Author's Note: Alright, I've now updated chapter two. Hopefully this is a bit more dramatic and less cut and dry? Lemme tell you, it's been a chore trying to make these deaths more realistic. Hopefully you all don't mind the fact that I've decided to try and keep most of the plot points and events the same, for the sake of canon. Retcon work is a real struggle. Anywho, enjoy!


Out of Place

Chapter Two: Invincible


The mood for their trip had been shot dead, so the group of eleven dissolved fairly quickly. Sam had left pretty quickly, mumbling a tad bit of passive small-talk to Matt before driving away. Michaela, Jenny, and Patrick all followed suit in rapid succession, not a single one looking back as they drove off.

Robert approached Matt, who froze, expecting a confrontation. He was almost relieved to only receive a sneer from the shorter man, who then spun around and walked off. Scott followed, not even bothering to look Matt in the eye. Matt almost preferred that reaction to the weak attempt at a goodbye.

He received another one of those immediately from Tyler, whose eyes burned with a mixture of sympathy, rage, and fear. Matt could only bring himself to nod as his friend took off in a jog, catching up to the other two.

Elliott slowly trudged up behind him. "You… you didn't… do that, did you?" he asked, almost awestruck. His voice had a clear shading of fear behind it as well, as though he was afraid of Matt himself, which was heartbreaking. Matt shook his head, the only logical response. Elliott nodded back weakly, reluctantly separating to find his own vehicle.

Briana and Kyle had been walking at the same rate as Matt, and they kept slightly behind him. This gave him a sweeping view of the giant parking lot, sprinkled with police officers, flashing emergency vehicles, and fearful, grief-stricken individuals. The aura of despair colored the air a deep, impenetrable violet, threatening to squeeze Matt until he couldn't breathe.

He felt as though he'd done all he could to warn people of the accident, but there was simply nothing that could have saved everyone. The pressure of all the lives lost in the accident added to the air, and Matt lost consciousness once more.

This is all going to pile up on you.


The metaphorical darkness of the subway parking lot had been replaced by a literal one. Unsure of how he'd gotten into bed, Matt lied still, deciding to check his watch first. It was 11:39 PM, meaning he'd lost track of roughly the last six hours. When his watch light turned back off, he pulled out his cell phone to shed a bit of light on the room. He quickly recognized it as Briana's guest room, the same room he'd slept in the night before.

Unintelligible whispers came from beyond the walls of the room, telling Matt that Briana and Kyle were still awake, and by their tone, having a serious discussion. He wondered if it was something they intended to tell him about or to keep from him, so he figured the best way to hear it would be to pull the door only slightly ajar. As he stood, a minute stone of pain formed in his frontal lobe, but it faded away after a few seconds on his feet.

He dragged his feet across the floor, the rubbing of carpet on his socks almost at the same volume as the conversation outside. Matt quietly rotated the doorknob, preparing himself to open the door slowly.

It creaked with the slightest motion. The noise wasn't loud, but it reverberated down the staircase and into the kitchen, where Briana was standing before Kyle. "Oh, he's awake," Briana said, only slightly in Matt's earshot. He sighed harshly and surrendered, walking out of the room and downstairs to join them.

Their faces turned to his, offering a weak front of casual friendliness. Matt lingered on their eyes, gauging their true feelings. Briana's had a hint of sadness, a sort of noble pity for him. Kyle, on the other hand, was difficult to read, only revealing a generally unpleasant emotion. With a nod of social convention, Matt walked on, to the living room, sitting in a couch opposite the television. He flipped it on, broadcasting the Food Network in a relaxing tone.

As much as he usually enjoyed the shows on the channel, he could not find it in himself to be entertained by them. He pressed a channel-change button once, coming upon a news bulletin.

"…killing all 68 passengers on board," the news reporter said. She caught Matt's attention when she turned and gestured toward what was undoubtedly the subway station. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to keep himself from crying. He had to remind himself that no one he knew had actually died, but the vision was still on his mind, and it was far too real for him to ignore.

Meanwhile, Sam happened to be watching news on Michaela's television as well. "Hey, come here," she said, seeing the same reporter on a different news channel.

"There have been reports of a supposed passenger in his twenties who went into a panic attack after having what he called a vision of the subway crashing, leading to his removal from the subway along with those traveling with him," the reporter continued.

