[Finally done with AP exams!

But then I have finals....

AagghGGGGG.]

Stay Creepy, My Friends!~

Chapter 23

Ben's POV

Ao was in the study, going over notes, maps, and charts she made herself. When I walked in, I was hesitant to interrupt her. Before I could decide to leave, she noticed me and said, "Hey, Ben."

"Hi," I greeted, slowly closing the door behind me.

Despite that she was surely stressed out, she looked better than before. Maybe because Jack has been back since last week and she's able to talk with him. Her complexion was less pale, her brow less taut into a frown, her eyes less dark and distracted-looking. She was able to relax a little more and take breaks, though she kept working as adamantly as always.

"Anything new?" I asked her.

She sighed quietly. "Unfortunately, not much."

"No one's said yes to helping?"

She shook her head tiredly. "Only ones are Toby and Clockwork, but we already know them, so I could expect them to help."

"Will they be staying here?"

"We have enough spare rooms to accommodate," she said. "And if it ever comes down to it, I'll give up mine and just stay with Jack."

"Well, lets hope that you'll have to," I said with a lighthearted chuckle. But even with that, the both of us seemed to silently acknowledge that maybe she might not have to.

Aside from trying to find and catch Ellie, Ao has been trying to recruit other people who are willing to fight with us. Keyword: willing. No one seems to be, and if they aren't willing to help, then they can just never be found. Those like Jane don't want anything to do with what we're dealing with. And there are those like Laughing Jack who "will show up to the party when it's getting started", which I think is total BS considering he's actually a really strong entity.

"So, how have you been?" I asked, wanting to change the subject before it bummed Ao out.

She shrugged and gave me a coy smile. "I've been managing."

"Gotten any sleep?"

"More so than I used to."

"How long ago is 'used to'?"

She paused. ".....a day ago."

I sighed. "Sheba, Sheba, Sheba. You need to take care of yourself first before you can take care of others."

"Ms. P tells me that all of the time," she commented.

"She's never wrong," I retorted, and knew the brunette was had when she threw her head back with a quiet huff.

"Rest," I said, leaning over to catch her gaze.

Her green eyes met mine and her expression softened. Tentatively, she reached her hands across the desk to collect all of the papers into one neat pile, then set it aside. Her head in her hands, she said, "Better?"

"Yes," I replied with a smirk.

I took a seat on the edge of the desk as she asked me, "How have you been?"

With a shrug, I answered, "I've been pretty good."

"How are things with your beau?"

I blinked.

She blinked back at me, then sighed. Without a word, she opened a desk drawer and took out a big, red book. All showy, she opened it in front of me and skimmed the pages until she found what she was looking for. Shoving it towards me, she pointed at a word in what I now knew was a dictionary.

Beau \bō\: a male romantic companion

"Ooooohhhh," I exclaimed, feeling a blush crawl up my cheeks. Ao sat back in her chair with an expectant mien. I scratched the side of my face, hoping my fluster wasn't noticeable.

"Um, he isn't that right now, hehe...," I said.

"You want him to be, though."

"I-I do." I tried to restrain the giddy smile on my face.

"Does he have any idea what your feelings are?" she asked, propping her chin on her knuckles.

"N-No, I don't think so," I murmured.

There was a pause before she added, "Do you ever want to tell him?"

Yes. Yes, I do want to tell him, but I'm afraid he'll reject me. "At some point..."

She nodded thoughtfully. "Are you happy with him, at least?"

"Totally," I answered immediately.

She chuckled at my speedy response and said, "I'm glad. It seems like he's been a positive influence on you."

"Mhmmm.~" Then I tapped my fingers on the desk and said, "Hey, next Wednesday there's a spring break music festival and I really wanted to take Reese. Could I?"

"Yes, it's fine," she replied in a tone that said I didn't even have to ask.

"Thanks," I chimed. Still tapping my fingers, I added, "Do you think dinner is too much?"

"Just do you, Ben," she said, adjusting her glasses all cool-like. "Don't overthink. The best things you do are usually improvised, anyway."

"I'm not sure if I should find that insulting, too, but thanks," I chuckled.

Playfully rolling her eyes, she continued, "You know what I mean. Do what you think is fun, as long as you're happy. Take him to dinner, watch a movie, have a long walk on the beach."

"A walk on the beach? Really?"

"That's romantic, isn't it?"

"Yeah, if you're from the eighties, or desperate on a dating site."

"Oh, whatever. I'm sure there's plenty of people--who aren't desperate--who still enjoy that stuff."

"Are you one of them?" I inquired, shooting her a cunning look.

