More Than Truth

[Namira]

Mightyena deserved better than to be a permanent blanket.

First time Garnet caught one, she was like 10 years old. His name was Bitey and she loved him, even though she had to be way more careful about type matchups using him than her other Pokés. She'd got this hoodie when she was about 15, and she wore it more than most everything else she owned, probably only losing out to her hat. Mostly she wasn't wearing it now because like, her other top was cut up to absolute shit and Garnet didn't really know if she could handle the same thing happening to Mightyoodie. Seeing her letterman so fucked up hurt badly enough, soaked in blood and dirt and sweat and god, it was awful. It probably reeked, if she was still able to smell anything properly.

She'd camped again. She was depressingly used to it. To be honest she was so bone tired all the time always that she actually fell asleep pretty easily even on the forest floor. Garnet had developed a quasi shelter, quasi cushioning strategy that very nearly faked like it was working. Better than not sleeping at all. Better than trying to sleep in one of the last couple of shelters. Garnet didn't feel like she could, well, people, after yesterday. Not even someone innocuous and innocent. Not even if they spent the whole time talking about Bitey.

Garnet wasn't sure of the exact time, but knew and was irritated that it wouldn't be too long before the announcement. That thing was as good as an alarm clock, and as the only point of routine, she'd synced to it whether she liked it or not. (Not). She fantasised briefly about ramming her fist down one of the PA speakers and directly down Danya's throat. Her lips twitched into a wry smile. Didn't count as a plan if she knew it was impossible from the start.

She checked her bandages. Her arm looked gnarly as fuck, and her back probably wasn't much better. She thought they were both healing. She was trying to keep them clean and the dressings fresh. She'd borrowed from a bag or two along the way, scavenging supplies for food, water, first aid. Garnet had paid respects as best she could. She didn't like to think about any of it too much. Knowing that she needed what they had didn't make her feel much better about looting. She tried to concentrate on some of the things she'd been told, concentrate on the why and the how. A climate like this, conditions like these, they were ideal to cause infection and festering. Since that sounded like a real bad time, Garnet had done her best, and hoped it was enough. Nothing was turning black or green. That would have to do.

Garnet ate and tried not to taste. A lot of this food wasn't good anymore. Stale, or crumbling, or in tiny pieces. She took a drink. Too warm. Her neck had a crick in it. Her hair felt greasy and stringy.

Somehow, she didn't feel so bad. This all objectively sucked, but yesterday... that was one of the least worst times she'd had. Today, she was out in nature. Garnet could never hate the sounds of animals. Today, a strange kind of tranquility had settled upon her. Restful. Peaceful.

Yesterday, she'd let something go. She wasn't completely sure what that something was.

Too soon, Danya's voice broke through her calm and began to drag her back. Garnet tried to steady herself with a couple of breaths. Steel her mind. Steel her courage. She had to listen.

The very first of the dead was Justin. After everything yesterday, he really had just gone off and got killed. Did that mean Katelynne was right? He'd got what was coming to him. Forced into this situation or not, that was nearly a dozen people he'd killed.

Garnet didn't know. She didn't know about the vengeful 'he had it coming', or the anger she'd felt as she charged him down, shooting and shouting. He was alive, now he was dead, and Ace had racked up another kill for himself. She wasn't so sure that he was a better person than Justin just because he'd killed fewer people. She wasn't so sure killing nobody made you a better person.

Erika's name came next. More murders. Garnet didn't know Matthew well and Zach mostly because he caused trouble. Hearing they were dead just left her hollowed out. Erika had stopped her spree for a time, even after Garnet wasn't with her any more. She knew better than to give herself any credit, and knew better than to be surprised that Erika had slid back into violence. If someone else had intruded while they were together, Erika probably—no, she would had killed them. That she'd left it even an extra day was beyond what Garnet had expected. Maybe it was nothing more than happenstance. No targets. She was long past believing she had any influence on Erika's actions. She'd shot that shot, and missed.