Hearing the news reporter talking about him like this made Matt feel utterly naked. Here was this random woman, talking about his mental illness like it was some buzzword to draw viewers… it disgusted him, having something so personal declared to the world. He crossed his arms and brought his knees up, forming something like a ball on Briana's couch.

As most of the other survivors watched the news, Tyler was lying in his bed, with lights off and eyes wide open. He stared blankly at his cell phone, opened to a conversation that had, for the last seven hours, exclusively been his messages. He was hoping beyond all reasonable hopes that there was some way she had decided not to ride that day, but with each ticking second, the chance grew hazier. He brought the hand clenching his phone down to his face, twisting it in frustration.


The sound of the doorbell bounced through Briana's abode the next morning, bringing Matt out of his third short, uncomfortable slumber of the last day. As he shuffled for the door, he realized that Kyle and Briana hadn't made it upstairs the night before. They lied in the living room, splayed out on the couch and breathing quite loudly. He smirked for a moment, his best attempt at a smile, before opening the door.

He definitely didn't expect it to be Robert on the other side. "What are you doing here?" he asked, harshly. "You dating Briana or something?" He didn't seem all that surprised to find Matt, who looked down at him. He noticed a small bruise on Robert's arm, but Robert quickly moved his arm behind his back to avoid mention of it. "That ticket to DC cost me a hundred bucks, and you fuckin' owe me."

"Oh shit," Matt whispered. He had completely forgotten about the wasted cost of the Superbway ticket, although 100 dollars was quite a significant amount to a minimalistic grad student. "Wait, that's not fair."

"You watch a hundred people die and want to whine about what's fair?" Robert snapped. "What the hell did you do to them?"

"What's your problem? It's not my fault." Matt stepped back with one foot, bringing his left arm before him defensively.

"It is your fault," Robert retorted, quieter and more resentful. With a grunt, he punched Matt in the jaw. "Whatever. I don't need to waste my time here." Before he could hear Matt's choice remarks to his behavior, he jogged away.

"…What the actual fuck was that?" Matt whined. Nonviolent as he was, he could feel his fists clenching along his sides.

Briana rushed downstairs, having heard the shouts of her friend. She placed her hand alongside Matt's face, turning it to examine the small bruise on its side. "Did Robert do this to you?"

Matt nodded dejectedly. "I still don't understand why that asshole was here," he replied. Briana led him to the kitchen, pulling a bottle of painkillers out of a high cabinet.

Kyle waltzed in slowly and stared at Matt for a couple of seconds, clearly surprised to see the bruise. Trying to keep from being awkward, he spoke. "So, I could use some time out on the town. Anyone want to get a sandwich?" With Kyle, that meant they would be going to the big Subway a few blocks away. Briana looked to Matt, who nodded once as if to place the decision in her hands.

"…Sure, sounds good," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear with a tired smile.


They walked along a relatively lightly-crowded street, an abnormality for a weekend in the city. Alas, the three were definitely not complaining, and Kyle cheerfully pointed at a new display within a window at a department store. "That jacket is top-tier. I mean, pa-kow," he said, pointing his fingers like guns.

"That is so out of your budget," Briana laughed. "I mean, it's gorgeous. Gotta be suede or something."

Matt looked beyond the jacket, back into the main store. It was rather spacious with a high ceiling. As his eyes rested on the fanciful ceiling design, a light popped, releasing a few weak sparks. Another light flickered behind it. He frowned, then feeling the wind pick up.

"Come on, better get there before the afternoon crew," Kyle said. He gently pulled the others away from the window, and within ten minutes, they arrived.

After he finished his order, Matt turned around to scope out the tables. His heart fluttered slightly out of joy upon seeing Sam, Jenny, and Elliott at a table together, but it sank when he approached them. Of fuckin' course, he thought, finding Tyler sitting at another table by the soda fountain, directly across from Robert.

Trying to ignore the two, he sat at the table just behind his friends', greeting the three with a warm smile. In spite of any discomfort they may have been feeling around him, which he was nearly certain there was, he was met with equally friendly expressions and small talk, so he remained moderately relaxed. He looked toward the soda fountain, and Tyler met his eye, offering only a slight nod. He returned it, accepting it as a sign of amity.

