Karma // 10k Fic // Completed

I'll Take Care Of You

We left to find Vasquez in the tunnels. We found clothing that belonged to zeros. Addy, Doc, and 10k wore their masks and hoodies. I didn't feel the need to as I was apparently their kid. We found the room he was held in. He was trapped inside a metal cage and it didn't sound like he was alone either. He had an undead friend with him.

"Kill them." Warrens voice came through.

"No. Hey, hey, hey, hey. It's us. It's us." Addy said. She and 10k revealed their faces.

"And me." Doc came up to us too. Warren let out a sigh of relief. The zero's that were vaccinated were growling like z's. Addy and 10k gave them mercy.

"Que chingas pasa aqui?" Escorpion asked. What the hell is going on here?

"Ay, papí. son solo zombies." I said. Hey, dad. It's just zombies.

"Let me guess. Murphy's zombie army plan went horribly wrong?" Addy asked.

"Yeah," Warren confirmed.

"Could be worse. Coulda gone right." Doc commented.

"Is he in there?" Warren asked.

"Yeah, but be careful. He's not alone." 10k added.

"Oh, there!" Doc said when he got the wheel to turn.

"There you go. Are you bitten?" Warren asked.

"No," Vasquez said. When we got him out of his chains he rushed for Escorpion. Warren held him back.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Hey, hey. We're gonna let that thing take care of him. We got to go." Warren said.

"This will be a slow and excruciating death for you. Nothing like you deserve." He said. "One little turn of the wheel." Vasquez moved and almost fell down. Doc and 10k took him under his arms and helped him through the tunnels.

"Karma" 10k yelled.

"Yeah, I'm coming" I yelled back. I walked to the gate part so he could see me. "Part of me wants to help you. But the other part. It wants me to make you suffer. Like I have. Everyone I have ever come to love has died. Mark died in a mission to bust your thugs. Cameron died dealing for you. Garnett died trying to save humanity. Homer died saving me. Mack died following a mission he didn't sign up for." I choked on my tears. "Now I get it." My voice broke.

"Get what Mija," He asked struggling to keep the zombie off him.

"Why my name is Karma" I walked away from him and went to catch up to the others.

"What are you guys doing? We got to go!" Warren yelled. "And where the hell were you" She turned to me.

"Unfinished business," I shrugged.

"We'll talk about that later." She said. Sounds of La Reina howling could be heard echoing off the walls.

"No way to outrun those things," Vasquez said.

"We had a plan. Except we couldn't get the doors open." Doc explained.

"Open the doors and let them loose?" Warren asked.

"Yeah," Doc confirmed. Murphy walked up to the container and pressed his hand against it like he was sensing it.

"Murphy. Let your people go." Warren spoke calmly.

"Murfi!" La Reina called getting closer.

"Run. Come on. Get him and run." Warren ordered.

"We're close! Go, go, go!" Warren yelled. We were running through the tunnels back the way we came.

"Where's Murphy?" Addy asked.

"He'll come. Go." Warren yelled behind us. We climbed up the ladder one by one. Vasquez was first. Then, Doc. 10k made me go before him and Addy stayed down to watch for Warren.

"You ok," 10k asked.

"Stop asking if I'm ok" I hissed.

"Karma, I was just asking," He said softly.

"Well stop asking. I'm fine!" I yelled. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the wall.

"You're not fine," He said. I looked to the side and took in a breath.

"I just need it to stop. I just need everything to stop. People. Life. That's what I need. I just need the pain to be gone. I don't remember what it feels like to not be broken. It's not that I don't try. Its that I try so hard to be worth someone's time, to be smart, to be pretty and deserving of love, but despite every attempt I'm still not good enough. And it hurts that I can't be what everyone wants or what anyone needs and it hurts that I can't be what I want or what I need because I'm not enough and I won't be enough and ill never be close to enough and I'm just so freaking tired of trying to be and not coming close. I'm scared. Scared that you'll leave me, that you'll move on and take back all the things you said and tell me that my best just wasn't enough. No matter what I do I still feel like its not good enough- I'm not good enough. I'm a disappointment because no matter how hard I try I keep messing up. I want to relapse almost everyday because its been so long and my arms ache for the blade and I will always be addicted to self-harm. My insecurities annoy people to no end and I hate them. I hate them so much because they keep reminding me of all the ways I'm not good enough. I make people mad at me and I can't change it. I'm sorry I can't be better. I try so hard to be. I thought that you know, getting rid of my addictions and bad habits would help me but I keep falling into old patterns and I can't help but want to relapse and every time I think about it I get so angry at myself because I've come this far and yet in a moment of weakness I'm willing to throw that all away and it makes me sick that I'm not strong enough. I'm not nice, I'm a bitch. I hurt people and I disappoint them. I let people in and get scared and shut down. I won't ever be good enough and I'm sorry. Life has taught me that lesson over and over again and I'm sick of learning it. I just. I can't" I cried. 10k pulled me into his arms and just held me while we saw the scene in front of us play out.

"Yo soy Escorpion. I don't die. I kill. No one disrespects me and lives. Who wants to die first, huh?" Escorpion came into view. He had blood all over him. Warren took her gun out quickly but Vasquez pushed it down.

"Who wants to die?!" Escorpion yelled. I took a step forward but 10k pulled me back into him.

"No" He growled into my ear.

"Come on cabrón. Come on!" He yelled. Vasquez limped up to him and they started fighting. Escorpion got the first two hits before Vasquez elbowed him in the face. Escorpion got seven hits on Vasquez and he fell to the ground. Something in Vasquez clicked because when he got back up, it was over for Escorpion.

Vasquez threw Escorpion into the wall behind him. He kept throwing hits and raised his knee into Escorpion. Eventually, the fight ended and Vasquez threw him into the vent we crawled out of.

"No!" I screamed wanting to dive down but 10k restricted me. All I could hear were Escorpion's yells for help. Before nothing.

There were five Caminos sitting there begging us to take them. Warren and Murphy went into one. Addy, Doc, and Vasquez drove their own and 10k drove while I sat beside him. 10k pulled his goggles down and hooked his climbing pick threw the steering wheel, opened the door and leaned out with his slingshot in hand. He got back into the car and continued to lead us to California.

"Show off" I muttered.

"Nikkole?" He asked. I hummed in response. "You're gonna be okay. And if you're not. I'll take care of you until you are" He said. I scooted closer to him and leaned my head onto his shoulder. My left hand rested on his thigh as he drove. 

"I believe you" I closed my eyes and let his driving put me to sleep.