Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Falsely accused of murder, sentenced to death, only to wake up in the

hands of Urbanshade. Her deep sea bunny companion is the only one

she can fully rely upon in this new cycle of death.

Name: EXR-P / Expendable

Pronouns: She/Her

Role: Survivalist / Support

Character stats:

Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Health: 100

Stamina: 100

Skills and Abilities:

Passive - 6th Sense 

“Paranoia is both a blessing and a curse.” - EXR-P

   When within 124 studs of the killer, webs slowly begin to cloud your vision,   

   gaining intensity with closeness.

- -

Ability - Bag of Tricks 

“Guess my research went to good use.” - EXR-P

   Cooldown: 45 seconds

   Pull one of 3 random items from your pockets and into your inventory; 

      BL1- Heals 25 hp

      Flash Beacon- Stuns and Blinds for 4 seconds

      SPR-INT- Speed II for 5 seconds

- -

Ability - Trade   

"Just… don't give me a landmine this time.” - EXR-P

   Cooldown: 25 seconds

   Trade your held item with Lumi and receive a random item after 7 seconds.

Don't mind the descriptions on the image below, I did some adjusting :)

Chapter Text

BANG 

BANG 

BANG

It wasn’t supposed to go this way. It never is. But that’s what happens when a multi-billion dollar company has a single objective and nothing to lose. 

“Hold the door closed… that’s all you have to do..” she whispered.

BANG 

BANG 

BANG

The objective itself was simple: Retrieve the Z-2 crystal powering the facility and escape. However, it wasn’t as simple as they said it would be. Monsters, traps, and side objectives only hindered her travels. And now she had to deal with this thing… again.

BANG 

BANG 

BANG

Her grip was slipping quickly as her mind began to race. “This.. this isn’t Pandemonium.. It would’ve been gone by now… What is this..? Is it.. Oh no..”

The creature roared, continuing its assault on the locker. Its purple-gray face peering through the slowly opening crack in the locker doors, a toothy smile, hungry for flesh, flashed through the slits. It knew it would win, it knew that she couldn’t hold on for much longer, so it smiled wider as it slammed into the doors.

BANG

BANG

BANG

Her grip slipped for only a moment, but a moment was all it took for this thing… this incarnate of death… to strike. Its maw opened and bit down, the loud crunch of bones filled her ears, the stench or iron filled her nose and pain flowed throughout her entire body. Darkness quickly flooded her vision and she felt her life slipping away once again.

“It’s okay…” she thought. “I just hope Lady Death won’t get mad at me this time…” She chuckled at the thought. She knew that Lady Death would be there to save her from The Banlands once again. It’s a cycle she’s been through dozens of times at this point: She enters the facility, makes it through as many doors as she can before something catches her off guard, dies to whatever creature got her, and is picked up by Lady Death to be brought through the revival machine for another loop.

She felt the familiar embrace of the cold ocean as she slipped deeper and deeper into the rushing waters. Water flooded into her lungs, almost drowning her before she could breathe clearly. Her wounds were gone, her clothes were fixed, but that damned rotten coral infection stayed as usual. No worries. She’ll just have to keep looking for a cure. It’s somewhere in the Blacksite, that’s for sure.

Slowly but surely, light began to return to her vision as the surface of the water greeted her once more. The warped and warbled night sky shone through the dark blue of the sea, the stars pricking light onto her pale skin, the familiar double-faced mask of Noli standing off in the distance. 

A small shock flew through her body as something pushed against her hand. It took a second before she came to realize what it was: A Deep Sea Bunny. More specifically the one that has been following her around everywhere. She had become quite fond of the creature, even naming them Lumi. Sure, Sebastian was a little jealous at first but that jealousy was quickly set aside with a full shop purchase. She didn’t need the research, but she did need the items.

She guided Lumi closer to her chest, their little marshmallow paws gripping on to her jacket, trying their hardest to not float away. One hand gently held Lumi secure to her chest while the other brushed through their fur and pushed on their antenna as bubbly giggles escaped her. The sea bunny chirped and nuzzled their head as deep as it could into her chest, very clearly enjoying the attention. 

The light began to shine brighter and it felt like the surface was just within arms reach. Her head tilted to the side, looking to the familiar scythe Lady Death used to do her work. With a few small adjustments, she fixed her orientation and began swimming to the bright, golden shimmer.

The light quickly started drifting away as something began dragging her back into the depths. Her breath escaped as panic set in. She looked down to whatever could be pulling, but nothing seemed to be there. A voice spoke, harsh, raspy, and commanding, 

“Your resolve is something I have grown to enjoy. . . You will make a fine addition to my games.”

The panic turned to fear as the light fully dissipated. She looked down to Lumi, holding onto them tightly, looking for anything she could do to get back to the surface, to get back to Lady Death, to get back to Urbanshade. But her attempts were futile as her body fell to exhaustion and she fell into a deep and dreamless slumber.

- - -

It was an ordinary day… night? Who can even tell anymore. Either way, it was an ordinary time at the cabin as the final round of the day ended with a victory for the survivors. Chance had somehow convinced Noob, Two Time, Veeronica, and Guest 1337 to join them in Texas Hold ‘Em. Elliot was in the kitchen fixing up dinner while 007n7 was nearby  working with his c00l.gui, testing the bounds of its limits. Recently he figured out some backdoors to get new ingredients, which Elliot was very thankful for.

Outside of the main cabin, Shedletsky and Builderman were found sitting on the porch of Shedletsky’s personal cabin, enjoying the cool breeze and a couple Bloxy’s. But their attention was quickly drawn away from their conversation as lines of red and purple code began to swirl and coagulate next to one of the cabins. It began forming into the signature shape of the cabins surrounding it, and this only meant one thing. 

Builderman spoke up, “Find them before something else does. I’ll let the others know.”  Shedletsky gave a nod in agreement before grabbing his swords and beginning a lap around the forest clearing. Builderman quickly made his way to the main cabin, trying to keep a calm composure.

Taph and Dusekkar both sat on the dock leading out to the endless span of water. Taph was working on one of their tripmines, their legs dangling over the calm water. Dusekkar was sitting next to them, hovering slightly, watching with curiosity. The distance between the two was a lot smaller than Taph would have preferred, but the warmth emanating from the blue pumpkin was rather… comforting.

“ 🔧↩️↪️⌚📈📉 (Depending on how loose or tight the frame is, the timer will change.)”

“That is quite interesting, my demolitionist friend.”

A sharp gust of wind blows against the two, Dusekkar’s flame flickers inside the hollow, blue pumpkin while the small wings surrounding Taph’s face shiver. They both look out over the water, the moon shining and over the now forming ripples across the lake’s surface. Taph looks back to Dusekkar, tugging onto his robes and signing,

“🎃❌🤾🌊❓ (You didn’t throw something into the lake, right?)”

“You would be correct in your assumption.”

Dusekkar begins to float up, offering a hand to Taph as they put away their tripmine. They both begin to move off of the docks, down to the coast, and in different directions while peering out into the water to see what caused the disturbances. Taph noticed something under the waterline, slowly floating towards the shore. They walked closer, water lapped over their boots and began to soak their robes as the shapes slowly formed into a body.

Their wings fluttered and flapped with panic, they couldn’t notify Dusekkar or anyone for that matter, so they were on their own. Taph walked deeper into the water and reached out to grab the body before a small hiss was heard before an angry squeak. 

Taph looked down towards the noise and noticed a small creature, fur puffed up, antennae pulled back, standing atop of the body. 

