The Slash of Truth

Chapter 12

Ditzy was still, unmoving as she just lay there in the bathtub, the soapy water levelled high enough to cover her neck in its warmth. But, oddly enough for Ditzy, she was cold-blooded as her arms trembled. She had washed herself already, evidenced by her straight and silky, short hair but, she felt like she was still dirtied by the blood that was once all over her. Even in her relaxed state, her fingers were bent as if she was still holding her pistol, ready to pull the trigger. How long had she laid there with her head just above the water? Must have been a while; she could feel her fingers wrinkle up like a raisin but, still, Ditzy had no plans on moving as she was so lost in her thoughts.

Last night was… Strange. She had killed someone for the first time but, isn’t she meant to feel guilty? Some sort of remorse? Nothing… Is it crazy that her heartbeat was steady when she pulled the trigger? Watching the man fall backwards on the ladder with a bullet in his skull. Was it thrilling to her? Was it satisfying watching someone she killed fall lifelessly? No, she wouldn’t dream of taking pleasure in killing, never! She was scared, she was just trying to protect herself, tried to protect the kids, tried to protect her daughter. That’s why she did it, that’s why she had the strength to pull the trigger, she didn’t kill for no reason, and she most certainly didn’t kill for the pleasure of it.

But… Would she do it again?

Ditzy glanced over to the sink with lazy eyes, seeing the pistol on the rim of the sink. The Colt M1911 was it? She was sure that’s what Joel called it. She leaned up in the bath, breaking the steady silence of the water as it rippled, water dripping from her hair and body. She reached for it and immediately felt the cold, rough feeling of the pistol grip, sucking itself to her hand as if were a magnet. Yet again, she felt nothing from this tool of death, just the coldness as she stroked the barrel. Ditzy could remember what Joel taught her, it will forever be engraved in her mind.

When you want to fire your weapon, you always check to see if the safety is off.

Ditzy looked to the side of her pistol to see that the safety was off. She must have been too tired to flip the safety on last night.

Next, you pull the hammer back.

Gripping the pistol properly, she used her thumb to pull the hammer back, hearing something click.

And when you're ready… fire.

Ditzy aimed the pistol in front of her, pointing at the shampoo bottle that stood there, frozen on the spot.

Deep breaths, calm yourself down. Don’t think, don’t hesitate, just… fire!

Ditzy closed her eyes as she breathed in from her nose and exhaled from her mouth, hearing her own heart in her ear. When she was calm, she opened her eyes with all seriousness, her mind blank as she only had eyes on the shampoo bottle in her iron sight.

“Bang…” Ditzy said shallowly, jerking the pistol up as if she did pull the trigger. She felt something… Her heart jumped when she pretended to pull the trigger, a flash of the man she killed replaced the shampoo bottle but, she didn’t flinch or react like any normal person should. She just had a blank stare. Was killing really that simple? Was that really what it took to pull the trigger? Joel said he did her a favour by jumping in front of Ditzy’s shot, to make her feel guilt and dread at that moment, to know what it means to kill. Is that why she feels nothing? As much as she was thankful for Joel giving her the strength of pulling the trigger, she hated how she didn’t feel culpable. Joel said she would have to adjust to the feeling of taking a life. Has she adjusted?

Everything… All of this has opened her eyes to the real world, a world she couldn’t imagine herself in if it wasn’t for Joel; a world that almost killed Ditzy if Joel wasn’t there for her. It’s scary now that she thought about it. Does she have to keep looking over her shoulder when she walks the streets? Does she really have to keep her pistol in her back pocket at all times? Does she have to eye anyone and everyone that walks passed her? She feels like she would have to in order to survive in this new world she is in.

Sighing, Ditzy flipped on the safety switch and placed her pistol back on the sink side, close to her if needed. After that, Ditzy let herself sink into the bath, her vision going blurry as she looked up at the surface of the water.

She thought about Joel and what he had to do last night. To walk alone in a building filled with dangerous thugs is insane. How does he do it? How can he kill so many people without batting an eye? It frustrated her how seamless he made it out to be, describing each death he saw. But when he talked about sparing one of them, it made her happy to know that he didn’t kill blindly, seeing the good in a bad environment.

Truth be told, Ditzy saw a bit of herself in Rose in a way. When Ditzy’s ex found out about her pregnancy, he immediately refused responsibility and demanded that it be aborted. The only difference was that Ditzy wasn’t in a gang and wasn’t forced to abort her child so, you could imagine her anger at the thought of killing her own flesh and blood – killing Dinky. Ditzy would rather die than be a murderer to her own daughter.

When Joel described the details of the rooms and hallway, Ditzy was disturbed greatly. What monster could cause so much chaos in a short amount of time? To split bodies in half in its rampage? To laugh and smile in killing? Joel was a stone-cold killer and that’s unjustifiable but, he has a reason to. He’s not a mindless killer, as proven by sparing Rose and even herself. But… What Joel told her of Scully… That’s a true monster. She wouldn’t know what to do in Joel’s situation, she would have just run away. Joel however has faced him and made it out alive. Ditzy still felt sick of the details of his fight.

*knock, knock, knock!*

A round of muffled knocks reached Ditzy’s ears, knocking her out of her thoughts and making her realise that she was losing breath. Ditzy raised to the surface, gasping for air as soon as she leaned up. She took a few more breaths before she spoke.

“Who is it?” Ditzy called out, reaching for the towel on the rail.

“It’s me, Mimosa and Fang!” A cheery, voice said from the other side of the door, making Ditzy huff in relief.

“Okay… Is everything okay?” Ditzy asked, curious about the sudden interruption. Ditzy got up from the bath and stepped out, beginning to dry herself off. It was well time to get out.

“I’m okay, Fang is okay… Are you okay? You’ve been in there for hours! Joel is asleep and we are staaaaarving! Could you make us some lunch, pleeeeease?” A restless Mimosa whined, making Ditzy smile at her childlike behaviour. It took Ditzy back to when Dinky was Mimosa’s age, she is just a bright bundle of joy to have.

“I’ll be out in a second, I won’t take long.” Ditzy said through the towel over her head, rubbing her hair frantically.

“YAY! Thanks, Ditzy!” Mimosa said with gaiety, Fang barking too as she could hear the wolf and the little devil’s footsteps run down the hall.

Ditzy light-heartedly chuckled at the young pegasus’s antics. She has a bright future ahead of her. Then Ditzy frowned as she dried her chest and belly, realising that the world isn’t what she thought it was. Could she have a bright future here with everything going on? Is there the slightest hope that she will remain pure? No, not here – not in Canterlot. She would have to be an angel to stay innocent in a place like this.

As she dried her back and wings, Ditzy wondered if Dinky was okay. That night – Dinky had front seats of what Canterlot had to offer, the dangers of lurking at night and the bad men that could’ve taken her away from Ditzy. After all that, could Dinky really be happy in Canterlot? Is she happy staying here with Joel? Is she happy in general? It’s a lot to think about and to process. Everything has happened so quickly.

Drying her lower half, Ditzy thought about what was next for her and Dinky. Ditzy was thankful for everything that Joel has done but, is it really okay to be staying with Joel? She felt like a burden to him. Should she leave? Find a quiet town to live? To be honest, she didn’t want to leave, not without Joel. She must admit, Ditzy had taken a liking to the human, she couldn’t see herself moving forward without him and quite frankly, she was scared to move on without him. She needed him, she needed him by her side. So, she couldn’t leave, not until Joel stops being Frank.

Satisfied that she was dried off, Ditzy dropped the damp towel and wandered over to her pile of clothing. On top of all the clothing were the panties, bra and socks Applejack had given her. Ditzy groaned, preferring her own underwear clean. Sighing, she picked up the black panties and put both her legs through the holes, pulling them all the way up. Next was her bra; she was going to put it on until she stopped midway, a quick flash of what happened in the last night stopped her, her cheeks going rosy at the embarrassing memory. She smiled; she still couldn’t believe he had seen her braless and acted nonchalantly, what normal teenage boy wouldn’t ogle at a girl's boobs? Joel, she guessed. Shaking her head from the little memory, Ditzy took off her bra. Although, was it okay? Joel did say he didn’t mind, and it was just Mimosa and Fang in. Should she really be this senseless? Screw it…

Let the nips be free it is then…

Putting her socks on, Ditzy’s bashful smile only got bigger as she picked up the slightly large hoodie she was hooked to. It was a bit uncomfortable thanks to her wings getting cramped inside but, it did warm up her wings. The red material was old and worn out from the years of being worn. The inside of the hoodie was better however, the wool that touched her skin and breasts felt cosy, almost as if she was up in the clouds. She put it on and immediately inhaled him through her nose. Thanks to a pegasus’s distinct sense of smell, Ditzy could smell Joel all over this hoodie and she sighed in satisfaction knowing that she was wearing his hoodie. It made her feel close to him… Really close. She could feel her heart flutter as she imagined he was here, hugging her from behind, holding her tightly, feeling his toned chest against her back, pecking her neck softly, groping her—

No! let's not go there, Ditzy! Not even a week do you know Joel and you are already having these thoughts!? What are you? A horny, teenage girl… Oh wait, I am a teenage girl. Damn you, Joel for being so nice and kind, big and strong, handsome and – oh god… I really am falling for him, ain’t I?

