*A little shorter, but we're getting to the end.*
"Boone! Boone, no!" she whispered, grabbing onto his sleeve to stop him from going out of cover. He saw people on crosses, children and women as slaves. She knew what he felt, for she saw it in Nipton and Nelson, but they couldn't risk it now. He bit his lip so hard, it brought blood. "You're smarter than this. The others will come behind us and rescue them. You know this." She tightened her grip on Maria and remained crouched, moving slowly but effectively. Boone took one more glance at the people on the crucifixes before following Jovie. Sneak ops... not even his forte. Sure, he was a sniper, but to be this close to the enemy and to do nothing-
He heard the snapping of a neck, then another one quickly. He blinked and looked to see Jovie unclothing two dead Legionnaires, hiding in their tent.
"Jove-"
"How else do you think we're going to get there?" she asked, taking off her shirt. She put the armor on and handed the other to Boone. "You don't like it? Tough. This is how it's gonna play out."
He pursed his lips as he grabbed the armor, taking off his clothing and his beret, Jovie taking off hers as well. They stuffed them down in their armor and put on the headgear. Jovie's was slightly big on her, but it would do. She then put her hand on Boone's hand.
"I can't talk here anymore, Boone. Women are treated like cattle here. They hear my voice, and it's all over."
Boone gave her a single nod, understanding. She gave him a nod back, and they stood up, acting like normal Legionnaires. To walk through the camp, welcomed and hailed... it was odd. Seeing women and children, carrying burdens way beyond what was considered humane... He could see Jovie staring straight ahead. She couldn't let it get to her. They walked above the hill, and a small child dropped his load.
"Insolent brat!" they heard a Legionnaire yell. "You there!" he said, pointing at both Boone and Jovie. "Show him what it means to mess up around here. He is new."
The boy's eyes widened as he looked up at Jovie and Boone, and Boone knew it was over. No way... Then, Jovie reached down and grabbed the boy behind the neck, pulling him toward her.
"Don't you utter a word or sound other than pain, you got that?" Jovie ordered the boy. "Don't nod, either. Just cry out."
Jovie then slapped the boy across the face, and he let out a cry that impressed even Boone. Boone chose to speak to cover for Jovie.
"He'll be getting more than just that one, I assure you," he laughed. "Stupid brat."
"Ha, you got that right," the Legionnaire laughed along. "Now, boy, pick it back up and get going."
Boone and Jovie didn't stay around long enough until they topped the hill and opened the massive gate which led to Caesar's tent. They kept going, and Boone could see Jovie's hands start to shake ever so lightly.
"Relax."
They soon stood in front of the tent, where a guard was.
"Halt," he ordered, holding his hand out to them. "What's your business with Caesar?"
"I am Tillanius," Boone replied. "I was sent on a mission to annihilate Bitter Springs, and I have come to report success."
The guard lowered his hand and moved back. "Ah, good. Caesar will be most pleased. Head on in."
The two entered the tent to see four guards, Caesar in his chair, and Vulpes standing next to him. Caesar leaned up in his seat, interested now in seeing two Legionnaires before him.
"The only ones I am expecting back are those from Bitter Springs," he spoke. "Tell me of the status."
Boone stepped forward, and behind him, Jovie withdrew Maria and Li'l Devil, capping the four guards instantly. Caesar jumped up, Vulpes standing in front of him as the guard ran in, only for Jovie to turn to her side and shoot him as well.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Caesar yelled.
Boone and Jovie removed their headgear and tossed it to the side. Caesar's face, already oddly pale, turned even paler. Vulpes grit his teeth. He ran toward Boone and Jovie, brandishing his ballistic fists. Boone moved to the side, and Jovie blocked them when she formed a V with her pistols. She smirked at him, showing him a side to her he had yet to see. It angered him.
"I should've killed you at Nipton," he snarled.
"Maybe you should've," she grunted. She pushed him back, started to fire, but he moved swiftly and punched her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. Boone already had Caesar in a choke grip, but the old man was stronger than he looked. He wrestled Boone off and punched him with his ballistic fist, knocking Boone backwards.
"You came here for what? To kill me? Another one will take my place," Caesar breathed, rubbing his neck. "The Legate will win this war."
"We'll deal with the Legate when the time comes," Boone panted. "I just wanna see you dead first."
Jovie shot at Vulpes again, missing by just a fraction. He threw a fist, but she jumped back and shot again, this time hitting his arm. He grunted, the arm going limp slightly.
"Aww, how sad. Just one arm to do your bidding now," Jovie mocked.
