I don't own Gears of War or their characters or Locations. I simply love them.
Sorry it took so long to get up a new installment. I do hope that the wait was worth it! Enjoy.
Victor sat uneasy on the K.R.; it was a long ride over from the islands And he had no hope in recovering other than bodies. He'd owe Elaine that much. But as the mainland came closer to sight, the plumes of smoke reach up from distorted ground. His eyes studied the torrid scene. Between the ruins of civilaztion, the shell of the forest, and what the hammer of dawn was capiable of, and did so long ago. It just didn't fit together.
"Sir?"
He gave the signal for them to proceed. His hands though gripped his lancer. He was solider and he was expecting the worse.
Benny through Elaine over his shoulder, in a modified fireman's carry as they had to make it to the waters edge. The tell a tale sounds of the King Raven's rotars were inbound. He didn't linger in the hope that there might be some help for him or other standed. He knew exactly what they were there for. His boots dug in to the mire and muck as he and the others escaped from the remains of the Hollow.
Their hearts were all beating in a fury as they pushed themselves harder, faster. The sounds of the surviving locusts emerging from the hole were at their backs, the baying call of the kantaus, started to light up Elaine and her commrades But they had to ignore it, they had to keep going.
Elaine stared at the ground, it moved fuzzily fast. It was a blur, but she lifted her head starring up at the smoke covered sun. The light was almost intense. Almost too much to bare. But she turned and looked around, bullets whizzing past her head. She was barely holding on, the dizziness of what happened started to draw her back in to sheer nightmares of the hollow. The constant growls, and sounds of war all around her. Her body wasn't responding to her.
Heat seered her. Elaine glared up as one of the captured soldiers knocked over the braziers in admist a sea of locust grunts, and generals. She'd growl, the half ragged clothed woman growled low and long. She felt the flesh on her legs starting to curl, and burn. But it didn't stop her. She moved slowly, gracefully; like a predator that cornered its prey. She jumped on the man. Her full weight barely stumbling him. But it was the fact she used his own armor against him, even as he tried to hug her tightly. Trying to knock the wind out of her.
Her nails dug in at his adam's apple, pulling. He soon found himself gasping his last gasp and then the two fell to the ground. She let out a hollow, letting it echo around her. She'd moved with a limp back to infront of her master. She'd stare at the carnage as she felt the tug. Her body followed as her thoughts remained human. 'That could of been me. That will eventually be me.'
And as soon as she was placed in the cage. The nightmare shifted. The warmth receeded to the cool oceanic breezes that parted on the island. She'd left the one place she knew as home; once. But Bernie was no longer there. It was just a hollow shell. She'd constantly dreamt of Maria. But it was ghostly image. The same image that always said the same thing. 'Run. Run and don't look back. Promise me.'
She was walking the night with another. Her shotgun cradled in her arms as the sounds of the party inside the village sounded effortlessly. She'd had a few drinks, like any one else. But she was still alert. Bryden walked with her. He was rambling on how he was expected to produce heirs. And one day lead the village. She found him annoying when he wasn't drinking. She'd constantly brush his hand off her barearm. But she wouldn't say a word.
They continued for some time until they were at the far side of the village. Near where the old, abandoned beach front house was. He'd taken her nonspoken words as a means to further advance. He'd pushed her up againt the rough barked, fan tree. His hands were every where, as she tried to push him off. "Get off of me Bryden." She'd push out between his overly friendly lips.
Angrily Bryden, brandished a knife; taking the shotgun from her. It was all a series of fast paced events. The knife up against her throat as he was fondling her. She'd let out a cry for help; closing her eyes as she tried not to relive the events that played out in the hollow. 'Its not just the beserkers they raped.' When he started to cut away the lack of clothes she had; and his one hand dipped between her legs. She'd snapped. The loud locust words coming out in a strangled cry.
Bryden blinked. Like most of those on the islands who never heard Locust speak before; it was a off sounding jibberish. But it was next that most would remembered. The few brothers, and friends to Bryden rushed up to see her grab his wrist with the knife. She'd snapped it one way, slamming the butt of her hand down on to his elbow. The cruel sound of the snap, his hoarse cry out. She'd moved from the tree, her feet moved quickly as she grasped his broken arm behind his back. Her other hand slammed in to the base of his skull. He moved to punch her as she swayed her body, pulling both him and her down to the ground.
