{Synopsis: The crew is now divided into two halves: the safe and the unsafe. And even despite the attempts to keep them all together as a group, tensions are rising quickly.}

{Location: Polus outpost}

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Gnome and Engineer were the first to arrive at the Office, and the latter called the meeting to summon everyone there...Judging by the looks on their faces, they'd either still been asleep, or they'd just woken up...He hoped for a fleeting moment that one would look more tired than the others, or if they had any blood on them...But they all looked about the same, much to his dismay. It was one piece of bad news after another, and he was worn by it nearly to the point of tears.

"What's...*yawn*...happening, poindexter?" Captain asked him. "It's a little early to be calling a meeting, isn't it?"

"I have some bad news," Engineer replied, his voice not much more than a croak. "...We've suffered the highest number of losses tonight so far. And out of the four deaths, only one of them hadn't been previously cleared."

They all looked around to see which of them were absent, and therefore gone.

"...TheGentleman and MrCheese?" Player realized.

"Sheriff too?" Captain asked. "...Was he attacked while he was on lookout duty?"

"He was infected before he died," the purple crewmate replied. "...There was a fight between him and the first werewolf. We heard the commotion outside, and we found him just before he changed back, but...it was too late to save him at that point."

"He...he tried to tell us who it was before he..."

Gnome cleared her throat before continuing.

"...Succumbed to his injuries...But he couldn't."

They all turned to BDay next...The blue crewmate was frantically looking at each of the other crewmates, looking for someone who wasn't there.

"BDay."

Captain rested his hand on his back, to which he stopped darting his gaze all over the place and turned to face Engineer.

"...Is...is Rose...?"

"I'm afraid so," he answered him.

A strained, high-pitched whine escaped from the back of the blue crewmate's throat, and his face contorted into an expression of pure heartbreak. Tears bubbled up in his visor, flowing down his cheeks, and he hid his face in his hands as he wept.

"Hey, hey, it'll be okay," Dum assured him gently. "You'll see her again once we get all of this sorted out, right?"

He sniveled, then removed his hands from his face...Dum watched them clench into fists, and she flinched a bit when he suddenly sucked in a deep breath and slammed his hands on the table.

"Which one of you DID THIS!?!?!" he demanded, staring at the four uncleared crewmembers with a hardened, yet still tearful glare. "I DEMAND VENGEANCE!!!"

"BDay, take it easy there," Player told him, trying to calm him back down. "I-I know this must be hard, but...You gotta remember it isn't really the fault of the person who's infected."

"HOW IS IT NOT THEIR FAULT!? THEY did it, didn't they!?!"

"Well, yes, but the point is they aren't in their right mind when they're like that," Captain informed him. "If...well...If you want to blame someone, you can blame me."

"Captain, no, we talked about this already," Engineer told him. "You didn't know something like that would cause-"

"That doesn't matter, Engineer. It still happened because of what I did...If I hadn't gotten all upset over something that...I probably didn't deserve in the first place and implemented that zombie virus into the game, then we wouldn't be in this mess...I blame myself. And if anyone had any blame, then they can place it on me."

He slowly reached up, grabbed his captain's hat by the brim, lifted it up off of his head, then placed it down on the table in front of him and slid it away.

"I don't deserve this hat," he croaked, tears forming in his own eyes. "I don't deserve to be your leader...And I don't deserve your friendship."

"Captain, Captain, no," Player said to him. "This isn't your fault, it's-"

"いいえ. 本当です. これは彼のせいだ," Ninja interrupted, an unnatural growl embedded in his tone. "そうでないふりをしないでください."

"Um...C-come again, Ninja?" the white crewmate asked.

The grey crewmate drew in a deep, shuddering breath, and his fists clenched as he got up from his seat and leaned right down into Captain's face.

"何てことだ...Let-u me put in language dat you UNDERSTAND!!"

Everyone gasped at Ninja's sudden, coherent English outburst, and only stared as he continued to yell.

"You are a DIS-GU-RACE! Your ego big as China and your bu-rain size of atom! You act entitled! Annoying! Childish! You bring dishonor to ENTIRE LOBBY!"

