Omen
Sixteenth Sign
"Ross."
Elka breathed. She felt like it had been so long since she'd seen the guy that she could probably stare at him forever, yet she couldn't tell if she was happy seeing him by then. That voice from her previous phone call still haunted her. Who was it? Why did he answer instead of Ross himself if he was fine? And what did he mean when he told her to meet him at that place? Why were they surrounded instead? Why were they told to surrender? Why was Ross fighting Trafalgar Law?
Elka could only watch, her eyes wide open as the two exchanged blows. She was stunned, shocked, perhaps even horrified over what she was witnessing. She'd seen Ross fight before, and she did think he looked scary back then. And now, the same look on the redhead was showing. He was feral, almost as if hungry for battle, yet she felt something amiss about the young soldier. She couldn't exactly put a finger on it but to her, it seemed as though Ross was somehow distracted, no, that wasn't it, from where she stood she could tell the lad was focused, but it just didn't feel quite right.
Later her eyes drifted to a distance where she spotted spotlights directed towards them, armored vehicles scattered about and men in uniform dispersed in peculiar positions, standing at the ready with guns at hand, ultimately focused at the duel between their lieutenant and the fugitive.
She was trying to think, trying to simulate some scenarios to somehow convince both parties to back down and stop the fight until her vision was abruptly blocked by chopped parts of vehicles, eventually surrounding her as if to make a barricade.
Or perhaps a cage.
"No! Wait!" Elka shouted as she realized what was happening by then. She ran, using her momentum to increase the power of her mediocre body slam against the objects. "Doctor! Let me out!" she screamed again whilst continuing her futile attempt to break out. She wanted to see the fight to the end.
No. She wanted to stop the fight. She didn't want any of them to get hurt. She didn't want to lose any of them. She was done losing. She was tired of losing. Desperately, Elka kept knocking on the objects, slapping and banging them as much as she can, even kicking them to no avail.
"Let me out! Doctor! Please stop fighting! Let me out! Stop the fight! STOP!"
=/=
Upon hearing a shrill cry, Ross wavered for a split second, giving Law the opening he needed to finally push the smaller man back. Ross managed to block by his arm but couldn't completely stop the blow, ultimately forcing him to jump back.
"You worry over someone else even when you're against me. That arrogance of yours shall be the death of you, Ross-ya." Law scoffed.
Ross gave him a small smile. "I'm not worried. I'm just surprised you kept to your word."
Removing the sword bag case from his back, Ross offered it to Law who, on the other hand, kept his distance, obviously wary of whatever the redhead might be plotting by then.
"This is yours, the Kikoku. I brought it for you." Ross simply said.
Law wondered. "And for what purpose?"
Ross was quiet for a moment before tossing the object over to Law who successfully caught it. He then dug one hand under one of the many pockets on his coat and revealed a black semi-automatic pistol.
"…I don't lose, mister Law."
"When did you ever win against me?"
"You didn't go all out, neither did I. This time, it's different." Ross blandly stated as he pointed his gun downrange and pulled the slide back with his thumb and forefinger.
Law hummed. He admitted the redhead felt different since their meeting earlier. He could feel a strange air around him, almost an aura of uncertainty and frankly, it made him feel uneasy. Law was so used to being the one prepared ahead so it was a very uncomfortable situation for him. The redhead felt much stronger than the last time they fought, he couldn't deny he was anxious about it yet he also couldn't hide his excitement for it. It had been so long since he faced real danger in the form of battle.
"Let us see which is stronger." Ross spoke again, this time his gaze was fixed on Law, tossing his firearm from his right hand to his left.
Law smirked, taking up a stance with his thumb already resting under the hilt of his blade, preparing to draw his nodachi.
"It's a showdown."
Ross only pointed his pistol against Law, to which the Warlord responded with a quick draw yet failed to slice the redhead in half as he already moved to the side, running in a zigzag pattern as he approached the taller man. Law could tell what the boy was trying to do so he kept his distance, pointing his forefinger up as he commanded the earth to spring up spikes under Ross's feet.
