Chapter Text
It hurt. God how it hurt. Subspace was pretty sure his legs would give out on him at any moment, or maybe they've already given out and the only reason he was still running was pure adrenaline or momentum. The train station was just a few more blocks and then he could stop running for now at least. He just needed to get as far away from blackrock as he could.
The snow falling burned, melting in the acid-rot on his face and stinging the withering vessels and arteries and muscle in hot pain. It was so torturingly hot despite the weather. Maybe even because of the weather. His bare feet bled a little with every bit of ice they came in contact with on the concrete, a trail left behind him. That blood trail following him down the station steps as he ran down them and through the entrance as fast as he could.
Finally, he fell down on the station benches, his legs finally giving in as soon as he sat down. And with the break, his mind finally registered the pain and exhaustion in his bones, the searing pain across his face and chest and feet, forcing a pained (and frankly pathetic) mewl from his dry throat.
He pulled his head up just enough to see with his remaining eye, no one around. The big digital clock in the stone wall read 1:22 AM. The light stung his eyes. Were trains even going at this time? He couldn't stay overnight,, patrol would surely find him and he'd be in trouble.
Just as he was about to get up, a train finally pulled into the station. He perked up, pushing himself off the bench and limping to the train cart. He pulled himself through the door and sat down, then quickly searching himself for his wallet. Fumbling with it for a second, he pulled out his ID and pass in case anyone came by asking for it. The cart doors closed and the train soon started moving.
Glancing up at the screen along the top of the cart, this train was headed outside of blackrock and into the middle of the inpherno, crossroads. That's good. His free hand went to pull his passport out just in case he needed that too. A pained groan slipping out his lips with the breath he was holding.
The front of the train car opened, the conductor starting to walk down the aisle towards Subspace. No one else was here, that's the great thing about late night to early mornings. Though, the conductor didn't expect to see someone in such terrible shape, he flinched a little seeing Subspace.
"Do you need my pass? Here," Subspace handed the man the small card. The conductor quickly scanned it, showing the card was valid.
"I also need your ID and passport, as well as why you're leaving blackrock," the conductor said, maybe it was better if he didn't question why the passenger was currently wearing suit slacks and a thick coat with no shirt. That wasn't public nudity, right? The poor guy looked like he had just been through an acid bath, the conductor didn't want to settle more pain on his shoulders.
"Okay,, here," he handed both over, then quickly starting to button up his coat. The conductor looked over both the passport and ID, raising an eyebrow. The pictures matched mostly, with the exception that the man in front of him had fresh scars all over his face, but he assumed that was part of why he was dressed weirdly. "Do you need anything else?" Subspace asked.
"No, thank you, honorable T. Mine," the conductor replied, giving him his ID and passport back to him, then walking away.
Subspace sighed, relaxing into the plushness of the seat and his coat again. The ache plaguing his body was just a dull throb by now, his own nerves tired of the sensation. The soft fur on the inside of his coat stung but it was better than biting cold. It still hurt but it was better. Just good enough for him to fall asleep on the seat.
.
Subspace groaned as he moved his hands to hold his head, the loud screeching of the train stopping on its metal tracks waking him up fully and telling him to get off now. He cautiously stood up from his seat and went to the exit door, stepping out as soon as it opened. In all honesty, Subspace had never been in Crossroads. This was new. Subspace had a sneaking suspicion he'd be doing a lot of new things while out of Blackrock.
He slipped through the crowd carefully, apologizing every time he accidentally bumped into someone. And eventually, he got out onto the street.
Looking around, this place was pure chaos. Nothing like what Blackrock was in any way, except maybe concrete everywhere. He walked until he saw the entrance to a small cafe and peered in through the door, walking in.
He walked to the counter while looking at the menu, pulling his wallet out and thumbing through his cash until he got out enough for a black coffee and small plain muffin, staring at the menu as he zoned out before being snapped back to reality when the young man at the counter greeted him with "welcome to Slingshot's Cat Cafe! What can I get'cha?"
"Oh,, uh," Subspace jumped a little, pulling the bux out and putting it on the counter "black coffee and plain muffin. Name with the order is Subspace. Thank you."
"Alright, thank you! I'll call you up in a minute," the worker responded, putting the bux in the register and going to get the order started.
