Chapter Text
In the Forsaken universe, we all suffer, WE US WEEE USSSS WEEE
Brighteyes is a survivor in this fic idk
Jane Miller/Brighteyes, Jane Miller, Brighteyes, Builderman, Shedletsky, all the other survivors, Molly gets briefly mentioned and abused /j, lesbians talking, angst/comfort, idk, slight comedy
written at 1:19 A.M.
Jane Miller was one peculiar woman, she never really left the basement since she arrived here, and it was clear she was not planning on leaving it anytime soon, well unless it was to get food or drink. She spent most of her time researching the killers and their habits, even the survivors. she'd become an outcast, rarely visited by anyone but Brighteyes. Today was a rainy day, the water seeping through that half-broken, half-rotted wooden hatch to Jane's sanctuary. But this time, Jane was dreaming about it...
"yoohoo, Janeee~? i cooked up some of your favorite!" rang out that familiar voice.
Maybe Brighteyes was a bit too cheerful. i mean, in a realm like this? jeez, sometimes she was cheerful to the point it teeters on the very fine line of 'annoying' and 'tolerable'. not that Jane minded her presence at all, actually...
"over here, Bright." said Jane
"Gee, you sound off today...whats the matter Jane?" questioned Brighteyes in her usual tone
"just... I'm really confused and worried about John.."
"hmm? is it because of the corruption?" asked Brighteyes a little too quickly.
"yeah. it's like he won't even recognise me anymore.."
"it's okay Jane... hey, what do you say about us going up there to watch a movie?"
"me..? g-going...up...there..?" Jane asked, a scared and nervous expression clear on her face, even as her eyes were obscured.
"yeah! maybe I'll get to introduce you to them!" said Brighteyes, enthusiastic as ever.
"...alright, just this once." Jane said, as she got up from her seat
As Brighteyes excitedly dragged Jane to the others, she (Jane) instantly felt the stares dawning on her, a pressure like no other, it could even be described as her lungs being crushed by the sheer weight of their stares. still, when she saw Builderman, the deep hatred she'd nestled for him almost broke her completely. yet, she chose to stay silent.
Brighteyes barely glanced at Shedletsky before she dragged Jane up to the 2nd floor, where the TV and beanbags were located and put on a terrible comedy to watch.
as Brighteyes laughed her ass off, Jane couldn't help but stare at the absolute perfection Brighteyes was, fair skin, soft voice, smooth, silky purple hair... she was so distracted by her daydreams she didn't hear Brighteyes calling her name.
"My, i thought you passed out!" laughed Brighteyes
(ARE WE DEADASS RN JANE?? FOCUS, FOCUSSSSS...NOT ON HER BOOBS YOU FU-) Jane thought, though her face remained as stoic and unreadable as ever.
"Bright..?" Asked Jane
"hm?"
"can we...maybe go to your room..."
"...oh? are you sayin-MMMPH-!"
Jane had shut her up before she said more of what she'd assumed. though it'd be hard to say Brighteyes was wrong.
the walk to Brighteyes' room was awfully quiet, to the point Jane thought Brighteyes was mad at her or something.
"Jane.."
"yes?"
"I know what you are."
"...huh?"
"i have something to confess myself..."
".. what is it..?"
"Well, im not brigyt anymore!!!!😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭"
"WHAT THE FU-"
is this a ploy to get me to relax? it surely is-
before Jane had enough time to even finish her thought, Brighteyes had pinned her against the bedroom door.
" You think i didn't notice how you were staring at me? all those days i came to visit you, all were to just steal a glance at you. Jane, you're pretty. inside and out. do me a favour, forget John Doe."
"Y-you-!..What-!? what can you possibly mean-!"
" what I mean is, Jane, I know you like me."
"...you're not fuckin' wrong about that..." retorted Jane
" you know...Jane...maybe you could give me a kiss before we go back out.."
"... you're crazy." answered Jane, clearly this was all just so stupid, no way it was real...Jane pinched herself and woke up, the real Brighteyes sitting in the chair across from her, reading a research file based on Shedletsky.
"h-hey-! give that-...oh..." Jane screeched, surprised brighteyes was reading her research files with such interest.
