#with: zack

[fleetsummers]

with @zackastor at their lakeside cabin

"--still don't think I'm gonna give up the crowbar fully," Fleet was saying as they made their way around the last round of the lake, the cabin in sight now. "I've used it so much I think at least half of having it as a weapon is psychological, y'know? It's used to me, I'm used to it, plus, y'know." He chewed his lip slightly. There wasn't any real need to say the last part, but Fleet made himself voice it, nevertheless: "Since I used it to dispatch the last of my family I might as well have *something* to show for it."

He huffed out a long breath, instinctively ranging closer to Zack to bump against him, ducking his head; his hair was just long enough again to start curling instead of only being textured, and he rubbed the crown of it against Zack hard before separating again, swinging his arms crossed in front of him and behind again. "But I could really take someone even without a weapon, now." Fleet cocked a look at Zack, with a sidelong smile. "Maybe you, someday soon."

[mikebennet]

with @zackastor | outside of redwood

"I been asking around about you," Mike said. "Seems you ain't got much in the way of popularity in this lil ol' town you settled in. They took you in but they think you got all the charm and joy of skid marks in a pair of tighty whities, sounds about right."

He didn't even have a proper weapon for this hunting trip -- not that Mike blamed them. Some discussion had been conducted (was Clint involved in it? he might have been) and Mike had been issued a slingshot. He'd raised his eyebrows but hadn't complained, saying, "...awright then, back to my roots," hence the suspicion that Clint had made the suggestion.

If he'd wanted to, he could probably kill Zack with just a slingshot. But he was no David and Zack was sure as hell no Goliath.

"Howcome you thought I should be hunting with you anyhow?" Mike asked. "I assume it was you made the decision. Unless these fine folks just git their rocks off forcing you to spend time with me."

[isaacapatow]

@zackastor * down to the veterans of foreign wars

“This whole town’s been picked pretty much clean,” Ike said as they approached the baseball diamond of the local high school – or at least, it had been, at one point. The grass was grown up tall and there were vines crawling the low chain link fence that the two men hopped easily, heading towards the parking lot with its rusted-out sensible teacher cars sitting deteriorating. “But I noticed some stuff in the VFW bar that I wanna go back for. It hasn’t been important till now so I don’t figure anybody’s taken it.”

Ike lifted his forearm to his face, biting down on a corner of the bandana he’d used to tie around a cut he had there – it was shallow and he hadn’t had time to look after it properly yet, so he was using a makeshift bandage just to keep dirt out – using his other hand to pull it tighter.

“Tell me 'bout that gang that you and Nicki were in. Did you ever come through here?" Ike didn't know much about Zack himself, but he knew military guys tended to clan together even while each one claimed to be more of a loner than the last. It was entirely possible that if Zack had been to this town before, he would already know where the VFW was. "Even two years ago I remember this place having most of its more useful items all dragged and plundered to shit. It’s funny how sometimes it’s the little towns that got their guts yanked out, more even than the bigger places.”

[ayo-edebiri]

#I hope they feel like Italian today

[sessa23]

It's almost time for Zack and Cody's reservation at the Italian restaurant

The internet on 16/11/2023:

[eldhuug]

Good morning

[hummingbooks]

Zack and Cody showing up at that restaurant at 7:30pm tonight:

[smilenetwork]

Finally drew Maria not once BUT TWICE

Ft. Zack Fair and the blue rat

[sothisisablog]

[tokenducks]

Please for the love of god let Edwin say twink

[catchymemes]

[fleetsummers]

@zackastor x behind the supermarket

"Hey! You're Astor, right? Zack Astor?"

Fleet scuttled after the taller man, who showed very few signs initially of slowing down. But when Fleet cupped his hands around his mouth and honked, "ASTOR!" he was pretty sure he'd gotten the man's attention, and--

--whoa. He wasn't expecting a face like that to turn around. "Hey," Fleet said again, skidding to a halt. Smiling hard. "Hey. You don't know me, I'm Fleet. That's my name, not my nature. Or it's both."