She squinted her eyes at me and murmured, "No."

"Sure, honey."

She laughed and shook her head at me. I watched her lean back into her chair, staring off to the side. Her green eyes were brighter now, but not as bright as they used to be. It wasn't long ago that I first met her, but it feels like it's been forever since she was the optimistic, eager, sweet girl she used to be. In a way, she still is, but there's a darkness in her now, just as there's a darkness in everyone here. And I wished she didn't have to go through all of the horrors she did; I wished I could see that peppy, nerdy girl that I met a year ago. Not because I wanted to feel better for myself, but because if she was like that then she would surely be happy. All I want for her is to have peace again. That's all I want for anyone anymore.

I reached out a hand to her and she gingerly grabbed onto it. She looked up at me and I said, "If there's anything that you need, you can come to me. Whether it's for a mission, or just to talk, you can count on me. Even though you're meant to be a leader and everything, it doesn't hurt to just be you. So, remember that. Always. Yeah?"

For a few moments, all she did was stare at me with big, emerald eyes, and I wondered if I upset her. Her fingers squeezed around mine and I bit my lip nervously. Then, she stood up from her seat and crawled up onto the desk. She quickly let go of my hand only to take me into her arms and hold me tenderly. Her chestnut brown hair brushed against my face as she hugged me close. I placed my hands on her back and listened to her say, "I'll always remember. Thank you, Ben. Thank you..."

"Y-You're welcome," I murmured into her shoulder. We stayed hugging each other for about another minute or so, until Ao pulled away and leaned against my shoulder. The both of us gazed at the wide window ahead of us, the one that overlooked a portion of the forest surrounding the mansion. The sun was setting behind the trees, sending its last bits of orange glow to us.

"We'll find her," Ao stated quietly.

Taken aback, I eyed her questioningly. She didn't meet my gaze, but her stare was set straight ahead, stern and powerful.

"Once we find her, all of our problems will start to fade away," she said.

"You mean Ellie," I remarked hesitantly. The brunette didn't respond. I continued, "How are we going to fix her? I mean, do you think there's a way to get her back to normal? To get the evil out of her?"

Ao's jaw clenched before she said, "I hope there is a way. Purification? Some other spell? Magical containment? I'd take anything over nothing. I'm scared of what I'll have to do if I have no other options."

I gulped, then asked, "What will you do?"

The sunlight reached her eyes, making them flare more than they must have already been. It was intimidating. Though her voice was stalwart, the worried frown on her face spoke opposite volumes. "She's the enemy, Ben. If I can't save her, then..."

I suddenly felt cold.

"I'll do whatever it takes to stop Elizabeth," she continued. "Though a part of me still cares for her, my duty is still to the human realm. I have to protect it. I have to be the victorious one. If she threatens that, I'll act accordingly. If I have to kill her somehow..."

Pressing my lips into a line, I finally took my gaze off of her since her intense eyes started becoming too much.

"I don't want to, but I will, if I have to. You understand that, don't you?"

The scary thing was was that I did understand. Because even if getting rid of Ellie meant Jeff would never be happy again, at least the entire realm would be safe. That's the dilemma, isn't it: sacrificing someone's happiness for that of many other's. And when that someone has been a dear friend and means as much to you as thousands of people's lives? It hurts just thinking about it. It hurts to understand, but it's too late now.

"I hope you find another way," I admitted softly. "I hope you can save her."

The coldness that I felt was offset by Ao's lukewarm hand grabbing mine. When she squeezed, I squeezed back, and then she squeezed harder, then so did I, until I could feel the blood rushing through both of our fingers.

Ever so quietly, almost until it was but a faint whisper, she murmured, "Me, too..."

...

"How am I beating you at Uno?" Sally asked innocently, yet her tone didn't do much to lessen my frustration.

It was noon, on a Monday, and Sally asked me to play games with her twenty minutes ago. We sat on small chairs (I kept shifting uncomfortably because the seat did nothing to support my butt), a little table set in between us, with two stacks of colorful playing cards on top. The little ghost-girl even gave me tea, but I was too focused on our match to care for it.

I put down a blue-1 card. Sally put down the wild card.

"God dammit," I grumbled. "What do you pick?"

"Yellow."

I glanced at my cards. No yellow.

Hopeful, I pick from the deck of unused cards, and come up with a green-9 first. I huff, then pick up another: red-5. Another: green-4. Another: blue-6. Another: blue-0. Oh, come on...

Finally, I get a yellow 3, and slam it down onto the deck of played cards. I let out an exasperated groan, glad to have gotten that ordeal over with.

