Lucky and Lance were walking along the coast.
"So, I don't understand. What'd you need me out here for, exactly?" Lucky asked, "Couldn't we have just spoken back at camp?"
"I just thought we'd get some alone time," Lance said flatly, "you know, man to man."
"Uh, sure," Lucky murmured, eyeing him suspiciously, "whatever you say. Something you wanted to talk about?"
Lance had no emotion on his face, and walked in an almost... Mechanical fashion. Always kept the same pace and movements.
"Something wro-" Lucky began, before being cut off.
"I'm not perfect, Lucky, but I try," Lance said, in a voice that was almost disturbingly monotone, "I try. You know what I had to deal with before I got here? A family that treated me like garbage because they didnt understand me. I don't blame them- how could they? They can't. No one can. No one has ever seen anyone as great as me- as great as I'm going to be."
"Lance," Lucky frowned, "what the FUCK are you talking about?"
"But sometimes the greatest people have to play a little dirty now and then," Lance said, more to himself than anyone, "that's something people refuse to accept. It doesn't matter how much good you do, the first time you slip up is what everyone remembers. Why can't you understand that?"
"Look, Lance," Lucky said, taking a step forward, "whatever you did cant be that bad-"
"Oh, shut your mouth!" Lance shouted, "what do you know about morality? You and your goddamn father? Huh?"
"... The hell did you just say to me?" Lucky demanded.
Lance didnt respond.
"No, I'm serious," Lucky growled, "what did you just-"
There was screaming in the distance, and Lucky spun around to face the other direction. At first he saw nothing, but then he made out the growing cloud of smoke in the wilds.
"Oh, shit!" Lucky exclaimed, rushing back to camp.
Lance stood on the beach, staring at the ground. He had followed through with his part of the plan, and he was glad Eva and Vevo had gone through with theirs. Just before the elimination ceremony, Eva had been able to swipe the watch Lucky always wore right off of his wrist. She was going to drop it in the wilds right where she had set the fire- Lance had merely been instructed to make sure Lucky was away from camp long enough to make their story credible.
Lance turned, and made his way to the edge of the wilds, where he merely watched as the flames engulfed everything in their path.
~o.0.o~
Upon his arrival back at camp, Lucky was greeted by the site of the other competitors running frantically.
"Hey, where were you?" Johnny asked, running up to Lucky.
"I was talking with Lance- where's Sunny? Is she okay?" Lucky panted.
"Fine," Johnny nodded, "she went with a few others to go get Chris. The rest of us have been getting everything out of the cabins in case the fire heads this way."
"Good, okay," Lucky nodded, "I'll help you guys until Chris calls for help."
~o.0.o~
Sunny, Miri, Courtney and Geoff stood outside Chris' lodge, pounding on the door.
"Chris!" Geoff called, "there's a fire! You have to call for help!"
Chris, however, was too busy dancing to the tune of "Young Turks" in his underwear to actually hear the pleas for help.
"Agh! He isn't coming!" Geoff exclaimed.
"Then lets get back to camp! Maybe we can put out the fire ourselves!" Courtney suggested.
The four rushed back to the cabins, where everyone had just about finished getting everything out of the cabins. The fire still seemed far off, so that was good- maybe it wouldn't reach the cabins after all.
"Is everyone okay?" Courtney asked.
"Fine, yeah," Duncan nodded, "everyone is going to go wait down by the water. Did Chris-
Geoff shook his head.
"Of course. Why am I not surprised?" Duncan groaned.
"Look, maybe someone will see the smoke and come to help," Courtney smiled.
"I hope you're right," Duncan sighed, "until then, lets get to safety."
The fourteen campers lined up along the beach, watching the flames draw closer and closer. Eva and Vevo looked to each other, nodded, and then approached Lucky.
"THERE you are, you son of a bitch!" Eva exclaimed, giving lucky a rough shove backward.
"Woah, woah!" Lucky exclaimed, "what the hell?"
