The happenings of late had every survivor on the edge.

Everyone was more nervous than usual. That uncertainty had sunk its teeth deep into the heart of every one of Mara's old friends. Claudette was nervous. Meg was afraid. Dwight was nearing a panic attack. And Jake was just doing the best he could to stay calm.

No one knew if this was a new turn in their lives as survivors. No one knew if they'd be turned murderer soon, too.

The Dead by Daylight realm was otherwise calm, quiet, and restful. Any visitor would be unaware of the amounts of torture and bloodshed that were committed around here.

And so the survivors sat in their comfortable, almost homey forest area surrounded by tents, stumps and logs to sit on, and a fire.

The four aforementioned survivors were sat around the fire, glancing at each other worriedly.

"She was trying to talk to me the last time I saw her," Meg continued the conversation. "She said something about Michael turning her? And that she was afraid and she needed my help. But I couldn't trust her. I didn't believe her. She's different now."

Dwight chewed his nails, deep in thought. "I guess it could be a trick…"

"It's probably not a trick," Jake finally spoke up. "Have you ever heard a killer plead with you for help? If Mara cried to you, Meg, it's probably true that she never wanted to be a killer in the first place. But how could we possibly help her? What could we even do?"

Each survivor shook their heads in thought.

"There's nothing we can do," Meg spoke surely. "I say we forget about her. Leave her. She's a killer now and I'm certain we'll all find ourselves knowing that without a shadow of a doubt here before too long."

Jake gritted his teeth and stared at the side of Meg's face angrily. Is that what she wants to do? Just give up on their old friend?

"Is that what you'd like for us to do for you, if you get turned killer?" he asked her coldly.

Meg didn't have a response and simply crossed her arms over herself defensively.

That's what I thought, Jake thought to himself as he shuffled away from the fire and his unmotivated team mates. Anger and worry twinged at his heart, even more than it did the others. How can they just forget about her? How can they forget about all the times their altruistic teammate lost her life in order to save them? How many times had Mara taken the last hit and lost the match so all three of her teammates could survive? That was something he just couldn't forget.

And then, those times when it had just been him and her. He always loved working next to her. If he ever found himself on a generator next to Mara, he found his mind awhirl with fantasies of talking to her in a private conversation anywhere they could be alone, like two regular people. Considering the close quarters of the survivors, they never got much alone time, and so he never managed to have a conversation with only her. He cursed himself now for not trying any harder than he had. This loss was hitting him hard. It was as if he had lost a lover, even though she had never been made aware of his feelings. Images of her flashed within his memory. The dark hair, her soft smile. How she'd always offer help. One time she'd seen him bleeding profusely and attempting to escape the chase of the killer behind a rock. She'd thrown down her expensive medkit a few feet away from him, and jumped right in front of the Doctor, hardly dodging that long metal rod that was always threatening their lives. He thought back on that instance now, smiling to himself appreciatively and admiring her bravery.

But that smile faded when he remembered her now. He had seen her in that last match, and he did not like what he saw. He was mortified by the dark hand-shaped bruises that wrapped around her neck. The slits and slices that now adorned her arms and part of her tattered shirt. She really did look like a killer now, but he could still see the Mara inside.

And Michael. How he hated that fucker for doing this to her. He could imagine himself taking that butcher knife and slamming it down into the monster's throat, giving him what he deserved. But he knew this was a fantasy he would never get to experience.

He settled down, head in his hands, and breathed a deep sigh. His favorite team mate taken from him. He wanted her back.

oooo

Meg's feet crunched quietly along in the grass surrounding Lampkin lane. Her mind was mostly empty, her body carrying out its actions by muscle memory instead of being driven by active thought.

Her fingers fumbled about the insides of a generator that began huffing and turning by the energy she was putting into it. It slowly clunked to life, its pistons raising and lowering like lungs taking short, rapid breaths.

Before long, a chill ran up her spine and she could sense something approaching, although she could not hear it.

Within moments after she decided to ignore that feeling, she was yanked backward by a force strong enough to rip her from the generator and onto the ground. She screamed aloud and glanced up at the pale, washed out face that glared down at her.

It was Mara.

Her dark hair laid out in angry wisps about her face. Eyes that used to be blue had turned a fearsome orange/red that glowed with anger. She had deep, dark bruises formed around her neck which she had been told came from Michael's murderous hands as he strangled her. She shuddered inwardly at the thought, imagining Mara's frail body being mangled by that monster. Then she gasped in fear as those wide eyes penetrated her soul in the way that killers' sometimes do. She attempted to wriggle free of the grasp but Mara's was too strong. Mara looked down into her eyes with a deep, burning hatred that Meg could feel.

"This is what happens when you betray your friends, you filthy cocksucker," she sneered. Then Mara easily hoisted her upward onto her shoulder and carried her off to the distance. As the hook approached, Meg considered idly whether or not Mara would actually hook her. She was surprised when Mara deftly threw her up onto the hook, giving her a sinister smile before running off to search for the next person.

