InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "You finally grew a heart."

Jayne Cobb (my_swinging_cod) wrote in indarkness_logs,
@ 2010-08-18 20:22:00

Entry tags:

!complete, 2032 08, jayne cobb, spike spiegel

RP: Patrolling
Characters: Jayne, Spike, a reaver or three, oh noes!
Time/Date: Thursday, August 19
Location: Outside on patrol
Warnings/Rating: violence, probably language
Summary: Jayne and Spike ~~are dead~~ are heroes, or something
Status: Complete

Jayne hadn't heard much by way of attacks going on. There'd been a little bit of sniping off the roof, a lot of spying from the rooms they could get into, and a lot of discussion about the fortifications. There'd been a few incidents - one of the younger male witches had gone out by himself. If memory served, it was the same idiot who'd crossed the line earlier on, and Jayne was rather proud that he himself was not that idiotic - or suicidal. The kid had come back in all right, more scared than injured. Mal had patrolled with a girl that didn't look like much but apparently beat up on vampires on a daily basis. She must've done all right though, because reportedly, Mal had scored a few kills while out with her. He didn't know if the girl had killed anything herself or not.

He didn't know how many there were. Yesterday night, Jaime had said they were looking at a dozen, but she also had a headache from all her finding but not finding, however the hell that worked, so Jayne wasn't sure he trusted her judgement.

Still, the place wasn't that big, and he didn't see a whole posse of reavers, so that meant the odds of them hiding out in one of the other buildings was pretty high, and Jayne wasn't inclined to walk by a place they hadn't checked yet. Still, some places couldn't be checked, and he didn't imagine them blowing things up willy-nilly was going to be appreciated by anyone here. Even if in the end it saved their sorry asses.

Walking as softly as he could, which wasn't very, Jayne kept his eyes out, searching for any movement that might indicate an attack, keeping his ears open for any sounds that might indicate warning. He didn't like this. He didn't like being paired up instead of being part of a group. And right now, he wouldn't mind having River out here for a repeat of her reaver-killing act. He glanced over to Spike briefly before he turned his attention toward one of the shacks they were coming up to. Whether they'd pass it or investigate it, he didn't know. Neither option was appealing; he didn't like having hiding places to his back.

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lunkhead
2010-08-19 04:26 am UTC (link)

If Spike had his way, there would be more smoke, more fire, and several char-grilled reavers; but, apparently, it was some sort of etiquette breach to just toss out a half-dozen grenades and call it a night. C'est la vie. He supposed it could be worse, though. After all, he could be holed up in some magically-guarded room, praying that the damn things just disappeared on their own accord. That wasn't his style. As for being part of a two-man patrol when Jaime's reports labeled them outnumbered... Well, the jury was still out on that one. Jayne seemed competent enough and Spike was no stranger to being out-gunned; but the situation was just a tad unsettling.

Still, there was a job to do - one he'd jumped at the chance to take and so far hadn't regretted enough to abandon. Much like his partner, Spike walked softly and stayed alert, though it was undeniable that his chances of catching a visual warning were far better than those of hearing something. He was on edge, uneasy, but hiding it all behind the usual mask of indifference... as if he had been in worse situations and thought this would be a piece of cake. (The exact opposite was true.)

He caught Jayne's gaze and followed it toward the shack, offering a half-shrug to indicate his own uncertainty. There were only two options, neither of which were safe or particularly sane (though being out there in the first place was a good sign of insanity). After a moment's pause, he decided it was better to check than to leave a potential hiding place behind them - for various reasons, some involving their own safety and some involving the safety of everyone else.

"We should check," he said lowly; to emphasize the point, he tilted his head slightly toward the shack.

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my_swinging_cod
2010-08-19 04:40 am UTC (link)

Jayne grunted his agreement. Made sense. They'd like as not find a nest of them in there. If they were lucky, he and Spike would get the upper hand. If they were unlucky ... well, it would even up the kill tally a little. Jayne wished they didn't have so many unarmed, unskilled folk hiding inside, but the situation was what it was and they were making do with what they had.

They had a decent supply of ammo, enough people to work patrols and guard shifts as long as they were all careful. The only thing they could ask for was no reavers present to have to waste the ammo on. Jayne, personally, wanted to save some in case he ever bumped up against their captors. He was insanely envious that Spike had shot at one of them, and only hoped someday he'd get a chance to do the same. He'd be sure to aim for the head, too.

"How you want to do this?" he murmured. "Bust in shootin' or sneak up all quiet like? 'cause I can do both," Jayne felt compelled to inform him. Each plan had flaws, of course. If they busted in and there was a mess of them, they were in for a world of hurt. If they moved too slow, there was a chance that they were the ones being watched, and the reavers could get the upper hand - and that wasn't going to end well. At all.