As the earth under him sprouted, Ross made an effort to dodge most of it until deciding to use it to propel himself closer to the dark doctor. With a swift motion, he fired two consecutive shots over Law's direction, the pair of bullets easily replaced by tiny pebbles yet Law felt a bullet grazing the skin on his left cheek. It came as a shock to the Warlord that he retreated a ways away from the redhead.
Ross smirked. Judging from Law's reaction, he could tell the man didn't understand what happened. He continued his offense, repeatedly forcing Law to fall back - repeatedly hitting or grazing Law every time he fired his gun. Law was getting cornered, he couldn't figure out where the extra bullets were coming from.
"I've always wondered why the marines couldn't pull this off!" Ross was grinning as he ran into another spot before firing again, grazing Law's left leg and right side of the waist. "It's true your devil fruit ability's weird, but that alone shouldn't faze them to the point of freezing and not using their brains!" he kept talking as he ran into another spot a few meters away from Law before firing his next round, this time actually hitting Law's left arm, the bullet burying itself in his flesh. "It almost feels like when you possess a devil fruit in your world, you're untouchable it's stupid!"
Law struggled to compensate. He couldn't even manage a counterattack until it finally dawned on him, he was surrounded. Ross wasn't magically summoning extra bullets, Elka said devil fruits didn't exist in their world nor did they have any special powers. This realization hit him hard that the moment Ross fired on him for the nth time, his senses heightened, making him aware of the other bullets coming from all different kinds of direction with different velocities as well. Once he figured it out, he began to move more, also pulling one of the torn bumpers of the car towards him to serve as a shield. He made it fly right across Ross, forcing the smaller man to retreat.
"Hey! You're cheating!" Ross shouted as he dashed around the said object. Replacing his magazine with a new loaded one in one swift motion, he quickly fired off three consecutive shots, to which the Warlord blocked off with his makeshift shield out of a piece of metal but then a bullet from his right side hit him by the shoulder.
"I believe both of us are." Law muttered, grunting as he utilized the roofs of the hotel standing behind him, slicing them into quarter sizes so he could manipulate them to shoot the soldiers positioned at a reasonable distance from them.
But they didn't reach their targets. And that was when Law realized something crucial.
"That's right. Your territory's border is visible." Ross stated as if reading Law's mind. "It's true your range is laudable but it still is a range. It's limited."
Law clicked his tongue in annoyance. He was aware of his own flaw but for the longest time he'd been using his ability, none of his opponents seemed to have noticed. None of them exploited that fact, and now that someone already did, he wasn't sure how to address it.
Ross took the chance to load his pistol, pulling the slide back and releasing it, producing a clicking sound. "You see, an ordinary human isn't that helpless. We're pretty smart when we actually try." he explained, his tone half-chastened. "Besides, numbers make a difference if you know how to utilize the people. It's silly how most of the marine soldiers in your world are portrayed to be dumber compared to street thieves in our world." Ross quickly added, almost sounding playful and derogatory.
Without a word, Law immediately beckoned the pieces of what remained of the roof back to him, ultimately aimed at the static redhead. Ross knew something was coming at him but he didn't really had enough abilities to know what they were and how many that most of its sharp edges cut through his coat and skin, and one even managed to hit his right shoulder, lodging itself on his deltoid muscle. That second Ross took wincing at the pain was the precious second Law stole to rush toward him with his sword stretched out in order to stab him.
Injection Shot
Ross saw Law coming but couldn't exactly dodge or block the incoming attack in his current position so instead, he came face to face with it, pulling out a knife with his free hand, his right, from one of his coat's many pockets and meeting the blade with his own.
