Supply and Demand ( Sanoci x Xanaphia)

[Xanaphia]

“You know I’ve never left Sanctorium,” Desiree protested, when he asked her where she wanted to go. “You’re the one that been places, I hoped you would know where to go. Somewhere we can go to start a new life, together. Where we can put everything behind us.” Desire said. She wondered if things could ever be as they were. If she could really trust Vas ever again, if he would ever stop looking at her like damaged goods.

Still, they just drove, and hardly spoke. Guilt, she tried to tell herself. Guilt over what happened. What he let happen. Not because he no longer cared for her, no longer desired her. Not because Marrek had left a filth on her skin, a filth she never wash off in a million years. Still, she slept in his arms each night, reveled in his warmth against and around her.

It was almost a week of traveling when things took a turn for the worst. As big as the wastes were, it wasn’t so strange that they had traveled it mostly alone this whole time. But once they did run into another living soul, it was not one person they ran into. Not a car full, not even a dozen. Several cars caught up to them, each full of deranged men armed to the teeth. Despite the wretched state of their vehicles, outrunning them all wasn’t going to work. Fighting them all off wasn’t an option in any case.

It didn’t take much prodding to get Desiree and Vas out of their vehicle. Neither
wanted to throw their lives away like this, but for a moment, looking at the large group and their leering eyes, Desiree couldn’t help but wonder if death might be preferable. She remembered what Marrek said her fate would be if raiders caught up to her. Mercilessly raped. Vas would be killed. That couldn’t be their fate. That wouldn’t be their fate.

“Don’t hurt us. We surrender, to you. We both could be useful to you and your gang,” Desiree offered, voice cracking. There was no hiding the terror she felt in the moment, the vulnerability as she felt each set of eyes undress her in her mind. There was no good reason not to hurt, but she hoped that offering herself freely would buy Vas his life. “I will be yours, to serve as you wish.”

 

[Sanoci]

Rapture plunged immediately into the abyss with the clamorous sounds of engines roaring with matched by the crude profanity overrunning their likely chem addled mouths as Vas recollected the brief discussion with optimistic thoughts slowly emerging with the plan to put everything behind them. Striving, desperate even as the circumstances metamorphosed into something maniacal in essence. Glistening flesh betrayed his composure, eyeing the vultures whom encircled them with ominous intent visually by the enthusiastic gazes onto them. Strength needed to be renewed by the surface for Desiree sake and the crude bastards without a shred of humanity left. Startled by the words and presence of a ghost before him, the mercenary foresaw conflict arising but how soon depended on interactions.

" Orton..still butchering phrases I see. Swore you were overrun by ghouls back on that bank job down south."


" A wiry little cunt like you surviving til now is a miracle. I pissed many off, but you are maggots to a carcass for trouble. Persistence and anger goes a long way for fighting off those numbers. Addressing numbers, you are outnumbered, weaponed, and frankly that woman looks.....delicious", Orton exulted through his vulgar statement to the two currently fenced in by vehicles and them. Sensible enough to withdraw from the car, the raiders cat called the woman vehemently with the type of comments that could disturb anyone in earshot. Overwrought by the terror, his facial features suddenly beamed tremendously at the horror giving in and detecting a plead by exchanging herself for the paltry life of this ambitious warrior for bullets. Nudging them seem pointless with her obedience, before verbally entangled by the interruption from the weathered Vas Xenos with a double-barrel shotgun paraded about.

" I know the politics of these vermin. You would never agree and neither would they with her generous terms. NEED TO KILL ME BEFORE ANY OF YOU TOUCH HER!!!!"

Fuming and scarce on sanity, Vas dared not consult by the pragmatic nature that similarly condemned this magnificent woman both inner and out which unfortunately held its strongest compulsion for the emergency radiating from his core by the mere sight of them. Impotent, worthless; everything felt in vain as he backpedaled against the car as these fiends closed the distance. Weaving the path of violence and potentially their doom, Vas squeezed the trigger as shells fragmented and disperse into the direction of the closest raider ferrying a barbed lead pipe and recognized by a scorched mug. Gore splattered on him by proximity, instigating wafare as Orton mentioned in passing as they begun to rush him in earn madness.

" RUNNNNNNNNN!!!!!! "

Reparation for the atrocities subjected onto her would be fulfilled whether it was this day or years to come. Shivering from anticipation, likely anxiety mingled with his current condition about to befall him with Orton witnessing this assault patiently. Blithe by what time was inclined temporarily for meeting Desiree he appreciated it more than he realized. Compensating with this mighty firearm, Vas parried the incoming blow in the formed of a board chained to saw blades as fatalities were ensued should he be hit. Haphazardly swinging the butt of the shotgun to disorient the scoundrel before the second of the shells within capacity exited the barrel and obliterating his chest without discrimination. Pinned near the car and proclaiming his future carcass a shield to crawl away, Vas fought on as one burly bastard slammed his chained encased fist against his kidney. Wincing terribly by the pain, it only quicken his ferocity beating in his heart.

Maybe the Parish family would send a retrieval team, ironic he pondered on them as patrons to save her hide over this chaos. Pestering him sufficiently by numbers, he retaliated with two-handed uppercut administered by the double-barrel shotgun which drop him to the dirt for just a moment. Reloading was improbable, relinquishing it for the throwing knives equipped onto a chest. Flinging them with adequate accuracy, two penetrated the chained-fist raider into the chest with a third swiftly sinking through the throat of another. This time a metallic wrapped baseball bat pummeled his kneecap, leaving him vulnerable after two kills. Vision was fading, pain begging for surrender. Before a response could be rewarded to the raiders, a deafening explosion was uttered in the eardrums of those too close. Smoke lingering from the colt single action revolver drawn quickly by Orton. Its destination was the chest cavity of Vas Xenos, raiders wrestling control despite the preposterous agony burrowing from the depths of his body. Constricted from movement, he glared intensely at the mountainous Orton with blood spewing from the wound and his mouth.


" Imppressive, got some fight left in ya ! ", he notion as exuberant piles of fists and boots collided into his body. Morals or honor mattered little, retribution was paramount in their eyes as brethren died undeterred by the fact they provoked this reaction. Bruises accumulated, blood sprayed as the raiders took turns until Orton went closer, bludgeoning his face with revolver with heat gleaming from the earlier shot. " For each man you killed, its another bullet in you.", he exclaimed as the second swallowed into parallel to the first wound. Whistling for the subordinates to ensnare the woman, he waited until she was no longer facing his back to attest towards this brutality. "See, this bitch is loyal. Lucky you...or not!!", he laughed as a third punctured the flesh, hitting the abdomen this time. Roughly forcing the gun into the hands of Desiree he smirked, each raider aligning her in a hold where only pointing forward was her only option. " You will be the one to finish and sorry, no insta-kills. "

Drooling profusely of saliva and blood from the mouth, Vas felt numbed as his eyes took a gander at whom he was referring to. A dazed, nearly died merc stared aimlessly at the angelic being looking over him. If it was a hallucination, perfect because it brought on a perishable smile over to her. This was the end and she would never forgive him for any of it. Prompted to succumb to their depraved demands wasn't worth the pain of failing again, even if seemingly selfish. Tears streaming, blood dripping, his stare ascended onto her own hues.

" I failed you, but I swore I never abandoned you again. Just....know....I did..I did not see you as damaged ..from my mistake. It was my...shame, my weakness. At least..we..will...have...our...memories!!"