Survival Of The Fittest

She blinked. What. The. Hell?! Vince's knightly attempt didn't work well enough and he fell to the floor, Angharad in his arms. How long had he been standing in the doorway? Since the time that Xian cut Angharad's face, or longer than that? The more she thought about it, the more she got ticked off like a football player whose glorious pass was intercepted. Unfair. Not right. Give her back, damn you! And since he never would, she'd have to get Angharad Davies back for herself. Then, they could be alone again to finish things off. Licking her lips at the thought of it, she got up. The corkscew was held so tightly that her skin nearly broke from the pressure.

"Vince, I told you to come in only when I told you to!" Xian hissed, making her way over to Vince. From the waist up, she looked rather menacing, but, waist down that image was destroyed by her pink Hello Kitty panties. She was still a kid underneath her insanity. She was still the scared girl that had met up with Sydney Morvran. Still the girl that resolved to make Cole's death one not in vain. Yes.

So, what went wrong? What corrupted her in the span of a few hours?

Screaming in rage, Xian stabbed downwards, aiming for Vince's shoulder. "Incoming, beach!!"

Angharad wasn't sure how much more of this torture she could endure. It was the very definition of humiliation- she was being sexually assulted by a girl she assumed dead not moments ago, and the most painful thing (apart from her gaping bullet wounds, of course) was admitting defeat and asking the deranged girl to stop. But this apparently only turned her on more as Xian travelled further and further up her stomach...

It was all becoming too much... just make it stop... Xian's inanely grinning face swum before her face as she started to fade. Just make it stop... the corkscrew was more or less within reach. Could she really do that? Grab it and finish it? The idea certainly seemed appealing; even the shimmer of hope Reese had provided for her before had gone. She was nothing now, just a destroyed shell of what she was before. She went to reach for the corkscrew...

Xian's weight vanished in an instant, and before Angharad could tell what was going on she felt a force pulling her away. It was painful to be dragged in such a clumsy manner, but even through all she was surprised and grateful that she had managed to escape. The force stopped and something collapsed down, whoever had been dragging her had obviously struggled. Looking up into the face of the stranger- whose lap she was now occupying- she was stunned to see the face of Vince.

No one would come for her. No one would help, because on this island it was every person for themselves. No one would come and save Angharad now. She had to save herself...

...but someone had. Someone had come to save her, and worse, someone she had left for dead, like Xian. She found herself at a loss at what to say- "thank you for saving my life! Hey, maybe I could do the same for you one day!... oh, wait, no, I didn't..."

Thinking of what to say became less of a priority, however, at the sight of Xian raising her corkscrew. Gasping, she closed her eyes, not wishing to see the results of Xian's brushwork.

Please, Vince... stop her... stop it all...

Vince was worried, not only for himself but for the person who left him for dead, the traitor he had rescued. He liked xian, but not enough to just let her murder someone like that, and especially in the way that stevan had saw as he rushed in for the great escape.

He winced as angharads weight pressed down on the bullethole in his leg, he gave out a short notice of pain, a somewhat girlish scream, But before he knew, his eyes were open to see xian striking at him. The one girl he thought he could trust in this hellhole was now the traitor. It all came clear to him, It came at the wrong moment, right at the end where it wouldent count for shit. No one could be trusted period.

His reactions took over and he made a grab for xians striking arm, Though it was in van, the cork screw embedded itself nicely into vinces right shoulder, Leaving a lovely little stream of blood to flow free.

"XIAN.." He spluttered, "STOP...." He managed to raise the leg that angharad wasnt sitting on and he pushed it against her stomach, more of a shove than a kick but anything to stop the girl. "Right FUCKING now".

He held the wound softly in his hand, the crimson river pouring down his arm like a waterfall.

((Ha im not letting him get killed that easy ya Shmuck))

She managed to free the corkscrew from Vince's arm in time for it to go down with her. Xian's lip twitched, her eyes widened and went down to normal size, and her arm began to shake. The spell on Vince had worn off. He didn't like her anymore... This wasn't how it was supposed to be. None of this... Still the girl from before. Still scared, still afraid of dying. Angharad had just been her means of revenge, that was all. Xian was just like any other girl on the island. Holding her hurt stomach, she gave out a small whine, a strangle of pain, annoyance, and fear. Why did you have to hurt me, Vince? Why...?

