trans_9 | But Sooner Or Later God'll Cut You Down [Open]

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But Sooner Or Later God'll Cut You Down [Open]

'Running away' is, in Howard's opinion, the most useful thing the human body can do. And unfortunately, he has plenty of reasons to think it will come in handy at some point, or at various points, in the future.

That's why he's set up a 400 yard circular track-slash-obstacle course in Hydroponics, as well as set up markers for hundred meter, two hundred meter, and mile routes. Every other morning, before Med Bay shifts, he's here, improving on speed and stamina. He knows full well that even if he gets into the best shape of his life, he can still be outrun (or outflown) by his super-powered, magical or metahuman peers, but it's better to have that added little bit of competence if and when he ends up sprinting away from danger.

He's feeling the results, too. There's no way to time if he's getting faster, but where he was once just skinny, he's becoming lean, and the mile run that used to exhaust him leaves him considerably less winded than it did a few months ago. And he's getting much more confident going through the tunnels and up the ladders of the obstacle course.

The only thing looking worse for the wear is his shoes. At some point he's going to have to relegate his velociraptor shoes to a beloved keepsake, because the seams are literally coming apart around his toes.

Howard double-knots his shoelaces and stretches a bit before running the obstacle course again.

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They would add some much-needed color to your wardrobe. Colors besides black and a slightly-darker-black.

"Is that like the rock candy they had back there?" And yes, Howard will be there. Not like Zouichi needs to bribe him for Howard to hang around.

"Um, hi, have we met? I'm a normal organic human kid with short legs, and you're a superpowered synthetic human with an enhanced skeleton and eyes that dilate funny. We have even raced yet and you won."

There's nothing wrong with black!

"It's some sort of cactus fruit, preserved in sugar. One of the Mayoress's advisers gave it to me, but I'm not really big on... rock candy?"

Zouichi shrugged. "Maybe I could have a handicap?"

True. Unless you're trying for arctic camouflage.

"Rock candy's just sugar water, I think. How'd you get the Mayoress to give you stuff? Did you rescue the town moo-cow herd or something?" Or would they be clank-cows here?

Howard makes a great show of considering it. "Okay. Only if your handicap is walking. Slowly. Backwards. On your knees."

You should ask Zouichi what he plans to do if he ever needs to blend into white surroundings, Howard. No, really.

"Sounds a little unpleasant. Anyway, the candy was... it came up in conversation. The clothes were for uncovering a nefarious assassination and kidnapping plot, though."

He gave Howard a long-suffering sigh. "I guess I'll just have to resign myself to dealing with exploding powders and ghosts, then."

If it is 'use a polar bear as a living parka', Howard doesn't want to know.

"Oh, man, I miss all the good fun. How many near-death experiences would a normal human have faced in that one?"

Howard presses his lips together and then rolls his eyes at Zouichi. "Fine. We can race if you really want to."

Well... no. But that is a thought.

"Oh, only two for me. As long as you don't count the gun cave." Actually, Zouichi had had some fun with it. Gadgets, yay!

He waved a hand in a negative gesture. "That's okay. I think I'll head back in a bit anyway -- I left some food back at the Inn."

"Gun cave?"

Howard looks disappointed. "Oh, come on, don't be like that, Zou. If you want to race, I'll race. It's even okay if you win."

"A cave filled with rows of guns. Also powder that would melt you and explode if you mixed it together."

Zouichi looked confused. "Wait, you want to race?" Because he thought Howard didn't want to what was going on.

"All right. I'll go easy on you."

It's not that Howard wants to race, per se. it's just that he would rather lose a race and spend time with Zou than feel like Zou isn't interested in hanging out with him. Clinginess: this is how it's done.

"Alright, you see where the finish is?" He points towards it and drops to a sprinter's start. "On the count of three. One...two..."

He takes off well before the count of 'three'. Take that, Zou.

Zouichi: failing to understand teenage clinginess since forever.

