"No. Not at all. That did not work for me one bit."
Louisa had listened carefully to what Brian had to say to justify not being killed in that instant, and all it did was remind her of how much she loathed him as an individual. She kept the gun trained on him in case he did anything fishy. She had some things to say to them, and she needed him to hear her out.
"I'm sorry, but that explanation had a lot of flaws in it. First of all, nothing Maxim said that day would justify incarceration and execution. He's only sixteen, and he's certainly not capable of domestic terrorism in any sense. Second, you use the term 'undesirables' in a very subjective way. Presently, I think you're a very 'undesirable' person. You're cruel, you're closed minded, and you live your life based on hatred and fear. I personally think you're a coward, and this country doesn't need cowards to lead it, so it would be my duty to kill you right now. I guess that would make me a 'true American' for having such foresight."
"So, Mr. Callison, let me ask you one more thing. If I were to kill you in this very instant, depriving you of the future you've dreamed about, would you still be glad that you got put in this game? Think about it. You'll never go to college, you'll never live your dream of being a politician, you'll never have a trophy wife, you'll never have children to carry on your legacy, and you'll never be recognized as anything more than that one kid who got killed by that one girl in that one version of the Program."
"Would you still be okay with that?"
Destiny Makes A Fool Out Of You And Me
G014: Mayumi Tendou
-
MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3518
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
((Alexander Bonham continued from Real American))
Alexander was not in a very good frame of mind, even before he cleared the tree line. The group had managed to keep quiet and out of any confrontations during the day, just as planned. The announcements had come and gone twice, letting them all know where they stood and confirming Garritt's death. Everyone had gotten a little rest in between them. They hadn't been back to the burned-out ruins yet, but had set out in the direction again once night fell.
Travelling should have been easy. He and Chris had managed it just fine the night before, and Maxim had gotten around alright on his own. Three was a little more difficult to keep track of than two, however, especially since they didn't always walk close together. Alexander had a suspicion someone in the Program might have explosives, and he wasn't at all keen on the idea of everyone going out in one big burst of shrapnel. He'd seen what had happened to the little murderous girl last cycle when she lost track of her own grenade. No reason for things to end that messily.
The problem was, at some point in there, Maxim slipped away. Of course it was Maxim that would get separated. Alexander had tried not to get too upset, but it had been a real test of character. Maxim was the one most in need of attention and companionship, the one who could least handle the emotional weight of getting split off. He should've known better, and yet, he was gone.
All the same, Alexander had not rushed after the boy. That would've just gotten them all separated. The last thing he wanted was to lose Chris and then not even catch up with Maxim in the end. Instead, he'd made slow, steady progress, trying to follow evidence of disruption in the undergrowth and faint sounds in the distance. Alexander was no tracker, but Maxim couldn't have gotten much of a lead. The whole thing felt ridiculous, like it could be something in a farce were the stakes not so high. In Alexander's head, a big old rant was building, a recounting of all the ways that getting lost jeopardized not just individual lives but their collective chances and the chances of everyone they hadn't recruited yet to make it out of this.
The embryonic rant was washed from Alexander's mind by the screams. They weren't far off, and they made his breath catch. No way, absolutely no way was he going to stand by again. Maybe Maxim was involved. Maybe not. Alexander hoped it was the latter; the last thing Maxim's psyche needed was more violence. Whatever the case, this sounded like a situation that demanded action.
"Come on," he called to Chris, and then he was off, dropping his folding chair into his hand and running towards the source of the noises. He'd never been a natural at track team, and he cursed that fact as he closed in and the screams died and a gunshot rang out. Something bad had happened.
It might be too late to help.
Thinking like that wouldn't do anyone any good. Alexander wasn't trying to be quiet. He emerged from the trees at the edge of the ruin, could see a couple figures indistinctly up ahead. They both still seemed alive, at least, but both seemed armed and probably dangerous. He slowed his pace some, but kept moving towards them. No going back now. He needed some answers, in a real hurry.
Alexander was not in a very good frame of mind, even before he cleared the tree line. The group had managed to keep quiet and out of any confrontations during the day, just as planned. The announcements had come and gone twice, letting them all know where they stood and confirming Garritt's death. Everyone had gotten a little rest in between them. They hadn't been back to the burned-out ruins yet, but had set out in the direction again once night fell.
Travelling should have been easy. He and Chris had managed it just fine the night before, and Maxim had gotten around alright on his own. Three was a little more difficult to keep track of than two, however, especially since they didn't always walk close together. Alexander had a suspicion someone in the Program might have explosives, and he wasn't at all keen on the idea of everyone going out in one big burst of shrapnel. He'd seen what had happened to the little murderous girl last cycle when she lost track of her own grenade. No reason for things to end that messily.
The problem was, at some point in there, Maxim slipped away. Of course it was Maxim that would get separated. Alexander had tried not to get too upset, but it had been a real test of character. Maxim was the one most in need of attention and companionship, the one who could least handle the emotional weight of getting split off. He should've known better, and yet, he was gone.
All the same, Alexander had not rushed after the boy. That would've just gotten them all separated. The last thing he wanted was to lose Chris and then not even catch up with Maxim in the end. Instead, he'd made slow, steady progress, trying to follow evidence of disruption in the undergrowth and faint sounds in the distance. Alexander was no tracker, but Maxim couldn't have gotten much of a lead. The whole thing felt ridiculous, like it could be something in a farce were the stakes not so high. In Alexander's head, a big old rant was building, a recounting of all the ways that getting lost jeopardized not just individual lives but their collective chances and the chances of everyone they hadn't recruited yet to make it out of this.
The embryonic rant was washed from Alexander's mind by the screams. They weren't far off, and they made his breath catch. No way, absolutely no way was he going to stand by again. Maybe Maxim was involved. Maybe not. Alexander hoped it was the latter; the last thing Maxim's psyche needed was more violence. Whatever the case, this sounded like a situation that demanded action.
"Come on," he called to Chris, and then he was off, dropping his folding chair into his hand and running towards the source of the noises. He'd never been a natural at track team, and he cursed that fact as he closed in and the screams died and a gunshot rang out. Something bad had happened.
It might be too late to help.
Thinking like that wouldn't do anyone any good. Alexander wasn't trying to be quiet. He emerged from the trees at the edge of the ruin, could see a couple figures indistinctly up ahead. They both still seemed alive, at least, but both seemed armed and probably dangerous. He slowed his pace some, but kept moving towards them. No going back now. He needed some answers, in a real hurry.
((Chris Brooks continued from Real American))
Chris had to wonder if he was pleased with what had happened or if he felt bad. Maxim had gotten separated from them at some point. Chris couldn't make up his mind because on the one hand it was Maxim and he had been consistently ignoring the boy since they had visited the place where he had impaled Garritt. Chris hadn't said anything instead he had just picked up his discarded e-tool from where Garritt had left it. That was something that caught him off guard. Garritt had pulled the e-tool out of his stomach and crawled or stumbled away. It made him feel worse if anything, removing the e-tool had to have been as painful if not more painful than when he had first been stabbed with it.
The announcement had confirmed as much, Garritt had bled out slowly. Chris hadn't reacted to the announcement and neither Alex nor Maxim had said anything about it. They had gotten some rest after that before heading back out during the night, heading for the ruins, where everything between the three of them had begun. Maxim had gotten lost at some point after that. Whether he had had a change of heart about working with him and Alex or just lost track of them Chris couldn't say. He had been focused on his own problems. He had fallen asleep for a little while when they had stopped to rest and the dream hadn't been pleasant. It had involved blood and crying. Chris had been trying to avoid thinking about it for the duration of the walk.
