]]>As By threw back his head and laughed, a tiny voice in the back of Ivan's head reminded him that By liked challenges quite a lot. Ivan ignored it firmly. It wasn't his fault that he kept winding up in these situations.
]]>"Ivan," By murmured in his ear, intimately. "If you don't do this, it's quite possible we'll both die. There's motivation for you, yes?"
"Have you considered I might prefer dying?" Ivan gritted through a toothy smile, trying to find room to back up.