Chapter Text
Things were less in their favor this time, but it always felt like a gamble.
The first two gone were Felix and Yun-Jin, but when it came to the producer there was a little less shock there. While she was quick at adapting, she was still learning to be a team player. Felix however, had almost thrown himself out first, hoping to aid the others, although it hadn’t shaken out quite the way he had planned. That left only Jake, Zarina, and somewhere out there; Danny.
Part of him worried about Zarina, although he knew she could take care of herself. The last he had seen of her was when they had ended up in the same corner behind a small gathering of trees, and she had done her best in a slap and go amatuer nursing of his wounds for him; it was good enough, although she ran off without another word. It had been oddly silent after that, matches against the Ghostface always were, but Jake would deal with him over Myers any day.
He held in a breath as he pulled at a few of the wires under his fingers, before adjusting a panel. There were only two more to go, and he was almost done with the one he was working on, if Zarina had found one, if she was almost done, there was a chance.
And then he heard it, that awful sound, once blood chilling but now all too normal; a scream all too close, a sound of finally being caught. He stopped, pulling his hands away from the generator before he caught himself falling back and tried to push himself standing in an almost fluid motion. Her screams almost echo before they gurgled out in the distance, before a few moments of silence fell again, smothering him like the mist. Zarina was dead, and Jake was left alone.
Time to go.
Forcing his legs to move, there could be no waiting, he found himself somewhere to hide amongst the bushes and piles of wood in the home of Huntress, and began to pick apart the sounds around him. In an environment like he was in, at least it felt a little more like home, at least there was some boon beyond the eeriness. He knew what he was doing. There was one sound in particular he needed, and once located and then it was home free. It was always like a whisper of wind, humming among the crows and crushing footsteps racing him for it.
Unfortunately it was not the hatch he picked up, but instead the sound of something heavy hitting the wet ground next to him, before there were words.
“Hi there, Mister Park, how are you doing?”
It had been a pair of heavy boots. Shit.
Slowly, he turned around, taking a few steps back against the foliage without even thinking. Danny had fallen down behind him, and pulled up his mask just enough to reveal the stupidest, shit eating grin. Although Jake couldn’t see his eyes, he knew there wasn’t a moment he wasn’t being watched. When he didn’t answer, the killer merely shrugged and took a few steps closer, further cornering him with nowhere to go. Part of him felt he should have run, but that would have had him on the ground in seconds, the knife in his back, his eyes rolling back to black.
“You and your friends put up a good fight this time, I’m impressed. And usually this would end in your absolute defeat but...you’ve earned my interest. Ah, nay, my respect.” As he spoke, there was no longer any distance between them. He reached up to run his leather clad hands along Jake’s cheek, who only jerked away.
“What do you want? Just go ahead and kill me. That’s your whole thing, I saw you gut them for your photos like you always do. Just get it over with.” there was a sharpness to his glare when he gave it, which only earned him a laugh from Danny. Although he did seem impressed when his macabre collection was brought up, he didn’t seem to mention it.
“Hey, hey, this...is going to be a little different. You see, I made a little promise for our local breakfast club.” A sigh passed his lips, head tilting in a bob back and forth softly a few times, as he seemed to chew on his words. “It’s almost a shame with how photogenic you are, buuuuuut, they really seem attached to you already. And as much as I am a man for myself, I don’t think I could stand to break Susie’s heart, of any of them.”
He was met with silence from the survivor still beneath his hands, still stuck between a rock and a hard place. Jake refused to look at him as he continued to speak, and in that moment, there was a part of him that almost just wanted Danny to kill him. It would make this go so much faster, wouldn’t it? Instead of, well, whatever the fuck all this was.
“Right,” the killer continued, sighing, “Since clearly I’m boring you somehow, let’s move on.” With his free hand, he fished out a small key from one of his many pockets, bound with a small note and a little pink ribbon. Offering it out to him, he watched as it wasn’t taken for a moment, and Danny’s unseen eyes merely scowled. “It’s not from me, will you just take Susie’s gi-”
Then it was snatched from his hand, and a moment later, Jake was shouldering his way passed, hoping the moment of immunity held. Offering a wave back of thanks, he didn’t care anymore. He didn’t care about any of this, not for those kids, not for whatever was going on with that mask, not for this game Danny was roping him into. It was all stupid and overly complex, but a key was a key, and he just wanted to end this stupid trial already. It wasn’t like the hatch was closed anyway, but in case Danny beat him to it, this was just what he needed. If he didn’t use it, if he won their little race, then he’d have it for next time.
Without hesitation, he was off, his legs pushing him as fast as they could and as far from the situation as possible. The only problem was, killers were faster, and this one was watching him the entire time.
