[Outside the Dorms, Very Early Wednesday Morning]
[Continued from here]
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Armed and cautious, Krycek stepped out into the crisp, quiet night. The snow made everything seem hushed, solemn, but it also made stealth difficult; thankfully, he'd had practice at it and his steps were silent as he moved out.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
A few moments later, Kawalsky emerged into the open air. He wasn't a stranger to following quietly when he had to, and he knew to keep his distance.
The snow was going to make it tricky. He'd have to keep back even further and risk losing Krycek. But something was up and he was suspicious.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek moved steadily out into the cold night, breath puffing out in white clouds as he headed in the direction of town.
He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, almost as deeply in thought as he walked, paying attention to keeping his presence quiet and unnoticed and not as much to who may have been following.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
With a distance between them, it was easier for Kawalsky to follow along without watching how heavily he was walking. He tugged his collar up further and shrunk down into his jacket.
He really should have just gone home and gone to bed, but taking out a weapon and then heading out into a night as cold as this alone? It seemed a little uncharacteristic. But that just showed how little he knew about Alex Krycek.
Kawalsky picked up the pace a little, not wanting to lose Krycek once they made it into town.
Alien Bounty Hunter
As Krycek was walking, the night seemed to hush, as if there were something Other nearby.
Parallel to Kawalsky, a shape coalesced, stepping from the shadows as if it had been waiting for Krycek to move away from the school and into the open. The man - tall and heavily built, and not dressed for the cold at all, but moving surely and with purpose - didn't seem to care about Kawalsky's presence as he began to take long strides in Krycek's direction.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky didn't pick up on the guy's presence at first, but when he saw the man, he slowed down. It was the wrong move to make. He watched the situation unfold and saw that the man was heading straight for Krycek and Krycek hadn't seemed to notice.
Rather than doing the sensible thing of alerting Krycek verbally, Kawalsky broke out into a run towards him.
Alien Bounty Hunter
The man still didn't seem to notice Kawalsky, but the reason for his single-mindedness became suddenly obvious as he drew a gun with a silencer from his wind-breaker, holding at the ready as he got closer.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Despite being distracted, the sound of running through snow was enough to alert Krycek. He glanced over his shoulder, spotting Kawalsky, and seemed about to bolt.
Alien Bounty Hunter
As Krycek paused, the man's arm came up, slowing his pace slightly to aim better. Krycek hadn't spotted him yet, and he seemed ready to take full advantage of that by shooting Krycek in the back.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
From this angle, it was possible to see the gun coming out and Krycek's reaction. He didn't have time to think, he just kept running for Krycek. Krycek bolted as Kawalsky lunged for him. The two boys collided mid-movement, throwing them both off course and hurtling them a fair distance because of the force of the impact.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
A shot flew past them as they fell into a snow bank together, which both muffled their fall and softened the impact. Krycek's reaction was immediate, shoving Kawalsky off of him and moving to get up and continue his escape - then he froze immediately as he got a glimpse of the shooter. "Shit."
Alien Bounty Hunter
The man didn't seem at all dismayed at being seen, moving to try and get a clear view of Krycek to take another shot.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Grabbing Kawalsky's arm, Krycek hauled him up and nearly dragged him bodily to face the closest edge of the preserve until Kawalsky gained his balance. "Trees," he said quickly. "Run fast or we're both dead."
He only let go when Kawalsky began running alongside him, heading to the treeline and better cover even as another shot sounded, entirely too close for comfort.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
His lungs were burning already from sucking in the cold air and running. He kept up with Krycek, darting between the trees and trying not to trip on roots and loose branches.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek kept running, losing themselves in the woods just to get out of their assailant's line of sight.
Several shots wizzed by as they ran, only obvious when they hit the trunks of trees around them. Krycek didn't stop until the shots did, and then kept going until he knew they were good and lost. Hopefully the man chasing them would be as well.
Casting around for a place to rest a moment, Krycek glanced at Kawalsky as well and arched an eyebrow questioningly at him, making sure he hadn't been hit in the chase.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky patted himself down, knowing that the absence of pain didn't necessarily mean he hadn't been hit. A quick check was followed by a thumbs up and then a finger pointed at him to ask the same question.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek copied Kawalsky, his own search turning up a tear in his coat, but thankfully no injuries either. He gave a thumbs up in return, then went back to looking for cover as they walked further into the preserve.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Although he wasn't so keen on being chased by a guy with a gun, Kawalsky was at least glad that he didn't have to tell Krycek how to keep quiet. He walked in a way that showed he knew what he was doing. Kawalsky wanted answers, but they would have to wait.
