Suit up! PKA Spin Off 1 (Jeran/Matt)

[*]

At the end of the dark tunnel is a light and I somehow make a joke internally about the light at the end of a tunnel meaning my death. I do stop though, because even though this is just an exercise, I know what will be waiting for me on the other end. It'll be that suspect with the gun. I know I need to get through there and get him down in order to do what I need to. What concerns me is where Matthew is at this exact moment. Where on earth he is and if he's even alright. At least I didn't ditch him on purpose. Will they say anything about that? I am all to curious about that.

As I reach the end and get closer to the little light flooding the darkened basement, there's no way to know that above the door, the suspect waits for me. Slowly, I aim my gun at the open door. My finger on the trigger. I've hit the guy once. Missed once. Third shot won't fail me as I'm ready to get this over and done with. The last group before us only took thirty minutes to win. How long have we been into it? Are they really itching for a good show this time?

I step one foot into the threshhold of the next room and the moment I see a figure, i'm all too ready to let the bullet go, but another quick second my brain sends the knowledge that it's my partner. I put the gun down and in that quick of a moment, I feel something hitting my back once again as the metal of the shovel sends me plummeting to the ground, my gun swiveling out of my hand and toward Matthew's feet.

"DAMNIT." I can't help but growl out and scramble to my feet as the door slams and with a quick latch, our fate is sealed. "Shit..."

I turn to Matthew to give him a well deserved nod. "Alright?"

[Jack Lexington]

I'm not even out the door when I hear another sound behind me coming from that dark area behind the basement door. Without hesitation I spin around to see Jeran come running towards me with his gun aimed at me. Is he going to mistake me for somebody else and shoot me?
A second later that thread is gone but I spot a dark figure behind him.
"Turn..." I don't get further and I can't shoot because Jeran's in the line of fire when the guy hauls off and whacks him with a shovel. Good thing he's wearing all that gear.
My partner falls to the ground and his gun slides towards me. In order to prevent his attacker from grabbing it. I give it another kick away from the two and shoot at him but the rubber bullet only hits the small door that getting thrown close and locked, just like the third one that I was going to use.
"Shit, we're trapped." I state the obvious breathing like a steam train.

Then I close the distance between me and my partner to offer him a hand.
"I'm fine...you?" He looks pretty dirty but other than that I can't tell much with that gear.

"Is this it? Does this mean we're captured?"
I shale my head at that thought when I notice a small thing move in the top left hand corner of the kitchen. I turn my head to see a small camera.
"Sat hello." I point towards it but a moment later I spot a vent in the ceiling next to it.
"That's our way out." I explain and change my aim. With a bit of a smile I clap jeran on the shoulder. "We're not done yet, Ruze. Help me up."

With Jeran's help I reach the edge of the vent using my fist to hammer against it until it's loose enough that I can rip it out.
It comes crashing down next to my partner. With one good pull I can look inside.
Because the hole is way too small I have to lower myself down to the kitchen again, quickly rid myself of my jacket and vest.
"We're not going to fit through with these one." I explain, then grab my gun again and try again.
"You can either break jump break down the door or follow me."
This time I actually manage to squeeze myself through the small gap.

[*]

"Alright?" I question him, when all hope seems lost for us for only a mere moment of sheer terror when we're locked in here. Then, my head begins to work around everything going on. His reply back though is promising saying that he's fine. For me, I have to decline. I'm hurting in my back and in my shoulder from where that guy hit me with the shovel, but a few bruises are meant to happen no matter what during these exercises, right?

"Just peachy, Dunham." I tell him when suddenly asks if we are captured. My first instincts are to say no. Then my head is also saying the same thing. If were were truely captured, they would have sent in the men to collect us and deduct points. So, my reply is a very stern 'No' to him. Though Matthew seems to have found out how they would be spying on us. It takes all of a second to see what he's looking at.

