A/N: A little one-shot to clear my mind and for you to enjoy. :)

I know I haven't been writing lately… I had ton of work and studying to do and at the end of the day all of the energy I got left was spent on preparations for the next day… Hopefully this is over for a few days. :) I will be updating the stories in the meantime as an apology, so be prepared haha!

For this one-shot, Uncharted series are one of my favourite games beside Batman and Undertale – I had to write something! And also, writing this, I found out one-shots are easy and quite entertaining for getting back on track. :)

The story is from Uncharted 3 – my mind was buzzing with what was getting through Charlie's head while he was drugged. I imagined a long forgotten pained memory, hope I'm not repeating myself on all this pain… It's really in almost every story I wrote/am writing at the moment. It's nothing personally but it's just so interesting seeing or, should I say, writing, the reactions and mind of a said character. I guess everyone has a character/s that they like to put through a critical moment… I blame Undertale (kidding, not really. It's all me…). Papyrus is my fave… Just beside Flowey. :D (Totaly out of the contest, but ok. :D)

Ooooook, enough me blabbing about this and that, let's get to the story!

WritterSavvy123: Oh my, thank you for pointing out the mistake! I'm a little ashamed right now... A mistake corrected! Thank you! :D And I totaly agree with you. :) It would be such a thrill for him to be something more in one of the stories! In thee latest game, The lost legacy, I was disappointed... again... Oh well, maybe someday. And I have hope, if they made an entire story about Chloe... welp, why not about Charlie? :D Hope remains! :)

Enjoy!

A silent, barely noticeable movement of air on his left and a shine of metal was what drew Charlie's attention. With another step he turned his head to trace the foreign unfamiliar but the thing has beaten him in speed. A prick in the neck turned his head away in a slight burning sting as his hand raised to the disturbance.

As he touched it Charlie slightly withdrew his hand as another sting and a smaller vertigo overflew him. He drew his hand nearer again and touched. In a moment he felt smooth and cold surface.

Metal.

Dart.

Before he could do anything a sound came from his left again. A step. Then another. In a rush of adrenaline Charlie raised his gun towards it, ready to fire. Dart forgotten, he aimed, his finger on the trigger and then... Then came an order.

"No."

As if Charlie's world cracked, that word, a simple, short word made his hands tremble. He could feel shivers spreading from his hand to his arms and legs, getting unstable and heavy. Charlie's mind lit an alarm. As he was looking he could see his target calm and slow, an easy target, yet through the front sight of his gun the aim was everywhere else but where it should be. And it was getting worse.

The man in front of Charlie was still taking small and peaceful steps towards him. There was no stiffness present yet Charlie was terrified. He could not understand what the blurred creature in front of him was saying yet he somehow knew that he was following his commands to the word. If he wouldn't he would… he would…

I will d- I will die…

With each step Charlie shook more. He knew that it was his enemy. He knew that it was unarmed. He knew what would happen if he continued his doings! Without noticing Charlie descended his gun. It disappeared from his grip. Charlie raised his shaking hands over his head, bending down in submission to the stronger. The now-monster said something again. Charlie knew what it wanted. His hands were on the verge of his bag to get it yet he paused. In all the confusion his mind still managed to warn him of the consequences, of his, his… Could he call them…

F-friends…? No… I-I would betray them…

Through all the fear a feeling of blue washed over him. It was soothing and comforting and like a river, it calmed his beating heart a little with its silence and sadness.

Am I really doing this? They wouldn't forgive…

A moment was destroyed by the beast which was now a mere breath away. In the glowing of its eyes Charlie saw it. Another question rose as his body began shaking again, his arms lifting, touching his cheek to snap himself out of the delirium.

But it was too late.

Am I ready to die?

Charlie's hands, as on its own, opened the bag and passed the book to it in front of him as the world around him came crushing down to the unrecognizable form.

Charlie was trapped. He could feel it. His body was weak from running and fighting and guns and shooting and bullets and dead ends…

Something beside him moved with a quick pace. Charlie flinched at it, turning towards the influence. But he couldn't see what was there. It was all blurred and it resembled being highly drunk. The sounds and his vision were a mess. Charlie blinked a few times, hoping it would go away but to no avail. It just made matters worse, colours mixing like a giant palate. The sounds dulled.

What Charlie saw was black, mostly black. And dark blue with a few strokes of light blue if he turned his sight upwards. In front of him he saw pink toned drops, three as he counted. But what fascinated Charlie was that they were moving.

It reminded Charlie of space and stars. As these tiny dots, there were patches of light moving through the dark just in front of Charlie. The movement gave him some sort a known of comfort as he observed it. It was beautiful. And as he watched, Charlie took a look at the middle light-bringer. His eyes rested on the pinkish light and he felt… safe. Like nothing could harm him.

Charlie was lost to oblivion, no sound came near him, only colours and movement.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the light from his left side was touching his neck and before Charlie could react a sting pulsed on his side.

Charlie's left hand reflexively went to the side of his neck, shielding it. He backed away a few steps. Although these freckles of paint seemed calming they sure as hell sting! From the corner of his eye Charlie saw that pink patches were moving more radically. They were faster, nervous even. Charlie got upset.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no…"

Charlie wasn't sure anymore. Were these patches even on his side? What if they just poisoned him! Charlie's eyes rested at the floor. A grave mistake.

"The floor is melting…"

Then, for some time, his mind was blank.

When Charlie awoke, pain was everywhere. It burned in his body, making his legs shake. His stomach hurt and he felt nauseous. He could feel people. One touch. Two. Three… Someone grabbed his upper arm.

"Get off! I won't let you take me!

His voice was shaking, even pleading at the very end. The strength was leaving him quickly.

He shut his eyes.

