Chapter Text
RINGGGG RINGGGG RINGGGG
“Guhh…” Steam Glove groaned as the sound of his alarm rang. He didn’t want to get up, but he had to. He had some bounties to take care of. He got up and groggily went immediately to his desk where a pair of seemingly makeshift metal gloves lay, although one was much more heavy duty than the other. Steam Glove used his right hand to grab the heavier glove and attach it to his left arm, twisting it with a click. Just then it started to whir to life, before being quiet once more to signal he had complete control of the prosthetic now.
He reaches into his closet to pick out what he normally wears on bounty excursions. A plain white t-shirt, jeans with a belt, a brown leather jacket, and finally heavy duty boots. Steam Glove walks out of his bedroom. He thinks for a moment before reaching over for the phone on his wall. He was going to call his friends and tell them he was ready! First, he was going to call Mic.
Steam Glove types in a number on the keypad and let the phone ring. His smile started to falter as the phone continued to ring. Then someone picked up. “Hey, man! I was just calling you to-” He was cut off by a woman’s voice. “Steam Glove, honey, stop calling his number.” Tears welled in his eyes. “I know, I’m sorry, ma’am…” The woman just sighed, “I know you are, but you’ve done all week. We are all grieving, but please, find a different way.” Steam Glove looked around his house, there were holes all over the walls. That was his alternative. “Yes, ma’am.” He said bluntly. The woman then hung up. He looked to the ground and quietly sobbed.
He cleared his eyes of tears and reached for the phone keypad again. The phone rang… and rang… and rang… “The number you have dialed is not available at the moment. Please try again later.” Steam Glove sighed as he hung up the phone. Ever since they got that new job working as an assistant scientist for BlackRock, they haven’t been talking to each other much. Steam Glove shrugged. “Working as a BlackRock scientist must be hard…” He mumbled. He was never smart enough to even dream of something like that, unlike them and Microphone.
Steam Glove wiped his face clean from any stray tears before putting on a very heavy and warm jacket. He didn’t want to freeze, afterall, it was now BlackRock’s coldest month. Maybe he should call his mom and dad after work and talk with them for a bit. Tell ‘em to stay safe.
Steam Glove walked into the bounty hall. There were hunters from all over Crossroads. They all looked rugged and not so well off. It made him feel kind of bad. Everyone else he knew did it for money, and probably everyone here as well. But, what did he do it for? For fun? For validation? He wasn’t sure, but he definitely didn’t do it for the money.
He brushed that thought aside as he looked at the top bounty board. Most featured Steam Glove’s idol, Hyperlaser. As he admired the difficult bounties the hunter completed they saw the only place that wasn’t dominated by Hyperlaser. At the very bottom was #15. Instead of Hyperlaser, the name in the place was Ghost . The person on the bounty however, was Mic. Steam Glove sighed. Why did they do it? He looked up at the board again as the bounties changed. Ghost was no longer in place #15, as it was once again filled by Hyperlaser.
He brushed it off as he continued to walk down the hall reaching the central area of BlackRock. He took out his ID and scanned it against the gate that separated BlackRock Labs from the rest of the factions. He looked at the Biografts that stood near the gates. They were much higher quality than the Biografts available to the public. Subspace did outstanding work on them. ‘They were probably going crazy about these.’ Steam Glove thought with a chuckle.
He was walking towards the BlackRock only bounty board when he heard a commotion. People were gathering around the announcement pillars. Steam Glove quickly selected a random bounty from the board and hurried over to the pillars. He pushed through the crowds of people around the nearest pillar and looked at what it said. Big bold letters typed out “TRAITOR” Then a picture of Ray Gun flashed on the screen with letters under it that read “DEAD”
Steam Glove stood there for a moment. That’s who they worked for. What would BlackRock do without a pretty inspirational scientist? Nonetheless the fact that she was a traitor. The words “TRAITOR” Quickly shined on the screen once again, this time, a different picture popping on screen. A one that Steam Glove was much more familiar with. Under the picture flashed words. “PRESUMED DEAD”
Hushed murmurs spread throughout the crowds. Steam Glove stood horrified, tears beginning to well up in his eyes, but he wouldn’t let them fall. Instead, he turned and left the laboratory.
He angrily trekked through the inner ring of BlackRock, stuffing the bounty he was holding into the large pocket of his coat. He stepped down the pristine paths that only the high class had the permission to walk across until he reached a mansion. He slowed his pace as he walked up towards the door, raising his hand to ring the doorbell, but he let it drop to his side and walked off.
He had soon reached the middle district where he lived, reaching his house and slamming the door behind him when he entered. He roughly retrieved the bounty from his coat pocket, ripping it a bit, but the number on the paper was still legible.
Quickly, he dialed the number on the phone in his kitchen and let it ring. The receiver soon picked up. “Hey there, Chap! Picked up my bounty didn’t ya!” A drunken man slurred through the phone. “Yea, I did, just se-” He was cut off. “Oh! Is that you, Steam Glove? My buddies and I were just talking about how many bounties you’ve been collecting recently. Leaving almost no scraps for others, man, you sure are cleaning up!” Steam Glove sighed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t get friendly with me, I’m just doing my job. Send the information about the target to my phone, and let’s hope we never talk again.”
Steam Glove got a little riled up, but there was no taking back what he said now. “Whoa, Steamy! Did something happen? You’re never this mad!” Eugh, Steam Glove internally gagged. Who does this man think he is calling Steam Glove, ‘Steamy’. “Nothing happened. Do your part already and I’ll do mine.” He then hung up before the other could get a word in.
He heard a ding come from his phone in his room. Oh, how he hated that phone. Everyone criticized him for having such a high end phone and never using it. It was purely a work phone though. Nothing more, nothing less. Steam Glove resonated with the phone. Just like it was only a work phone, he was only a bounty hunter. He could never be anything more or anything less. He could never change. At least that’s what every adult in his childhood would say. “Once you find a purpose, you can be nothing more or nothing less.”
He picked up the phone and checked what his client had sent him, not even bothering to answer the “You okay?” underneath it. It wasn’t relevant to the mission anyways.
Steam Glove walked out into the kitchen again and picked up the crumpled bounty paper and stuffed it into his pocket once again. He grabbed his wallet from beside the paper and stuffed it into the opposite pocket before opening the door and sighing. He shut and locked it behind him as he started to trek through the heavy snow once more. It was going to be a while before he reached his destination.