This chapter was rushed. I didn't even bother to tie up the end, so I apologize.
POV: Harkness
I stood out on deck watching over the bridge, while Michella sat on the edge of the platform, and watched over the empty sky.
It was a normal day, just like many of the others we'd seen at one in the afternoon.
"What has your life been like?"
I looked down at her. "What do you mean... what's my life been like? What kind of question is that?"
She pulled her hair back and tucked it behind her ears - it seemed to be irritating her, blowing wildly in the wind.
"It's just a question," she shrugged. "I meant, before you became in charge of security."
My lips were parted, but I couldn't think of exactly what to say to her. We'd been getting along fine lately, but it felt awkward to talk to her about my past. Or mostly anything that wasn't related to violence.
"What exactly are you asking me?"
She looked up at me. "I'm asking what your life was like. Family, friends, kids... anything."
Then she looked away, and started to mindlessly bite at her bottom lip. It looked as though it must've been a habit.
"Well, I was married a few years ago."
She immediately released her bottom lip from the clench of her teeth, I noticed.
"And she just... left me. I guess." I didn't know how to explain it any further.
After a brief moment of silence, she pulled one of her knees up from over the edge. "What did you do?"
"So you're already sure that it was my fault, and you haven't even heard the entire story yet?"
She looked up at me again, and smiled.
"Seriously?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"Alright, alright. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Where is she now?"
I was unsure of where this was going. "She lives with her mother," I answered.
"Yes, just like I thought. It sounds like it was your fault, Harkness."
Before I could counter her snappy remark, I saw a man on the opposite side of the bridge, and immediately ran over to the intercom.
"Just a moment. The bridge will be extended."
I flipped open the control box, and pressed a button. As the traveler stepped onto the bridge, I watched over his every move. He was dressed pretty normal for a wastelander, and appeared to be tired, just like any other traveler who managed to make it all the way down here. ...Besides the fact that he was armed with a double barrel shotgun.
I saw some kind of rapid movement in the corner of my eye, and immediately looked over to Michella, now on her feet, who seemed to be signaling something. She had her palms straightened, and was cutting the air to the right.
"What's the matter?" I whispered to her, drawing my rifle.
"Down," she whispered back.
I looked down, assuming she meant there was something under the bridge.
"Just kill them!" the traveler yelled, pulling the shotgun from his back.
Before I looked back up, I saw that there were two or more men on the shore of the river below, fully armored, with sniper rifles.
"Michella, get back inside," I ordered, grabbing her by the arm and guiding her to my front. She pulled the door open and we hurried inside, barely avoiding the gunfire closing in from behind.
"You picked the wrong day to wear a dress," I said, as I took the pistol from my holster on my side and handed it to her.
"Actually, I thought this would be a good way to impress you. How many women can to kill a man in a pink dress and heels?"
I shot her a brief smile. "Up the stairs."
She clinked up the stairs, and I followed behind. We both dropped on one knee and aimed for the stairway.
Soon enough, the men had entered the ship, and the both of us waited until one was unfortunate enough to step in front of the staircase.
As soon as the first one came into sight, Michella put a bullet in the side of his head. The others rushed over, and we quickly, and easily, picked them off one by one.
I signaled for her to stay back, and crouched to move forward as I looked down the stairway.
"All clear. You can come down."
Michella walked down the stairs, and the first thing she did when she reached the bottom was kick the man with the shotgun in his side.
"Did the ones under the bridge look like they were going to try to come up?" She asked, still staring at the corpse.
"No. They might've ran off."
I watched her a little closer, and she wasn't just staring at the corpse. She knew something that I didn't.
"...any idea who they might've been?"
She simply shook her head, and for the rest of the entire day, she said nothing more.
We returned to the bridge the following day, since Michella had a hunch that no one would come after us that soon.
Suddenly, interrupting our rather silent conversation, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Chief, I think you and the kid might want to see this."
It was officer Danvers.
"What is it?" I asked.
"You'll have to see for yourself," she said, signaling for Michella and I to follow.
She led us into the marketplace, and as we got down the stairs, our eyes were drawn to the crowd.
"She's making it dangerous to live here!"
"What happened to this being the safest place in the Wasteland?"
I looked to Michella. She knew all this commotion was about her, but I couldn't tell exactly what she thought of it.
"What's going on here?" I asked, pushing my way to the middle of the crowd.
"Concern, that's what!" a distant voice shouted.
"Concern about what?"
"Our safety! Someone will get killed the longer she stays here!"
I pursed my lips skeptically. "And how is this... supposed killer... going to get in here?"
"You'll let them in!"
Danvers had made her way to the center of the crowd, and I noticed a light shining inside the marketplace- Dr. Li was now at the doorway.
"Okay everyone, go back to your business. We've come to a decision, and we'll inform you of it as soon as it's taken care of."
That didn't sound good.
"Danvers, what the hell are you talking about?"
She looked over the crowd as it dispersed, making sure everyone did as they were told. "Bannon, Dr. Li and I need to talk to you and Michella outside."
She began to head towards the exit, and I stood back for a moment. After she was a good distance away, I ran over to Michella.
"So I'm getting evicted?" She asked, surprisingly without a sarcastic tone. She actually sounded concerned...
I bit my lip. "I don't want to sugar coat it, so I'll just say I don't know."
She and I exited the marketplace and went out onto the bridge. We stopped, filling the rest of the circle with Dr. Li, Danvers, and Bannon.
"We've tried to make this decision as easy as possible for the both of you." Danvers said.
"It's nothing personal. We just... think it's better to keep the peace." Dr. Li added.
"I'm being evicted?"
We all looked to Michella, who kept her eyes on Dr. Li.
"...Yes. And I'm really sorry. Like I said, it's nothing personal." Dr. Li answered.
I crossed my arms. "You can't just throw her out. She has every right to live here. If this happened to someone else, we wouldn't just tell them to 'get lost', would we?"
Danvers sighed, rubbing her forehead. "We knew you'd probably have something to say about this, so that's why we'll have to evict you as well if you don't like it."
My eyebrows raised subconsciously. "You'll evict your chief of security? And one of the saviors of the wasteland?"
"This savior of the wasteland is a blessing. But this savior of the wasteland also has enemies that could do a lot of damage to everyone and everything around her." Bannon reasoned. "We can't put ourselves at risk any longer."
Before I could say anything, Michella spoke up. "You know what? It's fine. Just let me talk to Dr. Zimmer about something and I'll be on my way."
She pushed past Dr. Li and I, and went inside.
"You're the closest thing to family she has. You actually know her. And you're ok with this?"
Dr. Li said nothing. She just left... and went on her way back to her lab.
"Sorry Harkness. It's her or all of us," Danvers said, walking back inside with Bannon.
"Yeah. Don't take it personally." Bannon added.