Arknights: Fractured Memories

Rueful Dreams

When Six opened his eyes, he expected many things. Like a roof, maybe Rose or Ciel doing god knows what. What he didn't expect however, was the snow the slowly fell towards the ground.

'What the...'

He got up and noticed that he wasn't wearing his usual casual clothes in Newsprings. Instead, he was currently wearing his Elite Riot Gear... which didn't seem to be saturnite enhanced for some reason.

'This is getting weirder by the second.' Six thought to himself. He didn't wear his Pip-Boy when he was in Newsprings since he went into hiding but for some reason, he had one on his wrist right now.

Six walked aimlessly, both of his sides surrounded by somewhat steep cliffs so he could only go forwards.

Suddenly, the amount of snow that was falling picked up, and the winds increased by what felt like tenfold. He felt himself get flung around, unable to do anything against the wrath of the cold.

The storm stopped and he found himself landing flat on his back. 'Fuck, that hurt.' Six thought as he picked himself up. The snowy mist slowly started to clear up and he saw that he was at a familiar site. 'The Cemetery where Marko and I had our duel...'

"It took you long enough to arrive" A faint voice said behind him. He quickly materialized Sweet Revenge and aimed it at the source of the voice. There stood one of the most dangerous men alive in the wasteland, completely unfazed at the fact that there was a revolver aimed at his head.

"What the fuck's going on here Marko." Six demanded. If someone were to look at it from the outside, they would think that Six had the advantage in this encounter. Six didn't feel that way.

The man in black simply laughed, as if amused at what he said. "I'm the one asking the questions here Courier, not you." Before Six could even ask what that meant he continued. "How long will this last?"

"...What?"

Smile gone, he stared straight into Six's soul. "Your worthless charade. The one you find yourself in inside that new world."

"There's no fucking charade you prick." Six said, voice in between a shout and scream. He felt his grip onto the Remington Revolver get tighter every passing moment.

Marko merely spread his arms to his sides. The snow, as if following some unspoken command, quickly surrounded Six and blinded his vision. But not before he fired a shot at the man's head.

Marko didn't even seem fazed by the gaping hole in his head.

When Six gained vision again, he found himself right in front of his house in Newsprings. 'W-What the the hell?!' He was no longer wearing his Elite Riot Gear, and instead was wearing his casual outfit in Newsprings.

"Then what do you call this?" That irritating voice called out behind him. He turned around to see Marko, without a bullet wound on his head, pointing at another Six interacting with the people in Newsprings.

Six was getting tired of this. "That's no charade you piece of shit. This is my new chance at life at and you know it, a chance to live in peace and quiet. The same reason you tried to get Frosthill off the ground."

Marko turned around to stare at him with an amused expression on his face, "I did that because I was bored. Unlike you, who is currently running away from the past and what makes him himself." The spotlight and attention made Six a legend back in the wastes, he knew that better than anyone. The difference was that he doesn't have that attention on him here. And if things went his way? It would stay that way.

"We both know you're lying to yourself." Marko said out loud, shaking him free from his thoughts. "We both already know that you won't be able to stay out of the spotlight for long."