In the mean time, they had to find cover that they could fortify and use to wait out the assailant. The pistol Tex had given him was still in his inner jacket pocket. He unzipped the pocket as quietly as he could and pulled it out and at the ready.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
As they moved, Krycek glanced over and arched an eyebrow at Kawalsky's gun. He didn't know the guy really well, but it was good to know he wouldn't be covering both of them.
It would have been difficult to keep going without the light from the full moon that gave them some illumination. With it, they finally found a rockface with a stand of brush that'd give them cover enough to stop for a bit and rest. Krycek wasn't quite looking forward to it, but he couldn't keep going without giving Kawalsky some idea of what they were up against.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Once they were settled in their cover spot, Kawalsky kept his voice low, but he finally spoke. "What's going on?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek gave Kawalsky a long look, then sighed, glancing out at the woods through the bushes. "Everyone in Fandom's got history," he said quietly. "This is mine apparently hunting me down."
He hated talking about his own past, even to Jake most of the time. This wasn't a time to hold his cards close though, so he continued. "You need to know, the guy after me isn't human. You shoot him, he won't die. And he can look like anyone - if we get separated, go back to the dorms. If you see me again, it might not be me."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky frowned. "If we get separated and I see you again, I'm gonna try to shoot you in the right leg. Dodge."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek smirked and nodded, more than ever grateful for Fandom's penchant for people who understood this kind of thing. "Good idea. If I don't dodge and he's shot though, don't go near him. His blood is toxic."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"As in 'don't swallow' or 'you touch it you die'?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"As in 'don't inhale the fumes or you'll die painfully'," Krycek said dryly. "And, finally, there's only one way to kill it."
Reaching into a pocket of his coat, Krycek pulled out a small tube. Pressing a button on the side, a spike shot out, doubling the thing's length, gleaming silver in the moonlight. "Stab it in the base of the neck and it dies. Get away quick though, because it'll melt into a puddle of the toxin." He arched an eyebrow. "Any questions?"
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"What'd you do to piss this guy off? Steal his kid's lunch money?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek made a face. "I exist," Krycek said shortly.
"Thanks for the save, earlier," he added after a pause, giving Kawalsky a guardedly curious look. "Military?"
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"Not anymore," Kawalsky shrugged. "I call it my 'past life'." He smirked a little as he mulled over the details. Alien shapeshifter wanted Krycek dead because he existed. Something was amiss. "You?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek cocked his head, looking at Kawalsky thoughtfully a moment. "'Past life' is a good term for it," he said, wary but hearing something in Kawalsky's explanation that felt familiar. "FBI, once. Now, eighteen again." He smirked, added cryptically, "Aliens are good for something, I guess."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky raised an eyebrow. "Little grey guy named Loki ring any bells?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
He frowned slightly. "Never knew any to call themselves by that name," he said. "But little grey guys, yeah."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"They're little bastards no matter what universe they come from. Same old tricks."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek smirked. "Can't disagree," he said. Gambling, he gave Kawalsky another curious look. "Clone? Or something else?"
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
He nodded. "Dead one minute, sixteen and in high school the next. Don't remember what happened in between. But this kind of thing's happened before where I came from, so I got the details filled in later."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"This gets eerier and eerier," Krycek said, shaking his head. "But, just so you know, I can't leave the woods tonight without making sure that fucker's dead."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"Then we're gonna need a plan. I'm thinking ambush. How does this thing move? Is it faster, stronger, smarter?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"Stronger than human, not much faster, definitely not smarter," Krycek supplied. "It's relentless. It'll keep coming back until it's dead. Like I said, just the one way to kill it for sure. You have a knife?"
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
He pulled the knife out of its sheath, flipped it in his hand and offered to Krycek handle-first. "Then let's kill it. Dunno what they taught you in the FBI, but I think we should stick to basics. One of us distracts it, the other hits it from behind."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"You keep it," Krycek said, brandishing the spike. "Just make sure, if it comes to it, you get it in as far as you can and then get the hell away."
