HOME | DD

Description
Hero of War - Rise Against

Gale's eyes snap open, he wheezes and struggles to be freed from his comforter. It ends up on the floor, leaving the soaked with sweat vulnerable to the air conditioning, but free of the bounds it was constraining him in. He leans his back against the headboard of the bed, tilting his head back and trying to breathe normally, in through his nose and out his mouth. But, all he can manage is a shaky panting, the kind you'd hear from a dog who just finished chasing a jackrabbit around for the entire morning. He puts a hand to his own, clammy forehead and then turns his gaze towards the red LED clock on the nightstand, next to his smartphone Wayne had given him and the rest of the group. It's only been an hour since he finally got himself to ease into sleep, around two thirty in the morning. After regaining his breath, Gale forces himself out of his bed in his hotel room and to the bathroom. He flicks on the light to nearly blind himself, and he rubs his eyes. When he opens them, he finds a young man with wild, fiery hair and raccoon, green-grey eyes staring back at him. There is no wild smile plastered on the face anymore, he only smiles around his friends, family, and especially Waverly. When he's alone, Gale is left helpless under the heavy shroud of his inner demons. Is this what Atlas feels like, having the entire world on his shoulders? Gale feels like he's wearing a coat lined with iron or lead or something extremely heavy, making it hard for him not to slouch over. But, he tries awfully hard not to, anyway, since his mom is a posture Nazi.
He turns the sink on, and watches as the water pushes out of the spout and into the bowl. He lets it run on his hand for a few moments, making the water a bitter cold. Gale then proceeds to splash his face with water, trying to wake himself up enough to actually remember what happened in that dream - or was it just him as his hologram for a moment or two? To Gale, the lines of reality and dream are thinning awfully close, but he can't tell that to his team, not now or yet, at least. It might freak them out a bit too much, and he doesn't want to freak them out anymore than they already are. Let there be some peace, for just a little while. Being a leader doesn't mean guiding your troops into battle, its also keeping everyone safe and sane, he hopes he and Finn are doing a good job with that.
Gale's dream took place right inside Fantasy Land of DisneyLand. It was just Finn and himself, staring at the tunnel that leads out to the Mainstreet of California's Disney attractions. But, they couldn't move, they couldn't run when they began to hear that cackle that could turn lava to ice - Maleficent is nearby, and the two leaders cannot do anything in their power to stop her. She appeared before them, and they still couldn't move. It reminds him of when Aria took his heart away not so long ago, but to Gale it feels like years. For a moment, he panics that the same thing is going to happen again, his mind rushed to Penny tricking them again. That's when Gale could move, but not on his own will. He and Finn were suddenly marionettes, puppets like Pinocchio, but of flesh and bone already. There are strings attached to him at this joints and other places, controlling Gale and Finn to face one another for a brief moment, probably to see the fear in each other's eyes, the loss, the utter picture of defeat. Suddenly, the castle behind Maleficent goes up in flames, and Gale can heart the screams of all of their team - of their closest, most trusted friends - from within the castle. Maleficent's screech of a cackle permeates Gale's blood rushing to his ears, and weakly he is dropped onto his knees as she advances on the two, fireball in hand. She had won, and they had lost.
That's when Gale woke up. He shuts off the sink, then the bathroom light and, with dragging feet, makes his way back to the bed. He runs a hand through his thick, already back-in-his-eyes, hair and sits down on the edge of the bed. He looks at his phone, the screen blank and black, there is no way that he could have received any messages from anyone - even Waverly - at this ungodly hour, but he reaches for it, anyway. He hesitates for a moment, then turns the lamps on around his bed, so he can see if any of these video game creeps are trying to sneak up on him. So far, so good. How fast could he react, in that situation? Could he 'Go Clear,' or would 2.0 prevent him still?
He clicks the home button, and sees that he's got a text, from Finn. From about ten minutes ago when Gale was still in the bathroom. Keeping his phone on vibrate isn't the best idea, maybe he should make it the loudest noise possible. Gale opens the text.
