lionturtle | ( back from the dead )

( back from the dead )

[ The deafening explosion of the building resonated throughout Aoi's entire body despite being some distance away from it. Disoriented, all he could do was stare after the smoke and fire in confusion and horror as thoughts of his partner, Ali, flash at the forefront of his mind. What could he do?! Go inside to see if he could find evidence that he was dead and leave? The chances of him surviving were so slim and yet Aoi held hope that he was still alive, if barely. He got up to his feet, preparing to head for the base they were supposed to infiltrate, but the sound of sirens made him hesitate. Sirens, gunfire, and enemies began to pour out of the sides of the shelters surrounding the building that had just exploded, meaning it would be difficult for Aoi to move past them without getting killed.

He should have stayed with Ali. He should have just stayed inside the base even if it meant Ali breaking his arm to make him listen. Aoi's power may have been used to its limit for that night, but he wasn't useless like Ali had said was. He wouldn't have gotten in his way like he said he would.. Even if he did end up breaking one of his limbs, he should have remained by his side and maybe they could have avoided this kind of catastrophe. Who knows?! Maybe it was Ali who caused the explosion, but --

The force of the base began to move out into the forest, where Aoi was currently taking cover. If he didn't leave soon, he'd be undoubtedly caught and apprehended, or worse. Aoi continued to crouch and inch as close towards the open space as much as he possibly could, eyes darting over the fire in hopes of catching a glimpse of a familiar form past the flames. They hadn't come to this country alone, but the rest of their speciality group had separated from them earlier on in the night to investigate rumours of another base. Calling for backup now of all times could prove disastrous, if they happened to be in a similar kind of predicament. He'd have to wait it out until morning, re-group and plan. Right now, all of his instincts were screaming at him to make a move, to risk the mission for his partner's sake. They had known each other only a little under a month and he didn't exactly hold Ali in high regard, but he was still his partner, his responsibility. The shock of the explosion was making it impossible for him to articulate the flood of emotion as grief or disappointment.

Regardless, he wouldn't make it out of this place alive on his own. He could easily re-trace his steps out of the forest and back to an open road, but he would still be in the middle of nowhere, in enemy territory.

The enemy-line began to breach the bush, forcing Aoi to think fast and make a move. He decided to move back and maybe circle the area in hopes of finding a gap in their defences. He wasn't leaving here until he knew for sure Ali was gone. ]

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[ close enough to see each other and the gun in his hand lowered, he follows Aoi's tug with a grin. there's blood trailing from his hairline that's hard to make out in the dark, hard to differentiate from the shadows falling over his face or from his hair, but all that worry seems wasted on his smug expression.

he whispers back impatiently, bending to rest his free hand on his knee. ]

Don't ask pointless questions. I'm here, aren't I?

[ from the look of it, this is the first chance he's had to catch his breath, and he's still flipping his gaze back and forth through the trees. they could hide out here temporarily, maybe, but the chance of ambush is still high. ]

[ That's right. He was here and it brought relief to Aoi, as well as the feeling of even more urgency. The surprise at discovering him alive only just started to dissipate as he tried to turn his attention at their task at hand. He couldn't see the blood slipping over his forehead, but he had an idea of how much damage his body must have taken from exertion alone. This man was crazy. And very lucky. ]

We have to get back to where we left all our stuff. We won't be able to get out of here until tomorrow, after things have settled down somewhat.

[ So they'd have to hide and keep awake until then. They had a vehicle they travelled in, but it was miles away, since they walked over here on foot as the safest means of travel. They'd taken only one pack-sack with them, completely unaware that they were going to barely come out of this alive. ]

You're alive, but are you okay? Can you keep walking? [ He didn't seem to be staggering too much when he showed up, but he can't imagine that explosion didn't leave him disoriented. ]

[ crazy and lucky? yeah, those both describe him pretty well, but he doesn't give a damn about the distinction. the reason he's still alive after this is the same reason he's alive at all. he's crazy, lucky and skilled. living through things like this just fuels his ego and so does having Aoi listen to what he tells him to do.

but as much as he doesn't like showing deference in return, he's right, so the instinctive urge to argue is nipped with a testy tsk through his teeth. ]

Of course I can. [ who does he think he's talking to?

given a few more seconds to clear his head, Ali slaps a hand to Aoi's shoulder and steps closer, peering around him towards the path (or lack of one) they'll have to take. ]

Let's go. [ there's the sound of the bullet loading into the firing chamber of his gun at his side. ] Stay behind me.