He glanced out at the quiet, snow-covered woods. "Don't worry, I've got the experience. You want to be bait? It knows you're with me, so it's not about to let you get away with knowing it's here."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
He thought about it for a moment. A couple of weeks ago he would have nodded without much thought. Every minute he had alive was more than he should have had. He was a dead man back home. That was what got him through the bad times, what allowed him to throw himself into danger without much thought. He'd just be dead again, like he should have been anyway.
But now Alanna was in the picture. He had something to lose that he hadn't had before. It didn't stop him from nodding at Krycek, but it did give him something to think about first. "Try to stay on higher ground than it."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek chuckled. "I've done this before, don't worry."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky nodded again. "Then we've got nothing to worry..." He stopped talking and turned his head to the right, as if he heard something.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Instantly alert, Krycek listened as well. There were footsteps, slow but purposeful, and the occasional crackle of branches and undergrowth.
Alien Bounty Hunter
Following their trail through the snow, the bounty hunter appeared in the trees, gun held at the ready as it cast about for its prey.
It didn't seem wary, more purposeful, and entirely too close to their chosen cover.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky had no idea whether Krycek would understand him, but he started making basic hand signal instructions to indicate what he was going to do. They were silent and they needed a silent means of communication right now or they were dead.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek watched carefully as Kawalsky signaled his intentions, nodding his understanding when he finished. He returned the favor briefly, shifting slowly to where he could move out without being noticed.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky sucked in a breath, nodded at Krycek, counted to three in his head and made a run for it. Their assailant probably only heard the noise and saw a flurry of activity as Kawalsky ran for cover behind the nearest tree.
But he didn't stop there. He paused long enough to hear that he was being chased, then set off again.
Alien Bounty Hunter
As Kawalsky made a break for it, the bounty hunter shot at him, not caring which of the two it was; they'd both be dead by the end of the night anyway.
When Kawalsky didn't drop immediately, it persued, snow flying up beneath its feet as it ran after him.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
When the alien turned to run after Kawalsky, Krycek slipped out from their cover, shadowing the pursuit with the gun in his hand. The slim spike was in his pocket, easily reached when he'd need it, but the gun was a better idea for now.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Don't look back, don't look back, Kawalsky told himself as he ran. He hit a certain distance, the darted to the left. They had to circle around, get back to where they started from and get into position for Krycek.
But first he had to hold the thing off long enough for Krycek to get into position. Charlie didn't know how long that would take. He had to guess and hope that his guess was right.
He made a hard left, bouncing off a tree trunk as he ran.
Alien Bounty Hunter
Another shot, the bullet winging off the tree Kawalsky'd bounced off of, and the bounty hunter hot on his heels.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
He couldn't help but instinctively duck. Even after being shot at countless times, he still ducked every time. He was pretty sure their hiding place was coming up. Kawalsky pushed himself even harder, legs burning from the exertion, while he tried not to trip.
Alien Bounty Hunter
With longer strides, the alien trailed just behind Kawalsky as they neared the rendevous point, and took another shot as Kawalsky leapt over a tree root.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"Gahg!" came the strangled cry as the bullet clipped his left leg mid-air. The leg came down, but awkwardly and Kawalsky tumbled to the ground heavily.
Alien Bounty Hunter
As Kawalsky fell, the alien came closer, gun held unerringly on the young man as he moved to give the killing shot.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek saw them as Kawalsky led the bounty hunter back to where he was waiting, but from where he was, shooting to keep him from killing his companion was out of the question.
He burst from his hiding spot, dropping his gun and drawing the spike as he ran forward, tackling the bounty hunter before he could pull the trigger.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky heard the scuffle rather than the gunshot, and took the opportunity to scramble to his feet and take cover before another shot could be fired at him.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek rolled with the alien as they hit the ground, shouldering the gun out of harm's way.
Alien Bounty Hunter
It made no noise as it struggled with Krycek, using its greater weight to roll Krycek to his back.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek swore as he tried to fight it off, but it leaned an arm against his throat, cutting off his air and pinning him down. He scrabbled for the spike in his jacket as he tried to draw breath, but his vision was already graying slightly with the pressure and lack of oxygen.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
The grip on Krycek tightened briefly, then released. It stiffened and its eyes went wide as it toppled to the side, revealing Kawalsky ramming his knife further into the back of its neck.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Suddenly able to breathe, Krycek gasped, filling his lungs with precious air as he looked up at Kawalsky in surprise.
