Work Text:
Wind swept onto Airy's back as he clicked away on his computer, working on some code for miscellaneous distractions.
Someone had arrived through the vine gate - Liam, most likely, as he'd been the only other person on this planet for months. ONE had ended ages ago, and the two had just been stuck in the Forest. Forever.
"Hey, Liam," Airy said.
As Airy looked behind himself, he noticed that Liam was holding his axe. It had been confiscated from Airy after the ending of ONE, for Liam's safety.
"I'm done with this, Airy," Liam said.
The scene worried Airy slightly, but he didn't have the capacity to show it. "Huh?"
"Airy, my entire life over the past few months have been because of you. It's been the Plane, it's been living with you, it's been... tolerating your advances. I don't know what to do anymore." Liam adjusts his grip. "I'm sick of it. I'll follow you one last time, and it's into death."
"We're both already dead." Airy stated what he thought was the obvious.
"You know what I mean. Stop playing coy," Liam demanded.
Airy's expression finally broke, his eyebrows furrowing in fear.
"I guess..." Airy said.
Liam approached slowly, and Airy took the chance to scramble out of his seat. Liam became frantic and swung, but Airy narrowly dodged the axe and ran out of the computer room.
Airy refused to look behind him as he ran across the grassy field.
"You can't run forever!" Liam shouted from afar.
Airy ran past the cabin into the trees. He hadn't been able to cut any wood there recently - Liam insisted to do it instead. But Airy had an idea. If he could get one of the trees to fall on Liam again... he could subdue him.
Airy glanced around and spotted a tree covered in termites. He hid behind it, breathing heavily out of a mix of exhaustion & fear.
"Airy! Get over here!" Liam barked. He sounded close.
Airy leaned on the tree slightly to double-check its weakness. It groaned under his weight as expected.
"Do you think that's a hiding spot? You must think I'm stupid!" Liam said again, out of sight.
Airy trembled in fear. But at least he knew what to do.
Liam's axe landed next to Airy with a slam. Airy hurried up to push the log onto Liam.
A thud could be heard, and not long after, a scream. Airy looked behind himself. Liam's green fabric lay under the rotten tree.
He got closer. Liam was still alive, breathing faintly. Airy could either end this or keep his toy alive.
He rolled the log off of Liam's almost-corpse.
"Don't worry, Backpack. I've got you."