Survival Of The Fittest

((I'm not gonna let this thread collect any more dust while waiting for y'all to sort everything out.  This will set the stage for what's to come...and for the culmination of all of our plotting.))


"Where am I?"

Vesa looked around the basement corridor, pointing his gun off in the distance as he surveyed his surroundings.  He should have made it back to the lobby by now...but in his frantic scramble to try and save Matthias, he had gotten himself turned around as was now lost.  Racing to the end of the hall, he could see a door in the distance...perhaps that was the way out?  There was one way to know as he ran to it and opened it, only to find that it was more like a sauna on the other end.

"Voi vittu!" (Aw, fuck!) he growled, beating the door with a closed fist before slamming it to continue his search.  Vesa looked around, slowing to a brisk walk while keeping an eye out for any possible way out...or anyone looking to add his name to their kill count, turning about with the Beretta pointed straight ahead.  Then he proceeded back to where he came from and headed off in a different direction, all the while cursing himself and everything around him.  "Why am I doing this?" he thought, "He's only gonna die anyway if I'm to win..."

But he shook his head as he came to another door.  "No...I have to do this.  Even if Matti dies soon after, it'll prove that I haven't lost my head yet, unlike some..."  Vesa opened the door, and to his relief saw a staircase.  "Yes..." he muttered to himself as he made the climb up the stairs, knowing that he would reach his destination soon...

Perhaps he should've been paying closer attention to his surroundings.  In his frantic rush to find his sister, Matthias had virtually shut out the world around him and was only focusing on one thing... the other side of the doors that were being meticulously pulverized by his foot.  He didn't notice the blonde-headed bombshell that approached him, even though he could see her in his peripheral vision had he been paying attention.  Her voice rang out, causing a confused expression to form on Matthias's face as he turned to face the girl.

Father?  I'm not even old enough to be your father...

He didn't have time to ponder the thought.  He turned to face Mariavel, only to be staring down the barrel of a gun.  Without hesitation, the deranged blonde girl fired.  Thankfully, she was far from an expert marksman, especially in such an unstable state.  Unfortunately, Matthias was directly in the path of her weapon, and the bullet that it expunged skimmed across the left side of his face, taking off the bottom part of his earlobe and leaving a searing, burning cut across the skin that it scorched.

Matthias yelled out in pain and surprise as the injuries pooled over with blood.  His left hand rose instinctively to his face, holding the wound, and he huddled to his right in a defensive position.  Deep brown eyes looked accusingly at the blonde girl in front of him.  Matthias was normally cool under pressure.  Being on the wrong side of a gun, however, with an opponent that seemed to have no intention of backing down... the entire scenario did a lot to make a person lose his cool.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" he snapped at Mariavel, "How could I be your father?  You're, what, maybe a year younger than me?  Come on now, we haven't been here that long... or is that how you do it?  You set it into your mind that the people here aren't... themselves.  They're people that've treated you badly, maybe?  Done you wrong?  That's how you kill them, isn't it?  Well, I'm not your father, and I'm probably nothing like him... so put the gun down.  I don't want to fight you... please don't make me."

