Chapter Text
There were many words to describe the sad state his life has devolved into. One moment it feels like things finally start going well, maybe he could even let his endless guard down. And the second moment he’s once again back at the rotten place he once used to call home. Medkit was not welcomed there for a long time. He would've never appeared in Blackrock once again willingly.
The whole faction had been looking for him for a while given he was a traitor in their records. It was ironic to be labeled as one considering how much of his life he had devoted to serving the said region. Only for all those productive days to be ended by his colleague and ending up in the darkest pit.
There wasn't much he could do to defend himself at the time. Medkit was as helpless as a sickly deer being attacked by a bloodthirsty coyote. The first object that appeared at the tip of his fingers was thrown, even if it was a highly damaging liquid.
That day was one of the worst days of his life. Everything changed so quickly. He had to give up his own identity, his life and perhaps some miniscule comfort provided when he was working. Each day Medkit struggled on the ledge of poverty despite the community in The Church he had found. All of them viewed him as a Blackrock traitor waiting to betray them too once the right moment comes.
He himself wasn't sure if they were wrong. There are many things he didn't agree with within The Church, but his opinions matter as much as a dogs'. As long as he was useful in any way, they wouldn't throw him out. Medkit unfortunately will always be trapped in one hellish limbo of getting into wrong hands like a rag doll. A simple toll to be used only because of a certain role he was born as.
Many days he wished it would all end. But the thing is, he didn't want to die.
Something primary in him always willed to survive, no matter the outcome of said survival. He lived in misery for long yet for some unknown reason he couldn't just give it all up. And of course he couldn't give up on others around him, especially the red horned inphernal who looked at him with such adoration in his eyes.
Even if in truth, the only way he'll ever stop being used is in death.
No matter what, the past wouldn't leave him alone.
And that past was rotting.
Medkit didn't know what to make out of it. He was treated like a pet and he absolutely despised every living second of it. Subspace had won, he captured him with the help of his technology and an unfortunate moment of calm in Medkit's life when he was just getting to his apartment from a mission. And now Subspace is not doing anything. Perhaps celebrating his tribute to Blackrock, telling them exactly how great his inventions are for catching more criminals. The ever so opportunistic scientist.
Deep down he knew he wouldn't be able to be on the run his whole life. One day it was bound to happen. Struggling against the inevitable always proved to be futile no matter how much effort was put into it.
The cold Blackrock cell he has been in for a few days now did little to ease his worry. This one was located in the basement of the laboratory and used for prisoners who were about to become test subjects. He firsthand knew the torture that was given to those unfortunate souls.
He was worried of what exactly will become of him once his greatest enemy gets his hands on him. Someone who despised him so deeply and personally in past to the point of physical mutilation.
Medkit wondered if someone would come and save him. At those times, he truly questioned to which deity he should be praying this time to be saved. Reminded once again of his loyalty being a masterfully fake mask.
Next thing he knows, Medkit is face to face with Subspace once more. He was held down on a chair by Biografts. Just the two of them in the laboratory again yet the circumstances are so drastically different. He didn't fight it, figuring those killer machines had no qualms with slicing him up into venison.
"You know, all of this could've been so different," Subspace suddenly said while still methodically preparing some substances, "but not betraying a whole faction is too hard, right?"
Medkit didn't want to hear any of it. He wanted to spit out some venomous short remark since Subspace was mocking him to his face, but he didn't. He didn't. While being here, he lost all sense of hope. Would be easier to wait for the verdict of his imprisonment in silence.
Those brief moments of stillness let him have a moment to look around the room, to notice some things. His own gear and revolver secured on the table like they were part of the whole careful scenery of instruments. He would look anywhere but at him.
"It's a bit ironic, you know?" Subspace said as he walked closer to his next victim with a syringe with mysterious pink liquid inside, "working so hard to be on a run for a whole decade only to be captured by a miniscule mistake of getting too comfortable. Always getting too comfortable when you shouldn't, hm? You remained the exact same as you were years ago. Phenomenal!"
Medkit didn't reply still. This time intensively glaring trying to fit in all the rage in his only working eye. Subspace noticed immediately and was only able to let out a shushed by the mask giggle. For him, all of this was sick entertainment.
"Well, I don't have time to be talking with traitors, Meddy," Subspace murmured out.
Medkit lightly twitched at the nickname and so did the Biografts, ready to attack. The scientist didn't even react this time, cleaning the skin over the vein with an alcohol swab.
