Harpuia threw his arm up instinctively when the thing came at him, its claws slicing into unprotected skin. Before he could even think of trying a counterattack, though, someone's shout reached them. He didn't dare take his eyes away from this monster to identify where the warning had come from, but what was being said was more than enough to stop him in his tracks.
These were patients. Harpuia hadn't been able to identify anything human about this thing -- hadn't had much time to identify it period, considering how sudden its assault had been -- but if this was a patient-turned-monster... there was no way fighting back was an option. He refused to bring harm to a human, even if they were a threat to him.
Thank God that Zero didn't have that kind of hesitation. Harpuia hadn't known Zero was packing heat, and those sort of firearms were unheard of in his era -- he hadn't had any idea what that earsplitting bang was until that monster went stumbling back. He shot a wide-eyed look over his shoulder at Zero, but it didn't last long; surprise or no, Harpuia was a soldier at his core; he couldn't afford to stay startled in a situation like this.
There were other things demanding his attention, anyway: Zero and X weren't the only ones with ringing ears after that gunshot, but X was loud enough to make himself heard anyway. X wanted to play distraction? With that injured leg and nothing but a pointy bit of glass to protect himself with? He'd never be able to get away on his own, even if either Harpuia or Zero were the kind of people who'd leave someone to die. Harpuia chose to pretend that had been a suggestion, not an order, and flatly ignored it. "I'm not leaving you!" They had a good chance of making it out alive together. Nobody was going to be playing the bait if he had any say in it.
"Cover us," he snapped at Zero -- being the only one appropriately armed, he was the only one who'd be able to do much of anything if that thing recovered enough to come after them. "Warning shots only!" Harpuia couldn't say for sure if this patient-monster had been wounded or not, but he didn't want to take that chance. He braced X against his uninjured arm, and regardless of whether or not X chose to lean on him, started half-dragging, half-carrying him away. Their foe likely wouldn't stay stunned for long; debates about when it was okay to recklessly endanger yourself in acts of blind heroism could come after it was safe.
no subject
These were patients. Harpuia hadn't been able to identify anything human about this thing -- hadn't had much time to identify it period, considering how sudden its assault had been -- but if this was a patient-turned-monster... there was no way fighting back was an option. He refused to bring harm to a human, even if they were a threat to him.
Thank God that Zero didn't have that kind of hesitation. Harpuia hadn't known Zero was packing heat, and those sort of firearms were unheard of in his era -- he hadn't had any idea what that earsplitting bang was until that monster went stumbling back. He shot a wide-eyed look over his shoulder at Zero, but it didn't last long; surprise or no, Harpuia was a soldier at his core; he couldn't afford to stay startled in a situation like this.
There were other things demanding his attention, anyway: Zero and X weren't the only ones with ringing ears after that gunshot, but X was loud enough to make himself heard anyway. X wanted to play distraction? With that injured leg and nothing but a pointy bit of glass to protect himself with? He'd never be able to get away on his own, even if either Harpuia or Zero were the kind of people who'd leave someone to die. Harpuia chose to pretend that had been a suggestion, not an order, and flatly ignored it. "I'm not leaving you!" They had a good chance of making it out alive together. Nobody was going to be playing the bait if he had any say in it.
"Cover us," he snapped at Zero -- being the only one appropriately armed, he was the only one who'd be able to do much of anything if that thing recovered enough to come after them. "Warning shots only!" Harpuia couldn't say for sure if this patient-monster had been wounded or not, but he didn't want to take that chance. He braced X against his uninjured arm, and regardless of whether or not X chose to lean on him, started half-dragging, half-carrying him away. Their foe likely wouldn't stay stunned for long; debates about when it was okay to recklessly endanger yourself in acts of blind heroism could come after it was safe.