"N-ninja, I-"

That was when the grey crewmate drew his katana, and pointed it at him just inches from his visor. Captain gasped and held his breath, his tears now flowing freely.

"...I should-u kill you right here, right now. Who knows? Maybe you are the beast, and this nightmare will end if I do."

"Ninja...P-please put down the sword," he squeaked. "I-I know this is my fault, but I at least want to try to do something to make up for it-"

"No. When you try to make up for thing, you fail. You make thing worse. ALWAYS."

"That's NOT TRUE!!!"

A blur of pink suddenly flashed before Ninja's eyes as Dum protectively threw herself in between Captain and the tip of Ninja's katana...If looks could kill, Ninja would have been very much dead.

"You should be ASHAMED OF YOURSELF for saying something like that! Just because he isn't the smartest guy in the world, like YOU think you are, that doesn't mean he doesn't do his best, and it doesn't mean he's dishonorable!"

"You in no place to say dis to me. You are no better dan him. Your bring dishonor to your brother, your mother, your father...And den you make worse; decide stupid marshmallow is good match for you, when together, all you double is your stupid. Shameful. You are SHAMEFUL!"

"It's not OUR fault we aren't-"

"Oh SHUT UP, Dum!" BDay suddenly exclaimed, slamming his palms against the table. "Ninja's right! Captain IS the one who got us into this mess! It's HIS fault we're trapped in here, and it's HIS fault everyone is dying left and right!! INCLUDING ROSE!!"

"Can we have some order in here please!?" Engineer called out across the table. "We can't fall apart now. We're getting closer. Besides, when the round is over and we get everything sorted out, the people we've lost will come back, like they always do!"

"Engineer's right, guys," Gnome agreed with him. "We can't fight like this; it'll just make things worse, and we'll end up-"

"Stay out of dis. Both of you," Ninja snapped at them. "Dis is not about you. None of your business."

"Well if you don't put your weapon down, I'll MAKE it my business!" the purple crewmate threatened him.

"And so will I!" Gnome agreed.

"Guys...No. Stop it. Stop fighting about me," Captain told them, leaving the table. "We already know that Ninja's telling the truth, why can't you just accept that like I did...!?"

He left the Office in tears, running out the eastern door and into the frozen wasteland.

"Captain, wait!" Dum called out to him. But it was too late...He was already gone.

Dum turned to Ninja, a harsh glare in her visor that none of the others had ever seen in her gaze before.

"...Get out," she snarled at him. "Get out of here and don't-"

She stopped short when he pointed his katana at her next.

"Don't-u you speak to me like dat, weakling."

He slowly approached her with the sword, and she started to back away, her anger dissolving into fear.

"Ninja, put the sword down," Gnome told him. "Put the sword down RIGHT NOW."

"No...If de game does not end upon her death, den Captain will be next. And if Captain dying does nothing, den we will know it is me, and we work from dere. Dis has gone on far enough! I am going to END IT!"

"Ninja, stop!"

Player rushed over to the scene just as Ninja drew back his weapon, ready and aiming to slice Dum's head clean off with a crazed gleam in his eyes.

...Only for the red crewmate to shove her out of the way just as he swung his blade.

"AARGH!!"

The sound of Player screaming came next...The sharp glare in Ninja's visor faded when he saw Dum's brother double over and clutch his side, blood leaking from the site of the wound.

Suddenly, the rest of the crew swarmed him.

"PLAYER!!"

"Oh my God!! Engie, what do we do!?!"

"Calm down, babe, I'll take a look. Player, you need to remove your hand from there so I can see how deep that is."

"Ow, OW, Oh god-!"

"Easy there, Player...Phew...Okay, it's deep, but it doesn't look like it hit any organs. You just need some stitches and a patch-up. Gnome, go fetch a first aid kit from MedBay. I'll apply pressure to keep Player from losing too much blood."

"On it."

Gnome left in a hurry...And once she did, Dum approached the grey crewmate yet again, het feet stamping onto the floor as she drew closer to him, the livid glare having returned to her eyes.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BROTHER!?!?!"

...Ninja looked over the other crewmembers. He looked at the gaping laceration he'd made in Player's side as his red suit turned darker in that spot. He watched Engineer applying pressure to the site of the wound to slow the bleeding. He saw BDay faint at the table at the sight of the scene. He noticed Angel staring on in horror. He heard Dum continue to scream at him, but he didn't listen to what she was saying...They'd already made it clear.