He was anxious; obvious in his rabbiting on. Fleet stopped and centred and took a breath, composing himself. "I'm going to be handling food processing around here and I wanted to talk to you about it."

[booty-uprooter]

[isaacapatow]

* * #COMMUNITY CENTRE AFTERMATH WITH @zackastor and @ijemmaokafor

cont'd from here

Zack Astor -he doesn't go to Renee; he makes his way out of the community center, still bristling; it's dark out, but he can make out Ike disappearing into the night; he follows, quick and determined, features set hard; he doesn't say anything as soon as he gets in range; instead he grabs Ike and slams him into the nearest tree, before closing in to punch him as hard as he can in the face-

ike apatow -completely taken by surprise, but with his head wound pretty much mended his reflexes are back to where they were before and after he takes that one punch to the face, Ike whips his elbow up and into Zack's throat, delivering a kick to his thigh to shove him back- Are you fucking SHITTING me right now with this? Look at you! You look like they peeled you off the railroad track! Go to the god damn doc!

Zack Astor -he stumbles back, hand on his throat, already breathing a little hard from the effort; he bares his teeth in a snarl- How about I paint the fucking trees red instead? -he pushes back in, going for another swing right into Ike's side, aiming for the liver where it hurts the most to incapacitate him-

ike apatow -he doesn't mind getting into fights and if he wants to, takes pleasure in them, but this isn't that and Ike isn't in the mood and so his goal is more to stop it or get away; he swings away from Zack's blow, skidding and dropping to the ground and then scrabbling up again, further from him- Whatever happened to you with the Daybreakers and the General and all that shit has clearly fucked with your head. And brother, you were never too stable to begin with. But this is not a good use of what dwindling fuckin' energy you got left.

Zack Astor You don't know shit about what happened. -Zack spits onto the ground before stalking closer, his green eyes dark and predatory; he seems ready to chase Ike down if he needs to- I don't need a lot of energy to beat the shit out of your cowardly ass. You're a fuckin' pussy, Apatow. -he slips into a southern drawl as he circles closer-

ike apatow Ohhhhh-kay. All right. -stands where he is for a few beats, watching Zack get closer, and then lunges in fast and pops him hard on his broken-looking nose, with his fist first and then a swing of his elbow again before quick-hopping back away from him- That girl's what. Fourteen? Twelve? I couldn't tell.

Zack Astor -his nose crunches; blood pours out of Zack's nose as he curses, the hit sending a jolt of pain through him- She got nothin' to do with this. -he closes the gap between them, feigning a swing for Isaac's chin before he goes in for a gut punch; he can feel his body aching, but the pain feels like it's driving him on-

ike apatow -that punch does get him and Ike grabs on to Zack's wrist, twisting his arm and shoving him away, still trying to just put some space between them- She kinda does. She probably wants you to be okay and not even more fucked up than what happened to help rescue her. I mean, you and Davey-boy are gonna be the only two people she really feels safe with, and if you look like your face is hamburger next time you see her? Hoo-boy. She's gonna think she just landed somewhere else where people hurt each other.

Zack Astor -he grunts in frustration, stumbling a few steps back; the words seem to make him pause for just a second before his gaze hardens- You gonna hide behind a fuckin' child now? -he licks the blood off his lips, feeling it run into his mouth; in the next moment he's back in and spits a mix of blood and spit right into Ike's face, before tackling him-

ike apatow -goes down hard with a groan, half out of perplexed frustration mingled with getting the breath knocked out of him; he cuffs at Zack's face, aiming for the mess of bloody bruising to try and get him to back off- What the hell is your problem with me? You tasted blood once so you figure you can just toss me around whenever you feel bad about how your life's going? Well fuck! -slams the heel of his hand into Zack's blackened eye, pushing in hard- Take up fuckin' macrame! Deal with your own shit! -throws all his weight into a roll, long legs pushing and flailing for leverage-

