Crumbling.

[justoutrunyou]

Who: Sandy Marko and anyone who wants to see her before Mindy Kills her.
What: Sandy's been through hell this round and she's pissed.
Where: Wandering the floors.
When: Week six
Notes: Sandy has been battered, beaten, cut up and maimed and it's only gonna get worse.

Pruna was dead.

It all came back to that same miserable fact. Sandy had trusted Mindy, had urged Pruna to trust in Mindy too.

And then for no reason Mindy had betrayed them and killed Pruna.

And now Sandy had come to a choice that made her sick to her stomach. She would have to return the favor.

She was going to Kill Mindy McCready.

Of course she had no idea how she was going to do that.

Comments

For Everyone

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy didn't know where Mindy was hiding, and with the third floor having been wrecked by the volcano she wasn't keen on going to try and find the TV that had been showing tributes locations.

So floor by floor she crept with her gear bag hanging at her hip and a crowbar in her one remaining hand. A mask sat ontop of her head just waiting. All she would have to do was pull it down and it would latch onto her face.

She had clearly come out on the wrong side of this arena. One arm was simply gone. Not even a stump of a shoulder to bandage. All the bandages were wrapped around the hole where her arm should have been.

Her face was a cross stitch project of scars and blood. Some scabs were still fresh and when she frowned too hard they split open again.

Her PJ's were filthy with dirt, blood, sweat and tears. She hadn't thought to steal any fresh clothing after all this time.

When the cameras focused on her face they would see a fire in her eyes that didn't look like it belonged. There was anger, but it was not Sandy's usual righteous anger.

It was a dark and dirty sort of anger that she didn't understand and couldn't control for much longer.

[aintyourdad]

Joel was, all things considered, doing okay. His hands had taken a beating when the volcano set off the sprinklers, but otherwise, the only thing he had to worry about aside from other Tributes was hunger. He'd been rationing his food beyond even what he would normally do back in his own world, but he was still down to basically the chocolates Wyatt had shared with him.

He wasn't sure how long he could make the rest of it last, and he really did not relish the thought of starving to death - one of the least pleasant ways to go, as far as he was concerned.

When he heard someone approaching, then, he was prepared to attack - at this point, necessity had come to encompass the idea of killing people for whatever food they might be carrying. He'd done it before, it wasn't a stretch to go back to that kind of behavior when he needed to. But the sight of the small figure had him pausing - no matter how many moral lines he crossed, hurting children was always and forever a last resort. He stepped out of his hiding place, frowning deeply as he got a good look at her. "Do you need help?"

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy looked startled by his appearance and took a cautious step back raising her crowbar and fixing him with a stony glare.

"We all need help." she muttered "We're in the arena." But that was mostly just a bitter observation to make herself feel better. Somewhere in the back of her head she knew that odds were he meant it. Most adults who offered to help her in the arena had been trustworthy.

Then again Mindy had seemed trustworthy too.

[aintyourdad]

We all need help. From the mouths of babes. But Joel shook his head a little, crouching down to dig the remnants of his first aid kits out of his bag.

"Here, you'll make better use of this stuff than I will," he offered grimly. There weren't many bandages left, but there was some antibiotic ointment, sutures, some other useful stuff.

[justoutrunyou]

She lowered the crowbar a hesitant few inches.

"Why? You not planning on living much longer?" Suicidal tributes was far from unusual unfortunately. Then again for all she knew he was already dying of something.

[aintyourdad]

Joel gave her an almost-wry glance, but offered them up anyway. "Not great odds for any of us, but I don't have a death wish, if that's what you're askin'. My hands're fine, but you're a mess, kid. Just take it."

[justoutrunyou]

She hesitated and then decided there was no point in arguing.

"Alright but if I die after using these you can't get mad."

After all he may not have a death wish but she was on her way to confront one of the deadliest girls she had ever met.

She used the crowbard to drag the items across the floor to her still paranoid and cautious about getting too close to him.

"Thanks uh...I'm Sandy." Because this was clearly the time for introductions.

[aintyourdad]

"Nope, won't get mad," he said easily, making no move to get closer to her, or inspect her injuries without her leave. He knew as well as anyone that a kid like her had every right to be wary of a guy like him.

