Finalizing Plans

Private (curse you, firefox, for eating my subtitle!)

The residential area used to house the miners, loggers, and mansion staff. Houses, mainly ranch-style and small, are arranged on one half of the U-shaped town. The other side of the U is home to a pub, a grocery store, a small convenience store, and a recreation center containing a gym and a small movie theater.
Post Reply
User avatar
MurderWeasel
Posts: 2565
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am

Finalizing Plans

#1

Post by MurderWeasel »

((Aaron Hughes continued from Everybody Knows))

Aaron was in a foul mood as he returned once more to the residential area. He had apparently totally failed to hit the girl in the sawmill, once again accounting for some player's less dangerous ally. Worse still, the guy, to Aaron's recollection, hadn't even killed anyone. That was going to do some damage to his image. Of course, it wasn't like there were that many people left to talk with. Thinking through the people who were still alive, at least the ones Aaron could remember, he couldn't even figure out if any non-killers were left. That was a bit of an odd thought. He'd have to reassess how he grouped people. He'd have to make sure not to keep racking up unnecessary kills, so he could blend in with the less-dangerous mass of small-time killers.

He knew a few people who were on his own list, though. Ivan was still around, somewhere. That was a serious problem, especially since he'd started killing again. Aaron had underestimated his subtlety, it seemed. Ivan had taken a nice, relaxed approach, probably sitting pretty with his prize weapon and waiting until near the end to show his hand. Now that he was a relative nonentity again, he could sweep the other survivors. It was a good thing Aaron was familiar with his tricks.

Ema Ryan was another to watch out for. Apparently, she'd killed a lot of people, including Raidon. Aaron would have been more worried had he not crossed paths with Raidon himself; as it was, he was positive the boy hadn't gone quietly. Besides, Ema had made too big a name for herself. No way she'd last past the end of the day, unless she could take all the remaining survivors on her own.

The last real concern was Aston Bennett. Aaron wasn't entirely sure, but he could have sworn that had been the name of the girl who had stumbled across them right before they got rid of Milo. That meant she knew who Aileen was, and might be able to piece together to at least some degree what all had transpired. Aaron felt fairly confident that he'd be able to deal with her if they met. She hadn't been too heavily armed, and a shot in the back bespoke a certain degree of stealth and ambush tactics that Aaron wouldn't let work on him.

He'd decided to come back to the residential area as soon as he'd heard that it wasn't a danger zone. It gave the most options, offered the most cover. He'd just find somewhere to camp again, maybe even the same house as before. Since he was starting to give up on finding anyone else to recruit to his side, it was time to think about taking up position on an upper floor and shooting anyone who came past. Killing people still wasn't necessary, but thinning the ranks a little couldn't hurt now. There were twelve of them left at most. That wasn't so bad. Lombardi alone had killed around a dozen people, and he'd almost certainly been playing stupid. Aaron figured he could probably deal with the last four or five, given a proper position and sufficient armament. They'd fight amongst themselves before then, wear each other down. It wouldn't be so hard.

So he was walking down the streets in town. He had avoided the town center. The lines of fire there were too open. It would be a good place for other people to go and get killed. Nothing more.

Aaron was paying perfunctory attention to the street-level stuff, but his real focus was higher up. Windows, doors, alleyways, and the like flickered by in his peripheral vision as he scanned second stories for people with guns. It would not be surprising at all if the entire remaining group of students headed here. They couldn't go anywhere except the small cluster comprised of the residential area, the infirmary, and the docks. The docks held nothing of interest, and the infirmary was picked over. People would come here, and someone might be thinking the same way Aaron was.

Aaron was counting the windows as he passed, trying to judge distances, watching for a good spot to shoot from. He was near the rec center. He'd be at the house he'd been in before any time now. If nothing better came along, that would have to do.
User avatar
Ciel†
Posts: 859
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:30 am

#2

Post by Ciel† »

(Aston Bennett continued from Dead-End Scenario)

The pale boy fled across the street, cautious, and Aston Bennett followed.

