Daniel is Martial arts (Male), Kylie is Gun, Rod is Rod, Samantha is Shotgun, Torin is Legend, Aneurin (Annie) is Nunchaku, Mariah is Martial Arts (Female), Caleb is Two Guns, Evan is Katana, Adria is Knife. The entire thing is from Reno's POV, first part is a dream. Leave me a review, thanks for following!
"In position." The feminine voice in his earpiece told him exactly what he needed. And more. Just hearing Cissnei brought a smile to his lips. "What took you so long? What are you, getting old?" The sound of indignation coming from the other side was sure to be mirrored by a tapping of her foot and crossed arms. "I'm as fast as ever. I had a...problem to take care of on the way." "Kill 'em?" "Unconscious and tied up." "Damn it Ciss, this entire time I've begged you to be using rope on me, and you end up doing it to some random goon? He'd better have been really handsome." "He could make any girl blush." "Ugh, get a room then.", he teased playfully.
"Reno, am I taking the shot or not?" Kylie's interruption made him sigh heavily and turn his binoculars toward the target - who glowed ominously. "Take it. Ciss, be ready for the back flow." "Yes sir." The only time she called him sir was while they were on a mission. Reno waited for what seemed like eternity before the dull sound of a gun firing filled his earpiece. He kept his eyes on the target though, hoping he would drop without any mess.
But nothing happened aside from a brief burst of energy. "Shit." "Kylie what happened?" "Nothing sir, he deflected it." "Take another shot Kylie! Empty your clip." The repeating sound of firing continued without interruption. He counted the shots while he kept his eyes peeled on the figure. Nothing. Shit! "Ciss, hang on for the ride, it's going to be rougher than anticipated." "Understood sir."
"Initiate fail safe Kylie." The men and creatures that had surrounded the glowing figure started a mass exit toward the bridge Cissnei would be waiting on to intercept them. "Be safe.", he whispered in her direction before launching himself off his ledge and sprinting toward the glowing figure. "Hey Jackass, over here!" He had to get the man's defenses down if they were going to complete the mission. Narrowly avoiding the energy beam that sped past his head, Reno swore and dodged a barrage of energy balls that were hurled in his direction. If he lived through this, he was so taking a vacation.
Taking a deep steadying breath, Reno launched himself away from his cover to sprint past the figure. He dove to the ground and rolled to avoid being clobbered - god how had the man moved that fast? Kicking upwards, Reno caught him and sent him spinning in the opposite direction. "Bastard." Already on his feet, he took off again, only to be clipped by that same ball of energy that lifted him up and slammed him into the wall. Shit that hurt. Dizzy and bruised, he staggered to his feet in time to catch a fist to his jaw. Down he went. Kicking his legs, Reno took advantage of his unsteady moment to take off, now all he had to do was get away from him. Finally he stopped and snagged out the controller he'd had stashed in his pocket. The man was closing in on him. Twenty feet...fifteen feet...ten feet...five...bingo. Slapping the button with his palm, Reno ducked as a cage of electricity formed around the man.
He released his breath and walked toward him. "Gotcha, ya' bastard." "Indeed, it appears you have." But something was wrong. Why was he smiling? "Stop smiling you son of a bitch." "Why, I've won?" "I don't see how. This cage is draining your energy. As soon as it does, your defenses are down. I'll tell my associate to take her shot and you'll be dead." "Clever of you." "Yeah, so wipe that smug smile off your face, yo." "Why? You're going to let me walk out of here. You'll beg me to." "And just why is that?" He checked his watch. He had thirty seconds before Kylie was clear to take the shot. "Thirty seconds and counting.", he said softly to Kylie." "Shot lined up."
"I have bombs rigged to the bridge." His words sent a cold chill down Reno's spine. "They're rigged to detonate when my heartbeat stops." "You're a slippery bastard, I don't believe you." The man opened the trench coat he wore and there against his chest was a device. Shit...Cissnei. "I believe your other associate is on that very bridge, is she not? Your partner, your lover?" Reno growled under his breath. "You son of a bitch! Kylie don't take the shot." "The mission comes first." "Kylie-" "I'm sorry." The shot rang in his earpiece. Instantly the man dropped. No!
"Cissnei!", he shouted right before an explosion rocked the very ground, hurling him back and slamming him against a stack of boxes. Disoriented, Reno pulled himself to his feet and stumbled toward the burning remains of the bridge. "Ciss.", he croaked out but got nothing in return.
When he finally got there, he slid down the crater the bombs had left and fell on his face. Shaking his head, he stumbled up. "R-...Reno." "Ciss?" There she was. Dropping to his knees beside her, Reno noted the huge piece of twisted metal that had come through her body from underneath. Blood poured from the wound and gurgled from her lips. "God Cissnei, I'll save you. Hang on!" "It's...t-..oo la-...te." "No! Cissnei you're stronger than this. Damn it stay with me!" Her eyelids closed and he shook her arm lightly. "No!" His voice didn't even sound like his. Relief poured through him when she opened her eyes. "Di-...d you ge-...t hi-..m?" "Yeah." Was that tears running down his face?" "G-...goo...d. T-he...miss-...ssion c-comes fir-...st." "Ciss?" Gathering her in his arms, Reno felt the blood start to drip onto him. "Please...please Ciss." "I...c-can't...I...I'm s-s-sorry." "No, it isn't your fault." A deep breath shuddered from her before she relaxed against him. The howl of agony that tore from his lips sounded inhuman while he cradled her lifeless body.