"Hello, officers." I grin within my helmet and now the real challenge begins. How in the hell do we get out of here? My instincts start kicking in with how to get Matthew to help me break down one of the doors and then it hits me. The hinges. If Matthew can somehow get to the other side of the door, he can relieve the door's of it's hingest but my partner is already trying to get up through the ceiling vents.

"We're not done yet, Ruze. Help me up."

I can hold this guy with no trouble, although his weight is a little overbearing. But, I hold him with enough strength that he's able to tell he can fit without the gear on. Then he strips himself of the armor protecting him. There he goes again up through the ceiling and I hate that he's going without the vest. "Dunham, Take the vest with you." I say and with his foot dangling from the ceiling, I drap it over his food so that it can be hoisted up with him. "Don't get shot. I can't fit through there even without my gear. Get to the outside of the door, and find something to pop the hinges out, you hear me?"

I hope my voice isn't loud enough to be heard by anyone but Matthew as he disappears in the duct, now, I play the waiting game, and wait with a curious breath as a white fog begins to seep through the crack of the basement door. I'm not even focused on it. I keep my gaze trained on one of the two doors that I know Matthew will be coming from.

[Jack Lexington]

Just as I'm about to completely crawl through the vest Jeran hangs my vest on my foot and tells me to take it along.

As I pull my foot up to reach for it and shove it through the hole in front of me I mutter. "Thanks, mom." Funnily enough my own mother would never do this for me as she hasn't been around for years.

"C'mon." I reach my hand down to help him up but he declines. "Don't get shot. I can't fit through there even without my gear. Get to the outside of the door, and find something to pop the hinges out, you hear me?"

I'm not sure why he thinks he can't fit through if I can so I pause for a moment.

"Why not, you're not that huge."
Judging by the way he stands I'm assuming that the shivel hit him a little harder than I thought. Maybe he can't climb up here.

"Alright." I finally give in and start crawling through the hole on my belly.
From up here I can get a good view at the main room below and none of the two guys are in sight but I'm sure they're not far away.
As silently as I can I hold on to the vest with my teeth, grab a hold of the edge of the hole with the gun still in one hand and lower myself down. The last meter I drop but don't make much sounds.

Instantly I duck down and turn around with the gun at aim to make sure nobody is going to shoot me in the back.

I get lucky. Both men have dissapeared but my heart is racing. I'm out here alone, Jeran's locked in the kitchen with no way to help me while two armed, well trained guys are just waiting to end this game for me.
It doesn't feel like a game though. This feels real.

As Jeran told me I slip the vest back on over my white t-shirt and turn to the door.
As incredible as it might seem the key's in the lock so all I have to do is turn it to release my partner when suddenly I heart footsteps above my head on the first floor.
The key is turned and as fast as I can I run up the stairs taking tow at a time.
"First floor." I hiss to Jeran hoping he'll cover me.

[*]

As much as I don't care for the guy at all, the last thing I want is for a rubber bullet to go astray and hit him in the chest. That might go badly for both of our scores and It might send some bad rep on me if he was to get shot. So, I protect both him and myself from doing something stupid. I make him take the vest.

"Thanks, mom." I shake my head and let him mouth off to me and he pulls himself through the ceiling after I decline being able to fit. I'm not sure if I would or not, but I'm not about to take my suit off. I can feel the bruising on my body from the many hits and the 'soft' landing into this place. So, since he's the daredevil, I give him the option to help me out. If he lets me out of this place, I'll be able to continue, if not, then I guess I'll start trying to break the damn doors down.

He disappears.

I pace the kitchen automatically through some of the old drawers and start searching for anything useful. In one of the drawers, there's some old rolled up twine and in the other a rusty pair of sissors. Old droppings from some mouse in the bottom drawer and when I open up the cabinets, it reaks of old rotten mold. I cough at the smell and close the doors quickly. Just as I do that, the door gets clicked open and I grab the twine, that's rolled up on some kind of circular tube. I put my hand through it the moment I hear Matthew's voice calling to me that he's going to the first floor.

I charge at the door, opening it up and once again, getting my gun in my hands and following the sounds of the noise upstairs. I take the stairs quickly, stopping slowly as I reach the top when silence rings out.

