He came around the bend just in time to see Princess leaving. She made a quip—at his expense, of course—and went off to god-knows-where, leaving Lucas with Katelynne, who was floundering to explain to him that Tyrell had left to go fight Lorenzo (motherFUCKER) and tripping all over herself to ask if Lucas was okay. For a moment, Lucas considered a lie. He considered telling Katelynne that everything was, in fact, alright, that he just had a stomach ache and needed to lie down in the shade, that she should probably stay inside with him in case he passed out. Not because there were very likely four people, one of whom had attempted to shoot him and then gave up, another one who hadn't seen Lucas since he tried to kill himself, and two unknowns—one of those was probably Sean but Lucas couldn't see that far, and the other who was freakishly tall and he seriously hoped wasn't who he thought it was—oh no, that certainly wasn't the reason. No, he just was feeling sort of ill. It happened! It happened.
Lucas wasn't going to tell that lie.
"We need to hide," he said, walking past Katelynne and into the temple, "I fucked up, and now we need to hide."
The smell of death in the building matched the nauseous feeling in his throat. His vision swam, and his hands twitched. His tongue felt dry, and his eyes were watering.
But it was all worse than that, too. It was not just nausea, but a big sweaty terratomatic lump. He was not just swimming, but drowning in the wooden knots and swirls. Death clung to his nose and turned his eyes to liquid. Dirt clung to his tongue and sucked the moisture from his mouth. As he vampirically stepped sequentially stumbling tumbling down into the temple, collapsing in a heap against one of the walls and panting, breathing hard, he knew that the worst had come to pass. His world was coming unglued, and the people who had any ability to help him were gone.
Well, almost. Katelynne was still here. He didn't know how exactly she could. Help. But having another body to shoot meant that maybe she could escape, or he could make it out, or neither of them would have to die and they could attack whoever came up, or they'd both die, or, or, or—
"Please," Lucas said, beckoning for Katelynne to come inside, "hurry."
i've got one foot in the darkness and the other one in a hello kitty roller skate
day 6, private for now (cw for some suicide talk)
-
MethodicalSlacker
- Posts: 1231
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:18 am
- Location: Here And There Along The Echo
- Contact:
Oh jeez, he was freaking.
"Hey, hey!" Katelynne harshly whispered at Lucas as she rushed behind. But he wasn't listening.
He beckoned- commanded her to come in. She sighed and did just that, squeezing in the door with Tyrell's bag barely plopping through. At least there was no smug angel painting in here anymore.
She gently set the bag down, turned to Lucas and snatched his arm, firm yet concerned, and looked him right in his eyes (or tried to, anyway).
"What did you do?"
"Hey, hey!" Katelynne harshly whispered at Lucas as she rushed behind. But he wasn't listening.
He beckoned- commanded her to come in. She sighed and did just that, squeezing in the door with Tyrell's bag barely plopping through. At least there was no smug angel painting in here anymore.
She gently set the bag down, turned to Lucas and snatched his arm, firm yet concerned, and looked him right in his eyes (or tried to, anyway).
"What did you do?"
-
MethodicalSlacker
- Posts: 1231
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:18 am
- Location: Here And There Along The Echo
- Contact:
"I moved Kyle," Lucas said, avoiding her gaze.
"We didn't really get rid of him, yesterday, Tyrell and I. We set him outside, and I thought we were going to move him further today, but he left so I thought it was my job to get rid of him before you noticed, and I carried him up until the edge of the hill and tripped on a rock and then he fell out of my arms and rolled down and hit some people and now they're gonna probably come kill us."
He didn't like her grasp on his arm. It was too familiar. He wanted to push her away, get her far, far away from him. This didn't feel like the time to be touched.
Yet he didn't struggle. He didn't have it in him. This was too much.
Too much.
"So, yeah, I fucked up. Okay? I fucking fucked up again. Sorry. We're dead. That's how it goes."
"We didn't really get rid of him, yesterday, Tyrell and I. We set him outside, and I thought we were going to move him further today, but he left so I thought it was my job to get rid of him before you noticed, and I carried him up until the edge of the hill and tripped on a rock and then he fell out of my arms and rolled down and hit some people and now they're gonna probably come kill us."
He didn't like her grasp on his arm. It was too familiar. He wanted to push her away, get her far, far away from him. This didn't feel like the time to be touched.
Yet he didn't struggle. He didn't have it in him. This was too much.
Too much.
"So, yeah, I fucked up. Okay? I fucking fucked up again. Sorry. We're dead. That's how it goes."