Suddenly, Sally hums joyfully as she sets down all but two cards onto the desk. I shoot her a glare, while she wiggles happily in her seat.

A few minutes later, I hung my head with a dozen cards in hand, and Sally was waving Charlie around in celebration. All of her cards were gone.

"I'm a disgrace," I murmured.

Sally piped up, "I thought you were the Uno champion. What happened?"

"You happened. How do you beat everyone? You barely know the rules to these kinda of things!"

She shrugged. Her body stiffened as she cocked her head to the side, perking an ear toward Charlie. She hummed in agreement, nodded intently, and held her chin, before smiling at me and saying, "Charlie says you just suck, in general."

"Tell Charlie he can go suck my--."

A plastic teacup plate went projectile and hit my forehead, to which I reacted with a dramatic "ow!"

"Charlie!" Sally chided to her blue teddy bear. "Don't do that! At least throw something softer!"

"Thanks for the concern, kid," I muttered, rubbing my forehead tenderly.

When Sally gathered all the cards into one deck so we could play another round, a soft rapping came at the door and the both of us turned our heads. Ms. P was standing under the doorway, bearing a kind smile.

"You two seem to be having fun," she said.

"Oh, I'm riveted to be losing to an eight-year-old," I replied sarcastically.

The tall, pale-toned woman looked to Sally and said, "Would you like to play a round with me, too?"

"Sure," the little girl chimed. "Maybe you can beat me, unlike someone."

"These are my cards, you know that, right?" I retorted to her.

Ms. P chuckled at us anyway, and said, "Actually, Ben won't be playing with us."

I furrowed my brow. "Jeff already had his lunch."

Her gaze fell onto me and she stated, "It's not for Jeff. There's been another Corrupted sighting. Ao needs you and Jack to terminate it, so meet her in the study. Quickly. It's within a metropolis."

My mood shifted and I set my cards down on the small table quickly. With one casual salute to Sally, I said, "Our Uno face-off isn't over."

"Trust me, it's been over for a while now," she responded arrogantly, and I frowned. Ms. P kept on that delicate smile as I passed her by to leave the bedroom.

I ran through the halls until I found the study and hurried through the open doorway. Jack was standing by the desk while Ao talked to him with a tablet in hand. It was something I made for her: the tablet is connected to CCTV systems anywhere, and if any of the cameras spot a Corrupted, the tablet picks it up and alarms Ao where the creatures are. That's how she always knows. So far, it's worked really well, and I'm glad I stole some of the tech from a government facility.

"Are you going to be okay?" Ao worriedly asked Jack.

The eyeless man only nodded. "I'll be fine. Maybe I'll come back with a few scratches, but nothing serious."

With a sigh, the brunette grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze before giving her attention to me. "Ben," she started, "Ms. P told you what you need to do, yes?"

"Kill a Corrupted, save the day, yeah," I said.

She managed a smile and added, "The Corrupted is in New Jersey, near Newark. People seem to have already evacuated the area, and there hasn't been any sign of poisoning or death--so far."

"Well, there won't be," I declared, coming to stand next to Jack. I patted his shoulder and said, "Right, buddy?"

"It's a possibility," he deadpanned. God dammit, Jack.

Ao handed me the tablet and I tapped my fingers across the screen to navigate to specific cameras. After skimming through some footage, I found the Corrupted. It's black figure leaped across the side of a building; its jaw opened wide, probably releasing a chilling howl (I could hear it in my head). It was slim, like a feline, and its long claws scraped across the walls and windows, sometimes breaking them. It slinked back and forth on the building, almost as if it knew we were watching, waiting for us to arrive. I grimaced.

"It's going to be hard for me to fight," I stated. "It'll probably stick to the buildings, and I can't attack on air. We need to keep it on the ground."

"Buildings, you say," Jack began, clutching his biceps since his arms were crossed over his chest. "I have an idea."

"What?" Ao questioned.

Jack turned his head towards me and asked, "Do you have those arrows?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "Arrows?"

"The ones you made," he elaborated.

It didn't take me long to realize what he was talking about. "Yeah, I still have them. You never used them."

"I'm gonna use them now."

"You only tested them one time. Are you sure?"

"Positive."

With that, I didn't argue with him. Especially when Ao added her agreement to the conversation. If she approves too, then we have to use the arrows.

After a plan was established, we geared up. I grabbed my bracers and dagger. Jack donned his mask, his own dagger, arm and chest guard (for archery), quiver and, of course, his bow and the arrows I made.

