"Move, Move!" Curie urged desperately, half-dragging Lily away from the raiders. The stealth-boy she had used would only last another thirty seconds, and they had to disappear before the effects of the flash grenade wore off. For her part, Lily was managing to hold her own, although her fingers dug painfully into Curie's shoulder as she limped beside her.
"Yelling. Twice. Doesn't. Help." Lily managed to grunt, as the two of them headed towards the Boston Common. Lily felt a familiar terror start to grip her, slowing her step and dragging her feet as they approached the common.
"Curie, no. No!" Lily cried, as they crossed the worn gates and entered the park.
"Shhh!" Curie whispered, dropping Lily behind a tree and peeking back towards the Combat zone. To her dismay, the raiders were heading their way. One glance at Lily made it clear that she wasn't going to move anymore. Her face was white, her eyes unnaturally wide.
"Swan." Lily moaned, her fingers digging deep into the soil. "Swan!" she cried, her voice growing more agitated.
"Please, Lily, be quiet." Curie urged.
Upon hearing her name, Lily calmed down a little. Still, Curie knew their position was untenable. The raiders moved forward confidently, reassured in the knowledge that their quarry was unarmed. Unlike the Combat Zone regulars, they'd only heard rumors about the monster that roamed the Common. And rumors were not going to stop them from collecting their prize.
Curie breathed deeply as she considered her options. She had no more weapons, no more tricks up her sleeve. For the briefest of moments, she considered grabbing the revolver at Lily's hip and making a run for it.
A wave of guilt and shame washed away the thought before it could take root; she had taken a solemn oath, centuries ago, to never do harm to her patients. Whether it was fate or dumb luck, Lily was now her patient. She clenched her fists, looking for something, anything that might help. With her eyes focused on the ground, she didn't notice Lily's strangled gasps at first. By the time she noticed her panicked cries, it was too late.
At that moment, if the raiders hadn't opened fire immediately on the Behemoth that had crawled out of the Swan pond, both Curie and Lily would have ended up as the creature's breakfast. But the night sky lit up with flashes of light as the three raiders pumped the Behemoth full of lead.
"Let's go!" Curie screeched, grabbing Lily by the shoulders and dragging her towards the nearby subway entrance. Swan ignored them for the moment, roaring in rage as the raiders struggled to reload. Sasha tossed a Molotov Cocktail at the approaching Behemoth; while the fire on its skin went out almost immediately, the bright flames seemed to distract it for a moment. That was all the time in the world for the raiders, who retreated down the alley.
Curie felt time slow down as Swan slowly turned to look at her. His disfigured face twisted into a crooked grin.
"Get out of here." Lily muttered deliriously, shoving Curie towards the gates of the park. "Go on." She gestured weakly towards the exit. Curie fought the urge to take her advice and flee. As much as she wanted to live, she couldn't willingly leave her patient behind to die, could she? She clasped the raider's limp hand tightly and picked up a rock with her other hand. Perhaps if she could hit its eye…