Katelynne didn't say much at first, or any words really. More like a huff, with her eyes closed.
"...Okay. Okay."
She let his arm go.
"Are you sure they saw ya?"
"...Okay. Okay."
She let his arm go.
"Are you sure they saw ya?"
-
MethodicalSlacker
- Posts: 1231
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:18 am
- Location: Here And There Along The Echo
- Contact:
“No.”
Lucas shook his head.
“But they’re probably gonna come and see what the hell pushed the corpse down, right? It’s what, uh, fuck, well I’m not even close to smart, but it’s what I’d do.”
Lucas shook his head.
“But they’re probably gonna come and see what the hell pushed the corpse down, right? It’s what, uh, fuck, well I’m not even close to smart, but it’s what I’d do.”
Katelynne eyed Lucas over as he spoke. He was shaking so much. His shirt was caked in so much blood and sweat and bile and so many other gross fluids. Just like the kid at the beach the first night.
"...They might. Might not." Her voice was as calm and authoritative as she could muster against her own pulsating heart.
If what Lucas said was true, it might be beat to just hang in here for a hot minute. Worst case, hide if they came knocking. If that was what happened then so be it; she got to get real good at hide-n-seek the last few days, and Lucas had the sorta vibe that he knew his way around making himself disappear too.
But Princess was still out there. Tyrell, too. Who the heck knew where either went. Or how far away they were.
Katelynne was done hiding.
She drove towards the door with steady footsteps. Her heart beat even faster.
"...Sit tight for a second."
She slipped into the light, and then she was gone.
"...They might. Might not." Her voice was as calm and authoritative as she could muster against her own pulsating heart.
If what Lucas said was true, it might be beat to just hang in here for a hot minute. Worst case, hide if they came knocking. If that was what happened then so be it; she got to get real good at hide-n-seek the last few days, and Lucas had the sorta vibe that he knew his way around making himself disappear too.
But Princess was still out there. Tyrell, too. Who the heck knew where either went. Or how far away they were.
Katelynne was done hiding.
She drove towards the door with steady footsteps. Her heart beat even faster.
"...Sit tight for a second."
She slipped into the light, and then she was gone.
-
MethodicalSlacker
- Posts: 1231
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:18 am
- Location: Here And There Along The Echo
- Contact:
Lucas watched her go. It was all he could do to stop himself from calling out after her, from begging her to stay with him. He didn't want to die alone.
He found his way over to his bag, unzipping it with a trembling hand. The red rusted crowbar stared back at him from inside. Lucas picked it up with both hands and held it tight, falling back against the wall. If the group was gonna come up and fight, Lucas was going out swinging.
It brought him some calm, gripping the crowbar. Like a metal security blanket. With it in his grasp, Lucas felt fine waiting for Katelynne to come back. Or for the group on the cliff to come up with her head on a pike. He'd be waiting. Ready. Waiting.
And waiting.
And waiting.
He found his way over to his bag, unzipping it with a trembling hand. The red rusted crowbar stared back at him from inside. Lucas picked it up with both hands and held it tight, falling back against the wall. If the group was gonna come up and fight, Lucas was going out swinging.
It brought him some calm, gripping the crowbar. Like a metal security blanket. With it in his grasp, Lucas felt fine waiting for Katelynne to come back. Or for the group on the cliff to come up with her head on a pike. He'd be waiting. Ready. Waiting.
And waiting.
And waiting.
Several minutes passed.
And then several more.
A knock on the door, and then Katelynne reappeared. She brushed the hair from her face as she approached Lucas, with the crowbar in his hands.
"I think we're in the clear. Ain't no one come by, and I ain't heard nothing else so... yeah."
She grabbed his arm again, this time in a soft and gentle caress. "Look, I know you were just doin' what was best. Just... please be more careful, okay?"
She gave one good squeeze before pulling away.
"We should probably just hang in here for a bit, anyway, just to be safe. Princess and Tyrell should be back soon, so I don't reckon we should cause any more trouble until then."
And then several more.
A knock on the door, and then Katelynne reappeared. She brushed the hair from her face as she approached Lucas, with the crowbar in his hands.
"I think we're in the clear. Ain't no one come by, and I ain't heard nothing else so... yeah."
She grabbed his arm again, this time in a soft and gentle caress. "Look, I know you were just doin' what was best. Just... please be more careful, okay?"
She gave one good squeeze before pulling away.
"We should probably just hang in here for a bit, anyway, just to be safe. Princess and Tyrell should be back soon, so I don't reckon we should cause any more trouble until then."
