Lupara Bianco
Bang.
Dixie crashed backwards through the door, hitting the ground so hard she rolled. Jack charged through, pointed her gun at Dixie's head, and shot her. She glanced up and met Gage's eye.
She'd come for him.
Jack stood still for a moment, paling in horror. A terrible fury smoldered across her beautiful face—lips curling back to bear her black teeth, her features scrunching together, cheeks blazing dark red, eyes burning. She stepped over Dixie's body, her anger fixed on Nisha.
Nisha gnashed her teeth as she set down her flensing knife, drawing a different one from her belt and running to meet her challenger. Jack had interrupted her; Gage knew Nisha would make her pay.
Nisha never got the chance. Bossanova came hurtling out of the far doorway, sword raised, sprinting across the rooftop. She didn't stop as she glanced at Gage, but he caught sight of the shift in her expression to something deep and ugly. He realised she would never have left him.
"Move!" roared Bossanova, shoving Jack out of the way and whipping around as Nisha reached them. Bossanova raised her foot in one fluid motion and slammed it into Nisha's chest. She staggered, wheezing, but Bossanova was upon her, sword whistling through the air. Sparks flew as Nisha barely blocked it, and her mouth became a snarl as she struck back hard and fast.
"Gage!" Jack was suddenly at his side, tugging on his bonds, babbling. "I tried to get here as soon as I could, but Nisha stormed the brothel, stopped us from—" She broke off as he turned his head to her, recoiling. "Oh God."
"You're here," he mumbled, barely aware of her eyes widening at the state of his arm, the skin hanging off, dripping blood. The pain numbed as Gage stared at her, drinking her in. "You're here."
Jack cupped his face, her touch so warm and gentle. "What the fuck has she done to you?"
"You were telling the truth about Nisha?" He had to know. He had to. "Everything you told me earlier was true?" The pitch of his voice raised in desperation.
Jack blinked, her mouth hanging open. Her shock was his answer, but then she pressed a kiss to his forehead and whispered, "Yes, you fucking idiot."
Gage gazed at her, only dimly aware of the clash of swords and knives somewhere in the background. "I ain't gonna go all sappy on you," Gage mumbled, as she returned to wrestling with his bonds, "but...you are friggin' amazing, you know that?"
She glanced up at him, surprised.
"Jack!"
Bossanova's voice cracked like a whip and Jack turned just in time to throw herself out of the way of Savoy's knife. She rolled to her feet, but he darted forward, seizing her by the hair and launching her across the ground. Savoy spared one malicious grin in Gage's direction, before advancing on Jack.
Gage sat in stunned silence, unable to believe it. Jack wasn't a traitor. The boss hadn't abandoned him. Watching Jack fight for him—bleed for him—Gage didn't give a fuck how she'd convinced Bossanova of her innocence. It could wait. It could all wait.
Something hot and stinging welled in his eye, trickling down his cheek. He blinked furiously, coming to his senses with a rush of shame. They were here. Now he needed to get free before Nisha finished them off.
Jack was on her feet again, dodging and ducking Savoy's swinging blows, her gun feet away. Instead she held a combat knife in her hand, giving everything she had. Bossanova was some distance behind her, a mere blur in the background. She whirled and thrust her glimmering sword: a true predator. She tore at Nisha's flesh, drinking scarlet and spitting it to the floor. Gage found himself mesmerised as Nisha edged away, reeling with the violence of each blow.
Gage rocked himself back and forth in the chair, trying to break free, but it was no good. He was too weak, the bindings too tight, pain clamping him to the seat. His broken arm hung limp and bleeding at his side, pain coursing through the mangled limb. A sudden movement to his left caught his eye, and he turned his head to see a vent cover sliding out of place. Two tiny little hands gripped the edges, and Sarah popped up into view, her front covered in dried blood, a jagged pink scar across her neck.
"Hi, Mr. Gage," she said, smiling, her voice slightly raspier than usual.
"Jesus," Gage said, relief flooding through him. "Just call me Gage, asshole."
