Let's take a few steps...(DudeGuy and Selena)

Selena winced at the shots. Those men being shot...they were human beings, no matter how brainwashed they were. They came from a family, had feelings and likes and dislikes...but PRAT changed them into horrible killing machines. Selena heard Raphael roll away from the door. The man she had held and rested a shoulder on...and even trusted...was killing men. She had been friends with hunters herself, heck she even did a bit of bowhunting herself, but killing humans? The same hands that had hugged her and held her were now causing human death? It was horrible to think about for her.

But in another sense, she felt honored that he had stayed with her, and was protecting her. Putting his life on the line for her...the feeling was irreplaceable. She felt...loved.

Raphael was killing men. He was doing so because he knew how these men thought. It was kill anyone that wasn't them, even kill each other if ordered to do so. And the sad thing was? They would do just that. Death, to them, wasn't just a necessary part of life, it was an obsession. If something wasn't dying, they would make it so that something did. These men weren't horny old bastards like the last guy was, if they caught sight of Raphael or Selena, they would try to kill each of them and would stop until either they succeeded or died trying. So long as live was lost, PRAT achieved it's goal.

His hands had indeed brought comfort, but now, they were taking life. After this, if she needed to be comforted again? He would give her that needed comfort with these very same hands.

What followed from this instant was an intense fire fight. The PRAT soldiers fired upon the door, slowly chipping away at the opening that the hole in it provided. Raphael slowly but surely took each and every one of them down, emptying his second clip for the rifle and half of the second clip for the hand gun before they finally stopped coming. He won this battle simply because of the location in which it had taken place. If they had been topside? They would have easily been overwhelmed and killed by the soldiers.

Tired now, Raphael picked up the gun and walked back to the truck where Selena was resting. He stood outside of the door for a moment, wondering what he would say to her after what had just happened. Finally, he opened the door and stepped inside of the truck, setting himself down in the passenger's seat. "I'm back," he said softly, avoiding making eye contact with her.

Selena didn't say anything, but just looked over his way. Her eyes showed how true her feelings were: scared out of her mind, saddened, and yet felt loved and protected. Selena jumped upward and hugged him, closing her eyes. He had kept his promise. "Thanks," she murmured, letting go to pick up her bow.

Raphael had no intention of breaking his promise, especially not after learning about what happened to her uncle. He wanted her to live, and to be happy. She was just an innocent person who was caught up in the mess caused by these mad men. If nothing else, he would make sure that she lived through this. As she embraced him, her gave her a slight squeeze. "I want you to stay here. I'm going to go around and check all of the doors around here and see what's happening with the tunnels," he said. He grabbed another clip for the handgun and stuffed it into his pockets, then, he left the truck.

Twenty minutes passed before he returned, a bit relieved but worried at the same time. "Most of the tunnels have collapsed. All except for two of them. The one those men came through, and the one we first entered this area in. We're. . .not exactly trapped but that does make this area a bit safer," he said.

Selena laid her back against the seat, a slight sigh escaping her lips as she set her bow down into her lap. She closed her eyes, letting herself rest for a moment.

"I guess you're right..but if those two entrances collapse..." she didn't end the sentence; she didn't want to even think about it. One hand balled up into a fist and she hit the seat's fabric beside her leg, punching it out of anger. She grumbled. "Those stupid PRAT soldiers!" She shook her head. They had destroyed all she had, and was fairly certain that they destroyed much of Raphael's world, too.

She looked downward, a sad and dissapointed look on her face. "So so...stupid!"

PRAT had been Raphael's live when he was a child. His world. He thought that such a world was the only one until he was rescued by the World Government Military Forces. They saved his life, dragged him out of that hell hole, and brought him to a much more stable environment. That environment was destroyed in the end by PRAT. He lost everything that he had worked so hard to build up thus far, and wasn't any happier about it than Selena. But he was trying to stay calm and positive in this situation. At any rate, not all of the news was bad.

Raphael placed a hand on Selena's shoulder and gave it a firm, reassuring squeeze. "It's not all lost. We could still get out. It would take some climbing on our part, but it's nothing that's beyond us. Stability of the debris is the only thing I'm worried about there. But, so long as we are careful I think we'll be alright," he said softly.

Selena sighed once more before looking up towards Raphael. "What do we do now?" she asked. He was the one with this experience, and she would gladly follow his lead because of this, especially in this situation. Her rib still pulsed a dull pain, and her leg was still sore, but the current situation had her senses caught up so much that she hadn't felt the pain until now.

She wondered when the rescuers would arrive...or even if they would. How bad had PRAT destroyed this world?

Raphael took a moment to consider their options. Running was not at all the answer here. Though PRAT may have known their location, this wasn't exactly an easy place to attack. Coming one way, they would have to run through some very dangerous territory. They could make the trek through the collapsed rubble utter hell if they so wanted to. The other way? Practically a death trap. The more than came through there, the more of them that would come walking right into their death. Raphael would have time to go out and retrieve equipment from the soldiers, only to go back behind the door and seek shelter once more.

