The Flames in the Fight

The Tunnels

It was early in the morning, Corpse didn't know the exact time, but he rolled over groaning anyway. Something had woken him up, someone new in the tunnels? He listened carefully, his hand brushing over the small axe he kept next to his "bed". There were muffled voices, muffled but sharp enough to hear, he froze like stone and even limited his breathing to try and pick up whatever was being said. He wished he hadn't. Soon after the muffled voices he heard a shout loud enough to attract the Corporation, loud enough to make him jump.

"You're a fucking bastard do you know that?!" 

Corpse groaned loudly, looking at the clock as he heard Jinx's shout. They were arguing. Again. At 4am. He rolled over and pulled his jumper over his ears, trying to block out the noise coming from down the hallway. This wasn't a new thing for him, he'd been with Jinx and Vincent for a few months now, and the longer he stayed with them; the more they seemed to be at each other's throats. They fought together for survival, but fought against each other just as much. 

Corpse himself was a well built fighter. He didn't fight for survival, he fought for vengeance. He didn't care if he died anymore, he just fought for the hell of it. Technically, he should've been dead. No one in the tunnels could believe he was still alive after all of the wounds he'd sustained, it was almost inhuman. He found it ironic, he wouldn't have minded death, he practically welcomed it after he watched his girlfriend and family get ripped to shreds by the wild dogs that the Corporation had released to freely roam the cities. Yet, life clung to him like some kind of mocking disease. 

And so did consciousness. 

By this point, the shouting had got louder and everyone in the tunnels was awake. Corpse dragged himself from his compartment, stepping out to see Tammy already heading down to where the shouting was coming from. He quickly followed up behind, noticing that she was holding her stomach as she rushed down what could only be described as a poorly built hallway. Corpse said nothing, but inwardly wondered if she was in some kind of pain. As usual, KC was nowhere to be seen. He was most likely awake; shut away in his compartment ignoring the rest of the world, working on a new weapon built from scrap or some kind of system that would provide the tunnels with some form of heat. 

Tammy and Corpse burst into what they considered the kitchen in an attempt to break up the fighting, it didn't work. Jinx and Vincent both continued to scream at each other as the others stood gormless in the doorway, uncertain of what to do next. Tammy glanced at Corpse and shrugged, she never liked to get involved when people were fighting. Sighing, and then taking a deep breath, Corpse yelled as loudly as he could,

"SHUT THE FUCK UP. BOTH OF YOU." 

The tunnels fell silent. Jinx choked on whatever she was about to yell at Vincent, and Vincent glared at Corpse. Tammy stood awkwardly in the doorway, giving Jinx a look of sympathy and understanding. Jinx opened her mouth to say something, but Corpse cut her short.

"Could you two just give it a rest, for once? We're here every single week, breaking you two up from whatever you decide to bitch about, but we all know that at some point throughout the day, you'll both apologise to each other and by tonight you'll both be sharing the same bed again." He spat. Tammy elbowed him hard, in full view of Jinx and Vincent. It wasn't a secret that they slept in the same compartment; they had done since they had began to travel, it was just a habit they'd got into and while it was news to Tammy that they shared a bed, she looked as if she was about to punch Corpse for mentioning it. Jinx stared at the floor angrily, refusing to look at anyone or move, or even breathe. Her authority within the group was hardly ever challenged and while she was used to being shouted at, something that Corpse had said struck a nerve in her somewhere, leaving her somewhere between punching a wall and crying.