"Alright, Gage-Asshole," Sarah snapped, clambering unsteadily out of the vent. She looked extremely pale, and there was a tremor in her hands that hadn't been present before. Sarah recoiled a little at the sight of his face, her gaze flicking to his missing eye, before glancing over at the fight and working her way through the knotted rope at his limbs.
The bonds fell away and Gage tried to stand. White-hot pain consumed him, his legs wobbling violently, and he fell back into his chair, sending it scraping across the concrete. None of the fighters looked up, even noticed him.
"Wait," hissed Sarah, pulling a handful of stimpaks from her pocket. "Jack gave me these." She popped the caps off and stuck two in his arm, one in his leg, and another in his stomach. A sweet, dizzying chill swept through him as the pain across his body lifted, and he lolled in his chair, grinning and staring up at the sky, feeling drunk.
Sarah poked him hard in the ribs, snapping him back to the present as she hissed, "Focus!"
Gage shook his head and glanced down at his left arm. It was a mess of shiny pink skin stretched over exposed muscle, giving it a ghoulish look, like radiation had withered and stripped the flesh away. The forearm was twisted, the broken bone healed at an odd angle. But it moved cleanly and only felt numb and a bit tingly. He could live with that. He tore off the healed skin flapping loosely around his elbow, ignoring the fresh wave of pain and blood—and Sarah's squeal of disgust—before setting his eyes on Savoy.
Gage staggered to his feet again, kicking back his chair just as Savoy lunged forward and punched Jack. She hit the deck, splayed and unmoving, and Savoy bore down upon her, his knife raised.
"I'm gonna piss on your corpse!" Gage bellowed. Savoy turned in time to see Gage fling the chair across the rooftop and into his face with a loud clang. Savoy slammed onto his back, his stupid, three-pronged helmet spinning across the ground and settling at Gage's feet.
Gage scooped up the helmet, noting the prongs were actually blood-encrusted knives, and slipped his fingers through the eyeholes. As Savoy scrambled up, Gage kicked him hard across the head with his spike-toed boots, before clobbering him with the helmet and sending him down a second time. He beat Savoy with it again and again, blood spraying everywhere as the knives bit into their master, cleaving his flesh. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sarah run over to Jack, a stimpak in hand.
Gage raised the helmet high and then brought it down with the intent to cave the fucker's head in once and for all. Savoy rolled out of the way, the knives sparking on the concrete, and then kicked out hard at Gage's knee. It jerked sideways, pain exploding through the joint, and Gage yelled as his leg buckled and he crashed down in a heap. The helmet shot from his grip, but before he could grab it, Savoy was upon him.
Punches rained down on Gage, each blow rocking his head to the side as he tried to fight Savoy off, his newly fixed nose breaking again. Planting his good leg into the ground, Gage thrust his hips up hard, sending Savoy toppling head first over him. Gage rolled over, panting, and tried to stand, but his left leg crumpled the moment he put weight on it, sending him flat on his face. Gage swore and pushed himself onto one leg with his hands, looking around for Jack.
A sharp pain exploded in his right shoulder blade, and Gage yelled out as he collapsed onto his front, glancing around in time to see Savoy raising his bladed helmet to strike again.
"Gage!"
Sarah came rushing in from nowhere, leaping forward and locking her arms around Savoy's neck. The momentum of her body dragged Savoy back and away from Gage, and the two tumbled over, the helmet skittering away over a ledge and out of sight.
Savoy threw Sarah off with a grunt and grabbed her by the ankle as he staggered up. She struggled wildly, kicking out with her other leg, but Savoy ignored her, dragging her to the edge of the roof. Sarah looked where she was going and started to scream, her flailing hands trying and failing to grab hold of something to anchor her in place.
Ignoring the searing pain in his knee, Gage forced himself up onto one leg and threw himself forward as he roared, "Leave her!" The metal spikes in Savoy's armour cut into Gage as they collided, spinning to the ground in a whirlwind of punches while Sarah landed with a thud and a squeak. The edge drew close as the two men struggled, the dizzying fall just visible out of the corner of Gage's eye.
