Survival Of The Fittest

((Tabi Gweneth continued from Awe of She))

It hurt to walk. Her ankle wasn't in as much pain and before, but there was still a limp to her steps. Added to that, was a new pain in her lower abdomen. It was a throbbing pain, as if a flare was being lit inside repeatedly.

And yet through it all, Tabi was smiling and no amount of pain was going to remove it from her.

When she woke up earlier that day the first thing she saw was the cameras. It had caused her cheeks to warm up. No matter how many times she had acknowledged them in the past, it was always so easy to forget that people were watching them all. She turned away from it and looked up to the dawn sky. It had been a bright blue, with a myriad of purples and pinks. She fiddled with her underwear and let out a slight cough.

It had been then when she looked down at Ivan. It seemed that he was able to get more sleep than she did. She had doubts that it was much more than hers, but it was best not to wake him. Not until they absolutely had to leave.

Sadly, the collars had awoken them, and it was to her own disappointment, that Tabi and Ivan had to leave once more.

They had traveled quite a distance before the noonday sun had been shining upon them. The two of them had not spoken a word between each other. Sharing only passing glances between them, flushing every single time. Tabi found herself adjusting her dress constantly.

They were in the residential area. A place where the two of them had many memories of. Most of them were rather poor. But perhaps, a new one, a bright and happy one would happen.

After all, it was time to face the world a day at a time. She had spent enough time dwelling on the past.

"Do you want to stop here?"

((Ivan Kez... kuzna... k... Kuznetsov, continued from Awe of She))

One hand held a shotgun pointed down at the ground. The other one had run behind Tabi's back and rested under her far shoulder. Ivan had supported Tabi periodically to ease the pain of walking and speed the both of them up. He thought it was a grand excuse, too. Tabi could have been perfectly healthy and he still probably would've put his arm around her, enjoying the closeness of the only companion he had on their long, long journey. Looking around the both of them, Ivan remembered back to their last visit in this particular location.

He looked to the spot on the street where the fateful encounter with Clio occurred. The imagination of a weary mind played out the events once more as they happened. The gun had been kicked out the door, and two kids made a mad scramble for what they both knew would be the tool to end somebody's life. Clio got to it first, and Ivan simply knelt in defeat. He should have died there.

And yet, there they both were.

"Do you want to stop here?"

The ghostly images of the kids fighting in the streets disappeared when Tabi asked her question. At first, Ivan's only reply was in the form of a short nod. Running around would do nothing positive, and in fact would just expose them from all sides to any would-be attackers. It would be better to play it safe and hole up in one of the residences again, wait it out the best they could. Much like an intangible chain tugging on the very real collar he wore around his neck, they'd have to be wary of that restricting rule the terrorists had placed: a student must die every 24 hours, or they would all die. He hoped they would get some sort of warning before that occurred, however; Ivan wanted for them both to stay safe the best he could, but that obviously couldn't happen if the collars decided to turn on him. There was simply no defense for that.

"Let's find someplace to stay for a while, Tabi", Ivan responded. There was a fraction of a second of silence before he turned his face to her, giving her a reassuring smile. Almost instinctively, the hand that had been placed around her drew out and swept a strand of her hair out of her face. He was glad that he had switched from his green-lensed glasses to his clear ones. He didn't have to hide anything from her anymore, almost like Tabi was a part of his family. At this point, she practically was. Maybe when all of this was over, she'd visit his old home, meet his mother, aunt and brother. She'd visit them for him, since... both of them couldn't go home.

With that unhappy though, Ivan turned his attention towards the rows of buildings. There were at least two he wanted to avoid: the one where both he and Tabi encountered Clio, and the one in which Maria's body was resting eternally. 'Luckily, both locations remained locked in the boy's mind. There was an inconspicuous residence just on the other side of the street that looked harmless enough, but they'd have to double check.

"On me," Ivan instructed, dedicating both hands to the shotgun as he approached the door. The door itself wasn't ajar, so he freed his off-hand to try the knob. The doorknob turned all the way, and the hinges operated without protest when Ivan pushed it inward. The pancor jackhammer led them both through the doorway as Ivan made sure to check every corner of every room, included closets, the backroom, the kitchen, and so on until the entire bottom floor was secure. Instructing Tabi to close the door, he peered up the stairwell. Nothing visible, at the very least, but they'd have to learn from their mistakes. When he went up, Tabi would follow close behind and cover their backs again. They weren't having another Clio. Not like this. Not this close to the end.