Zack Astor Oh, you don't like it? Me fucking with you? Even though you like getting a fist shoved up your ass by everybody else in town. Bet you'd lie belly up for Mayra if she went to beat the shit out of you. -he grins, normally white teeth red from the blood as he struggles to keep Isaac down with his body weight; he yowls out sharp curse when the heel of Isaac's hand hits his eye, pain radiating through his aching skull; in the next moment his balance slips and he rolls, finding himself under Isaac; he almost immediately bucks, his fingers digging into the other man's wrists as he tries to flip them back, even as his attempts don't muster the same energy; everything is taking a toll on his body-

ike apatow -rams his knee into Zack's belly, then lunges up to his feet; Ike can sense a momentary lull in Zack's strength and he's an opportunistic fighter above all else- Stay the fuck down, Astor. -he sets his boot hard and immovable against Zack's throat, panting, dripping blood down onto the mess that's already Zack's face- Stay down and get out of this with something to show for it. You don't want me making things worse for you. Your goddamn pride won't be able to handle it.

Zack Astor -he blinks up at Ike through the blood and haze of pain; his breathing is strained as he reaches up to grab Ike's ankle, feeling the rubbery sole set against his throat- You don't know shit about what I'm able to handle, Ike. -he presses out; the gut punch has reawakened some old nausea- Get fucking off of me.

ike apatow -he doesn't move or say anything for a moment, looming over Zack with his face unreadable; then he presses in harder with his boot, slow and silent-

Zack Astor -he makes a strangled sound when his airway gets closed off; his fingers dig in harder into Ike's leg as he return the other man's stare; a sense of instinctive panic creeps in as he tries to shove Ike's boot off of him-

ike apatow ...remember that. -lifts the pressure off, though he pushes the toe of his boot up over Zack's chin and across his bloody mouth before stepping off entirely and starting to walk backwards, away from Zack, a grin in his low voice- You have a good memory, Zack. So fuckin' remember it.

Zack Astor -he takes a deep, rattling breath as soon as he can; there is pure fury in gaze as he rolls back onto his side, trying to get back to his feet and struggling through the pain; saliva gathers in his mouth and he spits it out as his head spins with the movement; but, he grins, letting out a throaty laugh, even if it feels like he is going to vomit again- Watch your fucking back, Ike.

Ijemma Okafor -she’s off to Ike’s apartment, eager to hear what the boys talked about while her and Renee were tending to Meg. She spots two bodies in the distances, one of which is familiar- Ike? IKE? What hell’s going on??

ike apatow -his entire posture shifts in a minute, taller, more alert and less insouciant, pointed towards Jemma- Oh shit. Fuck. Fuckin'... -walks towards her briskly, wiping blood from his own face before he's out of the treeline shadow- Just a disagreement, Jem, nothing to get fuffled about --

Zack Astor Fuckin' told you. -he notices the panic in Isaac's voice; he pushes back up to his feet to follow Isaac out of the shadows, fighting back the nausea as he does, looking worse for wear; he doesn't say much to Jemma, mostly focused on keeping straight-

Ijemma Okafor -not used to seeing so much blood these days, she finds herself shaking a little.- Jesus Christ, did the attack planning go that badly? -she wants to run up to Ike and tend to him, but she’s worried it’ll fuck with his street cred-

ike apatow Naaaw. Zack had some excess heebie-jeebies he needed to let out. It's guy stuff. -trots gingerly over to her, reaching out to cup her shoulder-

Zack Astor -he watches them from narrowed eyes- Remember what I said, Ike. And remember it well. -he echoes Ike's words before he makes his way off, hiding the stagger in his steps-

ike apatow -stares at him, slipping his arm fully around Jemma-

Ijemma Okafor -shaking her head- I hate making generalizations, but you boys are sincerely so stupid. Where’d you get hurt this time?

ike apatow Hmmmm? -redirects his attention to her, starting to walk her back towards the community centre and her room- Oh, this is nothin'. I get worse than this just taking a walk to the 7-Eleven.