'Mt n lob, ldrs 0nli. 10.'
To anyone else, this may look like just a garble of nonsense of a possibly extremely sleepy teenager. The Kingdom Teams, however, know it as their secret code to confuse their parents and those nosy enough to try to look over their shoulders. Gale immediately decodes the message as: 'Meet in lobby, leaders only. Ten minutes.'
Gale doesn't care that he's in black boxers and a dark maroon tank, he gets up immediately and goes to his hotel room's door. He doesn't even bother with his sliders, he just needs to meet Finn there, he's already late. Gale's hand goes on the door, after nabbing his card key from the desk, and pulls it open slightly.
Something shuts it from outside, pulling a stunned Gale forward, keeping him inside the room. Don't jump to conclusions. Gale tries to pull himself together, trying to put it into Philby rationality - that the door is kind of heavy, and Gale is still stuck with sleep in his bones. He gently puts his hand on the knob, twists until he hears the tumblers click, and pulls again, this time a bit rougher and quicker. The outside force comes at him with another response, this time hitting the door back in place so hard that the young man ends up face planting into the door, his left cheek and half of his nose throbbing. Gale stares at the door like it's his mortal enemy, slowly taking small steps towards it. He barely makes a sound, lightly placing the soles of his bare feet into the carpet beneath them. He finally makes it to the door, and then gently places his ear on the wood, closing his eyes and focusing on his sense of hearing the best he possibly can. Shuffling, low mumbling voices. He can't really make it out, but one thing's for sure.
He's doomed if he stays here.
...
Finn paces back and forth, checking the time on his phone again. Gale was supposed to meet him down here in ten minutes since that text went out, and Gale is always on time. It's just how he is, and Finn completely appreciates that. Again, just barely a few seconds later, he checks his phone. He runs his hands through his hair, and then his fingers intertwine with his palms pushes against the back of his head as he continues to walk to and fro, his mind working faster. Wayne had called Finn twenty minutes ago, telling him that he and Gale need to meet in the lobby, and then the next clue will be taking place. Where is Wayne? What does he mean? Where is Gale?
His phone buzzes, and Finn jumps at the alert. He looks at the screen, and it's an unknown number. Finn blinks and for a split second wonders if he should dare open it or not, against his better judgement, he answers and whispers a soft, "Hello...?" Since technically he snuck out here and shouldn't be out so late, it's past kid curfew.
"Finn." Quick, urgent, small, Gale's voice is recognizable anywhere, not just from his accent - but the very way he speaks. "I've got some trouble."
A rock drops into the pit of his stomach. "Damage?"
"Someone's holding me captive in my room, they somehow knew you got in touch with me," His voice is so low that Finn has to strain his ears over the hum of the air conditioners, "so I didn't risk with my phone. They won't let me out, but I wouldn't be surprised if they let something in on me soon."
"I'm coming."
"Don't be doing anything reckless now," Gale warns, his voice still low. "I don't know if they have hotel lines tapped. Just start heading back to your room."
Finn blinks, Gale cannot be serious right now. Then, it dawns on him, if the phones (which, most likely they are) tapped, then some OTs will probably go for his room and wait for him there. Being leader is tough, it also always has you in the front lines, and with your head on the chopping block. In order to break down a team, knock out the leaders first. Finn never asked for the job, it just came to him. Finn tries to think of a different way to Gale's room, through other stairwells and such. He can do this and nods, even though Gale can't see it, "Alright."
"And don't wake up the others, okay?"
Real meaning: Don't think about helping me by yourself.
"Especially some of the guys, they won't be happy."
Especially Jerran when he finds his own leader being threatened. Finn doesn't know who could be on the way to wake up without being spotted, or contacting their rooms. His mind goes to work and Finn rubs his temples, then it dons on him. He needs to get to his mom's room, and fast.
"Alright, buddy, good luck."
