[closed] The door that wakes in darkness

[inrestlessdreams]

Who| James Sunderland and Zed
What| James is getting killed by Zed...what a glittery death
Where| The Church
When| Backdated to Sunday Week 4
Warnings/Notes| Blood, Guts, language and Pyramid Head mentions...fun times!

James knew he wasn't going to last very long at this rate. He was exhausted, starved, and the wounds Anna inflicted on his back were infected and pouring onto the tattered remains of his jester outfit. The putrid smell was so familiar, he could almost imagine the heavy metal scraping of the Great Knife. That same knife that cleaved Maria and all those monsters, penetrating their flesh without mercy. James couldn't fight the Executioner again, he was too tired. He didn't want to give up so easily, but he missed the soothing coldness that the Gamemakers yanked him out of. He missed the muffled sounds of water crashing all around him and Mary...

You really are gone, aren't you?

She was back in Toluca Lake, resting forever in the sleep he induced. These were the lucid moments Sunderland rejected with every fiber of his being and forced him to carry on this pathetic charade of survival. He couldn't wait to die...but he wanted a choice in it. He trekked on, looking for a Tribute to take down with him, or at least try. Anna taught him a lesson: nothing lost in putting up a fight.

Comments

[whydoyoushine]

At least Zed had the dark, shadowy nature of this Arena going for him. It stopped him from getting slowed down too badly, even when he'd caught fever, even when he'd taken a crossbow bolt to the shoulder. The latter was sustained in his monster form, which handled the injury better, but it was still painful. Still annoying.

He hadn't investigated the church much. Either it hadn't possessed any draw for him, or maybe a creature of darkness knew on some level that it wasn't for him. But now, he pushed the door open, slowly looked around the area. He hadn't spotted James yet, but he wasn't making any attempts at stealth. Zed moved around the area like he just radiated overconfidence, injuries and sickness or no.

[inrestlessdreams]

The moment James heard someone walk into the church, he used the nearest candle holder as both a cane to lift himself and then as a weapon. He wasn't about to just...wait a minute. He KNOWS this guy...

"You're still alive? Even after all this time?" the clerk asked a question that probably boggled some spectators of himself as well.

And smug as ever it seemed. Normally, James would just roll with things, he had other things and people on his mind. But with the delusions, pain and the overwhelming infections along his back, everything bothered Sunderland much more than usual.

[whydoyoushine]

"I could say the same thing about you," Zed points out easily enough. "I'm harder to kill than you might think."

[inrestlessdreams]

"Likewise," James hissed under his breath before he turned his candle stick sideways. His wounds oozed blood and infection, pain poured into his clothes but he isn't going to give Zed the benefit of an easy kill. "Get out...This is your last warning," he spat out, he wanted to have the dignity of dying alone.

[whydoyoushine]

"And if I don't?" Zed's smiling now. It's not at all a nice smile. "What are you going to do then?"

[inrestlessdreams]

Zed gets no verbal answers, only a charging James, roaring as he swung the candlestick with all his strength onto the man's head. Sunderland wasn't a lean man, built just a little tank like that his running is offset by his weight. He swung wildly, hoping at least one of them connected onto bone and hear that sickening crack of anything. Clearly, he was lost, pushing onward as if Zed were a Lying Figure.

[whydoyoushine]

It's really not for the best that Zed's gotten used to having his powers back. Even if he doesn't particularly like them, they're still there, ready to be used...and the Emperor of Darkness has never really taken getting attacked well. The marker above his head flashes, and it looks like he's swallowed up by darkness. But when the darkness clears, Zed's standing there as something that is clearly not human. He is also holding a sword, which he'll use to block that candlestick.

One of the windows shatters in response to Zed's change, punishing him for that with an unavoidable shower of shattered glass. At least, it's unavoidable for him. If James is lucky, it'll miss him completely.

[inrestlessdreams]

James is quick to spot the cracking glass and he ducked into the nearest pew. Too bad he landed on some of the festering wounds, causing him immeasurable amounts of pain. Neither Tribute was at their top condition but Sunderland still swung his candlestick to deal a blow to the monster's head. No matter the shape or form they took, every creature had a weakness and the clerk wasted no time in trying to find it.