Hmm... so I post a chapter, and two days later the site crashes. Lol - well I guess I'll take it with a grain of salt rather than as a sign of things to come ^.^
Speaking of, should probably include some warnings now .
Warnings: I'll be using more-so the TDA version of Justin, where he is evil MWAHAHA - so if you hate that version, sorry! umm still deciding on pairings (which I'll explain at the bottom) but there likely will be slash in some form or other... flashbacks (eventually) as well as.. futureforwards? Eh, don't know what to call them. Anyway, that's it for warnings, as of now ^.^
Disclaimer: Don't own...


Chapter 2 (A)

Not knowing the outcome, would you rather
Always lose,
Or never play?

Noah (Several years after TDI)

While the rest of the world was growing stronger, I had already begun the prudent process of decaying; there is a very fine line between growing and dying and a point where one will sheepishly cross over to the next. We all reach that point eventually, and when we do is up to us. I merely approached it faster... a lot faster than any one should have to; out of all the five-or-so races I have ever been a part of, of course I win the one where the victor is axed.

Yeah me.

But I have never been one to complain excessively (which you can argue, if you must) and therefore, it would seem a waste of time to wallow in years which have escaped me, which I can never alter and can only lament over. Yet at the same time, it seems that I must find them, if only to see where those years went awry; if unable to learn from my mistakes, what reason is there to go on? It would be easiest just to give up. It would be best just to not play at all.

Sometimes, it is easy to fail, and giving up just skips that step. Admitting failure I find pathetic; getting around it, I find admirable. I can not be fired if I quit first, can not be defeated if I exit the game. You can not win and I can not lose. What alternative could possibly beat that?

Well, other than winning, of course... but winning is not always an option.

Which leads me to my dilemma; is it time for me to "just quit?" This game of life has been filled with horrors I can never hope to defeat. The boss at the end of the tunnel is a little thing we humans call failure, and it is by far the hardest opponent I have ever and will ever face. I can only prolong the inevitable for so long before it consumes me. There is no away around it, only above it, no way beyond it, only through it.

...Try as hard as I do to overcome, I succumb to its mighty force time and again. It is an undying, invincible opponent; no one can escape his losses indefinitely. Failure will find us, and failure will win. We can keep hiding but must all face it eventually... they say to be strong in the face of adversity, but failure knows me too well, and can see past my farce.

... I do not know if I can face the fact that failure has all but beaten me.

(Years Earlier at Playa de Losas)

Chapter 2 B - Of Players and Losers

Justin's POV

For a moment I almost wondered whether or not he would actually come. It did not overly matter, there were others to choose from, but it would be horribly unfair to not get my first pick. Having grown used to getting my way, I was unsurprised when he walked in, but the fact that he had brought his book along both annoyed and amused me greatly; it was a slap in the face to my importance.

His wilted face looked at me in boredom and my pang of angry-amusement grew. How could he, how daring was he, to be uninterested in what I had to say? Anyone else would have died at the chance to speak with me let alone to see me in private. It was oddly funny that there was an exception, and even funnier that the exception was Noah.

"Well, what is it?" he questioned dully, flipping idly through the pages. I didn't answer, only smiled, forcing his eyes to glance towards my own. His eyebrows rose almost nervously, making it difficult for me to respond; it was far too fun seeing him this way, so in the dark, and so painfully confused by it.

I'm sure he thought I was a moron, which made him a moron in my eyes, and I struggled to remember that he was intelligent despite his unintelligent attitude towards me. But to base his entire opinion on my looks... did he really think it could make me less perfect? Some of us are lucky enough to have it all, great looks, intelligence, charm. And while others of us aren't so lucky, it does not give their kind the excuse to belittle mine.

As if he had heard me, the look of fear left his face and he impatiently crossed his arms. "Well?" he questioned again. "Go on - Or have you lost the capacity for speech?"

I kept the feeling of rage behind my smile, knowing my next course of action could make or break my proposal. "Noah," I began, "Why the tone? Aren't we all friends here?"

He narrowed his eyes and went back to his book, muttering, "Sorry, I must have missed that memo." I inwardly cursed his stubbornness before switching my thoughts to a new tactic.

"Listen, I know you're still angry... -" His eyes shot up in mock surprise.

"Oh, over the backstabbing? Never, why never!" he remarked, his voice sarcastic and calm but clearly untrue.

"...But you have to remember that they voted me out also," I continued, "and that I am just as angry as you are." I smiled wider, lying best as I could, "I was cheated in the same way that you were."

