S4, E6 | Choice

Frigid water kicked up as he leaps off the speedboat he’d commandeered, Lou dashes back to the coastline with his rebar staff in tow, following the lead of the armed reinforcements he hopes to blend in with as the camp draws closer with each passing step. The gunshot that triggered his pursuit followed quickly by a flurry of additional rounds, the only noise- aside from distant shouts and terrified screams- the man hears as he hurries through the weather-beaten path are the sounds of war.

Matching the same stride as the men that race ahead of him, the handicapped survivor, branded with the moniker of the ‘Silver Slayer’, prepares himself to reprise the role as the apparent battlegrounds continue to grow closer. Still a fair distance away from his destination, Lou’s only chance to see for certain what awaits him at the end of his journey appears in the form of a fireball, its flames reaching high into the skies and serving to light the way- even if only for a moment.

A gust of wind made through the quick, repeated exhales he allows to leave his lungs in favour of a clean breath of air, the man rushing in to aid his friends in battle watches as the flames steady, shooting out from within the gaps in the trees he momentarily gets to peer through. Beginning to make up ground on the forces he follows after, Lou takes his moment to strike whenever it arrives- swinging the pointed staff across the skulls of those yet to even take account of his presence.

Picking off the opposition as if they were birds to his metaphorical stone-filled hand, those that wish to join in doing his friends harm find their fates sealed- eating the ground one-by-one as their slayer carries on. Nearing the soft turn, Lou watches a rag- the majority of it stuffed into a bottle of rum- catch fire from the lighter an unfamiliar foe holds at its end, joining the container in flying from his hand at the scrambling survivors- all in a mad dash to defend what’s theirs.

Finally amidst the home stretch, Lou thrusts his staff upon the skull of one, final adversary before coming to a complete stop, staring out at all corners of the open field with his weapon readied. Shattering upon impact, the makeshift molotov thrust from the possession of one of the enclave’s many nameless figures lights another patch of the campground alight, setting a blaze that lifts to the sky just as the first had.

In all directions, men with guns fire into the distance, striking each other almost as often as they themselves are shot- the only choices to make being to either fight or flee as it seems. Acting on his instinct, Lou takes the option that stands before him, marching into the field of battle with one certain target in mind, the man setting fire to a third bottle completely clueless to what approaches him.

Setting the pocket lighter down, the well-covered enclave fire-starter prepares to swing his hand back as Lou finally comes into frame- the expression on the arsonist’s face turning into sudden horror before it’s pierced with the end of the man’s staff. Without the time to let his mind linger over the act he’d just committed, the grizzly-faced survivor leaves his rebar weapon in the man’s face and retrieves his molotov, seeking out a small group of those he stands opposed to before hurling it.

With screams, his enemies meet the fiery demise their acquaintance had been intending for his people, feeling the flames surround them as the glass shatters- the killer paying their demise no mind. Pressing his boot against the chest of his first killed, Lou retrieves his staff and marches with unwavering confidence, no haste in his step as he simply seeks out his next target- accepting that any step can prove to serve him a surprise end.

Continuing to glance in every direction the open grounds afford him, Lou’s eyes soon take to the centre of camp- the flames that gradually light the grass on fire barely illuminating the man that struggles to pick himself up. With a spring, the puzzled survivor sprints from his stoic position and races to the man’s aid, nonchalantly ending the life of another enclave soldier that just happened to be standing in his way before tossing the rebar aside, dropping to his knees to aid the wounded.

“Come on, man- get the fuck up!” Lou groans, wrapping his arm around Lee’s back as the camp’s leader lingers on all fours- unable to find the strength to stand once more. “There’s no time! You have to go!” the wounded commander’s voice shouts back, forced up to a simple knee as he leans back at his friend’s guidance, a pair of bullet wounds- one to his chest and another to his midsection- quite easy to make out amidst the heavy blood loss that stains his shirt.

“I’m not leaving you behind, motherfucker! Get up!” Lou barks back, paying no mind to the chaos that is waged in his every direction- drowning it out as he attempts to help his friend upright. “Lou, I’m fucking dead!” Lee shouts back, mustering enough strength to shove the man back, losing the ability to stabilise himself as he topples back to the ground, only able to muster enough energy to get by from the adrenaline he takes in the camp’s loss.

“Wherever the hell you’re going- I won’t make it there” Lee doubles down, speaking a truth that his friend can’t deny regardless of how much he wishes to, “all you can do now is go.” Gritting his teeth as he looks at the man’s grave injuries, Lou kneels in silence as he shakes his head, trying to bring himself to accept the orders that have been presented to him as he reluctantly reaches over to reclaim his staff.

