Chapter Text
Arson slowly opened her eye, feeling disoriented. She placed a hand on her head as she sat up, taking in her surroundings. It took a moment for her to recognize that she was in her room at the Apex facility in her dimension. Just then, the door to her bedroom opened, and Fuse walked in with a cup of water. Arson felt relief at the sight of the familiar face and smiled.
"Hey."
"Ello' Whit. How's your neck?"
"My... neck?" Arson asks slowly before reaching behind herself and rubbing the back of her neck, feeling the bandages, then reaching back a bit further and feeling a semi-dried bloodstain, "What happened?"
"Well, um... first I should say, I guess is that um... your... 'evil' self is dead. Shadow Revenant finished her off. Hound explained what happened at the Shadow Estates and how she helped. Revenant ended up... pulling something out of the back of your neck." Fuse explained.
"Something?"
"It was a slug-thing mixed with a millipede and a beetle," Fuse explained, handing Arson the water.
Arson expressed gratitude as the cup was handed to her. She took a prolonged sip while attempting to recall if there was something similar to the bug described by Fuse and how it entered her system. Did it happen while she was asleep? Unlikely... Arson was typically a light sleeper; any slight disturbance would have awakened her. Therefore, it must have been when Shadow Revenant grabbed her by the throat back when they first arrived. At that moment, something was near her throat—Shadow Revenant's hand. Arson quickly finished the drink.
"Umm. Congratulations, by the way." Fuse says, grabbing a box off the dresser and placing it in Arson's lap.
Arson picks up and examines the box. It has an Apex Legends logo on it, and opens it. Inside are two Sais. Both are decorated in orange and red on their handles.
"They said that they were just lying around. They were supposed to go to Ash, but she refused them. So they said they made enhancements to them. When you warm your hands up with your abilities, the blades produce flames. Pretty sick heirloom if you ask me, mate."
Arson nods, "Thank you," Arson says, closing the lid and placing it on her nightstand, then tossing off the covers of her bed.
"Woah, take it--"
As she stood up, she ripped off the bandage from her neck.
"--easy..." Fuse finished.
Arson patted her legs and looked around the room.
"Where's Revenant?" Arson asks, walking over to her dresser, opening the top drawer, and pulling out socks.
"Ahh... umm... Caustic's Lab." Fuse replies hesitantly.
Arson slipped on her socks and shoes, then made her way to the exit of her room, Fuse not too far behind.
"H-Hang on Whit, Ajay said-"
"I'll be in Caustic's Lab if you need me," Arson replied, opening the door and closing it behind her, leaving a worried Fuse in the arsonist's living room.
"Damn," Caustic growled under his breath as he looked through the microscope.
"What is it, Doctor?" Horizon questioned, looking over from her temporary workstation.
"I don't know what this damn chemical compound is inside our little friend," Caustic says.
"What if it's not natural?" Revenant questions.
"Then it will take even longer to analyze," Caustic answered.
"And make this process more difficult than it already is." Horizon states, looking at Revenant.
"May I be of assistance?" Arson requested as she entered the lab.
"Whitney dearie... You're awake." Horizon expressed, stunned by her appearance.
"Sure. The more, the merrier. Might as well get that imbecile Mirage in here." Caustic growls.
"What were my symptoms, according to Ajay?" Arson questioned, looking at Revenant and Horizon as she walked towards Caustic's workstation.
"Uhh. Mental Confusion, increased aggression. At one point, you woke up and tried to kill Bloodhound after the slug was pulled out. As much as I tried to hold you back, I had to knock you out. You fought back, making it more challenging than when we fought that one game, so increased strength, too." Revenant voiced.
"And Mind Control," Arson added, moving Caustic aside so she could look into the microscope.
"Impossible. Mind Control is only a trauma-related thing, or it's induced by coding to control a Simulacrum." Caustic enunciated.
"There was a project called '11307 Leagues' which aimed to create super soldiers using metahuman abilities. The project was created by Professor Ahaht Zündapp but was discontinued after his death. However, it seems Shadow Revenant forced his Whitney to continue the project after he turned her limbs into metal. The chemical compounds used in the project were laced with adrenaline and manufactured chemicals such as Frusasnitrine, Drasiviate, and Sharantien, which caused the symptoms I experienced. Drasiviate contains an electrical component in a liquid form, which allowed Hammond scientists to control soldiers remotely. Although it was intended to be an injection, Shadow Revenant had it become a bio-weapon. Arson then stood up, having finished her explanation.
