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teine-mallaichte · 27 days ago

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Day 20 @ailesswhumptober - Prompt: “I’m absolutely not qualified for this shit.”

Ben finds Ash injured.

CW: injury, blood, bleeding, mention of stabbing, mention of death, dehumanisation.

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Complex 27

Ben swore under his breath, staring down at the blood that wouldn’t stop seeping through his fingers. “I’m not qualified for this shit.”

“Not… like you to look panicked,” Ash rasped, his voice thin and strained, a weak crooked grin - more of a grimace than anything - on his face.

“Shut up,” Ben snapped, biting open a packet of gauze with his teeth, his hands trembling despite his efforts to keep them steady. “You’re not supposed to get stabbed. You’re the assassin—you’re supposed to stab them.”

Ash let out a rasping chuckle, which quickly turned into a wince, his face tightening in pain. “I did stab them... Just didn’t... see the bodyguard,” he wheezed, his words broken by shallow breaths.

Ben gritted his teeth, pressing the gauze firmly against the wound on Ash’s side. He could feel the dark, warm blood spilling over his hands—too much blood. The metallic scent mingled with the acrid odor of burnt debris from his own mission, churning his stomach. He forced himself to remain focused, to push through the rising tide of panic. “You’re lucky I found you when I did,” he muttered, voice rough as he applied more pressure, feeling Ash's body flinch beneath him. “Stay still. Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

Ash grunted in response. “Hate… bodyguards,” he murmured, the words trailing off into a shallow gasp.

Ben’s heart kicked into overdrive as he watched Ash’s eyelids flutter again, a sign that the assassin was slipping.

“Hey. No.” Ben’s voice came out sharp and commanding, the usual calm shattering under the weight of his fear. He grabbed Ash’s hands, pressing them firmly over the gauze, ignoring the slick warm liquid that coated his fingers. “Listen to me. You need to hold this. Keep pressure on it. You hear me?”

For a moment, Ash didn’t respond, his glassy eyes staring past Ben as if he were already miles away. Dread twisted in Ben’s gut urgency flooding his voice. “Ash! Focus. You have to keep holding it.”

Slowly, Ash’s fingers twitched, tightening weakly against the gauze as he struggled to follow the order. “Good. Just hold it there.” Ben forced his voice to level out, even though his heart was pounding in his chest, adrenaline burning through his veins. He scanned the area, mind racing. They weren’t far from the extraction point, but with Ash like this? It might as well be a hundred miles away. There was no way he was going to make it on foot.

Protocol told him to leave Ash behind. An incapacitated asset was a liability. If they couldn’t keep up, they were written off—handled by recovery teams later, if they even made it that far. Ben had followed this rule more times than he could count. He and Paul had always agreed: follow orders, play the game. It was how they survived.

But as he stared down at Ash, saw the pallor of his skin and the blood pooling beneath his hands, something inside him rebelled. He couldn’t leave Ash behind—not like this. Not when there was still breath left in him. Not when Ash was still trying, despite the odds stacked against him.

Ben clenched his jaw, making his decision in an instant. “I’m going to carry you,” he said firmly.

Ash blinked slowly, his eyelids heavy, struggling to focus on Ben's face. He mumbled something—likely an objection to being carried—but Ben ignored it. He slid an arm under Ash’s shoulders, wrapping another under his knees. Ash was lighter than he'd expected, a flash of concern sparked in his mind but he pushed it aside, there were more pressing matters.

Ash's head lolled slightly, his body growing heavier, and Ben felt panic creep back in. He risked a glance down; pale skin, slick with sweat. “Paul will be... pissed... you broke protocol,” Ash rasped, his voice strained and words starting to slur.

Ben fought to keep his focus as he navigated the debris, heart racing with each step. “He’ll get over it,” he replied trying to sound calm, his eyes darting around, scanning for any signs of trouble, any threats lurking in the shadows.

They needed to reach the extraction point - quickly.

Leave the liability behind. Follow protocol.

He was almost certainly going to be punished for this.

It wasn't that he'd never broken protocol before; it was just that it had usually been in small, inconsequential ways - the odd conversation that skirted into forbidden territory, the times he'd almost missed curfew, the fact that he was friends with Paul. Nothing as overt as this.

“Just… stay awake,” Ben urged, his breath coming in short bursts as he navigated the wreckage. The sounds of distant chaos—the echo of gunfire, crackle of occasional fires, the odd voice over the comms—were muted, overshadowed by the weight of Ash in his arms.

Ash’s eyelids fluttered again, his gaze unfocused as he struggled to stay conscious. “Paul's gonna... be... pissed,” he repeated.

The extraction point was close, but with Ash’s condition worsening, it felt like a distant dream.

“Stop worrying about Paul,” he ordered, his voice steadier than he felt.

They rounded a corner, and the extraction point loomed ahead. He could make out the silhouettes of figures—Facility staff. His chest tightened at the thought of the punishment that was likely waiting. No one would congratulate him for saving Ash. He knew the truth—they were just assets, expendable and replaceable. That was the reality. Protocol existed for a reason—probably.

Two members of the extraction team stepped forward as they arrived, blank expressions, as if they were already calculating the most efficient way to deal with the two assets before them.

"Asset 48, report," one of them demanded, as a handler - Sergeant Kerr - appeared behind them. The sight of him made Ben’s stomach knot. Kerr was always meticulous, never leaving room for mistakes or disobedience.

And this? This was going to be a problem.

“He... 77 was compromised,” Ben said, keeping his voice steady. “Took a hit after completing the mission. I couldn’t leave him behind.”

Kerr’s eyes narrowed, his lips tightening into a thin line. “Couldn’t?” His voice was razor sharp, slicing through the air. “That’s not your decision to make, Asset 48. You jeopardized your own mission for an asset who may not even be viable.”

Ben's throat tightened as Kerr's words landed like a punch to the gut. He forced himself to keep his gaze level, swallowing back the defensive retort that burned in his chest. "He completed his mission," Ben said, his voice steady, though the tension in his body betrayed his unease. "He’s still viable."

Kerr stepped closer, his expression devoid of empathy. “I’ll determine if he’s viable. Not you.” The handler’s voice dripped with condescension, his gaze raking over Ash’s limp form, appraising it as if he were inspecting a faulty piece of machinery. “Even if 77 remains viable, his valie does not diminish the fact that you’ve broken protocol. Something that I won’t let go unnoticed.”

Ben’s throat tightened, anger and helplessness bubbling beneath his skin. But he stayed silent, fighting would only make things worse. His muscles tensed, almost instinctively, holding Ash tighter against him.

Kerr’s gaze flicked to the extraction team. "I expect a full report on 77's condition."

Ben forced himself to keep his gaze level, swallowing back the defensive retort that burned in his throat. He felt Ash's warmth leaving him as the recovery team pried his limp form from his grip. His arms feeling cold the moment Ash’s weight was lifted, a hollow ache settling in his chest.

Kerr’s presence loomed, his eyes cold and calculating. "I will be reporting this to your handler. They can deal with you as soon as we are back at the complex.

Ben nodded stiffly, “Yes, Sergeant,” the words feeling like ash in his mouth.

The extraction point felt distant, like a scene from a movie playing out in slow motion. Ben’s mind raced, his thoughts a chaotic jumble of regret, fear, and stubborn defiance. *Had he done the right thing?* *Was Ash's life with breaking protocol?* He could almost hear Paul’s voice in his head, chastising him for his recklessness, for putting them all at risk.

But there was no turning back now. He had made his choice.

#complex 27 #the facilty #asset 77 - ash #asset 48 - ben #AIlessWhumptober2024Day20 #Ailesswhumptober2024

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