InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "You're awfully rude."

William Decker [ The Hessian ] (reclamation) wrote in bellumlogs,
@ 2010-06-22 23:49:00

Entry tags:

hessian, jim hawkins, plot: omega, plot: tempus

Who: Russell and Will
What: Operation: Commandeer, or scavenging the city.
Where: Around Paris
When: Day 3
Warnings: A little violence is likely.

Gathering supplies wasn't something Will was completely used to, but in this kind of situation, it was one of the better ideas. After the chaos of the first two days, the movement, the injuries, struggling to get anything together ... well, it was just better to head out and find what was missing, rather than waiting and getting into an even worse situation. Plus, he didn't want to hang around and do nothing for so long. It was partially just an urge to move (the wanderlust from decades past) and partially the urge to occupy his brain with something mindless, so that he didn't have to listen to and argue with the voice whispering about bloody battles in his head.

Though no matter where he went, he still had to listen. One of the others came with him when he left, the kid who'd helped him with Iris and gotten them to at least one pit stop. Russell hadn't made a bother of himself, so Will could put up with him. Even if his style of speech was a little ... antiquated, to put it politely, that wasn't going to stop him from scrounging and carrying. A fight might be another matter - if they ran into someone who wanted what they did, or into more soldiers or revolutionaries ... they could cross that bridge when they came to it.

He brought the empty bayonet anyway.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

themegazord
2010-06-24 08:49 am UTC (link)

While Russell was the one who cautiously stepped inside right after Will, it was Jim who wanted to turn over every bit of furniture and look inside every cabinet for any small item or scrap that could be useful at a later time. Moving away from his partner in sort-of-crime, he flipped the knife around blade side down so he could use it in a threatening manner should someone be hiding out of sight.

Opening a dresser, he searched through each drawer, mostly in hopes of finding anything that could be used medically or a valuable item for bartering. Money would be even better. Unfortunately save for a small brooch wrapped in cloth and hidden well in the back of one of the drawers which he pocketed, Russell didn't see much worth taking. "There be clothes for the ladies here," he called out in somewhat a hushed tone to Will, "But other than the jackets, nothing worth taking. What about ye?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

reclamation
2010-06-24 06:05 pm UTC (link)

Will searched (though not very thoroughly) the nearby cabinets, the benches, checking under things and behind doors in case there was something with tools or weapons hidden. He found nothing, not even when he made his way into what was probably the kitchen. Everything had been taken; what little was left wouldn't suffice to help him, or anybody else. Everything fresh had been taken; everything that would keep had been stolen. He did find a couple of knives in a drawer, but they were rusted.

"Same. We'll want to try next door." He paused in his speaking on the way out, thinking on Russell's strange manner of speech. It probably had something to do with his fable, but Will didn't remember anybody who spoke like a ... like a pirate, it sounded. He was tempted to ask if the kid was willing to say who, but resisted on the grounds that an equal trade would probably be exacted. And for all the Hessian's insistence that he go ahead and say it, share and spread the fear, Will had no desire to do so.

At the closed door, he tested the handle. Locked. They'd have to break in. There was a chance that people were behind this door, hoping to stay away from the chaos. But they were used to this. They could survive without some of their things. Probably.

"I'm gonna break this down. Stay clear. Be ready to move fast, or run." And, after only a cursory glance at Russel, he brought the bayonet up and smashed it into the door's edge to force it open.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

themegazord
2010-06-25 05:43 pm UTC (link)

Well that was great. At this rate they'd find absolutely nothing and then with Russell's luck they'd get mobbed and he would get pitchforked through the torso or something. It would be just like him to die in an embarrassing manner.

Nodding, Russell followed him out the door. On their short walk to the next house, he wondered what kind of person Will was to make him so formidable and scary, though he did remind him a little of Snake from Metal Gear Solid: older badass with nothing to lose--Focus, matey. He inwardly pouted at the voice in his head who also seemed to really enjoy screwing with his usual language of English and L337.

