I can’t believe I got myself shot! I know I was shot. It feels like I was shot. I know that pain on my right shoulder wasn’t there before I got into this…mess. Man, this is screwed up.
“Dude, this is so fucked up man.” Trust AJ to drop down next to you and say the obvious. As if I don’t already know how fucked we are right now. We looked pathetic, two grown guys hiding behind this…boulder…scared for our lives. We should be out there, hunting them down, not hiding from them. Cowards.
“Tell me,” I winced and attempted to push myself straighter as my right hand fight to hold on to the firm grip of the gun. “is it suppose to be this painful?”
“Dude, you got shot?” My eyes are closed, which I am thankful for, because I know I’d say something sarcastic had I seen AJ’s expression right now, which is stupid by the way, his expression. Only AJ feels the need to verbalise things that the eyes can see and tell. I nodded.
“Hey I hear getting shot at is painful business so nothing abnormal going on there.”
“Thanks AJ.”
“Yeah, whatever.” There are yelling going around us and I thought I heard Brian cried out in pain and God, I hope he’s okay. “You know you have to go on right?”
“I know,” I said and spotted a blur whizzing from tree to tree. I calculated my aim and figured I could get a clear shot if it decided to come out and play. “Nine o’clock AJ, you got my back?”
“You sure it’s one of them?”
“I got shot, not got my eyes blown off, I can still see.”
“You know, you can be a real bitch sometime.”
“I tell you what,” I whispered while I raise the gun, mutter a silent fuck at the strain on my shoulder and aim at the son of a bitch. “When you get shot, I’ll let you bitch till next Sunday.”
I aimed the gun and stilled my aching shoulder, I knew, before it happened, that I only got one shot at this motherfucker. I heard a rustling sound to my right but ignored it, knowing AJ got me covered. I heard him fired a shot and someone cried out in pain and I couldn’t help the smirk.
It came out from hiding and from the stance, I knew I was a prey to him. I saw the glint of red aimed at me and I didn’t falter, knew I got this in the bag and pulled the trigger. His yell was all I need to know that I shot him.
“Did you get it?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Good, cause we need to make a move man. I think Howie’s in trouble.”
“Howie’s always in trouble.”
“Man, I wish Kevin’s here.”
Don’t we all?
AJ started making all these signs with his hands, as if we were soldiers on a battle ground and I couldn’t help but gave him a smack on the back of his head. The stinging pain on my shoulder was well worth it.
“Dude what the hell?”
“Stop your army bullshit Alex, I can hear you well.”
“You’re no fun Nick.”
I rolled my eyes but I doubt he could see it, in this dark. “Where is he anyway?”
“See those pile of huge ass logs?” I squinted and found what I was looking for.
“He’s there?”
“Nope. See that small barrel three feet away from it?” I squinted again and found the tiny barrel and thought how odd for such a thing to be there.
“Yeah.”
“He’s behind that barrel.”
Oh we are so dead.
“What the fuck man.”
“What?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Dude seriously, I’m not psychic, I can’t read what’s going on in that blonde head of yours.”
“Dude, that barrel won’t hide all three of us man, going there is suicidal. At least one of us is gonna get shot that way.”
“We should go down in a blaze of glory.”
“I don’t want to go down in any kind of blaze AJ, there’s too much at stake here and where the fuck is Brian?”
AJ shrugged, which was very unsoldier like if I do say so myself.
“One thing at a time all right? We’ll go by the log and then get Howie to join us. See that boulder to the left?”
“The one in front of the logs?”
“Yeah. We need more ammo, now I bet they stashed some by the bush over there, see how that sonofabitch is guarding it?”
I didn’t even notice the well camouflaged bastard until AJ pointed it out to me. I heard someone cried out again and something erupted nearby, followed by thick smoke. My eyes were burning and I stifled a cough. Man, what did we get ourselves into?
“Yeah, yeah, I see him. So…you’re going for the boulder and distract them while me and Howie go pull a surprise on the dude and steal their supply?”
“I know I love you for something Nicky.”
Ugh, AJ can be annoying sometimes, then again, the same could be said about me. “Yeah well, sorry to blow your bubble there sweetheart, but eyeliner emo bald guys are not my type.”
AJ actually had the time to pout. I know we’re wearing masks and all but I can totally see him pouting, he’s that transparent. I didn’t wait for him and studied our surrounding one last time before making a dash to the pile of logs.
“Hey now, I’m balding, not yet bald…”
I cut him off cause I really don’t want to spend what could be our final moments in this place debating about the state of his hair. Meanwhile, I caught Howie in the midst of shooting the enemy twice on the chest. The thing was already injured and the two shots finally put it to rest.
“Dude, nice.”
Howie winked and then said, “Nicky, down!” I didn’t give it another thought and went straight down to my knees, ducking even lower if possible for my long limbs. Man my shoulder’s a burning hotplate.
I heard a frustrated ‘fuck’ when someone fell, Howie obviously met his target. AJ gave a loud ‘wooohooo!’ and earned another smack on his head.
“Nick, for fuck’s sake!”
“You’re gonna give us away you idiot!”
