So a Slovenian Walks Into a Bar...

[Slovenia]

Cue horrid middle. Then the asinine punch line. Everyone laughs. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Danica stood in front of a crusted, unkempt door, her dark eyes piercing the crude sign hanging above reading "Tavern." The edge of her lip curled, as a foul smell radiated from inside the building; a combination of cheap smoke, liquor, and unwashed men. She didn't want to set foot inside, but honestly, what choice did she have? This was the cheapest accommodation in the entire town, and Danica had to spare what little coin she had left. She hoped there would be a job listing of some sort as well. She was in dire need of work, but not just any work. She needed satisfying employment.

Indeed, it had been months since the...incident. Having been disgraced from her university after a patient died on her table during a risky operation, it had been difficult for her to adjust to a wandering lifestyle. Unfortunately for her, and those who graced her presence during her journey, she didn't find wandering all too interesting. And when she was forced to do something uninteresting....well. Best leave that to the imagination for now.

Heavy thunder and cold raindrops convinced her to open the door. The stench grew all the more obnoxious, but even Danica had to admit that the warmth of the place was inviting. The half drunken stares of filthy men were not.

She walked briskly towards the bar, avoiding groups of people as much as possible. She managed to control her temper even as a brazen drunken sailor stumbled over to her, his hand attempting to wrap around her shoulder. She shot him a vicious glare, slapping his hand away with a simple "No." She continued on, his meager presence only a tiny flicker in Danica's world. He shrugged, rubbing his stinging hand.

Taking up a chair at the bar, she sat with one leg over the other, resting her cheek on her fingers. She couldn't help but indulge in some wine, having the opportunity right in front of her. Besides, it had been much too long for the young Slovenian doctor.

"A glass of red wine, French if you have it."

There was little point to ask for Slovenian wine at all.

[Inuk Rasmussen]

There were lots of things that Inuk Rasmussen liked about his job—good pay, lots of travel, room and board pretty much everywhere on the globe, the fact that being a soldier rather than a scalawag was much less likely to end up with his guts as his beloved aunt’s shoelaces—but if the Greenlander had to make a list of the best points, the fact that he was allowed to basically bar-hop with sanction would definitely be on there.

The paperwork justification for it was that Rasmussen, with his very a-military sense of style, was best able to blend with the rabble and glean some interesting information from the drunken rambles. What the Inuit actually believed was that the higher-ups had collaborated and conspired to get him off the bases and out of their hair as much as possible, and in such a way that didn’t end up with him rebelling further.

As far as Inuk was concerned, this was a completely appropriate way to handle the situation, and he mockingly raised a toast to the uniformed bastards every chance he got, though he was smart enough to keep the praises mental. Setting the cheap drink down again, the Greenlander looked out over the bar, tapping his cheek with a small sigh.

The bar was packed tonight, most likely flooded by the rain, and it was true that the Inuit had managed to catch some fascinating hear-tell from the company, but on the whole Inuk felt that not much real work would be done tonight. He was without his harpoon for the night, sadly, but if trouble arose the Greenlander felt that he could partially rely on the knife hidden in his right boot. It didn’t seem likely, though—most of the crowd seemed more interested in alcohol than fighting. Mores the pity.

Inuk was just contemplating a discreet way to start a little bar riot when like a blessing from on high the rain ushered in a dangerously pretty looking lady. She was cute, even if it was in an ‘almost a vampire’ sort of way, but her eyes were sharp enough to cut steel. The Greenlander raised an eyebrow as she nearly incinerated a drunk that tried to get cozy, chucking slightly when she smacked him away.

Vaguely interested, Inuk watched her make her way towards the bar, sea-glass eyes glinting. It was probably a long-shot, but even if she wasn’t in the mood for conversation she looked like the type to be creative enough in her rejections to be amusing. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

“Between the rain out there and the drunks in here, looks like we’re drowning either way, huh?” he said, grinning gamely and tapping two fingers against the neck of his beer bottle.

