Survival Of The Fittest

((John Rizzolo continued from Lock, Step and Gone))

John had been wandering around for a while, growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of targets. Sure he knew there weren't too many left to shoot at in the first place, but this was like that one Christmas where he'd received a Megazord for Christmas. He just had to try it right then and there. There was no stopping the little Riz from ripping open the box and using his new toy. This MP7 was his new Megazord.

He checked his map, looking around for any indication of a landmark nearby. He figured he was near the caves from the path he'd taken. After another few minutes of walking he did indeed find a nearby cave. The coppery smell of blood flooded his nostrils once again. He checked around for the source soon finding the corpse of Andrea Vanlandingham. This kill was recent, very recent.

John quickly readied the MP7 in case the attacker was nearby. Slowly he made his way back into the cave. There didn't appear to be anyone about to jump him. After waiting another couple of minutes, John once again relaxed himself. He slumped himself against the wall of the cave, placing the MP7 at his side. He cracked open a bottle of water and took a few swigs. He could still feel the stinging sensation of the cut above his eye. He figured it had probably scabbed over and mostly healed by now. More than likely just a minor infection.

The cut reminded him of the whole chase with Velvet, which in turn had him thinking about the people he'd killed. What was it now? Seven? Eight? Most of them women too. John smiled at the thought of what would surely be news headlines back home of him targeting women purposely. He could picture all the femi-nazi's blaming his mother or step-dad for the upbringing or some bullshit like that.

Shaking his head John took another drink of water.

((Edward Sullivan and Nicole Husher continued from The Answer))

Leaving behind the fire, the airfield and the slowly decaying body of one Lyn Burbank, Nicole Husher and Eddie Sullivan slowly pushed through the brush of the jungle. The chirp and buzz of insects filled the awkward silence between the two survivors, punctuated sporadically by the rustling of leaves or snap of a twig. The uneasy quiet weighed heavily on Eddie. Desperately wanting to say something useful, he'd opened his mouth to speak several times, only to find the words weren't there. What could he say that would make things any better? He contemplated, in the relative silence of the crunch of brush beneath his shoes.

The silence didn't bother Nicole as much. She was too busy replaying the incident in her head. Most of the incident wouldn't come, when she called of it. Hazy patches of adrenaline fueled hysteria flickered through her memories as she tried to piece together what had gone wrong. Running headlong into the fires, they'd managed to keep Lyn from burning alive. She shivered as phantom tongues of flame licked at her shoulders. They'd done everything right, in caring for Lyn, hadn't they? Why did she die?

Eddie watched as Nicole stopped, staring at her hands. For a long moment, the two simply stood, the meager light of the stars and moon filtering through the canopy of the wilds. Finally, overcoming whatever had been holding him back, Eddie cleared his throat. "Hey," he mumbled, his voice scratchy from disuse. "M-maybe we should st-stop and get some r-rest, you know?" A long pause stretched through the small clearing. The crickets continued their staccato chirp, oblivious to the uncomfortable silence. Eddie almost retracted his statement, before Nicole spoke up.

"Yeah. You're right. No use wearing ourselves out." Nicole finally looked up from her hands. She needed to wash them, but couldn't afford to waste any of the water. The smears of dried blood could wait for a while, yet. Eddie allowed the joint pack to fall to the ground, stretching as the feeling returned to his shoulder. How long had he been carrying the damned thing? The unwelcome heat in his back and arm slowly began to dissipate as he sat down, holding the rifle in both hands. "If you w-want, you c-can sleep f-first. I don't m-mind." Of course that was a lie. Eddie was more than ready to keel over. He'd been battered on more levels than he could comfortably think about, but that still didn't mean he would begrudge Nicole the first chance at some shut eye.

"Yeah. Thanks. Yeah. I'll just…lie down for a while." Eddie handed over the pack. Kneeling down, Nicole settled against the makeshift pillow, wondering, not for the first time, what could possess someone to do the things that she'd seen. What had been done to Lyn, that was more than just survival. That was something completely different. That was something less than human. Closing her eyes, she waited for sleep to take her. She thought she might be plagued by nightmares, but brushed the thought away. Even if her dreams were filled with monsters or demons, it would still provide escape from the place she was in, now.