“Where are they?” Lou asks as he releases a heavy breath, the side of his face- and the tired look of exhaustion on his friend’s- basked within the glow of an orange tinge- not put out by the light drizzle. “Theo ignored the signal- he was gonna let the deal go down. Don’t trust him” Lee replies, watching the man’s face sour with confusion, “I know- just don’t. One of your friends must’ve fired the first shot- I don’t know who. Courtney made it out- I don’t know about the rest.”

“W- w- w- w- where did they go? Which way?” Lou asks, stuttering as he begins the question before Lee attempts to respond, unable to help as his friend is taken by surprise, stripped from the moment by the same man he’d struck moments before- yet to finish the job. “Ugh!” the slayer grunts, disarmed of his staff as the force of a fist catches him in the side of the head, ringing his bell as he falls to his back- forced to look up at the blood-covered face of his assailant.

Only able to make out a scowl, Lou watches the man that stands above him swing the composite boot he wears into his side, striking at his victim’s ribs multiple times over before reaching down. “You and your friends are dead!” the wounded, yet in-control enclave soldier exclaims, picking the dazed, sole-armed survivor off the ground by the collar of his shirt and leading him toward the open inferno.

“You don’t get to-!” the vengeful intruder begins to proclaim, cut short by the right hook thrown at him by the man he attempts to kill- both men stumbling back to opposite sides of the field. His scowl having intensified into the look of rage and lit by the fire he stands mere metres away from, the enclave member turns to Lou in a moment of pause, watching his planned-victim prepare for the counterattack that he knows to be around the corner.

“You’re gonna regret that!” the enclave soldier growls, balling his hand into a fist before taking a few steps forward, watching Lou match the same posture before suddenly turning his head to the side. “Whoa-!” the man exclaims, stopping in his tracks and turning to the side, his balled fists turning into open palms as he throws his arms forward- almost as if to protect himself from what journeys toward him off to the side.

Thrown feet-first, a man hurries in at the last second and thrusts his boots into the soldier’s chest, thrusting him backward and into the belly of the fire that burns- his screams the only thing to be heard as he disappears within the blaze. His face covered in shock, Lou stares at the fire as he watches the man descend into it, unable to look away from the scene he knows the bellows of suffering to emerge from- yet to take notice of the man that quickly comes to his aid.

“Holy fuck, that’s one hell of a beard!” Jules shouts at the top of his lungs, taking his friend by the hand and helping him up, the survivor still too shocked to yet process the reunion occurring. “Ju- You’re-” Lou stumbles, his lip quivering as he stares into the eyes of a man he’d once thought was never likely to be seen again, “Jules?”

“Lou, duck!” Terry exclaims from the same direction his newly-reunited friend had arrived, met with the same immediate-action he had anticipated- the pair lowering their heads to allow the man to fire his weapon, putting a bullet in the head of a pursuer neither had seen coming. “Lee!” Elsie screams, following Josie as she breaks away from the gunman’s side- hurrying to her friend as he turns onto his back, looking toward the sky with glossy eyes.

“Oh shit, dude- that doesn’t look good” Terry remarks, cutting the heart-warming moment short as his attention turns to the camp’s mortally-wounded shot-caller. “No, no! You have to go!” Lee murmurs, speaking through gasps as he holds onto every breath he can capture, pushing away the girls’ hands as they reach down to aid him, “it’s not safe here! You need to go!”

“Then get up!” Elsie commands, her orders not only the same as the man that had given them before her- but met with the same reluctance as well. “Lou!” a soft voice calls out, catching the survivor’s attention as he slowly pulls away from Jules’ side, reaching for his staff before looking up to the soul that calls his name. “Marta” the man responds beneath his breath, pulling away from the weapon below as the young woman throws herself into his arm- which wraps around to complete the embrace.

Watched on by Terry and Jules as Elsie and Josie begrudgingly wait for Lee to respond to their plea, Lou presses his chin into the small of Marta’s neck as her eyes close tightly, taking in every second of the hug she can enjoy with a smile on her face. “I was so fucking scared you would be-” the woman whispers, her remarks cut short by the man as he holds her tighter, his whisper keeping her from having to finish the thought, “-I’m okay. We’re okay.”

A partial smile held in the corner of his mouth as Lee looks toward the emotional reunion before lowering his voice to a near whisper- anything more beginning to hurt worse than his wounds. “Dragging me around is only gonna waste time- you don’t have time” the man whispers to Elsie, placing his hand on the hand that she gently rests against his chest, “I won’t blame you- just go get somewhere safe.”