He refused to believe that's how his life is going to an end. His single goal in all of the existence was to live peaceful days and help others along the way however he could. Medkit himself wasn't the best inphernal in terms of morality. All he knows is he never wished harm upon anyone except the very person across from him at the moment. Hate is all he felt for Subspace.
His train of thought was interrupted by the piercing pain in his arm. It was the syringe coming clean in through the skin and injecting all of the unknown substance inside. It burned hard through the veins and all he wished was to succumb to the pain. Medkit's face confronted into one of intense pain.
To Subspace, he looked quite pathetic as it was most times. It fed his ego tremendously.
"What was it? What did you do?" Medkit finally asked shakily. He could barely let his voice out without just sounding extremely tired.
"So now you want to talk!" Subspace giggled out, clearly ecstatic at such a fast reaction.
"Answer me," Medkit demanded in a serious tone.
Subspace just tilted his head and shrugged in a mocking manner. This moment is when Medkit realized he isn't getting any answers out of this. He started panicking as all kinds of thoughts came to his mind, watching whatever it was destroying his bloodstream. Caring less and less about the two Biografts surrounding him.
His arm burned hard and he distantly tried to guess what exactly it was and if he'll have to cut off the limb were he to live. Letting the painfully familiar maniac ruin the precious body again.
"The rot," Subspace finally answered and then watched again as realization hit.
Medkit's face, he evidently so became happier at the reaction. "And I have much more prepared for you," he purred out, booping his nose lightly in a demeaning manner.
Medkit aggressively got up from the chair but not to get Subspace as that's what the other would've done. He made a quick move to get closer to his belongings, something he can have to protect himself. It was glaringly obvious that the Biografts were here in the first place to protect the scientist, not necessarily restrict the poor unfortunate soul. They needed him alive.
Not like Medkit could run anywhere and he knew it, he was deep in the laboratory.
When he ran away, it was pure luck. At the time no one would've thought a scientist could disobey the rules they recited each day. Korblox Administration always made sure everyone was trained to be perfectly obedient yet he somehow broke the pattern and was currently paying a price for it. For not being a perfect pet like Subspace.
The doctor reached for his revolver that so far was laying on a table. His own gear was now useless to him, there's nothing he could do to try and cure what this person had done to him. Not now, not in past. He learned it the first time he tried to heal himself back up. And still, his eye was gone.
"What, you're going to try shooting me here? You've already lost the moment you stepped foot in this faction again," Subspace laughed, shielded by the robots who were ready for anything as always. The scientist was still at ease, not even attempting to summon his own gear to try and fight.
Medkit stepped back, aiming his revolver straight. His arm was burning up and a clear pink disease was spreading and pretty fast at that. It hurt like hell and he wished he could get rid of his own skin right this moment. In a sense, it was revenge for the damage inflicted. Now, he wouldn't be able to shoot straight with his dominant hand. No matter how long he had trained for the skill.
Even if this time he would be able to end this parasite's life, nothing would change.
The Biografts are killing machines, he can't possibly fight both at the same time and win. He would still be a prisoner and still a disposable traitor. Except he would be transferred to other scientists who see nothing but a test subject. Not the most pleasant ending too.
"You've lost and I won this time around," he rasped out gleefully, the sneer seeping through the voice.
Medkit tensed at first but soon his shoulders relaxed as if he was smoking away his worries at the mіdnight. He did each time he could. Mission after mission from The Church. He never felt free. Never felt good. Not even in his most quiet moments. The reaction made Subspace's breath hitch.
"No," Medkit said, suspiciously calm.
"No?" Subspace mirrored in confusion, before a familiar frown built up on his features. How he hated being looked down upon by worthless worms.
Before anymore meaningless words could had the chance to be dropped, instead of pointing at the enemy, he turned the gun barrel on himself. First, the pink inphernal's eyebrow shot in surprise, then quickly realized what exactly was happening. And he made a leap towards the doctor to stop what he was trying to do.
Medkit already had the weapon inside his mouth at a perfect angle with the same tired expression he always wore.
A click, a shot.
He blew his brains out.
Medkit woke up with a jolt. His heart racing at such a vivid nightmare. He was too old for this, his heart can barely handle running for too long and now his brain is playing tricks on him. He had to take a few moments to properly regulate out his breathing and calm down.
He was glad it was just a dream. It's the same ones where a person ruins their whole life and then wake up in cold sweat. Coming to their senses and realizing thankfully it wasn't true. Those type of nightmares were the worst. Medkit got them quite often, unlucky as he is.
