08-08-2018, 07:13 PM
“Chh,” she bandit spat, planting her hands on her hips and looking around at the smoky waste below and the dangling platforms. “I’d except more out of Karl.”
Kerrigan’s eyebrow peaked, “Is the arena not to your standards?”
The woman shrugged. “I mean, I guess it’s fine, I’ve just already killed somebody here.” She paused for moment, staring off into the middle distance. “Did I kill her? Mami Tamoe…” she rubbed the bright yellow wrap around her wrist and huffed. “I can’t remember. Whatever. I kicked her ass and jacked her ribbon.”
She toed the edge of the platform and peered over to the opposite side of the arena. A wide grin grew on her face and she waved dramatically. “Yo Mick! Good to see ya buddy!”
The mouse offered back a meager wave.
She pat Kerrigan on the shoulder playfully and thumbed her nose. “I know that guy. I think I’ll do the friendly thing and shake his hand before I kick his lily ass.”
Kerrigan’s eyebrow peaked curiously. “Such sportsmanship,” she said sarcastically and strolled over the the massive turret. “I think this environment will suit a multi-faceted stratagem.”
The bandit winked and pointed at the Queen. “You got it, boss. I think we on the same wavelength.”
Kerrigan swung into the seat and grabbed the handle, the machine cocking with a loud CHA-TUNK. “Aren’t we always?”
Stepping up to the jump-pad, the marauder snerked. “We’re the image of everlasting friendship.”
With that, she sprang into the sky and the bright yellow ribbon unfurled itself from her wrist, snapping onto the bottom of one of the nearby floating chunks of metal. She swung downwards, her toes dipping into the noxious fog below before she arced up, released the ribbon, and slammed into center stage. She waved her arm, inviting her friend to join her. “Come on Mick, shake to a good match?”
With a spring-assisted leap, the childhood icon landed a few feet away. “Uh, hey there pal,” he added a muffled laugh out of reflex. “How ya doin’?”
The woman bobbed her head. “Pretty decent my man, pretty decent. Kickin ass and stealing shit. Ya know, the usual.” She tilted her head to the side, “Lookin’ a little down there, bud.”
The mouse exhaled, and his lip wobbled slightly. “The last round was, uh,” he giggled nervously, tears welling up in the corner of his eye, “it was hard.”
She was taken aback for a moment, and glanced back to Kerrigan on the massive gun with an expression of deep confusion. “Oh shit dude, what happened? You ok?”
Mickey’s gloved hands pressed over his face and he gasped out a wet, heavy sob. After a moment he managed to choke out,“Susie died.”
The titanic woman immediately rushed to his side and took a knee, her armored arms taking the mouse and pulling him into her chest. She laid her head on his shoulder without a word, and felt the wetness of his face through her blood-stained shirt. She could practically feel Kerrigan’s agitation, but in that moment, it didn’t matter.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered into his massive ear. “I’m so, so sorry.”
His thin arms squeezed into her, and she squeezed back. For a time they stood there, and the silence of the arena devoured them. Then, a tiny squeak.
“Um, Butt Kicker?” he mumbled.
“Yeah?”
“Your spikes are stabbing me.”
The woman let go and took him by the shoulders. “Oh shit, you ok?”
Mickey sniffed, wiped away a tear, and nodded. “Yeah. I’m ok. I’ll be ok.”
She nodded, and looked into his eyes. “Whatever happened Mick, whatever it was. It’s not your fault. I know you would never willingly put somebody in danger, and I know you did everything you could to save them.”
He shook his head. “No,” he glanced away with a heaviness in his heart that couldn’t be whisked away with simple words, “but it’s alright.”
“You know, you don’t have to go through with it.” She gripped his shoulder firmly. “This is all just some stupid game for a TV show. You don’t have to finish this out.”
He offered a faint smirk. “No. No I gotta finish this.” He shrugged. “I dunno, it just feels… right. I wouldn’t want to quit on her. Not now.”
The woman clenched her jaw. “Right.” She stood up and took a step back, then offered out her hand. Narrowing his eyes with resolve, Mickey stepped forward and took it. Their gazes locked, and both shook.
“You sure you wanna do this?” she asked one last time.
“Yeah,” he said firmly, a tiny spark of joy in his voice, “for Susie.”
The bandit took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. “Alright.”
Her hand crushed down into his and she yanked him forward, smashing her forehead into his oversized nose. While he was stunned, she reeled back her left arm and slowly growled out, “Craaash…”
The stunned mouse’s eyes went wide as the metal knuckles rushed towards his jaw.
“PUUUUUUNCH!!!”
An absolutely catastrophic explosion rang out, consuming them both in a cloud of blinding white magic, a shockwave blowing dust from every surface in the arena.
