Title: Countdown
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ryo, Dee
Rating: PG
Setting: Vol. 4, fairly early in Act 11
Summary: There’s a bomb. Dee and Ryo have 30 seconds to get out of the building…
Word Count: 572
Written For: Challenge #82: Flight.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: I couldn’t decide which definition of Flight to use, so I think I ended up with three in this one.
Also, this is my 1 minute fic, a challenge I hadn't thought I'd be able to do! The whole fic takes place in the space of a single minute.
A/N2: Most of the dialogue is borrowed from the manga, except for Dee’s last line.




“Hurry up, you’ve only got about three minutes left you know,” Ryo snapped.

“I know, I know.”

As Dee opened his desk drawer to retrieve his forgotten wallet, there was a sharp click. He stared in horror.

“Ack!”

“What?” Ryo looked over his partner’s shoulder. Oh no! This was very bad.

With an ominous ‘BEEP’, the suspiciously bomb-shaped object in the drawer came to life, a timer on the top reading 30 seconds.

Neither of them hesitated. Lunging for the squad room door hot on Dee’s heels, Ryo automatically started to count downwards in his head.

28 seconds

Through the squad room door and racing headlong down the corridor heading for the stairwell, hearts pounding, breathing hard, driven on by the completely understandable desire to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the bomb. Preferably before it exploded and brought the building down on top of them.

Skidding as they tried to change direction without losing momentum, they dived into the stairwell taking the first flight of stairs so fast they were almost airborne.

13 seconds

Halfway down the last flight, Dee still one stride ahead. For a smoker, he sure could run fast. Then again, knowing there’s a bomb about to go off is a wonderful incentive to push yourself to your limits.

7 seconds

They leapt the last half dozen stairs, not even breaking stride, bursting out of the stairwell into the corridor, the exit in sight.

Almost there!

5 seconds

Three more strides and they hit the doors, side by side, practically knocking them off their hinges. Not that it would have mattered if they had, under the circumstances.

Outside at last, their headlong flight never slowing for a moment, every stride adding precious distance between themselves and the imminent explosion, their feet pounding the concrete of the forecourt where the squad’s cars would usually be parked. It was empty now, all vehicles having been moved during the evacuation. Dee was somehow one step ahead again.

1 second

Past the perimeter fence…

The concussion wave hit them before the sound of the blast registered, lifting them off the ground, truly in flight this time, and flinging them face down on the unyielding pavement like a pair of rag dolls, the force knocking the remaining breath from their lungs. Instinctively they covered their heads with their arms, precious little protection against flying debris but marginally better than nothing.

The explosions seemed to go on forever as they lay there, chests heaving, struggling to get their breath, but it was probably only a matter of seconds. Silence, when it came, was almost unexpected and totally alien.

Cautiously, they uncovered their heads and looked towards each other, relieved to find they were both relatively unharmed.

They sat up slowly, abused muscles screaming in protest, and looked back at the precinct house; or more accurately, at where it had once stood. All that remained was a smoking pile of rubble.

“Holy shit!” Dee of course.

Ryo, speechless, could only nod in agreement, staring at the scene of destruction in stunned disbelief.

Less than a minute ago they’d been inside a building that no longer existed. Shuddering at the thought of what could have happened, he sent up a silent prayer, grateful that they’d both made it out alive.

Dee looked at him mournfully.

“The paperwork for this is gonna be a bitch!”

Ryo put his head in his hands. Oh boy!

The End