The eldest brother came to pull her off, as she clutched Bryden's head between her legs. Cutting off the flow of air from him; the butt of the lost shotgun, hit her hard in the gut; the force of wind and what she'd had in her belly came up. But it didn't stall her. She was up on her feet again. Taking the lancer forcefully from one of the bystanders. She'd reved it as Bryden and the brother surged towards her.
The warmth of blood, and the jaggedness of bone came flying up as Bryden screamed his last. She'd growl pulling his upper body with her as she snapped and sprayed in the sand. Bits of bark went every where.
Elaine's stomach recoiled, she'd emptied it all over Benny's back as she coughed up the smoke. Her blue eyes fluttered open breifly as she was unceremoniously dumped to the ground. There was the shouts all around her. She'd growl and try to push herself away. Trapped in the memory of what happened to her once. But her body was in pain. She howled out.
Benny's hand fell to her shoulder. "Sssh." He could feel the warm, ungawdly contents slowly make its way down his back. But his concern was to calm Elaine. Her heart rate was too high, he could see the pulse kick in her neck. She'd bleed out sooner if he couldn't get her to settle. He'd look up. Shouting for the medic.
He had laid her out on the broken fans, and branch bed close enough to the ruins of the fishing inlet village. It was chaos all around. Elaine glanced up to Benny, the smoke had thinned over the ocean's waters. The sunlight beated down, Benny was almost celestial in appearance to her. She swallowed hard, gasping to get a breath out. Her blue eyes went large before the speckling of darkness over took. She was out again.
The young survivor did what he could, quickly; he started to remove the shrapnel from her body. His over sized, large fingers seemed to only wedge them further in. Blood seeped from the wounds as he wiped the back of his arm along his brow. The medic finally arrived; ableit covered in blood, he shoved Benny out of the way as two others went to help. They had to their best with the unsanituary conditions. Though they were still supersitious what it meant when she glowed brightly when the Kantaus did its call.
Benny stood up, the faint distance of the K.R. Coming in sounded like the wash of thunder. His eyes drifted to the direction that he once called home. The plumes of black smoke, filtered to a lighter color. He had called it home for just over eight months. The community collected up drifters as they made it home. At times the few squirmishes with Locusts or other refugees from the Locust wars were few and far between than what he rememebered in the cities. Even along the once crowded highways. Nothing had prepared him for this. Again he lost his home. The community had lost their refuge.
The other two hybreds watched as Elaine's surgery spained. They watched as rags, bandages, what little medical equipement they had was discarded bathed in her darkened blood. They could hear the faint whispers. But it was hell watching, waiting. The likelihood of Elaine pulling through with out infection or loss of limb was higher than at the CoG barracks.
The chuka chuka chuka rumbled louder as the wash of water and sand littered the beachside operating room. The medic through himself over the unconicous woman. As his helpers covered her with what they could find. The rotars finally died down. Hoffman disembraked from the K.R. He looked around before he spotted Elaine sprawled out; bloodied and opened up like a stuck pig at a feast.
The CoG veteran aimed his shotgun up at the scene. "Alright there... what the fuck is going on?"
The two that had refered as Elaine's 'brothers' stiffened as Benny interjected. His hands raised up. Bloodied, and he smelt like vomit and smoke. "Not what it looks like."
Hoffman eyed him up. Something familiar about him. But now a days, every one was a wash of familiarity. Some one was a relation to some one else. A constant flood of what was once unity. He gave a curt nod. "Okay start 'splaining boy. How is it one of my CoG sargents is laying out in the ground wide open to the world?"
Oron was the one to answer when he realized who was at the butt end of the piece. "Victor?" He knew the veteran before the fall of Sera, they'd been friends via their wives. A life time ago. "Well like Ben said; it ain't what it looks like."
Victor nodded slightly, lowering the gun. The swathe of memories came back the few work related parties they'd met at while in attendance. Only another reminder of the life he betrayed so long ago.
"Your sargent ended up in the clutchs of the locust stragglers."
Elaine let out a cry of pain as she regained slight conciousness. The two helpers were resetting the broken arm. Cinching the two splints on either side as the medic tried to push her back down against the sand. Finally he had enough, and shook his head. "Some one knock the bitch out!"
