#i debated calling this chapter 'epinephrine' to match the last chapter but then i'd probably get them confused lol

[sanddusted-wisteria]

A Builder, a Researcher, and a Rooftop, Ch. 30: Adrenaline

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"...Everythin’ is gonna be jus’ fine.”

Also on AO3

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FHMMP. FHMMP.

The builder tried not to flinch as they fired another round of cannon shots. Even with the practice round early this morning, the recoil still felt overwhelming.

They pushed away the memory of how warm it felt under Qi’s covers. Held so gently yet somehow so tightly in his arms.

One of the soldiers shouted as they charged towards them, sword raised. The builder grit their teeth as they shoved their foot square into the soldier’s chest as they reached the top step. The soldier yelped and tumbled back down, smacking their head on the cobblestones below.

The builder felt a flash of relief as the soldier lied there and groaned, bringing a hand to their head.

Across the square, Justice was taking on three soldiers at once. They turned the cannon towards him and carefully lined up a shot through the scope. The instant Justice was out of the way, they pulled the trigger.

FHMMP.

Direct hit. Two of the soldiers were thrown like dolls down the street. The builder could just barely hear a shout of “Much obliged!” from Justice.

They ignored how they noticed the dull hint of sadness in Qi’s eyes when they woke up that morning. How he didn’t want to let go when they hugged outside the Research Center before reporting to their stations.

In the space between shots, the builder’s mind wandered back to Qi. They remembered the few occasions where they sparred. Qi never won. It seemed like he was more focused on doing flashy moves with his hammer. That hammer always looked way too big for him anyway.

But despite that, and despite how scared he was yesterday, as they hold the cannon in their hands, pivoting its massive weight like the telescope on its mount, they can’t help but feel like he was protecting them, in a way.

He had calculated how much air went into every shot, how much force it would use to blast these soldiers away, how difficult it would be to move the cannon around and fire it.

And then he did it again, just to make sure.

All for them. All for Sandrock.

Qi has more courage than he thinks, the builder thought as they lined up another shot.

The thought disappears with another FHMMP from the cannon.

They tried to forget how broken he sounded when he cried.

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A Selection of Sermons from the 2nd Deacon of Meidi… A History of the Church of the Light… Plantbox Growing: A Primer… Old World Weapons of Mass Destruction… Why Electricity is a Force of the Darkness…

Qi sighed, dropping the hand that was coasting along the spines of the books. Nothing good to read in here. If they had any speeches from any of the other, significantly less-draconian Deacons, maybe he’d be interested.

He turned around and sat on the nearest pew, eyes wandering about the wide open hall of the temple. It was all so unfamiliar. Obviously, as a researcher, he wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this.

It was arguably…blasphemous. From their view and his.

And yet, here he was.

There was a palpable tension about the room, and not just from Qi himself. Everyone was scattered about, talking quietly amongst themselves to try and calm their nerves. That, and to ignore the muffled sound of gunshots in the distance.

The mayor was reading a story to her daughter, who was cuddled up into her mother’s side.

The two remaining clergy members were standing vigil over the minister, heads bowed and hands clasped together in prayer.

The salvagers were playing with their son. They seemed to have the most energy of anyone in the room.

Qi looked to be the only one in the room without a conversation partner. It made his mind wander to what could be happening outside, where the builder was.

The builder… The only one who could man the air cannon. The one who held him in his weakest moment and promised to protect him. The one he…

BANG!

The doors to the temple suddenly flew open, the latch completely flying off.

Qi’s heart stopped.

Soldiers suddenly appeared from outside. Dark uniforms. Hidden eyes. Swift movements. Guns and batons.

Screams erupted throughout the hall, some out of panic and others out of rage. Some ducked behind the pews, shaking as they covered their heads. Others huddled together, the stronger poised at the ready to defend the weaker. Qi felt as if the air in his lungs had disappeared. He suddenly realized he was on the floor. When did he fall out of his seat?

The soldiers poured into the room, sweeping the room and pointing their weapons at everyone. “Up against the wall! Now!”

Hands flew up as everyone backed away. A flash of panic ran through Qi as he briefly stared down the muzzle of one of the soldier’s guns as it swept past. He scrambled to his feet and did as he was told.

Several soldiers made their way towards the back where the minister was resting. Dan-bi and Burgess, despite the terror on their faces, stepped in and spread their arms wide, blocking the minister. The soldiers paid them no mind, easily shoving them aside. But instead of shooting or beating Matilda, they…helped her up?!

Through the cries of the townsfolk and the barking of the soldiers, Qi could hear some shouts of surprise. Matilda stood up, a bit unsteady from her injury, but simply grabbed her cane and made her way towards the temple doors, flanked on all sides by soldiers. She didn’t make eye contact with any of them as she passed, her lips set in a thin, straight line. She left the temple without a word.