It was more of a plea than anything else.  Still, as Matthias looked directly into the girl's glazed-over blue eyes, he couldn't help but think that she was too far gone to ever be pulled back.  He'd probably have to fight this girl.  He had qualms with hitting women to begin with, but his life was suddenly made all the more difficult by the fact that she was wielding a gun.  One punch to her would only weaken her... if she got a hit in, it'd most likely kill him.  The scorching pain that was eating away at the side of his face kept reminding him of that fact.  He watched the blonde girl, bracing himself for what was to come.

~~~

As quickly as the security room had become a sanctuary and haven, it had become a place of chaos and confusion.  No sooner had they stepped into the security room than Whitney had spotted a very familiar figure on one of the security cameras.  Somehow, by some breath of God, Matthias had made his way to the hotel.  She was overjoyed for just a moment... and then it seemed like everything went horribly wrong.  Vesa made his grand entrance into the room just in time to finish her half-astonished sentence, only to exit mere seconds later when a second figure appeared on-screen.

She recognized that girl... maybe.  The video was grainy and it was hard to tell, but she could've sworn that that girl was the one who'd attacked Tanesha Lexx in the wheat field way back on the first day of the game.  Whitney and Matthias had made their escape in the aftermath, but if that was the same girl... Whitney hated to think of how deranged she might be now, given the pressure of the game and the amount of time they'd spent in it.

"That girl..." she whispered almost inaudibly.

Nobody seemed to acknowledge her.  The security room was filled with chaos.  Vesa dashed out immediately only to return mere moments later with Gail.  He seemingly thrust Gail into the security room with them before taking off down the hall once again.  She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to compose her thoughts.  If they didn't act immediately, there was a very real chance that Matthias could die.  If she had correctly identified the girl, then she had already tried to kill both Whitney and Matthias once before.  Now, she'd probably finish the job.

"And off he goes to play the hero..." Ricky muttered under his breath.

He was shaking visibly in frustration.  He could stay here and watched what unfolded.  Part of him was screaming at him to help Vesa attempt to save Matthias.  Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could only think good riddance to himself.  It was a cruel thought, but jealousy does strange things to people.  He saw the torn expression on Whitney's face, the virtually unreadable one on Gail's, and the expression of sheer panic on Vesa's as he dashed about uncontrollably.

"Ricky..." Whitney pleaded, her hands falling on the hispanic boy's shoulders, "We have to help him.  That girl, she's dangerous... she threw a grenade at us before!  She'll kill him if we don't get up there now!"

"And then we put everyone else in danger," Ricky shot back, "It's not worth it."

"So you're just going to let him DIE?!" she shouted, "Just like that?  What about Vesa, Ricky?  Are you gonna let him die too?"

"What do you want from me?" his voice was raising now, "You want me to go out there and let her kill ME instead?"

"There's only one of her!  There are enough of us that we can take her!"

"Yeah, and probably lose somebody else in the process!"

"So what's the difference?" maybe, it sounded a little harsher than it should've.

"We can let him fend for himself, or we can go down there and play roulette for it.  We might kill her, but she's out for blood.  She'll take at least one of us with her, no matter what.  I'd rather it not be us, okay?"

"But it's fine for it to be Matthias?"

She didn't wait for his response.  She dashed out of the security room, slamming the door behind her.  Ricky let out a reluctant sigh and stared at the handle of the door.  He kept telling himself that the girl now obviously attacking Matthias on the monitors wasn't his problem.  The fact that Whitney had just run out the door, presumably to aide her friend, made it very much his problem.  He cast a pleading look to Gail, seeking advice he doubted he'd get.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

Mariavel watched as the bullet cut the side of her "father's" face. No… it may not have been him, but… it was sure as hell good enough for her. As long as she got revenge… revenge for everything he had done. It would all be okay. In Mariavel's deranged and destroyed mind, yes, it would be. She began to giggle as the boy pleaded with her. It was so amusing. She soon began to laugh louder and louder until she was on the verge of hysterics. She calmed and looked at the boy coldly.

"It won't work Father… You'll die for what you did to him… to me… TO US!" She shot again, shoved the gun into her pants and pulled her newly acquired Golf club from her daypack. She dropped the pack and Rifle to the ground. Running at him, she swung.

"Fight you bastard! Entertain your daughter! Hahaha!" She smiled toothily as she swung. She looked like a maniac.

((Sorry Mitsu, my job likes to schedule me doubles which leaves me no time for anything.))

The girl seemed amused by his pleas.  Matthias's face stiffened slightly as he continued to cup his bloodied earlobe.  Perhaps more than anything, it was the look in her eyes that frightened him the most.  It was an almost vacant look, like although the girl was standing right in front of him, she was in another world altogether.  Her world, apparently, was a world that Matthias didn't want to find himself in.

"I'm not your father!" he reiterated.

His words seemed to pass right over her.  The laughing ceased and the girl looked at him, the contempt and hatred on her face apparent.  Somewhere in the crevices of her mind, she was justifying what she was doing -- murdering people in cold blood -- she was justifying that because somehow, she associated them with the people from her past.  He could only imagine that she didn't have the luxury of the warm past and good upbringing that Matthias himself had been offered.

"Listen," he tried again, "We don't have to do this.  It doesn't have to end like this.  We can work it out.  I don't know what he did to you, but I promise, I'm not gonna hurt you.  Please, just listen to me."

His pleas went unheard, once again.

