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Okay, but, for real, Maebe was going to get that I told you so tattoo any day now.

She would have tried to go and help Gale and Otto out, except - was.. that a chipped nail? s**t.

As Tommy tried to help, an infected Hunter tried to help him too. There was a sharp sting, and then in a moment, he was entangled in a net. A Runic net. A Runic electric net.

[ courtyard ]

Ripley paused as Finn presented a very good idea - and obviously one that he, in his haste to save his brother friend, had over looked. He gave his partner a very mental congratulatory clap, but before he could respond - the vines surged overhead to the dorms, and the swarm arrived. His mind spun, but as he thought of a solution, it already seemed to be going into play: Jack turned to face the mob, and swung at them.

"Hey. Can you keep him pointed away from anyone uninfected?" He called to the group yet spoke to no one in particular, nodding towards Jack's back. "Finn's right, we don't want to hurt him, but we can probably get him to put his crazy to use, if we point him in the right direction." It was a lot of words, too many for him, but it was important to get out. Especially that Finn's right part. Gold Star, Moon Hunter.

"I'd offer you whiskey, but…" Ripley's gaze went towards the dorms, which were shrouded in vines. That should have sufficed as an answer, he felt. "I'll help you look for Shy. If you guys are okay keeping a leash on our sword happy friend?" He asked, turning his gaze from Finn, to Chel, to Leslie, and to whomever had meandered their way over. There was a small pause, and then he gave Ian a very disapproving look. "We're not going to throw him to the vines."

It came as a call only Ripley could hear.

"I am here."

Immediately, his vision began to blur, flicker, and a sense of panic and dread fill him, bubbling first at the surface of his chest and then rising, sharper, tighter. He felt like he was drowning for a moment, as his lungs failed to work, as his heart beat too fast -

- And then the fear escalated to full panic. He could see it. He could see others as they truly were as creatures of shadow, wearing masks, strange, mutilated masks, reaching out towards him, snarling and screeching.

He was alone.

She had made it through, but Sherry... Sherry was still stuck!
She was about to turn and try to pull the hunter, when another hunter ran into her.
Mimi cried out in surprise as she was tossed forward. An unbearable pain shot up her arm, along with the sound of snapping, and it was the only thing that prevented her from passing out. However, everything was dark... no, darker. She couldn't see. Why couldn't she see?

"S-Sherry! Sherry!!"
She gropped blindly around her, grabbing nothing but air. The girl began to wail loudly and cry, like a child abandoned. It hurt... so much.
"Sherry!!"

[ Courtyard - Ever ]

Ever's expression was still distracted when Zeke went up in flames in front of him, but that snapped him right out of it. His eyes clicked onto the other man and, without even a pause, he body-checked him down into the dirt of the courtyard, swatting as best he could at the flames. It meant Ever, likely, would end up with a few burns of his own -- and he didn't even do that good of a job of putting him out.

"Hey! Hey --" He tried to grab for a nearby hunter. "I need a coat."

Counter: 4
HP: 50

The vines carried Gale and Otto through the mass against the wall and then oddly enough over. The thorns wrapped around them were sharp but not agonizing.

They continued to move, dragged down the familiar path of the lighthouse, until they reached the beach. Oddly enough, the vines cushioned most of their descent.

A child was waiting for them on the beach, and he had bare feet, bare arms, wearing a green hat with a red feather on it. He had no face, simply hollow green eyes. Gale would recognize the same presence from the garden.

"I win," said the child, in a strange proclamation. "It is mine now." The child's form flickered, until it was just power and nothing else. "You can have your island back, Gale Gentry, Otto Graves. I want something from you in return. A wish. One of your wishes."

Otto grew terrified as they were dragged over the wall. But the longer it went on.. the more he realize he wasn't in pain. The vines cushioned the journey, and Otto turned from feeling scared to mildly awkward. Did he just... lay back and enjoy the ride or what? But they were getting close to the ocean, and his imagination began going haywire again. What if the vine lord was going to drown them? Otto would die and it would be all Gale's fault. That limey b*****d.

But they soon stopped, and Otto breathed out a relieved sigh. He was still stuck, but he wasn't being dragged into a mouth or a swarm or anything terrible. No.. but when he turned his head back to see who was speaking..

What the ******** was that thing?

His heart clenched in worry. What did this kid have now? Won? This was bad. They had failed to protect Deus. As always. The leads would tear them a new one. They really were incompetent miscreants.

This thing knew their names. Otto stared, and dread came over him like a thick black tar. He wanted one of their wishes.. in return for giving back the island.. saving the hunters.

Otto of course wanted to keep himself safe, but what good was that if he lived knowing he'd helped himself instead of others? Let Gale keep his wish for more ******** Earl Grey. Otto had all he ever needed. Friends. Love. A renovated apartment he'd just ******** spent nine grand on.

"Fine." Otto breathed out in a restrained tremble. "Take my ******** wish, just don't ******** with our home anymore."