“☝️🙂🆘🤏👥🙏 (I am here to help, tiny friend. Trust me.)”

Lumi took a step forward, sniffing at Taph before hopping into the water and swimming to the shore, watching closely but staying out of the way. Taph signed a very quick “thank you” before going back to pulling the body to shore. They flipped her over onto her back, feeling her neck for a pulse and checking her airway for breathing. Both of which were there, but faint and struggling.

A voice called out, “TAPH!” 

Footsteps quickly approached from behind along with the swishes of swords. Taph’s wings perked up slightly as they looked over to see Shedletsky fast approaching. Their hands turned into a black and gold blur, signs melding into each other, making an amalgamation of being glad they weren’t alone and trying to share what happened. Shedletsky kneeled down next to the new person, gently holding Taph’s hands.

“Taph, take a breath. What happened?”

Taph shook their hands out, a visible amount of tension being released in a single breath. They started to sign slower, explaining what happened and the current situation. Shedletsky nodded along, examining the body for signs of injury or harm, before looking up and over towards where he last saw Dusekkar.

“Dusekkar! Get over here!” he yelled. 

A pale glow slowly approaches as Dusekkar floats over, looking at the current situation. A small squeaky hiss is pointed his way and he turns to see the deep sea bunny in their still agitated state. He reaches a hand down, allowing his presence and being to be recognized by the critter.

“Fret not, small one. Our intentions are to assist your human friend. Please allow us to help.”

Lumi sniffs Dusekkar’s waxy hand, the tension and anger melting away from their body language, before they waddle back to their companion and curl into the crook of her neck. Dusekkar turns to the rest of the group to see what he can do.

Shedletsky started to remove her jacket, looking for any injuries. The only injuries he could find were long since healed and scarred. Taph slowly removed her beanie in an attempt to find any head injuries when two, semi-rotten antennae flop out and onto the dirt below. All three of them paused, unsure as to what they had uncovered. Taph slowly put the beanie back on, adjusting her hair slightly and signing to the others,

“ 💬❌🤫👉🙍👍👍 (We do not speak of this until she is comfortable with it.)”

“Agreed,” Dusekkar responded. The other only gave a small nod.

Shedletsky went back to sliding her jacket back on, being careful with the movements, not wanting to uncover things he shouldn’t. As he finished sliding the sleeve back on, her body began to thrash and convulse. Water filled coughs spilled from her mouth as she turned onto her side, puking up a mix of mud, water, and algae all over the ground. 

Taph scrambled out of the way, quickly standing up next to Dusekkar and watching. Shedletsky adjusted his posture, supporting the now awake stranger. She stared into the dirt, tears rolling down her cheeks and onto the floor below. Her body collapsed, only being caught by her arms and the man holding onto her.

“Don’t worry, kid. I’ve got you. I’ve got you…”

He gently patted her back, attempting to comfort the scared and exhausted stranger. She looked up at the man, his deep brown eyes met with her purple ones as she tried to speak.

The stranger passed out again, but she was alive and that was enough for right now. Shedletsky wrapped his arms around her, his wings twitching slightly to balance as he stood. He began to carry her bridal style while heading back to the main cabin.

“Builder should have informed the others already. Let’s go.”

Taph quickly followed behind, their own small wings flapping with all of the overwhelming emotions. Dusekkar stayed back for a bit, looking down at the small sea bunny. They began running after their friend but started to lose pace. Dusekkar chuckled slightly, finding a small amusement in this new critter. He swooped down, gently picking up the sea bunny and following after the other two.

Chapter Text

Her eyes slowly fluttered open as she took in her current situation; She was laid down on a couch facing a crackling fireplace, there were at least 4 other people in the room with her (one of which she could see), and she was completely drained of energy. Her jacket was fully zipped up, something she doesn’t remember doing, but the equipment given to her by Urbanshade was still present on her. 

She lifted her head slightly, wanting to get a better look at where she was, and the person sitting in the chair across from her noticed. They slid over, sitting down on the floor in front of her, and she was able to get a better look at them; Black robes with golden trim, 4 small wings surrounding their face, and a small face covering.

“🫵🤕❓(How are you feeling?)”

The stranger blinked a couple times, trying to clear her vision before giving a small thumbs up to the hooded figure. She tried to speak, but was met with the shell of words. Her hands moved up and slowly began signing,

“👍👌🫀(Good enough to be alive.)” 

“📍💣🫴🆘😢(Stay here, I’ll get you something to help with the pain.)”

The figure almost seemed to float off to another room, the wings on their face fluttering with seeming excitement. She took a deep breath as she sat up, stretching her limbs out and rolling her neck with a satisfying crunch.

Footsteps approached from behind her and the back of the couch was pushed down as someone leaned onto it, looking at her. The other set walked around and sat on the chair the hooded figure had just departed from. She recognized the brown eyes and the curly hair, he was the one helping her by the lake. The person sitting on the couch spoke, idly flipping a coin into the air. 

“So you’re the newbie, eh? What place did you get pulled from to have all that… gear?”

The stranger looked up at them, taking note of the gray skin, expensive headphones, and golden irises peering from behind their shades. Her head tilted slightly as she examined them some more, looking for any sign of familiarity. They chuckled a bit and caught their coin mid-air, extending a hand to the stranger with a wink.

“Ah, bad manners on my part. The name’s Chance, pleasure to meet ya.”

She shook his hand with a small nod, still struggling to speak. Her eyes darted back to the brown haired man, curiosity written on her face. He was taken slightly by surprise at the suddenness but began to introduce himself,

“I’m Shedletsky. The one that just ran off was Taph, and that one is Dusekkar.”

Shedletsky gestured to the other side of her, showing off the floating man next to her. She jumped slightly, startled at his somewhat sudden appearance. He gave a small wave and reached into his robes to grab something.

“I do believe I possess something of yours.”

With a small peep, he pulled Lumi out of their hiding spot and handed them to the new person. Her face lit up as she reached out to take them. She gave a small nod of appreciation towards the mage and quickly pulled the bunny into a loving embrace. Shedletsky leaned forward in his chair, his wings stretching and shaking out.

“There are a lot more of us here, you’ll probably meet ‘em either in the rounds or in passing. I wouldn’t worry too much about it right now. What I am curious about, though, is your name.”

She went to speak, but the words were interrupted by the loud chime of the grandfather clock against the wall. Her vision became blurry and eventually fully faded to black. She could feel something happening around her, like she was in the currents of the Soul Ocean again. But her eyes wouldn’t open, something didn’t want her to view its magic.

Her body was thrown from the familiar hug of the water and into an unfamiliar place. She almost lost her footing, catching herself on a castle wall. The cold, cracked stone shifted with the sudden weight, crumbling slightly and causing her to slip and fall onto her face.

Footsteps quickly approached from behind her, “A-are you alright?”

She remained on the floor for a few moments, already not wanting to deal with whatever bullshit was going on. But life goes on and so should she. She sat up onto her knees, turning to see where this new voice was coming from. 

A rather timid looking person sporting a blue hoodie and green cargo pants was approaching, crouching down and offering out a hand. She took the hand, getting pulled back up onto her feet.

“I.. umm you’re the new guy.. gal, right? I-I’m Noob! Let’s walk and t-talk, it’s not the best idea to stand around for too long, heh..”

Noob started to walk away, looking back to make sure the new person was following. She was following, slowly but surely, while also taking in the new surroundings. This grand castle, the night sky, the fresh breeze… things she hasn’t experienced in a long time. 