Meg looked around, surprisingly calm for the situation. This was nothing new, after all. Just a new killer. But she was interested to see the way this turn of events had changed her friend. Last time she was in the trial with Mara, she did not have those same glowing eyes, or the same rage that seemed to be burning within her now. It was a strong rage that was very reminiscent of Myers'. It shook her to the core; although it didn't initially scare her, it did make her skin crawl knowing she was at the top of Mara's brand new kill list. What did she mean by betray, anyway? Wasn't it Mara who betrayed them when she crossed over to the killer's side?

Meg was broken from her reverie when Jake ran up to her, lifting her off the hook. They both sprinted away quickly and were relieved to see the woman chasing someone else near the other side of the map. And so, they crouched down at the killer's shack, Jake taking the time to wrap up Meg's wounds.

"Jake," Meg began somewhat cautiously. "Do you think I'm in the wrong for hating Mara now? For not wanting to help her?"

Her eyes glanced up nervously to Jake's. He wasn't looking at her, but was looking at the work he was making with his hands. "Yes," he said sternly.

The words of others had never perturbed Meg in the past. But for some reason, Jake's icy yes made her stomach drop. She didn't like to be in the wrong, but when she was actually caught up on the wrong side, she didn't tend to care. Until this time.

"Why?" she responded back to the man.

"Well, Meg," he sighed as he finished healing her and gestured for her to walk with him tentatively from the killer shack. "I think it's wrong because Mara loved you. As a friend. She looked after you and helped you just like she did all of us. And how do you repay her? You call her a bitch and leave her to be alone with some monster, just after she literally begged you to help her. As a killer." He paused a moment to look over at the girl who wore a face of guilt as she walked next to him. "Didn't it mean anything to you that she was actually crying in your face?" His eyebrows knotted together and his mouth drew up into an expression of disgust. "And all you did was attack her. Leave her to face Michael on her own. You know, we survivors know we're going to wake back up next to a warm, cozy campfire after every trial. We have time to regroup with our friends, crack jokes and talk about things. But we don't know what the killers experience out there. She could be being tortured for all we know. She's living with a shit ton of monsters for fuck's sake! Now think about Mara and how much she always cared about you. How she cheered you up when you were down. How many times she took hits for you. Died for you. And tell me if you think she really deserves that, Meg."

Meg looked down in defeat as Jake's cold words throttled her insides. She always knew him to be a soft spoken man who would put his foot down when needed. But she never imagined words like these to be directed at her. She glanced up to see Jake stalking off in another direction. He shook his head slightly and she knew he was just replaying that conversation in his head, too upset to speak to her anymore. And she continued to feel badly still. He was right. She had been a complete bitch to a woman who didn't deserve it. But within Meg's heart, as she remembered her old friend Mara, she simply could not bring herself to terms with believing that woman was still in there somewhere. She wasn't. Couldn't be. That woman was just gone. Jake needs to see that.

Meg trotted up to a generator to see Jake and David just getting it started. Quietly she settled down between them, her hands moving this way and that about the chilly parts and conduits. She sighed deeply before glancing at Jake and continuing their conversation from before, paying no mind to the fact that David was there to hear it now.

"Jake, I need you to understand something," she began. "This whole thing with Mara getting turned into a killer has never happened before. None of us have experienced this and no one really knows what the hell is going on. I need you to understand that I do not believe that the real Mara is left inside that dead body." She saw Jake's expression fall slightly at the notion. "I think she's now a full blown killer. I don't think there's anything we can do about that. So please don't hate me for the way I feel and how I treated her. I treated her like the killer she is."

Jake's expression was set in one of frustration. You're just a selfish little girl, he thought to himself. He resolved to say nothing, gritting his teeth tightly and fixing his eyes upon the metallic pieces in his hands.

David spoke up over the sounds of the generator that seemed to be about halfway done now. "I've got an idea." Jake and Meg glanced up at him with surprised looks on their faces. "Wanna see if we can turn her back to survivor? I mean, why not? What do we have to lose?"

He looked between his teammates' faces. Meg, looking as if she had just been chosen for an awful job she wouldn't want to do. And Jake, wearing an expression of excitement and hope. He was renewed by the fact that another survivor had hope in bringing her back.

"Yes!" Jake responded, raising his voice to be heard over the generator. "I was thinking the same thing!"

The generator burst to life between them and Meg jumped up and sprinted away. To hell with her, Jake thought to himself as she trotted off. David still stood next to him and was looking at him with eyes that held a deep understanding.

