Work Text:
It did not take a genius of Crypto's caliber, though it certainly didn't hurt, to understand the moment he was utterly screwed. And it was not a sudden burst of insight or realization as he originally understood, but with several incidents piled on top of each other.
The first occurred during the heat of battle, but as that was not the time for an internalized crisis, he replayed it in his head and watched the recording through the drone once it was all over and done with.
Crypto squeezed himself between a crevice of rocks high enough to keep him from sight, crouched on the landing and focused with locating the remaining three teams. Wraith was looking for places to make her portal for the end game no doubt, and Mirage was 'keeping watch' over him as he called it, but in the drone Crypto caught sight of the man sitting on the rock above him and leaning back to stare up at the clouds. Careless idiot.
Crypto scoured the area, but he heard Wraith's warning too late, scanned the enemy too late, unleashed his EMP too late. It was Gibraltar's team he found, and the man tossed down his ult right before the electrical surge got their shields and slowed their movements- right at him and Mirage.
"Move!" Wraith shouted at them, but it was drowned out even over the comms by the blare of the incoming airstrike.
Crypto watched it through the drone, in the moments right before he logged off. Mirage jumped from his perch, and threw himself on top of him as the airstrike rained down on them. Crypto came back to himself with the roar of the bombardment and smoke and the rocks around him still shaking and the realization his shields and health were all intact.
So why was he covered in blood? Crypto's mind cleared before the smoke, and his attention turned to the body lying on top of him. "You...idiot." Was all he could get out, all he could manage as he moved Mirage carefully onto his side, being sure he didn't fall off the ledge. The man seemed to be hanging on by a thread though, and the time to revive him went by so quickly.
Mirage laughed, though it turned into a bloody cough and his eyes rolled back with a groan. "Mirage here to save the day." He still had enough strength to grin, even as his gaze became dim and cloudy. "Guess we're even now, huh, kid?"
"Idiot." Crypto repeated, and drew out the revive needle even though he knew it was useless. Too much damage, not enough time - why had he taken so long? "You should have run."
"Yeah, probably." Mirage murmured, and tilted his head just enough to catch his gaze. "You wouldn't have been able to though, and I'd be a pretty shit teammate if I l-left you." His voice lowered, softening to a whisper. "Though I guess I am an idiot for staying too." his gaze drifted to the sky, clearing from the last of the smoke. "This part always sucks."
"Elliott-" The pained grunt interrupted him, and that was that.
Crypto logged off the drone, and tried not to dwell on how once everything was done and over, that he wanted to track Mirage down and shake him until he promised to never do that again. Especially for him.
For him. Crypto tried not to dwell on that either, but it was harder when he'd see Mirage in the halls or the dropship and get roped into trading barbed comments. There was never any blood left after the matches on anyone, but it didn't stop Crypto from seeing it on his hands when Mirage was around.
He killed people, there was no denying that. In the games, that was the entire point. Out there, for survival because they were always watching. Crypto didn't enjoy it though, and rationalizing it as 'me or them' was the only way to keep his sanity most of time. Perhaps that was why Mirage's recent death hung over him, unlike previous times they'd been against each other.
People died because of him, they did not die for him. And Mirage's stupid decision ruined that system Crypto kept carefully in place.
It left a sinking feeling in his gut when after the match, Wraith finished berating Mirage and found him in the hall. Crypto didn't know what she saw in his expression, or why he was even outside Mirage's room, but she sighed and cast a glance at the closed door.
"If you're here to tell Elliott off about what happened, don't bother." she shrugged, her features twisting in annoyance and something almost fond. "He might be some showy blockhead most of the time, but he cares about the teams he gets put on."
He'd read between the lines, and didn't ask so much as state, "He's done this before."
"Yeah. I guess it's strange, seeing it from someone who acts like he'd run at the first sign of danger. I don't know what he thinks he's accomplishing, given his kit isn't exactly designed to protect anyone."
If Crypto was to expect more senseless heroics from Mirage in the future, then sensibilly he needed to be sure none of them were in danger.
And that...that should have been the first warning.
-
It took a few more matches, before he and Mirage were placed on the same team once again, and for the second incident to happen. Pathfinder was their third, and there was little chance of having to rescue him, which left Crypto stuck with Mirage as they looted through a house.
"You gonna go look around in your drone, kid?" he asked.
"If I do, are you going to do something stupid again?" Crypto retorted.
Mirage stiffened, before his features twisted in indignation. "I'm not an idiot!" he snapped, and sat beside the door. "I'll keep watch. No one's sneaking up on us."
'That's what happened the last time.' Crypto thought as he found a spot in the corner of the room before logging onto his drone. 'But it's not going to happen again.'