He had no choice.  He was going to have to fight this girl.  It would come down to his life or hers... people in this game, they played for keeps.  There was no such thing as a next round or another try.  You either won or you lost, and when you lost, you wound up dead.  He didn't have time to think on it anymore.  The blonde headed girl produced a golf club from her daypack before dropping her remaining weaponry to the floor.  In a flash, she was running at him, preparing to hit him with the club.

He raised his arms above his head in defense.  It wouldn't shield him from the blow any, but at least it'd come into contact with his arms instead of his head.  Sure enough, the sickening crack that echoed out as the golf club connected with Matthias's wrists was enough to make him sick, nevermind the fact that the pain was much more than he'd imagined it to be.

He reached out, attempting to grab the end of the golf club and jerk it away from Mariavel.  He had no intention of hitting her with it.  He didn't even want to fight her.  He just wanted to remove her leverage, and the easiest way to do that was to get the golf club out of her hands.  Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the rifle on the ground.  For a split second, the thought of grabbing the gun and blowing the blonde headed girl's head off crossed his mind.  No... he couldn't bring himself to do that to another human being.  Unfortunately, this girl didn't seem to share his sentiments.

"Please, stop!"

Mariavel relished in the sound of the golf club making contact with the boy's wrist. It was invigorating. She smiled sadistically and swung again, only to scowl as the boy grabbed onto it, keeping her from hitting him again. His pleas went unnoticed by her. She quickly produced the stiletto from her pocket and slashed at the boy, cackling as her prey yelped in pain. She kicked him, hoping to send him to the ground.

She did.

She sprung onto the boy, dropping the club to the floor in the process. She pinned his arms down with her knees. She had a wonderfully sadistic idea. The stiletto she held in her hand soon plunged into the boy's palm. She loved this feeling of power. She secured his hand to the floor, before removing the Tanto from her other pocket. She repeated the process with his other hand.

She stood, eyeing the boy evilly as he struggled. It was beautiful. She walked back to her Golf club and retrieved it from the ground. She looked at him briefly before swinging it at him, hoping to break a few ribs. She returned to her daypack and placed the Club inside. She swung the Rifle over her shoulder and pointed it at him. She spoke in a low, angered voice.

"Beg you fucker… beg for mercy…" She slammed her foot into his stomach. "Beg!"

((Just letting anyone reading this know that all god-modding in the previous and following posts by either handler was approved by the other handler before posting.))

Matthias managed to pry the golf club from her hands... for the most part.  Much to his surprise, the girl suddenly turned loose of the golf club, and for about a fraction of a second, Matthias felt like perhaps the tide was turning on this battle.  He was soon proven very, very wrong.  He relished in retrieving the golf club for that instant, only to feel a sharp pain slice across his chest.  He let out a yelp of pain as crimson color began soaking through the ripped portion of his shirt.

"Dammit," he hissed under his breath.

Matthias was a martial artist by trade, but he was out of practice.  He hadn't taken classes in several years.  Not to mention, fatigue and the shock of being attacked had sent him into a tailspin, and he didn't know what to anticipate from this girl.  Her movements and attacks were sporadic and irrational, and he couldn't predict what her next action would be.  Now, he was starting to get worried, and with good reason.

Her foot connected hard with his chest, sending him sprawling across the floor.  Before he could react, he heard the clinking sound of the golf club hitting the floor.  Within seconds, the blonde had all but straddled him, pinning his hands to the floor with her knees.  Had he been in the correct state of mind, it would've been no problem to push the lighter girl off of him, but Matthias was losing his composure, and his injuries kept pulling his mind away from what was going on in front of him.

He immediately regretted that as the girl stabbed her knife completely through his hand.  The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt before, and he let out a scream of pain as the stiletto pierced his palm and exited the other side, effectively pinning his hand to the floor.  The smile that crossed the girl's face made Matthias's stomach churn, and he flailed around desperately in an attempt to remove the knife from his hand.

Mariavel was having none of it.  She produced another knife, and Matthias inwardly swore for underestimating her artillery so much.  Seconds later, he found himself bleeding profusely from his palms as he was virtually crucified to the floor of the hotel.  Now, Matthias was getting scared.  He felt completely and utterly helpless in his prone position.

The girl stood up, looking down sadistically at him the entire while, and Matthias could do nothing except flail around and look up helplessly at her as she picked up the golf club she'd dropped a few moments ago and swung down, slamming it into his ribs with a sickening crack.  Matthias yelled out in pain again and rolled to the side... well, as much to the side as he could roll, considering his hands were still pinned to the ground with knives.

All of a sudden, he came face to face with a rifle.  She wanted him to beg.

"Why are you doing this?" he wheezed.  He couldn't muster anything else.  The burning, stinging sensation in his ribs wouldn't really allow him to do so.

"Why?" She repeated. She seemed to think about it for a fraction of a second.

"Why not? I want to get all of you… everyone will bow before me. All of you. I'll kill you all. Then..,. then I'll go home, and Kill my father. Because… Because he… he… He took my brother from me. So.. I have to kill you. You and every other fucker who crosses my path."

Her words were cold, no feeling behind them. She realized this boy was not her father. But she didn't care. It was satisfying. She could kill him. She had so much power. IT was beautiful. She smiled angelically, and pointed the gun at his chest.

"Should I finish you this way? Or =maybe watch you bleed to death? Choices, Choices…" She mused, if only to torture the boy further.

"Let me ask you… What do you have to live for?" She had the gun at her side now, willingly listening.