The upstairs, as well as the house in general, proved secure. With a sigh that held a mixture of relief and contentness, Ivan turned to face Tabi and sat on the bed, the pancor resting up against the wall near the headboard. He patted the mattress and failed to suppress a faint blush, looking to his girlfriend.

"This okay for now, then?"

It was an arduous process to get up the steps, but Tabi powered her way through it. It was only one flight of winding stairs after all. They had been through much worse and made it out alive, stairs weren't going to stop her.

The bedroom that Ivan had walked into was rather spacious. Anything that was of value had probably been removed from the premises. The only things left was the bed, its frame, and some very heavy looking side tables and dressers they had probably been too big for whoever looted the place to remove, and so it rested here. Tabi looked at the pale walls, by all accounts this was a gloomy space to be in, but there was still the light from a curtain-less window. The noonday sun was starting to fall into afternoon light, providing a much warmer spread into the room and onto the bed.

She turned her head back and saw Ivan's nervous tapping of the bed and invitation. Tabi couldn't help but laugh at it all, not through spite but of how silly he looked. They had spent all this time together and yet he was still afraid about such a simple gesture. She playfully strode up towards him, keeping mindful of her limp.

"It's perfect Ivan."

She gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead and sat down beside him before laying down on the mattress. Her eyes closed as she gently breathed in and out. Her hands drifted to her stomach, rising and falling with every breath. A squeaking noise opened her eyes, and it was then that she noticed that Ivan was laying next to her now.

"Kinda makes you forget about it all?" she said, "Doesn't it?"

A gunshot. Then another. Then another.

They didn't come all at once. There was a pause in between. Like a siren, blaring, a warning for what was to come.

A minute later, after six gunshots, the siren stopped.

There was a loud slam, mixed with the sound of breaking glass.

And Aston Bennett ran out into the street, bloodied and frantic.

(Continued From Finalizing Plans)

(any gming here has been approved)

Running was an exaggeration. Aston was actually hobbling along, trying to keep herself from falling over. The bullets buried in the chest and the shoulder were holding her back. She was like a fish out of water, coughing, wheezing, holding her tears back. Aston was trying though, clutching her shoulder with her hand.

She realized the huge cut on her leg. Aston must have hit the door so hard that the glass broke. A shard must have hit her. Aston didn't have time to try to pull the shard out. She kept limping along, trying to put as much distance between her and her attacker.

Aston realized something else. She clenched her hand. Her gun, her gun was gone. She must have dropped her gun when she made a run for it. She couldn't go back for it, not now. Aston let go of her shoulder, reaching for one of the pistols in her pocket. The Jericho was there. That was good. She had a chance.

She looked back. He wasn't trailing her anymore. Good. She was hoping he wouldn't think to search the street first. She prayed he would make a turn for the forests. Making a run for the street proved to be a terrible decision. There was no cover to speak of. While she had a gun, she was battered and couldn't go on the offensive. She only had two choices: outrun him (which would be damn near impossible) or wait for him to come to her.

Or could she just let him kill her.

No. They're only flesh wounds Aston. Don't think that way.

Something inside of her was numbing the pain, making it less intense, but the pain was not gone completely. It still hurt, and there was a terrible weight pushing down on her, making her exhausted. Her shoulder throbbed. Her head felt dizzy. She felt cold. Everything was slowly going dark.

She was going to die, wasn't she?

No. Damn it Aston, You can't die here. You just can't. You promised Jo-

A violent pain shot through Aston's leg. She screamed.

Aston hit the ground. Her head spun even more. She tried to get up, she had her hands on the ground but she couldn't move. She cursed loudly, nails digging into the dirt beneath her. Aston made a slow movement to turn herself on to her back, to see what had happened.

She had fallen into a hole in the ground. Twisted her ankle something bad. Aston whimpered as she tried to pull it out but stopped herself. It was the same leg that had the shard of glass embedded into it, and the fall had somehow made it dig even deeper. Aston couldn't bare to look at her leg, the sight of it made her stomach churn. Aston reached out for her pistol and found it laying on the ground, out of reach. She was defenseless, again. Tears started running down her face, looking all around. She had to find a crutch. She had to get up and start moving again. She had -

That was when she saw him coming from around the corner.