Shaking her head out of her lewd thoughts, Ditzy slapped her rosy cheeks, snapping herself out of it. There was a time and place but, Ditzy had to make some lunch, she was feeling kinda hungry herself.

Before leaving, Ditzy took hold of her pistol and shoved it inside the hoodie pocket. Stepping out of the bathroom with her bra and soaked towel in her hand, she merrily walked down the stairs, humming a catchy tune to herself. She was happy oddly enough; all the depressing stuff of last night had crawled to the back of her mind and now she was wrapped in the warmth that was Joel’s hoodie. It’s amazing what effect wearing someone's clothes can do on someone's mood.

Before Ditzy headed to the kitchen, she walked into the living room and saw a hilarious sight. Ditzy only wanted to check up on Joel, and see if he was still asleep but, when she walked into the living room, she couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Joel fast asleep on the couch, all the cushions from couches and pillows from bedrooms were piled up on him. It didn’t take much effort for Ditzy to see who the little pranksters were as Mimosa had a cushion in her hand and Fang had a pillow in his jaws, his tail wagging happily. Mimosa had a devious grin on her face as she was about to put the last cushion on Joel’s head but stopped as she saw Ditzy in the corner of her eye. Quickly, Mimosa turned to Ditzy, hiding the sticking-out cushion behind her back.

“Oh, hi there, Ditzy. I didn’t see you there.” Mimosa said nervously, trying to wear a convincing smile. However, Ditzy wasn’t buying the innocent girl's look as she leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed and brow raised, a smirk on the grey pegasus’s face. Ditzy glanced over to Joel, Mimosa following her line of sight, putting on a shocked look on her face. “Oh wow, there are cushions all over Joel. Silly Joel, he must have gotten cold.” Mimosa said, trying her best to sound surprised while trying to take the pillow from Fang’s muzzle.

“Uh-huh…” Ditzy said, pushing herself of the doorframe and walking to the sweating pegasus with a sheepish grin. “Are you sure Joel covered himself?”

“Fang did it!” Mimosa quickly accused, pointing at the sitting form of the wolf next to her, the pillow still in his muzzle as he panted. Ditzy hummed.

“I guess you're right, he’s been caught red-handed but... He must have had some help to get so many cushions and pillows on Joel, I wonder who?” Ditzy said, crouching down to the panicking Mimosa with a grin. “It must have been someone with wings to get allllll the way up there.”

“It was Fang’s idea!” Mimosa accused once again, pointing at the oblivious Fang. Ditzy couldn’t hold it in anymore; the serious look she tried to hold, the scenario itself was way too hilarious as she finally laughed, confusing the young Mimosa.

Without a word, Ditzy took hold of the cushion Mimosa was trying to hide and watched in awe as Ditzy wandered over to the library of cushions. Ditzy didn’t hesitate, she gently placed the cushion on the side of Joel’s head, squishing his cheek slightly. She giggled at the sight of the face he was pulling, breathing softly through his nose. She briefly wondered what he was dreaming about. It was an adorable sight that she wished she could take a picture of… Hold on, she can!

She looked back at the coffee table where she left her smartphone last, seeing the screen facing up to the ceiling. Ditzy could only grin deviously as she picked up and immediately went to the camera app. Mimosa seeing what Ditzy was doing smiled devilishly, following Ditzy’s lead as Ditzy propped the phone against a used mug. The phone’s screen reflected back what it could see, the camera set to take a picture in 5 seconds to let everyone get in the picture. After 5 seconds, a flash went off, indicating that the picture was taken. Both Ditzy and Mimosa giggled at the silly picture they made.

Stepping into the kitchen, Ditzy tossed her laundry over to the pile of clothing by the washing machine; waiting to be cleaned. Ditzy already knew what she wanted to make before she walked down the stairway, something quick and easy to make—a sandwich. Before she did anything, Ditzy placed the pistol on the countertop, placing her smartphone right next to it. Typing in the password to her phone, she immediately went to her music app and pressed shuffle, making a random tune play.

With a sway in her movement, Ditzy couldn’t help but slightly headbang to the slowly rising beat, shuffling around the kitchen as she gathered all the ingredients. Once she had everything in front of her, then she began.

Time flew by as she was finished making sandwiches for Mimosa, Fang and herself, Ditzy was in full dance mode as the music took over her body, her mouth moving with the lyrics and her heart pounding to the beat. She couldn’t help herself; she was trapped by the music. Every time the upbeat music began, she would just smile and let the music take control.

The moment the music stopped was the moment Ditzy could finally get a breath in, rosy-cheeked and out of breath from her little workout. Picking up the plates with sandwiches on them, Ditzy’s heart dropped as behind her, she could hear a slow and loud clapping. Her grey face went completely red as she slowly turned around only to see 3 peeking toms around the corner, one having baggy eyes and a shit-eating grin on his face, a sniggering Mimosa who pointed a phone at her and a panting Fang who looked happy to just be there.

“Nice moves, Ditzy.” Joel said with a massive grin, making Ditzy sputter. “I must admit, you have bested me in dancing, you’ll have to show me a few moves later.” Said a chuckling Joel, a grin painted on his face. Slowly however, that grin was wiped from his face as Ditzy with shaky hands put the plates back down, her head low and body shaking.

Ah fuck…

“Uhh… Well, keep up the good dance moves. I’m heading off to school today so… We’ll be on our way now.” Joel said nervously before taking the surprised Mimosa up on his shoulder and legging it from the doorway, Fang following right behind him with a bark.

“JOEL!!!!! I’M GONNA KILL YOU!!!!”

With each step down the quiet stairway was a pause as Frank shouldered his shotgun, the flashlight attached to the shotgun leading the way. Frank’s breath bounced back against the mask as sweat dripped from his face, his eyes stinging from the sweat. His movement was sluggish but prepared for anything that crawls from this black void, watching with careful eyes. Each step down had a layer of blood on it as if a body was being dragged down with agonising slowness, the soul of his boot drenched as each step made a squelching sound.

Blood… There was so much of it on the walls and steps, all of the crimson, thick liquid together could fill a bath. In his time of taking lives, Frank has seen so much blood that he would give it a side glance but, the way the blood had been patterned with each splatter from the impact made Frank's mind race. How powerful was this monster to create a bloody, cracked dent in the side of a concrete wall? So sadistic to murder in such a way? So monstrous to take out a group of thugs like it was nothing? Frank hadn’t even made it to the room and already he doesn’t like what he was seeing.

As he continued down, he eventually came face to face with a splinted door that was ripped off its hinges, the concrete wall beside the frame barely holding itself up. In that damaged concrete wall was just mush and bones mixed together, awkwardly blotched into the wall beside the doorframe, a body so reformed Frank couldn’t tell where his or her body began and where the body ended. It looked like the body just caved into itself, snapping its spine like a twig.

Ripping his eyes away from the twisted art that once was a being, Frank stepped in through the door to see more disassemble bodies, blood puddling most of the room’s floor. So much blood, Frank has never seen so much blood in one space. Frank looked around the room, spotting damaged advanced technology that must belong to the Grey Coats, one of the screens of a laptop bugging out as it was smashed. What were they doing here? To add to the confusion, Frank saw that there were low-quality computers and monitors lining the far wall, a massive monitor above hissing with white static, overlooking the room with a desk below it. What is this room? It looked like one big security room when the motel was actually up and running. If that’s the case, why would they leave everything behind? Now that Frank thought about it, they even left the furniture and bedding in each of the motel’s rooms. It’s like they were chased out…

Shaking his head, Frank noticed that all but one was wearing grey and black clothing, the odd one out being an earthling with red hair, sitting against the wall with a hole in his stomach, blood dripping from the side of his mouth. A cracked phone was next to the body of the gangster, the thick grime covering the screen. Was that the guy from over the phone? Frank looked around in dread.

A pegasus’s skull was deflated as his head was mashed into a wall, limply hanging in the crated. Another female human body was headless on the floor, the missing head being on the other side of the room, the spinal cord still attached to the mortified look she had. There was even a body of a unicorn laying on his back, his chest and stomach savagely ripped open, uncovering his rib cage and organs, even his heart and lungs that slowly—shifted?

Hold on… was he still alive?

Frank made his way over, shining the light down on the not-so-dead unicorn, listening to him wheeze with each breath he took. His bloodshot eyes twitched over to Frank, his eyes gradually widening to see Frank’s mask. Pain couldn’t compare to what this man was feeling, Frank could only imagine the torture he was going through. He opened his quivering mouth to speak.

“K-kill me…” he muttered ghostly, the act of talking painful for him, tears spilling down his face as he tried to reach up for Frank. Frank wouldn’t deny that request, he wished his most hated enemies to this fate, not some hacker. Silently, Frank reached for his suppressed Beretta and kneeled down, pressing it against the Grey Coat’s head and immediately sending a bullet to his brain, finishing off his agony, his reaching arm flopping down to the ground lifelessly.

