A.N.: Thanks for all the followers, they really encouraged me! (I understand if you can't really think of a comment to write but just following me makes my day! ^ ^)
Disclaimer: Use common sense, people.
As the sergeant predicted, it soon started to rain. First, it was droplets by droplets that alerted them a second earlier before the real pouring started. It was literally pouring as if someone above the cloud decided that dumping a bucket of cold, freezing, acidic water during the Selection Trials would be the funniest thing they have ever done. The forest floor was slick with wet mud and each step he took could be heard with an accompanying squish that grossed him out.
"Come on, let's hurry up and we can rest a little at about noon," Wolf yelled to be heard over the roaring of the rain and occasional thunder.
Alex glanced upward, narrowing his eyes to avoid getting too much water into his eyes. The sky was gray with no way to differ the time.
"We can't even see the sun!" Apparently, someone had the same idea as him, "How do we know when it is noon?"
"I don't fucking know." Wolf yelled back, "Just keep going!"
Eagle grumbled something in reply but the rain was too loud for Alex to hear him as he concentrated to not slip on the wet mud. He was cold, hungry and irritated. At the rain and at the situation. He sighed heavily.
Alex resisted the urge to reach into his pocket and swallowed one of the last few pills that lingered at the bottom. It was not going to be enough if he kept on relying on it. Besides, it was not like he can eat any with Fox watching his every move.
The rain did not lessen over their hike through the unexplored trails. Tree branches often whacked him back in the face as the person in front forgot his presence. And throughout, he had a bad feeling. It was the instinct that usually warned him of an attack beforehand in a mission.
They were just climbing up the steep side of one of the mountains when it happened. Fox was the one on top, leading the rest, followed by Snake, Eagle, Alex and then Wolf who took the rear. The rain only made the side muddier and he swore he nearly slipped eight times climbing up the mountain.
"Come on, hurry up!" Wolf yelled below him. The rim of the top was near and Fox, Snake, Eagle had already climbed over the top. Fox tugged at the rope that was tied around each member's waist to pull the last two up.
"Alright, grasp my hand, Coyote," Fox said, reaching out slightly over the edge while Snake and Eagle went to secure the rope to the tree.
Alex reached out. Then he nearly went tumbling down as the rope was tugged, hard, beneath him and Wolf cried out in surprise.
"Wolf, don't tug the rope!" Fox shouted to be heard above the roar of another thunder.
"The side is too slippery!" Wolf called back loudly, "I can't find a foothold!"
"Coyote, grab on!" Fox yelled, extending his hand further.
Alex clasped onto the offered hand and as Fox pulled him up, he gripped the rope beneath to make sure that he won't fall backward with Wolf's weight pulling him.
With a grunt, Fox pulled him upward until his elbows reached the edge, "Snake, Eagle, are you done tying the rope yet?"
"The rope is too short!" Snake yelled back, "Can't tie it. Pull Coyote up a little more."
There was a violent jerk beneath Alex. Then he pummeling down the side.
"Coyote!" Fox cried out in alarm.
Alex grabbed the nearest edge and stuck his knife into the side to slow the slide. The knife sliced through the sticky side before coming to a stop. His feet were dangling in the air and his only handhold was the knife. He grunted as his shoulder screamed in protest.
"Wolf, can you find a handhold?" He called down without turning, knowing that he had a higher chance of slipping if he did.
"Where do you think I can find a fucking hand hold in this muddy side?" Wolf yelled back angrily with frustrations evident in his voice, "And why the fuck did you let go of Fox?"
Alex did not answer as he gripped the rope that connected them tighter. The short length of the rope that Snake and Eagle tried to tie up had slipped over the edge. There was no way Fox can pull him up without a rope.
"Come on, Coyote!" Fox shouted, "There is foothold at about your knee."
"Coyote, fucking pull up already!" Wolf yelled.
There were a few more violent jerks as Wolf tried to get a handhold unsuccessfully. The knife slid a centimeter down. With great difficulties, he pulled himself up until his right foot stepped on the outcrop that Fox mentioned. It was small but large enough to place his entire right foot on.
"Why are you so fucking slow?" Wolf yelled from below, "You are the worst fucking rescuer ever."
Alex swallowed painfully as he heard the words.
"Coyote!" Fox yelled again and Alex looked up to see a rope dangling a meter above him, "Grab on and don't let go!"
He shook his head grimly at Fox, "I don't have hands to grab on, Fox!"
Fox swore then he lowered the rope a little bit further, "That's the most I can do. Find a way to hold on, Coyote!"
The rope was right on his right hand where he gripped the knife. But he knew that he had only less than a second to grab the rope before he fell if he let go of the knife. It was impossible. He squinted as he measured the distance between the outcrop Fox was on and him. It was about two meters.
"Screw this." Alex gritted his teeth as he swung his left hand back and forth, jerking Wolf with it.
"What the fuck are you doing, Coyote?" Wolf yelled in protest, "A—"
"Fox, catch!" Alex called out as he released the rope on his left hand as the momentum reached its fullest.
Wolf was flung sideway toward the edge of the outcrop. Fox leaped up and reached out, grabbing Wolf's outstretched hand. Snake and Eagle pulled Fox back to avoid Wolf pulling Fox down with him.