Terran moved to the medic, hissing. Seething in anger. "You. Fix." he grabbed the medic's collar before pushing him closer to Elaine.
Her eyes focused on him, he grabbed her hand; holding it as they watched each other. She stopped moving, stopped whincing. She breathed through the pain. Gripping Terran's hand tighter when ever it became too much. There was a peppering of black at the corner of her eyes but she wouldn't let it take her again.
Once the medic could do what he could, with what he had; Elaine was carted up on to the K.R. She glanced to the medic as he spoke in docile tones to Hoffman. She glanced to both men with her. What was left of her scouting team; soon the loud rotars would start up as Ben came to see them off. He gave Elaine's good arm a squeeze.
She laid out on flatbedded rack as they ascended after Hoffman reemerged on to the K.R. There was a long silence before he finally spoke, the ocean littered underneath. "You got a hair cut 'Laine?"
She chuckled a bit trying to move agaisnt the belts that held her in place. But then nodded as she looked to Bob with a bloody bandage over the stump of what was left of his one hand. "Yeah... something like that."
Hoffman looked up to see the surviving three sullen. "I take it there was more than just what you were assigned?" He tried to sound like he cared, he did. But years in the army made him a hardened man. It was hard to show care, and compassion when you were one of the few who was there when they used the hammer of dawn to destroy your own cities.
Elaine's eyes shut, squeezing away the tears. "We lost Eric. And the doc." She felt remorse for not protecting, not ending Eric's life sooner. It was a sad, horrible lesson she had to learn. But she learnt it well. War was a bitch. "And we met the Locust Queen in the hollow."
Hoffman nodded, though he bristled at the mention of the locust ruler. His arms flexed on the gun as he nodded. Silence engulfed them. Leaving the rest of the flight back to the island for all them to deal with what was dredged up.
The flight took hours, after switching from one King Raven to another. Even the welcome back to New Jacinto was rain and the shouts. "Medic. Transport her to the infirmary." There was no sign of Delta. And Hoffman vanished. Terran moved behind with Bob as Elaine was carted away.
Infection had set in to her shoulder were she'd been shot. And her arm was at least reset for the third time. But she was heavily sedated, the drugs used made her feel fuzzy and heavy when she woke up. But it didn't numb the pain. She felt everything again. Like it was the first time. A constant reminder she was human.
Bob had been seen after, and both him and Terran made it back to their hiding hole. Dizzy had even came to visit Elaine. She smiled faintly. It hurt. Everything hurt. Even the sea of sickness threatened to over take her. "You didn't have to come visit you know that?"
Dizzy shrugged. "Well hell, when the bossman goes off in a furry to find you. I'd thought I'd come see what happened. And plus...Betty been missin' you something fierce kid."
Elaine chuckled softly, she didn't dare to shake her head. "Just another day in being a fuck up; Diz."
The once refugee looked at her, he was still dressed in his armor, meaning he'd come directly from the vehicle impound. He even smelt like the motar pool. "Yah well..."
She chuckled again and nodded. Laying back before Hoffman returned dressed in his blues rather the armor. Diz excused himself. Leaving some picked flowers from his daughters for Elaine before Hoffman closed the door. Leaving the two alone.
Silence again. She could hear the constant sound of activity of the infirmary outside the door, she could even make the out the long shadows that seemed to constant move, and flicker. She pushed herself up. Silence made her uneasy. It was actually making her sick. She shook her head. Sliding from the bed after pulling the I.V. Line from her arm. She grabbed a pair of fatigues from the side table.
"What do you think you are doing...?" Hoffman had no clue what to call her now. He'd always addressed subdorinates by their last name. Elaine techincally had no last name she'd claim. Even Aine was just a cop out for her real name.
She carefully pulled the pants up, the evidence of the incursion was written over her pale body. Bruises, and the imprints of weighty chains. The wounds, broken bone. Even the sharpnel that penetrated her stomach had left its ungodly marks on her. She discarded the hospital gown for a tattered shirt. She had a bit of trouble trying to get it over the cast, and trying not to pull at the stiches. After a few minutes she'd gotten the shirt over. Painfully. But it was on her. She tugged on her socks, and boots before looking up at Hoffman. "I can't do this."
"Do what? Elaine what happened out there?"
