closed » just one mistake is all it will take

[dangle]

[Nate paced the small room that he was locked in, looking for ways out and trying to distract himself from the aching pain at his side, and face, and just everywhere, really.

About an hour ago, he'd been strapped to a chair and beaten with all sorts of items within the pirates' reach. The butt of a handgun, a plank of wood. Heck, there were even a couple of fists being flung at him earlier and nowhere to go for him to dodge them.

It didn't matter if he'd been in similar scrapes in the past, being beat up for information was not something he would ever get used to, nor did he want to. Sure, he's gotten better at keeping what he needed to know to himself and revealing just enough to keep him alive, but the methods of torture he'd gone through was always different. It wasn't something you could ever be ready for. Hell, he's still lucky to still be alive at this point.]

Go on one last adventure, I said. We might as well go out with a bang, I said. I've really got to stop listening to myself one of these days. [He let out a dismissive snort as he licked a cut on his lower lip.] Maybe Sully was right to sit this one out. Lucky bastard.

[Continuing to survey the room, he took note of what little information was available to him. There was a door with the smallest of windows to peek out of... and that was about it. There wasn't even a window for the room, making it harder for him to tell how many hours it had been since he was caught.

His brow creased with worry as the thought of Elena crossed his mind. Where was she? Was she safe? Was she coming to get him? He honestly wished that she wasn't doing that last one because he'll be damned if anything happened to her. Even if he knew that she could take care of herself, he couldn't help but blame himself for getting them here in the first place.]

I really hope she's not doing something stupid right now...

Comments

lord help me the week is finally over- this got long sorry

[tearsinajar]

[ Of course Elena's doing something utterly stupid right now, she's working on saving her husband-to-be's ass, that's what she's doing. The better question is: When isn't she doing something stupid, especially when it comes to being involved with Nathan Drake? She should've learned things the hard way the first time they'd met and then the second time, with Shambhala, which feels like it hadn't been all that long ago with the situation they're suddenly in right now. ]

One more time, he'd said. It'll be fun, he said. One last adventure for the road before we settle down. [ Exactly like Drake, talking to herself as she moves through the compound; it was no wonder why or how they seemed to work out so well. ] He always listens to Sully- why didn't he listen to him this time?

[ Because it was as Sully always said, to her: It isn't like I can tackle the guy. Nate was unstoppable on most matters when his mind was set, kind of like how he seemed set on tying the knot with her and going through with the wedding, a small one. ]

Dammit, Nate. How the hell am I supposed to find you now?

[ A question to be asked to the long stretch of hall now before her as she veers around a corner, doors lining both sides. Elena stares in horror at how long it goes, endless. Nate could be behind any one of these doors. She doesn't have time to stop at each one to look and try the handles. Her grip holds tight on her gun, breathing hard from the run she'd made through most of the shortcuts she had memorized after paying some side man for a map of the place. Thank God she had avoided mostly everyone patrolling, she really hated having to use guns to kill. Okay though, seriously. Okay, he has to be here, there's nowhere else he could be. And she wasn't going to assume the worst, he was too stubborn to just die, but the thought traps fear tight in her chest and throat as she pushes one foot in front of the other.

It's like a game of zig-zag, from one side to the next, standing on tip-toe to peek through each little window. Most are covered in years of grime and make it hard for her to see, half of the rooms dark with little light shining in. C'mon...c'mon...

Elena refuses to give up on him. She would go to the ends of the Earth to find him, and she knows he wouldn't leave her for dead either were their positions switched. Ten doors in and hope is looking slim, making her anxious, desperate. She's distracted by peering into one of the rooms, ready to move to the next one, when the gunshot rings out through the hall and the bullet slices into her shoulder from behind, dropping her to a hand and her knees on a startled and pained cry.

In the past she's been shot at, had to run to escape flying bullets, but never before has she had the pleasure of experiencing a gunshot wound for herself. It's deep but not deep enough that there would be any lasting damage or would stop her from continuing in her search. She'll laugh it off while later shedding a few tears at how bad the shock of it was. Thank God for the adrenaline rush, it pushes back the throbbing ache that had spread, blood pounding loud in her ears with each breath she takes. Fuck does that hurt, it stings something fierce. Elena forces herself to calm down as best as she can in a situation that's life or death, to focus on breathing- she needs to find him. What she also needs to do is face her shooter, which she does, grimacing as she pushes herself to twist around with her gun swinging up. It's a blind shot but if she doesn't take it now, the next bullet he fires could be the very one that leaves both her and Nate to die in here.

Elena's smarter than this ass-clown, she's got a silencer packed on the front of her weapon. The release of her bullet is muffled, like a pop of air. Sad to say that the asshole dropping isn't as quiet; a lucky shot to the throat for her, leaving him to die in his own blood, drowning, his sounds gurgling and watery. Good.

Yeah- oh yeah- Elena's not doing anything stupid, nope.

