''The Difference between Wants and Needs''

Chapter 6 (A1)

(MARK- POV)

There was someone at the door. We'll, he wasn't going to answer it right now. He wasn't in the mood. And then he heard it.

"Let me in, Maaaark. I have a gift for you- you! I have a surprise..."

He backed away from the door. No... Cesar was supposed to be dead. Why?! How?!

The knocking persisted, more insistent, impatient. "GET AWAY!" Mark yelled.

"I am not going away."

He took his gun, reloading it with some ammo he had found. He would open the door, and he would shoot Cesar. He wouldn't miss this time.

Mark opened the door slowly, looking up at Cesar and aiming the gun at his head.

"C'mon Mark... I thought we were friends!"

"SHUT UP!"

Mark yelled. He was about to pull the trigger. Why couldn't he? Why couldn't he do it? Mark looked down at his hands. He couldn't move. He could only watch in horror as Cesar slowly took the gun from him, aimed it at his head, and pulled the trigger.

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(PENNY- POV)

She heard the gunshot. Perfect. Only two more to go, now. Suddenly, the door opened once more as a young woman walked into the house, carrying groceries. "Mark, I got the- the..." She stared at Penny for a second. Penny stared back. And then she attacked.

Penny had her hands wrapped around the woman's neck in an instant. Her victim's eyes widened, and then there was a crack.

The woman fell to the ground, her head twisted unnaturally. Cesar walked in just in time to see the corpse on the floor. "Oh! Well, it seems you took care of Sarah..."

He glanced at Penny. "Good job Penny. Now we only have one left to go!"

Penny nodded slowly. She was starting to think all this murder was taking a toll on her... Cesar must've noticed. "Hey, don't be sad. You get to see your friends again, don't you? This is all for a reason-"

"I just killed an innocent person."

"Well, sometimes people get in the way. Look at me. It'll be fine, ok? It'll be fine."

"I'm a monster..."

"Who cares? We both are monsters! It's just life, honey! We do what we do, and that's that."

Penny nodded. As she and Cesar took the two corpses back to the abandoned building, something inside of her changed.

"Hey Cesar?"

"Hm?"

"Am I really a monster...?"

"Sure are."

"Why?"

"You just murdered four innocent people!"

"They weren't innocent, though."

"Murder doesn't justify our actions."

"I needed to..."

"Keep telling yourself that."

Penny scowled. How dare he call her a monster. She was- she was a good person. She had brought something from Mark's house with her...

The two entered the abandoned building, dragging the corpses along with them. Penny couldn't stop thinking about what he had said.

"I'm not a monster."

"Hm?"

She took the item she'd brought from Mark's house out of her pocket, aiming it at Cesar. Cesar's eyes widened upon seeing the gun.

"Jane... We're working together, remember?"

"Karnak needs five bodies. Not four. I'm... sorry, Cesar."

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(OCEAN- POV)

Ugh. Her head hurt like heck... She looked up, examining her surroundings best she could with the massive headache she had. She could hear others beside her. Noel? Mischa? Ricky, Constance? Once she could see clearly, she noticed the fortune teller machine behind them. Strange... And- they weren't alone here. She could sense another presence. "Hello?!"

Jane stepped out from the darkness. She was covered in blood, ugh... Ocean didn't want to know. She got up, a bit surprised when Jane ran towards her and wrapped her in a warm embrace. "I missed you too, Jane.."

"Penny."

"That's what I said."

Penny scoffed, though she still had a fairly lighthearted attitude. Ocean wasn't going to ask about the blood. She didn't need to know.

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{EPILOGUE}

(THATCHER- POV)

Four people. Four people missing within two days. How. He was sure they were connected, but how? It must've been one of those alternate things... probably, yes. It would all make sense sooner or later. His lead was pointing to an abandoned building right outside of town.