"V-Vince...she was the one." Xian didn't understand. "She got him killed, not me! I'm the one you're supposed to be protecting! Don't I deserve that, Vince? Shouldn't Xian get a knight of her own, just for once?" Her corkscrew pointed frantically between the two, not sure who to attack next, or to continue at all. Maybe it would be best to run away? Leave Vince and Angharad to help themselves like Angharad had done for him and her? Questions, questions, so many god damn questions all the time. Again, her lip quivered, revealing all her uncertainty.

"We're friends, right? Friends protect eachother, not kill eachother."

Tears began to cloud her vision as her eyes maddened.

"Together? Together we'll win." Vince's words. How were they supposed to win together if he was attacking her instead of their enemy? That's not what friends, or allies did. They protect one another; a princess and her knight. Sydney's words.

All boys... Liars...

Insanity had happened to Xian. It had entered her core being, ruining her before she even realized what was happening to her. Survival of the Fittest had been too much for her. A simple case of cause and effect, turning innocent children into the guiltiest of murderers. She had proven that fact before, and she'd do it again.

Xian pounced, aiming to land on Vince to tear him up with corkscrew, nails, and fists. Kill him dead and watch the truth flash before her eyes; she was an individual no longer, only another one for the psycho pool.

Angharad was barely conscious- the amount of blood she'd lost, as well as all the trauma she'd been through and pain she'd endured, was finally starting to get to her. Xian's words were muffled and distant, but she could still hear them.

This little hero stunt... Vince could end up getting killed. I've already left him for dead once, I can't do it again...

Although she was more than appreciative that her life had been spared, she couldn't help but feel guilty at the potential cost. Not that she was the 'throw yourself on the sword' type; during the course of this game she had thought of herself and only herself, but still...

She had regained some of her former self whilst she had been lying down on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor. From the cold fury she had felt at being betrayed by Peri, the temporary insanity when she had tried to attack Ryan, the harsh realisation during her conversation with Cassie, the burning humilation she had experienced with Xian... and now remorse and guilt with Vince, Angharad Davies had seen it all. A paintbox of emotions... although she wasn't exactly restored to her magnificent glory of her former self, she wasn't the hollow machine she had been since she arrived on the island six days ago.

While it might have been too late (and isn't that the bitch about last minute revelations?) to take everything back- all the lies she had told, the bonds she'd betrayed, the people she'd killed- she had made up her mind to die doing something decent. It wouldn't take everything back, but it would be something.

Opening her eyes blearily, she saw Xian midair. There was no way, given the state she was in, that she could intercept Xian's attack. There was nothing really she could do, and once more she resigned herself to being the helpless damsel once more. Closing her eyes, she managed to whisper, "Look out..."

Look out? Great words of warning they were.
He would try to make some sort of struggle against the girl but it just wasnt enough, The corkscrew again pierced his skin, This time Sticking through His cheek. He could feel the cold metal on his tongue along with the taste of blood.

The yellow bandana around his head would be slowly died red with blood. The yellow bandana gang my arse, That one lasted long, just like every other alliance in this fucking place.

He feel back when the corkscrew was impaled in his cheek and it somewhat put him into a state of shock, He'd never experianced such pain, atleast not without passing out.
He couldent move while Xian slowly tore his face up, And stabbed him anywhere she could. The blood was trickling from all areas of his body. The bullet wounds now leaking like a busted drainpipe, staining the floor even more. A pool of crimson slowly took shape around the two.

All i ever wanted was to play music! Since mom and dad bought that first guitar, its been my life, And in such short days its been ripped away from, taken out of hands reach.

His pupils grew small and his fingers twitched as he lay there still, The girl still thrashing. He could feel his heart beating slower and slower as his vision slowly faded out.

Then Nothing.

His once handsome face was now just feature people would puke at if they saw it, HIs hair was soaked in blood and the bandana that xian and placed around his head was ripped and torn. Multiple stab wounds would make the cause of death damn simple to anyone. His head lay facing angaharad, His baby blue eyes staring her out.

God damn it guys, It was good while it lasted eh? I better get a fucking tribute song

Boy No#28 Vince Noir Dead

As Vince got impaled by the corkscrew, Angharad felt herself involuntarily roll out of his lap. Obviously something had happened to him, or he would have tried to get her back. The noises- squelching and obscene- told her all she needed to know as she winced in the fresh pains in her stomach. Not that she ever thought that Xian was the noble type, but it still was a shock that she was so willing to chop and change her alliances like that. Although she wouldn't have said the pair were close, she wouldn't have thought Xian would abandon her ally so easily.

