Far Cry 1. Down the Rabbit Hole

Alison awoke to a sharp, pulsating ache between her temples. Her hands had been bound tightly above her head and throbbed dully against her weak struggles. Her eyes opened weakly; blurry at first, but adapted sluggishly to the brightness that surrounded her. They were rudely greeted, however, by the flashing light of a small cellphone screen and the soft reverberation of a voice somewhere beyond her current state-of-mind.

"Must be nice, right? Falling through the sky like that?... Bet it made you feel pretty invincible, huh?"

Alison followed the screen lazily as it dipped and swooped slowly in and out of her vision. The light vanished suddenly through the bars of the makeshift bamboo cage she had been bound against; followed momentarily afterward by a soft chuckle.

"I like this phone... This is a nice fucking phone. All these features and what-do-you-call-them, apps? Very nice... Very expensive, I like that."

Up until this point Alison's dizziness kept her from fully comprehending what had been happening and who was speaking to her outside of her prison. But as her vision slowly returned back to it's normal state, the severity of her predicament became clearer as well.

She cried loudly into the gag wrapped tightly around her face, catching glimpses of more bamboo cages identical to the one she was trapped within. Some were empty but some; however, held prisoners who were also tied tightly against their bars. Heavily armed men walked in and out of her peripheral vision, babbling incoherently while some laughed crudely to one another. Worst of all, people hung listlessly from their heels, their throats cut as blood coagulate in thick, sticky pools beneath them. Alison retched repeatedly into her cloth gag, trying desperately to control the bile that rose threateningly in the back of her throat. She steadied her nerves quickly while the man continued to talk from his crouched position, seemingly unperturbed by her sudden outburst.

He chuckled, "I love these photos though. That's you, right?"

She gaped openly at the phone as semi-nude photos of herself spread scandalously across the front of the screen. This must have been her cellphone... Her eyes widened with sudden realization as her face burned a vivid shade of red. Apparently this had been the reaction the man hoped for because shortly afterward he removed the phone once again through the bars, chuckled quietly to himself and gazed down hungrily as he flipped lazily from one image to the next.

"Wow. You're really photogenic. Bet that comes in handy in L.A, huh Hollywood girl... Big brother Grant know about these pictures? Huh?"

Alisons' captor must have been expecting an answer, peering questioningly down at her as he held her phone up for emphasis. Suddenly she was struck by the absence of her brothers and friends. '_Grant_. _Where's Gran_t? _And Riley_? _And the others_?' She only had a moment to dwell upon these thoughts before the man slammed his clenched fist into the bars of her prison, causing a sharp echo to travel throughout her small enclosure.

"I asked you," the man kneeling before her started as his once impish grin vanished into a look of intense scrutiny, "... a question. And I think its very-fucking-rude," he had said this all in one breath, "to not answer someone... Especially when that someone holds your fucking life in their hands."

"It's alright though, Alison." He spoke again, the malicious smile now returning to his scarred face. "Cause I'm gonna keep this phone, and I'm gonna keep these pictures... I'm gonna lock them away," here he made a clicking noise with his tongue while pointing his index finger to the temple of his shaved head, "up here, so I can remember the way you were before coming to my island."

Suddenly he rose to his feet and began pacing the exterior of her cage as he pocketed her phone and began flipping through what appeared to be small index card-sized papers. Alison watched intently, confusion and fear forcing a tear to pool lonesomely at the corner of her eye. The man stopped at one card in particular and returned to Alisons' side..

"Alison Brody... Were are you from? Los Angelas California? Well I hope your mom and pa really love you, cause you and your brothers all look really expensive..."

Alison could hear him shuffling through the IDs once more as the muffled grunts of another prisoner caught his attention.

"Shut up." He snapped in response while looking over his shoulder. Alison followed his gaze towards the awakening figure of a small man who was also bound and gagged within a cage. "We're in the middle of an important conversation here."

The man however continued to speak against his restraints, causing their captor to avert his attention angrily.

"I'm sorry what did you say?... I said shut the fuck up. Or I'll kill you the same way I did your family."

Alison couldn't stop the helpless sobs from escaping as she shouted and screamed against her restraints, either unaware or indifferent to the fact that no one could her them. She had no idea were she was, let alone where the other members of her group were being held, but she didn't care; she wanted out. And unfortunately for her the only way she had of expressing this frustration was to cry, kick and scream.

The man turned his attention back in her direction and knelt down to eye level, the wicked grin he wore, returning back across his face, ; the smile stretching widely from left to right.

"Hey. Hey-hey-hey, what's the matter, Alison? Why aren't you laughing like you were up there with your friends? Am I not funny? Have I failed to entertain you?... See, the thing is, up there you thought you had it all. Way up in the fucking sky you thought you had life by the cojones." He emphasized this by grabbing his crouch suggestively and scooping up a handful of dirt. "But Chica, down here," he continued, allowing the last bits of dirt to cascade slowly from his hand; the smile never once leaving his face, as he finished, "...You hit the ground."

She lowered her head and continued to cry loudly into her gag, almost completely resigned to whatever this mad man had in-store for her. The tears she tried in vain to keep from shedding, once again rolled dramatically down against her swollen and bruised cheeks.

But light shushing from behind the bamboo bars brought her attention quickly upwards just in time to catch sight of her captor as he made to gently wipe the tears from her cheeks. She recoiled from his hand before her face was gripped tightly within his grasp, inadvertently forcing her to stare resentfully into his eyes.

"It's okay, Alison. We're gonna have a lot of fun, I promise."

Finally letting go of her face, he dropped his gaze towards the ground in a surprisingly thoughtful manner.

"I'm in the business of people you know. Kidnapping, buying, selling, trading..." He listed these things off one by one as he counted upon his fingers. "Good money. But I've been thinking lately," Here he rose gingerly to his feet before pacing restlessly once more. "... What's in it for me besides money? Huh? What the fuck do I get out of all this?" He shouted before returning to Alison's side, her face once again clenched strongly within his fist. This time however, Alison found herself no longer looking into the face of a man whose only purpose was to intimidate her. Instead, the man looked as if he had found a newer, more deviant purpose. One he had only just recently settled himself upon as he continued to glare intently back from the other side of the cage.

"But I'm gonna take what belongs to me... I'm gonna take _my_ toys, and I'm going to play with them." His eye contact was palpable and his focus gleamed with malicious excitement. Never once did he blink or break his concentration. It was a characteristic Alison would not soon forget...

Another man spoke somewhere from the outskirts of the prison, alerting Alison's captor (who's name she now knew to be Vaas) to 'stop scaring the hostages' and that he had to take care of rejects somewhere else within the camp.

Rising to his feet reluctantly, the man – Vaas – remarked quietly in a amusing sort of way, "This place would fall apart without me".

Alison watched his departure, leaving another man behind in his place to guard the many cages within the encampment. She thought adamantly to herself about how she was going to get out of her new prison safely as well as entertaining the hope of escaping with her brothers and friends. She didn't have long to think to herself before the figure of her older brother Grant caught her attention suddenly. He crouched quietly behind the guard who seemed not at all alert to his presence.

Alison's eyes sparked with restored faith while Grant made a quick hand gesture, silencing any forms of recognition she might express. She knew enough of her older brother to listen to any order he gave - and given her current situation - she was in no position to change any time soon. The guard remained unaware of Grant's presence and busied himself with the state of his weapon. Grant motioned towards the guard then pointed to Alison's cage, mouthing something along the lines of '_get his attention_'.

Stumped at how she was meant to accomplish this (being gagged and bound to a cage really limits your conversational skills) Alison did the only thing that came to mind. She screamed...

The guard who was now alert to her struggle walked quickly to the door of her cage shouting in a heavily accented voice.

"What the hells' wrong with you? Shut the fuck up." But before the guard had time to finish, his head had been crushed repeatedly against the bars and his body sunk lifelessly to the ground to reveal Grant, pushing him to the side and unlocking the chains with deaf hands. Unbinding Alison's from the cage and removing the gag from her mouth, he began a thorough examination of his sister's wounds.

Looking her over he asked; his voice shaking with rage and adrenaline. "Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?".

Alison stared awestruck from him to the apparently dead guard lying upon the ground; all the while massaging the soreness from her wrists. She stammered, "Oh my God. Is he dead? Did you kill him?".

"That is what they teach you in the Army." He retorted dully before exiting the cage, motioning for Alison to follow behind him.

"How are we going to get out of here, Grant?" She questioned, her eyes pleading for a definitive answer.

"Working on it" Was his response.

As she stumbled forward slightly (the blood quickly rushing to her newly resurrected limbs) she crouched low to the ground, apprehensively following her brother. Her feeble attempts at averting her gaze away from the Hell surrounding her disappeared once they found themselves face-to-face with the hanging men from before.

Suddenly Alison burst into uncontrollable hysterics, sobbing loudly into her cuffed hands. "Oh my God, Grant! These people, their all dead... Grant their dead, and they smell so bad!"

Grant turned quickly, grabbing her shoulders tightly and shaking her vigorously in an attempt to pull her back to reality. "Allie. Alison listen to me. I know what you're going through, and I know you're scared. But right now it's just you and me. And I'm gonna need you to pull it together. For Rileys' sake... And the others'." He finished by shaking her roughly once more as if to finalize his plea for sanity.

