"No," Alexander said, "it sure wasn't."
He was talking very quietly, enunciating every word clearly, like every time he was truly livid. It was only years of practice that gave him the ability to keep his cool to even this cursory degree. He wanted to throttle Louisa for her idiocy, but it wasn't right. She was stupid, and stupid was not a capital offense. She'd cost a life, but all things considered it had been the best possible life to be lost, one which had probably been forfeit anyways. She had been nearly divinely lucky, though, and Alexander really doubted she realized that. Now, they were all still in danger, and she was still probably ignorant of the fact, but at least it was a controlled sort of peril. Louisa was probably only a threat to Lenny, and Alexander figured he could neutralize that quickly enough. Lenny was not in a good state, but the announcements came on just then, providing a happy point of conversation regarding Brian's relative merits as anything other than a piece of trash. Also, the boy was massively outnumbered.
"You've got two choices," Alexander said to Louisa. "You can hand the gun to Chris so we know there won't be any more issues, or we can part ways once we're somewhere safe, no bad blood."
Relying on Chris to be the voice of reason behind a deadly weapon felt like a horrible, last-ditch solution, but it beat leaving Louisa in control of it now that she'd shown her true colors. It shouldn't have been such a surprise that she was so much like Maxim, but Alexander was disappointed all the same. It'd be something to reflect upon later.
He raised his voice then, calling out down the path.
"Lenny, we don't want trouble, but, man, you wanna make it, we've got three people and two guns. If you missed the announcements, Brian's been torturing girls and killing kids. Me, I'm trying to stop that stuff. I want to get everyone out okay, you, me, Louisa, Chris, everyone. I wanted to get Brian out, even after everything he did. I think I know how, and you're welcome to tag along, but if you come, we've all got to be cool. If that's too much, just turn around and walk away. No one's going to stop you, and if you don't start carving people up you should be able to fit in nicely if my plan works out anyways."
And that was all that could be said or done, really. Alexander hoped Chris had his back, hoped this wasn't going to become an even worse situation, but hope was all that was left. It was in everyone else's hands now.
That really rankled.
Second Verse, Same As The First
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Brian fell flat on his face, a large hole in the back of his head. Chris stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the body. He felt strangely hollow, even though he had wanted to kill Brian it felt empty. Lenny was saying something about them killing him and Chris just glared at him.
"Shut up Lenny."
Louisa was muttering something about how she had killed Brian. It wasn't the first time she'd been relegated to just saying the same things over and over again. She had done the same thing when she was apologising to Maxim and it hadn't made a difference then either. What did she expect anyway, she had been shooting a gun at him and why would you shoot a gun in something like the Program unless your intention was to seriously harm someone. Even if she had been meaning to just hurt Brian she had succeeded because killing someone was about as much harm as you could cause.
Then came the announcements; as it turned out for maybe the only time in his life Brian had been telling the truth and Felicia had blown her own collar. That hit Chris harder than thinking she had been murdered, the fact she saw no other option but to kill herself. If Chris had meant to protect her he had failed completely and utterly, he had never found her and she had committed suicide to escape from the Program. Chris felt emptier at that moment than he ever imagined he would. Looking at Brian's body he saw the jacket he was wearing - Felicia's.
He moved over to the body as he listened to Alex. Kneeling down he started to pull the jacket off of Brian's body, he didn't care about the blood or the fact he was touching a dead body. Brian had no right to have stolen Felicia's jacket especially since the announcement made it clear he was involved in some way.
Alex presented Louisa with two options; either hand her gun over to Chris or leave. Chris looked up at the two of them. The way Alex was speaking made it clear there was no option C. Alex must have had serious doubts about Louisa if he was a better option. Chris wasn't sure how to feel about that. He finished removing the jacket from Brian's body and held it in his hand. As he stood up Alex was talking to Lenny, trying to explain everything and offer him a place in their group. Chris didn't think it was a very good idea since Lenny didn't seem very stable or reliable. But he didn't speak up about it, Alex had assumed the leader role and if he said anything to disagree he would just damage Alex's credibility as the leader.
When Alex stopped talking he spoke.
"I'd be fine taking the gun, not like I have too much of an investment in this anymore. Anyway, you know I'm still with you regardless, we got this far together. As for you guys," He gestured at Louisa and Lenny. "I'm not going to lie I don't see either of you lasting very long on your own. So it'll be better for you if you stick with us."
