Chapter 23: On the Road Again

Doc was stopped from leaping out of the dropship by Donut, who gripped his arm while smiling and yelling down to the chupadore below: "Hey down there! Before we jump out, where are you two going?? We're heading to Lactan, but we can give you a lift!!"

Will blinked in confusion before calling back out: "You're, uh. You're going the wrong way! It would be faster to head west!" He frowned a bit, trying again to see into the cockpit, but the angle from the ground made it almost impossible. What Sircan pilot wouldn't know which direction to fly? Then again, these strangers had clearly stolen this ship...

Will shook his head after a moment, continuing to yell over the hum of the thrusters. "I...I appreciate it, but...I think that's a bad idea!" He had no idea who these two were...but they weren't shooting at him, at least. Still... "I think it might draw too much attention!"

Doc frowned as Donut tilted his head but then shrugged easily. "Okie doke!" He turned to the medic with a smile. "Lemme go talk to Hiko -- you should get down there and start helping!"

Doc looked concerned for a moment. "Wait...you...you guys are coming too, right? We don't even know who they are..." He glanced back down toward the ground with a grimace.

Donut gazed down again as well, then replied: "He looks really worried about his friend! I don't think bad guys can look that honestly scared for someone else, right?? But yeah! We'll be right down!"

Donut's logic wasn't exactly flawless, but Doc supposed he at least made a decent point. The medic sighed and then wiggled himself onto the edge of the airship's platform before letting himself drop to the rocky earth below. He winced and fell to one knee, then quickly pushed himself up again and clutched his kit against his chest as the job began to overcome his nervousness. He approached the jeep, and the desperate chupadore who had called to them holstered his pistol before motioning for the medic. "Please...he's lost a lot of blood..."

Donut ducked into the cockpit and squatted next to Mahihko, who was keeping the ship steady. "Hey, Hiko! The guy down there says we were going the wrong way!"

"Well, shit, y'all weren't lookin' outta the windows at all the last few hours?" Mahihko teased with a playful grin. "What's the haps with Mr. Shooty-Face down 'ere? Guessin' ya didn't jus' send Doc down there as a sacrifice, right?"

Donut tittered in amusement. "No, but omigosh, couldn't you already see his cute little face if I had?!" He laughed and then tilted his head when Mahihko didn't move or start to lower the ship further. "Um...so we should go with him, right? I don't think those HADES guys are gonna be very happy if they see this ship flying around..."

Mahihko half-grinned and leaned up to plant a brief kiss on Donut's cheek. "Sorry, hon. We gotta part ways here."

Donut blinked and tilted his head, placing a hand on Mahihko's knee. "No...you can't go on by yourself! Who knows if you'll even find Sarge and your friend...and what if you get lost, or run out of fuel, or--"

"Nah, I'll be alright," Mahihko replied, gently but firmly speaking over Donut as he reached down to take the chupadore's hand and wink up at him. "Promise."

"Well...then I'll stay with you! Doc can go with the guys down there, and --" The look on the wolf's face was enough and Donut trailed off with a whine. "Dangit..."

"Yeah, I know, sweetie. Sucks." Mahihko spoke easily, though his expression demonstrated a reluctance that Donut appreciated. "Go on, now -- whoever's down there must need yer help more'n I do if they were willin' to shoot a damn pistol at a ship normally full of those HADES dudes."

Donut exhaled, repeating himself from a few hours before: "Our little party's still getting smaller..." He leaned down to hug the wolf tightly, and Mahihko released the controls long enough to return the fierce embrace, speaking quietly against the side of Donut's neck.

"You take care'a Doc, huh? He's seen a lotta weird shit the last day or so, an' he ain't nearly the cool cucumber you are."

Donut laughed softly and pulled back, nodding and reaching up to cup Mahihko's cheek lightly, then running his fingers along the piercings in his jaw. "I will. But you be safe, too! I'm gonna be really mad if you die and I lose all my evidence of sleeping with a cute alien!!"

Mahihko gave an outright grin. "Now there's a motivation I c'n get behind," he replied admiringly. He chuckled and then nodded firmly while settling his hands back around the controls. "Alright. I better get this big dumb bird turned around -- get on down there, an' good luck explainin' to the poor guy who's drivin' this ship."

Donut beamed brightly. "What's so hard to understand about aliens, anyway?!?" he asked cheerfully before squeezing Mahihko's shoulder and then shuffling out into the main body of the ship. Mahihko glanced back with a smile, watching Donut grab his two suitcases and then wink at him before dropping out of the open bay to the ground below.

"Guess that leaves me the crate full of guns 'n shit," the wolf remarked to himself. "Eh, that works for me..." He pulled up on the yoke and the ship drifted upward. As he twisted the control stick and gazed down through the windshield, he caught Donut waving at him and he tossed a salute back before shoving the throttle forward to head back toward the tundra. Shit...been a minute since I had a long, lonely flight like this one...

Donut lowered his arm as the dropship rumbled away, sighing softly and then quickly gathering his suitcases back up to trot toward the jeep. Doc was leaning over the chupadore in the passenger's seat while the other stranger hovered nearby. "Hey, there! How's it going??"

The stranger looked up with a blink and finally tore himself away from Doc to take a few steps toward Donut with a wary expression. "Who are you guys? And who the hell was flying? Did...did you guys steal a HADES dropship, seriously??"

