Chapter Text
As soon as Barbara had fully regained consciousness, she began to drag herself towards the end of the corridor. She knew that there was nothing she could do to help Blaine; the sounds of his skull pounding on the floor followed her up the hallway, and she had to fight back tears as she crawled away. She was nearing the junction at the end of the hall, almost free to get up and run to Burnie’s office, when she heard Gavin call out after her. She began to panic, trying to struggle to her feet as Gavin easily caught up with her and grabbed her ankle, wrenching her backwards towards him. As she fought to get away, her chin scraped along the carpet and her fingers scrabbled to gain purchase anywhere so she could haul herself away. All that Barbara accomplished was the fingernail of her right ring finger ripping off as it caught on the floor; before she could scream Gavin had wrapped a hand around her throat and applied a little pressure, choking off any noise she tried to make. “Don’t worry, Barb. We’re gonna leave this corridor now, the smell’s getting a bit much isn’t it?” Gavin smiled warmly at her, hooking one arm around her neck in a choke hold and dragging her into the nearby kitchenette.
Gavin threw her against the nearest counter, her spine smacking into the edge of the counter top and making her gasp harshly with the pain. “Stay.” Gavin said, sharply. He cast his eyes around the kitchen looking for something to use on Barbara, something that would get the job done quickly. His eyes alighted on the knife block that sat by the sink, barely used since it had been placed there after the move from 636. He smiled slowly, and slid the largest knife out of the block. It wasn’t particularly sharp, but it would do what he needed. Whilst his back was turned, Barbara surreptitiously slid a nearby fork into her hand and concealed it as best she could. As Gavin rounded on her with the knife, she jabbed upwards into his wrist with the hidden fork as hard as possible. The tines of the fork slid into Gavin’s wrist with surprisingly little resistance; as Gavin recoiled and grasped at the fork now embedded in his inner arm Barbara darted forwards to try and get past him and out the door. As she passed him she heard the fork clatter to the floor and felt a painful yank on her hair as Gavin grasped at it. “You little slag.” Gavin spat as he pulled her backwards by the hair and punched her in the face, hard. She let out a pained groan as Gavin’s fist connected with her already shattered nose and could feel herself getting dizzy with the sheer agony radiating from her face and scalp. Combined with her earlier injuries from the golf club, Barbara wasn’t faring too well at all; she was almost unconscious again when she felt the dulled blade of the knife slide into her chest. Her eyes flew open as the knife was withdrawn and stuck in again and again, each stab more vicious than the last. She coughed out her last few breaths, a fine mist of blood spraying out and covering Gavin’s face making him pause in his frenzied attack. Barbara’s eyes were unfocused and her pupils were rapidly dilating, her chest was no longer rising and falling and the pulse that had been jumping so frantically earlier was stilled. Gavin let out a breath that he hadn’t even noticed he’d been holding and released her body, letting it crumple to the floor and rest in the pool of her blood that had formed at her feet. Calmly, he set the knife on the counter top and walked to the sink, rinsing the wound on his wrist and noting with some displeasure that it was fairly deep. Gathering a clean cloth, he tied it around the small holes and picked up the knife on his way out the door.
Leaving the kitchen (and deliberately stepping on the fingers of Barbara’s corpse to hear them crunch) Gavin made his way up the corridor to Burnie’s office. He kicked Blaine’s body as he walked past, the action made more difficult as rigor mortis had begun to set in and causing Gavin slight pain in his toe. He sauntered past the Achievement Hunter office, where Michael and Lindsay’s carcasses were lying only inches apart from one another, and rounded the corner. He stopped outside Burnie’s door, and rapped on it with his knuckles. “Hey Burnie, you still here? Mind if I come in?” Gavin said, playing with the knife and making it glint in the fluorescent lighting. Maybe I’ll let Burnie live, Gavin thought, smiling. I mean I AM here because of him after all… Burnie replied after a few moments pause “Yeah I’m here. You need a ride home or something, dumbass?” Gavin’s smile dropped, and his blood soaked hand reached for the door handle. I do wish people wouldn’t call me that… Gavin thought, as he swung open the door.