As soon as they had realised Maxim was gone they had turned back and tried to find any sign of where he had gone, they eventually found some sign and had been slowly following it since. Neither of them were trackers though, so their progress had been slow, it was taking them longer to spot any signs that someone had passed by than it would have for someone who knew what they were doing. They had allowed Maxim into the group though so they were responsible for him, no matter how much Chris didn't like it. Chris didn't know how long they had been following Maxim's trail for before they came within sight of the treeline but neither of them had much time to take that fact it.
There were screams and they were close. Alex called out to Chris before taking off at a run, Chris followed behind him, moving slower at first. He was busy pulling his e-tool out of his bag. He swung his bag back in place as he flipped the e-tool out. He could see the dried blood on it, Garritt's but pain no attention to it. He quickly caught up with Alex as a gunshot rang out sending his adrenaline into overdrive. The screams had stopped but he kept up his pace, breaking through the treeline a split-second after Alex.
There were two people that he could see through the ruins, they seemed to be in a standoff meaning both of them had weapons and Chris already knew one of those was a gun. If Maxim was involved there was the potential for more shots to be fired. Chris slowed his pace some once he noticed that he had actually overtaken Alex due to him slowing down. Chris wanted to yell something out, get their attention, but if one of them had a gun he was screwed. That being said though he couldn't let whatever was happening continue. He continued to move towards them at a steady pace, not even trying to keep his movements a secret.
Chris just hoped he wouldn't get shot.
Chris had to wonder if he was pleased with what had happened or if he felt bad. Maxim had gotten separated from them at some point. Chris couldn't make up his mind because on the one hand it was Maxim and he had been consistently ignoring the boy since they had visited the place where he had impaled Garritt. Chris hadn't said anything instead he had just picked up his discarded e-tool from where Garritt had left it. That was something that caught him off guard. Garritt had pulled the e-tool out of his stomach and crawled or stumbled away. It made him feel worse if anything, removing the e-tool had to have been as painful if not more painful than when he had first been stabbed with it.
The announcement had confirmed as much, Garritt had bled out slowly. Chris hadn't reacted to the announcement and neither Alex nor Maxim had said anything about it. They had gotten some rest after that before heading back out during the night, heading for the ruins, where everything between the three of them had begun. Maxim had gotten lost at some point after that. Whether he had had a change of heart about working with him and Alex or just lost track of them Chris couldn't say. He had been focused on his own problems. He had fallen asleep for a little while when they had stopped to rest and the dream hadn't been pleasant. It had involved blood and crying. Chris had been trying to avoid thinking about it for the duration of the walk.
As soon as they had realised Maxim was gone they had turned back and tried to find any sign of where he had gone, they eventually found some sign and had been slowly following it since. Neither of them were trackers though, so their progress had been slow, it was taking them longer to spot any signs that someone had passed by than it would have for someone who knew what they were doing. They had allowed Maxim into the group though so they were responsible for him, no matter how much Chris didn't like it. Chris didn't know how long they had been following Maxim's trail for before they came within sight of the treeline but neither of them had much time to take that fact it.
There were screams and they were close. Alex called out to Chris before taking off at a run, Chris followed behind him, moving slower at first. He was busy pulling his e-tool out of his bag. He swung his bag back in place as he flipped the e-tool out. He could see the dried blood on it, Garritt's but pain no attention to it. He quickly caught up with Alex as a gunshot rang out sending his adrenaline into overdrive. The screams had stopped but he kept up his pace, breaking through the treeline a split-second after Alex.
There were two people that he could see through the ruins, they seemed to be in a standoff meaning both of them had weapons and Chris already knew one of those was a gun. If Maxim was involved there was the potential for more shots to be fired. Chris slowed his pace some once he noticed that he had actually overtaken Alex due to him slowing down. Chris wanted to yell something out, get their attention, but if one of them had a gun he was screwed. That being said though he couldn't let whatever was happening continue. He continued to move towards them at a steady pace, not even trying to keep his movements a secret.
Chris just hoped he wouldn't get shot.
Brian recieved quite a chewing out from Louisa. She was really pulling out all the stops, calling him out on pretty much every point he had brought up. He had to admit, from what he was seeing, she would be pretty good in a debate. Too bad her mind wasn't in the right place, someone who can pick apart an argument like that would be a valuble campaign ally. Also, she apparently thought of him as an "undesirable". Brian just had to smirk at that. To think that such an upstanding young citizen such as himself could be "undesirable" is truly absurd. Oh, she was talking about killing him, too. Now wasn't that quaint. Someone like her actually shooting a gun with intent to kill. That was truly worth a laugh.
"Oh, Louisa," Brian began in a condescending tone, "You say I'm undesirable? Someone who does nothing but try to promote the values of our country, someone who only wants to bring America to even greater heights of greatness... you find that undesirable? Oh, and you think that I'm a coward, do you? Well, would a coward be standing here and talking to someone that is pointing a gun at them? Your argument defeats itself right there."
He paused for a moment, chuckling lightly to himself before continuing. "And as for you killing me? Well, I do have to agree that I most certainly would not like to be remembered as nothing but a casualty in the Program. However, there is one thing that gives me hope for my survival. Namely, I don't think that you would shoot me." He paused briefly in order to give his statement more impact. "No, I think that you're one of those silly idealistic types who thinks that if they keep preaching, somehow everything will go the way they want, and that everyone will join hands and sing a song." He scoffed.
"But it's not that simple, is it? You need more than words to make things happen. The only way to accomplish anything is to take charge. That's how America does it, and that's how I do it." Brian shook his head slowly and smiled at Louisa. "You... you just don't have the conviction to do it."
"Oh, Louisa," Brian began in a condescending tone, "You say I'm undesirable? Someone who does nothing but try to promote the values of our country, someone who only wants to bring America to even greater heights of greatness... you find that undesirable? Oh, and you think that I'm a coward, do you? Well, would a coward be standing here and talking to someone that is pointing a gun at them? Your argument defeats itself right there."
He paused for a moment, chuckling lightly to himself before continuing. "And as for you killing me? Well, I do have to agree that I most certainly would not like to be remembered as nothing but a casualty in the Program. However, there is one thing that gives me hope for my survival. Namely, I don't think that you would shoot me." He paused briefly in order to give his statement more impact. "No, I think that you're one of those silly idealistic types who thinks that if they keep preaching, somehow everything will go the way they want, and that everyone will join hands and sing a song." He scoffed.
"But it's not that simple, is it? You need more than words to make things happen. The only way to accomplish anything is to take charge. That's how America does it, and that's how I do it." Brian shook his head slowly and smiled at Louisa. "You... you just don't have the conviction to do it."
Louisa had to admit, Brian really could be a politician if he wanted to. He's just as slimy and charismatic as they normally were. He knew how to talk back and debate, something that Louisa had hoped she could top him with. But he was right: no one else would view him as undesirable, no matter how subjective she claimed the word was. He was brave standing in front of her as she held a gun to him (although she figured a real brave man would try to attack her regardless of the gun in his face).
He then called her out for talking more than doing. Louisa felt the gun get heavy in her hands. She didn't know how long she had been holding it up, but it was starting to feel more and more difficult. She wanted him to pay for killing Maxim, but now she wasn't sure if she could. She bit her lip and waited for him to finish before speaking.
"You're right. I don't have the conviction to shoot you," she began. "I guess that really does make me a piece of trash in your eyes. The girl who keeps on talking and hoping that things will go her way because she can't accept that it's not how she envisions the world. You must be so glad that the world follows your code. I've tried to stay by mine; finding friends, defending others, trying to be safe, and none of it has worked. Everyone I care about is dead or lost."
Louisa kept the gun trained on him, pointing it at his head.