Subspace stood for a little before going to sit, holding his arms close to himself. He didn't belong here. Everything was so colorful and relaxed and he didn't belong here. It was hot too, this coat was not a good decision. None of this was a good decision.
He heard the small sound of a bell to his right and looked over at what it was, a small cat. The short, purple tusks on it as vibrant as a younger inphernal's horns. Subspace scooted a little away from the cat. He forgot this was a cat cafe. He's never seen a cat in person. Why did it look like that.
The cat walked closer to Subspace, rubbing its face against his leg. Subspace froze. He didn't know what this meant. He was a little scared. The cat was pressing against an acid-melted spot of his leg and it hurt. He was just biting his tongue so he wouldn't make a sound and seem weird to the worker behind the counter.
"Subspace!" The worker called, thank god. Subspace got up quickly and went to grab his coffee and muffin. At the same time, the bell at the door rang to signify someone had walked in.
He looked over at who it was, watching them go up to the counter and order something. Subspace watched them from the corner of his eye as he walked to leave, seeing the stranger look back at him.
Subspace ignored it, walking just outside the cafe to eat his muffin so he wouldn't have to deal with any more cats. He leaned against a wall and pulled the muffin out of the small paper bag it was put in, crumpling it up and shoving it in his pocket as he took a bite of the muffin carefully. He flinched a little, his mouth hurt. He couldn't taste as well. It hurt.
He ate the muffin as quick as he could despite the pain in his mouth and throat, the stranger from inside the cafe coming out as he did. As he brought his coffee cup to his lips to finally drink it, the stranger went over to Subspace and leaned on the same wall, facing him.
"You don't look too hot," they said, gesturing with a gloved hand to his fresh rot across his face. Subspace looked over at them. "You want help wit' that?" The stranger then offered. Subspace couldn't tell if they were a girl or guy or something else.
Subspace pulled the cup away from his face again, quietly asking "why're you talking to me?"
"Can't a gal offer some help when she sees someone needin' it?" The stranger responded, a small chuckle with it. Subspace could only see one of her eyes, and it was creamy white with blindness. The other one was hidden by some sort of gold and teal mechanism that almost looked like half of a pair of night vision goggles. Subspace couldn't tell what it actually was.
"How do I know you aren't going to do something to me if I let you treat me?" Subspace responded, trying to lean a bit away from the stranger. They just went closer to him. It was making him uncomfortable.
"Paranoid, are ya'?" She responded with a small laugh. Subspace didn't know why she was laughing. "I give you full permission to royally fuck me up as much as you want if I do make whatever you've got worse, if that soothes any of your worries." She said.
Subspace thought a bit, taking a sip of coffee as he did. He didn't know if he could treat his wounds himself but he also didn't fully trust this random stranger. He eventually sighed and said "fine,, you can help me. Thank you."
As soon as he said that, the stranger grabbed his arm and started walking, dragging him along. He yelped, stumbling a bit as he tried to catch up. His hand with the coffee in it holding onto the paper cup tighter. The hand on his arm holding him so tight hurt. His feet hurt.
He was soon enough shoved into the passengers seat of a truck, the door closing. He couldn't remember the walk here for some reason, it felt like he just blinked and he was in this truck now with the stranger getting in on the driver's side and starting it up. He cautiously settled into the leather, the interior of the truck was pearly white with gold accents, obviously taken care of. He thinks he remembers the outside being black with a teal stripe down the sides of the truck.
"Name's Scythe by the way," the stranger next to him said, "we're just goin' back to where I'm stayin' 'ere so I can patch you up right."
Subspace nodded, holding the now empty coffee cup in his hands as he quickly responded "Subspace."
"What's got you out here and that badly injured, if I may ask?" Scythe asked, driving slowly through the small one-lane alleyways of crossroads. She looked over to see him still holding the cup and used a free hand to gesture to a plastic bag between their two seats.
"Oh uhm,, I got into a physical altercation and ended up having to flee Blackrock," he answered, quickly putting his trash in the bag, "I hope it'll just be temporary though, so I can go back there and continue my work!"
"Oh? And what were you doin' in Blackrock?" Scythe asked, one hand on the wheel as the other leaned out the window holding a cigar.
"I'm actually a robotics and war engineer in Blackrock!" Subspace proudly announced, "I was on track to become head of robotics and war, but I doubt I'm gonna get that anymore."