The arrows aren't the standard kind; they're something I also made. Obviously, not the entire thing, but I made adjustments to normal arrows. Instead of the regular tip, I put two cartridges on the end, one with Ao's red magic, and the other with her Purification. Purification doesn't work on fully Corrupted creatures, but Ao has demonstrated that it can combine with the red to create an explosion of some sort. So, being clever me, I made that an advantage for Jacka-Boy, too.

There was obviously some problems with the arrows at first (but I tested them myself and I took most of the horrible explosions, and that's when I learned I shouldn't have filled the cartridges on the get-go). At first, they'd malfunction as soon as they were fired; sometimes they didn't go far, or broke apart on me; they'd even burst in my hand if I moved the slightest. But after weeks of tinkering and tweaking, the project was perfected: I had my arrows...! So, when those bad boys are fired and hit a target, the cartridges will break, and Ao's magic will combine, and then BOOM! Purpleicious goodness everywhere, and then the Corrupted is screwed!!!

I'm really, really proud of the arrows.

Once Jack and Ao shared a fluffy moment together (forehead kisses, face touching, all the cheese) and said their goodbyes, I held the eyeless man's arm and focused on the tablet with the CCTV footage. From one second to the next, we popped up on the seventh floor of an office building. The place was deserted and the only thing that showed sign of previous occupation were the strewn papers on desks and lit computer monitors. One of the windows on the far wall was broken already, so Jack set up there.

"I never understood how you can still shoot when you're...ya know," I commented as Jack slipped an arrow from the quiver.

"It's a wendigo thing," he said, attaching the arrow to his bow. Gazing out the window, I spotted the Corrupted several blocks away, prowling across buildings and shoving its claws into windows in search of any life to take. I could feel its howls reverberate into me all the way from our hideout.

"Be careful; it looks like a fast one," I warned.

"I won't miss," Jack muttered, pulling the arrow back, causing the bow to creak in his hand.

"I can't tell what else it can do, but--."

All of a sudden, the sharp whistle of wind hit my ears and I saw a black needle cut through the air. The Corrupted skittering across a building wall was engulfed in a ball of bright violet and its pained cries echoed down the street. I watched its black mass fall all the way down to the ground, landing on a few abandoned cars with a loud crash.

"Told you I wouldn't miss," Jack said.

"How do you know you shot it?" I asked with some attitude.

"Your tone is very defensive. If I wasn't sure before, I am now."

"Alright, you got me," I muttered. Glancing down at the ground, I smirked with some pride. The Corrupted was left a twitching heap on the street and some streaks of purple kept fluttering around it. My arrows worked! I'm a god damned genius!

"Wait here while I kill it," I ordered Jack and teleported down to the ground.

I stood a few meters away from the Corrupted's disheveled figure, reaching for my dagger. Fervently, I stormed towards it and got a good look at the beast. Up close, it was much bigger than I expected, but that doesn't change anything. It growled in protest of me, snapping its jaws, but they never caught onto anything. Without a second to spare, I leaped onto its side and crouched on its thick, protruding rib cage. My eyes met the Corrupted's white orbs and I uttered a disgusted huff. I squeezed the leather handle of the dagger for good measure, before raising it high to drive it through the chest.

Suddenly, the sound of a gun shot rang through the air and I froze. At first, I thought I took the bullet, but then I realized I wasn't feeling any pain. The Corrupted hadn't taken a shot; it still glared at me with those milky white eyes, never groaning in response.

My thoughts turned dark and I quickly turned my head up to the building I had been in. The broken window Jack shot from was empty. He wasn't standing there.

He's not there.

Fuck.

"Jack...!" I hollered. No response.

Fuck.

My worry outweighed my duty to kill the Corrupted, and I was back in the seventh floor of the building in the blink of an eye. My blood ran cold when I saw Jack lying under the window, bleeding out over the floor. Just when I was about to panic, the masked man stifled a heavy groan and I couldn't help my sigh of relief.

Quickly, I acted, and spotted a leftover sweater from one of the office cubicles. Without a care, I snatched it and pressed it to Jack's wound. The masked man growled uncomfortably.

"What happened?" I asked him, unperturbed by the crimson wetting my fingers. Nothing too serious; his left arm had taken the bullet and was bleeding at the bicep. But if he doesn't get treated soon, it might surpass 'serious'.

He took a few moments to catch his breath before answering my question, "I don't know...b-but I heard the shot from below."

"I didn't see anyone," I said. Or at least I think I didn't. I thought the area was evacuated.

"Did you kill the Corrupted?" he muttered, taking the balled up sweater from me to hold it himself.

"N-No," I answered shamefully.

