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Movement on the hillside in the distance catches Fein's eye and he slips behind the cover of a boulder, peeking around the rock through the sight of his sniper. He catches purple and green and black, and lowers the gun.
"No way," he mutters under his breath, and starts running towards his team.
He's spotted immediately. They pick up the pace too and they meet at the foot of the hill. Couri is first and he falls around Fein's neck, pulls him into a hug.
"Fucking finally," Couri breathes, joy and relief in his voice.
Fein couldn't agree more. He spent the last couple days either alone or with people he didn't trust, barely even liked. It's almost surreal to have Couri here now, with Fruit and Das picking their way down through the last steep decline to join them, and things are finally looking up.
Fein allows himself one singular moment of indulgence, buries his face in Couri's neck and scents him, safe and familiar and here. Couri melts in his arms with a sigh and gives him a smile when Fein pulls back, a softer one, only for him.
And then the other two catch up and they all exchange greetings and laughter and banter, and Fein's grinning so much his face hurts. He missed having a team.
They get going quickly, feeling unprotected at the cliffside, and Fein uses the opportunity to look them over, take them in. They all look tired but no more than he does after days of being on the hunt or on the run. Their gear is good, too, not quite maxed out but close, and there are no obvious injuries. He noticed on the approach that Fruit favors his right leg, but not by much and Fein doesn't think it'll impact his fighting performance.
He takes an extra second to check over Couri. All of HBG is pack, but Couri is his, so Fein notes the bruised knuckles and rings under his eyes and scratches on one cheek. Couri doesn't say anything but he notices Fein looking and offers him a smile, knocking their shoulders together while walking. Fein returns it and lets it go, knowing Couri won't enjoy getting fussed over.
He speeds up to join Das at the front, dips his head to the other alpha - not in submission, but in acknowledgement, because he knows very well who led this team until now. "What's the plan?"
They pass the time with talking strategy and recapping their experiences so far. Fein recounts his near-death experience with Hasvik's team, talks about teaming with Hbomb and George - Couri frowns a little at the mention of an omega, even one he knows is claimed and knows Fein's not interested in in the slightest, and it's just the tiniest bit cute -, warns of how quickly you can get dropped. The others offer similar stories, just with more killing, and Fein could purr with how happy he is to be in the easy company of a pack again. He doesn't mind being alone, he's good alone, but he's always better in a team.
They split up to go mining and reconvene as the sun goes down. Camp is set up in a little cavern tucked inside the mouth of the cave; it's a nice, secluded spot and they take the risk of starting a fire.
They talk, they joke; Couri sits close enough next to him Fein can smell his faint, mellow scent, and for the first time since the start, Fein relaxes in the warm glow and the presence of his pack.
When they settle down to sleep, he takes first watch. Das doesn't protest but he gives him a look that Fein meets evenly. At the end of the day, only one player can win, and they both know it. For now, Fein has no intentions of betrayal. He sits by the cave entrance, the heat of the embers and the sound of his pack breathing at his back, and busies himself with strategies and plans and fail-safes instead of the inevitable end.
The moon has risen by the time Fein wakes Couri. They don't say anything to not disturb the others, but Couri leans into him for a handful of seconds, foreheads touching, breathing shared air. And then he slips away, and Fein goes to sleep more easily than in a long time.
He notices when Couri's watch ends because he curls up next to Fein and breathes a sigh of content when Fein pulls him into his arms. They get teased for it in the morning but it's all good-natured fun and so worth the best sleep Fein could possibly ever have on a hard, cold cave floor.
The next day - the last day - brings a lot of walking. Most of it is spent in companionable silence to save their energy. The abandoned city at the center of the map comes into view just after noon and they stop for lunch and to scout.
There are nearly sixty players left, but Fein still takes Couri to the side. "When it comes down to it, at the end," he says and watches Couri's expression turn grim, "What do you think the other two are gonna do? You've been teamed with them for longer."
Couri takes a moment to respond. "We haven't talked about it, but I think Fruit is gonna be fair. He won't betray us."
Fein nods. Fruit is pack, he will at least tell them before he turns on them. "And Das?"
Das is competitive enough to rival Fein, he has the most stars, the most kills, and all intentions of leading this team to his victory. Fein knows that, and Couri knows it too. He shrugs.
"I wouldn't say the same about him."
Fein nods again. He knew all this and was fairly sure Couri was on the same page, but it's good to have confirmation.
They move into the city, and the most stressful hours of Fein's life begin. He's on constant high-alert, checking everything and everywhere all at once. As the sun sets and darkness curls in the corners, the player count drops lower and lower and the storm draws tighter, a swirling mess of purple light that pushes them inwards, through shadowed alleyways and crumbling skyscrapers.
Couri is the first of them to die. Fein is disappointed, sure, angry too, but also a little relieved that he doesn't have to kill him himself. He and Couri have no issues fighting each other in various tournaments, but this one feels different. They've only just found each other.
They make do even as a team of three and in the end it's only them left, the storm howling around them.
Fein stays back a few steps and keeps an eye on the others as he reloads his shotgun. "So, boys," he says, "What now?"
Fruit looks between him and Das and takes a step back. He's smart and he'll try to win, but Fein is still not as worried about him.
Das, however.
He's staring at Fein without being obvious, stance casual, shoulders loose as he shrugs. Fein is always aware of any scent that's missing the undercurrent of pack, so he notices immediately when Das' spikes, sour-sharp with adrenaline.
Fein dodges to the side just in time, bullets pelting the ground where he just stood. Vaguely he's aware of Fruit yelling and also diving for cover, but he's too preoccupied with running to do anything about it.
The last battle is short but brutal. Fein gets a few shots off but the fire is returned relentlessly, stone shards and wooden splinters exploding off the walls he hides behind. He's not even sure who is shooting at him.
He hears Fruit scream and the cannon boom, and grits his teeth. Fruit is an alpha, but he is pack, and the protective instinct telling Fein to avenge him is strong enough to almost make him do something stupid, like run out there guns blazing.
He keeps a level head, but it's not enough in the end. Das gets a good shot off that hits Fein's right shoulder, the one he needs to shoot, and he goes down knowing he won't get back up. Das stands above him, looking genuinely regretful.
"Sorry, Fein."
Fein shrugs with one shoulder, pain lancing through him even then. That's how the game goes. He's disappointed, but he played as well as he could. "It's fine, man. GGs."
Das lifts his gun, looks him in the eyes, and pulls the trigger.
The cannon sounds for the last time.
(After the event, Couri finds him in the lobby amidst the masses of players that are still mingling. He leans into Fein's side, congratulates him on his second place. Fein leans into him in turn, and allows himself to forget the what-ifs and improvements he could've made for only a little while.)