The dream felt too real and he still remembered the horrified expression on Subspace. It didn't suit him at all. He was always confident and cocky, it's practically who he is. Seeing him in such a different light was frankly unnerving. Though imagining seeing him was another kind of uncomfortable in itself. He trembled like a shaky leaf in fall.
Right, he was not in a dream anymore and he still needed to go run some errands for Scythe despite his vision being unusually blurry. Probably a side effect of such a vivid dream and how shaken he still was. He reached for the table that's usually infront of his couch to get his eyepatch. He always took it off before sleeping.
Medkit didn't find one but instead got his hands on a pair of glasses. Distantly he wondered if it's one of Broker's pranks where he breaks in his apartment and switches everything up.
Actually his couch didn't feel as rough and the lightning in the room seemed much more duller. Broker couldn't have kidnapped him to a different place? If such was the case, he would actually kill himself out of pure frustration. This time not in a dream.
Medkit decided to humor it and put the glasses on which fit him perfectly, it was getting scary. But the most horrifying part came when he realized his depth perception was fixed. He felt nauseous just looking around, his brain was extremely disoriented. A headache crept in on at him at such sudden overwhelming visual information.
After awhile he got up from the bed and rushed to the open door of the bathroom. He still saw in double vision, everything repeating as he wasn't used to it. He washed his face quite a few times and blinked rapidly to ease up the nausea. Everything came back to linear vision eventually, he noticed it first while staring at his hands. Way more clear.
Then he looked up and saw his own face. And... the eyes looking back in worry. He carefully lifted his hand up to lightly run the fingers against his left cheek, intensively staring at the eye which wasn't supposed to be here. The eyelid wasn't masterfully sewn shut resembling one that of a doll. A plaything, fitting for him.
Medkit came to the most logical conclusion of this still being part of the dream. The longer he stared in the mirror, the more he realized that he was way too young compared to how he is usually. No more eyebags and he still had those same freckles he had as a young adult. The bad vision was another giveaway, sporting those big old glasses which made him appear like a complete nerd.
He stepped out of the bathroom and decided to inspect the small dorm room. It's exactly the same one he lived in at Korblox's Administration when he worked for them. If this was some kind of a twisted mind game Subspace was playing on him, he had no way of telling. Medkit felt devastated at all of the belongings scurried around that he never got the chance to retrieve. He really left everything to save his own life.
He was a bit surprised at the quality of his dreams, every small thing felt legit. The papers and blueprints thrown astray on the desk, a clear sign of intense work.
Usually in a dream, you're not able to read words clear off but Medkit could. And the projects felt way too familiar, not gibberish at all.
Medkit started sweating from pure fear. Not one thing felt dreamlike those past few days too but this thing cannot be real. Going in past for no apparent reason is absurd. Moreover, no such technology existed in the Inpherno!
There was only one way to check if everything is truly real. Usually it's the clocks and text, one he already checked. Medkit looked at the clock right beside his bed on a nightstand. It said straight '4:00 am' without any kind of blur or dancing numbers. Then back at the table full of papers with endless text, didn't change one bit.
He felt crushed at this revelation, everything had been real. Down to the fact of him being brave enough to put himself down. Medkit wanted to sit down and wail at all the disastrous events. His life had never been sweet and now the universe itself rewarded him with a sadistic joke of reeling his past back in.
Medkit decided if he had to live his life all over again, he won't let himself suffer once more. Knowing a bit more about the world now, he would never join the cult. Distantly he wondered what they would've done not having a reliable healer near at all times. And he felt oddly relieved knowing this time he could make different decisions for himself. He still was the same grumpy inphernal with memories of the horror.
It was decided, he will run away again.
He was walking through the empty dark halls with a bunch of doors on the sides. Medkit had truly forgotten how many inphernals Blackrock had indoctrinated into the system. At least in this time the soldiers were made out of flesh and not scrap. To say the least, those robots have been nothing but trouble to everyone despite being one of his colleague's greatest breakthroughs.
Medkit was frankly scared at the old building that housed a bunch of inphernals. Away from the main laboratory so they had a place to sleep in before inevitably getting up to work again. This work ethic was begging to be the end of him. Not to mention the agenda about him being a healer on top of a scientist they were pushing on.
Eventually he reached an exit. The light shining brightly through the glass of the door like a promise to a better future. To freedom in particular, something Medkit valued deeply but never got to really experience. But this time all of his innermost desires will come true.
He put his hand on the door handle, it creaking softly under his palm, ready to open it and flee. Until he heard footsteps behind him and an eerily familiar voice…
"Medkit? What are you doing?"