[color=silver][center][h2][color=0099aa]𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭[/color][/h2]
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Duncan wasn't sure how long they'd walked for, but it sure [i]felt [/i]like a week. Their pace felt abysmally slow, and the constant whir of flies around his head was about to drive him crazy. Tsubasa alleviated the problem some, dutifully swatting at the insects as they walked, but eventually her presence started to grate on Duncan's nerves too. She was practically just one big fly herself, constantly buzzing around him. The two were far too different to talk about anything Duncan gave a shit about, and he didn't like picking between awkward silence and chatting about art or whatever. Besides, if she had that much energy, couldn't she have helped carry someone in the back, so they could walk faster? 

Probably not. Whatever. The stream they were following had turned into a river some time ago by now, and Duncan was sure they'd find [i]something [/i]worthwhile at the end of it. He wanted to wash himself, to swim, to test out how long he could hold his breath, maybe. He wanted to do something, [i]anything [/i]to push his limits. The walk, while long, wasn't fast-paced enough. The carcass wasn't heavy enough. If he couldn't have nicotine, he needed adrenaline. He needed--

The carcass slipped from his shoulder, hitting the ground with a loud thud. The flies scattered. Duncan didn't notice them. All he saw were the people up ahead, their faces both familiar and not, like it'd been years since he last saw them. Funny, because he'd spent most of last night unable to see nothing but them whenever he tried to close his eyes.

Everything seemed to stop for a moment, faces frozen in surprise, bodies suspended in time, until someone pulled the plug and the two streams of students crashed together. Asahi went to Sasuke, but their conversation got buried by all the other noise - a lot of it Duncan's own.

[color=0099aa]"[i]Holy shit[/i]! You guys ain't ghosts, right? What [i]happened [/i]last night, those things must've been [i]huge[/i], and you guys look--"[/color] his gaze travelled over the group as if looking for missing limbs or crushed heads or snapped spines.[color=0099aa] "Sort of... fine."[/color] Better than he'd expected, anyway.

Akito and Tsubaki were with them, too. Huh, right. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen them with their group today - but they [i]had [/i]initially followed them when they'd ran from the bus... right? Duncan's memories from last night were fuzzy, further blurred by lack of sleep. He could faintly recall hearing some people diverging from their group, though. Probably those two then, but they were injured, so it's not like Tsubaki could have walked on her ow--

[color=0099aa]"Hey! Who're you calling Masato and [i]everyone?"[/i][/color] Duncan hollered at Shun, only marginally aware that her usual smile was strained and on the brink of snapping.[color=0099aa] "Don't remember making him the boss. Just 'cause the guy likes to talk like he knows everything..."[/color]

Shit hit the fan before Duncan could finish that thought. Shun grabbed Masato by the collar, the sudden movement instantly nudging Duncan forward as if by reflex. But where Shun's actions had spurred him to move, her words halted him in place. 

[i]"I see mostly everyone in your party seems to be the picturesque definition of healthy."[/i]

[i]Fuck.[/i]

She was right. Duncan had beat himself up over it most of last night, so there was no trying to deny it now. He [i]knew [/i]he'd made a mistake by leaving. He should have stayed to fight. From what Shun was saying, someone had... [i]Yuudai [/i]had [i]died[/i]. The image of vultures pecking at a bloody mess flashed into Duncan's mind, and a wave of nausea rushed up his throat.

Shun was right, but-- why she was so angry with Masato in particular, Duncan didn't get. It pissed him off. If anything, she should have been more angry at [i]him![/i] What, was it because she really did think Masato was their leader or something? That all the decisions they'd made were his responsibility? That Duncan had left because he'd just followed a leader like some fucking sheep?! 

[color=0099aa]"Hey, hey, [i]hey[/i], cut it out,"[/color] Duncan strode over and practically forced himself in between the two parties, one hand firmly on each one's shoulder in case they tried to get at each other again. Part of him hoped they would. The familiar burn in his body at the promise of a fight was a welcome relief. [color=0099aa]"Masato wasn't the only one who made shit choices last night, alright? And we don't even know if they [i]were [/i]shit! I mean-- hell, Masato's got a point. If Yuudai died... the [i]fuck[/i] do you think would have happened to the others if someone didn't take them to safety? Yeah, it probably [i]should [/i]have just been one of us leaving with them, but--"[/color]

Duncan grit his teeth. As much as he blamed himself, and as much as he would have preferred blame from others instead of being reduced to a follower, his pride couldn't quite let him say any of it out loud. So, he deflected.

[color=0099aa]"... But if you guys would've handled yourselves better, maybe[i] no one [/i]would have died! You don't see us throwing blame at all of you for whatever happened to Yuudai, huh? So how 'bout you either calm the hell down or stop yapping and show me why I should trust you in a fight ever again!"[/color][/color]