Much to Matthias's amazement, the blonde girl actually answered his question.  Her answer didn't make much sense though.  Maybe it didn't have to.  Her thought process made no sense at all.  Looking up at the girl, it didn't surprise him very much.  From what he could gather, her father had taken her brother away from her somehow.  He couldn't begin to comprehend how her father could've taken her brother away.  Maybe he'd divorced her mother and taken her brother in the custody battle.  Maybe he'd survived an accident that her brother hadn't.  Matthias didn't know.  Still, he saw an opportunity within the girl's words.

She'd give him the opportunity to use it against her.  What did he have to live for?

"... Jodeen," he wheezed.

Maybe her attack on his ribs had done more damage than he'd realized at first.  It seemed that every breath hurt more than the last.  The pain didn't seem to dull, but rather, it seemed to be getting worse and worse.  Matthias coughed, only to notice that the substance exiting from his lips was pink in color.  Was he... bleeding?

"M-my sister.  That's what I have to live for.  Promised... promised her I'd always be there for her... always be there to protect her.  You had a brother... you know what that's like, don't you?  You always want to be there for them... always there to protect them.  C-can't do that if I'm dead, now can I?"

He offered her a weak smile.  A strong coppery taste had entered his mouth.  He didn't realize that it was blood.

"S-shouldn't... hunt down your father... better than that.  Gotta prove it to him.  Besides... not worth the... the effort."

Matthias coughed again.  It seemed like he couldn't get it out of his throat.  He'd long since stopped struggling.  At this point, it seemed like his only hope was to get this girl to feel some sort of sympathy for him.  That wasn't to say that his words weren't genuine.  He couldn't feel anger toward Mariavel, despite the fact that she was trying to -- and probably succeeding in -- killing him.  He could only feel pity for her.  The things he'd taken for granted when he was younger... the things he'd learned to value more than life itself, things like his family... this girl didn't have those things.

"Sorry..." he uttered, "S-sorry that... turned out like that for you.  No one... no one deserves that."

"You… you liar!" She screamed at the boy. Her eyes started to well up, and she felt a tear trickle down her cheek. He… he had a sister to protect. That… that's right…. Grant…. He'd always been there for her. No matter what. He… he was always there. He protected her from everything. Suddenly, Mariavel saw Grant in this boy. She fell to her knees in front of him, her eyes filled with tears.

"I…. I just want to see him again… Grant… Why did you let him kill you? Why?" She seemed to loose sight of everything. Her head began to ache. She grabbed the sides of her head in pain. She began to thrash, the pain was unbearable. Was… was this guilt? She was in so much pain.

"Stop it… Stop the pain! Grant! Help Me!" She screamed out, forgetting the boy."

She accused him of lying.  All he could do in response was smile at her.  She may not have believed him, but Matthias knew the truth, and that was all that was important now.  The copper taste spread from his mouth into his throat and he let out another cough, spattering blood down his mouth and across his chest.  His prone position on the floor was causing the blood to rush into the back of his throat that much faster.

So soon to say it's over
Lets see what happens later on
I'm 16, my world just opened wide
I've got a pocket full of change
I'm tired of thinking underage
Just cut this string and let me fly
Say goodbye, say goodbye

All of a sudden, the girl started crying.  Matthias was taken aback by her reaction.  He'd tried reasoning with her earlier, and she seemed nothing but deranged and bent on destroying herself and everyone around her.  Now, she almost seemed like an entirely different person.

"Just... want to see her again... too," he uttered, "But... not gonna... happen."

Tears were welling up in his own eyes too.  Matthias never cried.  He'd never allow himself to show weakness... to lose his cool.  Now though, it all seemed pointless.  He tried not to express his feelings too much.  He had to be the protector, he couldn't afford to show his own weaknesses... especially in front of his sister.  Thinking back on it, they'd had such a strong bond since that incident so long ago.

Forgive me mom and dad
If the music makes you sad
Nothing can prepare us for the day
When little boys grow old
And don't do as they're told
I will find my way
I'm just tired of thinking underage,
Tired of thinking underage,
I'm not thinking underage anymore

The blonde-headed girl was shaking, crying... she looked like she felt only anguish and despair.  Matthias still pitied her.  At this point, he knew he was dying.  His dark eyes fixated on the blonde girl.  He almost felt the need to comfort her.  It wasn't something he could really do, given the fact that he was crucified to the floor.

"Hey..." he uttered, a spastic cough racking through his body in the process," It's... it's okay."

"Oh, can we Matt? Can we go for ice cream? Please? Please, please, pretty like me, please?"

Jo...deen?

I'm first in line at the DMV
I'll sweet talk you, just give me the keys
I don't have a curfew in my mind
Little Katie and me like Rolling Stones
She keeps me still by letting go
It's not like were running out of time
Cause you will find, yeah you will find

A light smile formed on his face.  He could see his sister, smiling, laughing.  The good, the bad... all the life experiences that Matthias had had... it all made him smile now, as he thought back on it all.

"You don't want the story of Matthias the War Hero, Wielder of the Almighty Saxophone Case to spread around school?"

Another series of coughs racked his body, sending even more of the red substance out of his mouth and onto his chin and clothes.  Now, the pain seemed almost trivial though.  He barely even realized that Mariavel Varella was still standing there, grief-stricken and in her own thoughts.  Now, Matthias was trying to focus on the good.  He couldn't help but feel a little bit sad, though.  After all, it was only now that he truly realized how many people and things he'd never see again.

Now, every little moment that he could remember seemed... special.

Forgive me mom and dad
If the music makes you sad
Nothing can prepare us for the day
When little boys grow old
And don't do as they're told
I will find my way
I'm just tired of thinking underage,
Tired of thinking underage,
I'm not thinking underage anymore

