Shack Attack

[CondorTalon]

((Shawn Bowe-Crooke continued from In This Thread A Timeskip Happens.))

Back here again.

Shawn had been debating whether or not to approach the shack, especially with the painful memory that he had come to associate with it. This was where Becky had to be a bitch and attack him. But it was more than that. This was where he'd failed to save a life. If he hadn't told Yumi to run maybe she wouldn't have died. If he'd managed to stop Becky she wouldn't have gone and killed. He'd almost considered turning around right then and there, but he didn't.

Because shelter was shelter, and he had to take what he could get. For both of them.

"In here," he said, "this should be a good place to stay."

He opened the door.

Of course, they'd have to deal with just a few things first.

There was a body here, head missing. It must have been one of the people who had stayed in a danger zone, Nancy or Tori or Josephine or whoever.

Shawn had never had to deal with a dead body before, but it was looking more and more like he'd have to.

He picked up the corpse, by the arms, trying desperately not to look at the stump where the neck used to be. He dragged it out of the shack as quickly as he could.

He'd brought it a few feet away from the shack itself, before dropping it. He felt like he would retch, but he didn't. Somehow.

He went back inside, breathing the air in. There was still a stench, but they'd just have to deal with it.

"Alright... uhh. I guess we can rest here for a bit. We should... you know, take turns sleeping. Someone has to keep watch."

[MurderWeasel]

((Robin Pounds continued from In This Thread A Timeskip Happens))

"Alright," Robin said. "Watch. That makes sense."

She yawned.

The shack looked good to her. It was shelter, and that was more than she'd had since the start of her time in the valley. She couldn't feel her feet anymore, but she imagined they hurt. Her eyelids were heavy, and her mind wasn't working too quickly. There was a buzzing in her head, both a feeling and a noise, and she wanted it to go away.

Rest had always been Robin's way of coping with illness, and now all of her muscles were aching and reminding her that she'd not had any in probably longer than any other point in her life. There was no cozy bed to curl up in, no chicken soup to slurp down. There was just valley and other people fighting and dying.

The body wasn't very welcoming, but Shawn dealt with it pretty quickly and Robin was so tired she barely cared anyways. She knew there was an awful smell, but it was muted and far away due to her congestion. The shack wasn't too nice, but the simple lack of wind was making a world of difference, even if the chills were still running up and down Robin's legs. She really wished she'd worn some actual pants; tights looked better, but they didn't give much warmth.

She made her way over to a corner, slouched against the wall, and let her eyes drift closed. The aching in her legs lessened immediately as she took the pressure off of them.

"Who's watching first?" she asked.

[CondorTalon]

((GMing approved.))

"I will."

---

Staying awake proved to be a harder challenge than he thought. Robin had fallen asleep quickly, and Shawn was just sitting in a chair. He wanted something to happen throughout the night, for someone to come in, just so he could do something. Anything to keep himself from falling asleep, but no one came.

He tried to keep himself awake by thinking of things. Anything that he could think of, he tried to keep in his mind. What was going to happen to them? A chord, Emin chord, F# chord. He tried to list as many songs as he could remember.

His eyes were getting heavier, but he tried to prevent himself from dozing off.

It was... not... working...

But the crackling of the announcement was able to fully shake him awake. It didn't last for long, as the announcement flew by him without him really understanding.

He needed to wake Robin up, at least.

He forced himself to stand up.

"Hey," he said, moving over to Robin.

He shook her gently.

[MurderWeasel]

"Hey," Robin mumbled. She didn't want to open her eyes, to return to the waking world, but she forced herself to do so. It was, after all, her turn to make sure nobody was sneaking up on them. Besides, she was at least feeling pretty emotionally sound at present. She'd been more than a little worried that Shawn would abandon her while she slept, even though she knew it was irrational and incredibly unlikely given his personality.

"Your turn," she said, smiling. It took a few minutes for Shawn to situate himself, during which time Robin rubbed her eyes and stretched a bit.

The rest had been good. Robin felt refreshed, all things considered. Her fever was clearly still present, but for the first time it felt as if it had abated slightly. She was hot, now, with sweat making her lags and armpits sticky. Her thighs were stiff and sore, and her ankles protested as she moved them, but she was able to distance herself from the pain a little, telling herself that it was at least better than what she had experienced yesterday.

She'd gotten a lot of sleep. Not enough, though; when sick back home she would often sleep for ten hours or more every day. Still, the buzzing was gone from her ears and she felt a little more alert and clearheaded.

