Well, there was Rainbow now. One big happy reunion. She wasn't happy to see them. She wanted Ajay to stop. Stop? Fuck no. The second she decided Ajay had to die, Seychelle was doomed. She'd picked the wrong target today. That's all it was, and now she was going to pay, regardless if Rainbow wanted it or not. She started getting in the way.
"No! No, damn it! Crazy bitch will kill us! She's already killed two! What are you doing?"
Fuck it. He stood up and turned around to face Rainbow. Wasn't like Seychelle was going anywhere with a broken windpipe anyways. She's as good as dead. "What the FUCK is wrong with you?" He started to feel his adrenaline waning, and started to feel the damage Seychelle had done to his hands, and his face. Knuckles were swelling, bitemarks pulsing, cuts bleeding. He didn't notice it in the blur of things but it was becoming all to apparent she's a lot tougher than he thought.
"Do you not know what the fuck she's done?! She didn't even say anything before she started blasting!"
Why didn't you do it for me? Why didn't you do it for us?
Open
Moderator: SOTF International Staff
Catche thinks my squirrel is Fisk so here's my daily reminder that he is not.
"That doesn't mean she deserves to die!"
She didn't like being talked down to as though she was just an incapable who hadn't heard the announcements. She'd remembered Seychelle's name. She'd remembered what she'd done. She knew what she was doing.
"We can talk this through! We all speak English - we get rid of the gun, we ask what happened, why it happened, and we can figure something out!"
Blood Diamond was sure of her choice, here. She knew that if they came together, if they just sat down and spoke with words instead of bullets or violence, they could come to something. An understanding? An agreement? Something, that was the important part, even if it was just a truce. She owed Seychelle that much from when she abandoned her yesterday.
She didn't like being talked down to as though she was just an incapable who hadn't heard the announcements. She'd remembered Seychelle's name. She'd remembered what she'd done. She knew what she was doing.
"We can talk this through! We all speak English - we get rid of the gun, we ask what happened, why it happened, and we can figure something out!"
Blood Diamond was sure of her choice, here. She knew that if they came together, if they just sat down and spoke with words instead of bullets or violence, they could come to something. An understanding? An agreement? Something, that was the important part, even if it was just a truce. She owed Seychelle that much from when she abandoned her yesterday.
The Bloodied Girl had been standing for a second.
Or a minute.
She raised the gun. It was lighter than it was earlier. Some blood felt out of her mouth, then more out of her nose. She opened her mouth slightly, letting more blood come out. It dripped down from her lips to her chin to her chest to her stomach to the bare floor beneath them. A drop fell on one of her toes. More dripped down.
The Bloodied Girl put the gun to the other's girl head.
And she clicked the trigger.
She wanted to make sure the boy in front of her would become bloodied too, so the Bloodied Girl could have a Bloodied Boy to hurt.
Or a minute.
She raised the gun. It was lighter than it was earlier. Some blood felt out of her mouth, then more out of her nose. She opened her mouth slightly, letting more blood come out. It dripped down from her lips to her chin to her chest to her stomach to the bare floor beneath them. A drop fell on one of her toes. More dripped down.
The Bloodied Girl put the gun to the other's girl head.
And she clicked the trigger.
She wanted to make sure the boy in front of her would become bloodied too, so the Bloodied Girl could have a Bloodied Boy to hurt.
Blood Diamond didn't have much time to think as the bullet travelled through the back of her head and out the front of Rainbow's. All her hands had time to do was clutch onto Ajay's as she fell to her knees. Her last action was tied to her last thoughts.
That Ajay was the closest she had ever been to home as she'd been here, even if it was only in the geographical sense. If the bullet had travelled anywhere else, she might have had time to think about anything else that mattered to her.
But nothing followed that.
That Ajay was the closest she had ever been to home as she'd been here, even if it was only in the geographical sense. If the bullet had travelled anywhere else, she might have had time to think about anything else that mattered to her.
But nothing followed that.
O01 - Rainbow Moseki: DECEASED
“But do I?!” Rainbow was naive, a lot more naive than he’d come to expect from someone kidnapped here. He figured that she’d had to have done something the way he had to have done something to get chosen. The way Seychelle had to have done something to be able to look someone in the eyes before she blasted them. The way the fridge had to have done something to have the mindset he did.