Eddie watched, rifle clenched in sweaty palms, as the night dragged on, each minute becoming another weight to his shoulders and eyelids. He wasn't built for this. He hadn't been built with speed or stamina in mind. Certainly, the mere act of living in a place like this would kill him, if a fellow student didn't get to him first. His cheeks smarted slightly, echoing the mild burn coming from the back of his neck. He'd probably burned a little in the sun. Or it might have been half-remembered waves of heat from the hangar fire. He couldn't be quite sure. Not that it really mattered.

Nicole's chest rose and fell, soft breaths sounding rhythmically as she dozed. A thought struck Eddie, as he watched over the last peer he'd ever really spoken to. Everyone he'd come to wound up dead. He'd found Jodene, only to watch her die, violated and bloody and alone. Lyn was much the same way, tortured beyond the scope of human endurance. Jimmy had been trying to save him, before he wound up breathing blood through perforated lungs. Kimmy had been dragged down, too. Even Darnell had been killed somehow. With the current trend, she'd probably wind up killed too. Most likely in some sort of horrible affront to human decency. He wouldn't let it happen. Not again.

The redhead stirred. Coughing roughly, she rubbed at her corners of her eyes. Sleep was never easy on the island, but at least she'd had a room to rest in, before. "H-hey. Sleep okay?" She nodded, grudgingly trying to keep Eddie slightly upbeat. "Yeah, it was fine. You should really catch some sleep too." He nodded, shifting his grip on the Remington. Rubbing her hands together, Nicole worked at trying to wear some of the blood off. "Something wrong?" Eddie had stopped, watching as her hands worked. "It's nothing, just trying to get some of this blood off."

Eddie pulled a face. Nicole was busily trying to clean her hands, but he couldn't see anything wrong with them. He began to tell her so, but thought better of it. Lying down and settling his head on his arms, he waited for sleep to claim him. Darkness slowly worked its way across his vision, when he picked out a rustling a short distance away. Snapping back to full consciousness, he quickly sat up. Bringing his index finger to his lips, he shushed his partner. He motioned with his hands, trying to inform Nicole of the sound. The redhead nodded, rising to her feet and pulling Wade's pistol from her waistband.

The two quietly crept from the brush, coming upon a darker shade of black than the rest of the night. Eddie recognized the caves as a sudden onslaught of adrenaline heralded the memories of his active collar. He swallowed hard, trying hard not to think about that. Nicole slowly closed the gap between them and the yawning stone mouth. Entering the gloom of the enclosed space, Eddie caught sight of a figure in the dark. He made another hurried motion, hoping to inform the girl with the gun.

Nicole felt her heart pounding as she inched her way closer to the outline. Licking her lips, she brought the pistol up, aiming at the center of the dark mass. "Hey. Are you one of them?" She didn't need to say anything else. Either it was a rational person, or it wasn't. She took a few steps closer, cocking the Beretta's hammer. "Answer quickly. I really don't want to shoot, but I will, if I have to."

John heard the approaching footsteps outside the caves to react quickly enough. They were already on top of him. Luckily he was deep enough in the cave that they couldn't see who he was. It was his own fault though, he thought as he heard the cock of a gun and the girl speak. It was his fault he was now in this dangerous situation, and he'd need to act his way out of it.

All or nothing Riz, all or nothing.

He slowly turned his body, grunting as he did so,

"W--wh-who is that?" He said weakly, trying to make his voice sound raspy.

He coughed and slumped his body against the wall slightly.

"Please..d-don't shoot. I'm, I'm hurt enough as is," He groaned in pain, "I need water...water..."

Please buy it...please fucking buy it.

Her grip on the handgun tightening, Nicole felt her heart beating roughly against her chest. The tip of her tongue darting across her suddenly dry lips, she struggled to keep her hands from shaking. The attempt wasn't very successful. The Beretta shivered quietly in her hands as the silence stretched for a moment that lasted for longer than it should have.

