Two Birds, One Stone

General POV:

Leslie looked down in shock. He had actually shot her. Although she knew he was going to do it, and was expecting it, it's another matter to experience it. She fell to the ground clutching her side as blood began to gush out of her wound, while her breathing quickens from the pain. 

"It would be too easy for me to finish you off here. But I want you to suffer. Slowly die here, thinking about how weak you are to do anything then eventually die alone. Typical of you meat bags." S3bastian says as he turns and begins to walk away.

She doesn't call out to him or do much of anything really. She knew that despite what she told Marco, no one could possibly be coming to help. Her eyes close as tears stream down her face. Her thoughts drift to before the Omnic Crisis. To her husband, Reggie, Then to her only daughter Elizabeth and her two sons Jackie and David. She had failed them.

After everything she'd been through, she knew better than to trust an omnic. It was by Specialist Rose's words and S3bastians prowess in the medical field that had lowered her guard and thought about the idea of trusting omnics. This is what she deserved for her hubris. 

For a moment, she thought about trying to use the power that Virginia had just uncovered. The same one that Rose had promised would change the very foundation of their lives. But she quickly dismissed the idea. There was no way she would figure it out in less than five minutes. Plus, Rose was just as much at fault for her current situation as well. Why should she believe anything coming from him at this point?

The bushes next to her rustle and she thinks its S3bastian who changed his mind and come back to finish her off after all. She decides to ignore him, not trying to give him the satisfaction of acknowledgment. 

"Leslie?" A familiar voice calls out.

"M...marco?" She asks in disbelief.

"Oh my god! What happened to you?" He rushes to her side, helping her put pressure on her wound. 

"S3bastian betrayed us. He shot me. How did you find me?" 

"Specialist Rose led me here.. wait." He jumps up. "Rose?" He calls out to the dark. She can hear him running back into the forest looking for him. Seeing that it's taking too long, the pieces connect for her. S3bastian was right, she never stood a chance. 

Marco comes back out of breath, "He was right here two seconds ago. I don't know where he could have gone." 

"I know. He's in on it too. This was planned." Leslie says in defeat.

"What? No, that doesn't make sense. What could he have to gain?" 

"I don't know. But we need to report him. We need to make it back to the city." Leslie decides. 

"You're not going anywhere with that injury." He warns.

Gritting her teeth, she fights through the pain and rises to her feet. There was no way for them to close her gunshot wound, plus moving would make her bleed out faster. But she refused to die here. If there was even the slightest chance of stopping those two, she was determined to do so. 

Seeing her stand, Marco rushes to her side, using his body as support. They slowly begin their long trek back to the city. Being so close to her, Marco could hear her strained breathing, and he knew her end was close. Internally, he began to weep, but he wanted to remain strong in her eyes. 

Tired and her face pale, she trips, and Marco catches her. He gently places her on the ground as he can no longer contain his sadness. Looking at her near death, he begins to cry. She reaches up to him with a blooded hand and wipes the tear from his cheek. 

A metallic voice interrupts them. 

"Human found. Exterminating. BZZT." 

They both turn to find something they immediately recognize as a Ravager standing before them. Roses teaches clear in their mind; they both know the danger.

"GO!" Marco screams as he runs towards the Ravager. Leslie panics as she tries to struggle to her feet unsuccessfully. Instead, she falls face firs to the ground, weakly. She can catch a clear view of Marco struggling to push the Ravager. 

She knows that he doesn't have a weapon and stands no chance against the omnic. She had lost her family to omnics, she wasn't about to lose her friend as well. She ignored her injury as she begins to rise, drawing strength from an unknown source. Instinctively, her body responded to her will, as she begins to glow a brilliant white as her bioelectricity 

Meanwhile, Marco was going through his own turmoil. The Ravager was easily pushing him aside and pulling out its weapon. Despite this, Marco only had Leslie on his mind as he continued to get back up from getting slapped down. 

Unbeknownst to him, as he was too focused on Leslie, that his body began to slowly be engulfed in a brilliant light. His injuries were slowly healing as he kept contesting the Ravager. After getting slapped down once more, his muscles tense, threatening to burst out their veins, but he doesn't care. The Ravager reaches for his weapon, and he lunges at it. 

Omnics were infamous for their superior strength to humans. However, once Marco grabbed the Ravager, it struggled for a bit to pull its weapon out. His face turned red as his muscles bulged as he fought against the omnics strength. Somehow, the Ravager is thrown back, his weapon clattering to the ground. 

Leslie, now healed and with strength renewed, scrambled for the gun. Reaching it, she levels at the Ravager about to fire before a voice rings out.

"Wait, wait. It's me. S3bastian." 

She pauses as he takes the Ravager mask off, rising to his feet. She sees his face and her emotions well up.

BANG!