A First Full of Arrows

I kill the enemy but I do not hate them. (The In Character Blog for the Halo Reach character Jun A266)

[emile-a239]

Killing Time - Emile-A239 and Jun-A266

[emile-a239]

"Specialist filling a hole in your unit," Emile replied, shifting his weight back to the other leg. While his armor certainly took a lot of the effort out of maintaining the position, it still didn’t quite stop it from being less than comfortable. Jun may have had the seniority and respect to be able to lie down on the interim between deployment and the job, but Emile was the new guy, and respected the chain of command enough, the military pecking order, to not assume he had the same freedom. 

"Assault and CQB is my particular specialty," He continued, gesturing to his choices of weapons, his armor’s over all configuration. "Seems like you’ve got a commander, a tech specialist, and a hell of a sniper, but that still leaves you with long, mid, and support. No one for your short range, and sure as hell no one to bring the pain when it’s needed. No offense intended, of course." 

[jun-a266]

"Use the proper tools for the job, ya?" Jun asked, a question that was more rhetorical than anything else. He figured from Emile’s attitude alone that he would agree with the sentiment. “That’s good, we need a short range fighter. I need one, especially on these long tactical missions. I can’t always watch my own back and the target.” Jun let out one last long breath as a wave of calm finally washed over him. The moment has passed. Back to business. Jun shifted, rolling back onto his stomach to take up his rifle again, leveling it as he sighted the area once more. “Keep talking. You’re voice is soothing.”

[emile-a239]

"So I hear," Emile chuckled wryly, pausing for a moment with his head cocked to the side as he regarded his little drawing on the ground. Behind his visor, blue eyes flicked up to his reference, the prone sniper as he resumed his position, before flicking to the sides quickly. To say that the specialist could multitask was an understatement, but that was the very least expected out of a Spartan. "People keep tellin’ me it’s soothing to hear me just talk away, but I don’t see it.  Same position as before, perfectly posed, Emile couldn’t help the little grin that spread over his features. You sure as hell became an amazing Spartan. "But don’t worry, I’ll make sure I don’t distract you when it comes to takin’ your shot, and that I’m keepin’ an eye out around us… But if it’s talking you want, you’ll have plenty of it in the lead up." 

[jun-a266]

Jun sighed as he rested the side of his helmet against his sniper rifle, fingers finding a gentle groove along the barrel. "Your voice as a sweet quality to it, it's what I like about it. Helps me find that calm in myself." A calm I used to know as a child. Jun smiled behind his visor as his body shimmied back into the position he needed to take the shot. "So, talk."

[emile-a239]

Killing Time - Emile-A239 and Jun-A266

[jun-a266]

"Don’t worry about it." Jun said, his words soft but stern in their inflection as he shifted slightly, visor still upturned to the sky.

“So, why were you brought in?” Jun asked, his chest’s heaving finally slowing to a soft, slow rythym as he rested his hands over his chest. His panic attack had subsided but now he realized that his back was tense and in pain. A little release of that would help him for the long haul of waiting for their target.

[emile-a239]

"Specialist filling a hole in your unit," Emile replied, shifting his weight back to the other leg. While his armor certainly took a lot of the effort out of maintaining the position, it still didn’t quite stop it from being less than comfortable. Jun may have had the seniority and respect to be able to lie down on the interim between deployment and the job, but Emile was the new guy, and respected the chain of command enough, the military pecking order, to not assume he had the same freedom. 

"Assault and CQB is my particular specialty," He continued, gesturing to his choices of weapons, his armor’s over all configuration. "Seems like you’ve got a commander, a tech specialist, and a hell of a sniper, but that still leaves you with long, mid, and support. No one for your short range, and sure as hell no one to bring the pain when it’s needed. No offense intended, of course." 

[jun-a266]

"Use the proper tools for the job, ya?" Jun asked, a question that was more retoriacal than anything else. He figured from Emile's attitude alone that he would agree with the sentiment. "That's good, we need a short range fighter. I need one, especially on these long tactical missions. I can't always watch my own back and the target." Jun let out one last long breath as a wave of calm finally washed over him. The moment has passed. Back to business. Jun shifted, rolling back onto his stomach to take up his rifle again, leveling it as he sighted the area once more. "Keep talking. You're voice is soothing."