Donut simply beamed and tossed his luggage into the back of the jeep before thrusting a hand out. "Private Franklin D. Donut! That's Doc helpin' your friend out and, uh...as for the pilot..." He glanced over his shoulder at the receding sight of the dropship with a soft sigh. "Well, that's a long story. So who are you and what the heck were you doing trying to shoot us??"

The stranger seemed too bewildered at first to react. But he eventually reached out slowly to shake Donut's hand as he stammered: "I, uh. Corpor--no, I mean." He shook his head quickly. "I'm William Barnes. But you can call me Will. And that's Samael..." He turned back to his companion while chewing on his lip nervously. "We're...um. We're on the run. But he got hurt pretty bad..."

Doc looked up at the other two with a frown. "What happened to him? It looks like he was..."

"Tortured," Will supplied quietly. "We...he was being, um. Interrogated by..." His eyes flicked to Donut's armor, which was regulation even if it was almost pink. "Some very dangerous people. We managed to free ourselves, but Sammy, he...he'd already taken a beating." Will rubbed his arms as his tail twitched nervously. "I...honestly, we shouldn't even be standing around here, I...I think we need to keep moving."

Doc continued to frown as he finished removing the hasty wrapping around Samael's leg, wincing at the wound beneath. "I...guys, I'm gonna be honest, I'm not exactly the best, and trying to help while we're moving..."

"Hey, you did really well with me and Hiko," Donut interrupted with a bright smile, nodding firmly and then snapping his fingers. "I know!" Without bothering to explain, he leaned into the back of the jeep and began to shuffle things around, moving his suitcases to one side and then neatly rearranging the scarce supplies that Will and Samael had been traveling with. "Doc, let's move him to the back! There's no seat, but there's space on top of these crates! You'll have more room there...I can help from the front!" He glanced at Will with a confident nod. "And you can keep driving!"

"I...I dunno, maybe I should help Doc, I..."

Donut's smile was still kind, but also insistent as he placed a hand on the rambling chupadore's shoulder. "You seem really worried! It's okay, we'll help your friend, and we don't know where you're trying to get, either, so...you should drive!"

Will sighed and shifted his weight before squeezing his own bicep silently. Time was wasting. "Okay...yeah, alright. Here, let me help move him..."

Doc shuffled out of the way so that Donut and Will could carefully maneuver the unconscious chupadore into the back, atop the crates of bullets. Samael groaned and stirred a bit, but otherwise only continued to shiver. "He's definitely going into shock," the medic muttered as he looked toward Donut. "Hey...in your luggage, do you maybe have a jacket or something?"

"I was meaning to ask why you had luggage," Will added in a mumble while climbing back behind the driver's seat. "You're...wearing Red armor, aren't you? Are you with the Army?"

"I sure am!" Donut chirped as he quickly dug through one of the decorated suitcases before producing a fur-lined jacket. He paused to glance at it with a sigh. "Man, I'll never be able to get the blood out of this...but your friend is so cute! So it's okay!" He smiled at Will before offering the jacket to Doc, who took it with a grateful grunt and laid it across Samael's chest.

Will looked torn as he waited for Donut to get into the front of the jeep with him. "If...if you're with the Army, though...and we're..."

Donut tilted his head before peering back at all the boxes of ammunition, then at the fact Will was only wearing the black under-armor. He screwed up his muzzle in thought. "Hmm...oh, you two must be transporting bullets, right??" He gasped. "Did...pirates attack you?? Were they the ones to beat up your friend?!?"

Will could only stare blankly for a few seconds before blinking. "Uh...y-yeah. That was it. Pirates..."

"Well then we better go in case there are more following!" Donut insisted. "Go, go, go!"

"Y-yeah...of course," Will stammered, trying not to look too incredulous as he started the engine and steered toward the border of Sampi. He looked back to where Doc was leaning over Samael. "Just...just let me know if I'm going too fast or anything..."

Doc nodded, though he'd already pulled out a few tools from his kit and was studying the knife wound in Samael's leg. "I'm gonna just patch and wrap this for now, but then I want to look at his shoulder. Donut, can you please find a roll of bandaging?"

Will glanced at the two once again, feeling a pang of nervousness for his decision to ask for their help, but knowing at this point it was too late to turn back. He just had to trust them.

Samael's leg was wrapped securely and the jacket now covered his torso and waist as Doc prodded gently at the bullet hole in his shoulder. They'd crossed into the threshold of Sampi and the temperature was starting to drop; Doc hoped that was the only reason the injured chupadore was continuing to shiver.

Will hadn't been very talkative, even after Donut's seemingly endless attempts to coax some conversation out of him. At this point, Will knew more than half of Donut's life story, but the only thing they knew about Will was the fact that he and Samael weren't part of either Army, and that someone was after them.

Doc produced a small vial of peroxide and opened it slowly while frowning at Samael's shoulder. "Okay, if, um. If you're awake at all, I...apologize in advance," he mumbled as he carefully poured a small measure of it into the wound. He winced as it trickled through and dribbled out from the other side, but seemed relieved at the same time. "Okay, it's barely bubbling, that's...that's good, I think, and -- oh!!"