"W--wh-who is that?" The raspy voice, asked. The gravely voice was harsh and uneven, torn out of dirty cloth. "Please..d-don't shoot. I'm, I'm hurt enough as is." A groan of pain echoed across the rough stone walls, before the request for water. Hesitating a moment, the barrel of the pistol lowered from the injured figure. They'd been too late for Lyn, Nicole wouldn't allow another person to die, if she could help them. She turned back towards her partner.

"Eddie. Get the bag open. I need gauze, a needle and thread, and the medical tape. And get some water too, this guy doesn't sound to good." Quickly reaching for the bag, Eddie fumbled his rifle, the length of metal and plastic clattering to the floor. "Shit. Uhm, yeah, I g-got it." The rasp of the zipper and the rustling of the materials filled the dark space.

"Uhm...no. Not th-that one." Mumbling to himself the boy quickly brushed a hand across a bottle of water. "H-here. Water." Tossing the bottle to Nicole, he went back to searching for the proper tools.

((GMing Pre-Approved and such))

It worked. He had his opening. This girl turned her back out of concern, and her idiot friend, who John could make out as Eddie Sullivan, had his nose buried deep in the daypack.

John already had his daypack on his arm. He quietly slung the MP7 over his shoulder and grabbed his Type 67. Taking one last deep breath he launched himself upwards towards the girl, quickly wrapping his free arm around the girl's neck.

"Hey babe, next time you should really find out who it is you're dealing with before automatically going to help them." John said quietly in her ear.

He kept the barrel of the pistol buried into the girl's back as he walked the both of them towards Eddie.

"Sullivan, if you so much as make one move for that gun, I'll blow her brains out so badly the Indians will praise me for my cave painting skills." John said loudly as he saw the look on Eddie's face as he walked into the light.

Sullivan looked stunned beyond belief that it was John in the cave and not someone else.

"What's the matter Ed? You look like you want to kill me. I didn't kill that Jodene broad you wanted to fuck, so why so angry?"

John grinned as he tightened the grip around Nicole's neck, moving with her out of the cave, past Eddie.

Raising her hands to snatch the bottle of water, a flash of movement caught Nicole's eye. Turning to face the threat, she felt the bottle connect, sending the Beretta from her hands and skittering across the cave floor. The shadow had surged to its feet, moving with surprising speed. With a blur of sudden movement, an arm snapped across the redhead's throat. The sudden press of a pistol muzzle into her lower back froze the girl's blood. Breaths came in short drags, burning as they struggled past the boy's forearm.

Her hands rose to the oppressive pressure at her neck, fighting the sudden grip. The rasp gone from the boy's voice, he whispered her fatal mistake as he pressed against her, the gun digging painfully against her spine. "Fuck you," she mumbled, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. More unnerving than the gun to her spine was the glee in the hunter's voice. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

"Nicole!" Eddie was already reaching for the rifle, imagining the butt pressing tight against his shoulder and his eye down the sights. The killer's threat locked Eddie's joints, the boy falling to his hands and knees, impotently staring at the head peeking from over Nicole's shoulder. John Rizzolo: pitcher, guitar hero, psychopathic killer.

The guy that did this....It was Rizzolo...he said he'd killed seven people...he must've...killed some when Danya wasn't listing killers...

The memory hit like bucket of ice water. Rising to one knee, still staring helplessly, hands clenched at his sides, Eddie spit a curse. "L-let her go." Pushing to his feet, he felt his body shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. Whether it was from anger or fear or frustration, he couldn't tell. For a moment, Eddie wished that looks really could kill. "It was y-you, r-right? You killed Lyn, didn't you?!"

"What's the matter Ed? You look like you want to kill me. I didn't kill that Jodene broad you wanted to fuck, so why so angry?"

Recoiling as if he'd been slapped, Eddie slowly circled around, watching helplessly as Rizzolo edged his way closer to an escape. Fingers dug into Eddie's palm, nearly drawing blood. Locking eyes with Nicole, Eddie saw the fear showing clear there, her face flushing from the pressure at her throat. Hostage and killer neared the mouth of the cave.

"Everything will be ok-kay, Nicole. I w-won't let him do anything." He couldn't be sure that John wouldn't try something, but tried to be optimistic anyway. Nicole needed him and he wouldn't break down until she was safe. "J-just l-let her go Rizzolo. Y-you g-go your w-way and leave us alone. N-nobody has to d-d-d-d....There d-doesn't have to be any b-blood."