Ajay had came to the conclusion that everyone involved had to have taken part in something to be chosen, but Rainbow seemed to be blissfully unaware of it. The real world. The shit they don’t teach you in schools. The shit you’re taught by learning someone else’s lesson in their place.
“She wasn’t gonna talk! Cunt tried to blerry kill me!”
Truth was, that wasn’t it at all. Luck of the draw, that’s all it was. It’s why so many people killed themselves, or got themselves killed by mistakes. Why people were oblivious. Why they were just examples for one to learn something off of. Like Oscar at the camp, or the dead girl by the fountain. They died and Ajay learned something new. It sucked, but better them than him. Better Seychelle than him.
Seychel-
“Rainbow look o-“ Ajay was too late as the crack of point blank gunfire deafened him. He saw red, nothing but it, and Rainbow was gone. His body was numb and he was looking at his killer. He looked down, and there was Rainbow. Still in his arms. Still blissfully unaware of the danger, of the new bullethole through her head. Woulda been better Seychelle than Rainbow, but here it was. Shoulda been. The only person he could’ve trusted, dead like that.
Rainbow died, and Ajay learned something new.
It sucked, but...
Better you than me.
One hand moved from Rainbow’s to her shoulder. The other moves under her arm. The movement was mechanical, a reflex. A move he’d liked to think he wouldn’t have done if she were alive, but he had a gut feeling it wouldn’t have changed much.
He raised Rainbow in front of him, between him and Seychelle. It came to him easier than it should’ve.
Ajay had came to the conclusion that everyone involved had to have taken part in something to be chosen, but Rainbow seemed to be blissfully unaware of it. The real world. The shit they don’t teach you in schools. The shit you’re taught by learning someone else’s lesson in their place.
“She wasn’t gonna talk! Cunt tried to blerry kill me!”
Truth was, that wasn’t it at all. Luck of the draw, that’s all it was. It’s why so many people killed themselves, or got themselves killed by mistakes. Why people were oblivious. Why they were just examples for one to learn something off of. Like Oscar at the camp, or the dead girl by the fountain. They died and Ajay learned something new. It sucked, but better them than him. Better Seychelle than him.
Seychel-
“Rainbow look o-“ Ajay was too late as the crack of point blank gunfire deafened him. He saw red, nothing but it, and Rainbow was gone. His body was numb and he was looking at his killer. He looked down, and there was Rainbow. Still in his arms. Still blissfully unaware of the danger, of the new bullethole through her head. Woulda been better Seychelle than Rainbow, but here it was. Shoulda been. The only person he could’ve trusted, dead like that.
Rainbow died, and Ajay learned something new.
It sucked, but...
Better you than me.
One hand moved from Rainbow’s to her shoulder. The other moves under her arm. The movement was mechanical, a reflex. A move he’d liked to think he wouldn’t have done if she were alive, but he had a gut feeling it wouldn’t have changed much.
He raised Rainbow in front of him, between him and Seychelle. It came to him easier than it should’ve.
Catche thinks my squirrel is Fisk so here's my daily reminder that he is not.
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DerArknight
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- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
"I hate to say it, but I believe it's about time we make a decision." Fabiano uttered in a lowered voice, despite the fact that there was quite some distance between them and the church.
((Fabiano Vecoli continued from I Hate You, You and especially You))
In the end, their sleeping-schedule had been a success and a bust at the same time. A success because each one of them got at least three hours of rest. Surely not enough to be healthy, but better than the zero hours they might have gotten otherwise. A bust because being in the rainforest when the announcement came on resulted in them almost dying a absolutely stupid and avoidable death. But hey, Fabiano had made it. His two allies had survived as well, which was a nice bonus.
After catching their breaths on the edge of the new Danger Zone, they made the decision to enter the village. Mostly because after that night, all three of them were yearning for more civilization and less nature.
The fishing village turned out to be very old-fashioned and clearly abandoned since ages. It made sense that Jack and his group had chosen an island with zero inhabitants. Setting up all this cameras alone must have taken them weeks.
In the middle of the town was a open square, no doubt the former marketplace of the village. On one side was a church. On the opposite side a big mansion, probably where the mayor used to live. And in the middle a fountain with what had to be the corpse of the Lyberté Renaud.
But before they could investigate further, an array of shots had echoed out of the church. Reacting quickly, the three ran into the nearest building: the aformentioned mansion.
Now, with Fabiano, Philia and Jaxon hiding right next to the big entrance door that Fabiano had shut closed, they probably should start talking about what to do next.
