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15/7/11 12:06![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
telarynTitle: Blackout
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
telaryn
Word Count: 950
Fandom: Leverage
Characters: Team
Rating: R
Warnings: Rampant character death.
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Against the challenge of an apocalyptic meltdown, the Leverage team clings to their mission.
Author's Note: Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
angst_bingo, for the prompt "apocalypse".
None of them had been surprised to learn that Eliot had a fall-back position; a cabin in Maine so far from civilization it could only be located with the most sophisticated GPS Hardison had been able to scrounge. “Completely off the grid,” he’d told them as they huddled together inside the loft. Outside the loft the skies split open and creatures from Salvador Dali’s worst nightmare roamed the streets of Boston. Screams and sirens penetrated even through the walls of their stronghold.
“We’ll be safe.”
Of course the challenge had been getting there. Leaving Boston by car was impossible. On foot left them exposed to the horrors roaming the streets – human and non – but at least there were holes they could slip through and shadows they could hide in as they watched each other’s backs.
Society was coming apart around them. Nate felt another piece of his soul die every time they had to watch a terrified innocent fall victim to the destruction they didn’t understand and couldn’t stop. Sophie was constantly having to wipe her eyes free of the tears that threatened to blind her as hell seeped into every corner of their lives and they did nothing.
The worst was Eliot holding a gun on Parker and Hardison as they argued for the life of a woman cornered by creatures so demonic and awful Sophie could barely process the reality of them. “It’s not worth it man,” Hardison had said finally – verbalizing the truth they were all too scared to say. “This isn’t who we are anymore. We don’t let innocent people die so we can save our own sorry asses.”
“We need to retreat!” Eliot had argued. First, last and always he was a soldier – and a soldier ultimately understood that sometimes there were only so many you could save. “Get to a secure position, and then figure out what to do!”
A nearby explosion made them all duck reflexively. “We’re needed here,” Parker said simply, once the shock waves had passed and they could talk again. “I’m not afraid of dying if it means we can help some more people before we go.”
Sophie could feel how badly Eliot wanted to argue with the thief; she knew how important family was to him. He would throw all concept of right and wrong to the four winds if it meant he could save the people he loved most. Unfortunately two of those people had the big picture in their sights, and they weren’t going to turn away from it for anything.
“You broke us,” Sophie murmured, looking at Nate. His answering smile was so sad she felt her chest tighten painfully.
Slipping his arm around her shoulders, Nate kissed her. “We made something better from the pieces.” Looking at Eliot he said, “You know they’re right.”
Eliot did, but Sophie could tell he wasn’t pleased with the conclusion. “All right,” he said, “but we do this smart. Nate and Hardison, you figure out someplace we can base from – someplace defensible. Sophie, Parker and I’ll start rounding up as many people as we can. Check in by phone every ten minutes until the network collapses on us.”
“Either way, rendezvous at the Old North Church in two hours,” Nate said. “By that point we should have a workable plan.”
Following hugs and kisses and promises not to take any unreasonable chances, the five of them separated to do what they could against the rising insanity. It was teaspoons against the tide, but as they saved more and more people from the monsters and devastation Sophie felt more secure in her belief that they’d done the right thing in the end.
No battle plan survives the first thirty seconds of a fight intact. Sophie didn’t know where she’d first heard it – she suspected it was one of those things that everybody knew, but nobody remembered who said it first. Their first blow was a crippling one – Eliot had run after a small child, without realizing that the monster sitting on top of a pile of rubble tracked its prey by movement. He’d barely had time to hand the little girl off to Parker, before a clawed appendage had grabbed him and thrown him with impossible force into a nearby building.
The screaming child in her arms was the only thing that kept Parker rooted to the mission once Eliot was gone. Sophie did what she could to keep their group together and moving, shoving her grief and fear as far down as she dared. They had a dozen people in their charge now; even for an idealist like Hardison, she decided, it would have to be enough.
They reached the rendezvous ten minutes after the appointed time, but there was no sign of Nate or Hardison. “We can try the phones again,” Parker suggested, as Sophie scanned the area.
“It won’t work,” she said absently. They’d only had three ten minute check-ins before the network collapsed. Sophie had been counting on the rendezvous once they’d lost Eliot – counting on Nate to be here and save her from being responsible for the safety of all these people. “See if you can find some food,” she told Parker. “There’s no telling when some of these people ate last.”
The thief reached out and brushed her fingertips against Sophie’s hair, before turning away and taking up her challenge. Sophie turned back towards the approaching street, searching in vain for the missing men.
Two hours passed before she was finally forced to acknowledge that they weren’t coming. Nate and Hardison were gone, and she would never know how they died.
We made something better from the pieces.