Right. [ As much as Aoi enjoys playing the leader, he's humble enough to know when to fall back and let others take control. As things were now, Ali was still at an advantage despite his injuries. Aoi was more of the brains than the brawn, and he hadn't had to navigate through a forest in the dark before. ]

Be careful. [ He can't help but nag a bit, since Ali has proven himself to be even more reckless than he was. The last thing they both need is for him to trip over a root that jut out from the ground.

That's more likely to happen to Aoi. ]

[ and it's probably that humbleness that's kept Ali from lashing out at him too hard, so Aoi is in luck, too. partners are only partners so long as they can stay out of his way and not get trampled when the action happens. they knew their mission was dangerous, knew they might die, but Ali never really believed that he wouldn't make it out of this. on the other hand, he won't go saving Aoi's skin if it's out of his very short range of convenience.

it isn't a lie to say he can go on, but he is admittedly out of sorts and physically, he's not in top shape. still, his eyes keep scanning the terrain as he leads Aoi onwards, his posture is smartly defensive and he'll be ready to act fast if he has to. he may be reckless, but he knows what he's doing.

they've made good ground when Ali suddenly stops, raises an arm in front of him to block Aoi's way and turns his face to give him a look that means don't make a sound. there are enemies passing through in the distance. ]

[ Aoi recognizes the sign immediately when the other man raises up his arm. He almost chokes on a sudden sound that tumbles out of his throat when he forces himself to a halt. He crouches low, trying to duck behind some shrubbery and stay concealed by the dark of the tight space. He waits for Ali's next signal, reaching into his coat for his gun. Ideally, he should have it out in front of him, but Aoi liked to have his hands free in dire situations, feeling safer without it. ]

[ if Aoi stays still and keeps quiet, Ali doesn't much care whether he's prepared or not. he's got this. after several long moments of tense silence, however, the danger seems to have passed. maybe normally, he'd be more inclined to start a fight but they've got numbers on them that can't be ignored.

it's another moment of silence before he feels assured that they're too far away to hear them. ]

Close call. You okay back there?

[ because he's going to keep going now. almost there. ]

[ Hissed: ] I'm fine! [ Stop treating him like a princess, even though he totally is one.

He follows him the rest of the way, feeling a bit paranoid at every noise that briefly passes the thick air between them. There aren't many animals out, but there's enough to make Aoi jump every now and then. ]

We're not going to get to sleep tonight.

[ that protest gets him a chuckle, so clearly Ali can't be feeling too bad. he's not nearly as paranoid anyway and though he pays close attention, he ends up smiling knowingly at Aoi's jumps more than he ends up actually worrying about being ambushed.

it's a relief once they get to their supplies even if they're not completely in the clear. he sighs and rubs his neck. ]

Guess not. Can't trust you not to fall asleep if we do it in shifts, now can I?

[ and in return, he probably can't trust Ali not to leave him for dead if there's a problem. ]

[ And that's exactly what Aoi has in mind: ] And I can't trust you not to leave me for dead if we get ambushed.

[ Of course, coming across their supplies, however few they've brought, is a welcome relief. Even if he can't sleep in the sleeping bag he brought, it will provide warmth for however long they have to remain out here in the cold. He slings his bag over his back, cradling the extra pack of weapons they had brought with them, as well. ] I'm starving. If we can find somewhere safe, we can finally eat.

Edited 2014-03-05 08:23 (UTC)

[ well, it's true. ]

You're seriously that worried about food at a time like this? I should feed you my fist.

