Not Backing Out {Jack//CAP1 Aftermath}

[Cameo {RIP Charlie}]

Only shame fills this petite fourteen year old. Her opponent, of nearly the same disposition and strength, might have just as much of his own blood splattering his face; but she knows he has come out victorious for this battle. Is it over? Has she lost before the real fights have even begun again? No. She refuses to cave into the pain, and instead concentrates upon the little damage she caused on Xander. Sure gruesome shocks of lightning bolts from the arm she broke exactly at this time last pregames, but she has not inflicted enough pain to call it quits just yet.

He stops attacking her when he realizes the extent of damage he's established. Perhaps he didn't mean to go as far as a break. If only that could it back. A hand reaches out to assist Gala upon her feet, probably assuming he's won this round. Clearly he doesn't know his competition very well. Even as he's telling her of the good fight she's brought to the table, she only grabs his hand to pull herself up and yank him down. Seconds later she's sprinting off before he has a chance to continue with this combat.

Playing the weak card is sickening to Gala, the thing that she despises the most. But at this moment, she had to use it if she's to prove her worth in the long run. As fast as she can, she flees away from her rival. It's not the proper distances that has her legs pausing though, but in fact the exhaustion of her breath and the spot of another competitor. Quickly she darts behind a corner for protection, along with a chance to calm her fast beating heart.

After a minute of waiting, Gala sneaks a coy glance past the wall shielding her. Please be no one, then she's swiftly pressing her spine back up against her pathetic barrier. Out of everyone it could be, it has to be Matthew. That's the last person she wants to fight. Her heart begins pounding again as she prays that he leaves. Of course she knows he'd never desire to intentionally harm her, but what if it's required? She remains as still as a statue to prevent finding out.

[Jack Lexington]

My fight went much better than I'd anticipated. Especially considering the shape I'm in. One wrong hit in my ribs and everything will be over. But my last fight was grand and I came away with merely a bruise. So I keep tracking through the mace in search of Kyanite. Whenever I think about her I feel a weird tension in my chest. I can only hope she's okay. What would I do without the mother of my baby?

Instead of finding my girl friend I spot the girl who I've become friends with but somehow lost track of.
Gala seems in pretty bad shape after her fight. It looks like she's barely hanging on, so I speed up my steps.
"Gala!"
I close the distance very fast and scan her for wounds. Right now I don't care what the crowd watching us on large screens might think.
"Let me help you."
She looks tense, ready to fight again.

I gently place my hand on her shoulder and take a good look. "Where are you hurt besides the obvious?"

OOC: I have no idea what her injuries are, just her score.

[Cameo {RIP Charlie}]

Steps beat against the solid ground and draw closer to the young girl, who's mentally begging to avoid another brutal altercation. If she can't even defeat a boy of similar disposition as herself, how can she possibly face against the even stronger qualities of an old friend? She can feel her heart aching with agony, twisting with a plea to not be destroyed this early, not at Matthew's hands. But it's not his fist and rage that greets, rather it's the complete opposite. Gentle palms are placed on her shoulders, instantly relieving her of the fear that had just consumed her.

"Think I broke my arm again." She informs with a lowering gaze of shame. Compared to how well she did during the last Pregames, this is truly pathetic. Yet she hasn't been ordered off of the stage just yet. There's still a small chance she can perform a comeback. And she's fully aware that the only way she'll achieve that is with a bit of assistance. Her eyes manage to raise once more, connecting with Matthew's as a small grin slides across her cheeks. She hasn't been disqualified just yet, she still has a shot at this. "But I'm great aside from that." She attempts to joke before she has to bite back the pain of her break. Least a bit of security is provided from Matthew's intimidating presence.


OOC: Sorry it's short & crappy Dx Wanted to get you something. She only has a broken arm again lol how many times has this happened to her now? Haha.

[Jack Lexington]

She flinches when I touch her so I ease my grip worried that she might send a small fist towards my nose. She doesn't though. Instead the small blonde tells me that she broke her arm again.

Making a face I look at her limb that she's cradling and try to see if she's right.
"Ah crap. Really?"
She must have very fragile bones because I don't recall braking an arm or a leg in all the time I've been a career.
"Can you move it?" I look around to see if anyone else is approaching and possibly attacking bt can't see anyone.
Gently I lift her hand but stop when she makes a face.
"But I'm great aside from that." She grins so I shake my head with a smile as well.
"Idiot."

Then I looka round again, this time for one of the medikits.
"I'll see if I can find a kit. Wait here."

With that I take off and search for one of those small boxes that are marked with an orange cross and supposed to be easy to find. I don't need one myself but I think Gala could benefit from it. I don't want her to be alone too long though.