“Jane, you’re awake,” Brighteyes said, after what felt like forever of staring awkwardly at each other.
“Give that…” Jane reached for the file, trying to yank it back.
“You know… I could really help with this ‘John Doe’ research,” Brighteyes suggested, though she wasn’t sure if Jane was still fully committed to the endless pursuit.
“…Really?”
“Yes. I mean it.”
“If you say so… then let’s get moving.”
“Whoa, quick, aren’t you? Alright then!”
---
The rain had stopped, but the air still carried the metallic tang of wet concrete. Brighteyes crouched near the corner of the alley, letting the dull orange light from the streetlamp spill over her shoulder. She could hear Jane’s boots tapping lightly against the pavement, uneven, impatient.
“You sure this is the right street?” Jane’s voice cut softly through the quiet. There was an edge to it—nervous energy wrapped in bravado.
Brighteyes glanced up, trying to catch her expression in the dim light. “It’s *a* street. The cameras on that block flickered earlier. Could be nothing, could be him.”
Jane huffed. “You always hedge. That’s why we almost ran into trouble last week.”
Brighteyes didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she scanned the alley again, noting the faint smear of something dark along the wall, the faint drip echoing somewhere deeper in the building. A shadow had shifted, though it could’ve been her imagination. She squared her shoulders. “We move slow. Watch corners. Watch each other.”
Jane rolled her eyes, but there was a tremor in her hands as she checked the lock on a side door. “Slow. Right. Because that worked so well before.”
The alley smelled of wet asphalt and burnt ozone, and every tiny sound was amplified—the drip of water, the distant clatter of metal, the scrape of tires on the road. Brighteyes could feel her pulse thrum in her throat. She wanted to tell Jane to back off, to wait, but she also knew that hesitation wasn’t an option—not now.
A sudden noise—a clatter of metal behind a dumpster—made them both freeze. Jane’s hand went to her jacket zipper; Brighteyes’ fingers twitched near the corner of her coat. Their eyes met, and in that brief silence, everything was stated without words: danger is here.
“Go check,” Jane whispered. Her voice was tight. Brighteyes shook her head.
“You check.”
Jane snorted. “Nope. You always say that, you always—” She broke off as a figure stepped out of the shadows. John Doe.
The world seemed to narrow. Rain-slicked concrete reflected his silhouette. Something about him felt… wrong. Not just the calm control of his stance, but the faint ripple of corruption that clung to him, subtle, almost invisible.
Jane lunged with her hatchet. Brighteyes moved with her, too late. Metal scraped against concrete, a small explosion of sparks from the edge of a weapon Jane hadn’t seen. Brighteyes caught Jane by the arm, pulling her back, but not before Jane grazed a foot of jagged metal. Pain flared. She hissed, jerking free anyway.
“Brighteyes! He—he’s faster than we thought!”
“I know!” Brighteyes’ voice was sharp, clipped, adrenaline slicing through fear. “Back off! Now!”
They scrambled, feet slipping on wet pavement, breathing harsh and fast. A shadow moved again—too quick, too deliberate. Something clipped Brighteyes’ shoulder. She stumbled, nearly face-first into the alley. Jane cursed, gripping her own side where a shallow cut had opened.
They made it to a corner, leaning against opposite walls, heaving, wet, bleeding, trembling. The world outside the alley seemed muted. Only the sound of their hearts and the faint drip of rain mattered.
Jane’s chest rose and fell. “We… we can’t keep doing this,” she said, voice low, trembling between anger and fear.
Brighteyes pressed a hand to her own wound, tasting blood on her lip. “No. We regroup. We figure out what’s happening with John Doe... and then we go back. But we live first.”
Jane swallowed hard. “Fine. But you’re cleaning that smear off the file when we get back.”
Brighteyes gave a wry smirk despite the pain. “Yeah. Sure. Let’s just not die on the way there.”
The alley fell silent again, but neither of them relaxed. They had survived the first strike, but this was only the beginning. Somewhere, just beyond the fog and the dim light, John Doe waited. And the corruption he’d left behind wasn’t going anywhere.