Mentally back in the present situation he simply said "Aye," and moved to the side so he was no longer directly behind Will, but out of the line of sight for anyone who might be hiding inside so it would appear that only one man was breaking in. He still hated Jim's ideas, but whatever kept them from getting killed, aye?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

reclamation
2010-06-25 05:58 pm UTC (link)

Part of him noticed the kid moving to a safer, less visible spot in the street. Smart, said that part. Knows how to keep out of danger. But not a very soldierly thing to do. He had to focus away pretty quickly, though, as the door shuddered on its hinges and nearly gave way. He pulled the gun back up and bashed the lock again, and this time it broke. The door flew inward and had he not stopped it by moving into the room, it likely would have slammed shut again.

The bayonet was up and the sight aimed, swinging around to make sure there were no threats - a throwback to the military days, but still useful - and he was rewarded by the sight of someone trying to charge at him and take him down with an entire chair. His body took over as he dodged back, hitting the wall and letting the chair smash against the ground, a leg breaking off with the force of it. Before the attacking man could heft it back up again, William had the butt of the bayonet swinging around to bash him in the skull.

One down. He whirled and faced the rest of the room, where two other men, unarmed, were crouched and ready to attack with their fists, though the sight of their ally going down without a struggle had stopped them in their tracks. There was wariness in their eyes.

make it fear make them fear insufferable creatures you seek to destroy me but i am beyond you i am beyond all

With the Hessian all but shrieking in his head, Will approached the two men. One shrank back; the other stayed where he was, torn between fight and flight. Later, some part of him would wonder at why they didn't attack him outright; there was two of them, one of him, and he didn't have them by surprise. He didn't quite understand where their fear came from.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

themegazord
2010-06-25 11:34 pm UTC (link)

Russell couldn't exactly help his need to be tactical somewhat in his maneuvers, Jim barking orders in his strange language that only made sense to himself. It wasn't until after Will had broke down the door that he made sure to follow right after.

Had he been a stronger more courageous man Russell would have been fighting the men along with Will. Even Jim demanded he try to do something to help the other man while he was fighting, but he found himself just freezing in place, staring in surprise and horror as Will apparently had a lot more control over the situation than he expected. The one man barely stood a chance before he was butted upside the head which wasn't surprising, but then it was when the other two men who could have still attempted to take Will on...but they seemed to be monumentally afraid. Very odd.

Slowly approaching Will, all Russell could do was grip tightly onto his knife. "What did you do?" he whispered, eyes on the men who appeared to be ready to run in terror not even from the both, but just from Will.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

reclamation
2010-06-25 11:59 pm UTC (link)

you! you! you are the monster in their nightmares, will be for the rest of their living days no matter how thin and fragile those may be. it's you it will always always be you

Will stayed where he was, both hands firmly on the bayonet, and glared. Even when Russell whispered words that pinged awful dark times in his memory he never wanted to recall, he didn't move. The thrill of a victory, or at least a success, was heavy in his nerves. The faint scent of blood - because the man he'd hit hadn't gone down without a scratch - sang in the air.

this is how it should be

"Start looking," he instructed Russell, without answering the question. "If they locked the door they have something in here. Get it and we'll leave." He waited for the kid to get moving before he approached the closer man, who was still caught between fear and bravado. He noticed that there was, in fact, a knife in his hand, more a shiv than anything else, but he was quick to snatch it away in case whatever spell was being cast broke.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

themegazord
2010-06-26 12:59 am UTC (link)

Off like a shot, Russell kept his mind to the task at hand, searching through the nearby cabinet that the men seemed so keen on rushing towards while at the same time trying to attack Will. Any person who had a hard time trying to decide what to do between fighting the big scary guy and opening an innocuous drawer had their priorities in a peculiar order. Forcing open the second drawer, he noticed a small pouch that upon opening, contained a good handful of coins that he didn't recognize but it was certainly likely that it would be useful for obtaining more useful goods. As soon as they could find their way back, maybe one of the other people would be able to buy some food. Russell could really go for a hamburger right now.