"Dunham?" I whisper out to get a sense of his location. "Dunham? Where are you?"

[Jack Lexington]

Just when I reach the top of the stairs I spot the door at the end of the hallway shut so I'm running along that corridor as fast as I can. This time we're not the ones getting chased but chasing these guys. If I can just use this advantage and get my hands on one of them I'm all set and Jeran will have it easier with the other one, if he's alone.

With fast steps I get to the end of the hallway. I have to decide whether to run down the door or tip toe in. Since he already knows I'm onto him I decide for the former but don't even get to move when something hits me in the back of my head and sends me tumbling against the next wall. I smash my face against it because I wasn't prepared for an attack from behind at all, and get completely disoriented for a moment before I hit the floor.

Like a predator the 'suspect' grabs my leg and quickly pulls me into the next room.
I do my best to at least keep my hand on the gun that I luckily didn't loose.

As he stops dragging me across the floor I ready myself to turn around and shoot but before I know it he's got a gun pressed to my head.
"Shit." I curse.
"That's right." He answers me and adds.
"Call your partner or I'll pull that trigger." He orders me in very monotone but scary rough voice.
Will he really do that? If he could cause some serious damage even with a rubber bullet? No likely.
So my arm shoots up pointing the gun right at his nuts. "Only if you don't want any kids."
Out of the corner of my eye I c
an see the other one move behind a turned over table. He will attack Jeran but if I call him my partner's just going to run right into the trap.

[*]

"Dunham..." Again my voice whispers outward to Matthew, cause the moment I reach the landing, there's at least five doors. Two on each side and at the end of the hallway, there's another one. So, I have to begin to wonder which door to check first. I can only hope that Matthew is doign alright, but it's quiet for a moment.

I move my gun up toward my face, both hands on the butt of the gun and ready to point and shoot the moment I catch any movement. With baby steps, I tiptoe down the hallway and at the first door to my right, I grip the handle and let it swing open and hide back a few inches just in case some trap may lay inside. When it's clear in that room, I move to the opposite door and do the same. This time, inside, it's a perfectly clean room, complete with a bed and nice sheets. Finely polished furniture decorate the room and it seems as though I've just stepped into the riches part of the district. I cannot be temped with this at all.

I step back out and go do to the next door and open it but once again, nothing is inside. So, I step inside and go to the closet just to inspect the room. The only thing going through my mind is trying to find MAtthew. This time, I call out a bit louder.

"Dunham!" I go back out the threshhold of the door and start heading down the hallway to the last two doors.

[Jack Lexington]

I'm in a really bad situation as this could end with my skull getting crushed by a rubbed projectile or Jeran in this trap. I'm not sure if points are worth my health. But when I think about calling him and luring him into this trap I just can't do it. I do not want to let these guys win when he once again suggests. "Call him."

My head hurst too much to think about a good plan anyway and I don't do so well with my face pressed into a dusty old carpet in this boarded up, dark room.

Before I can come up with a plan I get hauled to my feet, loose my gun and a second later the 'suspects' gun's in my face again.
"Call him or I'll cuff you and it's game over for you."

I grit my teeth but don't make a sound, nor do I move.
That earns me a slap upside the head.

If they want to make Jeran step into the trap they can do it themselves.
"Call him yourself." I snarl at him low enough so only he can hear me.

Unfortunately it's exactly what he does when he calls out. "Quick, follow him. The cadet's getting away."
His shouts are loud enough for my partner to hear, so is the trampling with which he immitates my footsteps while standing behind me.

[*]

"Dunham!" My voice carries out a little louder down the hallway. I don't care if I'm alerting the enemy. I'm going what I"m suppose to be. I'm trying to save my partner's ass. I'm trying to figure out where he's gotten to and if he's hurt, exercise or not, it'll come back to me. I'll be responsible cause the commanding officer's made it clear that being in a partnership with this exercise is crucial. So, past the threshhold of the room I was just in, I let my back run against the wall as I make my way down to the room on the opposite side and the moment my fingers touch the door, I hear the yell.