"Eva, what are you doing?" Sunny demanded.
"What am I doing?" Eva scoffed, "What was HE doing, is more like it! I saw him in the wilds right before the fire started!"
Most of the competitors were now watching the argument, looking from Lucky to Eva.
"What are you talking about?"Lucky demanded, "I was with Lance the whole time-"
"No he wasnt," Lance said, taking a step forward, "we haven't talked in days."
Lucky looked over at Lance. What the hell was going on here?
"Okay, so lets entertain the notion he WAS in the wilds," Sunny gulped, "so what? That doesn't mean anything."
"Oh yeah?" Eva challenged, "Then why would he try to lie about it and say he was with Lance?"
"I wasnt- Lance, come on," Lucky pleaded, "will you just tell them?"
"No way," Lance said, shaking his head, "we might have been friends, but I'm not going to cover for you on something this big."
"You son of a-" Lucky growled, stepping forward.
"Woah, hey, relax!" Johnny intervened, "Just calm down, okay? We need to sort this out rationally."
"There's nothing to sort out," Eva insisted, "Lucky set that fire."
A few campers gasped. All eyes were now on Lucky, who was still glaring down Lance.
"This is ridiculous," Sunny scoffed, "you really expect anyone to believe that?"
"Yeah, come on," Quinn agreed, "this is getting ridiculous. If anyone set it, it would have been Chris himself."
"And you aren't exactly the most trustworthy yourself, Eva," Cody pointed out.
"But I am," Lance said, "come on, you guys know me, and I'm saying Lucky's story is bullshit. How about this- once the fire dies down, we go look for clues?"
"Alright, fine," Lucky nodded, "you've got a deal."
~o.0.o~
Chris was about to go to bed when he heard the sound of helicopters flying overhead.
"What in the-" Chris muttered.
The host stepped out of his cabin, and watched as helicopters flew overhead, apparently battling a wildfire. Chris saw a LARGE crowd on the beach, and quickly rushed over to it.
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" Chris demanded.
"A fire!" Courtney exclaimed, "we tried to get you, but you weren't paying any attention! Eventually a sailor saw the smoke and called for help!"
"Oh," Chris frowned, "well, um, okay."
"...okay?" Courtney asked, "there was a fire and all you have to say is 'okay'?"
"Exactly, there WAS a fire," Chris nodded, "but now there isn't. So it's not my problem."
"Are you serious? Chris, someone could have been hurt!" Courtney exclaimed.
"I know," Chris laughed, "and that makes me happy. Well, why don't you guys get some rest? Only two days before your next challenge!"
Courtney opened her mouth and angrily too a step forward, but Geoff put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
"Just leave it," he shrugged, "it'd just be a waste of time."
"I guess so," Courtney agreed, "it's just... Is Chris really that heartless?"
"Where have you BEEN the past four seasons?" Cody asked.
"Hey, guys," Lance snapped, "come on. We've got an investigation, remember?"
"Right," Courtney nodded, "lets go."
~o.0.o~
The campers headed towards the area where the fire had seemed to originate from.
"Oh no," Johnny groaned, "this is where I was getting most of our food!"
"Okay, everyone spread out and see what you can find," Lance instructed, "except you, Lucky. You stay with me, that way you can't tamper anything."
"Fuck you," came the response.
The contestants spread out, and began to sift through the ashes.
"Hey," Courtney called, holding up Lucky's watch, "I found something!"
"Hey, isn't that your watch?" Geoff asked.
"Yeah," Lucky nodded, "how the hell did-"
Then it dawned on him.
"You son of a bitch," Lucky growled, "you set me up."
"Oh yeah, blame it on Lance," Vevo snapped, "I'm on to you, you-"
"Now hold on a second," Johnny interjected, "this does seem weird- you mean to tell me Lucky just HAPPENED to drop this where the fire started?"
"He wouldn't be that sloppy," Quinn nodded, "I don't think anyone would."