She was far away from him. She kept that distance. He was looking in windows? Searching? For what? Cautious? Of what? Of her? A place to rest, a place to hide? Paranoid?

She could not blame him for acting paranoid. After all, Aston Bennett was hunting him down.

Aston could have stepped out and opened fire. A bullet might fly through his head. Or she could miss completely.

She wasn't that stupid. Aston only needed one bullet. She would have to get close enough to see the hairs on the back of his neck. Had to conserve the bullets. Had to make sure each one counted. Had to stay in the background. Had to play smart.

This was a game after all.

She had the revolver in her hand, the assault rifle in her bag and another pistol in the back of her jeans. Had she just slung the rifle over her bag, it would make too much noise. She was keeping at a safe distance, crouched, keeping the noises she made down.

The first few times he turned, she ducked behind a wall or a bush. He would turn back after a second or two. Aston kept low.

It was apparent that he did not notice her. He didn't suspect, or else he would be looking behind him constantly. Instead he was looking up, at the houses. The second stories. For what, Aston had no clue. She did not want to find an answer. Her only concern was making sure that when he went inside a house, she would be right behind him.

Aston could see his face. She remembered him. She recalled the nerd of the highest caliber, the boy. Aaron Hughes. His name was on the announcements, right next to Aileen and Erik, a boy she didn't know all too well. But Aileen. Aileen. He killed her. Fucker killed her. Jesus Christ. The voice in the pit that used to house her conscious whispered sweet nothings about revenge to Aston. Make it hurt. But she ignored that. It would be impossible for her to do now. The only thing she could manage was to wait. And follow.

Announcement said there were about a dozen left.

Close. So close.

She told herself that it would not matter whether the boy was Aaron or not. She would kill him all the same.

Aston thought of Aileen and knew that wasn't the case. She wouldn't be stalking him like this, if he were just some stooge.

They passed the rec center. Aston grew closer, revolver at the ready. She slid behind a wall and watched him, waiting for an opportunity.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Ciel. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
MurderWeasel
Posts: 2565
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am

#3

Post by MurderWeasel »

Closer, closer. Nothing better was catching Aaron's eye. Alright. That was it, then. He'd go back into the house he'd used before. He saw it, now. Still nobody in the windows. Good. Aaron kept himself fairly low, kept his gun in hand. It wouldn't do to get killed for a stupid reason.

There. The door. Quickly, quietly. He slipped in, checked to see that everything was still how he'd left it. It all seemed in place. Nobody had messed anything up. The wall had accrued no more damage. The doors looked like they hadn't been opened or shut. He'd just have to search the area before heading upstairs. It wouldn't do at all to miss someone down here, then get shot once they became curious about the sounds.

He checked the kitchen, the closets, the restrooms. No one. Then it was back, back to the area near the entrance of the house, near the stairwell. If nothing had changed, he'd be clear to head upstairs.
User avatar
Ciel†
Posts: 859
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:30 am

#4

Post by Ciel† »

(Gming was approved.)

Now, she told herself. Do it now.

As he came back into the main room, so close to the stairs, Aston made her move. She stepped forward, from the shadows. She came up from behind Aaron. She pulled the gun out, the revolver, the one she liked. The barrel cracked as it spun and before Aaron could even think it was pressed against the back of his head. She made damn sure he couldn't retaliate.

It was all over in three seconds.

Everything was silent.

Aston said nothing. She did nothing. Her finger was over the trigger but she didn't pull it. She waited, weighing the gun in her hand. Would she miss? No. She was too close. Missing would be impossible. Aston couldn't see Aaron's expression though. She wanted to see his face. He didn't reach for his gun. He wasn't stupid enough to run. Still, she wanted to make it crystal clear that she wasn't fucking around.

