Or not To Be

"What if I don't want to feel..."

"Then you are refusing to acknowledge and express your 'self'. We do not believe that dwelling on the tragedy of existence is existing, but suffering. You do not exist to suffer, you exist to feel, that is how we 'feel'."

"What about people who just suffer their whole lives then? What about Charlie, Six?... Cat...?" he asks, feeling spiteful despite knowing what the nanites were trying to say, as if denying their personal truth would grant him something.

"We do not claim that injustice does not exist. Where there is 'self' there is 'other', the perception that 'self' is all. Would you dismiss your role in 'others' suffering? Or prevented suffering?"

...

"We do not believe that your end would result in any meaningful reduction of suffering. Even had this been the case, we would refuse to remove you and 'puppet' your body, as you stated. Self above all, but there is more than just self.

We refuse to aid you in your attempt to hide.

You will return to your reality.

You will persist." the nanites say, their tone becoming more dominating as they all but command him.

*BANGBANG!*

Ori clutches his ears as the sound of gunfire almost deafens him. "What is that!?" he questions the nanites' representation.

"We have restored much of your brain and skull. We must apologise, however, for your loss."

"My loss!?" his eyes widen, realising that he'd left Rebecca alone and at the mercy of Six, all after watching him get his brains blown out.

"QUICK! PUT ME BACK!" he hurriedly shouts, standing from his chair and gripping the shoulders of the humanoid.

"The host is not read-"

"DO IT!"

...

"Affirmative, Flesh Administrator... Remember what we said." the humanoid made of code raises its hand and pokes him in the forehead, causing the world around him to drop and flood away, darkness overtaking him.

-----------

Earlier :

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Rebecca roars in horror as Six puts a bullet in Ori's head, the large round blowing a significant portion of his skull away, sending grey matter spraying and allowing her to see his mutilated brain.

She freezes as her boyfriend hits the ground with a squelch, tears beginning to stream down her face as her breathing becomes hoarse and difficult to maintain. She almost drops her gun a the scene, but her rage forced her to keep ahold of it.

She slowly turns to Six, who'd also paused his rampage, staring down at Ori's body. While the only visible part of the psycho's body was his mouth, she could see it turned into a severe scowl, a far departure from the malicious grin he was just showing.

He looks down at his revolvers, hands trembling, standing there silently as Rebecca glared at him.

"Y-you... YOU... FUCKING PIECE OF TRASH!" she abruptly shouts, raising Guts towards Six and firing.

*BANGBANGBANGBANG!*

Six comes out of his stupor and ducks out of the way, but not before taking some damage. Part of his shoulder is completely torn off, revealing the slight flesh and circuitry beneath. "I..." he tries to get out but Rebecca just shouts over him.

"I'LL FUCKING END YOU!! CYBERPSYCHO PIECE OF SHIT!"

Six falls back to the hallway as pieces of the wall next to him explode from her vengeful rampage. He tries to fire some shots back but finds his hands trembling too much to aim properly, his shots barely skidding over and past her pale skin.

*BANGBANG!*

"YOU'RE NOT FUCKING RUNNING NOW! I'LL BLOW YOUR LEGS OFF AND BEAT YOU WITH THEM YOU COCK-SUCKING TRAITOR PILE OF SCRAP!!"

*BANGBANG!*

"S-STOP! I CAN'T... HEAR...!? BAILEY...?" Six shouts, hitting himself in the temple as he continues to barely avoid his former teammate's attacks.

"YOU'LL HEAR 'EM ALRIGHT! WHEN I SEND YOU TO MEET HIM IN HELL! SIX, YOU FRIEND-MURDERING BASTARD!!!" she roars, bursting from behind cover and slamming the barrel of her gun into his hands, using it like a makeshift baseball bat.

The revolvers go flying and collide with the wall nearby, and Rebecca doesn't waste the opportunity. She backs up to get out of melee range to fire at him, only for Six to dash forwards, grabbing the barrel and moving it to the side away from him.

*BANG!*

She fires, and his left hand disintegrates under the point-blank blast. Before she readjusts her aim and blows his head off, however, his other hand whips around and hits her with full force, slamming her small body against the wall and cracking it in the process.

Guts goes skittering along the floor, but she ignores that and pushes herself out of the wall. Six was mumbling to himself, still standing in the same place he'd punched her, allowing her to draw her pistols and shoot.

*BangBangBangBangBang!*

Two shots ricochet off of his armoured head, another two hitting the now unarmoured shoulder, causing him to stumble backwards. "JUST FUCKING DIE ALREADY!!"

Six stumbles to the door of the hallway, his back to the shopfront... He uses his arms to block Rebecca's attacks, growling to himself all the while...

"S-iiix..." a familiar voice behind him draws his attention however...

He whips around, quickly locating it...

In the middle of the room, a blood-covered body was slowly getting to its feet. It pushes itself off of the floor and raises its head, revealing the still massive hole in it, its brain visible. "Siiix..." it-, Ori slurs.

His eyes were off-centre due to his forehead being opened up, and he was obviously having trouble controlling his body... He looked like a zombie, mangled and dead, somehow still moving.

"O-ri..." Six mutters, ignorant of Rebecca's temporary cease of fire...

Ori takes a step forward but stumbles slightly, reaching a hand out to his friend...

"DIIIIEEEEEE!!!!"

*BAAANG!*

*SPLATTER!*

Only to freeze as Six's head explodes, his body quickly dropping to the ground to reveal a completely blood-covered Rebecca standing behind him in the hallway.

"HOW ABOUT THAT YOU-... You..." she trails off as she spots Ori, eyes wide at his state.