congratulations on the mess you made of things.

[everduring]

WHO: Eli Ever & OPEN
WHERE: OTO's Montana Base
WHEN: November 12
WHAT: OTO's Last Stand
WARNINGS: Hella gore.

Eli had come to Jeopardy out of sheer curiosity, doubtful that the ritual would result in so much as a lightshow let alone a tear through time and space. And he hasn't gotten a chance to find out whether or not it did, because the OTO's ambush drew him into a fight before he could even settle down for the performance.

Several explosions later, having lost his clothes along with his limbs, Eli takes a uniform off the first appropriately-sized corpse he finds and sets forth to continue the mission at the OTO's secret base in Montana. As always, his injuries repaired instantly, and he wiped off most of the blood before changing, yet signs of the gory battle remain in the mess streaked on his face and the caked dust he'll have to wash out of his hair later.

Dispatching robots isn't exactly an easy task for him, as most of his powers are only effective against biological creatures, and endless stamina isn't equal to endless strength. His bones break over and over again as he fights his way through the base. Occasionally, he loses a hand or an eye or the better part of his jaw to a laser blast, and it hurts like hell. Each should-be-fatal injury barely slows him down, though. In the few seconds it takes him to stumble back after a shot, he's cleanly regenerated and ready to proceed.

As he comes upon a fellow imPort, he asks, "Any idea where the humans are hiding?"

Because that's where his real skills will come into play.

Comments

[strikesthrough]

When it comes to metal robots with no nerves to toy with, Victor is not only of limited use, he's at risk. It's meant moving through the area is made all the more tricky, right up until he saw Eli ahead of him. What are the odds--Victor doesn't believe in coincidences anymore at all.

Normally, he'd expect Eli to know that Victor is there, tailing him, but considering the carnage being wrought on his body as he soldiers on, Victor decides he can probably forgive him. And the hood he's picked up along the way that's pulled up over the back of his head is a decent enough reason why Eli wouldn't immediately recognise the other EO.

But there's no question that he'd know Victor's voice.

"Of course."

Turning his head slightly for dramatic emphasis, Victor catches Eli's eye out the corner of his own. He doesn't smile, at least not as far as anyone except for Eli would be able to see, but it's there.

"Would you like some guidance?"

Turning as he speaks, Victor reaches out with ridiculous casualness to pluck at a bloodied tear in the sleeve of Eli's uniform, the wound itself long gone by the material holding the memory.

"And something to take the edge off going forward, perhaps."

[everduring]

Eli's expression had been arranged for polite company, but now that he finds himself with Victor, it sharpens into something more dangerous. Not a threat to him, but a mirror for his wickedness. They're both having a little too much fun with this - which is a secret to be shared with no one but each other.

"So kind of you," Eli responds wryly, because Victor is never kind. "I wouldn't mind a little guidance. Or anesthesia. The pain has been slowing me down."

On that note, his gaze runs down and up Victor's body, searching for signs of injury. Not that he's worried, but he ought to know what the situation is. "Doing alright, yourself?" He assumes Victor would know better than to plow through robots, sharing none of Eli's resilience, but there's the chance a stray bullet or chunk of shrapnel has done some damage to him.

[strikesthrough]

It has been a long time since Victor has seen that look on Eli's face. In point of fact, he's probably never seen it without the dangerous edge of it being pointed firmly in Victor's direction as an intended target.

But when it's a reflection of one another and not a form of crosshairs, it is a very good look for Victor to see on Eli's face. It's actually kind of mesmerising.

The comment about Victor's brand of kindness gets a thin smile, the humour very much shared because, yes, the idea of Victor doing anything out the kindness of his heart is nothing short of hilarious.

In some ways, this is a perfect moment for Victor: Eli expressing a complete understanding of Victor as a person, showing his shadows, agreeing to work together, sharing a joke, and Eli's attentive eyes on him. If he could seal a moment into a box and keep it forever, Victor would do it with this one.

"Oh no, you've been shielding and keeping me from harm wonderfully so far."

He even holds his arms to show Eli how unscathed he is.

"There's some irony there: you keeping me safe."