She wasn't sure what keeping watch really consisted of, aside from listening at the door in case anyone else came by. Shawn had drifted off, and she didn't want to wake him to ask. She looked out the shack's window from time to time, always finding nothing more than trees. She watched Shawn sleep for a while, but it wasn't very interesting. She stared at the knots in the wood the shack was made from until they twisted and morphed into patterns she could almost recognize, and then after a few minutes of that she blinked and tried to look at nothing at all.

She sat outside for a time, because there were no patterns there to distract her, even though the wind made her shake and shiver again. She didn't want to let Shawn down by getting distracted and putting him in a dangerous situation, not now that they finally had a place of their own, where they could lie low and wait things out. Things were going to be good now, good between them. Robin knew this was true, because nobody would find them here, and if nobody else interfered then they would be okay.

But just in case, she sat in front of the shack, staring off into the trees.

[jimmydalad]

((Bailey Williams continued from In This Thread A Timeskip Happens))

What was going through her mind? Honestly, Bailey didn't know. She was on the hunt again. She took some time to think about her actions, and came to the conclusion that if she didn't do something to stop Robin, she was just setting up for disaster in the long run. She claimed she was innocent, but Bailey had her doubts. She had to. It was the only way to retain her sanity. After all, she was a killer. How could she be innocent?

So she crept along, following them and saw the shack. It was not the same as the one she went to before, but still. Once she found the shack, she waited. Waited for the right opportunity. She couldn't back down, like she did before. No. This time, she had to take action. If she didn't, she would be letting a killer have a chance to kill again. That couldn't happen. She couldn't let it happen. She didn't want another death like Gerald's.

She heard the announcement. Heard the names. Felicia had died. She didn't know how to feel about that. Her injury must have caught up with her. Then she heard Anastasia. Not only did she kill Gerald, but she killed someone else. How dare she. When Bailey found her, she would get her revenge. She would get her revenge for the death of Gerald. Tas needed to die. For the good of the country and the game. There was no denying she was a killer.

The opportunity came though for her to attack Robin. She saw her outside, probably taking watch. She didn't know how much time had passed, but Bailey knew this would probably be her last opportunity to do something.

She shook the trees. She made sounds. She did everything to get her attention and drag her away from her post. She continued to do this until they reached a clearing. Now would be the time she would confront her.

Now she would kill her.

[MurderWeasel]

Robin was staring into the trees, watching the nothing, when the first sound came. It was subtle, a little rustle in a particularly dense clump of pine trees, each one no more than twice Robin's height. She wouldn't have given it a second thought had it not recurred a few moments later. Robin squinted, trying to make something out, but all she could see was the trees and the shadows between and beneath them.

Something was there. She didn't know what—or, as was more probable, who—but she was almost certainly being watched. A tingle went down her neck, amplified by a shiver. Her scalp felt tight. Something was wrong.

It was more than being watched. Nobody had attacked yet, so maybe they didn't plan to. Maybe they were just watching and would flee. That would be best. Robin wanted Shawn and the shack all to herself, and if everyone else was willing to leave them be, then she was willing to return the favor.

Just in case, though, she glanced around, looking for something to defend herself with. The brick she had pried from beside the house had served her well, but she had left it in town. About halfway to the cluster of trees, however, Robin could see some stones strewn about, covered in moss. One of them would probably suffice. Nature provided.

Her breaths were speeding up. She could feel her body tensing for action, but that was silly. She was hoping that whoever was out there would just go away and get killed somewhere else. And what if it was a bear or something? But, no, a bear wouldn't make so much noise while apparently trying to stay quiet. It had to be one of her classmates, maybe one no less wild than the bear she feared, maybe one twisted or crazed after their time in this valley. Maybe one who was almost reasonable, but who just couldn't see that their best bet was to leave Robin alone lest her hand be forced again.

Then there was a greater noise, one that still sounded like the person might be trying to be silent and just failing, but louder due to the movement. They were turning, Robin thought, leaving. Leaving her alone, alone with Shawn. Fleeing, just like she'd wanted.

Except they weren't running. They were creeping away, trying to keep her from knowing they'd ever been there. Maybe that was prudence.

Robin didn't believe it.

