Survival Of The Fittest

((Shauna continued from Sleep Tight))

They walked together. Hobbled, really. A few fitful snatches of sleep weren't nearly enough to give anything in the way of recovery, and where once had been pains were now angry bruises and scabbing-over scratches. The short trip between the netted up building and, um, the other netted up building took way longer than the comparative closeness of the two would suggest, but Shauna and Danny had to keep stopping, either frightened-rabbit style, freezing in place because something looked scary, or just to get themselves both sorted out. Really, it was a miracle that the fall hadn't hurt either of them so much worse, but at the same time, Shauna was starting to get a little worried about Danny. He'd had a bloody nose when they both woke up--jerked awake was probably more accurate--and she was pretty sure that hadn't been bleeding before. She didn't really know him super well, so she didn't have a frame of reference to compare, but he'd been acting a little weird at points, losing his train of thought easily and sometimes needing to repeat himself a couple times to say something that made sense. Maybe he was just like that, though. Heck, maybe Shauna's extended upsidedown adventure had scrambled her up and it was her that wasn't making sense of things right.

God. Nope nope, no thank you, nope. That was about the worst thought she'd ever had, though that was a record she'd already broken like four times in the last eighteen hours. Turned out when you had mostly your own haywire brain for company you could think up a great many horrifying things in doublequick time.

Oh, and for what it was worth? Turned out that hearing about the deaths of a whole bunch of people she'd been at school with for literal years did a whole freaking-diddly-lot to fuck up her headspace even freaking worse!

Shauna reached the door of the building and slowly pushed it open, peeking around it inside. A face stared back at her.

"Hvkplk!" she opined, high-pitched, falling flat back on her ass.

((Danny continued from Sleep Tight))

Danny just wanted to be somewhere dark. It felt like his head was being held against a stereo machine with the bass settings put to the maximum, and any flashes of light made it worse. Shauna was nice enough to be a living walking aid, but she was also pretty beaten up. They had to live in constant fear of someone walking up to them and killing them both. They were both easy victims. Neither Shauna nor Danny were capable to defend themselves, and Danny knew something was up.

For a fact, something was deeply wrong with him. He couldn't put his finger on it, literally. It was as if his body had a three second delay with his brain. Any thought or actions that would be deemed simple for anyone became a chore since he had to concentrate on every steps, every breaths, and every blinking to keep going. If he forgot about moving his feet, his hips, his entire body, he would just slump to the ground.

His mental capacities were fine, if someone could say that. The problem with that was that he was fully aware of his condition. If the brain damage had been greater, he wouldn't know something was wrong. He would just continue on his way until he'd drop dead, perhaps just like Benny. However, his concussion was vicious. Danny knew he was dying. In a way, that comforted him. In another, hit terrified him. He wished he was too dumb, or that the brain damage was too strong, that he wouldn't notice the obvious signs. Some type of liquid was dripping from his nose and ears, his vision was blurry, he was incapable of speaking more than two words coherently, and Danny knew what this meant.

He just wanted to find a place to die. Somewhere cool, not this humid mess, so he hoped the second floor to his building would house him well. He had to tell Shauna, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Both because of his limitations and also because he was terrified of her reaction. Danny was dying for her, literally, to not be hurt like that. Daniel decided it would be for the best to tell her whenever he found a quiet spot. He didn't want to die in the sun.

When they opened the door, Shauna shrieked. There was a face in the room. In a rather comical way, Danny simply put his hand over it. It was wood. Danny smiled while sniffing some of his brain liquid back into his body.

"Itsa furry."

Possibilities whirled through her head. A killer! A murderer, waiting to ambush her! Any second now they were going to step right through that door and that would be... nothing was coming through. Danny stepped into the space she'd vacated and with the door more widely open, it was very clear that what'd freaked her out so much was only a carved statue. Shauna's cheeks flushed hot and she climbed back up to her feet, trying to match Danny's smile and laugh it off and probably doing a horrible job.

As she stepped over to catch up to him, Shauna gave Danny a quick once over. He really didn't look so good. Wasn't it a broken nose that was supposed to give you black eyes? Well, Danny definitely had dark circles and even though she couldn't get a great look without staring right into his face for a bit longer than she was comfortable with, she was pretty sure his eyes were all bloodshot too. There was the steady bloodflow as well. That didn't help.