Standing back up, Frank sighed as he glanced around once again, double-checking to see any more survivors. That’s when Frank noticed there wasn’t a childlike body of Leo’s brother. Did he escape? It’s possible, the double doors Frank just walked out from had chains locking the doors from the outside, meaning that the kid is still down here somewhere or, he was the one to chain the door shut. With that being at the forefront of his mind, Frank thought it best to move on from this room. Frank had to make sure.

Frank walked through another doorless frame, once again shouldering his shotgun as he guided the light. This next room looked to be some sort of storage area; large wooden crates were left stranded in different areas of the room, and different brands labelling the boxes. There was a flashing bulb in the middle of the room, below it was a crushed table, another thestral gangster’s corpse on the splinted wood, both of his arms torn off by the shoulders. Frank cringed at the sight of each death he came across, the corpses only getting more gruesome. As Frank was about to move on, a phone started to ring in the gangster’s pocket, catching the attention of Frank. Weren’t all the phones meant to be disabled?

Walking over and rummaging through the pocket for the phone, he eventually pulled out a flip phone that was buzzing in his hand. Opening up the phone, Frank pressed it against his ear and waited for someone to speak. At first, Frank didn’t hear a sound, it was just silence on the other end. Frank waited for a little while longer, thinking the person on the other end was waiting for him to speak. Frank was going to hang up when a voice finally spoke.

“Who is this?” A woman said in an aggressive tone. Frank didn’t answer right away, he should probably hang up now and save the hassle of explaining to this woman why the man she was calling is dead but, yet again Frank didn’t want any more company than there already was; he is about to go against a demon, he couldn’t afford to get in more shit.

“Everyone is dead.” Frank finally replied.

“That’s not what I asked, dipshit. Who am I talking to?” The woman growled over the phone, making Frank frown in annoyance.

“And I said everyone is dead. One of your boys – Scully – had killed everyone. There is no point in coming, there is nothing left here.” Frank spoke plainly, waiting for her reply. Instead, the sound of a door opening and closing was heard, someone obnoxious in the background spoke.

“Yo! Atlas! Stop faffing about and let’s goooo, ya goon! Let’s. Get. HAMMERED!” A very Irish accent girl cheered in the distance, making Atlas sigh.

“Brasilia, not now! There is some dickhead on the phone saying that Black Tile is dead.” Atlas called back, making the two silent for a second.

“Who?” The Irish girl called Brasilia called out with bewilderment.

“Black Tile… You know… The thestral… Our client…” Atlas said, trying to spoon-feed the Irish girl.

“Nope, doesn’t ring a bell.” Brasilia muttered, making Atlas growl.

“The guy with the mole on his neck, the thestral you call Moley… He’s dead.” Atlas growled out.

“Ohhhhhhhh! You mean that yer man! I haven’t seen him for donkey's how long!” Brasilia exclaimed, sounding more closer to the phone.

“We saw him a week ago, Brasil.” Atlas groaned with an unamused tone.

“Atlas, you must know me by now. I can’t even remember what I had for my breakfast.” Brasilia chuckled with a slur in her voice.

“You didn’t have breakfast.”

“EXACTLY! Now let’s gooooooo!” Brasilia groaned like a child.

“Ughhhh! Just fucking sit down and shut up for a second so I can speak to this fucker on the phone! — uh oh, wait… He hung up.”

Frank hung up the phone when that Brasilia character started talking about breakfast. It’s a joke how Frank is here on high alert, and they are somewhere safe talking about a bloody egg on toast or some bullshit like that. Sighing and shaking his head, Frank moved on.

Frank shifted through the towering crates, checking each corner as he walked through the maze of boxes, climbing over some heaps of containers that had collapsed just to get to the other side. On the other side, the crates made a lot more sense as a forklift was on its side, a pool of blood underneath it as if someone was crushed to death. Thankfully, no kid. Also, on the other side of the fence of boxes was another doorframe but this time, the frame of the door and the wall around it were knocked down into a heap of rubble, blood leaking out; yet again, no kid.

Frank growled, each time he comes across a dead body, he was expecting a child in his own blood. Frank had very little hope that Leo’s brother was just hiding somewhere but, with each body he comes by was a shot to the gut as the likelihood of finding him alive decreased. Not only that, but Frank also wasn’t sure of himself now. He wanted to face Scully, and defeat him to get stronger but, how can you defeat something that has done all of this? How can you win against something that can easily rip limbs off? Frank walked into this thinking he stood a chance but, now he wasn’t so sure anymore.

No, Frank had to calm down. He can’t continue to walk in blindly like this, he had to have some sort of strategic plan for this killer. Frank heard gunfire in the audio, is Scully injured? If so, that must put Frank at some sort of advantage, and with the shotgun at hand, Frank knew he could do some serious damage. Frank didn’t care if it was some brown bear he was fighting, 12 gauge slugs will hurt him severely. The best approach would be to be sneaky, and fire slugs when it's not looking at him for an effective kill. Sounds easy but, Frank knew that this fight won’t be as easy as using the element of surprise, this will be a hard fight; a fight that Frank didn’t know if he could win.

He stepped into the next room feeling his heart pound, scanning for any life. This room looked to be the generator control room for the motel as a generated machine that touched the ceiling waited to be used in the middle of the room, the rubble from the door doing minor damage to it. Gas pipes and wiring lined the top of the walls, leading up to the ground floor. Slowly walking around the generator, Frank noticed that he hasn’t seen any blood just yet, the metallic floor somewhat clean of blood. However, there was major damage done to this room as dented pipes sprayed heated steam into the air, and the server electronics lining the wall were destroyed and sparking. Almost everything was destroyed but no blood, almost as if Scully was trying to catch something but, the room’s power source was in the way of its rampage.

Then Frank heard something, through the sound of steam invading his sense of hearing, something else reached his ears. Frank immediately pointed the shotgun towards the noise, the only thing stopping him from seeing properly was the steam splashing against his face. Ducking under and passing the main generator, Frank stopped and stared as he can not only hear the noise but see what was making it.

Right there in the corner of the room was something Frank should have expected when he walked down the steps. It was beastly; wild as its bareback was hunched over, the toned back muscles and spine showing very clearly, pulsing veins all around his body. The giant that loomed was godly, its pistons for arms holding an insane amount of muscle on his biceps and triceps, a bodybuilder’s wet dream. the hands were big enough to crush Frank’s head with a single squeeze, its strength was on a whole other level. It’s legs… How could this monster stand up with the mass he was carrying? Frank couldn’t see the animal’s facial features, it was facing away, looking down at a row of lockers, twitching into a low but insane laughter that made Frank’s hairs stand on end. Frank didn’t want to move or breathe, afraid to wake the beast to his attention.

So, this is Scully, an earth-bound equestrian if his lack of horn and wings says anything. Frank thinks Scully had orange skin and dirty, blond, dishevelled hair, Frank couldn’t tell as blood covered the creature from head to toe. Frank thought he was looking at a miniature version of the Hulk.

Slowly, Frank walked backwards, his heart racing as his eye couldn’t leave the juiced-up psycho. His breath was jostling, and his aim was dangerously unstable. Frank was a mess of raw dread. There was no doubt about it, Frank was way over his head. Fuck the kid, Frank just wanted to go home now and forget this ever happened. How could Frank hold such a powerful weapon and yet, feel so powerless?

However… Frank’s heart dropped, and his blood went cold.

As when he was moving backwards, he kicked a chunk of rubble with the heel of his boot, making it skid and clatter against the metallic ground. Frank could only hold his breath as the monster went still, his laughter ceasing. With agonising slowness, Scully turned, and all Frank could see in the eyes of a man that once was Scully was madness. His eyes were wide, soulless like nothing he has seen before. Frank wasn’t exaggerating when there was nothing but insanity in those white pupils that is his eyes. His smile was something of nightmares, so widely deformed to the point of being inhuman. It was contorted like its face, the facial tissue damaged beyond repair but, a manic laughter began, chuckling slowly through its bloody teeth like it couldn’t feel the pain. How… How is this thing alive? How is it still moving?

Rosette, help me…

Frank bolted through the roasting steam and what he heard behind him was terrifying. A feral outburst of laughter stormed his way, everything in its way being pushed aside or vandalised to be unrepairable. Frank had never run so fast in his life, only slowing down to turn corners or to fit through small gaps in machinery in this room, just about dodging every charge Scully did, avoiding his death grip as the monster finished off the damaged wall he entered through.

Frank took a chance to veer around and take a shot but, Frank could only gawk in stupefied horror as Frank saw it shift itself away from the projectile, holding up its arms to cover its face. This thing can still think!? This thing still has survival instincts and knows that a blast from this shotgun can cause some serious damage to it. So why is it still smiling!? Why is it charging at him? Then, Frank’s eyes widen as it began to charge him once again, its arms still raised in a guarded stance. Frank just about ran back and dived to the side, hearing a thudding sound and a wall crumbling into rubble beside him. Seeing that the beast was through the hole it made, dust and debris coating the new exit to the room, Frank took that chance to position himself better. Getting up, Frank ran the opposite way, his head snapping everywhere for a hiding spot.