As her lip quivers, Elsie’s eyes begin to fall as she struggles to hold back tears, one of the only men she’d spent every moment since the end of the world with now spending his dying breaths at her helpless hands. “Are you alright?” Marta whispers to the man she slowly pulls away from, looking him in the eyes as he nods his head with certainty. “Yeah, I’m fine- I’m fine.” Lou replies, looking off to the camp’s depths as fires continue to burn.

“Guys, we need to go” Terry proclaims, speaking to both sides of the conversations happening at once, making it clear to all involved that the time for departure has arrived. “There’s a path through the woods that leads into Victoria- take it for a few miles and you’ll be in the city” Lee replies, his efforts with good intention- but not needed.

“We’re not going to the city, we’re headed to the coast” Elsie retorts, her second hand placed upon the one Lee rests with her, holding it tight as she prepares to bid him her final adieu. “Then go back the way you came and stick to the sides of the trail, they’ll be less muddy and the light will be better” the camp’s leader responds, his breaths slowly becoming more spaced out and hard to come by- his last moments just as near as he’d assumed.

“Good luck” Lee whispers to the woman knelt before him, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before sliding it away, freeing her to continue her journey without him from this moment forward. With a nod, Elsie pushes herself off the ground and wipes a tear from her eye, nodding to the man as she follows through with his request- bumping into Josie as she turns back the way she came, steadying her breaths as the rest of the group follows, paying a last look to the dying man as they regroup.

Beginning to grow distant as the warring sides take their fighting toward the same coastline they all set their sights upon, the gunfire seemingly begins the process of abandoning the camp- which now slowly consumes the ground just as quickly as bodies have. With his staff in hand and arm wrapped around Marta, Lou follows Jules as Terry walks beside him, patting his friend on the shoulder as Elsie and Josie occupy the front of the convoy- still more to do before they can catch up.

= RISE and REVOLT is created by Zachary Serra, all rights to the series from Season 1 onwards belong to Zachary Serra and the entity of Pacer1 =

“Ah!” Randal exclaims, his enraged scowl set aside as a bullet rips through the forest and imbeds itself within his shoulder, forcing him to spin around and put pressure on the wound. From one side of the camp, the gunfire that rings out prompts Theo to turn his head back, his aim of the rifle lowered as his eyes take to the confusing scene, surprised by the turn the confrontation takes.

“Nobody-!” the man begins to demand, returning his attention to the men that he presides over before finding his orders to be futile, the man who’d held the confidence to question his call rushing to his feet before the command could even start. Cut off, Theo’s hands let the rifle fall to the ground just as he does- struck by the fist of the foremost soldier as his authority is disobeyed- the man responsible for his attack rushing the field to join his leader in combat.

Betrayed by his subordinates, Theo holds his jaw as he lays on the ground, watching one pair of boots follow the next in storming past him, refusing to let their true superior fight the consequences alone. Watching the enclave momentarily duck at the sound of gunshots and realising their deal had fallen through, Lee lays his life on the line and accepts what’s about to happen, turning back to Courtney and placing his pistol in her hands.

“RUN!” the man screams, spinning the woman around and shoving her forward, forcing her to take off in a sprint before eating two slugs to the back- one ripping through his chest whilst the other tears through his stomach. Immediately floored by the attack, Lee plummets to his knees and hits the ground without an ounce of movement, the two enclave guardsmen responsible for the proceeding shots joining the rest of their peers in combating the forces that now emerge from cover.

Ducking behind the men that storm past him, Randal seeks cover in their dash through the grounds, watching their weapons fire at the men and women that now rise from behind the trees before making a call of his own. Now focused on little more than self-preservation, the enclave’s leader dashes into a retreat, hurrying the way he’d come to ensure that he lives to fight another day- allowing his men to sacrifice themselves for his own blood-thirsty quest for revenge to be enacted.

Ducking behind the cover of an unfinished building, Courtney sprints to whichever viable plot affords itself to her, turning back when she can to fire a round into those that give her chase. “Courtney, over here!” Sonya exclaims, dashing away from cover before turning her weapon to yet another member of the enclave, pulling the trigger without a moment of hesitation before reuniting with her sister.

“Who the fuck fired that!?” Courtney calls out, joining her sister in turning back the way she’d come, keeping their heads low and away from being spotted by those that wish to do them harm. “I did!” Sonya hastily replies, immediately earning the wide-eyed look that her sister gives back, their retreat to safer territory not slowing for anything- even such an admission, “I wasn’t gonna let them take you!”