For Fabiano, the case was clear: Unless the people in the church possessed X-ray-vision, they had no clue about the trio. And the gunshots were identical, meaning there was only one firearm involved.
In other words, if they were careful, Philia should be able to shot the shooter and they would gain a new weapon. Two guns were better than one!
But of course there was no way his allies would go along with that directly. He had to somehow convince them to approaching, and then hope that the situation escalated and Philia would come out on top.
"If we want to interfere, we should do so before whatever happens is over. And if we want to not bother, we should be getting out of here before someone notices us."
((Fabiano Vecoli continued from I Hate You, You and especially You))
In the end, their sleeping-schedule had been a success and a bust at the same time. A success because each one of them got at least three hours of rest. Surely not enough to be healthy, but better than the zero hours they might have gotten otherwise. A bust because being in the rainforest when the announcement came on resulted in them almost dying a absolutely stupid and avoidable death. But hey, Fabiano had made it. His two allies had survived as well, which was a nice bonus.
After catching their breaths on the edge of the new Danger Zone, they made the decision to enter the village. Mostly because after that night, all three of them were yearning for more civilization and less nature.
The fishing village turned out to be very old-fashioned and clearly abandoned since ages. It made sense that Jack and his group had chosen an island with zero inhabitants. Setting up all this cameras alone must have taken them weeks.
In the middle of the town was a open square, no doubt the former marketplace of the village. On one side was a church. On the opposite side a big mansion, probably where the mayor used to live. And in the middle a fountain with what had to be the corpse of the Lyberté Renaud.
But before they could investigate further, an array of shots had echoed out of the church. Reacting quickly, the three ran into the nearest building: the aformentioned mansion.
Now, with Fabiano, Philia and Jaxon hiding right next to the big entrance door that Fabiano had shut closed, they probably should start talking about what to do next.
For Fabiano, the case was clear: Unless the people in the church possessed X-ray-vision, they had no clue about the trio. And the gunshots were identical, meaning there was only one firearm involved.
In other words, if they were careful, Philia should be able to shot the shooter and they would gain a new weapon. Two guns were better than one!
But of course there was no way his allies would go along with that directly. He had to somehow convince them to approaching, and then hope that the situation escalated and Philia would come out on top.
"If we want to interfere, we should do so before whatever happens is over. And if we want to not bother, we should be getting out of here before someone notices us."
A good sleeping schedule makes merry men! Or, so they thought before they had almost died.
((Philia Constantinou had continued from somewhere else. Fabiano has the link!))
It would've been extremely funny if Philia had died because she was late for the announcement and stuff and blah-blah, Philia has the absurdest and morbid of thoughts. You'd think perhaps this would be the best time to act on morbid thoughts, to survive among the others, but it seems she simply didn't have the guts to do so.
Or, ya know, she was a regular fucking human being and didn't think murder was a normal thing. But, no, she's just the weak one, you're right.
Hearing the gunshot made Philia jump, raising the rifle rather haphazardly towards the vague direction of the noise...wherever that came from. The church? Yeah, probably.
"We...maybe...we could save-them, whoever they are? Maybe...whoever was shot is alive?"
Oh, wow, how wrong she was. If only she knew what was truly going on. A reunion was about to occur, but it would not be one that would end well. Probably. Maybe.
Who knows really, it all depends on the people with guns more likely than not. But it will definitely seem like one of the original five will be out of the picture for this lovely reunion. What a tragedy.
((Philia Constantinou had continued from somewhere else. Fabiano has the link!))
It would've been extremely funny if Philia had died because she was late for the announcement and stuff and blah-blah, Philia has the absurdest and morbid of thoughts. You'd think perhaps this would be the best time to act on morbid thoughts, to survive among the others, but it seems she simply didn't have the guts to do so.
Or, ya know, she was a regular fucking human being and didn't think murder was a normal thing. But, no, she's just the weak one, you're right.
Hearing the gunshot made Philia jump, raising the rifle rather haphazardly towards the vague direction of the noise...wherever that came from. The church? Yeah, probably.
"We...maybe...we could save-them, whoever they are? Maybe...whoever was shot is alive?"
Oh, wow, how wrong she was. If only she knew what was truly going on. A reunion was about to occur, but it would not be one that would end well. Probably. Maybe.
Who knows really, it all depends on the people with guns more likely than not. But it will definitely seem like one of the original five will be out of the picture for this lovely reunion. What a tragedy.
