Eggwars (A NewScapeSquad Fanfiction)

Two: Wounds

Ashlie

The boy named Zres was awake.

He was already on his feet, wobbling around a little like he was nauseous. His tired eyes were narrowed in on my face like a homing missile, and I couldn't help but shift in my place. It was as if he was boring a hole into my very soul, his gaze piercing through my heart. Uncomfortable chills were running through my body.

"My name's Ashlie," I said quietly, averting my gaze. A few silent moments passed before I felt the need to continue. "Did you get that note?"

He continued to stare. "Well, Ashlie, I'm Nick. It's nice to meet you, I guess."

"Did you get the note?" I repeated again, twirling the sword in my hand.

"Yeah, it was... not what I was expecting." Nick cleared his throat. His face paled slightly as he saw the weapon in my hand, and he swallowed a bit. "So, where do you think the diamonds are? Don't we need those?"

"I did some searching. Our egg was on the second floor along with our inactive diamond generator," I replied. It was true; I had gone outside once or twice during my waiting, but just to look around. The first time was so chilling that it had been like emerging into a bucket of ice, but the second I managed to stay out for at least five minutes or so. "I saw active generators in the middle of the island when I hopped up on some rocks outside."

"Some rocks?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged.

"Figured I should get a lay of the land. Besides, it's not like anyone else was awake to help me." I paused and sighed, my hands reaching behind my head to fix the bow tangled in a strand of my hair. "Anyway, I was just about to head that way."

"You were gonna go alone?" he asked me, obviously perplexed. I nodded at him. "What? Why? This is a team effort!"

A noise that sounded more like a growl than a sigh escaped my lips. I turned around, fixing my bow. "Look, dude, I don't do this team stuff. I'm better when I'm solo. A team will just hold me down. They always have, so don't try and tell me otherwise."

I began to walk away, ignoring his gaping mouth, and took out a cyan block I had gotten earlier. I made my way out of the castle and onto a piece of land outside, where I could build a bridge to get to the island in the middle. If I was right, using these pieces could help me get there without, but there was also a consequence. I'd have to buy more if I wanted to keep building, and I was scared that I'd run out before I got there.

With a deep breath, I started to build. The blocks I had were displaying a number on it that was counting down with every use, only making me more nervous. I ran out of steps just as I reached the middle island and toppled onto the shore.

Readying my sword, I walked over and began to take some diamonds and emeralds. In total I collected seven diamonds and three emeralds, which was way less than what I was hoping for. I looked at the timer above each of the generators.

"Ugh, that's just perfect," I groaned, rolling my eyes. Thirty minutes for more diamonds, and fifty seven for some emeralds. "What am I going to do now? The only thing out here is me, and..." It hit me in a flash. "I should go see if anyone else is around. It is a competition, after all."

I climbed onto a rock that led to another taller one and began to leap between them. There was a huge hole, so I had to be careful, but that wasn't a huge concern. I was wearing shoes that gripped the top of the stones like a glove.

I made it to the tallest boulder and crouched, trying to get a bird's eye view of all the islands. From what I could see the Green team was meeting their team members, the orange was possibly wondering how I got here so fast, and the others were still passed out. My nerves started to spring to life as I studied them all, making me feel like a target. I almost slipped out of my position as I climbed down to a different ledge and pressed my back to the smooth stone.

"There's no way I'll be able to take them all by myself," I murmured, squeezing my eyes shut. "I need a pla- no, I need a team."

"Ashlie!" I nearly fell off the rock. I grabbed my sword and held it at the ready, but it was just that Nick character again. I sighed shakily and looked at him.

"What?" I asked. He smiled up at me almost mockingly. "Throw me the emeralds and diamonds, I'll bring them back to the base so you can stay and camp!"

"Huh. That's not a bad idea, actually. Very hesitantly, I threw him my goods. He nodded, pleased, and started to rush back to the castle.

As I watched him run, I suddenly felt a shooting pain in my side. It took me by surprise, making me hunch up and cry out loudly. Black spots danced in my eyes as my nimble fingers released my hold on the surface. I was crumpling over and flying straight off into the open air.

If I hadn't managed to twist my jump and land on the next stone, I would've fallen straight into the abyss below. I looked at my side and gasped. An arrow shaft was sticking out of the spot above my hip. There was a spray of blood on the surface next to me that almost looked fake to my eyes. It seemed almost too unreal to be true, but there it was.

"Ah!" I cried out, hunching over. My mouth opened wide as my fingers brushed over the feathery end. I managed to straighten up, and, using the last of my energy, slid down the rock. My body pushed me into survival mode, ignoring the pain so I could take a staggering step forward. One became two, and then I was running to my base in the distance.

Another arrow went right past my head as I stumbled onto my bridge. My hands slammed into the cyan material. This was it for me. I fell onto my back and choked as my lungs went into overdrive, pushing air out of my throat faster than I could pull it in.

Nick must've seen me, because I was being yanked to my feet. He slung my arm around his shoulders and dragged my forward into the castle. We made it inside, barely dodging another arrow that landed in the wall next to my head.

"Nick," I wheezed, a drop of blood sliding down my lip. "You came back and saved me. T-thank you."

"Hey, don't thank me yet," he said softly, setting me on the ground against a generator. "We still have to get you all patched up. What do you want me to do? I can get it out for you, but it's going to hurt.

"Right. Just g-get it out, I need t-" A scream tore out of my throat as he twisted it to one side. He winced and tried again, only to have his ears be met by another screech. He finally yanked the tip out, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Tears streamed from the corners of my eyes, slicking my cheeks with angry pink streaks.

Blood seeped through my blue jacket, staining it thoroughly. He took off his own hoodie and tied it tightly around my waist, making sure to apply pressure to the wound. It was obvious by the tremble in his fingers that he was just as scared as me, but at least he was trying to help.

"Listen, I think the bleeding should stop soon. It's tight enough to cut off the flow to that area. I think it'd be best now if you just go rest," he said worriedly.

I really didn't want to play Sleeping Beauty in this game, but the anxious look in his eyes nearly knocked me out right then and there. "I w-want to get Green team! We can't just sit around, Nick! Th-they almost killed me!" He rubbed his bottom lip, looking ages older than he probably was. "Ashlie, you're hurt. Going out there again could mean that you will die, and I don't want to take any chances. This isn't your choice."

"That's not fair! W-we can't just be sitting ducks in this whole thing."

"It's not like you can stop me from keeping you here." He pressed a hand to his temple and exhaled loudly. "Please just go upstairs."

There was nothing else I could do. I was already starting to feel exhausted, despite sleeping just hours before, and the blood I had lost was making me woozy. With a final glare I went upstairs slowly, finally coming to a tired stop and sitting next to the egg.

Nick

"Great, that's just great," I grumbled, touching my stained fingers against the back of my other hand. The only person who was awake was now injured, leaving me alone.

I wondered how Ashlie managed on her own before I woke up. Then again, she seemed like a tough nut to crack. The girl took an arrow to the side and barely complained. Just as I was about to check the villager to see what was available, I heard a loud groan from somewhere across the room. I looked behind me, only to be filled with surprise. I blinked once or twice to clear my eyes, but found that the vision in front of me was the same as it had been moments before.

Someone else was waking up!