OUTBREAK: ZERO is a semi post-apocalyptic pandemic roleplay set in the fictional city of Lethford, USA. Current season: Winter, 20/21.
March 2020. The world is in pandemonium as one month ago, GHNv-20 was confirmed, five months after the beginning of norovirus season. The number of the infected are in the higher hundred thousands, and the death toll is at an estimated 250,000, with about seventy percent of the rest of the population experiencing mild to moderate illnesses connected to the S. pyogenes bacteria.
The fear of the unknown has caused mass hysteria and panic.
In an attempt to provide a semblance of safety and control, military personnel patrol the streets, even here in Lethford City, and the police force is trying to keep up with the rising street violence, assault, and theft.
Welcome to OUTBREAK: zero. Will you survive?
HAYANA
SITE OWNER + HEAD ADMINISTRATOR
Hi! I'm Haya. I'm pretty much your girl for everything! If you have any questions regarding our plot, membergroups, etc. don't hesitate to ask me. I'm also in charge of coding, graphics, anything skin related, and advertising/affiliates.
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ADDI
ADMINISTRATOR
Hey! I'm Addi. Hit me up if you need help with anything. I'm always for plotting so don't be shy. I like coffee, booze, and working out. I'm back from a long hiatus the dead so if you need anything, best ask the others until I get back into the groove of things!
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FINNLEY
GLOBAL MODERATOR
Hi hello! My name is Finnley, or Finn, call whichever and I'll be there for you (yes like the FRIENDS theme song). I am in charge of the claims and helping with miscellaneous things. Let me know if you have any questions!
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outbreak
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/ zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/
a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease. number, no quantity or number; nought; the figure 0.
CURRENT POSITION: secured entrance to the hospital guarded by the military to prevent rebels/rioters to get in
TAG: @dakota [ SOLO ]
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]I stopped trying to prove you wrong we've fought this way too longno ones to blame but our bad habits
[attr="class","dilyric3"]bad happens
[attr="class","dibody3"]
"This is not the amount we agreed to." Aaron said, his voice stern and hard, one eyebrow raised expectantly at the - what seemed to be - the leader of the group. His rifle was slung across his chest, hands hovering above it - ready to use it if he needed to, though he would rather not because this short distance would make such a mess. But then again, he wouldn't be the one who had to clean it all. He gave them a light shrug and nodded towards the energy drink box which was stuffed with money instead of cans. "Five Grand. No more, no less. You're missing about one grand. Soo... no entry for you lots." Tilting his head in a fake apologetic move he added "Sorry guys."
He ignored the man growling and sneering at him. A deal was a deal and he doesn't like someone not sticking to it when he obviously does. They started arguing and tried to lower the fee but Aaron wouldn't budge. He wasn't feeling like playing games today. There was screaming and yelling and the sounds of gunshots fired in the distance but it was nothing he would need to pay any attention too. The brunette shot his team behind him a quick glance and motioned for them to patrol the area. "Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way is you get me the missing grand within the next thirty minutes while one of you stays with us so we can make sure you're not whistling on us. Oh, and one of you should get us some coffee. I'm really craving some Starbucks right now." he started explaining, nodding at one of the rebels with the tip of his rifle just to make sure they got the message, "Or well-" he shrugged, "Pew pew."
Bright blue eyes narrowed at the guy in front of him as he mumbled something to his subordinates before one of them fished out what seemed to be the missing grand out of his jacket. "Well, who would have guessed that. See the issue here is that I usually don't deal with idiots like you but because I'm in a good mood today I will grant you your lives." Aaron said, one of his own subordinate soldiers jogging back to them to take the money and leave again. "Enjoy!" he gleefully cheered and opened the door to the hospital, making way for the rioters to pass through.
akota was on hour six of her shift when chaos began to break out - it started with a flow of people into the hospital's main entrance, and then emergency calls coming in. The wave of rioters hit next, and suddenly the hospital was on lockdown before she could even think straight. Up until this point, no rioters had made it past the combined police and military forces outside, and Dakota had been running her ER as usual - though a little more hectic. Every call that came in seemed to be more violent than the last, and she was wrist deep in the mangled guts of some poor soul who'd been stabbed, doing her best to hold him together while they rushed him into a suite for emergency surgery. They had just placed the last staple to his wounds when the door to the operating room was slammed open - and the bodies that came through were large, intimidating - guns in their hands and masks on their faces. Dakota faintly heard one of the nurses at her side let out a soft sound of fear. Everything seemed to freeze. Ice started forming in her chest.
One of the men stepped further into the room, though they largely seemed to be still deciding what to do. A couple of them broke off and continued down the hall, but the largest and another stayed in the doorway, looming. Dakota glanced back at her nurses, seeing the fear in their eyes, and the patient in the operating table. "He'll die if we stop now." She spoke up, turning her attention fully on the men in the doorway. "If we don't continue working on him, he's going to die."
'Does that look like my problem, lady?' The largest snarled, seeming to decide what he wanted to do as he stormed into the room and grabbed her arm. 'Take us to the drugs, or we're shooting everyone in this room.' His grip tightened on her arm to the point of pain, and she gritted her teeth and bared them like fangs in his face, anger coursing through her veins.