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Wham Yubeesling
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Bad Idea #1: Staying in the rainforest all night. Like, Jaxon had said it over and over and over again: he wanted to get out of the fucking rain, not stay in it the whole night. Seriously. Worst fucking night of sleep he’d ever had.
Bad Idea #2: Deciding, upon hearing fucking gunshots, that the best course of action was to head towards where they’d heard the noise from.
((continued from I Hate You, You and especially You))
Like, seriously. They’d all hauled ass just to get here and now the plan was to go back out there? To… what, try and save people in this fuckin’ death game? The worst part was that Jaxon really had to hold his tongue to not just instinctively tell them how fucking stupid this all was: he was somehow in a group filled with somebody from the last group he’d (however inadvertently) ditched and some prick he’d been in the middle of kicking the ass of, best course of action was to stay quiet and not give them any more reason to try and turn on him. Do whatever here could give him a little bit of a leg up, get out while the getting was hot.
So, like, if they were willing to kill themselves right where he could loot their gear? Jaxon felt like a little bit of a dick for saying this but, like, they do them. Their choice, his benefit.
“Yeah,” he said. “Worth a shot.”
Just, like, had to make sure they were both in front of him. That he wouldn’t catch the stray bullets they brought towards them.
“Think maybe the one with the gun should take point?”
Bad Idea #2: Deciding, upon hearing fucking gunshots, that the best course of action was to head towards where they’d heard the noise from.
((continued from I Hate You, You and especially You))
Like, seriously. They’d all hauled ass just to get here and now the plan was to go back out there? To… what, try and save people in this fuckin’ death game? The worst part was that Jaxon really had to hold his tongue to not just instinctively tell them how fucking stupid this all was: he was somehow in a group filled with somebody from the last group he’d (however inadvertently) ditched and some prick he’d been in the middle of kicking the ass of, best course of action was to stay quiet and not give them any more reason to try and turn on him. Do whatever here could give him a little bit of a leg up, get out while the getting was hot.
So, like, if they were willing to kill themselves right where he could loot their gear? Jaxon felt like a little bit of a dick for saying this but, like, they do them. Their choice, his benefit.
“Yeah,” he said. “Worth a shot.”
Just, like, had to make sure they were both in front of him. That he wouldn’t catch the stray bullets they brought towards them.
“Think maybe the one with the gun should take point?”
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3432
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- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
((Leander Van Vliet continued from Welcome to the Outside World))
The fishing village was not too large, and there was ample room between the buildings. The streets were generous and wide, and relatively straight. Straight enough, at least, that one could look through a scope from the outskirts of town to the central square by the church and keep tabs on what was going on without having to stand silhouetted against the backdrop.
The gunfire wasn't loud from such a distance, but it was audible. Leander hadn't been looking any way in specific at first, and then he'd tried—and failed—to draw a bead on what had happened, and now he was watching another group of intrepid individuals prepare to conduct the investigation he couldn't from three blocks away.
The ground was damp, but not enough to soak through his clothes. He felt well-rested, all things considered.
"This could get interesting," he said, quietly.
The fishing village was not too large, and there was ample room between the buildings. The streets were generous and wide, and relatively straight. Straight enough, at least, that one could look through a scope from the outskirts of town to the central square by the church and keep tabs on what was going on without having to stand silhouetted against the backdrop.
The gunfire wasn't loud from such a distance, but it was audible. Leander hadn't been looking any way in specific at first, and then he'd tried—and failed—to draw a bead on what had happened, and now he was watching another group of intrepid individuals prepare to conduct the investigation he couldn't from three blocks away.
The ground was damp, but not enough to soak through his clothes. He felt well-rested, all things considered.
"This could get interesting," he said, quietly.
The Bloodied Girl looked at the crumpled body of Rainbow.
It laid next to the other dead boy, and Ajay. The Bloodied Girl kept her gun trained on Rainbow's body as Ajay held it up as a shield. He was next. Or rather, he should be next. She kept her weapon drawn, keeping it pointing toward him. She had to make sure he took a hit.
She wheezed out a response, or an insult.
Was her windpipe really broken? She could still breath, but when she tried to speak, blood flooded her throat. She wheezed again. She'd have to test it out with food. And water.
She picked up Rainbow's bag, her bag that she had stolen after trying to kill her, and got back up. She felt the lack of oxygen to her brain increase, or rather, decrease.
