The prompt for this fic was "Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live". After many arguments with my laptop I finally managed to churn this out. I may write a sequel from North's POV in the near future.
Thanks to Martienne for being a beta at short notice.
Word Count:806
"Much like she wounded you to escape in our previous encounter with it. And as I have learned, in our travels, her brother North suffered a similar fate."
I looked over at the green, floating…thing that dared to presume it knew what had happened. The thing that I had fought for, the prize that I had desired for so long. And it hadn't been worth it. Not in the slightest. I always thought that having an AI would be a gift, make life easier. How wrong I was. Though I can't blame Delta for thinking like that. He's taken my actions and put them into a logical idea due to the context. Just, logical is not always right.
I loved my little brother. Yeah, that's right. I'm the older sibling. And don't get me wrong, there might have been times when I hated him. Throughout our childhood, having the same names, Samuel and Samantha. With him getting the more mature "Sam" whilst I was stuck with the more childish "Sammy". Right up until Project Freelancer, we kept those nicknames, more out of habit. And even there I looked out for him. I wanted him to excel, regardless of my own success. I'll be the first to admit that I was reckless throughout my time there and he was more calm and collected. That's how our personalities were. But if he was ever in danger, I'd do anything to keep him safe. I trusted him with my life and he trusted me with his. That's how it works, this twin bond. Looking back my behaviour probably enforced the belief that he was the older, more responsible sibling. Bullshit. I pulled him out of more trouble then he did me and I gave up more then he did, emotionally. I sacrificed the love I felt for Carolina for him because of his petty jealousy. He doted upon her and she ignored him because she had someone more suitable in mind. That dirty old locksmith…
I regret what happened that day that the Meta came for us. I'd forgotten to turn my motion trackers on, a bad habit of mine. I suppose that's why Delta believes I'm responsible, responsible for my actions, or inaction in this case. I'd been by the waterfall, filling up our canteens from our bags when I heard him scream. By the time I got to him, he was bleeding badly from his back. That monster had impaled him on that grenade launcher of his. I scrambled through my satchel looking for the canister that held the drug that kept him going, otherwise known as Theta.
"Hold on, North. Look at me. It's not even that bad. A few medipaks and you'll be back on your feet. It's not even that bad, all right? North? Listen to me. I'm gonna keep you alive. I'm going to take care of you. That's what I'm here for. Watching over my little…my little brother. North?"
He tilted his helmet towards me. "Theta. Give me Theta." I took the AI chip and slotted it into the back of his helmet. North let his head loll back and seemed to relax. I shook him. "North? North? North! Sam! No. No. No. no, no,no. This can't be. Come on, stay with me." But it was useless.
My little brother, the one who had always had my back, always had a plan, always…had always been there, had gone. And what were his last words on this earth? Were they anything about me and how much of an amazing sister I was? No. They were asking for that glowing ball of light that did nothing but drive us apart.
I went to eject Theta from his helmet only to find the storage chip empty. It looked as if Theta had deleted himself in the last moments. To stay with Sam till the end. I was filled by a hollow rage. What was the point anymore? I'd lost my little brother, my guiding light and he hadn't even cared about me as he went. I didn't even have Theta to keep me company as I travelled. Hell, I didn't even know what I was going to do.
Stealing Delta from Wash and betraying him to the Meta was not my greatest idea. Not by a longshot. And my idea of running from Command with Delta was even worse. But it was something to do, something to fill the void that North left.
And now as Wash listens to Delta and loads his pistol, I realise just how pointless life has been without North...Sam. How dead I've been. If I could go back, help my brother, tell him I loved him one last time…
I say the words knowing what the response will be.
"Oh come on, Wash. What're you gonna do, shoot-"
*bang*
…