"Still, I don't intend to let you go that easily. I can't kill you, but I can ensure that you will suffer while you remain alive in this game. Consider this payment for taking a life."
Louisa tilted her head to her left.
"Toss your weapon and your coat over there. Do that, and you can at least leave here with your miserable life intact. One false move and I will shoot."
He then called her out for talking more than doing. Louisa felt the gun get heavy in her hands. She didn't know how long she had been holding it up, but it was starting to feel more and more difficult. She wanted him to pay for killing Maxim, but now she wasn't sure if she could. She bit her lip and waited for him to finish before speaking.
"You're right. I don't have the conviction to shoot you," she began. "I guess that really does make me a piece of trash in your eyes. The girl who keeps on talking and hoping that things will go her way because she can't accept that it's not how she envisions the world. You must be so glad that the world follows your code. I've tried to stay by mine; finding friends, defending others, trying to be safe, and none of it has worked. Everyone I care about is dead or lost."
Louisa kept the gun trained on him, pointing it at his head.
"Still, I don't intend to let you go that easily. I can't kill you, but I can ensure that you will suffer while you remain alive in this game. Consider this payment for taking a life."
Louisa tilted her head to her left.
"Toss your weapon and your coat over there. Do that, and you can at least leave here with your miserable life intact. One false move and I will shoot."
G014: Mayumi Tendou
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3518
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Chris got a little bit ahead, but Alexander broke into a jog for a few steps more to once again draw even with his ally. Yes, something bad was definitely going on. He continued to move towards it, chair at the ready, stepping as lightly as he could and keeping his attention focused on his senses. It was key to avoid missing anything here. There had been too many surprises, too many misunderstandings, and Alexander was sick of all that. It was time to do things right. He listened for any sounds of others nearby, but there was nothing except the rustling of trees in the breeze and a faint call of some bird. He could see well enough by what moonlight there was, could smell the damp earth and the hint of brunt wood that still lingered.
He was close enough and paying enough attention to make out a large part of what was said. They weren't being quiet or guarded, seemed not to realize that other people might be attracted by something like a gunshot. The boy helpfully called the girl by her name. It was Louisa, who Maxim had been looking for, and as Alexander closed in he caught sight of the crumpled form at her feet and heard her say that everyone she cared about was lost or dead. That raised implications he really wasn't ready to consider, not unless they became inescapable. He heard her say that she was going to let the boy go, provided he dropped his weapons and gear, and as he heard that he realized that she was probably in way over her head.
The boy (and Alexander was pretty sure now, judging from the build and voice, that it was Brian Callison), had clearly caused some harm. By tipping her hand and saying she was unwilling, or even hesitant, to kill him, Louisa handed him a lot of power. Maybe he was dumb enough to go ahead and do what she said. Alexander didn't know the guy too well, but he'd always been at least peripherally aware of him. He was one of the rich kids who just had things handed to him, and it showed. He had confidence, but the sort that could never be backed up when it really came down to the wire. He had patriotism, but only the stupid, knee-jerk sort that amounted to no more than following the most immediately evident authority. Alexander had no doubt that, had Brian been born abroad, he would be one of the extremists that the United States found so threatening.
Alexander could have sat back and let things happen. He could have waited to see how things would go and then set up an ambush to take Brian out as he left the area. That was the tactically sound option, but it left a friend of Maxim's in a bad situation she seemed totally oblivious to, and Alexander was done abandoning people.
So he kept moving towards them, no longer making any pretense of trying to be subtle. He knew who had the gun, and he knew she was nominally on the same side as him and Chris. He kept his chair in hand, ready to bring it to bear if he had to. It's cool metal curves felt familiar after all this time.
"I think maybe we shouldn't be in such a hurry to find solutions," he called out. "It's Alexander. I'm with Chris, looking for Maxim. Neither of you move. You can keep your gun pointed at him if you want; just don't wave it our way. I think we all need to have a little talk."
He was close enough that they were quite clearly visible now, and he had to be too. Better that way. Better to have all these dealings on the level, because after so long spent in the game, Alexander's patience for anything else was running dangerously low.
He was close enough and paying enough attention to make out a large part of what was said. They weren't being quiet or guarded, seemed not to realize that other people might be attracted by something like a gunshot. The boy helpfully called the girl by her name. It was Louisa, who Maxim had been looking for, and as Alexander closed in he caught sight of the crumpled form at her feet and heard her say that everyone she cared about was lost or dead. That raised implications he really wasn't ready to consider, not unless they became inescapable. He heard her say that she was going to let the boy go, provided he dropped his weapons and gear, and as he heard that he realized that she was probably in way over her head.
The boy (and Alexander was pretty sure now, judging from the build and voice, that it was Brian Callison), had clearly caused some harm. By tipping her hand and saying she was unwilling, or even hesitant, to kill him, Louisa handed him a lot of power. Maybe he was dumb enough to go ahead and do what she said. Alexander didn't know the guy too well, but he'd always been at least peripherally aware of him. He was one of the rich kids who just had things handed to him, and it showed. He had confidence, but the sort that could never be backed up when it really came down to the wire. He had patriotism, but only the stupid, knee-jerk sort that amounted to no more than following the most immediately evident authority. Alexander had no doubt that, had Brian been born abroad, he would be one of the extremists that the United States found so threatening.
Alexander could have sat back and let things happen. He could have waited to see how things would go and then set up an ambush to take Brian out as he left the area. That was the tactically sound option, but it left a friend of Maxim's in a bad situation she seemed totally oblivious to, and Alexander was done abandoning people.
So he kept moving towards them, no longer making any pretense of trying to be subtle. He knew who had the gun, and he knew she was nominally on the same side as him and Chris. He kept his chair in hand, ready to bring it to bear if he had to. It's cool metal curves felt familiar after all this time.
"I think maybe we shouldn't be in such a hurry to find solutions," he called out. "It's Alexander. I'm with Chris, looking for Maxim. Neither of you move. You can keep your gun pointed at him if you want; just don't wave it our way. I think we all need to have a little talk."
He was close enough that they were quite clearly visible now, and he had to be too. Better that way. Better to have all these dealings on the level, because after so long spent in the game, Alexander's patience for anything else was running dangerously low.
For people that seemed to be engaged in a life and death stare down they were perfectly happy to have a debate. Chris noticed Alex jog up next to him as they continued to move closer to the ruins. The fact that the other two were busy talking was keeping them distracted as well which was good since it meant they weren't paying attention to their surroundings and it let Chris get a good look at both of them. He knew one of them was Louisa and that she was the one with the gun. The male voice had addressed her by name after all, which was extremely helpful of him. Chris readjusted his grip on the e-tool; Louisa was one of Maxim’s friends wasn't she? That pretty much put them on the same side since Maxim was part of their group. The other person was Callison if Chris had to take a guess, going by the voice alone; when he took a closer look it sealed the deal. Louisa and Brian Callison were in a standoff and Louisa was pointing a gun at him.
It was then Chris noticed that there was a body on the ground by Louisa's feet, and pieced together that she had said that everyone she cared about was dead or lost and that she wanted Callison to dump his jacket and weapon as payback for taking a life. It all pointed to the form on the floor being Maxim, and that he was dead. Truth be told Chris didn't feel anything, he was ok with Maxim being dead. It was sad in a way, since in the end Maxim been a cowardly boy who had thought he was a big shot because he had a gun and had just wanted to find his friends. Well he'd succeeded in finding one of them at least.
