damned_institute | Night 62: Mission #1 [Daemon Sadi and Abarai Renji]

She was huddled against the makeshift fire, crying until her brown eyes turned bloodshot and her dark hair froze from the tears. A pathetic display by anyone's standards, but Melissa could no longer care. She had an excuse: an unforgiving wilderness, a precious bundle, and their only hope for survival fading quickly from her presence. It had been a miracle Captain McDonald managed so far with a punctured torso, but even the most persistent soldier had his limits.

He had lost consciousness minutes prior. There was no doubt that the man would soon succumb to the cold and the loss of blood. If all those nature shows had taught her anything, it was that she and her unborn child would follow him in time. Her military-issued clothes, the fire--they would not keep out the cold for long.

Melissa stared woefully at McDonald's prone body, one hand reaching down to protectively nudge against her belly. If only that radio hadn't broken down, they might have alerted someone (anyone) to their presence. Instead, the chances were quickly dwindling to zero.

Who could blame her, therefore, for crying?

Gun, Renji said. They suck. Don't let them get pointed at you.

He ducked, rolling to avoid a barrage of fire. Two more bullets grazed him, another nicking his leg a bit more badly. Flash step was good, but bullets were fast too.

HOWL

Zabimaru ripped through another of the humans. I'm fine. They're just humans. Stop distracting me.

Someone had vaguely explained guns to them once, but he'd never realized they made such an infernal clamor. He grimaced at Renji's scolding however, wishing for a moment that he'd thought to put a full Red-fueled Shield on the man. Just in case. He'd never thought he'd come across someone more reckless than his brother, but Renji might have Lucivar beat.

But at the moment, he had other things to worry about. Namely the too-still form of a male stretched out beside the fire and the young woman beside him, obviously in tears and considerable strain from her pale features.

"Miss Ranger?" he spoke, his voice soft as he held up his hands in a sign of no-harm. "Are you Miss Melissa Ranger?" He certainly hoped so. How many pregnant women could there be out in this snowstorm? "We've been sent to find you. To bring you home."

Before she could think to breathe, there stood a man, as if he had always been. His features were catching, inhuman in most circles, and her eyes locked instantly to his form. The combination of shock, distress, and another's unusual traits and words made her heart skip and her mind wonder if she was currently hallucinating. A dream of the dying, perhaps. Melissa couldn't be certain.

The only truth that remained was her very human reactions, and her tears grew threefold.

"Y-Yes," she stammered, scrambling to her feet. It was no easy feat with the baby. "I'm M-Melissa Ranger. I'm--" So thankful. She just couldn't finish.

Daemon closed the distance between them with a single graceful move as she struggled to get to her feet. One hand clasped her elbow while the other wound its way about her waist to support against the small of her back. "Easy now," he spoke gently, soothing her. her hands were like ice in his and he instinctively sent a warming spell through his hands, spreading into her where they touched. His eyes were dark with concern as he checked to make sure she was alright.

"It's alright, Miss Ranger. We're here to keep you safe. Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked. he could find nothing visible, but that meant little. And her companion would need tending but first things first. And no male worth anything would let a lady wait.

Especially when she was crying. Dammit. Like any of his gender, he had a ridiculous weakness for crying females. A handkerchief was pulled out storage and held out to her.

If not for heightened emotions, Melissa might have noted the drastic change, the effects of heat expanding from limb to torso. Her mind, however, lost its filters, and the usually docile young woman began to ramble.

"I'm--" No, that wasn't correct. "We're okay. I can walk, at least." Grateful, Melissa took the handkerchief and blubbered into the cloth, appearing much younger than she felt. "But Captain McDonald. He's hurt so badly," came the conclusion. It likely did not need to be said. At least, it hurt too much to come to terms with the possibility, but his state was all she could grasp mentally.

For a valid reason, too. The aforementioned man remained still, as close as one could come to a corpse.

Daemon took a moment to give her a reassuring smile, his hand lingering until some of the iciness had faded from her skin. "Good. That's good to hear. We'll get you out of here in a moment, alright? My friend is just taking care of those outside. Let me take a look at your friend in the meantime, alright?" he murmured, his voice a comforting croon.

He shifted then, crouching down beside the Captain, fingers searching out a pulse even as he carefully examined the man with Craft. He wasn't a Healer but he had basic skills. Enough years spent on a battlefield and patching up those abused by their 'betters' had taught him many tricks. The man was feverish and unconscious, the injury to his chest obvious, though someone had been clever enough to fashion a makeshift bandage for it. He had no healing brews, and there was no time to weave a healing web, so he fell back on basics, letting raw power seep into the man, his will used to speed what natural healing he could. It wasn't a solution, but it would help until they could get the man to an actual Healer.

Renji, I've found them. The female is alright but the male is badly wounded. He'll have to be carried out and I'm not sure how steady she will be on her feet. How are you faring?

Yeah, I got it out here. Just a second.

