The Hunted (Hobbs)

[Dante Stark]

Dante stood there watching with Hobbs, as the building had been engulfed by flames. Dante could almost swear he'd heard some popping noises that'd made it seem like they had been watching fireworks explode on a crisp New Year's evening.. But this wasn't the case. "Hazel , it's a pretty name.. for a pretty face." Stark said as he'd picked himself up from his leaning post standing next to Hobbs, the sounds of sirens in the distance.. He'd turned to face her looking down the street. "We should probably get out of here and get those much needed supplies, then retreat to one of the crappy motels around here.. Better than another disused building.. And hell i could do with a nap." Stark rustled his hair most of the gelled spikes gone from this evenings events..

it was funny, nobody would ever have known the true intent of this building, they'd all have figured it an electrical fire or something like that.. Never suspecting there was a supernatural glint in the fireball that used to be a building.. Stark stopped thinking as it'd been dangerous in the past and more a less just thought about getting patched up by Hobbs and then sleeping whatever had happened off.."It's certainly been something tonight.. and well i suppose it's glad we cleaned this mess up.. But it's been nice H-Hazel.." Stark stammered her name at first it was unusual to have called her anything other than Hobbs, but it seemed fitting for the moment.

[Hazel 'Hobbs' Yeung]

Hobbs turned her head to look at Stark with a raised eyebrow and a half-smile. She studied his face for a moment, then looked back at the fire with a small laugh.
"I can't believe you just said that," she chuckled, glancing back to him. "Dude, that is so gay, and so the worst pick-up line I've ever heard." Besides, she knew it was all bullshit; nobody called her pretty. Hobbs wasn't much of a looker, in fact she was sharp-featured and plain, and she knew it. She was also perfectly comfortable with not being the prettiest flower of the bunch.

She punched him playfully in the good shoulder, not the one he'd been stabbed in. But he was right when he said they should probably leave sharpish. Fire engines would be converging on the scene, along with ambulances once they found the first bodies and police when they found all the spent bullet casings and bomb remnants they left behind. Not to mention that giant meth lab downstairs.
"Alright, gimme your car keys you're not fit to drive as you are," she said. "D'you remember where you parked?"

Already she could hear sirens in the distance. Hobbs grabbed Stark by the arm and yanked him back into the shadows of a narrow alleyway behind them. They could make their getaway from here.
"Hey, don't you start acting like it's over just yet. I still have to stitch you up, and that means I've gotta call in somewhere to pick stuff up." She paused, looking at his torn and tattered clothing. "I don't suppose you keep a spare shirt in your car?"

[Dante Stark]

"Sorry to make our badass moment seem quite gay, but it's what happens in most of those TV dramas.. " Stark laughed with her. He'd wondered where he had indeed parked his car.. She'd punched him in the shoulder and he'd poked her in the side jokingly seemingly keeping up with the camaraderie they'd been having enjoying a laugh after a hellish night. Stark tossed her his keys and it had a small picture keychain in it from when he was a boy. "I'm on the next block over, and yeah i think i have a spare shirt.. " Dante always carried some spare clothing.. He'd looked at the building as Hobbs and Dante had set off towards Dante's car.

No words need really be said, they'd make good small talk now and then.. Dante looked behind them as the they rounded the corner the fire trucks had stopped and began setting to work.. Surely this would reach tomorrows news paper..

But it was over now all he had to endure was allowing Hobbs close to his bare skin with a needle and some rubbing alcohol.. And he was also thankful they'd both made it out alive.. Dante also felt a slight grief for his lost watch but he could acquire another one in the morning.

[Hazel 'Hobbs' Yeung]

"This isn't a TV drama Starky. Things aren't all peaches and cream, and you're bleeding heavily." Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, that shoulder wound would be starting to hurt any moment now.

He glanced over at the burning building, and Hobbs looked up into his face, then followed his gaze. She stared over at the flames for a few moments, then a searing, burning pain almost made her drop to her knee and clutch her prosthetic leg. Instead, she doubled over, gripped her knee tightly, and hissed in pain through her teeth. Phantom pains were back again, and the leg she no longer had felt like it was on fire, but Hobbs knew them to be brief by now. She didn't know why they'd just sprung up on her now. Maybe it was because she was coming down from her adrenaline high, maybe it was the sight of the flames that triggered it, or maybe it was because the rest of her body was in pain and her brain saw fit to add in a little more.
"It's okay," she said quickly, straightening up and catching the keys as the pain ebbed away. "I'm fine, don't worry." Hobbs found it funny how every time the phantom pains came back she would hold the prosthetic as though it would help. Force of habit, she supposed.