"How do you know this? About the compounds and their symptoms?" Caustic asks.
"I was a scientist on the project. Forced to be, of course. Before Hammond gave me to the Syndicate like I was just an item to be tossed around." Arson replied.
Arson approached the glass jar containing the creature, which strongly resembles Fuse's description. The insect had a plump, slimy body similar to a slug, with numerous legs like those of a millipede, and its face featured large pincers like a beetle. As she picked up the small jar for a closer look, she noticed tiny stingers at the ends of the pincers and legs designed to attach to the spine. It became clear to her that the insect was injected into a person's neck, where it would then latch onto the spine with its legs. The pincers would wait for an order to infiltrate the victim with the mixed compound, and just one bite was enough to inject the venom into the victim's nervous system. This was how Shadow Revenant could emotionally manipulate Arson on the rooftop so quickly and easily. He instructed the insect to inject her while her back was turned, transforming himself into Charlotte.
Arson closed her eyes as memories flooded back of the times she shared with her female partner. They would dance under the moonlight, and Charlotte would convince Arson to engage in more feminine activities, such as painting her nails. Charlotte was the sweetest and most understanding person Arson had ever known.
"Well, now. That settles that. Caustic. Want to get something to drink and take a break? I understand another few legends joined in our absence in Shadow Fall, and I'm dying to meet them." Horizon asks, smiling gently.
"Certainly." Caustic replies, walking with Horizon out of the lab.
'Other People? Amazing.' Arson thought to herself.
"Just another skinbag waiting to die," Revenant growled as the two left, leaving the pair of former assassins in the room.
Arson looks to Revenant and smiles as something comes back to her mind.
"'Dearhheart.' Well, it has been a while since I heard that. A long while." she teases.
Revenant scoffs, throwing his hand up in a dismissive manner, "Save me from your annoying speech."
Arson laughs, puts the jar down, and moves closer to Revenant, who looks at her and crosses his arms.
"We are alone, you know. You don't have to act like that." Arson says gently, rubbing her burnt wrist.
"I have my reasons to be hostile and dismissive towards everyone. Including you." Revenant snarled.
Arson realized what he was referring to—her mistake over three hundred years ago.
"I had reasons to leave, Kaleb, and I'm sorry I ever left you behind," Arson replied.
"Yet that day, you left me alone and confused, saying one day you'd come back and explain everything. That day, they, Hammond, turned me into this." Revenant spat venomously, "You turned tail and ran on me."
Arson sighed, for this was true. The day that Kaleb was turned into a simulacrum, Arson ran away. Ran away from Hammond Robotics and the Syndicate, becoming a rouge renegade of the two giant companies. Ran from Kaleb, only leaving him a brief note in their shared apartment before leaving.
"I know, and I apologize. But you wouldn't believe me. I couldn't risk telling you what you had become without the Syndicate running up on me. I needed you to see who you were really before I could approach. So, in the meantime, I grew arms with other people and generations of their families, swearing to take down Hammond, the Syndicate, and to complete our main objective, finding your Source Code and then taking down Hammond and the Syndicate." Arson explained solemnly.
Revenant remained quiet, so Arson took it as an invitation to continue.
"There wasn't ever a day that I did not regret leaving you behind, Kaleb. Believe me. I wanted nothing more than to take you with me, but-"
"You couldn't risk Hammond or the Syndicate finding you."
"Correct," Arson replied as Revenant interrupted.
Revenant sighs, reaching out one of his hands and cupping Arson's left cheek. Arson closes her eye and sighs softly, placing her hand on his before reopening her eye and gazing into his bright yellow optics.
Revenant's voice box makes a noise as if to say something before he yells in pain and grabs at his head. Arson gasps and moves to help him as he seems to be in pain.
"Augh! What the hell?" Revenant growls as he grabs at where his ears would be.
"Kaleb, what is it?" Arson asks, grabbing his forearms.
Revenant suddenly stopped and calmed down, "It's over..."
"What's over?" Arson asks, bewildered by his sudden yell of pain.