Ijemma Okafor Ike, baby, stay over and let me take care of you please.

ike apatow Okay. It's -- it's really no big deal. I mean, not that Zack tussled with me, not the physical part, I came out on top in that fight. But there's something ... tilted about him, Juju.

Ijemma Okafor -reaching up to scritch her nails against the nape of his neck- We can talk about that, too, then. Especially since there’s a kid involved now.

ike apatow -stops, turning to face her and looping his arms around her- How's she doing? The kid. This is exactly why I can't fucking figure Astor out. He's constantly coming for my god damn throat but he rescues kids along the way. Usually I'm good at sorting through the attitude to whatever's underneath but he's just got like ... fuckin' more layers of attitude.

Ijemma Okafor She’s shook up bad. Intensely traumatized. Nothing fatal in terms of injuries, but still rough. I have serious reservations about the idea of David or Zack being her caretaker long term and I don’t even know where to start parsing that at out. But she’s here and she safe, so that’s something.

ike apatow Okay, Zack I understand because he's volatile as hell but -- where's the harm in setting her up with Redwood's answer to Wonderbread?

Ijemma Okafor If she was a well-adjusted kid just in need of some shelter and stability? Probably no harm. But I don’t know, has he ever struck you as well-equipped in inter-personal skills?

ike apatow -snickers meanly, enjoying it even more because he's dishing with Jemma even if she isn't being mean- He goes full-on tharn when somebody interacts with him in a way he wasn't socially expecting. I see what you're saying. -shakes his head, resuming their walk- What, then? You think she'd benefit from being someplace with other kids?

Ijemma Okafor -sighing and leaning some of her weight against Ike- I don’t know…Lacey needs to talk to her. Get some background. David’s fine for now, at least. And hey, maybe he’ll go full dad-mode or something. It just makes me anxious. Not David. The kid. The hurt kid.

ike apatow She's got a whole town looking out for her now, Jem. Kids are resilient. She'll be dinged but she'll be fine, in the long run.

Ijemma Okafor Not for nothing? I fucking hate that word.

ike apatow ...resilient?

Ijemma Okafor That’s the one.

ike apatow Howcome?

Ijemma Okafor I guess…well ‘cause it doesn’t actually say anything about the person it’s supposed to describe. All it says is that they’ve been through shit and didn’t die. Not breaking your balls, by the way. Just…there’s a tidbit of trivia about me for you to chew on.

ike apatow No, it's okay. It's fine to disagree. I think it's useful. Sometimes it feels like enough of a win to know you've been through shit and didn't die. The not dying took a lot of work.

Ijemma Okafor And see, coming from you, someone who knows how much of a win that is…well that’s worth something. I just always get to thinking about what caused the shit in the first place. Then I get mad, y’know?

ike apatow -gives a rumbling sound, pressing a kiss to her head and lingering for a moment- I know. And kids like her ... and me, a million years ago ... we could do with that. The people who get mad. 

[bob-belcher]

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Lost In Translation (S02E23)

[mikebennet]

with @zackastor & @clintbennet | the daybreakers : a familiar face; from recent and from years ago. dogs set to hunt zack to ground. clint, a catch taken back.

Zack Astor -he makes his way through the forest, quite a bit away from the farm, trailing ahead of Clint- We're not gonna be long. We're just gonna reset the traps. You know how to set up a tripwire, right? 

Clint Bennet -He adjusted the strap of his rifle as he walked over the hard frozen ground. With winter settled in, the area was wildly quiet, snaps of twigs seemed to echo out through the barren forest. At Zack's question, Clint shook his head.- Can't say I've ever done that. Y'show me how t'do it on one and I'll help with th'rest. -He offers, closing the distance between them.-

Zack Astor -he casts a glance back at Clint for a moment- Really? Alright. Keep watch on your surroundings when you do. -Zack orders. They were close enough to the Daybreaker camp that they needed to stay vigilant. Especially with how the Daybreakers had started setting traps up in turn. However, reaching the first trap seemed to be without incident- Looks like it got one of them. -Zack commented, pointing towards the blood on the ground. The trap had been torn apart and dismantled, probably in frustration- Not much we can reset. There's another one that way. Between two birch trees, one of them burned. Check that one.

