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call_me_snakeTitle War is a Vain Attempt to Save Life
Prompt. March Topic 001: "In war, there are no unwounded soldiers." --José Narosky
Character. Snake Plissken and the Black Light
Warnings Contains disturbing imagery
Your character's fandom. Misc. Movies
Word count. 1,150
Rating. Mature
Disclaimer. Snake belongs to John Carpenter, Debra Hill, Paramount Pictures, Kurt Russell and Hurricane Comics. Just showing my love for their genius.
Plissken stood watch in the doorway while the others set up a base camp in the abandon building. The day had been uneventful as was any sweep of towns the Russians up and left. It only took a moment for Snake to recognize the sound of tears, not just tears, the sobs of a child. Plissken peered around the corner, gun at the ready. There was a boy wandering the streets, four maybe five if Snake had to hazard a guess. He was stripped bare in the blowing snow.
The place was deserted. Plissken took a second to take in the roads in all directions, empty. Slowly he stepped out of hiding and the boy froze in place shivering.
“Where are your parents?” Snake called in Russian still watching the scene suspiciously. There was no answer only more balling. Plissken glanced at the doorway where he had been watching Taylor who was looking at the boy in the road.
A lot of lesser men would have left the child on principle. Why save a child that will grow up to shoot at you? Snake had other views of war; none of them included children as enemies. Plissken lowered his rifle and cautiously closed the distance that stood between him and the Russian boy.
Plissken kneeled watching the road but not as carefully. He had heard the crunching snow behind. His squad was out or at least Taylor. Tentatively, Snake touched the boy’s shoulder. It brought an instant reaction as the boy latched on to him. Big, blue eyes full of tears met his pleading for comfort. He could see it there in the scared child. Instinct came through as gentleness when Snake wrapped his free arm around the child.
“He’s wired!”
Snake looked at Sam with a peculiar expression. “He’s fucking nake…”
Plissken’s words trailed off as his hand felt sticky blood seeping through his gloves. His hand pressed gently feeling the small box under the skin. Of all the things to do. Hate of the Russians flared to a fever pitch in Plissken’s mind.
“Bradley! Bradley!” Snake scooped the child up and ran for the door still calling for his medic.
“Plissken you can’t.” Sam was on his heels yelling about bombs. Snake ignored him.
Bradley looked between the two men and the child. “Shit!”
“Get your kit.” Plissken demanded laying the child down on the floor. His medic was already there pulling scissors out to cut the blood caked threads.
“Cooper.” Snake called but the kid was already sliding in next to him. “He’s wired.”
Cooper was young but Plissken knew he surpassed everyone’s knowledge when it came to explosives. Bradley opened the wound and extracted the black box from the boy’s back. Plissken felt a knot tighten in his stomach as blood coagulated and dripped from the metal.
“There’s a wire passing inside. I’ll have to remove…”
“No!” Cooper’s voice was nearly a squeak of terror. “It’s rigged.”
“Rigged for what?” Plissken forced the words past his growing desire to wretch.
Cooper touched the wire. “Bio-electrical. When his heart beat stops.” Snake and Cooper exchanged worried glances. “We have to disarm it still attached.”
“He’s bleeding fast. You better have a miracle.” Bradley added trying to staunch the blood flow.
“We need light.” No sooner had the words came than a glare of magnesium illuminated the area in a phosphorescent haze. Plissken held the bomb while Bradley spread out his kit. Fear of explosion coupled with the blood running over his fingers did a number on Plissken’s senses. He had to block it all out. Only the sobs managed to break through.
He kept his eyes focused on the gentle touch Cooper employed to dismantle the rig. Snake tried to memorize the sequence of movements to distract his mind.
“We’re going to lose him if you don’t hurry.” Bradley’s voice was desperate.
“Almost there.” Cooper yanked a wire, tensed and then Plissken watched the stress drain away. “Done.”
Bradley threw himself into mending the boy. Plissken couldn’t endure anymore of the blood soaked, naked boy or pasty glow of the flare.
“I’ll keep watch.” Snake didn’t wait for confirmation. He didn’t need it but some part of his psyche needed some affirmation. All that he had was the knowledge that he had done the right thing.