Right on cue, the Corrupted bellowed a guttural howl, nearly shaking the building. I scrambled to the window and peeked over the edge. A gasp escaped my lips. Not just because the beast was recovering from the hit and was ramming the vehicles around it in a groggy stupor. I gasped because a familiar someone reared their pokerface once again.

"Caedis...," I murmured, staring at that head of white hair (which was brighter now in the east coast sun). I haven't seen that bastard in over a year. Why does he show up now?

"What's going on?" Jack asked behind me.

Without taking my eyes off the invincible soldier, I responded, "It's the dude with the white hair."

"Ben, I can't see color. Or anything, for that matter."

"Oh, shit, my bad," I stammered. "Uh, it's the dude who drinks your blood and turns into you, or something like that--I don't know. He bit Ao, remember?"

"I do...," he growled, and I could tell the memory was clear to him. (How could it not be when Sheba still has the glazed over bite mark?)

"What is he doing here?" the masked man huffed.

"I have no idea, but I need to get you back to the mansion to get treated," I stated.

"What about the Corrupted?"

"Your well-being is more important, now hold my hand," I commanded urgently.

Before our fingers could meet, the Corrupted's skeletal paw shot through the window, scratching its black claws against the walls like a cat trying to catch a mouse. Immediately, I grabbed Jack, despite his wounded arm, and dragged him away from the window. The broken glass that was scattered across the floor scraped my knees through the fabric of my pants, and probably did the same to Jack (more injuries, great).

Once I brought Jack to a safe distance, I launched the handles from my bracers and gripped them in my hands. With one flick, the cords sprung out with the bright flare of electricity. The Corrupted pulled its claw away, peering its big head through the window to look at me. In the next second, the office floor was filled with the agonized wailings of the beast after I struck a blazing whip against its bulging, milky eye. The orb was lacerated, bubbling, steaming, and the Corrupted shook its head wildly.

While it was distracted, I ran back to Jack so we could teleport. Afterwards, I would come back to exterminate the Corrupted myself and end this.

As soon as I grabbed onto him, a black, warm, sopping wet appendage wrapped around my ankle and yanked me back. My chin hit the glass-covered floor with a hard smack, and my head was rattled from the shock. While my jaw healed, I was pulled out of the window and left dangling in the air by what I now saw was the Corrupted's extremely long tongue. It uttered a hiss through its gaping maw before flicking me down to the ground below.

I wasn't fast enough to teleport and ended up hitting the sidewalk on my neck. The loud crack of my spine was bloodcurdling, and the sensation was even worse. For a few moments, I laid on the ground in silent agony as I waited for my healing to do it's thing. Meanwhile, the Corrupted hopped down next to me, forceful enough to shatter the asphalt underneath its paws.

It prowled closer towards me, fangs dripping with viscous saliva as it hissed hungrily (too fucking bad you can't kill me, asshole). Even from a few feet away, I could smell its rancid breath full of whatever it mauled apart in the past. I wanted desperately to hold my nose, but I was still paralyzed while my spine mended itself. The bone pieces and shredded flesh made noise: cracking, locking in place, squishing. Only I could hear it, and the sounds combined with the Corrupted's putrid smell made me want to gag.

When I expected the Corrupted to pounce on me and tear me apart, footsteps crunched across the gravel-ridden asphalt and a shadow loomed across me. I was barely able to look around and see a familiar head of white out of the corner of my eye.

The Corrupted seemed to pause in Caedis' presence, watching him, either out of obedience or fear. Then, Caedis crouched down next to my immobile body, staring at me with dead-looking, red eyes. My urge to push him away kept getting stronger and I willed my body to move. But while I kept forcing myself, Caedis grabbed onto my shoulders and lifted me up. My gaze was still caught on his eyes as he reached to his belt and pulled out a knife.

"No...," was I all I murmured before he rammed the blade into my stomach and tore it across my flesh. A quiet gag escaped my mouth and I fell back again. My spine had barely healed, and now my stomach was butchered. I could feel my organs slip back into place again to allow the cut to mend itself. It was horrible.

Caedis stared at the bloodied knife, almost in thought, before he removed his mouth mask to taste my blood. But before he could get a drop in, something whistled overhead and hit the ground between us and the Corrupted. A purple-hued explosion shook the ground and I was shoved away by the force of the blast. After I rolled across the ground and came to a stop, I looked up to see Caedis standing without so much as a stagger. The Corrupted was growling and trying to shake off the magic that crawled across its body.

Up in the building I was taken out of, I saw Jack's figure standing at the broken window. I had a feeling he wasn't trying to aim for the ground, but his arm wouldn't let him complete the shot. Still, he pulled through and managed, and I smiled.

