Work Text:
Blood, sweat, and a strong chemical odor were thick in the air. Medkit held a hand over the bloody mess that was once his eye, tears streaming out of his still-functioning one. Broken glass was strewn on the floor with various substances, some corroding the lab’s tiled floor. Subspace backed up in horror, surveying the damage he had inflicted on the other man as if it were a car crash he couldn’t look away from. Every so often, he would wince at the burn of the acid that had been thrown on him out of desperation by the other scientist, who fought back harshly when Subspace began the fight. The two stared each other in the eye, both breathing heavily from what they had done. Neither moved nor said a word, and an uncomfortable silence filled the air. One thought ran through Medkit’s mind:
What happened between them?
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Medkit raised an eyebrow at the state of his desk. It had been completely cleared, save for a folded letter that hadn’t been there before. Honestly, being fired from Blackrock didn’t sound like the worst thing in the world. His work was long and tedious, and he had a sneaking suspicion that he was contributing to something horrible going on behind the scenes. Still, what other choice did he have? It wasn’t like he could leave Blackrock. He was trapped here, and switching factions was extremely taboo. Picking up the letter, he unfolded it and read its contents. The letter was handwritten, with a few ink smudges around the words. The handwriting was neat, but it still seemed as if the author had written it quickly, as if the task of creating the letter was beneath them.
“ Good morning, Medkit. Due to your excellent research in your field, you have been promoted to a special project involving crystal research. You will be doing experiments in a shared lab alongside Subspace T. Mine, a fellow employee. Your things have been moved to your new workspace. The lab is down the hall and to the right of your previous office. We hope that your work is as consistent as it has been for the past year.” The letter had been stamped with the author’s name and Blackrock’s symbol, as was protocol.
Medkit sighed. A new project was the last thing he needed; he was already getting little sleep as it is. Still, orders were orders, and Blackrock did not seem like the type of company to take subordinate employees very lightly. Grasping the letter in his left hand, he ventured off, taking one last look at his old office before walking down the hall. Swiping his keycard on the reader, he began to enter the shared lab. A pink-horned demon, whom he assumed to be Subspace, jumped a bit as he caught sight of Medkit before smiling and waving.
“Hey! You’re Medkit, right?”
“Who else would I be?”
He gave a playful eye roll in response. “I don’t know, Illumina?”
Subspace let out a giggle, which made Medkit feel a bit warm inside, for some reason. The other Blackrockian gestured for him to come inside, and Medkit followed suit, setting the letter on an empty table.
“Soo, how long have you been working on crystals for?”
“Since I began working here.”
“Perfect! I was not looking forward to teaching a newbie.”
Subspace got up, happily chatting away as he began to show Medkit around. As they walked, the insomniac couldn’t help but notice that the other man was quite extroverted, immediately acting as if the two were close friends who had been reunited. Usually, the prospect of being around someone so high-energy 24/7 would be a turn-off for Medkit, but something about Subspace made him forget that. His presence was comforting, in an odd way.
Before he sat down to begin working, he stole one last glance at Subspace. Although the man seemed friendly, Medkit could see a hunger in his eyes, as if he was hiding something deep within.
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The two scientists rummaged around their supply closet, searching for a particular chemical buried somewhere deep inside the cluttered space. The cramped nature of the room caused the two to be quite close together, and Medkit was quite aware of that fact. He stuck as close to the shelves as possible, trying not to make the situation more awkward than it already was.
“SFOTH, did the higher-ups have to cram everything so tightly in here?” Subspace exclaimed.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“I’d be surprised if they even have the right closet. Sounds just like them not to give us the right place.”
They continued to rummage, being careful not to shatter the glass located in the various boxes. Eventually, Subspace stood up straight, clutching a bright test tube in his hand. “Found it! Man, you’d think such a corrosive chemical wouldn’t be packed so tightly.” He began to turn around to the exit, but he stopped as he faced Medkit, unable to turn further.
“Damn, this closet’s small.” The two stared at each other, their faces close together. Subspace was the one who made the first move, pressing their lips together. He was a rough kisser, his lips being quite chapped. He slipped his tongue into the other man’s mouth, making him let out a little whimper. Eventually, the two pulled away from each other, and Medkit let out a comfortable sigh.
“Meddy, you are so goddamn beautiful. I’ve been waiting to do that forever.”
“Meddy?”
Subspace giggled. “What, are you too straight-edge for cute nicknames?”
“No, I just find them silly.”
“So you are too straight-edge for nicknames, Meddy!”
“You’re a pain in my neck.”
“I know!”
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The two men relaxed in Subspace’s bed, their arms wrapped around each other as their warmth protected them from the harshness of winter. Medkit loved mornings like these, where they could just indulge in each other and forget about their responsibilities, even for a moment. Subspace softly planted a kiss on Medkit’s neck, causing him to smile.
“You’re kissing softer than usual.”
“Bleh, I’m tired. Can’t we just call in sick and stay in all day?”
“We’re pretty close to finishing our research. “I don’t think that Blackrock would be happy with that.”
“Fuck Blackrock, I wanna sleep.”
“They’re our employers, I don’t think we should be saying that.”
“It’s not like they have cameras on us here.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Subspace yawned as he closed his eyes, resting his head on his pillow. Medkit sighed as he pulled the covers off himself, stretching as he got up. He made a mental note to wake Subspace up once he was done with breakfast, considering that he could sleep through a car crash.
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“Finally, we’re done with this stupid project,” Medkit sighed. They had finally figured out how to harness the power of the crystals, the final goal of their project.
“I can’t wait to go home and sleep well for the first time in ages .”
“Same. At least we can use these things for good.”
Subspace gave Medkit a curious look. “Huh? For good?”
“Yeah. For healing and things.”
Subspace sat up straighter in his chair. “You do know what Blackrock is doing with these things, right?”
“What?”
“They’re using them as weapons, silly! Probably a little torture thrown in there as well. I mean, it’s Blackrock we’re talking about here! When have they ever helped people?”
“And you’re just going along with this?”
“Yeah! I mean, it doesn’t bother me. Why should I care?”
Medkit stood up, his shoulders tense, and horror sitting in his expression. “Are you serious? They’re using my research to do that? I-I can’t do this. I don’t want to be involved in this.”
“Calm down, Meddy,” Subspace replied, placing a hand on the other man’s shoulder.
“Don’t touch me!” Medkit backed up, holding his shoulder. “And don’t call me that.”
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Medkit was the first to move. He scrambled to his feet, running out the door with his hand still covering his empty socket. As he sprinted down the halls of Blackrock, he caught some stray stares from concerned employees, but he barely paid them any mind. His mind spun as he replayed every moment spent with Subspace again and again in his head, wondering where everything had gone wrong. His mind landed on a set of exit doors, and he rushed through them, a harsh snowstorm falling upon him. Despite the cold, he didn’t care. One thought stayed loud inside his head:
He needed to get away from Blackrock.