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Lauren sighed as she readjusted the material around her leg, the pain shooting through her body was making her body shake. She pushed herself off of the ground, leaning against the tree before making her way past the burning corpse of a Skull Crawler. She stumbled her way through the dense jungle until she reached a small clearing where another Skull Crawler was currently consuming a baby Sker Buffalo that had been abandoned in the chaos. Lauren's heart ached at the sight ahead of her but she couldn't spend too much time mourning as the Skull Crawler turned to her after noticing the blood dripping down her leg from the gash in her thigh.

Lauren dropped flat to the ground to avoid the chomp of the Skull Crawler, the slimy beast rushed over her before using its tail to flip her into the air. Lauren groaned from the impact into the jungle floor, she rolled over as a Mother Long Legs showed up and narrowly avoided its legs as it walked through the bamboo jungle. However, the Skull Crawler hadn't been so lucky as one of the Mother Long Legs' actual legs went through the middle of the Skull Crawler allowing Lauren an opportunity to pull a match from her pocket along with her last Molotov she had; lighting it before throwing it into the open mouth of the Skull Crawler.

With the Skull Crawlers handled, Lauren made her way through the Jungle until a familiar tremor caught her attention. She looked up to see Kong looking down at her like an unimpressed parent, she laughed before sighing. "I'll be fine, Kong," Lauren assured him before stepping into his vacant palm that appeared in front of her. "It's just a scratch," Lauren added with a toothy grin in hopes to hide the fact she was in immense pain. Kong's unimpressed expression didn't fade making her sigh and lay back against his palm, "I know. It was stupid taking them on alone. I won't do it again." Kong huffed appeased by her words.

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Lauren spotted a group ahead of her, she looked them over before noticing a Sker Buffalo emerge from the water revealing itself to the survivors. "Nobody move," A British voice spoke as Lauren moved closer behind them, she could only see the back of them but it was still amusing to witness. The Sker Buffalo growled out before locking its eyes on the soldier pointing his gun at it, the creature, feeling threatened prepared for whatever may happen next. "Easy," The British man spoke again before shushing the soldier that looked ready to fire at any moment; which is why Lauren was letting the Brit handle it.

The Sker Buffalo moved closer before letting out a huff of air through its nostrils, chewing on whatever plant life it had found to snack on. "Slivko," The Brit spoke soft yet sternly making Lauren clue on to him potentially being a Soldier too. "What?" Slivko replied with a freaked-out tone. The Brit reached out and placed his hand on the gun, "Put it down." He lowered the gun causing the Sker Buffalo to no longer feel threatened. Lauren whistled quickly causing the Buffalo to look up at her, the others turned to the sound. "Go on, you big heffa," Lauren told the Buffalo, she huffed before wandering off.

"She means no harm, really," Lauren told them with a grin on her face, she rested one hand on her hip while the other held the strap of her bag. "Boy, did you lot cause quite the mess. Entertaining yet stupid," Lauren continued before stepping forward causing the ones carrying weapons to raise them at her. "Woah!" Lauren raised her hands in surrender. "Who are you?" The Brit asked as he stepped forward, his hands holding his gun against his body rather than pointed at her. "The name's Lauren Hartman," Lauren introduced with a mock salute.

"Hartman?" One of them asked as he stepped forward, "As in the daughter of Joseph Hartman. One of the world's finest Explorers who apparently went missing with his team and daughter--" Lauren sighed, "To an uncharted Island with no means to escape. Yes, I am." The man walked up to her and grabbed her hand shaking it enthusiastically. "Most of my papers were inspired by his work, even Monarch has a remembrance for him and his team for all the work they did," He spoke before sighing, "Where are my manners? My name is Houston Brooks."

"Quite a firm grip you got there, Brooks," Lauren spoke prompting him to let go of her hand and step back flustered. "I'm San Lin. I've heard many stories about your family's successions," San introduced with a kind smile, Lauren bowing her head to the woman. "And the others?" Lauren asked as she turned her head to the three males closest. "Nieves," The curly-haired man spoke blandly. "Reg Slivko... What was that thing?" Reg asked with a panicked expression finally lowering his gun. "It's a Sker Buffalo, large but harmless. Quite stupid most of the time actually, like scared cats," Lauren answered him before turning her gaze to the blue-eyed Brit.

"James Conrad," James stated as he analyzed Lauren, she nodded before breaking their eye contact to look at the final person who seemed to have teary eyes. "Renny?" The woman spoke with a nickname that she hadn't heard since before she left for the island. "Mase?" Lauren replied causing Mason to run forward and hug Lauren, the woman stunned for a moment before embracing her in a tight hold. "Mason Weaver, you absolute maniac! Of course, you'd jump at this opportunity," Lauren teased her best friend since childhood. "I thought you were dead. I had convinced myself there was no way you were here," Mason replied.

