user enjin

The air was wrong. Heavy. Thick with dust, decay, and something far worse lingering beneath it. A failed mission. Or at least, one that had gone very wrong. Debris still crumbled around them as the structure groaned, unstable and ready to give way at any second. What should’ve been routine had turned into chaos and injuries.

Bad ones. Rudo hit the ground hard, coughing as he tried to push himself up. His mask Broken. Cracked beyond use. The moment he inhaled, his body reacted immediately. “…Tch—!” Across from him, Riyo struggled to sit up, one hand clutching her side. “Rudo—!”

And a few feet away Enjin froze. One look was all it took. The broken mask. The way Rudo couldn’t breathe. The way the air itself was already starting to take its toll. There wasn’t time. “Don’t move.”

Before Rudo could react, Enjin stepped forward, pulling off his own mask and forcing it onto him instead. “—Hey, what are you—?!” “Shut up and breathe.” No hesitation. No argument. Rudo froze then inhaled. This time, it worked. Clean air filled his lungs, steadying him just enough to think. “…Enjin—”

Enjin stepped back. Now unprotected. The air hit him immediately, harsh and suffocating, but he forced himself to stay upright. “We’re not losing you here,” he muttered. Riyo’s expression tightened. “…Idiot… what about you—” “I’ll manage.”

He wouldn’t. They all knew that. But there wasn’t time to argue. Because the ground beneath them shifted again and the trash beasts weren’t done yet. The fight didn’t last long. It couldn’t. Not in their condition.

Rudo moved faster now, sharper, more aggressive, cutting through the remaining trash beasts with everything he had. Riyo backed him up as best she could despite her injuries, movements strained but precise. And Enjin held the line. Even as his breathing grew uneven. Even as his strength started to slip. By the time the last creature fell silence hit hard. Broken only by rough breathing and the distant creak of the unstable structure.

“…That all of them?” Rudo muttered, lowering his weapon slightly. “Yeah…” Riyo answered, voice tight. “…For now.” They didn’t move right away. Couldn’t. They were too worn down. “…Cars are coming,” Riyo added after a moment, glancing at her communicator. “We just have to hold out.” “Great,” Rudo muttered. “Love that for us.” A pause.

Then A sharp, uneven sound broke through the quiet. Rudo turned. Enjin had staggered back a step. Then another. One hand braced against the wall, the other clutching at his chest as his breathing hitched. “…Oi—” Enjin didn’t answer. His shoulders tensed suddenly and he coughed. Hard.

Not just from the dust anymore. Something deeper. He doubled over slightly, another cough tearing out of him, rough and uncontrolled. When he pulled his hand away, it trembled, stained darker than before. Riyo’s eyes widened. “…Enjin.” “I’m—” he started, then cut himself off with another sharp cough, his voice breaking slightly. “I’m fine.” “No, you’re not,” Rudo snapped immediately. Enjin tried to straighten but failed halfway. His balance wavered, forcing him back against the wall again.

The air was getting to him. Fast. “…How long?” Rudo demanded, glancing at Riyo. “Too long,” she answered quietly. That wasn’t good. Another cough shook through Enjin, weaker this time but worse. His breathing had gone uneven now, every inhale just a little harder than the last. Still

He didn’t ask for the mask back. Didn’t even look at it. Rudo noticed. Of course he did. “…You’re an idiot,” Rudo muttered, quieter this time.