Stick Series: Castle (fan fic)

Chapter 50, Better Together.

Chapter 50, We Work Better Together, You Know.

~Oh boy~

"Hold on, Kim?" Lloyd asked.

Kim immediately discarded her pistol and began running toward the both of them, Etrius knew that neither of them had the strength to resist a tackle right now, so he tried to brace a bit extra as she was heading right for them, She stopped just before she hit them and pulled both of them into a hug.

"You dumb boys!" She said angrily, "I was so worried about you!"

She quickly pushed away from both of them and grabbed Etrius's head, she then began examining him.

"Are either of you hurt? Any bruises or burns? Breaks or cracks? Fractures or splinters?" She asks questions almost as fast as she shoots, "Did that damn parasite nearly kill you? Oh god you look like death."

Before Etrius could reply she turned her attention to Lloyd.

"And you?" She began grabbing his head, "Breaks? Bruises? Cuts? Burns? Fractures? Breaks?"

"Will you calm down?" Lloyd asked, "We're fine."

"Bullshit." She said, "I've seen Etrius die over 80 times in two minutes, he's not fine."

Both of them then remained silent as Kim continued to check the both of them over, she then gently moved Lloyd away from Etrius and pulled his arm over her shoulder.

"Let's get back to the others." Kim said, "Beecher can help the two of you, then we'll know the way back down and I'll bring people back quickly."

"Okay." Etrius replied.

"How did you get down here?" Lloyd asked.

"I jumped." Kim replied, "I didn't see myself die because of it, so I took the chance."

"You're insane." Etrius smiled slightly.

"I'm not." He replied, "I'm Red, there's a big difference."

She began assisting Lloyd as they began walking, Kim picked up her pistol before they continued on their way through one of the other corridors, she was walking a bit faster than Etrius but seemed a bit more concerned about Lloyd than what Etrius was doing, he slowed down a bit more just so he could think in peace.

Something doesn't seem right about this... something's bothering him, but he doesn't know what, he gently rubbed the back of his head, maybe he should take them both back to the crown, Kim could probably grab it, seeing as how she doesn't have actual limbs to touch it with, maybe if it was her right arm she'll be fine.

"Etrius is being weird." He heard Lloyd say quietly from ahead of himself.

"How so?" Kim asked.

"Everything." Lloyd replied, "He said some stupid shit to me earlier, too."

"Doesn't he always say stupid shit?" Kim asked.

"Nah, this was different." Lloyd replied, "He said that I was the help he needed."

Kim scoffed slightly.

"That is something dumb." She said, "What a dumb thing to say."

"Honestly, I think his mind's too far gone." Lloyd said, "There's not much there to like."

"Yeah, probably." Kim replied, "Then again there wasn't much to like in the first place."

Etrius grit his teeth slightly, do they think he can't hear them?!

"After we deal with Etrius who would you make the team leader?" Lloyd asked.

"Beecher." She replied without hesiation, "He's got the strongest head on his shoulders, Boomer and Razor are both a little off their rocker, and you're not a talkative and decicive man."

"I can't believe Etrius just gave up like that..." Lloyd said quietly.

"Yeah." Kim agreed, "He really failed me."

Etrius stopped and clenched his fists, gritting his teeth more, Kim suddenly let go of Lloyd and turned around, pulling her pistol out again and pointing it at Etrius.

"Don't." She said, "Please don't make me shoot you."

Etrius stopped slightly.

"I don't know why you're upset, but whatever it is, it's not real." She continued, "Nothing happened, Lloyd and I haven't said anything, you haven't said anything, it's been completely silent."

Etrius stopped gritting his teeth.

"It's not real..." Kim continued, "We haven't said a word, it's just in your head, maybe the parasite, but I haven't spoke a word, Lloyd hasn't talked, and you haven't made a sound."

Etrius let his shoulders relax.

"Sorry." He said, "It... sounded like you were talking."

Kim grabbed Lloyd's shoulder again and began leading him over to Etrius.

"Well, I can assure you neither of us has spoke a word." Kim said.

"How did you know it was talking that upset him?" Lloyd asked.

"He yelled shut up when he killed me." Kim replied, "So I stepped in to let him know we weren't talking."

(Why believe them?) A voice echoed through his mind, (Anyone would lie just to not die.)

"I remember Sarath said that a parasite can sound however they want to sound." Lloyd said, "It was probably the Parasite trying to get you to kill us, you already said that it was trying to kill me."

"Besides, what reason do I have to talk bad about you?" Kim asked, "I've been worried shitless about you since you wandered off into the void of a wasteland outside, I've had more than a hundred visions about you dying, I'm fucking happy you're still alive!"

She let Lloyd go and quickly pulled Etrius into a hug.

"That parasite is hurting you..." She said quietly, "I'm terrified that I'm losing you, I can't handle that... not right now..."

She moved away from him and cradled his face.

"You are my brother, and I love you." She said, "Nothing can ever change that, even if you had killed Lloyd, I would have forgave you..."

She then gently rested her forehead against his.

"So please... please don't give up." She begged slightly, "You're Etrius, the leader, you're the strongest willed one out of all of us, you can get your damn mind back and keep it, that parasite's just an incoporreal pussy that's too scared to face even a little girl."

She smiled slightly.

"I know you'd slap a little girl." She said, "If they're an ass, you don't give a shit."

Etrius sighed.

"Yeah..." He agreed, "Sorry for everything."

"It's fine." Lloyd said, "We were able to clear everything up, at least."

Kim moved away from Etrius and pulled Lloyd's arm over her shoulder again.

"Let's keep going, boys." She said, "We'll reach the surface one way or another."

Etrius stepped forward and pulled Lloyd's other arm over his shoulder.

"Then let's hurry up." He agreed, "I'm sure the others are worrying."

~Daw~

That's so cute, Kim really cares about them, although the rapid-fire questions were hilarious.

Anywho, there's another chapter for ya! It looks like everyone's going to be okay for now.