"I hated to see her change too," he said, reaching out a hand to Jake's shoulder. "She's a good lady. We can't just let her turn into a monster."

ooooo

Meg's feet carried her swiftly along through the dreary atmosphere of this map. Only two generators to go, and she had been the only one hooked so far, although she had seen a bleeding Nea trampling along earlier. She was feeling quite confident knowing that Mara didn't quite know how to pressure the survivors yet, and she took some extra time to cleanse totems and search chests. Finally she found a map and made her way to one of the remaining generators.

That is, until her skin began to prickle and that familiar chill ran up her spine.

Mara was coming.

She jumped into action, having never been one to sneak behind rocks or barrels. She liked to run, and she ran well. So she took off through the landscape and glanced over her shoulder to see that the woman was indeed chasing her.

Damn, she's fast! Meg thought to herself as she vaulted herself through a window, and screamed aloud as a short blade slashed across her back. She sprinted forward even more quickly for a few seconds, hiding behind a large rock and attempting to patch herself up quickly before Mara realized where she went. But Mara's tracking abilities were strong and the woman came around the other side of the rock before Meg even had a chance to stop the bleeding. She sprinted forward again but was too late, and came crashing to the ground as the blade slashed her body once again.

ooooo

The plan had been made quickly and easily, without much discussion. The two men had sat in the corner of the map, taking only a few minutes to discuss their plans.

"We don't know just how strong she is," Jake noted, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and worry.

"That's right," David replied. "But we do know that she's brand new. Probably doesn't even know her true powers yet and might not even know how to use the basic ones. I'm betting that all she knows to do right now is to cut people and pick them up."

"I hope you're right…" Jake said, looking out past David's shoulder to see the woman chasing through an open area in the distance. "Look, she's just about to get Meg. Alright, who gets the arms and who gets the legs?"

David glanced back over his shoulder as well before returning his attention to Jake. "Women are stronger in the legs, so I think I should get her legs." A look flashed over Jake's face and David stuttered. "I mean, uh, no offense or anything, it's just, uh…"

Jake laughed casually when David's cheeks burned slightly red. "No problem, man. That's a good idea, you're definitely a beefy guy.

David chuckled softly at Jake's remark before they both stood and made their way to the ensuing chase taking place a few meters away from them.

"Now!" Jake hissed and jumped out from behind a tree. Flashlight in hand, he switched it on and shone it brightly in Mara's eyes. Caught off guard, she hissed through her blindness and dropped Meg to the ground in an attempt to shield her eyes. Meg ran off to the side, silently thanking Jake for saving her.

Then, David jumped out from behind the same rock and took off toward Mara, Jake not too far behind him.

The two sprinted up to the woman quickly. Sorry sweetheart! David thought to himself as he tore toward her, jumping off his feet and lunging at her. His arms wrapped around her waist and the two flew to the ground. Mara gasped as the wind was knocked out of her, her vision still recovering from the strong beam of the flashlight. She attempted to scramble back up to her feet but David's arms were wrapped tightly around her legs. She used her hands in an attempt to wrestle him off her, but he was too strong. She slashed forward as her eyes were regaining vision, but her arms only flailed for a moment before they were caught within yet another grasp and drawn back behind her.

"Meg!" she heard a man yell. "Get the fuck over here and help us!"

David looked up and his eyes met the killer's. An intense fear and dread suddenly began taking over his heart as she glared down at him intimidatingly. Never before had the gaze of someone touched him so deep within himself. He looked away quickly having been made severely uncomfortable by the feeling of her probing gaze that made the hairs at the back of his neck stand up straight.

This is where their plan ended. Neither had any ideas as to what they would do now… they had just hoped something good would happen.

Meg sauntered up to the trio and gazed down amusedly at the scene before her. She nearly laughed aloud and wished she could somehow take a picture of the instance; David wrapping himself fearfully around the killer's legs, Jake appearing just as frightened and desperate as he clasped her arms together behind her.

All amusement left her face when she finally got close enough and that permeating feeling of a nearby killer erupted within her, and she fought against that strong fight-or-flight response that always kicks in. She settled down next to the three, narrowly avoiding Mara's bloodthirsty gaze. "What the hell do you guys want me to do?"

ooo

Bleary darkness. Ominous, demonic voices floating about here and there. A deep feeling of innate, primal maliciousness hanging in the air. All of these things surrounding Michael as he rested silently within the Entity's realm.

Until a new feeling erupted deep within him. And odd feeling, one he hadn't experienced before.

Something was wrong. He could feel it.

That hook within him. Shivering. Building up inertia as it spun back and forth worryingly. Never before had he felt anxiety, but now he understood what it was. Something's wrong. Very wrong.

A vision flashed over his eyes.

Mara, on the ground. On her back. Glowing eyes gazing sleepily up at the sky. Her arms pinned above her head. Legs pinned to the ground.

Then her mouth opens and a weak sigh escapes her lips. Color flashes through her eyes; that blue attempting to break its way through.

He realized what was happening. The reverie crashed around him like an old building crumbling to the ground. Fury bubbled up within him.

Get your hands off her.