He spared Sarah a single thought, praying she'd back off, before Savoy straddled Gage and began pummelling every inch of him he could reach. The Disciple was a bloody mess, the left side of his face in tatters—his ear and part of his nose had been sliced away, his teeth visible through the huge gashes streaking through his cheeks, ending with a large chunk of lip hanging on by the meanest sliver of skin. One eye was now nothing but an oozing slush beneath the lid, the other wild and demented. Gage wondered for a split second if his own had ever looked that bad, before the thought was cut off as Savoy's meaty hands closed around Gage's neck, drew him close, and then slammed him into the ground.
White spots burst across Gage's vision as his head cracked on concrete, a sickening sensation shooting through his body like an electric shock. The world spun around him, the urge to vomit rushing up through his throat, before being cut off as the hands clamped down hard.
Savoy leaned in, the tattered remains of his mouth stretched into a fleshy grin, the pressure increasing. Gage's windpipe felt ready to collapse, bile building behind the blockage like a straining dam about to burst. The blood from both his and Savoy's wounds dripped into Gage's mouth, which opened and closed desperately, searching for a breath that wouldn't come.
Somewhere in the distance he could hear the clashing of metal on metal, and Savoy's terrible smile grew wider. Twisting his hands, he forced Gage's neck to turn, directing his attention to the fierce battle raging only metres away. He leaned forward further still and hissed, "Watch."
Gage watched. His vision was tunnelling, his brain swimming as his lungs screamed for air. Bossanova ducked and dodged Nisha's brutal attacks, her red-sheened skin bearing as many wicked cuts as Nisha's. Nisha shrieked with laughter as she swung her knife down again and again, while Bossanova blocked each one in turn.
And then she saw Gage.
Bossanova's eyes widened, and she only just parried Nisha's fierce blow. Something strange flickered through her face, and then she struck out hard, catching Nisha across the chest and sending her stumbling back. But Bossanova had already looked away, her attention fixed on Gage as she seized the combat knife strapped to her leg and pulled it free.
The seconds suddenly seemed to stretch into hours. Each detail became a landmark in the moment as Gage lay there, staring helplessly in horror. Bossanova drew back her arm, not paying Nisha the slightest bit of notice, and threw the knife with all the strength she could muster. It flew from her hand as Nisha lunged, her own blade catching the dying light before she plunged it straight into Bossanova's stomach.
The combat knife hit the ground and went spinning towards Gage. The pressure lifted, vomit spilling from Gage's lips as Savoy made a wild grab for the blade, before suddenly jerking back as if tied to an invisible rope.
Gage retched, his lungs trying to figure out the difference between air and bile, and then glanced up to see Sarah clinging onto Savoy for dear life, her feet planted into his back, right hand fingers wedged into the bloody hole on the side of his head, her left pulling on his intact ear so hard it was a wonder she didn't tear it off.
Gage grabbed the knife and thrust it up into Savoy's waiting neck. The raider spasmed, his eyes popping as his hands flew to the blade now occupying his throat. Sarah let go and jumped back as Gage twisted his hips, throwing Savoy off balance. He hit the ground with a heavy thud, his remaining eye rolling up as his body stopped just short of the edge of the roof. For a moment Gage was tempted to push him off the building for good measure, before remembering the boss.
He heaved and gagged as he tried to drag himself to his feet, but his damn leg still refused to work properly. Gage looked up and felt himself tense. Nisha was slowly standing, a triumphant, gleeful smile etched into her face, while Bossanova lay at her mercy, twitching in a pool of her own blood.
"Fucking bitch!" Gage rasped, his eyes fixed on the boss. No, no, no...she couldn't be dead. Not now. Not after all the shit they'd been through together.
Nisha ran her finger down the scarlet blade as she started to walk over to him, before placing it in her mouth. She smacked her lips. "Ghoul blood isn't as pure. I think yours will taste better."