“Over here!” Adrian calls out to the girls, standing near the back of his group as what remains huddles together, his eye lowering to the level of the rifle he fires. “We’re still going to the coast, right!?” Jenn calls out, looking for direction from the man that follows closely behind her, his weapon guided from one side of the camp to the other in search of a threat. “Yeah, as long as-!” Sebastian begins to reply, cut short at the shot of a gunshot- one that forces the group to take cover.

“Seb!” Courtney cries out, watching the group disperse to wherever the closest obstruction lays as Sebastian falls to the ground, taken out by the stray bullet that rips through him. Dashing away from the closest safety, the fabled-paramotorist rushes to the aid of the wounded survivor as the enclave member responsible takes notice of her presence, taking aim with his weapon before being put down by a bullet wound of his own- this time courtesy of Adrian.

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” Sebastian exclaims, waving the nearing Golden siblings off as he reclaims the weapon that had slipped from his possession and crawls to the picnic table Jenn had set up shop behind. “Where the fuck are we supposed to go!?” Sonya calls out, bracing for impact with each gunshot that rings out closer than the rest, her slowly-evolving adaptation to this cruel world still presenting the kinks of anxiety over the type of scene that now unfolds.

Whilst the chaos ensues away from his line of sight, Theo simmers on the ground of his hidden hilltop perch, rolling over to look at the warzone below with a rattled expression. Seething, the camp’s turncoat reclaims his rifle and composes himself, using his anger as a motivation to dive further into the forest, retreating from the battle as he sets his sights upon greater reward elsewhere- following the environment he understands like the back of his hand to greener pastures.

“We can still follow the path, we just have to wait this out!” Courtney proclaims, emerging from cover with her gun drawn toward another stray member of the enclave, her finger prepared to pull the trigger before a sudden attack renders her target immobile. Falling to the ground, the subject of the woman’s focus collapses to display the rebar-wielding man responsible for his killing, Lou unknowingly stood a short distance from his friends as he moves onto the next victim.

“L-!” Courtney begins to scream, only to fall silent as a bullet tears into the ground a few metres away from her, forcing her to duck back into cover as her father takes the initiative. With his eye to the head of his rifle, Rudy fires a shot in the direction of his daughter’s attempted assassin and narrowly misses- forcing the man to huddle close to the ground for added cover.

“If we wait this out, we’ll miss our opening!” Jenn calls back, writing off such a suggestion as unfeasible, “we’ve already got one man wounded, it’ll only be a matter of time before another one bites it!’ Wincing with pain as he presses down on the bullet wound in his left bicep, Sebastian follows the woman’s warning with defence.

“Jenn’s right! We went into this knowing what we wanted out of it- now we go get it!” Sebastian exclaims, the rest of his group- even if ideologically opposed to the plan itself- falling in line with his lead. “On the count of three, we’re gonna make a move to get back on the path!” the man proclaims, accepting the pain that comes with every slight movement of his fingers as he readies his rifle to return fire, “keep close together, move as a unit, and leave no stone unturned- got it?”

“Got it!” Adrian calls out, lifting his chin toward the air as his voice overcomes the surrounding bombardment, the rest of the group- one after another- doubling down on the man’s lead. “One...” Sebastian calls out, pulling in a deep breath as he lifts the rifle off his lap, Jenn’s eyes falling upon him as she readies herself to follow the man out of cover whilst Rudy presses the back of his head against the stack of cinderblocks he leans against, closing his eyes as he prays to his god.

“Two...” the number calls out, its utterance prompting Adrian to look back at the girls that share the same wall for protection as he does, a silent nod given to them as it’s reciprocated with equal assurance. Letting go of the breath that fills his lungs, Sebastian lets the cold touch of the mid-December, British Columbia winter run over his sweaty face, the lift of his rifle across his chest and the planting of his elbow against the table’s seat his only required preparation, “...Three!”

Bursting out of cover, the six survivors flock to each other’s side as Adrian fires a shot in the direction of the huddled enclave soldier, his attempted slaying of Courtney proving him to be a threat. With pinpoint accuracy, the bullet connects with the man’s face as he prepares to take aim for a second attempt on the woman’s life, putting him down once and for all.

“Where’s Lou!?” Jenn calls out, raising the obvious question before firing another shot off, connecting with her target with ease as the woman closest to the back seeks out an answer. “I can’t see him!” Sonya proclaims, firing another shot of her own at yet another dreaded foe, the bullet missing its target- but buying them time.

