This was a reply to an ATSB2-challenge: "He ducked behind a tree and checked his ammo..."
He ducked behind a tree and checked his ammo, which he knew was almost used up. Three, maybe four, more shots, then the best he could do was to throw his rifle. Or swing it and crack it on somebody's head. Outlooks weren't good at all.
"Murdock?"
Murdock looked to his right and saw Face standing there with a slightly panicked expression. Uh-oh. Face panicking in combat was a very, very bad sign. Face panicking in harmless situations was fun, but now... This was not a harmless situation; they were under fire.
"Murdock, how many?" He raised his gun to make it clear he meant bullets.
"Don't know, a lot less than I wish I had." Murdock smiled sweetly despite of it all. "And you?"
"I'm out."
"Like in out-out? Like completely out?"
Further communication was prohibited by the boom of an exploding hand grenade. Not too far from their position. They both ducked again. Pieces of wood and stones came raining.
"Let me put it that way," Face picked up where they had been interrupted, "this is Goliath", pointing in the direction from which more bullets came flying. "And we are David. Just without the sling."
Murdock started giggling. A crazy thought crossed his mind.
"What's to laugh about? We're probably fertiliser for a bed of daisies!"
Murdock wasted his last few bullets on "Goliath" before he answered. "It's just, you're so soaked with Christianity... What would you do if you're shot now and find out that God's a Buddhist?"
Face shook his head. "You're helplessly crazy," he said to himself, but Murdock heard it anyway.
"Batshit", Murdock confirmed, unimpressed. "But really, what would you do?"
"Be happy that I'll be reborn", Face answered almost without missing a beat. "And next time 'round, I'd make sure I won't meet any nuts like you."
Murdock laughed again, until he was cut off by another grenade. "I guess we better get the daisy out of here." Face gave him a suffering look. "If you find a way out of here you'll find me hard on your heels." Suddenly the fire stopped. There were shouts, sounds of breaking wood, an occasional solitary shot – but none of them aimed at Face or Murdock.
"Onwards, soldier," Murdock quipped, then cautiously left his cover, moving from one cover to the next.
Face followed.
The cease of fire could only mean one thing: Hannibal and BA had managed to escape. About time, too. They were of no good use if they were separated.
Only together they were something, together they were invincible.
Even without ammo.
NTBC - Not to be continued