Gage's heart raced, his breathing quick and shallow. He was back where he started, but this time, the others were within Nisha's grasp. And the boss…
His stomach clenched. Bossanova was dead. Nothing he could do for her now. Gage glanced to the right of Nisha, looking for Jack and Sarah. Jack was slowly coming to, groaning a little as she tried to sit up. But she still didn't look with it, didn't look ready for a fight. Her gun was gone, her knife...fuck who even knew where that was? Even the boss' blade was wedged firmly in Savoy's throat—something he didn't have the time or the strength to pull out.
Gage swallowed, snapping his eye back to Nisha, stalking ever closer to him, clearly savouring the fact she was the only one with a weapon. He shivered, the fear coursing through him like poison, but held his ground and watched Nisha approach with a steady gaze.
And then he noticed Jack's gun lying feet away from him, right between him and Nisha. She grinned, but made no move to grab it. He knew why. He couldn't stand, let alone get the gun before she could, and Jack was too far away. Nisha wanted him to stew in his terror, watching her slowly get closer and closer, knowing what was coming and unable to stop it.
Gage scowled, a sudden calm sweeping over him. Fine, so he was unarmed. He had no way to fight on his own two feet. But whatever happened, he'd make up for these handicaps with sheer fucking enthusiasm. She wouldn't torture him to death again, the way he knew she wanted. That alone would be worth his imminent demise.
Something moved to the right of him. For one heart-stopping moment, Gage thought it was Jack, but then the tiny figure of Sarah came darting across the rooftop, seizing Jack's gun and pointing it at Nisha. Nisha stopped in her tracks, lips parting in surprise, before her mouth split into an evil smile. She stepped forward again, and to Gage's dismay, Sarah backed away. Even from this distance he could see she was trembling head to foot.
"So," Nisha said lightly, taking another slow, deliberate step, clearly enjoying the idea of a victim besides Gage. "So you're the kid Dixie sliced up?" She licked her lips. "It's been a year since I had a young one to play with. I wonder, Gage…" She turned her head back to him. "Would you like to watch me torture her first?"
"Run, asshole!" Gage snarled, his throat making it come out more of a wheeze. Jack's gun was nothing like the one they'd practiced with. Sarah wouldn't be able to handle it even if she tried.
"Shut up," Sarah snapped, her voice lacking the shake her body possessed. She continued to back away from Nisha, the gun still pointed at her.
"You don't have the spine to shoot me," Nisha hissed, edging closer to Sarah. "To take a life, to feel the blood run over your hands and watch the light die in their fucking eyes." She drew in a long breath, shivering. "To savour the rush of killing."
Sarah said nothing, glancing over her shoulder as she continued to move back, further away from both Gage and Nisha.
Nisha grinned. "Do you even know how to use that, little girl?"
Gage watched her, his heart in his mouth as Nisha followed her like a feral dog. What the hell did she think she was doing? Exciting Nisha, teasing her, dragging the whole thing out would achieve nothing except...except….
"No." Sarah's lips twitching into a small, triumphant smile, and then with a cheerful tone said, "But she does." Sarah stopped next to Jack, who was getting unsteadily to her feet, and handed her the loaded gun.
Gage's mouth fell open.
Nisha let out a scream of rage, rushing forward, her blade held high. But Jack was too quick.
Crack.
Nisha stumbled and fell, her hand clamped to her stomach, blood seeping between her fingers. Jack dashed over and kicked Nisha's knife away quickly, before pointing the gun at Nisha's legs. She fired another shot and Nisha shrieked in agony, clutching her left knee. The sound was music to Gage's ears, and a second later Jack added to the melody by directing her attention to the other leg.
Crack.
Jack turned from Nisha and ran to Gage, but he shook his head frantically, pointing to Bossanova. "The boss, the boss!"