[emile-a239]

Killing Time - Emile-A239 and Jun-A266

[emile-a239]

And there’s one hell of a reaction, The thought carried no real sense of concern, only a detached and slightly cold sort of observation. Everyone had their own way of dealing with their burdens, and Emile’s wasn’t pleasant - he preferred to see what made a person tick right out the gates. It hadn’t been his intent to really bring up Prometheus, the words had just slipped out the same way with Jun that they had with Carter. But whereas Carter had been military-bearing through and through, the only outward signs of his displeasure being his clenched jaw and fists, the way his blue eyes had turned stony and hardened, Jun was far more reactive. 

"Very pleasant," Emile replied, still continuing his little etchings. “Sorry to bring up bad memories. Slipped out. Maybe you ought to pick the subject, yeah?" 

[jun-a266]

"Don't worry about it." Jun said, his words soft but sturn in their inflection as he shifted slightly, visor still upturned to the sky. "So, why were you brought in?" Jun asked, his chest's heaving finally slowing to a soft, slow rythym as he rested his hands over his chest. His panic attack had subsided but now he realized that his back was tense and in pain. A little release of that would help him for the long haul of waiting for their target.

[emile-a239]

Killing Time - Emile-A239 and Jun-A266

[jun-a266]

Jun laughed softly, a breathy almost inaudible laugh before looking back at the armored tank of a man behind him.

"Yes, my number is A266. Does that surprise you?" Jun asked, letting the silence slip easily back between them. Silence is where Jun felt most at ease, away from prying eyes and invasive conversation. Fingers caressed the rifle as he shifted so slightly that only someone with the enhanced senses of a SPARTAN could tell he had even moved. "Comfortable?"

[emile-a239]

Knew that couldn’t be comfortable for you. A smile graced Emile’s lips behind his visor, as he shifted his weight slightly from one leg to the other. Blue eyes flicked between the drawing being etched by the blade of his knife, to Jun, to their surroundings in regular intervals, ensuring the safety of them both and his own amusement in one.  "Comfortable enough, and yeah, it does," Emile shrugged slightly. “Far as I knew, everybody in Alpha Company bought the farm during Prometheus. I was surprised to see Carter, let alone you."

[jun-a266]

"I know." Jun sighed as he shifted, his hands resting the rifle down on the ground fully before the SPARTAN shifted, rolling onto his back to look up at the sky. Prometheus was not something he liked to think about and everytime it was brought up, bile and acid seemed to churn in his stomach, making it impossible for him to concentrate. Thankfully he was outside and could find something to fixate on other than his thoughts. Stop thinking, Jun. Relax. Saliva flooded his mouth as his eyes fixed on the barely visible clouds as they rolled by in the night's sky, his breathing even and steady even though his heart was pounding a jodie in his chest. "Pleasant surprise, I hope." It was all Jun could muster around the ever growing taste of bile and salive rushing into his mouth.

[emile-a239]

Killing Time - Emile-A239 and Jun-A266

[emile-a239]

"The weather. Your week so far, til I showed up. If you’re comfy over there or if you got a rock diggin into that one spot on your stomach that ain’t quite covered by your armor." Emile shrugged slightly, each sentence begun and ended with another stroke of the non-regulation knife he wore attached at his shoulder. 

He hated these long periods of inactivity before the action began - greatly preferred falling into the flow of combat to the waiting game. Then again, he figured it was going to be waiting and inactivity and boredom all the way down - if he even saw a break to it this op. For all he knew, they could be looking forward to an immediate extraction after the shot was taken. 

"So… A266 huh?" 

[jun-a266]

Jun laughed softly, a breathy almost inaudible laugh before looking back at the armored tank of a man behind him. "Yes, my number is A266. Does that surprise you?" Jun asked, letting the silence slip easily back between them. Silence is where Jun felt most at ease, away from prying eyes and invasive conversation. Fingers caressed the rifle as he shifted so slightly that only someone with the enhanced senses of a SPARTAN could tell he had even moved. "Comfortable?"

[emile-a239]

Killing Time - Emile-A239 and Jun-A266

“… Never understood sniping.”  Out of all the first assignments to get stuck with, on the first team he’d be assigned to on a long term basis, watching the back of a sniper lying in wait for a shot had to be the worst one he could have ever conceived of. Particularly with the person who’d posed one hell of a conundrum to him since he’d laid eyes on him, heard his numerical designation. Remembered the soft-spoken boy with the almond-shaped eyes who’d shouted down the others in their moments of cruelty, who’d taken punishments alongside him when fights had broken out…  Who he’d thought was dead in the aftermath of Operation: PROMETHEUS.  If seeing Carter, hearing his designation, had been a surprise, Jun-A266 had made his heart skip a beat. But thus far, he hadn’t had a single dull moment since his assignment to the team. Transfer in, toss things in room, scramble out just as quickly when the team was deployed for a precision strike assignment against an Insurrectionist cell. Carter had made the call, that their newest acquisition, an assault and CQB specialist, would be best suited watching the back of their skilled sniper, as the operation required a certain amount of stealth and subtlety until the first shot was fired… … In four hours.  “… So… we just gonna sit here until go time, quiet, sayin nothin?” 

