Not Anymore I Can't
Summary – Inside Scar's mind after her rescue (and the consequences thereof)
Note – Season 2, Episode 6 – after Scarlett reunites with Ron and before the main battle with Leon.
Warning – cussing, slightly graphic images of death
Disclaimer – I do not own or pretend to own anything from either the Fallout games or from Nuka Break, the web-series (but I'm very happy to be a huge fan!)
"I'm sorry, but I can't ask you to fight for me". Scarlettt choked out the words, her heart clenching in fear and shock. The three men looked back at her impassively – it should have been four.
"You never had to." Twig said softly, his brown, puppy dog eyes sad. With what, Scar didn't know, and she couldn't ask right now – was it sadness that she had thought she needed to ask? - sadness that a fight was brewing and that people, people they knew, would die? - sadness that Ben was already one of the dead, because of her?
She only knew that her eyes mirrored his, with no scratchy voice to laugh it away, teasing about how fragile Smoothskins were.
Ron said something about the Nuka Quantum Twig was holding, but the words were just sounds. Scar barely noticed when Twig ran off, eyes alight.
"...let's die in style." Ben had said, after turning Larry lose and letting him limp away. Was style being stabbed like a shishkebab of iguana bits?
From what seemed like another world, Leon's voice wormed its way through the door and into her brain – threatening the Lockre and what remained of her family.
She saw the Ranger briefly roll his eyes, and the watery glint previously in them changed to hardened chips of ice.
"God! Am I the only one who's just gettin' fuckin' sick of that guy?!"
No. Nonononononono. Not again. They can't, he can't...no one else, please!
"Hell no." Rumbled Ron in his soft, velvet voice, a sound she had been secretly missing ever since he had disappeared one morning.
They can't die, please, if there every was, is, or will be a God, they can't die. Not Ron, her savior and mentor. Not Twig, her innocent, younger brother. Her heart can't if...
She met the Ranger's eyes and even as she saw him standing in front of her, another part of her mind blew off his head and had him slumping to the ground. A smaller part stabbed him in the ribs. Miniscule bits of her brain kept killing him – knife, machete, gun, sniper rifle, bomb...
Please, not even him, the newest one. She didn't really know him yet, but someone who was connected to Ben and didn't seem ready to sell them out fuckin' Larry...this was a man she would be happy to know. If the future let it happen.
The snap and hiss of the Ranger reconnecting his helmet drew her attention toward him, away from her frantic, murderous thoughts. And before Raz opened the door and they all went charging out, weapons drawn – that was the unspoken question in the room.
What future will we hold after this?