[Slovenia]

Danica's eyebrow perked at the sound of a voice beside her, neither slurred nor idiotic. Her eyes rolled lazily towards the source: a tanned young man with ridiculous hair and incredible, polished eyes. A sense of familiarity washed over her mind, but she was sure that she would remember a character such as him. The headache she felt was not overpowering, but noteworthy. She stared at him for a few minutes, thinking of a response to what he had said. Strange, as she usually didn't bother replying to most.

"Hmm, that depends on whether you let yourself drown. I myself know exactly how to swim."

The barkeep finished pouring her a glass of wine, setting it down carefully in front of her, with a small 'Here you go Miss." She barely nodded at him, taking the glass by the neck. "But you know how as well, I take it?" She took a small sip from her glass. Ahh, it really had been too long.

She eyed the man from the corner of her eye. Ignoring the strange hairstyle, he was quite good looking. A bit on the wild side, judging from his style. But something told her that he was much more than simply 'wild.' But what was most peculiar, or perhaps a better word for it was noticeable, was his bright sea green eyes. Danica knew that humans could have quite unique eye colours, but she had never seen or researched an eye colour quite like his. Regardless, perhaps his never seen before eyes was what kept her from shutting him down completely.

If only he knew how rare that is.

[Inuk Rasmussen]

So far, so good. Inuk chuckled, turning in his chair to better face the mystery lady. “It’d be bad news for me if I didn’t.” Tapping his beer bottle quietly, he couldn’t help a slightly amused grin at her wine. Classy. “So, are you here to meet somebody other than Sailor von Handsy Drunk, or is this just better than the rain?”

It’d be a lie to say that he didn’t try to put a little more charm into his grin, but Inuk was careful to not overdo it. If the lady came here just to have a drink unbothered, he wasn’t going to make himself a nuisance (yet), but the Inuit had a feeling that he had a better shot at being interesting than the sailor she brushed off. Could be the fact she actually looked him in the eye.

There was no question that something about her that was attention-grabbing, a definite sense of magnetic presence. Maybe it was just the Greenlander’s weakness for dangerous looking women talking, but Inuk couldn’t help but be intrigued. He wanted to know more.

(Sorry is so tiny)

[Slovenia]

Danica snorted quietly, the tiniest grin tugged away at the corners of her mouth. The nickname of the drunk she ran into before was humorous only because of how linguistically incorrect it was. Normally she would correct him, but honestly, an erroneous title for a drunk idiot suited him proper.

Taking another sip of her wine, she shook her head at his question. "Mmn. Please. Meeting someone? Here? That is much too cliche, wouldn't you say dear?" She rested her chin on her fingers again, but twisted her body to face him more comfortably. "I merely seek cheap accommodation."

Under normal circumstances, that is if she actually had funds, she would seek out finer hotels to stay the night. Not that she really minded homely, conventional places, she could handle that. It was more that fancier places tended to respect their customers privacy better; she felt that someone would wake her up in the middle of the night in order to convert her to some side adventure in this place. The poor dimwit who would try that on her...

But perhaps most of all, places like this reminded her too much of where she came from.

[Inuk Rasmussen]

Inuk shrugged, smiling warmly. “Well, clichés don’t become cliché without good reason,” he quipped, taking a casual sip of beer. On learning the Slovenian’s true objectives, he nodded, setting the bottle down again and leaning to get a good look upstairs where tavern became inn. Upon spying a vanishing couple, the Greenlander couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Pretty good chance of that here, assuming you don’t mind the neighbors,” he commented with amusement, gesturing toward a lavishly dressed lady-in-red escorting a thickly set and more-than-a-little-intoxicated man into the rising dark. “Walls seem pretty thick though. You might sleep.”

Following a flirtatious impulse the Inuit winked towards his female companion, grinning wryly, “Well, unless you make other plans.”

Inuk was not generally mistaken for an indirect man.

((Gah post so tiny but here have a flirt?))

[Slovenia]

"Hmm, I suppose," she hummed in reply, taking one last sip of her wine and setting back onto the table. That would be all, she couldn't afford another one. Pity.

Her eyes followed his gesture, towards a presumably rich and not-so-intelligent young woman with a drunkard attached to her arm, off to do private adult activities. Her eyebrow raised, and she hoped to God Inuk was right about the thick walls. "Rarely do I pray for anything, but I will for that."