"Same to you."

Description
Hero of War - Rise Against

Gale's eyes snap open, he wheezes and struggles to be freed from his comforter. It ends up on the floor, leaving the soaked with sweat vulnerable to the air conditioning, but free of the bounds it was constraining him in. He leans his back against the headboard of the bed, tilting his head back and trying to breathe normally, in through his nose and out his mouth. But, all he can manage is a shaky panting, the kind you'd hear from a dog who just finished chasing a jackrabbit around for the entire morning. He puts a hand to his own, clammy forehead and then turns his gaze towards the red LED clock on the nightstand, next to his smartphone Wayne had given him and the rest of the group. It's only been an hour since he finally got himself to ease into sleep, around two thirty in the morning. After regaining his breath, Gale forces himself out of his bed in his hotel room and to the bathroom. He flicks on the light to nearly blind himself, and he rubs his eyes. When he opens them, he finds a young man with wild, fiery hair and raccoon, green-grey eyes staring back at him. There is no wild smile plastered on the face anymore, he only smiles around his friends, family, and especially Waverly. When he's alone, Gale is left helpless under the heavy shroud of his inner demons. Is this what Atlas feels like, having the entire world on his shoulders? Gale feels like he's wearing a coat lined with iron or lead or something extremely heavy, making it hard for him not to slouch over. But, he tries awfully hard not to, anyway, since his mom is a posture Nazi.
He turns the sink on, and watches as the water pushes out of the spout and into the bowl. He lets it run on his hand for a few moments, making the water a bitter cold. Gale then proceeds to splash his face with water, trying to wake himself up enough to actually remember what happened in that dream - or was it just him as his hologram for a moment or two? To Gale, the lines of reality and dream are thinning awfully close, but he can't tell that to his team, not now or yet, at least. It might freak them out a bit too much, and he doesn't want to freak them out anymore than they already are. Let there be some peace, for just a little while. Being a leader doesn't mean guiding your troops into battle, its also keeping everyone safe and sane, he hopes he and Finn are doing a good job with that.
Gale's dream took place right inside Fantasy Land of DisneyLand. It was just Finn and himself, staring at the tunnel that leads out to the Mainstreet of California's Disney attractions. But, they couldn't move, they couldn't run when they began to hear that cackle that could turn lava to ice - Maleficent is nearby, and the two leaders cannot do anything in their power to stop her. She appeared before them, and they still couldn't move. It reminds him of when Aria took his heart away not so long ago, but to Gale it feels like years. For a moment, he panics that the same thing is going to happen again, his mind rushed to Penny tricking them again. That's when Gale could move, but not on his own will. He and Finn were suddenly marionettes, puppets like Pinocchio, but of flesh and bone already. There are strings attached to him at this joints and other places, controlling Gale and Finn to face one another for a brief moment, probably to see the fear in each other's eyes, the loss, the utter picture of defeat. Suddenly, the castle behind Maleficent goes up in flames, and Gale can heart the screams of all of their team - of their closest, most trusted friends - from within the castle. Maleficent's screech of a cackle permeates Gale's blood rushing to his ears, and weakly he is dropped onto his knees as she advances on the two, fireball in hand. She had won, and they had lost.
That's when Gale woke up. He shuts off the sink, then the bathroom light and, with dragging feet, makes his way back to the bed. He runs a hand through his thick, already back-in-his-eyes, hair and sits down on the edge of the bed. He looks at his phone, the screen blank and black, there is no way that he could have received any messages from anyone - even Waverly - at this ungodly hour, but he reaches for it, anyway. He hesitates for a moment, then turns the lamps on around his bed, so he can see if any of these video game creeps are trying to sneak up on him. So far, so good. How fast could he react, in that situation? Could he 'Go Clear,' or would 2.0 prevent him still?
He clicks the home button, and sees that he's got a text, from Finn. From about ten minutes ago when Gale was still in the bathroom. Keeping his phone on vibrate isn't the best idea, maybe he should make it the loudest noise possible. Gale opens the text.
