Crimson Instinct

A few hours later, Rodey got really bored lying on the bed.

"That's it. I cannot stay in this place any longer! It's suffocating!"

For a free bird like Rodey, staying cooped up in this place was akin to a death's warrant. He got up just when the nurse entered.

She widened her eyes. "Sir! You cannot get up."

"Shut up, or I will kill you this instant."

"Doc-"

"Open your mouth, and you are dead. I am just going out for some fresh air, damn it. I am not gonna die from that," he muttered, "pesky annoying…"

Finally, the nurse had to let him go, but she ensured that the tubes were intact to his arm by the hanging pole connecting to the medicine bottle.

"Fuck this pole! Do I have to drag this nonsense everywhere?" Rodey gnashed his teeth and cursed as he walked, grudgingly holding the pole.

He looked out and saw a few Army and IB officers surrounding the hospital. He sneered. "So pathetic. I have no intention to run anyway either."

"Chuck your narcissism out the window, you bastard."

Rodey narrowed his eyes and paused. Then he smiled and let out a mocking chuckle.

"Yo, soldier. Energetic as ever are we?"

Rodey turned and saw Bai Li looking straight at him with a mocking smile on his lips too.

He was in his patient's gown, too but without any pole around him though his shoulder was wrapped in a cast.

Bai Li smiled. "Not as energetic as you, walking like a broken kite with that medicine bottle hanging around. Tsk, tsk. You completely destroyed your image. And do you think the officers are here to keep an eye on you? You think too highly of yourself so tone down on that narcissism."

Rodey tilted his head and stepped forward. "Narcissism? You use some pretty big words there, soldier. What should I do if the officers like to come after me? I don't know, but they keep chasing after me because I am so charismatic. I must say they are pretty masochists themselves because, of course, they know what would happen if I got my claws on them, right?"

Bai Li raised his brow and sneered. "Your claws didn't come in handy when I caught you in the container terminal, and please note - a blind soldier at that. Then I caught you again when you tried to catch Xin Zhen. Both of the times, you had to rely on that General to get your ass out of it. Pretty pathetic of somebody with your caliber."

Then he covered his mouth. "Oopsie~ do you even have any caliber?"

Rodey smiled. "How about I show you my caliber by taking away your sight again? I think you are much better without your eyes.

"And don't you talk about a broken kite and a destroyed image. Just look at you. You seem like a dog shit ran over by a truck. This isn't the Bai Li I confronted. Aww, and look at the cast. Poor Bai Li. Does the shoulder hurt? Should I do the honors and break it completely?"

Bai Li mockingly laughed. "Ran over by a truck? At least this shit getting blasted is better than somebody stabbing you and fucking off to die. Come on, Rodey. Even I would have dodged that attack without my sight anytime. You play with guns and knives all the time, yet that knife drilled such a big hole into you. Oh, and I forgot. Your ego too."

"Aww, and look at all the bandages on your stomach. Should I do the honors and land one punch over there? But on the other note, I will not."

Bai Li smiled and stepped forward. "Because now you have somebody else's blood running through your veins."

Rodey slightly stiffened but remained impassive.

"Poor Rodey bled so much that somebody else had to step up to save your shitty life. So I would rather not waste your savior's blood by spilling it out. And this dog shit still survived, but you were about to die by that measly attack. So I guess it's clear who was more pathetically knocked out."

Rodey closed the distance even more and dangerously smiled. He oozed the aura that screamed, 

'Don't mess with me.'

"You are underestimating me too much, soldier. Let's prove right now who was more pathetically knocked out. Let's see what you can do with a broken shoulder."

Bai Li chuckled. "Let's see what you can do with a broken stomach."

"Alright, time out!" Xin Lei finally reached huffing and puffing.

Ying Yue, on the other side too, quickly came rushing towards him. "Rodey! What are you doing outside?"

He glared at her. "Stay out of this fight."

Her brow twitched. "What fight? With whom?"

"Can you not see this idiot of a bastard here?"

Ying Yue looked at Bai Li, and he smiled. She softly smiled and nodded back too.

Rodey narrowed his eyes. "Hey, what are you smiling at, you fucker? Should I gnaw out those eyes from you?"

Bai Li amusingly smiled. "Hooo...Is somebody jealous?"

Rodey gritted his teeth. 

Jealous, my ass!

Xin Lei sighed in exasperation. "Bai Li. What are you doing here?"

He sneered. "I saw a pest lurking around, so thought to come here to squash it."

"..."

Ying Yue said to Rodey, "Mr. Bai Li-"

"Just Bai Li is fine."

She nodded. "Bai Li and everybody else helped us escape. You shouldn't talk about fighting with him."

"Like I care! I would have taken you out anyway!"

Bai Li chuckled. "Sure, but how? Limping with your bloody stomach all over the place?"

"Heh! At least it's still better than relying on a dog to get a certain someone out."

"Hah! As if you would have escaped without the support of her holding you and helping you walk like a child~"

Xin Lei and Ying Yue clearly saw the invisible sparks sputtering out of them.

The two shared glances.

Why are they fighting like children?