here we are

4

a/n: these are mostly fillers while i figure out where i'm going with this. i have a vague idea of the plot, but it's rough and needs some touching up on. i'll be changing things every now and then, but don't be alarmed !!

//

After digging through Wilson's things, all you could scrounge up were some sharp looking wood chips. You grabbed a large one to use as a weapon, and prepared to track down your missing companion. You located some fresh foot prints on the ground that resembled Wilson's nice shoes, heading north, so you prepared to head in that direction. However, as soon as you began to wade through the bushes, you heard a very soft, unsettling noise. Almost like a gust of wind, or someone breathing.

"What a measly little camp..." Said a velvety, yet chilling voice.

You turned your head and froze in shock when you saw a very well dressed, older man sitting on a stump next to Wilson's sleeping bag. He was flipping through Wilson's field journal, a leather bound note book you'd seen your companion pouring over the previous night. The man had his nose upturned in an uppity manner, scanning over the words in amusement. He chuckled and shut it, tossing it back on the sleeping bad and looking around.

"Even for "the island's best survivalist", Mr. Higgsbury could do much better." He regarded you with a slight smirk. "Don't you agree, Miss (L/N)?"

"Who are you?" You questioned, staring at him like a deer in headlights, bewildered as to how the guy suddenly appeared without any warning.

"Ah." He chuckled lowly, using his cane to stand as he walked around the fire, head held high. "I forgot how much of a drunken waste you were when we met. Of course you wouldn't remember. Call me Maxwell."

Maxwell... The Maxwell Wilson said brought him here? You fully faced him this time, holding your wooden weapon tightly in your fist, just in case the situation arose where you had to protect yourself. "What do you want with me?"

"Want? I want nothing, Miss (L/N)." Maxwell replied, that smirk still on his face. "I just came to... Check on you. You were so dazed when we spoke, emotional too. You readily agreed to my offer without a second thought, and stained my waistcoat with your tears. Nearly vomited on my shoes, as well."

You blinked at him. "What... What did you offer me?"

"You cried - no - wailed to me about how you desperately wanted to make amends with your father, and how you wanted to be free of your sins. So, like any good Samaritan, I offered you... Therapy." He chuckled, passing his hand over the very top of your campfire, the flames licking at his palm and in between his fingers. He didn't appear to be bothered by it, just smiled creepily as he watched. "Maybe this little experience will do you some good... Sober you up, if you will."

Goddammit. You swore in your head, pulling your mouth into a thin line. I'm never touching another bottle of Smirnoff again.

"Be good to Wilson, Miss (L/N), you won't find another like him." He said, almost teasing you. Then, he winked and seemed to sink into his own shadow, disappearing, his snide laughter echoing in the night.

You stood like a statue, unsure of what to do or say, and unsure if what you saw was real. That was the Maxwell Wilson told you about? You were actually here for a reason?  Dammit... Why am I so washed up...You thought, passing a hand over your face. Evil demons shouldn't make deals with inebriated people, it's like with sex, we can't give consent so it's wrong.

You heard footsteps behind you, and whipped around, relief washing over you when you saw Wilson walking through the forest towards you. He carried three rabbits over his shoulder, and sported a few wounds on his arms and legs. He stopped and stared at you in confusion, no doubt wondering why you were holding a sharpened piece of wood. You dropped it and rushed towards him, throwing your arms around him in a tight, welcoming hug. He hugged you back unsurely, completely bewildered.

"Miss (L/N)... Are you alright?" He asked, showing slight concern.

"Fine..." You sighed, pulling away. "I'm not even going to get mad that you're late for dinner, I have something to tell you."

"Oh, right, sorry about that..." He flushed in embarrassment. "I got caught up with some of the nati - Wait, you have something to tell me?"

You nodded and pulled him towards the camp, dressing his kills and making him dinner while he nursed his wounds, which were easily remedied with the healing salve. Whilst you were both going about your business, you told him about your encounter with Maxwell, and the about the offer he made you - you just told him you had a drinking problem, that was less embarrassing to admit than your irrational fear of rekindling your relationship with your father. The entire time, Wilson just listened with an expression of shock and concentration, as he both paid attention to your story and dressed his wounds at the same time.

"That's... Certainly something, Miss (L/N)." He said, putting his things away before gazing at you sincerely. "I'm awfully sorry you weren't in a state to disagree with his offer."

You sighed deeply, placing the fish fillets you cooked on a slab of thin wood, then handing it to him. "It's fine... Maybe he's right, maybe this will be good for me."

"This isn't good for anyone, Miss (L/N)." He replied, blowing gently on his food to cool it down. "The only reason why you're here is so Maxwell can watch us fight for our lives, like Gladiators."

"You're probably right about that, but..." You trailed off, sitting next to him as he ate. "I feel like... Like things might actually look up for me... You know? Like, I can actually focus on myself for once, and recovering, and Maxwell unintentionally helped me with that."

Wilson gave you a knowing smile. "I admire your outlook on this situation, Miss (L/N). I won't downtrodden your mood."

"Thank you, Mr. Higgsbury." You smiled, then frowned. "Wait, why were you gone for so long? You had me worried sick. I was ready to stab someone with a piece of sharp wood."

"That explains why you had that in your hand..." He said thoughtfully, then rubbed his neck. "I apologize for worrying you, Miss (Y/N). You see, while I was hunting, I was also doing some research for some blueprints I'm working on. I believe my next invention will make an extraordinary difference to our work."

"Really? What sort of invention?" You asked with a curious head tilt.

"Hold this." He said, handing you his makeshift plate of fish and going over to his belongings by his sleeping bag, where he dug through it and pulled out what appeared to be a collage of papers glued together with spiderweb. There were blueprints to a very jaunty looking machine scribbled on the collage, which was labeled "science machine" at the top. He laid out the blue prints in front of you and pointed to each feature, showing you how it all worked, while you nodded and listened quietly, entranced by the idea of such a fantastic machine... A machine that could make almost anything you needed!

"And you can make something like that? With so little resources?" You asked, amazed by his skill.

He took his plate back and flashed you a toothy grin. "I can make anything, Miss (L/N)."