Soon I spot one on a ledge of one of those long brick walls of the mace. It just sits there so I grab it and put it under my arm like a foot ball player to return with it at a fast pace. I'm thirsty as hell now.
Licking my lips I open it and search for something to make a sling and some pain killers.
"Sorry, I have no water. Are you going to stay in the game?" I ask quietly hoping the audience won't be able to hear us.

"Did you see Ky by any chance?" I ask even lower while I fix her arm as good as I can.

[Cameo {RIP Charlie}]

Breaking bones has unfortunately been a frequent event within Gala's life, since becoming a Career that is. Plenty of her own bones have bent in an unhealthy way & needed lengths of time to heal, but more importantly she's snapped a nice handful of others' bones herself. Guess it's the first part that truly has her experienced in knowing when another injury of that sort has occurred though. She can sense the identical ache pulsing through her arm. Only benefit she has is being more pro in gripping her pain and appearing relatively decent.

Well that is until Matthew wants to test her break for himself, and cautiously attempts to move it. Instantly her face is squinting tightly in discomforting, which automatically has Matt allowing her arm to fall back into its cradle against her body. "Guess not." She tries to jokingly answers her arm's ability to move, while her jaw remains clenched.

"I can't go off looking for a fight?" Of course the Little one's sarcasm has to make an appearance despite her condition. They're both fully aware of that pitch though, and she actually follows instructions for a change. Guess it always has been only Kyanite & Matthew that she's willing to listen to.

In no time he's returning back to her side with hidden treasures. Her teeth remain digging into one another, and her face hasn't lightened in the slightest, but she's holding in. Still Matthew whispers out a question of whether she's going to stay. "I haven't been disqualified yet." She replies immediately. Last pregames she had to endure a lot more pain, and in return delivered a load more damage upon opponents. There's no way she's giving up this easily. She has a reputation to uphold.

"Not since the opening...have you?" A bad feeling sinks into the pit of Gala's stomach. Did he get a glimpse at Kyanite at one point? Wounded and in need of help? Certainly he would of been overtaken by a battle, or else he'd of ran to help her. But was he running around in desperate search of her? She can't be too bad off if Matthew's assisting Gala with her broken arm instead. A nicely sturdy sling supports her arm, and surprisingly provides a nice relief from having to hold the break. "Thanks." Another small grin forms.

Now that her brain isn't completely in a whirlwind of being consumed by her break, she takes a better look at Matthew, her past trainer, her good friend. He's in great shape after his first round. "Looks like you kicked your opponent's ass." Gala assumes, and lifts up one of his hands with her good side. "Yup." She giggles while gesturing to his roughened knuckles. "So do I have to kick your ass now? Or is it just one fight today?" She has to continue with her jokes and humor, as her ears perk up from a widening smirk.

[Jack Lexington]

Poor girl had truly broken another bone. I wince as I watch her grit her teeth in pain.
"You're pretty fragile." As carefully as I can I adjust a make shit sling around her small neck so she can simply place her arm in it.
"I don't think I've ever broken any bones." He stated while having another look around to make sure nobody was approaching and attacking from behind.

Gala tells me she will stay in the fight. "I haven't been disqualified yet."
I like her attitude but I've been there in the pregames and learned the hard way that "Getting yourself crippled for the pregames isn't worth it, little one." He advised. Of course he knew she wouldn't back out but at least he had said it.

Just like me the blonde girl hasn't seen my girl friend, which isn't a big surprise.
"No wonder in this mace. I think she'll be doing fine. She's fierce, even more than last year. She's got a good reason to stay unharmed." I don't say what that reason is or who because of the microphones and cameras, that are distributed around the mace but Gala knows, I think.

"Looks like you kicked your opponent's ass." A small smile spreads on my lips. It's true. All I got are some bruises, no breaks, not bleeding, no hit in the chest- thank goodness.

"I guess so. I have a reputation to keep."

"So do I have to kick your ass now? Or is it just one fight today?" She says which makes me laugh.
"Haha, good one. As if you could. No- just one fight per day. Let's go and find a place to sleep, that is safe. Maybe some food."

I nod to her arm and pick up the first aid kitt stuffing the most important things in my pockets.
"Ready?"

Then I place my hand on her back and together we track through the mace. Every now and then I look up to the setting sun to get some orientation and not walk in a circle. We turn corner after corner.
After about 20 minutes we hear strange sounds. It's like a low rumbling and makes me listen up.
"Do you hear that?"
I look around but can't see anything so I ask Galato give me a hand while I try to climb the wall next to us. The small cracks leave little room for my fingertips and feet. I slide back down twice before I reach the top with my fingertips and hang on to it for dear life.
Gala's too far down to push me any further so i have to pull myself up. If I loose my grip I'll fall for sure- 3 meters - not much but enough to hurt yourself. My right side still hurts when I pull myself up but I hang on for dear life.
"Get away under me." I yell at the girl.

