The X-Files: Season 10:

Servant of the Shadows

FBI Headquarters

Washington, D.C.

8:36 A.M.

Scully walked into Mulder's office to find him fiddling around on the internet. Mulder turned and blocked her view of the screen before she could make out any details. "There you are, Scully," He said. "I just got this new case, thought you might want to take a look… have you ever heard of a Creepypasta?"

Scully looked over at him incredulously. "No, I can't say I have. Why? What on earth does that mean?"

Mulder grinned. "A Creepypasta is like and urban legend, usually a paranormal one, that's spread on the internet. Some of the more famous ones are The Slenderman, Jeff the Killer, and 'The Russian Sleep Experiment'".

Scully sighed. "And I take it one of these has to do with an X-File?"

Mulder nodded. He could sense his partner's skepticism, but he chose to ignore it for the moment. "A recent string of killings in Virginia fits the details of a story about 'Ticci-Toby', a proxy for the Slenderman. Basically, I have reason to believe that someone fitting the psychological profile of Ticci-Toby is doing the Slenderman's bidding, killing innocents to serve his enigmatic goals-"

Scully cut him off. "Mulder, enough. This is completely nuts."

Mulder gave her a hurt look. "What do you mean, Scully? After everything we've seen, things far crazier than this, why don't you think there's at least some validity to my statement?"

"Because they're children's stories, Mulder! You can't believe everything you read on the internet, least of all this. I'm fine with believing things that I have some proof about, but this is just- I can't…" Scully trailed off.

"Just like old times, huh?" Mulder said softly. "I'm leaving for Virginia in the morning."

En route to Faulquier County, Virginia

9:49 A.M.

They didn't say much to each other until a couple of hours into the trip to Virginia. When they did finally speak, it was Mulder who spoke first. "Do you know what the Slenderman supposedly does, Scully?"

"Mulder, I-" He cut her off.

"He takes people away. Abducts them. But they never come back. No one knows what happens, but they don't come back." He gave her a meaningful look. "Every time I think about it, I can't help but think about Samantha. And I can't help but imagine what my life would have been like if I hadn't had any hope of her coming back. For so long I used searching for an answer about what happened to her as fuel, a way of keeping myself moving. If I hadn't kept hoping I would find her…"

They sat in silence for a while. Scully tried her best to digest what he had said. In the end, she understood what he meant. "Mulder, I still don't think it's a valid basis for a case. But I am coming with you to figure this out. Think of it this way. If I'm right, then nobody has to ever suffer that."

Mulder glanced over at her quickly, trying to keep an eye on the road, but also tempted to send a grin her way. "Well, that is one way of looking at it."

They stopped at a local burger joint to grab a bite to eat. Mulder convinced her to try a greasy behemoth of a sandwich with double patties, which they shared. Her stomach revolted slightly, but he found it delicious, which was enough for her. They chatted a bit more on the road, moving on to lighter topics.

Henderson Residence

Faulquier County, Virginia

1:02 P.M.

Scully began to understand her partner's interest in this case even more when she discovered who the latest victim was. Her name was Patty Henderson, and she had been about 12 years old when she had been murdered.

They arrived at the house Patty had lived in and been greeted solemnly by her parents, who introduced themselves as Charles and Miranda. The couple brought them inside and offered them iced tea and crackers. At a glance, they seemed like very decent, good-willed people.

After a few minutes, they got down to business. "Mister and misses Henderson, I'm so sorry you're in this position, but we need to ask you a few questions about what happened. Would that be ok?"

Ms. Henderson nodded, and remained composed despite the tears welling in her eyes. "Of course. We'll answer anything if it will bring the person who did this to justice."

Mulder nodded understandingly. "Can you think of anyone who would want to harm Patty in any way?"

She shook her head. "No. She was fairly well liked in school, as well as around the neighborhood. She had lots of friends, she got good grades. She was turning into a fine young woman." Her voice started to crack a bit, and they gave her a bit to calm down. It was obvious that the killing had happened recently enough that it was still very difficult for them to cope.

Scully spoke slowly and carefully. "Ms. Henderson, did you ever see anyone who appeared to be following Patty? Did she ever mention any strangers approaching her, or someone who always seemed to be nearby?"

She took a while to think about this one. "Well now that you mention it… every once in a while, she would mention a strange man following her… sometimes we thought she was just imaging things…" She trailed off, and Mulder urged her to continue. "Well, it may sound silly but we also sometimes find strange figures in the background of family photos and things like that."

Mulder's eyes widened at this detail. "May we see one of these photos?" She nodded and got out her phone, scrolling to one of the pictures she had stored in it. Mulder took the phone and pointed out the figure that Ms. Henderson had spoken of. She could tell it excited him for some reason.

When they got back to the car, she found out why. "You remember how I mentioned Ticci-Toby being associated with the Slenderman? Well the Slenderman often appears in pictures with his future victims before they vanish. That proves that there's a connection."

Scully held up a hand. "Whoa, there. That figure could have been a lot of things. This doesn't really prove much to me, and it won't prove anything to a judge or jury. Let's try and find some more substantial evidence before jumping to any conclusions."

"You're just jealous that I found the first evidence," Mulder joked.

Sunrise Inn

10:57 P.M.

The story was pretty much the same with all the other families they interviewed. The victims were spread across all age groups, races, genders, and any other type of demographic you could think of. There appeared to be no patterns at all, not even in the places where the killings had occurred.