They both found themselves crouched down next to a generator, Noob was teaching the other how the wires are supposed to go, what to look out for, and making general small talk. Even if the other wasn’t talkative, the silence was too much to bear.

“So… do you have a name? I-I don’t think I got it earlier..”

Her voice was quiet and reserved, “EXR-P.”

It tasted wrong in her mouth, it wasn’t her name. Noob paused what they were doing and looked over to her, a hint of confusion and concern present on their face. “That… I haven’t h-heard a name like that before.”

“Expendable is another designation. Use whichever you prefer.”

They both sat there in silence, Expendable working on the generator and Noob staring in poorly hidden concern.

. . .

With a loud roar, the silence dissipated and the two of them began walking to find another generator. They soon ran into other survivors, a man in a gray hoodie with an orange hard hat and another man with a.. burger.. as a hat… strange.. 

The man with the burger hat finished the generator he was working on and stood up, walking over to the others. He looked at Noob while speaking, “Any clue who it is this time?”

“Not yet, it- it’s too quiet. Have you seen any of the others?”

He sighed and shook his head, bringing a hand up to the back of his neck. A wave of anxiety and nervousness washed over Noob, the amount of unknown variables scared them. The other man walked over, wiping sweat from his brow and removing oil-stained work gloves.

“We should be fine for now, as bad as it may seem. Turret’s set up, dispenser’s o’er there, and I could’ve sworn I saw Shed runnin’ about. As for you,” he turned to Expendable, leaning on Noob’s shoulder, “Has this one given ya the run down?”

She shook her head, her posture going stiff, realizing how much more there is to these… games as that voice put it. “I know how the generators work”

“Well tha’s a start. Let’see…” 

The group began to walk around the map, with Builderman giving the general information about how these rounds go and a little of what to expect, plus some well needed introductions. Sometime during the conversation, 007n7 disappeared off to another generator just to keep moving. The more generators that got done, the less time they’d spend in the rounds.

Builderman stopped for a moment, turning to face Expendable, “What kind of abilities do ya have, kid? Items, tools, brute strength?”

She felt into her pockets, remembering her last shopping trip, and pulled out a familiar, cyan syringe. She twirled it in her hand as Noob looked closer at the device, shock growing on their face.

“I-is that.. A needle? W-what’s in it? Why is it so… BIG!?”

“SPR-INT. It’s an injection of epinephrine, nothing serious.”

Noob’s mouth dropped open in shock at the calmness this person has when talking about a literal auto-injector of pure adrenaline. On the other hand, Builderman was intrigued by the device itself and how it worked. 

Expendable’s gaze shot up as her eyes started to dart around the area around her, looking for something. Her body tensed up and white webs began to grow in her vision, just like when Angler would appear.

“Something is coming. We need to-”

The rest of her words turned into a shaky exhale as the deep slash of a machete dug into her back. Noob began to run, chugging what she could only assume to be a soda. Builderman began running the opposite direction, his eyes filled with something she could not read.

The slashes seared as it cut through her flesh and muscle as she was soon kicked to the ground. Blood started to pool around her appendages, the stench of metal filling the air, her clothes staining a deep crimson. Expendable looked up at what hit her, a hockey-like mask stared back. His stare felt just like Pandemonium’s, that same blood thirsty hunger emanating from the holes where his eyes would be.

She scrambled back onto her feet, the same primal fear of death welcoming her once again. Her hands reacted faster than her mind as she felt the sting and rush of SPR-INT flowing through her body. The movements were too smooth, too clean, too needed… Her mind became clear, the noises died down, she felt in control of herself once again. 

Revving of a chainsaw filled the air as she turned a corner, barely dodging out of the way. The SPR-INT wore off and her legs slowly started to give out. He was getting closer, a red glow visible on his face before a lunge. 

The slash burned more, blood flowing freely from the wounds. Her body was draining fast, and so was her hope. She already accepted that her death was soon, so she prayed that Lady Death would once again bring her back. 

She turned another corner, this time into a white walled structure. Her hand cupped on a corner, keeping the turn tight and giving her a small boost. Something gripped her wrist, pulling her into a corner, pushing her against the walls, and cupping a hand onto her mouth.

Chapter Text

She wanted to scream, bite, kick, anything to get free but the hold was tight. Expendable looked up at the figure, noticing their scarred skin, blue hair, and military uniform. He put a finger to his mouth, telling her to be quiet, before looking up at where she just came from.

The masked man came into view, his pace slowing for a moment. Expendable’s breathing quickened, her vision nearly fully white with webs, but the man standing over her was still, calm, and focused. They stood there, watching and waiting for what felt like millennia.

He eventually walked off, the webs of white dissipating quickly, the hand covering her mouth dropping. She let out a shaky breath, holding back tears and pushing herself into the wall behind her just to stay standing. The blue haired man looked back down at her, almost examining her.

“Are you injured?”

His voice was sharp and to the point, almost cold. She looked up at him, only responding in a shaky exhale with small tears falling down her face. He let out an exhale of his own, noticing the blood stained jacket she wore. He began to walk away, gesturing for her to follow.

“Let’s get moving, Builder shouldn’t be too far.”

She followed behind him, holding onto whatever new injuries she could, trying to stop the blood loss. Something soft pushed into her neck and she let out a large exhale, relaxing significantly. She looked over to see Lumi, chirping at her in this worried tone. She only chuckled, nudging her head against them before jogging to catch up to the soldier.

They both walked in silence for a few moments, the periodic hum of generators occasionally breaking the quiet. In the distance, red mist indicated one of Builderman’s dispensers. Expendable sat on the floor next to it while the soldier stood watch, speaking after a few moments.

“I’m Guest 1337, just call me Guest. The one with the machete is Slasher. Pure melee attacks, so keep your distance.”

Expendable gave a small nod, the pain slowly subsiding as the machine spun and whirred. “Good to know. I am EXR-P. Thank you for the assistance.”

“...Just doing my job.”

His voice was a dismissive whisper. It wasn’t something he wanted to be doing, but as it stood, it was his job to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Expendable looked back at him, her mind running rampant with questions. But those can be answered later.

“Thank you, either way. I would have been dead without your interference.”

Guest gave a small nod and nothing more. She could tell that something was nagging at his mind, eating away at something deep within his thought. But now wasn’t the time to bother.

They both sat there for a long while, the tension slowly dissipated but the stress remained. Guest stood up from the wall and began to walk away.

“I’m going to look for the others. You should continue to rest. We still have a while until the round is over.”

And with that she was by herself. Her wounds were slowly healing, she was able to actually catch her breath, and she began to think. This new place was strange, to say the least. It wasn’t as stressful as Hadal but it had the same demands; Do objectives, pay attention to what's around you, and stay alive.

But there were new variables she wasn’t used to; The other people with her, times where she could stop and relax for a moment, and the open landscape. It was freeing to not be breathing the same recycled air, to be able to feel a cool breeze, to see a clear night sky.

Footsteps rapidly approached, breaking her out of the train of thought. She noticed the webs of white quickly encroaching on her vision and pushed herself into the corner, curling up as to not be seen, just as she’s done countless times before

A blur of brown and white dashed passed her with Slasher close behind. The brown haired man stopped on a dime, using the built momentum to slash a blade across the other’s chest. He reeled in pain, letting out a sickening yell as the winged swordsman continued to run.

Slasher let out a growl of frustration, looking at where the other ran off to. He ripped out his eye once more, a piercing red light emanating from behind his time-touched hockey mask, and he turned to face Expendable. Slasher lifted his arm up, machete glistening red in the moonlight, and brought it down onto her. Her arms and legs scrambled, looking for anything to grab on to, anything to help her escape.

