HELLDIVERS

EXCURSION: GC A with Thomas Benoit

For his part, Doug was always happy to spend some time with a mentor— but even a bar would've been preferable to the massive hole in the ground left by the ice dinosaur.

"Does AQUA member stand for freelancer?" He grumbled, posture less than appropriate as he marched behind Thomas, arms swinging like bundles of lead. "Why am I getting deployed in scouting missions?"

Probably not a good idea to complain to dahlia goode about having his time wasted, though.

"I had promised to do a shift at Dewford General... Gonna have to be a night shift." He grunted, dragging his hand down his face.

Goodbye, sleep and rest. He hardly knew ye.

---

TL;DR:Hi mentor. Let me complain for a bit.

azgSWcyo

HELLDIVERS

EXCURSION: GC A with Thomas Benoit

Grrr, logic and reason, the mortal enemies of shameless whining.

"Uuurgh, I know." He groaned, craning back his head before bringing his hand over his lower back. "Hup!"

With a strong shove, his spine made a pleasant pop. A few more stretches later, and the youth was done pushing the bitching spirits out of his body.

"I'll think about it. There a hospital nearby?" He asked wryly, his gaze overlooking the gaping chasm near which their path ran along.

"What'cha think we'll find this time?" He asked Thomas as he stopped near the edge, looking into the crystalline depths. "There's so much goin' on already— feels like if any more players get on the board, it'll snap."

---

TL;DR:Bitching protocol aborted.

6g2c3eHU

HELLDIVERS

EXCURSION: GC A with Thomas Benoit

He gave his mentor a wry look.

"That's pretty impressive— but then I would have nothing to do!" He said with a laugh.

He had no doubts Thomas' had trained all of his Audino to deliver some of the best care in hoenn— but if they were doing the healing and he was doing nothing, then surely he should move elsewhere to actually do something?

He held up v-sign at at the Rotom as it began filming, grinning its way before turning his gaze back to Thomas. "Ya didn't answer answer my question before. Any ideas on what the league— er, what we'll find in this hole?"

utd8H3gw

HELLDIVERS

EXCURSION: GC A with Thomas Benoit

"Think I'll just keep working then." He said with a laugh— though it didn't seem like he was joking.

He couldn't just stop. Not with his powers— there was no substitute to be found in Hoenn. Not unless he trained Isaac Merlo or something, and not only did he not know if the man even wanted to be a medic, they didn't have a hyperbolic time chamber dream awaiting for them in order to truncate 20 years of medical education into 5 minutes.

No, he could not afford to rest. Not until the war was over, at least.

"Let's just try to end this mess before I'm 30." He finally groaned, shoulders sagging.

More important than his pathological inability to rest, was perhaps the intel Thomas was providing. It about aligned with a few of the reports, though there were some tidbits he had missed on the papers he had read to date.

Cupping his chin thoughtfully, Doug hummed.

"Well, I'm AQUA and I haven't heard anythin' yet. Then again, wouldn't be the first time people in the 'team' kept stuff to themselves." He said, rolling his eyes.

The AQUA Initiative oft felt more like an exclusive club than a 'team' at times.

"Haaah... Think whatever's in this hole will change anything?"

About how the war was going. About the Drk Triad. About anything going on?

"Cause based off history... I don't."

---

SEE3x6I3
TOTAL: 270

ROLL A NUMBER WITH AN 8. - Run into an Ariados or Galvantula web. Alternatively, find a Spinarak or Joltik climbing on you.

---

Doug stopped in his tracks suddenly, his gaze snapping suddenly in one direction.

"Oh?" He cooed, lightly tilting his head. "This is a weird place for Galvantula to make their home."

There wasn't even any chargestone nearb—

"Oooh!" He uttered, turning his gaze over to the tera crystals growing along the walls. "Electric tera crystals."

He surmise, before smiling.

"I should come around with my net next time."

HELLDIVERS

EXCURSION: GC A with Thomas Benoit

"Think we all do." Doug admitted, feeling none of the shame others might.

The fact so many did was an indictment of the league as it stood. It did not generate enough confidence for even its highest ranking members to be fully forthcoming amongst themselves.

"Changes need to happen, and soon." Doug said simply, shaking his head with a sigh.

The line of thought, however, did not last— Thomas suddenly began whispering and cursing to himself.

And though it took him a moment, Doug did recognize what it was.

He reached out to grab the man's shoulder— before shrugging to himself and slapping the man's back. SPIRIT!

"Let's get outta'ere." He said simply, gesturing with his neck to a path leading deeper into the chasm and grinning.

The fear pangs were strong, debilitating, and struck people at random... but they didn't last long, if one didn't linger.

---

8voZ5eLl
TOTAL = 349

HELLDIVERS

EXCURSION: GC A with Thomas Benoit

"No prob, man... and no clue, either. But—"

Once again, a thunderous roar came barreling up the chasm, thrumming through them briefly.

"—maybe it's the guy making all that racket." He finished dryly, turning his gaze down into the dark depths of the hole below.

"... That's not gonna work, ya know?" He said after a moment, suddenly. "The setting an example thing."

Examples had been aplenty, after all. Good ones, bad ones, mediocre ones, ideal ones.

"Maybe the problem ain't just the folk in the seats." He said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes before reaching for a net ball.

"Should we go further down?"

---

WrEq3LOv
TOTAL = 371

HELLDIVERS

EXCURSION: GC A with Thomas Benoit

A pop echoed in the chasm as Doug released his Flygon, giving his mentor a grin.

"Let's not waste any time, then." He said, winking at the man before taking one big step into the hole, spinning about on his heel to flash the other a victory sign as he fell. "See you at the bottom!"

His Flygon darted after him shortly after, wings pulled tight against its back, racing to catch the medic as he dived straight into hell.

---

boEF6|ED

TOTAL = 522