Search and Destroy [alana]

[Alana Summers]

Sweat glimmered on Alana's forehead, the soreness in her muscles finally coming forth, which was common for the aftermath of tough battles. Alana stood for a few seconds, finding that the clusters of smaller Darkness had long dispersed. Her breathing was deep as her lungs tried to get the necessary amount of blood for her high paced heart. Taking a small recovery, Alana took the time to scout the battlefield for any remaining Darkness that could've manage to retreat. That was when Alana picked up the noise of loud footfalls. The red-headed Chaser whirled around, black scythe gleaming all the while. Alana's reddish brown eyes went wide with shock, her partner's neck was coated with blood. A sound came from her partner's mouth, a sound that resembled gurgling as they fell to the ground. Their blooded hand extended towards them in the cliche manner that was often used in movies. The dramatic gesture made Alana panic, not only was Max her friend, but Alana's responsibility as well.

One of Alana's hands shot upwards to cover her mouth, face turning hot from the tears that began to run down her face. With a clatter, her scythe fell to the ground, soon dissipating as though it was nothing more, but a shadow. Alana lunged towards her partner, her head spinning. The metallic smell of blood immediately hitting her nostrils. It was no pleasant smell, but Alana didn't halt at its' presence. "MAX! NO, NO, NO! THIS CAN'T BE-" Alana paused as her eyes drifted towards the "neck wound". Like a coin, Alana flipped from sadness to anger. "MAX! ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Alana shouted, her anger ringing with each word. Anyone could tell the woman wasn't please with her friend's display. Right hand shooting towards her face, Alana whipped away the tears that had dribbled onto her face from her friend's "death". "I can't believe you, Max. I thought you got yourself killed!" Alana exclaimed, anger still dripping from her voice. Alana's crossed her arms, a look of disappointment drawn on her face.

That was when Alana's memory went into play. "Wait, you finger, it got injured." Alana stated, slightly wincing at the thought of having to explain the incident to Max's parents. It wasn't a pleasant scenario to be in, but Alana was caught in it now. "Max, what happened and how bad is it?" Alana asked, a little concern over the possible answer.

[Max Abner]

Max lay completely still, trying to act as dead as possible. It seemed to work since Alana seemed really worried about them. Their charade didn't last long though because they heard Alana's voice switch from concern to anger. Max started giggling, even though most people might not find it funny, Max was young and had trouble taking anything seriously. Max'sfinger actually was injured, but they could have done without all the dramatics and pretending to be dead. Max saw the older woman crying and sat up. "Aww, you care about me." Max cooed and patted their friends arm.

Then Alana seemed to notice that Max actually was injured, just not as bad as they had originally seemed to be. They shrugged. "I misplaced my hand and the Razor caught the tip of my pinky, but I got them back so no need to worry. I just don't think I'm getting the tip of my pinky back though." Max held up their bloody hand and wiggled the little finger that was now even smaller. They slowly stood up and looked around the clearing. No Darkness remained so it seemed that they had effectively gotten rid of them all. The only problem now would be explaining the injury to Max's parents. Max finally frowned. "My mom is going to kill me." They groaned.

[Alana Summers]

Alana's anger was further justified from the small giggles that came from partner after the discovery. The finger injury was 100% real, but the fake slashed throat was what left Alana angry. Max's seriousness was little to nothing, while Alana was the exact opposite. These sorts of jokes left her in a furious state, but due to the appearance of a true injury, Alana's anger was held off for later. The small coo and arm pat did nothing to sooth the future rage that was bound to be unleashed on an unfortunate victim. Alana snapped at the cooing response. "Of course I do! You're my partner after all!" Alana exclaimed, anger dribbling over each word like slow moving water. There were only small bits of anger to her words, but enough to be heard clearly. However, the lecturing would have to wait, for the time was needed to think. The pinky injury was rather minor for what a Razor was capable of, but it was still a terrible thing nonetheless.

