Survival Of The Fittest

((Jason Harris continued from Legoland Empire))

Jason had run as fast as he could but he was tired and hungry, his adrenaline all worn out. He had caught of with Nathan pretty quickly but the two had separated, not too far but far enough to be out of earshot for the time being. Jason was confident enough they would meet up again. His chest heaved as he leaned up against a solitary tree sprouting from the side of the mountain. The foliage here was sparse and every step he had made echoed down the mountainside. Everything felt ominously quiet, perhaps a subconscious hint that more and more of his classmates had fallen prey to Danya's machinations. Jason refused to acknowledge that this was a game. This was real and anyone not treating it as such would pay the price.

His train of thought was interrupted by the clash of steel on steel and the throaty shouts of men engaged in a fight. He recognised the yells of Maf echoing down the mountainside and he picked up his pace; his friend could be in danger. The yells had stopped now as he clambered around a large outcrop and continued on his way up, Jason hoped he was not too late.

"Maf!"

Jason's voice echoed around the mountain amplified by the rocks around him. There was no answer.

Not good, this is not good

He turned the corner and paused. There was blood everywhere. The smell of burning flesh. Bodies. Plural. Something had gone down here and the aftermath was grisly. Jason pulled his gun out and carefully moved in to the area, firstly checking the two bodies and then the packs laying haphazardly around the small battle site. Melissa. Nick. After he was sure the coast was clear he made careful note of the two deceased students. His nose rankled as he dragged Melissa's pack away from the body and slid the Kampilan away, jamming it in to his belt. The smell of burning flesh was something he did not appreciate.

There was food and water in here. Even more in the second pack he found. Extra medical supplies too and a cooker. An extra flashlight.

Fucking Jackpot mate Jason thought to himself despite the situation. He wolfed down a loaf and took a swig of water from the bottle before continuing his investigation. He was starting to get seriously worried about the effects of dehydration but now he was confident about lasting a few more days with this new found cache. As he gathered up the other items around he noticed a glint of metal. Not the dagger gripped in Nick's cold hands but the oh so familiar shape of Maf's Astra 400. Jason picked it up tentatively and checked the magazine. It was full but there should be more bullets around the place. Sliding his own pistol in to his backpack Jason placed the Astra in his waistband and continued to look around.

Maf wasn't here and judging by the packs everyone else was dead. Which could only mean one thing. Maf had killed. Jason wasn't sure about the ramifications here. Ever since that accident on the football field Maf had been the very essence of a gentle giant, keeping to himself and not willing to hurt anyone. There wasn't time though if he was going to catch up to his friend. There was only one blood trail leading away and Jason followed it closely dreading where it would lead every step of the way.

It took him all of five minutes to reach the slope where the blood trail ended. Far below he could make out a figure, sprawled on the ground far below. Jason took a sharp inhalation of breath as he took in the sight.

"Shit. Nathan! Over here!"

Jason closed his eyes for a second to steel himself before beginning his descent.

((Jason Harris continued in Not Fade Away))

((Nathan Choultard continued from Legoland Empire))

Why was he following him? More importantly why was he allowing it to happen? Jason had said nothing about the announcements and instead the primary frocus was Maf.

It was one of the reasons that Nathan now allowed Jason to lead. He felt safer when he wasn't in front. Now he hoped that he could find Maf, before it was too late.

His body felt heavy. Weighed down by all that had happened before. All the things he could have done to stop the events that had happened. The split of the group, the murders the situation in the warehouse. Whether they were his fault or not, he took responsibility.

Nathan's legs froze when he reached the scene before him. It was chaos before him there was a bloody mess around the head and body of a woman, Melissa Li. There was the smell of something frying that nearly made him dry heave. Turning away he found another body with a bloody mess around his chest and arms. A smile was still on his face and that was what made it worse. Here lay the body of Nick Ried, notorious killer and he was smiling.

Nathan had covered his mouth and nose in a weak attempt to numb his senses. The smells assaulted him and left him with a desire to gag, but nothing came out. The only time he had been thankful that he had eaten and drunk little.

Jason, instead of taking in the situation. Ate bread and drank water that he found from their packs. He ate bread...in the midst of a murder scene. And then he laying on the ground, as if he was some salvager that was just looking for parts he could use. How could he be so casual?

Nathan gulped. That was it wasn't it? That was the proof that Jason had been a murderer. Did he not care? He showed no remorse at the scene. Was it the same when he killed Tiffany?

"Shit. Nathan! Over here!"

Jason quickly decended down the cliff. Clearly he had scene something that caught his eyes. Seeing as the scene before him didn't, Nathan was unsure if he had wanted to see such a scene. Even so, something new had taken over his mind.

His eyes turned to his small pack. The pack that had carried the tiny little pistol that he had been assigned since the very beginning. It hadn't been loaded throughout his entire stay on this hell of a place. He gulped again, placing the pack down and unzipping the bag. There was not a real sheen to it, it looked more like a dark metallic tube with a rubber end. The bullets had the real sheen, looking more like fresh copper tubes than anything else all of them lined up in neat little strips of 6.

Geoffrey would want an answer, just like Nathan would.

Nathan reached for the gun and the stip. His quivering hand recoiled when he touched the gun again. He frowned turning back to where Jason had gone. He gulped and grabbed the gun. He fumbled with it for several minutes before he could slide the strip into it's container.

It had been really easy. Loading the gun. It's easiness made Nathan shudder. He grabbed the bag and walked to the edge. His hand wouldn't stop shaking he tried to restrain it, but it just wouldn't stop.

"I just need an answer..." he mumbled to himself before descending the slope.

He was more scared than when he was trapped in the warehouse.

This is the right thing to do...right?

((Nathan Choultard continued elsewhere))