[color=silver][center][h2][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/b3RmLjQ4LjAwOTlhYS5SSFZ1WTJGdUlGTjBaWGRoY25RLjI/recharge.rg-bold.webp[/img][/h2]
__________________________________________________[/center]

From the moment Duncan woke, realized how early it was [i]and [/i]that he couldn't just go back to sleep, he started having second thoughts about the upcoming expedition. His body might've not required as much as sleep as it used to, but his head sure could've used the rest. He was not a morning person.

Still, it made sense to leave early so they'd be back that much faster, and Duncan had no doubt that if he didn't get his ass up [i]right now[/i], Asahi would take the opportunity and fucking run. So up he got, grumpy about it as he was. He gathered what little belongings he thought he might need, which included, useless as it had been so far, his phone. Duncan felt weird leaving it, and if they really did manage to find a portal or some other way to communicate with the real world, who knew. Maybe it'd come in handy.

Duncan had just stepped outside and, much to his relief, noticed his smokes had dried overnight, when a bento box was practically shoved into his face. He followed the arms that held it to a familiar face. Kumi. She looked like shit.

[color=0099aa]"You stayed up for this? Shit. Thanks,"[/color] he took the box, about to slip it into his bag, when he realized he had no bag, and that he should probably find a spare one, when an even more familiar face emerged from the shelter. Duncan froze. Well, shit, he'd hoped he could slip out without having to say a thing. He was so fucking bad at stuff like this. He straightened, about to say something, but Haruko was faster.

Duncan was, for all intents and purposes, a superhuman, with the strength and endurance of one. He could endure blows, falls, probably — no, [i]definitely [/i]— being shot at, and worse. And [i]yet[/i], the slight bump of Haruko's forehead against his chest [i]stung[/i] like nothing before. So did her words.

Did he [i]have [/i]to go? Honestly, no. Not really. He [i]could [/i]let Asahi go alone into what would probably be his death, taking the mystery of the mountain with him, perhaps forever. It could even be a good thing; maybe that way they'd delay having to return to the real world a while longer. Maybe it was better to leave the mountain alone in the first place; maybe it was a trap. 

But... much as he hated to admit it, Asahi'd gotten his back more than once so far. He'd helped him on that first night, back when they'd both been just some dudes in over their heads with no superpowers to their name. He'd been there for Yuki. It didn't matter what his personal opinion on Asahi — and the shit he'd seen in the guy's head — was, he owed the guy a solid. Besides, if Asahi found a way to return to the real world, Duncan needed to be there. And so—

[color=0099aa]"You know [i]someone's[/i] gotta watch the idiot's back," [/color]Duncan half-smiled as he rested a hand on Haruko's head. He ruffled her hair slightly, carefully, as if afraid he'd hurt her. She'd always been so damn small, so damn cute, it'd made him wanna pick her up and just carry her around in a pocket or something. But now, with his Awakened powers that had nearly made him hurt Akito for real yesterday, she seemed [i]so [/i]small he felt as if he shouldn't touch her at all. Like she might break if he did.

Was he really about to leave her behind? [i]Again?[/i]

He leaned down to hug her, more awkward than he'd hoped. [color=0099aa]"I'll be back before you know it, babe. Here,"[/color] he pulled out his cigarette package, took out one cig, and handed the rest to her.[color=0099aa] "You hold onto these for me until then, yeah? You [i]know [/i]I haven't exactly aced this whole quittin' thing, so I [i]gotta [/i]be back fast."[/color]

He grinned. Then remembered there was one more thing he had to do before he finished up his see-you-laters. [color=0099aa]"Now, uh, I need you to look away for a bit. I gotta... I gotta bleed before I go."[/color]

Hopefully they had spare containers, and hopefully his blood didn't have an expiration date.[/color]