Clint Bennet -He didn't give a response to Zack's disbelief, he didn't work with those types of traps. Instead he nods his head and gives a 'Yessir' and observed as Zack pointed out the signs and the state of the trap. Even though it was destroyed, Clint could see some of the parts and imagined how they worked with each other, the amount of old blood on the ground proved it's effectiveness. It looked like whoever was the victim needed to be dragged away.  He was careful as he made his way towards the two trees he mentioned, judging by the scorch mark, it seemed to have been set off as well. The difference was that there was no blood.- Think this one was tripped on purpose.- He reports and kneels down to see what things looked like when it was in better condition.- Looks t'be in one piece.

Zack Astor -that makes Zack perk up when he follows Clint to the set-off mace trap. Something about it seems strange, and it makes the back of his neck tingle- They've been disarming them for a while now. -Zack keeps a couple of meters distance from Clint, carefully listening for any sign of danger- Did they cut the wire? Or damage it?

Clint Bennet -Following Zack's instructions, he looks over the wire to see a branch lying across it. Bending down, he moves it, but sees the metal wire is overall in good shape- Naw, it's in one piece. -He straightens up, looking Zack over, the man suddenly seemed on edge.- What y'got on yer mind?

Zack Astor -that's ringing alarm bells immediately - like the Daybreakers wanted them to find the trap, wanted them to reset it, and- fuck- Clint, run! -Zack barks, hand on his gun, but he can't even draw before four people, out of nowhere, descend on them, guns drawn, ambushing them, almost right next to Clint-

Clint Bennet -Gears seemed to be turning in Zack's head, Clint was just about to pry again before he barked his order just as several men rose up from their camouflaged positions in the brush.- Fuck! -Out of instinct he reached for the straps of his rifle, of course they were too close, and one jammed the butt of his own rifle right into Clint's diaphragm, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to stumble back closer t. Eyes darted, scanning the faces of the men who were surrounding them. He swore he saw one of them say the name Astor. The men started closing in on them when Clint realized that he needed to give Zack an opening. If either of them were going to get out of this, it needed to be Zack, he needed to lead the rest of the group.-

Zack Astor -It was strange, just how easily shit could go haywire. He should've suspected something, but he hadn't, not early enough. His mind was circling through possibilities, for that split second, as the camouflaged Daybreakers came in, weapons drawn, and then it became focused, sharp. The four men were trained well, two guns fixed on Clint and the other two in Zack's direction, ready to shoot either of them. He couldn't take all four. He'd have to wait for an opening, make one himself. His gaze flickered to Clint. Telling him to wait, with just a gaze.-

Clint Bennet -Lips drew into a thin line as his mind raced on what to do. He managed to catch the look Zack was giving him and recognized it's intent. He shifted on his feet, getting a look at everyone with their weapons drawn.- You have t'git out... -The words came at just barely a whisper when he faced him as he turned, head low to hide his lips. He wasn't sure what Zack was planning but the two needed to be on the same page with this.- "Hands up!" -One of the men ordered, Clint complied, raising his hands to shoulder height and turning to face the man who gave the order.-

Zack Astor -Zack noticed the whisper, but with the couple of meters distance between them he couldn't quite make out what Clint was saying. Whatever it was, Zack's gaze remained sharp, narrowed, a non-verbal order to stand down for now. This was a planned trap, the men alert, and- they didn't look untrained. Different than the patrols. Hell. Zack raised his hands up as two of the Daybreakers slowly circled closer to him, guns trained on him- Don't even think of trying anything stupid. -one of them said, face twisted into a scowl. Zack didn't recognize him, but the way the guy bore himself told him he wasn't up against a rookie- On your knees. Hands on the back of your head. Both of you.

