Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Expendable. That’s what they referred to all of you as. The Expendables. They didn’t use your name, didn’t even give you a number. They didn’t see you all as individuals, but rather as something they can use at their disposal. You hadn’t thought much about it, you had no reason to. No reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary. They didn’t tell you that you should’ve, so why should you?

You only started to think a little more about it when you arrived at the docks. Other than the fishy aroma that was too strong to ignore, the first thing you noticed was how densely packed the place was. It was like you were in the middle of Manhattan all over again. Except most people here wore a jumpsuit. It matched yours, a dark greyish-blue under the bright fluorescent lights. Prisoners. They made up the majority of the crowd, mostly making their way to one submarine or another. They varied in age and size. Some of them were in small groups, none larger than eight. There were also others among the crowd, odd specks of blue or orange, or even purple here and there. Those were mechanics, technicians, guards, and most likely other sorts of personnel. You never saw them before being sent down here and you most likely were never gonna see them again. If all went right, you were gonna leave this with a squeaky clean record and an extra hundred thousand in your back pocket to boot. If someone else didn’t take that crystal first.

It hadn’t occurred to you exactly how many prisoners signed up until that moment at the docks. You knew a lot of them would sign up, you had seen some sign up at your prison, but you didn’t think that they would let just anyone go. You supposed maybe they would pick small groups of those who were more qualified than the rest. It would make sense. It wasn’t this big difficult mission. The way they explained to you made it seem so simple. You go down to their abandoned facility, navigate it, find the crystal, and get out. You knew there was probably something more to it. You weren’t stupid, there was most likely some hazard down there that kept Urbanshade from sending one of their finer people. But what could be so dangerous that they need to send hoards of people, on top of what they’ve probably already sent, just to get one measly crystal? Couldn’t be that difficult, could it?

You weren’t given the chance to think further into it, being pushed forward by the other prisoners in the crowd. Water seeped into your Urbanshade-issued boots. They were cheap things, probably bought in bulk for the masses that signed up for the program. You wondered if they anticipated exactly how many would sign up? Or was their guess just as good as yours? You supposed it didn’t matter. A company as big as that, surely could come up with enough clothes for everyone somehow.

Being forced through the crowd, you soon found yourself walking along the edge of the docks. There were submarines lined up, an armed guard on the outside of each one. People were shoved into the things-some alone, others in their little groups.

You took a good look around, like a really good look around. At the entrance of the docks, you saw a big screen hanging over the doors. It read, DOCK 2, in big bold letters. Underneath was a string of smaller words that moved across the bottom of the screen, kind of like in a news report. Squinting, you tried to make it out. It was some sort of warning, but you didn’t catch what it was warning you about.

Your eyes soon wandered down, sending a quick jolt through you. You were only a couple feet away from the edge, which was set a few feet above the water. The only thing in between the edge and the walkway was a thick yellow line. Not a single railing in sight. The seasalt burned in your nose, making the gap between you and the water only seem smaller. After that you tried pushing a bit closer to the crowd.

You continued to look around, catching sight of something. There was a fight between a guard and a prisoner, which was quickly diffused. After a few shots fired, that is. You flinched slightly, counting the shots in your head.

One. Two. Three.

The crowd also briefly stopped, but promptly continued to move forward. You tried catching sight of the prisoner who was in the fight, but saw nothing. They probably just fired into the air. Regardless, you made a mental note to stay to the sidelines. Afterall, you didn’t want to catch a stray, even if it meant standing at the edge of a seemingly endless ocean.

You found that your gaze kept vying off-course, looking down at the water beside you. The water rippled against the concrete, splashing over and creating puddles near the bounds of the dock. You forced your vision to try and see anything under the water. Other than some blinking lights, which you assumed were from the submarines, you couldn’t make anything out. That made your stomach churn and your head feel a bit too light. You looked away again.

After walking for a few minutes, you arrive at the entrance of one of the subs. For a moment, you hesitate. You could feel the humidity rising out from it. You also spotted some boot tracks. The same as the boots you were wearing. They didn’t even bother cleaning it out. The same went with the smell. The docks did smell pretty bad, but inside the sub seemed much worse. It reeked of sweat and mold.

You tried taking a step back, only to be met with a rough push from one of the guards. Before you could even get yourself up, he was already talking.