"Fine, but they're staying behind to work on him. You only need me." She nodded her head towards her nurses, hoping they would be smart enough to lock themselves into the suite once they were gone. The man seemed to consider this, glancing between Dakota and the nurses, and then his gaze landed on her nametag, proclaiming her a surgeon.
'Deal, let's go.' He jerked her out of the room roughly, and she only spared a glance back before she was being pressed forward, a gun digging into her ribs.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]I stopped trying to prove you wrong we've fought this way too longno ones to blame but our bad habits
[attr="class","dilyric3"]bad happens
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Aaron was lazily watching the riot unfold near him. There wasn't anything going on at the entrance he was standing at as it was just a backdoor. There was a group of rioters approaching and he fired a shot into the air to warn them not to get any closer. Although he was assigned to this position he doubted anyone would actually check to make sure everyone was at their place - not to mention his soldiers he already sent away to take care of the money.
"Take over for me. I'm going for a walk." he said casually, patting his fellow soldier on the shoulder before he opened the door to the hospital and stepped inside. He brought his rifle to his shoulder to craddle the butt-stock, adjusting it to his line of sight and finger hovering over the trigger.
Steady and quiet steps carried him down the hospital corridor, his black boots high in contrast against the white of the floor. The wing was fairly quiet once the door had closed behind him but a noise nearby - a deep male voice talking or rather ordering someone around - caught his attention. It could have been staff but it wouldn't hurt to check anyway.
Aaron paused, pressing his back to the wall before taking a quick glance around the corner where he spotted a rather tall man and a woman walking down to where he was. The man had his gun pointed at her and as he turned to look around Aaron recognized him as one of the men he dealt with earlier. He thought for a moment, about leaving the situation as it was, but then again... he already received the money and the chances of them making it out alive were quite low.
Letting out a quiet whistle he craddled his rifle tighter and pointed it in front of him as he swiftly turned around the corner to block their way. "Can I help you?" he said, smirking like he didn't give a frick about the whole situation and released a shot towards the far wall at the back.
he big lug didn't seem to understand what the word cooperating meant, since he seemed pretty fond of jabbing her in the ribs with the business end of his gun. His grip on her arm was still just as tight as when he'd dragged her from the room, and she was certain she was going to end up bruised by the end of this. She was forcing herself to remain calm as he started walking her down the hall, trying to figure out how she was going to subdue this guy. Dakota had never been much for fighting or violence, but this idiot didn't seem smart enough to tie his own shoes, much less have a decent conversation without scratching his ass. Granted, she was fairly pissed off - she didn't like being interrupted when she was busy working on a patient, and this was the absolute worst way she'd ever been interrupted. Rioting at a hospital? What did they want to achieve here?
She was just about to open her mouth and speak her mind when the man stepped around the corner. And not just any man - Dakota knew this guy. Not because they'd grown up together or attended the same college. But because she had held a dying woman's hand and listened to her hoarse whisper as she told the strange doctor about her man. The one she loved. The one from the picture. Dakota almost didn't even respond to the shot he let loose, so deep in her utter shock, but of course the lug responded - by jerking her in front of his body and jabbing his gun into her jaw. Dakota felt pain split up the side of her face, and she gritted her teeth to stop from reacting in her anger. 'I'll blow a hole in her head!' The thug snarled, somehow managing to press his gun harder into her jaw. Meanwhile, Dakota was still trying to figure out why God had decided to place this man in her path all of a sudden. And the expression on his face! He did realize that he was facing a hostage situation, right?
'Back off! I swear I'll kill this bitch!'
At this, Dakota couldn't help but roll her eyes. This guy was the least original thug she'd ever met, and now he was holding a gun to her jaw as the military guy fired off shots willy nilly. This would be her lot in life. She was so close to opening her mouth to speak her mind when the guy wrapped his thick arm around her throat and hauled her back against his chest - causing her to stumble and for his arm to press into her throat, cutting off her air, and unfortunately, her ability to tell him to fuck off. Her hands flew up to his arm and she dug her nails in, feeling panic set in as the pressure on her throat tightened.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]I stopped trying to prove you wrong we've fought this way too longno ones to blame but our bad habits
[attr="class","dilyric3"]bad happens
[attr="class","dibody3"]
'I'll blow a hole in her head!' 'Back off! I swear I'll kill this bitch!'
Aaron let out a long, long sigh. Those two sentences were a bore to his ears. His gaze followed the dark haired woman as she was being yanked in front of the guy to serve as a human shield from his bullets. Coward, he thought, followed by a quiet chuckle as he noticed her rolling her eyes at him. “Oh no. Help. What am I supposed to do now?” he faked gasped, acting shocked. Emphasize acting. He cocked his head sideways, one dark eyebrow raised mockingly. “Is that what you want to hear? Now listen bad boy… today really isn’t your lucky day. And unfortunately, you got the wrong guy for these kinds of games because I don’t play games.”
“Ooh.” he let out, pretending to wince as the guy pulled the woman closer into a headlock. “Go ahead. Kill this bitch.” he repeated after him and shrugged. Piercing blue eyes watched him carefully, registering every movement no matter how small. Aaron didn’t lower his rifle and kept his aim steady even though the woman was now in front of the guy. That wasn’t really something he cared about. Resting his finger on the side of the trigger, he stepped back exactly two steps to take a quick glance around the corner. Empty. A wide grin emerged on his face, moving back to his initial spot and even taken two steps up to the pair.
