valentine | the old guard

xv. no stranger to bloodlust

We move swiftly and silently through the hallways like we always do - as a team. 

Because of Andy's lack of immortality, Nile is shoved to the front of the line, Andy packed securely into the middle behind Joe, Nicky and myself. As we walk away from the lab, I feel a hand graze against my back. The light, graceful touch tells me that it's Andy.

"Thank you for doing this," she says quietly, her mouth just inches away from my ear. 

"Doing what?" I reply with a small chuckle. 

I hear her let out a laugh too. "You know what you're doing. Human shield, remember?"

Nile, Joe and Nicky stop at a metal door ahead, peeking through into another darkened hallway. A moment passes as we each check our weapons, forming into a semi-circle around the exit.

"Cover Andy," Joe orders, keeping his voice low as he raises his hand to gently fist-bump mine. I nod to him, a half-smile playing on my lips. 

With a final look around the team, Nile kicks the door open and we barrel out. I stay behind slightly, sticking close to Andy at the back of the line. I'll be damned if - after all these years of friendship and loyalty - I'm the reason she dies.

The door leads to another lab room containing the same all-white surfaces and metal tools as the last. We all fan out, checking through the window ahead for more soldiers. Booker seems to have a plan when he gets there, tapping Nile on the shoulder and motioning for Andy and I to follow his lead. 

I gesture to Joe and Nicky, getting them beside me within seconds. 

Andy steps out into the hallway first, prompting me to curse under my breath. From my position I can already see the dull black helmets approaching her from around a corner. 

She whips around the wall, shooting one of the men in the head as Booker runs out behind her and takes down the other, bashing him across the face with the end of his assault rifle. I race out too, followed by the boys, and kill two more men before they can raise their guns. 

When I turn back to the others for a brief pause, Andy is smiling and Nile looks slightly afraid. 

"What?" I ask, confused, as I tuck the loose sections of hair from around my face behind my ears. It feels like I'm missing out on a joke or something. 

"I've just... I've never seen you kill before," she replies, her eyes looking deep into mine. It reminds me of our bonding moment in the cave in France. "You seem so at ease with it. I just didn't expect that from you."

Nicky chuckles fondly from beside me, moving a hand up to stroke my cheek. "Oh, believe me, she has a temper. Her passion as a lover and blood-lust as a warrior makes her quite the unique personality."

"Stop embarrassing her," Joe replies teasingly, looking between the two of us with a wide smile. I can almost feel Booker rolling his eyes behind me.

Andy smiles to the three of us then spins around, grabbing a guard trying to ambush the group and using him to shoot another further down the hall. She pulls back and fires a single shot into the guard's head, shoving his limp body to the ground as she does so. 

Just like that, we're all business again.

A guard comes out of the doorway behind Nicky, but he anticipates it - knocking him down then taking his assault rifle, handing it over his shoulder to Joe. 

I'm busy covering Andy when I hear a shot fire in the opposite direction. I feel a bullet hit my back and spin, shooting the cause in the chest. Nile finishes clearing the hallway in her direction and gets up, everyone following her.