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The hum of the Null Sector vessel was loud against his receptors. His last attack had failed, there was more casualties on his side than there was on the other, and he was reeling in anger. Ramattra’s fist slams down on the console, screen cracking and sparks flying.
“Enough!” He barks at nobody in particular, his optics narrowing in on the feed ahead of him, mountains covered in a thick sheet of snow, inhabitable, but still, there’s a buried footpath beneath. His chassis rumbles in anger, wires burning. He can feel his servos twitching, the anger reaching its boiling point before it halts.
He freezes for a moment, body still as a statue before his hands move to zoom in on the video feed. The omnics optics flit between the data and the video, something not sitting right within his systems. He watches the figure move through the snow, stumbling over their feet. He notes how their body temperature is dropping rapidly, their descent, both down the mountainside and life approaching quick.
But, that’s not what forced him to look. His attention turns to the sled that’s being pulled behind. A broken omnic, one which their systems have long died. And yet, there they are, transporting this hollow chassis back to the village near two kilometres away at the bottom of the mountain.
With a scoff, Ramattra turns the feed off, muttering something along the lines of “foolish human” under the hum of his vocaliser.
The feed then turns back on seconds later, something pulling Ramattra towards this human as he then sets the co-ordinates to their position. He’ll be damned if he let them freeze to death while foolishly “saving” his kind.
—
The cold bites at your nose, at your ears and cheeks. Your fingers and joints have long since gone numb, the early onset of frostbite beginning to set in, but, you didn’t dare give up just yet. You had promised to get the fallen omnic back to the village, a mission that no one dared to do, especially hours before a snow storm was about to hit the area.
It was risky, hell, it was suicide.
Despite the cold, despite the near frozen solid limbs, you trek on, pulling the literal dead weight behind you, even if you were unaware of their status. The path was long gone, all you could do was hope you remembered the way down otherwise it was the end of the line for you, too. One misstep and you would fall, mission would be over and so would your life.
However, the ever dropping temperatures was finally beginning to bite hard. It was getting difficult to breathe, your vision was blurring and the adrenaline had long wore off. You were practically running on fumes.
Your knees buckle and you fall into the sharp blanket of snow. There’s no words to speak, face frozen, lips unable to part, they just crack and bleed with every miniscule twitch.
This is it… It’s over…
At least, that’s what you thought. Your vision darkens at the same point your body is moved, picked up and cradled in a set of arms. You don’t resist, you can’t resist. You just accept your fate. Either you die in the cold or by this hulking presence that’s carrying you.
When you finally come to, however many hours later, your body burns. It’s warm, but uncomfortable. Wincing and whining, you try to move, but still, your joints feel frozen, rusty.
“Careful. You will only hurt yourself more.” A voice speaks out from the other side of the room. It’s low, calm, unsettling.
“Where am I?” You finally rasp out, throat raw and dry.
“Aboard my vessel.” The omnic moves, standing beside the bed you’re laying on. He notices the wide eyes, the sudden flash of panic. “Relax. I will not harm you. Not while you are in this state.”
A strained hum escapes you. “Appreciated.”
“Any longer out there and you would have joined the countless others who have died at these mountains.” Ramattra cocks his head to the side. “Why-”
“Where are they?” You cut him off, shifting your focus to the omnic you were supposed to save.
“They had been dead for a while.” Ramattra states matter-of-factly.
“Oh…” Was all you could mutter. Your eyes drift to the dim light above your head, mind working on figuring out when the omnic passed.
“Do not dwell on it. You did what you could, even if it was foolish to be up in the mountains.”
“Someone had to save them.”
“And if you died up there? What then?” The omnic hums, arms crossed over his chest. “It would have been an endless cycle.”
He’s not wrong…
“Rest. I will check up on you later.” Without saying anything else, Ramattra turns on his heel and leaves the room. You’re alone, once again, body still warming up and joints slowly beginning to move.
—
The months went by and despite you being human, Ramattra lets you stay on board of his vessel. He keeps tabs on you, cameras always fixed on your location and sometimes there would be a Null Sector bot at your side or behind you, escorting you to your destination, wherever that may be.
You’re still recovering, a dull ache in your leg and wrist stops you from doing most tasks without support. Perhaps, that’s what led to his rising anger, among the fact that another attack had failed.