"If you run, I'll kill you." She clicked her tongue. "Turn around. Now."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Ciel. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
MurderWeasel
Posts: 2565
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am

#5

Post by MurderWeasel »

The first Aaron knew of something being amiss was the touch of a gun to the back of his head. He froze, stood completely still. Whoever it was wasn't all that smart. The fact that he was still thinking was evidence of that. He'd let his guard down, had relaxed because everything seemed to be going alright. Bad choice. That didn't make the situation unwinnable. He just had to wait and see what this assailant wanted. He'd slipped his gun back into his pocket before coming back in here. That had been a good choice. He had to stay calm, stay reasonable.

The voice was faintly familiar. That was a bad sign. It would be best if it was someone he knew from school, but had not seen on the island. Somehow, he doubted that was the case.

Slowly, carefully, he followed her instructions and spun, taking a half step back at the same time so that the muzzle of the gun could clear his nose.

Oh. Her. This was going to be interesting.

"Hello, Aston," he said. Best to keep his tone conversational. Time to review: what did he know about Aston? She wasn't very smart. She'd seen him with the group, right before Milo died. She didn't know what had gone down, not exactly, because everyone who did was dead. She did know that he'd been traveling with a group, that they were all dead. She knew that he had killed Aileen. She didn't know Aileen too well. She'd been looking for someone, too. He could work this.

"You ever catch up with Quincy?"

Of course she had. He could dimly recall that announcement.
User avatar
Ciel†
Posts: 859
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:30 am

#6

Post by Ciel† »

"You ever catch up with Quincy?"

...

"You ever catch up with Quincy?"

Aston narrowed her eyes. She completely forgot about that. She asked about Quincy, that rat bastard. Why would Aaron bring him up all of a sudden? Didn't he fucking hear the announcements? She practically tortured Quincy! And the way he said it was so strange. She was pointing a gun at him for christsake! He sounded so damn calm, like there was nothing to worry about.

You ever catch up with Quincy Aston?

Of all the nasty shit on this island, of the names people called her back home, of all the childish insults people have hurled at her, there was nothing that truly set Aston off. Pissed her off, maybe. Made her snap, never. Those seven words though. The way he spoke them, the way he looked at her when he said them, just the look of calm neutrality on his face. That was enough to set her off. She snapped.

The gun slammed into his forehead with a crack. A sharp pain coursed through her thumb and she winced. Tiny droplets of blood splattered onto her hand. Aaron fell, she took a step back, looking down at her thumb. She pulled her hand back up and pointed the gun back at Aaron. No chance to run. No escape.

Aston could have killed him right there and then. She was wheezing, lava coursing through her veins. She could have fired every last bullet into him without feeling a thing. And yet she stopped herself. No. She wanted to talk first. She gained what little self-control she had left, holding the reins back, and spoke.

"Did I ever catch up to Quincy?" She repeated, surprisingly calm. Her hand was still despite the pain in her thumb. "I killed Quincy. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you too."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Ciel. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
MurderWeasel
Posts: 2565
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am

#7

Post by MurderWeasel »

Aaron wasn't expecting to be hit. The smack to the forehead sent him sprawling. He could feel the blood trickling from his scalp, but he managed to restrain his fury. Losing his temper in the wrong way would get him shot. There would be plenty of time to freak out, plenty of time to take revenge, once he had turned the tables. Aaron raised his hand to his forehead, wiped away the blood. His face stung. He ground his teeth slightly. Aston was saying she'd killed Quincy. She was saying he needed to give her a good reason, or she'd kill him too.

Time to give her a good reason.

"Let's see," he said. "Maybe, for a start, because I actually care enough to try to help you? Maybe because I've spent the time since I last ran into you tracking down a killer who murdered my fucking friends? You remember when you met us? Right after you left, Charlie and I scared everyone else off, because we knew the terrorists might be coming for us, and we didn't want anyone caught in the crossfire. Aileen said she knew how to get the collars off, but she killed Milo instead, then ran off. We tracked her down, but she'd teamed up with Raidon and Fiona, and they killed Charlie in the shootout. I was able to run them off, though, and finally tracked her down. Right after I'd dealt with her, some other guy attacked me. I don't even know why. I've been getting the short end of every fucking stick on the island, and now you're going to shoot me for trying to find out if I could help with what you were doing last time I saw you, because you're playing or something."