As a child, Alison had always gone to her big brother Grant whenever she had a problem. Whenever she was picked on or bullied in school, whenever she was too afraid of the dark to sleep alone or whenever their parents would get into heated and physical arguments, he was always there. And whenever she was unsure and in need of strong guidance Grant was there to hold her hand and walk her through all of lifes' problems.

She nodded her head slowly, wiping the tears from her eyes and responded with a trembling, "Okay, I'm sorry."

Grant smiled reassuringly before they made their way slowly through the camps' interior. Every so often the two were forced to hide behind piles of suitcases and crates, hiding from armed men or furiously barking dog. Alison forced herself to turn a blind eye towards the endless piles of suitcases stacked in mountainous hordes whichever way they crept.

"Grant, there's gotta be hundreds of these suitcases..." She whispered quietly, running her hand over the pleathered skin of one bag in particular. Grant shushed her suddenly as he eyed a group of guards sitting around a table playing some form of card game.

"Don't worry about that right now. We need to get past these guards."

Slowly, they made their way past the group without being noticed. Suddenly a gun shot ripped through the air loudly causing Alison to shout out against her better judgment, placing her hands over her ears and screwing her eyes shut as if it would shield her from danger.

Grant quickly turned upon his heels, calming her once again for the umpteenth time. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, he motioned for Alison to do the same. "Breath Allie, breath. We got this, alright? Just keep your eyes on me and we'll get out of here."

Alison tried to keep her attention focused on Grant, as one gun shot after the other pierced through what little remained of her resolve. All she had to do was keep her eyes focused straight ahead and concentrate on moving forward without being seen and they'd make it out. She had to ignore the smells, the shouts and the gun shots... As well as the screams and cries and pleas for mercy from other less fortunate prisoners...

She found short-lived relief when they came upon a shack like building. It (like a majority of the rest of the camp) was packed with suitcase upon suitcase as well as drugs and other relatively illegal paraphernalia. Through Grants instructions, Alison quickly grabbed the items left atop a cramped table top. Folding the map placing it quickly within her pocket and watched as Grant motioned for her to follow behind him.

Remaining hidden from view, Alison reluctantly took notice of a guard leaning nonchalantly against a wall.

She whispered "How are we gonna get past him?"

Grant paused for a moment before pointing to a wall far from the guard's position, instructing Alison to throw a rock in it's direction.

Throwing the rock as far as she could, a sharp ping from its' contact thankfully caught the guards' attention, forcing him to abandon his post.

Climbing through the window left uninhabited by the guard, Alison barley had time to land clumsily upon the other side of the wall before another guard shouted loudly from her sudden appearance.

Before Alison could react, the guard clasped a hand to his neck quickly as blood began drenching the front of his shirt. As his body shifted slightly to the side, Alison could make out the slight handle of a knife sticking gruesomely from his throat.

Grant moved silently into view and gave no hesitation before retching the knife from the guards' throat as he pushed the man to the ground.

"You okay, sis?" He questioned, looking back imploringly over his shoulder.

"Yeah... I think I'll be okay."

Alison unfolded the map and between Grant and herself, they both plotted out their next course of action.

Turning to her brother, Alison asked "Where are we?"

Ignoring her, Grant responded more-so to himself, "Should have never made that jump alone, Alison... I promised dad I'd take care of you Riley."

Alison placed her hand upon his shoulder, smiling apologetically. "Does this say where Riley is?" She asked, motioning towards the map.

"No, but we're gonna find him. Then we're gonna free the others, and then we're going home."

A single gun shot pierced through what little remained of her confidence in regards to escaping the situation with her family alive, as her eyes fell upon Grants' face and the fresh bullet hole in his throat.

The image of her brother's gasping and bleeding figure floated hazily from beyond the outer most reaches of her mind; shock and hysteria taking over all rationality she possessed. She was unaware of her brothers doomed condition, unaware of the voice speaking from beyond her reality and more or less unaware of everything around her. All she could think to do was stop the bleeding, stop her brother's pained gasps for air and stop the tears she was unconsciously weeping.

A familiar voice spoke against her sobs and desperate struggle of keeping her brother alive. "_What?__Huh? What, you want to run? Huh? You want to run? You want to disrespect me? You want to fuck with me?_"

'_The bullet didn't hit him... He's going to be okay_.' She repeated ignorantly to herself.

"_I mean you come here, with your... With your pretty Hollywood face, right? And your expensive phone and your dimwit brother..._"

"Please, don't die Grant. Don't die! Stay with me, please!" She screamed out loud.

"_And you want to fuck with me? You want to fuck with ___me___? I like that... No! I respect that._"

Alison cried out loudly while tears continued to fall from her eyes, all-the-while her brother's blood collecting dramatically beneath his fallen form, flowing freely despite her frantic attempts at applying pressure to the wound. She watched helplessly as the life drained from his eyes, before she was finally left alone to gape at the blood upon her hands. The distant shouts from before however, brought her comatose mind back to Earth.

"I'm gonna give you 30 seconds... And if this jungle doesn't eat you up alive, I will. Go... Go!"

Scooting away slightly from her brothers' fallen body, she eyed the man named Vaas with immense fear. Petrified momentarily, she was unsure of what she should do next. Should she heed his advice and run?

"What the fuck. Are you deaf? I said get the fuck out of here, you stupid bitch!"

With instinct finally forcing her to her feet, she quickly left her brother's body behind, as well as his killer who's taunting screams continued behind her as she made a mad dash for the thick, green foliage of the wild jungles of Rook island.


	2. Pools of Tears

Alison pushed blindly through the darkness and thickets of the jungle. The shouts and gun fire that followed were left a faint whisper in the back of her erratic thoughts. Her emotional state was a tumultuous sea of grief as Grant's lifeless eyes continued resurfacing – tormenting her relentlessly – regardless of how hard she tried to center her racing thoughts. She paid no attention to her environment, stumbling blindly over treacherous rocks and thick bushes. The many accumulating cuts and bruises from the dense foliage caused her either no distress, or less than what should have been considered normal.

She made a desperate glance over her shoulder before the lack of concentration sent her tumbling down the steep slope of a hill. Shrieking loudly from the unexpected fall, she grasped at any upturned root or protruding rock she could for support. Coming to an abrupt halt at the bottom of the hills' incline, her body came to a crashing halt upon the ground.

For a few moments she was rendered helpless, her mind stuck briefly within a comatose state. Returning shakily to her feet she moaned slightly, forcing the dizziness from her vision as she made an attempt towards evaluating her new surroundings. Focusing her mind, she shook off the after effects of the fall.

"Breath," she chastised herself, "Breath! I gotta get out of here..."

The bellows from the approaching soldiers forced her back to reality, briefly forgetting her brother's haunting memory. "I gotta find the others."

Now aided by a more heightened sense of self and awareness, Alison pushed forward past thicker, more closely knit trees and past the grunts and snarls of wild animals as well as the slowly evaporating memory of her brother Grant.

Ducking through a craggy tunnel cut deep within the sides of a small mountain, the pain she had ignored previously flooded her body, causing her to stagger against the tunnels sharp, rocky interior. Pushing forward through the pain she made quickly for the exit of the cave, afraid of being attacked within the tunnels' cramped space. However her fears of being ambushed came crashing down upon her as an unknown weight sent her forcefully to her knees.

She fought viciously against her assailants' body, his physical weight momentarily subduing her weak struggles. Straddling her flailing body, the man shouted loudly into her face. "I found her. I got her!" Removing a large blade from the pocket of his belt he bent forward and whispered viciously; his hot breath playing dangerously close to Alison's ear. "Boss said not to touch you, but fuck it." Pressing the blade against her throat, the man began unbuckling his belt and pants. Alison's eyes widen with the sudden realization of his intentions. Watching her expression closely he slapped her face harshly, forcing the blade deeper against the tender flesh of her neck; hungry anticipation now gleaming dangerously from the dark depths of his eyes. He began working his rough hands against Alisons' tattered clothes, tearing her shirt slightly above her naval and leaving her midriff naked and exposed.

Snarling like a feral animal Alison sent a well placed kick between the man's legs. His hands made to protect himself instinctively, grunting from the painful blow. Alison acted instantly and with an effort to reclaim her body, ripped the knife from mans' grasp and forced it deep within his clavicle area. Her eyes were ablaze with the thirst for revenge, driving the knife deeper still as the man's shocked expression drained quickly from his dark features. He gave one last gurgling cough, before Alison forced the knife upwards; causing more of the man's blood to spill around her. For a few seconds she contemplated stabbing the man a third time; the adrenaline from the event coursing strongly through her veins.

With the shock of everything still playing heavily in the back of her mind, she was given no time or energy to take into consideration the life she had just claimed. Alison turned away and pressed on through the jungle, never once looking back at the pivotal moment that had made her a murderer.