She followed Stark away from the burning building to his car. She unlocked it when she reached the door and climbed into the driver's seat, dumping her gun and duffel bag in the back seat. She fastened her seatbelt and pulled down the sun visor to check her reflection in the mirror on the other side as she waited for Stark to get in. She cleaned off blood from around her mouth and chin with a spittle-wet finger, and flipped the visor back up as she started the car. Once she was sure Stark was in safe, she pulled away from the side of the road and set off in the opposite direction of the passing fire engine.

Five minutes down the road, Hobbs pulled over outside a corner store and got out, leaving the engine running.
"Just gonna go grab some stuff," she said to Stark, before closing the car door and hurrying inside. Once in the store, she grabbed a basket and picked up a travel-size first aid bag, small sewing kit, a six-pack of beers and a medium-size bottle of whiskey. She also added in a couple of microwave cheeseburgers. Once at the counter, she picked up a couple of Red Bull energy shots, just for good measure. The man behind the till looked at her strangely and asked for ID, but once Hobbs produced a passport that confirmed that she was twenty-five, he simply ran her items through and accepted her cash.
"Know where the nearest motel is?"
The cashier looked at her warily for a second. "Yeah there's one only ten minutes down the road."
"Thanks."
She left the store in a hurry, and jogged back out to the car. She climbed back into the driver's seat and dumped the carrier bag on the back seat. The man had said ten minutes, but Hobbs reckoned she could make it in five if she stepped on it. And she'd need to; Stark wasn't making any more blood in the passenger seat beside her. Once again, Hobbs set off, and accelerated to eighty as she did so.
Six and a half minutes later, Hobbs could see the motel neon sign looming out of the darkness by the roadside. She slowed down as she pulled into the car park, then turned the engine off.
"You get the stuff together, I'll go get us a room," Hobbs said, getting out of the car and heading off to the reception.
Inside, a woman was sat behind the counter watching late night TV. She looked up at Hobbs, got up.
"Can I help you?" the woman asked.
"Yeah, you got a spare room? Two singles preferably."
"Last minute plans, hm?" the receptionist asked with a smile.
Hobbs returned the expression uneasily. "You could say that."
"I'm afraid we only have doubles left."
Hobbs puffed out a short sigh. "That'll do. Any with kitchenettes?"
"Yes, we-"
"How much?"
"Fifty dollars."
Hobbs handed over fifty in cash without a word and accepted the key that the woman took off the rack behind her. Hobbs nodded her thanks and left.

[Dante Stark]

Stark hopped in the passenger seat, he'd never usually been a passenger and this car was his baby.. But he'd trusted Hobbs driving skills. He'd wondered what had come over her as they was walking she'd had some kinds of pains but he'd figured she dealt with it from time to time.. They'd sped off down the road his car engine roaring like a tiger as they pulled up outside a convenience store..

"Alright Boss.. I'll be sitting here, like the good man i am.." His chipper tone returning after getting out.. He'd sat there unaware of how long she'd be and he filled with his radio.

His radio continued playing the last song he'd been listening to - He'd been unaware of how much old rock he actually listened to as Back in Black began playing filling his ears with good ol' music.. Dante drummed on his side of the car waiting for Hobbs.. Dante's shoulder had been hurting like fuck as he was drumming and he'd cursed loudly... When he saw her carrying a grocery bag he'd turned the radio off..
They sped away once more this time in the direction of what appeared to be a Motel as she'd taken five minutes to get here.. She'd instructed Dante to stash their gear, He'd grabbed the grocery bag and walked around to his book and pulled out a blue t-shirt and one of his matching plaid ones and stuffed them under his arm as he locked up the car.. He'd looked at the motel as Hobbs had came out with the key.. Dante had assumed they'd be getting two singles but when he only saw the one key he looked at her...

"I'm calling it right now.. I get to be the big spoon.. And i hope you brought some food because i am starving.. " He laughed like he did once they'd burnt the place to the ground, He'd followed her to their room and watched as she opened the door to reveal one those lovely motel rooms which made home feel like a paradise..

Dante walked in and flicked the lights on looking at the armchair in the corner, he'd taken the shirt she'd wrapped around his shoulder and removed the bandage from his arm.. "Let's get the painful part over with.." He said sitting down placing the shopping supplies on the wooden table and he dropped his shirts on the table too..