The young lieutenant sustained damage as he met the attack, steel to steel. He only achieved to change the trajectory of the blade's attack yet it didn't stop the blow, even more so with Law's devil fruit ability applied to that last attack, firing like a gun even without the blade itself connecting to his target. The flesh under his left clavicle bled, pain shooting through his chest making him groan in pain, the force pushing him back a fair distance. He tried to stay on his feet, discarding the knife and tossing back his gun from his left hand to his right, making a few hand gestures before finally removing that piece of iron piercing his right shoulder. It was bad for him to get his left side injured, being his dominant hand, yet he determined it wasn't the time to complain - being ambidextrous had its pros and cons.
Law didn't give him time to rest. The tables had turned. He was now on the offense, pushing back the young lad. He had noticed from then on that the extra shots only came whenever Ross himself was firing a shot. There were also times when Ross moved his hand and fingers in strange ways before the shots were fired again, leading him to the conclusion that the redhead was actually relaying instructions on the spot, real time, and was playing as decoy, as a distraction for when the real shots came they would reach their target. Although Law hated to admit it, the brat deserved praise for such a feat.
As the fight went on, Elka, who was apparently trapped inside a makeshift cage exhausted all her strength to free herself. Eventually, her body screamed in fatigue, giving in and collapsing to her knees. Even so, she kept on thrashing about until suddenly, a memory flashed on her mind. It was something about her and Ross discussing her favorite Manga over breakfast. She had wondered why even amidst her situation, she recalled such a casual conversation:
"I loved the Sabaody Arc. The part when the three captains teamed up to escape the auction house was just amazing." Elka had remarked as Ross served her some chocolate porridge he had made at the time. He sat across her, opting to quietly listen to Elka's reminiscing of the said scene from the Manga. "It's amazing to see more devil fruit abilities. Oda's imagination is astounding, I must admit!"
Ross would only nod as he too tried to recall the scene Elka was talking about.
"It's just a shame they didn't get enough challenge to show more of their power. The marines were a bit of a disappointment, don't you think?"
And that was the only moment Ross opened his mouth to speak. "…I guess."
There was a moment of silence, only because Elka decided to get a taste of the chocolate porridge sitting right in front of her. "Hey Ross, you're in the army right? If you were the one leading the marines, what would you have done to subjugate those three?"
Ross hummed, contemplating his answer for a moment. "Honestly, Luffy and company's devil fruit ability would be tricky to handle, but I guess they're still rookies. I can get around them."
"Ooh, you sound confident. So, what will you do?" curious, Elka pressed on, to which the lad flatly replied, "It's simple. All they need to do is-"
Elka gasped in horror as the realization hit her. She remembered how the soldiers were positioned by then, and knowing Ross, she figured whatever he came up with which sounded good in theory or in paper, he would definitely give it a try. She immediately got up to her feet, knocking loudly over the objects obstructing her perception to the battle that was behind those walls of iron. She then opted to scream at Law in alarm, "Doctor, watch out!"
She couldn't tell whether the dark doctor could hear her voice or not, so she took a deep breath before shouting at the top of her lungs, "SNIPER!"
Unexpectedly, Law sensed another incoming bullet. It confused him for his eyes were completely peeled, taking extra extra caution to the redhead's every movement and he was certain the brat never made any hand gestures, nor even fired his gun as he locked him into a chain of attack. Nonetheless, he easily blocked it, proceeding to replace the next bullets into tiny pebbles, never reaching him.
Except for one.
Law did somehow hear Elka's voice but he did not quite grasped it until he got hit by a sniper's bullet, the impact forcing him to fall back. He felt the bullet penetrating the anterior side of his right thigh, cutting through the flesh and the muscle. He felt the bullet size to be a bit bigger and perhaps longer, its shape different than the rest of the bullets he'd been fending off for a while now. The impact was so great it forced him down to one knee. The Warlord mentally cursed as he failed to dodge that certain bullet. He knew it was coming thanks to his observation haki, yet he didn't have enough speed to outrun it. And that was when Ross closed in on him and pointed his gun against Law's face.
