Monster
Description: RvB Season 13 Episode 7 Spoilers. Luke Powers never believed in monsters- was never scared of the empty blackness under his bed at night, of the shutters banging when thunderstorms sounded near his hometown, of the big Dinos on TV ripping human beings in half- so, when presented with something everyone is calling 'Monster', Locus looks at it from another standpoint. Sadly, it seems his partner disagrees.
A/N: This latest episode KILLED ME (Not really, I'm 'kay). [Unedited. Will edit more properly on a later date, but it's still readable.]
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"Come on, Private. Get moving!" Commander Echo orders from the top of the hill, staring down at his left behind rookie with a look of disdain behind his pure black visor. "We don't got time for sightseeing!"
"Yeah, Private." Private McScouty taunts, giving his teammate a nasty smirk. The guys got his helmet under one shoulder, and a Battle Rifle over the other. The highlights of bright green are slowly fading from his hair, replacing by a naturally black color. "Better hurry up, or the Dinos'll get ya!"
"Dinos." The bullied private repeats. After receiving no response, he follows the rest of his crew, quiet as a mouse once more.
The underdog private is Private Luke Powers. He's been known to gaze at his environment for too long, so most of the other men don't give him shit for it. Except, of course, for their newest Commander and Teacher's Pet as they call McScouty. The two were deployed with Powers' squad a few months back- they'd lost their old general after he'd gotten sick with some alien fever- and since then, things had been... difficult. Powers actually sort of liked the new Commander- he was more strict than General Browning and he had better aim to boot- but the guy seemed to have no interest in Powers, not that Browning ever had, but at least Browning wasn't so... rude.
It felt strange to word it that way, seeing as Powers saw rudeness as more of an unintentional thing than something that was meant to be displeasing. Instead, Commander Echo was just mean. At the very least, most everyone else agreed. Save for McScouty. McScouty had been a sort of 'Package Deal' when Commander Echo had shown up, as McScouty was impossible to work with in any other squad and Echo had the most experience controlling the spitfire private. Personally, Powers preferred McScouty to Echo any day, and that was saying something. So far, McScouty seemed absolutely determined to find out what Powers' deal was, which meant he talked to him... a lot.
"Hey, Powers, right?" Speak of the Devil and he'll fuck you over. As if on cue, McScouty jogged back a bit to trot beside Powers, keeping beside him at the back of the line of troopers while Commander Echo led the way. "What's with you, anyway? Most folks would wanna get outta this Hellhole as soon as fucking possible. Yet here you are, back of the line and still trailing."
Powers considered, for a moment, jogging up to the rest of his teammates, but instead, he stayed put. At least with McScouty, he was less likely to get bullied by Echo. "The scenery is... interesting." Powers provided, after a few moments of contemplating his response. "How about you? Why6 are you so interested in stalking back here with me?"
McScouty grinned, giving Powers an excited look. He glanced forwards, where Echo was still leading the way, and shot Powers a conniving look. "Echo's a piece of work, huh?" He inquired, and Powers found himself nodding before he could stop himself. "A real piece of shit. Guys like him win the war though- not guys like us."
Powers paused, stopping completely to turn and look at McScouty, a curious look on his face. "Guys... like us?" He repeated, a bit perplexed by McScouty's comment. "I doubt we're much alike, McScouty."
McScouty laughed, like it was a big joke to him- which wouldn't surprise Powers in the least- then gave Powers an almost sorry look, like he'd laughed at an inside joke at a funeral and no one else got the joke. "Of course guys like us, Powers! We ain't like these other motherfuckers. Let me guess: colony kid nobody, grew up with shit parents or none at all, and signed up for the UNSC as soon as you could see over the counter? It's the same story here, kid. Most of these guys-" McScouty gestures forward, at all of the other troopers, all serious faced and obedient in their step. "- They got somewhere after this shithole. They got a wife- a kid maybe- and once it's over, it's over. This war doesn't end for bastards like us."
"You're dramatic." Is Powers' only response, but he'd be lying if McScouty's words weren't something to think on. He's right- Powers has got jackshit once this is over- still, Powers doesn't think he's anything like McScouty. "I'm nothing like you, McScouty. I'm just a man fulfilling his duty."
"Now whose dramatic?" McScouty asks, before he freezes, helmet back on before Powers can even register he's moved. "... You hear that?" He finally asks, after a few beats of silence have passed, and now Powers can hear it, that light scuffling of leaves, almost as if something nearby is trying to sneak through the underbrush. Poorly.
Before Powers can even speak, Commander Echo shouts: "Get down!" And just like that, everyone else was on the ground. Powers is a bit late, unfocused as he still tries to find the source of the noise. "Private Powers! Get your ass on the ground! Now!" He obeys this time, a sore ache echoing through his armor as he slams to the ground, trying to get out of sight.
The time passes in slow-motion, all eyes but Powers' on a large grouping of undergrowth nearby. Powers' breath seems to halt as he waits, trying to decipher the cause of the sounds. Slowly and painful, an large, eight to nine foot tall Elite comes limping out from the underbrush, terribly injured and bleeding from a gash in it's thigh. It's seen battle, but judging by the severe lack of a weapon or armor mod, Powers has a sneaking suspicion that the Elite lost. The alien breathes unevenly, a sure sign of damaged lungs, and it's eyes are glazed over as it peers at all of the poorly hidden troopers before it. It makes some garbled noises, trying to speak, but Powers can't make out what it's saying.