HE'D already made it clear, in having done what he did to their friend...He was no better than Captain or Dum. He'd become a danger to those to remained. A madman.

...He had no honor.

"And when Player's okay and when I can get Captain out of his cabin again, YOU'RE GOING TO APOLOGIZE TO BOTH OF THEM, AND WE'RE PUTTING THAT SWORD UP SOMEWHERE YOU CAN'T FIND IT!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!?!?!"

He didn't answer her. Instead, he shut his visor solemnly, then got down on his knees, took his dark bandana off of his head, wrapped it around the halfway point of his sword's blade and grabbed it there.

"...申し訳ありません," he told her. "しかし、これは私が値するものです."

"Wha...Ninja?"

He pointed the blade at the left-hand side of his stomach, then tensed up as he lifted the blade and readied to plunge it.

"お許しください..."

"NINJA, NO-!!"

"NINJA!!!"

Player called his name out a moment too late. A searing pain in his abdomen followed as he cut the blade from the left to the right. His throat tightened up as he felt his innards spilling out, and he removed the blade and pointed it at his throat, doing the exact same thing...It was his last act as a living crewmember.

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...

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The wind blew slowly, and a cloud blew over the starry sky above. The sound of the shovel scraping the mauve dirt over the wrapped body was the only sound anyone acknowledged as Engineer buried Ninja alongside the others. And when he was finally done, he gave a short testimony, as Ninja had done with those he had buried himself.

"We've gathered here to pay our respects to Ninja...While his last moments were not particularly peaceful or dignified, it seems that in doing what he did, his goal was to restore his honor and keep us safe, after he realized what he'd almost done to Dum...And what he'd managed to do to Player."

The pink crewmate looked down at her brother's side. His wound had been stitched and bandaged for a short while at that point, but it still made her skin crawl knowing what could have been.

"...When this game finally ends, and he returns to the mortal coil, we will discuss the matter with him. I can...honestly understand someone snapping under the pressure of a situation like this. Anyone is prone to breaking down under stress...no matter how tempered they may be. Let this be a reminder of just how important unity between us is right now...When together, we stand strong. And that's how we're going to find a way out of this mess."

He then laid the now clean katana of the deceased atop the grave to mark it. The others bowed their heads for a few brief moments before exchanging glances with one another...Captain had decided to rejoin the group when word of Ninja's suicide had reached him, and he had a few things to say himself.

"...Ninja...I'm sorry you felt the need to do that," Captain told the marked grave. "You...did bring up a lot of good points. I'm not going to do this crew any good if I can't even think for myself properly...That's going to change. I'm going to start acting smarter. More mature. More with the crew's best interests in mind rather than just my own...Starting now."

He took Dum by the hand and squeezed it tightly.

"...You in with me on this?"

She nodded and squeezed his hand back.

"Yes, but...Please stay the Cappy I love."

"I'll do that and more...I'll trust you to help with that."

The two of them leaned their heads in and tapped their visors together, only silence between them now...Angel was the next one to turn away from Ninja's grave, rubbing her hands up and down her sides as a chilly gust of wind blew across the terrain. Player noticed that she'd been oddly silent during the meeting, and she hadn't even reacted much when Ninja had used his sword on him...Not a very settling sign.

"Um...Angel?" Player asked her. "You okay?"

She slowly turned to face him, but it took her a few moments to respond.

"I know it takes a lot to really get to me, but...Things have just been too much lately. I'm not sure how much more I can take, and...and..."

"And what?"

The red crewmate gently took her by the hand and held it with both of his.

"It's okay...You don't have to go on."

"No, it's just...What if it turns out that even when we do get the werewolf, the game is still messed up? What if we end up trapped in here without any way to leave? Wh-what if...?"

She trailed off, visibly shaking.

"I-I know I'm not usually one to get scared, and th-that people look to me a lot t-to give them s-some form of reassurance, b-but...I just can't help it right now. I don't know what we're going to do."