Moving through the dense terrain of their surroundings, it was easy for Jake to be cut off even just feet away. Before he could stop, he found himself tripped up, face down in the dirt with his feet kicked out from under him; though his fingers had never held onto anything tighter than they held onto the key in that moment. Arms were pulled to his chest, but it meant little when moments later he was rolled to his back, straddled and trapped by one of the last people he would ever want to be stuck under. Well, at least it wasn’t Michael. Or Ji-Woon.
Feeling the tip of a blade pushed up against his chin, Danny was frowning down at him, mask pushed up further from his face. It was perhaps the first time Jake had really ever seen his face, more than the wicked smile he would offer when feeling smug in their trials together. In the pit of his stomach he would have to admit, at least he wasn’t the ugliest man, but it was still so uncomfortable.
“Jake, Jakey, my boy,” he clicked his tongue in mocking, faux disappointment, earning a scowl in return. “I deliver you a gift, and you still don’t trust me? Come on, aren’t we friends?”
“No.”
With the word said so flat, it was then that Danny was leaning close down, almost nose to nose with the man caught under his weight. Pushing a knee down into his side, the edge of the blade was used to pull his chin up. Every little thing had Jake right where the killer wanted him to be. Any other time, this would be a ridiculous game to play, in fact, any other time he would have been dead long ago. By now, he could have been back with the others, reeling at his failure, and wallowing in silence only to do it again and hope to do better the next time.
But this was different now. It was all a new game, and for what? Because he had finally snapped and decided stabbing that freak teenager was worth it? It still was, but had it really caused all of this?
“Well at least I have your attention, Mister Park,” he continued nonetheless, ignoring how the anger boiled beneath Jake’s features. “Since you will feign selective illiteracy, it’s from our local ragtag teens who love you, signed in Susie’s best glitter pen. They wish to meet with you, somewhere fair for you all. You can pick, even bring a friend.”
“And why are you helping them, then? Aren’t you and the one I stabbed….” he didn’t even finish the sentence, not really knowing how to. Sleeping together? Dating? Stabbing each other only for one to be sucked off after? It was all over his head, so why pretend to understand.
“Oh, Morrison?” Danny was amused by that, almost laughing as he pulled back the knife from Jake’s flesh. “It’s complicated, don’t worry that pretty little head of yours about it. Just know, you have my attention now, and more importantly, I’m helping them out. Or perhaps this is more selfishly motivated, as I wished to have a bit of your attention for myself in the future.”
It was an answer he hated. He didn’t want to have the attention on him, any of it at all, ever. Jake didn’t want any of what was happening, and he didn’t know how many times he needed to say such, think about it, or anything kind of anything about it. But with Danny’s confirmation, it only felt as if things were going to get worse.
“Oh?” he couldn’t help the question, “Looking to get stabbed too? Because it looks like you have my attention then, too.” Without waiting for a reply, he tried to offer some wit, backed by scathing sarcasm. Still holding the key, Jake did his best to then reach up and grab Danny by the shoulders, as if to shake his balance and roll them over now that the knife was not so dangerously close to his throat. It did throw the man back, not exactly as planned, but dislodging him enough to where Jake could scoot himself back in the wet grass and mud, only to try scrambling to his feet.
Prone only for a moment, there was a grunt of displeasure before Danny was pushing himself to his feet and going after the other man. This time, he wasn’t fast enough and lost track of him. Just as Jake hid behind a thick, nearby tree, Danny pulled down his mask, and turned away from him.
“Fine. Alright. You don’t want to listen, and that’s fine,” he called out, frustrated. “I’ll give you this round, as was promised. But next time I see you, I’m not going so easy on you.”
With nothing else to say, he was gone, allowing Jake time to run for the hatch.
-xxx-
“Well? How did it go? He accepted it so it went well right? How did he respond? What location did he pick?” with each passing moment, another question seemed to fall from Susie’s lips as she fussed over Danny. If she were a puppy, her tail would be wagging in such excitement, and she would never stop pawing at him. That part may be more possible, as her hands kept lightly tapping at his shoulder.
Danny however, only heaved a heavy sigh and pulled away from the young girl, moving to fall back into one of the couches that were rotting away in the Ormond resort. He’d promised to meet the group to give them a better first hand response, so they didn’t just have to watch the trial.
“You have such a project on your hands,” he merely offered in response, pulling back his mask and tossing it next to him. “I don’t have many answers for you, beyond the fact you better just keep at it. Seems he’s not really the “playing with a group” type.” as he spoke, Susie fell next to him, looking over to where Joey stook against one of the wooden beams, her eyes wide.
“But he plays with all the others in the games, do you think he just doesn’t like us…” her tone seemed to waver, if only briefly. “Jo-jo, he’s gotta like us, right?” though to that, she did receive a soft shrug.
“Sorry Sus, I’m not so sure. But we’ll get there, can’t keep you at bay for too long.”
Kicking her legs, Susie laughed and seemed to carry the positivity still. He was right, as if there was anyone to keep control of the situation, it was absolutely her, and everybody loved her or would come to. Of the group, she was the most adored, and not a soul could really think of another who disliked her, she was just their precious, perfect girl; and that was even when she dropped into being the most feral little thing to ever exist.
