*Halloween-for Lipton*

[lt_blade]

Sonya hadn't gone to church in years, not since Lance was killed,

But the evening she had to patrol Rapture, she made the sign of the cross before heading out, hoping she didn't wake Hanzo, and trying to not think that she may not see him the next morning. She'd trained for this for months, there was no reason to think that she wouldn't survive-except that battle was chaotic by nature and death wasn't choosy on skill levels before it claimed a soldier. She was fully armed and dressed for combat. Everyone on the force knew that now would be when the attacks would come, but they didn't know when.

There was a full moon out when she stepped out of the cottage, and while the logical part of Sonya was grateful for the light it provided , there was a part of her that felt it was almost fitting given the holiday.

It was a short walk to Jane and Lipton's place. Normally Sonya would've been fine with just meeting him at the entrance like usual, but the unusual amount of caution inside her told her it was best not to be out alone tonight.

Two is one: one is none.

She made it over to New Pemberley, waiting at the front door for him to step out and head to their shift.

Comments

[niceofyoutoask]

Lipton shut the door behind him, adjusting his grip on his weapon, looking out at the night around them before moving to Sonya's side. "That time of year again already, huh?"

[lt_blade]

She nodded.

"And to think, I thought last year was a pain in the ass-possessed animals. And then the walking nightmares."

She left the front door with him, mirroring his gesture with his weapon, but more out of a sense of security than anything.

"The only fun year I had on this place was when it turned into a B-movie."

She couldn't think of why she was reminiscing about such things, not with the way her mind's been going, but she supposed it was better than focusing on worst case scenarios.

[niceofyoutoask]

"I liked the Carnival, before it went evil." He said, genially. For all the Island had it's horrifying twists and magical turns, it had also brought him Jane, Lydia, Duckie, and the new baby. He could never be thankful enough to it for that.

[lt_blade]

"The same, thought the toys would be nice 'birthday gifts' for the girls-then they turned rabbid and poor Max was hacking up cotton for a week."

She learned to sew and crochet after that. Along with having gotten too big to do much else, she figured she should make the babies some stuffed animals.

"How is the family anyway, Ducky still being an underaged hell raiser?" It was a poor quip, but she knew now that the little guy was more 'energetic' than Lydia, and there was no point talking about the upcoming battle really, not if they wanted to spare themselves a headache.

[niceofyoutoask]

"Hey, at least the girls weren't snuggling them close when they turned." Lipton pointed out good naturally. "Little mercies."

At the question of Duckie, Lipton shook his head, a fond smile crossing his lips. "He's a handful, alright. I'd wonder where he got it from, if I didn't remember my brother Rob as a child. Jane says some of her sisters were more rambunctious than others, too, so maybe I'm not all to blame."

[lt_blade]

"You're telling me-imagine the trauma they'd go through if that was the case." Granted, the girls weren't even born at the time, but as Lip said: little mercies.

She tried to smile back, the lightheartedness a welcome distraction, but she was only half successful.

"Maybe it's something that skips every other kid-Lydia's always been well behaved, so maybe Ducky who makes up for it. So far with the girls it's a fair trade. Joey seems to want to get her hands on everything and anything, Dani on the other hand-I swear that girl knows exactly when your back is turned."

They were already learning how to walk. Sonya didn't really want think on the implications of what that would mean.

[niceofyoutoask]

"Hey, it's true enough of my own siblings. Nancy had a good head on her shoulders, but Mary could be a handful - which maybe had more to do with being the youngest." Lipton shook his head fondly in memory. He missed his brother and sisters more than anything else from home, to tell the honest truth.

"Maybe that means we'll get a little more sleep with the third one," Lipton said, with the delighted half-smile that came with every mention of their newest child-to-be.

[lt_blade]

That caused him to get a look: though it was was more of surprise than any sort of negative emotion.

"Jane's pregnant?" Well of course: they were a married couple and both seemed to embrace the idea of a large family-not to mention, pregnancies hardly seemed to happen on a schedule. "I get exhausted dealing with the twins-would've thought you'd have waited until Ducky was a little older before aiming for a third."

Actually, she just tended to get tired more easily period since they were born. It was just skills and training that meant she was capable of functioning under such fatigue.

"Don't know how she does it?"

She forced herself to not think on the babies that much: they were with someone safe, that was the main thing.

[niceofyoutoask]

He nodded, letting a full smile creep across his face. "She sure is. Duckie will be about a year and a half when the new one comes, with Lydia five this year. We don't want them to be too far apart."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Neither do I. But hey, good thing the military provides you all that training in how to keep going on little sleep, huh?"

[lt_blade]

"Lip, there are days when I'm sure that's the only thing keeping me sane.." She paused. "Well, it's the only thing keeping me functioning."