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lunkhead
2010-08-19 04:55 am UTC (link)

Spike was equal parts trigger-happy and calculating, but when it came down to situations of being outnumbered or out-gunned he usually opted for the direct assault. The thing was, though: he always knew there were enemies in a location before running in with guns blazing. There was no worse plan than wasting ammunition while shooting blindly. What if there weren't any reavers in this particular shack, and shooting the place up resulted in pissing off the ones that resided elsewhere? Not very good, if the initial attack got rid of too much ammo.

"Quietly," he whispered, sounding quite a bit disappointed in his own choice. "But if we see anything..." Spike smirked at the thought of getting to slaughter... anything. Really, that was why he'd bothered to risk his life in the first place. The concern for others' safety was more of an afterthought.

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my_swinging_cod
2010-08-19 05:19 am UTC (link)

He nodded. He could do quiet. He didn't always do quiet well, and he found himself wishing - not for the first time - that Zoe was here. Zoe'd gone through a war and fought down reavers right after her husband had been killed. Zoe was tough, and he was willing to bet Mal wished Zoe was here, too. Of course, she wasn't, and wishing she was didn't make her be here.

Jayne regarded the shack before he looked around slowly, seeking any sort of movement at all. Once he'd given the area a thorough search with his eyes and determined there wasn't anything moving in plain sight, he nodded again. He stepped toward the shack slowly, bringing his gun up level after patting his pockets to ensure he had a grenade. If it turned out there was a bunch in there, he'd just as soon blow up one of their hiding places than not. Wasn't like anyone was out here using the shacks anyway.

He gestured for Spike to follow as he continued his deliberate steps toward the shack. He kept his guard up, kept his focus on the building they were about to assault. He thought they'd circle around it, then see if they had a window to peek into.

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lunkhead
2010-08-19 06:12 am UTC (link)

Spike kept a watch of the perimeter as well, allowing Jayne to move close first. Even after he was given the signal to follow, he didn't move until his own visual search suggested there were no obvious threats (or targets, as he thought of it). If he was going to watch the man's back - and, of course, his own - he had to make sure he didn't overlook anything. Or anything that could be seen, anyway.

He pulled his own gun, as well, and stayed a few steps behind. Instinct told him that they should split up to check the outside then find the best place to look inside or enter, depending which was available. Maybe his instincts weren't exactly familiar with the nuances of reavers, but he decided not to ignore the impulse. If things went sour, they could always meet in the back and cover for each other in a little game of 'kill or be killed.' At least, that's how things worked when dealing with half-sane enemies with guns. It couldn't be that much different, could it? (He knew the answer to that, but liked to pretend he was well-prepared for whatever might come.)

"I'll take the other side," he murmured, barely loud enough to be heard. "Meet in the back, go from there." He moved further away, fully intending to act on the decision unless Jayne had good reason to stay together the entire time.

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my_swinging_cod
2010-08-19 06:27 am UTC (link)

Another grunt to indicate acknowledgement or agreement, though they weighed about the same just then. Jayne moved slowly, kept low, and had his gun drawn, finger over the trigger, ready to shoot at an instant's notice. He saw a window, and started to lift his head slightly when he was suddenly very aware of a noise, but not on his side.

Calling out would alert them to his presence and wouldn't do any good just then. Not with the amount of movement he heard. Footsteps, heavy breathing, and then the door banging against the wall. Would that be enough to alert Spike? He pivoted as well as he could in the position he was in, scooting forward to peer around the door. He lifted his gun and fired a couple of shots to the back of the reaver's head. It would draw attention to him, sure, but hopefully with one out of the picture and better odds, they'd pull through this.

Meanwhile, the first creature out had targeted Spike, swinging a scythe-like blade down toward the man's right shoulder at an angle. The reaver had intentions of incapacitation, though as it heard the shot being fired, instinct pulled its head around, thus skewing the motion of the blade - for better or for worse.

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lunkhead
2010-08-19 07:29 am UTC (link)

Spike wasn't fortunate enough to hear the more-subtle of the noises, perhaps because he was so focused on the visual aspect of investigation, but he certainly heard the crash of door against wall. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to follow the sound of the noise, but by then it was a case of 'too little, too late.'

"Shit..."

The blade came down, slicing into his shoulder even as he attempted to dodge the attack; if not for the sudden distraction... he really didn't want to think what could have happened. (Weren't his days of psychopaths with blade fetishes over, now?) He twisted around - growling in pain as he did - and shoved his left palm toward the creature's arm, hoping to knock the blade from its grasp. Meanwhile, it took every ounce of resolve to force himself not to let his gun drop.

