finale!

[coniurati]

The library began to burn almost three hours ago now, so feel free to backdate or forward-date the firefighting. As mentioned, it will burn completely to the ground.

Nothing special will be found in the ruins—sorry, guys—but there are some other changes going on: Knowlton will continue to be MIA, and those of you who know him will notice that Holden's frequency has suddenly vanished entirely from the network.

Revivals will go on as usual, but you'll also notice that all at once, the scientist's supply drops will be a little bit nicer than they have been—slightly fancier canned food, a few loaves of actual bread, that kind of thing. There's no more than usual, it's just of a higher quality, with more "luxury" items (cat food, candy, even a few cigarette packages and beer) than usual. This will last for a few days, before dropping back to normal around Monday.

And why is this? Well.

When the man comes out of the library, dusting off his hands on his pants legs, Knowlton is there. His hands are wrapped in scraps of cloth, but he can still hold a gun—and does so, his face betraying none of his thoughts. It's already pointed at Holden.

"Oh, there you are." Holden holds up his hands.

"Cut the shit." Knowlton takes a step forward, and then a step back, glancing behind Holden at the library. It's not smoking yet. "Hah, and here I thought you could teleport, mate."

"It's so tricky to get through walls."

"—Shut up!" The burns on Knowlton's hands and arms—it's harder than he wants to admit, holding the gun. There's not a lot of time. "Listen to me. I've been waiting for this—"

"The chance to kill me? You must be disappointed that no one believed you. Even when you tried to pin the arson jobs on me…"

"You were the arson! You just set the bloody building on fire, didn't you?"

"But not the school. People live there, Thomas." His tone scolding, his smile growing. "I think—two of them even died. That makes it three times we've had to clean up after you, mate. I think you owe me."

"I told you to shut up!" The gun starts to list down, and he jerks it back up. "It was all for the greater good."

"And yet no one believed you." Holden smirks. Despite having a gun pointed at him, he's at ease. "Who would you have killed next?"

"You." Knowlton takes a step forward. "You're the reason I'm here! You're the reason my mates died!"

"I never killed a single one."

"Shut up! You told us Discedo had the medicine. You gave us the maps! You set us up! Yeah, I've got three—three killed to my name, but you got every one of my mates, every one of the people they killed—"

"Please. Don't act like you care, it's unnatural." Holden strolls forward. The handgun knocks against his chest, and he looks Knowlton in the eye smiling. "Are you going to pull the trigger or not?"

Knowlton punches him in the face instead. In the scuffle, it's easy for Holden to take the pistol from the other, pull it from his bandaged hands. When it's over, Knowlton is collapsed on the ground, Holden's boot on his shoulder, his own gun pointed at his head.

"Look at you." Holden shakes his head sadly. Behind them, smoke begins to leak through the holes in the library roof, the empty windows. The smell of burning comes with it. "Not even a soldier, are you?"

"You son of a—" Holden grinds his boot down and Knowlton hisses in pain, swallowing the rest of his curse.

"And after I set you free from jail, too. That's four favors. Such a failure. Can't turn the city against me, can't get people to believe you, can't save your friends… can't save yourself."

"You think I'm scared of you?" Knowlton spits out.

"I think if you weren't, you would have shot me when you had the chance."

And a shot rings out.




Holden staggers back, shouting in pain and surprise; Knowlton raises himself onto his elbows, and they both stare in shock at the newcomer to the scene: a small woman with mousey brown hair, her lips pursed. She holds the gun with both hands, and her arms shake.

Holden clamps his hand to his shoulder. "Q! What the hell—"

"Be quiet!" She's breathing heavily. "Why are you doing this? W- why did you set those buildings on fire?"

Knowlton doesn't care for Discedeans, but anyone who shoots Holden wins points in his book. He assumes the question is directed towards him. "I was tying to get the city—"

"Not you!" She might be aiming at Holden, but it's hard to tell with how her hands are shaking. "Holden. Why?"

Flames start to lick out of windows. "Why not?" Holden says, cocky again. Q fires and misses, but it shuts him up. "…There's a lot of information in those places. Wouldn't want it falling into the wrong hands."

"Why not?" Both men look at her in surprise. "Why not? We're supposed to be helping them! B- but all you do is… make me take care of Lolita all day, and I've had it! All you do is hurt people, play with these poor refugees like they're… mice, and you're the cat. And now we're getting more refugees from here, and we won't make any progress like this!" Q looks suddenly uncertain, like she wasn't expecting to make such a speech. But she has Knowlton and Holden's undivided attention. "I'm sick of it. I followed you and…" she glances at the library. "Get out of here, Holden."

Holden stares at her for a long moment, then smirks. "You're…"

Whatever Q is remains a mystery. She shoots him again, hits the same arm as before. "I said get out of here! T- there's a refugee camp in the mountains, in Lach. Go there, go back to Accido, just get out of Discedo, Holden! Or I'll kill you!"

"You wouldn't kill me," Holden says, low and dangerous.

Q bites her lip.

"I'll kill you," Knowlton offers. He climbs to his feet. Holden had dropped the gun the first time he was shot, and Knowlton takes it back. "So listen to the girl, yeah?"






Holden watched them a long moment more, then turns and goes. South. Towards Lach.

"We haven't seen the last of him," Q sighs. Knowlton immediately drops the gun, his fingers burning. Q jumps back at the clatter, then looks at the library again. "We have to get out of here."

Knowlton gives her a wary look. The only reason he'd let go of the weapon was that he doesn't believe the girl has it in her to kill, as Holden had said. That doesn't mean he likes or trusts her. "Do we."

"People will be here soon, and…" Q takes a deep breath, looking at Knowlton directly for the first time. Then away again. "We should go."

"I'd rather not." Knowlton slowly sits down on the concrete.

"You'll go back into that jail. Or somewhere else, I guess."

"As opposed to your jail?"

Q slowly walks closer to him, kneeling down a few feet away. She carefully, aware he's watching, puts down the gun she still holds, wondering if that's a mistake. "It's just me and Lolita now. I… could use some help with the machines."

Knowlton looks up at her, sharply.

She tries to smile. "I know, I know, we're enemies. But… well, you're injured. I can help those burns. And then I think you and I should have a very long talk."

And that brings an end to this month's plot! We'll probably have a light, mini event for Christmas—it's tradition!—so look forward to it and thank you for participating!

Comments

[shemurai.livejournal.com]

whoa

[spooktalk.livejournal.com]

that's a nice way of putting it

Q, SUCH A BADASS. :O

[shemurai.livejournal.com]

I know right!! I just wanted to use that icon okay...... it is my face

right now

[spooktalk.livejournal.com]

how eloquent, Japan-chan

[brbmodernizing]

THE MOST

[dreamermoa.livejournal.com]

I think Q and Moa should hang out and be awesome together

[battledancing]

... wow.

[gunshooting.livejournal.com]

ohshit son--!

[trickiernthou.livejournal.com]

This would make a great novel written out. :3

[notfunnyraph.livejournal.com]

Go Q!

And more importantly, Yay cat food!

[is-the-eldest.livejournal.com]

Daaaaaaaamn. If only everyone could have seen/heard that. GO Q GO.

And ooooo... Worth will like the beer and cigs. Oh yes he will.

[x-dilettante-x.livejournal.com]

JOn is impressed! GO Q!

....always beware the cute ones, Holden 8|

[twin-sai-kame.livejournal.com]

Go Q go!