"Yeah," Cody agreed, "I don't know. It seems a little convenient."
"Oh, what, so you're calling me a liar now?" Eva challenged.
"...yes," Cody nodded, "yes I am."
"Like I said," Lance interrupted, "I'm not a liar. You can trust me. What do I have to gain by framing Lucky for something like this?"
"He has a point," Courtney said, a bit timidly, "besides, the evidence does point to Lucky."
DJ sheepishly nodded in agreement.
"Whatever," Lucky muttered, "you believe what you want. I'm going back to camp."
Lucky turned, and walked out of the wilds, leaving the rest of the contestants to talk amongst themselves. Only Sunny, Johnny an Quinn followed him.
"Lucky, listen," Sunny said, "I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I'm still with you."
"Yeah," Johnny nodded in agreement, "look, I ain't gonna start flinging accusations around... But I'd think twice before you trust Lance again."
"Look, they might sugarcoat it, but I won't," Quinn frowned, "that asshole double crossed you. We need to get the drop on that fucker before he can get you eliminated."
"Quinn, for the love of-" Sunny sighed.
"No," Lucky muttered, "she's right. Lance knifed me in the back... I trusted him, too. He was my fr..."
Lucky angrily shook his head.
"I need to make a move," Lucky said, "get him before he gets me."
"Don't forget about Eva," Johnny warned, "I reckon she may have had something to do with it, too. But like I said- better to play it safe."
"For now," Quinn added.
"Look, I'm going to get some rest," Lucky muttered, "something tells me I'll need it."
~o.0.o~
Days passed, and tensions rose at the camp- Vevo and Eva saw to that personally. While most of the campers had taken sides, a few- Duncan, Gwen and Geoff, for example- decided to just stay neutral. Of course, no one was quicker to pick up on the rising tempers than Chris, who gleefully took advantage of the situation.
"Okay contestants," Chris announced over the intercom, "meet me over where the forest fire started! It's time for your next challenge!"
Once the contestants arrived, they discovered that the debris in the area had been cleared away, and in it's place was a large pit surrounded by weapon racks, caged animals, and a few spectator booths.
"Welcome," Chris announced, "to our new arena! Thanks to whoever burned the area down, by the way- it gave me much more room to create this masterpiece!"
"Masterpiece?" Eva scoffed, "it's just a hole in the ground!"
"Oh really?" Chris frowned, care to stand in the center, then?"
Eva rolled her eyes, and did as was told.
"Okay, fine," she said, "I'm here. Now WHAAAAAAAAAAA-"
Eva was launched into the air by a hidden spring trap in the ground.
"As I was saying, masterpiece,"Chris smirked, "you'll just have to discover the other traps for yourself. Now, since there's so much tension around camp, I decided to bring back the gladiatorial challenge, but with a few new twists! So here's how this will work. Each round, someone from each team will be selected to battle, with the loser being eliminated. This process will continue until all the members of one team had been eliminated. The losing team WILL vote someone off tonight. The rest of you will enjoy immunity. Now, since the teams are a bit uneven, I'm going to shake things up a bit. There are going to be quite a few changes, so I'll just read out the new team listings. In the Legion we have Lucky, Lance, Vevo, DJ, Courtney, Sunny and Quinn. That leaves Duncan, Cody, Johnny, Geoff, Miri, Gwen and Eva on the Ronin."
The campers took a moment to adjust themselves according to their new teams.
"Well?" Quinn asked, "Who's up first, then?"
"Glad you asked," Chris smiled, "first up are Lance and Cody! The two of you have five minutes to look through the gear I've made available. Ready or not, once those five minutes are up, it's time to fight!"Lance and Cody nodded, and rushed over to the gear Chris laid out. There were a few weapon racks, and an assorted pile of junk.
Lance grabbed a spear, while Cody grabbed a few smaller items.
"Pfft, that all?" Lance smirked, "You'll need to do better than that to beat me."
