Ray slowly opened his eyes to see an unfamiliar white ceiling. He felt bandages on his aching body and a sheet covering him.
'By the grace of Jimmy, where am I?'
Ray attempted to prop himself up bit a sharp pain shot up his arm and body instantly paralyzing his thoughts.
"Kghk..."
Ray's sluggish mind slowly regained its clarity as his thoughts traced back to his fight with Steam Cannon.
'Wait, no, didn't I die!? Didn't he kill me!?'
Ray turned his head with difficulty and observed his surroundings while thoughts swirled within his mind.
'Someone saved me? What about Feyd!?'
He was on a white bed with white sheets. His clothes seemed to have been swapped for simple white garbs. A similar, empty bed was beside him along with a desk.
He then looked towards his left to see someone sleeping peacefully in similar clothes and covered in bandages. A red haired elf. Feyd.
A slight smile cracked through Ray's fading anxious expression and worry. Beams of sunlight sneaked through window blinds and fell on the two of them.
However Ray relished in the moment for only a second before faltering onto his bed, completely spent. It seemed his body was still in terrible shape.
However it was still miles ahead of Ray's mental state. He had already begun to recollect what had transpired before he fell unconscious.
Being defeated by Steam Cannon, failing to protect his friend, giving up at the final moment, feeling glad that Eribos– Someone he hated– would kill Steam Cannon after his death.
The first thing he felt was anger and dissapointment. Not at Steam Cannon, or at the world but himself.
How could he have given up when his friend's life was at stake? How could he just give up like that?
The mere thought that he had done something like that made him feel hollow with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Ray's shoulders somehow slumped deeper into the bed as he closed his eyes.
He had always thought that people who gave up were dissapointments. If someone had already gone so far, what was so hard about just a bit more?
But now that he had experienced it himself– a crushing hopelessness, something that felt impossible, an insurmountable wall. He understood why people gave up.
He really wanted to tell himself that he tried his best to salvage the situation, and made the correct decisions. But his thoughts always circled back:
'But in the end, isn't it all my fault? Going to the bandit camp, fighting Steam Cannon, selfishly leaving Feyd alone... Isn't it all my fault?'
Ray's breathing hitched for a moment, as he brought an arm over him eyes.
No, Ray didn't cry. His eyes migh'tve moistened and his breath turned erratic, but he didn't cry. Though he wished he did so he could atleast release the emotions bubbling within him.
He was dissapointed in himself for giving up. That was it, nothing more nothing less.
But it was something he had never experienced before. He had never thought there would one day come a time when he would just... Give up.
His thoughts circled around each time. He tried to think of something else but nothing else came to mind. Only him giving up and letting Steam Cannon deal what should have been a finishing blow.
Eventually Ray brought his arm that was covering his eyes down and sighed heavily.
Now wasn't the time to wallow in sorrow or feel bad. He was somewhere unknown and his safety, along with Feyd's, was uncertain. He may have been distracted for a moment but he knew that he couldn't waste time much further.
Ray forced his mind to sense the world through shadows considering his physical body was in no shape to do anything.
And slowly he began to observe his surroundings and the building he was within. A room covered in white paint. Simple windows lined its walls intermittently, a few of which were open with blinds flowing with the breeze.
Only a few people were inside the room, almost all of whom were unconscious. Two men and a women, besides Feyd and Ray, were inside seemingly recuperating from different injuries.
They all seemed experienced in some way, their bodies showing signs of combat and training. Besides that there was nothing else of note inside the room.
Outside was a corridor and other rooms, though he couldn't sense much further than that. Using his close proximity to the window, Ray was able to sense that he was inside a white, hospital like building with three floors.
He then spread psychic waves around him to sense anything his Shadow Sense couldn't but found nothing special, just people working and patients resting. But there was someone coming towards Ray's room.
After confirming that they were coming to his room Ray paused his activities and feigned sleep.
The door soon creaked open as a young man in doctor's clothing came in. He had nothing on him except for a few papers in his hand.
The doctor came closer to Ray and Feyd and began to check up on them.
After a brief examination the young doctor had an extremely intrigued and curios expression with an undertone of shock.
"Injuries that would take months to recover without potions or magic, quickly healed in just a day. Although it seems their bodies aren't in any condition to move around the fact that they reached this level of recovery in just a day is incredible! And it seems like they'll heal completely by tommorow"
The doctor seemed excited to continue attending to the two of them and maybe learn a thing or two. He checked the other three patients in the room for sometime before coming back to Feyd and Ray.
It seemed he was far more interested in Feyd as compared to Ray.
"Scars all over his body, from what seems to be experiments! I wonder if that was what gave him his healing factor! In that case what about that one?"
"Or maybe he was experimented on to replicate the healing ability of the black haired elf! Ohh the possibilities..."
The doctor's hand trailed Feyd's scar covered body as he pondered on what they might've been for exactly.
But then soon after Feyd's body twitched for a second. The doctor flinched for a monet before getting up and taking a step backward.
"Vice Captain Jace, one of the two Elves is showing signs of waking up"
"Mmhmm yes sir"
"Affirnative. Understood, I'll do as instructed"
The doctor cut the call and took out a gun, ready to fire if needed. He then observed Feyd and waited for any further signs of him waking up.
