first sortie.

[unbr8kable]

[Six hours previous, everything had been so much simpler. The Eta cohort had made it to live combat training, out in one of the few areas the Tenno had claimed back from the invaders. Xia had been vibrating the whole day, grinning wide as she suited up in the boring steel training mech (hers would be blue, she decided, or maybe black, with bold red stripes on the limbs) and deployed to the field, not even cracking on Wimperson, the Support (not his real name, but it may as well have been).

The Heralds didn't come up on radar until they were practically on top of the trainees. Maybe if there'd been more lead time, it would've been less of a shitshow, but who the hell knows.

The grimy details aren't important, but they aren't great. Damage to all suits, with two damaged beyond repair; the Leader froze under pressure, the Shadow couldn't keep up with the speedy Heralds. Wimperson actually came through. Johnson the Medic went down right there, in front of them.

Xia and Jacob have only just gotten out of their debriefing, another unexpected first for the day.

She and Jacob did good, Xia knows. They kept their heads, were barely hurt, they moved together well. "You'll make a good team," Corporal Kuwahara tells them before turning towards the medical ward to check on Johnson's surgery. "Go get some rest."

But no, rest is pretty much the opposite of what they need right now, Xia thinks. She turns to Jacob, giving her best attempt at a normal expression.]

Wanna get out of here?

Comments

[unbr8kable]

[with effort, because there's no need for them BOTH to get squished]

Works for me...

[and slooowly, it opens...?????]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Sticks his foot in there as soon as there's space to keep them from losing any fingers... and keeps on prying.]

[unbr8kable]

[good thinking... as they wrench the door open even further, she wedges her elbow in to make a bigger space... perhaps soon they will be able to squeeze out...???]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Gets both arms through the open space and continues to haul.]

...think you can fit?

[unbr8kable]

[she shrugs, which is less useful of a gesture while physically yanking on an elevator door. they've got it open a decent amount, though, a+ teamwork, but it'd still be real tight. real tight.]

Think you can fit?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Eyeing it dubiously.]

We fit up in the vents, right? We'll be okay.

[unbr8kable]

[that is appropriate]

That's before you ate like fifteen parfaits. Maybe your butt's too big to fit now.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Guess we better see if my butt's up to it, then.

[Wedges his leg in all the way up to his knee and turns sideways to try and sidle through.]

Don't squish me, kay?

[unbr8kable]

I suppose.

[she shoves harder to try and make extra space, since spoilers, she doesn't actually want him to get stuck. unless it's funny. and even then, only a little.]

Alright, suck it in, let's see what you can do!

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He makes it... farther than you would think!]

[Which is to say, it's looking pretty good until about halfway. Then he has to move the wedged knee to actually get through, and the door, accordingly, slips closed a little to take the space back.]

....crap.

[unbr8kable]

...Well, there's the proof. Your butt is a failure. You'll never make it as a male model now.

[she does keep tugging on the door, bracing her legs to pull harder, but there's only so much she can do with him taking up most the space in the gap.

On the other side of the door, a small dog walks up and sniffs at his trapped leg]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Barely paying attention to the dog; kind of busy right now.]

Okay. Okay. Here's the plan.

I'll sit down with my back to one door, and shove it open with my leg. Should be able to get it pretty far. Then on three, we let go and I throw myself through. Then we'll pry it open again for you.

[unbr8kable]

...If you're gonna kick it open anyway, why not I jump out before you throw yourself through?

[crossmyheartandhope]

...oh yeah.

[Laughs a little, sheepish.]

Let's do that.

[unbr8kable]

Make it happen before puppers here gets too friendly with your leg.

[crossmyheartandhope]

What's he doing here, anyway? You think he's a stray?

[Going to start the very awkward process of lowering himself to the floor while still sandwiched in between elevator doors.]

[unbr8kable]

[not helping, unless sticking out her hand to sniff counts as 'helping'. if nothing else, they learn that the dog is not afraid of humans, and is happy to attempt to wriggle past him getting out of the elevator to attempt to get in.]

He's friendly, whatever he is! If we never get out of this elevator, can we keep him?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Well now he is sliding down awkwardly and also he is trying not to accidentally sit on a dog.]

Sure. For all of the, what. Three days? We can teach him tricks.

[He makes it down another five inches or so, and kind of nudges the dog with his non-metal knee. Move please, puppy, I am heavier than you.]

[unbr8kable]

[he licks at jacob's knee, what a delicious. How can he possibly move away from such a treat??]

In a pinch, we could eat him.

[her expression doesn't change from calm as she calls to the dog again, attempting to tug him out of jacob's way]

C'mon, let's get it moving, shall we?

[crossmyheartandhope]

Think we'd be too busy dying of thirst to care much about final meals.

[But as soon as she's scooped the puppy, he's going to hurry up and scoot the rest of the way down.]

[He takes a deep breath, twists his right leg so the foot's facing straight at the door, and then pushes.]

[unbr8kable]

At least we wouldn't be hungry!

[the doors groan, reluctant to move, but grudgingly creak open wider, since it really is impossible for the two of them to take up the same space.]

There we go.

[once the hole is wide enough to squeeze through, she drops the dog in Jacob's lap before maneuvering herself over and out of the elevator]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Ruffles the dog's ears with both hands, playfully affectionate.]

Who's a good dog? Who would make a terrible last meal? Tell her you're all stringy.

[unbr8kable]

[the dog is happily ruffled, licking at whatever it can reach]

Yeah, I guess I could eat you instead, but beggars can't be choosers.

[she cases the lobby--clear for now--then braces her feet to hold the doors for him]

Whenever you're ready for that ninja roll.

[crossmyheartandhope]

You got it.

[He tucks one hand up under the dog's belly to hold it, then pulls it in close to his chest. Then he - well, it's not so much a ninja roll as a sudden jerk and then an awkward lunge, but it gets him clear of the doors, anyway.]

Ha. No elevator's gonna stop us.

[unbr8kable]

[the doors rumble shut the second he's through. the dog licks at jacob's chin]

Hell yeah! We kicked that elevator's butt! Suck it!

[she kicks the closed doors, which placidly open with a ding]