It wasn't hard to add the appropriate whine to his voice, while still keeping himself sounding decent enough. It wasn't challenging to add the edge of angry complaint. Aaron just had to repurpose his actual feelings, to utilize his indignation at being ambushed and hurt. He had to make himself out as the victim, without sounding totally pathetic. Whether Aston bought it or not, she was at least listening. He was hoping if she didn't believe him, she'd hit him again, berate him, maybe. When she'd hit him with the gun, she hadn't been watching him closely, hadn't been paying attention to his hands. He could have pulled his gun, could have turned this from a hostage situation into a standoff. He'd just been too surprised, hadn't been prepared for it. If she dropped her guard at all again, that would be his mode of action.

It was always good to have backup plans. Once Aston was out of the way, the path off this island would be clear.
User avatar
Ciel†
Posts: 859
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:30 am

#8

Post by Ciel† »

Aston let Aaron speak. She kept quiet, choosing to actually listen to him. Had he sounded like he was complaining, she wouldn't have given him the time of day. Yet again, he sounded calm if not insulted by her attack on him. Understandable. That wasn't what got Aston though. What grabbed her attention was the series of events he gave her. Aston wasn't around for what had happened to Aaron. There were no contradictions to facts that she found. In fact, she would have to take his word for it. But. What she found hard to believe was that Aileen even had the spine to do what she did. And how Aaron somehow pushed any and all blame away from his side of the corner. Something about that... urked her.

"So the 'man with the plan' had no control," she said, slowly. "He is the victim in all of this. He's the only selfless person left on this island. He has been double crossed so many times that his head should still be spinning, and yet he chooses to try to help me of all people. The girl pointing a gun in his face."

She stared at him for a very long time. Just stared. She didn't berate him, or hit him in the head. She still looked pissed but there was a side of hesitation in her expression. The kind she promised herself never to show.

"You sound sincere. So why don't I believe you?"
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Ciel. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
MurderWeasel
Posts: 2565
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am

#9

Post by MurderWeasel »

"Because you're smart, probably," Aaron said, after pausing for a couple seconds. He'd been ready for this. It wasn't optimal, but he knew what to do. The key was to keep talking, to keep Aston associating with him, to keep her from being able to talk herself into doing anything rash. She'd killed two people, to his knowledge. One had been the object of her revenge. The other, she had shot in the back. That meant she was having emotional issues, probably. It meant it would be hard for her to look Aaron in the eye and pull the trigger. It meant he had a pretty good chance.

"There are a dozen people left, Aston, maybe less. Anyone who would trust someone else at the drop of a hat is dead by now. I'm very, very lucky to be alive, and it's only because I wised up. I'm sure neither of us trusts the other fully.

"That said, you're one of the few people I know at all. I know you haven't been going around plotting to murder people all game. You know the same about me. I can't say that about the others. I don't even know what Ema Ryan looks like. Right now, you're the closest thing to an acquaintance I have left."

He made sure to act like he was calming down a bit as he spoke. The key here was to change this into a conversation. What he and Aston were saying to each other was totally irrelevant. What mattered was making sure that she was paying attention to him, that she was acknowledging him as a person. It was absolutely key to disrupt whatever process she used to work herself up before killing people. It didn't matter if she threw him out of the house. As long as she didn't shoot him, Aaron would be fine.
User avatar
Ciel†
Posts: 859
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:30 am

#10

Post by Ciel† »

He told her she was smart. Aston wasn't sure what to think of that. His expression was unreadable. It unnerved her. She didn't know why. Aaron Hughes was being such a nice, kind boy to her. Maybe he was the only genuine guy left. Maybe he really wanted to help her. And maybe, just maybe, he actually cared.

Aston didn't like it.

"Don't patronize me," Aston said. "You talk as if you know me. Where the fuck do you get off? Why are you so fucking certain that - "

Aston stopped herself. She closed her eyes for only a few seconds, trying to calm herself down.