I guess we're more alike than I'd like to think...

As Xian battered Vince about with her corkscrew, Angharad glanced at the door nearby. If she could just make it out, maybe Xian would leave her alone, maybe... but she couldn't run, she couldn't even stand. Desperately, she began to drag herself across the bathroom tiles, the blood from her stomach spilling out onto the floor. If she could just make it to the door... if she could just escape...

((Bahaha, not likely!))

And, then... It was over. The boy was dead, never to lie, never to hurt another girl ever again. He was gone, as simple as that. Xian let out a steady stream of air, which was followed by a very out of place, and not to mention, loud yawn. It wasn't that she was bored. Quite the opposite, really, the excitement was beginning to mount now that there wouldn't be any distractions.

Next time, Vince... There was a sick squelching sound as Xian pulled the corkscrew out of his skin. The metal piece was pretty much ruined now, dyed a relatively permanent red. Not that it mattered, though, since the island wasn't about having the prettiest weapon out there. ...If there is ever a next time, remember. She wasn't really sure what he had to remember. Not to lie? To listen to her? Part way through, she had lost her train of thought and the sentence was gone.

"Angharad." Don't think I haven't forgotten about you just yet.

Xian felt a small sense of satisfaction watching the other girl pull herself over the tiles, leaving a nice trail of blood as she tried hard to leave the Facility. It was quite pathetic, really, of how desperate this girl wanted to live when she truly didn't deserve it. Angharad had played her part in taking lives... That was one reason why she wasn't fit enough to survive.

Are you any better, Xian? Tilting her head slightly to the side like a pondering dog, she wondered what to do next. So many possibilities of what to do with the vulnerable little wench.

"Stop it. You're just making things worse," Using one of her last shreds of honor, she gently closed Vince's open eyes. Wonderful, they had been blue and Xian hadn't even noticed. "St-stay a while, pull up a chair or something. We've got all the time in the world, Anghy." There was a small stammer in her voice, but, other than that, it was almost as if Vince hadn't been killed. "That's what leads me to my next question. H-ho-how many people have you hur-hurt? Huh? Pot lid wasn't the only guy you killed. And, that other guy, too, with you. Who was he?

If you don't tell me the truth, I'm going to stab you." She laughed at the sound of it, cleaning it off with Vince's shirt. "Seriously."

What good would the truth do? She stopped trying to escape; obviously Xian's attentions had been turned back on the poor girl. Using every last ounce of effort in her, she turned over to face Xian, wincing in pain as she did.

Looking Xian in the face, it really was almost like looking into a mirror. Xian had most likely been normal once; she had a life before she got onto this island. She had hopes and dreams, she had friends, she had likes and dislikes... but none of that mattered here. It was all irrelevant details when you were put in a life or death position. Did Xian like the same bands as Angharad? Did she watch the same TV? The same hobbies and interests? Either way, whatever they had been before, the island had destroyed and left nothing more but killers. It could just be as simple as that, of course- the game had messed them up nicely and that was it. They were both too far gone now, who cares if either of them made it out alive?

But Angharad knew otherwise. She had done some terrible things, that was true. She had hurt a lot of people, even killed- but the old Angharad wasn't entirely gone, and it wasn't until after Cassie's little speech that she had realised that. She wasn't an empty murderer; she was just a scared, lost little girl trying to stay alive. With no proper allies and no one to trust, who could blame her for doing what she'd done? Looking up at Xian, Angharad spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. Surely her time was coming to a close now... the votes had all been counted and now it was time for her to make a concession speech.

"Who have I h-hurt? I've hurt a lot of people. I've betrayed practically everyone I've met while I've been here, and I've even killed some of them. Duncan... he was the first." Her eyes glazed over as she cast her thoughts back to the Lighthouse. How easy the game all seemed then. How carefree she had been, how invincible she'd felt. Killing Duncan seemed easy, it seemed like the right thing to do.

"We were going to escape, but I didn't see it working. I valued my own skin too highly and he paid the price. He was a good guy and I killed him." It wasn't a pitying remark; she didn't feel remotely sorry for herself now. What was done was done. Not to say that she was skipping over the fact that she'd killed a friend, but no point moping over it now, time was precious.

