Null Protocol || Ramattra x Reader

☙Chapter Twenty-Six❧

Ramattra's blue eye lights were the only thing peeking through the scarf he wrapped around his head like a hood to hide his face, the red pinpricks of light dotted across his facial plate covered by the pitch black fabric like that would prevent anyone from figuring out who he was. (Y/n) thought it was a little extreme, but she trusted there was a reason – it's not like she was aware of just how important it was anyway. She knew he was a terrorist, she knew he did horrible things for his people, but she'd never been faced with the horrible reality of what he was doing, as he'd been doing his utmost to keep her away from such things. Probably because she couldn't handle it – her picture-perfect view of human/omnic relations was anything but perfect in the rest of the world – or maybe because he just didn't want to taint her naïve, hopeful view of humanity like it gave him a little spark of hope that perhaps not every human was as cruel as the ones he'd encountered all his life.

"Where are we?" (Y/n) asked, taking in the bustling city around them as Ramattra held a guiding hand on her lower back. He kept his head down to refrain from calling attention to himself while her head was constantly on a swivel in an attempt to take in everything from this unfamiliar location.

"King's Row, a neighborhood in the heart of London." It was tightly packed cobblestone streets, ritzy people bustling this way and that with places to be and all but ignoring everyone around them, and buildings stood tall on either side of the street, casting shadows across the people below like they were specifically designed to allow vampires out during the day. It was amazing, and it must've shown in (Y/n)'s eyes because she heard Ramattra 'tch', grumbling under his breath, "This city is riddled with crime and abuse of omnics," souring her mood almost instantly. "They treat my brothers and sisters as less than human."

"Oh." Despite knowing he wouldn't lie about something like that, that didn't align with what she was seeing – omnics and humans seemingly intermingled with no problem, some even chatting with each other as they sat on park benches or waved hello from behind the counter in shops. On the surface, everything seemed peaceful.

Someone knocked into her shoulder and she stumbled, momentarily slipping from Ramattra's grasp as she scrambled to regain her balance. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back into a metal body, and she rested her hands on the Ravager's arm as he glared over her head at the human that had knocked her off-kilter.

"Watch your step," Ramattra said, grasping at patience he didn't have to remain civil.

The man looked between the pair, pure judgment in his gaze when he noticed her companion was an omnic, and he grumbled, "Eh, I coulda done a lot worse to a robot fucker," like he wanted them to hear the filth leaving his mouth.

Ramattra's arm tightened around (Y/n) as she murmured quiet "Hey"s under her breath in an effort to calm him down.

"Listen to your bloody master, ya clanker," the man spat, flashing a wide grin so they could see all the teeth he was missing equally well as the brain cells he lacked.

(Y/n) protested, "I ain't his master." She felt Ramattra's barely contained fury curl his hand, and it slipped away from her back to avoid holding her too tightly. "Omnics ain't been servants for decades, why would you say such awful things?" They didn't know each other, yet unprovoked the man said terrible things like everyone wanted to hear his unbridled thoughts – and it didn't receive a single odd look from the dozens of people walking by. The realization that prejudice towards omnics was not only normal but accepted made her shift on her feet uneasily, her empty stomach roiling with discomfort. Was this really the reality of the rest of the world, or just one bad egg in a carton of good ones?

"Look, love, I don't care how you get your rocks off, but I wouldn't be too proud to call myself a bot fucker." The next second, Ramattra's giant hand was wrapped around his throat and he was hoisted into the air, his feet kicking for purchase that just wasn't there. People were staring now as Ramattra cocked his head mockingly, his grip light yet the man gasped for every breath of air.