Hello again! I hope those of you who've read my other POI story, A Different Scenario, enjoyed the read. This fic will be a short little one shot about an alternate option that the machine decided against.
"A little help please."
"Hell of a time for your machine to go on the fritz, Harold."
"Give it a second. It's got a lot on its mind.
OPTION 823, 461 SIMULATION- IN PROGRESS
After some guidance from the machine, Root had directed the team to move as a group toward their objectives. They battled their way to the server room, retrieved the code from Shaw, and were able to stop the stock market crash. After that, the engine room was next. Not without complaint, Fusco went to work on hacking through the wall while Finch worked on the elevator's engine.
Now, they found themselves at the proverbial dead end: outnumbered, low on ammo, and down a man since Reese had taken a bullet to the back to protect Finch.
Root took a couple more shots, then looked down at her empty weapons with only one thing on her mind in this increasingly hopeless situation.
"Hey, sweetie…" She smiled, anticipating the gruff reply from the other end.
"Skip the verbal foreplay, Root. Why are you calling?"
"Can't a couple girls take a break from work to catch up?"
Only a moment later, Root could hear Sameen's terse response over the comm in her ear and coming down the hallway.
"No, we do not have time to catch up." Shaw spoke with an ever so slight roll of her eyes, and Root had never been so happy, yet so terrified, to see the woman walking toward her.
Along with Shaw's arrival came a sharp uptick in the probability of their survival.
"Oh, you guys look like crap!" She commented giving them all a quick once over before pulling an explosive from her coat. "I got a present from our friend in the bomb vest. I'll take it from here." She smiled quickly at root before swiftly rounding the corner and shooting the bomb in midair as the group covered their heads and ears.
The bomb had given Root the time to reload and the pair were back in action, with Root actively flirting as the bullets flew. Was there anything more romantic than a good gun fight?
"We're so good at this together. One day, you're gonna realize that."
Shaw weaved out of the path of a bullet, "Root, no offense. You're hot. You're good with a gun. Those are two qualities I greatly admire, but you and me? We'd be like a four-alarm fire in an oil refinery."
Root just smirked, ducking her way into cover. "Sounds cozy."
A few shots later, Root's guns were empty again and the group had made it into the elevator.
Harold pushed the button, but something wasn't right. Shaw was quick to spot the problem.
"Over there, by the desk." Her eyes were fixed to that red button and everyone recognized the air of determination setting itself in around her. There was also that looming sense of a death wish that Shaw exuded from time to time.
"It's an override switch. Someone has to get to it.
"Sameen," Root held fast onto Shaw's shoulder. In her head she knew that one of them would have to stay and push the button, but her heart refused to allow that person to be Shaw. "If you think I'm gonna let—"
"Oh, for God's sakes." Shaw spun sharply around to face Root in the elevator, intent on telling her to shut it and let her take on for the team. But then their eyes locked, and Shaw saw the need in them. The love. It was a word Shaw was never comfortable enough to use, but she knew it was there. As much as she denied it, she knew she felt it too. She couldn't bring herself to do what she was about to do without letting her guard down and giving Root something at least once.
Oh fuck it.
With a roll of her eyes, she lunged forward and grabbed Root sharply by the shoulders, bringing their faces together.
It was a short, yet fiery and desperate kiss. Even in the brief seconds their lips were connected, they found themselves wanting more than the situation would allow. But there was something else. The kiss had cemented Shaw's intentions in Root's mind and she was even more determined not to allow it. She couldn't. Not now.
The moment Shaw roughly broke away, Root moved in sync with her and spun them around so that Shaw had actually pushed her out of the elevator. She swiftly pulled the gate down and locked it as Shaw's stunned, horrified expression bore into her along with everyone else's. She wasn't paying attention to anyone else, though.
"Root! What are you doing?" Shaw hissed, the anger in her tone not quite covering the despair.
Root dashed for the button even as Harold protested, and she pressed it down with a sense of resignation.
She had no time to load her weapons, she noted, as the first operative rounded the corner firing at her.
She would die. She would die, and regrettably, it would have to be without a fight.
The first bullet struck her in the shoulder as the elevator began its slow descent.
"ROOT!"
Several more followed to the torso area when Martine joined the fray, and the team inside the elevator was left with a last view of Root lying on the floor lifeless.
UNDESIRED OUTCOME
EVACUATE ASSETS- FAILED
ANALOGUE INTERFACE- TERMINATED
RESETTING TO REAL TIME…
That's it. Just a short and sweet little fic. Thank you for reading!