[jun-a266]

Jun chuckled softly as his eyes darted back to look back at the CQB specialist behind him. He knew, from previous experience, that Emile-A239 wasn't exactly the most patient of men. In his own way he was sort of enjoying hearing Emile squirm in his inactivity. Fingers moved over the rifle, resettling it as Jun surveyed the target area. Four hours was a long time to line up a shot in waiting. Not the longest he'd ever done but really, more than two hours tended to get on everyone's nerves. "We can talk." Jun said curtly, his Slavic accent making his curt tone sound less imposing. "What do you want to talk about?"

[jun-a266]

A Moment In Time

Time Start The bullet clicked into the chamber as Jun raised the rifle's scope up, using it to sight the target. Time: 01 seconds Breathing came in slow, control bursts of long breathes, tongue running over his lips slowly. Time: 12 seconds The cross hairs on the scope lined up perfectly with the middle of the 10 point marker on the paper target. Easy enough for a skilled sniper to hit from this distance. Time: 27 seconds Jun's hands shook a little before he caught himself, his minding reeling and instead of seeing the paper target, his mind saw a man standing at the end of his scope. Time: 41 seconds Maybe he had made a mistake, signing on to be a SPARTAN. What did being a SPARTAN even mean? Jun's mouth went dry, his breathing now coming harsh, staggering breathes. Time: 45 seconds Jun's back twitched, swallowing hard as he sniffled a little like a little boy. Like a little boy? He was a little boy at only nine years old. A nine year old asked to shot a man in the head! Time: 53 seconds Jun wanted to cry, wanted to scream and run away from the situation, the situation he put himself into. He hated himself, he hated his pride and his anger. He hated that he felt he needed to get revenge for people he couldn't even remember the faces of anymore. Time: 58 seconds Jun sniffled, trying to hold back tears, trying to hold his hand steady, still maintaining the bulleye of the scope still on the man's, still bearing on the center of the 10 point- Time: 59 seconds It was as if a switch went off in Jun's head, his breathing finally coming back in controlled, calm breathes as his finger squeezed the trigger. Time: 60 seconds The bullet tore through the 10 point marker of the target as Jun watched, standing up to look up at Mendez who gave him a approving nod. "Good aim. Now, let's make the time faster." Mendez said, pointing at a fresh target that took the place of the decapitated target Jun just took down. Jun nodded, raising the scope up to level with his eye, breathing in slow, controlled breathes. Time Start

[jun-a266]

Midnight

The moon hung high in the sky, a scant sliver of it's former silver glory. Near darkness washed over countryside, hiding the armor-clad assassin in the comforting blanket of obscurity. Jun preferred it that way, the cold blackness making his job all the easier. The whispering report of his rifle signaled the quick end of the life of the grunt that was making patrol rounds in the lower foothills below him. Too easy... No challenge... Jun thought as he watched his fellows in Noble Team sneak around the mangled corpse of the grunt, avoiding it as to not make a sound. It gets the job done... and faster... Jun thought as he nodded to Emile, his head jerking slightly further down the pathway he was taking. Midnight had always been his hour and with the moon a shadow of its glorious self, tonight was going to be easy pickings.

[jun-a266]

Flood: One of our characters helping the other one to keep their head up - Emile-A239 to Jun-A266

Jun gasped for air, water filling his lungs despite his body's screaming urge to make it stop and shut his lungs down. It was his fault really. He took his helmet off in a rainstorm. He should have known not to do that but how was he to know that the embankment he was on was going to collapse under him from the combined weight of his armor and wear from the pounding rain. Drowning?! This is how I'm going to die?! Jun's thoughts crashed around in his skull as the urge to try to take in a lungful of breath hit him again like a ton of bricks. Even with the strength of the MJOLNIR, it was impossible for him to get his footing and swim to the surface. Oh hell... Jun thought, as the darkness of suffocating washed over him, dragging him further under the water and deeper into death. Strong arms grabbed Jun's shoulder, pulling him in hard tugging motions towards the surface of the water. After what felt like an eternity, Emile broke the surface of the water, dragging Jun to the shore along with him to administer CPR. "Not today, Junbug." Emile said, laying Jun on the ground before getting to work.