Lauren pulled back enough to cup Mason's face in her hands, "Well, you were always an idiot." Mason laughed through the tears before they hugged again. "Talk about an incredible blessing. A way off the Island and a reunion with my best friend," Lauren teased as they pulled apart. "But what was with the explosions?!" Lauren snapped, her kind smile fading. "Seismic charges to shake the..." Brooks trailed off as her glare turned to him. "You were inspired by my father's work then you would know better than to interrupt an unknown ecosystem," Lauren told him before sighing, "Let's just get out of this field."

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After little hesitance, the group of survivors agreed to follow the person who knew this Island better than them. Lauren and Mason walked side by side catching up on everything that Lauren had missed in the outside world, such as marriages, babies, and divorces. She was glad that out of all people in the world, it happened to be her best friend that landed on the Island with a way off. "So what happened to the others?" Brooks asked causing Lauren to stop, she swallowed slowly before shaking it off and continuing the walk. "I'm the only survivor," Lauren answered vaguely before Mason interrupted and changed the topic.

The group came up to some ruins and before Lauren could tell them they were okay, James pushed forward to ease Slivko's slight fear of the unknown. Lauren sympathized with the seventeen-year-old and the fear he held while on the island. It had to of been life-changing to enter unchartered grounds with no clue about what lies there; especially compared to being on an actual battlefield where you know exactly where the enemy is and what the target is. Lauren watched how James moved cautiously, her eyes understanding the skills of a Tracker. "Interested?" Mason teased with a grin making Lauren roll her eyes.

"He wouldn't be..." Lauren told Mason following James, patting Slivko on the back before catching up to James. Before she could say anything, the Iwi's revealed themselves and so Lauren didn't bother saying anything in hopes for some entertainment. "Oh! Behind you!" Slivko called out as they all moved to stand together in a circle with their focus on the Iwi's approaching with their spears raised. "Everybody, stay calm!" James assured them while Mason grabbed Lauren's arm and pulled her closer. "It's okay, Mase. They won't hurt us," Lauren reassured her as she pulled her arm from Mason's grip.

Lauren moved to step forward but James reached for her arm, she looked him in the eyes as he held concern. Lauren wasn't daft but she wouldn't assume things either, but she had seen that look before. He couldn't lose anyone under his watch, it was clear his past was tainted with some form of failure, and if Lauren learned anything about a person's behavior; she knew that James would risk it all if it meant getting everyone off of the Island. She placed her hand on his and smiled softly, "It's fine, James... Trust me." James hesitantly let go as another person showed up just in time to resolve the tension.

"Whoa! No, no, no. No need for that!" Marlow's familiar voice made Lauren smile, James turned his gaze from Lauren to the man that pushed through the Iwi's. "Everybody, keep your wigs on now!" Marlow added as he held his hands out to wave the Iwi's off and ensure the survivors that they weren't in danger. "I didn't believe it when they said you were coming," Marlow spoke as Lauren moved to lean against a wall, she crossed her arms and watched as the Iwi's still held their spears in a threatening manner. "I was up all night just thinking about how me and Gunpei dreamed of this moment," Marlow continued letting his gaze land on Lauren who bowed respectfully due to the mention of Gunpei.

"And now here it is. 28 years, 11 months, and eight failed attempts to get back to the world, and instead, the world comes to me? Ain't that a crack?" Marlow asked rhetorically though there was a slight crack in his voice, Lauren knew that despite the smile on his face; Hank Marlow was a damaged man who just wanted to see his wife and son again, just once. "They never smile," Marlow spoke as he motioned to the Iwi's. "I said this day would come, did I not?" Marlow asked directing his question towards Lauren. "You definitely had more faith than I ever did," Lauren told him before she pushed off the wall and began walking towards the entrance.

"Did you crash here?" Mason asked Marlow who turned his head from Lauren to the woman who questioned him. "Oh. Sorry, miss," Marlow began as he stood up straight and raised his hand into a salute, "Lieutenant Hank Marlow of the 45th. Put the old flight suit on for you." Lauren smiled at Marlow, he had been a father figure to her during their time on the island. "You are more beautiful than a hotdog and a beer at Wrigley Field on opening day," Marlow continued as he situated his hands to symbolize him holding a hot dog and a beer. Lauren knew that the others were viewing him as a crazy man but she knew better than that.

"But you're real... right?" Marlow asked next while Lauren pouted, she knew he had moments in the past where she had to help him through tearful, sleepless nights. Lauren looked back at them knowing that they would end up in the Sacred Hollow Ship, so she made her way there leaving the survivors in the careful hands of Hank Marlow. Lauren was still stuck deciding whether or not she'd be leaving the Island with them. She was worried that she wouldn't know how to live in society again after seven years of living on an Island fending for her survival.

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Rosemary Speaks <3

A little memory moment 'cause why not add some extra.

See you in the next chapter!