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“It’s impressive.”
The two words were uttered by a gloomy woman, leaning against the railing of a catwalk on the highest story of the complex.
“Merci. You really think so?” Her teammate joined her, resting her elbows on the bar, giving a beaming smile.
A twitch of her own lips. “Of course. Not many could’ve pulled this off. Would’ve pulled this off.” She gave her a true smile then, as small and unassuming as herself. “You’re a much better person than me, Wattson.”
The Static Defender shook her head, turning to look out towards the mountains, the sunset framing her face in a wash of peaches and pinks. “Do not say that. If you had the ability to help these people, I know you would have, too.”
She hummed, not quite believing her.
Natalie bumped against her side with an elbow. “I mean it, Wraith.”
“I know you do, I just…” She sighed, listening to the dull hum of the generators above them, it helped steady her thoughts. “I just don’t think I would.”
“Really? That doesn’t sound like you.” She frowned, reaching over to rest a hand over her own.
Doesn’t it, though?
Renee turned around and pulled her hand back to cross her arms over her chest. She shuffled a bit closer, her tone low. “What could I really do? Besides get in the way of the rescue?” She shrugged. “I think I’d rather help no one at all, then only be able to help a few and have to watch the others… lose hope.”
“I understand.” She gave her a sad look. “Just know that sometimes a little effort is all it takes to make a difference. Even if it’s for only one person.”
The voidwalker was about to apologize, she never intended to sour the mood, after all, when their third appeared off to the side, waving with a yell to get their attention.
“I’ve been trying to reach you about your extended warranty, ladies! Seriously, don’t be turning off your comms in the middle of a match.” Elliott approached them, passing off any spare shield batteries and med-kits he happened to loot from the surrounding death boxes.
The three of them had actually landed here off the dropship, amongst a mess of other teams that quickly tore into one another, a massive free-for-all that Renee and her team easily capitalized on. It helped that Nat may or may not have already known the area like the back of her hand, easily denying access to the upper floors by fencing the open zipline shafts. Elliott made for good bait, running around and luring them up and into the electrical current, where Natalie was able to swiftly take them out. Meanwhile, Renee did… what she did best.
“Pardon, Mirage, we will be more careful.” She laughed it off, gathering up any remaining gear she needed from the fallen’s supplies.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s all good. ‘Course, it helps to have someone with psychic pro- prim- pres- foresight.” He winked at Renee’s scoffing eye roll, before adding. “By the way, Sparks, I didn’t know you had a room up here. Uh, hopefully we didn’t make too much of a mess.”
The blonde smiled. “Don’t worry about it, I do not actually live here, it’s just a place to sleep while I am working between games.”
Renee gave her an incredulous stare. Nat? Taking a break from work to sleep?
“That reminds me!” Natalie bounced on her heels, clapping her hands together softly. “We absolutely must grab something from there.”
Before she could even consider protesting, since they had already spent too long in this location as it was, her teammate grabbed both of them by the arms and led them to the compact room, so clearly hers, full of desks, shelves, screens, and even a few things for her cat, Nikola. There was a bed tucked against the corner, the sheets still disorganized from when she had last slept there. Over all, it seemed as though the room remained untouched from all the fighting.
“For our first round back at the Storm Point arena, we should carry these to victory!” She had picked up one of the multiple stuffed Nessies from atop a filing cabinet, and carefully zipped it up in her bag.
“Why? I mean, sure, we can, but why?” Elliott asked, studying one that sat atop her desk, giving it an experimental squeeze.
“Why not?” Renee hummed, aloof, suppressing the smile that threatened to slip on her face when she noticed the stickers plastered above the engineer’s bed, hand drawn by Natalie herself. It was even harder to resist when she saw the devious little expression on her own sticker.
She took a Nessie off the bed, the small stuffy huddled behind a much bigger one, and packed it away in her bag. She paused for a moment, deciding to leave its neck and head peeking out of the top as she zipped the pack closed around it. Her heart melted when she noticed the expression Natalie gave upon seeing her do so.
“Hey! You eat my cereal too?” Elliott pointed finger guns towards the blonde, beaming a wide grin, as he noticed the familiar brand of sugary breakfast. He had finally chosen to carry the third little plush to victory, along with the rest of the team.
She isn’t the only one who eats that junk.
Not waiting for a reply, the prankster continued. “You know, I thought you’d have more pictures of your boyfriend, not that there’s anything wrong with your lovely smile, Spooks.”
He’s being serious.
No he’s not, when is he ever serious?
He actually thinks your smile is attractive.
Isn't he also scared by it?
Natalie laughed, waving a hand to deflect the statement. “Non, non, he is not my boyfriend.”
“Do you want him to be?” Elliott wiggled his eyebrows, leaning against the back of a chair.
The voidwalker bit the inside of her cheek, stepping away to look out the doorway, trying to distract herself by keeping watch. Someone had to, after all.
