Warning for Virgil whump in this one.
-o-o-o-
There were so many questions.
And so many regrets.
How?
'How' was the biggest.
'Why' was probably the usual answer.
Virgil sighed against the rock, his breath scattering sand grains.
He had been painting the sunset. It was an almost corny epitaph to a well lived life.
He had no regrets for the majority of it. The last few minutes, though?
He had far too many.
If he had been paying more attention to his surroundings...
The first he had seen of the invaders.
Yes, invaders.
On Tracy Island.
He scrunched his eyes closed and tried not to breathe too much.
Breathing meant circulation and he was currently circulating far too much onto the rocks through the hole in his gut.
He did have one thing to be grateful for, however.
Brains.
It was always Brains. The man was such a genius and none of this would have been possible without him.
None of it.
None.
His eyes closed involuntarily.
He forced them open.
Sand danced on the rock.
Volcanic rock.
Kermadec born from the ocean depths millennia ago.
Focus.
He had fallen after they had shot him. Maybe they thought he was dead.
Maybe he was.
He was certainly broken enough even without the hole in his gut.
Volcanic rock was unforgiving.
But Brains.
Brains.
Brains.
His eyes closed again and he struggled to open them.
Brains had saved the day. Comms. Comms in his collar.
John. He had been able to contact John. John would contact Scott and Scott would prevent.
Prevent...
Kayo. Beautiful Kayo. Would kick ass.
He prayed no-one would get hurt. Not his family. Please not his family.
'Virgil?'
Please not his family.
'Virgil, calm, honey, keep calm. Your brothers are coming.'
His eyes were no longer open, but he could see. See so much. "Mom?"
A ghostly smile. 'They are coming, honey. Hold on.'
"But the invaders..."
Fingers brushed his brow. 'Hold on, honey.'
'Hold on.'
-o-o-o-