[jun-a266]

Heal: My character will tend to your character’s wounds: or be at their side when they’re sick. - Emile-A239 to Jun-A266

Jun held Emile's hand gently in his, the ship's doctors buzzing around him like bees around a hive. You told me you would come back... but why like this? Jun thought, his fingers running over Emile's face as his other hand squeezed Emile's again. Jun's eyes looked over the reports that came back from Reach. Noble One, Commander Carter-A259, Listed MIA. Noble Two, Lieutenant Commander Catherine-B320, Listed MIA, but Jun knew the truth. Needle rifle fire to the head, confirmed KIA. Noble Three... Alive, obviously... Jun thought, his fingers brushing over Emile's head again. Noble Four, Warrant Officer Emile-A239, Listed WIA. Noble Five, Chief Warrant Officer Jorge-052, Listed MIA after Operation: UPPERCUT Noble Six, Listed MIA after The Battle of Reach. Jun sighed, his shoulders falling as the realization hit him that he never learned Six's name. Maybe they are MIA. Maybe I'll have another chance with Six... Jorge... You... Jun thought, his body shaking once from the harsh sob that tried to tear itself from him, his hand gripping Emile's harder. In that moment, it wasn't Emile that was slipping away, it felt to Jun as if he were about to slip away, about to die right then and there. "Please wake up, prickle pear." Jun whispered against Emile's cheek, the single tear that managed to break the waterline rolling down Jun's cheek and onto Emile's. "I can't lose you too. I just can't."

[jun-a266]

Spice: A drabble (main or AU) about our characters have a spicy moment. - Emile-A239 to Jun-A266

A shiver ran up and down Jun's spine as fingers brushes between his shoulder blades. Oh god! He has to know that's my weak spot! Jun thought, his body shaking with each gentle brush of Emile's sightly calloused fingers. "So, are we going out tonight or... staying in?" Emile's voice was low, smooth like velvet with just a hint of a teasing edge. Yeah, he knows. He knows exactly what he's doing. Jun's mind wheeled in tantalizing circles, moving to the same rhythmic movements of Emile's fingers over his back. "What?" Jun stammered, finally taking in that Emile had asked him a question. "In or out? Are we staying in or going out?" Emile asked, licking his lips slightly. Jun gripped the front of Emile's shirt hard, pulling him into his room forcefully. "In. We can order delivery."

[jun-a266]

Arms: either my character or yours, protecting the other. - Emile-A239 to Jun-A266

You step one toe out of hiding... Jun thought, his breathing coming in harsh, panting breathes. Jun carefully placed his sniper rifle down next to him, his body already having hit the ground in a sitting position. "Hey Junbug, how's everything going for your perch?" Emiled chimed in over their comms, his excited, sing-song tone telling Jun at his baby was having a good time on the ground. "Not bad, you?" Jun asked, his eyes squeezing closed hard to hid the pain. It won't take him that long to realize. Just long enough. "It's going great! Killing all shades of Covie ass!" Emile chimed in, the sound of an Elite screaming for backup in the background over the comms. "That's great, baby. How long til your clear?" Jun asked, the blood from his gaping stomach wound no longer being held back by his hands. "Not long, why? What's wrong?" Emile snapped. Knew it wouldn't take long. Jun thought, blinking his eyes quickly. "Snipers. I'm hit." "Where?" "Stomach. Hurts like fuck but I'll live... for now." Jun thought, looking down at the stomach wound. Jun's stomach lurched as his eyes surveyed the damage. He was already starting to get lightheaded. "I'm on my way, going to call an med-evac on my way. Just stay where you are, don't move and keep the wound clamped and don't you dare die on me!" Emile snapped, the resounding cacophony of Emile's slaughter hitting Jun's ears over the comms and by his proximity. "I would never die on you, hun. Never." Jun said, cutting off the comms before the pain took over, forcing a gut wrenching scream tore from him. "Noble team, this is Med-evac 19, it's going to be an hour before we can touch down. Things in the air and ground are too hot for us. Read!" The incoming comms blared with the reports from all medical evacuation teams. It was going to be at least an hour before someone could touch down to take care of him. Carter was all the way across the civilian city center with Kat in tow and they didn't have anymore biofoam left. Jun rolled over onto his side just at Emile reached where he was, knives ever at the ready to defend him. Jun screamed again, the pain of the beam rifle wound seering and too much to bear. It was going to be a long hour.