"...There are twenty-seven men under my command. They were especially assembled to serve only me." Ross spoke, blood trickling down his arm to his trigger finger. "I'll give you time. How many people do you see?"
Law didn't need to count. He already knew seventeen were there, including the redhead. He knew from the different shots, from the different velocities their bullets traveled, from the directions the bullets came from.
Except for that one bullet, the sniper bullet. If the redhead was truly commanding twenty-seven soldiers, then there were eleven snipers aiming at him from who knows where.
Eleven? That's too many, Law had thought. There must be a catch somewhere, he figured, but his observation haki can only cover a few hundred meters, and if they were situated past that, then he'll have to rely on his reflexes to avoid their bullets.
And his instincts told him there were plenty of other things he had to prepare for.
Ross exhaled decisively. "I'm sure they also exist in your world. Snipers, I mean."
Thinking back to Trafalgar Law's origin, he noted how One Piece's world had a few notable long-ranged characters, even introducing Usopp as a sharpshooter, a member of the main characters' cast. Ross had to admit it was Usopp he favored if he had to choose which pirate to like. His character was interesting to him, as he himself believed what made most snipers so notorious was their own cowardice. Their fear was their spear, their tool they used to sharpen their aim, to extend their range and hone their accuracy. They were perfect supports, and excellent killers if needed be. Usopp was the perfect example of his ideal sniper and he could never understand why the guy didn't have more scenes to shine and demonstrate how fearsome a weapon snipers can turn into.
Law snorted. "I'm aware. Just, I always had a hard time dealing with those kinds."
"I never intended to make light of you, mister Law. I acknowledge your strength, and this is the conclusion I arrived at." Ross shifted his pistol further down and fired it twice, hitting Law's left calf and grazing the flesh on his left knee respectively, earning him a short groan from the man. "I never lose when it comes to warfare, mister Law. I take pride in my leadership and my men." he slowly dragged his pistol over Law's brow, thrusting the muzzle against his forehead.
Law could only smirk. He was certain Ross was about to take his life. Although it was clear he was about to lose, he didn't feel any spite or hatred against the boy as he was convinced by then that the redhead was at least a worthy captain, no, he was a worthy opponent, a worthy rival. He enjoyed the fight, and he confessed he learned a lot about how to approach a grave situation such as that. It was only a shame that-
"Time's up." Ross muttered. And as if on cue, Law's room retracted, leaving the man resigned and exhausted.
"...You knew my limit?" Law asked. He couldn't help but be impressed, almost forgetting his position.
"You told me yourself, don't you remember?" Ross pushed the gun against his skin, threatening to fire at any second. "Back then at the hospital, you said you can hold the plane for five minutes."
Law couldn't suppress a smile. "I highly admire that part of you, Ross-ya."
Without Law's spherical territory, Elka was finally released from the makeshift cage. The sight of the ravaged battlefield spanning the ground made her shiver in fear, and that fear only amplified when her eyes fell on the two people who looked like a bloody artwork of war casualties on their last stand, where Ross was pointing a gun against Law who was on his knee.
Elka froze. What was she going to do? It seemed the battle was over. What was she going to do? It seemed Trafalgar Law actually lost. What was she going to do? It seemed Ross was about to kill him. What was she going to do?
What should I do? What do I do? What to do?
It was as if she lost her voice, her senses, her brain, her everything.
Surprisingly, Ross gave Law a small fleeting smile. He then pulled the trigger, but nothing came. No gunfire, no shot, no pain,
No death.
And then the magazine on Ross's pistol ejected, falling down on the ground revealing an empty chamber.
"In case you didn't know, I already used up all my bullets." Ross kept his gun's muzzle pointed against Law's forehead. "Look alive, your blade's still sharp."
Law's expression went from confusion to shock and to understanding. "You told me you didn't want to leave her alone."