She blinked at what he said next. A small, quiet cackle escaped her throat, as she leaned closer and rested her chin on an open palm. She grinned wider. "Was that an invitation? I'm afraid it takes much more than that to persuade me into your bed."

Very true, however this was the first time Danica didn't respond coldly to such advances. Perhaps the difference was that Inuk didn't assume he could get her, like all the others did. He treated her fairly, with humour and he matched her wit. It was a game, a fun game no less, and for the first time in a very long time, Danica enjoyed someone else's company.

As the two continued to chat, a disgruntled man almost fell into the tavern; tired, stressed, and seemingly very afraid. He stumbled his way towards the bar, and once he managed to sit down, he just put his hands into his face. Danica did not take notice, as he didn't stand out nor did he engage anyone. Not yet anyway. She would regret later not noticing.

"So," she enquired, "May I ask what you do? Might as well get to know each other a bit, yes? Who knows, there is a slight chance I will like what I hear." She smiled, being a tease was one of her favourite things to be.

[Inuk Rasmussen]

Inuk gallantly repressed a snicker at Danica’s quietly aghast expression, opting instead to wait and see how she’d react to his flirtation. Crash, burn, or otherwise, it was guaranteed to be interesting.

He wasn’t disappointed. The Greenlander’s grin broadened into a soft laugh, eyes glinting with confidence. “Oh good, I love a challenge, ‘specially if it can be fun for all.” He settled more comfortably in his seat, turning to face his companion more directly, fingers idly tapping against the back of his chair.

“Ask away: slight chances are my favorite chances,” he nodded, taking a sip from his beer before answering. “I’m in motion, currently. Taking odd jobs and seeing the world while I’m at it.” The Inuit smiled, head canting. “So far I’m making my way pretty damn well.”

It was close enough to the truth, even if working for the Military could hardly be considered “taking odd jobs.” Still, covers had to be maintained. Shame.

“And yourself, tall dark and mysterious?” he joked, obviously fishing for a name and half expecting her not to offer it just to tease.

[Slovenia]

"Hmmm,"she hummed in reply. She felt that he wasn't being entirely honest with her, so she decided to be not so honest with him either. "I am of the medical occupation, traveling as well, but with a goal to find a more permanent residence." She grinned wryly. "And isn't it considered rude to ask a lady her name before giving yours?"

She didn't use the word 'doctor,' partly because he didn't say exactly what he did as well, but mostly because many would not consider her a true doctor, having not passed university and obtained a medical license. She was still unsure how to think of herself. True, she was capable and willing to treat anyone, but officially she was still a (disgraced) student. And a failure to some.

Behind her, the man who had stumbled his way over jumped when Danica had revealed that she, at the very least, was medically aware. He hunched over, looking over at her and digging holes into her back as he stared. Mania and fear reflected in his dark, red tinted eyes. He hid his face. He called the bartender over, muttered something, and the bartender, with a look of mild contempt, sighed and opened the basement and descended down the stairs.

After a joke and giving his name, Danica grinned at Inuk. "Danica Erjavek. 'Tis a pleasure to meet you, and trust me, I have only said this once before."

What happened next was as quick as anyone would say in peril. One moment, Danica was content playing this game with Inuk, the next she could feel cold steel against her back.

"Move and I kill you. Scream and I kill you. Do as I say, and you may live." The voice came from behind her, hoarse, quiet and dirty. A stench unique to the bar filled her nose, and she raised her hands instinctively. Regardless, her sarcasm came through.

"Oh dear," she said, acid in the back of her tone, "what have we here? A wannabe mu- err!"

She winced as the man shoved the knife deeper, almost breaking skin but putting enough pressure to hurt.

"Shut up!" he hissed, raising his voice only slightly. The rest of the bar was too drunk to notice what was happening. "You come with me. Your boyfriend too."

And with that, Danica became a hostage for the first time in her life.

[Inuk Rasmussen]

Vaguery for vaguery, about as much as Inuk expected.

“Probably,” he nodded, completely unrepentant. “Then again, most people consider me to be rude in general.”