"Let me tell you something Aaron. I'm not like you. If what you're telling me is true then you're in a different ballpark from me. I am a selfish, thick-headed bitch. That's the only reason I'm alive right now. Not because I'm lucky, or that I'm smart. I'm just plain stubborn."

She paused.

"Do you even know why I wanted to find Quincy so badly? Revenge. That's all." She swallowed. "When he killed Joshua Krakowski, I only caught the tail end. It was too late. I liked Joshua. Seeing him die... it hurt. Bad. I wanted to get Quincy back, right then and there, but I couldn't. I blew my chance. That's why I went looking for him. I didn't want to just kill him. I wanted to make his death slow, so he could feel every ounce of pain I felt. And so when I finally found him, I did just that."

Aston looked up. Her face twisted, like Aaron was going to judge her for that.

"I thought that was the end, after I killed him. I thought I could just coast. I found Joe Rios. He was chill. I made the mistake of trusting him. We promised each other we would take each other to the end. Then Joe got attacked. I couldn't do anything to help. I watched him die..."

She went silent. Her eyes darted away from the gun in her hand, keeping focus squarely on Aaron.

"Joe told me to win. He made me promise as much. So I kept going. I planned, I gathered every last weapon I could so I would have enough. I kept telling myself that I wanted to keep my promise to Joe, but I knew that wasn't why I was fighting."

Aston took a step forward.

"I heard on the announcement that it was some bitch named Reiko Ishida. I knew what she looked like. Right then, I understood what it was that kept me going. I wanted to get revenge. I wanted to kill Reiko, just like I had Quincy."

Another step.

"You're wrong Hughes. About everything. You think you know me, but you don't. So don't talk to me like you understand. I'm in it to murder someone, it's been like that for days. But I'm different than those crazy fucks. I'm not afraid. It doesn't matter how dirty my hands get or how many people I have to step over, I won't stop until I get what I want. I owe myself that much, no, fuck, I deserve that much..."

She stared at Aaron, eyes narrowed.

"... So how desperate are you? How many lives are you willing to ruin to get what you want?"
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Ciel. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
MurderWeasel
Posts: 2565
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am

#11

Post by MurderWeasel »

It was funny, how Aston said they weren't so much alike. Aaron was inclined to agree, but for very different reasons. They were both out to win, both out to succeed whatever the cost. Aaron was just better at it. He knew when to share and when to keep things to himself. He knew exactly what sort of threat Aston was, now. She, on the other hand, knew next to nothing about him, aside from misinformation.

"I'm not looking to ruin any lives, Aston," he said. "I'm not going to 'win' this thing. I'm pretty much spent. I've tried the whole game to accomplish something productive, to get people out, and you know what? My whole group missed the boats. We watched the damn things sail off, all because we went back to look for Aileen, even after everything she'd done. I think I'm going to die trying to do the right thing, trying to make one last little impact in this game."

He took a deep breath, ran his left hand through his hair. It was matted by now, greasy and unpleasant. He needed a shower. He almost certainly looked awful, looked pathetic. He looked up, though, looked her straight in the eyes.

"Look, Aston, I don't want to fight. You have to do what you have to do. Good luck winning. Me, I'd rather not get gunned down by you. I'm not any threat to your plans. Let me go, we'll never see each other again."

With that, Aaron moved a little, preparing both to stand and to launch himself out of the way if Aston got spooked.
User avatar
Ciel†
Posts: 859
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:30 am

#12

Post by Ciel† »

(Edited due to sleep deprivation)

Something about Aaron's pleas urked Aston.

"How do you manage to kill two people and claim that you don't want to live? If you wanted to die doing the right thing, then why did you hunt down Aileen? You could have let her go, like I could let you go. How is hunting someone down noble..."

And suddenly it all made sense.

And for the first time in such a long time, Aston laughed. A short laugh, almost mocking in a way.

"... oh. Oh, I see."