Jack pulled out a stimpak from the little satchel at her waist, before turning and throwing the bag to Sarah. Sarah caught it and ran over to Bossanova's body. A second later Gage's view was obscured as Jack threw herself down beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck, crushing her mouth against his. She drew away, gagging a little as she wiped his blood and bile off her lips, before pressing the stimpak into his hand. "Here."
"The boss—" he began.
"Sort yourself out before I make you," she interrupted.
"What about you?"
"I'm fine. Take the damn stimpak."
Gage hesitated, but the look in her eye was so fierce that after a moment he gave in, popping off the cap and jamming in the needle. Sweet bliss flooded his body, and Gage flopped lazily onto his back, forgetting all his troubles for a single spectacular second.
Jack appeared over him, face wrought with worry. He seized her and pulled her into a tight embrace, ignoring the dull ache of his tender ribs, the uncomfortable tingling of his arm. Gage drank in the warmth of her, his fingers knotted tight in her hair, pressing kisses to her wet cheek, frightened to let go, to break the tranquility of her presence.
But then the effects of the stimpak faded, and reality caught up with him.
"The boss," Gage said, sitting up. Jack helped him stand, his leg still stiff, and together they hurried over to Bossanova's body. Sarah was sat next to her, empty stimpak needles scattered around her, her face pale.
To Gage's greatest surprise—and relief—Bossanova turned her head to look at him. Her breathing was laboured, blood trickling from her mouth, but otherwise she had no other injuries. Gage noted the holes in the front of her many layers of dark clothing, and wondered how much it hid, how many times Nisha actually stabbed her. Hopefully the shitty leather armour she'd picked up had done its job. He reached forward to help, but she batted him away.
"I'm fine," Bossanova mumbled, despite looking anything but. She tried to move, before wincing and lying down again. "On second thought, I might need a bit of assistance."
Gage took hold of her arm and helped her sit up, before looking around for Jack. He saw her bent over Nisha, tying the Disciple's arms behind her back with one of the thin leather straps off her own armour. Nisha was still struggling and swearing, despite her injuries. Good. Meant they had a little more time before she bled to death.
Grinning a little to himself, Gage turned back to Bossanova and felt the smile slide off his face. She looked fucking awful. Trying to ignore the cold feeling crawling through his skin, he gestured to the empty stimpaks, guessing Sarah must have used everything they had. "Is this gonna be enough?"
Bossanova looked at Gage for a long, quiet moment, and then smiled. "It'll see me through." She closed her eyes as if steeling herself for something, and said, "Help me stand, please."
He obeyed, his stomach tightening as she leaned heavily on him, but then she patted him on the shoulder and indicated for him to let go. Gage did, and she managed to stay standing, though still looking pale and unsteady.
"Go assist Jack," she murmured, pointing to the ongoing struggle with Nisha, who was fighting tooth and nail to stop her hands being bound.
Gage nodded, his stomach still writhing, and strode over to the cursing Nisha.
"I will fucking skin you!" Nisha shrieked, writhing so hard her helmet came loose and fell off. Her dark hair tumbled free, the fringe plastered to her sweaty forehead, her sunken eyes rolling wildly in her head. She looked like a rabid animal.
"You need to learn when you're beat," Gage said coolly, kicking her hard in her shattered knee. Nisha screamed and he laughed, drinking in her pain. Fucking bitch.
Between the two of them, Jack and Gage managed to secure Nisha, removing all her hidden weapons and binding her so tightly she could barely move. They also found a key, which Gage suspected was for the power plant core. That could be dealt with later. Knowing it would rile her, Gage took her helmet as a trophy, smirking down at her fury.
When they returned to Bossanova, her face was set, her breathing steadied. She still looked ill, but maybe the stimpaks were just a little slower to work on ghouls. She certainly seemed more in control of herself now. With a shaking hand, Bossanova reached into her clothing and produced a meat cleaver, slightly larger than the one she'd used to slice and dice Haze. As she did this, Gage caught sight of the gamma gun, nestled comfortably on her belt alongside a wooden-handled revolver that looked like it had come from Dry Rock Gulch. Then they were hidden again as her clothing dropped back into place.