“What do you require now?” He asks the very moment you step in the command centre, servos clenched tightening on the unit.
“Nice to see you too.”
“Now is not a good time.” He hisses, watching you approach from the corner of his vision.
You step up to him, a subtle wince gracing your features as you adjust your stance so that you’re not putting much weight on the injured leg. “Another failure?”
“Yes, now leave.”
“I can offer some help-”
“You are useless in your current state.” He spits, fans whirring aggressively to contain the anger.
“Excuse me?”
“There is nothing you can do. Get out.”
“I am perfectly capable-”
“Silence.” He growls, fist slamming into the console that it cracks. Another replacement is already on the way.
“I want to help!”
“You have no idea what you are doing. For all I know, you could make matters worse than what they are now and sabotage my work.” Ramattra snarls, the static hum of his vocaliser growing loud. “Get out of my sight.”
You don’t get chance to react before the back of his hand connects to your cheek, knocking you to floor. The pair of you freeze, his optics glued onto your wide and teary eyes.
Regret… Guilt… Oh, he’s never felt them so strong before until this moment.
He stutters, chassis suddenly feeling restricting and tight. “[y/n]-”
But, he doesn’t get chance to apologise before you’re running out of the command centre. Ramattra stares at the open door, processor working a million miles a minute to corrupt that image of you on the floor.
Without another moments hesitation, he’s following behind you. To his amazement, you’ve managed to get away. He mutters to himself, cursing in omnicode. He knows that he needs to come forward, to speak about the tightening wires in his chest; the way they flutter whenever he sees you, the stutter of fans whenever you laugh.
He’s heard the whispers, the omnicode chatter between units whenever they see the two of you together. He shuts them down with a harsh stare, trying to ignore that feeling bubbling inside of his chest.
Ramattra has feelings for you and now… he’s not sure that you’ll want him back.
—
You sit on the ledge of a window, away from him, away from any and all Null Sector units. You need time alone and rightfully so. Your cheek stings, your chest burns and the pain in your leg returns as a dull throb.
The nighttime sky is clear, the stars glittering against the black abyss. Below, the city is still awake, flickering lights of apartments and cars, the hum of the streets… it’s almost like home.
“You will catch a cold if you stay up here.” A familiar voice rings out after a moment of peaceful silence.
“I don’t care.” You mutter, eyeing the omnic from the reflection.
“I do. You are still recovering. You do not need-”
“Why do you care so much?”
Ramattra stops a few feet behind you, optics scanning your frame for any other injuries.
“Remember when I saved you?” He starts, voice low, almost gentle. “You were carrying a fallen omnic. One that had been dead for a while. It was foolish. Reckless, even. Yet, you did so, even if it nearly cost you your life.”
“Someone had to do it.”
“So you said.” He sighs, taking a seat next to you. “I watched you for a moment, back then. Watched how you continued forward despite the frostbite, despite the exhaustion. Admirable, really. You are strong.”
“What are you getting at?” You finally turn to look at him.
Ramattra sighs, glancing down to his hands. “I do not want to see you hurt again. Not by me, not by anyone… I-” He hesitates. “I care about you.”
Your breath hitches, surprise showing in your eyes. “If you’re trying to apologise, you’re terrible at it.”
The omnic chuckles, head tilting to the side a little. “Yeah. Never been good at that. Listen, [y/n]-”
“I thought you hated humans.”
“I do. You are just an exception.” Ramattra admits, and his wires burn as he catches you smiling.
There’s a comfortable silence that envelopes the room - its only broken when Ramattra stands, offering his hand out to you.
“Will you help me?” He asks, and you notice the faintest hint of awkwardness within his tone.
“Sure. Will you actually listen to me?” You jest, taking his hand. Your knee buckles, but Ramattra is quick, grabbing you by the upper arm before snaking his hand over your back and resting it on your hip. He gives it a gentle squeeze in response to your snark.
“When you stop being insufferable.”
You bark out a laugh, leaning against the omnic. “Like that’s ever gonna happen.”
Ramattra hums, shaking his head as he helps you walk down the halls of the vessel. The omnic feels a spark flicker in his chest, having you so close after what had happened…
Maybe there was a chance for him, afterall…