"Okay, here's how this works," Chris announced, "you can win the match by knocking out or otherwise incapacitating your opponent. You can also knock them out of the ring, or pin them. Now, you ready? FIGHT!"
Lance charged at Cody, swinging his spear violently. Cody managed to sidestep, and then threw some caltrops on the ground in front of Lance. Lance stepped on them, and jumped a bit, now struggling to get a good footing. By the time he managed to do so, however, Cody managed to use his next weapon- a set of bolas. The bolas wrapped around Lance's legs, causing him to fall to the ground. Cody rushed over while lance was down, and managed to pin him.
"And Cody wins one for the Ronin!" Chris announced, "Good work, Codester!"
While Cody was congratulated by his team, Lance slunk away back to the Legion, a look of fury on his face."Next up, Sunny versus Miri!" Chris announced.
The two girls rushed towards the gear, and began to search around. Miri, interestingly enough, began searching through the junk pile. Once the time was up, the two took their places in the arena.
"Um, still friends after this, right?" Miri asked.
"Yeah, of course!" Sunny smiled.
"BEGIN!" Chris shouted.
Sunny took a step towards Miri, who dropped something on the ground behind her. Sunny took a step forward, and Miri reached her foot back, and kicked the object towards Sunny. The object struck Sunny on the leg. Before she could do anything, the object released a volt of electricity, stunning her. Sunny let out a moan, and fell to the ground.
"Miri," Chris frowned, "I have no idea what that was, but you score another point for the Ronin!"
"Just a minor rearrangement of the fusion singularit-" Miri began.
"Yeah yeah, very nice, egghead," Chris interrupted, "our next fight is Vevo and Johnny!"
"About time," Vevo smirked, "time for some pay back, Johnny boy."
"Shoulda seen this comin," Johnny sighed to himself, "alright then. Lets do this. No weapons. Just you and me."
"Alright," Vevo shrugged, "whatever you say, hick."
The two stepped into the arena, and Chris gave the signal to start.
The two met in the center of the pit, and grabbed a hold of one another. Vevo kneed Johnny in the stomach, winding him, and gave him a rough shove backward. Vevo leapt forward and swung his fist, but Johnny managed to step out of the way. When Vevo swung his arm again, Johnny grabbed ahold of it, and brought Vevo to the ground. Johnny gave him a quick boot to the back, and Vevo fell forward. Vevo quickly got to his feet, and lunged forward, tackling Johnny to the ground. He managed to get a few punches in before Johnny kicked him off. Once the two were both upright again, Johnny sent an uppercut into Vevo's jaw, knocking him out cold.
"JOHNNY WINS IT FOR THE RONIN! You guys are on a roll today," Chris announced, "the Legion may have a tough time coming back! Next up, Quinn and Eva!"
Quinn and Eva selected their weapons: a flail and a can of bear mace, respectively.
Once Chris gave the signal, Eva smirked.
"Good luck trying to get me," she grinned, "come any closer and you'll get maced!"
What Eva forgot, however, is that a flail has a good bit of reach. Quinn swung her weapon, narrowly missing Eva, who managed to duck at the last second. Eva growled, and sprayed the mace at Quinn. Although she didnt take the majority of the spray, Quinn still had a hard time seeing and breathing. As a result, she resorted to swinging wildly- a tactic which worked to her advantage, as Eva soon lay on the ground unconscious.
"And the Legion scores their first point! Next up, Geoff and Lucky!"
The next fight was a bit more interesting. The two eventually found themselves trapped in a stalemate, exchanging blows frequently, but neither being able to gain a definite edge. Amused, but losing patience, Chris finally decide to release one of the animals that had been waiting alongside the ring- a lion.
The beast chased the two competitors around for some time, before it managed to get ahold of Geoff.
"Uncle!" Geoff cried, "Uncle! Just get this thing offa me!"
"You heard him," Chris said to a nearby intern.