-
MethodicalSlacker
- Posts: 1231
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:18 am
- Location: Here And There Along The Echo
- Contact:
This time, Lucas wasn't as ready to push Katelynne away. She came back. She wasn't just reassuring him that everything was going to be fine and then leaving. There wasn't an ambulance and a police car outside. She was staying with him, on his terms. Even when she pulled away again, he felt more at peace, because she wasn't going to leave.
He was still freaked out, though. Even if they weren't here yet, they'd probably start moving once they got themselves together. If Princess and Tyrell came back soon enough, it'd be no trouble, but something told Lucas that one or both of them wouldn't come back whole. There were a lot of dangerous people out there. Waiting. Gnashing their teeth.
Lucas shivered a bit.
"Staying put is fine with me."
A painful memory rose to the surface, bubbled up, and popped.
He was still freaked out, though. Even if they weren't here yet, they'd probably start moving once they got themselves together. If Princess and Tyrell came back soon enough, it'd be no trouble, but something told Lucas that one or both of them wouldn't come back whole. There were a lot of dangerous people out there. Waiting. Gnashing their teeth.
Lucas shivered a bit.
"Staying put is fine with me."
A painful memory rose to the surface, bubbled up, and popped.
"Good." Katelynne nodded, and her frown unfrowned ever so slight.
Her eyes dropped from Lucas, staring straight at—or rather, through—his torso. She brushed past him, grabbed the straw broom (that was all curved from assumed excessively violent sweeping and looked like it'd definitely seen better days and honestly should've been put out to pasture a long time ago if Katelynne had any say in it) sitting by the wall, and shoved it into Lucas's hands already occupied with the crowbar.
"Clean up those marshmallows and knock down all the cobwebs in here for me and I'll forgive ya," her voice squeaked with the best Mom voice she could muster. "I better not see a single spider or lucky charm by the time you're done."
She didn't wait for an answer or any backsass before disappearing towards the backroom.
Her eyes dropped from Lucas, staring straight at—or rather, through—his torso. She brushed past him, grabbed the straw broom (that was all curved from assumed excessively violent sweeping and looked like it'd definitely seen better days and honestly should've been put out to pasture a long time ago if Katelynne had any say in it) sitting by the wall, and shoved it into Lucas's hands already occupied with the crowbar.
"Clean up those marshmallows and knock down all the cobwebs in here for me and I'll forgive ya," her voice squeaked with the best Mom voice she could muster. "I better not see a single spider or lucky charm by the time you're done."
She didn't wait for an answer or any backsass before disappearing towards the backroom.
Later…
If there were wolves on the island, they would’ve been stalking him. Though it hadn’t taken too long to run from the Temple to the Manor, running back was certainly not an option. Not when every second step was a limp, and carrying the haul of supplies he’d scavenged off of Lorenzo. Enough to arm everyone, and a collar radar to give them a greater measure of safety. Occasionally he flicked it on when he heard rustling in the woods, but the device didn’t read any active collars each time.
Nevertheless, he kept the Uzi at the ready. After a few minutes walking, his mind wandered back to a conversation with Lucas the day before. How it had been his birthday when this all went down. He was glad to not run into anyone on the way; Lucas would need the ammunition.
He never seriously considered it, but parts of his body began begging him to just give up. Especially when he laid eyes on the Temple again. Paradoxically, the closer he got the more he wanted to quit.
Everything hurt, nothing made sense, and every solitary moment brought more attention to the feeling like he was something other than flesh and blood and injuries and bad memories, that there was something underneath just begging to be set free, and that there had to be some gentle way out, and he’d know it when he saw it, and-
((Tyrell Lahti continued from Hello, My Name is Human))
The front door of the Temple lurched open as Ty kicked it forward with his good foot. He was a mess of torn clothes and blood, bruises and cuts both large and small from broken glass. The long, shallow slash across his chest wasn’t bleeding badly, but it still glistened. Under one arm, he still carried the pillow from the Manor House's drawing room.
On seeing his companions, a bright smile flashed across his face. It didn’t look like it belonged there. Ty stumbled into the Temple, shutting the door behind him with another errant kick to the door. He slumped onto one of the trunks that probably once held cult vestments, and set the heavy bag of supplies down next to him.
“Lorenzo’s dead.” Ty didn't really have to say how. "Happy Birthday Diaz -"
He looked directly at Lucas, flicked the safety on the Uzi, and held it and the collar tracker out towards him.
“- here’s an Uzi and a gadget that tracks collars out to a hundred yards or so. How’s that for some fucking clout?”