Then it was the last person she wanted to hear.

"Ari..."

Garnet couldn't find tears. When had her heart shrivelled up and died?

She was the last one left.

She'd sort of hoped that they'd run into each other, she just—there'd always seemed to be other things, other people getting in the way of Arizona being the top of her priorities, and now it was too late.

Always too late.

Marco had killed Marceline, who had killed Nick the other day. Was he ignoring his own advice? Did he think it didn't matter anymore? Maybe she'd get a chance to ask, maybe not.

The remainder of the announcement played out, and then Danya got to the danger zone. Garnet's blood ran cold.

"Oh shit! Oh fuck!"

The entire fucking woods!? The wholeass woods!? How the fuck was she supposed to get out of here before—she was dead! She was fucking dead!

Heart yammering a thousand beats a second, Garnet started shoving everything into her bag. She had to go. She had to run. She had to get out of here now. She was going to die she was going to die shewasgoing—

Stop.

Breathe.

Think.

If she panicked, she really would die. Most of the island was eaten up by danger zones by now. Pick the wrong direction, and no amount of running would save her.

The southwest was safe.

Her stomach doing somersaults, Garnet went back into the bag, tried to still her trembling hand. Things were a disorganised mess. Ammunition. Scraps of food. Battered bottle. Wrecked clothing. Compass. Compass. There. Alright. Okay. Southwest. Go. Go.

Garnet took off sprinting. She had no time to be cautious and pick her steps. The person on the button didn't have to play fair. They made the rules. They could be arbitrary if they wanted. She wouldn't be the first.

She hadn't been running for long enough when the collar beeped. She'd braced herself for the noise, but she broke her stride anyway while her heart skitter-scattered, nearly sending herself careening into a tree. Garnet pushed a hand off the trunk, rebounded her momentum, and kept running.

She had to keep going. She couldn't stop for anything. She had no idea of the distance or the ticking of the time bomb.

Her hat peeled off from her head. Garnet snatched it out of the air just as it took flight. The half-twist took her eye off the ground. She tripped.

Around twelve days ago, Garnet had outsprinted her balance and eaten shit. Today, tired and just about as panicked, Garnet fell again.

Her head struck something hard. Sparks shot across her eyes. She rolled twice. Stopped.

Blink.

Blink.

Where...

what...?

she

couldn't

where...

Blink.

Blink.

Beep.

she

was...

just

So fucking tired.

So goddamn tired.

She could lay here, and that'd be it. Just lie down. Let it happen. No more of this. No more pain. No more picking up the pieces. No more plans. No more fighting.

Blink.

Blink.

Her vision cleared.

She could. She could let it go. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. She'd come this far. She'd held on to some part of herself. Not the biggest part, but enough to be worthwhile. Maybe could say something for opting out now, before it got any harder or harsher.

Before her luck ran out.

Before she bloodied her hands.

Her eyes drifted to the hat, now clenched in her fingers. Ragged, sad looking thing.

Blink.

Blink.

Was that blood trickling down her head, or sweat? It didn't need to matter. She could squeeze her eyes shut. If she covered her ears, she probably wouldn't even hear the beeping. She pushed her palms against them.

The noise barely reached her. She could pretend.

This could be it, if she wanted. If she wanted to give up. If she wanted it not to mean anything. If she wanted to let this this be her finale. If she didn't want more than this. If she didn't want to care. If she wanted to toss her chance to say goodbye. If she wanted never to see anyone again.

Her breathing slowed.

Her heart pounded.

Her heart thumped.

Her heart roared.

Get.

Up.

Right.

Now.

Garnet.

Barnes.

She rose.

She rose and she ran.

She ran like hell and she ran for her life.

She ran from despair nipping at her heels.

She ran as her lungs screamed and her limbs screamed and her collar screamed.

And she burst from the woods.

And she saw a building ahead of her.

And she collapsed to her knees, then her face, and she laughed, and she cried, and she laughed.