"Hey, hey, Angel, it's okay," Player assured her gently, drawing her right up to him while still holding onto her hand. "...I mean, there's gotta be some way to end the game, right? For now, the best thing we can do is just be there for one another while we try to figure something out."

She sniffled, and Player felt his red suit start to feel wet as it absorbed the tears now escaping her visor.

"I don't want to lose you, Player...I can't now...I can't take it anymore, and n-now Ninja's gone, and this is a huge mess now between everyone, and..."

"Shhhhhh..."

He wrapped his arms around her, slowly swaying back and forth where he stood and rubbing her back in small circles to comfort her.

"I know...I know it's tough, Angel. I'm scared, too...But the fact that we've been able to pull through up to now really says something about us, doesn't it?"

She sniveled and hiccupped as she pulled away slightly to dry her tears away.

"...I guess it does, yes."

"We'll get through this somehow...We've been doing everything we can to protect ourselves and find out who's been infected with this stupid virus. It took some time, but...Now we're almost there. Who knows? Maybe tomorrow will be the day we finally sort everything out."

Angel leaned back into his embrace and sniffed again. The flow of her tears hadn't stopped, but it'd slowed down.

"...I hope so," she whimpered. "...And I hope that even when this IS all over, if we solve this problem, that everyone will be okay afterward."

"I have plans to talk to the others. Especially Captain and my sister...I think they'll need it the most, after what happened with Ninja."

He felt Angel's fists clench up against him, shaking with frustration.

"I get that he was probably mad at himself for saying those things and hurting you by accident, but why did he have to commit SEPPUKU in front of everyone...!?"

"I...I don't know, Angel. I think he just kind of...snapped. I know he normally doesn't act like that, but...I don't know, considering the stress of the situation paired with the fact that he was still a suspect..."

"What if he WAS the werewolf, though...?"

Player took a moment to respond.

"I...I don't know. If it turned out that he was the werewolf, then wouldn't that have ended the game? That's kind of what it was like when the zombie virus had infected the base."

"B-but I was told Captain ended up dying, and h-he was never a zombie..."

"He did. MrCheese pushed him into the lava pit, but MrEgg was one of the official Impostors, too, as well as a zombie at that point...Long story short, I ended up being eaten alive."

"Oh...Ouch. That must've hurt."

"Yeah. I, ah...still have the occasional nightmare about it," he replied, shuddering a little. "B-but that doesn't matter. The point is that even though this is a little different, we should still be able to find a way out  of it."

"Well...I just hope that by the time we figure something out, it isn't too late."

"We're getting closer, Angel," Player told her, pulling away from her somewhat to look her in the eye, tilting his head off to the side a tad as he admired her soft features. "...We'll have this figured out before it's too late. I can feel it."

Angel looked down off to the side for a moment, then looked back up at him.

"...Player?"

"Yeah?"

"Will...will you be mad if it ends up being me?"

"Angel..."

He leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss against her forehead.

"Of course not. This isn't your fault. Not at all...And if that ends up being the case, we'll find a way to make you better. Engineer will think of some kind of cure, and we'll get off of this planet and go back home...And if it isn't you, then...well...That's one more person we can clear, right?"

"D-do you really think Engineer can pull off something like that?"

"Hey, if he can create a ray that can turn people into monkeys and change their age, then a werewolf virus cure should be a cinch for him. Probably three days he said, right?"

Angel swallowed, holding Player even tighter.

"...I'm just glad you turned out to be clear," she told him. "Y-you've already been through so much."

"Yeah, but...I got through it and I'm still in one piece. Both mentally AND physically...And that's what matters now."

Angel nodded in understanding as she leaned her head up against him again.

"...Th-this just isn't me, is it...?"

He kissed her again on the cheek, then started rocking her back and forth again.

"It's okay, Angel..." he whispered to her soothingly. "...To tell you the truth, you're a lot braver than me. Y-you don't scream, or freak out or panic anywhere near as much as I do. Heh..."

Angel managed a bit of a giggle herself as the two of them stood there with each other in their hold.

...BDay saw the scene from where he stood. He shook for a few moments, his fists clenching again, and he took a deep breath, releasing some of his tension.

Why...? Why couldn't I have done that for Rose more before she...?