"Are...you...please, please Eddie Sullivan tell me you're not serious. What do you mean there doesn't have to be blood? This is the game we are in Ed. We are in a game filled with bloodshed. It is how you win this game," John felt Nicole struggling again and tightened his hold around her neck, "You don't win by sitting on your ass doing nothing. Look at Dodd, look at Calvert. They each had what, at least 10 kills each when they won? Killing is how you win the game you pathetic little pussy."

John stopped to take in the emotion from both of these people he had at his mercy. He was loving that he had Eddie Sullivan completely wrecked.

"Oh, how very rude of me...for fuck sakes woman, if you don't stop struggling with me you are going to be able to show the world a brand new hole in your body...anyways Eddie. To address Lyn Burbank, yeah it was me. Why? Did you find her corpse...nah, I'm betting you found her before she died. Did you like what I did Eddie? What about you Nicole? I figure you both could see what I was going for on that one eh? No? Nothing? Not even a chuckle eh? Fair enough. Or wait...Eddie, was she the next Jodene? Were you planning on getting frisky with the lesbo? Seriously Eddie if you were, I don't see why you'd be so pissed at me. I left her bound and ready for you to take her however you wanted. Sure, she was bleeding, but THAT in itself would have happened anyways."

John could see the mix of fear and fury on Eddie Sullivan's face. It was wonderful.

Fire and acid roiled in Eddie's gut. Smoke burned his lungs and electricity pumped in his veins. Rizzolo was really one of them. Eddie couldn't believe that a person really could have done the things he'd seen done to Lyn, but it seemed to be true. The jokes he made struck like razor blades, setting Eddie's teeth on edge. How could he be so cavalier about mutilating and killing his classmates? His fellow human beings?

Secretly, Eddie had hoped that Wade was a fluke. An accident that was born of madness and impossible choices. But, the world, built on the foundation of harsh truths, sought to prove him wrong. John really was another monster wrapped in greasy human skin. A nightmare trapped in meat and blood. Another Wade Wilson. Except this time, he wasn't sick. He wasn't unaware of what he'd done. He reveled in it.

Nicole's face flushed red again as the forearm tighted its grip. "Let her go! Let her go, right now, or so help me!" He couldn't think of what to say. He'd do what? Would he kill John? Wade had been an accident. Could he really cover himself in blood and guts and shit and become one of the creatures that left themselves behind?

Yes.

If it would save Nicole he'd become a beast. No more blood. His hand twitching, aching for the rifle to find its home, Eddie took a step towards Rizzolo. "L-let her g-go, or I s-swear. I swear, I'll make you regret it."

((Yes people, the depiction of Nicole's death before its confirmed by Arch is okay by him))

It was everything John could do to not burst out laughing at Eddie's threat. Taking Eddie Sullivan seriously was just something he couldn't do. Eddie was so pathetic and weak. An already broken mind. John's eyes found Eddie's hand slowly inching towards the rifle again.

"Eddie, Eddie, Eddie," John said with a touch of disappointment in his voice, "I told you once already that if you even thought about going for that gun I'd be blow your bitches head off."

John moved the barrel of the gun to the back of Nicole's head.

"Anything you want to say to her Eddie? Anything at all? Actually no, I don't want you to say anything. I might burst out laughing again. Seriously Eddie, you're comic gold," John paused to take a breath, "Anyways, like I said, I gave you fair warning. Her blood is on your hands this time Sullivan, not mine."

With that John removed his arm from around Nicole's neck and pushed her away from himself before firing at the girl's head. Nicole had turned her body slightly as John pushed her away. The bullet from the Type 67 entered her head near the temple.

John watched girl's lifeless body fall to the ground and quickly turned the pistol back on Eddie. He could finish him right here right now. He could destroy Eddie Sullivan, but something was preventing it. Something inside of John was telling him to wait. He'd get another opportunity at Eddie Sullivan and he knew it. There was still plenty of time to pick apart every ounce of this boy. John kept his pistol trained on Eddie.