"Quick, follow him. The cadet's getting away." My fingers leave the door quickly because the voice is coming in the last room I hadn't gotten to and apparently Matthew is giving them a run for their money. A smile creeps on my face under the helmet and I go to the next door and actually kick the door in, making the old wood splinter and deform itself. The scene in front of me is what kicks in to be the most dramatic part of the exercise. This is no exercise. This is real. The gun is being pushed against my partners head.

I don't say anything the moment I step in the door. I train my gun on the guy holding Matthew, but beside him, the other guy stands holding the gun aiming at Matthew as well. I have a choise to make. Who do I shoot at? Who do I go for? With the gun on my partner's head and blocking the guy, I put my gun's aim on the second guy.

"You two are under arrest. DROP YOUR WEAPONS. I WON'T HESITATE TO SHOOT!" My shouts come out with the most threatening voice I can manage cause right now, I do feel absolutely terrified. My finger moves on the trigger that I've got trained on the second guy while the guy holding Matthew starts to laugh.

"You need to drop your gun or I'll shoot him in the head. This is real life, pretty boy. What are you going to do?" He taunts me and I look to Matthew for any sort of answer. Trying to get any sense of 'go ahead' or 'don't' from him. I told the guy there would be no hesitation. So, I pull the trigger and let the bullet fly toward the second guy but what I didn't expect is that the guy holding Matthew is suddenly shoving my partner in front of the bullet I just let fly.

"DUNHAM...."

Everything hits me in a flash. The bullet goes flying. Dunham's in the way. The suspect holding him is suddenly lunging for me. With lightning quick reflexes, I have him in a chokehold and then pin him to the ground with my knee in his back and my foot on the guys hand, but my eyes are going to my partner.

"Dunham. Report..."

[Jack Lexington]

I stand there. Gun pressed firmly against my temple. By now I doubt he'd really pull the trigger but I can't be sure. The few seconds that it takes me to realize that Jeran will be running right into this trap and maybe mistake me for one of them in the dark room speed my heartbeat up so much, I'm worried it might be audible to my opponent.
'Jeran, don't fall for this.' I will him but don't dare to move as the door comes crashing down. There he goes.
Instantly his gun is pointed in my direction and I can only hope he can see enough in this boarded up room to recognise it's me...and maybe not hold enough of a grudge to shot me anyway. I hold my breath. One, two...
A split second later he aims for the other man in the room. Thank goodness he saw him.
Now we have a hostage situation, in which I play a part I'd rather not have so I striggle against the man's grip just to have him shove me away....right at the same moment a shot rings through the otherwise silent house.

I can't quite comprehend what's happening as I stumble away from the 'suspect' right in the line of fire.
Next thing I know I come crushing down on the floor with my abdomen feeling like it just got torn into a thousand shreds. Every tiny muscle in my body all the way from my toes to my face contracts at the impact of the bullett.
Fuck, that hurts like hell.
I long pained groan escapes me while I curl up in a ball. Did he really just shoot me? Did he have live ammo?



Both men are too stunned for a very brief moment to shoot back but then one takes aim while the other one reaches for my gun to keep it away from me.
Another two shots ring out and shatter the door frame. Jeran's under attack.

[*]

"Dunham. Report..." I call over to my partner while I've still got my knee in this one guys back. My eyes never leave my partner, whom will probably cost me my entire score becuase the guy just happened to shove him in the line of fire after I've already shot at the guy. He went down fast and I'm not sure if it hit him or not until he starts curling up into a ball and his face shows the pain. I just shot my partner.... accident or not. Whether they threw him into my line of fire or not. I just shot my sister's boyfriend. OH - SHIT.

Everything goes silent for just a moment. My eyes are trained on Dunham about the same time that one guy starts to aim at me. OH HELL NO! One shot and I dodge it and before I know it, the guy underneath me, grabs my free leg, throws me off of him and goes for Dunham's gun. Another shot comes at me whizzing by my ear. Oh, shit.. Oh shit. I need to get them away from Dunham. I know that. If I take off, will they follow? My mind races with scenarios and I decide to see about it.