This place was a rather good strong hold. There were just a few things that needed to be done here. "We should stay here. I'll take care of fortifying our defenses. I need you to keep resting up. I don't want you to overexert yourself and end up injuring that rib anymore," Raphael said softly.

"But..but..Raphael...my rib is sore, but I've already rested up a while! We have to rely on each other. Please..let me help you." Selena pleaded. She knew he wanted her to be safe, but she hated the fact that she wasn't doing her part in this situation. If there was one thing Raphael was going to have to be firm about, it was telling her no to this question. Her cousins and brothers had protected her like this when the time came for it, and Selena protested just like she was doing now. She had to play a part in this...it reassured her, in a way, that she was needed and wanted and respected.

"I know you want to help me Selena but please, understand that the best thing you can do to help me right now is rest. You hurt yourself trying to help me before, and whenever I think about you being up, on your feet, moving around, I think about that moment. I don't want you to find yourself in danger or something while you're hurting like that. If you're here, I'll know that you're at least safe," Raphael said with a soft, yet stern tone of voice. Selena worried him sometimes, always wanting to do something to help even when she was at risk of hurting herself. Or worse.

Raphael was being so stern about this because she was needed. If for nothing else, for the sake of his sanity. If she died? He probably would have lost his mind and started actively hunting down the PRAT soldiers rather than focusing on surviving. "For me, please, get some more rest."

Selena looked up at him, one eyebrow cocked. She hated the fact that he made sense. With a roll of her eyes, she replied "Oh...alright.." she said, getting comfortable on the seat. "Just know this," she replied with a tired smile, "I'll repay you for all this...someday." she said, a sigh escaping her lips. She couldn't thank him enough. If he would die because he was protecting her...she didn't evem think about the circumstances.

"I look forward to it," Raphael replied. While she rested, Raphael headed over to the corridor that those men had come down and opened the large, steel door. He slipped out into the hall and collected all of the weapons and extra ammo he could carry, then took them back into the hub area. It took several more trips to get all of the weapons, ammo, and body armor. When he was done, all that was left behind were the clothes on the bodies, all of which were dragged deeper into the tunnels and away from the opening in the door. The last thing that they needed was the smell of death stinking up the area. Now finished with this task, Raphael went back inside and closed the door. Basically, what they had just gained was a small armory. With a few tools and the things they already had? He was more confident in their defenses. At least, as far as their bodies went. They needed something. . .more static to set up around the doors.

At first, he thought about using rubble to build walls but that sounded too dangerous to him. He would figure something out. At least these were heavy doors that latched into the ground they were dealing with and not something like garage doors. They young man turned and made his way back to the truck, hopping inside to check in on Selena once more. "How are you holding up? Thirsty? Want something to eat," he asked.

Selena sat up, putting her hand up softly. "No, no I'm fine, really." she replied, a smile on her face. She pulled her feet onto the seat of the truck, tucking them comfortably beneath her.
She noticed a dark red streak on Raphael's hand. It must've been the blood from one of those PRAT soldiers he had just killed. She closed her eyes. Here she was, sitting with a man who had just killed humans, and now had someone else's blood on his hands...and yet...she felt..comfortable. How in the world did she feel comfortable with this?! She just couldn't comprehend it.

Looking away from him, "You should take a break...after all you just accomplished..." she replied in an uneasy voice.

Confusion overtook Raphael's expression as Selena spoke. He didn't understand why she went from seeming to be happy to see him to appearing. . .disgusted. He glanced down at his hands, finding a bit of blood remaining on it. This must have been what she had seen. Raphael wondered if Selena thought of him as a monster? No better than the PRAT soldiers who went around killing whoever they could find. Though he was killing them to protect their lives, he was certain that it must not have seemed any different in her eyes. Without a word, he left the truck and went into the break room. He turned the handle of the sink slowly, relieved when he saw water coming out of it. It was a bit murky at first, but it soon cleared up.

Raphael rubbed his hand over the blood smear, trying his best to get rid of the crimson streak it left behind. Soap made getting rid of the smear much easier. He used a towel to dry his hands, then made his way back to the truck. "I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable," he said, avoiding eye contact with Selena.

Selena looked over his way as he stepped back into the truck. "There's no need to apologize...you do what ypu have to do." She replied, a faint smile on her face. "I'm sorry I reacted like that."

She had to show him that he was different to her than those PRAT soldiers. Somehow, some way. She told him that she trusted him, and she wasn't going to break that trust, especially not over a little smear of blood like that. She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "Like I said, I'm lucky to have you here with me."