He leaned back slightly as Samael's eyes slowly cracked open, joined by a soft whimper that Doc imagined might have been from the peroxide. The medic stared down into irises of piercing blue, unable to tear his gaze away. "Uhhhh...hey, are...are you okay?" he inquired, loudly enough that both Donut and Will glanced back.

"Sammy...Samael??" Will called out while trying to see past Doc. "Is...is he awake?"

Samael blinked slowly, mumbling something incoherent before finally seeming to register Doc's face hovering over his own. His muzzle moved to form words, but only unintelligible whispers slipped out. He tried to make out the features of the chupadore leaning over him...it was almost familiar...

* * *

Samael felt the cold beneath him; it was reassuring. There was no discomfort in the snow...in fact, for him, there never had been. Even as it soaked through his torn jeans, into his thick fur, something about it was soothing. He grinned when the chupadore bent over him, attempting a sly comment, only to wince as the pain from the bullet wound doubled. "Ow, shit..."

"If you're gonna bitch this much every time you get hurt, you aren't as cut out for this as Tracer said you were."

Samael glanced to the side and smiled meekly. Nelson was propped up against a tree next to him, fixing him with a scowl as she commented idly: "Don't be gentle, Carson. We're on the run, last thing I want is the new kid passing out while we're trying to book it."

"Yes, ma'am," Carson replied briskly.

"I thought she said not to call her 'ma'am'," Samael commented ironically before his eyes bulged as Carson jammed a finger into his chest wound. "Hah, ah, fuck!!"

Nelson shared a smirk with Carson as she nodded once. Carson glanced down at Samael and found the young chupadore glaring up at him defiantly despite the tears in his eyes. "Clean through-and-through, kid. You'll be fine. All we got to disinfect it is whiskey at this point, so..."

Samael blinked. "W-wha--oh fuck me!" he cried out as Carson grimaced and splashed some of the booze over the wound from a flask he'd had tucked away somewhere. Samael slammed his head back against the tree trunk, gritting his teeth and then exhaling sharply as Carson smoothly opened his jacket and rolled up his bloodied undershirt to start bandaging the bullet hole.

When Samael looked over at Nelson again, he found her watching them with a half-smile. "You're enjoyin' this, ain't ya?" he mumbled before wincing again when Carson held a hand firmly against the gauze pad while starting to wrap whatever spare bandaging he had left around the stocky chupadore's chest.

"I don't take pleasure in your pain, Wurlitz...but it is kinda fuckin' nice to see someone else covered in bloody bandages, even if he's gonna be able to get up and walk away from it," she replied with a cool smile, her sharp eyes observing him closely.

He shifted a bit and glanced at her legs. "S-sorry..."

"You're fine, Wurlitz," she added crisply. "If this is the cost of making a difference, then so be it." He met her eyes again and she gave an approving nod while continuing. "This isn't an easy job. I knew Tracer well, so I'm sure he didn't sugarcoat anything for any of you." There was a pause as they both silently acknowledged that the 'group' of recruits had been cut down to one. But Nelson pushed forward. "I'm sure he took special care with you. I'm not an idiot, Wurlitz, and I could hear the old bastard's smile whenever he talked about you on the radio." Samael turned his head away awkwardly, his tail curling around himself. Carson glanced up at him with an amused expression, but kept silent as he finished bandaging. "But I hope he still made it clear that this is a way of life, as much as a way of death, and not just some little adventure we all decided to do one day."

Samael locked eyes with Nelson again as he took a quiet breath. Tracer's face crossed his memories, and he tasted the grizzled fighter's blood on his tongue again. He nodded slowly and looked down at a hand as he closed it into a fist. "He did. An' I'm ready..."

"We'll see about that," Nelson retorted, though her eyes were kind for a moment as they traced over the young, stubborn chupadore. "We've still got a long road ahead -- Sampi isn't usually heavy with House activity, but you should know better than most of us the dangers from the land itself, right?"

Samael nodded again. "Yeah..." He paused as Carson finally leaned back with a satisfactory grunt

"Alright, kid. Don't do anything stupid for at least a day, you'll be fine." He then turned back to Nelson, who immediately scowled. "Ma'am, that doesn't help. I need to check your legs before we go -- I know, I know, you can't feel them, but if there's anything lodged in them, they'll still bleed."

She grumbled but waved dismissively at him. "Don't put words in my mouth, Carson. Go on, then." There was no shame between them as he simply pulled down her bloodied trousers and began to check her legs for trauma. Nelson's gaze remained on Samael as he hesitantly spoke up again.

"My...my tribe, we could make our way there, they might help--"

"A nice thought, Wurlitz, but no," she cut him off smoothly. "I'm sure they're a fine, strong people -- all bullshit aside, even if you're not setting any height records, you were clearly raised tough. But just because there's a light House presence doesn't mean none. Someone will be trailing us at some point. And if that leads them to your tribe." She shook her head once. "We give to the people. And unless we absolutely have to, we don't take from them. I hope you said your goodbyes, because if you're with us, we won't have time for any stops."

Samael nodded his silent comprehension. "I did."

"Good." She motioned toward one of the small, single-person vehicles. "I need to discuss our new location with Cutler. And since Carson isn't gonna let me out of his goddamned sight, there won't be room for the four of us in the truck -- you need to take her mongoose. Have you ever driven one?"

Samael blinked. "Um...no, ma--, uh, Nelson."