She shook her head, the threat of tears loomed. Everything was too much too fast. She didn't have time to mourn Eric. Though in the silence she'd spent between the K.R. And in the cot trying to heal; she found it wasn't Eric's death that bothered her. It was her own life that bothered her more. She was staring at will eventually be. The toretous end. Watching Eric and feeling helpless all because she was given life. The very life she never asked for. "Eric was killed. The good ole doc was sent to kill the four of us. Met stranded. Went in to hollow. Met Queenie. Fought. Injured. Here."
Hoffman wasn't abashed by her curt tone as she finished lacing her boots. The girl yes had a tramautic life. Even the doctors said that when they first admited her both at the compound where she was created and in New Jacinto that she had some issues to face. When she did it be a maelstrom. Hoffman got up and tried to hug Elaine. But she wouldn't let him touch her. Using her cast covered arm she pushed him away with a growl.
"Don't. I don't need pity. I don't need your pity!" She retreated to the door, opening it, letting it slam hard against the old medical shelfs. The glass shattering to the floor as she continued out.
Hoffman stood there. Not sure how to broach the erruption that was Elaine. He wasn't sure she was even fit for duty. His hand craddled his forehead, slowly shaking from side to side when the doctor came in.
"No one warned you there'd be days like this huh?"
Elaine continued past the square. Though no one recongized her with the short hair. She'd dropped weight; became more lean. She was actually looked like her maternal side. Lean body, toned muscle, grace, regality. Pale as moonlight even though she spent time out in the sunlight. Though it was hard to see some features with blackened purple-ish bruises that littered her body.
The parade square was littered with members that she knew. Some she fought with. But they seemed to be distant strangers now. She glanced around, those haunting blue eyes trying to find some where, some where familiar. She heard the doctor call behind her with orderlies. "Elaine.. Aine.. get back here. You aren't discharged..."
Elaine broke in to a full tilt run towards rows of homes. Her body protested with each stride, pain only seemed to fuel the need to move faster. She could run easily with out the armor. The warm breeze caused by the stride broke over her, pleasently. Freedom. It echoed in her thoughts. One thing that never changed, the feel of freedom was illusive. Even now, the hint was there. But she knew what she was running from.
The foot falls behind her drove Elaine's body to go faster, even injured; her healing rate was faster than a normal humans. She grasped the chainlink fence easily with her good hand. Pulling herself up as she swung her one leg over. The first orderly grabbed at her leg. The casted arm crashed down in to his nose. Blood spurted. He'd made the mistake of letting go of the material of her pant leg. The time she'd not waste. She was down on the other side, landing in a crouch before standing up straight.
Elaine turned on her heel, the feeling of what it was like when Maria and her escaped the horrid life before. She was off again. Though her body burned now. Muscles didn't want to respond. She had to force herself. Though this time in the sea of civilians and their shanty town was easier to dodge from cover to cover. Her boots tripped her up; staggering her in to some one. Faceless person. She looked over her shoulder as she moved agian. Leaning against the shadowed wall of a house. She had to catch her breathe.
Hoffman was with the doctor as some M.P.s started to pursue. Shaking his head. "Doc Hayman... let her deal with this..."
The doc sighed and shook her head. "Victor if you are trying to tell me how to do my job you can shove it up your ass! With all due respect. She's injured and evidently not stable..."
Hoffman cut her off. His curt growl and tone was enough to stagger those around. "And you think having armored men chasing her through all of New Jacinto is going to help her any? This is a issue of trust. She needs to know that we trust her to get her dam head on straight!" Hoffman didn't care that he was creating a scene. But this was a person in his command. One who dealt with alot more than most members of the CoG had ever seen.
Hayman looked at him. The good doctor when to sputter out a rebuttle before she through up her hands. "Yes lets have a pregnant woman who doesn't techincally exist; whose suffered countless acts of brutality. Yes lets wait till she comes around. Lets hope that she doesn't do something stupid or continue the degrading health."
He doubled back. Blinking. "But... how..."
The woman doctor smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "If I have to explain to you how babies are made; I'd think you needed some time in a white padded cell." She then turned to those helping in the search. She barked some orders and headed back to where she was needed.