Chris didn't exactly thing that Louisa's punishment was enough. He had killed one of her friends and she was satisfied with taking away his weapon and jacket. It wouldn't exactly hinder Brian too much. After all he would still have his pack so it wasn't like he would lack food or water, which reminded Chris he was running low on water thanks to Maxim. All Brian would have to do would be to just find a pack that was lying around or wait for one of the danger zones to open back up and search around in there until he found one. He'd probably find another weapon too. All in all, Louisa was just giving Brian an aggravating few hours at best. Callison was one of those people that was able to talk a big game based on their background, it helped that he was on the football team. He was only a second-string quarterback if Chris remembered correctly though, so Chris was fairly sure that in a fight he'd have the advantage, hell Callison was hardly bigger than him.
That was when Alex decided to make their presence known. They were pretty close at that point so it was probably best that their presence was announced to save on any accidents happening due to someone being caught by surprise. Alex immediately fell back on his tried and tested tactic of inviting everyone involved to talk. Chris had come to expect it whenever they stumbled upon someone. He was invariably left out of these discussions since he never really had anything to add. He had never really been too much of a talker to begin with and he hadn't exactly spoken much since he had been involved with the Program. At the point he was at he didn't exactly see much point in changing that. Instead he settled with walking alongside Alex, he was better at talking anyway. Chris did spin the e-tool in his hand a couple of times though, just to make it clear he had a way to defend himself.
It was then Chris noticed that there was a body on the ground by Louisa's feet, and pieced together that she had said that everyone she cared about was dead or lost and that she wanted Callison to dump his jacket and weapon as payback for taking a life. It all pointed to the form on the floor being Maxim, and that he was dead. Truth be told Chris didn't feel anything, he was ok with Maxim being dead. It was sad in a way, since in the end Maxim been a cowardly boy who had thought he was a big shot because he had a gun and had just wanted to find his friends. Well he'd succeeded in finding one of them at least.
Chris didn't exactly thing that Louisa's punishment was enough. He had killed one of her friends and she was satisfied with taking away his weapon and jacket. It wouldn't exactly hinder Brian too much. After all he would still have his pack so it wasn't like he would lack food or water, which reminded Chris he was running low on water thanks to Maxim. All Brian would have to do would be to just find a pack that was lying around or wait for one of the danger zones to open back up and search around in there until he found one. He'd probably find another weapon too. All in all, Louisa was just giving Brian an aggravating few hours at best. Callison was one of those people that was able to talk a big game based on their background, it helped that he was on the football team. He was only a second-string quarterback if Chris remembered correctly though, so Chris was fairly sure that in a fight he'd have the advantage, hell Callison was hardly bigger than him.
That was when Alex decided to make their presence known. They were pretty close at that point so it was probably best that their presence was announced to save on any accidents happening due to someone being caught by surprise. Alex immediately fell back on his tried and tested tactic of inviting everyone involved to talk. Chris had come to expect it whenever they stumbled upon someone. He was invariably left out of these discussions since he never really had anything to add. He had never really been too much of a talker to begin with and he hadn't exactly spoken much since he had been involved with the Program. At the point he was at he didn't exactly see much point in changing that. Instead he settled with walking alongside Alex, he was better at talking anyway. Chris did spin the e-tool in his hand a couple of times though, just to make it clear he had a way to defend himself.
Brian's ploy had worked. Louisa couldn't shoot him, and she admitted it. Even when motivated by the death of one of her friends, she didn't have the guts to pull the trigger. In Biran's opinion, it was almost sad how little conviction she had. On the othet hand, however, her lack of conviction meant that he would continue to live, so as fer as he was concerned, it was a very good thing indeed.
She wasn't going to let him off scott-free, however. Oh no, she told him o throw away his coat and weapon. She claimed that she would kill him if he didn't. Brian wasn't sure what to make of her logic, as she had said that she wouldn't kill him then immediately followed that up with a death threat. In all honesty, Brian couldn't tell whether she was just trying to intimidate him or if she was serious. Louisa was either bluffing about being unable to kill, or that she would kill him if he didn't leave his things with her, and for the life of him, Brian couldn't figure out which one it was.
The situation became even more complicated when two newcomers showed up on the scene. The two identified themselves as Alexander and Chris. Brian didn't have a clear idea of who they were in particular, but the grip that Alexander had on the folding chair in his hands was causing Brian a bit of concern. The fact that Chris was casually carrying an e-tool certainly didn't ease the tension either. Alexander told both Brian and Louisa not to move and demanded to know where Maxim was. Brian guesses that either they had been aligned with Maxim, or they wanted him dead. Well, only one of those explanations could possibly end well for Brian, who decided that he should just explain the current situation so that they could all just move on to something else.
"I'm sorry, fellows, but Maxim Senders is quite deceased. So sorry if you were looking for him, but that's just how things go in the Program. People die, and they don't stop until there's just one person left. I apologize, but there is simply nothing that can be done."
He turned his attention back to Louisa. He still didn't know if she was bluffing about shooting him or not, but he decided that he wasn't willing to take that risk. He threw his meat hook to the ground and pulled off his olive green coat, dropping it to the ground as well. He immediately felt the cold air hitting his torso, and he began to shiver very shortly afterward. "As for you, here's what you wanted. You can keep it if you desire since it's not mine anymore. Can I leave now? I have to find shelter before I freeze to death."
She wasn't going to let him off scott-free, however. Oh no, she told him o throw away his coat and weapon. She claimed that she would kill him if he didn't. Brian wasn't sure what to make of her logic, as she had said that she wouldn't kill him then immediately followed that up with a death threat. In all honesty, Brian couldn't tell whether she was just trying to intimidate him or if she was serious. Louisa was either bluffing about being unable to kill, or that she would kill him if he didn't leave his things with her, and for the life of him, Brian couldn't figure out which one it was.
The situation became even more complicated when two newcomers showed up on the scene. The two identified themselves as Alexander and Chris. Brian didn't have a clear idea of who they were in particular, but the grip that Alexander had on the folding chair in his hands was causing Brian a bit of concern. The fact that Chris was casually carrying an e-tool certainly didn't ease the tension either. Alexander told both Brian and Louisa not to move and demanded to know where Maxim was. Brian guesses that either they had been aligned with Maxim, or they wanted him dead. Well, only one of those explanations could possibly end well for Brian, who decided that he should just explain the current situation so that they could all just move on to something else.
"I'm sorry, fellows, but Maxim Senders is quite deceased. So sorry if you were looking for him, but that's just how things go in the Program. People die, and they don't stop until there's just one person left. I apologize, but there is simply nothing that can be done."
He turned his attention back to Louisa. He still didn't know if she was bluffing about shooting him or not, but he decided that he wasn't willing to take that risk. He threw his meat hook to the ground and pulled off his olive green coat, dropping it to the ground as well. He immediately felt the cold air hitting his torso, and he began to shiver very shortly afterward. "As for you, here's what you wanted. You can keep it if you desire since it's not mine anymore. Can I leave now? I have to find shelter before I freeze to death."
Louisa kept the Beretta steady, something that was getting harder and harder to do. She wasn't ready to kill Brian herself, but she was willing to hurt his chances of surviving beyond their encounter. But she knew he needed to pay. If they were back in Milwaukee, he'd be put before a judge and be sentenced under a court of law. The law didn't apply in the Program, so she needed to put her own rules into effect. If the world was going to be counter to her beliefs, she'd have to make them the rule of the valley.
Just then, she heard a voice call out. The voice, Alexander, told Louisa and Brian to stay put. He was apparently with Chris. Louisa remembered that Maxim said that he was allied with them. She felt a sigh of relief, although Alexander wanted her to keep the gun trained on Brian instead of him and Chris. Louisa nodded, keeping her focus on Brian. She didn't want him to have the chance to attack her.
Brian informed Alexander and Chris that Maxim was dead, continuing to show no remorse for taking a life.