* * *

Vaas stood nonchalantly besides a large cage. The tiger – trapped within it's wooden bars – seemed neither interested or aggravated towards his presence. However it paced up and down the interior of the cage growling intently at the unconscious figure of a man, who's body was bound against the support beams of the makeshift tent above. The mans' body slouched unconsciously as blood collected in droplets upon his pants. A disorientated moan escaped his bruised lips, awaking unexpectedly.

Vaas circled the man's stirring form like a hungry vulture, ready to swoop down upon him whenever the fight no longer promised to proceed. He kicked his boot heel roughly into the side of the man's head; causing more blood to coat the tattered remnants of his clothing.

"You know I can go on for hours, right amigo? I mean, I already know that you know, that I know, that you have my money." Vaas stated quickly, continuing his methodical pacing around the man. Rubbing a calloused palm over his bleeding knuckles – a token from his victim's current debilitated state – he laughed deviously without removing his eyes from the steady groove he was working into the ground.

"So, I'm only gonna ask you this, one. Last. Time." Crouching before his victim, Vaas' pinched the man's bleeding nose and twisted his wrist from left to right repeatedly; causing a fresh wave of agonized cries to circulate within the cramped tent. "Where the fuck is my money, man? Where the fuck did you hide it? Huh?", he shouted loudly over the man's continuous pleas for mercy.

Slowly, the man spoke giving a disjointed answer."The port... In Bangkok... The dock man has it."

Vaas patted the man's cheek in mock approval, returning to his feet. "Ah, see! That wasn't so hard, huh? You didn't hold out as long as I thought. You really should play a little hard to get. Shit makes you look to easy, you know."

Scoffing off the man's pathetic cries for mercy, Vaas made to end the mans' pathetic pleas for his life permanently before two identically dressed men entered the tent in a state of exhaustion. Shocked by their sudden entrance, Vaas' predatory stance slowly dissolved into immense frustration.

"Hey-hey-hey? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something, here? You wanna fuckin' knock next time?"

"The American... We lost her." One panted in response

"You what? You lost her?" Vaas questioned, his brow furrowing as disbelief turned gradually into anger.

"She fell into the river. We searched the beach, but there was no sign of her," However, before the man could finish his reasoning, Vaas had interjected loudly while rubbing his temples.

"Let me make this as perfectly-fucking-clear as possible, okay? I give you tranquilizers, men, dogs... Even a fucking helicopter! All out of the goodness of my heart... I mean, how hard is it to catch her? She was right-fucking-there..." He stopped suddenly, placing his hand upon the holster of his gun and laughing to himself. "I guess if you really want something done you gotta fucking do it yourself, right?"

Although Vaas was mere inches from putting a bullet between both of their eyes, he couldn't help but silently marvel at Alison's strength. She openly defied him the first time she escaped with that dickhead brother of hers. He should have done whatever he wanted to her – right there besides her brother's dead body – then put a bullet in her skull. But now he had something to prove.

"Should we get some men together and scout the nearby villages?"

"No." He responded curtly. "I wanna see how far she can go before getting caught. We still have her friends and brother... She'll fuck up eventually." It was only a matter of time before she would pop her head up again. And when she did, Vaas would be ready for her.

A shout echoed through the tents opening, snapping Vaas back from his contemplative thoughts and signaling that a man named Hoyte wished to speak to him about his current statues with an unknown renegade drug mule. Vaas – having already gotten all the information he need from the aforementioned man – rose to his feet looking from the man to the continuously circling tiger before him. Motioning to his foot soldiers, he stated "Throw him in the cage." before leaving through the tent flap.

He found himself eying Alison's photos hungrily from the phone he kept close at hand. Silently, he memorized every wrinkle in her smile, every curve of her figure and the way her doe-eyed gaze would send an unsettling ache below his waist, an ache he felt the need to satisfy at least a dozen times over since her arrival. Was he in love with Alison? Far from it. But he found himself desperate to reclaim the control she had taken from him when she escaped her brother's fate.

* * *

_The setting was a loud night club somewhere in Bangkok. Alison had been flirting foolishly with a heavily tattooed man who now argued loudly with her brother Grant. The fight that promised to ensue was ended by the intervention of her friends Keith and Vincent, causing the tattooed man to skulk off in the opposite direction. Grant turned eying Alison angrily, his face flushed and his hands shaking from the surge of adrenaline._

"_What the hell are you thinking, Alison? That man was twice your size. I'm so sick of cleaning up after your messes."_

_Alison stammered in response. "I'm sorry Grant. I didn't think he'd take it that far."_

_"I'm not going to be around forever to fight your battles, Alison. You need to grow up and stop making such shitty choices in life."_

"_Alright, Grant. I'm sorry." _

_Grabbing her shoulders he begged her forcefully. "Promise me Allie that you'll grow up and make better choices in life. Promise you'll be there for Riley and your friends... You've gotta promise you'll be stronger for yourself."_

"_I promise, Grant"_

Alison was only slightly aware of the presence beside her as her eyes adapted sluggishly to the dim light surrounding her. The room – from what she could make out through her hazy state – was small and packed with odd trinkets and totems. Peering into the red face of a strange tribal shrine upon the wall, Alison stammered as the memories of her fall from the bridge and the loud rotating propeller blades of a helicopter muddled her already dizzy mind.

"Where am I? Who the hell are you?" She questioned frantically, forcing herself into a sitting position.

The shadowed figure of the unknown presence by her bedside loomed overhead, pushing her back into a resting position upon the bed; his dark face smiling in a way to assure that he meant her no harm. The tapping sound – Alison was to preoccupied to hear beforehand – continued as he returned to her side.

"You are awake." He stated redundantly. "Well not all of you. The arm has been deadened to allow for the tatau." He indicated towards her arm, releasing it for further inspection; his eyes twinkling admiringly behind the thick spectacles upon his face.

Alison's eyes traveled over the fresh ink of the newly etched image upon her arm, shocked at it's sudden appearance. "_Was this permanent_?"

"It is brave to swim in a storm, but to sun bathe on a beach with pirates? Insanity."

Noticing a small dagger upon the bedside table, she reached for it quickly causing her to tumble unintentionally over the edge of the bed and onto the floor. Getting to her feet, she was greeted by the blade of the man's weapon that pointed dangerously towards her face.

"You have the right to take my life, but know, I will also take yours."

She gaped cautiously, not wanting to make any sudden movements that would end her life. The man noticed the seriousness within her expression, and dropped his aggressive stance – laughing wholeheartedly – as the uneven smile from before replaced his brief grimace of anger. Offering the combat knife in an effort to cut the tension of the atmosphere, he stated his name, "I am Dennis."

"Alison." She responded nervously, accepting the man's unspoken peace-offering. Averting her eyes – pretending to inspect the newly acquired knife within her hands – she avoid the awkwardness of the man's lingering gaze.

Dennis then began speaking in an unknown language in regards to the new tattoo upon her arm. "I know who you are, Alison. You are a warrior, and the tatau will allow for you to reveal your true self."

She stared back suspiciously as Dennis helped her to her feet, scoffing slightly, "But I'm a woman."

Unexpectedly however, Dennis laughed at this statement, waving his hand for emphasis. "You American's are so quick to dispute anything that is not familiar to you. Your culture would have you kept weak and unsure of your own power. But I see within you, Alison Brody, a woman just as befitting the title of warrior as any man walking this island."

She wore a look of disbelief and unease. Dennis continued his speech despite her suspicious response, instructing her to follow him. "What? You do not believe me? Come then and see for yourself."

"Listen." She stopped him suddenly as the memories of the recent events tumbled down upon her. "A man killed my older brother... I have to find my other brother and four other friend's that were taken."

Dennis nodded his head silently, opening the door of the shack to a small village setting.

"So you'll help me?" Alison questioned hopefully without noticing nothing before her.

"You can only help yourself, not me. I can show you the way to the Path. The path that will not only save your brother and friends, but awaken you to your true self... I am going to free you, Alison."

Shaking her head hopelessly, Alison finally took in the village before her. A lit with the joy and laughter of some form of celebration, the villagers danced and shouted drunkenly to one another. "How did I get here?" She asked herself more so than Dennis; who answered regardless.

"I found you on the beach. You were close to death and speaking of promises as well as other things I could not quite make out. I welcome you now to Amanaki Village."

Villagers were now beginning to accumulate in close proximity of Alison's arrival. Many stared inquisitively in Dennis' direction as if silently questioning Alison's identity.

"It is something, is it not?" Dennis stated proudly in regards to Alison's questioning glances around the village.

"I have Alison Brody. The woman who escaped Vaas' camp alive!" Dennis shouted into the crowd of curious on-lookers, causing many to cheer loudly in Alison's favor.

She was unsure of what to make of all this newly acquired fame and attention. Dennis placed a reassuring hand upon her shoulder, directing her attention away from the celebration.

"Your escape is a sign that the battle has turned in our favor. This is good news for both of us, Alison. And our people are in need of good news." With his arm still draped around her shoulder, Dennis began guiding her through the village, showing her everything it had to offer as well as welcoming her into the open and grateful arms of many of Amanaki's villagers.

She stares questioningly at Dennis, "Do these people really think I'm some kind of female warrior?"