A quick body check and snags both the cash in his wallet (it'll help them down the road probably) and the set of keys that are likely meant for the doors. A brief pause to reach back and gingerly feel where the bullet had entered, her fingers skim the broken skin and torn fabric of her shirt, the area already soaked with blood. She sniffles and pushes out a trembling breath, unknowingly brushes those bloodied fingers along her cheek as she wracks her brain to get it back on track. ]

Fuck...

[ The two of them are going to need to have a talk when and if they get out of this place. Up on her feet she goes, her one arm hanging at her side. Five doors down, that's when he'll see the shadow of someone's head pop up in the window and then disappear, if he's paying attention to the small ruckus outside down the hall. Keys jingle on the other side, there's a lot so it takes a few tries, and then the lock clicks. Beautiful success. The heavy door is shouldered open.

And there she is, his hero, his savior. With her face covered in sweat and layers of grime, hair loose from its bun. A wide and tired but relieved smile breaks through the wet dirt caked on her skin, a streak of blood under her eye along her cheek. ]

Sorry I kept you waiting. Miss me?

[ Ladies and germs- Elena Fisher, eventually to be Mrs. Drake. ]

this took forever, I'm so sorry.

[dangle]

[Nate had had his back to the door when the commotion started outside. His first instinct was to reach for his gun, only to recall that it wasn't there when his hand met air. He cursed beneath his breath as he headed towards the door, making it in a few quick strides.

He presses against the wall for a moment, trying to piece together what had happened outside. A shot had rang out and there was a thud soon after, but only silence followed soon after. Had there been someone else trying to make it through the compound? That seemed to be the only answer that made sense.

The next question was whether or not whoever it was had survived that shot. Although the thud seemed rather telling, he decides to sneak a peek through the window at the door anyway. What he sees however isn't a body. Instead he sees a shadow peek through the window before he's able to look out. Then came the jingling of keys.

Pulling back, he let out a dismissive snort as he shook his head.]

If this is the end, it sure is disappointing.

[With both hands balled into fists, Nate gets ready to put up a fight against his attacker, whoever it may be. As soon as the door is opened, it takes a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the light filling the room but he doesn't need his sight to know exactly who it was who entered. His stance changes, and his hands drop to his side.]

Elena?

[Like her, Nate looked a lot worse for wear, what with a cut on his lip, a bruise forming around his eye and cheek—he's 100% certain he'll have quite a shiner there in the morning. Or evening. He's not sure about that last part—and a few other cuts here and there. All that on top of the dirt and grime he'd been rolling through on the first part of this grand adventure. It's not something he wasn't used to but damn if he didn't ache like a mother right now.

But there were more important things to deal with. Like the matter of his rescue. And his rescuer. His brows knit together at first and the words leave his mouth before he is able to have any second thoughts.]

How did you get here? I mean, seriously, how? Did anyone see you? Actually, forget that for now. Why the hell did you have to do that?

[He asks not wanting to scold her for what she'd done. He was grateful, more than he could probably say. But that didn't mean seeing her here left made his heart drop to his stomach due to worry. Nate was more than glad to see Elena right now, but the risks she probably had to take to get there was more than he could bear right now.]

[It's not long before his expression softened. Now that he's able to look at her, really look at her, he noticed the state she's in as well. Her clothes had seen much better days, and her hair had begun to fall loose around her shoulders. But what struck him the most is her face. Aside from the grime lining the creases, there had been blood smeared across her cheek.

Closing the gap between them, he reached out to her, trying to see if there had been any other telling signs of her being hurt. This is exactly why he had been worried about her, but this time, he hoped against hope that his worries were wrong.]

Where did this come from? ...Crap, please tell me this is from someone else.

[That seemed to be a much better option than knowing that it was her own right now.]

it's no worries!

[tearsinajar]

The one and only.

[ Elena grins cheekily and then it slips as he fires off question after question. They're not the kind she wants to answer, she knows how freaked out he'll get if she answered him straight. Nate doesn't need to know that she's been shot and that the back of her shirt has a dark stain spreading over the back of her shoulder. He might notice when she turns around but Elena would prefer to put him in front of her and pass off the gun. It isn't sitting well with her that she'd had to actually kill someone with it.

She begins to frown then, gun waving as if that'll dismiss his concerns. Not that she means to be dismissive at all, it's just that there's a bullet embedded in her shoulder that she would really appreciate getting out. ] I'm here, aren't I? Why else would I be here? Someone's gotta bust your ass out.

[ Ah, crap. Elena would love to touch him, she'd love for nothing more than to kiss and hug him, to look him over for anything she can't see. But as soon as he moves in and reaches for her, Elena takes that hand to stop him. It gets squeezed and she forces a smile, not wanting to worry him. He needs to focus not on her but on helping her get out, cooperating. ]

It's nothing. Look Nate, we need to get you out of here. That's the whole point of me comin' in here to get you. Don't make this all for nothing, alright?

Here, you in front. The sooner we get out of here the better. [ The gun's going to be passed off, gratefully, and she hopes to God that he'll take it and not ask anymore questions. That he'll go along with whatever plan she's got.

First, however, she does give pause and her brows knit. How could she be so inconsiderate? She had been so, so worried all this time, and now finally she's gotten to him... ] I'm sorry, are you alright?