-
MethodicalSlacker
- Posts: 1231
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:18 am
- Location: Here And There Along The Echo
- Contact:
"GOD-FUCK!" Lucas shouted as Tyrell kicked open the door, dropping his broom in surprise.
He'd been sweeping for God knows how long, dutifully doing as Katelynne told him. A little cleaning to take his mind off of stuff. It didn't really work, instead leaving him to ruminate and ferment and fester and just grow more terrified of someone walking in on him cleaning, defenseless, which is exactly what Tyrell had just done. The broom clattered to the floor, the handle making a loud tapping noise before it settled, motionless. In the corner just behind Lucas a large pile of marshmallows had been collected, with some cobweb fragments on top. Lucas had started with the area closest to the door and had been standing on the far side of the temple when Tyrell came in, putting him as far away as was possible in the space.
As Tyrell came forward, Lucas suppressed the instinctual urge to run and instead walked forward to meet him. He looked really, really bad. His forehead was slashed open, bruises covered his neck and his face, there was a shard of glass sticking out of his shoulder, and this was to say nothing of the large gashes on his chest and his leg. As Tyrell sank onto the trunk, Lucas reached out to try and ease him down, to steady him and make sure he didn't fall over. He didn't know where to touch, though—the last thing he wanted was to accidentally push a shard of glass deeper into Tyrell's skin, so his arms hung there in front of him, awkward like a T-Rex.
He came bearing gifts, it seemed.
Lucas took the Uzi and weird radar machine gingerly, not knowing exactly what to do with them. They filled his empty, grasping, Lego-person hands, and so he clutched them tight. It didn't yet strike him just how important these were. The bag of supplies on the ground undoubtedly held more treasures. But that was all far from his mind, despite his occasionally flickering gaze towards them.
"Holy fuck, Ty," he stammered, "you don't need to get cleaved to get clout, holy shit, hold on, fuck, I—"
He turned around and looked at his bag. There was a snowflake's chance in hell that Tyrell would survive these wounds. Gaping maws of torn flesh, howling for infection. Beyond his pay-grade. Lucas was not getting paid.
"You look like you need some fucking morphine or something," Lucas said, "holy fuck."
If his hands weren't full, he'd have one to his mouth.
He'd been sweeping for God knows how long, dutifully doing as Katelynne told him. A little cleaning to take his mind off of stuff. It didn't really work, instead leaving him to ruminate and ferment and fester and just grow more terrified of someone walking in on him cleaning, defenseless, which is exactly what Tyrell had just done. The broom clattered to the floor, the handle making a loud tapping noise before it settled, motionless. In the corner just behind Lucas a large pile of marshmallows had been collected, with some cobweb fragments on top. Lucas had started with the area closest to the door and had been standing on the far side of the temple when Tyrell came in, putting him as far away as was possible in the space.
As Tyrell came forward, Lucas suppressed the instinctual urge to run and instead walked forward to meet him. He looked really, really bad. His forehead was slashed open, bruises covered his neck and his face, there was a shard of glass sticking out of his shoulder, and this was to say nothing of the large gashes on his chest and his leg. As Tyrell sank onto the trunk, Lucas reached out to try and ease him down, to steady him and make sure he didn't fall over. He didn't know where to touch, though—the last thing he wanted was to accidentally push a shard of glass deeper into Tyrell's skin, so his arms hung there in front of him, awkward like a T-Rex.
He came bearing gifts, it seemed.
Lucas took the Uzi and weird radar machine gingerly, not knowing exactly what to do with them. They filled his empty, grasping, Lego-person hands, and so he clutched them tight. It didn't yet strike him just how important these were. The bag of supplies on the ground undoubtedly held more treasures. But that was all far from his mind, despite his occasionally flickering gaze towards them.
"Holy fuck, Ty," he stammered, "you don't need to get cleaved to get clout, holy shit, hold on, fuck, I—"
He turned around and looked at his bag. There was a snowflake's chance in hell that Tyrell would survive these wounds. Gaping maws of torn flesh, howling for infection. Beyond his pay-grade. Lucas was not getting paid.
"You look like you need some fucking morphine or something," Lucas said, "holy fuck."
If his hands weren't full, he'd have one to his mouth.
"What's going on?" Katelynne called from the backroom, running towards the commotion. "Is it Princess or Ty-"
The relief at Tyrell's return froze into shock upon seeing all of the gashes and war injuries. She hightailed it for the medical kit. Her hands trembled as she opened and fumbled around its contents.