mike bennet Position should be easy enough for you to recall, Astor. -the drawl comes from a fifth man, without a gun; Michael doesn't need one, not with the other four. He goes over to Zack when the two men are on their knees, grabbing Zack's hair with one hand and petting it with the other, almost obscenely- The General's gonna be glad I brought him back his favourite pet. -he stays stroking Zack's hair with a sinister smile before adding- And a lagniappe, too... -Mike looks over at Clint, initially not that interested, but then frowns, his grip clenching in Zack's hair painfully as the Daybreaker looks back at him- Did you bring my tadpole brother on a dangerous patrol with you, Astor? You got no sense how to plan a reunion? -he cuffs the side of Zack's head hard enough to draw blood and moves over to Clint, looking down at him half-perplexed, half-smiling- Well well, petit frere. Only you ain't so petit no more, huh. You trying to kill me and my kind?

Clint Bennet -He was getting restless, wanting to do something, anything  to get them out of the situation, but the look in Zack's eye kept him in place. He didn't know what the fuck the hold up was. Why they needed to wait, but Ike had told him Zack had experience with these people, he needed to trust him despite every cell in his body screaming at him to move. He watched the men as they approached Zack, he definitely seemed to be their focus. When the other ordered them to get on their knees he didn't comply right away, earning him a kick to the back of his legs, forcing him to his knees and a shove to the back of the head before he intertwined his fingers there. There was a moment of quiet before another blond man joined the circle. The way he carried himself and his late appearance gave the impression that he was high up on the food chain in their group. Clint's eyes followed him as he spoke, shifting on his knees when he grabbed Zack by the hair but the click of a gun behind him stopped him in his tracks. When the man turned his attention towards him, Clint glared up at him, his expression turning to confusion when he calls him his brother. No way that could be Mike. There was no fucking way, they could have gathered intel on them, this could be a mind game. It had to be, it didn't even sound like his brother. He decided to ignore it, his face becoming stern again as the man approached him, looking down on him.- Y'all ain't givin' us much of a choice, are ya? Y'reap what y'sow, ain't that how th'sayin' goes?

mike bennet -his frown deepens more into the perplexed, with a touch of annoyance, and in a firm motion he bumps his knee beneath Clint's chin to knock his head up- Look at me when I'm talking to you, Clint. And don't you quote no fuckin' Scripture at me. Ain't nothing in them there pages for the likes of two swamp rats like us, didn't our father slap Jesus out of your head hard enough, boy?

Clint Bennet -His teeth clench when his chin is forced upwards, he stares the man in the eyes, glowering up at him.- Don't know what th'fuck kind of game yer playin', lyin' through yer teeth. Y'aint m'fuckin' brother. -He spits up at the man, a defiant grin creeping across his lips. Good, he had this guys attention on him. If he could keep it that way, or draw more of the other's attention, maybe it would give Zack a chance to escape, to go back to the ranch, get the last pieces in place to do what they came here to do.-

mike bennet Believe it or don't believe it, petit. Don't make no difference to the same blood we got in our veins. -he lifts a hand, holding it poised in front of Clint's face, meaty fingers flexing; into a fist, out of it, until finally he draws his middle finger back against his thumb and flicks Clint hard between the eyebrows with a sneer- Still ain't got no more sense than a damn child eating brine shrimp out the mud. -he returns his attention to Zack, snapping his fingers at one of the Daybreakers- Still got that dog collar on you? We might as well bring him crawling back to the General the way he's used to. We kept your cage free for you, Astor! Couldn't put no inferior mutt in there, not after you kept it warm so long!

Zack Astor -Zack's face didn't betray much. Not when Mike appeared, not when the fingers twisted into his hair, not at the scuff and not when he revealed that he was Clint's brother. He watched, from narrowed eyes, taking in the guys, their positions, trying to work out a plan on how to get out of this before they were brought to the camp, because Zack knew damn well that this time, he wouldn't get out. Not soon. It was only when Mike spoke to him directly, that his gaze flicked back- You know he isn't gonna award you for that. -Zack grunted as one of the Daybreakers pulled his head back, fumbling with something in his pocket before pulling out a leather collar, worn out with little tears. The muzzle of his gun shifted. Zack could grab it. His cheek felt warm with blood- You're really gonna do that to your brother? You know what they're gonna do to him. -Zack figured that any appeals to morals were lost. He knew Mike. He was working on something else.- They're gonna tear your brother apart alive. You don't wanna see that, Mike. He ain't a danger. Let him run.