Elaine slinked further away before finding some where just outside the housing area. She hefted her body up in to the tree. Hiding in the foliage. She needed to think. She needed to feel like she was somewhat human. She'd learnt long ago. No one really every looks up. And if you hide in plain sight. They usually missed her. Her hands ran through the ragged cut. Her hair stopped so short, but Elaine was able to tug on it.
People seemed to come and go. The search continued on for her, she watched them sometimes walk right past her. Look directly at her, she carefully tugged her legs closer, hugging them as best she could. The soft music playing from a radio left out on a small table. It was crappy, islander; prewar music. But it just helped mask the silent sobs, and the movement of the branch as it creaked under the weight.
Elaine's mind raced through all events. Every one she could remember. Though most were just blank spots. A random noise. Statement. Even a scent of something. There was hardly ever a constant stream of memory that drifted from one to another. She used her arm to roughly wipe away the tears that managed to escape. She wanted to wake up now. She wanted to see Maria. But what she wanted no longer existed. Her body became her prison. So in silence, she let herself fianlly cry. Mourning Eric. Let the anger out of meeting Myrrah. Everything finally came out in a stream of grunts and tears.
0-0
Delta arrived back, Mataki had bought them a round at the only bar open that late at night, the group was in good spirits. Though when Hoffman came in. Mataki went over to talk to him. The strain was visible in his movements. She sat with him at the bar, letting the youngers enjoy the fruitless patrols. "Okay Vic whats up?"
The man looked hagrid even for him; time, stress, strain, war painted, etched his very face. He let out a stale chuckle. "Nothing."
She looked at him, before the M.P. Came in to the bar. They started asking around if any one saw a woman with short, cropped black hair. Mataki's brow arched up before looking back to Hoffman. He downed the beer like it was water. He just gave a simple nod. Mataki got up. Shaking her head. "Geez Vic what'd you do to the poor girl?" She finished her drink and left.
Hoffman glanced to Delta before following Mataki out the bar. Though he knew certain eyes were drilling in to his back. He caught up with Bernie. It was like a six sense that he'd follow her. "I didn't do anything." Not purposely at least. He thought before looking back to her.
Mataki nodded slightly, the older woman knew Elaine too well. "Lemme guess something happened? While she was on the main land." Hoffman nodded and looked away from her. She paused though they kept walking. She pursed her lips for a moment. "Some one died... is ..."
Hoffman's head shook. His voice went somber. "Eric. One of her brothers. Though I think theres more to it." He stopped, and Mataki followed suit. "And from what I can gather, they met Myrrah. What ever happened in the hollow... she ... the kid seems changed." He of course opted to leave out the tid bit the doctor let slip to him.
Mataki nodded. "Give her time Vic. This life isn't one shes use to living."
Hoffman nodded. The voice of reason that was Mataki. He watched her before the two moved on again. Silently walking together. They'd keep an eye out for Elaine. But they had their own lives to muddle through.
Delta kept swigging their drinks after Hoffman and Mataki left. Anya was the first to smile at the thought of Hoffman and Mataki wandering off. It seemed they needed to talk. Though Anya was alarmed that there was a missing person; but went back to minding her business watching Marcus and Dom being stoic and silent. Bard and Sam were playing a drinking game. And flirting. She bristled. Then looked up as Cole got up.
Cole walked along, watching the lights of the houses, it was a false sense of security and hope that he had. He missed the way life use to be. The constant threat of locust hordes looming over their heads. Now he felt useless. He walked along till he leaned agianst the tree. Hearing the yelp from above his head. "Whose there?"
She sniffled a bit, and grumbled low. "Cole its me."
He chuckled, scratching the top of his head. "Aine. What you doing up there?"
She let her one leg slide down, but she remained vastly hidden. "Hiding. Ya haven't seen the boomer lady have you?"
Cole shook his head. "No, not since we returned. Want help down?"
Elained sighed. She was literally trapped in the tree. Her arm was in too much pain, and her body didn't have the strength to traverse down the trunk. "Yah." She felt Cole's hands on her hips as she carefully slide herself down. Relying on the tree more than the person. She stumbled when her boots hit dirt. She looked up with a breif nod. "Thanks."
He blinked at her. Touching her hair. Then he saw the cast, and the shadow of bruises. "So I take it you were hiding from the docs?"
Elaine shrugged slightly. "Sorta."