~~~

The door to the Kovalenko household squealed open and a stunned Jodeen Kovalenko stepped into her house for the first time in several days.  Much to her surprise, nobody was home.  Her eyes scanned the interior of the Kovalenko's emmaculate home, but there was no one in sight.  The past few days had been horrifying and confusing.  She remembered the abduction plain as day... they'd taken their entire class.  They'd killed one of their classmates.  Most of all, she remembered... her brother.

"Matthias..." she whispered quietly as she trailed absently into to living room.

She remembered watching that horrible movie... she remembered watching the student on the film die.  But... then something happened.  She knew she was going to be on Survival of the Fittest.  She knew that she was going to be forced to kill the other students around her or run the risk of dying.  But... she wasn't.  When she woke up from her gas-induced state, she wasn't off on some foreign island.  Instead, she was on her own doorstep.  She thought that maybe it had been a terrible dream.

Just like gravity, the ups and downs
Will always be ok with me
I am over all that underage can be...

It would prove to be anything but.

Her brother was nowhere to be found.  In fact, nobody was anywhere to be found.  She flipped on the television, only to see something she never thought she would.  It was her brother, but he was... dying?  Jodeen let out a terrified scream as she saw Matthias laying there, covered in his own blood and pinned to the ground with knives.

"Mattie!  MATTIE!"

She rushed to the television, clawing at the screen in horror, but her actions were in vain.  All she could do was watch as her brother continued to cough and writhe in pain in his final moments.  Her eyes fixated on her brother's face, and she couldn't help but notice the eerily peaceful look that formed on his face during his final moments.  Tears welled up in her eyes and ran down her face as she sat in the floor of the living room, her arms clutching the television like she'd never let go.