There was a series of screams as he used shunpou to get behind the two remaining humans and shredded them into scraps with Zabimaru. He sheathed the sword then went over to the tent.

Renji wasn't exactly unscathed; he'd been grazed by bullets more than a few times, and his left sleeve was starting to soak with blood. He didn't seem at all bothered by it, though, as he stepped inside.

"All done. Let's go. You want me to carry the guy?"

"O-Of course," stammered Melissa, who appeared perfectly willing to allow a complete stranger (and his friend) to handle the situation. Being around military personnel for so long, one became accustomed to leaving one's fate to someone who knew better.

Especially since the Captain seemed to respond to the man's touch, evident by the deeper, cleaner breaths. She wasn't sure what was being done, but the young woman refused to question. The sooner they could get out of this wretched mountain-scape alive, the better, and only an idiot would hinder the treatment of the injured.

It finally struck her, then. Something mentioned just a minute prior, but Melissa did not think to ask until the man's companion stepped into the shelter, blood and battle clinging to his form. "Who," she began timidly, looking between the two, "is outside?" What was going on?

Daemon turned to the female first and gave her a smile, his eyes warm and his tone reassuring, calming. "This is Renji, we were both sent here to find you and bring you back to safety," he answered, motioning at the redhead before he let his gaze wander speculatively over his companion. Golden eyes narrowed as he took in the injuries and cuts visible, the blood that was staining his clothes. He'd give him hell for that later.

"No," he answered Renji, already sliding his hands under the Captain's still form, sending a bit of Craft along to aid him. "You may need your hands free in case we run into anyone else. I've got him. Stick close to Renji, Miss Ranger. He'll make sure that none get close to you."

"Bad people, honey, but they're all dead now," Renji said to Melissa.

He nodded. "Okay. Let's get moving. Still need you to check the map and point us in the right direction Daemon, but after that I got the front. I'll break us a good trail."

And, it went without saying, he was better off being the meat shield anyway.

"Come on." He held the shelter's rather flimsy door open. "Cold as all hell, but it'll be fine so long as we keep moving."

The mention of death sent a shudder through her. The talk of "bad people" accentuated the fear. Captain McDonald had warned her of insurgents, mostly in regards to how they would not waste a breath shooting down a pregnant woman. One might argue that he was exaggerating, but the rumors surrounding that group...

She exhaled, an attempt at keeping herself level. "...Alright," gave Melissa, edging closer to the man named Renji as suggested. If they were to venture out into the cold, she was not going to risk being contrary.

"I checked it before we came down," Daemon answered Renji, referring to the map. He stood, giving a quiet grunt at the effort of it, but settled easily enough, the unconscious male cradled carefully in his arms. He didn't look good. Daemon just hoped his spells would hold until they could reach the rendezvous.

"Keep heading the direction we were going, if you haven't gotten turned around. The rendezvous point shouldn't be too far out, this camp was between us and it. At least they didn't have us running in too many circles. We'll follow you. I'll keep an eye out behind as well."

Renji didn't mince any more words. He was tempted to ask the pregnant girl if she was okay, but they'd pretty much gotten to do or die time and she really didn't have any options other than okay if she wanted to get out alive. And hey, she seemed to be on her feet all right.

"Gotcha. Stick close, it's nasty out."

Renji headed back out into the cold without more comment than that, turning to face the way they'd been head (almost directly into the wind... great) and heading in that direction. Splashes of blood decorated the snow liberally near the tent, but once they got out into the drifts again where he actually had to break the trail, it went back to being just plain white.

He normally wasn't the most chatty person in the world, and this time around he wanted to save all his energy for making a good path for Daemon and the lady to follow.

"Thank god," Melissa muttered beneath her breath. A rendezvous point was the official tell for a military-based operation; they definitely had not forgotten about them. She glanced briefly at their precarious surroundings before nodding to Renji.

After all that, she was not going to risk ignoring orders.

The first taste of the open was the freezing wind, and her breath caught neatly in her throat. Melissa pushed a layer of her scarf over her mouth, allowing her a pocket of lukewarm air to take in instead. The red-haired man took the initiative as planned, and without a moment's delay, she followed after him, her legs waddling due to her condition.

Daemon brought up the rear, sticking close to the young woman just in case she needed aid. "Steady," he murmured to her as they got into the deeper snow drifts outside the makeshift camp. "We don't have to go far."

He hefted the man he carried a little higher in his arms, finding a more comfortable way to distribute his weight. The icy wind was biting against his face but he ignored it for now. Instead, as they trudged through the snow, Daemon trusted the direction and front to Renji, while he kept probing the distance behind them, making sure they weren't being followed.

So far, despite the discomfort of the cold and the small party of foes, this had been relatively simple for a rescue mission. That in itself made Daemon uneasy.

Renji only grunted in response and concentrated on trampling down the snow as he moved. He was starting to really hate all this white shit. A lot.

He was trying to keep his senses open in case of another attack, but he was primarily alert for humans since that was what they'd encountered before. So at first he didn't notice the sensation of being watched, because there weren't people around.