Bossanova passed the cleaver to Jack with a smile, nodding her head towards Savoy and Dixie's bodies. "Do the honours, please."
Jack grinned.
They dragged Nisha screaming and thrashing all the way to the walkways above the main plant floor, a seething mass of battling raiders below.
Slowly, one by one, the fighters caught sight of Bossanova, a captured Nisha at her side. Silence fell over the power plant, the only sound being Nisha's snarling threats as she struggled in Gage and Jack's grip.
When she had her audience, Bossanova staggered forward, hitting the railings so hard Gage thought she would topple over them. He made a move to pull her back, but she managed to hold herself up, disguising her frailty as a forceful lean over the rails to the crowd.
"See what happens to those who challenge me," Bossanova said slowly, waving a lazy hand towards the struggling, cursing Nisha. "Our dear Disciple is about to earn her reward."
Gage frowned. Every inch of her face spoke pain, her entire body trembling with the effort of remaining upright.
"Fucking bitch!" Nisha spat, fighting against Gage and Jack even though they were the only thing keeping her standing, her shattered legs hanging uselessly beneath her. "Just you wait. I'll strip your flesh from your bones! I'll take your eyes, your fingers, your tongue—"
"Thank you for reminding me," Bossanova said in a bored tone, as if Nisha wasn't talking at all. "Gage, hold her mouth."
Gage obeyed, struggling a little. Nisha was doing everything she could to make his life difficult, including trying to bite him, but eventually with Jack's assistance he got her jaw open. Nisha continued to try to rant muffled threats, her eyes rolling in her head, saliva dripping down her chin. Bossanova reached into the gaping maw, seized Nisha's tongue, and drew her knife across it.
Nisha's scream of pain was lost in the cheer that exploded from the crowd as Bossanova turned back to them and held the tongue high. Behind Bossanova, Sarah hid her face, looking sick.
"As promised!" Bossanova bellowed over the noise, while Nisha retched, blood pouring from her mouth, gargling noises coming from the back of her throat, her face screwed up in unspeakable agony. Gage grinned. He couldn't help himself. Below he saw the remaining Disciples starting to back away slowly while the others were distracted. They knew it was over.
"Gage, Jack, bring her here."
They did as they were told, dragging Nisha over and forcing her back against the railings, facing Bossanova.
Nisha continued to make indistinguishable noises, her tone and expression telling Gage she was still trying to threaten Bossanova.
Bossanova produced the wooden-handled revolver from her belt and showed it to the crowd. Then she forced the barrel into Nisha's mouth, gagging her. Bossanova smiled coldly. "Shut the fuck up."
The back of Nisha's head exploded, raining down on the crowd. Gage and Jack let go of the deposed raider queen, the gun still wedged in her mouth, and her body toppled away into darkness, landing with a sickening thud below.
The noise was deafening. The raiders fired guns into the air, banging their feet, screamed with delight, all the while the Disciples were trying to slink out of the building. Bossanova stared down at her subjects, then turned to Jack and nodded. Jack grinned and held up Savoy and Dixie's heads, earning a fresh wave of noise, before throwing them into the crowd.
"Fingers!" Bossanova bellowed over the din, showing off Nisha's tongue again. "For a prize!"
She pocketed the grisly trophy as the raiders rounded on the remaining Disciples, dragging them back into the room. Bossanova gripped the railings, her legs trembling violently, and then turned away, the smile on her face disappearing. Her little show was done.
Jack fussed over Sarah, who was now throwing up in the corner, but Gage followed Bossanova back down the corridor, his heart hammering in his chest, his palms slick with sweat, an intense feeling of dread gripping him. He'd been about to ask the boss what happened with Jack, but the sight of her stopped the question dead in his throat. Bossanova swayed unsteadily as she walked, her face paler than ever.
"Boss," Gage said, eyeing her nervously. "You sure you alright? You look like shit."