If she were sane, would she have really joined the army..joined the ITF. She was never entirely sure, but then she would never have it any other way.

They finally reached the entrance to the caves-and to Rapture.

"Don't suppose this will be a boring Patrol, do you." It wasn't a question. As much as she would prefer it, something inside nagged at her that this wouldn't be 'boring'.

[niceofyoutoask]

Lipton nodded in good-natured agreement, checking his carbine and vest reflexively as they got ready to enter Rapture. "One can always hope," he said, because he had always been the voice of reasoned optimism, even when his thoughts were taking quite a different turn.

[lt_blade]

"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." Reason was more of Sonya's shtick: reason with a tough of grave yard humor.

The path way was lit well enough that the two of them didn't really need an extra light to navigate so long as they moved carefully over to the submersible. Not that Sonya really felt that they needed to draw attention to themselves in this place at this time.

[niceofyoutoask]

"Now is that the military or the boy scouts?" Lipton deadpanned, keeping a careful watch on their surroundings as they drew closer to the submersible. Rapture was an odd mix of things that reminded him of home - the style of the posters, the marquees - but with the odd, otherworldly aspect that came with it's literally other-worldly origins.

[lt_blade]

"Boy scouts is 'always be prepared'-too optimistic." For this case anyway, the military would've found something more fitting.

Sonya reached the submersible first, letting herself inside before holding the door open for him.

Rapture never set easy with her, the decay always reminding her of their time during the 'invasion'.

She almost found herself wishing that there were tarkatans after their ass-atleast they were capable of being crippled.

[niceofyoutoask]

It was still Lipton's reflex to say 'ladies first', although he knew by now that such taken-for-granted niceties weren't always appreciated on the Island, especially by women like Sonya. At her holding the door open now, he merely gave her a nod and stepped through.

[lt_blade]

Actually Sonya didn't care about the 'ladies first' thing one way or the other. It was something she grew up with and something that was interred in her as a female officer: along with being addressed as 'ma'am'.

It just happened that she was the first one to get to the door and courtesy demanded that she'd hold it open for him as well.

Once inside, she switched it on so that it would lower them towards the city.

"Where you here when the island turned into a B-movie? The creepy fog, sound effects and the drive in? I'm finding myself missing that."

As far as she was aware, that was the tamest the island ever got for halloween.

[niceofyoutoask]

"Was that the year with the friendly zombies?" Lipton found some of the Island's more particular eccentricities over the years to start to run together in his mind.

When they came to a stop, he got the door this time, gesturing her through.

[lt_blade]

"One in the same. Harry and I got nearly mowed over when a group of them kept trying to hug us, then he got the idea to start shouting marching orders and lead them to the ocean-I don't know what that says about the rest of us after Basic." Besides her thinking 'why didn't I think of that.'

It was strange to think that was the most enjoyable time that she's ever had on Halloween on the island.

She gave him a short nod in thanks when he held the door open, keeping note of her radio as she kept an eye out.

"Rock paper scissors for who goes out first?" This was by no means their first patrol together, but between the two of them and this place-it was never a quick matter of deciding who walked and who guarded the entrance.

[niceofyoutoask]

"Sounds awfully familiar," he admitted with a laugh. "Although hopefully we're not all that much like lemmings. Luckily, I knew a few COs to bend the orders a bit to a more favourable outcome."

He dutifully held out his hand for rock paper scissors, giving the requisite two shakes of his fist before forming scissors.

[lt_blade]

"My own CO among them," Sonya never could think of Jax without the pangs of missing him-hell, she attempted to give his name as a middle one to one of her kids. "Though I'm sure he'd say that going with the flow in my case wouldn't always be a bad thing."

She held out her hand in response, giving it two shakes as well. Her expression betrayed nothing when she turned out paper as a choice.

It wasn't like this wasn't already a routine.

"I'll give you a call back when I get to location." She held up the radio before giving him a small salute.

She was well aware that, traditionally, junior officers/enlisted saluted first, but hell, this wasn't exactly the traditional army.

[niceofyoutoask]

He'd met Jax, in the brief dreamworld foray he'd had into Sonya's world. He could respect the man, that was for sure.

Lipton raised his radio and returned the salute with the antenna. They saluted their Captain formally, but given the spectrum of ranks and world origins, the hierarchy of the rest of the ITF was far too hectic too really follow formality. "And keep both eyes open, hey?" He knew she would, and they were unnecessary parting words, but it really couldn't hurt.

[lt_blade]

"Eyes open ears alert, you know the drill." Yada yada.

She gave him something of a sardonic grin before leaving through the tunnel, mentally planning her patrol route.

If she was lucky, she may come across some ammo and fire arms here. She didn't trust the enemy to not throw an arrow back at her, but at the very least rounds would provide a getaway sort of distraction.