He couldn't even finish the thought. In a way, he felt like he'd failed her...Like he'd failed everyone.

...No, he said to himself, his gaze hardening. ...I won't fail you, Rose...There's still something I can do to make things right.

"Engineer."

"Hm?"

The purple crewmate looked over to the blue one.

"I know we're running low on options and people here, but...I had an idea. It's something we haven't tried yet."

"What's that?" Gnome questioned further.

BDay took in another long, deep breath, almost as though he were savoring the air.

"...We've tried baiting the beartraps, but it doesn't work with such little meat. Let alone DEAD meat...I think we have better odds if we use live bait."

"Live bait??" Engineer repeated. "But...That means-"

"Yes, Engineer," he interrupted. "That's what that means. And I'd like to volunteer...I'm going outside tonight to see who it is. And I'm STAYING out there past midnight."

"What...!?"

"This has already gone on long enough, so we have to put a stop to it...I  have to put a stop to it. If nothing else has worked well enough yet, then live bait should do the trick. And if I get lucky, the beartraps Engineer set out might catch it while it tried to get to me."

"BDay, that's suicide!" Engineer exclaimed.

"I don't care...If it means we'll figure out who it really is, then I'll do it. I can't take this nightmare anymore anyways."

Gnome, Engineer and Player all looked at one another, then back at BDay...It took them a few moments to respond to his plan.

"...Are you sure about this?" the purple crewmate asked him.

"I'm sure...I'm positive. We're low on options as it is. Drastic times call for drastic measures, don't they?"

"I...I guess they do," Gnome nodded. "...But since you're going to have to be outside in order to lure the werewolf in, then...That means another one of us is going to have to stay out there to get a good look at it."

"I should probably do it," Engineer offered. "I might be able to find a way to-"

"No...I'll do it."

All eyes turned to Player as he rose his hand and made the offer.

"...It might have been Captain who made the virus that's causing all this trouble, but...I'm the one who made him mad enough to go through with something like that, just to get back at me. I get people just not wanting to be friendly back, but...I backstabbed him, ignored him, took advantage of his friendship towards me...I'm partly to blame for this, too."

"What?" Dum asked, not sure she believed she was hearing him right. "Player, no, you didn't do anything to-"

"Yes, Dum, I did...I should be the one getting blamed for this...I got the ball rolling in the first place. And I need to do something to make up for it."

He looked around at everyone...Engineer and Gnome were looking at one another in contemplation, BDay was still processing everything, Angel and Dum were simply staring in shock at what Player was ready to risk for their safety, and Captain was shaking his head.

"No...Player. Dum is right. You weren't the one who pushed it...I was. I should've known I was bothering you and stopped."

"...But I didn't bother to at least give you a chance," Player replied, sighing. "...Both of us made wrong decisions in that ordeal, but...I was the one who escalated things while you were trying to make things right."

He looked the white crewmember in the eye, a guilty, shameful look in his eye.

"...I'm sorry, Captain," he told him. "I'm sorry, everyone...I should be to blame."

Nobody spoke for a little while after that...They were all still busy thinking about what to say and do next.

"Player," Engineer finally spoke up. "...You and BDay are making a very brave and selfless offer to give us the final push we need. If you two are really willing to go through with this plan, then...We'll let you. And we commend you both for your valiance."

Engineer gave them a salute, followed by Gnome, Captain, Dum and finally Angel...The latter two each had tears glistening in their visors, but still they stood their ground.

"I'll take the camera Sheriff had with him off its stand and use it to get a picture," Player explained to them. "I doubt the werewolf will bother trying to tear it or the photo apart, especially if I can manage to put down the camera and get far enough away from it before the werewolf gets me...Then, Engineer. When day breaks, and you see who the photo is of close up, you'll know for sure. It's our best bet."

"I'll stay out in the open where it can find me," BDay added. "Maybe I'll hang around that boulder by the Office where it was when Sheriff took his picture. That way, I'll be able to get its attention more easily, and Player should be able to get a better photo."

"Gnome. Engineer. You two should probably stay in the bathroom again with the cage blocking the door like you did last night," Captain recommended. "Since both of you are cleared, that should keep you both protected until morning."

