Fun with Paint

[starterkid]

Ten was good at acting good to a point. In some ways she was like a kid who couldn't wait around and sought to keep busy. Even if doing this could draw unwanted attention to herself she had to do it. So she set this little game up with a target she had watched for long enough. Long enough to know she wouldn't really be risking herself to get him to

Comments

[ding_chavez]

Chavez had been living in the Nexus for too long, he figured. The place from before, the place that had taken him away from his family and friends, from his entire world, literally, had been bad enough but he could barely remember it now other than it had been bad. This place was not making things any better.

He missed his family. He missed his friends. And, damnit, he missed his team back at Rainbow HQ.

But mostly he missed his family; his wife and newborn son. He hadn't had much time with J.C. before he was spirited away to God knew wherever and then some. He wanted that time back--and knew he would never get it.

Domingo Chavez, ex-Ranger, ex-CIA, and would-be Rainbow team leader if he were still back home, was not a happy camper.

But things weren't all that bad here, and he was making it, and he had hope that one day he'd find the way back home. The fact that the PINpoint devices did not work for him--for one reason or another--was very disappointing, and vaguely depressing, but he'd get over that. Eventually.

A paint ball game that he was unaware of about to take place would probably, surprisingly enough, help with that. It would get him out of his slump. And force him back into practice of old styles. Combat would feel good to the veteran.

A while back he had found a permanent-like establishment in which to live. He settled with calling it an apartment despite the fact that the "landlord" opted for a different title he couldn't even begin to pronounce. Ah, the joys of living in a quasi-dimension that housed an abundance of beings hailing from an infinite number of galaxies, universes, and worlds. Hoo-rah.

Now he was just exiting the apartment complex and heading out into the gist of the Nexus hub. Anywhere really, he wasn't quite certain of an exact destination just yet. Probably a watering hole of some sort for a bit though. A good club sandwich and a beer wouldn't hurt...

He passed underneath Ten's hidey-hole without realizing it. It was just that Ten had chosen well--it was an area that Ding always had to pass through to get into the central area of the Nexus from his apartment. He passed through it nearly everyday.

[starterkid]

Ten held her breath and her position carefully. She would wait until he was up ahead so she would get snagged by him right away. Besides the fact now she could get him to see the paint ball gun she had waiting for him.

She didn't need to wait long. She didn't aim for him just the space right above his right shoulder and next to his head. She didn't wait more than two seconds before she started moving keeping an eye on him.

Surely he would find weapon she left him. She also expected he would notice her soon. But she was going to be very careful. This was going to be fun for the young super-soldier. It was like a young dog trying to play fight with another dog to her in a far corner of her mind where humans will never fit.

[ding_chavez]

Ding froze when he heard the tale-tell sound of a bullet whizzing by his ear. That--was a sound he hadn't heard in some time. And it was also one he could do without for the rest of his life. The fact that he only froze for the briefest of moments attested to the fact that it was something he was trained to deal with however.

His eyes quickly spotted the splat of paint on the sidewalk in front of him and he frowned briefly. Paint? As in--paintball? Someone shot a paintball at him? And missed. On purpose?

He couldn't be sure, but he was definitely intrigued now. He spun around quickly and his eyes scanned his surroundings, automatically starting up high because of the angle required for such a shot. He barely spotted her before she disappeared.

His eyes narrowed, thoughts swirling through his mind for an answer. There was nothing immediate but he went with the first option: figure it out by action! He made his way up with some effort (boy did he wish he had his gear on him right about now) and found what she had left him.

A game, huh? Well, he liked games. And this one could be fun if played right. Chavez started to follow once he'd checked his new-found gear and gotten acquainted with it.

[starterkid]

Ten had enjoyed the show he had put on for her. So he hadn't expected to get shot at well that was fine with her. She knew one day in the future she wouldn't expect to get shot at either. She was pleased though that his training carried through it gave her some hope that he would be good at the game.

Ten though focused on getting repositioned as Ding climbed up. She felt a pang of guilt in the back of her mind for making him work to get the tools. But she knew she wouldn't change things. Plus this gave her time to watch him check his gear. She decided to continue moving so the chances of him fairly getting a shot off at her would go up. Besides the fact that this way she could test out new strategies reasonably in the context of having fun.

[ding_chavez]

Ding's eyes scanned the area thoroughly when he was finished. He spotted her movement and started off in that direction, though no matter what when he followed it was never a direct route. That would be foolish.

Ding was a pretty good sharpshooter, and if he got the barest of opportunities any time soon he'd prove it to her with a nice paintball in a place that made it quite obvious.

[starterkid]

Ten got the impression he knew where she was. She didn't know exactly where he was but she felt she had a good enough idea. The problem was even with her above human hearing it was still hard to track someone with it in such a noise-busy place so there would be no point in trying.

Ten kept herself stooped low as she climbed along the roof of a building and then carefully sat herself where she could get a good look at the area. She scanned around for as far as she could see. But she didn't check one spot and with her looking one way Ding might get a shot at her.

[ding_chavez]

Ding kept up the steady pace until he saw her disappear behind a ledge. He slowed his pace and carefully moved into a position where he could spot her without entirely revealing himself either.

He kept low; it was something the two soldiers would automatically have in common. It was the best way not to get one's self shot after all.

But Ding managed to get to higher ground when Ten wasn't looking. And he set himself up for the nearly perfect shot. He wasn't going for a kill or anything so--he aimed for anything but the head. An arm sounded good for this game. He aimed at her left one for now.

The shot went off and, despite his good timing while she was looking in the opposite direction, the angle properly still gave him away once it hit. He ducked back down and waited for retaliation.