Collision Course
Leon finishes his prayer and stands up, tucking his charm back into his shirt.
"…Two of 'em gone, just like that," Krim says, looking down.
We have laid Cinder and Kite to rest under piles of rocks, leaving them unmarked.
It felt stupidly wrong to honour them with names that felt like labels. Labels given to us by whatever sick fuck is behind this stupid torture experiment.
What right did they have to strip away everything that made me me? My name, my identity, the people I love.
These two are dead and gone now, and I didn't even know who they were called.
If I ever make it out of here I won't even know who to break the news to.
Out there, someone might have lost a son, husband, father, best friend or brother.
I won't let Nari experience the same.
Your big brother is alive, Esinara Russel. I am here.
***
"Cinder…" Diva murmurs softly.
She has a weary, tired, sad look in her blue eyes. If I recall, she escaped the pit together with him, all those days ago.
I wonder what I'd be thinking if Neo were the one who died.
They were good people, Kite and Cinder. Cinder was always cheerful and nice to everyone, and although Kite might've come off as strange he was nice to me as well.
And now, I'll never see them again. I can barely even remember what they looked like.
"Next time we'll kill him," Neo grits, fists clenched and fingers digging into his palms. "We weren't ready for him this ti-"
"Ready?" Luc suddenly cuts in. "You think anyone can be ready for a seven-foot-tall freak with a bat the size of car door?"
"I mean- I'm just saying-"
"No, no," Luc doesn't give him a chance to speak. "You're always saying, Neo. Flapping your gums doesn't keep people alive. Putting your back into your punches, on the other hand, does."
I stop what I'm doing and look suspiciously at them. I can sense the air changing, and the tension between everyone rising.
"Well we aren't all muscle monsters like you, are we?" Neo says bitterly, slowly getting mad too.
"Easy," Diva says, trying to break it up. "We all swung. Kite did too. Cinder-"
"Cinder froze up and lost his cool," Luc folds his arms. "He went in blindly against an opponent he couldn't match up to and that's why he's now in the ground."
He pointed a finger at Cinder's pile of rocks. I look at Diva, who's calm expression has suddenly turned sourly dark.
"Shut your mouth," she says to Luc. "He saved you, dumbass! He took aggro of you and-"
"And where'd that get him?"
Oh shit. I can see Diva snap. What the hell is Luc doing? Is he trying to drive a wedge in the group? Diva darts forwards and suddenly she's got Luc by the collar, squaring up to him, furious.
"Say that again, you big piece of shit! I'll put a hole through your neck you-"
"Enough, both of you," Elemental says sternly, but neither of them are having it.
Luc swats Diva's hand off him and retorts back angrily.
"Don't tell me to calm down man. I'm sick and tired of dragging around people who can't pull their weight! You, you, you-"
He makes vague gestures at Neo and Jora.
"-we're not a rescue mission or a summer camp! We're in a place where one small mistake can cost not just your own but everyone else's lives too!"
"You're yapping like you're untouchable," Jora protests, getting to her feet indignantly. "You almost had your head split open back there!"
"Yeah, but I didn't, and if it weren't for me, Elemental and Krim you'd be dead right there!"
Luc thrusts a hand at Cinder and Kite.
"Luc, stop it!" I say angrily, and Krim backs me up.
"Yelling doesn't solve anything, nor will it bring back the dead," he says. "Luc, give it a rest…"
But he doesn't listen, not even to Krim.
"I'm saying what everyone's thinking," he growls. "Weak links get people killed, so we should cut them off before they do!"
"So what? You're gonna leave people to die!?" Neo demands.
"If that's what it takes."
"You're crazy!"
"No, I'm alive. Big difference."
"Don't bullshit us!"
And suddenly it's chaos. Everyone's shouting, pointing fingers, name-spouting, grabbing collars, raising voices.
"If you fucking did something more back there we would've-"
"I wasn't-"
"I-"
"You-"
Diva's stepping forward again, fists raised. Luc's advancing on Neo, who's backstepping. I push in front of Neo, on hand on my shortswords - as if I'm gonna let this meathead lay a hand on my day one friend. Jora starts pulling an arrow out of her quiver. Krim tries to calm us down, but we're all too heated to listen.
