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Dusekkar barely avoids running face first into a wall, the sharp turn he'd made just a second before not allowing him to see the dead-end that he'd just ran into. He was already turning around to flee the second he'd realized his unfortunate predicament, but 1x1x1x1 had already caught up to him, blocking the only exit.
His grip shifted nervously on his staff as he stared down what would likely be his death, grateful that even though he'd caught the killer's attention, he had been able to shield Noob from a killing strike. The young robloxian had been able to flee to safety, heading off in the direction that Dusekkar knew Guest to be in, leaving him reassured that the tender-hearted youngling would be alright as 1x1x1x1 chased Dusekkar down.
He flinched back as 1x1x1x1 rushed toward him, bringing up his staff to shield himself, though he knew it would do nothing to protect him.
The next several seconds happened very quickly. 1x1x1x1 brought down his sword, Dusekkar instinctively dodging to the side as best he could in the tight space. He choked on his breath as he felt it strike his torso, using the opportunity to move past the killer and attempt an escape that he had no real hope for. As Dusekkar fled around the corner that he'd first rounded, he saw the flash of a blade. It was barely enough of a warning for him to dart awkwardly to the side, leaving the space free for Shedletsky to charge forward and stun the killer, who'd been following close behind him.
He didn't dare look back as he heard the clashing of swords and a sharp hiss from Shedletsky, instead running towards where he could see Elliot a few feet away, half hiding behind a wall and watching with a worried look.
Shedletsky catches up with him a few seconds later, and then all three are running for their lives as they take constant twists and turns to lose 1x1x1x1. It takes several minutes, and the whole group is out of breath afterwards, but they manage it. The outraged yelling fades behind them, until they can hear nothing but a faint echo.
He glances over from where he's leaning against the wall when he hears Elliot hiss in sympathy.
"Man, looks like he got you good."
The blond man is worriedly hovering over Shedletsky, who has a deep slash across his chest.
"My cooldown is about done," he says, preemptively pulling out his pizza box as he waits for it to refill. "Then we can fix you up."
Shedletsky offers a quiet thanks, wincing as every breath jostles his wound. Dusekkar straightens from the wall, fully intent on providing comfort to his friend, but is halted when his side convulses in pain, making him aware of the persistent ache pervading through the right side of his torso.
He absent mindedly brings a hand up, sliding it under the first layer of his robes and pressing it against the injured area gently, grimacing when his whole palm comes up red after he retracts it.
He should inform their healer of his injury, he knows, but he hesitates when he sees Shedletsky, shaking and pale and sweating, leaning against Elliot, breathing heavily as he waits patiently for the blond's ability to recharge.
Regardless of the concerning amount of blood on his hand, Dusekkar feels well enough to continue onward. The last thing he wishes to do is take away healing when another might need it more, especially considering that his wound seems to feel number the longer that it sits. It has already lowered to a more manageable burn than the sharp stabbing pain it had once been. Perhaps the sudden chill in the air was helping it.
Elliot's ability finishes recharging a few seconds later, and the young man practically shoves the slice at the other admin, watching attentively as the gash rapidly heals over and color rushes back to his skin.
"Thanks, Elliot!" Shedletsky cheers as he carefully pushes himself off the floor, testing his footing before stepping away from Elliot. "Okay, let's get back in there!"
He follows along with them as they head back towards the last generators. Him and Shedletsky are a great team, with Dusekkar shielding another survivor or Shedletsky himself as the winged man charges at 1x1x1x1, often landing stuns with the help of Guest, who they'd met up with on their way there.
Dusekkar's shields were taking much more effort than they should've required. It was becoming increasingly hard to focus on the ever-darkening world, each action taking his full attention as he struggled to even lift his staff. When he risked a glance down, he could see that there was blood starting to leak through the top layer of his robe.
He was a bit surprised he was bleeding enough to soak through the thick material of his outermost layer, as he couldn't even feel the wound any longer, only the chill from the frigid air around him.