She shook her head, stifling a laugh. Her grin looked forced, almost sad. Aston wanted to laugh to stop herself from crying. She took a step back.

"Guess I was wrong Hughes. You and me, we're the same. We're both goddamn liars."

Her gun was still.

"I'll see you in hell."

She pulled

A proper gun is supposed to defend, instead this one just cowered. The gun was supposed to provide solace. It was the gun that made Aston feel like a hero. She had kept it out because of that. She wanted to kill Aaron with it because it felt right. It made her happy, as weird as that sounded. Normally a gun was meant for plenty of things. Not this one.

Normally a gun can kill someone but not this one.

Because this one was jammed.

Silence.

Aston's blood went cold.

Aston let go of the gun, it clattered the floor. She reached behind her, grabbing for the gun she left out. Her hand met metal, she pulled it out. She lifted her head, pistol in hand, twisting her arm around. Had to kill him before...

She fucked up.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Ciel. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
MurderWeasel
Posts: 2565
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am

#13

Post by MurderWeasel »

As she started to laugh, Aaron realized he'd messed up. Somewhere in there, he'd tipped his hand. For a few seconds, he furiously tried to figure out where he'd slipped up, but then he clamped down on that train of thought as irrelevant. This was going to get ugly. Aston was graciously warning him. As soon as she was about to fire, he'd move, sideways and towards her. He wanted to close, to narrow the gap between them. The closer he was, the harder it would be for her to keep her gun in position. He just had to escape the first shot. Easy.

She'd just need to move it. She'd just have to stop pointing it at him, just for a second. There was no way he could fail now.

She didn't move it. Instead, she pulled the trigger. Aaron flinched, half-dodged, but nothing happened. Maybe she left the safety on. Maybe she forgot to load it. Aaron didn't know or care. His reflexes kicked in, and he was moving, to the side, just like he planned, and he was drawing his own pistol as he went, aware that there were four shots loaded, aware that the spare clip was in his left pocket, aware that he could probably change it before Aston could even get another weapon drawn.

That was for the future. Right now, he was livid. He wanted to curse her, to scream at her. He wanted to reply with a cool and collected quip, to demonstrate his superiority. He wanted her to suffer. He wanted many things, because she had dared to try to kill him.

What he got was a moment to smile as he fired the first shot in her direction. It probably wouldn't hit. It didn't have to. Here, in an enclosed building, there were only so many places to go, and he wouldn't miss forever at point-blank range.
User avatar
Ciel†
Posts: 859
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:30 am

#14

Post by Ciel† »

(Any gming between me and KV at this point has been approved)

Aaron underestimated his aim. His first shot hit Aston right in the shoulder.

Aston flew back, hitting the wall behind her. There was a loud buzzing in her ears as her body collapsed, legs trembling. She reached her hand out to catch herself against the wall, holding herself up. She let out a gasp as the pain finally hit her.

Aaron shot her. He shot her. Where did he have that gun? Wasn't he just going on about how -

Aaron fired a second time. The bullet went through the wall, dangerously close to her head.

The hand with the gun trembled. If she tried to shoot at him now, she would be a sitting duck. She had to run.

This was when Aston realized that Aaron wasn't firing his gun wildly at her. He only fired two shots off as she was making her retreat. He wasn't desperately trying to kill her, or at least it didn't appear that way. There was a delay. A bullet went through her back, just scraping her. She gasped. Another went into her backpack, and she felt the force of it press her into the wall. Aaron was too close. The next shot would be the end.

Her hand gripped the door frame. The pain stopped briefly as Aston hobbled through the door into the kitchen, swinging herself around the wall. The gunshots ceased, but that was when the footsteps began. Aaron was on her tail. Aston didn't stop to try to retaliate. She just tried to run. The pain came back suddenly, and each of her steps burned. She tried to keep her own footing in check, stumbling across the kitchen, bracing herself against the counter in front of her.