Vulpes laughed. "You know nothing of being a legionnaire." He punched her back into the tent, closer to Boone and Caesar. They then heard the door opening, and inside ran three legionnaires with guns. Jovie ran behind a pillar, a bullet barely missing her. Boone pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Caesar, but Vulpes punched his back, knocking him forward and onto the ground. Jovie ran out of cover and started pot-shooting, a cry tearing from her lips as a bullet pierced her arm. By now, Boone had risen and got a lucky shot in, killing a legionnaire. Jovie was trying to reload, but she heard steps- she looked up just in the nick of time to see Vulpes grinning at her, his ballistic fist swinging. She ducked, it hitting the pillar and splitting it. She rose up and pistol-whipped his face, then tackled him, pressing her knee on his throat, giving her enough time to load. She pressed the pistol against his forehead... and shot. No time for celebration, she heard Boone yell as he took another hit by a ballistic fist. She jumped over Caesar's "throne", her boot colliding to the face of a legionnaire. However, another Legionnaire tackled her, hard, and pinned her to the ground, his hands gripping tightly around her throat. Her pistols... she'd dropped them. But she saw his machete, so she started thrashing wildly, him choking her. Boone shot one of the legionnaires, took out his knife, grabbed Caesar, pinned him to a pillar, and dug the knife in his upper left shoulder until he heard it sink into the wood. He pulled out another knife and pierced it into his hand, making sure he wouldn't be able to move. What happened next...
Boone turned around to see the Legionnaire who had Jovie move one hand from her neck lower and lower- before he could react, she let out a garbled scream, grabbed his machete, and slashed his neck. The legionnaire screamed and broke away, but she pursued and hacked again and again...
"Jove! Jove, stop it!" Boone cried out to her, grabbing onto her bloodied hand that held the machete. Her eyes were wild, and her breathing was heavy. She was reliving Dead Sea all over again.
"Jove, it's me. It's Boone."
He struggled to get her to let go of the machete, but he finally got it in his hands then dropped it. He got in front of her and looked into her eyes.
"Remember me?"
Nothing. Still wild. Then... dull. This scared him. He knew what those eyes meant.
"Jove. Jove, no, don't do this to me. It's me. Boone. The person who... the person who..." He took her hands into his. Her eyes were still... "Jove... look at me, baby."
She finally blinked, life coming into them. They focused on Boone as she started to register everything.
"Craig...?"
He jerked. She'd never called him by his first name.
"Yeah. Yeah, it's me."
She then slowly shook her head. "Sorry," she slowly spoke. "I don't call you that. I call you-"
"No. It's okay," Boone interrupted. He then held her tightly, her arms limp by her sides. "I'm sorry. I should've gotten there sooner."
"What? No," she said, pushing him away, finally back to her senses. "Boone, it's okay. Thanks for bringing me back."
Boone looked to the side. "I said you could call me Craig."
"Can I?" she asked. He nodded. "Seems so weird. Craig." She turned her head to the tent exit. "I wonder how the others are doing."
"We still have one last thing to address," Boone said, looking at Caesar. He walked to him, and he simply laughed, shaking his head.
"Do what you will. I have no care."
"Craig," Jovie called out to him. He turned, and she was looking at X-rays and doctors' notes. "He's dying."
Boone glared at Caesar, who had blood seeping out of his mouth. "Ironic, isn't it?" Caesar coughed. "The things I've done, the people I've killed to ensure my survival. The way of life I tried to spread in which the fittest of the fit make it in this miserable, godforsaken world, and I'm the one who gets a brain tumor." He laughed. "Me. Caesar. The best of the best other than Legate."
"You chose who was best. That meant shit," Boone spat.
Caesar nodded slowly. "You're right," he agreed. "Look at me. The doctors kept saying I was going crazy, having hallucinations, sending my men out on wild card missions... But it all made sense to me."
"Craig," Jovie called, and he knew her tone. He shook his head and looked at Caesar.
"You expect pity? From me?"
Caesar clicked his tongue. "Oh, that's right. That wife of yours..." He then looked at Jovie. "I see you've moved on. Could've done better, but that's your choice. I'd still like to see a collar on her pretty ne-"
Boone didn't even flinch when Jovie slit Caesar's throat. A small gargling noise came from his throat, then his head hung forward. Silence filled the room, then they heard the door open, but they knew... it was the rest of the gang filling into the tent.
"God..."Arcade sighed. "You granted him no solace."
"Why the hell should they?" Cass questioned him.
"I didn't mean it as a bad thing."
Boone stared at Caesar's body then took hold of the hand that had the knife which was used to slit his throat. "Jove?"
"He had no right, talking about her like that," Jovie answered honestly. "Not her."
Boone didn't let go.