[niceofyoutoask]

He gave her a titled smile in return, and it pulled at the scar on his cheek that was evidence of a sniper's bullet having gotten a little too close. They both knew the drill.

Lipton started a steady round of pacing in front of the submersible door, scanning the area and keeping ready.

[lt_blade]

It was always silent in Rapture, the only noises being the sound of dripping water, the white noise of an old radio, and the sound of her boots on the ground.

Sonya kept her ears up as she marched along, taking especial note of areas where the light was the weakest.

"First sector looks clear.Over" They had eight hours of this, but even that wouldn't be long enough to go over every detail with a fine tooth comb.

[niceofyoutoask]

Lipton raised the radio, and thought for the nth time that Luz, Perconte and all the other radiomen would've had a field day if they could've carried a gizmo like this rather than the backpack contraptions they'd lugged through Europe. "Copy. Door's all clear, over." He looked out over Rapture, and was very aware of how little he could really see of it.

[lt_blade]

Sonya forced herself not to think on the remaining hours (seven and a half): she didn't last as long as she did by thinking that forward: it was only here and now.

She made herself focus on landmarks, on hideaways, possible traps. She let nothing go unnoticed.

It wasn't until she reached some rocky corridor that she finally felt the hairs on her neck stand.

In the silence of the surrounding area..there was a deep, snickering laugh that she knew to be out of place.

Immediately, four clocked figures seemed to pour out through the shadows around her.

Something inside told her that this time-they weren't illusions.

The one standing right before her laughed (or she swore it laughed), it's arms folded before it opened them to show a bag. He let it drop just several feet away.

Up until now, Sonya had her weapon drawn, every instinct in her ready for a fight, training dictating her every move.

When she saw the contents of her back, it was sheer will that such training remained.

Inside were her babies...their throats cut, their little onsies stained in blood...

Sonya's grip on her sword tightened, her teeth bared: They would NOT make her fall for it.

She let out a battle cry before rushing at the one infront of her, slashing at its middle.

[niceofyoutoask]

Lipton heard what sounded like a shout out somewhere in Rapture, beyond what he could see, and strode forward a few steps reflexively, bringing the radio up to his mouth. "Blade, do you copy? Over."

He knew he had to hold the exit until he heard otherwise. It was why they had the radios, after all, for times like these, but he still had to keep himself from fearing the worst.

[lt_blade]

Sonya heard his voice over the radio, but with four Shadow Priests just looking to surround and finish her off, she couldn't really take the time to answer.

Two of them pulled swords from their robes and were facing her blow by blow. It was a matter of keeping on top by having to deflect their attacks while not letting herself be trapped by the others.

She finally saw an opening when the priests more or less lined up to gang on her, and she saw no shame in running to get some cover or leadway.

One of the priests vanish and reappeared infront of her just as she got hold of her radio, but instead of turning, she intentionally dove her weight at the being.

"Code red!" She practically yelled into the radio, not able to spare even a second to put it up to her ear. "Get your ass over..."

She yelled out as she blocked an attack with her upper arm, only by luck parrying a blow from the flat part of the sword to avoid getting her arm cut off.

Unfortunately her radio took the brunt of the blow and the electric shocks that came from the device forced her to drop it.

[niceofyoutoask]

He didn't need to be told twice, and dropped his radio to the cord that held it to his belt, and broke off through Rapture towards the shout he heard at a run.

It didn't take him long, as she wasn't too far out, and between the ITF and his own PT, he was in pretty good shape - but he wasn't thinking about any of that, just on getting to where he estimated to be Sonya's location.

He had his rifle out, at the - well, things, seemed to be the best word for it - as he rounded the corner. He let off a shot at the one attacking Sonya. "What's the call?" He asked, focused, since with first contact she was running point on this one.

[lt_blade]

The shot appeared to either go through the shadow priest, or it simply dissolved, because it had no effect on the being save for getting his attention.

It also managed to get Sonya's attention, though she was busy trying to avoid being taken over by either priest.

"Kill or cripple!" she yelled out, using her sword to block one attack while back kicking another priest from behind her. The leverage allowing her to flip out from both of them.

Lipton wouldn't have time to get to her, as the priest that he attacked soon materialized infront of him. One of his hands glowed, creating a choke hold around Lipton's neck.

The man wasn't their target, but he was in their way.

[niceofyoutoask]

Alright, then. Lipton was far from as skilled a fighter in close quarters as Sonya was, but he was strong, and well-built, and had just enough training and real-life experience in fights that he wasn't at a loss when his rifle proved ineffective and one of the things appeared in front of him.

The lack of oxygen was a new one, though. He choked, then gripped the knife he carried at his belt and swiped it out at the thing's body. His lungs burned, but at contact with the knife the choke hold let up and Lipton got a deep breath into his lungs. He pressed his chance, and stuck the thing again, a solid cut across the chest.