[ Hyperlasers alone at a bar. He chose a new spot to visit, unfamiliar with the bartender and patrons around here he felt... Exposed. He stuck out like a sore thumb with his helmet and Blackrock uniform he really should stop wearing. ]
[ He sighed, grabbing a fresh glass of whiskey and downing it. Hyperlaser seemed different. More down on himself. More... Emotional. Obviously hes on a quest to try and get himself drunk, which was very rare to see from anyone who knew him. ]
[ Something must've happened clearly. ]
[ Like he was waiting for news about to break out. ]
[ Around the side of the church shadowed from view hyperlaser was smoking... Seems like that sermon on going clean didn't do much to convince him, thats for sure. ]
[ If anything it just made him want to smoke and drink even more. ]
[ Hyperlaser was out in Crossroads, seemingly lost and trying to find his way home. His phone wasn't exactly working very well thanks to that giant subspace inphernal taking and trying to use it so that was a busy... ]
[ He really needed to get home. He had work to do, important work. As well as a boss that he couldn't say no to nor get out of.. The longer he stayed here the more risk he was posing for himself. He didn't want that. ]
[ Hyperlaser sighed and checked the time on his watch before looking around, for a second he actually started debating asking for directions... ]
Hyperlaser was on 'vacation' to the Splintered Skies. Why? Well because his genie friend recommended it... It was... Odd. To say the least. Visiting a kingdom detached from the rest of the inpherno ruled by a sword felt like stepping back in time, everything looked so old and fancy.. He even had to change his entire outfit to try and blend in. It wasn't a perfect disguise since he had to make do with the clothes Firebrand had left in his closet but it was something?
He opened the pouch on his side and let out Princess to go and explore and chase birds around, trusting that she likely wont be falling off. She was smarter than that and knew better. Meanwhile he decided to go for a walk around to find something to do. He'd be staying here for a few days at most so he might as well try to familiarize himself with the area. Everyone here was so clueless and detached from the real world that he felt somewhat confident nobody would recognise him, besides its not like anyone that knew him could access this place.... Right?
Hyperlaser had been walking for days. He hadn't kept track of how far or how long it had been... Day and night was hardly noticeable when both of your eyes dont work. The mercenary had resorted to ripping his veil and wrapping it over his bleeding and wounded eye to try and stop the pain and to make sure it didn't get infected... And whilst it was a good idea it also meant that he lost his only source of vision. Not that it made much of a difference, Hyperlaser already couldnt see but at least without his visor he could still see colors and scenery... Instead of black void.
He hiked forwards, sweating from the beating lost temple sun as well as his lack of resources.. In his panicked flee from the church he wasn't able to take his bags or supplies. Everything he used to own was now gone and left with the cult... The only things protecting him from the heat being the cloak that he had been wearing and the dusty and tattered cult uniform that he had been left with. It was getting uncomfortable to wear with how much sweat and sand that he was accumulating.. But he couldn't exactly take it off, so he was forced to keep it on.
All that being said, Hyperlaser still kept walking forwards. What else was he to do? He had no choice. Three different factions wanted his head and the police want him behind bars... He had no safe place to return to, nowhere to go. A wandering hermit. The mercenary wheezed taking a second to pause and lean over the dead stick from a tree that he had been using as a makeshift cane, trying to catch his breath. Why was it so hard to stand up all of a sudden? He swiftly started to not feel good.. Hyperlaser coughed finally, slowly sliding down as he took one final step forward and collapsed into a sand.
Everything ached. The hermit couldn't take another step.. Hyperlaser didn't know what to do. He was starving, dehydrated and lost with nobody here to come and save him.. Was he seriously going to die like this? Alone and wheezing in the middle of nowhere? He should've stayed in Blackrock... None of this had ever been worth the risk. Right now hed take the reprimands and subspaces incessant whining over anything..
been waiting to use my warning label for ages... hope you guys like it cuz i think its pretty neat...
Special guest: @longingforachange
Here goes nothing.
Hyperlaser walked, carrying himself heavy as he remembered where Katana usually pathed and went to. He felt horrible. He felt so rotten for doing this. Like he was the scum of the earth... Hyperlaser never ever thought about his targets and was taught to disconnect from them before he even saw who they are. For the longest time, to him, they were all just mere targets. Things to be shot down for money and nothing more.
But this.. This was different.
Katana was different, he was special. Katana was the first inphernal in years that Hyperlaser felt any sort of emotion for. True enjoyment and comfort.. They shared everything with each other: what food they liked, what happened in their lives, their burdens, their joys.. They were close. Close enough that Hyperlaser began to consider it to possibly be love. It was nice.
But people like Hyperlaser dont deserve nice things.
At least not in his eyes.
Now Katana hated him. Hyperlaser had betrayed his trust completely, and for what? Hyperlaser could've just ran and gone with him... But the Church was too influential, too powerful. If they wanted someone then they'd take them one way or another. Hyperlaser was a slave to his habits, always listening to someone more powerful than himself. Throwing away his feelings and autonomy for the sake of a job. What a sad life he had. But it was his, and he couldn't change it. Even if he wanted to.
The tree lined pathways around the thieves den side of Crossroads provided great places to hide and perch, standing on the balcony of one of the apartment buildings around the area as he very unsteadily summoned his gear and took aim. Hyperlaser paused and stared at Katana through his scope. He'd have no idea... No clue that it was his own sad situationship that would be the one to end his life. Neither of them even knew how each other felt, they never got the chance to talk about it.
Always too busy enjoying the quiet chatter and soft affections towards one another to focus on or even acknowledge what was truly happening between them. As his finger rested against the trigger he began to wonder... What would Katana say to him right now if he could see him? Would he be angry? Would he accept it? Could he even look the mercenary in the eye again with that same softening expression?
He thought back to the first time he saw his real face, that scarred and aged expression under the mask.. It was ugly to everyone else. But beautiful to him. Katana was always so gorgeous even when he didn't think so himself.. It made the poor snow leopard grow soft. Now he'll never see that expression again, that softness dying out and ending by his own unwilling hand. Hyperlaser cursed himself for even thinking of doing any of this.. You can't ever trick an informant, he should've learnt that lesson a long time ago.
Despite his shaking hands and aching heart, Hyperlaser took one final stare before closing his eyes and pulling the trigger. The quiet hum wound up for only a matter of short seconds before firing. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard as the bullet flew and pierced through the back of Katanas head, blood and thin shards bone splattering as the heretic fell and hit the floor.
Then there was nothing.
Not a single ounce of movement, the perfect shot.
From the perfect soldier.
Hyperlaser didn't look at what he had done, instead immediately turning away and desummoning his gear into his hand. He rose from his perch and stared down. He felt... Empty, like he had just killed a part of himself. It was as if his chest was being twisted and suffocated... He wasn't familiar with this emotion.
This feeling of pure heartbreak and sorrow, it was swiftly overcoming him and he couldn't do anything about it..
The mercenary stepped away and started slowly walking, now feeling shaky and unsteady. Like he needed to sit somewhere for a long while. Like he wanted to be anywhere else right now. He paused before he reached the stairway back down, glancing back to the empty late night street below.