Aaron wasn't rushing either. He wanted to take his time with Aston. As Aston made it to the other side of the counter, Aaron strode through the door. He fired off another round, ricocheting off the counter and through the window behind Aston, wood and dust flying into the air like a cloud of smoke. Aston hit the ground, providing some cover. Pain shot through her shoulder. Aston needed time to breath, to plan out her attack. She clutched at her shoulder, blood staining her hand. She could shake it off. She survived the arrow, she could survive this. It was no longer a matter of thinning out the numbers. She had made a mistake, and now it was about surviving.

It took her a moment to realize that it was completely silent. Aaron had stopped firing at her. He wasn't coming after her. Aston held her breath. He was reloading, Aston figured. Kill him.

Aston took the risk and peeked out, staggering, aiming at Aaron. Aaron wasn't reloading though. He was waiting for her to pop out. She had no chance to dodge it. The next bullet hit her in the chest and it sent Aston sprawling to the floor.

Aston was dazed and confused, but she got up to her knees. She could hear the footsteps. He was approaching the counter. Aston had to think of something.

She looked up. She saw it. There was a room off of the side, a pantry. The door was open. There was a glass door on the other side of the room. It was closed. Aston had no clue whether it was locked or not, but it was a door. She was finding it hard to breathe, but she could make that distance.

Aston took the only option she had available. She just needed a distraction.

Aston did not want to do it, but she had no choice. She took her duffle bag and threw it as hard as she could, in the other direction. Aaron was close, but he couldn't help glancing at the bag as it flew. He quickly returned his gaze to the counter, but Aston was already up and running for the back. She threw herself at it with all of her might. The door flew open with a loud crash.

(Continued in The Mighty Sparrow)
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Ciel. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
MurderWeasel
Posts: 2565
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am

#15

Post by MurderWeasel »

Things went better than planned. The first bullet made contact. From there on out, the power balance irreversibly shifted. The second shot missed. Okay, suboptimal, better to kill her instantly, but she was still bleeding and he was still armed. Two shots left in the clip.

He fired them when he had a good shot. Both made contact, but neither seemed fatal. Aston slipped into the kitchen. That was good. Aaron knew the kitchen. There was no rush. He stalked slowly after her, releasing the clip from his pistol and slotting the new one in, quietly cocking the gun. As he entered the kitchen, he took a shot, missing Aston but shattering a window on the rebound. Aston managed to duck behind the counter, out of sight. It was good cover. Aaron was pretty sure he'd have a hard time shooting her through it, were he inclined to try.

That didn't really matter. Aston couldn't see him, either. There were only so many places she could pop out from. He made sure he had a clear line of fire to all of them, then just waited. Aaron wasn't the most patient person in the world, but there was a difference between waiting for something and savoring victory. He could do the latter for a long, long time, just so long as it wasn't preventing him from actually attaining that victory.

Sure enough, Aston soon broke cover. Aaron smiled, pulled the trigger, and shot her in the chest. She dropped down again, out of sight, but he could hear her moving. She had to be dying now, had to be bleeding out, had to be regretting all her petty little insults of a few moments ago.

She had to be burning for revenge.

That was why Aaron couldn't just let her crawl off to die in a ditch somewhere. There were potentially ten other people out there. While she wouldn't be a direct threat to him again, there was a chance she'd stumble across someone else and warn them. That was a risk Aaron didn't feel like taking.

She was cornered, now, wounded. She was no longer a serious threat on any physical level.

He moved closer, when a flash of motion drew his attention. He flinched backwards for a second, and in that time Aston darted off, showing that she still had more energy left than he had credited her for. Aaron ducked back behind a chair, taking cover of his own to the degree he could in case she'd tossed a grenade in the pack. Five seconds passed without an explosion. Aaron could hear her running, as much as she still could. That was fine. She was wounded. She wouldn't get far. He had all the time in the world.

He went to her pack, picked it up, and slung it over his shoulder, then headed after her, never breaking into a run.

((Aaron Hughes continued in The Might Sparrow))
Post Reply

Return to “The Residential Area”