“Frank, I don’t want to alarm you but, you have company.” Said a nonchalant Leo, sounding like he was attending to his nails as he talked.

“Thanks for fucking letting me know! I’ll keep that in mind while I fight for my fucking life!” Frank roared, sweating as he realised, he made a complete circle back to the steaming pipe. Really!? Is this room just a large generator in the middle of a small room!? Instinctively, Frank whipped around as the laughter began once again, making Frank grit his teeth.

“Glad to be your eyes and ears.” Leo murmured, pissing off Frank more. Before Frank could retort back, something caught his attention from the side. He turned and his eyes widened once again as he saw the locker door wide open, a small human boy inside that looked at Frank with fear but, despite the fear, he waved Frank over as he made room.

Is that Leo’s brother?

Without question, Frank ran straight into the locker and shut it as silently as possible, just in time to see the mutated Scully through the locker’s slits, watching him trudge into view, his twitching head snapping everywhere in search of its prey, giggling to itself with a blood-filled grin. Frank tried to control his breathing, ready to bolt out if he was caught, he couldn’t be trapped in a corner like this, not now. His attention was dragged away however as he felt his arm being tugged on. He looked down and saw the black outline of the boy looking up at him, trying his best to not sniff loudly. How long had he been in here, knowing that Scully was just on the other side, taunting him with his laughter?

“Help… Me…” The boy said quietly with a shaky breath, pleading for his life. Suddenly, Frank’s heart jumped, and the boy whelped at the sound of the lockers next to them being demolished, flesh crashing into metal and yet, an outburst of insane laughter rang out as if vandalism was the funniest thing to him. Frank quickly covered the kid's mouth, feeling wet tears spill on the fingerless part of his glove. Frank didn’t know if the boy could see him but, Frank placed a finger where his mouth would be on the mask and shake his head slowly, indicating to be very quiet. Scully heard the plea, does that mean his senses has risen? If so, it would be impossible to catch it off guard with its heightened senses. Why didn’t he just pull the trigger at the beast's back? That was the plan! But he froze, attacking the beast and bringing attention to himself was the last thing Frank wanted. Now, he’s being hunted down like prey.

What do I do now…

Looking back through the three slices in the locker, Frank had to stop himself from tumbling backwards and making more noise as Frank didn’t have much to see but the broad eyes of Scully, staring back with its demon eyes, laughter getting louder as it knew it had captured him.

Fucked… Frank was completely fucked! Frank has nowhere to run. He was at this monster's mercy. Wait… Could the behemoth see him? Why isn’t he ripping the locker door off? He’s just standing there—menacingly, happy to just stare at Frank through the slits. Why was it just looking at him? Suddenly, his laughter stopped, and his head jerked to the side, hearing something like a motor running in the distance, something off-road.

Did Scully really know that they are in here? It was doing the same thing to this boy. It was like he was keeping Frank and the boy as a pet, watching it in their cage.

Eventually, Scully was disinterested and ran in search of the new noise, making Frank release the breath he didn’t know he was holding. That was too close for his liking but, Frank wasn’t out of trouble just yet, he still had to get out of there with Leo’s brother while there is a monster trying to hunt him down. What a shit night this has become.

“You're welcome by the way, that—thing is distracted. You can get out now.” Leo muttered in Frank’s ear. Wait, was Leo watching him this whole time? Asshole. He could have warned Frank in advance about what he was getting himself into.

Before opening the locker door, Frank had to recollect himself as he closed his eyes. This wasn’t like him; he wasn’t scared of anything or anyone. He walked down them steps because he wanted to get stronger, not run away like a coward and get himself killed. This spineless nonsense stops now, this is where he learns to take down a being double his size, to kill a far superior being. He has come this far; he won’t back down now.

Opening his eyes, Frank knew he was now ready as his breathing was calm, and his heart had a steady rhythm going. He only had one goal in mind now: to get the boy out alive and in one piece, fighting this thing is the last thing he needs while escorting but, Frank knew he or it will die down here one way or another.

Stepping out of the locker abruptly, Frank’s shotgun was instantly raised, sharply looking from side to side for the mutant that was Scully, however, there was no sign of him. Now that Frank was out of the locker, he realised that he couldn’t hear the laughter at all. Where had he gone?

“Hey! Are you crazy!? That thing is still out there!” Leo’s brother said quietly through his teeth, still in the locker with a frightened look. Frank turned to the boy who quivered.

“What’s your name, kid?” Frank muttered, making the boy jump at the sudden question.

“Shawn… And your Frank, correct?” Shawn said shakily. Frank nodded and pressed against his earpiece.

“Leo, is your brother called Shawn?” Frank asked, still eyeing up Shawn. Suddenly, static blurred for a second before Leo responded.

“How the fuck did you know that?” Leo said with an inquisitive tone, the surprise in his voice was evident.

“Your brother is alive, and he is with me.” Frank confirmed, taking Shawn by the wrist as he pulled him out of the locker, feeling him squirm in his grip.

Leo’s eyes widened as he saw his little brother pulled out of the locker, looking physically okay but mentally disturbed. “Shawn! He’s alive!?” Leo blurted out, his rasping tone gone and replaced with his full attention. “Well get him out of there!”

“That’s what I’m trying to do but, I am a bit occupied at the moment.” Frank replied, dragging the squirming boy who thrashed against him. Leo growled in his ear.

“Shit… there is nothing I can do here. This is all on you. I beg, get him out and I’ll owe you big time.” Leo said, sounding on the edge of panic.

“I’m on my way, just get the car ready.” Frank murmured, ducking under the steaming pipe this time instead of running right through.

“Also, like I said, watch out for a third party. It’s just one man that doesn’t look to be with The Bloods or The Raiders, The Order maybe? He’s big, 6’3 roughly and he looks strong. Be careful and keep an eye out.” Leo said, sounding more alive. A third party? A mask? Could it be The Order’s Wops, or the ISF? Either way, this could be good for him. If this guy comes into contact with Scully, it could be the perfect distraction for Frank to leg it out. He mightn’t have to fight the beast after all.

Finding his way to the exit of the room, Frank peaked through the larger hole in the wall than before he entered. Thankfully, no Scully and no laughter. Frank however found the source of the distraction as the forklift’s tires were rotating rapidly, not moving from its position as it was still on its side, the body still underneath it. Very clever, Leo. However, Frank didn’t like that Scully was gone. He expected to see Scully somewhere near the vehicle. Where could it be?

“Frank… I… I don’t want to alarm you but—” Something patted the top of Frank’s hood, something wet and gooey. He touched the spot where it landed; it was some sort of slobber… slobber? Then, Frank had a sense of dread and an instinct to run take over. “—that thing is on the gangway above you.” Frank didn’t have a chance to look up as something heavy slammed down behind him, a tremendously haunting, mad laughter stabbing his ears. Frank turned just in time to see Scully looked down upon him, his right arm pulled back at its side, its hand clenched into a fist.

Recognising the form of attack, Frank threw Shawn in front of him, making Shawn fall flat on his stomach. As for Frank, he wasn’t so lucky as the fist of death came in the form of a hook. Frank tried to dodge but, in that split second of seeing the punch coming towards him, Frank knew it was going to land no matter what.

Goodbye ribs, I guess…

Then, in that split second of genius, Frank positioned the length of the shotgun against his left clenched arm where the strike would land and relaxed his body, leaning in the opposite way of the strike to lessen the blow. Frank had accepted the fact that he is going to take this blow, all he could do is cushion the blow as much as possible now and hope for the best.

The blow landed and Frank instantly was like a rag-doll in the air. Frank’s vision was a blur as he spun in one direction, feeling the strike bend the barrel of the shotgun against his curled in bicep. When his body finally made contact with a pile of wooden crates, he was completely lost; his head took the brunt of the impact, feeling blood ooze down the side of his face as his head felt lightheaded and woozy. Frank couldn’t move as he lay in the splintered wood of what once was a crate, his mind in a haze as he looked up at the far ceiling. He tried to squeeze his hand on the arm that was struck, and he was happy to feel his hand clench. However, the shotgun’s barrel had caved in, making it unusable.

With the last of his strength, Frank took off the sling of the shotgun, flinging it to the side with barely any strength. Where had all his energy gone? Why did he feel so weak all of a sudden? It was just one hit. Is that all it took? Was that monster really that strong? He was so tired, too numb to care what happened next, he just wanted to sleep; yeah… Some sleep sounded good around about now.

Then, his world went still.

“Well, well, well, how the mighty have fallen.” Said a familiar voice that made Frank groan in annoyance. When the white, old, smiley mask entered his point of view, it only confirmed who spoke to him.

Frank.

“What do you want? Did you come to gloat? To tell me ‘You told me so?’ If that’s so, kindly fuck off so I can lay here in peace.” Joel muttered, not moving his body an inch.

“Well, I did tell you so but, you never listen to me, do you, Joel?” Frank said in an ‘I told you so’ tone, making Joel sigh. Can’t Joel get a break?

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“Tuff shit, Joel. Your gonna hear it one way or another. Let’s talk about it, huh; let's talk about the fact you planned to face something that is out of your league. Do you know how dumb that is? That’s like trying to get passed Sergio Ramos in his prime, it’s just not happening. So, tell me, what made you do it?” The transparent Frank said, his arms crossed and looking down at him with a smug grin. Joel growled.

