A skullgirls one shot

"They've done some terrible things to her...you want me to take her back to lab 8's crew" Leduc said, placing a hand on painwheel's shoulder.

"Yep. Lluem will know what to do." Big band replied.

"What are you going to do?" Leduc asked.

"Me? I've got to track down peacock before she get's herself killed. And I know where she'll be."

Leduc nodded at Big Bands statement. "Alright man. I'll take her back to Lluem and the rest. You be careful out there." Leduc advised.

"You too buddy." Big Band replied.

Big Band used his iron long to set off towards the cathedral. Meanwhile, Leduc was getting Painwheel up on her feet. "Who..are..you?" Painwheel asked. Leduc gave her a faint smile. "I'm Leduc. I'm part of lab 8. I can tell your from lab 0?" Leduc asked. Painwheel nodded in response.

"Hhmm. Interesting..I've never really been down there myself and-"

"Good!" Painwheel interrupted.

The sudden outburst caused Leduc to flinch. "Hey..we should get moving. There are people waiting for us that I think your gonna' get along with pretty well." Leduc said. Leduc and Painwheel made their way out of the building and onto the empty streets of New Meridian.

"The whole city is on..skullgirls alert." Painwheel said.

"Yeah...and theres the skullgirl herself." Leduc said pointing up at the sky.

The skullgirl was using her power to hold up a collapsed building a.k.a the medici headquarters. As she did so the debris from the building came crashing down onto the streets. "Come on! We gotta get out of here before we get smashed!" Leduc said. He took Painwheels hand and the two began to run. They dodged the falling debris left and right. They ran and ran and ran until it was finally safe. The two had stopped in front of a pet shop so Painwheel could cath her breath.

"I think it's safe now. are you...okay?" Leduc asked.

He saw that Painwheel was looking at her reflection in the mirror. She seemed so lost in the image she was looking at. Leduc walked closer to her. "Miss?" He said.

"What happened to me?" She asked.

"Huh?" Leduc said.

Painwheel turned to look at him. Her blood red eyes were filled with sadness. "What happened to me. This isn't me. This isn't me at all!" Painwheel exclaimed. Leduc put his hands up, signaling her to calm dowm. But Painwheel couldn't calm down. Look at what Brain Drain did to her. She looked at her reflection again and reached out to touched the glass.

"I'm a monster. Look at me...look at what they did. they...they..they-"

"Changed you." leduc finished.

Painwheel brought her hands to her face. Water began to flow freely down her cheeks. She was crying. Crying so hard she sank down to her knees. She was crying the hardest she had ever cried. "I'm a monster..an ugly disgusting abomination!" Painwheel cried. Leduc got on one knee so he could talk face to face with her.

"Miss?...I don't see any monsters." He said.

"*sniffle*..w-what?" Painwheel replied.

Leduc pulled a hanckerchief from his pocket and used it to wipe away Painwheels tears. Painwheel looked deep into Leduc's eyes and leduc did the same. He could see what he had not seen in Painwheels eyes before. He could see sadness...and fear. She was scared of the monster she saw in her reflection.

"Why aren't you..*sniffle*..afraid of me?" Painwheel asked.

"What is there to be a afraid of? Like I said before, I don't see a monster." Leduc replied.

"But I..I.."

Leduc took Painwheel's hand and helped her up to her feet. "Your a pretty girl miss. You ar enot a monster" leduc commented. Painwheel looked at his hands.

"But..the nails...the blades and..and look at me." Pianwheel mumbled, on the verge of tears.

"The blades and nails make you nothing like a monster miss." Leduc assured.

"How can you say that?" Painwheel asked.

Leduc held his arms out in front of him. "Trust me..I've seen monsters and I've seen the things they do. They are the reason my body is like this. Those monsters would have killed me if Lab 8 hadn't come along and saved me." He explained. Painwheel slowly reached out and touched the orange part of his arm. It was rubber. Painwheel turned to look at her reflection once more before ripping her mask of her face. Leduc was now able to see the true beautiful girl standing in front of him. His eyes widened a bit at her true face.

"See? No monster..just a beautiful girl." Leduc said.

Painwheel blushed. She eyed Leduc up and down from his metalic feet to his arms. Needless to say his body was quite perplex. "Your..just like me." Painwheel stated. Leduc looked at his own body and smiled at her.

"You can say that. Come on..we have to keep movine" He replied.

The journey back to the Lab 8 crew was silent. That was until Painwheel decided to break the silence. "Um...leduc?" She said timidly. Leduc looked at her.

"Yes miss?" He replied.

"What you said back there..about me being beautiful...did you mean it?" She asked.

Leduc chuckled. "Of course I meant it and don't let anyone tell you anything or anyone tell you otherwise." Leduc advised. Again, Painwheel blushed.

"Thank you..you're very sweet. and thank you for not being afraid." She thanked, she moved closer to Leduc.

She began to feel really comfortable around him now. "Your welcome. And like I sad before you're not a monster. Your a very beautiful girl." leduc complemented.

Painwheel smiled at Leduc and he returend the smile. "Oh by the way..you don't have to call me miss anymore. My real name is Carol." Painwheel told.

"Carol. Such a lovely name." leduc said.

"Thank you." Painwheel replied.

"Hey look! There they are."

Leduc pointed to the Lab 8 crew up ahead. Everyone of them were present. Lleum and Stanely Whitefin met Leduc and Painwheel half-way under the bridge.

"Welcom back agent Leduc. Who might your friend be over here?" Stanely asked.

"This is Carol. Big Band rescued her from Lab 0's director." Leduc informed.

"Really? Lab 0...did this to her? You poor dear." Lleum said hugging Carol.

Painwheel hugged Lleum back. "Um..thank you all for not being afraid." She said.

"Afraid of what dear? There is nothing to be a fraid because you are with friends now." Lleum assured.

Leduc walked over to Painwheel and place his hand on her shoulder. "Welcome to Lab 8 Carol. I'll keep you safe even if it costs me my life." Leduc said. Painwheel smile dat him. She had the feeling that her new friend my live up to his word.