Bossanova shrugged, giving him a faint smile. "No more stimpaks."
Gage opened his mouth and closed it again, his throat tight. What the hell did that mean?
They made their way out onto the rooftop, the sky now inky black and spattered with stars. She stopped for a moment, gazing up at them and breathing deeply. He remembered how they'd looked up at them together, talking about feelings and shit...and Nicky.
"Thanks for saving my ass tonight," Gage muttered as they walked on towards the core of the power plant. He pulled the key he'd found on Nisha and handed it to Bossanova. Would she be turning the power on? Gage knew he should feel excited, even relieved, but instead he just felt nervous. He licked his lips. "Choking out is a shit way to go."
"I know." She gave him a sly smile, dulling the surge of guilt he felt as he remembered their fight. "But you're welcome. You'd probably do the same for me."
"Probably is the right word," he teased. Biting down a smirk, he looked seriously at her. "You know, I'd actually consider taking a bullet for you. Wouldn't do it, but I'd think about it for a second."
Bossanova laughed loudly and Gage's face split into a wide grin. He relaxed a little. She was hurt, but she seemed okay. Or was he just telling himself that?
The key to the power plant core fit, and Gage felt his spirits lift. Somehow, Bossanova being okay was linked in his mind to this door. If they opened the door, if they got the power on, everything would be fine. She would be fine.
Bossanova tried to turn the heavy metal handle and then stopped, clutching her stomach and groaning with pain. Gage's heart sank, and he rushed forward to help her, the door stiff with rust. Finally he forced it open, and when he stepped back to let her through, saw the blood dripping steadily to the floor, forming a little puddle at her feet.
"Boss," Gage said, heart thundering against his ribcage. "You're bleeding."
"I know." Bossanova walked inside, leaving him standing gawking in the doorway.
He shook his head and ran to catch up with her, spying a first aid box on the wall inside near the door. He pulled it open and found three stimpaks inside. Perfect. "Here," he said as he uncapped one of the stims, "take this—"
"Don't." Bossanova frowned, holding up a shaking hand. "Please don't waste that on me. I'm too far gone for it to work...you'd just drag out the pain."
"Boss…"
"Gage," she said, smiling warmly at him, "You did all you could, but sometimes you can't fix every hurt. I've lived a long life. Too long. But if you and Sarah are safe, then I don't mind so much. And given all we've achieved tonight, I don't think Mags and Mason will object to you and Jack stepping into my shoes." She reached out to the console.
"Don't do this to me," he said, gripping the stims tight in his fist. Bossanova hesitated, glancing back, an odd look on her face. Gage swallowed, watching her sway. The idea of him taking over was daunting, but the thought that she could die was even worse. "Please."
Her smile became sad and she held out her hand to him. "Let's just enjoy the moment. Our reward."
After a second of hesitation, Gage took it, moving close to her side. Maybe he could stick her when she wasn't paying attention, get her to that doctor slave... Bossanova felt cold and clammy, and he stared into her black eyes, suddenly scared. She said nothing, but turned back to the console, hitting the switch.
The plant thrumbed to life, lights flickering on and off in the distance. Bossanova leaned heavily against him with a content smile. Gage bit back his anxiety at how damp and sticky her clothes were, trying to obey her wishes while desperately wracking his brains as to where he could get something stronger than stimpaks at such short notice. He couldn't do this. He couldn't lose her. The one friend he had, who stuck with him, never gave up on him, believed in him, and she would...she was…
His worries were snatched away as each section of the park bloomed with colour, a light show spiralling up and down the structures in hues he'd only seen on peeling posters on derelict walls. Red and gold and green—blue, purple, orange—a kaleidoscope of colour scum like him didn't deserve to see. Bossanova gave it him anyway, with a smile. He squeezed her hand tight, and she returned it, her whole body trembling. Nuka World glowed, and Gage felt a stab of pride. His hard work. His home.
The lights settled, the show over, and darkness swept over the park once again.
"Beautiful," Bossanova whispered.
She collapsed.