“Right, well, you all keep going,” Danny waved a hand, “And if you ever need me, I suppose let me know. I will not run your errands, but I am curious about all of this. Especially him.” When he said that, Susie’s head nearly snapped into place to stare over at him, and he could feel Joey’s eyes boring a hole right through him.
“Do you enjoy him that much?” Susie asked, leaning over, nose close to his shoulder as she peered up at him. “So you really were serious.”
“No, no, this is about Frank too. You guys are finally on break for real, huh?” Joey interjected, snorting. “Gotta tell Jules she owes me twenty bucks.”
“That’s not…it’s doesn’t have…ugh.” there was a groan from the elder man, and he brought his hands up to drag the palms down his face. Fingers digging into his cheeks, he stared at the ceiling, ignoring them for a moment, unsure what to even address. None of it, actually, because it wasn’t wrong, but they weren’t right, and he wasn’t in the mood for discussing Frank. That was for later with the man himself, considering he’d be seeing him later, anyway. Instead the next words to be spoken were, “Speaking of the other one, where is she, hm? I thought you three were parasites attached at the hip these days.”
“Oh!! Jules is busy, so she watched the trial and then left us to speak with you,” the response came without pause, as hands were resting against him, a chin against them. Susie was back to truly leaning on him, though Danny did nothing to stop her. “She had some plans with Anna, it’s their usual hand out day…time? Time.”
“They’re bonding over hatchet throwing and pot,” Joey snorted, “Not together, but man you gotta see Anna like that, it’s interesting as fuck man.”
The thought took a moment to process, just before Danny couldn’t help but belt out a laugh.
“She gets high? You’re fucking with me? Christ..” he couldn’t seem to think about it, much less truly imagine what it was like. The almighty Huntress, absolutely blitzed out of her mind, and suddenly he was so fascinated. But then, he was sitting up, looking down at Susie. She blinked up at him, and even had Joey’s attention from the few feet away, all while Danny was grinning, laughing.
“Do you think we could get Myer’s high?”
–xxx–
Upon his return to the small campfire for the survivors, Jake was met with a small welcoming party, however some were a little less than pleased to see him in the state he was in. Odd. Laurie had waited patiently for him, and upon seeing him dashed over to see him and offered him a kind greeting and a hug he was unable to refuse. But just as she did, he was making eye contact with Steve, who had hands on his hips, eyes narrowed.
“Did I miss a spot of mud in my escape?” Jake snorted, just as Laurie pulled away, looking between them, her brow furrowed. Before she could speak, Steve was stepping over, still scowling.
“You're really working with them, huh? The fuck man.” When he spoke, the world seemed to crash around Jake, and all he could do was sigh. That’s what this was about, that’s what he was going to have to focus on for so long. Was he not watching? The last part of that interaction had still been hell, and it was almost a promise that the next time he ran into Danny he was absolutely dead. First he had Frank headhunting him, now he had Danny, much less he seemed to be the toy of a handful of other killers.
It just wasn’t Jake’s day, much less his existence. Nobody was winning, but least of all him.
“I…no, of course not.” he corrected, scowling back. “It’s just some fluke, those kids are delusional and Danny-”
“Ohoho! Danny! First name basis I see!” Steve was laughing, almost mockingly as he threw his hands up and turned away from them. “When will you have nicknames, want to kiss too? Hold hands?”
“You stop it Steve, he’s not on their side,” Laurie hissed, looking him to Jake, her brow creasing in concern. “You know we use names sometimes, it’s all based on..” she paused, a little too long. “Relation.” they both knew what she meant, considering she had been the one to face Michael so closely before being pit against him who knows how many times now, it was no different than some of the others and their personal monsters. The way the hulking beast came for Jill, or how Quinten would speak of the nightmare that followed him even here. Some of them just seemed to have names.
That also seemed to shut Steve down, if only for a minute.
“I’m not asking for this,” Jake continued, his hands shoved in his pockets just then. He was still holding onto the key, as if it were everything to him, yet so much of him said he shouldn’t care, it was just a key, it was stupid. They were just stupid kids, and they were killers. He himself had even died to them before, he could so vividly remember.
“And what happens if I find out you're lying, huh?” They were nose to nose, Laurie just watching for a moment before she reached to lay a gentle hand on each of their chests to keep them separate. “If you are, if I find out-”
“I’m not, so don’t worry about it.” He was quick to cut him off, pulling away so he could step back and turn to leave the encounter. “I need to take a nap, if you don’t mind. If you see Felix or the others, tell them thank you.”
“I– We! We will,” Laurie called, pushing herself in front of Steve before he could speak. “And Jake, don’t forget, we need to plan soon! We will deal with him.”
She only received a wave back at her, but knew it was a promise to talk soon. One thing at a time.