If he couldn't save Felicia he may as well try to save as many others as possible. So that at least he would accomplish something good during his time in the Program. He turned to Alex and looked from him to the jacket.
"I'm going to need a little bit of time before we move on."
"Shut up Lenny."
Louisa was muttering something about how she had killed Brian. It wasn't the first time she'd been relegated to just saying the same things over and over again. She had done the same thing when she was apologising to Maxim and it hadn't made a difference then either. What did she expect anyway, she had been shooting a gun at him and why would you shoot a gun in something like the Program unless your intention was to seriously harm someone. Even if she had been meaning to just hurt Brian she had succeeded because killing someone was about as much harm as you could cause.
Then came the announcements; as it turned out for maybe the only time in his life Brian had been telling the truth and Felicia had blown her own collar. That hit Chris harder than thinking she had been murdered, the fact she saw no other option but to kill herself. If Chris had meant to protect her he had failed completely and utterly, he had never found her and she had committed suicide to escape from the Program. Chris felt emptier at that moment than he ever imagined he would. Looking at Brian's body he saw the jacket he was wearing - Felicia's.
He moved over to the body as he listened to Alex. Kneeling down he started to pull the jacket off of Brian's body, he didn't care about the blood or the fact he was touching a dead body. Brian had no right to have stolen Felicia's jacket especially since the announcement made it clear he was involved in some way.
Alex presented Louisa with two options; either hand her gun over to Chris or leave. Chris looked up at the two of them. The way Alex was speaking made it clear there was no option C. Alex must have had serious doubts about Louisa if he was a better option. Chris wasn't sure how to feel about that. He finished removing the jacket from Brian's body and held it in his hand. As he stood up Alex was talking to Lenny, trying to explain everything and offer him a place in their group. Chris didn't think it was a very good idea since Lenny didn't seem very stable or reliable. But he didn't speak up about it, Alex had assumed the leader role and if he said anything to disagree he would just damage Alex's credibility as the leader.
When Alex stopped talking he spoke.
"I'd be fine taking the gun, not like I have too much of an investment in this anymore. Anyway, you know I'm still with you regardless, we got this far together. As for you guys," He gestured at Louisa and Lenny. "I'm not going to lie I don't see either of you lasting very long on your own. So it'll be better for you if you stick with us."
If he couldn't save Felicia he may as well try to save as many others as possible. So that at least he would accomplish something good during his time in the Program. He turned to Alex and looked from him to the jacket.
"I'm going to need a little bit of time before we move on."
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Sideliner*
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 8:12 am
The others were talking shit about Brian. They said he was torturing and killing. How could he trust them? How could trust them, when the thing that was formally Brian laid a few feet away from them?
The announcements came on. Maxim was dead by the hands of Brian. He was a queer. He loved foreigners. Lot of rage in him, lot of tension between him and everyone else, probably got set off somehow. Felicia died, too, not too long ago, by the sound of it. There was an explosion recently, wasn't there? These things went boom if you set 'em off, right? And she killed herself. Brian had nothing to do with it.
"How...how the hell can I trust you," Lenny growled, the pole shaking in his hands, pointed towards the three. "How the hell can I trust any of you? I can't even trust the speakers on this goddamn island! I can't trust anyone on this fucking island!"
The announcements came on. Maxim was dead by the hands of Brian. He was a queer. He loved foreigners. Lot of rage in him, lot of tension between him and everyone else, probably got set off somehow. Felicia died, too, not too long ago, by the sound of it. There was an explosion recently, wasn't there? These things went boom if you set 'em off, right? And she killed herself. Brian had nothing to do with it.
"How...how the hell can I trust you," Lenny growled, the pole shaking in his hands, pointed towards the three. "How the hell can I trust any of you? I can't even trust the speakers on this goddamn island! I can't trust anyone on this fucking island!"
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Sideliner. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
Louisa didn't look away from Brian's body. Alex had given her an ultimatum: either give her gun over to Chris, or leave. Strangely enough, despite what she did, they weren't ready for her to leave. They were willing to keep her around if she relinquished her gun. Chris also mentioned that she probably wouldn't survive on her own. Lenny still was inconsolable, asking how they could trust anyone. All these thoughts poured into Louisa's head.
Stay with them, or go away. Stay with them, or go away.