Cole shook his head, sitting down on the ground. She followed suit though she kept her back to civilization. "Want to talk about it?"
She looked to him, he had always that impish, child like pressence to him. She nodded a bit. She bit her lower lip hard as she sighed. Starting from what happened on the mainland. How Eric died. How staring down at his body only reminded her that her own death was staring right back at her. She didn't cry this time. She vowed not to ever cry infront of some one else. Elaine though finished with loosing Maria. How she blamed herself. But after, after every thing was said and done, she didn't feel better. Only hollow.
Cole listened, gave what good advice he could to her. Even if it was mote. But then watched as she got up agian. Walking away from him. She made her way slowly back to the infirmary. Doctor Hayman was up waiting for her. Elaine had eluded the M.P.s but then sat with the doc. Expecting the worse of tongue lashings. But instead the doc slid a mug of warm tea. The two sat in the dim light before the doc got up. Checking Elaine's wounds, then the two started to play cards.
Cole had waited till he could see the long shadow vanish in to the night. He was distrubed by what Elaine let out. But not to the piont he didn't like her, it was quite the opposite. Usually Elaine was guarded, shut off from the others. She choose him to open up too. He got up and returned to the barracks. He decided to find a quiet corner to write his Mama again. Try to muddle through what she told him. Try to make sense of everything around him. War was a bitch. He thought.
Elaine placed down the ace of spades, and then a four of diamonds; before taking a sip of the tea. It was a sweetened herbal remedy. Thats what the doc told her. Elaine's eyes and brain worked as they tried to count the cards. "You know, Elaine.. you can talk to me too."
It was the softness of Hayman's voice that caught Elaine off gaurd. She shook her head. "No offense doc. But that'd be a bad idea." She looked up.
"Why?"
Elaine frowned, glancing around to make sure Prescott, Hoffman, hell even Fenix wasn't lurking in the shadows before she looked back to the woman who was letting her hair down. "People die when I talk to them." The pang of guilt assailed her hard at the thought of anything happening to Cole. She frowned and set the hand down. Her fingers were dirty, and gnarled from the hard life she led. "Its better if I don't let some one in."
Doc laughed. She shook her head. "You know that is a piss poor excuse."
She looked up, sipping the tea that stopped the urges to be sick. "Not really. You get hurt too if you let some one in. I don't see the last few people coming in a rush to see me." She shrugged.
Hayman needed a new tatic. She nodded slightly as Elaine focused back on the game. Moments of silence filled with the coughs and snores of those inside the building slept. "Well evidently you let some one in, "she paused before letting the proverbial bomb fall; "to become pregant."
Elaine's fingers dropped the cards, they scattered at her feet as she looked up at the doc. Shaking her head. Her voice croaked. "I ... no...no..." She sat back in the chair. She took one slow breathe. She was ready to start freaking out. Tossing what ever her hands could get ahold of. But she didn't move.
The doctor's brow arched up. Setting her own hand down. "You are. We ran the tests several times. You aren't exactly far along. A couple of weeks... a month and a half at most. I take it this isn't welcomed news."
Elaine sat still, and silent. She wasn't sure that finding out she was pregnant was good news or not. How'd this happen? Stupid question. Almost ten minutes after the catatonic episode started, she looked up at the doctor. Shaking her head. "I can't have a child." The doctor was about to interject. Elaine's bruised, naked hand rose up. "No, I can't. I don't want this child to be... to have..." Her head shook agian. "I don't want it to have what I have."
Hayman thought that was the oddest reaction. Elaine's files didn't have any mention that she had some sort of disease. So she instantly thought it had to be the trauma she'd endured that was triggering these feelings. "Its perfectly understandable why you feel that way Elaine. But most woman who've endured such events to feel that way."
Elaine's frown just deepened. The corners of her lips dipped further down. Her blue eyes lost its sheen. "No doc. You don't get it. Look... "
Hayman already knew the track that she was on. Shaking her head. She got up; striding over to Elaine. Placing both hands on her shoulders. "I know what you're going to ask. And I can't do it. In good faith. I can't. Please don't dare to even ask."
The younger woman nodded, looking up to the doc. She understood. Not only was it a law, that no doctor could abort a pregancy; and respected the woman for it. "Don't tell any one. Yet." Elaine's mind already started to calculate. Try to take it in, all of it in. The news was a shock. But she never would of thought of herself as a breeder.