Dennis turns nonchalantly, answering her with a searching look. " These people know more of the man that shot your brother than you do. You only know what you have seen with your own eyes, and nothing more. You've escaped, where no others have before. This, Alison is why they cheer your name. Be grateful they are not mourning your death instead." Dennis then briefly stopped before a group of young women. He smiled slyly in their direction and chuckled to himself while shaking his head disconcertingly. Removing a large roll of foreign bills from his pockets, he forced it into Alison's hands.

Refusing his generous offer, Alison was in no mood for excepting this foreign mans gratitude as well as neither being in the position of returning the favor any time soon.

Dennis snapped angrily in return. "You wish to save your brother, right. You are going to need this for weapons?"

Up until this point, she was managing her fragile emotional and mental state as best as she could. She was allowed no time to grieve for the lose of her older brother; now a memory she found slowly receding into the darkening depths of her mind. Not only was she responsible for rescuing her brother and friends, but now she took part in playing the role of an unwilling savior to these jungle people. Awash in the sea of hopeless doubt, she stumbled back and collapsed against a building; openly crying in front of many disbelieving and shocked expressions.

Dennis forcefully lifted Alison from the ground, pushing her through the door of a cramped building."Listen to me, Alison Brody. You are being watched by many eyes right now. Eyes of friends as well as enemies. I can do little for you if you give up. But know this. The Rakyat entrust very few with their aid and even fewer with the secrets of their ways." He continued, his eyes speaking volumes of the serious repercussions of her public outburst.

"The island only calls to the strongest of us, and it will destroy all those who cannot adapt fast enough. It called to me as well, Alison. The Rakyat accepted me and made me a member of their tribe. But I fear, if you do not get stronger, the Rakyat will not accept you. You will not be able to save your friends... You will be left to fight alone and the jungle – I fear – will swallow you alive."

Alison slowly realized what she had to do. Remembering the promise she made to the memory of her dead brother, she knew she must now either adapt to the situation or let it destroy her. Although the thought of saving her brother and friends played heavily upon her decision to purchase weapons and ammunition, the idea of revenge is what forced her to pull the trigger upon a red shirted enemy. Forced her to learn to adapt to the jungle and live off the land. And forced the memory of what she had been once before, far away as the slowly building ego and strength of the woman warrior she was being molded into over took her former self.


	3. The Caucus-Race and the Long Tale

Sitting alongside Dennis; bloody and beaten from their recent hunt, Alison slouched discontentedly beside the dead corpse of a boar they had slain together, treating a fresh wound upon her leg.

The boars' tusk had sliced a shallow, inch long cut across her thigh. A simple fix... Dennis taught her how to mend and heal wounds larger than this one. However it hadn't been the cut on her leg that was causing her discomfort.

As if reading her mind (a skill he had revealed more than once) Dennis spoke in a sympathetic tone.

"Do not worry, Alison. It is a small wound. One that will not cause any permanent scarring. We will treat it better once we've returned to the village."

Alison; unable to make eye contact , fixed her gaze upon the fallen body of the wild pig. "It's not that its... It shouldn't have happened at all." She responded with a huff.

"It is a mistake. Everyone makes at least one in their life, and this one was not life threatening. I do not hold it against you as a warrior. You have grown incredibly strong since our first meeting."

"Exactly! So why are we still hunting pigs and goats? I need to find my friends, Dennis." Alison shouted rising to her feet, her previously expressed embarrassment now fading into one of sheer determination.

"I'm done hunting animals. I wanna fight back!"

Before Dennis could find the words to quell the slowly rising tides of Alison's rage, a sharp sound rang from the phone Alison kept permanently attached to her hip. Startled by it's sudden awakening, Alison listened intently to not only the voice of a man but the screams of a woman as well. Alison clutched the cellular device closer to her face, unable to drop her gaze from it's shattered screen.

"Felipe. We are driving to the outpost near Amanaki. We have one of the American girls. Come have some fun!"

Alison had no idea as to who the previously mentioned 'American girl' was, hoping however, it hadn't been Liza. She turned angrily towards Dennis, watching him rise to his feet with an almost foreboding grimace upon his face, as if expecting the rage that would soon follow.

"Did you hear that? They have one of my friends." Alison shouted, shaking with anger.

"Yes, and they have for a week now Alison and yet they still live. You are not ready yet..." Dennis started but was interrupted quickly.

"Fuck that, Dennis! Fuck that and fuck the way of the warrior. You said you would help me find my friends. We know where they are and you still want me to sit here and do nothing? I let you ink me with a tattoo I never agreed to and this is how you repay me?"

"I did not say we would not help your friends." Dennis began, his face contorting into a warning frown. "And I would advise you to keep outbursts like this to yourself. You are on the Rakyats' island and still live in their jungle because I have not thrown you out on your own. Do not mistake my generosity for weakness, Alison. And do not say those words again if you wish to not only see you're friends, but escape this jungle with your life."

Alison could only respond with an indignant glare. They had been in an argument like this once before, and she could still remember the look of deadly promise upon his face when he had threatened her life that time as well. It would take a lot longer than a week to fully understand what someone was capable of, and Alison forcefully silenced herself, not wanting to push those boundaries with Dennis any further.

Yet her pride would not allow her to give up the argument so easily. "Yes, Dennis I know, but..."

"You are not ready, Alison." He repeated, emphasizing every word warningly.

Alison knew exactly what he wanted to hear. She suspected Dennis had no real desire to rescue her friends.

"The Path has put this obstacle in front of me for a reason Dennis. If I wasn't ready, then those men wouldn't have called over the phone... It's to much of a coincidence."

Alison could feel the tension fading from Dennis' features, finally forcing him to drop his gaze and chuckled quietly to himself.

"I fear you are becoming too reckless. If you wish to push the matter, than we will find your friend and rescue her."

Dennis did not return the smile Alison now wore outwardly, but simply motioned towards the clearing ahead of them where the shadowed image of a battered vehicle peaked through the dense jungle growth. Making their way quickly through trees and bushes, Alison slid into the familiarity of the jeeps rusted and mud-caked frame.

With Dennis positioned begrudgingly behind the wheel, Alison asked while tossing slightly from left to right within her seat as the jeep wove too and fro upon the rough terrain.

"What's this outpost they've taken Liza too?"

Dennis answered her over the roar of the engine. "The outposts are strongholds found throughout Rook Island. Vaas' pirates hold them to control the surrounding area."

"So we're heading into a fight?" She asked, comprehension dawning on her suddenly.

Dennis smirked in a unsettling sort of way that made Alison second guess her rash decision. "A-ah, maybe we are not fully prepared after-all, huh?" He simpered, throwing Alison a side-ways smirk that made her forget her momentary apprehension causing her to fuel her fires once again. 

He continued." It's no more a battle than what you have grown accustomed to. The past week of training has lead you to this point. But do not worry. This is a worth-while in-devour. Rescuing your friends will kill two pigs with one stone. Not only will it make you stronger but the Rakyat will see your true potential, guaranteeing you a place among their ranks."

"Look Dennis, I appreciate everything you're doing for me. All those times you've stuck your neck out for me.. But I just want to save Liza and my friends... And my brother Riley." Although Alison was aware of her new '_title_' and the '_responsibility_' that came with it, she wasn't at all prepared to make herself apart of this mysterious jungle tribe now or anytime in the future.

"We are at war with Vaas, Alison, you know this." Dennis snapped at her angrily. "Taking down this outpost is key to further reclaiming the island. We conquer one for the Rakyat, the area becomes safer. This means faster travel for everyone, and new opportunities for you to develop your skills as a warrior."

"I just wanna see Vaas dead." She spat vehemently, the very mention of his name causing her blood to boil.

"I know this Alison, but you must first grow in strength. Vaas is more

than what he may appear on the surface."

"He's a coward. That's all he is. A scared, homicidal psychopath who hides behind a gun." She shouted back, insulted Dennis would think any different.

She was about to argue this point, but was momentarily preoccupied by another vehicle making its way along side their own thundering vessel. The foreign jeep was packed with three or four heavily tattooed and equally armed men. "_Was that the Rakyat?_"

"Now is the time to save your hatred for later, Alison. Do not speak of things you do not understand. It will only make you appear weak and ignorant. We have come to far for your arrogance to get the better of you."

Coming to a sudden halt, Alison was nearly thrown into the vehicles' dashboard when she realized they had arrived at their destination, anticipation for the fight that lay ahead welling quickly within her gut. Stepping from the vehicle, Alison took note of the Rakyat and the way they returned her gaze with uncertain scrutiny.

Alison could almost feel their hatred, and wondered if Dennis could feel the same as well. As he placed a heavy hand upon her shoulder, his words of advice did nothing to calm her racing heart and feeling of impeding death.

"Do not give way to fear, Alison. Steady your mind and nerves, and stay close to me. And do not get in the way of the Rakyat." He warned with firm finality as he removed his weapon and readied it with a loud snap.

She threw him a scathing glance as she trembled slightly, trying desperately to steady her voice. "Yeah, I'll do my best."

With the Rakyat taking the lead by a little less than a yard, Alison could hear the desperate screams of both women and men, pleading for either mercy or death. The smell of smoke enveloped her senses as she took notice of the billowing black clouds issuing up ahead as their unlikely group advanced ever so silently upon the outpost.