Alana listened, her thoughts jumbling around to find the next course of action. Upon hearing the part about the tip of her pinky not being reattached, Alana sighed. The reddish-brown eyes of the woman chaser drifted over to Max's hand as they moved their pinky back and forth. Most chasers got injured, it was simply something that become expectant as the career went on. The job choice of being a fighting machine against the darkness was truly something of a thousand dangers. In this case, it was a tad bit different. With Max being thirteen, and Alana being the adult she was, this meant Max was her responsibility. Upon the mentioning of Max's mother, a barely audible groan released from Alana's lips. "More like she will kill me. I am responsible for you after all, but let's worry about that later, we have other things we need to worry about." Alana started, turning towards the direction of town.

"We better get you to the hospital, we don't need to be chewed up and spat out by your parents due to your injury getting infected. Now come on, I parked a little ways from the mountain so we have a bit of walking to do." Alana stated calmly, taking control over the situation. Naturally the chaser parked her car away from the action, there was no need for a brute to smash it, or for any of the darkness to break for a matter of fact.

[Max Abner]

Max laughed a little as they got up and dusted the self off, but only succeeded in wiping blood on their clothes. They winced a little at the pain that shot up their arm, only now coming down off of the high that was adrenaline. They held their hand away from the rest of their body as if that might help them not feel the pain that they knew was coming. Max looked at Alana and smiled. "Lighten up would you? I'm the one missing a fingertip and you're the only one who's worried about it. Chill a little." They looked around the area again, making sure that there was no more Darkness lingering around. Of course the team had gotten rid of them all. Max turned to Alana when they heard something about a hospital.

Another groan was produced by Max as they thought about going to the hospital. "Aw come on. I'm fine! I don't even feel it. Well, I don't feel it much. We don't need to go to the hospital. Just find me somebody with healing powers and I'll be good." Max complained as they set off in the direction of Alana's car. Nobody really likes hospitals and Max was no different. They wiggled their other fingers on the injured hand, not even trying to move the pinky. It stung a little, even without moving the pinky, but Max held a straight face. "See? All good!" They explained, trying to bargain their way out of a trip to the hospital. Folant hospital wasn't even that good.

[Alana Summers]

With long, slow paced strides, Alana began trailing towards her vehicle that was parked away from the mountain. Alana's reddish-brown eyes began to do a routine scan, checking the area for remaining darkness that may have evaded or escaped the skirmish. A slight sigh of annoyance entered the air upon hearing Max's point about the injury and how it was nothing to worry about. "Max, don't you think your parents will worry about an injury like this? Even if you see it as minor, I have a responsibility to make sure it is minor." Alana explained, justifying her worrisome attitude. After saying that, Alana continued, treading down the path with easily due to memory. Although she hadn't seen Max's wince, Alana could only imagine that the injury was painful. Thus the reason that Alana seemed a tad rushed as she made her way towards her car. That was when the complaining came in, rebuking against going to the hospital.

Alana turned her head to look behind her, watching as they wiggled their injured pinky. Eyes narrowing slightly, Alana shook her head. "Max, I'm taking you to the hospital and that's finally. Besides, if the hospital really is understaffed they may have hired a gifted with healing abilities already. In fact, they would probably accept one immediately if the offer ever arose." Continuing towards the direction of the car, Alana felt no guilt about her decision. The last thing the adult chaser wanted to accomplish was alarming Max's parents with an injury, even one like this. Certainly it could've been worst, but parents were sometimes fragile when it came to scars, especially ones that may deform their precious "baby". "Plus, you don't want your parents freaking out. If I take you to the hospital first then call them saying your alright, they won't be nearly as worried." Alana stated, trying to fight for the hospital idea.

Shortly, Alana found that she was at her red car, causing her to fish her keys from her pocket. With a few speedy strides, Alana circled around to the driver's side, unlocking her door as well as the other doors in the car. Once all doors were unlocked, Alana opened the trunk, going through her bag of freshly washed gym wear. "Hey, Max. Come here before you get in," Alana called. Her hands shuffled through the bag until they found a towel inside the bag. Alana's pale hand lifted it up, and offered it to her hopefully coming partner. "Put this around your hand. It might help stop the bleeding, plus it will keep you as well as my car clean." Clean was perhaps an overstatement, since the car had served as transport for quite a few missions, leaving small stains, but almost unnoticeable stains on the black seats. However, that didn't mean that Alana couldn't at least try to avod further staining the best she could.