He had to move though, and quickly. Sitting up with some effort, he motioned for Kawalsky to get away; they had only moments before the alien would kill them anyway.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky didn't know if the knife needed to stay in there or not, and he decided not to find out. He limped backwards a couple of paces and then started a jog-hop away. "Krycek, c'mon!" he yelled over his shoulder.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
He pushed himself to his feet and staggered after Kawalsky as the body of the bounty hunter began to melt. The snow hissed as flesh became green slime, noxious fumes rising up like smoke as it dissolved.
Krycek caught up with Kawalsky and slid an arm under the other boy's to help him along, eager just to put distance between them and the toxic mess.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky had to grit his teeth together as he walked, but once they were far enough away that Krycek was content to pause, he glanced at his impromptu partner in crime. "Next time we hang out, I get to pick what we do."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek glanced back at Kawalsky and grinned. "Sure," he said, voice scratchy and hoarse. "That seems fair."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky couldn't help but laugh. He leaned down to take a look at his leg. It wasn't bad. Just a painful scratch. "Let's get outta here. You need to go to the clinic?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"No," Krycek said, wincing as he tried to swallow to clear his throat. "You okay?"
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"Yeah. Just clipped me. I can clean it up. That gonna be the only thing coming after you?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"The only one I know about," Krycek said, shrugging, trying not to talk too much. "I got warning - should get another, if there's more."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky nodded as they headed in what he thought was the way towards the school. "If you need a wing man, call me."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek was silent for a minute, finally giving Kawalsky an indecipherable look. He'd seen a lot of weird things since he'd come to Fandom, but this was one that actually surprised him, especially for being rather pleasant. "Thanks. You too."
[ooc: NFB please, though mentioning that the boys were outside in the wee hours is okay. Preplayed, so no interaction available. Comments cherished and loved forever and ever. Thank you to kawalsky for making this so fun and awesome! ]
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Armed and cautious, Krycek stepped out into the crisp, quiet night. The snow made everything seem hushed, solemn, but it also made stealth difficult; thankfully, he'd had practice at it and his steps were silent as he moved out.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
A few moments later, Kawalsky emerged into the open air. He wasn't a stranger to following quietly when he had to, and he knew to keep his distance.
The snow was going to make it tricky. He'd have to keep back even further and risk losing Krycek. But something was up and he was suspicious.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek moved steadily out into the cold night, breath puffing out in white clouds as he headed in the direction of town.
He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, almost as deeply in thought as he walked, paying attention to keeping his presence quiet and unnoticed and not as much to who may have been following.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
With a distance between them, it was easier for Kawalsky to follow along without watching how heavily he was walking. He tugged his collar up further and shrunk down into his jacket.
He really should have just gone home and gone to bed, but taking out a weapon and then heading out into a night as cold as this alone? It seemed a little uncharacteristic. But that just showed how little he knew about Alex Krycek.
Kawalsky picked up the pace a little, not wanting to lose Krycek once they made it into town.
Alien Bounty Hunter
As Krycek was walking, the night seemed to hush, as if there were something Other nearby.
Parallel to Kawalsky, a shape coalesced, stepping from the shadows as if it had been waiting for Krycek to move away from the school and into the open. The man - tall and heavily built, and not dressed for the cold at all, but moving surely and with purpose - didn't seem to care about Kawalsky's presence as he began to take long strides in Krycek's direction.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky didn't pick up on the guy's presence at first, but when he saw the man, he slowed down. It was the wrong move to make. He watched the situation unfold and saw that the man was heading straight for Krycek and Krycek hadn't seemed to notice.
Rather than doing the sensible thing of alerting Krycek verbally, Kawalsky broke out into a run towards him.
Alien Bounty Hunter
The man still didn't seem to notice Kawalsky, but the reason for his single-mindedness became suddenly obvious as he drew a gun with a silencer from his wind-breaker, holding at the ready as he got closer.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Despite being distracted, the sound of running through snow was enough to alert Krycek. He glanced over his shoulder, spotting Kawalsky, and seemed about to bolt.