At this, he looked back towards me. A different expression had come over his eyes. "That, I admit, I am curious about - why did they vote for you, anyway?"

The feelings of betrayal from days before came back to me without warning. Ignoring them, I shook my head, grinning wider in an attempt to distract him. "I, don't know," I said, faking sincerity. He raised an eyebrow as if he didn't believe me. "But that doesn't matter," I waved dismissively, cutting him off as he tried to interject - It seemed I had finally caught his interest; he was staring at me, waiting attentively. "What matters is this, and only this -"

"There is a way for us to get back at them."

The silence which followed my announcement was unending and unexpected, only breaking with his sarcasm, as he stared at me like I was joking. "Oh really?" he began condescendingly. "And tell me, what do you plan to do? Ask the winner nicely for his money? Maybe wink and put him into a coma, and then steal it before he can wake?" He rolled his eyes and turned to leave, his expression becoming cross. "Or outright sabotage him and throw him to the dogs? Sorry to tell you - that tactic only works once."

I had no idea how to answer as I had been unprepared for his response; his ability to confuse me so easily left me all the angrier, and made it harder for me to think straight. "Noah, I think you misunderstand," I stated, trying to sound as kind as possible.

He stopped in his tracks and turned back around. "Sorry, Justin. I understand perfectly, and I could care less for your "wondrous" scheme - I refuse to work with a cheater, regardless of what said-cheater is planning."

As he started once more to leave, I questioned whether or not to stop him. Was he really the best choice available or would Eva or Ezekiel work better? Everything argued against him; he was the least deserving, most annoyingly imperfect person at camp. He topped my list of worst people I'd ever been exposed to, but - he was the only one who had been on my team. He seemed to despise me, but he was intelligent. My charms had no hold over him, but he was crafty. He was lazy, but he was driven. All in all, he was the perfect candidate.

"Noah," I said again as I reached out and grabbed his arm. Touching him was unsettling, but would be worth it if he listened. He angled his body towards me and gave me a look which screamed annoyance. "I have no intention of sabotaging anyone. All I'm doing is trying to help you."

He shrugged off my hand and faced me fully, his stoic front becoming irritated. "Do not insult me by trying to trick me; I know a snake when it slithers past me. If you had ever really been on my side, I would not be presently here at the Playa. The team would not have voted me off, and I would still have a chance at the prize. You know I am here due to you(1)."

Earlier events came back to mind and I realized his words had some basis. But the realization didn't make me feel guilty; on the contrary, I felt he deserved it. So what if I had done some last minute scheming behind camera and turned the game to his disadvantage? It was the way a real player played; if Noah didn't know that, it would make my next move all the easier.

"Well, what if there were a way?" I questioned, pretending to wonder aloud to myself. "A way for me to fix this for you? Would you be willing to allow me?"

He scowled before snapping, "How? Can you magically fly back in time? Well patent that skill and sell it, but otherwise realize you can not make this up to me."

I didn't reply right away but pretended to be deep in thought. "... What if I could get you back at the camp?" I questioned, draining my acting skills for honesty. His eyes widened slightly, though skeptically, in surprise, and his scowl turned softer like he thought he'd misheard me.

"What do you mean?" he wondered confusedly, finally willing to hear what I had to say.

Slowly, my fake smile turned real (2), knowing the "genius" had taken the bait.

"There is a way to get back on the show, Noah - And you and I are going to find it."

The funny thing of the matter is.. I had thought he was about to apologize

Well that was just a random Noah thought at the bottom in case you were wondering. Anyways...Thank you guys so much for the reviews! That really made my day - I'm sorry I didn't answer individually, but I just looked at them yesterday and decided to post a chapter instead. Hopefully, it conveys the same appreciation. ^.^
Noah's fun to write though. Justin, on the other hand... ugh...
and as for notes
(1) - this will be explained later on in a flashback, so if it doesn't make sense, that's why
(2) - he was smiling at Noah's expense, not because he was helping him (just in case that part didn't make sense either)

So as for the pairing thing... normally, when my mind comes up with a story there are several possible ways it will go. However, the different routes my mind has for this one all involve different couples, so rather than say what will happen, I figured I would ask who you guys like seeing together. That way, I can choose which route to follow without ruining the actually storyline - yeah, I hope that made sense XD
Well I'll have an official poll in my profile, but if you want you can post other ones here - I'm fine with slash, het, a mix, whatever. So thanks again, and I love all the feedback! Keep letting me know what you guys think! ^.^