EXPERIMENT X

@ rust and stardust

Jasmin tottled over to the folding chair, plopping down on it heavily, as if her body had given out. Her oversized hoodie fell over her hands, and she was glad for that comfort, as the air was still cold, even compared to the freezing conditions of the outside. "So, what's up?" She quipped.

--
Damion fumbled with the button on his pants, shoving the plain, musky blue shower curtain aside.

He followed suit a few minutes later, his hair still dripping and one of his combat boot laces untied.

@ k1ssmysass

"What's up?" He echoed, moving to sit in the chair in front of her. "You just trespassed on the land of what could possibly be one of the most powerful squadrons in the war right now, and you want to know what's up?" The man scoffed, his eyes rolling. "Give me your name, rank, and troop number."

-

Aspen plucked an apple from the basket on the counter and ran it under the sink, then dried it and took a bite. Damion sauntered downstairs with dripping hair and one boot untied, and she raised her eyebrows. "I'm goin back out again in a bit."

@ rust and stardust

She leaned forward, eyes batting to shake the dizziness from her. "Jasmin Collins, juvenile hand-to-hand trainer, whatever number this troop is." She bit her tongue to silence any word spew.

She flicked her dutifully (and strangely well groomed) brows.
-

"I got carrier away with my lethargy." He remained unscathed by her raised brow and twisted expression. Kneeling to lace his boot, he sighed deeply.

*carried

@ k1ssmysass

"I never said you could join us. Give me the number of the troop you left. I have things to look into." And if she stayed, he'd need to change her file—assuming that it was legitimate.

"Right. Are you coming with me or staying back?" She was already reaching for her coat and pulling on her black boots. Faster than him, she thought.

@ rust and stardust

"1720." She eyed him like he'd struck her. "I left for a reason." Jasmin hoisted her bag over her shoulder. "I'll just clean myself up and leave. How 'bout that?" She stood, eyeing him through glassy orbs of sight.

"You have beautiful cheekbones." She said, but it didn't sound awkward coming from her lips - it sounded like a smile, something she couldn't quite muster.

Turning her back, she didn't have it in her to leave.

Not quite.

--
"Yeah." Damion scrubbed at his hair, tugging his coat from the rack.

@ k1ssmysass

"What?" He was thoroughly confused at her compliment, but shook his head. "Sit down. You're not going anywhere, not until I look into your history. Stay put."

Aspen pulled her coat on and stepped outside, zipping it up and stuffing her hands in her pockets. "A border run, nothing big. Jackson was running one earlier but didn't get to finish."

@ rust and stardust

"Then I'll just go." Jasmin waved a dismissive hand, tongue poking at the side of her cheek. The sun was just now beginning to set.

She walked toward the door, pushing it open.

--

"Why not?" He fumbled with a bag of chips - not the most quiet of snacks, but he meant well. And he could shoot.

@ k1ssmysass

One of the men outside peered inside, and he waved him away with a few words of advice: keep an eye on her. "Let her take a shower or something."

"Ran across a stray from another troop, or something. Grayson was telling me, but I forgot." She shrugged, placing her gun securely in its holster and eyeing his bag of chips. "You're as subtle as a hand grenade."

@ rust and stardust

"That a hint that I smell?" Jasmin puffed, but allowed a guard to point her in the direction of the showers.

She hung under the warm water for a near half over, watching dirt swim down the drain.

She wandered out around two hours later, hair smoothed and cropped to her shoulders, her face glowing under all the dirt.

She'd exchanged her hoodie for another identical one, and a pair of thermal black leggings.

Her boots clomped across the ground as she waded toward the entrance, dragging her fingers through her freshly trimmed hair.

Pushing through the fencing that marked off their boundaries, she looked back, a single brow arched.

A tiny part of her ached to see Jackson again. Teeny. Minuscule.

---

"I'm hungry!" He said between a glob of half-chewed chip paste, walking lazily alongside her.

@ k1ssmysass

A group of four trudged along in the mud, looking for Collins without much luck. There was a brief dispute about whether or not she even went the way they were headed, but the redhead male in front was positive, and so they followed a trail only he seemed to know. And then they saw her, a now-clean figure, small in comparison to the buildings behind her.