"I was ordered to capture you alive today." Ross simply stated, his tone flat, his expression bored. "But I don't think even after this they will let me off the hook. I'm hated, you know."
Law pursed his mouth in a self-satisfied smirk. "Ironically, you sound like a pirate."
Ross simply shrugged in resignation. "Perhaps I am."
Elka, who only watched from a distance, couldn't register what was happening until her eyes met Ross's gaze. There was a hint of melancholy from his stare, and it managed to push Elka, making her walk forward.
"Mister Law…" Ross spoke again, his eyes trained on the approaching woman. "I slipped up, and a certain snake found out Elka's connection with me. They want to interrogate her."
Law understood, yet he remained quiet. He was unsure how to tackle the arising problem at hand, so he took that moment to start working on a plan.
"It would have been a pleasure to kill you." Ross gave him a brief glance, his blue eyes glinting in mischief for a split second. "But I'm sparing you not only because of my orders, but because I want you as her insurance."
"I don't take kindly to such terms." Law couldn't suppress a snarl.
"I still have an idea to keep Elka away from all this." Ross immediately replied, his gaze shifting back to the approaching raven-haired woman. "And you should know, about your wounds… I did that on purpose."
Law scowled, of course he knew. It explained that strange feeling he had when they were fighting. Ross came off calculating but in the end, the redhead had the audacity to insult him by actually holding back, purposely missing his targets even when he had the upper hand. His movements weren't completely sealed as most of the shots were shallow, and it irked Law to no end. He had never felt so insulted and belittled by then, yet he couldn't help but begrudgingly admit his defeat.
Elka stopped a ways away from both men, her eyes glassy, almost teary, her frown so deep she'd probably wrinkle her forehead forever, and then she spoke.
"Why?" was the only word she could squeeze out from the cyclone of emotions she had been feeling since then. She had a lot of questions, she had so much she wanted to say, no, to scream at the redhead yet all she could muster was that one little word.
It pained Ross to see her struggle like that, so upset and sad and desperate that he wanted to shoot himself - shame he had no bullet left. Still, he endured it because he did all of it for her sake, for her safety, and he set it all up to draw the curtain and finish everything.
"Elka, I…" his apology was caught on his throat, hesitation eminent from his features for a moment before it was easily replaced by a stern expression. He then spoke in monotone. "I'm here under orders to capture both you and Trafalgar Law alive."
Elka was shocked. She could feel her eyes widen as she tried to repeat the words in her head. "…Me? Me as well?"
Ross couldn't hide his distaste as he replied, "Yes. Ardela Elka."
"B-but…why?" she was confused, and lost. She didn't understand what was happening. Her comprehension had malfunctioned. "What do you mean?"
Ross closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly gathering his thoughts before opening them once more, his blue eyes searing in absolute resolution as they peered through obsidian ones. "Elka, now is the time you must decide."
Elka's lips trembled. Somehow, by those words alone she understood what Ross wanted to say.
Yet Ross felt obligated to spell it out. "I can let you go free if you agree to play as the victim. Just say he forced you into this and I'll handle the rest."
Law could feel his blood boil by the second. Ross suddenly brought Elka in such a tight spot. They both knew the raven was still in the process of making peace with her emotions and yet, he just had to go out and aggravate her.
Seeing Elka remaining silent with that conflicted expression plastered on her face, Ross proceeded to add, "Or you can just continue defending him. Declare yourself as the army's - as my enemy."
Elka flinched, her whole body shivered, not from fear but from the sheer coldness of Ross's tone. It was perhaps the first time he ever spoke to her like that, and the steel gaze he gave her only made her despair.
"Oi, Ross-ya, aren't you being-"
"Silence." Ross rebuked Law, instantly stepping over his wounded thigh making the man grunt. "Choose now, Elka."