[Max Abner]

There was a lot of chuckling and wincing coming from Max as they walked. They were trying to get their pain under control, but as the fight's adrenaline kept fading from their bloodstream their pain started growing. The pinkey wasn't really their worry, it was the blood loss and pain that resulted from the pinkey. The reason that Max was chuckling was the stupidity, shock, and stubbornness of the entire situation. They could have easily died facing off against a Razor, but instead they lost a small peice of a useless finger. The shock me from the 'almost dying' part of that sentence. Max was being stubborn because they didn't want to go to the hospital, despite whatever well thought out argument that Alana made Max was never going to want to go to the hospital.

When they got to the car Alana called Max to the back. They shuffled over to where she was and took the towel she was holding up. When Alana mentioned keeping the car clean Max looked down at their cloths that were already smeared with blood and laughed. They started to wrap their hand. "Okay Alanaaaa!" Max's voice crescendoed into a shout as the towel they were wrapping their hand with touched the pinkey. Now they were really feeling the pain. Max scrambled into the passenger seat and buckled themself up. "Hospital! Get me to the hospital now!" Max shouted at Alana. They started kicking their legs out as if to stop the pain. Despite the pain they kept their hand wrapped in the towel.

[Alana Summers]

Eyes drifting toward her partner, Alana sighed, clearly the very thought of cleanliness was nothing more, but a dream. Blood coated Max's clothes, from head to toe, diminishing any hopes about a lack of stains. With the towel plucked away from Alana's hands, she reached upwards, pulling the trunk down. Whilst proceeding to close the car's trunk, Alana listened as Max's voice transcended to a shout upon wrapping their hand. Sparing a hasty glance, the red-brown eyes of the female chaser watched as her genderfluid partner went into a scramble for the passenger door. Loitering at the trunk, Alana listened to the faint click of a seat belt. A shout arose from the car, which was clearly Max claiming that hospital time was now. Quick paced steps returned Alana to the driver side, leaving her to simply slide in a bucket her seat belt.

Once the mechanism clicked, Alana's pale left hand stretched out, grabbing the door's handle. A slam erupted from the closing door, fading from the air within seconds. Shifting the gear into drive, spoke, "Make sure to keep that towel on your pinky. The last thing I want is for you to pass out." Once finished with her small command, Alana proceeded to turn back towards the city, getting on the old road very quickly. Starting at the speed limit, Alana took the quickest route back towards Argi, knowing that she could dare not to waste time. "How you feeling, Max? Think you can last until we get there?" Alana inquired, hoping that Max wouldn't insist on speeding. Officers would most certainly catch up to them, but if there were no options, Alana would reach for her phone and call for an ambulance. However, Alana presumed that Max wouldn't need that treatment, proof of that statement being the many stories about people cutting their fingers rather gruesomely with knives, but being completely alright.

[Max Abner]

Max had taken to kicking their legs out as if they were a small toddler having a temper tantrum. They tried to control it, but every second they were away from fighting their pain was growing. When Alana finally started driving Max thanked Luz that they had been given a partner and not left on their own as they would have had to walk to the hospital, but when Max realized how slow Alana was driving they groaned.

"Alana I'm going to die in your passenger seat can't you go any faster?" They complained. Apparently Alana didn't find it necessary to rush when their friend was bleeding out in her car. She was even driving the speed limit! How dare she? "Alana go faster before I die! I really would prefer not to die! My pinkey is probably turning black or something from all the infection I'm getting in it right now! Where was the last place this towel has been? Did you give me an infected towel Alana?" Max's panic was slowly starting to grow the longer they were there. They just wanted to get their finger fixed now, any complaints about going to a hospital had been thrown out the window.