The resistance leader snorted and smiled slightly. "Hope you're a fast study, Wurlitz. Go get a rundown from O'Neill, the grumpy asshole who wanted to leave you behind. We're moving out in five, and I'd prefer not to stop until we get to Honkal."

"Ten minutes, ma'am, I need to redo your bandages," Carson muttered, half-lifting her torso so they could work together to pull her pants back up.

"Seven minutes," she grumbled before jerking her head toward Samael. "Go on, Wurtlitz. We'll talk again soon."

Samael gave a hesitant smile as he nodded again and pushed himself up from the ground. He brushed the snow from his hindquarters and glanced briefly at Nelson and Carson bickering over her wounds before he looked up to try and find O'Neill. I wonder what Honkal is like...they say it doesn't even snow there...

* * *

Will felt like he'd been holding his breath for the last two or three hours. Donut had done the best he could to distract him, but Will spent almost more time staring over his shoulder at Doc and Samael than he did watching the...well, not-road.

"Uh...so I think I take back what I said about you driving," Donut ventured, tapping Will's bicep gently. "I'm sure you're a really good delivery-guy, but if you want to watch your friend, we can switch!"

Will shifted a bit, his eyes flicking to the soldier before he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "We're...ugh. We're not...delivery guys." He looked nervous for a moment; he knew their names, but that was about it.

...Okay, that wasn't quite true, he knew most of Donut's entire personal history at this point. He was fairly certain that, of all the people he might be honest with, Donut wouldn't be the one to turn them into the House. Will sighed and then stared through the windshield again. "We're with the Movement."

Donut looked curious, to his credit, but Doc almost immediately whirled around with a horrified expression. "D-d-did you say the Movement?? L-like...heretics??"

Will winced at the tone behind Doc's words, only to scowl and glance back again. "This coming from the guys who stole a HADES dropship. You think that didn't get you immediately put on a list somewhere?"

Doc raised a hand, then slowly lowered it. "Well...I. I'm not sure about that," he mumbled while checking Samael's pulse again. It hadn't grown much stronger, but it was at least holding steady despite the bitter winds whipping around the jeep as they sped along through the snow.

"What, none of them saw you guys hijack their ship?" Will asked mildly, looking at Donut for confirmation. "I mean, no one wants to be on that list, but you can't tell me you got away without anyone seeing?"

"Well...actually, yes!" Donut smiled brightly even as he tapped his claws awkwardly on the dashboard. "Uhhh, so our, er, friends! They took out the whole unit!"

"Oh, ha ha, very funny, I'm sure they did," Will mumbled, continuing to clutch into the steering wheel nervously.

"No, he's telling the truth," Doc supplied while idly adjusting the jacket over Samael's trembling frame and pausing to peer at the wound in his jaw. "Those crazy aliens somehow killed the entire HADES platoon..."

Will blinked as the words cut effortlessly through the howling winds. He wouldn't have thought twice if they'd come from Donut, but from the all-too-stoic medic? His paw drifted off the gas pedal in his surprise as the jeep began to decelerate in the thick snow. "D-did...you say aliens?"

Doc stared at Samael's unconscious features for a moment as he realized what he'd said. He creakily turned his head toward Will, who was now staring querulously back at him. "Uhh...n-no?"

Donut cleared his throat politely and waited for Will to drag his confused gaze toward him. He beamed brightly when the dumbstruck rebel stared at him. "So! No big deal, but...aliens are real!"

"No...no big deal??" Will asked incredulously as the jeep rolled to a complete stop. "Are you kidding me? Are you two on snatch or something? There's no such thing as aliens, and there's definitely no way aliens took out a HADES unit!"

"The guy flying the dropship was also an alien," Donut added sweetly as he dropped an elbow against the dashboard and rested his muzzle on his palm with a dreamy sigh. "Gosh, I already miss him and his funny accent! And all those piercings -- Doc, you shoulda seen some of them, they were in places you couldn't even imagine!"

Doc sighed and slowly rubbed at his muzzle. "I didn't need to imagine, Donut. I saw him doing yoga. And no, he wasn't wearing any clothes, because of course he wasn't."

"Wow, you lucky duck!" Donut exclaimed with a happy giggle.

Will slowly stared between the two. Less than a day ago, he was under the impression that the Movement was a group of ruthless terrorists who wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone that go in their way. It had been a goddamned miracle that his brain hadn't simply collapsed in onto itself after all the truths he'd learned from -- and shared with -- Samael. And now aliens?

"Guys, I...I can't even start to think about this, but we are definitely talking more later when...I can actually focus," he muttered before he reached back to silently grip into Samael's thigh. "Doc...how is he?"

The medic shifted his weight. "He's um. I mean, he's alive! And that's good!" Will slowly grit his teeth and Doc gave a lame laugh. "S-sorry, I told you I wasn't that great...but I have him stabilized. I...I think. I only have my first aid kit, none of the other instruments I might have at an actual base." He paused and then his expression fell. "W-wait, I just realized...we're not going to an Army base, are we?"

Will's smile was pencil-thin as he squeezed Samael's leg gently before placing both hands back on the steering wheel. "Sorry, Doc. No." He hesitated. "If...if you two want to leave, I'll...I can drop you off somewhere, but...I need to save him."