Ray meanwhile almost furrowed his brows before barely stopping himself. He decided to wait to see what the doctor does first before responding but he had a feeling he wouldn't have to worry about the doctor doing anything.
Instead he focused his senses on Feyd and the footsteps coming from outside, from the corridor.
Feyd's eye lids twitched once, then his brows, before he opened his eyes slowly. For a moment he looked confused but he quickly got up and began to frantically look around.
Small embers sparked around him in a flash before Fireballs condensed around him. His eyes darted back and forth before locking onto the doctor who was infront of him and then snapping towards the "unconscious" Ray.
The doctor aimed his gun at Feyd, his fingers ready to press the trigger, yet his awkward expression seemed to say 'Could you calm down for a moment?'.
The footsteps that had been growing louder by the second, paused for a moment before the door opened. Two individuals in military clothing seemed calm while entering but the moment they saw Feyd in all his Firebally glory they immediately lifted up their guns and shouted.
"Elf, do not attack! You are on military grounds!"
Feyd's eyes flickered to the two soldiers and lingered on them. The adrenaline coursing through him blocked the sensations of aching and pain that his body was signaling to him. He readied himself to use Rift any moment.
"I see, and may I know why we are here?"
Feyd responded while glancing at Ray. The two military individuals looked at each other for a moment before looking back and Feyd. They gave no reply.
The air was tense between them, literal sparks flashing between them. The doctor's legs were shaking slightly but he barely managed to keep a show of composure.
'This is NOT what I signed up for!'
'I thought I could just somewhat leisurely do my work in the headquarters while researching during my free time! Not be stuck between a Fire Manipulator and two soldiers ready to fire!'
The man's expression was vaguely indignant. He continued his attempts at humouring himself in his thoughts to calm down.
Just as Feyd was about to Rift both him and Ray out a white hand patted the shoulders of the two soldiers. They quickly glanced at the source of the hands at the same time as Feyd.
The man had long, brown hair and clear black eyes that were hard to see considering how narrow his eyes looked, almost like horizontal slits. Beside his left eye a small mole was present. His skin was clear and somewhat tanned, though it was mostly white. Either he didn't go out into the Wastelands much or he had incredible skincare.
The man hummed before smiling at Feyd. He gestured with his hands at the soldiers, signaling them to lower their guns. They did so without hesitation.
"Now calm down~ No need to get so agitated. We found you and your friend inside the wreckage of a bandit camp beside Steam Cannon's unconscious body"
Feyd slowly nodded but didn't let his guard down. His plan to go into the military was under the assumption that he could do so in normal conditions with the guidance of his instincts. Yet now that his instincts had a questionable blotch to them, along with the current situation, he was fine abandoning his plans.
"Looks like that isn't enough to convince you. Fine, guess I'll have to explain everything. What a hassle"
The man shook his head in an exaggerated show of reluctance and unwillingness. His expression eventually went back to a relaxed yet frivolous look.
"You are currently in the Wastelands headquarters of the Cecilia Military. I am Vice Captain Jace, one of the highest authority here and also the person who found you"
Jace looked at Feyd intently as if expecting a reaction, but after getting nothing he continued on with an indignant expression.
Meanwhile Ray was subtly scouting Jace and the other soldiers while attempting to establish a telepathic link with Feyd.
'He is way too tense right now, and guarded. It'll take time'
"We were heading to Steam Cannon's camp when we saw a bike parked just below a steep yet maybe climbable part of the mountain. We went up as it began to rain and when we finally reached the top we found out that the whole place had burned down. Not only that, most of the bandits were dead and those that weren't were severely injured"
"We then saw you two together on the floor extremely injured and Steam Cannon a good distance away knocked out. And from the powers you just displayed and the traces found there, and with a bit of common sense, i reckon you two fought the camp and won, barely"
"There were few slaves there who were saved, who wish to thank you for you help, but that's besides the point. There were some... Interesting things there and we wish to ask you why you were there and what did you see"
Jace's frivolous and somewhat relaxed expression had shifted to a slightly serious one towards the end of his words.
Feyd's eye brows twitched as he as he considered Jace's words while Ray, extremely perceptive, knew that Jace wasn't overly malicious, at most guarded.
His attempts for telepathic communication kept failing but he wasn't worried about Feyd, he knew what to say and what not to. Anyways they were probably going to ask about the shrine and Steam Cannon's strange powers.
"Well you two don't have much of a choice in this matter, but do enjoy your stay~ Think of this as staying at a crappy inn with the occasional several hours of interrogation"
"Do not be so tense! You can take some time to think, we'll be leaving"
The two soldiers glanced at Jace, then at themselves, for a moment each before beginning to leave the room. The doctor too slowly dodged around for a second before slowlybmaking his way towards the door.
Jace smile and closed the door behind him as he left the room. The flames around Feyd flickered before extinguishing themselves.
"Sir, are we really just going to leave them be like this?", One of the two soldiers asked Jace.
"Ofcourse not! I hid a camera and mic to spy on them. Let's see what he does"