[Cameo {RIP Charlie}]

"Lucky you." Gala humorously mutters in response to the lack of broken bones Matthew has had in his life, and how fragile that must mean she is. 'Least every break becomes more and more bearable. Sooner or later she'll hopefully feel no gruesome pain whatsoever when a limb of her's becomes misplaced. But for now she only has to maintain a tensed exterior and clenched jaw to keep the agony internal. Just have to suck it up until faced with a new battle, where her discomfort will surely numb for those short few minutes...before she gets to recollect herself with more wounds and damage afterwards. The point of Gala staying in here? Her hardhead and stubborn ways of course.

Still Matthew has to put in his advice, sounding as though Gala didn't participate in the pregames before. Shouldn't he understand her persistence to remain when his experience wasn't the most pleasant either last year? And yet here he is for his own second chance. "It is if I prove myself again." She assures him of her eagerness. She broke her arm and a rib in the previous game, but she put up a memorable fight against an opponent more then twice her size...an opponent that's no longer with them, and collapsed with even more pride in the actual games.

Gala shakes her head from the past. What matters is the brutal encounters ahead. Eventually she's going to have to split from Matthew to avoid being paired in a combat round, and pray that she doesn't run into him nor Kyanite. There's no neglecting the harm that's going to unfold in the next couple of days, she can only hope it's not friends providing it to each other. Of course both Ky & Matt are beyond strong enough to handle themselves, but it's naive to assume they won't become crippled within this maze. After all of their results last year, they should assume the opposite.

A bit of anger towards them mingles within Gala's thoughts. They're parents now, with responsibilities and no room to be broken. How can they predict at least one of them will be well enough to care for their daughter? Yet Gala understands their need to be careers one last time. "She better." Is all she has to say to Ky remaining unharmed.

Well it's certainly nice to know that Matthew's by far holding his own, and to no surprise will probably make it far once again. "Me to." Gala quickly replies to maintaining a reputation, while a cheesy grin finally forms across her innocent cheeks. All three of them are strong bad asses, or at least she'd like to believe that. And now she's even more powerful with an intimidating friend at her side for the night. Of course she doesn't decline his company and protection. They venture forth with needs of basic supplies to survive whatever's up ahead.

"Maybe someone's already tapped out?" Gala questions when an odd noise startles the entire maze. "And they're being taken out?" But Matthew's too curious, and asks her for assurances despite her one arm and petite frame. She does her best, though still finds her arm shaking even as the majority of his weight protrudes on the wall. "See anything?" She wonders, only to be given a warning to move. He was unable to make it to the top before gravity's calling for him. Of course she'd love to catch him, but that'd only end in her own tiny figure being crushed. "Clear...try to edge down." She attempts to encourage as fear consumes her. Please don't fall.

[Jack Lexington]

With my last strength I pull myself up until I'm flat on my belly up on the ledge. Not only do I hope to see the source of the strange sounds but also maybe catch a glimpse of my girl friend.
It takes me a moment to recuperate and wait until my arms stop burning from the strain.
Then I place both hands under me and lift my head.

In front of me lay endless numbers of walls arranged in different patterns. We're located pretty far on the outside of the cirlce they arranged in. Every ynow and then there are openings where the walls stop. That must be where we were fighting. I can even see tree tops in those spaces. They must have left the natural vegetation.

"I can't see anybody. They're too far down." I tell Gala as I look down at her.
"Maybe someone's already tapped out?" She suggests that it was the sound of someone being taken out.
There it is again. A lowl rumbling, like something heavy is skidding against the solid ground.

Holding my breath I scan the maze but can't find it's source.
"See anything?"
"Not much, just more walls. We're pretty far on the outside. They're arranged in three long corridors and 45 degree angles."
In my head I'm already developing a plan hw to get closer to the middle where a large opening can be seen.

Suddenly I hear a voice seemingly coming out of nowhere. The echo reveals that it's broadcasted over speakers.
"Matthew Dunham. Get down immediately. You're not allowed on top of the walls or you will be disqualified immediately."
My head whirls around to see how they spotted me because I assumed that the cameras were only installed in the maze.
"Okay." I say at nobody in particular and cast one more glance around in search for Ky. A bit further over I can see somebody move through the maze but can't make out who it is.
"There's somebody...about 50 meters south of us." I shout at Gala before lowering myself.
"Last warning!" The voice calls out.

Out of the blue an electrifying jolt hits my fingers as if I'd become the target of some sort of weapon.
It hurts and paralyzes my hands so my fingers slip off the sharp edge of the stone wall and I plumet down to the ground where Gala had vacated the space.
In a heap I land on the rock solid ground with dust getting kicked up alla round me- the only thing braking my fall is the medi-pack we had left there.