Louisa stared at the Beretta in her hand. This gun had been with her since the start. It was the government's way of asking her to kill her classmates. She went always three days without firing the damn thing, and now she had taken a life.
National Executor...
Louisa kept her head low. She had a chance to survive with Alex, Chris, and maybe Lenny. Kyle and Carlyle were still alive, so there was a chance of finding them as well. But did she really deserve the companionship?
.....no. I don't.
Louisa lifted her head up and turned to Alex and Chris.
"We don't have to wait until we're somewhere safe. I'll leave now," she said. "I'm sorry I gave you so much trouble. I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but I'm not worth protecting. Stay safe."
Louisa walked past Alex and Chris and back down the path. She needed some time to herself, and she couldn't be a burden to those guys any longer.
((Louisa Bloom continued in What the Water Gave Me))
Stay with them, or go away. Stay with them, or go away.
Louisa stared at the Beretta in her hand. This gun had been with her since the start. It was the government's way of asking her to kill her classmates. She went always three days without firing the damn thing, and now she had taken a life.
National Executor...
Louisa kept her head low. She had a chance to survive with Alex, Chris, and maybe Lenny. Kyle and Carlyle were still alive, so there was a chance of finding them as well. But did she really deserve the companionship?
.....no. I don't.
Louisa lifted her head up and turned to Alex and Chris.
"We don't have to wait until we're somewhere safe. I'll leave now," she said. "I'm sorry I gave you so much trouble. I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but I'm not worth protecting. Stay safe."
Louisa walked past Alex and Chris and back down the path. She needed some time to herself, and she couldn't be a burden to those guys any longer.
((Louisa Bloom continued in What the Water Gave Me))
G014: Mayumi Tendou
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Louisa left. Alexander wished he could have been sad. He didn't really care at present, though. Louisa was apparently suffering from hideous self-esteem, which went to show that she perhaps had just a smidge more analytic ability and self-awareness than Alexander had given her credit for. Still, her reasons for leaving were also idiotic. He'd have tried to talk her down, had there not been more pressing issues.
Chris wanted some time to get himself together. Alexander nodded at him. Lenny was the real issue. Lenny was freaking out, having a total breakdown about how he couldn't trust anyone or anything, not even the announcements. Alexander took a few steps towards Lenny. He kept his rifle held in front of him, pointed up towards the air so as to be at least a little non-threatening, but ready to snap into line if need be.
Lenny had lost a friend. That was probably tough, even if Brian had been a worthless waste of breath. At the same time, Alexander had had enough of self-delusion. It was far too late in the game for that nonsense.
"What do you mean, how can you trust me?" Alexander said. "I mean, come on, Lenny, how thick are you? I just told you what happened, the Brigadier-General told you what happened, Brian said what happened. Every single person's told pretty much the same story, so it's not like there's a bunch of possibilities about what could've happened here. So chill, man."
It was blunt, but blunt had served Alexander this far, had brought Chris into the fold and calmed down Maxim. Compared to that, Lenny should be no problem.
Chris wanted some time to get himself together. Alexander nodded at him. Lenny was the real issue. Lenny was freaking out, having a total breakdown about how he couldn't trust anyone or anything, not even the announcements. Alexander took a few steps towards Lenny. He kept his rifle held in front of him, pointed up towards the air so as to be at least a little non-threatening, but ready to snap into line if need be.
Lenny had lost a friend. That was probably tough, even if Brian had been a worthless waste of breath. At the same time, Alexander had had enough of self-delusion. It was far too late in the game for that nonsense.
"What do you mean, how can you trust me?" Alexander said. "I mean, come on, Lenny, how thick are you? I just told you what happened, the Brigadier-General told you what happened, Brian said what happened. Every single person's told pretty much the same story, so it's not like there's a bunch of possibilities about what could've happened here. So chill, man."
It was blunt, but blunt had served Alexander this far, had brought Chris into the fold and calmed down Maxim. Compared to that, Lenny should be no problem.
Louisa was gone; she had decided that she'd rather face the rest of the Program instead of sticking with them. Chris couldn't pretend to know what was going through her head. In the end he didn't really care. Despite feeling guilty about leaving her behind originally this was different. She had decided to leave by her own free will, regardless of what he or Alex said she would still leave if her mind was truly set on it. Chris knew because he was exactly the same in that regard.