Nonetheless, he decided that he respected the Slovene enough to adjust to her terms and give his name first. The Inuit set his drink down and gave Danica his full attention, his smile all warmth and mischief. “Inuk Rasmussen, professionally crazy and at your service.”

He never got the chance to return her introduction with a witty reply. She was too busy being menaced by a loony.

"Move and I kill you. Scream and I kill you. Do as I say, and you may live."

Internally snorting at the guy’s clichéd threats, Inuk instinctively reached for the harpoon that wasn’t there. His expression was calm if cold as he assessed the target, calculating how much of a threat he presented.

Inuk glanced at the Slovene. Her acerbic retort left him thankful that a panicked civilian didn’t appear to factor into the situation, but also reminded him of how much was at stake. The important thing to do was to get her out of danger. Unfortunately, right now that played into placing her in more, at least until he could get the guy outside and dispose of him properly.

Inuk looked at Danica, meeting her eyes and making a mutual unspoken agreement.

After receiving that much, the Inuit rose from his chair, body language all affected carelessness. He regarded the small, manic figure before him with due contempt, shifting his stance and placing his hands inside his pockets.

“Lead the way, moleman,” he prompted, teeth bared and eyes freezing. “Haven’t got all night.”

[Slovenia]

As Danica stood carefully from her seat, she reached for the bag she left at the feet of her chair. That resulted in another close jab from the moleman, as delicately put from Inuk.

"N-no! You can't have anything. Might have a weapon." His voice sounded hesitant and lacked the force it had earlier. That told Danica he was frightened. Good, she thought, That is useful.

Still though, that bag had many important things in it; her medical supplies, journals, research. But most importantly, her sedatives. She supposed she would have to make do without them. She glanced at Inuk, who was walking beside her. Perhaps he could be the substitue.

The walk out of the bar was easy enough; no one paid much mind to them as the mole kept close behind Danica, keeping the steel to her back. Inuk couldn't really use an opportunity to attack; she assumed that he cared somewhat for her well-being, which is why a surprise attack would not be a good idea. What bothered her most about it was that she had not once seen the face of their captor, and the visage told all.

She sighed. "Sorry dear," she said to Inuk, "I suppose we'll have to find another time for a drink, hm?" Mole responded with another jab and a "No talking!"

The streets were quiet and miserable; there were barely anyone on the streets due to the heavy rain. Eventually they left the usual populated areas and into the more secluded and desolate. The mole stopped them in front of a two story building, old and damaged and clearly unsuitable for long term residence. He pushed her towards the door, and as they entered, a terrible smell of copper filled her nose. Up the stairs they went.

The room they entered was small, and, like the outside, badly damaged. It had little furniture; a table, a couch, and a stained carpet. It took a moment for Danica to process what she was seeing. Another man, who had a gun in his hand, sat at the table. He had bags under his eyes and the frightened whites of his eyes were bloodshot. He stood up as soon as they entered.

On the couch lay another man; he held his stomach firmly with blood dripping off his fingers. It was his red liquid that stained the carpet so. His face was white and his breathing fast and raspy. An odd turn of events.

The man at the table looked ready to explode. "You found one??"

"Yeah, somehow." The mole replied, "I overheard 'em. You-" he poked Danica, "you can fix him. You said you were medically aware. So, fix him. Or I'll kill you."

Ideas flowed through Danica like water. She could either do what they say without fuss, and perhaps leave with her life. What to do with Inuk, as he seemed to be forgotten for now. But something about it, being manipulated by simpletons, irritated her more than her desire to live. No, no. This will not do. She would only do this on her terms.

"Kill me?" She laughed, venom dripping in her voice. "The only one who can save your friend? I think not. You would do well not to threaten me sweetie. Otherwise your friend will die. And that would be so. Very. Sad."

The silence lasted for a few minutes. Game and set.

[Inuk Rasmussen]

Inuk followed closely behind the mole and the Slovene, an imposing, silent figure blurred by the hissing rain. Frosty eyes scanned the dark alley streets, marking distinctive buildings and routing a way back for when he was done kicking asses. He returned Danica’s apology with an amused chuckle, lazily disregarding the moleman’s hissed command. “Looks like.”