"Yeah, Maxim's dead," Louisa added, "and you can thank this prick for his death. And don't worry, I don't intend to hurt Maxim's allies, so just stay put."
Fortunately, Brian dropped the meat hook and the coat to the ground as Louisa demanded. Good. She was glad that he at least was still somewhat threatened by her. He then asked if he could go. Louisa kept her gaze on him.
No, he needs to really be in danger. This isn't enough. He killed Maxim, and I want to see him carry the weight of that crime on his shoulders.
"Almost," she said. "Just a few more things, and then you can go back to the rock you crawled out from under. Strip to your underwear, then take your shoes and socks off. Don't get any funny ideas, you're about to get much colder than before. If you do all of that, then you can go."
Just then, she heard a voice call out. The voice, Alexander, told Louisa and Brian to stay put. He was apparently with Chris. Louisa remembered that Maxim said that he was allied with them. She felt a sigh of relief, although Alexander wanted her to keep the gun trained on Brian instead of him and Chris. Louisa nodded, keeping her focus on Brian. She didn't want him to have the chance to attack her.
Brian informed Alexander and Chris that Maxim was dead, continuing to show no remorse for taking a life.
"Yeah, Maxim's dead," Louisa added, "and you can thank this prick for his death. And don't worry, I don't intend to hurt Maxim's allies, so just stay put."
Fortunately, Brian dropped the meat hook and the coat to the ground as Louisa demanded. Good. She was glad that he at least was still somewhat threatened by her. He then asked if he could go. Louisa kept her gaze on him.
No, he needs to really be in danger. This isn't enough. He killed Maxim, and I want to see him carry the weight of that crime on his shoulders.
"Almost," she said. "Just a few more things, and then you can go back to the rock you crawled out from under. Strip to your underwear, then take your shoes and socks off. Don't get any funny ideas, you're about to get much colder than before. If you do all of that, then you can go."
G014: Mayumi Tendou
-
MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3518
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Chris was there for backup. He kept his mouth shut. That was a mixed blessing. Alexander couldn't be sure if Chris was keeping himself in control, or if his internal pressure was building towards some sort of breaking point. As Brian talked, Alexander had a sudden, crazy realization: he didn't really care if Chris was heading towards a meltdown. In fact, he felt like he was heading roughly in that direction himself. The boy was being calm, and Alexander was very familiar with how calmness got to people in situations of conflict. This was the only reason he was able to take a few deep breaths and avoid losing his cool, and it was still a Herculean effort. Brian was complying with Louisa's request. That was a start. The boy was unarmed. He didn't pose an immediate threat to them.
It turned out Louisa wasn't done. She demanded Brian strip. That didn't sit well with Alexander, not at all. There was a big difference between removing someone's ability to fight and casually sentencing them to death, and the latter was what was happening here. He was angry at Brian, yeah, but not angry enough to not see what was happening. Not angry enough to sit silently.
"That's not right," Alexander said. "With all due respect, if you say you don't want to kill someone, I sort of expect you to then not turn around and kill them. You're just being a coward, otherwise. You're saying you don't want any blood on your hands, but you're attached to his death anyways. You're trying to have your cake and eat it, and that's pretty low, if you ask me. The least you can do is be honest about your intentions."
Louisa had said to stay put, but Alexander kept moving towards her and Brian. He kept his pace casual; he wasn't trying to appear threatening, and certainly didn't want to spook Louisa. His impression of her was taking shape, and it wasn't a particularly positive one. Thus far, he'd seen nothing out of her but cowardice and missteps, which were bad enough when not paired with a gun. He was trying to figure out how things were going to shake out here. Maxim would've wanted her safe. He was sure of that much. That meant he and Chris couldn't leave her unless she made it clear that was what she wanted. On the other hand, if she came along, she might need even more tending than Maxim had to prevent her from being a liability. At least Chris didn't have any issues with her, so far as Alexander knew.
"I'm not gonna tell you you can't do this," he continued. "It's your call, your conscience. I'd like to have a chat with Brian first, though, face to face, me and him. Every story's got two sides, and I'd like to hear what he has to say. He's not a threat right now, so you don't need to keep your gun on him. I can take care of myself."
Alexander rolled his shoulders, the chair hanging from his right hand brushing lightly against his shin as he did so.
"Brian, you mind coming over here and telling me just what happened?"
It turned out Louisa wasn't done. She demanded Brian strip. That didn't sit well with Alexander, not at all. There was a big difference between removing someone's ability to fight and casually sentencing them to death, and the latter was what was happening here. He was angry at Brian, yeah, but not angry enough to not see what was happening. Not angry enough to sit silently.
"That's not right," Alexander said. "With all due respect, if you say you don't want to kill someone, I sort of expect you to then not turn around and kill them. You're just being a coward, otherwise. You're saying you don't want any blood on your hands, but you're attached to his death anyways. You're trying to have your cake and eat it, and that's pretty low, if you ask me. The least you can do is be honest about your intentions."
Louisa had said to stay put, but Alexander kept moving towards her and Brian. He kept his pace casual; he wasn't trying to appear threatening, and certainly didn't want to spook Louisa. His impression of her was taking shape, and it wasn't a particularly positive one. Thus far, he'd seen nothing out of her but cowardice and missteps, which were bad enough when not paired with a gun. He was trying to figure out how things were going to shake out here. Maxim would've wanted her safe. He was sure of that much. That meant he and Chris couldn't leave her unless she made it clear that was what she wanted. On the other hand, if she came along, she might need even more tending than Maxim had to prevent her from being a liability. At least Chris didn't have any issues with her, so far as Alexander knew.
"I'm not gonna tell you you can't do this," he continued. "It's your call, your conscience. I'd like to have a chat with Brian first, though, face to face, me and him. Every story's got two sides, and I'd like to hear what he has to say. He's not a threat right now, so you don't need to keep your gun on him. I can take care of myself."
Alexander rolled his shoulders, the chair hanging from his right hand brushing lightly against his shin as he did so.
"Brian, you mind coming over here and telling me just what happened?"
((Sorry to skip posting order, but Brian's got somewhere he has to be.))
Well, Brian had satisfied Louisa's demands. He was unarmed and had abandoned his coat. Louisa still kept glaring at him, though. Was she not satisfied? Apparently she wasn't, as she then called for him to strip down to his underwear before she would let him leave. The cool confidence in Brian's face went away, replaced with a raised eyebrow and a significantly disturbed expression. She couldn't have been serious. There was no way that someone in their right mind would think that he would last longer than a few minutes like that.
Is this girl demented? You would have to be sick in the head to demand such things!
Alexander spoke up in Brian's defense, bringing up the fact that Brian would quickly freeze to death without his clothes. It was good to know that at least someone in the area had some common sense. However, Alexander also wanted to have a talk with Brian, and Brian wasn't exactly sure what to make of that. Sure, he had just saved him from having to potentially strip at gunpoint, but he still had a chair, Louisa still had her gun, and the situation was still very tense. Brian felt that sticking around was not in his best interests if he wanted to survive.
He looked at Louisa. "Sorry, Louisa, but I believe that you are being a tad unreasonable right now, so I must decline your request." He then looked over at Alexander. "And as for you, although I certainly wouldn't mind a chat, I'm afraid that the current situation is a little too tense for my liking, so I'm afraid that I will have to decling your request as well."
Once he finished speaking, Brian made sure he had a good grip on his bag as he took off running in the opposite direction, away from Alexander, Chris, and especially Louisa. Although losing his coat made him colder, it also made his movements less restricted, which allowed him to run a little faster than he could previously. It was a good thing he could run fast, because the sooner he was out of there, the less likely he was to get shot.
((Brian Meyerhold Callison continued elsewhere...))