As Charlie opened them, he became aware of a new space. A tight space. It was some sort of passage, too small to stand straight, not even to breath! It seemed that the oxygen supply in that place was running dangerously low.

I'm gonna suffocate! No, no! Someone, please, h-…

A push on his shoulder brought him out. It was a light one yet stern. It gave Charlie a slight squeeze. He didn't know where he was walking to but he knew from his guts feeling had no choice. He knew it would be the end of him if he stopped. He had to keep going. Yet the space was growing smaller and smaller.

It will crush me!

As Charlie's breathing increased the world around him came to a stop.

His stomach and head were hurting as from the beating. He was sure he could feel bruises. How long were they here? …Hours? He didn't know. It could as well be days as Charlie felt new as well as older ones.

How long was I here?

This place was killing him, if not quickly, surely, he was sure of that. He started moving.

As he and the thug – he assumed it was the thug that was leading his way - behind him came to another door inside the passage Charlie couldn't do it any longer nor did he care. He had to rest. The place and the lack of oxygen were killing him from within, his lungs could take no more.

He stopped and leaned on the frame. His arms hurt but Charlie bore it. Thug came to a hold behind him too soon. Charlie could feel his eyes on him, judging him for being so weak and pathetic. He tried to stall, at least for a few more seconds of his rest.

"Just… just… just… Where are you taking me?"

Charlie would kick himself if he had the strenght.

I'm shivering in front of that idiot, pleading for my life... how did I fell so low?

"Just why are you doing this?"

On his luck, or not, thug didn't respond. He instead roughly pushed Charlie's shoulder again. Charlie flinched and staggered forward, losing his grip on the frame. His rest was over. Before he began walking through the tight space again, he gave thug the look.

"Stop touching me!"

"I can't… I can't breathe… I just… I can't breathe… I can't breathe… I've got to get out… I've got to get out… I've got to get out…"

Charlie didn't know how, but he was dying. He just, simply, knew it. He couldn't recall ever feeling worse. His head was hurting as well as his arms, legs, everything.

The space is too small! I can't breathe… I can't breathe… M-my lungs! I-I'm s-s… I'm suffocating… Please…!

This was it. This was where he, Charlie Cutter, dies. But for what prize?

I'm not r-ready! No, no, no, no, no… Please… please… Not again… No… Stop!

"Oh, God… Oh, God…"

"I won't let you!"

Charlie had no memory of how he did it. He just knew that it was now or never if he wanted to escape. He had to fight!

"Rghaaaaaaaaaa!"

Whit a battle cry Charlie crushed into his opponent's torso, grabbing him in the procedure. His enemy barely had the time to breathe as Charlie slammed him to the wall. His hands found a nearby stone.

Perfect.

Charlie used it to smash it on the attacker's face. He was out like a light. But where one fell others came and Charlie suddenly found himself surrounded by thugs, guns, fists and… and by his captors, in the back, observing.

But Charlie didn't feel afraid. For the first time in a long Charlie felt something different. Maybe all the anger and pain, he didn't know, all he knew was that it was coming from somewhere inside of him, telling him it will be alright.

Right now he was ready.

He raised his fists.

Bring it.

The world was finally getting together again.

Charlie… Charlie…! Charlie!

He heard a clicking sound of a gun by the side of his head.

Haven't I killed them all?

But beside the throbbing pain that was engulfing him, in reality Charlie just didn't care. He was so close… He knew that he just had to do one more thing. The pressure on his grip increased. He was so close! So close, just had to…

"Charlie, you're killing Nate," he felt hands, lifting his face from the dying face of his captor. A woman's hands. He heard a woman's voice talking. Talking to him. The grip made him look up, away from his target. He saw a figure, yet the face he did not recognise. It was captured in a blur.

"Okay, you gotta listen to me."

Charlie listened - he felt that it was ok. Yet his grip didn't lessen. All the feelings inside of him were still raging and he doubted that he had any strength to resist.

I'm so close…

"You're killing Nate. Charlie."

The voice in front of Charlie suddenly cleared. It wore a familiar face.

Wh-What are you doing here? C-Chloe. Wha-

With every word he could feel world getting back together. He could feel it composing itself and finally he could see clearly. He was in an underground tomb, there were no bodies anywhere. On his right he could see Victor aiming a gun at him, determined to end him. And as he looked at the captor he was strangling he could now only see Nate. In a rush of panic he let him go, murmuring apologies, falling against the wall and on the ground.

No... No, no, no... I could have… I could…

It was as if a stone was roared away from his chest when he saw Nate, his friend, alive and breathing. But he knew deep down that this wasn't enough to let him forgive himself.

"Nate. Nate, Nate, I'm really sorry. I'm sorry-"

As Nate coughed himself and stood up, he looked at Charlie. Still, as he apologised, he could barely believe it. In Nate's eyes he could see no hatred.

Wha- How…? Just why would you forg-!

Then he felt Nate grip his shoulder, shaking it, although a bit roughly, pushing him away slightly.

"We're even."

A/N: As you might have noticed, I've left a few spaces blank. Especially on where, why and what happened to Charlie (so pretty much a lot). I intended to give you, dear readers, free ride here on what might have been. :) Please, have fun raising new ways and finding new paths on what might have occurred. :D I mean no disappointment but simply to encourage new ideas for your own stories.

On the other hand, I hope I didn't push you down too hard or leaving the impression of not-having ideas or "fresh stuff" with concealing parts of it. Here I am still full of the stories. :D

If you want, I could write another, entirely new thing on what might have been happening in Charlie's past. :) But, a WARNING and as you might already know from my previous stories, I am a long-taking writer so you'll have to be patient with me.

But for now, that's it! :D

Enjoy!