The little man glared up at the Inuit. Inuk returned the look with a grin that was mostly teeth. Other than that little defiance, though, the Greenlander did not make any further attempts to rile the mole further, paying more attention to their journey and destination. Once they entered the dark shelter, Inuk’s nose wrinkled at the metallic scent, his senses automatically on alert. Two more men, one injured, one armed, all frenzied and frantic. Lovely.

"You found one??" the one with the gun barked, apparently the leader.

"Yeah, somehow."[/b] The mole replied, "I overheard 'em. You- you can fix him. You said you were medically aware. So, fix him. Or I'll kill you."

Inuk watched the exchange between the mole and his compatriot, quietly taking stock of both and determining that it would be a pretty easy fight if he picked up the mole, tossed him at the leader, and proceeded to hit hard, fast, and lots of times. The hard part would be pulling the mole away and disarming the leader before the Slovene could get caught in the crossfire, given how small the room was.

Before the Greenlander could implement such a plan, though, Danica changed the tone of the encounter entirely.

"Kill me? The only one who can save your friend? I think not. You would do well not to threaten me sweetie. Otherwise your friend will die. And that would be so. Very. Sad."[/b]

In the stillness that followed, Inuk let out a soft whistle. “Damn. I’m liking you more and more by the minute,” he joked, grinning slightly.

This attracted the leader’s attention, and Inuk suddenly found himself at the end of a gun.

“Why’d you bring more than one?” the leader barked at the mole, causing the latter to cower.

“They were together! I didn’t have a choice.”[/b]

The leader snorted, cocking his gun while looking at Danica. “Alright, we’re not threatening you anymore. Your boyfriend here, though? Whole ‘nother story. Now, you feel like cooperating, or am I going to have to pump this pretty boy punk of yours full of lead?”

Inuk snorted, unable to prevent an impudent remark: “Wow, flattered, but I don’t swing that way.”

The leader glowered, jabbing him with the barrel to shut him up and looking to Danica again, growling, “Well?”

Inuk over at Danica, eagerly anticipating her response.

[Slovenia]

[this is gonna be a doozy]
A smirk formed on the Slovene's lips in response to Inuk, a quick wink said all to him, and only to him hopefully. She made it as subtle and quick as possible so the other goons wouldn't notice. She only hoped that he did.

When the man with the gun, cleverly named 'Gunman' by Danica's impeccable wit, pointed his weapon at Inuk, she felt a slight twinge of worry. She had only met him about an hour ago, but it would be a shame if his handsome face was hurt, or if he was killed. Goodness, it was almost like she had a conscience or something.

She didn't let the worry show of course, and responded to the threat with a tilt of the head and a blunt "Go ahead."

Baffled, gunman looked at him, then back to her. She rolled her eyes and explained. "I barely know him. I first met him not even an hour ago. And I'm not exactly one to care about strangers," She grinned at Inuk. "No hard feelings, sweetie."

Gunman decided that was a good time to become angry. He shoved the barrel of the gun harshly into Inuk's temple, his eyes blazing.

"I'll really shoot him!" He wrapped his finger around the trigger, breathing hard. But his confidence and anger faded as Danica discovered a newly formed interest in her nails.

He took the gun away, but continued to point it at the Greenlander. "Please...please help him." He didn't sound convinced, as she just said she didn't care about strangers. It was purely desperation.

That made Danica smile. "Ah, there's a good boy. Now," She turned to the mole, "be a good sport and fetch me my bag."

The two gaped at her. "But...why?" Gunman asked.

"Personal satisfaction." She said nothing else on the matter.

The mole's temper flared. "You could have weapons in that bag!"

"And my medical supplies. Truthfully, I could sew him up with alcohol and a stapler, but I doubt he would like it," She grinned deviously. "I also have morphine, something I'm sure he desperately wants."

The injured man rasped. "Please...morphine...please." The last please was more of a silent scream.

The mole still hesitated, which annoyed her. "We either do it this way, or not at all. If so, have fun dealing with a new corpse."

The injured man began to cry.

The mole cursed, but ran off to fetch her bag. She sighed, satisfied at her work. She started to walk towards the injured man, but Gunman pointed his gun at her, with an alarmed look. She rolled her eyes again. "I'm just looking at him. Not much I can do right now. Inuk," she beckoned him, "come here, I may need your help."