Well, Brian had satisfied Louisa's demands. He was unarmed and had abandoned his coat. Louisa still kept glaring at him, though. Was she not satisfied? Apparently she wasn't, as she then called for him to strip down to his underwear before she would let him leave. The cool confidence in Brian's face went away, replaced with a raised eyebrow and a significantly disturbed expression. She couldn't have been serious. There was no way that someone in their right mind would think that he would last longer than a few minutes like that.
Is this girl demented? You would have to be sick in the head to demand such things!
Alexander spoke up in Brian's defense, bringing up the fact that Brian would quickly freeze to death without his clothes. It was good to know that at least someone in the area had some common sense. However, Alexander also wanted to have a talk with Brian, and Brian wasn't exactly sure what to make of that. Sure, he had just saved him from having to potentially strip at gunpoint, but he still had a chair, Louisa still had her gun, and the situation was still very tense. Brian felt that sticking around was not in his best interests if he wanted to survive.
He looked at Louisa. "Sorry, Louisa, but I believe that you are being a tad unreasonable right now, so I must decline your request." He then looked over at Alexander. "And as for you, although I certainly wouldn't mind a chat, I'm afraid that the current situation is a little too tense for my liking, so I'm afraid that I will have to decling your request as well."
Once he finished speaking, Brian made sure he had a good grip on his bag as he took off running in the opposite direction, away from Alexander, Chris, and especially Louisa. Although losing his coat made him colder, it also made his movements less restricted, which allowed him to run a little faster than he could previously. It was a good thing he could run fast, because the sooner he was out of there, the less likely he was to get shot.
((Brian Meyerhold Callison continued elsewhere...))
Fellows? Who the hell say fellows?
It wasn't the most pressing matter by a long shot but even so it bothered Chris. It made it look like Callison was trying far too hard to be polite, which didn't endear him to Chris. So Callison had killed Maxim, not that it really had too much of an effect on Chris. But the way he was talking seemed to be designed to make Chris angry. It was full of fake confidence that would disappear the moment he was put on the back foot. Chris took a step forward. Brian was starting to annoy him more and more.
Louisa on the other hand didn't seem to be dealing with it very well, which was understandable; Maxim was her friend after all...had been her friend. She was all over the place when it came to her demands as well; she had gone from just wanting Callison to throw away his jacket and weapon to wanting him to strip down. The image did amuse Chris though. Callison running around the valley in his underwear. He struggled to suppress a grin; he failed when he saw Brian's expression. Of course Brian wouldn't last too long without any clothes, which did bother Chris slightly. Mainly because of the massive amount of hypocrisy that had just come from Louisa, since she had said that she wasn't going to kill Callison, she was fine with indirectly causing his death though.
Alex spoke up first pointing out everything that was wrong with what Louisa was planning on doing and Chris had to agree with most of it. In fact for one of the first times Chris agreed with everything Alex said. He didn't have any problems with the idea of Brian's death which did strike Chris as odd. Any other time they had been in a similar situation Alex had tried to minimize the amount of bloodshed and had always seemed against it. He then decided to get Brian's side of the story, not that there was much to get. He had killed Maxim and Louisa had witnessed it. It didn't really matter what had happened. In response Brian put on his politest voice and essentially told Louisa and Alex to fuck off. He then took off, running away from the three of them as fast as he could.
It took Chris a second to register what had happened. When he did though his anger flared up and he dropped his bag to give chase. Unfortunately for Chris's chances of actually catching Brian he had been a good distance away before he had started running and Brian had a head start. Chris got across the ruins in record time but it didn't matter Brian had gained too much of a lead and was already clear. Chris cursed to himself before heading back.
"Well that cowards long gone." Chris's eyes lingered on Maxim’s corpse before he returned to his bag. He realised that he had, had a tight grip on the e-tool for the entire duration of Alex's attempt at controlling the situation. He relaxed his grip and dropped the e-tool next to his bag. He had too much energy to sit down though and instead stood lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet, waiting for someone to speak up.
It wasn't the most pressing matter by a long shot but even so it bothered Chris. It made it look like Callison was trying far too hard to be polite, which didn't endear him to Chris. So Callison had killed Maxim, not that it really had too much of an effect on Chris. But the way he was talking seemed to be designed to make Chris angry. It was full of fake confidence that would disappear the moment he was put on the back foot. Chris took a step forward. Brian was starting to annoy him more and more.
Louisa on the other hand didn't seem to be dealing with it very well, which was understandable; Maxim was her friend after all...had been her friend. She was all over the place when it came to her demands as well; she had gone from just wanting Callison to throw away his jacket and weapon to wanting him to strip down. The image did amuse Chris though. Callison running around the valley in his underwear. He struggled to suppress a grin; he failed when he saw Brian's expression. Of course Brian wouldn't last too long without any clothes, which did bother Chris slightly. Mainly because of the massive amount of hypocrisy that had just come from Louisa, since she had said that she wasn't going to kill Callison, she was fine with indirectly causing his death though.
Alex spoke up first pointing out everything that was wrong with what Louisa was planning on doing and Chris had to agree with most of it. In fact for one of the first times Chris agreed with everything Alex said. He didn't have any problems with the idea of Brian's death which did strike Chris as odd. Any other time they had been in a similar situation Alex had tried to minimize the amount of bloodshed and had always seemed against it. He then decided to get Brian's side of the story, not that there was much to get. He had killed Maxim and Louisa had witnessed it. It didn't really matter what had happened. In response Brian put on his politest voice and essentially told Louisa and Alex to fuck off. He then took off, running away from the three of them as fast as he could.
It took Chris a second to register what had happened. When he did though his anger flared up and he dropped his bag to give chase. Unfortunately for Chris's chances of actually catching Brian he had been a good distance away before he had started running and Brian had a head start. Chris got across the ruins in record time but it didn't matter Brian had gained too much of a lead and was already clear. Chris cursed to himself before heading back.
"Well that cowards long gone." Chris's eyes lingered on Maxim’s corpse before he returned to his bag. He realised that he had, had a tight grip on the e-tool for the entire duration of Alex's attempt at controlling the situation. He relaxed his grip and dropped the e-tool next to his bag. He had too much energy to sit down though and instead stood lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet, waiting for someone to speak up.
Brian looked astounded by Louisa's demand. Alexander even had to step in and claim it was too far. Louisa kept her focus on Brian the whole time, as Alexander said he wanted to try to talk to Brian about what was going on. It hurt to be called a hypocrite though. For someone who liked to argue and use logic, she hated to create errors between her actions and words. He needed to pay for what he did though. The judge doesn't put the noose around the prisoner's neck.
It was then that Brian admitted he didn't care to talk to Alexander or do what she said. In an instant, Brian took off running. Louisa remained frozen in place. She had her finger on the trigger, but she didn't pull it as he dashed off. Part of her was worried that Brian might try to attack her or the other two boys, but he didn't. He just ran away, and Louisa was holding her gun up to the empty air before her.
Louisa felt her arms beginning to shake. She had been holding the gun too long, and her hands were starting to hurt from the grip around the handle. Her face was beginning to get hot as well, and she could feel tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
I couldn't do it. I couldn't even kill the monster who killed Maxim. Oh my god, I tried to kill someone.
Louisa loosened her grip around the Beretta and let it fall to the forest floor. She then fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands, weeping into her palms. She was supposed to be helping people. She was supposed to be gathering friends and allies to survive the game together. She couldn't save Maxim, she got lost from her group, her friends were dying one by one, and she couldn't even stop a killer before he killed anyone else. Now she was just some pathetic girl crying in a valley in the middle of nowhere.
Louisa quickly looked up and saw the silhouette of Maxim's body.