The Rakyat threw disdainful looks over their shoulders periodically, forcing Alison to avert her eyes in both shame and embarrassment. She was no warrior. She wasn't even a killer... Killing one man out of self-defense was entirely different than willfully going into battle in the hopes of taking numerous lives.

Fuck, what did she get herself into?

Now hidden behind a large notice board, Dennis chortled quietly as the Rakyat spoke amongst themselves in their own native tongues.

"What? No snappy come-backs? What has become of the Alison Brody I once knew? It was you who wanted this, was it not?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think –" She argued but was silenced quickly by a large warrior to her left.

Dennis continued. "Ready your weapon and make sure you keep your enemies in sight and be mindful of your allies."

Alison reloaded her weapon quickly, her nerves getting the better of her as she fumbled the magazine clip, nearly dropping it to the ground.

Her slip-up did not go unnoticed, and was made perfectly clear as the large warrior from before scoffed quietly.

"She cannot even handle her weapon, Dennis. What have you brought us?"

Alison eyed the man apprehensively before the Rakyat rushed out from behind their shelter, shouting loudly as they made their way into battle.

Alison debated on remaining out-of-sight for the rest of the fight before Dennis himself pushed forward into the battle, forcing her to make her decision quickly. Was she to stay and coward in safety like the scared little girl she had always been, or was she to step out and make a stand for herself for the first time.

Her pride answered this internal debate, forcing her to step out from behind the board also giving into the persisting whispers in the back of her mind.

Alison was uncertain of the enemies numbers and how many hid within the outposts shanty-like buildings. The only thing made clear was the Rakyats skills in battle as they dropped a great number of enemies with every loud and resonating gun fire from their weapons.

"Loosen your shoulders and steady your stance more." Dennis instructed loudly, trailing behind the Rakyat closely as Alison followed quickly behind him.

Try as she may, Alison could not steady her herself. Crouching low to the ground in hopes of gaining control of her aim, she fired her weapon repeatedly yet hitting no enemies as she did so. It seemed her only chance of helping the warriors in securing the outpost was to stay as distant as possible, ducking from the numerous bullets fired in her direction.

"Behind you!" Dennis shouted, before taking out an enemy who had crept closely behind her. All she could do was stare in astonishment at how closely she came to death without even knowing it.

"Did I not say to keep your enemies in sight" He scolded. "Pay attention to your surroundings or you will die."

"Dennis, quickly. We need your help." Exclaimed one Rakyat a short distance away, forcing Dennis to leave Alison to fend for herself.

"Dennis, wait." She called out helplessly before an enemy – who had remained hidden from view till now – saw her prone position and barreled forward, wielding a large machete threateningly.

Firing her weapon in a zig-zag motion, the red-clad soldier weaved from side to side expertly, causing every one of Alisons' sloppy shots to miss their target.

As the man quickly advanced upon her, the only thought running through her mind was '_This is it I'm gonna die_'. She paused for a moment to long and as a result the man rushed forward forcing the gun from her hands and slammed his large fist into the side of her jaw painfully, almost completely knocking her to the ground.

She could barely make out Dennis' desperate shouts as the blow from another well placed attack successfully forced her to the ground. The man circled her prone figure threateningly; taunting her all the while with insults and mock charges.

Alison could barely make out the Rakyat standing off to the side, but was shocked to see each had their weapons lowered, watching adamantly from the side-lines. Dennis' attempts at aiding her were quickly smothered as the warriors shielded him with their tattooed arms. Dennis could only watch her from the outskirts of the fight, powerless to do anything but shout reassurances from the side lines. This was a battle Alison was going to have to fight on her own.

Again the man lunged forward, but this time Alison reacted instantly. Dropping low to the ground she swept her leg beneath her attacker, sending him crashing to the ground with a dull thud.

Without thinking, she leaped atop the man and began beating her fists into his face mercilessly. Within seconds a horrible pain shot up through her thigh as the man dug his hand into her freshly bandaged wound causing her to scream out in pain.

Taking advantage of her pause, the soldier threw Alison off to the side and swayed dangerously from left to right while returning groggily to his feet. Clutching a hand to his face the soldier attempted to stifle the fresh wave of blood that poured from his nose.

She stood atop her own trembling legs as her eyes scanned her surroundings desperately. The Rakyat looked on with little concern. Dennis watched almost reluctantly, not wanting to see the outcome.

Her attacker stumbled uncontrollably towards the large blade lying closely to Alisons' side before rushing forward to reclaim his discarded weapon. Without hesitating Alison quickly reached for the blade and forced it deep within her attackers stomach. She did not remove the blade, but drank deeply from the man's shocked expression. Not once lowering her gaze, she gripped the knife's handle tightly, twisting it upwards, issuing a thick pool of blood and body parts to collect below her enemy in a gruesome and sickening display.

She stood victoriously, allowing the last bits of adrenaline to wash over her body in euphoric bliss. She had killed him... And she had done it alone... She watched as the man slowly fell to his knees, trying desperately to keep what remained of his insides from cascading to the ground with the rest.

Suddenly she remember her friend who she had forgot was still remained trapped somewhere within the camp.

"Liza" She mumbled to herself before tearing through many of the outpost's buildings in hopes of locating her friend. But all she could find were the desperate and pleading faces of petrified captives; all of which she ignored completely.

"Liza, where are you?" She shouted throughout the outpost, her eyes falling upon a building she had not yet searched. Running as fast as her injured leg would allow, she grasped the handle of the door only to be denied access. Beating her fists against it she shouted, "It's alright Liza, I'm here! It's Alison. You're safe now." before throwing herself forcefully through it's already unstable frame. Sadly, she was only greeted by a dilapidated radio station and a large mattress.

"Fuck. She's not here."

Alison turned to leave before the loud crackling static of the hem radio stopped her in her tracks. "What the fuck is going on out there?" A voice shouted angrily from the abandoned radio. "The outpost near Amanaki is under attack. Were the fuck is the American prisoner?"

"We lost her." Another voice responded.

"What?"

"She escaped on the West side of the fucking island. I'll tell you about it when we get there."

As the static died down to silence once again, Alison left the building; her momentary disappointment alleviated by the news of her friends' escape. "She escaped... She's alright." Alison spoke desperately to herself, not allowing the many morbid possibilities of this outcome to cloud her hopes.

Quickly she made her way to the outer borders of the camp, forgetting her allies and the many helpless hostages who remained trapped. She was blocked however by the bare, tattooed chests of the Rakyat, forcing her to stop and look upwards into uncharacteristic admiration. All three warrior (all but the larger one that first doubted her worth) embraced her with praises, patting her back harshly as each caressed her tattooed forearm; examining it with deep satisfaction.

"Alison Brody, you are worthy of the tatau."

"Yes, worthy to walk the Path of the Warrior. If ever you are in need of an ally, we will fight along side you."

Within moments praise the warriors broke apart, dispersing themselves amongst the fallen bodies of their enemies and taking what remained of their valuables. The largest of the warriors helped shepherd the scared captives into a vehicle, watching Alison ruefully as he went about comforting the women.

Dennis approached Alison, a smile stretched wide across his face. Alison threw her arms around him in a rare show of affection; an expression Dennis was taken completely off-guard by. Quickly however, he patted her reassuringly upon the back. "Did I not tell you, you were strong? You will be fine. They are very impressed with you Alison."

"No Dennis, it's Liza. She got away... She escaped! And she's alright."

Dennis however did not react to this news the way Alison expected. It was not impressing the Rakyat she was emotional over, it was the prospect of finding her friend. It was debatable if she even cared that the Rakyat now looked upon her with great aspiration and hopes. "Yes, Alison... This is great news." He stuttered, hiding his irritation behind a lopsided grin and large spectacles.

Pushing away slightly from her grasp he spoke. "We found one of your friends at the colonist's house."

"Colonist? Who's that?"

"One to many questions, Alison. Just trust us. He is known on the island as 'Doctor' Earnhardt." Dennis snapped in response, his irritation at her muddled priorities getting the better of him. "But do not worry, it is safe there. The Doctor is waiting for you. You must go if you are to save your friends. His mansion is in the West."

"To the west." Alison repeated, remembering what the man had said over the radio. "That's right. Did he tell you which friend?"

"No, but we will continue our search for the others. I will radio you if we hear anymore." He stated making to assist the other warriors. "Keep your head up, Alison. The tribe is still very impressed with you."

"I will take you to the doctor, Alison Brody." Offered a warrior helpfully.

Unable to refuse help, Alison excepted and the two made their very silent and awkward trip to the west side of the island.

Rushing quickly up the face of the hill, Alison surveyed the doctors' abode and knocked furiously upon the front door.

"Hello? Dr. Earnhardt?" She shouted at the stationary door. "It's Alison Brody. I'm here for my friend... Is anyone there?" Still there was no answer.

