Chapter Text
“Argh! I’m down! No bueno!” Octavio “Octane” Silva yelled into his earpiece, sending a quick ping of the enemies location to his last surviving teammate, “Quick bad guy! Right here! Last one!”
Bloodhound already had eyes on their target, the ever evasive Renee “Wraith” Blasey. From their perch they watched, waiting patiently, as Wraith quickly descended from the roof of a nearby building. She ran towards Octane's retreating form with full force, eager to get the kill, to finish him quickly before tending to her own downed teammates. Predictable . Bloodhound took calculated even deep breaths, trying to steady their racing heart, lining up the shot. The hunt was always so exhilarating, especially in these final moments of the games when only a few teams remained, the adrenaline was intoxicating. Their right hand adjusted the scope slightly, a hair's difference in position meant life or death. With the sniper poised on Octane’s position, eyes tracked as Wraith came into view. Bloodhound released the scope sliding their hand back down the curved body of the gun, lightly tracing it as if it were a lover, gripping the handle loosely, sniper stock tucked tight into their shoulder to steady. Wraith walked directly into view, crosshairs to the back of her head. Bloodhound took one last deep breath, finger poised on the sensitive trigger. Time slowed in this moment, blood rushing in their ears was the only thing Bloodhound could hear, the steady pulse of their heart, the pressure in their chest from the held breath. As they released their tension in a long exhale, finger in motion to apply the smallest amount of pressure for release, they saw Wraith tilt her head to the side as if she heard someone call out to her. As Hound pulled the trigger, sniper kicking back into their shoulder hard, their heart skipped a beat watching as Wraith reached unnaturally quick to activate her tactical on her wrist, disappearing before their eyes in a flurry of purple haze, bullet piercing the wall a moment later where she should have been.
Bloodhound cursed under their breath quickly holstering their weapon, raising to their feet to chase. They reached for their own wrist activating their Ultimate with a few taps on the screen. Hound could feel their body surge, an unearthly guttural growl ripped through their chest as they transformed into the Beast of the Hunt. Primal. All senses heightened, vision clear, fixed on the now trace amounts of haze left from their newest prey. Bloodhound knew they only had a few more moments to catch up to her before she was lost to them. Free to revive her teammates. Hounds movements need to be precise.
Trust in the Allfather.
Bloodhound leapt down from their vantage point in one go, pausing briefly to absorb the shock from such a height on their joints before sprinting after their prey. Their vision was wide, everything dilated to increase the flow of blood to their burning extremities. The generator of their respirator screamed in protest as it was pushed to its limit, whirling to try to keep up with the intake of oxygen Bloodhound needed to stay functioning now. The purple haze was getting thicker. Closer. An abrupt turn had Bloodhound sliding around the corner on all fours, gloved hands dragging through the dirt as their legs threatened to buckle beneath them. Just a little more.
Another growl ripped through Bloodhound as they finally saw the end of Wrath’s portal, coming to light with crackling energy as she was about to reappear. Realization hit as Hound saw the Respawn Beacon up ahead, they needed to get between them. With everything left in them Bloodhound bounded down the hill sliding hard on their knees to gain speed on such steepness. The crackling haze came to a head as Bloodhound slid past the exit of their prey's portal. Time slowed again. Hound kicked out their right leg, digging their heel into the ground, locking their leg hard as they spun around. Bloodhound bent forward, reaching around their back as they spun, pulling their R-301 Carbine assault rifle from its secured spot low on their back, drawing it up to their chest, with an extra clip at the ready, trigger already pulled in perfect anticipation.
The final loud crack of energy revealed Wraith back on this plain, sprinting downhill, her eyes were fixed on the Beacon. Too slow her vision caught Bloodhound's figure on her right, seated low, gun already firing, bullets spraying towards her. She fixed her gaze on them and reached back for her own weapon, but it was too late. Bullets ripped through her red shield in one clip, cracking it completely. Bloodhound quickly released the spent magazine, inserting the next clip with practiced ease, racking it in place and beginning to unload the final magazine into her exposed body, downing her.
Wraith’s body collapsed and slid down the hill a few feet in front of Bloodhound. Hound raised back to their feet, adrenaline still coursing hot in their body, chest heaving, ignoring the biting pain they just pushed their body to. Wraith struggled to her knees, bleeding out quickly while still trying to make it to the Beacon. She heard Bloodhound’s surprisingly light footsteps behind her and turned, a gold knockdown shield now lit up between them. Bloodhound growled low as they stocked closer to her, watching her futile pursuit of cover. They had to end her now, no chances for failure. Bloodhound reached out for her, grabbing her shoulder as they knelt behind her. They moved quickly, drawing their dagger from their boot and plunging it twice into the side of her chest cavity, penetrating deep. A clean kill. She collapsed, unmoving, as Bloodhound rose easily to their feet again wiping the blade on their jacket before sheathing it again.
