you're in the jungle, baby / you gonna die

[lucetimods]

Who: All draftees
What: Fighting the Third Party... and perhaps the wildlife.
When: June 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th. (Characters will be pulled out at 11:59 of the 6th.)
Where: An as-yet unmapped by the Malnosso tropical rainforest.
Summary: Here are your details. Try to stay alive, won't you?
Rating: Anywhere from PG to R.

No cut for you. Most of you will know how this works by now; if you don't, follow the lead of the others, or perhaps look to the last draft's fighting post for ideas. Don't forget to use your handy dandy character tags. Go forth and conquer thine enemies!

Comments

[simplestgift]

Archie took five seconds to hack the remaining wing off the corpse before dashing after the pirate as the whole platform took flame. He seized a vine and swung after him, the humid rainforest heat cool in comparison to the heat radiating from the platform.

[all7seas]

"Kennedy? You crazy bastard. You've blown the whole thing to smithereens. I admire that, son."

The pirate was waiting for him on the ground. They would still have to run, to be truthful; there would be reinforcements sent in to investigate such a cataclysmic blast. But Jack was trying to take a moment to enjoy it nonetheless.

[simplestgift]

Archie touched down. "Your admiration does me no credit, sir."

[all7seas]

"Be that as it may, there are very few deeds of others that I admire. Rather theatrical, but it got the job done."

[simplestgift]

A long silence as Archie reloaded his pistol.

"We need to run. That fire's as good as a signal to every winged thing within miles."

[all7seas]

"Aye." Jack drew a deep breath and smiled. Smiled. He'd done it. He'd slain the foe who tore him to pieces in the last draft. A slow satisfaction was spreading through his chest at that, radiating out to his wingtips.

"Time to run."

Without waiting for the other man---again---Jack ran.

[simplestgift]

Archie took off after him, seeing the lightness on his face and wondering if it meant Jack had regained his sense of control this way. Vengeance and murder. Kennedy was still disturbed by it. That's why I never took the chance, when I had it. I hope.

[all7seas]

The pirate would not stop running until the path to the hospital camp was in sight. This was his cue to stop and stay. He had stored a supply of water and food nearby so that he wouldn't have to walk into the camp unnecessarily. Jack did not want to get in the way of the healers, but most of all he didn't want to lead any enemies back to them. It was his job to keep them away. Period.

Still, the killing of that Elite made him feel as though perhaps he had done his own bit of rescuing. Fewer might be killed, now. And then, of course, there was the satisfaction of vengeance. Jack found a log he was accustomed to sitting upon and began to break apart, check, and load his weapons.

[simplestgift]

Archie sat beside him with a sigh, snatching a bottle of water without asking and twisting it open. Drink, come up for air, drink, twist the cap back on.

"How does it feel?"

[all7seas]

"Feels like there's one fewer sadistic bastard in the world. So? Very well indeed, Kennedy."

He took his own sips of water, much-needed in the hot, humid environment. The familiar snapshots of his life right before death are jostling for attention in his mind, but Jack is trying to ignore them for now. They are horrible things.

[simplestgift]

"You feel like you could have stopped what happened before?"

[all7seas]

"Feel like I could change the past through what I've done today? Or do I feel as though I could've survived that day? Which, Kennedy?"

[simplestgift]

"The second one."

[all7seas]

"No. I don't think it were survivable. There were too many, and I was injured..."

He squirmed slightly, betraying his discomfort with the topic. "Have you ever seen men on shipboard forcing rats to fight, son?"

[simplestgift]

"Yes." He didn't pursue the previous topic further.

[all7seas]

"And the rats--they've no way out, and they're forced to fight until there is one victor."

[simplestgift]

"Didn't ever think you'd understand the rats, did you?"

[all7seas]

"I'm a pirate."

That might have been enough right there, but Jack continued: "The rat what doesn't win gets thrown aside. Garbage. He might fight fiercely, but he's still garbage in the end. And occasionally the sailors laugh as he dies."

[simplestgift]

He doesn't look at him--can't look at him--but his face softens and he blinks quickly.

[all7seas]

"Imagine what would happen, Kennedy, if all the rats came back and rose against their captors." The thought seemed to amuse Sparrow. He shifted restlessly again and drank more water. "Imagine if they made him fight, and beat him when he tried to get free, and tore him up, and he came back and struck a mortal blow. Wouldn't life on board ship be different."

[simplestgift]

"You'd have an even bigger corpse to clean up." Back then, he had imagined murder--not for revenge, but to stop him. Somehow, strangely, it had not been born out of ill will. He had feared him, but never hated. The hatred and anger both had been misdirected towards others. Maybe that was even worse.

[all7seas]

"Or just one to burn away to ash."

[simplestgift]

"On board a ship?" Someone is getting too caught up in the metaphor.

[all7seas]

"......No. Not on board a ship." Jack replaced the canteen in his pack. "What is your mission now, lieutenant?"

[simplestgift]

"To protect the camp." He unscrewed the cap on the water bottle and took another drink. "They gave me cannons."