Okay, it was kind of obvious that Jean had suffered another Jean Moment, but he didn't wanna talk about it. For those of you at home, Isaac was starting to call every sort of circumstance that seemingly breaks or close-to-breaks his Darcsen friend a Jean Moment. It's a description fitting for any event that 'Jean wasn't ready to handle, but he had to do it anyway'. This was also something you could call a Lucia Moment, because the Asseni girl wasn't exactly in a different spot than Jean, at times, or even possibly 'Franz will flip his shit', but we won't be saying [i]that one[/i] out-loud. Still, Jean didn't really want to talk about it. They'd attacked, something not-great happened, and now they were gone, leaving some hurt and shell-shocked. Michael was hurt. Was it about Michael? Isaac nodded at his thanks, not wanting to leave it at that, but Jean was practically giving him orders to leave it. With that in mind, he walked off to 'prepare for departure', which is to say 'look around and make sure nobody is about to ambush them' while Britta was engaged in brief conversation with Franz. Yes, we're back to Franz, who also denied that anything was wrong, when it was plenty clear that something was off. It wasn't for lack of experience, as he claimed it, though. As for Britta... [color=ed1c24][b]"I'm alright, for the most part. It's just a bit exhausting, watching over everyone, making sure that nobody about to take us unawares. I don't smoke, sorry."[/b][/color] [color=f7941d]"I'll take one, just in case."[/color] Isaac had seen the offered ciggy and just sort of yoinked it, in passing. Hey, it was freely given, and while he had never really gotten into the habit, his father always said that the [i]occasional[/i] break from the healthy wasn't too bad. Britta, meanwhile, felt bad that Franz wasn't really comfortable talking about what was bothering him. Freya was pretty sure there was stuff up with the likes of Jean, Franz, Lucia...and all of this was basically first impressions, and she was right, of course. If a relative newcomer could pick it out, then it was pretty obvious, and yet Franz was sealed up tight. Damn... After a short while, Jean gathered himself to speak to everybody. Jean was trying to find strength in this moment. [color=f7941d]"Well, they DID say it wasn't gonna be easy to get there."[/color] Specifically, the group they met here said that. Didn't they? Weren't they the ones who expressed how difficult it was...and then a new armored weapon killed the lot of them, if not a good chunk of them? As they all got into 'formation' to go - Isaac and Britta naturally positioned to protect the squad with rapid-fire 'Piss off!' - Isaac found himself thinking about that machine. It was kind of freaky, coming up with a device like that. It was secure from next to all the gunfire and perhaps even the grenades. Although, thinking about it...it couldn't do much if you were right next to it. Oh yeah, drive around, but how much room was there to maneuver in these streets, really? Realistically, you could only be there to do your thing or bugger off, unless you had someone there to keep people from crawling all over your armored self. That was where a crazy idea about jumping onto one of these things and using this prybar device he had was coming from in Isaac's head. He kind of had to think about it, because this wouldn't be the last of those they ever saw. They needed to have a plan when they saw one again, and that meant thinking in terms of 'even if we don't have explosives'. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Time passed. They'd been in and out of buildings, hit by rain or sheltered by the still-intact parts of this massive city. They had been, as per the intent to preserve the squad, meticulous and cautious in their progress towards the target tunnels. Currently, they were out in the rain, which was not altogether pleasant. The only advantage it had was that the noise of it covered (sort of) the noise of their passing. Providing there wasn't some kind of huge splash involved, they were masked, it seemed. Isaac as feeling some of the strain of watching every shadow, and having to simultaneously be sure of whether or not it was an attacker...and having to check himself from making an unwarranted noise that could draw attention. We'll skip the play-by-play of that matter and just simply state 'Mostly no, but a couple times [i]yes[/i]'. Ahead lay a building that could be potential shelter from the weather, and in fact would suffice, as there was nobody inside. It was largely empty, though, and those that were hurt were taking the beds. Fair enough. Jean also announced that he would be taking first watch. That was not out of necessity. That was out of things just bugging the hell out of him, Isaac was sure. As tired as Isaac's own eyes were, he felt that this was kind of a bad idea. It left him uncertain on the matter. [i]Someone[/i] had to keep watch when both Gunners were getting eye-strain. And make no mistake, Britta may not have wanted to show it, but she was fatigued in her fatigues, as well. As people were settling in now, he heard Luke call for a match for his cigarette. That actually made Isaac snort with amusement. He forgot to even ask for one, [i]himself[/i]. Ah well. He didn't wanna try it on, just now, anyway. He was looking to make sure that everybody else was okay or at least [i]intact[/i], then looked back at Jean before he spoke to Britta. [color=f7941d]"You thinking what I'm thinking?"[/color] [b][color=ed1c24]"'I could sleep anywhere, even the floor'?"[/color][/b] [color=f7941d]"That too, but I'm not going down just yet."[/color] [b][color=ed1c24]"Isaac, you need it."[/color][/b] [color=f7941d]"So do you, but I won't rest easy without saying my peace, at least. Come one, you'd do this too."[/color] [b][color=ed1c24]"I'd pick a better time."[/color][/b] [color=f7941d]"If there was one. Just let me. Get some rest."[/color] She did so, at a spot where she thought she could draw her weapon and shot someone coming in, if necessary. Some out-of-the-way spot like that... Isaac nonchalantly slumped down not far from the chair that Jean had not-quite-managed to get into. He just sort of got down on his back, eyes shut, and then after a moment of silence... [color=f7941d]"I'm doing as you asked, but I'm talking in my sleep now. I don't actually hear you IN my sleep, so you can't order me silent."[/color] This was all bullshit, of course, but Isaac continued. [color=f7941d]"So, are you gonna talk about it, or do I have to talk about how I'm starting to see us in the charge at the end of my machine gun?"[/color]