"Good idea, Captain," the purple crewmate nodded in approval. "Oh, and Player...If you're going to be going out with the camera, there's one more thing in Storage that might be of use to you."

He motioned for the group to follow him to the small building, and once inside, he rummaged around the floor a bit, then pulled something out.

"Here..." he said, handing his find to Player. "This is a pair of heavy duty work boots. The miners and technicians used them when the outpost was first being built, and they left a spare pair here just in case we might need them. Even the large beartraps shouldn't be enough to cut through them."

"Oh, wow...These should work pretty well, then."

"But still, I recommend sliding your feet through the snow so you don't step in one by accident; getting them off your boot might take some time, especially if you step in more than one. The good news is you can still tell where they are by the lumps in the snow; some of them aren't even completely covered."

"What happens if I do end up stepping in one?"

"Just push down on the top parts of the the metal hinge springs on each side of the beartrap, then remove your foot. That will reopen the jaws...Just try to avoid that scenario as best you can."

"I will," Player nodded. "Thanks, Engineer."

As they all left Storage, the three remaining suspects crowded around the red crewmate...They were all among the people Player cared about the most in his life. His sister, his best friend #2, his girlfriend...Knowing that one of them was infected with this horrible virus made his heart sink.

...But he knew that what he was doing would ultimately help them, whoever it was.

"Um...Player?" Dum addressed him.

"Yeah, sis?"

"I...I know that it must be hard doing this, knowing that...it won't end well for you," she acknowledged. "So I was wondering if the four of us could just...s-stay together for the rest of the day? Since it's still early, and...there's n-not much else to do..."

She sniffled, then started to weep, and Player stepped forward and embraced her.

"Don't cry, sis'. It'll be alright...I'll be with you in spirit tomorrow...I'll be with all of you guys."

"...And with Veteran, too?" Captain smiled. "I imagine he's...k-kinda lonely without you right now. Same with Rose."

"...We'll all see each other again," he promised, enfolding Captain and Angel into the hug as best he could. "...How about we grab some breakfast? Remember what BDay said."

"Heh...Yes. We do," Angel nodded, smiling slightly. "...At least we have donuts."

"Come on, guys."

They stayed together throughout breakfast, spending their time at Player's cabin, playing games, talking, doing whatever they could to pass the time...Lunch went by, and eventually, so did dinner. And one more round of charades and eight bowls of ice cream later that the band finally had to break apart and head to their respective cabins for the night...The laughs seemed to dissolve into tears fairly quickly once the three uncleared crewmembers were out the door, at least in regards to Dum and Angel.

"...I'll see you guys when the round is over, alright?" Player promised them. "Don't worry about me. Even if I end up a ghost, I'll be alright. Hey, I'll still have company while I wait this out."

"Well...That's true," Angel nodded, sharing one more kiss and one more hug with him before stepping back.

"...Bye, little bro," Dum squeaked. "T-take a good picture, alright?"

"I will."

She squeezed him tight, planting a kiss of her own against the top of her younger brother's head.

"Heh...W-we'll make sure you don't have to be gone too long."

"I don't have any doubt you will."

...He then turned to Captain.

"So...You're serious about this, then, huh?"

"Positive."

"I see...Takin' one for the team...That's what a true hero does, Player. You're an inspiration to me. To everyone...Good luck out there tonight."

They saluted each other, and Captain extended his hand for Player to shake. The red crewmate met him the rest of the way...then he sighed, shook his head, then pulled Captain right towards him with a quick yank and wrapped his arms around him next.

"...See you later, bestie."

Captain teared up all over again, and folded Player into his own hug, holding onto him tightly.

"I...I don't deserve you..."

"Ditto...But we have each other anyway, don't we?"

The white crewmate sniffed loudly, giving Player one last, tight squeeze goodbye before letting him go and stepping back with the others. They each gave one another a nod and a parting smile.

"...Go get 'em on camera, Player," Captain encouraged him. "We'll see you once everything's said and done."

"Will do...G'night, everyone. I'll see you in a few days."

"...Bye, Player," he whispered, all three of them waving until he slowly, finally shut his cabin door for the night.

...He set his alarm for 11:50, then got into bed. It was only just past 9:00, so he figured he might get some rest in so he'd be recharged and ready to head out when the time came.