The machete slammed into the dispenser with a horrifying crunch, the machine crumbling under the sheer force of the slice. Expendable started to run again, the unhealed wounds burning as she pushed herself to her limits once again.

Her hand dove into her pocket again, feeling around for something she could use. Her fingers brushed over something hard, gripping onto the familiar object with practiced precision. She chuckled slightly to herself as she began to plan. 

She found herself in a construction area, littered with scrap materials, paints, and hiding spots. “Perfect.” She hooked around a corner, trying to gain just a bit more distance before…

FLASH!

The light burnt out as soon as it came with a loud crack when the glass bulb shattered. She dropped the beacon and began booking it towards the rock formation in the middle of this… arena. She ran up the slopes, stopping near the top, crouching down behind the wall to hide. 

Expendable heard another growly scream of rage from Slasher, watching carefully as he began to chase after nothing. She took a breath, sitting down once again, only now noticing the other figure sitting across from her. 

“Greetings, new comer! The spawn must have blessed you quite well to ensure your survival thus far."

They give Expendable a small wave, a wide smile beaming across their face. They hold a jagged dagger in their hands and their shirt bears the markings of… the guardian angel. Expendable couldn’t help but let out a small whisper,

“The mark of the angel?”

The winged cultist slid closer, their face beaming with pride and happiness.

“Why yes! The Spawn is an angel in itself. You seem to recognize them, who was your teacher? I am quite curious.”

Expendable sat there, panic slowly rising in her chest as this person continued to rant about this god. “...That’s not who that symbol belongs to…” They continued to go on and on about ‘The Spawn’, only pausing when more footsteps approached from the slopes.

“Friend Elliot and friend Guest 1337! It is good to see that The Spawn has blessed-”

“Stop it with the cult stuff, Two Time,” Guest snapped. Two Time glared back at him, his smile faltering slightly with rage.

Elliot sighed, turning the corner, almost tripping over Expendable. His face switched from annoyance to worry, noticing the open wounds and slowly flowing blood. He crouched down next to her while pulling out a warm slice of pizza and handing it to her.

“Here, eat. As weird as it sounds it’ll help with the wounds.”

Expendable took the slice, taking a small bite out of this strange, savory pastry. The food melted in her mouth, sending euphoria throughout her body. She nearly inhaled the rest of it as her wounds slowly closed up and the pain quickly subsided.

Elliot chuckled at the sight, “Haven't eaten much lately?”

Expendable shook her head, the last thing she could even remember eating being the dry, insulation-tasting dweller chunk she somehow bought from Sebastian. This, however, was delicious.

She let out a small mumble, “Thank you.”

“Glad to help,” Elliot responded with a smile, sitting down next to her.

A small chirp followed by the gentle pitter patter of paws garnered the attention of the others. Lumi crawled from Expendable over to Elliot, snuggling into his chest, almost as if it was saying thank you in its own way. Elliot’s hand gently brushed over its antennae, scratching its chin and generally enjoying their presence.

“Do they have a name?”

“...Lumi. Deriving from bioluminescence.”

A chuckle came from Guest, who now noticed the small creature patting its feet in joy as Elliot scratched in a particularly good spot. He looked down at his wrist, a glowing black and red watch shining onto his face.

“The round should be ending soon. Minimal losses this time, too.”

5 chimes of a grandfather clock rang off from every direction, 5 minutes remained as long as nobody died. That's what Builderman had said, at least. The group sat where they were, waiting for the time to pass. Guest watched the path up to where the group resided, Two Time sat on the ledge mumbling something about The Spawn, and Elliot continued to play with Lumi, occasionally asking questions to Expendable.

The minutes passed slowly, but the slowness felt rather relaxing. No need to watch every corner, no need to look out for flickering lights, no need to listen for quiet breathing. Expendable took a deep breath, letting out everything she didn’t know she was holding. 

A singular loud chime rang throughout as the world slowly faded away. Expendable was transported back to the cabin, sitting at a large, wooden table. She looked around, noticing Noob, Builderman, Guest 1337, Elliot, and Two Time were also sitting with her. 

She looked at herself, the blood and cuts on her clothes and skin had vanished. Same with the lingering pain. Lumi sat cheerfully in her lap, looking up at her with a small squeak. She gave them a small pat before placing Lumi onto her shoulder and leaning back in her chair.

The others began conversing with each other, standing up and walking to wherever. Shedletsky approached Expendable, Builderman following closely behind him.

“Sorry the conversation got cut short, ‘S’ likes to do that sometimes. We should have a while until the next round and you should probably get to know your way around this place. Come on, we’ll give you a tour.”

The three of them wandered around the cabin, Shedletsky showing off everything from the main kitchen to the tv that only shows a picture of a panda. Conversation flowed freely between them, even if Expendable took a back seat as the other two clearly knew each other for much longer.

The group soon made their way outside, Builderman talking about… something. Expendable noticed the lake, stretching as far as the horizon, and she mentally checked out of the conversation. Her footsteps stopped for a moment before continuing in the direction of the dock. Something… no, someone called to her.

- -

Shedletsky and Builderman continued to walk and talk, showing off the different cabins, explaining who was where, and even mentioning some of the smaller things that made this place feel less like a prison and more like a place to live. 

“Usually each cabin’s designed to fit whoever lives there,” Builderman commented, “For example, mine has an electronics bench and weldin’ table. I’m pretty sure Joh-.. Shed’s has sword smithin’ equipment, right?”

Shedletsky chimed in, “Grindstone, whetstones, polishing brushes… the sparring arena is behind my cabin, too. Your cabin is over here.”

The two of them made their way towards the new cabin. The windows were much more dim than the other cabins and a mechanical hum could be felt in the air close to the main door. Curiosity was the main emotion felt by the two, imaginative ideas flowed freely but weren’t stated.

“It’s only fair that you get the first look into your own cabin, so have at it!” 

Shedletsky turned to face Expendable, only to be met with nothing. He looked to the left, to the right, even down, and all that remained was Lumi, staring up at him with a small, curious peep. Shed crouched down next to the small bunny, patting its head,

“Heya bud… where’d your friend go?”

Lumi gave a proud squeak and started to waddle back to the main pathway. Shedletsky began to follow with Builderman close behind, both hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

Chapter Text

The air was cold, water splashing calmly against the dock, a breeze gently rustling the trees nearby. Light footsteps creaked against the wooden planks as Expendable walked closer and closer to the edge. She paused, feet hanging halfway off, listening to the whispers that called to her.

“Your path has diverged from the script.”

Her eyes drifted up to the moon, staring off into nothingness. To her left a figure melded into reality. He stood tall, wearing a dark green suit, leaning against his signature cane. His head turned to face Expendable, his glowing gaze burning into her.

“I lack the power to bring you back to your destined way.”

Her throat became dry, a sense of shame and guilt overtaking her mind. She shook her head to cleanse the ideas, yet they only dug deeper. She refused to look at him, she does not deserve to face her benefactor.

“I’m… I apologize… Mr. Lopee… It was not my intention to-”

“You do not require a reason as to your departure. However this new path requires a new script, one I cannot produce.”

He turned to face the endless lake, the moonlight gently reflecting onto the small waves. The winds grew, beginning to howl. The cold started to sting, pinpricks of pain against Expendable’s exposed skin. His form became fuzzy and transparent.

“You must create your own script. This is your adventure, after all.”

A breath hitched in her throat, “How… how do I do that?”