Doc sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck before mumbling: "I took an oath. It might be a silly oath that has more about 'keeping my fellow chupadore alive to fight for Omega and His glory' than actually saving people, but I still took it. This...re..." He winced as Will shot him a look. "This...Sammy is my patient. I won't leave his side until he's in someone else's care or, um...you know..."

"Let's try and think positive, Doc!" Donut chimed in. "And I'm definitely not going anywhere! Hiko told me to keep an eye on Doc, and that you guys probably needed my help, so I'm where I need to be!"

Will smiled faintly as he nodded and pushed the accelerator down again, sending the jeep lurching forward through the snow. "I...thank you. Both of you." Donut smiled and placed a supportive hand on the recently-turned rebel's shoulder as they sped into the heart of Sampi.

Doc yelped as a bullet slammed into the headrest just above him, staying as low as he could in the back of the jeep as he half-covered Samael's body with his own. "Donut!! In the trees behind us!!" Another round screamed past, grazing his arm and making the medic squeal in terror even as he stubbornly protected the unconscious rebel.

Donut grunted as he took a triple burst directly into his chest-plate -- the bullets were stopped by the armor, luckily, but it made his whole body feel shaken as he nodded and then quickly yanked open the door of the vehicle, ducking behind it as several more shots pounded into the other side. "Got it!"

Will cursed as he tried to press closer to the stump he'd taken cover behind. He thought there was only one left, but he heard the sound of two distinct weapons firing from the woods. "Shit..." He waited for a lull in the bullets that drove into the other side of the thick stump, then rolled to one side with his pistol extended in both hands. He stared for a moment and spotted a flash of movement, instinctively tracing it with several shots from the magnum that left his arms quivering.

His target took a few staggered steps, then collapsed in a heap as Will took a second to exhale in relief. His eyes flicked to the jeep as he watched Donut take cover from a hail of automatic fire. He hoped this was the last; they needed to finish this and get moving again before anyone else showed up.

They'd stopped to catch their breaths and relieve themselves -- it was perhaps only by sheer luck that Will was behind a tree when the first bullets started flying. He was protected by the natural cover and was able to return fire safely while his companions scrambled for whatever protection they could find by the jeep. Will had just enough time to spot the distinct blue logo on the sleeves of their jackets, marking the intruders as Freelancers. The small team of mercenaries had almost taken them by surprise, had it not been for the birds that came squawking from the treeline as they'd attempted their stealthy approach.

Will could only imagine that they'd had a recent mission somewhere in Sampi, as there was no other feasible way for the assassination team to find them. The radio was dead, they hadn't come across more than a cottage or two, and any aerial surveillance would have been extremely difficult between the passing snowstorms and dense pockets of trees. He hoped the small contingent was just lucky enough to have been operating in the area...

He shook his head quickly as he turned his attention back to the remaining enemy. His fear of combat hadn't simply melted away, but his determination to get Samael back in one piece was giving him the strength he didn't know he had. With a deep breath, he pushed himself up from behind his cover and darted for a thick cluster of trees, looking to circle around the Freelancer's blind side. His heart thudded in his chest and he could barely feel his paws pounding through the snow -- he wasn't sure if it was the cold or simply his body reacting to the adrenaline. His eyes caught a flicker of muzzle flash and he sprung up to a sturdy tree trunk to lean against before swinging his gun around to aim at the camouflaged Freelancer directly ahead of him.

She noticed the movement and shifted instinctively just as he pulled the trigger. His bullet tore past where her shoulder had been an instant before and she immediately lifted her rifle toward him. Will squeezed the trigger again but the magnum clicked empty, his eyes widening as he ducked back behind the tree a moment before a triple-burst ripped into the bark. Shit!!

He heard her paws moving through the snow, rapidly closing the distance between them as he desperately tried to steel his nerves. Okay, just...try to grab her gun...you can do this, you got this, you got this...

Lost in his panicked self-reassurances, Will jumped as the sharp crack of another pistol echoed out, followed closely by a second shot that was met with a choked gasp. He stared ahead with his back pressed against the tree, still fully expecting to see the Freelancer appear next to him with her gun at the ready.

But her footfalls grew unsteady as he heard the sound of something falling into the snow. He inhaled sharply and quickly spun back out from behind the tree with the pistol gripped by the butt as an improvised weapon, only to blink in surprise as he watched the Freelancer stumble forward and collapse against the other side of the tree. Her eyes rolled toward him briefly as blood bubbled out from her muzzle. As their gazes locked, her jaws curled into a snarl before she slowly dropped to her knees, then fell still against the tree trunk.

Will stared at her lifeless body for a few seconds, stirred from the haze only when Donut's voice cut through the fog. "Hey, Will!! Is that you back there or do I need to shoot again??"

He waved both arms wildly. "It's me, Donut, it's me...stand down, Pri...uh. I mean. Good shooting..." Old habits. He wasn't quite ready to celebrate yet and he quickly picked up the Freelancer's modified rifle while skimming the woods. "Keep your eyes out, guys...I think that was all of them, but...just in case." He exhaled slowly and then bent down to carefully roll the Freelancer to one side. He grimaced when he pulled his fingers away and felt her blood on them, wiping them in the clean snow while using the tip of the rifle to examine her jacket and supply packs.