Thankfully, before we start killing each other, 004 steps in.
He grabs Luc from behind, pinning his arms to his side and holding him dead still. Leon steps between us and Krim, taking the hint, blocks Diva.
"You-"
Luc turns furiously, but by instinct I sweep his legs out from under him, the same movement I saw Elemental make that one time, and suddenly Luc's on his ass at my feet. Elemental's eyebrow raises, looking at his empty hands.
"Chill out," I announce.
"He insulted Cinder!" Diva protests angrily.
"If you really want to, you can fight him," I tell Diva. "Hell, you two can have a death match at the top of a mountain if you want. If that's what you really want."
I glare at Diva meaningfully, who's anger subsides and she backs off.
Elemental glances at me, and nods.
"Keep going," he mouths.
"Listen," I say. "I know everyone has their own thoughts and morals in this place, but please at least get the facts right if you're going to argue! It wasn't weakness or bad luck or chivalry or whatever that killed Kite and Cinder, it was that… thing with the bat. If you wanna direct your anger at something, then hate that piece of shit, and this crappy place, not each other."
I pause for breath, and I realize that everyone's eyes are on me, and suddenly my confidence crumbles. I stare daggers at Elemental.
I have no clue what to say. Take over, please.
He takes the hint.
"Sword's right," he says. "Besides, we all have one thing in common, right? No one wants to die, everyone wants to survive. So we should keep moving forward. If you let the deaths and killing get to you, and you stagnate in that well full of blood, then you might as well join them."
He looks round at us.
"Do you know what I'm trying to say? If we want to live, then we have to adapt faster than this place can kill us."
Luc's jaw clenches, but he lets it go and climbs to his feet. Then he looks at me and says,
"Nice kick."
He turns and strides off somewhere, probably to cool his head.
"What was that?" I ask.
"What? It was a nice kick," Krim grins.
I sigh and roll my eyes.
"We're all tired and injured," I say. "Let's try find a place to get some rest."
It's been a long time since we've actually had a proper rest, because we have to constantly be on guard for the creatures that prowl the underground, but we're able to find a half-collapsed tunnel and bunker down in a sheltered hollow. Most of the group, exhausted, collapses as soon as we deem it 'safe', and soon all that's left is the quite crackle of the small fire I've lit.
I can't sleep, I don't know why, but I'm just sitting staring at the dirt in the ground. That's when Luc comes up, and sits down heavily next to me, still fuming a little.
"You didn't have to make me look like the bad guy back there."
"You made it pretty easy," I shrug.
"Well, somebody had to say it," he grins, fiddling with his knuckledusters.
"I have a question. I didn't exactly do a lot in the fight against that crazy bat guy, but why didn't you…?"
"You mean, why didn't I call you dead weight?"
"Yeah."
"Are you serious? After you were trying to cave my head in three days ago?"
Ah, he means that fight we had.
"You swung at us first like a madman."
"You looked at me wrong."
"You killed a Crawler with your bare hands in front of me."
"You kicked me in the face."
We both pause for a few seconds, then I say,
"Guess we're even."
"Guess so," he leans back against the cave wall, arms crossed. "Do you… really think they'll make it out? Diva, Jora, yapping kid?"
"I don't know," I exhale. "But I'd like to."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I've got."
We sit in silence for a bit, the only sound being dripping water in the background.
"You ever kill someone before this?" I ask, randomly, but then I regret it.
Luc's face turns to stone and for a second I think he's going to bash my brains out.
"I'd rather not say, because of the penalty," he says, not meeting my eyes. "You?"
"No, never," I venture.
We wait, half expecting my head to explode like a bloody cabbage, but nothing happens.
"Guess you're learning," he says.
"Doesn't feel like something I want to be good at."
"Then you're already behind."
Another pause.
"By the way, you saw what that thing did to Kite and Cinder. Do you think talking about teamwork's going to stop it from happening again?"