-

"Eat when you're off-duty. The blues could be right around the corner for all we know, and you're stuffing your face." The border was coming up, the landmark getting bigger and bigger, but she wasn't overly concerned.

@ rust and stardust

Jasmin lifted her head, inhaling the crisp autumnal breeze, flaring her nostrils. A low "crunch" of combat boots against leaves caught her attention.

A low gasp escaped her. The leader, a redheaded male, had been one of the men that'd tried to coerce her into prostituting herself.

She dropped her back sloppily, ducking down to dig through it for her (gladly) returned knife.

Sliding her hand behind her back, she pressed the metal into the waistband of her leggings to conceal it.

Watching them with her wicked side-eye and her tilted head, she flexed her fingers. "'M just passing by-" She tried.

---

Dumping the bag into his pocket, he smeared his grubby hands on his pants, a low whistle escaping him, lips holding their purse as he leaned in to peck her cheek with his stinky potato chip breath.

*bag, not back

@ k1ssmysass

The man merely nodded, and the three others rushed at her, two trying to grab her and another presenting a knife. "It's adorable that you felt like running somewhere else would be a new start. Life doesn't work that way, Collins." The war was corrupt in some squadrons, and he wouldn't deny his was one of them.

-

She squirmed away, making a face. "Brush your teeth, Damion." The sound of footsteps alarmed her, and she stopped in her tracks to listen. "Do you hear something?"

@ rust and stardust

"My name is Jasmin," She snarked, being taken down by two of their men (women, maybe), taking a knee as one of her arms were seized. She withdrew the knife and flicked it open, the blade sizable compared to that of a normal switchblade.

She sliced at the one who had her arm's wrist, and deep, hoping to nick an artery.

'Act fast!' Her mind whistled, heart pounding three miles a second.

---

"Yah," His hand rested on his pistol, eyes scanning the heavily wooded background. "I owe you a kiss after they're brushed?" He offered with a wink.

A group of soldiers slipped out from the shadows, smooth as butter, and attacked from all sides, three sizing up Damion, dragging him to the ground with a baton in their hands.

They beat him down as two flew after Aspen, a blonde, wiry woman and a bulky man. The man slammed a gun into her back. "Keep quiet and we'll let him go with all his limbs." The wiry lady hissed like a feline.

@ k1ssmysass

The man whose wrist she cut pulled away before she could cut deep enough, but was still left holding the wound. The replacement attacked her with the knife, trying to make long gashes down her forearms. "I don't care what yoir name is."

-

"Damion!" The girl shouted when a group of soldiers slid out from what seemed like thin air, three taking her partner down with a baton and two coming for her. She reached for her gun but it was somehow knocked out of her hands, and the barrel of a gun was slammed into her back before she could retrieve it. Her eyes flickered to the man on the ground, and she gritted her teeth. "Fine. Let him go with his limbs, then."

@ rust and stardust

Jasmin slammed her elbow into their chest, taking a long strike to her forearm. Her blood sizzled with rage.

--

"Aspen-" Damion croaked, clutching his side, his whole world tumbling around.

"That your boyfriend?" The small woman sneered, shoving her along.

"Aspen!" He yelled.

@ k1ssmysass

The man with the knife stumbled away, winded, and the redhead started to retreat, seemingly alarmed by someone else's presence. "Let's head back."

-

The brunette didn't respond and didn't look back, trudging along in the direction she was being shoved without so much as a whisper of protest, mostly on the basis that it would make her look weak.

@ rust and stardust

Taking this as an advantage, Jasmin flew after the redhead, knife raised, ready to jam into his chest. She was quick on her feet, soaring on adrenaline as blood soaked her sleeve, weighing her left arm down.

She jammed it toward his chest, a clean blow if he didn't block it in time. "You will /never/ hurt a fuckin' woman again, you fuckin' bastard!" Something beyond crazed touched her eyes, and the way she set her teeth was sinister.

--

"So, he your boyfriend?" The male tried again, causing a groan of disdain.

"Don't fuck with her. Your sexism makes me want to let her go so she can slap you silly." The girl had a voice, and a pleasant one, like wind chimes.