"Before you arrived, I'd have this nasty ringing in my ears at random times. It would affect my performance in games and-"
A ringing filled the room from one of the pockets in Arson's leggings—her phone. Arson pulled out her phone and looked at the number. It was unknown. She hung up.
"You were saying-"
The ringing started again.
"They are persistent," Revenant says, adjusting his posture to his full height.
Arson answered this time, putting it on speaker, figuring it was a scam caller, "Hello?"
"Mom! Hey!" a Masculine voice spoke on the speaker.
"'Mom?'" Revenant questioned.
"Malcolm?" Arson asked, ignoring Revenant.
"Who was that? Was that Kaleb?" a female voice asks on the speaker.
"Clementine?" Arson asks again, trying to confirm the identities.
"Hi, Revenant!" The two say in sync, clearly happy. Definitely the twins...
Arson sighs as Revenant tilts his head.
"I thought you said you couldn't have kids because the Syndicate had your... you know, scooped out." Revenant says, looking at Arson.
"Correction, they roasted and tied my tubes. What do you kids need? I'm stuck here. You two are the leaders of the Resistance in my absence." Arson replied.
"Yeah, we know, but... we have a problem," Clementine conveys nervously.
"We haven't been discovered, so don't worry about that." Malcolm laughs nervously.
"What is there to report then?" Arson asks as Revenant leans closer.
"We infiltrated a Hammond Revenant Factory but missed the head. By about three seconds." Malcolm says.
"Three seconds?" Revenant growled.
"What else?" Arson asks.
"Well, when we returned to the base, we discovered it has made lots of hops recently," Malcolm explains.
"We may have stolen a Revenant body to do that," Clementine adds.
"OK. Just find it again."
"That's the problem, Mom... It's made so many we can't tell where it is, only where it could be." Malcolm explains.
"You can't read its most recent jump signature?" Revenant asks.
"Negative. The times it made jumps have been completely erased." Clementine replies to him.
"But who would want to play hot potato with Revenant's head? Who in all of the Frontier would be insane enough to?" Malcolm asks.
Arson hesitates, trying to think.
"Send me the jump signature coordinates."
"Copy. Sending them now."
Arson received a text and read the locations in her head before looking at the phone in horror, realizing who was trying to do something with the source code.
"Whitney? What's wrong?" Revenant asks.
"Malcolm?"
"Yes, Ma'am?"
"Malcolm, I need you to use those coordinates to find any Hammond or Silva Pharmaceuticals facilities and tell me if any security checkpoints have let in Eduardo Silva. Please find the most recent one and send me the location. NOW!" Arson articulates urgently.
"Yes, Ma'am," Malcolm replies.
"Eduardo Silva?" Revenant asks.
"Mom. Isn't he dead?" Clementine asks.
"Eduardo is, But his father Torres is using his name." Arson replies, setting the phone off speaker and to her ear as she runs out of the lab, Revenant in tow.
"Whitney!" Revenant yells.
"Malcolm, do you have it yet?"
"It's not easy; just give me two seconds, you mad bastard!" Malcolm replies.
"Mom, Why would Silva go after Revenant?"
"Remember the Lithe incident?"
"Yeah."
"I managed to piss off Silva, and he'd had it out for me ever since." Arson replies, running to her room and entering; Revenant catches the door to get inside.
Fuse has left the room long by now; his only little remembrance is a little merchandise plushy of himself and a bomb next to a Nessie plushie with little sewn flames on it with a card saying Get Well soon.
"So he might be doing this out of malice for me, or he has something much darker planned," Arson explained, placing the phone on her dresser and selecting speaker again.
"What is going on?" Revenant asked.
"Mom! I've got them!" Malcolm exclaims on the phone.
"Send them now!"
Arson runs to the closet and pulls a box from the top shelf. She pulls out an old suit from the box that Revenant barely remembers—her old uniform. Although the Syndicate logos are removed, they have now been replaced with a sigil of a burning skull. Revenant turns away as she begins getting undressed and changed into her uniform, but at some points, Revenant can't help but turn and see what that past incident did to her almost 400 years ago. Half of her face, her whole arm, her right side, and most of her right leg were covered in fourth-degree burns. All red and flakey. And, of course, scars littered her body from all the past missions they went on.
Arson turned and made eye contact, making him instantly turn around. Arson finished getting her uniform on and grabbed a hook shoot that could be attached to her arm.
"Clementine, Malcolm?"