“You are expendable. You are not expected to return.” His voice was cold, devoid of any emotion.

You just froze for a moment, trying to process what he had just said. You quickly snapped yourself out of it, looking up at him. But just as you steadied yourself against one of the supports, the guard took off, the door automatically latching shut.

The submarine promptly began its journey, the sudden shake encouraging you to take your seat.

As you positioned yourself on the bench, the quaint feeling of that pit in your stomach settled in. What was that guard talking about? Had you imagined it? No, you distinctly remember the way his voice seems so robotic, as if he had said it a thousand times. But why wouldn’t they expect you to get back? It’s not that difficult based on how they explained it. Had they left something out? They probably did, not wanting to scare people away. But then what was down there that was so dangerous? Was the place unstable? Was it bound to cave in on itself at any moment?

You shook your head, pushing those thoughts to the back of your mind. Your gaze shifted to the small circular window that was beside you, your eyes following the fish outside it. It was stupid to worry now, even before you got there. There’s probably nothing. You probably had just misunderstood the guard. Besides, you doubt that they would send prisoners down if there was anything super dangerous or life-threatening. And if there was anything, you decided you would cross that bridge once you got to it.

But for now, you relaxed. You had a couple of hours until you would get there. They did tell you that after you got your suit-that the trip would take a couple hours, that is. For now, you just watched the maritime outside your window, letting your head press against it. It was cold and moist and it alleviated some of the pressure that was building up in your head. Your eyelids soon fell shut, the slight hum of the submarine lulling you. You felt your thoughts drift away, only to be rocked back by the occasional jolt of the sub. But you relaxed, relinquishing yourself to whatever your dreamland had in store for you.

Chapter Text

You were on the ground. At least you thought you were, from what you could make of everything. It was wet. Your head lay sideways, in a way that made your neck sore. You didn’t move it. You couldn’t. You tried moving your limbs, but you couldn’t. You couldn’t feel them. You couldn’t feel anything. The only thing you could feel was the ever-slowing rise and fall of your chest. It hurt a lot. That exhausted you even more.

You tried blinking away the exhaustion, tried focusing on something in your view, but it made your head throb.

Finally, after tiring yourself a little more, you pieced together the fact that you were in a room. A big room, kind of like a decompression chamber. There was a light. It kept moving. That made your head hurt more.

In the dim red lighting, you could just make out two figures. Two very tall figures. They didn’t seem human. Or did they? You didn’t know.

One of the figures was frantic, waving its arms around as it yelled at the other. The voice felt far away, distant. You couldn’t make out what it said. Frankly, you didn’t care at this point.

Suddenly, the figure disappeared. It literally dissolved into thin air. You blinked a few more times, the light vanishing with the figure.

You tried to reason in your head, put together what was going on, but you couldn’t. Your thoughts were obscured by the pain in your chest and head. It had just occurred to you that you were laying in a pool of your own blood. You could feel the gash in your chest, the blood pouring out.

You wanted to scream.

Each breath you took became more rapid, more desperate, like an animal’s. Your eyes strained to make something out of the endless darkness. It was no different than when you have your eyes closed.

Your head spun with a million different thoughts crashing into each other. Was this how you died? On the floor in a room you didn’t recognize, in a pool of your own blood? How would your family react after you died? Your mother? Would she greet you with her familiar song? Lulling the pain away? Or would she act like you were never her child to begin with? And your dad? Would he embrace you for once? Or would he push you away again? As he always seemed to do. Would your siblings even bother with a funeral? Would the memory of what you did still be too fresh? Would Urbanshade even find your body? Would they even bother to get it?

Your thoughts suddenly stopped, the second figure appearing again. He was green all over. A vomit kind of green. He seemed somewhat human, although you couldn’t really tell. Your vision was just getting blurrier by the second. He got closer, stepping in front of you.

You heard a voice. A loud and clear voice. It seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. “Stick to the script.”

You wake up with a start, almost jumping out of your seat. Your head swerves around, but you find yourself still in the submarine. Your hands instinctively go to your chest, feeling nothing but the rough fabric of your suit.

The tension leaves your shoulders. You slump back against the wall, a sigh escaping you. It was just a dream. You’re ok.

But it didn’t feel like a dream - not like you’ve had a dream in years. At least, not anything memorable. Do people feel pain in dreams? Would that even qualify as a dream? It was more nightmarish than anything. And the blood, it felt real. You felt it pouring out. You felt it pooling around you.