“Dude, you need to chill.”
“Chill? Chill! AJ I’m SHOT if you haven’t already noticed and by the way things are going, we’re all gonna be dead soon enough!”
“No we’re not, so please stop with the drama.”
“I don’t do drama, that’s your thing.”
“Fuck you Nicky.”
“Fuck right back at you AJ!”
“Guys!” the voice of reason has spoken. We stopped and stared at Howie. Small, hobbity Howie. “Brian’s gone. We’re all that’s left.”
I couldn’t believe it. It couldn’t be true. I thought I heard Brian earlier, going ‘yes!’ like he just won the damn fucking lottery. No way, he can’t be dead. What the fuck!
“Dude, for real?”
Howie nodded. “Look, we’re not safe, we’re the only ones left and all of us in one place is a stupid thing to do, they can get us in one ambush guys. We need to split up.”
“And get killed?” I asked. “Strength in numbers Howie. Brian died because we split up! I mean, guys, shouldn’t we take Kevin as an example? God, I knew there’s a lesson to learn somewhere in there.”
“Don’t drag Kevin into this Nick.”
“You, shut the fuck up, AJ.”
“Guys…”
I really pity Howie…sometimes. The things he had to put up with being in this band. Kevin must be happy he doesn’t have to handle this kind of shit anymore.
“I’m just saying we’d be stronger if Kevin was here,” I said, feeling the sudden need to explain myself, for whatever reason that may be.
“We’re keeping to the plan okay,” AJ cut me, because he always just likes to cut me. “I’m distracting them bitches while you both make a run for their stash. More ammo for us, the better.”
“Um, shouldn’t we say a prayer at least?” Howie asked.
“For Brian.”
“Sure Howard, and then we can say a prayer for ourselves too because you know, by the time we say ‘amen’ there’ll be, oh I don’t know, a bunch of them with their guns aimed at our heads?” AJ exclaimed.
Howie actually shrank. “I’m just saying…”
And that was it, AJ made his move towards the boulder and the moment we heard him starting his shooting rampage, we made our way to what hopefully would be the hidden stash and gave our little surprise to the dude guarding the stash and off him twice to the chest and once to the head. 3 shots, that ought to do it.
We grabbed for the bag of ammos and made our way deeper, going into their territory and made a half round from the back. And there we stood, the entire battlefield from our enemy’s point of view. I could see our camp from here and could immediately point out the boulder where AJ currently was seeking protection. He wasn’t shooting anymore and I could only hope he was still alive.
But the best part has got to be this.
There, just merely five feet from us, hiding behind the bushes, were the three remaining bastards. Kill them all, and victory would be ours. I could see Howie grin even from behind that mask. We nodded once and then aimed our guns at the three, unsuspecting victims.
“Here’s your goddamn blaze of glory AJ,” I smirked, before Howie and I went shooting crazy, shooting them down more times than necessary. Their shouts of ‘oww’ and ‘fuck’, are music to our ears.
AJ was doing his victory dance and started making a run back to our camp and grabbed our flag and started waving it around like some deranged psycho. We’ve won, and Brian’s death was justified. He’ll get a proper, heroic burial and his legend will live throughout the history for everyone to read.
The lights came back on, almost blinding me, completely taking away the darkness that had engulfed this room for far too long. My shoulder ached but it didn’t matter anymore. We’re not going to lose some five grand to these idiots and I get to keep my Xbox from the prying hands of Marcus.
Howie and I high five and started throwing around our smug faces as the bodyguards and some crew members got up from the ground, rubbing at their chests and shoulders, trying to get the blue paint off their forehead and hair. I looked down to my shoulder and couldn’t help noticing how real the red paint look like blood to me. Scary.
Logs turned back to couch, barrel turned to coffee table, boulders became turned over tables and trees were tall concrete beams while bushes became fake plants. This would be a bitch to clean up.
I saw Brian getting up somewhere behind a fake wall and while he rubbed his chest, AJ was going over the three red spots on Brian’s chest, torso and forehead. That must have hurt like a bitch.
Marcus made his way towards me and I threw him my most obnoxious smirk and he shook his head.
“I thought without Kevin, we could get you boys easy with the handicap.”
Well, who’s to say we’re not handicapped anyway? Sometimes it does feel like we’ve lost a limb, but other times…we get by. “Hell no man…the dude might not be here anymore, but his legacy lives on.”
“He taught you well.” Marcus nodded.
“And don’t you forget it the next time you think it’s a smart idea to challenge me into putting my Xbox on the betting list against you.”
He laughed, and maybe he forgets this, but Marcus is all meat and muscles, and when he patted my back as a friendly gesture, it really is brutal to the receiver of the said pat.
I winced again, this pain on my shoulder is going to leave a bruise, I know it.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Wrote this about a month ago, which was last year, lol. Meant to post it sooner but of course silly me accidentally delete it off and I just found my backup today, yay for small miracles huh? And you'll realise that the summary has very little to do with the fic, so forgive me if i've misled you, I didnt mean to be difficult. Unbetaed so mistakes aplenty, sorry!
