Red vs Blue fic: Left Behind
607 words | [PG-13]
Carolina and Tex get left behind after a mission gone wrong.
They never come back from their last mission.
North and South. Maine and Wash. Connie and York.
Just gone.
Now the last search team is missing. Florida and Wyoming went out two days ago. They should have been back by now.
Carolina paces the length of the landing bay, biting her nails-a nervous habit she thought she kicked in high school. The rest of the crew is on edge and give her a wide berth, but she hears them murmuring about it. Them. Her. All of it. She wants to scream at them but bites her tongue.
The door to the landing bay flies open, startling her just as the klaxons start blaring, red lights flashing. Tex looks around, spotting her. “They’re coming in hot,” she shouts.
The crew scramble out of the way as a Pelican careens wildly towards the ship. Carolina is frozen in shock until Tex knocks her to the side. The transport hits the deck hard, screeching to a stop, feet from the wall where Carolina had been standing moments earlier.
[read more]She untangles herself from Tex and rushes over to the door. The pilot-one Carolina doesn’t know-staggers out, holding his arm at an odd angle. Behind him, Florida helps Wyoming limp down the ramp. Wyoming glances at Carolina then quickly looks away. She feels sick.
“What happened?” Tex demands.
Florida pulls off his helmet-his face is a little red, hair sticking up at odd angles. “We ran into a teensy bit of trouble on the way back.”
“Teensy?” says Tex, hands on her hips. “Define ‘teensy.’”
“They nearly fucking shot us out of the sky,” Wyoming grumbles. “Maybe if we had a pilot that knew how to bloody fly.”
The pilot darts out of the room as he pulls off his helmet. A moment later he’s retching in the hallway. This isn’t happening, Carolina thinks while Tex continues to interrogate the other two.
Her head is buzzing with static, drowning out everything but the thumping of her own heart.
“Carolina!”
Tex slaps her hard across the face, knocking her head back. Carolina blinks at her. “What the-”
“You were out of it.”
“So you hit me?”
Tex shrugs. Carolina wants to hit her. Rage against her, but she pulls it all back in. That isn’t going to help their friends. Tex seems to get it, though. She cocks her head to the side. “One free hit, kid. Get it out of-”
Carolina hits her hard but not just once. Tex doesn’t fight back which just confuses Carolina until she stops, falling onto her back, breathing hard. Her hand hurts. But not as much as her heart. Tex looks over at her.
“Better?”
“No.”
“Didn’t think so.”
Carolina looks away, fighting back the tears.
“We’ll find them,” Tex says, softer than Carolina thought possible.
“They’ve been gone five days.”
“You’re giving up already?”
Carolina sits up a little too quickly, her head spinning. “I never quit.”
“Good. Because I’m going to need your help to find them.”
“The Director is never going to approve another mission.”
“I know. Which is why we aren’t asking.” Tex stands then reaches a hand to Carolina. “You in?”
Carolina eyes Tex for a moment. Months of rivalry and resentment stand between them. Carolina isn’t sure she trusts Tex, but right now Tex is offering her the only hope she has. She grabs the other agent’s hand. “I’m in.”
“Good.” Tex walks away. “Be ready.”
“For what?” Carolina calls after her.
“You’ll know it when it happens.”
Carolina imagines a sly smile on Tex’s face, and for once she’s glad Tex is on her side.