[Alana Summers]

Perhaps asking the injured thirteen-year-old if she could last wasn't the smartest idea. Alana got the hint after the temper tantrum like kicking and panicked complaining. Sparing a glance, Alana took a peek at her panicked partner, whose condition wasn't nearly as bad as expected. Each demand to pick up the speed made Alana believe further that her partner was alright considering the injury. If Max was truly suffering from blood lose, they probably would've lost conciseness by now, or at least be showing symptoms. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't ask the panicked teenager in my car," Alana muttered to herself as she continued driving the speed limit. Unfortunately, the only good thing the pain Max was suffering was the fact that they didn't complain about the hospital anymore. Upon mention of their pinky turning black and being infected, Alana simply groaned.

"Max, I cleaned that towel yesterday and haven't been to the gym after that, that towel won't be infected. Also, your pinky is fine, Max," Alana soothed. Other then the fact that half of its tip was cut off by a razor, Alana was certain Max's pinky was fine. "Now calm down, I will get you there as soon as possible." Upon saying that, Alana entered the main route into the city, the car being surrounded by traffic as well as buildings. Alana's mind began to map out the route to the hospital, hoping to get there before the panicked teenager in her car began screaming her ear off.

[Max Abner]

Max was trying to stop kicking out their legs, but they only succeeded slightly. Instead of kicking out like toddler they took to squirming in their seat. Max heard Alana mutter something about a panicked teenager and frowned. "I'm not panicked Alana! I'm perfectly calm considering the fact that I'm dying in your car!" Max grumbled, not at all covering up the panic that they were in. Alana was not at all wrong in calling them a panicked teenager. When she mentioned that their pinky was fine they gasped. "Fine Alana? I'm missing half of my finger! It's gone and I'm never going to be able to to be a normal teenager ever again. Nobody is ever going to want to date me because I'll be the weirdo with no pinky! Alana I don't wanna be alone forever!" Max was slowly beginning to make less and less sense. They had no reason to be freaking out anymore because their pinky had already begun to stop bleeding, but that wasn't really stopping the pain that they were in. They sunk deeper into the seat as they squirmed and tried not to think about their hand.

[Alana Summers]

Grumbling exclamations erupted from the passenger's seat at the mention of "panicked teenager". Alana continued driving, sparing a sideways glance at Max, finding them squirming about. Clearly, the statement "panicked teenager" wasn't incorrect, the squirming and exclamations making it clear. Turning off towards the hospital, Alana heard Max's gasp at the mention of "fine". Shortly after came further exclamations, this time about how strange having half a pinky would be. "Well I didn't say perfectly fine, and you won't be alone forever, Max. Now just calm down, we're almost there." Alana said, trying to calm her partner down a little, but that seemed difficult. Taking the fastest route she could think of, Alana took a few more turns until finally arriving at the hospital. Once in the parking lot, Alana spared another glance, finding Max still continuing their many squirms.

Quickly, Alana searched the parking lot, finding a close space to park in. "Okay, c'mon Max, we better get you in there," Alana stated. The red-headed woman unbuckled her seat belt, opening the driver's door. Once Alana got into a standing position, she closed the door behind her, hearing the slamming noise. A hasty glance at her clothes made Alana shrug, for they were covered in the ash-like substance of darkness. One of Alana's pale hands quickly checked her pocket for her phone, knowing that once Max was checked in and safe she would need to call their parents. Gently, her hand grazed over her right pants pocket, finding the shaping of her small phone, causing some relief.

[ Do we want to end it once Max is checked in or do you have some sort of plan? ]

[Max Abner]

[might as well just end it after this.]

Max continued to grumble under their breath as they waited to arrive at the hospital. They ignored everything Alana said from then on and instead took to changing the radio in their car over and over again. It went from rock to pop to a weather report to punk and everything in between. They only stopped once the car stopped and then they shot out of the car like a bullet and rushed into the hospital. They stopped in front of the main desk of the emergency room. "My finger was cut off by a Razor and I think I'm bleeding out and it might be infected." they exclaimed all in one breath. The guy behind the desk looked up and then paged a doctor who came and took Max to get their finger looked at. After the doc was finished it turned out that Max would forever be one fingertip less, but there was no absolutely serious damage done. It could have been worse but Max had a feeling that their parents were another story yet.