Peering into the buildings windows, there appeared to be no sign of life; except for perhaps the boiling kettle that was now issuing steam upon the stove. Slowly she made her way around the exterior of the mansion, not wanting to run into anymore enemies today. Making for the backdoor (hoping it was unlocked), she noticed the small greenhouse a short ways ahead. With curiosity getting the better of her, she stepped into the buildings stifling humidity; inhaling deeply the pleasant smells of fresh potting soil and manure. She was close to leaving the seemingly empty greenhouse when she noticed it's strange chemistry lab setup. She turned quickly upon three rather ordinary bowls, which appeared to hold three different colored pills.

"See anything you fancy?" Came a voice behind her so suddenly that made her jump unintentionally into the table she was inspecting; knocking a glass beaker to the ground with a loud crash.

"Jesus man." Alison heaved, placing her hand on her chest as she tried calming her rattled nerves.

"My, my. A bit anxious aren't we?" The man stated as if it hadn't already been made clear. "Perhaps you would do from taking one of my little red friends over there." He pointed a shaking finger in the direction of the table Alison had just upset.

Alison ignored whatever helpful advice he may have offered, trying to control her frustration. " ?" She asked.

He smiled at her in response. " I do like the red ones myself... The purple ones will give you a lift on a grey day. Everything is excellent, really." He spoke as if he were trying to sell her on his multi-colored drugs.

Alison stared awkwardly from the man she assumed to be Dr. Earnhardt to the pills upon the table, making to inspect the pill he neglected to mention.

"Oh, not the yellow ones don't take them. They're liable to kill you. The mix is not... quite right yet... I'm sorry, dear what did you say your name was? I find myself slipping in and out of lucidity as of recently." He questioned, smiling in a far-off manner.

"I'm Alison Brody... I was told you –" She started but was interrupted quickly.

"Ah, right right right. Alison... Well, what with that cleared up I am , or 'in and out' as the case may be."

Shaking his hand lamely, Alison made to move the conversation along. "Uh, alright... Dennis said that you could help me. You found one of my friends?"

The doctors' demeanor changed at the mention of her friend however. "One of your 'Friends'? AH... I'm distilling a batch later today. Should be ready by then, but in the mean time..."

"I'm sorry sir, what?" Alison interrupted quickly.

He glanced at her questioningly before realization dawned on him. "Oh you... mean the girl, Daisy don't you."

"Oh, it was Daisy." Alison sighed in slight disappointment.

"I'm sorry my dear, I assumed you to be speaking in code. I must admit I was a bit bamboozled as to why such a pretty, young girl happened to get herself caught up with this islands devious en-devours."

"Where is she?" Alison questioned suddenly, cutting the doctor off mid-explanation. "Can I see her."

"Well of course." The doctor stated indignantly. "She's in my house. You are welcome inside, however, please do try to use caution when indoors. Wouldn't want anything else... breaking. I will be in shortly."

Alison tore quickly through the rear of the house and up the cramped staircase, hoping beyond all hope that this had not been some elaborately planned trap. But as she pushed silently through the upstairs bedroom she saw that this wasn't so. Daisy lay motionless upon the brightly decorated childrens' bed and appeared to be both feverish and in desperate need of medical attention. Placing her hand tentatively upon Daisy's forehead she quickly withdrew it with a pained gasp. Brushing a few strands from her soon-to-have-been sister-in-law, Alison looked quickly into the doctor's pulled expression as he fully entered the room holding a little pink box in his hands.

"She's burning up... What happened to her?"

" Yes of course, her fever hasn't dissipated as of yet. When I found her, she had cute her arm badly... Which in itself would be no real cause for alarm, however, she had cut through a field of Antiars tocicaria; Upas trees...Highly poisonous latex. I have been administering an antidote each hour." Opening the small tin; revealing it's contents to be syringes and empty vials, Dr. Earnhardt continued gravelly, like a doctor not wanting to tell his patience's family the bad news. "I am afraid another dosage may be required, however, given her current state."

Alison stood quickly as the shock of the news washed slowly over her like sap on a tree. Removing one of the vials and examining the scant amount of contents left, she sighed inwardly hoping the doctor had not planned on asking her what she knew was coming. Returning the doctor's gaze, she held the bottle up and shook it for added effect. "It's empty. You know that right?"

The doctor; affronted and taken aback, responded quickly with the speed and ferocity of a viper. "Well, excuse me but I did just examine the box. I've been running myself ragged formulating this serum. I must have misjudged the remaining amount of my stocks."

"Well what are you going to do?" She responded; louder than she had meant. "She's gonna die if we don't do something soon."

The doctor shushed her quickly, fanning his free hand as to pacify any further outbursts. "Would you kindly keep your voice down to a bearable decibel? Your friend is in desperate need of proper medical attention and, unfortunately, I am the only man on this god-forsaken island capable of administering it." He placed a reassuring hand upon Alison's shoulder, hoping his touch would help sooth her visible frustration. "We must keep a level head and not allow fear to get the better of our rationality."

"I'm sorry doctor," Alison sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose and running her hands through her mess of brown hair. "Where can we find more?"

Pausing for a moment as to deduce the best course of action and how to properly attain it, Earnhardt explained further. "Set us up with a few cave mushrooms and we should be right as rain,"

"Of course, you want me to go out and get them."

"Well, yes _of course_." He mocked. "I am a man of science, not an explorer. I am not cut out for these kinds of physical trials and escapades and; more so to the point, if something were to happen to me, how would you expect your friend to be properly treated? Or are you as skilled at Toxicology as you are at administering the third-degree?"

Quickly pushing passed the doctor and pocketing the vial, she turned abruptly and standing momentarily against the door frame. "Thanks for your help doc. Really... She would have died out there if it wasn't for you. And sorry for my attitude, I've just been –,"

"Think nothing of it dear," The doctor finished, sitting by Daisy's side resuming his constant vigil upon her unconscious form. "The girl must live... For both of our sakes."

Alison lingered, as still as a statue in the doorway; observing the doctor, wondering if this was just some elaborately planned out trap Vaas had cooked up within his absence. What if Daisy was experiencing withdraws and had already been made some sex slave or prostitute? It has been a week after all... Not wanting to further give birth to thoughts similar to these, Alison was relieved when Dr. Earndhadt snapped her out of her stupor.

"Hurry! Go... The longer we wait, the closer the girl gets to spiraling further downwards out of our reach. You must be quick, Alison. Go!"


	4. The Caucus-Race and the Long Tale -part

Traveling further away from the doctors house, Alison searched the contents of the map, hoping she'd find the entrance to the cave the doctor spoke of. However the cave remained hidden and a complete mysterious as the map did nothing to aid her in her search.

"Where the Hell is the entrance?" She stated quietly to herself.

The snorts and grunts of wild boars could be heard near by and Alison wanted no part in the fight that would inevitably occur if she were to bump into them personally. she crept silently through the trees, making her foot steps as quiet possible. As she stumbled onwards, she finally came upon a tall cliff that dropped precariously into the ocean. Confusion stumped her momentarily as the doctors specific instructions pointed her towards this direction. "This isn't west." Unable and given no time to question this, she made her decision quickly. "Well here goes nothing," and threw herself over ledge.

The fall itself was quick enough, yet the impact knocked the precious air from her already suffocating lungs . Quickly she swam through the underwater cave entrance, arising moments later, barely able to keep from inhaling water in her desperate search for oxygen. Choking on her sudden breathe of air, she climbed quickly to the edge of the pool, pulling herself atop shaken legs and sore arms.

Coughing up the remains of the water left behind in her chest, Alison chanced a glance around her, surveying her surroundings quite thoroughly. If Dennis has taught her anything, its to be sure of whats around you and making sure there are no places for any would-be enemies to hide from plain view. However, the only thing that was visible were sharp rocks hanging high above the cave ceiling and moss that grew within the humid underwater cove. Climbing atop secured vines, Alison noticed what appeared to be strange tubers growing from the ground. Unsure as to if these where the mushrooms the doctor spoke of, she cautiously made to grab a sample. Suddenly a gaseous substance issued from the strange growths, causing Alison to choke back a gasping breathe as the strong smelling gas filled her lungs.

Coughing, Alison surveyed her surroundings yet again only to fall into what felt like a high shes only felt once in her life. "What the hell?" Raising her hands at eye level she stared in amazement as they left behind a blurred image as they swooshed back and fourth. Blinking back the strange points of light that seemed to glisten here and there, she stated rather dully "This is new."

Stumbling from each leg, she swayed about the cave,muttering quietly to herself all the while. Sounds of the tides of the ocean against the beach and the chirping of birds filled her senses as she made her way through the interior of the cove. Suddenly Dr. Earnhardt's voice spoke somewhere far off in the distance yet sounded just as loud as if he were standing right besides her. "I like the red ones myself."

"What?" She stammered. "Doctor, hows Daisy?" She questioned the doctors voice.

The cave began spinning around her giving a somewhat fun-house effect feeling that she were tumbling left to right. Fortunately there had been a long branch off vines there to brake her fall and Alison automatically climbed upwards atop the green ladder. As she climbed she found it increasingly difficult to reach the top and much to her dismay found the vines climbing further and further upwards.

"You are awake."

"Dennis?" she questioned, stopping quickly as she searched for the source of the noise, the vines swaying dangerously from left to right.

Dennis spoke again. "Well, not all of you."