Fortunately for Geoff, the lion was sedated before it could do any real damage- and the Legion scored their second point.
The match after that was much less interesting. It was between Gwen and Courtney- the two struggled for a bit, though neither were terribly eager to fight. Courtney, however, had the misfortune of setting off one of Chris' floor traps, and was launched far out of the arena.
That left the final battle of the round to DJ and Duncan. As DJ wasn't much of a fighter, Duncan was easily able to secure victory for his team.
"Well, round one is over," Chris announced, "and it isn't looking good for the Legion! With only two members left, is it possible for them to pull out a win at this point?"
"Are you joking? Of course it isn't," Vevo groaned.
"Maybe not," Chris agreed, "but still, we need to build up the atmosphere of tension! Well, lets wrap this up- Lucky and Johnny, time to throw down!"
The two boys nodded, and got into position.
"And... GO!"
"Sorry baby," Lucky said, "just business. Nothing personal."
Johnny nodded, and took a step forward. Lucky sent out a quick jab, which Johnny countered with a side-step and a quick punch to the ribs. The two exchanged a few punches, and then stepped back to catch their breath.
CONFESSIONAL: Lucky
You know, Johnny always said he wasn't a violent kinda guy- but someone taught him how to fight, and fight well. Normally I'd play a bit dirty by now, but... I respect him a little too much.
END CONFESSIONAL
The fight continued on for a few minutes, until Lucky made the mistake of walking into a right hook. The next thing he knew, he was collecting himself off the ground, and Chris had announced Johnny the winner.
"Shit," Lucky groaned, "you sure don't pull your punches."
Johnny helped Lucky off the ground, and the two shook hands.
"Sorry," Johnny shrugged, "I got a bit carried away there."
"It's fine," Lucky said, "just remind me not to get on your bad side."
"It looks like Quinn is the only member of the Legion left," Chris smiled.
"Fine," Quinn growled, "I'll take all you ALL!"
Quinn grabbed a whip, and jumped down into the arena.
"Well?" She demanded, "who first?"
"Hmmm... How about... Miri?" Chris asked.
Miri gulped, and stepped into the ring, her device in hand.
"And... GO!"
"I'm gonna enjoy this," Quinn smirked, stepping forward.
Miri raised her device, but Quinn used the whip to smack it out of her hand.
A look of fear on her face, Miri began to back away.
Quinn, however, had an idea. Instead of finishing her there, she turned, as used the whip to yank open the door to a nearby cage- a cage that housed an angry looking bear.
"Looks like things are getting interesting!" Chris smiled, "Quinn, you're my new favorite!"
The bear let out a roar, and slowly made its way down to the arena. Miri watched in horror as the bear approached her, growling angrily. The redhead closed her eyes tight, then slowly curled into the fetal position. The bear sniffed her for a second, then turned away, interest seemingly lost.
"WHAT?" Quinn demanded, "How-"
The bear was startled by the noise, and angrily turned on Quinn, who fell silent.
The bear took a step forward, and Quinn sighed.
"Yeah, that figures," she muttered.
Quinn turned tail and ran, the bear following behind.
"Funny," Sunny chuckled.
"Congratulations, Miri!" Chris announced, "you earned the last point needed for the Ronin to win-"
"Hey, wait a second," Duncan frowned, "you never actually mentioned points being a part of anything when the challenge started. I mean, I know all the Legion lost, but why add-"
"Because fuck consistency, that's why!" Chris shouted, now shut your goddamn yap! Legion, it's time for you to send someone home. You have an hour to talk amongst yourselves!"
~o.0.o~
Back at camp, Lance was talking with Courtney and DJ.
"All the evidence points to him," Lance said, "you know it's the right-"
"So, this is what it's come to," Lucky frowned, walking out from behind a corner, "you're dead set on getting rid of me, huh?"
"Of course I am, after what you did!" Lance snapped.
"When's the last time you took your meds?" Lucky asked.