The bitter memory of his dream had both woken Reno up and kept him so. It was odd...adjusting to sleeping alone again. Reno could count on his hand the number of times he'd slept with anyone the entire night through. But he had the last few weeks with Cissnei. It had been innocent - much to his chagrin - but comforting. Not only had Cissnei retreated back to her quarters since they had gotten out of the hospital, but he had started to be plagued with the damned nightmares. The dream went differently but the end result never wavered. It always ended with Cissnei's death and his waking up in a cold sweat, unable to sleep for the rest of the night.
This time was no different. Reno glared into his nearly empty glass and wished he could sleep. "You're getting too damn old to be sitting up all night drinking.", he muttered under his breath before finishing off the last of the brandy in his glass. "You are aging dramatically." His pouring more alcohol into his glass was interrupted by Rude's steady voice. How did HE do it? God, Rude was older than him and he seemed to never need any sleep. The book he no doubt worked on reading was placed on the table beside Reno before Rude settled into the chair. The redhead didn't turn, but acknowledged the creak of the chair by sliding a second glass over and pouring a drink. "Can't sleep?" Reno scoffed, then leaned back and rubbed his eyes. "Not for the rest of this damned night." It was miserable to be up by yourself at three in the morning, haunted by nightmares.
"Did you know?" His partner didn't say anything, but his raised eyebrow was the equivalent of a question. "About Ciss having nightmares." Reno glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "Everyone has nightmares eventually." "God dammit, answer the question for once Rude." Yet still the bigger man paused. "Yes." So Cissnei still told Rude everything. "She had one while we were out there.", Reno mentioned with a wave of his hand. "I had hoped they would leave her." "What are they about?"
Reno was used to Rude's silence, so he sat and waited for his partner to formulate an answer. Finally his patience was rewarded. "Has she spoken of it?" "She just asked me to get the blood off her in a panicky voice. And then later she said that everything she touches dies." Silence surrounded them. Of all the times he had wished for a more talkative partner, this was one of the strongest. But he couldn't push. If he pushed Rude would shut down.
"If she hasn't spoken to you about it, I will not betray her trust." Reno growled under his breath in disappointment. It wasn't a surprising answer, but he had hoped for more. Why didn't Cissnei trust him enough to talk to him? It was a question he couldn't help but ask his partner. "Why does she tell you this shit but shut down when I ask?" "I think that's something you need to ask her." "Yeah...except she'll shut down.", he said with a pointed answer and a glare. "Nothing good is simple." God he hated it when Rude did that. "Yeah but I wish for once it could be." To wash away the disappointment he took a drink of his brandy.
"I've had dreams since the mission." Even though Rude was silent, Reno felt compelled to continue - like always. Feeling uncomfortable, Reno rubbed his arms where the black lines were still touching his skin. They were fading, but very slowly. "It's different things I dream about. Different missions, some old, some I haven't even been on. But at the end of every damned one she dies." Every time he woke it was with this dread that one day his dreams would become reality. "She dies right in front of me and I can't do shit. I can't save her. I try. God I try." Resting his elbows on the bar top, Reno leaned into his hands and sighed. "What if I killed her by bringing her back?" "Cissnei is a formidable woman." "That doesn't mean she doesn't bleed just like the rest of us." "We'll protect her." Reno wished that were true.
"Have you slept since?" "Here and there. I usually get three hours a night before I wake up in cold sweat and can't do it anymore." "Talk to her." "Yeah right. What am I supposed to say? 'I'm dreaming you die so could you not go on anymore missions and sit at home twiddling your thumbs?' That'll go over real well. I'm not exactly the kind of guy you have a heart to heart with." Bitterness laced his words. "You haven't ever tried." "That isn't-" "Name one example." "Bastard.", he grouched with a glare. "How the hell do you get away with giving away communication advice? Hypocrite." Rude stood, gathered his book and rested a hand on Reno's shoulder. "My advice? Take it. You're worse than I am." "I might have hit a low point in life. The lowest. Getting communication advice from your fat ass."
A long sigh escaped his lips and he closed his eyes. He was exhausted. There had been many times he'd felt exhaustion - his life wasn't exactly filled with lots of down time. He really was getting too old to be going without sleep for this long though. "You're not as young as you used to be." What could he do about it? Forcing himself to sleep wouldn't work - and alcohol wasn't even doing so.
Cissnei.
He was an idiot. Reno stood outside Cissnei's living quarters and shifted his weight between his feet. It seemed pathetic to say 'I had a bad dream, can I sleep with you tonight?' What other choice did he have? He wasn't going to sleep a damn if he continued like he was. Finally Reno lifted his hand and knocked on her door. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he continued to stare at the door until it was opened. "Reno?" Cissnei was disheveled, her hair a mess, eyes blurry, and dressed in mismatched pajamas. She looked beautiful - like an embodiment of the light. Something he desperately needed. "Hey Ciss." "Is everything okay?" He shook his head slowly, staring at her. "Can I sleep here?" She gave him a leveled look - and he had the decency to look ashamed. Not because of what he'd asked, but because he felt pathetic doing so. What was he, five? "Sure, come on in."
Reno followed her as she crawled into her bed and curled up, looking at him through sleepy eyes. He spent little time undressing and crawling in after her. Wrapping his arms around her, he drew her close, inhaled her scent and relaxed. Exhaustion washed over him and the last thought was that maybe Rude was right about everything.