There was another clip or two of ammunition for the rifle, along with a portable radio -- probably used for communication within the team, he doubted it had very long range. He racked his brain trying to remember whatever he could about the mercenary-like soldiers. He knew they worked for a division of the House, and that they would take on whatever missions they were given, as long as the pay was right. They didn't have an affiliation between Red or Blue, but they also were not quite the same as the HADES units, which worked strictly under the direct purview of the House.

...Samael had also mentioned another branch of the Movement that, supposedly, was run by some Freelancers. Will hoped these four had nothing to do with the other rebels, since otherwise he had a lot of questions that he wasn't sure he wanted the answers to. He frowned quietly before cradling the rifle and jogging back out of the trees to approach the jeep.

When he saw the bullet holes in the tailgate and headrests, Will widened his eyes worriedly. "Doc! Doc, are you guys okay? I-Is...Samael..."

"He's okay, we're both okay," Doc called out from the crevasse between the front seats and the cargo in the back. At some point, he'd managed to drag Samael's stocky frame down into the small space, awkwardly lying atop him while waiting for the shooting to stop. "He's...still very unconscious, though, I need some help getting him out..."

Donut peered down into the jeep, then giggled at the sight. "Wow, Doc, I wouldn't mind being your patient if your treatment includes riding me like a peckernoose!"

Doc sighed quietly before doing a double-take at Donut's damaged armor. "Donut, you got shot!"

"Huh?" Donut peered down at himself as Will glanced over as well. "Oh, that's nothin'! Not the first time I've taken a load to the chest, and I'm sure it won't be the last!" he called out while poking a claw into one of the deep indentations.

Will's sharp eyes noticed the blood on Doc's arm as the medic struggled to try lifting Samael's body. "What about you, though? That looks fresh."

Doc grunted and then looked relieved as Donut leaned over the side of the hog and helped haul the unconscious rebel back into the vehicle's cargo bed. "Y-yeah, I'm okay...it just scraped me," he mumbled. "Who were those guys? They came from nowhere..."

"Freelancers," Will replied as Doc recoiled slightly. "Yeah, I know -- I guess better than HADES, but...we're still lucky."

"I know they're supposed to be scary, but the one Sarge hired to help us with the Blues in our canyon...well, the Blues killed her and, uh. No offense to those guys, but they were probably even worse at being soldiers than we were. But maybe they got lucky, too!" Donut offered a bright smile and carefree shrug.

Will made a face before waving it off and approaching Doc. "Either way, they were definitely after us. We...we gotta keep going." He paused to hesitantly place a hand against Samael's cheek if only to feel his shallow breathing for himself. "He doesn't look good, Doc..."

Doc shook his head and placed the jacket over Samael again. "I can't do much more than watch his vitals." He glanced up at Will. "I don't know how far we have to go, but..."

"Yeah, I get it," Will replied as he started to move around the jeep, only for Donut to grab his arm gently. "Donut, we need to move."

"I know -- I'll drive!" Donut smiled reassuringly and half-pushed Will into the passenger's seat, closing the door before he could protest. "You help Doc with your friend, I'll get us to...um..." He blinked even as he pranced around the jeep and slid behind the wheel, peering at Will for a few seconds. "Uh. Where are we going?"

Will looked back awkwardly before sighing and half-turning so he could watch Doc and Samael. "Honkal. Samael said the cliffs of Honkal, so let's get there and...and go from there..."

Doc glanced at Will with a worried expression, but Donut only nodded firmly as he started the engine. "Off to Honkal, then! Don't worry, I can practically smell the Strip with how many times I've been -- I'll get us there in no time!!"

After Doc cleaned Samael's wounds one more time with the last of his supplies, it didn't take long for him and Will to swap places. Doc couldn't provide much more to the unconscious rebel, and Will was considerably more comfortable with half-curling around Samael to keep him warm. Doc settled into the passenger seat with a grimace, stealing a glance back at the two before eyeing Donut. "Are, um. Are you holding up okay, too, Donut? I haven't had a chance to check your bandaging since the dropship."

Donut beamed at Doc, reaching over to pat his knee. "Don't worry, Doc! I'm all good. But I'm sure gonna sleep good when we get there! It's been a crazy day!"

The medic exhaled as he sank into the seat, finally allowing himself to relax enough that he could actually gaze out at the passing scenery. "Yeah...yeah, you can say that, again. Part of me still wishes I'd stayed at the base." He glanced at the chipper soldier next to him. "Donut, you...you realize we're fugitives now, right?"

"It's not so bad," Will murmured from the back as he lifted his head from Samael's chest. Doc looked over his shoulder inquisitively, and Will smiled a bit and shrugged. "I...I was a corporal at a Red Base in Qoppa. A day ago." He laughed despite himself at Doc's morbid expression. "Yeah. I can sympathize with having a crazy day or two. I thought I was going to throw up and just...pass out when Samael drove us away from the base. They were chasing us, I'd just punched out my sergeant, it...it was insane. And I didn't want anything except to maybe curl up and hope that when I opened my eyes, things would be back the way they had been that morning."

Doc bit the inside of his muzzle and slowly turned around to stare ahead once more. "What happened to make you change your mind?"

Will glanced down at Samael and then smiled again. He wasn't going to share those details, but... "When I thought about what we were doing, what we were choosing to stand for as we drove away, it made everything a little less terrifying. The idea that I didn't have to keep being a cog in the machine, that I could make my own decisions. It's really liberating."