Plissken leaned his rifle in the doorway beside his leg absently peeling the rapidly freezing blood from his hands. What he had done was foolish, endangered his squadron. It left Snake full of doubts. He knew it was the right thing to do even if the risks were questionable. What was he going to do with this kid now? Snake had no answers for the questions that taunted him. He leaned his head back trying to clear his mind of the past few minutes.
He wasn’t sure how long he had stood in the doorway watching the empty streets when the door beside him opened. It had to be a few hours because the sun had crept down behind the buildings.
“How is he?” Plissken asked without taking his eyes off the reddish light streaming across the tops of the buildings. The silence that followed brought Plissken’s attention to Bradley. The man’s head was bowed as he neurotically wiped his hands. Plissken didn’t need and answer. Snake stared out toward where the snow was still scuffed from him kneeling beside the boy.
“Bury him.” It was all Plissken could manage to say. Pain, anger flared red hot in Plissken’s body. He felt betrayed and imagined the Russians did this to him on purpose.
“The ground’s frozen sir we can’t.” Bradley’s voice wavered.
“Bury him.” Plissken grabbed a handful of his medic’s coat. “Get some of the rubble and bury him.”
Bradley nodded trying to back away. Suddenly, Plissken released him and turned away to stare into the growing dark. All that work, all that risk, for what? All they had done was make another body to bury. Snake could still feel the boy’s scared, weak grasp. It was too much. Plissken was past crying or remorse. There was just a black mar on his soul that hadn’t existed this morning.
He had seen many people die most of them died at his own hands but never a child. Snake hadn’t even imagined a child dying. Part of him was glad that he hadn’t seen the Russian boy’s last breath. At the same time he felt a gnawing guilt that he wasn’t there to hold him when that moment came. Snake couldn’t shake the memories.
“You did the right thing.” The soft touch on his hand did little for his mind.
“Snake. He would have died anyway. You gave him a chance he would have never had.” Sophia was trying her best but Plissken’s eyes were riveted on the body Taylor was carrying toward the opposing buildings. He could already hear Bradley's voice in solemn tones reading something that should never be read over a child. Nothing could make this better.
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Prompt. March Topic 001: "In war, there are no unwounded soldiers." --José Narosky
Character. Snake Plissken and the Black Light
Warnings Contains disturbing imagery
Your character's fandom. Misc. Movies
Word count. 1,150
Rating. Mature
Disclaimer. Snake belongs to John Carpenter, Debra Hill, Paramount Pictures, Kurt Russell and Hurricane Comics. Just showing my love for their genius.
Plissken stood watch in the doorway while the others set up a base camp in the abandon building. The day had been uneventful as was any sweep of towns the Russians up and left. It only took a moment for Snake to recognize the sound of tears, not just tears, the sobs of a child. Plissken peered around the corner, gun at the ready. There was a boy wandering the streets, four maybe five if Snake had to hazard a guess. He was stripped bare in the blowing snow.
The place was deserted. Plissken took a second to take in the roads in all directions, empty. Slowly he stepped out of hiding and the boy froze in place shivering.
“Where are your parents?” Snake called in Russian still watching the scene suspiciously. There was no answer only more balling. Plissken glanced at the doorway where he had been watching Taylor who was looking at the boy in the road.
A lot of lesser men would have left the child on principle. Why save a child that will grow up to shoot at you? Snake had other views of war; none of them included children as enemies. Plissken lowered his rifle and cautiously closed the distance that stood between him and the Russian boy.
Plissken kneeled watching the road but not as carefully. He had heard the crunching snow behind. His squad was out or at least Taylor. Tentatively, Snake touched the boy’s shoulder. It brought an instant reaction as the boy latched on to him. Big, blue eyes full of tears met his pleading for comfort. He could see it there in the scared child. Instinct came through as gentleness when Snake wrapped his free arm around the child.
“He’s wired!”
Snake looked at Sam with a peculiar expression. “He’s fucking nake…”
Plissken’s words trailed off as his hand felt sticky blood seeping through his gloves. His hand pressed gently feeling the small box under the skin. Of all the things to do. Hate of the Russians flared to a fever pitch in Plissken’s mind.