“Keep moving!” Sebastian orders, squeezing past Jenn and ahead of Rudy, who’d momentarily taken over the front of the group to provide cover as his wounded friend tried to catch up. Firing a second shot at her prior target, Sonya connects with a shot that, whilst seemingly non-fatal, does enough to bring the enemy to the ground.

Grunting as he lifts his rifle, Sebastian fires off another round at the back of a soldier that dashes for the camp’s most well-defined exit, bringing him to his knees before killing him with a second round. Lifting his weapon toward a second soldier drawing closer to the exit, Rudy prepares to fire off a round of his own before watching the man’s brains leave through the side he’d intended to fire at- the bullet having come from within the same darkness they seek the embrace of.

“Lou!” Terry exclaims, the first to emerge from within the night’s cover in search of his friend, unknowingly sprinting past the man’s group on his way further into the camp. “Terry!” Jenn exclaims, sprinting ahead of the rest of her coalition as the rest of her lost group soon reunite. “Jenn!” Jules shouts aloud, the first to follow Terry through the camp’s opening as time for reunion clearly dwindles.

“I see him!” Terry suddenly barks, pointing in the direction of an open fire as Jules’ eyes turn away from his long-lost friend- breaking out into a sprint toward the same inferno that captures his friend’s eye. “Dad, keep going- we’ll get Lou!” Marta shouts, able to spot her group before they have the chance to do the same, following Elsie and Josie into the same camp her closest allies seek refuge from.

“Honey-!” Adrian exclaims, slowing momentarily to call out for his daughter, who fails to hear his plea for her pause as she continues dashing into the line of danger, his own stutter ending as suddenly as it started. Gritting his teeth before nodding to himself with confidence, the father turns back to the rest of his friends and waves his hand forward, ordering them to keep moving.

“She’ll handle it, let’s go!” Adrian barks, accepting his daughter’s declaration and putting his trust in Lou’s teaching to pay off- recognising her progression as a survivalist and opting to put his faith in it. Their only reason to pause now handled, the group resumes their retreat and ventures onward, leaving behind the other half of their peers as they embrace the unknown path forward, united with their only intention being to move on and turn the page to a new chapter.

|

“Are they okay?” Lou asks, jogging alongside Marta as he follows the rest of his group to the coastline- able to make out the hint of moonlight that squeaks through the storm clouds to kiss the chilled waves and glisten beneath the empty night. “They were all together when I passed them” the young woman replies, keeping a tight grasp of the switchblade that she swings at her side with the back-and-forth motion of her arm.

“Should we keep an eye out for any of these people?” Josie calls back, able to speak through the air as it seemingly quiets, most of the gunfire having ceased as the majority of the two groups have set their sights on what comes next. “I don’t mean try to look for, just to be clear” the woman reiterates looking past her shoulder to direct her words toward the close-knit pair following all the way toward the back, “is there anyone we should keep an eye on?”

“Josie, there’s a time and place for that shit” Jules proclaims, speaking through bated breaths as he continues running, not a single survivor breaking away from the pack as the seaside appears closer. “Like I said- just Theo” Lou calls back, finally able to see the wet sand that separates the forest from the shoreline- the cold water that borders it on the other side left to host a number of boats still left unaccounted for- those that opted to escape the island having departed well before.

“Lower your weapons!” Sebastian exclaims, sat on one of the seats to a moderately sized watercraft as Sonya presses a bandage against his wound with pressure. “They’re here!?” Adrian calls back, having taken a seat behind the boat’s wheel as he turns back, watching his daughter, her closest friend and a small group of their fellow survivors emerge from behind the cover of the forest.

Disembarking the vessel for a moment, Jenn braces against the cold waters as Elsie and Josie are the first to enter it, their arms opening to welcome the embrace that she meets them with. Stepping ahead of Marta as he pulls apart for just a moment to reach for a rifle that lays unattended in the sand, Lou follows Terry and Jules into the frosty ocean, staring at the reflection of himself that he can barely make out when the group that had waited for him break out into a collective shout.

“Shut up! All of you- shut up!” Theo exclaims from behind the man, his voice immediately prompting Lou to turn back with a look of confusion. “Lou, get the fuck back here!” the man- whose inaction was responsible for the extent of the damage that had ensued- calls back, one arm wrapped around Marta’s throat as his other holds the barrel of a pistol against the side of her head.

“Woah, Theo- hold on!” Lou exclaims, extending his arm at the moment of recognising the threat that’s posed, the rebar staff held outward at the man he tries to keep from acting more irrationally than he had to this point. “Shut up and get over here!” Theo commands, spit flying from his lip as he shouts at the man that willingly gives into his demands, a cooperative posture taken as his once-friend attempts to reason with him.

“Everyone lower your weapons- we don’t need to lose anyone else tonight!” Lou calls out to his friends- those both aboard the ship and still in the water- as he cautiously approaches the unruly gunman. “Let’s all calm down and think about the decisions we’re about to make” the threatened survivor pleads, watching the worried look on Marta’s face stare at him with hopeful eyes, her trust in him to keep her safe from the harm that looms over her unwavering.

“We’ve dealt with bigger fish than this, so- whatever’s going on- it’s something we’ll all get through together” Lou continues, carefully stepping back onto solid ground as his unreasonable friend backs away, “-just like we always have.” Shaking his head, Theo visibly refuses the man’s words of encouragement, keeping half of his attention aimed at the people aboard the ship as he stands firm in the choice he’s made.

“We’ve known each other for our entire lives and you’ve known these people for, like- a fucking month” Theo spouts with vigour, his face scrunched with anger as he sways forward and back with the girl still at his gunpoint, “and yet- whenever you had the chance- you went to them.”

“I never chose them over you, Theo” Lou quickly replies, met with the man’s refusal of such notion with equal haste. “You’ve chose them at every fucking turn!” Theo screams back, prompting Marta’s eyes to squeeze shut in an effort to regain her composure as he presses the barrel against her head harder, “and at every fucking turn- every... fucking... turn...- you just keep getting closer to them, and farther away from me.”

“So that’s what this is about?” Lou asks, speaking calmly as he nods his head, leaning it toward his left side as he shrugs his shoulders, “you think I don’t care about you anymore or something?”

“It’s about you leaving me behind!” Theo shouts back, his trigger-grazing finger shaking with the rest of his trembling hand as he leans forward, “I’ve lost everything since you brought these people back with you! Lee’s trust, your friendship, the people I’ve spent every day after getting shot off the Euronam with- everything!”

“And that’s my fault?” Lou replies, turning his outward-extended hand back toward himself as his voice lowers with his head, almost curious to know if that’s the point being made. “You’re saying I sent you into this spiral ‘cause I- what?- made some friends?”

“I’m saying you’re all I had left” Theo replies, lowering his own voice to match that of Lou’s own, each word they speak barely able to be heard by the men and women about their waterbound ticket to a new start. “When I found you in those woods, I had hope” the man continues, his hold on Marta remaining as tight as it had been when he’d subdued her- if not tighter, “Lee and I- before you came, we figured it was over. Everyone- all of them- gone.”

Remaining silent, Lou’s expression softens as he subtly creeps forward, closing the distance between himself, the hostage and her captor, all whilst letting his friend continue to vent. “But then I found you out in those woods. For the first time since Lee brought me on board, I had actual hope” Theo proceeds, rolling his eyes and rolling his head as he stares off toward the sky whilst he speaks, “I found a friend- one I never thought I’d see again. I thought maybe it was a sign.”

Feeling the motion of her captor’s head, Marta parts her eyelids with hopes of capturing whatever look she can at the man, grasping her switchblade tighter with full understanding of the risk her implicating manoeuvre poses. Passing a look toward Lou as the man behind her continues to speak, the young woman prepares to take her chance before glancing toward the finger her mentor subtly lifts from his staff, quelling her intentions upon its gentle sway of refusal.

Her lips pressing into a frown, Marta takes the man’s signal for what it requests and gives up on the hopes of catching her detainer by surprise. “And even though Halston wasn’t with her, I figured coming back with Jenn was just the icing on top- and it was” Theo continues, too caught up in his own monologue to recognise the subdued advancement of his friend as he continues, “but what happened when I realised that reunion I’d given up on was actually coming true?”

“Tell me” Lou replies, interjecting his own voice to make sure the man he slowly approaches knows that deaf ears aren’t where his words are taken toward. “No, go on- tell me” the man doubles down, not wanting to appear ingenuine by cowering to the man’s actions, believing it to be out of character in ways more dangerous than what unfolds now. “You were gonna leave” Theo finally replies, listening to the faint shuffling of water as the rest of his true friends hop out of the bitter Strait.

“Yeah, to go get our friends back” Lou replies, almost immediately earning the shake of vehement refusal from his friend-turned-adversary, “and then we were coming right back here.”

“Not until you found out these people were coming- not when you realised this place was gonna be attacked” Theo replies, licking his lips as the cold air begins to chap them, “that’s when you decided to attack them and steal their boats.”

“Yes, and bring everyone with us” Lou replies, continuing to maintain his facade as he continues his slow approach, the words he uses however- they don’t lack in genuinity. “Theo, the others made every point you could ask for! All it takes is one bad harvest and people starve. And when you can’t scavenge anymore, you can’t go to where the food is ‘cause you can’t get off the island!” the man hastily adds on, “come on, Theo- think with your head!”