"...fuck you, man-"
"Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought," Lucky nodded, "look, I don't know what happened, but it isn't too late. Let me help y-"
"I don't NEED help!" Lance shouted, giving Lucky a rough shove back, "All you ever do is patronize me and treat me like some kind of a freak! Fuck you, man, fuck you! Who the hell do you think you are? You think I forgot what you told me? How you used help dear old daddy in all those trade offs?"
Several of the campers were now gathered around, watching the exchange.
"Lance," Lucky said through clenched teeth, "shut up."
"What? You rather I talk about something else? Like how you let him die-"
"I said shut the fuck UP, Lance!" Lucky snapped, pushing Lance roughly, "I trusted you, you crazy son of a-"
Lucky was interrupted when a fist suddenly slammed into the side of his face.
Lucky dropped to his knees, holding on to his jaw- the taste of blood in his mouth. Lance let out a roar, and kicked Lucky in the ribs, sending him to the ground. Lance delivered several more kicks, quick but deliberate.
Once Lance stopped, Lucky tried to get to his feet.
"Yeah, that's right," Lance panted, "best watch your mou-"
Pumping with adrenaline, Lucky charged into Lance, slamming him down on his back. When Lance tried to push Lucky off, however, Lucky responded with a punch to the face. And then another. And another. And another, and another, and another, and another-
The other campers watched in silence as Lucky continued his barrage of punches. Sunny had a hand to her mouth, Johnny was slowly shaking his head, and Quinn had a smirk of approval on her face.
At last, Johnny stepped forward, and put a hand on Lucky's shoulder.
"Lucky."
Lucky froze, fist in midair. He slowly shook his head, and got to his feet.
He examined Lance on the ground- his face was bruised and swollen, yet he still looks as violent and angry as ever. Lucky looked at his fists, which were badly bruised. He didn't need a mirror to realize the rest of his injuries- his face, shoulder and stomach all ached a great deal.
"God DAMN IT!" Lucky shouted, violently kicking the ground.
Lucky stood there, panting, before turning and walking towards the coast.
"Hey!" Lance shouted, "Hey... Hey you get back here! That all you got, you fucking coward? You ain't shit! You just... You just gonna walk away? Hey... HEY!"
Lucky kept walking, Johnny following behind.
"Hope you're happy, Chris," Gwen murmured.
~o.0.o~
It was time for elimination, and the seven losing competitors were gathered around, waiting for Chris to pass out marshmallows.
"Okay, wow," Chris smiled, "I don't even have to make the drama myself anymore! Best. Season. Ever!"
Lucky and Lance, who were both beaten and bruised, glared at each other. It was clear one of them was going home tonight.
"We'll, I could stand here yapping all night, but I'm sure you'd rather know how this all turns out- I know I do! So, first marshmallow goes to...
Sunny.
Quinn.
Vevo.
DJ.
Courtney.
Lucky and Lance... Woo. Well, I have to admit this one shocked me a bit. Last marshmallow goes to...
CONFESSIONAL: Courtney
Well... The evidence does point to him.
CONFESSIONAL: DJ
Well, everyone's saying lucky started the fire! He's gotta go, right?... Right?
END CONFESSIONALS
"The final marshmallow goes to Lance!"
Lance caught his marshmallow, and smirked.
"Later," he chuckled, exchanging a high five with Vevo.
Lucky nodded.
"Yeah, I guess that figures," he muttered.
"Yup," Chris agreed, "now get the hell out-"
"Just one issue," Lucky said, reaching under his seat.
Within seconds, Lucky was holding one of Chris' treasure chests.
"I'm cashing this in for immunity," Lucky smirked.
"Yes!" Sunny exclaimed.
CONFESSIONAL:Lucky
yeah, I was the one who nabbed the chest the Legion won. It seemed like kind of a fink move, sure, but it seems justified now, don't it?