"Yes, Ma'am?" the twins say in sync.
"You two will meet me at the facility, and only you two. Make haste."
"Affirmative. We'll be there in 15." Malcolm says, hanging up.
"Alright. How are we getting out? Car? Ship?" Revenant asks.
"You mean, 'How am I getting out?'" Arson corrects, "I want you to stay here. Please, Kaleb."
"No. I'm not just going to let yo-"
"Kaleb! Please." Arson begs.
Revenant looks at her and sighs, "Fine. Bring it back."
Arson knows that she can't make such a promise but nods.
Arson turns to the nightstand, grabs the box containing the Sais, and opens it. She opened the lid and held the Sais, placing them in the holsters on her sides. She rushes past Revenant and down the hall towards the ships. Thankfully, Revenant didn't pursue her this time.
Arson crouched through the vents as Clementine and Malcolm tailed behind her. Clementine held onto her Devotion while Malcolm held onto his 30-30 repeater. As they approached the room that should contain Reveanant's head, they could hear instinct chatter and... Revenant yelling as if he was trying to escape something. Eventually, the sounds of yelling and screams can be heard.
Arson kicks open the vent grate and drops down just in time to see Revenant go to grab his head, only for it to disappear. Revenant yells in frustration and slams his hands on the ledge as the protective glass raises again, and he slams his fist against the glass. Arson looks around the room, seeing a few dead guards and Hammond scientists.
"Mom!" Clementine says as she drops out of the vent, and Malcolm follows.
Revenant turns to the trio and growls. Arson gasps as a hand grabs her from behind, and Revenant rushes at the guard who just laid a hand on her.
"Hands off!" He yells, forming his hand into a blade and stabbing the guard through the chest.
Another guard rushes in, ready to subdue Revenant, but Malcolm runs up and jumps on his back. The guard gasps and reaches back at Malcolm, only grabbing and ripping off his transgender badge before Clementine knocks the guard out with the butt of her Devotion and then helps Malcolm to his feet.
Revenant yells and grabs his head before throwing his hands down in front of him.
"I... can't... control..." Revenant yells before collapsing to the floor.
"Kaleb!" Arson yells, throwing herself down next to him and grabbing his arms.
Revenant then aggressively grabs her by her head and holds onto her in a manner that Arson winces. His grip is tight and painful, like he is about to crunch her skull open.
"Whitney... I..."
Then his eyes go black, and his hands let go of her and fall to his sides.
"Kaleb?" Arson says weakly, looking at Revenant in horror. Arson quickly flips Revenant onto his back and pulls back his hood. Arson realizes this is a new body and pulls out the memory hard drive.
"We have to get this to Crypto."
Malcolm smiles as he puts the trans badge in his pocket. Malcolm is a 5'7 trans male with black hair in a fade cut and emerald green eyes. "So we are going to the Apex Facility with you?"
Clementine is almost his exact copy, but her hair rests in a Shullet style, and the tips are dyed green. The same color as Crypto's jacket, her favorite legend, "So we are going to get to meet Crypto?"
Arson rolls her eyes and nods. As Arson climbs back into the vent, Clementine squeals happily.
Arson and the twins safely return to the Apex Facility just in time to see Lifeline, Maggie, Valkyrie, and Loba leave Crypto's room. As soon as they are out of sight, Arson makes her way to Crypto's door and knocks.
"Come in."
Arson opens the door and walks in, holding it open for the twins and closing it behind them.
"Whitney. You should have told me you were bringing guests or that you were coming at all."
"Apologies, Crypto. I didn't have time to get you." Arson replies, walking up and placing a hand on his desk.
Crypto looks over at the twins. While Malcolm waves awkwardly, and Clementine looks like she is about to burst out in joy.
"H-Hi, Crypto!" She says nervously, waving eccentricly.
Crypto looks concerned before turning back to Arson.
"She is your biggest fan. She'd never shut up about you given the chance to talk."
"Moooom!"
Malcolm and Arson laugh as Crypto smiles and shakes his head, "What can I do for you? I'm quite busy." Crypto states, moving back to his computer.
Arson pulls out the memory card before looking down and seeing a Revenant eye. "What...." Arson picks the eye up and looks at it intently.
"That... Revenant's..." Clementine starts.
"Where did you get this?" Arson asks, placing a hand on the head of Crypto's chair.
