Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Amir felt like he was waking up from the worst kind of nap. The kind that leaves you tired and disoriented, worse off than when you fell asleep. He could barely see anything through bleary, eyes except warm lighting and familiar shapes. It was enough to orient himself. There was no way he could mistake the Backrooms for anywhere else. What was most recognizable was the smell. Dust and old clothes. Arthur's cooking lingering in the air, leaving everything with a faint hint of nutmeg and black pepper. Then there was Drifter's indescribable scent. The best way Amir could describe it was that they smelled like licking a battery. Regardless of how off putting it was at first, it had become familiar, and then comforting. What Amir couldn't figure out was why he was here. Were they playing Fables and Frontiers super late or something? He couldn't remember the last time he crashed at Drifter's place. It was probably before they got together with Arthur. They must have gotten drunk. He had fallen asleep pressed up against the railing in the loft.

It hit him. The horrors of The Zariman tore through his mind. Even worse was the wretched month before in Drifter's absence. A million questions ran through his head at once. Did he pass out? Why? Was he in the weird Zarmian Backrooms? How long had it been? Was everyone OK? Sheer terror wrenched the last remnants of exhaustion away. Amir leapt to his feet.

Only he didn't. He couldn't.

Not a single muscle in his body responded to his racing thoughts. He could not make even a single finger twitch. Panic seized him violently. Amir tried to scream, but his tongue was dead weight in his mouth. Even his breathing was a struggle only made worse by his fear as he began to hyperventilate. Mindless terror overcame him. His heart battered against his rib cage, just as trapped as he was. He was imprisoned in his own thoughts. Unable to move. Completely alone.

A few minutes passed. Or perhaps hours of this agony crawled by until he, at last, exhausted himself into a calm stupor. At which point the only other emotion Amir managed other than fear was gratitude. At least he still could cry and move his eyes. He tried to get his bearings. There had to be some way he could wake himself from this nightmare.

There was little he could see pressed up against the railing. Half of his vision was blocked by the bars, making it difficult to focus on anything. From the loft he made out Wisp, laying motionless by the arsenal. His blood ran cold. Was this what being a Warframe meant? Did the infestation finally consume him? Strength. Speed. Abilities beyond comprehension. Unable to use any of it. Unable to move his own body. Utterly helpless.

Amir could feel the panic threatening to consume him again. He tore his eyes away from Wisp and looked up. Quincy had been right there. In front of him the whole time. Just like Amir, he was equally as limp and motionless. Quincy's eyes were swollen and completely red as he stared ahead lifelessly. The sight sent Amir spiraling into another hell of panic and fear. He was unable to help his friend. Useless. Worthless.

In the midst of the endless suffocation of fear and terror Amir heard a familiar voice. His panicked breathing had drowned out the words but he absolutely knew he heard something. He struggled to control his breathing and strained to hear over his pathetic wheezing.

"Please! We only want to help!"

Aoi! AoiAoiAoi. Please. Aoi!

He couldn't speak. Still he begged. Over and over again. There was a answer to his silent pleas. Comfort. Like someone was holding him close and safe. He closed his eyes, giving into that feeling and managed a shuttering sigh. It would be OK. Even if he could never move again, the rest of the Hex wouldn't abandon him. He steadied himself with that knowledge.

With this new sense of clarity he was able to finally hear hysterical wailing as if it were echoing down a distant hall. He could hear each of his friends crying out. They needed help. He needed to help. To do anything. With practiced ease he found that spark of electricity within himself and sent it out.

Every

split.

Warm.

Cold.

Light.

Dark.

Ar

thur.

Staggering.

Limp.

A metal crane?

A broken mug?

...Blood?
Was she hurt?

He hurt.

Everything hurt.

Every part of his body and thoughts were being torn in half. Every molucule that was his was shredding apart.

"He's seizing?!"

Lettie slipped Amir off her back and onto the floor as he convulsed. The movement had been so slight that she hadn't know what was happening at first. She could count the number of seizures she had witnessed on one hand. Everyone was looking at her. Counting on her. Lettie couldn't remember what to do. She hesitated. Driven to madness, and unable to idly stand by anymore, Arthur attempted to pin Amir to the ground. Forcibly trying to stop him from seizing.

"No!", Lettie's spared no gentleness as she grabbed Arthur's shoulders, forcing him to back off. Arthur's pupils were dilated. His breathing was rough and rapid. Fear and panic had driven him past the brink. Lettie's voice softened, "No." He buried his head in his trembling hands. As Lettie turned back toward Amir, she remembered what to do. With gentle care she removed Amir's glasses and turned him onto his side. Then, they waited.

A few more seconds passed before the convulsions subsided. Lettie returned to carrying Amir and as his weight settled on her shoulders and odd thought occurred to her. Like Amir was whispering in her ear. Lettie muttered under her breath as they walked, "Worst haunted house ever."

Soon they were all muttering it in discordant unison as they trekked through the suffocating darkness and back to Drifter.