Doc frowned. A feeling of 'liberation' certainly didn't sound like it was worth being an enemy of the House. But as he studied Will's weary features, he could see something behind the ex-soldier's eyes. A flicker of light, a small but fierce flame that burned brightly despite whatever hell Will and his...friend? Had been through lately.

Doc cleared his throat and then looked pointedly at the way Will was practically sprawling across Samael's frame. "I...I guess I see what you mean. So...uh. Did...Samael rescue you from your post or something? Are you two, um..."

"One thing they are for sure is cute!" Donut piped up as he grinned into the askew rear-view mirror and met Will's awkward expression. "I'd love to see when you're both conscious!"

Will sighed at almost the same time as Doc. The ex-corporal blinked, then shook his head a bit as he addressed Doc: "Uhhm. We're not, um. We're not...a couple, if that's what you mean."

Doc looked skeptical, even if his thoughts went to the alien wolf he'd spent a bit of time with. He supposed Mahihko and Donut weren't a 'couple', either, even if they'd very clearly been...intimate.

Will shrugged lamely. "I, uh. I mean, we, um. We...you know." He and Doc both looked away uncomfortably, making it rather clear they both comprehended the undertone. "But Sammy, he's, uh. Yeah. He's kind of a free spirit. Except the one guy he keeps mentioning. Which doesn't get old ever," Will mumbled as he glowered down at Samael. "Anyway, no -- he was actually at my base to run a sabotage job. We just happened to meet and...well. One thing led to another. I ended up helping him with his mission, we escaped together and...we eventually ran into the two HADES guys that did this to him." He looked at his companion again. "We managed to take them out together and then just started to run again. I just want to get him back to his...well. Our base, now."

"Don't worry, we'll get there before you know it!" Donut announced, smiling back at Will. "And don't worry about the other guy! If he talks about him in front of you, that just means he likes you both!" Will seemed to perk up a bit before Donut added: "Or he wants to have a threesome! But that's a win-win, right?"

Will sighed as he adjusted the jacket around Samael. "Just...just keep driving."

They traveled in near-silence for the next few hours. Doc and Will both ended up drifting off, the latter half-crawling under the jacket covering Samael to try and stay warm. Donut didn't mind, at least -- driving helped keep him alert, and the biting winds didn't seem to bother him, either. In fact, the first stop he made was just to fuel up the hog at a quiet, desolate outpost somewhere on the outskirts of a small village. Between his damaged armor and the brief but honest explanation that they were transporting an injured soldier back to his base, it hadn't been an issue to resupply the jeep without being asked a bunch of questions or cast any suspicious looks.

When Doc rolled over with a mumble, pulling his makeshift blanket tighter around himself, he wrinkled his muzzle a bit at the strange sound drifting across him, and he opened one eye. Donut was still behind the wheel, his ever-present smile finally beginning to look wearied as the soldier glanced over at him.

"Well hey there, sleepy-head!"

Doc stifled a yawn and then glanced down at the soft sweater he was clutching, only then realizing it wasn't anything he'd provided for himself. He lifted the hem of the woolen clothing. "Is this...is this yours, Donut?"

"Yup! You looked cold, so I grabbed it for you, since you don't have a cute guy in your seat to sleep on like Will back there!" He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, where Will was curled around Samael's shorter frame with Donut's jacket still wrapped around them.

"Oh, thank you. And. Yeah, I suppose I don't," Doc mumbled, rubbing the back of his head before looking around. "What was that sound I heard, tho--oh!!" His eyes widened and his muzzle dropped as he stared wordlessly out across the snow and ice at the dark, crystalline waters of the sea. "Oh my goodness...is that...are we..."

"It sure is! We reached the Sea of Vossler!" Donut confirmed cheerfully, although his voice sounded exhausted. "I turned north -- Will said the cliffs of Honkal, sooo..." He nodded through the windshield, and Doc tore his eyes away from the sight of the sea to instead peer at the jagged mountains looming ahead of them. "I can't tell you how long it's been since I was here...but every time was a joy! I never get as wet as I do when I'm at the Vossler!"

Doc stared at him for a moment, then sighed. "I've, uh. I've never been. I'm guessing you went to the other side of Honkal, though, right? It's still so cold here..." He drew what was apparently Donut's sweater snugly around his arms.

"Yeah, for sure -- all the fun stuff is across the sea from here...but it is really pretty and quiet out this way, at least!" Donut rambled.

Doc nodded a bit while studying the towering cliffs in the distance. "I guess you're right about that, Donut. Geez, that looks...that looks very steep, though. Are we gonna be able to make it up there?"

"I dunno!" Donut replied honestly as he shrugged amiably, resting an arm atop the driver's door as he kept the jeep aligned with the sea lapping at the snow-covered rocks to their right. "We'll find out when we get there!"

"Andee!"

Doc blinked, his muzzle still open to respond. He and Donut both glanced back at the weak cry that had interrupted whatever the medic was about to say. Samael looked around blearily. "Where..."

Will jolted awake as well and then stared down at Samael. "Sammy, you're awake!"

"And asking for some guy named 'Andy'," Donut added as he turned his attention back to driving.

Will immediately scowled. "Oh, of course you did," he mumbled.