Aston started crying even harder as she tried in desperation to pull her last gun from out of her pocket, the peashooter.

"No! No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no...."

Please god help her.

((Aaron Hughes continued from Finalizing Plans))

Aaron picked up the extra gun as he stepped out of the house, and tucked it into his right-hand pocket. Aston had gotten ahead a little bit. That was fine. Aaron wasn't hurried. He took a bit of a detour, a side route, sticking close to the house and looping around it once. She might still be waiting, planning one last act of resistance. She might be trying to shoot him. She probably still had a gun. Best to play it safe.

Aaron took it easy until he heard the scream. That was his cue. Something had happened to her, and she had surely drawn the attention of anyone nearby. That meant it was time to put an end to this, before it got complicated. He rounded the corner and started towards her. She was sprawled on the ground, the gun fallen from her grasp, and Aaron smiled. She was crying, was panicking. She was weak. This was over.

His smile faltered only slightly as she managed to pull another gun from somewhere, as she opened fire. She was hurt, was weakened, was shaking all over. She didn't hit him, didn't even come close. Aaron just dropped to one knee, lowering his profile, and lurched to the side. He wished he knew how to roll, but it didn't really matter. Her gun clicked dry, and he straightened, and he resumed his movement. He was steady, implacable. There was no need to be too hurried. She was done, and they both knew it. She seemed terrified. It was enough to make him laugh a little.

"Funny how the tables turn, isn't it?" he asked her. "You were right the first time. We're nothing alike. I'm better."

He was close to her now, maybe seven feet away, with his pistol trained straight on her. He was smiling broadly. Nothing could go wrong.

That was when she hurled the gun. He hadn't counted on that accuracy, that last second surge of strength. It smashed into his face, the pointed plastic and metal opening a gash in his cheek, the not-negligible weight creating a nasty cracking noise from his nose. There was blood everywhere, pouring down his face. He took his left hand off the gun long enough to briefly clutch his face. He forced himself to focus, though, forced himself to center his reaction to the pain on anger rather than fear and indignation. As he pulled his hand away, as blood dripped from his nose to the street, he looked straight at her. He wasn't going to lose now. She hadn't managed any last second miracle, hadn't pulled a knife out of nowhere to run him through. Somehow, though, she didn't look quite so beaten anymore. It gave Aaron pause for half a second. This was new, different. It almost made him worry about his chances.

He shook off the concern. He was furious, but it was tinged with a little hint of respect now. This still had to end, though, and quickly.

"Nice shot," he said, then took a deep breath and shot Aston.

Aston knew she was as good as dead.

She knew it. And yet she had to try.

Her vision was going blurry but she lifted the gun and pulled the trigger. She didn't even aim, she just shot wildly. Jesus christ just die. Just drop to your knees and die. Choke on your tongue and die. Just leave her the fuck alone! And yet he didn't die. Not a single bullet found it's way. It was all so utterly useless.

"no no no no no no no no no please god please don't oh god save me god save me..."

Aston wasn't religious. She told herself that much. Does praying to a god that you don't believe in make you a hypocrite?

She ran out. She kept pulling the trigger, hopping by some miracle a bullet would appear. It was over. She was crying harder now, but her voice was almost a whimper. It wasn't like she was saying anything important. Aston kept repeating the same word over and over again.

Aaron arrived. Her heart stopped. He spoke at her.

He told her he was better than her.

Aston threw the gun as hard as she could and it managed to hit. There was a crack. Blood dripped down Aaron's face and onto the ground. Aston put on a taunting, almost sick smile crossed her lips. No. No it wasn't going to save her. It felt damn good though. The look on Aaron's face was priceless. She almost chuckled. Held herself back. The tears stopped coming now. Aston must have used all of her tears up. And so she waited. She didn't have any energy left. If he didn't kill her now, then she wasn't going to have much time.

And with her last breath, her vision failing, Aston screamed.