There were other possibilities. Maybe the person was just beating a temporary retreat, planning to come back and attack once Robin was out of sight. Maybe, worse, they were going to run off and tell other people where she was. Maybe they would bring back more people, attack in force, not even give her the chance to explain what had happened. It could be the boy from town, for all she knew, the one who had driven her and Shawn from their last safe haven, preparing to do so once more.

She had to know. She had to be ready, to make sure that they were leaving instead of causing trouble. Robin stood, and slowly made her way towards the trees. On the way, she stooped and scooped up a nice rock, a chunk of rose quartz that was about the size of her fist, smooth on one side and pointy on the other. It was white and pink, with darker veins running through it almost like blood, and Robin had to blink a few times to convince herself that they weren't flowing and spreading.

The other person was making more noise, now, sounding like they were picking up the pace. That could have been evidence of them being legitimate in their retreat, but it could also just mean that they were aware of Robin having noticed them, and that could be bad indeed. She needed certainty, and so she picked up her own pace.

Somewhere in the blur of dirt and trees and chilly breeze, any pretense of subtlety was lost on both parts and it became a pursuit. Robin's heart hammered in her chest and her ears, but she kept going, swallowing down against the mucus that pooled in her throat and tried to slow her breathing, pushing on despite the pain and stiffness in her legs. She wasn't that fast, but neither was whoever she was chasing; they barely managed to maintain enough of a lead to keep Robin from seeing them. Whoever it was had to be in rough shape.

And then, a few minutes after it all began, when Robin was panting and the shack seemed so very far away, she pushed between two trees and found herself in a clearing, and the chase was over because her target was standing right there. Robin blinked and wheezed.

"H-hi, Bailey," she mumbled.

The girl was standing there, as if waiting for her. That didn't make sense. She'd been running away, and she looked a little winded but not about to drop. Bailey had her bag, which Robin would have expected her to abandon had she been trying to flee with maximum speed. It seemed her instincts had been right. This was not a simple case of someone stumbling upon her and then running away again.

The problem was, she had a rough idea of what it really was, now. She was far away from Shawn, out of breath and unprepared, and here was this girl waiting for her. She had probably blundered right into a trap, though it remained to be seen if she was the target. Shawn was back at the shack, and now there was nobody watching over him, and what if Bailey had friends there right now, killing him at this moment? Had Bailey killed anyone herself? Robin couldn't remember. It didn't matter. She had to be ready, had to do what she had to do to deal with yet another girl intent on messing up everything. It was just a matter of finding an opening, a way to slip away or a time when Bailey let her guard down. They always let their guards down.

"What brings you here?"

[jimmydalad]

She waited for Robin, expecting the girl to come alone. She was hoping she didn't warn Shawn. That would be bad. Bailey had to get Robin as far away from him as possible. She was a danger to anyone around her, Shawn was no exception of course. Why did he find her innocent? Was he entranced? Taken in by her sweet words and sickly nature? She was often sick and if she was sick, she would pity her. However, the act of murder was too much of a transgression for her to be forgiving.

She eventually saw her emerging from the bushes. A smirk became plastered on her face as she saw the girl panting, obviously tired from following her. It seemed like she was alone. Good. Her plan worked. She had to do this. If she didn't, then Bailey was going to let her escape. She would probably kill again. That couldn't happen. That shouldn't happen. Not on her watch at least.

"What brings me here? Well, the truth and divine retribution." Bailey confidently declared, withdrawing her gun and aiming it at Robin. Her eyes were fierce and her face was indiscernible. Her years of poker helped hide any sense of emotion on her face and she wanted the girl to be intimidated before she died. After all, she was a murderer. She should know fear.

"I heard your sappy story to Shawn just before. You think I'm going to believe that bullshit? No. You're a murderer, aren't you? Playing Shawn like a little fiddle while you continue causing "accidents". It makes me sick. I'm doing something for the good of America. I'm going to kill you before you have a chance to do anything else!" Bailey shouted angrily, her face still blank as she advanced towards Robin for a better aim.

"Why did you do this Robin? Do I even need to ask? You killed two people in cold blood. You, the sickly little girl who missed school. Why did you do this? WHY!" Bailey screamed, her last words filled with piercing fury. She was beginning to lose her composure, furious at the person who used to be her schoolmate. No. She wasn't a friend anymore. No. She was a killer. Nothing more.

"I should torture you so that you could feel the pain you gave to those you killed. However, I feel merciful. I'll make this short. Any last words?" Bailey said bitterly, aiming the gun at close range right at Robin's head.

