Achievement Hunter: The Broken

Eye for an Eye

Steffie and Jeremy had been walking in silence for nearly an hour now, and Jeremy wasn't planning on starting a conversation anytime soon.
But Steffie was.
"Jeremy—"
"No."
"Just—"
"No."
They continued in the awkward, tension-filled silence. It was agony, but Jeremy didn't trust himself to break it. Jeremy wanted to talk to Steffie, but how could he now? They had been best friends. He felt so confused, betrayed, upset. He felt scared. She didn't say anything more, the two just walked side-by-side, heading to the house at a terribly slow pace, but Steffie was still limping, and Jeremy needed her to get him back. He sighs, almost relieved when they finally spot the house. Jeremy heard Steffie let out a sigh as well.
A sudden feeling of dread washed over Jeremy, causing him to feel instantly panicked.
"Wait...something's wrong..." Jeremy stops dead in his tracks, looking around at what could've been causing this.
"Are you okay?" Steffie tilts her head, but she stops as well. "What's wrong?"
"I...I don't know..." Jeremy's breath quickens, his eyes lock on the house, and he convinces himself to dash forward, Steffie following close behind. "Something just...feels wrong..." He's not sure what caused this gut feeling, but he just knows something is wrong. He's not sure if Steffie feels it too, but despite this, they are both running towards the house.
When they make it over the grassy hill, the heavy stench is the first thing Jeremy notices. It causes his eyes to water. The thick scent of blood and rot filled the thin air. "Oh God..." Jeremy covered his mouth with a hand, nearly gagging at the sight, not able to look away.
Geoff is lying dead on the ground, blood still slowly seeping from a deep gash in his neck, his eyes were glassed over, staring up to the dim sky. Jeremy glances over and notices a similar sight not too far away. Jack's now mangled body was laying in a shallow crater in the ground, a fearful expression permanently etched onto his face.
Jeremy's heart pounded against his ribcage, causing a loud drumming sound in his ears. He stumbled around the garden, his guts feeling twisted and in knots, making him feel like he was going to vomit. Jeremy almost has a sense of relief as he hears someone step out of the house, but that was quickly gone when Trevor gasps in horror and collapses to the ground.
"Jack!" He clutches his head in his hands. "Oh my God—"
"Trev! Hey..." Jeremy runs over to his friend, putting a hand on his arm to steady him. He attempts to speak as calmly as he is able to manage.
"Jeremy..." Trevor's wide, bloodshot eyes meet his.
"Yeah...yeah, it's me..." Jeremy nods. "It's me..." He pulls Trevor into a hug, holding him close.
"I thought you guys were..." Trevor looks up at Steffie. "Where's...where's Michael and Gavin?"
Jeremy's heart ached for a moment.
"Trevor...Gav's dead..." Trevor's eyes went wide once more, tears flooding them quickly.
"But...then..." Trevor looks back to Steffie.
"He's...you said..." Jeremy turns to look at Steffie, who also had tears threatening her eyes.
"Steffie killed him." Jeremy deadpans, still glaring at Steffie, who's gaze quickly reaches the ground, refusing to look up at either of them.
Jeremy turns back to Trevor, who has a horrified look on his face, shaking ever so slightly. "Alfredo was telling the truth..." He mumbles, then quickly breaks down sobbing. "Oh God..."
"Fredo knew...?" Jeremy tilts his head. "Where's Fredo?! How'd he know?!"
"He...he's dead..." Trevor's breath quickens. "Steffie...how could you?" The last words were barely above a whisper as Trevor quickly began sobbing.
"Michael called him on the radio." Steffie explains, her voice wavering ever so slightly.
Michael called? He had to still be out there! Jeremy felt his hopes rising.
"We have to find Michael." Jeremy stands, but Steffie quickly stops him.
"Jer...that was days ago...he's alone out there...there's no way he's still..." Steffie takes a shaky breath.
Jeremy felt a chill crawl up his spine. Something in him snaps. His anger and rage now overtakes any and all sensibility. How could Steffie say Michael was dead?! Maybe she killed him too. She's dangerous, she's a murderer, she's gonna kill Trevor too.
Jeremy shoves Steffie to the ground. He rips the bow and quivers off Steffie's back and instantly aims an arrow at her. Steffie freezes in place, hands thrown up in defense. Her voice shakes. "Jeremy...wait—"
"You killed Gavin!" Jeremy didn't want to hear a word Steffie had to say. "You killed him!"
"I...Jeremy I didn't—" Tears flowed down Steffie's face. "It was an accident...please!"
Jeremy shoots an arrow. Steffie quickly rolls to the side, dodging it. She leaps to her feet and begins running away, her limp getting increasingly worse.
"Get back here!" Jeremy screams through tears of his own.
"Jeremy! Wait!" Trevor takes off after the two. "Stop!"
Trevor runs after the other man, as Steffie climbs the small cliffside by the house. Jeremy chases her to the cliff, far off the ground. Steffie's foot nearly slips off the edge as she backs up as far as she can go and turns back as Jeremy walks up to her, breathing heavily. The hatred in his eyes scared Steffie beyond belief. "Jeremy, please! Please! It was an accident...you know how many times I wished it was me falling out of that tree, not Gavin?"
"You. You did this. You caused this. They'd all still be alive if it wasn't for you." Jeremy screams. A voice screams in his ears. Stop!
He lets out a sigh. He begins sobbing, he's not sure why. He feels overwhelmed. "...how could you?" Steffie opens her mouth to say something but before she can say anything,
Jeremy lets go of the bow, sending the arrow into her chest.
She gasps, looking down at the now bloody arrow. Her tearful, pleading eyes met Jeremy's one last time. She doesn't look angry, or upset. She slowly tumbles backwards, falling over the edge. Jeremy watches her fall, almost satisfied when he hears her hit the ground.