"Cadet, it's over... You're partner is down. You're as good as dead." I hear them taunt me. I get to a crouching position and start backing up as I head toward the door. Both of the men start edging their way to me as I get closer to the door.

"Where you going?"

"Out." I smirk. I shoot at one of them to get their attention and dart out the door. One of the men, I hear instantly take after me, but the moment he comes outside of the door frame, I, once again, tackle him to the ground shoving my gun into his back.

"It's game over for you." The other guy has yet to come outside the door though. Is he lurking just beyond the threshold? Will he appear to shoot me in a matter of seconds?

[Jack Lexington]

The pain that radiates from my midsection is so intense that I can't try to get up or even move. All I manage to do is hold in a scream and my breath with it and slowly wait until it gets less intense.
I'm pretty sure the bullet didn't hit my vest but went under its edge but I don't know whether Jeran happened to receive real bullets.

His desperate calls to report reach my ear that somehow rejected every sound for a long darn moment.
I can't answer though. Heck, I've been stabbed and shot with an arrow before but this is just as intense. Might be the velocity and short distance. I hope.

A few shots are being fired, which reminds me that I might still be a target so I open my eyes, that I had squeezed shut and see Jeran back up towards the door.
Is the coward, who just shot me really going to abandon me now?

"Cadet, it's over... You're partner is down. You're as good as dead."
I hear somebody's voice while I scan the ground for my gun.
"Where you going?"
"Out." Another shot's being fired so I pull in my head.

It's time to force myself to do something...anything...if only I could.
With my hand pressed against my side I check for blood, which is easy to spot on my white shirt but the small amount that's there could hardly be from a real bullet. Why does it hurt so much then?
I shove that thought to the back of my head and attempt to reach for my gun that's slid across the floor but can't help the groan that slips from my lips when I make it to all fours.

Outside Jeran's struggling with somebody judging by the sound of it but where's the other guy?
A heavy black boot crushes my hand underneath its sole just when I reach for the butt of the gun and pins it down. Ouch...again.
I yelp but in one last desperate attempt let myself fall onto my back and kick him in the nuts as hard as I can which should buy Jeran a little time and free my poor hand.

[*]

I dash out of the room the moment I feel as if this exercise will be extinquished. There is so many things going through my mind that are leaving me breathless. The exersion from this excercise, Dunham getting shot, and the fact that Kya will absolutely kill me should anything bad come out of this... even though it already has. The guy comes through the doorframe and It's him that has the surprise as we tackle each other in order to get the other down for the count, but it's me who has the drop on him with the first hit and in a matter of seconds, our scuffle has resulted in the guys face being squashed on the ground.

"Now... whose got the upper hand?" I whisper into his ear after I tell him that the game is over. The fear of what's goign on inside still has me worried. I don't hear Dunham yelling out, yet instead I hear him groan out.

"Damnit..." I say and reach for the twine that I got from the kitchen that I was planning on using as a last resort to trap the guys, but now that I'm sitting here with this guy, my gun to his back, he knows I won't hesitate to shoot. I've done it once. Hell, I shot my partner, no fault of my own, of course, but the guy is completely still. In one quick motion, I pull the rope and begin to silently tie his hands together behind his back, then start dragging his butt down to the next door and tieing the rope on the front to the back of the knobs, securing him so he'll stay put. The rope, in question, is nice and tight as I leave him there to rot for the remaining time I've got.

Back at the door, I take a quick glance and all I can see is the guy haunched over, holding his balls and his face pointing downward to the ground. I have no clue what Matthew did to him, but I can only feel sympathy for what pain he must be in. Though, feeling sorry for him will have to wait. Given the most pristine opportunity, I race into the room, and tackle the guy that was a little too preoccupied with pain. Both him and I take a hard landing on the ground before the scuffle starts again with the guy. Somehow, the guy actually manages to get my headgear off, jerking me backwards against the wall and taking one quick punch to my jaw.