"No, but I know that turning on each other sure won't."
"…you really believe that?"
"I want to," I shrug. "Maybe that's what believing in something is. Wanting something so much that you pretend it's true until you actually think it is."
"Wow, deep words from the guy who still apologizes to corpses."
"Yeah, well, somebody should."
Luc snorts, and tells me to leave that part to Leon.
"Also, what I said about Cinder, I didn't mean it," he says, a little sheepishly. "He was… a good person. Better than me, definitely."
"He'd have laughed if he heard you now."
"Then maybe I'll make it so no one laughs at me again."
"Or give them a reason to," I say.
He glances over at me, studying my face. I don't what he saw other than a scared, tired guy covered in blood and dirt, but I feel like something changes.
"Sometimes I think you talk like you already how this'll end," he sighs, stretching.
"I don't, I just know how I want it to."
Awkward silence again, before he finally folds his arms and leans back.
"I think," he tells me, "You're weird."
"I think you're crazy."
"That's fair."
He gets up to leave, but before he does, he tells me suddenly and randomly,
"You're alright. Don't let anything or anyone drag you down, you have the kind of fight this place likes."
"Was that supposed to be encouragement?"
"Call it recognition."
He turns, and walks away into the dark somewhere.
Recognition, huh.
I lean back too, the fatigue finally catching up to me.
Could've sworn he still hated my guts.
I don't how long I sleep, but it's a peaceful, dreamless sleep, for once in my damn time in this damn place. That is, until Neo kicks me awake and pulls me roughly to my feet.
"What are you-"
He claps a hand to my mouth and warns me to shut up. Most of the others are awake, except Jora, who's getting shaken awake by Diva.
"What's happening?" I whisper to the others, who are poised around our hollow, peeking over rocks and fully armed.
"People," Neo whispers.
I move softly over to the edge of our hollow and peek out over it. There are shapes moving, closer by than expected, and instantly my heart's in my mouth. I duck down, and Elemental appears next to me.
"Do we engage?"
"What if they're friendly?"
"Think quick," I whisper. "Let's take em down without killing them. Do we have a count on their numbers?"
"Four max."
"Four?"
"Let's do it."
Silently, we fault over the edge and into the darkness, feet meeting the loose stones. I take two steps forwards, and I hear fast whispering, shuffling and shifting. Then silence. To me left, Elemental glides forwards. Then suddenly the dark erupts with movement. Grabbing, hitting, scuffling, scrabbling on stone, loose rocks flying.
A girl shouts, and men grunt. I dive into the dark, eyes searching the shadows, and see an unfamiliar silhouette. I dive against them, pin them to the ground and let them have it on the ground with my fists, but then he shoots up and hits me in the ribs. Ouch. I reel back, and the guy comes after me, but Krim's shape hits him with what is apparently a flying knee to the face. He grunts, Krim shouts, Jora's yelling something, Neo's groaning, and then Leon strikes a clod of glowing blue stone and the whole place goes up in light.
We get a good look at each other, and I look down at the guy pinned under me.
"Oh," I say, realizing I've just beat the crap out of my friend Ronin.
To the side, Mist, with Neo in a headlock, stares at us, and Elemental and Artee look at each other in surprise, hands clamped on shirts and noses bleeding. Luc looks around, confused, having been advancing on Kino, who's pressed against the wall, terrified.
"For fuck's sake," Ronin groans. "Nice to see you guys again. Now get the hell off me."
"Oh, sorry," I say.
So, we've been reunited with the others! I'm about to hug Artee when suddenly he grabs Elemental's arm, a wild look in his eyes.
"We need to go, NOW!" he exclaims, tugging 004 behind him.
"Artee, wait, calm down!" Elemental tries, but Artee doesn't give us time.
"He's right, we need to get out of here," Mist says, releasing Neo, who collapses, coughing. "Reunions and greetings can come later."
"What's happening!?" Krim demands.
"They're friends!" I say, "Don't fight!"
"We need to leave!" Kino says, inching past an angry-looking Luc.
"Wait, what's happening?" Neo demands, climbing to his feet.
