[IC] This Means War

[liah]

"Of course I am. Let's go slow-poke." I smiled, offering him my arm in case he needed help. "Ok, so we need to go down that hall and to the left. Once we're there, we've got a straight shot from what I can remember." I was dragged down this hall so I was pretty sure I knew where to go. "Then we're back in paradise!" It wasn't exactly paradise since we were in Jaxlor territory. But anywhere was better than here.

[natcat]

I chuckled. "Right, paradise..." I muttered before taking Daisy's arm, leaning on her. I may have been able to stand by myself, but there was no way I was going to be able to run anywhere.

[liah]

After slowly making our way down the hall, we came to our turn. I peeked around the corner and saw two men standing there, waiting for something to happen. "We've got a minor problem." I carefully helped Sam lean himself against the wall. "Just give me a second." I pulled a gun from my hip and stood down the hall. Pointing it at the men, I got ready to shoot.
One of them spun around, squinting at me then raising his hand. "Daisy stop! It's me, Luke!"
"And Slacks!" Slacks added. "You got your friend?"
"I got him. Come help!" I called down to him and he nodded, running down the hall to meet us. "Geez, man. What happened to you?" He gave Sam his arm.

[natcat]

I sighed as they helped me stand between them. "Don't ask." I said giving him a pained smile. "Can we just get out of here?"
"Don't worry, Sam, we've got it sorted." Slacks reassured me as he helped Daisy carry me down the hall to where Luke said.
"So what's happening? How are we getting out of here?" I asked looking between the two of them.

[liah]

"Well we got Georgie and Lyric out there causin' quite a ruckus. Nice distraction goin'. Then we got your friend-" He paused, looking up in the air. I suppose he was trying to remember something. "I forget her name. But she's gettin' us a Jeep. Once we get out those doors, we're back in the tropics until the morning." Slacks grinned.

[natcat]

“Christy or Penelope?” I asked confused. If he only mentioned one of them, where was the other?
Tropics till morning. I could handle that, I thought hesitantly. Another bang resounded throughout the camp and I looked up, seeing dust fall from the ceiling. “You know what, it doesn’t matter, this building doesn’t look like it’ll last much longer. Let’s get moving.”

[liah]

Slacks nodded, running up ahead. "Hurry up!" He called.
Luke and I began to pick up the pace as we went alone. "Sorry, I know you're in pain. But like you said, we've gotta get moving. This place can't take that many more explosions."

[natcat]

I grimaced from the pain but shook my head. “It’s okay. I know.” I said as they pulled me along.
As quick as we could, we reached the main door of the building and Luke scanned the area.
“It’s clear at the moment, I think everyone’s gone to the fence line.” Slacks said as he met Luke by the door having stepped outside for a closer look.

[liah]

"So where's that getaway Jeep you spoke about?" I asked. I squinted through the smoke that filled the air, trying to spot anything I could.
"It should be here soon. Real soon." Luke replied.
"Soon needs to be like-" Another explosion went off, sending more debris and pieces of the ceiling around. "Now."

[natcat]

“Well, while we wait I need to sit down.” I said reaching for the nearest wall to pull myself out of Daisy and Luke's grip.
I was beginning to feel dizzy and each time I stood and moved too much it felt worse. Sliding to the ground, I leant against the wall and closed my eyes, trying to settle the sudden nausea I felt.

[liah]

About five minutes later I could a car horn started beeping. "Hey, guys!" A preppy voice called out. "Let's go! Get in!" It was Christy. She swerved to the entrance and swung the back door open. "Time to go before these guys get the big guns out!" She waved a hand for us to hurry up.
"C'mon, Sam." I nelt down beside him. "Christy is here with the Jeep."

[natcat]

I blinked having fallen half asleep in wait. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go.” I muttered and groaned in pain as I attempted to pull myself up. Everything hurt and I was just too weak to do anything. “I’m sorry, I can’t.” I gasped my eyes half closed.

[liah]

Luke and Slacks went over to Sam. "Alright. We gotcha'. Might hurt a bit." Slacks said, as he and Luke put Sam's arms on each of their shoulders. "On three." He looked to Luke then to Sam. "One. Two... Three." He said and they carefully lifted Sam to his feet.
"Bring the Jeep a little closer." Luke said and Christy did so. "They're coming!" She yelled.
"Alright, alright! We're helping him in." Slacks yelled.

[natcat]

I tried to help by taking most of my weight, but I was too dizzy. I was feeling so out of it, my head lolling as they lifted me into the van I tried to conceal the cry of pain that fought to be released as my body protested.
“Sorry.” I apologised for making everything difficult for them.

[liah]

"It's fine, it's fine." Slacks said as they lifted him into the Jeep. I hopped into the back seat next to Sam while Luke jumped in the trunk. Slacks sat next to Christy in the front.
"Ok, let's move it! We still have to pick up that Lyric girl and the Georgie guy!" Christy sped off. "Hold on tight!" She pressed her foot on the gas and we took off. Luke opened the hatch to the trunk and began shooting at anyone that came towards us.
"Get the doors, we'll be running into them in just a few seconds!" Slacks shouted. He opened his door and I opened mine. "When you see 'em, just pull 'em in!" He shouted and I nodded. This was almost over.

[natcat]

I could hear and feel all the panic and commotion around me and I wanted to help, willed my body to respond to me, but nothing was happening. I felt useless.
Black spots were starting to fill my vision and I tried to fight them off hopelessly.
“I see Georgie!” I heard who I thought was Slacks yell and soon there was an extra body in the jeep.

[liah]

"Nice to see you made it back." Slacks slapped Georgie on the back. "Now where's Lyric?" He asked.
"Got her!" Luke grabbed her arm and flung her in the trunk beside him. "We're all here. Let's go."
"A little easier next time, big guy." Lyric shut the trunk door.
In just a few minutes we were out of the camp and driving through the forest. It looked like the trunk was filled with all of the supplies from the cave.
"Can't go back. I've got a better spot. Penelope is already there." Luke spoke. "We found it earlier while looking for these guys. Not too far from here. But far enough and hidden well enough that the Jaxlor's won't find us." He finished.

[liah]

"Nice to see you made it back." Slacks slapped Georgie on the back. "Now where's Lyric?" He asked.
"Got her!" Luke grabbed her arm and flung her in the trunk beside him. "We're all here. Let's go."
"A little easier next time, big guy." Lyric shut the trunk door.
In just a few minutes we were out of the camp and driving through the forest. It looked like the trunk was filled with all of the supplies from the cave.
"Can't go back. I've got a better spot. Penelope is already there." Luke spoke. "We found it earlier while looking for these guys. Not too far from here. But far enough and hidden well enough that the Jaxlor's won't find us." He finished.

[natcat]

Overhearing their conversation, I lifted my head and looked back at Luke. “Is it warm there?” I asked with a half-smile before letting my head drop again. I was cold and sore and soaked from head to toe, never having a chance to dry off properly before the Jaxlor’s grabbed me.

[liah]

"This whole place is warm! You're gonna love it, man." Luke replied, coming half way over the seat and giving him a smile.
We drove for what felt like forever, but in reality it was thirty minutes tops. "Ok, we have to walk from here. We don't want to keep the Jeep. They might coming looking for it or have a tracker on it. Christy is going to drive it somewhere and leave it. She'll meet us back here." Georgie said. I nodded, opening the car door and stepping out.
"You're gonna need some help." I waited for Sam to sit up.