“How about this. You do whatever you were planning on doing with her and I’m just going to follow and watch? I promise-” No, he definitely won’t. “-to not do anything stupid and let you go afterward. How does this idea sound to you?” Aaron suggested or offered, giving him a convincing nodding of his head. “Like a shit idea.” the guy answered and growled. Alright. He let out yet another sigh before unstrapping his rifle and putting it down on the floor, kicking it away from him in the opposite direction of where the two were standing. He brushed his hand over his back as he did so, checking for his backup Glock hidden beneath his shirt. Once he felt the hard metal he proceeded to lift both arms up in the air, making sure to show he wasn’t armed for now. For now. “How about now? I haven’t seen anything this exciting in a long time. You looked like you were going to drag her into that room over there. Go ahead.”
akota could not believe what she was hearing. Was this guy really that big of a monster? Ever since she'd returned to Lethford, she had considered the fact that there were always two sides to a story. Maybe she was wrong about her assumptions. Maybe men weren't all terrible monsters. But clearly she was right - and that only made her angrier. She dug her fingers into the thug's arm, wishing she was strong enough to snap it in half - there was so much frustration in her at this moment in time that she was certain she would explode with rage. The military man's name suddenly came to her through her anger, remembering the way the dying woman's rasping breath curved lovingly around every syllable. Aaron Lowell. Bastard.
As he negotiated with the thug, Dakota hoped the dark look of anger she was throwing his way, despite the pressure on her throat, would be noticed. Felt. Because if looks could kill, both men in her presence would no longer be breathing. Thankfully, as the two men argued back and forth, the lug loosened his grip on her throat and she greedily sucked in air, feeling relief flood though her body. That feeling didn't last long as Aaron dropped his rifle and kicked it away. He was just going to watch? Dakota wasn't sure if she was in some sort of alternate universe or something. She didn't have time to consider it - the thug seemed to appreciate the action and released her from the choke hold, but he kept his gun in between her shoulder blades, digging it into her back. 'Fine. But you make one wrong move and she's dead.' The guy barked, and then he shoved her forward, towards Aaron. Dakota kept her lips pressed tightly together, gaze flicking from the rifle, to Aaron, and then to the office that she'd been leading the guy toward.
Dakota felt her heart drop as she approached the door - the glass going down the left hand side was smashed, and the door was ajar. That didn't bode well. Her anxiety rose as she pushed the door open, and her gaze found the empty refrigerators and shelves. It had already been looted. She could feel the guy's anger building, like a physical entity. 'What the hell, doc? Where's the meds?' He demanded from behind her. She went to turn to him, to defend herself - she'd brought him here, afterall. There was never a guarantee of drugs. But as she turned to him, her lips parting, the guy reached out and backhanded her so hard that the force of it pushed her into a standing tray holder, the metal clattering to the ground loudly as she followed suit, landing at an odd angle. She felt pain flair in her face and ribs, and she tasted a little bit of blood. The guy came at her, clearly so doped up - or possibly just so stupid - that he didn't even bother with the military presence that was with them. Dakota grabbed at the scattered tools that had fallen off the tray, and her fingers found the familiar curve of a scalpel. As the guy grabbed her arm and jerked her towards him, she jerked away and then swung her clenched fist at him while also trying to escape his hold. She heard him shout, saw blood well along his cheek from the scalpel in her grip, but her momentum was carrying her back and away from him already, fleeing for the opposite end of the room.
When her back hit the wall, the panic hit her, and she held the scalpel out in front of her, wielding it like a weapon. Even under this stress, her hand was completely still. "I will bleed you out in less than a minute if you come near me." The guy smirked in response to her threat, brandishing his gun at her.
'Looks like someone brought a knife to a gun fight.'
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]I stopped trying to prove you wrong we've fought this way too longno ones to blame but our bad habits
[attr="class","dilyric3"]bad happens
[attr="class","dibody3"]
He had to admit he was a little impressed by the woman's courage and bravery even though it might not have been the smartest move she could have made. Nevertheless, he decided it was getting boring so he would put an end to it. Aaron clapped his hands together, applauding to the show he just witnessed. Unfortunately, it was more of a low budget production than a blockbuster. “Alright. I think I’ve seen enough. Let’s put an end to this child's play.” Aaron chimed in, interrupting the - about to get exciting - scene happening in front of him. His gaze moved from the woman holding the scalpel out in front of her to the guy.
He needed to get his attention and what was better than throwing a couple of insults at him. Nothing better than fighting an angry man. “Looks like someone forgot their brains at home. That is… if you had one to begin with. I guess not everyone is lucky.” The brunette let out a sharp but playful wince, making a circling motion around his own face before rudely pointing his index finger at the guy. “And your face looks like your mom must have dropped you as a baby. Must be awful to be dumb and ugly.”
And as dumb as he was he turned around, wiggling the gun in his hand and brazenly pointed its barrel at Aaron. He let out a whistle, pursing his lips and nodded his head ever so slightly. “Bringing a skilled military man into this tiny room thinking he would have dropped all of his weapons just because it was visible but completely forgetting about the hidden ones.” he said and shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal - as if the guy wasn’t pointing his gun at him. “Bad decision.” Poor bastard, he was going to get a good beating in a moment. Aaron grinned - a grin so devious and full bad intend.