Mulder had plotted these out on a map of the U.S. He showed it to Scully, with the dates displayed next to each crime scene. "This is incredible, Scully," he said. "The killer appears to be moving around by some non-conventional means of travel. He- or she- would have to be moving faster than any commercial plane to get places this quickly. They may even have to teleport!"

Scully gave him that 'not likely' look for the billionth time. "Mulder, that would be-" The phone rang and cut her off. She reached over to answer it.

There was a strange voice on the other end of the line. It sounded distorted for some reason, in a way she couldn't quite describe. "Impossible?" The voice said. "Well, you'll find that I'm able to do quite a few things that you say are 'Impossible.'"

Her eyes widened. She tired to check the caller ID, but just then her phone powered of. "Someone either has the room bugged, or is nearby enough to be listening in," She told her partner. "We need to find out who, right now. It could be the killer!"

They dashed out of the room, guns out and ready. They looked around quickly for anything suspicious. They spotted something pretty quickly. Scully strode over to the note that lay directly under a nearby streetlamp. She looked it over quickly, and then handed it to Mulder. "It's for you."

I know you're looking for me, Mulder. HE knows. He's watching you. He knows you'll try and stop him. But you can't.

FOX Mulder. The tricky FOX. Well I guess YOU'RE the one being TRICKED this time, huh? How does it feel? Your cries of frustration would be music to my EARs!

Just try and find me; let's make it a game! I'll hide, you seek! It'll be FUN!

-Ticci-Toby

They could find no other sign of anything out of the ordinary. Eventually they went back inside to discuss their findings.

"Scully, at this point can we at least agree that there is someone out there who believes they're Ticci-Toby?"

She sighed. "Or it could just be someone trying to mess with your head. What he said on the phone indicates that he's able to listen in on us at will. This person may very well be trying to bait you into thinking that they actually have something to do with this Slenderman character."

Mulder held up his hands. "Yes, but either way, they're using that persona. That gives us a way to try and get into his head and figure out what his next move will be. Any way you hash it, this person is liable to follow the same patterns of behavior."

"But Mulder, look at this. You're so focused on that that you're neglecting the fact that they may just be following these patterns to get to you." Scully was getting a bit frustrated by this point. Along with that, he could hear the concern in her voice. She genuinely thought this could put him in danger.

Mulder gave her his most reassuring smile. "And that puts us even closer to getting whoever it is behind bars. Look at this, see how some of the words are capitalized? Like Fox and Ear; sounds a lot like Faulquier when you say it out loud, doesn't it? I bet he's going to be nearby the site of the most recent killing. He's left us a clue!"

Scully gave him a look that bordered on disgust. "Yes, but Mulder, listen to me. It is a clue that undoubtedly leads into a trap! Just tell me with a straight face how you could possibly walk into that alone and survive, because I'd like to know!"

Mulder still had the same smile on his face. "What makes you think I'm going in alone?"

Nearby the Henderson Residence

Faulquier County, Virginia

3:58 P.M.

It was amazing what the FBI could procure when tracking down a killer.

They had snipers at various positions, watching the houses nearby the site of the killing. There were also undercover agents sweeping the streets, looking for any sign of their target.

It didn't take too long for them to find a probable location. One of the houses just down the street from the Henderson's house had the door unlocked and ajar. The agent who found this called it in, and Mulder and Scully were over there in about half a minute.

They were outfitted in bulletproof vests, and they both had their pistols out and loaded. Most of the other agents would be staying outside to cover the exits, although two of them would be following them into the house. On the count of three, they burst into the house, sweeping it quickly and securely.

They found him in a bedroom on the second floor, sitting on a windowsill. He was wearing a grey hoodie, with orange goggles and a black bandana over his mouth. In his hand he held a bloody hatchet.

"Well then," He said. "I guess you found me." His voice seemed strangely calm, detached, almost depressed.

The FBI agents held their weapons aloft, keeping well away from the figure on the other side of the room. "We're federal agents," Scully announced. "Drop the weapon."

To her surprise, he did. The hatchet clattered to the floor, and Ticci-Toby held his hands out in front of him. "Go on," He said. "Cuff me. All I want to do is talk to you for a second. Is that too much to ask?"

Mulder glanced at Scully, shrugging. Then he motioned to one of the other agents to put handcuffs on Toby. "Fine then, what do you want to talk about?"

"The plan," Toby said, "His plan, you know? He has it all worked out. He's coming for you." He sighed. "But I don't want to play this game anymore. It's gotten boring."

"So what do you want to do?" Mulder asked. "What was the point of all this?"

Suddenly Ticci-Toby started struggling against the agents who were holding him. "I wanna rip your lungs out!" He screamed. "I'll feed your eyeballs to the crows!" His face contorted in rage, and it was clear that they wouldn't get anything more out of him for a while. The agents placed him in a secured car for transport to the local jail.

As they walked out, Scully asked Mulder, "What was the point of all that? Why did he just get himself caught?"

Mulder frowned thoughtfully, saying, "It's like he said. It's all part of the plan. Our job now is to figure out that plan, and stop it."

Field Journal

Agent Fox Mulder, Federal Bureau of Investigation

The behaviors of the person who called himself Ticci-Toby followed a consistent pattern. From interrogations performed on this person, it is clear that he truly believes himself to be Ticci-Toby. He at least knows enough about this character to behave in a manner that is somewhat consistent with the stories told about him. It is also clear that he wanted to be caught, and that while appearing illogical, he wanted this for a logical reason, as part of some enigmatic plan. He still insists that such a plan comes from the entity known as the Slenderman. If such an entity exists, it's nature and motives remain as yet unknown.