"If you can credit Andrew's death to my name, then I guess I killed him as well... and the girl. I don't know who she was, but she charged at me. That was more self defence than anything... not that I gave her a chance to persuade me otherwise."

Feeling tired from talking so much, Angharad paused for a moment. While talking about her island experience was a lot better than being hacked and molested, she wasn't sure where Peri came into it.

"The boy?... he was just someone I met on here a while back. He spared me my life on one condition, that I killed someone else." She paused once more, this time smiling sadly.

"I did what he asked, I killed someone. But I guess it wasn't enough and he wanted his money back," she finished, laughing a little. Her amusement sent pain shooting through her body and she quickly subsided, the holes Peri shot in her stomach probably would be responsible for her eventual death.

"So I know you, Xian. I am you, just in a less fortunate position. I know you're scared and frightened, and I understand your need to kill, although anyone could see why you'd want to kill me." She smiled again. "I won't be a hypocrite and try and force you to play this game any other way... but I guess I'll wish you luck with it. I hope it turns out better for you than it did for me."

And that was it. Her speech was over, she took a bow and stepped off the podium to make way for the winner. Speaking as one desperate killer to another, Angharad to Xian, girl to girl.

Winner to loser.

Xian had to wait a few minutes for it to settle in. Then, minutes more to figure out a good enough reply to all of that. Her words, in some ways, were sickeningly right. She killed because she was angry, stressed, and above all else terrified of losing the game. There were no extra lives, no quarters for the continue screen after your character died. You had to let go and walk away, something that Xian Chun wasn't prepared to do. She had to keep playing, she had to keep surviving, she had to live. No one deserved it more than her. And the other girl could see a variation of Xian's belief, making it all the more stronger.

"Good. Now you understand." But, sweetie, you're forgetting something, Angharad... We're different, so different, and I don't think you'll ever get a chance to realize that for yourself. One of us is dying, the other one is going to live, and, damn it, I'm going to see myself at the end, chilling back and humming some nice songs. "Must be pretty nasty getting touched by a much better version of yourself, huh?"

Great. Xian was talking to her as if Angharad was some chummy old pal of hers, talking about what had just happened between them like it was a common occurence that took place years ago. Her school was full of messed up kids, so a conversation like that probably did happen on an odd day of the week. Toying around, Xian pricked her index finger with the corkscrew, now noticing something nearby. A body. The girl that Angharad had been talking about, beheaded and lying harmlessly in a corner.

She had blended in too well with their blood stained surroundings for Xian to really take notice. Now that she had, Xian made her way over to her, surveying the damage and, more importantly, checking out her clothes. Plain jeans, not too affected by the rich liquid around them and a marginally cute shirt. It seemed as if the girl hadn't cared too much about her appearance. Kind of like Xian before she got recruited to the cheerleading squad.

"I'm going to go change. Don't get any funny ideas." She didn't want to spend the rest of her time on the island in a ruined shirt and underwear. Taking her time, she stripped Cydni Pullman's body and pulled on her clothes. The jeans were a bit of a loose fit, but they would have to do, while the shirt was a little too tight for Xian's liking. The girl with the messed up mind might've taken Cydni's underwear too, but she wasn't that far gone. Close, but not quite yet.

While she changed, she kept watch on Angharad, although she knew that she wouldn't dare move from her spot on the floor.

"I'm completely brain drained," Unsure of what to do next, she just threw out another question to the closest person she had on the island. "Can we go take a walk around the island?" Walking had been something that she did with her friends a lot. Walk, walk, walk everything off and away. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the same, and, knowing her, she'd have to leash the other girl to keep up her sadistic attitude. "It'll be fun if we make it fun."

It would have been all too easy to try and escape while Xian got changed, but what would have that acheived? In her state, Angharad wouldn't have managed to get very far, and Xian would have caught up in no time. No, it was probably just easier to stay put for now.

Angharad remained unaffected by Xian's bitchy comments. Sticks and stones may break my bones, eh? Never thought I'd find out how true that saying was... As Xian got undressed, Angharad looked away.

This wasn't what Angharad was expecting at all. Surely Xian had had enough now? She'd had her fun, now it was time to finish her off... it was a wonder Angharad was alive at all, what with her severe blood loss, but she couldn't imagine what Xian wanted to do with her next. At Xian's suggestion that the two girls go for a walk, Angharad still managed to raise her eyebrows, despite her bleary state.

