Chapter Text
Rover hates a lot of things. Hates when people are hurt, hates being helpless, hates the idea that he can't save them all, hates the gap in his memory, hates asking for help. Most importantly he hates this damn cough.
It appeared since his fight with that… Fractidus. Scar. And it's been stuck for all this time. This light tickle in his throat.
He hates it. Not only is it awkward to cough whilst fighting. But every time he coughs. He can't help but think about the white haired tall man. Every. Damn. Time.
The raven haired man sheaths his sword looking at the Echoes he just defeated. It wasn't that hard a couple Tic Tacs n whatnot. Things he could fight in his sleep. So why was he so out of breath?
“Rover, you good?” Abby asks.
“Yeah, just probably need a breather.” Rover answers. He sits down against a nearby rock. His heart is racing. The world feels slightly tilted. He leans his head back.
Unfortunately for the Resonator he can’t stop for too long.
“Hey Rover, it’s Yangyang.” Rover sits up a bit straighter from the communication. “Listen I’m kinda stuck up here in the highlands but there was talk about echoes getting too close to some of the research teams. Would you be willing to help out?”
“Yeah I can help, send me the coordinates.” Rover responds, he can practically feel Abby’s glare. He elects to ignore it.
“Thank you so much.” Yangyang responds and Rover feels his terminal buzz with the coordinates. He waits a second. Then another. Before finally.
“Are you out of your mind?” Abby shouts, Rover winces a bit at the loud voice right in his ear. “Oh did that hurt huh? Good, you barely took out some of those little guys, now you are wanting to take out a group of echoes while protecting people? Do you know how stupid that is!”
Rover sighs, he should’ve expected this. Abby worries a lot, especially when it comes to his health.
“Abby, listen. I can do this just fine. I just have an annoying cough.” Rover responds he can feel his frustrating building. This isn’t the first time the two have argued about his health.
“Yeah a cough that’s been there for far too long to be normal. You need rest you ne-”
“Abby what I need if for you to accept this is what I want!” Rover snaps. “I’m fine, I know my limits, you don’t. You understand?”
It goes quiet. Rover’s breathing is the loudest thing. He can see the moment Abby realizes how frustrated he is. Just like that Abby disappears.
Rover sighs. He upset Abbey. He wants to immediately apologize. But maybe his floating companion needs a break. He knows he could use one to calm down.
The Resonator continues to walk to the location. The reprieve gets him a chance to relax a bit. He’s still slightly winded but it’s better than before. It also gives him a moment to realize why Abby frustrated him so much.
Rover’s been helped by so many people, he’s been saved multiple times. Again and again. He’s always saved. So if he’s benched now. If he stops over something this tiny, all those sacrifices others made, all those resources others have given him… He’d be disrespecting that.
He’s only good for one thing, fighting. He can only provide his body and sword. That’s all he can give. If he can’t even do that…
If he can’t do that then why keep him around.
Rover doesn’t remember all the different Echo names, he truly doesn’t know how researchers can. But he does recognize the tambourine sounds before he even sees the creature.
His feet rush to carry him to the fight one hand on the glider as his second pulls out his sword.
He sees that ugly tambourine creature. He crashes down letting go of his glider as he uses both hands to dig his sword into the creature.
The sword lodges into the creature as it jerkily moves sending Rover flying back.
He groans holding his head, his vision is getting spotty. He tries to take a deep breath. His chest feels tight.
He groans as he stands up. Rolling his shoulders. He sees some guards coming in. Patrollers no doubt.
“Leave it to me.” Rover answers.
The others look at each other before going probably to the nearby camp. Or whatever Yangyang said. He should really pay more attention, he usually does.
The creature starts playing that damn tambourine again. He dashes for the creature running at it and flinging a spectro construction of his sword at it.
The creature quickly summons some type of curses from the ground. The purplish pink attacks Rover. He backflips over the first one but his feet stumble on the landing getting him grazed by the second. Then he dashes away from the third.
Rover’s chest raises and lowers harshly.
He.
Cant.
Breathe.
His heart pounds in his ears. He needs to end this. Now.
Rover desummons his sword as he stomps forward, dashing away from the attacks before charging his fist through the air. He can see the yellow energy of the protons shatter as his fist collides.
The resonators feet touch the ground. Stumbling back a few steps. There's a light blue spot on the bottom of his vision.
His nose is running.
His vision blurs.
He puts a finger to his runny nose.
The edges of his vision turns red.
But whats a darker red is the almost brown on his finger coming from his nose.
Then his legs turn to jelly. His body drops. All goes black.
….
…
..
.
“He’s ok right?” A voice asks from the void. The voice is almost. Scratchy. But weak. Like the owner of the voice has been crying.
“He's strong. He may be sick but we'll figure it out.” The second voice is soft, warm, like home. His home.
The smell of the salty sea. The quiet cold breeze. He's at the Black shores.
After awhile Rover's eyes carefully open seeing Abby in his face. And Shorekeeper in the background looking at a screen.
“Thank goodness you're up!” Abbey shouts.
“I-i m sick?” Rovers' voice is rough enough even he questions if it's voice.
“Yes. The Tethys System identified it.” Shorekeeper nods.
“Wh-what is it?” Rover is scared to ask.
“There's an old word for it. Hanahaki. It's a disease in the lungs, an infection of flowers. The more they grow the more it will block key airways. It will kill you.” She explains.
A disease. An infection. In his lungs. Killing him. Flowers are killing him. Why?