He stepped back as the guy moved forward, pointing his gun right at Aaron’s chest. He stared him right in his eyes, a bright blue sparkling with delight and sucking in all the attention he was given. He knew the guy was going to try to stare him down and in that exact moment - a very brief unfocused moment - he took his chance and grabbed his opponent’s arm, twisting it to the side, slapping the gun out of his hand and knocking his right elbow right into his dumb face. Aaron whipped around, grabbing the dude by his hair and slamming his head into one of the metal racks at the wall.
Now Aaron didn’t stop after just one hit. Two, three, four - he continued to slap the head against the rack, smirking as it left a red, wet spot on the surface. He let go of his grip on the guy, dangerous eyes following him as he crumbled to the floor, mumbling something inaudible to Aaron’s ears. Was he begging? Was he pleading? Or was he cursing him under his breath? Who knew.
Aaron kicked the gun on the floor towards the woman’s direction. “Pick it up. You might need it later.” he said, as he nonchalantly brushed away invisible dirt on his jacket.
akota wasn't sure what she was expecting to happen, but she almost wasn't surprised when Aaron cut in with a cocky attitude. She kept her grip tight in the scalpel, her flesh turning white from how hard she was holding it. She was scared, but she was also angry. Angry that these idiots were attacking a hospital, of all places. Angry that the person who happened to come to her rescue was the one person on this planet that she was certain she hated, and she'd never even spoken to the guy.
When the thug took his attention off her and pointed the gun at Aaron's chest, Dakota didn't make a move to do anything, just watched the scene unfold. If the criminal had been smarter, she might have thought Aaron was in trouble, but she could tell the guy was a drug addict and wasn't thinking clearly. This guy didn't have a chance against a weak surgeon, much less a trained military personnel.
Her hands lowered to her lap as the confrontation exploded into violence, flinching back against the wall and looking away as Aaron began slamming the man's head into the metal cart. Still, she couldn't escape the fleshy thud sounding from the action, and she winced at each hit. Dakota was both impressed and sick to her stomach - she wasn't a fan of violence, so this entire day was just going down as the worst day she'd had in a while.
Dakota suppressed her flinch as he kicked the gun towards her, letting the scalpel fall from her hand as she reached forward and took the weapon in her hand. It was heavier than she thought it would be. She had never actually held a gun before, she realized. Looking up at Aaron, she frowned at him. At first, she knew she was going to say something stupid, and she was slightly concerned how his reaction would be if she let it slip that she knew more about him than he knew about her. So she just remained silent as she got to her feet, stepping over to the man who had just had his ass handed to him. He was unconscious now, so she checked to make sure he was breathing alright before she stood up, her grip on the gun tightening. She considered aiming it at the man before her, but decided she'd probably just end up like the man at her feet. "Do you have zipties? Hand cuffs?" She asked, gesturing at the thug.
To busy herself from her anger, she glanced around the room, taking stock of all the medicine that had been stolen. She'd have to write up an incident report later. First she'd probably go home and wish she could have a drink. The thought made her feel weak, so she bit her tongue and sighed in frustration. "You could have done something sooner, you know." She finally bit out, anger evident on her expression.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]I stopped trying to prove you wrong we've fought this way too longno ones to blame but our bad habits
[attr="class","dilyric3"]bad happens
[attr="class","dibody3"]
"Do you have zip ties? Handcuffs?"
“What do you need them for?” he asked her, his gaze dropping down to the rebel on the floor. He nudged him with his booted foot. “I don’t think he’ll wake up anytime soon. He might die. Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe we should take him to the hospital! Oh wait, we are at a hospital. Too bad his friends are causing havoc outside so he can’t get treatment.”, he shrugged, cackling as he nudged him once again. Of course, he carried around a pair in one of his trousers pockets’ but he wasn’t too sure if it would be a smart decision to hand them over to her. Who knew… maybe he will end up wearing them instead of the unconscious dude on the floor. Aaron grimaced a little as he looked down again, the guy’s head bleeding profusely. He could swear there was a bit of skull sticking out. He nodded at him, before lifting his eyes to look at her, a sly grin replacing the grimace.
He couldn’t suppress a laugh that echoed through the small room shortly after. “Hmm, I guess I could have.” he pondered, crossing his arms over his chest, fingers tapping the space right below his armpits. His lips arched down in a mocking frown, his head bobbing up and down in semi agreement. “But where’s the fun in that? It’s not like the situation wasn’t in control. Everything was just fine.” he said as his eyes skimmed through the various things left on the shelf. Most of them were bandages and gloves, nothing useful enough for the rebels or whoever stole it to take.
“Hold up. Wait a minute…” he uttered, his hand up signaling for her to pause. He rubbed his chin with one hand, forgetting about the guy's blood on it and accidentally smearing some of it on his face. Instead of showing at least some gratitude for saving her life and preventing her from being dead with a bullet stuck in her head, she replied with a snarky remark? Aaron pushed himself off the wall he leaned against, flinging his arms to his side. He walked a couple of steps in her direction, slowly making his way over. There wasn’t much space between them to begin with but he let the suspense build up anyway.
A smirk was plastered on his face, his eyes on hers without thinking of even blinking. He kept closing the distance between them until it was only the width of a sheet of paper. He towered over her, sapphire blue eyes piercing through hers as he lifted his arm, fiercely slapping the wall behind her. With a slight tilt of his head in the direction of the arm Aaron leaned slightly forward, his other hand at his back as he unclipped the pair of handcuffs.