"I'm Joel," he offered, keeping his stance neutral, his hands out where she could see them. As if to say don't worry, I'm not a threat.

[justoutrunyou]

She cast a wary glance, the knelt down to gather up the things. The bar was too thick in her hand so she had to set it down to pick up the items. She wasn't sure how she was going to use them with ease but for now she'd put them in her bag.

"Thanks Joel. I was starting to worry I'd die before I did what I had to." She relaxed her shoulder and left the crowbar on the ground.

[aintyourdad]

"And what's that?" he asked, vaguely curious what might've been so important for her to do, in such a condition, and so young.

[justoutrunyou]

Drawing out a canister of water she stuck the lid in her mouth to twist it off and took a swig before answering.

"Revenge. Someone I thought was a friend killed my girlfriend." It felt so badass to say that even if she knew she was no where near badass enough to say those sorts of things and be taken seriously.

[aintyourdad]

Joel eyed her carefully. It wasn't really her age that concerned him - she was maybe about Ellie's size, if a couple years younger, but he knew full well the potential of young kids to do violence when necessary.

It was more her condition that had him skeptical. Only one arm, first and foremost. Presumably, whoever she was going up against had both arms at their disposal. And may very well have been older and more experienced, to boot. But what could he say to discourage her? He'd be doing the same thing, if Aunamee wasn't already dead.

"Sounds pretty serious," he murmured. "Good luck. Watch your back."

[justoutrunyou]

She had been afraid he was going to try and talk her out of it, thankfully that wasn't the case.

"Thanks...I don't really want to you know? I've never...killed any human before. But it's what Pruna would want...and I think it's what Mindy wants as messed up as that is." She was mostly just trying to sort it out in her own head, but Joel made a good sounding board for that.

For Mindy, Go ahead and start so Sandy can find her.

[justoutrunyou]

Re: For Mindy, Go ahead and start so Sandy can find her.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy didn't hide. This was coming, and she had done everything in her power to stay alive: drank water, washed out wounds, made makeshift tourniquets when needed. Pruna had fought well and given her some injuries to mull over. But that was done now: she was waiting for Sandy now.

Because she had hoped this would happen. Pruna dies, Sandy seeks revenge. Unlike that fuck Aunamee who died before she could get her own, Mindy would give her that chance. People would be watching, making bets, edged on their seat. Best of all, and Mindy was counting on this, she was the bad guy. She was the double dealing bitch betraying them and now they wanted her blood. They were hoping for revenge for Sandy, and damn it, didn't she deserve it? Mindy was a killer by trade but Sandy looked like hell. Cut up, lost an arm, and anger was feeding her. That, and Mindy had purposely left the gun. She deserved that much.

Mindy, of course, had worn the Pjs through to a mess, where it was only barely resembling the raccoon it was. Now it looked like a tattered hood, and all the better. She needed freedom of movement for this.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIWl-mE68KA/Uj_YxplGLOI/AAAAAAAAG0E/jRvACSi1AMk/s1600/Goron_Mask_Transform

[justoutrunyou]

There!

It had taken far too long. She just knew back home Pruna would be watching this and probably cussing her out. But she had to do what she had to do.

It was in this moment as she lurked in the shadows of corner where the light had been broken that she realized something that stunned her. She wasn't afraid.

She had seen what Mindy could do to people. She had felt pain so much in the last few months...had it been a year?

Starving and frozen in the tundra.

Devoured by spiders.

Having her leg mangled, dragging it around for weeks only to be eaten by a zombie.

Eaten by a monster Eel.

And every single damned injury she'd gathered in this arena.

Sandy had known pain. And until last week she was still afraid of it. But with Pruna gone and her blood screaming for revenge she could find no trace of fear left in her.

Only anger.

Heat flooded her skin and her muscles tightened. She could feel the scabs around her face stiff like a new mask she had constructed of dried blood and tears. They would be bleeding again soon enough.

The crowbar in her hand still felt heavy. The power was alot for her to wield. The crushing, solid iron that she knew was strong enough to kill threatened to rip her remaining arm off and drag it to the floor each time she struck with it to break inanimate objects.

To this day she hadn't struck a human with it. She vaguely wondered if it would make the bar vibrate as much as it had when she struck chairs and windows and display cases.

With death looming behind her she knew that one way or another there would be one less tribute in the arena after this. No more running away.