Forgive me mom and dad
If the music makes you sad
Nothing can prepare us for the day
When little boys grow old
And don't do as they're told
I will find my way
I'm just tired of thinking underage,
Tired of thinking underage,
I'm not thinking underage anymore

Somehow, by some stroke of luck, she'd managed to escape the program.  For some reason, they'd returned her home.  She'd never know the reasoning behind it.  Perhaps... there wasn't one.  Perhaps Danya was the sort of person who enjoyed watching others suffer.  In this case, he was causing Matthias to suffer.  He was watching him run around the island in search of a person that wasn't even there.  Maybe... that was it.  She couldn't think.  She could barely even breathe.  All she could do was sit in the floor... and cry.

~~~

"Don't leave me Mattie!"

"I told you, just go away! Leave me alone!"

"I'm sorry, Mattie! I won't bother you guys again. I'll be good, just don't leave me here..."

"Isn't that what you said last time? Look what happened! Why do you have to be such a whining brat?"

"But...I didn't mean to do anything....Please, big brother."

"...Just go. You're old enough. You want to go to the gift shops? Go there by yourself. Go on without me."

"But, Mom said I had to stay with you..."

"I don't care! Just get out of my life!"

(Forgive me mom and dad)
I'm not thinking underage anymore
I'm not thinking underage anymore
(If the music makes you sad)
I'm not on that page anymore, no
I'm not thinking underage anymore
I'm not thinking underage anymore

Any other time, it would've been a horrible memory.  Now, though, Matthias kept recollecting that moment in time.  It was after that day that he and his sister grew so close.  A peaceful smile spread over his lips as he recollected it.  Now, Jodeen would have to learn to protect herself.  He wouldn't be around to do it for her anymore.  Maybe, he'd finally fulfilled his purpose.  He caught one final glimpse of Mariavel before his vision faded into darkness, and then, he saw no more.

They say that before you die your life flashes before your eyes... make it worth watching.

MALE STUDENT NO. 18 - MATTHIAS KOVALENKO - DECEASED

Mariavel watched the boy in horror. It was like it was happening again. Grant was dieing again. She'd just murdered someone who was looking for his little sister. He wanted to protect her. Just like Grant always protected her. It wasn't right. Why? Why was everything so fucked up? Goddamn you Danya… Goddamn you to hell.

Mariavel let the tears run free as she crawled over to the deceased boy. She pulled both knives from his hands, and pocketed them. She picked him up and cradled the lifeless body in her arms. He looked so peaceful. She started to shake with grief. She put his body on the ground and folded his arms over his chest. She closed his eyes.

"I'm so sorry… So sorry. I'll… I'll protect her for you. I'll save Jodeen. That's all I can do for you now…" She shakily stood, and slung the rifle over her shoulder once again.

"I'm sorry…"

Somewhere in a back hallway, a door creaked open and was pushed forward, revealing a prominent figure with a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other.  Vesa looked around, his heart racing as he closed the door behind him; a look revealed that he was in the area where most of the public amenities were located.  A glance to his left revealed the fitness center, where stationary bikes and exercise equipment sat unused, while to the right was the business center.  If he was in the right frame of mind, he would have tried to access one of the computers, but he had a feeling that there would be no connection and he would be merely wasting his time.  That was one thing that Vesa had very little of...time was running out, and if he couldn't hurry up and find Matthias, he knew that he would be done for.  As he passed a short hall that forked off, likely leading to the locker rooms for the pool area...or was it for a sauna?  "Damn, I could use some time in a sauna," he thought, "if anything, it'd take my mind off of..."

Then he set foot into the main lobby and his heart began beating faster.  He knew that a potential killer was nearby as Vesa began to look around for areas he could use for cover should he come under attack.  But he couldn't help it...he knew that his friend was in trouble and was likely on the verge of losing his life.

"Matti...?" he mouthed to himself before speaking up, "Matti!  Where are you...we're coming for you!"

Suddenly, he saw a girl and immediately ducked behind a pillar.  The girl had light blonde hair, which was lighter than his own as Vesa pulled a handful up to examine for comparative purposes.

"You stupid, stupid boy...you're scared.  You want to die and get yourself out of this nightmare, do you?"

"Shut up!" growled Vesa to himself as he watched the girl went off down the hallway.  Suddenly, he knew that this was it...he had to give pursuit as he quietly stalked to the arch of the hall.  Peering around the corner revealed rooms that guests likely stayed in as he considered his options, only to realize there was nothing to consider.

