A Machine's Purgatory

SAILING INTERNSHIPS: FINAL: POISONOUS FRIENDSHIP

Gabriel awoke slowly, his ears ringing. He tried to lift his chest only to quickly regret the action, lying back down in the... bed? When did he get in a bed? The last thing he remembered was a bright flash of green before darkness, and before that he was fighting... the machine. So, Gabriel failed a third time. Even after murdering the council of Heaven, and with nothing to lose anymore, Gabriel still lost to the machine. He wasn't enough. Gabriel reached to his helmet to ground himself to reality, to stop him from spiraling only to feel his skin. They took off his helmet, whoever helped him saw the one thing he never let anyone see: his face.

Gabriel was panicking around, flailing around as best he could in the bed he was strapped to. He only stopped when he heard a door slam open, the noise pounding in his head. Gabriel pulled the blanket that lay on him over his face, the fabric scratching it slightly since it was normally shielded by his helmet. He struggled to look towards the door through the thin fabric, only to find an old woman standing there.

"Calm down boy, or else you'll tear your stitches! If I have to put them in again you'll have hell to pay when you're all better! Now, I need to check up on you now that you're awake, but are there any questions you have? I was told you would have a lot."

Gabriel couldn't see very well through the blanket, but he could vaguely see the woman jump onto the chair near him.

"Where is my helmet? I... I'd like to wear it please."

The woman sighed, hopping off her chair right as she got settled.

"It's been beaten up from your fight, but I've got it right here. The one who brought you in said you'd want it, but I needed it off to treat your concussion." The helmet was dented slightly, with scrapes along some of the golden trim and some smudges somehow still remaining. Gabriel took the helmet and put it on, doing his best to face away from the nurse while she generously turned around to give him privacy. Giving a quick sigh once his helmet is donned, Gabriel looked back toward her.

"It's no problem, I'd much prefer wearing it as is now than leave it off around strangers. You said I could ask you some questions?" The woman gave a short nod. "Then, where am I? I remember suddenly appearing in this realm, but I have no clue where I am."

The old nurse sighed. "You're in Japan, more specifically UA, a prestigious school." Gabriel somehow still looked confused under his helmet, so she kept going. "Vee told me you wouldn't understand anything. You're on Earth."

Earth? Gabriel couldn't understand, Earth was reduced to mountains of ash after the machines rebelled against the humans. But there were humans here, and the city he ended up in looked very different from the ones in Heaven... so Gabriel somehow got here. He'd have to thank whoever this "Vee" person was for getting him here.

"Alright. I remember fighting the machine and some humans, but they were different than before. Moving incredibly fast, conjuring ice from thin air... what happened?"

Oh, he really was dense. "They were using their quirks, sweety. Think of it like a superpower. Their heroes in training and are currently learning to use their quirks in combat."

"And I'm in charge of protecting them, which is why I had to fight you." The machine stood in the door frame, glowing eye piercing Gabriel's gaze. "You endangered my students by attacking them in the hopes that it would motivate me to go all-out on you. I want you to know that the same students you endangered are the ones that defeated you."

The Lord must be testing Gabriel from beyond death. It took most of Gabriel's will not to stand and challenge the machine again in his weakened state.

"Well then, I apologize for trying to defeat the object that ruined my life. Not like you would care anyway; you simply left me in that alley. Someone named Vee saved me, no doubt after seeing our battle."