She kneeled in front of the injured man, examining his wound. It was a deep stab wound, located a few inches under his left rib. It was bleeding quite a bit still, and the edges of the cut flesh had started to blacken. She gently fingered around the wound, opening it ever so slightly to give her a better look without tearing it apart more. It was looking less and less good for the injured man. Wiping her bloodied hand on her light coloured dress, smearing a greasy red blotch on the nice fabric, she proceeded to ripe a good chunk of her dress off and tuck it inside his wound. He groaned in pain, tears still falling from his face. It would have to do for now, until the mole returned.

She stood up, wondering idly how the man was stabbed in the first place. She doubted it was their two captors, if they had it would have made more sense to just run. Was there a murderer on the run, or still here?

She peered around the room, getting a much better look at it now that she was standing in the middle of it. There was only one other door besides the exit, the bathroom presumably. The door was almost closed; and it took Danica a bit to realize the door was no longer attached to its hinges; someone just leaned the door against the wall. The door knob was missing, and the light was still on in the bathroom. She noticed a dark smear on the wall close to the unhinged door.

Meanwhile, Inuk was engaging Gunman, who had come closer to watch Danica inspect his hurt friend. She assumed what they were talking about was quite amusing, well, amusing to Inuk. Most importantly, it took Gunman's eyes away from her, the gun pointed at only Inuk. She quickly walked towards the smear, running her finger over it. It was definitely dried blood. So, it started here then? She frowned, that wasn't it. There would be more blood than this. She turned, and peered into the crack of the doorway, immediately noticing something was on the bathroom floor, unmoving.

Her curiosity thoroughly perked, she grabbed the unhinged door and pushed it over, intending to only move it sideways so she could get inside. She hadn't anticipated it falling to the ground noisily. She allowed herself a quick glance to see what was inside, and that she did. Another man lay on the tiled floor, either dead or unconscious. She assumed dead. She quickly raised her hands and turned to Gunman, whose eyes were wide and hands shaking. "Sorry dear," she said gently, for once trying not to provoke him, "my curiosity got the better of me."

Surprisingly, Gunman didn't shoot her. He looked more sad than anything, shaking his head. "We didn't kill him..." That was all he said about it, and he made his way back to the table, sitting, watching the both of them from there, gun still up and ready. Odd, she thought.

She turned her attention to the corpse. She checked his pulse, just in case he was catatonic as opposed to dead, but there was nothing. He was very dead. She examined his body, noticing he clutched the bloody knife in his literal cold dead hands. "Ah," she said absently while prying the knife out of his grasp. She held the knife in her fingertips, away from her person as if it had a terrible smell. She eyed the man's face, noticing something around his nose. Still holding the knife in one hand, she used her middle finger on her other to push his face over. His head rolled to the other side. A white powder was caked around the man's nose, some of it still inside. It was mixed with snot and sweat. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was.

"Hmm, how droll. I was hoping for more of a mystery," she smiled up at Inuk, who was bent over with his hands on his upper leg, presumably watching. "We need to move him. Corpses and bacteria are like whores and noblemen. One attracts the other with incredible ease."

[Inuk Rasmussen]

Inuk barely restrained the impulse to burst out laughing. The look on the gunman’s face after Danica’s casual dismissal was just too perfect. Instead the Inuit grinned gamely toward the Slovene, acting for all the world as if he wasn’t on the other end of a gun barrel. “None at all, beautiful,” he retorted, returning the earlier wink with one of his own.

The Greenlander’s good mood was jarred by the rude interruption of metal to temple, causing Inuk to grunt as his head shifted. His eyes flashed an ignored warning towards the gunman, suddenly fifty degrees cooler as he contemplated how easy it would be to break the fucker’s wrist. It was only the threat of ricochet that held Inuk in check.

“I’ll really shoot him!” the gunman yelled, only to be met with cool disinterest. Inuk could see the man’s adam’s apple bob with nerves. The pressure of the barrel eased as the gunman deflated slightly, his voice cowed. “Please…please help him.”