Alien Bounty Hunter
As Krycek paused, the man's arm came up, slowing his pace slightly to aim better. Krycek hadn't spotted him yet, and he seemed ready to take full advantage of that by shooting Krycek in the back.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
From this angle, it was possible to see the gun coming out and Krycek's reaction. He didn't have time to think, he just kept running for Krycek. Krycek bolted as Kawalsky lunged for him. The two boys collided mid-movement, throwing them both off course and hurtling them a fair distance because of the force of the impact.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
A shot flew past them as they fell into a snow bank together, which both muffled their fall and softened the impact. Krycek's reaction was immediate, shoving Kawalsky off of him and moving to get up and continue his escape - then he froze immediately as he got a glimpse of the shooter. "Shit."
Alien Bounty Hunter
The man didn't seem at all dismayed at being seen, moving to try and get a clear view of Krycek to take another shot.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Grabbing Kawalsky's arm, Krycek hauled him up and nearly dragged him bodily to face the closest edge of the preserve until Kawalsky gained his balance. "Trees," he said quickly. "Run fast or we're both dead."
He only let go when Kawalsky began running alongside him, heading to the treeline and better cover even as another shot sounded, entirely too close for comfort.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
His lungs were burning already from sucking in the cold air and running. He kept up with Krycek, darting between the trees and trying not to trip on roots and loose branches.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek kept running, losing themselves in the woods just to get out of their assailant's line of sight.
Several shots wizzed by as they ran, only obvious when they hit the trunks of trees around them. Krycek didn't stop until the shots did, and then kept going until he knew they were good and lost. Hopefully the man chasing them would be as well.
Casting around for a place to rest a moment, Krycek glanced at Kawalsky as well and arched an eyebrow questioningly at him, making sure he hadn't been hit in the chase.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky patted himself down, knowing that the absence of pain didn't necessarily mean he hadn't been hit. A quick check was followed by a thumbs up and then a finger pointed at him to ask the same question.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek copied Kawalsky, his own search turning up a tear in his coat, but thankfully no injuries either. He gave a thumbs up in return, then went back to looking for cover as they walked further into the preserve.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Although he wasn't so keen on being chased by a guy with a gun, Kawalsky was at least glad that he didn't have to tell Krycek how to keep quiet. He walked in a way that showed he knew what he was doing. Kawalsky wanted answers, but they would have to wait.
In the mean time, they had to find cover that they could fortify and use to wait out the assailant. The pistol Tex had given him was still in his inner jacket pocket. He unzipped the pocket as quietly as he could and pulled it out and at the ready.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
As they moved, Krycek glanced over and arched an eyebrow at Kawalsky's gun. He didn't know the guy really well, but it was good to know he wouldn't be covering both of them.
It would have been difficult to keep going without the light from the full moon that gave them some illumination. With it, they finally found a rockface with a stand of brush that'd give them cover enough to stop for a bit and rest. Krycek wasn't quite looking forward to it, but he couldn't keep going without giving Kawalsky some idea of what they were up against.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Once they were settled in their cover spot, Kawalsky kept his voice low, but he finally spoke. "What's going on?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek gave Kawalsky a long look, then sighed, glancing out at the woods through the bushes. "Everyone in Fandom's got history," he said quietly. "This is mine apparently hunting me down."
He hated talking about his own past, even to Jake most of the time. This wasn't a time to hold his cards close though, so he continued. "You need to know, the guy after me isn't human. You shoot him, he won't die. And he can look like anyone - if we get separated, go back to the dorms. If you see me again, it might not be me."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky frowned. "If we get separated and I see you again, I'm gonna try to shoot you in the right leg. Dodge."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek smirked and nodded, more than ever grateful for Fandom's penchant for people who understood this kind of thing. "Good idea. If I don't dodge and he's shot though, don't go near him. His blood is toxic."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"As in 'don't swallow' or 'you touch it you die'?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"As in 'don't inhale the fumes or you'll die painfully'," Krycek said dryly. "And, finally, there's only one way to kill it."
Reaching into a pocket of his coat, Krycek pulled out a small tube. Pressing a button on the side, a spike shot out, doubling the thing's length, gleaming silver in the moonlight. "Stab it in the base of the neck and it dies. Get away quick though, because it'll melt into a puddle of the toxin." He arched an eyebrow. "Any questions?"