“You are more than just your strings, Abby. You are no longer bound by your former employers.”

Her voice became weak and quiet, “I.. I don’t un-... What do you mean?”

“You will understand in due time. Goodbye… for now.”

She turned back to where he stood, the familiar figure long gone. The winds died down, warmth returned to the air, the lake settled once more, and she was alone. Standing out over the water, watching and waiting for something, anything to happen.

- -

Lumi led them back to the main path, turning to look at the lake. There stood Expendable, dangerously close to the edge. Shedletsky wanted to rush over to her, but something held him back for just a moment. 

The thin, green outline of a figure stood still next to her. He could’ve sworn it looked at him for a split second, its piercing gaze nearly burning a hole into him before vanishing into nothingness.

He approached slowly, the soft sand marking his path. The footsteps creaked as the ground shifted to wooden planks. His wings ruffled slightly in the wind and a hand reached out, resting on Expendable’s shoulder.

She jumped at the sudden contact, pulling out her flash beacon with practiced precision. Her finger hesitated on the trigger, recognizing the swordsman standing behind her. His hands raised in a surrendering way, saying ‘Don’t kill me.’ 

She held her position, letting her mind process all that was happening. She slowly slid the boxy mechanism back into its holster, letting out a held breath.

“Apologies, I was not expecting you.”

He let out an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding eye contact.

“No harm done, I did kinda snuck up on ya.” He paused, his eyes flicking over the barely noticeable signs of distress; red eyes, locked jaw, tensed shoulders. “Is everything alright? You kind of disappeared back there.”

“Everything is fine,” She answered too quickly. "Someone needed me for a moment.”

Shedletsky didn’t challenge the lie. Now isn’t the time for that. 

“Gotcha, gotcha… You wanna check out your cabin?”

She nodded and began to walk, following behind the avian swordsman. Lumi joined beside her, their little paws patting gently against dirt beneath them. Builderman tilted his head in curiosity, Shedletsky shook his head in response and a nod was returned. 

The group walked back to the cabin, the familiar hum of fans standing out to Expendable. Her hand rested on the door handle for a moment, the mechanism somewhat unfamiliar to her. She gave it a small push and the door swung open, revealing a somewhat familiar sight.

There were the necessities, a bed, a closet, a bathroom of sorts, and a desk. There were also things that made the whole place feel more… homey. The desk itself was messy, papers littered the surface and manila folders were stacked to the side. A large fan was embedded within one of the walls, giving a comforting white noise to the otherwise quiet room. 

There were pens, trinkets, little scientific baubles, everything Expendable could enjoy. She walked around the room, looking at every detail, including the small warren under her bed. Lumi immediately rushed into the vent, their peeps and squeaks echoing from within.

Expendable sat down at the swivel chair, spinning around to face the door. Both Shedletsky and Builderman were peeking inside, curiosity written across their faces.

“...You may enter if you wish to.”

Shedletsky nearly jumped at the idea, waltzing in and looking at everything, Builderman was still curious but took things at a much slower pace. They each looked around, Shed taking a closer look at the documents that presented themselves on the table.

His voice was filled with curiosity and excitement, “Man, that's a lot of documents, not as many as Builder would have scattered in his office but still…”

The other admin shot a gaze filled with daggers at Shedletsky, who returned it with a small chuckle.

“Did you used to work at an office or something?” he continued.

“There were office portions, specifically administration. I was not assigned to work there.”

“What was your work like anyways? You have rather strange gear for workin’ in an office or somethin’ like that,” Builderman chimed in, looking at one of the spare BL1 injectors.

Expendable hesitated for a moment, a monotone and practiced speech ‘playing’, “My work at Urbanshade is classified. I would be terminated if any person outside of Urbanshade were to gain knowledge of my work.”

Shedletsky spoke up again, hints of confusion and concern audible in his voice, “Well, I don’t think they’ll be able to do much considering you’re here and not there. What’s the worst that can happen?”

She froze, remembering back to what her benefactor said, “You are no longer bound by your former employers.” Her mind argued with itself, jumping between keeping to what she was trained to do, and throwing all away by starting fresh. Change was inevitable, so she might as well start somewhere.

Expendable’s voice became strained, her own mind fighting with itself, “My designation is EXR-P. I was sent to take care of whatever Urbanshade needed me to. My most recent requirement was the retrieval of the Z-2 crystal.”

Shedletsky leaned against the wall, examining one of the strange, double helix tubes that was sitting on her desk. “That sounds like an important job, how’d you get into that position?”

. . .

She didn’t respond. She didn’t want to respond. Her body stiffened, her mind began to spiral, everything was too loud. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. 

Builder picked up on the shift, “Story for another day?”

That simple line snapped her out of whatever trance she was put in. She gave a small nod, “Preferably.”

“Well I think it’s best if’n we get out of your hair. Next round should be happenin’ in a while. Rest up before then, you’ll need it.”

Builderman grabbed Shedletsky’s arm, nearly dragging him out, leaving Expendable to her own devices. She spun around in her chair, now facing her desk, taking a closer look at the documents. 

Bright red text was stamped on the front of each folder, a small reminder of what lay inside. There were the files she was familiar with: Voidmass, DiVine, p.AI.nter, Eyefestation… all of which was fully readable, no confidentiality. 

But there were other folders, new ones without a name or classification. The words were all blacked out, same with the photos. Only one of them had any sort of information. The file was titled “The Slasher” and had a photo of the masked individual from the round before. Everything else was redacted and the watermark on the page was different.

The symbol resembled a red, blocky ‘S’ printed on a black tophat. “Was that who they meant by ‘S’?” More questions flooded her mind, none of which could be answered. She set aside the folder, placing it in a separate stack along with the rest of the new folders, until one caught her eye. She opened the file and began reading what she could.

The title was “Abyssal Runner” and two photos of… herself were clear on the first page. The first is her mugshot, the memory came back in an instant, standing in front of the bright lights, armed guards surrounding her, scientific personnel observing from a distance. It wasn’t a good memory, being inducted into Urbanshade, but it was hers.

The other photo she didn’t recognize. It was taken at a far distance, almost from behind a large pane of glass. The location was dark, the only lighting being from large floodlights. She was standing next to a steep cliff, her hair floating slightly as if she were underwater, and her antennae were floating freely.

It seemed extremely familiar, but she couldn’t remember anything from it. It looked like the Let-Vand Zone, but she couldn’t be sure. The rest of the document was blacked out, something didn’t want her knowing everything just yet. 

She sat in silence for a while, asking questions that couldn’t be answered, thinking about what these new files held, remembering back to what Mr. Lopee said.

. . .

A clock ticked faintly in the background. It chimed, not as loud as the grandfather clock in the lobby, but enough to break her line of thought. She looked over to where the chime came from and noticed a small, wrapped box sitting on her bed. The paper was black and it was tied neatly with red ribbon.

She sat down on the bed, placing the small box into her lap, examining it closely. A small note was attached to the ribbon,

“Greetings, dear Expendable. As a welcoming gift, I present you with your very own redline.gui! It is of my own design and I think you will enjoy its abilities in your rounds. Use it wisely!

Best Regards,

- S

P.S.: Do get to know your new companions, I know you’re used to working alone but my games don't work that way ;)”

Expendable placed the note to the side, slowly untying the bow of red ribbon, and sliding off the lid. Inside lay a watch, similar to the one Guest was wearing. The glowing red outline made it stand out from the rest of the shadowy box.

