A Plague on Both Your Houses

[ItzToxie]

(( Jonathan Gulley continued from Real Human Being ))

Jonathan didn't make it too far into the woods before he felt exhaustion come over him. He didn't really want to go much farther anyways, he was afraid that there was a chance he or Mike wouldn't have made it to the vehicle depot. He didn't want another situation like Darius.

He moved off the path and ducked behind a group of trees. He knelt down behind them, waiting.

He closed his eyes and breathed in.

He didn't get a chance to dream before something woke him up. It was odd, night was still there, but he didn't feel too tired. His ears picked up something moving, it moved faster, closer towards him.

He turned his head to look.

"J-Jon!"

(( Michael Crowe continued from Real Human Being ))

"I-I fuckin' did it! It's over!"

Jonathan couldn't believe it, h-he was actually okay! He looked at Michael.

He was covered in blood, but outside of that, he didn't look worse than... he did before the fight. He was grinning like an idiot, and it felt wrong to say it with the implications involved, but Jonathan was glad.

Michael moved up and sat down beside him, panting. "Alex- Alex won't be bothering us anymore..." He laughed, there was a hint of sorrow in it. "It's over."

Jonathan wrapped his arms around him. It was him, everything felt real. "Jesus, y-you idiot! I thought I'd never see you again!"

"I told you I'd never leave you. Not for anything in the world. Nothing's gonna come between us without me knocking it down, you feel me? I promised you, didn't I?"

Michael wrapped his arms around Jon and held him.

"It's over. Nothin's gonna hurt you now. I solved the problem for us."

Jonathan held Michael's hand. It was over now, wasn't it. They had all the time in the world. Even if he knew that they'd die, at least it would be together, they wouldn't go alone.

"You're strong Jon. No matter what happens to me, I know you can do it. I won't ever leave you, but you gotta promise me, you gotta stay strong. I might not ever get the chance to ask you this again. I promise I'll always be with you, but promise me you'll stay strong."

He questioned why Michael told him this of everything.

He never questioned why Mike still had five fingers instead of four.

The sounds of the announcements sent Jonathan a shock as he woke up. He was still there, curled under the tree, Michael's jacket wrapped around him like a blanket.

He looked around. Where'd Michael go? Maybe, maybe's he just gone to get them some water or something. Wait, they already had water though. Maybe he had to use the restroom, or he went back to the docks for some weapons. Maybe...

Jonathan listened to the announcements.

Apparently Jeremy shot Junko while she was bludgeoning him. He... He didn't know how to feel about that. Maybe he could've stopped it if he didn't walk away.

Nancy and Alvaro were dead. Jon hated to say it, but he felt some relief from that. At least Jeremiah and Barry could rest now, right? Maybe.

The next one didn't surprise Jonathan. He was expecting it. A wave of relief washed over him as he heard it.

"We're into the home stretch now and it looks like we have a duel, a one-on-one fight to finish, two men entering and one leaving, you get the idea. To cut to the chase, Michael Crowe and Alex Tarquin had a fight and Michael...

It was over. He felt a smile forming.

lost.

What.
















No. Wait.... How.

B-but... this has to be a joke, h-he saw him, alive! He saw him! He. Saw. Him.

Jonathan's breathing became erratic, he grabbed Michael's jacket, and ran back to the docks.

There he was. That bright blue shirt with the grey and teal flowers. Those ugly sneakers. That goofy fucking haircut that sat on top of a goofy fucking smile...

Blue. Red.

Lots of blue and red.

Jonathan ran closer.

"It's over."

Can't be. Won't be.

"Nothin's gonna hurt you now."

This can't be happening!

"I solved the problem for us."

You lied! You bastard you lied! Y-you... you didn't. You shouldn't have...

He dropped to his knees by the red-stained corpse laying in the fetal position.

"I told you I'd never leave you."

Why? We should have ran off the docks. Y-you...

"This was your way of solving the problem?! Y-y-you get yourself killed over some stupid drama-whore! You- h-how; Why?!"

It was over. It was all over... He didn't even get to hear him say goodbye- he didn't even get the chance to! Why?

Alex... this was... no, no, no, Brendan... He did this. He caused it by killing Jeremiah Larkin. He lied to you, Jon. Then he left and killed again. Michael couldn't take it when Jerry died. It messed him up. He tried to get revenge, then Alex tried to get reven-

It was both of them.

They did this. Alex wanted to be some sort of monster, and Brendan was just in it for himself.

He lied to you, Jon.

He made you think you could trust him, that he'd help you. He held you back, he did it all on purpose.

Michael got caught up in this because of Brendan, and now he's dead because of Alex.

Now what?

It was okay to give up, right? That's what Michael told you to do...

But he didn't. Even after he said he was through, he had to do some stupid machismo shit and get himself killed. H-he should ha-

Michael didn't give up, he fell back into the island, and the island took him.

Jon had nothing left, he wanted to be with him. But if he gave up...

Michael gave him his jacket.

He knew what was about to happen to him. He did this for you.

Jonathan put on the jacket.

Michael went back to his old roots, and it killed him.

Jon knew the same would happen to him if he tried the same.

So he wouldn't try the same, but he wouldn't give up.

He couldn't save anyone, he knew that now.

But maybe...

Maybe there was something else he could do.

(( Jonathan Gulley continued elsewhere))