No more fear.

Pulling down the mask over her face she felt the familiar stiffness of her powers returning. Not stone yet, she moved faster when she wasn't stone.

Like a bolt of lightning from the shadows she shot for Mindy as soon as her back was turned. Inhuman speed allowed her to clear the space between them in three seconds.

Her skin turned to stone.

She swung the bar with all her superhuman might.

FUCK THAT THING IS SCARY

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy could feel the rustle in the air, that impending doom that something was coming, and it was only this that saved her from the full brutal assault that had been waiting for her. She shifted mere seconds before the hit, so instead of the full brunt of it, she only got the side. But it was enough to HURT, all right: Mindy went sailing in the air, and only knowing how to tumble saved her from breaking her neck as she hit the ground, already feeling the blood rush to the spot she was hit.

The world was stars, and Mindy, in searing pain, knew she stalked this, the point where death was no longer a surprise but coming with outstretched arms. She spat on the ground, and there was a tooth, her mouth certainly a mess now. All of her, of course, was struggling to get to her feet, and yet she kept the bravado, needed to play Spiderman just a little more.

"This can't be the same chick who yelled at me about honor a little while ago," she said. "I mean, using enhanced strength AND your own powers? It's like you're actually starting to use your head now."

Provoke. Good. If she lost, was killed, she'd deserve it, right? Sandy would have so many fans after this, eager to see her crush this foul mouthed hellion, the girl who would be hated after all this. Whatever happened, this was, at least, the part she wanted most. If Sandy had been a shrug of a pick before, she wouldn't be now.

It took me a long time to find one that satisfied me :P

[justoutrunyou]

"Shut up!"

Sandy snarled and rushed after Mindy to swing once again. Each stomping stone step she put into the floor sent cracks spider webbing in the tile. Her eyes were hidden by the mask and she was glad because she was already feeling them burn.

She couldn't cry here. She'd promised Pruna.

Re: It took me a long time to find one that satisfied me :P

[hit_girl_mindy]

Shutting up it was. It hurt to talk right now because she was still feeling dazed. Still, she knew enough that rock monster girl could kill her if she didn't get the fuck back in gear. She wanted a real fight.

Mindy was going to give her one. She growled and came back at Sandy, getting close enough to feint, pulling out the knife.

[justoutrunyou]

It was almost laughable that Mindy thought the knife would help. Sandy should have been more wary but all she felt was boiling anger. Throwing her entire body at Mindy she aimed to knock her flat with a high speed stone should check.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Oh, that was just to piss her off and it was working. Sandy was angry, but not focused: Mindy was tiring her out, because as far as she knew? Those masks were going to cause her to strain herself. If they fought, she would give Sandy a chance. She wouldn't just cause the bitch to have a heart attack.

[justoutrunyou]

Another swing, a miss, a swing again making her stone muscles tighten and slicing the air so hard it seemed to send shock waves.

Somewhere lingering in the back of her mind like a mouse nibbling on crumbs she was aware that she had a time limit she should be paying attention to. But she'd already lost track of time. So all she could do was swing and swing again.

At least she didn't have to worry about that puny knife.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Damn that mask. It increased Sandy's strength, and avoiding the hits were draining her own. Her muscles ached, she still bled freely and she was starting to feel like she could slip. She knew she should have purposely been leading Sandy to the win but a part of her didn't want to die.

Because if Sandy died soon after it would all be for nothing. She'd lose her chance, and she was so CLOSE now.

The gun was still holstered and would stay so too. She wouldn't turn it on Sandy. But she did feel the pain now as the crowbar glanced her shoulder.

[justoutrunyou]

There! An opening!

With a surprisingly deft twirl of the bar in her hand she switched from the hook ended side to the straight side and thrust trying to run Mindy through with it.

It would horrify her later to realize she was aiming for Mindy's stomach because she had learned in training just how agonizing a death sentence that would have been. But for now she knew she wanted Mindy to hurt as she paid for what she'd done.

[hit_girl_mindy]

OH NO. She had run too many people through the stomach to know she was not going to die this way. Her shoulder may have been weak but she could still move, and she rolled out quickly, snatching up a piece of shrapnel and throwing it at Sandy's hea as hard as she could.

Shit. Getting weaker. This might be ending soon.