7: Mistaken Identity
'Taker stared down at the woman he had bought, not bothering to concealing his amusement. She was talking to him as if she knew him, and as far as he knew, they had never crossed paths before. She was paler than the usual and had a smoothness in her face that indicated a young age, younger than him at any rate. In the light cast by the fire, he could make out dark hair that fell past her shoulders and a rather plain face.
Then she flashed a smile at him from her place now sitting upright across from him and the plain face transformed into something that wasn't technically beautiful, but he almost smiled back. Even white teeth and full, not cracked lips curved upwards as if she were genuinely happy to be there with him. She was a semi-beautiful idiot.
"Do you have any idea where you are?" He asked, wondering if she had been straying in the desert a bit too long, the sun could addle people's brains.
"Mmm… the Mojave?" She looked around, not seeing much past the glow the fire gave off and then pointed towards New Vegas, which was lit up like a beacon, as always. "That is where we should be. Kane is going to kill me…" She frowned then, her eyes narrowing. "Speaking of, how'd you find me? And how'd you ditch him?"
He had absolutely no idea who Kane was. "I bought you off slavers."
"You… what? Why?"
"Because I wanted you."
She was silent for a very brief moment. "Mark…you're not all that funny, quit while you're ahead. What happened and how did you find me?"
Mark. Now that wasn't a name he liked being called and it gave 'Taker a moment's pause as he reconsidered her. Suddenly, things were clicking, and he had to pinch himself to make sure this wasn't a surreal dream. After a discreet pinch to his wrist, and a harsh one at that, he knew he was quite awake. "A pair of slavers took you down outside of the gates of one of Vegas' sub-towns." He said calmly, quietly.
"Okay…?"
"And I watched them do it."
"You couldn't have stopped them?"
"I was a bit too far away to prevent it." It could just be a coincidence, and he decided to test the theory. He watched as her head tilted back as he pushed himself upright, slowly walking around the fire until he was settling back down, right next to her.
The woman promptly moved into his lap, straddling him and dangled her legs off his hips. A frown crossed her face and she reached up to tug on his long goatee. "When did you shave?"
'Taker's hands had moved to her waist, gripping tightly. This woman recognized him… but it wasn't him she was seeing. It was someone else, someone he hadn't thought about in a very, very long time. Someone he didn't care to think about about.
His twin.
"Mark? What the hell is wrong with you, old man?"
This meant his twin, his brother, was back in the Mojave. For some ungodly reason, Mark had returned West after swearing up and down he was done with everything the desert had to offer. With him, 'Taker. With their Enclave heritage. With the insanity.
And he had brought a wife back with him. A young wife, a woman who obviously was dumber than a box of rocks. 'Taker was already grinning evilly. This had the potential for some serious amusement.
Faith did not like the beard… and as her head cleared more, it began to dawn on her that when she had left her husband in bed this morning, his auburn mustache and goatee had been closely trimmed… this beard was… a bit long. That was the first thing that really unsettled her. She had been able to look past the addled thing, attributing that to the heat, and Mark probably being out in the sun all day looking for her. This she couldn't let slide.
She ran her hands down his muscular arms, jumping when the fire popped behind her and the light emitting from it flared for a brief moment. That moment was enough to show her his arms. The frown deepening, she extended one arm and began studying it, her breath catching in her throat.
This wasn't Mark.
And "Mark" began laughing. A slow, deep, menacing rumble of a laugh that sent chills coursing through her.
"Ah, ah, ah…" 'Taker tsked when she tried getting away from him, having felt the change in her body when she had seen his arms. "Bit on the slow side, aren't you, little sister?"
"Let go!"
"I don't think so, I bought you. You belong to me now." He wrapped his arms firmly around her, trapping her own arms down against her sides and squeezed threateningly when she wouldn't stop squirming. "I would stop that now before I decide to break your ribs."
She froze.
"Much better. Tell me, do you give my brother such a hard time? Or are you a well behaved kitten for him?"
She remained froze, shock and comprehension both lighting her eyes.
'Taker bent down so his nose was pressing against hers. "Never told you he had a twin, did he? Hmm, I bet I know why too…" He leaned forward, his cheek sliding along hers as his lips brushed her ear and hair. "Because I'm the bad one."
Given everything Faith knew about Mark, the fact that… his brother, twin, her apparent brother-in-law, was assumedly worse was just beyond scary. Mark had everything under his belt, though he was no longer "bad". He was like… chaotic neutral these days, and she still loved him. He had shown a bit of remorse for some of his crimes. This guy… he gave the impression that he didn't care and would probably commit a bunch more travesties before he was dragged off to Hell.
"Let go…" She whispered again, turning her head when his face buried itself in her throat. "Stop it!"
"What's your name, little sister?" He demanded, his breath hot against her flesh.
"Faith."
He began laughing again.