"I'LL SEE YOU IN HE-"

The thunderous crack of a gunshot threw Ivan up from the mattress, waking him immediately. Exhaustion had overcome him for just a moment. It was just a short moment, but a precious one. Panicked, he looked to his side in fear of Tabi having been shot by some assailant he had yet to detect, and found her just waking up from the gunshot, his own sudden movements, or both. Thankful that she was still okay, Ivan grabbed at the glasses that had managed to find their way off of his face and shove them on.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, a bit too preoccupied with the disturbance the gunshot caused to care just how shallow a question that was. Of course Tabi had heard it; the only other option would be to be absolutely deaf. Well, she could've slept through it... Ivan supposed that was possible, but dismissed it in favor of worrying about the more important thing. His eyes found the window of the second floor bedroom the two of them had holed up in, and he swallowed at the dryness in his throat. "St.... stay here..." Ivan commanded. No, he had really suggested it more than anything, lacking the courage or disposition at the moment to be commanding about anything.

Both of his feet dropped to the floor, and nervously inched around the edge of the bed. Whoever was out there could still be there and, worst of all, they could have their weapon trained on the window. Ivan had no idea how somebody might know about their location, but it was always wise to prepare for the worst. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst... it was like tennis practice against his mother all over again.

Except... you know, with bullets.

Ivan positioned most of himself to the side of the window, and peered down at the street below. He saw the dying or dead form of a girl in the street, covered in blood. The chill of death found its audience and ran up his back, but viewing yet another dead classmate didn't have so much of a profound effect on Ivan anymore, much to his concern. He knew that this girl went to the same school as him and probably shared many of his classes, but he just couldn't bring himself to feel the same agony over and over again. Was he losing his humanity? The question troubled him a great deal, but it was to some good effect that he got the answer right away by seeing another person on the street below... somebody that he had spoken to once or twice.

Oh... oh god. Not you. Anybody but you.

Of all the people to have slain that girl, it was that guy. Ivan could never forget the boy from the chess game so many months ago - the 'utter tool', as Ivan had called him. "Tabi, grab your gun!" Ivan said, stepping away from the window and turning, reaching for the shotgun that was resting against the wall. If Aaron decided to enter the building, they'd have to be ready for him. If they both played it safe, everything would be just fine... it always was. They'd protect each other.

Tabi had heard the gun shot, and despite what Ivan had asked of her. She couldn't help but move towards the window with him. The sound of the gun firing off multiple time had renewed that sense of having to find out where it was coming from and whether they could avoid it.

She didn't see the action, but she did see it's finale. On the ground was a dead girl, blood seeping onto the street below her. Standing in front of it was a shaggy looking kid, she squinted her eyes to see if she could pick him out amongst the faces that had littered the Bayview halls. Then it had come to her. It was Aaron Hughes, weedy and arrogant Aaron Hughes. He was from the chess club and she seemed to recall him boasting about his skills at times when walking past the classroom.

She remembered the announcements, he had been a killer, just like them. However this was different. This was cold blood, it couldn't look like anything else but cold blood.

It was unlikely that someone like that would be willing to talk civilly.

Tabi turned back to the bed when Ivan had hurriedly commanded that she go to. Inside her backpack was the other pistol. The one that they had stolen from Clio. The one that Tabi hadn't dropped and abandoned in the swamp. It was a Walther PPK she could tell by the intricate engravings on the barrel.

She had only fired a gun once during the whole time they had been on the island. It had been terrible, but at the same time, it ended up being something out of necessity. She lived because she couldn't keep her finger still.

Ivan had made his way out of the room, shotgun in hand. Tabi hobbled her way to the top of the stairs. She took in a deep breath and followed her boyfriend.

It looked like she had no choice now. But if it was to protect the man she loved. She figured she could pull the trigger again.

Aston's last scream left Aaron shaken, for more than one reason. The expression of rage was somewhat frightening. The volume was jarring. The fact that it could draw even more attention than the gunshot was where the true concern came in, though. Aaron didn't bother with a second shot to confirm Aston's death. It was clear to see that she wasn't getting back up. He paused for a moment, looking at the body, wondering just how honest she had been about her readiness to kill. His impression at their first meeting had been highly negative. She'd seemed weak and inept. She'd changed a lot, had gained an edge. He wiped the blood from his face, but felt more trickle from his nose. It was probably broken. The pain was starting to hit, now, as the adrenaline subsided.