"That's your girl.  You wanna play the hero and save Matthias?  Now's your chance...so what're you waiting for?  Go get 'em, tiger...prove to the world that Etsiä Katti has arrived."

It was now or never.  Vesa growled and ran after the girl, firing once from the Beretta.  "Stop right there!" he shouted, "You're not going anywhere..."

The shot directed toward Mariavel Varella rang out audibly through the hallway.

I'm too late...

Despite himself, Ricky Callahan had followed Whitney Acosta out of the security room when she'd left in some vain attempt to save her friend -- or maybe he was her boyfriend's -- life.  He'd followed her to the corridor shown on the screen.  Somehow, he'd finally managed to catch up to her, and they'd found Matthias.  But, it was too little, too late.  Ricky walked up just in time to see Mariavel cradling the bloodied and beaten body of Matthias Kovalenko.  He didn't know what else to do, so he did the only thing that he could, given the circumstances.

He fired.

Having never fired the gun before, Ricky's hand jerked to the right a little.  The odds of it having hit Mariavel were slim to none.  In fact, it probably didn't do anything besides spook the deranged blonde.  Now, Ricky was immediately regretting his action.  He stepped in front of Whitney, who could seem to do nothing besides look on in shock and horror at the corpse of her dead friend.

"What did you do...?" she inquired almost inaudibly.

Ricky could only grit his teeth.  He hadn't been on the best of terms with Matthias Kovalenko, but this girl... this girl had no right to take his classmate away from him.  Despite their differences, Matthias was a good guy.  He didn't deserve this.  He didn't deserve to be tortured to death.  All he could do now was ensure that this girl paid for what she'd done to him.  His eyes scanned over the small handgun grasped firmly in his palms.  It was now or never.  Survival of the Fittest was the name of the game, and the concept was kill or be killed.

He'd killed once... could he do it again?

"You'll pay for what you did," Ricky muttered, training his sight on Mariavel.

Mariavel cried out in shock when she felt the bullet whiz past her and imbed itself in the wall behind her. She spun rapidly and pointed the rifle in the direction of her oncoming attacker. She looked him in the eyes briefly before blinking the tears away. This boy said that she would pay. That would be nice…. She deserved to die. She deserved the worst possible death.

But she had a promise to keep.

"I can't die yet…. I have to save her…" She muttered and sprinted for cover behind a corner, firing three shots at the pair as she did so. She secured herself behind the corner and yelled out to the duo.

"I have no reason to kill you. But I have no qualms with doing so." She felt the weight of all the things she'd done hit her full on, but she had things to do. First to avenge Lavvy, then to save Jodeen. She fired another two shots from her position.

He heard the girl scream, and he reflexively flinched.  For a moment, Ricky wondered if firing a shot at the girl had been a bad idea.  He'd killed someone before.  Maybe Matthias's death had been an accident.  Who was he fooling?  The state of Matthias's corpse told Ricky that his death was no accident, plain and simple.  This girl had murdered him in cold blood.  He didn't catch what she said before she sprinted around the corner.  He was far too transfixed on the barrel of her own gun that was pointed directly at himself and Whitney.

"Watch out!" he roared, diving into Whitney's side and knocking both himself and the stunned blonde around the corner and away from the bullets whizzing through the air.

"You okay?" he inquired, his attention turning toward his companion for the moment.

"I'm fine..." she replied almost inaudibly.

He could hear the girl call out to them, telling them that she had no reason to kill them but no qualms about doing so.  Her actions spoke far louder than her words when she fired another two shots at them.  Ricky stood up and leaned against the wall.

"Stay down," he ordered, after which his attention returned to Mariavel, "You had no reason to kill him either, did you?  It doesn't change the fact that you did, and he did nothing to deserve it.  You're nothing but a murderer!"

Ricky poked his head out from around the corner long enough to fire two shots at the concealed blonde somewhere down the hallway.  He returned to his hidden away position, only to feel a light tug on his hand.

"Ricky... let's go.  It's not worth it."

Part of him agreed with her.  Still, he felt responsible for Matthias's death.  If he'd acted sooner, perhaps he could've gotten down here in time to save his schoolmate from dying.  But he hadn't... now, he felt the need to avenge him somehow, and this girl was the one who had killed him in cold blood.

"Shh... just stay down."