I couldn't let him down. So when Caedis raised his gun to shoot at Jack, I finally attacked and latched one of my cords around his arms. Electricity buzzed into him as I yanked him away and into a lonely car. The windshield shattered and the front hood caved in under the weight of Caedis' body. He tried to grab onto something for leverage but I didn't give him the chance. Immediately after he hit the car, I yanked him towards a lamp pole across the street. A loud, metallic thud echoed in the air and the pole leaned at an angle. Caedis' body fell to the ground in a heap, and a second passed until he started getting up.

As soon as I was going to attack him again, the Corrupted's slimy tongue wrapped around my legs and tugged me back. No sooner had I gone airborne than I was smacked into the ground. The Corrupted growled, satisfied, and pulled me up, but I teleported before it hit me into the asphalt again. To its surprise, I showed up on top of it, and drove my dagger through the top of its head. It roared angrily and bucked its body to throw me off, but I never let up.

I stabbed into its skull over and over, suddenly remembering the times I saw Reese fight these monsters. And I felt more motivated to obliterate these things thinking about how he could do it. He was courageous, if not completely insane, and he fought with every bit of ruthlessness I never expected out of a human. I couldn't help but want to imitate that, and I'll start with this Corrupted underneath me.

In my craze, I didn't notice Caedis aiming his gun at me. The split second he fired it, I teleported and appeared behind him. He sensed this immediately and whirled around to block my arms when I had intended to snap his neck. The white-haired man shoved me away to allow himself time to point his gun at me. Before he pulled the trigger, I landed a high kick against his hands and sent the firearm skittering across the ground. It was too far away now for Caedis to grab, so he resorted to his knife again. I did the same (my cords won't work with close-range combat), and brandished my dagger at him.

No sooner had I glanced at him did he rush at me. I blocked his jab, and our blades viciously clashed together. Gritting my teeth, I reeled my arm back to have another go at jabbing. Again, our daggers met together, the sharp screech of metal on metal rough on my ears. The white-haired man stepped closer and I had to move away from him, knowing his only goal is to draw blood from me and drink it. If he does that, he'll be more difficult to fight.

At one point, he knocked my dagger out of my hands and it tumbled onto the ground. In an instant, Caedis shoved his knife towards my face and, using both hands, I barely caught his fist in time. The tip of the blade was only a few centimeters from my eyes, trembling as I resisted Caedis' force. After a few seconds, I mustered up the strength to push his knife far enough away from my face, and did a quick scan of our position. A plan of attack quickly came to mind and I acted on it without hesitation.

With enough force, I twisted Caedis' arm, kicked at his exposed side, then kicked at his knees, causing him to buckle just a bit. That was enough for me to leap on him, wrap my legs around the back of his neck, grip both sides of his head, then twist. There was a loud crack as his head jerked to the side at an odd angle. For a moment, he dropped to his knees and I was able to push off of him. Before he could recover from his broken neck, I lunged for my dagger and got back to my feet.
As soon as I turned around, Caedis stood too, rubbing his neck once it realigned with his spine. He raised his knife at level with his head and I did the same. We circled each other for a few moments, until he dashed forward. I reacted and blocked his blade with my own, and our violent dance started over again.

We traveled about the area, blocking each other's hits. Most of the time I was the one defending as he pushed forward for my blood. Taking a chance to break this cycle, I spun out of the way when he lunged forward and ejected the left handle of my bracer. Quickly, I struck the electrified whip against him and made it wrap around his torso. His body shuddered as he stood in place, and the knife fell from his hand. I watched as the electricity burned through his tactical vest, searing his pale skin. The smell of charred flesh emanated from him and it was enough to make my stomach lurch. To make the situation worse, chills ran up and down my back with every second I spent holding his unwavering gaze, watching light flare in those crimson irises.

Just when I was about to make another move, a deep roar erupted from my right and I craned my head to look. By the time I realized what was happening, the Corrupted barreled into me and snatched me up in its jaws. I yelled out in surprise and was forced to cut off the electricity from my cords. I hung horizontal in the disfigured beast's maw, staring up at the blue sky. Before I could use my dagger to stab its hideous face, the Corrupted clenched its jaws and pierced me with its sharp, multitudinous teeth. A howl of agony escaped my mouth and I writhed slightly. Even through the immense pain, I could feel my blood spill out from under me, and I heard it splash onto the ground.

Out of the corner of my vision, I saw Caedis reach for his fallen knife, then cut the cords wrapped around him. Once he was free, he sauntered towards me. As he did, I watched his burned skin mend itself, returning the blackened flesh to pristine condition. The Corrupted bit down on me again, harder this time, and I could barely scream from all the blood rising up my throat.