She took a step back, keeping the gun pointed at Ajay.
The Bloodied Girl had to make sure he'd take a hit.
It laid next to the other dead boy, and Ajay. The Bloodied Girl kept her gun trained on Rainbow's body as Ajay held it up as a shield. He was next. Or rather, he should be next. She kept her weapon drawn, keeping it pointing toward him. She had to make sure he took a hit.
She wheezed out a response, or an insult.
Was her windpipe really broken? She could still breath, but when she tried to speak, blood flooded her throat. She wheezed again. She'd have to test it out with food. And water.
She picked up Rainbow's bag, her bag that she had stolen after trying to kill her, and got back up. She felt the lack of oxygen to her brain increase, or rather, decrease.
She took a step back, keeping the gun pointed at Ajay.
The Bloodied Girl had to make sure he'd take a hit.
He didn't say anything as Seychelle backpedaled away, gun pointed at him. Didn't even smirk as she puked up blood all over herself. She should be dead, even with Rainbow's intervention, yet here she was, still standing, still aiming. He wanted to kill her here, but the smart thing to do is cut his losses, let her pass on later.
Course even the smart thing was easier said then done. He wouldn't be able to drag Rainbow that far before he escapes, let alone in the time it takes before Seychelle just shoots him anyways. He looked to his left. Behind Seychelle, behind the altar, there was a back door. It was closer, but he'd have to go through Seychelle to get there.
It'll have to do.
"Sorry gal," He said to Rainbow as he gripped her shirt tighter, raising her up with all his strength, as he began to bumrush Seychelle.
"- But I'm not dying here too!"
He shouted carrying the body in front of him as he sprinted towards the altar.
Course even the smart thing was easier said then done. He wouldn't be able to drag Rainbow that far before he escapes, let alone in the time it takes before Seychelle just shoots him anyways. He looked to his left. Behind Seychelle, behind the altar, there was a back door. It was closer, but he'd have to go through Seychelle to get there.
It'll have to do.
"Sorry gal," He said to Rainbow as he gripped her shirt tighter, raising her up with all his strength, as he began to bumrush Seychelle.
"- But I'm not dying here too!"
He shouted carrying the body in front of him as he sprinted towards the altar.
Catche thinks my squirrel is Fisk so here's my daily reminder that he is not.
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DerArknight
- Posts: 682
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"Sounds like a plan." Fabiano said with a nod. A plan that wouldn't result in him being in the most danger, which was the most important thing.
He turned to Philia. "I say we slowly advance, using the fountain as cover as long as possible. Once we reach the church, we take a fast look inside." Then he remembered something. "Hold on a moment."
Fabiano opened his backpack and pulled out the blue smoke bomb, presenting it to his two allies.
"This is the weapon those bastards gave me. A total of six smoke bombs. They are not lethal and don't have a big radius, but should cover enough area to make it harder to get a clean shot. In the case we need to leave, I will throw one between us and the enemy so they can't aim at our backs."
Telling the two about his trump card was a risk. But so was not telling them. After all, if he suddenly pulled out a weird object and set it on fire, they could think it was a grenade or something else and mess things up. Better to avoid any misunderstandings. However, he didn't tell them how experienced he was with them.
After checking that his lighter was still working, it was time to set out. "Let's go."
He turned to Philia. "I say we slowly advance, using the fountain as cover as long as possible. Once we reach the church, we take a fast look inside." Then he remembered something. "Hold on a moment."
Fabiano opened his backpack and pulled out the blue smoke bomb, presenting it to his two allies.
"This is the weapon those bastards gave me. A total of six smoke bombs. They are not lethal and don't have a big radius, but should cover enough area to make it harder to get a clean shot. In the case we need to leave, I will throw one between us and the enemy so they can't aim at our backs."
Telling the two about his trump card was a risk. But so was not telling them. After all, if he suddenly pulled out a weird object and set it on fire, they could think it was a grenade or something else and mess things up. Better to avoid any misunderstandings. However, he didn't tell them how experienced he was with them.
After checking that his lighter was still working, it was time to set out. "Let's go."
This sucks. Shit sucks. Philia had the gnawing belief in the back of her mind that the two guys were forcing Philia forward, kinda like bait. But she'll do it to protect her friends!
"Right. That's a plan. I'll go first, you guys can...can go behind me. Let's get to the fountain first."
