Null Protocol || Ramattra x Reader

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Your pet is fine, Boss, and just as scarred as before." Darius rolled his head, hand itching for a gun that was no longer in his holster, and (Y/n) put a hand over the scar trailing up her forearm self-consciously.

"Then explain to me why my girl is shaking and your gun was on the floor after my C-455 unit was forced to intervene in whatever transpired here." Ramattra turned back, cold fury in his tone that made her breath freeze in her lungs, and she spotted his free hand balled into a tight fist like it took everything in him to remain calm.

Laylani tilted her head as if quirking an eyebrow as Darius scoffed again, shifting his weight uneasily. "The bot overreacted." He sounded aggravated, like he was on the verge of snapping, like if Ramattra pushed him too far, he'd lash out, and (Y/n) grabbed a fistful of the Ravager's black scarf. Her hand was quivering and every little tremor he felt, but he made no indication of that as he stared Darius down. It was like she was telling him what happened without opening her mouth and he was perceptive to every minute detail when it came to her – the reason for her silence, why she was shaking at all, everything.

"I believe it is time we part ways," Ramattra said slowly, his grip never loosening from his staff as the nanites continued to whir in silent warning. "I appreciate what you have done for the cause-"

"What the fuck are you saying?" Darius cut him off, the words nothing more than a growl as his voice reached a new low, each word oozing with thinly veiled threat. "You think you can get rid of me just like that when you need me?"

"What I need does not require your services any longer." Ramattra's tone held bite this time, and he stepped completely between (Y/n) and Darius so he couldn't see her anymore.

"Bullshit," Darius spat, taking an aggressive step towards him with hands curled into fists. "That thing is turning you soft-" Ramattra's staff jutted out, slamming into Darius' forehead so his head snapped back from the impact and he stumbled backwards. He struggled to right himself as Ramattra spun the staff back into his hand, nanites whirring all the angrier as McCree slid its revolver from the holster and thumbed the hammer back. (Y/n) tried to peek around Ramattra's arm, her grip tightening on his scarf as she huddled closer to his back, and the hand not on his staff reached back to rest on her hip and hold her securely behind him.

"All of this for a worthless human," Darius drawled, reaching up to feel the dent in his forehead as he glared daggers at (Y/n)'s (e/c) eye peeking around the Ravager.

Her breath caught at the intensity and she felt Ramattra growl. "Take your leave or I will show you out myself."

"It's going to get you killed, Boss." Darius never looked away from her, something haunting in his piercing red eye lights that almost reminded her of Ramattra's hostility in the cave. "It'll kill all of us." She wanted so badly to write off his words as nothing more than a threat fueled by years of deep-seated hatred for humans, but he was right: the knowledge she carried could very well kill all omnics.

Her stomach turned uncomfortably as Ramattra's fingers flexed against her side, and he turned to McCree. "Bring Darius to the hangar and see that he finds his way home." It would've sounded like a pleasant send-off if there wasn't rage bubbling beneath the surface of his voice, and Darius turned with a scoff to march off, kicking the broken pieces of his pistol out into the hall. McCree robotically followed, spinning the revolver around its finger and slipping it back into the holster, but its hand rested on the butt of the gun just in case.

Ramattra didn't relax even after Darius disappeared, and he turned to (Y/n) with a sharp look. "What happened?"

"He pulled his pistol on me." The nerves were still giving her the shakes, and she tried to even out her tone despite knowing it was pointless to try.