Danica’s haughty smile seemed to both soften and sharpen her features, her expression suddenly quite becoming now that she was in control. Inuk watched as she manipulated the mole’s dismissal for the necessary morphine, remaining silent but hiding a fierce smile. One down, one to go, and hell if he wasn’t going to enjoy putting the gunman down like the mongrel he was.

Nah, that was an insult to dogs.

Inuk didn’t act yet, however, considering that Danica seemed to intend on following through with her end of the bargain and examine the injured man. Inuk obediently approached at her prompting, deliberately stepping back into the gun’s line of fire on an oddly chivalrous impulse. What could he say, Danica was both cute and interesting enough for the Inuit to want to keep her alive.

He watched her examination for a little bit, being careful not to hover. This proved to be pretty tedious, however, so he decided to try and get as much information for his later mandatory report instead. Or just heckle the gunman. Either or.

Inuk shifted his stance so his body was turned back towards the gunman, making sure that the motion wasn’t at all sudden or surprising. The gunman’s bleary eyes, formerly trained on the Slovene tending his injured companion flickered instantly back to him, his hold on the weapon tensing into its earlier upright position. Taking comfort in the knowledge that the guy wasn’t going to shoot while his friend was in firing range, Inuk bared his teeth, head canting slightly as his eyes narrowed.

“Relax, red eye. I’m just here for the show, y’know?”

“If you want to keep watching, you’ll shut your mouth before I shut it for you,” the gunman snapped, his tone more weary than heated as he steadied the gun arm with his other hand.

Inuk’s lip curled condescendingly. “Better men then you have tried and failed. Better women too, actually, but they usually made it more fun.”

The gunman’s temple pulsed with aggravation. “Cocky ass punk,” he spat, glowering down the shaking barrel as he moved closer to his friend. “I’ve been through enough shit tonight, I don’t need yours!”

Inuk shrugged, casually flicking his forelock from his eyes with a mocking lilt of his chin. “Hey, I was just out for a drink, having a good time with the lovely lady. It was your pet rodent’s idea to bust in and bring me. Don’t blame me for his stupidity.”

“I ain’t. But I will blame you for your fucking mouth,” the gunman scowled, teeth grit.

“You’re awfully obsessed with my mouth,” Inuk noted glibly, looking aside as though exasperated. “Didn’t you hear I wasn’t interested?”

The gunman’s face flared red, his mouth working furiously around whatever foul epithet he was trying to deliver. Inuk was prevented from further baiting the man by the sudden thud of a falling door. Both men jumped, though luckily for the Inuit the gun didn’t fire. He and the gunman both looked over towards the Slovene, though the Greenlander’s gaze passed quickly enough once it spotted the dead body.

“Sorry dear,” Danica murmured, her voice much softer, “my curiosity got the better of me.” The ire washed out of gunman’s face, his shoulders falling with quiet weight as he regarded the dead body. A soft sigh whistled through his teeth, and he shook his head.

“We didn’t kill him,” he muttered, backing from the Greenlander to settle at the table instead, propping his elbow against the wood. Inuk raised a pierced eyebrow as he heard Danica shift around behind him, curiosity briefly replacing his kneejerk compulsion to antagonize.

“What did, then?” His question was answered with a soft exclamation, and the Inuit turned back toward Danica. Hesitating briefly, the Greenlander made his way over, kneeling beside her. ‘Prolly wasn’t much of a looker alive either,’ [/i]he thought in passing, eyes flickering over the carcass in morbid fascination.

He looked up when Danica addressed him, and he snorted softly. “We’re not exactly dealing with masterminds,” he quipped amicably. Her further commentary earned another amused chuckle, and he nodded. “True enough, but without the economic benefits.” He brought his gloved palms together, cracking a couple knuckles while he was at it. “I’ll take care of it.”

He waited until she had backed off enough to give him room before approaching the body, placing his arms carefully and lifting it with a soft grunt. The smell was fairly foul—not the sickly sweet scent of decay yet, but definitely an undertone of relieved bowels. Not unfamiliar to either the hunter or the soldier in Inuk, but not exactly welcoming either.