Sophie bowed her head and cried.
Author:
telarynWord Count: 950
Fandom: Leverage
Characters: Team
Rating: R
Warnings: Rampant character death.
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Against the challenge of an apocalyptic meltdown, the Leverage team clings to their mission.
Author's Note: Written for
angst_bingo, for the prompt "apocalypse".None of them had been surprised to learn that Eliot had a fall-back position; a cabin in Maine so far from civilization it could only be located with the most sophisticated GPS Hardison had been able to scrounge. “Completely off the grid,” he’d told them as they huddled together inside the loft. Outside the loft the skies split open and creatures from Salvador Dali’s worst nightmare roamed the streets of Boston. Screams and sirens penetrated even through the walls of their stronghold.
“We’ll be safe.”
Of course the challenge had been getting there. Leaving Boston by car was impossible. On foot left them exposed to the horrors roaming the streets – human and non – but at least there were holes they could slip through and shadows they could hide in as they watched each other’s backs.
Society was coming apart around them. Nate felt another piece of his soul die every time they had to watch a terrified innocent fall victim to the destruction they didn’t understand and couldn’t stop. Sophie was constantly having to wipe her eyes free of the tears that threatened to blind her as hell seeped into every corner of their lives and they did nothing.
The worst was Eliot holding a gun on Parker and Hardison as they argued for the life of a woman cornered by creatures so demonic and awful Sophie could barely process the reality of them. “It’s not worth it man,” Hardison had said finally – verbalizing the truth they were all too scared to say. “This isn’t who we are anymore. We don’t let innocent people die so we can save our own sorry asses.”
“We need to retreat!” Eliot had argued. First, last and always he was a soldier – and a soldier ultimately understood that sometimes there were only so many you could save. “Get to a secure position, and then figure out what to do!”
A nearby explosion made them all duck reflexively. “We’re needed here,” Parker said simply, once the shock waves had passed and they could talk again. “I’m not afraid of dying if it means we can help some more people before we go.”
Sophie could feel how badly Eliot wanted to argue with the thief; she knew how important family was to him. He would throw all concept of right and wrong to the four winds if it meant he could save the people he loved most. Unfortunately two of those people had the big picture in their sights, and they weren’t going to turn away from it for anything.
“You broke us,” Sophie murmured, looking at Nate. His answering smile was so sad she felt her chest tighten painfully.
Slipping his arm around her shoulders, Nate kissed her. “We made something better from the pieces.” Looking at Eliot he said, “You know they’re right.”
Eliot did, but Sophie could tell he wasn’t pleased with the conclusion. “All right,” he said, “but we do this smart. Nate and Hardison, you figure out someplace we can base from – someplace defensible. Sophie, Parker and I’ll start rounding up as many people as we can. Check in by phone every ten minutes until the network collapses on us.”
“Either way, rendezvous at the Old North Church in two hours,” Nate said. “By that point we should have a workable plan.”
Following hugs and kisses and promises not to take any unreasonable chances, the five of them separated to do what they could against the rising insanity. It was teaspoons against the tide, but as they saved more and more people from the monsters and devastation Sophie felt more secure in her belief that they’d done the right thing in the end.
No battle plan survives the first thirty seconds of a fight intact. Sophie didn’t know where she’d first heard it – she suspected it was one of those things that everybody knew, but nobody remembered who said it first. Their first blow was a crippling one – Eliot had run after a small child, without realizing that the monster sitting on top of a pile of rubble tracked its prey by movement. He’d barely had time to hand the little girl off to Parker, before a clawed appendage had grabbed him and thrown him with impossible force into a nearby building.
The screaming child in her arms was the only thing that kept Parker rooted to the mission once Eliot was gone. Sophie did what she could to keep their group together and moving, shoving her grief and fear as far down as she dared. They had a dozen people in their charge now; even for an idealist like Hardison, she decided, it would have to be enough.
They reached the rendezvous ten minutes after the appointed time, but there was no sign of Nate or Hardison. “We can try the phones again,” Parker suggested, as Sophie scanned the area.
“It won’t work,” she said absently. They’d only had three ten minute check-ins before the network collapsed. Sophie had been counting on the rendezvous once they’d lost Eliot – counting on Nate to be here and save her from being responsible for the safety of all these people. “See if you can find some food,” she told Parker. “There’s no telling when some of these people ate last.”
The thief reached out and brushed her fingertips against Sophie’s hair, before turning away and taking up her challenge. Sophie turned back towards the approaching street, searching in vain for the missing men.
Two hours passed before she was finally forced to acknowledge that they weren’t coming. Nate and Hardison were gone, and she would never know how they died.
We made something better from the pieces.
Sophie bowed her head and cried.
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