Quietly, Elka's thoughts raced. She looked calm outside but her mind conjured up a storm, trying to make some sort of agreement in herself as she vied for control. She understood what the choice meant, and frankly, she never expected it to be that hard to choose. She always valued her reality over her meaningless fantasies so choosing Ross shouldn't have to be that hard. She could never see Ross as an enemy, she treasured him more than anyone else. It was a simple choice, really. Playing a victim was real simple, after all it wasn't far from the truth, she was a victim.
She was Trafalgar Law's victim.
Elka tried to speak up, yet her voice refused to come out. Her mind kept screaming at her, how simple the choice to make. Besides, it was like hitting two birds with one stone. Law could get spitted out by her world once she made that obvious choice. Truthfully, she already knew what she had to do. She understood what was needed to be done to be over all the shit that's been going on - all she had to do was throw away her feelings of attachment for Trafalgar Law, after all he's not real, it's that simple. Just throw them all away, abandon them, all those meaningless emotions, it's that simple. All those moments she shared with the Trafalgar Law were fake anyway, she should not need hesitate, it's that simple.
Seriously, it's that simple, right? It's…
…
No way in hell that simple.
Elka's face contorted into a grimace, perhaps of inexplicable pain, she suddenly couldn't breathe and all she had ever accomplished at that moment was throw a meaningful glance over the dark doctor, who in turn reacted instantaneously, grabbing the woman by her waist and running off to the opposite direction, away from the redhead.
Ross was astonished, completely stunned in place as he watched the two's retreating form shrink from his sight. The absurdity of it all forced his brain to shut down for a second, until the sound of simultaneous gunfire shook him awake, albeit rather violently.
"Wait, don't shoot!" Ross shouted over his men, failing to conceal his distraught from the tone of his voice. He turned to them, his face donning such a rare expression of extreme fury. He roared in a thunderous voice, commanding and mad.
"Hit the woman and you all are dead!"
=/=
Trafalgar Law threw Elka over his shoulder, carrying her as if she was a sack of sand. He sprinted across the road, traversing the concrete jungle of El city. Law kept a vigilant eye for any spot they could hide into for a gracious moment to let him recover some of his stamina. Not only that, he wanted more to speak with the raven-haired woman who only remained passive since then.
At one point, his mind was plagued by the redhead's words.
Choose now, Elka.
Honestly, Law himself didn't know what he would feel nor what he would do if Elka chose Ross. Although he had told himself a while back he wouldn't back down even if it turned out the woman favored Ross over him, at the moment of truth, his mind went blank. She had been firm about not wanting to go with him so it came as a shock to the dark doctor when she unexpectedly threw him a glance, her dark brown eyes drowning in fear and sorrow which only translated to her desperate call for help. Law didn't really understand why he responded in such a way, he was even shocked at his own actions despite all that's been done. His body just moved and before he knew it, he had already snatched her away from her dread that was to choose.
She didn't seem to be calming down. On the contrary, Law felt her body tensing up as they went. She seemed agitated, and he could no longer hold his mouth and decided to crack the ice before he went crazy thinking about it.
"Elka-ya, considering what just transpired, may I presume that you…" Law stopped himself when he felt her breath hitch. He let a few more seconds of silence to linger until he found a nice spot to obscure the watchful gazes of their enemies even for a short moment.
Law landed gracefully on the ground, cloaking their figures in the shadows of the dark alley surrounded by large concrete walls of eerie establishments, perhaps a place that favored illegal tradings which served as their temporary respite.
Law carefully placed Elka down, allowing her to hold onto him when she found herself too weak to stand on her own. Perhaps it was the fear, or maybe physical exhaustion for he knew Elka did a number on herself when he had her caged. Her hands were shaking, no, her whole body was a trembling mess. She looked uneasy and terrified and Law couldn't stop himself from savoring the view.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Law placed his hand under her chin, his thumb gently touching her skin as his own little way of giving her some sort of assurance. Tan fingers lifted her head up, guiding her misted eyes to look at his limpid ones.