"Well, well, well-" Commander Echo sounds proud of himself as he stands, head tilted as he taunts the injured Elite. "What have we got ourselves here, men?" The others stand up behind him, gathering their courage.
"Looks like we got us a monster, Commander." Private Edison announces, taking after his Commander in taunting the dying Covenant warrior. "An ugly one to boot. Think it knows what we're saying?"
"Let's find out." Commander Echo decides, stepping forward dangerously close to the Elite, but it's obvious that the alien can't put up a fight, much less act as a threat to the Commander. "Hey, Dino, ya understand us? What you doing here, Dino?"
"It's not a 'Dino'..." Powers tries but McScouty gives him a look to keep his mouth shut. Powers seems to wither under that hidden look, and backs up, trying not to be seen by Commander Echo.
The alien, for all it's worth, tries to speak, but it's words are garbled and intangible to the troopers, who all exchange confused looks. All except Commander Echo, who seems to be enjoying this. "Can't speak common English, looks like." The Commander decides, before glancing over his shoulder at McScouty and Powers. "Privates Powers and McScouty, get your asses over here!" Hurriedly, they obey, coming to stand at attention before their leader. "You two... take this alien fucker into the brush and off it. Quietly. I don't want no Dino bastards sneaking up on our sorry asses."
"Sir, I'm not sure if we should do this." For once, no one interrupts Powers, and such an honor gives the private more courage to speak with against his commanding officer. "I believe it's trying to surrender, sir. It means no harm. It doesn't even have a weapon."
Commander Echo lets out a long, audible sigh, shaking his head. "Did I ask for your opinion on the matter, Private Powers?" When no answer comes, he seems to grow enraged, grabbing Powers by the front of his chest-plate, forcing him to stumble into him until the private's at eye-level with his commanding officer. "You listen and you listen good, Powers! This is war! You are a weapon! Here, you aren't some stupid punk kid who can't even drive a Warthog- you're a soldier! So start acting like one! Now get moving, soldier!"
Commander Echo shoves Powers back after his verbal scolding, forcing the trooper to fall backwards, landing awkwardly on his back. Surprisingly enough, McScouty steps forward, crouching beside Powers to help him to his feet. "Idiot." Is McScouty's only comment on the scolding. Whether it's to Powers or Commander Echo is undetermined, but Powers figures it's for him. "Come on, let's tie it up and go."
Together, Powers and McScouty move forward, grab the Elite by each arm, and begin leading it away from the other troopers, who look away whenever Powers comes close. Whether from shame for not stepping in when Commander Echo was abusing him, or to hide some inappropriate grins and smirks, Powers doesn't know. He assumes the worst and keeps moving. After about half an hour of more or less dragging the heavy Elite away from the others- the Elite doesn't resist in the slightest, even though it can probably tell they mean to kill/hurt him- McScouty and Powers sit it down in a clearing a little ways away. For a few minutes, Powers simply stares at the Elite, looking into those big, black, dying eyes.
"Don't stare too long, Powers-" McScouty suggests, reloading a pistol a few feet away from Powers. Powers jumps almost at the sudden sound, turning to stare this time at McScouty. "-You'll give it the wrong idea." There's humor in his voice, but it flies right over Powers' head, too quick to catch. An awkward silence follows, not that Powers seems to notice. "... Right. Well, here ya go." He hands Powers the pistol, looking expectant. "Just get behind it, shoot it in the back of the skull, and we'll dump in the river a few miles out. Echo won't notice if we don't bury."
The not-burying part isn't what makes Powers weak in the knees, throat dry. "... You want me to end it?" He inquires, as if having been asked to... well, pretty much this situation equivalences to his current feeling. "Why not you."
McScouty seems to consider Powers, looking him up and down, before sighing, shaking his head as he looks away. "'Cus I'm not the one in need of practice, dumbass. Go on: blow it's brains out. Don't worry... it don't come out red." Somehow, that makes Powers feel even worse about it. "Oh, stop with the look, kid. Take the gun, shot him in the head, and let's be fucking done with this thing."
Powers pauses, and looks back into the Elite's eyes. If only to make it worse, the Elite looks up at him, shaking with the energy takes to lift it's own head up to stare at Powers. "... It's afraid." Powers concludes, horrified by this sudden realization. "McScouty, we can't, it's-"
"Shoot it!"
Powers jumps like never before, and pulls the trigger out of surprise. The Elite screams, the bullet having hit it in the thigh. God, that noise is fucking awful. Powers shoots again, and again, wanting the screams and howls to stop. He doesn't realize he's been firing blanks until McScouty puts his hands over his, helping Powers lower the pistol. "Shit, man." McScouty comments on the murder, sounding a bit... afraid? Powers can't really tell. "Remind me not to get on your bad side. Come on-" He turns towards the Elite, grabbing it by it's left, limp arm. "- Hey, ass-stick, quit staring and help, would ya?"
Powers considers, for a moment, reloading the pistol and shooting McScouty. He also considers shooting himself. In the end, he latches the pistol onto his side, grabs the right arm of the dead Elite, and begins helping McScouty to drag the body to the river.
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A/N: Aaaaand... that's all for now! Might add onto this idea- a young Locus sounds absolutely amazing- but for now, this is all I've got. If no one noticed, I tried to hint that Locus has ADHD a bit, so I hope I did it well! Please R&R!
~CabooseHeart.