Elaine got up. She gathered up the tea, finishing it before leaving. "Are you going to be okay Elaine?"
The woman stopped at the doors. And paused. She didn't even know the answer herself. Her voice came out in a rush. "I don't know Doc. I just don't know."
Elaine walked alone, deep with in her thoughts when Dom happened upon her. The cool night's breeze rattled through New Jacinto as they passed each other. Both haunted by the course of what the fates gave them. But the moment Dom had seen her, the islander who was rescued by his late wife, the last person to see her before she was broken. Anger seized him, his hands balled in to fists, followed by a low growl.
"You?"
She looked up, the distant blues staring at him as she continued on. She didn't bother to bait him, or even try to apologize to him for the time that was stolen. Her feet wouldn't stop. "What ever you're blaming me for... just go ahead and do it."
Dom wasn't phased by the lack of emotion she didn't show. Nor the fact she was in her own way dimmed. But he turned, following her. In silence.
Elaine stopped. Her shoulders slumped, as she felt the course of pain as she breathed in. "Look what ever it is you want just spit it out. I don't have time to play this constant lets blame Elaine game."
When he finally stood beside her, he noticed the bruises in the faint light, even how sullen she was. "Tell me." He started to say. Pity, remorse, even self loathing seemed to rise up. "Tell me .. what she was like before they took her away."
The discontented tone he had when he spoke caught Elaine off guard. She swallowed hard, it was hard to believe Maria was gone still. Rumors had caught her ear more than one time that Maria was gone. Elaine ran a unsteady hand through her hair with a choked sob. "Caring. Sage like. A mom I never had." She didn't look at Dom. But the two started to walk again. Even though their was a curfew in effect they just walked. She could see the shadow of him nod as she spoke softly. "She'd take care of me. Try to teach me what I was doing was wrong, but it was the ends to a means."
He put a large paw on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. Elaine hid her wince. They found themsevles standing just outside the overflowing graveyard. Dom leaned on the rickety old fence that had sat there rusting. "Sounds like her. She was always the type. Give you the shirt off her back, try to keep you smiling no matter what."
Elaine looked up at him. She tried to put his face to the countless stories Maria had told her. "She talked about you alot. Even with Doctor Fenix. I liked her voice." Elaine went quiet for a moment before looking at the graves. One of the fresh mounds laid with the simple wooden stake for Eric. It was a odd sense of what her future, all their futures would lead. But how or when was the only question.
"Thanks."
She nodded, running her hand through the shortened locks. "Yeah well.. don't worry. I'll be one less thing to remind you of what happened." She pushed off from watching the silent graves. Her hands shoved in to the pockets of her fatigues.
Dom followed pursuit, falling in step with her easily. "Elaine, look... I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound so cross with you..."
Elaine's hand quickly left her pocket, holding it up to stall the sentence. "Don't Santiago. Your world isn't one I belong too." Her words rang true. But this time when he stopped to watch her she just kept going. Her eyes focused on the way the sparse trees seemed to billow in the breeze. She could smell the scent of sweat, food, decay all around her. She pushed out a breath before looking back at him. Her body slightly turning to walk backwards. "I'm going to ask to be rotated back out to the mainland."
Dom looked at her questioningly. He walked slower behind her. "What about Baird?"
She shook her head. Damon Baird. That was a touchy subject. She really cared about him. But she wasn't the type he should be mixed up with her. Her hand fell to her stomach, she hide her frown behind a forced yawn. "What about him?"
He growled at her. "You know what I mean...Elaine. You care about him. He's crazy about you, for some reason I don't get."
She forced a pained laugh, trying to act the part of a careless, cold hearted bitch. "It was nothing. A fling. I don't see him spending time with me."
"You just got back in."
She shrugged a bit and turned away. "Hes got you and Delta. And that blasted sub that came in." She shoved her hand in to her pocket, playing with the lint that was hidden in the one corner. "I doubt he'd even notice."
Dom shook his head, and grabbed her shoulder again. "Elaine whats wrong?"
She paused, turning to face him slightly. Her eyes studied the hardened man before her. "Alot of things."
There was a few moments where neither spoke. Neither him nor her knew what to say next. But Dom gave a half hearted smirk. "You know you can talk to me Elaine. I ain't Maria but I have ears to listen."