Lenny was making a show of declaring that he couldn't trust anyone. Chris just looked at him and shook his head. He was more and more surprised that Lenny had survived so long every time he heard him speak. It looked like it was a minor miracle. He moved past Lenny making sure he maintained eye contact. He wanted to make sure the boy realised he wasn't going to back down. Alex was busy trying to calm him by pointing out how everyone was telling the same story, so unless everyone had been lying, Lenny was in denial.
As he moved further past Lenny he saw a body lying by a rock, it lacked a head. Moving closer he recognised the clothes.
It was Felicia's body.
Chris slowly moved closer and sat down next to it.
He had finally found Felicia, but he had been too late. She had already become a victim of the Program. He had meant to find her, to save her and look after, after all he still cared about her. Sure they'd broken up, but it had been a mutual thing and they'd remained friends. It took something special to be able to remain friends with someone even after breaking up with them didn't it? Maybe he was just fooling himself, maybe Felicia had felt differently. He was never going to get a chance to find out now.
If he had lost his soul when he'd killed Garritt he had lost his heart with Felicia's death. He felt like something was missing.
He couldn't think of anything to say. An apology didn't even feel like it would be enough. After all she couldn't hear him now. He thought back to when they had been dating, her smiling face.
Chris rubbed his eyes and sighed.
Digging his hand into his backpack he took out the jacket he'd taken off Callison. He turned it over in his hands, looking at it. Looking at all the red stains Felicia's blood had left, he had been so close by as well. If they had been a just little bit quicker he could have saved her.
He grabbed one of Felicia's hands and held it tight.
Letting go of her hand he gently laid the jacket over her body, making sure he covered up the wound caused by the collar.
Standing up Chris took one last look at Felicia.
He closed his eyes and remembered her smiling face again. He didn't want the image of her body to be how he always saw her. Chris slowly ran his hands up over his face, through his hair and down his neck before sighing one last time.
He turned and walked away.
Ignoring Lenny as he returned Chris instead moved up next to Alex and nodded. He didn't feel like saying anything but he was ready to move on regardless.
He didn't care where, just as long as it was somewhere else.
Lenny was making a show of declaring that he couldn't trust anyone. Chris just looked at him and shook his head. He was more and more surprised that Lenny had survived so long every time he heard him speak. It looked like it was a minor miracle. He moved past Lenny making sure he maintained eye contact. He wanted to make sure the boy realised he wasn't going to back down. Alex was busy trying to calm him by pointing out how everyone was telling the same story, so unless everyone had been lying, Lenny was in denial.
As he moved further past Lenny he saw a body lying by a rock, it lacked a head. Moving closer he recognised the clothes.
It was Felicia's body.
Chris slowly moved closer and sat down next to it.
He had finally found Felicia, but he had been too late. She had already become a victim of the Program. He had meant to find her, to save her and look after, after all he still cared about her. Sure they'd broken up, but it had been a mutual thing and they'd remained friends. It took something special to be able to remain friends with someone even after breaking up with them didn't it? Maybe he was just fooling himself, maybe Felicia had felt differently. He was never going to get a chance to find out now.
If he had lost his soul when he'd killed Garritt he had lost his heart with Felicia's death. He felt like something was missing.
He couldn't think of anything to say. An apology didn't even feel like it would be enough. After all she couldn't hear him now. He thought back to when they had been dating, her smiling face.
Chris rubbed his eyes and sighed.
Digging his hand into his backpack he took out the jacket he'd taken off Callison. He turned it over in his hands, looking at it. Looking at all the red stains Felicia's blood had left, he had been so close by as well. If they had been a just little bit quicker he could have saved her.
He grabbed one of Felicia's hands and held it tight.
Letting go of her hand he gently laid the jacket over her body, making sure he covered up the wound caused by the collar.
Standing up Chris took one last look at Felicia.
He closed his eyes and remembered her smiling face again. He didn't want the image of her body to be how he always saw her. Chris slowly ran his hands up over his face, through his hair and down his neck before sighing one last time.
He turned and walked away.
Ignoring Lenny as he returned Chris instead moved up next to Alex and nodded. He didn't feel like saying anything but he was ready to move on regardless.
He didn't care where, just as long as it was somewhere else.
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Sideliner*
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 8:12 am
He was still pushing that line. That line about Brian. That line about him being a creep. He moved closer as he moved his mouth, pushing out garbage Lenny couldn't bring himself to trust. And the gun. The gun. He was moving closer, gun pointed in the air, ready to lower the barrel, point it straight at him, and...
