Morality & Mortality (Artificer x Reader)

Breath Of A Serpent

(CREDIT TO ARTUR KORDAS)

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SCENE 1

YOUR P.O.V

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Thump...

Thump...

Thump...

Your heart pumped steadily as you clutched your oozing wound. The red fabric that covered your injury was drenched with blood; the overpowering smell of iron was enough to make you nauseous.

Artificer had ripped out the spear that was lodged into your chest a while ago, but removing the weapon didn't do too much to remedy that burning pain you felt. Breathing was becoming more and more difficult, you wouldn't be surprised if the weapon had popped one of your lungs.

Nothing a quick plot-convenient heal couldn't fix! Although... there seemed to be a tiny, itty-bitty, little issue with that. 

Your powers didn't manifest in the way you wanted. Your first, and only attempt was met with failure. The golden sparks and luminous glow that was supposed revitalize you simply fizzled out, like a dying flame left out in The Rain. 

Any other attempts were met with silence.

Your current theory was that your great emotional outburst earlier had exhausted your Karamic powers for a Cycle or two.

Now utterly useless, your head leaned on the metal wall behind you, the triple glowing lights of the access pipe beside your cranium had started taunting you about your less than ideal predicament.

"Ooooh, you'll have to cross me eventually, and when you do, you'll just get your skull split open again~!" The lights would say, "And your precious little girlfriend will die, horribly, like you!"

You turned to look to your side, only to see the glowing neon signs on the wall mocking you in a similar manner, like the snobbish little prick it is.

"Well, well, all of that 'I want to make the world a better place' talk going well for you? Oh, ho ho! I doubt it!"

...

You're definitely going off the deep end. Blood loss can cause delirium, after all.

Taking your mind off of the imagined insults and superficial snide remarks being hurled at you by electrical lights of all things, you decided to try and think back at how your unlucky ass got stuck here like this in the first place.

When you crossed to the other side of the pipe for the first time after your interaction with The Iterator, you were talking about something with Arti. Until the sun hit your eyes, and the sounds of yelling, howling and explosives filled your ears. 

Everything after that was a blur, shouting from Arti, spears flying right by your head, and the sight of two whole Scavenger kill teams charging you. 

Oh, and the whole 'spear that got lodged in your chest' thing happened. That too.

"Cowardly pieces of shit, going for you instead of me..." Artificer scowled angrily, like an irritated child not getting the biggest slice of blue fruit pie. "Just stay here and don't bleed out, I'll tear the fuckers to bits"

Artificer quickly got up and prepared to enter the access pipe and go out, spears blazing, however with what little strength you could muster, your hand firmly placed itself on her arm.

"Arti don't be stupid..."  You let out a few coughs as your weak voice clawed its way out of your throat, "You'll be skewered faster than you can blink"