Briana approached the table, her shaking head the only clue that she'd noticed Robert. She smiled widely at Sam and began chattering with her while sitting down across from Matt, who was mildly amused.

Shortly thereafter, Robert and Tyler stood to exit, unfortunately walking right past Matt's table. Robert flinched as he walked by, flinging a splash of soda from the cup in his hand. "Yikes," he said. Matt resisted the urge to slam his fist on the table, seeing Tyler's split-second glance of apology.

Immediately after the two passed, Matt seized, his eyes glazing over. A flashback of the accident began to play before his eyes. Fortunately, he was spared from seeing the entirety of the crash. First, he saw the window that had cracked open, the jerking car throwing Jenny out through it. The vision leapt forward to its end, with Matt on his back, staring up at the dangling light fixture. As the cord snapped and fell forward, the flashback was over.

"Matt!" Briana had been trying to get his attention it seemed, and he turned it to her with cold eyes. "Are you okay?"

This was nothing he wanted to share to the people at nearby tables who had turned to look at him, so he remained silent. After about a minute, when they'd returned to their business, he answered, "I think I just had a flashback."

"Of what?" Kyle asked, lightly placing his sandwich back onto the table.

"It was… first it was Jenny's death," Matt answered, whispering to keep her from hearing. "And then mine."

Briana slightly closed her eyes with a frown, a nonverbal show of sympathy. Kyle put a hand on his shoulder as well, not sure how to respond.

Matt returned to his sandwich, pulling it in for a small bite but halting just short of his lips. A large glob of grease had fallen onto his shirt. "Ahh…" he exhaled. He stood quickly, dismissing himself to the restroom. Although hand soap and water were unlikely to be sufficient to remove the stain, at least he had a break from being out among others.

"Jenny, that is the most ridiculous sub I've ever seen in my life," Elliott said, pointing in her direction with his own sandwich. "Did I just see banana peppers and red wine vinaigrette?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Life is mysterious," Jenny replied, exaggeratedly taking a large bite. The vinaigrette had been applied quite thickly, which she did not notice until it came rolling down upon her shorts. "Noooo!"

"Dramatic much?" Sam asked, holding back a giggle.

"…I'll be back," Jenny replied deeply, slipping away to the restroom as well.

As she scrubbed viciously away at the offending fluid, Jenny groaned to herself. These shorts are way too cute to be sauce's bitch. The thought was a strange one even for her, and she began to laugh in spite of herself. Water dripped from the bottom of the sink, which was cracked through, but she failed to notice.

Until the water dripped down the wall, and into an electrical socket. The current vaporized the liquid, making an odd sound that surprised Jenny. She jumped back from the sink reflexively, then deciding to turn off the sink. Unbeknownst to her, the dripping continued.

The light above her head flickered, and she was sufficiently freaked out. "Okay, time to go," she said to herself. As she gripped the door handle, it made an odd rattling noise, flipping into the locked position and then jamming. "Oh, what the hell," she groaned again, trying to dislodge it and free herself. "Come on!" Her voice crescendoed a bit as the light flickered again, and sparks danced around the floor.

"Help!" she shouted, now increasingly worried. She banged on the door, which shook by less than a centimeter. "Hey!"

The only person in earshot of her was Matt, who heard her second cry as he exited the other restroom. "What?" he said to himself.

"Let me out!" Jenny's voice penetrated the wall. Matt gasped, feeling the grayness of dread wash over him.

Jenny shouted out in fear as the light fixture flared again, sparking as well. "Someone!"

"Jenny!" Matt shouted back. Apart from the handle, which was stuck in one position, there was no place on the door that he could find purchase, and he found himself frozen in panic. "Hang on!" From within the bathroom came a crashing sound and a blip of a scream, and with another hard yank, the door flew open.

Matt had accidentally whacked himself in the face with the door, knocking his viewpoint out toward the main room of the restaurant. Briana and a Subway employee had run over, and from behind them peeked Robert and Tyler. What the hell are they still doing here… Matt thought as he turned back to the open door.

"Oh my god," he said, sickeningly.

Jenny lied stomach-down on the floor, the ceiling light resting over where her head should have been. Matt backed away quickly, shuddering past the group beside him.

"W…" Briana mumbled, unable to continue.

"Holy hell…" Robert whispered.