Teamwork is a skill we lack. (II SUPERHERO AU FIC)

44

// DESCRIPTION OF BEING CHOKED 

Paintbrush cautiously stepped through the hallway, now being more cautious, just in case there had been more traps. The second time they stepped on a tile that lit up below them, they quickly stepped out of the way before the entire tile seemed to spark, as if it would've shocked them if they had stayed on it. Fan stayed a bit away from Paintbrush, not wanting to make them any more nervous than they seemed to be getting, as they stepped through.

"Uh... good idea to be more cautious I guess," He spoke through the awkward silence, but that only seemed to make things worse as Paintbrush just seemed to tense up even more.
"Did... something-- happen? While you were up here alone?" Fan asked, more cautious now... Stupid Fan, of course something happened. Why else would they be so tense, he thought to himself, mentally facepalming, as they just turned their head to face them for a moment as they spoke;

"Everything's fine." They said through gritted teeth, and Fan wasn't one for picking up on social cues half the time, but they knew Paintbrush wasn't being honest. They quickly turned back away again as the two of them finally made it to the elevator.

"Look, if there's something we need to talk about, if you're stressed about this mission or something happened we should get it sorted before we go face someone dangerous... Right?" Fan moved to put a hand on Paintbrush's shoulder, them only jolting a bit as they swung around, and pushed him away;

"Don't touch me!" They yelled out, before realizing what they had just done.

Inconveniently, the tile beneath Fan lit up. This was not going to be fun. This tile seemed to do nothing, both Paintbrush and Fan just completely still in the shock, before Fan just seemed to... Pass out. Paintbrush hesitated to move back over to him, their nerves still getting the better of them, but once they did, they saw some sort of-- what they could only have hoped to be some sort of tranquilizer in his arm. Paintbrush muttered a swear under their breath as they went over to remove it. They'd just have to wait for him to wake up... which meant more wasted time. Just wonderful. They carefully brought him over to the wall next to the elevator as they slid down to a sitting position, tossing him lightly to the floor next to them as they waited, now alone with their racing thoughts... And regrets. Surely pushing him was going a bit far, and they hadn't meant for them to land on a trap, but hey. He'd be fine once he woke up... And what did it matter anyways, if he really was a spy--? Well... That wasn't a great way to think about it. Considering everything all of them have been through? The injury? The slow days just spent talking at the base about all sorts of things..? The emotional vulnerability they had shown him? 

Paintbrush let out a groan of frustration as they buried their face in their hands. They really could only hope that they were just being messed with-- but that was still an equally annoying possibility, because it was working.

It took Fan about five minutes to stir again, letting out a groan of his own as his eyes fluttered open.

"Ugh..." Fan let out, sitting up, and looking over to Paintbrush, who couldn't help but tense up again as they heard him wake up, now removing their hands from their face.

"I'm sorry for pushing you... I shouldn't have reacted like that..."

"Ehrm... Yeah, what was that about?" Fan shook his head, regaining his own thoughts about what had just happened.

"I just--" They put a hand over their mouth to think for a moment... If Fan really was a spy, and Paintbrush were to just say that they knew, or were told out loud, wouldn't that put them in danger? Wouldn't that just possibly make everything worse..? But... No. They had to keep faith in their friend. They carefully moved their hand away from their mouth, and spoke slowly.