“I already told you; I want to—”

“—Get stronger. That’s what you were going to say, wasn't it? You’re a bad liar, Joel. When are you gonna stop lying to yourself and come clean about your true motives?” Frank cut in, sounding more irritated.

“I’ve never lied about what I want, I always—”

“—Want to get stronger through any means necessary. You are too predictable, Joel. Why are you telling yourself such nonsense when you know that you are already strong – we are already strong. Why are you running into the same brick wall expecting a different outcome? Are you so lost in denial? Do you think I don’t know why you are doing this? Come on, talk to me, Joel.” Frank bellowed in Joel’s face, making Joel clench his fist.

“Why are you trying so hard to convince me that I don’t want to get stronger? I do want to get stronger! Get that through your thick head, you figment of my sick imagination!” Joel roared, leaning up to get in Frank’s face. “If I truly don’t want to get stronger, then tell me, tell me what I really want from this, why would I want to walk down to face a monster, knowing that Leo’s brother was most likely dead? Curiosity? Bloodlust? For the shits and giggles? Go on, tell me!”

“No.” Frank said in a disappointed tone, making Joel grit his teeth. “If I told you now, you wouldn’t listen. I’ll wait… and wait… and wait until the day you stop lying to yourself, then—and only then will I be there for you. Only then you will listen, and you will listen well… For now, you need to get up… Get up and—smile.”

Shawn's mouth was agape; he turned from where he was on the ground and saw the strike with his own eyes, watching Frank spin uncontrollably into a tower of wooden containers from the blow. Shawn couldn’t believe the power that went into that punch, seeing Frank buried in compartments gave the boy no hope of Frank getting up any time soon, he could even be dead.

Agonisingly, Shawn creaked his head over to the monster slowly, his blood going cold as the white pupils of the beast stared straight at him, an ever-growing smile widening to skin-ripping heights. Tears began to spill down his cheeks, shaking uncontrollably as the monster stepped toward him. Shawn couldn’t take it anymore, he got up and ran, ran as fast as his little legs would let him.

The monster’s bulldozing was absolutely chaotic as it was wild and aimless, bashing through boxes and forklifts alike in this feral game of cat and mouse. The monster wasn’t even trying to grab him, and Shawn knew it; playing with its dinner that was the young boy. So many times, Shawn got swatted away and nudged heavily to the floor and crates, the beast taking great joy in seeing him suffer. Shawn couldn’t run anyway, he was trapped by scattered boxes all around him, created by the rampaging monster.

Shawn couldn’t take it; the tormenting laughter and the blatant bullying were getting to the young lad as he fell to his knees, feeling his whole-body ache in pain from all the taunting blows. Shawn felt queasy as he looked up at the form of the monster, laughing at Shawn. It wasn’t fair, this isn’t right; all Shawn wanted was to go back home to his brother. That’s all he wanted. But… Here he is, on his knees as he looks up at the mocking face of this animal.

Shawn didn’t move as its hand reached out for him, too afraid and sore to move anymore. Shawn was expecting the creature to crush his head with effortless ease with his hand but, Shawn squirmed and wailed in pain as he was lifted of the ground by his hair. Shawn tried to pry himself from the pain but, it was futile to try, the monster’s grip was too strong on his short hair. Shawn was now level with this monster, taking every grimy detail of its face. His blood-smothered face, the smell of iron as it laughed in his face, its gnarled facial arrangement, the white pupils that has no life behind them.

This is a monster, a true monster.

Shawn was helpless as the other hand of the beast took hold of Shawn’s left hand. Shawn was perplexed about what it was doing until the dread sunk in as the monster was trying to bend his pinky finger all the way back.

“No—NO, STOP!” Shawn exclaimed, knowing what the beast was trying to do, he resisted with all the strength he had in his finger but, it was too easy for the giant; a crack was heard and Shawn felt tremendous pain. Shawn screamed in agony, thrashing around in the monster’s grip as the monster twisted and kept bending the finger, watching with fascination and joy as the young boy cried out.

Eventually, he let go of the completely torn finger as it hung on by its muscle tissue, the bone completely snapped in two. Tears ran freely down his cheeks as he sobbed, his eyes closed as the pain was unbearable. Shawn was caught off guard as another rush of pain ran straight to his next finger, it too being snapped backwards in an unnatural way, making Shawn scream to new heights. Shawn kicked and struggled at the monster, trying to escape but, he couldn’t. No matter what he did, it just laughed in his face.

Pfft!

Pfft!

Pfft!

When the monster was going to break Shawn’s third finger, three bullets slammed into the monster’s arm shoulder, arm and waist, making the monster howl in laughter as if it enjoyed the feeling of pain. It dropped Shawn, uninterested in the boy as Shawn scurried away. Scully turned behind him to its delight, happy for more company. Standing behind him with a pistol pointed at him was someone he wasn’t expecting to see again. It was Frank but, something was different about him. Was it the way he carelessly stood, standing straight to his side? Was it that fact that he looked unaffected by the blow he received, holding the pistol with it and holding a glimmering knife in the other? Or was it the fact that his mask was damaged, revealing Frank’s maw that was shaped into a thrilled smile?

Frank's heart was going wild but, in a good way. His adrenaline was at an all-time high, he could feel his blood rush through his veins and his fingers twitched in anticipation. He loved this feeling, the thrill of death lingering on his shoulder, facing this Goliath that is double his size, the tension in the air. Is this what strong is meant to look like? To be strong enough to stand back up? To face an opponent that is leagues above you? To say ‘I can win’ in the face of death…?

Softly, it started as a lighthearted snigger, until the volume raised into a maddening chuckle that brought his hands to his knees. What was he worried about? Death? Frank has been fighting death his whole life, fighting the worst his life had to offer. Frank shouldn’t have walked down here in the mindset he had. To get stronger? True but, Frank was strong already. He should have come down here not just to get stronger but, to KILL the one that did all this and BE the strongest! If Frank could do that, he would have nothing to fear. Not equestrians, not the government, not The Coyotes and not The Order.

Frank dashed straight at him without warning, making the behemoth stand its ground, laughing hysterically as it waited for Frank to get closer. When Frank was in striking range, Frank’s grin only stretched wider as he saw the two-headed-sized fists come crashing down towards him but, Frank was hoping for some sort of attack like that. Frank twisted away from the direct smash that cracked the concrete floor, making a small crater.

Before the fists of Scully could make contact with the ground, Frank planted the knife deep within its side, feeling the knife get lodged into the thickness of the kidney stone. Frank didn’t have enough time to pull the knife out as the beast reacted quickly to the stab with a roar of laughter, swinging its large arms across and making contact with Frank, sending him skidding backwards on his back. Frank smiled wider; Frank made it bleed, if it can bleed, it can die.

This time, Scully charged with absolute happiness, making Frank move around with his pistol raised, putting Frank on the defensive – for now. Each charge from Scully was met with a sidestep or a dive when it got too close, only shooting when weak points started showing themselves which was rare thanks to the ruthless attacks of Scully. Frank knew the only way to kill this monster was to strike for vital points and wait for it to slow down, taking advantage of time itself.

Frank ducked under another wild swing, sending two bullets in the carve and in the side of the knee, hoping to cut the strings to the beast’s mobility. Yet again however, more laughter erupted from Scully as it swung with a backhand, scratching Frank’s mask with its fingernails as Frank barely dodged it. With the heavy swing still in motion, Frank took full advantage of that as an opening revealed itself in the form of the knife still lodged in its side. Frank dashed forward, his smile getting wider as he took hold of the handle and twisted the blade on the spot, making the psycho laugh. Frank didn’t stop there however as he ran the blade all the way across Scully’s chest, blood pooling out of the extended slash. Frank turned and got ready in a defensive stance once again, a malevolent, satisfied smile on his face.

As seconds became minutes, the monster didn’t slow down to Frank’s misfortune. With each punch that Frank evaded, Frank could feel the power passing him get stronger. With each charge Scully did, he only got faster and more aggressive, catching Frank a few times by the skin of his teeth. Frank knew he was fit but, if this monster keeps getting faster, he didn’t know if he could keep up. He had to end this as quickly as possible.

Frank gestured to come at him with his hand; Frank had a risky idea in mind, an idea that might just get him killed if it wasn’t executed properly. Scully wasn’t shy at all to charge Frank once again, covering its face as Frank unloaded the rest of the bullets into the shielding arms. Scully chortled with pleasure as he crashed into something, destroying whatever it was completely. When it moved its arms in hopes to see the little rat beneath him, he was disappointed to see nothing but more wrecked boxed shipments.

No dead masked man.

Scully veered around expecting to see his prey but, Frank was nowhere to be seen, just the blood in the area where they have been fighting. It chuckled at the sudden magic trick, finding it amusing as it scanned the room for its prey. Little did it know, Frank was using its own trick against it as he looked down upon the beast from the gangway above.