She brushed his hand away with a fake chuckle again. "Yeah, lets just say its girl things, Dom and leave it at that. M'kay?"
He shook his head, the fringe of darkened curls swayed a bit. Reminding Elaine of the way Maria described him in detail. The time she fell in love with him. "C'mon gimme me a shot. Whats the worse you can say?"
She shrugged softly. "I buried my brother and teammate Dom. I was too dam paralyzed to end his pain. I couldn't do anything to help him." She turned and punched the building closest. The silver tears started to stagger from her cheeks. "Got caught. Brought down to the hollow again..." It was hard to say the truth, it was harder not to come out with it.
Marcus heard the impact of her fist, but he watched from a distance the way the two shadows were. But he couldn't hear anything to he came closer. The constant scowl on his face as he heard Dom console her. "Yanno I had a brother too Elaine. And I still got one too, Marcus. Its hard, but time slowly takes away the pain... slowly."
She scoffed at his answer. "Fenix? Yeah don't take this the wrong way. He might be a great kind of guy. But the ass is still the son of Adam Fenix. And after the shit he did to me, all I see is the good ole doc's face."
"Is that a fact?" Both jumped as Marcus spoke. Dom sighed as he looked between the two.
"Yeah it is." She hissed. The butt of her hand wiped the tears away.
"Marcus don't." Dom started.
Marcus had already came closer, pushing Elaine against the building with a growl. Getting right in her face. She glared back at him as she stumbled with her back against the corigated metal wall. The two opposing forces stared at each other calculating. Dom tried to pull Marcus back out of Elaine's space, only to be brushed off.
"Fine you two act like idiots." He shook his head and went off. He didn't want to watch another pissing contest between the two.
"You know nothing."
She blinked, while she sneered; the corner of her lip curled up as she snarled at him. "I know nothing." Her finger poked in to the muscle of his chest. The nail biting in to fabric. "I know what its like to be drugged up. To have needles, tubes, and countless other things put in to you. I know what its like to bullied in to having to do what he told me too. Maybe its not me who knows nothing. Did you ever really know him? I spent most of my life under the constant stream of tests. Did you?"
Marcus didn't balk at her words but he did mimic her actions. Poking her in the shoulder that was healing from the gunshot wound. "I doubt it was him doing that."
His disillusion was like a slap in the face. Elaine put her face closer to his. "Now whose being naive?"
As he was to speak again Doc Hayman was walking across them. She growled. "Fenix you will stand down this instant and back away from the pregnant woman."
"Fuck." She cursed uner a breathe before moving away from both Marcus and the Doc. She glared at Hayman, shaking her head. "Why don't you both do me a favor and go take a long walk off a very short pier in to a ticker filled pit!"
Marcus looked to the Doc as Elaine retreated in to the shadows. "Wha?"
The Doc frowned. She thought she was helping the situation only to notice Elaine was more off edge. She looked to Marcus with a nod before going after Elaine. Marcus frowned and headed to find the rest of Delta. He'd have to head off Elaine to find out whom.
Elaine eluded the doctor. She kicked off the heavy combat boots, and dropped the tags on the ground. With anything else that would give away her position. She moved stealthly through the shadows to see the Chairman. She was going to wake him up, strangle him if she had too. She wanted off the island. Away from everything. Her feet were quickly, barely leaving a mark on the ground before she ended up at his domicle. She even eluded the group of soldiers that patroled around his house. Carefully climbing inside.
His room was of course empty. Prescott had spent time awake, drinking the last of the aged brandy where he sat contemplating how to rid himself of any evidence of what was on the flash drive that sat in his office. Under lock and key. He paused mid sip before settling back. If he was surprised to see Elaine, he hid it well under that politician calm exterior. "Sargant Aine... Elaine. What do I owe this pleasure?"
The way he said her name was like a dieing Kantaus' screams. Grating at best. She smirked, padding forward into the soft arc of light. "I've got a deal for you... one I doubt you'd be likely to refuse."
0-0
Marcus found Dom first when he returned to the barracks. Dom had been waiting for him. The two brothers since before the war regarded each other. Dom was the one to speak first. "What ever it is. Just keep it to yourself."
Marcus let out the indignant sound and gave a short nod.