"Dubloon--Money," he stated, holding up the full pouch so all could see before he shoved it in the pocket of his breeches for the time being. He was going to just stay to the side when out of the corner of his eye, the previously unconscious man, clearly sore that he had been smashed in the face, quietly stalked toward Will from behind while the other men did their best to stay still and not give his location away. With Will out of the way the three could easily take down Russell. Dying by himself was one thing, but neither he nor Jim was going to let another someone from the building die here.

With barely a gasp emitting from his lips, Russell and Jim rushed forward and...time seemed to move forward while he himself remained detached from the actual situation. Sure, it was his hand clenched in a fist that forced the knife deep into the back of the man's neck, and it was his sheer strength that shoved the man forward to the right of Will's back, but Russell was no longer there. Letting go of the handle, he stood in horror as the man stepped forward and away, his hand still a little bloody as he stared at where the man once stood.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

reclamation
2010-06-26 04:56 pm UTC (link)

Will gave Russell a glance as the boy found money, but otherwise didn't pay too much more attention to him. The man still crouched on the floor probably wasn't going to get up, but the other one had a good chance of fighting through the terror and attacking him - which was the sort of thing he could admire as a soldier, and laugh at as something else - so he kept the bayonet aimed at him. He hadn't given much thought to the first man, the one he'd hit. He'd assumed that one had gone out like a light.

So it was a surprise when he heard Russell gasp behind him, and barely had time to turn around when there was the noise of running, the sound of a blade meeting its mark. Will saw the kid hit the first man and shove him the other way - taking Will's back out of the path of another knife.

It was all the second man needed to try and attack, but he got a fist to his face for the effort. He followed it up by bashing him with the bayonet, it having been ineffective the first time, and taking him down - a second hit ensuring that - before moving to the first man, whose neck was pouring blood. Russell was standing nearby, eyes wide, clearly unable to grasp just what he'd done.

Will could, though, and he could appreciate that the kid may have just saved his life. On the other hand, it did probably mean the end of their hunting.

"Let's go. Get back outside," he instructed as he hit the knife with his foot, wrenching it in the man's neck for a slightly faster death by bleeding. With one last look at the third, terrified man - who was now cowering behind a table - Will took Russell by the shoulder and pushed him out of the building. "You did what you had to. Don't let it get to you," he added as they went, because he recognized the look in Russell's eyes.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

themegazord
2010-06-27 06:44 pm UTC (link)

Clenching his bloodied hand into a fist in a poor manner of hiding the red, Russell couldn't help but let the complete shock of what he had done seep into his muscles and keep him rooted to the spot. For the time being, as Will was busy taking out the dying man and another who tried to attack, his brain forced him to replay a constant mental loop of what he had done, reminding him this was no video game.

So it wasn't a surprise when it was easy for Will to make Russell go where he needed to: outside and toward safety. Well, outside from one certain danger to a less sure one. His eyes flickered up to Will when he heard him talking, but it barely registered. How could he not let it get to him? Sure he was a super genius and a lifetime criminal to boot, but until ten minutes ago, he wasn't a murderer as well. That was the one thing that always kept him separate, put him on a higher plane than the other lowlifes who were spending the rest of their lives in prison, or worse. Now he was just like them.

Staring at some invisible spot in the far off distance, there was nothing Russell could do but focus on one thing and one thing only: to follow Will wherever he was going.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

reclamation
2010-06-28 01:23 am UTC (link)

Mindless words that Will had heard uttered countless times before wouldn't do much, he was pretty sure. Russell looked like he'd just walked out of his first real battle, like all the new recruits on the front lines tended to look when they survived the blasts. Once he'd broken out of it, he could say more. Maybe. Unless someone else decided he'd done enough damage for one day.

The Hessian hissed and rumbled in his mind, disappointed that Will hadn't killed anybody with his own two hands, that it had been a mere boy who sent that man to his final minute. Will ignored him and rubbed at the bandaged spot on his arm, which, he noted wearily, did not look much better than before. He wasn't looking forward to infection in an era when things like medicine were mostly guessed at.

"Come on. Let's get back to the shop. Wash off the blood." Or wipe it off, whatever. He made sure Russell was actually following him as they headed back for the headquarters-hideout the lot of them had made for themselves.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -