Only 1 month between updates instead of 1 year, what a concept! I think that might be a more reasonable assumption for length between updates. Also I realize that we've spent a long time on this latest plot point, but trust me things are about to get kicked up another gear!
Also big thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I always love when I get a flurry of reviews from new and old readers alike! I hope you all keep enjoying!
WARNING: This story contains scenes of swearing, violence, sexual activity, and character deaths.
Night had fallen and a cool, crisp air whistled about the neighborhood where Sky and her group were staying. There had been some performances at the pavilion from many group members, but Sky hadn't been present for any of it. Instead of having fun, she'd been patrolling the streets and keeping a watchful eye on things. It was less than ideal, obviously, but she trusted herself to keep focused and alert. The same couldn't be said about many of the group members.
Scarlett and Ellody, the two leaders, seemed to depend on her and respect her. She was their chief enforcer, and a confidante when they needed a physical task performed. She'd easily killed the most zombies of anyone in the group; potentially more than everyone else combined. Not that she was counting.
"Still, if zombie killing was an Olympic sport, I'd take the gold." Sky murmured to herself, allowing a thin smile to etch its way onto her face.
In some ways, it was aggravating being responsible for the safety of everyone else. But Sky had always considered herself a team player, and she was able to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of her allies. Sadly, many of them were weak in regard to being able to fight and protect themselves. She couldn't imagine the wizard surviving a single zombie attack. She shuddered to imagine what might befall him and some others if a horde ever broke into their safe haven.
She was just walking near the entrance when she heard some rustling behind her. Instinctively she leveled her pistol in the direction the noise came from. She saw nothing for a moment, and she frowned, electing to call out.
"Who's there?"
"Don't shoot!" A male voice exclaimed as Dave stumbled out of a bush, "It's only me."
Sky let out a sigh of relief and holstered her weapon. Then she raised an eyebrow, "Why were you hiding in a bush?"
"Oh, I, um…" Dave scratched the back of his head, "Just wanted to make sure nothing was lurking in there. All good here."
Sky laughed, "Thanks, I guess."
There was silence for a moment until Dave said, "Mind if I watch with you? I'm not really preoccupied at the moment."
"Sure, I could use some company."
Even in the dark, she saw Dave's face light up with excitement. He joined her side, at first being able to keep pace with her, but eventually starting to become slower and slower. It wasn't terribly long before he was requesting they sit down somewhere and take a break.
"Sorry, my endurance isn't anything exceptional," Dave admitted, looking a little embarrassed, "I'm not like you, Miss Olympian."
"Ha, more like Olympian-in-training,"
"So, an OIT?" Dave asked and she thought about it for a moment.
"Yeah, I suppose you could call it that for short. Like a CIT, just without the…yeah you already got that." Sky's face went red.
Dave seemed to like that, "Don't worry about it, you're really cute when you blush."
Her face grew redder as the pair sat down at a bench along the side of the street. Despite the chilly air, she felt warm. They were sitting very close together, their legs practically touching.
"So, what was life like for you before the dead rose up to kill us all?" Sky asked, swinging her legs a bit.
"Not too exciting if I'm honest," Dave told her, "I'm a bit of a germaphobe and a hypochondriac, so you can imagine I mostly stayed inside."
"This must be even worse for you then," Sky felt sorry for him, "Blood everywhere, diseased people walking around."
"Yeah, I'm trying not to think about it," Dave looked a little queasy.
"Sorry, I'll stop talking about it," she apologized and glanced up at the moon.
Dave noticed what she was looking at, "Full moons sure are pretty, huh?"
"Yeah," Sky sighed, "My boyfriend used to take me to star gaze at night. And the stars were even prettier when the moon was at its brightest."
"Your boyfriend?" Dave looked heartbroken, though Sky didn't seem to notice.
"Yup, we were very close," she sighed again, "But I came here to prepare for the Olympics and he was doing a summer internship abroad. Now I have no idea where he is, or if I'll ever see him again."
"Yeah, that's too bad," Dave said, largely insincerely, "How long do you think you'll wait for him?"
Sky frowned and gave him a look, "That's a rather invasive question."
"Sorry, I just-" Dave was interrupted by the sound of approaching feet.
It was the extremely tall Rodney. Sky was pleased with the distraction and she said, "What is it?"
"Scarlett wants to talk to you," Rodney said, pointing at Sky, "Something about Trent."
"At this hour? I was hoping you were coming to relieve me on watch." Sky jested. Rodney's eyes seemed to light up at her smile. He simply gaped at her.
Sky stood up and brushed her hands against her jeans, "Alright, guess I'd better get going. Dave, you and Rodney can watch together."
With that, Sky took her leave and headed for the largest house in the subdivision where Scarlett and Ellody had made their new home.
As Sky left, Rodney said to Dave, "She sure is beautiful, isn't she?"
"Oh don't start with me," Dave grumbled, pouting on the bench as he was forced to watch the lumbering oaf.
Katie heard shouting and footsteps all around her that should have been louder than they were. Instead, they sounded like faint echoes from the past. Things that should be important but were more like a footnote. Nothing around her mattered. Just her, and the boy in the cage she had just killed.
"Katie!" Jo's voice was the loudest of the bunch, seeming to snap her out of her daze.
Katie turned and saw the whole group clustered around her, some staring at her, others at Scott. A few, including Jo, had guns trained on her.
"Put the gun down Katie, now!" Jo snarled at her, flicking the safety of her own gun off.
The words barely registered in her ears, but Katie slowly put the gun on the ground. Immediately, Lightning rushed forward to pin her arms down. Jo did not lower her gun.
"Who told you to kill him? Who?" Jo asked, throwing an accusatory look Heather's way.
"No one," Katie told her coolly, "I killed him of my own accord, my own decision."
There was a chilling silence between the fourteen remaining survivors. Many of them, particularly the ones who were with Katie on the island, were staring at her as if they'd never seen her before.
"Katie, you do realize you killed someone, right?" Courtney asked, her voice higher than usual.
"Somebody had to," Katie told her, "And he was right. You guys were going to let him go, even after everything he did."
"No, we were going to discuss it like adults!" Jo shouted at her.
Katie didn't back down, "If you were going to kill him, you would've done it then and there. Waiting twenty-four hours made no difference in that respect."
"Shut up!" Jo snarled again, "You don't have the right to play God any more than the rest of us do. You didn't have the right to be the single deciding factor in what we did with Dirt Boy."
"I stand by my actions!" Katie got up in Jo's face, not worrying about the gun poking her chest.
"Maybe we should sha-calm down." Lightning suggested, "Don't do anything we're going to regret."
"You're right Jockstrap," Jo nodded at him, "Put the girl in the other cage. I guess we'll be figuring out what to do with her instead of Scott. And I better not here any arguments about this one!"
Jo turned with a near murderous look in her eyes at Noah and Heather, who both refrained from voicing their opinions. Satisfied, Jo looked back at Lightning, "Do it."
Lightning hesitated for a moment, still holding Katie. Ultimately, he chose to follow Jo's orders, and put Katie in the second cage, right next to the cage where Scott's body still bled.
"We'll convene as a group tomorrow at dusk to figure out what to do with her," Jo jerked a thumb in Katie's direction, "Until then, get some shut eye. Brick I want you on first watch down here. And if anyone tries to let her out, so help me God, I will kill you myself."
No one dared challenge Jo when she was in this kind of state. Finally, she just grunted and was the first to leave Cameron's lab and head for her room upstairs. Everyone else glanced around the room at each other, and at Katie.
Brick broke the silence, "You heard her, troops get back to your barracks and sleep. It's been a long night."
"You're really going to keep me in here?" Katie asked, before everyone could leave, "I killed him, yes, but he was a monster. He killed six people and wanted to kill more."
"While true, that does not excuse your actions under the law, soldier." Brick told her, though he looked solemn, "I promise we will be as fair in our evaluation as possible, but for now everyone needs to sleep. Including you."
With a pointed look from Brick, the others started slowly filing out. Duncan was the last to leave, giving Katie a curious and thoughtful look before departing. Katie stared after them, then shifted her focus to Brick. He looked saddened, but he turned his back on her.
Katie glanced down at Scott's body in the neighboring cage. His blood was leaking down the sides of the metal, turning the material a gruesome, dark red. She could hardly believe what she'd done, but she meant what she'd said. She didn't regret it; she would do it again if the choice presented itself.
Sky had reached the main house where Scarlett dwelled. She waited outside, allowing the camera positioned over the door to clearly read her face. After a few moments, the door was opened from the inside and Ellody greeted her, gesturing for her to enter.
"Rodney said you guys wanted to talk about Trent?" Sky asked immediately, while Ellody closed the door.
"Yes, come along." Ellody moved past the antechamber and through the hallway until they reached the fancy dining room, with a diamond chandelier glittering overhead.
"I still think that chandelier is overkill." Sky commented, though she only then noticed Scarlett was the only one seated at the table.
"Yes, well, it creates an illusion of grandeur," Scarlett said, rising from her chair, "Even though in modern times, things such as diamonds or money translate to nothing, one can't help but strive for a good image if nothing else."
"Just keep it away from Sugar if you care about it," Sky told her, "Otherwise she might eat it so everything she says 'sparkles'."
"Yes, she is rather…odd." Ellody remarked, following Sky into the room.
"Oh, she isn't as foolish as she seems," Scarlett told them, "While she's no Marie Curie, Sugar does possess a sinister edge with minor manipulative abilities."
Sky blinked and said, "Sugar? We're talking about the same girl here, right?"
"Compared to some of our other allies, Sugar may well be above the median intelligence of the group," Scarlett gave a heavy sigh at that, "A shame that, but no matter. We aren't here to discuss her."
"You want to talk Trent," Sky said, and Scarlett nodded, "Why aren't we talking as a whole group then? I'm sure everyone would want to weigh in."
"Do you really think a facilitative management structure would be the best strategy to apply here?" Scarlett asked, though when she realized Sky wasn't following, she added, "Facilitative management means giving the subordinates the same weight in decisions as the leaders. In our context, do you really want to give the LARPers the same weight in their vote as you or me or Ellody?"
"I guess it makes sense when you put it that way…" Sky said, though it still felt wrong to her. Like them or not, the people here were still her crew.
"Ellody and I are the leaders of this community, and you are our most trusted member of the group. Naturally, it makes sense that the three of us decide the fate of this, Trent," Scarlett said, adjusting her spectacles, "Personally, I am of the opinion that we should execute him."
"What?" Sky blurted out and Scarlett gave her a look, "Don't you think that's a bit…harsh? We don't even know the guy."
"Precisely," Scarlett replied thinly, "Killing him is the safest route we've been presented with. Not killing him creates an immeasurable number of variables, many of which could weaken our position as a group."
"He's still a human being!" Sky could hear her voice raising and tried to make a conscious effort to rein it in, "We can't just put a bullet in his brain just because he isn't part of our group. We didn't do that with LeShawna and her group!"
"No, but that particular group came in and rescued you and a few of our others on a dangerous supply chain, or do you not recall?" Scarlett pointed out.
"I remember just fine," Sky frowned, "My point is that Trent knows them. Even if we don't know him, we trust that he won't do anything to hurt his friends, right? And they're with us."
"Actually, we don't have any proof that he won't harm his friends," Ellody commented, and Sky turned to face her now, "We know he's been palling around with Jo and her cronies. You were with us at that hotel, you know what kind of monsters they are."
"They weren't all bad," Sky replied, "Even Jo wasn't so bad once you got to know her."
"They killed Mary!" Ellody protested with an unusual loss of poise.
"There's still no actual proof of who killed her." Sky said, noting Ellody glaring at her.
"Do you not trust my word that it was Mal?" Scarlett asked her, perplexed, "The boy dating that silly red-head? I saw with my own eyes what he did. You say you don't agree. That means you don't trust my word."
"That…that isn't what I mean," Sky realized she may have backed herself into a corner, "Look, all I'm saying is that regardless of if Mal killed Mary and those people, Trent is a separate issue entirely. For all we know, he doesn't even know what went down at that hotel with our group and Jo's."
"Trent suggested as much when I was questioning him," Ellody huffed, folding her arms and dropping into the chair across from Sky, "Based on response patterns, I do think he was telling the truth."
Scarlett turned to Ellody now, "It's clear Sky wants the boy to live, and I think it safer the boy die. You are the deciding vote here. What do you think should be done with him?"
Sky looked at Ellody, pleading with her eyes. She'd never even spoken to Trent, yet the idea of killing him because the possibility of risk merely existed was against everything, she believed in. She hoped that Ellody would come to the same conclusion as her.
After a long moment, Ellody said to Scarlett, "You said we would decide tomorrow."
Scarlett waved a dismissive hand, "That was for the sake of everyone else. It's better to make the decision ahead of time so we know we've thought through the possible scenarios and outcomes."
"Then I want the allotted time you initially gave," Ellody said, "I want to think on it."
Sky breathed a sigh of relief. Scarlett's eye twitched, but she said, "Fine, sleep on it. But have a real answer for us before dusk tomorrow."
The sun shone through the clouds as everyone woke up at Revenge Hotel the next morning. It was an oddly tranquil day outside, with bluebirds singing in the trees and trees swaying in the wind. The residents of the hotel weren't so tranquil, Courtney least of all. She'd hardly slept as her thoughts were dominated by what happened the previous night. All of it had been so fast. Katie being alive again, the accusations against Scott proving true, Katie killing him. Courtney hadn't had any time to really process things until the night.
She'd kept a candle lit long into the night as she wrote notes down on her pad of paper, scribbling ideas, and possible options down until the pencil snapped in two. It was therapeutic to construct lists and charts and plans, even if it was to do with Katie's fate.
Sadly, despite all her planning, she had been unable to come up with a solution. She feared that Jo would kill Katie, especially after Katie fought back against Jo last night. How was she supposed to convince Jo that she shouldn't kill her? Jo didn't seem to like anyone contradicting her authority. In a way, Courtney could respect that. She herself had spent a long time demanding the following of others. She'd since learned that leadership wasn't something you demanded until you earned the respect of the people around you. Giving a speech like that to Jo though, didn't seem like a great idea.
There was a knock on her door, to which she called, "Come in!"
She wasn't too surprised to see it was the survivors of Total Drama Island. In walked Heather, Duncan, Noah, Alejandro, and Bridgette. All of them looked rather grim.
"We aren't going to let Jo kill Katie, right?" Bridgette asked as soon as Alejandro had closed the door behind them.
"Of course not," Duncan snorted derisively, "Because I say we get the fuck out of here."
"What?" Courtney was genuinely not expecting that, "No, we can't leave."
"Why not?" Duncan challenged her, "I see no reason why we need to keep it buddy-buddy with Psycho Jo anymore. This group has proved to be one disaster after another. Why should we stick around for the next one to happen?"
"Because this group has guns, medicine, and most importantly, shelter." Courtney explained, "You really want to give all that up and take our chances out there?"
"Yeah, as much as I'm not a big fan of Jo, I'm going to side with Courtney here," Noah piped up, "I can't imagine I'd survive much longer out there. I'll stay here where I can lock my door, thank you very much."
"I would expect as much from a spineless coward like you," Duncan spat at him, though Noah didn't look offended, "But what about the rest of you?"
"Duncan…" Bridgette began, but was cut off.
"If we were to leave, it isn't like Jo is going to just hand us several guns and a care package," Heather commented, "We'll have no supplies. And if we try and take some, that crazy woman might actually just kill all of us."
"Where would we even go?" Alejandro looked pensive, "I'm not exactly familiar with the surrounding area. This place seems mostly deserted."
"Except for the group of people that shot at us when we went on our last supply run! Or have you already forgotten?" Duncan snapped at him, "Come on man, this whole town is a death trap. Better to get out now before everything gets even worse."
"Guys I-" Again Bridgette was cut off before being able to speak.
"You really think our chances of surviving are better outside the safety of this place, with just the six of us? Seven if they don't blow Katie's brains out?" Noah asked, bewildered, "Sorry, but that's just plain wrong."
"Guys!" Bridgette had to shout to be heard and finally they all turned to her, "Sorry, you were just all talking over me."
"Sorry Bridgette," Alejandro said kindly, "Please, what did you want to say?"
"Thank you," Bridgette said before taking a deep breath, "I've been meaning to tell you all for a while, but never found a great time. I don't think I'm ever going to get a great time though, so here goes. I…I'm pregnant."
"You're what?" Duncan sounded horrified. The others all looked equally shocked.
"I'm a few months pregnant," Bridgette admitted, trying not to feel ashamed.
"Don't you think you should have told us before now?" Heather sounded somewhat hurt, "It's a huge deal!"
"I'm sorry!" Bridgette said sincerely, "We were caught up with the show, and Geoff and I were going to say something, but then the zombies attacked. Since then, we've been running for our lives and when we finally settled down, Geoff died."
"Guys, get off her case," Courtney instructed, before Heather or Duncan could respond, "I already didn't want to leave, but that just makes it official."
"You're serious?" Duncan asked and Courtney nodded.
"We can't take a pregnant girl out into the unknown. Bridgette and her unborn child's safety is paramount." Courtney said, giving Bridgette a friendly squeeze.
"Agreed, we wouldn't want something to happen." Alejandro added before sighing, "Still doesn't solve our current problem with Katie."
"There's always more problems, huh?" Noah commented pessimistically.
"Jo is going to kill Katie," Heather didn't beat around the bush, "Even if Scott was a douchebag, Jo isn't going to take kindly to Katie disobeying her."
Courtney blinked as Heather voiced almost an identical conclusion to the one she'd already arrived at. The CIT cleared her throat, "I think Heather's right. We need to think up a way to prevent Jo from doing that."
"Perhaps you should speak with Brick?" Alejandro suggested to her, "He appears to be Jo's righthand man. While she doesn't seem to listen to many, she does occasionally listen to him."
"Maybe," Courtney thought about it for a moment, "Hmm, yeah that just might work."
"Well, it's a starting point, but what do you even say to him? Let Katie continue to be in the group after killing Scott? They aren't going to accept that." Heather pointed out.
"No, I don't think so either," Courtney frowned, "I'll figure that out after I talk with Brick."
"Yeah, you do that," Duncan crossed his arms, "I'm sure you and Brick will figure something brilliant out."
Courtney scowled at him, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Guys, please don't fight now. We have more pressing problems." Bridgette pleaded. Duncan didn't say anything, but Courtney nodded at her.
"Of course, I'm going to go find Brick and see what I can do. Everyone else, be alert and be ready for anything just in case." Courtney told them. All but Duncan, who ignored her, nodded.
"One, two, three, four!" Amy called out as she and her sister did a cheerleading routine together at the pavilion with some pompoms they'd found in one of the neighborhood houses. The pair did some impressive jumps, kicks and twirls, all the way till their grand finale. There was a rapturous applause from some of the onlookers.
"You ladies looked really good up there!" Cody called with a grin.
Rodney stared, mouth open, at Amy and said, "You…and flowers…brighter than the moon of…"
Amy raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything in response to that. Instead, she turned to her sister and snipped, "It could have been one hundred percent perfect if someone hadn't messed up on the final twirl!"
"Sorry Amy," Samey hung her head, "I'm a bit out of practice, what with the world ending and all."
"You beg my pardon?" Amy glowered at her and somehow, Samey hung her head even lower.
"Hey, hey, no need for that. I think both of you looked amazing." Cody winked at both of them, causing Samey to smile ever-so-slightly.
"Of course I did, I'm like a parfait, which is German for perfect!" Amy told him boastingly, and he nodded in agreement.
"Don't you guys think you should be doing something a bit more, I don't know, productive than cheerleading routines and wizard talent shows?" Dave suggested disinterestedly from one of the tables.
"Right, because you totally haven't only been concentrating on trying to impress Sky," Cody elbowed him and Dave blushed.
Dave was spared from having to answer as LeShawna arrived on the scene, panting a bit as she made the top of the hill.
"Hey, have any of y'all seen Gwen?" LeShawna asked. Everyone present shook their head.
LeShawna looked a bit worried, "Haven't seen her since Max came to bring her to Scarlett. In fact, from what I have gathered, no one has."
Cody suddenly looked a bit worried too, "That is odd. Come on LeShawna, I'll help you search for her."
"While you're gone, Spare-amy and I are going to work on that routine until she gets it right and stops embarrassing me!" Amy snapped at her twin sister, who gave a depressing nod of her head.
LeShawna frowned and would've said something if her mind wasn't concentrated on Gwen. Appreciating Cody's help, the pair departed the pavilion.
"We should probably find Max and see what he knows." Cody suggested, but LeShawna shook her head.
"Max doesn't even know left from right. We should ask Scarlett herself."
The pair marched over to Scarlett's mansion and waited outside to be let in. The door never opened. After standing around for a good few minutes, LeShawna had lost her patience.
"Girl, open this door. We just want to ask you where our home girl Gwen is."
Scarlett's voice spoke to them through the camera, apparently via a speaker of sorts, "Gwen is currently busy with something important."
"And that would be?" LeShawna tapped her foot in frustration.
"It's not common knowledge. You'll find out eventually, but for now, leave. I'm rather busy at the moment."
"Come on LeShawna," Cody put a hand on her shoulder, but LeShawna shook him off.
"Nah, that's not how this is gonna work. Girl, Gwen is my best friend. Ain't no way she just straight up disappears and doesn't tell me where she's going. What happened to her?"
"I said you'll find out soon enough. Now leave, or I'll have to get security." Scarlett didn't sound very amused.
"Excuse me?" LeShawna's nostrils flared, "Was that a threat?"
"LeShawna!" Cody hissed at her, "Not the time to get into it with her. Come on!"
Cody began steering LeShawna away from Scarlett's house, all the while she muttered increasingly nasty insults about the redhead. Cody let out a sigh of relief; he didn't really even know Scarlett, but he didn't want to find out what sort of revenge she might get on LeShawna if she pushed one too many of her buttons.
"Hey Brick, can we talk?" Courtney's voice greeted the military-minded boy from the entrance to his inn room.
He gave her a weak smile, "Yeah, any time. Come on in."
She closed the door behind her, "I think it's obvious why I'm here, so I'm just going to cut to the chase."
"You always do," he said, though there was no malice in his words.
"I'm afraid of what Jo might do to Katie," Courtney admitted to him, "You know her better than I do though. What do you think is the most likely outcome here?"
Brick sighed, "I, too, fear what Jo might do. She's a great commander, lots of gumption and strength, but she's got a bit of a power-control obsession."
"So do I if we're being honest," Courtney told him, averting her gaze, "That's why I get her. A lot of my group don't like or trust her, but I can't help but feel like she and I have a lot in common. Which is why I'm afraid of what she's going to do, because I'd feel pressured into doing the same thing if I were her."
"So, what would you say to yourself to change your mind?" Brick asked then laughed, "That sounded a lot less confusing in my head."
"The only alternative I can think of is to have Katie leave," Courtney finally concluded, "Which of course puts my entire group into a predicament. If we make her leave, how can we not go after her? She's one of us."
"Courtney, I hate to put it so bluntly, but she did kill a man. A despicable man, yes, but she still killed him. How do we know she won't do the same to someone else?"
"Because Scott was different!" Courtney insisted and then put her head in her hands, "Why do horrible people so often shape the fates of better people?"
"I might be able to convince Jo to send Katie away," Brick told her, "But I really hope if that's what happens that you don't leave."
"I don't want to, but it isn't a unanimous opinion," Courtney revealed, her thoughts flashing to Duncan. She grew irritated at the thought.
"As long as you stay," Brick said, "I don't mind saying that I really don't want you to leave Courtney."
Courtney was a bit taken aback by that and she felt her cheeks heat, "That's very thoughtful of you Brick. Honestly, I don't know what's going to happen yet. It really hinges on your conversation with Jo."
Brick saluted her, "Have no doubt, I'll tell her what she needs to hear. And hopefully then this whole mess will be resolved."
Courtney gave him a hug, "Thank you, I really appreciate it."
Trent felt his throat drying up and his wrists ache as he remained shackled to the wall in some dimly lit room. It felt like he'd been there an eternity, as if time itself had come to a standstill. At first, he only imagined a clock ticking away, but now he even heard it in his head. Tick. Tick. Tick. It was agonizing.
He was surprised when the door opened and someone stepped in. He hadn't had a visitor since Cody came to tell him of the others' fate. He squinted, trying to see the figure in the dark, hoping it was Gwen.
"Been a while, huh?" It definitely wasn't Gwen.
Trent's face soured, "Ellody, right? What do you want?"
"Not exactly the introduction I was hoping for," Ellody replied casually, stepping into the light so he could see her. She looked strained.
"I'd shake your hand, but…" Trent tried to move his arms and the chains rattled against him, "I'm afraid I can't."
Ellody stared at him closely, "I'd like to ask you again about your relationship with the people at Revenge Hotel."
"They're my friends," Trent said instantly and strained against his chains, "Known them for years doing a reality show together. Maybe you've even heard of it. Total Drama?"
"I've heard of it, never watched it," Ellody told him, "Reality television is a cancer on the brain. Regardless, I wasn't referring to those who escaped the island with you. I was talking about the likes of Jo and Mal."
"There's that name again, Mal. I don't know who that is," Trent told her honestly, "Maybe he left before we got there?"
"Oh no, we're quite certain he's still around," Ellody told him and seemed to come to some sort of decision, "Perhaps you just don't know him by that name. Know a guy named Mike?"
"Yeah, there's a guy named Mike there," Trent narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "What of it?"
"The name 'Mike' is one of Mal's alter egos," Ellody answered, "He has dissociative identity disorder, or multiple personalities in layman's terms."
"Really?" Trent looked quite surprised, "No one ever said anything like that at the hotel."
"Because Mal is trying to repress his other personalities and hide in plain sight. He and his girlfriend are the most dangerous people in that hotel."
"Zoey? You're joking, right? That girl wouldn't harm a fly." Trent laughed at her.
"Given the inordinate amount of time she spends with him, it is statistically unlikely she doesn't know of his true persona. Unless she's a moron, which she didn't seem to be mentally afflicted when I was there." Ellody told him with a calculated calm.
"This all sounds like bullshit to me, sister," Trent shook his head.
"Very well then, hopefully you're right and Mal doesn't try to kill all your friends. Bridgette or Geoff or DJ, I believe those were some of their names. You really want to take that chance?"
"I don't exactly have the chance to do anything about it either way, so long as I'm stuck in here," Again Trent moved so the chains would collide.
"Well, today your fate is decided. As a leading trio, the first two votes were split. The tie vote is mine," Ellody stepped closer to him so that she was only a foot away. He stared her down.
She waited for a moment before raising her hand. He closed his eyes, sending out a silent prayer that Gwen would be alright. Then, he felt the restraints slacken and he opened his eyes. Ellody was undoing the cuffs holding him in place. He watched, wordlessly, as she undid all of them.
When she was done, she looked him in the eye again, "I hope I haven't made a miscalculation about you, rude as you may be."
"Does this mean I'm free to go back to my friends?" Trent asked, stretching his arms a bit.
"Sure, as long as that means your friends here like Izzy and Harold," Ellody told him, "We can't let you go back to Revenge Hotel just yet."
"So what you're saying is I'm still a prisoner, just not tied up anymore?" Trent frowned, "Gee, thanks."
"What I'm saying is we're giving you a chance. A chance to see how we are compared to your so-called friends at Revenge Hotel. And if you like it here, maybe you can bring some of your friends here and away from Jo and Mal."
With that, Ellody spun on her heel and walked for the door. Trent watched her leave, her shoes echoing on the tiled floor. He'd really been expecting her to kill him. He most certainly wasn't expecting her to release him, albeit conditionally. Maybe he'd made his conclusion about her too soon. Maybe this place was where he needed to be.
Katie stared bleakly at where Scott's body had been. Earlier in the day, Brick and Lightning had come in to remove his body. She didn't care where they put it. Neither one had said a word to her, no one had all day. She didn't mind it so much, the silence. In a strange way, it was oddly peaceful.
She knew as the clock ticked down that eventually a decision would be made. So, she wasn't all that surprised when she heard someone talking with Dawn, who was currently on watch. She was, however, surprised when Alejandro entered alone.
He gave her that devilishly handsome smile he was known for, "Have you been treated well, at least?"
"Why did only you come in?" Katie ignored his question.
His smile didn't falter, "Because I wanted to talk to you. We're friends after all, remember our discussion on the yacht?"
"I remember," Katie shifted away from him, "But I don't think you meant all of what you said."
"What? Katie, I was being sincere with you."
"I believed it in the moment, that you actually wanted my friendship, or that you were just being nice. But I watched you on Total Drama World Tour, I saw what you did to Bridgette and LeShawna. I know who you are." Katie did not look at him.
"That's not who I am," Alejandro told her, "That's who I was for the show. It was a million dollars Katie, I did what I thought was the best strategy to secure the money."
"And you lost anyway. Heather beat you at your own game," Katie gave a hollow laugh, "Hard to imagine before you showed up that any of us would have cheered for Heather, and yet, here we are."
"Why are we bringing this up? This is all in the past. I think I've shown plenty of times throughout this ordeal that I regret my actions and have done everything in my power to protect the group."
"Do you actually care about Heather?" Katie asked, looking at him this time, "I mean honestly. Is she just another conquest for you? Do you really care for her? Or are you using her, knowing she's otherwise alone and is easy pickings for you to manipulate."
"First of all, Heather is not easy to manipulate," Alejandro pointed out, "But more importantly, yes I do really care for her."
"I don't believe you," Katie slunk away from him again.
"Fine, you want the truth?" Alejandro seemed angry for the first time with her, "The truth is, I care more about her than I care about the rest of you. It's not that I don't care about you, or Courtney, or any of the others. It's that I love Heather."
Katie said nothing as he continued, "When I was on the supply run with Jo and the others and Trent got shot, all I could think of was that I couldn't die. I couldn't get shot, because I had to get back to Heather. And when I got back, and found all those bodies piled up, my heart stopped. If Heather had been in that pile…"
Katie was very moved when she saw Alejandro was actually crying a little bit, "I spent a long time trying to live up to my brother, Jose. He was a charmer, a real ladies' man. Before I went on the show, he advised me to go with seduction as my primary strategy. He said, 'I know you won't be half as good as me, but we share blood. You can surely best the others'. I figured he was right. And I stuck to my plan, at first. But all I could see, was Jose's face laughing at me as Heather evaded my every move. And slowly, I started to realize I wasn't trying to manipulate her like I was the others. I realized I wanted to be with her, for real. When she beat me and took the million, I no longer cared about the money. I was sad because I thought it was the end of us. And as horrible as this zombie outbreak is, it brought us together. And I'm not letting anything or anyone tear us apart."
"I believe you," Katie said softly, "I'm sorry for doubting you. Heather is lucky to have you."
At that point, the door opened again. Dawn poked her head in and said, "Everyone's coming, your fate's been decided Katie."
Katie felt her heart beating faster now. She and Alejandro looked at each other, and in spite of her distrust of him, a small understanding passed between them. He took a step back to allow others easy access into the room.
Footsteps, some loud, some quiet. Katie took a minute before she was willing to look up at them. She saw Heather first, the queen bee looking irate with the situation. Her gaze turned to Bridgette, who's usual optimistic look was dulled by the gravity of the situation. Courtney was looking anxiously at Brick, who's face gave nothing away. Duncan was staring down at the ground, both his hands clenched into fists. Even Noah managed to give Katie what passed for an encouraging look. Katie gave him a curt nod. She could feel the tears welling up, but she would not let herself cry. She wasn't going to give Scott that satisfaction.
Jo was the last person to enter the room. She had a handgun with her, though it was currently holstered. Katie swallowed, her gaze focusing on Jo's gun.
There was a hushed, painful silence for a minute that felt like an eternity. Jo gave a sidelong glance at Brick, before at long last breaking the silence.
"We all know why we're here. Katie killed Scott in cold blood, before we all had the chance to discuss what we wanted to do. She put a man down while he was trapped and helpless and pleading for mercy."
Jo paused for a moment before continuing, "That kind of behavior is simply not acceptable. We will not tolerate having someone so untrustworthy in our place of safety. Punishment should be an eye for an eye."
There were a few gasps, but Katie did not visibly react. She unconsciously clutched at the metal bars, vaguely registering how cold they were. She couldn't help but feel the cold seeping into her, replacing her once vibrant and bubbly personality.
"However," Jo hesitated and Brick nodded at her, "Taking into account the level of shithead that Scott was, we've decided that Katie will not be killed for her crimes. Instead, she will be removed from the premises, and never welcomed back. If she tries to come back under any circumstances, I will put a bullet in her brain."
There were some relieved faces around the room, but Katie's wasn't one of them. She frowned and said hoarsely, "You're going to send me out there? Alone?"
"You're welcome," Jo replied coolly, "This could've turned out much differently for you."
Katie wanted to shout at her. She wanted to tell Jo exactly what she thought of her, and this decision. She wasn't going to survive on her own. She couldn't even find her way to the mall without Sadie, how was she supposed to survive the zombies?
Instead, Katie nodded, "Will you give me any supplies?"
Jo shook her head, but Brick spoke up, "We'll give you three days' worth of food and water, along with a knife. And if any of your friends want to go with you, we'll give them the same."
Jo looked annoyed, but after receiving a few looks, she decided to let this one go. Katie now turned to look at her fellow Total Drama castmates, to see if any would elect to join her.
She made eye contact with Noah briefly, but he averted his gaze with shame. Alejandro gave her a painful smile as he put a hand on Heather's shoulder, while Heather actually looked like she was crying. Courtney's lip was trembling, but she was keeping it together. Bridgette was openly crying and she rushed forward to the cage to hold Katie's hand. Katie was a bit surprised, but when Bridgette got up to her she whispered something that sent a chill up Katie's spine.
"I'm pregnant."
Bridgette pulled back and away from her. Katie stared at her in shock, but words deserted her.
"I'll go with her." Katie hadn't been expecting to hear it from Duncan of all people, but she wasn't imagining it. All the others turned towards him, with mixed emotions.
"What?" Courtney broke out of her stupor, "You can't leave!"
"Why not?" Duncan was quick to snap at her, "I'm tired of this place, tired of having to follow orders. The fucking world is ending and I'm still taking orders from stuck-up, annoying-"
"Careful," Brick warned him, "You might not want to say what you're thinking, soldier."
"Don't even get me started on you," Duncan snarled at him before pushing past Courtney and marching up to Jo, "I want my supplies so I can leave."
Jo blinked at him, not having anticipated this. She saw Courtney looked dumbfounded. Jo turned to Dawn and jerked her head towards the exit. In a matter of moments, Dawn had returned with two packs, containing the supplies Brick promised Katie and Duncan.
Lightning was unlocking the cage Katie was in. At long last, she stretched her legs while Lightning helped keep her standing. Her legs woke up quickly and she moved over to Duncan and shared a meaningful look with him.
"Thank you," her whisper was the most sincere thing she'd said all day.
Duncan just grunted in reply as he accepted his pack and swung it over his shoulder. Most of the others didn't seem to know what to do or say. Duncan started heading for the door, not seeming to care if Katie followed him or not. Only one person stood in their way.