[MurderWeasel]

Robin didn't move. As soon as Bailey started speaking, it became clear that things weren't going to end well here. Like Shawn, Bailey seemed the sort who needed to talk herself into things, but right now she wasn't talking in any direction Robin liked seeing. There were precious few things here to serve as consolation, but at least Bailey implied that she was acting alone, and that she had no interest in hurting Shawn. The removal of that threat let Robin focus a little more, trying to slow her breathing. It was not easy, especially with her runny nose. She wiped the sleeve of her left arm, the arm not attached to the hand holding the rock, across it.

She wondered if what Bailey was doing was common. Did people really go for vengeance so often? Should she have predicted this? Robin now sort of wished she'd watched the Program with her mom. And was her mom watching right now, watching everything happening to her and knowing that they'd never see each other again, even in the event Robin did somehow survive? She hadn't thought about her mom, or about the people watching, since a little after she had pushed Emily off the cliff, and she decided that she hated Bailey for bringing those thoughts back from the depths of her mind. The anger was coming back, and this time it was focused on Bailey and it wasn't just for the interference. There was that, of course, always that, but also she was frustrated by how smug this girl was. She thought she had it all figured out? She thought Robin was stupid, maybe?

Robin had been outsmarted temporarily. She had been worked into a bad situation. They both knew it, but it seemed only Robin understood that this represented only a possible end, not a forgone conclusion. Bailey had become arrogant. She thought she knew everything. She'd heard what Robin said to Shawn? Had she been following them? Certainly, she had not been there in the town. That meant she knew only one side of Robin. It was even there in her rant: the sick girl. Robin was always just the sick girl, the weak little girl everyone pitied except the girls she made fun of.

Bailey was bringing an executioner's mindset to a duel.

Robin smiled for a moment. She couldn't help it. Her lips hurt. The pounding in her head was still there, and while it had briefly faded as she took breathes and recuperated to the extent she could, it was now building again, louder than before. It nearly became a drumbeat in her head, drowning all the ambient sounds of the forest and threatening to render anything else Bailey said inaudible.

"I, uh, I didn't..." Robin started. She thought she'd try a line on Bailey, buy a little more time, but she couldn't even remember what she'd told Shawn and if her stories didn't match what was even the point?

"Whatever, yeah, I killed them. And, you know, I, um, I really appreciate that you're letting me have some final words. It's probably more than I deserve. I'd like to tell my mom that—"

But Robin broke into a coughing fit mid-sentence, hacking and wheezing and covering her mouth and doubling over. She was counting on the fact that Bailey was a half-decent person and wouldn't shoot her before she finished what she was saying. It fit with the self-righteousness. She was also counting on Bailey not bothering to adjust her aim, not worrying about a girl in the middle of a fit of sickness.

Everyone knew Robin as the sick girl. It was what came to mind when she was brought up, and there was a whole lot of validity there; she really did spend an awful lot of time ill. It also meant she knew how to fake it like no one else. Coughing on command didn't even take thought.

And so, in the middle of her coughing, Robin whipped her right hand around and released the chunk of rose quartz, sending it hurtling towards Bailey. She followed, charging and aiming to tackle, to get Bailey to the ground where the gun wouldn't come into play, where there would be a chance for her to gain the upper hand and where at the very least if she died she could punish Bailey for killing her.

[CondorTalon]

((Inactivity avoidance post.))

Shawn was having a weird dream.

He was surrounded by darkness, stretching through to the horizon in every direction. And he was in the middle of it, standing, unsure of what he was doing here or even where he was.

He started walking. As he took steps, his footfalls echoed on the surface of where he was walking. There were sounds coming from all around, the sound of water flowing, the sound of the wind. It felt like he could have been walking in the woods if it weren't for what he was seeing. Or rather not seeing.

Then he saw a figure in the distance, unmoving. He tried to call out to it, but no sound came out of his mouth. But he recognized the figure, so he ran towards it. It was definitely her. Emily was there, and she was alive.

He kept running. He kept running, but he wasn't getting closer. The figure of Emily wasn't getting closer to him. No, she was getting farther away. He didn't know why he was chasing after Emily. No, he was... he had to confirm she was still alive. But the figure kept getting farther away, and soon faded into the blackness. He run quickly slowed to a stagger, and he soon stopped.

Damn it!

He turned around.

He saw the body of Zora on the ground just a few feet in front of him. He took a few hesitant steps. There was no change in distance between him and her.