Then he heard the gunshots. They were faint, at the edge of his hearing, probably coming from near the docks. Gunfire had formed a constant backdrop to the last few days, but after having been involved in a serious fight, the last thing Aaron wanted to do was stumble into another, especially against a well-armed opponent who he knew nothing about. For all he knew, some player was out there trying to actively hunt down every remaining survivor. That would be a good thing, as long as they weren't too successful, and as long as they didn't find him. It would be better to wish them luck and leave them to it.

It was time to get moving again. Aaron stooped and picked up the gun Aston had been reaching for. He tucked it into the waistband of his pants, in the back, then let his shirt fall over it. It was always good to have a surprise available.

Then, it was time to pick a new place. There was a house right next to where he'd killed Aston. Like most on this block, on the second floor it had a large window facing the street. That would be a good place to wait things out. He could shoot anyone who came to investigate the noise. That would give him even more in the way of weaponry and supplies, as well as reducing the competition. He headed for the house at a light jog. He'd taken too much time already, and it was critical that he not be waylaid.

He turned the knob, ducked into the house, and wiped more blood from his face. This was getting really old. He felt his irritation at Aston intensifying, found himself losing the respect he had gained in a very rapid fashion. He went straight for the stairs, intent on using Aston's body as a lure. She'd be to his benefit, in the end. That would be his revenge.

Those thoughts vanished as he turned the corner and found himself at the bottom of the staircase, looking up to see Ivan Kuznetsov and a girl at the top, both armed.

Aaron had learned about letting his gun out of his grasp. He'd learned about people. Ivan had been a danger from the very start. He'd been the first to win Danya's little kill challenge. The girl with him, Aaron couldn't be sure, but he thought it could be Tabi Gweneth. He'd always thought her name was a little odd, so it had stuck. She'd won the Best Kill contest too, hadn't she? So, that was how they'd done it. They'd been working together, playing it smart, planning to fly below the radar and then kill their way to the top. They'd probably been aiming at Aaron while he was outside. He'd have been shot had he not moved when he did. He'd forgotten to check the windows. Aston had nearly cost him his life after all.

The gun was up. He had seventeen shots left, plus whatever was in Aston's guns. He knew he was better than Ivan. With the sounds of fighting he'd heard at the docks, he could count on the fact that there would soon be at least one other person dead, plus Aston, plus Ivan and Tabi. That meant, in a few minutes, there would be, at most, eight people left alive on the island.

That sounded pretty good. That sounded like the best outcome, like a good path to the end.

These thoughts had all flashed through his head in a fraction of a second, as he retreated a little, using the wall for cover, as he fired the first shot from the pistol, as he called out, "Nice to see you again, Ivan."

"Shit, shit!"

Ivan scrambled backwards up the stairs as a bullet lodged itself into the wall. Maybe it was his point of view's perspective messing with him, but the bullethole was right around the same level as his knees. The fucker wasn't firing warning shots, he was trying to take them out right now. The pancor pointed down towards the landing of the stairs, and the trigger was pulled. The shotgun's wielder was not ready for the kind of kick the weapon would have, nor just how loud the explosion would be. The bottom of the stairs was sprayed by the shotgun, but Ivan's ears were ringing just a bit too loudly to know if Aaron had screamed or not. With the force of the recoil knocking him off balance, he allowed himself to fall back onto one of the higher steps. From there, he let go of the shotun with one hand and crawled upwards/backwards as fast as he could.

"U-Upstairs..." Ivan breathed out through his exertion, hoping to get to the top before Aaron could approach the bottom again. They'd just need to make a stand in the bedroom, take him by surprise and kill him.

They would have to kill Aaron. No disarming, no letting anybody live. He was a human like anybody else, even just a kid. This late in the game, however, anybody was a danger. Ivan had devoted all of his energy towards keeping Tabi alive as long as possible. If that meant throwing away his inhibitions and becoming a willing killer, well... the philosophy debate could wait until later.

"Long time, asshole!" Ivan shouted, finally reaching the top of the stairs. He seemed to have finally found his bearings once more. They could do this, they could stop the threat Aaron was posing right now. He was on one side of the stairwell's entrance, and Tabi was across from him. His eyes locked on Tabi's face for a moment, and he gave a short nod that hopefully conveyed his message.

We got this.