Natalie chewed her bottom lip. “Maybe I thought about it, once upon a time, but… I haven’t for a while, Elliott. He’s working with Ash. Now there's rumors he's helping Revenant.”
Elliott paled, standing up straight. His entire body language seemed to change, torn between wanting to shrink in on himself at the mere mention of the crazy, murderous simulacrums, and wanting to chest up, to be like an overprotective brother to the woman that considered almost all of them family.
“She wants to kill me. She tried to kill me. I… He still keeps so much from everyone. From me. Then expects me to still keep all of it a secret from others. I just… can’t.”
Renee tasted blood, finally unclenching her jaw and rubbing at the side of her face.
You kept a lot from her too.
That was different. She herself didn’t even know at the time.
You and Park are both afraid of others knowing the truth about you.
They weren’t the same.
“Besides, there’s someone else.” The engineer let out a sigh, far more happy and content compared to the worry she was displaying previously.
“Okay, you gotta spill. Who?” Elliott, as sweet and charming as ever, swiftly adapted to the change in tone, giving her a playful wink and splaying a palm across his chest in a grand gesture. “I’ll have you know I have many suitors-“
“Witt!” Renee couldn’t hold back, filled with the mix of amusement and the overwhelming urge to hit the guy.
At least Nat was laughing, trying and failing to hide it behind a hand covering her mouth, as she glanced between the two of them.
“It’s a secret.” She put a finger up to her lips in a ‘shush’, before standing up on her tip-toes to ruffle his snazzy hair. His protests that she messed it up were half-hearted and fell on deaf ears.
“The ring's closing soon.” Renee informed them, only to be ignored. Honestly, if she had a credit for every time her teammates got caught by the heat, after ignoring her, no less…
Elliott hummed, squinting closer at the strip of pictures, picking it up. “I recognize this photo reel. It’s from one of those booths you find at the mall in Solace City, right?” At Natalie’s nod, he pinched his chin between his fingers, shaking his head in a nod of his own. “‘Cept, it’s missing the fourth picture, isn’t it?”
“Why do you care so much?” Renee got defensive, stalking across the room to pluck the reel out of his hands.
Recognition dawned on his face, and she immediately regretted acting in such an obvious way.
“No.” She poked his chest. The picture she placed back in its spot, positioning it with great care.
“But-“
“No.”
“Wraith-“
“Mirage, I swear-“
He roped her into a tight hug, ignoring her attempt to break free as he laughed. “That’s so adorable!”
“Na- Wattson! Help?” She huffed as the blonde was content to watch it happen, grinning from ear to ear. She would remember this, she would get her revenge later. Maybe ice water over the shower curtain?
She phase shifted, backing away and letting the joker fall into a heap on the carpeted floor. It didn’t seem to bother him, only fueling the amusement he clearly felt, laughing even harder.
“I can’t believe it. Aren’t you supposed to be scary and brooding? Guess it’s true what they say about opposites.”
She felt arms gently wrap around one of her own, keeping her held back as she wanted to drag the man up by his collar and rattle him around a bit. With love, of course.
He noticed her genuine annoyance then, as its persistence gave it away. “I can keep it on the down low, if you want.” Elliott smiled, a real one, not the smirking grin he wore primarily as a defense. “Honestly, the two of you are cute together. I’m happy for you. Also, if you ask me, I think you two have more… chemistry.”
“Because your approval really-“ She felt a hand cover her mouth, muffling the rest of her words.
“Merci, we would like it if you didn’t spread it around.”
She squinted at Natalie. Expecting Elliott to keep secrets was a tall order.
Underneath all of his character, he can be considerate, you know? You can trust him, he won’t tell anybody.
She supposed.
Tugging away the palm still held against her face, she sighed. “Look, the ring’s close, it won’t take us long to reach, but we really do need to get moving.”
Elliott rolled to his feet. “Sure, sure, I hear ya. Why don’t we take the canon? Oh! Don’t forget to leave these on this time.” He tapped at his earpiece as he left the room, presumably to meet them at the gravity canon.
Once he was gone, Natalie pulled her into a loose embrace. “That’s still one of my favorites.”
“Mine too.” Even if the photo quality was cheap, even if they goofed off while taking it, it was one of her favorites too. It wasn’t professional, or controlled, like one of those pictures that left most of the emotion just outside of frame. It was simply the two of them, expressing themselves in their natural state, sharing love.
“Do you still have the last one?” She asked, burying her face into Renee’s scarf, inhaling its scent.
She hummed, kissing the top of her head. “Of course I do.”
It was tucked into her wallet, and had been for months. It would stay there for as long as she had it.
“I’m glad.” She moved to press their foreheads together, gently holding the back of her neck. Renee got the hint, giving her a slow, sweet kiss. “Now, we should hurry and catch up, oui?”
The kiss lingered on her lips, just like the fourth picture lingered in her heart. The day they had first kissed had imprinted much like the ink to the paper, its memory would forever be fuel for her love.
“Lead the way, Sparks.”