They walked inside and Shauna swallowed thickly. She didn't want to think about this right now. She didn't want to think about what was going on with Danny and whether he was going to be okay. She didn't want to think that if she'd been smarter or held on tighter or done anything other than scream like a baby, she wouldn't have fallen and wouldn't have hurt him like that. It was just a concussion. That happened. People got concussions all the time, Sam had one once and had to sit for a few games. He just needed some rest.

"Danny, are you feeling okay?"

Damn you, Shauna. Why ask that question?

Danny nodded. Not because of Shauna's question, but because he finally had to acknowledge the situation. There weren't any escaping it anymore, simply had to live it. He smiled. It was crooked, but he was still smiling. Danny just grabbed Shauna's hand and led her up the stairs.

"'alk about it upstai'? 'kay?"

He just wanted to be somewhere cool. The steps cracked under their weight. It made him feel sick. The sound reminded him of the impact of Shauna's entire body on his head. He felt his eyes. Not in a normal way. n a way that they wanted to pop out of their sockets from the pressure. It made him nauseous. He just wanted to lay down.

"Don' be scared?"

He wasn't sure if he was telling this to himself, or to Shauna, or his parents, or to Marie. In doubt, he was saying it to everyone. Just to not be scared of his death. Yes, it was permanent, but he loved them. Don't forget it, everyone. This is what he meant. He wasn't sure his words meant that, but he hoped his love was obvious.

Maybe this was why he hadn't been talking. Danny's words were slurred, and more and more Shauna was struggling to properly follow him without a few seconds of thought to sort out what exactly he was saying. Right, upstairs, talk about it. For um, for whatever value of talking they could get right now.

God. Christ. Fuck. God. She actually had killed him. He was going to die and it was going to be her fault. She hid her face in her upper arm for a second as they started up the stairs, him leaning on her for support. He felt so heavy, hardly holding himself up at all. How'd he gone donwhill so fast? Had she just not noticed?

Was she trying not to notice?

"I'll..." she wanted to say try but she couldn't even get that much out. Her throat was closed up, the tears had started to flow, spluttering on the creaking boards beneath. This whole building marked their passing uneasily, squeaking with their footfalls, groaning in their wake. Like it was on its deathbed too. They moved along the walkway on the upper level together, creaking and crackling all the while. They halted, with one final creak. Danny peeled off from her side and half lay, half collapsed into the corner,

"Your face's leaking." Danny caressed Shauna's cheek. He felt strange. Despite being about to die, Danny was more scared for Shauna's than himself. He found himself stupid. A selfish part of him wanted to rewind time and let Shauna blow up on the ground, and like that, he would have had a chance to go home.

However, that part was small. It was weak. For better or for worse, Danny's desire to do good was stronger than his own selfish desire. Shauna was about to be alone, and Daniel just wanted to encourage Shauna to continue. Just continue being herself, not a monster they want her to become. Simply, he just wanted her to found happiness despite their situation.

"Don' blame yoursel'." He smiled. "Find the girls and you'll be fine." That last part took more effort than he wanted, but he was clear. He wanted Shauna to find the girls from the basketball team. He knew that this 'alliance' wasn't going to protect Shauna, but if it gave her the illusion of something better, then Danny would be happy with giving her this goal.

His arm went limp. His breathing was low but regular. He was okay with it now.

Shauna screwed her eyes up as tightly as she could, trying to hold back the flood. She may as well as have been attempting to dam up an ocean. This wasn't right. How was it fair that some, some terrorist asshole had decided to, as if murdering her wasn't enough, play a cruel joke on her by sticking her on that stupid wall. How much effort did that take them just to get her up there? Didn't they have anything better to do then make someone's final days just that bit more miserable?

Toying with her. Toying with them. And now it was going to cause someone else's death, too. If Danny hadn't... if Danny hadn't been...

"How isn't it--how am I supposed to just..." a million and one scrambled objections coming and going. Because as much as this hurt, as much as it was dumb and unfair, how much more was it for Danny? He'd been trying to help her, hadn't even been in that much danger, and then like, what, someone just falls on you off a building and that was you done?

She let the tears come now. He was still looking out for her, and like, why? Why'd he care so much? They didn't know each other, they were just... orbiters. Like, you knew that they existed but so did that old cashier at the grocery store, the ticketer at the movies. Shauna had probably spoken more to opposing players on game day than she had Danny. And here he was, trying to make sure she'd be okay, giving her a plan for going forward, telling her it wasn't her fault.