Her hand gently wrapped around the watch, its square screen resting perfectly in her palm. Red light glowed from it as it began to boot up and register to its user. She slid the device onto her wrist, tucking it under her jacket sleeve while it continued to activate.

Another clock chime rang out, this time significantly louder. She felt herself become dizzy as the world faded to black again. The next round is starting now.

Chapter Text

The same swirling feeling surrounded Expendable as she was thrown into the next round. Her feet landed on soft grass before her balance was lost and she fell to the floor, again. “How many more times must it take…” 

She slowly stood up, her mind cloudy from the transport. Her hands moved to brush herself off, the dirt and gravel coming off of her pants rather easily. Next to her was the loud ping of a coin, followed by a quiet victory noise. She turned, noticing Chance as the source of the noise.

They kept flipping it, each time leading to another victory noise. Each win leading to an even larger smile growing on their face. They looked towards Expendable, giving a wink and a chuckle, 

“Seems like Lady Luck’s on our side this time!”

Chance began to walk off, continuing with the coin flips as Expendable stood still, taking in the new surroundings. The world was a mix of purple and black, tall stone statues were scattered around. On the far side of the map seemed to be a temple and a crumpled tower. A sense of familiarity washed over her as she approached one of the statues. 

She looked up towards the statue’s face, seeing the split comedy and tragedy masks. It was unmistakably the face of Noli, the gentle giant of the Banlands and the writer of the Necrobloxicon. Didn’t do much for conversation but when he did talk, it was meaningful.

“Earth to Exie, you there?” Chance teased, holding back a chuckle. “We have things to do, you can stare at the statues later.”

Her body twitched, not knowing how to respond to the teasing. It wasn’t mean, but it wasn’t fully nice? She let out an exhale, following Chance to a nearby generator. It was hidden within a smaller temple, just up a small set of stairs and next to a drop. Easy in, easy out.

Chance stood next to the generator, watching the pathway to them, protectiveness visible in their eyes. Expendable crouched down next to the generator, slowly bringing their hands up to the wires.

Her hands were wrong, trembling, slick with sweat. She dryly swallowed, determined to get these wires connected. Her fingers moved slowly, as if tar covered every joint.

“Blue to blue… red to… red… yellow… to.. yellow…”

The flicking of the coin became ear piercing, the world around her turned dull and blurry, her muscles felt weak. The wire slipped from her fingers, falling into another with a loud pop. Sparks flew in all directions, charring Expendable’s jacket and alerting Chance. They rushed towards her, pulling her away from the machine.

“WOAH WOAH! Hold on there!” They yelled, panic defined in their voice.

Chance fixed the wires before shutting the panel. They turned back towards Expendable, crouching down in front of her limp body. Her breathing was shallow and irregular, her skin was cool to the touch, her pulse stuttered. Chance tilted her head up, looking into her pin pricked pupils.

“You’re cold… Are you okay? What’s going on?”

She tried to respond but her stomach twisted. She tried to speak but her lungs seized. Her hand trailed down to one of her pouches only to find nothing there. What was she reaching for?

“Hey, breathe with me Exie. In and out… slow and steady… in… and out…”

She tried to follow their breathing, it didn’t feel right. It wasn’t fast enough, wasn’t deep enough, wasn’t good enough. She hated herself, hated this feeling, hated not being able to do the bare minimum.

Two hands cupped her face, forcing her eyes to meet Chance’s. They were breathing deep and slow and she slowly began to match it. The world quieted, she could only hear their breathing, she could only feel their hands on her face, she could only focus on her breathing.

“There ya go, just like that. Good job.”

Their hands released the hold, patting gently onto her shoulders as she continued to breathe. Her muscles relaxed, her thoughts slowed, but the weakness remained. Everything was still cold and dull, slow and painful. Her hands still shook and her vision was still blurry, but the spiral wasn’t as deep as it had been.

She looked back at Chance, their eyes were darting from her to the stairs and back to her. The panic on their face was obvious, something was coming and they needed to move. She noticed the webs encroaching on her vision once more. They were purple this time, similar to Blitz’s, but it wasn’t as quick.

“Can you move?”

Chance’s voice was but a panicked whisper. Expendable nodded, starting to stand with the help of the wall before stumbling back to her knees.

“You don’t have to go fast, but you’ve gotta move.”

Chance wrapped their arm under Expendable’s, helping her to her feet. Her speech was quiet, reserved, strained, “If I’m slow, I’ll die.”

They looked into her eyes again, no judgement or anger, but… heartbreak. “...How long have you been running?”

The question was cut off with a loud boom, a void star slammed into the wall behind the two of them. Glitchy laughter was fast approaching,

“1 $3e y0U, g@mbL3R-r-R!!! L3t’$ m@-a-akE th!S FVN~!!!”

With a push, Expendable started to hobble away, the weakness in her limbs beginning to burn. Chance pointed their flintlock towards the stairs, a cocky smile painted across their face trying to hide the panic.

“I’ll hold him off as long as I can, you keep moving.”

She slid down from the elevated platform, moving as fast as she could across the bridge. A loud click followed by a wet crunch echoed from behind her. She didn’t look back. She couldn’t look back. If she had just been quicker, Chance wouldn’t be dead.

Expendable’s vision tunneled, not out of fear but out of training. The webs still flooded her vision, so he had to be close still. Her sloppy footsteps eventually dragged her into the collapsed tower, leaning her body against the wall. The pain became this searing heat stretching up and down her body, nothing that she could fix right now.

Her curiosity got the better of her and she took a peek back to where she came from, trying to see where the killer ran off to. Nothing was there, but the webs were still strong… She turned back to face the inside of the building and was met by a half masked face way too close to her own.

“H3ll0 n3wB!3!! Y0U se3M l1k3 a FuN 0n3~! L3T’$ PL@-A-AY!!!”

They threw a punch, a tendril lashing out and hitting Expendable as she tried to run. She was only able to get a few feet before her legs gave out completely. Her hands dug into the dirt below, catching the rest of her body.

“@www… t1r3d so s0-oo-0n? 7h@t’$ t0o bAd~!”

She rolled onto her back as a foot planted itself into her chest, pushing any air that remained in her lungs out. He smiled above her, a half comedy mask glowing under the purple moonlight. 

Noli…?

His hand came down, tendril slashing her shoulder. The area became warm with blood but she didn’t scream. The tendril struck again, digging deep into her chest. Her lungs began to fill and all she did was watch. A third strike to the head and the world snapped to black.

. . .

The cold feeling of the ocean hugged her close, clinging to every surface. She found herself in a metal chair, sitting in front of a familiar desk. A light flickered on, a file slid open on the desk, mostly blacked out but some of it revealed.

“Oh, hello again. Guess you died? What a shame that must be.” He chuckled in that same sadistic tone, clearing his throat before continuing. “I hope you don’t mind the… lack of information. It’s a little stingy on how much I can give you at a time. Now onto what you died to… Oh… him…”

Sebastian’s voice ended off with a disgusted tone, one that Expendable knew quite well. She took a look at the document, two pictures of him were clear as day and the title read “Noli.” Simple as it was. Most of the document was hidden for now, but highlighted near the end was something rather important.

“Noli deals in both fake and real, make sure that the generator you’re working on isn’t a misdirection. Sounds, colors, even false symbols make it clear as to which ones will work and which ones will make you see double.”

Expendable slowly closed the document, watching Sebastian’s clawed hand pull it back.

“Maybe double check next time before connecting those wires…”

Her chair tilted back until she fell, sinking deeper and deeper into this endless abyss. The darkness was peaceful and welcoming, giving a well needed escape from what just happened. 