"What the Hell is going on." Alison grumbled before the sudden sensation of falling engulfed her senses. Quickly however, the swooshing sensation subsided and before she knew it, Alison was standing atop the thick vines she was once climbing. "How is this happening." She stammered again.

Glistening off in the distance, points of lights flashed before her eyes, making it hard to focus on what terrain lay before her. Without noticing the rock wall up ahead, it began to split in two, causing a fresh wave of cool air to overcome her. Phantom Dennis began speaking again, as if rehearsing a speech Alison knew all to well. "The jungle speaks to the warrior. The path leads to the heart of the jungle."

Stepping through the rocky entrance, an entire replica of Rook islands' jungle appeared magically before her. Overcome by the fanciful beauty of this hallucinogenic jungle, she danced and stumbled about as tropical birds of every color flew over head, causing a rainbow affect to overcome her already sensitive eyesight. As her hands grazed the foliage, she felt nothing but air greeting her outstretched hands.

Liza had finally come to greet Alison in her jungle-like paradise. "Alison, the studio called. I got the role!"

Taken aback by her sudden exclamation, Alison barely noticed the tubers from before, filling her lungs once again with their toxic contents. Mist began swirling around her as she trekked further on through the jungle path.

"But what about the rest of our vacation, Liza?" Alison questioned aloud.

Plants began blooming quickly from the ground as bushes popped up like green jack-in-the-boxes and trees sprouted quickly upwards. Water droplets began dripping quickly from the roof, however must have decided the ceiling were a better place and fell upwards back to where they came from.

Liza sighed. "I thought we could talk about this like the friends we once were."

Saddened by her quiet response, the color drained from Alison's eyesight, leaving her with an unfinished colouring book, sadly devoid of its color. She continued on further still and tried to pacify her friend. "Liza, we're finally in Bangkok with all our friends. I cant believe how beautiful it is here."

The forest finally began filling up with color once again, more specificly, the forest began filling with a purpleish glow, as if the plants wear alive with an ethereal and luminescent light. "Curiouser and curiouser." Alison mocked while giggling loudly to herself. It was breathe taking, and Alison found it hard not to examine her arms and body, which were draped in the violet colored light. The water continued to drip downwards and upwards, finally freezing as Alison crept further still.

But like the sudden bang of a gun, someone else – more terrifying then any of the people now speaking to her – became more vivid and louder, as the voice of Vaas, began speaking in a simpering manner. His voiced enveloped her entire senses and even within her diluted sense of reality, Alison could feel the slowly rising tides of her anger bubbling over top.

Calling out to her, Vaas spoke with an almost sympathetic tone, ironic given its context. "Sh-sh-sh, do you want me to split you like I did your friends?" Here his voice began rising even still. "Your pretty Hollywood face. You want to fuck with me? I like that, no I respect that."

And then like a ghost, Grants voice rose slowly from the ground, as if to taunt her for living instead of him. "I promised dad Id take care of you."

Feeling a slight pang of not only regret and sadness upon hearing his voice, she also felt anger and rage as the subject of her dad came up in the conversation. "I dont see why. Dads never cared about me."

Grant continued as if Alison never responded. "Im not going to be around forever."

Slowly, the voice began fading away back to the afterlife and Alison followed it helplessly as the world around her swayed almost completely out of her control. "Grant? Grant! Please don't leave me. Grant I'm sorry I couldn't be better. I'm sorry I couldn't save you" But as she chased after the voice of a her non existent brother, she stumbled head over heels upon a jagged rock. Crying out loud not only by the pain from the fall, but upon hearing the very words her brother spoke before his death. Pulling her knees up against her chest, she cradled her arms around herself while sobbing uncontrollably at the thought of her dead brother. She would never see him again nor hear his voice speak of reassurances. Worst of all, he would never be there to protect her. Perhaps the ladder came from a selfish place, and yet through the sobs came the voice of her fraternal twin brother, Riley, almost pleading her for a positive answer.

"Allie, you're gonna make it to my pilots meeting next month, right?" Alison sighed knowing the answer to her brothers question.

"A-ah sorry Riley, I'm busy."

Quickly getting to her feet, Alison continued to run, hoping to escape her brothers' voice. The high she had been riding out turned a sudden and terrible corner of regret and sorrow. She couldn't save her brother Grant because she was to weak and she had always been a selfishly horrible sister to Riley, never once being there to support him. All these past regrets came tumbling upon her in one big wave of sorrow and luckily for her the doctors greenhouse appears through the mist and purple haze. The building suddenly fell backwards against her persistence, forcing her to hasten her pace in order to make it through the doorway.

"You're always busy. You never make time for your family. Sometimes I wonder if you even care about your us at all."

Thankfully, Dr. Earnhardt's greenhouse finally halted to a stop, allowing Alison access through its doorway. Upon entering Rileys' rage silenced itself as Alison surveyed the interior through watery eyes. Windows began shattering around her as she cut a path through the tables of floating mushrooms which began bursting upon her gentle prodding. Suddenly the glass began to brake and shattered while glass shards began floating lazy towards her.

"Hello? Dr. Earnhardt? Are you here"

"What are you afraid of?" Grant questioned her.

"Grant?" She nearly shouts in response to nothing.

Quickly, she made her way through the back door of the building, hoping for the umpteenth time to finally see the body the voice of her older brother was attached to. She was greeted however by the glowing mushrooms that she knew; without a doubt, must be the fungus the doctor had sent her for.

"The mushrooms." She exclaims before making her way to the edge of the cliff they grew upon. Carefully she stepped towards the edge not wanting to upset the fragile state of the cliff. But before she had time to grab the smallest of the shrooms, the floor below disintegrated beneath her, causing her to spiral down, down the rabbit hole like chasm.

She collapsed with a thud, only to awaken some time later. Unsure of how long she had been out, the darkness from the opening of the caves mouth gave her some indication as to the time, which appeared to be very late in the night. Getting to her feet, she felt the swell of reality finally begin to pound within her head as she fully awoken to a normal state of mind. A terrible headache promised to develop as she grabbed the mushroom and placed it within the small vessel the doctor had given her.

Upon exiting the cave, the memories of her drug induced stupor quickly disappeared from her mind, only leaving her with a feeling of nausea and immense grief.


	5. The Rabbit sends in a Little Bill

"You know I gotta say, you California girls really know how to put on a show." Vaas spoke with an almost amused yet exasperated air that nearly betrayed his resentful expression while busying himself with an old camcorder. "Especially your friend Alison." Here his expression changed, a-lit with the grin only a child would wear after successfully destroying his toy. "Shes a real piece of work, Ill tell you. Escaping my prison with that fucking asshole brother of hers and making friends with those fucking tribe people. Fuck those fucking people, man."

Placing the camera at his side, Vaas crouched down at eye level with one of Alisons' captured friends; the one named Liza. Inside Sunset Cove, ransom videos were shot, and among the cries for mercy and their chance to go home, sadistic laughter could be heard from all corners of the cavernous prison. The air was thick and held a muggy air about it, while the coppery scent of blood and the sweat yet pungent smell of death encompassed all other aspects of the cave. Within a small room; adjacent to the large theater screens, videos were being shot, as tripod stands held many a filmed ransom video, their victims begging and pleading to go home to their families. It was here that Liza was trapped within as she sat atop a blood stained chair, ropes wrapped tautly about her body, securing her in place.

"Please." Liza began to beg. "Please. I'll get you whatever you want. You want money? I can get you money. Just please let us all go home."

Vaas quickly gripped Liza by the back of her head, issuing fresh waves of pained tears to role down her face. "O-oh but girly, I want more than just money, I want your friend, Alison Brody." He chuckled, shoving her head to the side and rising back to his feet. "Oh and I wouldn't worry to much about most of your friends anymore. Alisons' brother, what was his name? Grant." He began circling Lizas' petrified form. "He's, uh, how do you say, finito."

"Grant?... Grant's dead?" Liza choked out.

"Yeah, uh-huh. 'Fraid so hon. You should have seen it. It was a great shot. An awesome shot really." Once again he grabbed the back of Lizas' head, braking her from her stifled sobs. He bent forward, making to whisper threateningly into her ear. "So unless you wanna share the same grave with him, I suggest you play along."

"Please let me go." She shouted aloud. "I promise I wont tell. I promise I wont say anything."

"O-oh" Slowly, he made his way forward with the camera still held tightly in his grasp, making to add more adjustments to it. Turning the camera on, he continued. "What I want from you is to send a little message to Alison. Tell her that if she fucks around with me anymore, I'll start executing ever last fucking one of you!" He shouted, his voice rising with each word spoken. "I want you to act like you would for a movie audition. Play it up like its the fucking role of a lifetime."

Breaking the momentary silence, a voice spoke from the opening of the room. "Boss." He shouted" The Alison girl is here. Shes cutting her way through all our men. Should we send in the gunners?" He questioned loudly.

"No." Vaas stated dryly. "Let her come." Turning his camera on Liza, he continued. "Were gonna make a little home movie for her, right Liza? Okay. I'm gonna start, and if you don't say exactly what I want, your gonna find that your... services are no longer required. And we don't want that, do we chica?'"

