Null Protocol || Ramattra x Reader

Chapter Twenty-Five

"What do you think you're doing?" The low drawl of Darius' voice seemed deeper than before, more threatening, and (Y/n) dropped the cannon immediately.

"Just, um-" She scrambled for an explanation as Laylani looked between the two of them, staying out of it just like last time. "Showing Lay the cannon- oh, it's not functional, if that's what you was worried about."

Darius grunted disbelievingly, his hand reaching up to tap the brim of his hat to push it up and out of the way as he glared down at her. "Trying to threaten Laylani, are you?"

Her eyes widened in alarm. "It ain't like that!"

He waved a dismissive hand at the pile of scrap behind her, looking no different than it did hours ago. "Boss lets a human on his ship that putzes around doing nothing but pointing highly dangerous weapons at his kind, and he thinks it won't stab him in the back??"

"I wouldn't do that to him or any of y'all," she protested, fidgeting with the scarf as she tried to resist hiding her face behind it. She wanted to run and hide from Darius but he was blocking her exit, and somehow she didn't think his aim was bad enough to miss should her back be turned.

"You think a damn collar is gonna protect you, 'pet'?" He took a step towards her and she flinched back, her butt slamming into the table as her whole body tensed up like a tightly wound spring. "You're nothing but property to him – a means to an end – and once your usefulness is up?" He pulled the pistol from his belt and her blood froze in her veins. He leveled it on her, a sick glint in his red eye lights, and his finger moved to the trigger. A shot rang out and (Y/n) flinched, but Darius was the one jerking back as his gun flew from his hand. He glared at the C-455 Sharpshooter as it spun its revolver around its finger before sliding it back into the holster and resting its hands on its belt buckle, leaning back on spurred boots like a cowboy relaxing after a well-trained shot.

Laylani scooted back on the counter as if to get more comfortable while (Y/n) found her breath. She held a hand over her racing heart, unsure if Darius was simply messing with her or actually intended to kill her while Ramattra wasn't around to stop him.

"Thanks, McCree." Her voice didn't sound like her own – was she really shaking so bad it made her voice tremble too? – and McCree tipped his hat in acknowledgment like a western gentleman.

Slow, deliberate footsteps clanged against the metal floor outside the mechanic bay, and Darius stiffened as a shadow loomed over him, the gun shot out of his hand crunching beneath the Ravager's foot. The nanites on his staff buzzed like they were about to be fired any second, but Ramattra calmly surveyed the room starting with his pet human. The intensity of his gaze made (Y/n)'s face burn, and she pulled his scarf up to hide it as his optics ran over her once, twice, then flickered over to Laylani, McCree, and finally, Darius.

"I certainly hope you did not attempt to act against my human, Darius." The metal in his staff creaked from the force of his hand tightening around it, but his voice was deathly calm. "I told you there would be consequences if you did." His foot ground the pieces of the gun into the floor, and Darius scoffed.

"Just reminding it of its place."

"Is that so?" Ramattra rose his head to (Y/n), gaze almost soft on her despite the air seeming to drop a couple degrees around him. She knew he wanted to hear from her what happened, but Darius was aboard the command ship for a reason – a very violent reason – so she wisely kept her mouth shut. He stepped around the torture specialist to approach (Y/n), using his staff to tilt her head side to side as if inspecting her for injuries. She shot him an awkward smile, the tenderness with which he treated her all but apparent even as the others looked on, and she wondered if he was only doing it to give himself time to come to a decision about what to do about Darius - he'd certainly never been this openly affectionate before.