For his part, Zouichi is content to lope along at a slower pace than usual, falling into stride a pace or two behind Howard. He hasn't run in Hydroponics since his impromptu race with Alendian, and it's nice to stretch his legs a little.

Howard runs full-tilt, and he does have the advantage of having done this route fifty times before. He darts up the ladder, jumps-tucks-and-rolls off the little platform, weaves through the reeds and slides in and through the tunnel. And at the end of the tunnel, while Zouichi's still in there, he rolls a rock in front of the exit to block it.

All's fair in a race, right? Besides, Zou can probably move that rock away with his pinkie.

Sheesh, Howard, have a bit of a competitive streak? Zouichi leapt up the ladder, jumping off the other side and landing without breaking stride. This was kind of fun!

He punched the rock Howard rolled into his way as he came upon it, leaving what was left of it crumbling next to the tunnel's exit, then moved to catch up with Howard once more.

Howard darts into another patch of reeds, deviating from the route but hoping Zou will lose the trail as well. Unless, of course, Zouichi keeps close enough to him to watch him double back through the reeds and return to the trail.

Zouichi, unsure if Howard was planning some more obstacles for him or just taking an impromptu shortcut, simply kept to the trail. For all that Howard complained he wasn't good at that survival stuff, he certainly seemed to know this route down to the inch.

It was actually kind of impressive.

Unfortunately for Howard, Zou's taken the lead by not taking the bait, and is now far enough ahead that Howard can't hope to catch up. It's still good exercise, though, so he puts his all into getting past the finish line just a few feet behind Zou.

He lean over, hand on knees, to try and catch his breath. "I really thought you'd fall for that."

"I'm working on my impulse control," said Zouichi, watching Howard catch his breath. "You planning to ambush someone on this obstacle course or something? Sorry about your rock, by the way."

"Hey, you never know. There's wild animals in hydroponics. I could look like dinner." He straightens back up and wipes sweat off his forehead with the back of his wrist. "I'll find another rock, don't worry. I might just make you carry it, though. As payback."

"Technically, they're not supposed to eat you." Not that was ever a guarantee with wild animals... but then, why go to Hydroponics at all?

"Wait, now I have to replace the rock you threw at me? Don't I have a limited liability clause in my contract?"

"Yeah, and I haven't run into any yet, but Emergency Rations isn't supposed to hunt them either and she does. So obviously, animals are awful at following really basic rules." Which could explain some of Alan's behavior.

"I didn't throw it, I rolled it. But thanks for thinking I'm strong enough to throw it." He grins.

Well, Alan could follow the rules. He just didn't bother when Zouichi wasn't around. And he loved talking about space.

"All that rock-throwing practice, and you still can't hurl boulders left and right?" asked Zouichi. "What are you doing to do if it's part of a mission someday?"

"Make you do it, obviously." The grin fades a little. "You weren't on the last mission I went on."

Zouichi nodded. "But you made it out all right anyway."

Which, as far as he was concerned, was positive. Howard should know that he could succeed even if Zouichi wasn't around. Chances were, they'd be split up again, after all.

"I know, I just always sort of hoped we'd be doing them together. Like a team. I mean, I know you've been on missions without me, but it was just weird."

He brightens up some. "I guess I'll have to find other people to hide behind."

Zouichi raised an eyebrow at Howard. "You mean you want to go on missions? But I can kind of see what you mean." Still, it was best to have Howard on the relatively safe ship than to have him running around on a mission, even with Zouichi there.

"That's the spirit. And I'm sure they could use the back support." He paused. "So what happened on that mission, anyway? I don't think I ever got caught up on it."

"No, no. Hell no. I just didn't expect to go on them with a bunch of strangers." He shrugs. "I guess Sandy's not a stranger, and I been doing medical follow-up for the burns she got, but she's still a kid."

He rolls his eyes and shrugs. "A bunch of cultists took over this temple full of demon blood that was curing people from a disease that turned them into stone. And also these cultists merged together to make a giant skeleton. And a dragon. It was dumb."

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But Sooner Or Later God'll Cut You Down [Open]

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