The lingering silence must not have been the answer Vaas was looking for as he; again, grabbed Liza by the hair, yanking her head to the side painfully. "Do we?" He shouted.

"No." Liza stammered in response.

"Good. Very good." He complimented in return, finally pointing the camera directly into Lizas' face. "We're off to a good start don't you think? Okay baby, on the count of three. 1,2,3..."

Making her way dramatically through the wreckage of the shipyard and through the pirate filled cave, Alison found herself smashing through doors and tearing apart even more soldiers with her rifle; issuing the occasional blast of a shotgun. Forcing her way through a heavily guarded room, she found herself looking into the face of her friend Liza, appearing just as terrified as anyone in her position. Alison looked on in sheer horror and rage as the face of her best friend swayed about the screen, her pleads and sobs echoing painfully off the rocky walls. Alison could do nothing but stare awestruck at the scene that took place upon the screen.

"I want you to say it again. Come on girl, I know you got it in you. Say mom, dad." Vaas voice spoke somewhere off camera.

"Mom... dad." Liza stutter in response.

Vaas went on with his instructions. "I love you... Tell them that."

"I want to go home." Liza sobbed.

"That's very nice, only this time I want you to do it again. This time I want you to tell your friend Alison to come rescue you. And make it more believable. Say it with more conviction."

"Please Alison, get away! It's a trap!" Liza shouted through her many heartfelt cries. "Go find help, please."

"That's not what I said." Vaas simpered.

Through her rage-filled rampage through the theater like room, the sound of Lizas' sputters and cries, she failed to notice the soldier behind her. With his gun raised threateningly above his head, he brought it down upon her face with such a heavy force, it knocked her completely out-cold, ultimately rendering her helpless.

After what felt like an eternity, Alison had awoken in a pain filled stupor, as her face and head ached after the encounter with the armed man. As she came around, she was caught completely off guard by the sudden physical images of her friends Oliver and finally Liza herself. Each of them were bound tightly to chairs, and to Alisons' expectations found herself strapped to the same form of contraption as her friends.

Surrounding them were well armed soldiers who stared upon Alison as if she were something vile and unclean. Suddenly Vaas himself appeared from the door, carrying a gas can and a wicked grin. Pouring the contents from the red container, he made a few dramatic spins before tossing the can haphazardly against Alison's head, causing her to cough and sputter as the fumes from the gas ate away at her senses and spilled into her eyes. The blow from the container was enough to make her already bruised face ache terribly, as she glared at the mohawked pirate lord through venomous eyes.

"Alison." Liza spoke from across the room. "Why didn't you run? Why didn't you save yourself?"

Laughing quietly to himself before taking on a more serious demeanor, Vaas questioned Alison with an agitated expression, "Who gave you that ink, huh Hollywood?"

Alison continued to stare daggers into the side of Vaas' passing form, refusing silently to answer his question; which she knew the kind of reaction this would garner from him.

"I asked you a question." Here Vaas turned quickly on Alison, crouching before her, his face mere inches form hers. "Who. Gave. You .That ink?" He emphasized throwing that piercing stare he had mastered so well. "Did Citra give you that ink, did my sister give you that ink, huh?" Raising to his feet, he removed a zippo lighter from his pocket, flicking it repeatedly. "No, no you couldn't have met her. You'd be fucking dead already if you had." He replaced the lighter into his back pocket before once again making his way menacingly towards Alison. "You think that makes you one of us? Huh? You think that makes you like me bitch? Hollywood girls' got a wety for Jungle Fever, huh?" He wiggled his fingers suggestively at crouch level before laughing loudly and draping an arm protectively around her shoulder.

Alison shook his arm off with a grunt before the sudden pain of her hair being ripped at against her will, as Vaas entangled his fingers into her dirty blonde tresses. "I'm gonna drive a bullet." He used his free hand to form a mock gun. "Through my sisters skull." He turned his finger-gun on Alison making a clicking noise with his tongue. "Like I did your brother Grant." Grinning at his comment he was abruptly taken off guard as Alison hawked back a large wad of saliva and spat it forcefully into his face.

"Fuck you." She shouted into his face.

Quickly, he jerked his head back, as if his last minute evasive move would wipe away the spit now dripping slowly down the front of his face. Expecting a violent backlash from him, she was surprised as he made to wipe the remaining saliva a from his face, continuing his earlier speech. "You're angry Alice." She winced and screwed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the blow as he raised his hand and instead placed it firmly upon her shoulder, as if making to sooth her angry outburst. "I get that. You, are angry. Okay? I get that, I respect that." He dropped his head in a contemplative manner, allowing Alison a moment of silence as the images of her brother resurfaced from the depths of her memory. Weakly she forced back the choking tears these thoughts brought her, not allowing the satisfaction it would cause the man opposite her. "I get it." He repeated as he shook his head mournfully. " I mean, without family who the fuck are we? There was a time where Id' do anything for my sister, you know. The first time I've ever killed was for her." Covering his eyes quickly, Alison watched as he forced back what appeared to be tears, shocking Alison out of her own grief.

"You're a psychotic asshole. You don't deserve any family."

Quickly Vaas responsed, anger now returning slowly as he rose to his feet. "Yeah, you'd like that wouldn't you? I don't deserve family, huh? I, don't deserve a fucking family?" He shouted into her face. "Fuck you, bitch. Fuck. You. I fucking loved my sister, and I thought she loved me." Pacing back and fourth, his rage grew to a boiling point as he continued his characteristic pacing. "But that wasn't enough for her. No,no, no." He quickly turned his attention on Liza , making to pace before her as well. Lizas' fearful gaze fell upon Alison and in an effort to calm her friends' building terror, stared back reassuringly.

"The thing about family, our loved ones right." He turned, now shouting. "Our fucking loved ones. They come and they blind side you every fucking time. You get that right? Your mom and dad and brothers. Always throwing fucking curve balls your way." Again shouting so close to Alisons' face, she could smell the stink of lingering tobacco. Placing his hands above hers, her stomach dropped as he rubbed his fingers gently over hers. He gazed at Alison in this manner for a few moments,sadistic hazel eyes versus resentful blue, before pushing away from her, continuing his speech. "But then their like Vaas, Vaas who the fuck is it gonna be? Them or me? Me or them?!" Beating his fist against his chest, his voice rang out as the climax of his fury rang out across the room, causing both Liza and Oliver to wince with frightful expressions.

His rage quickly evaporated as he gave a soft chuckle before removing the lighter once again from his pocket, flicking it, issuing nothing but a wisp of smoke into the air."Like they fucking think that I need to make a fucking choice." Laughter again elicits nothing but sadistic glee as he continued to flick the lighter against his pants. "By the way, this lighter really fucking sucks. Well, so much for poetics, huh?" Here, he places the lighter into Alisons breast pocket. " Its really bad that Citra inked you up. We could have had a good thing going. Because now, the only way to really kill you is to erase you completely. That means erasing you from my mind."

He paced once again to Lizas' side, making to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Sh-sh-sh. It's gonna be okay. Don't cry, don't cry. Your friend will be okay as long as she plays along." Staring at Alison through a side ways glance, Alison was left to gaze in a questioning manner. _What more could this psycho want with me_.

He began to circle Liza in mock predation. "Listen Alice, I hope you don't mind me calling you that. It seems fitting, given the circumstance." He chuckles. "Alison Brody, falling down the rabbit hole. Is this the wonderland you wanted? Is this the place you've always dreamed of?" He questioned, once again grinning at Alison in a way that made her feel very unseasy. She felt like a rabbit caught in the cross hairs of a fox. " You and I have a lot in common. I can already tell. You, the girl stuck in wonderland, and me the hatter. To bad this story wont have a happy ending."

He crouches before Alison, placing a hand atop hers in the reassuring way lovers would do, much to Alison disgust, and much to Alison constantly building sickness for him. He ran his fingers gently up and down her dirt encrusted scarred forearm. " I don't know why Alice, but I like you. You fight back against me while others run like scared bitches. You got spirit... I like that, I like that a lot. But now," He stood suddenly cutting the loving grazes of his hands to a halt. He begins mimicking the practice he performed with Liza as he circled Alison in the same fashion. "Its time for you to make a decision as well. Ill give you a chance to apologize for all the shit you put me through. This means I get back what you stole from me, and you get your life. You can continue to fight me or you can watch each one of friends die like your brother. Ill let you live long enough for that. But in the end Hollywood, Ill get what I want. I always get what I want."

Stopping besides her, he made to stroke her face. "Whose it going to be baby? Me or them?"

Giving no hesitation in her decision, Alison quickly made to snap her jaws against Vaas' outstretched hand before he quickly wrenched it back with a shocked chuckle.

"Your full of surprised chica, Ill give you that... How'd I know you wouldn't give up so easily? I swear to God Alison, its real beautiful you're willing to die for the ones you love. I'm sure big brother grant would be proud." Here he turned to his men while lighting a match. "Lets give her a moment to mourn for her lose, huh?"

Suddenly, the room was bathed in red hot flames, and Alison, Liza and Oliver were thrown into their own real life version of Hell.


End file.