Mirage raised his brows, and gave a small smirk as he opened the door for the drone. He laughed abruptly, smirk widening into a grin. "You prog-pro-taught your bot to roll its eye? That's so cute." His tone was teasing, but without any spite or condescension. Leaning forward, Mirage waved his fingers in front of the bot's optic. "What else did you teach it? Or can you not answer while you're in that thing?"
For once, Mirage being distracted was a blessing than a frustrating reoccurance. It kept the man from seeing Crypto open his mouth to speak, only to snap it shut. Let Mirage think what he wanted, this wasn't important enough to deal with right now. Making sure they weren't attacked was.
He did a sweep of the area they were in, wedged between Skyhook and Capitol City. The banner said there weren't any other teams in range, but Crypto kept checking with every run through he performed. Time was running short though, and they were all outside of the ring. It would be the most strategic thing to leave his drone hidden in the area they were headed, so that's what he did.
"I'm back, log-" The words caught in his throat. Crypto's vision focused entirely on the barrel of the gun aimed for Elliott's head, and in the span of a second he was shoving the assailant into the wall, along with slamming their wrist into the wood, gun clattering to the floor.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa!" Elliott's voice was distant in his ears, or was that just the blood and adrenaline rushing through him and distorting it? Crypto stiffened when a grabbed his shoulder, but was preoccupied with the other form. Elliott leaned into view, catching his gaze. Fear and concern reflected in his eyes, but also a firmness in his expression. "Easy, if you just wanted the gun you could have said something."
Adrenaline drained from him, and Crypto took stock of the situation. It wasn't an attacker or intruder-it was Pathfinder. Whose viewscreen showed a series of question marks, before shifting into an exclamation point.
"You're strong, friend!"
Crypto's mouth pressed into a tight line, and he let go of the robot to pick up the gun. "Just wanted to make sure I got the weapon."
Elliott released a long, annoyed huff and planted his hands on his hips. "Why can't you just call dibs like a normal person? Instead you gotta act so-so extra all the time."
"I still moved quicker than you, old man." Crypto retorted, but he avoided his gaze. It was more than just to keep his aloofness, but also hide the embarrassing loss of self-control.
And the truth, as sudden as the instinct had come to neutralized the threat, was equally abrupt. 'I was trying to protect you.'
-
The third and final straw happened during their duos match, and for him to again end up with Elliott, it couldn't be as random of an occurrence. Or maybe it was and he was overthinking it.
"Hey, can you use your drone to take selfies?" Then again, Elliott was too insipid and obvious. He couldn't be a plant. Or keep any secrets.
"Why would I do that?" Crypto asked, digging through the death boxes of another team.
Elliott huffed. "I just thought it'd, you know, be a nice to remember the occ-oc-this time."
"Well, the answer is no, my drone is not a toy." he said.
"Fine, I'll use my phone then." Elliott sighed, and dropped down next to him.
Crypto stiffened when the other man tossed an arm around his shoulder and pressed against his side. He kept his mouth in a tight, sullen line even as his heart beat faster and refused to slow down. He blinked against the flash of light. "Are you done yet?"
Elliott snorted, and brought up the photo. The man was grinning, while Crypto kept his expression hard and avoided staring into the camera. "Well, that's one way to make memories." Elliott said, his tone amused.
Crypto's throat felt dry, because otherwise he would have said something about that comment. As it were, he was extremely aware of how close they sat, pressed against each other and Elliott in no hurry to move away. So he did instead.
"Whoa!" Elliott teetered on his heels when he stood, and fell back onto the snow. He squinted as he looked up at him. "What's the matter?" Then he blinked, and concern etched his features. "You don't look so good. Are you thirsty?"
"Yes." The word slipped out before Crypto could stop it, and turned away quickly. "I will be fine. We've wasted enough time with your juvenile antics, old man."
He ignored the indignant yelling, ignored the way his chest tightened with each step. He needed to get out of here and fast, but he knew deep down, there was no getting away from one inescapable fact. He had a crush on Elliott Witt.
And that was the moment he understood how screwed he was.
-
'Nothing can happen.' Of course nothing was going to happen, but Crypto was going to repeat it until this inconvenient attraction went away. It had to go away, because that's how crushes worked-as childish as that word was to describe this-as they were fleeting moments. He only needed to wait it out.
And to keep his distance from Elliott-Mirage. Being paired together on teams was unavoidable, but not engaging in whatever petty arguments he wanted to start could be. Crypto could give Mirage the same distant politeness he'd give everyone else, because treating them that way was less suspicious.
'They're all just pawns in their game, but I'm not.' Crypto reminded himself, because his mission was the most important thing here. Everything else was secondary, especially his poorly timed attraction. It was dangerous to get distracted.
He'd lost so much already. And Elliott wasn't going to be another on that list. This was how it needed to stay. This, was for the best-for both of them.
It had to be.