mike bennet -Mike leans back slightly when Zack warns him about the response he'll get for bringing Zack back- Oh? No? Because you know how the General works better'n I do? I mean- -he leans down slightly, a salacious grin halfway across his face- ...maybe that's true, in the Biblical fashion. But me, I know the man. I know the soldier. And he appreciates even the lowliest fuckin' cur being given a sportin' chance. So I'll tell you what, Astor. -Mike grabs the collar after the Daybreaker does up the buckle around Zack's throat, hauling him to his feet and giving him a shove as the armed men stay out of Zack's reach- You go on and give us a hunt, boy. I'mma give you a full-on ten-count to get started too. -he starts counting off, loud, starting at ten and going backwards-

Clint Bennet -Brows furrowed when the other man put a taunting hand in front of him, shaking his head in annoyance when he flicked him and watched as he turned his attention back to Zack. Fuck. Listening to Zack's plea for his sake, he could feel frustration boiling up inside of him and craned his neck to see one of the Daybreakers produce a collar. These people were sadistic. When the other man seemed to give Zack an out, as narrow of a chance he had, Clint nodded his head- Get out of here, Zack.

Zack Astor -he meets Mike's gaze evenly, jaw set tight, only a twitch in his muscles at the reference, matching the cold glare of his eyes. Something Mike was familiar with. And then Zack was dragged up to his feet and given a chance. His gaze flicked to Clint for a split-second, then back to Mike. He'd always been able to make the hard decisions. That was part of being in the military, part of leading. He couldn't save Clint, and a chance for at least one of them to make it out was presented, however slim. He didn't have to like it, but it was the reality, and he would act. There was no hesitation when Zack bolted as soon as Michael began counting. Running into the forest as fast as he could, and not looking back. He couldn't afford that - he would need every bit of leeway, every advantage he could get.-

mike bennet -as could be expected - as Zack is no doubt expecting - Mike speeds up once he hits six, and then takes one of the guns from the armed men and gives a sharp whistle. The Daybreakers take off running after Zack, and Mike swings the gun on Clint- Time for you and me to take a trip, tadpole. Gonna introduce you to the hospitality of the Daybreakers. Astor back there's already familiar, and now you're gonna learn.

Clint Bennet -There was relief when Zack bolted, leaving Clint behind and his eyes drifted up to the man who aimed his gun at him. Rising to his feet, he looks past the man towards the Daybreakers lumbering towards Zack's figure. Could he really make it back? There had to be some advantage he could provide. Not thinking twice, he drew his gun, aiming it at the man for a moment before he adjusted his aim slightly past him and fired at one of the men chasing after Zack, managing to hit him in the neck.-

mike bennet -Mike's about a second away from shooting Clint exactly where he'd flicked him earlier between the eyes, but instead he readjusts and shoots Clint in the elbow of his gun arm while Clint's distracted shooting after the Daybreakers, stepping in to follow it with a sharp blow to knock the other man to the ground- You had your lil hero moment. Now it's time to have the other side of being a hero. -he smiles, teeth gleaming- Let's you and me git reacquainted, petit. -with that, he knocks Clint out completely-

Clint Bennet -He couldn't help the smile that cracked across his face at the hit, watching the Daybreaker stumble to the ground. The celebration is short lived though as a gunshot rings out and his arm explodes in pain. He drops his gun immediately and is about to reach to hold his arm before a blow to the head sends him crumpling to the dirt.- Fuck-! -He spits this time managing to wrap his fingers around his injured elbow, his sleeve quickly staining red but he looks up at the man who called himself his brother.- Thought I was a tadpole, Mikey. -He mocks before the man gives the final blow, a bright searing white takes over his vision before everything goes completely black and his body goes limp.-