Frank had to time this perfectly, one wrong move and Frank would surely die in the most idiotic way. Frank had one foot on the barred railing, waiting for the perfect chance to jump. Frank thanked his lucky stars that the pile of boxes held strong enough for him to climb his way up, thankful that the monster’s arms prevented Scully from seeing Frank’s movement, Frank would have been royally fucked if that little bit didn’t go to plan. Now Frank waited to give the final blow to the head, finishing of the cretin for good.

Frank saw the perfect opportunity when Scully was right under him, unmoving as it just twitched around, ready to pounce at any time. Frank grinned wider as he was the one to pounce, however, when Frank leapt from the bridge, the catwalk swung slightly, making it creak from age, a creak loud enough for it to echo. Frank’s smile was wiped from his face as Scully snapped his head up, his smile wide in victory. It was too late; Frank couldn’t stop himself from falling. Fucked! Frank is truly fucked this time! No, he still had a chance, thanks to the lack of element of surprise now, it was an unlikely chance that he could stick his knife through the cranium of this beast but, it was still a chance. This was it; it was now or never.

Frank gripped the handle of the knife tightly, gritting his teeth as he let gravity do its work, getting closer and closer. When he was in striking distance, Frank went for it, a downward stab to the base of the skull. Frank watched as the knife edged closer to the base of the skull, time slowing down as the point of the knife tickled Scully’s hair. He was so close, just a little bit more. Then, Frank was snapped back into real-time. Frank didn’t make it. Frank felt his neck jerk and pop as he was caught by the neck with one hand, lifted in the air and struggling to breath. Frank cursed as he tried to pry himself from the monster's grip, stabbing its forearm and hand but, it didn’t budge, if anything — it only got tighter. Frank thrashed around, chiselling away at Scully's arm to weaken its grip but, it only laughed in Frank’s face, mocking him as Frank tried to breathe in the air he so desperately needed. The monster’s breath was disgustingly awful but, that’s all he could try to inhale. Frank growled as he kept stabbing away but, his stabbing was starting to become weaker, his drubbing kicking started to slow and all the air he had left his body as the grip kept getting tighter, and tighter and tighter and tighter and tighter.

This is it, I guess… I tried… I tried my best to get stronger but… I guess my best isn’t enough……….

I did say I wanted to die, didn’t I… This might just be a blessing in disguise… An opportunity to see my friends and family again… To be… Happy…

*BANG!*

A thunderous boom went off in the room, the echoing reverberating around the closed-in area, and somehow, the tight grip of the monster was loosened, and Frank fell to the ground, taking in a huge gulp of air as he choked and writhed on the floor. What was that? It sounded like a gunshot. From whom though? Frank came in alone and it was just the boy in this room so… who?

Frank looked at the demon but, it didn’t have eyes for Frank anymore, instead, it looked slightly up to its side seeing a black shadowy figure sitting on the edge of the stacked containers, leaning forward as he leaned against his legs. He just sat there, observing Frank and Scully where the light didn’t reach the figure until the figure dropped to the crate below him.

“Ya did good, lad. I’m impressed ya lasted as long as ya did with ay Grinner.” Said a muffled, undertone Scotach-accented voice. The figure that gradually made his way down sounded bored as he had a sweet-looking kukri in one hand while in the other, he held a magnum. “Have a seat, Frank. I’ll take over from here.” The mysterious man said as he reached the bottom, colours fading in as the man stepped into the light.

He was wearing a white button-up shirt made out of linen, his long sleeves rolled up. He walked in stride with his black leather belt that was wrapped around the waist of his tweedy, neat, grey pants, walking with black monki designed shoes. However, his casual business-like appearance on a cold, windy night wasn’t the strangest thing about this character. It was his mask. It was alien; the mask was oval shaped; its eyes were blacked out glass that was slightly producing out from the mask. The base of the mask was mostly stainless black steel but, the bottom bit where the mouth should be was shiny, silver steel, rust staining it with five chunky lines being the filter of the mask.

Frank could only watch as this newcomer approached Scully, with no hesitation in his walk, if anything, the mysterious masked man’s movement was… sluggish, almost dull-like. Can the man not see what was in front of him? Are those lenses on his mask too dark? He’s going to get himself killed. Frank wanted to get up, he needed to get up but, his body wouldn’t let him, the air strangled out of him was too much strain on him. All he could do now was watch from the sideline for now, Frank was lucky this masked figure showed up when he did, he would have been flat-lined.

“So… Yer Scully, eh? Yer a big focker, ain’t ya. Bigger than the rest I’ve seen.” The Scotsmen said, looking Scully up and down. “Let’s see whae all the fuss is aboot.” The man shouted, taking the first step forward as he twirled his kukri into an edge-out reverse knife grip.

With a new opponent to crush, Scully was glad to strike first to destroy the weakling with one blow. Scully saw that the Scotsmen charged straight at him with zero fear, no slowing down, just a full-on bull charge that took Scully by surprise. No weakling has done that, they all just ran away, no one has charged at him. Not like this anyway.

Scully laughed in wonder as he slammed his fists down, expecting to feel flesh and bones beneath his hammering blow but, once again, his fists met the floor in a slam. Wait… The floor? Scully was sure that he struck the man, the weakling was just under him but, he just disappeared into thin air, like he wasn’t even there. that’s impossible! No one can just vanish while at full sprint, no one. unless… Scully felt pain run wild behind his left knee, making him take one knee and roar with hysterical laughter.

Frank was on one knee when he saw what happened and honestly, he was surprised by the recklessness and genius of his approach. He manipulated that monster’s vision with its own fists, perfecting his timing as he slid down between its legs and slice the knee's ligaments, effectively immobilising Scully. Is it enough? To keep Scully stranded? No, even with the torn ligament, it just laughed it off and stood back up but, it did break his balance in that leg and with all the muscle weight Scully is carrying, it would only slow him down no matter how much he enjoys the feeling of pain. Frank must admit, it’s a smart move but, is it enough to stop this rampaging freak?

Scully swirled around wildly, clenching his fist into a backswing. However, Scully swung at thin air as the Scotsmen was no longer behind him. Scully’s laughter stopped for a moment in genuine confusion, in disarray for this other disappearing act. Where did that weakling go? He disappeared again.

Scully cried out in wailing laughter as two slashes crossed Scully’s back along with a bang that send the monster sprawling forward on one knee. Scully turned and this time he saw the Scotsmen, just standing there, cleaning his blade and a smoking magnum in the other hand.

“Jeez, yer a real muh’unt, ain’t ya. Whae a drag… Normally, I wouldn’t put this much effort intae this but, yer not like the rest.” The Scotsmen muttered with a leisurely tone, his body slouching in boredom. He wasn’t taking this thing seriously? What does he mean by the rest? Are there more of these monsters? Does that mean that he has faced more of these things? If so, this masked man was strong… Very strong.

Frank couldn’t sit here anymore, not in the middle of all this madness that was beyond him. Frank might as well take what he can get and leave, he had done enough and quite frankly, he had nothing to offer in this fight, especially to someone that he doesn’t know. The Scotsmen may have saved his ass but, Frank didn’t owe this man any favours. He jumped in with his own free will. He got himself into this mess, now he can get himself out of it… Not like it would be a problem by the looks of things. He has everything under control.

“Frank, what the hell is going on? I can’t see where you are! Is Shawn okay?” Leo said in his ear, making Frank groan as he looked over to the boy who tried to climb over and passed the crates to the exit of the storage room, his two fingers bend completely back.

“Well… He’s alive.”

“But…” Leo said sceptically.

“Some of his fingers are fucked.” Frank sighed, getting up on his two feet. A sigh was heard on the other end.

“Just get him out no matter what. I’ll be waiting.” Leo said with desperation, worried evident in his tone. Frank didn’t reply, words alone wouldn’t get him anywhere.

Thanks, mysterious masked lad but, this is all you.

Rubbing his throat, Frank walked around the fight, keeping a close eye out for crossfire as the magnum went off for the third time, making the laughter rise as the pain intensified. What a bloody freak of nature, how can you take pleasure in pain? That’s just insane. Frank’s eyes widen as he quickly sidestepped, watching the flying body of the mysterious masked man fly by and into a metal container, leaving a body size dent in the side as he grunted on impact. His arms took the brunt of the blow, his arms crossed and tensed into a guard.

“Fockin’ hell, da guy can pack a punch. I actually felt da.” The Scotsmen murmured, rubbing his arms where he was struck with a hiss, standing back up on two feet. Frank looked forward towards the beast to see many more wounds and blood smothered around Scully, that permanent smile only getting wider. How the hell do you wipe that smile off his face?

“Whae a pain in my arse, this one doesn’t know when to quit. He’s different this one, Scully isn’t like the rest. He has learned my attack patterns very quickly but—how? It should be brain-dead, just a rampaging monster… Unless…” The Scotsmen sneered, a muffled annoyed growl leaving his lips. “…Unless the experiment was a success.”

Experiment? What experiment? Wait… Does he mean that serum Scully was injected with? What does he mean it was a success? The mutation in what Scully is now? What does all this mean? Suddenly, an ear-splitting roar of laughter left the wide-open maw of Scully as slobber drooled from his lips, his head down and hands gripping his head as he shuck violently, almost like Scully had a killer headache. What was happening? No, Frank didn’t care what was happening, he was getting the fuck out of here.