ATTENTION - There is a New Kill Leader.
Two squads remain.
“Great kill, Compadre!” Bloodhound barely caught Octane's voice in their ear, they were still running high off of their kill, body vibrating. “Now come get us up!”
After one last glance at Wraith’s lifeless form Bloodhound grabbed the gold knockdown shield, securing it to their person then turned and bound after their teammates, marking their adjusted location on their tracker. As they finally made it back into town the stim began to wear off, slowing their speed, tightening their vision and movements, making them more vulnerable. A moment of relief passed over them at the sight of Octane and Mary “Horizon” Somers still alive. Horizon, looking worse for wear, needed aid quickly.
“Man, I am definitely glad you’re on our side!” Octane praised.
Bloodhound knelt beside Horizon, gently easing her onto her back as they reached to retrieve the revive stim they carried.
"Arise, félagi fighter. Your time is not over yet."
"Ack, thanks darlin'." She smiled sweetly at them. As Hound withdrew the stim, they effortlessly popped the cap off with just their gloved thumb before driving it unceremoniously into Horizons chest. She winced hard at the initial impact but breathed deep as the medication started to coarse through her body, easily beginning to repair any damage from their previous engagement. Movement caught her eye though as she focused over Bloodhound’s shoulder. A brief shimmer high in the distance. Battle hardened eyes scanned Horizon’s face, Bloodhound saw her features fall, making their blood run cold, her lips pursed to form words but the damage was done.
Bloodhound felt the crack of their ribs, the burst of pain ripping through the left side of their chest before even hearing the discharge of the bullet from its home in the distance. It completely annihilated their shield with one hit, like they weren’t even wearing one. The force behind the sniper round propelled Bloodhound’s body forward, throwing them a few feet away from their still downed teammates. Their grip firm on the stim, ripped it from Horizon’s chest. With healing unfinished she collapsed again.
Bloodhound’s body rolled until it finally came to a hard stop, lying prone on their stomach, face now pressed hard into the ground, mask cutting deep into their cheeks, previously sheathed weapons now scattered around them. Bloodhound watched motionless as little tufts of dirt danced in the air with each strained exhale from their respirator, their mind reeling about what just happened. Hound blinked slowly trying to fix their vision, everything was coated in a haze, they could hear faint voices in the background, yelling for them to get up, run, anything. Bloodhound couldn’t move, their body was in shock. Every breath was becoming a struggle, becoming raspy and tight, their chest cavity slowly beginning to fill with blood. Their respirator began to crack and gurgle as their mask itself began to fill with the warm liquid that spilled from their mouth. Bloodhound blinked languidly as a shadow passed them, they could hear the clanking of chains being dragged, heavy boots stomping, vibrating the ground under their head. More voices yelling, shouting. They needed to get up, this wasn’t over yet.
With their remaining strength, Bloodhound lifted their arms to their side pushing up, gasping in pain as the wound stretched further open, chest clicking with each inhale, filling further. Their muscles shook violently under the strain, threatening collapse. Bloodhound felt around their front for the stowed away stim they collected off of Wraith earlier. They lifted their head as much as their neck would allow, seeing blurred figues start to focus, their teammates. They were creating a barrier between Bloodhound and the last remaining team, who were slowly descending on their location. Hound dropped their head then, stim in hand, resolve firm, they pushed up harder bringing themselves up on all fours, face screwed up in pain. Chest heaving for breath, complete overexertion, they rested back, their bottom catching against their heels, knees splayed open, hands clutching tight to the ground trying to keep them from collapsing forward. Bloodhound’s head was spinning, their heart was thrumming through their body, pulsating. Their vision fixated on the pool gathering below them, watching the blood drip from their mask and splash into the shallow puddle. They knew they wouldn’t be able to crawl away fast enough for cover, so it was now or never.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here? Looks like a couple of cracked eggs, eh?” Bloodhound's stomach turned as they heard the voice of the new legend Margeret “Mad Maggie” Kohere. They gripped the stim tight, trembling blood soaked fingers trying to wrench the cap free without notice. “A bunch of sorry sooks if ya ask me.”
“Well, nobody asked you, did they, perra!” Octane cursed out, drawing Maggie's full attention away from Bloodhound.
Hound squeezed the stim hard, finally popping the cap off with the pressure. They paused briefly, taking a final tight breath, gathering the energy needed before plunging the stim hard into their chest, needing to penetrate thick layers of armor for the needle to stick. It wasn’t hard enough. Bloodhound’s breath hitched, no longer able to gather air. Involuntarily Hound coughed, forcefully spewing blood out of the broken seal of their respirator, chest muscles clenching tightly. Searing pain took over their entire body as Bloodhound tried to take in another breath, anything, but it didn’t come this time. Hound felt their heart contract out of rhythm, now struggling to fill.
