Grim Reaper

Chapter 8

    Jinx was outside shooting targets in the rain. He shouldn't be out. It's thundering and lightning is striking a little too close for comfort but this is how he clears his head. He won't sing in front of others unless he's comfortable, so he shoots on the training grounds unless he can find a quiet and isolated place to sing out his feelings. He doesn't know what he feels. The only times he can easily tell is when he is able to sing them out.

    I shouldn't feel anything. I'm a sniper. Snipers don't have feelings. Snipers don't feel fear. If snipers don't have feelings then why do I feel terrified? Why do I not know some of the things I'm feeling? Is this caused by Addax's fall? I should be fine losing him, I can live without him. Who am I kidding, he's the only one I know. I can't live in a world without him. "Damn it!" Jinx misses his shot by a fraction of an inch and he puts the gun down as he realizes he doesn't have control over his breathing. "I don't understand..." He mutters and gets up, picking the gun up with him, and puts the gun away. "Fuck the weather..."

    He runs. The weather doesn't bother him despite the lightning and he does the obstacle course a few times over. Despite the burning in his throat, the feeling of icicles in his legs, he doesn't stop and the feeling doesn't go away. 

********

    "Addax." The General knocks on the bunker door. Addax gets up and opens in, clearly still in a half asleep state since it's five in the morning and a day where they get a break. "Yes sir?" He yawns. "Explain why Jinx is running the obstacle course in thunder and lightning at five in the morning? I heard gunshots and the targets are torn apart in the bulls-eye. He doesn't look good." General Sphynx explains and Addax is awake in a few seconds. "Fuck."

    The two go outside after Addax is dressed to see Jinx just laying on the ground, not a care in the world. "Jinx!" Addax calls out and barely gets a response. Movement of a foot to show he's alive but not much else. "Jinx! Seriously! If you get struck by lightning I'm not taking care of you!" Addax huffs and jogs over, already soaking wet after a few seconds in the rain. "How long have you been out here?"

    When Jinx sits up and opens his eyes to look at Addax, the elder can see that he's been crying, still is. "Four..." Jinx mumbles and sniffles to try and control his emotions again. He stops the moment he hears anyone, even if it's Addax. "Hey... What's wrong? Come on, get inside before you get sick..." Addax takes hand to help him up knowing the kid has run himself out trying to outrun his emotions. This doesn't happen often, Jinx's emotions coming in full force to him after being suppressed for so long. Usually the kid has ways to escape the worst of them.

    "I-I don't know..." Jinx mumbles and just lets Addax half drag him back inside. "Let's get some food. You need it." Addax sits him down at one of the tables. The General sits back and watches. He hasn't seen Jinx like this in the few months the kids have been here, but Addax clearly knows how to deal with it. He does his best to not listen knowing it's not his business.

    Addax steals food from the pantry since the cooks aren't up knowing he won't get in trouble for it. "Come on. Eat." He places the food in front of the kid who pushes it away. "Don't want it." Jinx mumbles and rests his head on his hands on the table. "You have to. We don't know when we'll get a mission." Addax pushes. "I said no." Jinx doesn't have the energy to really argue, voice weak. "Do you want to talk about it?" Jinx looks at the general and shakes his head. Addax looks back in a pleading way, asking him to leave.

    The general leaves.

    "Jinx, come on, you're scaring me a little bit." Addax admits, concerned. "That's the problem. I don't know." Jinx says and sighs. "It felt like I was scared and annoyed at the same time, I couldn't control it. I've never felt like that before. It was like I was-" "Anxious." Jinx nods, finally putting a name to it. "Anxious... I don't like it." He shivers again, still freezing from the rain.

     "No one does. We probably have a multitude of mental issues." Addax reassures him and tries to comfort him. He doesn't expect the shorter to lean into him, clearly exhausted, something he rarely shows. It shows the taller he isn't just physically exhausted but mentally as well.

    "Try to eat a little bit, okay? Think you could sleep again?" Addax asks, gently running a hand through his friends hair. "Maybe..." Jinx mumbles and begins to eat the food placed in front of him. "Take it out on the soldiers later. I think the General will let you sleep in today" He nods as Addax keeps talking. "We should be getting a mission soon since we've been hear a couple months now. Who knows, maybe you'll be the best of best of all the snipers they've ever seen."

    "That'd be nice..." Jinx mumbles again and yawns having finished his food. The moment his head hits Addax's shoulder, he's out. Addax picks him up with a small but worried smile and walks back to the bunks. The lights were turning on as the wake up alarm goes off. Jinx snarls in his sleep and twists to block the light with his friends chest.

    Upon going back inside their sleeping quarters, Addax quickly shushes the others inside so they don't wake Jinx. They quickly leave after seeing the sleeping kid. He's put up in his bunk and Addax makes sure he's comfortable and warm before he leaves, shutting off the lights and closing the door.

********

    "Right. So do to an unfortunate event this morning Jinx will not be joining us for breakfast or drills. He'll be back this afternoon. In the mean time, for the love of god, please get your shit together and do your shit right or I will personally blow your heads off." The general states as everyone questions where the boy is. They go quiet at the statement. "If you have any questions, ask Addax."

    "So, what happened?" A soldier slides right up next to Addax. "We all get stressed. He has a bad habit of taking it out the wrong ways." Addax puts it as vague as possible. "Was that the gun shots I was hearing earlier?" Another soldier asks. "Yes. When he gets stressed and can't find a place he feels truly safe he overworks himself." Addax sighs and eats his breakfast.

    This was going to be a long day.