Aaron angled his upper body closer, moving his head next to hers to whisper into her ear. “You know I could have let you die, right? So, no problem. You’re welcome.” He took the handcuffs out of their small holster, holding them up in front of her face, letting them dangle.
he almost asked him how heartless he could be when he said what he did about the man on the ground - but she already knew how heartless he could be, so she just rolled her eyes as she stood up from the thug, frowning at him. "I guess it's a good thing that your job is to shoot things and take orders then, and my job is to save lives and treat people regardless of who they are." She said, her tone airy but her words sharp and clearly meant to insult him. Though she had a feeling that he could care less what a random doctor thought about him. Still, she could feel herself getting angry, the burn in her stomach and throat telling her that she was this close to losing her temper and saying stupid things.
“But where’s the fun in that? It’s not like the situation wasn’t in control. Everything was just fine.”
Dakota scoffed as he said that, shaking her head as she moved away from him and the man, putting as much distance between her and Aaron. "They must have been real lax with the psych screening when they took you in." She snapped, furious that he was so blase when she'd been afraid for her life. The indignation felt like acid in her throat, making it harder to keep her mouth closed. "You're a real-"
He cut her off, smearing blood on his face. She felt her insides freeze over, her chest feeling too small for her lungs. When he moved towards her - his arms flinging to his sides - she couldn't help but flinch, instinctively moving to step away from him but finding herself pressed right up against the wall already. Looking up into his gaze as he closed the distance, she pressed her lips together and tried to arrange her expression into something more defiant, trying to let her anger overpower her fear. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear. Her fingers tightened so hard around the gun that it hurt, but she didn't raise it yet. He was too close - if she raised the gun, he'd be in the perfect position to stop her before she could actually do anything. And with his ego, she wasn't certain that just trying to shoot him wouldn't result in her being much like the other guy on the ground.
“You know I could have let you die, right? So, no problem. You’re welcome.”
He leaned closer to whisper in her ear, and she felt her entire body respond by coiling like a snake ready to strike, her heart hammering in her chest and her grip so hard now on the gun that she felt it shake from the pressure. Her gaze snapped to his hand when he held up the cuffs, before she glanced over to his face to gauge his thoughts. Part of her was suspicious it was some stupid trap, but she still wanted the cuffs. "I didn't need your help to deal with some idiot who was high on drugs." She replied haughtily, her tone challenging him to try something. Dakota was certainly not going to thank him for making a game out of her life being threatened.
She held his gaze for a second longer before reaching out to take the handcuffs, grasping them at the same time as she side stepped him, their shoulders glancing off one another as she brushed past him, heading back to the man. "I'm pretty sure I don't even need your help now, so you can just go." She threw over her shoulder, stooping down to handcuff the man loosely. She was annoyed to admit that Aaron was pretty accurate in his evaluation of the man's survival rates. If he didn't get treatment, he'd probably die before he woke up. But right now she needed to get somewhere safe. She'd send a team to recover him when she could, and if he was still alive, she'd do her best to save his life. There was nothing she could do right now - not without being in the OR.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]I stopped trying to prove you wrong we've fought this way too longno ones to blame but our bad habits
[attr="class","dilyric3"]bad happens
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Emerald eyes observed her, squinting before he spoke. His lips were parted ever so slightly but he for once hesitated. "It‘s not like I have a choice." Aaron sneered at her words, her insult. He couldn‘t care less. "I treat people regardless of who they are just like you. I save lives and I take lives. Regardless of who they are, how old they are, what ethnicity they are, what status or rank they have. I take orders and if these orders are to shoot things-" he said, lifting his hands to air quote things before he continued. "-then I shoot them. But who am I to explain the horror of wars to someone who never experienced it." he assumed, eyebrows furrowed before he relaxed again, clenching his fists and releasing them. "You’re a real what? Oh please continue. I want to know." he said in a mocking tone, mentally rolling his eyes at her. "No wait, let me guess." he stopped her from answering, "You’re a real… dumbass? Asshole? Jerk?"
"You do know that idiots high on drugs are more dangerous than sober idiots, right? But hey who am I to judge a doctor." the brunette said, snickering lightly and shaking his head in disapproval. Aaron didn’t move as she brushed past him. His eyes were staring at the wall and he let out a soft chuckle. He was about to run his fingers through his hair when he noticed the red streaks on them. Grimacing ever so slightly his hand reached for a box of sanitizer wipes on one of the shelves, plucking out a couple of wipes he cleaned off the blood of his hands. Mustering his clothes he noticed some specks of blood here and there but he couldn’t be bothered to wipe those off too, especially since it wouldn’t help anyway.
He looked at her and the man on the floor, who was slowly but surely bleeding to death. There was nothing neither of them could do now - and Aaron didn’t want to. Blunt force head traumas were tricky and agonizing, and being the heartless jerk he was he just thought of helping him as a waste of time. On his list of priorities, he was at the very end of it. "Oh. You don't need my help? Well, I guess you can deal with the rest of the armed rebels by yourself."
