dogfight : reddie

can't you hear that noise?

guys like me and you, we're heroes through and through!

"almost a full hour late, the bum. maybe he can't find it or something." ben stood against the wall of big henry's tattoo parlor, watching a man tattoo bill.

"lookin' guh-good over here." bill glanced over at his arm, watching the gun on his bicep buzz.

"it sure is, how about that. and it doesn't hurt too much, does it?" ben said, a tinge of nervousness in his voice.

"nothin' i can't handle" bill said, proud.

"'cause that's a ticklish place. i was thinking it might be too tender, but that's beautiful! that's the handiwork of a professional. you are a professional, right?" ben paced a little, looking to the man.

"would you guh-guh-give it a rest! you oughta be calmed down after what you d-done, but no, never hanscom.." bill rolled his eyes, and if it hadn't been for staying still because of the tattoo, he would've kicked ben in the shins.

the tattoo artist, assumedly big henry, backed away. "there ya go."

bill flexed his arm, looking at the tattoo, "well i'll be, bill denbrough, new and imp-pruh-proved." he grinned, patting ben on the back.

"you're up. same thing, yeah? bumblebee?" big henry mumbled through the cigarette in his mouth. 

"hell yeah." bill pushed ben, ben biting his tongue.

"did you sterilize that thing?" ben asked.

"park it." henry barked sharply. ben sat down on the chair obediently.

"one more too. if he sh-shuh-shows." bill was the one now leaning against the wall. 

"he'll be here. he said he's gonna and he wouldn't l-" big henry put the gun to ben's arm and ben leapt out of the chair, "lucky fuckin' strike! sonofabitch! you gotta do it so hard?"ben yelled, bill groaning.

bill gripped ben by his shirt. "you a marine or a l-luh-little girl or what?" he narrowed his eyes.

"i'm cool, i just–we oughta save the best for last, let bitchie take his turn first," ben whined, bill rolling his eyes.

"our friend bitchie ain't comin'." bill deadpanned. he was certain, his voice unwavering. ben furrowed his eyebrows.

"don't say that. why would you say that?" ben said, hurt in his voice. bill let go of ben's shirt, exhausted.

"'cause i ain't bl-bluh-blind. we're supposed to have each other's back. we gotta count on each other. the fuck d-duh-does he think he's doing, running out on us? now don't you go soft on me too. you can't take a fuckin' tattoo, what the hell you gonna do when you got something real to be scared of? get your ass over there. now." bill hardly stuttered. 

ben sat back down. a buzz permeated the silence of the room as big henry resumed work.

"hey, bill? what is it we're supposed to be scared of?"  ben broke the silence. he took the pain of the needle in his arm.

"huh?" bill leaned back against the wall.

"you said. something real?" ben paused. he couldn't help the reality hitting him. "you mean over there?"

bill was reluctant to answer. "yeah, i guess i do."

"it's not such a big deal." ben wasn't sure he meant what he was saying. he looked to bill, and bill was staring down at the ground.

"cuh-course not." bill mumbled. 

"it's what we trained for, right? they gave us the gun and they taught us how to use it. if they forgot something... well, we'll learn it. you help me and i'll help you, y'know? three fuckin' bees. for forever. heroes don't get fucking soft. we don't accept defeat.  bill, we're fucking heroes." ben gave bill an impromptu pep talk, whether he meant to or not. 

"we're goddamn heroes." bill looked up at ben.