"I'm sorry, Maxim," she said, her voice straining, "I'm so, so sorry. I couldn't do it."
Louisa continued to cry. All the anger and hatred she felt towards Brian was gone and replaced with absolute grief. All she could do was look at the body of her friend and weep.
It was then that Brian admitted he didn't care to talk to Alexander or do what she said. In an instant, Brian took off running. Louisa remained frozen in place. She had her finger on the trigger, but she didn't pull it as he dashed off. Part of her was worried that Brian might try to attack her or the other two boys, but he didn't. He just ran away, and Louisa was holding her gun up to the empty air before her.
Louisa felt her arms beginning to shake. She had been holding the gun too long, and her hands were starting to hurt from the grip around the handle. Her face was beginning to get hot as well, and she could feel tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
I couldn't do it. I couldn't even kill the monster who killed Maxim. Oh my god, I tried to kill someone.
Louisa loosened her grip around the Beretta and let it fall to the forest floor. She then fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands, weeping into her palms. She was supposed to be helping people. She was supposed to be gathering friends and allies to survive the game together. She couldn't save Maxim, she got lost from her group, her friends were dying one by one, and she couldn't even stop a killer before he killed anyone else. Now she was just some pathetic girl crying in a valley in the middle of nowhere.
Louisa quickly looked up and saw the silhouette of Maxim's body.
"I'm sorry, Maxim," she said, her voice straining, "I'm so, so sorry. I couldn't do it."
Louisa continued to cry. All the anger and hatred she felt towards Brian was gone and replaced with absolute grief. All she could do was look at the body of her friend and weep.
G014: Mayumi Tendou
-
MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3518
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Alexander had become all about giving people chances to recover from their own idiocy. It was part of doing the right thing, part of handling this stressful situation they'd all been thrown into. He'd known, at the start, that people would make bad calls. He had taken Chris under his wing, keeping the boy with him even in the wake of an accidental murder, even knowing of his issues with self-control. He had recruited Maxim, despite having sworn to kill the boy. He had decided to offer Louisa the chance to come with him, even though he could tell that she was deluded, erratic, cowardly, and likely dangerous.
Even so, he'd been pretty sure things weren't going to go so well with Brian. The boy hadn't been acting right. The remorse and fear hadn't been there. He loosely reminded Alexander of one of the twins from the last run, whichever one had gotten especially violent towards the end. There was a lot that people could come back from, but the Program sometimes pushed them too far. Whether Brian knew it or not, he was on trial, or perhaps a better metaphor would be that he was facing a final examination. Alexander had his chair in hand, and was perfectly prepared to take action if it became clear that Brian wasn't going to be brought to his senses. He would do so not in Louisa's bullshit conscience-saving manner, but directly and honestly. He expected he'd probably have to beat Brian unconscious in the best case scenario.
When Brian bailed, he avoided that fate, but he also conclusively and irreparably failed his test. Chris went after him. Alexander didn't bother, not right away. Instead, he wandered over to the body that was Maxim, knelt down by the boy, looked at him. He'd been attacked, and the blood and damage told Alexander that he'd not gone easily. He didn't look too hard. There was nothing to be gained from doing so, and it felt disrespectful.
He'd expected to feel sad again, or defeated. It had been that way with Brigid, but now what came over him was a strange sense of calm. Alexander had always been the sort to, when truly livid, become quiet rather than loud. This was no different. He scooped up Maxim's rifle, poked into his pack, extracted the remaining ammunition and the instruction manual. Louisa had a gun. Chris had a temper and would probably feel least awkward about taking up Brian's abandoned hook. Alexander had a pretty good idea what an old rifle like this one was good for. That left him the logical bearer.
Besides, it had a little work left to do, just like he did. They could aid each other, since their purpose was now the same.
Louisa was sobbing, apologizing to Maxim for failing to kill Brian. Chris came back, announcing that the boy was gone. Alexander straightened up slowly. He pushed his glasses up his nose, took a deep breath.
"He won't get far," he said. "It's not a big valley, and he's moving too quickly to do it subtly. I bet he'll make a lot of noise."
Alexander rolled his shoulders, trying to work out some of the tension. He realized that the chair wasn't really something he needed any longer, so he unfolded it and set it down in the ruins. Maybe someone else would need a rest. He wouldn't, not for a while.
"Besides, Brian went the same way out that I came in the first time. If he doubles back, we'll catch him. If he doesn't, he'll end up on the track, and the visibility there's pretty good. We may be able to see him, and even if we can't, it's the only way up. He'll be cornered.
"I'm going after him. What I want to do, the way I think we need to deal with this game, is we get everyone together and we handle things logically. Brian's not going to do that, so we need to make him or we need to kill him. I'm not going to mince words here. You know I don't believe in that. You two can come with if you want. Louisa, you're welcome to stick with us, and so are any of your other friends. We get down to reasonable people, I honestly believe we can all get out of here alive.
"That won't happen until Brian's dealt with, so that's my first priority. I'm off after him. You come with, you just need to be sure you know this isn't revenge. We're being proactive to stop him from hurting anyone else. It gets rough, watch out for yourself first."
He turned the rifle over in his hands, examining it, feeling the smooth wood and cool metal. He'd load it later, when he had a moment. What was more important was its weight, its length, the bayonet on the front. A mediocre gun would make a fine spear indeed.
"I don't want to let the trail go too cold, so I'm off. Follow along or don't, just stay safe. If you don't come, I'll check back here as often as I can. If you do, I'm headed for the mountain track. I'm gonna be moving fast, so catch up there if you get separated, and come back here if you don't."
He cast one more glance around, trying to hear something in the still night air, some hint of new people approaching, some strange noise to call for more caution, something to divert him from this track. There was nothing, nothing except the whispers so far back he could barely hear them that told him maybe he wasn't being entirely honest, maybe there was just the barest hint of revenge in this plan after all, maybe he was hurt and angry because he'd been robbed of the chance to save someone and do the right thing.
He took off in a light jog, and the pounding of his footsteps drowned those whispers out.
((Alexander Bonham continued in Second Verse, Same As The First))
Even so, he'd been pretty sure things weren't going to go so well with Brian. The boy hadn't been acting right. The remorse and fear hadn't been there. He loosely reminded Alexander of one of the twins from the last run, whichever one had gotten especially violent towards the end. There was a lot that people could come back from, but the Program sometimes pushed them too far. Whether Brian knew it or not, he was on trial, or perhaps a better metaphor would be that he was facing a final examination. Alexander had his chair in hand, and was perfectly prepared to take action if it became clear that Brian wasn't going to be brought to his senses. He would do so not in Louisa's bullshit conscience-saving manner, but directly and honestly. He expected he'd probably have to beat Brian unconscious in the best case scenario.
When Brian bailed, he avoided that fate, but he also conclusively and irreparably failed his test. Chris went after him. Alexander didn't bother, not right away. Instead, he wandered over to the body that was Maxim, knelt down by the boy, looked at him. He'd been attacked, and the blood and damage told Alexander that he'd not gone easily. He didn't look too hard. There was nothing to be gained from doing so, and it felt disrespectful.
He'd expected to feel sad again, or defeated. It had been that way with Brigid, but now what came over him was a strange sense of calm. Alexander had always been the sort to, when truly livid, become quiet rather than loud. This was no different. He scooped up Maxim's rifle, poked into his pack, extracted the remaining ammunition and the instruction manual. Louisa had a gun. Chris had a temper and would probably feel least awkward about taking up Brian's abandoned hook. Alexander had a pretty good idea what an old rifle like this one was good for. That left him the logical bearer.
Besides, it had a little work left to do, just like he did. They could aid each other, since their purpose was now the same.