“That’s not the point! The point is- the second you had any doubt that the island could be a permanent home- you would never choose to stay!” Theo retorts, his voice raising into a yell as his friend rolls his eyes, “I know you, Lou! This camp- and everyone in it- always came second to your little friends here. It didn’t matter that those pansies refused to accept the fact that they couldn’t fucking hack it, the point was- they came first!”

Turning his sights onto Marta, Theo’s eyes fill with rage as he glances toward the weapon he wields, the distance between himself and Lou still far enough for him to pull the trigger cleanly. “I see that look in your eyes” Lou remarks, prompting his new-enemy to look at him with a sadistic scowl, the calmness in his friend’s voice somehow more angering than when it’s amplified through a yell.

“Of all the people you have a problem with, it’s Marta that’s got your riled up the most” Lou quips, a statement that the angered gunman refuses to argue against. “It’s not even necessarily because she does something the others don’t, it’s because- when you think of the others- she’s the first person that comes to mind” the one-armed soldier explains, opening his hand to drop his rebar staff in the sand, disarming himself as he draws closer.

“Let me remind you that this war- everything that happened at the camp back there- is your fault” Lou adds, taking on the full weight of Theo’s stare as he steps closer, his freed hand still held out in an unimposing way. “Whatever your thoughts about Lee are don’t matter- he’s dead. He’s dead, and you killed him. So, if I’m such a bad guy for betraying you, doesn’t that make you just as bad?” the man continues to ask, “he trusted you, and you chose to stab him in the back.”

Remaining silent in lieu of a dignified retort, Theo continues to watch Lou speak, one eye squinted farther than the other as Marta returns to readying the blade in her hand, waiting for the same opportunity she’d expect her mentor to anticipate.

“If you’re gonna try to kill Marta for what I did, then who has to die for what you did, huh?” Lou dares to question, his head subtly tilting to one side as he steps even closer. “Is it Jenn? Does she have to die for your discretion?” the man asks, prompting the gunman to glance in the direction of the aforementioned lady whose presence had once certified his hope, her feet dangling off the edge of the boat she sits at the cusp of, watching the situation unfold just as the rest.

“Maybe Terry or Jules? Elsie or Josie?” Lou proceeds to ask, the foursome- some kneeling whilst the rest stand- remaining by Jenn’s side as their names are mentioned, “do any of them have to die for it?” Looking toward their direction with his nostrils flaring, Theo listens to his friend continue to speak with captivated ears. “No, of course not ‘cause they’re not why you have a problem with me” the handicapped negotiator continues, “-it’s the others you hate, right?”

Glancing back as he points toward the boat, the disarmed peacekeeper continues to devolve the conversation into a battle of accusations- challenging a dart to be thrown at the metaphorical board. “How about Rudy or Sonya?” Lou asks further, Theo’s eyes joining him in spotting the father and daughter stood closest to Sebastian’s side, “I mean, they’re the pansies that can’t hack it according to you- are they the ones that need to kick the bucket?”

Remaining silent as he seethes, Theo continues to entertain his friend’s game as the upper hand remains within his possession. “I mean, if your actions are anything to go by, it seems like Courtney’s the one that has to go” Lou continues onward, the woman in question remaining stood firmly by the side of her remaining family, watching as intently as the rest of the group does, “if you’re willing to sacrifice your own damn friend, what more would putting her down do, right?”

Taking a glance toward the ground, Theo continues to register the words that the conversation’s only other proponent wages before they begin again. “I mean, fuck it- Sebastian, Adrian, Marta- they’d all have bought the farm if you got your way, that point really doesn’t seem to be important anymore, does it?” Lou finally concludes, reaching the ultimate destination his remarks had intended to reach, reclaiming the undivided attention of his enemy.

“The answer is none of them. It’s none of them, and it shouldn’t be. None of them should be who you point that gun at- Marta included” Lou declares, nodding to the man as a smirk comes over his face, “and do you want to know why, Theo? It’s because your problem isn’t with them, your problem is with me.”

Furrowing his eyebrows, Theo looks his friend in the face as he extends his arm and a half outward, the only palm he has to present provided in full view. “You’ve done all of this now. You’ve got no camp, you’ve got no people, and you’ve got no hope” Lou proclaims, passing a smile toward the woman his every word intends to secure the safety of, “that gun should be pointed at me because- if anyone’s gonna have to die for your actions- it should be me.”