***

Trevor runs up the cliffside just in time to see Steffie fall. He'd run, but the sickening thud of Steffie hitting the ground froze him in fear. Jeremy stands tall, almost seeming proud of what he's done.
"Jeremy...what...what did you do?!" Trevor shouts.
"I killed her...I killed her the same way she killed Gavin." Jeremy clenches his jaw. Trevor doesn't say anything. He stumbles to the edge, looking over. The two of them sat up there for a moment.
"...it wasn't Steffie's fault Alfredo died...it was mine..." Trevor is no longer sobbing, even though tears continued to flow. Jeremy looks at Trevor, his face blank. "He tried to tell us about Steffie, but we didn't believe him...I didn't believe him. So he left to find you, then got killed...then we were distracted, we didn't notice Geoff...I didn't see Jack...it's all my fault..." Trevor looks out at the land around them all. "It's my fault..." Jeremy looks too. They both sat there, taking in the view, already collectively knowing what was about to happen.
But the cool breeze almost made everything feel normal. Trevor closed his eyes for a moment, imagining everything was well again.
He imagines Alfredo making stupid jokes and trying to piss off Jack and Geoff. He remembers his friends. He remembers Gavin, and Lindsay, and Michael, and Matt.
And Steffie.
He opens his eyes again, looking at Jeremy, who looks back at him.
Trevor smiles at him, then slowly rolls himself off of the cliff.
He doesn't scream, or flinch. He just lets himself fall to the ground as he sees Jeremy above him, watching him as he falls.

***

Jeremy didn't scream, nor was he shocked, or scared. He didn't feel anything. He simply watches Trevor fall. Once he hits the ground, he looks out into the distance at the horizon. He can see the desert. He hopes Michael's death hadn't been painful. Maybe he drowned. Jeremy allowed himself to believe he drowned, it seems gentler than the more possible monster attack.
Jeremy wishes he could have apologized to Michael, for dragging him and Gavin into the woods in the first place. He wished he could take it all back.
But Trevor was right, this was all their fault. They each had a part to play. Jeremy thinks of Michael trying to be the voice of reason for all of them, and Gavin telling him to lighten up. He thinks of how Lindsay would always bring them back down to Earth. Jeremy thinks of Geoff trying desperately to keep everyone safe and being there for them no matter how much they all pissed him off. He thinks of Jack trying to keep everything normal, Alfredo laughing at every little thing, and Trevor trying to be positive in any situation. He remembers their friend who hadn't made it past the explosion, Matt, and how he'd always make them smile. He thinks of Steffie and how sorry he is. He let Steffie go to the caves.
He killed Steffie.
Even if Steffie had killed Gavin, does that make Jeremy any better? Jeremy covers his mouth with a hand, finding his last few tears creeping from his eyes. He looks back up.
Jeremy swears he sees Michael running in the distance and he's happy to find himself smiling.
But for the last time, and as the realization comes,
He lets himself fall off the cliff.