...I just hope this really does work, he said to himself.

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...

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The door opened up, and the red figure slowly made his way out into the snow, eyeing the beartrap not far from his door. He had Sheriff's camera hung around his neck by its strap, and his thick boots flattened the white powder beneath him, leaving detailed impressions with each footstep...He didn't need a flashlight with him tonight; the skies were clear, and both full moons were positioned directly above him, illuminating the base with their soft, blue light.

Player took a peek at the time on his phone; 12:06, it read. The werewolf had likely escaped the cabin it'd been in by now and was wandering around. Player tip-toed through the snow as quietly as he could, but nothing he did could fully mask the sound of it crunching beneath his feet...He just hoped the werewolf was far enough away for him to remain undetected for the time being, and that it's ears weren't quite keen enough to pick up the noise.

...I wonder if it found BDay yet; he's supposed to be out here, too, he said to himself. If it did, maybe that'll buy me some time to get someplace where I can spot it easily.

As he made his way through the cabin area, peeking around corners and keeping his ears open for any other footsteps wandering around, he passed by a few windows...Only a few of them were left untouched; most of them were either boarded up or broken at that point...One of the only cabins left that had an intact, uncovered window was Angel's.

...His curiosity piqued.

Maybe if I took a peek inside, he said to himself. I'd be able to see if she's there or not. If she isn't, then...well...That means it must be her. There's our answer.

He slowly crept towards her quarters, pressed his ear up against the glass first, just to make sure he didn't hear anything out of the ordinary, then slowly turned his head and looked into the window, peering inside the cabin to see if anything was amiss.

...His heart dropped.

Her bed was empty, the bedding was thrown almost clean off the bed in a haphazard manner...And the desk that was supposed to be blocking the doorway was lying on the floor, its contents spilled out around it.

A sure indication of an escape.

"Oh my gosh..." he breathed, visor widening. "...It IS Angel."

Crunch...crunch...crunch

The sound of large, slow footsteps walking along the wall left of the one he was facing prompted him to abruptly turn and face in the sound's direction with his camera; even though it was pretty obvious who it was at that point, he still wanted the photo so that the others would know, since he likely wasn't going to survive the night...They stopped short right by the corner of the cabin he was staring at, and Player could just BARELY make out the very faint shadow of the creature against the white snow as it stood there, tilting its head up and emitting several very audible sniffs...It was about to emerge from behind that wall ANY second now.

Player readied the camera's shutter, ready to snap the photo and ready to run for it right afterward. He at least wanted the camera and photo in a place they were easy to spot.

For Angel...For EVERYONE.

"Hrrrrrnngg..." it growled, the guttering noise low and sinister.

Crunch...crunch...crunch...

As suddenly as it'd appeared, the shadow vanished behind the wall again, and the sound of the footsteps grew fainter.

...She turned around? Player said to himself. It seemed like she had his scent, but couldn't pinpoint exactly where he was yet...But he knew that wouldn't last for very long, so he tiptoed away from the cabin as quickly and as quietly as he could.

Player looked away from the living area, and eyed the boulder sitting between Storage, the Lab and the Office, surrounded by a small area of flat land...Maybe if he could get on top of there, he'd be able to get a better view of the outpost.

That way, I might be able to get a better photo. And see if she got to BDay already, he figured. And if I'm up high, maybe that'll also help me fend her off! And there are lots of beartraps around here, so maybe, MAYBE I'll get lucky!

A hopeful smile across his face, Player set out into the open...The ONLY thing he could see going wrong was being spotted before he could get to the rock. But if the odds leaned in his favor, then he just might have a chance.

He was grateful that Engineer had found those heavy-duty boots in Storage; not only did they serve as a shield between his legs and the beartraps scattered across the base hidden under the snow, but they were also pretty good at keeping his feet nice and warm in the frigid temperatures.

Okay. Remember. Just sorta slide 'em forward through the snow so if you hit one, it'll tap the side and not go right in the middle, he reminded himself as he went. He moved slowly and carefully, and kept his ears open. ...You can never be too careful.

He kept advancing towards the rock at that pace, his eyes darting from the ground somewhere straight forward every second or so. The toe of his boot tapped against a couple of beartraps as he went, so he maneuvered around them carefully.