“Bradley! Bradley!” Snake scooped the child up and ran for the door still calling for his medic.
“Plissken you can’t.” Sam was on his heels yelling about bombs. Snake ignored him.
Bradley looked between the two men and the child. “Shit!”
“Get your kit.” Plissken demanded laying the child down on the floor. His medic was already there pulling scissors out to cut the blood caked threads.
“Cooper.” Snake called but the kid was already sliding in next to him. “He’s wired.”
Cooper was young but Plissken knew he surpassed everyone’s knowledge when it came to explosives. Bradley opened the wound and extracted the black box from the boy’s back. Plissken felt a knot tighten in his stomach as blood coagulated and dripped from the metal.
“There’s a wire passing inside. I’ll have to remove…”
“No!” Cooper’s voice was nearly a squeak of terror. “It’s rigged.”
“Rigged for what?” Plissken forced the words past his growing desire to wretch.
Cooper touched the wire. “Bio-electrical. When his heart beat stops.” Snake and Cooper exchanged worried glances. “We have to disarm it still attached.”
“He’s bleeding fast. You better have a miracle.” Bradley added trying to staunch the blood flow.
“We need light.” No sooner had the words came than a glare of magnesium illuminated the area in a phosphorescent haze. Plissken held the bomb while Bradley spread out his kit. Fear of explosion coupled with the blood running over his fingers did a number on Plissken’s senses. He had to block it all out. Only the sobs managed to break through.
He kept his eyes focused on the gentle touch Cooper employed to dismantle the rig. Snake tried to memorize the sequence of movements to distract his mind.
“We’re going to lose him if you don’t hurry.” Bradley’s voice was desperate.
“Almost there.” Cooper yanked a wire, tensed and then Plissken watched the stress drain away. “Done.”
Bradley threw himself into mending the boy. Plissken couldn’t endure anymore of the blood soaked, naked boy or pasty glow of the flare.
“I’ll keep watch.” Snake didn’t wait for confirmation. He didn’t need it but some part of his psyche needed some affirmation. All that he had was the knowledge that he had done the right thing.
Plissken leaned his rifle in the doorway beside his leg absently peeling the rapidly freezing blood from his hands. What he had done was foolish, endangered his squadron. It left Snake full of doubts. He knew it was the right thing to do even if the risks were questionable. What was he going to do with this kid now? Snake had no answers for the questions that taunted him. He leaned his head back trying to clear his mind of the past few minutes.
He wasn’t sure how long he had stood in the doorway watching the empty streets when the door beside him opened. It had to be a few hours because the sun had crept down behind the buildings.
“How is he?” Plissken asked without taking his eyes off the reddish light streaming across the tops of the buildings. The silence that followed brought Plissken’s attention to Bradley. The man’s head was bowed as he neurotically wiped his hands. Plissken didn’t need and answer. Snake stared out toward where the snow was still scuffed from him kneeling beside the boy.
“Bury him.” It was all Plissken could manage to say. Pain, anger flared red hot in Plissken’s body. He felt betrayed and imagined the Russians did this to him on purpose.
“The ground’s frozen sir we can’t.” Bradley’s voice wavered.
“Bury him.” Plissken grabbed a handful of his medic’s coat. “Get some of the rubble and bury him.”
Bradley nodded trying to back away. Suddenly, Plissken released him and turned away to stare into the growing dark. All that work, all that risk, for what? All they had done was make another body to bury. Snake could still feel the boy’s scared, weak grasp. It was too much. Plissken was past crying or remorse. There was just a black mar on his soul that hadn’t existed this morning.
He had seen many people die most of them died at his own hands but never a child. Snake hadn’t even imagined a child dying. Part of him was glad that he hadn’t seen the Russian boy’s last breath. At the same time he felt a gnawing guilt that he wasn’t there to hold him when that moment came. Snake couldn’t shake the memories.
“You did the right thing.” The soft touch on his hand did little for his mind.
“Snake. He would have died anyway. You gave him a chance he would have never had.” Sophia was trying her best but Plissken’s eyes were riveted on the body Taylor was carrying toward the opposing buildings. He could already hear Bradley's voice in solemn tones reading something that should never be read over a child. Nothing could make this better.
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