Pulling back slightly, Theo’s face eases as he turns his sights away from the girl within his reach, gently pulling the barrel away from her head for the first time since capturing her. “As much as you hate to admit it, you know I’m right” Lou tacks on, reclaiming Theo’s attention as he keeps the barrel within millimetres from the woman’s head, the slight retreat of his weapon more than enough to prove to the once-star of the Euronam’s pit that his words have met their target.

In silence, the deranged provocateur splits his sights from the woman at his hand to the man at his mercy, eventually setting his beady pupils upon his chosen target. Refusing to part for even the briefest declaration, Theo’s lips remain as steady as his aim does, moving away from Marta’s head with its ultimate target in full sight. Collectively calling out for a stop to the man’s motion, the group upon the getaway cruiser are helpless but to watch on as what is meant to unfold does so.

Relinquishing his possession of her, Theo lets Marta fall from his grasp without realising what he’s allowed to unfold. Picking her spot at the faintest sign of it, the newly-freed survivor twists her body around and drives her blade into the gunman’s chest.

*pop*

With the instinctive squeeze of his trigger, Theo’s sights are taken elsewhere as his weapon slips from within reach and falls into the sand he soon tumbles backward into. Covering his face as the gunshot rings out, Lou feels sand shoot against his side as the stray bullet imbeds itself within the earth.

“Ah, you f-” the wounded survivor cries out, tumbling back as he trips over the same rifle that had afforded him the opportunity to kickstart the showdown that now results in his turn of fate. Ripping the blade out of his pec as he presses down on the wound, Theo pushes himself off the ground behind the shot of adrenaline that courses through his veins as his advancement is halted before it can even begin- the barrel of his weapon now taken toward him at the hand of his best friend.

With a stoic expression, Lou turns his eyes away from Theo and looks to the woman beside him, her unscathed appearance presenting him with enough reassurance to set sights back toward the man in question. Cornered and left with nowhere to turn, the bleeding combattant lets out a sigh and drops the knife with his head hung, not a word to share as the sudden loss of said adrenaline prompts him to fall to his knees.

“Go back to the boat” Lou softly calls out to Marta, able to feel her stare take to him as he makes his orders known, “I’ll be on in a second, just get on the boat and get ready to leave.” Pausing for a moment, the woman in question looks back to the man that had threatened to end her life before following through with what’s asked of her, turning around to leave as her mentor prepares to take care of what he readies himself to leave behind.

Closing his eyes, Theo keeps his head away from the man he listens to the approaching footsteps of, aware of what’s about to happen and accepting of it. “I’m not wrong” the man- whose sentencing has already taken place- mutters beneath his breath. “Yes, you were” Lou replies quickly, only to watch the man’s head shake in refusal as he doubles down on the claim.

“I’m not talking about them, I’m talking about you” Theo responds in a sombre voice, the sweat glistening over his forehead and responsible for soaking his hair, which falls over his face as he finally looks up to his executioner. “You’re a good guy Lou, but you’re your own worst enemy” the man continues to speak, staring past the barrel of the gun that stares him in the face, shrugging his shoulders as he makes the declaration he knows will prove to be important.

“Those people back there are gonna get themselves caught up in some deep shit, and when Lou comes to save the day-” the man quips, frowning as he clicks his tongue and meets the man hovering over him with a defeated grin, “-well, that’s when it comes back to bite him- doesn’t it?”

Meeting his friend with silence, Lou stares into the eyes of a man he once thought he’d known but, as times have changed, became more than he’d seen before. “We both know you’d be willing to die for them just like you were willing to die for us, so- since we both know they’re gonna be the thing that gets you killed, I’ve got to ask-” Theo questions aloud as he shakes his head in bewilderment, “-what happened to you? What is it about them that makes them worth that?”

His emotionless face soon touched by the gesture of acceptance, Lou’s eyes take toward the woodlands that serve as the backdrop to his intended action whilst his lips part, answering the question he believes Theo still deserves the dignity of getting an answer to. “I-” the man murmurs, lifting his eyebrows as he shrugs his shoulders, the rain continuing to pelt the pair as he looks back down, the content visage he now wears lending his answer all the credence it needs, “-I got attached.”

As his answer is given, Theo’s face eases in the answer that’s provided, which only certifies his own theories that had been crafted along the way as his eyes shut, bracing for the moment that begins with the pistol’s barrel pressing against his forehead. “Good luck, Lou” the man speaks softly as a cold gust of wind wraps through the air, its faint whistle the final sound that separates his well wishes from his friend’s response.

*pop*

== RISE and REVOLT ==