~•Flatlined•~ [Female V + Judy]

[XVI]_trust_me_16

V's POV

"Scorpion...." I stared at his grave stone, guilt consuming my soul, what's left of my soul that is.
"May you rest in eternal peace, Aldecaldos brother. Your journey is over, my friend." I knelt besides his grave, dozens of trinkets, notes and flowers laid around his resting place as offerings. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my trusty knife and set in into the dirt. It wasn't much but it was the most meaningful item I still owned."Until we meet again. Take care, Scorpion." Rising to my feet as the sun fell over the horizon, I decided it was best to just sleep today off at the camp. Didn't feel like driving, calling a cab, didn't feel like being totally alone for once. Walking back to the campgrounds, Johnny's voice plagued my head, for better or for worse.

"Valerie..." he smirked as he smoked his cigarette as if he could feel it in his lungs."How you holding up?"

"Johnny, if you want something, just fucking ask. Don't beat around the bush, acting like you give two shits about me." If words could cut, Johnny would be bleeding out, if not for being an engram in my fading mind.

"Just worried, is all. Can read your thoughts ya know. Fucking worried-"

"-That I'll blow my shit off, yes I know." I huffed as I took out a cigarette, lighting it without second thought.
"I remember a time I used to never smoke. Now I crave these cancer sticks in my lungs." I took a puff and let the smoke fill my lungs entirely before expelling the chemicals."Used to only drink casually. Now I down drinks left, right and center." I took another drag, a shorter one as I stared at Johnny. "Used to think I had a future I could make my own," I took one last drag before flicking the cigarette and stepping it out."Now I'm just your toy. A pawn in your game. My future, I don't have one. Hell, tomorrow's not even a given. I could die in an hour, a week, a year, all because of a fucking parasitic engram!!!" Blood dripped from my nose like a running faucet as I felt nauseous and an aching numbing pain in the back of my skull, taking me to my knees.

Another seizure, a relic malfunction at a time like this?!

Coughing up mucus and blood as the world began to go hazey as I thrashed around, Johnny grabbed both my arms.
I could feel him. This cold metallic hand and his organic hand both clutching my wrists as my consciousness slowly slipped away.

"I'm not losing you, V," he spoke in a calmed panic as I closed my eyes.

-

"Get up. Pacifica looks great this time of the morning." His husky voice pierced my ears as I regained consciousness, laid in a foriegn bed, long since seen the days of clean sheets and proper maintence. I was tired, confused, and hungry but still I found myself walking towards the balcony besides Johnny, staring at the Pacific Ocean to watch the sunrise.

"How did we get here?," I asked as I looked around. We were in an abbandoned hotel building in dead center Pacifica. Not like it was a hop, skip and jump from the Badlands.

"That's not important," Johnny dodged the question as he stared out at the sunrise. Furrowing my eyebrows, I stared at the engram as he sighed, leaning his full "weight" against the balcony's railing, sucking into his cigarette like his life depended on it.
"I have something to ask."

"Out with it."

"Would you take a bullet for me?" I stared at the engram in a confused manner.

"Pardon?"

"I had a choom when I was serving in the war. He sacrificed his life for me, taking a bullet to the brain for me. Whatever goes down in Arasaka and Mikoshi, I just wanna know, in the event some shit happens, would you sacrifice yourself for me?"