[Hazel 'Hobbs' Yeung]

Hobbs jangled the room key at him as she walked out across the car park.

"You'll be happy to find that I picked up a couple of cheeseburgers, and no", she said, pointing a warning finger at Stark. "We'll not be having any of that spooning crap. You keep your hands to yourself, and I swear to God, if anything pokes me in the back, I'll cut it off."

She led the way to the right room and unlocked the door. She pulled the key out of the lock and swung open the door... then let out the breath she hadn't been aware of holding. To her, bruised and battered, starving and aching all over, that one neatly made king-size bed looked like pillowy heaven. She tossed the keys onto the small dining table and practically ran at the bed with her arms outstretched. She jumped onto it, and bounced across the mattress, seeming to hug all of it at once. She let out a low groan of relief and relaxation, so much that it sounded almost sexual.
"Oh baby, I've missed you," she said, burying her face into the duvet so that it muffled her words.

She rolled over, recollected herself. "Okay, I'm all good now." She sat up, shrugged off her leather jacket and hung it up on the back of the room door. She went to wash her hands in the sink quickly, before going over to the plastic bag of stuff she'd bought at the convenience store. She pulled out the six pack of beers first, broke one off and tossed it to Stark. Breaking off another, she stuck it under her arm to carry the sewing kit, first aid kit, and the bottle of whiskey over to the bed, where she dumped the stuff across the duvet.

Snapped her fingers at Stark. "You, sit here, shirt off, no funny ideas." She gestured to the end of the bed as she put the beer on the bedside table, kicked off her Docs and cracked open the whiskey.

[Dante Stark]

Dante stood up from the crappy arm chair, and took off the remnants of his shirt it was barely scraps and he'd tossed it to the floor, he'd watched he get up from the bed after letting out a sexual growl.. that wasn't weird at-all.. He'd thought to himself as he positioned himself on the edge of the bed he'd caught the beer and opened it bringing the sweet taste to his mouth as he took a massive swig. "Hey i can keep it in my pants.. but i can always sleep in the armchair if you don't want me to keep you warm.. " Stark said jokingly, they was able to have banter like this and it wouldn't seem weird..

Stark waited in hesitation as Hazel brought the medical stuff closer to him he'd felt a stinging feeling in his stomach, he wasn't afraid of needles but he'd still didn't like the fact that he was about to become her own personal ragdoll.. But at least he'd get nice and fixed up and he would be closer to recovery..

"I suppose, apart from the injuries this is a job well done.. Got my partner.. got some cheeseburgers and some beer.. And well this bed is mighty comfy.. I'd thought motel standard would have been like sleeping on cardboard but this feels like a dream.. " Stark muttered as he felt the bed.. He was also slightly tense having to share a room with one of his closest friends..

He'd hope she didn't mind that he'd be sleeping in just his boxers otherwise this was going to get more awkward. Dante felt Hobbs come in closer and she was brandishing a needle and he'd closed his eyes and allowed her to work, he'd tensed his arm so it wouldn't hurt as much.

[Hazel 'Hobbs' Yeung]

Hobbs watched him pull off his shirt and had to avert her eyes. I mustn't perv on Stark, I mustn't perv on Stark, I mustn't perv on Stark... To distract herself, she opened the first aid kit and blotted the whiskey onto a gauze patch, which she then promptly slapped onto the stab wound on his shoulder. She worked off all the dried, crusted blood off his skin, using more whiskey-soaked patches when the previous one became too bloodied.

She opened up the sewing kit, and took out the needle. "Any colour preference?" she asked him, nodding to the thread as she bent the needle over in a few places so it would curve. Threading it with standard black before he could reply, she handed him the whiskey bottle.
"Take a swig," she said, "this'll hurt." And without further warning she stuck the needle into his skin and began to sew the wound shut. She tried to be gentle about it, but dragging thread through skin wasn't a pleasant process, and all Hobbs could do was make it as quick as possible. Like ripping off a plaster.

"There's not going to be much sleeping tonight," Hobbs mused aloud, trying to engage him in conversation to take his mind off the pain. Then, she realised how that sounded and mentally backpedalled. "No- I didn't mean it like... I just meant that I don't sleep much." A pause. "And not in that way either, fuck it, I'm digging myself a hole here... I meant, the insomnia," she finally blurted out. "Insomnia. Don't sleep much. And when I do it's all nightmares."
She finished sewing the wound shut and leaned in close to bite the thread off. He smelled like the whiskey she used to clean his shoulder with.