'Mt n lob, ldrs 0nli. 10.'
To anyone else, this may look like just a garble of nonsense of a possibly extremely sleepy teenager. The Kingdom Teams, however, know it as their secret code to confuse their parents and those nosy enough to try to look over their shoulders. Gale immediately decodes the message as: 'Meet in lobby, leaders only. Ten minutes.'
Gale doesn't care that he's in black boxers and a dark maroon tank, he gets up immediately and goes to his hotel room's door. He doesn't even bother with his sliders, he just needs to meet Finn there, he's already late. Gale's hand goes on the door, after nabbing his card key from the desk, and pulls it open slightly.
Something shuts it from outside, pulling a stunned Gale forward, keeping him inside the room. Don't jump to conclusions. Gale tries to pull himself together, trying to put it into Philby rationality - that the door is kind of heavy, and Gale is still stuck with sleep in his bones. He gently puts his hand on the knob, twists until he hears the tumblers click, and pulls again, this time a bit rougher and quicker. The outside force comes at him with another response, this time hitting the door back in place so hard that the young man ends up face planting into the door, his left cheek and half of his nose throbbing. Gale stares at the door like it's his mortal enemy, slowly taking small steps towards it. He barely makes a sound, lightly placing the soles of his bare feet into the carpet beneath them. He finally makes it to the door, and then gently places his ear on the wood, closing his eyes and focusing on his sense of hearing the best he possibly can. Shuffling, low mumbling voices. He can't really make it out, but one thing's for sure.
He's doomed if he stays here.
...
Finn paces back and forth, checking the time on his phone again. Gale was supposed to meet him down here in ten minutes since that text went out, and Gale is always on time. It's just how he is, and Finn completely appreciates that. Again, just barely a few seconds later, he checks his phone. He runs his hands through his hair, and then his fingers intertwine with his palms pushes against the back of his head as he continues to walk to and fro, his mind working faster. Wayne had called Finn twenty minutes ago, telling him that he and Gale need to meet in the lobby, and then the next clue will be taking place. Where is Wayne? What does he mean? Where is Gale?
His phone buzzes, and Finn jumps at the alert. He looks at the screen, and it's an unknown number. Finn blinks and for a split second wonders if he should dare open it or not, against his better judgement, he answers and whispers a soft, "Hello...?" Since technically he snuck out here and shouldn't be out so late, it's past kid curfew.
"Finn." Quick, urgent, small, Gale's voice is recognizable anywhere, not just from his accent - but the very way he speaks. "I've got some trouble."
A rock drops into the pit of his stomach. "Damage?"
"Someone's holding me captive in my room, they somehow knew you got in touch with me," His voice is so low that Finn has to strain his ears over the hum of the air conditioners, "so I didn't risk with my phone. They won't let me out, but I wouldn't be surprised if they let something in on me soon."
"I'm coming."
"Don't be doing anything reckless now," Gale warns, his voice still low. "I don't know if they have hotel lines tapped. Just start heading back to your room."
Finn blinks, Gale cannot be serious right now. Then, it dawns on him, if the phones (which, most likely they are) tapped, then some OTs will probably go for his room and wait for him there. Being leader is tough, it also always has you in the front lines, and with your head on the chopping block. In order to break down a team, knock out the leaders first. Finn never asked for the job, it just came to him. Finn tries to think of a different way to Gale's room, through other stairwells and such. He can do this and nods, even though Gale can't see it, "Alright."
"And don't wake up the others, okay?"
Real meaning: Don't think about helping me by yourself.
"Especially some of the guys, they won't be happy."
Especially Jerran when he finds his own leader being threatened. Finn doesn't know who could be on the way to wake up without being spotted, or contacting their rooms. His mind goes to work and Finn rubs his temples, then it dons on him. He needs to get to his mom's room, and fast.
"Alright, buddy, good luck."
"Same to you."