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"What'd you do to piss this guy off? Steal his kid's lunch money?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek made a face. "I exist," Krycek said shortly.
"Thanks for the save, earlier," he added after a pause, giving Kawalsky a guardedly curious look. "Military?"
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"Not anymore," Kawalsky shrugged. "I call it my 'past life'." He smirked a little as he mulled over the details. Alien shapeshifter wanted Krycek dead because he existed. Something was amiss. "You?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek cocked his head, looking at Kawalsky thoughtfully a moment. "'Past life' is a good term for it," he said, wary but hearing something in Kawalsky's explanation that felt familiar. "FBI, once. Now, eighteen again." He smirked, added cryptically, "Aliens are good for something, I guess."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky raised an eyebrow. "Little grey guy named Loki ring any bells?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
He frowned slightly. "Never knew any to call themselves by that name," he said. "But little grey guys, yeah."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"They're little bastards no matter what universe they come from. Same old tricks."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek smirked. "Can't disagree," he said. Gambling, he gave Kawalsky another curious look. "Clone? Or something else?"
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
He nodded. "Dead one minute, sixteen and in high school the next. Don't remember what happened in between. But this kind of thing's happened before where I came from, so I got the details filled in later."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"This gets eerier and eerier," Krycek said, shaking his head. "But, just so you know, I can't leave the woods tonight without making sure that fucker's dead."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"Then we're gonna need a plan. I'm thinking ambush. How does this thing move? Is it faster, stronger, smarter?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"Stronger than human, not much faster, definitely not smarter," Krycek supplied. "It's relentless. It'll keep coming back until it's dead. Like I said, just the one way to kill it for sure. You have a knife?"
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
He pulled the knife out of its sheath, flipped it in his hand and offered to Krycek handle-first. "Then let's kill it. Dunno what they taught you in the FBI, but I think we should stick to basics. One of us distracts it, the other hits it from behind."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"You keep it," Krycek said, brandishing the spike. "Just make sure, if it comes to it, you get it in as far as you can and then get the hell away."
He glanced out at the quiet, snow-covered woods. "Don't worry, I've got the experience. You want to be bait? It knows you're with me, so it's not about to let you get away with knowing it's here."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
He thought about it for a moment. A couple of weeks ago he would have nodded without much thought. Every minute he had alive was more than he should have had. He was a dead man back home. That was what got him through the bad times, what allowed him to throw himself into danger without much thought. He'd just be dead again, like he should have been anyway.
But now Alanna was in the picture. He had something to lose that he hadn't had before. It didn't stop him from nodding at Krycek, but it did give him something to think about first. "Try to stay on higher ground than it."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek chuckled. "I've done this before, don't worry."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky nodded again. "Then we've got nothing to worry..." He stopped talking and turned his head to the right, as if he heard something.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Instantly alert, Krycek listened as well. There were footsteps, slow but purposeful, and the occasional crackle of branches and undergrowth.
Alien Bounty Hunter
Following their trail through the snow, the bounty hunter appeared in the trees, gun held at the ready as it cast about for its prey.
It didn't seem wary, more purposeful, and entirely too close to their chosen cover.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky had no idea whether Krycek would understand him, but he started making basic hand signal instructions to indicate what he was going to do. They were silent and they needed a silent means of communication right now or they were dead.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek watched carefully as Kawalsky signaled his intentions, nodding his understanding when he finished. He returned the favor briefly, shifting slowly to where he could move out without being noticed.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky sucked in a breath, nodded at Krycek, counted to three in his head and made a run for it. Their assailant probably only heard the noise and saw a flurry of activity as Kawalsky ran for cover behind the nearest tree.
But he didn't stop there. He paused long enough to hear that he was being chased, then set off again.
Alien Bounty Hunter
As Kawalsky made a break for it, the bounty hunter shot at him, not caring which of the two it was; they'd both be dead by the end of the night anyway.
When Kawalsky didn't drop immediately, it persued, snow flying up beneath its feet as it ran after him.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
When the alien turned to run after Kawalsky, Krycek slipped out from their cover, shadowing the pursuit with the gun in his hand. The slim spike was in his pocket, easily reached when he'd need it, but the gun was a better idea for now.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Don't look back, don't look back, Kawalsky told himself as he ran. He hit a certain distance, the darted to the left. They had to circle around, get back to where they started from and get into position for Krycek.