“There’s too many of ‘em!” One of the soldiers shouted. “No space!”

Qi felt sick. His head was reeling.

“Uh…there’s that apartment building or whatever. Take some of ‘em there, I guess,” said another soldier.

“Eh, fine,” said the first one, scanning the line that Qi was in. “Oi! Cabbage hair! Purple! And uh, you, glasses!” He jabbed a finger at Qi. “Get over here!”

Another wave of nausea hit him. He forced his feet to move through the paralysis that had taken hold of his whole body.

One of the soldiers opened the temple door. “Alright, single file. Keep yer hands up. No sudden moves, no talking, no funny business.”

As they started walking, something suddenly raced through Qi’s mind. He tried to suppress it. If he thought about it, he might just keel over and vomit right there and then. But the more he demanded himself to not think about it, the more it surfaced, screaming and clawing its way out of his subconscious.

Qi hadn’t even realized that they had reached the apartments already. All he could register was the existence of a single, dreadful question:

Is it my fault…?

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“I’m so sorry, everyone…” came a familiar grandmotherly voice from off to the side.

The cannon suddenly sputtered to a halt.

The builder whipped around to see…Matilda.

Minister Matilda.

The town’s glowing beacon of Light.

Plunging her cane straight into the ancillary power unit. Rendering the cannon useless. Defiling Qi’s invention and validating all his anxieties—

“YOU!” the builder roared, lunging forward to shove Matilda off. She fell flat on her back with a cry of alarm. The builder unsheathed their weapon, snarling as they advanced on her—

Rough hands suddenly grabbed them. Their hands were suddenly empty. They yelled and squirmed, trying to break free. Two soldiers yelled something back, but the builder couldn’t hear them over the blood rushing through their ears.

Meanwhile, Matilda had picked herself up and cut the power supply to the cannon. Right as she withdrew her cane, the builder had lost their fight. The soldiers shoved them against the floor. They grunted as a knee pinned their back.

“Orders, ma’am?” said one of the soldiers.

Matilda scowled. “Get off of them. That use of force is out of line.” That normally friendly voice…giving orders like that… The builder’s head was spinning.

“Y-yes, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am.” The pressure on their back was lifted off, though the firm grip on their elbows and wrists remained. The soldiers awkwardly lifted them back onto their feet.

Matilda’s stony expression didn’t change. She turned to address every soldier in the square. They had all surrounded the other Sandrockers in small isolated groups. “Take the high risk ones to the Civil Corps building. The rest get sent to the temple. If I see any of you do any more than leadin’ ‘em peacefully to the detainment locations, a mutiny charge will be the least of your worries. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Wh-what the fuck?!” the builder yelled. “Why—why you?!”

Matilda’s face eased into that familiar friendly smile. “I’m so sorry, builder. I wish things could pan out different. Really, I do!” That calm, reassuring drawl was getting on the builder’s nerves. “But…what’s an old lady to do? At the behest of her own nation, for the sake of her children and the posterity of her people…”

“So were Sandrock never ‘your people?’” the builder spat. “You think leaving us for dead and getting picked off by the most hostile nation in the world is ‘posterity?!’”

Matilda sighed and shook her head. The builder couldn’t help but feel like it was just for theatrics. “Sometimes we have to do things we don’t like, dearie. Compelled by orders…” She hummed. “You and me, two peas in a pod, eh? Just bein’ good lil worker bees for our higher ups. For the common good.”

“You shut the hell up…!”

“Well now, let’s not get too tangled up here,” Matilda said placidly. “Maybe it’s best if you cool off a bit, dearie. We ain’t gonna have a proper conversation when we’re all shaken up like this, are we now? Don’t worry, we’re gonna put you somewhere safe. And you’ll have all the time you need to calm down.” She nodded to the soldiers holding them. They started turning around.

“Wh—no! Argh, turn around, damn it! I’m not done!” The builder struggled some more, to no avail.

“Oh! Of course! You must be worried about Director Qi! Oh, how silly of me to forget.” came Matilda’s voice from behind them. The builder’s veins turned to ice. The soldiers paused to let them listen.

“If you do anything to do him, I swear to fucking—”

“Aw, don’t you worry now! Everyone in Sandrock is safe as can be. We’ll just be keepin’ an eye on y’all for a little bit. And we’ll give all y’all food and water and everythin’. Everythin’ is gonna be jus’ fine.”

The builder didn’t know what was stronger: their fury or their fear. Fire and ice clashed in their heart as they were unceremoniously paraded away down the street.

Away from their bastion of hope.

Away from everyone.

Away from everything.

“…Jus’ fine…”

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