Instead, he walked over to the door, stepping over the guy’s arm as he moved, and opened the door just a crack. His hand went straight for his gun to check it was there before he opened it a little more just so he could stick his head and upper body out. Aaron wanted to get his rifle back. Making sure the hallway was safe and clear he slipped through the opening, his darting back and forth, ears listening to any sounds nearby. He left the door slightly ajar, closing it might trigger the attention of unwanted guests if they haven‘t heard the soft click of it opening.
His hand was reaching for the rifle, fingers barely brushing it, when a pair of masked rebels turned around the corner. It took only a split second for them to raise their guns, aim at Aaron, and pull the triggers. His hand immediately snatched the second gun out of its holster above his ankle, safety off, trigger pulled one, two, three, four, five times in a row. He aimed at the rebels while rolling sideways, trying to get up but he scrambled backward on the floor. With some miracle, he managed to dodge the bullets until they ran out of ammunition. Taking the chance to attack he got up, jumping to his feet. It was a matter of seconds before they were ready for a second round.
Ten more shots into their direction and one bullet found its way into one of them, forcing them down on the floor. "C'mon, be smart. Drop your gun and I promise I won‘t shoot you." Lie. Aaron excelled at lying. There were so many things he lied about, almost forgetting which was actually the truth. There were more lies leaving his mouth than anything else. But if people were foolish enough to believe him, especially in situations like these, it was their own fault.
His breathing was a little ragged, the short moment of silence giving him time to try and catch his breath. He blinked slowly, not taking his eyes off of the guy in front of him. There was only an eight feet distance between them, at most, and Aaron hoped he was the stupid kind who gave up because he had one small… or rather a big problem. Aaron was out of ammunition himself. He had counted the bullets he fired, knowing the capacity of his Glock was at fifteen - and those fifteen bullets were gone, sticking in the walls and one in the guy. He would probably need another miracle to escape without injuries.
"-then I shoot them. But who am I to explain the horror of wars to someone who never experienced it."
Dakota scoffed, rolling her eyes as he said that. While she might not have hurt his ego, he was clearly just as argumentative as he was an asshole. She had experienced her fair share of the gritty details of war. She’d held soldiers’ hands as they took their last breaths. She’d worked herself to the bone, skipped meals, put herself in danger. ”How would you know a single thing about me?” She demanded, her tone hard and angry. ”You have no idea what I have and haven’t experienced, so yes!” She snapped, angry enough to shoot him right then and there. ”Yes, you’re a dumbass. And an asshole. An absolute blight on the face of the earth.” The last one felt nice rolling off her tongue.
"You do know that idiots high on drugs are more dangerous than sober idiots, right? But hey who am I to judge a doctor."
Shaking her head at him, Dakota scoffed. ”You do know that I’ve dealt with both regular idiots and high idiots, right? Kind of my job. Even if my patient is a meth addict or an alcoholic with a nasty temper.” Her tone was mocking, clearly throwing the same attitude back at him as he was tossing her way. She didn’t say anything else as she moved across the room towards the man, trying to act like Aaron was already gone and no longer her problem to deal with. She didn’t look up from the man on the floor as Aaron moved over to the door, snapping about her dealing with the rest of the rebels.
He had a point - she hadn’t even begun to think about her exit plan. But the anger in her gut made her all the more determined to do so without anymore of his help. ”Better than dealing with you.” She grumbled as he slipped out of the door, both hoping he’d heard the quip and trying to ease her anger by taking a deep breath. Normally, Dakota kept a tight check on her temper. She wasn’t usually so quick to frustration. But everything she knew about him, and how he’d treated her - a perfect stranger in his eyes - painted the only image she really needed. He was a lost cause. A horrible, immoral human being who didn’t seem to care about anyone but himself. Dakota felt bad for him more than anything, though obviously she wasn’t about to try and show him that. He’d probably shoot her.
The peace didn’t last long - gunshots erupted from beyond the door, and Dakota flinched at the first bang. Time froze for a moment. Had Aaron just been killed? Scrambling to her feet, Dakota moved over to the door, gun still gripped tightly in her hand. She heard him speak - telling someone to drop their weapon. Peeking out of the partially open door, Dakota could just barely make out the scene further down the hall. She could see Aaron, though. Why wasn’t he already shooting?
Peering past Aaron, Dakota tried to get a good glimpse of the rebel. Frowning, she watched the man’s hands tighten his grip, moving in a way that told her - even though she knew very little about combat - that he was about to shoot. Was Aaron really that stupid? Dakota shoved her shoulder into the door, letting the door slap against the wall. The rebel had his gun raised, and Dakota didn’t have time to focus. She raised her arm and aimed for the guy - pulled the trigger. Realized a little too late that Aaron just so happened to be right in her way.
It was too late to take the action back. The sound of the gun so close to her left her ears ringing, and she remembered why she didn’t really enjoy guns. The bullet found it’s final resting place in the chest of the rebel that Dakota had been aiming at, and she didn’t need to walk over to him to know that he wasn’t going to make it - if he wasn’t dead the moment the bullet entered his chest. She wasn’t sure if she’d aimed lethally on purpose, or if the bullet first hitting Aaron had pushed it off trajectory.
Turning her attention to Aaron, she knew that she should probably be grovelling and apologizing, but she didn’t really feel all that sorry. He’d happily played around with her life just moments earlier. But she also felt like gloating about it might get her hurt. She kept the gun firmly in her grip, fully ready to aim it at him if he tried to step close to her. ”Are you alright?” She asked, wincing slightly. Stupid question. ”If it helps, that was an accident.”
