Inception

Chapter 46: Underpass

 They didn't stop running until they'd reached the underside of a main highway dozens of miles away. Ichikawa's concrete-smashing landing scared a dozing drunk half to death. The huge whoosh of steam that followed didn't help.

Soshiro didn't spare the screaming, fleeing man any mind, however. The gash in his side hurt like a bitch and he had to figure out how to ignore it so he could move the freezing Lena to the only heat source: Leno's neucular suit.

"Get the hell out of there, kid!"

A buzz and more steam followed, followed by clacks as the locking mechanisms fell open.

A soggy Ichikawa fell out onto his hands and knees.

Soshiro staggered to him with Lena clutched to his chest. His head was spinning. Even with the suits help his arms felt like lead.

He collapsed next to Leno, holding to Lena as his only stability. He couldn't pass out now.

"What's your symptoms?"

"Not dying," wheezed the kid, and instead of doing what his freaking superior told him to he started feeling about for his sister. When he felt her arm he latched on. Now she was the brace in the storm for both of them.

"Symptoms."

"Dizzy. Nauseous. Hard ta talk. Mouth funny. Hot. Tired."

"Classic heat exhaustion. Here, take your sister." Before Soshiro dropped her.

Ichikawa happily did so, though he didn't so much as hold her as he hugged her head to his chest like a teddybear and slumped there as limply as a body could without tipping over. Basically what Soshiro had done.

Soshiro tapped some buttons on his collar and coms piece to pull up the holographic screen to his suit, which wasn't doing much better than Ichikawa's, but at least it wasn't cooking him alive.

He pulled up the dial screen and pushed in a number he hadn't called months.

Despite the late hour, it picked up after the second ring.

"You dying?" came a rough voice.

"Probably," said Soshiro. "Got two others too. Ready for a list?"

Grumbling came over the phone, but the man at the other end didn't argue, despite the long time without Soshiro staying in touch. It made Soshiro's chest grow warm with fondness, but it wasn't enough to melt the iron bands which were his stomach and chest.

He rattled off a list which included changes of clothes and medical supplies. Once he'd finished, the other hung up and Soshiro got to work sending his coordinates.

Which left him with nothing to distract him from the pain but the sad lump of Ichikawa siblings and their still slightly steaming Russian suit. He gingerly lay down on his uninjured side beside them and let his hand settle on whatever piece of Lena he could get. Laying down helped the terrible swaying of his darkened vision, at least.

Maybe he should call Okinogi...just to let her know...

His hands made several weak jerks towards his hairline before he finally decided, no. It could wait until the morning. If he turned on his coms now it just ran the risk of the force finding them before he could get Lena tucked away.

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My concubine, a robot vacuum with googly eyes and a mustache named "Wong," is in critical condition after trying to suck up diarrhetic cat poop. I am sorely missing his company as my precious feet become riddled in dust and cereal crumbs. I will attempt to perform surgery on his electric bits to make sure there isn't any moisture in there. But my hopes aren't high, and I have no dowry to lure in another concubine. Life is indeed grim.