"Loba brought it by and tried to figure out some things in secret, but the others started questioning it when it lit up and suddenly died out," Crypto explains, taking the memory card and inserting it into the hard drive.
As Crypto worked, Arson turned and looked at his desk. Paper, water bottles, ramen cups, and a Nessie plushie were scattered around. What is going on here? Why is Revenant now being targeted? What is-
"Mom!" The twins scream, causing Arson to turn around, only to be grabbed by her throat and lifted off her feet.
Crypto jumped up and backed up as the new simulacrum in the room was now solely focused on Arson.
"What is happening to me?" The voice box speaks enough to be recognized as Revenant.
Arson looks down at Revenant in horror, stunned by the new appearance.
"Revenant, stop!" Malcolm yells as Revenant then slams Arson into a nearby wall. Shaking things off the nearby shelf.
"I know something else happened three hundred and fifty years ago! Something you've been hiding from me, and you'll tell me, Whitney!" Revenant yells.
Arson coughs and grabs his wrist, trying to pry it from her throat. Arson gasped for air as she started turning from pale to blue and hit her fists on his wrist. Her eye slowly looked up and slowly began to close as she felt her windpipe being slowly crushed.
"Revenant, she's going to die!" Crypto yells, only getting an angry growl in response.
"What does it matter? She's like me. She'll regenerate. Isn't that right, 'Dearheart?'" Revenant growled, spitting the nickname venomously.
Then the door to Crypto rooms opens, and the legends who were previously in the room rush in.
"Whitney!" Valk explains, running up with Maggie, who successfully pry Revenant off Arson.
Arson collapses to the floor and coughs, grabbing her throat. Clementine and Malcolm run up to her and kneel next to her.
"I'm OK, I promise." Arson dismisses hoarsly.
"What's going on?" Loba asks.
"None of your business." Arson and Revenant say at the same time.
Revenant turns to Arson and growls as she sighs.
"Look. I promise I'll tell you everything later, OK? I'd rather us be alone, so if you wanna toss me around, you can do it without anyone intervening." Arson replies, standing up.
Revenant sighs but doesn't say no.
The twins look hurt by her comment but remain quiet.
A small chime comes from Crypto's computer, and he goes back to it, "The memory drive you gave me is corrupted."
"We'll have a new one. If the one holding it is willing to share with the class." Clementine says, looking from Crypto to Revenant.
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Loba asks, walking up, but Arson walks in front of her and gets in her way.
"Back off," She growls.
"Oh? Protective of someone other than yourself and Demonio? Aren't you full of surprises?"
"Loba, back off," Valk warns, making Loba turn to her and then back to Arson.
"You stay away from Valkyrie. You hear? I already have a lot on my plate, and I don't need you screwing anything else up." Loba fumed.
Arson rolls her eyes and returns to Revenant, "Are you willing to let us look? Maybe we can find something about Silva you may have missed?"
Revenant growls and turns to grab a chair and plants it in the middle of the room while Crypto grabs an input cord and hands it to Revenant. Revenant takes it and pushes it into the side of his head, and more memory files appear, dating from now at 2733 to at least 2381.
Crypto opens the most recent file, and they scan through the memories, not finding anything but seeing the clip of his head towards the end.
"What is happ..." Revenant's voice in the video cuts as Crypto pauses it.
"If you're waiting for an apology, Whitney..." Revenant starts as he stands up, pulling the cord from his head, "I'm sorry that I couldn't kill you." he asserted, looking towards Arson as he stood.
Arson sighed and placed her head in one of her hands.
Maggie hums as she sits in Crypto's chair and places her arms on the back rest, "So let me get this straight," She starts, turning to Revenant, putting her thumb and index finger on her chin, "Somethin' happened a little over three and a half centuries ago, and you've been hunting his head ever since," she states, pointing to Arson before looking back to Revenant, "You kill Loba's parents, she banishes your head. Hammond, or Duardo, or whoever tracks it down to do bloody knows what in there, making you... that? HA! Well, this ain't exactly what I signed up for."
Arson nods, "I never signed up for this either. But at this point, I might as well expect the unexpected. Duardo has also been an enemy of mine for a while. And he always seems to be three steps ahead. Maybe it would benefit all parties if we joined forces for a while."