Raphael wrapped one of his arms around Selena slowly, giving here body a firm squeeze. To know that she was still willing to lean into him like this showed that she still trusted him. Having that trust meant everything to him right now. He sighed softly his eyes slowly closing as he did so. There was some good new to tell her, about all of the things that he looted off of those soldiers. They would be relatively protected with the things that he got, along with all of the things that he picked up. He would have to take some time to make a few modifications to a couple of things. He needed to get to work on their arsenal as well.

There was still much work to be done, but they would both be just fine so long as they stuck together. He was protecting her, and she was protecting his sanity. "Not as lucky as I am have you here."

Selena opened her eyes and looked up at him. "That's good to know." she replied, a naive smile on her face. Selena sighed, closing her eyes once more and let her head return to its spot on his shoulder. She loved the feel of his arm around her; the same arm that had killed many PRAT soldiers. His arm was strong, yet comforting and protecting.

"Why is it the most terrifying things in life are the things that give us comfort?" she questioned softly, comfortable against his shoulder.

"I wouldn't know how to answer such a question," Raphael said. For one thing, he hadn't ever thought of that before. Secondly, the most terrifying things in his life had been just that, terrifying. This was the first situation that he hadn't any control over that he was managing so well. That was only because of all of the terrible things that happened to him when he was a kid. PRAT made sure to wire killing techniques, strategies, and those sorts of things into the heads of their little killing machines, more so than their motto.

But being here with Selena like this? Having her trust, like this? That did bring him a sense of comfort unlike any he had ever experienced before. He wondered if he would feel the same way if there were someone else here with him.

"Hmm..." she replied, "Sorry..I guess its just...our circumstances have been different up until now." Selena went on to explain herself. "I mean...I'm terrified of the doctor, and yet it is the doctor who brings comfort to wounds and injuries. " Selena laughed, disbelieving that she just told him one of her fears.

A serious look appreared on Selena's face as she glanced up at him. "For what its worth, I hope I'm a comfort to you."

Different circumstances? That was true. She had been normal and he a child soldier. He had to admit that it was rather cute that Selena was afraid of doctors. It seemed like such a childish fear, but her analogy made perfect sense to him. There was no reason for her to fear him when all he was trying to do was help her. Her sudden serious statement sparked a serious response from him. "You are. I don't think I'd be half as calm as I have been without you here. I think. . .that's what makes me so uneasy about you trying to do things right now. I'm afraid that you might hurt yourself seriously and that there won't be anything I can do to help you. I don't want to see anything like that happen to you," he said. She opened up a bit to him and he opened up a bit to her.

Selena looked up at him for a moment, her eyes showing a feeling of awe. "Wow...no one has ever told me that.." she replied, her voice gracious and soft. She gave his arm a light squeeze before moving up to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. Selena blushed a bit, trying to avoid eye contact. "Um, you see...m..my grandpa, he used to kiss our foreheads whenever he was truely thankful for something we said or did. I know its a bit silly but.." she continued on, her nervousness causing her to ramble on. She hadn't ever kissed a man, other than a family member. He did deserve that kiss and its meaning, though.

Raphael had to admit that Selena's rambling was cute. She was so nervous, she seemed to be twitching a bit. And every time his eyes tried to come into contact with hers, she would move them away and focus her attention elsewhere. But, if that were the way she learned how to express her gratitude, he thought that it would be best for him to express his gratitude in a similar way so that she understood just how serious he had been. His lips met her forehead soon after that, and he wrapped one of his arms around her middle, slightly embracing her. "Something like that doesn't sound silly to me," he said softly. There was something about Selena that was special, more special than anyone he had ever met before.

Selena began to calm down a bit, finally looking up into his eyes nervously. She couldn't help but smile. Leaning into him, she closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest, her arms also resting there. Something about being in his embrace felt so comforting and protective to her. Was this comfort because of the situation at hand, or would Selena have beeen able to find this comfort with him if all this never would've happened.
One thing is certain, though. He was one heck of a friend- he has done so much for her. Selena continued to rest on his chest. "I hope you don't mind me resting here.." she murmured softly, looking away from his eyes once more.

"I don't," Raphael said softly. Because of their circumstances, Raphael and Selena had grown close in a short amount of time. They didn't know each other that well, but they knew each other well enough to be comfortable with each other. Comfortable enough to be perfectly okay with situations like this one. Raphael didn't really know nor did he care why he was comfortable now, just being able to feel like this after two close encounters with death? That was more than enough for him. He slowly closed his eyes and hoped that none of the PRAT soldiers tried to do anything. They needed some rest, and Selena needed some more time to recover.

"Mmm.." Selena replied softly, glad to hear his reply. She yawned, already becoming very tired. Laying against his warm chest, listening to his heart beat, wrapped up in one of his strong protective arms, the soothing tone and simplicity of his voice, the sweet kiss he laid upon her forehead...it was all too much. Selena fell asleep once more, getting some of the best relaxation and rest she had since this whole PRAT incident occurred. She felt so comfortable and protected with him.