That wasn’t the most unsettling part though. Oddly enough, even though you couldn’t even properly make out that green guy, he was engraved into your memory.

You quickly push the gory memory from your mind. Better not to dwell on it. It didn’t matter now anyhow; you’re alive and safe. No need to focus on that or any other weird thing. Like that thing the guard said. And what that figure said as well. What was it again? Something about a script? Oh, that’s not the point. The point is, it doesn’t matter anymore. The only thing you should be worried about is getting that crystal and getting out.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the submarine’s sudden jolt. You glanced out the window, noticing a concrete walkway similar to the docks you were just at.

A woman’s voice spoke up from the back of the sub. “Please stand back from the hatch until it has fully opened.” You looked over, a small panel with a bunch of red buttons and ‘Navi AI’ written on it was on the wall.

The hatch whirred open as you steadied yourself against a support. You took a few cautious steps across, avoiding looking at the water. As soon as you step off the hatch, the sub closes up, immediately leaving you alone in the large room.

Although it is a very big area, this dock was nothing compared to the one up on the surface. This one seemed to only dock two or three subs, at most. The atmosphere seemed to have remained intact - the smell and humidity continuing strong. Your eyes scanned the room, several crates and boxes lying around. You wondered what was in them. There were desks and lockers lined up against the walls. Some lockers were big enough that you could probably fit inside if need be, not likely that you would though.

You walked up to one of the desks, a door right next to it. There was a panel next to the door. It had the number one-hundred written on it in light blue. The door had a keypad, which could also take a keycard.

Before you could continue investigating, a man’s voice chimed in over the intercoms. “As discussed during your briefing, your primary objective is to secure and bring back the Crystal. Your secondary objective is to secure as many loose assets as possible.” Your eyes fell onto the notepad and USB drive sitting on top of the desk. You pocketed them quickly, continuing to pay close attention to what the guy was saying. “You’ve been equipped with a diving tank, allowing you to navigate any potentially flooded areas. You’ve also been equipped with a Crystal Container, used for securing the crystal if…” He paused, clearing his throat. “When you reach it. You have permission to use any additional equipment you may find. Our Navi-Path AI system has marked the shortest route possible to your primary objective. It should be noted that you’ll mostly be left on your own, as we are currently busy managing multiple teams. We will tune in from time to time, if it matters at the moment.” He pauses, taking a breath. “Remember, you are expendable. You are not expected to return. Don’t fear death, fear failure.” Those words ran a chill up your spine. You did remember. You remembered what that guard told you before you boarded the submarine. He didn’t say that last part, you don’t think, but it still rattled you nonetheless. The speaker held the same emotionless tone that the guard did. “Open the door and proceed when ready.”

You did as told. You crawl through a small space made by some boxes to reach another area with a couple desks. One of the desks had a keycard and the other a flashlight. You take both, making your way to the door and into the first room.

You didn’t quite know what to expect, based on what you’ve heard you thought this would be some sort of madman’s lair. Despite trying to stay out of gossip so many times, you still managed to catch a few rumors here and there. Some people say Urbanshade did some illegal testing down here. They said that the reason it was so far deep underwater was that it would keep any government’s prying eyes away. If nobody can see it, they can never report it. That part was true, you supposed. But you imagined the place a bit less like an office and a bit more like an old lab with big sharp needles all over the place and dangerous substances kept in beakers and vials and actual test subjects. But no. This place seemed almost like where you would work a nine to five. Normal. All too normal.

There were a few vials here and there, files filled with papers, and scattered notes. The vials didn’t seem dangerous, at least, from what you could tell, and the mess with the papers and files just seems like people were in a rush to leave. And besides, the mess that was present was nowhere near what you were imagining.

The only aspect that really seemed abnormal for an office setting were the windows. There were big open windows that sometimes almost took up whole walls. They put on display the lack of anything but water surrounding the facility for miles. And miles. And some more miles on top of that. The thought made your stomach do an uneasy flip. It was the only real reminder that you were at the bottom of the ocean in the middle of literal nowhere. Other than the smell. You wondered how those employees could manage it. You knew you wouldn’t be able to.