The white haired man came to stand in front of the Corrupted, then crouched down. When he straightened his body, I saw blood cupped in one hand. "N-No," I croaked, but it was too late. He placed his hand against his mouth and I could hear him swallow every last drop. When he let his hand fall, my blood dribbled down his chin, and the whites of his eyes were invaded by inky blackness, like mine.

Caedis gave the Corrupted a nod before glancing up at the building where Jack was resting. I reached out, wanting to stop him, but he flashed away in an instant. The Corrupted's jaws clamped down again and I suddenly felt disconnected from my lower body. When the beast tossed me aside, I fell with a wet, slimy thud. The beast that bit me in two huffed and walked away, like I wasn't worth its time. My body reacted fast and began healing itself, green glow radiating at my midsection. I helped quicken the process by holding bloody pieces together.

As soon as my wounds had healed, I got up with the intention of teleporting to Jack. It turns out I didn't have to; Caedis showed up in front of me, holding the masked man in an arm lock. Jack was barely standing in the guy's hold, uttering quiet groans. The sight of his left sleeve completely drenched in blood was nerve racking. Caedis kept flexing his arm, choking his captured prey, and I scowled with fiery disdain.

Somehow he got his gun back and put it to Jack's head, shoving it hard against his temple. My stomach churned with anxiety at the realization that Jack could die if I make a wrong move. He could die and it'd be my fault for not saving him.

Raising my hands, cautiously, I said, "Fine, I surrender. Got that, asshole? I won't try anything. Let my friend go--please. Let him go."

Just to show my honesty, I dropped my dagger, then unlatched the bracers from my forearms. Caedis glanced at my fallen weapons and that's about the only reaction I received. He kept holding Jack hostage, keeping the barrel of the gun aimed at his head. My frown deepened.

"What do you want? What are you here for? Tell me, somehow, please! I-I'll do anything, as long as you don't kill my friend," I pleaded, trying to hide the shakiness from my voice when the rest of me was suffering from it. Caedis' expression was as blank as ever.

"I surrender, don't you understand that? I-If you're going to capture him, then forget it. Take me," I added, dropping to my knees. The only response I got was from Jack.

"Ben...," he murmured, but was immediately cut off by Caedis' arm choking him.

"Take me instead," I demanded, my face hot with anger and worry. "Take me. K-Keep me locked up like last year. I'll do whatever it takes." And the moment I said that, my thoughts jumped to Reese, and I suddenly felt like crying.

Though I don't show it, I'm always bothered when I remember what those SCP bastards did to me in that facility. Being locked up in that glass cage, enduring that horrible, soul sucking pain; being poked and prodded, studied like I was some fucking alien--it was a nightmare. And to imagine enduring that torture again frightened me, but now I had more to miss. My heart ached just thinking about never seeing Reese, and I realized I loved him more than I let myself believe. I love him and I don't want him to ever miss me to the point of suffering. But I can't sacrifice family; I can't let Jack die.

Among the crushing silence that hung over the area, I heard the quiet shuffle of clothing. My gaze darted toward Jack and fell on his left hand. I hadn't noticed it before, but he was clutching one of the cartridges attached to his arrows (he must've pried it off somehow). His fingernails had elongated into razor sharp, wendigo claws, and he held the tip of his thumb nail against the cartridge. After muddling over it, I realized what he was about to do and lurched forward.

"JACK, NO--!"

A bright, violet ball of magic erupted in front of me and I was tossed backward. My back hit the asphalt hard and I tumbled for a few seconds. Everything around me was swathed in purple glow, and it surprised me to see that the cartridge was more powerful than I originally thought. I could barely see a thing, even when I shielded my eyes. It was almost suffocating, and I couldn't imagine what it was like at the center.

When enough light had subsided, I got up and ran ahead. Violet tails of magic swam in the air and it was a struggle to push through them. Finally, I stumbled upon someone and fell to my knees. After closer inspection, I recognized the blue mask and hurriedly hauled Jack up to carry him. Once he was secure in my arms, I teleported out of ground zero.

I landed several meters away, holding Jack around his waist. His weight pulled down on me until I was forced to fall with him. While he laid on the ground, I loomed over him to inspect his body. Feeling at his neck, I let out a huge sigh the second I felt a pulse. He was completely unconscious now, but his blood coated his clothes, and I worried if he wouldn't wake up. Aside from his wounds, his left arm was enveloped by a sleeve of white light from the intense magic. I wondered if it would go away. Despite all else, he was okay, which was a miracle. I expected him to be lacerated, if not in pieces, but he's okay. He's alive.