They began cutting across a slope - even rougher going, but the most direct route - when Renji heard a roar, something that was definitely not just the howling wind.

He paused, looking around. "Daemon, did you-- oh fuck me."

Renji squinted against the snow, looking up the steep slope. It was hard to tell in the blowing snow, but he thought there was something moving. And if so, it was big. Really big.

He drew Zabimaru.

Not far, right. Melissa was trying best to see the bright end of the spectrum, but having a burden complicated even the simplest of matters. She was glad, however, they were considering her condition, even if it meant delaying the Captain's treatment...

She swallowed thickly and did what she could to keep pace.

They were in the process of crossing over a slope when a sound caused Renji to stop abruptly and call to the man behind her. Melissa blinked, uncertain of what had just occurred, before she visibly gaped at the weapon drawn. Something was wrong--wrong to the point of danger--and the young woman hadn't an idea on how to respond but stay passively standing.

Daemon staggered to a halt a moment before he collided with the young woman stopped in front of him. He lifted his head, peering through a swirling gust of snow that momentarily blinded him. "Renji? What is it?" he asked, already probing ahead.

It wasn't hard to miss, once he looked for it. "Hell's Fire," he cursed under his breath. He trudged forward another few steps until he stood beside Miss Ranger, withing hearing distance of the Shinigami. "What is it? Can you see it?" he asked. His magic might be sharp, but he was having trouble picking up any visual sign of whatever-it-was.

"Dunno what it is, other'n big," Renji said. He squinted up the slope, trying to shield his eyes with one hand. "Big as the thing we double teamed a few nights ago."

Which would have been fine, only he couldn't release his bankai, and there were a couple squishy humans to think about too.

"Okay, new plan. You get the lady out of here. I'll keep this thing busy and stab the shit out of it while you do the boring part." Renji grinned at Daemon, but there was a certain amount of grimness in his expression. Now was not the time for arguing, not with another roar sounding over the wind, closer.

"Just make it quick, cause you're gonna have to come back and get me before my dik freezes off. Or else life won't be worth livin'."

He gave Daemon one more grin, feral and determined, then charged up the hill in a spray of snow.

Whatever the intrusion, it was difficult to see its details in the blizzard. Her eyes fluttered shut as the wind picked up speed, her hearing barely catching the change in plans. Melissa wasn't sure if that was the best course of action, but she was not so willing to expose her unborn child to another danger. There was, however, another aspect to consider.

She called out as clearly as possible, a difficulty with the wind as it was. "Are you sure about this?" she cried. "Shouldn't we look for another way across?"

But it was too late. The red-haired man was gone.

"Dammit, Renji!"

There was no chance of grabbing the man because the Shinigami took off with a grin that was all too familiar to Daemon. The lady's voice at his side had him cursing again, muttering the words under his breath.

Hefting the unconscious male he held with care, he rested one hand on Miss Ranger's back. "He'll be alright," he answered soothingly, just loud enough to be heard over the wind. He willed his words to be true. "Let's get you home and out of this cold, yes? The rendezvous should be just over that ridge," he added, motioning off in the way they'd been heading.

Be careful, you asshole. I'm going to be severely pissed at you if you start freezing off important bits.

Which was as close to affectionate as the pair of them ever got, really.

The young woman bit her lip, a feeling of dread washing over her. Her mother had once connected the sensation to women's intuition, the spark of knowledge bestowed to a female who knew the face of a terrible end. Melissa did not know what to think, but the claim seemed about right.

She watched the empty space Renji had composed before turning to Daemon with an uncertain face. "Y-Yes," she said, legs shifting toward the direction. A part, at least, was glad they were close to a safe point, relieved they were almost home.

Almost.

Daemon kept his thoughts carefully from his expression as he shifted his grip on the unconscious male once more and guided the young woman left in his care up the hill towards where the rendezvous location had been left on his map. All the while, he kept his attention - both physical and magical - on his surroundings, probing for a trap, even as he kept an eye on the Shinigami. Renji had wasted no time in launching into the fight, if the bursts and sparks of power he could feel were any indication. It made him impatient - and nervous - as he pushed the pace with a little more urgency than he normally would.

Topping the rise, he squinted against a gust of snow the kicked up, momentarily blinding him. Were they supposed to meet someone here? Would there be another doorway? The map hadn't indicated what he should be looking for here.

"Do you see anything out of the ordinary?" he called to her over the wind as he rubbed a gloved hand over watering eyes.

[Sorry for the delay!]

The question prompted Melissa to lift her head, forcing all of her attention on their surroundings. It was difficult to see clearly in the storm; the wind kept throwing snow into her eyes, rendering proper vision near impossible. Still, the young woman tried what she could.

Her attempt soon paid off. In the distance, she caught the ends of something indistinguishable--something resembling closest to a metal pole. "There?" she called back as she pointed toward the object.

Night 62: Mission #1 [Daemon Sadi and Abarai Renji]

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