"We were being chased," Artee says desperately, scrambling down the pile of rocks. "By those crazy bastards, this whole fucking time!"
And only now I notice, the old, festering cuts and slashes on their bodies, dried blood caking their clothes and hollow, exhausted eyes. They look terrible. No time to waste.
"Carry Mist!" I yell, and Leon scoops her up.
I grab Ronin and help him down towards the hollow.
"Shouldn't we fight!?" Luc demands.
"I don't know what's going o-"
"It's too late," Artee says, apprehensive. "They caught up."
I whirl around, and at the other end of the tunnel, a group of people are silhouetted against the light.
"Shit," Artee cursed under his breath. "I was hoping…"
"Who are they?" Krim asks, turning around to face them, now heading towards us.
Mist's teeth clench as she readies a small, sharp pebble between her fingers.
"001," she says. "It's 001 and his giant group."
Airo.
They're coming, About twenty-five people, sauntering through the collapsed, narrow tunnel. They stop about thirty feet away, and one guy comes forwards. Even in the dark, I can see it - his single scarily bright pale yellow eye.
"Airo," I say.
The guy stirs.
"Oh, you know me? That makes things easier then."
His voice is light, almost playful, and really throws me off. Like all of this means nothing to him.
"What do you want?" Elemental demands, expression dark and angry.
If I remember, Elemental almost got killed by Airo and Avoma before… seems like we won't be able to avoid a clash with the guy who's probably at the top of the food chain right now.
"Oh? I recognize that voice. Where could I have heard it before?" Airo voice muses, echoing eerily off the walls. "Eh, if I don't remember then it must've not been important."
Elemental twitches.
"What we want?" he continues. "It seems you've got some of our prey there. Hand 'em over, there's no need to fight."
Krim glances at me, eyes cold, and my skin crawls. I almost forgot. Krim's group has never met Artee and co before. To them, they're complete strangers. They must think it's not worth risking their lives fighting against 001's group for these people they've just met. I look at Neo and Elemental. We might have to fight our own friends…
"Sword, what's you guys' relationship with each other?" Leon asks from behind me.
I pause. I haven't known them for that long but…
"Friends," I say, sweeping my eyes round and everyone. "We're friends."
Krim nods.
"That's enough."
"Aggh, who fucking cares!?" Luc snaps, before jabbing a finger at the other group. "Do they look they'll let us go even if we do hand them over!?"
"No, no," Airo wafts. "We really do want to avoid conflict."
"Bullshit."
"Airo, wait!" I call. "It's me. We met in the caves outside the pits remember?"
"Hmmm? No, I don't remember."
"You-"
"Sword, he has no intention of listening," Mist says. "That guy, he's got a few bloodthirsty screws loose. We should get ready to run or fight."
Airo's silhouette twitches.
"That's a bad opinion of me you got there."
"Can we help it?" Artee demands angrily. "You've chased us relentlessly for the past few days."
"Because you keep running."
"So you want us to lay down and die?"
"Yeah."
There's an awkward silence, then Airo loosens up.
"Haaaah," he sighs. "Man."
He twirls something long and thin between his fingers, almost as long as he is tall.
"As much as I'd love to have a chat, we're short on time. Drop dead."
Weapons are drawn.
"Fuck, are we really doing this?" Neo mutters.
"No other way past it!" Luc laughs loudly, banging his knuckledusters together in a shower of sparks. "I was looking for something to blow off some steam on anyway!!"
Then, there's a shrill whistling, and my eyes widen.
"GET DOWN!"
A barrage of sharpened rocks hit the cave walls where my head had been seconds ago, and the noise booms across the tunnel like thunder. Luc doesn't listen. He never does.
Instead, he runs straight into the hail of bullet-like rocks, several of them piercing his skin, but he doesn't stop. With a yell, he crashes into the enemy line like a freight train. One guy goes flying into the wall with a grunt, blood spatters and I hear a bone break. He roars and attacks again, but the something slams into Luc's chest and he takes a step backwards. A huge, long, blunt stone axe of sorts. A polearm. The thrower grips the handle. A huge frame that towers above even Luc.
