Purgatentiary: Epilogue 1

Life, Trauma/ Loss

In the immediate aftermath of Harmony's sacrifice, Rue and Warp discuss what might have been.

It's the height of their battle against Zaebos' forces, and Rue feels her phone chirp with a new text from Frank reading "I am going to do something that could backfire quite badly but I feel it is worth the risk, however, if I somehow lose control and become a threat, don't hesitate to put me down"   Rue looks over at him questioningly, quickly shooting back a message, ''What are you planning?''   He turns back slightly face invisible behind his helmet and replies "Something risky, but life saving for the people here, I hope"   Rue follows Warp further into the fray and whispers softly enough that only he can hear. ''Don't you dare go anywhere.''   The battle ends with Harmony's sacrifice, and the team is left reeling. After a while, Rue approaches Warp, Harmony's lab coat neatly folded over their left arm. Without uttering a word, Rue punches Warp hard, feeling a faint crack as their hand makes contact with the helmet.   They look at him, anger flaring dangerously in their eyes, ''You were going to do the same, weren't you?''   Warp rolls his head with the blow but otherwise takes the hit willingly before looking back and nodding, “One life for everyone who had been corrupted, without knowing if they could have been helped otherwise, seemed a… logical course of action”   Rue scowls at him, their jaw tense with fury. It looks like they have a lot more to say on the matter, but they turn their back to Warp instead, taking a deep breath, “We’d better make sure everyone who’d been corrupted is fine, then,” As they speak, their voice is cold, “It’s only logical.”   “Why are you so angry?” He asks, already walking about, checking those survivors currently present for injuries or signs of continued corruption.   Rue meanwhile walks back the way they’d come, listening to the breaths of the unconscious victims in the hallways. The hall reeks of blood, many of the bodies around them long beyond saving, “If it’s any consolation, you’re not the only one I’m mad at.” Rue says, their tone controlled but distant.   Warp just watches them go, surrounded by death and destruction, reminded of a time where this was all too common place. His eyes downcast as his gaze turns inward, and he feels like he’s just lost something “No” he murmurs to himself “It’s no consolation at all”   “Emma is still around here somewhere,” Rue says over their shoulder, “I’m going to call over the Century agents outside, get a clean up crew in here.” Not sparing Warp another glance, they turn the corner, their footsteps echoing through the carnage.   Warp opens his phone and begins sending messages to the necessary Century departments, organising the cleanup and recontainment of the facility, He also sends Centurion a summary of the events and requests all available tracking assets be dedicated to finding Harmony.   He turns back to Amelia and gently picks her up, carrying her clear of the site. All the while his head a maelstrom of thoughts, they would find Harmony and set this right somehow. He hadn’t told Rue, she was too angry and rightfully so, but he’d changed his mind at the end, the way Sliver had been turned against him, even if it was a lie, was a wakeup call, he’d fully intended to shove his new gun right down that wretched demons throat and pull the trigger. Plague had been right when he’d called Warp a killer, he had been, and now for the first time in years, it was a role he would embrace again, if it got his teammate back.   He hands Amelia off to the paramedics working frantically outside, waving them off after they try to sit him down to check for injuries of his own. Rue might forgive him in time, but he wouldn’t worry about it right now, he had a job to do.   Pulling Warp out of his head for a moment, his phone goes off several times with "Message not sent" notifications and he's reminded that mobile signal is currently still out because of the blackout.   Warp looks at his phone for several seconds before, “Oh for fecks sake”