it a little pat.
Pain in the ass indeed.
As soon as they returned to the present, the only thing Purple felt was a great emptiness.
How simple their life used to be, when they didn’t know the true horrors that hid beneath MIRA’s sunny disposition.
Part of them yearned to have it back, to live in blissful ignorance and be happy again. But they couldn’t forget, they refused to. For all the lives lost thanks to MIRA’s ever-growing thirst for power and profits, they wouldn’t allow themselves to be blind anymore, not when the lack of sight has caused nothing but hurt.
The sound of their phone buzzing from their backpack brought them back to reality.
“Oh what now?” They thought bitterly, pulling out the device. They never were much of a fan of having their peace interrupted.
Looking at their phone, they saw text messages from Rose. Opening their Direct Messages they found a flurry of worried texts from their roommate.
Rose: Purpy?
Rose: Hey! Where are you?!
Rose: You can’t just disappear like that without telling me!
Rose: Hey!!!
Rose: Stop ignoring me! I know you grabbed your phone before we left!
Rose: Purple, seriously, I’m starting to get worried now.
Rose: Purple I swear if you don’t answer me right now
Rose: Purple I am about five seconds from calling law enforcement to find you. So unless you want to ruin their day AND mine… you better respond.
Rose: Please…?
Ah, right.
They had just sort of run away without telling Rose didn’t they?
Guilt churned around in their stomach as they thought about how worried their friend must have been.
Because that’s what they were.
Friends.
At the very least, Rose viewed the two of them that way, which meant Purple had a responsibility not to cause them distress by running off without telling them.
Wasting no time to mend this mistake, Purple quickly typed out a response.
Purple: Hey. Sorry for not responding sooner and for running off without telling you.
Purple: I just needed some air. The mall was getting too crowded.
A half-truth. That hadn’t been the reason they left, but it wasn’t a lie either. The mall was crowded, and that alone was enough to trigger their anxiety.
The reply, or rather replies came almost instantaneously, their phone blowing up with frantic messages from Rose, all of which echoed the same sentiment:
Rose: OMG! YOU’RE OKAY!!!
Rose: DON’T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!!
Rose: Do you have any idea how worried I was?!
Rose: You’re such a meanie >:(
Purple: Yeah, again, sorry about that. I promise I’m fine.
Purple: I’ll probably be home a bit later. Just need some time to myself is all.
Rose: If you say so…
Rose: Just don’t do that again, okay?
Purple: Yeah yeah, don’t worry. I’ve learned my lesson.
Rose: Good
Rose: You better come home before midnight. I don’t want you being kidnapped by weirdos.
Purple: Noted, I’ll try to be there before 10
Rose: Try?
Purple: I’ll be there before 10
Rose: That’s what I thought
Sighing, Purple switched off their phone and put it away in their backpack. Don’t get them wrong, they were flattered that Rose cared about them so much, but their constant fussing over them was more than a little exhausting for an antisocial hobbit such as themselves.
At least they didn’t have to be worried about being chased around by law enforcement. Lord knows they’ve had enough tussles with the government to last a lifetime.
The rest of the day was mostly filled with Purple walking around aimlessly, observing the sights around them, trying not to sneer at any of the MIRA propaganda.
At some point during their travels they found themselves at the beach, sitting in the sand, looking out into the open ocean, a habit they’d gained after returning from Industria.
They didn’t know why exactly their mind insisted on coming here every evening. Perhaps part of them was hoping they’d catch Heracles doing somersaults from beyond the grave.
Maybe they were hoping they’d see Red sailing in from the horizon.
Whatever the reason was, Purple always found their way here, taking in the peaceful serenity of the lapping waves.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and the stars began to show, Purple knew it was time to head home. They’d promised to be back at the apartment before ten after all, they were pushing their luck with Rose as is.
Standing to their feet, they began the long journey home, gaze glued to the ground.
Things weren’t fine, they were far from fine, but at least they had small moments like these where they could let their mind relax and forget about the stupidity of the world around them, and as long as nothing stupid or unexpected happens on their walk home, maybe they could have a relatively peaceful rest of their nigh-
Their train of thought is suddenly cut off as they find themselves colliding with something solid.
They stumbled back, blinking rapidly as they vaguely made out the silhouette of another crewmate standing before them.
“Ow! Hey! Watch where you’re going, asshole!” They curse, holding their now very sore visor.
“Sorry. Wasn’t watching where I was going.” The voice of the other crewmate spoke.
“Yeah you better be.” Purple snarks, their already sour mood now even worse than it was already.
“I swear, the amount of times I’ve bumped into idiots who don’t look where they’re going is insane, seriously is it that hard to be aware of your-”
Their heart stopped.
Whatever words of anger they were ready to spew came to a halt as they finally got a good look at the person they had bumped into.
The other crewmate looked back at them, equally shocked as they were, and in a quiet, low voice, they said only one thing.
“...Purps?”