The footsteps were a little hard to hear, but Ivan thought he heard Aaron begin his approach up the stairs. His own hands were trembling, and the shotgun became far heavier than he remembered it. He was going to kill somebody again. Keith, Imraan, now Aaron? Ivan couldn't think of it as killing another person. Saving Tabi and himself, that's what they were doing. If he could just stay focused on that, they'd be okay. They'd be okay. They'd be okay...

Tabi recoiled when the gunshot went off. She was already moving back up the stairs when Ivan was scrambling up to avoid being shot at. She rushed back into the bedroom and quickly dove to her bag. There was ammunition inside and if they ran out of ammo now they were as good as dead.

She heard the loud bang of Ivan's shotgun and found herself turning back to check on him. He was still alive. Good. Now it was time to help. She hobbled over to the other side and tried her hardest to hide from Aaron's bullets.

He didn't even let them talk. He gave them no time at all. They had already been pushed into a corner. There would be no reasoning with Aaron Hughes.

The two of them exchanged a look. It was a look of reluctance, but it appeared that there was nothing that could be done now. She nodded and let out a quiet breath.

Her fist tightened around the handle of the gun.

She bent around the corner and fired two shots. Not caring for her aim. It was all about protection now. It was all about keeping herself alive.

The gun fire echoed throughout the empty hallway. Ringing in her ears. She dove back behind her cover. Waiting for the next shots to come.

The shotgun blasted a sizable chunk out of the wall, but Aaron had managed to get out of the way before Ivan pulled the trigger. The two at the top of the stairs fell back, then, getting out of the way. They were on the defensive. Ivan didn't seem to know quite how to handle his gun. That was what came with waiting things out. If he'd only fired it once before, at his last kill, he would still be shaky and only barely capable. That meant it was time to press the advantage, before the two had time to adapt. As soon as things went quiet for a split second, Aaron ducked back into the gap.

The girl leaned out and fired a couple shots, neither of which hit Aaron. Both came a little close for comfort, though, knocking holes in the wall behind him and kicking even more dust into the air. Aaron snarled, pointed his own pistol in her direction, and popped off a couple shots, before firing two more towards Ivan. He had to keep both of their heads down, keep them both on their toes.

And then, it came to him. They had backed up, retreated. They were scared. He had plenty of weapons and ammunition. Ivan's gun was a big deal, but only if he could handle it properly, which seemed unlikely at the moment. Tabi was likely to panic easily.

Aaron fired four more shots, aimed randomly between the two, while at the same time letting out an angry scream at the highest volume he could and charging up the staircase. This had worked for Han Solo in Star Wars. The plan was simple. Opponents who were off balance, who were scared, were less able to react. Once he was in the room, he'd have the advantage. Ivan and Tabi wouldn't have cover, and would have to worry about hitting each other, while Aaron would be able to fire indiscriminately, with any hit working in his favor. He was more used to having people in his personal space than they were, due to his experience with fake sword fighting. Ivan's weapon was long enough that it would be easy to force to the side, to keep at bay. And, if it came to mêlée combat, well, Aaron hadn't been carrying a sock full of rocks around for the past couple weeks for nothing.

Too many gunshots were coming up those stairs for Ivan to do anything. This shit couldn't stand at all... if things kept going like this, then Aaron was going to get up those stairs and the both of them would be in grave danger. But why? Why would Aaron resort to such a suicidal tactic when the both of them had guns? They'd easily be able to kill him no matter who he tried to shoot first and, at best, he'd only be able to get one of them. Why would he throw away his own life in just an incredibly stupid move just to kill one of them and make the other miserable?

Because he's a crazy fuck, Ivan. That's why.

Ivan tried to poke out and take a shot, only to immediately be suppressed once more by another bullet. It made him wonder just how many of the fucking things that pistol had. Before much of his frustration could vent, the footsteps got louder and louder. Aaron was coming up, and it was time to do something... something, anything! Ivan's vision began to tunnel out towards the point of entry where Aaron would appear. A charge seemed to be the only option, followed by a point blank shot that would send Aaron hurtling down the stairs with only the tatters remains of his once-intact chest. The images began to flash already, and Aaron did not like what he saw.

It had to be done. It has to be done. They have to live.

Ivan turned the corner...