Louisa was sobbing, apologizing to Maxim for failing to kill Brian. Chris came back, announcing that the boy was gone. Alexander straightened up slowly. He pushed his glasses up his nose, took a deep breath.
"He won't get far," he said. "It's not a big valley, and he's moving too quickly to do it subtly. I bet he'll make a lot of noise."
Alexander rolled his shoulders, trying to work out some of the tension. He realized that the chair wasn't really something he needed any longer, so he unfolded it and set it down in the ruins. Maybe someone else would need a rest. He wouldn't, not for a while.
"Besides, Brian went the same way out that I came in the first time. If he doubles back, we'll catch him. If he doesn't, he'll end up on the track, and the visibility there's pretty good. We may be able to see him, and even if we can't, it's the only way up. He'll be cornered.
"I'm going after him. What I want to do, the way I think we need to deal with this game, is we get everyone together and we handle things logically. Brian's not going to do that, so we need to make him or we need to kill him. I'm not going to mince words here. You know I don't believe in that. You two can come with if you want. Louisa, you're welcome to stick with us, and so are any of your other friends. We get down to reasonable people, I honestly believe we can all get out of here alive.
"That won't happen until Brian's dealt with, so that's my first priority. I'm off after him. You come with, you just need to be sure you know this isn't revenge. We're being proactive to stop him from hurting anyone else. It gets rough, watch out for yourself first."
He turned the rifle over in his hands, examining it, feeling the smooth wood and cool metal. He'd load it later, when he had a moment. What was more important was its weight, its length, the bayonet on the front. A mediocre gun would make a fine spear indeed.
"I don't want to let the trail go too cold, so I'm off. Follow along or don't, just stay safe. If you don't come, I'll check back here as often as I can. If you do, I'm headed for the mountain track. I'm gonna be moving fast, so catch up there if you get separated, and come back here if you don't."
He cast one more glance around, trying to hear something in the still night air, some hint of new people approaching, some strange noise to call for more caution, something to divert him from this track. There was nothing, nothing except the whispers so far back he could barely hear them that told him maybe he wasn't being entirely honest, maybe there was just the barest hint of revenge in this plan after all, maybe he was hurt and angry because he'd been robbed of the chance to save someone and do the right thing.
He took off in a light jog, and the pounding of his footsteps drowned those whispers out.
((Alexander Bonham continued in Second Verse, Same As The First))
Louisa was apologising to Maxim's corpse for not being able to kill Brian. Like the body could absolve her of her guilt in some way, Chris couldn't exactly blame her. She was most likely grieving for her friend and even if Chris hadn't like Maxim some people had so he allowed her the time she needed. Pacing around the ruins his vision passed over the meat hook that Louisa had made Callison throw away. Another weapon wouldn't hurt, in case he lost one he'd have a backup. Plus Louisa had a gun and Alex had taken possession of Maxim’s rifle. So it was only fair that he got another weapon to make up for the fact he was the most screwed in a fight, he doubted that Louisa would want it anyway and Alex had been trying to avoid direct fighting from the beginning. It just made the most sense for Chris to take it.
Chris walked over to it and picked it up. Maxim’s blood was still on the end of the hook and Chris knew that Louisa wouldn't be able to deal with that as simply as he would. After all she was apologising to a corpse. So out of consideration for her he wiped the end of the hook on Callison's discarded jacket to clean the blood off it. It was still in good condition though so Chris now had two weapons for fighting up close. He was planning on sticking to the e-tool but in an emergency the meat hook would be perfect. Not many people would want to continue a fight after being stabbed that was for sure.
Chris' attention was taken away from what he was doing when Alex announced that he was going to go after Brian, the plan was to either make Callison join them and if not they would kill him. It sounded weird coming from Alex, sure Chris had assumed that Alex had been planning to kill Maxim when they had seen him in the forest but even so actually hearing Alex say he planned to kill someone sounded weird. Something had changed in Alex with Maxim's death, Chris couldn't put his finger on what but it was noticeable. He seemed much more intense and focused. Not that he had lacked focus before but now he was set on his course of action. Nothing anyone else said would break him out of it that was for sure.
He said it wasn't revenge but Chris wasn't so sure. It sounded a lot like it was revenge being dressed up to look like something different. It didn't bother Chris though, everything Alex was saying was true anyway, and Callison was dangerous even without a weapon and he had killed one of their group, even if that person had been Maxim.
Alex laid out the meeting points and told both Chris and Louisa where he was heading and then set off at a jog. Chris moved over to where his pack was and carefully placed the meat hook inside of it. He glanced over at Maxim's pack and remembered when Maxim had shot his bag and cost him food and water. Moving over he bent down and took a quick look inside. There were still some supplies in the bag. More water than Chris currently had that was for sure. He took out a couple of bottles to replace the ones Maxim had cost him and half of what remained of Maxim’s bread. He couldn't help but glance at Louisa as he did so. He didn't feel especially bad for taking the items but it was a weird feeling while someone was watching you do it. After putting them in his pack he took one last drink from his almost finished water bottle and threw it away.
He didn't know if Louisa was planning on following Alex or if she was going to stay, but Chris knew what he was doing. He would have apologised to Louisa about Maxim but he knew it wouldn't sound genuine and thought better of it.
"Good luck." Was all he could offer before setting off after Alex. He didn't want to lose track of him in the dark.
((Chris Brooks continued in Second Verse, Same As The First))
Chris walked over to it and picked it up. Maxim’s blood was still on the end of the hook and Chris knew that Louisa wouldn't be able to deal with that as simply as he would. After all she was apologising to a corpse. So out of consideration for her he wiped the end of the hook on Callison's discarded jacket to clean the blood off it. It was still in good condition though so Chris now had two weapons for fighting up close. He was planning on sticking to the e-tool but in an emergency the meat hook would be perfect. Not many people would want to continue a fight after being stabbed that was for sure.
Chris' attention was taken away from what he was doing when Alex announced that he was going to go after Brian, the plan was to either make Callison join them and if not they would kill him. It sounded weird coming from Alex, sure Chris had assumed that Alex had been planning to kill Maxim when they had seen him in the forest but even so actually hearing Alex say he planned to kill someone sounded weird. Something had changed in Alex with Maxim's death, Chris couldn't put his finger on what but it was noticeable. He seemed much more intense and focused. Not that he had lacked focus before but now he was set on his course of action. Nothing anyone else said would break him out of it that was for sure.
He said it wasn't revenge but Chris wasn't so sure. It sounded a lot like it was revenge being dressed up to look like something different. It didn't bother Chris though, everything Alex was saying was true anyway, and Callison was dangerous even without a weapon and he had killed one of their group, even if that person had been Maxim.
Alex laid out the meeting points and told both Chris and Louisa where he was heading and then set off at a jog. Chris moved over to where his pack was and carefully placed the meat hook inside of it. He glanced over at Maxim's pack and remembered when Maxim had shot his bag and cost him food and water. Moving over he bent down and took a quick look inside. There were still some supplies in the bag. More water than Chris currently had that was for sure. He took out a couple of bottles to replace the ones Maxim had cost him and half of what remained of Maxim’s bread. He couldn't help but glance at Louisa as he did so. He didn't feel especially bad for taking the items but it was a weird feeling while someone was watching you do it. After putting them in his pack he took one last drink from his almost finished water bottle and threw it away.
He didn't know if Louisa was planning on following Alex or if she was going to stay, but Chris knew what he was doing. He would have apologised to Louisa about Maxim but he knew it wouldn't sound genuine and thought better of it.
"Good luck." Was all he could offer before setting off after Alex. He didn't want to lose track of him in the dark.
((Chris Brooks continued in Second Verse, Same As The First))