He backed away a pace or two, grimacing when he realized doing so put him dangerously close to having his back against a wall, and switched the gun to his left hand. Already, some blood had found its way down his arm to the gun; and the pain caused by such movement caused the switch to take longer than he'd have hoped... Even so, the moment his gun switched hands, he raised it to fire three shots without aiming. All that mattered at this point was stalling the creature long enough to create distance, and he hoped a little lead might do the trick.

[Ooc: Reposted because I am habitually forgetting the icon selection process lately.]

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my_swinging_cod
2010-08-19 02:21 pm UTC (link)

Jayne was never inclined to stick around when there were reavers involved. He did when he had to, but he'd just as soon run like hell. Being part of Serenity's crew was making him soft though, because he knew he couldn't abandon Spike. He reasoned the people inside would have something to say about it, and it just wasn't right. Apparently, his moral compass had shifted somewhat as well.

Bringing up his gun again, he fired, realizing there was a really good chance of getting caught by one of Spike's bullets since they, just then, were kind of firing in one another's general direction. So he tried to keep low, and he managed to take out one of the reavers. He aimed past he one in the middle to try to distract the one on Spike, who was bringing down the blade again, despite having been shot. So many reasons to hate reavers, Jayne reflected as he clenched his jaw.

The first reaver's blade aimed toward Spike's mid-section, though the blow was weaker and the aim put off by the hole that had been tore through its shoulder. It jerked when Jayne's bullet bit into the small of its back, just missing its spine. Fortunately for Spike, the bullet remained lodged in its body rather than passing through.

The reaver that had been in the middle turned toward Jayne, lunging at him with a short, thin blade in hand. Jayne may or may not have screamed (later, he would deny any such action) as he lifted his gun, firing his remaining shots into the reaver's neck and chest area, scrambling backward as the creature fell toward him - but not fast enough to avoid the downward stroke of the weapon which sliced open the front of his leg. It wasn't deep, but it was long, and it stung.

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lunkhead
2010-08-20 06:15 am UTC (link)

The damn things just didn't quit, did they? Spike didn't appreciate being nearly cornered, but he didn't have many opportunities to get away. He'd shot the stupid thing, and it still wouldn't surrender. Wonderful.

Though he was aware of the unpleasant situation between himself and Jayne, firing in the same general direction of each other, he focused on his own fight. There was no time to plan shots. And, for that matter, no time to shoot again. His jaw clenched as the blade made contact, and before he could be certain of the damage he shifted backward, twisting to bring a powerful kick toward the creature's head. Instinct was to blame for the maneuver, as he was so used to disarming and incapacitating normal humans. But then... What else did he have to go by in terms of experience?

So there he was, shifting backward with what little time he'd bought, reduced to harsh, shallow breaths from the combination of pain and blood-loss he'd only furthered with the little stunt. His gaze shifted briefly toward Jayne, attempting to assess just how much damage the other man had taken, before the all-too-familiar weakness settled in. Spike drew a deep breath, releasing it with a pained grimace and what sounded much like a growl as he forced his right arm up to hold pressure against the wound. He wasn't certain how much damage had been done (and certainly didn't underestimate even a weakened reaver anymore), but he didn't like that he could already feel the blood. The moving required to make the kick had made the wound worse than it was in the first place, but it was still a sizable - though not overly deep - cut across his abdomen.

Spike raised his gun again and leveled his aim on the creature's head, the beast within him finally clawing its way to the surface. He took one step back but otherwise stood his ground, smirking as he pulled the trigger and watched to see what happened.

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my_swinging_cod
2010-08-20 02:03 pm UTC (link)

A few shots later, and most of it was still. Well aware they'd announced their presence and knowing they had to beat a hasty retreat, Jayne started to push up to his feet. His thigh burned, and he winced but ... he'd dealt with worse. He couldn't exactly recall when, but he had.

His eyes turned toward Spike, and he wondered if the man was going to make it back in. Not without help, that much was obvious. "Think we'd best head in," Jayne said, because stating the obvious was just fun. He reached out an arm in case Spike was inclined to lean on him, though from the look of it, the man wasn't going to have much of a choice.

Glancing toward the hotel, he decided it was best, right now, to reload in case there were ... obstacles in the way. Fishing out fistful of bullets, he replaced the ones he'd expelled and shuddered at the idea of running out of bullets in the event of another attack.

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lunkhead
2010-08-21 04:45 am UTC (link)

The blood-thirsty beast within Spike may have been satisfied at the creature's death, but that didn't make him any less weakened by the injuries it had inflicted. Though he'd lived through much worse, such situations often involved losing consciousness at some point; and that wasn't exactly something one would want to do around reavers. Secretly, he was relieved to see that the other man - his partner in what had nearly become a suicide mission - was alive... not just because it meant he'd be less likely to just get left out there if he did lose consciousness but because he felt a certain level of camaraderie to Jayne. They'd just fought together, after all...