Shauna didn't deserve someone doing something like this for her. She didn't deserve the shaky smile on Danny's face or the kindly words, and the advice. Jesus. Right. So much, so much of the team was on the island too. Fully half of them, and even she could count on some--most of them, did she even want to find them? No. She didn't want them to be here. She wanted them to be home and safe and for this to be such much a bad dream.

She couldn't say that, though. She couldn't--if Danny was--if he was-- She screwed up her eyes tightly again, tried to swallow down the ugly sobs beginning to wrack her body. She shifted, crouched down by his side. A board let out a high pitched creak, then another as it settled back into position. If Danny was dying, then Shauna couldn't just ignore what could be his last words. The least she could do is make it seem like it was okay, make sure he knew that she valued what he was telling her. Shauna swallowed one more time, trying to find the words to speak.

"That's a great idea," said Quinn.

"-is tha-"

Daniel lifted himself off the ground. His hand was already on his pistol. Nothing could come out of this if he was right. He legs were woozy and his head felt about to crack open, but there was no way he was letting this happen in front of him.

"Shauna, I think you should leave."

He raised his flare gun at the figure. There wasn't any point of talking. Quinn had murdered Violet. She stabbed her in the guts. There were no reasons to trust this figure that was waving around a gun. He was wrong about Shauna's friends. All of them were fine, except her.

"Now."

((Quinn continued from Undulation Nation))

Quinn stood on the walkway just a few short metres from them, aiming a rifle loosely in their direction. Shauna had never been able to read Quinn's expressions, inscrutable save those moments of triumph and satisfaction on the court right after she made a play. Shauna had no fresh insight as she stared at the other girl, save that the ever-so-slight smile quirking up the edge of her mouth was a smile she never wanted to see again.

The dreadful, terrible voice that called out the death roll that morning had spoken about Quinn killing Violet, a kind girl who'd stood up for her in the past, part of the anti-bullying club, no way someone who'd have picked any kind of fight. Shauna hadn't wanted to believe it, hadn't wanted to think about that gentle person getting stabbed and killed by someone she'd spent years of her life teaming up with, winning championships alongside. She'd told herself that they were making things up, heaping cruelty on top of cruelty, killing their friends and pinning the blame on others to create chaos and paranoia and kickstart their sick 'game'.

She told herself those things, and the tales withered and died on the vine as she looked at that smile.

Danny wanted her to go, putting himself between her and danger one more time. The sick sense of dread in her stomach twisted, pulling her guts apart. She should go. She should go she should go. She couldn't deal with this, she couldn't, she couldn't she couldn't. Shauna rose to her feet. He was already dying for her once, right?

The thought was enough to jar any motion to a screeching halt. And she'd earned that, somehow? His life? No, this wasn't right. She wouldn't do it.

"Danny, I'm not leaving--"

Quinn fired her gun, Shauna shrieked, flinging herself to the side and crashing into the railing of the upper floor, which gave way with a deafening crash and sent her tumbling down to the level below.

Danny looked at Shauna fall. It was the second time on the island, and honestly, gravity was out to get her. He didn’t have time to check on her, but there was a silver lining, he didn’t have to worry about his flare.

When Quinn realized that her gun had missed and broke a window behind Danny, he didn’t take his time to react. He pulled the trigger. The red projectile flew toward the girl, but missed by a couple of feet. The projectile acted a strange way. Danny had expected it to explode on contact, but instead, it bounced around.

While that was happening, Danny rammed into Quinn as she scowled that her gun had missed. There was a sharp pain in his chest but the bright light above him made it seem worth it.

“You’re stuck with me, bitch.”

This gun wasn't only boring, it was annoying, and Quinn had more or less given up on actually landing a shot at this point. Useless.

Shauna fell away and out of immediate consideration. That left the boy and a vague sense of familiarity. She thought he might be sports adjacent, since otherwise he'd have just been a face from the crowd. It didn't make much difference. He looked damaged, weakened. Might Shauna have rescued him? That was one of the thoughts that had sent amusement across her face just a moment or two earlier. Not so now.

He raised a bright orange gun with a wavering hand and Quinn scrambled down and to her right, dropping into a crouch. There was a plunk, followed by a whooshing sound as a bright red pyrotechnic trail erupted from the gun and flew across the walkway they were on. The miss was appreciable and Quinn heard the flare thunk around as it bounce off floor and then wall. An acrid, smokey scent immediately struck her nostrils. Fire. Something had caught on fire.