"...Are you choosing me?" Law asked, his voice a low rumble so as not to draw attention despite their apparent isolation.
Elka's mouth parted for a split second before they abruptly pursed into a thin line. Uncertainty flashed across her face, averting her eyes from the man. She broke away from Law's touch and sighed a wearied sound of the defeated. "I don't know."
Law frowned. He saw it coming yet he couldn't come into terms with it. He longed for a direct answer - for all that had happened he deserved a direct answer. "Not knowing won't cut it."
It was now Elka's turn to frown. Her brows curled deeper as she spoke, "But I don't want to lose Ross."
Law raised a brow at that. "I'm patient enough to wait for a straight answer, but I cannot speak the same for Ross-ya." he said then, stating the rather obvious. Her shoulders clenched rigid, Law noticed. It seemed he had hit her where it hurts. "But considering what just transpired, I can presume he and I came to a similar conclusion." he quirked a smile at the very thought. "You chose me, Elka-ya. You just did."
=/=
"Captain!"
Despite Ross's outburst, two of his men rushed to his aid, catching him in time before he keeled over, unwittingly stumbling over his own feet. Though he was keenly aware of the arms supporting his weight by then, his mind remained in disarray.
Ross took a moment to breathe. He was quick to regain his composure, his face donning its usual expression, one that was devoid of emotions. "...Get me a radio and contact Cloud's squad." his tone was flat yet there was an urgency lacing each word. "Hurry up."
"You need to get treated first, captain." a female's voice replied as they guided the young man to one of their armored vehicles.
Ross did not argue and instead, silently nodded his head. He was aware of the blood he'd been losing from his chest, yet it didn't matter to him as he felt like he had lost something far greater than his vitality. Relieving that last moment he saw Elka and Law, he witnessed the woman he cherished the most choose the man he hated - Elka chose fantasy over reality. It hit him like a truck, he never thought Elka despised her reality that much. He endeavored to make their nation a better place for her, a safe and sound space for her to live freely and comfortably, yet it seemed all his efforts weren't enough. It shocked him, and he couldn't accept it. Most of all, it pained him that he couldn't repay Elka's benevolence in kind. She had helped him find meaning to his existence, and yet he failed to make the world a better place for her.
And to think Elka would cling to fantasy, Ross ended up loathing himself for it.
"Captain." one soldier called, a radio on his hand.
Ross flinched at the call, inwardly condemning himself for allowing a mere call of his title to startle him. In the face of an enemy his head would have been taken, and it made him all the more aware of being out of his element. It was unbecoming of him and he found it extremely inexcusable for a man such as he to demonstrate.
He glared at the radio for a second before taking it into his hands, his voice silky smooth as he gave out instructions over it, the firm tone in his voice suggested he did not forget his absolute authority. It was a show of force, a tiny speck of his resistance to his humanly weakness. He then proceeded to assemble their troops and gave them their orders while his wounds were being treated. During battle, Ross made it clear that rest was only offered to the dead and dying.
"Sir!" the men all answered in chorus, simultaneously raising their arms in salutations. One of them though, raised a question.
"But sir, what are we fighting, exactly?"
Ross's subtle raise of a brow was barely perceptible, but it conveyed his thoughts well. "Were you shaken? Are you afraid?" his tone was low, as if he was being careful so as to coax them to speaking the truth.
There were a handful of soldiers whose heads slightly nodded in affirmation while the rest remained still and steady. This response somehow pleased the young lieutenant, if the briefest of tugs at the corners of his mouth was evidence enough.
"I can't explain," he said. "I assure you, he's human."
"Is there anything else we need to know, sir?" another raised.
Ross tilted his head to the side as he contemplated about his next words. Taking him a few seconds, or even a mere second to answer was something unusual to the soldiers, because the young lieutenant always had answers prepared for any sort of questions they threw at him.
"Nothing, really. Just try to stay out of his range," he finally spoke, regarding them all with a faint smile. "and if you couldn't, just know he's capable of taking your lives in one strike."