It all made sense now. They were all in on it.
He was next.
Lenny swung out at the bastard, quick and vicious.
It all made sense now. They were all in on it.
He was next.
Lenny swung out at the bastard, quick and vicious.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Sideliner. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Alexander had been ready for a lot of potential reactions from the boy he was approaching. He had been prepared for anger, for repentance, for acceptance. He'd been prepared, mostly, for Lenny to telegraph whatever was coming. Everyone did it. It was one of the things that drove him so crazy about people in the Program; none of them had the common sense to keep a straight face until the time came to act. Even when it worked to his advantage, it niggled a little, like he was getting ahead unfairly because everyone else was incredibly stupid.
That was not a complaint with Lenny—the telegraphing, at least; the boy was plenty stupid. He stepped forward, closing with Alexander at a speed he had not anticipated because it combined with his own forward momentum, and lashed out. Chris had returned to Alexander's side in this time, nodding, and Alexander had turned to glance at him, very briefly, and so he did not see the attack coming. He felt it, rather, a solid blow to the center of his chest. Lenny was a football player, and at Patriot High that meant something.
Alexander was knocked backwards, the wind going out of him and a sharp pain blooming from the point of impact. The rifle went flying out of his hands, flipping over his shoulder and tumbling down the slope. Alexander wheeled his arms, trying to remain upright even as he stumbled backwards two steps. He could feel his left heel hanging over the edge of the path, but it seemed, for that moment, he had stabilized.
The anger running through his mind at the moment was incoherent, beyond words. The audacity Lenny had displayed was shocking, just because it was so brutally, willfully ignorant. Alexander shifted his weight, just a little, getting ready to move, and then everything fell apart.
The path was packed dirt, and the edges had been eaten away over the years through corrosion and use, and now the part of the path supporting Alexander's left foot gave way, gravel and dirt coming loose and rolling down the slope. With his mode of support suddenly yanked from under him, Alexander toppled backwards, flailing for something to grab onto. He caught a handful of grass, but it simply jerked out of the dirt and joined him in his descent.
Things might have turned out okay had the slope been a little less rocky or a little less steep or if there had been something a little higher up to abort his fall, but there wasn't. It was a bouncy slide, kicking up a huge plume of dust, and Alexander felt as his momentum increased, as thorny plants tore at him and rocks battered him. He stuck his right hand out to try in some way to slow himself, and his index finger caught the ground at a bad angle and was pulled back with a pop and a snap. As that pain shot through him, cleaning his mind of all the thoughts and contingencies that had been running through it, it finally occurred to him that he was probably about to die.
He felt like he should have been scared, but he wasn't. There was, instead, a simple lack of comprehension. For all the time he'd spent musing on various subjects, Alexander had never really considered death. Even in the valley, he'd kept it away, because he had honestly believed—or at least fooled himself into believing—that there would be a way for them to make it, and that no matter how many of his allies fell, he at least would be okay. Now that such a thought had been proven untrue, he just did not have the time to parse what it meant.
His back impacted on something hard, and there was a huge surge of pain from the middle of his chest up, and then he went over a ledge and was in free fall for a moment before he slammed into a pile of rocks. There was a flash of light in front of his eyes, and then nothing.
While the impact was not immediately fatal, it did knock Alexander unconscious when he fractured his skull. It took some time after that for him to finish dying, but he didn't know since he didn't wake up again.
That was not a complaint with Lenny—the telegraphing, at least; the boy was plenty stupid. He stepped forward, closing with Alexander at a speed he had not anticipated because it combined with his own forward momentum, and lashed out. Chris had returned to Alexander's side in this time, nodding, and Alexander had turned to glance at him, very briefly, and so he did not see the attack coming. He felt it, rather, a solid blow to the center of his chest. Lenny was a football player, and at Patriot High that meant something.
Alexander was knocked backwards, the wind going out of him and a sharp pain blooming from the point of impact. The rifle went flying out of his hands, flipping over his shoulder and tumbling down the slope. Alexander wheeled his arms, trying to remain upright even as he stumbled backwards two steps. He could feel his left heel hanging over the edge of the path, but it seemed, for that moment, he had stabilized.