Hobbs put the needle back in the case and tore off strips of microporous tape. "Don't take that the wrong way," she said, laughing faintly, as the used the strips to tape shut the glass wound on his arm. Next, Hobbs reached for a clean gauze patch and pressed it to his shoulder wound before taping down the edges. Once that started to heal, it was going to itch like a motherfucker. The patch wasn't just to keep it clean and absorb blood, but to keep him from scratching at it, too.

[Dante Stark]

Dante grimaced as she'd been cleaning his wound with the whiskey soaked pouches.. He'd been used to backdoor medical care sometimes it was too risky to go to a hospital so whiskey and string always became a preference to him.."I'll take some blue thread.." Dante spoke keeping his voice down as she'd set to work on fixing him up..He didn't get blue.. She'd used black instead and he was okay either way it was fixing him up. He'd uttered a few curses as she'd continued her handy work..

She'd been engaging him in small talk and slipped up saying they wouldn't be doing much sleeping and he laughed at her innuendo.. He'd known what she meant but she'd told him she suffered from insomnia and he'd nodded..

"I don't usually tend to sleep well either but sometimes i take enough alcohol that I'll just lull myself to sleep.. But after tonight some nice shut eye would be bloody amazing." He'd grimaced once more she'd stitched him up and he was grateful.

She'd leant in close to bite the thread off and he'd shivered slightly as she came within close proximity of him, she'd uttered something about this not being personal.. and he'd smirked once more; "Eh i won't take this the wrong way Hazel.. I'm glad it's you stitching me up instead of some crazy doctor.. And for that i can toast to.. " Dante smirked and passed her the whiskey as he moved his arm out.. She'd taped him up so he wouldn't have been able to itch at his cut but he'd figured it was for the best otherwise he'd probably stop it from healing.

Stark took another swig of his beer and placed it to the side of the bed.. He'd itched his face as he looked towards her.. "Now i heard you mention something beginning with an F and having some O's and a D' in it.. I could really do with something to eat.. feels like my stomach is eating itself.. " Stark didn't smile this time more a less kept a neutral facial expression.. He'd not eaten since he'd had a slice of pie at the cafe.. but something greasy would be more satisfying it was always the best food.. Nothing compared to hot greasy food that filled the stomach right up.

[Hazel 'Hobbs' Yeung]

She knew what he meant. After tonight, even a hardcore insomniac like her could probably put her head down and fall into deep sleep almost instantly. But Hobbs knew it wouldn't last. An hour later she'd be woken from dreams of Helmand and RPGs ripping through her men. And the phantom pain would be back, just as vicious as ever.

Hobbs leaned back, yawning, and pressed her shoulder blades together into a satisfying click. She relaxed again, rubbing her neck and the silver ball chain on which her old dog tags hung. She kept them down her shirt at all times, rubber-rimmed so that they didn't jangle together.
"Are you gonna start calling me Hazel as a regular thing now?" she asked him. She wasn't entirely sure which name she preferred better; Hobbs or Hazel. Hazel was her real name, sure, but there was something about Hobbs that... she didn't really know. Maybe it was that when she'd chopped away parts of her life, 'Hobbs' was one remaining safety blanket that protected her real name.

She took the whiskey bottle back from him and took a swig herself. She instantly regretted it. Pain lanced through her tongue where she'd bitten it and she half-managed to gulp the whiskey down, but ended up spraying out the rest of it away from Stark. Real classy, girl.
"Fuck. Shit. Fuck fuck ow," she swore loudly, wincing as her mouth burned and her tongue tasted like it was bleeding again. She put the whiskey bottle down and scrambled over to the other side of the bed. She grabbed her beer, cracked it open, and gulped it down. The cold was numbing, and it soothed the pain somewhat.
"Urgh, I forgot about that," she murmured, before sticking her tongue out and poking at it gingerly with the side of the beer.

"Oh, the cheeseburgers are in the bag. Just stick 'em in the microwave." She wasn't getting up and doing that for him, he was still a fully capable human being, wasn't he? Hobbs gathered together the sewing stuff and the first aid kit and put them on the top of the dresser, before collapsing backwards onto the bed again. "Make mine for me too, will you?" she grinned at him. "While you're up."