The boy charged at her. Quinn reacted, one hand in her hoodie to tear free the second of her improvised shivs, just managing to interpose it between her and him before he collided into her at some speed.

Below, Shauna whined softly in pain. Her hands, her hands hurt. She held them up, watching blood begin to trickle from the gouges the torn up wood had left in them, the splinters embedded in her palm and fingers.

Laying on her front, she shifted from one side, to the other, trying to get her feet under herself without pushing off on the floor. Dizziness struck her. The headache was back in force.

Danny. She had to get up and help Danny.

Get up. Get up get up!

She slumped into the shattered remnants of the rail, cheek pressed against the plank beneath.

If Danny wasn't already injured, Quinn would already be dead. However, they weren't in this alternate reality. His body had been failing him for a long time now, and his injuries were taking a toll. He still continued to push Quinn forward. He had to get to the stairs if he wanted to make this mattered.

The flare was about to explode, he just needed to stay here a little longer so that they would both ignite. Dying like this wasn't optimal, but if he was able to Quinn out of the game, then it was worth it. His feet were anchored in the ground. He wished he was injured. If his body wasn't covered in bruises, if his brain wasn't rendered to juice, and if he didn't have a shiv sticking out of his chest, Danny could just pick up Quinn and throw her into the fire.

His mind went back to Shauna. Danny didn't think he would be this selfless. He was about to die, and his mind immediately jumped to the girl beneath her. He couldn't like Quinn kill her. That was his only purpose now. He had to delay the inevitable. Quinn wasn't going to kill Shauna here, and he would make sure of it.

"Shauna!" His speech was slurred. "Just run!"

Danny just realized he had blood running down his face. His mouth was filled with blood and, without hesitation, he spat a chunk of guts into Quinn's face.

He was stronger than Quinn expected, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing in a literal death grip, putting pressure around her shoulders and chest. Uncomfortable, but ultimately nothing more than a bear hug, and he didn't have the size to squash the life out of her like this. Rather than attempting to break away, Quinn ripped the shiv free from his torso and then drove it into him again, again, again, her other hand around his back with a handful of his coat. Blood spurted from each point of impact, making her hand slippery and warm, each fresh thrust robbing her attack of some of its sting, some of its piercing force. A piece of wood, jagged or no, was still wood, incapable of sustaining sharpness against repeated use. She jammed it into him one last time, not certain she was even breaking skin, and then dropped what was left of the weapon.

The boy was still holding onto her, and she was beginning to feel some heat at her back. Quinn glanced around and saw a smouldering blaze starting to take hold atop the stairs she'd climbed after the pair. The wood wasn't prime kindling in this type of humidity, but she could see the flames catching nonetheless as red smoke billowed up from the crackling flare. It didn't need to burn much. Just enough.

His plan became clear to her. He was trying to keep her held here until the fire started to burn in earnest and then throw her into it, an idea infuriating in its simplicity. The stairs were almost blocked off already, and the walkway wound some considerable distance before there was another way down. Brave. Deeply irritating. This should be less effort than it was, and if his stubborn persistence wasn't enough, he was keeping her from Shauna, too.

How appropriately her of the other girl, to take a tumble like that. It was just the kind of mishap Quinn could imagine befalling her back home. Hm.

Quinn wrenched herself to one side, then the other. His grip remained firm, but he lurched from side to side like a drunk. He was putting everything he had left into holding on and trying to push her back, closer to the flames, bit by bit. He spat blood in her face and she snarled back in frustration.

No. She refused.

Quinn stepped backwards with his next shove and then wheeled, dragging the boy along with her. He stumbled forwards and Quinn managed to swing him around. His back hit another section of weakened, mouldering railing. An earsplitting crack and it broke loose, sending them both spilling over the edge.

Shauna, inch by painstaking inch, managed to get one leg up off the ground and somewhat underneath her. Biting her lip against the pain, she attempted to place her palm down, but jerked back with a yelp as it only served to drive another splinter deeper into the vulnerable flesh.

She switched tack, using her elbow instead to prop herself up, lever herself up further, onto one knee. Then, grimacing, body trembling with the effort, she pushed up off the ground and rose, immediately stumbling to the side. Instinctively she reached out to catch herself on one of the statues.

Another spike of pain in the meat of her hand. Shauna cried out.