"Agreed, and if Duardo's involved, we have to stop them. Destroy the head..." Lifeline states.
"We can't," Loba testifies.
"Loba..." Valkyrie starts.
"He needs to suffer! Death is too easy," Loba swore, looking at Revenant angrily.
"Oh yeah? And what's going to come if he stays alive?" Arson protested, making everyone turn to her.
"So let them control me? Smart girlie, you do know what I'm capable of." Revenant says slowly as Loba looks at him with a defensive yet aggressive stare.
"Well..." Maggie starts trying to cut the tension, "I say we kill 'em.' No offense."
Revenant scoffs and shrugs his shoulders.
"But..." Loba starts.
"Do you know where it is?" Valkyrie cuts her off.
"Hammond Research Facility, Malta. I saw it in one of my..." Revenant reaches up and taps his head.
Crypto returns to his desk and starts hacking into the security program, "Ugh... Lots of security."
"I can help!" Malcolm states, grabbing a chair, sitting beside him, and pulling out his laptop from his pouch.
Maggie turns and holds up a P2020, "Might have to go in blastin'."
Clementine takes the gun from Maggie as Lifeline scolds her, "We're not killing civilians."
"You got a better plan?"
"They've been stealing Revenant bodies off of Salvo." Lifeline states.
"And Duardo has a thing for capturing Arson," Clementine adds, making Lifeline smile.
"So why not deliver one more and a prisoner?" Lifeline finishes.
Arson looks over from examining one of her Sais as Revenant looks up from studying his old optic.
"I don't like the sound of this..." Arson starts.
"But how will we convince them that Arson is subdued?" Loba asks, crossing her hands over her chest.
"Prowler Tranquilizers." Clementine voices, "It's how she got caught last time, right?"
Arson nods, "I'm sure I can get with someone to create fakes, and I can pretend to be unconscious."
"One step ahead of you!" Clementine exclaims, pulling a small box from her backpack.
"You just carry those on you?" Maggie asks, stunned.
Clementine laughs nervously, "You never know when we might need to act like we are on the opposing team!"
Arson sighs and nods. "Tomorrow then?"
"Tomorrow." Lifeline agrees.
"Alright then. I have a friend who can get us Hammond Lab outfits. Clem, Malcolm. Come on." Arson says, turning away from the group to the door.
"I'd like to finish helping Crypto if that's fine," Malcolm says, looking back at her.
"Yes, please. I could use this help. Please, all of you leave, and no one disturbs us." Crypto says, not looking up from his monitor.
Arson sighs and nods, "Just make sure he gets back to me safely."
Crypto nods and continues typing away at his computer.
The other legends turn and leave. Maggie and Lifeline bid their goodbyes as they walk away, leaving the quintet behind at Crypto's door.
"So. Ella-demonio, what happened three hundred years ago?"
"A mistake. That's all you need to know, and come up with better nicknames than a rip-off, stupido bambino." Arson replies darkly, turning her head to Loba slightly. (Italian Translation: stupid child.)
Clementine lets out a small giggle at Arson's response before clearing her throat with the look Loba gives her.
"Look, let's just focus on the head. That's all we need to worry about right now." Valkyrie says, trying to keep peace for the time being.
"I'm not working with her." Arson points to Loba, "I may agree to be allies but not with her. She wants to hide him, so we can't ever let Revenant rest. As he should."
"Him? Are you referring to the head as a him?" Loba asks, clearly stunned.
"Maggie did say that something happened over three hundred and fifty years ago, and both have a history with the Syndicate by being assassins. It's possible they knew each other when Revenant was human." Valkyrie claims and looks to Arson and Revenant for confirmation but neither makes eye contact nor says anything.
"Is that it? If so, I'll be going to my room now." Arson states after a small silence.
Valkyrie sighs and nods, "That's all."
Loba scoffs and walks away, Valkyrie in tow.
"So. What happened 350 years ago, Whitney?" Revenant asks, moving closer to her, making Clementine uneasy.
"Look, if it's that important when I brought you back to a Hammond Labs location, I thought they would help you recover, but apparently, the Syndicate needed its two top assassins alive at any cost. I didn't know they'd turn you into this, OK? I'm not your enemy in this." Arson states, clearly annoyed with the recent pestering.
Revenant moves slightly in a manner that tells Arson that he doesn't completely buy her explanation. Arson's right arm twitches, causing her to grab it with her left to keep it still.