He carried the corpse out of the bathroom, bypassing the gunman’s gray face without notice as he ventured out the door, laying the corpse to the rain-slicked side of the stoop instead. If it attracted attention, so be it. Wasn’t his kill. Maybe it would give the mole a scare if he was lucky. Wherever the hell he was.

Shrugging, Inuk dusted off his hands as he returned inside, flicking his hair aside again. “Anything else you need, doc?” he asked.

[Slovenia]

She nodded when he offered to move the body, stepping back as Inuk hauled the corpse over his shoulder. When he left, she wandered back to her patient. His eyes were only half open, and his breathing was shallow. She gave his cheek a few rough pats, to keep him alert and awake. She checked his wound. The fabric was stained a deep red now, and it would not last as a bandage for long. She hoped the mole was on his way back, she preferred to sew him up using actual medical supplies. The last thing she wanted was another dead patient on her hands.

A small shiver ran down her spine. The blood amount of her current patient did not even compare to the one she lost. It was just red, red, red everywhere, dripping and running down the table. All over her hands and splattered across her torso. Red, red and failure. Of course it was hard to disturb Danica with gore, she had seen plenty of face mutilations, exposed bones, and burns while barely batting an eyelash. But it was that endless pool of red and the stares of dozens of onlookers that was always in the back of her mind, slowly driving her crazy.

No mistakes this time. She wouldn't allow it.

She was relieved to see Inuk's face, even though he was only gone for a few minutes. Whenever she lost herself in those thoughts, she always had to dive into a book to keep her mind off it. Luckily, it seemed his presence managed the same, for now at the very least.

She began to braid her hair, after rolling her sleeve up and grabbing a small band around her arm. "I may need your help with him," she said, smiling, nodding towards the injured man. Also, what to do with the other two goons? Help would be appreciated with those two, but she was certain he was already itching to deal with gunman after he plunged the gun into his temple. "And this and that," she said, hoping she wasn't too subtle, but enough to keep gunman nice and ignorant. She finished her braid with a small tug of the band.

All three of them turned their heads toward the door in response to a small, disgusted yell. She guessed moleman was back, and discovered his friend's body. Inuk seemed pleased with himself about it, which made Danica snort softly and roll her eyes.

Moleman returned, looking rather disheveled and glaring at everyone. He set her bag down in front of her, scowling. She suppressed a chuckle, and picked it up. It was time to start.

She kneeled in front of the injured man, rummaging through her bag. It was nice to hold her supplies with a purpose, not to mention she missed her sedatives. The hour she spent apart from them was simply unbearable. She snapped on a pair of gloves, then found the small needle of morphine and stabbed it into his flesh. The pain relief was immediate, as the injured man's face melted into a calm, almost serene expression.

She quickly put the morphine away, and brought out the disinfectant. She removed the fabric from his wound and dabbed the liquid all over it. After that, she brought out the string and needle. Obviously, this part was the most interesting for bystandards, as the goons crowded over to get a better look. She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes again, but she ignored them. Cutting off the string, she threaded the needle and dipped it in the disinfectant. Then she went to work.

Back in school, Danica was known for her endless knowledge of sicknesses and treatments, but she was also known for her precise needlework. The jokes about her being a woman didn't apply to her expertise; needlework in the medical field was completely and utterly different than the normal needlework. Her stitches were tight and almost invisible, but they never came apart. Not only that, but she was quick. This time it was no different. She stitched up the injured man like an expert violinist played the violin.

She snipped the excess thread away, pleased at her work. She put the needle and thread away, replacing it with gauze and bandages. "Inuk, I need you to sit him up," she said, only adding a "please," as an afterthought. When Inuk lifted the injured man, she immediately placed the gauze on the wound, then wrapped the bandages around him tightly. She sat back, eyeing him up and down. That was as much as she could do, at least in this situation. Now to deal with the other two issues.

She knew she could take down at least one of them, they were both close and a tad distracted by relief. Moleman was closest to her, so he would have to do. Besides, Inuk had a bone to pick with Gunman.

She reached into her bag and brought out a sedative. Curious, moleman asked, "What is that for?"

"It's a medicine that will make his skin meld together to help him heal faster," she lied.

"Really??"

She frowned. "No." Then she plunged the sedative into his neck.