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]I stopped trying to prove you wrong we've fought this way too longno ones to blame but our bad habits
[attr="class","dilyric3"]bad happens
[attr="class","dibody3"]
“Thanks for the clarification and I couldn’t care less about what you experienced and what you didn’t. Why would I want to know a single thing about you?” he replied, lifting a corner of his mouth into a disinterested and slightly repulsive expression. A shrug was added as he turned before the faintest hint of a smirk appeared on his face - maybe a sign of sheer taunt or awe - once she wasn’t able to see his face. Shrugging, he gestured a dismissive hand wave as she spoke, telling him about patients she had taken care of before. “Has anyone ever told you that you have a nasty temper too? If not, here you go.”
The moment he had stepped outside to retrieve his rifle, ambushed by two men who perhaps knew about their fellow rebel friend being in the room after all the screaming in pain erupted, was the moment he partly regretted deciding to help the woman. He should have just walked by, ignoring the situation and go his own way back to his post. He wasn’t necessarily supposed to be inside the hospital anyway.
Aaron’s attention and eyes were solely focused on the guy at the other end of the hallway. He monitored every single movement of him, no matter how small. He was ready to try and jump out of the bullets way, though, chances were he would catch it either way. He parted his lips to speak up again when sudden movements and noise behind him crashed into the scene, followed by a loud bang and a force slamming into his shoulder so hard it forced him stumbling forward, half-turning as he tried to catch himself. He managed not to fall to the floor but he slumped hard against the wall, letting out a grunt as he did so from the impact on the wound. He tucked away his gun behind him, closing his eyes for a moment.
“Are you alright?”
Taking a shaky, deep breath he turned towards Dakota, eyes burning with rage. “No. No, as a matter of fact, I am not. You just shot me.” he said raising his voice, anger bubbling up inside him. “Don’t you know how to freaking aim?!” he growled and yelled at her. His hand went up to his right shoulder, already feeling the warmth and thickness of the blood spilling out of the wound. There was another feeling of something trickling down in the front and as he looked down at his chest he spotted the hole through the fabric of his shirt. The bullet went through and Aaron guessed where it ended up being stuck in.
Letting out a jittery laugh in disbelief. First, he couldn’t believe she shot him, second, he couldn’t believe she actually managed to take down the rebel with the gun. His gaze wandered to the gun she was holding firmly in her hands, looking like she was ready to pull the trigger one more time. He held out his hand in front of him, making a give me gesture while supporting himself on the wall with his good shoulder. “Give me the damn gun before you end up shooting yourself or me again.” he demanded, ready to snatch it out of her hands if she didn’t give it up. The brunette took a step forward but soon regretted it. Pressing his lips together tight, he grimaced and let himself fall back to the wall. Keeping his left hand on the front where the exit wound was to keep the pressure on it and prevent stronger bleeding he glared at her.
It obviously wasn‘t the first time he got shot. There had been worse times, especially on his first tour where he suffered all sorts of injuries from gunshots, to blunt force trauma, to stabbings and even getting hit by fragments after explosions. His body was covered in scars but he was lucky he still had all limbs attached to his body and so far, none of these injuries have been life threatening. Not that he liked suffering all these wounds. He hated it, he hated the pain and he hated the blood. What he hated the most was being unable to fully use his abilities, being weak and stuck, unable to defend himself mostly.
“You did this, you fix it.” he huffed, trying to keep his voice steady and stern as well as trying to keep his anger at bay and refrain from sending a bullet into her shoulder or having her join the dude on the floor inside the room.
akota ignored his parting words - well, she at least didn’t respond to them. She knew that she had a bad temper - but she wasn’t normally this volatile. His attitude towards her had a whole lot do with it, but more so the fact that she knew just how heartless he was. Aaron was just the embodiment of everything she hated about men. Hell, she had a bad temper? Nothing like his, and at least she wasn’t also a backstabber. Fuming quietly, she let him leave, only perking up when the shooting started.
And then, you know, she shot him. Dakota wasn’t sure if it was on purpose or not, maybe somewhere inbetween ‘on purpose’ and ‘accident’. She definitely hadn’t tried to shoot him, but she definitely hadn’t tried very hard to not shoot him. Maybe that was just the bitterness.
“Don’t you know how to freaking aim?!”
He was mad - and rightfully so. Very mad. Dakota almost decided to turn and run for it while he was still getting used to the new wound, but she’d never known when to back down from a fight and certainly wasn’t about to now. Still, her grip tightened on the gun. ”I did hit the guy I was aiming at, didn’t I?” She responded, her tone light. She didn’t raise her voice in response to his yelling, because that would probably only end with him outright attacking her.
Even now, as he took a step towards her and demanded the gun, Dakota wasn’t sure if he was going to get revenge or not. She took a step back in time with his step, shaking her head. She resisted the urge to point the gun at him, still holding it in front of her with both hands and pointing it at the ground. ”I’m keeping the gun.” Dakota told him, her expression stubborn. He’d have to come and take it from her cold dead hands, if that’s what he wanted. Did he really think she was stupid enough to just hand him the only protection she had?
“You did this, you fix it.”