"Fine." Revenant growls, finally turning away to retreat from his room.
After a few moments after Revenant left, Arson sighed and put a hand on her forehead.
"You lied... Why? Didn't you-"
"Shut up." Arson snapped at Clementine, making her reel back, shocked.
Arson turns to her worriedly, "He doesn't need to know. If he does, it will fuck up everything we have been working towards. Putting him to rest once and for all."
Clementine looks around nervously before returning to her only mother figure and nodding.
"Good. Thank you for understanding."
Arson shuffles slightly against Revenant, the cold of his metal chest pressing against her forehead not helping.
A swift smack to her back comes from Malcolm, who is in a Hammond Robotics Labs suit, "Unconcious people don't move."
Arson rolls her eye behind her lid as she hears Revenant speak, "Remind us to kill whoever came up with this idea..." he says, referring to himself and Arson.
Arson keeps her eye closed, the fake darts embedded into her ribs and thigh, now bothering her, along with the counterfeit cuffs around her wrist.
"We've got another one and a prisoner; where you want em'?" Lifeline asks.
"Well, since the prisoner is Whitney Davis, according to our system, she'll be sent to the cell all the way on floor Sub 30, and the body goes behind the..."
When the talking dies down, Arson finally hears that song that Lifeline came out with.
"W...Wait..." The girl behind the counter starts after a rush of footsteps, and an alarm starts blaring.
Arson's eye shoots open, and she looks around as Revenant sits up. Arson holds her cuffed wrists to him, and Revenant pulls them off like they are nothing. Arson rubs her wrists and climbs off of the gurney, opening its secret compartment, pulling out firearms, and beginning to distribute them. Arson pulls out the last gun, a wingman, and holds it tightly.
"I'm so sorry, darling..." Valkyrie spoke softly before walking to the group by the gurney, "We destroy it."
Arson ignores Loba's look of shock as she moves next to Maggie as a whole bunch of Spectre Robots drop from their hangers.
"OK! Now, can we start blasting?" Maggie asks, pointing her P2020 towards the Head.
"Stop! Save your ammunition!" Arson states, making Maggie pull down her P2020, "The firepower is too weak. It's either with this," She says, holding up her wingman, "or brute force!"
As Valkyrie flies up to grab the head, Arson dashes after her, Loba following her. As Valkyrie narrowly misses a shot from the giant Mech, Arson jumps and catches the container.
"No!" Loba yells and tackles Arson, making her drop it and roll away, allowing Maggie to grab it.
Maggie looks up and rolls her eyes as a few self-destruct bots walk up and explode next to her, sending her back and causing the head to move back toward Arson and Loba. As Loba reaches for it, Revenant's foot lands on top of it, and he picks it up.
"That's mine." He says, extending a hand for Arson and helping her to her feet.
The trio looks around at the Spectre bots that begin to surround them, "Ugh! Truce?" Arson asks, looking at Loba.
Loba stands, scoffing, and begins using her staff to fend off the bots while Arson produces fire to overheat their circuits and wires. Revenant stabs a bot and tosses it effortlessly into two others. He holds the head up in front of him like a shield when a bot fires at him from above. Loba quickly snuffs the bot out when it tries to fire again. A bot on the ground aims a hemlock and shoots it from Revenat's grasp. Malcolm quickly catches it and begins running to the exit with Clementine.
"We have to get out of ah!" Clementine and Malcolm yell out in pain as the giant Mech hits them both, causing Malcolm to drop the head.
The bot picks it up as a Spectre bot walks up to the twins, who quickly huddle together in fear as it aims its Hemlock at them. Arson is quick to hell port and take it down with her Sais as Loba grabs its Hemlock through her black market shop and shoots down a few more bots. The Mech fires an orb of light at Loba, who jumps from her high ground.
As the twins return to help, Arson stops them, "No. Get out now."
"But, Mom, we are in this tog-"
"Do as I say! I can't guarantee your safety! I'm not losing you like I lost your parents. Now go!" Arson yells, interrupting Clementine, who looks hurt by her words.
"Come on, Clem, it's our leader's orders," Malcolm says, taking out a small orb of black and yellow light from his pocket.