As she started to walk forward.. "Smoke bombs? That's awesome. Right, that's our plan B. Fountain, so we aren't so open." She nods at the 'let's go' and starts going towards the cover.
"Right. That's a plan. I'll go first, you guys can...can go behind me. Let's get to the fountain first."
As she started to walk forward.. "Smoke bombs? That's awesome. Right, that's our plan B. Fountain, so we aren't so open." She nods at the 'let's go' and starts going towards the cover.
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Wham Yubeesling
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“Cool.”
And they moved. Kinda almost a shock when they went out in the open and didn’t immediately get murdered but they moved and they actually covered ground and they all actually made it to the fountain. Jaxon, obviously, kept himself at the back. He’d watched the distance for any indication that he might need to bolt another direction. He’d also watched Adrian — look, dude went at him literally last night, fucking nothing was going to make Jaxon trust him — made sure, if the time came to it, that Jaxon could be the one who got the jump.
Nothing happened, though. They made it to the fountain without incident, somehow. Was cause to celebrate. Or, really, like, stand around in silence for three seconds before Jaxon piped up.
“So… what next?”
And they moved. Kinda almost a shock when they went out in the open and didn’t immediately get murdered but they moved and they actually covered ground and they all actually made it to the fountain. Jaxon, obviously, kept himself at the back. He’d watched the distance for any indication that he might need to bolt another direction. He’d also watched Adrian — look, dude went at him literally last night, fucking nothing was going to make Jaxon trust him — made sure, if the time came to it, that Jaxon could be the one who got the jump.
Nothing happened, though. They made it to the fountain without incident, somehow. Was cause to celebrate. Or, really, like, stand around in silence for three seconds before Jaxon piped up.
“So… what next?”
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MurderWeasel
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The scope led rather than followed. Strange what a difference intent made.
The plan had been simple. Lay low, check out any commotion, capitalize if an opportunity presented itself and there was sufficient justification. What was transpiring now was the execution of that plan. Commotion had been identified: the gunfire blocks away and the group moving to investigate it. The opportunity was clear: said group was in a poorly defensible position relative to Leander's spot, focused as they were on the more immediate threat of the shooting.
Justification, though?
There was the fact that this battle was real and was heating up, evidenced by another announcement and the corpse fallen near the group. There was the looming threat of death should killing prove too odious. But beyond that, there was the boy in the orange hat, who matched the description of a certain stair-pusher well enough.
There was the option to pause, take a moment and consider, confirm and debate the ethics, but most likely that would result in Leander psyching himself out yet again. When he'd been alone, confidence had been hard to come by, but with a broader purpose, with what he'd seen and been told, with what had to happen for progress to be made? If he couldn't pull the trigger, he might as well have followed in the footsteps of the boy at the beach.
The flicker of doubt was brief. If he was wrong, it changed nothing in the grand scheme of things. The boy still had to die. From a distance, quick and clean—what was that if not a mercy?
This was a much farther shot than any of the fruit had been, and the movements of a boy were nothing like the swaying of tree branches in the wind.
Still, Leander settled the sights as best he could, held his breath, and then let it go as he finally pulled the trigger.
The plan had been simple. Lay low, check out any commotion, capitalize if an opportunity presented itself and there was sufficient justification. What was transpiring now was the execution of that plan. Commotion had been identified: the gunfire blocks away and the group moving to investigate it. The opportunity was clear: said group was in a poorly defensible position relative to Leander's spot, focused as they were on the more immediate threat of the shooting.
Justification, though?
There was the fact that this battle was real and was heating up, evidenced by another announcement and the corpse fallen near the group. There was the looming threat of death should killing prove too odious. But beyond that, there was the boy in the orange hat, who matched the description of a certain stair-pusher well enough.
There was the option to pause, take a moment and consider, confirm and debate the ethics, but most likely that would result in Leander psyching himself out yet again. When he'd been alone, confidence had been hard to come by, but with a broader purpose, with what he'd seen and been told, with what had to happen for progress to be made? If he couldn't pull the trigger, he might as well have followed in the footsteps of the boy at the beach.
The flicker of doubt was brief. If he was wrong, it changed nothing in the grand scheme of things. The boy still had to die. From a distance, quick and clean—what was that if not a mercy?
This was a much farther shot than any of the fruit had been, and the movements of a boy were nothing like the swaying of tree branches in the wind.
Still, Leander settled the sights as best he could, held his breath, and then let it go as he finally pulled the trigger.