[jun-a266]

Leave Me: my character will leave your character behind. - Emile-A239 to Jun-A266

"Who's going to watch your back if I'm not there?" Jun asked, shifting from foot to foot in almost a stomping manner. It was bad enough that he was being separated from Noble Team, separated from Emile but separated from them in the middle of the worst battle the UNSC has ever seen to babysit a scientist. "The rest of Noble has my back." Emile answered, brushing his fingers over the tattoo of the clenched fist on his neck. "That does not comfort me in the least, Emile." Jun said, blue eyes burning the a passionate displeasure that was almost alien to the normally calm Slav. "Junbug-" "Don't Junbug me right now, Emile. You see what's going on outside, right?" Jun almost snapped, quickly catching himself as he did. He wasn't angry at Emile, he could never be mad at his prickle pear. MJOLNIRed hands cupped Jun's cheeks as Emile before him in close to kiss him softly on the lips. "I'm coming back to you." Emile whispered, all the anger in Jun dissipating like smoke in the breeze. "Promise?" Jun asked, melting ever so slightly at Emile's touches. He couldn't help the way he felt around Emile. Emile was his heart and soul. He was his everything. "Promise, Junbug."

[jun-a266]

Bleed: My muse killing yours - Emile-A239 to Jun-A266

Jun screamed out as something pierced his skin, digging a hole deep through his flesh and into his leg. All it takes is just one. Jun thought before turning to Emile. "Baby, I'm so sorry." Jun said, a vicious bile rising in his throat as he spoke, taking a step towards Emile. He knew he wasn't going to be able to do it. After all, it would make sure he couldn't. "I need you to kill me." Jun whimpered, his arm spasming violently for a moment, the realization of the situation hit Emile like a ton of bricks. "I can't." Emile said, moving towards Jun as he spoke. "You have to... baby... I don't want to end up like that..." Jun ripped off his helmet, another scream tearing from his throat as he did. Blue eyes locked on green, the thick, pulsating line of flood infection making it's way up to Jun's brain. "I'm sorry." Emile said, pulling out the M5A sidearm he was carrying at his hip, pointing it at Jun. "I know." "I love you, Jun." Emile said, his fingers squeezing the M5A hard. "I love you too, prickle pear." Jun said, the flood infection seeping out of his eyes and into his brain, his bones cracking as the infection began to warp his body to the Flood's weapon of destruction. Jun smiled, the roar of Emile's pain mixing with the thunderclap of the gun, the bright flash from the muzzle making Emile's green eyes shine like emeralds were the last thing Jun ever saw.

[jun-a266]

Ares - An AU drabble for AskNobleSix

"You hot headed, violent, sociopathic, moose-fucking whore!" Jun shouted down the hallway, screaming into the MJOLNIR back piece of the sixth member of Noble Team. In the past, Jun was able to take a lot of things said and done to him but for some reason, the comment Six made just sent him over the edge. Oh my god, Jun! Seriously! Don't do this! Jun thought, the internal voice that held all his wisdom and sense shook like a little boy despite the bravado his physical cody presented. It wasn't as if Six couldn't give it as well as she took it, sending out slings and arrows of her own. "Six, you want to know why tampons are shaped like bullets? It's cause their the riot rounds to take out PMS-adled bitches like you!" Don't say that! That's going to set her- Jun's reason and logic coward as his body stood ramrod straight even as Six got into his face, screaming her own insults as the yellow armored clad man. Jun! Seriously, you know if she kills us that means we're dead, right? Like for real, no playing around dead! "Oh yeah, big fucking deal! Who gives a shit who's "personal grim reaper" you were. I can do that grim reaper shit too, sweetheart!" Jun snapped back with a dismissive wave of his hand. Okay, now just let her walk away and everything will be oka- "The only reason people make such a big deal about you is because they don't want to hurt your little girl pride!" Jun shouted again, making Six stop part way down the hallway, pulling her knife from it's holster behind her back. I instantly regret everything I've ever done in my life!

[jun-a266]

Introduction

Jun stood ramrod straight as Commander Carter and Colonel Holland spoke. He hated it when people talked like he wasn't in the room when they both knew he was. He knew it was a part of being in the military but it made him feel more like a car than a person. He wasn't happy with the assignment and not being able to talk to Carter was making it worse. He wasn't get to tell him his name, or his service number or his rank, specialty or anything. Holland just rattled it off like the specs on a warthog. Why yes, this model version of the Jun-A266 does indeed come with rear wheel suspension, shock absorption and it breaks on a dime! Jun thought, trying to make his sigh of frustration as soft as possible. After what felt like an eternity, Carter walked over to Jun, holding his hand out to Jun. Jun took Carter's hand, shaking it firmly. "Welcome to Noble Team." Carter said, smiling as if they were old friends. Oh I can tell I'm going to hate you.