"Don't step out of line, little man," Avoma rumbles, whirling the polearm with speed unfit for his build. "You're too cocky."
"HAH!" Luc bellows. "LET'S FUCKING SCRAP THEN!!"
He grabs the end of the polearm, brings his fist down on the shaft, and it splinters under his hand.
Then the shapes are running towards us, yelling, weapons drawn, and we're rising up to meet them. All hell breaks loose.
In the dark, illuminated only by the slightly phosphorescent fungi, a messy and chaotic battle ensues.
Everyone's fighting, a mass of writhing bodies and struggling people, and the noise rises as people scream and shout. A clear, almost metallic sound cuts through everything, and I look over to see Elemental and Airo collide.
001's whirling a 2-meter long spear, driving Elemental back. This the first time I've seen 004 struggle this much against another survivor.
"Holy-" I begin, but can't finish cuz someone grabs me from behind.
I drive an elbow backwards and split their teeth, then whirl around and bash him between the eyes with the hilt of one of my swords. He crumples, then pain sears along my arm as another slash opens up my skin. Neo appears out of nowhere, knives flashing, and takes the second guy's throat in a shower of blood. Gurgling, the guy sinks slowly to the floor.
"Watch your back!" he snaps, breathing hard, eyes wild.
Behind him, up on a boulder, Mist is sniping people in the crowd, and she hits someone square in the face. A crack echoes, then a scream. Krim's kicks are everywhere, each one ending in a crunch. Leon's axe bites into a shoulder. Ronin's yelling something I can't hear.
Through the chaos, I catch sight of a young woman with stormy eyes and auburn hair tied back in a ponytail, streaking through the chaos, dual shortswords flashing. The same weapons as mine. She's going for Mist. Everyone else is occupied, so I take off, running, dodging Artee and another guy grappling past. Then someone gets in my way.
"NO YOU DON'T!"
They swing a hatchet and it nearly takes off my face.
"Who the fuck are you!?" I demand desperately.
"Lee," he says simply. "083."
He goes for me again and I block him. He's not especially skilled but it's enough for the auburn girl to get in and jump up. Mist's eyes widen.
"NOO!" I yell.
There's a spurt of blood as the auburn girl slashes. I score a punch to Lee's temple and push past him.
"MIST!"
Then I see her. She's caught both of the auburn lady's swords with her bare hands, blood running down her arms.
"JJQ!" she growls.
"You've been a real bother all this time!" JJQ, the auburn lady says.
She swings again, and Mist reels back. I muster the power in my legs and launch myself upwards, crashing into JJQ from the side, catching her completely off guard. She tumbles down the boulder but lands on her feet, glaring up. I don't have time to fight her, and Leon takes it up anyway, dual hatchets on shortswords.
"Mist!"
She's bleeding from cuts on her abdomen, where JJQ's landed hits, but it doesn't seem too deep.
"I'm fine, go!"
I comply, leap off the boulder and rejoin the fray. Everything's blinding even though it's dark. I can't tell who's friend, who's enemy.
Then the tunnel tremors, and dust showers from the roof.
"GET BACK!!" Elemental yells urgently.
Then the first chunk of roof falls and hits the ground with the bang.
"CAVE IN!!" I scream. "EVERYONE GOOO!!!"
Airo hears it too, and they break apart, seconds before the centre of the tunnel explodes and collapses inwards.
"RUN! RUN INTO THE TUNNEL!!" Elemental bellows. "FOCUS ON SURVIVING!!"
Someone catches my arm and pulls me, it's Neo.
"Let's get out!"
The roof above us starts caving in all around us, and before Neo wrenches me into a side-passage I cast one last glance back at the battlefield. Krim, Artee, Luc, Ronin, everyone, I can't see them anymore… but through the rain of rocks and haze of dust, I see him. My eyes meet Airo's.
He sees me, and raises his spear in salute.
"Until next time," he grins, voice reaching me even above the thunderous crashing.
Then he's gone and we dive into the tunnel.