So he sat down.





Shawn kept sleeping in the shack, unaware of the conflict that was happening just outside.

[jimmydalad]

She was surprised about how calm Robin was. It was unsettling and Bailey's hand began to shake a little. No. She couldn't lose her resolve. Not now. She was so close. So so close. All it took was a shot and after Robin spoke, she would kill. Just like that. She would stop her. She had to stop her. After all, she could continue to kill.

Wait. What was she doing? Bailey realized this as she began to fall into a stream of coughs. Her confidence was being lost with every passing moment as she remembered that Robin was sick. Like all the time. She only remembered brief moments when Robin wasn't out of school due to illness and she always had this sickly frame. She couldn't believe that a girl like her could become a killer.

What was wrong with her? Bailey shook her head. She couldn't pity her. No. She was a killer. She was coughing badly and Bailey fought back the urge to help her. She had to kill her. She was a killer. Just pull the trigger. Her mind was screaming to pull it. Her mind wanted to put her out of her misery and while Bailey tried to will herself to shoot, she found herself unable to.

Suddenly, a pain shot through her right arm and Bailey let out a loud yell as she dropped the gun, the pain overwhelming her with surprise. Her head quickly whooshed towards Robin to see her rushing towards her. Before she even had a chance to act, she was tackled hard and she found herself collapsing to the floor.

That bitch.

She should've seen it. She should've just shot. But she didn't. Now, Robin had the advantage.

And possibly her life.

[MurderWeasel]

Somewhere in there, the gun had come out of Bailey's hand. Robin tried not to laugh. It didn't seem the time for laughter. They were on the ground, now. The landing hadn't been bad, mostly because she'd been on top. Her heart was pounding in her ears, but the adrenaline was keeping her afloat, pushing the stiffness and pain back into nothingness, even if they were sure to return with a vengeance later.

Robin didn't really have any idea what came next. She had never in her life been in an actual fight, and now that she was in close and the immediate threat of the gun was neutralized, she was somewhat at a loss. She flailed, though, swinging her arms and elbows at Bailey, trying to keep the girl distracted. She mostly used her left arm, because her right was otherwise occupied.

Robin knew that she's only had luck with Zora due to surprise and the brick. Now, against Bailey, she no longer had either of those advantages. Bailey obviously realized that Robin was hostile, and the rock had fallen somewhere. Robin didn't have time to spare to look for it.

The gun was much closer, though, she was pretty sure of that. That was what her right hand was seeking, grasping around even as she pressed the attack with her left, trying to pull hair and do anything to keep her foe busy.

[jimmydalad]

The arms and elbows were flying everywhere and Bailey found it hard to do anything but pathetically try to defend herself with her left arm. If only she could use her right arm, she could've done something to fight back. She didn't know where the gun was, but she wished she kept a hold of it. She could've done something.

She was useless though.

"Get off me you bitch!" Bailey yelled out angrily, trying to swipe at Robin's face with her left arm. She knew her efforts were for naught, but Bailey had to put up some semblance of a fight. When she aimed for a swipe, Robin's elbow contacted with her left cheek, causing her to recoil sideways and let out a scream of pain.

She didn't give up though. She couldn't give up. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to do it easily. She had more pride than to just roll over and die. If she was going to die, she was going to take down Robin as much as she could. Bailey started to flail with her whole body, trying to throw Robin off.

"So this is the true Robin! I really should have just killed you. You're scum and the world would be better off without you!" Bailey yelled in her anger, going back to defending herself with her left arm. If she could get her to admit the truth and if she could take her down, Bailey would be happy. However, Bailey realized that she was one of many on the island and there wasn't anything Bailey could do about that. Not in this position.

"If Shawn knew the truth Robin, do you think he would stay? Of course not. You're a madman, a maniac, a bitch and you'll most certainly go to hell." Bailey screamed. She knew it wouldn't do anything, but she had to say it. Robin irritated her so much and while she could only defend herself, she wouldn't let Robin have the satisfaction of just killing her.

Bailey went back to swiping at her face with her nails, hoping to get some semblance of an injury on her. She had yo wound her. She had to do something. She couldn't let her continue. Not at the rate Robin was going. She wasn't going to just be another victim.

She was going to make Robin remember this for the rest of her miserable life.