Seeing Shawn jump down to the other side, Frank didn’t hesitate to trudge away; that bullet in his leg was really doing a number on him now. Frank was near his limit; he didn’t know how long he could keep going if Scully decide to attack him out of nowhere. Leaving now would be the safest option without a doubt, staying would only be stupid and reckless. Frank had done his job anyways; this man can finish him off.

“Where are ya goin, Joel?” The Scotsmen said, making Frank freeze on the spot. “Yeah, ya heard me… How aboot you stay where I can see ya and we can talk after we are finished with this Grinner, eh? Sound goohd?” Leo said, making Frank grit his teeth with rage.

Another one… Someone else knew my name… How… How did he know!? I did everything I could to keep my identity unknown and yet, people like Leo and this Scotsmen just know my name. Who told him? Was it Leo? Or did he just figure it out? Either way, my situation just got a hell of a lot worse. Unless…

Frank turned on the spot with his knife and lashed at the neck of the masked man. He would have sliced the Scot’s neck if it wasn’t for the fact that he wasn’t there – He was gone. Wha-where did he go? Suddenly, a chill ran down Frank’s spine and he felt sick as he felt a presence behind him, a dark presence that made Frank freeze under this immense pressure, a presence that was full of overwhelming power and strength, a presence that demanded control as a kukri slithered around Frank’s neck. Frank was a human; he wasn’t supposed to be feeling such a thing as a presence. Who is this guy?

“I know whae yer thinking but, I advise ya tae keep yer head cool unless the goal is tae lose it. Dun’t push me on this, Joel.” The man said in the ear of Frank, his voice so cold that Frank’s ear went numb. For the second time tonight, Frank couldn’t breathe but this time, it was from the blade around his neck and yet again, Frank was trembling out of fear. Tonight, he met two monsters. “I’m gonna let ya gae now saw dun’t try anythin funny. Got da?” Frank could barely nod with the blade pressed against his gulping neck but, the Scotsmen made out the gesture and coiled away, letting Frank breathe properly.

Frank felt blood trickle down his neck as he dabbed his fingers where the blade was, seeing crimson liquid on his finger. Frank gritted his teeth in anger as the presence-like feeling was gone, sweating like he had run a marathon and breathing heavily once again as if he was strangled. That pressure on his back, that murderous intent he felt was astonishingly terrifying. How could someone with an average-looking build give off so much power? Frank didn’t know the scale of what an Alicorn’s power is but, if Frank could give a wild guess, Frank would say this Scotsmen would be right up there next to them.

“Dun’t think too much aboot it, kidda. It wun’t happen again if ya cooperate with me.” The masked man murmured. Frank must admit, he might as well do what he says, Frank would be insane to feel that pressure again—never again. Speaking of insane… Why couldn’t Frank hear any laughter? “Now—where were we? Ah, ye, the Grinner. Let’s—” Both Frank and the Scotsmen turned to Scully… Well, they would have seen Scully if it wasn’t for the fact that he wasn’t there. Instead, there was a blood trail and a path that was crate free, leading towards the exit. The Scotsman and Frank stared stupidly, the Scotsmen sighing as he slumped.

“Fock sake.”

Leo was a nervous wreck as he paced beside his car, he would have been biting his nails if it wasn’t for the fact that he was wearing gloves. Where was Frank? What was taking him so long? He should be here! Just shoot the big bastard and the other bastard and get on with it. Leo sighed, rubbing his temple vigorously, feeling a headache coming along. “Honestly, can’t Frank just hurry up with this? I’m getting twitchy out here. The Raiders will be back any time now.” Leo groaned, his eyes on the motel as he scanned for a certain boy and Frank.

Suddenly, heavy panting and whimpering were heard in the distance, coming from the main entrance of the motel as a small form was seen. It was frantic and wild as the figure ran, details slowly coming into focus with each step forward. Leo had hoped that it was his brother and he was glad to see it was his brother that stepped out of the dark but, why was he still running? It’s almost as if he was running for his life. Why? He's out; he's free so, why has he still had a face of horror instead of a face of relief?

Then Leo saw and heard why…

Bursting out of the main doors was that thing he only saw from the screen of his phone but, seeing it in the flesh with so much blood coating it was truly terrifying. It laughed like a maniac and had fatal wounds that would kill a normal being. But this thing… That’s beyond normal, and it’s chasing Shawn.

“Leo! Help!” Shawn cried out, running as fast as he can while crying his eyes out, nearly stumbling to the floor. Pressing a finger against his ear, Leo quickly called out to the female sniper.

“CHLOE!”

“I know.” The Sniper named Chloe said coolly, taking a soft inhale and exhale, the slightest squeeze of the trigger being the final release of a 7.62x51 NATO bullet that spiralled through the air, a shot so precise and absolute that a higher being was envious, and bitterly decided to change the wind’s direction in the last second of the bullet being fired, sending the bullet right into the jaw of the monster instead of the centre of its skull.

“Damn!” Chloe swore, tracking the beast’s movements as she tried to line up another shot but, despite all the injuries the monster has taken, that beast ran out of her line of sight with a hobble in his knee. “Shit! It’s no good, I can’t shoot!” She huffed.

Leo cursed under his breath as he pulled out a suppressed MP5 from the trunk but, Leo was caught off guard as the superhuman turned and sprinted down the street. What-what the… Wasn’t that thing chasing Shawn? Did Chloe scare it off? Who cares? Shawn is okay and that’s all he could ask for. Leo looked back to his little, teary-eyed, snot-nosed brother who crashed into Leo’s gut, making the two fall to the ground.

Leo cringed at the sight of Shawn’s fingers, making sure that his broken appendages weren’t touched in the little huddle, keeping them far away from the hug. There were snapped, completely snapped to the point of hanging off by a strand of muscle. Did that freak do that? That fucking bastard. Now that made Leo’s blood sizzle in fury. How dare that thing hurt his little brother.

“Leo! Start the car!” A sudden roar rang out, snapping Leo out of their thoughts and turning to see a surprising sight: Frank and that guy he warned Frank about running straight at him. What the hell is going on? Does Frank know this guy? Start the car? What for? Wait… Are they chasing that thing? Are they insane? “Start the fucking car!”

That’s all Frank had to say to get Leo back up; Leo was never the violent type or the one to do the dirty work but, what that monster did to Shawn was inexcusable and Leo wanted payback. Gently, Leo brought Shawn up on his feet, carefully minding his broken fingers and ushered him into the passenger's seat, strapping the seatbelt around him. With that being said and done, Leo shut the door and made his way to the driver’s seat, starting it up.

Frank sprung into the front seat while the Scotsman glided over the top of the car with one hand and entered the other side. Leo didn’t wait for him to close the door as Leo put his foot down, speeding off after the rampaging beast.

“Okay, do you mind telling me what the hell is going on! Why is that thing not dead and who the fuck is this guy?” Leo called out, taking a sharp left turn as Scully turned, watching as the monster jumped up to massive lengths on top of cars, destroying them and even knocking down lamp post with its tremendous power, even the late-night wanderers on the sidewalk wasn’t shown any mercy as Scully landed in the middle of a group of friends, killing one instantly by landing on his head, turning the Pegasus’s head into mush on the pavement.

“Dae ya want the long story or short?” The scotsmen said casually, making Leo grit his teeth.

“Short, dumbass!” Leo yelled, looking over his shoulder for a second, giving this new fella a dirty look. The Scotsman didn’t react however as he just reloaded his magnum.

“Long story short, I was ordered to come and take care of that thing for my own benefit but, I also have a proposition for Frank.” The Scotsman said, looking up at Frank when he was finished reloading.

“A proposition? What type of proposition?” Frank said, still unsure about this masked man and his strange ability.

“My boss has had an eye on ya for a very long time now, and the lassie is interested in yer services but, we can talk aboot this more in-depth when we are alone. For now, let's just focus on the Grinner, and then we can talk.” The Scotsman said, rolling down the window and hanging out, his magnum raised as he fired.

Frank huffed. This was just supposed to be a simple in-and-out job but, somehow, he was entangled in a third party's proposal and chasing a raging beast across the Damned Coast. A simple in-and-out job... Why couldn't it be that simple? Sighing, Frank also reloaded his Beretta, slotting in his last clip into the chamber.

“Leo… Let’s just go home… I just want to go home.” Shawn cried out, clutching his burning hand tightly, tears rolling down his face as he sniffled.

“Soon, Shawn. After this, we’ll go home and sort you out, okay bud?” Leo said, softening his tone as he reached out with one hand and ruffled his head, calming the boy down a bit but, Shawn was still in bits over that monster. He saw everything that happened down in that motel, everyone that was in that monster's way died a gruesome death. It didn’t just kill them, it tortured them into submission, laughing while they begged for mercy.

