Chapter 12

Bit of a short chapter. Next one will be longer.

---

They seemed to have been stumbling for hours, or at least, that's how it seemed to Danny. The world was suddenly a mix of vibrant colours, swirling and swaying gently. The night-sky seemed to dance in front of his eyes. The world was a happier place than it had been an hour ago. He couldn't seem to stop smiling and often broke out in fits of giggles as his sluggish mind tried to remember the way to the bunker. It was deceptively well hidden, and Danny was unsure that he'd find it in his present state. Truth be told, he wasn't greatly concerned about it. He felt a solid object in front of him and knew he had come the wrong way. It seemed they had reached one of the walls around sector seven.

"Damn…" He mumbled, turning round and stumbling backwards against the wall. He saw Jim had also sat down behind him, swaying slightly from side to side. Unless his eyes were playing tricks.

"I'm lost…" He said slowly, holding his head in his hands and sighing.

"Yeah, I noticed." Jim's speech was slightly slurred, he laid on his back and stared blankly up at the stars, the night was cloudless, and a full moon shone down brilliantly on them.

"What the hell did those guys give usss…" Danny fell to his side and moaned, starting to feel a slight pounding in his head. Jim didn't respond. For a while they both stayed in those positions, until Danny hauled himself up, leaning against the wall for support.

"Come on, we have to get back… to Aeris and Jerad…"

Jim growled, swiping at something invisible. "Jerad doesn't want us there!"

"Aeris does…" Danny replied, closing his eyes and trying to straighten himself. "I… think I know the way."

"I doubt it, but whatever." Jim groaned and stood up, feeling nauseous. He suppressed the urge to throw up and stumbled after Danny, who was already on his way to where he believed the hideout to be. It took an hour, but amazingly Danny and Jim did find the hideout, nestled deep in a set of bushes behind a small factory. They stumbled through, each cursing as the branches pricked and obstructed them. Danny began to hiccup, but it stopped relatively soon. They emerged the other side. Aeris looked up at them, relief on her face.

"You're back!" She stood up and smiled, but looked less happy when she noticed the state both were in. "Uh, guys?"

"Yeahhh, we're back!" Jim tried to high-five Danny but fell to the floor and rolled to his side, mumbling. Danny shook his head, still feeling dizzy but beginning to feel the effects wearing off slightly. Though every turn still sent his vision into a spinning frenzy.

"You guys got drunk?" Aeris asked quietly, an undertone of anger in her voice that Danny could detect despite his alcohol consumption.

"Only a little? They uh, gave us a really strong drink?" Danny shrugged and giggled, not meaning to, and cursed himself mentally.

"You two are unbelievable. I'm starting to doubt your motives… just what you're even here for…" She sighed.

Danny walked forward, gripping her arm strongly and causing her to gasp, staring up at him with a little fear.

"You listen to me…" He growled, a deep set anger in his normally passive voice. "I may have had a little to drink tonight, but I will never forget why I am here, and who I'm fighting for… I won't have you doubting my mission, not you, nor your brother… nobody. Jim and I had to watch our hometown go up in flames, people we'd known for years disappeared in front of our very eyes. ALIEN have nearly killed us numerous times and still threaten to do so. Don't you ever question my motives again, or Jim and I are out of here…" He stumbled back a little, glaring at her. "We didn't ask you to come along…"

Her fear had subsided, and her face had become extremely sad. "Okay… g-goodnight…" She mumbled and hurried into the sheltered era of the bunker, where Danny assumed Jerad was. He fell down and rolled onto his back, staring blankly at the sky for a long time before sleep claim his ravaged mind.