"I hope you're happy Sullivan, I know I am. I've decided that shooting you right now would be way to easy but if you make one move for that rifle of yours while I'm taking my grand exit, you'll get the same treatment your bitch right there got. See ya soon Sully."

John walked backwards away from the caves, the smile slowly fading from his face. He didn't know if sparing Eddie Sullivan would come back to haunt him just yet, but he sincerely doubted it. He'd be too busy crying and stammering to do anything coherent.

((John Rizzolo continued in: Episode 1087: Murder on the Midnight Wire)

Eyes darting down to the rifle near his feet, Eddie wondered if he was fast enough. Could he drop, grab the Remington, and fire off a shot at Rizzolo before he could do anything to Nicole? Not a chance. All Rizzolo had to do was pull the trigger and that would be that. Eddie had no illusions as to the outcome of some halfbaked rescue attempt.

"Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. I told you once already that if you even thought about going for that gun I'd be blowing your bitches head off."

The color drained from Eddie's face as Rizzolo's voice echoed in Nicole's ear. The pressure at her back vanished, reappearing shortly at the base of her skull. The girl's strained breaths came faster as her heart slammed in her chest like a jackhammer. She couldn't just let this happen. Struggling against John's grip, she felt the pressure at her throat lessen as the boy spouted his taunts. "Eddie don't listen to him! He's-" The sudden push threw her off balance, forcing her to fight her feet to steady herself.

Eddie watched as Rizzolo pushed Nicole away, his pistol ready to do its deadly work. Stumbling forward, Eddie reached out towards the pair, not sure what he could hope to accomplish, but knowing that anything would be better than what was transpiring as he moved.

"NO, DON'T!"

Nicole caught the dull flash of the gunshot. Somehow, Eddie's protest couldn't overcome the whispered cough of the pistol. She wished she at least had time to squeeze her eyes shut. She didn't. The bullet struck her temple, just ahead of her ear. It didn't hurt much. A strong pressure against her skull and then, nothing at all as her legs refused to work and the world went black.

There was no spray of blood, like he'd expected. There was only the sudden movement of Nicole's head, followed by her uncontrolled descent. Eddie watched as she crumpled like a discarded doll. A puppet with its strings cut. She dropped to the ground, her legs refusing to bear her weight and her arms unable to halt her fall. Her head bounced off of the unyielding stone of the ground.

The sound dropped out of the world as Eddie watched blood surrounded Nicole's head, forming a perverse halo. The strength going out of his legs, Eddie stumbled, collapsing to the gound. The last bit of color Eddie could see faded away as his vision blurred. Tears burning his eyes he could only stare at the floor beneath him. Clenching his teeth to keep from sobbing, Eddie pounded the rocky terrain. He didn't want to give Rizzolo the satisfaction. Something cut through the boy's self-imposed silence.

"See ya soon, Sully."

Something gave way. A scream worked its way from Eddie's chest, reverberating through the caves. When he lost the wind to continue he inhaled and began again. Despair and sorrow and impotent rage tore at his throat. After a long while and a series of ragged, gulping breaths, the world returned to him. Nicole was still dead and Rizzolo had still escaped. Nothing had changed. A sharp ache in his bloodied knuckles gave him something to focus on.

Eddie wiped his eyes. There was a lot to do and feeling sorry for himself wouldn't get it done. Moving with purpose, but without motivation, the lonesome boy gathered the discarded weapons and bag. Organizing the tools carefully, Eddie took his time in neat stacks. Everything in its place. Everything needed to be perfect, so nothing could go wrong, this time. Finally finished, he turned to Nicole.

What to do. Leave her. She's dead. Nothing you can do, the voice from the base of his skull growled. Right. Dead things didn't care about what you did for them. Those things were for the alive. Rites and traditions all geared towards the feelings of living people, not the honor of the dead. Eddie couldn't force himself to care enough to do anything in rememberance of the redhead. Shouldering the pack, sliding the Beretta into the waistband of his pants, and taking up the Remington, Eddie left the caves to the dead. There was something that needed to be attended to. Something that really mattered.

See ya soon, Sully.

"Yeah. Real soon, Riz."

((Eddie Sullivan continued elsewhere))

Female Student no. 77, Nicole Husher: DECEASED
10 Students Remaining