Shawn thought for sure that he was going to die in that locker he hid in, knowing that the one that killed everyone in the motel was waiting outside the locker, giggling to himself with uncontrollable happiness, as if it was a kid watching its goldfish swim around in a small bowl. Shawn was trapped with no chance of escaping; he could only thank his luck that an infamous killer of Canterlot came to pull him out of that predicament. Even better, Frank was working with Leo. Does that mean they are allies after all? By the looks of things, he sure hoped so. Having someone like Frank would really be a massive help with business.

When Leo got too close to Scully, the monster suddenly turned down an alleyway, completely missing the turn. “Shit! Clever bastard.” Leo growled, speeding up to turn at the end of the street, drifting as to not lose speed, making both Frank and the Scotsmen hand on.

Both Frank and the Scotsmen didn’t really manage to slow it down, only making it laugh louder as they miss every weak point in the body because of its wild movements. Now that it was out of sight, they both snarled in frustration, climbing back inside.

“Catch up, driver! I can’t let that Grinner escape!” Leo said, reloading once again.

“What do you think I’m trying to do!? Just sit back and shut up! You're lucky I’m trying to catch this fucker in the first place!” Leo replied bitterly, speeding up as they all looked down the street’s roads for Scully. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find any super mutant rioting through the avenues. With each minute that passed, Leo, Frank and The Scotsmen started to lose hope of finding it until, Chloe spoke over the earpiece.

“I’ve found him!” Chloe barked in both Leo’s and Frank’s ear, making the two perk up in surprise at the sudden voice. Frank could also hear the sound of a motor running in the background as the wind zoomed passed. “He’s on Drowns Street, coming near the end of the road!” Chloe said, barking out the location.

“Who was da?” Leo said, slightly interested in the voice he briefly heard from the earpiece.

“That’s my assistant, Chloe. She has spotted that thing or Grinner as you like to call it. It’s coming towards the end of Drowns Street.” Leo said, coming towards the end of the road, slowing down to the end of the road to turn.

The Scotsman murmured in understanding. “Then let's get a move on.” He barked with urgency, his hand twitching to get his hands back on that Grinner.

There was that presence again, Frank felt it once again as his hand shuck from the feeling. It wasn’t so back the second time, probably because it was not aimed at him but, he could still feel the intent behind it. Looking at Frank’s side, he could also see Leo look uncomfortable, his hands shaking too. What is that ability? Is he doing that deliberately? It’s really starting to piss him off. Then, Frank clocked something… That something being the fact that they were already on Drowns Street... So... Where's Scully?

“Uhh, g-guys… It’s behind us.” Shawn said with a stutter, watching as Scully got closer and closer from the back window. The rest of the men in the car turned just in time to widen their eyes as the figure of Scully, and someone on the motorcycle chased him. Scully jumped up and over the car, cracking the road in front of the car, and bursting away on one foot.

Leo was going to accelerate after him but, everyone's mouths dropped at the anticlimactic spectacle that enfolded right before them. They could only watch in awe when Scully was about to turn the corner of the road but, in that split second of turning, a black muscle car zoomed in from the side and clattered into Scully, sending Scully spiralling in the air as the muscle car swerved uncontrollably from the hit. Before the muscle car could speed off, two heads popped out of the car’s windows, both being human women. They didn’t look happy when they turned to see a body on the floor, flipping it off and cursing at it as they drove off, almost crashing into a parked car on the pavement. Oddly enough, one of them sounded… Irish?

“Well… Da happened.” The Scotsmen muttered, getting out of the car. Leo, Frank and Shawn followed in the Scotsmen's steps but, Shawn and Leo lingered by the car, inspecting Shawn’s injuries. Frank and the Scotsmen however walked towards Scully who tried to get up on his feet but, Scully’s lets were absolutely demolished and yet, Scully only laughed it off as it stood back up on fractured, shaky legs, turning to face the two masked men.

Frank stood just behind the Scotsmen, watching as the masked man got closer to the barely standing Scully. Then Frank heard the low engine of a motorcycle slowly move beside him, a slender build figure sitting on top of it, wearing a full-face black helmet with what looked to be an HK G28 semi-automatic slinged around her back, kitted up and designed to be a long-ranged, suppressed DMR. She wore a black, collarless, button-up coat that reached to her knees. Under that was a black fleece with a turtleneck collar to keep her warm. A duffel bag hanging around her side, dark grey pants and boots to finish of her outfit. Is this Chloe? The sniper?

Frank was surprised when she took off her helmet, revealing the cream skin of a human. Chloe had jet-black, short, slightly curled hair that reached the back of her neck, the hair brushed aside from both sides of her face. Her dark, deep ocean eyes were the most noticeable feature as she looked back at Frank. Chloe practically radiated intelligence as she picked out a pair of glasses from her coat pocket, unfolding them and resting them on her nose with neatness. She looked young or was that because she looked after herself? Her skin looked smooth, and her facial structure looked to be chiselled into perfection, giving that calculating look as she analysed him. When she was done analysing Frank, the ends of her mouth bent upwards into a small smile as she reached her hand out.

“Wow, I didn’t think I would see the day that I would come across the Boogyman of Canterlot; it’s an honour. I’m a fan of your work, I know about The Order and their doings. It’s really inspirational what you're doing.” Chloe warmly said, her smile rising when Frank took her hand in his own.

Why is she being so polite and formal? A fan? She must be my only fan if that’s the case. Inspirational? What’s so inspirational about killing people that deserve it? The Order? What does she know about The Order?

“Uhh… Yeah… Nice to meet you too, I guess?” Frank said, unsure how to act around the sniper. “Your Chloe, right?”

“Oh! How rude of me, I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Chloe, and I’ve been told by my boss that your name is Joel, right?” Chloe murmured, whispering the last part. Frank mentally fumed.

“Oh did he now?” Frank said in a low and dangerous tone, looking over her shoulder at the kneeling Leo.

“Don’t worry, your info is safe with me.” Chloe waved off but Frank wasn’t convinced.

“Tell your boss not to share my identity with anyone else. I can’t afford The Order or The Coyotes turning up on my doorstep; my real identity can’t be common knowledge to those who want my bounty.” Frank muttered, breaking the handshake and walking away.

“I understand, you can count on me!” Chloe called out with a delighted tone. What was she so happy about? It’s like she just met her idol. Frank… Chloe’s idol? No way. She must be saying all of them kind words to get her on Frank’s good side. Frank couldn't forget that she was working for Leo so, she couldn't be trusted. Yet again, Frank had no other choice but to trust both Leo and Chloe with his personal information, there was not much Frank could do against them, provoking would only make things worse for himself. These people are advanced hackers, meaning Frank was one click away from the whole city knowing Frank’s true identity. Frank couldn’t fuck this up. Frank just saved Leo’s brother from a freak like Scully, hopefully, that can strengthen Leo’s loyalty to Frank. Frank could only hope that Leo wasn’t the backstabbing bastard that Frank thinks he is.

Sighing, Frank watched as the Scotsmen taunted the Grinner, ducking under wild swings and even blocking it with his arm, jabbing Scully in the face with weak punches. Scully was out of juice and with them legs he’s standing on, the swings of his were soft and pointless.

Scully was done for.

When the Scotsmen moved to the side for the last time, he grabbed Scully by the neck, pulling him forward to make him lose balance. Then, he pulled his mask off, surprising Frank even further as the Scotsmen, the second monster was none other than a human. Frank was expecting him to be some sort of freakish Earthling with a rare ability but… A human? How? The pale face of the human had darkening grey, short hair with stubble around his cheeks, jaw, neck and under his nose. His face was stone-cold as he looked into the wide, insane eyes of Scully but… This human’s eyes were—off. They were a pale aquamarine colour, a colour that no human can get unless you were an equestrian. Was it some sort of genetic defect?

“Oi, dae ya remember me?” The old man said coldly, making Scully stop laughing immediately. They just looked at each other for a few seconds, not saying a word, until the silence was broken by a hollow voice.

“How could I forget?” The raspy voice of Scully said before laughing once again, that enormous grin still on his face, forever glued like that. Frank’s eyes widen at the sudden speech of Scully but, the human didn’t look fazed at all. That’s all the Scotsmen needed to know as he jammed his kukri straight up from the bottom of Scully’s chin and into his skull with such speed and power that Frank almost didn’t see the swift move. However, the old man didn’t stop there as with his palm, he uppercut the hilt of his blade, not just sending the kukri deeper into Scully’s skull but, pressuring the blade hard enough for the point of the kukri to stick out from the top of Scully’s head, making the laughter stop and for Scully to cease all movement.

Frank was in awe of the gruesome display of death, the raw brutality and creativity of the execution was very destructive. That was a personal kill if Frank had ever seen one. Did he put all his strength and speed into that kill? Driven by—hatred? Did the Scotsmen know Scully before he turned into what he is now? That must be the case, why else would he ask if Scully remembered him?

The Scotsmen didn’t waver after pulling out his blade from the corpse’s chin, letting Scully fall to the ground as he slashed his blade downward across the road to get most of the blood off the bevel. The old Scotsman turned away without shame of his doing, staring back to Frank who was still, a knife in his shaky hand. The old man noticed this and sighed as he weakened his muscles, letting his shoulders sag as he holstered his blade. That action alone put Frank somewhat at ease.

“I think it’s time for da talk…”