He didn't know how the others were fairing so well, with their much thinner, more revealing clothing.
Then they were all back at the main cabin. The sudden transition almost sent him sprawling to the floor, only staying upright thanks to his staff.
It was hard to hear anything over the roaring waves crashing in his head, but he could faintly make out the other survivors excitedly chatting at each other, though he couldn't fathom about what- the meaning in the noise lost as their voices went in through one ear and out the other.
He distantly realized he was shivering; it was freezing in the cabin as well! His arms wrapped around himself in a futile attempt to stave off the bone deep chill, and he found himself wavering side to side, like a ship afloat on the sea.
It felt like he stood there adrift for hours, feeling oddly detached from reality, like everything happening around him was a strange dream. Until a man suddenly appeared in his vision, a blur of grey and orange that brought him feelings of safety and comfort.
He slowly blinked as a hand laid atop his shoulder, the touch feeling like a blistering fire. A low, concerned voice drifted through the air, though he knew not what they said.
He tries to say something back, but in his pursuit to reassure the man he takes a step forward, and his legs immediately give out beneath him. The world spins as he drops, a multicolor swirl that makes him feel nauseous.
He's laying on the cold, hard floor when he blinks back to reality, looking up at the undistinguishable faces of his teammates. The sounds of cheer have faded into something more somber, though they are as understandable as before, which is not at all.
He feels hands running over him, halting over the coldest spot on his side. They shift his robes, a sharp hiss coming from above him as the hands quickly press down hard. His body jolts and he has to choke back a scream, though he doesn't know why- it doesn't hurt at all. He can hardly even feel the hands.
Something warm presses against his lips, the heavy scent of grease invading his nostrils and twisting his stomach into sailors' knots. He tries to twist his head away, but the aggrieving smell won't leave him be, following him wherever he turns. He opens his mouth to protest and almost gags when the offending slice of pizza is pushed forward. The hands around him won't allow him to retreat, forcing him to chew if he wants it out.
He reluctantly swallows, energy almost immediately flooding his body afterwards. Each bite goes down easier than the last, until he's eaten the whole slice, already feeling much better than he had just a few seconds prior.
He blinks blearily, now able to properly see the people who are leaning over him. Builderman and Elliot are on their knees next to him, peering down at him with furrowed brows. The rest of the survivors surround him as well, muttering worriedly to one another as they watch with concern.
"Hey Matt, you back with us?" Builderman asked, pushing Dusekkar back down when he tried to push himself up.
"Woah- hold on for a minute. We're not in a round, so just rest for a few, okay?" Builderman reassured him. Dusekkar relents easily to the request, he feels as if all his strength has been depleted.
His memories of the round are blurry, especially those of the past few minutes.
"Pray tell, what has happened?"
"You had a really nasty stab wound," Elliot informs him, a worried frown etched onto his face. "It pretty much went straight through. You lost a lot of blood. Why didn't you tell me? I would've healed you." Elliot looked inexplicably guilty, like this was somehow his fault. That wouldn't do.
"Wrought with pain I was not. There were others to tend to- more important, I thought." He explains.
Shedletsky snorts, his head appearing above Builderman's.
"Yeah right, there's no way that didn't hurt, Matt. It looked worse than mine!" He exclaims, and it's only because he's known the man for years that he's able to see the worry hidden under his unbothered grin.
"Falsehoods I do not spread, the wound felt numb, like a faint pressure instead." He insisted, unwilling to back down on this point.
Elliot slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, that was probably shock, or blood loss." Elliot mumbles, looking to Builderman for confirmation. The older man shrugs, then nods his head.
"Sounds about right. Man, I wish I would've paid more attention to those mandatory first-aid classes." He goes to run a hand through his hair, pausing with a grimace when he notices its covered in blood.
"At least you remained awake, unlike some I shall not name." Dusekkar jokes, eager to put the others minds at ease. The last thing he wants to do is cause melancholy to spread throughout the group.
