Out Of The Birdcage • Limited Life Fanfic

.°• Chapter 11: The Instinct •°.

The rain had gotten worse by the time Jimmy made it back to Pearl's, filling creeper holes to the brim with water. Or TNT holes. They were all the same now. You never knew in which holes lightning had struck, signifying the end of the line for someone.

Joel and Grian were gone. Really, this time. And there was no use in sobbing quietly alone. Jimmy decided he'd treat each lightning strike as a signal he was closer to winning than an excuse to be all existential. Because he could be one of those strikes soon. Focus, Jimmy.

"Jimmy, there you are!" Pearl smiled as she finished cooking some mutton. "How are you feeling"

"Good. Anyway, the only people left are me, you, Scar, Scott, Martyn, Etho and Impulse"

"Jimmy, seriously. How are you?" Pearl said gently, holding onto Jimmy's arm.

What was she trying to do? Oh dear, she poisoned the food, didn't she? She set up a trap while he was grieving for his fallen friends and she was about to press the button and it would all be over.

But no TNT hissed, no buttons or pressure plates clicked, no floor collapsed on itself.

"I'm okay, seriously, Pearl" Jimmy's heart was still racing, despite how little sense it made. He tried to free his arm from Pearl's grasp, but her grip was firm.

"Jimmy, I recognise that tone," Pearl said sternly, trying to make eye contact with him, but all Jimmy did was look away, "Just because you were- Just because you let your feelings out, doesn't mean you need to make up for it now. You're not alone. That's something I wished- You don't have to act strong. Feel how you want to feel, okay, that's all I want to-"

Jimmy made eye contact with her this time, his gaze softening when he saw that she looked slightly unsteady. That's something I wished- What was she going to finish that with? How alone has she really been? How much has she remembered?

"Pearl, seriously. I'm fine." Jimmy gave her a reassuring pat, well, what he hoped was reassuring, he wasn't used to Pearl being this way.

Pearl exhaled a little, rolling her shoulders back.

"Well, it'd be in T.I.E.S.'s interest to team up with the Mean Gills" Pearl loaded her crossbow, as if nothing had happened. "So we should match that and find Scar"

Jimmy glanced at her a little uneasily. How did she just do that? What kinds of walls were she building? It wasn't healthy.

But it was too much of a risk to unsettle her again.

"Where actually is Scar, though? I mean, has anyone heard from him?"

"Not in a while. Its really unusual for him. Nobody knows where he's been hiding" Pearl considered the armour lying in her chest, but instead opted to eat some mutton.

Jimmy slipped on some armour over his leather jacket. They're both gone.

Scar was nowhere to be found, the Mean Gills were getting stronger and what were they? A couple of traumatised kids at heart. They didn't deserve this, any of it.

"I'm sure we'll find him anyway. He can't hide forever," Pearl's quiet chewing filled in the silence, "When did you last see him?"

Lightning crackled, scarily nearby.

ImpulseSV has ran out of time.

In the distance, a voice called out.

"Pearl! Pearl!"

Jimmy didn't even have a chance to glance at Pearl before she rushed to the door. The yelling grew louder, sounding  troubled and panicked.

Pearl whipped her head back to Jimmy, hissing, "Stay inside". Before he could object, she was out, slamming the door behind her.

He didn't want to leave her out there alone, what if that person outside threatened her, or attacked her, or worse.

But he trusted her. If Pearl thought she could handle it, she would. Jimmy found himself wondering why she always opted to be alone.

He knelt down, his eyes discovering a little crack in the wall. Face pressed to the cold stone, he watched.

Etho was sprinting across the bridge, hair weighed down by torrent of rain. A flash of scarlet signaled Pearl's presence.

"Etho, what brings you here buddy?"

"The Mean Gills, they're- they're coming," Etho panted, his voice cracking as he spoke, "They killed Impulse."

Impulse. Gone. The Mean Gills, again? Jimmy's nails found their way to his palms again, pressing down. Scott and Martyn. Oh, he was a fool for ever trusting Scott. He couldn't see why he was so in love with him all those resets ago. He was a manipulative monster, and Martyn was no different.

"Please, you gotta help me, they won't leave me alone until I'm finished." Jimmy couldn't tell if Etho was crying or not, it could've been the rain. But his face was red and slightly puffy.

"Well, how much time have you got?" Pearl leaned on the hilt of her sword.

Jimmy could hear quiet little shuffle as Etho rolled back his tattered sleeve. Red glowed back on his face, "Just under an hour, please Pearl, you've gotta help me."

Etho was screwed. Jimmy knew it. There was no chance Pearl would let him take some of her precious time. No chance in-

"Alright. I'll give you 15 minutes, but that's all. Don't ask for anymore. Run, far away from here." She pulled away her sleeve to make the transfer.

Pearl? That was so risky. Why- what was the benefit? She needed to be ruthless to win, she should've turned him away.

"Thank you so much, Pearl," The red lights on Etho's face shifted as time went higher, "Thank you."

His hand reached to his back.

What was he doing?

He brandished his sword, diamond glinting.

No.

He plunged the sword into Pearl's chest, slicing upwards. Jimmy watched the fabric of her hoodie split as the sword tore through it. A thump, and a crackle of lightning.

Pearlescentmoon has run out of time.

Jimmy clasped his hand over his mouth and screamed, tears blurring his vision, blood seeping down his hands from pressing his nails in too far yet again. Etho narrowed his eyes distastefully and wiped the blood on his sword on the ground, eventually deciding to drop it so the rain could clean it.

It made Jimmy sick.

He stumbled like an injured man to the door, throwing it back. Letting out a shriek, he charged towards Etho, unarmed. It was a blur. He could barely see himself grab Etho's jacket and slam him against the stone tower again and again and again.

"You..." Slam, "...Monster." Slam.

He could barely hear himself speak, his voice was a crackling fire, and he was burning up inside. Smoke clouded his eyes. Etho seemed to shrink in size.

"Jimmy," He croaked, the blood on his lip connecting with the rain and slipping down his face, his battered body becoming limp, "It's the finale. I suppose you wouldn't understand that since you've never come this far before"

That was the last straw. Jimmy snatched his hair and swung his head like a wrecking ball to the wall. The sound of splintered bone rung in his ear. Etho's body slid down the wall and onto the floor.

EthosLab has run out of time.

Jimmy shrieked one more time before sinking down onto his knees. He didn't care that he was in the final four. He just wanted them all back.

Inthelittlewood: Come to Bread Bridge so we can finish this, once and for all.

Word Count: 1248