Scythe nodded, "y'know," she took a drag of her cigar, "if it's so bad you had to flee, I doubt they'd want you back. I know a place that could use your expertise though" she said.
Subspace looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "That would be..?"
"Just a small group in Lost Temple I happen to be in," she responded, "we're struggling with keeping our own there, so I've been lookin' for more people to recruit."
"What do I get out of it?" Subspace asked, suspicious.
"A place to stay, your basic needs met, and work," she replied. "A lot more than whatever you're probably gonna be met with if you go back to Blackrock."
Subspace stayed quiet. He was thinking. He was sure Blackrock would take him back, they just spent so much time on him. He didn't believe he could be replaced. But now that seed of doubt was planted in his mind, they did have Medkit still, and he was trained in robotics like he was. All they'd need to teach him more was of war, and then he'd take over health, robotics, and war.
"Say, I'll patch you up and you can think it over, alright?" Scythe said. They were on the outskirts of Crossroads now, the buildings getting less and less dense and the road turning from frequently paved but dirty concrete to old asphalt that made the truck rumble a bit.
They eventually stopped in the parking lot of an old motel, Scythe taking her keys out of the ignition and opening the door to leave, Subspace following her out of the lifted truck and to where she was staying.
The room was small, just a bedroom with two queen sized beds and a small bathroom the size of a closet. There were some clothes strewn about with three big pieces of luggage on the floor, two gears sitting on one of the beds with a hird gear on the nightstand next to the other bed. Subspace immediately felt out of place. Everything in here except for the room itself was a clean white and teal and here he was, in his black slacks and coat with bright pink horns.
Scythe sat on the bed with the gear on the nightstand, reaching over to the nightstand and pulling out a first aid kit, then gesturing for Subspace to sit across from her. He quickly obeyed, sitting down with his hands sheepishly in his lap and his shoulders hunched forward.
"Where's all the damage?" Scythe asked as she opened the kit, looking over him a bit. Her eyes on him made him squeamish for some reason.
"On my face, neck, chest, left arm, and a bit on my right thigh down to my calf," Subspace answered, starting to unbutton his coat.
"Might as well get down to your skivvies right now for convenience then," Scythe said, then quickly adding "if you're fine wit' that, of course."
Subspace huffed a bit. He really didn't wanna get basically naked for someone he just met, but she couldn't get to all of his burns if he didn't take his pants off too. Why did the acid have to get him so thoroughly? Ugh. He shrugged off his coat then pulled off his thick pants, leaving himself in just a pair of boxers that seemed a little too big for him.
Scythe gestured for him to come closer, and he did so reluctantly. She carefully grabbed his left arm, effectively maimed with how bad it looked, and started putting some sort of antibacterial cream on it. It stung, making Subspace hiss and squint a little.
"I know, baby, it's just to make sure it doesn't get infected," she cooed, moving a hand to comfort him more. Subspace didn't like how condescending it felt but he still leaned into her hand as it touched his head.
He didn't really make much more noise as she treated the rest of his acid-melted body and sore feet, staying as still as he could as she started wrapping his injuries with bandaging.
Once she was done with the bandages she said "are you still thinkin' about joinin' us?" as she put the first aid kit away again.
He thought a bit more, then softly nodded, "I guess uhm... It'd probably be best. I don't know where else I'd go, I certainly can't return to Blackrock this soon," He said.
"Alright then!" She seemed happy, overjoyed even, "we'll be going to Lost Temple tomorrow, there we can get you set all up and sworn in. I think you'll like it where we're going."
He just nodded, looking down at himself. Most of his body was covered in bandages now, it somehow made his thin body look more pathetic than it usually did.
"You should probably sleep before the other two come back, it'll be a long trip tomorrow," Scythe said, getting up off the bed. She wanted to shower one more time before hitting the hay herself. "You can sleep in this bed, the other one is already full and it's just me in this one. That'll be fine, right?"
Subspace nodded, "that's fine, thank you," he quietly said. He probably should get to sleep. His body needed it to heal. He was tired.
"No problem at all, sweetheart. I'm gonna shower real quick, get comfy," she left for the small bathroom, leaving Subspace in the main bedroom.
He sighed, moving a bit and laying down on the bed. He made sure to take up as little room as he could, he still didn't feel like he belonged yet. Everything still hurt.