With a grunt, Fox pulled at Wolf with Snake and Eagle behind him. They could only go as far as getting Wolf's elbows on the platform before the rope that tied Wolf to Coyote restrained them.
"Coyote, the rope is not long enough!" Fox called out then spat out the water as a strong gush of wind blew the rain into his face.
"Alright!" Alex called back, "Don't let go or he might fall!"
"What are you planning to do?" Fox shouted as Alex stood tiptoed on the small platform and remove his knife, "Coyote!"
Then Alex was swinging in the air below Wolf. Fox nearly went tumbling at the sudden weight. If Snake and Eagle weren't holding him back, he probably would have. He felt his muscle straining under the weight and absently, he wondered how Alex managed to hold on for so long. He managed to pull Wolf up before tugging the rope for Alex. He was shocked at how light Alex really was. He seemed to be pulling at almost nothing comparing to Wolf a moment ago.
Alex's teeth were clattering when he was finally pulled up.
"Let's set camp here," Fox suggested as he pulled Alex closer.
Alex's body was freezing and his face was unnaturally blue. There was a long cut on the back of his hand that was bleeding sluggishly.
Snake nodded and quickly, with Eagle's help, set up their tent. Fox hurriedly moved Alex inside before the rest of the unit followed.
A few moments later, Snake had a small fire going on top of a pile of sticks that were placed on a plastic sheet to avoid burning up the tent.
"That kid fucking took his time." Wolf growled as he moved closer to the fire, missing the glare that Fox sent him, "I almost died down there, I am telling you. Either that brat was trying to kill me, or he was enjoying it."
"Wolf?" Snake spoke up quietly, "Stop talking for a moment."
Wolf looked taken aback as anger flickered over his face. But then he just settled for a glare for he was too tired for an outburst, "Rest for an hour then we are moving on."
But Snake was not listening as he crawled to Fox's side, where Alex was leaning against Fox, his eyes drooping closed but flickered open at the last second continuously.
"Coyote?" Snake asked softly.
Alex looked up and shifted slightly and straightened, "Yes?"
"Are you feeling well?" Snake asked, a little concern at how pale the boy was looking and the way he kept on rubbing his shoulder, "Is your shoulder hurting?"
Alex restrained from rubbing his shoulder as he shook his head, "No, I am fine. Just tired."
"Why don't you take a nap? We have an hour." Snake suggested.
To his dismay and surprise, Alex shook his head, "I am okay. I just need to think something through."
"Alright," Snake nodded, deciding that Alex was too stubborn to agree to it, "What are you thinking about?"
Alex looked away. Where should he begin? It was when Wolf told him that he was the 'worst rescuer ever' that he had started the internal questioning. Was he really a 'rescuer'? He couldn't save anyone. He couldn't even save Jack, who was the closest to him. Thinking back, he hadn't really save anyone. They all died or left him.
"Coyote?" Snake prompted gently.
"I am fine." Alex replied as he stood up and peeked out the tent, "The rain has lessened. We should be on our way if we want to make it."
"Coyote…"
"He is right for once," Wolf butted in, "Let's get going."
"Fifteen hours and ten minutes." The Sergeant said as he clicked the timer and slipped it back into his pocket, "All the other units except the recruits had arrived an hour earlier. Care to explain why?"
"The mountain side was slippery, sir," Wolf replied as the rest of K-Unit straightened, "So it took us a little bit longer."
"And care to tell me why the other units did not take as long as you did?"
"There was a small accident so it took us a little longer, sir," Wolf said.
"What kind of accident?" The Sergeant asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh, we slipped, sir."
"You slipped." The Sergeant said, his eyes flickering across the rest of the K-Unit, landing finally on Alex, "And why is the kid looking so pale over there?"
"I am not a kid." Alex retorted with a glare.
"So, what happened?" The Sergeant asked, directing the question toward Alex.
"We slipped." He stated, "Then we got up. Rested for half an hour. Climbed on."
If the rest of the unit was surprised in the absence of the honorification, they did not show it.
The Sergeant narrowed his eyes, "I will talk with you later. You may go rest. Four more hours until those lazy recruits get themselves up here. You have till then to prepare for your next assessments. I presume you know what is going to happen?"
"Yes, sir!" They echoed in unison.
"Good. Dismissed." The Sergeant said as he pulled out the timer again.
Alex turned and looked over his shoulder to see the first group of recruit arriving, out of breath and on the verge of collapsing.
The Sergeant got immediately to shouting, "How dare you to call yourself a soldier? You know how long it took you? Sixteen hours!"
Alex hid a grin as he turned back. The other units gave K-Unit a small nod as they entered before going back to whatever conversation they had. They sat around in a circle with a small fire going between them, warming their frozen and freezing hand. He took off his drenched coat and placed it by the fire, hoping that it would be at least partially dry afterward.
There was a long thick silence then Eagle broke it, "Hey Coyote, great abs you have there. What's that scar-looking thing on your chest?"
Alex stared, then looked down. He swore loudly.
So, finally getting to the classic bullet wound scene...*smirks*
As always, I apologize for any incorrect information regarding the training/selection/etc in this story. Everything were based vaguely on the true information so they are not very precise or accurate.