The dormizone was eerily silent when they entered in a frenzied burst of activity. Lettie immediately set Amir down on the bench in the kitchen with Aoi hovering over the both of them. Arthur rushed into the bedroom and grabbed Drifter's hand,

"I'll love you forever. I-I'll listen more. I'll never leave you alone...", he kept muttering promise after promise, desperately trying to force the glowing strands of light to appear. Nothing happened.

Eleanor was the only one who noticed Quincy. He was standing in the far corner, staring at his knife that had been discarded in the middle of the bedroom. His thoughts were disturbingly quiet. As she got closer the blood streaked across his body became apparent.

What...what happened?

"Ain't mine.", Quincy's voice was hoarse and barely audible.

Eleanor gently brushed her consciousness against Quincy's. She hadn't meant to probe, but Quincy's thoughts were so fractured they burst like a spider's nest at the slightest regard. They skittered across her mind, infesting it with the terrible memories he had witnessed. The smell of rotting blood wafting off Quincy suddenly became very apparent. She choked back nausea as she stumbled into the kitchen to breathe. Quincy followed, unaware of the distress he was causing Eleanor.

Lettie was preoccupied with examining Amir. He lay precariously on the narrow bench, threatening tumble onto the floor at any moment. The sight shook something free in Quincy. This was real. He turned on the others, sounding more scared than angry, "What happened?! Why didn't you protect him?!"

Aoi carefully set the broken mug on the table before speaking, "We separated. Amir went with Arthur an-Quincy!"

The second Quincy heard Arthur's name he turned and charged back into the bedroom. He tore Arthur away from Drifter. Arthur struggled until Quincy slammed him against the wall, knocking the air from his lungs. Quincy screamed and inch from Arthur's face, "We expendable to you?! You willin' to sacrifice us for Drifter?" Arthur just shoved him away and tried to return to Drifter's side. Quincy wouldn't let him leave and grabbed him again while screaming, "Answer me!"

Arthur sounded broken, "I-I have to save Drifter. I have-"

"Is that all you care about?!"

"Amir...Amir's going to be fine. Drifter needs me."

"What about the rest of us?! Who's next? Eleanor?!"

"No! Not her!", the distress in Arthur's voice was painfully obvious but it didn't matter to Quincy.

"Is your Maj scared-"

ENOUGH!

Eleanor's voice rang loudly in everyone's heads.

This ship is doing a great job of torturing us! We don't need to do it ourselves!

"Fightin' his battles? Should I start callin' you Queenie?"

I'm helping my brother. Something you might understand if you weren't such a shit one.

Quincy winced and stepped back. Eleanor knew she was cutting deep, nettling at insecurities pried from Quincy's most private thoughts. She was willing to be ruthless, if it meant Quincy would back off. She would do anything to protect Arthur.

While they argued, Aoi examined the pieces of the broken mug. The logical next step was to see what would happen if the two pieces were put back together. Click.

Amir shot up. Gasping.

The shock of it caused Aoi to drop the mug. It's two halves skittered across the table. Amir immediately collapsed again, slipping off the bench and spilling onto the floor at Lettie's feet. They took a moment to stare bewildered at each other before Aoi snatched the mug, and with shaking hands, snapped the two halves back together.

Amir immediately leapt up, nearly bowling Lettie over. He immediately started scratching his nose while giddily laughing. Before anyone could say anything he turned toward Lettie, "HowlongdoIhave?"

"¡¿Q-Que?!"

"Knowwhat. Doesn'tmatter!"

He leapt over the table, and Aoi had to dodge to get out of his way. She didn't dare take her hands off the mug, keeping it firmly pressed together. Amir made a beeline for Drifter, completely ignoring anything else.

"Okokok. I'vehad alotoftime tothinkaboutstuffrecently," Amir took a deep breath before continuing, "You're my best friend. Annnnd I don't think I've been listening to you. Like, at all. You tried to tell me all this stuff about the future and I was only hearing what I wanted to hear. I just..."

Amir blinked back tears and took another deep breath. "...the future is supposed to be hopeful, yeah? All our problems solved, 'cause we have the right tech and we've evolved. Turns out," he gestured their surroundings, "the future fucking sucks! People are just as shitty! There's still so much greed. War. Suffering. Hunger. The same problems and now somehow worse?! Because of the new tech?! And...and...and I'm so...so sorry this happened to you."

He couldn't help the tears, "...but you know what? It doesn't matter. The future is still cool, it's still hopeful, because you are in it! No matter what happens, I want to face the future with you!"

A gentle spiral of light connected Amir to Drifter. The fear that had been crushing them suddenly lifted. It wasn't as if it had disappeared, but that they were ready to face it. Together.

The light vanished. Amir turned toward the others, panicking, "DidImessthatup? Wasn't someone supposed to be between us or something?" Arthur ran forward and pulled Amir into a tight embrace. Eleanor was next to follow, wrapping her arms around the both of them.

Amir looked expectantly at Quincy, "Group hug! Everybody in!"

Quincy grimaced but patted Amir on the back awkwardly attempting to avoid Arthur. Still holding the mug together, Aoi watched jealously from the doorway while Lettie joined the hug.

"...rthur?"

A quiet voice broke the silence. Groggy and heartbreakingly familiar. Arthur turned toward Drifter.