While I heaved Jack up to carry him on my shoulder, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. Anxiously, I turned only to see Caedis lifting himself from the ground where the explosion occurred. His body had red, blue, and purple sparks dancing all over it, but other than that its as if the explosion hadn't occurred at all; he was unfazed.

I couldn't help but sneer at him, expecting him to come charging at us to attack. But he never did anything. In fact, using my abilities, he teleported to stand on top of a car. From there, he glowered down at me with those crimson eyes, and lifted a hand to his mouth. With his index finger and thumb between his lips, he whistled loud and clear. The sound echoed down the street, bouncing off the buildings, filling in wherever silence had made itself comfortable. For a few seconds, I stared at Caedis with frustrated confusion. Just what was he whistling for? It wasn't long until his intention was revealed.

The Corrupted that had been idle suddenly went into a screeching, thrashing fit. It pounded its paws on the ground, digging its claws into the asphalt repeatedly. It hunched over, groaning and all I could do was stare and wonder what the hell was wrong with it. I found out soon enough.

Over the course of a few seconds, a bulbous mass of undulating flesh had grown on the Corrupted's back. It swelled like a boil and I clenched my teeth to keep from uttering a gag. My grip on Jack tightened as my nerves raced with apprehension. The more the bulb swelled, the harder my heart beat inside my chest (it rarely does that unless I'm really stressed). Though I knew whatever was happening wasn't good and that I should run while I can, I needed to watch. I needed to find out what Caedis' plan was, what sort of transformation the Corrupted was undergoing.

Abruptly, my train of thought was put to a halt as soon as the pustule on the Corrupted's back erupted. I flinched back, bearing witness to the sight of black strings rising up into the air, all the way to the sky. The Corrupted keeled over onto the ground, as if it had been killed, and the black strings snaked their way around its body. They spread everywhere, expanding, undulating, producing more strings, until eventually the entire street looked like it was covered in a black web. Caedis stood on the car, untouched by the parasitic web, staring down at me. The white of his eyes returned, brightening his crimson irises to an unnatural glow. Though his gaze unsettled me, I had no time to worry about him.

The black web was racing toward where I sat with Jack, and I quickly teleported away with him. I was still concerned over what had just happened, so I appeared on top of a nearby building to observe. Not even that was safe; the black web swarmed up to me, enveloping everything. I barely teleported in time and got to feel the strings touch the tip of my shoe. In that millisecond of contact, a strange sensation overwhelmed me: a mix of fear, and darkness, and disgust, and I felt like dying--wanted to die, desperately needed to--because whatever this blackness was it was all-consuming, scraping away at my very being, and I hated it, but I wanted it because I couldn't take the pain of enduring it any longer.

No sooner had it taken affect did it disappear. Fifty more meters away wasn't good enough to escape the web. One hundred meters wasn't enough. Two hundred, then two-fifty, then three hundred. Finally, it seemed the strings had a limit and became less abundant after four hundred and fifty kilometers. That's too much distance. That's a huge chunk of the city. That's beyond the area of evacuation.

And from my place at the outskirts of the city, I could almost hear a cacophony of screaming. Somewhere in that nest of darkness, Caedis was there, along with so many other people who might not have been spared like he was. I clutched Jack tighter, feeling cold all over. I couldn't stop my trembling. My thoughts jumped to that time in Cincinnati, when I found the area decimated, ashes rising to the grayed sky, bodies reduced to unrecognizable husks. Death was in the air then, and I could feel it seeping into me now with every breath I took.

With a deep, shaky inhale, I teleported away from another disaster, one that I could have prevented. Now, more people are dead, and more land has been consumed. But, what scared me the most wasn't that I failed to save lives, or that I nearly lost Jack, or that I nearly gave myself over to the enemy. What scared me the most was that I was starting to feel contempt for the Girly I once knew.

She wasn't here; she hadn't led the attack, but she is the new Zalgo, the new ruler of Chaos. She reigns over the Corrupted, over Caedis, over that malicious, black web that had me at the brink of insanity for a split second. She wasn't here, but her pawns were, set out to invade all of the white with murky, suffocating darkness.

Elizabeth did this. She did this.

I still want to believe in her, but if it means risking everything, then I won't hesitate to fight. I'll be against her if it means my only family will be safe; I'll be against her if it means Reese and his family can live; I'll be against her if it means I can exist; I'll be against her if it means Ao can be the victorious one and protect this realm.

I'll be against Ellie if it means I can be victorious, too.