Spike slowly made his way forward, fighting just to keep from falling flat on his face. His vision was a little blurred and he felt as if each step brought him that much closer to death itself. Not an unfamiliar feeling, but certainly not a pleasant one, either. "Is that all they've got?" he asked, taking the offered assistance in the knowledge that he wasn't fit to make it all the way back without help. Between his condition and the monotone he spoke with, the question was likely easy to determine as sarcasm... the closest Spike would get to admitting he'd been outmatched.

After Jayne reloaded, Spike glanced at his own weapon - which was very near to being empty - and shrugged. Or, rather, he attempted to shrug, realized a second too late that doing so was a dumb idea, and drew a sharp breath under which a very distinct muttering of "god damn it" could be heard. That was reason enough not to bother with the hassle of reloading, though his original logic was something along the lines of figuring that he would be wasting his time. If they encountered another reaver and the combination of Jayne's ammo and what little he had left couldn't stop it... Well, they were as good as dead, anyway.

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my_swinging_cod
2010-08-21 05:02 am UTC (link)

Jayne did manage a snort that could've passed for laughter as he started off toward the hotel. He tried to move quickly, but not so quickly that Spike couldn't keep up. It was different, fighting them at home when there was a whole shipload of them coming at you ... he preferred the small groups. He'd prefer none at all, but ... beggars and choosers and all that. They'd survived, and that was something.

Jayne glanced over to Spike, brows lifting. "Wouldn't try t'move it more'n you had to," he offered. Clearly, stating the obvious was Jayne's theme of the day. Still, it wasn't as though he'd never done his share of aggravating his own injuries.

His eyes shifted away, moving methodically over their surroundings. He was glad they hadn't been that far out, but at the same time, it didn't exactly thrill him that the reavers had camped out so close to the hotel. Even if it had been only three, and even if they were dead now. More would take their place, and sooner or later, Jayne was convinced they'd find a way in.

And then what?

He shook his head to his thoughts as he continued on to the hotel. Once they reached it, he exhaled a soft sigh of relief as he opened the door to let them in. First things first: he had to get them both to the med area. Fortunately for them, it wasn't so very far from the door.

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lunkhead
2010-08-21 05:53 am UTC (link)

"Right," Spike muttered, half-heartedly teasing Jayne. "Good thing you warned me." He sighed, partly in frustration and partly from just plain feeling tired, and focused on the hotel. With a solitary focal point, the blurriness in his vision was easier to manage.

It was easier, as it always was, for Spike to just focus on his thoughts instead of how badly injured he was or what was going on around him. He wondered just how many more reavers would be released, if their captors would step in should someone be inches from death... or stand back and let it happen, confident that every life on the island was replaceable. Did he really care? When it came down to his own life, he wasn't particularly sure; three psychopathic men-turned-creatures weren't enough to change his fatalistic approach to life in general. But what about Ed... and Parker (who reminded him just enough of Julia that he felt compelled to protect her)? Just how bad was the situation going to get before the attack was called off and the reavers were shipped back to... wherever the hell they came from? Spike really did hate thinking, especially at times like this.

Luckily, he was dragged from the less-pleasant thoughts by another: the strange realization that he and Jayne were likely to get blood on the floor. Though he didn't speak the thought, he allowed himself a small laugh at the idea, and wondered if someone would try to make them clean up any mess that did occur. Faye probably would have, if she were there. Of course, he'd ignore her shrew-like demands, she'd get angry, and inevitably something (perhaps even a punch) would be thrown at his injured shoulder.

Wait... why was he thinking of that pain-in-the-ass? He really had lost too much blood, hadn't he?

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my_swinging_cod
2010-08-21 08:02 am UTC (link)

When they'd entered, Jayne set his sights immediately on the doctor, but people were moving quick enough to come help them. There were questions, mostly about their conditions and what had happened, and Jayne was content enough to surrender Spike to whoever wanted to take him and help him over to where they'd set up some sort of healing station.

Jayne himself was ushered to one of the couches, answering their questions even as they tended to his wound. He did glance over toward Spike a time or two, but his view was mostly blocked by the docs working in that area.

He did wonder, just a little, where the medical supplies had come from, because there definitely hadn't been injectible pain killers last he'd seen. He, however, was content enough to just let them work. He did give them the short version of the events outside, as he recalled them. Granted, a lot of it was a blur but ... the idea was there. Him, Spike, and three reavers. They survived, the reavers didn't. End of story.

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