You shook those thoughts away, focusing on the real mission at hand. Swiping some vials and papers, you continued through the rooms. At each door, the number counted down by one. You kept track, assuming that by the time you got to zero, you would reach the crystal. And from there, safely get to the docks to be escorted out. Simple.

And it indeed was simple. You thought there would be something more to it, something they didn’t mention. There was one thing they didn’t mention so far. You found it peculiar that there were so many lockers all over the place - even in the offices. The big ones. The ones where you could fit a whole human inside. Strangely enough, in some of the lockers there seemed to be purple glowing eyes peering out.

You backed up into one on accident a few rooms in, stepping on some liquidy goo that dripped out of it. For a moment, you thought something was going to jump out at you, the eyes staring you down. But nothing did. Whatever it was that was in some of the lockers, it didn’t seem to attack first.

Good. You intended to keep it that way. Not like you were about to open every locker you saw anyway, let alone get in one.

As you made your way through the rooms - taking some data here and there - one thought nagged away at you. Was that locker goop thing really the reason nobody has gotten the crystal yet? You knew there would be some people who fell prey to the instability the facility held, with it falling apart and all, but you didn’t think that most would be stupid enough to investigate the goopy, purple-eyed locker thing. You thought that they would have some self-preservation to keep themselves in tact.

Whatever, it didn’t concern you. The less people that are able to get to the crystal, the more of a chance it gives you to reach it first.

Door 90 slid open as usual but you were met with darkness. Complete darkness. Sighing, you took out the flashlight you had pocketed before. Turning it on, you started through the room. About halfway you noticed some weird creature, stopping you in your tracks. It kind of looked like it was floating. The only way you could find to describe it was that it looked somewhat like a squid. Although, it was completely black and lacked any specific features, even when you pointed your light at it. It had a human-like head and torso, although it had no ears. Instead of a normal face, it had a smiley face that glowed white. It looked like a child had drawn it.

For a few moments, you were so entranced with it that you didn’t even realize that it was getting agitated. Its face was shaking slightly, a low hum coming from it.

By the time you realized you were the one making it angry, it was too late. It jumped out at you, emitting a low screech. You stepped back, covering your face, dropping the flashlight in the process. After a second, the room went silent.

You looked around, finding nothing. No glowing face, no weird noise, nothing. Picking up your flashlight, you looked around again. Still nothing. It was gone as fast as it had appeared.

Suddenly not feeling so safe anymore, you hurried to the other room, which thankfully was well lit. Your heart was beating loudly in your ears, your head beginning to throb. Maybe there were a few other things you needed to be cautious of. But what was that thing? It didn’t look like anything you had ever seen. It didn’t even look natural. Were the rumors true? Did Urbanshade experiment on animals and humans? If that’s true, does that mean that that thing was possibly once human? These questions worsened your headache.

You stopped at the door to room 88. Even though you had suspected something more, you didn’t think it would hinder you this badly. You were only twelve rooms in and already were hurt. You sighed, taking a step forward. This would be harder than you thought.

As soon as you stepped into the next room, the lights flickered. You continued walking, paying no mind to it. Most likely a side effect of the place not being well maintained.

Just as you were about to make it to the next door, you heard it. You paused. In the distance you heard something. It wasn’t like the other uncomfortable sounds of old pipes and whatnot. No, it was very different. A very distinct scream. And it was getting louder.

You needed no further instruction, pure instinct driving you into the nearest hiding spot. Fortunately, the locker you chose had no other unwanted guests. You relaxed, being thankful to not have to deal with yet another new friend right now.

You were waiting in the locker, peeking out in the crack between the two doors, when you realized how cramped of a space it really was. Despite its size, the locker felt abnormally small and like it was getting smaller by the second.

You wanted out. But you could hear the screaming getting louder. It was so loud that it shook the entire place now.

Your breath began to become more rapid, making the air inside the locker feel even hotter. You could feel the walls gradually getting closer. You closed your eyes, hoping it would go away.

Suddenly, you couldn’t take it anymore. You forced yourself out, falling onto the floor. Just as your heart began to slow down again, something ran into you.

For a split second you could make out what looked like a gray anglerfish. Except, it was huge, bigger than you at least. And its mouth was full of huge sharp teeth, open and ready to bite down on anything it came across.

Before you could even blink, its teeth sunk into you, sending a dozen sharp needles right through your torso.