Death P.A.C.T. Yet Again was in a meeting yet again.
The meetings were a regular fixture in the P.A.C.T.'s working day. Their very reason for existence, the reason why they banded together to form a team, was to defend and uphold the beauty and sanctity of life, to ensure that everybody could experience and enjoy what it had to offer, not worrying about death for even a single moment, even if they could just get recovered afterwards.
In an ideal world, one where everyone and everything operated under basic, common sense, this should be a trivial task; in fact, it should be one that they shouldn't have to pursue at all. The desire to live without being inconvenienced should be hardwired into everything that exists, and thus shouldn't pose as a problem whatsoever. In a world where everything is rational and understandable, the team would be redundant. It would have no reason to exist.
But unfortunately, they didn't live in such a world. They lived in a world where the Battle for Dream Island has raged on for well over a decade, a competition where caution has been thrown into the wind, where betrayal and sabotage are heavily incentivized. Years of living under such a brutal and repressive regime has completely altered and warped everyone's mindset, making them accept that death and misery are as regular of a companion to life as the air they breathe.
And so, Death P.A.C.T. held the meetings. All the progress they have made over the years, as small and insignificant as it may appear to be, was the result of extreme, dedicated planning and coordination, the product of them fretting over every detail for hours, days, weeks, and more. If they wanted to get *anywhere*, anywhere at all, they had to constantly tread with weary steps, play a delicate game with every other player, and prevent the world from falling further into chaos.
The meetings were already common enough back in the day; once a week, all hands would be on deck to discuss what they've done in the intervening time, their projections for the future, and what they plan to do about it. Besides that, there were smaller gatherings daily to get a recap on what needs to be done, to update their teammates on what they plan on doing. Lately, however, they've become even more frequent. Big discussions would be held almost daily, with some days seeing two, or perhaps more.
One reason for the increased focus was the changing nature of the competition. The Battle for Dream Island was continuing along its course, whittling down its roster of contestants, with those that remained becoming fiercer, more aggressive. Willing to do whatever it takes to seize The Power of Two for themselves, regardless of the price or the consequences. With each and every episode came more and more risks, more chances for death. The P.A.C.T. was well aware of this, and even played a hand in it on multiple instances. Having such first-hand knowledge of the situation forced their hand, making them double back and double-check, ensuring that *nothing* could go awry.
Another thing was the induction of their new teammates into the death prevention cause. The Team Swap allowed the team to not only miraculously (or not, if Fanny's ramblings were to be believed) stay intact, but also grow in size. That was especially helpful, given the recent streak of bad luck and hardship they've been struggling with. Perhaps the new faces and perspectives would allow them to find common ground, mending the deepening schism between the veterans. Perhaps the newbies could bring their talents to the table, the team finding the advantage they've so desperately needed.
Well... that didn't exactly pan out.
One of the more recent reasons they've been gathering so much is the fact that they've lost their new recruits as quickly as they've gained them. Whatever cosmic force got them out of the bind that was the Team Swap clearly considered them even, and now they had to pay for that immense luck. After an initial success in their first ever outing, the reorganized P.A.C.T. began dropping like flies; before they knew it, they were in the exact same position as they were before, and with the exact same members too.