But first he had to hold the thing off long enough for Krycek to get into position. Charlie didn't know how long that would take. He had to guess and hope that his guess was right.
He made a hard left, bouncing off a tree trunk as he ran.
Alien Bounty Hunter
Another shot, the bullet winging off the tree Kawalsky'd bounced off of, and the bounty hunter hot on his heels.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
He couldn't help but instinctively duck. Even after being shot at countless times, he still ducked every time. He was pretty sure their hiding place was coming up. Kawalsky pushed himself even harder, legs burning from the exertion, while he tried not to trip.
Alien Bounty Hunter
With longer strides, the alien trailed just behind Kawalsky as they neared the rendevous point, and took another shot as Kawalsky leapt over a tree root.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"Gahg!" came the strangled cry as the bullet clipped his left leg mid-air. The leg came down, but awkwardly and Kawalsky tumbled to the ground heavily.
Alien Bounty Hunter
As Kawalsky fell, the alien came closer, gun held unerringly on the young man as he moved to give the killing shot.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek saw them as Kawalsky led the bounty hunter back to where he was waiting, but from where he was, shooting to keep him from killing his companion was out of the question.
He burst from his hiding spot, dropping his gun and drawing the spike as he ran forward, tackling the bounty hunter before he could pull the trigger.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky heard the scuffle rather than the gunshot, and took the opportunity to scramble to his feet and take cover before another shot could be fired at him.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek rolled with the alien as they hit the ground, shouldering the gun out of harm's way.
Alien Bounty Hunter
It made no noise as it struggled with Krycek, using its greater weight to roll Krycek to his back.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek swore as he tried to fight it off, but it leaned an arm against his throat, cutting off his air and pinning him down. He scrabbled for the spike in his jacket as he tried to draw breath, but his vision was already graying slightly with the pressure and lack of oxygen.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
The grip on Krycek tightened briefly, then released. It stiffened and its eyes went wide as it toppled to the side, revealing Kawalsky ramming his knife further into the back of its neck.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Suddenly able to breathe, Krycek gasped, filling his lungs with precious air as he looked up at Kawalsky in surprise.
He had to move though, and quickly. Sitting up with some effort, he motioned for Kawalsky to get away; they had only moments before the alien would kill them anyway.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky didn't know if the knife needed to stay in there or not, and he decided not to find out. He limped backwards a couple of paces and then started a jog-hop away. "Krycek, c'mon!" he yelled over his shoulder.
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
He pushed himself to his feet and staggered after Kawalsky as the body of the bounty hunter began to melt. The snow hissed as flesh became green slime, noxious fumes rising up like smoke as it dissolved.
Krycek caught up with Kawalsky and slid an arm under the other boy's to help him along, eager just to put distance between them and the toxic mess.
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky had to grit his teeth together as he walked, but once they were far enough away that Krycek was content to pause, he glanced at his impromptu partner in crime. "Next time we hang out, I get to pick what we do."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek glanced back at Kawalsky and grinned. "Sure," he said, voice scratchy and hoarse. "That seems fair."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky couldn't help but laugh. He leaned down to take a look at his leg. It wasn't bad. Just a painful scratch. "Let's get outta here. You need to go to the clinic?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"No," Krycek said, wincing as he tried to swallow to clear his throat. "You okay?"
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
"Yeah. Just clipped me. I can clean it up. That gonna be the only thing coming after you?"
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
"The only one I know about," Krycek said, shrugging, trying not to talk too much. "I got warning - should get another, if there's more."
Kawalsky
(kawalsky)
Kawalsky nodded as they headed in what he thought was the way towards the school. "If you need a wing man, call me."
Krycek
(krycek_rat)
Krycek was silent for a minute, finally giving Kawalsky an indecipherable look. He'd seen a lot of weird things since he'd come to Fandom, but this was one that actually surprised him, especially for being rather pleasant. "Thanks. You too."
[ooc: NFB please, though mentioning that the boys were outside in the wee hours is okay. Preplayed, so no interaction available. Comments cherished and loved forever and ever. Thank you to kawalsky for making this so fun and awesome! ]