When he was about halfway to the boulder, he heard fainter, quicker footsteps crunching across the terrain from somewhere behind him. He readied his camera as he turned in that direction, but all he managed to catch with his eye was a faint shadow dashing behind MrEgg's now-empty cabin...Player sighed; if only they'd known about his candle predicament.

At least I know who it is now, he said to himself. ...I just hope I can get a good enough picture so that the others will, too.

He drew in a deep breath, shivering from the cold stinging his nostrils, then let it out, fog forming beneath his visor...And it was the moment he finished letting it out that he heard someone running through the snow again.

...And it was closer this time.

He shone the camera flashlight in the direction of the sound, but this time he didn't even get a glimpse of the werewolf. She was drawing nearer, though, and if he wanted to snap the picture, then that was what he needed.

He slowed his walking even more as he neared the boulder. He still heard footsteps, though they weren't quite as fast as they'd been before...He kept track of where they were going as he neared the rock.

It...kinda sounds like Angel's going in a circle, he said to himself. A big one...like she's trying to ambush someone...

Player was only a few meters away from the boulder now, and he dared to take longer strides as he drew closer...He felt a smaller beartrap snap shut onto the thick heel of his boot, but all it did was let in some of the cold air. He bent down and pushed the button on he mechanism to loosen it, letting it back out into the snow.

Just when he touched the side of the rock with his hand, he heard the footsteps again.

...They were coming from the other side of the boulder.

"P...P-player? Is that you back there?"

His eyes widened at the sound of the unmistakable high-pitched voice.

"...BDay?" he whispered back. "Was that you walking around?"

"No..." he squeaked.

"...Is it-"

"Player...It's staring at me."

"What...?"

"It's...i-it's g-gonna be messy, but...G-get the photo once I'm gone," he rasped. "...I'm going to go b-be with Rose now, Player."

"BDay..."

"...I'll see you next round, buddy."

A loud, guttering scream of a snarl pierced the night, and the bloodcurdling sound was followed by vibrations against the rock Player leaned against...And the sound of BDay crying out in agony as the werewolf tore into him.

The liquid splatter of blood could be heard, and Player saw some of the red droplets land in the snow to his right, the screams from both the predator and the prey splitting his ears. BDay didn't scream for long, though. The sound of tearing flesh continued as the werewolf ate its kill.

Player held back a scream in the back of his throat, and he scrambled away from the rock, almost stepping in another, less concealed beartrap as he backed away...He felt his heart drop when the rock was in full view...along with the deep impression made into the snow by the deceased's warm blood melting it, a coiled trail of his bowels glistening in the moonlight like a chain of greasy sausages...The red crewmate saw them begin to disappear behind the rock as the beast pulled them towards itself, noisily chewing and slurping them up like noodles.

A tear came to Player's wide, unblinking eye, and the camera dropped from his hands, clattering slightly as it landed against his chest.

"Oh God..." he choked out.

...But it was a bad idea to speak.

An alerted huff sounded off next, followed by a low, snarling growl as the werewolf made quick work of BDay's remaining intestines...He could tell that it didn't want anyone taking its food.

...And that HE was likely next on Angel's menu.

But he didn't care. He heard her claws scrape against the rock, and he backed away even more when he realized what she was doing.

...It was climbing it. Climbing to the very top.

He saw one paw grasp the top of the boulder, then the other...They looked just as red as Player's suit, drenched with BDay's vital fluid.

Then the figure's pointed ears made themselves known next, both of them tilted directly at the crewmate below.  Player grabbed the camera again, finger on the shutter and lens pointed just above the top of the rock as the metallic shine of Angel's gold halo appeared next. He squinted at the harsh glare entering his eyes as he looked at it.

...But then he stopped, and his eyes stared.

Wait, he realized. That isn't gold. It's...

The rest of the beast came into view, the hard, gleaming stare in the creature's visor looking right into Player's.

...That wasn't a halo he was seeing.

And that wasn't Angel he was looking at.

His eyes bugged out.

"It..." he stammered, his hands shaking as he finally snapped the photo, eyes wide with disbelief. "...It was you?"