[ he says that, but he doesn't sound mad. it sounds like he thinks it's funny. but he really does have more things to concern himself with than eating. as he grabs his things, the hand on his neck rises to his head. when it comes to getting messed up in battle, he's the last person to complain about it outright, but... ]

That explosion was really something.

Sorry, but I don't know where your fist has been. [ He says absently, free of any amusement that he would have had if he had the energy to laugh. ]

It sounded like it. I'm still trying to get my hearing back. [ He tries to reach up to mess up his hair when he notices his hand on his head. ] Is this seriously all that happened to you? I was expecting you to be missing an arm when I first saw you.

[ Honestly, he's happy to see he's okay. Aoi didn't like him much, so he was surprised by his own guilt when he thought the worst. But now that he was back, he couldn't help but feel grateful. ]

Come on, what do you think?

[ the way he says it makes it sound like it's obvious that he's totally fine, like he's incredulous that he's even asking, but his clarification is a bit better. ]

Have you ever been in something like that before? Even if you get lucky, the shockwave knocks you around. You'll definitely die like that if you hit your head too hard.

[ in contrast, he wouldn't have felt guilty if it was Aoi inside that base. he would have gone off on his own. but since it's not like that, he can benefit from how much of a softhearted fool he is instead. ]

[ No kidding. Aoi is so soft-hearted that he's actually trying to be affectionate the way he would with any other comrade narrowly escaping death. If only he knew what went on in Ali's mind. ]

I figured as much. But you're acting like it didn't even affect you.

Come on. [ He moves ahead, planning on following a direction that will lead them closer to the mountains. Somewhere high could be advantageous. ] You need rest soon.

[ then what? Ali's pretty sure that even if he knew, his behavior wouldn't live up to his expectations. that's why he doesn't take him very seriously.

shifting on his feet, he sighs and follows on after Aoi. ]

Yeah, yeah. What are you gonna do, carry me?

[ what he means is there's no point in acting like he's in pain. this shouldn't take too long assuming they make it to safety unhindered. ]

It's fine.

I probably could if I wasn't already lugging around extra weight. [ His words are heated and sharp, but the look he flashes is gentle. He actually is worried, especially because he won't know what to do if the dizzying effects of that explosion start to wear Ali down. ]

[ he knows he's worried. it would probably be more pitiable if he didn't understand why at all, but he easily does even if he wouldn't feel the same way. ]

Don't push your luck.

[ really, he's been in worse straits. Aoi shouldn't have any trouble relying on him let alone being sure that he'll pull his weight. what they need to focus on is getting out of here. Ali pushes ahead even though he has plenty of room to go around. ]

[ The push isn't exactly rough, but it's decisive and is enough to send Aoi stumbling with a hop. He tries not to gasp too loud when it happens, because he actually does have a lot of pride. ]

What's your problem? [ He hisses again, short of volume. He didn't know why Ali had to be so difficult, but he can't place if it's out of a place of fondness or annoyance because of his presence. ] You're impossible!

[ it really wasn't that rough. what's he getting so upset about? okay, okay, he knows.

it's not really fondness or annoyance that makes him act like this, though he tends to find it amusing when he throws a fit (just like this). it's more like he doesn't really care how he reacts because as far as he's concerned, he's an interloper. why not just do what he wants to? ]

Oh, calm down, why don't you? The sooner we find a place to rest, the sooner you get to stuff your face.

[ ...he's friendly enough now but if he acts like this at the wrong time, Ali will probably do something drastic. ]

The sooner the better... but we don't have much, do we? [ Aoi is dreading the thought of eating canned food, especially since he's not good with preparing fires himself. ]

Um... do you think we could find a cave up in this mountain? How likely is it?

Haha.

[ it was figurative, Aoi, gosh. fortunately for him, he's got a partner with enough survival experience for the both of them, should he actually choose to share his expertise. ]

It's possible. [ then again ] Can't say I know that much about caves.

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( back from the dead )

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