She looked down at herself, noticing the wounds healing just as they had in the Soul Ocean. The scars stayed, a reminder of what she was, and so did that infection. It pulsed and glowed in the darkness, aching as it took more flesh for itself. 

Light returned in an instant as she fell onto the lobby floor. A gasp escaped from her mouth as she began to cough up water that wasn’t there. She laid there, shaking, face to the floor, not wanting to get up. Lumi nuzzled against her face, worried chirps echoing in the empty room.

Footsteps cut the silence as someone approached her. It was Builderman, offering a hand to Expendable. She hesitated for a moment too long, her shaky hand slowly reached up to grab it.

“First death’s hard on e’ryone, don’ take it too harshly.”

His smile was soft, warm, almost comforting. Builder hoisted her up and onto her feet, guiding her over to the kitchen and sitting her down at the table. He quickly left, heading into the kitchen to grab something. Across from her was Taph, face down on the table. Noob sat next to them, empty glass in hand. 

Then she saw Chance sitting next to Noob. Guilt filled her stomach, she couldn’t look at them, she couldn’t face her failure. She wasn’t made for failure, she was made to go again and again and again until success… and she couldn’t even do that.

Chance spoke up, “Hey, Expendable.”

She looked over to them for a moment, looking into their eyes then darting away. Her voice was quiet and short, “Yes, Chance?”

“Ya did good. Don’t let that one round get to ya. Noli just got the jump on us, nothing that could’ve been done about it.”

They took a sip from the Bloxy Cola in their hands, a faint smile visible across their face. It felt too calm, too dismissive of the reality of the situation, but it eased the tension. 

Her hands dove into her pockets, feeling the tremors rising once more. She stood up, wanting, no NEEDING, to leave this place at least for a moment. That’s all she needed, a moment. 

“Understood. Excuse me for a moment, I must attend to something.”

Her footsteps were rapid as she exited the lobby, Chance let out a sigh, the smile on their face going away as they took another swig. Builderman returned, a Bloxy and a bottle of water in hand, “Gone already?”

“Unfortunately.” Chance leaned back in their chair, “I was hoping to, I don’t know, talk to her? That round did not go well for either of us…”

“I was hopin’ for the same,” Builderman admitted. “She’s a curious one. Reserved. Quiet. On top of that I’ve never seen that typa gear before, makes mine look like scraps.”

He sat down, cracking open the Bloxy Cola and taking a sip from it, contemplating his next steps. Noob finished the last of their drink, running their fingers around the lip of the glass while speaking up,

“S..should we even do anyth-thing? There isn’t a reason t-to press, she’ll talk when she’s ready.”

Chance nodded, their own mind deep in thought, “I mean, her name is Expendable. That’s gotta mean something, right?”

They chuckled, not from humor but from discomfort. Their eyes dropped back down to the can rocking between their fingers. Eye contact was too much.

“Name’s don’t always mean what we think they mean,” Builder muttered.

“I-I mean.. she did refer to it as a.. umm… designation at first,” Noob added. “Maybe it’s not her name?”

Silence settled. It made sense in a fucked up way, but why keep it if it wasn’t hers? Why stick to a designation from a world she would never return to?

Taph looked up at the group, bringing their hands up to sign,

” 🤔❌📛❓ (What if she doesn’t have a name?)”

Chapter Text

Expendable nearly shoulder-checked the door to open it, desperate to get out, to run away. Her breathing turned shallow, shaking spreading down her limbs. Her hand drifted down her side, resting on the empty satchel where her injectors stayed. What does her body need?

She was barely able to get onto the stairs before her legs gave out, slipping on the second step. She landed on her ass, giving up on walking further and just deciding to stay sitting there. 

Expendable’s hand pushed against her sternum, feeling the elevated and irregular heart beat. She went to take a deep breath, anything to calm herself down, only for it to be jagged and painful.

Her hands pulled at her beanie, frustrated, angry, disappointed. Lumi crawled onto her knees, pushing gently into Expendable’s abdomen, trying to ground her. It wasn’t helping. It wasn’t enough.

The porch boards creaked behind her as 007n7 stepped into the flickering lantern light. His steps were slow, cautious, similar to how one would approach a scared animal. He sat down next to her, giving her space but still nearby.

“You’re shaking,” he said simply.

Expendable’s voice was jagged and rough, “I am aware.” She took another breath, even more jagged than the previous, “Something is wrong.”

He nodded. No judgement, no disappointment, just understanding. He brought up his hand, sliding open a floating red and black interface, clicking on it a few times. Next to him a small, worn, metallic tin spawned from a bubble of red code. He opened the tin, setting down a single wrapped mint between them.

It wasn’t forcing anything, but the show of it hit Expendable a lot deeper than it should have. She looked down at the candy, then up to 007n7. His face was void of major emotions, near completely neutral.

“Something sharp to get your mind to focus on one thing,” he explained. “Some use a pointy object, others use the snap of a rubberband…” 

He paused for a moment, continuing in a much softer tone, “I use mints.”

Lumi jumped off of her chest, waddling over to the wrapped mint. They sniffed it gently before grabbing it in their mouth and bringing it back to Expendable. She took the mint from Lumi, her shaky hands slowly and messily unwrapping it before popping it into her mouth.

The sting of mint was instant. The cold of the menthol froze her systems for just a second, and that second was all that was needed to reboot herself. Her lungs seized, then loosened. Her heart stuttered, then evened out. It was still too fast, but it was manageable.

A tear fell, running all the way down her cheek and landing on her lap. The shaking lessened. Things felt calm again. Her voice was barely there when she spoke, “I do not understand why this is happening…”

The hacker looked at her, his eyes filled with years of wisdom. Something about his body said that he’s done this hundreds of times before, “You’re used to running. Full throttle, no stopping, no breaks.”

“He’s not wrong…” she admitted to herself.

“Your body… it doesn’t know what to do when it doesn’t need to run.”

It wasn’t condemning. It wasn’t blaming. It was just a truth. A harsh one, but a truth no less. 007n7 slid closer, wrapping his arms around Expendable, pulling her into a hug. Not a tight one, she could leave whenever, but she didn’t want to.

He continued, “You’ll get through it. You already have.”

Expendable slowly reached one of her hands up, wrapping her arm around 7n7, holding him close. The embrace was warm, comforting, and calming. She had not experienced anything like this before, but it was nice.

Lumi crawled back into Expendable’s lap, pushing their entire weight into them to physically keep them grounded. They began to gently purr, hoping to help anything that was hurting. Expendable pulled back from the hug, finally centered, finally calm.

The door to the cabin swung open, Shedletsky stepping out with a couple cups of something hot. He opened his mouth, planning to say something snarky about the cold, before he noticed the former hacker. Seven wasn’t the one to converse with others, he normally stuck to the background, keeping things in check without directly interfering.

His words died before they were formed and he was stuck in place. 7n7 turned to face the door, catching his eyes in the process. He gestured for the admin to sit down with them. Shedletsky complied, sitting down next to Seven, wanting to give Expendable some space.

Shedletsky broke the silence, holding out the mugs to the other two, “Coffee?”

Seven took the mug in both hands, “Thanks.”

Expendable took the other one, her once shaky hands now still. She gave a small nod, looking into the steaming, brown drink with confusion. “What is… coffee?”

The admin turned to her, tilting his head and chuckling slightly, “You’ve never had coffee?”

“Not to my recollection.”