Her watchful gaze looked him over as he struggled, feeling guilty for causing the damage even though he’d sort of deserved it. Still, her job was the exact opposite of what she’d done. Her gaze jumped past Aaron, to the motionless body on the ground. Refocusing her attention on Aaron, she pressed her lips together tightly and gave a quick nod. ”That’s fair.” She agreed, trying to think of the best solution. The bullet had gone through, so she just needed to close the entry and exit wounds. Nodding her head down the hall past him, past the body on the ground, Dakota was already mentally working her way around his injury. ”There’s a small OR down the hall. Should have everything I need to patch that.” Clearly, she meant for him to walk ahead of her, because she stood rooted in place despite her suggestion, staring him down with a defiant glitter in her gaze.
She gave him a curious expression for a second, her brain moving a mile a minute. "But shouldn't you have a medic on your team to do that? Or are you breaking orders by being in here?" She asked, her tone suspicious and musing all in one. Shooting him obviously wasn't going to solve her problems, but if she could gather enough proof against him, along with accusing him of what she knew he'd done overseas, she could bury him. Get revenge for that poor woman. He'd said he didn't care what she'd been through - but did he care what he'd put his fellow soldiers through? Dakota didn't plan on letting him know what she knew, because she definitely didn't want to give him another reason to shoot her right now.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]I stopped trying to prove you wrong we've fought this way too longno ones to blame but our bad habits
[attr="class","dilyric3"]bad happens
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Aaron bit his lower lip as he tried to stand without support. He grimaced, sucking in some air through his teeth and the pain spread through his shoulder and the area around it. „Yeah, but you should have kinda avoid me?! Shoot AROUND me not into me. You were lucky it passed through me and didn‘t get stuck. Hell, I wasn‘t going to go down as your personal shield.“ he scoffed, his breath shaky, voice rough. He cleared his throat, pushing himself up from the wall.
„What?“ he replied in disbelief, stuttering slightly as he tried to breathe. „No way, you‘re not.“ he continued, gesturing at her to give it to him. When he realized she really wasn‘t going to give it up he sighed, pressing his lips together, and threw his good arm up. „Fine. Keep it. But if I see one more bullet being aimed in my direction I will-„ Aaron took another breath, „kill you myself. That‘s not a threat, it‘s a promise.“ he finished his sentence, nostrils flaring, shooting her a deadly glare. He was being serious about it. He didn‘t really care who she was, but he needed to make her aware that she would be a dead woman if she tried to pull one more funny thing.
Aaron met her gaze as she told him about the OR down the hall. His eyes were burning with rage, but he just rolled them at her and tried turning. His hand was still pressed against the exit wound. He lifted his hand for a moment to check. The bleeding hadn‘t stopped and his shirt was soaked, both the front and the back, giving it this sticky, icky feeling as it stuck to his skin. His hand had turned completely dark red, the scent of iron stinging his nose. Slow steps moved him forward, pausing as he neared the two rebels on the ground. Giving them a not so gently kick against their abdomen to make sure they were down - they were.
He twisted slightly, gaze dropped to the floor as he looked for his rifle. It was moved to the side but he reached for it, groaning as he bent down and picked it up with his injured arm. He snatched it up from the ground, struggling ever so slightly to get the strap around his head. Once he made it through, he let it dangle in front of him, taking yet another shaky breath before he swung it to the side. Unfortunately, he had to rest it on his bad shoulder, trying not to press it against the skin too strong.
A wince escaped his lips as he steadied the rifle, holding it as best as he could with his right arm. It wasn‘t going to be the greatest in case had to actually use it but it would work… somehow. He glanced over his shoulder to Dakota, checking up on her if she‘s following as he walked down the hall, slow and careful. „Our medics are spread around the city to help your lack of medical personnel. They are currently not just ours.“ he replied to her question, letting out a small shaky, airy, laugh. „I don‘t care if I break orders. Don‘t know if you‘ve realized that yet. And-„ he said, stopping and turning around, rifle aimed at her. His hold was quite shaky but he managed to keep it up. „No one will know I went against orders if there are no witnesses.“ he added, a mischievous smirk playing around his lips.
Somewhere in the back of his head he was wishing for her just shut up and patch him up so he could go. He rolled his eyes at her and turned back around, he was about to loosen the grip on the rifle when someone turned around the corner, a mask covering all of his face except for holes for the eyes and nose. Aaron reacted almost immediately and pulled the trigger, the rifle pressing itself against his shoulder hysterically, each bullet leaving the barrel feeling as if he shot himself. The guy dropped to the ground, joining the mess, and Aaron groaned in pain. This was not how he expected his day to go. There was a bag of money waiting for him secured by his team, ready to be spent. „Fuck.“ he yelped, catching his breath, bending over. He kept the rifle on his shoulder, gritting his teeth as he looked up. Clear.
As he continued walking he muttered some curses directed at Dakota under his breath until they stood in front of a door, the sign on the wall saying OR 2. He glanced at her, nodding at the door. „This one?“ he asked, not really having the patience for an answer though, as he kicked in the door. Did he think about turning the door knob to see if it was locked? Maybe. Did he just wanted to let out some rage by using force? Maybe.
His eyes scanned the room, it was empty but someone had already looted half of it. Groaning once again he stepped inside, letting the rifle dangle against his upper body as he took a seat on the operation table. He had his head dropped, eyes closed, his face a distorted mess. „You better hurry up.“