Clementine looks between both of them before nodding and handing a small folded-up sheet of paper to Arson. She quickly takes the miniature sheet and puts it in her pocket as Malcolm throws the small orb on the ground, destroying it, and a portal back to the Revolution Center opens. The twins quickly go through it, and the portal closes behind them. She returns to the fight where the Mech is mainly dealt with, a final blow from Valkyrie's rockets putting it down once and for all. Arson watches as the head drops and bangs against the floor as it rolls to her feet. Arson picks it up and turns it so she can look into the blue eyes she fell in love with over 350 years ago. She almost affectionately sighs and brushes off some debris from the glass. Arson looks up as she hears heels approaching her; Loba reaches for a RE-45 in her gun holster as she holds out her hand, gesturing for the head, "The head. Now."
Arson moves into a defensive stance, baring her teeth while tucking the container under her arm. As Loba got closer, a high-pitched whirring rang out as lasers were pointed at everyone's chests. Arson looks down in horror as the head leaves her grasp before looking up to where Loba's Black Market is stationed. None other than Duardo Silva pulls the head from the Black Market and chuckles, "Oh, Miss Andrade. You must be more careful with your things."
Loba growls as Arson steps closer, readying the wingman in her burnt right hand.
"Don't worry, I'm only borrowing it. Though, I think you are to appreciate what is to come, Kaleb and Whitney." Duardo speaks in an explanatory tone.
Revenant simply looks at Duardo as he speaks.
"And, before I go, Miss Davis?" Duardo says, looking to Arson, who growls and looks up at him with clear, murderous intent.
"Don't tell me you actually planned not to tell your ex-partner that you wanted him to become a Simulacrum." Duardo laughs maliciously.
This sudden revelation caused the other Legends around her to gasp. Arson looks at him in horror. Everything she was working towards now was screwed by a single sentence reaching the wrong ears.
"What?" Loba yells in shock, looking to the Revolution Leader.
"A broken assassin was given the taste of love and wished for more despite her mortal partner dying. Quite the twisted star-crossed lovers' story, isn't it, Miss Davis?"
Arson looked on helplessly as Duardo and his goons climbed into a dropship and flew off.
"What is he talking about? You wanted Demonio to become what he is now?" Loba growls, approaching Arson, "You mean to tell me you the reason why my parents died that day?"
Arson sighs, feeling clear and bloody tears welling up in her eyes, as she turns to Loba, "I'm sorry..." She says weakly.
As Loba begins hurling abuse at her, Arson looks down at her hands and legs, which are shaking violently. What was this? Anger? Fear? Helplessness? Whatever it was, it had now consumed her, causing her to drop to her knees, pound her fists against the cold floor, and let out a long wail of a scream that had been unknowingly rising inside her lungs and throat.
Loba stops talking and backs up, looking at the broken woman at her feet. She knew that wail all too well. She remembers letting out one as painful back on that dreadful day. Back when her father's body was lifeless, yet still warm at her feet.
Arson grabs at her own arms as she pulls her body in on itself and lets out another broken wail, full of sorrow and regret. She no longer cares if anyone is watching her as clear tears fall down one side of her face and bloody ones fall down the other.
Loba looks on at her, now feeling pity for her. It's clear to Loba that Arson never meant for it to go this far, not to this extent. All she wanted was to put him to rest. Loba looks up in shock as Revenant approaches Arson, fists clenched.
Arson lets out a gasp as his hand clasps around her throat, lifting her off the ground and off her feet.
"You are going to tell me everything." Revenant growls, clenching around her throat harder.
"I will... Just... Just go ahead and do it... Quick, slow... I don't care. It's what I deserve." Arson shakily says between sobs.
Revenant growls and tosses her to the ground, "I find no pleasure in taking a life that doesn't appreciate it," is the last thing he says before turning and walking to the exit.
Arson looks at him as he leaves, then looks down to the floor again before pulling out the small sheet of paper Clementine handed her before leaving. It's a picture. A picture from over 350 years ago. Arson remembers this picture well. It was a morning when Kaleb managed to wake up before Whitney. He had taken a picture of both of them, Kaleb smiling as Whitney's sleeping form rested her head against his chest, her long curly mass of hair at the time lying on her shoulders, his chest, and behind her. Her right side is clearly unscarred, reminding her of who she once was. Arson closed her eye and pushed the picture to her chest, knowing things would play out differently from this point on.