END CONFESSIONAL
"No- no no no!" Lance shouted, "He can't-"
"He can, and he did," Chris chuckled, "looks like you're the one going home, Lance!"
"Vevo, back me up here!" Lance pleaded, "You and Eva still have a chest of your own!"
"Sorry," Vevo shrugged, "can't risk it."
"Son of a bitch!" Lance exclaimed, "I did everything you asked me to, you snake! I helped you and Eva set that fire!"
"Wait," Courtney gasped, "that was-"
"A lie!" Vevo exclaimed, "A big fat lie!"
The other competitors were now glaring angrily at Vevo.
"Yeah, it was him alright," Lance said again, "damn snake!"
"That was why you lured me away," Lucky growled, "so they could set the fire while you pinned it on me!"
"We'll, the thing is," Vevo gulped, "ummmm... Gotta run!"
With that, Vevo took off running towards the camp.
At this point, Chris was wiping tears from his eyes.
"You guys are gonna make me so rich," he smiled, "well done, all of you! Well done!"
"I hope you all break your necks!" Lance shouted as he headed towards the boat, "to hell with all of you!"
The campers watched as Lance was brought away from the island, screaming still audible.
"Well," Quinn frowned, "that's all, folks."
~o.0.o~
It was late at night, and Lucky was sitting on the beach, alone.
"Hey," Sunny greeted, coming up from behind him. She took a seat next to him, although they both remained quiet for some time.
"I'm... I'm so sorry about today," she said after a while.
"That fink... I trusted him," Lucky murmured, "he was my friend, I-... Maybe Quinn was right."
Sunny winced a little. This certainly wasn't something she hoped to hear.
"You pulled through," Sunny told him, "and you still have Johnny and I. That counts for something, right?"
Lucky said nothing.
"I'm sorry," Sunny said again.
"I can't believe he said all that stuff about my dad," Lucky muttered.
"Listen... You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"I guess not. It's just... When I was kid, from eight on or so, my dad... He had me help out with work. He was a bad, bad person Sunny. He did terrible things. I didn't figure most of that out until later- he had me keep watch for him, keep an eye out for clients and the law. That sort of thing," Lucky explained, "stupid kid I was, I went along with it. Fuck, he would get drunk and beat me senseless, but I'd still go along with it."
"You couldn't have known," Sunny told him, "you were young-"
"How long can I keep justifying it with that?" Lucky demanded, "I- fuck."
Lucky rubbed his jaw for a bit before continuing.
"And when I was thirteen, there was a fire," Lucky said, "my dad was trapped inside, upstairs. I was more scared than I'd ever been. He kept calling for me to help, calling for me to... I ran, Sunny. I panicked and ran."
"Lucky, I-"
"But it wasnt just fear," Lucky choked out, "even... Even at that age... Part of me... Jesus Christ, part of me thought he deserved it."
Lucky rubbed his eyes, and began to claw away at the sand.
"I bounced around in orphanages for a while after that. Eventually my aunt picked me up, and moved me down to live with her in the south," Lucky finished, "I just... I don't know. I've never really had friends before, Sunny, and Lance... I thought I could trust him. I thought I could-"
Sunny wrapped an arm around Lucky, and pulled him into a hug.
"Shh, it'll be okay," she told him, "you just... You need to take things one day at a time. Lance might be gone, but I'm here with you, okay? Never forget that."
Lucky nodded slowly, and looked into Sunny's eyes. She offered a warm smile.
"Come on. Lets get back to camp," she said.
Lucky nodded, and the two got to their feet.
"Thanks, Sunny," Lucky said, "for... Everything."
Sunny nodded, and opened her mouth to say something, but instead she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, causing both to blush immensely. After a while, Lucky managed a smile, and the two walked back to camp hand in hand.
They were too busy, however, to notice Him.
Standing off in the distance, watching them, a grin on his face- a grin concealed by the bunny costume he was wearing.
Of course they didnt see him.
They couldn't.
But he knew one who could.
"Coming, Chris..."