"I don't, uhm... what do we gotta do?"
The relief at Tyrell's return froze into shock upon seeing all of the gashes and war injuries. She hightailed it for the medical kit. Her hands trembled as she opened and fumbled around its contents.
"I don't, uhm... what do we gotta do?"
In spite of Lucas’ reaction, Ty smiled and offered a pained shrug.
“Eh, it could be worse, I could’ve been shot. He didn’t-”
Katelynne appeared, Ty giving her a nod as he noted her similarly shocked expression. He took a deep breath an settled into his spot atop the trunk. It felt nice to get off his feet. Nice to have made it back here, back to people who wanted him there. Even if the looks of shock on their faces weren’t especially comforting.
“-didn’t go down without a fight.”
They wanted to know what to do. It seemed obvious to him.
Relax. Slow down. Treat what they could, and save the rest of the supplies for when they really needed them.
Some of the injuries he’d sustained would heal faster and nicer over time if they were given attention but Ty couldn’t give himself an honest estimation of how much time he felt he had left, or even deserved.
Ty looked aside, towards his shoulder. The pain from the piece of broken glass was kind of indistinguishable from the general malaise he felt everywhere else. In a way it was almost hard to particularly identify, like picking out once voice in a crowd.
They seemed to feel, they looked like people, he knew they were as complicated on the inside as he was, and yet it was hard to look at Katie or Diaz or the Temple itself and see anything past shapes and textures and colours. Like it was all strangely distant to him and the messy ways he’d tried to define himself.
Yet as much as he didn’t really want to be, he was still here. Already won, already lost, and still somehow in the fight.
Well, that’s enough of that.
He reached up and pulled the shard out, and let it fall to the floor. Perception rushed back to him, and the glassy look in his eyes quickly faded away.
“Shit, sorry. Umm - well, I think the only one I’m really worried about is this.”
He pointed vaguely to the slash across his chest.
“Didn’t connect, he just winged me. Still hurts like a bitch. The rest are just skin deep, they’ll settle down, I don’t give a fuck. I'll be fine. Don’t waste your first aid shit on them. Just this one.”
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was unfazed by cuts on his arms and bruises on his body. Cuts on the body were a new, and entirely terrible sensation. If they could do anything to keep it from getting worse, that would be nice.
Maybe he’d earned the right to ease his own pain, even just a little.
Ty casually tore his already-mangled tanktop off and cast it to the floor. It wasn’t green anymore. He grabbed the pillow again, almost presenting it with a certain level of pride.
“Found me a pillow, I fucking missed pillows. Alright. I, uhh - I’m gonna have a lie down. If you guys could help me with the nasty cut, then I’d feel a little better.”
Ty stood up from the trunk, stumbled over to the spot on the floor he’d slept the night before, and set himself back down as gently as possible, tucking the pillow underneath his head. He took a shaky breath in, as he felt the numbing, electric character of his pain give way to a dull, persistent ache. It wasn't so easy to ignore or set aside when he didn't have a goal, or a direction to force himself in.
Ty took another breath in, closing his wet eyelids and steeling himself to an uncomfortable sensation he could feel lurking in the background.
"M-maybe if you just - I dunno, if one of you guys could please just stay here with me for a bit, I'd um, I'd appreciate it."
“Eh, it could be worse, I could’ve been shot. He didn’t-”
Katelynne appeared, Ty giving her a nod as he noted her similarly shocked expression. He took a deep breath an settled into his spot atop the trunk. It felt nice to get off his feet. Nice to have made it back here, back to people who wanted him there. Even if the looks of shock on their faces weren’t especially comforting.
“-didn’t go down without a fight.”
They wanted to know what to do. It seemed obvious to him.
Relax. Slow down. Treat what they could, and save the rest of the supplies for when they really needed them.
Some of the injuries he’d sustained would heal faster and nicer over time if they were given attention but Ty couldn’t give himself an honest estimation of how much time he felt he had left, or even deserved.
Ty looked aside, towards his shoulder. The pain from the piece of broken glass was kind of indistinguishable from the general malaise he felt everywhere else. In a way it was almost hard to particularly identify, like picking out once voice in a crowd.
They seemed to feel, they looked like people, he knew they were as complicated on the inside as he was, and yet it was hard to look at Katie or Diaz or the Temple itself and see anything past shapes and textures and colours. Like it was all strangely distant to him and the messy ways he’d tried to define himself.
Yet as much as he didn’t really want to be, he was still here. Already won, already lost, and still somehow in the fight.