"Duncan, have you thought this through?" Courtney asked, sounding genuinely upset, "You're really just going to leave us?"
"You want me to stay and get tortured by your mixed signals?" Duncan replied, taking her by surprise, "Or be the subject of Noah's taunts? Or Alejandro and Heather's plots? No fucking thank you. I've always been a loner, had to find my own way. I'm perfectly capable of doing this on my own. Now, get out of my way."
"But-" Courtney was interrupted by a tug on her arm.
"Let him go," Dawn said serenely, "His aura is a dangerous color right now, you don't want him to lash out."
Courtney wanted to say something else, but the look Duncan was giving her made her think better of it. She looked down and stepped aside. Immediately, Duncan made his way out of the room, only stopping once to glance back and see if Katie was following him.
Katie didn't need to look around again. She hurried after him, her pack slamming against her pack with every step she took. Duncan seemed satisfied and drew his knife before pushing the door to the hotel open. He stepped out, quickly followed by Katie. And the two set off, unaware of exactly what was going to happen now.
Courtney wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be able to take this. She'd already watched countless friends die. She'd seen the mortified reactions of those still alive. She'd seen literal death itself reach for her, only to have her narrowly avoid His grip each time. But the leash was getting tighter, and she knew she wouldn't be able to dodge Him forever.
And now, she sat at the entrance to Revenge Hotel chalking up Duncan and Katie on the list of people she'd never see again. She let the salty tears cascade down her face as she thought about him. She thought things had been going well with Duncan. The one light in all the miserable darkness surrounding them. Had she really not noticed how unhappy he was? Maybe she hadn't improved herself as much as she'd hoped.
"You need to stop beating yourself up," the last voice Courtney wanted to hear told her.
"What do you want Heather?" Courtney sniffled and wiped the tears away as Heather took a seat next to her.
"I want you to stop feeling sorry for yourself," Heather sounded as snippy as usual, but there was fight in her tone, "You weren't going to stop Duncan leaving in a million years. Once Duncan gets an idea in his head, it's happening. He made up his mind earlier when we were talking, you just didn't notice."
"Gee, that makes me feel so much better." Courtney frowned.
Heather sighed, "Look, I'm not the best at comforting people. But seriously, you realize without your efforts that Katie would probably be dead, right? If you hadn't talked to Brick and made him convince Jo, Katie wouldn't be alive."
"Yeah, alive and scared. Forced into exile with hardly a prayer of surviving out there." Courtney said pessimistically.
"Duncan's with her now, and she's not as pathetic as she was on Total Drama Island. Katie's survived so far, right? She's got grit." Heather sounded oddly proud of the girl.
"You really think she and Duncan will be okay?" Courtney sounded hopeful for the first time.
"I'd say they have a good a chance as anyone. And we do too, don't give up on us just yet. You're a good leader Courtney, you make good decisions. Sometimes you don't always come up with a plan on the spot, but you don't have to do all the heavy lifting on your own. Just let the rest of us help." Heather concluded and Courtney felt surprisingly touched.
"Thanks Heather, I needed that. You know, you're not as bad as everyone says. I think you've got a heart buried in their somewhere."
Heather snorted, "Just don't go around telling people that, or I'll be a lot less pleasant."
Courtney laughed, "You've got a deal."
Her good mood was interrupted by an unexpected noise: a knock at the door. Courtney and Heather looked at each other, eyebrows raised. A moment's pause before a second knock succeeded the first.
"Maybe Duncan changed his mind?" Courtney whispered, hoping that was the case.
Heather put a finger to her lips before slowly moving over to one of the windows. Carefully and quietly, Heather peeked through the blinds to see who was knocking. Her eyes went wide in shock and she actually stumbled back a pace.
"Heather? Who was it?" Courtney asked, concerned as she caught Heather to keep her from falling.
"Gwen," Heather seemed stunned, "Gwen's at the door."
So there it is! I think it's safe to say that this chapter is the conclusion of the latest story arc and now we're moving into the next major arc which I'm excited for. And after all this time, Gwen is finally going to reunite with the characters we've mostly been following the whole time! How will the likes of Courtney and Heather react to Gwen's shock return? And what about Duncan and Katie striking off on their own? And how will Trent integrate into his new group, where the suspicions surrounding Scarlett seem to mount by the day? Find out next time on Undead Drama!
Side note: This was my longest chapter to date! Almost 9k words!
DEAD: Sadie, Owen, Justin, Eva, Lindsay, Ezekiel, Tyler, Beth, Chris, Sierra, Blaineley, B, DJ, Cameron, Sam, Staci, Geoff, Anne Maria, Chef Hatchet, Mary, Scott
Group 1: Heather, Bridgette, Courtney, Noah, Alejandro, Lightning, Zoey, Jo, Mike/Mal, Dakota, Brick, Dawn
Group 2: Gwen, LeShawna, Izzy, Trent, Harold, Cody, Sky, Sugar, Max, Scarlett, Dave, Ella, Amy, Samey, Rodney, Leonard, Beardo, Ellody, Tammy
Unknown: Duncan, Katie