The anger running through his mind at the moment was incoherent, beyond words. The audacity Lenny had displayed was shocking, just because it was so brutally, willfully ignorant. Alexander shifted his weight, just a little, getting ready to move, and then everything fell apart.
The path was packed dirt, and the edges had been eaten away over the years through corrosion and use, and now the part of the path supporting Alexander's left foot gave way, gravel and dirt coming loose and rolling down the slope. With his mode of support suddenly yanked from under him, Alexander toppled backwards, flailing for something to grab onto. He caught a handful of grass, but it simply jerked out of the dirt and joined him in his descent.
Things might have turned out okay had the slope been a little less rocky or a little less steep or if there had been something a little higher up to abort his fall, but there wasn't. It was a bouncy slide, kicking up a huge plume of dust, and Alexander felt as his momentum increased, as thorny plants tore at him and rocks battered him. He stuck his right hand out to try in some way to slow himself, and his index finger caught the ground at a bad angle and was pulled back with a pop and a snap. As that pain shot through him, cleaning his mind of all the thoughts and contingencies that had been running through it, it finally occurred to him that he was probably about to die.
He felt like he should have been scared, but he wasn't. There was, instead, a simple lack of comprehension. For all the time he'd spent musing on various subjects, Alexander had never really considered death. Even in the valley, he'd kept it away, because he had honestly believed—or at least fooled himself into believing—that there would be a way for them to make it, and that no matter how many of his allies fell, he at least would be okay. Now that such a thought had been proven untrue, he just did not have the time to parse what it meant.
His back impacted on something hard, and there was a huge surge of pain from the middle of his chest up, and then he went over a ledge and was in free fall for a moment before he slammed into a pile of rocks. There was a flash of light in front of his eyes, and then nothing.
While the impact was not immediately fatal, it did knock Alexander unconscious when he fractured his skull. It took some time after that for him to finish dying, but he didn't know since he didn't wake up again.
M08 ALEXANDER BONHAM: DECEASED
14 STUDENTS REMAIN
14 STUDENTS REMAIN
Alex glanced at Chris when he returned and it was in that brief moment it had happened.
Lenny lashed out and hit Alex in the chest. Alex had stumbled but it looked like he had managed to keep his balance. Then the ground gave way. Alex fell backwards as Chris moved to try and catch him, Chris didn't manage it. His hand grazed Alex who then fell away down the cliff. Dust was thrown into the air as Alex smashed through the undergrowth and the rocks. All Chris could do was watch as he fell further away; eventually Alex fell out of sight. The fall had been long and vicious, Chris didn't hold out much hope that Alex was in a good condition, if he was even alive. Judging by the amount of times he'd been tossed head over heels as he'd fallen Alex had probably hit his head on a rock more than once.
Chris then remembered that Lenny was still behind him. Whirling around Chris moved away from the edge of the cliff, he didn't want to be pushed off like Alex had.
"Why the fuck did you do that?" Chris yelled. He didn't even try to keep the anger out of his voice. Chris sized Lenny up; it didn't look too bad if a fight did break out. Lenny only looked to be a little bit bigger than him. He was heavier than him by at least twenty pounds though, which wasn't exactly a good thing. Chris still thought he would be able to beat him in a straight fight though, Lenny wasn't thinking straight after all.
Chris turned the entrenching tool over in his hand. He wouldn't have felt bad if he had to hurt Lenny, after all Lenny had just sent Alex to his death and Lenny had proven multiple times that he wasn't thinking logically either, claiming that both the announcements and Brian himself had been lying about killing someone. Thinking about it Lenny had most likely broken under the stress of the Program. Chris felt slightly bad for him when he thought about it like that but it didn't excuse what Lenny had just done, regardless of whether he was mental or not.
Chris took a deep breath. He needed to calm down. If the situation escalated someone else was going to get hurt, hell someone else could end up dying. Chris was OK with that honestly. He shrugged his bag off his shoulder. He didn't want it getting in the way if the stare-down went the way he thought it was going.
"Look Lenny I'm going to give you one chance. You can walk away now or you can try to cheap shot me. And I swear Lenny I will fucking hurt you if try the second option." Chris practically growled the threat. He meant every word of it. He didn't even care if Lenny walked away or tried to attack him, he'd be happy either way. He'd lost too much too quickly to give a damn.