Well, that’s enough of that.
He reached up and pulled the shard out, and let it fall to the floor. Perception rushed back to him, and the glassy look in his eyes quickly faded away.
“Shit, sorry. Umm - well, I think the only one I’m really worried about is this.”
He pointed vaguely to the slash across his chest.
“Didn’t connect, he just winged me. Still hurts like a bitch. The rest are just skin deep, they’ll settle down, I don’t give a fuck. I'll be fine. Don’t waste your first aid shit on them. Just this one.”
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was unfazed by cuts on his arms and bruises on his body. Cuts on the body were a new, and entirely terrible sensation. If they could do anything to keep it from getting worse, that would be nice.
Maybe he’d earned the right to ease his own pain, even just a little.
Ty casually tore his already-mangled tanktop off and cast it to the floor. It wasn’t green anymore. He grabbed the pillow again, almost presenting it with a certain level of pride.
“Found me a pillow, I fucking missed pillows. Alright. I, uhh - I’m gonna have a lie down. If you guys could help me with the nasty cut, then I’d feel a little better.”
Ty stood up from the trunk, stumbled over to the spot on the floor he’d slept the night before, and set himself back down as gently as possible, tucking the pillow underneath his head. He took a shaky breath in, as he felt the numbing, electric character of his pain give way to a dull, persistent ache. It wasn't so easy to ignore or set aside when he didn't have a goal, or a direction to force himself in.
Ty took another breath in, closing his wet eyelids and steeling himself to an uncomfortable sensation he could feel lurking in the background.
"M-maybe if you just - I dunno, if one of you guys could please just stay here with me for a bit, I'd um, I'd appreciate it."
-
MethodicalSlacker
- Posts: 1231
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:18 am
- Location: Here And There Along The Echo
- Contact:
Tyrell wanted him to stay.
On one gun-filled hand, that was fine. He had the tools to defend them in the night. Lucas didn't feel like sleeping anytime soon anyway. In the evening when he still had daylight he could figure out how the gun worked. His first real, real weapon. It hadn't quite hit him all the way yet. This could kill a person. A crowbar could too, and that metal keyblade maybe, and the Minecraft sword if he stuffed it down someone's throat and stepped on their chest and choked them out, but the gun was simple. He didn't have to get all that close. Maybe he understood Erika a little better now. If you don't have to show yourself, then why should you? One piece of the puzzle fell into place. Of course, that didn't explain why she'd kill innocent people, but Lucas didn't want to think too much about that in case it'd make him angry.
On the other, radar-filled hand, he wanted to get out of here. He could track Erika down. Now was probably a good time, too, before she got any more prizes from the terrorists. She didn't know he had the tracker, and thus he had the element of surprise on his side. With the gun, he didn't need to put anyone else's lives in danger by making them flank her or bait her into coming out of hiding or anything like that. He could fight her on his own now.
But the thought still terrified him, somewhat. He'd never fired the gun. He'd never killed someone. He'd barely ever hurt someone before. Lucas still wasn't ready for this.
"I'll stay with you," Lucas said, "and, hey, maybe you can show me how this gun works, if you're feeling up to it."
A pause.
"Do you know how guns work?"
On one gun-filled hand, that was fine. He had the tools to defend them in the night. Lucas didn't feel like sleeping anytime soon anyway. In the evening when he still had daylight he could figure out how the gun worked. His first real, real weapon. It hadn't quite hit him all the way yet. This could kill a person. A crowbar could too, and that metal keyblade maybe, and the Minecraft sword if he stuffed it down someone's throat and stepped on their chest and choked them out, but the gun was simple. He didn't have to get all that close. Maybe he understood Erika a little better now. If you don't have to show yourself, then why should you? One piece of the puzzle fell into place. Of course, that didn't explain why she'd kill innocent people, but Lucas didn't want to think too much about that in case it'd make him angry.
On the other, radar-filled hand, he wanted to get out of here. He could track Erika down. Now was probably a good time, too, before she got any more prizes from the terrorists. She didn't know he had the tracker, and thus he had the element of surprise on his side. With the gun, he didn't need to put anyone else's lives in danger by making them flank her or bait her into coming out of hiding or anything like that. He could fight her on his own now.
But the thought still terrified him, somewhat. He'd never fired the gun. He'd never killed someone. He'd barely ever hurt someone before. Lucas still wasn't ready for this.
"I'll stay with you," Lucas said, "and, hey, maybe you can show me how this gun works, if you're feeling up to it."
A pause.
"Do you know how guns work?"