When Zuno awoke, all the soreness in his body had faded, and his mind felt refreshed. Hours had passed since he and the others entered the trunk, with the cold, hard soil providing a brief respite from the wet and humid outside world. Zuno got up from his supine position and laid his back against the dirt behind him.
The other people in the squad were quite busy while Zuno was resting, with Derrick currently fiddling with the radio and reporting the Arachtoid they killed hours ago to main base, and Sarah and Claire shoving bullets into their magazines and counting how many they had left, which wasn't much.
Zuno reached to his side, grabbed his own backpack, and looked through it to check how much was left since there was nothing else for him to do except wait for their next move. Once he opened it and looked inside, he saw that there were about four magazines already full of ammo and a small cardboard bullet box right beside the dark black box he had gotten from his parents.
Zuno grabbed one of the mags out of the backpack and replaced the one in his rifle with it, pushing it inside with a satisfying click.
" You're finally awake? "
Sarah muttered towards Zuno, with a bit of concern in her tone. It seemed that she had finished what she was doing and noticed Zuno fiddling with his rifle. Since the mission started, she hadn't spoken much, mostly minding her own business and following orders from Derrick when given.
Zuno placed his rifle and positioned his hands behind his head before lying back on them, deciding to add a remark to her question.
" I saved your guys ' asses. I deserve some rest. "
Zuno responded while a smirk slowly formed on his face. He was obviously teasing Sarah and the others, but he knew that Sarah would be the easiest to ragebait.
" Saved us? Huh? We saved your ass.. Don't take all the credit. "
Sarah clamored towards Zuno, pointing a finger at him to get her point across.
" Well... If it wasn't for me playing bait, we all would've been dead ay? "
Zuno declared while shrugging smugly, his smirk growing even further up his face.
" He does have a point."
Derrick agreed, as he put the radio back inside his bag, while a smile slowly formed on his face.
" But... Fuck you, Fuck both of you. Next time you pull some shit like that, I'll just let you handle it by yourself then. "
Sarah muttered, crossing her arms with a pouting expression on her face, before kicking Zuno's foot with her leg.
" Ouch... I'm still bruised up from that slam, you know, with that kick, we might have to call evac. "
Zuno teased, holding his side with a fake pained expression on his face. In all seriousness, Zuno was completely fine with bruises that would take a few days to heal. Seemingly disappeared from his body within the few hours that he slept, the aching pain he had before he got into the trunk was gone, and he felt more refreshed than he ever had before. It was like the fight never even happened, and the soreness from walking was also gone.
" Now, Sarah, he already got what was coming to him; no need to add on to it. "
Claire muttered while placing her hands on Sarah's shoulders, trying to diffuse her before she made the conversation a full-blown argument.
" So, what are we gonna donow, boss man? "
Zuno jokingly asked Derrick, who was looking outside the bushes he had put inside the gap in the tree trunk.
" Wait until dark, then move on to the spot we were supposed to be at by now. "
Derrick stated, while he watched the sun slowly set, using his hand to make a small opening between the twigs, with his other hand softly set onto his rifle as he did so.
" Is that really a smart idea? It would make it harder to see those things... Their skin is pitch black. "
Zuno questioned, replacing his hands with his backpack and getting into a more comfortable position.
" It really doesn't matter; we already can barely see them during the day, plus in the darkness it will also make it harder for us to bespotted if we move smartly... so it's a risk worth taking. "
Derrick replied before releasing his hand from the opening and sitting back down, his rifle sitting neatly across his lap.
Zuno shrugged. Although the trunk was safe and comfortable, he was slowly getting claustrophobic, so he didn't mind leaving it sooner rather than later.
" Alrighty then, wake me before we leave. "
Zuno said as he twisted his body towards the right, lying curled up on his side, while his eyes slowly closed.
" You're going to sleep again?! "
Sarah questioned loudly with a mix of shock and disappointment in his voice.
" Better time than ever, getting a good rest before going on a walk lengthens your lifespan, or so they say... and no, I'm not sleeping, it's called a nap. "
Zuno answered with a yawn, crossing his arms and fully shutting his eyes, hopefully without any interruption this time. To be totally honest, he was rested enough that there was no need to sleep; he was just lazy, and there was nothing else to do to pass the time. He was the only one taking this chance to rest to its fullest.
***
About an hour or two passed while Zuno napped, and night had finally come; he woke up to Claire gently shoving his shoulder as the others were putting on their backpacks and picking up their rifles. Derrick was taking a quick peek outside the gap before moving the branches he had placed and stepping outside.
" It's clear, let's get a move on. "
Zuno, still half asleep, grabbed his bag and rifle before quickly following Sarah and Claire outside of the gap and setting foot back into the jungle. The air was much calmer and colder than it was during the day, and the wildlife around them was up and active. The sound of crickets and many other things was roaring through the forest. Zuno raised his head and looked towards the sky, watching as the moon shone behind the tree leaves.
" I thought camping was supposed to be fun. "