Lenny lashed out and hit Alex in the chest. Alex had stumbled but it looked like he had managed to keep his balance. Then the ground gave way. Alex fell backwards as Chris moved to try and catch him, Chris didn't manage it. His hand grazed Alex who then fell away down the cliff. Dust was thrown into the air as Alex smashed through the undergrowth and the rocks. All Chris could do was watch as he fell further away; eventually Alex fell out of sight. The fall had been long and vicious, Chris didn't hold out much hope that Alex was in a good condition, if he was even alive. Judging by the amount of times he'd been tossed head over heels as he'd fallen Alex had probably hit his head on a rock more than once.
Chris then remembered that Lenny was still behind him. Whirling around Chris moved away from the edge of the cliff, he didn't want to be pushed off like Alex had.
"Why the fuck did you do that?" Chris yelled. He didn't even try to keep the anger out of his voice. Chris sized Lenny up; it didn't look too bad if a fight did break out. Lenny only looked to be a little bit bigger than him. He was heavier than him by at least twenty pounds though, which wasn't exactly a good thing. Chris still thought he would be able to beat him in a straight fight though, Lenny wasn't thinking straight after all.
Chris turned the entrenching tool over in his hand. He wouldn't have felt bad if he had to hurt Lenny, after all Lenny had just sent Alex to his death and Lenny had proven multiple times that he wasn't thinking logically either, claiming that both the announcements and Brian himself had been lying about killing someone. Thinking about it Lenny had most likely broken under the stress of the Program. Chris felt slightly bad for him when he thought about it like that but it didn't excuse what Lenny had just done, regardless of whether he was mental or not.
Chris took a deep breath. He needed to calm down. If the situation escalated someone else was going to get hurt, hell someone else could end up dying. Chris was OK with that honestly. He shrugged his bag off his shoulder. He didn't want it getting in the way if the stare-down went the way he thought it was going.
"Look Lenny I'm going to give you one chance. You can walk away now or you can try to cheap shot me. And I swear Lenny I will fucking hurt you if try the second option." Chris practically growled the threat. He meant every word of it. He didn't even care if Lenny walked away or tried to attack him, he'd be happy either way. He'd lost too much too quickly to give a damn.
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Sideliner*
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 8:12 am
The other one. He looked angry. Threatened him. Shouted at him harshly, challenged him to come over and hit him, too. Lenny raised his hand to answer...
but came to another epiphany. The first one fell off. The second one wasn't scared off. Stood right in front of him. Lenny wondered. Maybe he had a gun. Maybe he had some friends hiding somewhere else. Where was that girl? The one who opened Brian's face?
Lenny lowered his hand and dashed off, his bag hanging from his shoulders, the flashlight and stick in his hands.
(Lenny continued in On Your Toes)
but came to another epiphany. The first one fell off. The second one wasn't scared off. Stood right in front of him. Lenny wondered. Maybe he had a gun. Maybe he had some friends hiding somewhere else. Where was that girl? The one who opened Brian's face?
Lenny lowered his hand and dashed off, his bag hanging from his shoulders, the flashlight and stick in his hands.
(Lenny continued in On Your Toes)
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Lenny broke and ran. Chris didn't bother going after him. His grip on the e-tool loosened and he let it fall to the ground. His anger was gone. Chris looked around if only to confirm what he already knew. He was alone. A lot had happened in such a short time, Brian had been shot in the head by Louisa, Alex had been knocked off the cliff by Lenny and he'd found out that Felicia was dead. It had all happened so quickly as well, his reactions just bouncing from event to the other. No time to recover from any of the events just a constant case of reacting. He ran his hands up his face and over his hair, letting out a sigh. He fell backwards onto the floor.
He just lay down for a while, trying to sort out his thoughts. He needed to figure out what he was going to do next. Where did he go now that his partner for the whole of the Program was gone? The truth was he had no idea; Alexander had been the one to come up with all the plans. He had always known what to do, or pretended to at least. Now Chris was going to have to make up his own plans and go his own way.
It was a slightly daunting prospect, especially after having a partner for the entirety of the Program. There was no denying it; he needed to come up with a plan of some sort. The only issue was his mind was drawing a blank; he had no idea what to do. He'd never noticed how good Alex was at actually coming up with a plan. Without him Chris was lost, his mind trying to make sense of everything that had happened so far and trying to decide what the best course of action would be.