Silence quickly took over. The atmosphere had become somewhat lighter instead, and the soldiers had renewed their resolve. They possessed strong faith for their commander, and reminding them of how death was walking alongside them, they knew there was nothing to be afraid of.
"Stick to the plan and keep me updated of their position. I'll make sure to give the snipers their shot." Ross stated. He was firm about keeping the woman from harm, with which all his men agreed to and promised to obey without question. With a vigorous shout and firm salutations, the soldiers quickly moved out.
When a moment of silence occurred, Raven, who was one of the soldiers tending to him, asked. "Captain, I don't mean to pry but, who is that woman?"
Ross remained silent, ignoring the older woman entirely.
Raven knew better than to insist upon the matter. She knew her captain, he wasn't one to gossip. Although he would occasionally indulge them in their small talks, he never talked about himself, his personal life, not even about the Maris couple.
But the way her captain was acting, she couldn't help but be curious about the woman's relationship with him. She was surprised to find she was the same woman she rescued earlier that day from the quake, and she recalled how said woman talked about the lieutenant - about being his friend.
A few seconds later, Raven dared to press the young lad further about the matter. "Captain, your obsession with her is just…" Raven paused, studying her captain's impenetrable gaze and inscrutable countenance. The man had never shown them any sign of weakness. Never. It even led most of them to believe that he had no flaws.
And yet, he previously burst out on them, all because of one woman.
"It's just absurd." she finished, her tone too sharp for a simple dismissal.
"She's a civilian." was Ross's curt reply. He threw her a glare, one that was both piercing and menacing. "Now drop your petty interest and focus on the mission."
Raven winced at the animosity that briefly seeped out from Ross. The man was proficient when it came to concealing his intents which explained his enigmatic character, and Raven agreed that this was one of the many reasons why many feared the young lieutenant, while a few, mostly those who accepted to become part of his unit, preferred to admire him.
"My apologies." her voice came out weaker than she'd like, but she didn't repeat herself anymore.
And Ross easily let it go, turning his head away from the older woman. His performance was at best when he focused on the mission at hand. The only trouble he was encountering by then was Elka's role on their mission. And now that she had indirectly demonstrated her allegiance to their target, he'd have no choice but to take her into custody as well, and hand her over to the snake he detested most.
Duty first. Hand her over. Hand Elka over to Jack.
No way.
No way in hell I'll do that!
Without realizing it, Ross had banged the trunk of the vehicle with his fists. This surprised Raven and the rest of the medical team. The look of anger flashed momentarily on Ross's deep blue eyes, his fists trembling in an attempt to control his wrath. His thoughts got darker the longer he sat there and waited for his men to finish bandaging his wounds. His impatience was already showing.
"I understand you're itching to go back in the field, captain, but please be patient." Raven implored, her tone soft in an attempt to pacify her commander.
Ross spared her a glance and strangely, seeing the creases on her forehead compelled him to calm down. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily, closing his eyes and shaking away his negative thoughts.
Everything about Ross that time was uncharacteristic to the soldiers. He was always guarded. He never showed them his agitation, not even the slightest emotions in the battlefield. He would only smirk in satisfaction, or smile in contempt once in a while but strong emotions such as anger, and him losing composure was something they were seeing for the first time. They weren't sure how to interpret it, yet they were somehow relieved to see that a man of his bloodline was human, with the same feelings and emotions just like them.
"Are you okay, lieutenant?" one of the medical aids inquired, worry wrinkling his face.
Ross seemed to be caught by surprise upon seeing his men worry about him. It pissed him off. He couldn't believe he was reduced into such a state by simply thinking about the hateful snake's victory. He was stronger than this, it was no time to show weakness. He already had a plan, and it's already in motion. He was confident with his unit, after all he was their commander and he made sure to mold them into his ideal warriors. All that was left was himself to play in the field and bend the game.