Maggie turned at the sudden outburst. A sick smile slowly pulling at the edge of her lips. Octane and Horizon looked too, a gasp tearing from Horizon’s lips at the sight of Bloodhound heaved over bleeding out. Maggie turned, pulling her long chained whip behind her. Bringing her other hand up, she grabbed the middle beginning to twist it in her grasp, raising one of the ends off of the ground. The movement wrenched Octane's gaze away from Bloodhound, he couldn't even begin to imagine how much pain they were in struggling to keep themselves upright, but he saw the stim lodged in their chest from his low vantage. He knew he needed to give Bloodhound some time. Without thinking he reached out quickly, grabbing the end of Maggie’s chain and yanking it back as forcefully as he could. Unsuspecting, Maggie lost her balance for a moment as she was abruptly pulled backwards.
A cold sweat began to cover Bloodhound’s entire body, drenching it, heart beating unsettlingly fast now. The last hoorah before it completely gave out. Panic started to kick in. This was their last shot. With a hand still gripping the stim, they pushed themselves completely upright, sitting fully back on their heels. Strained eyes met Octane’s for a brief moment, speaking volumes to each other. A final guttural growl escaped Bloodhound as they threw their other hand up, slamming it back down onto the end of the stim. Hound’s eyes closed, feeling the needle finally penetrate deep into their chest, a familiar stinging pain filling them as the medication expelled into their body. Octane lit up as they saw Bloodhound beginning to heal. It was only momentary however as Maggie caught her footing. With a screech, she used her momentum to turn sharply to Octane, bringing the solid metal end of her chain down, striking him on the back violently, knocking him down hard into cement.
“Puta madre!.” He cursed out in pain, before Maggie swung her chain around again striking him squarely on the back of the head, finishing him. She turned and glared down at Horizon’s sickly pale form trying to reach for her.
“Weak.” She sneered, before spitting at her and side stepping out of reach. Full attention now turned unbothered onto Bloodhound’s knelt form. Her eyes scanned Hound’s body as she slowly approached them. Taking in the sight of Hound kneeling in a pool of their own blood, chest soaked in red, mask dripping.
“You, on the other hand…Houndy? Is that what Walter calls you? Heh, you should see yourself right now.” That smile pulled at her face again. She stopped just short, pulling one side of her chain up again, wrapping it tight around her forearm. “You look absolutely…metal.”
Bloodhound gasped out, finally able to catch some semblance of air as the stim began to clear their lungs. Maggie tilted her head slightly, face crashing into a frown, eyebrows knitting together tightly.
“You’ve got fight in you, Hound. I’ll give ya that. I can see the appeal. But…” She began, suddenly kicking across Bloodhound’s chest with her leg, a sickening crack rang out as her steel boot connected with the bone of Hound’s hands, knocking them away, dislodging the needle from Bloodhound’s chest. Hound watched as the needle flew, shattering against the ground, not prepared for the second strike that came around, connecting hard with their shoulder, knocking them down again “...we can’t have you being the hero today, now can we?”
Bloodhound growled low in their throat, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of hearing them in pain. They tried to control their breathing as they felt the effects of the medication start to fade quickly, unhealed wounds beginning to bleed again. A glint of silver caught Bloodhound’s eye as Maggie began to stalk around them. Raven’s Bite. As quickly as Bloodhound’s body would allow them they reached out for it. As the tips of their injured fingers scraped against the end of the hilt, Bloodhound heard the whirl of chain before it wrapped around their neck tightly. Maggie knelt down straddling their hips from behind. She pulled her arms back, chains secured tightly around both her wrists, constricting Bloodhound’s airways, pulling them back to her, making them arch painfully as she leaned down beside them, cooing in their ear.
“You know, you wouldn’t be in this predicament if Walter would’ve just made his shot.” Maggie laughed as she felt Bloodhound’s body freeze. “What, you thought all this was courtesy of yours truly? Please, I’m more the up close and personal type, ya know?” Emphasizing with another hard pull.
Bloodhound reached up with injured hands and began to vainly claw at the thick chain wrapped around their throat as it tightened further, trying to find any purchase to free themselves. Blood soaked gloves slipping over polished metal. The whirling from their respirator died out as the pressure from the chain crushed the tubing and cut the wires connecting the mask to the generator. This was not a clean kill, this was not honorable. This was madness.
“What in the bloody hell are you doing Mags!?” Walter “Fuse” Fitzroy shouted as he came running to them with his teammate Elliott “Mirage” Witt, who looked absolutely petrified at the scene in front of him. Bloodhound felt their heart all but stop at the sound of Fuse’s voice, feeling some sense of relief as his disheveled figure came into sight. The normally stoic, happy, charismatic man that Bloodhound came to know was gone, absolute fury covering their features, body pulled taught, lips snarled up, baring teeth as he spit out his words. This was a side Bloodhound had never seen before, even in the midst of battle.