"I'd love to come walking with you, but some fucker shot me in the stomach and I'm finding it hard to remain conscious..."

She managed to pull herself up into a sitting position as she spoke, her stomach a crimsom mess, her face contorted in agony and her position looking pretty volatile.

(("Ohmahgawdz, yesh Xian, let's go for a walk! lol. Touch me." is what she really meant to say though. It's implied, you gotta read between the lines))

"We'll have to fix you, then." There weren't really any medical supplies in the bathroom facility, asides from maybe paper towels from the dispenser near the mirrors and sinks. They wouldn't do much good for Angharad. People probably had emptied them by now, since they had been living in hell for about a week. Or, maybe more. It felt kind of like she had been here for the majority of her short life. And, she probably had. Her English teacher had said that all stories really begin after a major event. Life was no different, it seemed.

"Oh, no," Xian's hunch had been right. All the paper towels were ripped up, bloody, crumbled up and gone. Then, she remembered. Vince's bandanas, a whole collection of 'em inside of his bag. She went back down over to his body, opened up his bag, and got out several bandanas, lying them down by color. There wasn't much to choose from in the creative department. Everything was the same. One solid color, made greater with the swirling white leaf designs bordering.

"Blue is your color, right? Yellow ain't too bad, but I'm not feeling it right now." She took off her yellow bandana, dropping it on top of Vince's face. The short lived yellow bandana had officially come to a close. It was quick replaced with a baby blue one, to match her new outfit. "Close your eyes and count to ten. This may hurt a bit."

She put a finger to Angharad's lips, then moved down, pulling up Angharad's shirt, like last time, minus the pervertedness that went along with it. Xian folded up a bandana and placed pressure on the wounds, trying to make them stop. They weren't big enough to tie around Angharad's whole stomach, so Xian was at a loss there.

"If it hurts, tell me and I'll try to stop."

((Angharad was lyk, totally dissapointedz that Xian didn't touch her up gd. "lol" she said))

Xian's words were becoming more and more blurry; in fact, Angharad's vision was becoming more blurred. Was she dying? She slumped back down onto the floor as Xian came over to attend to her wounds. She didn't even feel the girl lift up her shirt, but the sharp pain from the pressure applied brought her right out of her drowsy state.

Yelping, she looked up at Xian, who was concentrating on bandaging her up.

"W-why? Why are you helping me?"

((sorry... really short, but I have no idea what you want me to do with her, and I'm also disturbed by a certain someone's ghetto talk...dat ring true? XDD))

"I don't know. For the hell of it, I guess." She didn't know how to explain the sudden change of flavor, truth be told. Maybe it was some kind of medical condition that her parents had never brought to her attention. Or, the change of clothes after Angharad's little speech. Xian shrugged her shoulders, unable to reach a proper conclusion. "I'm thinking a new start, actually. Brand new, erase the board, we've never met before." She pushed down on the wound, watching the blood spill with a shadow of the satisfaction she had felt molesting her before. There was a sick, wet sound when Xian peeled the cloth off of Angharad's belly.

The blue bandana came up darkened and red hued. The thick liquid dripped off of it, making a small puddle of it on Angharad's thigh.

"Seems like you might need to be changed, too, Anghy." She loved the way that the nickname seemed to flow in with her voice. It didn't really seem to match the wounded girl, though. Too cutesy. She'd probably do better with another nickname. Something hard, something rough to cement the pact that Xian was trying to make.

"Have you ever...considered being called Anghzilla?"

((XD XD Yah, it does. ))

((Jeeeez, sorry it's taken so long, I've just had... other... things... to do. You know? XDDD))

Angharad struggled to keep her eyes open. She just wanted to sleep, to close her eyes and make everything go away. It'd be all better once she slept, there'd be no pain... it'd be all better. Why was she denying it? She knew Xian would never let it happen, and looking the girl directly, she mumbled.

"You're gonna undress me then?"

It wouldn't surprise her, and after everything that had happened to her... it wouldn't be the worst way she could have met her end. All thoughts of hope, all thoughts of going home back to Reese, they'd all gone. It might have sounded like she'd just given up...

She hadn't given up. She was just facing reality.

"Angzilla?" She managed a smile, despite her state. "I don't know, d'ya think it'd suit me?"