[Jack Lexington]

The kick to his nuts buys me a moment of time and some satisfaction when Jeran comes running in again just to tackle him. They both land in a heap in the dust right next to me.
Thank goodness Jeran came back. For a moment I just lay on my back to gather my strength to get up while he's struggling next to me.
I doubt that I can actually get a hold of my gun again that one of the men we're up against has kicked under a cabinet.

I roll my head over to look for something that could act as a weapon. There's a chair, that I could possibly throw at his back.

At that moment the man manages to pull Jeran's helmet off and punch him square in the jaw.
I'm not sure whether I'm even still in this game to gather points but that doesn't matter now anyway. I just want to win this fight although I'm in no position to.
So I push myself up to my knees to help my partner who's only a few feet away from me when that same freaking boot that stepped on my fingers, who luckily don't feel much, gets kicked into my side to make sure I stay down.
"Stay down, you idiot." He yells at me before he draws his gun and aims it at Jeran first.
"Back off."
But then changes his aim at me again.
"Don't move or I'll shoot him." He tells the guy who just did that job himself.

I stare down the barrell of his gun clenching my jaw. At this point I'm pretty sure anything goes in this damn excercise. Just like in real life when you're up against criminals. He might just pull that trigger. My heart is racing like crazy but I never avert my gaze.

That's when he rounds me telling Jeran "Good boy."

With on hand he fumbles my handcuffs off my belt and slaps them on my left wrist to tie me to the darn chair I wanted to hit him with.
"You're out. No more moves for you."

All my hopes sink when I let the left hand with its steel bracelet drop to the floor and sit down to take the pressure off my stomach.

The gun remains in the game as he tells Jeran. "Stay where you are."
Then he slowly backs away towards the open door.

[*]

Luckily, my jaw isn't made of glass, but it still hurts like the dickens. The suspect in front of me takes one more punch at my face while I'm almost writhing in pain and face contorted to the horrible shooting pain pulsing down my neck and into the back of my head. I'm pretty sure that the wall has a dent in it as hard as I felt it hit. I wouldn't be surprised. What happens next takes me for a loop and a great moment to catch my bearings. Dunham gets up and tries to reach for his gun but the single suspect kicks him again, making sure he's down. For a moment, the gun is aimed at me, then it's turned on Matthew in an instant. The demands are next.

"Back off." He tells me as I put my hands upward toward the sky, showing him my absolute need to make sure that Matthew doesn't get shot again. I can see Matthew's jaw move in anger. I can see his eyes looking down the barrel of the gun. What I can't see if the suspect's motives and internal thought process. I can't figure out what he's going to do next. He's somehow gotten my weakness. I've already let Matthew down once and hurt him. I won't allow it to happen a second time.

Then he cuffs Matthew to the chair and tells him that he's pretty much out of the exercise. It's me left. I"m the last one standing in this little game of theirs. My gaze goes right to Matthew as he lets his hand drop and he relaxes with the grimace still on his face.

"Stay where you are." Really? He's telling me to stay where I am? Even if the gun is still aimed and ready to go off on MAtthew or me, I can't just let him get away. I've already gotten his partner tied up in the hallway. I don't want to let this one get away, too. I take my hand up to my mouth exposing a bit of blood and tasting the metal in my mouth.

"You're still under arrest." I mutter to him, and sneakily move my fingers around to the gun behind my back, and ready the trigger. The man keeps backing up a toward the doorway.

"Hardly. You have no more moves. You're out of the..." He takes one quick look outside the door and in that one second I can see the surprise in his face cause I know he just found his partner tied up to the door down the hallway and I take that as my chance. I jolt upward and instantly get in Matthew's line of fire, ready to take anything shotmy way as the guy suddenly takes off down the hallway. With my feet pounding, and my heart just going crazy, I barely make it to the stairs before I tackle his legs first and we both go down again. This time, I hold the gun to the guy's head, pushing hard.

"Game. Over." I state.