Samael still seemed out of it, but he managed a half-smile while chuckling quietly. "Heh. Knew you were jealous," he murmured before glancing at the two strange chupadores in the front seats. "Who're our friends?"

Donut glanced back again with a bright grin that almost managed to wipe away his weariness. "Hi, there!! Private Franklin Delano Donut, at your service!"

Samael arched an eyebrow, looking back at Will. "Army?" He shifted his weight slightly as his eyes flicked to Doc. He looked like he might pass out again any minute, yet Will could see the gears turning in the rebel's mind. "So...you must be the fella who kept my shit runnin' so we could...finish our delivery?"

"We know you're with the Movement," Doc noted with a flat expression as he sighed and then turned around to get a better look at Samael. "I'm Medical Officer Frank Dufrense, but...I guess everyone's just calling me 'Doc' now. Even though I really need to make it clear I'm not an actual doctor."

Samael tilted his head slightly at Will, who shrugged awkwardly. "Uh. Yeah, I...decided it was easier to just go with the truth, s-sorry, Samael..."

"Shit, yer fine, hon, trust yer judgment more'n I trust mine," the rebel grumbled as he dropped his head again with a wince. "Doc, what was yer prognosis? And shit, it's cold..." He finally took a moment to look around. "Hell, y'all already got us to Vossler? Goddamn, how long I been out?"

"You've lost a good bit of blood, and that leg wound needs attention soon," Doc replied before attempting a positive face. "But otherwise, uh...you won't die yet! I just...well. I hope we're close..."

Will sat up a bit and gave Samael a concerned look. "You've been out since before we crossed into Sampi." He glanced at the other two, then added carefully: "You...didn't even wake up during the firefight."

Samael blinked and started to sit up as well before groaning in pain and dropping his head back down. Doc grimaced and quickly started to dig around for his kit as Samael rubbed slowly at his shoulder, his thumb tracing the bullet wound. He eyed Will after a moment. "Y'all ran into some shit?"

"Oh, it was no big deal!" Donut sang out as he drove around a small cluster of boulders. "Just some Freelancers we totally blew big time!"

Samael coughed out a laugh before wincing and gripping his chest. "Aw shit, I'mma guess he means blew away, but ya pullin' my leg?? Ain't no one died?"

Will smiled a bit despite himself. "None of us died. Couple of scrapes, and Priv...sorry, and Donut's chest-plate took a few rounds." He quietly gripped Samael's leg. "They came outta nowhere. Guessing they just happened to be in Sampi and the House hired them to find us. But...now's not the time, Sammy -- you still look rough."

Samael waved a hand but couldn't avoid the pained grunt. "Fuck...a'right, yeah...still feelin' kinda faint. Doc?"

The medic awkwardly reached past Will to grab Samael's wrist, taking a few moments to check his pulse. "Your vitals are still pretty weak. You really need rest and, honestly, help with more than what I have in this kit," Doc explained.

Samael nodded his understanding. "Gonna guess the radio's been dead, then. An' I'm 'bout to pass out again, so. Listen up." Will leaned in closer with a frown as Donut looked back over his shoulder as well. "Keep headin' north. When ya get to the base of the cliffs, yer gonna jus' follow it 'round. There'll be a path up ya see, but y'gotta ignore it." Samael took a moment to breathe in and out a few times. "Go past it. Look fer two rock columns. Rough ride up, but 's the point. Follow the markers. Keep goin' up." He gave a tired smile and offered a thumbs up. "You'll find it," he concluded.

And with that he closed his eyes again with a mumble. Will squeezed his companion's thigh, then looked at Donut. "Did you catch all that?"

"Think so! I'm all good to go!" Donut's voice, however, didn't match his words. Doc shot him a concerned look and then reached out to lightly pinch the soldier's arm.

It took Donut a moment to blink and look owlishly at the medic, whose worried expression morphed into a frown. "Donut, you're exhausted. You need to rest, too."

"Oh, I'm fine! I can keep going!" He nodded and then yawned enormously, causing the hog to lurch toward the rocky shoreline.

Will grimaced and then sighed. "I'll take over again. It...would probably be better if I was driving when we got there, anyway," he admitted. "Pull over, Donut. You come rest and keep an eye on Samael."

"Weeeell I guess that doesn't sound so bad!" Donut announced, letting the jeep roll to a stop and opening the door to stumble out into the snow. "All yours, cap'n!"

Will almost corrected him, but managed to stop himself as he climbed awkwardly into the front seat while Donut struggled to haul himself into the bed. As Will settled into the driver's seat and shared an aloof nod with Doc, Donut was all too happy to quickly curl up around Samael. The soldier pulled the jacket around them both and promptly dropped his head atop of Samael's broad chest. "I don't know who this 'Andy' guy is, but he sure is lucky," he murmured.

In front, Will rolled his eyes and then slammed the gas pedal down to send them rolling toward the distant border of Honkal. "Doc, do me a favor and promise me you also aren't gonna make me regret sleeping with you during the most vulnerable moment of my life."

Doc stared at Will for a few seconds, then slowly turned to face forward again with a shake of his head. "I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem..." I bet that demon is having a real good laugh at me now from wherever he is...

Red vs Blue © Rooster Teeth. Halo © 343 Industries. Concept by Myshu, assisted by The Department of Chupapology.