Shedletsky sputters in offence, and Builderman chuckles a real laugh. The room feels lighter than it did a few moments ago, like the line of tension had been snapped. Though it seems Elliot isn't ready to let the subject go quite yet, leaning closer until he's hovering above Dusekkar's head.
"But seriously," Elliot says, looking down at him with a determined expression, "please- even if you think it's just a scratch- just let me know when you're hurt. Okay?"
He nods his head, thankful when the world doesn't spin at the action.
"I promise I will endeavor to do so in the future, lest I cause such worry again." He swears. He truly has no inclinations of repeating this incident any time soon. This whole experience has been thoroughly unpleasant- for everyone else as well as himself, it seems.
"Thank you." Elliot sighs in relief, shoulders slumping as he rests against the cabin wall. He feels quite guilty- he did not mean to make the young healer worry so much. His actions were supposed to do the opposite.
"Now, may I arise from the floor? I fear it's not healthy for these ancient old bones."
Shedletsky laughs, "Oh please, you're not that old! You're younger than me!"
He side-eyes the man, fully aware of how little that means compared to the centuries that Shedletsky- that Telamon- has lived.
"Yeah, you're probably good. Anymore dizziness or anything?" Builderman asks, helping Dusekkar sit up.
He shakes his head, letting the stout man help him up, appreciating the support even more when he wobbles a bit as he stands.
"There's nothing to fret over, dear friend. I feel as light as a feather that's cruising on wind."
"Good, good." Builderman mumbles, cautiously watching him a few more seconds before stepping away and letting Dusekkar stand on his own.
The festivities from earlier continue- a small celebration since everyone had survived the round. He has a suspicion that the night is much more laid back now than it would've been otherwise, before Dusekkar's collapse. Mostly because everyone keeps insisting on games that he can sit down to play.
The night ends a few hours later with a sleepover in the living room of the main cabin. Noob had suggested the idea, and both Buildeman and Guest had agreed, saying it'd be good for team-bonding, and so the rest had agreed as well, leaving only long enough to switch into their pajamas. Though Elliot keeps occasionally staring at 7n7, which the retired hacker is doing his best to ignore, sitting next to Guest like the larger man can hide him.
Most people lay down by themselves, but a few people decide to take advantage of the open floor to make a nest, mainly Taph and Shedletsky- though he was surprised to see that 7n7 was constructing one as well.
It doesn't surprise him at all when after Taph is finished with theirs, the demolitionist starts to tug him over to it.
"Alright, alright, no need to make haste," he huffs as he lets Taph drag him over, biting back a laugh when their feathers puff up with excitement.
The nest is quite comfortable, obviously made with skill and practice. It's soft, but has firm enough walls to lean against, which his back appreciates. Taph follows him in, making a few last-minute adjustments before sighing and curling up on the floor next to him, tugging on Dusekkar's sleeve impatiently to prompt him to lay down as well.
Dusekkar takes a quick glance around before taking off and folding his glasses, noting that Shedletsky has dragged Builderman into his nest- unsurprising- and that 7n7 has been joined by Guest and Two-Time in his. Huh. A weird group, but he supposed it made sense. Guest and Two-Time were the only ones that regularly talked to 7n7, after all, and Guest was especially kind to the younger survivors, even off-putting ones like Two-Time.
He shook his head as he placed his glasses outside the nest, keeping them safe from Dusekkar's antlers and Taph's constant movement while asleep. Taph practically shoved themself under his arm the moment he laid down, letting out a pleased chirrup now that they were able to cling to their favorite personal space heater.
The room fell silent quickly, everyone tired after such an exhausting day, and soon the only sounds were the quiet shifting of fabric and the soft sighs of breathing.
Dusekkar drifted off almost as soon as he laid down, the normal anxiety that always kept him awake at night when he tried to sleep was absent now that he was in the room full of people.
'Perhaps we should do this more often'. was the last thought he had before he was out like a light.