That was the point he found his mind drifting back to one of the fishing trips he'd been on with his dad. He didn't remember all of them but he remembered a lot of them. In a way it was surprising his dad even went fishing when he was at home, it was his job after all, Chris thought he would have been sick of it. But that was what you did if you had a passion for something...or if you knew it would make your youngest son who had never seen you before happy.
He'd been bombarding his dad with questions about the Army. It was a pretty standard thing; Chris had always believed that being in the army was something to be proud of. Defending your country and what you believed was a heroic and courageous think to do. At least he'd thought that. That was before he knew that the government forced you into service, just like he had been forced into the Program.
There was one thing that had stuck with Chris though, that was the day his father had explained to him that it didn't matter that he'd been forced into it because he knew he still had something to go back to, and during his service he just remembered how he was fighting for his family.
That was what Chris latched onto; he'd fight for his family and his friends who he had lost, to keep their memories alive. He felt strangely at peace with his choice. He had a new purpose, Alex's idea of getting everyone out of the Program alive had been a nice thought after all but in the end it was an unattainable goal. Some people had just fallen too far and wouldn't have joined them regardless, it was a harsh truth, Chris felt bad to think about it like that but in the end it had been true. Lenny had proven it and so had Brian.
At this stage it was starting to look more like a kill or be killed scenario. Not a pleasant thought by any means but it was becoming the truth.
Chris picked himself up off the floor, grabbing his e-tool and his pack as he did so. As long as he kept his anger in check he had a good chance of surviving, after all he'd lasted this long, even with a partner that was an impressive feat and he'd already killed once before, and who knew maybe it did get easier. Although Chris didn't want to find out he wasn't going to kid himself, sooner or later he'd have to kill again. He just hoped it was later.
He took once last look over the edge where Alex had fallen. A last goodbye to his partner and friend before he started off walking down the path back down into the valley.
((Chris Brooks continued in Mozambique Hammer.))
He just lay down for a while, trying to sort out his thoughts. He needed to figure out what he was going to do next. Where did he go now that his partner for the whole of the Program was gone? The truth was he had no idea; Alexander had been the one to come up with all the plans. He had always known what to do, or pretended to at least. Now Chris was going to have to make up his own plans and go his own way.
It was a slightly daunting prospect, especially after having a partner for the entirety of the Program. There was no denying it; he needed to come up with a plan of some sort. The only issue was his mind was drawing a blank; he had no idea what to do. He'd never noticed how good Alex was at actually coming up with a plan. Without him Chris was lost, his mind trying to make sense of everything that had happened so far and trying to decide what the best course of action would be.
That was the point he found his mind drifting back to one of the fishing trips he'd been on with his dad. He didn't remember all of them but he remembered a lot of them. In a way it was surprising his dad even went fishing when he was at home, it was his job after all, Chris thought he would have been sick of it. But that was what you did if you had a passion for something...or if you knew it would make your youngest son who had never seen you before happy.
He'd been bombarding his dad with questions about the Army. It was a pretty standard thing; Chris had always believed that being in the army was something to be proud of. Defending your country and what you believed was a heroic and courageous think to do. At least he'd thought that. That was before he knew that the government forced you into service, just like he had been forced into the Program.
There was one thing that had stuck with Chris though, that was the day his father had explained to him that it didn't matter that he'd been forced into it because he knew he still had something to go back to, and during his service he just remembered how he was fighting for his family.
That was what Chris latched onto; he'd fight for his family and his friends who he had lost, to keep their memories alive. He felt strangely at peace with his choice. He had a new purpose, Alex's idea of getting everyone out of the Program alive had been a nice thought after all but in the end it was an unattainable goal. Some people had just fallen too far and wouldn't have joined them regardless, it was a harsh truth, Chris felt bad to think about it like that but in the end it had been true. Lenny had proven it and so had Brian.
At this stage it was starting to look more like a kill or be killed scenario. Not a pleasant thought by any means but it was becoming the truth.
Chris picked himself up off the floor, grabbing his e-tool and his pack as he did so. As long as he kept his anger in check he had a good chance of surviving, after all he'd lasted this long, even with a partner that was an impressive feat and he'd already killed once before, and who knew maybe it did get easier. Although Chris didn't want to find out he wasn't going to kid himself, sooner or later he'd have to kill again. He just hoped it was later.
He took once last look over the edge where Alex had fallen. A last goodbye to his partner and friend before he started off walking down the path back down into the valley.
((Chris Brooks continued in Mozambique Hammer.))