She stared into the mug again before taking a small sip. The bitter flavor and high heat sat on her tongue for only a moment before a single word made itself clear: 

Disgusting…

She tried to keep her neutral expression, but something made it easy to tell she did not enjoy it. Shedletsky let out another small laugh while 007n7 smirked, sipping on his own mug.

“Imma take it that coffee is not for you?” Shedletsky asked between chuckles.

Expendable handed the mug back to Shedletsky, trying to shake the acrid taste off of her tongue. He gladly took it, occasionally sipping from it, watching the steam rise and escape into the cool night. The three of them sat in silence for what felt like hours, enjoying the cold air, watching the trees swaying in the wind.

. . .

The door creaked open again. All three of them turned around to see Noob, standing in the doorway with their signature nervous demeanor. 

“I.. uh.. Elliot said to grab you g-guys for dinner. Only if you’re up for it! I.. I’d rather not in-interrupt anything..”

Shedletsky was the first to stand, stretching out his limbs and wings, “I could eat, how ‘bout you two?”

Seven turned to Expendable, looking for her opinions on the matter. A loud growl from her stomach answered for her. Flushes of pink grew on her face as the others chuckled slightly at the timing. Expendable stood up quickly, offering a hand to Seven, helping him up. The group returned inside, Lumi following closely behind. 

The cabin was much more lively with everyone there. The same wooden table she spawned at was crowded with all of the different people she’s met. Plates, glasses, drinks, and food littered the table. Stories and conversation were passed around freely. Something resonated within her, a long lost memory pulsed.

It felt like family.

Expendable took a seat near the end of the table, subconsciously wanting to stay away from the crowd. 7n7 sat down next to her, a silent but gentle reminder that she no longer had to be alone. Elliot approached, plates balanced in his arms just as he’s done hundreds, if not thousands, of times.

He approached the two, going to set down a plate in front of Expendable before his eyes noticed something; The stiffness of her posture, the unsureness in her face, the way her eyes darted to someone else before she moved. 

The placement of the plate was gentle, silent, close enough to say ‘you are wanted here’ and far enough to not crowd. He gave her a small smile and nod, “Eat up.”

Their eyes met for just a moment before Elliot moved to 7n7, setting the other plate down in front of him. That small snap of the eyes made a shiver crawl up her body. Her eyes stuck to the plate, her body tensed up, her foot began to tap.

These feelings, these emotions… they weren’t bad. But they were certainly different. A part of her wanted to run, this kindness never goes without reason, without requirement, but the other part told her to stay. Maybe this time it was different?

She let out a held breath, deciding to stay. There were no reasons as to the kindness. No demands or requirements either. She brought her hands up, grabbing onto a fork and looking at the food she was given.

…She had no clue what it was. It smelled like a mix of herbs and oils. It looked hand made, with bits of dough formed into uneven shapes. It felt like it was made with care. She stuck her fork into some of the pieces, staring closer at it before carefully taking a bite.

The noise of the world around her faded as the taste melted into her mouth. It was buttery and cheesy with the perfect hint of salt. The flavors by themselves were gentle, but together they created something comforting, something… familiar.

Warmth spread through her entire body, it almost felt like too much. Her stomach clenched for a moment, expecting another nearly-inedible chunk of wall dweller, but that never came. There was only warmth.

Her eyes drifted around the table as the noise faded back in, echoes of laughter and stories flooded her ears. Chance was sharing a much exaggerated recollection of the round before, hands waving in chaotic motions. Noob was laughing along to the story, adding their own memories of the events.

Elliot returned from the kitchen with a plate of his own, sitting down by Guest who was listening intently to the stories the others were sharing. 007n7 was quietly eating his own food, subtly reacting to the stories and Two Time was getting up from the table, empty plate in hand.

Taph, Builder, Shed, and Dusekkar all sat at the other end of the table, having a separate conversation. She was able to understand small blurbs from Taph’s signs, something about how the rounds went on their end along with wanting to talk to someone about something. 

Expendable stopped paying attention after that, not wanting to intrude on private matters. Her mind turned back to her plate, back to the warmth that continued to spread throughout. Her shoulders dropped ever so slightly, her lungs didn’t feel just as full, that need to run finally faded away.

“Exie was there, too! Back me up!” Chance yelled, suddenly bringing her into a story she could not follow. “You saw Noli eat shit from Taph’s wires, right?!”

She froze mid-motion, fork hovering in front of her mouth, unsure what to respond with. She felt the sudden attention of the room turn towards her. Every single pair of eyes were locked onto her. The room didn’t go silent, the smaller noises just became sharpened, louder, and deafening.

She remembers what she saw, she knew the memory, it wouldn’t be difficult to describe but… her mind wouldn’t move to it, like it was locked. Her lungs remember running, not watching. Her mind remembered wires, not the faces. 

That internal buzz, that feeling of needing to run, began growing. Lumi pushed into her abdomen, grounding her, reminding her where she was. She forced out a whisper, “...Yes,” 

It was an obvious lie, but Chance went along with it. They laughed, pointing towards Two Time, “SEE! I told you! It was amazing to see!”

The attention turned away from Expendable, the tightness in her chest loosened as she let out a small, barely noticeable breath. The noise faded out again, her attention turning down to Lumi then back to her food. 

… 

The lobby became quiet as dinner died down. Running water and plates clinking filled the air as Chance was standing next to the sink, sleeves rolled up, soap covering their hands. 007n7 was next to them, also with his sleeves rolled up but a towel in his hands as he was drying the dishes Chance handed him.

Expendable lingered nearby, not helping or talking, but existing with the people she deemed safe. Lumi, on the other hand, was zooming around the kitchen and dining room; diving between legs, under furniture, and almost crashing into the island on several occasions.

Chance paused their movement, a soapy plate still in hand. They turned over to Expendable, not fully but just enough that she was able to see the curiosity lining their face.

“Hey, Exie, mind if I ask somethin’?”

Expendable tilted her head just a few degrees to the side, giving Chance permission to continue in her own way.

“You said your name is Expendable… well designation.” They shrugged, turning back to the dishes in hand, “But it doesn’t really feel like a name? How’d you choose it?”

She froze for just a moment, but it was a moment too long. Seven took note, opening his mouth to speak before being interrupted. Her voice came out thin around the edges,

“My ‘employers’ gave it to me.”

It almost hurt to say it out loud, to admit what she was. The grip on her sleeve tightened, her breathing turned robotic, her gaze switched towards Chance’s face. A small frown was present, not out of disappointment or shame, but from processing.

She continued quickly, like she had to give a reason,

“‘Expendable’ is efficient, easier to say than EXR-P. There was no need for another name.”

The words felt clean, clinical, and practiced. They hung in the air, it was something that belonged in a sterile environment under fluorescent lights, not a kitchen smelling of soap and spices. Chance’s hands slowed, water flowing freely over their knuckles.

“...Thats fucked up,” they said softly.

It wasn’t pity, but rather truth. 7n7 continued to dry the dish in his hands, not looking up but chiming into the conversation,

“That’s not a name someone gives, it’s a label.”

It made sense. Labels are something you wear, names are something you are. The difference wasn’t made clear to her until now.

“I… did not mind it,” she replied. Her words felt unsteady now, “It is simply what I am.”

Chance turned off the sink, drying off their hands and turning around to directly face Expendable, “Well, you’re not that anymore. So you can choose differently if you want to.”

There wasn’t any pressure or expectation behind the words, just possibilities for the future. Her brain began thinking, debating… She didn’t know how to respond, but maybe she didn’t have to this time.

The grip on her sleeve loosened, and that was enough.