“Well, speak of the Devil and he shall appear. Your boyfriend’s here to save you.” She whispered near Bloodhound’s ear, making them twist hard against her restraints, before yelling out. “What does it look like, you nut, I’m finishing the piss poor job ya did.”
“You’ve gotta be fucking jokin’, let ‘em go!” Fuse snarled, taking a step towards them, hands balled into fists.
“Let this be a lesson in finishing your kill then, Wally. If I hadn’t been here this mutt would’ve healed up by now and come to hunt us down!” Maggie shot back. "You wanna take that chance?"
“Then bloody finish ‘em Mags! Stop stringing them along!" Fuse flailed out his arm in their direction, still stalking towards them.
“Like you've been doin' already? It would’ve been over if you wouldn’t have pulled your shot!” Maggie screamed back. Fuse stopped abruptly making Maggie chuckle. “You don’t think I see what’s going on? It don't take a rocket scientist to see the math ain't mathin’, Wally”
Bloodhound caught Fuse's face falter in anger, a dusting of red settling on his stubbled cheeks before lowering his gaze, with his voice, watching her from under his brow. “You don’t know what the hell you're talking about Mags.”
“Don’t I? I know you better than anyone, whether you like it or not. This dog has you bloody whipped, you’ve turned soft. Where's the warrior I knew, who would destroy anything in their path to get what they wanted?” She snarled out, softening her voice at the end. “Consider them collateral damage, eh? Just like everyone else…”
Bloodhound could feel their body finally giving out, senses beginning to fail them. Voices started to become mumbles, dark spots flickering behind their eyes, as their trachea was being crushed under Maggie’s iron grip. Muscles began to spasm as voluntary movement was being drained from them, an injured hand dropped from its place at their neck, reaching back to try to grab at Maggie herself. With lung’s burning, another involuntary cough ripped through Bloodhound’s body making it convulse sharply against Maggie's restraints as it couldn’t exit their mouth fully. All eyes fell to Bloodhound again.
“Well, you picked a good one at least. Tough as nails this one.” Maggie praised.
A feral growl ripped from Fuse’s throat before he took another step towards Maggie, threateningly raising his mechanical arm up, pulling his tactical Knuckle Cluster grenade from within and pointing it directly at her.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Mirage jumped forward then, putting his hands up in the air between the two Salvonians. “H-hey, Walter come on, don’t do that. You’re gonna get us disqualified. You know the rules, man, no friendly fire.”
Maggie cackled at the two of them, making Fuse tighten his grip further, debating the consequences. Fuse was shaking from the amount of restraint he was holding, his good eye locked with Maggie’s, wanting nothing more than to shove this grenade down her throat.
“Oh my god! Maggie, would you just shut up! You’re gonna get pe-pen-uh, p-pena, you’re gonna get in trouble too ya know?” Mirage quipped back at her cackling form, uncharacteristic irritation bubbling over. Maggie paused in her taunting, eyes hardening to slits, her grip loosening slightly on her chain as she leaned forward.
“You think I care about that? After all this I get to go back to the luxury of my cell under this god forsaken place, while you imbeciles get to walk free.” She spat. Mirage shrunk back as if she had struck him across the face.
“Oh, uh, y-yeah. I forgot about that.” Mirage winced.
Maggie snarled as she pulled back on her chain again, constricting Bloodhound’s airways tighter than before. Hound couldn’t help the gurgled cry that escaped their lips this time as they felt something snap. Fuse’s gaze fell as Bloodhound’s previously clawing hands dropped to the ground. Angry brows knitted into worry briefly before returning as he took in the state of his close friend, bleeding out, suffering.
“Come on, Wally,” She grinned, eye’s unfaltering, taunting him, as she wrapped the chain around her wrists slowly for one more loop, threatening to pull again, “Finish the job, put ‘em out of their misery.”
“Fuse, come on,” Mirage begged quietly at their side, “Not like this.”
A single eye snapped back to meet Maggie’s still smiling ones. Mirage jumped, pulling back, as Fuse sheathed his grenade back into its home in his mechanical arm, lowering it slowly. He inhaled sharply through his nose, exhaling through gritted teeth. Coming to a final decision. No doubts this time. No more hesitancy. He twisted back quickly, drawing his Flatline assault rifle from over his shoulder, pointing it with full assurance at his target.
“No, wait, Fuse!” Mirage began.
The indignant smile on Maggie’s face fell instantly.
“Fucking cunt.” Fuse spat as he discharged a single bullet.
ATTENTION - Winner Decided!