#dtt gunslinger

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Dubious Tasks Taken.

That was the name of the faction the three mercenaries worked at.

Gunslinger, Medic and Psycho. At first, when they joined the company, they did not know each other well. But they bonded over a shared desire to escape the situation they were in.

One needed to flee from the looming presence of the law.

One needed to end the unending cycle of mundane duties.

One needed to get away from the overbearing presence of a family trying to conform a young man to their standards.

Needless to say, the trio did their jobs, and they did it well. They stood watch on the roof of the cargo train they were on, keeping vigil and quickly taking down any threats that may arise. At the end of the day, the polished surface of the train would get scratches and dents that dull its shiny coat of paint, but it still protected its passengers. The crates would get holes and splinters from the hail of bullets that rained down upon the cart, but it still protected its cargo. Gunslinger and Psycho would get bullet wounds and scratches from those daring enough to jump on the train to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the mercenaries. Still, they were always protected by the backbone of the team- Medic. The one who, despite not being on top of the train half the time, would always be the one keeping the entire operation together.

And once everything was all said and done, they'd rest at the D.T.T.'s base of operations, where each of them had their own separate cabin to rest and recuperate before the next day threw its own set of challenges at the trio.

Everything was going well for the trio...but it wasn't always that way.

Medic joined the business first, then Gunslinger and finally, Psycho.

Medical checkups were much easier with Medic around, as he was skilled at his job despite his unlicensed techniques. The infirmary was no longer as full as it was before, and Medic's medical checkups only took a maximum of fifteen minutes compared to the two-hour checkups the other doctors on-site provided. Not only was it more efficient, but the company could save more money on manpower because of Medic's speed and resourceful nature.

All Medic wanted in return for his services was simply the chance to use his inventions and enough money to keep himself alive. Quite inexpensive for the D.T.T., considering the fact that Medic's prowess far exceeded scientific knowledge.

Medic was also in charge of conducting medical examinations on the new contractors, including Gunslinger and Psycho.

Gunslinger's medical examination wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He worked as a contract hitman before joining the crew, so apart from a few cuts and scratches he got from running from the authorities he was still in good shape. He was also slightly malnourished at the time, but Medic suspected that it was probably caused due to the lack of resources Gunslinger had when on the run.

Psycho, however, was a whole other story.

When Medic checked up on him, he was STRESSED. Medic tended to children before, so he's aware of how scared they can get when they see his heal gun for the first time. He'd always been able to walk the young kids through the entire healing process with a 100% success rate, some even daring to touch his heal gun later out of curiosity.

On the other hand, Psycho almost acted like a feral cat.

While checking up on Psycho, Medic's gaze first fell on Psycho's arms. They were littered with scars and wounds. Upon closer inspection of Psycho's body, he realised that his entire body was dotted with scars. Burn wounds, scratch marks...they were everywhere. Usually, a normal spray from the heal gun or two would solve everything and Psycho would be fit for the job, but this time was different. Not because the heal gun couldn't do its job well enough, but because Psycho almost seemed to fear the heal gun.

"Psycho, please...let me heal you. It's for your own good...otherwise, the higher-ups won't accept you." Medic tried to reason with Psycho, but the younger man just shook his head vigorously.

"H-how do I know that you won't be like T-THEM?! How do I know that w-whatever you're doing to me is gonna make me better? I don't even know you…wh-why should I t-trust YOU?!"

Psycho struggled against Medic's grasp. The doctor was trying his best to hold on to the brown-haired demolitionist, but it was no use.

"Psy, please- stay put- AGH!"

Psycho finally broke out of Medic's grasp, his shotgun pointed directly at the young doctor's neck.

"N-no…NO! I w-won't be taken advantage of AGAIN!!"

Medic dropped his heal gun in a panic, and it fell on the floor with a dull clatter. Psycho's manic eyes shifted from Medic's anxious expression to the heal gun on the floor.

It looked so fragile, so vulnerable...

...one single snap would be all it took.

Psycho lowered his shotgun and picked up the heal gun, giving it a once-over.

It no longer posed as a threat to him. The ball was in his court.

He could destroy it. Nothing to worry about. He wouldn't have to worry about the unknown anymore.

He snapped his shotgun back into the holster on his back. One of his hands held the handle of the gun, and the other held the nozzle.

"...I-I wonder what you'd do without this supposed HE-HEAL GUN of yours, huh...?!"

He glanced back at Medic. Medic's eyes were fixed on the heal gun, panic in his eyes. Medic knew that with a single snap, his hard work could go down the drain. The heal gun he used was his prized possession- he only made one, and without it, he'd be useless. To top it all off, he forgot how to create the actual thing and would need the heal gun as a reference.

Psycho could see the fear in Medic's eyes. It reminded him of...himself. Medic's fear reminded Psycho of when he was still working as an engineer in his old company.

"If you're such a skilled engineer, why not you upgrade our weapons for us too?"

"Go on, do it! Install some better upgrades!"

"Do better! You're a genius, aren't you?"

No matter what he did, he was never enough...

His fellow employees kept throwing him under the bus, blaming him for every little fault with the train...and that's how he got demoted to nothing but a coal shoveller. Sure, he still had to upgrade the train from time to time, but his main gig was to shovel coal into a dying flame and watch it rekindle itself over and over again.

As the coal burned brighter, Psycho's sanity began to wither away...until he reached his absolute lowest. That's when he finally had enough. All that time, he had been taking his anger out on himself instead of others, but how had he ever been thanked? He was never appreciated...

...and if better upgrades were what they wanted, better upgrades would be what they got.

That's when Psycho stole the train and fled, his past panic replaced by the overwhelming joy that filled his heart. Joy that would soon dull back to fear and anxiety as the train gave out under its own weight and blew up, leaving Psycho with the reality of his situation- he should have stayed. He would be picked on, but at least he wouldn't be alone.

As Psycho gazed into Medic's eyes, he could relate to Medic, in a sense. One was scared of having his precious invention broken into two, and another was scared of facing his past fears.

Maybe, just maybe...such advanced tech wouldn't hurt...

Psycho blinked. Medic's panicked expression stared back at him.

Hesitantly, he handed the heal gun back to Medic, his arms trembling.

"...d-do what you must, doctor, but make it qu-quick."

Medic glanced at the heal gun and gingerly took it from Psycho, but instead of healing him, he set it down on the table next to him.

"Psy. I see your fears. Do tell me what's wrong...as a doctor, my goal is to heal my patients, not hurt them...be that physically or mentally."

And that's when Psycho just broke. He poured out his heart to Medic. All his fears, his self-destructive personality...everything he had been through in the past.

Medic sat there. Not a word left his mouth as he gently lifted up Psycho's goggles, allowing him to cry. Not a single word from him as he gently rubbed Psycho's back as he sobbed and wept over his haunting past.

Maybe the medical checkup could wait.

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and that’s it! hope you enjoyed, and have a nice day!