[MurderWeasel]

Robin started laughing, somewhere in there. It was a wheezy, choking laugh. She didn't know the first thing about fighting, but it was clear that Bailey didn't either. They were two girls lying in the dirt, each smacking at the other left-handed, and it wasn't even going anywhere. It could've been a joking slap-fight between two friends, if it wasn't going to end with Bailey dead.

She was ranting, shouting abuse and telling Robin how horrible she was. The words rolled over her, ran through whatever part of her mind wasn't busy with the fighting. They were mean words, but that made Robin feel better. Bailey was an awful, nasty girl, another mean girl trying to wreck everything, just like all the others. She was just like Zora and Emily. This was all her fault, after all. If she'd not led Robin away, if she'd not picked this fight, then she wouldn't be in this position. Robin had no choice but to kill her or lose everything, while Bailey had had so many options, so many other things she could have done. She had chosen this fate, and now she had the audacity to blame her intended victim for what was happening.

She even tried to drag Shawn into it, and that just made Robin laugh harder. Of course Shawn would be upset at first, when the announcements came on, but he would calm down just like he always did. Did Bailey really think Robin was that simple, that easy to enrage? It was a little insulting.

And all the while, Robin's right hand was searching, groping around for what she knew was nearby.

Finally, her fingers made contact. She smiled more widely, twisted her fingers and brought the gun into her grip, index finger resting on the trigger guard. It was over. She had this. Bailey was dead, now, only she didn't know it yet. It was just a matter of seconds until this excuse for a conflict ended.

Then the girl suddenly dropped her weak defense. Robin hadn't been paying nearly enough attention, having fallen into the pattern of just weakly flailing at Bailey to keep the girl's attention divided, and so she was taken completely by surprise as Bailey's hand came up and raked her across the face. Robin cried out and jerked back, but it was a belated reaction, and her entire face was burning. Robin immediately halted her attack, bringing her left hand up to her right cheek and forehead. She could feel the blood, could feel a loose flap of skin. Her eye was fine—it must have passed between two of Bailey's fingers—but everything else most certainly was not. The longest three fingers of Bailey's hand had drawn over Robin's face, from her forehead to her chin, leaving three symmetrical furrows.

Robin's breathing was speeding up, to the point that she was nearly hyperventilating again, but she'd drawn enough out of Bailey's reach not to get caught by any immediate follow-up. It was a small conciliation. Robin couldn't imagine what harm she had sustained, didn't want to ever have to face it. She felt like she was in a dream, a nightmare or trance. A shattered chuckle slipped through her bloody lips.

It was in this trance-like, automatic state that she swung her right arm into line and squeezed the trigger.

[jimmydalad]

That bitch had the audacity to laugh. That infuriated her. The fact that she couldn't do anything to stop her just made her sick. Why did Tas have to make her right arm useless? It was her fault all of this happened. Maybe if she was smarter, she would have been able to survive. Bailey realized it was only a matter of time before she would die. She lost her gun, Robin was going to find it. It was only a matter of time. She tried to go in, but Robin had an ace up her sleeve.

The scratch across her face was satisfying, to say the very least. Scarring Robin's appearance was most certainly a plus in her book and it marked her as the monster she truly was. She let out a loud laugh, unable to hold in her satisfaction at injuring the girl. She felt the blood drip over her fingers, relishing the feeling of hurting a killer. What was wrong with her? Bailey questioned this for a moment, but then pushed the thought out of her mind and tried to reach up for another swipe.

Pain. Unbearable pain. The familiar sound ricocheted around the entire forest clearing as Bailey tried to withhold the scream that yearned to get out. This wasn't like Tas's shot, no. It went right through her stomach. She could feel the blood slowly dripping out of her and her consciousness started to fade a little. She knew it would happen. It was the way fate played out. She really shouldn't have been expecting anything more.

"I-I guess this is it... you bitch." Bailey whispered venomously into Robin's ear. The glare on her face was prominent and her anger at the girl in front of her was startling. She clutched onto her wound, but made no attempt to move. There was no point. It was the end. She wouldn't get to kill the killer and she would just get to walk away. The moment was bittersweet, with extra emphasis on the bitter. There was no poin in struggling. Not now.

[CondorTalon]

BANG.

Shawn jolted awake. There was very little doubt as to what that sound was. Robin wasn't in the shack either.

"Robin? Robin!" he shouted into the empty shack.

No response. He should have expected this. He had told himself that something like this wouldn't have happened. Shouldn't have happened.

He ran over to the door, threw it open and called Robin again.