He had misjudged just how fast Aaron had been coming up those stairs. The shotgun had been knocked up towards the ceiling by the animalistic movements of the aggresor, the muzzle pointed at the ceiling when Ivan pulled the trigger in a panic. The second shot rang out, and his leg shot out at instinct to strike at the boy. Ivan screamed something as he did so, but couldn't be sure just what he said. It probably wasn't even a word, given how rushed the breath was. Aaron had made it to the top floor; a single shotgun shell would put him away, but the shotgun had been lodged up between the two, frantic struggling and kicking regardless.

"FUCK! FUUUUUUUCK!"

When the first shots rang out, Tabi pressed her back to the wall. If there was anyway to make her tougher to hit she would do it. But as it stood now. They were pinned. The first round of shots drew her out in an attempt to fire again. But Aaron had been faster and let out another round of shots. Tabi could hear his mad cries and it drew forth a lump into her throat. It was as if Aaron had just turned into this wild beast. Caring not for who or what got in his way. As long as he killed them both.

Tabi found herself rushing to the bedroom. They needed a choke point, and what better spot then the entrance to a room? Ivan just needed to follow her and they would reclaim the advantage. They'd be able to defend themselves.

"Ivan!"

She made a break for the room, there was a series of loud bangs, and then she collapsed onto the floor and screamed. Her right leg had gone hot with fire. Her breath went heavy in an instant and she tried to scramble behind the doorway. Her right leg wouldn't move in time with her, while her left flared in complaint when she put pressure on it. She started to crawl as fast as she could. She had seen what had happened when Ivan had been grazed with a bullet. But she had never expected that it had hurt this much. She turned her head around and saw the blood seeping from her leg. She wanted to patch it up right now, make the blood stop flowing. But the sounds from outside the hallway brought it all back into focus. Ivan was still out there fighting. She would too.

Tabi checked her gun, an empty cartridge. She looked around the room and saw the scattered clips of ammo on the floorboards. Reaching out, Tabi clutched her clip and loaded her gun. She wasn't dead yet.

Aaron had made it to the top of the stairs. The plan had worked. Ivan and Tabi had never seen it coming. What under any other circumstances would have been an act if suicidal desperation had seen Aaron through, and now he had managed to pin the gun out of the way. Ivan was unable to bring it to bear, at least as more than a prod or club, but Aaron was equally unable to get into position to fire his own weapon at the other boy without letting Ivan regain control of the shotgun. It was an impasse, but one that was sure to break soon enough.

Aaron was not a strong close quarters fighter. There was a huge difference between being hit by a fake sword and being punched. He was unused to serious pain. He was running on adrenaline and confidence now, though, and was sure he could do what needed to be done. He had Ivan off balance. He was able to fire a few more shots in the direction of the girl, then she was gone. She must have fled or something, but she presumably wouldn't risk hitting Ivan—assuming, of course, that Aaron hadn't managed to kill her flat out. It didn't matter. She wouldn't risk friendly fire. She hadn't seemed that hardened a killer.

Besides, Aaron was fairly sure he had at least wounded her. That meant he just had to wrap up here, then finish her off. He struggled with Ivan, using his elbows and knees, trying to keep the boy off balance and drive him back. Somewhere in the fray, the pistol was knocked to the side, held, along with Aaron's hand, against the wall. It didn't matter. He had more, and it wouldn't do to let Ivan get his hands on it and use it for his own purposes. Better to leave it out of play for the moment. He kept struggling, kept trying to get it in line, as a diversion more than anything else. He would let it fall soon enough, maybe. That would give Ivan a false sense of confidence, would make him cocky. Aaron knew that he simply had to beat Ivan back and knock him down. Then, it would be a simple matter of pulling out one of the other pistols and finishing things off.

Ivan was competent, though, and probably stronger than Aaron was. He was giving as many hits as he was taking. It would have been worrisome, if Aaron hadn't known Ivan, hadn't known that the boy just didn't have what it took. He'd spent days hiding. He'd never been quite willing to confront. He was a coward. Soon enough, Aaron would grab the gun. He didn't even have to disable Ivan first. The other boy probably wouldn't be able to resist, not when he didn't see it coming. Aaron just needed to sneak the pistol free and make one perfect shot.

Then this would all be over, and he would be one big step closer to winning this game.