Mickey cartwheeled violently over the battlefield, a stream of smoke following. The bandit watched as he flew away, sniffled, and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
“I fuckin’ love that guy.”
Kerrigan’s eyebrow peaked, “Is the arena not to your standards?”
The woman shrugged. “I mean, I guess it’s fine, I’ve just already killed somebody here.” She paused for moment, staring off into the middle distance. “Did I kill her? Mami Tamoe…” she rubbed the bright yellow wrap around her wrist and huffed. “I can’t remember. Whatever. I kicked her ass and jacked her ribbon.”
She toed the edge of the platform and peered over to the opposite side of the arena. A wide grin grew on her face and she waved dramatically. “Yo Mick! Good to see ya buddy!”
The mouse offered back a meager wave.
She pat Kerrigan on the shoulder playfully and thumbed her nose. “I know that guy. I think I’ll do the friendly thing and shake his hand before I kick his lily ass.”
Kerrigan’s eyebrow peaked curiously. “Such sportsmanship,” she said sarcastically and strolled over the the massive turret. “I think this environment will suit a multi-faceted stratagem.”
The bandit winked and pointed at the Queen. “You got it, boss. I think we on the same wavelength.”
Kerrigan swung into the seat and grabbed the handle, the machine cocking with a loud CHA-TUNK. “Aren’t we always?”
Stepping up to the jump-pad, the marauder snerked. “We’re the image of everlasting friendship.”
With that, she sprang into the sky and the bright yellow ribbon unfurled itself from her wrist, snapping onto the bottom of one of the nearby floating chunks of metal. She swung downwards, her toes dipping into the noxious fog below before she arced up, released the ribbon, and slammed into center stage. She waved her arm, inviting her friend to join her. “Come on Mick, shake to a good match?”
With a spring-assisted leap, the childhood icon landed a few feet away. “Uh, hey there pal,” he added a muffled laugh out of reflex. “How ya doin’?”
The woman bobbed her head. “Pretty decent my man, pretty decent. Kickin ass and stealing shit. Ya know, the usual.” She tilted her head to the side, “Lookin’ a little down there, bud.”
The mouse exhaled, and his lip wobbled slightly. “The last round was, uh,” he giggled nervously, tears welling up in the corner of his eye, “it was hard.”
She was taken aback for a moment, and glanced back to Kerrigan on the massive gun with an expression of deep confusion. “Oh shit dude, what happened? You ok?”
Mickey’s gloved hands pressed over his face and he gasped out a wet, heavy sob. After a moment he managed to choke out,“Susie died.”
The titanic woman immediately rushed to his side and took a knee, her armored arms taking the mouse and pulling him into her chest. She laid her head on his shoulder without a word, and felt the wetness of his face through her blood-stained shirt. She could practically feel Kerrigan’s agitation, but in that moment, it didn’t matter.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered into his massive ear. “I’m so, so sorry.”
His thin arms squeezed into her, and she squeezed back. For a time they stood there, and the silence of the arena devoured them. Then, a tiny squeak.
“Um, Butt Kicker?” he mumbled.
“Yeah?”
“Your spikes are stabbing me.”
The woman let go and took him by the shoulders. “Oh shit, you ok?”
Mickey sniffed, wiped away a tear, and nodded. “Yeah. I’m ok. I’ll be ok.”
She nodded, and looked into his eyes. “Whatever happened Mick, whatever it was. It’s not your fault. I know you would never willingly put somebody in danger, and I know you did everything you could to save them.”
He shook his head. “No,” he glanced away with a heaviness in his heart that couldn’t be whisked away with simple words, “but it’s alright.”
“You know, you don’t have to go through with it.” She gripped his shoulder firmly. “This is all just some stupid game for a TV show. You don’t have to finish this out.”
He offered a faint smirk. “No. No I gotta finish this.” He shrugged. “I dunno, it just feels… right. I wouldn’t want to quit on her. Not now.”
The woman clenched her jaw. “Right.” She stood up and took a step back, then offered out her hand. Narrowing his eyes with resolve, Mickey stepped forward and took it. Their gazes locked, and both shook.
“You sure you wanna do this?” she asked one last time.
“Yeah,” he said firmly, a tiny spark of joy in his voice, “for Susie.”
The bandit took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. “Alright.”
Her hand crushed down into his and she yanked him forward, smashing her forehead into his oversized nose. While he was stunned, she reeled back her left arm and slowly growled out, “Craaash…”
The stunned mouse’s eyes went wide as the metal knuckles rushed towards his jaw.
“PUUUUUUNCH!!!”
An absolutely catastrophic explosion rang out, consuming them both in a cloud of blinding white magic, a shockwave blowing dust from every surface in the arena.
Mickey cartwheeled violently over the battlefield, a stream of smoke following. The bandit watched as he flew away, sniffled, and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
“I fuckin’ love that guy.”