Another Unoriginal Oneshot Book

Take My Whole Life Too

AN: This is the last of the three M-rated chapters, so if you're skipping those, I'll clarify what you missed at the beginning of next chapter. It involves an abusive relationship and may not be suitable for young kids.
Also, this is another chapter that tends to glitch out and put paragraphs out of order. Try it on browser if it doesn't work.

Arizona, 2270.
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Meg walked with singular purpose. Meg's hair was sandy blonde and tied back tightly. Meg wore her team uniform: black armor with white antlers arcing over the front. As the leader, she had a red cape over her left shoulder that reminded Gabriel of the Legion.

He wondered if she knew that his entire being was now devoted to defending her.

"No fear, chickies," she called as the two of them reached the awaiting mercenaries. "Mama bird brought you back your numnums." She tossed Qavrok's sack of caps before the group.

A mohawked woman bounced it in her hand with glee. "How'd you get the sleaze to cough up?"

"Oh, I have a strong stomach," Meg smiled slyly.

The mercs reacted in disgust; a person masked in a helmet designed to protect from the wind scoffed harshly, and a woman with a short afro and green bandana wrapped around her mouth recoiled.

Meg threw back her head in an exaggerated eyeroll. "Not like that. He didn't get anything from me. Just thought he would. That guy's no threat to us."

A thickly mustached man eyed Meg critically, though he also seemed eager to secure his share. "Where's your cut, Meg?"

"Oh, I got my payout in manpower." She twisted back toward Gabriel and winked cheekily. Her lightheartedness was comforting at a time like this. The future felt cavernous, but he grounded himself in her irreverent amusement.

"Meg," Gabriel said softly, testing the waters. She gave him her attention, and didn't correct his lack of decorum. A good sign. "Qavrok kept prisoners in this base. We should free them."

"Lead the way," she agreed, pleased with the idea. Gabriel didn't quite go so far as to smile, but he finally found himself able to relax.

-

The rickety deadbolted cell door creaked open for the last time. A single, shared flinch and eight cringing eyes. The smell and the tragedy hit Gabriel every time, but he would never again have to witness it.

Meg cringed at the room's filthiness; try as he might, Gabriel had never been able to keep it entirely clean. "No need to thank me, mortals. You're free to go," she announced grandly.

The prisoners reacted with suspicion before anything else. They glanced at each other, then at Gabriel. Finally, Eileen croaked, "Qavrok...?"

"Rapidly cooling," said the catlike smirk.

They crept into the light slowly, on wobbling legs. Like baby bighorners coming out from shelter after a windstorm. "You mean it?" Xan asked, still highly skeptical. She looked to Gabriel, who nodded solemnly.

Xan looked sideways at Avi. Avi inhaled sharply, on the verge of extreme emotion. Violet didn't seem to be catching the drift. Eileen, once the realization fully hit her, took off running up the hallway, shouting "CATCH YOU NEVER, GIRLS!" Her laughter turned manic and disappeared into the distance.

"You're goin'a get in trouble!" Violet shouted after her. "Goin'a get dropkicked, Eileen~!"

"Where do we go?" Avi muttered, shocked. "What are we g-"